A definite settling in and deepening of appreciation not only of the farming culture at Ignatius College but also a deeper consciousness of Lent and the approaching Easter celebration is apparent in these letters. Home and relatives though are not forgotten in the April 13th letter. Two main topics fill most of the April 29th letter, a full description of the Easter celebrations, and a description of the ‘kitchen’ trial he has been assigned to! The brief April 30th letter provides some of his reflections on the experience of the two week ‘trial’ in Toronto at the refuge run by the Little Brothers of the Good Shepherd and at Catholic Rehabilitation Service.

IGNATIUS COLLEGE

GUELPH, ONTARIO

April 13, 1962

Dear Mum and Dad,

….I am learning abit about fruit farming now. I found out that in spring all the trees have to be pruned. This is a difficult job, not that it is such hard work but it takes a lot of time to prune about eight hundred trees, and one must know exactly what he is doing. I did not prune any trees, of course, but I observed one of the brothers doing it [Brother Reichman]. The other day some of us helped the same brother to pick up all the branches that were removed and I found out more about apple growing. It is very different compared to our large type of wheat farming back at home. Even the wheat farming here is different because it is in such a small scale in comparison and somewhat primitive because more things have to be done by hand. The brother that runs the orchard really knows his stuff (he’s been at it many a year) and is truly interested in his work….

Yesterday I helped cut wood in one of the orchards. (You see we remove the old trees that aren’t worth the space they take up). We take the wood to the villa and use if for the stove there. In any case I stupidly got my thumb between two logs and as a result I will probably loose the nail. At the moment the right thumb is a lovely shade of purple. (I guess in keeping with theLiturgical season [Lent]).

Well, the weather here has been simply marvellous. The grass was getting very green and the birds have returned, this of course includes the Robin, the frogs were cheerily croaking in the swamp near by, and I even saw one man plowing in a field. We had showers on the sixth, seventh and ninth of this month. I suppose these are the showers that are to bring the May flowers. However winter had to sneak in a preview for next year, for this morning when I looked out of my window, low and behold before my eyes lay snow, every where and on top of everything. I don’t suppose it will last very long because it was just a thin layer. The frogs have stopped making their noise, but the birds are still as chipper as ever….

I put away all my winter clothes this week. (e.g. into my trunk) I also did my monthly washing of socks and washed two white scarves. One of them turned out very well but the other one I could not get as clean as I wanted. Perhaps I did something wrong. Any suggestions?…

I found out this morning that I will be going to the shrine this year. We will leave on May the seventeenth and return on the seventh of June. On the way back we will stop off in Torontoand have supper at the seminary. All in all it should be a very interesting experience….

My catechism classes are getting better and better. Perhaps I should say they are becoming more interesting and easier. I am finding myself looking forward to week to Tuesday, our catechism day. These children are really clever and are really going places. However it is almost an ideal situation….

I am really looking forward to Holy Week. As I said once before this is the first time I have really lived the Liturgy because I have been able to study the Masses and get more meaning out of them. There is really a lot there and it is all very inspiring. For instance during the Passion Week every day the Mass proper is leading up to the climax which is in Holy Week. The Saint Andrew’s Daily Missal is great for notes on the Mass and references in the Bible. As far as Holy Week is concerned I am discovering a lot of the meanings behind the ceremonies.

For example on Holy Saturday I never did understand why the holy water was blessed on that particular day and why we renewed out Baptismal promises. I found out that in past times on Holy Saturday the catechumens were baptised into the Church. The reason we are sprinkled with water after the blessing of the water is to remind us of our “resurrection from the dead”, that is, our baptism, and of our baptismal promises. This is just one example.

At the college we all go on a “triduum” that is a three day retreat, beginning on Holy Thursday and ending on Easter Sunday…. The thing that will make Holy Week more enjoyable than ever before will be our greater participation in everything. And what will make it more interesting for myself will be the singing. Mentioning singing I should tell you that I have to sing a lesson in the Saturday ceremonies, as some other novices must do also…..

You will probably see a lot of the relatives over Easter, if you do would you give them my greetings please?

Keep my in your prayers.

Love,

Frank

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

IGNATIUS COLLEGE

GUELPH, ONTARIO

April 29, 1962

Dear Mum and Dad and all;

I will begin by thanking all of you for your prayers and greetings. All the cards were lovely and they brightened up mroom considerably. Thank you mum for that lovely parcel. I received your letter the day before I went on retreat, however the parcel was only delivered to me on Easter Sunday. I must say all those home-made cookies and candies were delicious, as was everything else in the package. Everything arrived in excellent condition except the Easter eggs; all were broken but three…. They were the only Easter eggs I saw this year. I liked the variegated ones very much. The chocolate rabbit did arrive all in one piece and I thought it very funny when I looked at the label and discovered it was made in Kitchener, a cityvery near by. This rabbit travelled farther than most people do…..

This was a very interesting and profitable Easter week for me. Our ‘Triduum’ began on Wednesday night and ended on Easter Morning. On Holy Thursday there was no Mass in the morning but we sang the office as monks do every day. After Mass in the evening the Blessed Sacrament was taken to the altar of repose which was our newly completed St. Stanislaus Chapel [in the novitiate part of the building]. There was adoration all night and I had the hour from two to three o’clock in the morning. The rest of the ceremonies of the day were the same except for the washing of the feet which I had never seen before.

The Good Friday Liturgy I found very beautiful particularly because I as able to sing in the choir. It was held at three o’clock in the afternoon. At the singing of the office on Holy Saturday I had to sing a lesson. This I can assure you, was a nerve wracking experience. Not singing the lesson itself, for once I got into it, it was smooth sailing, but waiting to sing. This was the first solo I have sung in public and I was told I did well but one does not now what charity prevented them from saying.

Holy Saturday really was a day in which one could feel the missing of something, for in the chapels the tabernacles were open and the altars stripped. However everything came to life with the vigil service at night, especially the Mass and the ‘Gloria’. The altar had huge bouquets of flowers on it, and a few potted lilies. 

Thus Easter was a big holiday as was most of this week, and I think we all enjoyed it very much. On Sunday evening there was a card party in the Junior’s recreation room and I won a giant tube of Colgate toothpaste. I believe it will last for at least a year. In any case we will all be ready to go back to studies etc. next week.

Well I have been working much harder than usual since Tuesday of Holy Week. That was… [because] I was promoted to the Kitchen trial. This trial consists of washing pots and pans etc. and keeping the kitchen in order, which includes cleaning one of the walk-in refrigerators, the stove, washing the floor (every day) and a million and one other jobs. I begin at seven fifteen by putting out the milk and cream on all the tables for breakfast. Then I eat breakfast, empty the kitchen trash-cans, and then proceed to wash dishes.

My biggest battle was the porridge kettle but I have gotten used to that now and so it is not such a battle any more. I usually finish in the kitchen about nine-fifteen. My next appointment in the kitchen is fifteen minutes before dinner. I fill the sinks with water and wash dishes while the community eats. Then I get a replacement and I have dinner. During the afternoon the first thing I must do is wash the floor, then I clean the cupboards or refrigerator or whatever is assigned for that particular day. All in all it not such a bad job and I have worked harder before. It is just that I do not have as much time to spare as I did on regular ordo. Oh yes, I have the hazard of the trade, that is ‘dish-pan hands’. However Brother Infirmarian has remedied that by giving me some hand lotion….

Spring is definitely here for the weather is warm, the birds are singing, the rhubarb is eight inches high, the peonies are coming out of the ground, the lilies of the valley are blooming as is one shrub, the trees are getting their leaves, the barn swallows are swooping about, the grass is all green, and the swimming season is almost begun (I hope). I could have continued that sentence to the end of the page but that I thought would be impractical, in any case you have some idea why I think spring is here….

We changed time again last night so we missed an hour of sleep. It’s great to turn the clock back but it’s turning it ahead again that hurts….

Well I had better get this letter off for I am behind time already. I hope you all had a happy and holy Easter. Please say hello to all the kids and I hope Rosemary is well now. (How are the little chickens [that you order each spring for the farm]? )

Please keep me in your prayers.

Love,

Frank

++++++++++++++++++++++

IGNATIUS COLLEGE

GUELPH, ONTARIO

April 30, 1962

Dear Mum, Dad and all;

….Since Easter I have received a lot of mail and I am …way behind in answering….(asever I enjoy loads of letters.)….

I am glad Vivian is going to stop working. It may be an old-fashioned idea but it is a good one [in her case with the young children]. ‘A woman’s place is in the home.’….

Please thank Marlene for her letter. Congratulations on the promotion in the business world. The computers themselves do not look so complicated but those millions of cards with holes in them do. I wish her all the best in her new position.

How did I fare in Toronto? It was really a very pleasant time. However I am happy that I did not grow up in such a large city or rather in any city. But just two and one-half weeks was a welcome change from the novitiate routine. The ‘trial’ was a real eye opener to anyone who has not seen poverty or has had no idea of the problems some people have.

I spent one week at the refuge, which the Brothers of the Good Shepherd are opening for the ‘knights of the road’, and one week at the Catholic Rehabilitation Service. At the refuge I worked with the volunteer workers, most of them drifters. It was a great opportunity to get to understand these men. All of them are wonderful people. The only reason they are in that state is because of circumstances or human weakness. When they tell you of some of the breaks they have had it makes you think of where you might have been if similar things had happened to you. (The work at the refuge was good heavy work. In fact I haven’t worked that hard since harvest at home. ) [Good Shepherd Ministries (Good Shepherd Centre, Barrett House, St. Joseph’s Residence) has served the homeless in Toronto since 1963.

At the office we mostly talked to people who came for help. We could help them sometimes temporarily with a meal ticket or a place to stay for the night but a lot of the work was encouraging these people and sympathizing with them. All in all I believe I gained valuable experience and knowledge of people from the ‘two week holiday’…..

Well ‘the time has come…..’ for me to close because as usual the clock stops for no man.

Please keep well and remember me in your prayers.

Love,

Frank

+++++++++++++

Source for photos: Frank Obrigewitsch, SJ

+++++++++++++++++