The short first letter of July briefly outlines some of the villa activities, but the second letter expands on it, including two ‘out trips’– a walk and visit to the OAC (Ontario Agricultural College) and OVC (Ontario Veterinary College), now the University of Guelph – before launching into the busy re-entry to life back at the novitiate including his new job as ‘regulator’, ringer of bells. He does not mention the other facet of the job, the cleaning of toilets. Information about ‘rules for visitors’ appears here again. He hopes, of course, that his parents will be able to make a visit since he hasn’t seen them since Regina August 13, 1961. Reflected in the August letter is the beginning of the novice’s transition to being a ‘secundi’, a second year novice.

IGNATIUS COLLEGE

GUELPH, ONTARIO

July 3, 1962

Dear mum and dad,

I finally got around to writing this letter. I began one last week but never did get to finish it. By the time I realized it your [25th] anniversary was almost here, so I will probably be late with my greetings. I will also be late for Marlene’s birthday and I am really late for Donna’s. You will all be in my first intentions on your days….

It’s better to hear about all the difficulties and sicknesses after things are back to normal again for it prevents worry on my part. I do hope Herman is back on his feet again.

At the moment, as I mentioned before, we are at our villa which is an old farm about one and one half miles from home. We are sort of roughing it for two weeks. I really shouldn’t say roughing it for we have many of the conveniences of home, including our cook…. We sleep in two old buildings which are appropriately called ‘Martyr’s Hall’ (I live in that one) and ‘Agony Alley’. It’s not that bad though, for we only sleep in these buildings and we are very comfortable at night even though it sometimes gets a little cool. We eat in the house. The kitchen is in the house and so is the chapel….

There are many games to keep us busy Volley-ball, swimming, basketball, baseball, football and horseshoes just to name a few. Tomorrow we are having a track and field meet. I am doing the highjump, running broad, 100 yd. dash and the potato sack race. I am still able to [High-] jump abit. I did four feet ten inches the other day. I have pretty strong competition in this event from Joe Schuck who can do five feet. He has the advantage because he learned the Western roll and I can only do the scissor.

Time has run out so I must sign off and get this letter in the mail today.

Say hello to all the family and the relations, and please remember me in your prayers I will elaborate abit more on my life at villa in my next letter, which I promise will be longer.

Love

Frank

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IGNATIUS COLLEGE

GUELPH, ONTARIO

July 21, 1962

Dear mum and dad,

…[S]ince the last letter…a lot has happened…. There is still much I could tell you that happened before I sent my last letter, for time then ran by so quickly that I didn’t get a chance to say much.

In any case I shall begin with villa. Those were the best two weeks I spent since I went to camp so many years ago. (I should say the best two weeks holidays) The weather held out perfectly for the whole time, the sun shone down with all its heat every day. Each week during the villa we had to go on some kind of walk. This is just to get away from the place. In any case each person was given about fifteen cents to spend on the way, and of course we all took along a huge picnic lunch. It was very strange to go into a store once again to purchase something even though it was just a candy bar or drink….

The rest of the villa went as fast as ever. We had our track and field contests the last Wednesday we were there. I didn’t do too badly. I won first in the broad-jump (running) with a jump of about seventeen and one-half feet. I won third in the high jump with a jump of five feet. (Joe Schuck beat me with his western roll; the other brother was so tall that he just had to stepover the stick). It was great fun though because there was such stiff competition….

The next week a group of us went to the O.A.C. (Ont. Agricultural College). It was about a six mile walk and the day was as hot as ever. One of the students showed us around the grounds and buildings. This includes the barns also. Roy Pretty [our neighbour, a local SK dairy farmer] would have loved to see the dairy barn for it is as modern as ever.

The barn itself is not so big but it has practically everything in it. To mention some of them; self cleaning gutters, insulated floor, water at each stall, separate calf pens, a system of milking whereby the milk goes directly from the cows to a pasteurizing unit through glass tubing. I enjoyed walking through the flower section, especially the roses. There were roses of every color, shape and size. They also had many tropical plans in one green-house, including a banana tree.

The next building we went through was the Veterinary College. This was very interesting, for they have operating rooms and every convenience one of our human hospitals have. There were three sizes of operating rooms. One for small animals, middle-size animals, and for large animals. They also had x-ray room with such a powerful machine that it is said they could shoot an elephant with it. The whole room is lead lined and no human is allowed in the room when they x-ray….

We just got settled at home when we went on retreat. We spent eight days in prayer and silence. Our retreat ended on Saturday morning and I began this letter that day. It is now Monday. I had intended to finish this letter on Sunday but many things happened to prevent it as I shall explain.

Saturday morning I was informed that I would be giving a set of points to a retreatant on Sunday afternoon, then on Saturday evening we were all assigned new monthly jobs and weekly jobs. I was kindly informed that I would be a chanter at compline and server at benediction on Sunday night. We also began our typing course on Sunday.

I shall give you an outline of the activities on Sunday. (I should first explain my new monthly job. I am in charge of ringing all the novitiate bells and thus keep the novices on time. I also ring the Angelus and so a few other things, but in any case it is nerve-wracking at first trying to get all the bells on time.) What added to the confusion was the fact that the ‘secundi’ or second year novices were moving out of the novitiate and over to the Juniorate, for they are going to prepare for vows in August and takea French course till then.

Sunday morning was normal until after breakfast. Then the fun began. The first thing I had to do was to move from my old cubicle down to the bell ringer’s cubicle. The problem was the old bell ringer had not moved of yet so I did not get to straighten my room until evening just before bed. I had to ring bells and then prepare for those points in the afternoon. I also had promised to help one of the brothers on the tennis court so that took the rest of the morning. Immediately after dinner I had to do ‘mensis sternit’ which is setting the tables for supper. After that I had abit of recreation then typing class. I then had to finish preparing the points I had to give at three o’clock. I struggled through the points and then had to go out to recreate with my brothers.

Soon after that I was appointed to set up collation (our afternoon snack, you see it is a long time between supper and dinner especially if you play strenuous sports in the afternoon). Soon it was time for Compline and benediction. I somehow got through the singing with only about three terrible mistakes, and of course the benediction was not hard. The rest of the day was almost normal. The reason it was such a hectic day for all the ‘primi’ or first year men was the fact that we were really going on our first flight by ourselves (because the secundi left).

Speaking of leaving did I tell you that Jerry is now in Spokane. He finished his Juniorate this spring and off to Philosophy did he go. I think he stopped off in Regina for a visit [with his family] on his way through.

Please keep me in your prayers.

Love,

Frank

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IGNATIUS COLLEGE

GUELPH, ONTARIO

August 8, 1962

Dear mum and dad,

….How was confirmation on Monday? I am looking forward to&nbsp
receiving a letter from Rosemary telling me all about it. Enclosed is a holy picture for her and one for Mathew. I didn’t know if Mathew was going to be confirmed or not so I thought I had better send one for him too. It is a good idea not to be confirmed at too young an age, I think, for I think the more your know at the time, the more it will mean to you. But at ten [years old] you should realize exactly what is going on, at least I did.

You asked about rules for visitors etc. and when it would be most convenient for me. I have given you almost all of the rules in previous letters. The visiting hours are from ten to twelve in the morning and one to five in the afternoon. I asked the Master when it would be most convenient for you to come. He told me I could have one day off class so that would mean that you could come two days in a row. Thursday to Sunday are holidays for novices wo you could come for Wednesday and Thursday or Thursday and Friday or Saturday and Sunday or Sunday and Monday. I hope it’s clear to you.

In other words you have a choice of four combinations of days. I am also able to invite you for dinner here at the College on both days, so you will be able to spend from ten in the morning to five in the afternoon here. The only other thing that I might not have mentioned before is that the only things novices can partake of in parlour that has been brought by visitors is candy and nuts. And that cover about all of it.

At the moment we are all looking forward to the new novices that will be coming in for the fifteenth of August. It feel[s] very strange to be a second year man, and have to show all the new men around. I am happy I didn’t get chosen to be what we call ‘guardian angels’, who are the novices who help them get settled and acquaint them with the place….

Well I am in the middle of my typing course. I do hope you can see some improvment in my typing. I don’t think I have made as many mistakes (yet) as in my other letters. Of course I am only half done so I still have plenty of time and space….

I should say thank-you mum for your lovely long letter. Those are the kind I like very much. It is too bad I did not teach Mathew his prayers etc. for serving mass while I was at home. It would be so much simpler and easier for him now. However at that age you have to serve oftener to keep up on the movements etc. and he probably doesn’t get a chance to do anything but observe as I did for about five years….

I remember the first time I had to serve alone. I was staying at Grandfather’s place in the Colony [for the two week annual catechism school]. I usually helped Herbie [an older boy who lived in the Colony] serve but this morning he didn’t show up so I had to go myself. Father Heinrich was very nice though and helped me by giving me signals and his cook said the prayers. After mass when we got back to Grandfather’s house Grandmother gave me a prayer book and said I should learn the prayers. Of course it was hopeless though because I couldn’t read Latin. In any case it was quite an experience.

Your [25th] anniversary must have been lovely and I am glad you received so many lovely gifts. I was abit late with mine but better late than never.

Surely you have had some rain by now in any case I have been remembering that intention in my prayers. We have been having a fair bit of rain here, and it really helped the crops and garden. They have a lot of hay to bring in here, a few thousand bales. However there are many more workers here than there. I just cannot see Rosemary lifting those heavy bales. That must have been a hard work day when they brought in those four hundred….

I hope all your glads [gladiola] will be blooming for the Grotto feast on Sunday [the Feast of the Assumption, our pilgrimage day at St. Peter’s parish in Kronau, SK]. We have finished picking all the peas for the second time and also the beans. They only have string beans here because it is too damp to grow and dry out the other kind.

We have been eating cucumbers from the garden and the pumpkins are growing to a huge size. The tomatoes are getting bigger and the corn is developing cobs now….

I am afraid I have run out of time once again for it is time to ring another bell to send the novices to another duty. That job of ringing bells is even more hectic than obeying them.

Please remember me in your prayers especially on Sunday [Feast of the Assumption] for our Lady is a powerful intercessor.

Love,

Frank

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Source for all photos: Frank Obrigewitsch, SJ

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