Posts Tagged ‘Hermitage’

Br Joseph is with us at the Friary in Hamilton for a couple of weeks for a time of familiarisation. He is usually based at the Hermitage of St Bernadine at Stroud NSW. Joseph hails from Western Australia, a former Royal Australian Navy chef and a member of the Vietnam Veterans’ Motorcycle Club of Australia. We certainly enjoy having him with us albeit for a short stay.

Saturday 3^rd December 2005

The culmination of a slow and ponderous journey is near. The process of Brian’s move from Alverna at St Isaac’s Retreat, Opononi to the Friary of the Divine Compassion in Hamilton into an alteration of part of the friary to accommodate a hermitage was completed with a simple service of blessing and naming on Saturday 3^rd November with a small group of friends and the friars including Brothers Daniel (Minister General) and Alfred Boonkong (Minister Provincial).

During the ceremony people moved about the hermitage and prayed and blessed objects and spaces. Br Brian named the hermitage ‘The Little Portion’ and tribute to his many years in Papua New Guinea ‘Lik Lik Hap’.

A barbecue dinner followed with many happy reminiscences and some lively discussion.

A service of dedication of the continuation of Brian’s ministry of prayer and contemplation in the eremitical style was held in the chapel at Te Ara Hou later in the week.