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OCTOBER 15, 2008

The week preceding Thanksgiving was a busy one for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. On Tuesday 7th, a couple of men from the parish, directed by Father May, started laying tile in the upstairs priory kitchen. By Friday, it was completed, as also was the laundry room, along with sealer and three coats of wax. The large dining room was also tiled. Also, on Friday 10th, the school had a welcome visit from Father Wegner, the District Superior, accompanied by Father Mery and by Father Somerville, some generous parishioners preparing lunch for the community.

On Thursday 9th we had two important systems installed in the school. The first was the telephone system, with two lines, a fax line and voicemail, allowing for multiple telephones. The second was the high speed internet connection. Not being able to obtain DSL or other internet connection from the local telephone companies, on account of our country location, we were obliged to sign a contract with Netflash, who installed an antenna on the roof, giving access to their aerial. Henceforth the school has the e-mail address of:

with

as secondary email.

In this way everything was ready for the work day of Saturday 11th, feast of the Divine Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Around 20 parishioners helped out. The first task was to complete the dining room floor and put on the trim in the kitchen and laundry. Then the washing machine, dryer, counter tops, dining room tables, and other donated items could all be moved into place, and closets and beds were assembled. Meanwhile, much work was done to clear out the future high school boys’ classroom upstairs. Many things were moved out into storage elsewhere or to be trashed, but much more remains to be done. At the same time, the ladies cleaned all the closets and shelves in the kitchen, and started moving in supplies.

On Tuesday 14th the final items were moved upstairs from the cafeteria, and the kitchen and dining room were completely set up, the first meal being eaten there that night.

Meanwhile Our Lady of Mount Carmel received its registration from the Province of Ontario Ministry of Education. The BSID number is 665195. This does not mean that the ministry has approved or accredited the academic program, but simply that the school is registered, having fulfilled the requirements for registration as a private school.

Father Scott tries out the new soap dispenser installed by Mr. Barrett on October 14.

 

Mrs. “Tornado” Tonogai, chief organizer of the kitchen upstairs, places glasses in the cabinet in the upstairs dining room on October 14.		Mrs. Tonogai organizing the kitchen cabinets.

Father Scott tries out the new high speed internet connection in the main office, connecting through wires to netflash because the wireless connection was down.

Father May instructs the boys in Gregorian Chant after school.		Another view of the boys, as yet beginners, singing the chant with Father May.

Father Scott blesses the table during the first meal in the new dining room upstairs, shared with Father May and some of the boys.

OCTOBER 6, 2008

Entering now the fourth week of the First Quarter we can now thank God for the stability and organization that are now falling into place, allowing the work of education to really take place. The students’ levels were not all as expected, and after careful testing, they were assigned to the correct level of work. Some remedial work will need to be done, and has been prepared by the teachers. It is very easy for them to arrange and organize, given the small size of the classes.

The seven older boys, including the five boarders and two local boys who chose to be a part of the after school program, are now used to the daily after-school schedule. School finishes at 3:15 pm, and then they have a 45 minute time of relaxation to play badminton, pingpong, basketball or some other game. It is followed by one hour of work for the school, from 4:00 to 5:00 pm. During this time they have been mowing the grass, cutting and pulling up weeds, digging the garden, cleaning the classrooms, mopping the hallways, cleaning the washrooms, and a variety of other chores to help with the setting up of the priory. From 5:00 pm until 6:00 pm they have their first study hall, which is followed by the Rosary in the chapel. Then comes supper, which is brought in by one of the parishioners. Whilst those assigned work on washing and drying the dishes and the pots, the others begin their second study hall from 7:00 until 8:00 pm. The singing of Compline follows. As of yet, it is still very rough. However, Father May has begun his chant classes, which he now does on a Tuesday afternoon with the older boys. After Compline they are either picked up by their parents or taken home by the Fathers.

Wednesday September 24, feast of Our Lady of Ransom, was an important one for the school, since it was on that day that we received our first visit from the Ontario Ministry of Education, and received our registration as a private school.

Friday September 26, Our Lady of Mount Carmel celebrated the feast of the Canadian martyrs. As always on Fridays, it was only a half day of school. We were happy to welcome our first visit from the priory of Toronto on that day. Father Juergen Wegner, the District Superior, and Father Freddy Méry visited the school for lunch and discussions.

Saturday September 26 was the day for the annual pilgrimage of the Society of Saint Pius X to the shrine of the Canadian Martyrs in Midland, Ontario. 11 of the school students, along with their families and the entire faculty, participated in the pilgrimage, along with 150 faithful from all over Ontario. The District Superior celebrated the Mass at the site of martyrdom of St. John de Brébeuf, called Ignace II. It is an open field, with a shelter erected over a stone table that functions as an altar. During his homily, Father Wegner described the lives and heroic acts of all 8 Canadian martyrs, and invited the faithful to follow their example. He invited all the faithful between 5 and 70 years of age to participate in the full 13 kilometer walk, doing away with the very brief 3 kilometer walk that had been previously followed by many of the pilgrims. He also encouraged the faithful to double the numbers for 2009. In fact, after the Mass, all ate a quick lunch, and the pilgrimage assembled to begin around 12:30 pm and practically everybody entered on to the main pilgrimage, despite the rain that was then starting, and continued on and off for the rest of the day.

The pilgrimage headed off down a short gravel road and crossed the highway, to follow the rest of the walk along an abandoned rail line, now converted into bicycle and hiking path. As the rain fell, the faithful prayed, led by Fathers Scott and May, with prayers, meditations and readings, and singing hymns, some of the faithful dropping back occasionally to make a good confession as the pilgrimage advanced. Given the inclement weather, there was no stop for a break. Also, the school’s banner, hastily put together with Velcro came apart on account of the rain. The one megaphone was quite insufficient for the 150 pilgrims, and being somewhat damaged was rather temperamental in its functioning. Nevertheless, with the few exceptions of those who had to be picked up by the van following the crossovers with the path, all happily walked past the old fort of St. Marie-aux-pays-des-Hurons built by Father De Brébeuf in 1639 and destroyed after his martyrdom in 1649, and rebuilt as a historical site. Then came the climb up to the shrine of the martyrs, a magnificent gothic church built in 1926. On arrival there, we prayed before the relic of the skull of St. John de Brébeuf, sung the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Salve Regina. The pilgrims, saturated but happy, then waited for the drivers to bring up the vehicles so that they could make their way home.

As we arrived at the end of September, the Fall started in earnest, with more rain, this time cold, and very cold nights and cool days. Fathers Scott and May were able to move into their rooms in the priory, as also was the high school teacher, Mr. Ratusz. Then on October 1st, the ductwork having been completed, the forced air furnace in the priory was started up, and began to give some heat. Some finish work still remains to be done. However, the walk-in closets are now all completed with excellent quality shelving, installed by Mr. Joe Ryder from Moline, IL, who generously donated a work of time to work at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. May others follow his example.

On Saturday October 5, a work day at Our Lady of Mount Carmel enabled the complete cleaning and organization of the upstairs priory, in preparation for the laying of tile in the kitchen, laundry and dining room. At the same time Mr. Francis Acheampong from Toronto set up the wireless network amongst the computers and printers of the house. It was on Monday October 6 that Father May and a couple of the men began to lay the tile, in preparation for the work day due to take place on Saturday October 11. The school invites volunteer help, without which it will not be possible to complete the ongoing work.

Father Peter R. Scott

September 17, 2008

The buildings of the former Wilmot county senior school were purchased by Father Rostand, the District Superior of Canada, for the Society of Saint Pius X in April 2007. The initial project of starting a school in the Fall of 2007 had to be postponed on account of the numerous practical difficulties. However, during this period of time the excellent five acre facility and the large buildings suitable for 300 students, have been used for many functions for the parishioners from the various chapels in Ontario, most notably monthly home school gatherings. In June of 2007, Father Rostand performed the solemn blessing of the school, assisted by Fathers Sulzen and May.

It was Father Rostand likewise who initiated a vast remodeling for the second floor of the school building. His intention was to make of it a priory for the priests and a convent for the sisters. In order to accomplish this the upstairs classrooms were converted into living quarters. There are six rooms for priests in the priory section of the building, a large dining room, a commercial kitchen, and four rooms for the sisters. However, the requirements for the various permits, and in particular the fire protection permits, significantly delayed construction, the country requiring various fire protection devices not included in the architect’s plans.

As of the middle of September 2008 all these rooms are essentially finished, with new insulation, dry wall and paint, bathrooms with fixtures, and walk-in closets. It remains only to install shelving in the closets. In the process of remodeling, it was decided to replace the old and very inefficient boiler with a modern and efficient system. Consequently, two new boilers have been installed, although not yet connected up. A new hot water heater for the entire school has also been installed, although not yet connected either. In addition, an air-conditioning system has been installed for all ten bedrooms upstairs.

Meanwhile, the plans for the opening of the school advanced, and during the Spring and Summer of 2008 the curriculum was prepared and books ordered, thank you to the untiring efforts of Mrs. Tonogai. The initial plan of having just an Elementary school was modified by demand of the parents, and it was decided to start immediately with a boys’ high school. Boarding then became a priority, since many of the families interested in the high school could not move to live close to Wilmot. Consequently, it was decided that the boys would board with one of the teachers, Mrs. Templeton, until such time as they could board at the school itself.

The most important room of a Catholic school is the chapel. A chapel was set up in one of the classrooms of the elementary wing, with a seating capacity of around 50 people. This is a very temporary solution. It is planned to remodel a large downstairs double classroom with separate exterior access for the chapel once the work upstairs for the priory has been completed. It will comfortably sit 120 persons. However, work on this project has not yet even begun.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel started to become a chapel and parish in its own right as of August 2008, when Mass was first celebrated every Sunday for the faithful in the area. Initially celebrated at 5:00 p.m., it will change to 10:00 a.m. as of September 21. However, the chapel is already overcrowded, with a large spillover into the hallway.

Father Peter Scott arrived from Australia to take up his new assignment as Principal of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on Sunday August 31, and was followed by his assistant, Father Dominic May, from the Toronto priory two days later. Living in a camper van and the gym, they prepared for the opening of the school, which took place on Monday September 8, feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In his homily for the occasion, Father Scott pointed out to the students how providential it was that the school would be born on Our Lady’s birthday, so that just as we celebrate Our Lady’s earthly birthday on account of her heavenly purity of soul, so likewise do we celebrate the birthday of a school that it is to give purity to souls whose only desire is to serve God, and God alone.

The school started with 14 students, including four high school boys, two in 11th and two in 9th grade. The grade school students are divided up into 8th grade (2), 7th grade (1), 6th grade (3), 4th grade (2) and 1st grade (2). A Kindergarten class will be opened when there are enough children to justify it. Presently three teachers teach the children in three classrooms, aided by Fathers Scott and May for the classes in Religion and Latin. Mr. Marc Ratusz teaches the high school boys, Mrs. Joanne Templeton grades 5 -- 8 and Mrs. Karen Tonogai grades 1 - 4. All are eminently qualified, and outstanding traditional Catholics. However, the school is not seeking accreditation through the Province of Ontario, the students obtaining their 12th grade diploma of graduation through Our Lady of Victory in Post Falls, Idaho. Additional classes will be added as the number of students increases. The school operates five days a week, but gives the children Friday afternoons for recreational, musical and other activities. It is planned that from time to time joint activities with homeschoolers will also be organized on Friday afternoons.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy desires from its very inception to be a promoter of the interior life, as its name suggests. In order to encourage the children to live by Faith, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is an integral part of the daily schedule, and is celebrated for the school Monday - Thursday at 11:15 a.m. In addition, frequent confession is encouraged and the Fathers are available for Confessions during the school Masses on Mondays and Thursdays.

The full size gymnasium was much appreciated by the students from the beginning of the school year. On rainy days, when it was not possible to play basketball outside, the children are happy to play badminton, basketball, volleyball and other games in the gym.

The older boys have a schedule, according to which they stay after school, do an hour of physical work for the school, and then an hour of study hall, then recite the Rosary and eat supper with the Fathers, followed by another hour of study hall and the office of Compline.

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