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SEPTEMBER 5, 2009

Immediately after Mass on Sunday August 16, Fathers May and Scott left from the chapels of St. Catharines and New Hamburg for a retreat on a wonderful site on Lake Pidgeon, near Bobcaygeon. That afternoon the five day ladies’ retreat began, preached to 23 women from the Fort Erie, St. Catharines, New Hamburg, Toronto and Ottawa chapels in Canada, as well as from the chapels in Nappanee and Chicago in the US. The site on the lake was ideal for the retreat, with no other distraction that the lapping of the waves against the shore, and the occasional passing boat. The ladies were billeted in the various cottages, each one having her own room.

For five days the Fathers preached the exercices of St. Ignatius and the retreatants were able to do their meditations in their cottages, and in the chapel, a cottage in which an altar had been erected and the Blessed Sacrament reserved.

The school assembly in the main hallway on Monday August 31, the first day of school. Students and faculty are lined up all down the hallway.

Monday August 24 was a big day for the school, for it was the first day of the new year, on which the eight teachers, five of them new to the school, were assembled for the first time. Father Scott explained to them the method of St. John Bosco, the method followed in the school, and the basis of a truly supernatural school spirit. The rest of the week was spent in preparing classes, and testing children to assign the grade level that corresponded to their ability.

The first day of school for the new year was Monday August 31. Fifty-one of the 55 students were present for the first day and Votive Mass of the Holy Ghost, two students arriving three days late, and two others due to arrive soon. Of these students 11 are in the boys’ high school (grades 9 - 12), 15 in Junior High (grades 7 & 8) and 29 in the grade school (K - 6).

Miss Theresia Herrmann, the first grade teacher who came from Germany to teach for the school, and her first grade class on the first day of school.		Mr. Jean-Louis De Vrient, with one of his two high school math and science classes. Temporarily he is obliged to make use of the gymnasium, until another classroom becomes available.

With 39 entirely new students to the school, the first days can easily be imagined as being quite hectic, as the customs and discipline of the school were being learned by the new students. However, their willingness to adapt was quickly apparent.

On Tuesday September 1, large earthmoving equipment came in to move the storage contained into the new location near the building foreseen by the architect. Then on September 2, two large portable classrooms arrived from Strathroy, Ontario. They were placed on the site of the previous portables that had been used by Baden Senior public school before it sold to the Society, and will make the future growth of the school possible, as well as the spreading out of the multiple small classes into different rooms.

On Thursday September 3, the school celebrated the feast of Saint Pius X with a High Mass, sung by the teachers and the boys who show some aptitude for Gregorian chant, and whom Mr. De Vriendt will be directing as members of the schola.

On Saturday August 29, Mr. Slinko installed the pulpit that he had built at home. On Sunday August 30, Father Scott can be seen making a point during the first sermon to be preached from the new pulpit.		The boarders recite together their morning prayers in the hallway upstairs before breakfast.

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