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SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

          The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, September 8, was also the second birthday, of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy, celebrated as it was by a community of two priests, eleven faculty members and seventy-two students, twenty in the high school and fifty-two in the grade school.

School photo of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy's beginning third year, taken on Friday September 10, 2010.

          This summer was, indeed, a busy one at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, amongst other things preparing the enrolment of the 25 new students who joined the school on the first day back, Wednesday September 1st.

          The biggest of the summer projects was that of preparing the two new portable classrooms for classes. Minor remodeling was required, the building of steps, electrical hookups and the like. The heating, to connect these classrooms with the main boilers, is still being worked on. However, in addition a new washer and dryer, with new electrical and exhausts were added in the laundry upstairs. Moreover the priests’ and school libraries upstairs were all organized and set up in the bookshelves in the hallway upstairs, with the help of Mr. Stannus, a Canadian seminarian from Zaitkofen, Germany, home on vacation.

          The summer began with a canoe camp on the French river for boys aged 16 and above, directed by Fathers Wegner and May. The eight boys enjoyed the days spent on the river and the nights camping in the wild. The followed the two Canadian Martyrs camps at Attawandaron Scout camp site on Lake Huron, that this year celebrated their tenth anniversary. The boys’ camp started on July 18 and was attended by 30 boys from Ontario and New York state and was directed by Father Scott and the girls’ camp started the following Sunday and was attended by a similar number of campers and directed by Father May. Three seminarians from Winona helped out with the boys’ camp, along with three lay helpers, and a generous numbers of young women counsellors took care of the activities on the girls’ camp. They were both very successful, both in terms of being good fun, and a time of spiritual formation. We are indebted to the benefactors who helped make these camps possible.

          The next important event for Our Lady of Mount Carmel was the second annual Assumption Festival. This year it was held on a Sunday, August 15, the feast itself. A procession with the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was held between two Sunday morning Masses, followed by the renewal of the consecration of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary first made on August 15, 2009. After the Masses came the celebration, in the form of a pig roast, prepared by 12 hours baking outside the gymnasium. A great time was had by all, both parishioners and visitors.

          Then came two intense Ignatian retreats. They were not able to be held at the school, due to lack of space, but were instead held at a rented facility on Lake Pigeon near Bobcaygeon, and were both preached by Fathers Scott and Webber. The location was found to be very peaceful and apt for meditation and the cottages simple and rustic but perfectly adequate for a good retreat. 23 women followed the first retreat starting on August 16, coming from Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin as well as from Ontario, and 17 men the second, starting on August 23, all from Ontario. May God grant them perseverance in their holy resolutions.

The 17 men retreatants together with the two retreat masters, Fathers Scott and Webber, on the shores of Lake Pigeon, where the Ignatian retreat was held at Sugar Bush Cottages, near Bobcaygeon, Ontario, from August 23 - 28.

          No sooner were we back to school then we had to prepare for the two in-service days that preceded the opening of the new school year. This year we welcome two new teachers, Mr. Barbas & Mr. Zepf, and two new supervisors, Mr. Nienaber and Mr. Nwadibia, to our faculty, taking the place of the one teacher and supervisor who left for personal reasons.

          Wednesday September 1 was the first day of school, and was greeted with much excitement by the children. The day was one of recollection and retreat for the high school boys, and the first Mass of the year was a votive Mass of the Holy Ghost to beg for wisdom. On Sunday September 5 the first pilgrimage of the year was undertaken by the boarders and some day students. It was to the shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows in St. Agatha’s cemetery, only six miles from the school. After admiring the traditional artwork, the students and faculty meditated on the seven sorrows of Our Lord and recited the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. Among the special intentions was the good progress of the school and the hoped-for building project.

Father May leading the morning prayers for the boys of Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School. THe morning assembly of the high school takes place in the hallway at the beginning of the school day, before the boys go to class.

Mrs. Kotsos works at her desk in the 4th and 5th grade classroom, in one of the rare moments in which all eleven of her students are working calmly and effectively on their own.		Mrs. Reis' classroom is now a very busy place, with three Kindergarteners and five first graders in together.

High school boys working attentively in the Chemistry class taught by Mr. Dr Vriendt.

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