Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy

I was enamored, as were all readers of spy, espionage thrillers, with the masterful trilogy Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy followed by The Honorable Schoolboy  and finishing up with Smiley's People that British author John LeCarre wrote in the 70s and 80s. His hero and master spy for M15, was George Smiley. Did you see Alec Guiness play him in the film version of one of LeCarre's books? 

Well, David Cornwell, the real name of the author of the series, died in 2020, but his writer son was able to finish up/polish his last novel, Silverview, and I found it and read it this weekend. What a delight. It is classic LeCarre, twist within twist within twist--who are the "good" guys and who are the "bad" guys, who's telling the truth and who isn't, and how is everyone and everything interrelated? The  hallmarks of another fascinating story in the best of the spy genre. 

It always leaves me thinking, Do these things really take place in "that world" or is it all a figment of his imagination? If the former, WOW, what a world within the world; and if the latter, where did he get such ideas, the intricacies and story lines?

The New York Times just came out with their "88 books for summer" list. Better get going, there's only about 100 days till labor Day! 

Where does one find God?

This week the Catholic Diocese of Erie announced that it is moving its sacrament of Confirmation from being given to 11th graders to 9th graders. The program they are proposing sounds good, at least better, as they admit, than trying to interest juniors in high school to 90 minute classes of information on Catholicism. The new program they are selecting has more to do with experiences and applications within the contemporary world and culture then in the accumulation of knowledge in theology. Not to mention that the percentage of eligible students in attendance has dropped terribly. 

In that vein, how about that California diocese and the linking of the reception of communion to political stances....again. There's a sample of what the new Confirmation classes can discuss! Black and white? Hardly. Welcome to the adult world of gray, kids.

Now, more on the home front. Here are some sights, no sound, from around our monastery this week. 

The two-colored dogwood tree at the original monastery in Erie.
Beautiful this year.

The arbor in the library courtyard is blooming.

The iris crop in the inner courtyard is blooming this week, too.

Look, a rhubarb plant.

Living the (spring) Dream

We took a walk down Carters Beach Rd and met our new neighbors, Sarah and Bob. They are the first ones to build a home on the land they bought from us a couple of years ago. They are so excited to be moving onto this property and in a home they designed themselves (and helped with the building). They mentioned that many of the neighbors have already introduced themselves, that they love the surrounding woods and, get this, they love hearing our bells. (Good thing, I thought, you'll be hearing them 3 times a day, every day!). Their completion date is August 1.

A side view of the structure. 

We, too. are living the dream as our gardens around the monastery are all blooming wildly. Here's a new hanging plant with accompanying hummingbird feeder that it took the birds about an hour to find!

Our staff who care for our sisters who need assistance are so great. 

One of the really wonderful things they do is to take the sisters for "a wheelchair walk" 

around the monastery--as sidewalks completely circle the building. Here's Sr. Mary Louis, 

still in her going-for-a-walk hat, that she wore on today's trip. 

And finally, we had our 2021 (twice delayed) Prophet of Peace Award ceremony last week. The Blue Coats, a local security and non-violence trained group in local schools, events and daily in our Soup Kitchen, were this year's, well, last year's recipients. If you haven't read the whole story on our website, it is here. 

Spring sights around town

Today we took a walk on one of our favorite trails in the city of Erie itself--it's on the ridge over the Bayfront Highway along Presque Isle Bay, a mile-long trail along West Front Street. It begins at UPMC Hamot and ends at about Liberty or Plum Street. We were surprised when we reached the end to find a brand new condo complex, three floors, two apartment per floor, each with a drop-dead-gorgeous view of the yacht club and bay.

Along the way we passed hundreds of early May spring sights, but here are the two that most caught our attention: an early spring outing for the Brig Niagara (right) and a similar trip, we expect, for the Victorian Princess Riverboat, left, (dinner and lunch cruises throughout the summer):

There were lots of tulips out in the many gardens along the way, but this one far exceeded all the rest.

Finally, I can't resist sharing this sight, in our very own parking lot after liturgy. What happened to that good old Catholic custom of dangling a rosary from the rear view mirror? Necessity over devotion, I guess!

A type of homecoming

 

This weekend was a type of homecoming as we welcomed a couple dozen of our oblates who were able to join us for our spring community days. It was rather eerie (a feeling that we have a legitimate claim to) to see so many people that we hadn't seen for 2+ years. 

We shared Covid stories and coming out of Covid stories which were, generally, very much the same. So whether they were from California or Ohio or Maine, it was truly wonderful to see them and I hope that we will see many more throughout the summer as they "drop in" for a couple days or when they are passing through Erie traveling east or west.

Also, this week our glorious tree in the library courtyard bloomed. Absolutely beautiful, as it is each year. Hope your spring is as lovely as ours has been. 

P.S. Stop by now, yourselves--see you soon.