MONK'S NEWS: Today it is three months that I have been at Norfolk

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Today it is three months that I have been at Norfolk

Sometimes the time just seems to fly by. It was three months ago today, June 1,2013, that I arrived at Norfolk to become chaplain for the Missionary Benedictine Sisters as well as the St. Joseph Care Center which is just across the street from the monastery. I enjoy my work here very much

This past week it has been so hot Everyday it seemed to be way up in the 90's and the heat index up to 100 or more. Oh well, we will soon enough have cold weather and we will be complaining about the cold weather. After all I am in air-conditioning most of the day. My house has central air and does the monastery and the St. Joseph Care Center.

On Wednesday of this past week I went to the Norfolk Public Library to apply and pick up a library card. They seem to have a really nice public library. I was happy to see the large number of larger print books they have. I sure appreciate that larger print at this stage of my life. They have many computers there so I can go there if necessary to use a computer. They also have wi-fi there so I can take my Kindle down there to load books etc.

I guess they had an outbreak of scabies in the community during this past week. The nursing home where I work put a "no visitors" sign on the doors and they treated all the residents, including the staff as a prevention. No one of the residents picked it up. I also had to go through the treatment since I am an employee of he Care Center as well as of the Sisters. They gave me this tube of Permethrin which I was told to massage into my skin from head to the bottom of my feet. The next morning I was told to take a shower. Today, for the first day they are allowing visitors and outside people to come to Mass there.

This coming Wednesday, September 4, I have been asked to give a talk to an adult education class at the local Catholic church. The title is "Our Catholic Heritage." I have been working on it the last couple days so hope I will be able to offer them something worthwhile on Wednesday evening.

Tomorrow, Monday, is Labor Day. I understand the Sisters are having a picnic meal both at noon and in the evening. They told me to come to both if I want so I most likely will do so.

Some of you remember my friend Benjamin Darnell either from the seminary or other places. He left the seminary after 2nd theology, is now married and has two children. He has worked as a youth minister in Catholic parishes at Springfield, MO, Dayton,OH and Wea, KS. He is now taking a job as Pastoral Associate at St. Charles parish, in Kansas City North.