Hermits and Work
By Hermit Sister M. Beverly
The
Rule of St. Benedict is the basis for our way of life.
It is instructive that work is mentioned in the Rule as
an
integral part of a life of prayer and study. Here is what
the great saint writes: “Idleness is the enemy of the soul.
For this reason the brethren should be occupied at certain
times in manual labor, and at other times in sacred reading...If
local necessity or their own poverty compels the brethren to
work personally at gathering the harvest, they should not be
upset about this. For then they are truly monks, if they live
by the work of their hands, as did our Fathers and the Apostles.”(Chap.
48: The Daily Manual Labor) In our own Constitution which applies
the cenobitic rule for our eremitical way of life, we write: “We
engage in manual work in imitation of Jesus the carpenter
from Nazareth, to provide in so far as possible for the needs
of
our community and of the poor who appeal to us.”
While we have never, strictly speaking, harvested crops, we
have several times in the early years gleaned in the local
fields for potatoes and onions. Because of the generosity of
benefactors, this is no longer necessary. The real harvesting
we do is that which occupies us at this time of year...harvesting
the wild flowers. This is real labor! However, we have also
been experimenting with buying domesticated flowering plants
from local nurseries and harvesting these flowers in the convenience
of our dining room here in Holy Family House. The season for
picking flowers, though important and wonderful work for us,
is very short.
What then do we hermits do
all year round for work? Over the years, Sister Rebecca
Mary and I have
developed our little
cottage industries and, thanks be to God, we are now able
to
have quite an array of wares to sell each month. You know
of our rosaries and flower cards through the mail order forms
in this newsletter. When we do our monthly sales in a local
parish, we also sell rosary bracelets, book marks, aloe vera
plants grown here, crocheted baby booties and Sister Rebecca
Mary’s original music CD. As a matter of fact, our sale
items take up 8 conference tables when we get set up at a parish.
When people ask how many Sisters we have in our community and
we say “two,” they usually remark in amazement: “Two
Sisters made all these things?!”
As Marymount Hermitage itself has grown over the years, it
is not possible for Sister and me to personally maintain and
clean all ten buildings like we did in the early days when
we were younger and had fewer buildings. We are grateful to
the generous neighbors who have helped us with chores and repairs
over the years. Most recently, as you will see in the photos
which follow this article, the Knights of Columbus from Risen
Christ Parish in Boise have taken us on as a service project.
The men have come twice since last fall to do major repairs
and maintenance chores. This is a tremendous blessing for us
and enables us to offer five hermitages for the use of retreatants.
In addition to this, Sherry Moore, from Weiser, comes several
times a month to clean the hermitages and chapel.
We see God’s blessing
in the way things have developed. When we were so poor
in the beginning,
we did most of our
own cleaning and maintenance work here including things like
chopping
firewood and kindling. Of course, in the beginning, we were
25 years younger and we had fewer and newer buildings then.
Now, we are older and less able to do all the work personally
and the Lord has given us the means to earn enough money
that we can pay our neighbors for the assistance we regularly
need.
One new component for my
work and contribution to the community is a small outreach
which involves teaching
occasionally
at the nearby parishes. This is intellectual work, as opposed
to manual work, and is the fruit of my study, particularly
the writings of Pope John Paul II. So far I have given 1-2
hour classes on the two encyclicals Ecclesia de Eucharistia (On the Eucharist), Dies
Domini (On the Sunday Observance),
and other topics like Christian Prayer and Contemplative
Prayer.
I am currently working on
new classes for the future based on Pope Benedict’s first encyclical, God
is Love and
Pope John Paul’s reflections on “Mary, Woman of
the Eucharist.” There seems to be a natural evolution
to more intellectual work as I grow older and hopefully,
I will be able to share the years of my prayer and study
with
adults and older teens interested in learning about the faith.
It is certainly true to say
that Sister Rebecca Mary and I work hard. We enjoy the
creativity and focus
that our manual
work provides us as a balance to our times of prayer and
study.
Since we spend a major portion of each day in prayer and
spiritual reading, normally work occupies only about 4 hours
a day for
5 days a week. We try not to be overly busy or preoccupied
with work. As St. Benedict writes “...the brethren should
be occupied at certain times in manual labor.” Work
has its proper place in our day and throughout the week.
Then when
Sunday comes, we have the special joy and sacred leisure
for more prayer and extended spiritual reading.
Spring brings plants and pilgrims...
Sister Rebecca Mary has been planning her
new rose garden since we moved into Holy Family House three
years ago. With
able assistance from Craig Sova, she moved rose bushes from
our more distant vegetable garden. Since this photo was taken
in early spring, Craig has installed a lovely, deer-proof
fence and walk-in gate (for humans!) around the roses. The
new rose garden occupies the corner niche made by SRM’s
bedroom and the hallway from the house to the chapel. Now
she can enjoy seeing the roses from her window, has the convenience
of them being close by to cultivate daily, and the luxury
of providing cut roses for decorating chapel.
Father Camillus Temba, ALCP,
(pictured in the center of the group) Pastor of St.
Mary’s
Parish in Cottonwood, Idaho came March 26 with a group
of parishioners.
They made a Sunday afternoon pilgrimage to Marymount Hermitage
for the purpose of having a holy hour in chapel for prayer,
adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Hospitality
is part of the charism of our hermit community and we welcome
all who come here for short or extended times of prayer.
Eberle Umbach purchased
and planted three Russian olive trees for us this spring.
We have planted hundreds
of trees in the past 20 years and all but a few have been
destroyed by grasshoppers. We asked the Lord to bless our
efforts to have a few trees around our new house. Eberle
also regularly helps us harvest flowers for our real flower
cards and bookmarks.
KC Work Crew
 
Cliff Gifford is seen (above left) adjusting
the library door. He did several other sorely needed repairs
around the Hermitage. Valarie and Gary Pabalis (above right)
installed cupboards in a hermitage. They also did the Herculean
task of cleaning out the chicken coop, happy to have well-seasoned
manure for their Boise garden. 
Mike Townsend fires up the generator and prepares
to power wash three hermitages. 
Mike Townsend had the unenviable job of climbing an extension
ladder to power wash the cross at the top of the bell tower,
which
badly needs painting. We have a pair of great horned owls,
who use the top of the cross as their preferred perch. It is
awesome to hear these huge birds hooting in the night to each
other. However, they do leave a big mess! 
Work
at St. Helen’s Hermitage is pictured
above. A crew will come back to paint the buildings this
summer. 
Larry
and Charlene Connell worked with both KC crews in October,
2005 and May, 2006. Charlene said, “This was lots of
fun! I am coming every time the men are, from now on.” Both
times they did weed whacking around the buildings and propane
tanks for fire prevention. This spring they also helped
move two cords of firewood. 
Larry
Connell (pictured above) and Don Pemberton did weed whacking
to tidy up around the front of chapel.
Don was also
our “electrician” and replaced old light fixtures. 
Charlene
Connell is seen here clearing away a torn tarp from the old
wood rack and collecting debris
to be taken
to the landfill. The crew members brought their own trucks
and equipment, which made the work here very efficient. Charlene
was thoughtful enough to bring lunch for all the men in May.
The Pabalis’ treated the crew to a barbecue at the
end of the work day in the fall. The Knights of Columbus
from Risen
Christ Parish in Boise also purchased the supplies, which
were needed for the work here. God bless all our generous
benefactors! 
Scott
Tighe diligently caulked the windows of Holy Family House.
He mentioned this was “on-the-job training” as
he had never done it before. We very much appreciate the
willingness of the men to do work which was new to them. 
Mark Henry re-seated the RR ties which make
up the porch of the guest hermitage. The ties often get moved
when the snow plow comes through in the winter time. Now we
have fence posts installed to mark the edges of the porch for
the future. 
John Pettinger (pictured above) and Paul Callahan did the
demanding and delicate job of replacing the nylon screens with
wire screens in our new house and some of the buildings. The
grasshoppers eat holes in the nylon screens. Future crews will
continue this necessary up-grade.
Dave
Palumbo and Don Pemberton and others moved 2 cords of split
wood from one hermitage to the sisters' House.
Sisters' Retreat
Bishop Thomas J. Connolly, bishop-emeritus
of Baker, Oregon, was here in early May to give us an eight-day
retreat. He surprised
us by offering to make and install a large cross somewhere
on our property. We decided to have the cross mark the entrance
to our cemetery across from the chapel.
Bishop is
carrying the large upright post to the site. It is an “icon” of
Jesus carrying his cross, which Bishop does so faithfully
in union with our Savior.
Bishop attaching the crossbeam.
The new cross in our cemetery was installed on May 5, 2006.
Pictured below (from left to right) are Sister Rebecca Mary,
Sister Mary Beverly and Bishop Thomas J. Connolly. On Friday,
during our retreat, we made the Stations of the Cross in chapel
and concluded at the site of our new cross outside. (Photo
by Mike Cowman) 
Bishop Thomas J. Connolly
blesses the new icon of Divine Mercy. 
The icon of Divine Mercy was a gift from Michael and Ceara
Nourse. After the homily at Mass, Bishop gave the icon to
Mike and
he installed
it in the sanctuary of chapel, near the tabernacle, on the
last day of our retreat, May 9, 2006. 
Our newly installed icon of Divine
Mercy combines two traditions of the Church, that of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus and of the
image of Jesus of Mercy. On the top of the image are the
words: “Jesus Christ, King of Mercy.” At the
bottom, is the inscription: “I Trust in Thee.” There
are angels surrounding Christ, a reminder to us that we also
are called to unceasing prayer and praise of God. The icon
is an implicit prayer to Our Savior that we may always trust
in Him for all our needs and for those of the Church and
the world.
Bishop
Connolly offers Mass for us on the last day of our retreat.
Note the new icon above the priest’s
chair near the tabernacle.
COMMUNITY NEWS
by Hermit Sister Rebecca Mary
Sister Mary Beverly, HSM will be celebrating her 40th Jubilee
as a consecrated religious woman. Twenty-five of these
years were spent as a hermit here in Idaho.
The date of the celebration will be August 15 this summer. Sister Beverly would
appreciate your prayers for her on this special, spiritual milestone in her
life.
On
January 15, 2006, I had cancer surgery in Ontario, Oregon
followed by a week of intense radiation therapy in March
as an out-patient in Boise, Idaho.
I am
grateful for the many people who prayed for me. I am recuperating well. The
prognosis for the future seems hopeful, for which I thank God.
From
May 1-9, Bishop Thomas J. Connolly was here to give us a
Scriptural,
directed retreat. It is always a privilege to have him here; daily Mass
is a blessing.
This is the fourth year Bishop has come to spend time here. John Hayes
and his wife, Eberle, helped us with music for the Good Shepherd
Mass on Sunday.
Afterwards,
Mike Nourse treated the Bishop to a beautiful and moving piano concert.
We feel a special grace in the presence of the Bishop as
successor to the Apostles.
As
pictured in the previous photo essay, the Knights of Colombus
from Risen Christ Parish in
Boise worked here in October, 2005 and May, 2006. They
intend to return
twice a year, if not more often, depending on our needs. These are the
names of the KC’s and their wives who came to Marymount to work:
Gary and Valarie Pabalis, Larry and Charlene Connell, John Pettinger,
Mark Henry and Cliff Gifford.
The crew on May 20, 2006 included John Pettinger, Don Pemberton, Larry
and Charlene Connell, Paul Callahan, Mike Townsend, Scott Tighe and Dave
Palumbo. Vince Brigante
kindly loaned us equipment and assisted the crew. We apologize that not
all are pictured in the photo essay.
On
Sunday about 12:30 PM on June 4, we had a rare tornado touch
down just northwest of us in Bear, Idaho.
The micro-burst, a level two tornado,
with
winds from
75 to 112 miles per hour, knocked down a swath of trees 1/2 mile wide
and 13 miles
long. The huge trees were cut off about 12 or 15 feet high. The whole
event took 3 minutes, but to the residents of that tiny community,
it must have
seemed like
an eternity. The biggest concern of those affected by the super cell
was that trees were downed in roads, making travel impossible. Many
homes and
out-buildings
were damaged. Everyone for miles around spontaneously hurried to the
scene to make it possible to evacuate the one person wounded. In this
area, being
neighborly
is a way of life.
We
are currently without a chaplain and would appreciate your
prayers for us to find and obtain the services of a
priest. We are grateful
to priest
friends
and retreatants who offer daily Mass for us. Father Bill McCann,
from Roswell, NM, will be here on retreat from July 3-7.
Father Robert Griffin,
S.J.,
from Duarte, CA, will be here from August 18-28. If you are considering
a private
retreat here, you might keep in mind these times when we will have
daily Mass. To make a reservation for a retreat, download an application
from
our web site
or call and leave a message.
Your
are invited to access our web site to view this newsletter.
where the photos are in color. Under
the heading “News!”, the Calendar of Events
lists where Sister M. Beverly will be offering occasional
classes in nearby
parishes. You are welcome to attend. The classes are free
to the public and open to everyone.
We
pray for you and your loved one and your needs daily. Thank
you for your
prayers for us, your Hermit Sisters.
FALL
HERMITAGE RETREAT
Consider
reserving a hermitage for a solitary retreat during these
days of late summer and fall. Join the Hermit Sisters
for Lauds and Vespers (and daily
Mass, if we have a visiting priest).
Print
off a Retreat
Application form or
call (208) 256-4354.
Come see us and experience God's presence
in a special way!
MARYMOUNT
HERMITAGE NEWSLETTER is
published by Marymount Hermitage, Inc., a non-profit, tax-exempt
corporation in the State of Idaho.
The Hermit Sisters of Mary are a canonically approved Catholic
community of women hermits following the Rule of St.
Benedict. The
newsletter is normally published three times a year and is free.
The newsletter is sent to our relatives, friends and benefactors
so that we might share the spirituality and material progress
of Marymount Hermitage. Please pray that we may be faithful
to our
way of life in prayer and penance, solitude and silence. Any
donations to Marymount Hermitage are sincerely appreciated
and are tax-deductible.
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