OLP News Update
November 29, 2006 Dear
Families and friends of OLP,
Peace! My sincere and humble apologies for slipping up on our website
news updates. The last one we sent you was nearly 6 months ago in
July.
I trust you and our readers will understand. The comings and goings of an
ordinary monastic day are so humdrum we are really racking our brains what to
write about that is news worthy and interesting for our readers. However
since a good few of our friends await some news from us even thought
trivial enough, it might not be such a bad idea as to oblige. This
kind of thing is not only an exercise in public relations, it can also make
human connections with our brothers and sisters beyond the monastic confines.
Another positive aspect to this is that since we have come round to December
again. We your brothers of OLP can take this wonderful opportunity to
extend to you all and your loved ones our good wishes and kind greetings for a
grace filled celebration of Christmas reaping good fruit for the New Year and
beyond. Allow me to give you a brief rundown of the homely happenings
here at OLP since you best logged into our web news.
1. In August we were blessed and fortunate
to witness and lend strong support to our Br. Isaiah's first Monastic
profession of simple vows. This event took place on the 15th of August.
Solemnity; our Lady's Assumption Principal Patroness of all
Monasteries of the Cistercian Order.
2. On 16 of September we celebrated the 87th
birth anniversary of our last surviving founder, Br. Lawrence Carney.
Likewise, on October 18th,we drank to the good health and long life
of our Fr. Agileo Sibayan who turned 70. He serves our Sisters at Matutum as their
regular chaplain and confessor. Of these 2 brothers can be applied the saying of another wise old senior
of our Community good old Fr. Victor Assad [RIP]: 1Lawrence and Agie are both like good wine:
the more they age the mellower and sweeter they become.
3. Well, how are& things down the farm and
orchards? Work on the farm is now on a regular round of sowing weed/pest control before reaping the
results of one’s efforts. Our round of sowing weed/pest control befor reaping the
results of one's efforts. Our brothers, Delfin, Jess and Vincent
together with their hard-working assistants are doing a good job in laying out
a working system and a time frame of different chores that will more or less run
itself if the program is closely followed. It is also a good ground
work for the future. In September we signed a memorandum of
agreement with an agribusiness firm whereby they will cultivate,
maintain and produce mangoes from our mango trees. They will& keep
70% of the harvest 30% is the share of the community. The work
and management are done by the staff of Oro Verde while the function of
our orchard manager is to monitor the work and make sure the stipulations
of the agreement are followed in relation to
the use of sprays and pesticides. As of this writing, the rice
harvest is on, Br. Delfin is cautiously optimistic that we could
meet our rice needs for next year plus have some extra for our Guesthouse and for
the poor. The variety of rice ;we planted this
year is organic and the seed was supplied by our good friend and mentor in
organic farming Mr. Rene Jaranilla.
4. The developments at the Food Manufacturing department are the
following:
1. A separate budget and banking
system has been set up for their own daily operations.
2. Thanks to an interest free loan
from our Motherhouse of Assumption Abbey AVA,
3. Br. Rafael our FM manager and his assistants Brs.
Meme and Aelred are steadily building up the local or national market.
It seems to us that this is a more realistic approach
rather than launching off into foreign exporting with all the complications and
competition of the global market.
We
just recently bought a surplus or second hand back hoe - loader. With this
equipment we are now able to continue with our dam and irrigation projects
which hopefully would provide enough supply of water for our farm and orchard
needs. It is through the generosity of AIM that we were able to acquire this
equipment. We are grateful to AIM for the fund they provided us.
When all is said and done it is still the hidden obscurity and ordinariness of
the Cistercian life that sets the tone and pace of what might seem a rather
busy life. The stillness of this hidden ordinary life is both a
source of energy as well as a reserve for prayer as we continue our daily
search for God in our following of and becoming more like Christ.
We would like to close this letter with a prayer invoking God's blessings on
you all.
Sincerely yours in Christ:
Rev. Fr. Filomeno and the Brothers of OLP
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