Christmas Newsletter

Another rather late addition to our news page! We have been blessed this year with 2 Jubilee’s and a visit from our Mother General, all of which have kept us busier than usual. Mother M.Joanna celebrated her 25th jubilee of Profession in January. Our Congregation was officially founded by Servant of God, Mother Marie Adele Garnier on the 4th March 1898, so making it 125 years old this year. It has been three years since our last visit from our Mother General so we were very happy to welcome her shortly after this celebration.

You can read our Christmas Newsletter 2022 here

Milking goats

Carla and Bracken were gifted to us and will in the future be a source of milk and cheese for us. Compared to cow's milk, it is said that goat's milk has higher amounts of vitamin A, riboflavin, calcium, potassium, and niacin. It's also easier to digest because of the small fat globules and slightly lower lactose content. At the moment they are not trying to escape but are becoming ever more agile and skillful at jumping, so in time we can expect them to become escape artists like most goats. Lets hope we can contain them!

Sacred Heart Newsletter 2022

We apologize for the gaps in posting our newsletters. Our excuse being an ever increasingly busy guesthouse! This is a good thing and shows the need people have to get away to a ‘lonely place apart’ and renew their relationship with their Savior. However it doesn’t leave us much time for other occupations apart from those most necessary. Now we have some extra helpers in the kitchen and the grounds and are grateful to God for this. At the moment the guesthouse is enjoying a minor renovation to the breakfast room and shop area. The shop will be located in the foyer which makes it easier to access and also allows the guesthouse to maintain more privacy, especially for those who have a silent retreat. We hope to be open once again early September.

The Sacred Heart Newsletter can be read here

End of lockdown

The last couple of months have been very quiet! One week we were very busy with many guests, visitors, and finding it hard to keep up the supplies of crafts in our shop; the next week the whole country was locked down and the silence profound out here in country! As we did not want to put anyone at risk we had enough supplies to keep us going throughout the whole time, so did not see anyone for 4 weeks. Our monastic routine always keeps us well occupied, and we were able to do more night and day adorations for the needs of all the peoples suffering from the effects of Covid19. There were more than enough garden jobs to complete. For once I was able to get the monastery gardens in good shape, as usually most of my time goes to the extensive guesthouse areas. We were blessed with daily Mass with our chaplain. Now we are happy to be able to once again open the Church to the public for Holy Mass, as well as the guesthouse. May God bring abundant good out of the difficult times all have endured.

Christmas 2020

We attach our Christmas newsletter here

And may all have a blessed year 2020! It has been a busy year here as I can see from the fact that there have been no posts since last year. Mother Miriam Joseph has now come from Largs, Scotland to help the community. She was in Scotland for 8 years, and Ecuador also for many years, but is originally from Brisbane Australia. We are happy to have her with us now, assisting in the Retreat Centre and with our correspondence.

On the property we have had an increase as last year we bought 3 alpacas from Chipperfield Alpacas. Their registered names were Kiri, Sophia and Moonshine. These 3 gave birth in December to Sam, Stephanie and Joy. All the cria are brown in colour apart from Stephanie who is a mixture of black and brown, and all seem healthy thanks be to God. We are hoping the Alpacas may be a bit better tempered now that the Cria are born as they were rather prone to spitting earlier on.

Moonshine with her cria Joy

Moonshine with her cria Joy

Kiri greets new arrival Sam

Kiri greets new arrival Sam

Stephanie does not take after her mother in colour but hopefully will do so in character.

Stephanie does not take after her mother in colour but hopefully will do so in character.

In February it seems the postulators for Mother Marie Adele’s Cause for Canonization are really coming at last and those who have wanted to give testimony regarding favours received or their devotion to Mother Foundress have been invited to attend a talk by Mother General at Bombay on Sunday 12th January regarding the questions they will be asked by the postulators.

Christmas Newsletter

We are a bit late putting up this Christmas Newsletter but hope that you all had a very joyful Christmas and that 2019 may bring you all every blessing. You may read the Newsletter here

The end of last year brought us some extra help as Dave from Canada stayed a month and did lots of good and urgently needed work in the gardens. Then Cosi, an oblate from Australia came to assist us in the guesthouse, looking after the numerous visitors of this time. Sarah Grace lived in for a month and also was a great help. We thank God for sending these good ‘angels’ to help us.

Our monastery now has a new, very big sign at the front gate, made by our friend Owen Pauling. We had reports of people going up and down Dods Road, looking in vain for the monastery. Our orignal sign was somewhat small, and the monastery cannot be seen from the road, as it has a long and winding driveway which was from the first nicknamed ‘Gods Road’. Now it is impossible to miss the entrance so all newcomers can thank Owen for making us easier to find.

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Autumn news

The year is well on it's way with Winter around the corner. Due to a cold snap earlier in the season, the Autumn colours of the deciduous trees are stunning in their red, pink and yellow colours this year.

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After Easter, thanks to the kindness of benefactors, a kitchen renovation was begun. We had retained the kitchen from the original farmhouse that was bought, and as it was only meant to cater for a few people we were finding it difficult to manage the large amount of cooking needed for the retreat centre. The renovation and extension will also mean we can enjoy access to fresh air and light which will be a great relief for the cooks - perhaps the meals too will improve!

Mother Rachel in the new kitchen area.

Mother Rachel in the new kitchen area.

Since the departure of our previous chaplain Rev. Fr Santey who returned to India for a visit and then will resume his good work in the polytechnic schools of Kenya, our Bishop has not managed to find for us a permanent chaplain. There will be different priests coming out to say Mass on most days but the Mass times will vary so keep on eye on our website for the different times if you are thinking of coming.