Tall tales and true... from Kalumburu!

This evening after dinner, the small group of monastery guests were treated to an audience with Fr Anscar McPhee, one of the monks here at New Norcia. Fr Anscar is the author of two rather notorious books, about Senor Pilich, monastery cat (which are delightfully fun and also share the heart of the monastic life) and I had never met him before, because until recently he was posted at Kalumburu, near the Drysdale River (which is the most northern settlement in WA). In 1905 the Benedictines established a mission in Kalumburu (originally named Drysdale River Mission), and Fr Anscar had been the parish priest there for the past 28 or so years, until the Abbot called him home to New Norcia last year.

It was a real delight to listen to his jovial storytelling, and join with his infectious (and somewhat uproarious) laugh as he told us of the time when he was struck by lightning (and walked away unscathed); when he found a bull raiding the banana storeroom at Kalumburu; when a king brown snake wrapped itself around his feet one day as he was talking on the phone, and he nervously waiting for it to go off on its way, praying that his feet woudn't twitch in the meantime... and it seems he has no end of stories. I expect (and hope) that I will get to hear more of his stories as the rest of my week here unfolds.

Some of my fellow guests at dinner tonight included two young brothers (as in siblings, not religious brothers) who were rather delightful, and talked of many Catholic youth events that they've been involved in over the years. As we were finishing dinner, I asked them with a twinkle in my eye, "So has Fr Bernard bailed you up against the wall and talked to you about vocations yet?*" They answered in the negative, and we all had a giggle.

At this point Fr Anscar joined us and Dom Chris, one of the other monks came bustling into the dining room, trying to serve us all seconds of the evening meal, to use up the leftover food. I jokingly whispered to the boys, "See? Fattening you up for a vocation", to which Dom Chris responded with a grin, "Yairrrrrs... a healthy appetite means a healthy vocation, isn't that what we always say, Fr Anscar?"

So after all the food was finished, we repaired to the lounge room to be entertained by Fr Anscar. A very pleasant evening indeed :-)

* I should point out that I said this because a UCA (male) colleague, who has also visited New Norcia a number of times, has told me that every time he comes here, Fr Bernard makes a point of wanting to spend time chatting with him, and we're both sure Fr Bernard is trying to groom him, hoping he will some day jump ship from the UCA to seek a vocation with the Benedictines :-)