King St Louis has the distinction of being the only French King to be canonised (he was also a personal friend of St Thomas Aquinas!). His memory will no doubt be more dear to us, however, because that was the day that the new building was approved by the Council for occupancy.
Two days later, the long-awaited “2nd Shipment” arrived, after being held in Wellington for many months while waiting for the completion of the new building.
The moving crew from OSS-Transworld came over two days – on the feasts of St Joseph Calasanctius, and also of our “grandfather” St Augustine, a feast day dear to Dominicans and to all who follow the Rule of St Augustine. (For the un-initiated, St Dominic was a Canon Regular, lived under the Rule of St Augustine, and eventually adopted the Rule for his own Order.)
The second day saw the great 300kg washing machine arrive. Christened St Rose by one of the novices, it took a team of 8 men including Brother (who happened to be a passing Good Samaritan) to move it into the Laundry.
After the washing machine, everything else was “a piece of cake.”
Thank you to everyone who have helped us in our building and moving adventure. Special thanks not only to the builders and the muscles, but also to the generous friends who cooked us meals to keep us going over the two days of hustle and bustle. May God reward you!
