Novitiate Feast Day: Celebrating St. Louis Bertrand

October 9th, the feast of St. Louis Bertrand, the great missionary and patron of Columbia is also the patron of novice masters and mistresses and novitiate brothers and sisters. St. Louis Bertrand was novice master for a total of 30 years of his religious life!

In our monastery it is the novices feast day and they can spend it any way they like. (Within reason, of course!) This year, because the weather was so beautiful they wanted to spend it outside so...

They played croquet....

Is this our special British visitor...or maybe just Sr. Mary Magdalene!

Sr. Mary Cecilia, please hit the ball!

"I've never played this before. What do I do?"

Patiently waiting their turn. At least there are munchies here to pass the time!

Holly Hobby hits a ball. Wait, it's really Sr. Mary Catharine hiding behind her hat!

 Fortified with salt and sugar it was time for....

Volleyball! Monastery-no-rules style...

Volleyball, Sr. Mary Magdalene. Soccer is this afternoon!

Check out my cool shades, says Sr. Veronica as she goes for the ball while Sr. Denise Marie tries to block her.

Good job, Sr. Denise Marie!

 In the afternoon they snacked out on the lawn, sang songs and then...

60's Flashback!

Hot chocolate and whipped cream! Maggie is enjoying every minute!

 It was a last game of Soccer...

Planning teams and setting rules.

You gotta take a break sometimes!

Sr. Mary Magdalene's victory dance!

Believe it or not, the day ended with evening recreation in the novitiate and table ping pong. Table optional!