On Sunday, May 18, starting at 4 p.m., the Mahoosuc Community Band Spring Concert will be held on the Gould Campus in Bingham Auditorium. Ed Ryan is the conductor, working with many talented musicians from our communities. The musical program will surely delight the audience. This Community Band is always looking for new members to join. If you are interested, attend the concert to get connected. Music always makes this world a better place for all!
The first Saturday Market on Main Street will take place on May 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the front lawn of the Methodist Church, along with an indoor yard sale in the Church dining room. Church funds raised will be going into the Capital Campaign to help with building projects. The Church welcomes community members to join us on Market Day. If you are a non-profit group and want to participate, consider coming as well. For more information, call 207-824-2027, and someone will return your call. All are welcome!
On Wednesday, May 28, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., is the monthly Community Supper at the Bethel Alliance Church located on Walker’s Mills Road, across from Telstar High School. This free supper is open to all.
Last week I was in Mexico, Maine, and spent the day with Sister Bernadette Gautreau. We started the day attending Mass at Holy Savior Church in Rumford. The Catholic Mass is a service to worship God, hear scripture being proclaimed, and receive Holy Communion. During a Catholic Mass, you are in prayer from start to finish.
I was raised Catholic and received the sacraments of baptism, communion, and confirmation, along with attending a parochial school in Mexico for 8 years, so I always feel at home in my family roots. After Mass, we had breakfast at Dick’s Restaurant in Mexico. This local restaurant has been in business for over 50 years! After breakfast, it was time to do some yard work. Sister has a vegetable garden in her backyard, and because the ground has many roots, she has raised beds.
We used a spade instead of a rototiller to turn over the soil. We also added bags of garden dirt to enrich the soil. I find it amazing that someone who is 91 years old can still physically work at that level. Sister Bernadette spent 50 years living in Alberta, Canada, in the northern Cree Community of John D’or Prairie. She has amazing stories of her time living among the Cree Indians and is currently writing a memoir of those 50 years. The weather in Northern Alberta can be tough.
It could get as cold as 72 degrees below zero. So cold that the lungs of the wild horses living on the prairie would freeze, and they would die. Using sled dogs was common, and school children would go outside to tend to the dogs during the school day. Eating moose meat was an ongoing food supply for this community. The Cree People are very spiritual and connect to God and nature on a deep level. My time with this Catholic Missionary Nun is always special and continues to be a blessing that I am very grateful to experience.
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