Tag: Fr Reginald Baconin OP

Ridin’ the (Monastic) Range

Fr. Reginald Baconin had something else on his Texas bucket list…he wanted the chance to ride a horse! He already had two cowboy hats (no boots, yet) so he was raring to go. Our workman David has a lot of horse connections and one warm Sunday evening in August, a horse appeared at the monastery!

David Bomer, our workman, with his daughter Rebecca, and her husband Jaime and their horse.

Fr. Reginald was thrilled! He mounted, and rode around the front driveway of our monastery.

Ride em, cowboy!

Most of us looked on with delighted enjoyment as Father put the horse through its paces.

Gradually, we lost our shyness and began to make friends with the horse.

He was just a big sweetheart really.

And some sisters decided to try riding the horse themselves!

Sr. Mary Giuse

Sr. Mary Rose

Sr. Mary Christine, our novice mistress, rounds up the novitiate sisters.

Sr. Mary Rose, Sr. Mary Jeremiah, Fr. Reginald, and Sr. Mary Margaret

In case you’re wondering–yes, David brought the horse inside the enclosure so we could visit with it. Who would have ever thought a horse would visit us, and even give rides!

Just a couple of days after this momentous event, Fr. Reginald had to leave us and return to his home province of Toulouse in France. But before he left, we gave him a Texas-sized sendoff–including his own honorary Texas citizenship and a Texas passport so he can return someday.

Don’t leave home without them!

In fact, Fr. Reginald is already planning to return to East Texas next summer, when he will preach a mission at one of our local parishes. We look forward to seeing him again. His father will retire in about five years, and Fr. Reginald hopes to bring him to East Texas to experience all the wonders of the Piney Woods. (They’re also planning to see the Alamo and some other Texas sites, naturally.)

We are always happy to welcome Dominican visitors–indeed all visitors–to our monastery for prayer, for Mass, and for silent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. We cannot guarantee a horseback ride, however!

Summer Roundup

Hey, all y’all! It’s been a long time since we’ve had a chance to catch our breath and write something for this blog! Today we have some time so we’re bringing you a good old Texas roundup of some of the various events that have made our summer exciting (and busy).

Not long after Sr. Mary Veronica’s jubilee celebration, we welcomed Fr. Reginald Baconin, O.P. to our monastery for a couple of months.

Fr. Reginald comes from the province of Toulouse in France, but has been studying in Rome at the Angelicum. He is working on two licentiates at the same time–one on Trinitarian theology and one on Islamology. He speaks English beautifully, with almost no accent, and we were delighted to have him celebrate Mass for us–and give us some classes.

At the end of June, we had a farewell recreation with Fr. Ian.

Sr. Martin Marie crocheted this classic-looking scarf for him, which he was happy to receive.

We also gave him a Dominican coffee mug:

We are sad to see Fr. Ian leave, but know he is needed at his new assignment, which is much more challenging than the one he had here. We are proud of Father for finishing his doctorate and getting his degree. Hopefully he will come back someday, to give classes or even a retreat!

On June 30, Sarah Larmore entered as a postulant.

Sr. Mary Pauline, Sr. Mary Christine, Sr. Marie Augustine, Sarah, Michelle, and Sr. Maria Goretti

Sarah could hardly wait to begin her life as a cloistered contemplative nun!

On July 1, we had our 4th of July picnic. We like to have our picnic celebration on Satursdays if possible.

Here we are, all decked out for the traditional flag raising after Midmorning Prayer.

We had a joyful day of food, fun, games, conversation, and patriotic fervor.

As is our custom on the Fourth of July, we sang “My Country ’tis of Thee” from the Summit Choirbook at Vespers. While we were all filled with love for our nation, Fr, Reginald (joining us for Vespers in the outside chapel) was perplexed. He asked us later, “Why did you sing ‘God Save The King’ to celebrate July 4?”

And as it happens, July 4 is Fr. Reginald’s birthday! We had a special recreation with him that night.

Fr. Reginald has been a big Texas fan for many years, thanks to his father’s love for John Wayne movies (especially “The Alamo”), and various people in our community took him on many Texas adventures, including visits to a Native American reservation, Nacogdoches TX (the oldest town in Texas), the San Jacinto battlefield, and, yes, the Alamo! He bought this hat for himself soon after his arrival, but we had some gifts for him, too–especially this one:

A T-shirt that proudly proclaims, “Texas–Bigger than France”! He loves it!

A few days later we had a visit from our Southern Province novices. We’re happy to say all five of them made profession! Please pray for them, and for the upcoming novitiate class.

We have even more news to share with you, but this is enough for now. We plan to post the rest of the recent news soon. For now, we hope you enjoy this glimpse inside the boring and monotonous life of the cloister! (And yes, we always keep our prayer schedule–even on holidays.)