Well I’m settled in here at Queen’s House retreat center in Saskatoon for the night. It feels like it’s been a whirlwind few days. We’ve been to Red Deer, Sherwood Park, Caroline and Fort McMurray already. All the concert have been very good. All the crowds have been very responsive both to John Michael’s music and to the news of the fire at Little Portion.
In Sherwood Park we played at Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish to a packed house and John Michael did a retreat/teaching the next day. The folks at OLPH did a great job getting us all in and setup. Len, the sponsor from OLPH, is also from Universal church supplies who are handling product sales at all our Canadian concerts. We’ve seen Len and his wife a few times already. We sent our bus in for repair in Sherwood Park too. Unfortunately it still isn’t fixed so it will make another trip to the shop here in Saskatoon. Our poor bus driver Bill has been nearly pulling is hair out dealing with the mechanics.
After Sherwood Park we went down to Sanctum Retreat center in Caroline, Alberta to meet our hosts Kristoph, Mariette and their son Joshua. Bill & Joshua struck up an immediate friendship & rivalry watching hockey on the bus! I wandered the somewhat snowbound trails at Sanctum taking pictures and shooting video. We all did laundry and John Michael sang, without PA, for a group of about 30 priests on retreat. A good time was truly had by all.
From Caroline we headed north to the oil sands country and Fort McMurray. We stayed at the rectory of St. Paul’s church with 26 year old Father Andrew, the youngest priest of his diocese. St. Paul’s is actually part of St. John the Baptist parish whose pastor is Father Gerard. Father Gerard has spent much of the past decade making tapestries which hang in his parish. They are each based in scripture and are spectacular. His tapestries of the book of Revelation and of the prophets nearly brought me to tears. I heard the song Ancient of Days in my head as Father explained the images to us. I only wish I’d had my camera with me. Perhaps one day Father Gerard will be able to publish a book of photos documenting his work.
So here we are in Saskatoon after a long drive today. I’ve been doing some video editing on the bus. John Michael and I have trying together to learn Google Sketchup the past few days. Viola is feeling a little under the weather and could use your prayers.
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