St. Constantine’s SVDP Nunraw Retreat

St. Constantine’s SVDP Nunraw Retreat
St. Constantine’s SVDP, Govan Glasgow Saturday 2 Sept 2007-09-02.When the coach from St Constantine’s arrived there were a number of elderly people. I asked the bus driver for a block or something to help negotiate the high step to the ground, as in the past. He could not do it. He said only the vehicle is insured. Anything separate from the vehicle is not insured – I ask you! What next.Then helping the elderly people up the stairs to the Chapel another thought occurred to me. The monastery has a stair-climbing device to lift weights and I began to think there must be an adaptation for taking disabled persons up and downstairs. (There is such a device as I learned later from ‘Ask.com’). When it came to the Mass later in the afternoon I had another distraction. The mechanism of our stair-climbing sack-barrow consists of two sets of three wheels pivoting from step to step. There are many symbols to explain the Trinity. Here was one ready made to describe the Father, Son and Holy Ghost – all Three working inseparably, united in one essential unity. It is an image.The Conference of the SVDP organised a Retreat asking to have the Day facilitated.My introduction was to point out that the best ‘facility’ was the place itself; plenty of space in the grounds, the Stations of the Cross on the length of the back avenue leading to the abbey, the Chapel in the Guesthouse.By way of a theme the gem from Newman came to mind, “Quietness within, Guilessness without”, and, with the 10th Anniversary of Princess Dianna the Homily of Cardinal Hume came to mind, “When Lord did we see you hungry and feed you . . .” The theme seemed to flow through the day through an short time of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the morning, the ‘marathon’ (exaggeration) Way of the Cross on the South Avenue to visit the Abbey, and Mass at the end of the afternoon.

Thoughts were directed to prayer and the role of the SVDP, I quoted a letter that seemed to express the spirit of caring at the heart of both. In previous days two groups of CARERS had made a visit to Nunraw. In fact the ‘Carers’ were not the usual National Health or Social Welfare groups but rather ‘Carers’ at home looking after ailing or elderly relatives, themselves needing respite if only for a Day Visit. I quoted one of two letters of acknowledgement: “As you may imagine, the carers of East Lothian for whom I advocate, work, lobby and make a nuisance of myself for, are a bunch of people who have a pretty hard time, doing what they can- usually untrained- for their sick loved ones, and normally have little or no time for themselves. A trip such as this means so much to them- and the peace and tranquillity of Nunraw is the perfect antidote to the stressful situations most of them are in.We will no doubt return- I know we will be welcome. Many thanks. Yours sincerely, Kathleen”

The hidden wonder of so many helping hands of support “recall us to ourselves, and assure us that we need not give up our usual manner of life, in order to serve God, that the most humble and quietest station is acceptable to Him”, as Newman expresses the spirit of “quietness within, guilelessness within”.
[Photos, L. Vincent & Betty Larmour, R. Willie & May McCann].