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The Chronicles of the Community of St. Colmcille in the Wilderness

Started by rkelly17, August 02, 2014, 05:16:19 PM

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rkelly17

Introduction

For the "Storybook" challenge I've decided to go completely off the rails and set my story in the 7th or 8th century. This is the story of a group of Irish monastics who were banished because they hold to the old ways and refuse to change to the new. It is very loosely based on the history  of the transition from an older Irish style of monastic life to newer Roman practices. Many people do not realize this but early coenobitic (communal) monastic communities throughout Christianity were often conhospitae, communities made up of families, single men and single women. Over time as attitudes toward sexual expression hardened (St. Augustine is usually blamed for this but that is a historical misjudgement and it happened after his time) families were shut out and men and women were separated into exclusive, celibate monasteries and convents. Any of you who have read the Sister Fidelma series of mysteries will be familiar with this (although the person who writes those makes some historical misjudgements, too). This story is set in the time when the older and the newer were in conflict—and people took religious conflict very seriously in those times. It also plays on the legend of St. Brendan and his voyage to the Americas. That being said, it is all quite fictional.

The photo shows the seed and start conditions. For this I went back to an old stand-by, 290. I tried several others out, but they didn't have quite the layout I was looking for.

Historical Introduction

In the latter part of the 2oth century archeologists began excavations on a mound found in the Columbine Valley in Eastern North America. This particular mound had attracted interest because, while it appeared to be a normal aboriginal burial mound, no aboriginal community had any traditions associated with this particular mound and none claimed it as its own. Already during the first season ruins of stone foundations were found and the team realized that they were not dealing with a burial mound but something more like a Middle Eastern "tell," that is, the site of a prehistoric town. During the second and third seasons more foundations were found, one of which appeared similar to Irish churches of the 7th and 8th centuries. These findings were, of course, extremely controversial, but did attract the attention of archeologists from the University of Blarney who sent a team to assist in the dig. In the fourth season an iron box was found in the foundations of a large building next to the church-like foundation. When the box was opened it contained manuscripts. The Irish team immediately recognized the script and language of the oldest of these documents as typical of the Irish language and writing from the early 8th century and began the work of transcription and translation. The texts also contained some liturgical Latin. The language of the texts evolved as more non-Irish words entered the language over the time span of the texts. Scholars of pre-conquest aboriginal languages recognized some of the words as perhaps being precursors of more recent aboriginal languages but not belonging to any one linguistic grouping. As a result the translations offered here are the work of a combined team of scholars who study a variety of ancient languages. Because of the evolution of the language of the texts the editors are more certain of the earlier translations and less sure of the later.


rkelly17

The Chronicles of Father Abbot Harmann and Mother Abbess Estina, the first abbot and abbess of the community

Chapter One

We were part of an ancient monastic community and had followed the Rule which came down from our forefathers and mothers since the time when our island home had been converted to the faith by St. Patrick. Our abbey was located on a bay on the West coast of the Kingdom of Connacht. It was very ancient, having been founded by the first generation of monks and nuns converted by Patrick himself. There we had always followed the practice established by St. Brigid herself of a community of men, women and families living in dedicated and virtuous community.

I, Harmann, had grown up as part of a monastic family. My parents had accepted the faith and the Rule of Life at the same time and so I had lived my entire life in this community. I received the education which all monastic young people received, learning to read and write both our ancient language and Latin. I, Estina, had grown up in a Christian family which was not part of the monastery. My father was the leader of a clan related to the king and my mother was his brehon, so I was educated and prepared for a life among the leading families of the kingdom. The early part of my schooling was in the monastery school and that is where I met Harmann for the first time. As we studied we came to see that we were meant for the religious life and that God was calling us to live that life with one another. Both before and after we married we embraced the Rule with enthusiasm and played our part in the life of the community.

It was our adherence to the ancient practice of the Rule which finally caused us to be driven from our homes and forced to seek refuge wherever it could be found. Our tiny group of four families were among those who resisted the "reformers" who came from across the sea and ordered us to give up our families and separate into communities of men only and women only. They also threatened to take away our children and called them the spawn of Satan. Our king and our bishop, who were cousins, had sold us out to the Saxons and their false views on celibacy. So we were banished and set out to find a place where we could follow the ancient traditions in peace and tranquillity.

Little did we know how far our journey would take us when we set out. As we wandered we discovered that the "reform" had spread throughout our native land, and, though there were pockets of resistance to the impious changes, there were few places where we would be welcome. Finally we decided to take to the sea and in our small boats find a new land where we could establish a community that would forever follow the ancient Rule.

Our goal seemed impossible, but we had heard of the incredible journeys of our ancestor St. Brendan and so we set out in full confidence that our dear Lord would guide us on our way. There were times when we came close to losing that confidence. The sea was far more vast than we had ever imagined and it contained perils for which we did not even have words. We encountered storms the like of which we had never seen. We saw creatures so large they seemed to fill the horizon with their bulk. Our small boats were dwarfed by mountains of ice that floated in the midst of the sea. We rationed our food carefully and our water more carefully yet. We wondered if we would ever see land again.

After what seemed like months we could see something on the Western horizon that did not look like just another line of waves. As we sailed closer we could see that it was indeed a line of solid hills. We sang hymns of praise that we had found land—a new land, we hoped, where we could found our new community. When we landed on what was indeed a strange shore we were greeted by a strange people who looked different from any we had ever seen. Their language was completely foreign to us and ours to them and so we communicated as best we could with hand gestures. They took us to their village and by pointing and waving our hands we communicated to them that we were looking for a new home. On a piece of the bark of one of the native trees they used charcoal from their cooking fire to draw a map of a river valley and communicated to us that this could be our home. They generously gave us tubers which served them as food, clothes made from the skins of deer and some rudimentary tools made from stone and flint. We set out cross country to find the valley the map described.

rkelly17

The Chronicles of Father Abbot Harmann and Mother Abbess Estina, the first abbot and abbess of the community

Chapter Two

It took us about two weeks of heavy trekking, but eventually we found ourselves in the place drawn on the map. It was a hilly valley surrounded by larger mountains on wither side of the river which flowed to the sea. There were trees everywhere and rocks and iron ore spread around the ground. The soil looked like it might support farms once it had been cleared and so we decided to create our monastic community in this valley, dedicated to that saint who had also taken the faith across the sea, St. Colmcille. [This is one of the Gaelic versions of the name of St. Columba, the founder of Iona]

In the passage from Connacht we had lost all of our seeds overboard in a storm. All we had to eat were the tubers provided for us by the local natives. They had also taught us which of the forest plants were good for food and we saw an abundance of game in the valley, so we decided that we would be hunters and gatherers for the time being, depending on the generosity of God to provide our need.

The first task we set ourselves was to chop enough wood and hew enough stone to build the structures we would need to survive in this wilderness. We laid our where the buildings would go, adopting the shape of a Cross in honour of our beloved Saviour himself. Then we calculated how many logs and how much stone we would need to build our settlement and set to work. As soon as we had enough in hand we began to build.

First we began a barn. We would have liked to began with a church, but did not St. Patrick himself hold his first worship in a barn? Like the Saint, that was the best we could do and so we set to it. As the barn progressed we also began on a hut for gatherers to use for their work. When the barn finished we gathered in it to celebrate Mass and then began work on a yard for a woodcutter. When the gatherers' hut finished we started building a hunters' cabin. We also build a foresters' lodge for those who would cut and plant trees for logs. With these necessary structures in place we began building houses. We built one for each family and, since some of the children had grown up and become adults, two more besides.

It is our tradition that those who our brought up in the community do not need to spend their whole lives under the Rule. As children become adults they may chose either for a time or for the rest of their lives to live as others live. They will always be welcomed to take up the Rule again or not as the Lord calls them. Byrone and Larice were the first to become adults. We greatly regretted that we could not provide full schooling for them, but even without schooling they were old enough to decide. They told us that they wanted to live under the Rule and that they wanted to marry, and so they did. In celebration of their decision we gave them the first cabin finished for their own.

By the onset of Winter we had enough cabins finished that everyone was sheltered from the cold and snow. As we finished building the last of the cabins more people were chosen to become gatherers and hunters. Those of us not otherwise employed continued to cut logs, hue stone and gather iron. As Winter ended we were running low on tools, so we built a smithy and Brother Turnett, who had learned the trade back in our original community, became our community blacksmith. During that year we also built a school so that the children could be taught to read and write and understand the meaning of the Rule of Life.

By this time we were looking quite ragged. We had been working hard in the outdoors and the coats which the native people had given us were very, very thin and worn. We gathered sufficient logs, stone and iron and built a tailor's shop. Brother Corne, the community tailor in the monastery from whence we had come, began to work using the deer skins the hunters had been collecting. Within a season or two we all had new deerskin clothes to keep us warm in the Winter and looked much like the native people of the land.

rkelly17

The Chronicles of Father Abbot Harmann and Mother Abbess Estina, the first abbot and abbess of the community

Chapter Three

At this point we were more or less self-sufficient. We could feed and clothe ourselves and produce the tools necessary for our work. We could have continued on for years in this state, but we believed that the Lord desired more of us. This desire was shown in the number of children being born in our little community. Some of our families were outgrowing their cabins and young people were becoming adults—we needed more housing! We also needed to provide for the growth of our community and its health over many years.

In order to secure our future we decided to build a market square as a centre for the distribution of food and other necessities, a fishing dock on the river and a hub from which we could trade with the native people of this place. The problem we faced was that almost everyone was already working at some other task in our little community. There was no way we could expand our efforts quickly, but we could at least start.

It took us the better part of a year to clear the land and gather the materials for the market. It took so long, in fact, that we decided that we ought to build a new cabin before we completed the market. This was the first cabin we built outside the original village in the forest and we built it on the market square, which we were then able to complete.

Next was the fishing dock to secure a greater food supply. We found a suitable site on a bend in the river. Since young people were graduating from our school and becoming adults we also built a new house across from the dock. By the time that was complete we needed two new cabins, which we built on the market square.

The community had grown sufficiently that we, Harmann and Estina concluded that we could not lead the community alone. We put this to the Sisters and Brothers and they agreed with us. We all decided that we should elect a Prior and Prioress who would share in leadership with us and become Abbot and Abbess if anything, God forbid, should happen to us. We also decided that the Prior and Prioress should be from the younger people and should be a married couple as we are. Brother Darnelio and Sister Armine, both of whom were born and educated here in St. Colmcille and had married when we built the fishing dock, were elected. In addition we named Brother Hamilo our priest to preside at the sacraments. From now on we five will share the duties of leadership in the community and help all of us to be organized toward the goals which the community sets.

We had gathered enough building materials so that we could embark at once on building a trading centre where we could trade with the local peoples who lived in other villages and communities up and down the river. Some of these communities engaged in agriculture and we hoped to gain seeds from them that we could plant for ourselves. At this point we had sufficient adults that the port on the river was completed in good time. Because of our primitive state we only had one commodity which we could trade, firewood, so we gathered as much as we could. Then we began to wait for someone who needed firewood to happen along.

They came in the Autumn of the seventh year in St. Colmcille. A native merchant was willing to trade firewood for the seeds to beans which we had seen growing in many of the native villages along with tall, grass-like plants called "corn" and a large orange gourd. We took the seeds for which we had bartered and planted them in three fields in the Early Spring. Alongside the fields we built two houses for farmers and a barn to hold the produce. Then we tilled the fields and hoped for enough rain and sun to ripen the beans.

With the beans planted we decided that it was time to focus on the more spiritual aspect of our lives here. The Rule of Life tells us that time should be taken at various hours of every day for prayer and meditation. We had been gathering in the old barn since our earliest days in this wilderness. Certainly a barn was good enough as a first church for St. Patrick, but like our blessed ancestor we knew that more was needed. The market square had been sited with an eye to that area being the centre of our monastic community and so we began by plotting out the ancient symbol of the labyrinth to make sure that the life of the Spirit remained at the centre of our lives. We worked though the Spring and much of the Summer, completing the labyrinth as Summer began to turn toward Autumn.

With the labyrinth finished we turned our attention to the building of a chapter house and chapel. The first task was to collect the large amounts of logs, stone and iron necessary for such a project. As these were gathered the foundations were laid and the builders set to work. Both structures were finished by Early Spring of our 10th year and we celebrated the event with a festival mass led by Hamilo. Now we can gather for the prayer offices and for daily mass in a chapel. We have named the Chapel St. Colmcille's Church and dedicated it and ourselves to the work of living the Rule of Life in all that we do.

irrelevant


rkelly17

The Chronicles of Abbott Darnelio and Abbess Armine, Second Abbott and Abbess of the Abbey of St. Colmcille in the Wilderness.


Chapter One
It was in the Late Autumn of the tenth year of the founding of St. Colmcille that our beloved Abbott Harmann died at the age of 65. He had lived a hard life and a good life, leading the pioneers of this abbey across the sea and into the wilderness so that they might follow the ancient Rule of Life handed down by our fathers and mothers since the faith first came to our people. Upon his death Estina resigned her place as abbess and retired from an active role in leadership. I, Darnelio, and I, Armine, became Abbot and Abbess. Armine also took on the role of Bishop. Hamilo and Lilyann were elected Prior and Prioress. Sister Scarly was elected priest. These are the five who now carry the responsibility of leading the community here.

In Early Winter a native merchant stopped at our dock and was willing to trade the seeds of the grass-like plant which is commonly grown among her people. This was the plant which we had seen on our first arrival here. It grows quite tall and bears one or two ears of grain toward the bottom where a leaf grows out of the central stalk. We have decided to give it the familiar name "corn" since it seems to be a grain, which will fill a gap in our diet. We have dedicated a new farm to its cultivation. The native people grow it in the same field with beans and the large orange gourd and call the crops "the three sisters." Not being used to this way of farming we are growing the corn and beans in the manner we know, one crop per field.

It has always been our custom under the Rule of Life that as young people became adults and married they were given the chance to decide whether or not they will embrace the Rule or live "in the world" for a time. In the circumstances we face in our wilderness home this could only be metaphorical, since there was really nowhere else for them to go. Especially those of us who have been born here know no other life and have little basis on which to decide one way or the other. All of us so far have chosen to embrace the Rule, but we can never be sure whether or not we really understand the choice we make. As a result we have  decided that the best way to provide an alternative for our young people is to learn how better to relate to our neighbours, the native people. I, Darnilio, as abbot visited their village and began to learn their language. The leader of the community welcomed this initiative and indicated that their people would be willing to teach the language to others. We selected some of the older students to spend part of the next two years with the native community and they began their sojourn.

In Late Autumn of our thirteenth year our retired Abbess Estina died. After a vigil in the chapel and a funeral mass, we laid her to rest in the cemetery with Harmann. Those who were their companions on the long voyage here spent the day in prayer, remembering them and giving thanks for their vision.

The students who sojourned with our native neighbors have learned the language well and have begun to tell us about their customs and view of the world. Their beliefs sound similar to our own, though of course they know nothing of our Scriptures or the stories they contain. They also know nothing of our Lord and his life or teachings. We continue to build on our relationships and there is more spending time with one another's communities. We believe that our young people will come to know more of our own life by knowing intimately the different life of the native people. In addition to sending some of our young people to experience life among them, they will also send some of their young people to experience life among us.

rkelly17

The Chronicles of Abbott Darnelio and Abbess Armine, Second Abbott and Abbess of the Abbey of St. Colmcille in the Wilderness.


Chapter Two

In our 12th year we are finding that trading firewood is putting a stain on our ability to produce enough. We have decided to build a second forest village in order to cut more logs and produce more firewood. In addition we will build a gatherer and hunter for more food and an herbalist who can gather herbs to improve our health. We will need to approach this project slowly as most of the brothers and sisters are fully employed in the various necessary tasks of the community.

In Autumn of our 13th year two families of native people approached us and asked to join our community. They are not from nearby but are part of a nomad people that wanders near and far in search of game to hunt. They had heard from the local native people, who practice agriculture and tend to live in stable villages, about us and our community. Through the usual device of gestures and play-acting we tried to communicate to them the nature of the faith and the Rule of Life. We showed them the labyrinth and the chapel and they seemed pleased. They indicated to us that they no longer wished to live as nomads but to become part of a settled society. As near as we could tell, they expressed a belief in a Spirit who created the world and speaks to people through visions. We decided that they could live among us and, if they chose, embrace the Rule of Life along with us. They will help us complete and then live in the new forest village.

Within a season one of our new families has been struck by tragedy. Wintonia's wife Yaret died in childbirth and he and their children Chary and Esse are in deep mourning. They have already observed our funeral customs and indicated to us that they would like us to hold vigil for Yaret and celebrate a funeral mass just as we do for any who die. This we did and Yaret was buried in the cemetery. Wintonia and the children visit the grave every day. The new families are learning our language and teaching us theirs. It differs from the language of the local native people which we have come to know well.

Last season Wintonia asked whether or not he would be welcomed to marry one of the young women of the community. We took this up at our daily chapter meeting and could find no reason why not. After a time of courtship he and Sister Tenise decided to marry. This is the first time that a marriage has not revolved around the building of a new house, so we decided that after the wedding mass we would all escort the new couple home with a procession from the church to the house. Since Wiltonia and the children live in the new forest village this was a long and jubilant procession. Chary and Esse welcomed Tenise into the house and proclaimed that she was now their mother. Everyone was so moved by the entire day that we are thinking of making the procession a part of every marriage.

It had taken us a long time, but finally by the Summer of Year 15 we completed the second forest village with the building of the woodcutter's yard. Now we should be able to produce enough firewood to do some trading and keep ourselves warm in the Winter. Many of the brothers and sisters are aging—ourselves included—and so we do not yet have enough people to staff all of the positions our new village makes possible. Our numbers grow slowly. We continue to live simply and faithfully and hope that our example will attract more people from the region to join us.

rkelly17

The Chronicles of Hamilo and Lilyann, Third Abbot and Abbess of the Community of St. Colmcille in the Wilderness

In the Late Spring of the 16th year our Abbess Armine died. Darnelio retired as abbot and we, Brother Hamilo and Sister Lilyann, became abbot and abbess. The community elected Brother Lamon and Sister Reathaliah to be prior and prioress. Following our custom Lilyann became bishop. Sister Scarly remained our priest.

We find that our community is aging and we do not have so many students or children as we once did. We pray that the gracious Lord would bless us with new members, both from among our own children and from the nomadic people who wander the hills and valleys beyond our river. In order to make our welcome to newcomers more concrete we have built a large residence for guest and new members. We hope that this makes our openness to hospitality obvious to all.

In the Winter we began work on paving the labyrinth with stone. This had been our intent, but it is only now, after we have cleared the area of the new forest village of stone and iron, that we have enough stone to use some for paving.

The paving of the labyrinth has taken the better part of a year. We had to stop in the middle to build a new barn since all of our barns were full. We gave thanks to God for the bounty of our harvests, the wealth of forest and water and the productivity of our blacksmith and tailor. After the barn was complete we then finished the paving and built a well in the centre of the labyrinth as a place to focus our pilgrimage and meditation. This has given all of the brothers and sisters a sense that this really is our earthly home and many of the community spend time each day walking the labyrinth and praying.

rkelly17

The Chronicles of Lamon and Reathaliah, Fourth Abbot and Abbess of the Community of St. Colmcille in the Wilderness

Chapter One

In the Late Winter of Year 17 our beloved Abbess and Bishop Lilyann died a peaceful death at the end of along life. Hamilo retired as abbot and we, Lamon and Reathaliah became abbot and abbess and Realthaliah became bishop. Brother Chary and Sister Maddie were elected prior and prioress by the community. Sister Scarly remains our priest.

Our beloved Abbot Emeritus Hamilo died in the next season, the Early Spring of Year 18 and was buried alongside Lilyann in the crypt of the church as is our custom. After a suitable period of mourning we continued on with our work. A wandering merchant brought sheep to trade and so we established a herd. Now we can use wool to make warmer clothing.

In the Late Spring a group of 18 nomadic peoples arrived and asked to be admitted to our community. While the chapter met to consider their request the leaders of the nomads, Ottie and Indi, walked the Labyrinth and prayed (see picture below). In addition to Ottie and Indi the group included Durwoody and Evangel and their children, Evan and Anjelicity and their childrern, Waymund and Yolannika and their children, Windd and Cheyannah and their child and Everly and Areli. The community decided that they should be accepted as novice members and spend their first weeks learning the faith and the Rule of Life. They agreed to this readily and moved into the residence.

In the Late Autumn we completed the new cemetery behind the church and chapter house and began the process of moving the graves from the old to the new. We also did some further paving of the Labyrinth and now consider it complete. Many of the community spend their idle time walking, meditating and praying. We treat the Labyrinth as a pilgrimage which takes us deeper into our observance of the Rule.

In the Late Winter of our 19th year a merchant arrived with pear seeds. We purchased some and now can add to the variety of fruit available to us. We also stocked corn, beans and fish in the trading post so that we can trade these for other foods which we do not grow or gather.

In our 20th year we considered the idea of expanding the settled area. We are now a large enough community that we need to think about growing more food. We also need to build more houses and these need to be served by a market. Our school is also close to full.

In the Early Spring of our 21st year we began work on a new area north of the chapter house and church. We began with two houses for workers to live in and then built a market and school. During this time a merchant arrived with apple seeds and we traded for those. We were also struck with tragedy when Brother Talinetter, one of the gatherers, found some strange berries. When he tasted them they were poison and the best efforts of our herbalist to find an antidote failed. We buried Brother Talinetter with great solemnity and made sure that all of the gatherers and children were trained to avoid these particular berries.

The houses, market and school were finally complete in the Autumn.

In Year 22 of our sojourn we built a new farm where we planted corn, beans and apples. This project took the effort of every member of the community.

rkelly17

The Chronicles of Lamon and Reathaliah, Fourth Abbot and Abbess of the Community of St. Colmcille in the Wilderness

Chapter Two

In Late Spring of our 23rd year another group of nomadic peoples came to our chapter house and asked to be admitted. In this group there were 20 in 5 families of four each. The chapter accepted them as novices and they began their education in the faith and the Rule. With the numbers of nomadic peoples being attracted to our community we realize that we will need to take care to provide enough food, tools, coats and fuel for all. During the past year we consumed more food than we produced. We began work immediately on a group of four farms around the new market, which we have named St. Harmann after our founding abbot. The first farm was completed by the Autumn and we began work on the second. That was completed by Early Spring of Year 24 and the third by Autumn. The fourth was built between the Autumn and the Early Spring of Year 25. After the fourth was built we were once again producing a surplus of food.

During this time, in the Late Autumn of the 23rd year, our priest Scarly died. After her funeral mass the community elected Indi to be our priest. She is the first of the nomadic people to be elected to an office in the community. Her deep spirituality has impressed the entire community and no one could think of a better candidate to be priest.

During this 25th year we are 149 people, 104 adults who have taken their complete vows and live according to the Rule, 25 students and 20 children. Of the 149 46 are nomadic peoples who have become part of our community here, 84 are the descendants of the original families who came here in the First Year and 19 are children of parents who are nomadic and original. It is these who we adults believe will be the future of our community and the Lord brings together couples for marriage. Our young people study side-by-side in school and work together when the finish. They see one another simply as brothers and sisters living under the Rule in faith and commitment.

In the Late Spring we were hit with a tragic death for the second time. Sister Areli and her baby both died in childbirth. We worked hard to save them, but it was not to be. Mother and baby lie together in the cemetery.

We find that we are going farther and farther to find sufficient stone and iron to build and make tools. We have noticed that some of the merchants would be willing to sell stone and iron in exchange for ale. Our ancestors brought with them the recipes for several kinds of fruit ales and brandies made by the monasteries in the old country and one of these is for pear ale which we believe that we can produce. We are planting more pear trees so that we can create a surplus to brew. At the same time we have begun work on a second trading post that can stock the ale for trade.

In the Late Autumn of the 25th year Prior Chary died. Prioress Maddie retired and remarried Jennith, whose wife had died the year earlier. The community elected Brother Wenden and Sister Karilynn as Prior and Prioress.

rkelly17

The Chronicles of Abbot Wenden and Abbess Karilynn, the Fifth Abbot and Abbess of the Community of St. Colmcille in the Wilderness

Chapter One

In the Late Spring of our 26th year in the wilderness our Abbess and Bishop Reathaliah died. Abbot Lamon retired and married Yolanikka, whose husband Waymund had died in our 24th year. We, Wenden and Karilynn, became abbot and abbess and Karilynn also took on the role of bishop. Brother Arlisle and Sister Mackelin were elected prior and prioress in our place. We did not expect to become abbot and abbess and bishop so quickly after being elected prior and prioress. We asked the community to give us support in our new role and we pray daily for the strength and wisdom needed to guide this group of sojourners and pilgrims as we live together into the faith and the Rule of Life.

In the Later Autumn We built a woodcutter and blacksmith to serve the people living around St. Harmann and began work on a brewery next to the chapter house. We also decided that a new brewery would require more pears to ferment, so we planted new orchards to increase our supply. It will be a few years before the young trees produce, so our production of ale will be moderate until then.

Having a new woodcutter meant that we needed an additional source of logs, so in the Summer of our 28th year we decided to start a third forest village East of St. Harmann. We finished the basic facilities—foresters' lodge, gatherers' cabin and hunters' lodge—in the Winter but do not yet have enough people to staff these fully. In the meantime we clear the ground of needed stone and iron and plant forest trees.

Our 29th year began uneventfully with the community going about the daily work and prayers as we always had. We gather for prayer each morning at dawn and then go about our work until mid-morning when we gather for prayer again and our daily mass. Then we work until the middle of the day when we gather for prayer and then eat our mid-day meal. We work again until an hour before sundown when we gather for prayer and then go to our supper. Evenings are spent in reading until the light fails and then each household has prayers and sleeps. On Sundays we gather together for recreation along with the daily round of prayer. People who have a break in their work walk the Labyrinth and meditate. To some this routine might seem boring, but we find that it focuses our minds on what needs to be done and helps us relate to one another in peace and tranquillity. This latter is important since we are a small community and everyone constantly interacts with everyone else. Conflict in the community would threaten not just our way of life, but our very existence.

rkelly17

The Chronicles of Abbot Wenden and Abbess Karilynn, the Fifth Abbot and Abbess of the Community of St. Colmcille in the Wilderness

Chapter Two
In the Late Spring a group of 15 nomadic peoples in 5 families arrived and asked to become members of our community. These were Kaman and Symond and one child, Salvatorey and Chanita and two children, Reynaldo and Hely and one child, Treverly and Zeliannalia and Danind and Lara and one child. After meeting with the chapter and spending time with them the chapter decided to admit them as novices. As is our ancient custom, as novices they will spend one year so that they and we can determine whether they are really meant for a committed life under the Rule. At the end of the year they will make their promises to the community and to God and become full members of the community. This one-year novitiate is for people who come to us as adults. The children who go to school here serve their novitiate during the time they are in school so that they are ready to make their final promises when they graduate. We have found that following this tradition has helped all of us discern our calling to a dedicated life as part of the community and has served us well. Certainly as we, Wenden and Karilynn, read back over the chronicles of our predecessors and ancestors we can see that many of our traditions have changed to fit our circumstances here. Our ancestors did come here to avoid changes which seemed to them to threaten the ancient understanding of the faith and the Rule. They were resisting an understanding of the faith which made it more harsh and legalistic, so we believe that the changes that have been made have been in that spirit and would have their blessing.

We find that the nomadic peoples who come to join us often suffer the effects of their life of wandering. Sometimes their health is not good, so we decided that we should build an infirmary to care for their needs. We chose a site that is convenient to most of the community but is isolated enough that we could moderate any outbreak of disease.

In the Summer of our 30th year it became obvious to us that we needed more cleared land for farming and an expansion of ale production. The best spot for this seemed to us to be South across the river from the centre of St. Colmcille. Since we already had a bridge built we could proceed immediately. While we were clearing the land a native merchant arrived who had wheat seeds to trade, so we traded for some and will plant it next Spring.

During construction our priest Indi died peacefully in her sleep. Up to the last day she continued to fulfil her duties as with energy. Daily she made herself available to any who needed her wise council and was always ready to baptize the infants and comfort the dying. She joined us in leading the daily prayer offices and presided at the daily mass. Many of us who are much younger could not match her stamina. After a funeral mass that was both sad and joyful the community elected Brother Zander and Sister Thaly to take turns year-by-year as priest.

In the Late Autumn Sister Corlisse died during childbirth. Tragedy does not strike us often and so her death and the loss of her child has hit the community with force. Some among us began to say that it was God's will and so, at chapter, it was necessary to remind the community that our God is not a God of death, but of life and our Rule is the Rule of Life. Why would anyone want to worship a God who kills young women and their infants? Yes, this is a difficult teaching for it questions God's omnipotence. But what use is a belief in omnipotence if it makes God one who wills death? It is hard, but we live in faithful hope and not resignation.

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The Chronicles of Abbot Wenden and Abbess Karilynn, the Fifth Abbot and Abbess of the Community of St. Colmcille in the Wilderness

Chapter Three

Our 31st year was spent primarily in gathering stone and iron for building and making tools. Those among us who have spent time in their school days living among the local native people have finally convinced the others that we should learn more from their farming methods. In particular they grow fields of what they call "the three sisters," that is corn, beans and pumpkins. These crops seem to support one another well and all three are more productive as a result. While our community accepted corn and beans from the beginning of farming—at least the early chronicles record nor dissent—they have never taken to eating pumpkin. Finally enough of us have experienced the usefulness and tastiness (when properly spiced) of the massive orange gourds that we are building a three sisters farm. We cannot convince the members to grow all three crops in the same field, so we are growing them in three fields, but it is a start.

In our 32nd year we realized that our chapel was very full during daily prayers and masses, so we built a new chapel at St. Harmann. The community elected Sister Jaquelindy, known for her wisdom and compassion, as priest at St. Harmann.

In the Winter of our 33rd year we reached 200 people for the first time since we arrived in this place. Sister Thaly, priest at St. Colmcille died and we elected Brother Donel to be priest there. Just after Sister Jaquelindy died and we elected Sister Tumeronia to be priest of St. Harmann.

During our 34th year we continued our development South of the River. We have decided to call this centre St. Brigid. We added a woodcutter, blacksmith and tailor to serve the needs of the people who live and will live here. We will also build pastures for sheep and cattle to provide wool and leather for the tailor.

In the Summer 34 nomadic people came to ask admittance to the community. This was the largest number we had ever encountered, but we gladly accepted them as novices. Shortly thereafter Brother Zayde, one of our building crew, came down with a disease called influenza. He was able to walk to the infirmary and was cared for by the infirmarer.

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The Chronicles of Brother Arlisle and Sister Mackelin, Sixth Abbot and Abbess of the Community of St. Colmcille  in the Wilderness.

In the Summer of our 34th Year since the founding of St. Colmcille our beloved Abbess and Bishop Kaliyann completed her pilgrimage with a peaceful and blessed death. As is our custom our Abbot Wenden retired and we, Arlisle and Mackelin, became Abbot and Abbess and Mackelin became Bishop. The community elected Shedric and Indi—name after our late priest—were elected Prior and Prioress. They are the youngest ever elected to this position and are only recently married, but all recognize them as deeply spiritual and possessed of a wisdom that will serve the community well. In addition they live in St. Brigid and can articulate the needs of that section in chapter.

Brother Zayde has recovered from his illness without any lasting effects and has rejoined the builders working on the new pastures.

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The Chronicles of Brother Shedric and Sister Indi, Seventh Abbot and Abbess of the Community of St. Colmcille in the Wilderness.

Chapter One

In the Late Summer of our 34th Year since the founding of St. Colmcille our Abbess and Bishop Mackelin died a peaceful death. After we celebrated her life and mourned her death with a funeral mass and wake, we Shedric and Indi, became abbot and abbess and Indi became bishop. Because we are so young and inexperienced we asked that an older couple be elected prior and prioress in order to give us wise counsel when we need it. The community then elected Durwoody and Shastity as prior and prioress. They originally came to us with a group of nomadic people and have impressed the whole community with their deep spirituality and the wisdom they have developed through their many experiences wandering through the prairies, mountains and valleys of this land. They live as farmers near St. Harmann and give some voice to the needs of the northern part of our community. We had hoped that Abbot Arlisle and Abbess Mackelin would serve some years before it became necessary for us to assume leadership of the community, but it was not to be. We thank God daily that this community makes decisions democratically in chapter and we are not required to make decisions by ourselves.

We had begun work on a new sheep pasture in the Early Spring of our 34th year and it took us until the Early Summer of our 35th year to complete the work. We split our original herd into halves and as the sheep were moving to the new pasture an incredible miracle was reported. The sheep walked on the bottom of the lake! At first we thought that this report originated among some of the brothers and sisters who worked in the brewery and had sampled too much of their produce, but the phenomenon was observed by Desta working in the trading post and the fishers Treverly and Zelianna and their child Dall. All were found to be stone sober and in full possession of their faculties, so we must give the story some credence. We do read stories of miracles in the Sacred Books, including many worked by our Lord. There are also records of miraculous events in the chronicles of our ancestors in the Old Land, but no one of us had ever witnessed such a thing, nor are there records of such in the chronicles of our predecessors, which we searched diligently. It is hard to believe that God would bother to create a sheep who can walk on the bottoms of lakes, but the witnesses all tell the same story and all are trustworthy people. Meanwhile the sheep seem none the worse for their miraculous adventure and live in the pasture the same as any other sheep.

In the Winter we began work on constructing a new market West of St. Brigid so that we can open more land for farming.

During our 36th year we continued with our lives under the Rule. As we look back over the chronicles of our predecessors we can see something of how the community has changed. The early chronicles are all in the language of the Old Land and Latin, the language of the church. Over time, as more nomadic peoples came to join us the old languages and the nomadic languages began to merge and words and expressions reflected both of the cultures. We also adopted words from our native neighbors. Now some of our most basic concepts, even our theological concepts, are expressed in words from the nomadic languages. All of us speak a language which is unique to our community and many of us are fluent in the old languages and three or four of the nomadic languages. Our prayers and liturgies still reflect the original Latin, but even there we supplement with native words and expressions. We also no longer use the old chant books but have written music of our own which reflects all of our cultures. Though it is hard for us to know exactly what the daily routine of our ancestors was, it must be that ours has become different from theirs. We are not sure what our predecessors would think of all this, but they are the ones who set us on this course.

In the Summer we completed two houses and the market in what we are calling St. Brigid West. We then started a new farm. In the Autumn Sister Nathe died in childbirth. It is very hard for the community when two lives are lost at once. Both lives are part of the future of our community, and then both are gone and the piece of the future they held is gone with them.

In the Winter we built a new tavern in order to produce more ale and then in the Late Spring of our 37th year we started on new pear orchards to grow fruit for the taverns. When they begin bearing in a few years we should be able to add more taverns and brew more ale for trade. The ale we can produce and trade now has created surpluses of stone and iron, so we are building all stone houses. We are also able to complete several paving projects in the squares at St. Harmann and St. Colmcille.