Heat, Canisius College, and Arthur's Arrival

G'day! I don't want to rub it in, but we're in the midst of a bit of heatwave these days... in fact, we're expecting temperatures between 100 and 105 degrees this weekend! I know that most of you at home are buried under snow and dealing with frigid cold, but the nice thing about the cold is that you can always put on another "jumper" as they call sweaters here. AC is not so fashionable here in Australia, so we're sweating it out with fans and cold showers (it is better for the environment, after all).

Here are a few shots of Canisius College, the spirituality center where the tertian program is housed. It was once a school of theology for Jesuits in training, but now is a combined novitiate, spirituality center, home for the "golden oldies"- as the retired men are called, and the tertian program. The statue of Jesus with his welcoming arms wide open is just below my window, and the porch is on the back side of the building, just outside the recreation room. It's a bit institutional, however, the warmth, good humor, and hospitality of the guys make all the difference. One of the golden oldies, Kevin MacDonald, celebrated his 80th birthday yesterday-- we had a fine little party for him and made sure to sing loud enough that even he could hear us.

And we're happy to report that after several weeks of trouble with immigration, Arthur Leger has finally arrived at the T-ship. Arthur is from Fiji, a country currently run by a military dictatorship and in a bit of tension with its international neighbors. Arthur and I lived together in Cambridge while studying theology, so it is very good to see him again!

Have a great weekend!