Villa Pacis - Belfast

The day had come when we left Larne… It was with a little unconsciousness reluctance of both Brigid and my behalf. We slept in, actually all who were still present in Larne slept in! Fuelling up on a large breakfast, packing and saying the last of our see you soon, we hop along the highway towards Belfast. 

The rain pounded upon the car, making the window wipers move without haste as the clouds open above us. We arrived in Belfast just before eleven with the agenda of meeting the Sisters at Villa Pacis for lunch. 

Following along the motorway Brigid realised she was a little uncertain of the exit. Expressing that the A55 rings some kind of bell, I respond with the song we learnt a few days early - “Come holy Spirit Come, Come Almighty Spirit Come, Come, Come Come” 

At that she turned off, heading towards a familiar roundabout up a road only to discover it was closed. We cut into a carpark to try loop around the road closer, then came upon Glen Road by some luck - or rather Spirit!!! 

Arriving too early, we seek for a Catholic Church for 11am Mass. The part of Belfast we were in is catholic, therefore it felt like every block had a grand stone built church - or what I would refer to often as a cathedral. Going into the first church not too far from the Sisters, we got a bulletin informing us Mass at 11am is in Holy Spirit. Uncertain of the churches location, Brigid encouraged me to ask a walker as this is catholic domain after all. I put on my best Irish accent asking where the church was, she was a little confused, then said you want the 11am Mass. I said yes, that is what we wish to attend. Giving us directions we set off, looking on the left of the road only to discover it was on the right… walking into mass five minutes late yet all the better for been there. 

The church looked modern, only to learn later it was not. The priest from Africa, spoke at a pace we could understand. He was a gentle soul, about to head home to visit his family. We both admired his singing voice… when heading to the altar to receive communion it was alarming to see the congregation had made one line for the priest to give leaving the laity man standing not serving.
Moments like these leave me with the sense of how people see communion, is it more holy to receive from the priest, does it hold more meaning… I have no idea !!

Anyhow, we left here to return back to Villa Pacis to a warm welcome. 

Sr John Vinnaey 

Villa Pacis is a delightful home for our more journeyed sisters. Walking in the door to a great embrace not only from the Sisters yet some of the workers who knew Brigid. We sat in the community room as more sisters came, greeting with great joy. 

Been a feast day we had a great celebration lunch, a little too much for me, yet they all loved and embraced. There was about twelve Sisters there, a few away, all in good form apart from Monica who was a little unwell.
We had lunch together then the Sisters from the front house came over in great joy to meet us. Annie and Therese. Therese came to New Zealand in 1970 for a great holiday exploring the whole of the north island from Wellington right up to Cape Ranga - 1000 mile beach. She recalled a lot of places with a little guidance yet I have to admit she would be up there with one of the few sisters who have seen so much of my country. What a blessing. 

Sr Therese 

It is often misguided that I am from Australia as Im in community there, so a real joy to share my country with another Sister - Sr Therese - in great deal and remembrance. 

Throughout my formation, I have been receiving letters from a gentle kind Sister Helena, who lives here at Villa Pacis. I looked forward to meeting her with great anticipation, only to hear she had a chest infection and was staying with her family. I thought that I would return possibly a little earlier from England so I can return. Ireland is a small country - easy to travel with a sense of closeness between larger cities! 

While in Villa Pacis we sat down after lunch in the community room to engage in more conversations and story telling. I learnt a lot about how each Sister discern going on mission, or rather the ‘novice master’ discern for her. It is with great joy and delight that the Sisters themselves laugh about it, with what Im sure often was a rather hard act of obedience in the wrong sense of the word! One story was from a Sister who was asked to go to Botswana in the congregation and her earlier days, to teach maths and I think music tuition too. The item she wanted to take was a piano!! A piano!! I laughed at the image of this sister dressed in her habit about to board the ship with a piano! 

Anyhow, she was gifted a piano from a students father, who owned a music shop or something of this nature - back before my time. The piano arrived at her house upside down on the truck and placed on their front lawn. She was most upset at the state the piano came, as it was out of tune and who would place the piano upside for transporting…. 

Sr Marie Antonine

This Sister rang the kind man that gave her the piano, explaining how it arrived and that it was no use to her now, with his gentle reply her would send someone to come help tune it. An afternoon later she received a telegram telling her to urgently place the piano indoor. With no means to bring it inside, the local priest found plastic and wrapped the piano to protect it. She woke up to look out the window to see this blue wrapped block on her lawn. 

The kind gentleman sent someone up from South Africa and to this day the piano remains in Botswana with the Sisters of Calvary now. 

Three o’clock arrived before we knew it with the rolling in of the tea trolley and also the set off of fire alarm. It seems the kettle element burnt setting off the alarm, resulting in the piercing sound ranging through our ears. After ten minutes of a gathering around the switch to work out how to read one of the Sisters got up from her chair calmly walked over and entered the code. Silence to the ears! 

After this eventful visit we decided to start the journey back to Dublin with a detour to visit Sr Anne stomping ground… this in the next blog post. 

Sr John Vianney and Sr Annie