News & Events
And So It Begins…
October 3, 2015 | What's The Buzz?
"Like a bee one should extract from each of the virtues
what is most profitable. In this way, by taking a
small amount from all of them,
one builds up from the practice of the virtues
a great honeycomb overflowing with the soul-delighting honey of wisdom."
St Gregory of Sinai – 14th Century, THE PHILOKALIA
On 2nd and 3rd September, our bee caring mentor, Adrian Iodice from Beekeeping Naturally, visited us. Adrian, Sr Veronica and I discussed all things bees, bee spirituality and shared some great books. There is so much history to beekeeping! It was a real honour to get to know Adrian a bit more before our project really shifts gears and gets going. He is a really good guy, committed to his beautiful family, his local community and caring for bees in the most natural way possible. We are indeed lucky to be mentored by Adrian.
Adrian and I also had the pleasure of visiting the Illawarra Woodworkers Group Inc to show them the Kenyan Top Bar Hive they will be building for us. We met with Dave and Tony who asked loads of great questions and looked over the Kenyan in great detail and with much interest. It's wonderful to have the Illawarra Woodworkers Inc involved with our project. They are also a great bunch of people to know and I'm feeling very grateful for their commitment.
The Kenyan Top Bar Hive we are using was designed by Les Crowder. It was made originally as a simple beehive for use in aid projects to enable communities to care for bees as a food source. Its simple design, with no heavy lifting and little room for the dreaded hive beetle, made it a good choice for Sr Veronica and I.
The following Saturday, Dave and I made a trip to Coasties Big Shed to collect our first load of recycled timber. Now that this timber has been delivered to the Illawarra Woodworkers, the project is officially underway. Many thanks to Coasties Big Shed for sourcing this wood for us and to the Illawarra Woodworkers who helped to unload it.
Finally, a very big thank you to all our wonderful sponsors and those generous people who have made a financial contribution to this project. It is your generosity and willingness to help our bees and be part of this project that has enabled it to begin. We are feeling overwhelmed by your generous sponsorships and assistance. It appears our Aussie bees are well supported!
In the prologue of the Rule of St Benedict, we are invited to ask God's blessing each time we begin a good work. So, we ask God's blessing on our Abbey Beehive Project as it commences and we begin to source our bees for these beautiful hives.
A Prayer Blessing the Beehives by Fr Ted
O Almighty and Pre-eternal God:
you hold all creation in the palm of your hands;
you possess the heavens,
the earth, and all that is in them;
you compassionately grant unto all created things
that which is beneficial for them.
With compunction, we pray to you,
O all-good-One:
as in ancient times you granted the Israelites
a land flowing with milk and honey,
and as you were well pleased to nourish
your baptiser John in the wilderness with wild honey,
so now by your good pleasure
and caring for our sustenance,
bless the beehives in their apiary,
greatly increase the number of bees in them,
preserve them by your grace,
and fill us rich with honey.
Let none of these beehives which you have fashioned
be deprived of bees,
but let them always be filled
with honeycombs of honey.
And according to your great benefits and invincible might,
let them be shown undefeated by evils
and unshaken by curses.
Rather, fenced round about by your
all-powerful might and defended by your armed host,
let them always remain unharmed and in your grasp, O Christ.
For yours it is to be merciful and to save us,
O Christ our God,
and unto you do we send up glory, honour and worship,
together with your Father and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Warm regards
Lee-Ann the beekeeper
