This year the Pluscarden community had invited Br. Peter Eghwrudjakpor OSB, Prior of Ewu Monastery in Nigeria, to preach our annual retreat.

Unfortunately the Covid-19 restrictions made that impossible.

Nearer to hand though is the community of Nashville Dominican Sisters, resident at Greyfriars Convent Elgin, and well known to us since their arrival in 2013. Fr. Abbot invited these Sisters to give some conferences to our community for a retreat during the week 4-11 November. Accepting this invitation, they entrusted the task to Sr. Anna Christi O.P., who is their Superior.

Sr. Anna Christ trained as a Montessori teacher, so her fine conferences broke away from stereotypes in various ways. As a running theme she made use of a story from mediaeval France, the Legend of Notre Dame de Colobier. She illustrated her talks with a series of beautiful slides.

Pluscarden is fortunate to be in a part of the country where restrictions are currently less severe than elsewhere. Nevertheless, to comply with Government requirements, during these conferences the brethren had to wear face masks. Certainly this has never happened before in a community retreat!