The neighbors came up the mountain for Holy Mass on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Soul and Body, into Heaven. This is a very rare occasion. I used the ancient family chalice, pictured above. In that picture, you are looking away from the chapel and out the new door of the hermitage (note the HSH bell in the background).
Speaking of Holy Mass, a reader just notified me that a gift against all my protestations will be coming in for 30 Masses for all deceased priests in purgatory. I like to reserve November for this, though some days were already filled with other Masses. However, we’ll get most of them in during November. See the Mass Page.
BUT THEN, some hours later, I went way down deep into South Carolina to pick up the same neighbors, whose practice it is to take a day off on great Catholic solemnities. Their vehicle was totalled, slammed into hard by a teenage boy who was still gripping his cellphone as he threw a fit about his truck within a nanosecond of the collision. The neighbors are O.K., shaken, but O.K., kind of, maybe. We’ll see how they are as time goes on. I think they are both being seen medically today. This was somewhat unexpected, as they were not brought to the hospital from the scene of the accident. Prayers for them, please: Hail Mary…
Nota bene: Later today, I hope to make it to town also to send more David F. Pierre books out from the Post Office, in particular, his book “Catholic Priests Falsely Accused. The Fathers, The Fraud, The Stories.” Some of you have written in for these, some of you failing to provide me with a mailing address. For shame! Email me your physical mailing address (P.O.Box or whatever) and I’ll send the book. Send it your mailing address now — anyone who wants this book! Use holysoulshermitage using gmail dot com. This is a free book, already bought for you by another great reader of Holy Souls Hermitage blog.
And then, if there’s time, later on today, I hope to cut and haul and chop some firewood. I think it got down into the 40s farhenheit last night, reminding me that winter is only around the corner.
Accompany me, Father George David Byers, S.S.L., S.T.D., as I begin life as a Catholic Priest-Hermit by choice. Holy Souls Hermitage is dedicated to the sanctification of my fellow priests, bishops, deacons & seminarians going through the purgatory of this life or the next. Prayer and sacrifice go up, of course, for both Benedict XVI and the next Successor of Saint Peter. 
Great picture! Praying for your friends that were in the accident. And gee, hermits stay very busy, but that is a good thing.
May all be well with your neighbors.
Will be blessed if I can have a copy of the book, Father, if you can post to Uganda. I am sending in my postal address.
Glad to see the hermitage is coming along so nicely and that you are looking well. I wish I could share some of our 90+ degree weather with you, you wouldn’t need to chop so much wood.
Thank you all for your prayers as we really need them. My husband was hurt when he hit the steering wheel with his chest and of course he is very upset with the loss of our car.. I am sore and taking care of that with medicine and therapy. I was told today that by Sunday I will know I was in a very severe accident. Oh my.
Dear Father
wow what a great a picture of you, I finally now have a face to go with your name. Bless you dear Father. I have watched the Holy Souls Hermitage grow and prosper since you began this page/blog and I have learned a lot from what you write -both about flora, fauna, spiders (ugh) chickens and other things. I never realized that “hermitting” could be so interesting. I especially respect and like your Masses/prayers esp for priests. Our dear Lord knows they need all they can get. Thank you again for all you do to nurture our souls and minds.
I also loved this picture, I have thought of it a couple times at random moments and just smiled happily! I like the contrast of the very nice and totally dignified vestments, vessels and hermit priest, and the rough but beginning to be finished and weathertight hermitage.