Page 14 - With Mungie MacNeil of Iona Rear

ISSUE : Issue 59

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1992/1/1

Mungie chuckled, then said: But one thing is funny, you know. They were afraid to give a priest a meal, if he'd come visit? ing. Old Fr. MacKenzie, he used to go around to take the census every once in awhile. And he went one day all through the houses. He wasn't here--I think my mother would have asked him if he could have a cup of tea. They just felt that he couldn't have it or something. He went all day long from house to house, and he never got a bite to eat until he got back home in the evening! Wasn't that awful! And it wasn't because they were stingy or any? thing. They thought they didn't have any? thing good enough--they were just afraid to give him a cup of tea. (They figured he was above that.) Yes. And the poor priest! (The custom in the country always was that nobody ever came to your house....) With? out a cup of tea. And you never turned away a peddler or anything else, you know. And you welcomed them and you gave them tea. And if they wanted to stay the night, you kept them. But the poor priest with his tongue out 12 yards, and he never got a cup of tea! He wasn't walking, he had a horse and wagon. You just think, the poor fellow. He made a Cape Breton Auto Radiator co RADIATOR HOSES • REPAIRING • CLEANING • RECORING T'o' _, COMPLETE CYLINDER HEAD SERVICE _ . 518 Grand auto * truck * industrial Sydney Lalte Road Complete Line of Gas Tanks 564-6362 • NOW DOING AUTOMOBILE AIR CONDITIONING • PEMBROKE CONSTRUCTION 23 McKeen St., GLACE BAY, Nova Scotia ''' General Contractors Specializing in New Home Construction and Commercial Construction liH44>-tili'ifAi=Hi • Renovations • Roofing • Siding • Cabinets • Additions Participating in the 5-Year New '' FRIENDLYt' Home Warranty Program ??' SERVICE REG'D BUILDER #01-0392 5 & tSATISFACTIOI' Call today 849-5587 SYDNEY No. 539-2530 Call today 849-1121 kind of a joke of it when he told it af? terwards, you know. Sadie; He could ask for a cup of tea. Mungie: No. he wouldn't do that. He was afraid he'd embarrass them. They had nothing but a piece of ban? nock, and they'd never think of giving the priest just a piece of bannock.... (And) he wasn't carrying the blessed sac? rament then at all. He was just taking the census, you know. He was the one that went around. Taking the names of everybody in the house, and their age, and their occu? pation, and everything else. (And when the priest did come to the house bringing the host--the communion.,..) Oh, it was very formal, you know. I know he came of? ten here when my mother was sick. She'd be in here. You'd have to meet them at the door with a lighted candle, 'cause they were car? rying the blessed sacrament. And how differ? ent it is now. When I was over in the hospi? tal in Baddeck, I don't know how many times Fr. MacDowell went over. He'd take this lit? tle thing out of his pocket--blessed sacra? ment- -and give me communion right there. (There was quite a pageantry to it then.) Oh, then, yes. You'd have a little table set, you know, lighted candle on it. There'd be a cloth there to wipe his fin? gers and a little dish for him. You had a little pitcher of just water, and there'd be holy water, to rinse his fingers. And there'd be a little napkin, or a small little linen cloth to wipe his fingers on. And now you get communion in your hands. I don't like it. I like it the old way. I always did. It's easier for the priest, I think, to give it like that. (Mungie, did you realize at the time that taking care of priests was your vocation?) No. I just liked--I liked the work, and I liked looking after them, that was all. I was very happy, you know, and I was near enough home, I could go home whenever I wanted to. The people around, they'd al? ways come, you know, if I wanted to go home. There'd be somebody that would come and take over while I was gone, so it wasn't hard for me at all. 24-HOUR SERVICE * ydney Diesel 81 Hydraulics Ltd. P.O. Box 100, North Esplanade, SYDNEY, Nova Scotia B1P 6G9 PHONE: Office 564-4488 • Home 736-6651 • FAX 539-9799 * SERVICE TECHNICIAN: BRUCE MOORE Over 25 Years Experience on Diesel Engine Repairs, Operating and Maintenance Complete Machine Shop Facilities , Complete Marine & industrial Certified Welding & Burning Available Diesel Engine Services Power Take-Offs Repaired from Installations to Overhauls Diesel Service You Can Trust

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