The monastic community continues to be blessed in its longstanding friendship with the Manquehue Apostolic Movement (MAM), based in Santiago, Chile. An emphasis must be placed here on the use of "friendship," as this concept resonates deeply with the Movement, inspired by the gospel of John and Jesus' reference to his followers as friends ("I have called you friends"; John 15:15). This friendship has been strengthened annually by visits of small communities from Manquehue who have offered their gifts to our monastic and School community. Their principal focus has been to cultivate student and faculty lectio practice, with visible success in the vibrant and varied groups now active at the School. The spirituality of the Movement is shaped deeply by the Rule of Saint Benedict, and they have established and formally recognized affiliation with the English Benedictine Congregation. The St. Louis community has similarly been involved with MAM for years, with Abbot Michael and Brother Sixtus having traveled repeatedly to Chile, as well as hosting Chileans at the St. Louis Priory School.

We were strengthened here at Portsmouth four years ago by the extended two-year sojourn of Cata Quiroga and Alvaro Gazmuri, whose first child, Clara, was born and baptized while they were here. Typically, groups have been with us for most of the past ten years during the School's winter term, and such will again be the case this upcoming winter, when seven women from the Movement will reside in the guesthouse. Their two leaders, Trinidad Hüe and Magdalena Solar have come in advance and are with us this month for a ten-day stay, to reinvigorate our lectio groups and to establish new friendships with our students and faculty, in order to prepare the transition for their winter group. The two addressed the school community at an assembly, introduced by Abbot Michael, conveying some of their irrepressible enthusiasm: “What a joy to be here again! It's a true testimony of God's eternal love to come back to a place so special for us. To see some familiar faces and to have the possibility to resume and establish new friendships - it's a great gift!”