Hi everyone. Folks have been asking me for an update on the gathering we are hosting here on the farm on September 12-14. We have reached our limit of around 25 people attending and I apologize to those who could not make it this time around. But as you will see, there will be ample opportunities in the future to attend.
The best form of lodging once you are here would be to find a B & B in Harveys Lake which is one mile from us. It is a beautiful lake and there are many Airbnb houses for rent around it. There are also hotels in Wilkes Barre (about a 20 minute drive from us) and in the small and quaint city of Tunkhannock to our north which is about a 25 minute drive. You can also just pitch a tent or park a camper on our grounds!
Meals will be provided but anyone who wishes to bring food to contribute is welcome to do so. Several people have already indicated that they will be bringing snacks and food. This is not a subtle way of getting people to bring food, but if you have particular drinks and snacks that you prefer then by all means bring them. I am also open to any and all donations of wine, beer, liquor, Soda, Mineral Water and so on that you might want to bring. I will have a selection of cigars available but bringing your own is also welcome.
We are planning for the Saturday evening dinner to be a pig roast, which will be a very festive way of enjoying the evening. I will kill and prepare one of the pigs on our farm that morning early and get it into the roaster. In the past when I have done pig roasts it has been fun to have those attending bring their own homemade barbecue sauces which we then compare. So I encourage one and all to contribute to that tradition!
I am sure I am forgetting some things but I will announce more details as the date approaches. Please feel free to contact me on my cell phone: 570-690-1143. If you want to email me please use my icloud account: Larrychapp@icloud.com
But now there is an even bigger announcement. After long and careful prayer, my wife Carrie and I have decided that it is time to sell our farm and move our Catholic Worker ministry into an urban setting. I am getting older and have major orthopedic issues with my back that have made it increasingly difficult to do the farm chores. Also, one of our major helpers on the farm, Carrie's brother who lives with us, has had some recent very negative health issues (non life threatening) that are now requiring him to refrain from heavy labor. Furthermore, the time demands of the farm are increasingly in conflict with the growing time demands of my writiing and podcasting. Finally, in the past year Carrie has taken on her old job once again as a Dean at St. Charles Seminary in Ambler PA. This requires her to be away from the farm three and sometimes four days a week. This has placed an added time strain on all that we do here.
Therefore, we are moving to Scranton. We have put a bid in on an old rectory and the bid was accepted by the diocese. It was contingent upon us selling the farm before the end of September. We will not move out until the end of September so the gathering on the 12th-14th will be the last major event here! This move will allow us to do several things. First, we will be much closer to our Anglican Ordinariate parish (St. Thomas More) and the food pantry we are opening in conjunction with the parish and the crisis pregnancy center there. The rectory is also very large and will therefore be a great place for us to host future gatherings just like the one in September here on the farm, but now in an urban setting.
This is a huge change for us but our ministry will continue, just without pigs and sheep and goats and chickens. Please, please pray that we sell the farm quickly.
Dorothy Day pray for us
Cheers
Larry
All donations are tax-deductible through our non-profit called Dorothy Day Catholic Worker
