To continue the story of Father Bruno in Neve Shalom. He decided once the community was up and running that, although ostensibly it was a secular group, there should be a religious dimension. So he and the community built the House of Dumiyah-Deep Silence. This name comes from a quotation of the first line of Psalm 65. (Unfortunately not in all the translations)
To you, deep silence and praise is due in Zion.
Father Bruno built a round structure in the valley below the community. Members of the community, although not religious themselves, carried huge flagstones down the steep sides of the valley and laid them by hand in the House of Dumiyah. The roof was a huge white Dome. It was Father Bruno's intention that it should be a House of Deep Silence, where people could pray together. When I visited him, he invited me to visit the building. Standing facing him in the interior of the dome shaped building, the House of Deep Silence and also of Peace, I felt I had come home.
I am having a holiday and retreat in Ireland from 9th - 16th of this month, September, and so will be off-line from now. I feel very privileged to be going away for a quiet time in the build up to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which falls on September 19th and will chat about this on my return.
Shalom from
Sister Gila
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