Last Saturday, we continued our Easter Celebrations (50 Days of the Easter Season makes it just a tad bit longer than Lent!) by having a Lamb Roast with the Propaedeutic Year Seminarians (Propaedudes for short) on the farm!
Stephen started by catching the two lambs that were designated for this purpose. These were not lambs that were just born this spring. A lamb is technically a sheep that is up to 1 year old. These two were born in September, so they were about 7 months old.
Around 9 am, propaedudes who were able and wanted to attend the slaughter arrived at the farm. This was an optional part of the experience. We find it to be a teaching moment for many people to experience the slaughter of an animal that they will be eating, but we also know it is not something everyone wants to witness.
It is also helpful for the seminarians to experience the slaughter of a lamb because it gives a much deeper understanding to the sacrifice of the Lamb of God that is central to the life of the Church and so to the life of the (future) priest.
After the lambs were slaughtered, Stephen and the propaedudes skinned and gutted them to prepare for roasting over a fire. This year, we were able to use the old grill top and grill lid that we brought back from Stephen’s brother David. This was a part of the grill that Stephen’s family used for the Pig Roast that they had every September for many years. We plan to use it to build a more permanent grill, but this year, we made do with some random things from around the farm!
It took several hours to roast the lambs, and while they were roasting, we took the time to do several things around the farm, with a little help from our friends:
- cleaning out the chick brooder for the new batch of chicks that arrived this week
- cleaning the back porch and the house for the party
- washing and packing eggs
- clearing out and washing the Veggie Wash Station for the year
- harvesting lettuce and asparagus for the party
- washing the lettuce and asparagus for the party
- making the side dishes
- raking a garden bed clear for direct seeding
- I’m sure there’s something else I’m forgetting!
Then, once everything was ready, and while the asparagus was grilling after the lamb, we prayed Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours together. It is a beautiful thing to behold 30-some men who are discerning and preparing for the priesthood singing and praying the Psalms on a lovely spring evening!
Once Evening Prayer was finished, Fr. Hanley said grace and the feast began! It was a wonderful way to celebrate Easter, and to show our gratitude for all the work these men do on our farm throughout the year!
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