Tuesday, 28th February 2023
Our Wonderful Volunteers - John & Nicole Ogilvie
Along with our new "Staff Focus", we're going to introduce you to some of our amazing volunteers. This month we hear from John and Nicole Ogilvie, who have been coming to New Norcia for nearly twenty years.
How long have you been associated with the monastery and what brought you here?
Our association with New Norcia started way back in 2004 when Abbot John (then Fr John) was appointed Parish Priest of the parish of Dardanup/Boyanup. At the time we were living on an old farm in Boyanup and our two children started school at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Dardanup. As our Parish Priest we came to know him and Benedictine Spirituality, which he introduced to the parish. It wasn’t long before the rhythm of monastic life took over, and hospitality after mass and on feast days became the norm.
We both love food and wine so we started growing avocados as a hobby, while Nicole worked weekends at Capel Vale Wines' cellar door. Nicole loves to cook and when we found out that Abbot John was a chef, our shared interests usually became the topic of conversation.
When Abbot John returned to the monastery, we stayed in touch. When our children were a bit older, we visited New Norcia for the first time, staying in St Ildephonsus’ Cottage. We returned several years later without the children and now visit 4-5 times a year.
Can you tell us something about yourselves?
Nicole is a Dental Therapist at Margaret River Orthodontics and John is Financial Administrator for the Catholic Diocese of Bunbury. We live in inner city Bunbury and our children live in Perth. Our son is a primary school teacher and our daughter is studying for her final year of Pharmacy at Curtin University.
When we are not at New Norcia or spending weekends in Perth with the children, we are at home in Bunbury enjoying eating out at some of the great restaurants and going for coffee on the Marlston waterfront overlooking Koombana Bay. We also enjoy weekend drives to nearby towns to sample and purchase some of the wonderful produce the Southwest has to offer.
When you did you start volunteering for New Norcia and what have you done?
We attended the Abbot's Table in February 2021, enjoying a wonderful meal in the parlour of the Hostel. We stayed upstairs in one of the comfortable rooms, which proved to be very handy after a beautiful four-course meal, accompanied with selected wines.
We had such an enjoyable evening that we offered to help Abbot John at the next one (May 2021) and to our surprise he accepted. Nicole, given her cellar door experience, was assigned to wine waiting duties and John, with no hospitality experience, was assigned to washing dishes. He has since graduated to help with preparation and service of the food.
To Abbot John’s surprise, we offered to return in Winter 2021 and have been a regular at the Abbot’s Table ever since.
What’s so special about the Abbot’s Table? What brings you up here every quarter to take part?
It’s building community through authentic Benedictine hospitality. Bringing people together from different backgrounds at Australia’s only monastic town, to share a four-course meal prepared by the Abbot, served by volunteers who have other careers, is a truly unique dining experience.
Every Abbot's Table is different. Every menu has its own story and the guests are so appreciative. Abbot John is a talented chef and his passion for good food and fine wine is evident in the quality of ingredients and selection of dishes. We love working with him and the other dedicated people on the night. And yes we do get to taste the yummy dishes the guests get to eat!
Do you have a fun story from the Summer Abbot’s Table? (February 2023)
The Abbot decided to add a Singapore Sling to the cocktail list, not the quickest or easiest cocktail to make. John was promoted to work behind the bar for the first time to help make Singapore Sling’s, something he had never done before. In the process of making one, John inadvertently added tonic water instead of soda water. Thanks to the Abbot's eye for detail, the mistake was discovered and the newly invented cocktail, later named a ‘Singapore Sonic’, was discarded for a proper one.
What’s the best thing about volunteering at New Norcia?
We have always felt welcomed and appreciated. The Abbot's Table team work really well together. We are on the go all night and work hard to make it all come together, but we also have fun. It’s a real team effort and we enjoy catching up with our ‘New Norcia family’, whether they be the monks, the guesthouse staff, or the staff working in the gift shop or roadhouse. They are all so friendly and we are blessed to be able to spend time with them.