“Freshman year” was a challenging one for the early Norbertines, too.

Here’s an excerpt from the letters of Abbot Pennings, talking about a communication gap they ran into in their new country …

“One time Brother Servatius went to the store at our next door neighbor and as a precaution he took some rice, coffee, etc., to be his interpreters; he was also going to ask for a big tin milk container from the cheese factory so he could keep our bread fresh in it. It was impossible to get them to understand what he wanted. First they brought him some wire nails, then stove polish, then vinegar … until they finally gave up and parted laughing.”