European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 4, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                British nuns Pool their efforts by Sheila Rule new York times t he nuns of Tyburn Convent practice silence sacrifice  roman Catholic Convent is an Oasis of stillness and prayer in Cen Lial London except Lor about an hour Morl afternoons when the nuns a Ahoi n then Community room Lor conversation Ami recreation. While some play sedentary Board games others gather around a snooker table that a one Quarter the size of a regulation table a variation of Pool. The game req for More skill except when the Tyburn Convent nuns play it on or str ii t really follow any rules said sister Simeon. Iresh faced and Friendly in her  religious habit raring Back in a Henrly chuckle is or  of us stand around the table sort of doing anything we like. But we May have to a tart following the rules now " the Rufio. Members of the Benedictine order of the adores of the sacred heart of Jesus Hopr they can interest some enthusiastic snooker players in in endly Competition in order to raise the to million they  re needed to restore the Convent the building constructed in the victorian Era. Was damaged by a bomb in world War ii. And Iho Patchwork repairs done then have started to crumble we noticed that when it rained water started to pour in where we House our  said other John Baptist. Our novices Are precious and we can t have water pouring in on them. I think the a i lives Here sometimes the nuns Diodoro to ask businessmen to visit Hie con f no and put a shot in the pol _ that is make a contribution to the restoration a Al each Lime they pock Elod a Ball Alt i Les vision documentary about i her Livos and enjoyment of their personal Brand of or pro Lional snooker caused an explosion of interest from the Public and , organizations As far away As Australia they Are 3ho planning a Competition in which youth groups would get financial backers to sponsor the youths in games a person big in the snooker  Mother Mary Xavior said with apologies Lor having to withhold the name has offered to donate a prize of a snooker Lable to the group Hal raises the most Money. And in the nuns can attract sponsors sister Therese left and sister Simeon Brush up on their snooker at the Tyburn Convent in London. The nuns want to round up players for a Tew rounds of Friendly Competition to raise Money Tor restoration of the Convent. Lor themselves they May Slage a contest of their own. Snooker is a popular game and i think Hal it will Appeal to a lot of people sister Simeon said i thought fund raising was a dreary business. I never knew it could be like this this is a lot better than addressing  i Don t play that Well but i love it she said recreation is an important part of our Day and i m not keen on sitting Down and knitting not yet. Anyway. We were playing netball in the Garden for a while. But we did ignore the plants. It was a bit dangerous for them and a bit dangerous Lor the old nuns As  the nuns say thai one byproduct of the Allenton has been that they have Learned a Little about snooker. A television reporter took a snooker expert to the Convent As part of a report he did on the Lund raising drive. Sister Simeon said she always put Chalk on the end of her Cue even though she had no idea Why she did it the expert told her she did it to keep the Cue from slipping when it hit a Ball. The rules Are very  Mother John Baptist said it s ust like learning Tennis out of a Book but there Are parts we Don t understand a Man in one interview asked what was sister s highest break Mother Mary Xavier did t know what a break was " the term Means the Point total of consecutive balls pocketed. I had to admit i was t familiar with those  said Mother Mary Xavier. The Rule Book just gives the Bare details but the expert taught us How to hold the Baton and the technique of striking a White Ball and what we should aim Lor when trying to hit another Ball the Convent s 25 nuns devote themselves to a life of prayer for the needs of Mankind in general but especially Lor the people of Britain. They commemorate martyrs of the reformation who were hanged on the 18-fool High triangular Gallows of Tyburn tre Elondon s traditional place of Public i execution from the end of the 12th j Century until 1783. The Marble Arch and its traffic Island now occupy the Sile which is just Down the Street from Tyburn Convent. A replica of the Gallows and relics of the Era Are housed in the building s crypt. We Are Here to Pray Mother John Baptist said. Thai s our Job. We live lives of quite concentrated silence and prayer and do mainly Domestic work keeping the House clean and the Sisters clothed and led but to need some period of diversion. We gel Young people coming to join the congregation and have to make sure that they have something reasonably Active to keep them Busy. At recreation you can talk As much As you like and people usually do. In our life we think we have the perfect balance. There s prayer and work and play and study. Ii you upset the balance in you become a Workaholic or a prayer Holic you disturb the basis of your  snooker is just one of several fund raising ideas. Our skipping has aroused interest too Mother Mary Xavier said Erma of students. Let s assume you Are Lucky enough or smart enough to be accepted by a College or a University this fall. Last year the University of California at Berkeley reportedly turned away 2.400 students with an a average and the University of Pennsylvania said no to 220 valedictorians now where Are you going to live dorms Are already booked to the spoons in a drawer stage. That could mean that you along with thousands of other freshmen. Have no Choice but to continue living under the same roof As your parents. So what s the big Deal you be always lived at Home right the by Deal is that 15 minutes after your graduation from High school you entered the Twilight zone. It s a place where you Are old enough to do your own laundry old enough to solve your own problems old enough to help Oul Wilh the household chores and old enough to share some financial responsibility. Yet you Are too Young to stay out past Midnight Loo Young to have your own car too Young to be serious Over anyone too Young to know what you want and Loo Young to be lived All the Lime. Since the Only thing that stood Between a Campus dormitory and me was poverty i lived at Home All Lour years and commuted. My Only Reward was infinite Wisdom. Parents Don t really equate going to College with a real  their rationale seems to be Hal you would t pay someone All that Money not to have a Good time. So the first Rule is never to act like you e enjoying anything. Suffer and do it publicly. Parents do not understand the term resting my  they figure your eyes would t be tired in you rested them at night like everyone else instead of running around. Belter to use i m  parents have been programmed to mistrust the phrase i m going to the Library to  they will not believe you in a the announcement comes every night Between dinner and dishes b you climb into a truck with 15 other people and a cooler in the Back and c it is 11 o clock at night. It is a myth that parents always want to know where their children Are. They do and they Don t. When their children live in dormitories parents can soak in a tub of ignorance. When their child never Calls they can Tell themselves that he dropped a Bible on his loot and can t hobble to a phone. When a child lives at Home parents feel compelled to outfit him Wilh a Beeper Collar. Every year thousands of freshmen survive family life 101. Maybe it s a part of their education too. C 1969 Erna Bomick Page 16 the stars and stripes monday september 4,1989