- neo = new or newly
- scona = beautiful // derived from badly pronounced German – perhaps referring to a more interesting color scheme as the spider grows. The red and red are striking.
- cucifera = cross bearing // some patterns up top are very clearly cruciform
This guy is fairly big as spiders go. He can bite, hard, but there’s nothing that can hurt you. He’s great to have around natural insect control. I love it.
Typical of these orb-weavers, he’s been hanging around the doors of the church and at the end of the social hall of the parish in this late Summer, early Autumn time of year. The strands of the webs will cover doorways or stretch between buildings. Some might be temporarily surprised, but they get over it right away, and find it rather humorous.
Last night was no exception. Our bishop graciously made the four-hour trip from Charlotte to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation Wednesday evening. We had fourteen confirmands:
- 11 from Holy Redeemer in Andrews
- 1 from our Prince of Peace mission in Robbinsville
- 2 from Immaculate Heart of Mary mission in Hayesville (of St William, Murphy)
Our next class (every two years) should be quite large as well. The Deacon from Maggie Valley Living Waters Retreat Center assisted, as did his son, who is the pastor of the next parish over, both good friends. It was the most packed we have ever had the church. The city of Andrews must have wondered what was happening, as all three parking lots were overflowing far unto the neighbors lawn. Ooops. Sorry about that!
Earlier in the day, in protective mode on behalf of the spider, I grabbed a stick and had him crawl onto it, and placed him up the steep ridge next to the campus. I’ve done this before and it’s taken him a day to get back. But, learning the ropes, he was back within hours and made a grand appearance at the reception after the Confirmation Mass.
The bishop and I ended up having a seat for a bite to eat outside the social hall at the end of the tables at the end of the carport, just where our spider friend dropped down on a bit of silk thread right in front of our faces. Haha! I swept my hand above the spider so as to drag the thread to the side. The spidey, not to be outdone, simply dropped into the food of one of the confirmands, which I immediately flicked off. Our confirmand said that spidey was crawling on me. I brushed him away, for the sake of those at table.
That didn’t work. Throughout the rest of the meal until the bishop was in his car, the spider kept returning to me. He was on a leg, on a hand, on my neck, on my head. Brushed away again and again. Back again and again. Quite the triumphalistic spider if you ask me. He was reeling himself in with his silk thread. I tried to ignore him as I was speaking with the bishop. To no avail. This went on for a good twenty to thirty minutes. The spider knows I don’t want to hurt him. The bishop was most amused. :-)
You have heard that it was said, keep your friends close to you and your enemies even closer. I say, made friends of your would-be supposed enemies. Our Lord did that with us, right?
ARISE! LET US BE GOING! 
There was once a Bishop, a Priest and a Spider – sounds like the beginning of a good story! In Britain we have garden spiders which bear white crosses on their backs too. And there is a story about Robert the Bruce watching a spider persevering which gave him encouragement.
Have you named your new pet, or is he just Spidey? He is persistent, as we should all be.
The Confirmation was a blessing of the Holy Spirit. I hope that the Spirit flowed outside of the church doors, where at least 20 or more of us who couldn’t even squeeze into the vestibule were standing. Holy Redeemer was bursting at the seams. It was wonderful!
This post made me happy, i was just thinking recently how much I miss the exorcism tips posts and the hermitage posts about spiders and praying mantises and bats and other creatures. The hermitage blog was the best blog ever.