Marists All: Issue #105 August 2011
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Issue number 105 August 2011
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Annual Marist Family Picnic
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Mount St. Michael Academy
Please join us, one and all, for the annual gathering of
our Marist Family - Brothers, former Brothers, spouses,
and friends -- for a picnic in the garth at Mount St.
Michael's in the Bronx. Plan to arrive at noon. To assure
plenty of culinary choices for everyone, bring a main
dish or dessert for yourselves with enough to share for
two others. Rain - moving inside -- or shine!
Important Notice to Marists All Readers
We are closing in on the twenty-fifth year of Marists All.
Our team of editors - David Kammer, Gus Nolan, Rich
Foy, Vince Poisella, and Rob Schmid - has begun
discussion about terminating our publication as we
know it.
It is evident that those on our editorial team are aging
to the point that the ambitious and very worthwhile
venture begun years ago by David and Gus, and
continued through Rich, Rob, and me, would someday
soon come to an end. Rather than wait until the day
when one of us can no longer assume the volunteer
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responsibilities we have performed in the past, we are
considering that we be pro-active and plan the end as
an evolutionary process rather than as an abrupt event.
Our MA team is taking steps to transition to an
honorable end or to allow for a new form of Marists All
to evolve with the assistance of new technology such
as blogs, interactive web sites, or existing vehicles
managed by the Marist Brothers themselves.
Following are some comments by our team members
that will help our readers to understand our concerns
and give the opportunity in the next issues for our
readers to respond. VINCE POISELLA('58)
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From DAVID KAMMER ('42): Marists All was conceived
twenty-five years ago this fall. It has been published quarterly
for a total of 104 issues. I believe the newsletter has achieved
its purpose of maintaining community among many of us who
have had a Marist experience. It has been edifying to read
how many have been engaged in loving, self-giving service
that is characteristic of Marist spirit.
Admittedly, the newsletter is getting old as is the team of
publishers and much of the readership. For some time we
have been wondering if the newsletter would be viable much
longer with the pertinence.and freshness it has had over the
years.
For whatever it may be worth, I now share a study I made of
the database, I have maintained over the years. Though it is
not infallible, it may tell us something.
We have had contact with all of the Brothers in the
American provinces through their communities. Many of
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the Brothers have encouraged us and even helped with
expenses. There have been eighty-nine of the Brothers
who have written for Marists All; thirty-two of those men
are now deceased.
We have had a total of at least 588 other contacts involved
in Marist life and mission. Many have expressed
appreciation of the newsletter and of the memories stirred
by people and events of their early lives.
About 342 of them have written for the newsletter; no
small number has written repeatedly. Many of them have
helped with expenses, most recently John Sugrue and Bill
Deschene; no small number has contributed very
generously. Needless to say, we have been pleased and
grateful for the cooperation and generosity of all.
Of the 588 "other contacts," ninety-six are now deceased,
and we have not been able to maintain contact with 102 of
these readers. Fifteen have requested to be dropped from
the mailing list.
According to my best estimate, we now have 378 active
contacts, those receiving notices of new issues either
through email or postal mail, not including a number of
widows who are still involved. Though not an impeccable
guide, if I base myself on the year of investiture, the
"group year,"
... 7%) of the active contacts are in their 80s - those taking
the habit in the 1940s;
... 43% are in their 70s -- those who took the habit in the
1950s;
. .. 47% are in their 60s -- those who took the habit in the
1960s;
... 3%) are of the 1970s and 1980s.
It seems that most of our active contacts may have written all
they have to share. Perhaps it is time to come in for a landing
with the quarterly publication of Marists All as we have known
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it. Perhaps the MA web site could remain online for some
indefinite time. Perhaps the MA· email address book could be
maintained and used for dissemination of pertinent news.
What do you think?
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From ROB SCHMID ('68): It appears that Marists All is
coming to an end. For twenty-five years a few dedicated men
have performed a great service to the Marist Community by
creating a publication that celebrates all that is Marist. By
sharing memories of the Marist life that we once experienced,
they brought some peace to many former brothers. Many of
us left the brothers in tumultuous times. Tumult- some call it
growth-- is never easy. The passage of twenty or thirty years
can ease much of the anxiety of those difficult times, and
Marists All was a welcome friend to help us celebrate the good
things that we experienced.
I left the brothers in 1971. It wasn't easy. I never thought
that learning about poverty, chastity, and obedience would
prepare me for marriage and children and career changes.
The wives of other former Marists taught me a lot about what
it is to be a Marist. They all agreed that Marist brothers were
romantic and caring men who took good care of their wives
and family. The Marist wives experienced the Marist life that
we carried with us. Once when discussing money with another
former brother, I expressed the opinion that fancy cars and
toys held no attraction for me; his response was that I was a
Marist.
The death in 2004 of a member of my profession group was
the spark that brought me back into contact with the
brothers. Mortality can be an eye opener. I have been very
pleasantly surprised by the love, honesty, and acceptance that
have been given to me by all of my contacts through Marists
All. We owe a debt of gratitude to David Kammer, Vince
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Poisella, Richard Foy, and Gus Nolan for the many hours of
work that they have invested in Marists All. I wonder if we will
ever see men like them again. Tom Brokaw wrote about the
Greatest Generation of World War Two fame. These men were
part of the Marist Brothers Greatest Generation, and I want to
thank them for all that they have done for us.
David Kammer has gathered statistics of the Marists All
population, and the demographics do not look too promising
for attracting new recruits to replace our aging leaders.
Communication has changed greatly in twenty-five years. No
one envisioned blogs or Twitter or Facebook back then. Which
leads to a good rhetorical question: . even though we have
better communication tools, do we actually communicate
better?
I regret that I have not been able to contribute more for the
Marists All cause. Being located in Chicago and still being
employed has placed a limit on the time that I have available.
Marists All has had a good, long ride. If it can continue in
some new format, I would be happy to help. There are still
many Marists All subscribers who are not computer literate;
so, if we go completely electronic, we may lose them. I hope
that over the next few months that we can find a way to keep
Marists All alive in one form or another. Thanks for all that you
have given me.
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From GUS NOLAN ('48): Rather than repeat the main points
in the notes by my colleagues on our Marists All team, I want
to concur with the points made, points that we have agreed
upon in discussion ..
In brief, though, I believe that we must think positively about
the shutting down over the next several issues of this
publication as we know it. An aging editorial staff, decreased
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interest in submission of letters, and limited topics of material
underlie our thinking. And yet we need to be grateful for our
readers' interest in financially supporting Marists All. This
support remains quite high. Perhaps our publication might
continue in a new venue, perhaps as an addition to the
provincial newsletter.
Br. Sean Sammon, who has a vision of the future for Marists
in the United States, has expressed his hope that our
publication not cease. Since there is a reading audience of
over five hundred wherein is contained a very significant
assembly of the Marist American Province, it is important that
the contact with this group be maintained.
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Writers for this issue:
John Brady
'57 describes the Marist Spirituality Weekend held
July 8-10, 2011 at Marist College.
John Brady
(again) '57 reminisces about the late Brother
George Fontana, a member of his group, who spent over half
his Marist life overseas.
Tom Brannigan
, Dick Branigan's son, tells us of Dick's last
days and how he kept in touch with so many of the MaristsAll
readers.
Tom Crimmins
'63 recalls some events in his own life heavily
influenced by the late Brother Robert James.
Bill Deschene
'53 goes where the Spirit pushes and adds
accolades about the late Brother Declan Murray.
Bill Doherty
'62 a Eucharistic minister at Elmhurst General
Hospital describes his meeting with a very ill Charles Kennedy.
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Rich Foy
'46 notifies us of the news about Father Owen
Lafferty, a former Marist Brother, who is retiring this summer.
Father Lafferty participated in many MaristAll events.
Paul Galbraith
traces his acting career to the skits put on at
Camp Marist 1966-1969, directed by Brother Kenneth Marino.
Br Martin Healy
'47 remembers fun details about his juniorate
days in Esopus 1943-1946.
David Kammer
'42 suggests possibilities for continuation of
the MaristsAll newsletter in some form or another.
Gus Nolan
'48 adds his two cents to David's suggestions.
Gus Nolan
(again) '48 tells us what he remembers of the late
John O'Shea (Br. Michael Ignatius) who died 20 July 2011.
Obituary notices
for recently departed MaristsAll
John O'Connell
'58 tells us who came and what happened this
summer at meetings at Boothbay Harbor ME and Methuen
MA.
Bill Reger
'61, hadn't seen Oke O'Connell sine 1965 and was
pleased to attend the meetings at Boothbay Harbor ME and
Methuen MA.
Rob Schmid
'59, the youngest editor and the most recent
recruit explains why he got involved with MaristsAll.
Vince Poisella
, Editor reminds us of the September meeting at
Mount Saint Michael and introduces the discussion about the
future of MaristsAll.
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From JOHN O'CONNELL ('58): OB/bWATs (originally, and
nonexclusively, the high school classes of '55 to '59 (habit-
takers 1956 to 1961) held their Ninth Annual Gathering on
August 13 at Ray Landry's pond-side home in Methuen, MA.
Some had met just previously for the second annual "Pre-
Gathering" festivities in Boothbay Harbor, ME, at the O'Connell
residence. The pre-gatherers featured: George (and Leslie)
Bagnell '58, from NY; George (and Janet) Conboy '58, from
AZ; Ray Landry '56, MA; Artie Lavigne '55, NH; Pat (and
Irene) Murphy '58, MD; Oke (and Sandy) O'Connell '58, ME;
Bill (and Jan) Reger '61,WV; and Clare (twin sister of Bill
Reffelt, '58 RIP, NY) and husband John Treder. Those folks
joined, the "official" Ninth Annual Gatherers in Methuen, MA,
on Saturday: August 13: Frank (and Pat) Backus '56, NY;
John (and Joan) Brady '57, NJ: Br. Ernie Beland '58, MA; Al
Doerr '56, MA; Moe (and Lucille) Lachance '59, NH; and Vin
(and Jane) Poisella '58, NJ.
As for 2012, the Tenth Annual Gathering will take place on
August 11 and/or 18 at Ray Landry's place in Methuen, MA.
Those who have declined six or more times will be picked up
by bus and kidnapped, if necessary. For example, Bill Maloney
'57 has turned us down nine times so far. At this point, the
pre-gathering, and possibly the post-gathering festivities, will
take place in Boothbay Harbor, ME the week of August 12-17.
Please contact Oke at
OBbWAT@aol.com to
indicate
preference of 11 or 18 of August and/or for further
information. Please do as none of us knows just how many
such possible "annual" options we have remaining. So, put
August 2012 on your "bucket list," and let us know it's there!
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From BILL REGER ('61): Over the top, and then some! My
lovely bride and I just returned from a weeklong pilgrimage to
Maine and Massachusetts. We joined John "Oke" O'Connell
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and a raft of former brothers in and around Boothbay Harbor,
ME, for some of the best scenery, seafood, and camaraderie in
the USA. Although I had not seen Oke since 1965 when we
canoed Lake George, he barely missed a beat in extending a
Maine version of aloha. He and his wife Sandy could not have
been more gracious hosts. They wined, dined, and toured us
in a selfless manner.
Thereafter, we traveled to Methuen, MA, to the residence of
cook/poet Ray Landry, who provided an idyllic lakeside setting
and good food. The Marist Spirit was blatantly evident in Oke,
George Bagnell, George Conboy, Artie Lavigne, Ray Landry,
Pat Murphy, Frank Backus, Sr. Ernie Beland, John Brady, AI
Doerr, Moe LaChance, and Vince Poisella.
Oke had been encouraging me for years to join in on the fun.
I am glad that I finally did and am happy to report that my
wife enjoyed the experience as much as I.
Wherever you are in your life journey, I encourage you ~ to
join Oke and Ray Landry in August 2012 for another taste of
the Marist Spirit. (304 Dream Catcher Circle, Morgantown WV
26508; 304-293- 0763; wreger@hsc.wvu.edu)
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From JOHN BRADY ('57): The Marist Spirituality Weekend
was held on July 8-10, 2011, at Marist College. It was a time
for the participants - Brothers, former brothers, married, and
single folks - to explore and renew their understanding of
Marist Spirit. Bob and Ginny Grady did a wonderful job of
planning and organizing the weekend. We had the pleasure of
listening to a presentation and discussion by Br. Sean
Sammon on 'The Vocation of Champagnat's Marist Laity" and
to presentations on present day Marist apostolates by Sr.
Philip Robert on directed retreats, Br. Leo Shea on his
activities in Africa and in Texas, Craig Carbone from Marist
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High School in Bayonne, and Br. Steve Milan on the Marist
Young Adult Program.
The participants traveled from Long Island, New Jersey,
Manhattan, and the Poughkeepsie area. They shared; they
discussed; they prayed. The atmosphere was comfortable,
enriching, and mutually supportive.
We came away from the weekend feeling that we understood
so much more of the Marist Spirit by what we had heard from
the presenters and from each other.
JEJPBrady@aol.com
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From BR. MARTIN HEALY ('47) (to Rich Foy): I read your
article in Marists All with great interest. I remember some
experiences while in Esopus from 1943 to 1945. As a
freshman in Esopus I was present at the first birthday
celebration. Years later at St. Ann's Academy Linus got
several of us after evening prayer (during Great Silence) to go
to Gerry Weiss's room to have a party. Linus said, "Just for
my boys in Esopus."
I remember Jim Horan, the jester, acting as emcee. He was a
very talented, funny person. I remember cooks, Sigibert Leo
(Sarge's brother), Mike Shurkus, David, and also Raymond
Albert's brother Marcel.
Art, Devlin's mother and my mom loved sitting in chairs facing
the Hudson. They said they felt like wealthy people.
Edmund Alphonse was in charge of the auctions. John Paul
Frank said to me that Kieran would "take care of any of you
freshman wise guys." He smacked Fitzpatrick and shook us
up. There were cookouts at the river. Frank Xavier told stories
when it got dark. Linus was very good to us. Richard Alban
was, our biology teacher. I remember your brother and Pete
Stafford working with Mary Anthony and the dogs Mugsy and
Browny.
marjheaty@yahoo.com
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From PAUL GALBRAITH: I know some of the Marist Brothers
and others within the Marist Community enjoy a night out at
the theatre.
My first stage experience was with the talent shows run by Br.
Kenneth Marino at Camp Marist from 1966-1969,
accompanied by my bud Bob Miressi at the piano!
At Archbishop Molloy HS, who would ever have thought that
the guy sitting behind me in class, David Caruso, would
become the fine actor that he did?
I went on to receive a BA in Fine Arts at St. Michael's College
in Colchester VT, and after graduating, have done tours of
Guys and Doll/s, Annie Get Your Gun, and South Pacific, to
name a few. For television I was seen at times at the bar on
Ryan's Hope, dressed in full doctor's attire drinking beer, most
likely to do "brain surgery" after swigging down a few. Most
recently, I have re-created the role of Sir Danvers Carew in
the musical Jekyll and Hyde at the Forestburgh Playhouse in
Forestburgh, NY, in July. (pgalbraith1956@msn.com)
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From BILL DOHERTY ('62): (to Dave Kammer): I am at
Elmhurst General Hospital as a Eucharistic minister with Tom
Murphy (Binsky), I recently entered a room to visit a patient.
After some talking, I realized that he had been at St. Anne's,
and he (Charlie Kennedy) would have graduated with me in
'57, but he went to Esopus for his senior year. He is in very
bad shape and expected to transfer to another hospital/rehab
center. He spoke in a very low whisper and held my hand for
about a half hour as he spoke lovingly about Lenny Voegtle at
the juniorate and you as his Master of Novices at Tyngsboro.
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The Brothers have made a great impact on his life. Please
remember him in your prayers.
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From RICH FOY ('46): This announcement came in the July
14, 2011, edition of Catholic New York. It was part of a listing
of retirees. Owen graduated from Marist College in 1961.
Father Owen Lafferty '57 had served since 2004 as parochial
vicar at Holy Innocents, Manhattan. Before that, he was
parochial vicar of St. Joseph's, Greenwich Village, 1998-2004,
and chaplain at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Manhattan, 1996-
1998. He was pastor of Sacred Heart, Mount Vernon, 1984-
1996, having previously served there for six months as
administrator. He was parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mount
Carmel, Elmsford, 1972-1983, and St. Anthony of Padua, the
Bronx, 1966-1967. He also served on the faculty of John F.
Kennedy Catholic High School, Somers, and Cardinal
Spellman High School, the Bronx. He was ordained in 1966.
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Let us remember in our prayers the recently deceased:
Br. George Fontana
('58)
Robert Gerard (Maurice Robert) Pinard ('40)
Br. Declan Murray
('51)
Br. Richard LaRose
('59)
Br. Robert James
('50)
Richard Branigan ('50)
John Michael O'Shea
('48)
Br. John Francis Colbert('44)
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Rev. Monsignor Joseph R. Roth ('56)
Pastor of St Andrew Catholic Church in
Myrtle Beach, Chaplain of the South
Carolina State Firemen's Association
Click on names in blue to move to a more
extended obituary for that MaristsAll
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Late development. Newsletter #105 for August 2011 went
to press too late to include anything about Brother John
Francis Colbert, who died sometime during the first two weeks
of August. A more detailed obituary will be posted to the web
site in a few weeks and included in issue #106.
Meanwhile, I would like to share
some of my fond memories of
John with you. He was two years
ahead of me, and among the first
Juniors to adventure to the new
Esopus Juniorate in August 1942.
Brother Edmund Alphonse was
the organist and choir director.
The only others who could play
the piano and/or organ were John
Colbert and Stan Galligan.
Brother Edmund was absent for
Saint Patrick's Day of 1943, and
John replaced him as organist. To
our shock and delight, he played
a couple of Irish tunes before and during Mass. I think he had
Brother Master's OK, and we enjoyed it immensely.
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When we taught at Saint Ann's Academy, we would
sometimes slip out of an evening to a bar on Third Avenue, a
street which was not so toney as today, with the 3rd Avenue
El still running noisily. The bar had a piano and John would
play for an hour or so. We would all pay for our first beer, and
the owner would treat us to several others.
I divulge this without shame since I later learned that Saint
Champagnat was almost kicked out of the seminary for
slipping out with some of his comrades to a neighborhood
wine bar. Little did I realize that I was following in
Champagnat's footsteps!
John was a simple, loveable person who did not hesitate to
tell us of his gaffs. Once he told us that he was in Macy's and
asked the sales clerk directions to a special department.
When she did not answer him, he discovered she was a
mannequin...
May he rest in peace. He gave so much peace and
contentment to his other Brothers. from Rich Foy
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From JOHN BRADY ('57): How sad to hear of the recent
death of Br. George Fontana, a member of my group! The fact
that George spent half of his apostolate outside of the United
States -- in Switzerland, Japan, and in Manziana and Rome,
Italy -- became even more apparent when his brother Rich
approached us at George's viewing and asked if we would tell
him about George's life in the Brothers since he missed so
much of his brother's life experiences.
I had the thought of reaching out through Marists All so
George's family could share in the wonderful life of this very
good man. Prior to his time working abroad, George spent
time as a teacher at Central Catholic in Lawrence; Marist High
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School in Chicago; Central Catholic in Wheeling; College
Laval, Canada; and Our Lady of Lourdes in Poughkeepsie. He
was the Assistant Principal at St. Agnes High School in New
York City from 1974-1977.
If you have memories of George that you would like to share,
please send them to Marists All, and I will make sure his
family receives your remembrances. I know they will be
touched and pleased by your kindness .
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From BILL DESCHENE ('53): Adding "to the many tributes to
Br. Declan Murray about this wise, gentle, and humorous man,
I need to go where the Spirit pushes; hence, this small
accolade to a great person and friend. "Dec" was one of those
folks who made me feel at home. I know about that feeling by
being brought up by very caring parents whose genes came
from my grandparents who lived downstairs or nearby, shared
by aunts and uncles who lived next door or across the street,
and by a whole neighborhood watching over the kids who
lived there. As a result of this, it became easy for me to spot
safe or friendly territory. Dec was definitely safe, friendly
territory.
One thing about being with people you feel at home with is
that you'll do anything for them. If it's your grandmother
asking you to get a loaf of bread for her, even in the middle of
an episode of Sky King on the radio, you'll do it, and you'll
even get back in time to find out where to write for that ring
that glows in the dark. When Dec asked me to become the
moderator of the freshman sodality or to cook for the retreats
in Esopus, it was an honor.
When Dec visited us here in Grand Falls, he would bring us
little trinkets that he thought we could use in a non-electric
house in the woods: little battery-powered lights that we
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could put around the house to help with those bathroom trips
at night. These are all in a box in the barn headed for the
VFW rummage sale someday. Someone around here might
benefit from what have now become third-class relics.
We will keep two gifts of his: a drawing of the blacksmith shop
in Dover-Foxcroft -- #4 of 300 - by Mike Krammer, which fits
the decor of our house, and a plaque of Notre Bonne Mere,
which Dec gave us at our wedding. The artist, either a Marist
Brother or someone commissioned by the Brothers, depicted
Mary as a woman with very attractive thighs. I always smile
when I look at it. Thanks, Dec. (184 Bryant Ridge Road,
Grand Falls PIt., ME 04417)
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From TOM CRIMMINS ('63): I was saddened to hear about
the recent death of Br. Robert James. He truly was a very
special man and a master teacher. I entered the juniorate in
1959 when Br. Robert was our prefect as well as a multi-
talented teacher. He taught us Latin in that first year, and
each day was an adventure. He loved to give out typed notes.
We could hear him pounding away on his typewriter every
night after he put the lights out in that big dorm room.
When I was a senior, I decided to take a Spanish I class
instead of math. I figured that it would be an easy class
compared to the French classes I had struggled through the
previous two years. It would be fun, and I enjoyed having Br.
Robert as a teacher. We could just coast through the year
learning a little Spanish. I should have known better. Around
November he told us that we were doing so well that he would
spend the post-Christmas months preparing us for the
Spanish 2 Regents exam. The work started piling up. We were
expected to memorize countless vocabulary words, and the
tempo got faster. Soon after Christmas, Albany announced
that there would no longer be language two Regents exams.
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"Good," we said. "We can slow down the pace and stick with
Spanish 1 content." Nothing doing with Br. Robert! He decided
to prepare us all for the Spanish 3 Regents exam in June. You
can imagine the looks on our faces when he gave us that
information. Three years of a foreign language in one year! It
seemed like Spanish was the only subject we were taking the
rest of that year. When June came and we sat down for that
Regents exam, the entire class passed. He truly was an
amazing teacher.
When I started teaching in 1967, I found myself using some
of his mannerisms. Who could forget the arched eyebrow
when we gave him a wrong answer? My students loved that
one. I also followed his practice of handing out typed notes to
avoid constantly writing on the blackboard. It always provided
the opportunity to share ideas during class time.
I always remember how much he enjoyed teaching his
students and how much we enjoyed being in his classroom.
He had something new to share with us every day. He was a
man who trained many of us for the field of education, and he
did it with a humble approach and a joy of life. I met him
some years ago and told him how much he had passed on to
many of us. He was a shy man in so many ways, but I know
that he appreciated the impact he had on his "juniors." A job
well done!
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From TOM BRANIGAN: I am Richard Branigan's son, writing
to you from his UW-Oshkosh, WI, email account. I am sad to
let you know that dad passed away earlier today. He was
diagnosed with cancer a year ago and was called to God at
about 3 am.
I apologize for sending a mass email to all of you - it is such
an impersonal way to, convey tragic news like this -- but I
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wanted you all to know.
Anyone who knew my father knew how much he cherished his
friendships. He was engaged with people and with life more
than anyone I have ever known. As I read down his list of
email contacts, I smiled at a lot of familiar names -- people
from literally all corners of his life. Although I haven't met
some of you, I know he appreciated all of you and was
thankful that your paths crossed with his.
I intend to keep dad's email account active for a little while
yet and will check it regularly. My email
is:
braniganti@msn.com.
You are welcome to contact me there
as well. Thank you for being such an important and special
part of my father's life.
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From GUS NOLAN ('48): John M. O'Shea (Sean) was a
classmate of mine in Esopus in 1947, and we entered the
Marist Brothers in July 1948. We were close friends through
the training years and more particularly in our first years of
teaching at St. Ann's Academy in 1952. We did all the things
young monks did in those days: courses at St. John's, bingo
tables on Wednesday night at St. Ann's, two-on one basketball
in the gym with Clem Martin as third member -- great fun,
great years. Later, we taught together at the Esopus juniorate
and novitiate. Then we went on and followed different paths
in college education, he at NYU and I at Marist.
We had various contacts over the next forty years. Last
December he organized a small group to begin a campaign for
the Esopus Summer Camp. That is a work still in progress.
In July of this year, I learned that Sean was in Vassar Hospital
where I serve as Eucharistic minister. His condition was
serious. I visited him every other day, had some intimate
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talks with him - about Esopus days and on religious topics
such as his conviction of the Real Presence in the Eucharist. In
the second week he could not speak and then became very
weak. All support systems were soon removed. Sean died in
peace on July 20 in the presence of his wife and daughter and
good friend Br. Phil Robert. I arrived just after his death.
Here are some words about Sean that appeared in the Mass
booklet at the Mass of Resurrection celebrated on August 2 in
St. Joseph's, New Paltz:
Sean was a kind and generous spirit 'and a man of many
passions. He had a deep spiritual life that was present in all
that he did. He was always willing to share a reading or a
poem and in a quiet way helped many find newness, vitality,
and sacredness in life. He was a good listener and enjoyed
getting to know people, learning about their lives and
thoughts and was generous in his encouragement of their
hopes and dreams. He loved his family and was a great
blessing to us. He was a loving friend and companion to his
wife, Laraine, for over forty years and a gentle, playful, and
devoted father to his daughter, Moira.
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Issue number 105 August 2011
print too small? try control & "+" or print too large? try control & "-"
Annual Marist Family Picnic
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Mount St. Michael Academy
Please join us, one and all, for the annual gathering of
our Marist Family - Brothers, former Brothers, spouses,
and friends -- for a picnic in the garth at Mount St.
Michael's in the Bronx. Plan to arrive at noon. To assure
plenty of culinary choices for everyone, bring a main
dish or dessert for yourselves with enough to share for
two others. Rain - moving inside -- or shine!
Important Notice to Marists All Readers
We are closing in on the twenty-fifth year of Marists All.
Our team of editors - David Kammer, Gus Nolan, Rich
Foy, Vince Poisella, and Rob Schmid - has begun
discussion about terminating our publication as we
know it.
It is evident that those on our editorial team are aging
to the point that the ambitious and very worthwhile
venture begun years ago by David and Gus, and
continued through Rich, Rob, and me, would someday
soon come to an end. Rather than wait until the day
when one of us can no longer assume the volunteer
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responsibilities we have performed in the past, we are
considering that we be pro-active and plan the end as
an evolutionary process rather than as an abrupt event.
Our MA team is taking steps to transition to an
honorable end or to allow for a new form of Marists All
to evolve with the assistance of new technology such
as blogs, interactive web sites, or existing vehicles
managed by the Marist Brothers themselves.
Following are some comments by our team members
that will help our readers to understand our concerns
and give the opportunity in the next issues for our
readers to respond. VINCE POISELLA('58)
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From DAVID KAMMER ('42): Marists All was conceived
twenty-five years ago this fall. It has been published quarterly
for a total of 104 issues. I believe the newsletter has achieved
its purpose of maintaining community among many of us who
have had a Marist experience. It has been edifying to read
how many have been engaged in loving, self-giving service
that is characteristic of Marist spirit.
Admittedly, the newsletter is getting old as is the team of
publishers and much of the readership. For some time we
have been wondering if the newsletter would be viable much
longer with the pertinence.and freshness it has had over the
years.
For whatever it may be worth, I now share a study I made of
the database, I have maintained over the years. Though it is
not infallible, it may tell us something.
We have had contact with all of the Brothers in the
American provinces through their communities. Many of
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the Brothers have encouraged us and even helped with
expenses. There have been eighty-nine of the Brothers
who have written for Marists All; thirty-two of those men
are now deceased.
We have had a total of at least 588 other contacts involved
in Marist life and mission. Many have expressed
appreciation of the newsletter and of the memories stirred
by people and events of their early lives.
About 342 of them have written for the newsletter; no
small number has written repeatedly. Many of them have
helped with expenses, most recently John Sugrue and Bill
Deschene; no small number has contributed very
generously. Needless to say, we have been pleased and
grateful for the cooperation and generosity of all.
Of the 588 "other contacts," ninety-six are now deceased,
and we have not been able to maintain contact with 102 of
these readers. Fifteen have requested to be dropped from
the mailing list.
According to my best estimate, we now have 378 active
contacts, those receiving notices of new issues either
through email or postal mail, not including a number of
widows who are still involved. Though not an impeccable
guide, if I base myself on the year of investiture, the
"group year,"
... 7%) of the active contacts are in their 80s - those taking
the habit in the 1940s;
... 43% are in their 70s -- those who took the habit in the
1950s;
. .. 47% are in their 60s -- those who took the habit in the
1960s;
... 3%) are of the 1970s and 1980s.
It seems that most of our active contacts may have written all
they have to share. Perhaps it is time to come in for a landing
with the quarterly publication of Marists All as we have known
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it. Perhaps the MA web site could remain online for some
indefinite time. Perhaps the MA· email address book could be
maintained and used for dissemination of pertinent news.
What do you think?
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From ROB SCHMID ('68): It appears that Marists All is
coming to an end. For twenty-five years a few dedicated men
have performed a great service to the Marist Community by
creating a publication that celebrates all that is Marist. By
sharing memories of the Marist life that we once experienced,
they brought some peace to many former brothers. Many of
us left the brothers in tumultuous times. Tumult- some call it
growth-- is never easy. The passage of twenty or thirty years
can ease much of the anxiety of those difficult times, and
Marists All was a welcome friend to help us celebrate the good
things that we experienced.
I left the brothers in 1971. It wasn't easy. I never thought
that learning about poverty, chastity, and obedience would
prepare me for marriage and children and career changes.
The wives of other former Marists taught me a lot about what
it is to be a Marist. They all agreed that Marist brothers were
romantic and caring men who took good care of their wives
and family. The Marist wives experienced the Marist life that
we carried with us. Once when discussing money with another
former brother, I expressed the opinion that fancy cars and
toys held no attraction for me; his response was that I was a
Marist.
The death in 2004 of a member of my profession group was
the spark that brought me back into contact with the
brothers. Mortality can be an eye opener. I have been very
pleasantly surprised by the love, honesty, and acceptance that
have been given to me by all of my contacts through Marists
All. We owe a debt of gratitude to David Kammer, Vince
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Poisella, Richard Foy, and Gus Nolan for the many hours of
work that they have invested in Marists All. I wonder if we will
ever see men like them again. Tom Brokaw wrote about the
Greatest Generation of World War Two fame. These men were
part of the Marist Brothers Greatest Generation, and I want to
thank them for all that they have done for us.
David Kammer has gathered statistics of the Marists All
population, and the demographics do not look too promising
for attracting new recruits to replace our aging leaders.
Communication has changed greatly in twenty-five years. No
one envisioned blogs or Twitter or Facebook back then. Which
leads to a good rhetorical question: . even though we have
better communication tools, do we actually communicate
better?
I regret that I have not been able to contribute more for the
Marists All cause. Being located in Chicago and still being
employed has placed a limit on the time that I have available.
Marists All has had a good, long ride. If it can continue in
some new format, I would be happy to help. There are still
many Marists All subscribers who are not computer literate;
so, if we go completely electronic, we may lose them. I hope
that over the next few months that we can find a way to keep
Marists All alive in one form or another. Thanks for all that you
have given me.
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From GUS NOLAN ('48): Rather than repeat the main points
in the notes by my colleagues on our Marists All team, I want
to concur with the points made, points that we have agreed
upon in discussion ..
In brief, though, I believe that we must think positively about
the shutting down over the next several issues of this
publication as we know it. An aging editorial staff, decreased
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interest in submission of letters, and limited topics of material
underlie our thinking. And yet we need to be grateful for our
readers' interest in financially supporting Marists All. This
support remains quite high. Perhaps our publication might
continue in a new venue, perhaps as an addition to the
provincial newsletter.
Br. Sean Sammon, who has a vision of the future for Marists
in the United States, has expressed his hope that our
publication not cease. Since there is a reading audience of
over five hundred wherein is contained a very significant
assembly of the Marist American Province, it is important that
the contact with this group be maintained.
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Writers for this issue:
John Brady
'57 describes the Marist Spirituality Weekend held
July 8-10, 2011 at Marist College.
John Brady
(again) '57 reminisces about the late Brother
George Fontana, a member of his group, who spent over half
his Marist life overseas.
Tom Brannigan
, Dick Branigan's son, tells us of Dick's last
days and how he kept in touch with so many of the MaristsAll
readers.
Tom Crimmins
'63 recalls some events in his own life heavily
influenced by the late Brother Robert James.
Bill Deschene
'53 goes where the Spirit pushes and adds
accolades about the late Brother Declan Murray.
Bill Doherty
'62 a Eucharistic minister at Elmhurst General
Hospital describes his meeting with a very ill Charles Kennedy.
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Rich Foy
'46 notifies us of the news about Father Owen
Lafferty, a former Marist Brother, who is retiring this summer.
Father Lafferty participated in many MaristAll events.
Paul Galbraith
traces his acting career to the skits put on at
Camp Marist 1966-1969, directed by Brother Kenneth Marino.
Br Martin Healy
'47 remembers fun details about his juniorate
days in Esopus 1943-1946.
David Kammer
'42 suggests possibilities for continuation of
the MaristsAll newsletter in some form or another.
Gus Nolan
'48 adds his two cents to David's suggestions.
Gus Nolan
(again) '48 tells us what he remembers of the late
John O'Shea (Br. Michael Ignatius) who died 20 July 2011.
Obituary notices
for recently departed MaristsAll
John O'Connell
'58 tells us who came and what happened this
summer at meetings at Boothbay Harbor ME and Methuen
MA.
Bill Reger
'61, hadn't seen Oke O'Connell sine 1965 and was
pleased to attend the meetings at Boothbay Harbor ME and
Methuen MA.
Rob Schmid
'59, the youngest editor and the most recent
recruit explains why he got involved with MaristsAll.
Vince Poisella
, Editor reminds us of the September meeting at
Mount Saint Michael and introduces the discussion about the
future of MaristsAll.
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From JOHN O'CONNELL ('58): OB/bWATs (originally, and
nonexclusively, the high school classes of '55 to '59 (habit-
takers 1956 to 1961) held their Ninth Annual Gathering on
August 13 at Ray Landry's pond-side home in Methuen, MA.
Some had met just previously for the second annual "Pre-
Gathering" festivities in Boothbay Harbor, ME, at the O'Connell
residence. The pre-gatherers featured: George (and Leslie)
Bagnell '58, from NY; George (and Janet) Conboy '58, from
AZ; Ray Landry '56, MA; Artie Lavigne '55, NH; Pat (and
Irene) Murphy '58, MD; Oke (and Sandy) O'Connell '58, ME;
Bill (and Jan) Reger '61,WV; and Clare (twin sister of Bill
Reffelt, '58 RIP, NY) and husband John Treder. Those folks
joined, the "official" Ninth Annual Gatherers in Methuen, MA,
on Saturday: August 13: Frank (and Pat) Backus '56, NY;
John (and Joan) Brady '57, NJ: Br. Ernie Beland '58, MA; Al
Doerr '56, MA; Moe (and Lucille) Lachance '59, NH; and Vin
(and Jane) Poisella '58, NJ.
As for 2012, the Tenth Annual Gathering will take place on
August 11 and/or 18 at Ray Landry's place in Methuen, MA.
Those who have declined six or more times will be picked up
by bus and kidnapped, if necessary. For example, Bill Maloney
'57 has turned us down nine times so far. At this point, the
pre-gathering, and possibly the post-gathering festivities, will
take place in Boothbay Harbor, ME the week of August 12-17.
Please contact Oke at
OBbWAT@aol.com to
indicate
preference of 11 or 18 of August and/or for further
information. Please do as none of us knows just how many
such possible "annual" options we have remaining. So, put
August 2012 on your "bucket list," and let us know it's there!
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From BILL REGER ('61): Over the top, and then some! My
lovely bride and I just returned from a weeklong pilgrimage to
Maine and Massachusetts. We joined John "Oke" O'Connell
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and a raft of former brothers in and around Boothbay Harbor,
ME, for some of the best scenery, seafood, and camaraderie in
the USA. Although I had not seen Oke since 1965 when we
canoed Lake George, he barely missed a beat in extending a
Maine version of aloha. He and his wife Sandy could not have
been more gracious hosts. They wined, dined, and toured us
in a selfless manner.
Thereafter, we traveled to Methuen, MA, to the residence of
cook/poet Ray Landry, who provided an idyllic lakeside setting
and good food. The Marist Spirit was blatantly evident in Oke,
George Bagnell, George Conboy, Artie Lavigne, Ray Landry,
Pat Murphy, Frank Backus, Sr. Ernie Beland, John Brady, AI
Doerr, Moe LaChance, and Vince Poisella.
Oke had been encouraging me for years to join in on the fun.
I am glad that I finally did and am happy to report that my
wife enjoyed the experience as much as I.
Wherever you are in your life journey, I encourage you ~ to
join Oke and Ray Landry in August 2012 for another taste of
the Marist Spirit. (304 Dream Catcher Circle, Morgantown WV
26508; 304-293- 0763; wreger@hsc.wvu.edu)
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From JOHN BRADY ('57): The Marist Spirituality Weekend
was held on July 8-10, 2011, at Marist College. It was a time
for the participants - Brothers, former brothers, married, and
single folks - to explore and renew their understanding of
Marist Spirit. Bob and Ginny Grady did a wonderful job of
planning and organizing the weekend. We had the pleasure of
listening to a presentation and discussion by Br. Sean
Sammon on 'The Vocation of Champagnat's Marist Laity" and
to presentations on present day Marist apostolates by Sr.
Philip Robert on directed retreats, Br. Leo Shea on his
activities in Africa and in Texas, Craig Carbone from Marist
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High School in Bayonne, and Br. Steve Milan on the Marist
Young Adult Program.
The participants traveled from Long Island, New Jersey,
Manhattan, and the Poughkeepsie area. They shared; they
discussed; they prayed. The atmosphere was comfortable,
enriching, and mutually supportive.
We came away from the weekend feeling that we understood
so much more of the Marist Spirit by what we had heard from
the presenters and from each other.
JEJPBrady@aol.com
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From BR. MARTIN HEALY ('47) (to Rich Foy): I read your
article in Marists All with great interest. I remember some
experiences while in Esopus from 1943 to 1945. As a
freshman in Esopus I was present at the first birthday
celebration. Years later at St. Ann's Academy Linus got
several of us after evening prayer (during Great Silence) to go
to Gerry Weiss's room to have a party. Linus said, "Just for
my boys in Esopus."
I remember Jim Horan, the jester, acting as emcee. He was a
very talented, funny person. I remember cooks, Sigibert Leo
(Sarge's brother), Mike Shurkus, David, and also Raymond
Albert's brother Marcel.
Art, Devlin's mother and my mom loved sitting in chairs facing
the Hudson. They said they felt like wealthy people.
Edmund Alphonse was in charge of the auctions. John Paul
Frank said to me that Kieran would "take care of any of you
freshman wise guys." He smacked Fitzpatrick and shook us
up. There were cookouts at the river. Frank Xavier told stories
when it got dark. Linus was very good to us. Richard Alban
was, our biology teacher. I remember your brother and Pete
Stafford working with Mary Anthony and the dogs Mugsy and
Browny.
marjheaty@yahoo.com
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From PAUL GALBRAITH: I know some of the Marist Brothers
and others within the Marist Community enjoy a night out at
the theatre.
My first stage experience was with the talent shows run by Br.
Kenneth Marino at Camp Marist from 1966-1969,
accompanied by my bud Bob Miressi at the piano!
At Archbishop Molloy HS, who would ever have thought that
the guy sitting behind me in class, David Caruso, would
become the fine actor that he did?
I went on to receive a BA in Fine Arts at St. Michael's College
in Colchester VT, and after graduating, have done tours of
Guys and Doll/s, Annie Get Your Gun, and South Pacific, to
name a few. For television I was seen at times at the bar on
Ryan's Hope, dressed in full doctor's attire drinking beer, most
likely to do "brain surgery" after swigging down a few. Most
recently, I have re-created the role of Sir Danvers Carew in
the musical Jekyll and Hyde at the Forestburgh Playhouse in
Forestburgh, NY, in July. (pgalbraith1956@msn.com)
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From BILL DOHERTY ('62): (to Dave Kammer): I am at
Elmhurst General Hospital as a Eucharistic minister with Tom
Murphy (Binsky), I recently entered a room to visit a patient.
After some talking, I realized that he had been at St. Anne's,
and he (Charlie Kennedy) would have graduated with me in
'57, but he went to Esopus for his senior year. He is in very
bad shape and expected to transfer to another hospital/rehab
center. He spoke in a very low whisper and held my hand for
about a half hour as he spoke lovingly about Lenny Voegtle at
the juniorate and you as his Master of Novices at Tyngsboro.
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The Brothers have made a great impact on his life. Please
remember him in your prayers.
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From RICH FOY ('46): This announcement came in the July
14, 2011, edition of Catholic New York. It was part of a listing
of retirees. Owen graduated from Marist College in 1961.
Father Owen Lafferty '57 had served since 2004 as parochial
vicar at Holy Innocents, Manhattan. Before that, he was
parochial vicar of St. Joseph's, Greenwich Village, 1998-2004,
and chaplain at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Manhattan, 1996-
1998. He was pastor of Sacred Heart, Mount Vernon, 1984-
1996, having previously served there for six months as
administrator. He was parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mount
Carmel, Elmsford, 1972-1983, and St. Anthony of Padua, the
Bronx, 1966-1967. He also served on the faculty of John F.
Kennedy Catholic High School, Somers, and Cardinal
Spellman High School, the Bronx. He was ordained in 1966.
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Let us remember in our prayers the recently deceased:
Br. George Fontana
('58)
Robert Gerard (Maurice Robert) Pinard ('40)
Br. Declan Murray
('51)
Br. Richard LaRose
('59)
Br. Robert James
('50)
Richard Branigan ('50)
John Michael O'Shea
('48)
Br. John Francis Colbert('44)
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Rev. Monsignor Joseph R. Roth ('56)
Pastor of St Andrew Catholic Church in
Myrtle Beach, Chaplain of the South
Carolina State Firemen's Association
Click on names in blue to move to a more
extended obituary for that MaristsAll
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Late development. Newsletter #105 for August 2011 went
to press too late to include anything about Brother John
Francis Colbert, who died sometime during the first two weeks
of August. A more detailed obituary will be posted to the web
site in a few weeks and included in issue #106.
Meanwhile, I would like to share
some of my fond memories of
John with you. He was two years
ahead of me, and among the first
Juniors to adventure to the new
Esopus Juniorate in August 1942.
Brother Edmund Alphonse was
the organist and choir director.
The only others who could play
the piano and/or organ were John
Colbert and Stan Galligan.
Brother Edmund was absent for
Saint Patrick's Day of 1943, and
John replaced him as organist. To
our shock and delight, he played
a couple of Irish tunes before and during Mass. I think he had
Brother Master's OK, and we enjoyed it immensely.
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When we taught at Saint Ann's Academy, we would
sometimes slip out of an evening to a bar on Third Avenue, a
street which was not so toney as today, with the 3rd Avenue
El still running noisily. The bar had a piano and John would
play for an hour or so. We would all pay for our first beer, and
the owner would treat us to several others.
I divulge this without shame since I later learned that Saint
Champagnat was almost kicked out of the seminary for
slipping out with some of his comrades to a neighborhood
wine bar. Little did I realize that I was following in
Champagnat's footsteps!
John was a simple, loveable person who did not hesitate to
tell us of his gaffs. Once he told us that he was in Macy's and
asked the sales clerk directions to a special department.
When she did not answer him, he discovered she was a
mannequin...
May he rest in peace. He gave so much peace and
contentment to his other Brothers. from Rich Foy
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From JOHN BRADY ('57): How sad to hear of the recent
death of Br. George Fontana, a member of my group! The fact
that George spent half of his apostolate outside of the United
States -- in Switzerland, Japan, and in Manziana and Rome,
Italy -- became even more apparent when his brother Rich
approached us at George's viewing and asked if we would tell
him about George's life in the Brothers since he missed so
much of his brother's life experiences.
I had the thought of reaching out through Marists All so
George's family could share in the wonderful life of this very
good man. Prior to his time working abroad, George spent
time as a teacher at Central Catholic in Lawrence; Marist High
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School in Chicago; Central Catholic in Wheeling; College
Laval, Canada; and Our Lady of Lourdes in Poughkeepsie. He
was the Assistant Principal at St. Agnes High School in New
York City from 1974-1977.
If you have memories of George that you would like to share,
please send them to Marists All, and I will make sure his
family receives your remembrances. I know they will be
touched and pleased by your kindness .
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From BILL DESCHENE ('53): Adding "to the many tributes to
Br. Declan Murray about this wise, gentle, and humorous man,
I need to go where the Spirit pushes; hence, this small
accolade to a great person and friend. "Dec" was one of those
folks who made me feel at home. I know about that feeling by
being brought up by very caring parents whose genes came
from my grandparents who lived downstairs or nearby, shared
by aunts and uncles who lived next door or across the street,
and by a whole neighborhood watching over the kids who
lived there. As a result of this, it became easy for me to spot
safe or friendly territory. Dec was definitely safe, friendly
territory.
One thing about being with people you feel at home with is
that you'll do anything for them. If it's your grandmother
asking you to get a loaf of bread for her, even in the middle of
an episode of Sky King on the radio, you'll do it, and you'll
even get back in time to find out where to write for that ring
that glows in the dark. When Dec asked me to become the
moderator of the freshman sodality or to cook for the retreats
in Esopus, it was an honor.
When Dec visited us here in Grand Falls, he would bring us
little trinkets that he thought we could use in a non-electric
house in the woods: little battery-powered lights that we
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could put around the house to help with those bathroom trips
at night. These are all in a box in the barn headed for the
VFW rummage sale someday. Someone around here might
benefit from what have now become third-class relics.
We will keep two gifts of his: a drawing of the blacksmith shop
in Dover-Foxcroft -- #4 of 300 - by Mike Krammer, which fits
the decor of our house, and a plaque of Notre Bonne Mere,
which Dec gave us at our wedding. The artist, either a Marist
Brother or someone commissioned by the Brothers, depicted
Mary as a woman with very attractive thighs. I always smile
when I look at it. Thanks, Dec. (184 Bryant Ridge Road,
Grand Falls PIt., ME 04417)
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From TOM CRIMMINS ('63): I was saddened to hear about
the recent death of Br. Robert James. He truly was a very
special man and a master teacher. I entered the juniorate in
1959 when Br. Robert was our prefect as well as a multi-
talented teacher. He taught us Latin in that first year, and
each day was an adventure. He loved to give out typed notes.
We could hear him pounding away on his typewriter every
night after he put the lights out in that big dorm room.
When I was a senior, I decided to take a Spanish I class
instead of math. I figured that it would be an easy class
compared to the French classes I had struggled through the
previous two years. It would be fun, and I enjoyed having Br.
Robert as a teacher. We could just coast through the year
learning a little Spanish. I should have known better. Around
November he told us that we were doing so well that he would
spend the post-Christmas months preparing us for the
Spanish 2 Regents exam. The work started piling up. We were
expected to memorize countless vocabulary words, and the
tempo got faster. Soon after Christmas, Albany announced
that there would no longer be language two Regents exams.
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"Good," we said. "We can slow down the pace and stick with
Spanish 1 content." Nothing doing with Br. Robert! He decided
to prepare us all for the Spanish 3 Regents exam in June. You
can imagine the looks on our faces when he gave us that
information. Three years of a foreign language in one year! It
seemed like Spanish was the only subject we were taking the
rest of that year. When June came and we sat down for that
Regents exam, the entire class passed. He truly was an
amazing teacher.
When I started teaching in 1967, I found myself using some
of his mannerisms. Who could forget the arched eyebrow
when we gave him a wrong answer? My students loved that
one. I also followed his practice of handing out typed notes to
avoid constantly writing on the blackboard. It always provided
the opportunity to share ideas during class time.
I always remember how much he enjoyed teaching his
students and how much we enjoyed being in his classroom.
He had something new to share with us every day. He was a
man who trained many of us for the field of education, and he
did it with a humble approach and a joy of life. I met him
some years ago and told him how much he had passed on to
many of us. He was a shy man in so many ways, but I know
that he appreciated the impact he had on his "juniors." A job
well done!
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From TOM BRANIGAN: I am Richard Branigan's son, writing
to you from his UW-Oshkosh, WI, email account. I am sad to
let you know that dad passed away earlier today. He was
diagnosed with cancer a year ago and was called to God at
about 3 am.
I apologize for sending a mass email to all of you - it is such
an impersonal way to, convey tragic news like this -- but I
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wanted you all to know.
Anyone who knew my father knew how much he cherished his
friendships. He was engaged with people and with life more
than anyone I have ever known. As I read down his list of
email contacts, I smiled at a lot of familiar names -- people
from literally all corners of his life. Although I haven't met
some of you, I know he appreciated all of you and was
thankful that your paths crossed with his.
I intend to keep dad's email account active for a little while
yet and will check it regularly. My email
is:
braniganti@msn.com.
You are welcome to contact me there
as well. Thank you for being such an important and special
part of my father's life.
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From GUS NOLAN ('48): John M. O'Shea (Sean) was a
classmate of mine in Esopus in 1947, and we entered the
Marist Brothers in July 1948. We were close friends through
the training years and more particularly in our first years of
teaching at St. Ann's Academy in 1952. We did all the things
young monks did in those days: courses at St. John's, bingo
tables on Wednesday night at St. Ann's, two-on one basketball
in the gym with Clem Martin as third member -- great fun,
great years. Later, we taught together at the Esopus juniorate
and novitiate. Then we went on and followed different paths
in college education, he at NYU and I at Marist.
We had various contacts over the next forty years. Last
December he organized a small group to begin a campaign for
the Esopus Summer Camp. That is a work still in progress.
In July of this year, I learned that Sean was in Vassar Hospital
where I serve as Eucharistic minister. His condition was
serious. I visited him every other day, had some intimate
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talks with him - about Esopus days and on religious topics
such as his conviction of the Real Presence in the Eucharist. In
the second week he could not speak and then became very
weak. All support systems were soon removed. Sean died in
peace on July 20 in the presence of his wife and daughter and
good friend Br. Phil Robert. I arrived just after his death.
Here are some words about Sean that appeared in the Mass
booklet at the Mass of Resurrection celebrated on August 2 in
St. Joseph's, New Paltz:
Sean was a kind and generous spirit 'and a man of many
passions. He had a deep spiritual life that was present in all
that he did. He was always willing to share a reading or a
poem and in a quiet way helped many find newness, vitality,
and sacredness in life. He was a good listener and enjoyed
getting to know people, learning about their lives and
thoughts and was generous in his encouragement of their
hopes and dreams. He loved his family and was a great
blessing to us. He was a loving friend and companion to his
wife, Laraine, for over forty years and a gentle, playful, and
devoted father to his daughter, Moira.
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First edition 24 August 2011