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ISSUE # 35
May 1996
R E T R E A T / R E U N I O N
from LARRY (Laurence Christopher) KEOGH ('54)
Our summer retreat/reunion is scheduled for July 5, 6, and 7 in Poughkeepsie.
We have already sent out a notice to everyone, but in case you did not receive
the original invitation or in case you misplaced it, we would like to invite you to
join us.
Br. Luke Driscoll and Catherine Cherry will be directing the retreat with some
assistance from Brothers Hugh Turley and Dennis Dunne and myself. You are
familiar with everyone except Catherine. She lives in Montreal and is a
psychotherapist and spiritual director to the English speaking Catholics of that
community. A mother of two, she has trained in the Ignatian tradition and gives
retreats throughout Canada.
Our theme this summer is Aging in the Lord, Spirituality over the Life Cycle.
We have in mind to discuss our own aging process and the role of spirituality in
our lives. The theme is directed to everyone regardless of age. As of late in
April, twenty people have indicated they will be joining us in Poughkeepsie. If
you are interested in being part of this retreat/reunion, please call or write:
Dennis: 312-571-8219; Hugh: 312-881-5343; Larry and Jan Keogh: 815-838-
1570. (17125 West 145th Street, Lockport, Illinois, 60441)
FROM BR. SEAN SAMMON, V.G.
Br. Basilio Rueda died January 21st in Guadalajara, Mexico, following a brief
illness. He had served as Superior General with firm hand and hopeful spirit
during challenging and difficult years in the Institute. He was 71 at the time of
his death.
Basilio spent a number of years teaching at the Instituto Mexico, at the Juniorate,
and at the Centro Universitario Mexico. He distinguished himself for his work
with Catholic Action groups, for his catechetical work in the barrios, and for his
collaboration with the Cursillos Movement. He also worked with the Better
World Movement for many years.
Basilio served as Director of Escorial, north of Madrid, the Marist renewal
program for Brothers from Spanish language provinces. At the 1967 General
Chapter the delegates elected him Superior General for a nine year term. He was
re-elected to another nine year term in October of 1976. After his years as
Superior General, Basilio continued to contribute to the congregation as Director
of the Master of Novices course in Rome and later as the Novice Master in
Mexico, right up to the time he fell ill.
Basilio was a tireless worker. The memory of this good and gentle man and his
indomitable spirit will live on. He loved us and helped us to believe in ourselves
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and in our Marist Brotherhood during the challenging years after the Vatican,
Council.
Services were held in Guadalajara and in Mexico City January 22nd and 23rd.
Then cremation took place during a private ceremony the following day. Please
pray with and for Basilio. As we mourn his passing, let us also give thanks to
this good God of ours for the years Basilio was among us. (Fratelli Maristi, CP
10.250, 00144, Roma, Italia)
FROM BR. PATRICK McNULTY ('52): The last time I wrote was when I was
stationed in Pleebo, Liberia. Since then I've been sending prayers of thanks to
God for all the inspiring and encouraging words in the many issues of Marists
All. Thanks to you, too, for all the work you've done; please keep up the good
job. Since my return from Africa I've been at Roselle Catholic in New Jersey,
first as a guidance counselor and now as the campus minister. It has been an
enjoyable five years, filled with many blessings and experiences.
My latest adventure brought me to Alaska! Right after my mother's death and
funeral in August of 1995 I went to the last frontier for ten days. I met with
Father Alfred Giebel there. A 1964 graduate of Archbishop Molloy, he is the
pastor of St. Benedictts Church and has been in the cold north for the last 24
years. Al invited me to return to give his parish teenagers a retreat, and he asked
me to bring some of our Roselle students to act as leaders and guides. I gladly
accepted the challenge.
On January 11th we flew to Anchorage.I was able to talk Trishia Lyp into
joining me; she is a part time gym instructor who has done retreat work over the
years. We met with the parents of 41 teens. At first they put us on the defensive,
asking about our qualifications and if they could trust us with their kids in the
woods of Wasilla, about 75 miles north of Anchorage and sight of the start of the
Iditarod. By the end of the meeting we had won the parents over and many came
to tell us that what we proposed was just what the teens needed. That gave us a
fuzzy warm feeling. We were at least accepted by the adults.
The real test came the next day when we met with the retreatants.. The kids and
supplies arrived. We made some quick decisions on which cabins would be
assigned to the boys and which to the girls. By 3 p.m. we were toe to toe, eyeball
to eyeball, as we sized each other up. We were going to be either friends or foes
for the next 48 hours, like it or not. Some of the youngsters let us know that they
didn't want to be there at all. Their parents told them that they were going, and
that was it. Thank God., it wasn't too long before we realized that we had won
them over. By 4 p.m. the sun was down, giving us less than six hours of daylight.
That was strange, We took advantage of the total darkness to stand out on the
frozen lake and take in the beauty of the stars and the aurora borealis. It made us
feel very small in the awesome presence of God's universe. As we sent the
youngsters off to bed we were much more confident that the retreat would turn
out well. Each cabin had four simple rooms, electrically heated with beds for
four, but there were no toilet facilities. The showers and the like were located
some 50 yards away and the temperature outdoors was well below freezing.
Needless to say, there were no useless trips to the toilets. One had to be very
careful to have dry hands when leaving, or the hands would stick to the door
knob.
The next morning with the temperature at -20 and the sun not due up till 10 a.m.
we started our journey of talks, sharing, and prayers. When it came to evening
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prayer, the service lasted two hours. The reverence and quiet would have made
monks and nuns envious. All shared sincere heart warming emotions. The teens
were not in a rush to finish their communication with God for themselves and for
friends.
On Monday our morning prayer, breakfast, and closing went smoothly. By 11
a.m. the parents arrived, ready to return the kids to the real world. Many of the
retreatants who at first showed signs of animosity came to us, giving hugs of
thanks and asking that we return to run more retreats, insisting that they last
longer. (2 Woodland Rd. Maplewood, NJ, 07040; 201-761-0469)
DR. JOHN SCHROEDER, first lay faculty member, Marist College
Memorandum to Marist College Community - from Dennis J. Murray, President
We were greatly saddened to learn that Dr. John Schroeder passed away in
Florida on March 26, 1996. He was 91 years of age. Dr. Schroeder joined Marist
in 1946 as its first lay faculty member at the request of then president Br. Paul
Ambrose. Previously Dr. Schroeder had been chair of the English Department at
Arlington High School in Poughkeepsie.
Dr. Schroeder played a role in several Marist milestones. He arrived just as
Marist was granted its state charter to offer baccalaureate degrees. He served as
dean of the college's new evening division, established in 1959 to meet the needs
of the area's professionals; it
admitted 167 lay students that first year. In 1966 women were admitted to the
evening division, paving their way to full admittance to the college in 1969.
A story often told about Dr. Schroeder by the Brothers who were at Marist in the
days of its founding concerned Dr. Schroeder's newly purchased home in the
Pleasant Valley area. Shortly after he moved in, a fire broke out and extensively
damaged the structure. Brother Paul asked for volunteers to help repair the
home. Due to the great admiration in which Dr. Schroeder was held, so many did
volunteer that classes had to be canceled. It only took a day to clean out the
debris. Brother Paul Ernest, physics teacher and expert craftsman-carpenter,
taught the young student volunteers how to replace broken windows, remove the
blistered.paint, and repair damaged woodwork. The home was habitable in a
very short time.
In 1973 Dr. Schroeder was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane letters for
his dedicated service to the college and for his achievements as an educator. He
retired the following year, capping a 28 year career at Marist. In recent years Dr.
Schroeder has lived with his wife Eleanor in Englewood, Florida. Services were
held at the Pleasant Valley Presbyterian Church.
FROM BETTY PERREAULT: For almost three years I have been married to
Adrian Perreault ('36) and each time Marists All arrives I am more in awe of
what you GMC people reveal about yourselves. You are an entirely "new
breeds" to me. Almost everyone who writes expresses his lifelong love for the
Marist Brothers and his gratitude to them for what they have meant in his life.
Surely there is some mystic tie which binds, once one has been a Marist monk.
It gives me such confidence to know that many of you are scattered, like rays of
hope, within the public schools, police departments, and so many other
organizations which are so much in need of some spiritual influence. At a recent
local GMC meeting we were talking about "the brothers who have left" and the
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good things they are doing outside the monastery, how devoted they still are to
the Champagnat legacy; I said, "Surely God must smile when He reads Marists
All!"
I consider it a privilege to have been accepted with much affection into a group
which I never even dreamed existed. Last year when we had our GMC retreat I
looked at the list of attendees and thought, "Adrian knows everybody here and I
know almost nobody. It will be a job getting acquainted." But I found that within
24 hours we were like one big family.Thanks, everyone, for letting me join a
very special group. (12 High Ridge Road, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 12603)
FROM ALEX SENES ('64): Thank you for the wonderful job you are doing in
bringing to life one newsletter after another, and by so doing allowing each one
of us not only to be informed but also "recharged" in our efforts of "doing good
quietly."
The purpose of this letter is twofold: first of all. I'm enclosing a little "stamp
money" since I know the post office won't work for free. My second reason is to
ask all o£ the members of Marists All for help. I have a couple of very close
friends that are currently going through some really rough times. Everything that
can be done is being done, but I feel very powerless just the same. I've been
praying my heart out, but I don't think it's enough.So I would like to ask each
one reading this letter to just say one Hail Mary for them as soon as you can. I'm
sure the Virgin Mary will intercede. Thank you very much!
Incidentally, to return the favor, if there are any Spanish/English speaking social
workers who would like to work on an inpatient psych ward at Jacobi Medical
Center, call me at 718-918-6769. We're in the Bronx, and we bring to the
Hispanic community very special services. It's a great job and I love it! I think
Gerry Weiss is smiling down at me from Heaven. No, we don't do Cervantes and
Lope de Vega; it's more like Lithium, Thorazine, and Prozac. The good news is
that most patients are discharged better than the way they came in. The best
news ever is that I feel I'm doing some "Marist work."
As for me and my family, things are going fine. Take care for now. (44
Orangeburgh Road, Old Tappan, New Jersey, 07675)
FROM JEPTHA (Stephen Anthony) LANNING ('49): We have been settled in
Delray Beach over a year and the reality continues to exceed our expectations.
We have formed some strong friendships with our neighbors as well as with
some of our fellow parishioners at St. Lucy's Catholic Church. Jep is now Vice
President of our condominium association. Both of us serve as Eucharistic
ministers at St. Lucy's
Before starting north last June we spent a week in Orlando where Joan
participated in a seminar preparatory to taking the state pharmacy licensing
examination. Her hard work and study paid off with her passing the exam; now
she may practice in Florida.
We spent July and August in Sunrise Condominiums, high atop Sunrise
Mountain in the Killington, Vermont, area. That proved to be a happy choice. We
found time to explore much of Vermont and nearby New Hampshire. In addition,
we made a weekend visit to the LaPietras in Poughkeepsie to celebrate the
doctorate of Bob Lewis. In September we were homeward bound by way of
Manchester and Riverside, Connecticut, staying with Jep's brothers Rod and
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Dick. Afterwards, we enjoyed a week in the Hudson Valley as guests of the
Stullivans in Staatsburg.We were able to participate in a memorable party at the
Nolans on the occasion of Gus turning 65. It was a treat to meet with so many of
our friends and catch up on the latest happenings.
Upon arriving back in Delray Beach on September 26th we plunged back into
bringing our apartment up to speed with painting, papering, and installing new
furniture. We had started renovating our apartment last April, remodeling our
kitchen and bathrooms. Now we are in the last phase of our restoration project,
getting ready to receive our winter visitors from the cold and snowy northeast.
(Coastal House #404, 2200 South Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach, F1, 33483)
FROM BILL.(William Maura) DESCHENE ('53):
N.B. The editors gladly agree to Bill's request that we not edit his article.
I have a relic in my room. A genuine artifact intimately connected to the person
of a very holy being. Relics can be part of the saint's body (first class) and I have
a good collection of these. Feathers, tails, shells and bones of some of the finest
benefactors of the earth community that you can think of. Second class relics are
things that the holy ones wore, or used on a fairly frequent basis. Bird nests,
chuckholes (these don't get my vote), and the sand at the bottom of a nearby
brook which contains the eggs of a family of frogs, do well as examples of these.
Things that the venerable touched or used occasionally are considered effective
also,even if only third class.The claw marks o£ a bear on a tree, or the chew
marksof a rabbit on young apple trees fit this category well. But my relic is even
better than any of those. I have something that the holy one made, and which
contains his spirit. It is an oaken desk - one of many made by BR. PETER
ANTHONY while stationed at the Novitiate in Tyngsboro. Think of the many
presses this man made and we used long ago while at that great place.
I took it from my room at Central when I left there. Let them try to take it back!
It has been with me for 21 years, and as I contemplate the ways the dead become
alive again, I wonder (hope?) if some of the spirit of the man who made this
desk is living again in me. His Canadian talent for carpentry (not something I
share) is evident in the workmanship of the desk. But it is the other parts of his
personality that also attract me.
Brother Peter was a grizzly pear-shaped old buzzard who looked like he was
born and raised in the Alaskan wilderness. He had thick coke-bottle-bottom.
glasses that steamed up when he came into the kitchen after walking up from the
carpentry shop on a winter's morning for his coffee break. "Hi neighbor," he
would say as he crashed through the door. Then, "Where are you?" when the hot
air hit his glasses. He always had his coffee in a bowl half filled with milk with
at least 3 spoonfuls of sugar, half of which landed on the stove or on the floor.
He stirred the concoction with his finger, then leaned against the oven to warm
his backside. "Ah! ' "I think I smell pork burning," one of us would say, and he
responded with a grin that would charm the rattles off a snake.
My earliest encounter with "Pete" was during a Saturday work period. Several of
us . novices were assigned to help Brother Peter and the cooks kill a pig. When
Peter shotgun in hand, said "Where's the pig?" which was standing solitary in the
middle of a small pig corale, we scattered in six directions. "Bam!" The sound
echoed in our retreating ears. We turned around, and there was the pig 'dead'ner
dornail,' and old Pete with that same toothy grin looking at us.
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We used a pulley rig to hoist the pig over a large cauldron of hot water in which
we would immerse him for a few minutes, then proceed to shave the poor guy.
As we were about to lower him into the water, the beam that held the hoist
cracked, and we would have all been scalded except for the heroics of Ed
McElroy, who managed to get his shoulder under the pig, keeping him from
falling into the water. The pig spirit, obviously bent on revenge, was not
deterred, as he emptied his bladder on our hero. Pete, of course, laughed, as did
the rest of us, Larry Hughes, K.O., Danny Grogan, and myself.
It was during the year K.O. and I took our turn cooking in Tyngsboro that I
collected many treasured memories of Brother Peter. Every time I hear the
bullfrogs serenading us from the shores of Sebago Take, I am reminded of old
Pete (and the others) belting out the rosary in the chapel after dinner. One time
Brother Paul Acyndinus (another all-time great) fell and banged his head pretty
bad. Brother Peter carried him into the kitchen, muttering something like, "Dam
fool, never looks where he is going." But no mother ever carried her child with
more tenderness and concern than did Brother Peter. We used to listen to Brother
Hugh Andrew do the play by play of the Central games on WLLH in Brother
Peter's room.He had an old Westinghouse floor model radio just like the one I
had at home. The other team would score a basket with two minutes to go, and
that would narrow Central's lead to just 24 points. "--ht! They're going to lose,"
Brother Peter would yell out worried about the good guys' fate. He was up for
the vow of stability that year, but some genius decided that he would have to
give up the radio before he could be considered for this honor. Brother Peter
chose the radio. "Way to go, Pete!"
Years later, when John Malich was provincial, he accompanied Brother Peter on
a visit to see his relatives in Vancouver, just south of Alaska. John's account of
how Brother Peter won the hearts of the stewardesses and passengers on the
flight was a 'vox populi, vox Dei' if ever there was one.
There were three Brothers who made "Head Cheese" in Tyngsboro. None would
eat the work of the others. Helping Brother Peter dig out the teeth, eyeballs,
bones, and other assorted non-edibles floating in the pot of boiled pig heads was
an experience. "Use your hands to fish around. You can't find these things with a
metal spoon," he instructed. When we got the hang of it he'd sing, "Holy Moses,
king of the Jews. Sold his wife for an old pair of shoes." Brother Pius would
come and close the door to the kitchen, and return to preside over the novices
examen, Later, when I tasted the congealed "cheese" and told him it was "not
bad" that grin appeared again, and I felt that I was a young brave who had just
been given the approval of a Sioux chief after biting into my first raw buffalo
heart.
If I had known that I would marry a person of the wicca persuasion (I'm still
spellbound), I would have picked his (right) brain for the wealth of information
on the identification, preparation, and uses of herbs that he possessed. But I've
never been too practical, and who knows, maybe just enjoying his humor is the
best tonic any of us could have gleaned from him.
Best wishes to all from our 19th, 18th, 17th, er, (it's going back further all the
time) century homestead where life is tough. None of those people going to work
on their derrieres encapsulated in their little cars would like it. But at least bras
weren't invented back then, and you don't have to wear that male equivalent - the
necktie. (11 North Lowell Street, Methuen, Ma.. 01844)
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FROM MARTY (Patrick Martin) HARTE ('47): Thanks for your selfless efforts
to keep us informed of our Marist heritage by publishing the treasured Marists
All. Each printout stirs the heart with pride and fond, meaningful memories of
the great men and moments that effected our very being for a lifetime. I treasure
and catalog each issue with the same fervor I album family pictures and tapes.
I'll make an effort in the near future to provide some personal data. (50 Plane
Tree Lane, St. James, N. Y. 11780)
BR. RENATO CRUZ ('58): "Concerning my health, my doctor in Manila
advised me to stop all medication temporarily since March 14th. So far my blood
count has been normal and we will see how long this will last without
medication. The Brothers and the students and teachers in all our schools made a
novena for my cure through the intercession of Champagnat. God has been good
to me."
(from letter to Provincials from Br. Benito, S. G.)
FROM BR. RENE ROY ('60): Dear Marists All, I'm sure that by now word has
reached the Greater Marist Community that I was asked to come to Rwanda as
part of an institute wide effort to demonstrate total solidarity with this District of
Rwanda, which suffered immense losses during the diabolical four month
genocide of 1994. Five key men of the district, including the District Superior,
were mercilessly and needlessly massacred, as well as Brother Chris Mannion,
the Counselor General who came to lend a hand during the crisis.
I am growing to appreciate how traumatically these deaths have affected the
District. And I'm also coming to learn how the extensive loss of life has affected
the students sitting before me. They are beginning to confide in me that their
mother, their father, their older brothers ... were killed during the "Events." I am
amazed at their resiliency, but at the same time I see the tears well up as they
begin to talk more in detail. There is a lot left unresolved behind their
determined faces, naturally so. It's something that we must address if our
ministry is to "meet the needs of the people and of the times."
The grace of God works in marvelous ways. I feel akin to Elijah, who was
transported by the hair of his head to another location to serve as God's
instrument there, but God does not leave us orphans.That raven appears with the
daily ration of "nourishment" to sustain us. So, I'm fully engaged in teaching the
New Testament (in French) and eight classes of English. I'm continuing my
vocation work here with our Vocation Club, which looks very, very promising;
and I am moderator of the Legion of Mary. With so little to distract by way of
material goods, the students put their energy and creativity into their spiritual
lives and religious practice. Daily Mass is massively (no pun intended) attended.
Rosary is said daily by the legion with the younger children, and on Saturdays
the Brothers and most of the Catholic students say the Rosary together before
supper in the student chapel.
We have two choral groups who prepare for the Sunday liturgies, and there is
even a Charismatic Prayer Group. In this atmosphere and with such obvious love
of Mary, it's easy to talk Marist vocation. The blood of martyrs ...
Besides the enormous loss of life during the "war" there was a huge loss of what
little goods the families and the school had. People fled for their lives, leaving all
behind, and when they returned, they found that all had been stolen. So too with
our school books, typewriters, TV, VCR, and lab equipment. Here we are at the
threshold of the 21st century reduced to teaching with nothing more than a few
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texts (outdated ones at that) and pieces of chalk that disintegrate with the
slightest pressure. I've written to the Brothers, family, and friends for basic
material and for financial aid to help put us back in the educational ball park.(If
you wish to help, please send contributions throw the Marist Provincial Office in
Pelham, New York)
However, I'm especially addressing you with a request for information on
SCHOLARSHIPS, any leads from your connections. Rwandan students want to
pursue science and medicine, business management and accounting at American
colleges and universities.The Brothers tell me that their students have had no
trouble adapting to universities outside their country. They are intelligent, hard
working, and amazingly conscientious, up before 5 a.m. to study and do their
assignments. Because we follow the European system of six years of secondary,
our sixth form (last year) students are 21 and 22 years of age. They are willing to
endure years away from family and land, and are determined to return and work
for the good of their country. Thank you for helping in any way possible. Relay
any information through Brother Patrick McNamara, Marist Provincial Office, at
26 First Avenue, Pelham, New York, 10803.
FROM BR. MICHAEL BFRNARD ('29): A recent letter from Rene Roy
confirmed the fact that he has been informed by Br. Henry Sammon, Provincial
Treasurer, of the $3310 account that will be forwarded from our Rome mission
center. Rene asks that I extend sincerest thanks to all and that I be sure to assure
all of his prayers and those of the Brothers and students at the school in Rwanda.
With such a generous donation much good and urgent supplies will be realized.
May our dear Lord and His Blessed Mother continue to bless and protect all of
you.(Marist Brothers, P.O. Box 197, Esopus, N. Y. 12429)
FROM RICHARD (Gilbert Donateur) CONNOLLY ('52): Where does time go?
Just received Marists All and once, again savored the missives and the
memories. I've spent the last 18 years as teacher and administrator in high
schools in New York, New Jersey, and Miami, and I've enjoyed the experience
immensely. I'm retired now and turning 62 come March, receiving SSI widower
benefits and a small pension for 15 years spent in New Jersey. Not wealthy, but
certainly have enough for a retired "beach bum" to subsist comfortably. I live
two blocks from the ocean and one block from the intercoastal waterway. Love
it!
Raised three daughters alone (Jackie, now 26, and twins Kristen and Patrice, 25).
My wife Margaret died suddenly in '77 when the girls were 8 and 7. When such
happens, there are no alternatives; life must go on, and it did, but raising three
daughters kept me rather busy? I nearly remarried twice. One beautiful gal
passed away; the other had eight children and I had the three. Don't let anyone
tell you that it's cheaper by the dozen.
All children are grown and on their own now. I'm in Florida, she's in New York,
but still communicates. We anticipate a reunion. Best to all.Keep Marists All
coming.I truly enjoy it!(313 Hibiscus Ave. (#3), Pompano Beach, F1. 33062)
FROM RICH STANULWICH ('65): Brother Vinny Collela was an old classmate
and a friend. I was saddened some time ago to learn of his death. Vinny was
great on the handball court at Tyngsboro. He suggested that I volunteer to paint
the farmer's house so that we could talk to the farmer's daughters, probably the
downfall of my Marist vocation. God bless Vinny. Please pray for our work in
prisons. Those addicted, aged, disabled by whatever disease need our prayers.
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Forever in the Master. (150 Wilson Street, Beacon, New York, 12508; 914-831-
6126)
FROM BR. GERRY BRERETON ('59): A note of thanks for the latest edition of
the newsletter that you sent to me here in Mexico. I've been in Guadalajara since
November 10th and have visited half a dozen communities and schools in this
part of the country. Tomorrow I leave for one of the four Marist communities
among the Tarahumara, an indigenous people living in the mountains in the
Mexican state of Chihuahua. From early February until late June I will be at the
scholasticate in Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo. Thanks for all your efforts in putting
together Marists All. A blessed 1996! (Maristas, Castelar Pte. 2195, Col. Pio X,
4710 Monterrey, N. L. Mexico)
FROM BR. LEONARD VOEGTLE ('50): Good news! Volume one of the
province history is in print! It covers the years 1885 (when the first brothers
came from France to Canada) to 1911 (when Canada and the States became two
separate provinces). Entitled: Go to the land I Will Show You volume one
contains 200 pages of text and 16 of photos. It is available for $12 from either of
the provincial offices. And now for volume two ...
At the moment, I'm just home from Europe, where I once again led the brothers
from the English language Spiritual Renewal Center (aka Second Novitiate) in
Manziana, northeast of Rome, on their Champagnat pilgrimage into France. As
usual, we bussed from Manziana, with a lunch and sightseeing stop in Pisa, to
Carmagnola, just south of Turin, where the Italian province maintains St.
Josephts Distillery which produces "the spirit of the Institute" in the form of
Alpestre, Hermite, and several other liqueurs, for the benefit of the Marist
missions. Next morning, off again to Notre Dame de l'Hermitage where we spent
ten days visiting our Marist "shrines" the Hermitage itself; LeRosey where
Marcellin was born; the shrine of Our Iady in LePuy where Jean-Claude
Courveille received the inspiration to found a society of Mary; her shrine at
Fourviere in Lyons where Courveille, Marcellin, Colin, and a dozen of their
newly ordained companions consecrated themselves to Mary and to the project
of the Society; LaValla where Champagnat served as parish priest and founded
the congregation; LeBesset where he went on the sick call that galvanized him
into doing so on January 2, 1817; Marlhes where he opened our first school in
1819 and where the brothers are still teaching; LaChaperie where Pere
Champagnat and Brother Stanislas said their "Memorare in the snow" which
saved their lives; and St. Genis Laval which housed our general administration
prior to its transfer to Rome in 1961.
All of those places, especially those owned by the Marist Brothers have been
wonderfully restored and renovated in recent years, so they are much more
welcoming and inspiring than when many of us saw them for the first time in our
own Second Novitiate days 30 or 40 years ago!
For me now it's back to business as usual, which still includes my work at the
Newark diocesan marriage tribunal, and my ongoing translation of some of our
Marist heritage. Avis, Lecons, Sentences (the "Maxims of the Founder") is about
ready for the printer, as is the first volume of Brother Avitts annals, which he
compiled between 1884 and 1892. The three volumes cover the history of the
congregation from the beginning and the history of every Marist school which
existed during his lifetime. They are a great source of not only historical data,
but also of vignettes of the life and times of the early brothers, in all their
humanity!
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In Esopus the archives-to-be are just about ready for occupancy. The complex
includes the former sacristy of the main chapel in the former juniorate (Colonel
Payne's "power-house" and Marist Prep's first gym), the adjoining room, and the
attic above. I hope to move in the furniture and shelving, and then the scattered
cartons and files which now hold the archives, bit by bit during the spring and
the summer, so I can begin work in earnest in October. (I'd expected to begin
earlier, but I've been asked to lead another Champagnat pilgrimage in September
for a group of older brothers making what we refer to as the "Third Age"
program, a two month renewal experience.
As of July 1st, I'll be working only half-time at the tribunal (to earn my
"province assessment"). I anticipate alternating two-week stretches there and in
the archives. All for now. Hope your spring and summer will be safe and
pleasant. (1241 Kennedy Boulevard, Bayonne, N. J. 07002)
FROM DAVID KAMMER: Thanks to the people at the Poughkeepsie Provincial
Office, I have a copy of Leonard's recently published first volume of the history
of the Marist Brothers in North America. It covers from the first foundations in
Iberville, Canada, (1885) and in Lewiston, Maine, (1886) to the split into
provinces of Canada and United States (1911). It is difficult, in the space left, to
tell you how enthused I have been in reading about unknown happenings before
my time, about great Brothers known only in name and reputation, about
venerable Brothers well known and loved, about conditions and customs of
yesteryear. This volume is a wonderful contribution to understanding our
background, to understanding who we are. I'm sure you will be rewarded in
reading it. Esopus Provincial Office, 1741 Kennedy Blvd., Bayonne, N. J.
07002-2286 Poughkeepsie Provincial Office, 28 First Avenue, Pelham, N. Y.
10803-1452.
FROM TOM FAHEY (Esopus '57): I had the happy occasion to talk with John
Wilcox recently. He informed me about Marists.All. Could I request becoming a
subscriber/recipient of a publication that would put me back in touch with the
Marist Brothers. Memories of Marist Prep where I was a student from
September 1954 to January 1957 continue to remihd me of the great guys and
Brothers I lived with those wonderful two and a half years of my life. Please let
me know how I can get Marists All. For starters, where in Massachusetts does a
great guy by the name of Ray Landry live? (Follow-up letter) I began this first
day of May, the month of renewal, hope, and Mary, with an enjoyable walk;
among my thoughts were the people of Marists All. Thanks to you I've been
reconnected to a time in my life when all I needed in my pocket was a Rosary.
I've located and called Ray Landry.He remembered me and we talked on and on
about our fortunate lives.We learned that one thing we have in common is that
the first born of our four children has Down's Syndrome, his daughter Christina,
my son Tom; they continue to enrich our lives with joy. I would love to read all
past issues of Marists All. That might be a burdensome request, so please do
send me issues of men from the 50's and 60's. God bless and thanks. 1488-A
Grafton Road, Millbury, Ma.. 01527)
P I C N I C
One week later than usual - September 21st
The annual Greater Marist Community picnic, held in many recent years at Mt.
St. Michael in the Bronx, is now scheduled for one week later than usual -
therefore, September 21st. More in the August issue.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is our 35th issue of Marists All. We are in our tenth year
of publication.We have had write-ups from 218 of the 496 people who are on our
mailing list. What can we do, what can you do, to get our other friends to help
enliven our newsletter? We need material for the next issue; we will be putting it
all together in early August. We do appreciate all the help we get! Mail to: Gus
Nolan, % Marist College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 12603, or to David Kammer, R.R.
2 - Box 3300, Oakland, Maine, 04963 (summer)
SPIRITUALITY Need a short, pleasant, helpful refresher for your spirituality?
Try Never Alone by Joseph Girzone of Joshua fame. Paperback, 1995, Image
Books
ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS?
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ISSUE # 35
May 1996
R E T R E A T / R E U N I O N
from LARRY (Laurence Christopher) KEOGH ('54)
Our summer retreat/reunion is scheduled for July 5, 6, and 7 in Poughkeepsie.
We have already sent out a notice to everyone, but in case you did not receive
the original invitation or in case you misplaced it, we would like to invite you to
join us.
Br. Luke Driscoll and Catherine Cherry will be directing the retreat with some
assistance from Brothers Hugh Turley and Dennis Dunne and myself. You are
familiar with everyone except Catherine. She lives in Montreal and is a
psychotherapist and spiritual director to the English speaking Catholics of that
community. A mother of two, she has trained in the Ignatian tradition and gives
retreats throughout Canada.
Our theme this summer is Aging in the Lord, Spirituality over the Life Cycle.
We have in mind to discuss our own aging process and the role of spirituality in
our lives. The theme is directed to everyone regardless of age. As of late in
April, twenty people have indicated they will be joining us in Poughkeepsie. If
you are interested in being part of this retreat/reunion, please call or write:
Dennis: 312-571-8219; Hugh: 312-881-5343; Larry and Jan Keogh: 815-838-
1570. (17125 West 145th Street, Lockport, Illinois, 60441)
FROM BR. SEAN SAMMON, V.G.
Br. Basilio Rueda died January 21st in Guadalajara, Mexico, following a brief
illness. He had served as Superior General with firm hand and hopeful spirit
during challenging and difficult years in the Institute. He was 71 at the time of
his death.
Basilio spent a number of years teaching at the Instituto Mexico, at the Juniorate,
and at the Centro Universitario Mexico. He distinguished himself for his work
with Catholic Action groups, for his catechetical work in the barrios, and for his
collaboration with the Cursillos Movement. He also worked with the Better
World Movement for many years.
Basilio served as Director of Escorial, north of Madrid, the Marist renewal
program for Brothers from Spanish language provinces. At the 1967 General
Chapter the delegates elected him Superior General for a nine year term. He was
re-elected to another nine year term in October of 1976. After his years as
Superior General, Basilio continued to contribute to the congregation as Director
of the Master of Novices course in Rome and later as the Novice Master in
Mexico, right up to the time he fell ill.
Basilio was a tireless worker. The memory of this good and gentle man and his
indomitable spirit will live on. He loved us and helped us to believe in ourselves
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and in our Marist Brotherhood during the challenging years after the Vatican,
Council.
Services were held in Guadalajara and in Mexico City January 22nd and 23rd.
Then cremation took place during a private ceremony the following day. Please
pray with and for Basilio. As we mourn his passing, let us also give thanks to
this good God of ours for the years Basilio was among us. (Fratelli Maristi, CP
10.250, 00144, Roma, Italia)
FROM BR. PATRICK McNULTY ('52): The last time I wrote was when I was
stationed in Pleebo, Liberia. Since then I've been sending prayers of thanks to
God for all the inspiring and encouraging words in the many issues of Marists
All. Thanks to you, too, for all the work you've done; please keep up the good
job. Since my return from Africa I've been at Roselle Catholic in New Jersey,
first as a guidance counselor and now as the campus minister. It has been an
enjoyable five years, filled with many blessings and experiences.
My latest adventure brought me to Alaska! Right after my mother's death and
funeral in August of 1995 I went to the last frontier for ten days. I met with
Father Alfred Giebel there. A 1964 graduate of Archbishop Molloy, he is the
pastor of St. Benedictts Church and has been in the cold north for the last 24
years. Al invited me to return to give his parish teenagers a retreat, and he asked
me to bring some of our Roselle students to act as leaders and guides. I gladly
accepted the challenge.
On January 11th we flew to Anchorage.I was able to talk Trishia Lyp into
joining me; she is a part time gym instructor who has done retreat work over the
years. We met with the parents of 41 teens. At first they put us on the defensive,
asking about our qualifications and if they could trust us with their kids in the
woods of Wasilla, about 75 miles north of Anchorage and sight of the start of the
Iditarod. By the end of the meeting we had won the parents over and many came
to tell us that what we proposed was just what the teens needed. That gave us a
fuzzy warm feeling. We were at least accepted by the adults.
The real test came the next day when we met with the retreatants.. The kids and
supplies arrived. We made some quick decisions on which cabins would be
assigned to the boys and which to the girls. By 3 p.m. we were toe to toe, eyeball
to eyeball, as we sized each other up. We were going to be either friends or foes
for the next 48 hours, like it or not. Some of the youngsters let us know that they
didn't want to be there at all. Their parents told them that they were going, and
that was it. Thank God., it wasn't too long before we realized that we had won
them over. By 4 p.m. the sun was down, giving us less than six hours of daylight.
That was strange, We took advantage of the total darkness to stand out on the
frozen lake and take in the beauty of the stars and the aurora borealis. It made us
feel very small in the awesome presence of God's universe. As we sent the
youngsters off to bed we were much more confident that the retreat would turn
out well. Each cabin had four simple rooms, electrically heated with beds for
four, but there were no toilet facilities. The showers and the like were located
some 50 yards away and the temperature outdoors was well below freezing.
Needless to say, there were no useless trips to the toilets. One had to be very
careful to have dry hands when leaving, or the hands would stick to the door
knob.
The next morning with the temperature at -20 and the sun not due up till 10 a.m.
we started our journey of talks, sharing, and prayers. When it came to evening
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prayer, the service lasted two hours. The reverence and quiet would have made
monks and nuns envious. All shared sincere heart warming emotions. The teens
were not in a rush to finish their communication with God for themselves and for
friends.
On Monday our morning prayer, breakfast, and closing went smoothly. By 11
a.m. the parents arrived, ready to return the kids to the real world. Many of the
retreatants who at first showed signs of animosity came to us, giving hugs of
thanks and asking that we return to run more retreats, insisting that they last
longer. (2 Woodland Rd. Maplewood, NJ, 07040; 201-761-0469)
DR. JOHN SCHROEDER, first lay faculty member, Marist College
Memorandum to Marist College Community - from Dennis J. Murray, President
We were greatly saddened to learn that Dr. John Schroeder passed away in
Florida on March 26, 1996. He was 91 years of age. Dr. Schroeder joined Marist
in 1946 as its first lay faculty member at the request of then president Br. Paul
Ambrose. Previously Dr. Schroeder had been chair of the English Department at
Arlington High School in Poughkeepsie.
Dr. Schroeder played a role in several Marist milestones. He arrived just as
Marist was granted its state charter to offer baccalaureate degrees. He served as
dean of the college's new evening division, established in 1959 to meet the needs
of the area's professionals; it
admitted 167 lay students that first year. In 1966 women were admitted to the
evening division, paving their way to full admittance to the college in 1969.
A story often told about Dr. Schroeder by the Brothers who were at Marist in the
days of its founding concerned Dr. Schroeder's newly purchased home in the
Pleasant Valley area. Shortly after he moved in, a fire broke out and extensively
damaged the structure. Brother Paul asked for volunteers to help repair the
home. Due to the great admiration in which Dr. Schroeder was held, so many did
volunteer that classes had to be canceled. It only took a day to clean out the
debris. Brother Paul Ernest, physics teacher and expert craftsman-carpenter,
taught the young student volunteers how to replace broken windows, remove the
blistered.paint, and repair damaged woodwork. The home was habitable in a
very short time.
In 1973 Dr. Schroeder was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane letters for
his dedicated service to the college and for his achievements as an educator. He
retired the following year, capping a 28 year career at Marist. In recent years Dr.
Schroeder has lived with his wife Eleanor in Englewood, Florida. Services were
held at the Pleasant Valley Presbyterian Church.
FROM BETTY PERREAULT: For almost three years I have been married to
Adrian Perreault ('36) and each time Marists All arrives I am more in awe of
what you GMC people reveal about yourselves. You are an entirely "new
breeds" to me. Almost everyone who writes expresses his lifelong love for the
Marist Brothers and his gratitude to them for what they have meant in his life.
Surely there is some mystic tie which binds, once one has been a Marist monk.
It gives me such confidence to know that many of you are scattered, like rays of
hope, within the public schools, police departments, and so many other
organizations which are so much in need of some spiritual influence. At a recent
local GMC meeting we were talking about "the brothers who have left" and the
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good things they are doing outside the monastery, how devoted they still are to
the Champagnat legacy; I said, "Surely God must smile when He reads Marists
All!"
I consider it a privilege to have been accepted with much affection into a group
which I never even dreamed existed. Last year when we had our GMC retreat I
looked at the list of attendees and thought, "Adrian knows everybody here and I
know almost nobody. It will be a job getting acquainted." But I found that within
24 hours we were like one big family.Thanks, everyone, for letting me join a
very special group. (12 High Ridge Road, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 12603)
FROM ALEX SENES ('64): Thank you for the wonderful job you are doing in
bringing to life one newsletter after another, and by so doing allowing each one
of us not only to be informed but also "recharged" in our efforts of "doing good
quietly."
The purpose of this letter is twofold: first of all. I'm enclosing a little "stamp
money" since I know the post office won't work for free. My second reason is to
ask all o£ the members of Marists All for help. I have a couple of very close
friends that are currently going through some really rough times. Everything that
can be done is being done, but I feel very powerless just the same. I've been
praying my heart out, but I don't think it's enough.So I would like to ask each
one reading this letter to just say one Hail Mary for them as soon as you can. I'm
sure the Virgin Mary will intercede. Thank you very much!
Incidentally, to return the favor, if there are any Spanish/English speaking social
workers who would like to work on an inpatient psych ward at Jacobi Medical
Center, call me at 718-918-6769. We're in the Bronx, and we bring to the
Hispanic community very special services. It's a great job and I love it! I think
Gerry Weiss is smiling down at me from Heaven. No, we don't do Cervantes and
Lope de Vega; it's more like Lithium, Thorazine, and Prozac. The good news is
that most patients are discharged better than the way they came in. The best
news ever is that I feel I'm doing some "Marist work."
As for me and my family, things are going fine. Take care for now. (44
Orangeburgh Road, Old Tappan, New Jersey, 07675)
FROM JEPTHA (Stephen Anthony) LANNING ('49): We have been settled in
Delray Beach over a year and the reality continues to exceed our expectations.
We have formed some strong friendships with our neighbors as well as with
some of our fellow parishioners at St. Lucy's Catholic Church. Jep is now Vice
President of our condominium association. Both of us serve as Eucharistic
ministers at St. Lucy's
Before starting north last June we spent a week in Orlando where Joan
participated in a seminar preparatory to taking the state pharmacy licensing
examination. Her hard work and study paid off with her passing the exam; now
she may practice in Florida.
We spent July and August in Sunrise Condominiums, high atop Sunrise
Mountain in the Killington, Vermont, area. That proved to be a happy choice. We
found time to explore much of Vermont and nearby New Hampshire. In addition,
we made a weekend visit to the LaPietras in Poughkeepsie to celebrate the
doctorate of Bob Lewis. In September we were homeward bound by way of
Manchester and Riverside, Connecticut, staying with Jep's brothers Rod and
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Dick. Afterwards, we enjoyed a week in the Hudson Valley as guests of the
Stullivans in Staatsburg.We were able to participate in a memorable party at the
Nolans on the occasion of Gus turning 65. It was a treat to meet with so many of
our friends and catch up on the latest happenings.
Upon arriving back in Delray Beach on September 26th we plunged back into
bringing our apartment up to speed with painting, papering, and installing new
furniture. We had started renovating our apartment last April, remodeling our
kitchen and bathrooms. Now we are in the last phase of our restoration project,
getting ready to receive our winter visitors from the cold and snowy northeast.
(Coastal House #404, 2200 South Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach, F1, 33483)
FROM BILL.(William Maura) DESCHENE ('53):
N.B. The editors gladly agree to Bill's request that we not edit his article.
I have a relic in my room. A genuine artifact intimately connected to the person
of a very holy being. Relics can be part of the saint's body (first class) and I have
a good collection of these. Feathers, tails, shells and bones of some of the finest
benefactors of the earth community that you can think of. Second class relics are
things that the holy ones wore, or used on a fairly frequent basis. Bird nests,
chuckholes (these don't get my vote), and the sand at the bottom of a nearby
brook which contains the eggs of a family of frogs, do well as examples of these.
Things that the venerable touched or used occasionally are considered effective
also,even if only third class.The claw marks o£ a bear on a tree, or the chew
marksof a rabbit on young apple trees fit this category well. But my relic is even
better than any of those. I have something that the holy one made, and which
contains his spirit. It is an oaken desk - one of many made by BR. PETER
ANTHONY while stationed at the Novitiate in Tyngsboro. Think of the many
presses this man made and we used long ago while at that great place.
I took it from my room at Central when I left there. Let them try to take it back!
It has been with me for 21 years, and as I contemplate the ways the dead become
alive again, I wonder (hope?) if some of the spirit of the man who made this
desk is living again in me. His Canadian talent for carpentry (not something I
share) is evident in the workmanship of the desk. But it is the other parts of his
personality that also attract me.
Brother Peter was a grizzly pear-shaped old buzzard who looked like he was
born and raised in the Alaskan wilderness. He had thick coke-bottle-bottom.
glasses that steamed up when he came into the kitchen after walking up from the
carpentry shop on a winter's morning for his coffee break. "Hi neighbor," he
would say as he crashed through the door. Then, "Where are you?" when the hot
air hit his glasses. He always had his coffee in a bowl half filled with milk with
at least 3 spoonfuls of sugar, half of which landed on the stove or on the floor.
He stirred the concoction with his finger, then leaned against the oven to warm
his backside. "Ah! ' "I think I smell pork burning," one of us would say, and he
responded with a grin that would charm the rattles off a snake.
My earliest encounter with "Pete" was during a Saturday work period. Several of
us . novices were assigned to help Brother Peter and the cooks kill a pig. When
Peter shotgun in hand, said "Where's the pig?" which was standing solitary in the
middle of a small pig corale, we scattered in six directions. "Bam!" The sound
echoed in our retreating ears. We turned around, and there was the pig 'dead'ner
dornail,' and old Pete with that same toothy grin looking at us.
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We used a pulley rig to hoist the pig over a large cauldron of hot water in which
we would immerse him for a few minutes, then proceed to shave the poor guy.
As we were about to lower him into the water, the beam that held the hoist
cracked, and we would have all been scalded except for the heroics of Ed
McElroy, who managed to get his shoulder under the pig, keeping him from
falling into the water. The pig spirit, obviously bent on revenge, was not
deterred, as he emptied his bladder on our hero. Pete, of course, laughed, as did
the rest of us, Larry Hughes, K.O., Danny Grogan, and myself.
It was during the year K.O. and I took our turn cooking in Tyngsboro that I
collected many treasured memories of Brother Peter. Every time I hear the
bullfrogs serenading us from the shores of Sebago Take, I am reminded of old
Pete (and the others) belting out the rosary in the chapel after dinner. One time
Brother Paul Acyndinus (another all-time great) fell and banged his head pretty
bad. Brother Peter carried him into the kitchen, muttering something like, "Dam
fool, never looks where he is going." But no mother ever carried her child with
more tenderness and concern than did Brother Peter. We used to listen to Brother
Hugh Andrew do the play by play of the Central games on WLLH in Brother
Peter's room.He had an old Westinghouse floor model radio just like the one I
had at home. The other team would score a basket with two minutes to go, and
that would narrow Central's lead to just 24 points. "--ht! They're going to lose,"
Brother Peter would yell out worried about the good guys' fate. He was up for
the vow of stability that year, but some genius decided that he would have to
give up the radio before he could be considered for this honor. Brother Peter
chose the radio. "Way to go, Pete!"
Years later, when John Malich was provincial, he accompanied Brother Peter on
a visit to see his relatives in Vancouver, just south of Alaska. John's account of
how Brother Peter won the hearts of the stewardesses and passengers on the
flight was a 'vox populi, vox Dei' if ever there was one.
There were three Brothers who made "Head Cheese" in Tyngsboro. None would
eat the work of the others. Helping Brother Peter dig out the teeth, eyeballs,
bones, and other assorted non-edibles floating in the pot of boiled pig heads was
an experience. "Use your hands to fish around. You can't find these things with a
metal spoon," he instructed. When we got the hang of it he'd sing, "Holy Moses,
king of the Jews. Sold his wife for an old pair of shoes." Brother Pius would
come and close the door to the kitchen, and return to preside over the novices
examen, Later, when I tasted the congealed "cheese" and told him it was "not
bad" that grin appeared again, and I felt that I was a young brave who had just
been given the approval of a Sioux chief after biting into my first raw buffalo
heart.
If I had known that I would marry a person of the wicca persuasion (I'm still
spellbound), I would have picked his (right) brain for the wealth of information
on the identification, preparation, and uses of herbs that he possessed. But I've
never been too practical, and who knows, maybe just enjoying his humor is the
best tonic any of us could have gleaned from him.
Best wishes to all from our 19th, 18th, 17th, er, (it's going back further all the
time) century homestead where life is tough. None of those people going to work
on their derrieres encapsulated in their little cars would like it. But at least bras
weren't invented back then, and you don't have to wear that male equivalent - the
necktie. (11 North Lowell Street, Methuen, Ma.. 01844)
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FROM MARTY (Patrick Martin) HARTE ('47): Thanks for your selfless efforts
to keep us informed of our Marist heritage by publishing the treasured Marists
All. Each printout stirs the heart with pride and fond, meaningful memories of
the great men and moments that effected our very being for a lifetime. I treasure
and catalog each issue with the same fervor I album family pictures and tapes.
I'll make an effort in the near future to provide some personal data. (50 Plane
Tree Lane, St. James, N. Y. 11780)
BR. RENATO CRUZ ('58): "Concerning my health, my doctor in Manila
advised me to stop all medication temporarily since March 14th. So far my blood
count has been normal and we will see how long this will last without
medication. The Brothers and the students and teachers in all our schools made a
novena for my cure through the intercession of Champagnat. God has been good
to me."
(from letter to Provincials from Br. Benito, S. G.)
FROM BR. RENE ROY ('60): Dear Marists All, I'm sure that by now word has
reached the Greater Marist Community that I was asked to come to Rwanda as
part of an institute wide effort to demonstrate total solidarity with this District of
Rwanda, which suffered immense losses during the diabolical four month
genocide of 1994. Five key men of the district, including the District Superior,
were mercilessly and needlessly massacred, as well as Brother Chris Mannion,
the Counselor General who came to lend a hand during the crisis.
I am growing to appreciate how traumatically these deaths have affected the
District. And I'm also coming to learn how the extensive loss of life has affected
the students sitting before me. They are beginning to confide in me that their
mother, their father, their older brothers ... were killed during the "Events." I am
amazed at their resiliency, but at the same time I see the tears well up as they
begin to talk more in detail. There is a lot left unresolved behind their
determined faces, naturally so. It's something that we must address if our
ministry is to "meet the needs of the people and of the times."
The grace of God works in marvelous ways. I feel akin to Elijah, who was
transported by the hair of his head to another location to serve as God's
instrument there, but God does not leave us orphans.That raven appears with the
daily ration of "nourishment" to sustain us. So, I'm fully engaged in teaching the
New Testament (in French) and eight classes of English. I'm continuing my
vocation work here with our Vocation Club, which looks very, very promising;
and I am moderator of the Legion of Mary. With so little to distract by way of
material goods, the students put their energy and creativity into their spiritual
lives and religious practice. Daily Mass is massively (no pun intended) attended.
Rosary is said daily by the legion with the younger children, and on Saturdays
the Brothers and most of the Catholic students say the Rosary together before
supper in the student chapel.
We have two choral groups who prepare for the Sunday liturgies, and there is
even a Charismatic Prayer Group. In this atmosphere and with such obvious love
of Mary, it's easy to talk Marist vocation. The blood of martyrs ...
Besides the enormous loss of life during the "war" there was a huge loss of what
little goods the families and the school had. People fled for their lives, leaving all
behind, and when they returned, they found that all had been stolen. So too with
our school books, typewriters, TV, VCR, and lab equipment. Here we are at the
threshold of the 21st century reduced to teaching with nothing more than a few
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texts (outdated ones at that) and pieces of chalk that disintegrate with the
slightest pressure. I've written to the Brothers, family, and friends for basic
material and for financial aid to help put us back in the educational ball park.(If
you wish to help, please send contributions throw the Marist Provincial Office in
Pelham, New York)
However, I'm especially addressing you with a request for information on
SCHOLARSHIPS, any leads from your connections. Rwandan students want to
pursue science and medicine, business management and accounting at American
colleges and universities.The Brothers tell me that their students have had no
trouble adapting to universities outside their country. They are intelligent, hard
working, and amazingly conscientious, up before 5 a.m. to study and do their
assignments. Because we follow the European system of six years of secondary,
our sixth form (last year) students are 21 and 22 years of age. They are willing to
endure years away from family and land, and are determined to return and work
for the good of their country. Thank you for helping in any way possible. Relay
any information through Brother Patrick McNamara, Marist Provincial Office, at
26 First Avenue, Pelham, New York, 10803.
FROM BR. MICHAEL BFRNARD ('29): A recent letter from Rene Roy
confirmed the fact that he has been informed by Br. Henry Sammon, Provincial
Treasurer, of the $3310 account that will be forwarded from our Rome mission
center. Rene asks that I extend sincerest thanks to all and that I be sure to assure
all of his prayers and those of the Brothers and students at the school in Rwanda.
With such a generous donation much good and urgent supplies will be realized.
May our dear Lord and His Blessed Mother continue to bless and protect all of
you.(Marist Brothers, P.O. Box 197, Esopus, N. Y. 12429)
FROM RICHARD (Gilbert Donateur) CONNOLLY ('52): Where does time go?
Just received Marists All and once, again savored the missives and the
memories. I've spent the last 18 years as teacher and administrator in high
schools in New York, New Jersey, and Miami, and I've enjoyed the experience
immensely. I'm retired now and turning 62 come March, receiving SSI widower
benefits and a small pension for 15 years spent in New Jersey. Not wealthy, but
certainly have enough for a retired "beach bum" to subsist comfortably. I live
two blocks from the ocean and one block from the intercoastal waterway. Love
it!
Raised three daughters alone (Jackie, now 26, and twins Kristen and Patrice, 25).
My wife Margaret died suddenly in '77 when the girls were 8 and 7. When such
happens, there are no alternatives; life must go on, and it did, but raising three
daughters kept me rather busy? I nearly remarried twice. One beautiful gal
passed away; the other had eight children and I had the three. Don't let anyone
tell you that it's cheaper by the dozen.
All children are grown and on their own now. I'm in Florida, she's in New York,
but still communicates. We anticipate a reunion. Best to all.Keep Marists All
coming.I truly enjoy it!(313 Hibiscus Ave. (#3), Pompano Beach, F1. 33062)
FROM RICH STANULWICH ('65): Brother Vinny Collela was an old classmate
and a friend. I was saddened some time ago to learn of his death. Vinny was
great on the handball court at Tyngsboro. He suggested that I volunteer to paint
the farmer's house so that we could talk to the farmer's daughters, probably the
downfall of my Marist vocation. God bless Vinny. Please pray for our work in
prisons. Those addicted, aged, disabled by whatever disease need our prayers.
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Forever in the Master. (150 Wilson Street, Beacon, New York, 12508; 914-831-
6126)
FROM BR. GERRY BRERETON ('59): A note of thanks for the latest edition of
the newsletter that you sent to me here in Mexico. I've been in Guadalajara since
November 10th and have visited half a dozen communities and schools in this
part of the country. Tomorrow I leave for one of the four Marist communities
among the Tarahumara, an indigenous people living in the mountains in the
Mexican state of Chihuahua. From early February until late June I will be at the
scholasticate in Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo. Thanks for all your efforts in putting
together Marists All. A blessed 1996! (Maristas, Castelar Pte. 2195, Col. Pio X,
4710 Monterrey, N. L. Mexico)
FROM BR. LEONARD VOEGTLE ('50): Good news! Volume one of the
province history is in print! It covers the years 1885 (when the first brothers
came from France to Canada) to 1911 (when Canada and the States became two
separate provinces). Entitled: Go to the land I Will Show You volume one
contains 200 pages of text and 16 of photos. It is available for $12 from either of
the provincial offices. And now for volume two ...
At the moment, I'm just home from Europe, where I once again led the brothers
from the English language Spiritual Renewal Center (aka Second Novitiate) in
Manziana, northeast of Rome, on their Champagnat pilgrimage into France. As
usual, we bussed from Manziana, with a lunch and sightseeing stop in Pisa, to
Carmagnola, just south of Turin, where the Italian province maintains St.
Josephts Distillery which produces "the spirit of the Institute" in the form of
Alpestre, Hermite, and several other liqueurs, for the benefit of the Marist
missions. Next morning, off again to Notre Dame de l'Hermitage where we spent
ten days visiting our Marist "shrines" the Hermitage itself; LeRosey where
Marcellin was born; the shrine of Our Iady in LePuy where Jean-Claude
Courveille received the inspiration to found a society of Mary; her shrine at
Fourviere in Lyons where Courveille, Marcellin, Colin, and a dozen of their
newly ordained companions consecrated themselves to Mary and to the project
of the Society; LaValla where Champagnat served as parish priest and founded
the congregation; LeBesset where he went on the sick call that galvanized him
into doing so on January 2, 1817; Marlhes where he opened our first school in
1819 and where the brothers are still teaching; LaChaperie where Pere
Champagnat and Brother Stanislas said their "Memorare in the snow" which
saved their lives; and St. Genis Laval which housed our general administration
prior to its transfer to Rome in 1961.
All of those places, especially those owned by the Marist Brothers have been
wonderfully restored and renovated in recent years, so they are much more
welcoming and inspiring than when many of us saw them for the first time in our
own Second Novitiate days 30 or 40 years ago!
For me now it's back to business as usual, which still includes my work at the
Newark diocesan marriage tribunal, and my ongoing translation of some of our
Marist heritage. Avis, Lecons, Sentences (the "Maxims of the Founder") is about
ready for the printer, as is the first volume of Brother Avitts annals, which he
compiled between 1884 and 1892. The three volumes cover the history of the
congregation from the beginning and the history of every Marist school which
existed during his lifetime. They are a great source of not only historical data,
but also of vignettes of the life and times of the early brothers, in all their
humanity!
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In Esopus the archives-to-be are just about ready for occupancy. The complex
includes the former sacristy of the main chapel in the former juniorate (Colonel
Payne's "power-house" and Marist Prep's first gym), the adjoining room, and the
attic above. I hope to move in the furniture and shelving, and then the scattered
cartons and files which now hold the archives, bit by bit during the spring and
the summer, so I can begin work in earnest in October. (I'd expected to begin
earlier, but I've been asked to lead another Champagnat pilgrimage in September
for a group of older brothers making what we refer to as the "Third Age"
program, a two month renewal experience.
As of July 1st, I'll be working only half-time at the tribunal (to earn my
"province assessment"). I anticipate alternating two-week stretches there and in
the archives. All for now. Hope your spring and summer will be safe and
pleasant. (1241 Kennedy Boulevard, Bayonne, N. J. 07002)
FROM DAVID KAMMER: Thanks to the people at the Poughkeepsie Provincial
Office, I have a copy of Leonard's recently published first volume of the history
of the Marist Brothers in North America. It covers from the first foundations in
Iberville, Canada, (1885) and in Lewiston, Maine, (1886) to the split into
provinces of Canada and United States (1911). It is difficult, in the space left, to
tell you how enthused I have been in reading about unknown happenings before
my time, about great Brothers known only in name and reputation, about
venerable Brothers well known and loved, about conditions and customs of
yesteryear. This volume is a wonderful contribution to understanding our
background, to understanding who we are. I'm sure you will be rewarded in
reading it. Esopus Provincial Office, 1741 Kennedy Blvd., Bayonne, N. J.
07002-2286 Poughkeepsie Provincial Office, 28 First Avenue, Pelham, N. Y.
10803-1452.
FROM TOM FAHEY (Esopus '57): I had the happy occasion to talk with John
Wilcox recently. He informed me about Marists.All. Could I request becoming a
subscriber/recipient of a publication that would put me back in touch with the
Marist Brothers. Memories of Marist Prep where I was a student from
September 1954 to January 1957 continue to remihd me of the great guys and
Brothers I lived with those wonderful two and a half years of my life. Please let
me know how I can get Marists All. For starters, where in Massachusetts does a
great guy by the name of Ray Landry live? (Follow-up letter) I began this first
day of May, the month of renewal, hope, and Mary, with an enjoyable walk;
among my thoughts were the people of Marists All. Thanks to you I've been
reconnected to a time in my life when all I needed in my pocket was a Rosary.
I've located and called Ray Landry.He remembered me and we talked on and on
about our fortunate lives.We learned that one thing we have in common is that
the first born of our four children has Down's Syndrome, his daughter Christina,
my son Tom; they continue to enrich our lives with joy. I would love to read all
past issues of Marists All. That might be a burdensome request, so please do
send me issues of men from the 50's and 60's. God bless and thanks. 1488-A
Grafton Road, Millbury, Ma.. 01527)
P I C N I C
One week later than usual - September 21st
The annual Greater Marist Community picnic, held in many recent years at Mt.
St. Michael in the Bronx, is now scheduled for one week later than usual -
therefore, September 21st. More in the August issue.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is our 35th issue of Marists All. We are in our tenth year
of publication.We have had write-ups from 218 of the 496 people who are on our
mailing list. What can we do, what can you do, to get our other friends to help
enliven our newsletter? We need material for the next issue; we will be putting it
all together in early August. We do appreciate all the help we get! Mail to: Gus
Nolan, % Marist College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 12603, or to David Kammer, R.R.
2 - Box 3300, Oakland, Maine, 04963 (summer)
SPIRITUALITY Need a short, pleasant, helpful refresher for your spirituality?
Try Never Alone by Joseph Girzone of Joshua fame. Paperback, 1995, Image
Books
ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS?
