CUA Commencement Weekend

This past weekend The Catholic University of America observed its 123rd Commencement Exercises and I was awarded the Master of Arts in History.  Most of the commencement events took place at the beautiful Basilican Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, including the Baccalaureate Mass on Friday evening.

After concelebrating the Mass my parents and I enjoyed dinner at Ray's The Classics with my fellow Holy Cross priest and friend Fr. Terry Ehrman, C.S.C. who was also graduating from CUA with his doctorate in Theology.

Here Fr. Terry and I can be seen in our respective Doctoral and Masters robes and hoods, both of us sporting the distinctive Holy Cross biretta with the academic tassel instead of the more usual pom. It was certainly a great gift to have Fr. Terry with me in D.C. for three of my four semesters, and sharing our commencement made graduation an extra special experience.

Saturday morning's weather for the Commencement could not have been better: bright sun, warm but not hot, and without any humid whatsoever. Against the backdrop of the East Entrance of the Basilica Shrine, University President John Garvey, and University Chancellor Donald Cardinal Wuerl presided at the ceremonies.

This year's commencement speaker was Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and University Alumnus and Trustee.  He was his usual charming and jovial self keeping the crowd laughing with self-depricating humor and a bit of superman frivolity with his ferriola.

Cadinal Dolan gave an excellent address touching on some of the serious issues of the day, including the fight for religious freedom, but highlighting the special calling of Catholic universities.  I was particularly pleased that the Cardinal used a reference to a fellow Staten Islander in a most touching part of his speech.  His full address can be read here.

After the University-wide exercises each College separated for its own diploma distribution ceremony where each graduate's name was read and they got their chance to "walk."

Later that evening, Mom, Dad, and I enjoyed dinner at Virtue Feed and Grain in Old Town Alexandria and then met Bobbie and Jess for deserts at Buzz in Ballston.

Altogether it was a wonderful weekend. My work will continue at CUA through the summer, however. I have planned several research projects for myself and hope to make use of the archives and library on campus until I move to Columbia sometime in August. Ever onward!

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (B)

A little over a month ago, I made my first ever visit to New Orleans, Louisiana.  I have had a kind of love affair with New Orleans ever since I wrote my undergraduate thesis on one of the heroic archbishops of that city.  And of course, I’ve also been emotionally attached to New Orleans because of the Holy Cross history in that city.

But I never made it down for a visit before Hurricane Katrina struck the city, and afterwards I frankly wondered how much of the city’s tradition and charm would survive.

Indeed, throughout my visit to New Orleans there were any number of times when the specter of Katrina hung over a site I was seeing or a conversation I was having.  You can’t go very far in New Orleans without seeing or hearing something that marks time and change by reference to that terrible event.

But after spending my week visiting historical sites, eating fabulous food, listening to wonderful jazz music, and even attending a few (family friendly) Mardi Gras parades, I can tell you that the city is doing quite well.

I was struck by the determination and resolve that New Orleanians have shown, and are continuing to display, in resuming their lives and rebuilding their city.  In particular I was struck by several stories I heard about the first Mardi Gras season after the storm. 

After seeing first-hand just how much fun and celebration goes into Mardi Gras in New Orleans, I couldn’t imagine how so many of the parade organizers, who would themselves have lost property and maybe even loved ones, could have wanted to celebrate during that first season back.

What I was told, though, was that most of the krewes had even greater enthusiasm for Mardi Gras than usual, because in the midst of their trial and suffering, it was a reminder of joy and a much-needed celebration of life.  I suppose in light of your assembly theme, we might say that these New Orleanians were participating in an uprising of hope!

Well, here we are halfway through our Lenten observance.  If we’ve been taking this season of repentance seriously, we’ve been enduring the admittedly small suffering of no chocolate, or no wine, or whatever sacrifice we’ve made.  And we should also have been examining our conscience, and frankly coming to a greater awareness of our own weakness and sinfulness. 

Today’s responsorial Psalm, sung by the Israelites while they were in bondage in Babylon, captures some sense of the despondency we might be tempted to feel as we face suffering and sin.  We might find ourselves sitting, weeping, unable to rise, to sing of, or believe in, God’s love for us.

But Lent’s spirit of confession and penance is not at all meant to make us despondent.  Even in our weakness and sinfulness we are never without the hope of God’s mercy and forgiveness.  And so even in the midst of Lent, like those Mardi Gras revelers after Hurricane Katrina, the Church gives us this Laetare – or Rejoice – Sunday; an uprising of hope to remind us of joy and to reaffirm life! 

Our readings are all strong reminders of how God’s mercy and love raise us up from despondency and despair and restore us to hope and the fullness of life.  They all comfort us with the assurance that no matter what the circumstance of our lives, we can have the confidence and joy that comes from knowing our God goes with us.

In our first reading from the Book of Chronicles, we hear of God ending Israel’s captivity in Babylon.  Despite the people’s sinfulness, and the destruction it necessarily led to, God had remained ever faithful to Israel.  All the while He was preparing His people’s salvation – and so just as Jeremiah had foretold, King Cyrus of Persia releases Israel from bondage and begins to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem.

“Whoever, therefore, among you belongs to any part of His people,” Cyrus declares, “let him go up, and may his God be with him.”

Our Gospel and our second reading make clear that this is precisely what has happened for us through Christ Jesus.  We too have been lifted up, we have been restored to life by God’s merciful love, and we too encounter Him along the way because He has gone up with us!

St. Paul reminds the Ephesians: “Even when we were dead in our transgressions, God brought us to life with Christ, raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavens.”

In the Gospel, Jesus reminds Nicodemus of Israel’s forty years in the desert, and how the deadly seraph serpents attacked the people.  God told Moses to make a bronze serpent, mount it on a pole and raise it up before the people.  And whoever looked on it did not die, but lived.

And so Jesus says of Himself: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.”

Dear sisters, in Christ God has stooped down – has joined us in the realm of suffering and death, precisely so that He might raise us up with Himself to new life.  When He is nailed to, and physically raised up on the Cross, it is precisely in the moment of suffering and seeming defeat that He in fact triumphs over sin and death and is spiritually raised up to glory by His heavenly Father.  The dual meaning of “raised up” is quite purposeful!

And since, by Baptism, we have been incorporated into and made a part of the body of Christ, we know that He is with us in every trial we face – in all of our suffering – and He raises us up with Himself to new life and joy.

Perhaps the greatest thing I did while I was in New Orleans was to visit our Holy Cross School.  You all know that in the early years of that mission our community in New Orleans was devastated by cholera, yellow fever, and malaria. The city suffered under the Union blockade during the Civil War and more than once the community considered withdrawing from the city.

And again in 2005 withdrawing seemed almost certain when Hurricane Katrina devastated the original campus and buildings of the school.  But just a few years later here I was touring the school’s brand new campus and meeting some of its students, who now number almost as many as they did before the storm.

And the headmaster, Charlie DiGange, showed me the posters they had made explaining to all who walk the halls of that school, how it is that they were able to accomplish such a miraculous rebirth.  The posters very simply show the face of our Holy Founder, and reprint what he wrote to the New Orleans community in the late 1850s:

“I have followed your progress in mind and heart all along and if there is one place in which I am deeply interested, and for which I have great affection, it is most certainly New Orleans. This place has experienced various kinds of hardships from the day of its foundation, but that is proof that it will also become a place of great blessing.”

Dear Sisters, this is what it means to have an uprising of hope!  This is what it means to celebrate Laetare Sunday!  In the midst of Lent, in the midst of whatever crosses we may carry, we celebrate the fact that “by grace, we have been saved through faith.”  We renew our confidence that we been raised up to glory with Christ, just as surely as we have been raised up with Him on the cross. 

And so in this Eucharist we now make our thanksgiving to God who “so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.”

This homily was given at the regional Assembly for the Sisters of the Holy Cross at the Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, Maryland.  Once I finish comprehensive exams I might actually get around to posting some pictures and stories from the fabulous trip I reference in the homily!

A Priest's Chalice

The Catholic New York has a lovely little piece on New York's recent commemoration of the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001. The article briefly explains the story behind the chalice that Archbishop Dolan used in the memorial Mass he celebrated at St. Peter's Parish just blocks from the site of the World Trade Center. Go check it out.

Pikes Peak: America the Beautiful

I spent the July 4th weekend in Colorado Springs, to celebrate the wedding of my friends John and Erin. John is fellow Domer and we were flatmates during our semester abroad in London. Erin is originally from Woodland Park, Colorado the town just up the pass from Colorado Springs and our Holy Cross novitiate in Cascade. Erin's home parish, Our Lady of the Woods, hosted all of the wedding guests for a wonderful Sunday evening Mass, at which I was honored to preside, and then at a lovely rehearsal dinner.

On the 4th itself, we gathered for the wedding Mass at Colorado Springs' Cathedral of St. Mary, and then for a reception at the lovely Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. I don't yet have any pictures from the wedding day but I'll post any that come my way.

It was certainly fitting to spend Independence Day in the shadow of Pikes Peak, as the lyrics of America the Beautiful were originally penned by Katharine Lee Bates as a poem entitled Pikes Peak. I'm not sure that the mountains were purple while I was there, but they certainly were majestic. 

I stayed in Cascade with our Holy Cross novices and had the chance to hike a bit with Dave, Chris, and Chase: three of the men who will profess first vows on July 30th! Congratulations to them and their classmates - they are a fabulous group!

While I was visiting, I was also able to help Fr. Kevin, our novicemaster, select a few shrubs to plant in front of the main house. In my days in Cascade, there was a rather unsightly greenhouse attached to the front of the building which has now been removed. Planting these bushes will, I am sure, slightly soften the effect of the otherwise beautiful brick facade.

Being a hardworking lot, the novices made quick work of the project and we were able to survey our handiwork by the end of the afternoon work period. 

Other than some travel fun with United Airlines the weekend was perfect and I look forward to visiting John and Erin in their new home in Brooklyn, and to visiting the novitiate again this fall!

Fr. Mulcahy's Technical Advisor

Those who know me well may recall that I am a big fan of the television show M*A*S*H. It would be an exaggeration to say that Capt. Fr. Francis John Patrick Mulcahy was an inspiration to my becoming a priest - but not a gross exaggeration. It's fair to say that I always found that character to be deeply compelling, a kind model for priesthood, and thus an icon of the good work that priests can do especially in circumstances that most cry out for healing.

Unlike the vast majority of television shows since, the writers of M*A*S*H always did an excellent job of making Fr. Mulcahy human, without making him lose his vocation, his faith, or his morals. They also seemed to get a great deal right when it came to the 'jargon' and the 'trappings' of the priesthood and the Church. 

Well, it turns out that the writers of M*A*S*H likely had a Holy Cross priest to thank for helping shape Fr. Mulcahy's character. I learned today that Fr. Frank Toste, C.S.C. passed away, and although I never met the man, and don't know much else about him except what I read in his obituary, I learned there that he served as the technical advisor to William Christopher on the set of M*A*S*H. He is seen here on the set with the cast:

The obituary also states that Fr. Toste taught in Holy Cross high schools for many years, but was also an avid stage and screen participant, holding certificates in Cinema from the School of Cinema/Television at the University of Southern California and the Feagin School of Drama and Radio in New York City. Apparently, he had a speaking role in "Love Story," appeared in "Oliver’s Story," and was also therefore a long-term member of the Screen Actors Guild.

It's nice to know that even in this most obscure fashion, Holy Cross priests were helping shape my vocation from an early stage. May he rest in peace.

UPDATE:  Others are also remembering and thanking Fr. Toste in articles, comments, and blog posts.

News of My Demise ...

... has been greatly exaggerated. Though word of my hard-drive's demise are entirely accurate! I'll get to that in a moment.

Since the end of the semester I've spent the majority of my time away from Washington, away from studies, and obviously enough, away from the blog. I've been SO busy that I haven't even had the time to blog about my adventures!

Right after I finished up the last paper of the semester, I drove to Staten Island for a week of R&R with Mom and Dad. My itinerary was decidedly low-key and I enjoyed the unstructured time with my family. I then drove from Staten Island to Notre Dame, where I spent a week doing research in the library and in the University Archives.

My research this summer will focus on Catholic Boy Magazine which was published by the Holy Cross Fathers from 1947 to 1970.  There are several interesting angles I'm contemplating for my study, but the topic that first interested me is what the young male readers of this magazine were being told about the qualities required in a Catholic man. The wonderful cover art produced by Charles Kerins is itself a fabulous source for such an investigation.

While in South Bend, I also had the chance to catch up with a few friends. Most especially, I spent some great time with my classmates Frs. Pete and Jim ... and together, we traveled to Chicago to see the Cubs and the Mets at Wrigley. We were hosted by my friend Kirk who is a doctoral candidate at Notre Dame.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn't exactly cooperative ...

Between Kirk on the left, and Jim on the right, you can see that Pete needed to find a Snuggie to get through the game! Then to add insult to injury, the lowly Cubs beat up on the even more lowly Mets. On the way home to South Bend, Jim, Pete and I took solace and warmth in a cocktail or two, and in a fabulous Chicago style pizza!

After my time in South Bend, I returned to Bethesda were I continued my rather intensive work with Catholic Boy Magazine. I also had the privilege of concelebrating the Wedding Mass of two of my fellow graduate students at Catholic University. Seth and Mary are both doctoral candidates in the history department and have been so welcoming to me in my first here at CUA. It was a very happy occasion to celebrate with them.

After the wedding, I was back on the road for a few more days vacation and then for lots of community meetings. I joined three C.S.C. friends, Frs. Gerry, Nate, and Steve for some days of vacation on the Jersey Shore. We had an absolute blast relaxing on the beach, swimming, and visiting Atlantic City and Cape May. The weather was absolutely perfect and the beaches were gorgeous. I even beat the guys in miniature golf!

Unfortunately, all of the wonderful pictures I took were lost when my hard-drive crashed a few days ago. The pictures you've enjoyed here come to us courtesy of Fr. Nate.  Thankfully, I didn't lose any of my academic files or homilies, and the lovely people at the Apple Store here in Bethesda had me back up and running with a new hard-drive in a matter of minutes. I then retrieved all of my data, other than those vacation pictures, from my back-up external hard drive. So, in the end it wasn't a disaster, but it was a great reminder to keep backing up regularly!

Our vacation in Stone Harbor, N.J. was followed by Baby Priest Camp. If you can't recall what that's all about, you can refresh your memory here. My classmates and I have been ordained for four years now, so we are among the "senior" members of the group - which is really crazy to imagine! It was wonderful to be with such a great group of guys.

After a weekend in LaPore, we all drove to Notre Dame to join with all the other members of the Indiana and Eastern Provinces of the Congregation for an Assembly.  Every five years all the members of the Province gather for a "family reunion" involving prayer, a few conferences, lots of food and drink, with a premium on time to relax and to reconnect with "family members" we sometimes go a long time without seeing.

This year, our Assembly marked the merging of two Provinces: the Indiana and Eastern Provinces will become the United States Province of Priests and Brothers on July 1st, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. You can read more about the Assembly here.

Finally, at the conclusion of our Assembly I made yet one more day-long drive across I-80 and returned to Staten Island for Father's Day weekend.  This trip made it possible for me to attend a family reunion for my Mom's side of the family, to attend the Presidential Dinner for Holy Cross High School in Queens, N.Y. where my friend Fr. Walter Jenkins, C.S.C. is taking over the presidency, and finally to celebrate Mom's last day of teaching before her well-deserved retirement!

It might be a little bit of a stretch to say that I felt guilty about all of this time away from work, but I definitely did feel a bit out-of-sorts after awhile, and I am glad to be back into a routine. Back in D.C. I'm continuing to work on my Catholic Boy project, and I'm also trying to bone up on my French to fulfill one of the requirements of my graduate program. But I promise that there'll be some more summer fun to report on in the days ahead! ;)

Back in the Saddle after Break

It was nice to have a homily to post this weekend after several weeks of not preaching due to several weeks of Cardinal's Appeal here in the Archdiocese, and my own spring break travels . . .

Two weeks ago, at the beginning of spring break, I drove home to Staten Island with Brendan, Andrea, and their friend Scott, so that we could attend the Staten Island St. Patrick's Day parade. I hadn't been to the parade in years, and it was great to be back. Despite some rain early - and later - in the day, we did pretty well during the parade itself.

I always enjoy the bagpipe bands the most . . .

and it was nice to see my alma mater's marching band still looking and sounding so good:

After the parade, the highlight of the day was seeing so many family members at the post-parade party. It was great to be able to catch up in a relaxed and festive atmosphere. 

On Monday we returned to D.C., but after just twenty four hours I flew from Dulles to Colorado Springs where I spent the rest of the week at the Holy Cross Novitiate in Marigreen Pines.

I was invited by our novice-master Fr. Kevin Russeau, csc to give a series of conferences on the history of religious life, from its beginnings in the Apostolic era, through medieval monasticism, the mendicant reformers, the apostolic orders until today. I certainly learned a great deal myself as I was researching and organizing my presentation, and I look forward to returning next year to hone my presentations with next year's class!

It was great to be among the Holy Cross novices - they're a great group, including several alums of Old College whom I've had the pleasure of knowing since their freshman year - and we were joined by a group of Dominican novices from Denver who share monthly workshops or outings with our gang. 

But it was especially nice to be able to spend time with Fr. Kevin with whom I had the pleasure of working last year at Old College. I was very grateful for the chance to share prayer, faith, and fun with a great friend. We took several hikes during my stay, including one at the famous Garden of the Gods . . .

and we also spent an afternoon touring the United States Air Force Academy. I had visited once before, but I was happy to return to see the renowned Academy Chapel . . . 

While we were there we also had the pleasure of witnessing a rite of passage for the first year cadets, who marched out of the hills, organized into their platoons, as we were enjoying the views of the quad from the chapel plaza . . . 

The first year cadets marched onto the quad above, where the upper class members of their platoons had gathered in ranks. Although we weren't entirely sure what the ceremony involved, we learned later that the general point was that these first years were now officially considered cadets, would be moving on to the second year, and could for the first time be spoken to and referred to by their first names. The whole experience was fascinating and rekindled my long standing interest in military chaplaincy.

I returned to Washington after a busy week of spring break, and hit the ground running. With four classes this semester I have plenty of work to do before the end the semester. Between now and the end of April, I'll be ensconced here at the parish, and in the archives and library!

March for Life 2011

Not that you'd know this from the national press coverage, but two weeks ago over four hundred thousand Americans gathered on the Mall in Washington, D.C. for the annual March for Life. I was among the marchers again this year, and once again joined with over three hundred and fifty Notre Dame students who made the long bus trip from South Bend.

On Sunday evening, Fr. Jim Gallagher, Fr. Terry Ehrman and I concelebrated the Vigil for Life at the Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Last year, I was lucky enough to land a seat directly behind the Shrine's Rector and the concelebrating bishops. This year, I may have gotten an even better seat: we concelebrated from the first row of chairs on the top step of the high altar. This gave us an even better view of the thousands of young people that packed the Basilica for the Mass.

On Monday morning, after saying a morning Mass for Life for the students of Little Flower School (the pastor and associate pastor were at the Verizon Center for the jam-packed Archdiocesan Mass) I took the Metro from CUA to the Mall. As you can see, I was there a bit early . . . 

. . . so I spent some time touring, and warming up inside, the Smithsonian Castle. Later on I met up with the Notre Dame and Holy Cross College contingents, and especially with the seminarians from Old College and Moreau Seminary. On a personal level, the real highlight of the weekend was having the chance to see so many brothers in Holy Cross, from the seminarians, to my classmate Fr. Jim, and my former rector Fr. Bill. Old Collegians Brian, John, Karl, and Karlo even made the trip out to Little Flower for Mass on Sunday morning. I was very proud to be able to introduce them to the parishioners here.  

The award for the most interesting sign of the day goes to this banner, thanking the Holy Father for writing the document that will allow former Anglicans to come into full communion with the Church, while maintaining much of their liturgical tradition.

After the March Fr. Jim hung around D.C. for a few days to meet with several young men who are discerning a vocation to the Congregation of Holy Cross. I've had the privilege of meeting with many of them myself, this past semester, and they are a great bunch. Jim and I also had the chance to do some sightseeing together . . . more on that in a bit . . .

A Wonderful Day for the Congregation of Holy Cross

Earlier today in Rome, our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI canonized Brother André Bessette as the first saint of the Congregation of Holy Cross!

Saint André was born Alfred Bessette in Quebec, Canada on August 9, 1845. He suffered from chronic stomach ailments that often kept him from school and work. By the time he was twelve both of his parents had died and he began working in various farms, factories and trades.

Because of his poor health, the Congregation was reluctant to accept him. But in 1870 he entered the novitiate with a letter of recommendation from his home pastor, which stated: “I am sending you a saint.”

Brother André served for forty years as the doorkeeper of the Congregation’s college in Montreal and his hospitality often entailed spending much of the day praying with and consoling the poor and sick. Numerous healings began being reported and the number of visitors swelled. But André always told his visitors to “go to Joseph” and denied that he had anything to do with the healings, saying: “I am nothing – only a lowly instrument at the service of St. Joseph.” Andre saw the value of suffering that is united with the suffering of Christ and he taught his visitors to pray with confidence and perseverance, saying that in praying “one speaks to God as one speaks to a friend.”

With the help of his many friends, André began construction of a church in honor of St. Joseph. Completed only after André’s death, the Oratory of St. Joseph on Mount Royal in Montreal is Canada’s largest church and still welcomes over two million visitors a year.

André died on January 6, 1937 and over a million people braved a blizzard to attend his funeral. On May 23, 1982 when Venerable Pope John Paul II declared Brother André to be Blessed, he said: “a daily crowd of the sick, the afflicted, the poor of all kinds came to André. They found in his presence a welcome ear, comfort and faith in God. Do not the poor of today have as much need of such love, of such hope, of such education in prayer?"

There are many wonderful resources I am happy to direct you to, if you're interested in learning more about Saint André of Montreal, or want to see pictures and videos from the canonization.

My brothers in the Vocations Office have created a canonization web-page, and also have stories and reflections posted on their blog, and pictures from Rome in their Flickr page.  The Knights of Columbus have quite a spread on Saint Andre, including a novena and a video on his life. Salt and Light Television out of Canada also has a lovely video as well as excellent essays by Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB as well as our very own Fr. Drew Gawrych, CSC.  Fr. Michael Wurtz, CSC was at the canonization Mass with a number of our confreres from around the world, and he'll be posting photos and reflections at his blog.  From South Bend, Today's Catholic has an article featuring some of our priests and colleagues in ministry - and from Portland, comes Fr. Ron Raab, CSC's webpage on Saint Andre, as well as an article in the Catholic Sentinel, and a letter from Archbishop John Vlazny.

I'm also happy to share the section of our Holy Father's homily for the canonization Mass that refers to Saint André:

Brother André Bessette, born in Quebec, in Canada, and a religious of the Congregation of Holy Cross, knew suffering and poverty very early in life. This led him to turn to God for prayer and an intense interior life. Doorman at the Notre Dame College in Montreal, he showed boundless charity and did everything possible to soothe the despair of those who confided in him. With little instruction, he nevertheless understood what was essential to his faith. For him, to believe meant to submit freely and lovingly to Divine Will. Everything existed through the mystery of Jesus, he lived the beatitude of the pure of heart, that of personal rectitude. It is thanks to this simplicity, he showed many God. He had the Saint Joseph Oratory of Mont Royal built, where he was the faithful guardian until his death in 1937. There, he was the witness of many healings and conversions. “Do not try to have your trials taken away from you”, he said, “rather, ask for the grace to endure them well”. For him, everything spoke of God and His presence. May we, following his example, search for God with simplicity to discover Him always present in the core of our lives! May the example of Brother André inspire Canadian Christian life! 

This morning, before departing South Bend (more on my trip later) I ducked into the Saint André Chapel at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on campus at Notre Dame. It was so wonderful to pray there this morning, sharing in the joy of my brothers and sisters in Holy Cross throughout the world. Later in the day, it was particularly special to be able to say for the first time the name of St. André of Montreal in the Eucharistic Prayer of Mass.

Please join me in thanking God for giving us André Bessette as an intercessor in heaven and as a guide here on earth of obedience, prayer, and compassionate service to the poor. St. André Bessette of Montreal, pray for us!

St. Joseph's Humble Servant

Next month in Rome, Blessed Andre Bessette, C.S.C. will be canonized by Pope Benedict XVI and become the first saint of the Congregation of Holy Cross and the first Canadian-born male saint.

Colombia Magazine, the magazine of the Knights of Columbus has a cover article on Brother Andre this month. Over the next several weeks, I'm sure we'll be seeing more and more articles and reports on this great saint-to-be, and I'll forward along the best of them.

One spot to keep an eye on is the Spes Unica Blog, now moderated by Fr. Drew Gawrych, C.S.C. of our Vocation Office.  There's an article there, as well, by Fr. Steve Lacroix, C.S.C., Fr. Drew's classmate and the new Director of the Old College Seminary Program.  Great work guys!

A Fond Farewell

Before I departed Notre Dame for Bethesda, I had an enjoyable week of goodbyes with friends and confreres . . . at least as enjoyable as goodbyes can be!

I was especially glad to have one last Mass at Holy Cross College and to have the chance to say farewell to Andrew and Dre Polaniecki. I was also honored to preside at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart for the Feast of the Assumption.

Of the many things I'll miss from my year at Notre Dame I will most miss the chance to live and work in the same place as my three wonderful classmates! Who knows when or if this will ever be the case again. Throughout the year we made a point of getting together regularly for a class dinner. I was glad to have one last chance for a meal together, and then for a leisurely stroll around the campus. Thanks guys!

I will also miss terribly the wonderful seminarians I was privileged to work with this past year. I was glad that before I left South Bend I had the chance to see them as they returned to campus for their orientation retreat. I joined the finally professed community of South Bend at a special dinner at our La Porte Center where the seminarians were finishing their retreat and readying themselves for the year ahead. What a wonderfully hopeful sight to see so many men in our formation programs! Please join me in praying for the success of their studies and discernment.

We enjoyed a social and dinner together, and later in the evening were treated to fireworks and a bonfire.

Though I am definitely not known as much of a fashion-plate, I got loads of comments about my University of Portland Hawaiian shirt . . . and most of them were positive ;) The shirt was a gift from my friends in the UP Alumni Office and whatever the reactions I was proud to represent the Pilots!

The next morning I was on the road by 7 a.m. and made it to Bethesda by dinner time. The rest of the week has been spent unpacking and settling in. In my next post I'll have some pictures and details about my new abode hear in the Beltway!

Land O Lakes

My last bit of summer fun before the start of school came with my return to the Midwest. After flying back from Portland, Frs. Greg Haake and Michael Wurtz joined me for the drive north to the University of Notre Dame's property in Land O' Lakes, Wisconsin.

The past week was spent sitting on that dock there, enjoying the warm dry air and the fabulous sun!

When I wasn't reading, I simply enjoyed the view, listened to some music and soaked up the sun. When I was reading, I read two books I received as gifts from a good friend who also happens to be one of our newest Holy Cross seminarians . . .  "One Step Closer" is a theological examination of the deeply Christian world-view that saturates the lyrics of U2.  "Conformed to Christ Crucified" is a collection of homilies on the priesthood by Fr. Joseh Carola, S.J. Both books were excellent and provided lots of food for thought and prayer, and thus brought a retreat-like feel to my time in Land O' Lakes.

Every afternoon during our stay the gang shared Mass, social and supper, and then either hit the lakes for fishing, or the porch for cigar smoking and games. I stayed away from fishing and cigars, but was happy to influence the selection of games. In the past, cribbage and hearts have ruled the day - but I hate card games. So I was pleased that the brethren humored me and played lots of Scrabble this time!

We also enjoyed several after dinner cruises on the pontoon boat. One of the many joys of Land O' Lakes is that it brings together a diverse groups of CSCs from across several different age groups . . . the oldest of whom remember a time when Holy Cross owned the property and it housed the seminary formation programs during the summer months.

The weather all week was terrific, but there was one good storm during our visit. We were out on the lake as it came up and we smartly moved the party back to land as it approached.

The storm produced a beautiful rainbow. Although this picture doesn't quite capture it, the rainbow was in fact a double rainbow . . . though it wasn't quite "double all the way."  

As always my time in Land O Lakes was fabulously restful - a wonderful time of relaxation, community and prayer. Now I'll have ten days on campus at Notre Dame before I set sail for Maryland! It should be more than enough time to run some errands, pack my few remaining belongings, and say some goodbyes.

New Superior General

Word has arrived from the General Chapter in Rome that Fr. Richard Warner, CSC has been elected Superior General of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Among many other roles, Fr. Warner has served as the director of Campus Ministry at the University of Notre Dame for the past twenty plus years. As such he was my boss when I served as a Campus Ministry Intern upon graduating from Notre Dame. Fr. Warner succeeds Fr. Hugh Cleary, CSC and will become the 12th superior general of the Congregation. Prayerful best wishes to Fr. Warner and his administration in their important work of shepherding our international community.

Priestly Fraternity

Throughout this past year, I've had the pleasure of participating in a faith-sharing group with a number of my brother Holy Cross priests. All of these men are assigned to Notre Dame or to neighboring parishes, and all have been ordained within the last eight years.

There were, in fact, so many of us interested in such fraternal support that we had two groups. We called ourselves the Cavanaugh and Nieuwland groups, as the respective rooms we met in were named for these famous Holy Cross priests.

At the end of the fall semester, and again at the end of the academic year, both of the groups gathered at our La Porte Center for some time away together. Fr. Tom Eckert, csc provided wonderful steaks for our evening meal and can be seen here working with Fr. Greg Haake, csc in the kitchen:

After all the Sunday Masses were complete, and the local priests had spent time with their moms for Mother's Day, we had an evening social . . .

and dinner:

After cleaning up, a couple guys had to head back to South Bend for late night Masses on campus or for commitments early the next morning. But a number of us were able to relax and enjoy great conversation late into the evening and to spend the night in La Porte. In the morning we had Mass together, went out for breakfast at a local diner, and then slowly made our way back home.

Sharing faith and ministry with these brothers has been a real highlight of the year for me, and I will undoubtedly miss this fraternity while I am away in graduate school. Thankfully, before I head to D.C. I'll have another chance to gather with some of these men in La Porte . . . in June, all of the men ordained five years or less will gather for the "Early Years Workshop," more affectionately known as, "Baby Priests' Camp!"

Gone Golfing

Yesterday was the last day of classes at the University of Notre Dame, and though our confreres at Holy Cross College still had a few classes to get through today, a good number of the men in formation spent this morning participating in the annual Moreau Seminary Golf Scramble.

Held at the University's Warren Golf Course, this best-ball tournament is a great opportunity for the youngest members of our community to mix with a great cross-section of the finally professed community - perhaps especially with a number of our men who are semi-retired.

I was paired with Old Collegian Mike Palmer (below), Candidate seminarian Tim Mouton (seen at the tee below) and Fr. Chuck Lavely, CSC who serves as the Assistant Superior of Holy Cross House, our community nursing home.

We had a great time together, and our play complimented each other perfectly: when one person was struggling, someone else stepped up and hit the shot we needed. I was particularly pleased to have contributed well after taking a year and half long hiatus from the links. On the 16th hole, a 270 yard hole which we parred, our team used all four of my strokes!

When everyone had finished their round, we gathered at the lovely Warren Grille for lunch out on the back patio, overlooking the 18th green.

With study days just under way, and finals to commence on Monday, this was a great way to celebrate the end of another successful semester and to enjoy the lovely spring weather we've been having.