1915 - 2004
SMALL IN STATURE BUT
MIGHTY WITH IMPACT
Medard Buvala, 88 – known as a mentor, wisdom-figure,
and friend to so many current and former friars and to innumerable lay people to
whom he ministered – welcomed Sister Death on Saturday, July 17, 2004, in the
infirmary, known as Loretto Home, of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis in
Springfield, Illinois.
After
no significant recovery resulted from the surgery on June 28 to clean and close
the open wound in his chest, Med let it be known that we was more than ready to
wait for Christ to come and to put his hands into the hand of the Good
Shepherd.
Deciding
not to have a further surgery and refusing all medication except to relieve
pain, he indicated that he did not wish any further treatment to be done for
him.
For
the last week of his earthly life he moved in and out of a coma. As the end
came near, his brother Andy Buvala
celebrated with him the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.
Med
was born on December 19, 1915 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later the
family moved to Ashland, Wisconsin. He professed his solemn vows as a
Franciscan in 1940 in Teutopolis and was ordained a priest in 1943.
After
completing the so-called “simplex year” in which he had to finish his studies
in theology while offering limited supply ministry in the east-central portion
of Illinois, he was first assigned to St. Augustine’s in Chicago in 1944 and
then to Bastrop in Louisiana.
In
1945 he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and spent three years in St. John’s
Sanitarium outside of Springfield, Illinois.
Throughout
a significant portion of the rest of his career he ministered in various
parishes throughout the province: Sacred Heart in Indianapolis, St. Agnes in
Ashland, St. Francis in Petoskey (MI), and St. Anthony’s and St. Joseph’s
outside of Quincy. For the last 15 years he has been at St. John’s in Joliet.
Between
1960 and 1969 Medard provided a formative influence to the young friars preparing
for final vows and sacred orders. First, while living at St. Joseph Seminary in
Teutopolis, he continued his pastoral work at St. Rose’s in Montrose and at St.
Anthony Hospital in Effingham, while serving in roles of leadership for the
friar community. Then for a year he lived at Our Lady of Angels in Cleveland,
serving as the director of the pastoral internship program and caring for the
Poor Clares of Rocky River.
Med’s
gentle spirit, dry sense of humor, pastoral sensitivity, and deep gospel spirituality
had a strong impact on the lives of the friars and on the post-Vatican-II
renewal of Sacred Heart Province.
His
influence was most significant during his time in Teutopolis, Ashland, and
Petoskey when he “preached” by his deeds how to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ
in simplicity, compassion, and dialogue and how to proclaim the Good News by
liturgy, scriptural studies, and caring outreach.
Since
then he has become a wisdom-figure for the members of the province particularly
in the authenticity of the Franciscan charism and the effectiveness in pastoral
ministry.
Any
man in formation in the province between 1960 and 1969 – whether he remains as
a member of Sacred Heart Province or has pursued another career in life – was
shaped by this man’s modeling of conviction and integrity, motivating with
sincerity and credibility, and ministering in compassion for people and passion
for the Gospel. A great testimony to this reality was the great number of
friars and former friars who turned out for the wake and the funeral.
As
senior parochial vicar in Joliet since 1989 Medard assisted the Secular
Franciscans, modeled Franciscan life for the candidates to the Order, and
captured the hearts of the parishioners with his presence, his service, and his
column in the bulletin.
His
delightful sense of humor surfaced in many ways. Though he was very much a
“people person,” he was not too keen on meetings. On one occasion he wrote to
the provincial minister, “Meetings, as we know, are our daily taste of purgatory.
Still purgatory plays its part in our lives. We hope therefore it won’t linger
too long with us in eternal life. It is, after all, a doctrine of the Church,
even if only on the second rung of the spiritual ladder.”
Another
expression of that humor came in the form of goal setting. At the end of 2001
and the beginning of 2002 he stated, “I have a special goal for 2002. In our
Sacred Heart Province we have 300 members. I’m trying to reach the top ten. I’m
twelfth oldest as of this year. To attain this goal, I have to have two older
than I to die. Is that a sign of senility or what?” As 2003 began, he wrote,
“During 2002 I wanted to make the top ten. I didn’t. No one ahead of me had the
courtesy to step aside. Understand, this is a hazardous goal. I’m not wishing
anyone any evil. … Since I still am alive, I continue to participate in the
Rush Presbyterian Alzheimer’s Study. I am still in possession of all my
faculties, but with a looser grip.” Before he passed, he did reach his goal of
making the “top ten.”
Medard
was a man of great hope. There were many opportunities in his life where
discouragement could have taken over – his bout with tuberculosis, his heart
problems, the confrontations and misunderstanding he faced in pastoral ministry
– yet hope always prevailed for him. He wrote one time, “Perhaps as we wait for
the Second Coming, we might want to study people like the Advent Mary, the
Advent Joseph, and especially the Advent Zechariah who had relinquished all
hope, the Advent Elizabeth, who almost did too, and the heroic John the
Baptist. They hung in there. Hope was their path to the Lord. They made a lot
of hills level, some crooked roads straight, and a few valleys filled to the
top.”
The Wake
On
Tuesday, July 20, at 7:00pm the Wake Service began with the Litany of the
Saints led by John Dombrowski and Ed Shea.
There
were close to 300 people in St. John’s Church in Joliet; at least 50 of them
were friars. At least six former friars were present representing the
“Diaspora.”
Brazil’s
St. Benedict of the Amazon’s Provincial Minister John Schweiters read Celano’s account of the death of St. Francis.
Then
Andy Buvala read from Sirach, made a point to “demythologize” some of his
brother’s stories, and invited the congregation to share their memories,
stories, and reflections.
Bob Hutmacher set the tone for the shared reflection
musing about Medard when he said with great emotion, “Medard, I will always
honor you, I will always love you.
Provincial
Minister John Doctor spoke of Medard’s
openness to life and to whatever experience or person crossed his path. He also
said, “He was a man of passion, a real lover of life, of nature.”
Former
friar Fr. Jim Schmitt commented,
“Medard expressed for me everything that it really meant to be a priest and
embodied the meaning of Pax et Bonum
[Peace and All Good].”
Ed Shea said that at first he was afraid of Med
because he was so smart, so intelligent, so full of wisdom; but his fear turned
to joy and love. He observed that “Med just wouldn’t stop listening. He knew
how to sit at the feet of the Lord and listen to his Word.” In this way he knew
how to use the aggiornamento of
Vatican II.
Bob Pawell reflected that he not just “taught”
pastoral theology but modeled it in a credible and practical way and was not
afraid to address any question. “The highest form of love,” Bob said, “is
listening to another – listening to God, to others, and to the world.”
Moises Gutierrez Rivas called Medard “a man of no guile”; he
was touched because Medard said to him, “Whenever you need any information or
support, come to me.”
Don Blaeser said that Med embodied the words,
“Observe everything, correct little, overlook a lot.”
Allan DaCorte, who was a former pastor at St. John’s
in Joliet and knew Med very well called him “a delightful person, a man of
compassion.”
Medard’s
Guardian Theo Ballman concluded the
reflections by reading from a “last testament” hand-written from Springfield
before he died: “I’ve led a common life – my community and scheduled life. I
tried often, but failed often. Give this through the brothers as forthrightly
as I see it through my eyes. Give thanks to the Lord and to you for
everything.”
And
quoting Med’s philosophy of life given to a reporter on the occasion of his 60th
jubilee, he read: “To look for the best and emphasize it. To keep away from the
negative. To uplift rather than depress. To put into light rather than
darkness. And don’t lay the guilt complex upon people.
The Funeral
On
one occasion Albert Haase had asked
Medard what he wanted for his funeral, and he responded: “Oh, sing the
Alleluia, but not too many; we don’t want to give people the wrong impression.”
Carrying
out this wish, the Alleluia was sung (and many times) during the funeral Mass.
John
Doctor presided with Bishop Joseph
Imesch of Joliet concelebrating. Among the other concelebrants were 13
diocesan priests.
A
church-full of people, including over 35 friars, sang “All Creatures of Our God
and King.”
The
Word of God (Is 25:6-9, Col 3:12-17, Lk 12:22-31,34) characterized Medard’s
life.
In
his homily Allan DeCorte said that
the Word spoke of two elements which were highlighted in Med’s life and to
which we also are called.
The
first is who we are and what challenges us to be more as Christians, namely, to
reflect and act at God’s people, to stop and think about the admonitions of
Jesus and live that our lives. to do all in the name of God the best one can,
and to respond to the challenge of the Gospel to be Church and to preach the
Word.
The
second characteristic which Medard exemplified is to have one’s heart and
treasure in the Church and to build community beyond the borders of the friary
with other religious, with the elderly and sick, with parishioners, to be
community for others. The Word of God – and Medard – call us to be Church, to
be people of compassion, people of giving for one another.
At
the end of the Mass John Doctor said with deep emotion, “Medard was not afraid
to stand on the edge to call the Church to be something more, to be prophetic,
to challenge us to live the Gospel.”
Before
he offered the final commendation, Bishop Imesch called Medard “a holy man, a
man of service, a blessing to this community, a man of great faith and principles.”
Medard
was buried in St. John’s parish cemetery, accompanied by the strains of Ed
Shea’s trumpet.
The
services concluded with a dinner shared by friars, family, clergy, religious,
friends, and parishioners in the parish hall, celebrating and making present
the bonding of people which so characterized Medard’s life on earth.
Benet A. Fonck OFM