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Diaspora Digest # 33
Diaspora
Digest's editors, Jack Brennan and Gael Stahl, and Web manager Jack Hardesty
thank you for your holiday greetings and wish you a blessed end of the year
2002 and peace in your hearts for all at home and abroad in 2003. When we
published in July, five months ago, we said we hoped to get a digest of your
letters and photos back to you around Christmastime. Here's what we have so
far.
We begin with some letters that were in Gael's early drafts for DD32 but were
mysteriously gone when he did the last three final edits of the hard copy
version he mailed to 240 fringers and friars July 23-24, 2002. Jack Brennan
luckily found them in his final draft: First: with your help, we have
identified almost everyone in the photo taken at the Diaspora Reunion in June
2000. - Left to right: John Doctor, provincial minister. Dick Korn, Ralph
Seidl and Rita Seidl, Ben (Bob) Link, Jerry Klein, Dennis Koopman, Charlie
and Irving Bloss, an unidentified male, Tom and Berta Leenerts. Along back
row is Jim Tye in shadow, Dan Dolesh, Ray Konrath, Bob Feltman is on back row
with Barb Feltman in front of him. Below Tye is Bob Hoffman (says Tanna but I
doubt it) and in front are Cullan and Lannie Uhlinger (front row) with Andrew
Knoell between them looking over their shoulders. From left to right from
Knoell are Dennis Griffin, Jerry Etzkorn, Jerry Hiller, Linda Etzkorn, John
Laker, Dan Mazar, Tom Lenz and Mary, Jim Zangs (behind them), and far right
the reunion organizers and hosts, Cheryl and Jack Bartz.
1 May 2001 (sic) Jack Bartz: Re the DD31 PICTURE of the Diaspora Reunion in
June 2000. Some of the names for people have faded from memory. So, you can
hold your first DD contest, asking people to submit the names of whom they
think are in the photo. [See below for several, including my unforgettable
neighbors Jerry & Linda Etzkorn who were, amazingly, not identified (See
July 31). Also, see July 27 to identify Benjamin Link next to the Seidls. [As
far as I can figure it and there are still discrepancies, this is the roster
of people in the photo on the front page of DD32, some of those in attendance
at the Diaspora Reunion in June 2000
[Left to right: John Doctor, provincial
minister. Dick Korn, Ralph Seidl and Rita Seidl. Next, Ben Link, Jerry Klein,
Dennis Koopman, Charlie and Irving Bloss, (unknown male), Tom and Berta Leenerts,
Jim Tye in shadow, below Tye is Bob Hoffman says Tanna, Dan Dolesh is next to
Tye back row, Cullan and Lannie Uhlinger (front row) with Andrew Knoell
(between them and below Dolesh, Ray Konrath is on back row next to Dolesh,
Dennis Griffin is below Konrath and to his left is Jerry Etzkorn. Bob Feltman
is on back row with Barb Feltman in front of him. Linda Eztkorn is below Barb
and John Laker to her left. I think Jerry Hiller is between Lannie and Laker.
Then Dan Mazar, Tom Lenz and Mary, Jim Zangs (behind them), and far right the
reunion organizers and hosts, Cheryl and Jack Bartz.]
24 May 2001 (sic): Bev Bruninga. [Bev, a longtime colleague, friend, and
literary confidante affirms how connected we are to those of distant
centuries or ideologies from us. Bev got back from Cuba last month. She does
love those faraway places (distance and mentally) and keeps finding our
shared threads to them. She's lived them in her mind. Then, her feet take her
there. But Iran and Samarkand were more deeply embedded than most. This is
her report about Iran that shattered some of my brainwashed stereotypes. It
was an item that got zapped from the hard copy edition of DD32 in July 2002.
GS]
Got home last night and felt like I had been on an expedition and felt SO
glad I had done it. Unbelievably, Iran was wonderful in all ways but two: the
traffic is indescribable, and the clothing was a minor irritant. The people
were so friendly and happy to see Americans. There were lots of tourists
there from Italy, France, Germany, Japan and other places but no other
English speakers did we find. How we look different I don't know but we were
constantly approached by people wanting to take our pictures and wanting to
have their pictures taken with us (with their cameras of course.)
We have been brainwashed about the country. It was nothing like what we
expected. No one we met likes the mullahs; you can get anything on the black
market, including alcohol, prostitutes, and American movies. Our guide had
seen and liked all the shoot 'em ups. He knows and has tapes of all the
current music.
It was truly amazing. All street signs are in English and Arabic, the museums
all had their labels in English and Arabic and English is compulsory in
school. We saw teenagers holding hands (I thought touching the opposite sex
in public was a no-no and some men apologized for not shaking hands with
Susie and me, but some did shake hands freely.)
We all fell for our guide and when he left us at the border, he hugged and
kissed Joe and said he would have to shake our hands, but Susie and I hugged
him anyway. Probably embarrassed him. Nothing third world about Iran. 2500
years of culture. Their shrines, and they are shrines, are to their poets and
writers and scholars, including Omar Khayyam, and not their generals and
politicians. The architecture you think of as Islamic, Moorish, came from
there. The Arabs who conquered and brought Islam were tribal nomads with no
culture, so what was Persian is what spread thru the Islamic world. Like
Greece the best is there.
Uzbekistan is altogether different. Soviet, third world, poor, struggling.
But ah, the moonlight in Khiva and the full moon in Samarkand. Just being
there was enough for me, although there was much to see and enjoy and
appreciate. Joe took a picture of me sitting on the block where Tamerlane's
throne stood.
Altogether a wonderful experience. Even the bathrooms in Iran that I dreaded
were for the most part very clean, even though there really is no toilet
paper. Although Joe said the men's rooms weren't so nice. The water in Iran
runs thru underground channels built by Cyrus and Darius (we saw Darius'
grave) from the mountains. 30,000 channels. And the water was wonderful. We
filled our bottles at the public fountain everywhere. Enough. I have much to
do.
4 Dec 2001: Gael Stahl: Yesterday morning I awoke wondering aloud to Susan
whose feast day it was. I thought Dec. 2 was St. Barbara's and Dec. 3 might
be St. Ambrose's. But I'm always wrong. I'm only right when I name Dec. 6 for
St. Nicholas.
Well, our dear friend Carl Dauscha and his family know Dec. 3 now is also the
day Rhoda, Carl's longtime mate and spouse, and our friend, entered the
heavenly portals too. Carl was the fellow, who when I took a leave of absence
from the ministry in 1973, helped me make a cabin on a lake into a year round
livable hermitage that I later named Peckerwood Heights. One of the
godfathers of my modest home for nearly 30 years. Today, I celebrate her, and
on Friday I'll conduct her funeral.
2 Feb 2002: Zachary Hayes: [Zach graciously responded to an article that a
friend of mine sent me about 911. JB] Jack: I was surprised to hear from you.
It has been a while. Hope you are doing well. To the text you sent, I would
make the following comments.
My first reaction is to say: I have heard most of this many times before. In
fact the major points are treated in a similar way in a number of my courses.
What I mean is that over the centuries, going back at least to the second
century with the early Apologists, people like Justin the Martyr could argue
that the God Christians believe they encounter in Jesus Christ is universally
available to all people of all times and places. They may name their
encounter differently because of their cultural situation, but the genuine
search for insight into the reality of creation can well open them to an
encounter with the same God Christians believe they encounter in Christ.
Justin provides a significant metaphysical background for making such a
claim. It is a similar thing that is involved in people like Karl Rahner and
his theory of the "anonymous Christian." This is not a put-down of
the other. It is rather naming the positive significance of the other from a
Christian perspective. Obviously that naming could take a different form, but
that is another issue.
The Roman Catholic tradition has attempted to explain how it is possible for
people who have never heard of Christ to come to salvation. There is no one
satisfactory explanation for that. What is significant is that the tradition
has maintained such a possibility despite its convictions about the
significance of Christ.
With your author, I agree entirely that the real need is for conversation not
for conversion. Religious systems are not all the same, and the system can
have a major impact on human life-styles. We can all learn from the others. I
think of this in terms of my more than 30 years of collaboration with a
Jewish Rabbi on our faculty. This was an experience that did two things for
me. First I have come to a much deeper understanding of the spiritual riches
of the Jewish tradition not as "dead and deadly" as I have been
taught in the seminary, but as a genuinely living and meaningful tradition.
And, together with this, I have come to a richer understanding of my own identity
as a Christian. The Rabbi and I were never out to convert each other, but we
worked together on the faculty in many meaningful ways; and it really makes a
difference.
Finally, Jack, I believe very deeply that the real problem with the religious
traditions is the fundamentalist movements which appear in all of them. This
is dramatically obvious in our recent experience of Islamic fundamentalists.
But Christians do similar things. Think of the way Christian crusaders swept
the Islamic culture out of Spain where it had thrived widely and richly back
in the Middle Ages. A great Christian preacher said to the crusaders: Error
has no right to exist. They are in error. So the more of them you kill, the
more you do for the cause of truth and God. With that he sent them on their
way to clean them out wherever they could find them. And all this in the name
of the God of tender love and forgiveness proclaimed by Jesus!!!
I hope this connects with your concern. God bless you and keep you. As ever,
Zachary. [How fortunate are the CTU students who have Zach and his friend as
their mentors! JB]
12 Feb 2002 Alan Hoffman: Gael, how kind of you to notify me of Paul
Zoderer's death. He was a special man, loaded with talent, humor, and great
kindness. He honors the name: "Franciscan." And what a priestly
heart! Now he is in the company of his Lord, whom he served so faithfully for
so many years. I consider myself blessed that we shared so many happy years
together throughout our studies. I will miss him. But my consolation is in
the recognition that he is now at peace and can benefit all in a new way at
the side of his divine Master. R.I.P. Sorry I lost touch with everyone for
the past two years since my retirement from 32 years of administrative work
in education. To begin my Golden Years anew, my wife, Bernadine, and I moved
to North Carolina. We invited my older sister to come live with us three
years ago, and now we are known in family circles as "The Three
Amigos."
To make a long story short, I have been battling some of the effects of
Diabetes 2 for several years. Before my retirement I had three major
surgeries in two years; that took a lot out of me and prompted me to retire
early. I have what they call "charcot" feet and this has kept me
from walking as much as I would like. But I cannot complain. The Lord has
blessed me with so many gifts and so many wonderful people.
Reading, music, gardening, meditation, prayer and travel take up most of my
time. Of course I still love all sporting events, but my health does not
allow me much direct participation. I am reminded of old bit of mountain
wisdom: "Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer we get to the
end, the faster it goes." Or so it seems. I turn 65 in June and will be
traveling in Alaska with my wife and sister for that landmark date. We try to
travel somewhere about every six weeks or so. Some are short, some are long.
All are enjoyable. While there is much ugliness and violence in the world,
there is also a great beauty and serenity to be experienced by the
adventurous.
My son Kevin is now married, has a young son, Alex, in his first year, and
they still reside in Hot Springs, Ark. where he works in law enforcement with
juvenile offenders. Being a grandfather for the first time is a wondrous joy
for me! Is such a special relationship. My daughter Karen completed her
doctorate and is now teaching philosophy at Hood College in Md. She loves
teaching and she loves philosophy. She also has a serious boyfriend who is
completing his doctorate at St. Louis University, her Alma Mater. For anyone
who would like to keep in touch with me, I can be reached at 6229 Creek
Breeze Rd., Charlotte, N.C., 28269, phone 704-947-9489. Please keep me posted
with the Diaspora Digest. Fond wishes to everyone.
18 Apr 2002 Chuck Faso: Hello from Bixby, Oklahoma, just south of Tulsa OK
where I am preaching a parish mission. Yesterday I received a phone call from
my sisters, Mary and Polly. They informed me that during this past week, our
mother's health has declined. The visiting nurse suggested Hospice be called
in to help in my mother's care. We have started the process of interviews and
then the daily visit by someone on the staff of Hospice from St. James
Hospital in Chicago Heights.
My mother has been in a wheelchair for four years after several strokes and
episodes that shut down her body functions. Fifteen times the ambulance took
her to the hospital. Twenty minutes after arrival at the hospital, mother
would always come to. During the last month, mother eats less and there is
little communication. So I ask for your prayers for my mother, Isabel Faso,
for my sister Polly who cares for mother full time, for my sister Mary who
lives upstairs, works full time and assists Polly every day. Pray too for my
younger brother Joe who has been on dialysis for kidney failure since
December; he is having a very difficult time. Pray for me too. Thank you and
God bless you!
[We now begin with the letters that were written while we were in the
midst of producing DD32 in the last two weeks of July 2002, and those that
came after it was published and received by the fringe friars in the
diaspora.]
15 Jul 2002 Jack Brennan: Zeke, today is Gayle's and my 24th wedding
anniversary. For some strange reason, the DD stuff you sent me became legible
[after weeks of mystifying software screwups]. I haven't looked at it for a
couple of weeks.
We just this weekend got our water pipes all replaced. If you recall, we live
in the Latah Valley and our water comes from about 1000 feet up the hill to the
west. The cost of fixing it all is almost $14,000. Fortunately, we are
sharing half and half with our neighbor.
Gayle will be 50 next week, and I always get in a tether around her birthday.
I feel totally inadequate to the task of getting her something she likes. She
told me not to worry; so I won't. I appreciate your kind words about my
words.
Been horribly busy and the computer is in our torrid bedroom where it is not
user friendly with the weather so hot. We had 100+ for three or four days in
a row. Nothing slows things down like the heat. I'm sure that even our clocks
have slowed down! I will get on the DD as soon as possible; obviously not
tonight!
24 Jul 2002: Jerry Etzkorn: wrote Gael and Jack during his class reunion at
Jerry's home on the Tennessee Cumberland Plateau: Well we're here in
Fairfield Glade for our 4th reunion. Lefty (John) McMahon came all the way
from San Diego to join us. We dearly miss Juvenal Carlson, who would have
been a joy to our reunion. Also Paul and Marilyn Shields couldn't make it
because their house burned to the ground and Paul had to undergo rather
extensive surgery. In spite of all, they're in good spirits and are sorry
they couldn't join us. So Bob Pahler, Gale White, Lefty McMahon and the
Etzkorns made the reunion. We are sorry that Barry Schneider and Lambert
Leykam did not join us.
We'd like to know when the next Diaspora Digest is coming out. Or have we
perhaps missed them?
25 Jul 2002 Jerry Etzkorn: Thanks for your prompt answer. Could you please
(in the future) have email attachments sent to Gale White: geewhy2 of worldnet.att.net
and Bob Pahler: rpahler of ihmcfo.org
and a hard copy to: John McMahon, 6642
Winding Creek, San Diego, CA 92119. John also has an email address: jemm5 of cox.net
but he's more comfortable with hard copies.
Gale is gone today with a stopover to visit his brother in Louisiana; Bob is
going back to Cleveland tomorrow with a stopover to visit friends in east
Tennessee and Lefty will be flying back to San Diego Saturday. We've had a
wonderful get-together and have "all the solutions to the Church's
problems! [HA!]" All the best. Jerry and Linda
25 Jul 2002: Dennis Griffin: I just got the DD in the mail today and I was
absorbed by it until I noticed that quite a bit of time had elapsed.
Fantastic stuff! You guys are doing a wonderful, wonderful job. Please keep
it up! I will have to find a time to finish reading. An update on business
phone numbers for Jean and I: my business phone is now (847) 895-5030, and
Jean's business phone is now (847) 506-4214. The phone numbers that you have
listed are a few years out of date. I will have to update my numbers also.
[Thanks, Dennis. What do you mean by "I will have to update my numbers
also." Your home phone numbers? Cell phone? Go ahead, fire away. Thanks
for the compliments. They are hard won. And they make it worth it. G.S.]
26 Jul 2002: Anton Braun: There has been a mistake in my new e mail address
which is the reason for the dearth of mail coming my way. The new address is arb
of mw.net. I sent it out incorrectly and so the mail is out there in
cyberspace. Fortunately the DD arrived yesterday and I was reminded to check
out this matter.
Egads, I see John Behl is on the net. Good news that is.
Around here I have been busy with Jan's family (my in-laws). Jan's mom passed
away a couple days ago and the family was of a mind to build her own casket.
I was selected to direct the project. So Jan and her six siblings came to me
shop and we spent the day constructing the casket,. which I hauled to the
funeral home just today. It was a remarkable experience for all of us. It
gave the family a clear focus and something tangible to do as a tribute to
Margie, their mom.
More later, and thanks for the DD. Peace.
26 Jul 2002 Dalton Roberts: [Dalton is a former Chattanooga politician,
current songwriter, picker, poet, spiritual journal writer (a la Tom Merton)
and friend. GS] Gael: That Diaspora Digest is one of the most impressive
labors of love I have ever seen. Creating and maintaining a community. [We
agree. Keep it coming, fratres and sorores. GS & JB]
27 Jul 2002 Bev Bruninga: (Gael's former editorial colleague, literary
friend, and participant in our weekly discussion group in which I'm the only
non-Episcopalian, and long-time reader of DD): Gael, I just wrote you a long
letter and the gd machine froze up. I shall try to reconstruct and probably
cannot. I wrote to tell you I read the entire digest, and can't believe it.
Wonder how those guys who don't know anybody can want to be taken off the
list, but then, maybe it is I who is weird.
I am reading "Two Gardeners," which I think Susun would like a lot.
It is letters from Katharine White (the wife of E.B.) to Elizabeth Lawrence,
a horticulturist in N.C. They are about gardening, of course, and about
garden books and writing 96 and it is fun to read. Am finishing Nigel
Nicolson's (English writer) "Long Life" in which he says he cannot
understand why Americans are not interested in their own history because
"it is the most heroic of any country's." Which of course it is
when you think about it and us. Can't wait to see your USA Today cover story
about how the Latin and Greek classics and languages are on the rise and the
Steven Saylor mystery novels set in Cicero's Rome that we have read, have
sold a million copies. Thanks.
I hope y'all don't mind my sharing your diaspora correspondence with my
friends and family. They love your interchanges as much as you and I do.
27 Jul 2002: sidebar: from Wordsmith: Ides, the 15th day of March, May, July,
or October, and the 13th day of the other months in the ancient Roman
calendar. Ides are only one of the ingredients of the Roman calendar. The
other two are calends (or kalends) and nones. The calends are straightforward
-- they always fall on the first of every month. Nones on the fifth or the
seventh, and ides on the 13th or the 15th. All dates are counted backwards
from the nearest nones, calends, or ides.
` Here's a little rhyme to help you remember the dates: March, July, October,
and May, The nones are on the seventh day. And ides fall eight days after the
Nones. Interestingly, the word calendar derives from Latin calendarium
(account book) since it was used to keep track of the date when debts were
due. Anu (Creator of wsmith of wordsmith.org, www.wordsmith.org/awad)
27 Jul 2002 Vince Zimmerman: Hi, Zeke and Jack. Thanks for your work on DD
32. I have a different email address. Vzimmy of insightbb.com. Barb asked how
many pages it was. It came yesterday and I read most of it today.
Just some information: The person who you wondered about on the picture, the
one next to Ralph Seidl and Rita Seidl is Bob Link (Benjamin). He's a brother
to my wife, Barb. His wife and Jim Tye's wife are both from Santarem, so they
see each other a lot. He's also the nephew of Reinhold Link of blessed
memory! Family stories go on and on.
[Reinhold OFM was Illinois state naturalist and wild life expert when he
taught our 1960 vows class of sophomores an unforgettable biology class that
included finding and identifying birds, trees, and other fauna and flora
around the healthy pond near St. Paschal's in 1954-55. GS. I remember how
astounded I was when I saw wild sparrows landing on Reinhold's capuche; and
that was before I even thought about entering the seminary. I thought he was
St. Francis incarnate! JB ]
I went to Ray Crone's funeral in January. It was held at the Franciscan
sisters' motherhouse here in Springfield. Some of the Friars now live in
their building with plans to build a separate house for them. The sisters
have way too much room so they're opening the doors to others. Jim Crone was
there as well as Jim Tye.
Well, thanks again for your work. I hope to get on more with you.
[Jack Bartz had also identified Bob Link. But I compared the photo to the
catalogus of 1959 and couldn't believe he still looked so young. GS]
27 Jul 2002 Bob Link: blink8 of prodigy.net replied to Gael's query: Thanks
for #32 Digest.Yes, I'm on the picture. Front row, third from left, next to
Dick (Bart) Korn. Had great memories of that reunion. I didn't join in the
celebration afterwards. Thanks (to Jack Bartz) for making it possible.
27 Jul 2002 Vince Zimmerman: Zeke, How'd you ever get that name
"Peckerwood" for your home? We saw "Mame" at the local
theater last night and I wondered if that was a connection. See you. Vince.
[I've explained it before, probably also in an earlier DD. When I moved out
here in a humble cabin on a beautiful lakeside in 1973, I couldn't think of a
name for it. Jim and Catherine Sexton visited in the mid-70s and suggested
Gulestan, Persian for "beautiful place." They had met in
Persia/Iran and Persian was their first common language until they learned
each other's French and American. But a year later, I heard the old song,
"I get my thrill on Blueberry Hill" and it gave me the idea of
calling the place Woodpecker Hill since we'd seen and heard several of the
birds around the house. Charlie Fenton was drinking coffee with Susan when I
got home with my announcement. He pointed to a postcard on my photo kiosk in
the kitchen that showed Jimmy Davis' Peckerwood Country Store that was near
where Charlie worked in the north Louisiana civil rights days of 1965 when
Mike Mooney, Jim Lyke, and I met him while helping Kevin Roe, chaplain a
summer at Grambling College, in the summer of the Selma March. I agreed with
Charlie that Peckerwood Heights was a fitting tongue-in-cheek name for the
slight rise our place perched on in an historic African American neighborhood
that we'd integrated, just like we'd help integrate Grambling. The next day,
we spotted the one and only huge pileated woodpecker on a tree outside the
kitchen window.
[A peckerwood is a word like redneck, white trash, or cracker in the South
and cowboy or roustabout in the west. We be proud to bear that banner,
y'heah? Something like being a minor or simple friar. GS]
[Vince, you had to ask! Over the years, I have learned that it is best not to
ask Zeke these kinds of questions. I was content to think of it as one of
many inexplicable Stahlistic mysteries which seemed to fit just right. JB]
27 Jul 2002: Bob Pawell: It was good to plow through the Diaspora Digest and
recall names and faces. And so good to hear that many of our "kind
classmates and interested companions [cf. Seminarian's Stations, St. Joe's]
" are still alive and well Gael Stahl, Jerry Klein, Wilmar Engel, Keith
Eckrich, Anton Braun, and John Behl. Greg Bumm told me that John volunteers
with our Friars ministry to the poor in St. Louis and has been a real
blessing to their ministry. Thanks to daily doses of Zocor and Synthroid I am
doing well. I live on the north side of the city at Holy Evangelists Friary
[with Fred Radtke] on Ashland Blvd in the Ravenswood neighborhood not far
from Wrigley Field. (I direct the Mt. Carmel House of Study and Prayer, a
spirituality center based at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish on Belmont between
Broadway and Halstead in the East Lakeview neighborhood; ten minutes away
from our place). My work involves teaching book studies in spirituality;
organizing programs with outside speakers. "The Studium Lecture
Series": a monthly lecture by Chicago based theologians speaking to
adults on topics of interest. We begin the series Sept 10 with "A
Theological Reflection in the Last 365 Days in the life of the Church"
That ought to be good. Could you imagine putting September 11th, The
Pedophile Crisis, the Bishops' mismanagement and the scape-goating of gay
priests and religious all together in one pot and let it cook? Over and above
the lecture series and book studies I do my own programs in spiritual
development as well as spiritual direction. On weekends I supply at Mt.
Carmel. It is a richly diversified community: multi-generational and
multi-cultural as well.
When I am not working at Mt. Carmel I am in my garden. This year my trumpet
lilies were seven feet tall---- amazing to behold. Our friary, an old
Victorian Queen Anne style, sits on a double lot. We have front, side and
back yards. A lot for one guy to care for. I have kept up with the work of
weeding etc. until this past week. The dogs days of summer have kept meinside
near the AC. While hauling my body out of bed at the crack of dawn to water
the garden is not my favorite thing to do, the rewards are wonderful.
You have probably heard that our guys moved out of Corpus Christi this
summer. Chris Reuter, Carroll Mizicko and Ferd Cheri will begin a new
ministry in East Saint Louis focusing on Afro-American youth. Chris will be
focusing on guys in prison. As you are well aware, Chris has spent his whole
priestly life in one neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. First at
Hales and then at "Corps." I pray that this transition will be life
giving for him, but I fear it will hurt before it feels better. I know what
it is to leave a life time of relationships -- I am only gradually finding my
way into new life in Chicago after twenty years in New Orleans. Transitions
whenone is in his sixties are not the same those negotiated in one's thirties
and forties. You can easily take your stuff and truck it from one address to
another. Work will find you before you find work. But you do not
"find" friends, you grow them --- and that takes time. I don't do
long distance telephone calls well nor long distance friendships that well.
The Trickster God lured me to Chicago in 1996 promising me to be near my Mom
as she advanced in age, to be in the city when the Michael Jordan, Scotty
Pippen and Dennis Rodman made the Chicago Bulls NBA champions, and to serve
under Cardinal Joseph Bernardine.
I got to the city in July and in October my Mom died, in November Cardinal
Bernardine followed her, and shortly thereafter Jerry Krause took apart a
winning team and sent the Bulls into the deserts of defeat. I pray that the
Trickster God has no such surprises planned for Christ and that he can do in
East St. Louis something of the wonderful work he did on Chicago's south
side.
Keep Chuck Faso in your prayers. His Mom is near death. Chuck and his
sisters, Polly and Mary, have been at her side this last month.
Sister Death has been very busy these days. A few weeks ago Tiago Ryan died
at Mercy Hospital in Chicago. The funeral was at his niece's and nephew's
parish in Beverly, St. John Fisher. Irv Tye and his wife as well as Benjamin
Link were also there. A large number of Friars were there for the Mass. John
Doctor presided and Mike Kellet preached a powerful and moving homily in
tribute to Tiago.
If you did not get Pete Amen's account of the funeral in Santarem here it is:
"The plane carrying Tiago's body got to Sao Paulo three hours late and
missed the plane to Manaus. It was sent to Belem and the next morning arrived
there in Santarem about eight o'clock. They opened the coffin at the airport
and were amazed that Tiago's body was in perfect condition - seemed like he
was sleeping. They had some words at the airport and then the body was taken
on top of a fire-truck to the seminary where they had a small ceremony and
then on to the cathedral in a huge procession of cars with people all along
the way paying their respects. The procession of cars got to the cathedral
about ten o'clock and the wake went from Friday morning till Saturday
afternoon without stop with lines of people before the open coffin till five
o'clock Saturday afternoon when the body was taken outside and the funeral
mass was concelebrated by the local bishop and the Bishops of Obidos and
Itaituba and all the priests of the diocese and thousands of people. It went
till eight o'clock Saturday night when they finally lowered the coffin into
the tomb in the cathedral. Television by the diocesan TV station was
continuous and by the other local stations whenever they could get in. Fr.
Charlie Payne and Tiago's two nephews arrived Friday night and took and
active part in the ceremonies. Charlie gave a beautiful testimony at the
funeral Mass. Thanks for all the friars did to get Tiago's body returned to
us. It means a lot."
Jack, it has been nice chatting with you. Thanks for the news, especially of
our classmates. Now I have to get to work on tomorrow's homily. Bye.
[Bob has written a lovely article about his beloved Tau House in New Orleans,
Louisiana. You may access this article by going to the Diaspora Digest web
site: (While online, click
here ) JB]
27 Jul 2002 F. Joe Smith: Sent first of several copies of "The
Onion" the Chicago publication that runs headlines like this 29 May 2002
issue: "Pope Forgives Molested Children." He also sent copies on 10
Aug and 23 Aug.
[Joe, I chuckled over them and shared them with my most liberal reading and
discussion group. GS]
27 Jul 2002: Cullan Uhlinger: Good to hear from you, Jack. My office address
starting 8/5/02 will be: 75 Public Square, all else the same: suite #, city,
zip, phone and fax, etc. Cell phone is now: 216-409-0300. Internet: www.uhlingerkeis.com. Had a great
visit with Pat Evard for a four day weekend in June. It was over 30 years of
catching up to do. I introduced him to my office staff and asked my secretary
how old she thought he was. In his 50's? was her response. He looks and says
he feels great at 70 and still is working in food distribution to the poor.
PEACE.
27 Jul 2002 John Waldren (1965-Kurt) wrote that I should save some money by
removing him from the mailing list. He wishes us the best.
27 Jul 2002: Vince Zimmerman: Thanks for your work on DD 32. Barb asked how
many pages it was. It came yesterday and I read most of today. Note that I
have a different email address. Vzimmy of insightbb.com. The kids wanted to
download music faster, so we all pay a third.
Just some information: The person who you wondered about on the picture, the
one next to Ralph Seidl and Rita Seidl is Bob Link (Benjamin). He's a brother
to my wife, Barb. His wife and Jim Tye's wife are both from Santarem, so they
see each other a lot. He's also the nephew of Reinhold Link of blessed
memory! Family stories go on and on.
I went to Ray Crone's funeral in January. It was held at the Franciscan
sisters' mother house here in Springfield. Some of the Friars now live in
their building with plans to buld a separate house for them. The sisters have
way too much room so they're opening the doors to others. Jim Crone was there
as well as Jim Tye.
Well, thanks again for your work. I hope to get on more with you. 28 Jul
2002: George and Dee Vaughan: George and I received the Digest and address
list yesterday, and want to thank you and Jack Brennan so much for all of
your hard work. We have moved a couple of times since the San Pedro address
you have for us, so we wanted to make sure that you had our correct address
and phone number. The e-mail address is the same. Our current address is
Apartado 250-3011, Barva, Heredia, Costa Rica. The phone number is 506-266-0539.
- We continue to volunteer with the Christian Foundation for Children and
Aging (CFCA). Sincerely, Dee Vaughan
28 Jul 2002 Deacon Dennis Renk (1964-Cyprian): I enjoy DD reading very much.
Over the last five years, I have wanted to write but every time was
interrupted by life-issues of family members. First by my wife, Kathy of 33
years, who passed to her eternal reward on 7-2-99 after about two months in a
hospital and finally on kidney dialysis. Her kidneys stopped functioning.
Although it is a blessing that she is not in pain anymore, I still miss her.
My 34-year-old daughter Patricia reminds me of Kathy every time I see her. I
have four grandchildren: Stacey 17, Beaumont 15, Colin 13, and Dylan 10.
My 89-year-young dad lives with me and over the past four years has been in
and out of the hospital quite often. This year, Dad almost went to his reward
in May with pneumonia, right around the time that his best friend Bishop
James Ryan passed away.
In 1971, while Fr. Conwan McCurran OFM was pastor at St. Augustine's, he
asked if I would participate in the archdiocesan program of the permanent
deaconate. He told me I was already doing the work so go ahead. On May 22,
2001, I celebrated 25 years as a deacon and continue to serve and help those
in need, especially, my dad. One reason for telling you this is that during
the first three years in the Deacon Program, we all had to have priest
mentors/advisers. I chose Fr. Bill Beyerink. When DD 32 arrived, my heart was
saddened at reading of Bill's passing and only 57 years young. I remember
that his mother had many similar health problems that Bill had.
It would be good to see all of you, especially those of my class. Only four
more years and, God willing, I will be able to retire fairly comfortably.
This August 17, 2002, I will be 61. Physically I feel it but I do feel
younger in mind and heart. Many aspects of the Franciscan way of life I
continue personally in my whole life.
Since Kathy passed, I am living the vow I made when I was ordained. I feel
I've had my one love of life. I still have my love of God and the church. I
hope I now have time to pursue those things that will keep me going in the
twilight of my life.
All of you are doing great getting DD out. Keep it coming. Here is a small
donation for use for whatever. God bless you. Pax et bonum. Please excuse any
errors in typing as I have arthritis in all of the knuckles of my fingers.
[Thanks to you, Dennis, for your story, for keeping on keeping on. Also for
the fine portrait in green of the first U.S. president from Tennessee. Can
you name the other two? Actually, a fourth was elected, some feel, in 2000,
and like the first robbed by a political tactic. GS]
28 Jul 2002 Chuck Faso: My dear Family and Friends, the Lord visited our home
this morning here in Chicago Heights. Mother - Isabel Lydia Faso (nee Helsel)
died to this life and was born to Eternal Life at 4:45 AM, Sunday, July 28,
2002. My sisters, Mary and Polly, my brother Joe, and I were at her bedside.
We prayed and sang, laughed and cried, we told stories and remembered Mother,
a woman of gentle love and faithful service. Mother taught us to live
generously with respect and awe of all of God's creation.
Chuck's Address: 2437 W. Augusta Blvd, Chicago IL 60622
Isabel Lydia Faso, Sept. 30, 1917 96 July 28, 2002, Born in Chicago Heights.
Only daughter of Pauline (Milasheski) and Charles Helsel, Only Sister of
Seven brothers Graduate of St. Agnes and Bloom, Married 49 years to Joe C.
Faso (+1986) Full time Homemaker, Mother of John (+1985), Charles, Joe, Mary
and Polly. Grandmother to Tina, Julie, John, Laura, Carla, Joanna,
Great-grandmother to Joseph, Gina, and Lauren, Aunt and Great Aunt to many
nieces and nephews, Lover of beauty and all that is good: Family and
Children, Flowers, Hats, Gardens, Shopping and Sunshine, Cooking, Traveling
and Decorating, Member of St. Agnes Altar & Rosary Society, K of C Ladies
Auxiliary, Lady Lions, Laid to Rest at Assumption Cemetery, July 31,2002.
[I was at the Faso home at least once. I remember Isabel well and how Joe was
major domo of a warm family. He took great pride in their friendship with Nat
King Cole. - GZ] [Tom Vogel and I had the distinct honor to sing at Chuck's
First Mass Reception in Chicago Heights. I too was deeply impressed by the warmth
of the Faso Familia and felt like this Irishman had become an honorary
Italian. JB]
28 Jul 2002: George and Dee Vaughan: George and I received the Digest and
address list yesterday, and want to thank you and Jack Brennan so much for
all of your hard work. We have moved a couple of times since the San Pedro
address you have for us, so we wanted to make sure that you had our correct
address and phone number. The e-mail address is the same. Our current address
is Apartado 250-3011, Barva, Heredia, Costa Rica. The phone number is
506-266-0539. - We continue to volunteer with the Christian Foundation for
Children and Aging (CFCA). Sincerely, Dee Vaughan
29 Jul 2002: Chuck Faso: Sends his mother's obit:
Isabel Lydia Faso Sept. 30, 1917 - July 28, 2002 Born in Chicago Heights Only daughter of Pauline (Milasheski) and Charles Helsel Only Sister of Seven brothers Graduate of St. Agnes and Bloom Married 49 years to Joe C. Faso (+1986) Full time Homemaker Mother of John (+1985), Charles, Joe, Mary and Polly Grandmother to Tina, Julie, John, Laura, Carla, Joanna Great-grandmother to Joseph, Gina, and Lauren Aunt and Great Aunt to many nieces and nephews Lover of beauty and all that is good: Family and Children Flowers, Hats, Gardens Shopping and Sunshine Cooking, Traveling and Decorating Member of St. Agnes Altar & Rosary Society, K of C Ladies Auxiliary, Lady Lions Laid to Rest at Assumption Cemetery, July 31,2002
31 Jul 2002: Janice Flach: [Janice is a member of St. Rose Parish in
Montrose, IL where Fr. Medard was pastor; Chris Reuter, Tom Vogel, I, et al
ministered there. JB] Now to bring you up to date on our family:
#1 - Glenda - Married to Jesse Durbin of Shelbyville, IL, farmer and mother
of four children. Curtis is deceased, died at 3 months due to heart problems.
Had open heart surgery in Chicago, but just couldn't make it. That was 1980.
Wesley is, or will be, a junior at Southern in Carbondale. Jessica will be a
senior at Shelbyville High, Katelyn, will be in 6th grade (I think). Glenda
works at a doctors office in Shelbyville. She attended Patricia Stevens
school in St. Louis and Jesse attended Lake Land.
#2 - Teresa - is married to Tim Wente of Effingham a St. Anthony grad. She is
the mother of Michele who will be a senior this year and just returned from a
trip to Germany and Toronto to see the Pope. Darlene will be asophomore at
St. Anthony, and Alex will be in 5th grade (I think) at St. Anthony. Darlene
is involved in showing dogs and was 17th in the nation 2 years ago. Not doing
as well this year. Alex likes baseball and plays in the Koury league. He runs
like a deer and stole home on Monday evening and won the game for the team.
He was pretty proud. They are in a tournament this week, so now they won't
finish worse than 4th. Teresa is a Vet Tech and graduate of Parkland College
in Champaign. Tim works for Stevens Industries of Teutopolis and a graduate
of Southern.
#3 - Angela - is married to Greg Schaeffer of McHenry, northwest Chicago
area. They both are graduates of Eastern Illinois with Masters in teaching.
They are the parents of Bethany, 7th grade, Harrison, 5th grade, Sydney
(female) 3rd grade and Emerson, ready for preschool, but they definitely are
not ready for him! They live in Ridge, Maryland, couple of hours south of
Washington, DC. Angie was on a field trip Sept. 11 to Washington with a bus
load of students when the plane hit. They go right by Andrews Air base. They
were called back to school and were dismissed for two days. Was quite a scare
for them.
#4 - Allen is married to Sherri Durbin (first cousin of Glenda's husband).
They are the parents of Josh, either 8th or 9th grade at Shelbyville schools;
Kayla, 7th grade (again, I think) So many of them I can'tremember. No comment
please! (these 60 plus years are catching up) and Laura who will be in 2nd
grade. Allen attended Lincoln school in Indianapolis, mechanics school and
drives an 18 wheeler for ADM of Decatur. Sherri works at the Shelbyville
schools. The live near Shelbyville.
# 5 - Jeff - Is a graduate of Lake Land College, Mattoon and works as an
accountant for the Kmart store in Effingham. Is not married.
#6 - Christina (Tina) is married to Kevin Tonn of Mason and they live near
there on a farm, but he doesn't farm full time, works for a cable company and
Tina is the Head Dietitian at Lutheran Care Center in Altamont. She hires,
fires, and makes sure all the meals are correct and whatever else is needed
in the kitchen at a nursing home. She was the little black headed one and
cute as could be when you guys were around. She is the mother of Erin (male)
an 8th grader at Altamont, and Lauren a 4th grader. She is a little doll,
blond and she will give mom and dad fits later!
#7 - Patrick - is married to Robi Wendling of Altamont. Both are graduates of
Southern. Robi in Business Management and Patrick with a Masters in Financial
Management. Robi is a stay at home Mom and is a "Stampin Up"
consultant. Patrick works for ABN Amro in downtown Chicago. They own banks
all over the world and he runs the computer system in Chicago. The rest is
above me. They live in Plainfield, northwest of Joliet. They are the parents
of Jenny (Robi's daughter) who will be an 8th grader, Jordan (grandma's girl)
who is 4 and Adela, 1&1/2. Jenny and Patrick get along great. I don't
think they could love each other more if they were daughter and father, She
is a great kid. And Jordan, can't describe her! We took mom to the St. Louis
airport last week then went by to see Fr. Bob Sieg and Fr. Jim Lause. Fr. Bob
wasn't there, but Fr. Jim was and Jordan wouldn't let any of us get in on the
conversation. Fr. Jim didn't know what to say either. Adela has long
dark,curly hair, so cute. They will be down this weekend for a week again.
Can't wait.
#8 - Michael (Mike) 32, is finally going to settle down. Hopefully, will be
marrying a girl from Altamont. Mike is a graduate of Lake Land College,
attended Southern, but finally graduated from DeVry Institute in Chicago. He
now works for Bonutti Clinic in Effingham as their computer engineer. Tonya
is also an xray tech there. MRI's and whatever. Cute and very nice young
lady.
Some fo the kids have stayed in the Catholic Church, but Angie, Allen &
Jeff have left. Well, enough on them! Denis and I are both retired, although
he still farms and I work in the office at St. Rose Church. Not a lot to do
as Evelyn Livingston does the bookkeeping, so Ruth Westjohn and I, keep the
records, bulletins, take care of funeral dinners and whatever is involved
with funerals, and keep all the supplies on hand. Keeps us busy a couple of
days a week. Last summer, early fall, I came out of the office and didn't
know anyone was even on the grounds, but there was Fr. Medard and a group of
young men looking at the church. I tried to get him to go inside to see it,
but he said no they had to get back. It's way different than what it was when
you were here. Carpeted, air cond, painted different, and the maroon curtain
has been replaced with a mural back there. One of the young parish members
painted it. Not the greatest, but will do I guess. I will try to send you one
of the new booklets from St. Rose. On the back is a picture of the mural.
Denis and I like to travel and in '97 were thru Spokane, but didn't know you
lived there. In '99 we drove to Alaska and truly enjoyed that. It is such a
beautiful drive, especially going thru British Columbia and the Yukon. Both
would love to go back. On our way to a town called Soldotna, to a lodge of
some friends, we hit a bear and killed it. Broke my heart as it was the first
one we had seen. It was about 2 years old and ran out in front of us and we
didn't have time to even think of what to do. We had driven the pickup as we
stayed in the back of it a lot at night at campgrounds, so we weren't hurt
any and the front bumper was all that was damaged on the truck. We could
drive it OK . All total we drove almost 10,000 miles, 9800+. Were gone a
month.
Well, I better close for now. We received the DD#32. Very interesting. Love
and prayers... [Thanks for the update, Janice. It sure brings back the
memories. Your comment: "Very interesting" stirs my therapist
gland. What was interesting? JB]
31 Jul 2002 Jerry Etzkorn: Dear Diaspora. Our ordination class of 1956 held
our fourth reunion during the week of July 21st at Fairfield Glade, Tenn.
John (Lefty) McMahon came all the way from San Diego, Gale White from Dallas
and Bob Pahler from the Cleveland area. We greatly missed Juvenal, always
effervescent and yet down to earth, who had planned on joining us. Paul and
Marilyn Shields couldn't make it because 1) their house burned down and 2)
Paul had undergone major surgery. They were missed as well. Barry Schneider
and Lambert Leykam didn't come.
Besides a little golf, we made trips to Tennessee highlights including Rugby,
a village [built in a beautiful English style by utopian Englishmen] dating
from around 1880; the Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg; went to a
performance of 'Annie Get your Gun' at the Cumberland County Playhouse here
in Crossville; and visited Gatlinburg in the Smoky Mountains. (Tony Lutz:
please skip the next part.)
During our reunion we had a lot of discussions about our 'suffering' church.
Most believe that the edict of Constantine was a great benefit to
Christianity. Wrong! Soon the hierarchy and clergy started taking on the
paraphernalia of Roman Senators while surreptitiously arrogating purely
secular power. Which must have puzzled Jesus! The hierarchy at times thought
they were 'in control' of the faith, that orthodoxy could be enforced, e.g.
by the Inquisition, forgetting that faith is a gift calling for a personal
response. Popes came to have armies; there was the Prince-Archbishop of
Salzburg. There were canon lawyers and theologians in the 13th century who
claimed that the Pope was endowed with 'plenitudo potestatis', the ruler of
all things spiritual and temporal. This caused old dyspeptic Willie Ockham,
during his stay in Munich (1329-1347), to fill reams of parchment in an
effort to counteract this un-Christlike arrogation of secular power. Faith
resides in the communion of the faithful, in the people of God. It is the
clergy's job to nourish, to inspire, to cause us to reflect on the message of
the Gospel.
Even a casual perusal of the Gospels shows that Jesus did not consort with
either the religious or the secular power structures of his day. He certainly
didn't run for election to the Sanhedrin. He and his Apostles, if anything,
were considered troublemakers and vagabonds, rather than reputable. There is
a feast of Christ the King; there is no feast of Christ the Prophet. This
lesson has been a hard time 'a learnin'.
Things haven't changed that much. Our discussions, of course, turned to the
current pedophilia 'brouhaha'. Christ was very tolerant of human weakness,
but had zero tolerance for hypocrisy (cover-up). Now we have marginal attention
to the victims, zero tolerance for human weakness, and zero consequences for
'cover-up'.
Truly human relationships, communion, communication are very difficult if not
impossible if one group or one individual considers themselves superior. In
the seminary, we were not taught to listen (maybe to our superiors) to our
'inferiors', we were not taught to consult, to seek advice from the laity.
The great philosopher Martin Buber had great insight when he noted that love
and even hate are interpersonal, directed to persons. Indifference regards
the other as a non-person, as unworthy of consideration. It goes without
saying that we married priests are treated in the latter fashion, and this,
while converts from the Anglican and Episcopal priesthood, and converts from
Lutheranism are welcomed with much fanfare and allowed to function in the
active ministry: double-standard hypocrisy!
It should be clear that this is not directed to bishops and clergy who are
trying hard to be servants of the faithful, reading, reflecting, meditating
on the Good News so that they are in a position to provide spiritual
nourishment in their sermons; working hard to help us make the liturgy of the
Word and the Eucharistic celebration a means to permeate our daily lives. It
is the attitude of power and superiority that is reprehensible!
On a personal note (from Jerry): at OLA-Quincy (1964-65) it dawned on me
(slow learner) that Francis had not founded a hierarchical institution of
profs, frats, and lay brothers, but a fraternity. I started taking meals by
sitting at the tables with the 'frats' and 'brothers' and this got me canned
as Master (sic!) of Clerics and seminary professor. Which brings me to the
following: if while philosophy teacher or master of clerics I unwittingly did
any of you wrong, I would like to apologize and hope you will forgive me.
P.S. In the 2000 Portiuncula photo, I am directly in line with the right side
door hinges (as you face the chapel) and Linda (in sunglasses) is at my left.
Our anonymity surprised us. [Great letter, Jerry. Great side trips to some
great places on Tennessee's Cumberland Plateau. Sounds like you had time to
have some memorable conversation. Thanks for sharing it with us. Note: Jerry
later wrote reminding us that this account is HIS version about the talks the
class had. His classmates might have a different slant on things despite
their broad agreement. I replied that my guess is 96 % of diasporites and the
church post Vatican II see themselves as the Body of Christ a lot more than the
monarchical, Roman structured metaphor of the Kingdom of God. While biblical
and meaningful in first century Judaism, that institutionalized metaphor
doesn't relate well to the active church and churchgoers in the 21st century.
South Tennessean Jerry Etzkorn probably could answer the presidential query.
James K. Polk was the second president from Tennessee and the first
"dark horse" candidate to win. He promoted the Mexican War and
extended the US to include Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California so that
we embraced the continent from sea to shining sea. Andrew Johnson was third,
successor to Lincoln. Gore was elected in 2000 but by an historical ad hoc
decision by supposedly constructionist Supreme Court justices, robbed of the
Florida vote as determined correctly by states rights Florida justices.
Ahem.]
1 Aug 2002: Bill Bergman: Jack, I have glanced through the DD #32. I am so
impressed by your and Gael's willingness to keep communicating among us all.
I truly appreciate this. When I have more time, (when is that?), I will share
in depth as we both know we are capable of. I hope you and your family are
well. I have had some ups and downs. I remarried on 02.02.02 @ 2:02 p.m. at
Faith Lutheran Church, Chico, CA. My wife's name is Marie L. Henry-Bergman.
She has three children, Elizabeth (20), Will (11) and Matt (10). I know I
should be into grandchildren, but this is good for us. I will share more
later. Peace and Everything Good.
1 Aug 2002 Tony (Rupert) Lutz: Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Dear Diaspora:
I look forward to receiving DD. However, I would like to see some active
priests/friars OFM write about their experiences and reflections on what is
alive in the church today.
Recently, I read "Good-bye, Good Men: How Liberals brought corruption
into the Catholic Church," by Michael S. Rose. It is a blockbuster book
and tells of the decay of orthodoxy, the liturgy, and especially, the
legitimizing of sexual behavior of every kind. When the 600 seminaries of the
1950s went down to the 40 of today, you have to know something is seriously
wrong.
As an antidote to a married priesthood and women priests, try reading
"Priestly Celibacy: it scriptural, historical, spiritual and
psychologized roots" edited by Fr. Peter Stravinskas, Newman House. The
simple truth is that a celibate priesthood originated with Christ and His
Apostles. [with John the apostle? with the council of Trent?]
Because liberals sanctioned contraception, sterilization, homosexuality,
masturbation, euthanasia, and even abortion we see the dechristianization and
dying of western civilization. Patrick J. Buchanan tells it all in his latest
book: "The Death of the West: How dying populations and immigrant
invasions imperil our country and civilization." [Readers: if you are unacquainted
with the book, Tony and Pat don't refer to their Irish and German ancestors
but all those colored nonwhite ethnic groups including Catholic Hispanics and
Chicanos. The emphasis is on Europe, which Pat sees as the dying
civilization. GS]
I wish your readers would study these books and come up with scholarly
refutations, if possible. Ad hominems are contemptible.
Because some of your correspondents want to cast homosexuality in a favorable
light, I would repeat what the Catholic Church and reputable professionals in
the field of mental health say: homosexuality is unnatural, immoral, and
treatable. A Dr. Charles Socarides has treated homosexuals for 40 years. He
has helped a third of his patients to lead normal lives by marrying and
having children. Writing in America magazine in 1995, "How America Went
Gay" he wrote that the cultural revolution changed what was a
"pathology" into a '"lifestyle." He writes: "The
reinventors didn't go after the nation's clergy. They targeted the members of
a worldly priesthood, the psychiatric community, and neutralized them with a
radical redefinition of homosexuality itself. In 1972 and 1973, they co-opted
the leaders of the American Psychiatric Association and through a series of
maneuvers, lies and outright flim flam, they "cured homosexuality
overnight" by fiat. They got the APA to say that same sex was "not
a disorder." It was merely a "condition" as natural as
left-handedness. [Tony, haven't we heard all this from you before in about
the same phrasing, same reasoning, and same sources? Repititio est magister
studiorum but after awhile it may numb your writing fingers and our minds.
Gael]
Some of your audience believe the gay rights crusade is the 21st century's
civil rights movement but there is a great difference. The civil rights of
the 1950s could invoke the Bible, natural law, and Thomas Jefferson on behalf
of equal justice under law. Gay rights cannot. Thomas Jefferson considered
homosexuality worse than bestiality. As governor in Virginia he proposed the
same punishment for sodomy as for rape.
Our beloved Bishop Tiago (Conleth) Ryan of Santarem, Brazil died July 12th.
What a great teacher at St. Joe's. I still can recite some of the poetry. I
learned in his class. It was inspiring to be at St. Joe's with priests of his
caliber. Vale in Domino.
2 Aug 2002 Helene Eckrich: My sister Mary Wood has been in a terrible car
accident in Florida. She was air lifted to Del Rey Hospital. She has a
lacerated liver, a possible tear in her aorta, a fractured pelvis on both sides,
a fractured eye orbit, a collapsed lung and a chest tube, and is intubated
(on a ventilator). She does not seem to have any head injury, thank God. When
she is stable she will have to have 12 hours of surgery done. Please start
praying for her and ask your churches and friends to pray for her too. We
will keep you posted as we hear more. Thank you.
3 Aug 2002 Keith Eckrich: Hi, everyone: Helene is out on an errand, and I
wanted to update you a bit on the condition of her sister, Mary. It's 6:20
p.m. in Florida, and Mary's in surgery right now and is expected to be in
surgery until midnight. Her liver seems to be improving. Among other multiple
injuries she suffered in the car accident, she suffered a very severe
fracture of her fibula and tibia in one leg and her clavicle was also broken.
Helene will report further as we learn more. Thanks for your prayers and
thoughts.
4 Aug 2002 Helene Eckrich: Thank you for your prayers and thoughts for our
sister Mary and your emails to us. We appreciate them. She was in surgery 10
hours yesterday and they fixed one of her fractured hips and her fractured
arm. She has a fractured hip on both sides and a fractured pelvis also. She
went back to surgery today and had her spleen removed. She was bleeding and
her blood count is very low. The extent of her injuries is massive - 2
fractured hips, fractured pelvis, fractured tibia and fibula, fractured
humerus, fractured clavicle, fractured eye orbit, fractured ribs with a
collapsed lung on both sides and therefore chest tubes on both sides,
lacerated liver, and ruptured spleen and kidney. Someone upstairs wanted her
to live! But she has a long haul in front of her.
5 Aug 2002 Dan Mazar re Bob Hoffman: Friends: Bob Hoffman (Hugger) called to
announce the death of his mother this evening @ 1100 pm. He asked that I send
the information to you. The wake will be this Tuesday from 4 to 8 pm at
Duker's Funeral Home (9th and Broadway) in Quincy, Illinois. Funeral Mass
will be Wednesday. No other information is available at this time. Please
send this announcement to those on your email list who know Hugger. Thanks.
Dan 5 Aug 2002: Chris Reuter: Just a short note to give you my new e-mail
address, which I presume appears at the top of this message. When I moved
here on July 10, I decided to give up on the "free" e-mail from
Juno. I would write to them and cancel, but I have no idea how to go about
it. They'll figure it out when several million spams accumulate in my
mailbox! I'm having a ball learning all the features on my new laptop. I also
have a flatbed scanner and a digital camera. When I get all this technology
under control, I may even try to send you some attachments.
The three of us (Carroll Mizicko, Ferd Cheri, and I) will be living in
Belleville until the diocese builds us a new house in East St. Louis. That
will take a year or more; so we've settled in for a long stay. Here's the
essental information: 2620 Lebanon Avenue, Belleville, IL 62221 (or Post
Office Box 398, East St. Louis, IL 62201). My apartment phone is 618-239-9242,
and my cell phone is 618-954-8166. Carroll Mizicko is 618-234-8548
(apartment) and 618-407-2685 (cell). Ferd Cheri is 618-239-8528 (apartment)
and 618-593-9210 (cell).
You can pass this information to any of the brethren (and sistren) who may need
it. We just received your latest Digest; so I know we missed that deadline.
I'll try to be more regular with e-mail and other ways of keeping in touch.
So far I'm helping out at a parish on weekends, and I've also started
conversations with several of the prison chaplains in the area. I'm sure I'll
have more than enough demands before long. More later.
5 Aug 2002 David Struckhoff: Hello to all. Missed the collegiality at
Portiuncula this year. Busy with professing at Loyola/Chicago, but miss the
Franciscan spirit. Still promoting "My Mom Has Cancer," a book for
children with ill mothers or mother-equivalents. This is part of the
charitable mission of Justice Research Institute. Contact us for copies. We
give them away, but need donations to print more and to develop "My Dad
Has Cancer." See Jack Bartz often as well as Don Blaeser, Dennis Koopman
and Jim Zangs. Work with Sammy Dana at LU and see him weekly.
6 Aug 2002 Luis Runde updated 18 address changes which explains why I got
some DD32s returned including Bro Herman Joseph James & Jim Lause whose
friar colleagues didn't forward the DD to them at 3140 Meramec, St Louis Mo
63118-4399, Joe Emerson died about 1998, Dick Korn lives at 2840 Bremen St,
Columbus OH 43224, Gary Bernhardt at 217 W 7th St, Washburn WI 54891, Bill
Cardy at Jesuit House, 2890 N Kobuk Ave, Fairbanks AK 99709, Frank Coens at
1608 Tynewood Dr, Nashville, TN 37215-4214 and is pastor of St Vincent de
Paul's, Chuck Gunti at 5218 Canary Hollow, San Antonio TX 78222 (near S.
Jose), Kurt Hartrich at 1721 College Ave, Quincy IL 62301 - St Francis's,
Mathias Kieman at 100 Stardust Dr , Sherman IL 62684-9763, Lambert Leykam at
1 Marquard Cir, Crowley TX 76036-2000 St Francis Village, Herb Rempe at St
Peters, 110 W Madison, Chicago 60602-4196, Harry Speckman at 707 M-68, Indian
River MI, 49749-9324, and Leonard Paskert at 100 Stardust Dr, Sherman IL.
6 Aug 2002 Jerry Etzkorn: Concerning the Iraqi thing: I think it would be a
good idea if all of us inundated Bishop Wilton Gregory with messages to the
effect that the Bishops should use whatever 'spiritual clout' they have to
educate 'almost-not-president-Bush' about what is required for a just war!
Apparently, he doesn't have a clue. If simply HAVING weapons of mass
destruction is sufficient cause, then the good old USA should have been
liable for attack for the last 50 years or so. There must be something we can
do to counteract Pentagon paranoia! I thought Bishop Gregory's email address
was in the last DD but I couldn't find it. Do you happen to have it handy? [I
think it was at the bottom of the data file in DD32, way out of alphabetical
order. .Bishop Wilton Gregory is at: >
GS] [We marched against the New Iraqi War threat in little old Spokane,
Washington on November 6. We had over 1,000 participants and some great
speeches at the end. The Green Party folks organized it and said that it was
the largest march since the 60's. It feels like few people see that the
emperor has no clothes! JB]
8 Aug 2002 Herb Rempe: Hi Gael, You must have the right address, your note
came through to me here. I have been on Juno a couple years now, before that
I was on Yahoo a while. I have been at Pete's for almost three years now;
before that I was three years at the Outreach. I am currently business manger
here, and have the Friars Legion office. At the present all is going well. I
am trying my best to lose weight and get back to a little more exercise
routine. So far so good, I have lost about 30 lbs., and 30 more would be just
fine. John Leonard [Ostdiek] did have some problems but is doing very well at
this time as far as I know. Gil [Ostdiek] & I went up to northern
Minnesota and joined his family in a week of fishing early in June. We had a
great time, the weather was good, but the fishing was very poor that week. We
still enjoyed it. Hope all is well with you. Peace.
8 Aug 2002 F. Joseph Smith: I note the latest DD started out quoting part of
a Pax Christi peace poem I sent and concluded with Jim Ryan's obit. He was a
good friend, a fine teacher at St. Joe's, part of a brilliant faculty that
included Joachim Daleiden, Gervase Brinkman, Harold Jochem (organist) et al.
May he now rest in peace. We got together annually on his US visits but kept
controversial theologies in abeyance, appreciating instead our years-long
simple friendship, even as we were in different parts of the religious
ballpark. RIP and farewell, dear soul mate. (I'm still active as musician and
family man.)
8 Aug 2002: Bob Hickman: Good morning. Please add me to your distribution
list. Thanks... Just wanted to drop a line and thank you for your continued
support in putting together the Diaspora Digest. Thanks again and God Bless.
Pax et Bonum
9 Aug 2002: Jack Bartz sends article from the Dallas Morning News: This
article names names and reports how the Franciscans, the Jesuits and other
orders have let child abusers remain in their orders and continue to
minister. [You may access this article by going to the Diaspora Digest web
site: While online, click here: JB]
10 Aug 2002 Madeleine Trichel (& Dick/Bart Korn): Yes, 2840 Bremen St,
Columbus OH 43224 is our new address. Actually, it's the house where I raised
my children. My daughter and her family were living here until they bought
the house across the street and moved. We spent last summer (a year ago)
working on much-needed re-furbishing and moved in at the end of September. We
still have boxes to unpack, painting to finish, and pictures to hang, but
it's good to be in our own house again with trees all around, a garden, grape
vines, and grand twins just across the street. Thanks to Luis Runde for
making the address correction we should have done. Peace, Madeleine
11 Aug 2002 Bob Hickman (1961): Finally got to the web page. Great job,
especially the pictures. Chuck Gunti, with whom I stay in touch, emailed me
the July edition. Many thanks for the outstanding job you and Jack are doing.
[Note that Bob has a new eddress to update your files: bhickman of knology.net
]- Sending some money to help with expenses.
Still in Huntsville, AL, our youngest son, Paul, and his family live just
outside of Nashville in Dickson, Tenn. Our other three children and their
families live here in the area. Finally decided to hang it up and retired
last year. Mary Ann, my lovely wife for 41 years still works with the deaf
and hard of hearing. You don't need to bore everyone with all of the details.
Just wanted to say hello and thanks for all of your continued dedication in
keeping all of us in touch, who had the opportunity to attend St. Joe's,
T-Town, etc.
13 Aug 2002: Jim Lause: Gael, I received the July 2002 copy of Diaspora
Digest and enjoyed reading it.
There was also a note from you asking if I am a friar. Yes, I am a friar,
stationed here at St. Anthony's in St. Louis as associate pastor. I had left
the Order in 1985 and returned in 1994. As I said, I enjoyed reading the
Digest, but like a few others, I really don't know a lot of the people, so
you can probably remove my name from your list too. Thanks! [If you enjoy
reading the DD, why not continue to enjoy it? It's free. JB]
16 Aug 2002: Lynn Classen: Dear Friends, Consider this note a bit early and a
bit late - right now, that's how everything feels. We are well into Howard's
second week home and a routine is finally starting to form. The rehab doc
made a special point during discharge, that the second week is the hard one.
He's right.
The stacks of mail are many and seem to have a house-wide distribution - most
of it junk, but a few key letters from billing agencies trying to get the
RIGHT ID number for the particular service. It seems to be a very difficult
concept that the male family member is the dependent on the Blue Cross policy
and that the correct ID is not his SS#. And why I should know whether Medicare
is the primary or secondary coverage is beyond me. Perhaps, if these folks
would just bill the PPO at Life's Little Surprises, Inc., all these pieces of
paper would find a final file folder and be put to rest. Ah, that ephemeral
concept of Universal Health Coverage in this, the richest of modern nations.
The notes and cards are always easy to find and provide a steady source of
encouragement, entertainment, and color - notices from billing services are
NEVER colorful!! But, with advance warning and thoughtful counsel, a gourmet
food supply from friends supplemented with a wide variety of chocolates,
superb therapists from the local Visiting Nurses Association, Sarah and Jack
on hand, and on-going messages of support from all of you (even if I'm not very
good at returning phone calls, I'm sorry) - we are making it!! Perhaps the
highlight of this past week alone, has been catching up on that most healing
of all ingredients - restful sleep. Delicious, delightful, uninterrupted
hours of blissful, dream-laden sleep. No co-pay, no deductible, no need to
call ahead for appointments, no special equipment - just the familiar pillow
and covers of home. No need to count hours - just as many as are available
will do quite well, whenever they are handy.
Howard is getting along very well with a walker and the intact left foot. His
range of motion on the repaired right ankle and heel continue to amaze
everyone but him; he's ready to walk. But weight-bearing is still a few weeks
away. Physical therapy keeps upper and lower extremities in shape and the
fatigue is slowly, but surely dissipating. The most recent head CT brings
tears to my eyes - no residual findings from the subdurals and subarachnoid
bleed; there remains a definite area of involvement in the left temporal
lobe, but that is decreasing in size and density. Speech, actually
"language", therapy is intense and will be on-going - there is so
much more than speech, per se, when the language center of the brain is
involved. For this reason, we have been counseled to limit outside
conversations and visits for weeks to come, but "poco a poco", he's
on his way back!!
Time for a bit of lunch, another foray into a particularly ominous stack of
"important notices", maybe a game of dominos (he keeps beating me -
this is decidedly an unfair situation, maybe I'll challenge him to a race up
and down the stairs), and, yes, without a doubt, a nap. Be well, dear
friends; be kind to all those in and of your lives. Our gratitude is sent
with this note.
[Lynn, somehow we missed what happened with Howard. When you get a minute, a
brief note on that would be appreciated. Whatever he has sounds awful for
both of you. I haven't seen Howard since we applied for our dispensations
together in Southern California around 1970? I remember that Jim (Borromeo)
Perluzzi apologized to both of us for the forms we had to fill out for
dispensation. I think Howard was working at the City of Hope at the time.
When I moved up to northern California, I lost track of him. Hope the rehab
continues well. Jack Brennan]
21 Aug 2002:Gael Stahl: A WOMAN'S PLACE IS BEHIND THE ALTAR [This Tribune
article is quite a thought provoker. It's a First Amendment right, and DD,
like all other media, feel that while we may not approve of what you say,
we'll die to defend your right to say it and print it and disseminate it
(Voltaire & friends Jefferson, Adams, et al.). So, with an Imprimi Potest
(maybe not quite a Nihil Obstat), the apostolic fathers of the Diaspora
friars on the Fringe encourage you to read and spread this most interesting
article to the faithful everywhere.
It's not my place to promote the ordination of women (I have no spear in that
contest since I have the phallic spear to be a priest forever, sacerdos
Melchisedech, vicar of Christ, whatsoever.
I hope y'all realize I'm being a bit facetious and a lot officious in this
epistola ad disapora cum longa et lata. Enjoy! If you don't like it, zap it.
If you like it, enjoy. If you agree with it enough, pass it along.]
[You may access this article by going to the Diaspora Digest web site: While
online, click here.
JB]
22 Aug 2002 Luis Runde sent form letter alerting readers to a tour of St.
Paul's Greece that he was conducting. It was to leave Nov. 3 for
Thessaloniki, Philippi, Athens, Piraeus, Rhodes, Patmos/Ephesus, Corinth, and
the like. Sounds great. Happy trails.
29 Aug 2002: Cullan Uhlinger: I read in the paper this a.m. that Fr. Jeff
Donnelly died on 8/26. He is being laid out at OLA today from 4 to 9, then
the funeral Mass will be tomorrow with Vicar Provincial Kenneth Capalbo as
Principal Celebrant. Can't make the Mass but will get to the wake tonight.
Hope all is well with all of YOU. PEACE.
15 Sept 2002 Dan Tanna: (Gael had asked Dan if he knew his classmate Jim
Hermeling's new address) I talked to fellow Quincian, Bill Hrudicka, last
week for the first time in multos annos. Of all the things we talked about,
one was the great memory we both had of Jim's birthday parties his mom threw
for him in our early grade school days at St. Francis School. He mentioned
having talked to Jimmy several years ago; he may have some leads. If he can't
catch-up with him with his advanced cyber-skills, we'll sort out other
options. His brother may still be living in Quincy. Will be in touch.
Gael, hope you and Susan have a great Fall in the Smokies! [I hope Bill
Hrudicka used his skills to find us via the website since the DDs I mailed
him have been returned due to expired forwarding. Anyone have Bill's
address?]
16 Sep 2002: Tom Shannon: Dear Jack and group, greetings.
First to report is that after 27 years in the same house, Cathy and I moved
to 123 Winifred Ave, Worcester, MA, 01602.
The move is not part of an adventure but downsizing to basically one floor.
The kids are gone and the dog did die and we did not need all that space. The
move is barely significant geographically either--about 4 minutes from the
old house. We just need to remember to turn right instead of left at the same
intersection we have used for decades.
Work at WPI continues apace. What I though would be a transitional job has
turned into a 28 year run. Actually the up side is the lack of worry about
church politics, especially the mandatum. As I have noted to friends, all
they can do is excommunicate me, not fire me. But I've had a lot of wonderful
opportunities through WPI and much support for my writing and lecturing. It
also helps to have a good biology and genetics group around because of my
continuing work in the ethics of genetic engineering. At least by focusing in
bioethics, I picked an area that guarantees no boredom. Though it would be
nice if the pace slowed a bit so all this stuff could be processed.
I was elected to the board of directors of the Catholic Theological Society
of America last year and that has been interesting. My major observation is
that many members are around my age and I am not sure that that is healthy
for the long term good of the church. But I have seen a lot of good theology
being done and that is healthy. Zach Hayes and I did a paper together at the
Society's last meeting "Adam and Eve, Evolution and Modern
Genetics." It was both fun and an honor to be with Zach on the podium.
Paper went well too.
And in an interesting irony I will be teaching moral theology at the Jesuit
seminary in Cambridge this year. One of the Jesuit moralists is on sabbatical
and I am doing a course on the encyclical tradition and medical ethics. That
I am teaching moral theology there may be a sign of the deep troubles
affecting both the Jesuits and the Church .
In another of life's transitions our younger daughter will marry next summer.
She was a volunteer at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation at the Jesuit high
school and she and one of the other volunteers met and fell in love. He is
first generation Italian (so we get a good food group in addition to a really
great guy) and currently director of retreats at St. Joe's University in
Philly and Courtney is doing a two year internship in campus ministry at
Villanova and getting a free MA out of the deal.
Our older daughter Ashley continues her PhD in post Colonial British Lit at U
Texas, Austin where she will continue until they no longer pay her.
Cathy continues her work of teaching reading to the bottom 15% of a first
grade class in a program called Reading recovery. These are kids who have
just not learned to read for a variety of reasons but most are poverty and
single parent families with all sorts of tragic backgrounds. Most learn to
read and this helps keep them in school and off the streets. Good to hear
from the group and learn what others are up to. We are spread around and the
DD is a wonderful way to keep in some contact. Thanks for the work, Jack and
Zeke. Peace.
Thomas A. Shannon
Professor of Religion and Social Ethics
Department of Humanities and Arts
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
100 Institute Rd.
Worcester, MA 01609
Office 508-831-5468
fax 508-831-5932
18 Sep 2002 Gael to Jerry Klein: Do you remember the name of the writer of
the article I sent you from Discover magazine about how something came of
nothing? I've got a note I made from a review I must have read of Martin
Rees' "Just Six Numbers." Basic Books. (explains why there is
something rather than nothing -- almost) That's all I have to go on.
19 Sep 2002 Jerry Klein: Hey Gael, Just got your note. Of course, I kept that
article close at hand. The final answer on something rather than nothing -
wouldn't dare lose it. It was in the April 2002 issue of Discover. The author
is Brad Lemley. Alan Guth is the cosmologist(?). It has not brought me the
peace I always thought it would! [I think Chris Reuter knows the answer to
the question "Why is there something, rather than nothing?" He
tried to explain it to me, but I fell asleep. It occurs to me that other
readers will have a hell of a time trying to crack our class' philosophical
esoterica. JB]
25 Sep 2002: SOA Watch reports: SOA Watch gave out in an e-letter today the
facts about of all of those arrested November 02 at the School of the Assassins
who were sentenced. I was interested in the Santa Barbara Province's former
provincial. Here's what they listed: Fr. Louis Vitale, San Francisco, CA
Franciscan priest. Pastor of an inner city parish in San Francisco. Working
with marginalized children and the homeless. Sentenced to three months in
federal prison. [Obviously, Fr. Louis is part of the Axis of Evil. JB]
Louis Vitale, # 25803-048 (prison address TBA), Incarceration date: 10/02,
Projected release date: 01/03.
For more information contact: SOA Watch, PO Box 4566, Washington DC 20017
email: info of soaw.org , phone: (202) 234-3440, web: www.soaw.org. Annual rally and spiritual
reunion to shut down the school of assassins to be at Fort Benning, Georgia,
Nov. 15-17, 2002. [Four friends from my neighborhood attended the rally. They
were really impressed by the spiritual, peaceful nature of the march. JB]
25 Sep 2002 Vic Neshyba: In DD #32, you asked if anybody can update the data
for Joe Emerson (1953/Gustan). Joe passed away three years ago after a
lengthy illness. His dying wish was to be buried in his habit, which was
done.
Joe and Maria have lived in Austin, Texas for a number of years and became
quite involved in parish community life at St. Catherine of Siena. Their four
daughters have all grown up and have families of their own.
While we were years apart at St Joe's, (Joe was '53, I was '65), we found
each other through our involvement within the parish and shared many a fond
memory of times past. I see Maria every Tuesday evening at RCIA ... I'll get
her current address, email and phone #. Vic [Gael forwarded this to the DD
egroup, and we received a follow up letter from Clyde Ebenreck on the
following day.]
26 Sep 2002 Clyde Ebenreck: (With regard to "Tex" Joe Emerson -
Gustan /1953): Tex was the first student I met when I came to St. Joe's in
1949. My folks drove me to this strange place called a seminary to see what
it was like (my brother enjoyed the long polished halls to run and slide in,
and was delighted by the way they echoed to his shouts). But because my
father hated to give up a workday, they turned around and left me there a
full day in advance of opening day.
As I surveyed this big and empty place, Tex came to the rescue (I don't
recall why he was there a day early also. but my impression was that it was
also his first encounter with the seminary). I couldn't believe that there
was anyone that tall, and that he somehow paid attention to this scrawny kid
from Missouri. But together we explored the building and the grounds and got
a sense that we knew more about the seminary than anyone else. Tex - RIP
Clyde Ebenreck (who was "Ebe" and sometimes "Bill" in
them there days)
27 Sep 2002 Mark J. Braun (George-1952): My wife Dorothy Braun died Sept. 20.
Thanks very much for all who were praying for her. I never will be able to
thank you enough for all those prayers. She was anointed the day before she
died.
St. Augustine said when you pray you talk to God and when you do spiritual
reading God talks to you. The spiritual reading that I was doing at the time
of her death, or I should say around the time of her death, was about many
miracles that Christ was working when He was on earth. I am sure that Christ
was telling me she was blessed with a lot of help in order to die a wonderful
death.
Please keep on praying for her soul. Thanks. She died in a hospice house. She
liked horses very much. There were horses on the place where she died. I
would appreciate it if you would thank God with me for her beautiful death. I
will never be able to thank God enough for that. I will remember all of you
in my daily prayers.
30 Sep 2002 Tony Lutz: Dear DD, Pax et bonum. Our young people, especially
including our new priests, are the hope of the Church. Sue and I experienced
this on our trip to Spain where we saw hundreds of the young walking from
Burgos to Santiago de Compostella (200 miles) and farther on pilgrimage
through the rainy and cold mountainous trek. And from Coimbra to Fatima,
Portugal, we saw similar groups of pilgrims walking. At Fatima the attendance
at the Mass in the plaza before the basilica was huge. After Mass the Fatima
statue of our blessed mother was taken back to the site of the first
apparition. During the procession everyone waved a white handkerchief as a
sign of love for Mary. I couldn't participate, I was so moved. At Avila we
visited the Incarnation Convent where St. Theresa spent some 30 years. You
can still see her room where she wrote her spiritual works and the log she
used for a pillow. The cloistered nuns have no hot water, no heat, and at the
end of the year they give away any of their wealth. There is a waiting list
of women wanting to join the convent. New members are accepted when one of
the nuns dies.
I read a marvelous book, "Good-bye, Good Men: How Liberals brought
corruption into the Catholic Church," by Michael S. Rose. Copies were in
the local library. We wonder what happened to our seminaries, why the exodus
of priests and religious. This book will give you some answers. Another
revealing book is "Amchurch Comes Out: The U.S. Bishops, Pedophile
Scandals, and the Homosexual Agenda" by Paul Likoudis. We know about the
revolt against "Humanae Vitae" and the sexual revolution, but the
chief problem is our refusal to recognize the inherent evil of Liberalism. In
the last days of the 19th century the English bishops declared that when
Liberalism infests the Catholic Church, "...schisms and heresies arise,
take shape and form. Faith becomes tainted, moral virtue becomes relaxed, and
in the process of time, Liberalism in religion invades the whole mind until,
like their leaders, many of the faithful are thought to be alive when they
are dead."
[Editor's note: Tony may be right. I attended a recent meeting of the
Liberalism Society of America recently. The entire national membership of 14
was in attendance. They looked dead, old, wizened, frail, and fumbling for
words - except for my old classmate, Jerry Klein, who looked alive but as isolated
and alone - as anyone I've ever seen. He was pugnacious and dedicated (sic)
and said he was staying in there for the long haul. I am saying a few
rosaries for him and adding all the new mysteries that JPII has added to the
telling of the beads.] A contemporary example of Liberalism is Gary Will's
book (he is the author of "Papal Sins," "Why I am a
Catholic." Despite being an historian he quotes only from liberal
sources. You would never believe he even read "Humanae Vitae." He
has such an antipathy for Pope John Paul II, I don't believe he ever read
such great encyclicals as "Veritatis Splendor," or "Evangelium
Vitae," or "Fides et Ratio." Not once does he quote from
"The Catechism of the Catholic Church." And the book is nearly 400
pages. At the end he expressed gratitude to Terry Dosh of "Bread
Rising" for his encyclopedic knowledge of Catholicism. I've know Terry
for some 30 years and subscribed to "Bread Rising." I wrote him
numerous letters pointing out his biases, his quoting only liberal sources.
Finally, I refused to renew my subscription and sent him an article on
Liberalism by Card. Newman. He refused to read it. There you see the closed
mind of the liberal. Vale in Domino.
[Editor's note: Not only does Terry Dosh have a closed mind, but when I was
the guest of Charlie and Irving Bloss in Minneapolis, I tried to visit their
next-door neighbor Dosh, but wouldn't you know I found a closed door, let
alone a closed mind. The lame excuse was that he was out of town. Sounds like
a liberal to me. I also quit subscribing to "Bread Rising." Really.
I consider myself a Chestertonian Conservative. GS]
3 Oct 2002 Jim Martorana: One day before 10/4/02! Here is a small donation to
help with the DD. I appreciate all your hard work. Your endorsement on the
check will serve as a thank you note. [You who contribute your words and
thoughts and pictures do the real work. Keep them coming. G]
7 Oct 2002: Isaac Braun: [I've retyped it into more contemporary English to
help out his Brazilian memory. It was postmarked priority airmail 8 Oct but
received Nov. 15. GB]
Gael, Peace. Thanks for #32 of DD. I thought maybe I missed a copy, and then
#32 arrived. This year we were saddened very much by the unexpected deaths of
four friars in Brazil. First, Juvie Carlson went to animate the heavens. Soon
afterwards, Ray Crone and Paul Zoderer. Then, about the middle of July,
Bishop James Ryan went to his eternal reward for 59 years in Brazil and
almost 90 years of life.
May they rest in peace. When I was the rector of the diocesan seminary in
Santarem, I didn't receive any salary, but when I left the seminary in 1984
and came here to marry, Bishop Ryan gave me four $1,000 checks. We kept in
contact by letter, and he also helped us economically with our work in the
poor community here. The last time we visited with him was last January when
we made a trip to the north of Brazil.
Since May 2000, I've been retired. The owner of the small hotel where I
worked as receptionist asked me to continue. My retirement pay isn't much. At
the end of last year we thought it was about time to let someone else have my
job, which I especially liked when I was working. But, as I wrote to my
brother, between home, church, and community, there is enough work for
another 30 or 40 years.
For about a year, there was talk about dividing our parish because it is so
large. The division was finally announced officially and it will go into
effect Oct. 20. The former parish had 23 communities with 30,000 to 40,000
persons and was attended by two Jesuit priests who spent about half of the
time with their work in the Catholic University. Our new parish will have 11
communities. Our former parish church was about seven or eight minutes by
foot on the other side of the river in Recife. Now, we'll have to go by car
about 10 to 15 minutes to our church in Olinda. We will have the same pastor
that we had before, and he already asked us to be the coordinators of the
Eucharistic ministers. He also asked us to help two communities, one of which
is very weak and the other, which never had regular assistance by the
Catholic churchesthere. In these communities we started the Legion of Mary,
which makes a lot of home evangelizing visits. Those are visits to motivate
the people to live their faith and not visits to try to make the persons
change their religion. In the community, which never had assistance, in order
to buy a lot on which to build a chapel, we'll have to appeal to outside help
also, even to Misereor in Germany. In the poor community that we are helping
- where the actual dwellers humorously call the "Slum of the Filthy
Rich" they have only a little wooden house or shack with some rotten
boards; so the pastor signed a request for help from Adveniat in Germany.
We hope the Jesuits will give a little more assistance to our parish now.
Several months ago, the Jesuit pastors of Latin America had an encounter
[evaluation meeting] here with the purpose of looking at their parish work as
a "mission" and not as a side job. Our pastor was theorganizer of
the encounter, and on Sunday, the parish prepared a noon lunch for the
participants. The parish gave the left over food to Socorro to give to the
poor community. That afternoon, two priests from the other countries
celebrated Mass in the poor community, and then the food wasdistributed.
After the distribution, one of the women who is active in the community said
to Socorro: "This bowl of food is today's breakfast, lunch, and evening
meal." In order to get the men of the poor community to participate more,
we began, in August, a men's prayer rosary, which is a practice that is
becoming more common in the communities. The participation so far is
generally weak, but will become better. The community needs a lot of prayer
because of the problems with alcohol and drugs.
To help the youth of the poor community prepare for the work market, we are
looking for a company or entity to pay for some computer courses. In order to
get a job, many times the requisites include basic computer capabilities.
There is more and more discussion occurring in Brazil about the Free Trade
Zone of the Americas. The National Council of the Catholic Bishops even
sponsored a vote. About 14 million, almost all who voted, were against Brazil
continuing the discussion in preparation in preparation for this trade
agreement. Despite the nice words of the agreement, the fear is that in the
end the U.S. with its economic strength or weight would have a big advantage
over the other countries. We read that Colin Powell said that this agreement
would enable the US companies control the commerce in the American continent.
If that were true, it would not be good for other countries. The government
here is officially in favor of the agreement.
Yesterday, there were elections in Brazil for president, governors, and some
senators and representatives. According to the polls before the elections,
the candidate of the Worker Party was being preferred. Because of this, some
speculators created doubts in regard to Brazil's relations with other
countries and also made the dollar go up. On Oct. 27, there will be a run-off
election between the Worker Party candidate, who received almost 47% of the
votes yesterday, and the candidate of the government, who received almost 31%
of the votes.
Gael, thanks for the good you and others are doing in publishing DD so we can
see the good that others are doing and also appreciate the difficulties that
others have in raising and educating their children, for example, Jack
Brennan's letter of Dec. 14, 2001. From here in Brazil, we wish you and all
the readers of the DD a truly blessed and joyful Christmas and a New Year
with much joy in the Holy Spirit in working for the Kingdom of God.
Fraternally. Isaac, Socorro, Kaline. PS: Our phone number was changed to
81-3444-7161.
12 Oct 2002: Chuck Faso: Aloha and greetings from Hawaii where I am spending
the month of October preaching four parish missions and giving a workshop to
the priests of Hawaii. Someone has to do it!
Time to let you all know of my travel and pilgrimage plans for 2003. If you
or someone you know might be interested in any of these pilgrimages, please
contact the respective Travel Agency or contact me. No trips to the Holy Land
as of yet. Soon I hope. May the Lord give you much peace and lots of Aloha!
[If you are interested in Chuck's pilgrimages, contact him at Fr. Chuck
Faso's Info:2437 W. Augusta Blvd. Chicago IL 60622. 773-276-3386; or click on
these while you are on line cfaso of frchuckofm.org or www.frchuckofm.org ]
16 Oct 2002 Anton Braun: We have been occupied with our little 10-month-old
grand daughter, who is a total delight. I have lunch with her on Wednesdays
and she spends the day here with Grandpa and we have a glorious time. Today
she got into eating solid food by herself. Quite a scene. [Anton became a
grandfather at age 61.]
Yes, we are thinking of coming to your house one of these months. So don't be
surprised when we let you know of plans to that effect. I trust you are well
and now planning to build. We came thru that in good shape, mostly because we
have an excellent builder whom we trust to do nearly all the work, or he
knows other persons who are also capable and trustworthy. Take good care.
Peace.
16 Oct 2002 Vic Neshyba: Chatted with Maria Emerson last night and got the
following from her. She indicated she would appreciate receiving back copies
of DD and would love to hear from friends. The email address is her son's:
Maria Emerson, 512-288-7086,9401 San Diego Rd, Austin TX 78737, battlestarscralachita
of msn.com.
19 Oct 2002 Gael Stahl called Maria Emerson and enjoyed a long chat catching
up on stuff since we last saw each other when she and her sister Frances were
working near Corpus Christi Parish where Joe/Gus Emerson and I were living in
1967-68. Frances died of a heart attack 15 years ago when her daughter was
about 14. Joe's work took the family (Maria and he have two daughters with
grandchildren and a son who is now 19) to various cities in Texas. They moved
to Austin from Houston about 1995/96. Joe's cancer eroded many of his various
organs and his death followed a heart attack in 1999. Maria has just retired
from her career working for the state of Texas. She greets all warmly.
30 Oct 2002 Sharon Fisher: Received this from the Chronicle of Higher
Education, thought you might find it interesting. Sharon (wife of Jim Fisher
in South Carolina): The president of Quincy University announced on Monday that
he was resigning after the university's Board of Trustees discovered some
"inaccuracies" in his academic credentials. The Rev. Eugene R.
Kole, [OFM, Conv.,] who has led the Roman Catholic institution in Quincy,
Ill., since 1997, had listed two master's degrees on his resume that he had
never earned. See: Chronicle.com.
[Can't tell you how relieved I was to see it was just a matter of academic
lapses in his resume, not strange celibate sexual preferences. Gosh, a couple
of errant master's degrees seems so mundane in these days of Criminal
Cardinal Law getting it on by letting priests bang parishioners' kids. GZ]
30 Oct 2002 Dan Tanna: Bill Hrudicka's current phone number is: 314-729-7931;
address: 10119 Gravois Road #3; Afton, Mo. 63123. His email address: bwrudy
of yahoo.com - I'm still searching for Jim Hermeling. No luck yet. Bill did
find a James Hermeling and Ronnie Hermeling in Indianapolis (Ron is his
brother's name).I called the James "Indianapolis" Hermeling
residence only to learn he is not our guy. Chuck Faso is probably right
(about Jim moving to Canada with his wife. The last time I talked to Jim - it
has been some time now - he was making trips into Canada. The search
continues. Always good to hear from you. Greetings to Susan.
12 Nov 2002: Jerry Etzkorn: Dear Gael, I'm attaching a letter which I sent to
our 'local ordinary' which may be of interest (and possibly of use) for some
of us married priests. Since I'm now in the three-quarter century time of
life, maybe I wouldn't have that much to offer if so allowed in the active
ministry, but some of you younger guys could contribute a lot.
Don't know if many would agree with me, but it has struck me that we were not
trained to listen to the 'laity', much less to consult them. I believe that
the new Code of Canon Law was compiled with minimum input from the laity. The
recent events in Roman Catholicism have confirmed my view.
On the brighter side, we had a class reunion here in Fairfield Glade in July.
John 'Lefty' McMahon came all the way from San Diego! Also present were Bob
Pahler and Gale White. Paul and Marilyn Shields were unable to make it
because 1) their house burned down and 2) Paul had recently undergone major
surgery. Also missing were Barry Schneider and Lambert Leykam. However, we
had a most enjoyable week and our conversations were, for me, intellectually
stimulating and a spiritual boost.
12 Nov 2002: Jerry Etzkorn's attachment:
Dear Bishop,
After much thought, reflection, prayer and some loss of sleep, here is my
response to your letter. You asked if you could help in my obtaining
laicization. Are there any other ways of adding to our humiliation? Perhaps
we married priests should be required to wear patches comparable to the Star
of David patch required by Hitler in Nazi Germany. We married priests have
fallen in love with wonderful talented persons, a marvelous gift from God and
a shining symbol of his love for us. And yet we are treated as outcasts, as
modern 'lepers' required to hide our priesthood and banished from the active
ministry, less we 'scandalize' our fellow faithful. I have a message for you:
this is pharaisical scandal! The vast majority of the faithful have no
problem with a married priesthood.
What is truly scandalous is the hierarchy's shuttling of alcoholic and
pedophile priests from parish to parish, which over the years has caused
untold harm to so many of God's people. What is equally scandalous is the
continuation of a millenium and a half of misogyny in official Vaticanism
which perpetuates the myth that women are inferior to men, which may indeed
by a by-product of celibacy. Think about it!
You mentioned in your letter that you would not allow me to help in the
active ministry because you are committed to following the laws of the
Church. Has it ever occurred to you that the 'Church' is capable of unjust
laws? That these 'laws' are depriving the people of God of what they need and
deserve. You receive married convert priests and ministers from
Episcopalianism and Lutheranism (some undoubtedly with the wrong motives for
converting) with much fanfare and publicity as if Roman Catholicism had
"caught some big fish" and yet we faithful Roman Catholic married
priests are treated like pariahs. Hypocritical double standard!
Did it ever occur to you that the invectives of the prophets directed towards
the priests of the Old Testament and those of Jesus directed to the Pharisees
might be applicable to you of the clergy and the hierarchy. The Vatican has
designated gays as perversions of nature and yet there are a large number of
gays in the priesthood and hierarchy and you continue to ordain gays while
having a 'don't ask and don't tell' policy. More hypocrisy!
Pope John Paul II sometimes gives the impression that he is the Church's best
theologian, that fides quaerens intellectum is his prerogative. This strikes
me as rather arrogant. The Pope and his minions have employed pure, raw
secular power in an effort to silence those who disagree with them. This is
no different from the power exerted by the Sanhedrin against Jesus. These are
the same tactics employed by the Inquisition, the same approach with the
Crusades and the same path taken in the trial of Joan of Arc. To paraphrase
John Chrysostom: truth will prevail, falsehood is ultimately
self-destructive.
Perhaps you believe that there is no need for us married priests in the
active ministry. Well, you couldn't possibly continue to believe this if you
had to sit in the pews weekend after weekend, trying to stay awake while
listening to spiritual pablum, not to say drivel, issuing from the pulpits of
so many of our churches. We faithful are not illiterates as in the days of
yore, we need and deserve intellectual stimulation to help us decide what our
faith requires of us. The dangers of fundamentalism ought not to be
underestimated. In Roman Catholicism today there are very few Augustines,
Jeromes, Chrysostoms, Gregories or Anselms, more needed today than perhaps
ever before. We married priests are needed and we want to help.
In closing, if reflecting upon the above thoughts by you does not result in
any metanoia or change of heart, then there'll be no need for a response,
since I'll already have one. Sic finitur planctus meus!
28 Nov 02 Gael and Susan visited the Mooneys in Indianapolis. On Thanksgiving
morning we visited the cloistered Carmelite (I think) nuns. On an visit years
ago, I noticed that John Doctor said Mass there when he was novice master.
During the Thanksgiving service commemorating the death of Dorothy Day Nov.
29, 1980, I realized these women knew better how to put a liturgy together
than most priests. And lacking a priest, I saw, didn't handicap them
whatsoever in creating Christian community and prayer. For the first time, I
was reconciled to the cultural shock of women priests. And I think it will
spread just like that - by experiencing women (out of necessity due to
diminishing male candidates) leading liturgies. Some man priest could
consecrate a few thousand hosts to last a month, and so service the outlying
communities. On Friday evening, Anton and Janet Braun joined us in a
celebration of the reunion, bringing Anton's freshly baked loaves of bread to
add to the reprise of Judy and Mike's Thanksgiving dinner that was so
delicious and being together made our hearts burn within us.
2 Dec 02 Robert Hankey: I got the last Digest the day after I sent you the
gripe. Thanks for your reply and for the Digest. The times "they are a
changin." I have really been struck by the vast difference in both the
Order and the Church since I left 33 years ago. I'm glad I left when I did. I
still keep in touch with several of the men, like yourself, whom I respect
and relate to - both inside the Order and outside of it. However, my
relationship with the Church has vanished. I cannot in conscience be part of
it any more. I'm not against it; nor do I rant and rave against it as
ex-priests used to do too often decades ago. I consider myself a freethinker,
and my children are the same way.
When I visited St. Pete's a few years ago, Tom Aldworth gave me two books
he's published. I thought they were really good and passed them on to Bob
Monaghan when I finished them. He also thought they were excellent. Bob's
still the pastor of Incarnation parish here in South Minneapolis (has been
for the past 25 years).
Then, last fall, Tom sends me an email that the Vatican (Holy Office - or
whatever it's called now) sent a letter to John Doctor. The letter states that
Tom is forbidden to write or publish any more. He has been a priest since
1974; but the Grand Inquisitor says he must finish his theological training
and be supervised by a trained theologian - even in his preaching. Wow, have
things reversed since Vatican II. Last Sunday, so I was told, all the
parishes here had to read a new directive from Rome on the way to receive
communion by bowing certain ways, and that the communicant could not take the
host from the priest. The priest must place the host either on the tongue or
the hand. Otherwise it contradicts the concept of "feeding" the
faithful. Fraternally, Bob
2 Dec 02 Gael to Hankey: Geeezzzzzussss Christ. Bob, I'm so out of contact
with the daily roman institutional church that I had no idea such Rota crap
could ever go on again. Those affected will surely ignore the stupidities
being visited upon them.
I also would not have any truck with such scalawags. I don't, very much.
Haven't for a long time, out of lack of interest in their daily shenanigans,
not from lack of reverence for their efforts to do good, and, a lot of good
gets done. But I notice that the saints are still the Dorothy Days who have
affection for the church and affection for what really counts.
Thanks for the update. I am abashed that Tom Aldworth would be censored. The
censors have not an iota of his depth. The clerical leadership deserves what
it will get - being ignored, despised, and looked down upon. Fortunately,
what you describe is not universal. Certainly, I've heard of nothing like
that going on around here. - Gael
3 Dec 02 Brennan: Great letters. My brother, Dan, attends St. Pete's in Chi
and was sorely disappointed when Tom was transferred. He absolutely loved
Tom's sermons and his books. He loved the way he "wondered" about
things and stayed completely clear of dogmatism. Unlike the pabulum we were
given: this means that, that means this, etc. What arrogance to think that
anyone could know Grandfather's mind. Isn't there something in the NT about
not even JC knowing the mind of the Father?
We have raised our kids to be freethinkers too. Often it is tempting to want
them to conform; like a default setting in my head, but I resist in spite of
the price.
I recall having to get up at O'Dark:30 to say Mass at a convent in Effingham
when we were simplices. The nuns always asked about Monaghan. Pax.
5 Dec 2002 Richard (Prasz-niewski) Prayson (vows class of 1959) called Gael
who was editing DD33 when a call came from a schoolmate 44 years out of the
blue. It was like yesterday, of course, so we just took up from where we left
off in 1958 when he graduated from St. Joe's at Westmont and left to go to
college rather than to the novitiate.
"This is a voice from the past." - I couldn't place the voice, not
knowing whether it came from, Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, Nashville or elsewhere.
But I had a hunch: "Is there chrism on your hands?" - "Not
quite, but close." - One by one clues came out: "I picked you to
play left field on my baseball team. I won the 100-yard dash for four
straight years. I won the baseball toss with a 389-foot throw."
That rang a bell. Some other comments, and I had him placed, but damn if I
could remember that weird name. "I know who you are. You're a lawyer,
right?" - Yes. I have a new name. My father changed it to something
folks could spell and perhaps even remember. We switched from Praszniewski to
Prayson.
Ah, yes! We called him Praz or Rich at the minor sem. I remembered him well.
And for those who wish to add him to the data file I sent was in the final pages
of DD32 in July 2002: Richard [Praszniewski] Prayson (1959) and Karen, (440)
582-0008, 6800 Sherwood Trail, North Royalton, OH 44133 - No email.
Rich and I talked for an hour. Even though he declined to write up his story
of us at this time, I think he won't mind if I jot down a few things that I
remember.
He and Karen have been married 40 years. She is blessed, wonderful woman,
whom he calls his Hungarian gypsy or something. Every night he gets on his
knees and thanks God for her and their two boys Richard and Michael, (the
oldest a pathologist, the younger a trauma surgeon) and his grandchildren.
At John Carroll University Rich had three majors - in philosophy, English,
and history. He found them all helpful in his career as a lawyer. He began as
an assistant law director for the city of Cleveland where he specialized in
the area of eminent domain law. That was the era when Carl Stokes was elected
only the second black mayor in a major American city. Rich went on to be an
urban renewal lawyer, then did civil and real estate and banking law.
Due to a bit of luck (his term) he retired a bit early about 1993. In 1989,
he almost died when a car crossed the median and hit him head on. His left
side was mangled but nine surgeries saved his leg and arm. He evaluated his
life situation in the context of his rather responsible situation at the
bank, told Karen that none of us has a crystal ball, but since they had the
luck to be able to afford a comfortable but not lavish retirement, he decided
to hang it up, and become an avid grandfather, bass fisherman, lover of books
and reading, and the like. "Success has many fathers," he says.
He's fond of professors like Blane O'Neill, Tarscisius, Callistus, GK' with
his history classes and his grace as a human. Rich writes to them. And he's
thankful that Tom Hentemann (I don't remember him or how to spell his name)
and Scot Kuhle put him in contact with the Diaspora Digest.
Rich says my classmate Doug Makowski is at St. John Neumann parish in
Strongsville. My last address for Doug was in Parma. Tom Senn, formerly of
Indianapolis, lost his wife and is now a deacon working out of Our Lady of
the Angels (OLA) in Cleveland. Rich chatted with Tom Senn at Jeff Donnelly's
funeral at OLA, now a diocesan staffed parish. Walt Dolan was also at the
funeral. He is running the ship at Padua High School, says, Rich, calling
Walt "a delightful man, a really deep guy. You know, that seminary
turned out a mind-boggling number of classy men. What a good job they
did." Jeff's vows class was 1956, Walt's 1955.
Rich says, "I am amazed at the remarkable, talented guys in my class,
how versatile and gifted they were. Richard Mayer. Or Ken Ortegal who
reminded me of a panther as an athlete. Leon Ivan Wemhoff, Jim Crone,
graceful but not quick." He remembers their musicianship, something I'd
forgotten until he mentioned it. Rich feels that Jim Tye, two years ahead of
him, could have played in the NBA. He remembers fondly Jack Brennan and Jerry
Klein, their mental acuity and warm personalities. To tell the truth, Rich
has a picture perfect memory and discussed in detail a lot of others too
including Cullan Uhlinger, Frank Flinn, Ray Konrath and Dan Tanna, but my
memory is not as good as his, and I regret not taking more notes of you others
he made positive assessments of. He remembers me as being cheerful.
I asked Rich why he left at end of his sixth year, since he still has so many
traits of "those with a vocation." His answer was pure Praz: he
didn't feel he'd be worthy to continue, that he might possibly screw up a
parish, or wouldn't be able to commit himself to others as priests must do.
"Ironically," he said, "I found that when you get married you
have to commit yourself to others." Despite his warm memories, like many
of us, he felt a kind of aloneness at the seminary and thought he would be
lonely in the clergy. (Boy, has he been reading our minds, or what?!) He
thought he might not be all that good at multiple relationships and not like
he feels with the closeness with his wife and children and grandchildren. He
loves imparting to the latter an intimacy and warmth he didn't feel in his
childhood. - Well, if that doesn't summarize the fringer life story and tug
the heart strings of those of us who have been there, done that, I don't know
what does. Rich kept apologized for "taking up your time" but it
was the best time I spent all week away from editing the next Digest.
His final fioretti story was about his 10-year-old grandchild Nicky asking
him, what are the most important things? Rich answered with two Italian
words: amore and esperanza. Love and hope. Rich told Nicky, When you have the
love that I got from your grandmother, your parents, and my parents and
grandparents, and if you also have that love from the Man above who says to
look up to him and clasp his hands, you've got what's important.
17 Dec 2002 Dan Mazar sent a little artwork for DD33: To all: This holy card
of yours truly as found in a basement archive. In exceedingly poor taste, I
thought I would use this as a Christmas card to reflect an Incarnational
insight.
As you can tell, this was taken before color television. Actually, in 1967 at
OLA in Quincy. Hope you have a good laugh and find a place on your dartboard.
Remember, this is a 3rd class relic and to be guarded religiously. Celebrate
the Incarnation as Francis would have-smear the walls with meat and chug the
wine. Pax et Bonum, Dan
Gael replied: I'm impressed how sweet the odor was back then. You radiate
beauty and youth and a long life before you. - Then you grew up, alas.
Cowboy replied: Zeke: Back then, all possibilities were open. Especially, an
openess to the Divine. Such a deal. Funny how that openess led us all down
our own paths to our encounter with the Transcendent. You are lucky that I
didn't post a photo of me in my fems and tunic. That would make you go
screaming into the night. Thanks for your kind words. Enjoy the Incarnation.
In these times, it is important to keep it in mind. Pax, Cowboy
17 Dec 02 Erv Pfeifer: sent his and Carol's annual letter from Albuquerque.
They got back to Nebraska for an 85th birthday and Greeley, Colo., for a
100th. They had their first-ever family vacation at a beach house near San
Diego. For their 40th wedding anniversary, the Pfeifers took a Caribbean
cruise. They welcome visits from the OFM diaspora.
18 Dec 02 Jim and Mary Zangs: sent annual letter. Mary got out of the
handyman business and is back to working as a nurse in west Chicago. Jim
works as hard with a work-release program as he did with the federal prison
system before he "retired." The youngest has graduated from
college. Two are near them in Chicago and three are still in Maryland. All
doing well.
18 Dec 02 John Behl: Gael, thanks so much for forwarding Bob Pawell's
narrative of his years in New Orleans. [ The First Twenty Years of
Tau House ] I had hints of the good he had done
there, but what I read in his recounting was incredible. One of the hints
came through a woman I worked with. She learned that a college friend of hers
in New Orleans had AIDS and was shook. I told her to have her friend to get
in touch with Bob. Later she told me that when her friend mentioned Bob's
name to a healthcare giver, this person responded that he had been given the
name of the best person in New Orleans to talk to.
You asked about my reading. I'm reading a book or |