Friday, February 25, 2011

John Markoe, SJ

An amazing story about a Jesuit I never knew about before. Thanks to buddy Novaboy for the heads up ;-)


"Racism Is a God-Damned Thing": Father John Markoe, S.J.

February 22, 2011

As a whole, the Catholic Church was slow to get fully involved in the Civil Rights movement of the mid-20th century. Whether or not Catholics publicly endorsed segregation, they certainly accepted it in their churches and schools, North and South.

Many Catholic institutions weren't fully integrated until the 1960s, but before that era there were some exceptions to that general reality, usually forged via an informal network of laypeople, priests, and nuns who were long-committed to promoting racial justice.

One of these was a Midwestern Jesuit who led sit-ins, marches, and boycotts long before they made national headlines. Tall and handsome, John Markoe looked like a movie star, and in fact his story would actually make a good movie; it is the story of a lumberjack, football star, soldier, alcoholic, priest, teacher, activist. Markoe's biography, a peer noted, "reads like fiction." NAACP leader Roy Wilkins said Markoe "fought the Civil Rights battle long before it became respectable, or even popular."

Born in 1890 to a blueblood family whose ancestors included Benjamin Franklin, John Prince Markoe was the son of a prominent Minnesota doctor. At 18 he was accepted to West Point, but deferred the appointment in order to go west, to work on the railroads. In 1910, he entered the military academy, where his friends included Dwight Eisenhower. He played football against Knute Rockne and Jim Thorpe, and was named an honorably-mentioned All-American.

When he graduated in 1914, the yearbook said: "Possessing unlimited abilities, there is very little which he is incapable of performing." But he earned his classmates' contempt when he stood up for Marcus Alexander, the Point's only African-American cadet. His final class ranking might have been higher, had Markoe not been a full-fledged alcoholic by his senior year.

Lieutenant Markoe was assigned to the Tenth Cavalry, a Black regiment. He welcomed the opportunity, fraternizing with his troops more than was deemed appropriate for a white officer. But nine months after graduation, heavy drinking cost him his commission. He never fully forgave himself. Back in Minnesota, he entered the lumber business and enlisted in the National Guard.

In 1916, during the unofficial war against Pancho Villa in Mexico, he regained his commission. Down in Mexico, Markoe got letters from his brother Bill, a Jesuit working with African-Americans. These piqued his interest, and he started thinking about another kind of life than the army. After his discharge in 1917, Captain John Markoe joined the Jesuits in Missouri. He and Bill took a private vow to work for the "salvation of the Negroes in the United States." (Bill later worked with their cousin John LaFarge, also a Jesuit, for racial justice.)

As part of his training, John was assigned to St. Louis, a highly segregated city. African-American Catholics were relegated to separate parishes, denied a Catholic education, and banned from Catholic hospitals. (The local archbishop was notoriously racist.) John worked in Black parishes and attended NAACP meetings. In magazine articles, he argued that racism was a moral issue, even a heresy. His work was not well-received by local whites, Catholics included.

Ordained in 1928, Markoe was assigned to St. Elizabeth's Church, a Black parish in St. Louis. The work was hard, yielded few results, and some of his fellow priests ostracized him. It took a toll, and after twenty years of sobriety, he returned to the bottle. On one occasion, it took half a dozen police to drag the priest out of a bar, as he had taken on its entire clientele. For seven years after that, he stayed at St. Joseph's Infirmary, Missouri, fighting alcoholism.

In 1943, he re-entered the fight. Assigned to St. Malachy's, another Black parish in St. Louis, Markoe and his brother Bill campaigned to desegregate the Jesuits' St. Louis University. Father Claude Heithaus, a sociology professor, publicly asked why the school admitted people of all faiths, but rejected Catholics on account of their color. They won the fight, but John was soon sent ("exiled," some said) to Creighton University, Omaha, where he spent the rest of his days...

(click on title for the entire article)

Let's go Paul VI ;-)

Best of luck to my buddy Lammers and the Paul VI Eagles as they head into the playoffs on Sunday.


TB:


Here is our varsity team. We are headed to North Jersey on Sunday to play DePaul Catholic in a state tournament 1st round game. DePaul is a tough competitor so we have our work cut out. But, this PVI team has recently found its soul, so we are a very dangerous group.

Regards,

John
 


Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Scranton student needs our help...


February 2011

Dear Friends of the Jesuits,

Over two decades ago, Father Brendan Lally, a Jesuit highly involved in Campus Ministry at The University of Scranton, established a program to help the poor and disadvantaged advance our Jesuit mission of becoming “men and women for others.” He did this by traveling with Scranton students and spending time in Mexico City at a home for troubled boys. Today, the University’s International Service Program (ISP) has expanded to include employee chaperoned service trips to the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, and Mexico. I am fortunate to be among the sixty-five students chosen to participate in a summer 2011 ISP trip. I will be serving in El Salvador. I am writing to ask for your support of this mission project. My goal is to raise $1,500 to help fund this important initiative.

The money raised for the International Service Program will support my participation and help cover costs associated with the trips including essential immunizations and a small monetary donation to our host site. In addition to my personal fundraising goal, the entire ISP team will sponsor group fundraisers during the spring semester. Our largest fundraiser is called The Great Commons Ball Roll – an annually anticipated event. Each student sponsored initiative will secure funding for our service trips.

Many service supporters are able to make financial contributions of $1,000, and others are able to support this important program with gifts of $25. Please know that your gift, at whatever level you choose to give, will be greatly appreciated. 100% of your gift will directly fund this unique learning experience.

This opportunity is one to which I am fully committed. The application process for the program included an essay, personal recommendations, previous service experience, and an intense interview process. During the spring semester, I will devote much of my extra-curricular time preparing for this special experience. This involves team building, prayer and reflection exercises, specialized culture and language sessions, biweekly preparatory meetings, and the critical fundraising component.

I look forward to the challenges and opportunities this trip offers me, as well as the responsibility I will carry with me to raise awareness of living the Jesuit mission and educating my mind, body, and soul to serve as a student for others. This is a mission that is very near to my heart, as I grew up in the Jesuit tradition through the guidance of my parents, Owen and Mary Patterson, Saint Joseph’s University classes of 1980 and 1981, respectively. My dad brought me along to games at the Fieldhouse from infancy. However, through these experiences with my dad, I learned about more than just basketball. I gained an understanding of the importance of the Jesuit ideals, especially striving to be a woman for others. I attribute much of the reason why I ended up at a Jesuit university myself to the wonderful role models I witnessed since childhood. Now, with your help, it is my turn to give back.

I consider it a great honor to be able to work amongst the people of El Salvador, learning from both them and my fellow students. After much thoughtful and prayerful consideration, I decided to apply for the incredible experience of an International Service Program in order to challenge myself, to step outside of the box that I have grown comfortable with over the past three years of my college career. My education has been and continues to be one of the greatest blessings of my life, but I have much to gain from this experience so far out of the classroom.

I thank you in advance for your support. If you are unable to make a contribution at this time, please keep The University of Scranton students in your thoughts and prayers as we complete our important service work for others.

For accounting purposes, please visit our website at www.scranton.edu/isp in order to give by either credit card or check. Be sure to select El Salvador as the service trip and indicate that it was me, Marianne Patterson, who requested the gift by printing my name in the comment section. If you have any questions about the program, the service projects, or how your contribution will make a difference, you may contact Elise Gower, the International Service Program Coordinator, at The University of Scranton: gowere2@scranton.edu or (570) 941-4138. I personally can be reached at pattersonm3@scranton.edu.
I cannot express my appreciation of your generosity enough. Thank you for considering me and remembering me in your prayers. I consider it a great privilege to be able to be an instrument of your generosity.

Most gratefully,

Marianne Patterson


If by some unforeseeable reason I am unable to participate in this service experience, your gift will continue to support the important service mission for this year’s program.




Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Phil ~ cura personalis...



The following article will surprise no one on Hawk Hill as Phil Martelli has always been a "man with and for others in the Jesuit tradition." Above Phil took time to talk to the grade school kids I coached while at practice at St. Joseph's Prep.
 
St. Joseph's coach helps an injured teen


What's in a name?

Anyone interested in the answer to the question posed by Shakespeare should ask Lenny Martelli.

Lenny would say inspiration. Hope. Motivation.

Lenny Martelli is a 16-year-old junior at Pope John Paul II High School who suffered a spinal injury during a snowboarding accident in Schwenksville one year ago today. The injury left him paralyzed from the waist down. The prognosis was that his chances of ever again walking were very slim - but Lenny will walk onto the court with St. Joseph's basketball coach Phil Martelli at Wednesday's game against Xavier at Hagan Arena.

Lenny is no relation to Phil Martelli, but he and his mother, Leti, father, Len, and sisters, Angela, 13, and Marina, 10, had frequently been asked if they were.

"I knew who he was and I'd often hear, 'Are you related to Phil Martelli?' I'd say, 'No, but it would be cool if I was,' " Lenny said. "And they'd ask, 'Have you met him?' And I'd say, 'No, but it would be cool if I did' - it was always in the back of my head that I'd like to meet him, and at least get to know him."

 Concerned about the emotional state of her son, Leti thought it might be a boost to Lenny's spirit if she contacted Phil Martelli and asked for an autographed photo, a T-shirt, a cap, anything. Lenny got the T-shirt and the cap, and more. He got a visit from the coach while he was at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital.

"As soon as I met [the coach], he told me right away he wanted me to come out on the court with him one day and walk with him, and I made that my goal," Lenny recalled. "It gave me a big push. It was like me being an athlete and a coach telling me I have to work harder and work toward something. And being an athlete, I was always trying to do what my coaches told me. Having a coach give me something to work for, it gave me more of an edge.

"I'm definitely excited about this. I'll probably be nervous because there will be lot of people there, but I'll be more excited."

Lenny said the two caps and shirt that Martelli gave him are on his bedpost.

Phil Martelli clearly remembered the day he met Lenny Martelli at Magee.

"The first thing that jumped out at me was, here's a young kid who was snowboarding and, now, his life could be upside down," he said, emotion rising in his voice. "There was all this family love. The family spirit captured me. What moved me is [his mother] thought I could make a difference. I just said to Lenny, 'Next year you're going to walk out on the court with me.' "

Along with having the same surname, there is more to the relationship. Lenny began high school at Kennedy-Kenrick, which closed, and his mother, who lives in Plymouth Meeting and teaches sixth grade at Our Lady of Victory in Norristown, graduated from the same high school Phil Martelli coached before he moved on to St. Joe's.

Leti Martelli said that in the year since the coach visited Lenny, he has kept in contact for updates on her son's condition.

Read more:
PHILADELPHIA -- Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli on Wednesday will take the court with the most inspirational walk-on of his career.

No scorecard needed - but keep the tissues handy.

Lenny Martelli Jr., no relation to the famous Hawks coach, remembers little about the Feb. 15, 2010 snowboarding accident that left him paralyzed. Only 15 years old, he lay motionless on the snow, fearing his normal life was finished.

"As soon it happened, I just thought about not playing football," Martelli said. "I thought about not being able to do certain things. I had to accept that right away."

His acceptance wouldn't last long.

He had a broken neck, not a crushed spirit.

Lenny Martelli survived surgery and rehabilitation, and was tutored for months in a hospital bed. He listened to doctors tell him he may never walk again.

With the aid of canes, though, Martelli has ditched the hospital and started walking. He even plays guitar in a band. And on Wednesday night, he'll walk onto the court with Phil Martelli before the Hawks (7-17, 2-8 Atlantic 10) take on No. 24 Xavier (18-6, 9-1).

"I told him when he gets healthy," Phil Martelli said, "I want him to walk on the court with me at a game."

Because one Martelli kept his promise to a coach, the other delivered with a chance of a lifetime. And he'll do it the day after the one-year anniversary of the worst day of his life.

Lenny Martelli was like any teen who seemingly had it all. He played sports, went to school at Bishop Kenrick, played drums with a passion. He also enjoyed snowboarding.

But one freak accident nearly robbed him of his ability to walk and fulfill his future. When the accident happened near Schwenksville, Pa., where he was with two close friends, he immediately had no feeling from the chest down. He told his friends he couldn't move. They didn't touch him and he was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery.

His family, of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., was called and only told their son was in an accident.

His mother, Leti, recalled a harrowing scene of hearing paramedics yell in a hall "Code blue! Code blue! Move out of the way!" She saw them rushing a stretcher with a white blanket covering the body and knew it had to be her son.

"He had a smile on his face saying, 'It's OK, mom. Don't cry, mom. Don't cry," she said. "He said, 'I just can't feel anything.' That made me cry even more."

He underwent six hours of surgery and doctors fused bones from his hip with vertebrae in his neck. His spinal cord was bruised in the accident, as well.

Lenny Martelli spent a week in a Philadelphia hospital, then three months in a rehabilitation facility. Leti Martelli stayed by her son's side and lived at the hospital while her husband was at home taking care of their other two children. Leti Martelli rented an apartment in Philadelphia and pushed her son in a wheelchair every day to a new therapy center.

During this confusing and depressing time, Lenny Martelli never cried.

"I think I shed one tear when the priest from our church came to talk me," said Martelli, who turns 17 in July. "I didn't want to let anyone to see I was hurt."

The time around doctors and staff eventually led to many questions that had nothing to do with adjusting to his unexpected new life: Are you related to Phil Martelli?

The answer, was no. But Lenny was a sports fan and he certainly knew all about the coach who led the Hawks to a No. 1 national ranking in the 2003-04 season. He told his mom it would be cool if he had to chance to meet the basketball coach.

His mom called the basketball office and startled a work-study student who answered the phone with her tale.

The student told Martelli he had to take the call. At first, he declined because he was watching tape and it almost seemed "made up." Not only did they share the same last name, Martelli once coached at Bishop Kenrick.

But when the student insisted he talk to the crying woman on the other line, his interest was soon raised.

"I said is your name really Martelli," he asked. "You really went to Bishop Kenrick?"

He started visiting Lenny and keeps in monthly contact with him.

"People touch me, too," Phil Martelli said. "I'm fortunate."

(click title for the entire article)

Friday, February 11, 2011

A protestant's thoughts about Mass

A great and honest piece in the Huffington Post about a protestant going to Mass.


An Evangelical Goes to Mass


Roman Catholic mass can be a stolid exercise, perhaps even more so during Midday Mass at Conception Abbey in rural Nodaway County, Missouri. Walking up the steps of the basilica I'm braced by the cold -- there's a foot of snow on the ground and the wind is whipping. I enter the building through great wooden doors to the sanctuary. Cast in subdued light, I'm hit with the warmth of the room. The smell of incense is immediate; the sacred space a menagerie of images.


Built in 1883, the abbey church is a basilica, a status granted only to churches of major importance in the regional life of Catholicism. There are paintings on every surface, and statues or columns in every sight-line. The Beuronese murals which line the top of each wall tell the story of God. Dipping my fingers in the basin at the back of the church, I cross myself and bow to the altar. There are several dozen people already seated, scattered about. While the organist quietly plays a prelude we kneel and pray, awaiting the procession.


As I look around the room, I'm reminded that this place was once the scene of terrible violence. In 2002 a man named Lloyd Robert Jeffress entered carrying a pair of rifles and began shooting people. He walked through the halls of the monastery killing two and wounding others, then returned to the basilica and killed himself. The next day the bells of the abbey sounded once for every year the two slain monks were a part of the order -- a total of eighty-three times -- today they ring us back to mass and to sing the psalms throughout the day. That these peaceful monks suffered such heartache yet remain vulnerably open to visitors is not only a testament to their hospitality but also their commitment to the rule of St. Benedict, "Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ." I have much to learn from them.


The mass begins. The liturgy of the word includes several call-and-response sections which I pretend to know, but no one would notice if I remained silent. One of the younger monks reads from the lectern. It is the same monk who read at morning prayers -- his turn I suppose -- Old Testament, New Testament, and the Gospel for which we all stand. The priest reads the passage, and then we sit to listen to the Homily delivered peacefully.


When he is finished we sit in silence for a long time. Contemplation is assumed. The basilica is capacious, but so is the liturgy; room to think, room to pray, room to simply be. Every cough, sneeze or rattle reverberates throughout this place. Sounds live longer lives in a room like this, fading slowly. We sit and await the next moment, awaiting our Lord, awaiting ourselves. Our posture is one of hands open, receiving this mass not generating it. A restless person would find this off-putting, but nobody here checks their watch. The priest breaks the silence for the prayers of the people.

(Please click the title for the entire article)

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

and it would be nice if children enjoyed it..

A nice article in the Wall Street Journal, brought to my attention my Fr. John Swope, SJ, of the Baltimore Cristo Rey School. Click the link for the entire story.






Children are not merely adults in training. They are also people with distinctive powers and joys. A happy childhood is measured not only by the standards of adult success, but also by the enjoyment of the gifts given to children alone.

What are the unique blessings of childhood?

It took economist Larry Summers to point out that part of the point of childhood is childhood itself.

First is the gift of moral innocence: Young children are liberated from the burdens of the knowledge of the full extent of human evil—a knowledge that casts a pall over adult life. Childhood innocence permits children to trust others fully. How wonderful to live (even briefly) with such confidence in human goodness. Childhood innocence teaches us what the world ought to be.

Second is the gift of openness to the future. We adults are hamstrung by our own plans and expectations. Children alone are free to welcome the most improbable new adventures.

Third, children are liberated from the grim economy of time. Children become so absorbed in fantasy play and projects that they lose all sense of time. For them, time is not scarce and thus cannot be wasted.

Finally, we parents are so focused on adult superiority that we forget that most of us produced our best art, asked our deepest philosophical questions, and most readily mastered new gadgets when we were mere children.

Tragically, there is a real conflict within childhood between preparation for adulthood and the enjoyment of the gifts of youth. Preparation for adulthood requires the adoption of adult prudence, discipline and planning that undermine the spontaneous adventure of childhood.

Parents are deeply conflicted about how to balance these two basic demands: raising good little ladies and gentlemen, while also permitting children to escape into the irresponsible joys of Neverland.

Our wisest sages also disagree fundamentally about the nature of childhood. The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle famously declared that “no child is happy” on the grounds that children are incapable of the complex moral and intellectual activities that constitute a flourishing life. Aristotle said that when we describe a child as happy, what we mean is that he or she is anticipating the achievements of adult life. For him, the only good thing about childhood is that we leave it ­behind.

By contrast, Jesus frequently praised children, welcomed their company, and even commanded adults to emulate them: “Unless you become like a little child, you shall not enter the kingdom of God.”

Monday, February 7, 2011

Alliance for Catholic Education at St. Joseph's

In a recent New York Times article benefactor Robert Altman, an investment banker and a deputy Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton, said: "he saw Catholic schools as one of the most cost-efficient options available to poor urban families seeking to raise well-educated children and good citizens. You only have to walk into one of these schools to see it — the values they instill."


So good to see my alma mater taking a lead in ensuring a future for Catholic primary education in the inner cities. The Alliance for Catholic Education at St. Joseph's was also featured in the Catholic Standard and Times.






St. Joseph's is the 16th ACE program in the nation. It's the first in Pennsylvania and among those most closely modeled after Notre Dame, according to the Rev. Daniel R.J. Joyce, a St. Joe's administrator who helped developed it.

"We looked at these programs and thought, 'That's a contribution we could make,' " said Joyce, noting his university trains teachers through its education department. "And it's . . . an important piece of the puzzle for Catholic schools in the city."

Years ago, he said, a lot of young people entered Catholic schools as teachers.

"But they were nuns, priests, and brothers," said Joyce, a Jesuit priest who is assistant to the vice president for mission and identity. "I think Notre Dame has caught onto something: This is the new way that can happen."



Alliance for Catholic Education places young teachers in needy schools.
By Martha Woodall

Inquirer Staff Writer

When Desmond Shannon was a student at the Gesu School in North Philadelphia, he thought students at that private Catholic elementary school had more homework than their teachers.

Thanks to a new, local program that trains young college graduates to teach at inner-city Catholic schools, Shannon, 22, now knows better.

"I see the other side," said Shannon, who teaches 25 sixth graders at St. Rose of Lima Catholic elementary school in West Philadelphia and spends evenings grading their assignments and writing lesson plans. "Teachers have more homework than students."

After majoring in actuarial science at St. Joseph's University, Shannon expected to be crunching numbers for an insurance company. Instead, he joined 14 other 2010 college grads who signed up to teach at nine Catholic schools in Philadelphia through the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) at St. Joseph's.

St. Joseph's launched its version of the University of Notre Dame's successful ACE program in the summer with nearly $1 million in contributions from foundations and donors and support from the University of Pennsylvania.

Notre Dame's program, which was created in 1993-94, aims to provide a cadre of dedicated and academically accomplished young educators for Catholic schools just as Teach for America (TFA) trains teachers for public schools nationwide.

As is the case with Teach for America, ACE recruits high-achieving grads who did not major in education, trains them in summer, provides professional support, and sends them to graduate school so they have master's degrees in education at the end of their two years.

The tight economy and uncertain job prospects for 2010 grads helped St. Joe's fledgling program fill its openings with alums from across the country like Meghan Bliss, who received an undergraduate degree in American studies from Notre Dame.

Although Bliss always had wanted to be a teacher, she said she was really interested in earning her bachelor's degree from Notre Dame's respected program in American studies. The Missouri native applied to ACE in Philadelphia after being put on ACE's waiting list at Notre Dame.

"The Catholic education and community aspects of this program in particular were appealing to me," said Bliss, 22, who teaches third grade at St. Rose of Lima.

"Work needs to be done to improve urban education," she added. "I'm happy to be part of something that can fill that need."

All the fellows have pledged to serve two years and are working toward their master's degrees from St. Joseph's and state teaching certification. They also will receive leadership certificates from Penn's Robert A. Fox Leadership Program.

In contrast to TFA fellows who are paid the beginning-teacher rate of $44,039, ACE participants receive monthly stipends of about $1,000 for food and expenses. They live together at no cost in a former convent.

With Notre Dame focused on providing teachers for needy Catholic schools in the South and West, other Catholic universities have developed ACE programs in other parts of the country.

All stress the same three "pillars": teaching, community life, and spirituality.

"You don't have to be Catholic to do ACE, but there is an emphasis on spiritual growth," said John Staud, an administrator with Notre Dame's program, which has produced more than 1,200 Catholic educators.

"We feel it's an injection of talent and passion into a Catholic school system that is increasingly fragile in the inner cities," Staud said. "We're going to attract people interested in service and maybe the profession."

(click link for the entire article)

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Spiritus est qui vivificat...




Former HGP Headmaster Fr. Francis X. Hanley, C.S.Sp., Dies at Age 79

Father Francis X. Hanley, C.S.Sp., 79, former Headmaster of Holy Ghost Preparatory School, died suddenly Wednesday, December 23 of heart failure while visiting with family in Delaware. In September, Fr. Hanley became one of the inaugural recipients of the HGP Anima Una Award.

Father Hanley was born April 23, 1931 in Wilmington DE. He professed his vows August 22, 1954 at Holy Ghost Novitiate, Ridgefield CT and was ordained to the priesthood June 4, 1959 at St. Mary’s Seminary, Ferndale, Norwalk CT.

He became a member of the faculty of Holy Ghost Preparatory School, Bensalem PA in 1961 and in 1968 was named Head Master of the School and served in that capacity until 1977. He was assigned to Duquesne University in 1977 and served in various other ministries in the province including novice master and director of the provinciial retreat center over the next thirty years. He recently retired and was a resident of Libermann Hall, Bethel Park since March 2010.

There will be viewing at the Spiritan Center, 6230 Brush Run Road, Bethel Park - Tuesday, December 28, 3:00-5:00 and 7:00-9:00 PM and Wednesday December 29, 9:00-10:30 AM followed by Mass of Resurrection. Burial will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery, O’Hara Township, Pittsburgh PA.

Please refer to Notice in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for additional information

I last time saw Fr. Hanley is when a friend and I took a bus ride to see St. Joe's play Duquesne back in '01. St. Joe's was up by 20 the entire game and the gym was mostly empty. One Duke supporter took it upon himself to constantly insult Phil Martelli and his son, who while on the team didn't get much playing time. We were sitting near Phil's wife, Judy, when she told him to lay off her son. We talked to him and he did lay off Phil Jr. After the game I see Fr. Hanley, who was the team chaplain, come storming across the court, walk up the bleachers, and give it to this ill-mannered kid with both barrels, for about five minutes. Reminded me of my days at Ghost ;-)

Enjoy your eternal reward Father. Requiescat in Pace.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Pennies for a Jesuit school in India...

44's good buddy 6th Man put together a presentation for Catholic Schools Week to raise funds to build a new Jesuit primary school, the St. Paul Miki School, in Pandabir, India. This was a final request from his uncle and my friend Fr. John J. Deeney, SJ. Should we get enough pennies maybe the tribal children will get a new school soon ;-) Click the link for the PowerPoint.



AND.. if you want to send quite a few pennies... click here to mail a check or here to donate online. Please stipulate that your donation is for the St. Paul Miki School in the Jamshedpur Jesuit Province ;-) Any questions please contact John Gill at jgill@saintannies.org.

Benefit for Andy Dougherty




Hello Everyone,

I am emailing you to have you join me at a benefit for Andy Dougherty and his family being held on Saturday, 2/19 from 7 pm till Midnight at St. Laurence Parish Hall, 8245 West Chester Pke, Upper Darby, PA 19082. Tickets are $25/person and can be pre-paid by sending a check to Eagle National Bank c/o Andy Dougherty Benefit, 8045 West Chester Pike, Upper Darby, PA 19082.

Andy's dad, Mr. Doc, for decades he was 'the mayor' of the Fieldhouse and the Palestra and knew Hawk fans, coaches, and players as a friend. Many of you may know Larry Dougherty from his time on Hawk Hill and Andy is a classmate of mine from Hawk Hill.

Some of you may or may not know about Andy and his very sad situation. Over the last 5 years or so, Andy has had 2 very serious open heart surgeries. Since his last surgery about 2 years ago, he never really fully recovered and has recently been diagnosed with Early On-Set Dementia at age 51.

This diagnosis has been devastating both physically and emotionally not only for Andy at such a young age but also for his/our family. This has and will going forward put a serious financial stress on Andy and his family as they have 2 young children, one in high school and one in elementary school.

In an effort to lend support and help, the CYO Board at St. Laurence has organized a fundraiser/Beef ‘n Beer for Andy and his family on Saturday February 19th, 7pm – Midnight, at the Parish Hall, 8245 West Chester Pike, Upper Darby PA.

Tickets are $25 per person with entertainment by DJ Tommy Tunes. Silent Auction items and Raffle items will be awarded.

Feel free to forward this onto others.

Rich Brennan

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

A Jesuit's Jottings...

Remembering Alfred Delp, S.J. on the 65th anniversary of his martyrdom


Feb 2, 2010 will mark the 65th anniversary of the martyrdom of Alfred Delp, S.J., a 37 year old Jesuit priest, hung to death by the Nazis in 1945. His crime? Being faithful to the call of Christ to speak out for the social teaching of the church and oppose regimes that dehumanize men and women. May we rise to the challenges of our times as Fr. Alfred Delp did to his.

Peace, Rick.

(click the title for the blog of Rick Malloy, SJ)

Of snow, Jesuits and basketball...

The Godson is sick of the snow ;-)
 As is Snickers.

It was about 9 degrees at the Malvern Retreat House.


But the company and food were good.
We were fortunate to have Fr. Ned Murphy, SJ as our director. Some may know him from his work at POTS (Part of the Solution)...


Some may remember his role in the Camden28, shown here with Dan Berrigan, SJ. Also this about his soup kitchen -- Of Many Things. I enjoyed his talks immensely.

With Teron, Frank, and Fr. Terrence Toland, SJ at the New Deck.

T with the Nardis before the LaSalle - St. Joe's game.
Jesuits = Christian Bros for Dummies. They wish.
Who says Catholic boys can't be bible thumpers? They are with Jim Moore, SJ ;-)
If one can have a Jewish Godfather -- it would be Melvyn Freid.
We may have lost to Temple again, but IHMHawklette knitted a huge scarf for the homeless.
The Palestra: The best place to see a basketball game... better when we win.
Yours truly, on a Saturday morning at the Jesuit Residence at SJU.