Marianist Brother Skip Matthews - The Marianists

Alive
MARIANIST CULTURE, FAITH AND COMMUNITY
VOL. 5, NO. 1 ■ SPRING 2008
Ministering to the lost: Marianist Brother Skip Matthews

Brother Stephen Glodek
A MESSAGE FROM THE P ROVINCIAL
My Dear Friends,
Greetings and blessings to you from St. Louis! On behalf of the Province community, I again
offer you our heartfelt gratitude for your support of our mission as Marianists.
Recently, a dear friend of mine died in New York. Ann was what used to be called a spinster.
She never married, but embraced the vocation of single life with passion and dedication. Hers
was a small world comprised of her extended family, for whom she was a surrogate
caretaker; the Catholic high school where she worked as a guidance counselor; and
her neighborhood and parish. She probably operated in a 20-mile radius of her home
for most of her life. She would be upset if she knew I was writing about her in so
public a manner.
Ann lived most of her adult life near the beach. I can imagine the long early morning
and late evening walks that Ann took with her God. They would have discussed and
argued about the hands that God kept dealing her. These hands were the stuff of each
of our lives: early deaths, care of an aged parent, support of family, workplace tensions
and steadfast friendship. Yet she must have ended each encounter with a bow of her
head and a simple “yes.” This “yes” took the form of constant and faithful fulfillment,
each day doing what was asked of her. To use Old Testament language, she was a
righteous woman, doing what was asked of her with warmth and dedication, without
seeking recognition or fanfare.
She would have been surprised by the crowds that came to pay tribute to her at the memorial
service: the young people whose lives she touched, the neighbors for whom she always had an
ear and the friends for whom she was a constant and faithful companion. The beach at Point
Lookout, N.Y., will be a lonelier place without her.
But Ann’s life reminds us that most of us are not called by God to lives of extraordinary
accomplishment. We are called to a faithful daily constancy in our relationship with God, in
our relationships with neighbors and friends, and in the lives we touch in our workplace —
an ordinary calling that, if lived well, is always quite extraordinary.
May God bless your kindness and generosity to the Marianists. May Mary lead you and
your families to the ordinary fidelity that makes little lives something large and great for the
community and the world.
Affectionately yours,
Stephen Glodek, SM
Provincial

Brother Stephen Glodek, S.M.
Provincial
Rev. James Fitz, S.M.
Assistant Provincial
Diane Guerra
National Communications Director
Jan D. Dixon
Editor
Joan Suda
Communications Manager
Ann Mueller
Administrative Assistant
Contributing writers
Shelly Reese
Geri L. Dreiling
Photography
Melanie Rush Davis, pages 10 - 11
Jan D. Dixon, page 7, bottom right
Derrek Miyahara, page 16
Mark Montgomery, pages 2 - 7;
front cover
Skip Peterson, pages 18 - 21
Marianist Brother Bob Resing,
back cover
The Catholic News Service, page 8
Jim Vogt, page 10, bottom right
Graphic design
Jean Lopez, Lopez Needleman
Graphic Design, Inc.
Front cover
Marianist Brother Skip Matthews
ministers to the people of Los
Angeles. See story, page 2.
Back cover
Marianist Family members share
their reflections on what they have
learned from waiting. See story,
page 12.
ALIVE
Vol. 5, No.1 – Spring 2008
ALIVE is published three times a
year (Spring, Summer, Fall/Winter)
by the Marianists, Province of the
United States. Comments welcomed.
Direct to the editor: Jan D. Dixon,
Marianist Province of the United
States, 4425 West Pine Blvd., St. Louis,
MO 63108 or jdixon@sm-usa.org.
Changes to the mailing list, e-mail
amueller@sm-usa.org.
POSTMASTER: Send corrections to
ALIVE, The Marianists, Province of
the United States, 4425 West Pine
Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108-2301, USA
The Society of Mary (Marianists)
is an international Roman Catholic
religious congregation of priests and
brothers, with almost 600 serving in
the Province of the United States,
which includes India, Eastern Africa,
Mexico and Ireland. In the United
States, the Marianists sponsor three
universities: University of Dayton in
Ohio, St. Mary's University in San
Antonio and Chaminade University of
Honolulu, as well as 18 high schools,
eight parishes and several retreat
centers. The order has had a presence
in the United States since
1849, when the Marianists came to
Cincinnati. Blessed William Joseph
Chaminade founded the Society of
Mary in France in 1817.
www.marianist.com
Alive
VOL. 5, NO. 1 ■ SPRING 2008
Serving in the Land of Lost Angels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Marianist Brother Skip Matthews has dedicated his life to caring for the lost and
the left behind — many on the streets of Los Angeles.
A Journey toward Forgiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
The Marianist Death Penalty Team encourages people to consider the Christian
mandate to love and forgive.
Waiting on God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Members of the Marianist Family describe moments in their lives when they were
called to wait and what it means to hold vigil during times of uncertainty and change.
When Small is Best . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
For Marianists, gathering in small communities is a transformative faith experience.
Bridging a World in Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
The Marianist Mission connects people from around the world to Marianist
ministries and faith life.
Slice of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
News from the Province
page 8

2 Call 1.800.348.4732

Serving in the
Land of Lost Angels
Marianist Brother Skip Matthews has dedicated his life to caring for
the lost and the left behind — many on the streets of Los Angeles.
“And what does
the Lord require
of you but to do
justice and to
love kindness
and to walk
humbly with
your God?”
– Micah 6:8
S
COTT P. PREFERS TO MAKE HIS BED
every night in a makeshift tent he’s
erected on a city sidewalk. He says it
beats the homeless shelter down the
block that insists he leave his drug habits
at the door and play by its rules. Still, he
admits that living in a tent has its drawbacks:
“Your priorities are so whacked
out,” he tells a reporter with the Associated
Press. “Every day your main thought is:
How am I going to eat today?”
On any given day in the United States,
there are an estimated 500,000 to 700,000
people like Scott P. who do not have a
place to call home. Of all U.S. cities,
Los Angeles has the dubious distinction
of having the largest number of homeless
— as many as 80,000 in Greater
Los Angeles — and the densest concentration
of homeless, a ghetto south of
downtown known as “Skid Row” that is
less than one square mile. In this small
section of the city, officials estimate there
are 12,000 homeless people residing in
shelters, tent cities and cardboard boxes,
a place which has become a gathering
ground for the desperately lost: alcoholics,
addicts, mentally ill and those who have
simply dropped out.
It is here on any given week that you’ll
find Marianist Brother Skip Matthews
making his rounds in what he calls the
“City of Lost Angels.”
“Everywhere you turn there’s heartache
B Y J AN D. DIXON
and hurt,” he says. “I always look for
the down-and-out, the ones who have
been forgotten.”
This calling to the broken and lost has
brought him in touch with others working
on behalf of the disenfranchised. “I’ve
been fortunate to work with many
wonderful people and learn from them.
They’ve made me a better person. I’ve
needed their support in order to help
others. I don’t think anyone is successful
who isn’t supported.”
These days he is lending his support
to ministries in downtown Los Angeles
and working part time at Chaminade
College Preparatory Middle School, a
Marianist school in Chatsworth, Calif.
Marianist Brother Skip
Matthews
Left: Outside the
Hippie Soup kitchen
on Skid Row
www.marianist.com/supportus 3

Marianist Brother Skip
Matthews with Jan
Honoré, a volunteer at
the soup kitchen
Above: Scenes from
Skid Row
4 Call 1.800.348.4732
The work is the culmination of a lifetime
of learning to leave his biases behind
and enter the world of the friendless
with a tender heart and arms wide open.
“There’s not a phony bone in his body,”
says Joe Rauser, a former Marianist who
has known Brother Skip since the 9th
grade and now teaches at Chaminade
Middle School. “It’s just who he is.”
END OF THE LINE
Although Brother Skip began working on
behalf of the poor on Skid Row as early as
1973, it was his Uncle Tom whose tailspin
into addiction provided him firsthand
experience. “He was my favorite uncle,”
says Brother Skip, “but he had a problem
with alcohol which he never overcame.
He spent many nights on Skid Row before
he died.”
Raised in an Irish Catholic family in
Manhattan Beach — a Los Angeles community
stretching along the Santa Monica
coastline — Brother Skip learned early in
life about the importance of family and
deep loyalty to those you love. He fondly

ecalls his devoted grandfather, a captain
in the U.S. Navy, who gave him the name
“Skipper” and encouraged him to join the
Navy. “My grandfather and father were
seamen, but this thing about being a
brother — it was always in the back of
my mind,” he says.
Brother Skip attended Junipero Serra
High School, a Marianist school until 1994
when the Archdiocese
of Los Angeles took
over operations.
Joining the Society of
Mary after completing
high school seemed a
logical step to Brother
Skip, but the guys at
the golf course where
he caddied and others
who knew him were
“floored,” recalls Pete
Matthews, the
youngest of Skip’s two brothers, because
he had never mentioned it to them.
“I thought it was cool,” says Pete, a
7th grader at the time who remembers
his older brother as a larger-than-life
figure. “It made my parents, Mary and
Frank Matthews, very happy.”
CHALLENGING TO THE CORE
Brother Skip professed his first vows as
a Marianist in 1959 and worked for 10
years on an assignment in Hawai’i. His
training in medical care proved invaluable
when in 1971 he accepted an assignment
in Eastern Africa, where he would remain
“Everywhere you turn
there’s heartache
and hurt. I always look
for the down-and-out,
the ones who have
been forgotten.”
– Marianist Brother Skip Matthews
for the next 18 years serving as a paramedic
at a remote medical facility in Zambia.
He also assisted with work at Matero Boys
Secondary School, a Marianist school
in Lusaka.
The work in Zambia was challenging,
sometimes exhilarating, as Brother Skip
assisted in the life and death struggles
that accompany emergency medical care.
Although he recalls
many miraculous
recoveries, especially
with patients suffering
from tuberculosis, it was
the AIDS crisis that
shook him to the core.
“We didn’t know in
the late 1970s what AIDS
was. We were treating
it like cancer … AIDS
seems so senseless.
I don’t understand
God’s plan, seeing so many people, especially
the children, die from it. It’s been
hard,” he says, his voice softening as he
reflects on those experiences.
A CHEERLEADER TO
THE DOWNTRODDEN
Every time Brother Skip came home on
leave during his tenure in Africa, he found
himself returning to Skid Row to help out.
So when he returned from Zambia in 1989
to care for his ailing parents, he began
working at Serra High School and deepened
his involvement with the needy of
Los Angeles.
www.marianist.com/supportus 5

6 Call 1.800.348.4732
Today Brother Skip continues his
ministry helping volunteers and the staff
at the “Hippie Kitchen,” a soup kitchen
started in 1970 by the Catholic Worker
organization to feed the destitute on
Skid Row.
Director Jeff Dietrich, who manages the
facility with his wife Kathleen, says the
kitchen feeds 500 to 700 people three days
a week. It is this work, and the people who
operate it, that keep Brother Skip going.
“I’ve been gifted to see people like Jeff
and Kathleen doing things for a good
reason, not taking vows, just saying
‘okay’ and stepping up to the challenge.
They have inspired me to do more.”
“More” has come in the form of gathering
hams, turkeys and beans for the
soup kitchen and encouraging others
to get involved. “He’s like Santa Claus
around here,” says Dietrich, who appreciates
Brother Skip’s steady devotion
and an eye for what needs to be done.
Brother Skip also volunteers at the
Good Shepherd Shelter, a safe house
for battered women and their children.
Program Director Sister Anne Kelley,
RGS, believes his presence and a sense
of unconditional acceptance is one of
the greatest gifts Brother Skip provides
the women. “He’s the cheerleader
around here who shows up without any
fanfare and gives these women dignity
and encouragement, which is often a new
experience for the women we treat.”
A CHANNEL OF TRUTH AND HOPE
Tapping on the window of the lunch
room at Chaminade Middle School,
Brother Skip mouths the words: “Don’t
cheat.” The two seventh-graders, startled
at first, burst into laughter and resume
their game of cards. “He’s still a kid at
heart,” says his lifelong friend Joe Rauser.
“It’s great to have him with us,” says
Principal Mike Valentine. “Although we
teach the kids about peace and justice, with
Brother Skip they hear about it firsthand.
They see it lived out with him. He’s brutally
honest about AIDS and poverty.
They appreciate his candor.”
Adds campus minister Brother Adam
Becerra, FSP: “He brings the needs of
the outside world to the children at
Chatsworth. He comes here and says,
‘The women and children at the shelter
need sweaters and jackets,’ and our kids
are happy to help. He’s the face of God
to the children.”
STAND BY ME
With the exception of a few years in
Zambia, for the last 13 years Brother Skip
has made his home at the Marianist
community in West Hills, Calif. It is a
devoted group of Marianists who enjoy
both good-natured kidding and serious
Brother Skip and Jeff
Dietrich, manager of
the soup kitchen

discussions. This past year, however, the
community has seen its share of grief and
loss with the death of Father Edwin
Johnson last April and recent illnesses
of others.
Observes Marianist Brother Jim
Wisecaver, “We’re like a real family.
We’ll challenge each other, sometimes
rub each other the wrong way, but we’ll
always be there for one another.”
Other Marianists who live in the
community include Father Jim Mueller
and Brothers Tony Pistone, LeRoy Viera
and Urban Naal.
“I could never live alone,” says
Brother Skip, reflecting on the value of
community life. “I hope and pray that if
something happened to me, they would
be the first to hear about it. I depended
on them a lot during the last stages of my
mom’s illness. They really stood by me.”
ON THE STREETS OF LOS ANGELES
Standing on a street corner in Skid Row,
Brother Skip scans the crowd lined up
for their only meal of the day: beans,
salad and bread. “Can you give me a
reason why anyone in the United States
of America has to sleep on the streets or
go hungry? You can’t argue with me,”
he says, talking with a volunteer at the
soup kitchen. The truth of his observation
silently gives way to something more
pressing. “How ya doin’, man?” he says,
shaking hands with a young man who
has a duffle bag under one arm and a
tired expression on his face.
“How’s it going for you?” asks
Brother Skip.
It is a question laced with kindness
and concern. Brother Skip
Matthew’s work day has
just begun. ■
Brother Skip Matthews with students from
Chaminade Middle School, kneeling, Leslie Potruch,
Sabrina Sellers, Ray Flores, Shayanne Ortiz and
Allen Yarijanian; standing, Savannah Patronete and
Kendrick Liampetchakul
Each year Brother Skip
operates a Christmas
card ministry, offering
to write cards to family
members or friends of
people living on Skid
Row. Last year he
handwrote more than
900 cards and distributed
an additional
2,400 cards to the
Salvation Army, Mid -
night Mission and
other organizations
assisting the needy
in Los Angeles.
www.marianist.com/supportus 7

8 Call 1.800.348.4732

Marianist Brother Brian
Halderman at a rally
outside the Supreme
Court in 2004
A Journey toward
Forgiveness
I
The Marianist Death Penalty Team encourages
people to consider the Christian mandate
to love and forgive.
N THE CAB OF HIS CRANE,
Bethlehem Steel worker Bill Pelke prayed.
He cried. He thought about his grandmother:
her faith, her gentleness, how
she loved to tell Bible stories to children.
In that moment, 50-feet above the foundry
floor, Pelke forgave the girl on Death Row
who had killed his grandmother.
“Forgiveness is so misunderstood,”
Pelke told students at a gathering at
St. Mary’s Univer sity and Central
Catholic High School, both Marianist
schools in San Antonio. “People think if
we forgive someone we’re condoning
what they did. But forgiveness is a selfish
act. When Jesus tells us to forgive
someone it’s not for the sake of the bad
guy, it’s for us. It takes the millstone off
our neck.”
Today Pelke is a member of Journey
of Hope, an organization led by family
members of murder victims, as well as
families of Death Row inmates and those
who have been executed. Individuals who
have been exonerated also have found
solidarity with the group. Journey of Hope
conducts public education speaking tours
and addresses alternatives to the death
penalty. In October, the Marianist Social
Justice Collaborative’s Death Penalty Team
hosted speakers from the Journey of Hope
B Y S HELLY R EESE
as they wound their way
through Texas, the state with
the highest rate of executions.
By bringing that message
of healing and forgiveness
to students and faculty at
Marianist schools, Death
Penalty Team members
hope not only to educate
others about the immorality
of the death penalty but
also to encourage them to
contemplate the Christian
mandate to love and forgive.
Marianist Sister Grace
Walle, Death Penalty Team
chairperson, notes, “These
stories are about pain and
suffering and forgiveness. As
a listener, it’s a God moment.
“On one level, it’s an
educational moment about the death
penalty,” says Sister Grace, campus minister
at St. Mary’s Law School, “but at the
heart of it, listening to these people
makes you think: Where is forgiveness
in my life?”
THE MARIANIST PERSPECTIVE
Wearing a T-shirt that reads, “Why do
we kill people who kill people to show
“We, as the Marianist
Family, because of our
belief in the sanctity of
all human life and in
the dignity of all
persons, pledge
ourselves to prayer,
education, reflection
and action to abolish
the death penalty.
This practice is unjust,
inhumane and
inconsistent with the
Gospel message.
By our witness we seek
to change hearts and
minds concerning
this injustice.”
— From the mission statement of the
Marianist Social Justice Collaborative’s
Death Penalty Team
www.marianist.com/supportus 9

Bill Pelke, Journey of
Hope member
10 Call 1.800.348.4732
that killing people is
wrong?” Marianist
Brother Brian Halderman,
a founding member of the
Death Penalty Team,
explores the contradictory
nature of the death penalty.
“Scripture calls us to
be our brother’s keeper
— to live a life of compassion
and forgiveness,”
says Brother Brian. “I don’t
see the logic of using homicide
to deter further homicides. The death
penalty creates more victims, more pain
and more violence.”
People oppose the death penalty for
many reasons. For some, it’s a miscarriage
of social justice. As a lawyer, Marianist
Brother Frank O’Donnell, a Death Penalty
Team member, has witnessed firsthand
the many inequities of the justice system.
Poor people are at a disadvantage, he
says, and the system of incarceration
promotes violence rather than reformation.
“People on the outside are quick
to paint inmates — particularly those
accused of murder — with a broad
brush and to write them off as members
of society.
“Jesus and the Gospel teach us to have
a high regard for life,” Brother Frank says.
“It doesn’t say a high regard for some
life. It’s a high regard for life.”
Lay Marianist Bob Stoughton, who
worked with a Dayton-based group
against the death penalty for more than
10 years before joining the MSJC team,
says his opposition is rooted in Catholic
social teaching and in a gut feeling that
capital punishment is wrong.
“If it’s wrong to kill, then it’s wrong for
the state to kill,” he says. “Catholic social
teaching professes the sanctity of life.”
Others decry the system’s failings:
Capital punishment is expensive, arbitrary
and an ineffective deterrent. What’s more,
there’s always the risk — particularly
when a defendant is poor and cannot
afford adequate counsel — that an
innocent person may be convicted and
sentenced to death. Since 1973, 124 Death
Row inmates have been exonerated. At
the same time, serious questions have
been raised about the guilt of some of
the 1,099 people put to death since 1976.
A HEART THAT HATES CANNOT HEAL
In opposing the death penalty, the MSJC
Death Penalty Team has focused its
energies on moratorium campaigns in
five states: Missouri, Ohio, Texas,
Maryland and California. As part of that
effort, the team supported a rally and a
prayer vigil last September at the Ohio
statehouse in Columbus. The event
drew more than 200 protestors. Two
weeks later the team sponsored several
stops on the 17-day Journey of Hope
campaign through Texas.
In taking a stand against the death
penalty, speakers for the Journey of Hope
agree on one essential point: Another
killing will not restore their loved ones.
“I came to understand that God’s sense
of justice is restoration,” says Journey of
Hope speaker Marietta Jaeger-Lane, whose
seven-year-old daughter, Susie, was kidnapped
and murdered. “The death penalty
is revenge.”
In sharing their stories of loss, rage,
healing and forgiveness, Journey of Hope
members wish to convince listeners that
capital punishment, far from resolving
the problem, merely perpetuates a cycle
of violence.
“Timothy McVeigh’s execution didn’t
bring me any peace,” says Bud Welch,
whose daughter, Julie, was murdered,
along with 167 other people, in the
Oklahoma City bombing. “I’ve spoken
to a lot of family members since and
Marianists gathered for
a rally and prayer vigil
to protest the death
penalty in Columbus,
Ohio, in September
2007.

Marianist Social Justice Collaborative
The Marianist Social Justice Collaborative (MSJC) was
founded in 1998 to communicate and coordinate social
justice initiatives within the Marianist Family. The MSJC
coordinates the efforts of both lay and professed members
of the Marianist Family on the issues of the death penalty,
racism, the environment, sweatshop labor, alternatives to violence,
and globalization. If you would like to learn more
about the MSJC and the Death Penalty Team, visit their
Web site at www.msjc.net/deathpenalty.
they’ve said it didn’t help them the way
they thought it would.”
Today, Welch travels around the
world with the Journey of Hope speaking
out against the death penalty. He
admits that in the immediate aftermath
of the bombing, he wanted McVeigh
executed. But he knew that wouldn’t
bring Julie back. As he learned more
about the anger and desire for revenge
that had fueled McVeigh’s attack, he
came to recognize what revenge and
hatred can do to a person.
“You have to get rid of the rage before
you can heal,” he says.
RELINQUISHING THE BURDEN
Welch still grieves for his daughter.
“When you bury your child, you bury
them every day in your heart,” he says.
Healing hasn’t diminished his loss, but
it has enabled him to move forward
with his life without a heart blackened
by hatred.
That’s a sentiment Jaeger-Lane echoes
more than 25 years after Susie’s death.
“Just because you forgive doesn’t mean
you’ve forgotten,” she says. “It’s precisely
because you will never forget that you
must find a way to go on in a healthy
manner. Jesus still had his wounds
when he rose from the dead.”
Because of the pain, forgiveness can
be a long and difficult process. Welch
admits he still struggles at times. “Forgiveness
is not an event,” he says. “It’s a
process and it happens for the rest of your
life. You have moments when you revert
back and think, ‘that bastard didn’t
deserve to live,’ but you get past those
moments. I’m not sure that people have
to forgive to heal, but I’ll tell you, when
you do, it sure makes you feel better.”
Jaeger-Lane compares her experience
in learning to forgive with an alcoholic
craving a drink. “I had to take it minuteby-minute,”
she says. “I had to think,
‘I can get through this minute without
hating this person.’
“Forgiveness is not easy,” she says.
“It takes daily, devoted discipline. My
mind would go one way and I would
have to call myself back. I had to remind
myself, ‘This is who I am, and this is what
God wants me to do.’”
About a month after her daughter’s
abduction, Jaeger-Lane bought a Bible
and started reading it. “I realized I was
called to pray for my enemies,” she said,
and so she began to pray for the nameless
man who had taken Susie. “I’d pray things
like, ‘if he’s traveling may he not have car
trouble’ or ‘if he’s fishing may he have a
good catch.’ Little things. But the more
I prayed the easier it got.”
That’s a powerful message for listeners
who can’t imagine praying for someone
who had violated them in such a ruthless
way.
“It was very inspirational to listen to
her,” says 19-year-old Sean Stilson, a
sophomore at St. Mary’s who attended
the Journey of Hope session. “She initially
reacted the way any person would,
but through God’s grace she learned to
forgive. It puts forgiveness in my own
life into perspective. It’s a reminder that
there are people with problems that are
so much bigger than my own. If they
can forgive, then I can forgive the little
things in my life.” ■
Marietta Jaeger-Lane,
left, with Marianist
Sister Grace Walle
www.marianist.com/supportus 11

“For God alone my soul waits …”
Psalm 62:1
12 Call 1.800.348.4732

Waiting on God
Members of the Marianist Family describe
moments in their lives when they were called
to wait and what it means to hold vigil during
times of uncertainty and change.
B Y J AN D. DIXON
PLEASE WAIT. TWO SIMPLE WORDS, BUT IN A CULTURE ADDICTED TO
the quick fix and instant gratification, waiting can be a tall — sometimes
agonizing — order. We see waiting as a “wasteland of minutes, hours and
days, all heaped up like junked cars,” says author Sue Monk Kidd. Yet when we
learn to wait, she points out, “we experience … what is truly substantial and precious
in life. We discover, as T. S. Eliot wrote: ‘… a lifetime burning in every moment.’”
Since waiting is often the midwife that gives birth to spiritual awareness, growth
and maturity, ALIVE magazine wanted to know what members of the Marianist
Family have learned about waiting, how it has changed them, informed their faith
and what Mary has to teach us about holding vigil during times of uncertainty.
The following are insights from these conversations.
www.marianist.com/supportus 13

Waiting sometimes requires help from others.
Marianist Brother Don Winfree, Dayton
Brother Don Winfree woke up one morning at age 40 to some
disturbing physical symptoms: a case of “drop foot” — a
condition that made it difficult for him to walk and sent him
seeking medical attention.
Ten years later, after a
battery of tests, exams and
endless waiting, he was
diagnosed with multiple
sclerosis (MS).
“The waiting was miserable,” he recalls. But the support of his
community made a huge difference. “They allowed me to talk
about what was going on, asked questions and helped me in
Waiting gives us time to prepare for what’s ahead.
Donna Tucker, secretary in the Office of Religious Life, St. Louis
When Donna Tucker’s daughter Jessica was pregnant
with her first child, both Tucker and her daughter were
ecstatic. But eight months into the pregnancy, the family
learned the shocking news that the baby would be stillborn.
The next few days were spent waiting for her daughter to go
into labor, knowing the child was no longer alive. But the
hours spent waiting were ultimately a gift, says Tucker. “It
gave us time to prepare for a funeral and adjust to what was
happening.”
Tucker knows that God was present throughout the experience.
Waiting can be a time of wonder.
Marianist Brother John Lemker, photographer and religion teacher, Dayton
On a quiet day three years ago,
Brother John Lemker’s life was
thrown into the air, quite literally. While
on a regular morning walk, he was hit by
an automobile that sent him to the hospital
with multiple fractures and a brain
hemorrhage. The next six months began
a long and slow recovery with the aid of
many people. “I had to rely on other people
because I couldn’t do anything for myself,”
he says. Now that he’s healthy and walking
again, Brother John has a newfound
appreciation for the kindness of caregivers
and what it takes to recover from
a serious accident.
14 Call 1.800.348.4732
large and small ways.”
His advice for anyone going through a challenging health
prognosis is simple: “Don’t go it alone. My community and faith
sharing made a huge difference.”
He has learned other lessons about waiting. As a novice, when
he was about to profess his first vows, he chose the motto “erat
subditus illis” which translates to: “He was subject to them.” It is
a verse from Luke describing Jesus at the age of 12 returning to
Nazareth after the Passover festival. “I think of that motto and
how it applied to me. Because of the MS, I was subject to doctors,
nurses, schedules. I was subject to everyone. My life was completely
out of my control. That’s a big lesson to learn.”
Later she stumbled
across a quote that
captured her experience:
“While we are
waiting, God is working
to move us where he
wants us to be.”
“I think that sums up the experience for me, that God was
acting on our behalf all through this difficult time and preparing
us to handle our grief.”
He says his lifelong spiritual journey and
daily practices helped him through the
waiting. “We’re called to wait on many
things,” he says. “I think we’re often waiting
for something deeper, the deep longing to
know God and be in God’s presence.
“Waiting can be a time of wonder and
visualizing what might be: What would
it be like if our community or world
responded in a more loving way?” he
asks. “We need time to ponder things like
Mary did. Ultimately, like the disciples at
Pentecost, we Marianists are waiting with
Mary for Jesus to be present with us.”

Waiting requires stamina and patience.
Anthony Fucci, center director, Marianist Family Retreat Center, Cape May Point, N.J.
Before Anthony Fucci left the corporate world and a life
of waiting for subway rides to and from work, he found
himself waiting upon one of the biggest decisions of his life:
whether to leave his corporate job and become director of a
Marianist retreat center. It was a critical juncture in his life.
“I felt like my whole life was up in the air and out of control.
I found myself praying the rosary every day as I walked in
my neighborhood thinking about whether this would be
Waiting teaches us to live with mystery and deep trust.
Carol Ramey, director, North American Center for Marianist Studies, Dayton
Although Carol Ramey can recall vividly several moments
in her life when God called on her to wait, it was watching
her mother slip away to Alzheimer’s disease that taught her a
special kind of waiting.
“I learned to be present to her. There was nothing else that
I could do. But this was not a passive thing; it was an act of
treasuring the moment.”
Though she still struggles with waiting, Ramey has learned
to talk herself through the difficult times and rely on God.
Waiting enables us to learn the depth of God’s love.
Marianist Sister Audrey Buttner, Dayton
Two years ago, Sister Audrey Buttner found
herself at the mercy of doctors, tests and
medications while medical practitioners labored
to determine the cause of her backslide into
poor health. Now fully recovered, she has a
newfound appreciation of her life and the people
who cared for her. “God helped me see what I
gained from this sickness: patience, understanding
and the support of my community.”
With her brother now suffering from cancer,
she has a greater compassion for what he is
the right move for me.”
Waiting is hard, concedes Fucci. “Remember when Jesus
asked his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane to stay awake
with him — to wait and be present — and they kept falling
asleep? I think we get bored or don’t want to be present or
don’t have the stamina for it. But
it is this process of waiting that
deepens us spiritually.”
“The struggle is that God’s timeline
isn’t always my timeline,”
she says.
Ramey believes that Mary has
much to teach us about waiting.
“She went through many confusing times in her life. When she
wanted clarity, what she got was mystery. She teaches us to
live with mystery and trust God for the outcome. I’m sure at
Calvary she couldn’t picture the goodness in that moment.”
experiencing and a more intimate understanding
of placing him in God’s care. “I know I can
cope with my brother’s illness because of what
I learned from my own.”
Sister Audrey turns to a favorite portion of
Scripture, Ephesians 3:18 -19, whenever waiting
starts getting her down: “’To comprehend …
the breadth and length and depth … of the
love of Christ’ — these are the words that lift
me up and keep me going.”
Waiting calls us to live in the present moment.
Marianist Father Bill Meyer, director, Ministry to Ministers Sabbatical Program, San Antonio
ost people, including myself, hate to wait,” says
“MFather Bill Meyer, who believes the American culture
does little to support and help us navigate the passages and
necessities of waiting. “At our deepest level, I believe that we’re
longing for completion, reconciliation and healing. The truth is
we are waiting to be one with God.”
One of the biggest lessons in waiting, says Father Bill, is that
it teaches us that we are not self-sufficient. “God is God, and
we’re not,” he says.
“My experiences of waiting have made me more compassionate
and forgiving of myself and others.”
The big struggle in waiting, concedes Father Bill, is being
faithful to the present moment — the here and now. “It’s easier
to live in the past or project ourselves into the future. Yet it is
in the present moment where God reveals his love for us, which
is the hope we need.” ■
www.marianist.com/supportus 15

When Small is Best
WHEN PI’IKEA HARDY-
Kahaleo’umi entered Chami -
nade University of Honolulu
15 years ago, she felt alienated from her
Roman Catholic faith.
“I was almost not confirmed because
I asked so many questions,” says Hardy-
Kahaleo’umi, who recalls being very
disenchanted with the Church.
But then she met the Marianists at the
university. Hardy-Kahaleo’umi found
herself drawn to what they had to say
and how they lived their lives. At 20,
she joined a small Christian community
on campus.
The group met three times a week for
prayer and fellowship. Once a week they
ate together. As part of their commitment
to social justice, they worked on outreach
projects, such as programs for the homeless
or environmental cleanup. Looking
back, Hardy-Kahaleo’umi realizes the
experience changed everything.
“I had been searching for a long time,”
she says, noting that her home life had
been marred by physical abuse and a
family member’s drug addiction. “For the
first time, there was a group of people
who really saw me. It created an amazing
bond.”
A PLACE TO NOTICE GOD’S PRESENCE
That bond helped Hardy-Kahaleo’umi
reconnect with her faith. For others, the
small Christian community setting has
reinvigorated existing ties to the Church.
16 Call 1.800.348.4732
For Marianists, gathering in small communities
is a transformative faith experience.
B Y G ERI L. DREILING
Marianist faith-sharing group in Honolulu: front row, Christy Bryant, Cynthia Estrella, Grissel Benitez-
Hodge, Vince Hodge, Pi'ikea Hardy-Kahaleo'umi; back row, Marianist Brother Luis Gamboa, Jayne
Mondoy, Marianist Brother Dennis Schmitz and Victor Hardy-Kahaleo'umi
Brian Reavey, national coordinator for
Marianist LIFE (Living in Faith Experi -
ence), belongs to two small Christian
communities; one meets once a month
and the other gathers every two or
three months.
“Being in these groups has been lifechanging
and challenging, but also very
gratifying,” says Reavey. “I believe that
through dialogue and prayer comes transformation.
I’ve experienced that and
I’ve seen others experience it as well.”
Whether they meet once a week or
once a month, the strength found within
these small communities is the chance to
forge close relationships and to support
each other through prayer, reflection and
sharing their faith experiences.
What they offer, says Marianist
Brother Bob Moriarty, is a chance to
slow down.
Brother Bob, the director of the
Pastoral Department for Small Christian
Communities in the Archdiocese of
Hartford, in Hartford, Conn., says, “The
pace of life has people on the run, hardly
noticing what is going on in their lives.
This regular gathering of folks in small
communities provides a type of container,
in the midst of it all, for people to sift

through what counts and to notice God’s
presence. It enables people to be in touch
with themselves, with each other and
with God.”
Small groups also offer people a level
of intimacy that often is not found in a
parish Mass, says Marianist Brother Dennis
Schmitz, who is in charge of special
ministries at the Marianist Center of
Hawai’i. Rather than supplanting the
parish, says Brother Dennis, adult faith
groups enable parish life to flourish.
Small Christian communities also have
the potential to foster powerful outcomes,
says Marianist Brother Jack Ventura,
assistant for the Office of Religious Life,
including “the personal conversion for
every member, a communal conversion
for the group, and, if it’s done right, a
sense of evangelization outside the group.”
All three agree that working to foster
small communities of faith is deeply
embedded in the Marianist tradition.
“Father Chaminade’s vision for the
rebuilding of the French church was that
of small Christian communities,” says
Cultivating Communities of Faith
Resources support adult faith communities.
Alist of publications and Web sites to assist those in forming,
developing and nurturing small faith communities
Publications
The Catholic Experience of Small Christian Communities by
Father Bernard Lee, SM (Paulist Press)
Creating Community: Transforming Lives through Mutual
Support by Barbara Howard and William V. D’Antonio
(Buena Vista, Inc.)
Creating Small Christian Communities: Minimum Structure,
Maximum Life by Barbara A. Darling and Brother Jack
Ventura, SM (Good Ground Press)
Creating Small Church Communities: A Plan for Restructuring
the Parish and Renewing Catholic Life by Arthur Baranowski
(St. Anthony Messenger Press)
Getting a Grip on Your Group: A Guide for Discerning Priorities
in your Small Christian Community by Barbara A. Darling
(Good Ground Press)
Faith Sharing for Small Church Communities: Questions and
Commentaries on the Sunday Readings (National Alliance of
Parishes Restructuring in Communities)
Brother Bob.
It is this vision that has inspired the
Marianists to work toward multiplying and
building communities of faith and mission.
THE DEMAND FOR RESOURCES
With this mission in mind, there are several
resources available to help start and
sustain small communities of faith. The
book, Creating Small Christian Commu -
nities: Minimum Structure, Maximum Life,
by Barbara A. Darling and Brother Jack
Ventura, provides information about
starting small communities of faith.
The Pastoral Department for Small
Christian Communities in the Archdiocese
of Hartford publishes Quest: A Reflection
Booklet for Small Christian Communities.
Published three times a year in both
English and Spanish, the booklet contains
reflections and questions based on the
liturgy. The department also publishes
Gatherings, a newsletter that highlights
small community happenings not only
in the archdiocese, but also across the
nation and around the world. There
are several other resources available
(see sidebar).
With more people looking for a new
way to be church, the demand for resources
is growing. Hardy-Kahaleo’umi, who
graduated from college 20 years ago, still
feels the pull of the small group gatherings.
Recently, she moved back to Hawai’i with
her husband Victor and their daughter
Mapuana, 5. The family is now part of a
Marianist faith-sharing community affiliated
with Chaminade University, a group
that was started seven years ago with the
support of Brother Dennis and others who
have worked to keep this group alive
and growing.
“I enjoy being with different people
and hearing different viewpoints, all the
while celebrating that we are one family,”
says Hardy-Kahaleo’umi.
For Reavey, the groups provide a
balance to his life. “These communities
revitalize the world, not only the Church.
They serve as a unique energy center that
enables me to nurture my faith and go out
and be Christ to the world.” ■
Living Scripture: Small Christian Communities and the Great
Story by Rick Conner, Nora Petersen and Richard Rohr,
OFM (Buena Vista, Inc.)
Pray as You Are: A Continuing Experience for Small Church
Communities (National Alliance of Parishes Restructuring in
Communities)
Ritual: Celebrating the Sacred in the Ordinary by Father James
Telthorst, Richard White and Felicia Wolf, OSF (Buena
Vista, Inc.)
Quest: A Reflection Booklet for Small Christian Communities,
Pastoral Department for Small Christian Communities
(Archdiocese of Hartford), in English or Spanish
Seeking Justice: The Public Life of Faith in Small Christian
Communities by Peter Eichten, Michael A. Cowan, Father
Bernard Lee, SM (Buena Vista, Inc.)
Web sites
Small Christian Communities: Global Collaborative:
www.smallchristiancommunities.org
National Alliance of Parishes Restructuring into Communities:
www.naprc.faithweb.com
Small Christian Communities, Archdiocese of Hartford:
www.sccquest.org
Small Christian Community Connection (formerly known
as Buena Vista): www.buenavista.org
www.marianist.com/supportus 17

18 Call 1.800.348.4732
Bridging a
World in Need
The Marianist Mission connects people from around
the world to Marianist ministries and faith life.
THERE’ S A BRIDGE BETWEEN
Bangalore, India, and Lubbock,
Texas. There’s one between
Saddle Brook, N.J., and Malawi, Africa,
too. It’s a bridge where people from
across the world meet the Marianists and
those they serve. It is
a bridge that provides
an avenue for
people to share their
faith, their values
and their financial
resources with those
in need. It’s called
the Marianist
Mission.
Based in Dayton,
Ohio, the Marianist
Mission is dedicated
to two distinct but
related purposes:
first, as a type of
“parish” to support
the prayer and faith
life of believers,
many of whom have
a special devotion to Mary, the Mother
of Jesus, and to look to her as a guide
for Christian service.
The Mission also provides a conduit
by which thousands of people can
financially support Marianist ministries
B Y S HELLY R EESE
A sampling of Marianist Mass cards
and the priests, brothers and sisters who
serve them.
BLANKETING THE WORLD IN PRAYER
The Marianist Mission began in 1960 to
promote what it means to be a Marianist
and to form a prayer
and Mass card ministry
called the Marianist
Spiritual Alliance.
When patrons enroll
someone in the
Alliance, they send
one of the Mission’s
cards or booklets to
the recipient and give
an offering.
Last year, the
Mission fulfilled
more than 1.5 million
prayer enrollments
and other related
requests, including
financial gifts to support
specific Marianist
programs. The Mission
served approximately 650,000 people via
mail, phone and Internet, and contributed
$5 million directly to Marianist ministries.
The majority of patrons first enter the
Marianist Mission door through a gift of
prayers and Masses to family and friends.

For some, the Spiritual Alliance has grown
into a lifelong partnership of prayer and
outreach. For example, a patron who was
sending rosaries to convicts in prison
began enrolling the inmates in the
Spiritual Alliance. Another patron sent
perpetual enrollments to bishops in the
United States and Canada in hopes that
her prayers, and the prayers of the
Marianists, would help them guide the
Church with wisdom and grace.
John McBride began sending Marianist
Mission cards to friends and acquaintances
in the Veterans Affairs hospital in Lyons,
N. J. McBride, a Vietnam vet, and his wife,
Tam, volunteer at the VA once a month.
They bring dinner, kind words and a joke
or two to patients. If one of the patients
seems to be failing, either emotionally
or physically, McBride enrolls him in the
Spiritual Alliance.
McBride first saw a Marianist Mission
card a few years ago when his mother
died. Although he received many Mass
cards, the Mission card, with its enrollment
in the Spiritual Alliance, held the
most meaning. He found comfort in
knowing the Marianist community was
praying for him and he wanted to offer
that solace to others.
Before he sends a card, McBride always
asks the recipient’s permission. Not everyone
shares his Catholic faith and he doesn’t
want to offend. “But I’ve never had anyone
say no,” he says. “Their answer is
always, ‘the more prayers the better.’
We all worship the same God. I’ve heard
a couple of guys tell me it made a big
difference to them.”
Catherine Ronaghan, M.D., of Lubbock,
Texas, sends memorials to patients’ families
when they lose a loved one. Ronaghan
began sending cards shortly after she
finished her residency in 1991. As a cancer
surgeon practicing in a small city, Ronaghan
treats an older population and has known
Lisa Gooding, executive
director of development
and the Marianist
Mission, and Father Pat
Tonry, Marianist Mission
spiritual director
www.marianist.com/supportus 19

Dorothy Wilker
20 Call 1.800.348.4732
many of her patients for years.
“As a young physician I struggled
with how to remember patients and their
family members,” she says. “This is the
best way for me to express myself. There
is a universality to the prayer enrollments.
No matter what their religion, I think people
appreciate that they’re being remembered
in someone’s prayers during a time of loss
and grief. It’s very comforting.”
A COUNSELING MINISTRY
Marianist Father Pat Tonry, Marianist
Mission spiritual director, likens his current
position to the years he spent as a
parish priest. “Both now and as a pastor,
I focus on people and the problems they
encounter.” Although he doesn’t often have
face-to-face contact with his “parishioners,”
he listens to and prays for their intentions,
providing support via mail, phone or
Internet as he would if he were in church
with them. He also leads Mass at the
Mission to support the Alliance.
“Parish” encapsulates
the relationship
between the
Mission’s staff and
patrons as well. Just
as fellow parishioners
support each
other with prayers,
casseroles and hugs
during times of
need, staff members
reach out to patrons
with human voices,
human hearts and
human understanding.
When people
call or write with
their fears, joys and
concerns — a lost job, a new baby, a death,
a friend struggling with addiction — they
aren’t greeted by an automated attendant,
but by a caring human being offering
sensitive listening and spiritual support.
“You connect with people deeply in
this job,” says Judy Sims, who joined the
Mission 40 years ago. “They’re hurting
and you try to help them. In many ways,
it’s a counseling ministry.”
Martha Combs, a soft-spoken woman
who has been with the Mission nearly 34
years, was initially hesitant to speak with
patrons, preferring instead to fill orders.
“I didn’t think I could do it,” she says. “But
now I look forward to the phone ringing.
I want to support them in their faith.”
Like other members of the staff, many
of whom have served at the Mission for
decades, Martha listens and prays. “I can’t
solve their problems,” she says, “but I can
ask God to help them, and encourage
them to ask God for help.”
Sometimes support flows the other way
as well. When McBride called to order an
enrollment for a soldier killed in Iraq, he
learned that Dorothy Wilker, who answers
patron calls, has a son serving in Afghanistan.
As they spoke he offered her
encouragement. Before they hung up,
McBride enrolled Wilker’s son and
daughter-in-law in the Spiritual Alliance.
“I think the McBrides are typical of
many we serve,” says Wilker, who was
deeply moved by the gesture. “They see
value in the gift of Masses and prayers
we offer. They understand the value for
those enrolled in the Alliance. That is why
they use our enrollments again and again.”
Marianist Father Pat Tonry

REACHING OUT TO NEW AUDIENCES
Beyond nurturing a prayer community, the
Marianist Mission “brings a lot of people
into our ministries,” says Lisa Gooding,
who as executive director of development
also oversees the Marianist Mission,
assisted by Father Pat and other leaders.
“When people donate, they’re saying
they’re behind what we’re doing and
want to participate,” she says. Many
increase their giving through charitable
gift annuities, bequests, grants and
monthly programs that support novices,
seminarians and the medical needs of
Marianist priests, brothers and sisters.
“You connect with people deeply in this job.
They’re hurting and you try to help them.
In many ways, it’s a counseling ministry.”
— Judy Sims, Mission employee
One of the Mission’s biggest challenges
is to keep pace with the spiritual needs
and habits of Catholics. Another challenge
is to find new supporters of Marianist
ministries. “Both require us to make sure
we’re relating to patrons in meaningful
ways and that we are good stewards of
their dollars,” says Gooding.
To better understand the needs of its
audiences, the Mission leadership is
expanding its “thank you” Masses so
they can meet more people in person.
For several years they had a Mass of
Appreciation only in Dayton. Last year,
the Mission staff organized “thank you”
Masses in San Antonio and Dayton and
is planning similar Masses in other U.S.
cities this year. The Masses are followed
by a reception; Marianist priests, brothers
and sisters who live in the area are invited
to participate.
“These celebrations allow us to dialogue
with our patrons and hear their interests
and needs,” says Gooding.
The Mission also is working to build
a stronger ministry for Spanish speaking
residents, to prepare materials about Mary
that are simplified and targeted to diverse
audiences and to use the Internet more
fully. Most importantly, the Mission wants
to engage a younger audience.
“We need to know how to reach the
30-something couple and help them
develop the spiritual lives of their
children,” says Father Pat.
“Young Catholics aren’t as interested
in prayer enrollments, but many are
interested in social justice and want to
support ministries that fit their sense of
problem solving,” says Gooding. “We’re
looking for new ways to involve them.”
One way the Mission helps younger
donors get involved is via the Internet.
Two years ago, the Mission began the
Marianist “Online Wish List” that outlines
the scope of Marianist projects. Like
shopping from a
gift registry, the
Wish List enables
donors to earmark
donations for programs
they find
meaningful — for
instance, donating
$200 to purchase a
tailoring kit for a
student at a technical
school in Africa
or $5 to purchase
playschool educational
materials for
children in India.
At first glance,
developing giving
programs over the Internet may seem
very different from the prayer card ministry,
but it shows how the Mission is
adapting to reach diverse audiences that
share similar beliefs, says Gooding
“Our aim is to develop avenues that
support people’s deep desire to make a
difference in the world and connect them
with Marianist ministries that provide a
safety net of love and empowerment to
those in need,” she says. “The Marianist
Mission is a bridge connecting people of
all ages and many cultures to all that the
Marianist Family is doing in the world.” ■
For more information about the Marianist
Mission, visit www.marianistmission.org.
Martha Combs
www.marianist.com/supportus 21

Eastern Africa
In October, Marianists from the District of Eastern Africa
gathered in Nairobi to celebrate the ordinations of Brothers
Callistus Ooko JeJe and Michael Otieno Ochieng. The brothers
were called to this service by Brother Chola Mulenga, district
superior, and presented to Auxiliary Bishop David Kamua by
Father Gabriel Kirangah.
The brothers, who completed their seminary training in
Rome, are now serving Marianist ministries in Kenya. Father
Callistus is working at IMANI in Nairobi. Father Michael is
22 Call 1.800.348.4732
Life
Slice of
NEWS FROM THE PROVINCE
Province Celebrates Ordinations in Eastern Africa and India
At the ordination ceremony, Fathers Gabriel Kirangah and Callistus Jeje,
Bishop David Kamau, Father Michael Otieno and Brother Chola Mulenga
The Most Reverand Vincent Barwa (second from left) is flanked by newlyordained
priests Fathers James Dungdung (left) and Marianus Lugun. District
Superior Father Pragasam T. is shown far right.
ministering at St. Martin de Porres parish and the Marianist
Development Project in Mombasa.
India
On Jan. 5, 2008, Marianists and friends gathered at the Prabhat
Tara School in Ranchi, India, to celebrate the ordinations of
Brothers James Dungdung and Marianus Clement Lugun. The
main celebrant and homilist for the occasion was Auxiliary
Bishop Vincent Barwa of Ranchi. Father James will continue
working as a pastor at Chaminade Parish in Singphur. Father
Marianus will continue his work overseeing the development
of the Marianist community in Orissa and assisting with
parish and mission work there.

Marianists Profess Vows in Mexico and India
Mexico
On the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, 2007,
Marianists in Mexico celebrated the profession of four
men into the Society of Mary. Professing perpetual vows was
Brother Esteban Reyes Durán. Brothers José Jesús Ruiz Santillán,
Nereo Ramírez Hernández and Mario Uziel Verduzco Déniz
professed first vows at the ceremony. Provincial Stephen
Glodek received
the vows; Father
Quentin
Hakenewerth
celebrated the
Eucharist with
concelebrants
Fathers Joseph
Lackner, Paul
Neumann and
Mario González-
Simancas. District
Offering a toast to friends and family at the reception,
newly professed Brothers Esteban Reyes Durán, Mario Superior Roberto
Uziel Verduzco Déniz, José Jesús Ruiz Santillán and Hanss presented
Nereo Ramírez Hernández
the professed.
Adult Lay Marianists Make Commitments
In October, Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory in
Hollywood, Fla., celebrated the commitments of 22 adult
members of the school community who made a public vow to
live the year as part of the Marianist Family. Five faculty members
made their commitments for the first time; 17 other faculty
renewed their commitments. The commitment includes a
monthly faith sharing at the brothers’ community residence
and working to make the mission of the school a reality in
their daily lives. Faculty committing for the first time were
Rosa Blake, Ron Belanger, Erin Kappiris, Margaret McHugh
and Pam Peckham.
New Affiliate Community Celebrated
In October, the first Marianist Affiliate community in
Springfield, Ill., was made official when seven men and
women participated in a Rite of Affiliation ceremony during
Eucharist at Blessed Sacrament parish in Springfield. The
Affiliates are Merel and Betty King, Loretta Reisinger, Alma
and Bob Mandeville, Ann Walker and Terri Maze. Marianist
Father Al McMenamy presided at the Eucharist and Marianist
Brother Jack Ventura received the commitments on behalf of
the Provincial.
The ceremony was
held at Our Lady
of Guadalupe
chapel in Querétaro.
India
On the same day in
December, nearly
200 people attended
a ceremony to
witness the perpetual
profession of
Brothers Chittibabu
Gunja and Anthony
Nesam at Deepahalli
in Bangalore, India.
At the perpetual vow ceremony, front, Father Pragasam
Thathappa, Brothers Chittibabu Gunja and Antony
Nesam and Fathers David Fleming and José Ramón
Sebastián de Erice; back row, priests from several
local religious orders
Father Pragasam Thathappa, district superior, received the vows.
Concelebrants included Fathers David Fleming and José Ramón
Sebastián de Erice.
Brother Chittibabu is principal of St. Mary’s Multipurpose
Training Institute in Bihar, India. Brother Anthony will continue
his ministry with the REDS program in Ranchi.
Marianist Father Paul Marshall, left, with students at ceremony in Dayton;
Joan McGuinness Wagner and A.J. Wagner, far right
Seventeen Students Make Professions
At a special service held in December at the University
of Dayton, 17 students made a public commitment as
Lay Marianists. The group has formed a new community
called “The Embers,” which has been mentored by Joan
McGuinness Wagner and her husband, A.J., as well as Novices
Nicole Trahan and Brandon Alana. Marianist Father Paul
Marshall presided over the commitment ceremony held at
the Immaculate Con ception Chapel on campus.
www.marianist.com/supportus 23

IN REMEMBRANCE
Brother Bernard Foster, 88, died Dec. 14,
2007, in Cupertino, Calif. Brother Barney
graduated from the University of Dayton
with a bachelor’s degree in history and a
minor in English. In 1942, he began a nearly
30-year career in education, teaching at
Cathedral Latin School in Cleveland, Saint
Louis School in Honolulu and Archbishop Riordan High School
in San Francisco. In 1970, Brother Barney shifted his focus to
administrative duties including assistant registrar at Chaminade
University, bookstore sales at Archbishop Riordan and assistant
at Holy Family Parish in Honolulu. For the last 30 years of
his life, Brother Barney helped with odd jobs and serving the
communities where he lived in Hawai’i and California.
Brother Paul Goelz, 92, died Sept. 27, 2007,
in San Antonio. After receiving an associate’s
degree from Saint Louis University,
Brother Paul felt a call to religious life. He
earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and
a master’s degree in education from the
University of Dayton and began a teaching
career in 1944. In the early 1950s, Brother Paul earned a master’s
degree in marketing and a doctorate in economics from the
University of Chicago, and was recruited by the dean of the
business school at St. Mary’s University in 1953 to develop a
top-notch business program. He remained at St. Mary’s as a
professor and administrator and a leading advocate for the
school until his retirement in 2001.
Brother Fred Hausch, 75, died Nov. 9,
2007, in St. Louis. Brother Fred spent his
54 years with the Marianists as a working
brother. He served as a cook starting in 1956,
and for the next nine years cooked for various
Marianist formation houses. Throughout the
next two decades, he worked as a cook and
kitchen manager at three school communities: St. John Vianney
High School in St. Louis; St. Joseph High School in Victoria,
Texas; and St. Michael’s in Chicago, as well as the novitiate in
New Haven, Mo. In 1978, Brother Fred joined the Marycliff
community in Eureka, Mo., and remained there until his death
working as a cook for the community and the Marianist Retreat
and Conference Center. Throughout his life, he was known for
his homemade breads, pies, cakes and holiday stollens.
Brother Martin McMurtrey, 86, died Nov. 9, 2007, in San
Antonio. Brother Mac earned a bachelor’s degree in English
with a minor in mechanical drawing from the University of
Dayton. He began his teaching career at St. Michael’s in Chicago
and later at Cathedral High School in Belleville, Ill., where he
24 Call 1.800.348.4732
taught math, religion and mechanical drawing.
In 1949, he received a master’s degree in education
from Saint Louis University. Two years
later, Brother Mac found his true home —
Central Catholic High School in San Antonio
— where he taught for 49 years. At Central
Catholic, he established himself as a beloved
English teacher and author, publishing 12 books including his
favorite, Out of the River’s Mist. Brother Mac’s legacy includes the
establishment of a scholarship program to assist needy students
who want to attend Catholic school, which he began in 1975.
He also taught classes at St. Agnes parish in San Antonio, where
he assisted the underprivileged in the Hispanic community.
Brother Mac retired from full-time teaching in 2000.
Brother Franklin Pao, 72, died Oct. 12,
2007, in Honolulu. Brother Franklin joined
the Marianists and served as a working brother
for more than 50 years. In his early years,
he worked in various assignments on behalf
of the former Pacific Province and as an
administrator at Villa St. Joseph, a healthcare
center in Cupertino, Calif. In 1978, Brother Franklin enrolled
in the “Hawaiian Renaissance Program” at Chaminade
University. It was a turning point in his life. From that time
forward he studied Hawaiian history and culture, earning a
bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian Studies in 1983 from the
University of Hawai’i. Throughout his life, he held positions
as a spiritual mentor and priest in Hawaiian culture and was
called on to perform many blessings for homes, schools, offices
and weddings. From 1985 until the spring of 2006, he also
served as registrar for Saint Louis School in Honolulu.
Father Edmund Rhodes, 97, died Nov. 3,
2007, in Dayton. Father Edmund received his
bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the
University of Dayton in 1932, and later a
licentiate in sacred theology from Catholic
University in Washington, D.C. His ministry
as a Marianist educator spanned more than
50 years and included teaching assignments in Washington, D.C.,
Mineola, N.Y., Philadelphia and Cleveland. In 1947, after seminary
studies in Fribourg, Switzerland, and a year of studies
in Washington, D.C., Father Edmond embarked on a 36-year
teaching ministry at the University of Dayton. He served as a
philosophy professor and dean, as well as assistant dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences. In 1983, he focused on pastoral work,
serving parishes in Arizona, Ohio and Florida. Father Edmond
retired from active ministry in 1990.
For full obituaries, visit www.marianist.com/obits.

Ed Cali
Not words, but deeds
THE BEST WAY TO HONOR A PERSON
after he or she has died is to talk
about the things they loved most
— the people, the places and the values
that sparked their passion and brought
them joy. Edward Cali, 89, who died in
February 2006 in Cupertino, Calif., loved
many things: the Santa Clara Valley (now
known as Silicon Valley); the farmers and
businessmen of Cupertino; the lessons
of hard work and running a successful
enterprise; and his adored wife, Harriet,
and their children, Janet, Joyce and Ron.
Ed Cali at his office in Cupertino in the late 1940s
It is also
clear that Ed
Cali loved his
Catholic heritage.
In the early 1990s,
he decided he wanted
to do something for
Catholic institutions, says his son, Ron
Cali. So he arranged at this death to make
financial gifts to three organizations: the
local parish in Cupertino, Santa Clara
University — his alma mater — and the
Marianists, whom he had befriended in
the Valley.
A LIFETIME OF HARD WORK
The gifts from Ed Cali came
after a lifetime of long hours and
demanding work. His strong
work ethic was inspired by his
immigrant father who made his
way from Sicily to the United
States in the early 1900s and
settled in the San Francisco area.
He tried his hand at several
businesses before successfully
tapping the agriculture and
produce markets.
“My grandfather and his
brother, Joseph, were hardworking
men,” says Ron, noting that
they started an agricultural
trucking and dairy feed business
in the 1920s in the Santa Clara
Valley. The business continued
to thrive under the leadership
of Ron’s father, Ed, and
his cousin Al, until the early
1970s when the technology
and aerospace industries
moved into the Valley and
displaced traditional farming
operations. In 1985, Ed
Cali sold the trucking and
agricultural business and with
his son, Ron, started a financial
management company.
Over the years, Ed Cali and his
business helped the Marianists in practical
ways. When the Marianists built their
provincial office in Cupertino in the mid-
1960s, Ed’s trucking company moved a
carload of sheetrock from a train siding
to the building site. His company also
stored construction equipment for two
years as the provincial building was
going up.
A MAN OF ACTION
“When I think of my father,” says Ron,
“the motto: ‘Not words, but deeds,’ comes
to mind. He was a man of action who led
by example.”
The Marianists learned what Cali’s
devotion and deeds meant in July when
they received a $2,000,000 bequest from
Edward Cali to be used for the building
and operation of the new Marianist retirement
and healthcare center in Cupertino.
We Marianists wish to acknowledge
the leadership and generosity of Ed Cali,
“a good and kind friend,” says Brother
Robert Juenemann, and to thank the Cali
family for their friendship and support.
TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE MARIANISTS, you can contact us:
Online: You may contribute by credit card using our secure server. Visit www.marianist.com/supportus or www.marianistmission.org/donate.
By phone: Call toll-free 1.800.348.4732, M-TH 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., FRI. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., EST. Our customer service associates will assist you
with a credit card donation or a pledge. Or you may call the development office at 937.910.6090, weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., EST.
By mail: Using the envelope enclosed in this magazine, send your donation and information to: The Marianist Development Office,
4435 East Patterson Road, Dayton, OH 45481-0001 ■

The Marianists
Province of the United States
4425 West Pine Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63108-2301
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Learning to wait during difficult times
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 1018
St. Louis, Missouri