Tarmac October 2007.pdf - Chaminade High School

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Flyers Journey to Germany, Austria Pilgrimage Highlights 20th-Century Heroes of the Church 6 by Alex Kamath ‘09 Alex Hildebrandt ’08 strode across the living room and shook hands with Franziska Jägerstätter and her daughter Maria. He introduced himself, and the three began a conversation. Alex and several fellow Flyers were guests in the Jägerstätters’ farmhouse in St. Radegund, Austria. They were thousands of miles away from their homes on Long Island – noteworthy in itself. Even more notable was this rare opportunity to meet a living piece of history – the wife of Austrian martyr Franz Jägerstätter. “It was inspirational to meet someone who had endured so much hardship in her life and still found the strength and the faith to raise her children by herself. Despite all that hardship, to this day she still supports her husband’s decision to oppose the Nazi regime,” said Alex. Alex and 27 other Chaminade students, along with moderators Bro. Richard Hartz and Mr. Richard Tully, had come to visit the shrine of Franz Jägerstätter, who will be beatified on October 26 in Linz, Austria. Jägerstätter’s hometown was one of many stops on a pilgrimage that highlighted five 20 th century heroes of the Catholic faith who lived under the Nazi government. Alex Hildebrandt ‘08 (3 rd from l.) meets Franziska Jägerstätter (2 nd from l.), the wife of Austrian martyr Franz Jägerstätter, and her daughter Maria. With them is Marianist Bro. Alfred Aigner (l.) of the German-Austrian Region. “We had read about all of these people before we departed for Germany and Austria, but their stories were truly brought to life at each of the places we visited,” said Mr. Tully. “Our trip made their stories more tangible and had a profound impact on all of us.” Franz Jägerstätter had refused to serve in Hitler’s army during World War II and was imprisoned in Linz and Berlin. In 1943, he was beheaded, but he left behind a set of moving letters that summed up his beliefs. SUMMER TRAVELS “We need no rifles or pistols for our battle, but instead, spiritual weapons – and the foremost of these is prayer.” “Twentieth-Century Heroes of the Church,” Chaminade’s pilgrimage this summer, departed for Germany on July 17 and returned to New York on July 27. The pilgrims landed in Berlin, where they visited Plötzensee Prison, the site where Blessed Jakob Gapp was executed by the Gestapo for his outspoken opposition to the Nazi regime. Following the tour of the prison, the group conducted a prayer service in honor Blessed Gapp at the Regina Martyrum Monastery. This was the first of five different prayer services held to commemorate each “20 th century hero of the Church.” “The trip tried to emphasize the courage of these five people who stood up to the Nazis, even to the point of death,” said Bro. Richard, who planned the pilgrimage. “Each service allowed us to reflect on their sacrifices, both on the personal level and for the faith.” From Berlin, the group traveled to Vienna, Austria, the site of a shrine to Blessed Sr. Maria Restituta. She had been a nurse at a hospital in Vienna and had spoken against the Nazis to both her colleagues and her patients. A Nazi doctor who worked in the hospital betrayed Sr. Restituta; she was beheaded in 1943. Chaminade’s pilgrims visited the motherhouse of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, Blessed Sr. Restituta’s religious order. At the chapel there, they had a memorial prayer service. “It was a small chapel and late in the afternoon. There were already elderly nuns and patients inside the chapel, and the students filled the chapel completely,” said Bro. Richard. “At the end of our service, the nuns and students alike sang the Salve Regina (a hymn in Latin dedicated to Mary) in unison. It was a moving experience for all.” “This was one of the things that I enjoyed most about the trip – that we had the opportunity to visit places that ordinary tourists never get to see,” said Jimmy Kovar ’10. Frau Dr. Erna Putz places flowers at the shrine of Franz Jägerstätter as Ryan Minett ‘10, Mike Warch ‘09, Pat Donnelly ‘08, John Ready ‘09, and Tyler Pastori ‘09 look on. From Vienna, the pilgrims traveled through Linz and Upper Austria to Munich and the Bavarian Alps, where the Gestapo had placed Blessed Rupert Mayer, a Jesuit, under house arrest. He had denounced Adolf Hitler; pointed out the fallacies of Nazi propaganda; and preached Catholic dogma, despite the threat of execution. Blessed Mayer escaped execution, however, because he was so well loved in Munich and its environs. The Nazis feared that his execution would incite a revolution. The pilgrims’ final stop was Dachau, one of the most infamous of the Nazi concentration camps. There, the students visited the spot where Blessed Fr. Otto Neururer had been executed. Blessed Neururer had been a member of the Christian Social Movement and had defended the civil rights of his parishioners in Götzens, Austria. “It was difficult to imagine the sheer number of atrocities that had been committed at Dachau,” said Ryan Horrmann ’09. In addition to visiting the sites associated with these heroes of the Church, the Flyers spent time at many well-known tourist destinations, including the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria and the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. “I felt that the common thread for the pilgrimage was the opportunity to reflect on the lives of those who had the courage to stand up for their beliefs,” said Mr. Tully. “They were ordinary people who had extraordinary faith.” Tarmac • October 2007
Flyer Rower Competes in Beijing Anthony Altimari ’07 Leads U.S. to Fifth-Place Finish by Brian Mullin ‘08 O n August 8, 2008, some of the best athletes from around the globe will descend on Beijing, China for the Summer Olympic Games. If the U.S. Crew Team hopes to win a medal, they may want to turn to CHS alum Anthony Altimari ’07 for some pointers. Anthony was one of 29 athletes invited from across the nation to try out for the U.S. Junior National Crew Team. After nearly two months of intensive training, he was chosen to represent the United States at the competition, held this past August in Beijing. Anthony was selected to be the coxswain of America’s premier boat, the “Junior Eight,” racing on the same course that Americans Abroad Flyers Participate in People to People Ambassador Program by Thomas Rooney ‘10 O ur travel time was over 20 hours,” said Trevor Pirro ’10. “However, the chance to fly halfway around the world and experience a totally new culture made it all worthwhile.” Sponsored by the People to People Student Ambassador Program, Trevor and 39 other American teenagers traveled to Australia for 20 days of seeing the sights and meeting the locals. The trip ran from July 23 to August 10. A native Australian tour guide greeted Trevor and his fellow student ambassadors when they arrived in Sydney and “taught us a lot about Australian culture and history.” The group toured Sydney’s famous opera house, will be used during the Olympics. He led the U.S. team to a solid finish, placing fifth in the world, just ten seconds behind firstplace finisher Germany. “It was the best experience of my life,” said Anthony in a telephone interview from his dorm at the University of Wisconsin. “It was a tremendous opportunity to represent the United States overseas, and I would advise anyone who comes across the same opportunity to make the most of it and to enjoy the experience.” climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and visited the local cricket grounds. “From Sydney, we traveled to the outback and stayed on a family farm of some 57,000plus acres,” said Trevor. The student ambassadors also snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef, visited a crocodile farm, and fed pelicans and dolphins. Oh, and they also met a variety of people, including civic leaders from the Burdekin Shire Council, students from the Gin-Gin Elementary School, and the Aborigines of the Australian countryside. Above: Lions and tigers and . . . Trevor Pirro ‘10 (r.) poses with a wombat and its trainer. Left: Mandel Dawkins ’08 takes in the view from the foothills of Mt. Fuji. Anthony Altimari ‘07 was coxswain of America’s premier boat at the World Rowing Junior Championships. “The trip was a great way to learn about life in Australia, as well as the native Aboriginal culture,” said Trevor. Mandel Dawkins ’08 had a similar experience, although his student ambassadorship took him to Japan, where he lived with a Japanese family. Mandel’s visit to Japan ran from July 28 to August 12. “I took a lot out of the trip to Japan. Before I went there, I didn’t really know about the Japanese language and culture,” said Mandel. “After the trip, however, I came out with a basic idea of the language and the customs.” The trip to Japan afforded Mandel a wide variety of opportunities. In Tokyo, Mandel and his fellow student ambassadors met with Japanese government officials and learned about diplomatic ties between Japan and the United States. The group also visited several other places of geographic and historical significance, including Mt. Fuji, Himeji Castle, and Hiroshima. Mandel called Himeji Castle “a marvel of Japanese architecture.” At Hiroshima, Mandel was “profoundly moved” by the memorial to those who had lost their lives in the world’s first atomic bomb blast of a civilian location. “The trip taught me to keep an open mind,” said Mandel. “There’s plenty to learn when you travel to a foreign country, as long as you are open to new experiences, new people, and a new perspective on life.” Tarmac • October 2007 SUMMER TRAVELS 7
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Tarmac October 2007.pdf - Chaminade High School

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