Your conversation with Larry Chapp and Joshua Charles at Eternal Christendom was extraordinary. There are many individuals on both sides of the Catholic coin who could profit immensely from such a well informed exchange.
I thought to myself, finally, I am not crazy.
A native of the Diocese of Paterson back then, about twenty years before you arrived on earth, I know from whence you come...quite familiar with your youthful backyard. I could go on forever, but the two of you brought me back to the the mass for the First Sunday of Advent in 1964 at Morristown's Church of the Assumption ... the first time we saw a "table altar," responses in English [albeit with the text of the 1962 missal if I'm not mistaken], the first time with the "kiss of peace" with narrated instructions on how to exchange it with your neighbor and the looks of horror on the faces of the congregation. It remains clear as day -- and I was fourteen.
We live in "interesting" times.
Lord, come to our assistance. Make haste to help us.
Wow, small world. I went to Delbarton, as you probably know, and attending St. Vincent Martyr in Madison, which was wreckovated when I was a baby by Msgr. Vincent Puma. We also had Fr. Finbar Corr (I think was the name), who left the priesthood to get married and become a psychiatrist. I'm amazed that I'm still a Catholic by God's grace after what I went through (and I'm sure the same is true for you).
Bishop Frank Rodimer was the one who confirmed me.
Actually, upon entering Bayley-Ellard HS we were parishioners at St. Vincent's as well. My parents were married there in'46. I taught at St. Elizabeth Academy in the seventies. I knew St. Mary's Abbey as well...Gabriel, Beatus, Hilary, Simon, Leonard, Brian, Justin ... My sister was a Carmelite in Morristown. The insane renewal there had its worst effects, but by the time you were on the scene they had somewhat recovered.
The Msgr. Puma recovation was quite the event. I remember being furious at the destruction. The side altars for Our Lady and the Sacred Heart were favorites of mine. Fr. Finbar Corr was a parish priest when I was a boy at St. Patrick's in Chatham. I was confirmed there by Bishop McNulty before he went to Buffalo.
You are a man of which Delbarton should be justly proud and immensely so. The Abbey has diminished to a tragic number.
It was all something to behold as a teenager.
God reward you and may your good work find some merit here, I know it will in Eternity.
Amazing. My brother Larry Kay went to Bayley-Ellard. My two sisters went to St. Elizabeth's for high school. My other brother Chris went to Seton Hall.
Fr. Beatus was a good art history teacher. I owe a debt to him and to Fr. Gerard for English, to Fr. Germain for music, Br. Paul for German, and many others.
You probably won't be surprised to hear that Delbarton has never contacted me since I left (except for money) and that Thomas Aquinas College doesn't publicize any of my recent books or travels etc. I am way too "trad" for them.
A laurel any teacher would be so proud to read. It would be difficult to believe there aren’t a few of your students who would include you in such a tribute. My only laurel as a teacher was when a student of mine at St. E’s went off to Georgetown. Given her command of the material her Old Testament Jesuit professor asked from whence she gleaned all this knowledge and she cited my senior theology class. Her father recounted this to our principal, a Sister of Charity, who was astonished since she held my traditional pedagogical approach to the study of our faith too stiff. This, the same sister, who when I asked if I could have text books for my students, told me there was no money for religion textbooks.
I was unaware you were an Oblate. The Benedictine tradition is so rich. I was blessed to be in formation with the Trappists for three years during my fifties. My life there terminated when I made a simple defense in conversation of Cardinal Arinze’s instruction to use metal vessels for the Precious Blood. My abbot, brilliant but a bit temperamental [an organist and a graduate of Juilliard] quite proud he told me, to be referred to by the other abbots as a “left wing brat” took offense at my defense of the Cardinal.
All things work out for the best. That was more than twenty years ago, but perhaps because my religious name was Benedict, the formation never left me. For that I am truly grateful.
Again, God reward you, and abundant Advent blessings to you and your family.
Thank you, Peter. Lots to check out. As for language, it has been something emblematic in British speech to under-emphasise the most wretched things (“When enemy gunfire took out our petrol tank, I thought, crikey, might not make it back for mum’s birthday, poor old girl;” or “That Bataan stroll was a spot of bother”) and exaggerate the small stuff (“We were simply gasping for our tea”). Besides being delightful and polite (with strongly-telegraphed ideas) it totally engages the listener to imagine one’s real thoughts and experiences. When folks devolve to the same [three] vulgar words for everything, it’s not only violent on the ears but insulting and tedious. Moral rot indeed.
I’m enjoying Pelican+ but do miss engaging with other readers in the comments. The Forum seems oddly misnamed.
Your conversation with Larry Chapp and Joshua Charles at Eternal Christendom was extraordinary. There are many individuals on both sides of the Catholic coin who could profit immensely from such a well informed exchange.
I thought to myself, finally, I am not crazy.
A native of the Diocese of Paterson back then, about twenty years before you arrived on earth, I know from whence you come...quite familiar with your youthful backyard. I could go on forever, but the two of you brought me back to the the mass for the First Sunday of Advent in 1964 at Morristown's Church of the Assumption ... the first time we saw a "table altar," responses in English [albeit with the text of the 1962 missal if I'm not mistaken], the first time with the "kiss of peace" with narrated instructions on how to exchange it with your neighbor and the looks of horror on the faces of the congregation. It remains clear as day -- and I was fourteen.
We live in "interesting" times.
Lord, come to our assistance. Make haste to help us.
Thank you!
Wow, small world. I went to Delbarton, as you probably know, and attending St. Vincent Martyr in Madison, which was wreckovated when I was a baby by Msgr. Vincent Puma. We also had Fr. Finbar Corr (I think was the name), who left the priesthood to get married and become a psychiatrist. I'm amazed that I'm still a Catholic by God's grace after what I went through (and I'm sure the same is true for you).
Bishop Frank Rodimer was the one who confirmed me.
Actually, upon entering Bayley-Ellard HS we were parishioners at St. Vincent's as well. My parents were married there in'46. I taught at St. Elizabeth Academy in the seventies. I knew St. Mary's Abbey as well...Gabriel, Beatus, Hilary, Simon, Leonard, Brian, Justin ... My sister was a Carmelite in Morristown. The insane renewal there had its worst effects, but by the time you were on the scene they had somewhat recovered.
The Msgr. Puma recovation was quite the event. I remember being furious at the destruction. The side altars for Our Lady and the Sacred Heart were favorites of mine. Fr. Finbar Corr was a parish priest when I was a boy at St. Patrick's in Chatham. I was confirmed there by Bishop McNulty before he went to Buffalo.
You are a man of which Delbarton should be justly proud and immensely so. The Abbey has diminished to a tragic number.
It was all something to behold as a teenager.
God reward you and may your good work find some merit here, I know it will in Eternity.
Amazing. My brother Larry Kay went to Bayley-Ellard. My two sisters went to St. Elizabeth's for high school. My other brother Chris went to Seton Hall.
Fr. Beatus was a good art history teacher. I owe a debt to him and to Fr. Gerard for English, to Fr. Germain for music, Br. Paul for German, and many others.
You probably won't be surprised to hear that Delbarton has never contacted me since I left (except for money) and that Thomas Aquinas College doesn't publicize any of my recent books or travels etc. I am way too "trad" for them.
If I'm not mistaken St. Mary's has fifteen monks left...mostly quite gray. There is, mournfully, their critique...
I'll say this, you had wonderful parents...that was quite the secondary school bill!
Yes, I realize what a privilege I enjoyed, and I have tried to make the best of what was given to me.
You might enjoy this tribute:
https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/in-praise-of-good-teachers
A laurel any teacher would be so proud to read. It would be difficult to believe there aren’t a few of your students who would include you in such a tribute. My only laurel as a teacher was when a student of mine at St. E’s went off to Georgetown. Given her command of the material her Old Testament Jesuit professor asked from whence she gleaned all this knowledge and she cited my senior theology class. Her father recounted this to our principal, a Sister of Charity, who was astonished since she held my traditional pedagogical approach to the study of our faith too stiff. This, the same sister, who when I asked if I could have text books for my students, told me there was no money for religion textbooks.
I was unaware you were an Oblate. The Benedictine tradition is so rich. I was blessed to be in formation with the Trappists for three years during my fifties. My life there terminated when I made a simple defense in conversation of Cardinal Arinze’s instruction to use metal vessels for the Precious Blood. My abbot, brilliant but a bit temperamental [an organist and a graduate of Juilliard] quite proud he told me, to be referred to by the other abbots as a “left wing brat” took offense at my defense of the Cardinal.
All things work out for the best. That was more than twenty years ago, but perhaps because my religious name was Benedict, the formation never left me. For that I am truly grateful.
Again, God reward you, and abundant Advent blessings to you and your family.
Thank you, Peter. Lots to check out. As for language, it has been something emblematic in British speech to under-emphasise the most wretched things (“When enemy gunfire took out our petrol tank, I thought, crikey, might not make it back for mum’s birthday, poor old girl;” or “That Bataan stroll was a spot of bother”) and exaggerate the small stuff (“We were simply gasping for our tea”). Besides being delightful and polite (with strongly-telegraphed ideas) it totally engages the listener to imagine one’s real thoughts and experiences. When folks devolve to the same [three] vulgar words for everything, it’s not only violent on the ears but insulting and tedious. Moral rot indeed.
I’m enjoying Pelican+ but do miss engaging with other readers in the comments. The Forum seems oddly misnamed.
I love the British way of speaking. It makes the whole world of P.G. Wodehouse possible.
The ability to comment is coming to Pelican soon, never fear! We are working on it at this very moment.