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WestFriars Newsletter of the Saint Barbara Province of the Franciscans

VOLUME 43, No. 5

sEptEMbEr/OctObEr 2009

JUBILARIANS ALL!

"On the morning of July 5, 1959, at Old Mission San Miguel, the Provincial, David Temple, received a new class of novices.

"On the morning of July 5, 2009, at Mercy Center, Oakland, the five remaining from that class [in order of age: Jan Honchosky, Louie Vitale, Angelo Cardinalli, Michael Guinan, and Gino Piccoli] celebrated their golden jubilee.

“Louie presided at the Mass and Mike preached (less than 9 minutes!). Lunch fol-lowed in the dining room with a number of friars from the area. Thanks to the artist-ry of Franklin Fong, they each had name tags to keep them from getting confused." Many thanks – Michael Guinan

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EDITORIAL MUSINGS

WestFriarsEditor: WarrEn J. rousE, oFM . Layout, dEsign & CirCuLation: aLi PaCkard

arChivEs: tiMothy arthur, oFM subMissions: (E-MaiL attaChMEnt PrEFErrEd) Frwarren@serraretreat.com or: Warren Rouse, oFM PO Box 127 Malibu, CA 90265 Tel: 310.924.2124 Fax: 310.456.9417

continued on next page

No guide book mentions Cliftonville, a quite unpretentious town in Kent, Eng-land. It’s a sort of tired retirement village with a number of less than modest ho-tels and boarding houses. Fortunately it does have a train station, encouraging me to visit St. Anselm’s Institute to visit a Bangladesh priest who was spending his sabbatical there.

The Institute is actually a renovated small hotel which offers an unique program, going on 20 years now, for bishops, priests and religious. Call it a renewal time or whatever—but appar-ently it is quietly known world-wide.

What brings the place to mind is an article written by its director, Fr. Len Kofler, priest and psychotherapist (The Tablet, 3 July 2009), who candidly admits that “I have spent many years dealing with my own emotions and helping others to be constructive with theirs.”

He is convinced that not only in the formation years but throughout our lives, “…the empha-sis needs to shift from a mainly intellectual to a more experiential approach,” adding that “we need a psycho-spiritual integration.”

While heads may nod in approval, he adds a most important zinger: “Spirituality without psy-chology is not anchored. Psychology without spirituality is directionless.”

Proof? Does anyone remember the tragic fad of “encounter groups” in the 60s and 70s? The damage done to individual friars was absolutely horrific. The great and appalling weakness was to encourage participants to “let it all hang out,” only to find to their shocked dismay that there was no one to put Humpty Dumpty together again.

Let’s be real: everyone is “wounded.” Usually the target is the “dysfunctional” (aka crazy) family history. Let’s be more real: oftentimes the person never realizes the here-and-now but subconscious effects of past, negative experiences.

Sr. Joan Chittister offers a concrete example:

“People in positions of authority know they aren’t being heard if the people they are trying to direct turn every conversation into an adolescent struggle with the ghosts of their parents.”Maybe there was some truth in the story told about Archbishop John J. Cantwell of Los Ange-

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les way back in the 40s. When a prospective seminarian was proposed, his question was: “Does he come from good stock?” Somehow the Archbishop was acutely aware that unre-solved family disorders needed first to be rec-ognized and then healed. Chittister is in tune with this:

“We have to learn to take the raw materials of our lives and turn them into the stuff of sanc-tity. We can’t wait for the perfect person or the perfect environment to call us to spiritual maturity.” (Emphasis mine.)

Throughout lives we’re called to do our homework, the painful task of naming and healing perhaps long-forgotten wounds that subtly influence us today. As we understand-ably and admirably look for help at times, one may even recall, in very broad terms, that for a time psychology reigned over spirituality.( On the other hand, and perhaps in our own day, there has been a conservative backlash: spirituality may brush aside and disdain psy-chology.)

Thus the purpose of St. Anselm’s—and other institutes—is to help the participants to ac-quire deep faith, much confidence and a range of social skills. But Fr. Kofler has a caveat:

“Secular counselors will not be able to un-derstand fully the special charism of priests and Religious, and therefore will not be able to help them to develop and grow in a holis-tic way. Many counselors have no idea what spirituality is, and therefore cannot tap into the most important resources of the priestly and religious vocation.”

What he calls for is the combined skills of Christian counseling and spiritual direction.

AWARDS FOR KEITH DOUGLASS WARNER,

O.F.M.

Congratulations on honors for Care for Cre-ation! It received the following Catholic Book Award at the 2009 Catholic Press Association convention in Anaheim, CA.

• 1st place, Social concerns- Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth (Ilia Delio, OSF, Keith Douglass War-ner, OFM, and Pam Wood). Judges wrote: “Anyone concerned about the ecological cri-sis has many resources on ‘green’ prayer, the-ology, and action steps available to them. Care for Creation is a welcome addition, though, because of its delightful, readable content and format. Firmly grounded in the Francis-can tradition that sees God’s creation and the Incarnation as ‘fully and integrally’ related, the book contains science, theology, practical advice, and inspiration, For the reader who is equally devoted to both Jesus and to our frag-ile world, this is a gem.”

• 2nd place, Spirituality, soft cover- Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth (Ilia Delio, OSF, Keith Doug-lass Warner, OFM, and Pam Wood). Judges wrote: “This timely book wonderfully pres-ents a Franciscan spirituality of creation and the Incarnation, the implications of St. Fran-cis’s Canticle of Creation for the contempo-rary world, the role of contemplative prayer in light of global climate change, and the con-version that is necessary for humanity to face these challenges.”

20 years and many clients are grateful proof of this!WJR

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2009-2010 Novitiate Class(from left to right) : Regan Chapman (Novice Master); Michael Minton, Tom Frost (Assistant Novice Master), Phillip Polk and Ryan Thornton.

Phillip Polk, 27, is a member of the San Carlos Apache Nation in San Carlos, AZ. He has known the Franciscans all his life as a member of St. Charlie’s Apache Catholic Commu-nity. Before entering the formation program, Phillip was a fulltime caregiver for his elderly grandparents. Phillip also spent a few years as a hotel restaurant manager for a Hilton resort in Tucson, AZ. Phillip was drawn to the friars because of their care for the poor and the transparency of the community. Phillip is looking forward to this year of novitiate to deepen his prayer life and further his discernment with the friars. Ryan Thornton, 25, hails from Monrovia, California. He comes to the friars after having spent a year as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Ryan is also a recent gradu-ate of Harvard and has a special interest in the work of Franciscan philosopher John Duns Scotus.

Between college and seminary, Ryan spent a year in Ukraine teaching English at a Byzantine

MEET THE NOVICES

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Catholic Seminary where he was exposed to the spirituality of the Eastern Rites. As a re-sult, during novitiate he hopes to explore its intersection with Franciscan spirituality for his own development as well as to continue in discerning God’s ever-unfolding plan.

Michael Minton, 46, is a native of North-west Indiana. He has worked supporting and advocating for people with developmental disabilities for almost 20 years. He has a Masters degree in Non-Profit Management and a BA in Sociology. His initial exposure to Franciscans began while in college and came to fruition after moving to California. He is grateful for this opportunity to discern his vocation in a more intense, intimate, and trusting way.

The novitiate team wholeheartedly welcomes Friar Tom Frost to this community and gives great thanks to Friar Clifford Herle who departs after six years.

LETTERS

About Br. Wenceslaus

Wency was the first friar that I met, at the time a tertiary brother and wore the capuche only in public. It was during Holy Week, 1938. My grandmother lived in Santa Barba-ra at the Upham Hotel and had invited me to spend Holy Week with her. She showed me how to walk to the Mission. I did. The Mis-sion was open. I found the gift shop. And Wency with his beaming smile welcomed me like a long lost brother. He never forgot me. Always the smile, always the cheerful greeting. His presence did much to foster the

vocation that unknown to me began that year. I'm glad that I knew him. Kindly let this be an item for the next issue of WestFriars. – Barnabas Hughes, O.F.M.

About Moving

The BIG news for us friars here is the com-ing “Changing of the Guard.” Tom Frost is on his way to San Miguel to help in the no-vitiate, and Ignatius has moved into Covered Wells Village (Tom’s former place) and I’m scheduled to move to Tularosa, New Mexico, soon. This will happen when Ponchie Vaquez is freed up from St. Elizabeth’s by his several replacements, to take my place on the eastern side of our San Solano Missions parish—with a little luck by mid-August. The other Brothers—Chris Best, Martin Sanabria and Hajime Okuhara—are due before the end of August.

I’ve been here for over 18 years now. It’s absolutely amazing how much stuff has accumulated in the process! Besides all my regular work at present, I’m staring at this Mountain of Stuff which needs to be (a) sorted, (b) discarded, (c) carried along, and (d) burned in effigy.

If I had more time/energy I’d send you a beautiful reflection on my life and minis-try here…Maybe next time? Max Hottle, O.F.M.

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Alfonso Joseph Floyd LotitoJuly 28, 1934 – July 14, 2009

In our reflection for this afternoon, as we pay tribute in sorrow and thanksgiving to our Brother Floyd, our scripture reading has the disciples “coming down the mountain” with Jesus. (Lk. 6.17-21) His disciples follow him into a large crowd from all over the world. What do they see in the crowd: the sick, the lame, the blind, those afflicted with exterior diseases and internal pains, “those troubled with unclean spirits.” They see human be-ings just like themselves; they see people who reach out—they want to be healed, to be recognized, to make contact with God; they wish to be included; they want bread, they long to be touched with a blessing. And the disciples see “power” come out from Jesus’ touch, and the words of blessing, not just once but many times, every day, every mo-ment, to each single one:

Blessed are you poor, the reign of God is yours.

Blessed are you who are hungry, you shall be filled.

Blessed are you who are weeping, you shall laugh.

Eventually, later on in their journey, the disciples will see Jesus give to the people not just food but the bread of life; they will watch as he restores them to human dignity, gives them hope with the promise of justice, and proclaims with the witness of his own death and resurrection the victory of life over death. And the disciples, who have followed Jesus, not away from the human community but into it, receive the Lord’s Spirit, take it into themselves, and his power comes out from them, and his blessing, and they repeat

his words: “Blessed are you poor;” and the disciples proclaim a final justice, “the reign of God is yours.”

Alfonso Joseph, later Floyd, Lotito was an exceptional disciple of the Lord. We know that because he did not flee from nor ignore the world around him; he followed Jesus down from the mountain and entered into the human community of the Tenderloin; and power came out from him. He blessed everything in sight: dogs and cats, snakes and hamsters, parakeets and doves, worms and lizards, taxi drivers and muni travelers. He blessed the people in baseball parks and in neighborhood playgrounds; he blessed the delegates of the Democratic national convention and the Sacramento politicians; he blessed meals for the poor and family gatherings for the better off; he blessed old women in their apartments and drug addicts on the streets; he blessed the people in Pa-cific Heights and in the avenues and people whose home was the street; he blessed friars in their Redwood city gatherings and lay folk in their celebrations; he blessed a succession of San Francisco mayors and the first woman Speaker of the House.

When you bless someone, you give to them your vitality, your soul, your wisdom, what you hope for them; you acknowledge that they mean something to you; you open for them the gates of mercy and human dignity. You touch them with healing power. Our Lord says in the reading: "Blessed are the poor." Several months ago, Floyd, who taught me dramatic arts and speaking over forty-five years ago and with whom I had been privi-leged to serve on the governing board of the

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Franciscan friars, called me up and I came over to visit him in San Francisco. We had a breakfast meal together here at St. Boni-face and then went over to his office at St. Anthony’s. He was getting very frail and trying to make up his mind whether or not to move from his homes here on Golden Gate Avenue. A Franciscan friar and a priest, he mentioned to me at that time what he con-sidered to be the two other major blessings of his own life. He was able to bless because he had first been blessed.

The first blessing he had received came from his family.

• Born a son of Joseph, an immigrant from Bari, Italy, and Filomena, a first genera-tion American of Calabrian parents, he never forgot the blessings of his parents’ love. He grew up with Michael, his brother, whose premature passing affected him so deeply, and his two beloved sisters, Madeline and Frances. When I came over to see him he spoke to me not so much about his own fears but about his love for you: he did not want to leave you.

• Through his parents, Alfonso Joseph possessed many natural blessings from his Cre-ator. Believe it or not, he was a gifted track star; later advanced training would capitalize on his exceptional public speak-ing ability. But there is one natural blessing to which I want to call attention, because it so often misunderstood. It was a gift which few people have—a certain naïve innocence, a core simplicity which allowed him

to ascend to high places, plaster the walls of his office with pictures of himself with truly influential people, and tell everyone about it. Every Italian male, it is said, has two words inscribed on his license plate: Numero Uno, and Floyd has sent to his Franciscan superi-ors a daily log of his activities every month for the last thirty years. Yet despite it all, he remained remarkably unaffected: filled with blessings, but to himself, still “poor brother Floyd.” This was not affected; it was rather God’s gift of Gospel simplicity. • Floyd was southern Italian to the core: good food, celebration, hospitality, an absolute loyalty to a life of relationships lived within the small orbit of a human fam-ily of six, a Franciscan family, several close families here in San Francisco, the family of the Tenderloin. I think it rather typical that he would die before he would permanently move. His superiors, including myself, tried to move him three times; he would not budge. I used to think it was stubbornness, and perhaps there was a little Calabrian there. But I have come to understand it was so much more. Floyd was not a wanderer but a family settler—once in San Francisco,

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he was here for forty-one years. His baseball cap and forty-niner jacket testify to that. He insisted on staying here not because he was stubborn or because he needed to stay here, but because he actually loved you and want-ed to be with you. Family was everything.

When Floyd became a Franciscan friar in 1953 and was ordained to the priesthood on December 17, 1960, he began his life’s work filled with the wonderful blessings of a deep-ly priestly spirit grafted onto a loyal, open, family oriented, compassionate, and gifted nature.

The second blessing Floyd acknowledged in our conversation, was the poor. And here I need not go through his long years at St. An-thony’s or his work in the Tenderloin. The staff, the donors, the bread line, the public media, and, above all, his beloved guests give great testimony to that. I simply want to say in tribute that this blessing of the poor was something that grew in him, and it grew both through example and through adversity. If you go into Floyd’s office you will see there a picture of himself and Father Alfred; you cannot understand the course of one life without knowing the course of the other life. When Alfred emerged, Floyd receded; where Alfred led, Floyd followed; where Floyd was acknowledged, Alfred lay hid-den; as Alfred declined, Floyd ascended. Yet he was not to be the successor. It is a great testimony to Floyd’s expansive heart that he not only persevered but flourished. He found himself blessed by the poor. He was one of them, a brother to brothers and sisters. They acknowledged him, opened their hearts to him, gave him a sense of human dignity, and touched him with healing power. He would become their public advocate, their mediator for justice, they his family. Every time he signed the head of his “brother” or “sister” with a cross, he found himself signed with his own redemption. It was a wondrous blessing exchanged between equals. If Floyd was a priest for the poor, the poor were other Christs for him.

In our last conversation, Floyd mentioned that he had met the soon to be inaugurated Barak Obama. As he told it in Lotitoesque, he more or less bribed one of the Secret Service men. However he got there, the two great men stood face to face, the one ascending to power, the other in all of his

Father Floyd Lotito celebrated his 70th birthday, cut-ting the first piece of cake and tasting the frosting with help from Cissie Bonini, manager of his beloved St. Anthony Dining Room. After cake, he pitched in and helped serve lunch to more than 2,000 homeless and needy people in the Tenderloin.

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Ten days ago I returned from Rome to San Francisco. I was working in the General Cu-ria near the Vatican for the last six years. One of the highlights of the six years was that this year 2009 – all of us, the Capuchins, the Con-ventuals, the TORs and ourselves, the Fri-ars Minor-- together with the Poor Clares, the Secular Franciscans and all the religious Brothers and Sisters of the Franciscan Family celebrated and are continuing to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the actual founding of the Order.

We had celebrations all over the world and re-cently we had a special one in Assisi. –The late Pope John Paul II would often encourage us to be with the people and to be friends of the Poor. Recently, Benedict XVI reminded us that one of the essential characteristics of our charism is our life with the poor. We have been challenged to be "Friends of the Poor".

Whenever I hear those words, I think of nu-merous men and women that I have met dur-ing my lifetime -- but the image that comes to mind most often is that of Floyd Lotito. Floyd loved the poor and it didn't happen

FUNERAL SERMON

Floyd Alfonso Joseph Lotito74 years of age

56 years as a Friar Minor—Franciscan—and in 2010 Floyd would have celebrated

50 years as a priest.Son of Joseph Lotito and Filomena Pirri

Youngest brother of Michael Lotito (deceased) and

older brother of May and Frances.Classmate in the Franciscan Order with

Tom Frost, Loren Kerkof,

frail dignity. If there had been a picture, you could be sure that it would have gone up on his wall, and he would have told us about it! And our Joseph Alfonso Lo-tito, our fam-ily man—said less than ten words, posed

as a question, not only to the President of the United States but to all of us: “What are you going to do for the poor?”

Floyd, I think, would want me to conclude these formal reflections by simply saying to everyone here on his behalf, “Thank you.” And on our behalf, may I give to Floyd what he so deeply gave to us, a blessing. The sign and the words of this blessing are cen-tral to our Franciscan tradition and they were treasured by Floyd himself. Alfonso Joseph Floyd, we who are now poor because of your absence, sign you, our brother now rich in life, with the following words:

May the Lord bless you and keep you.May the Lord let his face shine upon you,

and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you kindly and give you

peace. The Lord bless you. (Num. 6.24-26)

Joseph P. Chinnici, O.F.M.July 20, 2009

Blessing of the Animals at St. Boniface on the Feast of St. Fran-cis, October 4th.

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overnight-- it took the grace of God, it took many false starts, it took years of being with the poor, speaking with them, listening to them, sharing with them, struggling to under-stand their feelings and their plight.

Floyd, with his paradoxes, his brokenness and his human frailty-- yet with an almost childlike confidence -- with hours of con-templation on this Gospel text of Matthew 25 -- Floyd knew the poor; he understood the poor; he was an advocate for the poor. Indeed, Floyd was a friend of the poor!

Let me share with you how I think it hap-pened.

Sixty years ago--1949—August: In a dimly lit corridor of St. Anthony Franciscan Semi-nary High School in Santa Barbara, CA, two young men, 14 years of age, stood in a waiting line to meet and be interviewed by the Rector of the Seminiary. We had never met before--we were new here--we both had gone to other

high schools the year before and we were en-tering the seminary as sophomores. We knew very few people in the place. Floyd was from Los Angeles and I came from Phoenix.

Little did we realize that 60 years later one of us would be preaching at the other's funeral. Last year here at St. Boniface, when I was close to death with cancer, Floyd anointed me. As he prayed, we both cried. I felt then that he would be preaching at my funeral.

During our days of formation in the seminary, Floyd was a fine student as he possessed a very clear and strong speaking voice -- he ex-celled in public speaking. He took part in al-most all of the class plays and dramas. Floyd enjoyed being on stage... he was very com-fortable there, very much at ease “on center stage!”

Floyd made vows, was ordained, taught in our high schools and returned to the minor seminary to teach English and public speak-

ing, drama and forensics. He coached a debate team that won many statewide awards.

Around 1964, the Provincial, Terence Cronin, another fine preacher of our Province, recognized Floyd’s talent in public speaking and assigned him to study for a master’s degree in public speaking/ rhetoric at Marquette Uni-versity in Milwaukee. While in the Midwest, Floyd devel-oped his preaching skill and he also made a deep, lasting friendship with a wonderful Italo-American and Irish-Pol-

Father Floyd Lotito and Father Dan Lackie, Franciscan friars from St Boniface Church in the Tenderloin, leave the field at Pac Bell Park after blessing the field before the first game.

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ish extended family in Chicago. Floyd kept contact with them for all these years. They substituted for his California family when Floyd received the "Distinguished Alumnus Award" from Marquette several years ago.

In 1967, Floyd was transferred from Santa Barbara to the Tenderlion. He was to preach weekend retreats at the new retreat house, SanDamiano, in Danville, and at St. Francis Re-treat in San Juan Bautista. He would live here and work at St. Boniface during the week. (Later he would also teach preaching at the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley).

At St. Boniface he worked closely with Alfred Boeddeker, the founder of St. Anthony Foun-dation -- it was sort of an apprenticeship for Floyd. A few months later, he was asked to assist Fr. Alfred.

Floyd worked in the Tenderloin for over for-ty years. The Gospel of Matthew which we just read provides us the scriptural basis for-Floyd's concern for the poor. The text could serve as a job description of the Foundation or its mission statement. "I was hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, in prison, a stranger -- a mar-ginalized person and you took care of me.”

The question, " When, Lord, did I see you?" gives us a glance into Floyd's motivation dur-ing his years at the Foundation, “into what made him tick." Frequent reflection, contem-plation, conversation about the meaning of this text strengthened within Floyd a deep, childhood lesson that he learned from his mother.

In a chapter written by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a recently published book about politicians who are believers, Nancy de-

scribed how she once asked Floyd the secret of his perseverance during the forty plus years of working with the Foundation. " Don't you wear out, don't you ever get tired, don't you ever feel like changing jobs?" Floyd answered her: " As a child and -- yes -- even as an adult, my mother used to tell me often, 'Son, stay close to the poor. Love the poor because God loves the poor!'"

During his years with the Foundation--in many different positions--Floyd grew to know the poor and to love the poor. Floyd had many friends and he loved us all -- he related with us well, but we always knew that he had pref-erence for the poor. He was friends of many archbishops, bishops, other priests, religious brothers and sisters, rabbis, ministers, gov-ernment officials --both local and national--people of wealth and power in our society and in our nation -- and ordinary people from all walks of life. Yet he never lost this friendship with the poor.

He received awards from the Church, from U.S. presidents, from mayors, and articles were written about him in numerous national publications. He was an author of a couple of books. He was interviewed and praised by well known people, he was a friend of news reporters, a friend of Herb Caen and other journalists, a friend of all the policemen in the Tenderloin, a friend of taxi cab drivers whose cabs he blessed, and of owners of all sorts of animals whose pets he blessed around the feast of St. Francis. The text of Matthew 25 came to life in brother Floyd.

Allow me to finish by talking briefly about the three pillars in Floyd's life that offered him structure and stability... the three loves in his life.

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He loved his family. His father died when he was in high school. His family was a signifi-cant priority for Floyd-- his immediate family was very important to him. He kept contact with them, spent quality time with them. They gave him affirmation, warmth and strength. They loved him very much. I am sure that May and Frances will tell us that Floyd was an exemplary, duitiful son, a loving brother, a devoted uncle and a joyful cousin.

He loved his Franciscan family. He appre-ciated the gift of his vocation very much. He was a vital member of the Province. He served on various committes and administrative posi-tions. He was especially good as a guardian of the local community, both here and at St. An-thony's on Cesar Chavez Street. He took the responsibility seriously and tried to help us grow. He would frequently bring in top-notch guest speakers --experts -- to help us under-stand the new changes in the Church and the world around us. He sponsored many friars’ get-togethers in the Bay Area. For years he published a monthly newsletter for all the members of the Province. He even sent an ex-tra copy to me to give to the Minister General in Rome.

He loved St. Anthony Foundation and the fine people of San Francisco. He was grate-ful to John Hardin and his staff. The Founda-tion over the years offered him a forum for his ideas, it taught him new skills, gave him new strategies and insights. It opened many doors to him, it often challenged Floyd, and it al-lowed him to give expression to his love and concern for the poor in concrete ways. And you, the dear people of the Tenderloin and of the city of San Francisco, you affirmed Floyd, you were patient and understanding as he grew. You stood by him -- your gener-

ous support and contributions definitely kept the Foundation alive and flourishing. He was grateful.

In conclusion, John of the Cross, the Spanish mystic, once said, "In the evening of our life we will be judged by Love."

We pray for Floyd at this Mass, as he stands before the Just Judge, accompanied by all these Franciscan Saints on the ceiling around the altar – and many more, all those who love the poor. Floyd, as you listen to the voice of God saying, “I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was homeless….” standing in “center stage,” you will not have to ask the “when question.” You learned the answer here on earth in the Tenderloin.

We rejoice with you, Floyd, as the Lord in-vites you, welcomes you. “ Come, enter the kingdom prepared for you from the founda-tion of the world!” Floyd Alfonso Lotito, may you rest in peace!

Fr. Finian McGinn, O.F.M.

STUDENTS REMEMBER FR. FLOYD

One of the earlier posts on SASSEM was an appeal to get back in touch with some of the older OFMs we knew and loved at St An-thony's who are now elderly and infirmed. When word went out about Fr. Floyd's ill-ness, I began a correspondence with him and he seemed really moved to get letters from his old students. I only regret that I didn't go to see him as I had planned to do. After an-other note went out on the Franciscan prayer list about Fr. Peter recently, I sent off a card to him as well.

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I imagine the pain that many of our brothers felt from the abuse at St. Anthony's had to have impacted on friars who were in the Or-der at the time. Clem Wehe talked about this with me a few years back at a SAS reunion. I know that many friars eventually left out of frustration, disappointment, disgust perhaps, others for a variety of personal reasons. But some very good men who remained watched as their Order shrunk, faced bankruptcy and faced great ordeals, many of these caused by the individuals who brought shame to the Order. Fr. Floyd represents the good that attracted many of us to OFM. Even into his old age he dedicated himself to selfless giving and service to the poor and disenfranchised. May we be inspired by his witness and the genuine spirit of Francis of Assisi. –Kevin J. Belton '65

What a nice tribute he got. Did a lot of great work--especially at the kitchen in SF. Of course, we knew him as Lumpy Lotito--said in fond memory. He tried to teach our class Latin using a new style--speaking it....didn't really work. Didacus '68

I remember Fr. Floyd from SAS in the early '60s. Our paths never crossed after that, but I am heartened that those who knew him well confirm my positive impressions of him. Who could forget those coke-bottle glasses? He had a quick wit and wry smile. He was a warm, caring, and very "Franciscan"friar. He is missed. Jerry, '65

The last time I saw Fr. Floyd was at a SAS reunion. It was the first time a group of us met and began to talk about our experiences shortly after news of the abuse at SAS was

on national TV. We met in the refectory sitting in a circle. Fr. Floyd was one of the few friars who was present. I recall how he and Fr. Alberic compassionately listened to the stories shared by former students, their spouses and even children. I could see the pain, confusion and shame he felt. His pres-ence, as well as that of the other friars pres-ent, reinforced my belief that there were, and still remain, great men among the friars who continued to live by the teachings of Francis. Fr. Floyd was such an inspiration to us to de-velop our communication skills. He ensured that the seals from the National Forensic League and California High School Speech Association were affixed to my diploma as they were almost left off. Reading his eu-logy reminds us of the true calling we had as young men to follow in the footsteps of Francis as Fr. Floyd did. Ron '70

I have fond memories of Fr. Floyd too. Just flashed on his attempt to lose weight with the grapefruit diet! Greg’69 So sad to lose Floyd, he was always a joy to be around and was truly a brother to his fel-low priests. He just radiated happiness when you were with him. Whenever our paths would cross, I always found him truly filled with "Good News". No wonder the people of San Francisco loved him so much because we fellow friars experienced him the same way. There was no pretense with Floyd; he lived with his heart wide open. We are all richer for having known him. Kevin, you put it so well that I can only sec-ond your thoughts. And Jerry you are so right to hold a high opinion of him, his life proved the soundness of you assumption. He was

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simply one of the best. And my dear Vince, how generous of spirit you are to rise above it all and realize friars like Floyd and Alberic represent many more that struggle to serve faithfully. They are truly worthy of our re-spect and our love.

But sadly there will be less laughing and joy now that Floyd has gone home. But heaven is surely rocking tonight. Much love. Paz y Bien. Matt'58.

I am so sorry to hear this. Floyd was a good person who did a lot of wonderful things at SAS and beyond. Dr. Arnie Witchel

I have not seen Fr. Floyd for some time, but I always remember him as an especially lov-ing and caring Franciscan. In the years when I left the seminary and we "exes" were per-sona non grata around SAS and the mission, Floyd invited me to his ordination. He was a good friend at SAS and put that first. Few men are so easy to love, and few of us love so unconditionally. Alex ‘54

Funeral HomilyFor

EMERY RICHARD TANG, OFM

In China, there is an old story about two earthen jugs that a water bearer carried to the master’s house each day. He would loop the handle of each over a pole across his shoul-ders, fill them at the river and carry them up the mountain path. Now—one of the jars was badly cracked. It had a crack down one side that caused it to leak half of its water before arriving at the master’s house. The defect was plain to see, but the water bearer did not

discard the jar. He was careful to put it on a different side each day to ease the ache in his back caused by the uneven load. Because of its poor performance, the cracked jar felt inferior to the sound jar. It was ashamed of how it wasted the efforts of the water bearer.

After years of daily trips to the river, it could no longer keep silent. One day it said to the water bearer, “I am so sorry for my flaw. It is unfair that you work so hard and only get the result of half as much work because of my imperfection. You should find another jar that is as sound as my companion so your efforts are not wasted.” The water bearer walked on in silence for awhile and then said, “You should not compare your work to the work of the other jar. I need both of you to accomplish the master’s work. I know of your imperfection and have put it to good use."

As they made their way up the mountain path that day, the water bearer pointed out the beautiful flowers that grew on each side of the path. He went on to say:

“For many years nothing would grow here. The soil is dry and no one could take the time to provide water for plants to grow. But you have found a way to nourish the flow-ers that takes no extra work. You please the master not only with the water you bring to his house, but the water you spill along the way which has given us this garden of beau-tiful flowers.”

In the beginning God’s design for all of creation was as perfect as the sound jar in our story: there were no cracks in God’s jar. God’s vision for humankind was perfect and precious. God did not make suffering,

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pain, sickness, and death. God fashioned all of creation to be life-giving and worthy of God’s loving touch.

However, weak water bearers came along and damaged God’s creation just as the cracked jar had been damaged. What was once a beautiful piece of pottery now had a bad crack. Where there was once light and life, now there was darkness and death. Where there was once hope and love, now there was despair and hate. So creation was damaged and we seem at times to be like that cracked jar of the water bearer: futile, use-less, and wasting.

But God’s intention did not waver; God’s intention remained the same. God intended that our jars would be whole—that our jars would produce life. God did not make death. God did not put the crack in the jars of our life. Nor was God content to sit back and allow death to have the final word, to have death drain us of all life. In other words, no way was the crack in our jars go-ing to make us useless and wasteful.

Something would have to happen to that cracked jar to make it a beautiful piece of pottery again. And so the God-man named Jesus was born into the world as one of us, to experience suffering and death from the inside. But from Jesus’ death, from the crack in Jesus’ jar, God would fashion something new for the human race and for all of cre-ation. Jesus then would use death itself--the crack in the jar--to give life, everlasting life. From Jesus’ jar, flowers would be watered and blossom. So Jesus did not abolish death: he knew he would die; he knew he had to die; he was ready to die. And why? Because with his death, death would cease to be the

enemy. Oh, I do not mean that with Calvary, on Calvary, death became easy; it did not. I mean that on Calvary Christ gave death a new look, a fresh meaning.

What this new meaning is can be said quite simply: from the death of Jesus Christ, life was born, not only for him but also for us. That, which was thought to be useless and cracked, now gives life. And gardens are watered and beautiful flowers bloom for all to enjoy and to praise God.

There is a danger that each of us leave the jar of our life untouched because we fear the cracks that are there. We feel that they are too deep, too wide, too broken. The cracked jar in the parable felt sorry for the water bearer because the jar felt it wasn’t doing its job. If we look at our jars and put them in the corner to collect dust, then indeed we can end up being useless; we end up wasting pre-cious life. But through Jesus God invites each one of us to use the cracks in our jar to water the gardens of our lives to create new life, to create our own garden of flowers. Jesus used the crack in his jar to create new life and so he tells us: “Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am, there will be my servant” ( John 12:26).

Today we come together to praise our God for Emery Richard Tang’s life and his beauti-ful garden. As you well know, Emery was a master gardener and took great pride in his flowers. In Emery’s own words:

“The loveliness of flowers in my life is a con-stant reminder of God’s marvelous creativity and never-ending thoughtfulness and care. Blossoms show me that with each “ohh” and “ahhh” I breathe, God the unseen is some-

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where in the wings, smiling at my pleasure." (FFJ, p. 71)

We gather then to honor a good man who did not put his jar aside to collect dust. Rather, he faithfully and constantly hauled the water of life so that he could grow beautiful flow-ers in his garden, which were only a sign of God’s tremendous love for each of us.

Emery walked up and down the path of life for eighty-one years. That is a lot of walk-ing. Sometimes the walk was easy for him; sometimes the path was rocky, but he never gave up; he never quit. He faithfully carried the jar of water each day of his life—spilling his life so that his garden could grow. To-day let us look at that garden he watered and some of the flowers in that garden.

But first, let me be clear about these flowers that I will identify. I found these flowers in his own writings, especially in his last book, FOOD FOR THE JOURNEY. These are the flowers that gave him the greatest joy, and he shared them with us.

The first flower in his garden is the gift of wisdom. On the occasion of his 50th Jubilee as a priest, I said in my homily that of “all the gifts he had received from God and his parents, the one gift that stands out is wisdom.” This is the wisdom who has-tens to make herself known to those who desire her. And God has made his Wisdom known through Emery’s life and ministry. In the Scriptures, the wise person is the expert in the art of good living. Passion does not sear him; he is self-possessed. Wrath does not wrack him; he is patient; he is cool He is a knowledgeable man; he’s mastered a field, may even have academic knowledge,

but more importantly, he is at home with his knowledge; it rests lightly yet securely upon him. Doesn’t that picture of the wise man of the Scriptures describe Emery perfectly?

It has been this gift of wisdom that has been the source of all that he has done—whether it was teaching in a classroom, sitting in a principal’s office, preaching from the pulpit, producing communications media, taking a photo or writing a book, planting a garden—all of it has been about preaching God’s Word with wisdom.

In Emery’s own words of wisdom:

On forgiveness: “Those who do not forgive destroy the bridge over which they may one day need to pass.” FFJ, p. 118

On generosity: “If only there were a simple, inescapable way to be convinced that sharing my gifts and goods, not amassing or wasting them, is the key to the happiness that is so desirable but so elusive in life.” FFJ, p.54

On life’s accomplishments: “Looked at with the proper perspective, I’ll never be able to accomplish all I would like to do, but I know I have all the time I need to do what God would have me do.” FFJ, p. 57

Now, in God’s own Word from the Wisdom of Solomon: I learned both what is secret and what is manifest, for wisdom, the fashioner of all things taught me. (7: 21-22)Oh, yes, wisdom is definitely a flower in Em-ery’s garden.

The second flower in his garden is the be-

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lief that the love of God, the love of others, and the love of self is the secret of good liv-ing. This belief was not only the heart of his teaching and preaching, but it was the heart of who he was as a man, a friar, and a priest. His message was quite simple: love is doing good to others. No strings attached. Period. He encouraged us to do good because we should want to do good. It is the motive that counts. And the good must be unilateral—nothing expected in return--and that is risky business. Emery challenged us to risk love because deep down we are all afraid of being taken. And the basis of this love must be the love of Christ. He says, “I am convinced that there is only one truth—the love of Christ.” And the acceptance of that love requires a willingness to change: our attitudes, our prejudices, our opinions, our positions on all kinds of issues. Yes, love is risky business, but we should not fear. Emery took great consolation in St. Paul’s words: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor an-gels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come will be able to separate us from us from the love of God” (Rom 8: 38-39).

In Emery’s own words of love:

“Love is God, without beginning and without end. God is all-good, forever pouring out goodness. God can’t do anything else. It’s impossible for God to run out of goodness and to stop giving. Conversely, it’s impossi-ble for God to do anything which is not good or which is bad. Love can only do what is good."

“The amazing fact is that I am made in God’s image. This means that I am created out of God’s love in order to love and, of course, to be loved. The more I love, then, the closer I

approach to being Godlike. The result is that I share more abundantly in the beatific joy that is God’s nature.

For Love to be Love, it first of all must be freely done. It can’t be forced or legislated. I have to want and choose to do good for someone, starting with myself. That is the real power and beauty of love.” FFJ, pp. 95 – 96.

Now in God’s own Word from the Gospel of John:

“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you” (15:9-12).

Oh, yes. Love is definitely a flower in his garden.

The third flower I find in his garden is the commitment to a world in which there is justice for all. For the Jews of old, NOT to execute justice was NOT to worship God.

For Emery, NOT to preach justice is NOT to preach the gospel. In his preaching he would often point to the violence and division in Church history and ask, “Is this the result of Jesus’ coming? I guess God is having a hard time communicating.”

Therefore, he was not afraid to take on the justice issues of his day: nuclear war, the death penalty, the homeless and the hopeless, the senior abused and confused, the teen-age mother hooked on coke and the teenage boy taking his gun to class, the millions too discouraged to look for work, the unnum-bered hearts that harbor hate, eyes empty of

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hope, stomachs bloated with hunger. Emery preached not only a gospel of hope to them, but a gospel of love about them.

One of the most poignant justice-words he preached was a Telespot produced by Fran-ciscan Communications. In this short spot, a finely dressed woman is walking up to a church in downtown Los Angeles. As she goes up the steps of the church, she passes a homeless person sitting there. She turns and gives a look of disdain. And as she is about to enter the Church, the picture freezes.

Then comes the voice:

‘If you don’t find God out here, you certainly won’t find him in there.” You can just pic-ture Emery saying those words while giving that look of his that spoke volumes.

Now in God’s own Word from the Gospel of Matthew:

“And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (25:40). Oh, yes. Justice is definitely a flower in his garden.

Finally, the last flower I have identified is family and friendship. This is really one flower in his garden. For Emery, if you were a member of his family, you where his friend and, if you were his friend, then he consid-ered you his family. To Emery’s family: you know how much he loved you and he knew how much you loved him. He was always there for you and you for him. And to his friends: you know how

he prized your friendship by the way he kept in touch by word and deed.

In Emery’s own words of friendship:

“Without any qualification, my friend is my life’s most precious treasure. Again and again, I praise and thank God for so won-derful a gift: someone who truly cares for me, anticipating and providing for my needs and who will stop at nothing to provide for my well-being, asking nothing in return…Friendship is a warm blanket of comfort and security in which I can wrap myself dur-ing conflict and struggle. My friend lends a sympathetic ear to my travails and comforts me when I am afflicted by grief. When I em-bark on a new endeavor I can always count on my friend for honest analysis, advice and support. When I am underway, my friend stands by me with encouragement and hon-est criticism through ups and downs of any undertaking. If I veer off course or become distracted, my friend rouses me and straight-ens me out.” FFJ, p. 46

Now in God’s own Word from the Gospel of John:

“And I will soon show to you and to every-one, there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friend. I have shared all of this so that you can share in my own infinite joy, and then, my beloved friend, your joy will be complete” (15:10-15).

Oh, yes. Family and friendship is definitely a flower in his garden.

Now these are only some of the flowers in his garden, watered from Emery’s jar of life. But those certainly are not the only flowers.

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You see, he has a flower for each of you. He grew it just for you. Today, look at it, appre-ciate its beauty, honor it, celebrate and praise God and Emery for it, and then share your flower with another.

And for Fr. Emery. Indeed there is much to mourn as there was much to mourn on Cal-vary. We shall have to wait for the resurrec-tion on the last day before we see that invit-ing smile of his, before those sharp eyes look at us, before we hear that melodious voice with his words of wisdom and challenge. All of that is sad—no matter how profound our faith.

But the thrilling truth remains: Emery is alive with God. In the presence of God, there is only God, there is only Love. In the presence of God, every cracked jar pours forth the water of life.

And we who remain? What of us? We have our memories, of course, and they are pre-cious. But there is more, much more. Emery Richard Tang is not merely a memory, he is part of us. He is built into our lives. His wisdom and smile, his kindness and love, his friendship and service—all have seeped into our lives. Because of him and his life as a friar and priest, we are more human, more life-giving, more blessed.

And now, finally, in Emery’s own words:

“And so, in these remaining years my goal is to accept the challenge to ‘fight the good fight’ to the end, as Paul urged his friend Timothy (I Tim 6:12). Then what an enor-mously thrilling and wondrous moment it will be to discover the full answers to life’s who, what, when, where and why.” FFJ, p. 5

And now, finally, in God’s own Word from St. Paul: “No eye has ever seen nor ear heard nor has any mind ever conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him.” (I Cor 2;9).

And so, Emery, my teacher, my brother and my friend, rest well as you enjoy the man-sion God has prepared for you. Now it is time for you to walk in God’s garden where with each flower God is saying to you, “Em-ery Richard Tang, I love you.” AMEN

Melvin A. Jurisich, OFMEx. Min. Prov.

St. Bonaventure’s Church Huntington Beach, CA

FR. EMERY REMEMBERED

Sad to read about Fr. Emery’s passing in the July WestFriars. In the fall of 1944 my father had to make an unexpected trip from Gallup to Los Angeles on business. He then took the train to Santa Barbara to visit me. At the portals of S.A.S. the first person he met was Fr. Emery, a 5th year seminarian, to inquire how to find me. A brief encounter! In his early 50s, some 50 years after that encounter, my father, out of the blue, surprised me with a most pleasant question: “Is that Chinese still there?” My father still remembered our Viking captain for his graciousness.

My wife met Fr. Emery when we went to the ordinations of Frs. Barry, Elias and Mario in December, 1956. She has remembered him

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THE CHARISM OF ADMINISTRATION

Administration as a call from God and the church (and the Province) has the potential to make more out of us. It makes us more whole, more humble, more courageous. It expands our vision and our capacity to love. It marks on us the pattern of Christ, moving through death to new hope. If we believe in the future of the Church and so-ciety, the work we undertake is absolutely essential. It is essential for the institutions in which we serve. It is essential for the people of God as a whole. It may even be essential for us and the working out of our own salvation. Administration can be a great spiritual adventure. [Ann M. Garrido America: July 6-13, 2009]

Pope Benedict XVIA TRUE PILGRIM

By Father Garret Edmunds, OFM

On Pope Benedict’s last day in the Holy Land, I was assigned the modest task of helping to facilitate the passage through security of those guests invited to be part of his visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There were about 280 invited guests including clergy, re-ligious and lay people, and representing both the local Christian communities and those who, like the Pope, were visiting the Holy LandAt one point, during a lull in the arrival of the guests, a French journalist asked if he could interview me. His question was simply, “What is the significance of the Pope visiting the Holy Sepulchre on the last day of his visit

well ever since. In 1993 Fr. Emery sent us a copy of his Franciscan Life, courtesy of Mar-vin and Kathy Woelffer. Since 1996 I began using his book as my own mini-necrology to keep the respect of our “risen” Franciscans. And now Fr. Emery!

My two favorite publications are WestFriars and Fr. Mel’s “Franciscan Bridges.” I look forward to them! Arthur Lente, Albuquer-que, NM.

Dear Warren,

Thank you for your well edited WestFriars and for an opportunity to remember Emery.He was a life-long friend and inspiration. The memories stretch far back to those blis-tering summer days in Phoenix (you, War-ren, were also there). We were home from St Anthony's and part of Fr. Brian's "brigade". We met for Mass, movies and various activi-ties, including an end-to-summer vacation in northern Arizona.

After ordination in 1955, I was fortunate to join Emery, Frs. Ronald and Marion at St. Elizabeth's in Oakland. As in everything, he was a gifted teacher--humorous and friendly, yet mixed wth firmness when needed. His stage plays and musicals were professionaly produced and directed--another one of his many talents.

My wife and I are parishioners at Sts. Simon and Jude where Emery had been in resi-dence. It was truly a gift to "catch" him and visit from time to time. He never lost that quick wit and readysmile. Patrick D. O'Connor

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ments of personal prayer. At Calvary he even broke from the well planned program and asked, like do hundreds of other pilgrims who visit each day, to light a candle at the place where Jesus gave up his life for our redemp-tion. It was an unexpected gesture, sponta-neous on the Pope’s part, and prompted the question afterwards as to who would have paid the normal donation to the Greek Ortho-dox sacristan responsible for dispensing the candles.

When in the normal course of my ministry I am trying to animate the visit of pilgrims to the Holy Sepulchre, I always strongly recom-mend that, after they have visited the Church, they take the time to truly experience this holy place by spending some time in quiet, person-al prayer. Without doing so the time spent in the Holy Sepulchre is time spent as a tourist. Including the time for prayer, indeed making it the priority of a visit to the Holy Sepulchre as did the Pope, is what makes a real pilgrim’s experience of this holy place.

Following the Pope’s return to Rome on Fri-day those whose job it is to do so began their analysis of his visit. Those who approached their analysis from a secular or political view-point gave these visits modest marks. There were no major gaffs, but also no major mile-stones on the road to resolving the serious conflicts that mark the relationships of peoples in this part of the world. The Pope’s presence did serve as a focus on the need to rethink the ways people here and elsewhere view their neighbor and relate to them, but only time will tell what fruits that message bears.To form an option of Holy Father’s visit to the Holy Land from this worldly vantage point is to miss the reason he made this journey. He came, as he often said, as a pilgrim, represent-

to the Holy Land?” A perfect question for me since I spend most of my time in the Holy Land working with people, like the Pope, who have come here as pilgrims.

My answer was that for every Christian pil-grim to the Holy Land the culmination of pilgrimage in this land is the arrival and visit to the Holy Sepulchre or the Basilica of the Resurrection. In this Church the Pope was, like countless pilgrims before him, able to re-member Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection and enter more deeply into these central mysteries of our salvation.

There were for this visit some moments of public prayer and words spoken by both the Holy Father and the Latin Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Fouad Twal, to the invited guests. The Pope was welcomed to the Holy Sepulchre in the traditional Solemn Entry ceremony by the Franciscan Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M. And his entry to the Basilica was ac-companied by singing of the Te Deum by the Franciscans present. The Franciscans have for more than 600 years represented the interests of the world’s Catholic population- we are the “custodians” of the Holy Land – at the Holy Sepulchre.

These were the parts of the Holy Father’s visit to the Holy Sepulchre the world and guests in-side would have seen, heard and experienced. But the most important parts of his visit to this place, which is arguably the holiest site in all of the Christian world, were quiet and private. The Pope not once, but thrice went to pray by himself- in the empty tomb of Christ, in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, and at the place on Calvary where Jesus died.He was clearly moved by each of these mo-

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ing the pilgrim Church. He addressed the is-sues that affect the lives of all peoples, but he more importantly reminded those who paid attention to his words and actions that only by encountering the transcendent made present in the incarnate Lord can we hope to continue to make progress toward the Kingdom of God - a kingdom of peace, grace and reconcilia-tion.

Pope Benedict XVI was a true pilgrim dur-ing his visit to the Holy Land, helping us to remember that our lives with one another and with God in this world are a pilgrimage to the fullness of life God promises in time and space and in dimensions of being that extend beyond time and space.

(Reprinted with permission from Holy Land Franciscans, courtesy of Fr. Jeremy Har-rington, O.F.M., Commissary of the Holy Land in Washington, D.C.)

OUR MISSIONARIESDAVID GAA AND BUREAUCRACY

It is the end of July, and I am writing from Washington, DC, where it is very hot and hu-mid. I came here at the end of last week for a new visa for Kazakhstan. I remember writ-ing for WestFriars last time and at the end of my letter saying that receiving a new visa for Kazakhstan was not much of a problem, while John Gibbons had a much harder time in Russia.

Well, things have changed. About two weeks ago, when I was in Kazakhstan, I went to the immigration police to begin the process of applying for a new visa and they told me that I now had to return to my home country to

receive my visa and not just apply for a new visa in Kazakhstan like I had for the past 6 years.

The way the system works is that in order to get anything besides a tourist visa you need an invitation by a recognized organization and this is no major hassle since the Diocese is an inviting organization. Then with a letter from them you go to the immigration police who then give you yet another letter that you then go to the justice department to receive the visa. The process normally takes just about a week.

But now everything had changed and I could not just cross the border into Kyrgyzstan or go just to Rome, but had to go all the back to the States. I couldn’t believe it and even the parish lawyer, the Vatican Embassy or the Diocese could not budge the police, so off I went to Washington. This is all very odd as the new system does not apply to the other friary located in a different political jurisdic-tion.

According to the Vatican Embassy the new visa problems are only affecting the region where I live and one other region in Southern Kazakhstan. In all the other regions religious and priests are not having problems getting new visas. There really is no real system of law in Kazakhstan, but the law is just in-terpreted by whomever one is dealing with. Just my luck; so here I sit in Washington DC. My new visa is supposed to be ready at the end of the week and then it is back to Ka-zakhstan I go.

I am staying at the Commissariat of the Holy Land in DC and it is a huge place. Fr. Jer-emy Harrington, who was the visitor to our

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Province, I guess like 12 years ago, is the guardian and a very welcoming host. It was good to see him again. A pleasant surprise is that I ran into Garrett Edmunds, home from the Holy Land for an operation. He is still in recovery but is able to sit at meals and we visit-- he telling me about his work in the Holy Land and I telling him about my life in Kazakhstan. It was very nice to talk to some-one from the Province.

I have been kind of bummed out lately about this whole visa runaround. John Gibbons still has it much worse that I do, since he still has to leave every three months, while I have to leave just once a year. This week he is leaving St. Petersburg for Sweden where he hopes to get yet another three months visa, but the good news for him is that, after this, he should be able to receive residence-- or so he hopes. So John has it worse than I but I am still very bummed out.

It is part of the problem of working in the Russian Foundation: the constant hassles with the visas, documents, permissions and what not…Sometimes it just gets to be too much. And the tendency is to just throw up your hands and say, “ I can’t take it any longer,” and the return to your home Prov-ince or go elsewhere. Sometimes, late in the evening, when I am really tired or it has been a really bad day, I especially feel this despair.

But then, on the other hand, I feel very com-mitted to the young Russians coming to be friars, and to the struggling Catholic com-munity, and so I try not to stay in despair but focus on what is wonderful and good about my life over here. And there I have much to be thankful for in our life in the Foundation. The parish people are great and my local

Muslim neighbors are kind; it is just the gov-ernment that is a constant problem. So I try to live in hope and plug along and figure that tomorrow just has to be better.

Not much else to report in this letter. Sum-mer is great in Kazakhstan. It gets really hot, not quite as hot as it did when I was in Tucson, but still quite hot. Like Arizona, it is a dry heat and so it is not too bad. The days are long and I work in the garden every eve-ning as it starts to cool down. The markets become full of fresh fruit and vegetables, which are really nice to get since in the win-ter months it is just impossible to get fresh produce.

We have our little kids’ summer camp pro-gram and then a week or 10 days retreat with the youth of the parish and that is about all for the summer. The college-age young people come back from the universities they go to in Poland and Russia to visit with their families, so it is always nice to see them again. After they graduate they rarely if ever come back to Kazakhstan. And that is about all; life goes on and is mostly very good….I am thankful that I am optimistic by nature. Until next time; please keep the Foundation in your prayers.

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TOMMY KING REPORTS

Even though these are very tough economic times for most people, my Francis-can brothers and many individuals have been very generous in their support. After some encouragement from my bishop and oth-ers who work with me in ministry, I made the in-vestment in April to put a roof on the parish boat to protect those who travel in it from the rain and, most importantly, the intense tropical sun. It is a great gift on the regular trips I make to the north of the parish when I spend three to four hours traveling. Alleluia! Below is a photo of the renovated parish boat before I head out to visit some of the villages with the support of animators Telma Ruiz and Ivan Rengifo. Although Mothers Day is very important in the United States, it is celebrated even more intensely in Latin America. Where I live, activities crank up a week before the second

Sunday in May with musical numbers by the school kids, parades, barbecues and more. Needless to say, it is very important to honor all the mothers at Mass that day. Mauro Ribeiro, a very dedicated animator for many years in the village of Puerto Enrique, died suddenly in December. I was able to visit his village on Mothers Day to honor him and all the mothers during a Mass in the village chapel. It is a wonderful faith community and, fortunately, two other men have volun-teered to serve there as animators. Above is a photo of me with the mothers of Puerto

Enrique. As we celebrate the eighth cen-tenary of the Franciscan Order this year, it seemed important to deepen our relationships with our sisters and brothers in other Christian churches. I invited Pascual Vasquez, the pastor from a Pentecostal church in Tierra Blanca, and the members of his church to join us for Mass on

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Trinity Sunday (June 7th). Pascual read the Gospel and preached. Our parish com-munity was very hospitable. They served refreshments to our visitors after Mass as they sang hymns from their tradition. Pascual said he wants to invite us to his church in November. To the right is a photo is a photo of members of the two faith communities who partici-pated in the reception after Mass. You can see Pascual directly under the crucifix holding his Bible. We only have two seasons in the jungle-winter (mild temperatures with lots of rain) and summer (hot with less rain). By June we are in full summer and Gerard is fulfilling principal’s duties and teaching religion every day (The school year in Peru is April to De-cember). Although Gerard is a very efficient administrator, he clearly is most happy in the classroom. Below is a photo of him at work

at the beginning of this month. Along with the attentive students, notice Gerard’s perspi-ration-filled shirt and chalk on his pants.

After four years of faithful service, the out-board motor of the parish broke down just days before I needed to go the village of San Lorenzo to celebrate with them the vigil of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 28th. Fortunately, there was a boat available to rent. We went in a peke-peke (a canoe with a motor named for the noise the motor

makes). The six-hour trip in the tropical sun was much slower than the parish boat but, fortunately, it did not rain going or coming. Alleluia again! On the next page is a photo of me with Sr. Guada-lupe and Karen Briones who joined me on the trip to liven up the liturgical celebration with some music.

Thanks again for all of your prayers and donations! In these difficult financial times, I deeply appreciate the sacri-

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fices you are making to financially support my ministry. God bless you.

TRIBUTE TO FR. TOM FROST, O.F.M.

Bishop Kicanas, Bishop of Tucson

I am very happy to share with you my visit on Saturday to the community of Sacred Heart Mission on the Tohono O’odham Na-tion. “A Franciscan Farewell” is the best title I can think of for this visit, although some other titles came to mind, such as, “32 Times around the World” and “The Many Hats of Father Tom.”

The occasion of my visit to the mis-sion, which is in the small village of Covered Wells and a nearly two hour drive from Tucson, was the farewell Mass and celebration for Father Tom Frost, O.F.M., who is leaving his ministry to the people in dozens of

small villages on the Tohono O’odham Nation after 26 years.

Father Tom, who is 78-years-old, embodies the gentleness and humility that are thecharacteristics of the Francis-can Friar. And, characteristi-cally, Father Tom would just smile, shake his head and say, “Oh, boy!” if you were to tell him that.

Father Tom greeted me at the small rectory that is adjacent

to the beautiful stone church of the Sacred Heart and invited me in. The living room, the tiny bathroom, the closet size walk-in shower and the bedroom of his rectory speak vol-umes of the life of simplicity that Father Tom has led these past 26 years.

His bedroom doubles as an office. On a filing cabinet in the bedroom/office is an old TV set. Of course, the set doesn’t get any signals after the change to digital transmission.The living room is a well-organized con-glomeration of books, boxes and belongings.

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Every surface has something on it. On the corner of a cabinet is a stack of five straw hats that Father Tom has worn over the years for sun protection. He gave a sixth hat, a gift years ago from Bishop Moreno, to a visitor who didn’t have one.

The rectory is cooled by two small wall air conditioners and is heated by an ancient wood stove that is by the front door. A PC tower in front of the stove makes quite a con-trast of technologies.

The community of Sacred Heart is celebrat-ing its feast day on Saturday, a day after theSolemnity of the Sacred Heart. Tradition-ally, the people celebrate the feast day with a Mass, procession and a big fiesta. This feast day, the people have the joy of their tradi-tional gathering and also the sadness of say-ing farewell to Father Tom.

For this special occasion, the people have erected a big tent, brought all the way from Tucson, and they have prepared huge pots of chili, menudo and beans on grills fueled by mesquite. The sweet pungency of the burn-ing mesquite and the wafts of smells arising from the bubbling pots of food are a treat for the nose!

Father Tom does a few last minute ministries before the Mass begins: the “ministry” of moving chairs and the ministry of prepar-ing the parents of little Kayla, who is going to be baptized during the Mass. Father Tom opens what he calls his “suitcase sacristy” and props it open with a smooth stick that has served this purpose many, many times. He removes the implements and cloths for the Mass, including the beautifully woven baskets that are so culturally important to the Tohono O’odham.

Father Tom is not sure how many suitcases he has gone through over the years;maybe this suitcase is the third or fourth to serve as his sacristy. The suitcase is an es-sential tool of his ministry. Each week, he drives hundreds of miles to isolated villages to say Mass, to administer sacraments and, for what he says has been the hardest part of his 26 years of ministry on the Nation, to comfort grieving families and to bury their

dead. The number of funerals he has presided at reflects the toll in the Nation from health problems such as diabetes and substance abuse.

Hundreds of miles each week for 26 years: more than 200,000 miles in his first pickup; more than 200,000 miles in his second pickup;

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and, in his third and cur-rent white pickup, more than 400,000 thousand miles. That’s more than 32 times around the world!When your par-ish (San Solano

Missions parish) is a big as the state of Con-necticut, that’s how much you would drive in 26 years as a parish priest.

Father Tom told me that he changed the oil for the last time last week on his trusty whitepickup. The pickup will be retired, but not Father Tom. He is going to be the assistant-director of the Franciscan formation house at San Miguel starting next month. One other thing about all those miles: Father Tom says he had driven for 25 years without a collision with an animal – not a single coyote or jackrabbit or deer or cow – until just a few weeks ago. He was on the road and spotted some cattle on his left, and while he was keeping his eye on them and slowing down, a cow suddenly moved in front of him from the right, hitting the pickup’s right headlight and bumper. Father Tom looked in the rear view mirror and saw the cow was lying down. “Darn it,” he thought, “now I am going to

have to butcher it.” But by the time he turned around and returned to the spot of the colli-sion, the cow had disappeared. Father Tom said he hoped St. Francis had intervened and that the cow would be OK.

Deacon Alfred Gonzales, Father Tom and I vested in the church. Sacred Heart truly is a beautiful church. Your eyes are drawn to the ceiling made of hundreds of segments of sa-guaro cactus ribs. People from many villages in the Nation were present for Mass, includ-ing the choir from St. Seraphin Mission in the village of Ak Chin.

Father Tom’s homily was a message about God’s all encompassing love for us and how our respect for ourselves and respect for our brothers and sisters witness to His love. He concluded his homily by telling the people that he hoped he had not caused hurt to any-one, and that if he had caused hurt, he asked their forgiveness.

The baptism of little Kayla (I think she is 18-months-old) was beautiful to witness. Father Tom was patient and good humored as she squirmed, and after Kayla wailed when he dripped water on her face from a shell, he told the people that from his time in

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the Philippines he learned that when a child cries during Baptism it means the evil one is no longer present, so it was a good sign for Kayla when she cried.

After Communion, Father Tom invited me to speak, and it was my joy to share these feel-ings and thoughts:

“This is the year for priests that Pope Bene-dict has asked us to celebrate. How fitting on this feast of the Sacred Heart, when we begin the Year for Priests, that we give thanks to God for a good priest who has been a wise teacher, a gentle shepherd and a loving father to his people for 26 years!

“The saint that Pope Benedict has asked us to remember in this Year for Priests is St. John Vianney, who is the Curé of Ars, and while the Curé of Ars, St. John Vianney spent about 17 hours a day in the confessional. Father Tom has spent about 17 hours every weekend traveling from mission to mission, from church to church, to celebrate the Eu-charist and make the Lord present to us.

“Father Tom, you mentioned in your beauti-ful homily on this feast of the Sacred Heart, that the heart of Jesus reminds us of His

great love for each one of us. That love has been communicated to us for these 26 years by a priest named Father Tom Frost, who came to our community here a much younger man, but has worked day after day after day after day bringing God’s love and God’s for-giveness to God’s people.

“Father Tom, in the name of all of your people and my own name, we want to ex-press to you our thanks and our love for you. A priest, St. John Vianney said, is not a priest for himself. A priest doesn’t absolve himself; he doesn’t say Mass for himself; he doesn’t baptize himself. He does his service for oth-ers. And that’s what Father Tom has been: a priest for us. For that we are deeply grateful.

“Father Tom, if you might come forward in front of the altar so that all of us might ex-tend to you our blessings and best wishes, as

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you have blessed us for these 26 years.“So, we raise our hands, Father Tom, over you now and ask God’s blessings: Lov-ing and gracious God, we ask your choic-est blessings for Father Tom Frost, who has served so generously and faithfully our communities here on the Reservation for 26 years. We thank you for his service. We thank you for his words and his comfort. We thank you for the forgiveness you have shown us through him. We thank you for the love you have given us through him.

“We ask you now, Lord, to bless him and to fill him with joy and gratitude for 26 years served so faithfully, so generously and so well.

“And may the blessings of Almighty God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, come upon you, Tom, and remain with you forever and ever.”

And all the people said, “Amen!”

Following the closing prayer, Isidro Lopez, vice chairman of the Tohono O’odham Na-tion, expressed to Father Tom the thanks of the nation for his ministry. Father Tom re-lated that when he first arrived in the Nation he had met a little boy who was just about to go to school off the Reservation and that the little boy was Isidro. On behalf of the Nation, Isidro presented Father Tom with a beautiful blanket of the Tohono “Man in the Maze” symbol.

Then, it was time for the procession with the statue of the Sacred Heart. Carrying the statue were members of the community who are Samoan. What a beautiful joining of cultures! It was a joy for me to walk in the

procession with Father Tom.Truly, what a wonderful way to begin this Year for Priests!

TRIBUTE TO FR. MAX HOTTLE, O.F.M.

Bishop Kicanas, Bishop of Tucson

Father Max is leaving after 19 years of min-istry at San Solano Missions Parish on the Tohono O’odham Nation. It is his hope and ours that after a year working at a parish in New Mexico that he will return to continue his service in the Diocese.

In addition to his service as pastor of San So-lano Missions Parish, Father Max also served for several years as Vicar Forane of the Pima West Vicariate.

San Solano Missions Parish is planning a farewell event for Father Max in August, and I will write more about him then.

For now, I want you to know just how much Father Max has brightened our Monday mornings here at the Pastoral Center these past few years. Just about every Monday morning, Father Max makes the drive from Sells to Tucson to take care of parish busi-ness in person with our staff. And what a joy those mid-morning encounters have been for us! Even if he doesn’t have business with you, he stops to say hello and ask how you are doing.

He has a wonderful sense of humor, and every conversation with him includes a good laugh or two. He would tell some of us, “I don’t know exactly what it is you are doing, but it looks like you are doing it very well!”

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Father Max also has a precise internal clock, knowing to the second how muchtime remains on the parking meter.

RETREAT CENTERS

RETREAT OFFERS PEACE AND RENEWAL

IN MALIBU’S BACKYARD

By Hannah Klodt

Driven nearly insane by the beach traffic, paparazzi, and price tags of Malibu, I needed to get away. But I couldn’t go far. My travel budget was bankrupt. To my surprise, a no-cost getaway beckoned to me just blocks from my home.

The Serra Retreat Center sign pointed me to a side street veering off Pacific Coast High-way. I followed a winding road through a neighborhood of Malibu’s wealthiest estates. Atop the hill, I parked and climbed out of my car. Isolated 1200 feet high above the roar of Lamborghinis in central Malibu.

The Serra Retreat Center welcomed me with silence. A colorful marble plaque offered an introduction, “Serra Retreat Franciscans”. All that I knew about the Franciscans was that each believer pledges to poverty. The Retreat Center’s calm beauty stunned me. Wide-eyed, I felt like Alice in Wonderland. Hillside gardens in full-bloom boasted birds of para-dise, organ pipe cactus, and honeysuckle.

The grounds’ well-combed sandy walkways and gardens were free of weeds, paper, and debris. They showed a loving care anyone would long for. I walked beneath eucalyptus

tree overhangs. I admire the holy statues of the cross. I basked in the peace that I needed so badly. Views of the Pacific coastline soothed me. The cool Malibu breeze caressed my face. Water gurgling down a stone foun-tain urged my soul to throw away my wor-ries.

The longer that I relaxed in nature’s simple beauty, the deeper a strange irony set in. It dawned on me that I was experiencing a clas-sic contrast of the ages: peace and poverty amid pleasure and plenty. Here in Malibu where cash reins supreme, there is a retreat that pledges itself to poverty.

How did this come about? I sought the an-swer in the office of Fr. Warren, resident and director of the Serra Retreat Center. He expressed a disappointment: “ 99-percent of Malibu residents don’t have the foggiest idea of what we do [at the Retreat Center]. We want to provide a place of quiet and reflec-tion to those who are looking for purpose.”His words lifted me. This is exactly what I was looking for; a quite place in a city of commotion. “We want to provide a place where people seeking peace and tranquility can find it,” said Father Warren. “We wel-come everybody at the Retreat Center. Our only hope is to bring a sense of peace and relaxation to visitors.”

The path to peace is the labyrinth. The labyrinth gives visitors a way of physically tracking their reflection. At first glance, the labyrinth appears to be a maze of stones leading to a small, white cross. A nearby sign explains the purpose of this maze. It indi-cates that visitors should walk at their own paces along the path while reflecting on their individual spiritual journeys. The labyrinth

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serves as a tangible reminder of the impor-tance of reflection.

Fr. Warren also said, “Our goal here has been to add value and purpose to the lives of Malibu residents since the center began. The struggle to do this is harder today because the community has changed. The value of life is tied to the price tag more than ever.”

Only four full-time Franciscans live at the Retreat Center and care for the 26 acre prop-erty. With a limited maintenance staff, each of these residents works around the clock seven days a week. In the midst of Malibu’s plenty, the four Franciscans face constant financial frustration.

”We live from hand-to-mouth on a weekly basis, receiving no funding from the Francis-can order. When the entire plumbing system blew last month, the center’s savings dried up. It’s by God’s grace that the Center af-fords to operate,” explains Father Warren. Income derives largely from groups using the Center’s facilities for retreats; however, these groups pay the bare minimum costs of operating the Center. If a member of a group cannot afford to attend the conference, the Center picks up all of the costs.

Originally owned by Malibu pioneer May Rindge, the Franciscans bought the prop-erty in 1942 and converted the unfinished 50-room mansion into a friary, a spiritual outpost in the small beach community. It evolved over the past fifty years into an isolated place of rest and meditation. Serra Retreat Center serves as a daily reminder of the peace that many seek in Malibu.

The Serra Retreat Center carries the name

of its patron, Junipero Serra. A friar, Serra immigrated to California from Spain in 1749 to develop missions with the nature-oriented people who had long inhabited the area.The Franciscan way of life begins with be-lievers taking a vow of poverty. According to St. Francis of Assisi, creator of the Fran-ciscan Order, “Those who embraced this life gave everything they had to the poor. They were satisfied with one habit which was patched inside out, with a cord and trousers.”

Following this vow of poverty, modern Fran-ciscans serve the community in a variety of ways, from feeding the homeless to provid-ing retreat centers across the globe. The Ser-ra Retreat Center began to grapple with its identity within the community as the 1950s saw a growth in population. This growth ushered in a new reputation for Malibu as a trendy beach getaway. Malibu was identified with messages of youth rebellion through popular movies, music and literature.

The Serra Retreat Center became a less vis-ible reminder of its spiritual roots, except to those who knew it existed.

I spent a day at the Retreat Center basking in nature’s beauty. Isn’t it wonderful that amid the frenzied city of Malibu, there is a placed that offers renewal?

[ Malibu Surfside News- June 11, 2009]

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SUMMER SEEDS : SAN DAMIANO RETREAT

Fr. Ray Bucher, O.F.M.

Every year, shortly after Pentecost, I receive a letter from back east. I await it. I enjoy it. The letter’s author attended my Pentecost Mass at The Casa (in Scottsdale, AZ) in 1987, and somehow recorded my homily. Every year she replays it on Pentecost. (And every year she draws from it a new inspira-tion.) She insists that the Holy Spirit keeps the tape in tiptop shape.

That laudable letter landed on my desk perched between Aristotle and Augustine. (Of course Plato is there too, but you all knew that!) In September, when you’re re-ceiving this Newsletter, I finished teaching Classical Philosophy to some of our younger friars! It’s been 30 years since I’ve taught any philosophy, and surely new and better ways of teaching this subject have been in-troduced. Fortunately, the subject matter has remained the same! Since Rome has man-dated that one must acquire 30 units of phi-losophy before one can enter priestly studies, our Province wants to give our young men a head start. Hence, 3 hours of class a day for 2 weeks through the University of San Diego.

It was a joy to have direct contact with our younger friars. Their enthusiasm is conta-gious. Their vitality helps us veterans “…stir into flame the gift of God (once) bestowed on us…” (2 Tim 1: 6-7)

Here at San Damiano we recently had the good fortune to host a number of young friars. First it was to welcome for a week, 16 novices from around the country. They came

on retreat to prepare for their profession of simple vows. There was a wholesome, joy-ful, prayerful presence here. The anticipation of commitment was palpable. Good job, Br. Regan and other novice directors.

Secondly, and presently, we had a four-week retreat for 13 friars preparing for solemn vows. These men, too, are from around the country. (The days of one province having 13 candidates for final vows are long gone!) Here I sense a more mature, sober group of friars, yet still exuding Franciscan joy.

A wonderful byproduct of these retreats was the presence of talented retreat masters, like Sr. Maria Elena Martinez, OSF, Br. Bill Short, OFM, and Br. Robert Lentz, OFM. What a summer blessing. Let’s pray for these men who took their vows, that their commit-ment might enhance (unleash) their freedom. And, let’s pray for the students who took my philosophy class. (The lucky fellows!) Who knows—maybe next Pentecost there will be an additional letter on my desk…thanking me for a seed planted in a summer lecture—a seed that somehow started to flower!

RENEWAL CENTER AT MISSION SANTA BARBARA

Sr. Susan Blomstad, O.S.F., Director

[This is the final report from the Province retreat centers. – WJR]

Richard McManus arrived at Mission Santa Barbara as Guardian and Director in July of 2006. After 15 years as Director of St. Fran-cis Retreat in San Juan Bautista, he brought with him a passion for retreat ministry and a

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sponsors and leaders has been essential to the MRC’s continuing commitment to gracious hospitality.

Marguerite Chatigny and her husband, Mark, arrived as Covenant Volunteers in September of 2007. Marguerite is a fantastic office or-ganizer and has caught on to the whole spirit of doing hospitable retreat ministry. She and Mark (who works with revitalizing our Mis-sion Tour operations) have decided to stay for another year (and Sr. Susan is very grate-ful!).

One of the major shifts of late 2006 was the relocating of all the friars in the Serra Wing. In the spring of 2007, many hours were spent cleaning, painting, moving furniture, buying new beds and transforming the Serra Wing into a private retreat area. The first guests were welcomed on June 1, 2007, and since then the 13 rooms have been used frequently. There is a unique and special spirit growing here among those of us who also call this place home. Come for a visit and enjoy our hospitality and gracious spirit. We indeed have a place for you at Mission Santa Bar-bara!

commitment to revitalizing the retreat part of Mission Santa Barbara. However, OMSB is much more than a retreat center---so he set out attending to the various entities of this vast property.

Now, 2 years later, plans and much work are beginning to bear fruit. In January, 2007, Sister Susan Blomstad, O.S.F., who has shared in the retreat ministry with the friars of this Province since 1991 ( Three Rivers, San Juan and Serra), arrived to direct the retreat center. That fall the first sponsored retreats were offered. As expected, the re-sponse was limited in terms of numbers, but the interest was strong and has continued to grow. On May 9, 2008, a website was launched that is particular to the entities at OMSB beyond the parish. www.santabar-baramission.org is available for those who wish to consider coming on retreat and/or ac-cessing information about the many activities that take place here.

This year the following retreats are being offered: A Poetry retreat, a Married Couples retreat, a Grief retreat, a Women’s Spiritual-ity retreat, a Silent Advent retreat, and a New Year’s retreat. In early July a week-long Sisters’ retreat was offered in Spanish with Sr. Maria Elena Martinez, O.S.F. as retreat presenter.

The hosted groups continue to increase and have become a steady source of income. Calls come in weekly with inquiries about holding events here, most of them spiritual in nature and theme.

The consistent growth of retreat activity is not without its challenges. Preliminary work and frequent communication with retreat

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The British artist, Chris Gollon, was com-missioned (a story in itself) to paint the Sta-tions of the Cross in the church of St. John on Bethnal Green in London’s East End. They are most unusual, perhaps shocking. The writer, Sara Maitland, is likewise a fa-miliar name in the UK. Stations of the Cross contains stories reflective of each painting reproduced in this short but engrossing book.

In her introduction, Maitland explains why the traditional number of 14 stations is more appropriate than those proposed by Benedict XVI in 2007. The pontiff replaced the non-scriptural stations with others. But, as she rightly contends, this sequence destroys the whole idea of pilgrimage.

She also has something to say about the pop-ular practice of adding a 15th station (Resur-rection): “The immediate, unbroken move to a Station of the Resurrection calls into question the reality of Jesus’ death. It gives, in an odd sense, credibility to the accusation that Christianity offers only an escape out of the pain of the world, rather than a profound engagement with it.”

Just here it is noteworthy that in St. John’s the 14th station is not in the front or side of the church facing the altar. In his splendid Afterword, Rev. Alan Green, the Team Rec-tor, states the theology plainly:

“Our stations end with the entombment of Jesus by the west door of the church. Some may return to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at the altar, but all of us are led from the journey of the Stations of the Cross out into Bethnal Green, where we have to make

sense of the things we have felt and seen” (emphasis mine).

I realize that this has review has been a bit lengthy, but the book is unique. One can omit the well written commentaries, but do not miss Maitland’s Introduction as well as Green’s Afterword. And then… ponder these Stations [Continuum Books. ISBN 978-0-8264-0568-5]

Probably a good number of friars were not even born when Vatican II took place and re-ally don’t appreciate the “before, during and after.” What Happened at Vatican II by John O’Malley is simply an amazing, absorbing and enlightening book that is probably one of the best written. Jared Wicks says of it: “It carries the reader deeper into the reality and outcome of Vatican II than do the other exist-ing books on the Council.”

The sources are impeccable, the unraveling of intrigues is fascinating, and the accom-plishments are well delineated. This is truly a superb book for anyone interested in un-derstanding how we as a Church are today. Don’t miss it! [Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-03669-2]

Kathleen Norris sailed into prominence with The Cloister Walk and Amazing Grace. Now comes The Noonday Demon which is oddly subtitled, “A Modern Woman’s Struggle with Soul-weariness,” giving the impression that this is a book primarily for women. And it is not. Obviously well read, Norris calls upon many literary and ancient writers to describe that phenomenon that is labeled acedia by the ancients and may well be classified as boredom, despair, listlessness—and all the rest. After studying 3-4 chapters, the reader

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WESTFRIARSP.O. Box 127Malibu CA 90265e-mail: Frwarren@serraretreat.com

may experience acedia! Why an entire lengthy book requires such attention is puzzling. However, it is well written and quite anecdotal. The Latins have an expression: “Qui potest capere, capiat”—a loose translation being: “Be my guest!” [Lion Hudson. ISBN 978-0-7459-5366-3]

Surely everyone is familiar with William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible, especially the New Testament volume. (If not—Tsk!Tsk!) Just published, and edited by Philip Law, are the fine selections, Daily Devotions With William Barclay. The editor has concentrated on the NT commentaries, aptly extracting the heart of various thoughts and arranged—although this is immaterial—for each day of the year. Here is a splendid book for meditation and quite rewarding. It is certainly worth obtaining and the reader will find it most profitable. [West-minster Press. ISBN 0-664-23270-1]

Not exactly in the category of spiritual reading is You Learn by Living. “Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life” is authored—brace yourself—by Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), who wrote these brief essays in 1960. Perhaps the examples are a bit outdated, but her thoughts are quite relevant and contemporary. She was a great lady in her day and, following her hus-band’s death, virtually made a new life for herself in the public forum.

Among the brief subjects—meditations—are intriguing topics; for example, The Difficult Art of Maturity; Readjustment is Endless; Facing Responsibility. A classic passage about self-examination: “Some people become so interested, so fascinated, by this voyage of self-discovery, that they don’t come out of it again. They remain completely absorbed in their self-study.” Well said! Worth reading! [Westminster Press. ISBN 0-664-24494-7]

WJR

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