CONGREGATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Newsletter for the Province of the United States

One Heart, One Spirit

Volume No. XLI, No. 4July-August 2013News from Africa -

Anne Marie HansenOlkokola Mission and the Flying Medical ServiceI am staying at the Olkokola Mission where theoffices of Flying Medical Service are housedalong with the Olkokola Vocational TrainingCenter for people with disabilities. Fr. Pat Pattenhas two planes that fly medical personal tooutlying regions for under-the-wing maternal childhealth clinics, emergency flights for patients whoneed emergency surgery, complex interventions,and medical care not available in this region. Overthe past month of our visit, the pilots haveprovided at least 3-4 medical emergency flightsper week.

Teachers at Olkokola Vocational Training CenterIn the past 4 weeks I have traveled to many rural villages to visit graduates from Olkokola VocationalTraining Center (OVTC) to record their stories on how their life has changed since they graduated fromthe 18 month vocational training school. I am traveling with Sinyati and Elias, both teachers at OVTC, ina pickup truck. Sinyati teachers tailoring and Elias teaches agro-veterinarian medicine. They are fluentin Swahili, Songo and Maasai languages, and have a keen sense of direction too, finding our graduatesat their homes in small, remote villages in Maasai land that are not even identified on a map! Sinyati &Elias are dedicated teachers and co-researchers who are spending their break while the students areon leave assisting me in this research project. We have learned so much from the OVTC graduates,men and women, young and old (ages 21–65) who share their stories of struggle, triumph and hope.

They are so proud to have a trade that brings in money tosupport their familieswhile they also farm theirland and in many casesraise cows, goats andchickens, too. Many oftheir families and theindividuals themselvesnever dreamed theycould learn a trade, as iftheir disability was abarrier to any type ofmeaningful occupation.

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In this issue...1-4 - News from Africa

5 - Rest in Peace, Fr. William Crowley6 - Provincial Message / Baltimore peace walk

7-8 - Twists and turns in a Spiritan journey /Letting Go

9-10 - HGP Valedictory Speech Class of 201311 - Rock Castle - Spiritan Education /

Haiti - New Major Superior12 - Prayer Requests / Welcome to the Province /Membership Directory updates / Spiritan Birthdays

13-14 - Laval House Mural /Retired Holy Spirit Fathers make huge donations!

15 - Anniversaries of Ordination & Profession /42nd Annual Brothers Convention

My daughter Anna, a risingsophomore at DuquesneUniversity and my nieceKathryn, are helping merecord the stories, conductan ethnography and createelectronic files of the 100graduates who are partici-pants in this study. Thegraduates, over 480trained since 1986, eachhave a unique story of howthey and their families have overcome tremendousbarriers such as their own physical condition fromepilepsy, tuberculosis, fluorosis to cerebral palsy,traumatic brain injury or a stroke, just to name afew. Some of the students arrived at the schoolupon admission walking on their two legs and twohands, some are carried by family members be-cause they cannot walk, while others may arrive inill-fitting wheelchairs, crutches or leg braces. In allcases, OVTC students are assessed when theyarrive in many ways including a medical and overallhealth assessment, orthopedic and functional mobil-ity assessment, skin integrity and dental and psycho-

logical evalua-tions, too.

Most studentswho enroll in this1 8 - m o n t hv o c a t i o n a ltraining program(at Olkokola 30–40 students persession) haveonly completed

elementary school, standard 7, education. They arenot able to read or write. With a simple, local-styledormitory with bunk beds, students not only learnthe skills of a trade - tailoring, carpentry, masonryor agro-veterinary medicine, but also they learn tocook, wash clothes, clean, read and write in Swahiliand basic business skills, too.

At the end of the program, the training center holdsa graduation ceremony in the courtyard of theirschool, which has been decorated with local cloth,vines and flowers. Teachers, local leaders, parents,spouses, children and family members are invitedto this celebration. Students are presented with the

tools of their trade needed to start working back intheir home villages. Tailors receive a sewingmachine, thread and enough fabric to sew 20 schooluniform skirts and blouses. Agro-veterinariansreceive basic veterinarian tools and medications.Masonry graduates receive a frame to make bricksand the carpentry graduates receive carpentry tools.When the students arrive home, their family andfriends usually host a sikuku – a celebration of theirachievement. The headmaster of the school,Zablon, and several teachers attend this celebrationand present a “contract” for the mother, father,spouse or guardian in addition to the leader of thevillage to sign, committing to support the graduateemotionally and financially if needed and tosafeguard customers taking advantage of thegraduates due to their disability.

Meeting with the Kenyan OT Association (KOTA)

I also met with the Kenyan OTs at a national KenyanOccupational Therapy Association meeting. One ofmy colleagues from another OT school in Pittsburghbrought students to Kenya and they organized aprofessional development seminar in which Ipresented the survey of OT Practice in Kenya thatis part of a research collaboration I initiated withthe international organization OTARG (Occupa-tional Therapy Africa Regional Group. Theworkshop participants completed the survey, thenthe president of KOTA handed out certificates ofparticipation to all the therapists who attended.

OTs working at Kenyatta Hospital - I spent onemorning while in Nairobi at the largest hospital inKenya, Kenyatta Hospital (2,000 in- patients) withthe OTs who work in the outpatient department. Wesat together for tea and they shared their hopesand dreams for OT practice in Kenya. It was greatto be back with the Kenyan OTs again. They areanxious to complete the survey on OT practice, thenconsider another, yet unnamed research project. Itis so fascinating to hear about the challenges theyface every day.

Hekima Place - While in Kenya we visited KateFletcher who has built a beautiful compound – asafe haven – for 60 orphaned girls outside of Kenya.She is one amazing, talented organized woman!Hekima place offers 4 small homes for 10–15 girlswith a house mother. The girls attend a local school,

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and have many activities and responsibilitiesincluding helping with the laundry, cooking, garden,and caring for the cows, goats and chickens. Kate’sexpectations of the girls is that they each blossomand grow at their own pace and in their own way.The first and foremost value for the girls tounderstand is that GOD LOVES THEM! Then, shewill help them and guide them to find their way inthe world. What a blessing for all the girls and thefamilies she serves.

Visit with HGP students, families and staff - Fr.Chris McDermott and Holy Ghost Prep students,teachers and family members came to visitOlkokola and hear about the Flying Medical Service(FMS) and the Olkokola Vocational Training Center(OVTC). We pulled benches, chairs and stoolsoutside under the trees and formed a circle forsharing stories. Pat gave an overview of the FMSand OVTC as well as an overview of the Tanzaniaculture with Richard Mshomba sharing hisknowledge on political realities in Tanzania. I sharedabout my research here at the OVTC. The studentstold us how they have been raising money for theOVTC & Olkokola mission at HGP including startingan organization called “Ghost around the World!”

This is the first time in 30 years, that I was in thesame space with Richard Mshomba, and Frs. ChrisMcDermot and Pat Patten, sharing the story of howwe came to Arusha years ago (1982) by the graceof God, the willingness of the then East AfricanFoundation to host us, Bishop Dennis who tookresponsibility for offering us volunteer positionswithin the Diocese of Arusha, Richard Mshombawho allowed us to live in his house in the village ofSinoni while he was in the states studying, and thewarm welcome and support from Spiritan

missionaries such as Fr. Babu, Frs, Tom Tunney,Don McEachin, Chris McDermott and many otherSpiritans and Spiritan Associates! What a gift formy daughter Anna and niece Kate Witchger to bepresent for the story telling and laughter hearingus as we shared our warm memories of those days!

Reflections on meeting with Tanzanian OTs -Sarah Mkenda, head of the OT faculty and 4 otherprofessors at KCM College University and I havebeen working together for more than 10 years onvarious projects. This week, I traveled to Moshi andworked together with Sarah & her OT faculty tocreate an outline for the research manuscript weplan to write about OT practice in Tanzania. Wehave collected data over the past few years aboutOT practice including the challenges OTs face ona daily basis. It was exciting for me to be part ofthis lively conversation about poverty, globalwarming, weak infrastructure, health beliefs, HIVAids, stigma and many other barriers to practice,often switching back and forth between English &Swahili. I reviewed the data analysis I prepared forthis meeting. The Tanzanian OT faculty added richdescriptions and more detail to the original data

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collected. We discussed a timeline for the firstdraft of this manuscript. They want to be fullyengaged in this manuscript, takingresponsibility for the introduction and literaturereview. Although this process will take muchtime and patience, it is THE RIGHT way tocollaborate. After hours of non-stop meeting,I presented the OTs with a scholarshipdonation for $200 from the StudentOccupational Therapy Association and twoboxes of books we sent in a container withBrother ’s Brother Foundation medicalsupplies and equipment. I gave them each aDuquesne University T-shirt, compliments ofour admission office. We plan to meet in mid-August again, before I fly to the OTARGCongress in Harare, Zimbabwe to present aresearch paper.

Women’s Development, Lay SpiritanAssociates & OTs in Uganda - Next wetravel to Kampala, Uganda to spend time witha women’s development project with theSisters of Our Lady of Charity, Lay SpiritanAssociates, and to give a three-day workshopwith Ugandan occupational therapists.

Visiting with the Spiritans and SpiritanAssociates in Tanzania and Uganda - Fr.Joseph Babu - We stopped at Usa RiverSeminary on July 18, on our way back fromvisiting OVTC graduates. It was so great tovisit our dear 95 year old Fr. Joe Babuyesterday afternoon. Thirty years ago whenwe worked in Tanzania for Bishop Durningand the Diocese of Arusha, Fr. Babu wasbuilding a new church in Nngaranara andstarted St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. I workedclosely with him as the Medical Secretary forthe Diocese of Arusha, and he was a guardianangel for our children whenever they were sick

and needed to be seen by Dr. Mardi at St. Elizabeth’s. Hehas been a dear friend every since, and someone weadmire so much for his faithfulness to serve the peoplehere in the area for more than 75 years.

We also talked with Fr. Gasper Mushi & Fr. MringiSilvanus (Rector, Usa River Seminary – formerassistant at Tengeru Boys School) and listened to theirstories about their Spiritan ministries. Fr. Silvanus talkedabout the workshop on QuickBooks that was organizedfor Spiritan school bursars by a group of DuquesneBusiness School professors last December and his hopesthat there will be a follow-up one next January. Heappreciated all the help in getting started with QuickBooks,and now faces many challenges such as the cost ofspending time on the internet, as you are charged for everyminute you are connected to the web, plus charged morefor downloads. Anna talked with Fr. Silvanus about apossible collaboration she would like to organize betweenDuquesne University students and the Usa Seminarystudents and the Tengeru Boys School students to developa Peace Camp project based on the Pledge of Non-violence for next summer.

Fr. Joe Herzstein - We had a great visit with Fr. Joe andcaught up with each other’s news. His 50th celebrationhere in Tanzania takes place on August 3. I meet with theLay Spiritan Associates in Uganda and Tanzania to planan international meeting for some time in the future in EastAfrica. I am so grateful for this extended visit to Tanzania,Kenya and Uganda to spend time with my colleagues andresearch participants as well as to collect data for severalresearch projects in all three countries. I am learning somuch from mothers, families and people with disabilities,health workers, teachers, occupational therapists, pilots,missionaries, students, graduates and our many guestswho pass by for a visit. Anna and Kat are a great researchteam. Their enthusiasm for life and for our work is aninspiration to all those they meet.

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Rest in Peace, Fr. William Crowley, CSSpMay 16, 1921 - July 5, 2013Reprinted in part from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette July 12, 2013, byAnn Rodgers

Fr. William Crowley, a popularcampus minister and professor atDuquesne University who de-voted himself to strengthening theSpiritan order, died on Friday, July5, 2013 at the age of 92. He served at Duquesne threedifferent times over 54 years. “He was an excellent teacherand pastoral minister, but aboveall he loved the Congregation ofthe Holy Spirit,” said Fr. JamesMcCloskey, who was recentlyvice president for mission andidentity at Duquesne. “He heldmany internal assignments andserved with great affection anddiligence. The Congregation wasreally the center of his life.” He was born on Long Island,N.Y., and was inspired to join theCongregation of the Holy Spirit bya visiting priest who preachedabout its overseas missions. Hewas ordained a priest in 1949. He was an English profes-sor at Duquesne from 1950 to1960 and was on campus as avocations director in the early1970s and returned as a campusminister from 1976-83. From1991-94 he was again campusminister while serving as superiorof Trinity Hall, the priests’ resi-dence. In the interims he heldnumerous posts. He was informa-tion director for the order in Wash-ington, D.C., where his brochuresand magazines were so good he

was chosen to do the samework for Spiritans worldwide attheir headquarters in Rome in1975. While he may havedreamed of the mission fields,he taught English superbly. “Hewould quote poetry often andbeautifully,” said Fr. McCloskey. He loved art, had an eye foraesthetics and befriended art-ists who came on campus tocreate stained glass windowsand paint stations of the cross.As a young priest in the 1950she was put to work laying thedecorative marble floor in thepriests’ residence, using a sketchleft by the designer. “He hada special love and talent for thatkind of thing,” Fr. McCloskey said. He met Fr. Crowley in 1970as an entering freshman atDuquesne, when Fr. Crowley wasthe vocation director. Fr.McCloskey had already decidedto enter the order, but Fr. Crowleyhelped to confirm his choice. Atthe time, Fr. Crowley lived withother priests in a special sectionof one of the dormitories. Sudentsloved him, Fr. McCloskey said. “He was funny, he was acces-sible and available to them. Hewas often called on to officiate atweddings and baptisms and fu-nerals,” he said. Some studentsstayed in touch for decades.

During his final tenure atDuquesne he was chaplain forthe Kappa Sigma Phi fraternity.Its members loved him so muchthat they commissioned a basrelief image of him. In 1995, theiralumnae renovated the campuschapel in his honor. Fr. Crowley was forced to re-tire with the onset of dementia in2004, Fr. McCloskey said. Eventhen, the Mass was so deeply in-grained in his memory that hewas able to celebrate it for otherresidents at the Spiritan retire-ment home in Bethel Park. “He did his absolute best. Hegave 100 percent as long as hepossibly could, given his healthand his age,” Fr. McCloskey said. A funeral Mass was held onFriday, July 12 in the DuquesneUniversity Chapel. Fr. Crowleywas laid to rest in St. Mary’s Cem-etery, Sharpsburg.

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Provincial MessageRev. Jeffrey T. Duaime, Provincial

The recent decision in the Trayvon Martin case reminds us that there is still much work to be done in ourcountry in regards to the criminal justice system especially in regards to race relations. In the aftermathof the trial, there has been a lot of discussion on one side of the debate about whether the decisionwould have been the same if Trayvon Martin had been the shooter, and on the other side as to whetherGeorge Zimmermann should have been arrested in the first place. It also raises the questions about guncontrol especially in light of the “right to defend oneself” laws that are prevalent in places like Florida.

No matter what side of the debate that any of us may take, we can all agree that the death of an innocent17 year teenager in a quiet suburban neighborhood of Orlando is a tragedy for all of us. One’s heartcannot help but feel for the parents and family of this young man who had a promising future ahead ofhim. The loss of innocent life is always tragic, but when it is a young person it is much more difficult tocomprehend.

The question now for all of us is what are we to do in the wake of this tragic loss of life?

As Spiritans, we should be in the forefront of helping people reflect and respond in a productive way tothese challenging situations. We should be doing this in a calm and reflective manner that invitespeople to understand how events like these impact all of us. Violence is an all too common experiencein our country, especially in the African American community where young males are dying on ourstreets in outrageously alarming numbers.

As Spiritans we must find ways to offer a pathway of education and responsibility toward a productivelife. We need to resolve to make life better in America for all children, regardless of skin color. We mustfocus our resolve to work toward a more just, safer and more caring America.

President Obama’s call to reflection is worthy of our attention: “we should ask ourselves if we’re doing allwe can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities. We should askourselves if we’re doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across thiscountry on a daily basis. We should ask ourselves, as individuals and as a society, how we can preventfuture tragedies like this. As citizens, that’s a job for all of us. That’s the way to honor Trayvon Martin.”

I am constantly reminded of the long history that we have as Spiritans working with people to make apositive difference in the communities where we are sent.May God bring peace and healing to those who are hurting,and may we be instruments of the Holy Spirit who alonebrings unity in the midst of diversity.

West Baltimore Catholics and communitymembers walk, pray for peacegin

Bishop Denis J. Madden, left, and Father Evod Shao, right, lead awalk through West Baltimore July 15 asking God to bring peaceto the city. (Tom McCarthy Jr. / CR Staff)

July 16, 2013

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50 years a priest

Twists and turns in a Spiritan journeyBernard Kelly CSSpReprinted from Spiritan, Spring 2013

1952 was the year that the Big Bang Theory for the cre-ation of the universe was first propounded.

In 1952 I was working in a Quantity Surveyor’s office inLeinster Street, Dublin, looking out over Trinity College. Lifewas good, playing rugby on the weekend, making friends, go-ing to dances. But I was restless, vaguely dissatisfied. I wasmissing something. God seemed to want to get my attention.

The message was vague, a bit like Cardinal Newmandescribed it: “God has created me to do Him some definiteservice. He has committed some work to me, which He has notcommitted to another. I have my mission - I may never know itin this life, but I shall be told it in the next.”

This God dimension, the Call, changed things. I was nolonger struggling with a career decision, but with the answer to a call. I decided to go to the Spiritannovitiate and there things became more firm. I liked the Spiritans and I wanted to live and work withthem.

CanadaAfter ordination and finishing theology, I came to Canada in 1963. My brief experience of teach-

ing at Neil McNeil.: happiness and exhaustion. At St. Augustine’s Seminary: pressure, both from teach-ing and some responsibilities in formation.

1969 - doctoral Studies at the Institute Catholique, Paris, a great experience. Subsequent work information was rewarding, but a struggle. I adopted a whole new concept of the Call, of vocation - thanksespecially to the Lay Spiritans and VICS volunteers.

1980 - Papua New Guinea: two theoretical truths became firm convictions: 1) the Holy Spiritprecedes the missionary; 2) it is in evangelizing that we ourselves are evangelized.

1981 - Provinicial: nine years in administration. My debt to Mike Doyle, my predecessor - Organi-zation - Structure... There were great moments. Tough moments too.

Dermot Doran and I were living together on Sunrise Avenue. Some evenings he would return tofind me pacing the living room puffing away furiously. He would sum up the situation quickly and work tobring about some calm. Most often he succeeded. And he managed this without ever invoking John ofthe Cross, or The Little Flower...! He had his own methods.

I had to take a breakI remember one incident during this time when I was really down: everything seemed to be going

wrong. We decided that I had to take a break, and I found peace, unexpectedly, in Nova Scotia. Eversince we had a housekeeper from Inverness at Hambly Avenue I had wanted to go to Nova Scotia. Sothere was this musician singing a song called Come by the Hills. He was nothing special - he had aguitar, some electronic accompaniment and an average voice. What struck me was the last stanza ofhis song:

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Twists and turns in a Spiritan journey - (continued from previous page)

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Come by the hills, to a land where legends remain,Where stories of old fill the heart and may yet come again,Where the past has been lost and the future has still to be won,But the cares of tomorrow must wait till this day is done.

Maybe it was the biblical echo: “sufficient for the day”; or the contrast between different momentsin the story... whatever.... Anyway I returned to Toronto refreshed.

Fiftieth anniversary of ordinationThere have been lots of twists and turns on the journey. There is a definite sense that I don’t

know where I am going. I love Thomas Merton’s prayer:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.I do not see the road ahead of me.

I cannot know for certan where it will end.Nor do I really know myself

And the fact that I think I am following your willDoes not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you....I will trust you always, though I may seem to be

lost and in the shadow of death.I will not fear, for you are ever with me,

And you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

A time to give thanksI have made some plans and I have cho-

sen a prayer. It is taken from David Kaufmann’smusical arrangement of the Magnificat:

Behold, behold, the Mighty One hasdone great things for me

Behold, behold, the Might One has donegreat things for me

And holy is your NameAnd holy is your NameMy soul exalts you, behold my LordWhose mercy lies on me.

We celebrate a young man, ClaudePoullart des Places, who founded our Congrega-tion that is over 300 years old, who died at theage of 30 and whose creative act involved leav-ing the security of living with the Jesuits andgoing to live with the poor students that he hadgathered around him

Leaving the security of familiar livingarrangements may sound an echo for us. Maythe Holy Spirit help us be creative in our time.

Letting Go

Sometimes we want the new beginningwithout the old ending.We find it very difficult to “let go”.You must let go of where you’ve been -whether it is turning 21, 40 or 65;whether it’s losing your health or your hair,your looks or your lustiness, your money oryour memory, your love or a possessionyou prize. You have to move on.You have to die and rise.”

Walter Burghardt SJ

Following is the Valedictory Speech given by Brendan Mahoney, Class of 2013 at the Holy Ghost PrepCommencement on June 1, 2013. Brendan will be a student at the University of Pennsylvania next year.

Thank you to the Adminstration,trustees, faculty, family and friends.To the parents of our class, thank youfor every sacrifice you have madeover the past 18 years to get us heretoday. Finally, thank you Class of2013. (To students) Here we are,boys….

In some ways, particularly to ourparents, it may feel like just yesterdaythat we were walking up the pathwayto Cornwells Hall for our first dayof school freshman year. For methough, and I imagine for most of myclassmates, in some ways it has actually felt like aneternity since that day in September 2009. On a journeyfilled with memories of laughs, struggles, triumphs, andso many different faces and experiences, surely itsbeginning is blurred. But one thing that is clear is howwe have grown…in both mind and in heart. We havematured so much during our time here at Holy Ghost;although, to Mr. Chapman, sometimes our behavior mayseem to suggest otherwise.

Cor Unum et Anima Una: “One heart and one mind…”the school motto that we’ve heard over and over againsince Mr. Abramson gave us our first brochures back ingrade school. The phrase reflects the close-knitcommunity shared by everyone at Holy Ghost. Togetherwe share: “one heart and one mind.” While listening toour alma mater earlier this year, it occurred to me thatour school motto has multiple meanings. Traditionally,“one heart and one mind” symbolizes the unity of theHGP community, but I believe the phrase also representsthe combination of heart and mind that every Holy Ghoststudent seeks to achieve. What better day to investigatethe different aspects of our school motto than today, ourfinal day as students.

The first meaning of “one heart and one mind” is onefelt by everyone who is part of the Holy Ghost family—unity. The unity of the Holy Ghost community ispervasive in its student body. Schadenfreude is acommon German word that describes one’s feeling ofpleasure from the suffering of others—just as an HGPstudent may experience great gratification from a LaSalle

ice hockey loss. The Class of 2013,like every class at Holy Ghost, hasdemonstrated the opposite ofschadenfreude. We exhibitsomething closely related to theBuddhist concept of Mudita. Weexperience joy from each other’ssuccess. Everyone brings his uniquetalents to this student body, and eachone of us roots for all of the others.At sporting events, the fan support atHoly Ghost is unparalleled. At thisyear’s Flyers Cup Final at the WellsFargo Center, Mr. Abramsonestimates that over half of the student

body was in attendance. Any Ghost student fan canexplain the feeling of sharing a piece of his brother’striumph, or softening the blow of his defeat.

And the feeling of unity extends beyond just the students.On the day that I sat down to write this speech, therecame a time when I stopped writing. I put on a shirt andtie, and over my shirt I donned my Ghost baseball jersey.I drove to a funeral home in Levittown, where I met therest of the baseball team—all of us in our jerseys. Theteam was there to give its condolences to Mr. Al Slawter,a long-time varsity baseball coach whose father had justpassed away. Coach Slawter is a part of the Holy GhostPrep family, a part of our “one heart and one mind.”That is why together, as one unit, the team walked intothe funeral home and expressed our sorrow for his loss—because Coach Slawter’s loss was our loss. Thus,whether through shared joy or sorrow, in victory or indefeat, the Class of 2013 has developed a bond that hasevolved over the past four years into an unbreakablefraternity. We are “one in heart and one in mind.”The second meaning of “one heart and one mind” is moresubtle—the combination of heart and mind that definesevery Holy Ghost student. The mind of a Holy GhostPrep student is molded by the school’s academic andco-curricular rigors, the high expectations of teachersand parents, and our own intellectual curiosity and desireto succeed. The heart of an HGP student aligns withSpiritan tradition by putting our lives in perspective,causing us to appreciate all that we have and realize theimportance of service to others. At Holy Ghost, thismind-heart duality teaches us a simple, yet powerful

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philosophy: It is important not only to do well in life,but also to do good.

The development of our minds has been difficult, yetrewarding, over the past four years. Intellectually we’vegrown into students who are well prepared for our nextacademic challenge as undergraduate college students.But it is not just the small class sizes or the plethora ofadvanced placement courses that distinguish our school.It is also the level of interaction and expectations andrespect that our teachers have with and of and for us andthat we share with each other. Our knowledge of historyand the other social sciences has made us more informedcitizens and leaders. Our language skills, both native andforeign, have prepared us for writing and speaking atthe college level, and in an increasingly competitiveglobalized economy. And finally, our math and scienceexpertise has set us up for success in the growing numberof important technical and scientific fields. The teachershere at Ghost love to teach, and they’re here becausethey want us to succeed. I think after four years here wehave at least learned that much. From the class of 2013to every teacher here at Holy Ghost, please accept ourhumble gratitude. Now while the “Prep” in Holy GhostPrep nominally suggests academic preparation forcollege, at least as important as the development of ourminds has been the maturation of our hearts. If our mindsare shaped by our teachers’ commitments to us, then ourhearts are shaped by our commitment to others, especiallythose less fortunate. This call to service stems in partfrom our appreciation of the joys of our own lives. Earlyin our freshman year, my history teacher, Mr. DiGiesi,gave us a word of advice: he warned against countingdown the minutes…even during our most demandingclasses…and yes, even right before lunch. “You’ll wishto have those minutes back,” he said. Now I’d like toecho his message. Appreciate your present time andplace. Today, graduates, enjoy and be grateful for yoursuccess and the reward for your hard work.

But the maturation of our hearts does not stop withlearning to value what we have. As we have learned torealize our place in the world, and appreciate our goodfortune, we inevitably become aware of the importanceof helping others. One need not look far to realize thepotential of the heart of a Holy Ghost Prep student. Justask Mr. Ryan to tell you some stories about the annualservice trip to Harlem, or to the Dominican Republic.Ask Mrs. Posey and Fr. Chris about the trips to Tanzania,or our relationship with Tanguru Boys’ School, a high

school of our Spiritan brothers in Tanzania. Ask Mrs.Flynn about CSC, or the annual blood drive here atschool. Ask Mr. Eckerle about SAIVE and the GreatFood Fight, or about the impact of HGP students on thepeople of Waslala, a remote region in Nicaragua. Or askMr. Fitzpatrick about the countless different serviceprojects dedicated to the underprivileged anddisadvantaged of our own community. Fellowclassmates, how many of you have participated in anyof these? This is the manifestation of the heart of a HolyGhost Prep student—one who is dedicated tocompassionately helping those less fortunate.

One who exemplified the quintessential Holy Ghost mindand heart was a Valedictorian of his own class, and thefounder of the Holy Ghost Fathers: Claude Poullart desPlaces. Des Places was an excellent student from anaristocratic family. He planned to become a lawyer,achieve success, and never look back. But somethingchanged for Des Places. During his law studies, herealized the needs of the poor. After earning his degree,Claude des Places abandoned his legal career anddedicated the rest of his life to serving the less fortunate.Admittedly, his ascetic path is not for everyone. Butwhat is important is that in choosing our own path weeach remember the combination of heart and mind thatthe Spiritan fathers have modeled for us. Here atcommencement, the end of our time at Holy Ghost marksthe beginning of the next stage of our lives, in which wewill take our minds and hearts and use them as men inthe real world. Today we enter a world ruled by anextremely competitive meritocratic system. Success inour society is based largely on self-cultivation. With fewmetrics for measuring one’s contribution to others, it iseasy for some members of society to focus solely on theirpersonal goals and desires.

As Holy Ghost Prep alumni, however, we will alwayscarry with us a desire to improve our communitiesbeyond ourselves. We will use our minds to question,learn, and succeed. We will use our hearts to appreciateeverything we have—our friends, family, our high school,and every joy yet to come in our lives. Much like Claudedes Places, we will use our appreciation of our place inthis world for the advancement of others, to com-passionately help our communities, and society as awhole. Members of the Class of 2013, let us be unifiedin committing to do well and do good. And alwaysremember: In one heart! And the Class responds: “Andone mind!”

Valedictory Speech given by Brendan Mahoney, Class of 2013 at the Holy Ghost Prep - (continued)

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Vince Stegman and Joe Seiter vis-ited “Rock Castle” recently sincemany changes have developed overthe years. Vince is the sole surviv-ing Spiritan who taught at St. Emmaand chaplained at St. Francis.The St. Francis/St. Emma site has

a unique history. It boasted of twohigh schools, one for boys, the otherfor girls, built in the 1890s. No other

development had such an extensive influence on the lives of so many African American men and womenas these two educational institutions. 15,000 young people lived and learned at St. Francis de Sales andSt. Emma Military School (1895-1972).

Philip St. George Cocke built the Belmead Mansion during the 1850s. He was one of the mostprosperous land owners and agricultural businessmen of the antebellum period.

Following the surrender by Robert E. Lee, Colonel Cocke is rumored to have invited General Leeto rest awhile at Belmead on the James River.

In 1893 Belmead was purchased by the Drexel-Morrell family who created St. Emma MilitaryAcademy for black youth in 1895. Later, Mother Katharine Drexel, (now St. Katharine Drexel), sister toLouise Morrell, built St. Francis de Sales high school for blackwomen taught by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Thecadets and St. Francis girls shared social activities and, asalumni today, are working to rebuild this unique site as aneducation and events center.

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Rock Castle -Spiritan Education

Belmead Mansion

St. Francis de Sales

St. Emma Military Academy

New Major Superior for Foundation of Haiti

The Provincial Chapter held at the beginning of themonth has elected Fr. Rulx Andre Alcineus as the newsuperior of the Foundation of Haiti. He can be reachedby email at cssphaiti@yahoo.fr

Welcome to the US Province!

Fr. Gregory Olikenyi from the Province of Nigeria SE, who will be assistant professor of the TheologyDepartment at Duquesne University. Fr. Gregory will reside at Trinity Hall.Fr. Jean Pierre Kapumet who has been assigned associate pastor of St.Edward’s parish in BaltimoreMD.Fr. John Kwofie, from Ghana, who will be on the faculty in the Theology Department at Duquesne. Hewill also reside at Trinity Hall.

Please remember in prayer the following:

our dearly departed...Fr. William F. Crowley, CSSp, on July 5 in Golden Living Center, Canonsburg PAat the age of 92 (see his obituary on page 3),

and those who are ill...Fr. John L. Yates who is living at the Golden Living Center in Waynesburg PA.

August04 Fr. Jocelyn Gregoire06 Fr. Edward J. Vilkauskas08 Fr. Raymond J. Kulwicki10 Fr. Quoc P. Le17 Fr. Joseph B. Gaglione18 Fr. Albert J. McKnight18 Fr. Eugene Uzukwu20 Fr. Francis Tandoh23 Fr. Philip Agber26 Fr. Sean M. Hogan26 Fr. Daniel L. Walsh

Count your life by smiles, not tears. Count your age by friends, not years.

Best wishes for a very Happy Birthday to these Spiritans who celebrate birthdaysduring the months of August through November

Membership Directory updates and changesPlease make the following changes to your Membership Directories

Pg. C-14: HEADLEY, William R., cell phone number should read: 619-307-9990Pg. C-22 & D-9: add OLIKENYI, Gregory, Trinity Hall, Rm 316-318, 412-396-6150, Duquesne Univer-sity, Pittsburgh PA 15282Pg. C-16 & D-9: add KWOFIE, John, Trinity Hall, Rm 308-310, 412-396-6157, Duquesne University,Pittsburgh PA 15282Pg. E-3: OPPONG-NKANSAH, Samuel - current address is: St. Bernard Church, 1620 62nd Avenue,Oakland CA 94621

September05 Fr. Girard Jean Kohler11 Fr. Louis J. Perreault16 Fr. Joseph L. Kelly28 Bro. Joseph F. Cannon

October01 Fr. Peter Osuji04 Fr. Christopher P. Promis12 Fr. Chris H. McDermott21 Fr. Duc G. Luong27 Fr. William H. Christy27 Fr. Norbert T. Rosso

November16 Fr. Brandon B. Nguyen18 Fr. Binh T. Quach20 Fr. Silvio A. D’Ostilio23 Fr. James H. Burnie25 Fr. Michael Begley27 Bro. Michael E. Suazo

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A visitor to Duquesne University’s cam-pus cannot help but notice an attractive oldthree-story red brick building on the AcademicWalk. It predates most of the surrounding cam-pus and provides a warm and homey atmo-sphere. The name of the building is LavalHouse and it is the University’s oldest build-ing. It provides a small community living situa-tion for Spiritan Fathers on campus. Fr. DanWalsh, University chaplain and director of cam-pus ministry resides at Laval House and over-sees the Spiritan formation program there.

What really stands out about the houseand is noticeable from afar is the amazing mu-ral on the side of the building known as LavalHouse. The African-themed mural is represen-tative of the Spiritans’ extensive missionary ex-perience in Africa and its theme is that every-one is created equal, a loose translation of the African word ubuntu.

Local artist Gerry Tonti painted the mural which is titled I am because we are: A Celebration ofSpiritans in Africa. The symmetrical piece depicts two women emerging from a patterned kente cloth, adistinctive woven cloth common in West Africa, which serves as the background of the entire piece andrepresents the commitment of the University to Africa. Intertwined in the kente cloth are two symbols:Nkonsonkonson, the chain link, representing unity and human relations, and serving as a reminder tocontribute to the community - that in unity lies strength; and Osram ne nsoromma, the moon and the

star, symbolizing love, faith and harmony.The two West African symbols stress theimportance of community, love and faith.Through this work, Tonti was looking todepict the ideals that resonate in Africa andat Duquesne University: community, unityand spirituality. The title reflects a philoso-phy of interconnectedness, the idea I amwhat I am because of who we all are. Thewomen are supporting each other over abaobab tree, the African tree of life. Tontibegan working on the mural in mid-Julyand completed it in October of 2011.President Charles J. Dougherty and theRev. James McCloskey came up with theidea to do an African themed mural on theLaval House, Tonti said. “they wantedsomething symbolic of the Spiritans in Af-rica,” Tonti said. “I did a lot of research andfound that a recurring theme throughoutall of Africa was the idea of community andhow important it is.”

Laval House mural

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Republished in part from the duquesne duke original article by Robyn Rudish-Laning, Managing EditorOctober 19, 2011/Updated October 20, 2011, Jenna O’Brien/Photo Editor

(continued at top of next page)

Laval House mural (continued)

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The Retired Holy Spirit Fathers make huge donations!

During the last week of June, the retired fathers’ food drive “donated” alarge amount of funds to the local grocery store! Then a large delivery offood and paper products totaling 512 pounds was taken to the SouthHills Interfaith Ministries in Bethel Park. This fine organization collectsand distributes food to the needy of the area. Families are permitted tovisit twice a month and “shop” the aisles for the things that they need.The Fathers’ donation really came at a good time, as donations are downin the summer months, but the needs remain the same.

Two weeks later, on July 3rd. Another large shopping was completed anddelivered, this timeto St. Winifred’sfood pantry. The greatvolunteers at that churchenable the needy to comeevery Wednesday andSaturday morning to gatherfood. They help manyfamilies in the Mt. Lebanon, Castle Shannon, andDormont areas. This food bank stays open due tothe generosity of many of the other area churchesand individuals that donate to them. All of usinvolved in this project want to thank all the retiredpriests, staff members at Libermann Hall, and themany other friends who give so generously to keepus shopping and providing for the less fortunate!

Dougherty said the mural was created as part of the University’s ongoing efforts to beautify thecampus, and the theme was chosen to emphasize Duquesne’s commitment to Africa.

“Expanding relations with Africa is an essential part of our strategic plan” Dougherty said. “[Themural] is there because of the importance of the Spiritans’ mission work in Africa.”

Tonti, who has completed other murals gracing Pittsburgh’s buildings, also tried to incorporatethemes of the importance of respecting the earth and nature and the importance of faith in the culture,which are represented in the baobab tree; the Holy Spirit is represented by a dove and the two women’sarms which are joined together to form a triangle, which represents the Holy Trinity.

Funds for the mural came from a gift account and were “modest in terms of the University’sannual budget,” Dougherty said.

According to Joseph Rishel, a Duquesne history professor and author of The Spirit that GivesLife: The History of Duquesne University, 8/18/1996, Laval House was built in the early 1880s, andDuquesne purchased it in 1929 for approximately $30,000. Before Duquesne bought the building, LavalHouse was one of the many residential row houses that used to line Academic Walk and used to be apublic traffic street.

“Laval House is the only residential building left of the neighborhood,” Rishel said. “It’s part of 22houses purchased on the Bluff between 1929 and 1938. The rest were torn down.”

Rishel added that the building used to be called Varsity Hall in its early days because it was adormitory for Duquesne’s basketball and football players. In the early 1960s, it served as a convent forthe Daughters of the Divine Redeemer. The building was vacated in 1984 and renamed the LavalHouse in honor of Spiritan missionary Blessed James Laval.

42nd Annual Religious Brothers Convention

The 42nd Annual Religious Brothers Conference presented “Brothers: Instruments of Charity” inNew Orleans, LA July 19-22, 2013. Brother Michael Suazo attended the event. Featured speakers wereDr. Angel F. Mendéz Montora, OP, and Sister Jamie T. Phelps, OP, PhD.

Dr. Mendez is a Dominican Brother from the Province of Saint Martin de Porres, US. He holds aB.A. in dance, an M.A. in philosophy, M.A. in theology and M.Div., and a PhD in philosophical theologyfrom the University of Virginia. His work has been published under the title The Theology of Food:Eating and the Eucharist. Additionally he has published essays in various anthologies and in severalinternational journals. He currently teaches theology, philosophy and cultural studies at several univer-sities in Mexico City and lectures around the world.

Sister Jamie T. Phelps, OP, PhD has been a member of the Adrian Dominican Sisters since1959. She has served the church and community as an educator, professional psychiatric social worker,community organizer, pastoral minister, consultant, lecturer, liturgist, spiritual director, administrator,scholar, theologian, and author.

PROFESSIONS

60 Years Fr. Joseph L. Deniger Aug. 22, 195355 Years Fr. Joseph M. Herzstein Aug. 22, 195855 Years Fr. Sean Kealy Sept. 8, 195855 Years Fr. Girard Jean Kohler Aug. 22, 195855 Years Fr. Donald S. Nesti Aug. 22, 195855 Years Fr. Ralph J. Poirier Aug. 22, 195855 Years Fr. John P. Skaj Aug. 22, 195850 Years Fr. Naos McCool Sept. 8, 196335 Years Fr. Wayne T. Epperley Aug. 1, 197830 Years Fr. Jocelyn Gregoire Aug. 11, 198325 Years Fr. William H. Christy July 23, 198820 Years Fr. Paul M. Flamm July 25, 199320 Years Fr. Timothy J. Hickey July 25, 199310 Years Fr. Quoc P. Le Aug. 2, 2003

ORDINATIONS

50 Years Fr. Girard Jean Kohler Sept. 22, 196335 Years Fr. Patrick A. Patten July 16, 197830 Years Fr. Wayne T. Epperley Oct. 1, 198330 Years Fr. Michael T. White Sept. 23, 198325 Years Fr. Matthew Amoako-Attah July 23, 198820 Years Fr. Francis Tandoh July 24, 1993

God bless these Spiritan Fathers who celebratespecial anniversaries of Ordination and Profession

in the months of July through October.We are grateful for these combined 190 Years of Ordination and

580 Years of Profession!

“I have called you each by name...”

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