VOLUME 3 • CHAPTER 4 • October 2003

Our recent solicitation for needed funding has been quite a success to date (9/1/03). Approximately 1/3 of you have responded in your customary generous fashion. Thank you, thank you, thank you. The average donation has been about 30 dollars. In the solicitation letter we asked for your vote on whether to send our newsletter to non-contributors. There were several impassioned pleas on both sides of the issue. In the end, however, a large majority of you agreed to keep them in JUG. Then came along King Solomon in the guise of Bob Grahek '60, who suggests: send to those who contribute, send to all non-contributors who graduated 50 or more years ago (class of 1953 or before), do not send anything to those who have not contributed and are in the class of 1954 or later. I am comfortable with this and have implemented the formula with this newsletter. However, all you old farts, please don't leave me. In the letter we also asked for little publishable tidbits. We got them. Starting with this issue we will publish a few. Have had problems titling the column. " Tidbits" doesn't sound right. "Odds and Ends" is unacceptable. Recalling all the time we spent in the Wisconsin bluffs, we have settled on "COW CHIPS". And here are a few…

Cow Chips

CarL (Lee) Bachle '48 writes "The older we get, the better we were." Wish I'd have said that….Bruce Brown '60: "I don't mind helping a brother in need occasionally, or when all the pop bottles have been already picked up and refunded to someone else, and nobody wants a pin setter. I'll double my donation to help a tapped-out knight." …Tom Kullman '45: "Enjoy your newsletter a lot. Don't want to go to jug." Now this, from Randall Evanson '51: "Ave, Frater Campionensis, Inclusi sunt decem dollores pro continuatione disseminationis "Campion Semper" et activitatum associatarum. Tuam diligentiam pro hoc laborem laudo, et posse adjuvare mihi placet. Etiam, non volo in jug esse. Ut bona fortuna tecum sit." I'm too old for this! Sounds like a posse of Volvos coming after me. The L has been capitalized, Randy….Joe Corrigan '63 sent me a pink JUG slip. Wotz he tryin' to say??....Dick Spence '47 writes that his son, little Dick, is an Americas Cup racer. Sailed in the '87, '92 and 2000 races. On the winning team in '92…Joe Powers '50 simply says: GET ME OUT OF JUG!!! From Ed Keane '72: "You have put the fear of Father Aspenleiter in me! What's next? Lipke, O'Malley, & Williamson at my door with the paddle?! Keep up the good work." Michael Scheck '71 (re: mailing newsletters to all) "My first opinion is that, as a benevolent (I hope!) despot, I believe and support the requirement that fellow benevolent despots must make unilateral decisions as they see fit and when and where they see fit in the furtherance of their endeavors. My second opinion, which is subordinate to the first opinion is that the Jesuits taught us nothing if they didn't teach us to be charitable and forgiving and always working to facilitate the return of the black sheep…" Dick English '54 tells us that his class will be enjoying a reunion celebration in the Chicago area next year. He wants to see all of you who are ambulatory and most of you who are not. More info will follow…Bob Walters '48: "Four of us from the class of '48 meet several times a year in St. Louis. John Lauer, Jim Nangle, Bob Snyders and Bob Walters. Two retired Doctors, one Lawyer and a retired politician. (Lots of arguments.) Father Peter Carey visited with us one weekend… we had to ship him back, he was so liberal."…Lester Sentz '40 tells us that a few of that class enjoyed a mini-reunion recently. Among 8 in attendance was Father Joe Eagan, S.J. from California. In our January newsletter we will introduce you to the life of Father Eagan. He is quite a guy. Also, Father Joe indicates that he and several of his classmates will be in attendance at the 3rd annual Florida all-class reunion in the spring…Jim (Ghostie) Gould '46 tells is that his class has had 10 reunion gatherings since their graduation, and that another will be held in the Chicago area next April. (More to follow, I am sure.) Ed Kelly also '46 writes that he is suffering from throat cancer. Walt Kinnucan '46 has contracted ALS…Bob Wheeler '46 is not well…Jack Rockne '44 is recovering from throat cancer surgery…Danny Gellerup '47 advises that his sister in law, Betty (wife of Fred Gellerup '50) is being administered chemo. Lets hit the ground running with our prayers…Moose Adler '54 has this to say: "In the spring of '53, George Braasch '54 and I decided to sneak off campus and go for a swim in the Mississippi. I took off my clothes and dropped them on a poison ivy patch. Then after our swim, I dried off using my T-shirt, rubbing my shirt against my chest and private areas. You can imagine the rest…I got poison ivy so bad that I had to walk around with my arms extended while the puss fell to the ground. (Hope you are not having breakfast!) The following week, we had a track meet at Loras High School. I was lined up to run the 440, the star from Loras was next to me. He asked me what I had on my arm that was dripping. I told him I had poison ivy. I won the race and had the fastest time I had all year." From Pat Mower '64: "I agree with the article in the last newsletter - about the copius "free time" we were allowed to have. I played the organ, so I was practicing for concerts and plays and that kind of thing. I did get to play my FIRST EVER organ job at Geisler's Blue Heaven Cafe. Prof. deRanitz took me down for dinner, and I entertained. I was given dinner and a coke and that was my payment. I have since played all over the world, as a little extra thing to do. Throughout my 21 years in the USAF, I played all over, and even had my Hammond organ in the NCO club at Crete, and played there almost every night when not working for real money. (More than I made in the USAF!)…Paul Weber '56 announces that he has collaborated with 2 others in writing a book that has been recently published: SOUTH-BASED INITIATIVES AND THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. (Rowman and Littleman) Paul says he had nothing to do with the title.
More CHIPS next time.

Sisters Ann Halloran, O.P.
& Anne-Marie Doyle, O.P.

As most of you know, All-Class Reunion II (Pensacola, March, 2003) was dedicated as a tribute to Father Walter Halloran '39. Interesting to see that he stood as a man among boys. Among the attendees were Father Walt's two brothers, Jack '46 and Mark, '49 as well as his sister Mary, her son and Father Walt's nephew, Tim and Father's kid sister, Ann. Sister Ann Halloran, a Dominican Nun, is the executive director for the Dominican Center in Milwaukee. We mentioned the Center in our March, 2001 newsletter as follows:

Sister Ann Halloran, O.P. and Sister Anne-Marie Doyle, O.P. operate The Dominican Center for Women in the Milwaukee central city area. The Center is committed to provide educational opportunities primarily for impoverished women in that area. The ladies have received enormous community response to their endeavors.

How this enterprise has changed and grown!
In Sister Ann's words:

"In 1994, Sister Anne-Marie Doyle and I moved the Center from Minneapolis, and opened a site in Milwaukee's central city. Our target area encompassed the fourteen square blocks surrounding the Center, where the population is predominantly African American, whose income is either near or below the poverty level. Some consider it a "bad" area because of the overabundance of crime and drug activity. We consider it a "good" area because of its enormous potential and great location. We don't want to see it gentrified. We hope to see it revitalized by the neighborhood residents.

Sister Anne

"Initially we offered educational services to adult women; however, at the urging of participants, we expanded into other directions, most notably, homeownership. We listened to their conversations regarding their inadequate, even deplorable housing and responded by initiating with them a homeownership program. At first it all seemed pretty simple. However, we soon realized that the task was larger and more complex than the Center could handle alone. We knew that we had to develop a wider, more professionally diverse community. "So we invited a team of experts who, like us, were interested in promoting homeownership among low-income families.

"Early on, as we began to put into action our homeownership program, we realized how important volunteers would be for its success. As a result, we connected with high schools, churches, other volunteer groups, interested and generous individuals and, of course, the new homeowners themselves. During this past year, almost every weekend we have had volunteer teams from those groups working to rehab in the Dominican area. In the summer, Catholic Heart Camp members made up of young people of high school and college age come to the city for a week to work with various ministries. For the past two summers, we have had nine teams of ten assisting us with rehab work. The results of such community helping community collaboration have been heartwarming and mutually beneficial for all the participating groups. Throughout the year more than 200 volunteers help us out." We are sure that Sister Ann has no trouble enlisting volunteers. The lady could charm the humps off camels!

Excerpted from the CATHOLIC HERALD 11/14/2002:

MILWAUKEE - One of the most overused terms in recent years has been calling something good for more than one party a "win-win situation".

But the term really does apply to the Dominican Center for Women's efforts to spur home ownership in a north side area.

The Dominican Center, an adult education and neighborhood development program associated with the Sinsinawa Dominicans, helps residents buy and rehabilitate abandoned but structurally sound homes in the area. The new homeowners "win" by acquiring homes, and the opportunity to build equity. The neighborhood "wins" by avoiding the blighting effect of abandoned homes that eventually are razed, leaving empty lots.

"It costs the city $10,000 to raze those houses," said Sinsinawa Dominican Sr. Ann Halloran, executive director of the Dominican Center. "We're taking them for $1,720, and putting them back on the tax rolls.

"Initially we worked on tax-deeded properties, boarded-up places where taxes haven't been paid for three years," Halloran explained. "Applicants pay $1,720 for deed and title to the homes and assume responsibility for rehabilitating them. The Dominican Center organizes volunteer efforts to help in the rehabilitation."

…Halloran said the Dominican Center got involved because "people were living in substandard conditions. If you're paying $500 a month in rent, you ought to be able to pay $500 for a mortgage. Most of the people we work with are poor (but) they can do it with the cooperation of the entire community."

The borrowers, Halloran added, "are no more high-risk than anyone else. Given a chance and credit education, they're good risks." The center is also trying to work with lending institutions so people can get mortgages at reasonable rates for homes that won't require so much work. "You go from one life to another when you own a home," Halloran said. "All of a sudden you can be part of the system. They're proud of their homes."

Halloran said the Dominican Center also hopes to spur formation of small businesses in its neighborhood.

In addition to financial donations, services of particular value to the Dominican Center's ongoing work include: Architecture/Construction, Plumbing Services & Supply, Heating Services & Supply, Electrical Services & Supply, and Legal Services.

To contact:
Dominican Center for Women, Inc.
2470 W. Locust St.
Milwaukee 53206
414-444-9930

Now you Milwaukee folks and visitors to the area can stop by and visit Sister Ann. You will meet a truly remarkable woman. Please be aware that you might find yourself with a pocket full of nails and a hammer in your hand.…..A

Remembering Fr. Roger Lucey, S.J.

Chris Westendorf '68 submits his remembrance of Fr. Roger Lucey, S.J.:

In August of 1964 my parents drove me to Campion Jesuit High School in Prairie du Chien where I would be attending school. One of the required classes was Latin and Fr. Roger Lucey was my teacher. As he walked into the classroom that first day I noticed he was of average height with jet black wavy hair. He wore a black cassock and sash and he looked tough and mean. He began assigning us our seats in a surly, impatient tone.

In my letters home I complained about how tough and unfair he was. That October, freshman parents weekend was held but classes on Saturday morning were not canceled. Parents could attend classes but, thank goodness, my parents couldn't come until later in the day. During Latin class I scrunched down trying not to be noticed between two tall guys. All of a sudden Fr. Lucey called on me. I opened my mouth to answer but nothing came out. I was so scared I lost my voice.

On Sunday they held a parent-teacher conference and I got an earful from my parents about my low grade in Latin. However, Fr. Lucey was willing to spend extra time with me to bring my grade up and I began to see that he was not the tough, uncaring person I had thought. Later, I chose Fr. Lucey as my counselor whom I met with to discuss how things were going. I felt I could get help with Latin and talk about other things since I was now comfortable with him.

During the winter months he could be found in Hoffman Hall gym in a pickup basketball game with the upper classmen. He was known for his 'Lucey hook shot'. His nickname (which we never used when he was around) was 'Jolly Roger'. What struck me about him was not only his humanness but his spirituality. You could see this through the way he celebrated the liturgy and other devotions. I saw it when I glimpsed him behind the pine trees pacing and reading his breviary (the Church's Liturgy of the Hours for morning and evening prayers). I just knew that he cared not only about us but also cared about his vocation as a religious priest.

After Campion, he served as Mission Director for the Wisconsin Province, taught at St. Johns College in Belize, was president of Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha and pastor of a parish in California.

Fr. Lucey died on April 7, 2002 at age 74. May he rest in peace!

Campion Vignettes 1964 - 1968

Offered by Bob Smith '68

Aug. 64 I left Slinger, WI (pop 1,131) for the Big Time: world-famous Jesuit education, Latin, JROTC, intramural athletics. Avuncular Fr. Zachman's Latin class could have occurred without noticeable change anytime from 1800 to 1965. His whacks to the head would probably now be illegal. In C League Intramural Freshman Football, the shoulder pads and helmets were of such antiquity (a few of the helmets were leather without chin guards, like those on the 1940 trophies in Kotska Hall) that I daydreamed about being a Roman Legionaire during lulls in the game.

Oct 64 The longest, latest and most colorful fall foliage of any Wisconsin Autumn in memory was a background to the election of LBJ over AuH2O (that's Goldwater to you non-scientific lads). Southern states-rightist Matt Horan baited Camelot-liberal Tom Spicer by pretending to argue that Negroes did not have souls.

Nov 64 The novelty of the Big Time had worn off; Christmas vacation seemed far off. Fr. Francis Aspenleiter taught Old & New Testament and apologetics. He also taught sexual morality prefaced by the Facts of Life biology, e.g. seminal fluid.. At the time I thought to myself "What do Indians (Seminoles) have to do with it ?!?"

Mar 65 Mississippi River flood waters covered some of the western intramural fields and threatened Prairie's sewage treatment plant. Mr. Callahan SJ exhorted the Freshmen Study Hall to stop taking showers and to minimize toilet flushing, to avert the threat of sewer overflow. Students carried paperback copies of David Copperfield with them constantly to whittle away their reading assignments while standing in line, etc. Mart Sawa originated the "SuperVruno" comic via half-sheet samizdat.

1965-6 Fr. Jack McNellis taught mainly Caeser's Gallic Wars in Latin II. Mr. Richard A.. Friend, originator of Campion's famous intramural "coveted point" system led free and far-wheeling discussions on geopolitics. Mr. Friend also assigned a 50 page research project (more than most college courses). Fr. Rohr taught sexology; key phrases included "greasy chute" and "everyone's doing it, doing it, doing it".

1966-7 Howard Culver SJ taught Latin III - Cicero's orations against the debauched Cataline ("O the times 0 the mores.") and for literature and aesthetic experience. Mr. Maurice Oehler taught Chemistry; III-B conspirators surreptitiously detonated his picric acid filter paper demonstrations. Fr. James V. O'Connor taught post-Vatican II humanistic theology via hundreds of faintly mimeographed articles (e.g. Michael Harrington's The Other America). Except for one Honda and one Suzuki motorbike and record albums (The Beetles, Bob Dylan, Universal Soldier, Eve of Destruction) Campion remained largely insulated from Sixties zeit-geist.

1967-8 Senior year brought a revolution of rising expectations, both scholarly and social. Howard Culver SJ captained scholarly phalanxes (Latin IV became Regular, Vanguard, and SuperVanguard) of progressively fanatical aesthetes to conquer Virgil's Aeneid and the AP Latin exam. "Gumpy" Gunderson presented experimental (frictionless bumper cars! wave generator tanks! Milliken oil drop experiment!) physics and endless Home, Desk, Lab (HDL) assignments that only the town students handed in. Jeremiah McCarty taught Biology to volunteer Seniors anxious to take the previously unavailable course. Mr. Lundstrom taught English; his and Fr.. Burke's incessant essay assignments were probably unprecedented in the annals of high school English, then and now. Xavier Hall meant a vast rise in living standards. SRO crowds assembled in the basement TV lounge to watch the shocking and hilarious "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In". The traditionalist Sodality lost favor to the socially conscious Young Christian Students. Both groups still got free de facto town pers by doing good works at St.. Gabriels or the old folk homes. After a consciousness raising trip to the Inner City, Dave Haase conscientiously remonstrated us for being middle class Whites. Phys Ed classes were instituted to accommodate "conscientious objectors" to JROTC. Class Bohemians (NOT the stalwart mushroom-hunting variety) hoarded underground copies of "Village Voice" and Berkely Barb. QED Campion was like a fraternity - with a three year pledge period. It was a good education and, according to C.S. Lewis, a good preparation for the Christian life.

Here, Bob quotes C.S. Lewis:

"So much for Oldie's; but the year was not all term. Life at a vile boarding school is in this way a good preparation for the Christian life, that it teaches one to live by hope. Even in a sense, by faith; for at the beginning of each term, home and the holidays are so far off that it is as hard to realize them as to realize heaven. They have the same pitiful unreality when confronted with immediate horrors. Tomorrow's geometry blots out the distant end of term as tomorrow's operation may blot out the hope of Paradise. And yet, term after term, the unbelievable happened. Fantastical and astronomical figures like "this time six weeks" shrank into practicable figures like "this time next week:' and then "this time tomorrow" and the almost supernatural bliss of the Last Day punctually appeared. It was a delight that almost demanded to be stayed with flagons and comforted with apples; a delight that tingled down the spine and troubled the belly and at moments went near to stopping the breath. Of course this had a terrible and equally relevant reverse side. In the first week of the holidays we might acknowledge that term would come again - as a young man, in peacetime, in full health, acknowledges that he will one day die. But like him we could not even by the grimmest memento mori be brought to realize it. And there too, each time, the unbelievable happened. The grinning skull finally peered through all disguises; the last hour, held at bay by every device our will and imaginations knew, came in the end. and once more it was the bowler hat, the Eton collar, the knickerbockers, and (clop-clop-clop-clop) the evening drive to the quay. In all seriousness I think that the life of faith is easier to me because of these memories. To think, in sunny and confident times, that I shall die and rot, or to think that one day all this universe will slip away and become memory (as Oldie slipped away into memory three times a year, and with him the canes and the disgusting food, the stinking sanitation and the cold beds) - this is easier to us if we have seen just that sort of thing happening before. We have learned not to take present things at their face value."

(p.21 The Inspirational Writings of C.S. Lewis 1987 Inspirational Press NY, NY)

I am terribly sorry, but I do not know who sent this to me some time ago. If the gentleman who did will identify himself, we will be sure to give proper credit. I do think that you will enjoy this from the New York Times, November 20, 1976:

HOUSTON, Nov 20, 1976 - For sale: A city block in San Diego, price $19 million. A 9,477 acre ranch complete with two mansions, two lakes, and an airport, near Fort Worth Tex., price: $3.5 million. A 2,025 acre "new town" with homes, a Volvo automobile assembly plant in Chesapeake, Va. Make Offer.

These and other properties with an asking price totaling $1.2 billion were put on the block here this week at a first-of-its-kind real estate sale in an effort to create a centralized market place for high priced real estate for investors who want to salt away an apartment building or skyscraper next to their portfolios of stocks and bonds.

Sellers outnumbered buyers at the sale by at least four to one, and there were lots of disappointed sellers.

In this category was the Rev. F. L. Stanton, treasurer of the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus, who had come here trying to sell a complete, 95 year-old boarding high school in Prairie du Chien Wis. with 90 acres on the Mississippi River, 19 buildings and a nine-hole golf course.

The auction staff acted like match makers in a dating service. Owners and brokers who wanted to sell a parcel listed them in a loose leaf folder and when potential buyers sighted something of interest they submitted a note to the chairman asking to discuss the matter. The sellers and shoppers then went off to the side to discuss a sale.

As the afternoon wore on, and the pace of such meetings increased; the Jesuit priest, a soft-spoken, gray-haired man, sat on the sidelines, a little like a wallflower at a college dance, waiting vainly for someone to call his name.

"I've been trying to sell it since it closed in May '75." he said. "I won't go into all of the reasons - an enrollment drop was part of it - but you know what is happening to boarding schools all over," he said. "It's costing a tremendous amount to keep the school as it is and I heard about this meeting and came, hoping."
"The price is $4.8 million." he added. "But that's just the asking price."

And now you know the rest of the story!

Bob DuBrul '53 writes about his class's 50th reunion:

Bob DuBrul

The class of '53 held their 50th Anniversary reunion June 27-29, 2003. It was held near Chicago at the Indian Lakes Resort. We had 55 former classmates attend along with 42 spouses. Needless to say a good time was had by all, even the spouses. They came from as far as Florida, New Mexico, California, Oregon and Maine. But the longest traveler was Nick Wade, who came from Oslo, Norway where he has been living for the past 30 years. It was his second reunion of the year. We had no luck finding him, but he found the Florida reunion in March and come over to attend. Of course there was only one classmate there this year, given our own up-coming reunion. Jerry Holzhall, got Nick's e-mail address. The long and short of it was that Nick came back to the US for our reunion.

Format was similar to the Florida reunions. Friday dinner, Saturday open with various trips available and golf, Saturday night banquet and Sunday breakfast. A highlight was a memento wall and table, which had some great displays compliments of Dick Trimarco, Bud Hayden and several others, who brought mementoes and added to the collection. The two most memorable: an old tray from the cafeteria and a freshman beanie!! A unique feature was the use of nametags with a classmate's full name and his original graduation picture. They gave instant recognition of each one, especially those who didn't exactly look the same as 50 years ago. Spouses all had their husbands graduation picture on their tags as well so the connection was clear and immediate. Like the Florida reunion, we found that the years just melted away as if it were yesterday. The full list of attendees: Barman, Boyle, Clausen, Conklin, Costello, Cummings, Downing, DuBrul, Dunin, Ebbing, Eckman, Finneran, Fleege, Gladstone, Gormley, Haverkamp, Hayden, Heffernan, Holland, Holzhall, Hopple, Kakuska, Kleihege, Koss, Kraemer, Kretz, Lambert, Lauer, LeFevre, McCarthy, McClellan, Mullin, Mundt, Bob Menzner, Don Menzner, Nebel, Nelson, Otting, Parker, Paulson, Peterson, Phillipp, Rossiter, Rubey, Ryan, Scanlan, Schmidt, Strzok, Temple, Toomey, Trimarco, Wade, Watzke,Weber and Wray

I think Mike Rossiter captured it as well as any with this comment: "The reunion gave us all a chance to see that we still are part of our community. We memorized poetry, studied Latin and went to daily Mass at a place called Campion. And even today, we are special for that. For me this was a loose end of more then 50 years endurance, but not any more." Thanks to each of you for what your efforts did to help us find so many classmates who could get together.

Bob DuBrul on behalf of the class of '53

Freshman Beanie?? Not in my day!

Jim Bayley '57 offers the following after their 45th reunion:

August 4, 2002
Dear Classmates,

Jim Bayley

I realized during our time together that we are really more than classmates. The many experiences that we had together makes us more like brothers. That was very evident to me during the weekend. I just wish we had more classmates with us. Maybe at our 50th. I am writing this on Sunday afternoon. Perhaps like you, I am exhausted, probably emotionally more than physically. It is a very good exhaustion! I will have many fond memories of our time together, especially our Mass on Saturday evening. Father Tom and Father Jack had wonderful messages for us. I was very touched and not a few tears came to my eyes.

It was difficult to leave after our get together on Saturday night. Everyone seemed to have such a great time. The bartender mentioned to me "These are very special people. I am very impressed with them." I have to say that I am impressed also. I am impressed with the sense of kindness and spirituality that I noticed over the weekend. Father Jack's remarks about how the Jesuits worked to instill those qualities in us was certainly true. I do not want to get "deprogrammed." I value most highly the opportunities I had at Campion. They gave me much more than I realized. The older I get the more thankful I am that sacrifices were made so I could go to Campion. Thank you all for your great participation. I pray for all my classmates and their families every day.

May God bless you,
Jim Bayley

A group picture of the reunion attendees provided by Keith Rothschild '57 follows:

Front row: Woerth, P. O'Brien, Gaffney, Choutka, Bayley, Gill, Wall, Herman, Berger, P. Koch, Haas. Second row: Frain, Weber, Burbach, Johnson, Doman, Hinko, Gehred, Dantzer. Third row: Kay, Zable, Marlovits, Zorc, Madda, Frost, Rothschild, Drees, Callahan. Back row: Moloney, Clemens, Smith, Aschoff, Lenz, K. Butler, Newton, Miller, Nack, Bell.

Our pal Nostra Dumbass sez: "If assholes could fly, this place would be an airport."

Bob McGlynn '44 refutes Tom Murray's piece in our July newsletter:

This is a response to my good friend and law classmate, Tom Murray's, recent letter advocating a married clergy. Although the Pope recently reaffirmed the Church position on celibacy, the thrust of Tom's conclusions requires discussion.

After referring to the celibacy rule Tom writes,
"...This policy, if not the cause, has created the climate that has produced and permitted sexual scandals of several distinct categories, not only to emerge, but to continue long unabated to the detriment of the Roman Catholic Church..." (emphasis supplied)

Before responding to these points, perhaps we should review the climate of the past thirty to forty years and the gradual decline in morality in our society in general, and of the faith in our Church.

Abortion was legalized. Since, 1 1/2 million babies have been killed each year. Pornography was legalized and our entertainment industry and lately the internet is awash with smut. (Is it possible to watch the movies on a premium channel TV without running athwart the NINTH COMMANDMENT?) Do you even remember the ninth?

Divorce hits 1 of 2 marriages. One of every three children is born out of wedlock (90% in inner city). Adultry and fornication, homosexual and heterosexual, are common place. Drugs are a scourge. And now the Supreme Court holds that sodomites may not be prosecuted, prompting the advocates to say that sodomy is legal, moral and a cherished way of life.

In our Church 1 out of 3, who say they are Catholic, do not believe in the true presence of our Savior in Eucharist, half do not attend Sunday Mass and Confession. (What's that?) The number of priests has declined drastically, but the nuns have almost ceased to exist (except for the 80,000 whose average age is 70.)

Now for the problem, the scandal! It is not celibacy - it is chastity or better the lack thereof. A small number of priests of the total number of the good priests, have sinned horribly and grievously (mortal sin, remember that from the old days?). The victims were largely, but not exclusively, teenage boys.

On Tom's position in inverse order, the Bishops.

The Bishops knew what was taking place and that it was the most serious and reprehensible of mortal sins. Complaints were made by Bishops, priests, laymen and women, married and single, and doctors who examined victims. Some Bishops, being priests who heard confessions for years thought that the sinners could or would reform and not sin (in that manner) any more. They provided counseling and sent the priests for treatment. I'll give some credit that some tried but even those failed miserably in not keeping direct tabs on the sinners to ensure that it not happen again. Some also covered up the 'problem' and sent sinners to the very places where they were most likely to fall again. And some we know were themselves players.

Tom asserts that if there were priests with wives the Bishops would have acted differently and more responsibly. His opinion, not mine, because what goaded them into action was the victim's going public. The public outcry forced action. Even after surfacing in the early nineties and priests removed from ministry, some bishops still covered up. The Bishop's Associations in the U. S. took action only after the deluge in Boston.

Tom's first point was that there would not have been this sexual scandal if priests were allowed to marry. Maybe, but, maybe not. Marriage does not guaranty chastity, although in the natural order it helps. Married men, (and women) commit adultery and some are pedophiles.

We probably would have had more priests, but not necessarily. What Tom does not mention is the great sacrifice required of the wife of a priest, not just her own vows but most importantly those of her husband priest. (Obedience). There are probably women willing to make that sacrifice but why aren't there women willing to make the sacrifice of a religious order?

Well, would it work? I don't think the Orthodox or Eastern Rite examples are persuasive because they are largely a different culture. The closest would be the Anglican Episcopalians. OH MY! There have had married priests since Henry VIII, and now have priestesses and even fornicating, in rectory, Bishop(s). Their numbers in clergy and laity have fallen in Britain and North America. The relevant locations. Anglicans are growing only in Africa, but they are conservative. Our culture has done its best to destroy the virtue of chastity. We have allowed it. We have continued to support those who advocate killing babies. (Has the irony of Irish Catholic senators, some Jesuit educated, trying to destroy pro-life judges or candidates hit you in the face as yet ???)

I note that the Diocese of Peoria (Illinois) ordained 8 priests in June. What do you think they have that say the Archdiocese of Los Angeles doesn't ???

The healing of this scandal is going to occur only through prayer and a rededication by clergy and laity that we will stand up for and practice our faith. We must again recognize the insidiousness and devastation of sin. Sin is not mentioned in polite society because it may offend someone or be insensitive or (ghast) be judgmental. The media which is the foremost advocate of this 'political correctness' has no hesitation in trashing our clergy and the Catholic Church itself. (just for being what we are).

Our actual enemy though is Satan. The one who hates God and is capable of the most outrageous deception and lies to guile people into sin and damnation to HELL. The smoke of the Devil has invaded the Church.

Remember, there are many good holy priests who are suffering because of the sins of a few. Try to show appreciation to them and tell them how much they mean to the saving of souls, especially our own. And to Tom, we are still friends, I just cannot agree with your conclusions.

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