200364.COV.P:COVER
3/11/10
8:16 PM
Page 1
285 Cory’s Lane Portsmouth, RI 02871 www.portsmouthabbey.org
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 3 Portsmouth, RI
Address Service Requested
PORTSMOUTH ABBEY SCHOOL Portsmouth Abbey School
TSM
OO
L
We invite you to read or download our 2009 Annual Report online at http://www.portsmouthabbey.org/ page/alumni/giving Follow the link to the Annual Report
–20
N 09 A
REP AL NU
O RT
winter Bulletin 2010
P OR
SCH EY B B A TH OU
–
w i n t e r
B u l l e t i n
2 0 1 0
200364.COV.P:COVER
3/11/10
8:41 PM
Page 2
M I S S I O N S T AT E M E N T
The aim of Portsmouth Abbey School is to help young men and women grow in knowledge and grace. Grounded in the Catholic faith and 1500-year-old Benedictine intellectual tradition, the School fosters: Reverence for God and the human person Respect for learning and order Responsibility for the shared experience of community life
ANNUAL FUND Three of the hallmarks of a Benedictine education are stewardship, hospitality and community. Gifts to the Annual Fund nurture these traditions in the life of Portsmouth Abbey’s current students. For over 80 years, alumni, parents and friends have supported the School with gifts to the Fund. Continuing the tradition with your own gift deepens your sense of connection with the past and direction for the future of the entire community. Make a difference in our future; please consider a gift to the Annual Fund today.
BOARD OF REGENTS Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B. Abbot and Chancellor Portsmouth, RI Mr. John M. Regan, III ‘68 P ‘07 Chairman Watch Hill, RI Sr. M Therese Antone, RSM, Ed. D. Newport, RI
Rev. F. Washington Jarvis Dorchester Center, MA Rev. Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. ‘45 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Charles E. Kenahan ’77, P ’12 Swampscott, MA Mr. Edward G. Kirby ’83 Jamestown, RI
Mr. and Mrs. James F. W. Buckley ‘73, P’07, ‘08, ‘12 Co-Chairs, Parents’ Committee Bristol, RI
Mr. Alejandro J. Knoepffler ‘78, P ‘12 Coral Gables, FL
Dom Joseph Byron, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI
Ms. Devin McShane P ‘09, ‘11 Providence, RI
Mr. Frederick C. Childs ‘75 P ‘08 Cambridge, MA
Mr. James S. Mulholland, III ‘79 Sudbury, MA
Mr. Creighton O. Condon ’74, P ’07, ’10 Greenwich, CT
Ms. Mary F. Power P ‘06, ‘08, ‘12 Wellesley, MA
Mr. James D. Farley, Jr. ’81 Dearborn, MI
Mr. Robert A. Savoie P ’10, ’11 Bristol, RI
Dr. Timothy Flanigan ‘75, P ‘06, ‘09, ‘11 Tiverton, RI
Right Rev. Dom Mark Serna, O.S.B Hingham, MA
Mr. James S. Gladney P ’10, ’11, ‘13 Barrington, RI
Ms. Kathleen Boland Stevens ’95 Brookline, MA
Mr. William M. Haney, III ‘80 Wayland, MA
Rev. Dom Luke L. Travers, O.S.B. ‘75 Morristown, NJ
Dom Gregory Havill, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI
Mr. Samuel G. White ’64 New York, NY
Dr. Gregory W. Hornig ‘68, P ‘01 Prairie Village, KS
Very Rev. Dom Ambrose Wolverton, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI
ALUMNI CONNECTIONS Do we have your updated contact information? Do you want to career and social network with fellow Portsmouth Abbey Alumni? Do you want to read news about campus and regional events? Login to the Alumni Community at www.portsmouthabbey.org in the Alumni section and start networking! You can also stay in touch by following us and our 1,300 friends on Facebook. www.facebook.com/portsmouthabbey. Send a friend request to Portsmouth Abbey today!
Mr. M. Benjamin Howe ’79 Wellesley, MA
Front Cover: The Portsmouth Abbey School community, October 2009
S H O P O N - L I N E AT O U R B O O K S T O R E
W W W. P O R T S M O U T H A B B E Y. O R G
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:48 PM
Page 1
Community According to St. Benedict by Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B., Abbot At first glance, Saint Benedict’s Rule might seem to have no guidance to offer those who are thinking about the community aspect of life at Portsmouth Abbey School. He nowhere speaks of community as such: he does not even use the word “community.” Moreover, the world of his time (which was the decayed Roman Empire of the fifth and sixth centuries) had no notion of anything like a coeducational, secondary boarding school of our type. The society he grew up in and the thought-world of his time were very different from what we are used to and take for granted. Nevertheless, in his arrangements for the daily living of his monks, he gives abundant direction which could be put to use by any sort of community, of whatever time and place, which desires to live together harmoniously under God’s eye and in his presence. Attentive reading of the Rule reveals that Benedict’s view of life is so profoundly imbued with community values that he feels no need to speculate or issue pronouncements about the abstract idea of community. “A school of the Lord’s service” is what Benedict calls the community he is giving directions for. He says that none of the regulations in this “school” are intended to be harsh or burdensome, but “the good of all concerned may prompt us to a little strictness, in order to amend faults and to safeguard love.” Everyone has faults: schools exist to correct and educate. Love is the lifeblood of community: it needs to be protected and nourished. Hence a community must have directions and guidelines to keep its several members on the right path, acting amicably and harmoniously together and training their eye on the goal. At Portsmouth Abbey School there are procedures, rules and regulations (in church, houses, classroom, gym, and playing fields), an ordered social hierarchy (of administration, faculty, staff, school officers, prefects, and students arranged into forms), a horarium to be followed, and work to be done, as well as recreation to be enjoyed. All of this is intended for the common good, for the good of everyone who lives as part of the community. Well-ordered living and the good of all do not mean that each one is to be treated the same way as everyone else. Elders are to be respected by those who are younger. The young are to
be treated lovingly by their seniors. Those in charge are to be obeyed (the obedience given to them is actually given to God, the author of community life). Authority exists not for its own sake but for the benefit of all the members of the community. Disciplinary measures such as detentions and suspensions are called by St. Benedict “excommunication.” The person being disciplined is excluded temporarily from sharing in the activities of the community. The fundamental purpose is to bring the person to realize how grave the offense has been and so cause him to repent and do what is necessary to be re-admitted into full sharing in the common life. The members of the community are to serve one another. This service will make their love grow. One might have thought that, through being used, love would get used up. Experience shows the opposite: when put into practice, love only increases. The more we serve, the easier it is to serve, and the more we want to serve. Those who need help in doing their work should be given it. Burdens are made lighter by being shared; and the sense of gratitude for the benefit of community life is increased by the experience of receiving help. St. Benedict says, “Above all we admonish them to refrain from grumbling.” One thing that he is utterly against (as is indicated several times in the Rule) is grumbling, murmuring, complaining: it harms the complainer, poisons the atmosphere, and corrodes community life. Constructive criticism is appropriate and can help; but grousing and captious fault-finding–which all too easily become habitual–do no one any good. What we do by way of service is entirely directed to the benefit of those we serve. The timing of service–of asking for things and handing things out–is important. Interfering or interrupting unnecessarily is to be avoided. “No one should be disturbed in the house of God.” In this telling phrase, St. Benedict reveals (almost unconsciously) his vision of the community as God’s household. Despite the way things look, the fact is that we members of the community are not alone here. It is not just ourselves, the members of the group, that we have to consider in our actions and arrangements. And we are not living in community only because we like it or find it convenient. It is our Creator (who is also the Object of our seeking) who wills that we live together this way.
continued
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
1
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:49 PM
Page 2
In the second last chapter of the Rule, on the “good zeal” which the community members should have, St. Benedict sums up his program for community life by describing the inner attitude of the members in these words:
Just as there is an evil zeal of bitterness, which separates from God and leads to hell, so there is a good zeal, which separates from wrong and leads to God and to eternal life. Let monks, therefore, practice this zeal with the most fervent love, let them, that is, give one another preference in honor. Let them put up with their weaknesses of body or character most patiently; let them rival one another in showing obedience; let no one follow what he judges useful for himself but rather what he judges better for the other; let them exhibit the charity of brotherhood with pure love; let them fear God; let them honor their abbot with sincere and humble charity; let them put nothing before Christ, and may he lead us side by side (“pariter” is St. Benedict’s Latin word) to eternal life.
Here is the mindset which Benedict sees as underlying the actions of daily life. Here is the core spirit of community: mutual respect (more than that: even honoring one another); mutual forbearance (I have my own needs and desires, weaknesses, peeves, and fears–and so does everyone else); mutual obedience (our phrase for that would probably be ready and willing cooperation); mutual brotherliness (we are all children of the one Father); reverence for God; and deference toward the visible leadership of the community. All these elements add up to awarding Christ the undisputed first place, and imply the desire that he will respond by conducting us–in community with one another, side by side together– to life everlasting. The last clause of the chapter reveals that community is not a provisional arrangement designed for this world only, a kind of Purgatory from which we hope to be at length released after prolonged putting up with others. In fact, it is the way of Heaven, which we will not be able to experience except together, as community. n
Where are you now? Where are you going? How will you get there? The monks of Portsmouth Abbey have found answers to these questions in the Rule of St. Benedict... Could this be the answer for you? We invite you to experience a week of prayer, work, rest, and recreation in our Monastic Life Experience Program for single, college educated, Catholic men, 21– 45 years old, who wish to consider a call to monastic life. The program is "open-ended" and will be scheduled to suit you; spend a few days or a week at our
abbey on Narrgansett Bay, experiencing the life of the monk – Ora et Labora – including daily mass, common prayer, lectio divina, manual labor, and conferences on monastic history or spirituality, with opportunity for exercise and rest. The Monastic Life Experience Program is an opportunity to familiarize yourself with monastic life and consider the possibility that This Call May Be For You.
For more information, call Brother Francis at 401.643.1213 or email: Father Ambrose at fatherambrose@portsmouthabbey.org www.portsmouthabbey.org
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:49 PM
Page 3
1
Community According to St. Benedict by the Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B
4
Correspondence
5
Our Benedictine Community by Dr. James DeVecchi, Headmaster
7
Reunion ‘09
12
A Visit with Manuel Kreisler by Katherine Giblin Stark
13
Q & A with English Teacher, Coach, and Houseparent Corie McDermott
15
Portsmouth’s Debt to the EBC Houses by Rev. Dom Damian Kearney ‘45, O.S.B.
20
A Visit to New Norcia Abbey by Dan Hughes ‘97
21
The Catholic John Henry Newman by Rev. Dom Damian Kearney ‘45, O.S.B.
24
How Our Benedictine Roots Inspired an Admissions Campaign by Director of Admissions Meghan Fonts and Director of Communications Kathy Heydt
26
Education and the Possibility of Community in Portsmouth Abbey’s Summer Program by Peter I. O’Connor, Director of Summer Program
28
Summer Reading at Portsmouth Abbey School: Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader by Dr. Michael Bonin, English Department Head
29
Our Faculty is Reading... a sample of recommended books
30
The John L. McCauley Scholarship Fund Dinner by Assistant Headmaster for Development Patrick Burke ‘86
33
Athletics at Portsmouth Abbey: Promoting a Sense of Community by Al Brown, Athletic Director
36
Milestones
41
In Memoriam
44
Class Notes
page 33
page 26
page 21
page 7
IN THIS ISSUE
The Portsmouth Abbey School Bulletin is published biannually for alumni, parents and friends by Portsmouth Abbey School, a Catholic Benedictine preparatory school for young men and women in Forms III through VI (grades 9-12) in Portsmouth, RI. Headmaster – Dr. James DeVecchi
Assistant Headmaster for Development – Patrick J. Burke ’86
Editors – Kathy Heydt, Kathy Stark Art Director – Kathy Heydt Photographers – Louis Walker, Kim Fuller, Kate Whitney Lucey, Andrea Hansen, Jez Coulsen, Fran Cook, Kathy Heydt, Michelle O’Connor If you have any opinions or comments on the articles contained in our Bulletin, please email communications@portsmouthabbey.org or write to Office of Communications, Portsmouth Abbey School, 285 Cory’s Lane, Portsmouth, RI 02871. Please include your name and phone number.
Visit our website at www.portsmouthabbey.org
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
Join us on Facebook
3
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:49 PM
Page 4
CORRESPONDENCE
A letter to Jamie MacGuire ‘70 from Vincent Buonanno ‘62:
My compliments on a wonderful essay on the restoration project of the church and the Lippold wire sculpture, and also on your excellent photographs of it. It is not such an easy place to capture. I think it was in the fall of 1960 that I arrived at Portsmouth as a 16-year-old to spend my last two years of high school there. The church had just been completed for the opening of the school year and instead of pews, which hadn’t arrived, were 2’x 10’ lumber pieces set up for temporary seating. But the main impression walking in there alone was the stunning Lippold sculpture integrated so beautifully into the wood and stone of the Belluschi church, and so enhanced by the color of light hitting it from the stained glass windows. At the beginning of what has been a lifetime of looking at buildings everywhere I can in the world, religious and otherwise, was this breathtaking first look at something so unexpected. That only happens once in a while in a lifetime. I look forward to seeing you again at Portsmouth, Vincent
To the Editor: Five years ago I was evicted from the 12th C. tower-apartment in the Santa Croce area of Florence, Italy, for which I had paid rent over 42 years. At the top of the Tower there were wrap-around windows with one of the best views of the city’s magnificent Mediaeval and Renaissance monuments anywhere, plus, above that, a once-a-year roof-top view of the fireworks on June 24th, in honor of San Giovanni. These too were unmatched. I hadn’t lived there all those years – I’d lived in central France for some time; I owned a property in northern Scotland for 23 years where, with family and friends, I did restorative/ecological work; and, of course, I’d also lived early in those 42 years, searching like so many young people for my roots in London, the city of my parents’ youth, where I was born. Lately, the Tower’s panoramic view of Florence has changed to one of the beautiful vine-and-olive-blessed Tuscan countryside. For the last 15 years I’ve worked as program Director and teacher of art history for the University of Delaware in Siena, and as a lecturer on the Renaissance and on the Etruscans for a Chicagobased educational tour operator in Cortona. So I moved closer to my work– Castelnuovo Berardenga– originally one of the homes of a Renaissance banking and Vatican family, the Chigi. Two years ago [I] started a Museum in the farmhouse of a beautiful villa, with formal gardens open to the public, in lovely Fiesole. It’s dedicated to foreign artists who have worked in Tuscany since the beginning of the 20th C., and is called Fondazione Fremantle per Artisti Stranieri in Toscana: anyone interested can visit the website, and anyone in Florence is welcome – call me; I’ll show you around. It’s really an historical museum, since every foreign artist who was anyone – from Jacques Lipchitz
4
to Henry Moore, Keith Haring to Hermann Hesse and Muriel Spark, to Zubin Mehta, to Sting, etc., has worked in Tuscany at some point with no record whatsoever of their time here. (www.fremantlefoundation.org) When I was at Portsmouth my great friends were Fr. Hilary, the housemaster at St. Bede’s, Georges de Gramont – a wonderful friend and athlete – and Carlos Ferreyos, from Peru. Georges’ family and mine have always known each other, so I’ve seen Georges a few times over the years. Carlos I’ve never seen again, although I met his father (also Carlos Ferreyros) in the 60s in Annabel’s, then an “in” London disco; he immediately called Carlos junior, and we friends spoke again. Hilary was a totally wonderful, civilized human being, who had a great influence on his charges. I once asked him why I’d been so happy at Portsmouth, and so miserable with the Jesuits, where I had spent two years, prior to Portsmouth: “Jesuits are lawyers,” he replied, “They want to convince you of their position. So they answer whatever in order to begin and dominate a relationship with you. We Benedictines tell you what we think life is all about. It’s then up to you to take it or leave it.” It was Hilary, of course, who initiated the planning and original development of the campus at Portsmouth. He was an architect and city-planner from San Francisco. So he found a California architect of stature to plan the first buildings– the Church and St. Bede’s. And at St Bede’s, long before such things became chic necessities, he designed and planted a Zen garden. Hilary was also the biggest snob I’ve ever known– his only fault, and certainly not a serious one, but it could be boring. He’d come regularly to Europe, and we’d meet: “Have you seen Harold?” he’d ask typically. “Harold who?” I’d reply. “Acton, of course, silly boy,” he’d say, referring to the richest, grandest foreigner in Florence. Or, “Have you seen Elizabeth?” “Elizabeth who?” I’d ask dryly, knowing what was coming. “Longford! Surely you still see the Countess of Longford??,” a famous writer and wife of a Knight-of-the-Garter and Minister in Her Majesty’s government. Then there was Harry Polwarth, a Lord and cousin of my father’s, who had provided Hilary with his inseparable companion, a Welsh Border Collie called Rags, beloved to all and essential for moving the sheep from field to field: “That kind man who got me Rags – what was his name? You know, Richard, the Governor of the Bank of Scotland?...do you ever see him?...” In 2004 I was invited to my class’s 50th reunion... I didn’t make it. But I would like to end this comment with the message I sent my co-alumni of ‘54, something precious and magic to me, which I learned at Portsmouth many years ago and which has served me for so long. I wanted to share a little intimate part of me with them. It’s particularly apt at the moment: True education is not about learning how to acquire, whether social graces, position, money, or anything else– not even knowledge. True education is about learning to give. Warmest greetings to everyone at Portsmouth, – Richard Fremantle ‘54
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:49 PM
Page 5
Headmaster’s Reflection
OUR BENEDICTINE COMMUNITY By Jim DeVecchi
Our faculty fittingly started this 2009-10 School year (and “officially” ended their summer break) with an early-September Faculty Workshop focused on Portsmouth’s Benedictine character and how it so deeply enriches, and profoundly defines, our Portsmouth Abbey School campus community. Opening-of-School faculty workshops are part of our annual School cycle, but this year was particularly special since the September 3rd workshop date coincided with the Monastery’s annual celebration of the Feast of St. Gregory the Great (our Abbey’s patron saint). We had the joy of starting our day (and new School year) with a celebratory Mass and homily by Abbot Caedmon, followed by his Blessing of the Faculty and reflections on the Feast Day by faculty member Blake Billings ’77. The workshop continued with a discussion of our Mission and Benedictine core, and how our most unique Mission and core inform the principles through which our School culture and community have evolved. Fundamental to any healthy Benedictine institution, and truly characteristic of our Abbey School, are the hallmarks of Balance, Prayer, Discipline, Obedience, Stability, Community, Hospitality, Love, Justice and Conversatio – the last of these hallmarks being the quality of staying with the program day-in and day-out, which, for our Abbey Monks, is for a lifetime. One sees these hallmarks as defining elements of our Abbey Community: Balance in our daily routine; Prayer in the activity of praying itself and in the way we value silence and contemplation; Discipline and Obedience in the ordered and respectful way in which we tend to our daily campus lives; Stewardship in the way we respect and care for our campus environment; Community and Hospitality in the warmth and inclusiveness of our campus; Love and Justice in the way we treat each other and in the fact that the Abbey is a place where everyone can fit in; and Conversatio in how we keep after the things we should be doing. At Portsmouth, our campus community culture is set forth more by example than by rule (Note that I am saying “rule” and not “Rule!”). Our campus community is enriched because of the example provided by the Monks as they practice (really, live) the hallmark qualities stated above. The Benedictine example of “community” is also set by our faculty and staff, and this year’s workshop was highlighted by the reflections of five of our faculty who shared what this Benedictine character means personally and professionally to them, and, in their eyes, to our students: Father Damian ’45; Lizzie Benestad (Classics Chair); Nancy Brzys (Assistant Head for School Life); Bob Rainwater (Chair of the Science Department); and Patrick Burke ’86 (Assistant Head for Alumni and Development). When speaking about our 1500-year-old Benedictine tradition, D. Damian reminded us that when he started at the School, it was still “the 1400-year-old tradition!” Asked about how he likes “retirement,” D. Damian stated that a monk never “retires” from the monastic life; by vow, a monk is always a part of the monastery. Many of us – faculty and alumni alike – feel (and this is a very
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
5
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:49 PM
Page 6
OUR BENEDICTINE COMMUNITY
good feeling indeed) that we, too, will always be part of the Portsmouth community, and it surely is the stability of our monastic community that gives us confidence in this feeling. Nancy, in her 28th year at Portsmouth, reflected on the formative value the Portsmouth community has provided for her. Portsmouth’s community is its people, and Nancy shared some deeply felt reflections on the seminal influence a few very special Benedictine and lay colleagues – some who have devoted their lives to the School and Abbey – have had on her. Lizzie shared what it means to her to be working at a Catholic boarding school, observing that there is a fourth – and greater – dimension to her work and life at Portsmouth beyond the traditional “triple threat” roles of teaching, coaching and house parenting. Indeed, knowing that there is something happening on our campus beyond all of those important elements of our daily school routine causes even the most casual of spiritual observers in our community to pause (some frequently and perhaps some for just a passing moment), having been profoundly touched by that sense of spirituality. Bob commented on the warm sense of community at Portsmouth and the culture here that fosters a high level of respect for both spirit and scholarship. He said teaching at the Abbey gives one the sense of being part of the continuous and connected sequence of our Western intellectual history, and our Benedictine presence here reinforces that we all are part of a history with deep, interconnected roots. Bob concluded by stating that science at Portsmouth holds in awe the complexity and beauty of God’s creation, and that ultimately, science, like religion, must share a sense of wonder and mystery about the Divine. Patrick commented from the perspective of an alumnus and a faculty member who personally appreciates the special nature of three of our campus community constituencies: our students, our faculty and our faculty families. Patrick summed up wonderfully what all of our faculty speakers had stated: namely, that our Portsmouth Abbey School community is not rooted in the same soil as other schools, and that at the Abbey this unique foundation influences not only what we do but, profoundly, explicitly and confidently, in how we do it. The faculty workshop concluded with an afternoon session on how our campus culture is being articulated in our new “Take Root” admissions marketing theme: at Portsmouth Abbey School, students (and really our entire Abbey community) “Take Root” AMONG IDEAS, BESIDE YOUR FRIENDS, OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM and IN WHAT IS BEYOND ALL UNDERSTANDING. As Patrick observed, our unique “soil” is, indeed, fertile ground for all in our singular and special Abbey School community.
P O RT S M O U T H I N ST I T U T E 2 010 Newman and the Intellectual Tradition June 10-13, 2010 at Portsmouth Abbey School Portsmouth, Rhode Island Speakers will include: Fr. Richard Duffield: The Newman Cause Paul Griffiths: The Grammar of Assent Fr. Ian Ker: Newman’s (and Pope Benedict XVI’s) Hermeneutic of Continuity Peter Kreeft: The Dream of Gerontius Patrick Reilly: Newman and the Renewal of Catholic Identity in Higher Education Fr. George Rutler: The Anglican Newman & Recent Developments Edward Short: Newman and the Americans Deacon Jack Sullivan: My Miraculous Healing ........ and more to come. For more information and to register please go to www.portsmouthinstitute.org or contact Cindy Waterman at (401) 643-1244 or cwaterman@portsmouthabbey.org. The Portsmouth Institute is a summer conference, study, recreation and retreat center for all those interested in questions pertaining to Catholic life, leadership and service in the 21st Century.
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:49 PM
Page 7
Timothy Howes ’84, his wife, Jane, and children, Alexandra and Davis, took in the sights on the guided tour of the Aquidneck Island coast aboard the Newport Touring Train.
Faculty Emeritus David McCarthy and wife, Cheryl, enjoy the New England style Clambake on Reunion weekend!
The Class of ‘79 from left (kneeling): Charles Rodgers, Stephen McKenna, Christopher Sullivan, M. Benjamin Howe, Timothy Walsh, Steve Jaegle, Michael McGinn, James Powers, Robert Rohn; (standing): Mark Molloy, Paul Dembinski, Joseph Tucker, James Ortiz, Anthony Galban, Nicolas Ferrone, Peter Garvy, James Tovar, Vincent Scanlan, David Pacinda, Kelvin Cooks, John Robinson, Felipe Vicini, Peter Mogayzel, James Coyle
Alumni from near and far made their way back to campus in record numbers for Reunion Weekend 2009. The weather on both Friday and Saturday was picture perfect, making for an ideal setting for the many weekend activities. More than 290 alumni and their families from around the globe were welcomed back to Portsmouth Abbey, many returning for the first time in decades. On Friday, to kick off the weekend, over 40 alumni tested their skills with a round of golf at the Carnegie Abbey Club golf course. Others enjoyed a friendly game of tennis, took in the alumni art exhibit in the McGuire Fine Arts Center, or visited the St. Thomas More Library to peruse the alumni book display. In the evening, most classes gathered for dinner at various off-campus locations to celebrate with their fellow classmates. Some met at local restaurants and some at private homes. In addition to the individual class dinners, an Alumni Class Leader Dinner was held in the Winter Garden of the School, where class leaders enjoyed a delicious dinner and were recognized by Annual Fund Chairman Tom Anderson ’73 for their outstanding fundraising efforts and leadership among their classes.
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
7
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
John Congdon ‘59 with Brother Joseph at the cocktail party Saturday night.
3:49 PM
Page 8
Below: Robert (Bunky) Bakutis ‘64 (left) and Antoine Maloney ’64 enjoy a chuckle after Antoine helped Bunky tie his bow tie!
Left: (from left) Nicholas Micheletti ‘04, Allie (DeSisto) Micheletti ’05, Kathryn Winter ’04 and Christina and Andres Valenzuela ’04 enjoy the Saturday evening cocktail party before dinner.
Saturday meant Reunion-goers had choices to make, be it “Back to the Classroom” with a favorite teacher or Dom Damian’s special reunion class, cleverly named, Books: The Latest Endangered Species! A 50th Reunion Mass for the Class of ’59 was held in the newly renovated Church of St. Gregory the Great. Led by Charles Donahue ’59, with celebrant Fr. Christopher Davis ’48 presiding, the classmates worshipped, sang and remembered those alumni who have died. Headmaster Jim DeVecchi shed light on the growth of the School with a presentation of “Portsmouth Abbey Today” in the Auditorium. There were Church renovation and wind turbine tours and a New England-style clambake with live music provided by our own Jim Coyle ’79 and his North Shore Jazz Band. Athletic contests were on tap for Saturday afternoon, along with a scenic train ride on the Newport Touring Train. After a full day, guests enjoyed a wonderful gala dinner celebration on Saturday evening that featured fresh salad and vegetables from Portsmouth Abbey’s own community kitchen garden. Reunioners dined, reconnected and enjoyed the music of Jazz Candy while spending the evening reminiscing with old friends and favorite faculty members. The rain came on Sunday morning, but that didn’t deter those who remained to worship at Sunday Mass and to enjoy a few remaining moments together enjoying brunch in the Stillman Dining Hall. All in all, it was clear that everyone took great pleasure in a weekend reminiscing about the Portsmouth of their memories and in learning a little bit about the Portsmouth Abbey of today. This year’s Reunion ‘10 is for classes ending in ‘0 or ‘5 and will be held the weekend of October 1-3. Mark your calendars now to save the date! Please call Kate Spinella, director of the Parent Fund and alumni and parent affairs, at (401) 643-1276 if you would like to become involved in planning this year’s reunion.
8
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:50 PM
Page 9
DIMAN CLUB Right: The Diman Club (from left, standing): Dom Damian Kearney ’45, Terence Shea ‘48, Dom Julian Stead ’43, John (Gerry) Kavanagh ‘56; (seated) Hugh Tovar ’41, Roger Moriarty ‘50, David Kearney’50, Dom Christopher Davis ’48, Samuel Francis ‘43
5 0 TH REUNION Left: Class of 1959 (from left, standing): Louis Warren, John Diskon, Louis Farrelly, Dominic Corrigan, Christopher Shannon; (seated): Stephen Ham, Charles Donahue, Jerome Johnston, John Congdon, Robert (Emmet) Kennedy, Peter Regan
4 0 TH REUNION
Above:The Class of 1964 (from left): Antoine Maloney, J. Regan Kerney, Robert Bakutis, Ciro Scotti, J ames MacGuire ‘70 Left: The Class of 1969 (from left): Peter Moran and Fred Brown
4 5 TH REUNION
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:50 PM
Page 10
3 0 TH REUNION Left: Class of 1979 (from left, standing): Mark Molloy, Michael McGinn, Robert Rohn, John Robinson, Peter Mogayzel, Manuel Kreisler (former faculty, P’82), Peter Garvy, James Tovar, James Ortiz, Anthony Galban, James Coyle, Paul Dembinski; (seated) Vincent Scanlan, Charles Rodgers, Felipe Vicini, Peter Vendituoli, Stephen Jaegle, Stephen McKenna, Christopher Sullivan, David Pacinda, James Powers, Kelvin Cooks
3 5 TH REUNION Right: Class of 1974 (from left, standing): Joseph Robinson, Kevin McNally, William Buonanno, Charles Grace, Robert Andre, Michael Dasovich, Joseph Sullivan, Andrew Denison, Paul Speer; (seated) Tony Susen, Thomas Keeley, Dominic Palumbo, Gregg Dietrich, Kenneth Stier, Timothy Cunningham, Creighton Condon
2 5 TH REUNION Left: Class of 1984 (from left, standing): Timothy Howes, Prescott Carter, Edgar (Guy) Farrington, Stephen MacGillivray, Sidney Gorham, David FitzSimons, David Mazella, Donald Dowd, Charles Lattanzio; (seated) Brian Hetherington, Andrew Godfrey, Thomas Willis, Christopher Sheehan, Charles Matthews, Andrew Walsh, Richard McCauley, Michael Rappaport, David Cummings
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:50 PM
Page 11
1 5 TH REUNION Left: Class of 1994 (from left, standing): William Toth, Patrick Kelly, Eero Pikat, Brendan Kearney, Nicolas Lombardi; (seated): Jeremy Kane, Christopher Snell, Janice Iglesias, Joel Aruta
n,
sler
n, i;
i,
rs,
)
2 0 TH REUNION Right: Class of 1989 (from left, standing): Christopher Meyer, Thomas McGinn, Edward Shagory, Michael Foley, Christopher Salas; (seated): Daniel Scanlan, Anthony Del Vicario, Sean Wilson, Sean Spicer
1 0 TH REUNION Left: Class of 1999 (from left, standing): Kristen Weida Smith, Desiree Ravenscroft, Brian Kearney, Daniel Burke, Ethan Case, Jonathan Marks, Noah Duffey, Ronald Lagman; (seated): Andrea Sahms, Christina Beccue, Virginia Ryan, Justine Reeber Button, Jillian Hawes, Amara and daughter Micah Murray Mulder, Francesca Palazio, Cara Gontarz, Candice McCarthy
5 TH REUNION Right: Class of 2004 (from left, standing): Marco Salaverria, Antonio Leal, Noah Swistak, Phil Abate, Nicholas Micheletti, Michael Queno, Andres Valenzuela, Whitney Connell, Genevieve Block, Christopher Fleming; (seated): Kathryn Winter, Jeffrey Willis, Katherine Lyons, Edward Ring, Chad Wood, Lesly Wood, Nicholas Trimboli
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:50 PM
Page 12
A Visit with Manuel Kreisler By Katherine Giblin Stark, Assistant Director of Communications The School and Monastery warmly welcomed Señor Manuel Kreisler back for Reunion ’09. Sr. Kreisler, a beloved and respected member of the Portsmouth faculty from 1974-1996, served in numerous capacities during his 22-year tenure, including Chairman of the Modern Language Department, Dean of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, Head of Discipline Committee, Director of the Summer School, Assistant Housemaster, Soccer Coach, and Assistant Headmaster. Sr. Kreisler’s wife, Conchita, was head of the Spanish Department at St. George’s for 20 years. The Kreislers lived on the Portsmouth Abbey campus, and one of their two children, son Michael, attended Portsmouth Abbey, graduating in 1982. Since 1996, the Kreislers have been living in Madrid. Conchita Kreisler passed away in September of 2008 after a courageous battle with cancer. Sr. Kreisler’s former students were delighted to catch up with him over Reunion weekend, and he was happy to share with us his thoughts about returning to Portsmouth after many years, saying, “It is difficult to describe the outstanding impression I received during my recent visit.” KS: Everyone was delighted to see you back at School for Reunion Weekend. How long had it been since you last visited campus? MK: I retired after my last Summer School (August 1996). I returned for a visit in 1998 while in Florida visiting our daughter. Thus, eleven years went by in an autumnal hurry. Sic transit. KS: What was the most significant change in the School during your tenure here? MK: Early in 1990, I believe, I suggested to Dom Francis Davidson (then the Headmaster) that the Summer School be allowed to admit girls. Dom Francis approved, but told me that my decision did not mean Portsmouth was about to go co-ed. Good enough. So a few girls were accepted that summer. The School business manager placed a few flower pots in St. Aelreds´s urinals and the girls survived for six glorious weeks. Mrs. Kreisler and I went on vacation, and when I returned in September I was summoned to the Monastery where I was informed that Portsmouth Abbey School was going to become co-educational as of the next school year!!! Ora et Labora. By the way, a special dispensation was granted by the Abbot so that Nancy Brzys could accompany me to the Monastery calefactory where the announcement was made. How do you like that! Ergo, the most significant change.
12
KS: What are the most noteworthy changes you have seen in the School since your retirement? MK: During my tenure at Portsmouth I tried always to bring the School at a par with the competition. I always wanted to make Portsmouth comparable, and better than the many prep schools I knew well. Now this has been achieved without losing the School´s character. During my recent visit I was able to see we are now a top prep school, and without doubt the School has kept its Catholicity intact. During the 22 years that you and your family were here, do you have any especially memorable anecdotes you could share that epitomize to you the essence of the School? 1) Never in those years did I fail to witness the solid care every monk had for every student. Including those less gracious. 2) The School always places the student first, and we in the Faculty contributed to that effect. KS: How would you characterize the Portsmouth Abbey students you taught over the years? MK: Healthy in spirit and in mind. Attractive and enthusiastic. Even beautiful, after 1990... KS: What do you think distinguishes Portsmouth Abbey from other schools? MK: What makes it special? The fact it is a Catholic school where all the positive aspects of adolescence are nurtured. Graçias, Señor Kreisler.
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:51 PM
Page 13
Q&A
with Corie McDermott, English teacher, varsity girls’ squash coach, varsity tennis coach, and head houseparent of St. Mary’s.
Where did you grow up? Tell us a little bit about your family.
How long have you been at Portsmouth Abbey?
I grew up in Western Massachusetts in the Berkshires. I have a close-knit extended family: my parents, my brother, my grandparents, and my aunt and uncle. We are the kind of family that goes on vacation and then needs a vacation from it because we do so many athletic events and are exhausted afterwards. I am the odd-woman-out living so far away while everyone else still lives in the Berkshires.
I have been at Portsmouth Abbey for six years now. All of those years have been spent in the St. Mary’s dorm, and teaching and coaching the same things: English, squash and tennis.
Tell us about your undergraduate experience at Williams and the Bread Loaf program in which you are involved: I did my undergraduate work at Williams College in Western Massachusetts. It was definitely a dream of mine. In the sixth grade – I am a musician, too; I play the trumpet – I went and saw the jazz band there. I had this moment: I need to go to Williams! In the eighth grade my college counselor said, “You will never get in.” I took it personally, as if I needed to prove something to him. I got in – it was my first choice – had a great time, majored in English, did a lot with the arts and music departments. I played squash for a year and also was a “JA.” In my junior year, rather than going abroad or studying another language, I applied and was accepted to stay on campus with 49 of my peers and basically run a dorm. We were like RAs but without the pay – instead we were getting the “prestige.” For the past four summers I have been at the Bread Loaf program through Middlebury, one of the largest masters programs in Literature. The great thing about the program is it allows for you to travel. There are four campuses, and I started in Vermont, and then went to St. John’s campus in Santa Fe, and then to UNC at Asheville. I was most recently studying at Lincoln College in Oxford. Middlebury gathers together the professors that are the top in their respective fields. I took a class that looked at Romanticism and Naturalism between British literature and American literature, and it was taught by one of the premier scholars on that subject. When I took a Faulkner class down south, I took the class from one of the leading scholars. It is liberating because you get to move and travel and meet a lot of people. I will receive my degree after this coming summer. The program is five summers total and I have one summer left. I will be finishing in Vermont, where it all started. Also, my family will be able to come to graduation. I am excited to finish, too; as fun as it has been, I am ready to be done.
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
What first drew you to the Abbey? Location. As many people know, when you are looking for a boarding school, there are a lot of schools in the middle of nowhere. You might get the boarding school experience, but not the awareness of the outside world. I think we offer a nice balance in that respect. Secondly, I felt most welcome when I came to this campus. I had been to other campuses, and had other job offers, but I felt there was always this unwelcoming critical eye. I did not feel that here. The Abbey felt like the right place to go.
What keeps you here? The students. Most certainly, the students. I try to maintain a balanced lifestyle and say “work is work” and “my life is my life,” but ultimately they are completely blended, which I think becomes the delight of boarding school in the end. The fact that I get excited in September, I’m thrilled to teach Old Man and the Sea for the 6th time, I think, is a positive thing. The students give me back that energy. If you put energy in to them, they give it back. I think that is an important exchange.
Why did you choose the teaching profession and why English? I chose teaching… maybe teaching chose me? I can remember when I was quite young forcing my poor brother to attend “school” in the playroom, which meant my teaching him addition, subtraction, composing sentences, and his dreading it even at five years old. It has never felt like work to me. I worked at camps when I was in high school and college, and it always felt like a natural progression. I can’t imagine my life differently.
Long-suffering little brother? Long-suffering little brother! Poor kid. But now he is an engineer so he can thank me for the math.
What do you like most about teaching? I think seeing the “aha!” moment on somebody’s face. That can come in a seminar where you press a kid who otherwise curls up into him- or herself when you ask an analytical question, or the moment a kid goes from getting a C minus on a paper – the dreadful C minus – and to
13
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:51 PM
Page 14
Coach McDermott (far right) with her 2010 varsity girls squash players
Corie at Longhouse Pueblo, Mesa Verde, Colorado
breaking through the wall, as I call it, they really feel that sense of accomplishment. Ultimately, while I guided them, they were the masters of their own destiny. That is an amazing feeling; I feel their excitement.
really positive way. I also characterize them as nice, for lack of a better term, and I think nice in a sincere way. This is especially true in the Third Form dorm when we have new students coming in and they are panicking for the first two weeks of school, convinced they are going to fail. It is the other students who help them transition through that process, whether it is the prefects or the upperclassmen who offer a helping hand, pointing them to class or whatever it may be. That is something that the faculty cannot offer. It is a unique aspect that the students bring to the community.
What is your favorite book and why? That is a hard question; I have to give a couple. My favorite novel is Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita. Nabokov is a Russian author who found the English language beautiful, and the project in this novel is to write the most beautiful novel about probably one of the most offensive subjects. The juxtaposition between the two I find just amazing. The opening chapter, which is only two or three paragraphs long, is something that you can chant, like a mantra, a poem. I also like Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies and Unaccustomed Earth. Not only was Lahiri just 30 when she won the Pulitzer Prize, but there is this intimate grace to each one of her short stories that draws you in. Even though it is about this highly specific world, the Indian population around Cambridge, MA, you can still connect with that culture despite the fact that you otherwise don’t know anything about them other than what she tells you. I also delight in the humoris novels. I like Richard Russo’s Straight Man. You are supposed to be able to laugh at books, too. I think that’s kind of important. Billy Collins – any of his poetry collections. I think he is incredible… and hilarious.
How would you characterize the faculty at Portsmouth Abbey? What have you learned from them? I would characterize the faculty here as… naturally intellectual. Which means that they are not posturing about how excited they are about their discipline; they actually are. They are also aware of community, always trying to contribute to it in a positive way. I think the important thing for all of the teachers is that we all have the same goal, ultimately. The faculty here is also vibrant and charismatic.
How would you characterize the students at Portsmouth Abbey? What have you learned from them? The students are diverse, certainly in backgrounds, but more in their curiosities and their demeanors. There are some boarding schools where there is a sort of homogeneous “type.” We avoid the stereotype in a
14
What is the one thing that you would want the students to take away from their experience with you? Always ask why. And whether that is in terms of reading or writing, larger or smaller questions, too often we send out an army of passive learners. There is a really clever bumper sticker: “Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History.” I think it is well-behaved children, within the parameters of academia, who rarely make history. If they learn anything from my classes, which are all seminar based and essentially student-driven, it is to ask the next question. I model that and push that. Ask the next question, and then try to answer it. So what if you are wrong? Who cares?
What is especially gratifying to you as a teacher? It is gratifying to learn, too, as a teacher. One of my greatest fears is to be in a cubicle and never learn anything new again. I don’t mean to say that cubicle life is synonymous with not learning, but I have associated them somehow in my mind. For as much as I learned in college and even in grad school, I learned so much more as a teacher– especially in my first year teaching, when I would learn a thousand new things every day. It was insane. And maybe I would make a thousand mistakes. There is nothing like standing in front of a classroom and, one, having to know the answer or, two, admitting that you might not know the answer and now you have to go and find out what it is. I find that gratifying. It is probably a more selfish response, but as a teacher it is my obligation to learn, which is not a bad obligation at all.
Corie provided many more wonderful answers to our questions during this interview. To read the interview in its entirety, please visit “From Our Faculty” under the Academics tab of our Website.
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:51 PM
Page 15
P O RT S M O U T H ’ S D E B T
TO THE
EBC HOUSES
F O R T A U G U S T U S , B E L M O N T, A M P L E F O R T H By Rev. Dom Damian Kearney ‘45, O.S.B.
Nearly all the monasteries in the English Benedictine Congregation have contributed in significant ways to the foundation and development of Portsmouth over a period of many decades. Dom Leonard Sargent, a member of the Anglican Order of the Holy Cross, was received into the Church at Downside in 1909. Here he first conceived the idea of establishing a monastery similar to Downside in the United States, and after his ordination to the priesthood, set about finding ways of realizing his dream. He therefore returned to Downside, was allowed to enter the novitiate with the understanding that he would return to America, enlist the help of friends, decide on a location, and find candidates. Abbot Cuthbert Butler encouraged Dom Leonard, but made it clear that the enterprise was to be entirely American in its staffing and financing; applicants would be received and undergo their formation at Downside, and then return to the United States. Through this sponsorship the foundation could become a domus religiosa, which it did in 1919 when Dom Leonard, having acquired a suitable estate, took up permanent residence in Portsmouth, RI, exercising authority, (to use Dom Cuthbert’s
phrase), ad instar prioris, and receiving the blessing of Pope Benedict XV the following year. What Portsmouth first gained from Downside under Fr. Leonard was its name, the new priory being under the patronage of Saint Gregory the Great. Although a school was not envisioned, he wanted his foundation to reflect the same spirit and sense of tradition that he had experienced at Downside, emphasizing learning, liturgy, monastic observance, and hospitality, providing a place for reflection in an atmosphere of peace, remote in its rural seclusion, but still accessible to the world. At the end of seven years, however, it was evident that the venture would not succeed, and Downside welcomed the offer of Fort Augustus to take over the monastery and establish a second house in America, having begun Saint Anselm’s in Washington, D.C., in 1924. Dom Leonard did not join the new community, preferring to retain his ties to Downside, to which he returned periodically until he finally settled at Portsmouth, where he died in 1944
Left: Dom Leonard Sargent, O.S.B., first conceived the idea of establishing a monastery similar to Downside in the United States. Above: Dom Wulstan Knowles, Abbot of Fort Augustus and first founding Prior of Portsmouth under Fort Augustus, 1926-9
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
15
200364.P01-32:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
4:11 PM
Page 16
Left: Downside Abbey, near Bath Below: The Portsmouth Priory outdoor skating rink Opposite page, top: Dom Aelred Graham, Prior Opposite page, bottom: The proposed group of buildings for Priory and School. St. Benet’s was the first unit in the ambitious but unrealized plan for the monastery complex.
after a long and fruitful life, both as an Anglican and as a convert to Roman Catholicism.
Dom Hunter-Blair was replaced by the scholarly version of Ampleforth’s Dom Justin McCann.
Several factors made the Portsmouth foundation attractive to Fort Augustus. The location was ideal for founding a monastery in a rural setting, with a school providing a traditional ministry and a means of support. A distinguished headmaster was available in Dom Hugh Diman, one of the newly professed American monks at Saint Anselm’s. And most importantly, Dom Wulstan Knowles, a highly qualified superior, with two years experience in helping to establish a priory in an urban environment, could be transferred to Rhode Island and do for Portsmouth what he had done so efficiently in Washington. Abbot Joseph McDonald, therefore, appointed Dom Wulstan the first Prior of Portsmouth to be assisted by Dom Hugh as headmaster and founder of a second boarding school, the first, prior to his conversion, being a highly reputed Episcopal school in Middletown, R.I. Over the next ten years Fort Augustus supported both the dependent houses with the manpower needed to assure survival, strength and stability through the generous loan of highly qualified monks. Some of the customs of the mother abbey, alien to the other EBC monasteries, were retained for the period of Portsmouth’s status as a dependent priory. One notable practice was the prostration of the whole community in choir at Christmas Prime for the solemn proclamation of the birth of Jesus, attracting a number of curious visitors. This and other “alien customs” were abrogated when a Superior from Ampleforth was appointed. At this time, too, the daily reading of the Rule from the translation of Fort Augustus’
Dom Wulstan spent three-and-a-half crucial years at Portsmouth as Prior, dealing tirelessly with the problems of transforming a gentleman’s country estate into a workable monastery and school, converting a caretaker cottage into a chapel, erecting prefabricated buildings into what were envisioned to be temporary quarters, laying out playing fields and changing a large carriage house into a gymnasium. In April of 1926, before the school opened the following September, his first major act was to engage the leading architectural firm of Maginnis and Walsh of Boston to design an impressive neoGothic abbey church and monastery. Attached to the cloister was to be the first unit of a house to accommodate 40 boys in the Tudor Gothic style. Because of the decade of the Depression beginning in 1929 followed by the second World War, this ambitious plan was not to be realized, except for the
16
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:51 PM
Page 17
T HE EBC HOUSES
large dormitory, named Saint Benet’s after the patron of the mother abbey in Scotland. During his tenure as Prior, Dom Wulstan worked closely with Dom Hugh Diman, the headmaster, providing him with the example needed to take over the monastic leadership when he would return to Fort Augustus. In 1929 Dom Joseph McDonald was appointed Archbishop of Edinburgh, and Dom Wulstan was chosen by the community to succeed him as Abbot. He in turn appointed Dom Hugh the new Prior of Portsmouth while also remaining headmaster of the school. Over the next twenty years Abbot Wulstan observed the growth of Portsmouth with keen interest, making frequent visits and taking satisfaction in witnessing the independence of Portsmouth in 1949. Recently, the monastery received an oil portrait of Dom Wulstan as Abbot of Fort Augustus from Dame Andrea Savage, Abbess of Stanbrook, where he had spent his last years as chaplain. Now in his late sixties, Dom Hugh felt the need of assistance in running the School. Help came from England through engaging Dr. G. C. Bateman, who assumed the direction of the School from 1931 until 1935, adding a more distinctively English flavor, instituting the House system, appointing praeposters, adding prize days, creating school colors reflected in the blazer and
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
17
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:51 PM
Page 18
official tie, starting a variety of clubs, forming musical and lecture programs, and inaugurating a disciplinary system which included a short-lived experiment in caning. The academic program was strengthened, plays were performed in Latin and French, and a course in Phonetics was taught by the Headmaster. When he returned to England after four years, Dr. Bateman left the School stronger in every way, facilitating Dom Hugh’s resumption of the headmastership. In the space of four years he had solidified the School’s reputation among the leading New England preparatory schools. The outbreak of war in 1939 brought a change in the composition of the student body, with children of refugees arriving in 1939 and 1940, giving the School an international character, with Europe well represented by students, often titled, (but never alluded to), from Poland, Hungary, France, Bulgaria, and Belgium, but chiefly from England and from the Benedictine schools in particular: notably Ampleforth, Gilling Castle, Downside, and Douai. Some of the boys wore kilts on special occasions, while others brandished cricket bats, contributing an exotic flavor. At the end of two years most of the boys returned to England, and resumed their careers at the schools they had left. Among the boys who remained at the School were the sons of the best-selling author, A.J. Cronin, with Vincent, the elder boy, becoming a critically acclaimed writer of biographies and travel books, and the younger, Patrick, pursuing his father’s earlier career as a medical doctor. An important contribution to both School and Monastery in the late forties came in the person of Dom Aidan Williams, whose term of office as Abbot of Belmont ended in 1948. His impact was immediate and profound. In the
18
School he was responsible for inaugurating soccer as a competitive sport, acting as coach and utilizing the superior skills of a contingent of Latin American students, whose experience produced instant championship teams. As an instructor, he excelled in teaching a course in ethics to the Sixth Form, but more importantly, it was in the monastery that his services proved invaluable. His training at Sant’ Anselmo under the celebrated Thomist philosopher, Dom Joseph Gredt, enabled him to become Head of Monastic Studies as well as Novice Master. When he was appointed in 1954 to become Procurator in Curia, his departure left a noticeable gap in the Community. In 1951 Dom Herbert Byrne, Abbot of Ampleforth, sent Dom Aelred Graham to become the Superior of Portsmouth, to take the place of Prior Gregory Borgstedt, who had resigned in order to help in the foundation of a contemplative monastery, Mount Saviour in Elmira, New York. Dom Aelred was a noted scholar and controversialist, who soon became notorious in the United States for an article in the Atlantic Monthly magazine, critical of the popular writer, Thomas Merton, whom he labeled “a young man in a hurry.” Subsequently, he and Merton became friends, finding a mutual interest in Zen Buddhism and exchanging books and articles as they were published. Dom Aelred’s enthusiasm for Buddhism resulted in the creation of a monastic Zen garden for his meditation, and at the end of his term as Prior, he visited India, where he had conversations with the exiled Dalai Lama, on whom he exerted a profound impression; so much so, that the Dalai Lama reciprocated by journeying to Ampleforth to see Dom Aelred shortly before his death. During his sixteen years as Prior, Dom Aelred oversaw the planning and building of the Church and Monastery, heading a campaign for the con-
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P01-32:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
4:12 PM
Page 19
THE E B C H OUS E S Far left: Fort Augustus Abbey and village from the air Left: The Right Reverend Dom Augustine Aidan Williams, Titular Abbot of Shrewsbury
struction of several school buildings and changing the architectural direction from neo-Gothic to contemporary modern by engaging Pietro Belluschi, an architect from Italy with an international reputation and responsible for an impressive list of buildings on the West and East coasts of the United States. The Abbey church, the year-long restoration of which has just been completed, is recognized as an outstanding example of ecclesiastical architecture and has exerted a significant impact on many churches nationally, but especially in Rhode Island. Dom Aelred Graham, recognizing the need for a reliable Associate Headmaster to assist in the running of the School, looked to Ampleforth 1954 to secure one of its most popular teachers, Cecil J. Acheson, to fill this position. A convert, he had been received into the church at Downside after attending Keble College. For the next twenty years Mr. Acheson repeated the success of the earlier Doctor Bateman, reinforcing some of the best traditions of the English public school and becoming a legendary figure in the annals of Portsmouth. During his long term of office, Dom Aelred continued to be not only a forceful Superior, but a well-known lecturer, retreat master and ecumenist, anticipating some of the initiatives promoted by the Second Vatican Council. It was through his leadership that Portsmouth gained the necessary maturity to become a truly independent monastery, electing a monk, Dom Matthew Stark, from its own ranks to become Portsmouth’s first Abbot in 1969. A final influence on Portsmouth came about in the late 1980s, when Portsmouth was in need of a monk to fill the position of Headmaster for Dom Leo van Winkle, who had been diagnosed with cancer, which had been contracted in the
early 1940s when he was working on the atomic bomb project in New Mexico. He now required an associate, and since no one in the Community had the experience, it was necessary to look elsewhere for a suitable Benedictine. Providentially, a monk who had been formerly headmaster at Fort Augustus, Dom Francis Davidson, possessed just the right qualifications for this responsibility, and in 1987 received the generous approval of Dom Nicholas Holman, Abbot of Fort Augustus, to respond to this need. In the four years of his tenure Dom Francis transformed the School from a single-sex to a coeducational institution, gradually integrating day girls into the enrollment before constructing buildings to house boarding girls. In addition to planning and raising funds for girls’ accommodations, he was also able to help in the completion of the School and Monastery libraries, the former named by the donor in honor of Saint Thomas More. In order to attract talented students, he began an innovative, albeit costly, merit scholarship program, which has proved an outstanding success, raising academic standards and extending the national reputation of the School. It goes without saying that from 1949, when the General Chapter granted Portsmouth independence, the community has consistently benefited from the wise counsel and personal attention by each of the Abbots President, whose visitations and frequent informal visits have invariably been sources of inspiration and encouragement. Below left: Ampleforth Monastery and Abbey Church where the Benedictine community was established in 1802. The Monastery was built in 1898; the Church, designed by Giles Gilbert Scott, was completed in 1961. Below right: Portsmouth Priory’s “headmaster from the highlands,” Dom Francis Davidson, 1988
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:53 PM
Page 20
A VISIT TO NEW NORCIA ABBEY by Dan Hughes ‘97 In January 2008, I visited New Norcia Abbey in Western Australia. The state of Western Australia encompasses a vast amount of territory, but is sparsely populated, with only around 2.2 million inhabitants. The vast majority of Western Australia’s population lives in the Perth metropolitan area. In recent years, Western Australia has undergone an economic boom, sustained by a lucrative mining sector and other industries. Nonetheless, the region remains remote from the more heavily populated southeast corner of Australia; Perth is closer geographically to Jakarta, Indonesia, than it is to Sydney. I was on a vacation to visit a friend in Sydney and I decided to do an around-the-world routing with stops in Dubai and Perth. I used Perth as a base to visit several historic and natural sites in Western Australia, including Fremantle, the Pinnacles Desert, Wave Rock, Cape Leeuwin, Margaret River, and Rottnest Island. Additionally, I visited New Norcia, a Benedictine monastic community located about seventy miles from Perth. Australia’s only monastic town, New Norcia is named for Norcia, Italy, birthplace of Saint Benedict. New Norcia is the Benedictine community farthest in the world from Portsmouth Abbey. The two communities lie literally on opposite sides of the globe, approximately 11,600 miles apart. Dom Rosendo Salvado and Dom Joseph Serra, two Spanish Benedictines who had served together in a monastery in Santiago de Compostela, decided in 1845 to undertake mission work in the colonial world. In January 1846, the two monks arrived at Fremantle in Western Australia and began a series of expeditions to locate a suitable location for a mission to the Noongar people, the aboriginal group living in the Swan River Colony area. New Norcia’s Spanish identity remained strong for over a century; until the 1970s, the abbots and priors of the community hailed from Spain, and the language of the Masses and Divine Office was Spanish. More recently, however, the community was led by an Australian monk, Abbot Placid Spearritt, who died in October 2008 while attending a retreat at Ampleforth Abbey in England.
20
For most of the history of New Norcia, the primary social purpose of the mission was to convert the Noongar and other aboriginal peoples to Catholicism and teach aboriginal people practical skills, including farming and animal husbandry. The pursuit of these goals led to a complex and checkered relationship between the monastic and aboriginal communities. Dom Salvado’s memoirs reveal an apt attention to learning about Noongar culture. At the same time, an interest in proselytizing to them and immersing them in European mores often resulted in the separation of Noongar families, with the children living in the “orphanages” of New Norcia from the age of three or four until they married. Such actions were in keeping with the official government policies of the era. From roughly the 1860s to the early 1970s, the “Stolen Generations” of aboriginal children in Australia were removed from their families, often forcibly, and concentrated in state-run and religious institutions, a policy depicted recently in the film Rabbit Proof Fence (2002). The separation policy was encouraged by both a goal of child protection and fears of racial miscegenation. In keeping with the policies of the era, early in the twentieth century, New Norcia was limiting the contact that aboriginal parents were allowed to have with their children, and in some cases prohibiting contact altogether, leading to predictably tragic results. In 1907, for instance, a group of three aboriginal men who stormed the orphanages in an attempt to free their children were jailed and fined. 1n 1974, in keeping with new government policies that disfavored the institutionalization of aboriginal children, the orphanages at New Norcia were closed. Alongside the aboriginal orphanages, schools for Caucasian boys and girls were developed. These schools were operated by the Marist brothers until 1965, when the Benedictines assumed their direction. Nearly all students were boarders, given the remoteness of the location. Some aboriginal adolescents who were held to have exceptional promise were educated alongside white students in the high schools. In 1991, due to falling enrollment, the schools at New Norcia were permanently closed.
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:53 PM
Page 21
The monastery remains, however, a vibrant community. Many tourists visit the site, often in conjunction with a day trip from Perth to the Pinnacles Desert. The monastery operates a hotel and holds a number of retreats on spiritual issues. Additionally, the monastery campus includes an art museum with a large collection of religious paintings that date from the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries, encompassing the finest collection of early modern European religious art in Australia. The museum also includes eclectic contemporary religious artwork.
During a daring heist in January 1986, two thieves bound and gagged the elderly museum attendant and stole more than half of the museum’s European collection by crudely cutting the paintings from their frames. Miraculously, all of the paintings except for one were found near Sydney and were subsequently returned to the monastery. At considerable expense to the monastery, the collection has now been restored and returned to the museum. During my visit, I found the monastery campus in good repair. As I walked the grounds, the peal of an organ pervaded the landscape. Upon approaching the mission-style Abbey Church, I found the building empty except for a lone monk who was playing a pipe organ with extraordinary gusto. The salient tradition of music at New Norcia dates back to the earliest days of the community. In May 1846, Dom Salvado, co-founder of the community, staged a fundraising concert at the Perth Courthouse after the local bishop refused to appropriate funds to the community. Due to Dom Salvado’s talents as a pianist and singer, the concert was a musical and social success and provided desperately needed funds to the nascent mission. Conflict between New Norcia and the Perth diocese continued, however, leading to New Norcia’s eventual designation as a separate diocese in 1867. In 1982, however, the New Norcia diocese was suppressed and the community again came under the purview of the Perth diocese. Much as is the case at Portsmouth Abbey, the bookstore at New Norcia includes a sundry collection of items that showcase the talents and interests of the monks as well as the produce of the fields surrounding the monastery. A hurried shopping trip resulted in the purchase of a few bottles of monastery wine, an art photograph of the monastery grounds, and a children’s book about the monastery cat. This eclectic group of souvenirs evokes the singular and diverse community of New Norcia.
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
THE CATHOLIC JOHN HENRY NEWMAN by Dom Damian Kearney ‘45, O.S.B. IN THE PORTSMOUTH ARCHIVES, there are two memorabilia of Newman: one, a signed photograph of the aged Cardinal, and the other, an autographed letter written by Newman from Littlemore on May 11, 1845, to a Mr. Parry, expressing his thanks for the kind words contained in his letter, his pleasure that Mr. Parry “has attained the object you sought,” and that “a Divine Blessing will accompany your labours.” It was at this time that Newman was writing his Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, the book which was to settle his doubts about the validity of the Anglican Church and lead to his decision to become a Catholic. Accordingly, a few days after its completion, on October 9, 1845, in the small chapel at Littlemore, an Italian Passionist priest, Dominic Barberi, beatified by Pope Paul VI, received Newman into the Church. This was the end of a tortuous path that had begun with an “inner conversion” he had experienced at the age of 15, when he felt a call from God to live a celibate life. The decision to become a clergyman was solidified during his undergraduate studies at Trinity College in Oxford, and became a reality after his election to a fellowship at Oriel College. Upon his ordination, he soon became Vicar of the University Church of Saint Mary’s, where his
21
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:53 PM
Page 22
JOH N HE NRY NE WM AN
immigrants, victims of the Potato Famine then at its peak in their homeland. Concurrently, Newman started a school in response to the urgent need to provide a place to prepare boys for entrance into the universities. After an unfortunate choice of headmaster, he appointed Father Ambrose to take charge, while at the same time keeping a close eye on the administration, in which he showed himself surprisingly practical and efficient. The school would embody many of the same principles enunciated in his later lectures on a liberal education. On the faculty of the Oratory School was Thomas Arnold, a recent convert and son of the celebrated Headmaster of Rugby, Doctor Arnold. Although not too successful a teacher, he gave the school the desirable publicity attached to his name. For a brief period, Gerard Manley Hopkins taught classics, and among the most prominent students in later life was Hilaire Belloc, who in many ways epitomized what Newman was attempting to produce in his students, excelling as he did in his studies at Oxford, later becoming involved in politics, and achieving a reputation as an historian and Catholic apologist. Sunday evening sermons attracted ever-larger congregations. It was at this period, in a sermon entitled “National Apostasy” preached in St. Mary’s by John Keble that the “Oxford Movement” was inaugurated, and led to the series of articles on the state of the Church of England called, “The Tracts for the Times,” written chiefly by Newman and his friends, E.B. Pusey and Keble. The final and most controversial, Tract Number 90 by Newman, asserted that the 39 Articles of the Established Church could be given a Catholic interpretation, and became a turning point in the Anglo-Catholic movement, accelerating Newman’s exit from the Oxford that he loved and the Church into which he had been ordained. Pusey and Keble were to remain in the Anglican fold, but Newman retired to the nearby village of Littlemore and established a small college where he was joined by a group of like-minded disciples, among whom was Ambrose Saint John, his closest friend.
Shortly after founding the Oratory, Newman had been approached by Archbishop Cullen of Dublin, representing the Irish hierarchy, to become rector of a new university in Ireland. This venture proved abortive, but it led to the writing of a book on education which remains a relevant and valuable contribution to educational philosophy: The Idea of a University in which a liberal education is defended and insists that courses of study should be pursued for their own sake rather than for practical or vocational considerations. Recently, this book was referred to extensively in the baccalaureate address of President Levin of Yale, and in his Annual Report by the former president of Harvard, Dr. Rudenstine.
Newman had resigned from his position as Vicar of St. Mary’s and his fellowship at Oriel, and after completing his treatise on Christian Doctrine, he made his submission to Rome, preceded a few days earlier by Ambrose Saint John. Shortly after this, he and Ambrose left for Rome where they were ordained a year later and joined the Oratorian Fathers, an Order which had been founded in the 16th century by St. Philip Neri. Newman found many common interests in this saint, both in his intellectual bent and in his ministry to the needy. On his return to England, Newman established an Oratory in Birmingham, where his friend and a former monk of Downside Priory, Msgr. Ullathorne, was bishop. Here he and those who joined him ministered to the poor, the sick and especially to the many Irish
22
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:54 PM
Page 23
J OHN HE NRY NE WMAN
Even though Newman was considered a prize convert by the Church, he was still looked upon with distrust by many, as one who remained sympathetic to Anglicanism in many ways. By his former co-religionists he was regarded as a turncoat and renegade, one who had been a crypto-Catholic while still a member of the Established Church. To allay these suspicions and vindicate his integrity, Newman found an ideal opportunity when the popular writer (and clergyman) Charles Kingsley wrote an ill-advised pamphlet questioning Newman’s honesty, What then does Dr. Newman Mean? ( A decade earlier Kingsley had written a novel called Hypatia, celebrating marriage, love and the family in early Christian times. Newman responded to this by finishing a novel that he had begun ten years earlier, set in the proconsular province of Africa during the 3rd century, which upheld chaste love as the Christian ideal.) Now, in 1863, Newman began writing his most celebrated work, his Apologia Pro Vita Sua, in response to Kingsley’s public statement that, “Truth, for its own sake, had never been a virtue with the Roman clergy. Father Newman informs us that it need not, and on the whole ought not, to be….” Newman’s lengthy rebuttal was a closely reasoned, step-by-step analysis of the long, gradual process which led him into the Catholic Church, leaving no doubt as to the sincerity of his convictions. Its publication the following year in book form was greeted with acclaim from both Catholics and Anglicans, and did much to dispel the suspicions and disfavor of his adversaries. But again Newman aroused misgivings in Rome by declining Pope Pius IX’s invitation to attend the session of the Vatican Council dealing with the question of infallibility, a doctrine which Newman held but did not see the need to define, considering this to be “inopportune.” The publication of his study of the relationship of faith and reason in The Grammar of Assent only increased Roman distrust. But, once again, an opportunity presented itself when an issue of national concern arose and demanded a response for which Newman was deemed to be the most qualified to deliver. The issue was an inflammatory accusation made by the Prime Minister, William Gladstone, that Catholics were divided in their allegiance, placing the Pope above their country and their monarch and consequently were potentially disloyal subjects. Newman’s reply was in the form of a Letter Addressed to the Duke of Norfolk, as the most prominent English Catholic layman, in which he explained with overwhelming arguments the Catholic position. This Letter had the effect of permanently eliminating the cloud which had hovered over Newman ever since his conversion, among Catholics and Anglicans. Cardinal Manning, a fellow convert and former friend but an Ultramontane and a bitter foe on many issues dear to Newman’s heart, was reconciled to Newman and their friendship restored.
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
At this time, the long reign of Pope Pius IX finally came to an end, and a new, more open era in the Church began with the accession of Pope Leo XIII. Through the powerful influence of the Duke of Norfolk, who was an Old Boy of the Oratory School, and with Manning’s support, the highest honor to be conferred by the Church was bestowed on Newman: the Cardinal’s hat, a belated but timely recognition of the profound effect he had had on the Christian faith in England for half a century. Earlier, friendly overtures had come from Oxford, the place he had loved best and the place where he had spent his happiest years, and which had inspired much of the educational philosophy contained in The Idea of the University. Trinity College made him its first honorary fellow, and Oriel College placed his portrait in the Common Room, both tokens of amity which he deeply appreciated. It is fitting to end with a brief word about Newman as a poet and literary influence. His poem, Lead Kindly Light, has become a favorite ever since its composition in 1833, written at sea during a period of doubt and uncertainty, while en route from Italy to England. Hardy used this poem effectively in his novel, Far From The Madding Crowd, shortly after it had been set to music. Somerset Maugham admired his prose for its stylistic perfection, and James Joyce maintained that Newman had deeply influenced his Ulysses. The Catholic Edward Elgar, later knighted, composed an oratorio for The Dream of Gerontius (1865), Newman’s most ambitious poem and one which is reminiscent of the medieval play, Everyman, describing as it does the final hours in a man’s life, beginning in fear and doubt, but ending in peaceful acceptance and trust in God’s saving mercy. It creates a fitting reflection on the vicissitudes that beset Newman for most of his life, but concludes on a similar note of hope and tranquility found in his final years, appreciated at last and admired by all.
Cardinal Newman’s Coat of Arms
23
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:54 PM
Page 24
how OUR
BENEDICTINE ROOTS an
INSPIRED ADMISSIONS campaign
by Director of Admissions Meghan Fonts and Director of Communications Kathy Heydt
Anyone who has spent time at Portsmouth is aware of the impact that an Abbey education has upon the lives of students; in just an afternoon on campus, a visitor will feel the warmth and camaraderie that exist among the community. But how do we adequately articulate that quality in words and photographs for prospective families who have not yet made the trip down Cory’s Lane? How do we best celebrate our School, its unique mission, and its successes to a broader range of interested audiences?
an independent school education; however, some simply need more financial aid to make it work.” With this challenge and the need to reach more families interested in specifically Catholic education, we were aware that our admissions materials needed to be updated for a new recruiting cycle. The challenge was in conveying the essence of a Benedictine education – how the experience at Portsmouth is unique and transformative – and demonstrating the value of this education that goes beyond the classroom.
Portsmouth Abbey’s message is secure in its identity even as the market environment continues to change. The job of the School is not to tailor its message to the current environment, but rather to find new ways to reach best-fit families in a world of changing technologies and shifting demographics. External factors that we constantly consider include:
In a collaborative effort, and with the steadfast guidance of Regent Neil McGinness ‘58, P ‘90, the offices of Admissions and Communications set out to find a firm that would serve the School appropriately. Several companies were interviewed, and Crane MetaMarketing, in Atlanta, was hired. Over the past two years, Portsmouth Abbey has worked closely with Crane to produce a dynamic group of admissions-oriented marketing materials. The process involved three Phases: Foundation, Concepts, and Implementation, all of which fully incorporated the input and support of the School and community. During the winter and spring months of 2008, the Foundation Phase began and consisted of an admissions and communications audit, and an in-depth campus visit replete with interviews, focus groups, campus tours, and classroom visits. The focus groups included Portsmouth’s entire constituency: monks, members of the Board of Regents, faculty, houseparents, coaches, administrators, staff, students (boys and girls, boarding and day), alumni, current parents, and past parents. The result of Phase I was a compilation of in-house research into Portsmouth Abbey’s history and culture to pave the way for the conversations and decisions surrounding positioning, promise and strategy. A document created by Crane called “First Principles” was created, discussed, and finalized. The “First Principles” now provide helpful and consistent guidelines for all subsequent communications decisions, becoming the School community’s internal statement of purpose, and creating shared understanding of, and investment in, the School’s brand.
F F F F
a decrease in the rising high school-aged population a shift in the high school-aged population by ethnicity diminishing Catholic elementary educational institutions a decrease in the number of religious vocations in the U.S.
Over the past five years Portsmouth Abbey School has enjoyed healthy enrollment, with more than 370 students enrolling from over 15 countries and 19 states. The admissions effort continues to employ the fundamental tools of recruitment, including visiting feeder schools, meeting with educational consultants, and attending lower-school-sponsored fairs. In recent years, we have added a level of direct communication with prospective families; this has included a direct mail promotion to gifted and talented students, school-sponsored receptions in new markets, and more aggressive international travel. Regardless of the strength of our enrollment, the need to expand our outreach to best-fit families continues. The percentage of families considering a private boarding school education is less than one percent of those with high school-aged students. The trends in independent school admissions are being impacted by the economy, and as the Secondary School Admissions Testing Board (SSATB) writes in its Fall 2009 survey, “Parents continue to value
24
At a Faculty Workshop in the summer of 2008, the Crane team gathered additional information from the faculty to bring alignment
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:54 PM
Page 25
We have received a multitude of enthusiastic reactions from all areas of our constituency. From prospective families: “We searched Catholic boarding schools and you were the first one that we saw. Your description of what a Benedictine school is [is] clear and profound.”
and harmony to the process of brand strengthening for the School, to launch the school year with a consensus of opinion among the faculty, and to forge a feeling of optimism and energy about the new messaging. It was at this workshop that Crane heard the word “rooted” multiple times from our faculty. As Crane continued speaking with members of the community, the concepts of formation, “taking root” and, subsequently, the icon of the beech tree became the symbols that conveyed the essence of a Portsmouth Abbey education. The “First Principles” were then presented to the full faculty and then to the Board of Regents in September 2008. Following rounds of discussion, both among School administrators in-house and with the Crane creative team, the final version of the “First Principles” was approved. Once all of the research was gathered, Crane produced a “Review & Reflection Paper” that enumerated the School’s strengths and priorities and began to focus on Portsmouth Abbey’s differentiating qualities. The results of this phase were discussed on campus again, among a wide range of stakeholders–the monks, faculty and administrators, and the Board of Regents–with a great deal of response and comment going back to the Crane team. The Concepts Phase resulted in the development of an additional in-house tool, the “Promise Statement,” which distills the School’s differentiating qualities and values into one coherent statement for the purposes of marketing the School. This phase has influenced and enhanced the content and design of all School marketing pieces, such as the regular School View Book suite, Summer Program View Book, and advertising. Lastly, the Implementation Phase was managed by a committee selected by the Headmaster, and resulted in the production of all of our new marketing pieces for the prospective student. Portsmouth Abbey School, as a result, is in receipt of a positioning construct that provides faculty and staff with succinct language to describe Portsmouth Abbey School’s unique offerings to prospective families. All aspects of the School’s constituency participated in the research and creation of this messaging, relying on the expertise of the marketing firm to refine the process.
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
“You are unique among the other boarding schools and this is what we were looking for – we liked what you had to say about being a Catholic boarding school.” From current parents: “The new site looks AMAZING! What a wonderful introduction to Portsmouth Abbey School. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this endeavor. It really helps to make the Abbey more appealing to an outsider looking in - once they are here, the Abbey sells itself! Wonderful job – well done!” “Just checked the Website for Will’s soccer schedule and was wowed by the new home page and re-design!” “Yikes! The new Website looks great…This one is so much more informational and definitely gives a better sense of who you all are. Nice work.” From alumni: “The website is AMAZING.” “I’ve heard nothing but good things! And I love it as well.” From faculty: “Wow!! I just checked out the new Website and it looks incredible. The photos, the layout, the ease of use, I loved it. I can’t begin to imagine how much work went into it. Our hats are off to you. Way to go!”
25
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:54 PM
Page 26
TA K E R O O T
In addition to the development of a unique marketing message, the School has produced a series of collateral materials, including a View Book and application packet, a direct mail campaign, advertisements, a style guide that provides guidelines to protect and sustain the graphic identity in the School’s ongoing messaging work, and a new “look-and- feel” to our website. In the case of the Website, the Office of Communications coordinated the design cues offered by Crane with the navigational “wish list” from each department on campus and the technical remapping of the Website hierarchy with our Website consultants, Headway Technologies. The offices of Admissions and Communications continue to work closely to produce additional marketing materials using our updated strategic messaging themes, as well as the Take Root graphic identity. These additions to the Take Root family include a Search piece, Merit Scholarship brochure, Athletics brochure, Arts piece, and Open House invitation, and more. We continue to add functionality and personalization to our Website and we have extended our resources and our outreach with our new materials by enlarging our database and expanding our use of social media. The Office of Communications will continue its work with Admissions to strategize for realization of the best value of the School’s advertising dollar and most targeted placement of the new marketing materials, based on feedback and available tracking data. When Crane arrived on campus in the winter of 2008 they immediately commented on how rarely they see a school with a mission statement that is not only “beautifully written” but distinct and being fulfilled. The Crane team embraced this strong point and provided the School with a focus on new messaging, thus launching the marketing effort. Throughout this initiative both the Admissions and Communications offices were fortunate to have the support of the entire Portsmouth Abbey community and, though our feedback is purely anecdotal at this early stage, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
Education and the Possibility I often get asked by students, faculty, parents, and alumni what is so unique about the Summer Program. “Well,” I reply, “What do you think is the dominant feature of the architecture at Portsmouth Abbey School?” Like all good students they embrace the digression and begin with the obvious: “It’s brown!” “Actually,” I suggest, “The genius of Pietro Belluschi as the architect of the upper campus is in the discovery of the ‘interplay between exterior areas and structure’– the interstices – those spaces between the dorms that are particularly brilliant during spring when we can’t help but be aware of the blossoms that dominate our landscape rather than the buildings which suddenly act as a palette.” As an analogy to help understand the uniqueness of our Program, it helps to look for the interstices within the order of the day rather than the simple description of the classes and activities listed in the view book. If one were to
pass down the hall past Mr. Hobbins’ class on Economics during the summer, one might hear him pacing up and down the aisles discussing the nature of a free market, inflation, the causes of a recession, money, stocks and bonds… but what one might not hear are the wonderful stories that seamlessly elucidate the concepts, the look of delight on his face as he recognizes that a student has understood something, or the sight of his hands gesticulating wildly in the hope of emphasizing a crucial point. Such a teacher as Mr. Hobbins is wondeful to have in the Summer Program because he is an exemplum to all of the students and faculty in ways that are not readily quantifiable. His easy manner, generosity, and readiness to engage in conversation establish an important tone which is invaluable to the vitality of the community. When students discover that the conversation that should properly begin in the classroom can and ought to inform what is done outside the classroom then they have been
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:54 PM
Page 27
of Community in Portsmouth Abbey’s Summer Program touched by the genius of the Summer Program and have opened themselves up to the interstices that are present in any true community! Out of the countless hours of time spent together during these four weeks each summer are the more important memories of friendships formed out of a shared experience. Perhaps the most extraordinary thing that I witness each year is the way in which a wonderfully reticent young lady from Austria or the Dominican Republic is suddenly welcomed by a chorus of voices only too eager to have another girl join them in St. Brigid’s or when I observe the younger boys nervously introducing themselves in St. Aelred’s already moving into that strange conversation that allows for a fast and ready friendship. What is always revealed in these very human gestures of
The four-week program, to be held this year from Sunday, June 27, through Saturday, July 24, offers a wonderful opportunity to take traditional courses in literature, creative writing, public speaking, economics, and mathematics, while also introducing a Film & Culture seminar and workshop on the methods, means, and substance of visual storytelling. Every student has an opportunity to participate in the handson afternoon enrichment activities of Landscape Painting and Environmental and Marine Science drawing on our unique position on the shores of Narragansett Bay. Perhaps the lasting memory for all of the students will be the friendships formed during the more leisurely trips to the many beaches, parks, and other beautiful areas that make Rhode Island such an attractive place to be in the summer.
welcome is the much richer sense of celebration that should attend any real community. More difficult to articulate is the way in which these disparate souls come together to form the nucleus of a genuine community that is willing to accept one another in the fullness of such an act. Such constant acts of generosity are a reminder that “the old verities and the truths of the heart” still survive in the witness of these remarkable young souls that make this program so special.
Whether in seminars, exploring marine environments, trying new painting techniques, sailing a J-22 in Newport’s magnificent harbor, playing Frisbee on Rhode Island’s beautiful beaches, walking the historic Freedom Trail in Boston, riding a bike on Martha’s Vineyard, or surviving the roller coaster at Six Flags, participants will delve into subjects and activities with instructors who are passionate about what they do and who genuinely wish to share that enthusiasm with students.
Although such a diverse group of extraordinary young students arrive from a number of countries they quickly see past their differences and are eager to embrace an educational experience rooted in the search for meaning and the hope of learning together as a community. The recognition of the expansive character and wonderful energy of these students provides a unique educational opportunity that is at the heart of our Summer Program.
If you or someone you know might be interested in learning more about the Summer Program, please visit our site at www.portsmouthabbey.org/summer or contact Peter O’Connor, director of the Summer Program, at summer@portsmouthabbey.org or 401.643.1225. Alumni and sibling discounts are available, as is financial aid.
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
– Peter O’Connor, Director of Summer Program
27
200364.P01-32:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
5:05 PM
Page 28
SUMMER READING AT PORTSMOUTH A B B E Y SC H O O L Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader
“People say life is the thing, but I prefer reading.” – Logan Pearsall Smith Over last summer the entire school read Alan Bennett’s charming novella, The Uncommon Reader. I chose the book partly out of whimsy – it allowed me to announce in a faculty meeting that this year’s common reader was The Uncommon Reader; one must find one’s administrative fun where one can. Second, this witty parable taught a lesson admirably suited to our purpose: reading can transform your life. For this book was meant to meet the criteria implicit in the School’s new Summer Reading Policy: Reading offers a lifetime of pleasure and enrichment, a continuing education of the head and heart. Portsmouth Abbey School, with its Benedictine tradition, encourages devotion to the word. The flickering, distracting electronic world we inhabit makes time spent with a good book all the more important. By reading books together as a School we foster the “shared experience of community life” in our Mission Statement. We hope our entire community – students, faculty, monks, staff, parents, alumni – will join the ageless and thoughtful fellowship of readers. Finally and most crucially, the book was short – not quite a pamphlet, but not even close to a tome. A booklet, really. I was mindful that not everyone appreciates assigned “pleasure” reading and that choosing, say, Proust’s À La Recherche du Temps Perdu in seven volumes might arouse murmuring. You would be surprised how many Philistines there are, and they all know how to send anonymous emails. The most vexing objection, however, has to do with the nature of reading itself. A common reader – a book to be read by a book club, an entire school, even a city – is a contradiction in terms. For readers are not communal. The devoted reader is no herd animal, but a solitary creature, the Old Man of the Forest. Like Cain, the reader “will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s
28
hand against him.” A stranger in a strange land. Reading isolates, and every reader is one of Melville’s “isolatoes, each living on a separate continent of his own.” To read is to step outside the daily world, away from friends and family, and live apart. For the true reader, the world in a book will always be more real, its events more compelling, and its characters more interesting than what everyone else glibly calls “real life.” The reader, happy only inside a book, never feels entirely at home elsewhere. Like Keats, he travels much “in the realms of gold,” a state of abstraction, or as Wallace Stevens describes it, “a world of words to the end of it, where nothing solid is its solid self.” Even more dangerous, from the distant vantage point of a book, received truths and conventional thinking soon seem puny and unconvincing. After much mental voyaging and time alone, the reader thinks for himself. So reading is no mere pastime, but a daring enterprise, a Declaration of Independence. As our Ur-Dissident, Thoreau, declares, “How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book?” This is in fact what happens in The Uncommon Reader. Elizabeth II, the Queen of England, inadvertently, even accidentally, becomes a reader, but before long reading transforms her. Her life of duty becomes insupportably tedious to her. Finally she abdicates the throne and takes up residence in imaginative exile, in the realm of books. It was the dogs’ fault. One day the Queen’s incorrigible corgis, heartily despised by all save her, noisily race to a city bookmobile parked behind Buckingham Palace. The bookmobile makes this stop for palace servants who wish to take out books. The Queen retrieves her dogs, and, rigidly loyal to good form, asks the driver-librarian polite questions. She borrows a book, but only by way of courtesy: She’d never taken much interest in reading. She read, of course, as one did, but liking books was something she left to other people. It was a hobby and it was in the nature of her job that she did not have hobbies. . . . No. Hobbies involved preferences and preferences
were to be avoided; preferences excluded people. One had no preferences. Her job was to take an interest, not to be interested herself. And besides, reading was not doing. She was a doer. Her gesture proves fateful. Advised at first by Norman, an unawed kitchen servant and unconventional reader, the Queen soon finds herself avid for books. Her excellent mind quickly discovers its long-dormant intellectual appetite and turns to the best of feasts: from film-star biographies and Nancy Mitford to Dickens, then Austen, James, George Eliot. She smuggles a book into her carriage for the royal procession to Parliament, so that she can read surreptitiously while waving to the crowds. She stops uttering banalities to her tongue-tied subjects in reception lines, and instead flummoxes them with sharp questions about what they are reading. As books consume her attention she loses interest in her duties and even her wardrobe, which makes her handlers uneasy and meddlesome. Unfortunately for them, reading has also left the Queen less receptive to the previously sacred claims of duty. Her officious private secretary presumes to remonstrate with her: “To read is to withdraw. To make oneself unavailable. One would feel easier about it,” said Sir Kevin, “if the pursuit were less . . . selfish.” “Selfish?” “Perhaps I should say solipsistic.” “Perhaps you should. One reads for pleasure,” said the Queen. “It is not a public duty.” All her life she had devoted herself entirely to her public role–she was a personage, not a person – but now reading had given her a second life and a second self. She had become that archetypal subversive and outsider, The Reader. From that delinquency it is but a short step to an even more anarchic identity. She gives a formal tea to celebrate her eightieth birthday,
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P01-32:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
5:06 PM
Page 29
O U R FA C U LT Y I S R E A DI N G . . .
To read the complete list, please visit “From Our Faculty” under the Academics tab of our Website. attended by the Privy Council and the Prime Minister. Once they are assembled, the Queen addresses them: As some of you may know, over the past few years I have become an avid reader. Books have enriched my life in a way that one could never have expected. But books can take one only so far and now I think it is time that from being a reader I become, or try to become, a writer. When the flustered Prime Minister objects that the constitutional monarch is legally denied such an irresponsible and politically risky vocation, she mildly agrees. Unless, of course, she renounces the throne, which proves to be the real occasion for her party. Bennett’s light touch ensures that we are more delighted by his story than conscious of his instruction. Nothing is more fatal to summer reading than a grim injunction that It Is Good For You. But I suppose any book a school makes you read, however pleasant, must be called a schoolbook. Lurking behind our Summer Reading Policy are the noble goals outlined in “A Portsmouth Education,” including “to give students a thorough grounding in and appreciation for the written and spoken word.” The Benedictine monks of the Dark Ages, hunched at their scriptorium desks copying out the classics, knew that books matter and that the barbarians are always at the gates. The “Education” continues: Valuing the word, both sacred and secular, is a means of valuing truth and is an elemental part of the Judeo-Christian tradition. It is also an explicit part of Catholic Benedictine tradition, where a love of the word has always been connected to a love of learning. From what I gather, the English monarchy and the Benedictine monks had some sort of misunderstanding long ago, which regrettably led to axes and bare ruined choirs. Still, if we can believe Alan Bennett, when it comes to books, the Queen and the monks might find they have much in common. – Michael Bonin
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
L i z z i e B e n e s t a d , Head of the Classics Department – Strength in What Remains, by Tracy Kidder, is the story of Deo, a young man from the central African nation of Burundi who escapes the Rwandan genocide and works his way through the U.S. educational system, finishing medical school at Columbia. M i ch a e l B o n i n , Head of the English Department – The Case for God by Karen Armstrong, which with vast but accessible erudition traces mankind’s conceptions of God, from the Paleolithic cave painters of Lascaux, to the Greek philosophers, to the Enlightenment’s Deists, to New Age syncretists. She wishes especially to demonstrate that fundamentalism arose recently, a defensive backlash against modernity’s relativism and scientific materialism. By contrast, the mystical “apophatic” tradition insists that God is ineffable, beyond human understanding. In this tradition, religion offers us ritualized mystery and a symbol-system– mythos– rather than reductively rational dogma. J a y B r a g a n , English, Head of Performing Arts Department – Beauty : The Invisible Embrace, by John O’Donohue, an Irish poet and philosopher who explains that beauty (in art, music, literature, and the world around us) is “a human calling and a defining aspect of God.” He describes how we are affected by the things we find to be beautiful and how they are a reflection of our inner lives. R o b e r t o Gu e r e n a b a r r e n a , Head of Modern Language Department – Los Disparos del Cazador, a novel by award-winning author, Rafael Chirves, whom I met in Salamanca. An old man returns to a home that is full of memories. There, he puts together the puzzle of the life he built in Madrid as a profiteer after the war. W a l l a ce Gu n d y , Assistant Director of Admissions – The Middle Place, by Kelly Corrigan, is a heartwarming memoir about the relationship the writer has with her family, especially her father, and how she and her father coped with their battles with cancer. Cl i f f H o b b i n s , History – How Capitalism Will Save Us: Why Free People and Free Markets Are the Best Answer in Today’s Economy, by Steve Forbes. A well-written, informative insight into the economic turmoil of recent years. A good guide for the perplexed. A Time to Speak, by Robert H. Bork. A challenging, informative book of his views on modern judicial life in the United States. This book will reward the persistent reader. Bi l l R i v e s ’67, Humanities–What the Dog Saw, by Malcolm Gladwell, is a collection of articles he has written for The New Yorker over the years. Gladwell is good at spotting and exploring various trends, tendencies, and oddities; he sees things the rest of us have missed. B o b b i e S t e v e n s , Library Director – Mona Lisa in Camelot, by Margaret Davis. Tells of the political diplomacy – and charm – used by then-First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to convince Cultural Minister Malraux of France to loan the world-famous Mona Lisa to the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., for a one-of-a-kind U.S. exhibit. Also, Led by Faith by Immaculee Ilibagiza. D i m i Z e l de n , Spiritual Life Assistant– I always have three or four books going at the same time–an academic read, a “fun” read, and some sort of spiritual reading. Right now, I am reading The Case for Marriage by Linda Waite and Maggie Gallagher. My “fun” read is The Cypresses Believe in God: Spain on the Eve of the Civil War by Jose Maria Gironella; it is considered to be the greatest novel about the Spanish Civil War. My third read is The Furrow by St. Josemaria Escriva, which provides me with a good daily spiritual reminder. F r e d Z i l i a n , Dean of Faculty, History – Just read Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland, an historical narrative of the late republic, focusing on the key men and rivalries that led to the downfall of the republic and the beginning of imperial monarchy. Also, Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences by Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D. Very readable, and demolishes the arguments that many have made that the sexes are basically the same.
29
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:55 PM
Page 30
Abbey Honors the McCauley Years
On hand to celebrate with Coach John L. McCauley (front center) were players from teams spanning his tenure of 19741990 Row 1: Charlie Baisley ’90, George Carter ’85, Dan Elliot ’75, Brendan Canning ’85, David Cummings ’84, Marcus Lepore ’80 Row 2: Jack McCauley ’78, Paul Baisley ’87, Charlie Murphy ’85, Marchi LopezLinus ’87, Brendan Kinnane ’77, Dave Mazzella ’84, Paul Anghinetti ’83, Michael McCauley ’81, Rich McCauley ’84, Matt Geremia ’83 Row 3: Hugh O’Donnell ’90, Nick Thorton ’90, Jim Knight ’87, Peter Anghinetti ’87, Jeff Lombardo ’85, Bob Rondeau ’83, Matt Lane ’82, Anthony Rondeau ’82, Jay Lynch ’81, Michael Moriarty ’77
The memories are vivid and the emotions palpable when Portsmouth Abbey School graduates and parents speak about former coach and Athletic Director John L. McCauley. The core of the Portsmouth experience is its people,and for many years,there were few larger presences on campus than that of John McCauley. Over the years this sentiment has been expressed in numerous conversations among members of the Class of 1987. The combination of their enduring memories of this beloved and admired man and a desire to assist today’s Portsmouth Abbey School student led to the establishment of the John L. McCauley Scholarship Fund. Mr. McCauley and his family came to Portsmouth in 1974 from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where, since 1967, John had served Army Head Coach Tom Cahill as defensive coordinator and defensive backfield coach. Prior to his years with the Black Knights, John spent five years in the early ‘60s at his alma mater, Boston College, as the offensive backfield coach, during which BC twice achieved the number-one ranking in New England. The return to Rhode Island was natural for John. A native of the state, he was first introduced to football at Providence’s LaSalle Academy. Following his 1949 La Salle graduation, he matriculated to Boston College where he starred for the Eagles and earned All-New England honors in 1951 and 1952. With a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in education from Fitchburg State College, John taught and coached at St. Bernard’s Senior High School in Fitchburg and at Dedham Senior High School early in his career. From 1974 to 1988, John was a highly engaged person on Portsmouth’s campus. Originally appointed as athletic director, head football coach and teacher of general science and biology for the academic year 197475, John’s duties during his tenure also included director of annual giving in the Office of Alumni & Development, director of development & alumni affairs, and baseball coach. With his wife, Gerry, and six chil-
30
dren – Jack ‘78, Bill ‘79, Mike ‘81, Rich ‘84, Christine and Kathryn – John settled into life at Portsmouth. The variety of John’s Portsmouth responsibilities required that he interact with students and parents as a teacher, coach, administrator, friend and mentor. A natural “people person,” these exchanges made an impact on countless people over the years. His legacy was far-reaching and lasting, and, in early 2007, the School approached John with an idea that was developing among the Class of 1987 in connection with its 20th Reunion celebration. Early in the process of reunion planning, members of the class stepped forward and expressed the strong desire to establish a scholarship fund in John McCauley’s honor. Several generous commitments were immediately made in support of the goal. The Class of 1987 hoped to provide the foundation for this new fund prior to seeking the participation of alumni from other classes. With John’s agreement, members of the Class of 1987 moved forward to build a base of support appropriate for the creation of the John L. McCauley Scholarship Fund. Following special appeals to captains and players of the McCauley-era football teams, and the parents of those players, a generous foundation was established for the McCauley Scholarship Fund. The Fund’s description reads: Established by the many friends and families whose lives were influenced by John McCauley, parent of Jack ‘78, Bill ‘79, Mike ‘81 and Rich ‘84. As coach, Athletic Director and Director of Alumni Relations & Development, John McCauley impacted a generation of Portsmouth Abbey families from 1974 to 1988. Each year, income from the McCauley Scholarship Fund will be awarded to a student of integrity who displays a strong work ethic, has shown consistent academic achievement, and who contributes substantially to the extracurricular program through athletics.
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:55 PM
Page 31
THE MCCAULEY YEARS
From top: John McCauley’s sons Jack ’78 (Left) and Bill ’79 look at the 1974 team photo Members of the undefeated 1987 football team include: Marchi Lopez-Linus, Jim Knight, Matt Galvin, Peter Anghinetti, Dave Rondeau and Paul Baisley From left to right: Nick Thorton ’90, Dave Rondeau ’87 and Paul Baisley ’87 meet and congratulate Ryan Silva ’10 Weekend activities included a Portsmouth football game, some of those in attendance included: Jim Knight ’87, Bob Hoy ’87, Paul Baisley ’87, Dave Rondeau ’87, Marchi Lopez-Linus ’87, Matt Galvin ’87, Nick Thorton ’90, Charlie Baisley ’90, Peter Perroni ’87
October 17, 2009, afforded the Monastic and School community a distinctive opportunity to honor John for his service to Portsmouth Abbey School as well as to publicly announce and celebrate the establishment of the John L. McCauley Scholarship Fund. The presence of alumni, parents, friends, former coaches and a throng of family was a tremendous testament to John’s profound influence on so many people during his years at Portsmouth. The crowd included many special guests, including John’s Boston College roommate, Mike Rourke, and attendees who traveled from California, Florida, North Carolina, Chicago, and Michigan to be present. With sincere gratitude, Patrick Burke ‘86, assistant headmaster for development, announced the formal establishment of the John L. McCauley Scholarship Fund at Portsmouth Abbey. As of that evening, commitments totaled $100,000 (by early 2010 the Fund has increased to $125,000). The evening included special remarks by Headmaster Jim DeVecchi, stirring words from inaugural McCauley Scholarship recipient Ryan Silva ‘10, comments from former players Paul Baisley ‘87 and Jim Knight ‘87, heartfelt thanks from Jim Baisley P ‘87,‘90 on behalf of all parents whose sons played for John, and emotional reflections from John’s eldest son, Jack ‘78. Calling John “a true leader of boys,” Dr. DeVecchi described the celebratory evening as “a most wonderful and fitting tribute to Coach McCauley. It is so nice to have John here tonight to remind us of those values he personifies: integrity, character, hard work, and a well-rounded commitment to goodness and excellence. Having John come to Portsmouth in 1974 was a significant part of Dom Gregory Floyd’s vision for developing the school, and, indeed, I measure our athletic program today by the example John, and the student-athletes he inspired, provided for our School back then.” John’s son, Jack, spoke warmly of his father’s unwavering dedication to “his kids” at the Abbey: “Dad’s coaching was all about helping ‘his kids’ discover something about themselves and what they stood for. What it was, all the time, was giving his ‘kids’ a chance to discover just how important being part of a team really was. He wanted every Abbey ‘kid’ to really know the important things: always make an effort to win, always be a good person, and, sure, at times worry about the score, but focus more on winning in life. “This scholarship is a terrific way to extend my father’s hopes for every Abbey ‘kid’ and to help elevate the values he holds so dear.”
P O R T S M O U T H A B B E Y E N D O W M E N T FA C T S Each year, Portsmouth Abbey awards nearly $3 million in scholarship dollars. Thirty-five percent of the student body benefits from Scholarship support. There are 77 named Scholarship Funds within the Portsmouth endowment. Portsmouth Abbey School is currently working to raise $9 million in new Scholarship money over the next several years. 31
200364.P01-31:200364.P01-32
3/11/10
3:55 PM
Page 32
THE MCCAULEY YEARS
John McCauley’s Portsmouth Abbey legacy was evident when Ryan Silva spoke of how important the people at the School have been to him and the values – the same ones cherished and taught by Coach McCauley during his tenure at Portsmouth – that have been instilled in him that have equipped him well for his future.
Below: Coach McCauley and his wife, Gerry, display the ball given to them by their former players and students along with Headmaster Jim DeVecchi and his wife, Deb. Coach and Mrs. McCauley were joined for the evening by their six children and their spouses, and their grandchildren.
“When I first came to Portsmouth Abbey, there was a lot to take in because it was a great school and such a beautiful campus,” said Ryan, “but what stood out to me were the great people who surround this school. I know Coach McCauley is one of those people. “Coach McCauley, it’s been an honor and a privilege to play on a team and for a program that you have contributed so much to. On behalf of our entire team, we hope to commemorate you in the best possible way — by playing with the same level of heart and determination that you would expect from us.” Ryan finished with,“I am grateful to Abbey families like the McCauleys, and to everyone who has supported this scholarship fund, because you all have made it possible for me to have this tremendous opportunity to be at Portsmouth Abbey. Thank you.” While the School auditorium was filled with admirers, numerous others were unable to get back to campus. One such person was Tim Seeley ‘77, now headmaster and football coach at North Cross School in Virginia. On Tim’s behalf, classmate and teammate Brendan Kinnane‘77 read a thoughtful letter Tim had written to his former Coach.“From Coach McCauley,” Seeley said,“I learned the importance of preparation,hard work,technique and the competitive spirit, all qualities I try to instill in my players. I have used in my own life his example of sitting in front of your locker at the end of each day to ask yourself whether you did your best, and I use that with my players. From John I learned that it is OK to really want to win, as long as that goal is pursued with dignity, class and honor (and a Hail Mary to Our Lady Queen of Victory before the kickoff!). Thank you, Coach, for all you taught me as a player, as a coach, and as a teacher of young men. One can see the reflection of what you imparted to me in every team and, in fact, in every game and practice I have ever coached. I so wish I could be there this evening.” Cornelius Arnow ‘86 also sent along his well wishes and regrets from Germany, saying, “I deeply regret that I cannot attend. John McCauley richly deserves this honor and was certainly a marvelous coach and personal example to me and a generation of Abbey athletes.” Peter Persutti, a former faculty member and assistant Ravens football coach in the late 1970s, learned of the dinner honoring Coach McCauley and sent his best wishes from Illinois, adding, “I learned so much from John and greatly value my relationship with John and Gerry.” In taking to the podium to close the evening, the man being honored transported many in the room back to the locker room, sidelines, and practice field of years past as he shared his wit, wisdom and thanks, all in his inimitable “Coach McCauley” style. Portsmouth Abbey School is honored that the John L. McCauley Scholarship Fund now exists within the endowment. We are grateful for the legacy honored by the Fund and thankful for the opportunities created for today’s students. Please contact Senior Development Officer Anna Jones or Patrick Burke ‘86 at 401-643-1269 to discuss supporting the McCauley Scholarship Fund.
The John L. McCauley Scholarship Fund is now a permanent component of the Portsmouth Abbey School endowment and serves as a growing tribute to the coach, advisor, mentor and friend. A healthy endowment is the School’s financial lifeblood. It ensures the ability to plan, to pursue opportunity, and to ride out the ups and downs of the economy. Invested for the long term, gifts of endowment generate income that reduces the School’s reliance on tuition, ensuring a secure financial position. By strengthening the endowment, the School’s ability to fully support the people, programs, places and other opportunities that define the Portsmouth Abbey experience is enhanced.
To see the full gallery of photos from the weekend, visit our Wxebsite: http://www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/school_life/photo_galleries
32
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:08 PM
Page 33
Athletics at Portsmouth Abbey:
Promoting a Sense of Community by AL BROW N, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Athletic participation provides a balance to the academic life on campus and helps to promote a sense of community. With a diverse offering of 22 varsity sports and 40 athletic teams, we offer students with varying athletic skills and experience an opportunity to find a “home” in our athletic program. It is one of my primary goals to help students find the right fit for them so that they may become an integral part of the Portsmouth Abbey athletic program. Our JV coaches are supportive of the student who is new to a sport, and, with effort on the part of the student-athlete and the support of our coaches and their teammates, many inexperienced athletes find a sport or sports that they become skilled in and passionate about. A unique component of our sports philosophy is that each JV athlete will have the opportunity to be part of a team through our “no-cut policy.” With few exceptions, all sports and teams have open enrollment at the JV level. It is also understood by coaches and student-athletes that each JV player will participate in every game. This provides the young student-athlete an opportunity to participate, develop and compete with his or her classmates. This JV philosophy is the foundation of our athletic program. We are intent on building our programs from the JV level up to the varsity level, and the players on our JV teams will be the players and captains of our varsity teams. Our student-athletes talk about the strong friendships and loyalties they develop with their teammates throughout the years. We are not a school that “loads” our program at the varsity level to become competitive; rather, we are a school that achieves a competitive level (for the last four years we have won more than 60 percent of our games at the varsity level) by developing our younger athletes through our JV programs. Over the last seven years, over 90 percent of our Sixth Formers have been members of a varsity team and earned a varsity letter. Sixty percent of our Sixth Formers play two varsity sports, and 25 percent play in each of the three seasons. Our varsity teams have won over 60 percent of their games in each of the last three years. Boys’ Cross-Country, Girls’ Basketball, Boys’ Lacrosse, and Boys’ and Girls’ Track have
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
all won EIL league titles, and our Sailing and Girls’ Squash teams have won New England Championships. In addition, each year our athletes are selected as All-League, All-State, All-New England and All-American. We have our share of success. We value perseverance and commitment and, to that end, any Sixth Form athlete who has played JV for two or three years will be selected to the varsity team in their Sixth Form year. This “inclusion policy” in the varsity portion of our program rewards our student-athletes for their commitment to our athletic program and provides them with the opportunity to be a member of a varsity team. While the majority of our students are involved in athletics, we also offer excellent programs in drama, community service, art and music. A key component of our community is that almost every student is engaged with his or her classmates and a Portsmouth Abbey faculty member or administrator at the end of the academic day. We are not going our own ways, but instead we are working towards a common School goal with other members of the community. Each of our teams and after-school programs are coached or directed by a Portsmouth Abbey faculty member or administrator, providing students and adults with the opportunity to work together outside of the classroom and to extend teaching and learning beyond the academic day. Our School’s commitment to being well-rounded in athletics and not specializing in a particular sport helps keep our student-athletes grounded and part of our community. The athlete who excels in one sport may be a role player in another season but is still connected to our program and is an active member of our School community. This philosophy helps to prevent the development of subcultures or cliques within the community. Our athletic program reflects Portsmouth Abbey School’s mission of respect by emphasizing a strong commitment to sportsmanship. Sportsmanship is about respecting the constituents of sports; teammates, opponents, officials and spectators are expected to be treated with respect.
33
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:08 PM
Page 34
J U N I O R VA R S I T Y AWA R D S The Portsmouth Abbey Junior Varsity Award is given to the athlete who best demonstrates the spirit of Abbey athletics. The award recognizes hard work, individual improvement, sportsmanship and a willingness to do what is best for the team. Boys’ Cross-Country: Sidharth Sharma ‘12 Girls’ Cross-Country: Ligia Vela ‘11 Field Hockey: Jesse Bessinger ‘12 Football: Zach Pray ‘12 Boys’ JVA Soccer: David Armenta ‘12 Boys’ JVB Soccer: Rasaanh Matra ‘13
LOUIS WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY
LOUIS WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY
Girls’ Soccer: Cynthia Holte ‘12
34
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:08 PM
Page 35
FA L L 2 0 1 0 S P O R T S AWA R D S Cross-Country - Boys Coach's Award: Ed Kielb ‘11 Most Improved: Will Parsons ‘12 Captain-Elect: Ed Kielb ‘11 Overall Record: 12-5 (EIL) 8-0 *1st place, EIL Championship 7th of 13 teams, Division III (New Englands)
Cross-Country - Girls Coach's Award: Kaitlin Patton ‘11 Most Improved: Sara Stratoberdha ‘11 Captain-Elect: Kaitlin Patton ‘11 Overall Record: 5-11 (EIL) 5-4
Field Hockey
FA L L P O S T- S E A S O N H O N O R S Eastern Independent League All-League Boys’ Cross-Country – Brendan Connolly ‘10; Quent Dickmann ‘10; Jake Flynn ‘11; Ed Kielb ‘11 Honorable Mention– Brendan Connelly ‘10; Andrew Sgarro ‘11 EIL Boys’ Cross-Country Coach of the Year: Daniel McDonough Girls’ Cross-Country – Kaitlin Patton ‘11; Honorable Mention– Kelsey Trumps ‘10 Field Hockey – Tiernan Barry ‘11 Honorable Mention– Kelly Plageman ‘12
Field Hockey Trophy, given by the Hannaford family: Charlotte Papp ‘10 Most Improved: Sarah Auer ‘12 Captains-Elect: Tiernan Barry ‘11, Catherine Shanahan ‘11, Tara Tischio ‘11 Overall Record: 2-13 (EIL) 1-7
Boys’ Soccer– Ethan DaPonte ‘10; Chris Larson ‘10; Owen Rischmann ‘10 Honorable Mention– Cam Shirley ‘10; Dan Welch ‘11
Football
Girls’ Soccer– Jasmin Amaral ‘11; Brigid Behan ‘11; Katie Sgarro ‘11
John M. Hogan '54 Football Trophy: Ryan Silva ‘10 Most Improved (Coen Award): Makonnen Jackman ‘10 Captains-Elect: Nick Albertson ‘11, Mitchell Green ‘11, Liam O’Farrell ‘11, Donovan Reyes ‘11 Record: Evergreen Conference 4-4
Boys' Soccer William Franklin Sands Memorial Trophy: Ethan DaPonte ‘10 Most Improved: Ryan Lohuis ‘10 Captains-Elect: Adam Crimmins ‘11, Danny Welch ‘11 Overall Record: 12-5-3 (EIL) 10-4-2
Honorable Mention– Sarah Savoie ‘10; Salome Wilfred ‘10 Evergreen Football Conference All-League Luke Gleason ‘11; John LeComte ‘10; Ryan Silva ‘10 Honorable Mention– Nick Albertson ‘11; Liam O’Farrell ‘11; Evan Winfrey ‘10 All-State Brigid Behan (Girls’ Soccer) Ethan DaPonte; Owen Rischmann (Boys’ Soccer) Luke Gleason; Ryan Silva (Football)
Girls' Soccer Girls' Soccer Trophy: Brigid Behan ‘11 Most Improved: Devon Hogan ‘12 Captains-Elect: Jasmin Amaral ‘11, Brigid Behan ‘11, Katie Sgarro ‘11, Tori Sgarro ‘11 Overall Record: 6-5-4 (EIL) 5-3-1
Boys' Golf Coach's Award: Chris Correira ‘11 Most Improved: Darren Colbourne ‘12 Captain-Elect: Darren Colbourne ‘12, Chris Correira ‘11 Overall Record: 6-6, 6th place EIL Tournament Opposite page, top lef: Running back Ryan Silva’10 carries the ball downfield against New Hampton Opposite page, right: Salome Wilfred ‘10 controls the ball in varsity soccer vs. Dana Hall Opposite page bottom: Boys’ varsity golf on our Carnegie Abbey course
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
Above: Charlotte Anderson ‘11 races for the ball in a match against Tabor Academy
35
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
m
i
l
3/11/10
e
5:09 PM
s
Page 36
t
Dan‘95 and Tita‘96 Christoffel’s new son, Andres, with brothers Joaquin, Javi, & Marcos
o
n
e
s
B i r t h s
Molly Renée, daughter of Kelly and Pete Reiser
1986 A boy, Thomas Henry to Michael and Holly Khouw July 17, 2009
1987 A boy, Anton Ronato ContrerasKoterbay, son of Karlota and Scott Koterbay November 9, 2009
1992 A girl, Hadley Irene to Hal and Jennifer Black November 2, 2009
Thomas Henry Khouw, son of Michael ‘86 and Holly, snuggles with his big brother
A boy, Charles Gordon Mannix III to Charles and Erin Mannix October 18, 2009
Hadley Irene Black, daughter of Hal ‘92 and Jennifer Black
1994 A boy, Daniel to Miguel and Susana Bichara June 26, 2009 A boy, Beckett William to Ryan and Jennifer Kern September 21, 2009 A girl, Hadley Ryan to Chris and Meghan Ollerhead May 10, 2009 A boy, William Thomas to Nicolas and Kathryn Lombardi July 22, 2009
1995 Colin Daniel Burke, son of Daniel ‘99 and Sarah Burke
36
A boy, Andres Benito to Dan ‘95 and Tita ‘96 Christoffel July 20, 2009
Anton Ronato Contreras-Koterbay, son of Karlota and Scott Koterbay ‘87
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:09 PM
Page 37
m
i
l
e
s
t
o
n
e
s
1996 A boy, Rowan to Ryan and Christina Flinn August 5, 2009 A boy, Jon Sander to Chris and Catherine Block July 25, 2009
1997 Helena Ruth Case, daughter of Ethan ‘99 and Jennifer Case
A girl, Kyla to Lou and Erika Tavares December 1, 2009
1998 A boy, Charles to Tara Tavares Winston and Ted Winston October 14, 2009
1999 A boy, Colin Daniel to Daniel and Sarah Burke September 4, 2009 Hadley Ollerhead, daughter of Chris ‘94 and Meghan Ollerhead
“CJ” Chenoweth with his parents, Rhonda Mitchell and Dean of Students Clarence Chenoweth
A girl, Helena Ruth to Ethan and Jennifer Case October 29, 2008
2006 A boy, Jordan Thomas Birchall to Courtney Doran July 19, 2009
Faculty/Staff
Charles Winston was born to Ted and Tara Tavares Winston ‘98 in October
A boy, Clarence “CJ” Elijah to Dean of Students Clarence Chenoweth and Rhonda Mitchell Chenoweth September 9, 2009
Jon Sander Block, son of Chris ‘96 and Catherine Block
A girl, Molly Renée to Director of Student Activities Kelly Christopher Reiser and Peter Reiser November 29, 2009 A boy, John Michael to Academic Dean Kale Zelden and Christian Doctrine teacher Dimitra Zelden January 23, 2010 Beckett William Kern, son of Ryan ‘94 and Jennifer Kern
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
Jordan Thomas Birchall, son of Courtney Doran ‘06
37
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
M
I
3/11/10
L
5:09 PM
E
S
Andres Valenzuela ’04 and Christina Holmstrom on their wedding day.
Page 38
T
O
N
E
S
Griffin Flynn ’98 and Lauren Lynch married in June; in celebration with them were: (l to r) Jake Flynn ‘11, Ashley Hart ‘98, John Jay Mouligne ‘01, Tara Tavares Winston’98, Sean Flynn’01, Chris Shonting ‘98, Matt Kavanagh ‘98, Lauren Lynch Flynn, Griffin, Warren Kinney ‘98, Tristan Mouligne ‘98, Mike McCarthy ‘98, Nathaniel Spencer ‘98 W e d d i n g s
1976 Frank Tietje to Margaret Madigan July 18, 2009
Cristina Craig to Jared Wurster July 11, 2009
1992
Kathleen Mannix to Wilson Grandin September 12, 2009
Patrick Leger to Theresa Viggiano October 10, 2009
1999
1996 Tom Rodgers to Carrie Rost May 23, 2009 Tom Rodgers ’96 with Abbey alumni at his wedding. Front row: John B. “Red” Cummings ’63, John Edenbach ‘96, Jillian Hawes ‘99, Carrie Rost Rodgers, Tom Rodgers, Alex Squire ‘01 Back row, from left: Mike Earp ‘96, Steve Pietraszek ‘96, Heather Hawes Dwyer ‘96, Ben Squire ‘97.
Katherine Hewett to Chris Murphy August 8, 2009 Enrico Palazio to Michelle Kahn November 14, 2009
1997 Katherine Maltarp to Phil Primeau August 1, 2009 Brad Cerilli to Sue Marie Belsito July 10, 2009
1998
Katherine Maltarp ‘97 on her wedding day in August
38
Mary Duryea ‘03 married Barrett Levenson in September 2009
Griffin Flynn to Lauren Lynch June 27, 2009
Milton Little to Erica Joi Allen August 29, 2009
2000 Patrick Hewett to Maura Naughton August 22, 2009
2001 Kyle Wood to Michelle Zaykowski November 6, 2009 Paul Yoon to Jenny Beth Detterman July 25, 2009
2003 Mary Duryea to Barrett Levenson September, 2009
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:09 PM
Page 39
M
The wedding of Cristina Craig Wurster ‘98 included (from left): Caroline Mason ‘08, Cedric Craig ‘07, Tara Tavares Winston ’98, Kate Rooney Sams ‘98, Pat Rooney ’65, Karina Craig ‘01, Cristina Craig ’98, Henry Jared Wurster, Father Mark Serna, Franklin Craig ’76, Nat Spencer ’98, Janine Graebe ’98, Mike McCarthy ’98, Matt Kavanagh ’98, Ashley Hart ’98, and Tristan Mouligne ‘98.
2004 Nicholas Micheletti to Alassandra DeSisto ’05 August 1, 2009
I
L
E
S
T
O
N
E
S
Above: Paul Yoon married Jenny Beth Detterman on July 25, 2009 Left: Patrick Leger ’92 celebrates his wedding with fellow classmates (l to r): Pat Frank, Andrew Wallace, Theresa Viggiano Leger, Father Catesby Clay (officiated the ceremony), Patrick Leger, Greg Gilman, James Dwyer and Henry Snape
Andrés Klee Valenzuela to Christina Jeanette Holmstrom August 8, 2009
2007 Leah Quast to Matthew T. Cole, Jr. August, 2009 FACULTY Polly Carter, Director of the Annual Fund, to Nicholas Antol, Assistant Director of Admissions August 23, 2009 Aileen Keenan, Math Teacher, to Brian Baker September 19, 2009 Daniel Hodes, Spiritual Life Associate/Christian Doctrine, to Michelle LaRosa August 29, 2009
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
Right: Milton Little ’99 and his bride, Erica Joi Allen, on their wedding day Below: Katie Hewett ‘96 married Chris Murphy in August
Kathleen Mannix was married to Dr. Wilson Grandin on September 12. The ceremony was officiated by Dom Paschal Scotti, O.S.B. Abbey alumni in attendance were John Burke ‘87, Kevin Burke ‘92, Brian Burke ‘93, Mary Friel Burke ‘97, Charles G. Mannix, Jr. ‘96, Kristen Bitter Jellison‘98, Matt Kavanagh‘98, Tristan Mouligne‘98, Kathryn Rooney-Sams ‘98, Nathaniel Spencer ‘98, and Tara Tavares Winston ‘98.
39
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
M
I
L
3/11/10
E
5:09 PM
S
Page 40
T
O
N
E
S
Director of the Annual Fund Polly Carter Antol and Assistant Director of Admissions Nicholas Antol celebrate with their Portsmouth Abbey colleagues and friends on their wedding day in August.
Far left: Alassandra DeSisto ‘05 married Nicholas Micheletti ‘04 at the DeSisto’s home in August. Nick and Allie are now teaching, coaching, and houseparenting at Portsmouth Abbey School. Near left: Pat Hewett ‘00 celebrated with friends and family at his August 2009 wedding. Pat’s sister, Katie ‘96, is front and center and his brother, Brendan ‘03 is front row, right.
Far left: Spiritual Life Associate and Christian Doctrine teacher Dan Hodes and his bride Michelle LaRosa at their August wedding. Near left: Math teacher Aileen Keenan married Brian Baker in September.
40
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:09 PM
I
Page 41
N
M
E
M
NECROLOGY Callista Marie Antol Grandmother of Nicholas Antol, Admissions February 7, 2010 Rear Admiral Frederick Bakutis Father of Robert E. “Bunky” Bakutis ‘64 October 4, 2009 Gail Gallagher Brennan Mother of Edward “Ted” Brennan III ’82 f February 20, 2010 Jean Cannon Wife of William “Niel” Cannon ’63 December 14, 2008 Betty Cosgrove Wife of Warner Cosgrove ’35 August 14, 2009 Rosemary Culhane Mother-in-law of Peter Kennedy ‘64 Grandmother of Matthew ’07 and Catherine ’08 Kennedy January 31, 2010 Edward F. Doyle, Jr. Father of David E. ’89 and Culhane P. K. ‘92 Doyle September 29, 2009 John Figge Father of Mary Power, Board of Regents Grandfather of Ann ‘06, Margaret ’08 and John ’12 Power William FitzGerald ‘76 Brother of James FitzGerald ‘80 f November 21, 2009 Brian Foley ‘84 January 1, 2010
O
R
I
A
M
Leandro S. Galban, Jr. ‘52 Stuart Forbes Father of Matthew Forbes ’97 Father-in-law of Ann Marie Forbes ‘96 January 4, 2010
Roger E. Mathieu Father of Mark Mathieu ‘84 October 20, 2009
Mary Ann Hagerty Wife of Harry C. Hagerty, Jr. ’47 f Mother of Harry C. III ’78 and John C. ‘82 Hagerty November 1, 2009
Barbara Root Wife of Oren Root ‘65 December 18, 2009
Peter V. Heide ‘55 Brother of Philip Heide ‘58 Uncle of Andrew Heide ’95 and Elizabeth Heide Fessenden ‘97 November 7, 2009 Robert Herrera ’50 November 11, 2009 John F. Hogan Grandfather of Casey ’10 and Devon ’12 Hogan September 5, 2009 David H. Jamison Father of Corey D. ’96 and Ryan M. ‘98 Jamison November 11, 2009
Matthias Oppersdorff ‘55 January 26, 2010
Charles T. Rushworth Grandfather of Caitlin J. Rushworth ‘04 February 13, 2009 Lynnette Curtis Schissel Wife of Donald Schissel ‘70 June 25, 2009 Eleanor Sheehan Grandmother of John J. Foley ‘95 June 28, 2009 Frank Stephens ‘59 Brother of Roger V. Stephens ‘60 June 6, 2006 Harold Storey Father of William Storey ‘66 Grandfather of Garrett ’05 and Julia ’13 Thompson February 18, 2010
Joseph C. Kriner, Sr. Father of Mitch Kriner, Portsmouth Abbey Staff Grandfather of Bryan Kriner ‘07 September 30, 2009
John J. Tierney, II ’45 August 14, 2009
Stanley Pierson Lewis ‘42 Brother of John Lewis ‘46 July 31, 2009
Frances Ziminsky Mother of Matthew Ziminsky ‘87; Aunt of John ’87, Henry ’90, Kevin ’92, Brian ’93 and Mary ‘97 Burke, and Charles Mannix ‘96 and Kathleen Mannix Grandin ‘98 September 23, 2009
Carl R. and Gladys R. Leyh Grandparents of Caitlin J. Rushworth ‘04 July 21, 2007 and September 23, 2009
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
Michael Henry deY. Tobin Father of Joseph Tobin ‘71 October 29, 2009
Leandro S. “Pedro” Galban, Jr., ’52, chairman of financial services for DLJ Merchant Banking Partners, a division of Credit Suisse, died on July 5, 2009, in New York. He was 74. Following graduation from Portsmouth, Pedro received a B.A. from Harvard College. He became a general partner in the investment firm of Wood, Struthers, and Winthrop in NY. Pedro later became managing director and co-head of Donaldson, Lufkin, and Jenrette’s Financial Institutions Group before joining Credit Suisse First Boston in 2000. He was internationally respected in the business community, particularly for his integrity and expertise in the insurance industry. Born in New York City on Dec. 27, 1934, Pedro grew up in Havana, Cuba, and in Manhattan. He and his wife, Beverly, were very involved in land conservation issues in Sagaponack, NY, where they owned a farmhouse. Pedro was a member of the president’s council of the Peconic Land Trust City, the Sagaponack Village Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Bridgehampton Club. While at Portsmouth, Pedro’s closest friends included classmates Bernie Flynn, Jim Murphy and Bill Howenstein. He called his Portsmouth experience “first-rate and memorable.” In addition to Beverly, Pedro is survived by sons Anthony ’79, of New Providence, NJ, Leandro, III,’81, of Redding, CT, and Dom Clemens Timothy ’82, of Vienna, Austria. Two sisters, Agnes Galban and Victoria Galban, and two brothers, Luis ‘54, and Eugenio, also survive, as do three grandchildren. The Portsmouth Abbey community extends its sincere sympathies to all of Pedro’s family.
41
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
i
n
3/11/10
m
5:09 PM
e
Page 42
m
o
r
i
a
m
Thomas N. Brown: An Appreciation I was brought up short October 28 when I read the obituary of Dr. Thomas N. Brown in The Boston Globe, thinking in fact that surely this learned gentleman had departed these earthly environs long, long ago. Students, especially young ones, usually think their teachers as old as Methuselah, when in fact (at the time of our paths crossing, for instance), these gentlemen were often only in their forties, with whole careers stretching ahead of them. Such was the case with Dr. Brown. The Globe mentioned his stellar academic stints at Notre Dame and the University of Massachusetts in Boston, as well his primary role in the emergence of Irish studies as a cutting-edge subject of historical inquiry. It did not mention the fact that Dr. Brown also taught at the then-Portsmouth Priory. I am not sure of the exact dates when Dr. Brown held forth on American and European history, usually in a dingy classroom of the old Barn, but I took classes from him between 1960 and 1963. The faculty of Portsmouth at that time was an odd amalgam of talents, to say the very least. The resident minister of the British public school tradition, Cecil Acheson, carried on in Masterpiece Theater fashion as he drilled Caesar’s Gallic Wars into the dim ears of his prisoners. A little bit of Queen and Country, as they say. My biology teacher, if I recall correctly, was a local veterinarian, and the eccentric Dr. Erich Taylor, who taught chemistry and the correct order of Santa’s reindeer as they were strapped together in front of the Christmas sleigh, didn’t have a degree from anywhere. Dom Leo van Winkle, physics, was a former scientist from Los Alamos, and the famous Dom Andrew Jenks was truly the mad mathematician. He used to stand in front of the classroom writing theorems on the blackboard. When he ran out of space doing that, he’d continue on the walls around the room. When he arrived at where he started, he would take the front of his habit, erase the first part of his exercise, and continue rolling. I for one, a complete moron when it came to numbers, never understood a word that came out of his mouth. Dr. Brown was very much a different sort of person: detached, professional, academically a constant. Being of Irish descent, he added humor and wit to his expositions and, to the student so inclined, tremendous encouragement if he showed a drift toward the discipline. The first indication in his American History course that this was serious business was his selection of the Morison/Commager Growth of the American Republic as our primary text, which he illuminated in brilliant fashion. That’s a book most Ivy League graduates today might have difficulty following.
swim. The rigor required just to keep up, the long nights of wading through assignments, the sheer difficulty of the subject matter, the blood, sweat and tears to win a circle 63 (Honors Weekend!) … it made you grow up pretty quickly. No one wanted a Fr. Andrew visiting your room with the sad news that if you didn’t pick it up, you were gone. This made college a breeze. I ended up at Bowdoin, in the wilds of Maine (no girls! Another year in Purgatory.) My fellow freshmen flunked out by the dozens; I cruised into the delightful waters of academic illumination. The Priory had prepared me for it. My mind was as dull as a stone when I graduated in 1963, but it made me ready for college. As I look back on it, Dr. Brown’s courses were rays of sunshine that previewed what scholastic pleasure can really be about. He was an exemplary teacher before all his other academic accomplishments -- his books, his involvement with interdisciplinary Irish studies, his many outstanding students who went on to tremendous acclaim – and a very sympathetic listener. He knew in his heart that the Priory was boot camp and not a particularly user-friendly place. He reached out to some of us in a collegial, professional way (never overly friendly, but never distant either), and had a quick eye for talent. I will never forget being asked to visit him in his office to go over one of my papers. Being ever the pessimist, I knew to expect the worst. We went over the miserable thing, page by page, generously graded a C. Then came the summation, which I can remember almost to the word. “Mr. Roy, you have an interest in history, I can see that. I think you have an eye for it, and an ear for it. I think you could be an historian -a very good one -- and if you agree with me I’ll do my best to help you get there.” I wrote my father that night about this extraordinarily hopeful conversation. He was disappointed. He wanted me to get into Harvard, and to be a lawyer. I failed him on both counts, but I hope I fulfilled Dr. Brown’s expectations. I’ve certainly tried, as God is my witness. – James Charles Roy ’63
James Charles Roy, class of ’63, is an independent scholar who has written several books and articles, mostly on Irish history. His “The Vanished Kingdom: Travels Through the History of Prussia,” was partially dedicated to Thomas N. Brown.
I do not know what others of my classmates may think of their Priory experience, but academically the place made me, mostly because the very tidal wave of work put you on the edge of a cliff every week. It was truly sink or
42
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:09 PM
I
Page 43
N
M
Christopher James Ward ‘55
E
M
O
R
I
A
M
Father David Fitch, S. J. ‘39 Christopher James Ward, husband, father, businessman, and community leader, passed away on September 10, 2009, at the age of 72 after a five-year battle with cancer. He lived in Piedmont, California. Chris lived a vital and passionate life and will be remembered for his endless energy, his love of family, and his commitment to the Church. He was preceded in death by his wife, Gretchen, and is survived by his brother, Michael; his three children, Nicholas, Andrew, and Laura; and eight grandchildren.
Chris grew up in Los Angeles and attended Portsmouth Priory, graduating in 1955. He graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1959 with a degree in Industrial Engineering and received his M.B.A. from the Claremont Graduate School in 1966. During his five years at Portsmouth, Chris played Varsity Soccer, JV Basketball and lived in the Barn and the Red. He was also a member of the Boat Club. His uncle, Christopher Wyatt, graduated from Portsmouth in 1932. While at MIT, Chris met his wife, Gretchen Van de Kamp. Married in their early twenties, they shared a life-long passion for art, education and family. Chris was a devoted family man who respected and supported his children’s varied interests. In 1960, Chris worked for Kaiser Steel as an Industrial Engineer. In 1974, he joined the finance department of Kaiser Steel, where he became treasurer. Later Chris worked as treasurer for Bechtel, Hexcel, and then Guy F. Atkinson. He retired in 1994 and continued sharing his organizational knowledge, energy and interests as a member of the board of directors for several companies, including: Qualimatrix and Lawry’s Restaurants; College Preparatory School; and the Mike Vax Jazz Orchestra. Chris was kind, honest, generous, optimistic, and always had a smile. He had a genuine interest in everyone, and loved talking to people and sharing information. He was a devoted Catholic his entire life, and supported many local parish communities and the building of the new Christ the Light Cathedral in Oakland. In the Cathedral, full of light and space, with God and his family and friends in attendance, all witnessed a grand send-off for Chris by the Cathedral choir and a lone resonating trumpet playing Amazing Grace.
Father David Fitch, S.J., Portsmouth Priory Class of 1939, died peacefully January 30, 2009, at Sacred Heart Jesuit Center, in Los Gatos, California, after a long decline. He was 88 years old. Born in San Diego on January 19, 1921, David entered the Society of Jesus at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Los Gatos on August 14, 1941, two years after graduating from Portsmouth Priory. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1943 and taught Latin and civics at Bellarmine College Preparatory School, in San Jose, CA, from 1948 to 1951. Following his ordination to the priesthood in 1954, Fr. Fitch earned his master’s degree in political science from Fordham University in 1957. He pronounced his final vows to the Jesuits on August 15, 1958, at Loyola High School in Los Angeles. During the 1960s he taught at Brophy College Prep in Phoenix, AZ, and was a faculty member at Ryan Preparatory, the Diocesan Seminary in Fresno, CA. For more than 30 years, Fr. Fitch was coordinator of the Christian Life Communities for the Jesuit California Province, where he shared the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius with lay adult Catholics. Fr. David is survived by his sister, Mrs. Kathleen Fitch Stroop, and a niece, Ms. Anne Roeder, both of Coronado, CA. He was the brother of Walter Fitch ‘35, and Mrs. Franke Duffey, both of whom predeceased him. Other relatives who attended Portsmouth include: nephews William ’58 and Michael ’62 Calhoun; cousins Cecil Fitch Jr. ’35 and John Kemmerer ’57; greatnephews Travis ’88 and Noah ‘99 Duffey; and greatniece Monique Roeder ’95. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated for Fr. Fitch at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Center on February 6. Burial was in the Santa Clara Mission Cemetery. We extend our sincere condolences to Mrs. Stroop, Ms. Roeder and the entire Fitch family. Requiescat in pace.
The Portsmouth community extends its sincere sympathies to the entire Ward family.
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
43
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
C
l
3/11/10
a
5:09 PM
s
Bill Crimmins ‘48 is joined by Katherine Crimmins Wu, Abbot Caedmon Holmes, and Mark Malkovich P’78, ‘79, ‘85 to celebrate Bill’s 80th birthday
Dom Christopher Davis ’48 enjoys a ride in the “burgee mobile” with IV Form student Jeff Salvatore
s
Page 44
N
‘39 Heidi Cuddihy sent a letter on behalf of her husband: “Greetings to all from John Murray (Jack) Cuddihy. Portsmouth remains his love. An anecdote: A trip to the Southampton emergency room last week (because of a fall and broken collar bone) brought to mind one of Jack’s tales of Portsmouth – his trip to the emergency room in Newport. He used to tell this to our children with great flourish, reenactments and sound effects: ‘Bedtime. In the dorm bathroom brushing teeth, etc. Floor wet from splashes. Boys in pajamas. Jack and Bobby Ridder ’36 arm wrestling. Slipped and fell. Jack’s right leg is broken! School Nurse Miss Mulrennen attends. Calls ambulance, which comes. Jack and Miss Mulrennen are packed into the ambulance and ride through the night to Newport Hospital. Stars are out, they’re speeding and careening. Siren is on. Problem and delay getting permission to operate, as Jack’s parents are on a cruise in Guatemala. Family friend gives okay and leg is wrapped in cast. …followed by several dull weeks recuperating in hospital.’ He remembers little about that phase except that his roommate was an ‘old man’.”
‘41
The Portsmouth Review is now available in our Bookstore, or visit the Portsmouth Institute Website for ordering information. www.portsmouthinstitute.org
44
In June, Bishop William J. McCormack celebrated the 50th year of his ordination. Bishop McCormack served as national director of the Society for the Propagation of
o
t
e
s
the Faith from 1980 until his retirement in 2001. Pope John Paul II ordained him an auxiliary bishop of New York in Rome on Jan. 6, 1987. He was vice chancellor of the archdiocese from 1970 to 1980, with responsibilities as chairman of the Archdiocesan Building Commission, Institutional Commodity Services and Ecclesiastical Maintenance Services. In 1971 he was named secretary to the archdiocesan board of consultors and in 1975 he served briefly as administrator of Holy Family parish, Manhattan. He served as archdiocesan director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, 1964-1970, after serving for three years as assistant director. He was director of the archdiocesan Office of World Justice and Peace, 1968-1976. He was parochial vicar of St. Mary Star of the Sea, in the Bronx, 1959-1961. He was named a monsignor in 1962… From Alan Burrell: “Katy and I keep on going at 85 and 81. Not so well as 3-5 years ago, but quite well. I still play tennis 2-3 days a week; and kayak now and then on the Waccamaw River nearby. We walk the ocean, too. I exchanged notes with Hugh Tovar recently and had Thanksgiving dinner with four college-aged grandsons at one of our daughter’s tables representing each college class. I feel pretty lucky. My chief concern is for our country.”
‘42
Peter MacLellan and his wife, Ann Marie, welcomed their first great-grandchild in September. Peter’s oldest
grandchild, Jessica, is the new mother of baby Mya Smith.
‘43
Richard Daly is doing well. He is in touch with Frank Hurley, who plans, along with Richard, to be at their 70th Portsmouth Reunion in 2013.
‘53
“Trading the World” is a new show on CNBC, hosted by Tim Seymour, Michael Seymour’s son.
‘55
55th Reunion OCT 1-3, 2010!
At his meeting with Jamie MacGuire ‘70 last spring, Chris Ward related that his grandmother, theatre critic Euphemia van Rensalaer Livingston Waddington Wyatt, had what was at one time the longest name in the Social Register. Chris’s uncle, Christopher Billopp Wyatt III ’32, was in the second class to graduate from Portsmouth. His mother, Jane Wyatt, starred opposite Ronald Colman in the film version of Lost Horizon and is fondly remembered as the mother playing opposite Robert Young from 1954-60 in the popular television series, “Father Knows Best.” Jane Wyatt and Chris’s father, Edgar Bethune Ward, met in the late 1920s when both were weekend guests of Franklin Delano Roosevelt at Hyde Park. Sadly, last fall, Chris Ward passed away due to a protracted illness. See our memorial on page 43 in this issue.
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:10 PM
‘58 Preston Shea expanded his wooden toy business and now produces beehives. He writes, “If you are interested in ‘green’ (sustainable) beekeeping with Warre hives, I would like to hear from you. These hives are designed by a Catholic priest and offer a more spiritual environment for your bees.”
‘59
John Congdon, Dom Corrigan, Grenville Craig, Raul de Brigard, Tito del Amo, John Diskon, Charlie Donahue, Lou Farrelly, Steve Ham, Jere Johnston, Emmet Kennedy, Peter Regan, Casey Roach and Louis Warren along with spouses and guests gathered at Carnegie Abbey on Friday, September 25 to kick off the 50th Reunion. The class enjoyed a special evening that allowed for many wonderful moments of reconnection. During the evening the floor was opened for all classmates to share a word about life experiences and Portsmouth memories. Saturday morning was highlighted by a class Mass in memory of the deceased members of the Class, celebrated by Dom Christopher Davis ’48. Members of the class were in fine voice as Jere Johnston led them through
Page 45
chant and hymns organized beautifully by Charlie Donahue. The class was also pleased to have Chris Shannon join their ranks for the weekend. Following the weekend, the class established the Class of 1959 Memorial Scholarship Fund to honor the departed and emphasize the class’s commitment to Portsmouth…Tito del Amo’s El Beach Bar in Mojacar Playa, Spain, closes for the winter. Tito will be in Greece and Turkey enjoying the cooler weather for the season…The Harvard Law School announced that Charles Donahue received an honorary doctorate from the Université de Paris II: PantheonAssas. Charlie is the Paul A. Freund Professor of Law, has been a member of the Harvard Law School faculty since 1978, and specializes in property law and legal history.
‘60
50th Reunion OCT 1-3, 2010!
An email update from Peter Dean: “Three daughters, two granddaughters, one grandson, and a new addition scheduled for April. Colleen, our youngest daughter, plans to wed next summer. The last one! I am looking forward to our 50th reunion next
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
October. Otherwise, life is good on the West Coast — sunny and 72 everyday (almost!).” William Pimentel writes, “Hi, I am still alive. I am retired and spend my time training dogs for herding and playing pool. I live in Scituate, Rhode Island, and currently have two Australian Cattle Dogs. I just lost my oldest dog and I am now on the look for a great Border Collie. I am at a turning point in my life and that is exciting and scary. My experience at the Priory changed my life and here I am. When I say that the experience at the Priory changed my life, I mean that in a positive way. Coming from where I did, it did make me a man without a country. I became too educated for my crowd and I was too rough for the Priory crowd. Put it all together and it made me different. That has defined my life.”
Left: Members of the class of 1959 gathered outside the Church of St. Gregory the Great after their 50th reunion Mass. The celebrant for the Mass was Dom Christopher Davis ’48 and the liturgies and hymns were selected by Charles Donahue ’59. (back left): Robert (Emmet) Emmet Kennedy, Louis Warren, Dominic Corrigan, Christopher Shannon, Stephen Ham, Peter Regan, John (Casey) Roach, Raul de Brigard (front left): Grenville Craig, Charles Donahue, Jerome Johnston, John Diskon, Louis Farrelly, Jamie (Tito) del Amo, John Congdon
Tito DelAmo ‘59
‘62
Vin Buonanno writes to Jamie MacGuire ‘70: “My compliments on a wonderful essay on the restoration project of the church and the Lippold wire sculpture, and also on your excellent photographs of it. It is not such an easy place to capture.“ Read more from Vin on page 4.
Stephen Ham ’59 and Jamie MacGuire ’70 enjoy a friendly game of tennis on Friday afternoon before the Reunion festivities began.
45
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:10 PM
Page 46
A spirited group of alumni joined together to celebrate the 40th reunion of the Ravens defeat of St. George’s. Front Row (l-r): Coach Jim Boynewicz, Coach Philip Coen, Kevin Hunt ’70, Don Schissel ’70, Paul Curcio ’70, Robert Portz ’70 Second Row: Jamie MacGuire ’70, Jamie Wilson ’70, Marvin George ’70, Robert Rudd ’70, Steve Cunningham ’72 Third Row: Bryan McShane ’71, Gil Kerr ’71, Bill Elliot ’71, Peter Tovar ’72, Drew Morten ’70, Peter Hunt ’71, Sean White ’71 Back Row: Tom Lonergan ’71, Joe Raho ’72, Tim Cunningham ’74, Bill Maher ’70, John Melia ’70, Terence Callery ’70
1969 Championship Football Team Reunion On Saturday, September 19, an enthusiastic group of over 30 Abbey alumni celebrated a reunion of the 1969 Championship football team. After morning golf at Carnegie Abbey and cheering on the 2009 football team in their very promising scrimmage against St. George’s, members of the 1969 team attended Vespers and remembered deceased teammates and schoolmates. The evening festivities celebrated the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Portsmouth’s last-minute, comefrom-behind victory over St. George’s in the fall of 1969 and the opportunity to recognize the 1969 head football coach, Philip E. Coen. The evening was a wonderful opportunity for alumni, coaches and monks to renew acquaintances and enjoy each other’s company while honoring their accomplishment and fond memories of Portsmouth Abbey School. Members of the Portsmouth Abbey football team from the classes of 1970-1973 chose this milestone as an
opportunity to formally recognize Coach Philip E. Coen and their successful, conference championship season of football in 1969. Contributors have joined together to form The 1969 Championship Fund. As permanent part of the School’s endowment, income from the Fund underwrites the yearly awarding of the Coen Cup and provides ongoing, annual operating support for the Portsmouth Abbey football program. The Coen Cup is named in honor of Coach Philip E. Coen for his inspirational leadership, personal example, absolute integrity and grace after suffering devastating personal loss made an indelible impression on his players. He instilled a work ethic and sense of teamwork that enabled players to play up to and beyond their full potential, and the team as a whole to achieve more than the sum of its parts. The Coen Cup will be awarded each year to the football team’s most improved player.
‘64 During Reunion Weekend ’09 in October, Kevin MacGuire ‘65 and Jim Sturdevant ’65 crashed the 1964 Friday night dinner at 22 Bowens, where Regan Kerney, Bunky Bakutis, Tom Shevlin, Antoine Maloney, Ciro Scotti and Alex Walsh were joined by faculty members Bill Rives ’67 and Jamie MacGuire ’70. The evening proceeded in various ways that no one now remembers but there were no reported casualties and most of the group reassembled the next evening for the gala dinner… Joseph Gatins has just published We Were Dancing on a Volcano: Bloodlines and Fault Lines of a Star-Crossed Atlanta Family, 1849-1989. This is a must-read family biography that is simultaneously blunt, profane, sweet, tender and true-to-life, and that depicts some remarkable women and lovely (but not always nice) men over more than five generations of life, love and war.
The new book by Joseph Gatins‘64
46
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:10 PM
Page 47
C
l
a
s
N
o
t
e
s
Ricardo Hill ‘65 with his wife, Lorena, and three sons
Photo: Allen Mozo; Jet-ski operator: Brian Keaulana
Bunky Bakutis ‘64 in Feb. 2007 at Makaha on O’ahu’s west side doing SUP surfing– a return to traditional Stand Up Surfing with a paddle...“Probably the biggest wave of my life. Very scary. ...Aloha, Bunky”
s
‘65 45th Reunion OCT 1-3, 2010!
Currently, Ricardo Hill is living in El Salvador and is the executive president of AON El Salvador, an insurance brokerage firm. He is also the vice president of Banco de America Central, owned by GE Capital. His wife, Lorena, and he have two daughters and three sons, who he hopes will attend Portsmouth Abbey in the future. He attended his 40th reunion in 2005, where he caught up with classmates he hadn’t seen since graduation…Pat Rooney sold his family’s business, JT’s Lumber, to a Long Island-based building supply company in November. Pat will stay on with the company, founded by his grandfather in the early 1900s, as executive vice president.
‘66
“Life is great, despite the last year’s financial meltdown. Family is well. Two children are
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
finishing college. Another has three children already. Carole and I have been traveling: Italy, Egypt, India,” reports Charles Lamar.
‘67
After 35 years of being a trial lawyer, Charles Powers was nominated by the Governor of New Jersey, Jon Corzine, to be a judge of the New Jersey Superior Court. He was confirmed by the New Jersey Senate on June 25, 2009, and sworn in on July 15, 2009. He serves in the Civil Division of the Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ…Bill Rives has returned to the United States after 22 years teaching at the Singapore American School. He is teaching humanities at Portsmouth. Bill’s son, Alec, joined Portsmouth in September as a Fourth Former.
From left: Red Cummings ‘63 and his granddaughter join Bill Crimmins ‘48, Bunky Bakutis ‘64, Ciro Scotti ‘64, and Antoine Maloney ‘64 at the Reunion festivities in October 2009
‘68
The American Institute of Architects’ Chicago Chapter awarded Paul Florian’s firm, Florian Architects, a 2009 AIA
Jim Sturdevant ‘65 with his wife, Therese, and his children Emma, Isabella, and Luke in Death Valley
47
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
C
l
3/16/10
a
s
10:53 AM
s
Page 48
N
o
t
e
s William Dembski’s ‘78 new book
Design Award in Interior Architecture for a residence in Chicago…Mac Regan and Taylor Gyde ’08 competed in the men’s singles tennis championship match at the Watch Hill, RI, Misquamicut Club in August. The exciting and physically demanding match ran three sets. Taylor eventually prevailed!
Taylor Gyde ‘08 and Mac Regan ‘68 at the men’s singles tennis championship match at the Watch Hill, RI, Misquamicut Club in August
‘70
40th Reunion OCT 1-3, 2010!
Judge Bill Maher was a republican nominee for the New York Supreme Court in November… The McEvoy Ranch, a 550-acre Marin County property that produces organic olives, is owned and operated by Nion McEvoy. Recently, Outside Go magazine profiled Nion and the ranch in a feature article. The inspiration for the purchase of the former dairy farm belongs to his mother,
Nan Tucker McEvoy. Because the land was zoned for agriculture, the McEvoy family had to find a crop to cultivate once purchased. In addition to 3,000 olive trees, she and Nion imported Maurizio Castelli, an olive grower from Tuscany who quickly helped turn the farm into the largest producer of estate-grown organic olives in California. Their McEvoy Ranch Traditional Blend and Olio Nuovo oils have been such successes that the ranch recently launched an olive-oil-based skin care line.
‘71
The PGA Tour is rebranding its in-house production group and has named Gil Kerr head of broadcasting and programming. Gil will lead the operation as its first president. Kerr spent a decade in the NBA’s Entertainment and Broadcasting Group before joining the PGA Tour in 1998. PGA Tour Productions was created in 1985 to produce “Inside the PGA Tour,” a studio show that originally aired on ESPN. Starting in 2010, the group will be renamed PGA Tour Entertainment.
‘72
Michael Long ‘72 and his family
48
Michael “Shorty” Long is still living in Shreveport, LA, with Dorothy, his wife of 26 years. A glutton for punishment, he is a third year City Councilman after serving four years as a County Commissioner. He continues to be involved in the oil and gas industry. He plays the guitar in several local bands. Their youngest child, a son, is a sophomore at LSU while his two older sisters have already graduated from college and both plan to attend graduate school in Australia.
‘73 Damien Bona writes, “I was the research consultant for the 2009 Academy Awards ceremony, which consisted of providing historical material for the show, analyzing the script and advising the producers. Walking down the red carpet was indeed a bizarre experience, especially when I turned to my right and there was Sophia Loren standing next to me.”
‘74
Tony Susen, Tom Keeley, Domenic Palumbo, Joe Robinson, Kevin McNally, Bill Buonanno, Bob Andre, Mike Dasovich, Joe Sullivan, Ken Stier and Jim “Big Murph” Murphy gathered at Gregg Dietrich’s Newport house on the Friday before Reunion ‘09. Gregg, his wife, Nikki, and Charley Grace hosted a fun dinner for their classmates: photos, stories, jokes and memories continued until the wee hours of the morning. There were a few ’74 faces Saturday morning at the various events around campus, but not many!...Dr. Paul E. Speer, formerly vice president and director of research for CNA’s Institute for Public Research (IPR), was named
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:10 PM
Page 49
C
president of CNA’s Center for Naval Analyses in October 2009. Paul is responsible for the federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps that provides research and analysis services across the Defense Department. As president, he serves as the scientific analyst to the Chief of Naval Operations… Joe Robinson will spend the summer of 2010 sailing in the Mediterranean Sea. He eventually plans to sail to the Caribbean from somewhere in Europe in 2011 or 2012.
‘76
Franklin Craig is still living in Paris with his wife, Laurence, and two beautiful girls. He recently attended the wedding of his niece, Cristina Craig Wurster ’98, in Newport. He is a fund manager and invests around the world. He is involved in three different businesses: a hotel in Kolwezi, Congo; a gold exploration company in Mexico; and buying foreclosed homes in Detroit. He is not sure which is scarier. He runs into Chris Cooke in London on occasion.
l
a
s
‘77 An email from Michael Hampton states: “Providing sustainable solutions in China! Welcome anyone who is interested to join me.”
N
o
t
e
s
Above: Members of the Class of ’79 reunite with their old friend Father Julian Stead ’43 (from left) Joseph Tucker, Dominic Ferrone, James Coyle, Paul Dembinski, Christopher Sullivan, Fr. Julian, Brian Finnerty ‘77, James Tovar Below: Michael Hampton ‘77 in China
‘78
William A. Dembski has a new book, The End of Christianity: Finding a Good God in an Evil World. He is a research professor in philosophy at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. A mathematician and philosopher, he is also a
Arlene and James ’79 Powers P’13, ’13, parents of twins currently enrolled at Portsmouth, with their daughter Olivia, join in the festivities during Reunion ’09.
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
s
Jade and Fleur, the daughters of Franklin Craig ‘76
49
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
C
l
3/11/10
a
5:10 PM
s
Page 50
s
Jim Coyle ’79 (guitar) of the North Shore Jazz Band entertained at the reunion clambake.
N
‘79
Andrew Towne sent an email prior to Reunion 2009: “Love you guys. Godspeed.”… America’s Growth Capital, a company led by Ben Howe, acted as sole financial advisor to Green Patch, Inc., a leading developer of gaming applications for social networks, in its sale to Playdom, Inc., a top online social game developer.
‘81
Sending in a photo, Charles Pages writes: “This photo was taken at a wedding recently with my wife, Deborah, and my son, Mikhail, a.k.a. Miki. When he was born, the Berlin wall had come down and the Cold
Charles Pages ‘81 with his wife, Deborah, and son, Mikhail
50
t
e
s
Terry Houlihan ‘83 being sworn in as a Rhode David ‘86 and Suzanne Adelhardt’s children, Isabel and Island state judge as the Governor applauds Max
senior fellow with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture in Seattle.
Michael Mauboussin ‘82 has written a new book entitled Think Twice: Harnessing the Power of Counterintuition
o
War was over. So, in naming my son, I felt honoring Gorbachev was the appropriate thing to do. I know I’ll get flak for that; especially from the Macker!”
‘82
Michael J. Mauboussin is chief investment strategist at Legg Mason Capital Management. He is also the author of three books, including More Than You Know: Finding Financial Wisdom in Unconventional Places, named in the The 100 Best Business Books of All Time by 800-CEO-Read. Michael has been an adjunct professor of finance at Columbia Business School since 1993 and received the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence in 2009. His latest book, Think Twice: Harnessing the Power of Counterintuition, was published by Harvard Business Press in the fall of
2009. Read more at www.michaelmauboussin.com … From Clemens Timothy Galban, “Shortly before my father’s death in early July I was named pastor of a parish near the abbey in a town called Kritzendorf (Austria). I decided to take some time off in October to be with my mother, and the call came in asking me to take another parish as well, so now that I am back in Klosterneuburg I am trying to get a grip on these two parishes. I will still live in the monastery, however, and retain my job as guestmaster, should anyone want to come for a visit.”
‘83
Nearly 200 people gathered in and around the R.I. Statehouse rotunda on October 13th when Terry Houlihan became the first
Roberto Llach’85 with his wife, Anabella, and three children
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:10 PM
Page 51
C
Aquidneck Islander since the 1980s to be sworn in as a state judge. Houlihan specialized in criminal and domestic law and represented clients before all the state’s courts. He served as a special assistant attorney general for four years before founding Houlihan & Managhan, a Newport law firm, in 1997 with his late father, Joseph T. Houlihan, Sr., and Kathleen Managhan.
‘84
David Bardorf was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel by the Marines in August.
‘85
25th Reunion OCT 1-3, 2010!
From Roberto Llach, “I have been living in El Salvador for the past 15 years, working at Citi for the past 12. I have three kids, Roberto Jr., Andres, and Anabella. Roberto just started his freshman year at Texas Christian University. I don’t really see many of our classmates, although I have seen Chris Coxon, Ted McHugh and Peter Krenicky during the past few years. I also see Arturo Regalado ‘87 often and Edgar Chamorro ‘83. Edgar actually married my sister, and they have three boys. On a weirder note, I was classmates with Mattias Graff during my MBA (he attended the Abbey for the fall of our V Form). My hobby is running triathlons; I completed my second Half-Ironman this summer.”
‘86
Robert Castellini is currently living in Cincinnati, OH, and is a
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
l
a
s
s
N
o
t
e
s
senior vice president with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. He and his wife have started a web-based non-profit called www.ugive.org that engages high school students in community service.
‘87
From Derek Minihane: “My wife, Susan, and our two girls, Lauren and Caroline, are moving to Australia. We will be living in Clontarf, which is just across the harbor from downtown Brisbane. I took a job as the head of IP strategy for Cochlear, which makes implantable hearing devices. We are on a four-year visa and welcome visitors.”
‘88
Portsmouth Athletic Director Al Brown connected John Kinnane ‘03 with Robert Sheppard to compete in the Save the Bay swim in August. While Rob swam, John paddled by his side in a kayak as a spotter. The course was 1.7 miles across Narragansett Bay from the Newport Naval Base to Potter’s Cove, Jamestown. The event included over 400 swimmers and 250 kayakers who raised money for the Save the Bay, a Rhode Island organization dedicated to the preservation of Narragansett Bay.
‘90
20th Reunion OCT 1-3, 2010!
Frederick Malloy is living in Wellesley, MA, with his wife, Austin, and four children: sons Mac (8), Charlie (5), Murphy (4), and daughter, Larkin (1)... Chris Galloway was re-elected as
Concord Township Trustee (NE Ohio) this past November. His political consulting business is also going well. “If any Class of ‘90 members find their way into N.E. Ohio, drop me a line, cocktails on me!”
At the Reunion weekend Gala Dinner were (from left) Donald Dowd ’84, Andrew Godfrey ’84 and Edgar (Guy) Farrington ’84 get caught up over dinner
‘91
Edward Preble is starting a new restaurant concept in Amelia Island, FL. He welcomes all alumni to email or call when they are in northern Florida. He is also very proud of his daughter, Micaela, who was just invited to attend the Congressional Young Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., in the spring of 2010. He looks forward to her attending the Abbey in 2012.
‘92
Charles Burton is a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy.
Chris Galloway ‘90
Rob Sheppard ‘88 (left) teamed with John Kinnane ‘03 in the 2009 Save the Bay swim. While Rob swam, John paddled by his side in a kayak as a spotter.
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
C
l
3/11/10
a
5:11 PM
s
s
Page 52
N
Brian O’Reilly ‘95 with Kiana, Addie and Whit
Ryan Flinn ‘96 with his daughter, Teagan
He completed a 10-month individual assignment with the U.S. Army in Iraq. Chuck is a naval aviator assigned to HS-3 and is stationed in Norfolk, VA.
‘93 Adam and Joanne Sahms, son and wife of Jacob Sahms ‘95
After having completed a degree in art, David Klee got his nursing license and a master’s degree. He is currently an adolescent mental health clinical nurse specialist. He works in a residential school for some of Massachusetts’ most profoundly wounded and vulnerable kids.
‘94
Seth Van Beever emailed, “I just wanted to let everyone know that I have started a new chapter in my life. Living and
52
o
t
e
s
working in paradise; Key West, FL, to be exact. It is a move that I have wanted to make ever since my first visit here ten years ago. I now work for Rent Key West, managing 85 properties all over the island. The people are all friendly, the weather is unbelievable, and I look forward to going to work every day. I will celebrate ten years cancer-free on March 1, 2010. Life is great. Who could ask for anything more? I count my blessings every day. If any Portsmouth alumni are visiting Key West please feel free to look me up.”… Carina Cohen is currently living in downtown Chicago with her husband, Michael. She has worked at Nordstrom for the last 11 years… Miguel Bichara is living in Monterrey, Mexico. “I married in 2002 and I now have two sons (Diego, 6, and Daniel, 4 months) and one daughter (Susy, 3). I am an entrepreneur and am currently involved in various businesses. I sell cars, I am the founder and CEO of MoneyMakers (a national magazine for entrepreneurs) and Oak Investments (an investment firm that develops apartment buildings near universities). I am also writing a book that I will publish later on, and am just starting a civil association that will develop in time into a citizen’s political party platform.”
Remy, son of Carina Nula Cohen‘94
English at a local junior college. My wife, Joanne, is a second grade teacher, and our son, Adam, is a rambunctious (almost) three-year-old.”… Sarah Rainwater wrote an article for apartmenttherapy.com, a website about interior design, on the solar house at Portsmouth Abbey entitled, “A Benedictine Abbey’s Solar House.”
‘96
Ryan Flinn is living in Oakland, CA, and works as a reporter for Bloomberg News in San Francisco, writing about natural disasters, NASA and wine. His son, Rowan, was born on August 5, and his 2 ½ year-old daughter, Teagan, is still adapting to the change, though she appreciates the
‘95
15th Reunion OCT 1-3, 2010!
An email from Jacob Sahms reads: “Greetings from Virginia! I am currently serving as a commissioned elder to Blandford United Methodist Church in Petersburg, and am teaching
Wolguine Stervil ‘97
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:11 PM
C
Page 53
l
a
s
Milton Little’s ‘99 wedding party included (l-r) Ron Lagman ‘99, Noah Duffey ‘99, Konah Duche ‘99, Cara Gontarz ‘99, Milton, Jason Miller ’99 and Brandon Respress ‘98.
s
N
10th Reunion OCT 1-3, 2010!
‘97
Wolguine Stervil resides in Baltimore, MD, with her maltichon dog named Jack. She works for a manufacturing company as a supervisor of general ledger. She finished her master’s in business administration in December 2009, and will finish up her master’s in information systems in March 2010. In February she will sit for her CPA exam.
‘98
Second year has allowed me to spend a lot more time in the operating room and take greater responsibility for my patients. In addition to work, I married my best friend, Erica Joi Allen, on August 29, 2009. The wedding was beautiful and thankfully a number of other Abbey alumni were able to make it out to California. Noah Duffey, Jason Miller, Brandon Respress ‘98, Cara Gontarz and Ron Lagman all attended and Konah Duche stood by my side as one of my groomsmen. New York has allowed all of us to stay close over the years and hang out whenever we have a free moment.”… The classes of
Nadia Barbosa graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a master’s in business in May 2009.
‘99
From Milton Little: “It’s been a great transition, and as I move further into my orthopedic careers I’m surprised each day. Adolf Haffenreffer ‘01
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
t
e
s
1999 and 2004 joined forces at Griswold’s Tavern in Newport, RI, on the eve of their 5- and 10-year reunions in October. Alumni from ’97-’06 came out and helped the reunion classes celebrate their milestones. The night consisted of many “remember whens” while reminiscing about the Abbey days, catching up with old friends, and the making of new memories to share at future reunions.
‘00 circa-1992 dance moves he pulls out whenever they listen to a Backyardigan’s CD in the living room.
o
Sarah and Dan Burke ’99 and their son, Colin, enjoy a stroll around the Carlos X. Araujo ’96 track on Reunion weekend.
Brian Doyle has moved to San Diego to be closer to his fiancée, Caitlin… Patrick Hewett married Maura Naughton on August 22nd. The Mass was celebrated by Fr. Jonathan Defelice, O.S.B. ’65, president of St. Anselm College. The wedding party included Brendan Hewett ’03, Katie Hewett ’96, Beck Bennett ’00, Andrew Calise ’96, John Frost and Matthew Waine.
‘01
From Paul Yoon: “On July 25, 2009, I married Jenny Beth Detterman in Grand Isle, Vermont. Jenny and I met while attending graduate school at Boston College. We are both educators; Jenny teaches third grade in Milton, MA, and I teach US History in Brighton, MA. We currently live in Brookline, MA. Ethan Murray was a groomsman.”… Adolf Haffenreffer started a yacht brokerage firm in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and Portsmouth, RI, with fellow Rhode Islanders Ted Hood, Jr., and Murray Lord. He lives in
Kristen (Weida) Smith ‘99 with husband Erik at the Reunion Gala Dinner.
53
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
C
l
3/11/10
a
s
5:11 PM
Page 54
s
N
Newport and travels to Florida frequently… Captain John Heins, of the U.S. Air Force, is planning and maintaining a large portion of the communications network (data and voice) for coalition forces in Afghanistan. Capt. John Heins ‘01
Crosbie Walsh ‘02 joined Liz Ribera ‘02 at her photography show at San Jose State University last spring.
Tony DeSisto ‘02 is runningfor City Council in 2011 in Tampa, FL
54
‘02
Tony DeSisto is looking ahead and has begun his campaign for City Council in 2011 in Tampa, FL. After his time as field coordinator for Pinellas County during the 2008 Presidential Election, and as a policy advisor for County Commissioner Mark Sharpe’s reelection campaign, Tony says he saw the great potential Tampa has. Fellow Abbey alum Zack Devine is helping Tony run his campaign. Zach moved to Tampa in August 2009 and is currently Tony’s campaign coordinator. The election will be held in March of 2011. To learn more about Tony’s campaign and where he stands on issues important to the city of Tampa, visit his website http: www.tonydesisto.com... Cassandra Helms finished an MAT in secondary biology at Agnes Scott College in 2008. She spent a year of teaching in inner-city Atlanta. She is now working on a master’s of divinity at Boston University School of Theology, Class of 2012… Joseph McDonough is in his fourth year teaching Latin, Greek and history at Kent School. He is working on a master’s in liberal arts during the summers at St. John’s in Annapolis.
o
t
e
s
‘03 In November, Second Lieutenant Brendan Hewett was deployed with the Marines from Camp Lejeune to Afghanistan for a seven-month tour of duty… Lex Schwarzenberg writes in: “Yes, I am still living in Hawaii and as beautiful as it is, I’m getting the urge to move onto something completely different. I work for the Department of Defense now as a military police officer and I love it. The work is exciting and the training I have received may be intense but it’s all worth it. I have been picked to join the SRT, Special Response Team, which is a military version of SWAT. I spend most of my days studying and preparing for the exam and physical test. Through the Dept. of Defense, I have also been offered a job as convoy security specialist in Kabul, Afghanistan. I would be working closely with diplomats and high-ranking generals of both the Army and Marine Corps in providing safe travel. I have not made a decision yet but the experience I would gain from such a trip has me aching to go. Hope all is well back home!… Maia Fedyszyn has been working for a year at Community Catalyst, a national non-profit advocacy organization based in Boston that promotes quality affordable health care for all. She works on issues pertaining to children’s health care quality and coverage in New England. She reports that Andy Crawford recently started medical school at Brown University… Portsmouth’s Athletic Director Al Brown connected John Kinnane and
Robert Sheppard ’88 to compete in R.I.’s Save the Bay swim in August. While Rob swam, John paddled by his side in a kayak as a spotter. The course was 1.7 miles across Narragansett Bay from the Newport Naval Base to Potter’s Cove, Jamestown. The event included over 400 swimmers and 250 kayakers who raised money for Save the Bay, a R.I. organization dedicated to the preservation of Narragansett Bay.
‘04
Genevieve Block has been working in the Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti and recently traveled there for a conference with the Clinton Global Initiative… Sean Galvin is working at the Pennfield School in Portsmouth, RI, directing their spring play and coaching the mock trial team… Jessica Jungmin Lee has written Empathy: A Light to My Soul. On the cover it reads: “The stories of South Korean students in the United States vs. the narratives of North Korean adolescents in South Korea: Reconstructing Identities through ‘SELF-NARRATIVES’”… Andrés Klee Valenzuela married Christina Jeanette Holmstrom at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church in Crawfordsville, IN, in August. The Very Reverend Dom Ambrose Wolverton was the priest celebrant, and Abbey alums Stephen Miller, Claire Amirault, and Susie Willis were in attendance. Both Andy and Christina completed their undergraduate work at the University of Notre Dame. The couple is now living in Cambridge, MA, where Andy is pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
3/11/10
5:11 PM
Page 55
C
engineering at M.I.T., and Christina is at Harvard, pursuing a master’s in theological studies… From Michael Yamamoto: “Hey everyone! I graduated from Radford University with a degree in political science, and I am commissioned in the U.S. Army as a Second Lieutenant. I am branch signal so I work with satellites and classified and unclassified computer networks. I’m stationed at Ft. Stewart, GA, until 2012.” Michael went to Iraq this fall… The classes of 2004 and 1999 joined forces at Griswold’s Tavern in Newport, RI, on the eve of their 5- and 10-year reunions in October. Alumni from ’97-’06 came out and helped the reunion classes celebrate their milestones. The night consisted of many “remember whens” while reminiscing about the Abbey days, catching up with old friends, and the making of new memories to share at future reunions. While all classes are anxiously awaiting their next milestone five years from now, the class of 2004 is working on a possible 5 ½- or 6-year reunion to be held in the coming months.
‘05
5th Reunion OCT 1-3, 2010!
Andrew Coombs plans to sit for the CPA exam in April. He will graduate from Bentley University in May with a master’s degree in accounting while specializing in taxation. He did a co-op internship with Deloitte this past summer and received a full-time offer starting with the firm in September of 2010… Kacie Harrington currently lives in Ithaca, NY, where she is working for Cornell University’s Nutrition Department as the food labs manager for their aca-
WINTER BULLETIN 2010
l
a
s
demic and research kitchens… Kelsey Scudder is the head coach for the Sturgis Charter Public School field hockey team in Hyannis, MA… Matthew Hunt received a bachelor of arts degree in history and philosophy from Boston College last spring. He is presently attending Queens University in Belfast, Ireland, where he is working toward a master’s degree in the Northern Ireland program… Michael Humphrey graduated from Bates College with a bachelor’s degree in political science… Liz Lirakis received a bachelor’s degree cum laude in film and media studies in May from the University of Rochester… Emma Greenman was named to the spring semester 2009 Dean’s List in May at Connecticut College.
‘06
Courtney Doran resides in Pawtucket, RI, and is finishing up her last year at the University of Rhode Island as a psychology major. She has a new baby boy, Jordan Thomas Birchall, born July 19, 2009… Lindsay Wilson, who spent the summer in the Development and Alumni Office of Portsmouth Abbey as an intern, is preparing her senior thesis at Gettysburg… Rachel Johnstone was named to the spring semester dean’s list in May at Connecticut College… Also named to the dean’s list in the spring was Alison Morgera, who earned highest honors at the University of New Hampshire.
‘07
Bryan Kriner was named Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference Ice Hockey
s
N
o
Player of the Week for his performance in Plymouth State’s season opening weekend at the Becker Icebreaker Tournament on November 6-7. He was instrumental in leading PSU to a pair of victories and the tournament championship, and was named MVP of the Tournament with three goals and two assists. He is majoring in criminal justice… Helen Heuer will be competing for a second year as the Kappa Kappa Gamma delegate in the Miss University of Florida Scholarship Pageant. Her platform for the competition is The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network... Alex Panossian writes from West Point: “Things are going very well here at WP. I gave a presentation to the Margaret Corbin Forum earlier this month to just over 100 people, half of which were officers (our commandant and several department heads included). It was a great opportunity in public speaking, and it all stemmed from a project I did on sexism at the Academy for my anthropology course. It was quite an honor because I was the first cadet to present in front of this group (the previous speakers were both Colonels).
t
e
s
Helen Heuer ‘07 (left) will be competing for a second year as the Kappa Kappa Gamma delegate in the Miss University of Florida Scholarship Pageant.
The Dean at West Point presents Alex Panossian ‘07 with a coin commending the quality of his work.
“On the field things are also going well. I really enjoy coaching. I do see Brendan Buckley ‘09; he is is doing great on the [lacrosse] team. Right now he is our 5th or 6th close defensemen and he also got over a 4.0
55
200364.P33-56:Layout 1
C
l
3/11/10
a
Mary McDonough ‘07 is a theology major at St. Anselm College.
Please send us your alumni news! email: communications@ portsmouthabbey.org or log in to our alumni Web site at www.portsmouthabbey.org/ page/44/
5:11 PM
s
s
Page 56
N
GPA his first semester here. ” ... From Mary McDonough, “I love being a theology major at St. Anselm College! My classes are challenging but enjoyable, and my favorite extracurricular activity is Choir. Everything is going well, and I am so grateful that I had this opportunity.… Jay Popham is at Boston College and has recently landed a job with Grassroots Campaigns, Inc., fundraising for the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club is working to promote clean energy and move America beyond coal. Jay is canvassing neighborhoods in Cambridge and the Boston area… Babson College awarded Kaitlin Chiumento dean’s list honors for the 2009 spring semester… Maeve Condon spent the month of June in Ghana where she took a course through Boston College. She then returned to Jamaica in August with classmate Paul Marshall to volunteer for Mustard Seeds Communities, a program which benefits handicapped children and HIV/AIDS babies.
‘08
Corrigan Van Sant ‘08 and guides atop Mt. Kilimanjaro
56
An update from Corrigan Van Sant on her climb of Mt.
o
t
e
s
Kilimanjaro: “The experience as a whole was one of the most enriching experiences of my life. The climb was, in addition to being physically challenging, one of the most mentally and emotionally challenging experiences of my life. The mountain was a dichotomy in itself, foreign and yet a source of constant comfort and familiarity, the landscape continuously evolving from jungle to dust and rock to ice, and the weather, changing to such polar extremes in mere seconds. The climax of the climb was summit night. We started our ascent at midnight, freezing despite our many layers but fueled by the light of the full moon and the energy that the mountain seems to expel. The combination of the cold and altitude had us all in a state of near insanity, some of my friends hallucinated, some were ill. Despite the cold and physical pain, when you see that sign parallel to that glacier just as the sun is rising, it is the most incredible experience of your life, driving you to actual tears. I would have to say that the most amazing experience of my trip was the days spent with the children at the school. These kids had nothing and yet they were so happy, curious, and trusting. It filled me with a genuine happiness and love that I hadn‘t felt in a long time. When I left on that last day, I knew that I would be back: I don’t know when, but I do know that there is so much not only to teach and give to these children, but to learn and receive from them, and I can’t wait to get started! Please extend my thanks to the whole of the Abbey
community for making this experience possible for me.“… Taylor Gyde and Mac Regan ‘68 competed in the men’s singles tennis championship match at the Watch Hill, RI, Misquamicut Club in August. The exciting and physically demanding match ran three sets. Taylor eventually prevailed!... Frank Holbrooke played baseball in the American Legion Senior Team League for R & R Construction during the summer of 2009. The league is made up of high school and post-graduate student players from Portsmouth and Tiverton, RI.
‘09
Chanho Park is studying at the University of Illinois at Urbana and Champaign in Electrical Engineering. “Having fun calculating voltage, current and trying to find out what 0110101100110101010 means. Not fun.”… Brendan Hammatt is participating in an internship at BioprocessH2o in Portsmouth, RI, and playing junior hockey for the Walpole Express… Lilli Donahue is working as the national student coordinator for the Green Schools Alliance. She is partaking in the environmental learning community at Rhodes College and was sponsored to go to Wyoming in January to attend classes at the Teton Science School. She is playing club lacrosse and working as an athletic trainer for the Rhodes football team… Kevin Wooters is looking forward to starting a Villanova University Operation Smile Club.
P ORTSM O U T H A BB E Y S C HO OL
200364.COV.P:COVER
3/11/10
8:41 PM
Page 2
M I S S I O N S T AT E M E N T
The aim of Portsmouth Abbey School is to help young men and women grow in knowledge and grace. Grounded in the Catholic faith and 1500-year-old Benedictine intellectual tradition, the School fosters: Reverence for God and the human person Respect for learning and order Responsibility for the shared experience of community life
ANNUAL FUND Three of the hallmarks of a Benedictine education are stewardship, hospitality and community. Gifts to the Annual Fund nurture these traditions in the life of Portsmouth Abbey’s current students. For over 80 years, alumni, parents and friends have supported the School with gifts to the Fund. Continuing the tradition with your own gift deepens your sense of connection with the past and direction for the future of the entire community. Make a difference in our future; please consider a gift to the Annual Fund today.
BOARD OF REGENTS Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B. Abbot and Chancellor Portsmouth, RI Mr. John M. Regan, III ‘68 P ‘07 Chairman Watch Hill, RI Sr. M Therese Antone, RSM, Ed. D. Newport, RI
Rev. F. Washington Jarvis Dorchester Center, MA Rev. Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. ‘45 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Charles E. Kenahan ’77, P ’12 Swampscott, MA Mr. Edward G. Kirby ’83 Jamestown, RI
Mr. and Mrs. James F. W. Buckley ‘73, P’07, ‘08, ‘12 Co-Chairs, Parents’ Committee Bristol, RI
Mr. Alejandro J. Knoepffler ‘78, P ‘12 Coral Gables, FL
Dom Joseph Byron, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI
Ms. Devin McShane P ‘09, ‘11 Providence, RI
Mr. Frederick C. Childs ‘75 P ‘08 Cambridge, MA
Mr. James S. Mulholland, III ‘79 Sudbury, MA
Mr. Creighton O. Condon ’74, P ’07, ’10 Greenwich, CT
Ms. Mary F. Power P ‘06, ‘08, ‘12 Wellesley, MA
Mr. James D. Farley, Jr. ’81 Dearborn, MI
Mr. Robert A. Savoie P ’10, ’11 Bristol, RI
Dr. Timothy Flanigan ‘75, P ‘06, ‘09, ‘11 Tiverton, RI
Right Rev. Dom Mark Serna, O.S.B Hingham, MA
Mr. James S. Gladney P ’10, ’11, ‘13 Barrington, RI
Ms. Kathleen Boland Stevens ’95 Brookline, MA
Mr. William M. Haney, III ‘80 Wayland, MA
Rev. Dom Luke L. Travers, O.S.B. ‘75 Morristown, NJ
Dom Gregory Havill, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI
Mr. Samuel G. White ’64 New York, NY
Dr. Gregory W. Hornig ‘68, P ‘01 Prairie Village, KS
Very Rev. Dom Ambrose Wolverton, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI
ALUMNI CONNECTIONS Do we have your updated contact information? Do you want to career and social network with fellow Portsmouth Abbey Alumni? Do you want to read news about campus and regional events? Login to the Alumni Community at www.portsmouthabbey.org in the Alumni section and start networking! You can also stay in touch by following us and our 1,300 friends on Facebook. www.facebook.com/portsmouthabbey. Send a friend request to Portsmouth Abbey today!
Mr. M. Benjamin Howe ’79 Wellesley, MA
Front Cover: The Portsmouth Abbey School community, October 2009
S H O P O N - L I N E AT O U R B O O K S T O R E
W W W. P O R T S M O U T H A B B E Y. O R G
200364.COV.P:COVER
3/11/10
8:16 PM
Page 1
285 Cory’s Lane Portsmouth, RI 02871 www.portsmouthabbey.org
Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 3 Portsmouth, RI
Address Service Requested
PORTSMOUTH ABBEY SCHOOL Portsmouth Abbey School
TSM
OO
L
We invite you to read or download our 2009 Annual Report online at http://www.portsmouthabbey.org/ page/alumni/giving Follow the link to the Annual Report
–20
N 09 A
REP AL NU
O RT
winter Bulletin 2010
P OR
SCH EY B B A TH OU
–
w i n t e r
B u l l e t i n
2 0 1 0