Sal's Reflections

Life in a parish is a microcosm of what happens in the lives of people.There are moments of joy ,and times when the pain of a loss is searing. For Sal that first summer was somewhat routine, and as he eased into his daily responsibilities he was becoming more and more comfortable. Little did he realize that tragedy and the pain of others was not far away

It was a sunny hot day and typical of the east coast: the heat was difficult but the sweltering humidity made the heat index dangerous.. The local junior varsity football practice began with the normal stretching and jumping jacks. After an hour the practice moved to contact without pads, and the coaches kept verballing the need for toughness. Requesting water or breaking from the routine were defined as acts of sissies. These challenges impacted the young men, and none of them wanted to be identified as weak. As the sun bore down fatigue set in, and yet there was no break in the practice schedule Angelo ,a vibrant 14 year old on this blistering hot day at football practice at one point experienced blurred vision, but he shared this with none of the coaches. He was extremely thirsty, but did not wish to be labeled so he continued despite his thirst. After finishing the exercise of tackling the dummy he had trouble catching his breath, and stumbled as he returned to the end of the line. Feeling disoriented he attempted to speak, but collapsed and the coaching staff responded immediately but they were unable to revive him. After frantic attempts with mouth to mouth resuscitation the emergency technicians transported him to Summit hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The Westbury police had a policy that if the death of anyone in an accident had a religious affiliation the Church or Synagogue would be notified. Sal was on duty when a policeman came to the door, and told him what had happened. Their records showed that the family was Catholic, and the officer requested Sal to come and break the news. Together they rang the doorbell, and the woman who answered could not initially fathom why a priest and a policeman were at her door. There is no easy way to tell someone that their fourteen year old son has died so when the words came out she screamed and collapsed. Sal and the officer carried her limp body inside and they stayed with her until family members arrived .The news spread quickly in her neighborhood, and her brother who lived a short distance away came ,and he proceeded to pursue contact with the funeral director , and made arrangements for the burial service.

Angelo’s uncle called later and informed Sal that the mother wished to bury her son in Fairview cemetery the nonsectarian cemetery because it was close to her home, and she wished to visit the site daily. In his naiveté he did not think that there would be an issue. However, he was stunned when informed that they could not bury her child in unconsecrated ground and Christian burial would be refused if they chose that site. Sal knew there had to be rules, but this was antithetical to caring for someone in such pain. A young boy had died, and the church’s response was to deny burial? He thought there must be a way around this decision.if he created a rational option to the dilemma all parties would be satisfied. Sal offered that he would go to Fairview and bless the ground but this alternative was denied. In a last ditch attempt he went to the chancery office to plead the case. Fortunately the priest who was on duty was a priest that Sal k new from the seminary. Sal believed that the rule would be waived in light of the circumstances His position was that if this mother were to kill herself because she was so immersed in grief the church would not deny her Christian burial. The presumption would be she was so disturbed that suicide would not prevent Christian burial. If that were the case then he opted that her grief is so vast that it is the foundation behind the decision to bury the child at Fairview. Again the request was denied.

When informed by his priest friend Vinnie Boylan that he could not bury the young man at Fairview Sal could not mot contain his shock and anger. Vinnie this is an absurd position and I am sure you feel the same way.How the hell can we contribute to this family’s pain by refusing Christian burial?”Father Boyle put his hand on Sal’s shoulder.”I hope that if I ever get into a position of authority I would make a different decision. “Sal did not reply but thought to himself”By that time you will be so co-opted you would respond in kind.”

Sal turned and left the chancery office and could not literally accept the official church’s verdict.He had taken an oath of obedience but who and what was he to be obedient to.?Was it to like a sheep follow the dictates of ecclesiastical bureaucrats who had lost touch with the ordinary people in the parishes? Or was it to the Christ figure who dedicated his life to loving and caring for the poor, the sick and the suffering
The boy was buried by the Episcopal church and though told that he could not attend Sal sat with the family during the service and proceeded to the cemetery. His decision was an act of disobedience when evaluated at face value ,but rather in his opinion it was an act of witness.

In the words of the old cliché this was the first day of the rest of Sal’s life and his anxiety and anticipation were beyond measure. His mother had made a marvelous breakfast, but his gastric juices overwhelmed the assorted delicacies and he merely feigned enjoyment. Why is it that ever new adventure provokes such harrowing vistas? After breakfast he packed his suitcase, and put on his Roman collar. It was a rather warm day in June, but had not was not coupled with the east coast humidity that was to follow in the coming months.

Kissing his parents he left 202 Delaware Avenue ,and as he drove to the end of the street a few of the neighbors had assembled at the corner to wave goodbye. He returned the waves and headed toward the New Jersey Turnpike. Many times on a Saturday he had taken this road as the first part of his ride to the Shore but this was different. The destination here was not a rowdy weekend with his friends; this was his first parish assignment .The seminary was a stage ,but this now was the main performance only unlike the past five years there was no script.

The traffic was growing and Sal knew that it would get much heavier once he entered the Garden State Parkway which was the main thoroughfare leading to the shore.No sooner had he exited the Turnpike and entered the Parkway when the traffic came to a screeching halt. For the observable horizon all Sal could see was a chorus line of brake lights.

Looking into his rear view mirror he could see a police car speeding on the shoulder. As the car whizzed by him on the shoulder it suddenly came to a halt and at breakneck speed the patrol car backed up. When it was parallel with Sal’s car the officer rolled down his window and said”follow me Father there is an accident a mike from here. Sal turned his car to the shoulder and tried to keep up with the patrol car but he was not used to going ninety. When they arrived at the accident scene both cars had substantial damage but there were no serious l injuries. Sal with holy oils in his hands removed his stole from his neck and returned to his car. The officer came by and said”Thanks Father glad it was a false alarm .As soon as the tow truck clears the road you can be on your way”Fifteen minutes later Sal was again moving rather quickly despite the traffic and was aware that he was only three exits away from Westbury. Again, as before the traffic came to a dead halt. As he glanced into the rear view mirror a patrol car was speeding on the shoulder. This time there would be no need to back up because apparently the officer was searching for the priest again.

Smiling the officer waved Sal with a motion that indicated he should follow. Steeling his nerve Sal pulled on to the shoulder and with peddle to the meddle stayed on the officer’s tail. Arriving at a three car fender bender Sal realized there would be no last rites given but was now shaken by the realization that if this kept up he would be late for his first day in the parish, Exiting his car he walked over to officer and said “officer it is not that I don’t enjoy playing bumper tag with you but I am on my way to my first parish assignment and if this keeps up I will be late.” The officer introduced himself and said” I am officer Darcy McGill and I am afraid you have a problem Father.” He took out his pad that contained forms for traffic tickets “Let’’s see Father first I have you for speeding ,riding on the shoulder and tail getting a State Police patrol car. I think there are enough points for you to lose your driver’s license. Only kidding Father get back in your car and I will hold the traffic for a few minutes to give you a head start. By the way what’s your name because we are always looking for chaplains that can really drive fast.”

Sal sped away and was relieved once he saw the sign for Wewstbury.Getting off the exit he drove three miles up South Street and made a left onto First Street. Arriving at 315 First Street he presumed that the building next to the Church was the rectory. Taking two long breaths he opened the trunk and suitcase in hand climbed the four steps and rang the bell. A middle aged woman with what he perceived to be a German accent answered the door.” Good afternoon I am Father La Grecca.””Yes Father we were expecting you, please come in. It was bright and sunny outside but Sal felt like he was entering the catacombs because there was almost no light in the hallway. “You can put your suitcase down here Father. She then led him to the end of the hallway, and entered what appeared to be an office.” Monsignor Father La Grecca is here.”At the end of the room in a leather chair smoking a cigar sat the pastor Msgr Henty Masterson.He barely grunted at the news that his new curate was present, and Sal thought he looked like Ebineezer Scrooge. Also in the room were two other clerics. The older one Father John Flannery extended his hand and said “welcome to Holy Trinity”. The younger priest Father Gene McCoy warmly shook Sal’s hand, and offered “when you are ready I will show you to your room. The Pastor continued to smoke his cigar and watched Wheel of Fortune while Sal stood twiddling his thumbs. Gene indicated that there would be no breakthrough conversations on the horizon and said “let’s go upstairs to your room.”Upstairs was a fancy word for the attic where Sal would be housed Gene was most helpful in conveying some of the parish ground rules, and advised Sal that they would leave to hear confessions in an hour. Sal unpacked and was undaunted by his initial entry into parish life.

At five to three Gene McCoy called up from the hallway and said “time to go Sal. Together they walked to the Church which was only 100 feet away from the rectory. The church was dimly lit and Gene said”get used to it .The Lord may have said “let there be light but our pastor never heard him. Leaving a light on is more sinful than murder in Holy Trinity. Your confessional is the one at the front on the left. As Sal entered there were six or seven persons waiting to have their confessions heard. Seated in the confessional he slid the panel open and almost immediately heard an older male voice say.”Bless me Father for I have sinned.”When the penitent had finished Sal gushed forth a tidal wave of thoughts that he had stored waiting for this very moment. He went on for a few minutes with spiritual gems that could transform this man’s life .When he finished the voice on the other side of the screen said”Could you repeat that Father I am very hard of hearing.”

Ordination was not the end for Sal but rather a beginning to be part of the daily lives of others. He yearned to embrace the role of Priesthood, not from any pedestal because it was never a question of his worthiness. Some of his classmates had more easily adapted to the seminary and the process fit them like a glove. However, the seminary was most difficult for him despite the endless value of being in the presence of so many wonderful persons. Sal’s life had been enriched by classmates and teachers, but he was glad to be able to experience more freedom of thought and practice. In essence he was the typical Italian male that viewed all rules as suggestions.

Whenever a group of persons are placed into a common environment there is almost always a bonding experience that occurs. This was certainly true in the Seminary, and Sal’s life was certainly enhanced by so many of his fellow seminarians. In a very short period of time total strangers became a band of brothers who stood side by side in common cause. One of his closest friends was the ever zany Rocco Constantino a former politician in Bellville, New Jersey.Rocco was the consummate professional who never missed a funeral,a party or an opportunity to kiss a baby.
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Rocco had a personality that could charm the devil himself ,and his outrageous behavior brought laughter and acceptance from everyone. Once while on vacation at the Jersey Shore he and seven seminarians entered a Pizzeria. Without hesitation Rocco marched into the kitchen and said to the chef”Hey shorty start making pizzas and don’t stop till I tell you”. The chef roared with laughter. If Sal had said that he would probably be running down the boardwalk avoiding a knife wielding chef.
On another occasion early in the morning he leaned out his window at the seminary and shouted to the local baker delivery man that he and others were being held hostage
and would he please call the state police. Truly a remarkable character with a heart of gold. Sal learned much about life and people from him.

Joseph Michael Ryan was perhaps the brightest and most well-read person Sal had met in his life .Joseph had a library of over a thousand books.. He was not only a friend to Sal ,but a primary mentor. He had a range of interest that went beyond what seminarians were supposed to be reading ,and had the uncanny ability to teach without ever being patronizing or pedantic. Sal ‘s level of topics that were outside the scope of the seminary curriculum was widened and developed through Joe’s loving guidance.

Jim Herbert was another luminary that opened Sal’s mind plus he was one of the funniest

guys in the seminary. He once said that his brother had married a wealthy woman who was into thorougbread horses. He told me my brother is a great guy but out of his league with that crowd. Until he met her he thought every horse had a cop on it.Sal was fortunate to have his first parish assignment in the second summer with Jim.It was in a poor section of Newark and their job was basically to run a camp for ten year olds.Jim fractured Sal with his making shoe boxes into altars during arts and crafts. He in a moment of great frustration said” If I make one more popsicle cross I make become a serial killer.”

If you weren’t organized detailed person that enjoyed the sameness of a rigid schedule than the seminary would’ve been nirvana. However, if you had a personality like Sal’s the rigid schedule could at times be pulverizing. Sal found that one of the ways to survive the sameness of the seminary was to have short-term goals with regard to making it to the next vacation. He loved the camaraderie of his friends, and never quite took his eyes off the prize at the end of the process. All the requirements that at times seemed tedious would lead to a path of service to others. With very few exceptions many of the courses in philosophy and theology were not the primary subjects of Sal’s interest but through the guidance of some of the older seminarians like Joseph Ryan he had become more and more aware of the need to widen his scope of intellectual pursuits. On many occasions during some of the free time Sal would seek out Joseph and a great deal of the learning that occurred was not in the classroom .

Time has a way of moving quickly, and it was becoming more apparent that Sal had not only survived the first three years of seminary life but he was now approaching the strong possibility that ordination was within reach. This goal would seem so far away for years but now encountered another issue and that was the one of doubt. it was one thing to be a seminarian where there was always a realization that in any given moment you could walk out the door with the stark reality that ordination would change everything. He had heard over and over from faculty members that doubt was part and parcel of the route to the priesthood ,but when he assessed himself against so many of his classmates he almost always came to the conclusion that he might be the least religious person in his class.There were friends and acquaintances who were such marvelous human beings that even though he had a very healthy self-image, he thought they were so much more profoundly prepared to be priests than he was.

This ever residing thought became more than a casual conflict when Bill Meade who was two years ahead of Sal left the seminary just before he was to take the major step of becoming a deacon Bill was brilliant,he also possessed a consistent level of kindness towards others. in addition he was not only a great athlete but a poet and an excellent public speaker. if you were to develop the poster man for the archdiocese of Newark Sal’s first choice would’ve been Bill. When Bill left the seminary Sal’s immediate reaction was if someone as worthy as he leaves what am I doing in this place.? For days Sal struggled with the fact that Bill had left and it was compounded when a week later one of his closest friends Mike Keating also decided to leave. Mike was a graduate of Holy Cross and one of the funniest people as well as a real intellectual . Michael had a lot of the Joseph Ryan’s characteristics since that he was not entirely focused on philosophy and theology but realized that there was a greater world out there.As a history major Mike had a fascinating opinion on almost everything. Two tremendous human beings that had been a profound influence on Sal’s life and all of a sudden they were gone and this was more than a casual doubt ;it created a real crisis in his life.

One night during study hall Sal almost came to the conclusion that it was time to leave the seminary. He was not at all influenced by the fact that many people had come from great skepticism to the belief that he would soon be ordained a priest. . He could no longer keep this to himself, and decided that he probably ought to give it one more shot and discuss what was his impending decision with the spiritual adviser. Study hall was a period of time where one was not allowed to leave the room, but there were exceptions to this rule and one of them was that any time you could go in spend time with your spiritual adviser. Sal left his room walked to a spiritual adviser’s room and knocking on the door entered.For the next two hours he shared not only his doubts put the conclusion that he thought it was best that he leave the seminary and return to his home in Jersey City. The spiritual adviser was a warm and friendly priest who had spent a good portion of his priesthood in the parish . He had been at the seminary for six years and had a terrific reputation with all of the seminarians.

After Sal’s complete catharsis the spiritual adviser began to share the fact that he had never met a seminarian who had not experienced significant doubts along the way. He confided that his own route to the priesthood he had almost quit on many occasions. This was not only true for him but it was true for people who were far more saintly. One of the samples he gave was that Camillus DeLllis had serious doubts and yet prayed his way through it ,and became a wonderful priest. Sal had never heard of Camillus and his initial reaction was that he was probably an upperclassman. He also thought he was certainly not from Jersey City because with that name he would have had 85 beatings before the sixth grade. For some reason he did not ask if he could speak to: Camillus and that was a good thing because he found out that the was a saint who lived in the Middle Ages. Somehow that brought a smile to Sal and at the end of this intense conversation he had reassessed and thought that he would stay at least a little while longer.

The faculty at Immaculate Conception Seminary would have been a fertile field for someone like Damon Runyon. The Rector was an austere brilliant scholar who would never be mistaken for a touchy feely type. He was glacially distant, and when in his presence one felt like the Spanish Inquisition had been renewed. However, for those who knew him well viewed his distance as shyness, and had a loyalty to him despite his outward aloof appearance. Unfortunately he suffered a massive heart attack during Sal’s first summer at the seminary, and died instantly. For a two day period his body lay in repose in the main ballroom of the mansion which was referred to as the “Magna Aula.” Sal was assigned to be one of the seminarians as escorts in the room ,and it was actually quite creepy to be in a room filled with only candle light and the corpse of the Rector.

The Dean of students was a former jock ,tall handsome who could hit a softball for miles, but he was the scourge of anyone who he believed was in any shape or form effeminate. There was an outspoken policy at the seminary regarding “particular friendships’ but everyone understood that it was in many respects a code for men he perceived to have homosexual tendencies. He knew that Sal was an athlete, but Sal never shared with him that he loved the Opera and classical music. Those” two devotions would have moved Sal off the favorite list to the suspect file. He was not an unkind individual, but seemed locked into an incessant focus on how a manly priest should look and behave. He constantly was on the prowl to make the lives of anyone who he sensed was less traditionally masculine difficult.

One of the senior faculty Monsignor O’Brien was a hypochondriac, who when he spoke to you covered his mouth because he had the intense fear that a germ might escape your body and infect him with a death dealing virus. Sal always believed that he probably had the first constant Lysol automatic spray mist in his quarters. He was an affable man, but his virus fetish was one of the standing jokes among the seminarians.

The primary head of the Philosophy department was a true intellectual who was in the finest sense of the words a “space cadet”. There is a story that while he was musing about Descartes while mowing his sister’s lawn he allowed the power mower to ascend up the base of an elm tree.

Another member of the philosophy department was a gracious soul who would have a kind word for everyone. Despite his gentle demeanor he had a sharp mind, and a great sense of humor. Once taunted by a brash young member of the Theology department who asked him to say something stupid ,he responded immediately with”Ok you say something and I will repeat it.”

The primary Homiletics professor was nicknamed Jolly Jack” who pranced around like a peacock in full Monsignorial regalia every chance possible. He was very effected, and although he had a doctorate from Columbia University one sensed that his formal education stopped the day he received his terminal degree. He was politically astute, and made no bones about his desire to become a member of the hierarchy. The rumor was that he had a Bishops outfit on call in case it ever happened. The book on him was that he was truly a genius because he spread five minutes of prepared material over four courses.

Coupled with this cast of characters was a feisty eighty year old former sailor, tattoo and all who was the primary spiritual director. His great warning to Sal’s class was beware because if you put a Roman collar on a broomstick someone will fall in love with it.Talk about deflating the belief that the seminarians were all handsome, bright and loveable.

One of the favorite faculty members was Monsignor Henry Beck a world famous church history professor. He was absolutely a magnificent teacher who had the ability to engage the students in meaningful dialogue .He taught a course on the Reformation in the context of art, politics, music and every facet of medieval life. His classes were so vibrant that when the bell for the next class rang there was always a tinge of disappointment.

The faculty has some degree of intellectual autonomy but it was ever apparent that Rome had specific ideas on priest formation that were non negotiable.The Vatican council may have been somewhat radical but those in charge of all seminaries were still holding fast to ancient rituals. In order to send the message that they were still in charge Rome issued a document entitled” Veterum Sapientia”.The meaning focused on the ancient wisdom of Latin and why it should govern curriculum.
The news that all courses would now be taught in Latin in the seminary caused a great deal of anxiety especially for American seminarians.
The day after notification of this impending doom the first class of the day was Church History. Being fluent in Latin and Greek the seminarians knew Monsignor Beck would immediately implement the frightening new document that came from the bureaucratic side of Rome .Monsignor Beck came to the next class after the dictum had been received and said”Gentlemen the Holy See has spoken.We will begin immediately. “Nos Habemus bannae hodie. Nos habemus bannae hodie. “For those of you not familiar with the mother tongue I have said twice in Latin we have no bananas today. That will suffice for the semester. If Rome does not like it they can lump it.” The students howled with glee and had another reason to love Monsignor Henry Beck.

The faculty members were different to a man but Sal always had the sense that as a group they cared about the seminarians, and had tried to create an environment of warmth and caring.
In the hands of these scholarly and religious men seminarians were to be shaped and molded into what they believed would be pious and dedicated servants of the Church. As one who has always been a private contrarian Sal bought some of the guidance, and dismissed some of it out of hand. Never overtly confrontational or disagreeable but always intellectually challenging their “ my way or the highway “path to the Christian message . For Sal a lot of the “hocus pocus” dogma was nice but not particularly relevant to the service he imagined. His anchor then and to this day was the Beatitudes. No one ever lives them fully but he thought if he could pattern his live on them then all else would fall in line.

Sal’s first night in the seminary was anything but peaceful. He tossed and turned most of the night, and at one point actually got up sat in a chair and stared out the window. Unlike the sounds of the city, there were no buses,police sirens or the bellows of patrons leaving the bars at 2 am; there was only silence . After a few more fitful starts he actually dozed off .The next sound he heard was”Benedicamus Domino” a voice in the hallway beckoning him to greet the new day. He learned the night before that he was to respond with”Deo Gratias.” Quickly rising he splashed cold water on his face which reinforced the fact that this was no longer a dream ;he was actually in the seminary. As he shaved he looked into the mirror and thought “well here goes nothing”. Opening the door he joined the procession of equally dazed seminarians who were making their way to the chapel.

Before Mass the schedule identified this time as a period of meditation Sal was clueless because he had never done this in his life He gazed around the chapel and noticed that most of the seminarians, especially those who were tabbed as deacons had their eyes closed .He began the process by having his eyes closed, but he didn’t know exactly what he was supposed to be doing. Literally hundreds of thoughts were running through his head, and there was a high degree of anxiety. Finally the bell indicated that the Mass was about to begin. The rector came from the sacristy and the celebration of his first Eucharistic experience at Darlington began..

After mass the seminarians proceeded to the cafeteria .One of the deacons offered a blessing in gratitude for the food. After the blessing it was now permissible to speak. There were introductions as each seminarian became acquainted with the other people at the table Sal was encouraged because it seemed that everyone at the table was as anxious as he was Most had very little knowledge as to what would transpire for the rest of the summer. After breakfast the new seminarians were s instructed to go to their rooms and collect their notebooks At precisely 8:45 they were to go to the mansion where they would have class from 9 to 12. The summer classes for the new seminarians consisted of two courses. One was entitled the “gentlemanly priest” and the other was” introduction to the holy rule.” Sal could not fathom in his wildest dreams what would be the content of the first course.

The mansion was absolutely exquisite and had been the residence of James Darling .It was built by James Crocker and took six years from 1901 to 1907.It was a magnificent residence that rivaled the palaces of Europe.The mansion was a replica of Bramshill the residence of the Prince of Wales built in the sixteenth century. Crocker imported Bavarian sculptors to literally create a palace. The walls,ceilings and staircases were all hand carved and the great ballroom had glittering Tiffany chandeliers .Entering the classroom Sal observed that there was a table at the front of the classroom which had place settings. His initial reaction was that there would be a snack during a break between classes.. However what he didn’t realize was that somewhere along the line the seminary had gotten the idea that perhaps the seminarians had fallen out of a tree and had never been exposed to a normal meal. The course which could have been a parody at a comedy club introduced the new seminarians into the fundamental eating rituals that most civilized human beings had experienced in the first 18 years of their lives. The instructor was a young faculty member who had the unenviable task of teaching seminarians where to put the napkin, where the knife and fork went ,and how to have civil discourse at a meal. This marvelous revolutionary information was followed by other breakthrough concepts like shining your shoes, combing your hair, brushing your teeth and how to shake one’s hand when you are at a social event.. Needless to say whenever there was a break in the course and the students would move out onto the veranda to have a cigarette some of the comments were priceless. Sal facetiously offered ”I think there is a presumption that most of us dropped out of a tree because this course is beyond imagination.” This opening comment was met with a barrage of similar ones” I’ve been putting my napkin on the wrong side of my lap for the last 20 years ,and I’m now feel like I have had a breakthrough ,this insight will really explode my spiritual growth.” Another offered” I was always wondering what that instrument was on the table, and now I know that it’s a fork. One by one members on the veranda made poignant observations. “At my house we eat soup with our hands and so I saw no value in trying to pick up the soup with a fork, but I know now after that brilliant lecture that the fork is to stab things like meat. Sal was pleased that there was going to be a great deal of humor in this new life because that was such a vital part of his growing up in Jersey City

The second course which followed “ the gentlemanly priest” focused on spirituality . The seminary philosophy was built on a particular set of traditional beliefs. These composed the holy rule and silence was a major part of this. There were significant periods during the day when seminarians were expected to be absolutely silent whenever the bell rang their silence was to be immediate without exception. The spiritual advisor who taught the course conveyed the belief that these periods of silence were based on the need for seminarians to reflect on their relationship with God .He indicated in every lecture that over a period of time following the religious rule would shape and form them spiritually .. Sal ever a chatterbox found these periods of silence difficult ,and though he absolutely followed the law to the letter initially he could not see the great value in this requirement. At this time Sal had promised that he would not question every single rule or belief because if he were going to be here he would try to be as passionate and committed to the process as possible. This course was certainly more thought-provoking than” the gentlemanly priest “and the faculty member that taught it was the spiritual director who had been an Navy salt before he entered the priesthood. He was a feisty ,no nonsense person who spoke straight from the shoulder He more than occasionally warned the new seminarians not to take themselves too seriously. One of his favorite lines was “put a Roman collar on a broomstick and someone will fall in love with it. “ During the summer the spiritual advisor on a very hot day had just on slacks and a sports shirt and on his left arm was a large tattoo that he had acquired sometime in his naval career

Sal was pleased to realize that whenever you gather group of individuals together in a somewhat confined life all sorts of humorous behavior begins to occur. The seminary certainly was a primary example of this because despite the religious settings there was also the reality that humor and practical jokes were part and parcel of Seminary life. Some of the ways in which this was evidenced was during the summer every room had a transom window which was kept open in order to have circulation of air because there was no air-conditioning in the building. Sal was immediately aware that not only were these opportunities for the free flow of air they will also provided perfect access for water balloons. That summer the floating of a water balloon through the transom was transferred from the deacons to the new seminarians, and when that water balloon hit the entire room would be flooded. This bit of juvenile behavior was also accompanied by short sheeting people’s beds ,and especially during the grand silence you could hear the person trying to get into bed ,and occasionally there would be the use of the Lord’s name and certainly at that time it would be used in vain.

Sal survived the summer but was incredibly grateful that there would be a. vacation at the end before they would begin the new school year. When the vacation was over Sal’s s level of apprehension was not nearly as high as the first time he had visited in June., it still was somewhat dubious as to whether this was the right path for him to follow.