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Posted on April 21, 2023April 21, 2023


WHO WAS SAINT AGNES OF MONTEPULCIANO?



In medieval Tuscany, the Dominican Prioress (1268-1317) was known as a miracle
worker.

By Student Preacher Rozlyn Plazas ’24 (Elmwood Park, IL)

Good Morning, fellow Friars. My name is Rozlyn Plazas from the Class of 2024,
and it is an honor to address you all at today’s school-wide mass. Today, as we
commemorate the life of St. Agnes of Montepulciano, I invite us to reflect on
her legacy and how it can inspire us to deepen our relationship with God.



St. Agnes, a revered Dominican foundress, led a life of profound faith and
devotion to God, and was a significant source of inspiration for St. Catherine
of Siena, one of the Church’s most esteemed saints. St. Catherine, a Doctor of
the Church, who was a great teacher, a prophetic witness to God’s Grace in the
world, and an example of compassion and service, found her Dominican vocation
after visiting the shrine where St Agnes lies. Like St. Agnes, St. Catherine
lived vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and dedicated herself to a life of
prayer, penance, and works of charity. The unwavering commitment to these
virtues, coupled with the graces of wisdom and prudence given to both Sts. Agnes
and Catherine, had a profound impact on the Church and is an inspiring example
for all. 

As students and Friars, we may encounter challenges and hardships that test our
faith and make us question the presence of God in our lives. I know this feeling
all too well, as last year I grieved the loss of two family members to illness
within the span of six months. I was angry, filled with rage, blaming the world,
and even exerted this anger towards God. When I reflect on my own personal
experience, I realized that God never left my side during my time of grief.

A quote by St. Agnes describes this feeling. “I am already promised to the Lord
of the Universe. He is more splendid than the sun and the stars, and He has said
He will never leave me.” Like St. Agnes, I too was able to deepen my
relationship with God and find solace in his love and presence. In the midst of
my pain, I felt the presence of God, just as St. Agnes had described. He never
left my side, and slowly but surely, I began to find peace and healing. I
realized that God was not the cause of my suffering but rather a source of
comfort and strength. St. Agnes’ message of unwavering faith and devotion to God
can serve as inspiration to us all. In our lives, we will face trials and
tribulations, and it can be easy to feel lost and alone.



And just like St. Agnes, we can turn to God for guidance and comfort. God is
always present in our lives, even in the darkest moments. St. Agnes’ unwavering
commitment to prayer and devotion to God serves as a motivation for us all. As
students, we can each find our own unique way to strengthen our faith and rely
on God in our daily lives. Through our own personal experiences and the
faith-filled witness of Sts. Agnes and Catherine, we can learn to trust in God’s
plan for our lives and find comfort in his unconditional love and grace.

 As we move through the remaining weeks of the school year, each of us can
strive to deepen our relationship with God in our own way. Whether it be
preparing to go off to college, start a summer job, or embark on the new
opportunities to come. We can do this all through prayer, meditation on the Word
of God, and receiving the sacraments with devotion. We can draw strength from
St. Agnes’ example and allow our hearts to be transformed to love like Christ.

Posted on March 22, 2023March 22, 2023


DO THE MATH AND SHARE GOD’S GOOD NEWS



By Student Preacher Grant Schleiter ’23 (Elmhurst, IL)

In today’s gospel Jesus lays out the connection between him and God the father.
Jesus describes  himself as a reflection of God, stating that “for what he does,
the Son will also do.” God showed his love for us by creating us and then taking
on human flesh as Jesus. Our goal as Christians is to mimic the life of Christ,
and walk the way of our Savior. 

I am not saying we all have to go sit in a desert for 40 days, or get nailed to
a cross. I am saying we must do what Jesus did the most: preach. Share the Good
News of God with others.

Let’s do some simple math. What is 2 to the power of 1?  2. What about 2 to the
power of 2? 4. 2 to the power of 3 is eight. Now does anyone know what 2 to the
power of 2000? Toby? Quinn? Mr. Finnell? Let’s just say it is far larger than
the current world population of 7.8 billion. If we say that Jesus entered
the world sometime before the “year 0” and began his teaching a few decades
after that, by the end of the third decade CE there would be at least one
Christian in the world. And if this Christian inspired someone else
through sharing the teachings of Jesus, so now we are at 2 followers at the end
of that year. If every succeeding year, every Christian made one disciple, what
would happen after 2000 years?

Referencing my math earlier, if every Christian were to share the Good News to
one person a year, the number of Christians would be well over our world
population. But instead the number of Christians is declining. From 1976 to 2022
the United States has declined from 91% Christian, to 64%. To follow in the
footsteps of God, we need to share the good news and inspire others. 



I can assume most people in this auditorium right now cannot just pull out a
Bible verse for every situation in life, but once again this is not necessary
for effective preaching. All you need is a common understanding of the
scripture, and to learn how Jesus acted. The easiest way to do this is the
Gospel. There are 8,760 hours in a year, and God only asks you for 52 of those.
If Jesus sacrificed His whole life for you on the cross, you can sacrifice .59%
of your year for Him. And if you worry that you have not been going to Mass
enough, now is the time to start. Jesus will never leave you. Like a lighthouse,
His light will always project in your darkness. The closer you are to the light,
the closer you are to the safety of shore. 

Brothers and sisters, we have such a great gift in our faith, and the best thing
we can do is give it to others. Procrastination of our faith impacts others and
may contribute to the decline in Christianity. God did not put us on this world
to effortlessly cruise through life expecting to make it into Heaven. God
expects us to take the stairs instead of the escalator when it comes to our
faith. Putting in that extra work to not only focus on yourself, but also to
focus on others. Going to Mass, learning about the Gospel, turning the other
cheek, and following the golden rule are all simple ways we can take the extra
step in our Faith. Faith can make a tremendous impact on someone’s life, so the
best thing we can do for others is let them also enjoy the gifts of God’s love. 

As Lent starts to come to a close and the Easter season begins, let us think
about the sacrifices Jesus made, and think about what we can do to spread the
Love of God shown through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Embrace God’s
love and spread that to others; in doing so, you will be a true reflection of
Jesus. We are all very fortunate enough to receive education on Theology here at
Fenwick, so use that knowledge and spread it to others that are not as
fortunate. I know each and every one of you are great people, because you are
all God’s children, and to mimic Jesus we must also be fishers of men and bring
more people into our faith.

Posted on February 28, 2023March 7, 2023


FENWICK “MATHLETES” PLACE 1ST AT ILLINOIS REGIONALS!



The Friars out-performed staunch competition from Latin School of Chicago and
north suburban Lake Forest Academy.

On Saturday, February 25, at the Niles West State Math Regionals, Fenwick took
first place and — for the 30th consecutive year — qualified all 33 members of
its Math Team for the State Math Finals. The finals will be held at Illinois
State University in Normal, IL, in April. The top three Math Teams (with their
scores):

 1. Fenwick  845
 2. Lake Forest Academy  832
 3. Latin School  661

The Friars finished first in five of the ten events:

 * Algebra 2 Team
 * Calculator Team
 * Oral Math Topic Team
 * Two-person Junior/Senior Team
 * Eight-person Freshman/Sophomore Team




In individual events, for the first time in the 43 years of the State
Contest, Fenwick had two perfect scores: by Kyra Miller ’25 (Riverside, IL) in
Geometry and Tuoyu “Toby” Yang ’24 (Oak Park, IL) in Algebra 2. Quinn Hynes ’23
(Western Springs, IL) also placed first in Pre-Calculus.

Congratulations to the entire team and their six coaches/moderators: Mrs. Brigid
Esposito ’96, Mr. Roger Finnell ’59, Mrs. Bozena Kopf, Mrs. Maria Nowicki, Mr.
Andrew Reuland ’94 and Ms. Diane Sabbia!




PHOTO GALLERY

Posted on February 22, 2023February 22, 2023


SLOW DOWN ON ASH WEDNESDAY AND DURING LENT



“Ashes fade, but our faith remains,” senior student reminds her Fenwick
classmates.

By Preaching Team Member Natalie Poleszak ’23 (Burr Ridge, IL)

Did you leave your car running this morning? Did you take a second to remember
you locked it? During this season, we are often so occupied with giving up a
favorite soda or candy that we forget to slow down. So excited for Easter, we
lose focus on what’s important. 

Today, I ask each one of you to for a moment forget about the Spanish test you
have or what you will be doing this weekend to slow down. 

Natalie Poleszak ’23

I know Fenwick students are sometimes unable to do this because I see it in the
parking lot everyday. In a rush to get to their favorite parking spot or to even
make it past the light, we often forget to look around. Similarly, how often do
we think about an intention before we mindlessly pray with our peers before
class. How often do we check up on our friends or tell our parents thank you? I
am guilty of not doing these things myself.

Today I challenge you to practice patience. I challenge you to park within the
lines. For even though your awareness fades, the impact remains.

You may be asking yourself, ‘Natalie why are you talking about the parking
garage on Ash Wednesday?’ Driving is something we all experience in our lives.
Likewise, everyone at Fenwick has to learn about faith in their theology
classes. Why not incorporate it into the simple moments in your life?

Even with all of this preparation and growth in our personal lives, it’s not
important unless we get out and actually do it. So today we are challenged to
consider the other person in the car next to us. To not cut them off, or honk
the horn, or to let them in front of us. Let the ash on your forehead serve as a
reminder in your busy lives. For even as the cross on your forehead fades, our
faith remains.

Posted on February 21, 2023February 21, 2023


HOW TO LIVE LENT RADICALLY IN 2023



By Father Christopher Johnson, O.P.

As we once again enter the beginning of another Lenten season, the all-important
question of “what should I do for Lent this year?” more than likely has come to
mind. Before you or I decide to once again abstain from cookies, candies,
carbonated drinks, or coffee beverages for the season of Lent, it is worthwhile
considering the purpose of the season of Lent. In doing so, we can gain a better
sense of the purpose of these resolutions, and what they can do to help us with
our spiritual journeys. 

The season of Lent has its origins in the catechumenate preparation period for
their entrance into the Christian Church at Easter Vigil. In the early Church
(2nd-4th centuries), initiated Christians were encouraged to join in this time
of prayer and fasting- recalling their own baptism, but also those preparing to
join the Church.  For catechumens, Lent was a long and rigorous period of
examination, catechesis, and ascetical cleansing of body and soul during the
forty days leading up to Easter.  

As infant baptism became the norm, the number of new initiates decreased, but
the practice of forty days of fasting continued. 

Fr. Christpher Johnson, O.P. is a Fenwick campus minister and chaplain.

It is worth noting that early on, Lent required the abstention from meat, fish,
eggs and dairy products, wine, and oil.  In other words, only fruits,
vegetables, bread, salt, and water were allowed to be consumed during this time
period.  Likewise, only one full meal was allowed to be consumed during the
day.  As time went on, allowances for one to two small snacks (collations) for
laborers was added. This time of fasting was seen as an opportunity to cleanse
oneself of attachments to food and drink, but also to reflect upon one’s own
baptism and need for continual repentance.

Following the Second Vatican Council, the requirement to abstain from meat on
Fridays, to only take one full meal during the season of Lent and other
ascetical actions were lessened. (Please see the bottom of this reflection for
the list of guidelines provided by the USCCB for days of fasting and abstinence
in the Latin Catholic Church).

This lessening of expectations over time is not true for many of our Eastern
Catholic and Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters who still begin Lent with a
three week period of gradually removing certain dietary items from their meals
in preparation for the Lenten abstention from meat, fish, eggs and dairy
products, added sugar products, chocolate, alcohol, and vegetable oils for the
full duration of Lent (including Sundays). 

The practice of truly abstaining from food such as Orthodox Christian or our
pre-Vatican II predecessors would be a very difficult task for me.  It would
make me uncomfortable, and mindful of my attachment to my favorite foods and
beverages, and other things of this world. Our goal for Lent should be to
replicate that experience today- seeking to make ourselves uncomfortable, and
mindful of the need for conversion, and God’s help. This will make for a truly
radical and transformative Lent.



If we choose to give up a certain food or drink during Lent, our call is to pray
for God’s assistance when our stomach growls, or eyes see a desirable treat in
front of us.  We should pray for God’s help in growing more detached from
physical goods so that we might be able to live a simpler life, one more
dependent upon Him, and His generosity. As well it is a reminder to pray for
those whom a meager diet like this is not a seasonal thing, but an everyday
reality.  

To assist us in better using Lent as a period of cleansing in anticipation of
Easter, the Church calls her members to live out the prophetic call to prayer,
fasting, and almsgiving during the season of Lent.

How can we best embrace one or more of these facets? 

Some questions to consider when planning out your Lenten practices:

 1. What is it that you need to do in your life to grow in your awareness of
    your attachments to this world? 

 2. What are those things that distract you from being present to God and your
    neighbor? 

 3. What practices or actions should you undertake to better center yourself on
    what is truly important?

This Lent, Perhaps Consider Committing To:

Fasting: Don’t just give up candy, or junk food, but instead consider:

 * Fast from distractions use your phone or other electronic device less, and
   instead use that time:
   * for prayer
   * Chatting with a relative, or other loved one.
   * Visiting an elderly neighbor to talk or help with chores.
   * Educate yourself about the challenges that many face across the globe:
     * Learn about the plight of Christians in Nigeria, Myanmar, Central
       America, China, and the Middle East.
     * Become aware of the challenges that refugees face throughout the world.
     * Learn more about the reality of hunger for many children throughout the
       world and in the US.
 * Fast from luxury goods: Don’t purchase fancy coffee drinks, or fast food once
   a week, and donate the money to a cause that is important to you.
   * Support Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl campaign.
 * Fasting from sleeping in: Don’t snooze your alarm clock for the season of
   Lent, and use this time to say some prayers for your loved ones, or do
   chores/kind acts for those you live with..
 * Fast from harsh words: Get off social media, or make the choice not to
   respond to the hurtful comments someone may have said to you, or wrote about
   you on social media, but instead offer a prayer for them.
 * Fast from apathy and complaining: Pick up trash that you might see around
   you, instead of walking by it, or do those little things that need to be done
   instead of complaining.
 * Fast from griping about those things outside your control:  Don’t complain
   about what is wrong with the world, but instead give thanks for what is going
   well, and seek to encounter others with gratitude for those little things
   they do to help you. As well, offer your complaints as a prayer of
   supplication to God.

Continue reading “How to Live Lent Radically in 2023”
Posted on January 26, 2023January 26, 2023


FEAST OF THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL



Alumnus Fr. Tom Logue ’11, who grew up in the Hinsdale, IL parish of St. Isaac
Jogues, returned to Fenwick on January — to preach as a priest!

By Father Thomas Logue

My name is Fr. Thomas Logue, and I graduated from this school some 12 years ago
now, and I was ordained a priest of Jesus Christ just this past May.

It’s great being back in this way to celebrate this Mass. I was on Kairos with a
couple of the alumni here who are my age, and many of my teachers from my time
as a student are still here, which is awesome.
If I recall correctly, I think in Latin class, Dr. Porter told us we wouldn’t
use Latin all the much.

So, I’ve just got to say, Dr. Porter, as a priest I get to use Latin all the
time: checkmate.

Today we celebrate the feast of the Conversion of St Paul. And you might be
wondering, “Okay, that’s cool, Father, but what’s with the gold thing you
processed in with?”

Well, I’m glad you asked! My doctor happens to be a fellow alumn, and we have
worked together in healing ministry; he lent me this relic of St. Paul — I
believe it is a fragment of his bone. So we’re incredibly blessed that this real
man will be with us as we come to worship the real Jesus together with him.

Alumnus Fr. Tom Logue, Fenwick Class of 2011.

Now, as we look at what this man experienced, coming face-to-face with God the
Son in resurrected human flesh, and who was struck blind for three days thence —
all these amazing things — we have to remember that Luke — the guy who wrote
this down — didn’t write it down for Paul:

“Hey, Paul, want to hear the story you told me again?”
“Um, no.”

God, the Holy Spirit inspired Luke to write this down for me and for you, so
that we might believe. It was all written for you ….

So, that begs the question: All this crazy stuff happened to this man that
fundamentally changed him from a murderer of Christians into the greatest
Christian witness the world has ever seen — okay.

But, what’s the import for me?

It all centers on the one question Paul asks of Jesus: “Who are You, Lord?” . .
. “Who are You, Lord?”

Because, for Paul up to this point, before encountering Christ, if someone asked
him, “Have you ever heard of Jesus? Who is He?” he’d ultimately say something
like: “Jesus is just some dead nobody who’s keeping my life and my culture, even
my worship, from what I want it to be. Just some dead nobody who’s caused me a
lot of trouble.

But the genuine revelation of the Catholic faith says something quite different,
otherwise this school wouldn’t exist; the Catholic faith wouldn’t exist.

A miraculous image from the 1st century, believed to be the burial cloth of
Jesus.



Who is Jesus?

Jesus is the God who holds us in existence.

He is God the Son who took on my broken human flesh, calling first the Jewish
people, and through them the whole world — me and you — back into relationship
with the True and Living God, Himself. And, to do this, from our lowly human
flesh, as God and as a Man, He made a perfect act of love to God the Father when
He consecrated Himself a sacrifice for me and for you, and then died a torturous
death by suffocation in crucifixion, and rose three days later.

“Who are You, Lord?”

But even from 13 years of Catholic schooling growing up, I feel like many, many
of my peers, and even a few of my teachers, and me especially, if asked, not
just on a theology test, but through the way you can really tell what someone
believes — by how we live — if you asked us, “Who is Jesus?” and looked at how
we live, our answers might correspond to something like:

 * “He’s just a good moral teacher, or maybe a revolutionary.”

 * Or, “He just asked us to be nice or something; He died, but He didn’t rise
   from the dead — He’d have to be like, God or something, lol.”

 * Or, “He was just a made up idea that helps people be kind.”

In our culture, and in a culture like this, when we reject Christ, we don’t
usually reject Christ outright. We make a new Christ that fits my view of
things. And, as a priest who I know says, “that is a very effective way of
murdering Jesus Christ, to change Him to suit our own desires.” It’s not the
real Jesus we talk about when we do this. We are just making up our own.

And what I felt — and some of you might know what I’m talking about, though I
hope you don’t know what I’m talking about — I felt like, ironically, the
Catholic culture for me growing up, and the apathy I experienced towards the
faith and towards our Lord in it, which seemed louder than the Gospel — that it
almost vaccinated me against Catholicism.

You might be thinking, “Vaccinated?” You know, with old school vaccines (not the
new mRNA stuff) if you want to make someone immune to something that is very
contagious, what you do is you take the contagious thing, you isolate it, you
kill it, and then you inject the dead thing into the person, so that when they
encounter the real thing out in the world, their system just says, “Oh, I know
what that is, and it’s not for me.”

But what have we done the past few generations with our Catholic faith but this
very thing? We isolate the fullness of the faith and the real Jesus, we give to
our young people a dead, seriously deficient version of the faith, and we’re
surprised they don’t practice it — when in fact we’ve vaccinated them against
it.

We do this to our Catholic faith, and this has happened to many of us here. C.S.
Lewis says, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of
infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately
important.”

Well, this was the message I got — that it’s moderately important: like
basketball or a TV show. And since this, sadly, is how many of us were raised,
when confronted with Christianity and the real Jesus who calls us to repent, who
calls us to change — when, in fact, we don’t want to repent; when we don’t want
to change — what do we do but try and invent our own Christ.


A painting of the Apostle Paul from 1600s.

But, tragically, we know that when we invent our own Christ, that our own
“Jesus” is totally impotent; that “my Jesus” is powerless to save or forgive me;
that when I erect my own “Jesus,” in my own image, the
only person I worship is me. And, if I’m honest, I am powerless to save myself …
and so I lock myself within my own heart.

But the real Jesus, who comes knocking on the door of our locked hearts — the
One who appeared to Paul — we know and believe that He can actually do something
about my life. This Man who conquered death and is alive right now, with real
Blood flowing through real veins as He sits at the right hand of the Father —
that He can heal me; He can save me. He comes full of mercy, full of peace,
forgiveness, with genuine meaning (not the futile self-fabricated kind) — real,
genuine, objective meaning from the Person who is Truth Incarnate Himself — He
offers this for those who will receive Him as Lord, as Master and as Savior.

Ask Him, “Who are you, Lord?”

In my own practice of the faith, my parents went to Mass, and though I felt an
affection for the Lord, the liturgy and prayer in childhood (I was even
considering priesthood non-stop since I was 5), as I got into junior high and
the sort of vaccination I received against Catholicism began to take effect,
along with my difficulties with some of my peers and distance from my family, I
began to, like Paul, frame Jesus as someone else than who He really is:

“Maybe he’s just a good teacher, probably not God,” I pondered. But this was
just a cover for the fact that, even though I was interested in Jesus, I doubted
that He could really be interested in me. I felt rather unloved and unwanted,
and began to paint the lies on my heart over the face of God.

By the time I got into high school here at Fenwick, I was pretty convinced I was
an atheist, and that Christianity was some weird scheme or money grab; it was
just something I had to just endure and
put up with until I graduated. But through the testimony of the priest who
taught me freshman year, I began just to crack open the door of my heart, and a
little bit of light began to shine into my darkness. I was beginning to believe.
And, at the time, although I was dead scared of going to confession, I felt
tugged towards it, and it terrified me.

Saul is knocked from his horse and blinded on the road to Damascus.

My sophomore year, I was sitting next to my atheist friend up in the front row
of the nosebleed seats here in the Auditorium when all-school confessions were
being heard, and I finally overcame that fear and, by the grace of God, returned
to confession for the first time in 9 years. It was incredible.

But I was still clinging to sin in my life, and it was slowly eating away at me.
It wasn’t until my senior year about this time of year, actually — that things
came to a head.

I went on the Kairos retreat and had such a profound encounter with the real
Jesus that all I could do was weep on the floor in my bedroom, overwhelmed by
this love I hadn’t known before, but was utterly familiar, and had been present
all my life, in all of my pain. And laying prostrate before the crucifix in my
room (like I saw one of the Dominicans do at his ordination), I looked up at the
cross through tear-blurred eyes and said, “I will do whatever You want me to do,
Jesus, just tell me what it is.”

Well, spoiler — He made that pretty clear.

Needing the Lord

Fr. Tom as a Fenwick senior in 2010-11.

But, due to my surrounding myself with less than quality friends, the following
week (again, about this time of the year), I got in some very big trouble in
pretty much every aspect of my life. Got 15 detentions
and demerits. I was in trouble in school and out of school; it was a huge mess.
I bet you didn’t think a priest alum would say something like that!

I realized through the experience of my big mess up that some ofthe friends I
thought were my best friends that I had invested in for 6+ years were in fact
just using me. And in my hunger for acceptance, after naming the serious wounds
of rejection I’d felt for years, I found myself drifting further and further
from the Lord.

Continue reading “Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul”
Posted on January 20, 2023January 24, 2023


NOTES FROM WAR-TORN UKRAINE



Fr. Jarosław Krawiec, O.P. wrote this Christmas greeting on December 22, 2022.
It is a humbling tale of the struggles and incredible faith of the people of
Ukraine through the eyes of a Dominican friar.

Translated from Polish:

Dear sisters, dear brothers, I never thought that one could long for lights.
When I got off the Kyiv train in Warsaw, I was surprised by the festival of
brightly lit streets, buildings, and, above all, colorful Christmas decorations.
When you add to it the snow that just fell in Poland in abundant supply, it all
looked like a New Year’s fairytale. In Ukraine, the last couple months have been
getting colder and darker. The longer this lasts, the more I squint my eyes in
disbelief when looking at the bright streets and storefronts as well as entering
warm houses and priories abroad.

On the day of Saint Nicholas — which in Ukraine is celebrated on December 19
following the Eastern calendar — a new Christmas tree was officially unveiled in
the center of Kyiv. It was placed, as in previous years, on the square in front
of the Saint Sophia Cathedral, the oldest and most important Christian church in
Ukraine. The Christmas tree is much more modest and 60 feet shorter than last
year. There is no market place surrounding it, which  in Ukraine used to be a
necessary element of the “New Year holiday,” as Christmas is frequently called
here.



Over the last couple weeks, a great discussion has been taking place in Ukraine
on the subject of whether Christmas decorations and trees should be displayed in
public places during the time when so many millions of people suffer daily
because of war and lack of power. The opinion is divided. The mayor of Chortkiv,
a small city in western Ukraine where the Dominicans have been present for over
400 years, had already announced in mid-November that: “This year, the Christmas
tree and New Year celebration in the city center will be canceled!” To avoid
misunderstandings, he immediately added that the most important thing is the
celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and the decorations and loud
festivities can wait until the war is over. Many people think similarly.

The capitol decided differently. “We must have the Christmas tree!” stated the
mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko. “Our children should be able to have
festivities! Despite the fact that the Russian barbarians are trying to rob
Ukrainians from the joy of Christmas and New Year.” I understand the opponents
of Christmas trees, but my position is decisively closer to the attitude of the
mayor of Kyiv. I heard the opinion of a frontline soldier who was unhappy that
his children would be deprived of Christmas. “But this is exactly what we are
fighting for, a normal life for our families!” he argued.

Near the Kyiv Christmas tree, I spotted a strange contraption. Cement blocks
that until recently had been positioned across the street as a barricade were
now painted red, and large eyes were attached to them. It’s part of an artistic
project called “Children shouldn’t see the war,” whose authors want to spare the
youngest inhabitants of the city the painful experience of seeing a landscape of
war during the holidays. This is important since Kyiv now hosts a couple hundred
thousand people who have escaped from destroyed cities and villages. This is
also the way in which the initiators of this project want to raise funds to help
children who have lost one of both parents as a result of the war. Sadly, this
number is also growing daily.

Amid war, doves replaced lights on Ukraine Christmas tree.

This year’s Christmas Eve will mark exactly the tenth month of war. On February
24 we all woke up in Ukraine early in the morning to the sound of air raid
sirens, explosions, text messages, and phone calls from the terrified friends
and family members attempting to find out if we are okay. On the evening of
December 24, billions of Christians around the world will begin the celebration
of the birth of Christ. This number will include a handful of Roman Catholics in
Ukraine, since a majority of the citizens of the country are Christians of
eastern traditions and begin celebrations two weeks later. War, however, is
causing many of them to demand with increasing intensity the transition to the
“Gregorian calendar,” and the bishops of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which
is independent from Moscow and led by the Metropolitan Epiphanius, are allowing
some parishes to celebrate Christmas together with the western world.

This Christmas will be a different one, quieter and wrapped in darkness. Even if
we tried to forget for a moment about the hard times and lose ourselves in
Christmas shopping, visiting, and decorating, we can’t. Many people have lost
their jobs and are in a very difficult economic situation. They will not be able
to afford a plentiful Christmas table and gifts. Apart from this, for the last
two months there has been a shortage of power and light. Some people have power
only periodically; others, like people from Antonivka, don’t have it at all.

Ukraine’s children and the trauma of war.

Antonivka is a village outside of Kherson, with a huge bridge connecting the
shores of the Dnieper River that was first attacked by the Ukrainian army and
then by the Russians. We delivered humanitarian supplies there two weeks ago.
The bus with boxes of food was unloaded very quickly. The village is located
right on the bank of the river, and on the other side is the Russian army.

“My friends, don’t stay in groups. Do not create a gathering, so that drones
won’t detect us and start shooting,” yelled the ladies coordinating the
distribution of humanitarian aid. A couple hours earlier, artillery had
destroyed a nearby house, and we helped an older woman get out of her basement
and transported her to a safer location. While Father Misha talked with the
inhabitants of Antonivka, I saw tears in their eyes. They cried out of disbelief
that someone came to them. This is another time that I realized that one of the
worst things in war is the feeling of being abandoned. I remember the first days
of fighting around Kyiv, when Maryna had asked me to bring supplies to a single
mother of a son. When we were leaving the woman had asked, “When it gets really
bad, will you help me? Will I be alone?”

Continue reading “Notes from War-torn Ukraine”
Posted on January 11, 2023January 11, 2023


“REFLECTIONS”



A poem by John O’Neill, Jr. ’75 as published in the 1975 Blackfriars yearbook:

Reflections of my younger days
Are piercing through a web of haze.
A web a string of years has spun
On those I’ve known and things I’ve done.

I’ve loved the times and people here,
And I regret the end is near.
Here they fed me life and laughter
To build me up for what comes after.

From here on in I understand
That no one leads me by the hand.
It’s time to do what I’ve been shown
And try to make it on my own.

There’s something calling; I can’t wait.
The future’s knocking on my fate.
I’m climbing, never asking why,
My spiral staircase to the sky.

Before I go along my way,
There’s something that I have to say.
I wouldn’t change it if and when
I had it all to do again.

Reflections of my future days
Are glowing in a cloud of haze,
Lighting the stage of those I’ve met,
With my hour to strut and fret,
And sing a past I won’t forget,

And sing a past I won’t forget.

Posted on December 14, 2022January 11, 2023


PRESERVING THE DOMINICAN ORDER’S INTELLECTUAL TRADITION



The 87th successor to Saint Dominic welcomed Fenwick’s students as ‘1,100 more
friars’ to his worldwide flock of 5,247.

By Mark Vruno

When he visited Fenwick High School on December 9, Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner
III, O.P. seemed almost giddy, feeling like he “was in high school all over
again.” Telling his teenage audience that he was feeling “old” last Friday, the
54-year-old Master of the Order* encouraged them to treasure and cherish the
lessons they are learning in high school: “They will remain useful for you as
you grow and as you go out into the world,” he noted.

Fr. Timoner then asked eight random volunteers, two from each class – freshmen
through seniors – to describe their school using only one adjective: What
describes a Fenwick student; a Fenwick graduate? Pointing out that he had surfed
the school website, which reads that Friar students are called to “lead, achieve
and serve,” the Master of the Order wanted to hear from them directly. “I want
to know how you see yourself,” he explained.

The eight adjectives students used to describe the essence of Fenwick (in
alphabetical order): achievers, awesome, dedicated, electric, home, inclusive,
intelligent and winners. A faculty member added “shining,” a ninth, to the list,
to which the head teacher/preacher replied with a quotation from St. Thomas
Aquinas: “Ah, but it is ‘better to illuminate than merely to shine.’”

The Master of the Dominican Order

Nonetheless impressed, Fr. Timoner shared in a post-assembly interview that he
and the other Dominicans are very aware of Fenwick and its mission here in Oak
Park/Chicago. “We have [Fenwick] alumni who have been formed and molded right
here!” he exclaimed. “We are happy to share the charism of preaching with our
lay collaborators.” He added that Jesus never referred to Himself as a “priest”
but rather as a teacher, one who has mastered a subject.

When asked about vocations, he pointed out that there are close to 800 brothers
and friars presently in formation. “People say the church is shrinking, but this
is not true in a global context,” Fr. Timoner said. “While there are aging
populations in some parts of the world,” he acknowledged, “approximately 13
million members were added to the [Catholic] church this past year. Lay people
are our partners in evangelism.”

Back at the all-school assembly, Fr. Timoner concluded by urging his youthful
listeners to be compassionate people. “Remember that eyes are cleansed with
tears,” he shared, “and that compassion heals.”

*The Master of the Order is the Superior General of the Order of Preachers,
commonly known as the Dominicans. In 2019 Father Timoner, who is a member of the
Philippine Province, became the first Asian Master of the Order and next
successor to Saint Dominic.

LINK TO THE VIDEO RECORDING OF THE ASSEMBLY.

Fr. Gerard Timoner, O.P. received a special gift from Fenwick’s proud Asian
American Association.

Scroll down for more photos of the big day!

Continue reading “Preserving the Dominican Order’s Intellectual Tradition”
Posted on December 9, 2022December 9, 2022


WHAT EXACTLY IS THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION ALL ABOUT?



By Student Preacher Julia Overmyer ’23 (River Forest, IL)

Good Morning! We are gathered here this morning to celebrate the Feast of the
Immaculate Conception. If I were to ask everyone in this auditorium what they
thought the Immaculate Conception was, there would be at least one person, if
not more, that would say it is the celebration of the miracle birth of Jesus. Up
until a while ago, I would have said the same thing. All I knew was that Mr.
Mulcahey said that Catholics believed in it, but the Protestants did not.
However, this feast day celebrates something different, someone different. Today
we honor Mary. The woman who not only brought God into this world, but who very
importantly was chosen by God to be born without sin. 



My Mom has a phrase that she likes to tell both my sister and me. She says, “You
are going to end up where you are meant to be, because God chose this path for
you.” When I tell you I have heard this phrase applied to pretty much
everything, I mean it. From the little things like my placement in a certain
class, to the bigger things like what my life will be like in the future, my Mom
would repeat it to me. The amount of times I heard this expression during the
college application process was probably an all-time record. I can’t seem to
escape it.

Yet, no matter how many times my Mom says this phrase to me, I consistently find
it hard to understand. If God chose me to do something, if He has a plan for me,
then why do I even bother trying to live out the life that seems to be
predetermined for me? As much as I don’t like to admit, my dislike for this
phrase comes from my fear of the unknown. Being afraid of what we don’t know is
a natural instinct. Not knowing what lies ahead, whether being something
unfamiliar or possibly dangerous, can ignite unease within us. However, we
shouldn’t let this fear prevent us from pursuing our goals. 



In today’s Gospel of Luke, we hear of the angel Gabriel coming to Mary to tell
her she will bear a son. Luke writes, “And coming to her, he said, ‘Hail, full
of grace! The Lord is with you.’ But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.”

What strikes me as interesting in this passage is Mary’s response to the angel
Gabriel. The Gospel says that Gabriel appearing in her room was not the thing
that scared her, but it was what he had spoken to her. She questioned Gabriel’s
greeting, “Hail, full of grace.” To us, we don’t see how this could be a fearful
phrase, for we often repeat it when reciting the Hail Mary. However, to a
15-year-old Mary, being hailed and filled with God’s gift of grace by an angel
in the middle of the night, was pretty terrifying. Yet she chose to place her
faith in God’s plan over her fear of the unknown.

God chose her, even before she was born, to receive this message and fulfill
this revelation. God brought Mary into this world without the pains of original
sin so she could have Jesus. And although she did not know what was to come,
Mary overcame her fear with faith. 

Like Mary, we are all chosen by God to lead a certain life. The gifts that God
has given us — being His grace and free will — aid us to follow our path of
life. Even Mary, the mother of Jesus, was worried about God’s plan for her. Yet
her undeniable faith in God not only allowed for her to accept His plan, but
gave her a sense of peace. We should all strive to be like Mary; accepting God’s
chosen plan for us, and conquering our fears. So I ask you to remember today and
all days that we are each chosen by God to follow a certain purpose in our
lives. Whether grand or small, for many or for one, God has chosen every single
one of us to be what this world needs.


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The Friar Files serves to inform the community at large of the latest news
coming out of Fenwick High School. It will also publish stories showing the
benefit of private Catholic secondary education today. Its authors are long-time
educators, Dominican Friars and experts on the subjects.

*The content of this blog does not necessarily reflect the official position of
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information and views expressed in The Friar Files lies entirely with the
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 * Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul January 26, 2023
 * Notes from War-torn Ukraine January 20, 2023
 * “Reflections” January 11, 2023
 * Preserving the Dominican Order’s Intellectual Tradition December 14, 2022
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The Friar Files serves to inform the community at large of the latest news
coming out of Fenwick High School. It will also publish stories showing the
benefit of private Catholic secondary education today. Its authors are long-time
educators, Dominican Friars and experts on the subjects.

*The content of this blog does not necessarily reflect the official position of
Fenwick High School, its faculty and/or administrators. Responsibility for the
information and views expressed in The Friar Files lies entirely with the
author(s).


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