Monastery News
I
t’s been many years since Fa“There is Something Always to Give:” a lonely time for him. He says, “I know from my own childhood ther Pius taught in the classthat it can hurt when the grownroom at Priory, but whenever ups ignore you. Not to hurt you, he crosses campus, it’s obvibut just as if children are not yet ous that the special connection he completely human, which is a has with kids is still there. Maybe great, great mistake. Because kids it’s his quiet smile, or the playneed a lot of attention and help to ful sparkle in his eye, a look that build up their egos, (to feel that says he might have a joke to share. they) count for something.” Whatever it is, children pick up on Helping kids to feel that they it. Even the smallest Priory resicount has been a kind of mission dents—the children of on-campus for Father Pius. Over the years, he’s learned that faculty—light up when Father Pius comes around. even little gestures can mean a lot. One shy seventh Kate Molak, daughter of Head of School Tim Molak, grader from years past stands out in his memory. remembers his happy greeting from when she was “She wasn’t even my student, but somehow we little: “Hello, neighbor!” always crossed paths and I greeted her. She’d say, When asked about his way with young children, ‘Good morning,’ very shyly. So I started offering Father Pius smiles. “They’re great friends. They are her a high five. And the others watched, thinking like little dogs in that they’re sincere about their afwhat will happen now? She reciprocated.” He fection. They don’t calculate, they don’t analyze you. laughs with pleasure. “These things taught me a lot, They like you or they don’t like you. They are very gave me some confidence and satisfaction. Even if rewarding.” A little attention, he says, goes a long you wonder, what am I going to do now? There is way. something always to give.” Father Pius reflects, “How it is this develops After more than fifty years of living in a monasit’s hard to say. That we love children. It’s just tic community, Father Pius has learned a few things. something natural.” Perhaps those who don’t have “To be patient with others,” he says. “And with their own children, he speculates, are more open to myself too.” Living with others is not always easy. connecting with all kids. His early years in Hungary “You are not hand-picked by God so you fit together also had their effect. “I saw many young people perfectly. You have to work on it. That’s your chalsuffering, deprived of certain necessities of daily lenge, because that’s the ideal and the idea you life, or little luxuries that children like to have. They represent toward others. That’s what human society were discriminated against, not necessarily by other is. You can see today that we are unhappy because people but by their circumstances.” we cannot live together. At so, at least compassion, When he was a boy, Father Pius remembers the gratitude, that was my response. You try to do what difficulty of moving from his parents’ home to his little you can to help people.” grandparents’ house to attend a better school. It was
24
Father Pius at
80
