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285 Cory’s Lane Portsmouth, RI 02871 www.portsmouthabbey.org
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PORTSMOUTH ABBEY SCHOOL Portsmouth Abbey School winter Bulletin 2009
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Portsmouth Abbey saved the following resources by using paper which has a postconsumer (PCW) recycled percentage of 25 percent.
12.84 trees preserved for the future
37.09 lbs. waterborne waste not created
5455 gallons wastewater flow saved
604 lbs. solid waste not generated
1188 lbs. net greenhouse gases prevented
9,097,551 BTUs energy not consumed
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HELLO WORLD w i n t e r
B u l l e t i n
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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
BOARD OF REGENTS Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B. Abbot Portsmouth, RI Mr. John M. Regan, III '68 P '07 Chairman Bronxville, NY Mr. David G. Bazarsky P '04, '05, '07 Newport, RI Mr. and Mrs. James F. W. Buckley ‘73, P’07, ‘08, ‘12 Co-Chairs, Parents’ Committee Bristol, RI Dom Joseph Byron, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI Mr. Frederick C. Childs '75 P '08 Cambridge, MA Mr. Creighton O. Condon ’74, P ’07, ’10 Greenwich, CT Dom Francis Crowley, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI Mr. James D. Farley, Jr. ’81 Dearborn, MI Dr. Luba D. Flanigan P ‘06, ‘09, ‘11 Tiverton, RI Mr. James S. Gladney P ’10, ’11 Barrington, RI Mr. William M. Haney, III '80 Wayland, MA Dom Gregory Havill, O.S.B. Portmsouth, RI Mr. M. Benjamin Howe ’79 Wellesley, MA
Rev. Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. '45 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Charles E. Kenahan ’77, P ’12 Swampscott, MA
Your gift matters. Every dollar raised by the Annual Fund goes directly toward Portsmouth's programs and people. We need your help to ensure that the needs of all our students are met, particularly those whose financial circumstances may have changed recently, and for whom scholarship aid is even more crucial. Your gift this year to the Annual Fund makes a tremendous impact on the opportunities available for students at Portsmouth Abbey and the environment in which they live and learn. Please make your gift to the 2008-2009 Annual Fund today. Many thanks for your generosity!
Mr. Edward G. Kirby ’83 Jamestown, RI Dr. Mary Beth Klee P '04 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Neil McGinness ’58, P’90 Cleveland, OH Mr. David E. Moran '71 New Canaan, CT Mr. James S. Mulholland, III '79 Sudbury, MA Ms. Mary F. Power P '06, '08 Wellesley, MA Mr. Robert A. Savoie P ’10, ’11 Bristol, RI Right Rev. Dom Mark Serna, O.S.B Portsmouth, RI
Please contact Polly Carter, Director of the Annual Fund at pcarter@portsmouthabbey.org or 401.643.1204 with any questions or for more information about the Annual Fund.
Ms. Kathleen Boland Stevens ’95 Brookline, MA Rev. Dom Luke L. Travers, O.S.B. '75 Morristown, NJ Mr. John E. White '80 Spring Lake, NJ Mr. Samuel G. White ’64 New York, NY Very Rev. Dom Ambrose Wolverton, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI
Rev. F. Washington Jarvis Dorchester Center, MA Front Cover: Headmaster Jim and Deb DeVecchi, in their travels throughout China, visited the city of Chengde. This picture was taken in the Puning Temple in Chengde which houses the world's tallest wooden statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. When the local students heard that Dr. DeVecchi was the head of an American boarding school, he immediately reached rock star status, and they happily flocked around, taking turns snapping photos.
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
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POINT OF VIEW
The Easter Vigil by the Right Reverend Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B, Abbot of Portsmouth Abbey Since, as you read this, we are likely in the midst of the Lenten Period, and with Easter approaching, my thoughts turn to our Holy Week practice here at Portsmouth Abbey. We are often asked why we make a point of keeping our students here through the Easter Vigil service on the night of Holy Saturday, before letting them go to spend Easter Sunday at home with their families. Conformity with the calendar of some other schools, as well as ease in travel arrangements, might suggest giving a holiday beginning just before or just after Good Friday. One of the characteristic offerings of Portsmouth is the exposure of young people to the liturgical practice of the Catholic Church. We hope that Sunday Mass, weekly Mass in each house, night prayers, chapel services, and observance of important feast days give our students a taste of religious practice and the round of the liturgical year. The centre of that year is what is called the Paschal Triduum, the solemn three-day observance of Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection. The Triduum begins on Holy Thursday late in the afternoon. The whole School comes together to celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, commemorating Jesus’ last meal with his disciples, his entrusting to them the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, and the onset of his passion that same night, with the agony in the garden and his arrest and trial. That evening we begin a day of recollection. There is usually a film or a talk, as well as opportunity for Eucharistic Adoration and visits to local churches.
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Good Friday is a day outside of the normal schedule of classes and sports. An atmosphere of quiet is promoted.There are various presentations commemorating Christ’s death, including a voluntary outdoor Stations of the Cross. Late in the afternoon again the School gathers in church for the high point of the day, the solemn Liturgy of the Passion, with the reading of the Passion account from St. John’s gospel; solemn intercessions for the Church, the Jews, and the whole human race; the unveiling and adoration of the Cross; and, to conclude, an austere Communion service. Good Friday evening is given over to study, because the morning of Holy Saturday is a normal class day, and there are sports on Saturday afternoon. In the evening of Holy Saturday, after dark, in the dimly lit church, students and faculty gather for the culmination of the Holy Triduum. The Monastic community and servers go through the darkened church to the main door. There the new fire is kindled, and the majestic Paschal Candle is reverently prepared and lit as a mighty symbol of the risen Christ, who, by dying and rising from the dead, secured our liberation from the power of sin and death, and enabled our own resurrection from moral death in this life and from physical death in the life to come. The glowing candle is brought into the dim church to the acclaim of the people. As representing Christ himself, it is set in the place of honor in the midst of the assembly. The lights go up, and the ancient Easter Proclamation (the Exsultet) is sung, while the people stand with lighted tapers in their hands.
Then they sit, and individual students and faculty members take turns reading aloud several readings from the Old Testament which prefigure and illuminate the meaning of the resurrection. Organ music is heard for the first time since Wednesday, as the Gloria, silenced for the 40 days of Lent, is sung again. After the reading from St. Paul, everyone stands and the alleluia is three times solemnly sung by the abbot and repeated by the people---the first time it has been heard in 40 days. The congregation remains standing for the reading of the Gospel, which narrates the resurrection of Jesus. Then come the homily, the renewal of baptismal promises, and the sprinkling of the people with newly blessed water in remembrance of baptism.The Easter Mass continues, accompanied by joyous music. After Mass, of course, those students whose families have come to the Vigil are free to leave with them for Easter Sunday and Monday. Lent is over, Easter has come, and there are festive refreshments in the Stillman Dining Hall. Monks, lay faculty, students, and parents are joined there by several alumni and friends who have come for the celebration of the Easter Vigil. Many alumni look back on the Easter Vigil as among their fondest memories of their time at Portsmouth. No wonder we are unwilling to cease sharing with our students the beauty and meaning of the full observance of the Easter Triduum. Yours in Christ, Caedmon Holmes, Abbot
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From June 18 to June 21 the Portsmouth Institute will sponsor a conference on The Catholic William F. Buckley, Jr.
Address: Ms. Maggie Gallagher, author and nationally syndicated columnist: WFB and the Family. Comment and Questions (Moderator: Ms. Zelden)
Speakers will include Christopher Buckley ‘70, E.J. Dionne ’69, Father George Rutler, Roger Kimball, Joseph Bottum, Maggie Gallagher, Buckley biographer Lee Edwards, and Kathryn Lopez. The conference will open at 4 PM on Thursday afternoon with two full day sessions on Friday and Saturday. There will be concerts after Vespers on Thursday and Friday evening, followed by dinners, and a gala concert to celebrate the renovation of the Church of St. Gregory the Great on Saturday, June 20th, at 6 PM, followed by a celebration on the Holy Lawn. Various recreational activities (sailing, golf, tennis, sightseeing, etc.) will also be available during the days. For more information please email jmacguire@portsmouthabbey.org, call Cindy Waterman at (401) 643-1244, or go to our Website, www.portsmouthinstitute.org. The Portsmouth Institute is a summer conference, study, recreation and retreat center for Catholic intellectuals, scholars and all those who are interested in questions pertaining to Catholic leadership and life in the 21st century. By convening this first Portsmouth Institute conference in our beautiful setting at the height of summer, we hope to increase awareness of the academic and spiritual excellence at our monastery and School. – James MacGuire ‘70
T E N TAT I V E S C H E D U L E
10:30-11
Break and Refreshments
11-12:15
Morning Session II Introduction: Mr. Peter M. Flanigan ‘41 Address: Mr. Joseph Bottum, Editor, First Things Comments and Questions (Moderator: Mr. Hobbins)
12:30-1:30
Lunch in Dining Hall (or guests free to go to Newport, Bristol; golf at Carnegie Abbey; tennis at the Casino; sailing; and Church tours)
4:00
Afternoon Session Introduction: Hon. James L. Buckley Address: Roger Kimball, author and editor of The New Criterion Comments and Questions (Moderator: Dr. Bonin)
5:30
Vespers
6:00
Faculty Concert
7:00
Dinner and Speech on the Holy Lawn Remarks: Christopher Buckley ‘70, author: The Exasperatingly Catholic WFB.
Saturday 7:40- 9:00
Mass, followed by Breakfast
9 -10:30
Morning Session I Introduction: Dr. Mary Beth Klee Address: Kathryn Jean Lopez, editor, National Review Online
11-12:00
Morning Session II Address: Lee Edwards, The Heritage Foundation
12:30-1:30
Lunch in Dining Hall (or guests free to go to Newport, Bristol etc.; afternoon golf at Carnegie Abbey; tennis at the Casino and Portsmouth; sailing; Church tours)
4:00
Closing Session Address: E.J. Dionne '69, The Brookings Institute
5:30
Vespers
6:00
Sacred Concert
7-9:00
Gala Celebratory Reception (Guests free to dine in Newport)
Thursday 12-4:00
Registration
4:00
Address: Rev. George Rutler, Pastor of Our Saviour Church NYC
5:00
Comments and Questions (Moderator: Rt. Rev. D. Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B., Abbot of Portsmouth)
5:30
Vespers
6:00
Piano Concert: Mr. Lawrence Perelman
7:00
Reception and Dinner at ‘Green Animals’
Friday
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7:40 - 9:00
Mass, followed by Breakfast
9-10:30
Morning Session I Introduction: Dr. James DeVecchi, Headmaster of Portsmouth Abbey School
Sunday Masses at 7, 8 and Sung Mass at 9:30 10:30
Brunch
Noon
Check out
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IN THIS ISSUE 4
Letters to the Editor
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Letter From John “Mac” Regan III ‘68, P’07, Chairman, Board of Regents
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News of Note
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Interview With John Pepper ’56
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Reunion 2008
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26th Sunday in Ordinary Time/Cycle A: A Homily given by Dom Edmund Adams Reunion Weekend, 28 September 2008
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Abbots’ Congress in Rome by the Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B
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Portsmouth in Asia by Dr. James DeVecchi, Headmaster
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Goods of Conscience by Rev. Andrew O’Connor
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Strutting and Fretting an Hour Upon the Stage: An Intern at the Globe Theatre by Michael Bonin, Ph.D., English Department Head
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Opening Up Russia by Eugene Sullivan ‘57
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An Affirmative Messsage and a Tangible Need... by Assistant Headmaster for Development Patrick Burke ‘86
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The Sweet Breeze of Summer by Meghan Fonts, Director of Admissions
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Excellence and Enrichment in Portsmouth Abbey’s Summer Program 2008 By Peter I. O’Connor, Director of the Summer Program
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New League Affiliation Puts Ravens in Play by Kathy Stark with Al Brown
36
Athletic Report by Al Brown, Athletic Director
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Milestones
42
In Memoriam
43
Class Notes
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 De Vecchi
Assistant Headmaster for Development – Patrick J. Burke ’86
Editors – Kathy Heydt, Kathy Stark
Editorial Manager - James MacGuire ‘70
Art Director – Kathy Heydt Photographers – Louis Walker, Dom Joseph Byron, Kelly Christopher, James MacGuire ’70, Fran Cook, Kate Spinella, Kathy Stark, Kathy Heydt, Michael Bonin, 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
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To the Editor:
To the Editor:
Further to the very interesting article in the Summer Bulletin on Politics and Politicians at Portsmouth 1939-2008, herewith a few remembrances of Robert F. Kennedy.
I just finished reading almost every word of the Summer Bulletin. It is excellent, thought-provoking, and provides a compelling case for a Portsmouth Abbey education. Bill Buckley has long been an intellectual touchstone for my husband and me. Your coverage was great, both personal and mentally-challenging. We would be honored to be invited to the Conference on The Catholic Wm. F. Buckley, Jr. you have planned for June 18-21, 2009 at the Abbey. I hope that will be possible.
Bob was just one of the gang in his Priory years, a little more diffident than some, but well liked and a full time participant in school, sports, bull sessions etc. I do remember Bob getting a little upset in a history class during a discussion of political patronage in which his father’s appointment as Ambassador to the Court of St. James was characterized by a youngish teacher as a reward (plum) for the Old Man’s contributions to the Democratic Party. The teacher apologized, and the rest of us were somewhat taken aback by all the flak this remark generated. It might not have been the smartest thing to have said, we felt, but it was patently true. Bob was on the Varsity football team in his last year. He was also, like many in his family, an active sailor and was named Rear Commodore of the Boat Club in his final year at the Priory. The Kennedy family on at least one occasion was kind enough to furnish the School a first-run movie, which was much appreciated, of course, since it was more than a cut above the standard fare shown in the gym on Saturday nights. Teddy Kennedy was on one occasion dumped off at Portsmouth while Bob was still there. Because he was so young, he was put under the care of the School nurse, Miss Mulrenan, and domiciled in the Infirmary. Miss Mulrenan, though somewhat prissy, was very dedicated to our well being. She had plenty of clout on matters coming under her jurisdiction. I have read somewhere lately that Teddy felt much put upon by the younger boys during his stay. I suspect this account has been highly re-engineered to suit some ax the family may have to grind against Portsmouth. For one thing, between sports and studies, those younger boys were pretty well programmed and supervised. More to the point, Miss Mulrenan would have quickly put a stop to it. The prominence of one’s family on the outside barely penetrated through to our schoolboy consciousness. The natural leaders, and/or good athletes, the class wits and even the good students (if also one of the boys) were the guys admired. The School worked at being egalitarian. Everybody got the same allowance, depending upon the form one was in, and parents were encouraged to leave it at that. It didn’t quite turn out that way in practice, but it helped set the tone at least. Portsmouth in my day was a delightful place. Very laid back, we’d say now, a secluded, peaceful world way out in the country. The freedom to do your own thing, within the rules, was one of the major strengths of the School. A couple of us, for example, found an old apple press and went into the business of making and selling cider using the apples from the orchard behind St. Benet’s. The School wasn’t seriously harvesting them so nobody bothered us. Our sales pitch was our cider was better than that bought in the village, stressing it had no preservatives, thus holding out the faint promise that it would turn hard. Sold it for fifty cents a gallon—all profit! Religion was a strong force in our lives. Portsmouth didn’t cram it into us, though. Our lives were intertwined with that of the monastery. The monks doubled as our teachers, coaches, mentors and housemasters, so their unique Benedictine perspective, faith and dedication was bound to rub off, backed up as it was by the rich tapestry of religious observances that is so much a part of the monastic regime. Portsmouth’s legendary, great lay teachers, fully imbued with the same outlook, played their part in prodding us gently, and sometimes not so gently, into being better human beings…. Sincerely, C. Peter Buckley ‘44
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Thanks for an afternoon's good reading. Sincerely, Victoria Winterer, P ‘87 (It will of course be possible, and we hope that many others of our alumni, parents and friends will avail themselves of the opportunity. For more information on the Portsmouth Institute conference please see the article and ad on Page 2 of this issue, or go to www.portsmouthinstitute.org)
To the Editor: Re: the Buckley articles in the Summer Bulletin, WFB has had an influence on my teaching indirectly, in and through his publications and work at the National Review. I came to be a fan of the periodical in college, and soon found that Buckley’s words of wisdom were a welcome antidote to much of the drivel that pervades the American college scene. I then often marveled at his rhetorical skill during his many appearances on Meet the Press, which also became a staple in my intellectual diet. Ultimately Buckley and his many disciples have helped form my political outlook, but more than that they have helped to shape the lens through which I see the world, and the way in which I see the world is the only witness I can profess to as a teacher. In fact it goes to the very heart of what it means to be a teacher, that is to “profess” to something “real” witnessed. In this way and I am sure through other countless ways (i.e., the many articles of his that I have read) WFB continues to be a witness to truth through me and the many others whose minds he shaped in his long and distinguished life. Pax, Dan Hodes Director of Campus Ministry
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To the Editor: My name is Richard S. Phelps. I am an alumnus of the Class of 1958. I have been reading the school publications all these years and find the Summer Bulletin 2008 to be the highest quality publication that I have ever received from the school. Congratulations! It had the quality of the finest magazines or corporate publications. The school publications over the years have not impressed me much. They seemed to be at the level of student quality and to have only one agenda: to give minimal news and push for donations. Something has happened. You are moving the Alumni publications to a much higher level. I think now that you will reach and impact a much wider audience. My guess is that your publications go to many who have not had a model life, who have strayed from their Christian faith and even those who were not successful at graduating from the school. You also reach alumni and parents and Christians who are not in the Roman Catholic Church. I might be an interesting example. I did not graduate from Portsmouth or from college. I did turn away from my Christian faith and lived a selfish life of reckless behavior in an attempt to become rich and famous. I did achieve worldly financial and even political success. However, my life ended in a shipwreck of complete failure and collapse. In the fourth grade I made a decision to give up on school. I know not why! My parents were passionately encouraging me to strive for good grades. I made hundreds of decisions to be in rebellion against their wishes. I made no effort scholastically at Portsmouth. Eventually, my parents were called to a meeting with me and told that though I was a “good citizen” at Portsmouth, I probably would never graduate. I finished school on the five year plan at the local public high school, embracing a lifestyle of alcoholic drinking. After an honorable enlistment in the Army I moved back to Newport with a young family, determined to achieve at business: beginning a career that would take me to banking, general contracting and real estate development.
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I became very successful in various business ventures. With success my drinking progressed again to full blown alcoholism. When my drinking was the heaviest amidst heavy business endeavors I decided that I could balance business with a very successful political career, being elected twice to the Newport City Council. There was a time of reckoning in my life. The Navy withdrew the Destroyer Fleet from Newport in 1973. I was over extended in many reckless real estate investments and forced into a full personal bankruptcy. Within months I went from wealth to poverty, well known business man and politician to unemployable, and a failed family man. I had lost everything including my political career. In January of 1984 I began to live sober and participate in recovery groups for my many problems. Very quickly I had a yearning to return to the Roman Catholic faith of my childhood. Father Andrew, Father Julian and Father Ambrose were very helpful as listeners, and I began to deal with the wreckage of my life. My faith in God assisted me to weather many storms and begin a new life. Unfortunately alcoholism destroyed my marriage. My three children suffered greatly. I can thank God and Portsmouth for a faith foundation that would always be there in times of need. Early in sobriety I began to help other alcoholics. An opportunity opened for me to assist many with addiction and other personal problems in the workplace as a Referral Counselor in a pioneer movement known as Employee Assistance Programs. Later I worked as a Rehabilitation Counselor for a fine alcohol/ drug center. When attempting to help crack addicts I began to think of being a pastoral counselor. In 1988 my second wife and I moved to Florida and by the end of the year I was offered an opportunity to do Pastoral Counseling with a Christian recovery program at a large church in Melbourne, Florida. After four years of this work I felt led to open a Pastoral Counseling Center in a professional plaza that would minister to “hurting Christians of all denominations.” Hope Ministries was
launched in August of 1994 and quickly grew to a staff of 9 with that many volunteers. Hope Ministries has always offered pastoral counseling services for no fee as well as support groups. The ministry has now grown to include a school of addiction studies, a prison ministry and a Chaplain Service to police, fire and businesses. At 68, I am very pleased to serve as Chaplain with the Indialantic Fire Rescue. The staff members at Hope Ministries serve as missionaries without salaries, receiving only small donations from persons and churches inspired to support each staff member. The offices of Hope Ministries were destroyed in August this year by Tropical Storm Fay that flooded our facilities. It is doubtful that we can return. We have found temporary offices and hope to continue our ministry. You can find information about Hope Ministries at our web site: hopeministriesflorida.org. I was pleased by the piece that you did on politics and especially by the article on Eric A. O’D. Taylor. It was excellent. In my four years and a member of the Newport City Council I had a strong working relationship with Senator Taylor and found him to be a rare and fun and very strong leader who probably shaped Newport history as much as anybody in his century. He was tireless and dedicated to serving the city and all the people. Eric and I also became very close friends and so I pleased to see his face pop out of the bulletin. A grateful friend of Portsmouth, Chaplain Richard S. Phelps ‘58
(The Bulletin welcomes letters and not just complimentary ones! Please email communications@portsmouthabbey.org or write to the Office of Communications, Portsmouth Abbey School, 285 Corys Lane, Portsmouth RI 02871. Please include your name and phone number.)
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February, 2009
Dear Friends, The winds of economic, political and environmental change create planning challenges for all organizations these days.Yet, as I enjoyed the opportunity to re-connect with many of my classmates at our 40th reunion this fall, it was clear that Portsmouth Abbey School in many ways remains a windbreak from outside turbulence. Our School’s mission, 1500 year old Benedictine and Catholic tradition, and the balance of ancient wisdom and innovation, intellect and athleticism, spirit and conscience are enduring and reassuring guideposts that ensure that the value of a Portsmouth Abbey education is sustained. Our Strategic Plan, adopted in 2003 and updated at our December 2008 Board of Regents meeting, documents how we intend to balance our enduring values with the activities needed to ensure that Portsmouth Abbey School continuously improves its unique position amongst other boarding schools that attract national and international students.This plan has resulted in recent accomplishments ranging from the exciting renovation of the Church of St. Gregory to the construction of the beautiful St. Brigid’s House. Projects such as the wind turbine and solar house not only provide energy cost savings but also demonstrate our commitment to the preservation of the environment. Most important, we have funded significant increases in financial aid as well as meaningful improvements to academic programs and technology. Looking forward, our Plan specifies a new science building, expanded faculty housing and a new boys’ dormitory as well as faculty chairs and expanded endowment.The Board is grateful to the monastic community and Jim DeVecchi’s faculty and administration teams for their initiative and hard work on both the conceptualization and execution of our plans.And the Board is particularly grateful to my predecessor, David Moran ’71 for his skillful leadership during his terms as Board chair. Of course, all the elements of our Strategic Plan rely on the support of all of our constituents-- alumni, parents, and other friends.Your financial and non-financial support over the last four years has been unprecedented.All of us are truly blessed by and thankful for your tremendous generosity.We are certainly aware that the ongoing global financial crisis may impact your ability to help our Annual Fund and capital campaign efforts in the future. Our commitment to you is to be as frugal as possible with our operating and capital expenditures.We have developed specific plans to deal with the economic downturn.These will be communicated to you soon by Jim DeVecchi and they will reflect the confidence we have that Portsmouth Abbey School is on solid footing and ready for the economic challenges that lie ahead. One thing we will not economize on is the frequency and quality of our communication to you.These are exciting times at Portsmouth Abbey and we welcome your participation in alumni functions, area receptions, and dialogue with School and Board members. Most of all, you should plan to visit our campus.As several of my classmates observed during our reunion, the School continues to exhibit all of the academic and community attributes they had valued while students with the additional advantages that come with modernized facilities and a diverse student body. Thank you for your ongoing investment in Portsmouth Abbey School. John “Mac” Regan III ‘68, P’07 Chairman, Portsmouth Abbey School Board of Regents
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NEWS OF NOTE
De Vecchis Travel Through Asia to Meet Alumni, Current and Prospective Portsmouth Families Portsmouth Headmaster Dr. James DeVecchi and his wife Deb were in Asia in November on a three-week, threecountry visit to meet with Portsmouth alumni, current families, local schools and prospective families. The DeVecchis visited Manila, Philippines, Seoul, South Korea, and Beijing, China, before returning home at the end of November. Joining them in Beijing was Senior Development Officer Jamie MacGuire ‘70, who also visited Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand on behalf of the School. The receptions were hosted by Portsmouth Abbey alumni Mr. Francisco R. Elizalde ‘85 and Mrs. Sophia Elizalde (Manila) and Ambassador Jorge E. Guajardo ‘89 and Mrs. Paola Sada (Beijing) and current parents Dr. Byoung Geon Choi and Mrs. You Mi Kim, P’10, and Dr. Jaehyun Park and Mrs. Hyeweon Baik, P’09 (Seoul) during the DeVecchis’ visit. For Dr. DeVecchi’s personal account of the trip, see page 20.
ordering and maintaining equipment, to supervising all laundry and coordinating uniforms for team photographs, Charlie’s hand was in virtually every aspect of the athletics program – including his service as a coach of the Ravens’ basketball and golf teams. Working closely with Matt Peterson, fellow equipment room manager, Charlie kept inventory of the thousands of pieces of equipment needed for the School’s athletic teams, an enormous amount of coordination and organization. Soft spoken, hard-working and self-effacing, but with a great sense of humor, his demeanor and commitment to the students endeared him to coaches and student-athletes alike. “I admire Charlie tremendously because he has always been so steady. He’s honest, trustworthy and loyal,” said Matt Peterson, who worked with partnership with Charlie from 1992 until Charlie’s retirement. “We developed a close friendship over the years, in part because we have so much in common. I have a lot of respect for Charlie and his family; they are wonderful people.” Both men grew up in the same part of Newport, attended the same schools, and were coached in their youth by many of the same people. When Charlie joined the Portsmouth community, John McCauley was Athletic Director, “a first-class guy,” said Charlie. Since then, he’s seen many changes, the biggest of which was the arrival of girls – “that was a huge, but positive, change” – and an increased focus on sports in recent years. Current Ravens Athletic Director Al Brown said, “Charlie has been a valued member of the athletic department and Abbey community. He gave of himself in many ways to help our students have a positive athletic experience. Charlie’s main concern was always for the students and their wellbeing. This was clear in everything he did.”
Charlie Holder Retires One of the School’s unsung heroes, Charlie Holder, retired last summer after more than two decades of exemplary, behind-the-scenes service to the Portsmouth Abbey community. Charlie joined Portsmouth in 1987 “for what was supposed to be a short-term job,” as equipment manager in the Cage, or equipment room. Twenty-two years and four Athletic Directors later, he was still here, managing the myriad activities needed for the smooth running of the Cage, an all-important part of the School’s athletic program. From outfitting all athletes and
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Charlie’s retirement includes “spending more time with my family, traveling, and playing golf.” He launched his retirement with a five-day trip to Myrtle Beach with his sons, and is enjoying his young grandchildren – triplets – who live nearby in Newport. Charlie’s many admirers will be happy to know that they will likely see him around campus this spring, as he will return to help Shane McCarthy coach golf. The School extends its heartfelt gratitude to Charlie for his many years of dedication to and enthusiasm for our students and athletics program.
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NEWS OF NOTE Church Renovation Progressing Well; Completion Due in Early Spring:
Cedar logs, seen here at Meeker Lumber on Vancouver Island, have been used to replace rotting timbers in the Church. To secure the fiber needed to produce long clear 2x12s a great deal of log sorting was required.
The renovation of the Church of St. Gregory the Great is moving along well, and the restoration is expected to be complete sometime in early-tomid spring. According to Brother Joseph, “Everything looks beautiful, like new.” Visit the front page of the School Web site to see a photo gallery and time lapse video of the work in progress. In addition, the Holiday 2008 issue of Newport Life Magazine featured an article highlighting the renovation of the Church. The article includes numerous photographs depicting the extensive restoration being done on the Lippold sculpture and the clerestory. The article was overseen by Newport Life’s Managing Editor, Annie Sherman ‘95. To read the story in its entirety, visit: http://www.portsmouthabbey.org/uploaded_files/nlm_chapelst
Manor House Celebrates Halloween: Manor House celebrated Halloween with an outdoor fire, roasting marshmallows, and an intense door and locker decorating competition. Tiernan Barry ’11 and Kelly Buckley ‘11 took home honors among boarders, and Lauren Bolusky ’11 won the competition among day students. Pictured here roasting marshmallows are Kathy Kim ’11 and Meghan Harrington ’11 with House parent Aileen Keenan.
37 Portsmouth Abbey Students Earn AP Scholar Recognitions: The College Board in October awarded AP Scholar distinctions to 37 Portsmouth Abbey students in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the collegelevel Advanced Placement Examinations. Of the more than 1.6 million high school students in over 16,000 secondary schools worldwide who took AP Exams in May 2008, only 18 percent performed at a sufficiently high level to merit such recognition. There are several types of awards, granted for various levels of achievement. For the full list of Portsmouth Abbey AP Scholars and their levels of distinction, visit the school Web site: http://www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/37/2257/.
Boston Reception: On November 12, 2008, almost 150 Portsmouth alumni, families and friends gathered at the Boston College Club in Boston for the annual Portsmouth Abbey Boston Reception. Guests were greeted by Boston College Club hosts Michael and Carolyn McLaughlin P ‘11 and Parents’ Committee members and hosts Tim ‘74 and Kathleen Cunningham P ‘08, ’09, ‘11. Judging from the turnout and tenor of the evening, the Boston Reception has established itself as one of the School’s most popular alumni events.
Solar House Opens: Portsmouth Abbey celebrated the opening in October of its newest alternative energy initiative, an energy-efficient solar house that was donated in spring of 2008 to the School by the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). The dedication ceremony took place at the new permanent site of the solar house, located at the southeast end of campus near the wind turbine. The 1,600-square-foot house will be used as a single-family faculty dwelling, with one bedroom, two baths and an office/den. For the full story and a list of the solar house’s energy-efficient features, visit the School Web site: http://www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/4215/.
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Tim ‘74 and Kathleen Cunningham P’08, 09, 11 and Michael and Carolyn McLaughlin P ‘11, cohosts of the Boston Reception in November
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NEWS OF NOTE Abbey Students Visit Crisis Pregnancy Center – The Office of Spiritual Life recently visited a local crisis pregnancy center, where students learned how to effectively help pregnant women in need, what a crisis pregnancy center does, and what a typical day at the clinic is like. The trip was part of a continuing effort to form a well-educated and active on-campus Pro-Life group. The students who visited the Center were: Kristen Harper ‘09, Zachary Hasselbring ‘10, Mary Francis Holte ‘09, Timothy McGirk ‘11, and Christopher Waterman ‘11.
showmanship and talent, the men performed a repertoire of original compositions along with well-known classics.
School Spirit on Display for 2008 Headmaster’s Run:
Avon Walk for Breast Cancer: In early October, Tara Tischio ‘11 (pictured, center) participated in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in New York City. There have been numerous cases of cancer in Tara’s family, so Tara said, “This issue is very important to my family and me.” Tara was part of the “Youth Crew,” for which she had to apply and be selected, which helped to set up and organize stopover points and special events during the three-day event that was attended by thousands of people. Next year, after turning 16, she will be able to walk alongside her family and raise funds for the event.
School pride was in full evidence at this year’s Headmaster’s Run, an annual event that kicks off the Raven’s Cup competition. Enthusiasm was high among the more-than 350 students, faculty and faculty families as they shot off along the two-mile course following the starter’s gun. Colorful team shirts, sweatpants and other festive attire — including an 11-man snake, constructed and proudly displayed by the men of St. Bede’s — were the order of the day. El Kielb ‘11 captured first-place honors and was closely followed by second finisher overall and first girl, Olivia Fay ‘10.
Taming of the Shrew and Dance Recital: The Fall
Princeton a Cappella Group, the Footnotes, Delights Portsmouth Students and Faculty: Thirteen members of Princeton University’s renowned all-male a cappella student group, The Footnotes, entertained the School community on October 28 in the Winter Garden. With equal parts humor,
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Performing Arts program showcased two impressive performances in November. Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew” was performed on the weekend of November 7-8 and was followed the next weekend with the first-ever recital given by members of the School’s dance program, in its first year as a co-curricular activity. Both events were well attended and well received.
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NEWS OF NOTE Haney Fellowships: Last summer, five students were selected as recipients of 2008 Haney Fellowships for independent summer study. The Haney Fellowships were created in 1998 by Bill Haney ’80, in honor of his mother, Irene, and his father, the late William Haney, Sr., long-time Portsmouth Abbey teacher, houseparent and coach. The 2008 Haney Fellowship recipients were: Lilli Donahue (pictured, center in white), who spent three weeks in the Caribbean participating in marine reserve studies through a program called Broadreach Academic Treks; Audra Foster, who spent two weeks at UC Berkeley in California attending a creative writing camp called Education Unlimited’s Emerging Writer’s Institute; Elena McCarthy, who traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she took a two-week photography course with a private teacher and studied in some of Buenos Aires’ most renowned photography galleries; Susan Skakel, who traveled to Haiti to work in a community outreach program teaching villagers in remote parts of the mountains to plant and cultivate trees, and working with the Sisters of Charity in Port Au Prince caring for abandoned and orphaned children; and Bobby Skolsky, who was accepted into Westminster Choir College’s highly selective High School Solo Vocal Artist program and spent two weeks of professional training in voice as well as music theory and acting.
Twenty faculty and staff members were honored with a gift and certificate of appreciation in September for their years of service to the School. The awards cited those who have worked at Portsmouth for at least ten years, with special distinction going to our esteemed history teacher J. Clifford Hobbins, who has inspired our students for more than 32 years. Awardees included: Cliff Hobbins (32 years of service), Robert Sahms (28), Nancy Brzys (26), Pam Gorman (26), Cleo Resendes (25), Mitch Kriner (25), Jimmy Walsh (25), John Perreira (23), Robert Rainwater (23), Daniel McDonough (21), Janice Brady (20), Paul Jestings (18), Blake Billings (15), Patrick Burke (15), Geri Zilian (15), Fred Zilian (15), Nancy Weida (14), Clarence Chenoweth (13), Derek Gittus (11), Roberta Stevens (10). Congratulations and thank you to these dedicated faculty and staff members!
effort exceeded all expectations, bringing in a record $10,402.98. The funds enabled the School to provide muchneeded coats, clothing and related items for 355 children and families in the Newport County and Fall River areas. The Clothe-A-Child program has been spearheaded each year since its inception in 1990 by the Infirmary and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD).
Clothe-a-Child ’09 Sets New Record: The true spirit of Christmas was alive and well throughout the School community this holiday season, as the 2008 Clothe-A-Child
Holiday Concert Ushers in Christmas Season: The Abbey
Brayden and Trevor Gittus, sons of history teacher Derek Gittus, in front of the hundreds of boxed gifts of clothing purchased by the Clothe-a-Child students and school nurses.
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Singers, under the direction of Music Director Troy Quinn, brought holiday cheer to the campus in December as they presented a special Holiday Concert in the School Auditorium with the Ponaganset High School Chamber Chorus and members of the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy Bands.
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As reported in last Summer’s Bulletin, John Pepper ’56, Chairman of the Board of Walt Disney and former longtime CEO of Procter & Gamble, was last year’s Commencement speaker. During his days on campus he gave the following interview to the Bulletin. BULLETIN: What are the challenges of managing a diversified media company such as Disney as opposed to a packaged goods/ household products company like P&G? John Ennis Pepper, Jr., in the 1956 Portsmouth Priory yearbook, was known for his dry humor, his varsity football prowess and his”amazing scholastic standing.” John’s classmates wished him “happiness and success in the future, which will most certainly be rosey.”
PEPPER: The things both companies have in common are more important than those that are different. People, teamwork, creativity, innovation and customer service are integral to both Disney and P & G. In addition, our values are similar: Pursuit of excellence; commitment to be the best, and the pursuit of truth. Also, Disney is moving beyond its entertainment and theme park brands into an ever expanding offering of consumer products via Disney.com, new territories and franchises. That said, there are differences in the businesses. I would say that Disney is still behind P&G globally. Also Disney has contracts; P&G has none.
I N T E R V I E W W I T H J O H N P E P P E R ‘5 6 BULLETIN: As a manager, how do you look at the Church’s recent record? PEPPER: I can only speak generally, but any organization is going to have problems from time to time, even if you have a strong commitment to ethics. What is absolutely essential is to have an effective audit mechanism in place. And when you find something is wrong, get on it! Root it out! People will forgive mistakes, but not cover ups or lies. Those are terribly disheartening and destructive in any organization. BULLETIN: Again, speaking as a manager, how do you recommend that Portsmouth set its priorities in the educational marketplace of the next two decades? PEPPER: Recruiting the best possible people for faculty and administrators; pursuing excellence; providing Portsmouth Abbey School students not only with a first class education but also with values for living; continually upgrading your academic, athletic, advancement and other offerings, and constantly assessing your performance. Never say you can’t measure! BULLETIN: What does the future hold for you? PEPPER: Well, I love my work with the Disney Company and also with the National Underground Railway Freedom Center in Cincinnati, so I have plenty to do for the foreseeable future. I look forward to spending more time with my wife and family and working with my son John on his fast food burrito business. One of his thirteen stores is over in Cranston, in fact. And I hope to complete another book. BULLETIN: Thank you.
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M O U T H A B B E Y A L U M N I near and far made their way back to
Reunion ʼ08 weekend and braved the torthat seemed unending. More than 230
alumni from classes ending in threes and eights were
welcomed back to Portsmouth with many bringing their families. The weekend was full of activities ranging from individual class dinners on Friday night to a New England-style clambake and gala dinner on Saturday.
Particularly popular were the informational presentation led by Brother Joseph Byron on the Schoolʼs wind turbine and the class led by Fr. Damian Kearney which reviewed Norman Mailerʼs 1948 novel The Naked and the Dead, comparing it to other epic novels of the 19th and 20th centuries (Moby Dick, The Red Badge of
Courage and others). I n addition, the weather didnʼt seem to dampen the spirited football fans, who came out in droves to watch the Abbey varsity football team defeat Hebron Academy. Way to go
Ravens! Sunday morning, Reunion attendees enjoyed Mass and brunch, before heading back home. All in all, it was clear to see that everyone enjoyed a weekend reminiscing about the Portsmouth of his or her memories and also learning a little bit about the Portsmouth Abbey of today.
Top right: Rob '88 and Mary Sheppard braved the elements to enjoy a soccer match. Above left: John '83 and Jill Dietz with Dom Damian Kearney ’45 Above: Jay '74 and Sheila Buckley enjoyed the New England clambake on Saturday afternoon Bottom left: Bill McCann '83 brought his daughter back to the Abbey Bottom right: Suzanne Paquet and Julia Egan, Class of 2003
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Top: The Class of 1958 (front row) Neil McGinness, Charles Switzer, Phil Schwarz, (back row) John Tepper Marlin, Ed Impink, John Caval, Vladimir Guerrero, Jeremiah Brady Middle: Fr. Christopher Davis ‘48 enjoys a get together with the Class of 1973 Tom Anderson (seated). In the back row, from left is James Frank, Donald Macdonald, Jay Buckley, Eric Sandeen'66 Bottom: The Class of 1978 (front row, from left) David Oliver, Alex Knoeppfler (back row) Charlie Evans, Rev. Robert Hyde, Joe Elliot, Bill Keogh
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Top: The Class of 1968 (front row, from left) Tom Cunningham, Dom Christopher Davis ’48, Vincent Lackner, Paul Newlin, Chris Hoeffel (back row) James Mannion, John Millard, Robert Lanigan, Michael Rich, Bruce McShane, Rob Barnes, Greg Hornig, Steven Bremner, Mac Regan, Peter Romatowski Middle: The Class of 1983 (from left) John Hoff, John Dietz, Paul Anghinetti, Jonathan Cox, Jim Kaufman, Bill McCann Bottom: The Class of 1988 (front row, from left) Stratford Wallace, Joe Calderone, Charles de Casteja, Keith Cardoza (back row) Matt Arneborg, Rob Sheppard, Chris Abbate, Paul Moore, Cam Taylor, Patrick Sartor
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Above: Fiona Maurissette and Min Lee from the Class of 2003 Left, top: The Class of 1998 (front row, from left): Cristina Craig, Kathryn Rooney (Sams), Kathleen Mannix, Tara Tavares (Winston), Patricia TenBosch, Nellie Rainwater, Eric Paulantonio; (second row): Tye Nielson, Manuel Almenara, Nat Spencer, Matt Kavanagh, Jason Weida, Leslie Heller, Kim Salvo, Talia Resendes, Willow Hawk; (third row): Nick Altschuller, Griffin Flynn, Mike McCarthy, Ashley Hart, Kate Elliott; (back row): Max Nesselrode, Janine Graebe, Roberto Kriete, Tristan Mouligne, Nicole Eldredge Left: The Class of 2003 (front row from left): Kellie DiPalma, Shannon Maher, Sofia Brown, Suzanne Paquet, Alena Marajh, Julia Egan, Amanda Stout, Fiona Maurissette (back row) Niamh Bohan, Alex Forbes, Adam Robertson, Chris Rompf, Friedrich Knuth, Morgan Jetto, John Kinnane, Min Lee, Maia Fedyszyn, Andrew Crawford, Andrew Martland Far left: Patrick Burke '86, Rev. Robert Hyde '78 , Tom Anderson'78 Left: Bill Keogh '78 and daughters Corinne and Isabel Bottom far left: Lauren, Liz and Steve '83 Cotta with Nick Moore '83 Bottom middle: Kate Rooney Sams‘98 Below: Stephen MacGillivray'84 with his children Oscar, Colin and Maisie
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26th Sunday in Ordinary Time/ Cycle A 28 September 2008 Rev. Edmund Adams, O.S.B. ’57 preached the following sermon on Reunion Weekend “It’s unfair.” In the passage from Ezekiel, the Lord repeats and rejects his people’s whining complaint that his ways are unjust. Last week, Isaiah quoted the Lord’s declaration that his ways are not our ways nor our thoughts his thoughts. The context for that was the divine mercy and forgiveness, a quality not noticeably characteristic of the human race. The two versions of today’s opening prayer both speak of the Father’s power being revealed in his mercy and forgiveness. In one, we say “you show your almighty power in your mercy and forgiveness.” In the other, we say “in your unbounded mercy, you have revealed the beauty of your power through your constant forgiveness of our sins.” Our ways are not his ways. When could we ever find beauty in the human use of power? The divine power is revealed in mercy and forgiveness. Human power exhibits itself as abusive bullying, ambitious greed, and egocentric self exaltation. Yet these are not signs of true power but rather symptoms of weakness and fear of others. Show me a bully and I’ll show you a coward. It is not only our ways, our use of power, that are different from God’s ways, but also our thoughts, our attitude toward and motivation for power, that differ from God’s thoughts. We seek, pursue, and defend power for ourselves; God does not need to seek or defend his power against anyone. He does not have to prove anything. We cannot think of power without thinking of power over others, control of other people and events, enforcing our self-interested will –or, at best, pet policies and projects of our own. God’s power is, in one of the prayers, called the power of his love, which we pray that he may put into our hearts. Two views of power, and ours may sound better fitted to our world of (Darwinian) struggle and competition than the power shown in mercy and love. St. Paul, instructing the Philippians, did not think so. He exhorts them to think and act with the mind of Christ Jesus, moved by the Spirit of God, the love of God, in ways that contradict human inclinations. To live
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by the life of Christ in tenderness and sympathy is to reject all competition and rivalry among ourselves, to reject all conceit and devotion to our own self-interest as we imagine it in our alienated self-absorption. Instead, having the Spirit of God in common, driven by the divine love, we are to act with mutual encouragement and compassion, putting the interests of others before our own, acting in concord, harmony, and unity of mind and purpose. To follow Paul’s exhortation here would show forth true power, a power that has beauty and has nothing in common with the pettiness of our ways of power. In saying that we must have the mind of Christ Jesus, Paul explains what that means. Jesus was and is, from before all time, divine, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Yet he let go of divine power, never used it for himself in life or in death. The only power he retained and used was the power of divine compassion and the mysterious humility of God. Yet this was more than enough to move and transform hearts and minds, to bring forgiveness and reconciliation, and to change our world forever. That power reflects, as all that Christ said and did also reflects, his and our Father, his ways and his thoughts. But we are afraid to rely on this kind of power, to give up the offensive and defensive weapons of our kind of power in a dangerous world, no matter how futile these prove to be. The poet Robinson Jeffers showed that fear when he warned his sons to flee from the urban centers of early 20th Century America and told them above all: “boys, be in nothing so moderate as in love of man, a clever servant, insufferable master. That is the trap that catches noblest spirits – that caught, they say, God when he walked on earth.” In living by the mind of Christ and the ways of our Father, there is no promise of freedom from suffering or of success in our ambitions. There will be both pain and joy – authentic pain and authentic joy – but there will be nothing mean, petty, or phony about our lives. And, unlike the humanly powerful, we will never be alone.
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ABBOTS’ CONGRESS IN ROME, SEPTEMBER 2008 ABBOT CAEDMON HOLMES, O.S.B. The Benedictine “Order” began in the individual monasteries founded by St Benedict himself in the sixth century, bound together by nothing more than their common founder. In the thirteenth century it was decreed from Rome that the monasteries of a particular country or region should associate themselves with one another in loose groupings called “congregations,” for the purpose of mutual encouragement and periodic visitations from outside, to correct abuses in the individual monasteries and promote good monastic observance. In the 1880s Pope Leo XIII, desiring to unite and centralize the Benedictine monks, pressed for the foundation of a Confederation of all these Benedictine congregations, the establishment of a central house of studies in Rome, and the appointment of an Abbot Primate, who from Rome would lead the whole Order. Leo himself contributed lavishly to the construction of this house of studies, the Primatial Abbey of Saint Anselm (Santʼ Anselmo), atop the Aventine Hill in the southeast area of the city. The Abbot Primate is elected by all the abbots of the Confederation at their quadrennial Congress. His role is symbolic and supportive rather than jurisdictional.
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He lives at Santʼ Anselmo and governs it, with the help of officials donated by other monastic houses; but since there is no stable resident community – only students and professors during the academic year – as a “monastery” it is unique.
I arrived on Monday, September 15. The following day we new superiors, who had arrived two days early, were given a program of reports from the Abbot Primate and the financial officers of SantʼAnselmo on the economics of the house and recent repairs and renovations of the building. Americans and English personnel are prominent at SantʼAnselmo: the Prior (second in command to the Abbot Primate, and in charge of the day-to-day life of the house) is Dom Michael Naughton, a monk of St. Johnʼs Abbey in Collegeville MN; the Rector of the Athenaeum (the college) is Dom Mark Sheridan, a monk of our sister monastery, St Anselmʼs in Washington DC; the Treasurer is Dom Laurence Soper, former abbot of another house of our English Benedictine Congregation, Ealing Abbey in London; and there are several professors from the United States and the UK.
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Left: The Abbots’ Congress
ABBOTS’ CONGRESS IN ROME
Below: The Primatial Abbey of Saint Anselm (Sant’ Anselmo) atop the Aventine Hill in the south-east area of Rome
On Wednesday we boarded a bus for the two-hour ride to Monte Cassino, halfway between Rome and Naples. It is a venerable monastery founded by St Benedict himself in the sixth century. The bus carried us up a precarious switchback road to the abbey. Perched on the top of a mountain and surrounded by mountains in every direction, it is an ideal point from which to see what is going on in the neighborhood, including the main road from the south to Rome. So the Allied Forces in World War II decided to destroy it, lest it be used by the Germans to impede the advance on the Italian capital. On February 15, 1944, the buildings were just about totally pulverized by bombing. (Afterwards there was an unexploded bomb found in the tomb of Saint Benedict and his sister Saint Scholastica under the high altar of the church. So the relics of Saint Benedict survive there for veneration today in the monastery, which has been rebuilt to look exactly as it looked before the bombing.)
We were ushered into the large sacristy, adorned with wood paneling and oil paintings, to vest for Mass. When we were all standing ready, the newly elected abbot, Dom Pietro Vittorelli, the 191st successor of St. Benedict, came in and shook hands with each and every one of us. Then he himself vested in pontifical vestments, and we proceeded to the high altar of the basilica for a solemn Votive Mass of St. Benedict. Afterwards we were ushered into the spacious refectory to share a festive meal with abbot and (rather small for such grand surroundings) community. Then there was time to investigate the monastery museum, which features, besides paintings and richly embroidered ecclesiastical vestments and altar vessels, some artifacts from as far back as Roman times, including an ornately carved red porphyry chair with a hole in the seat, labeled as a birthing stool. We visited the gift shop; and were able also to marvel at the spectacular views from the monastery out over the valley to nearer and farther mountain peaks. Then onto the bus and back down the winding descent to the main road toward Rome, to be back at Santʼ Anselmo in time for Vespers.
By Thursday the other abbots had arrived and the full Congress began. During the following days we heard addresses and participated in workshops on monastic life, liturgical and private prayer, and the experience of being a religious superior, as well as on the present condition of the Church in China, on Benedictine education, the state of our dialogue with adherents of other religions, and outreach to monastic communities in poorer countries. One day the President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, addressed us. On another it was the Popeʼs preacher, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa. Towards the end of the congress the newly retired Abbot General of the Cistercian Order, Dom Bernardo Oliveira, a Brazilian, spoke. And his successor, Dom Eamon Fitzgerald, from Ireland, greeted us. The languages of the Congress were Italian, English, French, Spanish, and German; and simultaneous translation was provided via earphones. The translators were not professionals, but were monks and students at Santʼ Anselmo. They did an excellent job, as far as I could tell.
Each day morning and evening we sang together the Liturgy of the Hours in Latin in the choir of the Church of St. Anselm; and at noon we concelebrated and sang Mass in Latin at the ancient Church of Santa Sabina, less than a five-minute walk from Santʼ Anselmo. Cardinal Dias, an Indian (ordained priest in Mumbai) was Principal Celebrant of the Mass one day; Cardinal Arinze from Nigeria, another. Daily the abbots took their meals together in the refectory at Santʼ Anselmo.
It was pleasant to make new acquaintances, including Dom André Bourget, the abbot of St. Benoît du Lac in Canada, Dom Placid Spearitt, abbot of New Norcia in Australia, Dom Tarcisio Narciso from Manila, and Dom Christopher Schwartz, the new abbot of St. Andrew Abbey in my hometown of Cleveland, and to greet again Abbot Timothy Kelly, President of the American Cassinese Congregation and Sister Judith Ann Heble of Lisle, Illinois, the Moderator of the Communio Internationalis Benedictinarum (the womenʼs equivalent of the Benedictine
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Confederation), both of whom stayed a couple of days at Portsmouth last June for the meeting of the Presidents of the American Benedictine Congregations, which we hosted. (There were a number of Benedictine nuns and sisters as well as a few monks of Orthodox Churches who were invited to observe the Congress.) I met again also friends and acquaintances among the many abbots from the United States, as well as the Superiors of our sister houses of the English Benedictine Congregation. Halfway through the Congress, on Saturday, September 20, our whole assemblage rode out to Castel Gandolfo, the Popeʼs summer residence for a special audience with His Holiness. In his address, he encouraged us to persevere and to continue our work with the young.
The following day we went in the afternoon to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, to venerate the tomb of the Apostle in this Pauline Jubilee Year (the two-thousandth anniversary of his birth), and – along with a group of newly ordained bishops who had come to Rome to visit the Pope – to sing Vespers with the resident Benedictine community in the magnificent apse of the basilica, behind the high altar, under which lie the bones of the Apostle to the Nations. There have been Benedictine monks at St. Paulʼs for thirteen centuries. The present abbot, Dom Edmund Power, the first Englishman to be abbot there in nine hundred years, is a monk of our sister abbey of Douai in England. (In June of 2006 and 2007 he personally gave detailed and informative tours of the basilica to the participants in Mr. Peter OʼConnorʼs Portsmouth Abbey School pilgrimage to Rome.) After Vespers the resident Benedictine community of St. Paulʼs hosted a
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reception for the abbots in a spacious courtyard of the monastery attached to the basilica.
In the middle of the second week of the two-week Congress, we had the choice of three Benedictine pilgrimage spots to visit, Monte Cassino, Subiaco, and Norcia. I chose Norcia, because it was the one I had not yet seen, and because Jeremy Nivakoff ʼ97 is a member of the fledgling monastic community of Norcia. He is Fr. Benedict, the Sub-prior. Virgil refers to Nursia (the ancient form of the name of the town) in one place, in Book VII of the Aeneid, where he calls it frigida Nursia, “chilly Nursia”; and – sure enough! – when we pulled up to the gate of the walled city, there were Fr. Cassian, the Prior, and Br. Benedict, the Sub-prior, waiting to meet us, attired in their heavy capes: it was chilly still at toward 11 oʼclock in the morning. At the center of the town is a wide open piazza paved in white marble, with a statue of St. Benedict on a pedestal in the center. It is obvious that the townspeople are very proud of their sainted fellow-citizen. The basilica of San Benedetto is on the piazza, and the monastery where the monks live is attached to it. We were brought to the crypt of the basilica to vest for Mass. It contains excavations of an ancient Roman house, believed to be the house of St. Benedictʼs family, where he would have been born. The archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia, Msgr. Riccardo Fontana, who told me he intended to ordain Br. Benedict Nivakoff priest on October 11 (which indeed did happen), was the principal celebrant of the Votive Mass of St. Benedict, which we concelebrated. He preached the sermon to us in Latin. After Mass he joined us at a restaurant a little outside of town, where we were treated to an excellent meal. (Norcia is known for its good
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ABBOTS’ CONGRESS IN ROME
Photos: Opposite page top, a view of the the Primatial Abbey of Saint Anselm (Sant’ Anselmo) rising above the city of Rome
Is This Call For You?
Opposite page bottom: The Right Reverend Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B. on the day of his abbatial blessing, October 2007
food, especially pork products.) As we parted, the archbishop shook hands cordially with each of us. He kindly expressed the hope that he would see me (who had been introduced to him earlier by Br. Benedict as his old teacher) again one day in Norcia. Before returning to the bus for the three-hour journey back to Rome, we were given a tour of the ruined monastery outside of town which the new Benedictine community hopes to restore and inhabit in the near future. The sessions of the Congress of Abbots continued till midday on Saturday, September 27. On the Thursday afternoon preceding, we re-elected the Abbot Primate, Dom Notker Wolf, to a four-year term. (He kindly accepted Dr DeVecchiʼs invitation, conveyed by me, to come to Portsmouth to give the Commencement Address next May 24, but has since had to postpone his visit to another year so that he can, as titular head of the Benedictine order, participate in a meeting with the Pope at Monte Cassino to which all the Benedictine superiors in the world have recently been invited on that very day, May 24.) Before being elected Abbot Primate at the Abbotsʼ Congress of 2000, Dom Notker had been abbot of St. Ottilien Arch abbey near Munich in Bavaria, the chief monastery of a Benedictine congregation which is intentionally missionary in character. From it have been founded many monastic houses not only in Europe and North and South America, but also in Africa and Asia. Recently eight priests from China have studied monastic life at St. Ottilien Arch abbey. And a couple of years ago, due to the grace of God and the openness and zeal and charity of the St. Ottilien Benedictines, a Catholic hospital was opened in North Korea, where of course the public practice of religion is forbidden.
At this yearʼs Congress in Rome there were present something like two hundred and fifty abbots from all over the globe. The presence of native abbots from monasteries in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa side by side with the archabbots of Monte Cassino and Subiaco (Italian foundations of St. Benedict himself), the abbot of Ligugé (founded even before St. Benedictʼs time by St. Martin in what is now France), and abbots of such illustrious European monasteries as Solesmes, Montserrat, Maria Laach, and Pannonhalma gave one a renewed sense of the historic and planetary scope of our little Order (declared jokingly by some to be better characterized as a Disorder), which suffers from diminishment and so many difficulties, but nevertheless continues to live, and to offer the world something of value.
The Benedictine Monastic Life Intern Program at Portsmouth Abbey is a unique opportunity to live and learn about monastic life, teach classes and consider the possibility that This Call May Be For You. Experience the well-balanced life of a Benedictine monk, including daily common prayer, spiritual reading, work and time for rest and exercise in a beautiful seaside location on the shores of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. If you are a college educated, single, Catholic man, aged 21 - 45, you are invited to apply for our 10-week teaching internship at Portsmouth Abbey School, the nation’s leading coeducational Catholic Benedictine boarding school.
Call Dan McDonough at 401.643.1255 or email mcd@portsmouthabbey.org; or email Father Ambrose at fatherambrose @ portsmouthabbey.org
Portsmouth Abbey School www.portsmouthabbey.org
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PORTSMOUTH IN ASIA
BY DR. JAMES D E VECCI, HEADMASTER I write this article still feeling a bit jet-lagged, but glowing about Deb’s and my recent trip to Asia. I glow because of the warmth and generous hospitality of our Asian alumni, families and friends; because of the universal appeal of our Portsmouth Abbey School mission and culture; and because of the wonderful living and learning environment that exists on our Abbey School campus where American and international boys and girls live and learn – really they are being formed – in a truly cosmopolitan environment and where they and their families share in some important and common values and goals. Packed, having voted early, and ready to go, Deb and I left Portsmouth early on November 4th, headed for the Philippines, Korea and China. Our agenda for this trip was to visit with our alumni, parents, and friends, to advance some of our School development initiatives, and to recruit students – both for our regular school and our Summer Program. Portsmouth’s excellent Summer Program, which is aimed at rising 7th, 8th and 9th graders, is particularly appealing to international families since it provides a safe and intellectually enriching program, a program very much mod-
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eled after our Abbey School curriculum. The Portsmouth summer experience allows for all of its students to learn and have fun in the wonderful setting that is our Abbey campus in July. In addition to being an excellent use of our beautiful campus facilities, the Summer Program gets young boys and girls onto our campus and introduced to our culture – an introduction that oftentimes leads to strong interest in enrolling at Portsmouth. The first stop on our adventure was Manila. Portsmouth has a long and rich tradition of students from the Philippines, dating back to the early days of the School. Indeed, our campus today is enriched by the art work gifted to us from the estate of Alfonso Ossorio ’34. Alfonso and his brothers Frederic’37 and Robert ’41 were the first in a long line of Filipino (and now Filipina) students. Our visit was hosted by Patxi ’85 and Sofia Elizalde. Through Patxi’s planning, we were able to visit with many of our alumni individually and at a reception at the Manila Polo Club hosted by Patxi and Sofia. While in Manila, we were able to visit schools (hosted by Patxi, Carlos Elizalde ’87 and Mike Martel ’87), interview several prospective families, and present our School and Summer Programs
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at an information session. Our Philippine alumni are doing well and, with so many legacy children there rising through the middle school years, we look forward to a continued rich presence of Philippine students at Portsmouth. The next stop was Seoul–our third visit to Korea over the past six years – where we were greeted warmly once again, graciously and most generously by our Korean families. Many, many folks worked to support our visit, but particular thanks goes to our current Korea parent leaders Jaehyun Park and Hyeweon Baik (parents of Chanho ‘09), and Byoung Choi and You Mi Kim (parents of Young Woo’10). During our visit, we met with many of our current families, enjoyed some of the best cuisine available in Korea, and were overwhelmed by hospitality. I even had a chance to play golf with some of our Korean dads! The highlight of our visit was a reception hosted in Portsmouth Abbey School’s honor at the COEX Intercontinental Hotel. In addition to much good news from the School, I was pleased to discuss the goals and progress of the Korea Fund with our families. The Korea Fund has been set up to recognize the generosity of Korean families – generosity that has impacted the support of St. Brigid’s House and the Annual Fund, and generosity which now is being applied to support Portsmouth’s new boys’ dormitory initiative. Also, Deb and I were particularly pleased that Song Chol Hwang ’97 was able to share some reflections on what his Abbey education has meant to him with the families gathered. Another clear highlight of our visit was a luncheon that Deb had with many of our Korean moms. It is a tradition that our Korean moms meet periodically in Seoul to share in their Abbey experiences. Deb’s luncheon with our Korean moms served as an important communication
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link between the school and our Korean families. In addition to the reception, Deb and I hosted a very well-attended admissions information session. We also were hosted for dinner by several of our families in Dae Gu, a major city south of Seoul, and were treated to a day’s outing in Gyeongju, the capital of the Silla Kingdom for 1000 years and an important center for Korean cultural and spiritual history. From Korea, we took a short – relatively speaking – flight to Beijing. On previous trips to Asia, Deb and I have visited Hong Kong and had a brief visit to Shanghai. Our visit to Beijing this trip was an especially good opportunity for Portsmouth, due to the generosity and warm hospitality of Jorge Guajardo ’89 and wife Paola, and Esther and Chan-Hwa Yao ‘70 – parents of Kathryn’10. As you may know from the Winter 2008 Bulletin, Jorge is the Mexican Ambassador to China. Upon hearing of Deb’s and my upcoming trip to Beijing, Jorge offered to host a reception at the Mexican Embassy. Through the hard work of Paola, Esther and Chan Hwa, and Jamie MacGuire ’70 – now a Portsmouth Development officer and who accompanied us to Beijing as well as visiting Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok – the Thursday evening reception at the Embassy proved to be a wonderful introduction of Portsmouth to a substantial gather-
Opposite page: Jim and Deb DeVecchi at the Great Wall of China Top left: Jim and Deb (center) enjoyed dinner with Portsmouth Abbey current parents in Daegu. Top right: Jim, Deb and Esther Yao hiking in the mountains of Pansan, China. Left: Jim, far left, on the Korean links with Jung Won Kim (Albert ‘05 and Kunwoo ‘08), Jae Il Son (Peter ‘10), and Jae Chil Chang (Liz’11).
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PORTSMOUTH IN ASIA
ing of educators from both the Chinese and International School communities, and to some prospective families. Aided by anecdotes and reflections from Jorge, a great deal of interest in and excitement for Portsmouth was created at this reception. Portsmouth’s goal is to enroll more students from China – we currently have two – and this introduction will help significantly in realizing this goal. The reception generated lots of interest in Portsmouth and, as a result, I was pleased to be able to visit many Chinese and international schools, and interview several families. Beyond the reception, much of our visit was orchestrated by Esther and Chan Hwa. Through their generous and warm care and planning, and Esther’s on-theground guidance, Deb and I were able to travel outside of the Beijing to a mountainside retreat in Panshan and to the city of Chengde– both north of Beijing. Through this travel, Deb and I were able to get a very strong sense of Chinese family culture and also were able to meet with Chinese families and educators beyond Beijing. We were received warmly in the Chinese countryside. Another valuable highlight of our visit was a day spent in Tianjin, a prosperous and modern city about 100 kilometers east of Beijing. Again, through the efforts of Esther and Chan Hwa, I was able to visit some of the best Chinese schools in the region and speak with educational leaders about our very special Benedictine, Catholic prep school! In addition to the prosperity and warmth that Deb and I observed in our Asian friends, we were struck by the strong appeal that the Portsmouth message had to Asian families and educators. Clearly, a place of spiritual depth which promotes academic excellence and ethical values so deeply is consistent with what many Asian families want for their children. In this sense, our Asian families are like all of our families who are attracted to Portsmouth’s campus culture, informed as it is by Benedictine qualities such as Prayer, Stability, Discipline, Humility, Community, Hospitality, Love and Justice offered in a safe (socially, psychologically and physically), beautiful and wholesome environment.
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Top left: (from left) Headmaster James DeVecchi, Deb DeVecchi, Jorge Guajardo ‘89 and his wife, Paola Sada, and Jamie Macguire‘70 at the Beijing reception for Portsmouth Abbey. Top right: Jim DeVecchi with Chinese educators at the American Embassy in Beijing. Middle right: Deb DeVecchi with Korean moms: Youmi Kim (Young Woo Choi ‘10), Yang Hee Lim (Laura Song ‘10), Deb, Chung Min Cho (Peter Son ‘10), Won Jung Kim (Ji Soo Kim), and Jin Kim (Katie Kahng ’11) Bottom right: From left, Hyun Sook Yoon (Helen ‘11) and friend join the DeVecchis for a traditional Korean lunch.
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Jamie MacGuire’70 and Bill Rives’67 in Singapore
Indeed, our travels and return to campus reinforce Deb’s and my feelings about what a special living and learning environment Portsmouth Abbey School provides for all of its students. Today’s Portsmouth is a school of 360 boys and girls from 23 states and 17 countries in a community that respects the diversity of its members but which is built upon the Benedictine precept of valuing each of its members as individuals. To say the Portsmouth message was well-received in Asia would be an understatement! Indeed, there has been much interest generated and we look forward, through the continued work of Deb and Esther Yao, not only to a continuing presence of Philippino, Thai and Korean students, but also to a significantly enlarged number of Chinese young people in Portsmouth’s 2009 Summer Program and to enriching the Chinese component of the international presence on our Abbey School campus over the years to come.
THE CHURCH IN CHINA
Just a block or two from the hotel where the DeVecchis and I stayed in Beijing is St. Josephʼs Church, also known by the government-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association as the Eastern Church. It is a Romanesque stone building that has seen fire and other destruction in its three hundred years and was completely rebuilt in 1908. Today there is an early Sunday Mass in Latin and several other services during the day that are well attended. Although the congregation is older it is devout, and there are formation instructions for younger Catholics on Saturday afternoons. In addition to the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association it is estimated that there are still about 8 million Chinese Catholics following the underground church still loyal to Rome. In recent years the Vatican has been working carefully to overcome conflicts over Episcopal appointments and other areas of disagreement with the government of the PRC, and further progress has been ongoing since Pope Benedictʼs letter of May 27, 2007 which seemed to suggest that most Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association priests were in accord with Rome.
By tradition Christianity came to China as early as the Third Century brought by St. Thomas, the apostle, and his followers in the Assyrian Church of the East. In his recent book (2007) Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu, Laurence Bergreen relates how Marco encountered a community in the city of Fugiu of whose religion a certain wise Saracen (Muslim) said, “No one understands.” They were not Buddhists, Muslims or Zoroastrians. After reassuring these secretive people and gaining their confidence, Marco was able to discern that they the books they kept so devotedly were in fact the Psalter – the book of Psalms. They had learned their religion from their ancestors dating back 700 years–that is, since the sixth century – but had been without preaching for a long time and thus “were ignorant of the chief things.”
Top: Deb and Jim lunch with members of the Elizalde clan, Francisco, Sofia, Patxi ‘85, and Carmen Elizalde. Bottom: Jim and Deb with our alumni in the Philippines, from left, Deb, Patxi Elizalde’85, Mike Martel ’87, Paolo Delgado ’00, Joey Jerves ’84, Rod Perez ’85, Juan Rocha ’85, Pedro Roxas ’73 and Jim.
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Upon Marcoʼs suggestion they stepped forward and presented a petition through the head of the Christians at the court of the Great Khan that they be considered Christians. After a certain amount of dispute (masses of Buddhists claimed them as their own), there followed a great argument in the presence of the lord. Kublai Khan approved their request, whereupon the small sect made its full strength known. There were over seven hundred thousand families! – James MacGuire ʻ70
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GOODS OF
CONSCIENCE by Reverend Andrew O’Connor
I am Father Andrew More O’Connor, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York and fellow pilgrim/guide for the students of Portsmouth Abbey to Rome. In 2004 I joined my brother, Mr. Peter O’Connor, on a trip back to Rome to help form the Rome Program, and have assisted each year since. We studied in Rome in the 1980’s along with Peter’s wife Michelle and Dr. Paul Connell, and have grown to know and love the city over the years. Three years ago, after a retreat in the mountains of Guatemala, I started Goods of Conscience, a line of apparel based on the four principles of Catholic Social Teaching: 1) Dignity of work 2) Common Good 3) Subsidiarity 4) Solidarity with the poor. My aim with Goods of Conscience is to establish a network of workshops within inner city U.S. parishes. Uniting third world production of cloth and other materials with U.S. manufacturing is a life-giving model for the global economy. This idea for Goods of Conscience is based on the old Church notion of the benefice. A benefice is the way a church or monastery supports itself by producing a product: cheese or wine, or educating the young. Since beginning the project we have incorporated as a (pending) not-for-profit and have established a scalable model of production, with the help of a board that includes executives of Tory Burch and Morgan Stanley. Last May we inaugurated our first fashion show in Soho, featuring models from Project Runway. We have received a great deal of press: an NBC feature over that summer that played in NYC cabs, ABC, Telemundo, Catholic TV in Boston, articles in NCR, Catholic News Service, and Women’s Wear Daily. We are building a faithful clientele in New York. Presently we are sold at Lumia, 253 Church Street in TriBeCa, and on line at www.goodsofconscience.com, and we hope to continue expanding our distribution as the business grows. We have also undertaken special projects, designing and
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making bags for The Wildlife Trust and Lighthouse International, among others. What follows is a description of the art bag we developed for the Rome Program: Monday morning June 9th, 2008. Stephanie Proulx, a Portsmouth Abbey V Form student on her fourth full day in Rome, faces three sets of stairs in the very heart of Rome. One is a humble and ancient set of stairs leading to a Roman ruin, another is the elegant cascading stairs of Michelangelo capped by the statues of Castor and Pollux and the grand Marcus Aurelius on horseback at the summit of the Campodoglio. The third is the highest, steepest set of stairs, leading to the church of Ara Coelis. Mr. Peter O’Connor has, of course, chosen the most difficult stairs first and he and Dr. Paul Connell bound the steps, with students following like bloodhounds. Stephanie pauses and groans. “I am not going up those stairs,” she proclaims defiantly. Her body is rebelling against the fastpaced marches through Rome. In a short time Rome’s triple diamond course of walking terrain, with its cobble stones, unexpected turns, distracting sights, sounds, smells, and the terrors of squealing Vespas, has taken its toll. With gentle coaxing from her fellow students Stephanie tackles the steps, not exactly like Rocky Balboa, but she makes it. Stephanie also has more strength to her stride than she thinks, thanks to a well-designed bag at her side which all the students received this past year, courtesy of Brother Gregory Havill. It is light and comfortably positioned. On the side of the bag are pockets in natural colors made of handwoven cotton with a peculiar glint that catches your eye. When seen at the right angle the glint is a subtle cross. Like the Benedictine tradition, the beautiful and simple art bag is the fruit of thoughtful advice from former Portsmouth Abbey pilgrims to Rome.
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Left: Portsmouth Abbey students who joined the Humanities Rome trip during the summer of 2008 were outfitted with Fr. Andrew’s “Goods of Conscience” bags.
The bag is the product of Goods of Conscience. Using an innovative reflective fiber woven by hand into subtle crosses in the traditional weaving of Mayan Indians in the mountains of Guatemala, our company imports the fabric and employs underprivileged garment workers in our own Bronx parish. The innovation of the fabric means that the fabric cannot be copied. The fiber is produced in one factory in the US and sent to Guatemala where the bright fiber is subdued with gentle and knowing fingers of the weavers. The result is that Guatemalan women can work in their homes liberated from predatory competition that commonly erodes the small gains weavers may enjoy in remote places. Furthermore, native Guatemalan cotton is used. Naturally resistant to pests, it actually grows in different and wonderful colors: a mossy green, tan, browns and creams. Employing men and women helps to stop poverty at its origin. Stateside, the distinctive fabric is made into fine clothing. It is not cheap – $465 for a top end “service jacket” and $210 for a “field shirt.” It is made by New Yorkers for New Yorkers, slated in particular for the Vespa set, who want to wear dark, natural clothing with a reflective fiber that is both practical and distinctive and satisfies a social conscience that wants to participate in the good that it does locally. For the art bag project, cutting the cost of production, cost of materials and labor alone, to $20 a bag was like trying to out-China China, but with velcro fasteners and ripstop nylon it was possible. This coming year we would like to appeal to any sailor who would like to donate a used sail to be used in the making of new bags. Swinging on her hip, Stephanie’s bag holds the essential pencils and pens, water colors and notepads, a scarf to cover her shoulders when she enters a church or descends into the dank catacombs of the city limits. Not too bulky, the profile of this “north-south” bag (a bag that hangs
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Left: From left, Rome pilgrims Brendan O'Connor’07, Brother Gregory Havill, Peter O'Connor, Dr. Paul Connell, and Father Andrew O'Connor.
longer than it is wide) is sleek and with a long adjustable strap that crosses the body safely and comfortably. In comparison to the art-bag version of football-game coolers which students were outfitted with in previous years, this bag packs away into a wispy wallet-sized space. With a special pocket for maps, a zippered hidden pocket for valuables and an easy access opening on top for a cell phone, this bag is made for the pilgrim artist. Thanks to Br. Gregory and thoughtful students before her who planned the bag with me, Stephanie did not have to lug a ball and chain up the steps of the Ara Coelis. She also has a bag that looks good. After years of fine tuning it is perfect for the art pilgrim. It contains Br. Gregory Havill’s carefully edited art supplies that not only shed weight but increase utility: the right watercolor brush with the water well built in, the packet of sculpting clay to take impressions of first century graffiti, charcoal pencils as well as the slim volume of Latin, contemporary poetry and a Magnificat. At the top of the steps, Stephanie turns back to see the quintessential Roman scene: cars rounding the small island of green like carp on the riverbed road flowing down into the Piazza Venezia and the many layered ancient city rising in earth colors. She makes a quick sketch while listening to Dr. Connell describe Caesar Augustus’ dream of a virgin birth. Inside the Church a column from the emperor’s bedroom stands out against all the other columns. The climb is forgotten; the peace and quiet is great. If you would like to find out more about Goods of Conscience, please go to our Website www.goodsofconscience.com.
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strutting and fretting an hour upon the stage
a n I n t er n a t t h e G lo b e T h e at r e By Michael Bonin, PhD, English Department Head
When King Lear awakens from his madness , late in the play, he stammers in confusion and fear: Where have I been? Where am I? Fair daylight? I am mightily abused . . . I know not what to say. . . . and to deal plainly, I fear I am not in my perfect mind.
Perhaps the full pathos of these lines is lost upon you: the tragic note of desperation, the panicked isolation. But there is a good way to discover their profundity. Stand center stage at midnight in the Globe Theatre in London, and try to play Lear yourself, while actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company watch.
What folly, what act of hubris so mad it would make Macbeth and Oedipus gape, led me to this plight? I spent the month of July at the Globe Theatre, courtesy of the English Speaking Union, which awards a fellowship with the misleading title “Teaching Shakespeare through Production.” The Globe! An exact replica of the Bard’s own theatre, rebuilt on the Thames, in the very Southwark neighborhood where it stood in 1598, and now home to one of the world’s best Shakespearean troupes! I envisioned a soft, subsidized month sitting in the theater gallery, unobtrusively jotting notes during the Globe’s pro-
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ductions of King Lear and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, then loping over to the Dorchester for tea. At worst I would endure the occasional dusty lecture about Elizabethan musical instruments, lest I fall into the vulgar error of confusing a rebec with an hautboy. Gratis British Airways tickets in hand, I chortled smugly and jetted off.
Upon arrival in London I learned to my shock that this was no academic fellowship, no aesthete’s summer camp, no cushy gig for bookish wallflowers. Nay, this was instead a crash course in Shakespearean acting, a vicious practical joke of the sort the English love to play on callow Americans. No sooner had my luggage been stripped from my nerveless fingers than I was delivered into the hands of maniacally extroverted British practitioners for ritual humiliation. Where to begin? The “Period Dance” workshop, of course. As soon as the Dancing Master, the very image of Mr. Bean, pranced into the studio and I noted his soft, wee shoes, I knew doom was come upon me. Minutes later I was capering shamefaced through a morris dance, the bells tied to my knees tinkling pathetically. My damp hand was linked with a fellow dupe’s, Al, a hulking English teacher and football coach from Pittsburgh. I whispered to him, “If a video of this gets back to
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Upon arrival in London I learned to my shock that my school I am dead. Dead.”
this was no academic fel-
Hamlet’s “majestical roof fretted with golden fire,” out onto Juliet’s balcony, and beneath the stage to Hell, hunched realm of Caliban, Mephistopheles, and Banquo’s ghost.
lowship, no aesthete’s But there was also Simon the Voice Master, an elegant, sinister escapee from a summer camp, no cushy gig Noel Coward play, whom the Royal for bookish wallflowers. Family had hired to teach Princess Diana how to give speeches. His voice was so But as audience participation went, that deep and melodious – Shere Khan from Disney’s The Jungle was nothing. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers cruelBook – that the only response to his greeting was involuntary ly taken in by The English Speaking Union’s monstrous ruse, nervous laughter. At his command we lay in a rehearsal were to perform: cast in roles for Lear, rehearsed and directed by room, channeling the primal cosmic tone through our pros, and then led onstage like miserable dancing bears. diaphragm chakra. He had me declaim my lines, then menUnderstand: I have no acting experience, none, beyond readacingly intoned, “Did you hear that? You may seduce me.” ing lines of Shakespeare to catatonic high-school students. I Or Glynn the Movement Master, half dreamy New Age goddread social gatherings and, to my wife’s despair, fall mute as a mother, half Weird Sister, so foul-mouthed even for an fish at dinner parties. What better way, then, to conquer selfAustralian that she would have shocked pirates. Her tactic consciousness, to begin the long work of learning the actor’s was to draw near, paralyze with an unblinking belladonna craft, than to make my debut: eye, and then pose druidical riddles: “You, Michael. What is As King Lear, Shakespeare’s most titanic role, pronounced wrong with your body? Look at him, the rest of you. What by Olivier himself ? unplayable has life done to you, child?” Both Simon and Glynn would casually refer to Johnny (as in Malkovich), “that nasty man,” and offhandedly assure us that their tips got Danny (as in Day-Lewis) through his Hamlet stage fright and helped Vanessa (as in Redgrave) find her voice as Prospero. But why did I need this advice? What gruesome finale awaited?
In the appalling, climactic death scenes with Cordelia, which Dr. Johnson found too unbearable even for reading? On the Globe stage, for theater lovers the equivalent of Mecca, home plate at Yankee Stadium, and Stonehenge (another venue for human sacrifice)?
For an audience of the best Shakespearean actors in the world, I had come simply to soak Shakespeare up: Sponge Mike along with other specially-invited sadists? Square Spectator. And I did attend the Globe’s summer Everyone has these nightmares: you are at work, for instance, Shakespeare productions after all. I stood, a thrilled naked. But then you wake up. Birds tweet; the newspaper groundling, right up against the stage to watch the action. thumps reassuringly onto your front stoop. Life is worth living. Edmund’s sword trimmed my hair mid-scene. Cordelia lay My days were darker than your worst nights. Consumed with dead, mere inches from my elbows propped on the three-inch fear, my little troupe oak stage edge. Lysander at all hours. rehearsed used my shoulder as a Dr. Bonin, a groundling, stageside in the Globe Theatre This, thankfully, kept us boost when he vaulted away from our pestilent from the pit onstage, dorm rooms. The hostel chasing Hermia. was operated by the Mustardseed showered London School of me with tiny paper Economics, no doubt as a hearts. Between shows, graduate course in slumthe Globe’s stage managlording. This vast, dim er took me up into the tenement teemed with theater’s heavens, above
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The Globe fills up for King Lear
sketchy, nocturnal Baltic teenagers who smoked incessantly and squelched up and down the sodden hallways in threatening packs. When I did collapse onto my narrow cot, its vinyl mattress inexplicably stuffed with corncobs, I would tearfully count over my regrets. Why had I ignored, in my blithe stupidity, that cryptic aside in my fellowship forms suggesting that I pack black pants and a black shirt “for the performance?” Why did I not notice that the other fellowship winners were all drama teachers or directors of theater-arts programs, with email addresses such as garlandfan@yahoo.com? What had life done to me, child? My director was from the Royal Shakespeare Company and, with mordant irony, was named Bill. He came fresh from directing a production of Hamlet, which at least had accustomed him to suicidal thoughts. He was a superb actor himself, and never had he a more demanding role than crying out “Brilliant!,” a rictus stretched across his panicked face, after we had bellowed and barked through yet another one of Shakespeare’s most beautifully poetic passages. He did his best with us, but he was but a man, and a broken one at that by the end. His expert and sensitive direction was lost on us; he should have used a length of rubber hose. With the show approaching I was in character, not Lear but Rain Man, muttering my lines compulsively as I rocked back and forth. (However, now I always had a seat to myself on the Underground.) Backstage on the night of the performance I quietly went through my new visualization exercises: throwing up on stage; toppling into the crowd; my trouser fly obscenely open, prompting derisive hoots and finger-pointing from the sellout mob. I prayed for a mid-scene stroke so that I could be
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The Globe interns with their director, Bill Buckhurst (center), of the Royal Shakespeare Company
carried off, eyeball grotesquely askew, by sympathetic orderlies. Deaf heaven did not comply, and I heard my cue: How does my royal lord? How fares your majesty?
Good question. I stepped onstage—the Globe stage! This wooden O! – looked down into the yard, up into the galleries, and replied: You do me wrong to take me out o’ the grave. Thou art a soul in bliss; but I am bound
Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears Do scald like molten lead . . . Do not laugh at me.
About suffering they were never wrong, the Old Masters. I can scarcely tell you what it is like to act at the Globe. Mostly it is a roaring in your ears and a mist before your eyes and the strange sensation that someone has hit the fast-forward button. Any exhilaration comes later, sitting limp on a bench across from the theater, next to the Thames, clutching a bottle of champagne and a plastic cup, giddy with relief.
No wonder actors lead such chaotic personal lives; I would become a heroin addict immediately. Not that I ponder a stage career. Indeed, with a speed which was in itself an evaluation of my performance, the Globe troupe deported me to the States. Almost certainly they will now cancel the program, or forbid Americans to apply. But what is that to me, sirrah? Like Falstaff, “I have escaped by miracle.”
Michael Bonin is the Head of English at Portsmouth Abbey School. He has a Ph.D. in Renaissance Literature from UCLA.
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OPENING Eugene Sullivan ‘57
In November 1989 I was in Moscow, exploring the possibilities for developing business for my law firm, when I learned that the Berlin Wall had come down. I was a partner in the law firm of Chadbourne & Parke and my partners agreed the time was right to open a practice in Moscow. Our first office was opened in March of 1990. For the next ten years my focus was on the Soviet Union until I retired on January 1, 2000 to pursue my interest in pro bono legal services. How did I get to Moscow in 1989? I suspect the seeds were planted at the Priory, and in particular in a course given by Mr. Goode on art and culture. For our final exam we were shown a series of works of art with a similar subject matter, for example, a flower. We were asked to identify the artist and the time it was produced, and to describe how it reflected the society in which it was created. This led me to an appreciation of our cultural history and a real interest in exploring it in Europe. I went to college at Georgetown University, and took advantage of the opportunity to go to the University of Fribourg in Switzerland for my Junior Year abroad. While there I made my first trip to Russia. It was the summer of 1960 and Gary Powers had just been shot down in his U-2 airplane. My reception in Leningrad was very cold. When a taxi driver realized I was from the United States, he stopped the car and told me to get out. For the next 29 years I lived in New York and practiced corporate law with only a few brief vacations in Europe. As life moved along, I was married to Mary Anne Diefenbach by Pierre Conway, OP (a Portsmouth graduate from the 1930s) and we had three children. Our eldest graduated from Portsmouth in 1988. I became a partner at my law firm and decided to develop business in Europe as a way to spend more time there. I joined a “club” of lawyers with firms from several countries in Western Europe which met once or twice a year to exchange information and attempt to develop business. At one such meeting in Vienna I was having coffee with the club members from Austria and Finland. The Soviet Union had just announced its adoption of a joint venture law designed to promote private enterprise and investment from abroad. We
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decided to become experts on the new Russian law. Our member from Vienna was already traveling to Moscow providing legal services to the newspaper “Pravda” and had met Russian lawyers anxious to establish contacts with Western lawyers so they could participate in the anticipated surge in private commerce. We formed a joint venture with Chadbourne & Parke, the Austrian and Finish firms and the Union of Advocates of the Soviet Union.
RUSSIA
The enthusiasm of the Russians for the changes was exciting to watch. A middle aged Russian woman told me, “ You can never make a ballerina out of me – you will have to try with my daughter and you can never convert older people to the new economy–only the children.” But the children did step up. The line at the first McDonald’s was so long it became a social event to go on a weekend and see your friends there. I was in line, expecting to be there at least two hours, when we were approached by a teenager, “ Hey mister what do you want?” He had friends at the front of the line and he was taking orders for a fee. On one of my first visits to Moscow I asked a young lawyer what I could bring him on my next trip to Moscow. He was quick to respond, “Business.” The development of our legal practice over the next ten years was challenging and exciting. In the first phase we were helping Soviet lawyers prepare new legislation and incorporating new concepts into their system. In the second phase we were helping companies from outside the former Soviet Union establish business organizations there. In the third phase we were helping newly formed Russian companies access funding outside the former Soviet Union. The legal environment was very restricted. The new joint venture law had resulted in a number of small businesses such as restauThe signing of the joint venture document, with Gene at the head of the table; on his right is Harry Hedman of Helsinki, Genrick Padva of the Union of Advocates of the Soviet Union, Ed Muskie (a partner of Gene’s at Chadbourne & Parke) and Cristophe Rabbe of Vienna.
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OPENING UP RUSSIA
Below: Gene, seated at left, carving a sheep's head at dinner, with his wife Mary Anne, at the home of Mydan Sulemanov and his wife, Rosa. As the guest of honor Gene was offered one of the sheep's eyeballs. Mydan was the head of the Institute of State and Law in Almaty, Khasakstan, and his wife was the founder of the first school for disabled children there.
rants and duty free shops, but by then major western businesses were swarming to Moscow looking for opportunities. An example of the basic changes that were needed was the realization that none of the Russian lawyers had ever heard of anyone taking legal action against any level of government. One of the Russian lawyers I was working with agreed to take the first such lawsuit. A daughter of a former leader of the Soviet Union complained that the Government had improperly taken some of her property and started a suit to get it back. Her husband had been convicted of graft and his property confiscated. She claimed some of the property taken was hers, not his. My friend brought the case to trial but had not heard a decision from the judge for several weeks. After contacting the judge a number of times, the judge finally said that as he had not received a “phone call” telling him what to do, he would decide in favor of the woman. We really were participating in a total change of thinking. Another example was my attempt to convince government officials in Kazakhstan that a legal entity such as a corporation could be guilty of a criminal act such as tax fraud. We participated in these kinds of changes by providing assistance in the development of legislation. We assisted in drafting or commenting on drafts of a wide variety of laws. Of course privatization laws were under consideration in each of the former Soviet Republics, and we were consulted on the laws in Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. After providing a draft of an insurance law for Belarus, the leading government lawyer asked me, “What law shall we draft next?” While participating in the preparation of a law on the development of natural resources in Kazakhstan, we had one of the more humorous problems with translation. The title of the draft law was officially translated as the “Law on the Bowels of the Earth.” It did not take long for foreign companies to realize the potential of the new market. We represented a long list of companies such as Citibank, Ford and Nestle in establishing operations in Russia. Similarly foreign investors were quick to acquire shares of major Russian enterprises through the privatization process.
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This led to numerous legal battles as Russian concepts of shareholder rights were developed. Much of the initial foreign funding of Russian companies was from quasi-governmental organizations such as the International Finance Corporation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. But, before the end of the 90s, Russian companies were selling securities to the public. In 1997, I represented Vimplecom, the leading cell-phone operator in Moscow, as its stock became the first Russian securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange since the Czar’s Trans-Siberian Railroad bonds. After I retired from Chadbourne & Parke, I became the head of the Budapest office of the International Center for Not-forProfit law, an organization devoted to assisting in developing the legal structures for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other not-for-profit structures. From a legal point of view, it starts with the concept of the right of association and then requires the development of laws concerning the creation, governance and taxation of NGOs. Since I left Budapest, I have volunteered my legal services at a community organization, Mercy Center, devoted to helping the materially poor in the South Bronx of New York. In the summer of 2007, I was presented with an opportunity to combine my pro bono interest with my Russian interest. I was asked to assist in establishing a pro bono clearing house in Moscow for the Public Interest Law Institute, a group founded at Columbia Law School in 1997 to promote human rights. The clearinghouse alerts law firms to pro bono opportunities in Moscow and helps NGOs understand how to work effectively with large international law firms. During my three months in Moscow, more than a dozen law firms joined the clearinghouse. Initially most of the firms were from the U.S. and the U.K. where the concept of pro bono legal work is well established, but since then several firms of Russian lawyers have joined. This makes me optimistic about the future in Russia.
Gene Sullivan ’57 lives in New York City.
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A n A f f i rm a t i v e M e s s a g e a n d a T a n g i b l e N e e d . . .
ANNUAL REPORT 2008 ONLINE
By Assistant Headmaster for Development Patrick Burke ‘86 As the calendar turns from 2008 to 2009, Portsmouth Abbey moves from the first to the second half of the year. The fall term is complete, the winter term in process, and the spring only a point on the horizon. From a fiscal perspective the School is also at the mid-point of its July 1 to June 30 business year. Traditionally, the closing weeks of the calendar year are one of the heaviest charitable giving periods for Portsmouth. Given the tumultuous world economic climate, a question that has understandably been directed to members of the School’s Office of Development & Alumni Affairs throughout the fall has been, “How’s it going?” Interwoven with the query has been a sense of trepidation and perhaps an expectation that the answer will, of course, be negative. Fortunately, the response has not been negative. A comparison between the first six months of last fiscal year (FY08) and the current year (FY09) reveals a 32 percent increase in gifts and a 38 percent increase in donors. While the total amount of gifts and pledges received during the period has decreased by approximately 12 percent ($2.8M to $2.5M), the School is exceptionally grateful that we are able to share affirmative news during a time when such is not the norm for many organizations. Central to Portsmouth’s results is the performance of the 2008-09 Annual Fund, the primary beneficiary of the majority of donations made to the School every year. Annual Fund support is one of Portsmouth Abbey’s main sources of yearly budget revenue, along with tuition and endowment utilization. Together these components annually generate over 85 percent of Portsmouth Abbey’s yearly income. Without strong Annual Fund supMonastic Revenue & Endowment
Auxiliary & Other Income 4.8% 8.2% Annual Fund 7.0% Endowment Utilization 8.5%
Gross Tuition Income 71.5%
FISCAL YEAR 2007-08 REVENUES
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port, Portsmouth Abbey would face challenging decisions regarding its programs and people. The Annual Fund is providing Portsmouth Abbey with unrestricted dollars in support of current operations. Therefore, no element of school life is untouched by the Fund. Every teacher and staff member, lay and monastic, is aided; each academic department, athletic team, and co-curricular activity is supported. Periodically, a prospective Annual Fund donor will remark that the Fund is too abstract and they would rather underwrite something more specific. In reality, the Annual Fund is completely about tangible items: salaries, insurance premiums, retirement matching contributions, oil and electric bills, department budgets (math, English, history, science, modern language, etc.), advisor stipends, co-curricular activities (dance, WJHD, The Beacon, The Raven), technology upgrades, and many others. Simply put, if it takes place at Portsmouth Abbey it is in some way supported by the Annual Fund. The School community understands that our graduates, parents and friends are annually presented with numerous requests for charitable support. During these days of uncertainty for all and hardship for many we are grateful for every donation made to Portsmouth. The impact of this philanthropy is tangible. As the pie chart of Portsmouth’s revenue details, tuition does not fully cover the costs associated with educating students. The Board of Regents and School Administration are working to manage the institution prudently through a challenging environment. Your thoughtful consideration of Annual Fund appeals is greatly appreciated. Every gift has an impact and makes a difference.
Ongoing faculty education, administrative expenses, department budgets $0.22 Auxiliary services $0.11
Faculty salary and benefits $0.52
1$
Maintaining the School $0.15
BREAKDOWN OF AN ANNUAL FUND DOLLAR
Portsmouth Abbey’s 2008 Annual Report marks a departure for the 15 yearold publication. For the first time the report has been published as an online document with print copies available by calling the Office of Development & Alumni Affairs. The document includes all material traditionally covered in the Annual Report, including a message from Headmaster Jim DeVecchi, department reports, endowment funds update and comprehensive donor listings. The PDF is accessible at portsmouthabbey.org/ page/49/ With an eye for financial economy and environmental stewardship, the Development Office decided to refrain from printing the typical 7,000 copies of the report, encompassing 406,000 total printed pages. The financial savings in printing and mailing the report domestically and internationally are meaningful to the School as we look for cost savings within all areas of our operations in the current challenging environment. The decision to take this approach is applicable to 2008 only. No decision has yet been made about future publications. The Office of Development & Alumni Affairs welcomes input on this decision. Comments may be directed to Assistant Headmaster for Development Patrick Burke ’86 at 401-643-1291 or email pburke @ portsmouthabbey.org.
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The Sweet Breeze of Summer By Meghan Fonts, Director of Admissions This September the Portsmouth community welcomed 113 new students to campus to embark on the beginning of their boarding school experience. Prefects led these students in Fall Orientation, and prepped them on their first night in their dorm, the shortcuts around campus for getting to class on time, and what to expect when all the returning students arrive. Everyone’s nerves quickly settled, and they became eager and excited, ready to begin the next chapter of their young lives. They were all reassured that the transition might take time but by the end of the first term life would be great. For all but thirteen, that is. Thirteen of the students already had an “Abbey routine.” The thirteen students I am referring to are those who had chosen to begin their Abbey career by enrolling in the Portsmouth Abbey School Summer Program. These students had experienced the unique community here at Portsmouth; Director Peter O’Connor refers to it as “… a moment that not only brings out the very best in the students and teachers in their desire to learn, but fosters a genuinely mutual relationship that might partly explain the enduring friendship and memories that spring out of this deeply shared experience.” Though some of these students already knew of the special Abbey relationships through their father’s, grandfather’s, or uncles’ experience, it was their personal experiences that led them to understand the essence of Portsmouth. I have been told by the parents of this core group of thirteen that they thought the four-week program was beneficial to their child, for when they returned that first week of September it was clear that their child had returned to that home away from home. These students arrived in the fall with an immediate group of fellow classmates with whom they had already begun to learn the Benedictine tradition. The students felt comfortable within the community and shared this with their classmates. They
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knew where the infirmary was; they knew the real name for the ‘Student Center,’ ‘Tuck’; they understood that when a teacher enters the room to begin class, they were to stand; and they understood why all assemblies begin with the Lord’s Prayer. One student told me in her interview for our regular school that she was honored to continue the tradition her grandfather began. When he attended Portsmouth Priory, as it was originally called, there were no girls. She was eager to define her own understanding of the Benedictine school through memories created by her personal experience, and after speaking to these thirteen students throughout the fall term, it was clear that the relationships formed in the Summer Program continue to deepen during our regular school year. The transition from the Summer Program to regular school is natural and the benefits are great. The smile on the students’ faces tell the story, and the story is created out of academically and athletically rewarding programs, strong relationships and cherished memories. Just recently, in January 2009, Marie-Sophie Rousell, of Belgium, a two-year attendee of the Summer Program, enrolled as a V Former. She said, “I finally convinced my parents that this was where I was meant to be and I am so happy I have returned.” If you think your children or those of your family and friends might benefit from our extraordinary Summer Program, please don’t hesitate to call our Office of Admissions or email poconnor@ portsmouthabbey. org. Top photo: Marie-Sophie Rousell, far right, of Belgium, a two-year attendee of the Summer Program, and Isabella Schad (far left) from the Dominican Republic enrolled in the Fifth Form. Front row from left: Summer program ‘08 students who now attend Portsmouth include Myles Wills ‘12; Corinne Cotta‘12; Francesca Spinella ‘12; Jeff Salvatore’12; Brandon Cook ’12. Back row: Chey Fafard ’12; Alvaro Padilla ‘10; Chris Waterman ‘11; Alex Knoepffler’12; and Jimmy Fallon ‘12.
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Ex cel l enc e and En ric hm ent in P orts m ou t h Ab bey ’ s Su m mer P rogr am 2008 By Peter I. O’Connor, Director of the Summer Program
Students from Belgium, Bermuda, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Romania, Spain, and the United States gathered this past summer to participate in the Portsmouth Abbey Summer Program from June 29th through July 26th. The four-week program offered 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 had an opportunity to participate in the hands-on 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 74 students were 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. It is always a miracle when such a diverse group of extraordinary young students arrive with their iPhones, BlackBerrys, and iPods – true cosmopolites connected to the world – 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 the Summer Program. As the venerable Mr. Cliff Hobbins, whose tenure at the Abbey has been marked by a singular excellence and celebration of the classroom, pointed out to a group of faculty preparing to welcome their young charges: “We need to remember that we are doing something much larger than mere instruction and as a consequence we should be guided by the principle of alumnorum cura personalis, which is a genuine love and personal care for each of our students.” His reference to this famous dictum was a tacit reminder that the fundamental relation-
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ship of the teacher and the student is much more profound than the mere learning of skills or introduction to mastering devices that might improve their success on standardized tests. The wonderful intersection of these young minds and the wisdom of such faculty made the promise of the Summer Program a great success! Since 1943 the Summer Program has introduced young students to the unique spirit of education that has always been a part of Portsmouth Abbey School. The universal character of this program is rooted in the celebration of learning that is proper to the classroom, an awakening of the uniqueness of each student through participation in enrichment activities, and the importance of athletics in fostering a healthy sense of the body. It has always been the hope of this program that these three elements would be viewed as equal paths toward wisdom and the fullness of experience. This year the Summer Program is from Sunday, June 28 through Saturday, July 25, 2009. It is a wonderful time to take some interesting courses, participate in a series of unique enrichment activities, and simply play in what is arguably one of the most beautiful areas of the country. Summer in Rhode Island is full of promise and expectation as the long year gives way to something richer and more deeply satisfying. It is always a moment that not only brings out the very best in the students and teachers in their desire to learn, but fosters a genuinely mutual relationship that might partly explain the enduring friendships and memories that spring out of this deeply shared experience. What will make this Summer Program particularly unique for rising 7th through 10th graders, beyond its privileged position on the shores of Narragansett Bay and the excellent courses that emphasize reading, writing, and public speaking, are the hands-on enrichment activities of Plein Air Landscape Painting and
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Environmental and Marine Sciences. In the Plein Air class students will receive an introduction to painting landscapes on location or nearby the Abbey campus. The focus of the activity will be drawing and painting from observation. Students will learn to study the world closely. They will be given the opportunity to try different drawing and painting techniques. Classes will include demonstrations, relevant art history, and a chance to be outside studying and painting the unique southern Rhode Island landscape. In the Environmental and Marine Sciences class the students are initiated into an understanding of the different marine environments through trips and activities on the bay, an excursion to a salt marsh, a boat trip to Prudence Island, and seining in the bay and nearby estuaries. The formal participation in each afternoon enrichment activity is designed to change the perspective of all the students in terms of how they see the complex relationship between water, landscape, and the environment, while providing a formative experi-
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ence that will draw the students together as a community over the course of the four week program. Whether in seminars, exploring marine environments, trying new painting techniques, sailing a J-22 with Sail Newport 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, 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. If you are interested in learning more about the Summer Program please visit our site at www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/1994 or contact Peter O’Connor, Director of the Summer Program, at summer@portsmouthabbey.org or simply calling 401.643.1225!
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New League Affiliation Puts Ravens in Play
by K ATHY STARK WITH AL BROW N, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
In May 2006, Headmaster Jim DeVecchi and Athletic Director Al Brown announced that the School had been invited to join the Eastern Independent League (EIL), a select group of regional independent schools competing athletically under the auspices of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC). The affiliation would begin with the 2007-8 School year and, in place of schools against which Portsmouth had been competing, such as Providence Country Day, Moses Brown and Wheeler, the Ravens now would test their collective mettle against the likes of Bancroft, Concord, and Pingree. While the change would signal the end of the School’s long-time association with the Southeastern New England (SENE) League and, along with it, end a few coveted rivalries, both Dr. DeVecchi and Coach Brown felt it was a winning proposition on a number of levels – and it has proved to be just that. The ability to compete against a respected group of like-minded schools was, according to Brown, “a good match for us, one that offered us equitable competition and suited our institutional goals. We knew our teams would be able to play every school in the EIL that offered that same sport. There would be more opportunity for Portsmouth to play as a school against others, traveling together and adding to school spirit." While Portsmouth welcomed the prospect of competing with schools that subscribe to similar principles of conduct, sportsmanship and institutional philosophy, the move to a new league was also inevitable. “Portsmouth had long been in need of a league affiliation with schools of like culture and constituency for its athletic teams,” said DeVecchi. “This need had been especially acute in recent years, as some of our traditional rivals experienced significant changes in their athletic philosophies– most notably, shifts to an exclusive public school schedule– and as our program matured under the leadership of Al Brown and a strong faculty coaching staff.” “We joined the SENE in 1975,” explained Brown, “but in recent years those schools began to change their schedules in order to play in Rhode Island’s interscholastic (public school) league, and they wanted in-state recognition for their sports and players. So, one by one, our opponents were leaving the SENE.” The league defections had a domino effect, resulting in a fragmented membership and decreased schedules and competitive opportunities. Due to differences in day vs. boarding school academic and athletic schedules, a move by Portsmouth to the public school league
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was not an option, either. In addition, that league prohibited public schools from even scrimmaging with Portsmouth if the Ravens had a fifth-year senior on one of its teams. “Our only option was to not play that student if he or she happened to be a fifth-year senior,” said Brown. “Our goal is to provide our students with as many opportunities as possible to compete, so we were not going to have one of them sit out a game in order to play another school.” Another possible option for the Abbey was to join the Independent School League (ISL), a long-established group of 16 New England-area prep schools that includes Roxbury Latin, St. Mark’s and St. George’s. However, no school had joined that league since 1974, and recent athletic scheduling changes in the ISL presented difficulties that ultimately precluded the prospect of Portsmouth doing so. In 2001, the ISL went to “all-league scheduling,“ meaning that, in football, for example, (where the league runs two, eight-team divisions) each school immediately had a full schedule, and ISL rules prohibited any member school from playing a ninth game. The result for Portsmouth was the dissolution of the long-standing and highly prized competition with St. George’s, along with valued “fill-in” games with the likes of Milton and Thayer. “We were acutely aware that many of our alumni were displeased that we were no longer playing our archrival, St. George’s,” said Brown. “But the truth is we had no choice in the matter. We were no longer allowed to. “Joining the ISL wasn’t a real option for us, since the ISL did not appear to be willing to expand their league to 17 teams,” continued Brown. “So we were left with the option of remaining in a disappearing league or going completely independent, which was a risky alternative; we would have been the one of the few truly independent schools in New England and might have been left with virtually no scheduling opportunities.” Dr. DeVecchi and Al Brown decided to apply for membership to the EIL, which had been formed in 1975 and included New England-area schools of similar size and culture. Since the application for membership was a lengthy process, in early 2005 Brown made a formal presentation to the heads of all EIL member schools that would eventually lead to Portsmouth’s acceptance into the EIL. The School received notification of that acceptance in May 2006.
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EIL: New League Affiliation Puts Ravens in Play
“There are so many benefits to our new affiliation; this is a significant upgrade for us,” explained Brown. “We now have full league schedules in almost all our sports. Seventeen of our Varsity teams, and seven JV teams, compete under the EIL, and all have league championships. Each league has 9 or 10 teams in it, too, which is a big improvement.” (The EIL doesn’t offer championships in football and ice hockey, so those Ravens teams still play in the recently formed Holt and Evergreen leagues, respectively.) The larger, more comprehensive schedules are helping build the School identity among a wider audience. Portsmouth now receives regular mention, through scores and news stories, in the sports pages of The Boston Globe. The move to the EIL has also meant major steps forward for Portsmouth’s girls’ sports. “Our most significant improvement has been in women’s sports with the addition of bona fide leagues in field hockey, ice hockey, swimming, squash, tennis and softball,” said Brown. “We’ve also been able to transition from co-ed to separategender teams in swimming, tennis and golf, and we now have a guaranteed group of schools to play, year in and year out.” Travel to other schools is about the same as before, he added, since the SENE now consists of schools farther afield, ones to which the Ravens would have to regularly travel if they were still in that league.
ATHLETIC REPOR T
B Y AT H L E T I C D I R E C T O R A L B R O W N
Portsmouth wrapped up the fall 2008 athletics season with its Awards Assembly on Wednesday, November 12th, with AD Al Brown congratulating and thanking varsity and JV players, coaches, managers and "behind-the-scenes" personnel – athletic department staff, trainers, and equipment room managers – for their level of commitment to the program. Overall, Ravens’ teams posted successful fall records. Olivia Fay ’10 earned EIL MVP honors in Cross Country for the second consecutive year, becoming the first Portsmouth studentathlete to do so; she also received All-State honors. Running back Ryan Silva ’10 was chosen MVP of the Evergreen League and All-State for his achievements on the football field, and the Ravens’ varsity football squad was named the recipient of the Evergreen League’s 2008 Sportsmanship Award. Congratulations to all of our student-athletes.
LOUIS WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY
In their first full year of participation in the EIL, Ravens teams fared well, winning two league championships and 60 percent of their games. “We’ve proven that we are competitive in this league and will become more so,” added Brown. From an administrative standpoint, Portsmouth benefits from a great spirit of cooperation from among EIL member schools. “We all share the same ideals and ethos, and it is a more comprehensive and integrated process than we had before,” said Brown. “The ADs meet more frequently, and we are currently working on a new code of conduct along with ways to evaluate and select our All-League athletes.” The move to the EIL has also strengthened the School’s admissions program. Meghan Fonts, Portsmouth’s admissions director, said, “Our EIL affiliation has given Portsmouth greater exposure to students and families in a market where we see the greatest admissions interest. During a prospective student’s visit to campus, the admissions office speaks to a balanced education as the foundation of the Abbey experience. Athletics is one of the cornerstones of this balance. When our prospective families see our School name in the sports section of their local paper, this clearly supports our efforts.” “There is no perfect fit,” concluded Coach Brown, “but if you consider where we’ve been and where we are now, you will see the EIL is a good, all-around match for us. As importantly, looking forward we have the opportunity to be a catalyst in this league, a key player in helping to grow and strengthen the EIL. In moving to the EIL, we did what we felt was in the best interests of our kids, and we are very happy with the results.”
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JV Philosophy and Records: The JV program places an emphasis on individual improvement and learning the tactics of the sport. Participation and winning are balanced to provide individuals the opportunity to develop and move to the varsity level. The majority of the fall 2008 varsity letter winners, captains and team award recipients started their Abbey athletic careers at the JV level. This year’s JV players show great potential for the future.
JV Records Boys’ JV Soccer Boys’ JVB Soccer Girls’ JV Soccer JV Field Hockey JV Football
3-6-3 2-6 4-5-1 3-6-1 3-2
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FALL POST-SEASON HONORS LOUIS WALKER PHOTOGRAPHY
Boys' Cross Country (EIL): Ed Kielb '11 Devin Laviano '09 Honorable Mention Quent Dickmann '10 Brendan Connelly '10
Girls' Cross Country (EIL): Olivia Fay '10, EIL MVP; All-State; First Place New England Class C Race Kaitlin Patton '11
FA L L S P O R T S AWA R D S
Honorable Mention Lauren Brodeur '10
Cross Country - Boys
Field Hockey (EIL):
Coach's Award: Ed Kielb '11 Most Improved: Alex Gallo '09 Captains-Elect: Brendan Connelly '10, Quent Dickmann '10, Madison Hansen '10, Patrick Lohuis '10 Overall Record: 10-3; EIL 8-0, EIL Championship 2nd place
Cross Country - Girls Coach's Award: Olivia Fay '10 Most Improved: Broghan Zwack '12 Captains-Elect: Lauren Brodeur '10, Olivia Fay '10, Sara Munda '10 Overall Record: 10-2; EIL 7-2, EIL Championship 5th place
Field Hockey Field Hockey Trophy, given by the Hannaford family: Ally Boglioli '09 Most Improved: Geneva White '09 Captains-Elect: Charlotte Papp '10, Ana Lopez '10 Overall Record: 2-10-1; EIL 1-7-1
Football John M. Hogan '54 Football Trophy: David Garvey '09 Most Improved: Joe Mitchell '09 Captains-Elect: Jean LeComte '10, Luke Gleason '10, Ryan Silva '10 Record: Evergreen Conference 6-2; Evergreen League South, 5-1, 2nd place
Boys' Soccer William Franklin Sands Memorial Trophy: Martin Minondo '09 Most Improved: Joe Gallagher '10 Captains-Elect: Ethan DaPonte '10, Jorge Carabias '10, Cam Shirley '10 Overall Record: 9-5-3; EIL 7-3-2, 4th Place
Girls' Soccer Girls' Soccer Trophy: Sarah Taddei '09 Most Improved: Steph Proulx '10 Captains-Elect: Sarah Savoie '10, Kathleen Timmons '10, Salome Wilfred '10 Overall Record: 7-4-4; EIL 5-2-2, 4th place
Boys' Golf Coach's Award: Pat Hannon '10 Most Improved: Darren Colbourne '12 Captain-Elect: Pat Hannon '10 Overall Record: 7-9; EIL Tournament 5th place
WINTER BULLETIN 2009
Ally Boglioli '09 Honorable Mention Beneva Davies '09
Football (Evergreen League): Ryan Andrews '09, All-State Dave Garvey '09 Shane McComiskey '09, Prep All New England Ryan Silva '10, Evergreen MVP; All-State; Prep All-New England Honorable Mention Jean LeComte '10 Joe Mitchell '10 Ben Theriault '09
Boys' Golf (EIL): Pat Hannon '10
Boys' Soccer (EIL): Javier Carabias '10 Ethan DaPonte '10 Martin Minondo '09 Honorable Mention Jorge Carabias '10 Chris Larson '10
Girls' Soccer (EIL): Brigid Behan '09, All-State Riley Grant '09 Sarah Taddei '09 Honorable Mention Sarah Savoie '10 Katie Sgarro '11 Opposite page: All-Stater Brigid Behan ‘09 heads the soccer ball in a fall match against St. George’s School. This page: Ravens running back Ryan Silva'10 earned Evergreen MVP; All-State; and Prep All-New England honors for the fall 2008 season.
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Brian ’93 and Molly Burke’s son, Matthew Richard Burke, who arrived in August 2008
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Noel Stephen and Linus Patrick Tucker, twin sons of Joe Tucker ‘79 and Amy Reichardt
B i r t h s
1979 Twin boys, Noel Stephen and Linus Patrick, to Joe Tucker and Amy Reichardt July 20, 2008
1982 A boy, Dominic Michael Benedict, to Christian and Kirsty Louis September 26, 2008
1985 A girl, Sofia Isabela, to Gerry and Annette Watson June 22, 2008 Right: Baby Dominic Michael Benedict and big brother Brosey, sons of Christian ‘82 and Kirsty Louis.
1986 A boy, Tristan Matheson, to Brendan and Jillian Sullivan November 6, 2008
1988
Far right: Grace Keegan Koch, daughter of Brennan Gilbane Koch ’97 and Andrew Koch
A boy, Roberts Alexander, to Patrick and Carter Sartor December 20, 2007
1990 A boy, James Edward, to Neil and Cathy Murphy October 23, 2008
Right: Norberto ‘92 and Ingrid Aja’s son, Lucas.
A boy, Luke William, to Joseph and Holly Michaud November 26, 2008
Far right: Jack San Dignan, son of Court ’95 and Liz Dignan (San means mountain in Korean, as named by Jack’s grandparents!)
1992 A boy, Lucas Karl Leo, to Norberto and Ingrid Aja August 16, 2008
1993 A boy, Matthew Richard, to Brian and Molly Burke August 4, 2008
Roberts Alexander Jacques Sartor, son of Patrick Sartor ’88 and his wife, Carter Wood
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Jackson Carney Forbes, son of Matthew ’97 and Ann Marie ’96 Forbes
Tristan Sullivan, son of Brendan ’86 and Jillian Sullivan, born November’08
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Kaely and Keegan McCarthy, children of faculty members Shane and Susan McCarthy
A girl, Mary Alice, to Gregory and Allison Robinson August 8, 2008
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Faculty/Staff A girl, Olivia Shae, to Jenna and Kyle Flynn July 24, 2008 A girl, Paige Suzanne, to Derek and Allison Gittus October 3, 2008
1994 A girl, Aliise Lilie, to Eero and Irene Pikat December 6, 2008
1995 A boy, Ryan Dominic, to Dominic and Erica Corrigan May 16, 2008
A boy, Keegan Thomas, to Shane and Susan McCarthy September 3, 2008
Former Faculty A boy, Tristan William, to Katie (Butlin) and Christopher Healey June 27, 2008
A boy, Jack San, to Court and Liz Dignan October 18, 2008
1996 A boy, Michael Darwin, to Sardiaa and Mark Leney February 27, 2008 A boy, Cavan Christopher, to Christopher and Katherine Finnerty November 8, 2008 A boy, Jackson Carney, to Matthew ’97 and Ann Marie Forbes June 1, 2008
Kimberly Salvo ‘98 married Carl Hernas in August of 2007.
Sean Rooney ’96 married Monique Lisette Valkenberg in October 2008.
A boy, Dylan Braham, to Mark and Denise von Sternberg September 13, 2008
1997 A boy, Jack Matthew, to Matthew and Kimberly Sluter April 1, 2008 A girl, Grace Keegan, to Brennan and Andrew Koch January 12, 2008 A boy, Patrick David, to Alexia and David Trainor April 18, 2008
WINTER BULLETIN 2009
Lauren Updegrove ’00 married John Rothschild. Molly McCarthy '00 and Kathryn McBride '00 served as maids of honor. Also in attendance were Justin LeComte '00, Liz McCarthy '07 and Maggie McCarthy'08.
Eliza Pfeffer ’01 married Elliott Plack on August 2, 2008
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Ryan Grabert’s ’97 wedding included (back row) Bill Sherman ‘97, Ben Squire ‘97, Steve DeVecchi ‘97, Matthew Reeber ‘97 (front row) Cara Gontarz ‘99, Brian Walsh ‘97, Lou Tavares ‘97, Chris Marcogliese ‘97, Dom Ambrose Wolverton, Ryan Grabert, Michael Anselmi ‘97, Brad Cerilli ‘97 and Andrew Gontarz ‘97
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Jaymes Dec ’96 and Gretchen Schaefer’s wedding (front row) with: Walter Dec Sr., Jeff Dec ‘97, John Egan ‘96, Matt Leahy ‘96, Mark Von Sternberg ‘96, Steve Allen ‘96, Sean Howley ‘96, Elizabeth Hickey ‘95, Amanda Londono ‘95, Kathleen Procario, David Dec ‘01, Enrico Palazio ‘96, Alvaro Londono ‘96, Matt Igoe ’96.
W e d d i n g s
1944 Keith Botsford to Angela Fellows
1997
1975 Michael Alexander to Gillian Ward William Brazell to Victoria Brewer September 13, 2008
1993
Right: Bill ’86 and Victoria Brazell on their wedding day.
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Ryan Grabert to Meghan O’Reilly October 12, 2008
1998
1986
Above: At Tara Winston‘s '98 wedding were: (from left) Alexandra Hart'00, Matthew Kavanagh'98, Tristan Mouligne '98, Michael McCarthy '98, Tara Tavares Winston '98, John Jay Mouligne'01, Sean Flynn '01, Nathaniel Spencer '98, Christopher Shonting'98, Beck Bennett '00, Ashley Hart '98, Ashley Jones '97, Kathryn Rooney-Sams '98, Kathleen Mannix '98, Cristina Craig '98, Anne Erhard '97, Brian O'Reilly '95, Robert O'Reilly '94, Maura Winston '02. Front row: Griffin Flynn'98, Janine Graebe'98, Ted Winston.
Jaymes Dec to Gretchen Schaefer August 31, 2008
Richard (Alec) Robinson to Winifred (Winnie) Harrington November 8, 2008
1995 Danielle McIntyre to Jean-Louis Luther September 20, 2008
1996 Christopher Block to Catherine Irvin October 11, 2008 Matthew Leahy to Raina Tucker Gay August 9, 2008
Kathryn Rooney to Stephen Sams September 14, 2008 Tara Tavares to Edward Winston September 5, 2008
1999 Maya Craig to Aaron Fernandes September 28, 2008
2001 Eliza Pfeffer to Elliott Plack August 2, 2008
2002 Mia Vachon to Reed Choate October 4, 2008
Sean Rooney to Monique L. Valkenberg October 5, 2008
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John J. Bird Jr. Father of John Bird ‘90 May 18, 2008 Jose E. Blanco ‘44 October 3, 2008 Adolf Buonanno Father of Dr. William Buonanno ‘74 October 27, 2008 Michael D. Casey ‘63 November 29, 2008 Georgette C. Collins Mother of Morgan ’54 and George ’58 Collins January 15, 2008 Evelyn Coy Mother of Christopher Coy ‘69 December 3, 2008 David Stuart Dodge Father of Richard L. ’78 and John E. White ‘80 January 20, 2009 Clement Dowling, Oblate March 13, 2008 Gardner S. Drape Grandfather of Christopher Ollerhead ‘94 June 28, 2008 Mary Schumacher Ferrer Mother of Thomas ’60 and James ’66 Ferrer, Grandmother of Thomas Ferrer ‘85 November 23, 2008 Roger J. Flynn ‘54 November 15, 2008 Stephen Gardner Grandfather of Henry Drayton ‘11 January 27, 2008
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Roger Flynn ‘54
NECROLOGY
Michael V. Bartlett ’72 July 8, 2008
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Gladys Grover Mother of Stephen Grover ‘70 April 9, 2008 Harry C. Hagerty Jr. ‘47 Father of Harry, III ’78 and John ’82 Hagerty October 21, 2008 Joseph L. Jones ‘64 Brother of Spencer L. Jones ’61, Cousin of Dom Christopher Davis, O.S.B. ‘48 January 6, 2009 Raymond J. Klemmer Father of Timothy ’71 and Anthony ’73 Klemmer, Grandfather of Jack ’04, Charles ’06, Raymond ’08 and Kerry ’09 Klemmer August 10, 2008 Edward M. Kowalchick Father of Edward Michael Kowalchick‘97 January 15, 2009 Conchita Kreisler Wife of former faculty member Manuel Kreisler and Mother of Michael Kreisler ‘82 September 29, 2008 Commander Shelby C. Leasure ’35, (USN, ret.) November 28, 2008 Marie F. Lewis Mother of Alexander I. Lewis, III ‘64 September 8, 2007 Joao Lima Father of Helder Cabral, Staff Member October 31, 2008 Dr. Robert L. Lombardo Father of Jeffrey Lombardo ‘85 August 12, 2008
WINTER BULLETIN 2009
Mary E. Madden, Oblate April 3, 2008 Nancy Anna Marcogliese Grandmother of Donald ’94 and Christopher ’97 Marcogliese November 20, 2008 John B. McKeon, Ph.D. ‘66 Brother of Daniel M. McKeon, Jr. ‘62 December 19, 2008 Dennis F. Mehlmann Father of Richard Mehlmann ‘04 September 23, 2008 Carl J. Moser ‘40 October 21, 2008 Ann H. Oglesby Mother of Jonathan Oglesby ‘94 Sister of John A. ’54, Rev. Joseph G., M.M. ’85, and Thomas J. Healey ’60, Peter ’57, Michael ’59 and Barry ’55 Sheehan, Aunt of Jeremy Healey ‘91 January 7, 2009 Eugene J. O’Reilly Father of J. Timothy O’Reilly ’57 Grandfather of John ’83, Sophie ’06 and Josephine ’09 O’Reilly September 11, 2008 Lesley Black Parker Sister of Harold (Hal) Black ‘92 August 16, 2008 Maria Ponte Mother-in-Law of Joseph Rocha, Staff Member, Grandmother of Jennifer ’09 and Stephanie ’12 Rocha October 14, 2008
Peter Quinn ’42 Brother of Anthony Quinn’54 September 9, 2008 N. David Scotti ’60 Brother of Ciro ’64, Francesco ‘66 and Joseph ’72 Scotti, Brother-in-law of Thomas Shevlin ’64, Nephew of David Dwyer ’37 August 22, 2008 Daniel Seitz, Oblate October 7, 2008 Eileen Slocum Grandmother of Lawrence Slocum ‘04 July 27, 2008 G. Hollister Spencer Father of John ’64 and Elliot ’68 Spencer July 22, 2008 Paul Stauder Husband of Gabriela Araujo ‘96, Brother-in-law of Andre Araujo ’01 December 6, 2008 Charlotte B. Vaughan Mother of James P. ’66 and Thomas C. ’70 Danaher November 14, 2008 Rita C. Vickers Grandmother of Nicole Vickers ‘10 June 27, 2008
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M I C H A E L B A RT L E T T ‘ 7 2
HARRY HAGERTY, JR. ‘47
Michael Bartlett ’72 died July 8, 2008 at his home in Bethesda, Maryland, after a courageous battle against cancer.
Harry C. Hagerty, Jr. ’47, a former member of the Board of Consultants, died peacefully in Brunswick, Georgia, on October 21, 2008, from complications related to melanoma. He was 79. Born in New York City, Harry graduated from the University of Notre Dame after a distinguished career at Portsmouth Priory. Harry was on active duty with the U.S. Navy in the 1950s and served as an aide to Admiral Walter Ellery Moore in Korea. Upon his release in 1956 with the rank of Lieutenant (junior grade), Harry began a career as a Member of the New York Stock Exchange. He was a partner in Adler, Coleman and Company, and Managing Partner of its successor, CMJ Partners. Harry retired in 1990 and moved to Sea Island, GA, in 1994, where he enjoyed many happy years.
Michael first came to the School Summer Program, where in his tribute at Michael’s memorial service Fr. Julian remembered having to throw a blackboard sponge at him to wake him up during Latin class, and stayed to become one of the more colorful members of the Portsmouth community. Recognizing his artistic bent, Father Hilary put him to work on several of his landscape design and gardening projects around the campus. Michael never looked back and went on to become one of the leading landscape designers in Washington, DC, working on private homes, commercial projects, embassies, banks, and many other venues. After leaving Portsmouth Michael attended the University of Pennsylvania. Before graduating he had already launched into his life’s work, renovating two inner city parks in the District of Columbia and winning a beautification award from the D.C. mayor’s office. A future issue of the Bulletin will included a reminiscence of Michael by his friend and classmate, Outerbridge Horsey ’72, as well as images from the book Michael and Rose Bartlett had been preparing on garden designs around the world. The Portsmouth community extends it deepest condolences to Michael’s widow Rose, his son Charlie, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bartlett, and all of his family.
While at Portsmouth, Harry played quarterback for the football team, where he was known for his “smooth, bullet-like passes that were responsible for a number of touchdowns,” according to the 1947 yearbook. He was a talented third baseman on the baseball team, serving as captain in his sixth form year. For his athletic endeavors, Harry was elected to the Athletic Association Student Board. A much-beloved figure at Portsmouth, Harry – called “The Horse” by some classmates – was elected in his Sixth Form year as the student with “Most Pull with the Masters.” He was also a prefect. Harry was followed at Portsmouth by sons Harry ’78 and John ’82. Harry said of his father’s affection for Portsmouth: “While Dad certainly admired Portsmouth for its mission, I think he also felt indebted to the school for the mercy it showed him. He would not have graduated in 1947 without Father Andrew administering, and then grading with who knows what degree of rigor, a make-or-break math exam on the night before graduation. So a couple of overlooked math errors earned Portsmouth a lifetime of devotion!” John reiterated their father’s loyalty to the school, saying, “Portsmouth was a very important institution in Dad’s life as student, alumnus and parent. Some of his best and closest lifelong friendships were developed during his time as a student at Portsmouth. Dad cared deeply about Portsmouth Abbey and its educational mission. He valued the commitment of the monastic community and lay faculty in developing the minds, bodies, and spirits of the students.” Son Harry shared at his father’s funeral that in his final months, Harry Jr. said, “I have no real regrets. I’ve been blessed with a good family, good partners, good friends and lots of good times. God is good.” Harry III added, “We have many fine memories and funny stories about dad, but I hope the one we remember the longest and take most to heart is that of a simple man who tried to live his faith daily, who shouldered his burdens easily and wordlessly, and who looked back on his life and was able to conclude, quite simply, that ‘God is good.’” Harry is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mary Ann (Coleman); his children Harry C. Hagerty, III ’78, Elizabeth H. Dessen, and John C. Hagerty ’82; and nine grandchildren. A Funeral Mass in celebration of Harry’s life was held on October 24 at St. Williams Catholic Church on St. Simons Island, GA. The entire Portsmouth community mourns Harry’s passing and extends its condolences to the Hagerty family.
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A Tale of Two Passes by William Lowell Putnam ‘41
‘40 Roger Putnam is a partner and flight instructor at Race Point Aviation, he is a member of the Cape Cod Commission, has served on the regional school committee, has been a selectman and now serves on the Zoning Board of Appeals in Wellfleet, MA...Hugh “Uncle Hugo” Markey attended Reunion Weekend.
‘41
William Lowell Putnam has just published A Tale of Two Passes: An Inquiry into Certain Alpine Literature, published by Light Technology Publishers and American Alpine Club, 2008. It covers two passes in the Alps, the Mont Cenis and Great Mount Bernard, and their history from pre-Roman times to the present. The text deals with Hannibal and his march of elephants and other Roman history events plus many contemporary photographs of each area... Alan Burrell writes, “Living in quite good health with Katy, my wife of 58 years whose health isn’t quite so good. Retired, somewhat involved
WINTER BULLETIN 2009
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Hugh Markey ’40 with his friend Mother Theresa, who gave Hugh the nickname, “Uncle Hugo, O.L.T.A.” (Our Lady’s Travel Agent)
in the 2008 election on behalf of Barack Obama, playing tennis 2-3 days a week, and kayaking occasionally on the Waccamaw River nearby. I have been living on Pawley’s Island on the Atlantic these past 10 years. I have six children spread from Oregon to London, and 16 grandchildren. I also do some volunteer work in local soup kitchens- enjoy reading and music. Member of the special class of ‘41!”
‘43
Francis Hurley writes: “71 years ago, I arrived at Portsmouth, 65 years ago I left Portsmouth and I was ‘lit from within’ (as per de Chardin). What a special grace!”
‘44
From Keith Botsford, “Moved to Costa Rica 2007, where I live in a multiple prize-winning house designed by my son Gianni. In the same year, I remarried: to Angela Fellows, a research molecular biologist. The magazine which I founded with Saul Bellow, The Republic of Letters, is now on its 19th issue. Two recent novels are: Collaboration and Death & the Maiden. A portrait of the painter Joseph Czapski will appear shortly in the ‘Cahier’ series of Sylph Editions/The American University in Paris, as well as a first part of an autobiography, Fragments, privately printed in the first instance for family and friends.”
‘48 60th Reunion sept 25- 27, 2009!
Monsignor Tim Collins visited the monastic cemetery at Portsmouth Abbey to pray at D. Benedict’s grave in late October. Tim was pictured with other Jubilarians of the Archdiocese in Catholic New York last summer.
‘50
Michael Putnam has coauthored a new book The Virgilian Tradition: The First Fifteen Hundred Years published by Yale University Press.
Carroll ’46 and Rosemary Carter with son Adam ’83 in Lourdes, 2007
‘54
Nagle Jackson writes: “This has been a banner year for me in that all seven of my published plays (and a couple of unpublished translations) have been performed in theaters around the country, in Canada and in Europe. This coming spring my latest, The White Room, will debut
Michael Putnam’s ’50 new book, The Virgilian Tradition: The First Fifteen Hundred Years
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at the Hedgerow Theatre in Philadelphia. My wife, Sandy, and I still live in Princeton Junction, NJ, and I spend each November in Paris, for no particular reason.”
‘60
Nagle Jackson’s ‘54 latest play, The White Room, will debut at the Hedgerow Theatre in Philadelphia this coming spring.
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Jaime Urrutia is living mostly in Santiago, Chile, although partly still in Bogota. He is busy visiting eight grandchildren and their parents (three of the four kids went to the Abbey) requiring commuting between these two cities and New York. He is now fully retired, while his wife Maria Elvira continues teaching and writing about Latin American modern and contemporary art.
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David and Melissa White and Sarah White at the San Francisco Giants’ stadium with Sam White ‘64 and his wife, Elizabeth. The "P" on the hats does not refer to Portsmouth but rather to the visiting baseball team, of which David is a long-suffering fan.
‘63
‘64
Jorge Lawton is an interpreter in Atlanta, GA. He writes, “Also doing some modest policy advising to one of the current candidates ... not hard to guess which and singing bass in a marvelous historically black Episcopal choir here in Atlanta.”… George Fowler has translated a novel from Chinese entitled Riddles from a Forgotten Old Town written by the contemporary female writer, Lin Zhe. It is awaiting publication in this country.
45th Reunion sept 25- 27, 2009!
Peter Morse and his wife Melissa now reside in Lagos, Nigeria, where he is a geophysicist working for Chevron… From Samuel White: “I have just gone on the Board of Regents, which will give me a venue for maintaining my friendships with (and admiration for) the current Portsmouth community. It is remarkable how good the School looks now, particu-
‘62
Peter Leonard is moving to Taos, NM, from Saigon where he has lived for the last 12 years. He plans to garden and write.
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Above, from left: Peter Fagan’55, Senior Development Officer Anna Jones, her husband Oakley, Alec Rives, and retired Study Skills teacher Rosemary Fagan gathered for lobster and crab at the New York Yacht Club in July. Bill Rives’67 snapped the photo.
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John “Red” Cummings ‘63 and his wife, Paula, with the Red Sox 2004 and 2007 World Series Trophies this summer.
larly as compared to how I remember it as a student although I am willing to wait until February to revise that opinion.” Samuel and his wife, Elizabeth have just published Stanford White, Architect, a book about Samuel’s great grandfather, the renowned New York architect… Regan Kerney teaches economics at Lawrenceville School, in Lawrenceville, NJ, where he holds the Norval Bacon Distinguished Teaching Chair. He writes: “Hard to believe I have been here nearly 20 years, and I still love going to work each day. Maybe it has something to do with June, July and August, which I have off each year. In addition to teaching economics all year, in the fall, I teach a course on Abraham Lincoln through his own words, and since this will be his 200th birthday, it’s a special year for the course. On the side, I am director of the Upper School – essentially the 230 members of the senior class – and spend my time trying to get them to be better behaved than we were. If any of you approach the midlands of New Jersey, please stop in.”
WINTER BULLETIN 2009
‘66 Juan Kellogg, along with his mother, has recently moved to a condominium near Fort Myers, where he has been for forty years. His work continues with the VA at the FMOPC, a community-based outpatient clinic.
‘67
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick named Paul Reville as his Secretary of Education in July of 2008. Paul is the Senior Lecturer on Education and was Director of the Education Policy and Management Program at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education prior to his appointment. Paul will continue to teach during his term as Secretary… Bill Rives’ horse, Dumar, finished fifth in a race at the Singapore Turf Club in early November.
‘68
Paul Florian continues to practice architecture in Chicago. He was awarded the title of FAIA- Fellow of the American
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Institute of Architects in 2006 and his firm received a National AIA award in 2007. He recently spoke at the University of Illinois, Chicago on “Sifted Strands: Aspects of Modernism.”… From Greg Hornig: “I climbed Kilimanjaro this October, two weeks after our 40th PAS reunion. Daughter Eliza, who was also at the reunion, had climbed Kili two years before. During that 2006 climb I had contracted a viral bronchitis and did not summit with Eliza. But wonderful Kilimanjaro had eluded me. I had not touched the magic of her ice. This trek was difficult, particularly because I fell and broke a rib on the first day of the trek. My companions on this trip, all experienced climbers and feeling the pain of our arduous climb, opined that I must be crazy to do Kili a second time. And although some frontal lobe dysfunction helps before and during the climb (resulting from high-altitude hypoxia), a good measure of stubbornness and an equal measure of training (one hour of hard exercise per diem, for at least 4 months) will see one through. And if you break a rib, avoid sneezing and bring some strong antiinflammatory drugs.”
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Paul Florian ‘68
Greg Hornig ’68 at the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in October 2008.
‘70
Allan Docal wrote to Jamie MacGuire, “…my wife and I are more or less settled in Croatia (although we still maintain a house in Virginia). I retired
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Chris Buckley’s ’70 new book Supreme Courtship.
Joe Tobin’71 in Zermatt, Switzerland, with his daughter Taylor in 2007
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from the State Department in February and decided to give it a try here. We bought this property some 6+ years ago, as we were leaving Zagreb after a 4-year assignment there. Basically, we bought what we thought was just an old (1843) stone house very typical of this region. (We are on the Istrian peninsula which juts out on the Adriatic. About a 30-45 minutes drive from our place to the center of Trieste, Italy). As it turns out, the house – which was inhabited by an elderly couple when we bought it – was really part of a mostly abandoned olive grove/farm. So not only did we totally refurbish the house from top to bottom, bringing it up to the 21st century, Internet included, but as of about mid-2004 we have been putting some efforts in bringing the olive trees back to life/production. We are “rejuvenating” old trees, planting new ones. We pressed our first oil in 2005/6. Up to now, it’s purely for personal consumption and as gifts for family and friends. A Balkans version of A Year in Provence or Under the Tuscan Sun. Portsmouth classmates,
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and other alumni, are more than welcome to look us up, drop by, share a glass of teran (the local red wine) or malvazija (the local white) if they are in the region. (We are also just a few kilometers away from the epicenter of truffle country, black or white. Just yesterday, as I went out trying to take my dogs for a good walk, I ran into quite a number of ‘truffistas’ out with their dogs as the new truffle season begins). “… Chris Buckley has written a new comic novel entitled Supreme Courtship. The New York Times describes it, “In Supreme Courtship the moment comes when you realize Buckley’s wildly proliferating plotlines are starting to converge on a reprise of Bush v. Gore – a shimmer of realism behind all the mischief. And this subtext clarifies Buckley’s moral critique of Washington. Call it the banality of misrule.”
‘71
News arrived from Jesse Lamsam via Jamie MacGuire ’70, “I did not go into medicine, but pursued a career in Medical Technology. After about 10 years of clinical laboratory work, I ventured into basic research and molecular biology. My first “break” came when I joined a group down in Des Moines that was working on gene therapy for glioblastoma. Later, I joined the Mayo Endocrine Research Unit in Rochester, MN and am currently learning some new skills running a mass spectrometer. We are using the machine to run clinical sam-
ples for Vitamin D, Estrogen, Testosterone and Cortisol. Beside routine work, I am involved with developing new methods on the mass spectrometer for Mayo Clinicians who are seeking NIH grants on their studies.”… Andre Lapeyre is also at Mayo in Rochester where he is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the College of Medicine at Mayo along with being a Consultant in Cardiology… Joseph Tobin writes: “I am currently living with my wife of almost 20 years, Edith Andrews Tobin, in San Francisco. I am in the mobile home park business in Oregon, Washington and Nevada. I have two children ages 14 and 18. My oldest is at Thacher School and my youngest at Convent of the Sacred Heart. I share an office with my 85-year-old father and generally have it much better than I might deserve.”
‘74
Jan Schwarzenberg is still happily living in Hawaii, working for the Navy as Program Manager for Explosives Safety for all of the Navy magazines scattered throughout the Pacific. His younger son Lexi ’03 lives with him while attending University of Hawaii. They both get back to the main homestead in Middletown, RI, a couple of times a year. Jan will take over in December as Deputy Commodore for Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group ONE, half of the Navy’s bomb technicians and combat salvage divers.
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Far left: Jan Schwarzenberg’74 and son, Lexi ’03, arriving in Bikini Atoll for a week of diving on the Nuclear Fleet, the WWII ships sunk during the nuclear bomb testing.
Left: Francis DiMenno ’75 at the Emily Williston Memorial Library and Museum in Easthampton, MA, where he is the director.
‘75 Michael Alexander writes in: “I live on Marco Island, Florida with my wife, Gillian, and her two sons, Steven and Alexander. Gill’s daughter left home and is in her second year of college at New College in Sarasota. We have one dog and four cats. I stay very busy with my lawn service business and fish when I can. I have a great get-away home in the Ocala National Forest which I go to as often as possible though not often enough.”… “Hello from Carlos Aviado. I currently work as an optical engineer at NASA on the Hubble space telescope for the last 18 years to keep it going. The present mission is to change out the old for the new. Portsmouth is a launching pad to create a positive future for all generations that everyone can be part of.”... Francis DiMenno received his joint master’s degree in library and information science and history at the University of Rhode Island in 2005. As of February 2008, he has been the Director of the Emily
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Williston Memorial Library and Museum in Easthampton, MA. He currently divides his time between Easthampton and Providence, RI. …George Jacobs writes, “As an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, I recently represented the United States as lead counsel in Operation Gold Seal which prosecuted the operators of a sophisticated internet scheme that sold high school diplomas, undergraduate and advanced level degrees and transcripts to over 9,000 consumers in 131 countries for over $7 million. The defendants were convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Wire and Mail Fraud, Foreign Corrupt Practices (paying bribes to foreign government officials), and other federal offenses. The case was challenging and fascinating and it has received media coverage throughout the world. In furtherance of their scheme, the defendants even used a photograph of Blenheim Palace (the ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill) on one of their internet sites to lead consumers to believe that it
was a photograph of the campus.”…Tim Flanigan and Miriam Hospital in Providence, RI, have been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. This five-year grant is to develop an advanced training and mentoring program for minority postdoctoral researchers and junior faculty members focusing on HIV/AIDS. Tim is the director of infectious diseases at Miriam Hospital.
‘77
Tim Seeley was recently installed as Headmaster of North Cross School in Roanoke, VA. Ignatius MacLellan was in attendance,
Gregory Floyd ’57 (left) and Tim Seeley ‘77 at Tim’s installation as head of North Cross School in Roanoke, VA, this fall. See page 48 for excerpts from Tim’s speech
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Confessions Of A Nerd – Or, How I Came To Embrace My Geekdom (The following are excerpts from Tim Seeley’s (’77) installation speech as Headmaster of North Cross School in Roanoke, Virginia.) I am here today for one reason only: because I am a nerd. In fact, I have titled my talk this morning “Confessions of a Nerd,” or, “How I came to embrace my geekdom.” I am proud to be a nerd, but I am a nerd just the same. However, I did not start off a nerd. How I came to be one, to change my attitude about school, and, more importantly, about learning, has a good deal to do with why I have the great good fortune and singular honor to be on this dais this morning, being installed at one of the great schools of Virginia, a state synonymous with high quality education. Indulge me as I take you on a bit of a journey, because I think it will in the end illustrate something important about what is going on here this morning. Like most mothers, mine saved nearly everything from when I was a child. Several years ago she called me to say they were going through old boxes and did I want my old teacher comments from when I was in school? I said sure, and she sent them to me. I had an enjoyable time reading them and remembering old teachers and classes, now long-gone struggles and triumphs. What was most interesting was reading the ones from my first year, as I struggled to adjust to a much more rigorous school than I had been used to. Most of them said something along the lines of, “Tim is clearly bright, and he is nice enough, but he has not yet learned how to study effectively. A bit more work and he could surely get a B.” One I remember quite clearly from that first fall came from Mr. Haney, a chemistry teacher and my housemaster. It said: “Tim is starting to adjust well, but as his teachers note he is still getting it together in the classroom. He has made a good start. He is already a gentleman, and, I am confident, he will in time become a scholar.” Remember this comment. I believe Mr. Haney’s words express the essence of a great school, as well as illuminate something important about how I came to be a geek, which are, in the end, the same…. When I went away to my independent school in tenth grade, Portsmouth Abbey School, the very fine school led so ably by Gregory Floyd (’57), my goals hadn’t much changed, and I was an indifferent student. Not a terrible student, because I more or less did my work, but an indifferent one. Most of my friends were indifferent, as well, more interested in sports and each other than academics. School was something I did because that’s what everyone my age did, and was a vehicle for playing football and basketball, which made it tolerable enough. But I had no passion for it. I came to love school because at Portsmouth Abbey something happened to me. It began with being surrounded by peers who actually did their homework, who wanted to do well, and who valued success in the classroom. It was nurtured by teachers who were brilliant in their disciplines, who had affection for young people, and who had a belief in their students’ success. And it came to fruition in a curriculum that challenged me, that pushed me beyond what I thought I could do, and that opened my mind to new ideas and clear thinking by demanding I acquire
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new ideas and think clearly about them. I believe it was David Perkins, the educational Tim Seeley ’77 and Ignatius MacLellan ‘77 at theorist at the Tim Seeley’s installation as head of North Cross H a r v a r d School in Roanoke, VA, this fall. G r a d u a t e of School Education, who said, “Facts are one dimensional, knowledge is two dimensional, wisdom is three dimensional.” Good schools take mere facts and help students turn them into knowledge; and they give students the necessary tools to process knowledge and meld it with experience so that over the course of their lives they can turn that knowledge into wisdom. My teachers expected me to use my head, not merely as a repository for information, but as a processor of that information, in pursuit of new, wonderful ideas, and would not let me be complacent about the material before me. At Portsmouth Abbey I was introduced to the joy of the life of the mind, to the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, and to the idea that a clearly thinking person in pursuit of the truth is the most wondrous thing in all of God’s creation. In short, at Portsmouth Abbey I learned to love learning. Donald Sanders said in the book Teaching Creativity through Metaphor, “The best educating takes place at the intersection of the intellect, heart and the imagination.” My teachers taught according to that sentiment, and in doing so they changed me. As a result, at my independent school I moved from being a student only passingly interested in academics, one who earned but moderately good grades, to one with a great deal of confidence in my intellect, and the skills to be successful at a very competitive college, one I never would have been admitted to out of my public high school. Let us return now to that long-ago comment by Mr. Haney. “Tim is already a gentleman; I am confident he will become a scholar.” Why do I say this captures the essence of independent schools beautifully, and explains my own transition from a fair student into a good one? Because it demonstrates Mr. Haney saw in me something I did not yet see in myself. I did not think of myself as particularly bright or scholarly. But he did. He saw that I could become a scholar, and in a gentle way told me he would not let me be complacent about my potential. Believe it or not, I still remember first reading that comment over Christmas vacation in 1974, almost 35 years ago, and thinking, “He thinks I am smart.” And part of me resolved to prove him right, resolved to become a scholar. My growth as a thinker came not just because I was in an intellectual atmosphere. It came as well because the people there saw my ability before I did and would not let it lie dormant. I am here today because I went to a school that unleashed my intellect. Thank you, mom and dad. All my successes can be directly traced back to that, and my desire to work in independent schools, which culminates today, comes because I know what a school that seeks the finest in its students, recognizes it, and then demands it, does for them…
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and former Portsmouth Abbey Headmaster, Gregory Floyd ‘57, was the keynote speaker. Tim’s speech was entitled “Confessions of a Nerd or, How I Came To Embrace My Geekdom,” which made wide references to his days at Portsmouth. Please see the entire speech on page 48.
‘78
From Winston Shero: “Howdy from the Great State of Texas!! Sorry that I missed you all at the Reunion, but times are crazy here in Houston - after all we are trying to make sure that you can put gas in your tank. My son Chris and I went on our annual backpacking adventure this summer - this year was Yellowstone National Park. Beautiful place. I went with my brother and his boys it was a good opportunity for us to catch up.”… On Saturday November 15th, the Chatterton family gathered at The Abbey for the baptism of Allen H. Chatterton, III’s third child, Zachariah Hay Chatterton. Father Damian Kearney ’45 presided. In 1996, Father Damian baptized Allen’s first son, Alexander Joseph “AJ,” and, in 1998, Allen’s daughter, Marina. Allen reports that Father Damian held a beautiful service and that he is in such good health that he should still be in fine form for Allen’s next surprise!
‘81
Michael McCauley lives in Concord, MA, with his wife and four children and runs the
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equity trading desk for Fidelity Investments institutional investment management operations located in Smithfield, RI. After more than 20 years, he retired last year from US Army where he served as an aviator flying both rotarywing and fixedwing aircraft.
‘83
Adam Carter writes, “I am married to my wife of five years Liz and we have a three year old son, Charles Carroll Carter II, who will be PAS Class of 2023, when we will be celebrating our 40th! The practice of law in Washington, DC, is fulfilling and loads of fun. I represent whistleblowers and employees in litigation against their employers. As a Knight of Malta I am privileged to go each year on a pilgrimage to Lourdes where Our Lady appeared 150 years ago to St. Bernadette. I always see George and Charlie Carter’s mother, Hope Carter, there and very often my own brother, Carroll ’77, and his wife Lia.” Although he was unable to attend Reunion 2008, Adam also provided the following information on his classmates: “Jim Burke is working in New Canaan, CT, and is partners with my brother, Carroll, in a venture called Carter Burke Equity Research. He has a terrific game of
golf… Mike Fedrick is a patent and trademark attorney in California. He is married and has two children…Matt Rossi is married and has three children. He is an attorney with Akin Gump here in Washington and a very accomplished litigator.”
The Carter family in Lourdes: In 2007, nine Carter family members attended the Order of Malta’s annual pilgrimage to Lourdes: (from left) Rich, Leslie (Rich’s wife), Adam ’83, Hope P ’82, ’85, Carroll ’77, Elizabeth, Charlie ’82, Kay, and Lia (Carroll’s wife).
‘84
25th Reunion sept 25- 27, 2009!
David Bardorf writes, “Just returned from 3rd deployment to Iraq and am currently assigned as the executive officer for 1st Tank Battalion in Twenty Nine Palms, California. I would like to hear from any classmates, as I’ve been out of touch with all since joining the USMC in 1991. Email me at dbardorf@yahoo.com.”... In 2006, Charles Stratton joined the Ave Maria Foundation as the Manager of the IT Group. The Ave Maria Foundation was founded by former
Winston Shero ’78 and his son, Chris, last summer in Yellowstone National Park
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Below, David Bardorf ’84 in Iraq; right, David‘s wife, Rene, with Anna and Hayden."Happy that Dad is home."
Brendan Sullivan ’86 with wife, Jillian, sons Brendan Patrick and Fitzgerald Alexander (Fitz)
John McCormick ‘85 and his wife, Morgan
Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan to further Catholic education and missions, and among other works is the impetus behind Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, FL. He is currently pursuing an MBA in Technology Management, with an expected graduation of December 2009. He and his wife, Joanna, have two daughters, Elizabeth, 9, and Julianna, soon-to-be 5.
‘85
John McCormick is busy living on airplanes as managing director of his growing private equity firm Healthpoint Capital which specializes in musculoskeletal surgical implants. In his spare time, he and his wife, Morgan, are active in the New York City arts community. He urges alums to come visit… Sean Driscoll ran the New York City marathon in November with a time of 4:21:08. Sean Driscoll ’85 with sons, Charlie and Ryan
‘86
From Conor Bohan: “I recently collaborated with Michael Lisman of the Inter-American Dialogue (thedialogue.org) on an op-ed piece tying the
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recent school collapse in Haiti to the greater problems of Haiti’s education system. The op-ed is published on The Guardian’s website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/ commentisfree/cifamerica /2008/nov/13/haiti-school-collapse-us-aid. The tragedy of the school collapse struck close to home for us at Haitian Education and Leadership Program (HELP).”Conor asks that you keep the victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers… Mike Ryan is the Providence, RI, producer of the 48-Hour Film Project. The project challenges local filmmakers to write, shoot and edit complete short films in only 48 hours. This year, 55 Rhode Island teams (600-700 people) took part, and judges and audiences selected their favorites, which were rescreened in August at the closing event of the RI International Film Festival… September marked the beginning of the installation of Leo Villareal’s LED (light-emitting diode) project designed for the National Gallery of Art’s Concourse in Washington, DC. Villareal’s work features movement and light, qualities that make this installation particularly well-suited for the mov-
ing walkway between the East and West Buildings, a subterranean area through which thousands of people pass daily. The installation features approximately 40,000 LED nodes that run through channels along the entire length of the connecting link. The artist will program sequences using custom-designed software to create abstract configurations of light through electronic circuitry. The installation is located in the East Building Concourse where it will be until September 2009.
‘87
Gregory Burns was named president and chief executive of Clark Holdings, Inc., a provider of supply-chain services. He had been the director of business development and will remain as a director.
‘88
On a July trip to Aruba, Academic Dean Robert Sahms and his wife Christine, met with Elbert Arends who lives on the island. They spent time together swapping Abbey stories during their tropical vacation… Eugene Sullivan III lived in Taipei and has recently
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Helen Alexis Yonov’s ’97 movie, The Weight of It
group of Shearman & Sterling LLP…Frederick Aziz graduated from law school in 2001. He lives in the Washington, DC, area where he works in trade policy for the US Department of Commerce.
‘95
moved to Singapore with his wife and twin 3-year-old boys.
‘90
Sean Arthurs spent 2007-08 working for Judge Henry H. Kennedy, Jr., on the District Court for the District of Columbia. He just started with Shearman & Sterling’s Litigation Practice Group in Washington, D.C. On the personal side, Sean is married to Michele and living in Cheverly, MD, with their two youngsters, Keegan and Catherine.
‘93
Gregory Lesnik has recently graduated from his Surgical Residency in Ear, Nose, and Throat, Head and Neck Surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital. He has joined his father in private practice in Norwich, CT. He and his wife, Stephanie, and their four children, Maggie 6, Ally 6, Kasimir 2, and Aniella 1, live in Madison, CT… Brian Burke and his wife, Molly, welcomed the arrival of Matthew Richard Burke on August 4, 2008, who joined big sister Bailey, 3. They live in New York City, where he is an attorney in the litigation
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Nick Corrigan and his wife, Erica, are living in the Metro Boston area with their three sons, Matthew (4), Connor (4), and their newest addition Ryan (4 months). Ryan Dominic Corrigan was born May 16th, 2008, at Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston, MA. Weighing 7lbs., 12oz., he was welcomed with love and affection by the entire family and especially his twin older brothers Matthew and Connor who promised their parents they would assist in ALL facets of caring for the new arrival. (They are still not interested in changing diapers just yet!) Nick is currently working for a medical device company covering all of New England and New York State. He attended the wedding of Matt Leahy ‘96 in August and Danielle McIntyre in September, where he reconnected with many fellow Abbey Alums… Matt DeVecchi has been promoted to Associate Director, Development in External Relations at Harvard Business School. Matt’s work includes developing strategy and expanding the community of alumni in India. In addition to this assignment, Matt will continue to manage fund raising activities for a large number of classes.
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‘96 Andy Pesant served as best man at the marriage of Chris Block to Catherine Irvin in October. … Corey Jamison is living in Maine after moving from Boston last year. He finished his MSW in 2005 at Simmons College, and is currently serving as the Assistant Director of Residential Treatment at Spurwink in Chelsea, Maine. He sees a lot of his brother, Ryan Jamison ‘98, who lives in New Hampshire with his girlfriend and their dog and cat. Ryan continues to sing and dance at the Performing Arts center of Kingston, NH.
From left, Christine Sahms, Elbert Arends ’88 and Academic Dean Robert Sahms in Aruba, summer 2008
Nick Corrigan ‘95 and his wife, Erica, and their three sons, Matthew (4), Connor (4), and their newest addition Ryan (4 months)
‘97
The Weight of It, a film directed by Alexis Yonov, was shown at this summer’s RI International Film Festival. The film was summarized, “After years of estrangement, Cela returns home to heal old wounds and confront her dying father about their broken past.” The film was shot in California. Alexis hopes to turn the 15-minute short into a fulllength feature after showing it at various film festivals. For more information, visit the film’s website: www.twoifilm.com... Elisabeth Merkel started work in August at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley… Alexia Karousos Trainor is currently in nursing school and living in Providence with her husband. On April 18, 2008, she gave birth to a baby boy, Patrick
Simeon ’97 and Sabine Stancioff with baby Eva Marie
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Mary Burke ‘97 and Mary McGregor‘97 on their jaunt to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mike Kowalchick ’97 and Michael Anselmi ’97 on their First Annual Kowalchick/Anselmi brothers’ hunt.
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David Trainor. She plans to be finished with nursing school by 2010… Matthew Sluter and his wife, Kimberly, welcomed their first child, Jack Matthew, on April 1, 2008. All are doing well… Mary McGregor spent the entire summer traveling across South America and was joined by Mary Burke in Buenos Aries for 10 days.
‘98
Jason Weida is an associate at Skadden, Arps in Boston. Jason practices securities and other general corporate litigation. Recently, he has helped defend a major Boston-based mutual fund company in a multidistrict litigation involving allegations of securities fraud…From Jennifer Stankiewicz: “Aloha all....I am still living in the Santa Cruz Mountains in California, but am now teaching Kindergarten at the Charter School of Morgan. It’s a nice change from the corrupt district public school system; besides creative freedom we even have a school pig and chickens. My summer was full of road trips from coast to coast. If you find yourself in NorCal look me up!”… Johnson and Wales University Reference Librarian Talia Resendes has been named an adjunct faculty for the School of Technology and is teaching two sections of Foundations in Technology.
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‘99 10th Reunion sept 25- 27, 2009!
Kevin Vendituoli received a master of marine affairs from the University of Rhode Island in June 2008…Edward Rhys Stoltenberg is doing well on the Iranian border, and the “forward edge of freedom.” He writes, “leading soldiers in combat is the greatest job a person can have.”…Christina Beccue is at Widener University in Pennsylvania pursuing a doctorate in psychology.
‘00
Kate Magee recently moved from Charleston, SC, to New York City. She was promoted to Community Manager for Balfour Beatty Communities at Fort Hamilton. Balfour Beatty Communities’ (formerly GMH Military Housing) primary focus is providing highquality homes and building welcoming communities for our nation’s military members and their families, on bases throughout the United States. The mission is to create family-oriented communities, where residents and their families feel completely at home…J.R. Baker writes, “Since graduating from Brown, I’ve been living in Melbourne, Australia, for over 4 years now. I’m a registered psychologist and lecturer at Trinity College at the University of Melbourne. I’m also working on a PhD in psychology at Swinburne University. While I’m a general psychologist, my area of
research specialty is cyber-psychology. My past research has focused on cyber-slacking, workplace email usage, social networking and blogging. It’s a timely area to research and I’ve been able to enjoy a fair bit of print, radio, and television media as a result.”… Lauren Updegrove married John Rothschild in July. They are now living in Columbus, OH… Stephanie Muylaert graduated from the University of Texas at Houston Medical School in May 2008, and was accepted to an ophthalmology residency in NY. She is currently working as a surgical intern in Dallas. She spends her free time running and performing endurance horseback riding.
‘01
Tiffany Spencer writes: “I am currently living in Tampa, Florida. I’m teaching kindergarten at a new school in my neighborhood. It’s truly a dream job. Hope everyone is well!” …Bryan Twomey is working in sales for Consumers Interstate Corporation in Norwich, CT. He and his wife, Destiny, have a 21-month-old son, Braydon, and a newborn daughter, Avery. They live in Norwich in a home they just purchased… Eliza Pfeffer writes: “I got married August 2nd, 2008 to Elliott Plack, the man of my dreams. Elliott is in the Army Reserves and has started graduate school at Towson University to get his geographic information studies degree. I entered my 4th year of teaching first grade at Holabird Academy with my
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Edward Rhys Stoltenberg ’99 and fellow soldiers in Iraq.
largest class in my teaching career – 23 students– but still absolutely loving it! I am also in my final year of graduate school at Johns Hopkins University (my dad’s alma mater). In May 2009 I will be receiving my degree as a Reading Specialist. I still plan on teaching after I receive my degree, but will use the degree later on in my life.”… From Ken Kraper: “Big news in my world is that I got married this past July to my wife, Catie, whom I met two years ago through a mutual friend when we were both living in Arlington, VA. She is from Albuquerque, NM, so we were excited to have our wedding out there on 4th of July weekend. The other Kraper men served as best men, while my wife’s two sisters were matrons of honor. It was amazing and marriage continues to be such a huge blessing in our lives. My wife is now working on a PhD in Clinical Psychology up in New England, so I moved in March to Somerville, MA, from VA. I am continuing my work in federal government consulting, working with defense and intelligence clients. I was fortunate to find some work up
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The Muylaert MDs! Dad, Michel, an OB/GYN, robed Stephanie ‘00 at her graduation from medical school.
in this area to keep me busy, but I still make it down to D.C. pretty regularly for other work. I’m also working on my master’s degree in applied intelligence.”… After growing up on the east coast, Shelley Ryan decided to head west and now resides in San Francisco, CA. She currently works for TPG Capital. Prior to the move she was employed at Rockefeller & Co., Inc. in New York City. When she is not working, you can find her mountain biking, hiking or taking cooking classes… Dan Murray currently works as an assistant to the movie producer Harvey Weinstein. Before joining The Weinstein Company, he worked as an assistant to Director Mike Nichols on his Broadway play, “The Country Girl,” and the 2007 film, “Charlie Wilson’s War.” Dan lives down under the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn but when he surfaces he occasionally sees Abbey alums Bryan Flynn‘00 and Dan Morton ‘00 at the West Village watering hole Ditch Plains, where the latter two have made a nice little home away from Aquidneck Island. If you’re in either neighborhood stop by and say hello.
‘02 Ali Macdonald is working at MTV as an Executive Assistant in the department of On-air Promotions... An update from Patrick Neimeyer: “Recently my ship was involved in multiple exercises and humanitarian missions. The first was during the summer when Myanmar was hit by a devastating hurricane. While on patrol, the Essex prepared stores and water to send over to Myanmar, floating off their shore. But fortunately for us, we were ordered back home to Sasebo. The second and most recent mission was a “showing the flag” exercise which involved schooling and drills up in Yokosuka, Japan. Yokosuka is home to numerous ships in the 7th Fleet, and the Essex was invited northward from Sasebo to attend schools and training facilities located on the base. This was a great opportunity to learn new firefighting tactics and flight deck knowledge. After leaving Yokosuka, our ship sailed to Tokyo and made port in the harbor. I was amazed by the sheer size and beautiful elegance of the city. It truly is one of the pearls of the orient. This visit solidified our
Above: Taken on Labor Day, September 1, 2008, at the Acoaxet Club’s award ceremony in Westport, MA. Portsmouth Abbey Alumni and best pals all walked away with an award: tennis for the Hawes sisters, and golf for the Squire brothers and Red Cummings. It was quite a weekend with extraordinary happenings. It was like the Williams sisters facing off at the US Open, the Squires battled it out hole-for-hole until Alex took the gold. (from left, Ben Squire ’97, Jillian Hawes ‘99, John “Red” Cummings ’63, Heather Hawes Dwyer ’96 and Alex Squire ’01 with their awards.)
Paul Yoon ’01 and his fiancé, Jenny Detterman
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Commander and Operations Officer Bill Villareal P’ 09,’12 and ABHAN (Aviation Boatswain’s Mate) Patrick Neimeyer ’01 aboard the USS Essex in Japan where they are both stationed. Both play on the ship’s lacrosse team, often decked out in Portsmouth Abbey’s athletic wear!
At his University of Pennsylvania graduation Jon Quatromoni ’04 (far left), Neha Sharma and Timothy Taylor. Jon and Timothy played against each other for the Bishop Ansgar Cup while they were both in high school. Timothy was a graduate of St. Anselm School, and the two met at University of Pennsylvania.
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stable relationship with the Japanese as long-time allies and friends.”
‘03
Evan Piekara writes, “I have just started my second year of teaching 6th grade English and social studies in the South Bronx as a member of the Teach For America program. I am living in Manhattan, completing a master’s degree in education, and having a great time in the city. I find teaching very enjoyable, despite all of the challenges associated with teaching in an underresourced school and low- income community. Over 80% of my students are Spanish speaking so they have more respect for me because I can translate. Also, many of their parents don’t speak English so I have to speak to them in Spanish. Teach For America is a two-year commitment, so I am presently interviewing for positions in NYC in consulting, business, and was looking into finance, but given the state of our markets that
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seems very unlikely. I am also considering teaching a third year in the South Bronx, or working the business or development end of Teach For America.” Check out his blog at: http://theulot.wordpress. com/... Jae Won Kim writes in: “After graduating from University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in philosophy, I have taken a year off. I am staying in Korea right now and I will be in Montreal this fall. I will be applying to graduate schools for my master’s degree in sociology and after that, my plan is to get into law school”… Brendan Rok is enjoying the beautiful weather of western Florida while going through Navy advanced helicopter training. He plans on getting his wings early next year and moving on to the fleet replacement squadron in either Norfolk, VA, or San Diego, CA, to fly the SH-60 Seahawk…Tina Hwang graduated with a master‘s degree and B.S. in chemical engineering, and is working for an environmental consulting firm as an air quality engineer in CA. Her primary client is the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the California
Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). She reviews the applications to CEC and CPUC, estimates air pollution emissions from construction, and provides emission control and mitigation measures... Kellie DiPalma successfully ran for School Committee in Middletown, RI, in November. She ran against two other well-known residents, both past teachers, and was the top vote-getter among school committee candidates. During her campaign, she visited several local schools to talk with the superintendent, principals and teachers to gain insight. During her campaign, she visited nearly 1,000 homes with her father, Lou, who was running for the RI State Senate at the same time. Both were successful in their bid for office! She credits Portsmouth Abbey’s Benedictine tradition in the development of her work ethic and the pursuit of her goals.
‘04
5th Reunion sept 25- 27, 2009!
Conor McMahon, a senior at George Washington Univ., was named in June to the
Brendan Rok ‘03 while in Navy advanced helicopter training
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Cleveland Golf All-America Scholars Team (Academic allAmerican). As co-captain, he was one of just 96 Division I golfers so recognized nationwide. To be eligible for Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar status an individual must be a junior or senior academically, must have competed in at least two full years at the collegiate level, must participate in 70 percent of his team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0 in Division I and maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university … Jon Quatromoni writes in: “Hi, Portsmouth Abbey! In May I graduated with a B.A in biology from the University of Pennsylvania, where I received Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa honors. I was also recently accepted to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Class of 2013. Until classes commence next August, I will be doing translational medical research in a surgical oncology lab at the University of California, Los Angeles, and enjoying the warm weather!”… Christian Burnett is a Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy. He is majoring in international relations, though he will receive a bachelor’s degree in Science upon graduation and a commission as an Officer in the US Navy. He made the Superintendent’s List (Honors) with a 4.0 in the spring. This previous summer he com-
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pleted training with the USMC and received his airborne wings while training at the Army’s paratrooper school in Fort Benning, Georgia. For service selection he has chosen Naval Aviation and will head to Pensacola, FL, next summer to begin pilot training… Brandi Mataronas received a bachelor of science degree from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Rhode Island in May… Eliza Greenman received her bachelor’s degree cum laude from Connecticut College in May. She has moved to Colorado… Matthew Corser graduated cum laude with two bachelor of science degrees from the College of Engineering at the University of Rhode Island in May… Sean Galvin graduated from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University in May. He majored in dramatic writing and won the Founders Day Award for scholastic performance… Whitney Connell graduated magna cum laude from Wheaton College with a bachelor of arts in US History and hispanic studies. She is the newest member of the Portsmouth Abbey Office of Development and Alumni Affairs as the development officer for Young Alumni… Alexandra Sparks received a bachelor’s degree from Union College in June… Paul Petronello received a degree in business administration from Babson College in May and is now working at General Electric… Katherine Morgera took part in the White Coat
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Ceremony at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in November. The ceremony recognizes the transition of a student from a layperson to those assuming the responsibility of physicians. She is a first-year student at the university... Elise Markell has been enjoying her job as a tour manager in the music industry. This past year, she has worked with State Radio, Joe Purdy, and Brandi Carlile.
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Kayla Elliott ‘06 in Peru
‘05
Bridget Royer is a biology major at the University of San Diego. She spent her junior year abroad in Ireland and loved it. She graduates in May 2009 and has applied to Teach for America… Amanda McDonnell was named “Empire 8 Goalie of the Week” for field hockey. Amanda is team captain for Utica College and was named goalie of the week for 136 saves in games against Brockport and Oswego in September… Leah Dembinski, who is an environmental studies major, participated in the 2008 Mt. David Summit, and annual celebration of academic excellence at Bates College. She studied in Cuzco, Peru, in the fall of 2007… Jeff Berberick was named to the spring semester’s dean’s list at Northeastern University… Elizabeth Lirakis who is studying at the University of Rochester, and majoring in film in media studies, was named to the dean’s list in spring 2008.
Christian Burnett ‘04
Bridget Royer ‘05 with Kait Sheridan ’05 in Cork, Ireland
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Brendan Kinnane ‘07 (left) and Christian Nebergall ‘06 played lacrosse for Union College where Brendan was named Rookie of the Week in April 2008 for outstanding play in the Liberty League.
Perry Markell ‘06 in Peru with Rena who lives at the Clinica Hogar San Francisco de Asis for profoundly ill children.
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Kate Atkinson transferred from Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL, to Pace University in Pleasantville, NY. She is a business major with a concentration in marketing. She also works full time as the administrative assistant to the assistant general manager at Club Fit, a gym in Briarcliff, NY… After spending the summer in Peru writing a book on sexual education, Kayla Elliott is in her junior year at Williams College where she is a premed student, majoring in mathematics and statistics, and serving as president of the Junior Advisors for the class of 2012… Courtney Mitchell wrote an article for the October 2008 edition of The Insider: South Coast Magazine. Courtney is a junior at Barnard College and spent last summer as an intern for Senator Barney Frank… Abbie Di Palma is the coxswain on the William Smith varsity four that won a bronze medal at the 2008 Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. At Weeks (footbridge) Abbie stuck to a perfect course as the crew she passed yielded at the last possible moment. She had another clutch performance under Elliot (bridge), eking out extra speed as she snatched the inside of the first turn and then jumped on the accelerator to dart across the course in front of two other bows to snag the inside of the next turn… Perry Markell played midfield for the Mount Holyoke College soccer team this fall,
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playing in all 18 of the Lyons’ games. Last summer, Perry spent time volunteering at Dr. Tony Lazzara’s Clinica Hogar San Francisco de Asis in Chaclacayo, Peru, before climbing Machu Picchu and traveling to the Amazon… Margaret Mahan made the spring dean’s list at St. Michael’s College.
‘07
Kaitlin Chiumento writes: “I’m still at Babson, working away, hoping that by the time we all graduate there are still some businesses open out there. I’m pretty close to Boston (Go Sox!!) so that’s really helpful. The whole Chiumento family is doing really well.”… Juan Maegli competed for Guatemala in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Juan competed in 10 Laser sailing races, with the best finish in ninth place. He was one of 12 athletes competing in the Games for Guatemala. A profile of Juan appeared in the Providence Journal in August 2008. Maegli’s father, Juan Estuardo Maegli ’75, also competed for Guatemala in sailing in the 1976, 1980 and 1984 Olympics… Mary McDonough was named to the dean’s list at St. Anselm’s in the spring… Maximilian Klietmann spent a two-
month internship at Bank Wegelin in Zurich, Switzerland, and learned a lot about international private banking. He loved being in Switzerland practicing his German. This fall he embarked for his Study Abroad Program at the University of Nantes in France. He will return to Bentley University for the spring semester… Raoul Oloa is a freshman finance major at Skidmore College where he is a guard/forward on the basketball team… Bryan Kriner has continued to pursue his career in hockey not only by playing last year with the Boston Junior Bruins, but he also now plays for Curry College. Bryan scored his first career goal and added an assist in Curry College’s 7-3 victory over Salve Regina on November 13. Bryan is Portsmouth Abbey’s all-time scoring leader with 178 points… Priscilla Benkhart was recently was inducted into the Oracle Honor Society at Ithaca College. The honor recognizes students who have completed their first semester in the top five percent of their academic schools. She is a student in the college’s Roy H. Park School of Communications.
Please send us your alumni news! email: communications@portsmouthabbey.org or log in to our alumni Web site at www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/44/
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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
BOARD OF REGENTS Right Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B. Abbot Portsmouth, RI Mr. John M. Regan, III '68 P '07 Chairman Bronxville, NY Mr. David G. Bazarsky P '04, '05, '07 Newport, RI Mr. and Mrs. James F. W. Buckley ‘73, P’07, ‘08, ‘12 Co-Chairs, Parents’ Committee Bristol, RI Dom Joseph Byron, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI Mr. Frederick C. Childs '75 P '08 Cambridge, MA Mr. Creighton O. Condon ’74, P ’07, ’10 Greenwich, CT Dom Francis Crowley, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI Mr. James D. Farley, Jr. ’81 Dearborn, MI Dr. Luba D. Flanigan P ‘06, ‘09, ‘11 Tiverton, RI Mr. James S. Gladney P ’10, ’11 Barrington, RI Mr. William M. Haney, III '80 Wayland, MA Dom Gregory Havill, O.S.B. Portmsouth, RI Mr. M. Benjamin Howe ’79 Wellesley, MA
Rev. Dom Damian Kearney, O.S.B. '45 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Charles E. Kenahan ’77, P ’12 Swampscott, MA
Your gift matters. Every dollar raised by the Annual Fund goes directly toward Portsmouth's programs and people. We need your help to ensure that the needs of all our students are met, particularly those whose financial circumstances may have changed recently, and for whom scholarship aid is even more crucial. Your gift this year to the Annual Fund makes a tremendous impact on the opportunities available for students at Portsmouth Abbey and the environment in which they live and learn. Please make your gift to the 2008-2009 Annual Fund today. Many thanks for your generosity!
Mr. Edward G. Kirby ’83 Jamestown, RI Dr. Mary Beth Klee P '04 Portsmouth, RI Mr. Neil McGinness ’58, P’90 Cleveland, OH Mr. David E. Moran '71 New Canaan, CT Mr. James S. Mulholland, III '79 Sudbury, MA Ms. Mary F. Power P '06, '08 Wellesley, MA Mr. Robert A. Savoie P ’10, ’11 Bristol, RI Right Rev. Dom Mark Serna, O.S.B Portsmouth, RI
Please contact Polly Carter, Director of the Annual Fund at pcarter@portsmouthabbey.org or 401.643.1204 with any questions or for more information about the Annual Fund.
Ms. Kathleen Boland Stevens ’95 Brookline, MA Rev. Dom Luke L. Travers, O.S.B. '75 Morristown, NJ Mr. John E. White '80 Spring Lake, NJ Mr. Samuel G. White ’64 New York, NY Very Rev. Dom Ambrose Wolverton, O.S.B. Portsmouth, RI
Rev. F. Washington Jarvis Dorchester Center, MA Front Cover: Headmaster Jim and Deb DeVecchi, in their travels throughout China, visited the city of Chengde. This picture was taken in the Puning Temple in Chengde which houses the world's tallest wooden statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. When the local students heard that Dr. DeVecchi was the head of an American boarding school, he immediately reached rock star status, and they happily flocked around, taking turns snapping photos.
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PORTSMOUTH ABBEY SCHOOL Portsmouth Abbey School winter Bulletin 2009
Portsmouth PortsmouthAbbey Abbeysaved savedthe thefollowing followingresources resources bybyusing usingpaper paperwhich whichhas hasa apostcomsumer postcomsumer(PCW) (PCW) Portsmouth Abbey saved the following resources recycled percentage of 25 percent. recycled percentage of 25 percent. by using paper which has a postcomsumer (PCW) Abbey saved thepercent. following resources recycled percentage of 25 Portsmouth Abbey saved Portsmouth the following resources has a postcomsumer (PCW) using paper which Portsmouth Abbey saved following resources by using paper which has by athe postcomsumer (PCW) percentage recycled of 25 percent. by using paper which has a postcomsumer (PCW) recycled percentage of 25 percent. recycled percentage of 25 percent.
Portsmouth Abbey saved the following resources by using paper which has a postconsumer (PCW) recycled percentage of 25 percent.
12.84 trees preserved for the future
37.09 lbs. waterborne waste not created
5455 gallons wastewater flow saved
604 lbs. solid waste not generated
1188 lbs. net greenhouse gases prevented
9,097,551 BTUs energy not consumed
Mitchell MitchellCollege Collegesaved savedthe thefollowing followingresources resourcesby byusing usingpaper paper
Mitchell College College the following using paper Mitchell saved the followingresources resources by using paper percentage of which has recycled percentage of10%. 10%. whichsaved hasaapostconsumer postconsumer recycledby has recycled percentage of which a postconsumer 10%. Mitchell College saved the following resources by using paper which has a postconsumer recycled percentage of 10%.
Mitchell College saved the following resources by using paper which postconsumer recycled percentage of of 10%. 10%. which has has aa postconsumer recycled percentage
HELLO WORLD w i n t e r
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