The Corbie Chronicle, Spring 2009 by St. Anselm's Abbey School

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corbie chronicle

S t. A nselm’s A bbey S chool • W ashington, D.C. • S pring 2009 • V ol. 17 N o. 2

The Corbie Chronicle Spring 2009 • Volume 17, Number 2

St. Anselm’s Abbey School 4501 South Dakota Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20017 202-269-2350 www.saintanselms.org

The Corbie Chronicle is published two times a year by the Development and Alumni Offices of St. Anselm’s Abbey School. We welcome correspondence from the St. Anselm’s Abbey School community. Please direct letters, class notes and other communication to James Leathers, ’04, at the school or via email at jleathers@saintanselms.org. Photography in this publication has been provided by the St. Anselm’s Abbey School yearbook and newspaper staffs, as well as by David W. Powell and school faculty and staff. We apologize in advance for any errors and/or omissions. Design and Layout: James Leathers, ’04 Proofreading: Peter Collins, ’74 Production and Printing: Camera Ready Graphics

A Message from the President Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB

Reflections from the Headmaster Mr. Louis Silvano

Campus News

Panther Sports

Spring Break in Peru

Abbot Alban Boultwood, OSB: 1911 - 2009

Celebrating 900 Years of Saint Anselm

All-Alumni Reunion Weekend: April 17-19

Remembering Peter Samp, ’08

Class Notes

Above: Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl celebrates Mass in the Devine Theatre on the Feast of Saint Anselm, April 21. (Catholic Standard photo by Michael Hoyt.)

On the Cover: Stained glass window depicting Saint Anselm of Canterbury in the abbey church.

A Message from the President I do not attempt, Lord, to attain your lofty heights, since my mind is not equal to the task. But I desire in some measure to understand your truth, which my heart believes and loves. For I do not seek to understand in order to believe, rather I believe in order that I may understand. So this also I believe: that unless I believe, I shall not understand.

Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

Joy, Peace and Commemoration

o commemorate the ninth centenary of the death of Saint Anselm, the abbey Fr. Peter reads the Gospel at Mass and school have been joyouson the Feast of Saint Anselm. ly busy with multiple events. Our festivities began with our first All-Alumni Reunion Weekend on April 17th-19th. The alumni celebrated with a cocktail reception on Friday evening, a pig roast and picnic on Saturday afternoon, Vespers and a formal dinner for 290 on Saturday evening, and a Mass on Sunday morning. Then on Monday, Prior Simon officiated at a Mass for the entire school community, followed by a luncheon for all the students and faculty in the gymnasium. In the early afternoon, Dr. Michael Gorman, ‘83, Professor of Philosophy at Catholic University, gave an engaging presentation on Saint Anselm to the student body and faculty. And finally on Tuesday evening April 21st, the actual Feast of Saint Anselm, Archbishop Donald Wuerl was the principal celebrant and homilist for a Mass of Thanksgiving for nearly 300 guests of the abbey. This was followed by another reception and formal dinner in the gymnasium complex. To have had all these events within five short days put the monks and the school staff to the test. But from all reports, the entire five-day celebration was a magnificent happening. Later in this Corbie Chronicle, other articles will give you more details. I want to thank all those who worked so hard to make sure these five days were flawless: Mr. Lawrence Hamm, ’68, Director of Alumni Affairs, Mr. John Corrigan, ’83, President of the Alumni Association, Mr. James Leathers, ’04, Director of Communications, and Ms. Michelle Kannan, Development Associate. Likewise, I want to thank all the alumni, students, faculty, parents, and guests who were able to attend and help us celebrate 900 Years of Saint Anselm’s Pax in Sapientia. Needless to say, we shall be celebrating Saint Anselm until April 21st, 2010 and beyond. On a somber note, Peter Samp, ’08, passed away suddenly on February 18th, due to a brain cyst. Peter had been accepted into Harvard University for the fall of 2009. While here at St. Anselm’s, Peter was a gifted student, loved all his academic studies and pursued them with enthusiasm. He was a member of the cross country team and brillant captain of our It’s Academic team. Most of his classmates were able to attend his funeral in Arlington. Peter’s death is a shock and a great loss to all of us, and he is truly missed. Requiescat in Pace! Also, I would like to call your attention to the fact that Abbot Alban Boultwood, OSB, superior from 1946 to 1975 and our first abbot, passed way on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25th. He was 97 years old, and though somewhat frail in health, his mind was sharp and his dedication to the monastic

life was exemplary to the very end. On the evening of the 24th, Abbot Alban attended Vespers at 6:00 p.m. followed by supper in the monastic refectory. After he ate supper, Abbot Alban said he was tired and wished to be excused from Compline in choir. Later, Fr. Christopher and Br. Dunstan said Compline with him in his room. Abbot Alban died peacefully in his sleep early on the morning of the 25th. On a personal note, Abbot Alban invited me to St. Anselm’s in June of 1964, and he remained my mentor until his death. I shall miss him very much. Certainly Abbot Alban lived the Rule of Saint Benedict to the very end. “As we progress in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God’s commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love. Never swerving from his instructions, then, but faithfully observing his teaching in the monastery until death, we shall through patience share in the suffering of Christ that we may deserve also to share in his kingdom.” [From the Rule of Saint Benedict, Prologue.] I am happy to report that after 17 years at the helm, the transition from Headmaster to the duties of being President of the school has been smooth, a blessing to me, and I am so grateful to Mr. Louis Silvano for taking on the challenges of being Headmaster. Indeed, with the economic conditions as they are, it is fortuitous that I can spend much more time on financial concerns, long-range planning, and alumni affairs. I am also pleased to report that our new St. Anselm’s Abbey School Donor Trust is now under the direction of Jonathan E. Colby, ’64, (a Managing Director of The Carlyle Group), Stephen Kearney, ’74, (Senior Vice President, Pricing and Customer Relations for the United States Postal Service), John Schissel, ’84, (Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Carr Properties), Mr. James R. Connell (retired real estate investment and management executive), and Fr. Dominic Lenk, OSB, (Bursar of St. Anselm’s Abbey). With these high-powered individuals, I am sure the school has the best possible advice. On Sunday, April 26th, Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, gave a lecture on Saint Anselm: The Need to Be Free. This is part of a series of lectures that will later be published by the Abbey in commemoration of Saint Anselm’s 900th Anniversary. I hope you enjoy the rest of the articles and pictures in this Saint Anselm’s 900th Anniversary Issue of the Corbie Chronicle. Pax in Sapientia,

Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB President

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Reflections from the Headmaster

The Blessings of a Benedictine Education

t was wonderful to meet so many alumni who came back to St. Anselm’s in April for our first-ever AllAlumni Reunion Weekend. They know better than I what a true blessing it is to be educated on the sacred grounds of this abbey and to return to the roots of their Benedictine education. In speaking with many alumni and seeing them reconnect with their former teachers and classmates, it is clear that their experience here, at Priory or at St. Anselm’s, had and continues to have a profound impact on their lives. As the first lay Headmaster, I am inspired by the dedication and service of our former Headmasters: Fr. Austin McNamee, Fr. Stephen Reid, Fr. Hugh Monmonier, Fr. Dunstan Hayden, Fr. John Main, Fr. Michael Hall, and Fr. Peter Weigand. Indeed I have the rare privilege and pleasure to work on a daily basis with Fr. Peter, our President, and with Fr. Michael, Headmaster Emeritus, who is now our Chaplain. I am deeply grateful to both of them for their support and advice during my first year. I want to share some defining principles of the school that have emerged for me over the course of this year. In an effort to learn about the school culture, I interviewed faculty, members of the monastic community, alumni, students and parents. As they told their stories, certain key characteristics of St. Anselm’s Abbey School began to emerge. They are: the Benedictine charism that is at the center of this community; the presence of the monks on the faculty; the setting on the sacred grounds of the abbey; the rigorous and challenging academic program; the small class sizes; the holistic classical education of the mind, body and spirit; the scholarly environment; and the dedicated and nurturing faculty. I see these characteristics become a reality every day at the school. For example, at the beginning of the school year, the Student Council held its annual retreat, and I was invited by the students to attend their meeting. After a planning session in the morning, they attended midday prayer in the abbey church. Following this, we were invited to have lunch with the monastic community. We ate in silence while we listened to a reading, and I was very impressed by the thoughtful demeanor of our students. They have a deep respect for the religious life of the monks and this clearly has a profound impact on their own spirituality. The academic rigor of the program is prevalent throughout the school. This semester, the opportunity arose for me to teach Sacred Masterpieces, an Upper Division elective in our Religion Department, and I now have the pleasure of teaching choral works from Bach to Bernstein. When I asked the students why they chose this class, some replied that they wanted to round out their humanities education following

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their art history class, others are musicians who are keen to study sacred music. Several of our students have been in the news recently. Senior Wesley Mann won the Washington D.C. Poetry Out Loud contest, and he competed at the National Finals at George Washington University on April 27th. Form I student Michael Laskowski won the Washington D.C. Geographic Bee competition, and he also will compete at the National Geographic Bee. And Form IV student Patrick Reichert won the D.C. Peace Essay Contest sponsored by the United States Peace Institute. Additionally, I am very proud of the college acceptances of this year’s graduating class, which are a testament to their well-rounded and rigorous preparation. The list speaks for itself and is available on our website. Earlier this year, we sent out an alumni survey to the graduates from 2003-2008, the purpose of which was to find out how well they were prepared for college. I would like to share with you some of the responses we received that reflect the defining principles I outlined earlier. Asked to describe his experience at St. Anselm’s, one alumnus wrote: “I would describe St. Anselm’s as a place that challenges its students academically in an environment where every student is made to feel like an individual, and idiosyncrasies are not only tolerated, but nurtured.” Another wrote: “St. Anselm’s taught me the benefits of hard work and dedication. It also taught me the importance of giving back to the community and being humble.” Now, where would a student learn humility better than at a Benedictine school? And this quotation says it all: “I wouldn’t be the person I am today had I not gone to St. Anselm’s. St. Anselm’s taught me to have faith in my academic/intellectual abilities and gave me an appreciation of learning (in all its myriad forms) that I carry with me today.” As the Board of Trustees is in the process of developing a new strategic plan, the same key Benedictine principles that define our school will continue to guide us. For this, I am truly grateful, and I ask for your continued support and prayers as we celebrate 900 years of our patron Saint Anselm’s Pax in Sapientia. Sincerely,

Louis Silvano Headmaster

Campus News Model United Nations

Solving the World’s Problems ...in 96 Hours or Less

The students involved in Model United Nations do so much more than address the problems of climate change, child soldiers, international piracy, nuclear proliferation, economic instability, world hunger, poverty and pandemic disease (as if that wasn’t enough!). The real value of the experience is in learning the vital skills essential in negotiation and conflict resolution, learning how to communicate in small and large forums and learning how to analyze a complex problem and work collaboratively to solve it. This past fall, the Model U.N. team accomplished a “first” here at St. Anselm’s. The boys organized and hosted a local area scrimmage attended by over 70 students from four schools. Two of our parents with U.N.-related experience provided keynote speeches. Fittingly, the team decided to call our conference “Monk MUNC” (Model U.N. Conference). By all accounts, it was a success, and our students look forward to hosting this conference again. This spring, the young men of St. Anselm’s once again distinguished themselves with superlative performances at university-sponsored Model U.N. conferences. At Catholic University (CUMUNC), the boys took home several awards: Best Delegate (seniors Tom Zorc and Travis Smith; Chris Bragale, Form IV); Best Delegation (John Hamm/Askari Rushing and Marco Cerritelli/Atticus Sawatzki, all Form IV); and Best Position Paper (Michael Higgins, Ian Rich, Chris Bragale, Farrell Sheehan, all Form IV). The Washington Area Model U.N. Conference (WAMUNC), hosted by George Washington University, provided another opportunity for the Abbey Boys to demonstrate their international relations skills. Travis Smith and Jeremy Cockerham (Form V) took home Best Delegate awards while John Hamm and Chris Bragale received Honorable Mention and Verbal Recognition, respectively. The keynote speaker at WAMUNC, a former Deputy Director of the 9/11 Commission and a graduate of Princeton and Harvard, offered this advice: “If you are unhappy with the world, get involved…there are many ways to serve.” Service certainly resonates with St. Anselm’s boys, and don’t be surprised if one of them does solve world hunger – but be patient, it may take a bit longer than 96 hours!

Constitutional Law Students Argue Before Moot Court On Wednesday, March 25th, the Upper Division Constitutional Law class held a moot court in the case of Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One v. Holder (known simply as NWA). NWA is a voting rights case currently on appeal to the United States Supreme Court. At issue is a provision that requires certain municipalities to obtain federal permission before changing their voting laws. This requirement was first enacted in the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The real argument was held before the Court on April 29th. The moot court exercise was part of a semester-long study by the class of Congress and the Court and their respective authorities. For this exercise, the class was divided into two groups, each representing one party. Students wrote a brief for their side, copies of which were provided to their opponents and to the moot court judges for their review prior to the argument. As judges, the class was very lucky to have three judicial clerks to the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan, Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia: Ms. Addy Schmitt, Ms. Leah Tulin, and Mr. Nandu Machiraju. Judge Sullivan served as judge in the initial trial of the case in the U.S. District Court, and Ms. Schmitt worked on it with him. Court was held in the Reid Auditorium, which had been modified to resemble an appellate courtroom. The student-attorneys appeared in pairs and made their arguments. After all arguments were completed, the judges selected the best advocates for each side and prizes were awarded: Tommy La Voy (Form VI) for Northwest Austin, and Neil Sood (Form V) for Holder. The students and judges then adjourned to the Board Room for lunch and discussion of the case.

Neil Sood (Form V) is congratulated for his moot court performance.

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Campus News First Former Wins D.C. Geographic Bee

Michael Laskowski is congratulated by Jimmy McGuire of Jeopardy!, host of the D.C. Geographic Bee.

Form I student Michael Laskowski won the 2009 Washington, D.C. Geographic Bee on April 2, prevailing over a field of other bright young students from across the city. Michael will advance to the National Geographic Bee finals at the National Geographic Society, where he will compete against champions from all 50 states plus U.S. territories for the national title. The winner of that competition will receive a $25,000 scholarship for college, and the final round will be broadcast on national TV with Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek as the moderator. This is the fourth time in the history of the D.C. Geographic Bee that a student from St. Anselm’s has advanced to the national Bee. As the D.C. winner, Michael was profiled in the May 4 issue of The Washington Post. Congratulations to Michael on this exciting accomplishment, and to his geography teacher, Mr. Jeff Harwood.

Activities & Accomplishments

Far left: The Men’s Chorus performs at Washington National Cathedral. Left: The 2009 It’s Academic TV team advanced to the semifinal round.

Patrick Riechert (Form IV) won first place in the 2008-2009 National Peace Essay Contest for the District of Columbia. The contest is sponsored annually by the United Institute of Peace (USIP). Patrick’s accomplishment is especially noteworthy as many of the contestants are high school seniors. This year’s topic was “Confronting Crimes Against Humanity,” and Patrick wrote his 1,500-word essay on the Bosnian War. He will receive a $1,000 college scholarship and attend a one-week awards program in Washington as a guest of USIP in June. Hariton Wilson (Form V) has been accepted at the High School Summer Institute at the National Gallery of Art. He is one of 25 students from the area accepted for a two-week internship exploring the workings of the Gallery. On Wednesday, February 4, the Men’s Chorus participated in the Celebrate Youth! D.C. High School Choral Festival

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at Washington National Cathedral. The afternoon was spent in rehearsal with other D.C. public and independent school choruses in preparation for the evening concert. Along with works for the combined choir of over 300 students, the Men’s Chorus sang on their own the motet If Ye Love Me by Thomas Tallis, conducted by Mr. Michael Lodico. The Middle School was rocking on April 24 as Forms I and II hosted guests at their final dance of the year. Everyone had fun, and the boys raised some money to boot. Meanwhile, in the Devine Theatre, the A Formers and their dads had a classic movie night with a well-received screening of John Ford’s The Searchers, starring John Wayne in his most acclaimed role. Thanks to those who participated, especially all students and dads, Ms. Costa, Mr. Fries, Mr. Madey and Mr. DeLuca. The St. Anselm’s It’s Academic television team had a very successful run this year,

knocking out four teams on their way to a solid semifinal showing. It’s Academic airs Saturday mornings throughout the school year on NBC-4 in Washington. Congratulations to TV team members Daniel McCarthy (Form VI), Matthew Bollinger (Form V) and Aidan Mehigan (Form III), alternate Jacob Wasserman (Form III) and coach Mrs. Hajnalka Enzel on a job well done! Senior James Cox received a Golden Key award in the 2009 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards presented by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. Over 140,000 works were submitted, and James’s photograph was one of 800 to receive Golden Keys. Fourth Form students Farrell Sheehan and Jeffrey Nemes participated in the Washington, D.C. Brain Bee, sponsored by the Society for Neuroscience, on February 18th. Farrell won third place and a cash prize, while Jeffrey earned fourth.

Faculty Notes

Photo: Khalid Naji-Allah/Washington Informer

Senior Wesley Mann Named D.C. Poetry Champion Sixth Form student Wesley Mann was named the District’s “Poetry Out Loud” champion on February 23, beating out a field of students from across the city. With his win, Wesley won a cash prize of $200 as well as a $500 stipend for new poetry books for the St. Anselm’s English department. He advanced to the National Finals on April 27th at George Washington University, where NPR’s Garrison Kellior was a judge and singersongwriter Natalie Merchant performed classic poems to music. The Poetry Out Loud program, now in its fourth year, has quickly become one of the country’s largest educational programs. It was established by the National Endowment for the Arts in partner-

ship with a range of state and local arts organizations. Last year, some 200,000 high school students participated in classrooms and auditoriums across the country, and the NEA expected even more students to join in the 2009 program. This was the first year that students at St. Anselm’s took part in the program. In January, nearly every student in the Upper School participated in a classroom competition, and the best student in each English class advanced to the school-wide contest on January 25. Wesley came out on top in that competition, winning the school title in front of an audience that included the entire St. Anselm’s student body as well as officials from the NEA.

Mark Your Calendar... For the 2009

Fall Scholarship Gala Saturday, October 17th Join us as we honor the monastic community and the 900th anniversary of Saint Anselm!

Fr. James Wiseman, OSB, gave a paper at an international conference on Saint Anselm and His Legacy, held at Canterbury, England, from April 2225 on the campus of the University of Kent. Fr. James spoke about similarities between St. Anselm and the medieval Dominican theologian Meister Eckhart, with special reference to the way the two men wrote about God. He has also been contacting a number of other persons with a view to having a book published about Saint Anselm during this year that commemorates the 900th anniversary of the saint’s death. Two of these persons will have given talks here at the abbey and school in conjunction with our own celebration of the anniversary year.

Mr. Alex Morse and baby Sam

English teacher and Head of the Upper School Mr. Alex Morse and his wife Kris welcomed their first child, Samuel Curtis Morse, on December 8. Mr. Morse reports that Sam is happy and healthy. Congratulations! Longtime office manager Ms. Tamara Brown received her B.S. in Business Administration from Trinity University in Washington on May 17. She credits the St. Anselm’s community for helping her reach this milestone, and particularly her fellow faculty and staff members who supported her in a wide variety of ways. Congrats, Ms. Brown!

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Panther Sports

Above, the Varsity wrestling team is pictured with coaches Steve Roush, Corey Mann, and Richard Mann, ’04. At right, Yaw Oteng-Agipong and Sean Moriarty celebrate a win. Below, Giuseppe Niosi takes down an opponent from Gonzaga.

Wrestlers Continue Winning Ways Under the outstanding leadership of senior captains John Nagel, Jim Voelzke and Don Arndt, the Varsity wrestling squad won the Mid Atlantic Wrestling League championship for the fourth year in a row. Gold medals went to Blaise Fortier (Form III), Sebastian Zaki (Form V) and Giuseppe Niosi (Form V). Tomas Husted (Form IV) lost a close final round match for silver, and John Nagel, Roger Scully (Form V) and Joe Downs (Form IV) each won bronze. For the season, the wrestlers posted a 10-3 record, with strong wins over Maret, St. Andrew’s, St. John’s, Potomac and Georgetown Day and close losses to DeMatha, Ireton and Gonzaga. In postseason competition, Sebastian Zaki and Giuseppe Niosi made it

to the round of eight in the St. Albans Tournament, and Zaki placed second in the DC Classic. Overall, the squad won 113 individual matches with 73 pins and picked up five gold, eight silver and seven bronze medals in tournaments. Next year, we return a full lineup of experienced wrestlers and look forward to continuing the tradition of challenge and success. This year was the inaugural season for middle school wrestling. The squad wrestled in three tournaments and five dual meets. Notable newcomers include Tim Lindsay, Robert Hankins, Diego Torres, Matt Dangle, Charlie Paquette, Ayinde Grimes, Miles Moore, Matt Jones, Jamie Anderson, Tom Schmitt and Caelan Collins.

JV basketball The 2008-09 Junior Varsity basketball team finished the season with a strong 13-7 record behind consistent play from JV veterans as well as a number of talented freshmen. At left, coach Jason Madey talks to the team during an early-season home win over Washington International. Season highlights included impressive wins over non-conference foes Walsingham Academy (Williamsburg, Va.), Maret and Georgetown Day. The season came to an end on February 9th with a loss to Hebrew Academy in the first round of the PVAC tournament.

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Middle School basketball The Middle School Panthers joined their JV and Varsity counterparts this season in posting a winning record against tough PVAC competition. The team’s final win of the season was an exciting one-point victory over McLean in the conference quarterfinals. Coach Paul Commins will look to return his squad to championship form next season with a strong core of experienced Form II players.

Varsity Hoops Fights to the Finish Expectations were high for this year’s Varsity basketball squad as the team embarked on defense of last year’s PVAC regular season championship. Led by senior captain Johnny Carpenter, the Panthers recorded yet another 20 win season for head coach Paul Grenaldo, finishing at 20-11. Overall, the team enjoyed quite a successful season, persevering through some early- and mid-season setbacks, and not only reached the PVAC conference tournament semifinals but also came within a last-second basket of capturing the St. Anselm’s Invitational championship. After a quick 5-1 start, which included the St. Andrew’s Tournament championship, the Panthers suffered 3 successive losses in late December, including 2 lopsided defeats in a Christmas tournament hosted by the Glenelg Country School. The tough competition early in the season provided the team some much needed mo-

tivation to bring its play to a higher level, and the boys were poised for a successful post-season run, entering the playoffs having won 7 of their last 9 games. After a hard-fought victory in the first round of the playoffs, the Panthers did not have the answers in the semi-final matchup, falling to eventual tournament champions Washington International School. The season culminated in a thrilling 62nd Abbey Invitational. After well-played victories against the Avalon School (to avenge an earlier regular season defeat) and the Heights, the Panthers entered the championship game against St. Mary’s of Annapolis expecting nothing less than victory. Johnny Carpenter led the Panthers’ scoring attack with 21 points and guard Anuj Tharakan (Form V) added 15, while senior Taru Thompson’s stifling defensive effort kept St. Mary’s in check. The team, despite a valiant performance, came

up just short of its ultimate goal, as St. Mary’s hit a put-back buzzer-beater to break the 56-56 tie. All our seniors certainly will be missed next year as the team looks to build upon this year’s successes and continues to improve the St. Anselm’s Varsity basketball program. Coach Grenaldo and assistant Kevin Hudson, ’04, are optimistic that the core of sophomores and juniors on this team, who stepped up with all-around solid seasons, will work hard in the offseason and come back for an even more successful campaign next year.

Left: The 2008-2009 Varsity Panthers. Above: Senior captain Johnny Carpenter goes in for a layup against PVAC rival Washington International.

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“...memories that will last a lifetime” Spanish Students Head to Peru for Spring Break by Mrs. Hajnalka Enzel, Spanish Teacher

e arrived in Lima on Saturday evening after a long flight. Due to bad weather, our flight to Atlanta was delayed over an hour, but we made our connection to Lima along with all of our luggage. Lima was hot and humid, and we saw almost every American fast food restaurant along the way to our hotel. Naturally, the boys arrived hungry even though it was almost midnight. They walked a few blocks to a market that favorably compares to our own Whole Foods. The boys bought snacks and returned to the hotel. The next day, we took an early morning flight to Cusco. Two passports were left on board the plane but were quickly recovered. We were met by Dr. Carlos Milla and his daughter Ana, father and sister of our guide Maria Teresa who was still with another group in the Galapagos Islands. Maria Teresa had been an outstanding guide two years before and we were quite willing to await her return. Her father is the President of the Cusco Chamber of Commerce so we were in good hands. Cusco is a city made of red mud brick (adobe) with red tile roofs and a population of around 300,000. At 11,000 feet, the air is a bit thin, but our boys were not affected. Since it was Sunday, some of us attended Mass and then went to lunch nearby. We were served a delicious quinoa salad followed by lomo saltado, dessert and a passion fruit cocktail. We visited a local market in the center of town where the boys saw displays of raw meat, all sorts of vegetables and fruit, baked goods and native medicine. We sampled some unfermented chicha and learned about thousands of different varieties of potato. The market is run by Indian women dressed in their traditional clothes often carrying babies in woven blankets on their backs. We had dinner high above Cusco after watching a magician and visiting a planetarium.

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The next morning we boarded our bus to visit an Inca “greenhouse.” These are terraces in concentric circles that go down about 600 feet. Our guide, Fred, and the boys went down while Fr. Peter, Fr. Castro and I took pictures from up above. There were no elevators up so the return was an uphill climb at maybe 12,000 feet. Our coaches would have been very proud of our boys, who took this little climb in stride. We next visited one of the strangest sites I have ever seen. It seems that long ago, this part of the world was under the ocean. Salt water still seeps out and is collected in terraces and allowed to dry in the sun. The salt remains and is removed and pounded into granules. These small pools

The whole group poses above Machu Picchu.

are owned by families and are passed on from one generation to another. Next we drove uphill some more to visit Chinchero. The high valley is very beautiful with snowy mountains above native villages along the way. We stopped to visit a weaving cooperative, where we were shown how yarn is spun and dyed with natural colors and woven into beautiful textiles. Maria Teresa joined us for dinner at a restaurant that helps maintain a school and shelter for homeless children. We took three large bags of presents for the children there. One was filled with clothing, another with school supplies, and the third contained toys. We also had two extra Target bags full of things. They were

A street market for tourists and locals near Machu Picchu.

very grateful and touched by our generosity. I was personally very proud of our boys and their wonderful parents for this very special gesture. There is no lack of Inca ruins above Cusco, and we visited three of them before lunch the next day. Our boys managed to find a huge set of rocks that had eroded and been worn smooth by flowing water. They all climbed up (including Fr. Peter) and slid down. Over and over again. The rocks had been worn so smooth that none of the boys had to change their clothes after this little escapade. We visited a former Inca hospital with an amazing amphitheater where the chiefs sat around in a semicircle for their meetings. Next, we climbed uphill some more to see where water was collected for the aqueducts to Cusco. Back on our bus, we drove to Urubamba and a game of stickball followed by soccer with the locals. I am always amazed by the stamina of our boys! The hotel staff built a firepit, and we sat around for a bit until it was time for us to make our own dinner: pizza. The boys got some dough and formed them into cylinders. These were taken to the pizza oven and returned baked and the boys put toppings on them which where then returned to the oven. The next morning, we boarded the train for Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu. The train follows the Urubamba River for several hours, and as we descended, the vegetation became more tropical and the air more humid. Eucalyptus trees were everywhere and we saw impatiens,

orchids, bananas and coffee trees with the little red fruit on them. We got off the train in Aguas Calientes, where the sun was shining. We walked up, up, up until we got to our hotel. After lunch, we got on a bus to ride up the mountain to Machu Picchu. Once at Machu Picchu, we walked uphill for about 500 feet to get a view of the site from way above. At 8,000 feet, we were in a tropical cloud forest. The first view of Machu Picchu absolutely takes your breath away. With our guide offering wonderful explanations along the way, we slowly walked down the mountain toward the main part of the site. We saw llamas

Climbing Inca ruins above the city of Cusco.

grazing on one of the terraces, and among the stone buildings we found chinchillas. We saw rainbows and, fortunately, not too many touristsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;most people come only to spend the day, and the last train leaves at 5:00 p.m. It was absolutely wonderful. The weather was fairly nice, the guide knowledgeable, and our boys were in really good shape physically. They had no trouble walking up, down, climbing, doing whatever was required. The next day, we went back up to Machu Picchu. Fr. Castro, the guide and the boys climbed up to the Sun Gate along the Inca Trail. (I visited the ruins again and took more pictures.) It was foggy when they left, but our guide Maria Teresa assured us that the sun would come out, and of course, it did. When we came down, we were let loose in the local market to buy team jerseys and to participate in one of our favorite activities: bargaining. Loaded down with stuff, we boarded the train back to Cusco. When we arrived in Cusco we had about an hour and a half to do our final shopping. Our farewell dinner was in old colonial Cusco. There was a huge buffet and a show of local dances and songs. By 10:00, we were all back at the hotel, packing for our early departure for Lima. In Lima, we were met by our local guide and taken to our hotel, so we had a room for the day. We boarded our bus and went on a sightseeing tour of Lima. This city has some 8 million inhabitants, with some very beautiful neighborhoods and many poor areas. We saw both. The most interesting was the colonial downtown, where the cathedral is located. After pictures of the Presidential Palace and the main square, we visited the Franciscan Monastery and the catacombs. Unlike other catacombs, here you can see piles of bones in different bins and wells. The remains of some 25,000 people have been found. We returned to Miraflores, the neighborhood where we were staying, to visit a shopping center on the Pacific Ocean. After a lovely dinner, we went back to the hotel to get ready for our trip home. By now, some of the boys had gotten the travelersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; curse and began taking Imodium. We also learned to drink lots of water to help adjust to the high altitude. Other than that, we came through well. Before our trip, I asked the monks to pray for us. From the above description, it is clear that they did. We had sunshine when we needed it, good food, saw interesting sights and made memories that will last a lifetime.

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Abbot Alban Boultwood, OSB August 17, 1911 — March 25, 2009 Abbot Alban, the first abbot of St. Anselm’s, died peacefully in his sleep early Wednesday, March 25, at the age of 97. Abbot Alban was professed a Benedictine monk at Fort Augustus, Scotland, in 1930 and ordained to the priesthood in 1939. He was in his 70th year as a priest and his 80th year of monastic life.

Homily by Fr. James Wiseman, OSB, at Abbot Alban’s Funeral Mass, April 4, 2009 Anyone who lived as long as Abbot Alban did, more than 97 years, would certainly be aware that death might be drawing near. Only three days before his death, he was telling me in our guest library that he had indeed enjoyed the special buffet supper we had recently held for the feast of St. Benedict, but that it was nevertheless difficult for him to join in on the table conversation, not only because he had become so hard of hearing but also because his voice had become weaker and weaker with advancing age. It was likewise quite evident to the rest of us monks on the evening before he died in his sleep that he looked especially drawn and fatigued as he walked slowly from the refectory back to his room. Watching him that evening readily brought to mind something that Pierre Teilhard de Chardin had written years earlier about what he called “the passivities of diminishment.” Fr. Teilhard said that even if any of us escapes the onslaught of diseases that attack the cells of our body or our very personality, there still remains what he called “that slow, essential deterioration which we cannot escape: old age little by little robbing us of ourselves and pushing us on toward the end.”1 Some people rebel against this in all sorts of ways, refusing (in the poet’s words) to go gentle into that good night—but such rebellion was in no way to be found in Abbot Alban. He was well aware of all the diminishments he had been undergoing, including a painful case of keen anxiety about things liturgical that had troubled him for some time. In fact, on the occasion of his 97th birthday celebration last August, he very humbly and touchingly acknowledged his awareness of how this problem had been a burden for some of the community. Happily, he coped with it with considerable success over the course of the past five or six months. Even more to his credit, I never once heard him actually complain about any of his problems. He accepted any and all of these “passivities of diminishment” as part of what God was requiring of him in his final years on

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earth. He remained remarkably faithful to praying the Liturgy of the Hours and to the Eucharist with the rest of us in the abbey church right up to the very last day of his life, just as he was equally faithful to spiritual reading and prayer in his room. He also retained a keen interest in the activities of his fellow monks and in the lives of our oblates, of his sisters Monica and Clare and their families in England, and of his many friends such as the Baskins, with whom he stayed close ever since receiving Claudia and her three daughters into the Church several decades ago. Abbot Alban’s faithfulness and his caring about others were surely based on his commitment to the Catholic faith in general and to his Benedictine vocation in particular. Having been in monastic vows for more than seventy-eight years, including nearly thirty years as superior of our monastery, he knew by a kind of osmosis what St. Benedict meant by “truly seeking God” and what is involved in trying to conform to the Gospel admonition that Benedict quotes in Chapter Five of his Rule: that the monk must resolve to conform to the saying of the Lord: “I have come not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me” (Jn 6:38). Part of that seeking not his own will was lived out during his chaplaincy work with the British Army during World War II. Like any other member of the armed forces, he would instinctively have preferred to remain in his own land—in his case, as a monk of Fort Augustus Abbey in Scotland—but he knew the spiritual need of the soldiers and willingly offered his services. About ten years ago, he posted on our bulletin board a poignant letter from a woman whose husband Alban had visited in a military hospital during that war, the woman thanking him for the help he had given the wounded man and also making some further request that he readily fulfilled. I am sure, too, that after the war he would have preferred to remain in the monastery of his profession, but he obediently agreed to the request that he cross the

Atlantic to serve our own community as its superior, first as prior and then as its first abbot when St. Anselm’s was raised to abbatial rank in 1961. As I noted earlier, Alban served as our superior for nearly thirty years, a truly remarkable span that hardly anyone equals or even approaches any more. St. Benedict is altogether clear, even blunt, about the difficulties of being abbot, for he writes in Chapter Two of his Rule that the abbot “must know what a difficult and demanding burden he has undertaken: directing souls and serving a variety of temperaments, coaxing, reproving, and encouraging them as appropriate. He must so accommodate and adapt himself to each one’s character and intelligence that he will not only keep the flock entrusted to his care from The abbots of St. Anselm’s Abbey with James Cardinal Hickey in 1990. From left, Alban dwindling, but will rejoice in the increase Boultwood, first abbot; Aidan Shea, fourth abbot; Cardinal Hickey; Leonard Vickers, third of a good flock.” That Abbot Alban knew abbot; and James Wiseman, second abbot. what this involved is evident from some of his own homilies, conferences, and letters to oblates, many of which have been published in his three of his immediate disciples but surely including all those who books. The first of these books, entitled Alive to God, has the in any future age would follow him, Jesus prays, “Father, they following very pertinent passage: are your gift to me. I wish that where I am, they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, Time and again, during our life, we shall meet with because you loved me before the foundation of the world” hardships which are the inevitable accompaniment of (Jn 17:24). In what I consider one of the finest passages that any attempt to lead a supernatural life on this earth. Abbot Alban ever wrote, originally spoken in an Easter homily, These will arise not only from the temptations which he quoted that verse and then went on to say: “It is as though … are the consequence of our own weakness and [Jesus] is saying that heaven will not be heaven for him unless fault but also from all those trials and problems that we are there. This is a beautiful manifestation of the sublime arise from circumstances and people beyond our own mystery of God’s creative love. Somehow, wonderfully, the control, things which will demand from us much only one who could have truly forgotten all else, the only one humility, fortitude, generosity, forgiveness, patience who was truly perfect and complete in his own being … in with the “personality problems” [of others], patience the blessed richness of the Trinity—this One willed not to with ourselves…. Only the spirit of compunction be without us; this One called us into existence and into his of heart will enable us to accept them … [and] to loving friendship.”3 transform them from bitter frustrations into a patient It is also very significant that that Easter homily begins and even joyful sharing of the sufferings of Christ.2 by referring to what was our first reading this morning, taken from the Book of Job, where Job proclaims, “As for me, I There is a further aspect of the Christian life—in some know that my Vindicator lives, and that he will at last stand respects especially prominent in Benedictine monasticism— forth upon the dust, whom I myself shall see: my own eyes, that I also want to highlight. Although monastic scholars not another’s, shall behold him” (Job 19:25, 27). It was the rightly point out that St. Benedict drew on the wisdom of hope of attaining that vision which kept Abbot Alban faithful various earlier authors, some of whom promoted the life of to the Gospel and to the Rule of St. Benedict for so many hermits while others gave primacy to cenobitic life—that is, years. He has now completed the course. May his fidelity, life in community—there is no doubt that Benedict himself patience, and simple human goodness be an inspiration for assumed that the vast majority of monks would and should all of us as we commend him to God’s gracious care at this remain in their community for the rest of their life. It was monastery where he himself offered so many prayers in the for such monks that he wrote, concluding one of the most course of a long and faithful Benedictine life. inspiring chapters of his Rule with the words, “Let [the monks] prefer nothing whatever to Christ, and may he bring 1 us all together to everlasting life” (RB, chap. 72). Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, The Divine Milieu (New York: Harper, 1960), 54. It is this phrase “all together” that is so important. 2 Alban Boultwood, Alive to God: Meditations for Everyone (Baltimore: Something of this community aspect of all Christian life also Helicon, 1964), 64. appears in our Gospel reading today, taken from Jesus’ high3 Alban Boultwood, Into His Splendid Light (New York: Sheed & Ward, priestly prayer in the Fourth Gospel. Speaking in particular 1968), 114-15.

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Celebrating 900 Years of

Saint Anselm of Canterbury

Homily by the Most Rev. Donald W. Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington Given at the Abbey on April 21, 2009 • Feast of Saint Anselm

o what do we liken the kingdom of heaven? Jesus asked his disciples to try to envision something completely beyond themselves, beyond all human experience: the kingdom of heaven. He offered them parables and symbols and images that would say something to them about the realm of God that is not only transcendent, but also coming to be in our world: the kingdom of God in the midst of the human condition. When one thinks of the efforts of the Church over twenty centuries to manifest something of the kingdom of God in our world, we can easily turn our thoughts to Benedict and the Order of Saint Benedict – the Benedictines. When we reflect on the charism and ministry of the Benedictines, we necessarily focus our attention on the Church’s Liturgy. Here, with all of the reality that is uniquely sacramental and spiritual, the Church renews and makes present the action of Christ that is the culmination of his work—the paschal mystery—in opening to you and to me the kingdom of heaven. The buried treasure, the pearl of great price and the net thrown into the sea collecting fish of every kind, all speak to us of the treasure that is Christ, his paschal mystery and our share in it in the Eucharist. During this past week we have, over and over again, celebrated anew the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead,

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and we have been invited to continue and to renew our spiritual journey that brings us from the empty tomb in the Easter garden to the glory of life eternal. When the Church looks at this

sacred time, she commemorates it in two ways. First, she recalls the events in the life of Jesus as seen in the pages of sacred Scripture. It is for that reason that over and over again this past Easter week, we have read the accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of the Resurrection of Jesus. But we do more than just read, reflect and remember. We also make present what has happened in the life of Jesus in the Liturgy. We are not just bystanders. We actually participate,

sacramentally but really through the sacred Liturgy, through the ritual, in the events that we commemorate. We share in the sacred action that is being made present. More is happening than what we see, unless we see with the eyes of faith. In the first Eucharistic prayer, the Roman Canon, used throughout this past week, we ask God to “bless and approve our offering: make it acceptable to you, an offering in spirit and in truth.” In establishing his Church, Christ continued his presence with us. The divine gift of his Spirit would live in the human dimensions of our world. The Church would take on a visible, tangible, structured presence that would enable those words of everlasting life to be repeated, and repeated, and repeated, generation after generation, in tones, accents and words that every successive generation could understand and make their own. Thus, the great adventure and journey began. From Peter and Andrew, James and John to a line of successors: Linus, Cletus, Clement, Pius, Paul, John Paul and Benedict. How readily does the work and mission of the Order of Saint Benedict come to mind when we turn our attention to the Liturgy. It has been often noted that the Order of Saint Benedict has as its charism the faithful celebration and transmission of the Liturgy of the Church. In eleventh century Italy was born a man who eventually became a Benedic-

tine monk, a student of sacred Scripture, philosophy and theology, was elected Abbot of Bec in Normandy and eventually was named Archbishop of Canterbury in England. Anselm was part of a great monastic tradition going back to Benedict of Nursia that was already in Anselm’s lifetime a multi-centurylong participation in the mission of the Church. It shared in the mystery of the Word of God taking flesh and dwelling among us, of the Word entrusted to the Church, a Word now taught, articulated and preached in this world of prayer and work called the Benedictine community. Anselm was an exceptional figure in this community and in the great passing on of the Catholic faith. According to the writers of the time, Anselm took seriously the motto of Saint Benedict and his followers: Ora et Labora. While his work varied according to his many stations in life, prayer was always a part of his daily life as it constituted his ability to stand recollected before God. Today as always, we find our own need to stand recollected before God. Anselm continues to be a model for us. It is not by bread alone that we live. There is a whole spiritual dimension of life that is only satisfied by our opening our hearts and minds to God. Pope Benedict XVI, who one year ago was with us here in this archdiocese and our nation’s capital, spoke to us, reminding us of our need to nurture our faith life and stand strong in our religious conviction. In his talk to the bishops who were gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Wednesday, April 16, he recalled for us that “America is also a land of great faith. Your people are remarkable for their religious fervor and they take pride in belonging to a worshiping community.” Anselm, in his days as teacher, abbot and archbishop, labored tirelessly to see that an environment of faith was nurtured and that young people were introduced into a lively appreciation of the gift of faith. He took particular pride in the fact that he worked with adolescents to help them see for themselves the gift that Christ is in the life of each of us. We can hear echoes of the ministry of Saint Anselm in the words our Holy Father addressed to the Catholic educa-

From left: Fr. Simon McGurk, OSB, Prior of the abbey; His Excellency Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl; Abbot Aidan Shea, OSB; and school President Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB.

tors of the United States in his remarks at The Catholic University of America on April 17, 2008: “Education is integral to the mission of the Church to proclaim the Good News. First and foremost every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God, who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth (cf. Spe salvi, 4). This relationship elicits a desire to grow in the knowledge and understanding of Christ and his teaching. In this way those who meet him are drawn by the very power of the Gospel to lead a new life characterized by all that is beautiful, good and true; a life of Christian witness nurtured and strengthened within the community of our Lord’s disciples, the Church.” St. Anselm’s Abbey School is a continuation of the great Benedictine tradition and the life and ministry of Saint Anselm of Canterbury. Saint Anselm’s Abbey School serves as a link in the great chain reaching back to and keeping us connected with the apostolic tradition, the apostles and, therefore, Christ. Of all the qualities that are noted in Saint Anselm, most often cited are his great intellectual gifts. These he used to engage the currents of thought in his time. He is often described as the Father of Scholasticism. He has been presented by some as the historical center point in the development of Catholic thought—a beacon illuminating the Church’s dogma and teaching for the

thousand years that preceded him while, at the same time, with his intellectual insights anticipating the theological developments of the next thousand years. Turning to a contemporary appraisal of the genius and insight of Anselm, we find application in the discourse of our Holy Father, once again to the bishops of the United States, where he highlights for us the great challenges or obstacles to the faith that we encounter today in our efforts to proclaim it. The Pope speaks of the need to clear away some of the barriers that impede our encounter with Christ. First among these, he notes, is the subtle influence of secularism that can color the way people allow their faith to influence their behavior. He went on to point out that “any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted. Only when their faith permeates every aspect of their lives do Christians become truly open to the transforming power of the Gospel.” Another obstacle that Anselm would recognize and that was highlighted as well by our Holy Father is the materialism and its subtle influence that can all too easily focus our attention on the immediacy of the moment in our affluent society at the expense of the eternal life that Jesus promised in the age to come. The words of our Holy Father could just as well be the message of Saint Anselm: “People today need to be reminded of the ultimate purpose of

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their lives. They need to recognize that implanted within them is a deep thirst for God. They need to be given opportunities to drink from the wells of his infinite love.” Finally, we are reminded that in a society that values personal freedom and autonomy, it is easy to lose sight of our dependence upon others as well as the responsibilities that we bear towards them. This emphasis on individualism can even affect the Church. Pope Benedict tells us, “We were created as social beings who find fulfillment only in love – for God and for our neighbor. If we are truly to gaze upon him who is the source of our joy, we need to do so as members of the people of God (cf. Spe salvi, 14). If this seems counter-cultural, that is simply further evidence of the urgent need for a renewed evangelization of culture.” Saint Anselm is described, as well, as an archbishop of international influence. He began his ministry as Archbishop of Canterbury, defending the Church from the encroachment of the state and its efforts to limit the voice and effectiveness of the Church. This challenge is one we find in our own day. Anselm was not only familiar with our Lord’s maxim “Render unto Ceasar the things that belong Ceasar and to God the things that belong to God,” but he was also aware that Ceasar takes not only what is his, but as much of everything else as he can get. On a more subtle level, the encroachment of the state into the life of faith takes the form of simply dismissing the values of religion. Too often, the great revealed truths that give meaning to our lives are reduced to subjective personal opinion and are marginalized as irrelevant to the life of the community. In addressing the representatives of other religions during his visit to our country, Pope Benedict XVI recalled for us that “The transmission of religious traditions to succeeding generations not only helps to preserve a heritage; it also sustains and nourishes the surrounding culture in the present day.… By bearing witness to moral truths which they hold in common with all men and women of good will, religious groups will exert a positive influence on the wider culture, and inspire neighbors, co-workers and

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fellow citizens to join in the task of strengthening the ties of solidarity.” Saint Anselm was declared a Doctor of the Church. He was a model priestteacher and to that extent offers himself as an image for us today. The scholarpriest proclaims his faith, his priesthood, his committed and official standing in the Church. By his proclamation, coupled with his integrity and achievements as a scholar, his unqualified passion for the clarity of the intellect, he bears witness to Christ in a profound way. For the priest-scholar-teacher, Anselm is a model and guide. Today we celebrate, reflecting on the nine centuries since the death of Anselm and on the great Benedictine tradition of learning, teaching and forming others into Christ. Our celebration today includes St. Anselm’s Abbey School which is an instrument of the kingdom, a means of the proclamation, a sign of the kingdom coming to be. Every time we reflect on the life of Anselm and carry on the work of the abbey school that bears his name, we can thank God that we have not been

left alone on our journey through life to the fullness of the kingdom. The Church in her many institutions, including the Benedictines and this abbey school, remains for us a beacon of the great received tradition—the Truth in which we can walk that allows us to live in the Spirit of God. We will soon approach the altar to participate in the great paschal mystery: the Eucharistic Liturgy. That we can do so in that living continuity with the apostles and Jesus’ own command “Do this in memory of me,” is in no small part thanks to the Order of Saint Benedict and the extraordinary model of Benedictine monastic life—Saint Anselm of Canterbury. I think he would find this celebration today a fitting one that recalls in this Benedictine community, in the St. Anselm’s Abbey School and in the Liturgy we celebrate, everything to which he gave his many talents, his extraordinary abilities and his entire life. At this altar as we proclaim “Christ is risen, Christ is truly risen! Alleluia!” we also say “Thank you, Father Anselm!”

Alumnus Delivers Lecture on Saint Anselm On Monday, April 20, as the school community celebrated the 900th anniversary of Saint Anselm’s death, Dr. Michael Gorman, ’83, Professor of Philosophy at Catholic University, delivered a lecture to the student body on Anselm’s life and legacy. After the lecture, Dr. Gorman received his 25th anniversary medal, which he was unable to receive with his classmates in 2008 because he was on sabbatical.

Inaugural All-Alumni

Reunion Weekend April 17 - 19, 2009

ver the course of the inaugural All-Alumni Reunion Weekend, April 17-19, more than 325 alumni and guests visited the campus. They came from near and far: Fr. Scott Howell, SJ, ’59 came all the way from Tokyo for his 50th, and Fr. Michael Hall, OSB, ’56 could scarcely have had a shorter trip down from the abbey to the school. Attendees included many recent grads and even three members of the Class of 1946, the very first graduating class of the Priory School. Friday was one of those perfect Washington spring days, sunny and mild. The Jazz Band set the mood at a welcome back reception for alumni and faculty in front of the newly renovated and expanded 1955 academic building and along the cactus-lined patio beside the Stafford Library. Alumni strolled

the halls of their youth on self-guided tours, stepping into the new science labs and admiring the renovated Reid Auditorium. At Saturday morning’s open house, Headmaster Louis Silvano got things started with a brief video presentation, and teachers Carol Rentas, Charles Downey and Mark Dean hosted sessions on Science and Technology, Fine Arts Education and Abbey Athletics, respectively. Fourth formers Christopher Bragale and Patrick Riechert then demonstrated the technological capabilities of the Devine Theatre with an impressive sound and light show. A leisurely family barbecue, sponsored by the Alumni Association, was followed by a low-key softball game on DeFelice Field. Saturday night brought out the stars—and nearly 300 alumni and

guests—for a truly enjoyable reception and banquet. The “band of brothers” came together again to reconnect with their classmates, to show off their school to their spouses and friends, and show off their spouses and friends to their classmates. John Daly, ’46, was awarded the first Abbot Alban Boultwood, OSB, Alumni Award for distinguished service to the alumni community. A good time was had by all. Fr. Michael was the chief celebrant at Mass Sunday morning in the abbey church in commemoration of the 900th anniversary of the death of Saint Anselm of Canterbury. A light repast was then shared in the monastery calefactory and courtyard. After the graduation of 63 classes from Priory and St. Anselm’s Abbey School – more than 1,400 alumni in all – it was an idea whose time had come.

Left: nearly 300 alumni and guests were present for the weekend’s main event, the Alumni Banquet on Saturday evening. Above: Jeffrey Lang, ’89, John Poole, ’93, Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB, and Phillipe Holmes, ’89 before Saturday night’s Banquet.

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All-Alumni Reunion Weekend

Clockwise from top left: Fr. Christopher Wyvill, OSB, chats with alumni from the Class of 1973 during Saturday’s family barbeque; members of the Class of 2004 pose with longtime math teacher John Montroll at the welcome back reception on Friday; John Corrigan, ’83, Tad DeFelice, ’57, and George Mattingly, ’56, after the softball game on Saturday afternoon; the Daly boys (Sean, ’73, Corbett, ’89, Brendan, ’80, Matthew, ’80, and John, ’46) with Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB, before dinner on Saturday; John Daly, ’46, receives the firstever Abbot Alban Boultwood, OSB, Alumni Award from Alumni Association President John Corrigan, ’83.

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Clockwise from top: Alumni and guests mingle at a cocktail reception prior to Saturday’s Alumni Banquet; Christopher Caulfield, ’87, and Justin Donnelly, ’98, look at their graduation photos in the school Commons; P.K. Agarwalla, ’00, and Brendan Magee, ’00, chat with Latin teacher Jane Brinley at the reception Friday evening; and Clarence Long, ’92, and J.B. O’Brien, ’03, enjoy the barbeque on Saturday afternoon.

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Remembering Peter Samp, ’08 1990 - 2009 Peter Samp, ’08, passed away early on Wednesday, February 18 at Arlington Hospital. Peter died after a brain cyst, which he had since birth, became dislodged. Peter graduated from St. Anselm’s last May and is remembered by his teachers as an exceptionally bright and thoughtful young man, a math whiz and dedicated cross country runner. He planned to attend Harvard University this fall after a year off. Please continue to keep Peter, his family and his classmates in your prayers.

A Classmate Remembers

remember a Super Bowl party two years ago at Peter Samp’s house. Giants vs. Patriots. Peter Samp hated the Patriots with a passion. The Giants were making a touchdown drive. Peter was standing behind me and yelling so loud that spit flew from his mouth onto the back of my head. At the time, I was not so appreciative of this, but now I cherish the memory. When Peter Samp died, no one knew how to react. Peter was so young, of course, but also so full of life. He lived with purpose. Everything he did, he did well. On the It’s Academic team, Peter answered before other contestants were even able to process the question. As a student, Peter excelled in all his subjects, but especially math and Latin. He was the genius to whom the rest of us in his class aspired. He was going to Harvard next year, a university which deserved his awesome intellect. During his gap year, he tutored students for Peer2Peer Tutors. Without a doubt, though, Peter’s greatest passion was for sports. He knew every interesting piece of sports trivia ever conceived. Peter watched more ESPN than the rest of our class put together. He was also an athlete. A swimmer and

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Varsity cross country and track runner, Peter worked hard and posted good times. During his gap year, Peter wrote for the Maryland Gazette’s sport column. And then there were the Steelers. Peter loved the Steelers as much as a man can love a sports team. On tag days, Peter would always wear a Steelers jersey. The Steelers’ Super Bowl wins in ’06 and ’09 made Peter possibly the happiest man alive. During the close game this year, Peter cursed both the ref and the TV set when the Steelers started losing. With the loss of Peter Samp, we who knew and cared for him must try to cope. We have lost a friend, cousin, nephew, grandson, brother, son. We have lost a great man. Peter was the smartest, but as Fr. Peter said so wisely in his eulogy, he did not hold that over anyone. Peter was wise, and he was at peace because of that wisdom. He truly lived Pax in Sapientia. He treated others with respect. Peter was a voice of intelligence and comedy to his classmates. His comic timing and wit was surely the work of a genius. He was the typical Abbey boy, and also the best of us. Peter’s legacy will be seen in the lives of those who had the honor of knowing him. - Martin Krafft, ’08

A Teacher Remembers

first met Peter Samp in my Spanish III class, when he was in Form IV. He got very good grades on quizzes and exams but never raised his hand and was most unwilling to speak in Spanish. I wanted to help him with his pronunciation, but he was not interested. He was occasionally grumpy but never disrespectful. At the end of the year, his ordeal ended, and he went on to study many things other than Spanish. The following year, with John Gerlach as student leader, Peter was part of my Kairos group. Still somewhat reticent, Peter was nevertheless a very pleasant participant. It was obvious that he was interested, made a few measured and wise contributions and generally raised the level of discourse. When I became coach of the It’s Academic team, I finally met the real Peter. As a rookie coach, I relied on Peter to be the team’s de facto leader. Along with Marc Sella, he directed the tryouts to see who would be on the TV team. He helped set up practices, found tournaments for us to participate in and in a very gentle way helped coach our team. At tournaments, Peter was radiant, obviously in his element. He was a model of humility, good sportsmanship and

teamwork. One day, while waiting to be picked up after the Georgetown Day School tournament, Peter tried to explain how he remembered all the kings of England. He had a system. The same was true for U.S. Presidents, treaties, wars, state capitals, mountain ranges, math formulas, world religions and so on. I never figured out his system, nor do I think I ever could have. He just had a gift for remembering things, and he knew how to organize them in his mind and recall them instantly. Peter’s beautiful smile and the total happiness he conveyed will be a lasting memory for me. He was extremely generous and always patient with us lesser mortals. He had a wry sense of humor and was at the same time very mature and very childlike. One day, I finally asked him why he had stopped studying Spanish. He said he never quite understood it, and that he found other things more interesting. He was always honest. As the person who taught me how to coach It’s Academic, Peter and his boundless joy will always be with me. One rainy February night, God called him. He was needed in heaven. - Mrs. Hajnalka Enzel

Requiescat in Pace Magistra Jane Brinley’s AP Latin Literature class, composed of Form V students Andres Acevedo, Jose Gutierrez, Dionysios Koroulakis and especially Matthew Bollinger, adapted the Latin of Catullus’s famous elegaic poem (Catullus 101) for their Abbey brother, Peter Samp. Multos per annos et multa per certamina adventi aduenimus hunc miserum, frater, ad casum ut te postremo commemoraremus versu nostro et studiose facta narraremus mirabilia. Quandoquidem deus nobis tete vocavit ipsum Heu sancte indigne frater adempte nobis Nunc tamen interea haec, prisco quae more poetarum Tradita sunt, tristi munere ad elegiam, Audi fraterna multum manantia memoria, Atque in perpetuum, frater, ave atque vale. Having arrived through many years and through many trials We come, brother, to this sad catastrophe So that we might celebrate you with our final verse And avidly tell of your marvelous accomplishments. Since God took you away from us, Alas, holy brother prematurely departed from us, Now, however, meanwhile, hear these things Which have been handed down according to the custom of the poets As a sad gift serving as an elegy soaked with the memory of your brothers. And forever, brother, hail and farewell.

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Class Notes 1946

J. Burke Walsh addressed the crowd at the Alumni Banquet on Saturday, April 18, during the All-Alumni Reunion Weekend. He spoke about members of the Class of ’46 who were drafted and thereby prevented from graduating. John Daly won the first-ever Abbot Alban Boultwood, OSB, Alumni Award, given by the Alumni Association, for service to the school’s alumni community. All four of his sons, themselves graduates of St. Anselm’s were there to see him accept the award at the Alumni Banquet. See page 18 for a photo of the Daly clan at the reunion and one of John accepting his award.

1951

Robert Beard owns and operates the new Museum of Bus Transportation in Hershey, Penn. He invites all members of the St. Anselm’s community to the Museum’s annual “Spring Fling” event, June 5-6, 2009. Check out the museum’s website at www.busmuseum.org.

1959

Fr. F. Scott Howell, SJ was recently appointed to a three-year term as President of Sophia Junior College in Tokyo, Japan. He came back to campus for his 50-year reunion in April, along with several classmates.

1964

Jonathan Colby, a Managing Director of the Carlyle Group in Washington, is now serving on the board of the school’s Donor Trust, helping manage the school’s finances.

1973

Sean Brennan visited Canterbury, England last fall and discovered a new altar dedicated to Saint Anselm in Can-

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terbury Cathedral. The altar was a gift of Roman Catholics in Aosta, Italy to the cathedral, where Anselm was archbishop some 900 years ago.

1985

Christian Barry and his wife Inga adopted a new baby girl, Vivian Kaye, in February. Vivian was born in Milwaukee, Wis., on February 11.

Altar of Saint Anselm in Canterbury

1975

Carl Siebentritt writes: “I’m back in the Washington area after State Department tours in Berlin, Germany and Ankara, Turkey. I am working in the State Department office that is standing up the Civilian Response Corps, an interagency cadre of Foreign Service Officers and Civil Servants prepared to deploy to countries and regions coming out of a crisis to perform stabilization and reconstruction work.”

1984

John Schissel is now serving on the board of the school’s Donor Trust, helping to manage the school’s endowment and providing financial advice. John is currently Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Carr Properties in Washington. Joseph Zorc will be the commencement speaker at this year’s graduation ceremony. He is currently an emergency pediatrician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, or CHOP, at the University of Pennsylvania. He and several other members of the Class of ’84 came back to campus for their 25year reunion in April.

Vivian Kaye Barry

1993

Rob Ross is now serving in Baluchistan, Pakistan at the Pakistani Command and Staff College.

1995

Jeff Wilbur was recently promoted to the rank of Major in the U.S. Army. He is currently a Company Commander in the 3rd Ranger Battalion, stationed at Fort Benning, Ga.

2001

Robert Bond was back in Washington this spring, preparing to head to Moscow later this year for his next assignment with the U.S. Foreign Service. Nate Tipton visited the school in February and is doing well, also living in the Washington area.

2002

Neil Agarwal was married on May 1 at Washington’s Mayflower Hotel. The wedding included a traditional Hindu ceremony that involved Neil riding atop

an elephant along DeSales Street downtown. Joseph Mariani addressed the student body on Friday, January 30, speaking about his experience in the before redeploying to Iraq in April, where he is on his second tour of duty.

2004

Matt Lynch recently became engaged to Katie Keller. Jeremy Tuchman also got engaged recently and plans to move to Georgia later this year. Peter Mueller is currently in formation with the Congregation of the Holy Cross at Notre Dame, Ind. He plans to enter the novitiate there later this year and will work at a parish in Monterrey, Mexico this summer.

2005

Joe Williams graduated from Bates College. This fall, he will pursue a Masters degree in Art History at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. Jack Moore presented his musical A Park, A Policeman, and a Pretty Girl at a festival of short musicals in New York City in March. Jack wrote, directed and starred in the short musical, which also featured his classmate Will Snider. The website StageBuzz.com gave the show a rave review, calling Jack “remarkably talented.”

We Extend Our Deepest Sympathy to the Families of Those in Our Community Who Have Died Rt. Rev. Dom Alban Boultwood, OSB First Abbot of St. Anselm’s Abbey Mr. David J. Burke Father of David, ’84, and Thomas, ’85 Mr. Mark desJardins Class of 1964 Mr. Ed Gallagly Class of 1954 Mr. Joseph P. Mariani, Jr. Father of Michael, ’88, and Joseph, ’02 Mr. Peter Samp Class of 2008 Mr. Lee B. Schilling Father of Social Studies Teacher Mr. Paul Schilling Mrs. Eileen Sheeran Mother of English Teacher Mrs. Nancy Cholis Mrs. Alice O. Truland Mother of Robert, ’61

Keep in Touch! Reconnect with old friends, post class notes and keep your contact information up-to-date on the alumni website at saintanselms.org/alumni. Parents: If this issue is addressed to a son whose permanent address is no longer at your home, please let us know! Contact Lawrence Hamm, ’68, in the Alumni Office at lhamm@saintanselms.org or 202-281-1657.

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