Sub Umbra Petri

by Mike Jiran, ’03

On the cloudless afternoon of September 9, a flatbed crane truck carrying precious cargo rumbled onto the Warren Street Plaza. For the members of Prep’s 150th anniversary committee, the new arrival was the culmination of two years’ planning, discussion, and anticipation. For the Prep community as a whole, it was a closely guarded surprise—wrapped in fabric drapes within minutes of its installation— to be unveiled at the Mass of the Holy Spirit a few days later. For all who enter the campus, and for generations to come, it will stand as an enduring symbol of Prep’s mission, and all we hope for each student who passes “under the shadow of Peter.”

Strictly speaking, the larger-than-life-size figure that now adorns the corner of York and Warren Streets is not Peter at all—at least not yet, not at the moment where he stands frozen in bronze. Simon, a young fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, gazes beyond the waves as he pulls up his nets, balancing against the surging tide. On the port bow of the boat, a subtle pair of keys hints at what Simon’s future holds in store. But for now, it’s all in the future, all beyond the horizon he will scan forever. One day, he will meet Jesus on the shore. One day, he will accept the invitation to walk with Jesus as a disciple and a friend. One day, Jesus will believe in him so deeply that he will say, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.” One day—in fact, on more than one day—Peter will demonstrate in the Gospel accounts that even with his new name and new mission, he is still impulsive, still fallible, still learning. And one day, he will be the first pope, the elder statesman of the Church more commonly depicted in art, holder of the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. But the Saint Peter who greets visitors to Saint Peter’s Prep is (and always will be) still just Simon, still a young man whose story is yet to be written, still so much like the young men who pass under his shadow each morning, growing day by day toward their boundless potential.

In preparing to dedicate the statue at the Mass of the Holy Spirit on September 16, Prep President Michael Gomez, Ed.D., ’91, addressed the significance of the choice to depict the young fisherman. “It is essential to our story and the story of every Prep student who has ever walked and will walk down Warren Street to enter our doors,” he said. “In short, he represents us: imperfect and imperfectible, but someone with the entire world in front of him, someone who is loved by God, who has vast potential to change the world, and who is a masterpiece and a work in progress all at the same time. He is us. And he is a reminder that we are always SUB UMBRA PETRI—under the shadow of Peter.”

From the earliest conversations about a potential statue of Saint Peter, the desire of the 150th Anniversary Committee was to capture this oftenoverlooked chapter of his story, creating a monumental addition to the campus that could hopefully inspire the young men of Grand & Warren to see themselves as capable of striving for greatness. The idea immediately resonated with the vision of sculptor Brian Hanlon, who turned those early thoughts into a powerful work of art.

Hanlon is a New Jersey native, the founder of Hanlon Sculpture Studio in Toms River, and a critically acclaimed artist whose statues of historical, political, athletic, and religious figures have been celebrated all over the country. His diverse range of past subjects includes Harriet Tubman, Shaquille O’Neil, Yogi Berra, Charles Barkley, Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and even a more conventional depiction of Saint Peter across town at Saint Peter’s University. He was eager to take on the challenge of creating this distinctive version of Peter. “We must he said. “Making a

The artist also has a personal connection to this project, as he is the son of Rocky Hanlon, ’53 (a member of Prep’s Athletic Hall of Fame) and a relative of numerous other alumni. That added a personal dimension to the commission. “I love my family, and I love the history of my family, especially its connection with the Jesuits,”Hanlon said. It was another connection in Hanlon’s background that first set the statue project in motion. Trish Fitzpatrick, P’07,’16, Prep’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations and a member of the 150th Anniversary Committee, first crossed paths with the sculptor at the very beginning of his career. Referring to her husband, she recalled, “Bill was organizing a track meet for the Shore Athletic Club in memory of Bob Roggy, a javelin thrower from Holmdel who had been killed in a car accident while holding both the national record and the #1 ranking in the world. As part of the big memorial effort in Holmdel there was this young local artist who had created a sculpture of him.” Hanlon’s sculpture of his childhood friend Bob Roggy was, in fact, his first-ever public piece, and he has cited the response to it as inspiring him to pursue a professional career in the arts. The Fitzpatricks would keep in touch with Hanlon through the Shore Athletic Club over the years, and in the 1990s Trish recommended him for a commission at her children’s grammar school, Holy Trinity in Westfield. So as Prep’s sesquicentennial plans began to take shape in 2019-20, the possibility of an artistic commemoration to be displayed Prep’s campus took root in her mind.

“Aside from the video and book projects, we were mostly talking about events and temporary displays,” Fitzpatrick recalled. “It struck me that nothing would be permanent.” Once the committee agreed a statue should be part of the celebration, she added, “in my mind Brian was the only sculptor for the job.”

Hanlon would spend two days on campus, observing students in an effort to create a figure that would reflect the many faces of the Prep community, meeting with the 150th anniversary committee, and even sitting in on Pat McCoy’s upperclassman sculpture elective. Over the months that followed, the committee would receive photos of work in progress as the clay model took shape in Hanlon’s Toms River studio, renderings of how the statue would look in situ, and updates about the forecast timeline for casting the final piece. The give-and-take process produced a sense of ongoing collaboration between the master sculptor and his contacts back at Grand & Warren. Even Saint Peter was not insulated from the supply-chain issues that affected so many projects in so many places during the course of 2022. The decision to introduce the statue with a surprise unveiling was made early on, but the date of that unveiling remained fluid as questions about the

Three Alumni, Two Hours, 57 Words

The plaque that accompanies the Saint Peter statue took shape on a late summer afternoon in the president’s office in Shalloe Hall. Prep President Michael Gomez, Ed.D., ’91, Admissions Director John Irvine, ’83, P’11, and Communications Director Mike Jiran, ’03 worked together to craft an inscription they hoped would complement and enhance the striking work of Brian Hanlon.

“We wanted to provide some context for why it matters that our statue of Peter looks like this. He contains the potential for what he will become, but what he will become is yet to be determined,” Jiran said. “It was a labor of love, striving to get it right. Hopefully it resonates with our fellow alumni, with our current students, and with the next generation that this is some essential piece of what Prep means: seeing beyond our imperfections and growing into the best versions of ourselves.” availability of materials arose and were then settled. By the spring of 2022, the Mass of the Holy Spirit in September had come into focus as the ideal moment—a “grand opening” to the new school year as Prep entered the final leg of the 150th anniversary celebration. As the summer rolled on, delivery day was set for September 9.

Two hours for three Prep grads to compose an average of 19 words per person might or might not constitute a record, but each would agree the afternoon’s work was time well spent.

August is traditionally a time for work on Prep’s physical plant after HAP and other summer programs have concluded, and August 2022 would be no exception. A small garden occupied the statue’s future home southeast corner of Warren and York Streets. It would have to be dug up, and the hole filled with reinforced concrete to keep Peter’s bronze boat from encountering the very real water table that runs so close to the surface on the campus’ northern side. The statue would be raised just slightly above street level to enhance its presence, while still inviting passersby to pose for photos, touch the keys for good luck, or even climb into the boat. The concrete plinth was finished just a few days before the big arrival. Once the statue was installed and hidden under drapes, the finishing touches were added: the dedication plaque on the adjacent wall, and the inscription of Prep’s motto along the front of the plinth: SUB UMBRA PETRI.

The days between the statue’s arrival and the Mass of the Holy Spirit were the first days of classes for the school year, and speculating as to what was under the drapes on Warren Street quickly became a popular, if ad hoc, co-curricular activity. But the day arrived with the surprise intact, lending extra gravity to the proceedings. Following Dr. Gomez’ introduction, 150th Anniversary Committee member Anthony Keating, ’78, P’10 read the dedication plaque, and Student Council President Rishi Bhandari, ’23 and Vice President Teddy McCarthy, ’23 unveiled the statue. The Prep community, gathered in the courtyard for Mass, watched intently as a video feed revealed the proceedings on the other side of the fence. A noticeable hush fell over the crowd, followed by raucous applause.

Tony Azzarto, S.J. was stationed on the Warren Street Plaza, ready to give a blessing:

“We bless this statue of Saint Peter and remind ourselves, our alumni and the community of Jersey City that he had faults as we all do but he accepted an invitation to walk as a friend of Jesus,” he said. “He took a risk…and that made all the difference. May we and all who look at the statue be inspired to take a risk to make a difference in our world.”

Fr. Azzarto built upon that theme in his homily during the Mass, quoting Robert Ellsberg, author of All Saints, who wrote, “A saint is a genuine human being.” Reflecting on some of Peter’s shortcomings as told in the Gospels, Fr. Azzarto added that Peter “took a lifetime learning to be human”—learning to treat others with compassion, learning to adapt to challenges, to grow, to take risks. “Peter, our patron, took a risk. He asks Jesus, ‘Where are you staying?’ and Jesus says ‘Come and see.’ Take a risk. Try it out. His life changed. He is excited, energetic, and taking that risk made all the difference in his life.”

It’s a message from the life of Peter that resonates strongly with the message Prep seeks to impress upon each student. And it resonates with one alumnus in particular, even 70 years after graduation. “The statue is wonderful, and is a great contrast to the one Brian did at Saint Peter’s University,” said Rocky Hanlon, ’53. “The young Saint Peter really shows the boys the strength they have, and the hard work they put into their academics and sports. I was so impressed watching the students at the Mass.”

As Prep moves into its second 150 years, the young Simon Peter leads the way—a permanent commemoration of a proud history and the joyful celebrations surrounding this milestone, but also a permanent reminder to keep looking to the horizon, always open to growth, and always believing that the best of what each of us will become still lies ahead. In other words, the statue is yet another echo of the theme for Prep’s sesquicentennial: “Pride and Glory. Then. Now. Always.”

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Jesuit Diaries Capture the Spirit of Prep’s Early Days 1872-1899

During the first decades of Prep’s existence,it was commonplace for an administrator (virtually all of whom were Jesuit priests in those days) to produce an informal,contemporaneous daily record of each day’s campus life.They provide us with valuable insights—the most significant of which may be that “the more things change,the more they stay the same.”

SEPT. 2, 1878 Monday - St.Peter’s College opened today at nine o’clock.Students who had not previously presented themselvesforexaminationwereexamined& classified.At eleven o’clock ranks were formed in the Halldownstairs.Seventyone(71)studentsbeing present.They were assigned to classes as follows.To theIntroductoryClass(Fr.O’Conner)15;toThird Grammar (Fr.Reuand) 31;to 3rd Commercial class(Mr.Fennelly,Secular)8;toPreparatory(Mr. Smith) 17.Schola brevis in which book lists were distributed…The students were dismissed at 11:45.

SEPT. 3, 1878 Tuesday - Five new boys received.Four absent.Morning chiefly occupied with distribution of books…Being the first day of class, students were dismissed at 2:30.

SEPT. 4, 1878 Wednesday-Massof theHolyGhost&Sermonat 9:00 in the church at which all the students were present occupying the first pews in the center aisle. The children of the Parish school were also present, &agoodnumberof parents&others.AfterMass, class.Two boys arrived.Learned that three who were present on Monday will not return… OCTOBER 24, 1885 Dismissal at 12 p.m.to give students the opportunity to go to Barnum’s Circus.

ONE Museum S. Horace Presidential suffrage: Woodhull is candidate while Anthony is voting in state law

CONTEXT & PERSPECTIVE Saint Peter’s Receives Its Charter As the small

150 Years in 352 Pages

Upon this rock known as Paulus Hook, Prep has lived a 150-year project of molding characters, sharpening intellects, and strengthening principles of young men. This mission continues, vital and virbant as ever—a “story of gladness” composed of thousands of personal narratives that have unfolded at the corner of Grand & Warren. And now, many of those personal narratives are collected in the highly anticipated book celebrating Prep’s first 150 years!

Then. Now.Always. is a richly illustrated journey through Prep history, as seen through the eyes of more than 100 alumni, teachers, administrators, and coaches who have experienced those days of Pride & Glory firsthand. The hardcover book’s 352 pages are a beautiful, full-color exploration of all things Prep, from the arrival of the first Jesuits by boat more than 150 years ago to the arrival of the Saint Peter statue on Warren Street in the fall of 2022.

Few could tell Prep’s story more eloquently than Prep’s Vice President for Planning and Principal Giving, Jim Horan, ’70. Over the course of 49 years of service as a faculty member and administrator, plus his own four years as a student, Horan has personally witnessed more than a third of Prep’s history, beginning in the fall of 1966 when he arrived as a freshman. With the support of numerous Prep colleagues, he has steered the book from initial concept—and the suggestion in 2017 by then-Prep President Ken Boller, S.J. that a book should be part of Prep’s sesquicentennial plans— through numerous reimaginings in 2019 and 2020 and two-plus years of interviewing, writing, and editing, to a truly impressive reality.

Readers will gain new insight into Prep’s beginnings thanks in part to rarely-seen official diaries—which Horan likens to a nautical “captain’s log”— kept by the Jesuits who secured the school’s charter, developed the initial curriculum, opened the first buildings, and steered the school through its first few decades. But as the years roll by, the diaries give way to glimpses of life at Grand & Warren year by year, as recalled by alumni from each class from 1940-2022. These “Witness Profiles” are supplemented by personal reflections from some of Prep’s “boldface names,” sidebars on Prep culture, perspectives on the broader historical context and, of course, hundreds of stunning photos that capture 150 years of Prep Pride. In all, the book includes more than 550 illustrations, primarily from Prep’s archives. Then. Now.Always. will hold a special place in the heart—and on the bookshelf—of anyone who loves Saint Peter’s Prep. The book is on the printing presses as of this writing, and is expected to arrive in the Prep Campus Shop as April turns to May. The book is now available for presale via the Campus Shop at spprep.org/150book. In addition, a launch party is planned for May 31, on campus. Further details will be available at spprep.org and on Prep’s social media channels.

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