The new year begins with a rather staccato letter with many one and two line paragraphs– seemingly random thoughts flipping from the reality of the novitiate to the thoughts/concerns about home in Saskatchewan. The January 29th letter records a very welcome contact, after almost a half year,with someone from home. The Herauf farm in SK was only a mile from the Obrigewitsch family farm. Frank went to elementary school with Jerry. He telescopes briefly the upcoming experience of reading to the entire community during mealtime, a regular monastic practice at Ignatius College. He lies a little in the opening of the February 11th letter telling his mum not to worry about writing often, but most of the letter, on a question from his second eldest sister Marlene, provides information for the family of the lengthy formation program of theJesuits!
Ignatius College
Guelph Ontario
January 12, 1962
Dear Mum and Dad,
Time really flies. Tomorrow I will celebrate my fifth month anniversary. When I think of it I can hardly believe it!
I forgot to ask you before to congratulate aunt Josephine and uncle Wendel [on the birth of their twins]. They cannot help but be satisfied, because they had a girl and boy.
Everyone is well now, I hope? Mathew [8 year old brother] does have appendicitis doeshe? Dad is well again isn’t he?
How many cows do you milk now and will you have plenty of feed for all winter? Are the chickens still laying? You see when you don’t get home (like when I went to Campion) every siix weeks, I have no chance to pick up this sort of information….
I am looking forward to hearing all about the Christmas from Matt and Rosemary [12 year old sister].
Oh yes, my black eye has disappeared and the wound is healed [from the toboggan accident]. I got a new pair of frames for my lenses. They are dark on top with the white plastic around the bottom parts of the lens.
Thank you for giving my little girl and boy [god children] a present for me at Christmas time….
We took down all the decorations on January second except the ones in the main chapel. Those remained in tact until after the feast of the Holy Family. I suppose most everything is down at home by now too.
We have a big mess in one of our corridors [in the novice wing] too. Our small chapel is being redecorated and there is plaster and boards all over the corridor. I don’t think it will be for too long yet for they are making real progress.
I am learning to play hockey. At Campion all I did was skate but now I decided more exercise is in order (especially after gaining another five pounds last month thus pushing the total weight closer to 150, however I am told I don’t look fat [yet?]). My skating has improved, now I can skate backwards without falling over and am able to stop quite suddenly, etc. I put one pair of those insoles in my skates and my feet have never been cold once yet (that is while skating!). The were cold yesterday at the villa but that was because I put on a pair of socks that were too thin.
I did a bit of darning the other day; the results were not expert however they were satisfactory. I ironed my cassock the other day with the cloth and it works very well….
Say “hi” to all the family for me please. My next letter will be sent about the end of the
month. (Rosemary and Matt wish Mrs Drake [elementary school teacher] a happy birthday won’t you?)
You are all always in my prayers.
Love, Frank
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Ignatius College
Guelph Ontario
January 29, 1962
Dear Mum and Dad,
Two Sundays ago (Jan21) I had a “parlour” (another name for visitors) with Mr + Mrs Anton Herauf and Jerry [their son in the Juniorate]. The visit was not very long but very enjoyable for it was great to talk to some of our people from home. They brought me a box of candy and were very kind. Jerry took some pictures of me. You should drop into their place to say hello, for they should be back in Regina by now for they were planning to leave on that week….
I was very pleased to receive your letters Rosemary and Mathew. You are both very good letter writers. You will have to send me a picture of your puppy, we have one dog here, his name is “Hoppy”. He is a black dog, a little smaller (in height) than Muffin was, however, he is wider than Muffin was. I am happy you got such lovely presents for Christmas; use them well and you will have a lot of fun.
I was abit disappointed that you did not have a pageant [at your school Christmas concert]. I feel that the program would have been much nicer if you would have topped it off by portraying the Bethlehem scene in some way. After all, whose birthday are we celebrating at Christmas? ….
Last week we had forty hours devotion for the Blessed Sacrament was exposed for forty (straight) hours. Even through the night. I had one shift from 1:00 to 2:00 in the morning. It was lovely, for everything was so peaceful and quiet even though it was the middle of the night I was not even tired. There were four big bouquets of mums (of two sizes of mums, the large and medium size) Two behind and on either side of the monstrance and two that were triangular in shape that hid the altar in the front of the monstrance thus setting It in the midst of the flowers.
Last week I washed my old cassock and those brown pair of pants. The cassock turned out very well. I ironed it on the inside and used the “cloth” to press the sleeves. It is remarkable how well it presses a crease, for after a week’s wear, the creases are still in the sleeves. The pants washed well (I followed the directions on the inside of the waistband)….
I finished my file last week. I have a cardboard box, which fits in my desk drawer and in this I have made cardboard partitions with the letters printed on the top, in such a way as you can see all the letters and just flip the letter you want. This is a handy way to keep your notes etc. and if I have to change cubicles I just have to carry the box and my papers don’t have to become disordered.
My catechism class last week was very good. I followed the class outlined in “On our Way” series of catechisms [first published 1955]. This new series is using a minimum of “question and answer” and stressing more putting across the material in an interesting way, e.g., stories, projects etc. This has been done somewhat by some nuns but this series is a good guide.
During our dinner and supper one of the brothers has to read for the community. In my next letter I shall let you know how I made out, for my turn is this coming week.
Hello to all and please remember me in your prayers. You are always in mine.
Love,
Frank
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Ignatius College
Guelph Ontario
February 11, 1962
Dear Mum and Dad,
It was very good to hear from you, however don’t worry if you are unable to write as often as you wish because I know how busy things keep you…. I really enjoyed hearing the latest news about the farm. When you live on the farm most of your life you just can’t lose interest in it.
Sometimes I think you are a mind reader. About a week before your letter arrived I was figuring out a way to stimulate my class into learning their prayers. I came up with making a chart on which the child could fill in a square beside his name every time he learnt a new prayer.
I had thought of stars because that is what Mrs. Drake always used, but I didn’t have any. You can imagine my surprise when I opened your envelope [and saw the stars you sent]. (I have made the chart and taken it to school and the children are very enthusiastic now.)
Oh yes, I told you I would tell you about the outcome of my reading [at table for the community]. Although I was nervous as anything, I was told I didn’t do too badly, and through the week I was told that I had improved, so judge for yourself….
Thank Marlene and Ed for their letter won’t you? Marlene asked me what I would be doing for the next fourteen years until ordination. Well I’ll give you the general procedure. (The reason I say general is because sometimes the years vary according to the person.)
The novitiate (two years) is an introduction to Jesuit life. In it the novices make a thirty day retreat, lives in silence, and prayer, learning the ideals of the Society. He practices the various virtues by doing menial tasks and other various means. At the end of the two years he takes perpetual vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. In Juniorate (two years) he studies the humanities (e.g., English, Latin, Greek literature, history, education, public speaking etc.) working for an academic degree in a major field ofstudy. In Philosophy (three years), usually done in Spokane, Washington, he also studies literature and social & physical sciences. He then teaches for three years which is a great training in working with every day people. After the next three years of theology he is ordained and then takes another year of theology after ordination. After this there is one more year of training (called tertianship). In this last year they once again go all the things they did when they were novices (e.g., long retreat, menial jobs etc.) in preparation for the assignment he will receive at the end of that year.
I hope this is clear to you for I paraphrased this from a book because I thought it did a better job of explaining that I could do….
So I shall close. Hello to all of the family and don’t forget to offer up the occasional prayer for me.
(I am eagerly anticipating spring and the apple blossoms which should be quite plentiful around here.)
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The source for photos: Frank Obrigewitsch, SJ
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