The novice’s relish of learning scripture and spiritual things is reflected in these brief letters, besides his enjoyment of working as sacristan, preparing and caring for the vessels and paraphernalia for worship. The November 12th letter is to his young sister and brother telling them about their parents visit with him. His parents came by train and drove home in the new car they picked up in Oakville.
IGNATIUS COLLEGE
GUELPH, ONTARIO
October 9, 1962
Dear Mum and Dad (and FAMILY)
This month is turning out to be a very busy one indeed. The primi have been on retreat one week and we secundi are head over heels in activities. Our classes are keeping us working and now we are all preparing a learned commentary on the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius. We each have a certain topic or part of the Exercises. It is a lot of work but very interesting and rewarding work because we are sort of half-way on retreat for we attend two sets of points a day and all of us will be giving retreats later at some time or another (in fact a lot of us have already given a two or three day retreat). We now have an opportunity to do a lot of research reading on the Exercises which would be very difficult to do if we had a full day’s work to do on ministry or study. So all in all we are getting a head start.
My latest job is that of sacristan. I lost my refectorian job almost two weeks ago. The work in the sacristy is very enjoyable compared to many other occupations….
Fall is earlier this year than it was last year in fact most of the trees are already past their peak of beauty. I hope you will get down east in time to see abit of it though. During the first week of October we had a lot of rain and even now it is cloudy and cool.
Yesterday was break day for the primi and we all went out on hikes. I’m sure we walked over ten miles for I am dead tired today. It was wonderful to walk among all the lovely trees in fall colors.
Last week we had our handball courts repaved and one of our tennis courts paved, so next year we are looking forward to a long season in both sports….
Please remember me in your prayers.
Love,
Frank
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IGNATIUS COLLEGE
GUELPH, ONTARIO
October 30, 1962
Dear mum and dad;
Three days ago I looked out of the window and to my surprise I saw one foot of snow on everything, the ground, the evergreens, the lawn benches and even some of the ledges of the windows. What made it seem so bad was the fact that I was expecting you to come on that day. You can imagine the relief it was to find out you were not on the road in the snow. (Your letter was delivered that afternoon.) At present there is very little of that snow left so perhaps we have some lovely fall weather in store for us.
This is the last day of the month long retreat so that means the novitiate will get back to ‘de more’, which means ordinary schedule.
I was happy to hear that you are all well except poor Matt who is suffering from a case of bumps on the head. He will have to be more careful with Nellie [riding horse] or he’ll lose his head….
Also please thank Marlene and Ed for their letter. She was telling me that she was reading I’ll Die Laughing and enjoying it. I read the same book at summer villa last year and…enjoyed it….
….We novices use in our study of scripture a number of booklets. Each booklet contains the scripture and commentary by an expert in the field of a certain book of the New Testament. (e.g. The Gospel of St. Mark, The Acts of the Apostles etc.) When I said experts that is what I mean for they all have M.A’s etc. If you look in the back of these booklets they have all of the series listed and the authors.
Two men who wrote two of those booklets gave us classes in scripture, Father [David] Stanley and Father [Rod] Mackenzie. Every Christian should be familiar with the New Testament for it is the means we have to study the life of our Savior for it is by knowing that we can love and loving that we serve. (These booklets are fourteen in number and are called New Testament Reading Guides. The ones we have are paper cover and sell in the states for about thirty cents apiece.)
Well the Ecumenical council is well under way. Many people wonder what they can do to help the council. I was reading in a book the other day a paragraph that would perhaps give some people the answer. It went this way………. “This is the most that is asked of us; the sacrifice required of every person is the fulfilment of his duties in life and the observance of God’s law. The most effective way to make sacrifices of all things is to make the morning Offering. If we are in the state of grace, the morning Offering turns all our actions for the day into meritorious acts.” (This particular paragraph was describing a way in which ordinary people could better the world situation. This remedy was the conclusion arrived at from studying the various apparitions of Our Lady and Her messages.) ….
There is always so much to tell but at the moment nothing comes to mind. Please say hello to all the family and give them my best. They are all always in my prayers. I am really looking forward to your visit. I hope things go well.
Please remember me in your prayers.
Love
Frank
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IGNATIUS COLLEGE
GUELPH, ONTARIO
November 12, 1962
Dear Rosemary and Mathew:
The last two days have been very enjoyable for me. Mum and Dad arrived in Guelph on the evening of the ninth so my first visit with them was on Saturday morning. The first day it was rainy outside but yesterday it was simpl[y] beautiful. Today will be my last visit with them and they will leave for home on Tuesday morning. They said it should take them about three or four days to get home so that means they should arrive home either Thursday or Friday if all goes well.
The car is beautiful and I am sure you will enjoy riding in it. I had the privilege of being the second person to drive it. By the time they reach home it will be well broken-in for they have about two-thousand miles on it. When I think of that long trip home I don’t envy them for you would be surprised how tiring it is to travel….
The thought just struck me that just as I wish my parlour [visit with mum and dad] was just beginning you are probably wishing that mum and dad were already home….
God bless you both and don’t forget to remember your older brother in your prayers.
Love,
Frank
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Source for photos: Frank Obrigewitsch, SJ
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