The Junior is much more immersed in the ‘world’ in his current life. In the Novitiate there was little or no contact with current events. Two sad events are recorded in these letters. In the Nov 24 letter the Junior comments about the death of JFK. He doesn’t relate that the Juniors were in English class when the president was shot and that the professor, Fr. Wickham, calmly continued his class to the end of the period before telling them. The December 12th letter is to his sister Lillian and her husband Bill upon learning of the death of baby Joseph whom she carried in her womb during the October family visit to Guelph. The December 18th letter is a brief Christmas letter.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
IGNATIUS COLLEGE
Guelph, Ontario
Nov. 24, 1963
Dear Mum and Dad,
First things first, so I must wish mum a very happy birthday. Many of my prayers are offered up in thanksgiving for such wonderful parents but on the thirtieth you will be especially remembered in my mass, communion and beads. May God bless you and keep you always near to Him.
You were probably as shocked as we were to hear about the assassination of the president. What hurts most people is the present sense of insecurity. Kennedy was a man who demanded our confidence. However we must remember that God is guiding human history and certainly He knows what He is doing.
One begins to wonder about the Dallas police force though. Just a few minutes ago I heard that the suspected murderer had been severely wounded as they were taking him to the prison. Perhaps they tried to take him over secretly but from what I understood there was a great crowd around and the man was shot with a pistol.
Well, enough of that. When something of that sort happens it preys on the mind and so I had to say something about it. At long last I got a letter from Hustak [a classmate friend at Campion College High School]. He is now working at a radio station in Saskatoon. His job has something to do with news, perhaps he is a reporter. In any case he tells me that he likes the job, I hope it will make him settle down at last. He is such a talented and ambitious young man that if he will only stick at the particular job he is sure of succeeding.
Doreen [a 1st cousin who entered a religious community] wrote me also. She told me more about her [religious] community and herself in a two instalment letter. She writes a very good letter that portrays her humorous character. I was going to be the first to write but just after your visit things started to pile up. The result was procrastination as far as the letter was concerned. But I have answered the letter now so the letter did get written.
I don’t think I have congratulated uncle Joe and aunt Lil on the birth of their first boy. What did they name him?
Well, thanks to your prayers my sermon came off quite well. This is not my opinion but what I was told. My own opinion is that I did not do as good a job as I could have, but it was all I could do considering the time element involved.
The play is really shaping up. We had our first dress rehearsal on Friday evening, and the results were quite favourable. All the costumes are completed and if I do say so myself, they are not too bad. In any case the critic we invited on Friday liked them. I didn’t tell you what other things I was doing in the play besides the costumes. Really there are two plays; ‘The Conversion of St. Paul’, in which I am the angel that leads Paul our of the city of Jerusalem and in which I help another brother in the lighting; ‘The Story of Job’ a take off on the Book of Job in the OldTestament, in which I am an agitator (that is, I heckle Job). It is really some feat to put on two plays in than a month’s time but it is a lot of fun. Together the plays take about two and one half hours. We have less than a week to complete it.
When you were here you had asked about Christmas presents. I’m afraid I wasn’t too helpful then and perhaps I am not being very helpful now but the things we appreciate most are usually the most practical, everyday little things. Your gifts last year were tremendous. You see, or I should say, you saw the type of life we lead and you can judge best from that.
I can hardly believe that Advent begins next Sunday. And a couple days after that I write my first Christmas exam. Please offer up prayer for my success in the exams because they are really quite important. The rest of the exams are just before Christmas.
We started to put up the hockey rink on Saturday so the hockey season is just around the corner. At least I hope it is. Last year we couldn’t play until Christmas because of the warm weather. Perhaps this year it will be cold enough sooner.
Well, I think my fountain of words has dried up and so I’ll have to close.
Greetings to the whole family and please remember me in your prayers.
Love
Frank
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
IGNATIUS COLLEGE
Guelph, Ontario
Dec. 12, 1963
Dear Lil and Bill,
This afternoon when I read Marlene’s letter, my feelings were mixed. There was both sadness and happiness; sadness because you lost someone you love; happiness because there is another saint in heaven.
Little Joseph was the recipient of your love long before he was born but God had a special love for him also. We must trust in God. Surely in His wisdom and goodness, He knows what is best for us.
Looking on life as a preparation for eternity and realizing that your son was well prepared must give you great consolation. Imagine, you and Bill have your own little St. Joseph to pray for you.
As you have probably discovered already, whenever the going gets rough it helps a lot to sit back a moment or two and count your blessings. When I do this, usually I find things are not as bad as they seemed.
Just this morning a mass, communion and rosary were offered for your intentions.
May God bless and keep you in his grace.
Please remember me in your prayers.
Love
Frank
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
IGNATIUS COLLEGE
Guelph, Ontario
Dec. 18, 1963
Dear Mum, Dad and family;
Advent is almost over and the feast of Christmas is just around the corner. Snow is falling and it has been cold enough to get our skating rink flooded and in operation. All this plus incoming cards and gifts are a great help to get through the exams this week. There are a few exams after the New Year but those are in the future and will take care of themselves. We are looking forward to Saturday because then the exams will be finished and Brother Schner and I can decorate that tree we searched so hard to find. Brother and I are supposed to decorate the small recreation room, so last villa day we went out into the fields to look for a perfect tree. We did find a beautiful one. (It is quite an experience to got out into your own pasture and cut your own Christmas tree. It’s a great time especially when you have a group of people with you.)
The other day Brother Hutton showed me an Advent prayer he had written [in Latin]. It read, “Domine, fac me asinum bonum ut starem juxta Praesepium Infantis Jesu!” What is means is, “Lord make me a good ass so that I may stand at the crib of the infant Jesus.” As you can see it is an excellent prayer.
What I really want to do is wish that all of you enjoy the peace of Christ this Christmas, through the New Year, and all of your lives. And what a blessing is the peace of Christ! Sometimes we get the idea that Christmas is only for children. When we consider that only grown-ups can really know the meaning of Christmas that idea should vanish. What child for example can appreciate the meaning of peace. Only a grown-up can value and esteem peace for he knows what it is like not to have peace, for most grown-ups have experienced, at one time or another, the unrest of a troubled soul.
Peace of soul is the greatest possession a man can have for there is nothing that can bother or frighten him for he is in the hands of God. This is the peace
that Christ came to give us, and even on the night of his birth the Angels sang, “Peace on earth to men of good will.” In fact, at every Mass, the priest says, “Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum:” (the peace of the Lord be always with you). Perhaps the reason we think Christmas is the children’s feast is because they have peace. But Christ gave us an inheritance to that peace also. I supposed we must ‘become as little children’ to receive it. Enclosed is my spiritual bouquet for ‘my mother and father, brothers and sisters, and all I ought to pray for.’ Even though it is the third Christmas away from home I shall always think of all of you, and see you opening the gifts and at midnight mass. All of you and our relatives, friends and neighbours will be remembered on Christmas morning in my Mass and other prayers.
Please extend my best wishes to all. Unfortunately my Christmas card list can be only so big. I would like to send a card to everyone.
Please pray for me.
Love,
Frank
++++++++++++++++++++++
All photos courtesy of Frank Obriewitsch, SJ