funny event of football

The Class – Third Order Regular 1977


Image by Michael 1952
Above you will the novitiate class of 1977. We are in our postulant habits for this official photograph. At one time the postulant class numbered twenty-four strong, ten dropped out during the postulant year. I don’t know how many actually finished novitiate and took temporrary vows, I suspect that the number was 13. I left owing to family problems that could not be solved long distance. Let me tell you a little bit about each one, starting in the front row on the left. The names I am mentioning here are the names they had in civilian life except for Stephan (Real name James) because he was the only one in the class to take solemn vows.

Front Row:
Robert Allison - Lived in Austria, very formal but fun loving sort of guy. Conservative by nature. had lots of stories, some of them even true! I learned much about life in Europe from him. I really liked him.

Matthew Costa-Fellow Illinois citizen, very gentle soul, I was in contact with him for awhile a few years ago, but he stopped writing after his father passed away. He would have made a good Franciscan.

John Bretti-Pittsburgh person great family, funny brother (Brunsi).

Leonard Shatkus – From coal miner territory in PA. straight shooter. I heard that he left the monastery and married a former nun. He was a good guy and a fast thinker. Loved sports as I recall.

Second Row Left
Robert Tornatore – Father owned a gas station at least until the interstate came by. Strange sort of fellow, jealousy issues, he didn’t like me too much because I was friends with John Bretti who for some reason he claimed as his own. Generally Bob was a likable man just very insecure in his relationships…I can relate to that,

Vincent DiZebia – (with the beard) Was big into working with the deaf using sign language – was lured away from religious life when offered a TV appearance. As I recall he was the first to arrive in our group so he was kind of the leader. Very skilled at the guitar and did not have a bad voice.

Daniel Callahan – Pompous "I am better than you and always will be" sort of guy I didn’t really like him too much. Toxic personality, very judgmental. Leader of the "Toxic 3"

Me – What can I say? Immature, but confident, hoping for the best -didn’t get it.

Steven Augusto – Always wore the habit when he could. smoked OP’s (mine). Hails from Mount Bonaventure College. Took the name Dominic when he entered novitiate.

Back Row Left
Stephan Sirach – Only one to take final vows, from Buffalo NY. Good to his mother. He was my best friend in the monastery. A very gentle soul, many health problems. The toxic three did not like him at all.

David (?) – Really nice guy, football player type from the Philadelphia area

Tom (?) – Friends with Daniel – some attitude but not as bad as Daniel – the three of them together, Daniel, Tom and Joe Neuber were a toxic combination and generally bad for the community, caused much dissention. I firmly believe that these three in combination were the reason why some of the ten left before novitiate.

Joe Pion – Actually lived in Loretto PA – father taught at St. Francis College – jock. Really a nice guy, hair and facial feature reminded me of Harpo Marx. (I think he still lives in Loretto)

Joe Neuber – good friends with Daniel, Tom, ‘friendlier then the other two. A follower more then a leader in the toxic 3 – He could be kind and generous when kept away from the other toxic two partners.

Brian Cavannah – Probably the most intersting of all. worked with Dionne Warwick roadshow company and was said to know a lot of famous people. Soft spoken but he had is opinions. Health nut, berries grains and yogurt were his favorite foods along with tea with foul aromas – was against smoking even when it was still fashionable!

Okay, so there you have it, my judgement on the class I was in. Are they good judgements? I don’t know, they are colored by my particular predjudices and experiences with them. Quite honestly there are other things that go into my opinions that I will keep secret. All of these young men were called by God, we all answered. Living in community is not an easy thing to do. You see the same faces day in and day out. You are dealing with the same quirks of personality day in and day out and you are living with of all things a bunch of men day in and day out. In community the little things take on a life of their own. Living in community is an intense experience and one benefit I received from it was that I can let a lot of things roll off my back that seem to be hard for other people to shake off. Each of the men above, even the "toxic three" were and are loved by God. I pray that each of them have had the opportunity over the years to live out the life God intended for them.