Back to the airport

Tonight I took Aldo Giraudo to the San Francisco airport. We stopped for dinner near SFO at about 5.30. Gael Sullivan had told ;e of a nice place to eat on the Burlingame side of the airport, but I could not find the place that he recommended. Since it was already getting dark and since it was raining heavily, I pulled into a Red Roof Inn hotel and took Aldo to the restaurant there -- or the coffee shop really. It was a 1950s style place and the food very nice and inexpensive too. I had hoped for something a little more elegant to say thanks to him, but he enjoyed the 1950s Americana.

From there it was a short trip into SFO's international terminal and the check-in at Lufthanza for his return to Rome. Once settled at SFO, we stopped for coffee in one of the terminal eateries. We discussed UPS and Rome and the Salesian Society worldwide and Don Bosco Hall at Berkeley. We also spoke of the remaining work to be done in publishing Arthur's seven-volume series. We are few and the work is vast, but Aldo has been an encouraging presence. Certainly, he has won the respect and affection of the whole Salesian community in Berkeley, starting of course with Arthur.

So I left Aldo at a bookstore by the security area at the international boarding zone, and returned to the parking lot to drive back to Berkeley. The drive took over an hour and gave me a lot of time to think of these past few days since my own flight from Rome. Let me say it. it is thanks to Aldo that we are getting a lot of good things happening at Don Bosco Hall. Tomorrow I will meet with Fr Michael Sweeney (president of DSPT) and we will discuss future collaboration, and my possible role in this. But that is tomorrow.

Message from UPS theologians for Fr Lenti

The following message was received from the Theology Faculty of the UPS for Fr Arthur Lenti's doctorate honoris causa. The text was read at the presentation last night.

To the Rev. Arthur J. Lenti
Salesian of Don Bosco
from the Faculty of the School of Theology
of the
Salesian Pontifical University in Rome
on the occasion of the launching of the seven-volume series:
Don Bosco, History and Spirit.

We warmly congratulate you on the publishing of your monumental work on Don Bosco’s life and work and, at the same time, wish to publicly and gratefully acknowledge your more than 26 years of painstaking research, dedicated teaching and meticulous writing in the field of Salesian Studies for the English-speaking world.

We further wish to acknowledge the fact that your scholarly leadership was instrumental in the establishment of Institute of Salesian Spirituality in 1984, and your continued efforts have been significant in making Don Bosco Hall, affiliated with the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, a significant center for study and reflection on Don Bosco’s charism for the Salesian Society world-wide, and for the Salesian Family and admirers of Don Bosco in the Bay Area, throughout California and across the United States.

We recognize that, through your many years of hard work and joyful sharing of your scholarship, you have made Don Bosco’s life and works known at a deeper level than ever before possible in the English idiom.

Therefore, with deep gratitude and high esteem, the Faculty of the School of Theology warmly congratulates you on the launching of your significant series, Don Bosco, History and Spirit. It is our intention that, at a later date, we will be able to call attention to your contribution in a more significant way as a means of alerting the many associated with our School and University of the wealth of scholarly and practical resources that you have made available to the Salesian world.

Rome, 11 January 2008

Return to Don Bosco Hall and Berkeley

The flight from Rome to Washington DC met with delays, as did the flight from DC to Los Angeles on 23 January. This morning the rain was tremendous (in fact, it was pretty strong all night long) and I was afraid that I would not get out of Los Angeles because of the bad weather. But we did take off, even if the captain of the jet had to detour to the south and to the east, and to come into San Francisco from the north... adding a half hour to the flight.

Marc Rougeau met me at the United Terminal, and we drove back across to Berkeley. We did a lot of talking on the way and I hardly noticed that we crossed the bridge. We were quite suddenly in Berkeley, and stopped for breakfast at Chester's (our favorite little breakfast place) on Walnut and Vine. We continued our conversation about the house, but mainly caught up on our own stories and news.

And now I am in Berkeley, and back at Don Bosco Hall. Roma, I miss you already, but I did not have much opportunity to visit your fountains or browse through your open-air mercato during this session. I needed to concentrate on the three courses that I was asked to teach. Next time, Roma, I promise you: I will be more sociable.

After a quick unpacking and hanging of my clothes, I went around the house to greet people: Arthur Lenti, John Rasor, Aldo Giraudo, Gael Sullivan the director.

My own laptop does not function properly so I am just adding these notes by way of a computer in the house at Don Bosco Hall. Tonight we will have the launching of Arthur Lenti's book series and meeting of all kinds of supporters. DSPT will confer on Arthur the Doctorate in Theology, Honoris Causa, and Aldo Giraudo will present the first two volumes of Arthur's seven-book series: Don Bosco History and Spirit.

Everything is ready at DSPT for this event. This is a day of celebration, and so is a good day to find myself back in Berkeley.

Ready for departure… not yet

This morning when I arrived in the chapel for the 6.30 prayers and mass, I was surprised that the remains of Ottorino Pasquato were already lying in state in front of the altar. Open coffin, as is done here; no post mortem and no embalming. The sisters of the infirmiry had washed and prepared the body, dressing him in alb and white stole.

Things that I could not remember yesterday came to mind during the prayers (for my place in chapel is in the first bench on the left of the altar, and so I was right beside the remains of Fr Ottorino during the whole prayer time.

Second surprise was that the chapel was filled with flowers and that even the coffin had been engraved with his name and date. Somebody worked over night for this.

Ottorino Pasquato
Priest Salesian
* Camin (Padua) 14 December 1931
† Roma-UPS, 21 January 2008

That's right. We celebrated his birthday just before Christmas, and he presided at Mass that day, which was the memorial of St John of the Cross.

Yesterday, in fact, I concelebrated with him for the feast of St Agnes… I remembered this morning that I had greeted him when I came into the sacristy.

And in mid-morning, I had a doctoral student in my office and needed to print some bibliographic material for him, so I ran into the photo-copy room, and Fr Ottorino was busy photocopying passages from a book on the Fathers. He let me interrupt his work so that I could take several sheets to use on my office printer. He wished me well in my work, and I did the same to him. The little pleasant things that we say to one another. He did not strike me as ailing or tired. All was very normal and even exciting, in an academic sort of way.

All these incidents came to mind during the mass… things that were said over the past three years… things from my student days when I was enrolled in his course on the history of Ancient and Medieval Spirituality… Yesterday, none of this came to mind; today at prayers so many incidents presented themselves, and I relived them.

Throughout the day these thoughts have returned, even as I worked on grading the last of the class work of students, backing up my computer documents, cleaning my office or packing my bags.

In a few minutes I'll go for the rosary at the chapel. Don Ottorino's sister and nephews have arrived from Padua. So has the Rector Major. After all that I must then finish the packing process. Departure tomorrow on United Airlines is at 10.55.

Another death at the UPS

This evening, at 19.00, don Ottorino Pasquato collapsed just moments before he was about to introduce a speaker from the Vatican for Christan Unity week. It took 17 minutes for the paramedics to arrive, by which time he was dead.

At this time we do not know the cause of death. He collapsed just as the entire university population was in movement to reach the lecture hall to hear the presentation on Christian unity efforts with the Orthodox churches… an area that he worked in for many years.
Don Pasquato just completed teaching this past year (at 76) and in the Fall semester had taught courses on the Alexandrian Fathers at the Lateran. He seemed to be in good health and had been most active with apostolate and conferences. He was to begin a new course in two weeks.

Many are in shock at this turn of events. There was visible agitation in the Gesù Maestro community, of which don Ottorino was a member. Rosary will be tomorrow; funeral, perhaps on Wednesday.

Special Sunday in Rome

Tutti in piazza!

Well, that was a shout that I used to hear in the 1970s, and it was political. It means literally "Everybody in the plaza," but this should be translated roughly, "Everyone get out into the streets!" This shout always had a political edge to it. It was a call to the young people to protest.

Today everybody got out into the plaza - St Peter's Square - to protest the treatment against the pope by the folks at the Sapienza. The piazza was full; via della Conciliazione was full… it was amazing to see! People came from all parts of Italy, north and south. Mayors hired buses to bring citizens; university students from all over were there in solidarity.

I was of half a mind to go down to Piazza S. Pietro to participate, and the weather itself was more than encouraging. The sun rose while we were at Sunday Mass, welcomed by a clear blue sky. There was news that there were buses from every part of the republic, and I could just imagine how crowded the metro would be, seeing that every Sunday there are thousands who already pack public transit to get to the Angelus of the pope in Piazza S. Pietro. So I listened to the morning broadcasts of Vatican Radio, and then at noon joined about 20 other Salesians to watch the television broadcast on RAI.

Pope Benedict gave a wonderful discourse for the Christian Unity Octave, and did not mention the University or the protests at all in his prepared statement. He noted that the Christian Unity Octave started a year ago, at the initiative of Fr Paul Watson, who founded a community in the Franciscan spirit for the Unity of the Church in England. These are the friars and sisters of the Atonement, who have a wonderful history. "The evangelizing mission of the Church," the pope said, "passes along the path of ecumenism, the path of unity of faith, of gospel witness and authentic brotherhood and sisterhood."

Then he led the Angelus prayer in Latin. The television cameras, however, kept panning the crowd. I remember the first Easter of John Paul II there were crowds all the way to the Tiber: today it seemed to me to be more people. Many young people from the Sapienza, and from all manner of schools and universities, all with banners and flags.

And so, after the prayer, the pope then spoke to the young people of the hot topic of the invitation and the protest and of his decision not to go to the Sapienza. He spoke, he said, as a "professor emeritus", urging the young to seek always the truth and to do all to protect the liberty of conscience of every person. His tone was conversational, but the words were profound. Very moving.

There is a text of his words posted on the Vatican website, but I realize that Benedict XVI actually spoke the words after the Angelus more spontaneously, and not everything is recorded… For instance, he said that he had dedicated time after Christmas to write his address to the unviersity, and he had done so with enthusiasm. This does not show up in the text printed on the Vatican website. Still, it gives you an idea of what was said.

Later in the afternoon there was a special mass at the Gesù that some of our students attended. This was to celebrate the election of the new Jesuit general: Adolfo Nicolas. He is a Spaniard who studied at the Gregoriana and who has been a missionary in Japan. He was elected yesterday at the General Congregation of the Jesuits, and is 71 years old. He is a European who brings an Asian perspective.

A number of our Japanese Salesians have had him as their spiritual director. Among these is our UPS student Naoki Tsujihe, who has frequented my courses this term in Salesian spirituality. Naoki attended the thanksgiving mass of Fr "Nico", as they call him in Japan. I am told that he works very closely with the Salesians in Japan to publish books aimed at the education of young people. Many of the young in Japan call him "Jinkaku-sha", which means "Man of Character". This shows very high regard in Japan.

Isn't that nice news!

End-of-term: Pointers for defending defending a Masters Thesis

Today is the last day of classes at the UPS. Most of the morning I spent working on class files, meeting students, correcting papers, and trying to get through e-mail with people at the DSPT in Berkeley.

All of this reminds me that I am living between two worlds as I prepare to return to Berkeley. And immediately on my return I will participate in a few important events. First is the launch of Arthur Lenti's book series on Don Bosco, 25 January. On 30 January one of my students, Larry King, will defend his MA thesis.

Larry and I have been in e-mail contact this whole time, and I have worked on corrections, sending him comments and observations with various emails and attachments. Today the exam has been scheduled (or will be scheduled as soon as people in California get in to work) for 20 January.

With all of this, I forgot that the thesis defense in Berkeley tends to be without an audience. In Rome everyone goes to the defense and so students learn what to expect. Professors too see how others do it, and so the thesis examination becomes a ritual of sorts.

How should a Master/Licentiate candidate prepare for his or her defense?

From my experience I tell my own students the following:

1) Write out a defense statement to present at the opening of the examination. Take your words from the introduction that you have written, and from the conclusion. In other words, tell us your original hypothesis, explain how you had planned to study this theme (introduction), then tell us what you discovered in the course of your study (conclusion), what have been the limits of the paper (conclusion), what are areas to promote for further study (conclusion), and finally restate your original hypothesis now as a proven thesis statement.

2) When you have put this paper together from your introduction and conclusion, streamline it to be no more than three pages, double-spaced. Reading this aloud should come to 9 minutes in time (Remember the rule of thumb: 7 pages = 20 minutes; for your doctoral defense you'll want to put together 7 pages or a 20-minute statement).

3) Some candidate make a print-out of this presentation, which they then give to the professors on the panel and to any others who may be in attendance. On this packet of pages, the candidate may wish to add any errors that you might have noted in your printout, with the appropriate corrections. Also, you can add your thankyous and acknowledements here as well.

4) After you have offered your opening statement, each of the professors on your panel will have 10 minutes to ask you questions (20 if we are doing your doctoral defense). Have your thesis open in front of you and bring along paper and pens for taking notes. As the professor asks you a question, write down the main points of his or her question on your note paper. In this way you will not forget the several points of the question (we professor-types tend to be complicated when we ask questions). This will also allow you a moment to collect your thoughts and then to speak clearly as you respond the each question point-by-point.

5) Do not hesitate to open your thesis and use what you have written there to respond to a question if you see that this will help. This is, after all, a defense of a thesis and not simply an oral examination. You can use your written work to your advantage.

6) Remember, in the last analysis, that you are defending your written work -- your thesis -- and not defending yourself. In other words, do not feel that there is an attack on you or on your ideas taking place. Accept observations gracefully, and corrections gratefully. Modesty and competence go together, after all. Once this examination is completed, there you will have time to make any corrections needed before making the final printout.

These are my suggestions. But don't take my word on this. There are great guides written in so many "how to" books designed for graduate students. I am sure you'll find much better recommendations there.

[Photos: 1) Students in my Francis de Sales class fill out the class evaluation forms on 16 January 2008; 2) Larry King and Ed Hopfner at DSPT on 19 September 2007; 3) John Roche defends his thesis on 18 June 2007]

Loud protests

The news in the city of Roma today (or rather, in these days) has been the loud protests on the part of some professors and some students at the Roman university called La Sapienza (the Wisdom) against Pope Benedict XVI. The rector magnificus of the university invited the pope to come and speak at the university for the beginning of the academic year, which is tomorrow. However, the protests have been loud and angry on the part of a handful who make all sorts of accusations against the Church, against "Joseph Ratzinger" as a person, against… From what I see in the US press, it would sound like all the University is against the visit. This is not true. There are very few, but they are also very vocal. And they seem to mouth the same rhetoric that has been going on for years from the extreme secularist parties who are called "laicist" here in Italy. When I hear their arguments against Papa Ratzinger, I wonder whether they have ever heard anything he has ever said.

Arguments? No let me rephrase that: diatribes. They are crude and vulgar, calling the pope a "scarecrow" and insisting on the supremacy of Reason. Really? Since when does Reason mouth crudities and insults in order to convince?

Since when? Since the French Revolution. The language of the protesters at the Sapienza sounds more like the partisan rage of the 1800s liberal radicals than something we would expect to hear in the 21st Century.

Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, made an announcement yesterday: given the present climate at the Sapienza, the pope has advised the rector magnificus that he will not be coming to the university tomorrow. This is to avoid putting any of the students at risk, said Bertone. However, the pope will send to the rector a copy of the discourse that he has prepared for the occasion.

Cardinal Bertone made the statement yesterday; it hit all the news media today, and has made a big impression, not only in Rome but throughout Italy.

A victory for the Left? A victory for liberty? All this is being said (more like ranted) by those on the extreme anti-clerical end of Italian society. However, other voices are being heard now as well. What will develop? We'll see tomorrow.

For my part, today I finished teaching the final classes in two subjects: Spirituality of Francis de Sales and Themes in Salesian Spirituality. Now I need to correct all the papers before heading back to Berkeley, a week from today.

Room with a view

Last night I moved all my belongings across the hall, from room 106 to room 126. This morning when I woke up I realized that I had finally gotten a "room with a view. My window opens up on the plaza garden at the entrance to the university. It is very nice… I spent a moment enjoying the view after completing my two hour lecture on Francis de Sales and Don Bosco with my grad students. That class finished at 10.20 -- and I have spent the intervening time putting things away in this room. Tomorrow I will have three more classes: the conclusion in one period of Francis de Sales, and the conclusion in two hours of the Salesianity course.

All this means that I need to get back to working on those final preparations.

Plumbing problems

Over this weekend I had opted to work in my bedroom instead of in my office. I noticed that the shower continues to leak, and from the wet marks on the wall in the bedroom, my hunch is that the pipe is broken inside the wall.

I had reported this in early December, but the maintenance staff thought that it was the cracks between the tiles, and had put in another layer of grout. Of course, I would shower in the morning and leave the room by 6.25 not to return until 20.30 in the evening. I never saw the wetness in the wall, therefore, because by that late hour the wall was dry. The plaster continued to peel, but the maintenance staff said that this would happened, so I did not suspect anything.

Okay - so I reported this to Fr Giuseppe Corò, who works in the financial offices and is in charge of hospitality and plant management. He gave me a key to another room across the hall. Since I had to teach a double period this afternoon, I did not have time to make the move… I'll do it now and sleep in the new room.

Hmmm… An in Berkeley before I came away to Rome there was a leak from the shower in the wall of my bathroom too. If there were an insignia for such an occurrence, I could make a logo and put it on my letterhead.

Happy Beginning

New Year's Day, 2008. We celebrated the liturgy all together at 11.00. The morning was glorious with blue skies and fresh air! Dinner in traditional style for new years, with lentils … and everyone speaking of the pope's new year message for peace…

It is a day for visiting and chatting. There are lots of smiles all around.

May this new year that is about to visit us, this 2008, bring a season of renewed trust and profound hope that will cause us to keep on smiling.