After celebrating Candelemas Day here I joined Father Ray for a meeting of the Vicariate at Saint Rita’s in Haiku. Upon returning to Wailuku, I had two hospital calls. The first was for a doctor from Chicago who was vacationing in Hawaii. When I arrived at the hospital he was in ICU and other members of the family had flown in from the mainland. It was an impressive farewell service. Then I went upstairs to find a relatively young woman dying – with her immediate family watching and praying. Anointings such as these are truly “last rites” but they are above all a celebration of a family’s faith that “life is changed, not ended.” Later in the month one of the parishioners arranged to have me anoint an elderly couple with the “sacrament of the sick” not the “last rites.”

The first guest was Mrs. Lynda de Manti followed by Mrs. Jeanne Martin. Both had helped me set up my office when I moved from the Marianist Center to Presentation Center and later to Villa Saint Joseph. Lynda and I had worked closely together on diocesan projects, especially the parish self-study program. Over many years she has been especially devoted to the community and staff at Villa Saint Joseph. Jeanne arrived with a great sense of wonder and reveled in the beauty of Maui. Father Tim Kenney and his mother arrived on the 12th. Mrs. Kenney enjoyed the peace and quiet while Father Tim made a whirlwind visit to the High School. Father Allen DeLong came over for a weekend and then Brother John Campbell rounded out the month of visitors as he came over for another meeting of the Saint Anthony High School Board.

All our visitors seem impressed that the Maui roosters do not limit their crowing to sunrise! We also have an energetic worker across the street from our residence who cleans the business area at five o’clock a.m. But old timers tell us that when the sugar mill was active that was the dominant background noise. Now the area is the attractive Millyard with offices and homes. Father Mark Neary, who had served here in another era, enjoyed seeing the changes – and we enjoyed seeing each other again.

Meanwhile, Brother Jim Vorndran went to Atlanta to join with others in the second of the corporate reflection groups; then after a few days here returned to the mainland for a more extended visit, leaving a void in the community and office – but continuing to keep in touch with us by e-mail.

Now the remembrances. Every morning as I review our necrology I look back with gratitude on the great Marianists God gave me as companions and mentors. February seems to have been the month of special losses. First was Father Bert Clemens who had welcomed me to Cupertino when I left Fribourg in 1969 and with whom I worked on the Provincial Council until 1971. February 1 was also the anniversary of the death of Brother Ed Westbrock who came to Cupertino to die, and so he did, gently and peacefully, at 90 in 2000. Brother Anthony Beyer’s anniversary was on the second – and it happened to be Super Bowl Sunday when he gently passed away four years ago.

One of my predecessors serving at Villa Saint Joseph was Brother Vincent Steele and he died on his birthday, February 5 in 1990. February 9, 1995 was the anniversary of Brother Justin Loughran – who used to say “there are no more legends” until he realized he was one of them! February 11 was a special day for me not only for the reasons noted above, but also because it was the anniversary of the death of my associate in Rome, Brother Joseph Jansen. His predecessor in the General Administration was Brother Pietro Monti and the three of us had worked together on the Preparatory Commission for the 1971 General Chapter. Brother Pietro’s anniversary was on the 13th.

On Valentine’s Day I always remember Father Georges Cazelles, who was my first appointment when I asked him to serve as Provincial of France. Then came the anniversary of the death of Brother John McCluskey on the 16th. He was one of the five founders of Chaminade University but then had other adventures as the founder of the Marianist community in Australia and Assistant Provincial before returning to Chaminade University. February 23 was the anniversary of the death of Father Le Mire, my Superior in the seminary and my associate during ten years in the General Administration.

The month closed with the remembrance of Brother Howard Hirota, who died in 1998. In my previous letter I had said that Brother Paul Nomi was the first Marianist of Japanese ancestry to die in the SM, but several readers of that letter quickly reminded me that Brother Howard was the first.

I am with you in thought and prayer as I prepare to go to Saint Louis for the meeting of the Provincial Chapter. In my next report I will tell you about our celebration of Ash Wednesday.

ST