CALENDARDecember

19 Ring Ceremony20 Alumni Casino Night

January6 Alumni College Day

30 Moroney Award Dinner31 Admissions testing

February7 Admissions testing

19 Arts Festival (through Feb. 21)

March7 Book Fair

14 MS Open House

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No 1922Dallas, Texas

ISTERCIAN

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

For family, friends, and alumni of Cistercian Preparatory School

December 2003

The

Gary Cunningham ’72 andthe Abbey Church, which

he designed in 1991

20

PREPARATORY SCHOOL3660 CISTERCIAN ROADIRVING, TX 75039-4599

Built upon atraditionThe people and valuesthat shaped Cistercianarchitecture

On Prayerdd

“Our God is a consuming fire” Hebrews 12:29

We know abstractly that God’s goodness and love areboundless, yet we have a hard time believing it because weare also aware of God’s justice andthe eternal punishment of hell. Theexistence of hell and the real pos-sibility of our ending up theremakes us either question God’smercy altogether or at least put alimit on God’s mercy. It cannot bepure and infinite love. In fact, itseems to be severely limited by hispunishing justice.

This, however, is not the waySt. Bernard and the Fathers of theChurch think of God: God’snature, according to them (andaccording to Scripture) is pure andinfinite love, not limited or tem-pered in any way whatsoever. Yet,to the extent that we are sinners,God’s love remains hidden fromus. Thinking of God becomespainful, a condemning judgment, afire that we want to avoid.

Did we ever encounter a trulygood person? Someone who was so

outrageously good that we wanted to escape from his presencebecause we felt ashamed and embarrassed by the way he lookedat us? He made us acutely aware of our own dark side, our longcherished vices and sins. Since God is infinite goodness, ourembarrassment and our urge to escape from Him may becomequite intense. God, then, is love in his own nature, but only thepure of heart can experience it as love. To the extent that we

remain opposed to him, we perceivehis goodness as a threat. Instead ofcausing warmth and delight, theflame of his love burns us. This is thecase even with the lukewarm and thehalf-hearted. When thinking of God,they also feel uncomfortable.

The good news, however, is thatwe are still alive and have time toact. Instead of staying a safe dis-tance from God, we should exposeourselves to his fire. Even if it isunpleasant and painful, let us askhim to burn out all the trash fromour hearts, all that is impure, selfishand duplicitous within us. Let usalso ask him to give us opportuni-ties to choose His will over ours, toprovide situations in which our lovefor Him may become real. He willnot refuse such a prayer. Then,gradually, we will be able to tastehow good the Lord is.

— Fr. Roch Kereszty

IN MEMORIUMTrey Hunt ’74 of Palm Springs, CA,

died April 25, 2003. He was aBroadway stage manager in New YorkCity for 14 years. He is survived by hissister, Lora of Mason, Texas; his broth-er, Dane of Lewisville, Texas; and hismother, Jackie of Mason, Texas.

Cistercian classmates rememberTrey for his quick laugh, his dramaticbent, and his beloved “Mumsie.”

Trey was a founding editor of TheInformer (giving the publication itsname) and attended MiddleburyCollege in Vermont.

Abbot Denis will include a memo-rial for Trey in the program for theClass of ’74’s 30th reunion in June.

December 2003

CISTERCIANPREPARATORY

SCHOOL

ADMINISTRATION

Rev. Peter Verhalen ’73Headmaster

Rev. Bernard MartonAssistant Headmaster

College Counselor

Greg Novinski ’82Dean of Students

Robert J. HaaserDirector of Admissions

Jennifer RotterDirector of Development

and Alumni Relations

Dan LeeDirector of Athletics

Steve Rasch ’80President, CistercianAlumni Association

EDITORIAL STAFFDavid Stewart ’74

Editor & Art Director

Tom B. PruitCopy Editor

Sally L. CookAssistant Copy Editor

Jim ReischPhotography Editor

TheCONTINUUM is published byCistercian Preparatory School.

P.O. Box 140699 Irving, TX 75014-0699

469-499-5400

www.cistercian.org

3

Cistercian Preparatory School was founded with the aim of preparing talented boys for the colleges of their choiceby challenging their minds with excellent academic programs, molding their character through the values of Catholiceducation, and offering them guidance with both understanding and discipline. Cistercian Preparatory School doesnot discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational practices,admissions, scholarship programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.

Volume 31, Number 1 In this issue.....

D E P A R T M E N T SLetter from the Headmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2School News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Sports News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16On Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Cover photography: Jim Reisch

The heartof the matterThe monastery has met a wave ofinterest in vocationswith a committedeffort to counselthese young men. We take a look at theyoung men whosevocations just mightshape the future ofthe abbey and theprep school.

Seth Henderson1985 ~ 2003 Tom Pruit comments on theCistercian community’soutpouring of support forSeth Henderson ’03 and the Henderson family.

Built upon a tradition 6From O’Neil Ford to Al Salem toGary Cunningham,Cistercian’s campushas been created bytop-notch architects.While they may differ visually, each structure incorporates integralCistercian values:excellence, honesty,and humility.

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F E A T U R E S

2 The CONTINUUM

Letter from the Headmaster

Dear Cistercian Families, Friends, and Alumni,

This issue of The Continuum is arriving just before Christmasand, like Christmas, celebrates relationships. Through the birthof his Son in Bethlehem, our heavenly Father healed our rela-tionship with Him and with one another. We prepare to cele-brate that birth in Bethlehem by working on our relationshipswith God and with one another. In our often rushed days we tryto put a bit more time into thanking one another, listening to oneanother, and directing our hopes and desires to joining our heav-enly Father.

We are all proud of our beautiful facilities. However, the coverstory by David Stewart ’74 reminds us that our buildings reflectnot just “working relationships” among architect and builderand owner. They also reflect a shared vision of excellence and

humility, of love and respect for nature, of service to God and to student. And they help fos-ter those same attitudes in all who study and work here.

In the second article, David describes the journey a young man might follow in establishingthe closest kind of relationship with Cistercian, in joining the monastery community. The sto-ries of the three novices provide insight into the kind of efforts Abbot Denis and others aremaking to help young men discern where they are in their relationship to God and what Heis asking of them.

This issue includes much more, and all the articles create an overpowering sense of gratitudefor Cistercian and a joy in belonging to the Cistercian community. May this little celebrationof joy and gratitude find you and your family preparing for the ultimate joy that is the birthof our Savior. Merry Christmas.

Fr. Peter Verhalen ’73Headmaster

Photo by Jim Reisch

December 2003

Rotter quickly slip into theflow of things.

“I was very fortunate tohave the help of Sally Cookand Adam Nevitt ’99 as Ilearned the ropes,” she said.

Rotter comes to Cistercianwith a wealth of developmentand alumni experience. Mostrecently, she served three yearsin Southern MethodistUniversity’s Office of AlumniRelations. There she was hiredas the alumni relations webmanager and was promoted todirector of alumni marketingand communications.

Rotter also has served asthe director of marketing anddevelopment at HillcrestAcademy and the assistant tothe director of developmentat ESD.

A L U M N I D I R E C T O R Y

New way tostay in touchwith old friends

Out of circulation for anumber of years, the AlumniDirectory will return in time forReunions Weekend in June.

Alums and their parentsshould look for a question-naire and reservation form inthe mail. Online responseswill be welcome.

And yes, there are spotsleft for advertisers. Half page

advertisements go for $60and full page ads will set youback $100.

For additional information,contact the Cistercian AlumniOffice at 469-499-5400.

A C A D E M I C C O N T E S T S

Mathletes andQBowlers win atTAMU & OSU

Competing in Octoberagainst 40 high schools fromTexas and Oklahoma,Cistercian’s math team tookfirst place in the Oklahoma

State University High SchoolMath Contest. Cistercian’steam includes John Davies’04, Brett Naul ’04, andJames Peacock ’04. St.Mark’s placed second.

In November, Cistercianmathletes again took first outof 35 teams at the TexasA&M High School MathContest. Other Dallas schoolsplacing were Greenhill(third) and St. Mark’s (fifth).

Names of the participantscan be found on Dr. RichardNewcomb’s Web site atwww. cistercian. org.

Cistercian’s four QuizBowl teams cruised toStillwater and the Oklahoma

State University campus inSeptember. The Hawksearned first and second placetrophies for their efforts in atournament that included theformer OK state champions.

Just before Thanksgiving,the teams travelled to theTAMU tournament. Theteams earned two trophieswith a second and third placefinish. Cistercian’s otherteams placed fourth andsixth. John Davies ’04 wonhonors as the all-tournamenthigh-point scorer.

For more information onthe Quiz Bowl program, goto Fr. Gregory’s Web site atwww.cistercian.org.

5

Jennifer Rotter

School Newsw

Two alumni among four new teachers

Four new teachers joined the ranks ofCistercian faculty this fall. Two find theirsurroundings to be very familiar.

Peter Heyne ’97, a UD grad, is teach-ing English Lab (Forms I and IV) andLatin (Form III). Coming back toCistercian strikes up some interestingimages for Heyne. “I feel so humbled andawed by my colleagues [on the faculty]who have taught here for thirty or moreyears. I feel like a little hobbit next tothese giants and Gandalfs.”

Heyne says he is amused by “my stu-dents [who] think of me as on the far endof the Great Adult Barrier Reef, but I amonly 24 and not the Pre-Crustacean Mr.Chips — not yet.”

Jeffrey A. Tinker ’97, freshly graduatedfrom Texas A&M, is whipping math stu-dents in Forms II and III into shape.

“It is nice to be back,” Tinker said. “Iowe so much to Cistercian, that it’s nice tobe able to give back.” And it has itsrewards. “The best part about beingback,” Tinker insisted, “would have to belistening to Fr. Matthew. I think he may beeven funnier than when I was here.”

The accent of French students inForms V-VII should be improving withthe help of Cistercian’s new French

teacher, Catherine Mathieu. The Frenchnative and mother of three (ages 14, 12,and two) recently moved to the Stateswith her husband who works for a Frenchoptical company. Having taught Englishin France, she has been pleasantly sur-prised by the reception she received atCistercian.

“The faculty has made me feel wel-come, made me feel like a real asset,”Mathieu said. “Everyone is so ready tohelp, even the headmaster.”

Anthony Perri first heard of Cistercianfrom Wyatt Maxwell ’00, who was a fresh-man in the Notre Dame dorm where Perriserved as resident assistant. After gradua-tion, Perri served two years in NotreDame’s highly selective ACE (Alliance forCatholic Education) Program and taughtmiddle school English in rural southernLouisiana.

Perri has been busy teaching English(Form II) and History (Form IV). Alongwith colleague Peter Heyne, he alsoenthusiastically supported the Form IVfootball team this fall.

Photo by Jim Reisch

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Jim

Rei

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FRESH APPROACH New teachers include(l-r) Jeff Tinker ’97, Catherine Mathieu,Anthony Perri, and Peter Heyne ’97.

F O R M M A S T E R R O T A T I O N

Saliga hears thecall, becomesForm I master

When Brother Gabrieldecided to leave themonastery this summer, Fr.Peter had to think carefullyabout a form master for FormI. One name kept popping upas the headmaster reviewedhis options: Peter Saliga.

“What a huge extension ofconfidence and trust onCistercian’s behalf,” Saligasaid recently. “Yet, I remem-ber thinking, ‘He has no ideawhat he’s asking here ... I’mthe last guy who should be aform master. Give me eightyears with these forty guysand there’s no telling howwarped they’ll be by senioryear.’”

Saliga becomes one of aselect number of lay facultyto be entrusted with a class.

“My chief goal is to formthese little boys into honest-to-goodness men,” Saliga

said. “I want toshare with themthe richest‘stuff’ life hasto offer.”

But thefree-wheelingSaliga of yes-

teryear has hadto make a few

adjustments.

“There are so many littleadministrative tasks that takeup a lot of ‘thinking time.’

“Then there is the paradigmshift from being a ‘high schoolguy’ who runs the StudentCouncil to being a ‘first formguy’who has responsibilities tothese little guys not just thisyear but every year until theygraduate.”

It should be quite a ridefor the Class of 2011.

G Y M O P E N S

New facility“phenomenal”at tourney time

Athletic Director andBasketball Coach Dan Leewas gushing with compli-ments over the way the newgym functioned during theCistercian Tip-Off ClassicNov. 20-22 (in which theHawks prevailed as champs).

“The facility is phenome-nal,” Lee said. “It was reallynice having two games goingon at once. By having theability to stage two gamessimultaneously, we were ableto start at 5 o’clock instead of3:30, so none of the studentshad to miss class.”

Lee also pointed out thatthe efficiencies of two gymshelp Booster Club helperswho don’t have to show upearly. And the concessionstand in the new lobby is wellequipped to handle the

crowds from two games.“We have a serving

counter, sinks for cleanup,dedicated counter space foreach machine and a separatestorage room for back upinventory,” said Bill Novak,president of the CistercianBooster Club.

“Everyone who hasworked the concession hascommented on the roominessand ease of work comparedto our old set up,” he said. “Itreally is a classy operation.”

Then there was the excite-ment of the games.

“It was a lot of fun beingin there,” Lee said. “We had agreat crowd on Saturdaynight that really got the kids

going.” (See sports page 15.)

A L U M N I R E L A T I O N S

Rotter headingup developmentdepartment

Jennifer Rotter, Cistercian’snew director of developmentand alumni relations, had to hitthe ground running when shearrived in August.

The dedication of thegymnasium, the annualreport of giving, homecom-ing, as well as theSustentation and AlumniPhonathon drives helped

School News

Casino Night Mark your calendars for Saturday,December 20, 2003 for the annual Alumni CasinoNight. It’s a great night to catch up with classmates,friends, and faculty while enjoying the auction andcasino games. Some items that will be up for bid arerestaurant gift certificates, sports tickets, Montanafly-fishing trip, artwork by Fr. Damian, and muchmore. If you are interested in donating a silent or liveauction item (from trips, condo rentals and air milesto gift certificates and merchandise), please contactAdam Nevitt ’99 in the Alumni Relations office (469-499-5452, or anevitt@cistercian.org) for additionalinformation.

National Merit Scholars Over half (24 of 42) ofthe Class of 2004 was recognized by the National MeritScholarship Program this fall. Seventeen qualified assemifinalists; seven qualified as Commended Students.A list of the students can be found at www.cistercian.org.

AP Scholars Forty students (12 from ’03, 22 from’04, and six from ’05) were named AP Scholars by theCollege Board in recognition of their achievement on thecollege-level AP (Advanced Placement) Examinations.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT Kristine Arras, Carolyn Thompson, BobCrews, and Cindi Tenney enjoyed working the concession standin the new gym during the Cistercian Tip-Off Classic.

Photo by Jim Reisch

Peter Saliga

N O T E W O R T H Y

Bea Haggerty’s death ends an eraBeatrice “Bea” Haggerty, matriarch of one of

Cistercian’s founding families, passed away Nov. 28.Mrs. Haggerty (mother of Mike Haggerty ’71and grand-mother of Patrick Haggerty III ’86 and ClintonHaggerty ’88) and husband Pat Haggerty played a keyrole in the school’s formation and were very close to theschool’s first headmaster, Fr. Damian. Their contributionswere detailed in The Continuum’s retrospective last year.

The CONTINUUM

Phot

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December 2003

Ford’s work, it uses a subdued palettewith fine but not flashy detailing. There’slots of natural light and a strong connec-tion with the environment.”

The turquoise, red, and blue light fix-tures on the outside of the building aretypical of Ford’s work and were made byMartha Mood, a longtime colleague ofFord’s.

“She was a wonderful artist,” Landrysaid, “Some of her stitcheries andappliqué work sit today in famous collec-tions. The light fixtures were slip cast, andthen before they were fired, she punchedholes and drew lines in them. Then she’dfire them, paint them and fire themagain.”

The architecture of the Middle andUpper Schools feels good, literally.

“To appreciate Ford’s work, you needto go around and touch things,” Dillonsaid. “His work is very tactile.”

Of course, boys are always happy to touch things and toexplore the durability of their surroundings. For nearly 40 yearsstudents have enjoyed the feel of Cistercian’s gray carpet, wood-paneled walls, Spanish tile floors, and Mexican brick.

Although Fr. Denis turned to another architect for the gym,Ford’s architectural philosophy would continue to echo throughthe campus as new buildings were constructed.

A BBOT DENIS SAID THE GYM PROJECT resembleda mouse that grew into an elephant. But through themany dramatic evolutions and changes, Fr. Denis insist-ed on one constant: the gym must include the Mexicanbrick Ford had used.

“Ford used this brick on many of his buildings,” Dillon said.“O’Neil loved the color and softness of the Mexican brick.” Thebricks’ softness results from their being handmade and beingdried in the sun instead of fired in a kiln.

“Before accepting delivery of the bricks, Ford insisted thatthey drop a few from the back of the truck. If half of them broke,they’d be sent back,” Dillon said.

Covered in Ford’s Mexican brick, the gym would bear at leastsome resemblance to the school buildings next door.

Fr. Schott, then president of Jesuit, recommended an architectnamed Al Salem, who had designed the gym at St. Rita. Salem’sfriendly demeanor and willingness to respond quickly helped himdevelop an immediate bond with the young headmaster. Theyworked easily together.

Fr. Denis, never renowned for his love of sports, began attend-ing basketball games all over the Metroplex so he could study thebenefits and shortcomings of various gymnasium designs.

One of his findings made a major impact on the appearance ofthe gym. “The windows along the top of many gyms,” Fr. Denisremembered, “forced spectators to shade their eyes during after-noon games. I asked Al to incorporate a shade over the windows.”That feature led to the buildings’ signature white buttresses.

The project, which started out to be just a gym and some lock-er rooms, grew to include a large art room and a stage with state-of-the-art lighting. The cost of the project grew from around$400,000 to $750,000.

While not possessing the architectural panache of its prede-

cessors, the gym was universally deemeda great success upon its completion. Justas Ford’s architecture on the school build-ings had made a statement of excellence,the gym demonstrated that Cistercian wasno longer handicapped in athletics,drama, and art. Applications skyrocketedthe following spring.

“The gym’s large two-story entrance isnot of the same scale as the entrance to theFord buildings,” David Dillon remarked.“But it is a product of its time. It’s part ofthe biography of the campus. It’s a periodyou went through. Sometimes too muchemphasis is placed on continuity andcoherence.”

Fr. Denis and Al Salem collaboratedon several smaller projects (e.g., the con-necting structure between the Middle andUpper Schools, the elevator at themonastery). But by 1983 when work

began on the school’s next large project, the science center, Fr.Denis had stepped down as headmaster.

Salem would work on the science center with the new head-master, Fr. Bernard Marton, as well as two 27-year-old fund-rais-ers, Jere Thompson ’74 and Jim Moroney ’74.

“It was not as simple a process as working with Fr. Denis,”Salem acknowledged.

“We visited Hockaday and St. Mark’s, which had just com-pleted new science centers,” Thompson remembered. Theyhelped the design evolve and grow to include key elements like acomputer lab, large lecture hall (now the theater), and teacheroffices. What was originally planned as a three-wing structure(one for chemistry, physics, and biology) became a two-story box.

But the decision-makers appear to have been influenced pri-marily by their years in the hallways and classrooms ofCistercian’s Middle and Upper Schools.

They insisted on Mexican bricks, additional windows with

“[The old gym] is aproduct of its time.

It’s part of the biography of the

campus. It’s a period you went through.

Sometimes, too muchemphasis is placed on

continuity and coherence.”

— David Dillon,Architecture critic,

The Dallas Morning News

7

O’Neil Ford’s Mexican brick, arched windowopenings, signature light fixtures and Spanish

tiles set the tone for the entire campus.

The CONTINUUM

T HE SILENCE IN THE 1970 BOARD MEETINGached with tension. Fr. Denis Farkasfalvy, Cistercian’sbrash, 34-year-old headmaster, had just declared hisintention to find a new architect to work on the school’snewest project, a gymnasium scheduled to begin con-

struction in 1971. The school board members were stunned, especially Patrick

Haggerty. The chairman of Texas Instruments (and an importantbenefactor of the school) had insisted on using O’Neil Ford todesign the Middle and Upper Schools. The look on his face madeit clear that he saw no need to switch architects now.

Bryan Smith, Haggerty’s associate at TI, had enthusiasticallysupported the idea of using Ford to design the first two buildings.

“Neil’s involvement always promised something creative,”Smith said recently.

“But there were ups and downs with Neil,” added Smith. “Youhad to sleigh through that. While you usually got a product thatwas very worthwhile, you had to learn to deal with the eccentric-ities, like his failing to complete working drawings.”

“The decision to hire another architect for the gym was an evo-lutionary thing,” Smith suggested. “There were budgetary con-siderations. Personally, I felt that a gym wouldn’t require Ford’stalents anyway.”

After some reflection, Smith supported the headmaster’s deci-sion to find another architect. But he has never doubted the impor-tance of hiring Ford to design the first two buildings at Cistercian.

“Neil really made the ultimate contribution [to the Cisterciancampus] by establishing the present design, structure, andarrangement of the total complex,” Smith said.

The founders’ decision to use Ford on the first two buildings“made a clear statement that this school would be dedicated toexcellence,” Smith emphasized. The founders and Ford succeed-ed with a design that helped persuade parents in the sixties thatthis school in the wilds of Irving would be special indeed; it is adesign that continues to impress prospective parents nearly 40years later.

“As you enter the campus, you certainly get the feeling thatyou are entering a special place, part nature preserve, partlearning retreat center,” said Scott Prengle, father of BobbyPrengle ’10.

“I am struck by how well the design complements the setting,”said Connie White, mother of Aaron White ’07. “It is clear thefounders had an appreciation for the environmental setting. I alsothink by being modern instead of traditional, it was very forwardthinking and progressive. It suggests that fitting in does not haveto mean adhering to a traditional mold; instead it means living forthe future.”

Duane Landry, the grandfather of Nathan Helms ’07 andJohn Henry Helms ’10, served as Ford’s project architect on boththe Middle School and the Upper School.

“I worked most closely with Fr. Damian on the projects,”Landry remembered. “Abbot Anselm and Fr. Philip Szeitz alsowere involved.” (Szeitz would leave the priesthood in 1965.)

“The work of Ford and Landry here at Cistercian has held upextremely well,” said David Dillon, who has served as the archi-tectural critic for The Dallas Morning News for 20 years and haswritten a book on Ford (The Architecture of O’Neil Ford,Celebrating Place). “It is nice, clean, simple. Like much of

6 The CONTINUUM

Built upon atraditionHow three architects combined to create a campus grounded in Cistercian values

Text by David Stewart ’74Photography by Jim Reisch

The roofs of the west gym, east gym, andUpper School reveal much about the eraand architect of each.

December 2003

the massiveness of it, the ruggedness, and yet the detailing of it isvery delicately modern. The windows are very crisp. I love theroof and the light.”

“We’re so used to seeing stone veneer, architects using lime-stone that is 3/8” thick at best. It’s almost like wallpaper. Hereeach block weighs several tons. It creates ancient Biblical associ-ations with the rock and the cave.”

“I tried to fulfill in the Abbey Church,” said Cunningham, “animage of what I saw in this community — permanence, roots thatstretch back centuries, and a weighty, stable product.”

“I told Gary at the time it was completed,” Abbot Denis said,“‘I think there will be a time when this church will be among thearchitectural sites visitors want to see when they come toDallas.’”

“CUT IT IN HALF,”Abbot Denis toldCunningham in1997 after monthshad been spent on

a large-scale design for theschool’s new library. “The scopeand budget are not in keepingwith the school. It is too ambi-tious.”

“We knew the budget wascreeping upwards,” Cunningham remembered, “but it was theabbot who had the clear vision of what was appropriate forCistercian. He is the steward of the school and abbey.”

Still, his behavior is often misinterpreted, according toCunningham.

“The abbot may play a large role in issues, but it is not abouthim,” he insisted. “It’s about his job as abbot. He takes that veryseriously. He is strong and protective. He has a real sense of duty.”

With the project resized, Cunningham focused on the keyarchitectural issues involved in the project.

“The library was the first building on campus that I did. Whileit involved the same players as the Abbey Church, it was a verydifferent project because of all the issues related to Ford,”Cunningham said.

“I had to respond. How do you build a wall? How do you builda roof, a window? I wanted to build it the same way as Fordwould build it. That’s the way I’d do it anyway. For example,solid masonry walls hold the building up.”

But budgetary constraints forced Cunningham to improvise. “On the window openings in the Middle School, Ford used

arches. Since we couldn’t afford to do arches, we poured a con-crete beam above the window to support the weight. We left theconcrete exposed.” Once again, the tradition of honesty.

As an architectural student at the University of Texas in theseventies, Cunningham had the chance to be instructed by Ford.He and his cohorts also spent many hours “just hanging out” inFord’s San Antonio office.

“He taught us to be independ-ent-minded. He inspired us tobuck the system and to do thingsdifferently,” Cunningham remem-bered. “He was a contrarian.”

To create covered walkways,Cunningham sought the mostefficient, least expensive solu-tion: simple columns and con-crete slabs. Where possible, theslab roofs were cantilevered fromthe library itself to eliminate theneed for columns (“Columns areexpensive,” Cunningham

remarked.)When confronted with the issue on how to “blend” his no-frills

covered walkways with the arches that had been built to connectthe science building to the Middle School, Cunningham simply“stuck it to,” uh, under the arches.

“I like to take the straightforward, functional approach,” hesaid.

Cunningham, however, proved far more sensitive to the issueof how the library would interact with the monastery on one sideand the campus on the other.

“Since the library was the last building built toward the abbey,we used a copper roof that slopes down,” Cunningham explained.“The library almost disappears into the landscape when viewedfrom the monastery. That’s important because the monks need to

9

QUIRKY CUNNINGHAM Gary Cunningham ’72, aself-proclaimed contrarian, leans on his leaningpillars at the east gym.

Cunningham’s approach is exemplifiedby how his slab-covered walkway inter-sects with the science center’s arches.

The CONTINUUM

arched openings to provide lots of naturallight inside, Spanish tiles, and the samelight fixtures that O’Neil Ford had usedon the school buildings. Outside,Moroney and Thompson wanted a land-scaped courtyard between the sciencecenter and the Middle and Upper Schoolsrather than just a slab of concrete.

All of these elements helped to tie thenew building in with the O’Neil Fordbuildings and perpetuate a tradition.

Moroney and Thompson proposedthat arches be used to connect the newbuilding with the Middle and UpperSchools, at a cost $80,000. The youngfund-raisers found the money, and thearches were constructed. “The archesadded a certain character and feel the area wouldn’t have had oth-erwise,” Thompson said.

For the first time, the Cistercian campus had some depth andits first partially enclosed outdoor space.

“This [courtyard] is the kind of space that Ford might havedesigned,” David Dillon commented on a recent visit. “It has anice sense of enclosure, yet it is not intimidating. The scale is ofa very intimate level.”

OVER THE DIN OF CLANKING PLATES ANDglasses at the old Dixie House on McKinney Avenue inthe spring of 1990, Jere Thompson and Peter Smith ’74asked Gary Cunningham ’72 if he’d be interested indesigning a church at Cistercian.

Thompson had heard Cunningham was making a name forhimself and believed that having an alumnus design the churchwould make a powerful statement. (Thompson’s fundraisingpitch promised, “An alumnus will design it, an alumnus (WadeAndres ’75) will build it, and an alumnus (Fr. Peter Verhalen ’73)will say Mass in it.”)

Cunningham expressed great interest to Thompson and Smithand soon met with Abbot Denis. Not long thereafter, the commu-nity of monks approved his appointment.

“It was a prettybig deal doing abuilding for a placewhere I was basi-cally raised,”Cunningham said,“and for teacherswho had a such abig impact on mylife. Right from thestart, I felt thismight be the mostsignificant projectof my life. After all,this church wouldbe here for a longtime.”

To help groundhis new architect inthe project, AbbotDenis handed overlots of pictures of

Cistercian abbey churches in Europealong with information on the tradition ofchurch building. Cunningham was partic-ularly struck by a Vatican II document.

“It discussed the attitude for building achurch,” Cunningham remembered. “Thethree primary tenets were honesty, crafts-manship, and humility.” All three tenetsfit in nicely with Cunningham’s own phi-losophy of building, which was influ-enced by the contemporary Cistercian tra-dition established by O’Neil Ford.

“Ford’s architecture expresses hon-esty,” Cunningham said. “For example,you can see the beams. The ceiling is whatit is. Ford didn’t hide the structure of abuilding. I think that’s important so stu-

dents can see the structure around them and know how it works.Buildings can teach honesty.”

Cunningham’s design for the Abbey Church would be radical-ly honest and straightforward, using limestone blocks as bothexterior and interior walls, with no veneers, no plaster, nosheetrock to disguise the structure of the building.

Craftsmanship also jumps out at you in both Ford’s andCunningham’s work.

“The Vatican II document suggested that in a church, oneshould ‘avoid perfection,’” Cunningham said. “Elements shouldbe made from human hands and express our humanity. The natu-ral qualities of materials and human craftsmanship should standout.”

“Ford had a repertory company of craftsman around,” DavidDillon said. “One would do nothing but tile, another (like hisbrother Lynn Ford) nothing but wood and metal.”

In the construction of the Abbey Church, Cunninghamemployed a wide variety of craftsmen, from the stonemasons whochiseled the 9’x 6’x 3’Champagne limestone blocks to the wood-workers who handmade the pews on the church floor.Cunningham himself along with artist David Sines created thecrosses that grace the top of the church (Cunningham etched hisname on them) and the Holy Water receptacles. Artist BillyHassell ’74 designed the tabernacle doors.

“The building is not the most important thing,” Cunninghaminsisted, however, in reference to humility. “The building is therefor the people who occupy it. It is a backdrop to the activity orfunction of the building. It should not call attention to itself.”

The Middle School and Upper School designs recall veryhumble “dog-trot houses” (i.e., two sections with an area in themiddle to allow for ventilation), according to David Dillon. Thedesign is friendly, not grandiose.

Inside the Abbey Church, attention isn’t drawn to the sophisti-cated way the roof floats above the floor, but it is easy to sense thelight as it changes when clouds glide lazily in front of the sun.

For Cunningham, it was a dream project. “Everything cametogether in an amazing fashion,” he said. “The builder (AndresConstruction Services), the subcontractors, the client, how I wasworking at the time — everything was aligned. The importanceof this project inclined me to become really involved in everydetail.”

“I love it,” David Dillon said. “It is one of my favorite church-es in the Metroplex. And it was risky. Gary doesn’t always choosethe safest route.”

“It really is an abbey church; it has the austere quality of anabbey church from the eighth or ninth century in certain ways —

“You can see the beams... Ford didn’t hide thestructure of a building.I think that’s importantso students can see thestructure around them

and know how it works.Buildings can

teach honesty.”— Gary Cunningham ’72

Architect Al Salemin front of the gym

he designed in 1971.

December 2003The CONTINUUM 11

the heart of the matterA look at the young men whose decisions

to join the monastery just might shape the future of the abbey and the prep school.

By David Stewart ’74

“IT BEGAN TO SCARE ME,” Br. Abrahamsaid. The Cistercian novice is one of threewho began life in the monastery this sum-mer. He was remembering his visit withAbbot Denis last fall. “The closer I came to

making a decision about the priesthood, the scarier it became. Ididn’t come back for a couple of months,” he admitted.

Abbot Denis and Fr. Roch, with whom Br. Abraham had firstmade contact, assumed another promising young man had beenlost. It wouldn’t have been the first. Over the past fouryears, they have spent countless hours doingwhat they can to counsel young men inter-ested in a vocation. They have pro-moted a consecrated life throughbible studies, talks, literature, vir-tually every means possible.

The stakes are high: thefuture of the monasteryand the prep schooldepends on a new waveof young priests. Theclock is ticking.

“This is my highestpriority,” Abbot Denissaid. “I have spenthours and hours listen-ing to people, followingfalse leads.

“But it is never timewasted,” he said. “It justtakes a lot of groundwork.The attention we have given

has helped many young men a great deal.“Now we have three novices in the monastery and more are

on the way,” he said. “You make your own good luck.”Still, Br. Abraham’s return was a surprise.“During that time, I felt something was missing,” Br.

Abraham recalled. “So I came back in March. By this time, Ihad come to the conclusion that this was what God had calledme to do. I met with Abbot Denis one more time. By April, Iwas writing my application.”

“Initially,” recalled Br. Joseph, “I did not havethe maturity or insight to see past what the

secular world would have us believe:that success in life necessarily means

being loved by a woman, havingplenty of money, and not

answering to any authorityabove yourself.”

“As long as I thought ofsuccess in these termsalone, and as long as Iwas hounded by the ideathat my natural andhealthy desires for mar-riage and independencewere proof that I wasn’treally called to thepriesthood, I was simply

unable to truly respond tomy calling. Without con-

tact with spiritual andinsightful priests like the ones

that I met here at the monastery,

Photo by Jim Reisch

have their peace and quiet away from the school or they’re notgoing to be good teachers.”

On the school side, the roof slopes up towards the science cen-ter, opening the library up to the rest of the campus. The libraryand science center form a courtyard.

On his tour of the library, critic David Dillon remarked,“O’Neil would have loved this. The exposed beams, the naturallight, the materials.”

“It is clearly a modern building,” Dillon added as he walkedoutside under the cantilevered covered walkway, “but it is notout of character with the other buildings. The way the windowsare done, the way the canopy is done are all very much a mod-ernist way of doing things and yet it fits in very nicely with whatis here.”

“THE GYM IS MY FAVORITE BUILDING oncampus,” Cunningham said. “It is so simple and sopretty. It does what it is supposed to do. I like thetwist with the leaning columns on the coveredwalkway.”

Cunningham placed the columns perpendicular to the walkwaythat climbs up a slight incline (4.9 degrees). The columns look“off” when viewed in relation to the thin windows of the gym.

Those thin windows caused a great deal of debate. “Some clients,” Cunningham commented, “don’t want to lis-

ten to new ideas or try anything new. At Cistercian, there are real-ly no constraints. I am free to pursue a vision.”

“We debated about the windows in the gym,” Cunninghamsaid, “but they let me do it. And now they love them.”

The structure appears to have added more to the campus thanjust one simple building. “It balances the library and contains thescience center, forming a third courtyard,” Cunningham said. Itresults in a feeling of completeness and creates a new complexi-ty to the campus.

“The landscaping was inspired by Fr. Peter’s request for plantsthat require less water,” he added. “We were all set to go with themore manicured look with Bermuda and Shumard red oaks. ButFr. Peter led us to create a plan of native plants, including buffalograss, red buds, and cedar elms.

“The native plants will cre-ate a much more natural look-ing environment for the school.In two years, it will appear real-ly rugged and simple, like thebuilding.” (Fr. Peter already isso pleased with the result thathe is considering a plan toinstall more native plants inother areas of the campus.)

Cunningham seems to thriveon such contributions. “Theteam around me is critical,” hesaid. “Lonnie Burns has workedwith me for eight or nine years.Bang Dang gives me greatideas. And having a companylike Andres Construction thatcan handle changes is great.Rodger Harrison, the projectsuperintendent, wants to dowhat’s best for Cistercian and aslong as we’re making the final

product better, Rodger is all for changes.”“While Abbot Denis may make the final decision, he listens to

five or six support people, like Fr. Peter, Peter Smith, WarrenAndres ’75, Jere Thompson, and most recently, Pat Villareal.Without these people in the process, the product would be sub-standard. The project is only as good as the people involved.”

Cunningham also is working with Abbot Denis on plans topreserve the peace and solitude of the abbey. At the heart of theplan is the hill between the school and the monastery.

“The hill separates the school from the abbey, it preserves thepeace of the abbey,” said Cunningham. “It also marks this placeas something special. It should be preserved.”

The abbot is attempting to zone the hill so that nothing can bebuilt on it. There is, however, talk of constructing a mausoleumfor the monks within the hill.

So, Cunningham continues to build upon the Cistercian archi-tectural tradition pioneered by O’Neil Ford, one that is sensitiveto the mission of the school and to the environment.

“While they have very little in common visually,” reflectedDavid Dillon, “O’Neil and Gary both share a love for materials.They also share a spirit. In Gary’s office, they really like to makestuff. He likes to have artisans around and work collaboratively.It’s an arts and crafts style. And that’s exactly the way Ford usedto work.”

“They also share a real passion for architecture. It’s not someabstract, technical exercise,” Dillon added. “It is about your soul.It’s the most wonderful thing you can do with your life.”

Most recently, Cunningham worked with Abbot Denis andAndres Construction to renovate the west wing of the abbey.

“I know that Gary has no higher goal than to do the best forthis community,” Abbot Denis stressed. “He wants this commu-nity to be as comfortable as possible. And in open meetings withthe monks, he’ll remind us that the architecture should maintainthe humility of the community. He watches over us.”

“It’s the Cistercian vision,” Cunningham said. “The monks setthe tone. This is about Cistercian; it’s not about us. The architec-ture is only important so that the monks can do their work.

“I feel good about helping them,” he added. “but I don’t do itfor that reason. I do it because it is needed. And I know how muchthey’re needed.”

10

The east gym gives the campus asense of completeness by containingthe science center on the north andforming a new courtyard.

The CONTINUUM1212

I never would have come to see that a vocation is truly a gift, nota burden.”

One of the young men now considering a vocation, we’ll callhim Daniel, is still going through this scary stage.

“In this day and age,” Daniel said, “it is somewhat difficultto face the reality of the priesthood and religious life. At first Iwas quite timid about even discussing the possibility of a voca-tion because it doesn’t follow the general trend of what peopledo with their lives. But Fr. Denis has helped to draw me out ofthat reluctance, that suppression of the reality of a vocation.”

Fr. Roch Kereszty wrote a brief document called “Steps inDecision Making” that provides some practical advice to youngmen confronting the inevitable indecision. It begins:

“When you begin to think about a vocation, it is so easy tostart off with the wrong question, ‘Where could I be mosthappy?’ If your first goal is your own happiness, you will neverreach it. ‘Whoever wants to keep his life will lose it’ (Mt 16:25).Instead, you should repeat Saul’s question he asked as he waslying in the dust of the road to Damascus: ‘Lord, what do youwant me to do?’”

“Like all beautiful lifestyles,” said Br. Joseph, “[the priest-hood] involves sacrifices, but what I had to learn was that, in theend, these hardships are so dramatically outweighed by what Ireceive: a unique opportunity to grow closer to the IncarnateGod by imitating his pure and submissive love for His Fatherand for His people.

“These graces are hard to appreciate at first,” he emphasized,“and I think that many vocations are aborted very early becausethe blessings are hidden compared to the sacrifices. So long asa young man does not see God’s calling as a special and per-sonal gift from a father who loves him, he can never reallydevote himself to exploring a way of life that involves sacrifices

as obvious as those involved in priesthood and monastic life. “And I think that’s the unsung tragedy that exists behind the

‘vocation crisis’ that we are seeing these days: how truly unfor-tunate it is when somebody misses his true calling because hecan’t see how wonderful it really is.”

BROTHER ATHANASIUS, WHO RANKS AS theelder statesman among the three novices at 29,spent two years preparing to become a priest in theEl Paso diocese. But he became disenchanted andleft the four-year program.

He was introduced to the Cistercians at the University ofDallas where he was studying theology while serving as youthminister at All Saints Parish in North Dallas. He becameacquainted with Fr. Roch, Fr. Denis, and Fr. David Balas.

“It was surprising even to myself, but it just kind of clicked,”Br. Athanasius said. “It felt really good.”

The theology the Cistercians offered rang true. “I was look-ing for a theology that was faithful to the teaching of the Churchand Pope. That was really the most important factor for me. TheCistercians offered that.”

“It was little things, too. Fr. Roch started his class withprayer,” he said. “That sends a very important message. It putsthe class in the context of prayer, asking for His guidance.

“At the masses here and the Liturgy of the Hours, I couldsense the great reverence for the mass and the dignified worshipof God. Mass in many parishes often appears more focused onthe community, offering support to each other. While that'simportant, the priority should be on God. It is through God thatwe become one body.

“I was working hard at developing a vibrant prayer life. You

Photo by Jim ReischTHE FUTURE IS NOW (l-r)

Br. Athanasius, Fr. Roch, Br. Joseph,Abbot Denis, and Br. Abraham

stand in front of the Abbey Church

December 2003 13

could see that prayer was a big priority for them.” But while Athanasius was receiving a spiritual boost at the

Cistercian monastery, he was considering his options. Hebecame interested in an order in Boston called The Oblates ofthe Virgin Mary.

“Athanasius called me after his visit to Boston,” Abbot Denisremembered. “He wanted to talk about whether or not he shouldjoin that order. I told him, ‘Look, I cannot discuss with youanother religious community that I do not know anything about.If you come to me, I will tell you to join us.”

Athanasius still wanted to talk. “OK,” Fr. Denis sighed. “Let’s talk.”Two weeks later, Athanasius submitted his application to the

Cistercians.“There were a number of factors,” Br. Athanasius said. “The

fact that the Cistercians are teachers is very important to me. Ialso like the fact that the Cistercians are here in Dallas. I wasraised in Texas. It is home. But theclincher was the relationships I estab-lished. I trust Fr. Denis and Fr. Roch.They care about me. They are men Irespect. I feel very comfortable placingmy life in their hands.”

While the Cistercians’ orthodox theol-ogy, the opportunity to teach, and the trustengendered by the monks played the keyroles in the decisions of all three novices,each has been very excited by their expo-sure to the larger Cistercian community.

“We couldn’t walk five feet at the foot-ball games without being swarmed withpeople,” said Br. Abraham. “The sense ofgratitude the parents have for themonastery and the school is remarkable.”

“The community is a very strongforce,” Abbot Denis said. “The novicesare very impressed with the way we areanchored and emotionally at home withour boys. They are astonished when wetalk about them at meal times. We know so much about them.There is this ongoing memory of hundreds of boys. They cansee how rich this life is in personal relationships. It is a fruitful,dedicated life we lead. We are not spinning our wheels.”

“And,” he added, “there are more and more boys to be raised.”

“WE BEGAN TO SEE A NUMBER ofyoung men coming to the abbey forcounseling about two and a half yearsago,” Abbot Denis reflected. The sud-den wave of interest in religious life

from students at the University of Dallas is as unmistakable asit is unexplainable.

“I don’t know what is behind this phenomenon,” said anoth-er one of the UD students who is considering a vocation (we’llcall him John). “I can’t exactly think of any one particular rea-son why now or what it is in these particular guys. But, I havebeen deeply impressed by the level of spirituality in the classesimmediately above and below me at UD. It seems that manypeople at UD are very interested in taking an active role in theirfaith at a young age.”

John became interested in the monastery through hisinvolvement in UD’s liturgical choir, the Collegium Cantorum,

which often performs in the Abbey Church.“That helped me to view the abbey in a different way,”

explained John, who happens to be an alumnus of CistercianPrep School. “I saw the serious, adult side of how the faith ispracticed over at the monastery.”

“Then I spoke at length to Fr. James Lehrberger and to Fr.Robert Maguire who taught me English at UD,” he added. “Ididn’t know either of them from the prep school, but I was veryimpressed by them and their contentment with their vocation,their feel for their faith and monastic life.”

While the wave of interest in vocations surprised everyone,the monastery was prepared. Approximately one year before,Abbot Denis had formed a vocations committee comprised ofhimself, Fr. Roch (the novice master), Fr. Bernard Marton, Fr.Peter Verhalen ‘73, and Fr. Paul McCormick (the vocationsdirector). Meeting about once a month, the committee membersset goals, report on activity, share wisdom, and provide encour-

agement. Each understands that increas-ing the ranks of the monastery is of thehighest priority.

“The committee helps us remainfocused. This endeavor takes that kind ofeffort,” Abbot Denis insisted. “You haveto keep the fire burning.”

“I will interrupt anything I am doingto take a call from a young man consid-ering a vocation,” said Abbot Denis. “Ihave no higher priority.”

“Perhaps there was no shortage ofvocations before,” Abbot Denis postulat-ed, “just a shortage of responses to them.”

The five members of the vocationscommittee bring to bear approximately142 years of experience in shapingyoung men. Between their commitmentand their experience, the Cistercians arecertain to respond enthusiastically tothose seeking a vocation. And they canbe expected to do so with patience and

care.The abbot’s commitment to the young men — not just to

swelling the ranks in the monastery — speaks volumes. “First and foremost,” said Daniel, “his general interest and

concern is for me. He wants to see what is really in my heart, tosee if God is calling me. He is not so much into assigning me toa priestly vocation but seeing what is going on in my life.”

“I am grateful that there isn’t constant pressure,” John said.“I had been holding off dating for some time because I felt Imight join the priesthood. But when I began struggling with theidea of joining the monastery last year, they encouraged me tobegin dating again. That freedom helped me come to a morepermanent decision.”

“To this day,” John said, “I still struggle with every sort ofdoubt that the mind and imagination can conjure up. But atmoments of peacefulness, contemplation, and prayerfulness, thecertainty in my heart has been a constant.”

“These young men always have to make up their ownminds,” insisted Fr. Roch. “Basically, it is God’s grace thatdecides such things. It is so independent from us.”

“For years, we had very few vocations,” he added. “We putin a lot of effort but received few lasting results. All of a sudden,these guys are falling out of the sky. We have a role to play, butthey are really an undeserved gift.”

“To this day, I still strugglewith every sort of doubt that the mind and

imagination canconjure up. But... the certainty in my heart hasbeen a constant.”

— John,young man

considering a vocation

The CONTINUUM

IN A HEAVY SOLEMNITY, we watched the gym slowly fill, first inthe 500 red chairs arranged around the front and sides of thealtar, which stood on a raised platform against the gym’s west

wall, then around the perimeter where an additional 500 mourn-ers stood three, four, even five deep.

In the midst of Pachelbel’s Canon in D, various pieces byBach, a setting of Psalm 19, Áve Maria and The Lord’s Prayercame something unexpected and wonderfully fitting — theexploding timpani drums from Copeland’s Fanfare for theCommon Man. Suddenly I could see Seth in his strength,speed, and grace running the option along the line ofscrimmage, and I knew that all would be well with therest of the afternoon.

What a difficult, exhausting ordeal had, for somany, preceded this moment! What an accumula-tion of tragedy and sadness and grief; yet, simulta-neously, what an expression of love and loyaltyand faith! All such contradiction seemed to begathering in that gym in the hope of beingshaped into a meaning beyond the imme-diate mix of emotions and memories.That shaping movement had, in fact,begun the night before at the rosaryprayed at the Chapel of the Incarnationon the University of Dallas campus.Christa Arias’s poem, Goodbye Voices,one of several reflections made immedi-ately after the rosary, was written fromSeth’s point of view, and seemed tospeak to everyone.

Theresa Powers, one of the traumanurses at Baylor who was assigned toSeth during the five weeks he was there,said, “I see so many emotions with fam-ily members. I try to put myself in theirshoes, knowing that I can never trulycomprehend their grief but only wishingI could help in some way. How do younot question God at a time like this?” Sheand Fr. Eugene Azorji, one of Baylor’sCatholic chaplains, attended the memori-al service. They had shared the grief andpain of the Henderson family and were both deeply moved bythe family’s love for each other, their gracious reception of thenear-constant stream of friends and well-wishers, and theirunshakable faith. “It was very clear that Bob and Marilyn andtheir sons depended on God first, and put the whole affair in Hishands and knew that He would take care of it,” Fr. Eugueneremarked.

The strength of this faith was especially important for Seth’sclassmates and many friends, too young perhaps to comprehendthe situation fully yet all willing to make any sacrifice, to run anygauntlet that might give them in the end some assurance that Sethwould be O.K. Yet, such assurance was not to be. Despite theroller coaster of hopes and fears reflected in oldest brotherTucker’s daily updates on the hotline — the reports themselves adaily testimony to the power of faith, hope, and charity — the endcame on August 29. The long ordeal was over.

Nevertheless, even this dark cloud had a silver lining . ElaineBethea, the mother of one of Seth’s close friends expressed thethought of so many: “The outpouring of love for Seth and his fam-

ily during his time in the hospital truly touched us. In fact, my hus-band and I discussed our feeling that the Cistercian communityacted exactly as we think God envisioned ‘the church’ — a com-munity not bound together by zip codes but by the love all share forGod and for each other. The practical ways this was exhibited area perfect example of our willingness to share each other’s burdensand to live in obedience to God’s desire for us ...‘to love one anoth-

er as God loved us.’ It blessed us to be a part of it.”Thus, in the midst of all the tragedy were sown the

seeds of hope; Seth and the entire Henderson familywere, in fact, surrounded by a community of “sowers”

— willing hearts who gave themselves over toplowing the hard ground, broadcasting seed,and bearing fruit in many acts of kindness andof love — of bringing food and sharing pic-tures, running errands, providing conversationand hugs and laughter. In the terrible strugglethere were others’ faces to look into, hands tohold, hearts to bring encouragement, minds to

probe for understanding, spirits withwhich to walk the difficult journey. And inthe memorial mass all that seed waswatered and nourished and began to grow.As one alumnus, Stephen Collins ’76,reflected after the service, “What an awe-some tribute to Seth. But perhaps evenbetter, what an awesome tribute to ourCistercian community. I had never seen apulling together of the broad Cisterciancommunity as I saw today. Nor had I seensuch depth of reach or emotion — the ten-tacles of our Cistercian bonds reached farand wide today, in person and in spirit.”

In his homily Fr. Peter directed us to aScriptural analogy as he spoke about thegymnasium as the setting for Seth’smemorial service; it is like Bethany, thehome of Mary and Martha and Lazarus, aplace in which moments of great sorrowhad succeeded moments of great joy. “Butin Bethany there was more than the joys oflife and the sorrow of death. There was

infinitely more, for Jesus Christ himself was there, teaching andgiving life. The warmth and love and support represented by somany people here, the uplifting memories and funny stories —these tell us about the reality of life, the way we deal with theinevitable loss and suffering, the way we support one another. ButChrist wants to teach us today, and I believe that Seth now wants toteach us, about life after death. He asks us to believe Him when Hesays, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me,even if he should die, will live.’”

Following the eulogies and Abbot Denis’s final blessing, onecould hear once again, as the crowd followed the family out of thegym toward the reception in the school lunchroom, those timpanidrums from Copeland’s Fanfare for the Common Man vigorous-ly proclaiming Seth’s presence. “I will not leave you comfortless”they seemed to proclaim to all present and left us knowing thatthe Spirit had kept His promise and we were all — Seth, theHenderson family, the Class of 2004, parents and friends — mostassuredly in His strong, gentle hands.

— Tom Pruit

14

“THE GREATEST STORY of them all,” saidTyler Bethea ’03 in his Sept. 1 eulogy, “iswhat has occurred in the hospital thepast five weeks and in this [gym] today.Seth was always a captain on the field,calling on his team to come together intimes of difficulty. On this day it seems asthough Seth is playing captain again.”

Eulogies and Fr. Peter’s homily

can be found at: www.cistercian.org/school/publications

S E T H H E N D E R S O N : 1 9 8 5 ~ 2 0 0 3

15

The All Saints tackler rocked theworld of running back Connor Arras ’04on a first quarter carry. The hit to the face-mask would have stunned any player, butthis Cistercian tailback had not playedfootball since Form IV. Arras stumbled tothe sideline, wobbly kneed and dizzy.The coaches expected he was done. Hismom and his dad, Oscar Arras ’78, won-dered how their boy would react.

They found out in the second halfwhen Arras returned to the field, rushingwith a vengeance and gaining over 100yards for the night.

Arras’ performance that Septembernight mirrored the performance of theHawks this season, a year in which theywon only one of their first five games,then went on to win four of the final five.

“The turning point,” said Head CoachSteve McCarthy, “was Oakridge. It wasthe first time all season that we puttogether two good halves.” Oakridgecame into the contest with just one defeat(a three-point loss to Holland Hall). Theywould not lose another game all seasonand would win their first-ever SPCDivision II championship.

“Coach Taylor deserves a lot of cred-it for preparing our defense for their no-huddle offense,” McCarthy said. “Wetook the run away from them and forcedthem to pass more than they wanted.”

An interception returned for a touch-down in the closing seconds of the firsthalf helped Oakridge to a 14-7 advantage.

In the second half, “we dominated,”McCarthy said. “The offense took care ofthe ball and the defense stuffed them.”

The Hawks were on a four-game win-ning streak before losing to an ESD teamthat ended up in the SPC Division IIchampionship game against Oakridge.

Arras, who led the team in rushingwith 76 carries for 450 yards, was not theonly player to step into a new situationfor the 2003 Hawks. All of the team’s topoffensive weapons succeeded in posi-tions they had never played before at thevarsity level.

Quarterback Jordan Campbell ’04proved to be a quick learner, ending theseason with 1,088 yards passing, with 10

touchdowns and only four interceptions.He also gained 371 yards on the ground.

Then there was wideout StephenBailey ’04, who had not played since hewas a sophomore. Bailey finished with53 receptions for 621 yards.

Finally, Matt Chee-Awai ’05 steppedin at running back, rushing for 380 toughyards on 76 carries. He also had notplayed the previous year.

“You can’t do what these kids did atmost schools,” McCarthy insisted. “This ispart of what makes Cistercian so special.”

Not all of the team’s stars were new-comers to their positions. Steve Kinard’04 (FB, LB), Cart Weiland ’04 (OL),and Parker Wolf ’04 (OL, DL), haveanchored the team for years and eachwon All-SPC honors along with Baileyand Campbell. Bailey, Kinard, andCampbell were selected to play in theTom Hillary Classic (the All-Star gamefor private school players) held justbefore Christmas.

Honorable Mention SPC recognitionwent to Arras, Austin Nevitt ’04,Matthew Lawson ’04, Jacob Arias ’04,Tony Johnston ’05, Michael Abola ’05,and Chee-Awai.

Sports News.d

First-time offensive starters fuel Hawks’ 2003 attackTeam wins four of final five games, including a victory over eventual SPC II champ Oakridge

FWCD to replaceGreenhill on 2004football schedule

Beginning next autumn,Greenhill and Cistercian will nolonger meet on the gridiron atthe varsity level.

The Hornets will bereplaced on next year’s sched-ule by Fort Worth Country Day,which is moving down toDivision II. With the addition ofCountry Day, the Hawks willplay eight SPC Division IIopponents, one Division Iopponent (Houston Episcopal),and Pantego Christian.

Cistercian’s last win againstGreenhill came on October 8,1999, during Coach TomHillary’s final season. It wasone of Coach’s finest moments.

B-ballers win firsttourney in new gym

The Hawks defeated DentonLiberty 55-34 in the championshipgame of the Cistercian Tip-Off Classicon Nov. 22. Cistercian was led byTournament MVP Chandan Vangala’04 (#2 guard) and All-Tournamentplayers Bobby Crews ’06 (#1 guard),and Eric Ojeda ’05 (post). The tour-nament victories helped the Hawksjump off to a quick 6-0 start.

Chandan Vangala drives to the hoopduring a win over PrestonwoodChristian in the Tip-Off Classic.

QB Jordan Campbell ’04 was one of four offen-sive starters who excelled at a position theyhad never before played at the varsity level.

Photo by Jim Reisch