Brother Mark Gault died on August 10, 2008

Brother Mark (Hilarion Mark) Gault, 90, died on Sunday, August 10, 2008, at Highland Chateau in St. Paul, MN. A De La Salle Christian Brothers for 72 years, he was born Benton Lee Gault in Gentry County, MO, the son of Benton and Minnie (Eiberger) Gault. He attended Christian Brothers High School and La Salle Institute in Missouri before joining the Brothers in 1936. He professed his first vows in 1937 in Glencoe, MO, and his final vows in 1943 at Beaver Island, MI. Brother Mark received his bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s College in Winona, MN, in 1940 and a master’s degree in American history in 1952 from De Paul University in Chicago. He taught at high schools in Illinois, Texas and Wisconsin. From 1959 to 1965 he was Assistant Principal and then Principal at De La Salle H.S. in Minneapolis. He was the Director of the Christian Brothers Provincial Offices in St. Paul from 1972 to 1979. From 1987 to 1991 he lived with the Brothers at Cretin-Derham H.S. and then moved to Dunrovin Retreat Center in Marine-on-St. Croix, MN where he served until 2004. Then he returned to the Cretin-Derham community. Survivors include his sisters, Margaret Jackson of Sierra Vista, AZ, and Mary Frances Moore of Kansas City, MO. Visitation will be held from 4:00PM until 7:00P.M. on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 followed immediately by a Mass of Christian Burial at 7:00P.M. Interment will take place on Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 9:00A.M. at Resurrection Cemetery, Mendota Heights, MN.

Midwest District Jubilees – 2008
Lewis University
July 26, 2008

Good afternoon. It seems appropriate, as we celebrate jubilees of this group of Brothers, all of whom have taught in houses of formation, high schools, or universities at one time or another, to give a short quiz. It will be sentence completion; you all know how to do that, I think. Let’s begin. How would you complete this sentence?

The kingdom of heaven is like…

The Gospels of today and last Sunday gave us some of the answers. And we may have more examples of our own.

But before we write down the answers, let me tell you a story: A boy lived with his parents in a cottage on a hillside, overlooking a beautiful valley. One of his greatest joys was to sit on the doorstep on summer evenings and gaze across the valley to a house miles away on the opposite side. Just as the sun would set, the windows of that house seemed to burst into flame, shining in dazzling golden light. What an incredible place that must be, the boy thought; how happy the people must be who are lucky enough to live there.

One day the boy decided to find the house with the windows of fire. He packed a sandwich and a container of water and set out. The house was farther away then he thought, and it was already near sunset when he climbed the steep hill. When he came to the house, he was disappointed to find that it was a plain cottage with ordinary windows. The people who lived there were very kind and welcomed the little traveler. They offered him supper. As it was already dark, they made up a bed for him in the kitchen.

One of the children in the family was a girl who was the same age as the boy. The two talked about their homes and friends and life on their opposite sides of the valley. The girl told the boy about a brilliant house of light that appeared every morning. She said she would wake him up and show him.

Early the next morning the two sat on the cottage front porch. As the sun rose, a house, as if set ablaze by the sun, appeared on the hillside across the valley.

The boy realized immediately that the house of brilliant light was his own cottage. As I said earlier: Sometimes we describe the Kingdom of Heaven as a faraway place when, in fact, we have hints and experiences of that kingdom in our daily lives.

So, back to the quiz.

The Gospel of this 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time gave us a few answers, and they aren’t distant, ethereal responses.

• The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field
• It’s like a merchant searching for fine pearls
• It’s like a net thrown into the sea

And in last week’s gospel, we heard “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field.”

You need to read the rest of Matthew, Chapter 13 to understand those responses, but the kingdom is within our grasp. We get there by:

• Service to others
• Eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ
• When we show love and care to others, especially those most in need

In preaching the parables of the buried treasure, the pearls and the dragnet, Jesus challenges us to see our lives and the world around us with eyes of faith in order to recognize the many blessings and good things that are ours already.

The men whose lives we celebrate today are men who have committed their lives to serving others, who frequently eat and drink at the table of the Lord, who have vowed to give a Christian and human education to the young, especially the poor. They are men whose lives have intertwined over the years but who have also moved in very different directions in the past 50, 60 or 75 years:

• 10 of the 11 entered the postulancy in Glencoe MO and made their novitiate there
• One made his novitiate in New York and then transferred to another community of Brothers; he later returned to the FSCs in the Midwest
• 10 of the 11 attended SMC for at least part of their scholasticate (college); one had his first year in Glencoe, and 5 of the 9 50 year jubilarians attended CBU for one year before transferring to the college in the north.
• These jubilarians come from a variety of home towns: Kansas City, Buffalo NY, St. Louis, Waukon IA, Cincinnati, two are from St. Joseph MO, and four are from Chicago or its suburbs.
• All but two made a retreat at Beaver Island
• Seven participated in the 100-day retreat at Sangre De Cristo Center in Santa Fe NM, and another, although he never was a participant, has been a presenter there many times
• Most of these Brothers have master’s degrees, one has two Master’s, one has three Masters, and two have doctorates
• All but three attended high schools staffed by the Christian Brothers.
• Most of our jubilarians made their final profession right here at Lewis University
• One has ministered at Bethlehem University since 1991
• One, although of retirement age, works for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondolet in their Home Care group in Kansas City; he also volunteers at the Little Sisters of the Poor residence, often as the organist for liturgies.
• One goes to England frequently, often leading student trips there
• One was a principal in two cities and was on the faculty at Boys Town NE
  and coached many teams in his early years
• One taught 5th grade for three years; all the others taught in high schools
• One, to the surprise of some, taught etiquette to the novices – including yours truly
• One was Director of Scholastics, two were vocation directors for their District, and one taught music in formation houses
• One served in Ethiopia for four years
• One was Visitor, two were the Auxiliary Visitors
  One served as Director of a retreat center on two different occasions
• One has a degree in aeronautical engineering
• One served at a school in rural Mississippi and later at a middle school for at-risk youngsters in North St. Louis
• One served at CBHS for 29 years (two different assignments), one has taught at CBU for 21 years, and one served in the Development office at CBU for nearly 20 years and now works for the Sisters of St. Benedict in their fund-raising effort
• One directed a counseling center for many years and now travels the world consulting and presenting on topics ranging from Boundaries in ministerial relationships to Midlife issues and serving as a retreat director for priests, religious, the military, and church ministers
• One served at Lewis University for 17 years as a faculty member and administrator
• One was instrumental in the establishment of the Lasallian Volunteer Program
• One was sales manager in the Midwest for Christian Brothers altar wines
• Two served as directors of graduate level ministry and another as campus minister and Vice President for Mission
• One cared for his parents in the family home for several years before they passed away

The men whom we celebrate here today, so very different in background, upbringing, giftedness, health, and interests have asked the Lord for understanding and to know what is right and just. They have worked in the service of the Lord for 50, 60, and 75 years. They have attempted to show young people and older students what the kingdom of God is like and that the dazzling light of the kingdom is where we are, right here in our own cottages, not inaccessible across the valley. Brothers, I congratulate you on your commitment to the life to which God has called you, and I encourage you to continue to model for us what a Christian Brother is called to be. Thank you, Brothers, and congratulations.

Live Jesus in our hearts. Forever!

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Tony Elfering

Before we call the jubilarians forward to renew their vows, I would like to ask Tony Elfering to come forward to ask our blessing and then be sent forth to the postulancy in Philadelphia. Tony and his parents live in Two Rivers, WI, and he is a graduate of Roncalli High School in Manitowoc WI. He attended Saint Mary’s University in Winona MN the past two years, and was a participant in the Lasallian Teacher Immersion Program and studied Spanish in Guatemala earlier this summer. Tony leaves in about three weeks for Philadelphia.

Tony: Brothers, I ask your blessing as I soon begin my journey as a postulant at Jeremy House in Philadelphia. I pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as I take this first step in the formation process.

Brothers, please stand and raise your hands in blessing:
Tony, we do ask God to bless you in a special way as you begin your journey with us. Know of our prayers and support as you discern the will of God in your life. May you always remember that you are in the Holy Presence of God.

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JUBILARIAN RENEWAL OF VOWS

And now, I ask the Brother Jubilarians to come forward as I call your names to renew your vows.

Congrats also to:
Kay and Jim Barmettler, Brother Neil’s sister and brother-in-law and
Joseph and Margaret Dillenburg, Brother Fred Dillenburg’s brother and sister-in-law.
Both are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this year.