Page 15 - Priorities #35 2006-October

sciences, including chemistry until his retirement in1975. Healsoworkedonthebusinessaspect oftheschool. FatherBenignustaughtLatinatthe Priory. Whileattheschool,healsodidagreatdealof volunteerworkatjuvenilehall. Hefeltagreatneedto help troubled youth, and he had a wonderful gift with them; many trusted him and opened up with him.
Father Christopher became the headmaster in the 1960s, and he remained the headmaster for more than fifteen years. A lover of sports, he and the other monks helped introduce soccer to the Priory
– and to the whole bay area. He had played soccer in his youth. Father Achilles, was the librarian, and he did much to organize the library. The current furniture in the library is a result of the work of Father Achilles.
Father Stanley lost his voice shortly after arriving at the Priory, and he could not remain at the school. He became an eminent scholar and remains today a distinguished university professor at Seton Hall University in astrophysics. He
has published many authoritative books on the relationship between science and theology. In 1987, he won the prestigious Templeton Prize, which honors scholars and entrepreneurs seeking new discoveries and breakthroughs to expand human perceptions and understanding of the divinity. Other recipients of the prize include Billy Graham and Mother Teresa.
Ore et Labora. Prayer and work. The seven founding monks lived by the motto still taught
to the students today. The continued success
of Woodside Priory is a testament to their perseverance and faith in God. Father Egon celebrates his ninetieth birthday with his school community in October. This founding monk continues to be an important part of the Priory.
The school will come together again on Saturday, November 11 to celebrate Founders’ Day. Father Stanley will visit and give a lecture on the campus in the second semester. As we begin our Golden Jubilee Celebration, it is with admiration and thanks that we remember and honor these seven founding fathers.
Celebrate Father Egon’s Ninetieth Birthday and First Mass at the Priory!
In autumn 1956, Father Egon Javor celebrated the first Mass at the Priory’s newly purchased school site—a small farmhouse that stood where Founders Hall stands today. A bigger, stronger, and very grateful Priory community will commemorate that anniversary at a special Founders Day Mass and reception on Nov. 11.
Abbott Matthew from the Priory’s parent Abbey,
St. Anselm, in New Hampshire, and Abbot Giles from Delbarton School, where Father Egon found a home upon their arrival in the United States, will officiate at the mass.
Afterwards, reminiscences will take a variety of shapes—and maybe sounds—at a reception that also honors Father Egon’s ninetieth birthday which is on Oct. 18. Students, religious affiliates, and friends from throughout the Priory’s five decades—but especially from the first decade—will share their stories, photos, and – what else would one expect from a Benedictine school—delicious food and drink.
Everyone is invited to share in this joyous occasion. Contact Pat Reed, 650-851-8221 or preed@woodsidepriory.com
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