Page 10 - Priorities #40 2008-March

Christian brothers in Montevideo in Uruguay and he had been a churchgoer. But he really discovered God in the harshness of the mountains. That has always stuck with me.
I made a guitar with an internationally known luthier by the name of John Gilbert. John and
I became friends back in the 1970’s. He knew
of my interest in building and creating musical instruments and so he invited me to work with him to build a classical guitar. It was a great experience for me because, with John’s help and tutelage, I built my own classical guitar, which I play to this day. It was finished in 1981 and it’s just a wonderful instrument.
I really hope that the Benedictine values we stand for will rub off on them. That our students will see a spiritual dimension to life that goes beyond the business of making money, careers and things like that.
SMB: One final question. What do you hope your students learn from your classes?
FM: I really hope that the Benedictine values we stand for will rub off on them. That our students will see a spiritual dimension to life that goes beyond the business of making money, careers
and things like that. That they will see those
as important but will also realize a much more important spiritual dimension to their lives. That they continue the search for God in the midst of
the concerns and the distractions of a very busy
life ahead. A good life and being a good person makes a huge difference in the lives of others. To
be concerned about the lives of others and to take care of each other as human beings to me is a very important thing. So if they learn how to take care of one another, how to be good stewards of the land, of the environment, I think then I will be very happy to say that what I have dedicated my life to do has been worthwhile.
In addition to this article, there is a multimedia version available online at: www.woodsidepriory.com/ prioryparent.
It Takes a Village...and a Monk
As a special treat for Auction goers, Father Martin along with John Greswold and a team of students will craft a canoe of redwood with cherry, maple and pine detail work. The 11.5 foot canoe designed for a single adult, will be coated in clear fiberglass and will weigh ~30 lbs for easy portability. The names of the student workers will appear on a brass plaque attached to the inside of the canoe. This is
a unique project since half of the proceeds will go to the auction and half will go to charities selected by the entire building crew. What a perfect way to celebrate 50 years of Benedictine spirit!
As always, the auction is a time to celebrate Woodside Priory’s many talents and great commu- nity spirit. The monastery community continues it’s traditional support of the auction with a series of unique dinners. Father Martin, Brother Edward and their associates serve up this superb, long-time Pri- ory tradition - the Down East Lobster Supper. Reed Easley and the Art department have planned proj- ects that will highlight every aspect of the Priory’s diverse art programs and students will be creating auction items in a variety of medias. Best of all, the teachers will be helping out with a variety of special parties and events. As always, the highlight of the live auction is the one of a kind Grandfather clock, built by Father Martin, to include a commemorative 50th plaque.
(L-R) Freshman Jimmy Tran and Nathaniel Rothrock help Father Martin build a canoe for “A Night in Monte Carlo” auction.
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