Page 3 - Priorities #73

Dear Priory Community,
For the 2019-2020 school year, the ASB appropriately came up with the school theme of “ENVISION”. Are we the school that Father Egon had envisioned 62 years ago? It is something I often think about and I believe that we have surpassed what his hopes and dreams were for Priory; we have come so far not only with the physical growth and improvement of the campus, but also to nurture and assist students to live meaningful and balanced lives.
Things have changed dramatically during my 30 years here—a sometimes slow and sometimes quick evolution of the different aspects of the educational and the Monastic landscape. A landscape and culture I have loved being a part of and as the saying goes—time flies when you are having a good time. The Priory has been the best of times for me!
And now for some good news:
• After seven months of braving all kinds of weather and our staff working in a temporary kitchen–while our students
ate in a temporary dining area in Church Square–the doors opened to a completely remodeled dining hall. On January 21st, our students, staff, and faculty walked through the newly dedicated Spears Plaza (including a beautiful water feature which will be completed by the end of February) and into the new dining hall that includes a double- sided servery (named in honor of Julianna Szekely—long time kitchen employee who passed away 2 years ago), an expanded dining space for students, two large screen TVs and a monastic dining room that now has a majestic view of Windy Hill. For more details and photos on the dining hall, see the dedication piece within the magazine.
• On the east side of the chapel we dedicated a new meditation garden named in honor of Father William Sullivan, O.S.B. Father William held several roles at Priory including President, Headmaster, teacher, and Prior of the monastic community. His steady leadership from 1985-1996 was the beginning of a new era of excellence for the Priory as a school of choice in the Bay area. The Father William meditation garden is open to all and we welcome you to visit the reflective space anytime.
• In October, a group of Priory educators traveled to Sydney, Australia to attend the International Conference for Benedictine Educators which was last held in 2016 in Rome. They attended workshops to better understand the writings of St. Benedict and learned how to apply it to their ministry as a Benedictine educator. Priory faculty member Christine Muir Parker was a presenter and held an interactive workshop called “Faces of Cancer” which proved to be an informative and emotional experience for those who attended. The Priory continues to embrace our special charism and spirit with our fellow Benedictine schools across the globe.
• Father Martin, our master woodworker, is busy creating his cherished and unique Tall Clock for this year’s Gala. He has decided this will be his LAST ONE–#36 of 36. This is indeed a passing of an era. There are very few places or schools that have had the honor of such a talented, productive, creative, artistic and generous person like our beloved Father Martin. Send some love his way when you can–he is our treasure and there will never be another like him. We will send out pictures of the finished masterpiece soon–mark your calendar, the Gala is just weeks away.
As the yearly traditional events like Spirit Week, Field Day, Vespers, and Founders Day have all come and gone; it’s hard to believe that the school year is at the halfway point. As the year winds down, I am reminded that these events will be my last in my role as Head of School. After 30 years of working side by side with amazing Monks and colleagues, hearing cheers and honking horns during Spirit Week and watching students battle it out during the annual tug-o-war (and yes there were years that I got in there and pulled with them) I truly am going to miss this place.
When the Class of 2020 steps across that stage to become the 60th graduating class, I too will be graduating to the next stage in my life—not my retirement but the first steps on a new chapter and adventure. What goes through my mind is this... does one ever really say goodbye to the Priory? No, never goodbye—it is a special community, a special ministry, and I will always cherish all 10,950 days that the Priory was home to my family and me.
I will continue to visit, think about WPS with pride, brag about it to new friends and random people on my travels, and then look back and smile because—Always We Begin Again.
Listen...with the ear of your heart,
Tim Molak Head of School
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HEAD OF SCHOOL