BR. CHARLES JOACHIM AVENDANO'S PLATINUM JUBILEE

Br. Charles Joachim Avendano and 52 other Jubilarians were honored by the Archdiocese of New Orleans at a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Archbishop Gregory Aymond on Sunday, April 28^th at St. Rita’s Church.  Charles was celebrating his 70 years, joining religious and clergy celebrating 25, 40, 50, 60, 70 [there were seven of these] and one 75 years!  About half the Jubilarians were at the 3 PM Mass; several hundred family and friends were in attendance.  The Archbishop spoke warmly and with some humor about the mission and ministry of the honorees, noting that he hoped they would continue to be in mission for another 25, or 40 or… years as, to use his phrase, co-workers in the Kingdom.  The Mass was followed by a wonderful reception at St. Rita School cafeteria—bountiful platters of canapés reflected the attention to fine food in New Orleans and there was opportunity to share some time with folks we know in the Archdiocese.

As we returned home after the reception, the rain began, but we went ahead with a celebratory dinner  at Vincent’s, a very nice Italian restaurant on St. Charles Avenue that got the approval even of our native of Staten Island,  John Petrullo, which is high praise indeed.  We left the house in a torrential downpour, but Travis Wain, our designated driver, deposited us at the door of the place so we were not soaked on arrival; we returned home in another monsoon.  

Br. Charles Joachim Avendano at his 87th birthday party last Fall

We are planning an afternoon Jubilee reception on Saturday, May 18^th at 3 PM at 4219 Constance for Charles.  We'll have a brief prayer service and then time for food and fellowship. 

Today, Monday, the 29^th dawned sunny with a chance of rain.  This week promises warm and humid; last week Travis did roofing work on some days which was quite rigorous while Matt manned a shovel much of the time.  This week, Matt expects to be working with some adult volunteers, initially lot clearing he thinks. 

Saturday was sunny with a breeze; Matt worked with a friend on a project in the Lower 9, Br. John, with the help of a neighbor, Jimmy Keith, cleared out a section of native weeds near where we park—and fed some of the plants we have put in over the years.

From Br. Charles invitation: Part One of a brief Biography.  Part Two with the next blog.

Brother Charles, for years known as “Joe” from Joachim, is a native of Seattle, Washington. He grew up in the shadows of St. James Cathedral and O’Dea High School, located on First Hill above the business district and port. In 1943 he decided to join the Irish Christian Brothers. Bidding farewell to his father, step-sister and sister, he entrained for St. Joseph Juniorate in West Park, New York. There he completed his high school studies and prepared to enter the Brothers’ Santa Maria novitiate on September 7, 1944.

A wartime shortage of teachers and the post-war “baby boom,” prompted most religious orders to fast-track the religious training and professional education of their members in order to meet the great need for classroom teachers. Eventually he completed his academic education at Immaculate Heart College, Los Angeles and graduate studies at the University of San Francisco.

After a four-year teaching assignment in St. Bonaventure’s College, (grades 1-12), St. John’s , Newfoundland (now a Canadian province), “Joe” returned to the States and taught for a year in Briscoe School, Kent, Washington. The Provincial Leadership then missioned him to be one of three founding Brothers for Palma High School in Salinas, California. After a six-year happy stay in Palma, “The Salad Bowl of America”, he taught one year in Montebello, California before returning to O’Dea High School in Seattle, Washington.  After four years he became the Superintendent of Briscoe Memorial School in Kent, Washington. A few years later he would spend time teaching in Honolulu, Hawaii, and then in Birmingham, Michigan. After a three year term as Principal of Cantwell High School, Montebello, California, he would resume class work in Burbank, Illinois. From here he became a member of our Roman Tertianship retreat and renewal program and enjoyed the exhilarating experience of living in Rome with three Popes during 1958. After returning to the States, he taught in Burbank, Illinois; Salinas, California and finally in Vallejo, California.

Part Two to follow. . .

BLOG 04.29.13

MID-APRIL 2013: Community Weekend and a Birthday

Unseasonably cool weather and some rainy days were welcome during the third week of April.  Br. Bob, in addition to his duties at St. Joe’s on Tulane, replaced all the ceiling tiles in the “Map Room” and he installed new lighting which dramatically highlights the map.  He also removed non-functioning fluorescent ceiling lights and repaired another—it no longer blinks and winks at the inhabitants of the place.  Not bad for 70--or for 25 as a matter of fact.  He has been up and down the ladder many, many times.  

John Petrullo works with the Sisters, the volunteers and the guests at Lantern Light, and Matt Beben completed a period of time working with a lot of volunteers at United Saints; recently he has been working on projects at the headquarters. Travis Wain has been on the West Bank and East Bank doing a variety of building tasks with volunteers from France, and with formerly incarcerated folks doing work projects.  Br. Charles goes into Lantern Light every weekday and gets in his daily walk at Audubon Park whatever the weather.  John has been doing Discovery Walks, school coaching and some Province educational administrative tasks.

Bustling downtown Abita Springs

The weekend of the 20^th the six of us had an overnight community weekend.   After Morning Prayer on Saturday, we headed out.  Travis drove the van, John Petrullo and Matt Beben shouted vague directions guided by the ‘apps’ on their I-phones and the elders enjoyed the scenery!  We traveled the 28 miles of the causeway over Lake Pontchartrain and made our way to Abita Springs where we had lunch in that tiny country town and visited the local industry that uses the springs for creation of its product: the Abita Springs Brewery.  The tour consists of tastings of various beers, two brief educational videos, and then a 15 minute viewing of the facility,  and then more tasting.  Thankfully for Br. Charles and Br. John they also make root beer.  Br. Bob managed to attract attention when he was the only one who could manage getting the ring on the string to land on the neck of the beer bottle.  You had to be there.  We splurged on overnight hotel accommodations [our donor begs to remain anonymous] with the volunteers sharing a suite and the Brothers in their own rooms.  We met from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM for a conversation around our community life:  where we have been, where we are now and where we want to go in the next three months.  It was a rich and encouraging discussion in which all participated equally.  We concluded with a dinner nearby at a place called Zea’s which John Petrullo favors, and which, to Br. John’s relief serves gin and tonics.  

View of the abbey from above the main altar

   On Sunday we went to the 11:00 AM Sung Mass at St. Joseph’s Benedictine Abbey and Seminary in Covington, returning home about 3:00 PM.

On Monday evening we went to the Irish House on St. Charles Avenue to celebrate Travis Wain’s 23^rd Birthday.  Matt, Travis and Br. Bob swallowed raw oysters [ugh], and everyone ordered salmon except John Petrullo who had a burger and Br. John who ordered shrimp risotto.  Due to the birthday we forced ourselves to have dessert.  The sticky toffee pudding is wonderful if calorically deadly.

Sadly, as we return to New Orleans, the news continues to offer grim statistics--the city has a murder rate ten times that of others of its size and just yesterday, two men were shot to death and a child of 8 sent to the hospital with gunshot wounds from the same shooting.

A THOUGHT:

On discipleship:  How do we in religious community, define ourselves?  Is it by ministry [our work] or by our identification and relationship with our teacher [motivation for our work]? 

As disciples we move away from our own freedom and decision making to do it in the context of our religious community.  We are with each other, for each other.  In the process of discernment our community is established. Then in dying to self-centeredness, one can respond to the Reign of God, allowing the Beloved to turn one's life upside down.

[This is a paraphrase of remarks delivered by Dianne Bergant in Cornwall, Ontario to a meeting of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers several years ago.]