Many, many, many years ago, I was a slightly cocky, mostly scared freshmen roaming the halls of St. Louis U. High. As I teach Senior 2 students at Gulu, and get word about a memorial service for Fr. Hagan at SLUH on Thursday, my thoughts wander back to these three men.
Fr. Hagan is the icon of the bunch, known to so many people. He taught me freshmen Theology, and roamed the basement of SLUH where I spent a lot of time playing pool. I heard rumors that he studied pictures incessantly and knew every kid in the school. This lesson is very important to me now as a teacher. Nerinx is the first place I have ever taught at, where I do not know every student in the building. I have worked diligently to change this fact, but the best number I have gotten to is the low 400s in recognizing students by face and name. This dedication that Fr. Hagan showed for years and years in recognizing 800??? plus students is even more amazing to me since I have tried to replicate his feat. Knowing a student, and being able to call them by name is one of the most important things we can do as teachers.
Fr. Mattione was never my teacher, but the Latin office was very close to my freshmen locker, and every time he saw me he said something like, "I hope you are having a great day today." or when I said no, he would say, "Well don't worry, I know for a good student like you tomorrow will be better. I never did have the noted Latin scholar as a teacher, but his friendship to me outside of Homeroom 107 meant more to me that amo, amas, amat ever could.
And Finally Fr. Vonderhaar, screamed at me during my very first Algebra class for not using a straight edge to draw lines. He also mocked my brackets, (which I still cannot draw today). He was tough and stern, at least that is how it seemed when I was a freshmen, but he always challenged me to do my best, and never let me get by when I was deficient in my classwork or my homework. He got from me as much as any teacher ever has, and I cannot say I ever saw him smile. I think if I had videotapes, I would have seen the warm smile, behind his stern gaze, but I was young and scared.
So I am now teaching 420 students and it is almost impossible for me to grab, but just a few names. But I am trying, and every time I see a student in town or on the way to class I wish them well, and tell them today will be great, and for a bright student tomorrow will be better. And I hope I challenge them to do their best, even if I have trouble with the stern gaze.
Jesuit boy and proud of it,
Hopefully a man for others,
John
1 comment:
I found this blog because I have signed up for Google Alerts whenever Google comes across the word Mattione. Very cool to have someone write about Fr. Mattione. As I was growing up in KC, I knew him as "Uncle Bud". He was my dad's brother, and he was over at our house often. He was quite a character. Although he was president and principle of Rockhurst High School, he was also the person who cut their grass. He would be outside so much that by the end of summer he was almost completely black. He would offer us a dollar to say he was our favorite uncle. He said mass each Sunday at Christ the King parish, as was liked by everyone in the parish. Thanks for writing about Father Louis Mattione.
Max Mattione
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