I spent the last four days living and teaching at the Legion’s novitiate and college of humanities in Cheshire, CT.
My days (sometimes into the evenings) were spent with a couple dozen wonderful young brothers who are humanists. I think that means they are in the part of their training when they study humanities. In my class, they were learning about communications and news media – or at least what I have to say about those topics. I’m not sure that my topics count as humanities, but humans communicate and watch news, so I think that is close enough.
This was the longest time I have spent in a classroom with a bunch of brothers; I wasn’t sure what to expect. But it was positive, fun and, well, inspiring. They were bright, curious, enthusiastic and joyful. If this suggests the future of the Church, it is time for prayers of thanksgiving.
I couldn’t help but compare the past several days to my experience last September, when I spent a week teaching a class of consecrated women a similar course at Mater Ecclesia College in Rhode Island. There were many similarities – all the holy and inspiring stuff you would expect to find in a seminary or a college for consecrated women.
However, I found differences worth sharing:
· Brothers attend class in identical black cassocks. Consecrated attend in their modest civilian outfits, which are not identical. Consecrated look like they just returned from a field trip to Talbot’s outlet. The consecrated are prettier, smell better and giggle more.
· When I agreed to teach the class to the consecrated, I demanded an honorarium in Kingsland Kookies. (Dr. Joan Kingsland is a professor at Mater Ecclesiae AND a renowned baker. She makes chocolate-chip cookies that are genuinely spiritual.) I asked for similar payment in Cheshire. The brothers baked me with a vast plate of chocolate-chip cookies. They were good – but not Kingsland Kuality.
· During meals at Mater Ecclesia, I shared conversation with a table of interesting consecrated. At Cheshire, meals are in silence. That was a little awkward for me; at home if you eat in silence it is either because you are alone or something is wrong. (Thursday’s lunch was a welcome exception. Archbishop Emeritus Daniel Cronin of Hartford came to celebrate Mass and stayed for lunch, which meant that conversation was allowed – I tried not to talk and chew at the same time.)
· At Cheshire, I actually stayed at the seminary, meaning I very much felt a part of things. I could walk 20 yards down the hall and visit the Blessed Sacrament in the chapel. When teaching at Mater Ecclesiae, I sleep at a motel. Only benefit of the motel room is the 32-inch plasma TV. Being 20 yards from Jesus is a better deal. (And the seminary has a nicer exercise room than the motel.)
· Although I couldn’t stay overnight at Mater Ecclesiae, I could visit the chapel and Jesus during the day. It is strikingly beautiful, perhaps designed by angels. I expect the chapel at Cheshire was designed by a prison architect. (But anyplace with Christ present become beautiful.)
· Regarding food…Cheshire leads by far in available volume…Mater Ecclesiae has the edge in quality (I think this relates to the presence of Dr. Kingsland).
· Each facility has a certain ambiance that tells you the gender of the occupants as soon as you enter. Cheshire is rather institutional, with only very select areas subject to what might be called “home decorating.” Mater Ecclesia is knick-knack central – lots of little doilies, pictures, what-knots and thing-a-ma-jigs all over the place. Roll a bowling ball down the hall at Cheshire and it will break when it hits a brick wall. Roll a bowling ball down the hall at Mater Ecclesiae and you’ll likely create a maelstrom of broken lamps, end tables, paper weights and antique glassware.
On a somewhat more serious note, having spent time teaching a class of all women, then all men, I can say without hesitation that they are very different creatures. Equal but different. And I’m not talking about the obvious physical differences.
When asked to recite her essay in front of the class, the consecrated springs to her feet, walks in pure-fashion-model posture to the dais and recites with precision and clarity. When asked to recite his essay in front of the class, the brother displays his best Jimmy Stewart aw shucks impersonation, trods to the dais, takes a deep breath, clears his throat and speaks well – it just takes a longer windup.
Like I said, men and women are not identical. They are simply alternative gifts from God.