To the Band of Brothers: September 14, 2023

We celebrated the academic awards ceremonies for middle and high school on Tuesday night and last night. Members of the Belen community gathered together to recognize the hard work and dedication of several young men who excel in academics. I remember my first academic awards ceremony. I was a junior at Belen and had been asked to raise and lower the curtain in the auditorium when needed as the other kids received their awards. I said to myself that night, “Self, one of these days, you too will be on that stage.” Well, it took over thirty years, but there I was helping to hand out the awards.

Actually, that story is not completely true. I did receive an academic award in my freshman year. It was in Spanish. When I got up there, I remember being handed the award and then thanking all the little people in my life who had made that great distinction possible. I especially wanted to thank my grandparents for all those times they insisted on my speaking Spanish, for all those times they refused to accept my responses in English, and for all those times they corrected my mistakes no matter where we were or what we were doing. How many times did my grandfather have to remind me that “el tronco” was not the back part of a car where you put your golf clubs, that “llámame pa’ tras” did not mean to return a phone call, and that “que sucede” was not the appropriate way to ask Bishop Agustín Román how he was doing after being confirmed?

As grace would have it, last night’s ceremony coincided with the feast day of St. John Chrysostom, aka “the golden-mouthed.” While it sounds like he may have been a villain in a James Bond movie, he got that name because he was considered to be one of the most eloquent speakers of his time. Born in 344 AD in the city of Antioch, he was ordained a priest and shortly afterward was named bishop of Constantinople.

Unfortunately, because of his great use of reason, succinct and powerfully effective sermons, and elaborate writings, he created many enemies, not the least of which was the powerful patriarch of Alexandria. Because of this, he was exiled on many occasions only to eventually make his way back to his flock and minister to them. He understood that as much as he studied and grew in knowledge and understanding, his life of service mattered most. Eventually, he died on September 14, 407, the feast day of the Triumph of the Cross. After he was canonized, he was quickly named a Doctor of the Church.

So, how appropriate that we celebrated the academic prowess (I really like this word) of our boys on the feast of a man who had such a beautiful and fruitful mind. Who knows, maybe one of these Wolverines will be named a Doctor of the Church one day, or maybe just a doctor. Either way, we are very proud of them.