Ordination Class 1964

Ordination Class 1964 David Stang posted this picture of the ordination class of 1964.
See his comments here:

[Click] David's comments
[Click] David's further comments (in light of current events (July 2020)).

[Click] Original picture (un-numbered)

Here is the numbered picture

Front row (L-R):

1 Thomas Morris, 2 Bob Matthews, 3 Ernie Lukaschek, 4 Steve Weil, 5 Ronald Hennessy,
6 Bishop Comber, 7 Bill Lafferty, 8 Dick Zeimet, 9 Fred Smith, 10 Innocente Salazar

2nd row (L-R):

11 Wally Inglis, 12 Vincent Allocco, 13 Phil Bowers, 14 Larry Louis, 15, Bill Sweeney,
16 Ed Flanagan, 17 Mike Duffy, 18 Frank Schexnayder, 19 Richard Ramsay, 20 Ken Ament,
21 Frank McGourn, 22 George Harkin

3rd row (L-R):

23 Joe Sheehan, 24 Dick Callahan, 25 George Reger, 26 Tom Fenton, 27 Bob Carleton,
28 Al Doyle, 29 Paul Kelly, 30 Tom Egan, 31 Gene Toland

4th Row (L-R):

32 Jim Dinn, 33 Larry Egan, 34 Frank Gerace, 35 Charles Keeler, 36 John Hallinan,
37 Don Wharton, 38 David Stang, 39 Bob McCahill, 40 Frank Perulli, 41 Lynn Brown

vvvvvvvvv The Original Picture vvvvvvvvv

David Stang's comments:
BLACK LIVES MATTER
What do you find strange about this picture?

INDIGENOUS LIVES MATTER
What do you find strange about this picture?

WOMEN ARE 50% of the human race does this mean anything? Or even matter?
So What do you find strange about this picture?

This class picture represented the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of
America for 1964!

Going to Africa in 1964 Tanganyika and Kenya voted for independence
from colonialism.

Vatican II opened the windows for fresh air freeing our class also
from fundamentalism!

What were the challenges then for our Class?

South America was alive with Liberation Or was it?

Africa was alive with freedom from colonialism or was it?

That picture speaks loudly regarding Cultural and religious diversity!

All the guys in Africa lived in a rectory or western cement house with
windows and plumbing and ate Western food.

You know The fundamentals! A mud church built by the people with no
debt seemed pretty Reasonable. A mud house that people felt
comfortable around seemed reasonable.

One did not have to write lots of letters in order to lead a lifestyle
that was foreign and the writing which all kept you away from the real
people.

I wonder if Jesus live in a rectory? We definitely know he was not
married!! Right?

David Stang's further comments:

Yesterday I listened to the Ministers giving their speeches, sermons regarding John Lewis. They focused on how John Lewis gave his life trying to heal this country, and their speeches also were about healing. I was spiritually impressed with their talks showing very little anger or hatred but saying lets Heal, was the common theme.

So tell me how Cardinal Dolan by publicly supporting Trump and his lies and divisiveness is helping Catholics to heal. Perhaps we need more black preachers in Catholic Churches.

I sent a picture of our 1964 Ordination class and it showed the total lack of black men, Indians, women. I received very little responses. One can say it was what it was. However even today can one not wonder what this lack did to our openness to the world. For me Going to a black continent, as a white person, and at that time the white governments and white leadership had just been voted out of East Africa made me laugh and say to myself, at that time, how can I become black. This was not a discussion that ever happened either spiritually or practically. Of course many can say that our openness to marriage was never discussed and so we became the Diaspora when we married even though many of us were very involved in serving society in a freer way. Even today the sacrament of ordination is very closed minded.

I bring this up because I saw such beautiful spirits among the healing black preachers and those present at John Lewis' funeral, which preaching upon review , was totally lacking in my childhood and seminary days and even often in Africa where we priests felt we were bringing but not receiving on an equal basis or even better, we did not perceive ever that perhaps they did surpass us in Spirituality and compassion and cosmic wisdom in their everyday complicated lives. Can we not at least wonder about this loss of Gods blessing supposedly on all his creation?

David Stang