A school full of witnesses

Although it would be appropriate to comment on All Saints' Day or All Souls' Day, I want to talk about a conference I attended yesterday.  Bear with me!

The Center for Ethics and Culture at Notre Dame presents a conference each autumn, addressing different topics each year. This year's theme was "Your Light Will Rise in the Darkness: Responding to the Cry of the Poor". An impressive and varied list of presenters and panels confronted me. I always take away unexpected insights and interpretations, and this year was no exception. Yet, the presentation I will remember most was a film, not a live speaker.

"The Rule" is a documentary about the mission of a Benedictine abbey in the heart of Newark, New Jersey. Who knew there was a monastery in Newark? It dates back to the mid-1800's, and has operated a boys' high school for nearly that long. St. Benedict Prep became the 'must attend' school for many middle class boys in the Newark area until the late 1960's. Some of you will remember how riots tore apart quite a few cities in 1967 and 1968. Newark suffered waves of violence in that time, and the neighborhood surrounding the monastery began to change in ways we can all imagine. The student population of St. Benedict Prep began to shrink dramatically, and to include more students of color than white students. You can see the writing on the wall, can't you? Part of the monastic community wanted to close the school completely, due to failing enrollments and other reasons. Finally a group of the Benedictines left the abbey altogether. This film chronicles the efforts of the remaining monks to re-open St. Benedict Prep and provide education and structure for hundreds of young men in center-city Newark.

As I watched the film, I realized what powerful witnesses the monks AND the staff AND the students were. The care, compassion, and love which every adult demonstrated transformed these boys into young men. St. Benedict Prep practices tough love and accountability and encouragement. Their sports programs round out the school's high academic standards. The students manage themselves and most of the school's issues through a system of mentors and leaders. What I saw and heard enthralled me. The monks of the abbey walk with their students through predictably rough situations and offer a safe haven amid sometimes dangerous surroundings. The lay teachers and professional staff bring understanding and empathy and counseling to every single student. Theirs are not easy jobs, but this film conveyed the real love and hope that animate St. Benedict Prep.

St. Benedict Prep's growth hasn't been easy or smooth. Trial and error have caused some bumps in the road. But the monks and staff persevere and pray. Truly, the abbey's light has risen in the darkness of the hard streets of Newark. This is a school full of witnesses.

If you'd like to learn more, here's a link:  http://www.bongiornoproductions.com