Jesuit Center, Wernersville PA

Former Jesuit Reunion, Apr 2009

Below are various pictures taken during the most recent reunion of the former Novitiate of St Isaac Jogues just above Wernersville PA. This is a magnificent property and monastery built with the generous gift of Nicholas and Genevieve Brady. Since the decline in vocations, it is no longer used as a training center for Jesuit scholastics. Rather its primary use now is for Ignatian retreats and as a center for retired Jesuits. The building has stood for close to 80 years and has hosted a multitude of Jesuits. If these walls could talk, there would be many tales to tell.

Two of the goofiest stories I can remember are as follows.

• The first is of Jerry Hewlett taking a culpa, to wit: “Reverend Fathers and dearly beloved brothers in Christ, I say to you my culpa for all my faults and negligence’s in the observance of our holy rule, and in particular for leaving the organ motor on for 48 hours.” (Loud guffaw).
• The second involves our early hour of rising (5:30AM). There were two bells in the steeple, each tuned to different notes. One bell was controlled by the clock which would ring every quarter hour. The other bell was free swinging, in addition to having a clock controlled clapper. The clock would start its “ding-dong” litany at 5:30AM and continue until 9:00PM. The practice in Wernersville was to ring the free swinging house bell in the steeple to wake the community. One morning this did not go as planned. The station for ringing the bells was at the third floor entrance to the chapel. My room at the time was on the second floor novice’s side facing the refectory. I can remember Brother Sudzina yanking on the ropes frantically and the sound of the ropes zinging through the holes and various other mechanical noises. Eventually the obstruction broke through and you got ….. thud, thud, tink, tink, clang, clang, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG. During the night somebody had tied several sweat socks to the clapper. We never found out who had done the brave deed.

These pictures were shot with an older Canon EOS650 35mm film camera with Auto-focus and a Zoom Lens. The negatives were digitized by the camera shop that did the development.

Figure 1: Novitiate of St. Isaac Jogues

Figure 2: Toward Novice's Wing

Figure 3: Toward Junior's Wing

Figure 4: Dedication in Front Hallway

Figure 5: We all hated this thing, especially at 5:30 AM

Figure 6: The Cell ... I don’t think I could live like this anymore

Figure 7: The Chapel

Figure 8: The Chapel

Figure 9: The High Altar

Figure 10: Cushion Peak

Figure 11: (St) Walter Ciszek, 23+ years a “guest” of the Soviet Union in several gulags

Figure 12: Aloysius Mack; remembered well by our group

Figure 13: Goupil

Figure 14: Rene' Goupil with Indian Child

Figure 15: Goupil, facing downhill toward Jesuit Cemetery

Figure 16: Novice's Wing from the rear … now the residence for older Jesuits

Figure 17: Night Shot of Junior's Wing from Cloister … 4 second time exposure

Figure 18: Night Shot of Novice's Cloister

Figure 19: The Front of the House

Figure 20:  I wonder if this does any good?