FROM THE PRINCIPAL: HGP CLASS OF 2016
May 2012
Dear Member of the Class of 2016,
Welcome to Holy Ghost Prep! I hope the ending of your school year will be pleasant and that you are
enjoying the first part of your summer. With this letter comes the first—a small sample—of your academic
materials for the next school year. These materials will help ease your academic transition to HGP.
I am sure you are familiar with the idea of reading during the summer to maintain your thinking skills
outside of school. We choose three readings for you to do, but I would encourage you to read continuously
and widely throughout the summer, including favorite books, printed and online newspapers and journals,
and the like. In terms of preparation for high school, for standardized tests, and for the wide range of
challenges you will face, there is no better advice I can give you than to keep reading!
For Holy Ghost Prep, you are required to do three readings/sets of readings. The first two sets are on your
flashdrive. The first is a group of readings about the history and mission of the Spiritans. Second are two
intriguing articles from our Science Department. The third reading is the book by Paulo Coelho, The
Alchemist. The Alchemist is readily available in bookstores and online in both printed and electronic forms.
For The Alchemist, whichever format you choose is acceptable, but make sure you bring it with you for
classes.
The group of Spiritan Summer Readings includes some reflection questions after each reading. Please read
and prepare your responses to the Spiritan Summer Readings prior to Orientation Day on Thursday, August
23. Please bring printed out responses to the questions with you that day.
Please bring your copy of The Alchemist with you for your English classes during the week of August 27.
Lastly, your science teachers will give you advice about the assessments for the science readings.
In July, look for further news about schedules and the opening of school. Keep reading whenever you can
and don’t worry--there is a lot of time to enjoy the good days of summer with your family and friends.
Good Luck!
In One Heart and One Mind,
Michael A. O’Toole
Principal
Holy Ghost Preparatory School
Spiritan Summer Readings
Class of 2016
Spiritans:
Are Open to the Spirit
Live Community
Are Concerned for the Poor
Have a Global Vision
Are Committed to Service
Strive for Academic Excellence
Seek Personal Development
With One Heart, and One Mind
Holy Ghost Preparatory School
“A Spiritan School Making a World of Difference”
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The Spiritan Story
The Audacity of a Young Man
demanding régime; three years of
philosophy (prerequisites: mathematics and
the then still cutting edge Newtonian
physics), four to five years of theology with
an optional two years of canon law or
scripture studies. When completed these
young priests placed themselves at the
disposal of the bishops for types of ministry
judged less desirable by others. Moreover,
for about 150 years the institute remained
more a movement than an organization. It
was held together by a common ideal rather
than statutes. It just barely had the
necessary structure to be recognized as an
institute.
To be one of the first Spiritans was
demanding while requiring the most
open of hearts, going where the Spirit
lead in perhaps unconventional ways, in
the most loosely gathered
institutional structure.
“Among religious institutes, few have had
so extraordinary a history as the Spiritans,”
wrote a Jesuit historian in 1886. Indeed, the
Congregation of the Holy Ghost (Spiritans)
was founded by a 24-year old student from
the College Louis-le-Grand; he is considered
to be the youngest ever to establish a
religious institution.
For three decades, what would become
the Spirits remained officially non-existent.
Yet, the small group dedicated to the Holy
Spirit did exist as a as either a religious
house or a seminary. For sixty years it was
ruled by superiors who had been chosen
in their twenties by equally young
fellow seminarians, living together in
a kind of “student republic.” While
other congregations were satisfied with
a few months to about one and a
half years of seminary training,
the Spiritans had a much more
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Claude François Poullart des Places
(Founder 1679-1709)
after his ordination, but the work he had
started was carried on by his followers.
The Spiritans founder was Claude Francis
Expansion
Poullart des Places, the son of a very
While most of these worked in their
wealthy businessman and lawyer in Brittany.
homeland in rural parishes, hospitals,
Endowed with a superior intellect, he
colleges or seminaries, others volunteered
graduated summa cum laude in 1697 and
for missions abroad as soon as this became
earned a degree in law three years later.
concretely possible for them. In 1732, the
After helping his father for
year George Washington
a year, the pious young
was born, the first of them
man gave up all aspirations
came to North America,
for wealth and fame to
where he was soon
become a priest. In 1702
followed by many others.
he went to Paris to study
They worked especially
theology at Lycée Louis-leamong the Native
Grand.
Americans and Acadians in
Noticing the poverty of
Canada and also taught at
many fellow students for
the seminary of Quebec. At
the priesthood, he began
the same time, others went
to support them as best as
to the Far East, where they
he could and to give them
labored in China,
spiritual guidance. They
Cambodia, Vietnam, Siam
revered him so much that
and India.
they asked him to
In 1765 the Holy See
constitute them into a
began to entrust overseas
Claude François Poullart des Places
community and seminary
missions directly to the
where they could pursue their vocation.
Congregation. One of these was Guiana or
This he did on Pentecost Sunday, May 27,
Cayenne, in South America, where they took
1703.
over the work of the suppressed Jesuits
among Blacks and Indians. In 1779 the first
Driving Force
two Spiritans landed in Senegal, Africa; they
The Institute's dedication to the Holy
were the forerunners of many others on
Spirit gives us the charism, the driving force,
that continent. Thus, the Congregation's
of the new foundation: those who entered it
apostolate now extended over the four
should be motivated by evangelical
continents. (The fifth, New Holland, now
availability in obedience to the Holy Spirit
renamed Australia, was then not yet much
for the service of the poor and
more than a name given to an obscure area
disadvantaged, and show their solidarity
of the world.)
with these people by a frugal lifestyle. The
founder died in 1709, less than two years
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Three Centuries of Service
When the Irish-American Bishop Edward
On Pentecost Sunday 2003 the Spiritans
Barron came to see him for personnel to
th
celebrate the 300 anniversary of their
staff his immense vicariate of the Two
founding. From its humble beginnings it
Guineas – it stretched about 5,000 miles
developed into a worldwide missionary
along the coast of West Africa without limits
family that is now on six continents and has
to the interior – Libermann placed seven
played a significant role in the missionary
priests at his disposal. Many of these early
work of the church for three centuries.
missionaries would die of illness, but one of
The great spiritual
Libermann's first
leader who would bring
missionaries to arrive would
about the renewal of the
go on to become the first
Spiritans in the 1800’s was
Bishop of Gabon. As time
a very unlikely candidate
went on, that vicariate of
for the task. Born in
the Two Guineas became
Alsace in 1802 as the son
“the Mother of all the
of Rabbi Lazarus
churches in West Africa.”
Libermann and called
Jacob, he was intended to
Result of a Merger
follow in his father's
When Libermann had
footsteps and become a
started his little
rabbi. Like several of his
congregation, the Holy See
brothers, however, Jacob
had at once suggested he
became a Catholic in 1826
come to some agreement
and opted for the Catholic
with the Spiritans, whose
Venerable Francis Libermann
priesthood. He had
purpose, spirit and works
chosen Francis as his first
were very similar to his own.
baptismal name.
In 1848 the conditions were ripe to bring
Overcoming the obstacle of serious illness
this matter to a successful conclusion. It
and with the approval of his spiritual
was reached on Pentecost Sunday of that
director and the encouragement of the Holy
year. The two congregations resolved to
See, he founded the Congregation of the
merge. Libermann's group disbanded as a
Holy Heart of Mary in 1841, as a missionary
separate institute and its members entered
group to work especially with peoples of
the Congregation of the Holy Ghost. Then
African descent. A few days before that he
Libermann was elected its Superior General.
had been quietly ordained a priest explicitly
He reorganized the institute and gave it a
for that purpose.
mighty impetus – one so strong that, even
The new venture took root and its first
though he died four years later, it could
missionary was the Blessed James Laval, the
develop into one of the larger religious
apostle of Mauritius. Two others went to
orders of men. The Congregation of the
work in Haïti and Reunion in the following
Holy Spirit spread all over Europe, North
year.
America, the West Indies and large parts of
South America; allover Africa, islands in the
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Indian Ocean, Pakistan and on to Australia,
Papua New Guinea and recently the
Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. At home,
it engaged heavily in what is now called
social work and in education on every level.
In Africa, in particular, the Spiritans’ labor
was blessed. While the original mission in
West Africa expanded mightily, work in East
Africa began in 1862 on the island of
Zanzibar in the 2,000-mile long mission of
the same name. Bagamoyo, located in what
is now Tanzania, became “the Mother of all
churches in East Africa.”
Thousands of Spiritan priests and brothers
devoted their lives to bringing Christ to this
continent; and other religious orders came
to share in the task. In 1842 the first three
African priests would be ordained. One
hundred-fifty years later we find on that
continent about 450 dioceses mostly staffed
by African priests under African bishops,
taking care of some hundred million
Catholics.
After World War II the attitude of the
world changed. One result of this was a
scarcity of candidates for the priesthood and
religious life in most countries of the
northern half of the world. In the other half,
however, vocations became more abundant,
so that personnel losses in the north were
greatly offset by gains in the south. The
Congregation has flourishing provinces
there, notably in Africa. Thus, it is able to
continue its mission today in about sixty
countries of the world with most new
members coming from East and West
Africa.
Spiritan priests could settle in the United
States. They came as refugees from 1794
on, and many went to work in the Baltimore
Diocese, which then covered all the new
States. Corporate involvement began in
1872 when Bismarck expelled the
Congregation from Germany and its
personnel migrated to the U.S.A. They
worked among immigrants from Europe and
in 1878 opened a college in Pittsburgh,
which developed into what is now Duquesne
University.
Work among African-Americans began in
1889 in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Then in
1895 the Spiritans expanded into Virginia,
Michigan, and New York. In 1911 missions
were taken on all over the Deep South. In
total Spiritans could be found in some
twenty states.
Overseas, American Spiritans went to
work mainly in Africa, especially in Tanzania,
and, closer to home, in Puerto Rico and
Mexico. Here in the U.S. Spiritans minister
in countless parishes, as well as in High
School and University Catholic education.
The Future?
As Spiritans celebrate their 300th birthday,
we are facing the future with renewed
confidence and trust in the Holy Spirit. We
trust the Spirit will continue to lead us to be
faithful to our heritage of evangelization and
development work especially in distressed
areas of the world where the needs are the
greatest, with refugees and minority
populations, in parish ministry and the
education apostolate to young people.
In this ministry we will seek to continue
close collaboration especially with the
laity, as well as with our Spiritan
Associates and the Lay
Membership in the Congregation.
In the U.S.A.
When religious freedom became
enshrined with American
independence, many more
6
Here is the opening quotation from the article you just read
“Among religious institutes, few have had so extraordinary a history as the Spiritans,” wrote a
Jesuit historian in 1986.”
Briefly write below three reasons the above quotation is true based on what you have just read.
7
8
Venerable Francis Libermann C.S.Sp.
11th Superior General of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit
An Amazing Legacy
February 2nd is an important date for us
Spiritans, because it is the Feast day of Venerable
Francis Libermann. He had a most remarkable
journey of faith. He was born into an orthodox
Jewish family in the Alsace region of France in
1802, and given the name Jacob. Jacob
Libermann's father was a rabbi, and Jacob was
preparing to become a rabbi himself when his
studies led him to the New Testament and to
Christianity. On Christmas, 1826, at the age of 24
he was baptized, Francis Mary Paul at the
seminary of St. Stanislaus. Soon he was studying
for the Catholic priesthood, but violent attacks of
epilepsy put his vocation on hold. It was fifteen
years before he was finally ordained, in 1841.
“practical union with God helped him, and others,
find the divine in the everyday and to face life
with confidence and faith.
His spirituality of responsiveness to the Spirit
served Libermann well during the difficult period
of organizing his Congregation of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary and of gaining official permission
from Rome to begin this apostolate to people of
African descent. Libermann's followers viewed
his being cured of epilepsy at this time, and
subsequent ordination, as approbation from
heaven on the mission of his “little band,” whose
charismatic leader and visionary apostle he had
become.
Soon his growing group was asked by Rome to
join another much older religious community,
legally and canonically established in France, but
on hard times by the mid-1800’s.
Those intervening years were a time of grace
and of maturing, as Libermann became an advisor
and confidant to many seminarians and others
wanting to grow in their own spiritual life. His
own trials and painful experiences, as well as joys
and perceived blessings, developed in him a great
confidence in Providence and a sense of the Holy
Spirit directing human affairs. His approach of
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans)
had been started in 1703, on Pentecost Sunday,
by another seminarian. Claude Poullart des
Places was only 24 years old when he began a
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The Spiritans returned to North America, to
Canada, and to the United States in 1872 to
minister especially to minority, immigrant and
ethnic groups. For decades the
Spiritans worked closely with St.
Katherine Drexel in the
apostolate to African-Americans
in the urban North and in small
towns and cities of the South
and Southwest.
seminary residence for poor students preparing
for Priesthood. After des Places’ death in 1709
the Spiritans went on to work in France, North
and South America, and in the
Far East.
In 1848 Libermann brought
personnel and a renewed
Spiritual energy to the
Spiritans that transformed the
Congregation.
The Province of the
Congregation in the United
States is based in Bethel Park,
PA (Pittsburgh). The American
province continues its work in
education at both the University
and high school level, outreach
to the marginalized, parish
ministry, and in areas where it is
difficult for the Church to find
workers.
Libermann recruited and
educated missionaries, both
lay and clerical. He negotiated
with Rome and with the
French government over the
placement and support of his
personnel.
Francis Libermann was a
pioneer of strategies now
recognized as a blueprint for
modern missionary activity.
He urged the Spiritans to “become one with the
people” so that each group received and
understood the Gospel in the context of their
own traditions; a revolutionary thought at a time
when missionary activity was seen as part of a
program to pacify natives and enculturating them
into European ways. Fr. Libermann's zeal was so
inspiring that when seminarians in France heard
of the deaths of some of the first missionaries to
West Africa, they lined up at his door to volunteer
as replacements.
Rapidly-growing Provinces in Brazil, in Frenchspeaking Africa, in Angola, Nigerian, Ghana,
Eastern Africa, and now in southern Africa and in
the Indian Ocean are sending out missionaries to
Asia and to non-evangelized areas of their own
continents.
Libermann was a visionary, a missionary, a
profoundly spiritual man who has affected the
course of history in the last 150 years. His
influence and that of his Spiritans, in the Church
and in the emerging world (including our own
country since the late 19th century) has been
inestimable.
He exhausted himself in the process of leading
his great enterprise, and died on February 2nd,
1852 before his 50th birthday. Surprisingly, Fr.
Libermann himself never went overseas, yet he
inspired and empowered literally thousands
of missionaries around the globe.
Fr. Libermann faced incredible obstacles, yet
patiently accepted his trials and tribulations with
great inner peace and tranquility. May God
bless the Spiritan Congregation, and all of us,
through the intercession of Venerable
Francis Libermann. And may his spiritual
teaching of Practical Union with God
through the Holy Spirit bring us closer to
the path of holiness our daily lives.
Today his spiritual descendents serve
in fifty-eight countries on five continents,
over 3,100 strong. In Europe a dozen
Provinces of the Congregation
emerged to provide and finance the
manpower for Libermann's vision.
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Here is a quote from the article you just read on Venerable Francis Libermann C.S.Sp.
“Francis Libermann was a pioneer of strategies now recognized as a blueprint for
modern missionary activity.”
Briefly write below three reasons the above quotation is true based on what you have
just read.
11
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A Lesson Learned
An Alumnus Reflects on His Time at HGP
By Edward Glowienka ‘00
I have never been able to forget the morning when, walking into the late Diane Garforth’s
[HGP teacher of English 1982-2005] class, I was refused entry. Mrs. Garforth stood in the
doorway, paper in her outstretched hand, saying, in her charmingly deadpan way, “This is no
good. You need to rewrite this. You are better than what you have given me in this paper.” A
chronic overachiever, I was mortified. I took solace in the fact that her corrections were limited
to the opening page of the essay, thinking that I could salvage something, until she added, “In
fact, it was so bad that I refused to read beyond the first page.”
Luckily for me, shame is an edifying sentiment. I learned that day something that I had
perhaps always know, but that I had never before experienced so acutely. It is one of the most
enduring lessons I learned from my time at Holy Ghost: the lesson that one should not be afraid
of excellence. We often read of the many accomplishments, all praiseworthy, of the students at
Holy Ghost, but I never recall being encouraged to strive for accomplishment. Rather in a world
uncomfortable with distinction and rank, the ethos at Ghost taught me that excellence of mind,
excellence of character, are not haughty ideas, nor are they terms with which I should be
uncomfortable. Rather, the pursuit of excellence is the only legitimate response for the person
who has been blessed with talent and opportunity. Anything less is, well, not worth considering
beyond the first page.
This lesson learned during my first experience with the Spiritans has provided guidance and
has strengthened my faith during my current [2005] undertaking with them. For the past year, I
have had the good fortune to be among the faculty at the Spiritan Missionary Seminary in
Tanzania, teaching philosophy to young men and women in religious formation.
Some undoubtedly find it unseemly, and a little capricious, to be teaching philosophy in a
country still developing. Given my time at Ghost, however, and looking at the lives and works
of my fellow alumni, I know firsthand the good that comes of challenging talented young men,
of pushing them to demand more of themselves than they would of their own accord. It is my
hope that in our work here, we are, like Holy Ghost, providing a space for such flourishing.
This is my sincere desire because of the other great lesson I learned while at Holy Ghost: the
quest for excellence is futile unless accompanied by gratitude and a spirit of service. This latter
phrase has perhaps become a platitude, but we Firebirds have all come to know the truth
behind the cliché: that one’s self-development and fulfillment in any sphere—intellectual,
social, spiritual—is at best incomplete and at worst impossible if one does not devote oneself to
supporting others in achieving the same ends. It is wisdom learned several years ago but which
has only grown more convincing with the passage of time, and a somewhat radical shift in
place.
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Briefly explain three connections between Ed Glowenka’s education at HGP and his
teaching in Tanzania.
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