Monthly Archives: July 2008

In Transit

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I am in La Crosse for the dedication of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is to begin a few hours from now and which will be televised by EWTN.  I will try to get some pictures for AirMaria.

Meanwhile, Bob Fox and his son Gregory drove all the way from Long Island to attend the Encampment.  Bob has written about the experience on his blog.

This non conformity with the present age speaks volumes to young boys and men, and rejects the symbols of the present cultural and moral haziness and laziness! These men draw from the rich past of our civilization when it was at one time informed by Catholic ideals. This community exemplifies the Kingship and absolute sovereignty of Jesus Christ in every age… and they indirectly remind us that it is the Church which builds civilization… it’s not the other way around!

Courtesy of the Local Newspaper

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The Norwich Bulletin, as of this posting, has placed the friars latest video on Thom and Marc on their homepage in three parts.  This video altogether is about 12 minutes and is different than the In Memoriam video.

The link above will only help you find the video clips as long as the Bulletine keeps them on their homepage.

Encampment of Memory

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During the Encampment on Friday night, we conducted a ceremony during which we lit two bonfires with flaming arrows (we have to work on the flaming arrow part) in remembrance of Thom and Marc and promised never to let them go out.  On Saturday night we revealed the work that we friars had been doing over the past week:  three shields, one for the Knights of Lepanto (pictured above), one for Thom and one for Marc.

I am no herald, but I have done some private research on heraldry, so if anyone reads this blog who has suggestions or corrections, I am completely open to them.  For an explanation of the arms of the Knights of Lepanto see this post.

By the way, for anyone who cares to help me out with my heraldry, the blazoning of the arms of the Knights of Lepanto I render thus:  Per fess azure and argent, a fleur de lis counterchanged between two fleur de lis argent and a cross formy gules dexter,  a fleur de lis azure sinister.  That is just a guess.  I really don’t know what I am doing.  I concur with Chesterton:  “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”

My intention is to bestow full knighthood in an official capacity upon both Thom and Marc posthumously.  Both of them were in formation for knighthood; however, we have had no formal investitutures or doubings yet in the organization.  Even so, it seems that the two of them providentially entered the order of knighthood during the last encampment. Continue reading →

Squires’ and Pages’ Oath

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I have been out of circulation in the blogosphere due to preparations for the Encampment and recovery from it.  My plan was to make sure that the Encampment was at least as successful as it has been in the past with Thom’s direction and to make sure that we remembered our departed friends in a fitting way.  I think we succeeded.

I have much to blog on regarding the Encampment.  I will get it posted as I am able.

First of all, I have an oath that the Knights asked me to write for the squires and pages.  Actually the idea was Thom’s and he had planned to write it himself.  As a former scout master he wanted to model our oath on the Boy Scout Oath.   Well, he never got an opportunity to write it so I did. Continue reading →

Thom’s Night Watch Rules

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The following is one of the last things Thom Girard wrote as he was preparing to run the Encampment scheduled for next week.  The rules are fairly elaborate and subject to whatever revisions necessary.  Please let me know what you think.

I would especially ask the young men to circulate the information so you are ready for Saturday night.

The Night Watch

The Game of the Encampment

The game of Night Watch is originally set up for boys 13 and older.  It’s concept is to protect the faith (fire) against all evils (adults) and get through the evening.

Many of Nightwatch men have fallen asleep, stayed too close to the fire, been distracted, not functioned as a team, or just failed to maintain the fire. All these items can be considered important items into fatherhood.

Falling Asleep – fathers who just do not pay attention to their children.

Staying too close to the fire – a Dad who is too meek and not taking on the role of fatherhood may fall for anything

Being distracted – considered too much of something other than the focus of his family (TV, drinking, drugs, etc.)

Not functioning as a team – a set of parents not functioning together to raise the family.

Not maintaining the fire – absentee Dad.

Neither of these are what the Night Watch men should be and hopefully during this game they can understand what their fathers are going through continuously and what they are expected to go through when they are adults. Fatherhood, whether a parent, priest or brother have all these obligations to the family or the community they are involved with and need to always keep your guard up 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Continue reading →

Laying Our Knights to Rest

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“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after” (J.R.R. Tolkien).

As unspeakably sad as the last week has been, I cannot remember one that was more filled with grace and peace. I have been privileged to witness heroism, steadfastness and mercy.

Thom and Marc, their family and friends have been searching earnestly for the ideals of chivalry; however, none of us would have considered the plate we have been served “quite the something” we “were after.” We must always praise God for His goodness.

Last Monday, when through one of the friars I received a distressed call from Carol in which she asked one of us to meet her at Bachus Hospital, I was swept up into a series of events so inconceivable to me that the mind still balks at its consideration. I knew the situation was dour when I heard the words “drowning” and “Life Star” though in reality, I had no idea of the real dimensions of the tragedy.

My mind still short circuits when I think of the hole left in so many lives by the absence of Thom and Marc, but at the same time, the past week has etched into my mind some of the most precious memories of my life. Like many who were privileged to know Thom and Marc and to participate in their sending off, I have been overwhelmed by the presence of God during this difficult time. Continue reading →