Father Michael C. Connolly, OSFS
Salesianum School

mconnolly@salesianum.org
(302) 654-2495 (x 248)

SALESIAN QUOTE
OF THE YEAR:

Tenui Nec Dimittam

(Photo in the Public Domain)

About your Teacher ("Magister," in Latin)

Reverend Michael C. Connolly, O.S.F.S.

My relationship with Salesianum goes back many years...

In 1967 - as a seminarian with the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales -I was assigned to Salesianum as a new teacher...it was part of our Oblate seminary program to teach two years as an "intern teacher."
I was 21 years old.

I taught Latin, Spanish and French for two years.

I received a B.A. in French from DeSales University in 1971 and later a M.Ed. in French Education from West Chester University. I also received an M.A. in Theology in 1974 and was ordained an Oblate Priest that same year.

I returned to Washington, D.C. and earned a degree in Canon Law from The Catholic University of America in 1977.

I then went to Philadelphia where I taught Theology at Father Judge High School... it was a brief assignment there...only two years. I was then assigned to De Sales University to teach Latin and Theology from 1978 to 1984.

Then there came a new adventure, very different from the classroom.....I entered into what is called "internal ministry" for the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales - I became the Director of Development for our Province until 1992. I lived here in Wilmington at our Provincial House on Kentmere Parkway just a mile or so from Salesianum.

In 1992 I was appointed Judicial Vicar and Vice Chancellor for the Archdiocese for the Military Services headquartered in Washington, D.C. I lived there for the next 6 years. This ministry was related to that degree in Canon Law.

It was a great experience to serve our men and women in uniform around the world. I traveled quite a bit to places I would never have imagined - Korea, Japan, Guam,Okinawa, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, the UK...anywhere in the world where the U.S. has military installations or State Department personnel.

In 1998 I became a Pastor....Saint Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina - right on the Atlantic Ocean. It is a beautiful place and the parishioners were wonderful people. I was there for 5 years.

After that, I enjoyed a brief sabbatical for study....in the Old Testament. I took that sabbatical at Saint Michael's College in Vermont in preparation for a new assignment which came in 2004 - as co-director of Novices in rural Michigan. Novices are new member of the Oblates. At the end of this program, I was asked what I would like to do if I could pick my assignment....I said: "I'd like to go back to Salesianum and teach again."

And it just so happened that Father John Fisher - the Latin teacher, whom I had taught at De Sales University - was preparing to leave Sallies and go to De Sales University.

So.....Sallies needed a new Latin teacher ...and here I am - back at it after 40 years. It's been an interesting and grace-filled journey....I'm happy to be back - now in my 4th year.

God bless you and your family.

P.S.

In the above "About Your Teacher" there are many words that come to us in English from Latin or Greek origins....[e.g. Salesianum, Oblate, seminarian, theology, novices,]... see how many others you can identify. Perhaps we'll have a quiz on this some day!!