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Brother Urban Recalled at St. Francis Golf Tourney
BY BERNIE BEGLANE
Playing golf…or even fishing…you are bound to hear stories.
Such was the case at the Brother Urban Gonnoud Alumni Golf Classic conducted by St. Francis College a week ago last Tuesday.
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Brother Urban |
Brother Urban spent a majority of his career at St. Francis and was president from 1958 to 1969.
Being the first to arrive at the Dyker Heights Golf Course (no, we were not there to play 18 holes, but rather to obtain material for this column), a conversation was struck with Brother George Larkin, OSF.
In our exchange, I informed Brother George, who works in the Admissions Office of the Franciscans’ school in Brooklyn Heights, that Brother Urban and myself originally were from the same parish: St. Teresa’s of Woodside.
It also was mentioned that one of Brother Urban’s sisters, Helen, and I were classmates at St. Teresa’s School.
“Brother Urban loved golf,” we were informed by Brother George who smiled in adding, “but he was the biggest cheat.
“As soon as he placed a shot close to the hole he would say ‘That’s a gimme’.”
On a serious side of Brother Urban, he entered the Franciscans on Feb. 3, 1938; was received on Sept. 8 of the same year and professed Sept. 14 of 1939.
He graduated from St. Anthony’s Juniorate in 1938 and received his B.A. from St. Francis College in 1942; his M.A. from St. John’s University in 1945; his Ph.D., also from St. John’s University, in 1950.
Brother Urban also received an M.B.A. from N.Y.U. in 1958 as well as Honorary LL.D. from St. John’s in 1959 and an Honorary Litt.D. from St. Francis College in 1969.
Add to this, additional studies at St. Bonaventure’s and University College in Dublin and the profile of a very educated leader emerges.
Brother Urban taught at St. Francis Xavier elementary school, Park Slope, and at St. Francis Prep, but the majority of his career was devoted to St. Francis College where he distinguished himself as a professor before becoming president.
He also served the congregation well and held the positions of Director of St. Bonaventure’s Postulate (1949-1951), Master of Brothers in Temporary Vows (1953-1955), General Councilor (1958-1965), Treasurer General (1955-1958) and Assistant Superior General (1964-1970).
Dr. Frank Macchiarola, now the president of St. Francis, was one of Brother Urban’s students.
“He was a quiet, modest man who did not speak of his achievements,” offered Frank. “He did not want attention drawn to his many contributions.
“Brother Urban loved the Franciscans very deeply and dedicated his life to the ideals stated in the rules and constitutions of the congregation.
“As for golf, he enjoyed it very much. I believe that his clubs are still in the monastery.”
Dennis McDermott, director of Alumni Relations at St. Francis and one of the most outstanding basketball players in the metropolitan area while an undergraduate, directed the Brother Gonnoud Classic and arranged the dinner that followed at nearby Sirico’s.
All proceeds go toward the St. Francis College Scholarship Fund.
“We had 112 golfers and 140 at the dinner,” explained the energetic McDermott.
“Everything, including the weather, was perfect.”
The leading foursome with a 60 was Lou Esposito, Tony Giorgio, Pat McElroy and Kevin O’Rourke.
Closest to the pin prizes went to Tom Dowling, Chris Sheedy and Esposito.
The longest drive among the men was hit by Jack Sheedy while Deborah Hanley earned the honors among the women.
There also was a special presentation to Robert Silvestri for his longtime contributions to the classic.
And Dr. Macchiarola paid tribute to McDermott.
“It was a great, great day,” he began, “and I can’t say enough about Dennis.
“He was the spirit of it all. Brother Urban sent us great weather from Heaven. I remember that his sister was at the college when we unveiled the painting of her brother in the library eight years ago.”
Concluding, Frank stated, “I remember Brother Urban helping a graduate obtain a small business loan for what is now one of the largest companies of its kind today.
“As I stated earlier, he dedicated his life to the Franciscans…and to St. Francis College.”
Cathedral Prep to Induct New Hall of Fame Members
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Msgr. Delendick |
Bill Dempsey |
Daniel Friel |
Pat Higgins |
Robert Pape |
Msgr. John Delendick, a New York Fire Department chaplain who was on hand at the collapse of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, is to be inducted into Cathedral Prep’s Hall of Fame.
The pastor of St. Jude’s parish, Canarsie, Msgr. Delendick, Class of 1968, will be joined by Robert Pape, also ’68, William Dempsey ’70, Daniel Friel ’73, and Pat Higgins ’84.
The Elmhurst school will hold ceremonies at the 15th annual Golf Classic and Hall of Fame dinner next Thursday, Oct. 4, at the North Hills Country Club, Manhasset.
While at Cathedral Prep, Msgr. Delendick ran the 220 and 440 and also competed in the shot put and discus throw.
He was a member of the school’s only one-mile relay team to run in Madison Square Garden when it was located at 49th St. and Eighth Ave.
As for the World Trade Center disaster, Msgr. Delendick, assigned to St. Michael’s parish (Fourth Ave.) at the time, explained, “I arrived after the second plane crashed into the second building.”
Many months were spent administering to the families of the 343 firefighters who lost their lives that day.
Firefighters and their families have not been the only people served by the St. Jude’s pastor. He has traveled on airlifts to thank the troops fighting in Iraq, to bring aid to orphans in Kabul and supplies to children who are hospitalized in Baghdad.
“I became involved through the Diatio Liquor Corporation (Stamford, CT), a worldwide corporation dedicated to humanitarian work.”
Pape was co-captain of Cathedral’s varsity baseball team and later returned to the school to teach history and health education while also coaching freshman basketball.
During the football season the Fordham University graduate also coached the frosh team at St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows.
Bob and his wife of 33 years, Peggy, live in Winter Park, Fla., and are extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion at St. Stephen’s Church.
Dempsey played four seasons of baseball and two of basketball at Cathedral and then graduated from St. John’s University.
Now a captain in the New York Police Department, he resides in Franklin Square with his wife, Jane.
Friel attended Cathedral Prep on a four-year academic scholarship and was a two-sport athlete, basketball and handball. A vice-president of the Student Council, he also was selected to The Tablet’s All-Scholastic team in 1973.
Now with the International Securities Exchange as a senior vice president, he taught CCD at Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish, Ridgewood, N.J.
Higgins, after playing basketball for four years, became the junior varsity and assistant varsity coach for four years while teaching from 1998-2004.
He also was varsity soccer coach from 1998-2002, leading the team to three New York City CHSAA Class C titles.
Pat also served as athletic director from 2000-04.
Now a teacher at George F. Baker High School in upstate Tuxedo, Higgins conducts the Louis E. Allen Memorial Golf Outing that raises money for the family of a fellow teacher who was killed in Iraq.
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