Vocation

My vocation really began at home, since my mother's brother, my uncle, Fr, William Murphy, was a Jesuit. The first time I came to this place, Campion Center, was the very occasion of his funeral. That was in 1939, and he was the fifth or sixth one buried here. He taught at Holy Cross for several years and had been a journalist before entering the Society of Jesus. He had a great deal to do with the establishment of the Tomahawk, the newspaper at that time at Holy Cross. He died in '39, and I entered in '45.

Theology in Spain

I went to Barcelona, Spain. I had no particular connection with Spain, but it seemed that the provincial in Spain had someone who was very interested in studying theology in this country. The way to offset the expenses was to swap a New Englander with a Spaniard. And so I was simply part of a swap. It was good, and I enjoyed it very much.

Teaching Physics and Math at Cheverus High School
Teaching at Cheverus for my three years of regency was very good; it really was. I liked it very much. It's vastly different, of course, nowadays. Probably I have a kind of love for the place, because they dedicated the yearbook to me the year that I was leaving. My three years teaching there were interrupted, because I got a government grant for high school teachers of science and mathematics. I enjoyed that year at Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The Migrants and Mother Teresa

I met her before she was quite as famous as she became. In 1974 I went to Queen of Peace Parish in Delray Beach, Florida, when I was put in charge of the mission for the migrant farm workers. They were predominantly Spanish speaking workers. The highlight of that was the opportunity for me to meet the most interesting person I've ever met, and that was Mother Teresa. Many people, including the chancery office, didn't know too much about her background, but they got the word fast from someone in Washington to do something for her. She was there to see poverty in Florida. She said that poverty is bad no matter where it's found, but it's really at its worst, when it's surrounded by wealth.

Divine Providence

As I look back over all my life, you could say there was some kind of providential guidance, keeping things working out well. It wasn't so much that it was all planned out-that would be done next year or the following year or things of that sort. It was letting the ball bounce the way that it did, and in general it was very good. But it doesn't mean that it was always good at all times and in all places.