This weekend is the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is a divisive event this time because we are not in agreement about what kind of country we should have. It’s not the first time we’ve celebrated such a milestone under duress: the Bicentennial in 1976 took place in a country crawling out from under the acrimonious tumult of the 1960’s and its aftermath: Vietnam, Watergate and the like. There were many celebrations, which helped to inspire the nation to pick itself up and move forward again.
In the middle of all of this was the Texas A&M Newman Association. The Bicentennial fell on a Sunday, a lazy day during summer session, a quiet part of the academic year. So how did some Aggie Catholics celebrate the event? We used our freedom to take a road trip from College Station to Round Rock, TX, and to visit a priest who had been transferred there, Fr. (now Msgr.) Elmer Holtman. But some explanation is in order.
The Newman Association–and many of us therein–had been in a state of renewal. Vatican II had unleashed many things, but it is easy to try to see things through the lens of what we see in social media these days. It is also a mistake to do so.
One the one hand we were avid participants in the “Old Folk Mass.” We received the Eucharist in two species (yes we did.) Catholics populated the staff of the nearby coffeehouse ministry. And the winds of the Charismatic Renewal blew from places like The Keyhole in Houston and the Community of God’s Delight in Dallas. The New Cor retreats (photos from which can be seen in the video) made an enormous impact in our lives.
On the other hand Aggies were and are a generally conservative bunch; the previous February we left the Texas Catholic Student Conference in Ft. Worth (my first trip to Cowtown proper) early because a leftie priest put forth things we knew weren’t right. We also pushed back for the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist against the Baptists’ adherence to Bill Clinton’s Eucharistic Theology: It Depends on What ‘Is’ Is (something I still find myself doing.)
Through all of this Fr. Elmer was a stabilising influence, keeping things–and us–on a steady course in times of change. At the end of the Spring Semester of 1976, he was transferred to St. William Catholic Church in Round Rock. His departure left a void which we all felt. So, when a free weekend came up, we decided almost spontaneously on a road trip to Round Rock and to see Fr. Elmer again. So, as the two hundredth birthday of our nation (yes, I know Texas was an independent republic in its own right) took place, we headed to Mass at St. William. It was a great trip; we got to see Fr. Elmer and he was glad to see us.
We returned to College Station to finish the term. When it was done I was on a plane heading to–of all places–the United Kingdom, where I spent a month during an historical drought (which was a real boon for tourists.) I learned some Lessons From the Underground (and the lack of welcome for beggars at Westminster Cathedral) and ended up with a mountain top experience before learning that There Was a Rush Along the Fulham Road… (a prophetic moment if there ever was one) and finally Coming Home from Heathrow. My time in the Newman Association was short; I graduated in December of that year and started a new life chapter in the defence industry working on the HARM AGM-88A Missile.
The freedom to take such a road trip shouldn’t be taken for granted; many in the world don’t have that kind of freedom, and many others don’t have the infrastructure to do if even if they can on paper. As my grandfather reminded everyone at my family business’ centennial, democracy and prosperity go together. The loss of the means to prosperity will mean the loss of democratic process and government “of the people, by the people and for the people,” something that too many these days don’t understand.
I’ll finish this piece by letting the man whom we traversed Texas to see speak for himself. This is an interview with Msgr. Elmer Holtman which was done last year. (if the video isn’t visible, click here to watch it.)
Happy Fourth!
Positive Infinity 