Letter from the Provincial
Moments in Time
By Steve George
The Alumni Council provides the planning and leadership for the activities of the Passionist formation alumni. Membership on the Council is voluntary and includes representatives from the alumni and the provincial office plus a liaison to Holy Cross Province. There are no term limits for the members. The Council meets bi-monthly via video conference call.
There are five active committees: Alumni Profile and Recruitment, Newsletter/Website, Family Events, Spiritual Formation, and Lay Association.
Click here if you are interested in serving on the Council or one of the committees.
Read our Alumni Council Membership and Succession Policy.
MIKE OWENS
Position: Coordinator
Formation:
Warrenton (Prep), 1961-1965
Detroit (Novitiate), 1965-1966
Louisville (College), 1966-1968
Email: [email protected]
After leaving formation, Mike earned his BA at Bellarmine-Ursuline College and then served 4 years in the United States Air Force. Mike retired after a 36-year career in the property and casualty and life insurance profession. Along the way, he earned his MBA and several professional designations. Building off the values gained during his Passionist formation years, Mike has been active in religious education, volunteering and board memberships. Mike and Joyce were married in 1970 and live in Louisville, KY. They have 2 sons and 4 very active grandchildren. Reconnecting with the priests, brothers, staff and alumni of Holy Cross Province has been the best reward of serving on the Alumni Council.
PAUL SCHULTE
Position: Co-Chair, Alumni Profile and Recruitment
Formation:
Detroit (Novitiate), 1965-1966
Louisville (College), 1966-1970
Chicago (CTU), 1970-1971
Email: [email protected]
Paul Schulte first met the Passionists on a high school retreat in Warrenton, Missouri. It was the “go to” retreat place for St. Mary’s High School in St. Louis where Paul grew in wisdom and grace in a faith-filled family. He entered directly into novitiate after high school (a new experiment for the Passionists), was vested in June of 1965, and took his first vows a year and a day later. He spent his entire college career in the Passionist student community in Louisville and one year of theology at CTU. He and his director finally concluded that Paul lacked the humility to be obedient and so off he went in June of 1971 in search of his next vocation. Paul worked for 10 years at the University of Louisville, Urban Studies Center as the Director of Public Opinion Research until he, his mentor and boss concluded that Paul lacked the humility to be an obedient employee. Alas, what could he do but start his own business—which he did in 1982 with a dear friend/business partner. Paul now serves as Chairman of Horizon Group International, currently in its 37th year as a market research and brand consulting company.
Paul met and married his life-long love Sue Curl Schulte in 1974 and they have two boys, Matthew and Michael. Sue reports that Paul is marginally but sufficiently obedient to merit 45 years of marriage and is thus likely to meet the goal “until death do they part.”
DON NOLTEMEYER
Position: Co-Chair, Alumni Profile and Recruitment
Formation: Warrenton (Prep), 1966-1969
Email: [email protected]
Don began formation in the St. John Bosco Club at Sacred Heart Monastery in Louisville. Inspired by the Passionist Fraters, he attended ‘Sem Week’ in Warrenton in 1965, and then MGCS—affectionately known as the Prep—from 1966-69. After graduating from DeSales High School, he attended Bellarmine College with many Passionist friends and former classmates. Don played on the Passionist intramural league championship team, the Sterling-Beer-sponsored basketball team, with notable players that included Joe Moons. Don worked 40 years as a commercial bank lender, 26 of them in Denver. He met his lovely wife, Susan, also a Louisville native, in 1973, and they wed in 1975. Their children are Matt and Sarah and they have five beautiful grandchildren all of whom live near their Lawrence, Kansas home. For many years Don has enjoyed finding and connecting with fellow Passionist Alumni—which makes his Council role as co-chair of the Alumni Profile and Recruitment Committee such a pleasure.
RICHARD PADILLA
Position: Co-Chair, Administration/Province Liaison
Formation:
Warrenton (Prep), 1966-1967
Detroit (Novitiate), 1967-1968
Louisville (College), 1968-1972
Chicago (CTU), 1972-1976
Louisville (St. Agnes, Ordained), June 4, 1976
Richard left the community in 1982 after serving at the Houston Retreat House, at Casa Guadalupe San Antonio, then as Vocation Recruiter. He began his lay career at The University of Houston as Assistant and Associate Dean of Students and received his Doctorate in 1988. He married Mary Helen and had 2 children and 4 grandchildren. In 1988 he became Dean of Students at the University of Houston-Downtown. In 1994 he became Vice President for Student Affairs at The University of Texas at El Paso and served for 17 years. In 2005 he was dispensed from his vows and he and Mary Helen were married in the church. They returned to Houston where he served on the Education Committee for NASA’s Space Center Houston and currently volunteers at St. Mary Magdalene’s Food Pantry and is on the Pastoral Council. He is an avid fisherman and golfer.
JOHN SCHORK, C.P.
Position: Province Liaison
Formation:
Warrenton (Prep), 1963-1967
Detroit (Novitiate), 1967-1968
Louisville (College), 1968-1972
Chicago (CTU), 1972-1976
Louisville (St. Agnes, Ordained), June 4, 1976
Email: [email protected]
After ordination in 1976, John spent the next 27 years in various levels of Passionist retreat center ministry as a staff member, leadership person, and public relations / fund-raiser – and he enjoyed every part of it! In 2003 he was asked to move to Chicago and local community leadership at the Harlem monastery. At the Chapter of 2007, John was elected to the Provincial Council, and then appointed local superior of the community in Louisville which was being adapted to help with assisted living for the Province. After two terms on the Council and as a local leader, John moved to Chicago / St. Vincent Strambi in 2015, serving as Provincial Secretary / Treasurer / Development person / Jack-of-all-trades. He currently serves as Province Vocation Director / Treasurer – with some opportunities for travel, golf, and community building. He enjoys his continued involvement with the Alumni, the Province Health Advisory Board, and as a part-time chaplain at Midway Airport chapel in Chicago, as well as writing the passionist.org website scripture reflection for the 4th of each month. He’s 70+ years old – and still on the grow!
JACK DERMODY
Position: Chair, Communications--Website and Newsletter
Formation: Warrenton (Prep) 1958-1961
Email: [email protected]
Some of the best schooling ever for Jack was delivered by the Passionists at Warrenton, matched closely by Peace Corps Training in 1966 and a sweet two years of graduate school at UCLA in the 70s. He worked 32 years as an English-as-a-Second Language teacher and textbook writer in Africa, Asia, and the U.S. His life was the worldly and humanistic version of writing sermons and booklets, dramatically presenting parish missions, and leading retreats. Hats he wore included language instructor, college professor, school director, salesman, author, editor-in-chief, trainer, facilitator, and business owner. The last ten years of his career, he facilitated training to leverage personality assessments to build fierce teams in corporate settings. On the side, he played keyboard instruments, sometimes in bands—especially Oktoberfests and stage events like “Fiddler on the Roof.” Jack married high school prom date Rose in 2000; they each brought three bold and wonderful children from previous marriages. The tennis he began playing in Warrenton he continued to play embarrassingly through adulthood. He now rides a bike like a shameless peacock a few hundred miles a month.
CARL DeLAGE
Position: Chair, Family Events
Formation: Warrenton (Prep), 1966-1969
Email: [email protected]
In 1966 Carl began his formation in Warrenton as a freshman. He left at the end of his junior year when the prep closed. In his senior year at another high school, he taught his class how to play handball (not native to Michigan) and it became a daily obsession.
He had very little contact with the Passionists until the Reunion that Michael Schweizer put together in St. Louis in 2002. When he saw Fr. Randal and Brother Kevin at the Detroit airport on the way to St. Louis, he was hooked. Becoming reunited with the men and women associated with the Passionists is the highlight of his life.
Along the way Carl did an enlistment in the Navy. After that he went to school. Carl was married in 1977 to the lovely Debbie. They had two boys who have lived in many places in the U.S. Carl was granted a Passionist graduation from high school at the second reunion in 2005 with Gus Wilhemy presiding; convincing documentation was prepared by many of the wives that are so artistic and clever. He has a Master’s degree in Business.
MARK BROCKMAN
Position: Co-Chair, Lay Association; Technology
Formation:
Warrenton (Prep), 1965-1969
Movable formation locations, 1969-1972
Email: [email protected]
After seven years of seminary formation with the Passionists, Mark left to pursue studies in pre-medicine and linguistics at St. Louis University and the University of Missouri. Subsequently, he moved to Europe to live and work in Switzerland and Austria. Returning to the U.S., he discovered a passion for technology which began a long career with AT&T in Telecommunications and Information Technologies. Post 9/11 he led the development of one of the first cybersecurity operation centers focused on preventing cyber-terrorism. Currently, he runs a small boutique security consulting company. Mark greatly relishes the opportunity to serve the Passionist Alumni Council to provide technical support to co-chair the Alumni Council’s Lay Association committee. In addition, he assists parishes throughout the Diocese of Austin with their retreat programs in the ACTS Missions Apostolate. He has been married to Deborah for 40 years, currently resides in Austin, Texas, and spends many hours motorcycling and enjoying his eight grandchildren.
CARL LOUIS MIDDLETON, JR.
Position: Co-Chair, Lay Association
Formation:
Warrenton (Prep), 1963-1964
St. Paul (Novitiate), 1964-1965
Louisville (College), 1965-1968
Email: [email protected]
After leaving the Passionists and graduating from Bellarmine, Carl served as a theologian/ethicist from 1973 until he retired in June of 2018. In this career of 45 years, 40 were dedicated to the Catholic Health Care ministry. His extensive work record includes teaching ethics in a Catholic Seminary, nursing schools, medical residency programs, and several universities. He served as Director of Pastoral Care, as well as Director and Vice President of Mission, Theology and Ethics for four Catholic Health Systems. Carl is a creative and charismatic speaker giving presentations and retreats on a number of topics pertaining to mission, ministry, ethics and values—both nationally and abroad. He has authored/co-authored five books/manuals. Carl and his wife Vicki have two children and 3 granddaughters. His hobbies: hiking and music.
RAY ALONZO
Position: Chair, Spiritual Formation
Formation: Warrenton (Prep), 1965-1969
Email: [email protected]
Ray Alonzo spent his formative years in the warm embrace of the Passionist Community in Warrenton from August 1965 through June of 1969. That last year was one of tumult and change for both the world at large and our Camelot-like environment at the Prep as it closed permanently after looking at the would-be Class of 1970, realizing the futility of it all. The Seventies found Ray bumping through the world as an Air Force medic and a newscaster aboard the USS Enterprise. He married in 1977 as people addressed sympathy cards to Jan at their residence at the University of Missouri where she earned her Law Degree and Ray tortured professors with bad jokes until they agreed to give him his Masters in Education. He taught at the University but ended his career as a high school English teacher of at-risk students... like he was. Now retired, he is the grandfather of two and still the husband of his long-suffering saint of a wife. He prays God will send every gentleman fine hawks, fine hounds and such a loved one.
CLAIRE SMITH
Position: Communications
For obvious reasons, Claire was not a student of Passionist Formation as it was back in the day. She began her life with the Passionist Family in 1985 when she was hired by the Development Office, (then located in Immaculate Conception Monastery in Chicago), as a part-time mailroom clerk after school. Shortly after graduating from St. Scholastica High School in Chicago, Claire was unable to decide what she wanted to be when she grew up, so she continued working with the Passionists, taking college classes here and there.
Claire and her husband, Brian Smith, were married in 1988. Claire slowly worked her way up the ladder at the Development Office, while she and Brian raised their two sons. In 2012, she was named to her current position as Director of Communications. Claire earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, summa cum laude, from Southern New Hampshire University in 2014.
Over the years, Claire came to understand that the Passionist Family was where she belonged, “Being part of the Passionist Famly is not a job; it’s a way of life. It’s my way of life.” She is deeply grateful to be part of the Alumni Council, and for the opportunities to meet and get to know some truly wonderful men and women of the Passionist Alumni Family.
PHIL JACKSON
Position: Lay Association, Province Liaison
Formation:
St Paul KS, ‘49
CTU, Certificate in Pastoral Studies, ca. 2011
OK, so Phil is a Wanna-Be Passionist Alumni, his honorary Class of 1949 designation bestowed by “classmate” Frank Mullally in return for finding Frank a tasty dessert at the last reunion.
Phil met the Passionists in the ‘90s as a parishioner at Chicago’s Immaculate Conception Parish where his 4 daughters attended school. Phil served in the Parish Council and organized Pilgrimages for the IC community to visit the Jamaican diocese of Bishop Paul Boyle, CP. While on the Passionist Provincial Lay Advisory Board, Phil met most of the active Passionists of Holy Cross Province in the early 2000s.
Phil’s income life included work as Engineer; Consultant; Sales and Management; Patent enforcement; Chaplain; and Fun-raising and Passionist Alumni Relations. Phil’s real-life activities include father, Centering Prayer, backpacking and overall goofballing.