A faithful and...

Yes, please...

... good friend has been lost. Yes, we all thought it was just a routine pruning, allowing us all to breathe a sigh of relief. But then suddenly, what we all feared happened, and a good and faithful friend made an exit. Yes, the sugar maple tree on the south side of the Hall, a tree that was not only beautiful but also generous with its shade, was cut down. How old was the tree? Does it really matter? Was it sick? I don't know, but its leaves were green. But the tree had a hole in it! Yes it did, and a family of raccoons called it home. Friends, it can go on, but in the end, a friend is gone, and St. Edward's Park will never be the same. On the passing of the St. Ed's sugar maple tree, Fr. Ralph shared, "Words cannot express the sadly that I and for that matter all Stedsmen feel on the passing of this tree. Yes, the tree's leaves and roots interfered with our games of badminton and bocce ball, but it was also our friend. The Park, and fall too, will never be the same."

... locate our friend!

Your Sunday picture...

Happy Sunday

... from Notre Dame. Here's an early morning view of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart from St. Mary's Lake. Quiet and serene, it is a sight to behold and take in. Enjoy, and enjoy your Sunday wherever you may be!

What is...

You have to stop in the City...

... Father Ralph up to? Many think that rectors stay on campus all summer, and many do. But don't count Fr. Ralph as one of them. After a sojourn on the West Coast, Fr. Ralph moved operations to the East Coast, specifically to the Jersey Shore. While at the Shore, Fr. Ralph assisted parishes in Avon by the Sea and Bradley Beach, and in his free time, he visited Stedsmen, their families, the Shore. On his time out East, Fr. Ralph shared, "The Jersey Shore is just what the Holy Spirit ordered. It was great seeing the Steds Family in the area as well as working to maintain my tan. A big thank you to my hosts and friends of Steds, Laurie and Fred!"

... see Garret and the Hanlons...

... and stop here...

... walk the boardwalk...

... but not matriculate here...

... check up on my side hustle...

... enjoy some thin pizza...

... and check on the Steds scarf at my favorite watering hole...

... but can you tell me how to get to Rector Street?

What are they...

New Mexican Reunion: DiLella '22 and Mitchell '24

... doing? Yes, what are our Stedsmen doing now that they no longer have classes to attend, papers to procrastinate writing, nor any thing else for that matter, especially if they have graduated?! Indeed, what are they doing this summer?! Well, some are busy at work, and that's certainly what Michael Mitchell '24 is doing... working. Mitchell, who graduated this past May, is working away at the Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque, New Mexico. But what makes this a story for the blog is that the labs are located on the SAME US Air Force base where John DiLella '22 is stationed. One day they ran into each other at the gym as they were both trying to get on the gainz train. Surprising? Not really. Stedsmen are everywhere! On the seemingly chance encounter, DiLella said, "Albuquerque’s most powerful duo since Walt and Jesse (from the Breaking Bad series). The friendship, the vistas, and the chiles all make the Land of Enchantment live up to its name!"

What are they...

Barefoot? Brian Kelly (red) and Tommy (kelly green) and family 

... doing? Yes, what are our Stedsmen doing now that they no longer have classes to attend, papers to procrastinate writing, nor any thing else for that matter, especially if they have graduated?! Indeed, what are they doing this summer?! Well, some are enjoying a bit of leisure time, enjoying the continent, Europe that is. President Tommy Kelly is on an Irish walking holiday with his dad and cousins, and recently, climbed Cruach Phádraig... or in English (St.) Patrick Stack. Located in County Mayo, Cruach Phádraig is a mountain with a height of 2,500 feet and is an important pilgrimage sight. Why? Well, St. Patrick, like Moses on Mt. Sinai, spent 40 days and 40 night on this mountain, descending only when the Lord gave St. Patrick the privilege of judging the Irish on the Day of the Resurrection. Today, those trending in the way of St. Patrick often ascend the mountain barefoot. On ascending Cruach Phádraig, Brian Kelly stated, "Great trip. Number eight in the books!"

Saturday squirrel.

Albino?

Earlier this summer we reported of "white tails" on campus in the vicinity of the Library Quad. And at the same time, we also reported on the rumors of an albino squirrel on campus too. Unspotted at that time, it has been seen! Spotted, you guessed it, on Library Quad, and there wasn't just one... but TWO albino squirrels. What an odd sight to say the least! Still, upon a closer look, are these squirrels albino or just a shade of very light grey? On being spotted, these squirrels non-verbaled, "We're the real deal!"

Or just a shade of grey?

You make the call!

Down in...

Joe and Amy Mathes with Fr. Ralph...

... Hotlanta! After a spell in California, Fr. Ralph traveled to Hotlanta, as known as Atlanta, where it was hot literally and figuratively to visit Stedsmen and Steds families. Hosted by Jay Mathes and Parker Mathes' parents, Amy and Joe Mathes, Fr. Ralph enjoyed not only Southern hospitality but also a trip to the hills of northern Georgia. Nestled in the hills of the Peach State is a beautiful, magically... almost mythically... place called Lake Burton. Enjoying lake living, slow days and late evenings, and games of backgammon, Fr Ralph was immersed literally and figuratively in Lake Burton. On his respite, Fr. Ralph stated, "This was long overdue, and I am grateful my hosts shared with me this little slice of heaven. It was like a spiritual retreat, and coming down the hill, literally and figuratively, was tough. But I leave with many great memories, and hopefully, there's more to come!"

... a beautiful day...

... even from an eagle's eye view...

... with a beautiful sunset too.

What are they...

Gentlemen golfers: James, Williams, Stavole, and Eardley

... doing now? Great question. It appears that Gentlemen from the Class of 2011 are taking advantage of the summertime and playing a bit of golf just like the Gentlemen of the Class of 2015. Dr. Evan James, Dr. Jay Williams, Kevin Stavole and Michael Eardley took a break, having a Steds mini-reunion in Michigan and having a go on the links at the Eagle Eye Golf Course. Who won? No one is saying, but clearly, from the smiles above, a fun time was had by all. On the gold outing, Williams shared, "Stedsmen use weekends away from kids to drain social and sleep batteries RATHER than recharging. No regrets.”

AND...

Finley Williams, eleven months old, daughter of Dr. Jay Williams, non-verbaled, "Don't rush back dad. Just saying."

Your Sunday picture...

That's a wrap!

... from Notre Dame. Here's an evening sunset over St. Mary's Lake with Carroll Hall in the background. Indeed, it's a bucolic Notre Damescape and a beautiful close to a beautiful day. Enjoy, and enjoy your Sunday wherever you may be!

What are they...

Gentlemen golfers and black jack players

... doing now? Great question. It appears that Gentlemen from the Class of 2015 are taking advantage of the summertime and playing a bit of golf. Josh Looby, Cory Stockard, Dougie Barnard, and Kevin Katalinic (not pictured) took a break, having a Steds mini-reunion in New York and having a go on the links. But there's was more to this outing not captured in the picture above. On the more of this Steds outing, Dougie Barnard '15 shared, "Turning Stone Resort AND Casino was not ready for Looby’s blackjack prowess. He split hands, doubled down, and drew attention with his smooth, yet tasteful, celebratory dance moves across the velvety casino carpet. But as for the golf, playing the second most difficult course in New York required yet another prowess. In the end, we lost a lot of golf balls but never lost our spirits. Steds forever!"

What are they...

Pope Francis crashing Bifone's selfie

... doing? Yes, what are our Stedsmen doing now that they no longer have classes to attend, papers to procrastinate writing, nor any thing else for that matter, especially if they have graduated?! Indeed, what are they doing this summer?! Well, some are enjoying a bit of leisure time, enjoying the continent, Europe that is. Nick Bifone is on a Roman holiday with family and friends, and recently, went to St. Peter's Square for Sunday Mass. It wasn't surprising to see Pope Francis, but it was surprising to see how close he and others came to the Holy Father. On seeing Pope Francis. On getting within a dash of the Pope, Bifone stated, "Beyond grateful to have celebrated my dad’s birthday with Mass at the Vatican with the pope, or 'Papa Francesco' as the locals say!"

A close...

Still standing tall

... call! It was totally unexpected. Honestly, it was terrifying. On a beautiful campus morning, the tranquility of St. Edward's Park was violently disturbed by the roar of chainsaws. What was happening? The grounds crew were there, focusing their saws on the sugar maple tree in the front of Steds. A sad day! One of the most beautiful trees in the Park was apparently coming down. Surprised? Well, not really as it was an old tree, and as of late, it had experienced some problems. When the chainsaws finally stopped after a couple of hours, it was surprising to see the sugar maple was not in parts on the ground but still standing! Apparently, the crew was not there to take the tree down but rather to give it a good trim. And a good trim they gave it! On the Steds sugar maple being trimmed, Fr. Terry Ehrman, CSC, theologian and biologist, said, "We're all relieved that the tree is still standing.The thought of that tree coming down is Fr. Ralph's worst nightmare. Crisis averted!" 

Saturday Squirrel.

Can I stay at Steds, please?

We take a break from our usuals so that we hear from a dear friend of St. Ed's, everyone's favorite Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Mr. Carson. While we al away from Steds, Mr. Carson has been away too, but is very much looking forward to the start of the fall semester. Why? well, Mr. Carson may enjoy his summer with its long visits to the doggie day camp, leisurely mornings, afternoons, and evenings and the occasional road trip, but what this pooch likes the most is a stay at Notre Dame's oldest and most storied residence hall, St. Ed's! On the prospect of having Mr. Carson return to campus and stay at Steds, Fr. Ralph shared, "I may be the Rector of Steds, but I want Mr. Carson in charge of me!"

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Birthday!

For being 248 years old, you're looking great. Wherever you are, whatever you do, enjoy family and friends, fireworks, and freedom! 

Best of...

... the Gentlemen's Monthly. Yes, TEN years ago today, here was today's posting. Enjoy this blast from the past!  

Cleveland Calling.

Cleveland- it's not Detroit

During some recent vacation days, the Rector of Sted's, Fr. Ralph, traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, and visited his extended family. On visiting Cleveland, Fr. Ralph said, "You know, everyone thinks that America's playground is Toledo, but it's really not. It's Cleveland."