Archives Notes
While I was in China, the Archives remained busy:
- The historic collection of 72 archive boxes and about 300 books from St. Paul of the Cross Monastery, Pittsburgh was successfully catalogued here in Union City.
- Passionist administrative sources organized consist of: Documentation from the 44th General Chapter in Brazil (2000); Files from Passionist Missionaries administrators Sebastian Kolinovsky, C.P. and Harold Poletti, C.P.; Ministry Records of Brother Leo DiFiore, C.P. in conjunction with Passionist Overseas Missions, the Provincial Chapter meetings, and the Pittsburgh Sesquicentennial 2002; Materials from the Passionist novitiate in Pittsburgh and Shrewsbury, Massachusetts; Papers of Provincial Consultors Gerald Laba, C.P., Paul Ruttle, C.P., and Lucian Clark, C.P.; Assorted Pittsburgh Passionist archives from 2002-2005; Passionist-staffed Parish Bulletins from 2006-2007.
- Other collections processed were: Passionist Vestition/Profession books; assorted memorabilia describing the building and events of St. Joseph’s Monastery Church, Baltimore, Maryland; Passionist Confraternity of the Passion Meetings, Lists, Statistics, and Information; About 50 VHS Passionist related videos were converted to DVD format.
- Responded to 104 requests to the archives.
Publications of Fr. Rob included:
- The article, “Journalist and Priest: The Participation of Father Cormac Shanahan, C.P. in the 1944 Press Party to Yan’an, China, his experience with Communist leaders and ministry to Yan’an Catholics,” in a lifelong dedication to the China mission. Essays Presented in Honor of Father Jeroom Heyndrickx, CICM, on the occasion of his 75th Birthday and the 25th anniversary of the F. Verbiest Institute K.U. Leuven. Leuven Chinese Studies, 17. (Ferdinand Verbiest Foundation, K.U. Leuven, Belgium, 2007), 29-52.
- The book review, “Journey to the East: The Jesuit Mission to China, 1579-1724” by Liam Matthew Brockey. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 2007. In American Catholic Studies Vol 118, No. 4 (2007) pp. 79-80
Fr. Rob since coming back from China:
- On September 13, gave a talk on the history of the Passionists at the former Our Mother of Sorrows Monastery, West Springfield, Massachusetts which is now a senior residence known as Landmark@Monastery.
- On September 14, was the priest celebrant and preached on his China experience at Sunday Liturgy for The Chalice of Salvation TV Mass under the auspices of the Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts.
- On September 30, gave a talk at St. Ann’s Basilica Parish, Scranton, Pennsylvania on Passionist Priest and Professor in China: What was it like to teach in Chongqing 2007-2008?
- On October 8, gave a lecture on History, Tourism and Reality: The Catholic Church in China Today at St. Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri.