Dear Editor: In the 1960s, several simple parish priests were tasked to join other priests in teaching minor seminarians at Cathedral Prep/College of the Immaculate Conception located on the corner of Atlantic and Washington Aves. in Brooklyn.
Thousands were taught French, Latin, Spanish, English, Greek, History, Algebra, etc …all by these young priests…many barely ordained a few years earlier. Of these students, several are now bishops and monsignors as well as priests and teachers while many others are successful laymen.
One of these priests was Father Conrad Dietz who taught French in our second and third high school years. I was truly saddened to hear of his passing on Sept. 27.
What a great experience to have this young priest walk in smiling and start barking… Fermez la fenetre (in winter)… or Ouvrez la fenetre (on warm days) and fermez la porte… We stood next to our desks and he lead us in prayers… Au nom du pere… Notre Pere… Je vous salue, Marie, pleine de graces, le Seigneur est avec vous… Is he now teaching in heaven?
While I was 14 or 15, I was fascinated with this French language… so much so that I scored my only straight A’s in Francais. Yes, I was not quite as successful in Latin with Fathers Vinny Keane and John Casey, English with Fathers Charlie Breslin (gone far too young ) and George T. Deas, Spanish with Father Joe Keane, Greek with Father Fecher, History with Father Jim Mc Mahen, and countless others. I don’t blame them for my mostly C’s and an occasional B. They were great mentors.
They were truly the role models of future now current leaders of the Church.
Their mentoring and teachings have resulted in a very strong clergy…. not only in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, and elsewhere in the world (I know a few of my classmates are in Africa, Germany, Texas, Hawaii… etc.)
The thousands who studied at Cathedral -Brooklyn, Queens, Douglaston, Huntington – from the ’60s onward… we all salute you…Msgr. Connie and the rest of the great faculty members. Merci beaucoup!
ED NELSON
Deerfield Beach, Fla.
