She was all of 5 feet tall and 5 inches wide, a tiny woman with an inner strength and deep faith. I was about 4 or 5 when we moved in with my Grandmother Bonetti. I can remember hating New Year's Eve because he got so drunk. To this day, I do not know if any family member knew my sister and I found this out. What I learned later in life was that he ran a gambling house before gambling was legal and served time in prison. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins were so much a part of my family that it's hard to imagine what life would have been without this support system My father was not a part of my everyday life. My extended family was a warm, loving Italian family. My immediate family included my parents and my sister, Irene. Soon after he died, we moved in with my Grandmother Bonetti and my unmarried uncle. My first recollection of my childhood was the death of my Grandfather Bonetti. I'd like to know what your family was like. My knowledge of you is pretty much confined to our meetings at Mount Saviour. I was always grateful to know you were there for him. As he bore heavy burdens, Andy and I were a safe refuge for him. He suffered the deaths of close friends, including his brother, and the deaths of some dreams. Over the years, Father Martin faced disappointments and difficulties in his life, as we have in ours. The relationship evolved over those 53 years into a deep and loving friendship. Father Martin, along with Father Benedict and Father Agustin, took turns leading the group discussion. Camille: How do you explain this devoted loving relationship?Ĭolucci: Sister Camille, we first met Father Martin 53 years ago when we were invited to attend the Mount Saviour Study Club. And Marie, for the last year of Boler's illness, visited him almost daily and advocated for his welfare until the end. One day each week, Andy cooks for the monks and their guests. But Marie, 80, and Andy, 81, have seized opportunities to express appreciation and affection for the gifts received from Mount Saviour. We grieved together at his mid-November funeral. We've been blessed by the hospitality and prayers of the Benedictine monks and have witnessed the ever-increasing flocks of sheep that provide labor and financial security for the community.įor more than 30 years, I've benefited from the wisdom and welcome of its prior, Fr. Marie Colucci, her husband, Andy, and I have spent much time at Mount Saviour Monastery in Pine City, N.Y.
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