Memories and Prayers

I recall how during rehearsals Fenno could command respect with a comment that seemed to have an edge, a word that would wake us up when we as singers got tired or lazy. For a split second we thought he was angry. Then he would smile and make an imaginary mark in the air indicating "gotcha" and the tension immediately dissipated and we chuckled and were energized to sing once again. This was simple evidence of a man who had mastered the craft that he loved. There are too many things I learned from Fenno to mention here, but one of the things I remember most is the interaction between Carol and Fenno-- with Carol quietly knitting during rehearsals, a small smile all the while, supporting her husband by her quiet presence. This sort of loving simplicity touched me deeply. I offered on Friday evening a Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the repose of Fenno's soul, a prayer revealed to a Polish mystic and saint canonized by Pope John Paul II to which is attached the following promise from Christ: "At the hour of their death, I defend as My own glory every soul that will say this chaplet; or when others say it for a dying person, the indulgence is the same." This is the most sincere offering I know how to give. Chorus angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeas requiem: "May a choir of angels receive you, and with Lazarus, who once was poor, may you have eternal rest."

 

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Denis McNamara, '91