Comments on: Mooching Off Continuity

By: Phil Kierl '69

Phil Kierl '69 — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 04:20:17 +0000

Perry Aberli is correct . I didn’t know he had any other name than ” Black Matt” .My brother graduated in the 80’s and he knew him as Black Matt . He was a great motivator and taught us about Notre Dame traditions — such as ” dawn patrol ” and other invigorating and stimulating exercises . He was known the sit right next to the telephone booth ( yes we had one phone per floor ) to make certain girlfriends did not get time allocated to parents .

As to those pins on the map in his office . Half of those owners were friends of his and if there was a problem no Cavanaugh man could hide .

You also did not want to see him if the guards had locked the doors and you were trying to gain access . Chapel duty would follow close behind .

At the same time I will never forget the times he would just wonder into a room of freshman playing spades on a Friday night in February and entertain the whole section with stories of students past and accomplishments of Notre Dame men . We desperately need more ‘ Black Matts ” at Notre Dame today . He was a rock and was there to build men . God rest his soul and thank you Padre for the leadershp and memories !

By: Bill Choquette

Bill Choquette — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 02:32:57 +0000

I remember well in fall of 1958 when I was a freshman- Marshall Matt ie Father Miceli took 2 or 3 shots down the long Stamford corridor trying to nail a late night intruder in the room next to mine on the second floor.
Father M has his share of pranks pulled on him such as a very hot bowling ball send into his door very late at night.
He was not a bad guy- may he rest in peace
Merry Christmas and Go Irish
Bill Choquette ’62

By: Bill Choquette

Bill Choquette — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 02:28:23 +0000

I was a freshman in 1958 when we had a late night intruder in the room next to my double with Alan Delp. Someone woke up Marshall Matt ie Father Miceli and he got out his gun which apparently was registered. Marshall Matt came down the hall and saw the thief and told him to stop- he did not.
I remember 2 shots and we could see where the bullets went into the ceiling at the end of the hall.
Father M had his share of pranks pulled on him including a very hot bowling ball rolled into his door hard at 1:OO AM ect
He was not a bad guy.
Best to all and Merry Christmas and Go Irish!
Bill Choquette ’62

By: Jesse G

Jesse G — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 22:48:37 +0000

Great stories, all.

In the spring of ’83 I took Fr. Miceli’s Biblical Themes course. I learned much despite his monotone delivery, which he punctuated with the occasional increase in volume and pitch for stressing some thing like…. “A-TOOOONE-ment.” On and on he would go and then a pause… and … “FREE WIIILLLLL…” and so on.

One warm day in class I almost dozed off, with that monotone going steady for minutes and minutes on end, and then came a

* * * W A K E U P M R. D O L A N ! ! ! * * *

and after a half second pause, Father Miceli just picked up right where he left off, with that monotone. You can bet Dolan and I (and Tom Thayer, and Larry Williams) were WIDE awake from then on…

Rest in peace, old professor.

By: Mike Coffey

Mike Coffey — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 19:15:21 +0000

In reply to borromini. Looking back on it, it was probably the fall of 1988.

By: borromini

borromini — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:05:59 +0000

In reply to tbonesays. Even Bush Sr. wasn't running for anything in 1989.

By: JSM

JSM — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 03:28:32 +0000

I am a 1984 female graduate and had Fr. Miceli for a Theo class (Biblical Themes). I absolutely loved Fr. M, and shed tears when I read of his passing. To this day, I remember his ‘wisdom through suffering’ discussions, and think about them to this day when life is difficult. May you rest in peace Father.

By: Matt Jankowski '92

Matt Jankowski '92 — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 22:29:41 +0000

In reply to Jeannine Eisenbacher ’97.

Sorry to hear him go, but I am glad to hear he lived a long and fullfilling life. I do remember his affinity for wine – especially during his sermons on Sunday night masses in the dorm 😉 May you rest in peace with your favorite vintage! God bless.

By: John Jordan '84

John Jordan '84 — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 20:05:43 +0000

I will miss Fr Miceli. He is definitely a big part of my 4 years in Cavanaugh. Fr Miceli was a Icon on campus–at least in our minds and the mind of the author of the Morlarity comic in the Observer as Fr Machiavelli. I remember him using incense at every mass he did and vividly remember when he gave me the Wine, Woman and Weed speach up close and personal after I woke up one morning after a party with a note on my door that read “See me–Fr Miceli.” He was a good man and definitely cared about us Cavinites.

By: NDBonecrusher

NDBonecrusher — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 18:46:46 +0000

Mike thanks for the great article. Having been in the Band with you, not a week goes by that I don’t think of Jim Phillips throwing peanuts at us, or Fr. George throwing insults at us. Somebody previously mentioned him grooving in one of his size XXXXXL Hawaiian shirts, which honestly made me laugh out loud! These are some of the teachers who punctuated our ND experience. But I have to say Mike (hope this is not heresy), the first SYR with Cavanaugh as a female dorm was a DAMN good party. So, change can be both painful and wonderful. Thanks for the reflections, and I hope Fr. Miceli can shake us down some thunder next month!