Our Father Gus

by Kay and Pat

Father Gus’ nephew, Tony, wrote the following at the close of his reflections on his “Uncle Gus”: “Father Gus Melito, July 16, 1937 - February 19, 2007. Evening came and morning followed. God looked at what s/he had done, and saw that all of it was very good.”

We Notre Dames had the distinct joy of being a part of Gus’ life (maybe part of the “dash” between 1937 and 2007) and so much of that time was joy. Gus’ sense of humor is well known, and the stories that have been and can be told bring laughter to our hearts and tears to our eyes, to all of us who know/knew him. Gus became a significant part of the life of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. He wrote a small article entitled “A River In My Life” for the sisters gathering in Chatawa, Mississippi several years ago:

“You SSND’s took in this wayward soul, affirmed and challenged him, and gave him a renewed appreciation of his priesthood…It was among you that I gained a global vision and a feminist approach to the world and church. It was with you that I learned what to boycott and why. I was blessed with friendships that perdure to this day. You allowed me to celebrate in your joys and in your tragedies; I celebrated vows, jubilees and funerals. Would that many of you could be concelebrating Eucharist with me today.”

From 1975 to 1983 Gus was the chaplain at our Motherhouse in Irving. He said he never had such a “cushy life“--Notre Dames fed him, cleaned his room, did his laundry and he described himself as a “kept man.” Some of the sisters hung a sign on his door that said “Blest art Thou among Women.”

During the many years that we have had our annual “Ministries Retreat” at Glen Rose Gus came as a participant in the retreat. At Mass as our priest celebrant, he PRAYED the liturgy--simply, unostentatiously, as part of the community.

Father Gus lived and breathed the spirit of Vatican II and helped a lot of us to do the same. In the sermon that he gave at his 40^th anniversary of ordination, Gus remarked: “I had experienced the one brief shining moment immediately after Vatican II with all the hope and enthusiasm for the future,” he told his congregation, referring to Catholic reforms adopted in the 1960’s. “Then the bottom dropped out…with the retrenchment, centralism and legalism dashing the hopes of those who worked so faithfully for a collegial, collaborative and inclusive church.”

A friend of his for many years remarked: “Father Melito preached and worked for equality on many levels, between races, sexes and economic groups. He was a man of God in that he thought those things were more consistent with the teachings of the gospels, the teachings of Jesus.”

The last gift Gus gave the Notre Dames was to ask to be buried with the Notre Dames at Calvary Hill Cemetery in Dallas.