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Who is Fred
Schaeffer?
On various pages of this
website there are subtle or not so subtle references to a Webmaster whose name
is Fred Schaeffer, SFO. In the vastness of the Internet
world I'm probably just a little speck on the horizon, but I try to make a
difference! I try to do just a little more than many to evangelize the Roman
Catholic Faith. I attempt to live a Christian life and I hope that by my example
other people will be lifted up and receive some form of peace and joy. But I
would totally understand if you asked who is this guy anyway!?
May I give you some
background?
I was born in an air raid
shelter at the outbreak of World War II in the town of
Nijmegen, the
Netherlands. Mom, of Orthodox Jewish parents, converted to Catholicism in 1936,
in Dresden, Germany. There she met my Dad. After the marriage they returned to
his native town of Nijmegen. In 1942 she and I (still a toddler) were picked up
by the Gestapo and brought to Amersfoort, a kind of "dispatch" facility for
Auschwitz and other death camps. By the grace of God, Mom and I were released
again after about two weeks, as far as I could find out. We got back home and
the cellar under the building became our "home" for a time. After a couple of
months of this, it became apparent that we could not stay there because a Nazi
tank stood at one corner of our street and a British tank on the other and they
were shooting at each other and everything in between. So Mom, Dad and I went to live with kind people opposite a British Army Camp where we
were reasonably safe. Things were not easy for people in those days. Because of
Mom's "record," she had to wear a yellow star of David that identified her as a
Jew. It meant that there was less of everything for us. Jews got served last in
stores and then there was nothing left. There was
much suffering all around. But we made it, unlike many others, and survived the
war. I remember everything from about 1943 onward. Some of the memories were not
kind memories especially for someone at my tender age. We suffered silently in
continual angst for many years even after WWII had ended!
When I turned 14, my parents
decided to immigrate to the United States of America. Soon I went to High School
in the New York area and four years later I graduated. Shortly before that, I
felt called to become a priest and joined the Capuchin-Franciscan Order. Spent
one year in Minor Seminary, and another as a Novice, wearing the brown habit and
sandals. But I did not stay. I left principally to be with Mom as Dad was very
ill. He was diagnosed with cancer. My exemption to serve in the military forces
ran out and so I soon found myself in the Army, first in New Jersey, then in
Georgia (USA), later in Germany. From there, I was called home because Dad was
dying in 1963. After the burial I had to return to Germany where I did my three
year duty and returned home the following year. After that I worked in downtown
New York City, at a brokerage firm, a very hectic job.
In 1969, I felt I needed a
change of pace and looked for a better job, one more suited to my talents and I
found that job with KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines. Two years later, I switched to SAS-Scandinavian
Airlines, which proved to be a very good job. I stayed for a long time working
principally in Customer Reservations and Ticketing. Mom passed on in 1983, and
shortly thereafter, I moved to Miami, Florida to take the job of Office
Coordinator at SAS's Miami Ticket Office. After three years, I felt I needed to
live in a smaller town and through some people I know here, I moved to Vero
Beach where I now live again. In 1988, I found a job akin to a Computer
Specialist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. I also found a wonderful
Catholic parish - St. Helen's Catholic Church. There I became
 very
active, as a Eucharistic Minister (to the hospital), Choir, and various other
things, and also, I founded with two other people, the Divine Mercy Secular
Franciscan Fraternity which has blossomed and is a vibrant and joyful group that
keeps growing every year.
I wasn't professed yet, but
because of my Capuchin experiences, those around me elected me their first
Minister. Seven of us were professed in the Secular Franciscan Order on October
4, 1994, myself included. A year and a half later, the fraternity received full
Canonical Approbation. In June 1996, I moved up to Cincinnati, Ohio to become a
Franciscan friar (OFM) and the following year to Cedar Lake, Indiana to begin
the Novitiate, where I was invested with the brown habit the Franciscans wear. I
was, however, looking for something more contemplative, and before long I left
Indiana. A couple of months later I found myself a monk with the Community of
the Monks of
Adoration, in Petersham, Massachusetts as Brother Frederick of the Cross. This
particular Order wasn't big, in fact, I was the third monk. I was very happy and
joyful there though I must admit that the winters were very cold, especially since the
grey
 habits we wore weren't very warm. But it's all part of the asceticism, the ideal
to live simply and frugally. In the year 2001 in March, the whole Order moved to
Venice, Florida at the gracious invitation of the Bishop of Venice. This was a
difficult move, it was involved and there was lots of heavy work associated with
it both before, during and after arriving in Florida. We received two other
candidates in the Order but one left. My health began to deteriorate and I
swallowed a lot of expensive medication. In 2002, I had a mini stroke,
and the handwriting on the wall told me I better begin taking it a bit easier.
In case you're wondering, monastic life is not an easy lifestyle. One is
occupied with prayer and work 16 hours a day. In a small fraternity, one wears
many hats. My superior and I discussed it at
length and we came to the conclusion that it would be advisable for me to return to Vero
Beach so I could retire at age 62.
Photo: December 22, 2003, Vero Beach,
Florida
Since July 2nd, 2002, I am
now living in my beloved Vero Beach again. I've again become very involved in
the Secular Franciscans, and various ministries and apostolates at St. Helen's
Catholic Church such as Choir, Prison
Ministry, etc. In 2002, I made private vows of
Obedience and Chastity and promised God to live a life dedicated to others. In
2005, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, so I ask for your prayers, as I
pray for all of you, who visit this website.
I've designed this website
for two reasons, 1) to provide a forum for "Brother Frederick's Column"
(now renamed "bro. Fred's Reflections") and some other work I did while with the monks,
on their website; 2) to provide a more secure website for
Divine Mercy Secular Franciscan Fraternity. Since then, it has expanded into the
"Official" website for all Secular Franciscans in Florida. This website is growing by leaps and
bounds. I spend several hours each day doing something with it and I hope that
it will evolve into a very informative and interesting website for Franciscans,
Christians and other surfers to look at. In addition, I have taken
responsibility for the International SFO website (www.ciofs.org),
and several other tasks.
While a monk, I was
privileged to use a Yamaha FS-500 organ to practice on. I love classical music,
particularly Church Organ music, Choral music, hymns, old as well as new. In my
early teens, my Dad, a bigger music lover than I, often took me to midday
 organ
concerts while we lived in The Hague (The Netherlands), and I continued this
practice while living in New York, particularly the recitals given at the
Riverside Cathedral. That was many years ago. I love chorale music sung a capella
from the time of the renaissance to the time of Vivaldi, and people in his time
period. Being able to
sing Bass, a gift of God, allows
me to sing with St. Helen's choir. It is often the high point of my week as I
see the spiritual significance of "singing is praying twice," as Saint Augustine
told us. Now I have a small Yamaha keyboard but I cannot read music very fast
anymore.
Anyway, now you know who
Fred Schaeffer, SFO is. I've led, and continue to lead, an interesting life and have enjoyed most of it
particularly helping other people in prayer and personal meetings.
Peace and all Good!
Fred
I'm webmaster of
the following websites, in addition to this one:
www.ciofs.org,
www.paxetbonum.net and, our
parish website at
St. Helen's Church in Vero Beach.
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