By Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND, Director, La Vista Ecological Learning Center
At our annual summer solstice celebration Paul Wightman,
OMI, challenged our daystar the sun as the most significant star of the day. A lifelong caver, Father Paul is revered among
local cavers as one of the first to explore and map nine miles of the Fogelpole
Cave system in Southern Illinois. He was
recently honored when a preservation group purchased the land above the cave
and named it the Paul Wightman Subterranean
Nature Preserve!
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Father Paul with
participant Debbie Newman, Natural Areas Preservation Specialist
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In his delightful and informative presentation Paul took the
audience on a pictorial tour of the cave and entertained us with stories about
his underground experiences through the years. With a twinkle in his eyes and a
charming grin, Paul showed us what it is like when a person is allured by a
special part of our rare and precious planet and gets serious about enjoying it.
With a taste for adventure and dark spaces, Father Paul
mapped the cave before the age of technological help. Using his wits and ingenuity he even created
special instruments to help him do a very accurate and professional
mapping. Taking pictures also required
creativity and involved three people – two to go ahead and light up the cave
with camera flashes, while Paul took the picture of the whole area from behind.
Participants, including the Novitiate Community, were
enthralled with his photos and stories. In the audience were a geologist and a
biologist who deeply appreciated his work.
One woman reminded us that caves are one ecosystem where threatened and
endangered species live, and so it is important that we preserve this hidden
part of our planet.
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A younger Father Paul inside Fogelpole Cave
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As Father Paul was preparing to leave the next morning, he
mentioned another interest: wildflowers!
He has also pursued this passion energetically, even taking classes to
learn how to classify plants. Although
he lives four hours away from La Vista where he pastor of five parishes and is
eighty-seven years old, he agreed to prepare a presentation on wildflowers “in
his spare time”.
Father Paul is a wonderful example of someone who loves “our
common home” and passes on his enthusiasm graciously and generously.
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