The Sower
spending much of his youth presenting magic shows in his
cellar for neighborhood friends. The magic act disappeared
though when Stevens turned 16 and learned the Rev.
Father Edward rianagan, the fonder cf i'oys Town, as
going to be in Battleboro for the funeral of a I'oys Tov.n
bemfattnr.
"I had the andudty t ;, ) up t: V.i mm r: i tin if 1
could Lv.j'a school H Lays Tu:?.." S::vc:v; r.c:
The yc.irgater v:: sen ::i L,i v. ay to Cauaha.
After graduating frcn rys Tr-n h 19 i 1 Steven? v. rnt
to California to scs!l1: 1 " ..--'
likes to tell the story u ..; .. 'I. '
were sitting b a foe' ' 1 . ' ill. ) : " 1
Father Flanagan as;;: d .... " :'
future. At a loss for an : . - .r, f.'.i hli I u "..-..j
thinking about joining ;! ; , ; i. : ,, . '..
"1 just pulled it out u :r," ha srys.
j - .UliUniiig . IttUivi ( i-. , , ... f .a 3 4.,a:.vt 'Ivtt
j California after ay a, r, returned to Buys Tm.vn and
1 started classes at C." 1 .il'..i,c;.'.y.Ti.ef .1. iag
monastery in Datuqau, L" It . t'.-ia, tn.t S:..::s
who had always far ;" ! ' i . M a v :'. ur c: t.
discovered what he r . v : . ; -j 1 ' ; cu! "ng. V.: tl;" :'...
with the Trappists for t : : ;:;t fi . c ; :d a a. b.' T) curs, b t
returned to Boys Town Li 19 d.
"That particular mcrA life van n't v.bt 1 vanted so I
decided to find my own crdar," ha rccu'di. "Cd. run;!:
can do it, why couldn't I?" "
So Stevens just "bidu J !" is tin;.;-" a:. J hecare a priest fer
tile next 28 years. And he CuvJupud an ;:n; ressive resume.
At age 35, Stevens joined the U.S. Air r:rce and became
chaplain, serving at bases in A!as!;a, California an J Japan.
VHiile stationed at Edwards Air force Case in California,
Stevens flew twice the speed of soundand chins to he "ihe
fastest priest alive." After leaving the Air force h 1 9' 3, he
wrote several books, wor! ; las enHaber and j uMhai.erd
a religious magazine in lud and I aenme the associate
director of a liturgical center in Santa fe, N.M., vd:ere he
tried starting his own theological seminar.
"His enthusiasm is contagious," says Fr. Edward Gill, a
friend and colleague of Stevens. "You can't help tut get
excited just after being h the same room with him a
while,"