This article was published in the spring issue of The Vincentian, the quarterly newsletter of the Congregation of the Mission Western Province.
Bert and Amy Feliss ponder a lifetime of blessings from the Vincentians
Bert Feliss grew up in St. Basil’s Parish in Chicago, and though his path has taken him all over the country, including seminary high school with the Vincentians, he has fostered a strong relationship with his friends from that time and the Vincentian community that would help shape their lives.
Fr. Joseph Haley, C.M., a Vincentian priest he met at St. Basil’s, convinced him to try the seminary high school in Lemont, Illinois, where he graduated in 1965.
“While some of my group went on to the seminary in Santa Barbara, I went in a different direction, into science and technology,” Bert said.
He earned a bachelor’s in chemistry from Notre Dame and a master’s and Ph.D. in engineering from Michigan State University before starting his career with IBM. There, he worked in research and development and moved all over the country, as well as a stint in Southampton, England.
Bert met his wife, Amy, in Minneapolis, and they were married there in 1988. Both are retired now, they have settled in Aptos, California, 10 miles from Santa Cruz on the coast of Monterey Bay. They have two adult children and three grandchildren.
“They live in San Jose, so we get to see each other quite often,” Bert said.
Bert has remained in touch with several of his classmates, including Fr. J. Patrick Murphy, C.M., who remains in Chicago and is a professor emeritus at DePaul University.
“There are about 10 of us in close communication,” Bert said. “We get together for a reunion every few years.”
The Vincentian community helped develop a strong moral and academic basis for his life, for which he is grateful. The couple have faithfully supported the works of the Province for many years.
“That community transcends the time and the years,” Amy said. “You want to give back where you received so much, to those people who helped you develop into who you are. We believe that we have benefitted from the prayers of the community. It means a lot, knowing that you are included in their prayers and intentions. This is a relationship.”
For Bert, the community and the connection is about more than just memories.
“In Ukraine, for example, the Vincentians have worked to protect people and give them food and housing,” Bert said. “I think the mission of the Vincentians, knowing there is goodness going on in such a crazy world, is comforting.”