Bonaventure magazine ~ Summer 2013 Page 25

swam, climbed and crawled, always in the hope
of seeing something exotic and extraordinary to
paint and sketch. All this because we hope to
keep alive Sister Annie Credidio and The Damien
House in circulation."

When they're not traveling, Paul teaches English

at Christ the King Regional High School in Middle
Village, N.Y., and is an adjunct professor of hu-
manities at St. John's University. Joe is a corporate
employment tax consultant with Barnett Associ-
ates.

Joe and his father were not only in-

spired by Sister Annie and
her patients, but so many
others working to keep the
dream of The Damien
House alive.

"Sr. Annie's passionate

love for her patients, fueled
by their warmth and gentle
patience in suffering, draws
not only herself into this
work but also others. From
chance donors to doctors
who devote weeks and vaca-
tion time to fly off to do valuable nerve restora-
tions, people from all over the world come to
help. The patients and their families flourish, life
goes on without horror, and, as in the old days,
the cause of Catholic charity continues," said Paul.

Likewise, Joe is reluctant to accept praise for

their efforts.

"I don't think what we're doing is so lofty," he

said. "We were inspired by this particular hospital
and these nuns that we met. This is biblical; Christ
was curing leprosy, why not be connected to an
affliction that's perceived to be so horrific?"

As Sister Annie often says, "This must be God's

work because it certainly is not mine."

Clarence Picard, '05, is the admissions com-
munications coordinator at St. Bonaventure.

B O N A V E N T U R E

One of the connections that

has meant the most to Joe
Franzetti is with the St. Bona-
venture University community,
specifically the men's rugby

team. As an under-

graduate, Joe was a

flanker on the team

and remains heavily in-

volved with the SBU

Rugby Alumni Associ-

ation.

For the past three

years, the rugby

team has worked

with Joe to raise

funds for both The

Damien House and

the team, selling 400

calendars in both 2011 and
2012, and raising more than
$3,000. The Bona ruggers
have pledged to sell another
400 of the 2014 calendar --
Best of Brazil -- and raise
more than $2,000.

Basically I wanted to give

back some of the things I have
received," said Joe. "Like with
the rugby team, I wasn't the
most refined player, but I was
well acquainted with the
spirit of our team and that
camaraderie has lasted like a
car that never breaks down; it
just continues to run well."

School Spirit

Franzettis team up with
SBU ruggers to benefit
Damien House, rugby team

ABOVE: Three women are pictured on
the floating Uros Islands at Lake Titi-
caca, Peru. RIGHT: This painting of the
islands by Paul appeared in the 2013
Wonders of South America calendar.

such an unglamorous cause, Joe harkens
back to his time at St. Bonaventure.

"If I had to relate anything to that other

than pure divine inspiration, at St. Bona-
venture my heart was really open," said
Joe. "There was a sense of charity all
around St. Bona's, so it was only natural
one day I would be involved with some-
thing like this."

Islas Galapagos 2009

Their first calendar, Islas Galapagos 2009,

was inspired by their intended destination,
the Galapagos Islands. Their art and calen-
dars have not only helped increase public-
ity for Damien House and Hansen's
disease, it has secured a steady flow of fi-
nancial support, including a few big one-
time donations.

Over the last six years, each calendar has

followed a South American theme, includ-
ing Wonders of South America 2013 and
Best of Brazil 2014.

Each month highlights a painting by Paul

plus a pencil sketch from Joe, including fa-
mous sites such as moai (Easter Island
heads) and the Christ the Redeemer statue
overlooking Rio de Janeiro, sweeping land-
scapes, exotic wildlife, and the smiling
faces of indigenous children.

In the years between their first trip to

Guayaquil and today, the Franzettis have
given countless hours and spent countless
dollars working to raise awareness. They
have visited with Sister Annie in Brooklyn.
They have travelled to locales such as Pan-
tanal, Patagonia, the Andes and the Ama-
zon. They have visited every South
American embassy in Washington, D.C.,
and even returned to The Damien House
in 2009 for a party in their honor.

"We've traveled in planes, trains, cars,

boats, buses and horses," said Paul.
"We've hiked, snorkeled, rafted, canoed,