(transcribed letter from Fr. Vincent de Paul O’Beirne S.J. to Marie Mulry Kelly, Fr. Joe’s cousin)

March 22, 1945

Dear Mary,

In my last letter I tried to tell you something of the last month Joe spent with us at Los Banos, and some of the details of his last sickness and death. Since he couldn’t write to you either often or fully, I’m sure you would like to hear something of how he spent the last three years.

When the war broke out all schools were closed by Presidential proclamation (Quezon’s) and we all occupied ourselves with Red Cross work and occasional reading. In the beginning of January Joe sat dowm and began to write, things he had been thinking about for years. He said it was the first time in his life he felt he had the leisure for thoughtful writing. I had been after him for three years to do some writing, and even offered to hire a secretary for him if he would dictate. Joe had collected many valuable ideas on several subjects (I was interested mainly in Education), and I always felt he could make a definite contribution.

His first book was a philosophy of literature which he called the Cyclorama of Literature. This was a subject that he had been teaching to seniors and juniors for ten years, and his approach and development were, I think, unique. I at least have never seen a book precisely on the subject. He had three or four copies made, and we hope at least one has survived the destruction of Manila. I had one in my trunk, the student who did the typing has one, and a couple of Scholastics have one. It would have been about 175 pages in print.

Meanwhile Joe was coaching some boys in Latin and English (prospective vocations) and spreading good cheer and optimism on all sides. Most of his war predictions did not come true, but I know he deliberately handed on rumors of planes and convoys in the offing, and later on of bombings and landings, to keep up the morale which needed a little help after the fall. of Bataan and Corregidor. Joe was very popular among the younger alumni (and the older, too), and they used to drop in to see him regularly after they had been released from the prison camp at Capas. His influence for good, both spiritual and, shall we say, patriotic, was perhaps the best thing he contributed.

Meanwhile a second book was under way. This was on principles of education and was the best articulation of the Ratio Studiorum that I have seen. It stressed mainly the high school course. Joe and I always saw eye to eye on the six-year cultural college, beginning with first year high school. He had graciously accepted to teach this course the previous June in our new education course. I was not exactly his editor but I read each chapter as it came off the pen (Joe never was converted to the typewriter), and we had many interesting discussions about it. My only criticism was that he should increase the number of examples and illustrations, and I think he would have done that before the book was printed.