In the late 1970s, a woman in the parish asked Monsignor if he would be interested in leading a women’s study group. Besides his academic position at CUA, Monsignor had written a book on ethics for nurses, was a huge fan of C.S. Lewis and Flannery O’Connor, and was also very interested in Gregorian Chant, so he seemed like the perfect fit.
Monsignor took up the request and for 17 years, from 1978 to 1995, was an exacting teacher with selections that were challenging and required commitment from the group of between 8 and 20 participants. Monsignor named the group “Holy Cross Seminars” with monthly meetings that rotated among the participants’ homes and soon many of the husbands, hearing the discussions, asked to be included. Soon the women’s study group was co-ed!
Each January Monsignor McAllister traveled to Cartagena, Columbia and it was during this time that he prepared the material for the upcoming sessions. The “students” were expected to read the material and be prepared for the discussion. Some of the reading selections that the Seminars tackled over the years included: Confessions by St. Augustine, Antigone by Sophocles, Republic by Plato, Utopia by St. Thomas More, Anthology of Eight Works by C.S. Lewis, C.S. Lewis and the Church of Rome by Christopher Derrick, and Collected Works by Flannery O’Connor. Monsignor always distributed handouts from various sources that expanded on the current reading and related topics. He never stopped teaching!
Monsignor loved to sail and had a boat named Magpie. One year Magpie sank at the dock while Monsignor was away, and he was devastated. But before long, Magpie was repaired and ready for more adventures. Monsignor would invite friends and parishioners to sail with him on the Chesapeake Bay. The younger and/or more experienced of his passengers became the crew. He frequently referenced the insights he gained from his conversations while on the boat with the high school and