Integration 3 - Mullery 1 Theo Helm Moreau First Year Experience 5 March 2022 A Life of Love was a beloved son, brother, and friend to all who loved nothing more than spending time with the people he cared for most. Although his time here with us was cut short, he lived his life to the fullest and made every second he had count, not living in fear of death: “‘We try to suppress the thought of death, or escape it, or run away from it because we think that’s where we’ll find happiness,’ she said. ‘But it’s actually in facing the darkest realities of life that we find light in them’” (“Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week Three). He was a man of enormous faith, great loyalty and generosity, unfailing dependability, and high principles. He was devoted to his family and fiercely protective of those he loved. He sincerely loved life and worked tirelessly to make sure others did, too. Sean would be honored to see how many people came out today to pay their last respects—a testament to his ability to connect and become close with others. Sean was born on October 7th, 2002, to his two loving parents, Kathleen and Steve. From the very beginning, family was of huge importance in his life, with older siblings Patrick and Claire and younger sister Bridget all playing massive roles in who he was. Though they had their disagreements at times, Sean loved all of them immeasurably, and anyone who knew him could see that. He might not have always shown this with his words, but his deeds spoke louder: whether it was doing Bridget’s chores when she was having a bad day or staying up all night to https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/us/memento-mori-nun.html Mullery 2 talk to Claire when she needed him, Sean was perpetually ready to put his family first over himself. One of the greatest joys of Sean’s life was being able to attend Notre Dame. As his parents had gone there for law school, he had been raised as a lifelong fan and loved all things ND. Going there was a dream come true, and he would not have wanted his time at ND to be different in any way. He was truly inspired by the school’s mission, especially as exemplified by Father Hesburgh: “They would talk about how he would be gone so much and he would travel around, but the reason he did that was to set the example for the faculty and for the students that the institution needed to be engaged in the world” (Hesburgh by Patrick Creadon - Moreau FYE Week Two). He was also deeply committed to his studies and dove fully into the career development process in order to find his true vocation: “[Dr. Donald Super] contended that career satisfaction/success depends in part on how well a person can identify and implement his/her career self-concept, which is comprised of your values, interests, personality, and skills” (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week Four). Sean’s favorite part of his Notre Dame experience was, without a doubt, his dorm, Morrissey Manor. He invested himself completely in the community there and cherished the close relationships he made with his fellow Manorites. Another thing about Sean was that he valued the smaller things in life: “After Admiral Richard E. Byrd spent nearly five months alone in a shack in the Antarctic, in temperatures that sank to 70 degrees below zero, he emerged convinced that ‘Half the confusion in the world comes from not knowing how little we need’” (“Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week One). He didn’t ask for anything too crazy in his life, really only caring about who the people who surrounded him https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=10159379-7eca-4549-8581-ab9500c9ecd9 https://undergradcareers.nd.edu/navigating-your-career-journey---moreau/ https://ideas.ted.com/why-we-need-a-secular-sabbath/ Mullery 3 were rather than the things he had. He loved having late night conversations with those he was close with, using them as an opportunity to learn more about both others and himself: “Often, others can help us see things we cannot see ourselves” (“Discernment Conversation Activity” by Moreau FYE - Moreau FYE Week Five). The Morrissey lobby became a favorite spot of his to sit down and talk with other Manorites after long days of doing work. All in all, being part of such a special community like the Manor was one of the things that Sean was proudest of, especially considering he was elected as Vice President of the dorm shortly before his passing. One of Sean’s other best qualities was that he was a deep thinker and thought seriously about important issues. At times, he struggled with getting in his own head too much, but he learned over a long time the dangers of this and avoided them: “In truth, introspection can cloud our self-perceptions and unleash a host of unintended consequences. Sometimes it may surface unproductive and upsetting emotions that can swamp us and impede positive action” (“The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There’s a Wrong Way)” by Tasha Eurich - Moreau FYE Week Six). When it came to considering meaningful world problems, Sean cared deeply and always did his best to make real change. He was very passionate about trying to bring people together by putting aside their differences: “The challenge is getting them to abandon the territory of their gang and replace it with a turf more ample, inclusive, and as expansive as God’s own view of things” (“Chapter 8: Jurisdiction” from Tattoos on the Heart by Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J. - Moreau FYE Week Seven). Overall, Sean was a passionate fighter for what really counts in this world, rather than being someone who only cared about trivial matters. Above all, Sean was a man who made a lasting mark on everyone he met. Whether he knew them his entire life or had only talked to them for 5 minutes, anyone could attest to his character and genuine concern for the people around him. Though we will miss him dearly, we https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yZ7hqvx-u4EuW2nlK-fRbWFiurQm1mZv_KpoeeiN4So/edit https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/ https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/40380/files/523817?module_item_id=167946 Mullery 4 know his passing has brought all of us closer together and will inspire us to live all of our lives to the fullest. Rest in peace, Sean—we love you!