Fr. Antonelli has been working in the basement of Shipstad Hall for 13 years, combing through the history of UP. (Kayla Wong | The Beacon)
By Amanda Blas, Staff Writer blas13@up.edu
Most UP students know Fr. Bob Antonelli as the friendly priest who works with the University's archives in the basement of Shipstad Hall.
"A lot of people, both students and employees alike, would stop in to visit because we had nice cold water and candy, so they know me for that, too," Antonelli said. "I would always try to be as good a host as possible."
But as the University's archivist since 1999, Antonelli showed there is so much more to him than hospitality and a great personality.
"He's the guy that singlehandedly saved the University of Portland's story from being lost," Portland Magazine editor Brian Doyle, who has worked with Antonelli, said. "We could have completely lost our roots without him."
After 13 years of being the guy who has kept up on UP's history, Antonelli is retiring.
Antonelli's work with history first started with his education. After receiving his bachelor's degree in philosophy from University of Notre Dame, Antonelli earned his master's degree in Ancient Near Eastern Studies from the John Hopkins University followed by his doctorate in the Old Testament from the University of Strasbourg in France. He then worked in biblical archaeology at the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem. However, it was not until 1995 that Antonelli held his first title as archivist for the Holy Cross Community in Rome. It was this position that eventually led him to UP.
"After my tenure was finished as the Holy Cross's archivist, I was offered the possibility of being the archivist here," Antonelli said. "I decided this is a challenge that I would like, so I said yes to going from being the archivist in Rome to the archivist at UP."
According to Antonelli, his decision to join the UP community was a rewarding experience.
"It has made me appreciate nuances of history, particularly of the University's history," Antonelli said.
According to those who have worked with him, the UP community was rewarded with his time as the archivist as well.
"We could have completely lost our roots without him," Doyle said. "He's done so much with the University's story. I would've been helpless to catch the past without him. A lot of what Bob has done will be seen far into the future."
Drew Harrington, the Dean of the Library, who has also worked with Antonelli, agrees.
"He always goes above and beyond," Harrington said. "Even though the archives are tucked away in the basement of Shipstad, Fr. Bob has made it incredibly accessible for everyone. Before him, the archives were in need of lots and lots of work. Fr. Bob has done a lot during his time here."
In addition to his great work as archivist, Fr. Bob has impacted the University of Portland just by being himself.
"He's the world's nicest guy," Doyle said. "When we talk about Holy Cross charisma, he just lives it. And he's always there with a gentle smile."
Now that he is retiring, Antonelli plans on going back to his interests outside of the archives. Aside from having more time for reading and getting caught up on his studies of the Old Testament, he also plans on getting back to his Holy Cross roots.
"I'm a big fan of the Holy Cross founder Basil Moreau," Antonelli said. "Over a number of years, I have done translations of his works from French into English. Now that I have enough time, I hope to get back to translating his large book of meditations."
Antonelli will also take his retirement as a chance to enjoy the simpler things in life.
"I'm taking a little more time to smell the flowers and enjoy the outside," Antonelli said. "I've spent most of my past 13 years in the basement of Shipstad Hall that doesn't even have windows. I want go out and do something like hug a tree."
While Antonelli's successor, Fr. Jeffrey Schneibel, has already taken over as the University's archivist, Antonelli will continue to work in the archives to assist Schneibel in his transition.
Antonelli is an expert on UP history, but he has an interesting history of his own. He studied in France and worked in Rome. (Kayla Wong | The Beacon)
