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Giving our lives for plentiful redemption
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| Redemptorist Newsletter | Number 26 |
Rome, Italy
April 16, 2007
Father Jan Cygnar, C.Ss.R. 1940 -2007
NEWS FROM THE PROVINCES
Aparecida awaits Pope Benedict XVI.
The long Lent of Lebanon.
Redemptorists are a leaven in Vietnam.
North American Mission Conference scheduled.
THE VATICAN AND REDEMPTORISTS
News from the Vatican concerning or affecting Redemptorists
REPORTS FROM THE SECRETARIATS AND COMMITTEES
The Brothers' Secretariat writes an open letter to the Congregation.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Receive SCALA through your computer RSS feed.
2nd notice: Remember that General Government address change!
2nd notice: Course for Redemptorist Formators in Portuguese and Spanish language scheduled.
PHOTO GALLERY (on-line only)
Photos from around the Redemptorist World
FEATURED WEBSITE
New websites, blogs and videos
TRANSITIONS
Professions, Ordinations, Deaths.
Happy Fifty Days of Easter!
Although we begin with an article looking forward to the Pope's visit to our shrine in Aparecida, Brazil, some of our news this month looks back on Lent. We have a thought-provoking article from our confreres in Lebanon that flows against our spiritual and natural desire to put Lent aside and dwell in the glory of the Resurrection and springtime. But Lebanon is experiencing a prolonged Lent and winter. May this country, and our confreres working in it, experience the joy of the resurrection soon.
The month of March sometimes strains our Lenten resolutions because it is so often interrupted by feasts special to the Congregation that must be celebrated: For example, the feast of St. Clement Hofbauer, St. Patrick's (when we all are Irish) and the feast of St. Joseph, Husband of Mary. These last two, of course, are special to our Father General, Joseph Tobin. In our photo gallery, you will see how the General House managed to celebrate them all! Our international community reflects the patchwork of worldwide Catholic culture and traditions and we are richer for the diversity.
Finally, we want to draw your attention to the Announcements section. There we have news of a new way to receive SCALA you might want to learn about, especially for those whose service providers are prone to eliminate SCALA from your e-mail as spam.
Grace and Redemption for all!
Gary Ziuraitis, C.Ss.R.
It is with great sadness that I report that Father Jan Cygnar, from the province of Warsaw, a member of our Casa Sant'Alfonso community and Polish translator for SCALA was killed in a train accident over the Easter weekend. Father Jan always had a smile for everybody and we enjoyed many hours of working on SCALA and ORBIS together. We will miss him very much. Father Jan's fiftieth anniversary of profession would have been officially in August, but fortunately the Sant'Alfonso community celebrated all the jubilarians' anniverseries with a Mass in March. A photo of that event including Father Jan is in the photo gallery this month. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. May he receive the reward promised to all the sons of St. Alphonsus.
Gary Ziuraitis, C.Ss.R.
Benedict XVI In Brazil
The Visit's Significance for Us Redemptorists
Ronoaldo Pelaquin C.Ss.R.
Translated by Norman Muckerman, C.Ss.R.
(editor's note: Father Pelaquin, a former Portuguese language producer/host at Vatican Radio, is back in Rome to give wall-to-wall coverage of the Pope's visit to Brazil for Radio and TV Aparecida.)
When Pope Benedict chose the city of Aparecida to be the site of the Fifth General Conference of the Latin-American and Caribbean Bishops, which will take place from May 13 to May 31 this year, we Redemptorists felt both happiness and pride because Aparecida is the Marian Capital of Brazil and the bulwark of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer in our country. Our happiness became even greater when it was revealed that the Holy Father himself will open the Conference, thus making this trip to Brazil his first journey outside the European continent.
Setting aside our happiness and pride, we need to analyze directly the thematic context of the Conference, because it has a great deal to do with us, beginning with the theme itself: "Disciples and Missionaries of Jesus Christ, that our people may have life: I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14,6).
Dom Odilo Scherer, Archbishop of Sao Paulo, Secretary of the CNBB, the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops, and Assistant Secretary of the 5th Conference of CELAM, in an interview on TV Cancao Nova, says that it was the Pope himself who chose the theme, and according to him "the Conference will not be held to discuss dogmatic questions, but rather it will have as its purpose a theme that is eminently missionary and pastoral." The choice of a pastoral theme as opposed to a dogmatic one, and recognizing the genius of the Holy Father, we can say that he does not wish to enter into discussions with theologians of any school of thought in the Church, but wishes rather to study the reality of the state of Catholicism in Latin America and the Caribbean at the present moment. It will be then a serious analysis of the situation in the context of a general missionary convocation, which would involve a united action of all the leaders of the Church and of all Christians.
As Redemptorists we fit in perfectly with this theme since we are pre-eminently missionaries, and by our Alphonsian vocation, disciples of the Most Holy Redeemer.
The motto of our Congregation (With Him there is plentiful Redemption), when it speaks of "Copious Redemption" directs all of our missionary activity towards the people. And when the motto of the 5th Conference speaks of an action in favor of "the people", it tells us that our plentiful Redemption has to be copious for all the people, remembering that the Latin-American reality is made up of various peoples with their own very varied religious and civic customs and mentalities, which affect and also provoke a diversity of action and attitudes in terms of pastoral ministry.
Getting back to the Pope…this first journey of Benedict XVI to the American continent has as its motive and objective to initiate the activities of the 5th General Conference of the Latin-American and Caribbean Episcopate. Since the site chosen for this conference is Aparecida, we can rightly claim that this city, because it is the home of the National Marian Sanctuary, is the Holy Father's choice. This is a conclusion that makes us very happy and at the same time calls our attention to the great obligation that we Redemptorists have at this moment. All of Brazil is looking to this city and to those responsible for the pastoral ministry given here, a pastoral ministry which is very much in accord with our Redemptorist charism. The widespread reach of this event, by the heavy coverage it will receive in the media, will spread throughout the entire world.
Without a doubt, it is a moment of responsibility which will serve us also in our vocation promotion work and many of our other ministries. We believe that it will produce positive and happy results for our people and for our Redemptorist missions in Brazil, South America, the Caribbean area, and in the whole world.
Lebanon
The Roots of Turmoil in Lebanon
Editor's note: This article is written by a young college student who generously collaborates with the Redemptorists in Lebanon.
On Tuesday, February 13th, around 9:00 AM, two bombs exploded in two public buses. That was a great shock! Unlike the 14 explosions that hit Christian areas last year, including those that killed distinguished Christian leaders, politicians and journalists, these explosions were directly aimed at civilians. This made us realize that non Christians are under attack as well as Christians. No one is safe.
An independent Lebanon is a refuge for all persecuted minorities in the region. It has taken a long time to understand the value of such a Lebanon. Lebanon has 18 different religious denominations. All, without exception, have emigrated from intolerable situations back in their countries of origin.
The Maronites (Christians from Aramaic Antioch, now all Catholics) left the Northwest region of Syria, fleeing brutal persecution from the Mamluks and the Ottomans. They were the first architects of Lebanon's progressive independence, starting from the Mount of Lebanon, which enjoyed some autonomy in leadership since the time the Ottoman regime ruled the Middle East. That was due to the smart and fruitful international relations that were built by the Maronite Patriarchs who still exercise a principal role of guidance and leadership in Lebanon. Maronites now exist all over Lebanon from North to South, in the mountains as well as in the cities along the seashore, and in the Bekaa plains.
Most of the Sunnis came to Lebanon from Turkey and Egypt, running away from the regime of "Jamal Basha al Saffah" (Saffah means: the murderer, the Tyrant). They joined other people living on the Lebanese coast, from Tripoli to Sidon. Those other people are the Phoenicians, considered to be the ancestors of the Lebanese people and civilization. They are also called the Canaanite people. To this people belonged the Canaanite woman in the Gospel who begged Jesus to heal her daughter while he was preaching in Sidon, a city in the south of Lebanon. Jesus said of her, "I haven't seen this faith, even among the people of Israel".
The Shi'a came as a persecuted minority from the south of Iraq and from Iran. They practiced their faith alongside the Maronites, mainly in Mount Lebanon and in the South where they had their religious headquarter in what's still called "Jabal Amel" (Mount Amel, also known as Mt. Harmon in the Bible). History recalls how their spiritual leaders practiced meditation in harmony and peace with the Maronite and Orthodox monks who were hermits at that time. They shared their spiritual experience by living in peace and sharing their sparse food. That was a kingdom of heaven, free from foreign interference.
The Shi'a religious headquarter in the south of Lebanon is still a highly respected place. It has nothing to do with Hezbollah and its ways, and keeps reminding the world that Shi'a are not to be led by Iran. It was actually by the initiative of the Lebanese Shi'a sheikhs that Iran became a Shi'a majority. They were the architects of the spiritual Islamic revolution in Iran, which is to be distinguished from the political events that followed. It was meant to save Iranian Muslims from secularism and indifference towards spiritual values. (not to make Iran an anti-Western regime hostile to non Muslims).
The Greek Orthodox and Greek Catholics came to Lebanon under the persecution of the Arab Muslim leaders in different parts of Syria and the Gulf.
The Assyrians, the Caledonians and the Syriakis fled from attacks of the Kurds who overtake their lands in the South East of Turkey and the North of Iraq.
The Armenians are the newest arrivals to Lebanon following the bloody persecution led by the Turks to overtake their land and try to link the Kazak and the Tajik with the Turkish land (considered to be from the same origins).
The Druze, followers of an Islamic sect, also came from Syria (from the Druze Mountain area) because of persecution also.
So, these are the major religious denominations in Lebanon.
The idea of having an independent country matured in 1920. Many refused it and objected on the grounds that it came as a result of a French-British agreement to divide the region between them into the respective of mandates. Those who were most keen for the Independence of Lebanon were the Christians, mainly the Maronites. But because of that, they paid a very high cost of blood and migration.
Each Lebanese denomination has its own ally somewhere in the world due to historical religious relations or because of a simple political agreement. The Maronites have always been close to France, Sunnis to Saudi Arabia, Shi'a to Iran, Orthodox to Russia, Druze to Britain. Other Catholic groups even have Austria as their ally. These allies played major or minor roles in the history of Lebanon, depending on particular circumstances.
Recently, after the major political developments in the region, and especially after the assassination of the Lebanese ex Prime Minister Hariri in February 2005, Christians and all other Lebanese who were dreaming of true independence finally united. They had all experienced the tyranny of 30 years of masked Syrian occupation in most of the Lebanese territory, and the horror of 20 years of Israeli massacres and occupation of the South.
Sadly, the Lebanese people are still deeply affected and controlled by outside forces. No matter how concerned these foreign groups or governments may be for the Lebanese continuity and welfare, they can never equal or replace the care of a pure Lebanese family. What if they don't care at all about the Lebanese and are just playing with their leaders?
The United States and Iran are now engaging in a kind of "proxy war" on the Lebanese territory. The United States is allied to Saudi Arabia which in turn has its own supporters inside Lebanon. These are the Sunni faction, which is struggling to maintain power received after the "Taef Agreement" which took place in 1989 in Saudi Arabia and put an end to the Lebanese civil war. Iran has its own natural and direct allies inside Lebanon. They are the Shi'a.
Many of the President's powers were annulled and transferred to the Prime Minister following the "Taef Agreement". We should point out that in Lebanon, an oral agreement has been followed since the Independence in 1943. The President of the republic is always Christian Maronite, the Prime Minister a Sunni and the President of Parliament is always Shi'a. The vice prime minister and the vice president of parliament are always Christian Orthodox.
Bashir Gemayyel, a Christian leader, represented the best aspirations of the Lebanese to create a real independent country, equal in sovereignty to all its neighbors. But Bashir Gemayel was assassinated in 1982. Amin Gemayel was exiled for ten years. Rene Moawad was assassinated in 1990. Michel Aoun was exiled for 15 years. Samir Geagea was imprisoned for eleven years. Meanwhile, Shi'a, Sunni and Druze militia leaders remained not only free, but were given posts of ministers and presidents of parliament. Christians felt long ago that they lost the battle.
In 2005, after the "Cedar Revolution " initiated by the will of the Lebanese people, two million people poured into the streets and demanded the withdrawal of the Syrian troops, and that's exactly what happened. That was a miracle!
At the end of the civil war in 1989, the Syrians started pursuing Christian politicians, killing all who were opposing its interference in Lebanon and imprisoning, interrogating and torturing all youth who still dared to say NO to the Syrian dominance in Lebanon. Christians were stripped of their weapons, while the others, like Hezbollah and other political parties, continued to build up arms and fortifications. Christians faced punitive regulations to obtain construction permits and election laws were ignored, all obviously aimed towards weakening Christian presence and influence on the national level.
Two months after the Cedar Revolution, the hopes and aspirations for a great Lebanon again vanished for Christians. Explosions and brutal killings started to eliminate great Christian figures and create terror in secure Christian regions. It continued with the assassination of journalist Samir Kassir, followed by the politician Georges Hawi and the attempt to kill the woman-journalist May Chidiac. Soon after the distinguished journalist and deputy Gebran Tueni was assassinated. There was also an attempt on the life of the Defense Minister, Elias Murr. Finally, unlike all the others who were attacked by car bombs, the young Deputy and Minister Pierre Gemayel was killed by cold blooded men who attacked him with rifles in the middle of the day after he left a Church.
All these above mentioned people, except Georges Hawi, never participated in wars, did not have a single drop of blood on there hands, and were working for Lebanon as a whole. They were highly admired and a source of hope for all Lebanese especially the youth.
Bombings are frequent in Christian areas. They have caused much destruction. The government has not come to the aide of those areas as it has in the regions devastated by the Israeli attacks and by the internal conflicts between Shi'a and Palestinians.
The last explosion 3 days ago (February 13) shook the earth underneath Christians. Now, not only politicians or public officials, not only buildings and property, but innocent peoples are the targets of massacres. We feel forced against our will to provide our own security system, just like we were forced to do so in the 1970s, when Palestinian refugees started shooting at Christian people in Christian regions.
(In 1969, the Cairo agreement lead by Jamal Abdel Nasser generously offered the Southern Lebanese district of "Arkoub" to the Palestinians, to continue their resistance against the Israeli occupation after they were kicked out of Jordan and Egypt!! Sadly, the Palestinian leaders, mainly FATAH of Arafat thought that it would be more opportune to liberate Palestine starting from the Christian Lebanese regions. They committed horrible massacres beginning with Damour .)
All Lebanese know that Christians are the pillars of Lebanese sovereignty. They all admit it in public. They admit, despite their likes and dislikes, that just as the Lebanese in the south of the country suffered under Israeli occupation, so too, Christians were hurt most by the Syrian interference.
The purpose of this little essay is to ask Non-Arab Christians to make an effort to understand what their Christian Arab brothers are constantly going through. And believe me, one doesn't get used to pain and fear!
Please do not transfer your historical experiences on us: the Germans, the French and the Protestant Irish often do that. The Germans often feel guilty about what they did to Jews, the French to Algerians and the Protestant Irish to Catholics. So when we try to express our experience, they say that justice has to take place and Christians have to repent.
For the wrong we have done, even if justified, we have repented! We believe in peaceful resolution of conflicts, we hate violence and don't want to fall again into resorting to it. .
In Lebanon, the situation is just the opposite of the western Christian situations. Every region has its own peculiarity. We just ask you to be understanding enough to see the truth in its own particularity in our region. We only need and ask you to support us with your prayers and goodwill. The more we feel your support, the less we fall into temptations of fear and division.
Our Lent this year will be aimed towards the unity of the Church and solidarity with persecuted people worldwide. So our Lent is for the sake of Peace.
On behalf of the Redemptorist Community in Zahle-Lebanon
Vietnam
The Church in aid of young people
Asia News
The Redemptorists of Ho Chi Minh City are organizing classes for the country's young people helping them to find gainful employment. They have also set up a fund to assist those most in need.
To help unemployed youth and at the same time to establish a bridge of equality between North and South Vietnam, the local Church has started courses of vocational training to teach people how to earn a living.
Each year in Vietnam about 3 million people earn diplomas, but only about 30 percent of them go on to higher education while the other 70 percent immediately search for a job. Unfortunately, given the high rate of unemployment, this is often a difficult venture.
One of the first effects of this job-seeking phenomenon is internal immigration that leads to a series of social problems difficult to manage. To get in touch with and aid these young people the Church has set up projects to enable them to get employment.
The Redemptorists, for example, manage a fund to support those with diplomas who are in particularly difficult financial situations and are looking for their first job. At the same time Fr. Thanh has a course of vocational training in which young people from all the dioceses of Vietnam take part.
The priest explained to Asia News how the course "has helped many young people in their work in the big cities. In some cases we are able to take them on in the dioceses where they do various types of work. With a salary of $100 a month they can live with dignity and help the family at home."
At the same time he stresses, "We cannot be content with this. We are thinking of opening new classes to teach business management for example."
Madam Hong of the diocese of Bui Chu is in charge of the classes. She says, "We come from different places, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City etc. We are very happy to be able to work with Fr. Thanh to create solidarity between the Catholics of the North and South of the country. We work together and help one another."
North America
Mission Conference
August 28 – 30, 2007
The Redemptorist Missionaries of North America are sponsoring their Mission Conference at Mt. St. Alphonsus Redemptorist Retreat Center in Esopus, NY (http://msaretreathouse.org ) from August 28-30, 2007. The Conference is open to all Redemptorist Missionaries worldwide.
Speakers for the Conference are:
Father Ronald Rolheiser, a member of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and President of the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. He is a community-builder, lecturer and writer. His books are popular throughout the English-speaking world and his weekly column is carried by more than sixty newspapers worldwide.
Father James Wallace, a Redemptorist and professor of homiletics at Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C. and lecturer at priest renewal programs.
Dean Hoge, a professor in the Department of Sociology at the Catholic University of America and author of the outstanding study on the Young Adult Catholic.
On Tuesday Father Rolheiser will make two presentations:
1) A spirituality of preaching.
2) A spirituality of the Mission Preacher.
Father Jim Wallace, C.Ss.R., will present on:
1) A look at our contemporary audience.
2) Analyzing our Mission talks: What are we preaching? Who is the Christ that we are preaching? What is our ecclesiology and our anthropology?
Dean Hoge will speak at the Conference on fallen away Catholics so that we might understand how to better preach to them and reach out to them.
Total cost for lodging, food, handouts and presentations is $300 US dollars per person. Make checks payable to Redemptorist Missions.
Register with:
Fr. John Murray C.Ss.R.
San Alfonso Retreat House
755 Ocean Ave.
Long Branch, NJ 07740
917-364-9244
MurrayCSSR@aol.com
Redemptorists and the Vatican
Rev. Adam Owczarksi, C.SS.R. Director of the Historical Institute (Province of Warsaw) was appointed by the Holy Father as a consultor to the Congregation of the Cause of Saints on March 5, 2007 for a five year period.
REPORTS FROM THE SECRETARIATS AND COMMITTEES
To Live Like Brothers
An Open Letter to the Redemptorists
March 2, 2007
Dear Confreres:
Greetings from the members of the General Secretariate for Brothers! We met at Saint Alphonsus Formation Residence in New York, from February 26, to March 02, 2007.
Over the last four days, we the members of the Secretariate shared reports of the various Regions within the Congregation, shared stories of Brothers life and ministry and reflected on articles relating to Religious Life. Some of the articles emphasized the identity and pastoral visibility or lack thereof, of the Brother in our contemporary society.
This is our third meeting during this sexennium. At our first meeting we drew up a directory which included objectives and specific tasks for the Secretariate. Our second meeting was held in January 2006. At that meeting we evaluated the activities planned and accomplished for the year dedicated to St. Gerard. We were very impressed with the overall success of the programs which seemed to give new life to devotion to St. Gerard and created a greater awareness of the life of our beloved Brother Saint. We also worked on a proposal to be presented to the General Government which we hope will provide material for reflection on our Religious life as Redemptorist missionaries and help us grow in faithfulness to our vocation.
After having listened to reports from the various Regions, concern was raised over the issues of pastoral visibility, identity, ageing Brothers, declining numbers, vocation promotion and formation. These concerns are challenges for each and every Redemptorist around the world.
We believe strongly that the life of Brothers in the Congregation provides a practical way of addressing the challenges we face. The life of the Brother is at the heart of what Religious Life was originally intended to be. We are Brothers of the Lord, skilled in seeing God in all and all in God. We thereby proclaim and live the intimate closeness of God in this world even when global events provide no evidence of that intimacy. We are Brothers with one another in so far that we live authentically a life of mutual concern. We are Brothers to the people, especially the poor and most abandoned. Our very title "Brother," excludes distinction among us, a characteristic which influences the way in which we approach ministry. We are Brothers to the Church, being free from the unnecessary distinctions in the Church today, most notably distinctions between men and women, between laity and ordained etc.. Our presence and activity in the Church can have the power of communicating a perspective free of these kinds of distinction that can and sometimes do deteriorate into divisions. To be Brother to the Church is to live and proclaim the message of St. Paul: there is no longer Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free. It is part of the mission of the Brother in the Church today to preach and live such a message, regardless of the consequences.
We are convinced that as Brothers we need to reclaim who and what we are. We are men of the Church vowed to live a life of poverty, chastity and obedience. We commit ourselves to a life of prayer and mission with each other in community. Given today's society and culture, these core values mentioned above, are what make us counter cultural. Our challenging times invite us to probe and to enter more deeply into the essence of our vows and the mysterious grace that comes with this life.
We encourage all confreres, in the spirit of renewal, to abandon distinctions within the community and strive to recapture the original vision of Religious Life, that of being Brother to one another, to the poor and most abandoned, to the Church and Brothers of the Lord.
In Christ the Redeemer,
Fr. Enrique Lopez, C.Ss.R . Bro. João Batista de Viveiros, C.Ss.R.
General Consultor
Br. Joel de Guzman, C.Ss.R. Br. Benjamin Posvo, C.Ss.R.
Fr. José Samuel Torres, C.Ss.R. Br. Michael Duxbury, C.Ss.R.
Br. Jeffrey Rolle, C.Ss.R.
Chairman
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New Post Office Box for Gubernium Generale
Attention! There has been a change in the Gubernium Generale post office box number. It is now C.P 152. Please note this change in your correspondence and in your existing Redemptorist address books. Also, equally important, no longer use the zip code I-00100. From now on, it is the same as in using the Via Merulana, 31 address code: I-00185.
Rome Italy
From the Executive Secretary of the Secretariat for Formation
First Session of the Course for Redemptorist Formators planned
Father Luis Alberto Roballo Lozano, C.Ss.R.
The General Secretariat for Formation has sent a letter to Major Superiors of the Congregation convoking the inaugural session of the Course for Redemptorst Formators to be held in the Spanish and Portuguese languages. The session will be held at Villa Allende, Córdoba, Argentia from Monday, September 2 to Saturday, September 29th inclusive. The C.Ss.R. website, in the Secretariats section, has more information about this course. http://www.cssr.com/english/whoarewe/SecsAndComms/Formation/sec.form-MenuPage-EN.shtml
Father Jan Cygnar,C.Ss.R. 1940 -2007
1. The Board of Trustees of the Alphonsianum Academy met at Via Merulana from March 5 to 7:
Standing from left to right:
Fr. Patrick Woods, C.Ss.R., Superior of the Redemptorist Province of Baltimore.
Fr. Bruno Hidber, C.Ss.R., Faculty Representative.
Fr. Enrique A. López, C.Ss.R., Representative of the Redemptorist General Government.
Fr. Thomas Picton, C.Ss.R., Superior of the Redemptorist Province of Denver.
Fr. John C. Vargas, C.Ss.R., Executive Director for Development and Public Relations.
Fr. Alfeo Prandel, C.Ss.R., Treasurer of the Academy.
Seated left to right:
Fr. Arturo Martínez Soto, C.Ss.R., Superior of the Redemptorist Province of Mexico.
Fr. Clement Vadakkedath, C.Ss.R., Superior of the Redemptorist Province of Alwaye.
Most Reverend Fr. Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., General Moderator of the Academy (Chair).
Fr. Sabatino Majorano, C.Ss.R., President of the Academy.
Fr. Tony Mulvey, Recording Secretary.
Not pictured: Fr. Zdzislaw Klafka, C.Ss.R., Superior of the Redemptorist Province of Warsaw
2. The Board of Trustees of the Alphonsianum Academy at work. This time Fr. Zdzislaw Klafka, C.Ss.R. is pictured at top center. Please visit http://www.alfonsiana.edu/ for the latest Academy news.
3. The General House on Via Merulana celebrated the feast of St. Clement Hofbauer on Thursday, March 15th , which included a general celebration of those community members celebrating significant Redemptorist anniversaries in 2007. This was quickly followed by the feast of St. Patrick on March 17th, which included honors for all the Patrick´s and "wannabe Irish" and an anticipation of Father General´s namesday (St. Joseph, husband of Mary) and that of the many other "ordinary Joes!"
4. Did we mention that it was also the birthday of Consultor General Enrique López on March 15th? Here he cuts the cake while surrounded by some of the 2007 jubilarians.
5. Lest you think that all we do at the General House is party, here the Casa Sant'Alfonso community is gathered at the Nazaret Retreat Center on the outskirts of Rome for a Lenten day of Recollection, given by our own Father Marciano Vidal, C.Ss.R. of the Madrid Province and of our Moral Theology Institute in Spain.
6. Father Vidal leads us in the Lenten liturgy at the Day of Recollection. He is flanked by Father Emilio Lage, of the Madrid Province who works in the General Archives and Father Darci José Nicioli, Rector of the community.
7. Father Serafino Fiore, Vicar General, recently gave the Proto-community of Redemptoristines at Scala, their ten day retreat. Here he is pictured with the community.
The Center for Spirituality in cooperation with the Office of Communications has launched the beginning of a series of "Online Pilgrimages" to Redemptorist Origins.
They are available in the seven language areas of the cssr.com website under the menu item: Online Pilgrimage. The first two pilgrimages take you to Scala and Ciorani.
http://cssr.com/tour/english/one.html
Recent noteworthy events in the Redemptorist Family. For a complete record of transitions visit the Officialia site
First Profession of Temporary Vows:
Adilson Ferreira de Oliveira, Vice Province of Bahia, January 21, 2007
Valdimir Aparecido de Avelar, Province of São Paulo, January 21, 2007
Edicarlos da Silva, Province of São Paulo, January 21, 2007
Ricardo Geraldo de Carvalho, Province of São Paulo, January 21, 2007
Márcio Donizette dos Santos, Province of São Paulo, January 21, 2007
Valdivino Ferreira Guimarães, Province of São Paulo, January 21, 2007
Edmar José Maniassi Filho, Province of São Paulo, January 21, 2007
José Roberto Pessanha, Province of São Paulo, January 21, 2007
Júlio Rodriques Neves Júnior, Province of São Paulo, January 21, 2007
Juan Carlos Benítez Arce, Vice Province of Pilar, February 2, 2007
Ercilio Duarte Cabrera, Vice Province of Pilar, February 2, 2007
José Dolores Echeverría Valdez, Vice Province of Pilar, February 2, 2007
Wagner Gonçalves de Souza Lima, Vice Province of Recife, February 3, 2007
Profession of Perpetual Vows:
Jorge Arturo Miñan Mogollon, Vice Province of Perú Norte, July 29, 2006
Santos Quispe Manayay, Vice Province of Perú Norte, July 29, 2006
Frederico Augusto de Oliveira, Province of Goiás, February 2, 2007
Bráulio Roger Martins Nunes Pereira, Province of Goiás, February 2, 2007
Marcos Vinicius Ramos de Carvalho, Province of Gioás, February 2, 2007
Salvador Anzora Portillo, Vice Province of San Salvador, February 18, 2007
Yeffry Gerardo Artavia Céspedes, Vice Province of San Salvador, February 18, 2007
Hilário Gutiérrez Cruz, Vice Province of San Salvador, February 18, 2007
Rodriqo Augusto de Souza, Province of Campo Grande, March 15, 2007
Ademar Ferriera de Maia, Province of Campo Grande, March 15, 2007~
Donizete Teizeira de Araújo, Province of Campo Grande, March 15, 2007
Celso Vieira da Cruz, Province of Campo Grande, March 15, 2007
Ordination to the Priesthood:
Jean Bellison Jecrois, Region of Port-au-Prince, February 25, 2007
Michael Dempsey, Province of Dublin, March 4, 2007
Suaín Ziomar Durán Vivas, Vice Province of Caracas, March 10, 2007
Alexander Hernández Garcia, Vice Province of Caracas, March 10, 2007
Alexander Jaimes Rojas, Vice Province of Caracas, March 10, 2007
José Vicente Ramírez Meza, Vice Province of Caracas, March 10, 2007
Jorge Arturo Miñan Mogollon, Vice Province of Perú Norte, March 15, 2007
Santos Quispe Manayay, Vice Province of Peru Norte, March 15, 2007
Jonathan Eduardo González Oviedo, Vice Province of Caracas, March 17, 2007
Deaths:
Cl. Tito Fernandez Guardia, 25, Vice Province of Perú-Sur, January 14, 2007
Rev. Tito Lívio Cardoso de Souza, 82, Province of Goiás, February 3, 2007
Rev. William Joseph Biffar, 87, Province of Baltimore, February 27, 2007
Br. Ivan (John) Kanski, 83, Province of Yorkton, February 28, 2007
Rev. Denis Morand, 73, Province of Sainte-Anne de Beaupré, March 5, 2007
Rev. John Joseph McGannon, 78, Province of Canberra, March 16, 2007
Rev. Patrick Gerard Daly, 78, Province of Dublin, March 19, 2007
Br. Chaurappa (Eugenius) Gauda, 75, Province of Bangalore, March 19, 2007
Rev. Andrew Herman Skeabeck, 85, Province of Baltimore, March 21, 2007
Rev. John Vincent Corbett, 87, Province of Dublin, March 22, 2007
Rev. Edouard Naël, 92, Province of Lyon-Paris, March 26, 2007
Rev. Jean-Eudes Gagné, 75, Province of Sainte-Anne de Beaupré, March 29, 2007
Rev. Adão Monticelli, 88, Province of Porto Alegre, March 30, 2007
Transfer of House:
The care of St John's Ukrainian Catholic Church in the city of Newark, New Jersey, USA, was transferred from the Province of Yorkton (Canada) to the Province of Lviv (Ukraine) on March 24, 2007.
Jubilees:
60th Jubilee of Profession:
Hans-Adolf Niesen, Province of St. Clement/Region of Cologne, April 29, 2007
Wilhelm Pesch, Province of St. Clement/Region of Cologne, April 29, 2007
Karl Siepen, Province of St. Clement/Region of Cologne, April 29, 2007
Anton Wieland, Province of St. Clement/Region of Cologne, April 29, 2007
60th Jubilee of Ordination:
Guilielmus (Willy) Snels, Province of St. Clement/Region of Nederland, April 9, 2007
50th Jubilee of Ordination:
Bishop Antonio Juan Baseotto Rado, Military Ordinate of Argentina, Province of Buenos Aires, April 6, 2007
René Falcón Oses, Province of Buenos Aires, April 6, 2007
Paul Middeke, Province of St. Clement/Region of Cologne, April 23, 2007
25th Jubilee of Profession:
Gercino Tomás de Lima, Province of São Paulo, April 13, 2007