Rome, Italy
February 12, 2010

FROM THE EDITOR:
Haiti needs us
Vietnam Redemptorists
Church reopens in Cuba
Bishop Guimaraes member of Apostolic Signatura
Father Armand De Montigny celebrates 75 years of profession
Bratislava organizing Lay Partnership
Father General’s first birthday in Rome
General Council begins its work for the sexennium

HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE:
Father General’s update on Haitian assistance
Despite in ruins, St. Gerard’s parish continues
Sant’Alfonso, Rome is site of Haitian Embassy service
Redemptorist Novice from Haiti agonizes from afar over fate of his family
Real Madrid Football Team to fund rebuilding of St. Gerard’s School

FEATURED MEDIA:
Powerpoint presentation of St. Gerard’s school, Haiti/ from great joy to great sorrow

TRANSITIONS:
Professions, Ordinations, Anniversaries, Deaths

LAST LOOK IN PHOTOS:
Christ Broken: a sonnet by Generoso García Castrillo, C.Ss.R.

FROM THE EDITOR Around the world in 5 minutes

Much of this issue of SCALA is devoted to further coverage of the earthquake that struck Haiti. Father General gives us an update on the situation and a snapshot of the generous response of the Congregation to his request for assistance for the confreres and people of Haiti. The media coverage of this tragedy is beginning to dwindle, but the needs of our confreres and the people they serve will be with us for months --perhaps years -- to come. We cannot succumb to “charity fatigue” nor allow ourselves to let these needs slip from our minds, hearts and prayers in the coming months. Before we continue our coverage of this tragedy, there is this recent news item from Asia News along with a few other happier events taking place in our Redemptorist world:

Asia News quotes Father Vincent Pham Trung Thanh, provincial of Vietnam as saying: “…the government is trying its best to lure the archbishop of Hanoi and the Thai ha Redemptorists into a trap in which the tiniest mistake [on their part] would give the government an opportunity for open persecution, or at least an excuse to launch accusations against them.”

On their part, our Redemptorist confreres are trying to resolve the situation in peaceful ways without compromising their rights.

Brad Adams, the Asia Director of Human Rights Watch recently stated: “With its treatment of peaceful critics, the Vietnamese government seems determined to stand out as one of the most repressive countries in Asia. We’d be thrilled if the Vietnamese government proved us wrong, but there are no signs that it will reverse its increasingly harsh crackdown on dissent.”

Father Thanh came to Rome last week to receive the ashes of Father Francis Xavier Huu Hua, our recently deceased Vice Econome (SCALA#52) for return to Vietnam. We hope to bring you Father Thanh’s impressions of the situation in a future SCALA.

In Cuba, Father Sergio Campara reports that the Church of Santa Fe on the Island of Youth in Cuba has been restored and reopened after 43 years. The joyful parishioners are shown celebrating their new life in the restored Church. The Church serves approximately 30,000 faithful in its immediate area.

In January there was a meeting of the Bratislava Vice Provincial Secretariat for Partnership with the Laity (Fr. Martin Huk C.Ss.R., Fr. František Boldy C.Ss.R., Mr. Stanislav Ščešňák, and Ms. Veronika Hučková) along with other Redemptorists and laity who are responsible for lay groups in the six communities in Slovakia to discuss future plans. Another meeting is planned during a planned visit to the Vice Province this month by Fr. Juventius Andrade, General Consultor. The primary purpose of his visit is to brief the Vice Province on the XXIV General Chapter and its results, but he will also spend two days giving lectures on forming and developing lay partnerships. The Bratislava Secretariat for Partnership with the Laity is looking forward to developing and increasing the interaction and cooperation between the various lay groups and the Redemptorists in Slovakia.

Here in Rome, Father General arrived to take up residence in Rome just in time to co-celebrate his 55th birthday with the Rector of Sant’Alfonso, Luciano Panella of the Province of Naples, on January 7th. They both have the same date and year of birth. These “confrerial twins” enjoyed a concelebrated liturgy and festive pranzo with the community!

On January 25th the Holy Father appointed six new members of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura from various regions of the world including Bishop Fernando José Monteiro Guimarães C.Ss.R. of Garanhuns, Brazil.

Father Armand De Montigny, of the Vice Province of Tokyo celebrated his 75th anniversary of religious profession on February 2, 2010. Congratulations! Every month SCALA lists the major Jubilees (75, 70, 60, 50, 25) of our Confreres for the month to come. See below for the March Jubilees in the Transitions section.

As we approach this Lenten season, may it be for both us and the people we serve a time of ...

Grace and Redemption for all!
Gary Ziuraitis, C.Ss.R.

Index

HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE:

Letter from Father Michael Brehl, C.Ss.R.
Superior General
Rome, Italy

Dear Confreres, Sisters, and Associates,

It has been over a month since the earthquake of January 12th devastated Port-au-Prince. On January 15th, I wrote to an appeal to the Congregation, asking for your prayers and for your financial assistance. The General Government is very grateful for your response so far. I would like to outline briefly what we have received, and how the Congregation is responding to the present situation.

Contributions to the General Government Solidarity Fund for Haiti:

135,163.99 Euros
217,920.34 US Dollars
Total: 404,325.00 US Dollars

Contributions directly to the Province of Ste-Anne de Beaupre for Haiti:

Total: 181,632 US Dollars

Contributions directly to the Region of Port-au-Prince, Haiti:

Total: 7,860 US Dollars

Contributions to the Province of San Juan, Puerto Rico for Haiti:

Total: 88,564 US Dollars

Total Contributions from Redemptorist Units: 682,381 US Dollars

Thank you for your generosity. At present, the Region of Port-au-Prince, in collaboration with the Province of Ste-Anne and the General Government is working on a plan for the best use of these contributions. This plan must include three elements:
- Immediate and urgent needs of the Redemptorists in Haiti;
- Humanitarian assistance to the families of Redemptorists and the people of our parish in Port-au-Prince;
- Reconstruction of the Church, buildings and missionary projects of the Region of Port-au-Prince.

To date, we have sent financial assistance, food and other necessities to Haiti through the confreres in the Dominican Republic and directly through the banking system. This direct aid to respond to immediate, urgent needs and humanitarian assistance has cost $83,146. Through the Province of Ste-Anne, a monthly subsidy is sent to Port-au-Prince which is supplemented by funds from the General Government. This assistance will need to continue over the coming months and years.

At present, we do not know the cost of reconstruction. However, we know that we will need to count on your ongoing generosity for the long-term.

The total contributions listed above do not include donations from different non-Redemptorist organizations, NGO’s, charities, etc. Some groups have made commitments to help with rebuilding schools, clinics, and other humanitarian projects which will also benefit our mission in Haiti.

As well, a number of (V) Provinces have welcomed Redemptorist students from the Region of Port-au-Prince into their formation programs. The Province of San Juan has offered invaluable assistance in this area, as well as with immediate and urgent help. Arrangements for students are being made with the (V) Provinces of Bogotá, San Salvador, Ste-Anne, and Baltimore. This hospitality is not only a financial gift to the Region of Port-au-Prince, but also provides an ongoing accompaniment for these students. On behalf of the Congregation, I express our gratitude to the host (V) Provinces.

The General Government believes that it is important to give the Congregation as complete a picture as possible. Thank you for your generosity. I know that we can continue to count on your assistance as we develop a more comprehensive plan.

In the Redeemer,
Michael Brehl, C.Ss.R

Index

Despite collapsed buildings, Haitian parish aids quake victims
By Dennis Sadowski
Catholic News Service

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNS) -- Not much remains of St. Gerard Church, located on a steep hill in Port-au-Prince, but Redemptorist Father Abellard Thomas says it's his parish, and he wants to keep it functioning as much as possible. The church is little more than a pile of bricks and metal, one of thousands of buildings in the Haitian capital that collapsed during the 45-second earthquake Jan. 12. The parish's school crumpled as well: It still entombs the bodies of dozens of students and teachers. Father Thomas said 200 people died in the school, which bears scorch marks from fires that recovery workers set to mask the smell of the decaying bodies. Each day, family and friends of those who died stop by to visit the collapsed school, paying their respects and praying for those who lost their lives. Their anguish is his anguish, Father Thomas said. The priest is also mourning the loss of two of the six religious sisters who lived in the parish convent. The two members of the Companions of Jesus died while teaching at St. Rose School in Leogane, about 15 miles west of the capital and closer to the quake's epicenter. The other four sisters are fine, but their residence is unusable.

Despite the sadness he feels, Father Thomas has turned the parish grounds into a registration site for people seeking assistance from the World Food Program. Aid workers from the Paris-based Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development work out of the parish compound, giving food-entitlement cards to as many as 1,700 people a day.

"People come here for comfort," Father Thomas told Catholic News Service Feb. 2. "They come here for prayer, for help, for support.

"In a difficult situation, people feel they can get help from God," he added.

Before the earthquake, the parish had 10,000 members. The three Redemptorists assigned to the parish celebrated five Masses every Sunday. At Mass Jan. 31 in the parish courtyard, a little more than 300 people worshipped.

Father Thomas, 36, is in his first assignment as a pastor; he came to St. Gerard six months ago. He can only guess how many parishioners died in the quake, but he knows thousands lost their homes. Some are among the 700 people who have set up a rickety camp in a nearby park. He celebrated Mass at the park for the first time Jan. 31.

The priest said he expects that St. Gerard will be rebuilt some day. Right now, though, his emphasis is on being present for people in need. If the best the parish can do is help coordinate the distribution of cards and food under the auspices of the United Nations, Father Thomas is willing to help.

The food is a godsend, he said, because people are hungry and unable to buy much to feed themselves and their families.

In the neighborhood below the church, a vocational school for older students was in full session when the earth quaked. The six-story building collapsed in a matter of seconds, trapping dozens of people. The exact death count is uncertain.

What remains of the school looks like a stack of slightly lopsided pancakes. Floors above crunched onto the floors below, leaving a 30-foot heap of rubble. On the top floor, exposed to the hot mid-day sun, toppled chairs are aligned in still-discernable rows.

Father Thomas knows the pain runs deep in his neighborhood. He is not sure how Port-au-Prince will ever recover, but he is hopeful that the world will partner with Haiti to rebuild the country.

Index

Rome Memorial Liturgy for Haitian earthquake victims Salvatore Brugnano, C.Ss.R. Editor’s note: On January 19th at Sant’Alfonso Church in Rome, the home of the original Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help who is also the Patroness of Haiti, Father General participated in a Memorial Eucharist for the victims of the Haitian earthquake. Following is an account and commentary of that celebration by Father Salvatore Brugnano of the Province of Naples who was present for the celebration. On January 19th at San Alfonso in Rome, the home of the original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help who is also the Patroness of Haiti, I had the privilege of participating in the moving celebration for the victims of the devastating Haitian earthquake. The ceremony was arranged by the Ambassador of Haiti to the Holy See, Mr. Carl-Henri Guiteau, in cooperation with other humanitarian organizations. Three cardinals, four bishops of the Caribbean, civil and religious authorities of Haiti serving in Rome and representatives of the Holy See were present.

The celebration was presided over by Bishop Dominique François Joseph Mamberti, Secretary (Relations with States) of the Secretariat of State of the Vatican. I was thinking during this sad but very dignified and uplifting celebration that the Haitians present had manifested their faith and mourning in song and prayer for their fallen countrymen and that we, Redemptorists from so many different countries in this international community of Sant’Alfonso, were totally united with them in their grief and suffering. Everyone, of course, has seen the terrible images of death and destruction wrought by the earthquake in Haiti. These images raise questions of faith with no simple answers. But the miraculous images of people being pulled alive from the ruins suggest a new hope built upon solidarity and assisting Haitian survivors in their recovery. In the Gospel we all heard God’s answer to our “why?”. The gospel proclaimed was that of the raising of Lazarus (Jn 11, 32-45).

Jesus is moved by the pain of loss of the dead Lazarus’ sisters and cries with them. The onlookers seeing this say: “See, he really loved him.” But others insinuate that “if he truly loved him, he would not have allowed him to die.” Then Jesus performs his miracle: the raising of Lazarus from the dead and restoring hope to all. The Lord does not abandon those who trust Him. The Church today is the extension of Christ in time and history and is committed to making the compassion of Christ ever more visible to humanity, and like a mother draws close to all those who have need of help and comfort. It participates fully in Haiti’s pain -- Haitian archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, having been pulled dead from the rubble, is a visible sign of this. The earthquake has sparked a wordwide outpouring of solidarity and support. Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed: “Now all believers have to seriously confront their faith to offer a true solidarity”.

We must offer not only material aid, but a genuine sharing with a nation that has been torn apart in every way. Then what will occur will not only be a miracle of physical re-construction, but it would offer the hope of a new humanity resurrected; life can be reborn from death, life can be transformed.

Index

Haiti/USA Novice keeps daily vigil for news of his family Gary Ziuraitis, C.Ss.R. The Haitian earthquake became a very personal matter for Redemptorist novice, Jacky Merilan, born near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Presently Jacky is at the international novitiate in Glenview Illinois, USA. On December 8th he was invested with the Redemptorist habit along with his three other novices halfway through their novitiate as they progress toward religious profession this summer (Scala#53). Although he is from Haiti, he is a novice of the English speaking region of the Caribbean due to coming into contact with the Redemptorists and entering Redemptorist formation outside of Haiti. But Jacky’s family, which includes his mother, 2 brothers, 3 sisters and many aunts and uncles with their families, still live in Port-au-Prince. One aunt was currently nine months pregnant and expecting the birth of her child any day.

Jacky immediately turned to television and radio news for reports. At first, there wasn’t much in the way of information and it did not seem serious. But within fifteen minutes news bulletins began to tell a different story. A very serious earthquake had struck Port-au-Prince with major damage and major loss of life.

Concerned for his family Jackie tried to telephone his family. At first he called his mother’s number. It rang and rang but there was no answer. He tried his brother’s cell phone. That did not even ring. After a time, telephone service to Haiti stopped working completely.

Then began two agonizing days of waiting and wondering what happened to his family. With no communications in or out of Haiti, Jacky was helpless to know the fate of his family. He was very worried and anxious and found it hard to sleep at night – compounded by the images of devastation being shown and reported on by the TV news channels 24 hours a day.

Jacky tried calling back the different number some time later and his brother answered and the connection was clear! Fearing the connection would fail again, Jacky asked his brother to quickly answer “yes or no” as to whether his family members were alive or dead as he called out each of his family members’ names. His brother answered “yes” to all.

Immensely relieved that all his family was alive, Jacky then proceeded to briefly talk with each one who was with his brother at the time. They said that, like most other people, there homes had been destroyed. The force of the earthquake “pancaked” their homes into a pile of rubble. They were all living in the streets but were safe. They were concerned about the aunt who was pregnant and nearing delivery. They were not sure where food and drinkable water would come from. That was the 14th of January.

Then Jacky experienced another period of worry and anxiety, not hearing again from his family for twelve days - until Tuesday, January 26th. It was again a great relief and joy to speak with them again.  But the situation is still bad as his family is still living in the streets with a lack of food, water, and shelter. Jacky says, however, that he is so grateful that they are alive and doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.

On February 5th Jacky told us that his Aunt Gertha gave birth to her child on February 4th and that the baby boy and mother are doing well, but living under very harsh conditions. He has received permission from his superiors to visit Haiti. He will go to Haiti from February 19th to the 24th and he promises to share with us what he learns there. If any of our Redemptorist units, communities or confreres would like to assist in this particular need, contact the novice master, Father Gary Lauenstein, at FrGaryCSSR@aol.com. Jacky is very grateful for the concern, words of support and prayers of all the people around him. Especially the support from his novice master and assistant novice master (Fathers Gary Lauenstein and Ray Corriveau), the novitiate community, the Baltimore province and Father General Brehl who took the time to message him with his personal support and prayers. He is glad to be an aspiring member of a religious family that cares about him and his family.

Index

Spain Real Madrid to help rebuild school destroyed in Haitian earthquake Real Madrid Real Madrid, the celebrated Spanish football team, is going to provide funds to rebuild a school that was destroyed in the earthquake in Haiti. Team president Florentino Perez said the Real Madrid Foundation will donate money to resurrect Saint Gerard School in Port-au-Prince. Before the earthquake it had 1,200 students but was flattened in the quake, with some 300 children killed. Real Madrid C.F. will finance the reconstruction of the St. Gerard School in the Carrefour-Feuilles neighborhood of Port-au-Prince and build a social and football academy where children will receive the proper nutrition and healthcare. Perez said "Haiti has suffered an absolute disaster and we face a great challenge, but we must not think it [the project] is impossible to achieve."