Newsletter of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
Rome, Italy
March 16, 2006

From the Editor

Sometimes a happy coincidence of news and timing brings a “natural theme and symmetry” to SCALA rather than any planned effort on my part. Such is the case this month. In the month in which we celebrate the Trans-Alpine pioneer Redemptorist, St. Clement Hofbauer, buried in Vienna, SCALA weaves together news from the Province of Vienna along with the profile of a Redemptorist in the United States whose disability cannot slow him down, and photos of ministries aligned with the Church’s recently celebrated World Day of the Sick.

The land of St. Clement’s pastoral activity continues its work of “plentiful redemption” by offering a unique ministry of “listening” that visibly demonstrates the Church’s concern for mentally distressed people everywhere. The Church’s concern was recently expressed by Cardinal Lozano Barragán, President of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, of which a brief excerpt is featured in this month’s In Spiritu Redemptionis section. The Vienna province’s apostolate is the “right medicine” for this concern.

The Province of Vienna reports on the cause for beatification for Fr. Wilhelm Janauschek. We also have a report from our postulator general, Father Antonio Marazzo, on the status of all the Causes for Canonization of many other Redemptorists at various stages of official Church recognition.

We have reports on Redemptorists in the News and also a report from the Board of Advisors of the Alphonsian Academy. The Academy report focuses on building a healthy and bright future for the Academy.

These stories of “giving our lives for plentiful redemption” should encourage us.

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

Recent noteworthy events in the Redemptorist Family. For a complete record of transitions
visit the Officialia site

First Profession of Temporary Vows:
Yaroslav Tarnavskyy, Province of Lviv, December 19, 2005
Anatoliy Maslo, Province of Lviv, December 19, 2005
Jesús Manuel Bobadilla Garcia, Vice Province of Perú North, January 5, 2006
Eber Eliaquím Córdova Córdova, Vice Province of Perú North, January 5, 2006
Jimmy Orlando Ramírez Pacharres, Vice Province of Perú North, January 5, 2006
Percy Yarlequé Cardoza, Vice Province of Perú North, January 5, 2006
Rigoberto Baide Leiva, Vice Province of San Salvador, January 8, 2006
David Nicolás Cáceres Sánchez, Vice Province of San Salvador, January 8, 2006
Edvin Rodolfo García Quiñónez, Vice Province of San Salvador, January 8, 2006
Guillermo Manuel Enrique Hernández Hernández, Province of San Salvador, January 8, 2006
Edvaldo Monteiro da Silva, Vice Province of Recife, January 20, 2006
Erisson Roberto Monteiro da Salva, Vice Province of Recife, January 20, 2006
Pedro Paulo Dal Bó, Province of São Paulo, January 22, 2006
Valdir Benedito da Luz, Province of São Paulo, January 22, 2006
Ednaldo Santana dos Santos, Province of São Paulo, January 22, 2006
Francisco de Jesus dos Santos, Province of São Paulo, January 22, 2006
Alessandro Aparecido Tavares, Province of São Paulo, January 22, 2006
José Amarildo Luciano da Silva, Vice Province of Manaus, January 28, 2006

Perpetual Profession:
Vincenzo La Dendola, Province of Rome, October 9, 2005
Thierry Minoungou, Vice Province of Burkina-Niger, October 15, 2005
Jimmy Chau Pham, Province of Denver, February 2, 2006
Tat-Thang Truong Hoang, Province of Denver, February 2, 2006

Ordination to the Priesthood:
Abel Sinini, Vice Province of Burkina-Niger, July 2, 2005
Marcelo da Silva Sousa, Vice Province of Fortaleza, September 2, 2005
Renaldo Zierhut, Province of Campo Grande, December 10, 2005
James (Jaison) Thundathil, Vice Province of Alwaye, December 27, 2005
Thomas (Joemon) Kunnumpurath, Vice Province of Alwaye, December 28, 2005
Varghese (Sijo) Thaliyath, Vice Province of Alwaye, January 5, 2006
Celso Luiz Martins Junior, Province of Campo Grande, February 4, 2006

Episcopal News & Ordination:
The Holy Father has given his assent to the canonical election by the Synod of Bishops of the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian Church, of Father Jarosláw Pryríz, C.SS.R., currently Protosincellus (Vicar General) of the eparchy of Sambir-Drohobych, Ukraine as auxiliary of the same eparchy.

Father José Luiz Ferreira Salles, C.SS.R., Vice Province of Recife, consecrated auxiliary bishop of Fortaleza, Brasil on March 17, 2006

Bishop Florencio Coronado. C.SS.R., of the Vice Province of Perú South, Bishop Emeritus of Huancavelica, Perú died at the age of 97 on February 25, 2006.

March Jubilees:
60th Jubilee of Profession:
Jacobus (Polycarpus) Hilhorst, Province of St. Clements/Region of the Netherlands, March 15, 2006
Godefridus de Jong, (Gaudentius), Province of St. Clements/Region of the Netherlands, March 15, 2006

60th Jubilee of Ordination:
Agostino Incorvaia, Province of Naples, March 16, 2006

50th Jubilee of Profession:
Josef Anton (Karl) Elsasser, Province of St. Clements/Region of Helvetica, March 15, 2006.
Wilhelm Beine, Province of St. Clements/Region of Cologne, March 25, 2006
Paul Blau, Province of St. Clement/Region of Cologne, March 25, 2006
Willi Heck, Province of St. Clement/Region of Cologne, March 25, 2006
Klemens Jockwig, Province of St. Clement/Region of Cologne, March 25, 2006
Hans Michael Kratz, Province of St. Clement/Region of Cologne, March 25, 2006
Franz Richter, Province of St. Clement/Region of Cologne, March 25, 2006
Karl Seitz, Province of St. Clement/Region of Cologne, March 25, 2006
Paul Sindermann, Province of St. Clement/Region of Cologne, March 25, 2006

50th Jubilee of Ordination:
Bernard Clinton, Province of Canberra, March 11, 2006
Kevin Crock, Province of Canberra, March 11, 2006
Edmond Joseph Ryan, Province of Canberra, March 11, 2006
Francesco Brancaccio, Province of Naples, March 18, 2006
Michele Calabrese, Province of Naples, March 18, 2006
Francesco Saturno, Province of Naples, March 18, 2006
Adalbert Jahn, Province of St. Clement/Region of Cologne, March 25, 2006

25th Jubilee of Ordination:
José Luiz Majella Delgado, Province of São Paulo, March 14, 2006

Deaths:
Rev. José Augusto da Costa, 84, Province of São Paulo, January 21, 2006
Rev. Arsénio González Pérez, 86, Province of Lisbon, January 31, 2006
Br. Vasyl (Volodymyr) Turash, 81, Province of Lviv, January 31, 2006
Rev. Charles Jeremiah Shepherd, 92, Province of London, February 5, 2006
Rev. Charles Pervase Fehrenbach, 96, Province of Baltimore, February 6, 2006
Rev. Stanislaw Kwiatkowski, 82, Province of Warsaw, February 16, 2006
Rev. Edward (Grattan) Feehan, 84, Province of Edmonton-Toronto, February 18, 2006
Bishop Florencio Coronado, 97, Vice Province of Perú South, February 25, 2006
Rev. Román Martínez Gamboa, 88, Province of Madrid, February 27, 2006

   Index

News from the Provinces

Austria
Province of Vienna
Two Pastoral Initiatives of the Austrian Redemptorists Celebrate their Anniversaries

5 Years of ‘Gesprächsoase Innsbruck’ A place, where someone has time for you and listens to your problems.

On January 25th the Gesprächsoase (“Talking Center”) in Innsbruck, Austria, celebrated its 5th anniversary. In January 2001 this ‘oasis’ was founded as a place where people in urgent need to talk to someone could come and be listened to. Since then about 8,500 persons have found a “ready ear” and an attentive person to talk to.

After he was elected Provincial in February of last year, Fr. Lorenz Voith put the new Rector of our Innsbruck house, Fr. Hans Schermann, in charge of the Gesprächsoase. The staff comes from different religious institutes, among them four Redemptorists. There are also diocesan priests and trained laymen, most of them volunteers.

The problems most frequently discussed in the center are pastoral problems (people’s life history and faith-seeking), relationship problems and psychological problems (a new situation in life, loneliness, family difficulties, fears, depressions, worrying about one’s own illness or that of a loved one’s ). It is interesting to note the great number of males (46,4%), who frequent the Gesprächsoase. In similar institutions in German-speaking countries the female rate is about 70%.

The Gesprächsoase was founded as a response by the Church for people seeking someone to talk to and who want to feel accompanied in their difficulties. The proximity to the Herz-Jesu-Kirche (church of the Redemptorists), which for years has been a traditional place for confessions and reflection, the closeness of the University Hospital, and the availability of qualified pastoral counselors, have made the Gesprächsoase one of the largest counseling centers of the Church in Tyrol, Austria. The Gesprächsoase is financed by the Redemptorists, the Conference of Major Superiors, the municipal pastoral council of Innsbruck, as well as by donations, which make up about a third of its income.

In the Austrian capital of Vienna a similar center is being planned. At the moment, Fr. Lorenz Voith is contacting other religious institutes and the Archdiocese of Vienna to begin this initiative.

Austria
Province of Vienna
10th Anniversary of the Predigtforum’:

The PREDIGTFORUM celebrated its 10th anniversary on the first Sunday of Lent. In 1996 Fr. Hans Hütter founded this website (cf. featured websites). There are about 10,000 hits to the Predigtforum each week. Since 1996, a homily has been published for every Sunday and feast of the liturgical year, as well as for other occasions. Along with the homilies are various prayers, poems, meditative texts taken from literature, as well as short introductions to the readings and the Gospel pericopes. Over 1100 homilies have been published so far. All in all, 50 people, -- priests, Redemptorists, other religious people, and lay theologians, from Austria, Germany and Switzerland – have written homilies and other texts for the Predigtforum. Currently there are 15 writers who are regular contributors. Letters from all over the world show how many people are interested in and use this service to prepare the Sunday liturgy and feasts. Many users are priests, deacons, and laymen working in parishes not only in German-speaking countries, but also from other countries. Many people draw theological impulses from the Predigtforum. The project is mostly financed by donations. Fr. Hans Hütter is the webmaster; Fr. Martin Leitgöb is presently the editor.

Austria
Province of Vienna
A future Blessed Redemptorist from Vienna

The “Venerable Servant of God“, Father Wilhelm Janauschek C.Ss.R., died 80 years ago this coming June 30th. Shortly after his death widespread veneration began and has continued to this very day. Till January 2006, about 10,800 answers to prayers have been counted. The Diocesan beatification trial has been concluded; now many venerators are waiting for a miracle that the Church will acknowledge and further his cause towards canonization.

Wilhelm Janauschek was born on the 18th of October, 1859. He had 16 brothers and sisters, but only eight of them lived to be older than 20 years. After grammar school Wilhelm joined the Redemptorists. The motto for his whole life was: „As God wants that’s the best“. Over the years he held important offices in the Congregation: e.g. novice master for many years, rector and provincial superior for six years. He was giving many missions and retreats and was known and highly appreciated as confessor.

On June 30th 1926 he died of cancer. The reputation of a saintly life and numerous answers to prayers due to his intercession made the Redemptorists of Vienna transfer his mortal remains from the cemetery where he had been buried to the church Maria am Gestade. There they rest now, not far away from the shrine of St Clement Hofbauer. Every day people would come to his “altar” to pray for his intercession in their needs.

If Fr. Wilhelm Janauschek is beatified, he will be the first blessed Redemptorist to have been born in Vienna.

The Redemptorist Province of Vienna and the Redemptorist monastery Maria am Gestade are preparing for the celebration of the 80th Fr. Janauschek’s death at the end of June, when the Archbishop of Vienna Cardinal anniversary of Christoph Schönborn will celebrate a festive Mass in the church of Maria am Gestade.

The Province of Vienna, in the months to come, will also publish new short biographies and prayer booklets in different languages and send them to Redemptorist provinces all over the world. An extensive exploration into Fr. Janauschek’ life and work is being conducted. P. Janauschek is especially invoked to intercede in serious illnesses and cancer.

Index

News from The Alphonsianum

Rome, Italy
Council of the Moderator General of the Alphonsian Academy (Board of Trustees)
February 20-22, 2006

1. The Board expresses its deep appreciation to all units of the Congregation, who express solidarity for the Alphonsian mission of the Academy by their generosity in providing students, professors and financial resources.

2. The Board wishes to express its deep appreciation to Father General for his generous time and caring leadership in his role as Supreme Moderator of the Academy.

3. The Board expresses its appreciation to Father Sabatino Majorano for his ongoing leadership and dedication as President of the Academy. During his five years of leadership of the Academy, he has worked diligently to promote excellence among professors, staff and students.

4. The Board expresses its gratitude for the generous and professional work of Father John Vargas, of the Office for Development and Public Relations and the dedicated service of its Advisory Board.

5. The Board acknowledges with deep gratitude the service of more than thirty years that Father Lorenzo Álvarez Verdes, C.Ss.R. gave to the Academy as professor; we are also thankful for his help as a former member of the Board of Trustees.

6. The Board offers its appreciation to the Province of St. Clement and the Region of Köln for contributions from the library of Geistingen.

7. The Board thanks the provincial superiors who most recently served on this body: Cornelius Casey (Dublin), Francisco Ceballos (Bogotá), Kevin Moley (Baltimore), Johannes Schalk (München) and Richard Thibodeau (Denver).

8. The Board is grateful to the Province of Warszawa for the availability of Father Gabriel Witaszek, who recently joined the faculty of the Academy as a full-time professor.

9. The Board recognizes that these are challenging times for the Academy. Nonetheless, its administration, faculty and staff are working with great dedication to ensure the present excellence of the Academy and a vibrant future. In particular, we praise both the senior professors, who continue to serve with great skill, and also the younger professors, whose excellence augurs a bright future for the school.

1. The Board recommends that the Moderator General, in collaboration with the administration of the Alphonsian Academy, take steps to appoint new Redemptorist professors to the Academy, giving special attention to the vacancies that will be created by tenured professors in fundamental moral theology, who will soon become emeriti.

2. The Board recommends that the General Government include the Alphonsian Academy on the agenda of the mid-sexennial meetings and other regional gatherings as well as the general visitations. The Board appeals to the whole Congregation to become aware of the needs of the Academy and to decide how the Congregation is to follow General Statute 023: the Alphonsian Academy should be maintained and supported by the whole Congregation, since its scope is very closely connected with the purpose of the Congregation.

3. The Board recommends that the Office for Public Relations and Development establish an association of alumni of the Academy. It recommends that alumni in Brazil, Poland, the United States, India and the Philippines receive special attention.

4. The Board recommends that the Office for Public Relations and Development continue to pursue mechanisms that will promote the Alphonsian Academy within the Congregation as well as in the whole Church.

5. The board recommends that the Moderator General appoint a commission to develop a strategic plan and timeline for implementation that will address the issues raised by the Professors of the Alphonsian Academy concerning their environment and quality of life, especially, the lack of space.

6. The board recommends to the President of the Alphonsian Academy that a study be conducted regarding the medical insurance and retirement provisions for each Redemptorist assigned to the Academy with a view to presenting recommendations to the Board at its next meeting.

7. The Board recommends that the Council of Professors, within a year, determine the best way to administer the scholarship programs of the Alphonsian Academy.

8. With a view to deepening the appreciation of the importance of moral theology in the Congregation, the Board recommends that the Moderator General seek to intensify co-operation between the Alphonsian Academy, the General Secretariat of Formation and other institutions, especially regarding the planning of Congresses and workshops.

9. The board recommends that the Moderator General and the administration of the Alphonsian Academy begin a process of long-range planning. The board requests the Moderator General and other academic authorities to continue to consider as a top priority the growth of the established Endowment Fund for the Academy.

Index

Redemptorists in the News

Bolivian Redemptorist Cardinal Cautions About "Evomania"

ROME, FEB. 23, 2006 (Zenit.org).- According to Cardinal Julio Terrazas, what Bolivia needs most urgently "is authentic solidarity, not a new ideology."

The president of the bishops' conference of Bolivia expressed that sentiment during a meeting with Aid to the Church in Need.

"President Evo Morales has good intentions," the cardinal of Santa Cruz said. "But the enormous hope that so many Bolivians have placed in him might be frustrated if the promised change does not come immediately."

"At present 'Evomania' and heightened expectation reigns in the country," said the 69-year-old cardinal. "Evo Morales must take into account the desires of all the people, namely, to improve the economic and social situation, to find a way out of corruption and to protect traditional values."

As for the Church, Cardinal Terrazas said, it "must continue its mission. We cannot separate ourselves from preaching the truth and charity."

Index

In Spiritu Redemptionis

The Mentally Ill Patient: A Faithful Image of God
Excerpts from the Address at World Day of the Sick
Cardinal Lozano Barragán
President of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers

According to the World Health Organization there are 450 million people in the world affected by neurological or behavioral mental disorders, of which 873,000 commit suicide each year. Mental illness is a true health and social emergency.

Twenty-five percent of countries do not have laws concerning mental health, 41% have no defined policy on the issue and in over 25% of health centers patients do not have access to basic psychiatric medication; among 70% of the world population there is less than one psychiatrist for every 100,000 people.

As to dealing with mental disorders, it maybe asserted that in the past 50 years great strides forward have been made, evidence of which are the technological advances in the field, of new psychotic and mental health medicines, which have considerably improved the quality of life of the mentally ill.

Nevertheless, the conditions of assistance to mentally ill patients are quite deficient as a result of limited funding, the lack of understanding among authorities, the serious problem of the social stigma that the patients and their families have to face, all of which have serious repercussions on the social support networks in many countries that consequently deteriorate.

The number of "homeless" mentally ill patients has considerably increased in wealthy countries. It is alarming to see how serious mental disorders are simply dealt with using bureaucratic and juridical or legal solutions without in the least taking into consideration the daily needs and the quality of life of patients and their families.

Mental disorders affect more frequently those populations that are less fortunate economically, culturally and intellectually. Millions of individuals have to bear on their body and mind the psychological consequences of malnutrition, armed conflicts or natural disasters with their heavy burden of morbidity and mortality.

What Can Be Done? Practical Lines of Action

In this perspective, allow me to suggest some guidelines for practical interventions, which will help us offer a loving care to the mentally ill:

General Interventions:

-- Establish, in the education systems, solid religious foundations that help one to work out clear and stable horizons, to be followed for a lifetime.

-- Be aware of the system of values underpinning the whole human life and make reference to it, especially to avoid that mental illness is lived with anxiety, sadness and desperation.

-- Fight against relativism, consumerism, pseudo-culture of instinctive desires and pansexualism.

-- Promote the dignity of mentally ill patients.

-- Foster a healthy development of the child, including his brain functions.

-- Make awareness programs on mental illnesses for the society so that people may know about them and prevent them.

-- Exhort religious orders and congregations, whose charisma it is to take care of these patients, not to waver in their commitment and to dedicate particular care to them, given the particular emergency that this illness presents.

-- Support these patients with the administration of sacraments where this is possible.

-- Enlighten and console the mentally ill with the Word of God, if their mental and physical condition allows it.

-- Be aware of the fact that the rehabilitation of a mentally ill patient is a duty of the whole society together, within the context of solidarity that shows preference for those who are most in need.

-- Promote a social and physical environment that favors human relations and for the mentally ill patients a sense of belonging to a concrete community.

   Index

Monthly Picture Gallery (  for online viewing only)

Photo 1:
The counselling team of the Gesprächsoase with Fr. Provincial Lorenz Voith and Fr. Rector Hans Schermann

Photo 2:
Fr. Martin Leitgöb (left) and Fr. Hans Hütter (right)

Photo 3:
View of the front-page of the PREDIGTFORUM internet ministry

Photo 4:
At the grave of the Venerable Servant of God, Fr. Wilhelm Janauschek in the Church of Maria am Gestade.

Photo 5:
Members of the Alphonsian Academy advisory board met the week of February 20th. Seated from left to right: Fathers Alfeo Prandel, Econome of the Academy; Sabatino Majorano, President of the Academy; M. Rev. Joseph Tobin, Supreme Moderator of the Academy; and Bruno Hidber, Representative for the Council of Professors.
Standing from left to right: Fathers John Vargas, Director of Public Relations for the Academy; Clement Vadakkedath, Vice Provincial of Alwaye; Patrick Woods, Provincial of the Baltimore Province; Thomas Picton, Provincial of the Denver Province; Arturo Martínez Soto, Provincial of the Province of México and Zdzislaw Klafka, Provincial of Warsaw.

Photo 6:
Father General blesses the cornerstone for a new building at the Redemptorist Vocational School for the Disabled in Pattaya, Thailand on March 3rd. The building will have several uses: a dormitory for girl students, special computer classrooms, and other facilities. Assisting are the Vice Provincial, Joseph Apisit, former Vice provincial Philip Banchong Chaiyara and Rector of Pattaya, Lawrence Patin.

Photo 7:
Conclusion of the General Visitation: Father General and General Consultor, Jacek Dembek, pose with members of the Vice province of Thailand and the Vocational School for the Disabled. Serafino Fiore, not pictured, was also on the visitation.

Index

Activities of Father General and the General Council

Interested in knowing where the members of the General Government are and what they are doing? The following link will take you to the Calendar of the General Government.

English: http://www.cssr.com/calendars/CalEN.htm

This link is in our cssr.com website under the Redemptorist section and require passwords. If you do not have them; a pop-up box will direct you to request them from the Secretary General.

Profiles

Denver Province
Father Muckerman keeps rolling along
Jean M. Schildz, St. Louis Review

Blood poisoning may have knocked Redemptorist Father Norman Muckerman off his feet, but don't expect to find him down for the count.

Doctors amputated his left leg above the knee this past fall. Though the ordeal has taken its toll, he maintains a towering presence.

The priest is well-known in the St. Louis Archdiocese and beyond for his pastoral and missionary work and his 12-year stint as the editor of Liguorian, a Redemptorist national monthly publication. He is a former president of the Catholic Press Association.

Father Muckerman, who physically is a big man, admittedly hasn't yet gotten used to sitting in a wheelchair. But the native of St. Louis keeps rolling along as best he can. He penned his latest article for Liguorian magazine in November and is hard at work on his next piece.

In his room at St. Clement Health Care Center in Liguori, Father Muckerman talked recently with the St. Louis Review, archdiocesan newspaper, about his life as a priest. He remains grateful to God for all the blessings he has received throughout his life.

"I've had a wonderful ride," said the 88-year-old. "It's been a wonderful life. I'm grateful to God for what he gave me."

The Muckerman family -- parents Edna and Oliver and sisters Rosemary and Ann -- knew from an early age that Norman had a vocation to the priesthood.

"I think Norm always had a love for the priesthood," said his childhood friend, Paul C. Wehner Jr. "I wasn't surprised at all when he wanted to become a priest. We just expected that he would."

At age 13 Norman began studying at St. Louis Preparatory Seminary, then at Cardinal Glennon Seminary in Shrewsbury. But when the archdiocese increased its seminary tuition in 1934, the Muckermans couldn't afford to continue their son's studies there.

At the very moment Father Muckerman was faced with having to leave the seminary, something providential happened. He met Redemptorist Father Emmet Crane, who was at St. Joseph College, the Redemptorists' former minor seminary in Kirkwood.

Father Muckerman had never visited the Redemptorists' seminary before, but after a meeting with the seminary rector he transferred there on a scholarship. He professed his vows Aug. 2, 1937, and was ordained July 1, 1942.

In the meantime, the Shrewsbury teen had grown up to look more like a football player than a seminarian. He maxed out at 6 feet 4 inches, and tipped the scales at more than 235 pounds. He played all kinds of sports, and continues to follow them today with a passion.

In January 1944 he shipped out to Brazil, serving there until 1953. He took to Portuguese easily and soon was speaking like a native. A natural linguist, he also speaks a little Spanish, French, Italian and German.

What he remembers best about his time in the Amazon is the people, especially the poor. One of his main duties in the jungle was to preach parish missions.

"Those were wonderful days," he recalled. "I'd talk to thousands of people." On one trip he confirmed more than 5,000 people at five parish missions in a two-month period.

Returning to the states, he served as mission procurator for his order, pastor of a Chicago parish and provincial consultor.

"Then came the glory days," Father Muckerman said, referring to one of his favorite assignments as pastor at a former Redemptorist parish, St. Gerard Majella in Kirkwood. Many of the friendships he made there between 1967 and 1979, he said, continue to this day.

In the 1970s, he returned to Liguori because he "wanted to be in the ministry of Catholic publishing." He has held numerous jobs, including editor of Liguorian magazine from 1977 to 1989 and, most recently, as a Liguorian telemarketer arranging preaching dates to introduce the magazine to the Catholic faithful.

His Walter Cronkite-like style (a famous American television news broadcaster ) made him a popular choice to serve as president of the Catholic Press Association from 1981 to 1984. In 1985, he was honored with the St. Francis de Sales Award by his peers for outstanding service to the Catholic press.

In the 1990s he began a five-year stint as rector of the Redemptorist community at Liguori. He has written and edited a half-dozen books and scores of articles. Today he continues to write for Liguorian and other publications.

His advice to those discerning a vocation in life is "to pray, and pray a heck of a lot, so that they might know God's will and be courageous enough to accept that and be brave and do it all, give it their all."

Father Muckerman said he is humbled by the number of people who have expressed concern about him since he had his leg amputated. He had no idea that through his vocation he had touched so many people.

"I'm proud of the fact that despite a number of personal failures I was able to help people and even children," he said.

Wheeling himself around his room, he threw out one final thought as he prepared to leave for his next appointment: "Nightclub comedian Joe E. Lewis once said, 'You only go around once, but if you play your cards right, once is enough.'"

And off he rolled.
END

Featured Redemptorist Website

This month’s featured websites are of the Vienna Province and the two apostolates spoken of in the News from the Provinces.

http://www.redemptoristen.at/

http://www.gespraechsoase.at/

http://www.predigtforum.at/

  Index

Redemptorists in Vatican News

General Government
Redemptorist Postulator General
Antonio Marazzo, C.Ss.R.

At present there are 49 candidates for canonisation in our Congregation. Of those 9 are beatified, 3 have been declared venerable by pontifical decree and 37 are ‘Servants of God’. They include 28 martyrs, 4 Ukrainians, 1 Slovak, 2 Poles and 21 Spanish. Two are Bishops, thirty-five are priests and 12 are coadjutor brothers.

The General Postulator is involved in a total of 32 Causes of whom 29 are confreres.
With regard to the state of the various Causes:
The Beati are awaiting a miracle for Canonization;
The Venerable are awaiting a miracle for Beatification.
As regards the ‘Servants of God’:
-6 are awaiting their turn for the historical and theological analysis,
-2 are undergoing diocesan investigation,
-3 are awaiting the opening of the diocesan investigation,
-3 are awaiting introduction of Cause,
-The Congregation is the petitioner in the Cause of Crostarosa, Concita and Solari. The Cause of two confreres martyred by the Nazis in Poland and three coadjutor brothers martyred in the Civil War in Spain is being conducted by the respective dioceses of Warsaw and Valencia together with other candidates from different religious Institutes and other dioceses. We are co-petitioners.

1.Blessed PETER DONDERS (1805-1887), professed Dutch priest, beatified 23 May 1982.
2.Blessed KASPAR STANGGASSINGER (1871-1899) professed German priest, beatified 24 April 1988.
3.Blessed GENNARO MARIA SARNELLI (1702-1744) professed Italian priest, beatified 12 May 1996.
4.Blessed FRANCIS XAVIER SEELOS (1819-1867), professed USA priest, beatified 9 April 2000.
5.Blessed Mykola Čarneckyj (1884-1959) Bishop, Exarch Apostolic of Volyn’and Pidljashja martyr (Ukraine), beatified 27 June 2001.
6.Blessed Vasyl Velyčkovskyj (1903-1973) Bishop of the Ukraine Greek-Catholic Church, martyr (Canada), beatified 27 June2001.
7.Blessed Zynovij Kovalnk (1903-1941) professed priest, martyr (Ukraine) beatified 27 June 2001.
8.Blessed Ivan Ziatyk (1899-1952) professed priest, martyr (Ukraine), beatified 27 June 2001.
9.Blessed Metodij Dominik Trčka (1886-1952), professed priest, martyr (Slovak), beatified 4 November 2001.

10. Venerable JOSEPH AMAND PASSERAT (1772- 1858) professed priest (French).
11.Venerable MICHELE DI NETTA (1787-1849), professed priest (Italian).
12.Venerable ALFRED PAMPALON (1867-1896), professed priest (Canadian)

13.Servant of God WILLIAM JANAUSCHEK (1859-1926), professed Austrian priest. The Positio on his Virtues has been handed over to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints 12 February 1996.
14.Servant of God ANTONIO LOSITO (1838-1917) professed Italian priest. The Positio on his Virtues has been handed over to the Congregation of the Causes of Saints 17 June 1999.
15.Servants of God José Javier Gorosterrazu Jaunarena (1877-1936) and companions, martyrs: Spaniards:
P. Ciriaco Olarte y Pérez de Mendiguren (1893-1936)
P. Miguel Goñi Ariz (1902-1936)
P. Julian pozo y Ruiz de Samaniego (1920)
P. Romero Espejo (1871-1938), professed priests.
Brother Victor (Victoriano) Calvo Lozano (1896-1936), professed lay brother.
The Positio on martyrdom has been handed over to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints 26 April 2001.
16.Servant of God FRANCISCO BARRECHEGUREN MONTAGUT (1881-1957), professed Spanish priest. The Positio on his Virtues has been handed over to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints 24 July 2001.
17.Servant of God BERNARD LUBIENSKI (1846-1933), professed Polish priest. The Positio on his Virtues has been handed over to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints 31 January 2005.
18.Servant of God PELAGIO SAUTER (1878- 1961), professed Brazilian priest. The Positio on his Virtues has been handed over to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints 30 September 2005.

(Causes of which the Positio on the Virtues is in course of preparation)
19. Servant of God GIUSEPPE LEONE (1829-1902) professed Italian priest.
20.Servant of God ISIDORO FIORINI (1867-1956) professed Italian priest.
21.Servant of God JOHN BAPTIST STOEGER (1810-1883) professed Austrian lay brother.
22.Servant of God ROSARIO ADDUCA (1793-1860), professed Italian lay brother.

(Causes under diocesan investigation)
23.Servant of God VITOR COELHO DE ALMEIDA (1899-1987) professed Brazilian priest.
24.Servant of God MARCEL VAN (1928-1959) professed French Canadian lay brother.

(Causes awaiting diocesan investigation)
25.Servant of God Roman Bakhtalovs’kyj (1897-1985), professed Ukrainian priest.
26.Servant of God P. Vincente Renuncio Toribio (1876-1936) and 11 other Spanish martyrs:
-P.Antonio Girón González (1876-1936);
-P. Donato Jiménez Viviano (1873-1936);
-P. Crescencio Ortiz Blanco (1881-1936);
-P. Angel Martinez Miquélez (1881-1936?);
-P. José Maria Urruchi Ortiz (1909-1936);
-Brother Bernardo(Gabriel) Sáiz Gutiérrez (1896-1936);
-Brother José Joaquin (Pascual) Erviti Insausti (1902- 1936);
-Brother Nicasio Pérez del Palomar Quincoces (1859-1936);
-Brother Gregorio Zugasti Fernández (1884-1936);
-Brother Aniceto Lizasoain Lizaso (1877-1936);
-Brother Rafael (Máximo) Perea Pinedo (1903-1936).

(Causes awaiting introduction)

27.Servant of God EMMANUELE RIBERA (1811-1874), Italian professed priest.
28.Servant of God VITTORI0 LOIODICE (1834-19169, Italian professed priest.
29.Servant of God FRANCESCO PITOCCHI (1852-1922) Italian professed priest.

(Causes in which the Congregation is the petitioner)

30. Servant of God MARIA CELESTE CROSTAROSA (1696-1755), Italian professed Nun and Founder of the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer. The Positio on her Virtues was handed over to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, 10 June 1999 and inserted in the list for discussion by expert theologians. On 6 September 2001 it was discussed by historical experts.

31. Servant of God MARIA CONCEZIONE BARRECHEGUREN GARCIA (CONCHITA) 1905- 1927, a Spanish woman. The Positio on her Virtues has been handed over to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints 4 March 2002 and inserted in the list for discussion by expert theologians.

32. Servant of God ANTONIO SOLARI (1861-1945), an Argentinian layman. The Positio on his Virtues is being produced.

(Causes in which the Congregation is a co-petitioner)

33.Servants of God Józef Paòewski (1867-1944) and P. Kazimierz Smoroński (1889-1942), professed Polish priests, martyrs.
34.Servants of God Brother CELSO ALONSO RODRÍGUEZ (1896-1936) and martyred companions, Spanish lay brothers:
-Brother Santiago Margusino Fernández (1863-1936,
-Brother Angel Vesga Fernández (1886-1936).

Index