Rome, Italy
FROM THE PROVINCES: PROFILE: VIA MERULANA
ANNOUNCEMENTS: TRANSITIONS:
Does it seem possible that it has been one year since the XXIV General Chapter? Father General and the General Council have finished their first year in office. The work on forming the 5 Conferences continues and everywhere around the world Redemptorists continue to Preach the Gospel Ever Anew! With renewed hope, renewed hearts and renewed structures!
We conceived the idea in 2006. We started it in January of 2007. We have finished it in 2010. Well, almost! As originally conceived, the Center for Redemptorist Spirituality and the Office of Communications have finished the series on Virtual Pilgrimages of Places of Redemptorist Origins: Scala, Ciorani, Pagani, Marianella/Naples, Materdomini, Muro Lucano and Deliceto. These are available in each of our seven internet languages http://cssr.com/tour/english/one.html . They are also accessible by clicking on the “Virtual Pilgrimages” menu button of the main www.cssr.com menu. Having completed our original objective, we have decided to add two more programs in the future: St. Agatha of the Goths, the diocese where Saint Alphonsus served as bishop, and Places in Rome of interest to Redemptorists. Meanwhile, continue to enjoy the present content that gives you a flavor of our Redemptorist origins and, if you already haven’t, a longing to visit them in person some day.
For those who know the Italian language, we have added a new service to our www.cssr.tv page, in the silver menu area below the video screen: It is the Province of Naple’s TV station, Telenuova 2. Each day they broadcast some very specific Redemptorist shows about Redemptorists and Redemptorist places in Italian.
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On Tuesday, November 23 at the 7:30 a.m. Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, the Baltimore Province will present Archbishop Timothy Dolan with two icons of our Lady of Perpetual Help. One icon will be placed in the Archbishop's sacristy, and the other will be placed in the Archbishop's residence. Archbishop Dolan has a strong devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. It has been the dream of the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province to get the icon into the Cathedral itself, but that has not come to pass. However, they are happy that Our Lady of Perpetual Help will be present in the sacristy and residence.
We remind you once more, that in addition to our monthly SCALA newsletter, you may find updated news about Redemptorists and Redemptorists apostolates daily at www.redemptorist.info Grace and Redemption for All! Lviv, Ukraine
Zimbabwe
As Zimbabwean Redemptorists and true sons of St Alphonsus, we strongly believe in Jesus Christ, our Most Holy Redeemer and we are determined to respond to God’s love for us by giving our lives. This is heritage that we have received in the last fifty years and we cherish it dearly. We know, as Redemptorists everywhere do, that giving our lives for plentiful redemption has serious implications. On the personal level it calls each one of us to continual conversion. To be a Redemptorist is to be always seeking for a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, a closer following of the Redeemer and a more profound witness of the new life in the Holy Spirit. “Giving our lives for plentiful redemption,” means dying to self in order that we can live the plentiful life of Jesus Christ. And that is not easy, but it is possible. It is possible through the help of God, the support that we give one another in community, the help we receive from those who we are sent give witness, who in their own way also give witness to us that in the Lord there is plentiful redemption. Giving our lives for plentiful redemption has serious implications in a world where people are tempted to give their lives for lesser values. In a world that is increasingly abandoning God, we make a strong act of faith to give our lives for plentiful redemption. Thus we have the courage to meet the world, to engage it fearlessly, to sustain a meaningful dialogue with it and to hold out to it the hope that our faith gives us. In Zimbabwe, the challenges to our faith are many today, and that makes it even more worthwhile to give our lives for plentiful redemption. Giving our lives for plentiful redemption has serious implications, both favourable and unfavourable. As Redemptorists we are called to give of ourselves in season and out of season. The vicissitudes of the past fifty years and of our present times, in Zimbabwe, challenge us to be the true Redemptorist missionaries described in our Constitution 20: “Strong in faith, rejoicing in hope, burning with charity, on fire with zeal, in humility of heart, and persevering in prayer, Redemptorists as apostolic men and genuine disciples of Saint Alphonsus follow Christ the Redeemer with hearts full of joy; denying themselves and always ready to undertake what is demanding, they share in the mystery of Christ and proclaim it in Gospel simplicity of life and language, that they may bring to people plentiful redemption.” This is the portrait of the beloved confreres who have gone before us. It is the portrait that we envisage for the present day Zimbabwean Redemptorist in the wake of the fiftieth anniversary of our presence here. This is what makes giving our lives for plentiful redemption challenging and exciting, profoundly engaging and life-giving. This golden jubilee is a watershed for us in Zimbabwe. We celebrate it at a time when we are now a completely indigenous group. Many of our expatriate predecessors would have loved to see this day but they did not. Their labour was not wasted, their toil not in vain – they planted and watered the seed that we now harvest abundantly. This redoubles our gratitude to them. They are a powerful witness in spirit, and an enthusiastic presence in our hearts, wherever they are; abroad and in heaven. We celebrate giving our lives to plentiful redemption at this critical moment, when we are heeding the message of the XXIV General Chapter: “To preach the Gospel ever anew: renewed hope, renewed hearts, renewed structures for mission.” Together with other Redemptorists on the African Continent, we are searching for ways of consolidating our presence and responding with a faith characteristic of our congregation to the needs of mission in Africa.
Province of Bangkok Editor’s note: Father Joe Maier, C.Ss.R. is the founder and director of the Human Development Foundation in Klong Toey, Bangkok. It's funny what it takes sometimes to turn a life around. For Cookie Crumb James, all it took was a tasty meal - in the form of cookies. And crumbs. He arrived a total mess. Basket Case Material. Couldn't
walk, couldn't crawl. Barely spoke (or didn't want to), large
industrial-sized migraines that fried his brains. Not a
friend in this world. He was born with HIV and has AIDS. Perfect example
of a "Throw Away Kid." He couldn't have been more than eight
years old. Size extra-large for a HIV-AIDS kid. That means
normal size for an ordinary eight year old. Scarred face - bad
left eye. Shingles (Herpes Zoster) did that. But he ain't ugly!
He's our Cookie Crumb James. You'd like him if you met him. Great
lop-sided Grin. So much for valor. We rarely do such ribbon ceremonies. In our eleven years with AIDS children, we've only bestowed a ribbon of honor once before - to a very special girl (but that's a story for another day). Cookie Crumb James of the Soiled Ribbon decided to get better. Though not right away. Nothing is ever that easy. The effort and energy you need to get well - wanting to live - can be an unbelieveably difficult decision. But eventually - make the decision he did. Probably for lots of heavy-duty type awesome reasons. But heck! - on the surface, like so many of our own "Calls" -that flip our own lives up side down - Cookie Crumb James' biggest reason seemed so simple. It happened like this: We took all the HIV/AIDS kids to a restaurant and "carted" Young James along. The food was normal fare - add-water-stir-slowly-to-simmer-for three minutes kind of grub. But Young James went bonkers over this stuff. Claimed it was the best food he ever tasted. "Awesome." So one of our very smart house moms cut a deal on the spot. "Kid, I'll change your 'Huggies' quick when you stink, and when your bottom itches if you promise to walk. When you walk, or even crawl, we'll all come here again - in your honor." The house mom figured that if she could get this kid up on his pins, walking, then when he got "that morning urge" they could point him towards the toilet. One less stinky bottom. A smart lady! The other kids picked up on this and began getting in Cookie Crumb James' face about it - said he was scared to walk, a sissy, making him cry. making him angry. But they didn't enjoy being downwind from Young James either. He had a knack!!! Oh he had a smelly knack! Plus another reason to get out of the hospice. But back to our first meeting with Cookie Crumb James... They brought him in a taxi from another Hospice. Said they couldn't deal with his Tuberculosis plus HIV-AIDS. Maybe they could, maybe they couldn't - that wasn't our call. End of the road for a double throwaway dead-end kid. And he smelled. Stunk. In those first moments with us, while still propped up in the wheel chair, dripping poop, whimpering, somehow you knew he was one of those special kids. That "I dare you to take care of me and love me. Go ahead, just try, and I'll get better" look was in his face. Maybe all kids are that way. We probably were too. Lugging him into an empty bed, the house mom slipped, grabbed his shirt, but she didn't let go. He hit his head, screamed, but she did catch him. That's all it took. Young James knew someone cared. The first kid he met was Master Nok Yak (meaning "Giant Bird" in Thai) who is a scrawny half-the-time sick, almost-eight-year-old kid with AIDS who looks like a five- year-old, even after a full meal. Nok Yak walked over to the bed and held Cookie Crumb James by the hand. Offered him a bite of his cookie. Looking him over. Sizing him up. But something happened: they clicked. It was going to be okay. Cookies could be shared. Both of them throw-away kids - but who cares, as long as there is a supply of cookies. The rest would take care of itself. For almost a year Cookie Crumb James wasn't fun. Didn't
like himself very much. Didn't like what the Virus was doing to him. Spent
a lot of time in bed with raging headaches. They massaged his forehead 10
to 15 minutes a couple of times a day ...then an ice cold cloth.
He would stop whimpering till the cloth warmed or he fell asleep. And his friendship with Giant Bird blossomed. At mealtime, almost eight-year-old scrawny Master Nok Yak would wander over to Cookie Crumb James' bed and help feed him. The first spoonful 'in the mouth', the second spoonful slipped 'accidentally' - ho! ho! ho! - smearing food in his face and hair. Sometimes, Cookie Crumb James would cry and sometimes, when the headache wasn't too bad, he and Giant Bird would giggle and laugh. But he was eating regularly again and gaining strength. One day, when the food smearing wasn't fun, he kicked Nok Yak with his good leg and Nok Yak started to cry and kicked back. Cookie Crumb James cried, too. Trouble. The house mom reprimanded them both with some sharp words - mostly because she had a fight with her drunk husband the night before and a few other kids in her care were also needing her attention, and not for breaking up fights. So Young James got stubborn - said he could feed himself. It started off with his mouth in the plate, like a puppy dog. But the other kids made fun of him, and he got his good arm in action and started to hold a spoon. Kind of. The house mom would scold Cookie Crumb James encouragingly everytime she scrubbed his face and washed his hair. Called him a sissy. But she knew the rules, she knew how much Cookie Crumb James could handle. Some women just know these things. So when Nok Yak, alias Giant Bird, teased mean or played too hard, she chased him away. A beat-up slum lady with an end-of-the-line job. Caring for dead-end throw away kids and cleaning toilets. But she loves kids - can't help herself. Forced into a not-wanted "mom" job. Trying not to get too close like a real mom. She has her own kids. Tattoos and trouble, but they are healthy and not sick. Cookie Crumb James - he isn't going to make it. She doesn't know if she can handle the visit to our neighborhood, slum-friendly Temple, where Cookie Crumb James and his AIDS pals like Giant Bird make that last journey. To go and not to return. To sleep and not wake. Not to come back. Death with no Escape. He's been with us 17 months. Nine years of age, starting first kindergarten. A year behind his friend Giant Bird. Cookie Crumb James can't see well out of his left eye, but his right eye is almost fine. The daytime "Huggies" are gone - he can talk clearly (when he tries) and he understands everything. The house mom knows he's partial to cookies, so she loads up his lunch with a few and he shares them with everyone and cries when there's none left for himself. Several weeks back he trashed his makeshift wheel chair. A
bright red toy cart with a round steering wheel. No pedals,
just rubber wheels, so he propelled it by pushing forward on
the floor with his good leg. Oh boy, did he and Giant Bird
ever 'total out' that poor wheelchair cart. And then one day they got up from a crash and the wheels were bent and the cart wouldn't move. So James took his first steps and Giant Bird held onto him until they both fell down. They giggled and laughed on the floor. Stayed down there a good while, resting, because kids with AIDS can play hard but they don't have a lot of energy and it takes them a long time to catch their breath. But get up they finally did. Cookie Crumb James took a step. And another. And another. In the coming days and weeks, he'd walk, stumble and fall. Then one day, he stumbled down stairs. Oh Dear! That house mom said he could just "stay there forever," for all she cared, "Sleep down there." But if he wanted any food, he'd just have to climb the stairs himself. It took him all afternoon. A kindly volunteer who happens to be a physiotherapist with oodles of patience coached him up. Now Young James walks about 150 meters to kindergarten every day, falling down half-a-dozen times. Not too shabby for a throwaway kid. Guess the hospice who dumped him didn't know. How could they know he was Cookie Crumb James of the Soiled Ribbon? We know little about his past. Only that his parents were
itinerant construction workers. A mom dead from AIDS, maybe a dad
and maybe a Grandma somewhere. For sure, there's a healthy sister
one year older. We're trying to find her. We don't think she knows
about the fate of her brother.. Last Saturday morning, after Medicine time, and breakfast, the house mom baked some cookies with the children. Out in the yard is a small cement pond with lily pads and tadpoles and some pond fish. Cookie Crumb James had located a fishing hook and some string. Giant Bird was feeling better so they stuffed their pockets with fresh-baked cookies. They grinned at each other while walking over to the pond. Maybe the fish were interested in cookies too. You never know. He came to us a child without time and without space. Cookie Crumb James.
For more information: www.mercycentre.org
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PROFILE:
Rome Editor’s note: Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda, C.Ss.R. of Iraq came to Rome to participate in the Special Synod of Bishops on the Middle East and also joined in the festivities for Archbishop Tobin. We sat down with Archbishop Bashar for a conversation about his life and work in Iraq. A week after this interview, terrorists attacked a Syrian Catholic Church in Baghdad with heavy loss of life, incuding a priest. SCALA: What is the history of your vocation? Archbishop Bashar: I entered the seminary in 1981. Our house was near the seminary. Before I entered the seminary, we were always around and the seminarians were teaching catechism to us. I admired them. My first, real experience of a call to the priesthood came during the war of 1991. The first Gulf War. Then I was in my first year of theology The bombing was everywhere. We had nothing to do, just to go to the church and be with the young people.. The nights were so long. We had to stay awake because of the bombing. We were always huddled in groups of a dozen or so young people in very limited spaces. During the night so many issues and concerns were expressed by young people: asking me about the gospel, asking me about the sacraments, about the mission of the church …asking, asking asking. During the days these discussions were deepened more and more in asking about their vocation as lay people. At the same time, I was asked about my own decision to become a priest. During these days I realized a deepening of my own call and there were always the examples of Father Vincent van Vossel, C.Ss.R. and the other Redemptorists serving in Iraq. After the war, I spoke with the late Father Frans Van Stappan, C.Ss.R., my spiritual director. He told me it would be difficult to transfer to the Redemptorists at that time. After he died, I asked another Redemptorist, Father Luciens Cop, C.Ss.R. to be my spiritual director. I was ordained a priest in 1993 for the Chaldean rite. Right after that I had to do my compulsory military service. During that time, Father Lasso, the former Superior General of the Redemptorists, had occasion to visit the country. At that time there was doubt about accepting seminarians for the Redemptorist mission, but nevertheless, Father Lasso said the Redemptorists could accept me. Everything went well to my surprise. I asked the Patriarch to allow me to continue my vocation as a Redemptorist and he accepted. I went to the Redemptorist novitiate in Dublin in 1999 and then back to Iraq to work as a Redemptorist giving spiritual retreats, retreats to the young people, teaching at the Bible college and on fundamental issues of moral theology. In 2002 we were asked to take responsibility for a parish, one of the largest parishes in southern Baghdad, which at the time had 3000 families. At the end of 2006, because of the violence, I was asked to direct the major seminary of the Chaldean church. I moved the seminary away from the violence to the northern part of the country to continue the mission of the seminary there and built a building there. I always tried to make it clear that I worked always as a happy Redemptorist. The years of 2004 to 2006 were difficult because of dealing with so many issues not related to the priesthood. But especially at a time when there was no government, no state, and no reference for the people, the people would always knock on the door of the Church to look for solutions to their problems. I felt there was need to minister to people coming to our land of Abraham, our father in faith. Abraham went from his land to other lands. Now other people were coming to the land of Abraham. I felt there was a need to minister to our brothers and sisters in the U.S. army. Because I knew some English, I felt a need to minister to them, to say Mass, hear confessions, to encourage them in their faith. And at the same time, I was a bridge between the Shia, Sunni and Christian people of our area and the Americans .Sometimes I had to tell the Americans that their presence had caused this or that in the lives of our people. I must say they were definitely listening, but sometimes the ability to do something was beyond their capacity and authority to decide. But this is the history and times of my ministry. (Editor’s note: It is worth noting and including that on July 3, 2010, Archbishop Bashar was ordained archbishop and took possession of the Archeparchy of Erbil, Iraq).
This migration of people makes pastoral planning extremely difficult. It is difficult to plan an agenda for the year – even six months ahead. Security issues also effect planning. But the surviving Churches are full for services. The people continue to come to Church under very difficult circumstances. This gives us encouragement and hope. The pastors and the people are encouraging one another. I remember in February when the violence started in Mossul and they were killing a Christian every single day for 14 days, I went to visit Archbishop Emil Nona in Mossul, who had just been ordained archbishop, and we were visiting the houses in very dangerous areas, but you would be amazed at the enthusiasm of the people. When the Archbishop called for a meeting or a service the people would turn out and fill the churches. It was their way of responding to the violence and demonstrating the trust they have in Jesus Christ. It is truly amazing. This was occurring even during the height of the violence in Iraq. SCALA: How many priest do you have? Archbishop Bashar: I have 10 active priests and 2 retired -- for a total of 12. My diocese is Erbil, in the northern region and is very secure. But I have the pastoral pressure of 4000 families that fled the violence of Baghdad and Mossul. Some of the churches in Baghdad and Mossul were closed. But I have had to build churches. In three years I have built 2 churches, each with 1000 people. There is a great need. SCALA: How is the Church’s infrastructure? Archbishop Bashar: Next month we are laying the foundation of a new Church and hopefully of a new school. But In Baghdad and Mossul, as I told you, 7 to 8 Chaldean churches had to be closed because the whole area was under threat. The schools were nationalized in 1974. We have gained back some of them, but not all. SCALA: Are you in contact with the diaspora? Archbishop Bashar: Yes, by e-mail, internet and regular correspondence. SCALA: How do you build for the future? For example, how do you prepare for the future of the Church in Iraq if men entering the priesthood today do not want to stay in the homeland for fear and choose to minister to the immigrant Iraqis outside of Iraq rather than in their own country? Is it a problem? Archbishop Bashar: It is a problem. And we have faced this problem. We have discussed among the Archbishops and priests that it is very important that we Archbishops and priests also all witness, not just the people. If the people are still there in the country the priests should be there too. In our day we also studied outside the country and there were hundreds of reasons that would have called us to stay abroad, and the possibility that we could, but we decided to go back because that’s where we started. If the Church would need us to go abroad, it should be done in a canonical way. So we have made this issue clear. If our people are giving us the hope, then we should be with them. We have had priests who have been abroad and returned to Iraq. They were called to come back and they did. One was called back to Baghdad and has won the trust of so many priests there that the Chaldean patriarch has asked the Redemptorists to be responsible for a Chaldean church in the heart of Baghdad. If an Iraqi vocation feels called to serve in the diaspora, then he should speak frankly to the people and have the blessing of the people and the Archbishop to serve the diaspora -- from the community that gave life to his call to the priesthood. The people of the diaspora, to be sure, deserve to be served and the work is wonderful and demanding. Our priests can do wonderful pastoral work, but I myself believe the process should be canonical. It would not be difficult; not difficult at all. SCALA: Is Iraq still a dangerous place for priests and religious? (Editor’s note: This question was asked before the terrorist attack of November 1st) Archbishop Bashar: There was a danger, and there still is some. Most Iraqis, when they start their day, leave their home and don’t know whether they will be back or not. Everyone will tell you this - from the president of Iraq to the very poor people living in remote areas. You don’t know whether there will be a kidnapping or an explosion or who knows. There is a need for priests in so many places in Iraq and in the diaspora too. Eighty per cent of priests serving the diaspora are from Iraq. A few are born in the USA or in Europe. It is Iraq giving the priests. I come back to the issue that if you are properly sent to serve the diaspora it will be blessed because it would be official. But if individuals decide on their own not to go back, I think, it won’t encourage the people in the homeland. Mossul, for example, one of the most dangerous areas, has 8 vocations in the seminary in Iraq. SCALA: How might you imagine future religious and priestly formation for Iraqi vocations?
SCALA: You are participating in the special Synod of Archbishops on the Middle East. What are your impressions of it? Archbishop Bashar: The Synod has occasioned calling attention to the region and the plight of the Christian communities. The Synod reminds us that we are living the virtue of solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Middle East. The attention of the whole Church now is fixed on the problems of the Middle East. It is difficult for the Synod -- and people know this -- that the Synod does not have all the means to solve all the problems. After this Synod, the leaders of the church will be more aware of the conditions there and its responsibility to the Archbishops and people of the Middle East. We have also a “Christian crisis” of people who are leaving our Catholic churches and joining Protestant sects. We have had time to raise the questions about our pastoral plans and preaching the gospel and our way of approaching our people about these questions. The Synod, as a phenomenon, has been appreciated. As for solving the economic, social and political issues, we can do little. We can become more aware of our responsibility as a “bridge” for reconciliation and maintaining peace among communities. We can constantly remind everyone how important it is to live in a peaceful and respectful society. The expectations of the people are realistic. They know the Church can do little in facing so many issues. We are victims too of the difficulties, which are more political, economic and social in origin. Every member of the Synod will take with them these questions: As Pastors, what can we do for our communities? How are we preaching the gospel. Are we preaching the gospel as good news or just giving “information” about the Christian religion. We give lots of good information about Christianity, but the responsibility is living Christianity and not just teaching Christianity so the gospel will be accepted as good news. We have observed the overwhelming witness of the people for Christ. That should be appreciated. That’s the reason for the first part of the “final message” that is being prepared by the Synod. The first greeting is to our lay people, because they are really the sign of God, the sign of witness and the sign of communion. They are the ones who are always there to encourage each other and they are the ones who are giving vocations and trying to help maintain their Christianity in clear ways. The bishops of the Middle East churches plan on holding their own regional synod next year to continue to address these issues. SCALA: What would you like to say to the Redemptorists around the world who will read this? Archbishop Bashar: Being a Redemptorsit is a gift and responsibility. It is a gift from the church and for the church. We have to receive it in joyful heart and it won’t be an easy way. There are so many challenges and demands. At the end of the day at least we will be always poor in our prayer to God in a way that in giving what we give, we feel that we have received more than what we gave. But still that is what God would always like us to be. He gives to us and expects that in turn we share that with our brothers and sisters. In sharing there is fullness of joy, especially when you see it in the eyes of those who receive it from you. When they say thank you experience a great interior joy. I would also like to ask all the Redemptorists to pray for the church in Iraq. It is the church of the martyrs and a church of witness. It would be a great loss to the whole Church if the church in Iraq was lost due to the crisis in the Middle East. Raising awareness among all our communities would be part of our task as Redemptorists because we are all over the world now. Maybe someone would like to know more about the church in Iraq and you could go easily to the internet and find lots of articles about the Church and the daily witness that our people are giving to their Christianity. We could spread this information around to all the people who might want to help. Since we are all over the world, we know important people, responsible people. Maybe we can help the Church by spreading the word that the ordinary people of Iraq, Christians and Muslims alike, deserve a better life and would like to stay in Iraq in peace and freedom. SCALA: Thank you Archbishop Bashar for your time and reflections. Archbishop Bashar: Thank you! Editor’s note: Please visit http://www.cssrb.com/ for more information about the Redemptorists and the Church in Iraq.
The October attack on Catholics in Iraq "Iraqi Christians are now terrified and in shock. They are faced with a terrible dilemma: emigrate and save the lives of their loved ones, or stay in the country and witness to the faith, risking death." This was according to Fr. Vincent Van Vossel, C.Ss.R., Superior of the Redemptorists order of Catholic priests in Baghdad, after the massacre that took place October 31 in the Syrian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Salvation.
VIA MERULANA Rome, Italy Editor’s note: Many confereres around the world watched Archbishop Tobin’s episcopal ordination live on the internet. By now, most confreres have also seen the photo galleries and the videos on www.redemptorist.info and elsewhere. Here are two written accounts that describe the images in detail. Special thanks to the Denver Province newletter Denverlink, and to Provincial Fr. Tom Picton for sharing this account of the historic moment for the Congregation. Thomas Picton, C.Ss.R. October 8, 2010 This is not how I envisioned beginning the celebration of Joe’s episcopal ordination! I had the right person in mind, but mistaken identities -- perhaps it’s just normal behavior for a tired Provincial with jet lag! Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that my last official visit to Rome as Provincial would be to attend the episcopal ordination of a former student, Superior General Emeritus and confrere of the Denver Province as the result of an appointment by Pope Benedict XVI to a very important dicastery in the Vatican – the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life commonly known as the “Congregation for Religious.” It seemed surreal that a Redemptorist, no less a confrere and a member of our Province, was about to be thrust onto the “IMAX” stage of worldwide leadership in the Church, with responsibility concerning the lives of most religious men and women in the world. It seemed incredible that this was actually happening - was it just a dream or was it real?! Joe’s family and friends gathered in the house chapel of Casa Sant’Alfonso to celebrate the Eucharist - his last Mass as Fr. Joseph Tobin, as one of his classmates noted. Among others present, those from the Denver Province included Frs. Joe Dorcey, John Vargas, Bill Bueche, Bernie Carlin, John Steingraeber, Gary Ziuraitis and Tom Santa. Other classmates and confreres included Fr. Henry Beauchamp from Puerto Rico, Fr. Phil Dabney from Boston, MA and Fr. Pete Sousa from the Vice-Province of Richmond. Also present were Fr. Marty Laumann, a former confrere of the Denver Province currently serving in the Archdiocese of Manuas, Brazil, Fr. Don Miniscalco, C.Ss.R., a distinguished professor of Patristics from Joe’s student days at the major seminary in Esopus , and a good friend and former confrere Peter Tran. Fr. Pat Woods, Provincial of the Baltimore Province, arrived Saturday morning in time for the ordination that afternoon.  Just before Mass began, Joe’s classmates presented him with a gift. Fr. Beauchamp had the honor of making the presentation. From where I was sitting, the gift appeared to be something in the shape of a home plate from a baseball game. I knew that shortly after the announcement of Joe’s appointment as Archbishop-Elect he attended a Detroit Tigers baseball game with family and friends, so I thought that perhaps someone was able to obtain a souvenir home plate from the Detroit Tigers! The mystery gift was not a home plate, but a miter with an embroidered image of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. (Joe actually wore the miter during a Mass of Thanksgiving in honor of his ordination at St. Alphonsus Church and Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help on Sunday, October 10.) After Mass, the evening concluded with pizza and good cheer hosted by the Tobin family at the often-frequented nearby Galilei pizzeria. October 9, 2010 Joe was addressed as “Most Reverend” while serving as Superior General. Although he will keep the same title, there would be a transformation for him to a new reality as Archbishop Tobin. As I entered St. Peter’s on my way to the sacristy, I could see a large athletic figure just beneath the main altar magnificently dressed in purple episcopal garb greeting what appeared to be family members and special guests. I suddenly realized that I was seeing Archbishop-Elect Tobin with his new official persona for the first time – and it was an impressive sight. What a transformation in style from the previous evening spent with family and friends at the local pizzeria! It seemed so different from the Fr. Joe Tobin, C.Ss.R.– priest, missionary, confrere often clad in jeans and tee-shirt mingling with the people in the streets and slums of the third- and fourth-worlds – the Joe Tobin many of us know!
The episcopal ordination was celebrated at the main altar in St. Peter’s Basilica – the Papal altar – to accommodate the large group of well-wishers invited to the ceremony. The music was Gregorian Chant sung by the Inter-University Chorus of Rome accompanied by the Brass Sextet “Euphonos” with Juan Pardell Sole at the organ. The entire service was nothing less than spectacular from the standpoint of music, liturgy and ambiance in the largest and most famous basilica in the world! At the end of the ordination Mass during the Te Deum, Archbishop Tobin and the other episcopal ordinandi processed through St. Peter’s bestowing their first episcopal blessings to the vast crowd in attendance. Mirroring our own Redemptorist tradition, everything ended with the “Salve Regina” before the final procession. I have tried to recount these two beautiful, eventful and very memorable days in Rome. They were inspiring and exhilarating, and sent my spirit soaring. Congratulations, Joe! You will always be our confrere, and the Denver Province is your home away from Rome! Please be assured of our kindest regards and prayers. May the Most Holy Redeemer always be with you, with grace and blessings through the intercession of St. Alphonsus, all of our brother Redemptorist Saints and Blesseds, and Our Mother of Perpetual Help! Rome, ItalyA Special Sunday at the General House The Homecoming of Archbishop Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R. Gary Ziuraitis, C.Ss.R.
At 6:30 p.m. the faithful filled Sant’Alfonso Church to over-flowing for the liturgy. For the homecoming the facade of the Church was decked out in the Papal and American flags and posters of Archbishop Tobin’s coat of arms. The pews were draped with white linen. Arrangements of gold and white margaritas and chrysanthemums abundantly adorned the sanctuary under the gaze of the original and miraculous image of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. Redemptorists from all over the world processed into the church two-by-two. Distinguished members of the procession were Father General Michael Brehl, Superior General Emeritus Juan Lasso de la Vega and Provincial Superior Tom Picton. Numerous Redemptorist bishops from around the world were also present such as Freire Gutemberg Regis, Bryan Bayda, Bohdan Dziurach, Bashar Warda, and José Ignacio Alemany Grau.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
USA, Province of Denver
At some point in the near future, the case will undergo proper scrutiny by Vatican authorities who will determine if the cure meets the criteria for the one miracle needed in Seelos’ canonization. Redemptorist Father Francis Xavier Seelos (1819-1867) was beatified at Saint Peter’s Square in Rome in the solemn Jubilee Year 2000. He was a man of joy and deep prayer, whose kindness and zeal attracted many people to the sacraments. Known to many as a powerful intercessor, his sacred remains are located at the National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos in New Orleans, Louisiana. You are kindly urged to pray for his canonization. For more information visit: www.seelos.org
Province Of Lisbon
Recent noteworthy events in the Redemptorist Family. For a complete record of Transitions visit the Officialia site First Profession of Temporary Vows: Profession of Perpetual Vows: Ordinations to the Priesthood: Deaths: Jubilees – December 2010: 60th Anniversary of Profession: 60th Anniversary of Ordination: 50th Anniversary of Profession: 25th Anniversary of Ordination: Electoral News: Father Vincent Phạm Trung Thành elected Provincial Superior of the Province of Vietnam. Confirmed September 10, 2010. Father Luís Rodrigues Batista elected Provincial Superior of the Province of São Paulo. Confirmed September 24, 2010. Father Lawrence Kaufmann elected Provincial Superior of the Province of South Africa. Confirmed October 5, 2010. Father Gonzalo Rascón Rivera elected Provincial Superior of the Province of México. Confimred October 5, 2010. Father Jorge Gómez Rueda elected Provincial Superior of the Province of Bogotá. Confirmed October 5, 2010. Father Noel Antonio Londoño Buitrago elected Provincial Vicar of the Province of Bogotá. Confirmed October 5, 2010. Father John Britto Arulanandam Selsus elected Provincial Superior of the Province of Bangalore. Confirmed October 11, 2010. Father Roger Michel elected Provincial Superior of the Province of Lyon-Paris. Confrmed October 14, 2010. Father François Vannier elected Provincial Vicar of the Province of Lyon-Paris. Confirmed October 14, 2010. Father Seán Wales elected Provincial Vicar of the Province of South Africa. Confirmed October 14, 2010. Father Fábio Bento da Costa elected Provincial Superior of the Province of Goiás. Confirmed October 22, 2010. Father Luis Mauricio Pizarro Bugueño elected Provincial Superior of the Province of Santiago. Confirmed October 22, 2010. Father Robson de Oliveira Pereira elected Vicar Provincial of the Province of Goiás. Confirmed October 22, 2010. Father Joaquim Parron Maria elected Provincial Superior of the Province of Campo Grande. Confirmed October 24, 2010. Father Manuel Cruz Meza elected Vice Provincial Superior of the Vice Province of San Salvador. Confirmed October 26, 2010. Father Sixto Benigno Guerrero Vásquez elected Provincia Superior of the Province of Quito. Confirmed October 26, 2010.
Members of the General Secretariat for the Order of the Most Holy
Redeemer (Redemptoristines) for the 2009-2015 sexennium: Members of the Commission on Canonical Questions for the XXV General
Chapter for the 2009-2015 sexennium: Appointed Director of the Center for Spirituality, General Government
for the 2009-2015 sexennium: Appointed members of the Commission on the Supervision of the General House buildings for the 2009-2015 sexennium: Resignation accepted: Father Joseph W. Tobin resigned from being president of the Commission for Economic Solidarity. Accepted September 10, 2010. Appointed President of the Commission for Economic Solidarity until the next General Chapter, effective September 10, 2010. Father Michael Kelleher, C.Ss.R., Province of Dublin. Appointed September 10, 2010. Appointed Prefect of the Church of St. Alphonsus and Rector of the Sanctuary of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Rome: Father Luciano Panella, C.Ss.R., Province of Naples, until December 31, 2014. Appointed October 1, 2010. Suppression of Houses:
Domus “St. Clement’s” in the Province of Dublin in the city of Belfast, Ulster, Northern Domus in the Province of Rome in the city of Modena, Italia. Suppressed October 22, 2010. Domus in the Province of Rome in the city of Marzocca, Italia. Suppressed October 22, 2010.
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