REST IN THE PEACE OF THE LORD, PERE JACQUES HAMEL
ROUEN, FRANCE, JULY 26, 2016
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NEW MARTYR FOR CHRIST
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MESSENGER OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE 21st CENTURY
One of my new favorite people is a new auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Los Angeles
and the host of Catholicism, a groundbreaking, award-winning documentary about the Catholic Faith. Bishop Barron is a #1 Amazon bestselling author and has published numerous books, essays, and articles on theology and the spiritual life.
Bishop Robert Emmet Barron was born on November 19, 1959, in Chicago. He spent his childhood first in Detroit, then in the Chicago
Bishop Barron discovered Thomas Aquinas when he was a freshman in high school where he was educated by Benedictines. He was ordained a priest in 1986 by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. He earned his M.A. at Catholic University of America, where he had won the Basselin Scholarship in philosophy and public speaking. He is a Doctor of Sacred Theology under the pontifical system from the Institut Catholique de Paris in 1992. In addition to his native English, he is fluent in French, Spanish, German, and Latin.
He was the Professor of Faith and Culture at University of St. Mary of the Lake near Chicago
Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles gave each of the three forthcoming auxiliary bishops pectoral crosses modeled after the one Pope Francis wears, noting that Bishop Barron's media talent and rapport with young people, as well as his outreach to other faiths and to the world of culture (including with non-believers and non-practicing or fallen away Catholics) and education, would be good for the archdiocese. Bishop Barron's website, WordOnFire.org, reaches millions of people each year. His regular YouTube videos have been viewed over 14 million times. Next to Pope Francis, he is the most-followed Catholic leader on social media.
In 2000 Barron launched "Word on Fire Catholic Ministries", a non-profit organization, that supports his evangelistic endeavors. Word on Fire programs have been broadcast regularly on WGN America,EWTN, Telecare, Relevant Radio and the Word on Fire YouTube Channel. His Word on Fire website offers daily blogs, articles, commentaries and over ten years of weekly sermon podcasts. Bishop Barron's pioneering work in evangelizing through the new media led Francis Cardinal George to describe him as “one of the Church’s best messengers.”
I advise everyone to tune into Youtube to watch this riveting messenger of Christ. He is bright, funny, warm, and most definitely a man who loves Christ and the Church. As I write this he is in Krakow, Poland for World Youth Day and daily sending news.
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20 CENTURY HOLY WRITER
When we are young in formation some writers have a profound effect on our religious development. Recently I read the Archdiocese of Munich, Germany, will soon open a cause for the beatification of the theologian ROMANO GUARDINI, one of my favorite spiritual masters.
He was born in Verona , Italy in 1885 but soon after his birth, his family moved to the city of Mainz , Germany University of Munich St. Augustine Mainz.
Father Guardini taught at the University of Berlin University of Tübingen and the University of Munich
He had a powerful influence on the thought of both Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI. The former once considered making Father Guardini the subject of his doctoral dissertation.
According to Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles province of Argentina , Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) began his doctoral studies in Germany
Father Guardini's master work, The Spirit of the Liturgy, was the inspiration for a book of the same title by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. But the book he is perhaps most famous for, and one of our favorites is The Lord.
Romano Guardini was one of the first to offer to the modern world a vision of the Church nurturing the flourishing of free personality within community.
“The Church is not an institution devised and built at table, but a living reality. She lives along the course of time by transforming Herself, like any living being, yet Her nature remains the same. At Her heart is Christ.”
He died in Munich
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SLOVAK SAINTLY BISHOP
Today I had an email from one of our friends in the Czech Republic (with photo) that he was just married in Pilsen, so thought it appropriate to do a Blog on this new Blessed of the Church. I visited the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1998 and still think fondly of the beauty of the countries and the people.
BL. BASIL HOPKO was born in the Rusyn village of Hrabské, in the Sáros County of the Kingdom of Hungary (present-day eastern Slovakia). His parents, Basil and Anna, were landless peasants. While Basil was still an infant, his father was struck by lightning and died. His mother left him in care of her father, while she emigrated to the United States in search of work. When Basil was 7 he was sent to live with his uncle Demeter Petrenko, a Greek Catholic priest.
He attended the Evangelical gymnasium in Prešov, then Czechoslovakia, graduating with honors in 1923. He then studied at the Eparchial Seminary in Prešov. He had dreams of joining his mother in America
He served as a pastor till 1936 at the Greek Catholic parish in Prague, the Czechoslovak capital, where he was known for his focus on the poor, the unemployed, and students. His mother returned from America after 22 years and rejoined her son in Prague
In 1936 he returned to teach in Prešov's Eparchial Seminary, and was awarded the title of monsignor. He had already begun graduate studies at Charles University while in Prague , and completed his Doctor of Theology in 1940 at Comenius University in Bratislava. In Prešov he headed the eparchy's publishing division, where he edited a monthly periodical.
After World War II, a growing Soviet Bolshevik influence caused Bishop Pavol Peter Gojdič of Prešov (our next Blog) to ask the Vatican for an Auxiliary Bishop to help defend the Greek Catholic Church. Bl. Basil was appointed to the post in 1947. The Communist take-over of Czechoslovakia Rome
During the Prague Spring the Czechoslovak government legally cleared Bl. Basil on 13 June 1968 and the Prešov Eparchy was restored. However, activists insisted that a Slovak bishop be appointed to the See, and the Vatican
Bl. Basil died in Prešov at age 72 on 23 July 1976. On 14 September 2003 Pope John Paul II beatified him at a ceremony in Bratislava , Slovakia
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ANOTHER HOLY SLOVAK BISHOP
BLESSED PAVEL PETER GOJDIC was a Rusyn-Slovak Basilian monk and the bishop of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Prešov. He was martyred by the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2001 and recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem in 2007.
Pavel Gojdic (pronunciation Goydich) was born In 1888 at Ruske Peklany near Presov, the third child of the Byzantine Catholic priest Stefan Gojdic and his wife Anna Gerberyova. He received the name of Peter in baptism.
Peter began his study of theology at Presov and continued them a year later at the major seminary in Budapest. He and his brother Cornelius were ordained on August 27, 1911, after which Father Peter worked for a brief period as assistant parish priest with his father.
In the fall of 1912, after a short period of pastoral work, he was appointed prefect of the Eparchial Boarding School
Appointed Director of the Apostleship of Prayer, he became instrumental in spreading the practice of frequent confession and Holy Communion throughout the Eparchy of Mukachevo. He usually spent long hours, mostly at night, in the chapel before the tabernacle. In 1927 he was appointed titular Bishop of Harpasa and was consecrated on 25 March in the Roman Basilica of San Clemente.
After his episcopal ordination he visited the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome, where he prayed on the tomb of the Apostle. On March 29, 1927, together with Bishop Njaradi, he was received in a private audience by Pope Pius XI. The pope gave Bishop Pavol a gold pectoral cross, saying: "This cross is only a symbol of all those heavy crosses that you will have to carry during your episcopal ministry.“
Bishop Pavel had been named Apostolic Administrator of the Eparchy of Presov on September 14, 1926. His first official act of office was to address a pastoral letter on the occasion of the 1100th anniversary of the birth of St. Cyril, apostle of the Slavs. Bishop Pavel was proud of his Slavic heritage and was very fond of his oriental rite.
In 1940 the Pope appointed him Bishop of Presov, and for the year 1939 Apostolic Administrator of Mukacheve.
During the period before World War II, he decided to defend the Ruthenians (Belarusians, Russians, Ukrainians and Rusyns).
During the war the bishop helped refugees and prisoners, and rescued the inmates of concentration camps. On October 26, 1942, Slovak security services informed the Ministry of the Interior of a high number of fictitious conversions taking place. The report pointed out several cases where only one member of a Jewish family converted to Christianity in order to protect all the other members. Out of 249 Jewish families, 533 Jews had converted to the Greek Catholic or Russian Orthodox faith in order to rescue some 1500 other members of their families, who had not converted; moreover, most of those who had converted continued to actively practice Judaism either in the open or undercover.
On 28 April 1950, the Communist state outlawed the Greek Catholic Church and Bishop Pavel was arrested and interned. Jewish witnesses wrote a letter in his defense to the then-Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia
At the prison of Ruzyň an official informed him that from there he could go straight to Prešov, on condition that he was willing to become patriarch of the Orthodox Church in Czechoslovakia. He rejected the offer as an infidelity to the Pope and the faithful, and remained in prison.
He died of terminal cancer in the prison hospital of Leopoldov Prison in 1960, on his 72nd birthday. He was buried in an anonymous grave, n. 681, in the cemetery.
Blessed Pavel once said:: "For me, it is not important if I die in the Bishop's Palace or in prison; what matters is entering into Paradise ".
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JESUIT FRIEND OF THE SYRIANS
Continuing our theme of the Jesuits, I recently read that since the 1970s there have been over 30 Jesuit Martyrs from all over the world. The most recent isFATHER FRANS van der LUGT S.J., who began his ministry in Syria
Father Van der Lugt was born into a banker's family and grew up in Amsterdam Syria
Father van der Lugt started a community center and farm in 1980, the Al-Ard Center , just outside the city of Homs
After the siege of Homs
Father van der Lugt was known for helping Christians and Muslims alike; the Al-Ard Center Homs Syria
The February before his death he exemplified his love for his ministry in a comment to AFP, “The Syrian people have given me so much, so much kindness, inspiration and everything they have. If the Syrian people are suffering now, I want to share their pain and their difficulties,”
In an appeal to end violence in Homs and the rest of Syria
He always did good to all, with gratitude and love, and therefore he was loved and respected by Christians and Muslims. His brutal murder has filled me with deep pain and it made me think of a lot of people still suffering and dying in that tormented country, my beloved Syria, already too long in the throes of a bloody conflict, which continues to reap death and destruction. I also think of the many people abducted, both Christians and Muslims, in Syria
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ANOTHER SYRIAN JESUIT MARTYR
Why do I present these martyrs from far off places? To show the goodness and mercy of our fellow humans, who seek for peace for us all, and who die for the effort. As long as fanatics roam amidst us, there will be martyrs for the cause of justice, freedom and peace. Bishop Barron recently said that we have had more martyrs for the faith in the last century than in all the centuries since Christ combined! Staggering!
FATHER PAOLO DALL’OGLIO another Jesuit martyred in theMiddle East was an Italian born in 1954. He was exiled from Syria
FATHER PAOLO DALL’OGLIO another Jesuit martyred in the
In 1984, Father Dall'Oglio was ordained priest in the Syriac Catholic rite. In the same year, he obtained a degree in Arabic language and Islamic studies from Naples Eastern University "L'Orientale" and in Catholic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 1989, he obtained a PhD degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University
In 1992, he established the mixed monastic and ecumenical Community al-Khalil ("the Friend of God" - Biblical and Qu'ranic byname of the patriarch Abraham in Arabic language), dedicated to Muslim-Christian dialogue and located in the refurbished Deir Mar Musa.
In 2009, Father Dall'Oglio obtained the double honorary doctorate of the Université catholique de Louvain and the KU Leuven. He contributed regularly to the magazine "Popoli", the international magazine of the Italian Jesuits, established in 1915.
In 2011, Father Paolo Dall'Oglio wrote an article pleading for a peaceful democratic transition in Syria Homs
The Syrian government reacted sharply and issued an expulsion order. Paolo Dall'Oglio ignored the order for a couple of months and continued living in Syria Syria
In December 2012, Paolo Dall'Oglio was awarded the Peace Prize of the Italian region of Lombardy that is dedicated to persons having done extraordinary work in the field of peace building.
In late July 2013 Paolo Dall'Oglio entered rebel held territory in eastern Syria Ar-Raqqa
Before his kidnapping, he had served for three decades at the Deir Mar Musa, a 6th-century monastery 50 miles north of Damascus. He has been credited with the reconstruction of the Mar Musa complex and its reinvention as a center of interfaith dialogue.
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BENEDICTINE ARTIST FOR TODAY'S CHURCH
Several years ago, when doing some studies on Benedictine saints and birds, I came across a lovely painting of St. Meinrad though I could not find the artist's name. I have found him and here present some of his work.
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| Life of St. Meinrad |
BROTHER MARTIN ERSPAMER, O.S.B., (B. 1953) is a Benedictine monk of St. Menirad Archabbey in southern Indiana Marianist High School India Boston University
In 2004 Brother Martin became a monk himself, moving to St. Meinrad Archabbey. He has creatively renovated over fifty churches and his stained glass designs have transformed many worship spaces. Brother Martin's religious illustrations are well known and his art has been used on covers for many missals. His art celebrates the Benedictine motto - "that in all things may God be glorified."He also loves cooking and music.“The longer I stay in religious life, the more there is to learn and internalize. The monastery is a good place to learn. It is a school for conversion of heart and for charity. This is where I belong.”
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BLESSED FOR TURKEY
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| Raffi Yedalian- Sculptor |
BL. IGNATIUS MALOYAN the son of Melkon and Faridé, was born in 1869, in
After finishing his studies in 1896 he was ordained in the
His Beatitude Patriarch Boghos Bedros XII appointed him as his assistant in 1904. Because of a disease that hit his eyes, and suffering difficulty in breathing, he returned to
The Diocese of Mardin was in a state of anarchy, so Patriarch Sabbaghian sent Father Ignatius Maloyan to restore order.
In 1911 he was elected Archbishop of Mardin. He took over his new assignment and planned on renewing the sad state of affairs of the diocese, encouraging the devotion to the Sacred Heart. Unfortunately, at the outbreak of the First World War, the Armenians resident in
The Bishop gathered his priests and informed them of the dangerous situation. On June 3, 1915, Turkish soldiers dragged Bishop Maloyan in chains to court with twenty seven other Armenian Catholics. The next day, twenty five priests and eight hundred and sixty two believers were held in chains. During the trial, the chief of the police, Mamdooh Bek, asked the Bishop to convert to Islam. The bishop answered that he would never betray Christ and His Church.
Mamdooh Bek hit him on the head with the rear of his pistol with orders to put him in jail. The soldiers chained his feet and hands, threw him on the ground and hit him mercilessly. With each blow, the Bishop was heard saying "Oh Lord, have mercy on me, oh Lord, give me strength", and asked the priests present for absolution.
His mother visited him in jail and cried for his state. But the valiant Bishop encouraged her. On the next day, the soldiers gathered four hundred and forty seven Armenians. The bishop encouraged his parishioners to remain firm in their faith. Then all knelt with him as he prayed to God that they accept martyrdom with patience and courage. The Bishop took out a piece of bread, blessed it, recited the words of the Eucharist and gave it to his priests to distribute among the people.
One of the soldiers, an eye witness, recounted this scene: "That hour, I saw a cloud covering the prisoners and from all emitted a perfumed scent. There was a look of joy and serenity on their faces". After a two-hour walk, hungry, naked and chained, the soldiers attacked the prisoners and killed them before the Bishop's eyes. After the massacre Mamdooh Bek then asked Bishop Maloyan again to convert to Islam. The soldier of Christ answered: "I've told you I shall live and die for the sake of my faith and religion. I take pride in the Cross of my God and Lord". Mamdooh was furious. He drew his pistol and shot Bishop Maloyan. Before he breathed his last breath he cried out loud: "My God, have mercy on me; into your hands I commend my spirit".
I love the sculpture of RAFFI YEDALIAN (top of page), who born in Beirut
In 2015, he presented his painting of Bl. Ignatius to Pope Francis, in St. Peter's Basilica. This painting was then reproduced and issued as one of the Vatican's postage stamps.
The artist’s works are on view in permanent collections including in the Vatican
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MARTYRS IN MISSISSIPPI, AUGUST 25, 2016
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| Roy de Maistre, 1957 |
Living the beatitudes as given to us by Christ Himself, two selfless religious were brutally killed yesterday in the poorest state in our country. A senseless killing, has given us two women who gave their life to Christ, and now can rejoice with Him in His Kingdom. As long as you do it for one of these you do it for Me....
Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill, both 68 and nurse practitioners, were found dead Thursday morning in their home in Durant , Mississippi after they did not show up for work at the Lexington Medical Clinic, where they cared for people who couldn't afford medical care.
Sister Margaret was a member of the School Sisters of St Francis in Milwaukee and Sister Paula a Sister of Charity in Nazareth , Kentucky
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| Sister Margaret |
"These were the two sweetest sisters you could imagine. It's so senseless," Rev. Greg Plata, who oversees the small church the nuns attended, said.
Sister Paula moved to Mississippi from Massachusetts in 1981 and believed her calling was to stay in the Deep South , according to a 2010 article in
The two sisters had been sent by their orders to serve the poor throughout Mississippi
“People were attracted to them because of their goodness,” said Father Plata, who will be among the clergy members to say their funeral Mass.
A cause of death has not been released, but Father Plata said police told him the sisters were viciously stabbed. The assistant police chief said the murders of the sisters were "the worst thing that can happen to us since (Hurricane) Katrina."
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| Sister Paula |
"My heart is broken for the two families and friends of these treasured souls," said Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant. "We will not rest until we find the murderer and bring them to justice."
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BUFFALO SAINT
We have some new prospects for American saints, all from the east coast and all having a love for underprivileged children. The first is VENERABLE NELSON HENRY BAKER who was born in Buffalo, New York on February 16, 1842 to Lewis Becker (later Baker) and Caroline Donnellan. His parents German and Irish came during a period when the rate of immigration was increasing from Europe . He was the second eldest of four sons.
His father, a German Evangelical Lutheran, was a retired mariner who had opened a grocery and general goods store in
During the Civil War, Nelson enlisted at age 21 as a Union soldier in early July 1863 as part of the 74th regiment of the New York State Militia. His regiment, which saw duty along the Pennsylvania front at the Battle of Gettysburg, was used to help quell the New York City draft riots in 1863. Crowds of largely ethnic Irish rioted in protest of the draft; in their resentment they attacked African Americans, and their homes and businesses. Both groups competed in low-paying jobs.
After returning home from the war,Nelson started a successful feed and grain business with his friend, Joseph Meyer, another veteran. He demonstrated a strong interest in religious matters and joined the St. Vincent DePaul Society. He began taking Latin classes at St. Michael's residence in Buffalo , which would become Canisius College in 1870.
In the summer of 1869 Nelson took a steamer trip along the Lake Erie shoreline, using this time to sort out his life. By the time he returned to Buffalo
Nelson Baker entered Our Lady of Angels Seminary in 1869. During his studies at the seminary, he was part of a group of 108 that went on a pilgrimage to Rome in 1874 to support the creation of the Papal States. On this pilgrimage, the group stopped in Paris, France and toured the Our Lady of Victories Sanctuary. Visiting the Marian shrine in France
He was ordained in 1876 by Bishop Stephen V. Ryan at St. Joseph ’s Cathedral in Buffalo , New York Limestone Hill , New York (now known as Lackawanna, New York). The parish there consisted of St. Patrick’s church, St. Joseph 's Orphanage, and St. John's
A few days after Father Baker returned to Limestone Hill, a group of creditors informed the priest that the three parish institutions had amassed a sizeable debt, and they demanded immediate payment. He assured them that they would be repaid, citing his past dealings as a businessman. Using his remaining personal savings, he repaid part of the debt and entered into verbal agreements to repay the balance.
During this time, Father Baker developed the concept of "The Association of Our Lady of Victory". He took the step of writing to postmasters in towns across the country and requesting the names and addresses of the Catholic women in their area. He wrote to these women, asking for their help in caring for the children at the orphanage and protectory. They could join the "Association of Our Lady of Victory" for a donation of 25 cents a year.
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| Basilica of Our Lady of Victory |
Father Baker's approach to raising money worked, and the creditors were paid in full by June 1889. Father Baker also worked to ensure his parish did not go into debt again. In 1891, a natural gas well was discovered on the land of the Our Lady of Victory Homes, which helped to offset heating costs. Local traditional stories claim that the discovery of this gas well was a miracle.
By 1901, the number of boys at St. John’s Protectory tripled to 385, and in St. Joseph
Father Baker was named Vicar General of the Buffalo Diocese in 1904. Rome commended his religious leadership in 1923 by naming him Protonotary Apostolic ad instar Participantium, an honor accorded to only five other clergymen in the United States
He died in 1939 and is still honored in his home community as "Buffalo
At the time of his death he had developed a "city of charity" under the patronage of Our Lady of Victory in Lackawanna, New York. It consisted of a minor basilica, an infant home, a home for unwed mothers, a boys' orphanage, a boys’ protectory, a hospital, a nurses' home, and a grade and high school.
Father Baker was honored by a major bridge on New York State Route 5 being named for him. He remains a favorite local figure in the Buffalo
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THE MAKING OF A SAINT (FOR THE USA)
FATHER WILLIAM EDWARD ATKINSON was born in 1946 in Philadelphia Monsignor Bonner High School Augustinian Academy , Staten Island , New York , and then entered the Villanova Province
Amazingly, he survived the accident, and following extensive rehabilitation, expressed his desire to continue as an Augustinian. He began again his novitiate year at Villanova, professing simple vows on July 20, 1970, and solemn vows on July 20, 1973. A care team of friars assisted Bill during his time in formation, and for many years beyond, as he moved about with the use of a motorized wheelchair. Bill completed his years of college and theological studies at Villanova, and with a special dispensation from (St.) Pope Paul VI, John Cardinal Krol ordained him to the priesthood at his hometown parish of St. Alice in Upper Darby , Pa.
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| Blessing by Pope (St.) John Paul |
He celebrated his first Mass at the Field house of Villanova University St. Joseph
He was known for his wonderful sense of humor, and was recognized as an excellent teacher, encouraging moderator, and compassionate confessor. Fr. Bill was the recipient of many awards and acknowledgements, among them an honorary doctorate from Villanova University
In 2004, Fr. Bill moved to the Health Care Unit of Saint Thomas Monastery at Villanova University Saint Thomas Church , Villanova University Calvary Cemetery , West Conshohocken, Pa.
On a quiet night in the middle of August, 2014, a group of twenty-five invited guests gathered at Saint Augustine Friary in Villanova, to meet with the Augustinian Postulator General. The agenda was simple, if unusual! Fr. Josef Sciberras had come from Rome
One after another, individuals told the stories of their relationship with Fr. Bill and made their case for his character, his virtue, his fidelity, his ministry, his humor, his humility, and much more. By evening’s end, Fr. Josef acknowledged that he was convinced. If canonization were only that easy! But it signaled the beginning. Fr. Josef ’s work was before him. There seemed to be sufficient reason to believe that a serious and formal look should be made into Fr. Bill’s life.
Questionnaires were distributed to those present, who were asked to take them home, fill them out, and return them to the provincial office, which, in turn, would send them off to the office of the Postulator at the Augustinian General Curia in Rome
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ST. TERESA of CALCUTTA
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”
Today we rejoice with the whole Church in the canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Tomorrow, September 5, is her feast. ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
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"A HOLY PRIEST" (USA)
FATHER JOSEPH WALIJEWSKIwas a saint in the eyes of the poor he served as a La Crosse diocesan missionary priest in Bolivia and Peru
Now the diocese is trying to have him declared a saint in the eyes of the church as well. Father Walijewski, who died of pneumonia and acute leukemia in 2006 at age 82, will become the second sainthood candidate from the diocese.
“If Father Joe was not a saint, I don’t know who could be,” the Rev. Sebastian Kolodziejczyk said in a telephone interview from Peru
Born in Grand Rapids , Michigan
Since his early youth, Father Joe sought to serve God as a priest of His Church, and especially desired serving God all his days in missionary work. Some experiences during his youth helped form this calling. As a young boy, he would wander down to the city train station to watch fruit being unloaded, in part with the hope that he might receive a piece of fruit which had either fallen by chance from the crates or was given to him outright through the generosity of the station workers. One day, a worker handed him a banana, his favorite fruit , and when he discovered it had come from South America , this far away land became a source of growing fascination.
On the few occasions he could afford to attend the cinema, young Joe was also inspired by the 1938 film "Boys Town
Joe successfully applied for admission at the Polish seminary at Orchard Lake , Mich.
His own Diocese of Grand Rapids would not accept him into its major seminary to study theology because he did not study in the diocese's minor seminary. He was encouraged to look to other dioceses for sponsorship. Broadcasting letters to various bishops throughout the Midwest , Joe received a reply from only one – Bishop Alexander McGavick of the Diocese of La Crosse, who was looking for Polish-speaking priests to serve the Polish communities in his diocese.
Accepted by the Diocese, Joe entered St. Francis Major Seminary, Milwaukee
"Joe Walijewski may not be the most intelligent priest," he said to the other faculty, "but he will be a holy priest." The priest-professor's words were apparently convincing: Father Joe was ordained by Bishop John Patrick Treacy as a priest for the Diocese of La Crosse in 1950.
In his time as a priest for the Diocese of La Crosse, he served in two assignments as a parish priest in the diocese and two as a missionary priest in South America . From 1950 to 1956, he served various parishes around the diocese before heading to Bolivia Bolivia Peru , where among other achievements he established Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II, the diocesan sponsored orphanage which continues to serve poor children of Peru
There was one more blessing granted to Father Joe before his death in 2006. His desire to die while working for the poor was widely known among friends and coworkers, and he had this wish granted when after celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at Casa Hogar, he took ill and was admitted to a hospital in Lima
He exhibited heroism throughout his missionary career. A prime example of his saintliness was his dedication to “the children, the suffering, poverty-stricken, discarded children of Peru
“Here is a man who saw these children not as waste products of a society that could not or would not take care of them but as children of God,” said La Crosse Bishop William Callahan
“He stepped up to help, with few resources.”
“Saints act impulsively (because) their sense is that God is going to provide,” he said. God’s provision included a $50,000 donation from Pope John Paul II that helped found the orphanage in 1987.Also testifying to Father Joseph’s dedication is Dr. Steven Laliberte of Onalaska, an optometrist at the Mayo Clinic Health System-La Crosse who worked with the priest during several vision missions to the orphanage.
“His faith was so blindly focused that nothing ever dissuaded him from his mission,” Laliberte said. That mission escalated to make the orphanage an outreach center and provide medical care to thousands of destitute Peruvians.
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| Blessed by Pope (St.) John Paul |
When Father Joseph died, tens of thousands turned out to honor him as his casket was carried through the streets to his burial in a grotto behind the orphanage. He is being considered for canonization.
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USELESS KILLING IN HAITI- ANOTHER RELIGIOUS
This past week another useless killing of a religious, who like so many, goes into a poor country with the intent to help the poor and needy. From her photos she looks like a lovely, caring woman, but I wonder if she had been in a habit, if she would have been protected?
The body of slain Spanish Sister Isabelle Sola Matas was carried away by morgue workers, after she was attacked while driving her car in downtown Port-au-Prince , Haiti St. Joseph
She was a member of the Congregation of the Religious of Jesus and Mary, whose order commit themselves to serving others.
Jean Brunet Noel, a justice ministry official at the scene, identified the woman as Sister Isabel Sola Matas, 51. He said she was from Barcelona but had lived in Haiti Port-au-Prince
AHaitian woman who was a passenger in the car was also shot twice and taken to a hospital. Her condition was not immediately known.
At Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Rev. Hans Alexandre described Sister Isabelle as a "tireless servant of God" who helped build houses, worked as a nurse, fed the hungry and created a workshop where prosthetic limbs were made for amputees injured in Haiti
"The loss is immense. In killing her they didn't kill just one person, they killed the hopes of many people," Father Alexandre said.
She was widely known for her generosity. She hosted Father Alexandre and four other priests at her two-story home for over a year after the previous church building and its rectory were toppled by the quake.
She helped raise tens of thousands of dollars to build a vocational school on the church compound where Haitians could learn everything from catering to electrical wiring to music, Alexandre said.
One Haitian woman outside Sister Isabelle’s home shouted in distress and anger when she heard about the killing. "What a country this is! She did so very much for people here and this is what happens," Suzie Mathieu said.
By her home's metal gate, a disheveled man in tattered clothes stared at the ground. "She was the person who took care of people like me, helping with food and other things," he said. "I am very sad today."
During his September 4 Angelus address, Pope Francis said:
We pray especially for Spanish missionary nun, Sister Maria Isabel Sola Macas, who was killed two days ago in the capital of Haiti
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NOT THE BED-STY I KNEW
I recently came across a new possible saint of the USA Brooklyn every Sunday eve to study with a woman who at the time was a renowned authority on children with autism. Her school was in the heart of Bed- Sty and a very dangerous place to travel into. One did not walk alone, and at times I had to take children on a public bus in and and out of the area. Near the school were vacant lots and burnt out buildings. Strangely, I never felt unsafe. (I read the area is now vastly improved with restoration projects.)
SERVANT of GOD FATHER BERNARD QUINN, the former pastor of St. Peter Claver parish in Bedford-Stuyvesant and founder of Little Flower Children’s Services in Brooklyn and Wading River , died in 1940 after a lifetime of ministry to the African-American community in the Diocese of Brooklyn .
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| St Peter Claver |
Father Bernard, who was born in New Jersey on January 15, 1888, died at the age of 52, founding his congregation in 1922 after he was granted permission by his bishop to establish a Church for black Catholics in Brooklyn .
As a young priest, Father Bernard was drawn to serve black Catholics. When he approached Bishop Charles McDonnell about starting a parish for blacks in Bedford-Stuyvesant, he was told that recruiting chaplains to serve US soldiers in World War I was a priority for the diocese.
He volunteered and served in France
Father Bernard returned from the war in ill health after being gassed with poison. He suffered poor health for the rest of his life.
Upon his arrival back in the diocese, he received permission from Bishop McDonnell to start a new parish for black people in Brooklyn . He worked with the “Colored Catholic Club” and established the parish of St. Peter Claver in what had been a Protestant church that later was turned into a warehouse depot.
He later began a novena in honor of the Little Flower at St Peter Claver. It brought together hundreds of white and black Catholics, in what was said to be "the only place in the At that time, blacks were not welcomed in Catholic churches in Brooklyn and had to journey to a Catholic church set aside for blacks in Manhattan
He built a community center a block from the church. One of his major achievements was an orphanage called the Little Flower House of Providence, Long Island . The Klu Klux Klan burnt the building down twice but each time Msgr Quinn ensured it was rebuilt. The Klan threatened Father Bernard with death but he defied them. He later established in the diocese a second parish for blacks, St Benedict the Moor in Jamaica
A clipping fromThe New York Times described the scene of the funeral held at St Peter for Msgr. Quinn in 1940 - 8,000 people lined the streets around the church.
In a pastoral letter written by Father Bernard to the people of St Peter Claver, he said, "I love you, I am proud of every one of you, and I would willingly shed to the last drop my life's blood for the least among you."
In later years, Msgr. Quinn referred to himself as "an adopted son of the Negro race." The cause for sainthood for Father Bernard was introduced at the Vatican
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ANOTHER AMERICAN SAINT WHO LOVED CHILDREN
VENERABLE ALOYSIUS SCHWARTZ, the third of eight children, was born in Washington, D.C. on September 18, 1930.. His father, Louis Schwartz, sold furniture door-to-door, and his mother, Cedelia Bourassa, had come to work in Washington , D.C.
His mother died of cancer, when he was 16 years old. He grew up with the idea of becoming a priest. As time passed, this idea become more intense and specific. He would become a secular priest, he would work as a missionary, and his apostolate would be to the poor and the needy.
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| His Parents |
In 1944, he entered St. Charles Seminary in Maryland , finishing his B.A. Degree at Maryknoll College and studing theology at Louvain Catholic University in Belgium
He was ordained a diocesan priest on June 29, 1957 and was assigned in Busan , South Korea
In 1985, he started new work in the Philippines Mexico
With humility, courage and unwavering faith, he suffered and accepted humiliations, criticisms, trials, pains, and difficulties, just to be able to serve and love God through the poor. His illness made him immobile but still even in a wheelchair, he continued to fulfill his duties with joy. He spent hours before the Blessed Sacrament, praying the rosary, hearing confessions, and heroically preaching in words and examples, the virtues of truth, justice, chastity, charity and humility. His love for God and the poor consumed him. He not only helped the poor, but he also lived poor.
On March 16, 1992, he died at the Girlstown in Manila and he was buried at the Boystown in Cavite , Philippines
The Sisters of Mary and the Brothers of Christ continue to live his charism of serving the poorest of the poor in Korea , Philippines , Mexico , Guatemala and Brazil
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NEW ABBOT PRIMATE FOR BENEDICTINES
Father Abbot Gregory Polan, 66, Abbot of Conception Abbey in Missouri, has been elected the 10th ABBOT PRIMATE, succeeding Abbot Notker Wolf, who has served in the position of Abbot Primate since being elected by the Congress of Abbots in 2000.
Abbot Gregory has been the 9th Abbot of Conception Abbey since 1996. He was professed in 1971 and ordained in 1977. He is a native of Berwyn , Illinois
Abbot Gregory is the second abbot of Conception Abbey to be elected Abbot Primate. Abbot Marcel Rooney was the 8th Primate having been elected on September 18, 1996 and resigned on 3 September 2000.
Abbot Gregory is the fourth American to be elected to the Office of Abbot Primate. The others were Dom Rembert Weakland (now retired archbishop of Milwaukee
According to the Proper Law which governs the Confederation of Congregations of Monasteries of the Order of Saint Benedict, the ministry of the Primas is described as “the office of the Abbot Primate whose function it is to represent the Confederation and to do all he can to foster co-operation between the confederated monasteries.”
In the decree Inæstimabilis unitatis (1894) Pope Leo XIII gave the office of Abbot Primate to the Benedictines. The Primate has no direct authority over the vast number of Benedictine houses (there are Benedictine monasteries he is responsible for). There are approximately 7000 Benedictine monks. Abbot Polan becomes the abbot of the monastery Sant’ Anselmo. As the Benedictine leader, he is the point of "communio" for the worldwide Benedictine Confederation and he works as the primary liaison with the Holy See.
Abbot Gregory is recognized as being a pastoral abbot and spiritual leader and is well regarded across various sectors. He is a talented musician, who at age 16 was already serving as assistant organist at Chicago Conception Seminary College U.S.
Under his leadership a new English translation of the Book of Psalms has been adopted by the US Catholic Bishops and Rome as the translation that’s used in the Liturgy.
As with all monasteries, the monks at Conception chant the entire Psalter of 150 Psalms every two weeks as part of their communal prayer. Abbot Gregory says he never tires of hearing each Psalm. “They are really the nourishment of monks. Despite the fact of their daily use, they never wear thin.”
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NEW SERVANTS OF GOD
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| Tapestry- Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral- John Nava |
Thirteen of these are Americans, eight are Jesuits (our theme this summer) and four are Benedictines, all women, and many are from the laity. Countries as far away as DR of Congo, Sri Lanka , Iraq , S. Sudan, and S. Africa have men and women being considered.
Some we have already done Blogs on: Romano Guardini (Aug. 2016), Joseph Dutton of Molokai (Apr. 2016), and Sister Blandina Segale (The Fastest Nun in the West- July 2014). Others, especially from our own country, we will present in future Blogs.
Seventy six notable persons, whom are recognized to have the possibility for a cause towards formal beatification and canonization, are awaiting to be declared Servant of God. Among them
are 29 from the USA,
Having grown up in Los Angeles, I am always excited to learn of new saints coming from that area. This would have been a new order to the area as I was starting High School and then when I left for College I never really lived in Los Angeles again, so I was unaware of them. But any order dedicated to the Sacred Heart has my attention.
SERVANT of GOD IDA PETERFY began the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart, dedicated to religious education, in her native Hungary
Sister Ida was born in 1922 in Košice (at that time part of Czechoslovakia)
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During her primary education with the Ursuline Sisters, she began her lifelong participation in activities of Catholic movements like the Sacred Heart League . Faith and devotion developed in every aspect of her young life. As an avid member of the Hungarian Girl Scouts, she lived its ideals of loving God and neighbor through the exercise of truthfulness, reliability, and readiness to help. During summer camps, she found creative means to impart Catholic teachings on young participants.
Her actions in behalf of the Jewish people – rooted in the conviction that “Jesus loved everyone”, caused her to break up with an upper-class boyfriend who harbored anti-Semitic sentiments.
Ida was preparing to go to college in 1940 to pursue a degree in chemistry when she attended a three-day retreat that would change her life direction. She received the grace to understand that God knows her by name: “I clearly realized that God does not know me as [if I were] a cabbage in a cabbage field. Rather, He knows and loves me very personally and uniquely – as Ida.” During the same retreat, she thought of the children of the summer camp, wondering who would continue bringing them close to Jesus as Nazism and Communism were looming. She thought and answered her question, “The Church will.” But in the light of grace, she found herself continuing this inner dialogue: “And who is the Church? You are the Church, you teach the children.”
This experience had a profound effect on Ida. In total surrender, she abandoned her plans to go to college to pursue a call from God to catechize His children. Convinced of the authenticity of her vocation, Bishop Madarász István, Ordinary of Košice, encouraged her to pursue it. On 7 October 1940, her eighteenth birthday, Ida pronounced private vows of poverty, chastity and obedience before the Blessed Sacrament at the Franciscan Church of Košice.
During World War II she helped hide several Jewish families from the Nazis, and when Communist rule came to Convinced that training Catholic leaders was important for the Church’s future, Ida used money she inherited from her father to purchase a property in the mountains near Košice to build a leadership center and camp.
The escalation of the Second World War further impacted the development of the community. Persistent rumors that the Nazis were suppressing religious congregations compelled Ida and her companions to take prudent steps in their activities. They decided to do their apostolate quietly, attract as little public attention as possible, and wear simple street clothes. Concerned by the further incursion of Soviet forces into Czechoslovakia in 1944, Ida decided to move the center of her community to Budapest
Through creative means, Ida and her companions were able to maintain the business school they opened in Budaörs in operation. This enabled them to have a livelihood and continue to live as a community. Despite restrictions, Ida continued to conduct catechist formation courses and children’s retreat days, mostly disguised as puppet shows to protect attending children, parents and catechists from the unexpected raids of the Communist secret police. Ida would often say: “We have to teach children the essential truths of our faith in a very short time and bring them to the Heart of Christ so that they can live their faith in every circumstance.”
The arrest of the Servant of God Mindszenty József, cardinal primate of Hungary , in 1948 signaled the intensification of persecution in Hungary Hungary Innsbruck , Austria , she migrated to Toronto , Canada
In this new endeavor, Ida beheld a new vision for religious life where members work together as a team to fulfill a common task, rather than the follow the custom of dividing members between choir and lay sisters. It was around this time that Ida began to
In 1956, Sister Ida received an invitation from the James Francis Cardinal McIntyre, Archbishop of Los Angeles (California United States Canada,
Arriving in Los Angeles
But even Cardinal James McIntyre, then head of the Los Angeles Archdiocese and known for being extremely conservative, urged Sister Ida not to change the dress policy.
The sisters of the order taught basic elements of church doctrine to children. They used puppets, song and dance and educational techniques that Sister Ida had begun to develop in In the early 1970s, Sister Ida took her message to television, producing the children's show "My Friend Pookie," which ran on KABC for three seasons. In the 1980s, she produced 30 half-hour installments of the "Sacred Hearts Kids' Club." They are still shown around the world, although the program has never aired in Los Angeles
Sister Ida believed that the membership of the order, which established a convent in Burbank Orange and San Bernardino , and in the archdiocese of Taipei , Taiwan
Sister Ida was a lifelong athlete who especially loved hiking and camping (she took the sisters of the order on several trips to the Grand Canyon ), she was diagnosed as having lymphoma in 1995. At first it hardly slowed her down. Later she made several hospital stays at the City of Hope
She treated everyone the same. "One time I walked in and she was talking to the cleaning woman, asking about her family and telling her how much she appreciated having a clean room when she was sick. The nurses used to fight over who would take care of her”, said one of her sisters.She died in her room at the mother house.Sister Ida said, “The love of Our Lord is everything! When you realize that you love Our Lord, when you realize that He really loves you too, He personally loves you, then you cannot help but love Him back. Once you love Him back, it obviously leads to the Sacred Heart.”
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IN DEFENSE of JUSTICE
In our theme of Jesuits, and also those being considered as saints in the Church is FATHER EUGENE JOHN HEBERT, an American born Jesuit missionary in Sri Lanka. He along with his Tamil driver Betram Francis disappeared on August 15, 1990 as the Sri Lankan civil war was raging. He went missing on his way to the eastern city of Batticaloa from a nearby town of Valaichchenai. He was known for his Human Rights activity on behalf of the local civilians. The Jesuits believe that he was killed along with his driver.
Father Hebert was born in Jennings, Louisiana, United States , on October 9, 1923. He joined the Jesuits on August 14, 1941 at the age of 17. After completion of Jesuit studies, he volunteered for the CeylonMission. He was accepted and arrived in September 1948. After serving a year in the eastern township of Batticaloa and another in Trincomalee at the Jesuit Colleges he went to Poona, India , for the study of Theology. He was ordained a priest on 24 March 1954.
After returning to Ceylon in April 1956, he was assigned to St Joseph’s college in Trincomalee as a teacher and sports coach. He was named principal there for a brief period. In the 1970s, Jesuit schools were taken over by the State, and Father Hebert was sent to Batticaloa to work at the Eastern Technical Institute, the joint Jesuit and Methodist technical institute, as its director. He was also the basketball coach at St Michael’s College in Batticaloa, where he achieved national championship status over several years.
Father Hebert was a prominent member of the Batticaloa Peace Committee that has interceded on behalf of the many disappeared and missing people as part of the Sri Lankan civil war with both the Sri Lankan government officials and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam group.
During the mid part of August in 1990, there were number of massacres and counter massacres of civilians targeting both the minority Muslim and Tamil communities. Perpetrators were alleged to be the rebel group as well as government soldiers belonging to various divisions. Following the massacre of a group of Muslims in the Kathankudy Mosque, the situation at the nearby ethnically mixed town of Valachchenai
The Bishop of Batticaloa sent Father Eugene Hebert on August 13 to Valachchenai to assist the trapped sisters and others as well as a security guarantee against an attack. On August 15, the Bishop of Batticaloa organized a security convoy from the city to bring back the trapped sisters and others. He informed Father Hebert to accompany the convoy on its way back from Valachchenai to Batticaloa. Instead Father Hebert informed the Bishop that as the situation was getting better he would leave on his own via a circuitous route through an ethnically mixed town called Eravur to Batticaloa as he had urgent matters to take care at the institute where he was the director. Father Hebert along with a Tamil boy Betram Francis was last seen riding a red Vespa scooter towards Batticaloa via Eravur.
The Sri Lankan government believes that Father Hebert was killed by the rebel group who were active around the Eravur area at the time of his disappearances. Local Jesuits believe that a mob of civilians may have waylaid and killed Father Hebert and Betram Francis and destroyed any evidence of the crime.
He was a man who held no grudge or hatred against anyone. He has influenced and inspired many to stand for justice and peace.
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