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THE PIARIST FATHERS PROVINCE OF THE U.S.A. AND PUERTO RICO
Number 15 Fal l 2018
PIARIST NEWSLETTER
Fa t h er O scar G . A l on so , S ch . P. ( 1940 — 20 18 )
Father Oscar G. Alonso,
Sch.P. was born in Madrid de las
Caderechas, Spain on February
20, 1940.
After finishing elementary
studies in his native village, he
entered the Piarists’ formation
house in Villacarriedo and later in
Getafe, where he finished high
school. He entered the novitiate
on August 14, 1957 and made his
first profession on August 15,
1958.
He continued his studies at
the House of Formation in Irache
(1958-61). He then studied theol-
ogy in Albelda (1961-63) and in
Salamanca (1963-65).
The Piarist Fathers’ Castil-
ian Province assigned him to the
United States, where he arrived
on January 18, 1966. He resided
at the Piarists’ House of Studies
in Washington, DC with Father
Mario Vizcaino as his Master of
Juniors. He completed his theo-
logical studies at the Catholic Uni-
versity of America with a master’s
degree. He was ordained a priest
in the National Shrine of the Im-
maculate Conception in Washing-
ton on February 17, 1968.
He was then assigned to
the Piarist community in Devon,
PA. He did not stop studying. He
obtained a master’s degree in li-
brary science in 1970 and anoth-
er master’s degree in Spanish lit-
erature in 1975 from Villanova
University in suburban Philadelph-
ia. He taught Spanish and theolo-
gy from 1968 until 1979 at Devon
Prep. He also served as the librar-
ian of the school and as a forma-
tor and Director of Vocations for
the Piarists’ Province. He offered
pastoral services in nearby parish-
es and convents.
In 1979, Father Oscar was
assigned to Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Since then, he taught theology at
Cardinal Gibbons High School. In
2003, he was also appointed to
serve as Superior of the Piarist
community.
His work in the school did
not completely fill his time. He
assisted for decades at St. Paul
the Apostle Parish in Lighthouse
Point, St. Bonaventure Parish in
(continued on page 2)
We Rejoice with the Ordination of a New
Piarist Father
Father Vinod Angadathu
George, Sch.P. was ordained to
the priesthood by Most Rever-
end Thomas Menamparampil,
SDB, who is the Apostolic Ad-
ministrator of Jowai and the
Archbishop Emeritus of Gu-
wahati (India), on Saturday, Au-
gust 4. The ordination took
place in his home parish, St.
Rita Church in Nanthirikal in
the Diocese of Kollam in the
state of Kerala. He celebrated
his First Mass in the same
church on Sunday, August 5.
Father Vinod was born
on January 1, 1985 to George
Sebastian and Daisy George
(deceased). He is the youngest
of three children and was born
in Kollam, which is an old sea-
port located on the coast of the
(continued on page 3)
Page 2
FAT H E R OS C AR G . ALO N SO, SC H. P.
R.I.P. We ask you to
remember in your
prayers our deceased
relatives and friends: Arcelia Aviles
Tom Bulfin
Carolina Calderin
Joan M. Caracappa
Thomas T. Coon
James Cooney
Miguel Cruz Negron
Charlotte Dissette
George Esser
Jesus Gandarillas
Irene Garcia Valcarce
Rev. Fernando Guillen, Sch.P.
Alina Hernandez
Jesus Hernandez Velazquez
Joseph M. Hill
Richard Jagelman
Suzan Marie James
Tanya Jones
Maria Maseda
Carmen Medina
Jeanette Mojica
Luz Mosqueda
Philip W. Neff, Jr.
Jeffrey S. Ortiz
Francisca Perez
Ben Povilonis
Pat Quandt
Alicia Recio
Edwin T. Toberts
Margery Ann Roberts
Daniel Stark
Chris Strycharski
Rafael Torres
Rev. Oriol Tremoleda, Sch.P.
Number 15
(see page 1)
Davie, St. Elizabeth of
Hungary Parish in Pom-
pano Beach and St. Joan
of Arc Parish and St.
Jude Parish, both in Boca
Raton.
He never got tired
of studying and sharing
with others what he
learned. He devoted
himself to thoroughly
study the Bible. He of-
fered courses at the
Southeast Pastoral Insti-
tute (SEPI) in the mas-
ter’s program for Hispan-
ic ministry. He also
taught courses on the
Bible for the men train-
ing to be permanent dea-
cons in the Archdiocese
of Miami. During the
1980’s, he also taught
as an adjunct professor
at Saint Vincent de Paul
Seminary in Boynton
Beach. More recently, he
offered courses on the
Bible in local parishes.
One of the most
interesting facets of Fa-
ther Oscar’s life was his
missionary vocation.
Since 1981, he took part
regularly in the summer
missions with Father
Mario and other Piarists
in the parish of Macus-
pana in Tabasco, Mexico.
He put his soul into his
ministry among the peo-
ple of the rancherias. He
not only financially sup-
ported some construc-
tion projects (chapels),
but also more important-
ly trained lay leaders in
the local communities
and lay volunteer mis-
sionaries from the United
States. For many years,
he also promoted a Bible
program by offering Bi-
bles to farmers at a very
low cost. For a few
weeks every summer, he
applied himself to this
gigantic task. He did so
in the tradition of so
many generations of
missionaries in the coun-
try of Mexico.
Father Oscar al-
ways said that he want-
ed “to die with his boots
on.” He did just that. He
taught at Cardinal Gib-
bons High School for 39
years. Father Oscar died
peacefully in his sleep on
February 16, 2018 in the
Piarist Fathers’ resi-
dence in Fort Lauder-
dale. He would have cel-
ebrated his 50th anniver-
sary as a priest on Febru-
ary 17.
A viewing and
Mass of Christian Burial
took place on Saturday,
February 24 at Saint
Paul the Apostle Church
in Lighthouse Point, FL.
His burial took place in
Burgos, Spain.
The Piarist Fa-
thers request that dona-
tions in memory of Fa-
ther Oscar Alonso be
made to the Piarist Sem-
inarian or Retirement
Funds, P.O. Box 11822,
Fort Lauderdale, FL
33339. May he rest in
peace.
(Right) Father Oscar’s cremated remains were returned for
burial to his native town in Burgos, Spain.
Annual Retreat Members of our
Province gathered for our
annual retreat and as-
sembly in June 2018 at
Malvern Retreat House in
Malvern, PA. Our Superi-
or General, Father Pedro
Aguado, Sch.P., was the
director of the spiritual
exercises this year.
PIARIST NEWSLETTER Page 3
(continued from page 1)
Laccadive Sea in the Indian state
of Kerala. He had a strong desire
to be a priest even in his earliest
years.
He completed his elemen-
tary studies at Saint Margaret’s
L.P. School (1990-1994) and his
middle school and junior high
school studies at Saint Anthony’s
H.S.S. (1994-2000), both of
which are also located in Kerala.
He completed his senior high
school studies at Saint Au-
gustine’s H.S.S. (2001-2003) in
Aroor. He then studied botany at
Saint Albert’s College (2003-
2006) in Kerala.
He entered the aspirancy
program of the Piarist Fathers in
2000 and the pre-novitiate in
2005. A year later, he began the
novitiate in Cebu, Philippines. He
professed his simple (temporary)
vows in May 2007. On that occa-
sion, he chose his religious name,
Vinod Angadathu George of Saint
Rita of Cascia. His home parish
in Kollam is dedicated to her, and
the earliest seeds of his vocation
were fostered there. After his
first profession, he returned to
India for further studies. He
earned a bachelor’s degree in
Philosophy from Kristu Jyoti Col-
lege in Bangalore, India in 2009.
For various reasons, he
lived outside of the Order for four
years, during which time he com-
pleted a master’s degree in Bota-
ny from Fatima Mata National
College in Kerala in 2011. He
returned to the Order on January
1, 2013 and was sent for a five-
month period to the Piarist House
of Formation in Bamenda, Came-
roon. There, on April 18, 2013,
he again professed his simple
vows. One month after returning
to India, his beloved mother, Dai-
sy, passed away after a lengthy
illness.
On September 1, 2013, he
arrived in the United States and
resided at Annunciation Parish in
Manhattan before becoming one
of the founding members of the
Piarist Community at St. Helena’s
Parish in the Bronx. He made his
solemn (perpetual) profession of
vows on February 20, 2017 in
Saint Helena’s Church. He was
ordained to the diaconate on
June 17, 2017 in Saint Helena’s
Church.
In August 2017, he was
transferred to the Piarist Provin-
cial House in Washington, DC,
where he completed his final
year of theology at both the Do-
minican House of Studies and the
Catholic University of America. In
May 2018, he graduated from
Saint Joseph’s Seminary in Yon-
kers, NY and received both the
Bachelor’s in Sacred Theology
(S.T.B.) and the Master’s in Divini-
ty (M. Div.) degrees.
He is currently assigned to
the Piarist Community at Cardi-
nal Gibbons High School, which is
located in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
He teaches Theology to sopho-
mores and helps on weekends at
Saint Paul the Apostle Church in
Lighthouse Point, FL.
We thank our dear Lord
for the gift of Father Vinod’s voca-
tion as a Piarist Father, and we
pray that our dear Lord will con-
tinue to send His blessings upon
him as he begins a new step in
life’s journey.
We Rejoice with the Ordination of a New Piarist Father
(Left) Piarists gathered for the First Mass of Father Vinod Angadathu, Sch.P. in Nanthirikal, India. (Right) Brother Ricardo
Rivera, Sch.P. painted an icon of St. Ephraim. Piarists gathered for its blessing at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, NY.
Page 4 Number 15
Colegio Calasanz, San Juan
Graduation of Our Seminarians
The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico
held its annual graduation ceremonies on June 29, 2018.
Three of our seminarians completed their undergraduate
studies. We congratulate Brother Abner Gonzalez
(Physical Education), Brother Juan Sebastian Manrique
(Mathematics) and Brother Christian Santiago (History).
All three of them also minored in Philosophy. We wish
them well in their new assignment at Annunciation Church
in NYC. They will be studying English.
Summer 2018 Missions in Mexico and Puerto Rico
(Above and
Left) 48th
Mission to
Macuspana in
Tabasco,
Mexico
(Right) 1st
Mission to the
Parish of St.
Joachim and
St. Anne in
Adjuntas, PR
Piarist Synod on Youth Our Province spon-
sored a Synod on Youth during
the past year. Brothers Pedro,
Orlando and Manuel organized
the activities. They had meet-
ings in New York, Pennsylva-
nia, Puerto Rico and Mexico.
Father Pedro Aguado, our Su-
perior General, took their sug-
gestions with him to the Bish-
ops’ Synod on Youth in Rome.
Devon, PA San Juan, PR Playa de Ponce, PR
Ponce, PR Ponce, PR Coto Laurel, PR Mexico
Bronx, NY
Hurricane Relief in Puerto Rico
Page 5 PIARIST NEWSLETTER
Hurricane Maria swept
over the island of Puerto Rico on
September 20, 2017. Life on the
island changed drastically for
most of its inhabitants. At the
time, our Piarist Fathers worked
in two parishes, three chapels,
one house of formation and three
schools on the island. All of
these ministries were affected,
some worse than others.
Fortunately for us, there
are many concerned friends of
the Piarist Fathers on the main-
land of the United States and
elsewhere. They include: parish-
ioners, students, co-workers and
alumni of the various ministries
in which we work. In addition,
various foundations answered
our requests. Most significantly,
the Knights of Columbus made a
donation of $460,000. We have
so far received more than
$736,000 in donations and more
than $17,000 in gifts-in-kind.
The Piarists of the United
States and Puerto Rico are most
appreciative to our many friends
and benefactors. Your generosity
has helped us to make much
needed renovations. You are all
in our daily prayers.
A bequest is a gift from your estate – a
transfer of cash, securities or other property
made through your estate plans. You can
make a bequest to the Piarist Fathers by
including language in your will or living trust
leaving a portion of your estate to the Piarist
Fathers or by designating the Piarists as a
beneficiary of your retirement account or life
insurance policy.
Remembering the Piarist Fathers with a
bequest from your estate will help sustain
and strengthen the Piarists and our minis-
tries for years to come. Some of the ad-
vantages of creating a bequest include:
A bequest costs nothing now, yet it
gives you the satisfaction of knowing
that you have provided for the Piarists in
the future.
You retain control of and use of your
assets during your lifetime.
You may modify your bequest if your
circumstances change.
Gifts to the Piarist Fathers from your
estate are exempt from federal estate
taxes.
If you let the Piarist Fathers know of
your plans, then we will be able to thank
you now and recognize you for your gen-
erosity. You can contact our Provincial
Treasurer, Father John Callan
(jgcallan@bellsouth.net), or our Develop-
ment Director, Kevin Owens
(owens9316@bellsouth.net).
The Piarist Fathers Province of the Unit-
ed States and Puerto Rico holds the
coveted Platinum Seal of Transparency
from GuideStar. This recognition is
awarded to non-profits, who provide the
highest level of transparency to their
foundation partners and benefactors.
Feel free to view our profile on
GuideStar’s web site.
Development Office: A Gift with Impact - Bequests and Estate Giving
VOCATIONS
Youth Is Our Concern.
If you think that the Lord may
be calling you,
then contact:
Brother Pedro Rivas, Sch.P.
in San Juan, PR.
House: 787-761-3314
Cell: 787-510-7470
pedrorivasg81@aol.com
(Left) Piarist alumni from Cuba held a fund raising meal for our ministries in Ponce. (Center) Members of the Knights of Columbus toured
Our Divine Savior Church in San Juan. (Right) K of C members visited Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and School in Playa de Ponce.
Solemn Profession Brother Ricardo Rivera,
Sch.P. professed his solemn
(perpetual) vows at St. Helena
Church in the Bronx, NY on June
23, 2018. We congratulate him.
P R O V I N C I A L ’ S C O R N E R ( F R . F E R N A N D O N E G R O )
A Thought from Our Development Office
Your gift can be quick and safe by using Pay Pal:
www.piarist.info
The Piarist Newsletter is the official news bul-letin of the Piarist Fa-thers Province of the U.S.A. and Puerto Rico. It is published semi-annually. If you or any-one else wishes to re-ceive a copy, then let us know.
Editorial Staff: The Development Office P.O. Box 11822 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33339
E-mail: piaristfl@bellsouth.net
Telephone: 954-771-6525 Fax: 954-776-8060
Page 6 Number 15
“It is no secret that
the ministry of the Piarist
Fathers greatly depends
upon the generosity of
our benefactors. Please
consider us in your annu-
al donations, will, trust or
insurance plan.”
Web Site:
www.piaristchallenge.com
Piarist Fathers—Padres Escolapios—Compassion Challenge
Life is not a repetition of
events that leads us to rou-
tine, fatalism and mediocrity.
On the contrary, life is an
adventure, which is open to
the permanent surprises of
the Spirit of God.
In order for us to truly live,
we must get up every morn-
ing and open the window of
our hearts with thanksgiving
for what we have experi-
enced. On a daily basis, we
are exposed to everything
that the God of surprises
gives us through events, peo-
ple and circumstances. If we
view them as if they are pag-
es in a book, then they will
lead us to discover the beau-
ty of who we are and who we
can be.
I have written this reflection
at the beginning of a new
school year. I have tried to
focus my thoughts on those,
who will read this article. It is
my desire that we may never
give in to the temptation of
repetitive fatalism. Other-
wise, without realizing it, we
may fall despite our faith in
the God of surprises.
Each morning, the mem-
bers of the Piarist Fathers
must try to expertly train our
own hearts to help our stu-
dents and the people, whom
we serve. From the begin-
ning of eternity, God has had
a dream about who we can
be. In order to make that
happen, we must all passion-
ately live the lives of who we
are.
We must be thankful to
God for the gift of every mi-
nute and second. We must
direct every step and decid-
edly focus on the goals,
which give meaning to our
lives. We cannot allow any-
one to be left behind. After
all, we should be for one an-
other agents of hope and
growth.
In 1621, our Holy Founder,
Saint Joseph Calasanz, ex-
pressed his thoughts in this
way: "By daybreak the
course of the day is already
known. If it starts out well,
then it ends well. Similarly,
the course of one’s life de-
pends upon the education,
which one receives in child-
hood. Just as a good liqueur
never loses its smell while in
the bottle, so a well-educated
person will not lose what he
has learned. Therefore, who
does not foresee the great
benefit that an institution will
experience in the exercise of
its ministry if its cooperators
are prepared and well-
educated?"
I would like to end with a
tone of hope and openness
to the gift of daily life. There-
fore, I offer you a poem:
“I let myself be found by Him.
My search has led to the
discovery of a Mystery without
equal:
He dwells inside me,
hiding in a corner,
allowing Himself to be found
in my slumbering heart.
I will no longer waste my time,
nor my energies,
in the tangle of artificial fires
and lights,
nor in cheap markets
where I have sometimes reward-
ed myself for a bit of ego,
father of all idols made with clay;
cocky, dead, dry and hollow
amulets.”
I Found a Treasure (by Fr. Fernando Negro, Sch.P.)
We are on the Web! Province of USA-PR:
piarist.info
Generalate in Rome:
scolopi.org
Bronx, NY:
www.churchofsthelena.com
Devon, PA:
www.devonprep.com
Fort Lauderdale, FL:
www.cghsfl.org
New York City, NY:
www.theannunciation.net
Ponce, PR:
copin.net
San Juan, PR:
calasanz.cc
Annual Appeal
Our friends and benefactors
will receive literature regarding
our Annual Appeal in Spring
2019. In advance, thank you!