May 2011 -1

Volume 14 No. 3 May 2011

Newsletter of the U.S. Province of theMissionary Oblates of Mary ImmaculateOMI USA

Fr. Andrew Small, OMI, directorof the U.S. bishops’ Office for theChurch in Latin America, has been

named national director for the Pontifi-cal Mission Societies in the United States.

The five-year appointment wasannounced April 7 at the Vatican by Car-dinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congre-gation for the Evangelization of Peoples,which oversees the work of more than120 national mission societies world-wide.

The national director heads thefour New York-based societies in theUnited States and oversees the WorldMission Sunday collection, taken up onthe third Sunday in October each year.

Fr. Small succeeds Msgr. JohnE. Kozar, a priest of the Diocese of Pitts-

burgh who has headed the four orga-nizations that make up the pontificalmission societies in theUnited States since2001.

“With FatherSmall’s missionarypriestly formation andpastoral experience,and his extensive edu-cational attainments, thenational direction of thePontifical Mission So-cieties will be very wellserved,” Msgr. Kozar said. “His dy-namic leadership and warm personal-ity will endear him to both those en-trusted with mission animation in U.S.dioceses and the poor of the world.”

“I am humbled by the respon-sibility entrusted to me, one that oncebelonged to the esteemed ArchbishopFulton Sheen,” Fr. Small said. “I look

forward to working with thegreat mission family in theUnited States, whose lovefor the church is both wideand deep.”

The Pontifical MissionSocieties consist of the So-ciety for the Propagation ofthe Faith, the Holy Child-hood Association, the Soci-ety of St. Peter Apostle, andthe Missionary Union of

Priests and Religious. Their purpose isto promote a universal missionary spiritamong all Catholics. (From the CNS newsrelease)

Fr. Small named to new post

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Fr. Morell (far r) at a meeting with Fr. Ron Rolheiser,OMI and Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, MSpS.

Continued on page 2Calendars can be our friends; but not without occasional“taming” sometimes. Often they are wild. A glance atmy calendar for the last 3 months shows a wild prolif-

eration of meetings, assemblies, get-togethers,and conferences. It reminds me of an importanttaming technique: make friends with meetings.Profitable and enjoyable meetings make forfriendly calendars! At least, they do for me.

Over the last couple of months I learnedeven the friendliest calendar cannot include allworthwhile Oblate meetings.

Two late winter-gatherings I could notattend stand out as examples of this. Both haveto do with the very life of the province: who weare and what we do. At first, these two meet-ings would seem unrelated. Yet, if vitality is abinding force in itself, the vitality of such gather-ings somehow makes them related.

I missed the “Come and See” pro-gram on the first weekend in March at the pre-novitiate in

Buffalo, NY. With 6 young men attending, it was just thetip of the iceberg, a visible sign of very encouraging growth

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Continued from page 1

Continued on page 12

From the Provincial

in the province vocation efforts. Lately,I’ve heard much of men and meetingsthat show how our affiliate programs areexpanding from one end of the prov-ince to the other. Success begets suc-cess. The more we come to realize the“do-ability” of such gatherings, the morewe are encouraged to initiate and sus-tain them. Vocation consciousness canimpact the extent of province’s pastoralcommitments.

We know the province’sshrinking numbers strain our pastoralcommitments. We have relinquishedabout 26 parishes in the last five years,as well as a retreat house, a formationhouse, and other ministries. Relinquish-ing parishes is often introduced by put-ting a parish into the ad personam cat-egory (when the incumbent Oblate istransferred, the parish reverts to the dio-cese). Often this happens even whenthe parish has many of the characteristicswe seek in Oblate parochial ministry.

Presently, there are a number ofOblate parishes in this category. Onehas been on the ad personam list for anumber of years... or, it was, until thevocation department pointed out thelevel of dedication this parish had givento Oblate vocation efforts. This com-munity, which has so long and sowell been served by Oblates, under-stands the importance of their par-ish in our vocation efforts. Its affili-ate program regularly involves 5young men, and the parish has sentmembers to almost every Come andSee program over the last couple ofyears.

At latest count, the province has12 active affiliate programs, which bringtogether 73 young men from 19 minis-try sites across the province. Fromthese efforts, groups of affiliates gather

occasionally in Buffalo, NY and otherplaces for a deeper experience of ourOblate reality and vocation program inCome and See experiences. I wish Icould have been at the one in earlyMarch to experience firsthand some ofthe vitality of our vocation efforts.

Seemingly unrelated towhat was going on in Buffalo, the sec-ond annual DeMazenod Conference,Missing in Action, gathered in San An-tonio a month later. Artie Pingolt, presi-dent of the Oblate Missionary Partner-ship, organized it with funding from anumber of grants. Sadly, it was anothermeeting I missed - - it certainly wouldhave made my calendar friendlier.

The list of participants included43 — Oblates and other dynamic folks— from across the US and from an in-teresting diversity of backgrounds. Theconference’s vitality did not come justfrom those who were involved; it camefrom the theme as well. The articles sentout to prepare the participants for theconference outlined a topic that is en-gaging and challenging... and very much“on target” for missionaries in the FirstWorld, as we Oblates are.

The conference was a mis-sionary dialogue on the reality of theCatholic Exodus. The fact of greatnumbers of departures from theCatholic Church in the US touches al-most all our ministries. In some waysit frames our mission in the US –bringing the Gospel and its valuesto abandoned folks, to those whofind themselves on the fringe ofsociety as well as those who chooseto place themselves on the fringeof the Catholic Church.

In the US, there are increas-ing numbers of people who haveceased to see in our Catholic expres-sion of the Gospel a source of life ortruth. 22.8 million of them have givenup on what they once believed. Ex-Catholics far outnumber the largestprotestant denomination, SouthernBaptist, which claims 16.2 million ad-herents. One fifth of those who haveleft the Catholic Church left after turn-ing 24. A large majority (71%) offormer Catholics are now unaffiliated.They say their move from Catholicismoccurred as a gradual turning awayfrom the Church.

An Oblate meeting Fr. Billy did not miss: CROCUS, last March inVancouver. Standing, l-r: Frs. Gil Mason, John Malazdrewich, HenriBaudoin, Marian Gil, Jacques Laliberté, Jean-Claude Gilbert, Billy Morell,Warren Brown; kneeling, l-r: Frs. Janusz Blazejak, Luc Tardif, and thepastor of the Vancouver parish.

May 2011 -3

Fr. Harding with some of his parishioners in Tijuana.

Fr. Harding makesfinal profession

On May 22, Fr. Nick Harding,OMI, is scheduled to take hisfinal vows. The ceremony will

be at La Morita, Baja CA. Fr. BillAntone, OMI, will receive the vows.

Fr. Harding came to know theOblates in Lincoln, NE through Frs.Dale Hardes and Gerry Kaputska.He has an MPH degree from HarvardUniversity and had been a legalservices attorney serving low incomepersons for seven years.

He entered the novitiate in1987 and pursued theology studies inRome, receiving an STB from theGregorian and an STL from theAngelicum.

He left the Oblates to considera monastic vocation and eventually wasordained as a diocesan priest in Hous-

ton in 1999, with the expectation of be-ing fidei donum to Guatemala. He re-entered the Oblates in January 2007,and was assigned to the mission inTijuana, Mexico where he is still atpresent.

Nick says he never doubtedhis basic vocation to the consecratedlife. In the diocesan priesthood hemissed apostolic community, the mis-sionary dimension and the evangeli-cal counsels.

Nearly 40 Oblates gathered inSan Antonio on February 17at the Benson Residence to

celebrate the 185th anniversary of thepapal approval of the Oblate Consti-tutions and Rules. Fr. Tom Ovalle,

OMI, the Southwest Area Councillor,presided at the Eucharist, held in the liv-ing room to accommodate the large as-sembly.

Adding to the joy and solem-nity of the occasion, during the Mass,

some of the scholasticsfrom the George SextonHouse of Studies cel-ebrated significant steps intheir formation process.Bro. Kasonde MichaelMusaba (Zambia) re-newed his temporal vowsfor another year. Then Fr.Ovalle instituted five of theyoung Oblates in the min-istries of Acolyte andReader.

The new Acolytes aresecond year theology stu-

dents: Brothers David Uribe, JesseEsqueda and Lucio Castillo. Thenewly instituted Readers are first yeartheologians: Brothers JasonRossignol and Paul Patrick (As-sumption Province).

Fr. Art Flores, OMI, pre-pared a meal for the Oblates who hadcome to share their common originsabout which the Founder, St. Eugenede Mazenod, wrote to the Oblates inFrance on February 18, 1826: “Thisis not a mere trifle; they are nolonger simply rules, mere pious di-rections. The Rules are approvedby the Church, after the closestscrutiny. They were considered sa-cred and highly capable of leadingthose who have embraced them totheir goal. They have become theproperty of the Church whichadopted them.”

Oblate Day celebrated in S.A.

l-r: Scholastics Juan Gaspar, Gabriel Sobrevilla, andLucio Castillo added their bit by preparing brunch.

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Some 200 people attended theMind’s Eye 8th annual Soireepour la Vue at the Point of View,

a beautiful location on the 30th floor ofthe Laclede Gas building in St. Louis.

The evening opened with somewords from two of our listeners.

Jesuita Tabor told the audi-ence how she was born and raised inSt. Louis, went to Webster University

and got degrees in teaching and coun-seling, married and moved to Las Ve-gas with her husband. As time wenton, her marriage unraveled. One night,

he asked her to meet him and when shearrived at the destination, he shot her inthe head, blinding her instantly and forlife.

Chip Jones told the audienceabout his normal childhood. He playedsports, was good in school, he waspopular… that was until a simple abscesswas found on his neck. He was given thechoice to medicate it or to undergo sur-

gery. He chose amedication thatwould end upcausing him to de-velop Stevens-Johnson Syn-drome, a diseasethat attacks themucus membranesand causes them todry up. His eyehad to be removedand his body was agiant scab for overa year.

Both of them attested thatMinds Eye changed their lives by pro-viding them with the news they needed,when they needed it. More importantly,

Auction benefits service for the blind

Photo of RIS founder Fr. BonifaceWittenbrink, OMI, circa 1975,

Dr. Martin Schwarze, Janet Musial Schwarze, RyanStookey and Liz Bolen Stookey. Janet is Stan Musial’sdaughter and Liz is the daughter of Jerry and SueBolen, long time friend of the Oblates in Belleville.

by Marjorie Williams

Minds Eye and our readers were al-ways there for them.

The auctioneer then took thestage and started selling items. One byone, things were purchased by friendsand supporters. A bidding war for theStan Musial-signed bat and ball, endedup selling for over $1000. Stan’s daugh-ter who was in the room donated asecond so that the other bidder couldbuy it for another $1000.

We’re still shaking out all of thenumbers, but I know that we’ll clearthe night with over $40,000.

This marks the 38th anniver-sary of the year that Fr. Boni filled theswitch and made Minds Eye a realityfor the 12 people listening. Today,we’re making it a reality for 12,000…with more to come.

The work of the Council for Research in Values and Philosophy (RVP), foundedby Fr. George McLean, OMI, has been advancing rapidly with the needsof the times. Web: www.crvp.org. Among those advances are the following:

-A Center in Beirut: Professor Edward Alam, Secretary General, has builtat Notre Dame University in Lebanon the RVP’s second major center (complementingthe activity of the center in Washington, D.C.) It will be dedicated this coming May.He has done much to develop work in Ghana, Nigeria and East Africa, as well ascooperation with scholars in Tehran, India and Moscow.

-A Center in Shanghai: Its inauguration will be in June with special attentionto the role of Chinese culture in global times. Professor Vincent Shen discussed withProfessors Yu Wujin, Wang Xinsheng, Sun Xiangchen and Zou Shipeng at FudanUniversity the orientation of the new Center. This will be followed by the Southeast

regional RVP meeting, this year in Hanoi.A Set of 8 Research Teams is carrying out a yet more extended three year project in response to Charles

Taylor’s A Secular Age on the evolution of the value horizons of our global times.

May 2011 -5

Vor Frue Kirke cel-ebrates 50 years

Vor Frue Kirke (Our Lady’sChurch) in Herlev, Denmark,celebrated the 50th anniversary

of its founding on Jan. 30, 2011, with apontifical high Mass with BishopCzeslaw Kozon.

Fr. Urban Figge OMI, whofounded the parish and now lives in theUSA, was present for this big day forthe parishioners of Vor Frue Church.

From the beginning the OblateFathers have been responsible for thepastoral work in the parish.

Above l-r: Frs. Allen Courteau, Lars Messerschmidt (Denmark’s vicargeneral), Teodor Jochem (provincial), Ryszard Szmydki, Urb Figge, Paul Marx,Carroll Parker, Alrin Soosaipillai, Leo Kertz and Michael Bradley.

F rom Feb. 25 to March 2, 2011 at St. Paul’s Monastery in St.Paul, MN, Fr. Andy Sensenig, OMI, attended a program inspiredby Meg Fund, OSB about practice of praying called “sustained

lectio.” It is inspired by the works of John Cassian and how themen and women in the desert around Alexandria practiced prayingfrom the 3rd Century AD.

At the end of the retreat, Fr. Sensenig headed back to theWestern Kenai Peninsula with Meg Zerbinos. Meg is a hospitalchaplain at Central Peninsula General Hosptial and a parishionerof Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Soldotna. It is their hope tocollaboratively help others in Alaska with this practice of prayer.

For a short written reflection on his experience, contact Fr. Sensenigat andyomi@gmail.com or OMIUSA at chasomi@omiusa.org.

Former Superior General, Fr.Wilhelm Steckling, is spendinga few months working and

reading in Bolivia.

Left l-r: A young Bolivian examiningOblate life in the parish, Frs.Gregorio Iriate, Wm. Steckling, BobLacasse and a scholastic studying atthe scholasticate in Cochabamba.

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Please remember in prayerour recently departed

Personal Reflections

Fr. William P. Smith, OMI, 92, died on Feb. 15 inLowell, MA.Fr. Eugene A. Tremblay, OMI, 97, died on Feb. 20in Manitowok, WI.Edward Bozek, 76, brother of Bro. Dan Bozek, OMI,died on Feb. 20 in Chicago, IL.Arthur J. Wagner, 75, brother of Fr. Frank Wagner,OMI, died on Feb. 22 in Nashville, IL.Annie Sokolski, sister of Fr. John Sokolski, OMI,died March 3, in San Antonio, TX.Joseph Svobodny, 77, former Oblate and brother ofFr. Al Svobodny, died on March 13, in Blaine, MN.Dolores Scowcroft, 82, sister of the late Fr. GabrielBiondolillo, OMI, died on March 23 in St. Louis, MO.James L. Beck, brother of Fr. Richard Beck, OMI,died on April 5 in Victoria, TX.Rosa Roque, mother of Fr. Alex Roque, OMI, diedon April 10.

Six years ago I began this col-umn with an analysis of the personnel situ-ation of the province. It seems only fit-ting to do the same in the final one.

We all know that a lot has changedin province membership over the past six

years, during the term of Louie Lougen as provincial and forthe past few months with Bill Morell as acting provincial.Ministries have been taken on, and relinquished. Membersof the province have moved into new situations, new mem-bers have joined us from our own vocation program, as re-turning missionaries, and from other provinces. About 90province members have died. And, of course, the rest of ushave all grown 6 years older.

In the May 2005 article (in case you don’t have yourcopy handy), I reported 391 Oblates who had completedformation and were members of the US province. Of thatnumber, 149 were either retired, inactive, or on an “ad per-sonam” assignment (about 38% of the province membershipat the time).

As April begins and I prepare to submit this columnto Charlie Hurkes, the 391 have become 321 and the 149 isnow 156 (about 48%). Our median age is about 74.

What remains the same is “men who are ‘retired’and are working harder than many people in the world whoare ‘active’.” And, “the individual Oblates who make upthese numbers are not interchangeable but distinct and uniquepeople.”

I hope that I have helped my brother Oblates to con-tinue to serve God, the people of God, and the church, overthese past years. Please excuse my errors of commission oromission. May my successor, whoever he may be, be blessedwith the same wonderful cooperative spirit I have received.

Seven of the eight Brothers in the Lowell / Tewksburyarea were able to get together to celebrate the Feastof St. Joseph. They are from L to R : Bros. Gus

Cote, Joe Gagne, Tom Cruise, Charlie Gilbert, PaulRicard, Jim Lucas and Richard Cote. Bro. LorenzoWilliams didn’t feel well enough to join us that day. It wasgreat to get together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together.Please join us in our prayers for more vocations.

May 2011 -7

The Oblate Partnership hosted itssecond annual De MazenodConference, Middle-aged

Catholics: Missing In Action? at theOblate Renewal Center in San Antonio,TX, on March 4-6.

The DeMazenod Conference is dedicated to dia-logue around contemporary issues related to the Oblatecharisms of evangelization and human development. Fr.Bill Morell, OMI, gave the strongest endorsement of thevalue of the De Mazenod Conference with just 4 words:to dialogue is missionary. Eight Oblates from the province attended: Frs. JimChambers; David Kalert; Allen Maes; RonRolheiser; Tom Singer; John Staak, Paul Waldie andBro. Bill Johnson.

This year marks the beginning of our publishing aspiritual journal to accompany each year’s conference. Inaddition to providing a reprise/synopsis of the conferencehappenings, the journal will include several articles writtenby conference attendees and Catholic thought leaders. Inaddition to USP Oblates, copies of the journal will be mailedto OMI communities worldwide and to schools of theol-ogy and centers for spirituality throughout North America.

I ask you to view the journal from twopoints of view:

First, we hope that you will experience itas a resource that informs or stimulates your ownpastoral work with what by all accounts is a verylarge population, those men and women who

feel disaffected from or isolated within the Church. It wasour intention to look at the “hard issues” but also to “ac-centuate the positive” as we move ahead

Secondly, as the De Mazenod Conference is spon-sored by the Missionary Oblate Partnership and its do-nors, I hope you view the journal as offering more than justreading and reflection material. I hope you will view thiswork, attractively and professional created, as an entreefor “dialogue” with individuals you know. All of my expe-rience these past several years tells me that there are indi-viduals who find value in a group like the Partnership- fi-nancial support of Oblates, most definitely, but also theopportunity to join group of men and women looking toshare in much more than that.

Thanks for your commitment to the Partnership,especially to sponsors of the 2011 De Mazenod Confer-ence: Ms. Helena Park, Mark Watson, Jr., Our Sun-day Visitor and the Raskob Foundation! --Artie Pingolt

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20112011201120112011

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TEN COMMANDMENTS OF HEALTH CARE// “PABLO-PLAN”I/ BE YOUR OWN P.C.P. “That I will be my own Primary Health Physician, thatI will be conscious of my aches and pains and learn to appreciate the com-plexities of my body and its needs.II/ DON’T BE A FOOL, GET HELP “That recognizing my own limitations I willconsult and confide with those health professionals who can help and assistme with my medical needs.III/ BE FAITHFUL/ “That I will be faithful to my regular check-ups with myP.C.P, dentist, eye specialist, etc.IV/ EAT THE RAINBOW “That I will maintain a healthy diet and good nutritionhabits and that without being fanatical I will dump the junk and eat therainbow of delicious foods.V/ JUST SWEAT IT / “That I will maintain a regular exercise program, evenvalue dirtying one’s hands with manual labor so as to restore good old ‘sweat’as a healthy and wholesome sign of our humanity.VI/ IT’S THE WHOLE PIE/ “That I will maintain an integral attitude towardhealth, that it consists in keeping bodily, mental, spiritual dimensions of mytotal personality healthy.VII/ ENCOURAGE OTHERS/ “ That in striving to maintain a healthy and whole-some life style I will encourage others to do likewise avoiding any debasingor negative remarks to their unhealthy habits or addictive life style patterns.VIII/ BE THANKFUL “That I will be ever thankful for having the necessaryeconomic resources for maintaining my health and to advocate that othersmay share in the same benefits.IX/ OLD BONES, YOUNG HEART/ “That I will learn to accept and grow older/mature with grace and gratitude.X/ ENJOY IT “That I will fully enjoy the gift of my life.!”

From 1964 until September 1975,I was a missionary in Laos, the King-dom of a Million of Elephants and theWhite Parasol. In January 1966, Istarted to learn Hmong in the TrainingCenter of Hmong Catechists, inSimuong, Vientiane.

Nowadays, in that Apostolic Vi-cariate, Bishop Jean KhamséVithavong and Fr. Beck, both Ob-lates, are the only clergy there. Bothare on the road quite often to ministerto their faithful.

During my stay there, in the vil-lage of Na Vai, 200 kms north ofVientiane, the commemoration of thefirst baptisms of some Khmu people50 years ago took place. Two yearsago, the bishop had baptized 710Khmu people, in the village of Na Vaiand the nearby villages. He had cer-tainly used his diplomatic skills to beauthorized to go and visit some Khmuvillages. For years and years, no priesthad visited them, for security reasons.

Fr. Beck told me that the schoolcompound, run by the Sisters until1975, and the nearby Church of VatPha Manda ( Notre Dame ) had beendemolished by the officials.

So in Vientiane, and itsneighbourhood , a single church re-mains, namely the Cathedral of theSacred Heart (Sacré Coeur).

In the Cathedralm behind theBishop’s chair, the same old motto ofMgr Etienne Loosdregt, OMI , was stillhanging; Pax a Deo (Peace: a gift from

Fr. Daniel Taillez, OMI, born in 1936 and ordained in 1963, spent many yearsin St. Paul, MN, ministering to the Hmong communities as Director of the Hmong-American National Catholic Association (HANCA). In 2002 Fr. Taillez left the UnitedStates to work with Radio Veritas Asia. The Catholic Communication Campaignfunds a radio program for the Hmong via Radio Veritas Asia, produced by Fr.Taillez, which is also being used for the Hmong communities living in the UnitedStates. The following is a portion of a report that Fr. Taillez sent recently.

God). It may take some years beforetrue peace can ever blossom there.

On Sunday, I celebrated theHmong Mass in the cathedral. Closeto 80 Hmong people attended. SomeHmong, not yet baptized, whom I’vemet in the past, were there. During thehomily I had the faithful repeat someshort words, 3 times in a row: The LordJesus dwells within us / Then, we can

live on in Peace. A particular song was also sung:

Peace, Yes, Peace is Jesus’ gift.Then, says Jesus, then, my namewill be known -Peace, Yes, Peaceis Jesus’ gift.

Visit to Thailand recountedFr. Daniel Taillez, OMI

May 2011 -9

King’s House Retreat & Renewal Centerhosted its annual Mardi Gras celebrationon March 8, 2011. Begun as an open

house for other local Oblate settings, including St.Henry’s Oblate Residence, The MissionaryAssociation, The National Shrine of OLS, andOblate Media, it’s also a time to welcome folkswho are volunteers, friends and family members ofKing’s House employees.

About 125 people came to enjoy ourkitchen’s signature fine food, done “N’Awlins” style:seafood etoufee, red beans & rice, chicken &sausage gumbo, collard greens, and several otherdishes. Of course, “King’s Cake” was the dessertfor our many-beaded guests.Right: Bros. Tom Ruhmann (l) and Bill Johnson(far l) with the party-goers.

King’s House celebrates Mardi Gras

The province’s Justice Peace andIntegrity of Creation office hosted acombined meeting of the JPICcommittees of the LeadershipConference of Women Religious and theConference of the Major Superiors ofReligious Men in the last week ofMarch.

The focus of the meetings, ofcourse, was to reflect on how the twoConferences might might engage theircongregations in justice causes.

Top left, l-r, at dinner on March 30:Frs. Séamus Finn, Andrew Small,Chris Promis, Srs. Janet Lehmann,Kathleen Bryant and Fr. Tom Greene.Bottom left, l-r: Srs. DorothyPagosa, Marie Lucey, SharonAltendorf, Judy Justinger, MiriamMitchell and Fr. Michael McNulty.

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A Special Assembly, composedonly of delegation members infull-time ministry, took place in

Lusaka at Kasisi retreat centre fromDec. 27-31, 2010. Fr. Ron Carignan,OMI, the former Delegation Superior,was the facilitator. The assembly washeld under the theme “I and the Fatherare one” (John 10:30).

Joining the assembly were Frs.Warren Brown, OMI, the newGeneral Councilor for USA/ Canadaregion and Tom Ovalle, OMI the

Kang’ombe ordained

The diaconate ordination ofSchol. Bro. Joseph KapyaKang’ombe, OMI, which

took place on January 15, 2011 inKalabo, was characterized by tradi-tional liturgical dancing of the peopleof Western Province.

The liturgical celebration,which lasted for more than two andhalf hours, was celebrated by RightReverend Paul Francis Duffy,OMI, the Bishop of Mongu Diocese.

Left: Zambia DelegationOblates with Fr. Ron Carignan

by Fr. Freeborn Kibombwe, OMI

S o u t h - We s tArea councilorfor the USProvince. Also inattendance wasFr. Joe Phiri,f o r m e rD e l e g a t i o nSuperior, who iscurrently in theUSA, Bro.M a x i m i l i a nMwakacheya,

OMI, and Fr. Raymond Mwangala,OMI, who are working as formatorsat the Oblate Scholasticate in Cedara,South Africa. Bishop Paul FrancisDuffy, OMI of Mongu Diocese whowas also at the assembly was recognizedfor his role as a voice of justice andpeace in the country. Since this eventtook place, Bishop Duffy has retired andFr. Evans Chinyemba, OMI, hasbeen named to take his place.

Special Assembly held in Zambia

Among those at the special assembly were some ofthe past and present superiors of the delegation, l-r:Bishop Paul Duffy, Fr. Freeborn Kibombwe, EvansChinyemba, Ron Walker, Ron Carignan, and Joe Phiri.

Right, at altar: Deacons NicholasKabombo, Joseph Kan’gombe andBishop Paul Duffy

May 2011 -11

Three take ‘perpets’

Jubilation and joy continued inthe Zambian delegation whenthree scholastics professed their final

oblation. Those professed were: Schol.Bros. George Mandona, TheodoreMbulo and Richard Chanda .

The perpetual vow Mass took place atMary Immaculate Parish in Lusaka on Jan.22, 2011

Well, regarding theappointment for Mongu.This appointment comes

after many shifts in my Oblate life frombeing in formation ministry, moved toShangombo as Parish Priest, thenrecalled to Lusaka as the DelegationSuperior here in Zambia. Within aspace of a year I was elected GeneralCouncillor for Africa-Madagascar. Justafter some months comes thisappointment of being Bishop of Mongu.

My words at the moment arethat God works in strange way. All alongI have been planning what I will do in

the parish; that did not last long. I startedvisioning what I will do as DelegationSuperior for the delegation, region andalso the Oblate world; that did not lastlong. I moved to Rome, with plans ofwhat I would like to contribute toOblate life. All this is history. Now Ihave been called to serve as Bishop ofMongu, an appointment I never thoughtwould ever be part of my missionarylife. It is my trust and hope that Godwill continue sustaining the work Godhas called me to.

As you know, this appointmentis for Mongu diocese, Western

Province. It is one of the new diocesesin the country. My dream is to continuebuilding on the foundation set by BishopPaul Duffy, OMI and all those whohave collaborated with him in bringingthe diocese to where it is.

My role is to continue buildingthe Church of God and helping thepeople of God develop their spirituallife. One of the challenges is also that ofbeing the voice of the people of this partof the country. Western Province is oneof the least developed provinces in

Bishop-elect Evans Chinyemba,OMI, offers a few reflections

From January 31st to February 7,2011, the delegation was visitedby two consultants two

consultants from Larson Allen, one ofthe U.S. Province’s accounting firms,Nancy Lee (r) and Jackie Unger (l)

Ms. Unger gave advice infinancial reporting and controls of boththe delegation Administration Officeand Oblate Radio Liseli. Ms. Leeworked with treasurers to formulate

U.S. Financial consultors visit Zambiaa financial sustainability plan.

Oblate treasurers from all thedelegation communities attended theworkshops: Frs. Victor Mwansa,Singini Nacidze, Nebby Mutale,Lewis Sauti, Barnabas Simatendeand Bro. George Mandona.

Others present were Frs.Freeborn Kibombwe, Pat Gitzen,Godfrey Mpundu and the delegationoffice Administrative Manager, Mr.

(Zambia news taken from thedelegation’s January-February 2011newsletter, edited by Ms Musonda Chipili)

Zambia and many of our people live inreal poverty situation.

Albert Nalishuwa, along with theAccountant, Mr. Sikota Sikena.

OMI-USA - 12

In August of 1995 the former EastSt. Louis Assumption High Schoolopened its doors as the SouthwesternIllinois Correction Center (SWICC), aLevel 6 Minimum-Security Adult Malefacility with a daily population of 672.Approximately 40-50 men are releasedeach month after serving their sentence.

The Warden, James Davidson, isa graduate of the old Assumption HighSchool. Each month Geri Furmanek,Mission Enrichment director, takes 20packs to those who are most in need.

Apartment Community volunteers assembling the Care packages: L-R (sit-ting) Gen Wehrheim, Clemie Pierce, Emilie Kosuth, Clara Magrath, OliviaOchoa, OP, Bill Crotty; (standing L-R) Lori Schwartz, (Apt. Community Di-rector of Marketing) and Geri Furmanek.

For some time now, the Office ofMission Enrichment & OblateAssociates at the Shrine of Our

Lady of the Snows, Belleville, IL, hasprepared St. Eugene’s Care Packs:backpacks containing personal hygieneitems, towel and washcloth, shampoo,etc., for impoverished ex-offenders asthey are released from prison.

On the day of their release, af-ter serving their sentence, as theywalk out of the prison, they are

handed one of the Care Packs. (Formore on this ministry, go towww.omiusa.org.)

Aid offered to thosereleased from prison

Continued from page 2From the Provincial

Such data are found in the ar-ticles that Artie gathered for the Con-ference.* These articles make for mightythought-provoking reading. Even givenmany “caveats” about the statistics, theexodus of Catholics from the practiceof their faith should certainly raise theconcern of the sons of St. Eugene. Theopening words of his 1825 preface addurgency to the Oblate concern for thisphenomenon. “The Church, that glo-rious inheritance purchased byChrist the Savior at the cost of hisown blood, has in our days been cru-elly ravaged.”

The province’s annual“Mission Forum” this May willexplore pastoral leadership in thechurch today. It will undoubtedly ex-pand on and deepen the dialogue initi-

ated by the Oblate Missionary Partner-ship. That’s one more meeting I’ll haveto miss. Those days I’ll be in Zambia atEvans Chinyemba’s episcopal ordina-tion. But, there’s no doubt the vitalityof that event will be as encouraging and

contagious as the mission forum in SanAntonio.

-Fr. Billy Morell, OMI*Note: these can be found on the provincewebsite at www.omiusa.org under the title:“De Mazenod Conference, Missing in Ac-tion.”

World Day of Prayer for Vocations: May 15, 2011

What fired the passion and empowered the drive of St. Eu-gene? It was love of Jesus Christ and a dominant desire tolive and preach His Gospel among the poorest of the poor.

Living in a non-technological era, 19th century vocation min-istry for St. Eugene was quite simple. It might be summarized in fivewords: good example and zeal for souls.Today’s wonderful techno-logical advancements help spread the word that Oblates continue toseek additional members. Yet, the most reliable communication forbroadcasting this invitation is the quality of how we Oblates live ourvowed life. Our good example spelled out with zeal for souls willcontinue to attract young men to follow Jesus Christ as MissionaryOblates of Mary Immaculate. --Fr. Charles Banks, OMI

May 2011 -13

Last Feb. 19, the pastors of St.Casimir and St. Patrick parishesin St. Paul, MN, announced

that the two parishes would be mergedinto one, served by a single Oblatepastor, beginning this summer.

Fr. Joseph Ferraioli, OMI, St.Casimir’s current pastor, said, “The day

I announced it here that we were goingto cluster with St. Patrick, nobody wasupset. They saw it coming. It was a sighof relief that St. Casimir wasn’t goingto be closed. What they were upsetabout was that I said it might be the endof the Oblates here.”

A similar reaction was noted byFr. Jerry Hackenmueller, anarchdiocesan priest and St. Patrick’spastor.

Although a new pastor will benamed to replace Father Ferraioli, whosaid he will be leaving St. Casimir, Fr.Harry Winter, OMI, will continue tolive at the St. Casimir rectory and as-sist with Masses and other responsibili-ties, as he has done for the past fewyears.

Also pleased that the Oblateswill remain was Jennifer Haselberger,archdiocesan chancellor for canonicalaffairs. She has a personal interest inthe Oblates at St. Casimir because it isher family’s parish and where she wasbaptized. In addition, a relative was oneof the founding pastors, and an uncle,Fr. John Maslowski, OMI, was serv-ing as pastor when he died of a heartattack while playing baseball with localkids.

Although she no longer worshipsthere each week, Haselberger said thatbecause of her baptism and because itis a Polish national parish, she wouldalways feel welcome at the church.

“I think it’s a wonderful thing forthe parish, and the archbishop is grate-ful for the continued presence of thosepriests,” she said.

St. Casimir parishioners Pete Bar-rett and Cindy Pasiuk also are glad theOblates are staying.

“When Fr. Andrew Stojarcame in 1916, he set a precedent,”

Oblates remain in merged parishes

The US Catholic Mission Association Board (USCMA) met at 391 from March3 -5. This is the third year they have met there. The USCMA puts on an annualmission conference in different parts of the country and sponsors and organizesthe much larger Mission Congress every five years.

Fr. Ferraioli with David Lowry

Fr. Greg Gallagher, OMI, one of tenof St. Casimir’s vocations, withDiana and Jorge Crispin. 2006

Pasiuk said. “I think the Oblates havegiven us the sense of comfort, dedica-tion and spirituality, especially after thesituation Father Stojar walked into.”

The history on the parishwebsite, www.stcasimirchurch.orgdetails a sordid tale about the murderof the first pastor of the church, whichhad to be reconsecrated.(Story edited from a March 16, 2011 reportin St. Paul’s diocesan paper, The CatholicSpirit by Pat Norby.)

OMI-USA - 14

The Pacific area meeting, inEncino, CA, on Feb. 23marked the final step in the

provincial discernment process. Again,the four candidates for provincialpresented themselves and answeredquestions.

Frs. Joe Dowling, AndySensenig and Roger Bergkamp ledthe meetings, while Fr. Nick Hardingpreparaed a talk on Oblatediscernment.

Fr. Antonio Ponce sharedsomething of his recent experience atthe World Social Forum in Dakar,Senegal. At the Forum he met Oblatesfrom other parts of the world and joinedthousands from around the world whomet around the theme: “Another Worldis Possible”.”

“We had the opportunity to wit-

ness and participate in a church thatwalks and encourages the people of thiscountry in their search for justice,” hesaid. “Part of this Pilgrim Church inthis town in Africa are the Mission-ary Oblates who, for nearly half acentury, have made their presence

felt and have worn out their livesamong the Senegalese people. Wenot only witnessed their great hos-pitality, but also their effort and dedi-

cation to this people; their commit-ment among the Senegalese peopleto promote not only their spiritualgrowth but also human by providingthem education and health basic ser-vices.”

Fr. Ponce joined Fr. Walter

Final provincial discernment meeting held in California

Fr. Ponce addresses the group

L-r: Frs. Paul Nourie, Pat Thompson, Gerry Burnet, Roger Bergkamp,Don Bernard and Scott Hill at Fr. Burnet’s jubilee Mass.

Butor, OMI and Ms. Patti Radle inattending the WSF at the invitation ofthe province’s Justice and Peace andCreation of Integrity office.

One of the highlights of themeeting was celebrating with Fr.Gerry Brunet his 60th anniversaryof vows. Fr. Gerry celebrated the clos-ing Mass and shared some words onhis life as an Oblate, especially his daysin the seminary. Over the years he hasserved in Oregon, Washington, Mon-tana, California, and now Anchorage,Alaska.

Pacific area Oblates beginning their meeting with a prayer service.

May 2011 -15

Oblates celebrate ordination, profession jubilees

The 2011 jubilee anniversaries of 43 Oblates noting first profession and of 30observing ordination to the priesthood are scheduled in three locations:at the Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, TX, on May 3; Immaculate

Heart of Mary Residence, Tewksbury, MA, on June 13; and Our Lady of the SnowsShrine, Belleville, IL, on Sept. 12.Besides the U.S. Areas, jubilarians minister in eleven mission fields: Brazil, Canada,China, Haiti, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Rome, Philippines, Scandinavia, and Zambia.

Ordination

1936 Seventy-Five YearsFr. Boniface Wittenbrink1941 Seventy YearsFr. Gerard Clenaghan (Ireland)

Fr. Francis Ebner (Canada)

Fr. Patrick HealyFr. Fraancis MontalbanoFr. Joseph Vaillancourt (Haiti)

Fr. Robert Vreteau1946 Sixty-Five YearsFr. Robert AllieFr. Francis BaganFr. James DatkoFr. Richard HarrFr. André HouleFr. William McSweeneyFr. John MorinFr. James Pfeifer

1941 Seventy YearsFr. Boniface Wittenbrink1946 Sixty-Five YearsFr. Edmund Leising (Brazil)

Fr. Joseph Vaillancourt (Haiti)

Fr. Robert Vreteau1951 Sixty YearsFr. Robert AllieFr. Maynard KeglerFr. John MorinFr. James Pfeifer1961 Fifty YearsFr. Rolland BennettFr. Real Corriveau (Haiti)

First Profession

Fr. Leroy LandryFr. Santiago (Jim) Lyons (Mexico)

Fr. William MartinFr. Francis Kelly NemeckFr. Carroll Parker (Scandinavia)

Fr. Richard PhilionFr. William Reinhard (Brazil)

Fr. John Saint-Cyr (Haiti)

Fr. Richard SheehanFr. Ronald Walker (Zambia)

1971 Forty YearsFr. Alfred Charpentier (Haiti)

Fr. Daniel CrahenFr. Pete Curran (Brazil)

Fr. James FeeFr. William MasonFr. Ronald MeyerFr. Gilberto Piñon (Rome)

Fr. David Ullrich (China)

Fr. Stephen Vasek

1951 Sixty YearsFr. Gerald BrunetFr. Andrew ChalkeyFr. William DavisFr. José GagoFr. Adolph KalerFr. John KingBro. Valmond LeclercFr. Michael LevyFr. Felipe MatiasFr. James MillerFr. Kevin O’Connor (Ireland)

Fr. Vincent OttFr. James TaylorBro. Lerenzo Williams

1961 Fifty YearsFr. Michael Bradley (Scandinavia)

Fr. John ColletBro. Edward DrigginsFr. Jerome Novotny (Japan)

Fr. Richard Pommier (Philippines)

Archbishop Roger Schwietz1971 Forty YearsFr. Norman Bonneau (Canada)

Bro. Richard P. CoteFr. Joseph FerraioliFr. Lon KonoldFr. Henry Lemoncelli (Rome)

Fr. John MadiganFr. Terrence O’ConnellFr. Thomas Ovalle

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OMI - USA

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Newsletter of the U.S. Province of theMissionary Oblates of Mary Immacu-late.-391 Michigan Ave., NE Washing-ton, DC 20017-1516President and Publisher:Very Rev. BillMorell, OMIEditor: Fr. Charles Hurkes, OMIDirect all submissions, inquiries andcomments to Charles Hurkes, OMI atthe above address or Fax (202) 529-4572; Tel: (202) 529-4505 e-mail:chasomi@omiusa.orgPublished six times a year for Oblate per-sonnel and their friends and supporters;distributed from the U.S. Provincial Of-fices in Washington, DC.

√√√√√ In his most recent vocation report, Fr. Dan Nassaney, OMI,noted his paticipation at a Mission Alliance meeting in Boston. That’s agroup of vocation and mission personnel from religious communities whomeet for upcoming vocation events. Fr. Michael Linden S.J., makinga report on a meeting in Albuquerque, deplored that missiology is nolonger being offered in seminaries and schools of theology here in theUS, with the exception of CTU in Chicago and Oblate School of The-ology in San Antonio.

√√√√√ Fr. Eugene Tremblay, OMI, presented a Lenten adult faitheducation series at St. Joseph the Worker Shine, Lowell, MA. Thisyear’s theme was “The Person of Jesus/Life of Christ.”

√√√√√ Fr. Bevil Bramwell, OMI, continues to post articles on TheCatholic Thing website. The latest reflects on the late Avery Cardinal Dulles’criteria of an authentic Catholic theologian. http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2011/fifteen-criteria-of-authentic-catholic-thought.html#comments

√√√√√ Fr. Seamus Finn, OMI, Director of the Oblate JPIC Office and Boardmember of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Respon-sibility, will give the keynote address on corporate re-sponsibility and socially responsible investing. He en-courages people to integrate their beliefs — such ascaring for the environment and paying workers a fairwage — into their investment and business decisions.

Fr. Finn, who has been pushing for social responsibility in business for more thantwo decades, said he sees reason for hope as more companies put the environ-ment and people first with tags like organic and sweatshop-free. (Cf: http://omiusajpic.org/)√√√√√ For nearly 30 years Oblate Media and Communication has contributedto the Church’s teaching mission through catechetical andspiritual resources, as well as being a Province resource forpublicly addressing and promoting priorities and achievingprovincial goals. Over the years, it has built a solid foundationin its ability to produce, market and distribute programs forfaith formation in churches and schools.

Since 1982, 324,129 video units have been shippedto customers. Of these, 104, 592 were programs produced by Oblate Media.That includes 10,300 units of programs by Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI . OblateMedia has been left as the only remaining full-time producer of Catholic videomaterial.√√√√√ A celebration in honor of 78-year old Fr. Ted Pfeifer was held lastFebruary, at San Antonio’s Cadillac Bar Restaurant. A paramedic, most of Fr.

Ted’s missionary years were spent in the mountainousterrain of Oaxaca, Mexico, where he brought not onlyspiritual ministrations of the church, but also medicalrelief. Much of the drama of his run-ins with the areadrug cartels was revealed in his book, When theWolves Came. A Memoir, which is being made into a

documentary. Retired now, he lives at Madonna House in San Antonio.

125th Anniversary125th Anniversary125th Anniversary125th Anniversary125th Anniversary of death of of death of of death of of death of of death of

St. Eugene de Mazenod St. Eugene de Mazenod St. Eugene de Mazenod St. Eugene de Mazenod St. Eugene de Mazenod May 21 May 21 May 21 May 21 May 21

Loving Saviour, we thank you forthe life and intercession of Saint

Eugene de Mazenod. Accompaniedby his prayers we bring to you allour personal intentions and thoseof our loved ones, especially the

sick and suffering. We ask also thatyou will inspire many generouspersons to follow St. Eugene’s

missionary example by dedicatingtheir lives to being the Saviour’s co-operators like you were. We ask allthis with loving confidence. Amen.

Santuccci: www.eugenedemazenod.net