Volume LV Number 7 National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos In the Redemptorist Church of Saint Mary’s Assumption 919 Josephine Street New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 525-2495 July 2016 www.seelos.org Seelos Healing Mass with Sacrament of Anointing Sunday, October 2nd, 2016 1:00PM National Shrine of Bl. Seelos / St. Mary’s Assumption Church 919 Josephine Street (Corner of Josephine & Constance Streets) New Orleans, LA Confessions before Mass / Veneration of Relic Missionary Crucifix / Wheelchair Accessible / Free Parking Lot (Located on St. Andrews Street ONLY) / One-on- one intercessory prayer in back of Church and Shrine / Gift store open before and after Healing Mass. Sunday October 9th, 2016 Program 5:30 P.M. / Dinner 7:00 P.M Honoring Fr. Byron Miller C.Ss.R. Tickets are available first come first served. For more information or to Sponsor the event please call the Seelos Welcome Center (504) 525-2495 Thirteenth Annual Bl. Seelos Gala
Transcript
Volume LVNumber 7
National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos
In the Redemptorist Church of Saint Mary’s Assumption
919 Josephine Street New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 525-2495 July 2016
www.seelos.org
Seelos Healing Mass with Sacrament of AnointingSunday, October 2nd, 2016 1:00PM
National Shrine of Bl. Seelos / St. Mary’s Assumption Church919 Josephine Street (Corner of Josephine & Constance Streets) New Orleans, LAConfessions before Mass / Veneration of Relic Missionary Crucifix / Wheelchair Accessible / Free Parking Lot (Located on St. Andrews Street ONLY) / One-on-
one intercessory prayer in back of Church and Shrine / Gift store open before and after Healing Mass.
Sunday October 9th, 2016 Program 5:30 P.M. / Dinner 7:00 P.M
Honoring Fr. Byron Miller C.Ss.R.
Tickets are available first come first served. For more information or to Sponsor the event please call the Seelos Welcome Center (504) 525-2495
Thirteenth Annual Bl. Seelos Gala
Dear Friends of Fr. Seelos,
In June we had a film crew here at the Seelos Shrine from Eternal Word Network (EWTN). They were filming a segment of the EWTN series “Savoring our Faith,” which has Fr. Leo Patalinghug as its host. The idea is to link a character of faith with food. Very appropriate for New Orleans. The link of Fr. Seelos was to be with Tabasco Sauce. That could be quite a stretch in some ways because Fr. Seelos
was known not to spice his food at all.
On further reflection though, it seems to me that Fr. Seelos added a lot of spice to life by his sense of humor and by his warm welcome to all people. He had a peace and aliveness about him so that people just liked to be around him.
A further touch of spice he added to the life of others was his gift of poetry. Often in his letters to his family and to others he interspersed a poem that spoke his thoughts better than his prose. One poem in translation from the German was addressed to a lady friend with whom he had had some misunderstanding:
Everything has been settled Everything breathes peace and quiet. Since the enemies have ceded We go quietly homeward. (Letters, p.258)
In another poem Seelos wrote to his friend Fr. Joseph Wissel, C.Ss.R., who was recovering from a sickness. Seelos consoled him with a long poem of “Woe, Woe, Woe” and then with “Yes, Yes, Yes.”
O woe! O woe! O woe! I am dissolved in sympathy. O dearest God, I beg real earnestly, Please grant me, this petition; And make the good Father well again soon, And open again his lips…
O yes! O yes! O yes! The help is very near, Just rest a little while longer; That is good for you and gives you courage, And sanctity as a good measure; Then the affair will be better still. (Letters, 461, 463)
We thank God for the spice God adds to our lives whether it is by hot sauce, poetry, or Spirit-filled people who enliven our world.
In the Redeemer,Fr. Harry Grile, C.Ss.R.
P.S. EWTN will let us know when the segment on Fr. Seelos is going to be aired. It will be sometime in 2017.
Seelos Center Services Pilgrimages to Seelos Shrine & Museum. Call Center: 504-525-2495, Open Mon-Fri, 9 to 3; Sat, 10 to 3:30.Inspirational Message 504-586-1803 Blessings of the Sick with a Seelos Crucifix in designated area hospitals:East Jefferson Gerry Heigle: 504-482-4404 Anne Batt: 504-458-0310Ochsner (Kenner) Linda DiMaggio: 504-287-8732 B. J. Chauvin: 504-427-5469Ochsner (Jefferson) Mark/Monica Surprenant 504-895-5371 Marie Giorlando 504-568-0522 Earl Moraga 504-428-5141 Uptown/Innercity Dennis Waldron: 504-442-6336Westbank Elaine Freeman: 504-341-2213 Mary Grace Orsag: 504-367-7515 Tori Winters 504-237-2962Abbeville/Erath/Lafayette Boniface ‘Boni’ Suire: 337-937-5675Alexandria Deacon Bill /Joan Travis: 318-664-7069Baldwin/Franklin Patti Ibert: 337-828-0141Baton Rouge Gloria Bacque: 225-753-3800Covington Dr. Ann Logarbo: 985-886-0218 April Mayo: 985-892-1828Denham Springs Kathy Newcomb: 225-978-9284Iota Anne Ritter: 337-254-8451Lacombe/Abita Springs Billy Bachemin: 985-288-7006Lake Charles Lisa Verrette: 337-274-4810 Mandeville David Brumfield: 985-886-9235 Lisa & Eric Johnsen: 985-276-4445Mississippi Gail Garay (Pearl River): 985-863-7562New Iberia/Abbeville/Jeanerette Rachel Gonsoulin: 337-224-7855Opelousas Suzanne Pitre: 337-351-8489Ponchatoula/Hammond Gasper Corpora: 225-294-5938Prairieville/Gonzales M/M Claude Bourgeois 225-644-9354 Shreveport/Bossier City Tom & Marjorie Rivers: 318-797-3116Slidell Mary Jo Stewart: 985-502-9033St. Bernard/Arabi Patricia Noote: 504-460-2340Thibodaux Martha Bourgeois: 985-446-0124
Reflection From The Administrator
Cherub Note Cards, 20 blank cherub cards and envelopes. Detail of St. Mary’s Assumption Church High Altar. ($12, incl. p/h) Seelos Rosary Ring: Made in Italy, great gift for a friend on your list. ($3, incl. p/h)Garabandal Journal: features cover story by Mark Regis on “Blessed Francis Seelos, Powerful Interces-sor” in the Sept/Oct 2003 issue ($5, incl. p/h)
A Life of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos: by Hoegerl & von Stamwitz. 108-page paperback biography, illus-trated (Donation: $12.50, incl. p/h)Seelos Shrine All Occasion Card: A deluxe remembrance card for any special occasion. (Donation: $12, contact Seelos Ctr. for enrollment)Seelos Prayer Cards with popular im-ages of Bl. Francis Seelos, prayer, & biographical information. Assortment of 100 total in 4 styles. ($13.50, incl.p/h)Seelos, Tireless Intercessor: 68-min. documentary on Seelos’ miracu-lous life; as seen on EWTN. Made in Italy. ($25, incl. p/h)Death, Where Is Your Sting?, tender account of Seelos’ final weeks of life as told by witnesses of his death to yellow fever. Hardcover, 175 pp., photos. ($24, incl.p/h)Seelos Wooden Bracelet with Color Images is 3-1/4” wide x 3/4” tall before expansion. Depicts various images of our Blessed Mother & Bl. Seelos at the Shrine. ($13, incl. p/h)
Little Way of Faithfulness: 128-pg. softbound bio of Seelos by Fr. Santa; reveals how faithfulness in little things adds up to a meaningful life well lived! ($20, incl. p/h)
A Seelos Vigil Candle will burn near his sacred resting place in Seelos Shrine, New Orleans, for an offering of $3. Seelos 2nd & 3rd-Class Relics / Seelos Pamphlets & Prayer Cards also in Spanish & Vietnamese. Call 504-525-2495. Currently, 1st Class relics are unavailable.
Please allow up to 2 weeks for delivery.
Seelos Center Devotionals
An eye for an eye only ends up making the whold world
blind. Mahatma Gandhi
Continuing from where we left off last month on insights of Blessed Seelos and his band of young missionaries from 1863-1866. History tells us that German born Fr. Joseph Wissel, was forever in demand, though inclined to be too vehement.
Though capable, they needed careful training in mission traditions. The older Fathers complained that the younger missionaries had failed to learn these traditions. One great improvement for Redemptorist mission work came during Seelos’ term as Superior of the missions, namely a full-fledged uniform program of rules and regulations for the missionaries. The Provincial, Father John De Dycker, interested in instituting a program of uniformity for years, had formulated provincial statues for the missions and put them into force
In the summer of 1864, the Provincial ordered the Fathers to return to their home base to rest at the novitiate in Cumberland, MD. This rest for the missionaries after a hard year proved anything but a rest. Seelos would have preferred another place, while one of the missionaries called it the “Babylonian Captivity”. What made it less than restful was the fact that, the Confederate forces under General John McCausland headed toward Cumberland. Incensed at what they believed to be Yankee cruelties in Virginia, they resolved to smash Cumberland, then held by Federal troops. Three miles from the city a sharp battle ensued for four hours. The gunfire could be heard clearly in the rectory and the smoke of the battle easily seen. Packing their bags, the Redemptorists were getting ready to flee from Cumberland, when the Yankee forces repelled the invaders and the missionaries continued with their spiritual retreat.
I end this on a happy note, that after Fr. Seelos’ first year as Superior of the missions, the Provincial, Fr. John De Dycker wrote to the Superior General in Rome that Francis Seelos was doing such an efficient job in his post that he could not replace him. More to follow, so stay tuned…
Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos pray for us. Brother Leo Patin, C.Ss.R.
Reflection From The Administrator
SUNSET, LAMy husband had been diagnosed with malignant cancer on his scalp a few weeks ago. This is his fifth occurrence of malignant skin cancer. Upon the advice of his dermatologist, a biopsy was performed on a small center of inflamed skin. The biopsy came back - “malignant cancer - squamous cell carcinoma without clear edges”. An appointment was made with a plastic surgeon/cancer surgeon - to perform MOHs Surgery procedure to remove the cancer. Up until this appointment - many people were praying for him. Last year we went to the Blessed Seelos Shrine in New Orleans. I picked up a small relic out of the gift shop - a piece of cloth touched by a relic of Blessed Seelos. For several nights about two weeks ago - I would tape that relic to the top of his head...with the relic touching and covering the cancerous spot. He would sleep all night with it. We prayed God will also heal him.When the surgeon looked at his head last Wednesday - there was nothing - he could not even find the spot where the biopsy had been done. He cut out a thin layer of skin
in the area my husband showed him and looked at it in the lab.....and it showed 100% clear healthy skin cells- NO CANCER!!!! Surgeon said this had not happened to him before - in fact it is usually the opposite - cancers grow larger from time of biopsy to MOHs procedure. No one can identify a reason for the spontaneous healing of the cancerous area. We give praise and glory to God....for he is merciful and kind to us. We thank Blessed Seelos for his intercession and we wanted to share our story with other faithful of Seelos.Lake Grove, NYI have had thyroid nodules for forty-five years. About forty years ago I stopped having it checked out. Two years ago I had it checked and was told to see a specialist. I went to two big name hospitals in New York City. Each specialist told me to have the nodule removed after taking biopsies. I prayed to Blessed Seelos, hoping that an operation was not necessary. I went to a third New York City hospital and as soon as the doctor
TESTIMONIALS examined me she said it is not cancer, it is Hashimoto’s disease. The doctor sent me to another doctor for a second opinion and he confirmed it – NO CANCER!Metairie, LAM y h u s b a n d a n d I t r i e d unsuccessfully to have a child for four years. We tried several medical interventions which did not work. After praying at the Seelos chapel twice, we tried another medical procedure and it worked. We were blessed with a healthy baby boy. Becoming pregnant with him was nothing short of a miracle.
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