This issue focuses on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the USA, World Youth Day and more...
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Newsletter Newsletter Newsletter XAVERIAN MISSION XAVERIAN AVERIAN AVERIAN MISSION ISSION ISSION Passion for Christ — Passion for Humanity Volume 59—No 3 ● August 2011 Website: xaviermissionaries.org ● Mission Blog: xaverianmissionaries.blogspot.com THE LOVE OF CHRIST IMPELS US! You ng pilgrims from all over the world are meeting in Madrid this month to celebrate their faith at World Youth Day. Many of them participated in the Camino de Santiago de Compo- stela (Way of St James), a collec- tion of pilgrimage routes which cover all Europe and have the Cathedral of Santiago de Compo- stela in northwest Spain as their final destination. For more than one thousand years pilgrims have been walking along the Camino de Santiago. It is a spiritual as well as a physi- cal path, one that is embraced with an open heart and tired feet. Stories and lives are shared along the way with pilgrims from all over the globe giving a visible expression of the unity of the world as one family. Our lives are also journeys. We can choose the paths we will take and where they will lead. These young people have chosen to follow Christ and to embrace the mission to which we all are called. Their enthusiasm is conta- gious.
are meeting in Madrid this month to celebrate their faith at World Youth Day. Many of them participated in the Camino de Santiago de Compo-stela (Way of St James), a collec-tion of pilgrimage routes which cover all Europe and have the
Cathedral of Santiago de Compo-stela in northwest Spain as their final destination. For more than one thousand years pilgrims have been walking along the Camino de Santiago. It is a spiritual as well as a physi-cal path, one that is embraced with an open heart and tired feet. Stories and lives are shared along the way with pilgrims from
all over the globe giving a visible expression of the unity of the world as one family. Our lives are also journeys. We can choose the paths we will take and where they will lead. These young people have chosen to follow Christ and to embrace the mission to which we all are called. Their enthusiasm is conta-gious.
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Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2011 Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2011
Honoring Blessed Guido Maria Conforti's Canonization
“With his canonization, the human, Christian and missionary life of Blessed Bishop Con-forti is proposed as a model to every Christian, priest and bishop. To make him known and honored is a service to the mission and an opportunity for a profound missionary animation, including concrete initiatives and gestures of solidarity.”
Fr. Rino Benzoni, SX - Superior General
In view of this, three projects have been chosen: St. Guido – Pilgrimage Organization Project At the celebrations in Rome and Parma, we would like to see the participation of people from our various missions who work in evangelization, instruction of catechumens and assistance to the needy. We are aware, though, that for these brothers and sisters it may be difficult to meet the costs of the pilgrimage. Can you sponsor one of these lay leaders? St. Guido – Church Project The densely populated area of Marikina, a very poor district, on the outskirts of Manila (Philippines - Asia) is still recovering from the terrible typhoon - “Katsana” - which raked through the area in September 2009, turning most of the houses to rubble and leaving the majority of the people homeless. Will you join us in helping rebuild our Xaverian mission of Manila-Marikina? St. Guido – Social Project The tragic scenes of Fukushima (Japan, March 2011) are still before our eyes. Perhaps we have forgotten those of Yogyakarta (Indonesia, November 2010). Following the devastating eruption of the volcano Merapi the Xaverian Missionaries working in the area have set up an assistance center. They now want to expand it into a small professional training center, providing young people with much needed skills such as carpentry, con-struction, electrical, sewing, crafts, etc. As we honor St. Guido Maria Conforti, join us in making these three projects a concrete answer to our brothers and sisters in need. Fraternally, Fr. Luigi Zucchinelli, SX
WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN US AND HELP WITH ONE OF THESE PROJECTS?
HERE'S HOW. CONTACT:
Fr. Frank Grappoli, SX 12 Helene Court Wayne, NJ 07470 Tel: 973-942-2975
or visit: www.xaviermissionaries.org for online donations
3 Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2011
Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2011
Xaverian Missionaries in the World
"T he Diocese of
Uvira, eastern
Democratic Republic of the
Congo, inaugurated on May
30, in joy, in cheerfulness
and thanksgiving to the
Lord, its first hospital,” don
Etienne Esube, Secretary-
Chancellor of the diocese,
told the Vatican‟s Fides
News Agency. "The new
structure,” said don Esube,
“the first of its kind, is lo-
cated in the parish of Mater
Ecclesiae Kamanyola.”
The hospital is a free gift
from Fr. Giuseppe Crippa`s
family. Father Crippa was a Xaverian Missionary who died in October 2009,
at the start of work on building the future hospital. The inaugu-
ration ceremony was attended by His Excellency Mgr. François-
Xavier Maroy Rusengo, Archbishop of Bukavu and Apostolic Ad-
ministrator of Uvira. Father Crippa's sister, the General Superior
of the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of the Mount was also in
attendance. She returned to Uvira after being forced to leave
because of the war in 1996, and now ministers in the hospital.
The regional Superior of the Xaverian Missionaries of Parma, sev-
eral priests of Uvira and Bukavu and civil authorities joined in
the celebration.
The hospital consists of five main buildings and seven
secondary structures. It is located at the junction be-
tween the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and
Burundi. Given its importance, the hospital received
numerous donations. In particular, the Congolese gov-
ernment provided medicines, X-ray and ultrasound
equipment, and several wheelchairs. The president of-
fered a contribution to create a fund to support the
healthcare structure.
After the opening ceremony, the delegations traveled
17 km from Kamanyola to visit the Center for the Com-
munity Development of Kiringye, another work of the
Diocese of Uvira, where rice and peanuts are processed.
It also provides the electricity to the workshop for the
production of oil, and has recently resumed its activities
after the losses suffered in the wars of 1996 and 1998.
"These events will form part of the rebirth that gradual-
ly affects the Diocese of Uvira, which is preparing to
celebrate the golden jubilee in April 2012," concluded
don Esube.
AFRICA/DR CONGO - The first hospital in Kamanyola has been inaugu-
rated; a gift from the family of the missionary who had planned it.
The Ruzzi River near Kamanyola defines the border between the DR Congo
and Rwanda.
Downtown Kamanyola
Father Crippa was a Xaverian Mis-
sionary who died in October 2009,
at the start of work on building the
future hospital.
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Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2011 Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2011
Xaverian Missionaries in the World
IN MEMORIAM
We commend our Xaverian mission-ary Fr. Vasco J. Milani, SX into the loving embrace of God. Fr. Vasco died on May 28, 2011 at the Mother-house in Parma, Italy where he was cared for acute diabetes since 2009. He was 69 years old.
Many knew Fr. Vasco while he served at Xavier Knoll, Franklin and remem-ber his sense of humor, his joy in meeting people and his willingness to serve the Lord as priest and mis-sionary. He was an “untiring worker in the vineyard of the Lord.”
Born on Nov. 4, 1941 he was or-dained a priest at Cittadella, Padua on Oct. 14, 1967. Soon after ordina-tion, he served in the USA as Treas-urer of Franklin (1968-76 and 1982-86) and Superior of Franklin (1994-2002). He eliminated the debt of the Xaverian Seminary and land at Xavier Knoll.
In Brazil, Fr. Vasco worked as a par-ish priest at Tomê Açu (1978-1982 — 1986-1994); and at Belem at St. Francis Xavier Parish (2003-2006). After his mission ministry, Fr. Vasco was assigned to offer assistance in the infirmary of the Motherhouse in Parma from 2006 to 2010.
In all of these years of service to the global church, Fr. Vasco shined as an untiring worker for the Gospel, bringing joy, hope and laughter to those he met. We thank God for the gift of Fr. Vasco to our congregation.
Fr. Alfredo Turco, SX
Fr. Adolph Menéndez, SX
(right) Director of Vocation
and Campus Ministry in Cham-
plain, IL, who had worked in
Japan and Mexico, accompa-
nied a group of college stu-
dents to El Salvador for a
mission experience. This pro-
gram is organized through
FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic
University Students), a cam-
pus ministry program.
www.focusonline.org
Mission to El Salvador
Talk about hands on experience!
FOCUS members help build a
better world...in this case,
with cement and cinder
blocks.
You can help build a better world
with a click! Visit
www.xaviermissionaries.org We now accept PayPal and credit card
donations online.
5 Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2011
Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2011
Xaverian Missionaries Milestones
The Africa Faith and Jus-tice Network is a coalition of individuals and institu-tions that have ministries in various African coun-tries. In 1983 religious communities saw the need to have a presence in Washington DC in order to bring our missionary expe-rience and perspective framed by Catholic social teaching to those who shape official government policy on Africa. There are now 39 religious communi-ties including the Xaverian Missionaries and 2,000 indi-vidual members along with parishes and dioceses that twin with Africa, members of the Africa Diaspora now here in the USA and indi-viduals who have worked in Africa with other Non-Government Agencies. AFJN serves as a voice for missionaries who serve in Africa and wish to educate and advocate for justice. It is the last remaining faith based pan African educa-tion and advocacy network in Washington.
When I returned from Sier-ra Leone for the second time in 1984 I heard about this new network so I joined as an individual member. I became more active in the 1990‟s and
Fr. Carl Chudy, provincial of the USA Xaverian Missionaries celebrates 25 years of priesthood
this year. Commenting on his vocation, Fr. Carl states: “What power can propel a human
heart 25 years and more in the mission of the Church? The answer is found in the Feast of
Pentecost! Any commitment that involves love and dedication is a work of the Spirit. Our
founder, soon to be Saint Guido Maria Conforti, often cited the words of St. Paul: „The love
of Christ impels us.‟ It‟s the power of the Spirit that is involved here and I try to cooperate.”
25th Jubilee
―Rudder of the Boat…‖
Father Rocco Puopolo, SX, is leaving his posi-tion as Executive Director of AFJN in Washing-ton, DC to start together with Father Adolph Menéndez, SX, an Office for Youth Evangeliza-tion in Boston this fall .
worked in the DC office while on sab-batical in 1995. Through the help of AFJN in 1997 and 1999 I was able to bring the plight of Sierra Leone to many staffers on the Hill and in the State De-partment and other agen-cies in DC who were will-ing to have firsthand in-formation on how to bring peace to that country.
I have been the executive director of AFJN since 2006. Together with the staff and interns we gen-erate the information pro-vided for the members, attend coalition meetings on common concerns, and organize our annual con-ferences. Recently we have developed regional Africa Summits in various parts of the US. I repre-sent AFJN at a number of national conferences for the Church and for Reli-gious Communities.
I believe that we contin-ued the quality analysis and research for which AFJN is known. We also increased outreach to the African Diaspora and of-fered regional meetings beyond the “Beltway” to engage more people in our
work. Related to this was the outreach to college and university students, many of whom are from Africa and Africa Studies programs. We also initiat-ed a lecture series in DC honoring a former direc-tor who passed away. We invite Africans who live or study here to speak and help us see particular challenges for Africa through their eyes.
Member-ship ap-preciated the new life that we gave AFJN over these past five years. But I have to say, it is the younger staff and interns that generate that energy. I see myself as the “rudder of the boat,” steering it in the direc-tion we needed to go as a voice for justice and fair relations with Africa.
Fr. Rocco Puopolo, SX
Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2011 6
A Filipino Youth’s Personal Reflection
F aith is a way of life for me. Faith gives me the security
that when everything else fades, faith will remain firm.
In my daily living, it is faith in God that allows me to see
the beauty in my blissful and not-so-happy moments: It helps me
to see that God has His own purpose and that He has his greater
plans for me. "For I know the plans I have for you,‖ declares
the Lord, ―plans for good, and not for evil; to give you a fu-
ture with hope."-Jeremiah 29:11 And it is faith which allows
me to inspire other people in a very special way.
Church plays a big role in forming and boosting my faith in
God. It serves an educator, for it teaches me of how to
live my life in accordance with the Church teachings and
what is pleasing to Him. Moreover, it allows me to per-
sonally unite with God and talk to Him in a very person-
al way. It is where I can rest with God peacefully.
To all my fellow youths: We are in our own struggle to
stand firm in our faith in God. There will be arrows of temp-
tations and sins that will hit us but it is the shield of faith that
surely will lead us to our victory. ―In all circumstances take up the
shield of faith.‖-Ephesians 6:16 Let us take initiative to have a
personal relationship with God and let faith be our strength in eve-
ry downfall we will encounter. Let His will be done and for all of
this, may God be praised!
Jane A. Balmores
Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2011 7
“Planted and Built Up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith”
Saint Paul
Jane is a young college student in the
Philippines. Her parents are very involved
in the Couples for Christ, an extra-
parochial organization with a large impact
on the local church. Jane„s faith has
deepened enormously over the years. She
is an active member of Youth for Christ.
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Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2011
Fr. Luigi Brioni, who spent more than 40 years in Sierra Leone, West
Africa, shares God's Word in Africa.
World Mission Spirituality
The Beatification of His Holiness Pope John Paul II reminds us of his teach-
ings on ―Mission.‖ The following is excerpted from his 1990 Encyclical
“On the permanent validity of the Church's missionary mandate.”
THE REDEEMER’S MISSION
institutions and associa-tions. Nevertheless, … Mission-ary activity specifically directed "to the na-tions" (ad gentes) appears to be waning, and this tendency is certainly not in line with the directives of the Council and of sub-sequent statements of the Magisterium. ... For in the Church's history, missionary drive has al-ways been a sign of vitali-ty, just as its lessening is a sign of a crisis of faith. I wish to invite the Church to renew her mis-sionary commitment. For missionary activity re-news the Church, revital-izes faith and Christian identity, and offers fresh enthusiasm and new in-centive. Faith is strength-ened when it is given to others! God is opening before the Church the horizons of a humanity more fully pre-pared for the sowing of the Gospel. I sense that the moment has come to commit all of the Church's energies to a new evange-lization and to the mis-sion ad gentes. No believ-er in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peo-ples.
T he Mis-sion of Christ our Redeemer, which is en-trusted to the
Church, is still very far from com-
pletion. ...It is the Spirit who impels us to proclaim the great works of God: "For if I preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!" 1 Cor 9:16
In the name of the whole Church, I sense an urgent duty to repeat this cry of St. Paul.
The Second Vatican Coun-cil emphasized the Church's "missionary na-ture," basing it in a dy-namic way on the Trini-tarian mission itself. The missionary thrust there-fore belongs to the very nature of the Christian life, and is also the inspi-ration behind ecumen-ism: "that they may all be one...so that the world may believe that you have sent me." Jn 17:21 The Council has already borne much fruit in the realm of missionary activ-ity. There has been an increase of local churches with their own bishops, clergy and workers in the apostolate. The presence of Christian communities is more evident in the life of nations, and commun-ion between the churches has led to a lively ex-change of spiritual bene-fits and gifts. The commitment of the laity to the work of evan-gelization is changing ecclesial life, while par-ticular churches are more willing to meet with the members of other Chris-tian churches and other religions, and to enter into dialogue and cooper-ation with them. Above all, there is a new aware-ness that missionary ac-tivity is a matter for all Christians, for all dioces-es and parishes, Church
How can we “enter
into dialogue and co-
operation” with other
Christian churches
and other religions?
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Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2010
Commemorating 9/11
The Conversation We Never Had
S ponsored by Odys-sey Networks, a media consortium
of 27 major faith groups including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “9/11: The Conversation We Never Had” was the lead initiative of New York’s interfaith community to shift the emphasis from one of fear and mistrust to that of respect for religious diversity and freedom. The event be-gan the conversation we must have about why now more than ever, ten years later, faith needs to be seen not as the inciting incident; the problem, and the divide—but as the voice, the ful-crum and the solution.
―Much of the hatred and permission to do violence against groups is galva-nized by a God view that suggests that whatever I hate, God must hate al-so,‖ said United Church of Christ Bishop Yvette Flunder as she called upon the interfaith com-munity to do the ―divine work‖ of bringing recon-ciliation and healing to a post 9/11 world.
Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Re-formed Judaism spoke of many needed conversa-tions. These include a re-assessment of the Just War Theory in light of civilian casualties inflict-ed by modern warfare; the economic and human cost of the two longest wars in United States history; and religion’s acquiescence to politics. ―What do religious com-
munities have to say about indefinite deten-tion, about torture, about profiling?‖ He ap-pealed to faith communi-ties to be the shapers of a better future for all God’s children. ―The world needs that now. Our children need that now. And God is waiting for us to respond!‖
Eboo Patel, Ph.D., Found-er and President of the Interfaith Youth Core, used the social science ―magic triangle‖ method-ology of increasing knowledge and inclusive behavior to achieve ―Social Cohesion‖ so that the bonds of our society can’t be broken by radi-cal elements from any group. ―Nineteen people, when they drive planes into a building, praying in Arabic—we view them as extremists, not as repre-sentatives of Islam. That’s what Social Cohe-sion is about.‖
Men and women of all faith traditions shared a meal and stories of diversity and dedication. Rabbis, imams, priests and minis-ters mingled and socialized. A Bud-dhist nun from New York and a Lutheran pastor from Berlin planned events to commemorate 9/11 and were able to learn new ideas from each other.
Rabbi Burt Vi-sotzky of The Jew-ish Theological
Seminary told of his school joining with the 96th Street Mosque to work together in the soup kitchen of the Pres-byterian Church on 114th Street. ―Standing side by side, shoulder to shoulder, we did some-thing we knew that Is-lam, Judaism and Christi-anity all think of as God’s work—we fed the hun-gry.‖
Now, that’s something to talk about!
Mary Aktay
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Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2011
World Mission News Digest
World Mission News Digest
The Holy Father received the participants in the General Assembly of the Pontifical Missionary Works in May. In his ad-dress the Pope stated that “everyone must be in-volved in this 'missio ad gentes': bishops, priests, religious and laity.” Bene-dict XVI continued, “It is necessary, therefore, to devote special attention to ensuring that all sectors of pastoral care, of the
catechesis, of charity, are charac-terized by a mission-ary ele-ment: the Church is a mission.”
TRADITION OF FORGIVENESS
F ambul Tok (Krio for “Family Talk”) emerged in Sierra Leone as a face-to-
face community-owned program bringing together perpetrators and victims of the violence in Sierra Leone‟s eleven-year civil war through ceremonies rooted in local traditions. It provides citizens with an opportunity to come to terms with what hap-pened during the war, to talk, to heal, and to chart a new path forward together. Fambul Tok is built upon Sierra Leone‟s “family talk” tradition of discussing and resolving issues within the security of a family circle. Through drawing on age-old traditions of confession, apol-ogy and forgiveness, Fambul Tok has revived Sier-
ra Leoneans‟ rightful pride in their culture.
Vatican
"Health service in Colombia has hit rock bottom and needs to be renovated com-pletely,” said the Secretary general of the Colombian Episcopal Conference, His Exc. Mgr. Juan Vicente Cor-doba, Auxiliary Bishop of Bucaramanga, recalling that health "is everyone‟s right, which in the country is vio-lated every day in the most infamous way." "You cannot play with people's lives,” continued the spokesman of the Colombian bishops con-demning corruption in the administration of public re-sources destined to the health of the most disadvan-taged Colombians. "It is ab-surd that there are cures and medicines for the rich and others for the poor,” said Mgr. Córdoba.
Colombia Brazil
Murder, death threats, lack of health care and educa-tion, delays in the regulari-zation of land, exploitation of natural resources: this is the picture of the violence the indigenous people of Brazil are subjected to, ac-cording to the Report of the Indigenous Missionary Coun-cil (IMIC), which was pre-sented at the headquarters of the Episcopal Conference of Brazil (CNBB) in July. Each year the IMIC collects information on violence against indigenous people and violations of human rights. The editors of the Report note the situation of violence against these popu-lations continues as or even worse than in the past when thousands of natives were decimated.
On the streets of Buenaventura, Colombia
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Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2010
News from our USA Communities
From our USA Communities
Frs . John Convery, SX and Tom Welsh, SX of the United Kingdom Prov-ince (1st and 3rd from right) came to the USA Province to talk about prac-tical ways our two provinces could collaborate in some important areas. These areas include an internet publication, publishing the English version of Fr. Augusto Luca's last book on the founder, sponsoring a possible youth assembly, the production of youth resources for mission animation and a possible, collaborative study center on interfaith and intercultural dialogue. Frs. Carl Chudy, Rocco Puopolo and Joseph Matteucig par-ticipated from the USA.
INTERCONTINENTAL COLLABORATION
XAVIER KNOLL MISSION FESTIVAL
T he 2011 Xaverian Mission Festival in Franklin, Wisconsin, was indeed
a “Rainbow of Smiles.” Xaverian volunteers and friends came to Xavier Knoll for a grand family fun time, in support of the missions. You can see more photos at www.xaviermissionaries.org.
From the Festival preparations, to the huge rum-mage sale, the mission tent, the Saturday crowds for the Doo-Wop Daddies, the polkas on Sunday, the games, dinners and sweets… everyone was happy to be part of the Mission Festival.
The Sunday Mass was presided by Fr. Aniello Salicone, concelebrated by Frs. Alfredo, Dominic and Fr. Mark Marangone who just joined our community after 13 years of mission work in Colombia. The Hand Bell Choir of St. Alphonsus enhanced the singing of the “outdoor Congregation” with their beautiful music. We thank you for your ever-faithful presence and friendship… and your smiles.
Frs. Alfredo, Dominic, Aniello, Larry, Mark, Victor
The Xaverian Missionaries serve in:
Bangladesh
Indonesia
Xaverian Mission Newsletter ▪ August 2011 XAVERIAN MISSIONARIES
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Young pilgrims gather to create a human cross to transport the
World Youth Day Cross to Madrid this August for ―the largest youth
gathering in the world.‖ The Cross is making its way through Spain
and will reside in each diocese.
It is known as the "Holy Year Cross," the "Jubilee Cross," the "WYD
Cross" and the "Pilgrim Cross." Many call it the "Young People´s
Cross" because it has been given to young people to take across the
