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December 14 

 

USG Statement on Days of Fasting and Prayer for World Peace

The Union of Superiors General has invited members of religious institutes to participate fully in the Day of Fasting on December 14 and the Day of Prayer on January 24 proposed by the Holy Father.

This document – in English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and German – may be accessed by clicking here. This link is for ALL languages.

 

Brother Javier Soto Celebrates Definitive Incorporation

Members of the Pacific Province along with family and friends celebrated the definitive incorporation of Brother Javier Soto on October 21. Javier is a native of Mexico. For the past year has been living at St. Joseph’s College, Rensselaer, Indiana, where he was continuing his brother formation. While there he began a very successful ministry with Latinos in the area and he will continue in that ministry.

Felicidades, Javier!

 

Diaconate Ordinations in India and Tanzania

We are very happy to share the good news that six members of the Society were ordained to the diaconate this month.

In India, Pannerselvam Chinnappan was ordained deacon at St. Gaspar Bhavan, Bangalore, India, on December 1.

In Tanzania Reginald Lyamuya, Ansovinus Makwanda, Seraphine Lesiriam, Henriko Matandula, and Josephat Msuya were ordained to the diaconate on December 8.

Congratulations and God’s blessings to all of them as they continue their formation for the priesthood!

 

Precious Blood Vocation/Formation Conference

Sam D’Angelo of the Atlantic Province sends word about this year’s Precious Blood Vocation/Formation Conference in Toronto. The four-day conference dealt with prospective candidates’ discernment in the area of sexual orientation and ongoing psychosexual and community formation.

Fr. Joseph DiBoveros, CR, presented hypothetical situations of prospective candidates with varying sexual histories. Later he suggested that when a religious community fails to address the marginalization of gays and lesbians a homosexual subculture may form which can have a negative effect on community life. He challenged the participants to greater inclusivity. On the next day Sr. Joyce Lehman, CPPS, led discussions on assessing candidates’ ability to live a celibate life. The final day was given to evaluation and future planning.

 

General Council News

Father Robert Schreiter addressing the General Assembly in September		Father Phillip Smith with Pope John Paul II at the audience during the General Assembly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fr. Robert Schreiter, Third Councilor, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Lucerne, Switzerland, for his “pioneering work” in methods of contextual theology and also for pointing to new directions in the areas of intercultural communication, interreligious dialogue and in the theology of mission from a transcultural perspective. The dean of the theological faculty noted that Bob had already begun to reflect on the consequences of globalization for indigenous cultures and for ethnic and religious as well as modern societies at a time when the term “globalization” was scarcely known.

Congratulations, Bob! We are happy for your accomplishments and grateful for your many contributions to our Society and to the Church.

Fr. Phillip Smith, Second Councilor and Secretary General for the past twelve years, has left Rome for the United States and then on to Toronto where he will be pastor of St. Roch’s Church. A member of the Kansas City Province, Phil has worked faithfully at the Generalate in a variety of ways. We wish him well and offer a big “Thanks!” for all that he has done during his two terms here in Rome.

 

Father Raymond Grevencamp Dies at age 79

In the early morning hours of Sunday, November 25, Father Raymond Grevencamp began his new life in Christ at St. Charles Center, Carthagena, Ohio.

Father Ray was ordained in 1949 and although plagued by health problems during his priestly life had a full and active ministry in parishes and as a health care chaplain. As the notice from the Cincinnati Province noted, his health concerns helped to make him a compassionate and patient minister.

 

January Birthdays

During the month of January the following Missionaries of the Precious Blood will be celebrating birthdays:

 

 Sixth Spirituality Workshop Held in Iberian Province

 

Manolo González and Pilar Aradilla		Participants in the workshop		Paulino Hernández and Diego Muñoz

 

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NOVEMBER 15

Ordinations in the Italian Province

 

Don Andrea Biaggi, C.PP.S.

We are happy to announce two ordinations in the Italian Province. Don Andrea Biaggi, was ordained on November 3, 2001, in the Basilica of St. Ambrose in his home city of Milan.

 

Deacon Luigi De Fazio, C.PP.S.

Luigi De Fazio was ordained to the diaconate on October 13, 2001, at the the Parish of the Body and Blood of Christ (SS. Corpo e Sangue di Cristo) in Rome.

 

Incorporations in Tanzania and in the Teutonic Province

We continue to celebrate the growth of the Tanzanian Vicariate with the Definitive Incorporation of five new members: Seraphine Lesiriam, Reginald Lyamuya, Ansovinus Makawanda, Henry Matandula, and Josephat Msuya. These five men celebrated their incorporation on the Feast of St. Gaspar, October 21.

Martin Schmidt, C.PP.S.

On the same day the Teutonic Province celebrated the Temporary Incorporation of Martin Schmidt.

We pray that each of our new members will be filled with the missionary zeal of our Founder, St. Gaspar, and will carry with joy and courage the reconciling power of Christ's Blood to the frontiers of today's society!

 

Deaths

Father Paul Leo Becquet of the Kansas City Province was born to new life in Christ on October 29 in Liberty, Missouri. Born on November 6, 1929, in Garden City, Kansas, He began formation in the Society in 1943 at Brunnerdale Seminary. He was definitively incorporated into the community in December 1954 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1956.

On November 13 Father John Jadgchew of the Cincinnati Province died after battling cancer for several months. Born October 27, 1947, John began studying for the community in 1962 and was definitively incorporated in 1971. He was ordianed to the priesthood in 1975.

We give thanks for the ministry of these two missionaries who served God's people in the ordained ministry for forty-five and twenty-five years respectively.

 

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September 23

Those of you who have been following the General Assembly online know that the Assembly concluded on Friday, September 21. The Assembly delegates and the newly elected General Council express our thanks to all of you who supported us by your prayers and in other ways. We give thanks to God who blessed us with a spirit of collegiality and enthusiasm for our apostolate, community life and spirituality in five continents and nineteen countries in which we serve.