[Deutsch]

[Español]

[Italiano]

[Polish]

 

 

December 2002

 

New members in Iberia, Guatemala

 

Virgilio da Mata Martins receives ministry of Lector from Fr. Paulino Hernandez, Provincial Director of the Iberian Province

 

 

 

 

On 26 December Virgilio da Mata Martins was definitively incorporated into the Iberian Province. A native of Malhada, Proença e Nova, Portugal, Virgilio is in his sixth year of theology, studying in Coimbra. He received the ministry of lector on 27 October.

 

 

In the Guatemalan Mission, Juan Antonio Tello Cano and Eduardo Ramirez Mejia were temporarily incorporated on Dec. 5 at St. Gaspar Seminary in Guatemala City. Our warmest welcome and congratulations to our new members!
		Juan Antonio Tello Cano, Fr. Marco Antonio López, Eduardo Ramirez Mejia

 

 

One Ordained to Priesthood, Seven to Diaconate in India

The Indian Vicariate celebrated the ordination of Fr. Susaiappan Madalaimuthu to the priesthood on December 12. Also ordained deacons on the same day were Anthony V. Robert Devadoss, Savarimuthu Thomas, Arokia Raja Madhakanickam, Aruldass Santhan, David Arockiasamy Mulavan, Shaji Francis Kunnel, and Yesuraj S. Rayappan.

May the Lord who has begun the good work in our brothers bring it to fulfillment in a fruitful ministry. Best wishes and blessings to all!

 

 

New Leadership for Guatemalan Mission Elected

Fr. Noe Lemus, Br. Victor Yoc, Fr. Armando Rivas

        

At elections held during the first week of December following the annual retreat of the Mission, members elected Fr. Noe Lemus director of the mission. Bro. Victor Yoc was elected first councilor and Fr. Armando Rivas was elected second councilor.

Congratulations to the new leadership team in Guatemala!!

 

Fifty Years at the Generalate

November marked fifty years of CPPS community life at the Generalate on Viale di Porta Ardeatina. The move took place on November 22, 1952, although the formal dedication did not take place until nearly a year later.

For ninety years the headquarters of the Society had been at Santa Maria in Trivio, near the famous Trevi Fountain. The General Chapter of 1947 agreed that it was necessary to move from that site, and the newly elected Moderator General and Council, after investigating over one hundred houses and sites, chose the current location and building began in February 1951. For three years the Curia resided in temporary headquarters on Via Po.

Gaspar always presumed that the "Domus Primaria" of the Congregation would be in Rome (it is even mentioned in the rule of 1822), but during his lifetime the Society never had a house in Rome. Just a few years after Gaspar's death, the Society received the church and house of San Salvatore in Campo, which became the Generalate. In 1858 the Society received the house and church of Santa Maria in Trivio and the General Administration of the Society remained there until the move to Via Po in 1948.

The Casa Generalizia today		Construction views, 1952

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first residents were the Moderator General, Fr. Herbert Kramer, of the American Province, and his council: Frs. Luigi Contegiacomo (Italian), Otto Flueck (Teutonic), Andrew Pollack (American), and Robert Neumeyer (American). Fr. John Behen (Kansas City) replaced Fr. Pollack after the latter's resignation in 1953. Two other early residents were Brother Anthony Canterucci (Atlantic) and former member Fred Hunnefeld (American) who was a priest studying in Rome at the time.

Currently only three CPPS members live at the house: Moderator General Barry Fischer, Vice-Moderator Francesco Bartoloni, and Second Councilor Jerome Stack. Two of the Councilors, Robert Schreiter and Luís Filipe Cardoso, maintain rooms here but live in their places of ministry.

About six years ago the house was divided and the Moderator General and members of the General Council of the Missionaries of the Holy Family now occupy half the house. Three Sisters of the Holy Family provide domestic services and two of members of the same community, both nurses, are also living here this year. The resident with the longest tenure is Fr. Albert Kammermayer, a priest of the Diocese of Regensburg, who has been in residence with us for fifteen years.

The Casa Generalizia continues to serve our Congregation well. Located in a pleasant neighborhood in the south of Rome, we enjoy a parklike setting while being near good public transportation which will take us to the center of Rome in a matter of minutes. Our neighborhood is dominated by the Aurelian Wall, built some 1700 years ago and still an imposing presence. We are but a short walk away from the famous Via Appia Antica (dating from 300 BC!) and the Baths of Caracalla. 

Those who chose the site and planned the building did a remarkable job and we are grateful for the Casa Generalizia, the patrimony of the entire Congregation.

 

Precious Blood Leadership Conference Urges Bush to Seek Peace

The provincial superiors of seven Precious Blood communities -- the Adorers of the Blood of Christ (U.S.A.), the Sisters of the Precious Blood (Dayton, OH), the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood (O’Fallon, MO), and the Atlantic, Cincinnati, Kansas City Provinces of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood – have sent a letter to President George Bush urging him to seek a peaceful solution to the present Iraqi crisis and to strengthen relationships with other members of the United Nations.

“May our response to the violence caused by Saddam or others be one which will reduce the level of violence…We encourage you to continue to work with the United Nations in arriving at a peaceful solution…We appeal to you to stop the escalation of violence…”

Visit the PBLC web site at http://precious-blood.org for the full text of the letter.

 

Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation Begins Parish-Based Retreat Program

Fr. Joe Nassal, CPPS, of the Kansas City Province, wrote recently of a new retreat program for parishes offered by the newly formed Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation (PBMR):

“Ambassadors of Reconciliation is a weekend retreat designed to facilitate and establish a ministry of reconciliation within Precious Blood parishes.  These weekends will afford those called to this mission the opportunity to create space within our own hearts and souls through prayer and reflection on God’s Word.  We cannot begin to establish safe places in our "outer" space if we don't first tend to our inner space.  We will also explore various methods for conflict resolution and mediation, and practical guidelines for establishing listening or healing circles within the parish community.”

The PBMR is in the process of establishing a center for reconciliation in a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. Other members of the PBMR team are Frs. Dave Kelly and Bill Nordenbrock of the Cincinnati Province. More information will be forthcoming soon.

 

---

 

 

November 2002

 

Italian Business Assembly

The business assembly of the Italian Province took place from 26-30 of August 2002. 28 Missionaries took part in the assembly. Representatives from the Tanzanian Vicariate and the Mission in India also participated.

The assembly faced the various current issues of the province with calm and an attitude of mutuality and receptivity. The delegates dealt with two issues of importance. First, they examined the direction proposed for the province for the next ten years in order to provide a richer witness in undertaking the new evangelization which the Church has proposed.

Second, the request for elevating the Mission in India to the status of a vicariate, along with the other events which have taken place in the missions, was welcomed by all with great joy and gratitude to the Lord who calls us to a more generous commitment in his vineyard.  We ask in the communion of the cup of our crucified and risen Lord remembrance in prayer so that all of our confreres will walk together in the path of our province.

(submitted by Fr. Giandomenico Piepoli, CPPS)

 

Moderator General Visits Brazil

From November 1 through November 17, Moderator General Fr. Barry Fischer, CPPS, is making an official visitation of the Brazilian Vicariate. Accompanied by General Councilor Fr. Luís Filipe Cardoso Fernandes, CPPS, the trip is an opportunity for the Moderator to learn about the life and ministry of the members there as well as to support them and offer his reflections on the state of the Congregation in Brazil.

The Brazilian Vicariate was founded by the Teutonic Province in 1929 and has three mission houses. Eight members of five different nationalities currently are working in the apostolate there. The houses are located in Belém, Altamira, and Vitoria del Xingu.

 

Eleven New Members and New Deacons in Tanzania

On Saturday, October 19, 2002, eleven young men became members of the Society. Arcadius Mapinduzi, Angelo Kaizirege, Deusdedit Mulokozi, Dismas Mfungomali, Egidius Seneda, Florence Kisima, Magnus Tegete, Richard Kungi, Richard Tiganya, Thomas Wambura, and Walter Milandu were incorporated into the Tanzanian Vicariate and were ordained to the diaconate the following day.

This was obviously a big weekend for them and for all in the Congregation. We certainly are grateful to God and to these men for their vocations and wish them success and joy in the service of the Lord and the people of Tanzania. Congratulations!

With their incorporations (and that of Emo Moretti in the Italian Province) the total number of members of the Society now stands at 523.

 

 

Deacon Ordinations in the Italian Province

 

Salvatore Scardicchio, CPPS, Bishop Nosiglia and Emo Moretti, CPPS

 

 

 

On Saturday, October 26, 2002, Emo Moretti and Salvatore Scardicchio were ordained deacons in the church of Corpo e Sangue di Cristo in Rome. Many members of the province along with CPPS students, family and friends gathered as these men took another important step on the way to priesthood.

Congratulations and blessings to them!

 

 

Focus: Central American Mission

 

	Upper Left: CPPS students Lower Left: Frs. Gerardo Lemus, Dario Caal, Abel de Jesus Cruz, Armando Rivas, Guillermo Beuth, Roland Yool, and Jaime Miranda Above: Fr. Tom Hemm, CPPS, with parishioners of Sts. Peter and Paul, Ottawa, Ohio, at tomb of St. Pedro Betancur, first canonized saint of Guatemala.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The CPPS Central American Mission was established in Guatemala in 1976 by Fr. Paul Aumen, CPPS, and currently has 12 members and 9 students in the formation program. The Missionaries currently minister in two parishes in or near the capital of Guatemala City, Santa Rosita and La Labor, and two in the province of Alta Verapaz, Tucurú and La Tinta. The seminary is located in San Gaspar in Guatemala City.

At La Labor a health care project has been established and is staffed by members of the CPPS Sisters (Dayton) and the ASC Sisters (USA). In 2001 more than 13,000 medical consults were given in 5 clinics. Nearly 13,000 people received services in the pharmacies, and nearly 9,000 students participated in health education programs and received some basic medical services.

Especially in La Tinta and Tucurú the Missionaries work with many indigenous people who may live in settlements far away from the towns. A Catholic radio station was established in La Tinta lastyear to help meet the needs of these far-flung faithful.

Guatemala is a beautiful country with gracious and kind people. Our missionaries there, responding to the "cry of the Blood," seek to be in solidarity with the poor in their sufferings and seek to promote justice and dignity for all.

 

Brunnerdale Fund: A Story of Two Communities

From Perú comes news of how the Brunnerdale Fund of the Cincinnati Province has made a difference in the life of the community of Nuestra Señora de la Luz in Lima. Fr. Joe Deardorff, CPPS, the pastor and director of the Peruvian Mission, writes that the people of the parish, while often lacking some resources to achieve their dreams, are full of hope and generous with their time and effort.

The Brunnerdale Fund has helped the community initiate some social services that have been lacking up to now. They have been able to create a pharmacy at which people can purchase medicine at affordable prices. A parish health facility now offers services which complement those not available in the public sector. Two lawyers are now offering their services to help people make their way through the justice system.

Fr. David Kelly, CPPS, has worked among the poor on the south side of Chicago for many years. He tells how a Brunner Grant made possible a retreat for some inner-city adolescents at a state park in Indiana. The fifteen boys, some already members of gangs, have experienced many disappointments and broken dreams in their lifetime. For many it was the first time they were able to leave their neighborhood in the city. The weekend provided an opportunity for them "to encounter a God who has not abandoned them," as Fr. Dave writes.

 

 

 

---

 

 

October 2002

 

International Symposium on Parish Ministry and Precious Blood Spirituality

 

Photos taken by Jeff Keyes, CPPS

 

One usually thinks of a parish as limited to a specific geographical area, but the message of the International Symposium on Parish Ministry and Precious Blood Spirituality is that in following Christ we must find ways to go beyond boundaries, to extend our reach and to open our arms.

One hundred thirty priests, brothers, sisters, companions and lay ministers met for the Symposium, held July 22-26 at the University of Dayton (Ohio). Keynote speakers included Msgr. Philip Murnion, Missionaries of the Precious Blood Fathers Clarence Williams, Robert Schreiter, Joe Nassal, Jeff Keyes, and Barry Fischer, moderator general.  (Because of illness Fr. Barry’s address was delivered by the provincial director of the Kansas City Province, Mark Miller.)

Bob Schreiter reminded the participants that “parish” comes from the Greek and refers to those who live outside or alongside the established household. “Our citizenship is in a world still ciming about in the reign of God.” Joe Nassal emphasized the importance of the Precious Blood parish as a place where the truth is spoken because without this reconciliation will not happen. Jeff Keyes outlined some of the characteristics of the Precious Blood parish, which include collaboration, a missionary outlook, an all-embracing spirit, and the use of distinctive Precious Blood prayers.

In the homily of the closing Eucharist, Angelo Anthony, director of the Cincinnati province, compared the gathering to a family reunion and called for the participants to spread the word so that the spirit of the sypmosium would grow.

(The above is based on material written by CPPS Companion Jean Giesige.)

 

Major Superiors Meeting Calls for Greater Collaboration, Extraordinary General Assembly

 

 

 

 

The directors of CPPS Provinces, Vicariates and Missions from all over the world gathered together with the moderator general and members of the general council for a week of discussion and visioning from September 8 through 14. Hosted by the warm and generous hospitality of the Atlantic Province, the participants enjoyed the retreat house setting where the roar of the falls could be heard.

 

At the meeting, the delegates approved the erection of a new province and a new vicariate. The Polish Vicariate will be formally established as the newest CPPS province and the Indian Mission will become a vicariate after final approval of their statutes by the moderator general and council. Also approved were a document of guidelines to be used for reconfiguring a unit or units of the Congregation.

 

What had not been on the agenda and which all agreed was the work of the Spirit was a call for greater collaboration among the provinces, vicariates and missions of the CPPS. To that end, the participants called for an extraordinary general assembly in the year 2004, to be preceded by regional gatherings in North America, South America and Europe.

 

Behind the meetings and general assembly is a desire to envision together who we are as Missionaries of the Precious Blood, what we are being called to be by the church and the world, and how we can respond together both in our local areas and through regional collaboration.

The five and a half days were sometimes long yet the fraternal spirit and enthusiasm among the members present made for a joyful time together. They were supported especially by Fr. Peter Nobili, provincial director, and Fr. Sam D’Angelo as well as by other members and lay associates of the province. All enjoyed a cruise through the mist at the foot of the falls and the gentle wonder of a butterfly conservatory on the freee afternoon tour of the Niagara Parkway. A delicious dinner consumed in a tower restaurant overlooking the Falls at night was a marvelous conclusion to an afternoon of sightseeing.

 

Emo Moretti Incorporated into Italian Province

Emo Moretti, CPPS, and family

On the evening of 11 October 2002 Emo Moretti celebrated his incorporation into the Congregation. The event took place in the chapel of the Provincial House during the solemn celebration of vespers, at the conclusion of the annual course of ongoing formation of the Missionaries. The Provincial Director presided at the ceremony, which was attended by the Moderator General and members of the General Curia and of the province. Emo's parents and relatives as well as his classmates from the major seminary also participated.

The crucifix which Emo received in his hands as a sign of belonging to our religious congregation will distinguish him for his couragous decision for the family of St. Gaspar and for his commitment to make know and loved the message of the cross, bathed in the most precious Blood of the Son of God. We are called to the contempation of the cross to draw from it the strength to love more and more, to forgive all and to console those who are looking for light and hope. Our warmest best wishes to Emo!

(submitted by Giandomenico Piepoli, CPPS)

 

---

 

 

August 2002

Elections in Tanzanian Vicariate