Iberian Province Holds Workshop on the Spirituality of the Precious Blood

 

Eighty Missionaries of the Precious Blood, Adorers of the Blood of Christ, seminarians and lay people participated in the eighth Days of Reflection on the Spirituality of the Blood of Christ held in the Iberian Province.

 

The central theme of the event, held November 14-16, was “The Spirituality of the Blood Today.”   Fr. Florentino Muños of the Diocese of Coria-Cáceres offered a keynote address on Christian spirituality and this served as a basis for a presentation on the spirituality of the Precious Blood developed by Fr. José Maria Borreguero, C.PP.S.

 

Much of the time during these days was spent in workshops exploring the spirituality of the Blood of Christ as a spirituality of exodus, incarnation, reconciliation, pilgrimage, compassion, solidarity and hospitality,and suffering and hope. 

(Information and photo: Fr. Paulino Hernández, CPPS)

 

Proclaiming Abundant Love: Core Mission Team Begins Ministry in the USA

 

Four CPPS parishes have invited a core team of priests, sisters and lay people to preach missions rooted in the tradition of the early days of the Congregation and true to the spirituality of the Precious Blood. These missions, which will take place in the spring of 2004, will be the first from the core team, which had its inception during a Precious Blood Leadership Conference (PBLC) workshop for preachers in 1998.

Interest in forming such a team continued and eventually resulted in a specific proposal to develop a collaborative approach to preaching missions. Under the direction of Dennis Chriszt, CPPS, a core team of members and associates of the PBLC communities took shape.

The core team poses at the CPPS House of Formation in Chicago with Moderator General Barry Fischer. Back row: Tony O'Malley, Dan Torson, Ann Tucker, Dennis Chriszt. Front row: Gerry Downs, Barry Fischer, Toni Longo, Jeff Keyes, Donna Liette.

The team includes Dennis Chriszt, Jeff Keyes, and Dan Torson from the three U.S. provinces of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood; Gerry Downs, Tony O’Malley, and Ann Tucker, Companions from the U.S. provinces; Donna Liette , CPPS. ( Dayton ), and Toni Longo, ASC.  The core team will invite other members and associates of PBLC communities to join this ministry. They hope that a number of members and associates will give a week each year to this ministry.

(This article was based on material submitted by the Cincinnati Province.)

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October 2003

 

Polish Vicariate Elects New Leaders

Meeting at St. Gaspar House in Częstechowa, just a few minutes walk from the famous shrine of the "Black Madonna," members of the Polish Vicariate elected Father Jarosław ("Jarek") Jabłonski to a two-year term as Director of the Vicariate. Also elected to serve in leadership as councilors were Fathers Grzegorz Ruchniewicz (Vice-Director), Bogusław Witkowski, Marcin Rogala, and Zbigniew Lesiczka. Fr. Ferdinand Zech, Provincial Director of the Teutonic Province, presided over the elections. Also in attendance were several students and Fr. Jerry Stack, Secretary General of the Society, representing the General Curia.

Frs. Marcin Rogala, Zbigniew Lesiczka (Councilors), Jerome Stack (Secretary General), Jarosław Jabłonski (Vicariate Director), Ferdinand Zech (Provincial Director, Teutonic Province), Bogusław Witkowski (Councilor), Grzegorz Ruchniewicz (Vice-Director, Councilor)

In addition to the elections, members heard reports about the state of the Vicariate, discussed possible plans for their publishing house, approved final revisions of the statutes needed to proceed with the establishment of the Vicariate as a Province, and began preparations for the European regional assembly in January 2004. The confreres spent considerable time assessing their current activities in the light of the needs of the Church and the world today with a view to possible collaboration with members of the Congregation in Europe and beyond.

Group photo of members and students of the Polish Vicariate

The Polish Vicariate has 20 members and has six houses in Poland and one in Croatia. The members are engaged in evangelization, retreats, publications, formation of the laity and have a hospice for the terminally ill.

 

One of the small groups at work		Is that a scepter, Fr. Jarek?

Photos: Jerry Stack, cpps

 

The Society Welcomes New Members in Tanzania

 

Spinelli Biography of St. Gaspar Now in English and German Translations

The well-received biography of St. Gaspar del Bufalo, founder of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, is now available in English and German translations. The English translation of Mario Spinelli's Senza Voltarsi Indietro was published with the title No Turning Back in late spring by the Cincinnati Province The translation from the Italian was by the late Fr. John Klopke, cpps, with editing by Frs. Raymond Cera, cpps, and Robert Schreiter, cpps.

The German edition was translated by Fr. Willi Klein, cpps, of the Teutonic Province, and Sister Alma Pia Kloster, asc, and bears the title Gaspare del Bufalo: Evangelisierung, nicht Gewalt ("evangelization, not power"). The original work was published in 1996 and is also available in a Spanish translation.

 

North American Members Hold Historic Meeting

Nearly one hundred members and companions of the four North American Provinces met at a retreat center near Chicago, Illinois, for a regional meeting to prepare for the general assembly to be held in September 2004. This special or "extraordinary" general assembly was initiated by participants in the September 2002 meeting of the major superiors with the moderator general and general council.

The agenda for the general assembly focuses on three questions: 1. Who are we as the CPPS today? 2. What are the church and the world calling us to be? 3. How might we collaborate to meet these challenges? A combination of small groups and plenary sessions took place during the four-day meeting. The participants reflected on the history of the CPPS in each of the four provinces and developed a list of values related to CPPS mission, community and spirituality.

Members and companions strongly affirmed the missionary spirit of the Society, of seeking to be on the "edge." Current commitments in the apostolate must be evaluated with multiple criteria, but with special attention to our charism and spirituality. A desire for more international and intercultural exchange, the centrality of the ministry of the Word, and reconciliation as an important element of Precious Blood spirituality were also highlighted. Restructing in North America was also discussed but participants agreed that it should take second place to refounding.

The full text of the summary concluding document prepared by Fr. Bob Schreiter can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos by Jeff Keyes, CPPS

 

Domenico D'Alia Ordained Deacon in Rome

		The latest member of the Congregation to be ordained deacon is Domenico D'Alia of the Italian Province who was ordained on Saturday, October 4, at the Church of "Corpo e Sangue di Cristo" (Body and Blood of Christ) in Rome. The church was full of CPPS members, family and friends as Domenico was ordained by Bishop Salvatore Fisichella, rector of the Lateran Univeristy. During the coming year Domenico will be engaged in youth ministry in the area around Corpo e Sangue di Cristo in the southern part of Rome. Domenico completed his studies for ministry at the Salesianum.
Domenico D'Alia with Bishop Fisichella		Photo: Jerry Stack, CPPS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tanzanian Vicariate Expands Its Horizons to Three New Countries!

In September Don Dino Gioia, one of the original three Italians who traveled to Tanzania in June 1966, returned to Italy to begin a new mission of the Tanzanian Vicariate in Ferrara. The historic sanctuary of Santa Maria in Vado was offered to the Tanzanian Vicariate by the bishop of Ferrara and by the Italian Province, which staffed the sanctuary until the Tanzanians arrived. Joining him in ministry in Ferrara will be Father Onesphory Kayombo, one of the first two native Tanzanians incorporated into the Vicariate. The third memb er of the team will be Father Evarist Lefiyo.

	Photos of Fathers Dino Gioia and Onesphory Kayombo not available
Fr. Evarist Lefiyo

As reported last year, three candidates from the Vicariate spent seven months in Chile to explore the possibility of members eventually engaging in ministry there. The dream became a reality when on September 22 of this year Father Richard Kungi, Deusdeit Mulokozi and Magnus Tegete left to begin their new ministry in Chile.

Fr. Richard Kungi	Fr. Deusdedit Mulokozi	Fr. Magnus Tegete

The Tanzanian Vicariate is not looking only to other continents but will also be sending two Missionaries to another African country. Father Leonidas Ntampera and Egidius Seneda will be heading to Guinea-Bissau to work with two members of the Iberian Vicariate already working there for the past several years. Prior to heading to Guinea-Bissau they will be studying Portuguese in Portugal.

Fr. Leonidas Ntampera	Fr. Egidius Seneda

Photos: Tanzanian Vicariate

In his account of the new missions, Vicariate Secretary Fr. Reginald Mrosso writes: "We wish [these missionaries] well and we know that they are sent there to represent not only the Vicariate but the Congregation at large. We promise them our love and prayer so that they may be able to carry on this new mission. We feel this to be the actualization of an immediate response to the current need of the Congregation in these days as we speak of the internationalization of the Society."

 

Death Calls Father Domenico Calabrese of the Italian Province

Father Domenico ("Mimo") Calabrese, 45, died on October 4 after a long battle with brain cancer. He had been a member of the Society for seventeen years and a priest for sixteen. A native of Barletta, near Bari, Don Mimo had engaged in preaching popular missions and in parish work in Sonnino. At the time he was stricken with cancer he had just begun ministry with the Primavera Missionaria in Albano. Many attended the funeral, held at the CPPS church of Corpo e Sangue di Cristo in Rome, including about fifty priests. A large contingent of Scouts and other young people from Sonnino also came to pray and to offer their final respects.

He is survived by his parents and many sisters and brothers, among whom is Father Antonio "Tonino" Calabrese, also a member of the Italian Province.

Requiescat in pace.

 

Kansas City Province Loses Beloved Companion

		Steve Swymeler, a CPPS companion from St. Joseph, Missouri, died in September. He and his wife Connie were among the first Companions in the province and their home was a sanctuary for many Precious Blood priests, brothers and seminarians stationed at St. Francis Parish (staffed by the CPPS) in St. Joseph. As Fr. Joe Nassal of the KC Province notes: "Steve...breathed Precious Blood spirituality...For many years, Steve and Connie were ambassadors of reconciliation in the diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph working with annulment cases. They...provided a safe place for those seeking healing from broken relationships to tell their stories..." May he rest in peace.
Connie and Steve Swymeler		Photo: D. Kinderman, cpps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CPPS Priest Making Video Series on Africa's Cultural Impact on Christianity

Fr. Clarence Williams, a CPPS priest working in Detroit, is producing a series of three videos highlighting the contributions of Africans to Christianity. He notes that many beliefs and practices in the Bible have roots in ancient African beliefs and practices. "These archetypal ideas were there in Egypt when Abraham arrived," he says. The series will cover the African roots of the Judaeo-Christian heritage, African presence in the Bible, and the African presence in the Catholic Church.

Fr. Clarence is known for his campaign to combat racism through a training course to achieve "racial sobriety."

(Material for this article came from the web site of the Detroit Free Press, October 1, 2003.)

 

And the winners are...

Frs. Jeff Keyes, CPPS, and Phil Smith, CPPS, who both correctly identified the "mystery photos" under "St. Gaspar's World" in the September news section. The photo on the left was taken in the main courtyard of the Palazzo Altieri, where Gaspar's family lived from the time that he was an infant. It is across the street from the famous church of the Gesù, where Gaspar served Mass and developed his devotion to St. Francis Xavier. The photo on the right is the fountain that once graced the now demolished Piazza Montanara, a bustling Roman square where Gaspar worked with the poor "mountain folk" who came in to sell their produce and their labor. The fountain was located in a park on the Aventine Hill from the 1930's until being moved to its present site on the Via dei Coronari in 1973.

Be sure to visit our new section, "St. Gaspar's World." From time to time we will be visiting places important in the life and work of St. Gaspar and of the early years of the Congregation.

 

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September 2003

 

Bishop Kräutler: Seeking Justice for the Children of Altamira

CPPS Bishop Erwin Kräutler, of the prelacy of the Xingú in Brazil, recently gave an interview on his involvement in seeking justice for those who kidnapped, tortured and even murdered children during a period of violence in the city of Altamira during the period 1989-1993.

In the interview he notes that suffering of the families of the victims continues and that he decided to make solidarity with them a priority at this time when the cases are finally being tried in the courts. In seeking justice he is not seeking revenge, Kräutler notes, but his dream is "Altamira, never again!" "Brazil, never again!" The legal process sends a message that such violence and the violation of the rights of those who are most needy in Brazilian society are never acceptable. "We are just making the first steps in the direction of a society more fraternal and just."

Bishop Erwin also realizes that the perpetrators of these crimes are of his flock: "Perhaps one day I will be able to talk with them and communicate to them God's mercy."

The interview appeared on the web site of MISNA, Missionary Service News Agency, www.misna.org

 

Saint Joseph College Professor Makes Temporary Incorporation

Dr. Robert Reuter, a professor of philosophy at St. Joseph's College, Rensselaer, Indiana, is the latest candidate to be temporarily incorporated into the Cincinnati Province. Brother "Rob" has a Ph.D. in philosophy from Purdue University and has taught at St. Joe's for several years. In the photo he is shown promising fidelity to the Society with Cincinnati Provincial Director Angelo Anthony on the left. Photo: Tim McFarland, cpps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Candidates Renew Temporary Incorporation in Perú

Two CPPS candidates in advanced formation in Perú have renewed their temporary incorporation in the Congregation. Edgardo Chero and Nino Calderon, pictured at right, celebrated the renewal on August 15, in which the Director of the Peruvian Mission, Fr. Dionisio Alberca, presided. Edgardo has been involved in the challenging apostolate of prison ministry and Nino teaches and is involved in pastoral ministry at San Francisco de Borja School in Lima. (Based on material from Joseph Deardorff, cpps)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marker Remembers Pioneer CPPS Missionaries and Sisters

Only a year after their arrival in the United States, the CPPS Sisters and Missionaries (then a single community under Fr. Francis de Sales Brunner) purchased eighty acres of land in Seneca County; Ohio, and constructed buildings on it. These served as a convent for the Sisters, a retreat house and seminary for students. Over the years many Sisters and Missionaries served the people of the surrounding area, now now as Marywood (Bellevue) and in the local cemetery are buried 97 Sisters, 17 Missionaries -- and one hermitess! Eventually the seminary and retreat house were closed and the Sisters left in 1951. The CPPS Missionaries continue to minister at the nearby Sorrowful Mother Shrine and St. Michael's Church. In cooperation with St. Michael's, the CPPS Sisters and Missionaries have erected a large common marker to replace the weather-worn and broken headstones. Shown in the photo are members of both congregations at the ceremony held on July 27. (Text based on an article by Noreen Jutte, cpps)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Gaspar's World

St. Gaspar would have been very familiar with the building on the left and the fountain on the right. Can you identify them? Winners (who submit both correct answers) will be featured on this page in October. What a great prize! Send your answers to the webmaster by October 3.