forever devoted to clois

Transcription

www.servidimaria.org
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September - October 2010
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THE PRIOR GENERAL SPEAKS
VI International
UNIFAS Conference
Rio de Janeiro, July 7 – 14, 2010
exalt him above all
forever…(Dan 3. 7476. 82).
We are sons of
heaven, the children
of our Heavenly Father (cf. Mt 6, 9) – God is mysterious –
God is in secret and he sees in secret
(Mt 6, 6). We have been created male
and female in his image and likeness
(cf. Gen 1, 26-27), we long for a new
heaven (cf. Apoc 21, 1), we long to return to the Garden of Eden (Cf. Gen 3,
23) the heavenly paradise. Together
with us the heavens praise the Divine
Creator (cf. Dan 3, 52-90): … You heavens, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him
above all forever.[…] Sun and moon,
bless the Lord; praise and exalt him
above all forever. Stars of heaven, bless
the Lord; praise and exalt him above all
forever.(Dan 3, 59. 62-63).
We are the sons of water; we were
born in the water of our mother’s womb
and re-born through baptism in water
and the Spirit (Jn 3, 5). Our thirst will be
quenched with living water that wells up
to eternal life (Jn 4, 14). Together with
us all the waters praise the Divine Creator (cf. Dan 3, 52-90): … All you waters
above the heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.
[…] Every shower and dew, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever. […] You springs, bless the Lord;
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord; praise
and exalt him above all forever. (Dan 3,
60. 64. 77-78).
We are the sons of fire, baptized in
the Holy Spirit and fire (Mt 3, 11; Lk 3,
16) we are consumed with that fire Jesus came to bring on earth (Cf. Lk 12,
49). We burn with the desire to penetrate the mystery of Christ’s death and
The Opening Address
SERVITES AND CONCERN FOR THE
ENVIRONMENT
Bem-vindos! ¡Bienvenidos! Benvenuti! Welcome! Bienvenus! Willkommen! ... to this Sixth International UNIFAS Conference. We have come from
many nations and countries and are
gathered here in Brazil to discuss
“Servites and Protection of the Environment.”
First of all we must recognize that we
too are a part of the Lord’s creation. We
are family members – sons, brothers
and sisters – of creation. We are related to the sky, water, fire and wind. We
are not the masters of creation, rather
we are its guardians and servants.
1. CHILDREN AND SINGERS OF
CREATION
We are children of the earth. The
Creator has made us with the clay of the
ground (Gen 2, 7) and put us on the
path of time; we are on a transformative
journey. We are dirt and to dirt we shall
return (Cf. Gen 3, 19) before we reach
the new world of the Kingdom. Together with us the earth praises its Divine
Creator (Cf. Dan 3, 52-90): … Let the
earth bless the Lord, praise and exalt
him above all forever. Mountains and
hills, bless the Lord; praise and exalt
him above all forever. Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord; praise
and exalt him above all forever[…]You
sons of men, bless the Lord; praise and
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resurrection in the light of Scripture (Cf.
Lk 24, 32. 27). Together with us fire
praises the Divine Creator (Cf. Dan 3,
52-90): … Fire and heat, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever
[…] Light and darkness, bless the Lord;
(Dan 3, 66. 72).
We are sons of the wind, brought into
being by God the Creator’s breath of life
and by the life-giving breath of the Risen
One (Cf. Jn 20, 22-23). We have been
struck by the strong driving wind that fills
the entire house (Acts 2,2) where the
disciples had gathered to pray with his
Mother. We are moved by the wind that
blows where it will (Jn 3, 5) and directs
our steps on the ever-new paths of the
Gospel. Together with us the wind
praises the Divine Creator (Cf. Dan 3,
52-90): … All you winds, bless the Lord;
praise and exalt him above all forever
[…]All you birds of the air, bless the
Lord; praise and exalt him above all forever.(Dan 3, 65. 80).
call them to conversion (Cf. Isa 40, 1213; 44, 24-25; Am 4, 13; 5, 8-9). They
call people back to a life of justice and
faithfulness to the Word. This is the only way it is possible to live in concord
with the earth and creation. It allows
mankind and all creatures to lead a
good life. Especially important are the
commandments of Sabbath, the sabbatical year and the Jubilee year (Cf. Lev
23, 3; 25, 1-17). They remind man that
he is not the absolute master of the
earth: the earth was given to him as a
gift to cultivate and care for faithfully (cf.
Gen 2, 15).
With the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ God invites us to dream of
and look forward to new heavens and a
new earth in which righteousness dwells
(2 Pet 3, 13) Creation itself would be
set free from slavery to corruption and
share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation
is groaning in labor pains even until now
(Rom 8, 21-22).
The greater our power as human beings grows the more our responsibility
increases. The current worsening of the
ecological crisis is caused by our industrial civilization and aggressiveness. It
is a challenge for all of us. Civil society
grows increasingly aware of this challenge – how should the Church and the
individual believer respond? From documents of the Magisterium and the ecumenical process it is clear that the
Churches recognize responsibility for
the environment as an essential dimension of life: 1989 Basel Convention on
Hazardous Waste; the 1997 Graz European Ecumenical Assembly; the 2001
Charta Oecumenica.
In his Bull Inter Sanctos (November
29, 1979) Pope John Paul II proclaimed
St. Francis of Assisi the heavenly patron
of all who promote ecology: St. Francis
– he notes - offers Christians an example of genuine and deep respect for the
integrity of creation. As a friend of the
2. GUARDIANS OF CREATION
We, the sons and daughters of the
earth, the heavens, the waters and fire –
we are not masters; we are the guardians of creation. According to the words
of Scripture out of love and with love
God the Creator made all things good
(cf. Gen 1-2). He then took the man and
settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it (Gen 2, 15). The
Psalmist sings The earth is the LORD'S
and all it holds (Ps 24 [23], 1). He calls
on everyone to contemplate its beauty
and to praise its creator. The earth and
all it holds are not ours, we are temporary guests – we are here for a day but
the earth and all it holds belong to the
Eternal Lord (cf. Ps 24 [23] 1).
Throughout history the Prophets frequently recall the creative power of God
– he is the Lord!. They do this to
strengthen the faith of the people and
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poor who was loved by God's creatures,
Saint Francis invited all of creation - animals, plants, natural forces, even Brother
Sun and Sister Moon - to give honor and
praise to the Lord. The poor man of Assisi gives us striking witness that when we
are at peace with God we are better able
to devote ourselves to building up that
peace with all creation which is inseparable from peace among all peoples.
This year in his message for the World
Day of Prayer for Peace Pope Benedict
XVI writes: It is becoming more and
more evident that the issue of environmental degradation challenges us to examine our life-style and the prevailing
models of consumption and production,
which are often unsustainable from a social, environmental and even economic
point of view. We can no longer do without a real change of outlook which will
result in new life-styles, “in which the
quest for truth, beauty, goodness and
communion with others for the sake of
common growth are the factors which
determine consumer choices, savings
and investments”. Education for peace
must increasingly begin with far-reaching
decisions on the part of individuals, families, communities and states. We are all
responsible for the protection and care of
the environment. This responsibility
knows no boundaries.
to one side and a surrounding grove of
trees so well-arranged that it might have
been planted by hand (Legenda de Origine 41). Over the centuries the friars
cared for this natural setting. In 1713 the
fir tree forest was still so dense that friar
Francesco M. Poggi (+1720) notes with
satisfaction that "said woods" are "filled
with thick pines" planted "not carelessly
and without order as in other woods" but
rather lined up like "a well ordered militia." This orderliness is due not to chance
but to the detailed and severe instructions found in the Constitutions of the
Hermits of the Sacred Hermitage of Monte Senario, a text inspired by awe-filled
respect for nature:
Father Rector and the Custodian will
see to the maintenance of the hermitage's woods by having a good number
of pines planted each year. Since no one
is allowed to cut wood without permission
of the Chapter, so as not to ruin the attractiveness of the place, whoever cuts
green trees without the permission of Father Rector or the Chapter will fast on
bread and water, once for each tree.
This love of nature was transmitted to
all the other hermitages founded from
Monte Senario and continues today. Anyone who goes to Monte Senario will find
the grove of trees so well-arranged that it
might have been planted by hand.
The last General Chapter (Ariccia, October 8-30, 2007) described the urgency
with which we must respond to the very
serious aggression the Earth endures
through the savage exploitation of its resources. This exploitation puts the very
existence of humanity at risk (General
Chapter 2007, no. 16). The Chapter further stressed the Order’s commitment:
Today as well, some Servites are promoting ecological responsibility; others are
defending the earth’s resources. All of
our communities must join them and
grow in love and respect for the environment. They can do this by embracing a
3. SERVANTS OF CREATION
We, Servants of Mary, are here at this
conference to discuss protection of the
environment. What can we do? What
can we accomplish together?
Throughout Servite historyand especially on Monte Senario ecological concerns are present. At the beginning of
our Order (c. 1245) we read that they
reached the summit of Monte Senario it
was this mountain that God inspired our
fathers to seek and our Seven Fathers
found at the top a delightful though small
level area, a spring of very fine water off
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sober life-style, being careful in their use
of water and energy, and giving witness
against consumerism (General Chapter
2007, no. 16). The General Chapter also
assumed a commitment to preserving the
Amazon Rain Forest and called upon the
whole Servite Family to join in this project.
M. Pacini (ANN); Christopher M. O’Brien (ISL) – and the new Provincial Treasurer of the USA Province, Fra Lawrence
M. Choate. They reviewed the financial
situation of the various provinces, evaluated the 2009 Annual Report, and prepared the 2010 Budget for submission to
the General Council.
AN URGENT PROJECT: THE AMAZON RAIN-
SAN MARCELLO – ROME
In the June 8, 2010 session of the
General Council Fra Piergiorgio M. Mazzoleni, General Treasurer, presented a
written report on his financial activities in
2009. He then explained the individual
budget items (both income and expense)
and compared them to the 2009 budget;
he pointed out the differences and explained the reasons for these differences.
In the afternoon, the General Council approved the 2009 Annual Report and the
2010 Budget. This involved approval of
the amount each jurisdiction will be taxed
to cover the 2010 Budget. In determining
taxes the General Council bore in mind
the criteria established by the Council of
Administration: “the economic situation
of the different jurisdictions; the strength,
stability and value of local currency; extraordinary maintenance projects; the
suggestions of Provincial and Vicarial Priors and Treasurers; the recommendations of the Council of Administration; the
number and age of friars, and the particular financial difficulties each jurisdiction
faces”.
FOREST
“ In the area of environmental concern, the General Chapter is adopting a
project presented by our Brazilian friars
and offering it to the whole Order: defense of the Amazon Rainforest – it will
be our common project. We join the courageous voices and efforts of Servites
already involved and the Latin-American
Episcopate (Aparecida Document, May
2007).
The General Chapter invites all
branches of the Servite Family to join in
this project. It invites every jurisdiction to
engage in educational and promotional
activities in defense of the Rainforest –
and if possible to involve National Conferences of Religious”.
(General Chapter 2007, no. 17).
I trust that our discussion of environment protection in this conference will
support the proposals of the Order’s General Chapter and will come up with new
and specific proposals to protect the environment and restore its original beauty.
GENERAL SECRETARIAT FOR FORMATION AND STUDIES
In the June 7, 2010 meeting of the
General Council Fra Eugene M. Smith,
General Secretary for Formation and
Studies, reported on his visit to South
America with the responsible Councilor,
Fra Charlie M. Leitão de Souza. Prior to
the Fatima, Argentina meeting, he visited
all the communities in Brazil. He was especially interested in our formation communities and met with everyone responsible for and involved in formation. He also
THE GENERAL COUNCIL AND
SECRETARIATS
FATIMA, ARGENTINA
From May 12-19, 2010 the General
Treasurer, Fra Piergiorgio M. Mazzoleni, met with members of the Council
of Administration in Fatima, Argentina.
The members are: Yvon M. Chalifoux
(CAN), Gottfried M. Wolff (TIR), Alex M.
Ruiz Velasquez (SMA), Gnanapragasam M. Arulanandu (IND); Antonio
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qualified members to engage in the ministry of theological teaching.
visited all the schools Servite students
attend. These meetings involved: Fra
João M. Ribeiro, Master of Novices and
Postulants in Rio Branco; Fra Jorge M.
Borges, Master of Pre-Novices in Curitiba; and Fra Marcos M. Huk, Master of
Students in Turvo. After the Fatima meeting, Fra Eugene and Fra Charlie met with
Fra Sergio M. Mendoza , Master of the
Formation Community in Devoto, Argentina and Fra Marcelo M. Enriquez, the
Master in Santiago, Chile (Santa Teresita). In Devoto there are three temporary
Professed (1 Chilean, 1 Bolivian, 1 Argentinean); in Santiago, Chile, there are
three Pre-Novices and one temporary
Professed; in Cochabamba, Bolivia, there
are three temporary Professed. Fr. Charlie reported that the friars very much appreciated the visit. He further remarked
that it would be a good idea to acquaint
those responsible for formation with the
places of the Order’s origins in Italy. A
visit, pilgrimage or brief stay in Italy might
be of enormous help in their formation
work.
CECILIA EUSEPI, BEATIFIED
“On July 1, 2010, the Holy Father
Benedict XVI received His Excellency
Msgr. Angelo Amato, S.D.B. in a private audience. Msgr. Amato is the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes
of the Saints. During the audience the
Supreme Pontiff authorized the Congregation to promulgate a decree on the
miracle attributed to the intercession of
the Servant of God, Cecilia Eusepi, a
member of the Third Order Secular of
the Servants of Mary.” (From the Osservatore Romano).
On July 1, 2010, Commemoration of
the Servite Tertiary Blessed Ferdinando Maria Baccilieri, the Prior General,
Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica wrote a letter
to the whole Servite Family. (It can be
found on the Servite Website –
www.servidimaria.org –
Resources,
Documents, Letters of the Priors General). The letter officially announces the
decree and emphasizes how vitally important it is that all who follow in the
footsteps of our Seven Holy Fathers
achieve holiness. The letter says: “I am
happy to communicate to our whole Order an event we have so long awaited:
Cecilia Eusepi, a Servite Tertiary, has
been included in the Church’s list of
Blesseds. Her intervention on August 4,
1959 at Monte Romano (Viterbo) saved
Tommaso Ricci from mortal danger.
There is no possible scientific explanation for what occurred. The extraordinary nature of this event is apparent not
just from the holiness of the young woman who died at the age of 18 but from
the precious written legacy she has left
us. These writings reflect our centuriesold Servite spiritual tradition. Her message is relevant to all members of our
Servite Family. Cecilia Eusepi is proof
that Our Lady’s Order is alive. It lives
through its saints and it lives through the
example of those who are loyal to the
MARIANUM PONTIFICAL FACULTY –
ROME
On June 28, 2010 the General Council
met with the professors of the Marianum
Pontifical Theological Faculty to review
the Faculty’s activities. After an introduction by the Prior General, Fra Silvano M.
Maggiani, president of the Faculty, reported on the current status of the Faculty and described the positive and negative aspects of academic life. On the
positive side 338 students attended the
Faculty’s various courses over the last
year. Fra Silvano emphasized the importance for foreign students to have sufficient time beforehand to study Italian.
He was pleased to report that all the Faculty publications are on schedule and of
high quality. He described the Faculty’s
relationships with other affiliated Marian
centers and urged all our jurisdictions to
provide opportunities for their young and
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charism of the Seven Holy Founders continue to provide.
SECRETARIAT FOR EVANGELIZATION, JUSTICE AND PEACE – CURITIBA
After the very interesting convention of
the Servite Family (UNIFAS) the members of this secretariat paid a visit to our
friars in Acre. It seemed appropriate that
we should see first-hand what our friars
have accomplished in that remote region
of Brazil over the last 90 years. Fra Andrea M. Ficarelli described the most important stages of our illustrious fathers’
journey. They gave themselves totally in
silence and toil to the work of evangelization. Their apostolic efforts involved first
of all preaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments. But they did more:
they cared for the destitute, the sick and
the leprous; they were tireless in defending human rights and in caring for the
land, health and education. Today they
are committed to preserving the already
degraded rainforest. They are devoted to
protecting and preserving the environment.
Before leaving we held an informal
meeting to evaluate the work accomplished so far and to remind ourselves of
what must be done at our next international convention (Rome, May 12-18,
2011). We discussed what should be the
focus of the two days assigned to our
secretariat. The items we chose were:
Evangelization and Poverty from a Servite Perspective (Fra Sagai); New LifeStyles (Fra Denis); Justice and Peace in
the Bible (Fra Riccardo M. Perez).
We would like to thank all those who
feel the personal commitment to being a
part of the new creation.
Fra Luciano M. Masetti
CLIOS – CAMPO GRANDE, BRAZIL
The International Servite Liturgical
Commission (CLIOS) held a general assembly (July 15-25, 2010) at the Mother
of God Spirituality Center in Campo
Grande (Rio de Janeiro) Brazil. The following effective members were present:
Paolo M. Orlandini, President; Sister M.
Corina Bressan (SMR); Alvin M. Cabacang (PHI); Camille M. Jacques (CAN);
Silvano M. Maggiani (Ann); Francesco
M. Rigobello (VEN). We accomplished
the following:
- we announced that the annual liturgical calendar for 2010-2011 is being printed; we determined which anniversaries
will be included in the 2012, 2013, 2014
calendars;
- the Procurator of the Order provided
CLIOS with observations from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on the Rituale
della professione monastica OSM; we
discussed these observations and prepared responses;
- we refined the texts of the Mass and
Liturgy of the Hours for the feast
(September 5) of Blessed Maria Maddalena Starace (1845-1921) to be used by
her Congregation (Compassionist Servants of Mary);
- we edited texts for the Mass and Liturgy of the Hours for the commemoration
of the future Blessed Cecilia Eusepi
(1910-1928);
- we began editing a second editio typica of the ritual for Benedizione della
mensa OSM. This new version will include blessing and thanksgiving prayers
that correspond to the Gospel of the day.
- CLIOS further discussed projects to
promote and commemorate the fiftieth
anniversary of the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium (December 4, 19632013).
THE HOLY LAND – DEIR RAFAT
On July 25, 2010, the Prior General,
Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica sent a communiqué to those responsible for the jurisdictions of the Servite Family. He informed everyone of an official letter he
had received from the Auxiliary Bishop of
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He took us to Deir Rafat, the Sanctuary
of Mary, Queen of Palestine and the Holy Land. He described in great detail the
ministry Servites might carry out within
the diocese. Besides a spiritual apostolate with local and foreign pilgrims at the
Sanctuary the Patriarch would like to
see us involved in the life of the diocese
especially in teaching theology and Mariology in his seminary and working in the
diocesan chancery. We emphasized
the importance of remaining faithful to
our Marian charism and service while
eventually becoming involved in Palestinian life – something that would require
adequate preparation. The Patriarchate
has promised its support especially in
the beginning of our apostolate; it would
help us with immigration and with practical and financial involvement in the Holy
Land. We were all satisfied with our encounter; it is now only a question of
commitments by us and the Patriarchate.
the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Msgr.
William Shomali written on behalf of
His Beatitude, Msgr. Fouad Twal, Latin
Patriarch of Jerusalem. The Patriarch is
offering the Servants of Mary responsibility for the National Marian Shrine at
Deir Rafat, Mary, Queen of the Holy
Land and of Palestine. The Prior General would like to know if any member of
the Servite Family (friar, sister, lay man)
would – in a spirit of co-responsibility
and communion – like to take part in this
proposed Servite foundation in the Holy
Land.
Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, Fra Gino M. Leonardi and Fra Giovanni M.
Sperman made an official visit to the
Holy Land (August 17-22, 2010). They
were guests of the Latin Patriarchate of
Jerusalem. Because of previous engagements, his Beatitude, Fouad Twal,
the Patriarch of Palestine, Jordan and
Cyprus could not be present. Msgr. William Shomali, the Auxiliary Bishop of
Jerusalem, showed us gracious hospitality and introduced us to the coadjustor bishops, the local clergy and
the most important places in Palestine.
ROME, ITALY
A letter dated July 2, 2010 and
signed by the General Secretary of the
Italian Episcopal Conference, Msgr.
Mariano Crociata, has announced that
Fra Silvano M. Maggiani, President of the
Marianum Pontifical
Theological Faculty,
has been named an
Expert member of the
Consulta dell’Ufficio
Liturgico
Nazionale
[Consultors of the National Office for the
Liturgy] for the next five years. Congratulations, Fra Silvano.
ROME, ITALY
We are well aware that this bit of
news might be of little interest to others
but for us, the members of the General
Council, it is very important. After nine
years of honorable service we have retired our old automobile – Fiat Stilo –
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and have replaced it with the efficient
Renault Scenic. May St. Christopher
the patron saint of travelers protect us
on the road.
to the diocese and keep only the house
of formation.
On August 31, 2010 the friars of the
Valencia community moved into the cloistered convent in Mislata. The new community includes the following members:
Antonio M. Nofuentes, Andrés M. Bou,
Andrés M. Boluda and Javier M. Badillo. The new community will become a
house of formation, hospitality and vocation promotion for the Spanish Province.
FROM OUR PROVINCES, VICARIATES AND PRIORIES
REGGIO EMILIA, ITALY
It is now ninety years that the Servites have been working in Acre, Brazil.
Three friars originally from Emilia – Paolino M. Baldassarri (Bologna), Andrea
Ficcarelli (Reggio Emilia) and Ettore M.
Turrini (Modena) have launched a joint
appeal to all men of good will: “In recent
years there has been an all-out attack
on the Amazon Rainforest. We would
plead with foreign states that they desist
from buying the rainforest’s precious
woods – especially mahogany. If there
is no market for these woods destruction
of the rainforest will stop and it will find a
new lease on life. “ This appeal was
widely echoed in the daily newspapers
of Emilia-Romagna.
MARINA DI MASSA, ITALY
Piedmont-Romagna Provincial Assembly
The annual meeting chose as its
theme: How to achieve greater communion and collaboration between our friars’
communities and the communities of the
Servite Secular Order. This was the first
time our provincial community celebrated
a joint chapter with the Secular Order and
the Servite Diaconie. Ordinarily only friars attend our chapters. Twenty-five friars, fifteen lay people and three prenovices from the Siena community attended the meeting. To become better
acquainted with and increase our respect
for the Secular Order and the Diaconie
each of our communities studied their
Rules of Life. We saw this as a necessary pre-condition for promoting greater
communion and collaboration.
Fra
Cesare M. Antonelli, the Prior Provincial
made his report. This was followed by
reports from Mr. Francesco Pergolotti,
Mrs. Bruna Cantore (Secular Order Provincials) and the Diaconie. We had a
calm and serious discussion of the reports and then divided into four groups to
analyze our problems and discuss ways
we might promote collaboration and communion. We were especially interested in
cultivating a Marian spirit and enabling all
to take part in community planning – especially for the feasts of the Order. The
role of Assistant to the Secular Order and
the Diaconie was seen as fundamental
for formation, direction and acting as a
LAS CUEVAS DE CAÑART, SPAIN
Spanish Provincial Chapter
The Spanish Province celebrated its
chapter at Las Cuevas de Cañart, Teruel, Spain (June 14-19, 2010). Not far
from this spot in Ladruñán, the Servites
had a priory in the fifteenth century. It is
now in ruins. Twelve friars attended the
chapter. Eleven were voting members
and one was a guest. There were several items on the agenda: spiritual renewal (annual retreats, theological updating …); return of Santa Teresa de
Jesús parish in Valencia to the archdiocese; taking over the cloistered convent
in Mislata (the few remaining nuns
would join the Sagunto community).
The chapter members discussed the
Mozambique foundation. With the help
of friars from other jurisdictions our work
there will continue. We decided to return the parish of São Gabriel in Matola
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liaison between the friars and lay members. We discussed the problems that
arise when priories are closed and lay
groups find themselves without nearby
friars. The lay groups feel like “orphans.”
Often their work in a parish is marginalized. We further discussed the need to
read, meditate and pray the Word of God;
the importance of service to our brothers
and sisters; involvement in the life of the
local church and the availability of resources and channels of communication
on the Order’s website. We brought the
meeting to a conclusion with a pilgrimage
to Viareggio to visit the scene of the
“curatino” St. Anthony Pucci’s life. Fra
Franco M. Azzalli discussed aspects of
Pucci’s apostolate – something especially
appropriate in this “Year of the Priest.”
We visited the town, the parish, the community and the body of St. Anthony. Fra
Franco celebrated Mass marking the
twenty-fifth anniversary of his own ordination. We felt the presence of Our Lady of
Sorrow and found new enthusiasm for
our Servite vocation. We concluded the
stay in Viareggio with a delicious meal.
Fra Luciano M. Masetti
In collaboration with the local Servite
community the Architecture Faculty of the
University of Florence organized an especially interesting conference at Monte
Senario (June 19-20, 2010). The conference was billed as Architettura eremitica.
Sistemi progettuali e paesaggi culturali
[Hermitical Architecture. Planning Systems and Cultural Background]. The first
day was devoted to scholarly discussions
of the architecture of the Monte Senario
complex in the context of Tuscan architecture and painting at the time the priory
was established and developed. That
evening there was an oboe and organ
concert in the Basilica. On the second
day papers on hermitages elsewhere in
Italy were read. In the late morning we
inaugurated the Documentation Center
for the Priory of Monte Senario. The center includes a series of panels that describe the architectural structure of the
complex as well as a virtual tour of the
priory. The virtual tour will soon be available on the internet.
THE TYROLESE PROVINCE
Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, the Prior
General, and Fra Eugene M. Smith, the
responsible Councilor, carried out a canonical visitation of the communities of
the Tyrolese Province and the German
Delegation (June 10-26, 2010). On June
19, the Feast of St. Juliana, they took
part in the annual provincial pilgrimage.
This year the pilgrims visited the former
Servite church in Vienna. Members of
the Servite Family came from Austria,
Germany and the Czech Republic. The
visitation found that the friars were committed to their work and were faithful to
community and spiritual values. They
were doing their best to implement General and Provincial chapter decrees. The
General and Fra Eugene were especially
edified by the sensitive and fraternal care
extended to the older friars.
CAMPO SANPIERO, PADUA, ITALY
Venetian Provincial Chapter
Fra Ferdinando M. Perri, the Prior
Provincial, presided at an extraordinary
chapter of the Venetian Province (June
22-25, 2010). The chapter took the place
of the annual Assembly. It met to discuss
community life and financial problems. In
spite of the opposing views that came to
the fore the meeting proceeded in an atmosphere of calm and constructive discussion. The Chapter made two significant decisions for the future: we will return to the celebration of annual chapters
instead of assemblies; we will discuss
and evaluate our small, remote communities far from urban centers.
TUART HILL, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
MONTE SENARIO, ITALY
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September - October
PROVINCE OF THE ISLES
“Was it coincidence, or just God’s
sense of humour?” This is how the
Province of the
Isles newsletter announced
Fra
Bernard
M.
Thorne’s
election as Prior
Provincial
on
July
6,
2010. It was
exactly
one
year from the
date on which
the deceased
(April 10) Fra Patrick M. Carroll had
been elected provincial. Fra Bernard
received a large majority of the votes on
the first ballot and accepted his election.
He was in Brazil taking part in the UNIFAS Convention. He will serve in office
until the next Provincial Chapter of Elections in 2012.
Congratulations and
Good Luck!
In the Provincial Council meeting of 6
-7 September, 2010, Fr. Chris M. O'Brien was elected Assistant Provincial of
the Province of the Isles, in place of fr.
Bernard M. Thorne who is now Provincial. Fr. Colum M. McGlynn was elected a member of the Provincial Council
to complete the number of councilors.
Chris O’Brien was also elected prior of
the Benburb community (in place of Bernard Thorne) and confirmed by the Prior
Provincial and his Council.
Work on the new building at Servite
College is moving ahead. The first floor is
almost finished and soon the roof will go
on. The building is big and expensive,
but includes rooms for the college staff, a
library and classrooms. The other day we
celebrated the feast of St. Juliana with
the entire school population, which
means about one thousand people, students and staff. The only place large
enough for this is the gymnasium. All
those chairs had to be hauled from the
classrooms and the chapel and afterwards, hauled back again. But many
hands make light work. It is amazing
how quiet and respectful our students are
on these occasions. When you consider
that so many of them do not frequent
Mass in their parishes, they seem to have
a good sense of the solemnity of the moment and respond accordingly. Fra Bob
Zivkovic and I regularly celebrate Mass
in the College, often early, before classes
begin.
Fra Christopher M. Ross
SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL
We were pleased to welcome Fra Sergio M. Ziliani, Prior Provincial of the
Santissma Annunziata Province on our
television program TV Século 21. Fra
Sergio came to all our rehearsals and
appeared on two live television programs.
He was there for the official presentation of keys to the tour bus his province
has donated to our association. Our
thanks to you, Fra Sergio, and to your
province.
Fra Rinaldo M. Stecanela
BOLOGNA, ITALY
On Saturday, July 24, 2010 after a
long illness Fra Pellegrino M. Santucci
died at Santa Maria dei Servi in Bologna. Fra Pellegrino was a strong and
personable individual who devoted his
considerable musical talent exclusively
to the praise of God and Our Lady. He
worked tirelessly on the liturgy with conviction and competence at the Church of
Santa Maria dei Servi in Bologna where
SENIGALLIA, ITALY
The parish of San Martino in Senigallia
is host to a flourishing Russian and
Ukrainian community. Fra Giuliano M.
Grassi, the parish priest, had printed
translations of the Vigilia de Domina (the
Benedicta Tu) in Ukrainian and Russian.
Anyone interested in copies could write to
San Martino priory or send an e-mail to:
[email protected]
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COSMO 5-6
he lived out his Servite vocation. He was
a man of many talents and a shrewd observer of events. Pellegrino Santucci
composed over 2,000 pieces in every
musical idiom: Masses, oratorios, symphonies, concerts for various instruments, motets for from one to twelve
voices, cantatas and an enormous
amount – hundreds of compositions – of
organ music. He studied at the Conservatory in Pesaro and later taught at the
Conservatory in Florence. Among his
more important works were: Opera Omnia organistica di J.S.Bach, La Madonna
nella Musica, L’ improvvisazione nella
musica and Consonanze e dissonanze.
He also published books and articles on
religion and social subjects. Fra Francesco M. Rigobello, OSM, the organist
and concert virtuoso, did not hesitate to
associate Santucci with Fra Jean-Marie
Plum OSM, as the greatest Servite musicians of the modern era. He gave impetus to the whole phenomenon of organ
concerts with the first 20th century mechanical organ in Italy at the Servite
church in Bologna. Fra Pellegrino’s last
effort was the oratorio Lamentationes
Jeremiae Prophetae. The premiere of
this work was performed by the Choir and
Orchestra of Bologna’s Teatro Comunale
on October 1, 2003. It was a great critical and commercial success.
who sought to serve the Church through
the charism of brotherhood and service to
Our Lady. The Order is present and active on the five continents and has given
rise to cloistered convents, confraternities
and congregations. Thirty-seven panels
covering 1,600 sq ft described the Order’s rich history in some detail. Four
hundred visitors came to our booth every
day. Among these visitors were the Prior
General, Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, as
well as friars and other members of the
Servite Family. Our special thanks go to
the young men and women who acted as
guides and explained the panels to the
visitors. We thank you too, Fra Franco,
for your efforts to tell the rich Servite story to so many people.
RIMINI, ITALY
Almost 1,000,000 visitors attended
the prestigious Rimini Meeting (August
22 – 28, 2010). Thanks to the work and
enterprise of Fra Franco M. Azzalli, Vicar General and Historian of the Order, the
Servants of Mary had a booth at this
meeting. Several others cooperated with
Fra Franco in setting up the Servite exhibit.
Using archival and audiovisual material the exhibit presents an overview of the
early days of the Servite Order and
shows how the Order was established
almost 800 years ago by “a small community of like-minded souls” (Paul VI)
HLABISA, ZULULAND, SOUTH AFRICA
“I imagine that during the month of
June you had a chance to see the most
beautiful parts of our country on television. I believe we can all agree that it
was a month when we really felt we were
one people. For one month all divisions
of color and language disappeared. It
was impressive to see so many people
wearing the Bafana Bafana t-shirt and to
see so many people waking up – even in
remote areas such as Ubombo – to the
sound of the vuvuzela. Once the World
Cup was over we came back quickly to
reality. The day afterwards we witnessed
our first cases of xenophobia. As I often
VICENZA, ITALY
During its July 30, 2010 session the
Venetian Provincial Council voted unanimously to support a decision of the Indian
Vicarial Chapter: the Indian Vicariate will
begin its transition from the status of a
Vicariate to that of a Province.
JINJA, UGANDAN NOVITIATE
Fra Francis Kawuki has been appointed to replace Fra Mathieu M. Ngoa
as Master of the five novices in Uganda.
Fra Mathieu has returned to the province
and will attend specialization courses at
Innsbruck.
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MONTE SENARIO, ITALY
Marking the 700th anniversary of the
death of St. Alexis Falconieri there was a
simple but joyful ceremony celebrated in
the Seven Holy Founders’ Chapel on August 23 at noon. The formation community at the Sacred Priory of Monte Senario
initiated an international novitiate. The
following friars were in attendance: Fra
Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, the Prior General; Fra Gino M. Leonardi, General
Councilor; Fra Cesare M. Antonelli, Prior Provincial of the Piedmont-Emilia Romagna Province; Fra Antonio M. Paccini, Socius Provincial of the Santissima
Annunziata Province; Fra Stefano M.
Mazzoni, Annunziata Provincial Councilor and Master of pre-novices; Fra João
M. Ribeiro, Brazilian Provincial Councilor
and Assistant Master of the new novitiate; and Fra Piergiorgio M. Di Domenico, the Novice Master. Fra Piergiorgio
read a prayer that described the most
important characteristics of a friar Servant of Mary. The small Chapel was filled
with friars, sisters, professed students
from Rome, members of the Secular Order and so many of our friends. At the
end of the ceremony the Community of
Monte Senario extended a warm welcome to the new novices: Antonio and
Charles from the Brazilian Province;
Emanuele and Philip from the PiedmontEmilia Romagna Province; Francesco,
Gerardo and Giuseppe from the Santissima Annunziata Province. We, the new
novices, thank God, our generous and
merciful Father, the Blessed Virgin Mary
and the Monte Senario Community for
allowing us to make our novitiate in this
very special place – a place so rich in
Servite spirituality.”
The novices of Monte Senario
say at Mass it is easy to welcome those
who arrive with money; it is much harder
to welcome those who have nothing and
come seeking a better future. This week
the strike of public workers began – including school and hospital personnel.
These are days of great tension and no
one knows how long the strike will last.
The army is helping out in the hospitals.
Violence is increasing and as always it is
the weak who suffer the consequences:
children and the sick. Inkosi inibusise!”
+José Luis IMC, Bishop of Hlabisa
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
After July 31, Fra Valdir M. Borges
will no longer be in charge of the Province office. Before leaving, though, Fra
Valdir resumed publication of the newsletter Inter Nos On Line. The new issue
contains information about our Brazilian
priories and includes thoughts of our Prior Provincial, Fra Nivaldo M. Machado.
He has this to say about the recent UNIFAS convention: “We have experienced
something very meaningful in recent
days. Along with all you may have heard,
read or seen in the many available reports there are certain things I would like
to emphasize. First of all it was impressive and important to see representatives
of the whole Servite Family in attendance: friars, sisters, Secular Order and
Secular Institute members, Diaconie,
youth movements and associations.
Secondly it was of great benefit for all of
us especially and our Brazilian communities. We got to meet the UNIFAS leadership and the many diverse individuals
and groups who make up the Servite
Family. We believe creating a Brazilian
UNIFAS is important. It would bring together all the branches of the Servite
Family in this country. Finally we had an
excellent opportunity to present Brazil,
our countryside, cities, forests, liturgy,
religion and faith with special emphasis
on concern for the environment, to all our
brothers and sisters.”
MOZAMBIQUE
Fra Charlie M. Leitão de Souza was in
Mozambique giving permanent formation
classes to Servite men and women. The
General Council has been promoting this
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project for several years in an effort to
support and encourage the local branches of the Servite Family. Fra Charlie visited all our communities and had a
chance to share their common life and
prayer for several days. He offered meditations on our Founders’ Marian approach to Christian discipleship and provided information on our current status
and service. Fra Charlie visited the communities of Matola, Xai-Xai, Chokwè,
Nampula and Lichinga. He met with
members of two Servite fraternities: Mater Dei and Seven Saints. He witnessed
impressive signs of life in the local Servite Family: the many promising vocations; the openness of Servite Groups;
the spiritual vitality; the commitment to
the poor – especially to orphaned and
needy children and old people.
always endeavored to make the world
understand the significance of the Virgin
Mary. We have endeavored to make
Mary, our poor and humble Lady a sign
of unity for all men – a sign that will help
us understand and relieve human suffering.
In our present day work here in Oruro
we are well aware that a priority of this
mission at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of
Socavón is to engage in intercultural and
inter-religious dialogue. This is our objective; we are here to bring about an encounter between the rich tradition of the
Andes and the Christian message. By its
very nature the Sanctuary is a place of
encounter, a point of convergence, a
place of culture that facilitates communion among the pilgrim people seeking
God and promises the immense and merciful affection of Mary.
May God bestow his abundant blessings on Bolivia and may Mary, Our Lady
of Socavón, help us understand her faith
and make progress on the paths of justice and peace.”
ORURO, BOLIVIA
Sixty years have passed since the
Servants of Mary arrived here. They are
guardians of the Sanctuary and sacred
image of Our Lady of Socavón. Devotion
to this sanctuary extends to all the Americas as well as the countries of Europe
and even Asia. On September 27, 1950
the Servites celebrated the first Solemn
Mass here. This event is inscribed in the
heart of Oruro’s history. The Servites
who arrived sixty years ago were a small
but select group: Fra Agustin M. Gobbo,
Fra Domenico M. Polo, Fra Felipe M.
Mondim and Brother Sostegno M.
Parise. At present the Sanctuary has
become a center of deep spirituality, silent work and caring pastoral activity.
On behalf of the entire Order the Prior
General, Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica
sent a special letter of congratulations for
this anniversary. He wrote: “The service
we Servants of Mary perform in this sanctuary reflects our vocation. Since our beginning 777 years ago, we have served
the Lord and our brethren. We Servites
are devoted to the Mother of God, the
Blessed One of the Almighty. We have
THE SERVITE FAMILY
BORGONUOVO DI SASSO MARCONI,
BOLOGNA, ITALY
The UNIFASI convention was held at
Borgonuovo di Sasso Marconi (Bologna)
January 3 – 4, 2010. It had as its theme:
Together, as a family, we encounter
young people. Participants noted that
there is almost a total absence of communication in the Servite Family on activities that involve friars, sisters and lay
people. Consequently our work is often
isolated and fragmented.
We would hope for genuine communication and the involvement of all branches of our Servite Family not just in carrying out our projects but in the process
that determines what those projects will
be.
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To promote communion and collaboration in the Servite Family and to provide a
prophetic example of charity to the young
people of our time we consider the certain activities of the utmost importance.
We must rediscover the joy of working
together; we must stimulate our communities and fraternities, we must make our
leaders initiate joint Servite Family projects.
We must embrace again with energy
and courage the rich values of working
together, of overcoming a narrow view of
problems that reflects only our own particular group; we must learn to be – together as a family – a sign of hope.
We must promote collaboration with
the “natural family.” This is the basic cell
of our society and the indispensable and
natural locus of formation for young people. We can express our collaboration
by determining specific acts of solidarity
to be carried out in our own area.
We must encourage proclaiming the
Gospel message and sharing our own
Servite spirituality especially in those
places where a branch of our Family can
be found. This can be a richer experience if we share it will all branches of the
Servite Family that live in our area.
The International UNIFAS Convention
was celebrated at Rio de Janeiro (July 7
– 14, 2010). More than 120 Servites attended: 48 friars, 47 lay people, 28 sisters, Secular Institutes, Diaconie, Secular
Order members and friends of the Servites. They came from 28 different countries. The theme of the convention was I
Servi di Maria e la cura del Creato
[Servites and Concern for Creation]. The
subject was masterfully expounded in
three conferences: Fra Clodovis M.
Boff (Ecology from a Nihilist Point of
View: For an Ecology that is Open and
Transparent); and Sister Elizabeth A.
Johnson CSJ (Deep Incarnation: Prepare Yourselves to be Amazed) and (He
Who Gives Life: Traveling through the
Cosmos from Suffering to Hope). There
were other interventions of a regional nature describing what members of the Servite Family were doing locally to protect
the environment. There was an atmosFINAL DOCUMENT
The Family of the Servants of
Mary seeks a common response
in the care of creation
The Family of the Servants of Mary
gathered together in Rio de Janeiro,
July 7-14, 2010, through representatives of 28 countries, to reflect together
about: “The Servants of Mary and Care
of creation.
We recognize that God gave
human beings dominion over all creation, which means care, love and protection not exploitation and destruction.
We recognize that the vocation
of human beings is to serve God in caring for creation, as indicated in Gen.
2:15 (Human beings were place in the
Garden of Eden to care for, that is, to
serve the earth) and for us, as Servite
Family, to serve is a word of the Order
and the testimony that we should give
to the world as Church.
MONTREAL, CANADA
On Saturday, June 5, 2010 , we held
the Fifth Servite Spirituality Meeting in StDonat parish hall in Montreal. Mrs. Denise Dumouchel, a member of the Secular
Servite Fraternity of Notre-Dame de la
Croix, shared her experience of mission
among members of the Secular Fraternities in Acapulco, Mexico. Her lively, dynamic presentation was entitled In Mexico
the Servants of Mary put spice into my
life!. It was illustrated by a large number
of photos. About twenty-five people took
part. It was an occasion of great fraternity.
UNIFAS – RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
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most echoed – the Prior General and
President of UNIFAS, Fra Ángel M.
Ruiz Garnica’s introductory words. In
this document Servites pledge themselves to teaching and defending life,
encouraging hope and promoting the
work of the Life-giving Spirit in the places where they live. We especially appreciated the moments of spiritual and
recreational refreshment in places
around Rio: the Sanctuary of Our Lady
Aparecida, Corcovado, Pão de Açúcar,
the carnival, the churrascaria …) Our
special thanks go to all those who
worked so hard to make this event a
success. The conferences and final
document can be found on the Order’s
website under UNIFAS.
We want to live this service of
care of creation drawing inspiration from
our Mother, Mary, she who carried in
her womb the One whom neither the
sky nor the earth could contain.
We want to educate ourselves to
defend life and to generate hope promoting, in context in which we live, the
work of the life-giving Spirit.
We, the Family of Servants of Mary,
commit ourselves to:
 Learn more and make know to others
the varied experiences of the Servite
Family in defense of the Amazon forest; supporting the project of a
“Jubilee for the Amazon” (10 years
without deforestation), and projects of
alternative developments in the use of
wood,
raising
awareness
(consciouness) in our different countries not to consume wood that come
from the Amazon.
 To form a small group, representative
of the Servite Family, to be named by
the Unifas Council, to animate a global conversation and exchange of ideas, information and resources among
Servants of Mary in relation with the
care of creation.
 Share the message of this Congress
with the various groups of the Family
of Servites, to which we belong, by
means of National Unifas, Chapters,
meetings and to express the care of
creation in our prayer, our work and
our style of life.
 In four year to report back to the next
Unifas Conference what progress we
have realized in achieving this commitments.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
After the UNIFAS convention, members of the Servite Family who live in
Brazil met for the first time to exchange
ideas and complete their plans for establishing UNIFAS-BRAZIL. Fra Nivaldo
M. Machado, Brazilian Prior Provincial,
was in charge of this project.
MONTE SENARIO – UNIFASI
Once more the Seventh National
UNIFASI Day was celebrated with the
Monte Senario community on Sunday,
July 4, 2010. Rosanna Marchionni,
the President of UNIFASI and Fra Hubert M. Moons, the Prior of Monte Senario gave a rousing welcome to the 170
people who took part. Work then began. The theme for this year was
“Together on the mountain … with Fra
Alexis, one of the Seven, we encounter
history, art and nature.” Fra Franco M.
Azzalli, the Vicar General, presented a
vivid portrait of St. Alexis Falconieri’s
life. There were conducted tours of the
places our Order began, followed by
dinner and a concert presented by the
choir from the Santissima Annunziata in
Florence. Fra Franco presided at a
Mass that concluded this day of intense
and fraternal encounter.
phere of intense fraternity; we felt
strongly that we shared a common vocation and were united with the single
purpose and desire to establish even
greater communion and collaboration.
A final, brief document responded – alwww.servidimaria.org
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AVELLANEDA, ARGENTINA
The closest Servite priory to Las Toscas is 900 km away. But the Servite
Sisters of Reparation (Riparatrici) have
a community only 100 km from us. Our
two communities keep the intercommunity spirit alive. Last July 4 the
Mother General, Sister Nadia Padovan
and her councilor, Sister Anna Costa
de Faria, came to visit us. The visit was
brief – too brief – and we were left wishing it had been longer. We were therefore happy to accept their invitation to
dinner in Avellaneda.
Our Blessed Mother and our saints –
both the men and the women – inspired
the fraternity that made our two hours
together so enjoyable.
Sisters
Loredana and Mirta prepared a simple
but exquisite dinner. If we were speaking Latin we would have said: “ecce
quam bonum et quam jucundum …” but
we were satisfied with Italian: “guarda
com’é bello e gradito il convivere tra fratelli e sorelle” [Behold how good and
delightful it is for brothers and sisters to
live together in unity]. This is what Our
Lady has called us to do; this is what
our service means: to give witness to
the fact that fraternity is a guarantee of
evangelical life. We realize that it is
easy to feel fraternity at a dinner but it
would be meaningless if we did not wish
each other well in ordinary life.
Carlo drove us back to Las Toscas. I
slept and dreamt ... and I continue to
dream.
Fra Bruno M. Predonzani
were:
Margherita
Palazzi,
Rosanna
Marchionni,
Silvia
Curiel (Mexico) and
Marisa Contu.
On
August 12 we celebrated a day of Servite
Fraternity. Fra Ángel
M. Ruiz Garnica, the
Prior General, presided at a Mass. Friars, sisters and friends
were in attendance. This Mass marked
the end of our retreat and many Regnum Mariae Institute members renewed
their vows on this occasion.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES
The Philippines Servite Family came
together to celebrate a triduum in preparation for the feast of St. Philip. We followed Servite tradition and blessed and
distributed bread and water during all
our Sunday Masses. On the eve of the
feast day Fra Joel M. Morata, the Vicar
Provincial, celebrated a Mass at which
three members of the Secular Order
concluded their year of probation, made
the promise and became definitive
members of the Servite Secular Order.
LA CEJA, COLOMBIA
The Servite Family in Colombia came
together at Monte Senario Priory in La
Ceja (August 14-16). The priory rests in
a beautiful, natural setting where fresh
air and peace abound. Taking part were
the Servite Sisters of Chioggia, the Servite Sisters of Florence, members of the
Servite Secular Institute, brothers and
sisters of the Secular Order, friends, students and friars from our communities.
We spent the day discussing St. Alexis
Falconieri: we concentrated on his faithfulness to his vocation, his love for the
Order and his concern for students. We
all shared in a time of fraternity, prayer,
getting to know each other and good
cheer.
REGNUM MARIAE – LORETO, ITALY
The Regnum Mariae Secular Institute
gathered in Loreto to celebrate their assembly of election and planning. Fra
Giovanni M. Sperman and Fra Rhett
M. Sarabia acted as spiritual directors
for the assembly. On August 6, 2010,
Anna Blasi was re-elected Soror Major
(Elder Sister).
Elected as councilors
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HAITI – THE DIFFICULT TASK OF REBUILDING
Members of the Secular Order Fraternity – Mary, Cause of Our Joy – at Assumption Church in Chicago are persevering in their commitment to help our
brothers and sisters in Petit-Goave, Haiti
who are still suffering from the effects of
the disastrous earthquake that struck that
island several months ago. Our fraternity
knows that by itself it cannot solve Haiti’s
problems but it is committed to assisting
the Child Jesus School. There is a Servite Secular Order fraternity being formed
in Petit-Goave. All our assistance goes
directly to the people we are helping. We
are helping procure food, repair damage,
find medicine, provide school supplies,
rebuild a safety wall and help families
meet their daily needs. Our fraternity has
organized a concert at Assumption
Church to benefit Petit-Goave. It will be
held on October 3; the famous Hush
Opera singers of Chicago will take part.
Father Savarimuthu’s funeral the young
Singa
saw
thousands of
people weeping and mourning the Father’s
death.
Many of these
people
were
poor.
Singa
decided to follow his guru’s example and offer himself
totally to the service of the poor and
needy. He entered the major seminary in
1961 and was ordained to the priesthood
in 1967 in Yangon. A magazine published in the United States depicted Father Singa as an extraordinary member of
his ordination class.
He worked as a parish priest in Kyaiklat and Pyapon from 1968 to 1978. In
1970 he was appointed professor of Sacred Scripture at the major seminary in
Yangon. He taught many seminarians
during the three years he held this position; some of them have gone on to become bishops and others have served in
the foreign missions.
In 1974 he was sent to Thingangyun
as parish priest. During his brief sixmonth stay he renovated the church and
built a novitiate and chapel for the Servite
Sisters. His interest in helping the sisters
had begun while he was a seminarian
under the direction of Father Philip. He
devoted himself totally to helping the sisters when he was sent to Kyauktaga, a
place with very few Catholics.
When he began his mission in Thanlyin he found many coolies, shop assistants and unemployed. With prayer and
hard work he devoted himself to improving their living standards. He was always
available for counsel and often provided
capital to start small businesses. With
the help of the Servite Sisters he personally taught the illiterate to read and write.
UNION CITY, CALIFORNIA
A decree of the Prior General, Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, dated July 16,
2010 canonically erected a Secular Order
Fraternity – Mother of Sorrows Community – in St. Ann’s Parish Church in Union
City, California, USA. We send our best
wishes and congratulations to the new
fraternity. May it be a faithful example of
Marian and Servite spirituality, an honor
to Our Lady and of service to the brethren.
YANGON, MYANMAR
Father Singa Rayar was born in Kyaiklat on May 31, 1935. He was the second of Maria Singa Rayar and Cecilia’s
six children. His family later moved to
Pyapon where the young boy grew into
an outstanding adult.
Initially Father
Singa wanted to become a physician but
his spiritual director, Father Cealaus had,
urged him to become a spiritual rather
than a medical doctor. Father Savarimuthu was a great influence on his life. At
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Father Singa led many boys to join
the Servants of Mary. He approached
the Servites in England, Italy and India
and asked them to start a foundation in
Myanmar. He sent three former seminarians to study with and become Servites in India. Two are now professed
friars continuing their studies and the
third is a Servite friar who returned to
Myanmar to work with Father Singa at
St. Anthony’s church.
In Rome the Prior General, Fra Hubert M. Moons, and his council recognized and appreciated all Father Singa
had done for both the Servite friars and
sisters. He was made an honorary Servite and recognized as a special gift
from God to the whole Order. Although
he never became a friar he was a genuine Servite all his life long. He cultivated
a special devotion to Our Mother of Sorrows, the woman at the foot of the
cross, and was fond of praying the Seven Dolor Rosary. Father Singa gave us
not just what he had but what he was.
He was a true father, guru, leader,
guide, companion and compassionate
mentor.
The night before he died Father
Singa was talking to the Canossian sisters and volunteered to help them. His
last days were further proof that he lived
for others and not for himself. After supper he went to bed on the night of April
26. At 11 PM he complained of difficulty
breathing and was taken to the hospital.
He walked into the emergency room on
his own and was given oxygen while in
a sitting position. He continued to talk
until the last moment. While still receiving oxygen he died gently at 12:45 AM
on April 27, 2010 surrounded by Servite
sisters.
For him death was peaceful but for
those he left behind painful – especially
the Servites who were shocked by its
suddenness. His body was taken to the
House of Prayer where his heart had
always been; he was waked for two
days.
The Servite Family has lost a true
friend and leader but we know he is
praying for us in heaven and continues
to guide our steps.
Sr. Salette Mary and Servite Sisters
GITEGA, BURUNDI
Mother General Visits. From July 29
until August 21 we had the joy of having
our Mother General, Umberta Salvadori, in our midst. She was accompanied this year by Sister Pierina
Pierobon and Don Giuseppe Cremonese. Our time together was one of intense fraternity. We began with a retreat led by Father Joseph a Bwoga.
The retreat took place in unusual surroundings – on a building site that compared favorably with the very best of retreat houses! We took part in various
stages of the great celebration of the
Assumption in the splendid countryside
on the hill of Mughera. This year a vast
multitude of faithful were in attendance.
Welcome back, Paloma. We have
christened our means of transport Paloma [dove] because of its white color. It
was in an accident and sustained damages but now after two months it has
been repaired and returned to us. We
had trouble finding replacement pieces
– they had to come from Dubai and Japan. I spent three days with the mechanic in the Muslim quarter to observe
how he put it all together. I was impressed with his perfect job and with the
creativity he demonstrated in fixing our
other problems.
Official decorators. Professions and
ordinations have proven a tour-de-force
in requests for our services as decorators. It was a pleasure to work with the
various congregations who now look on
us as official decorators.
The Masters of time. In advanced
countries one is accustomed to schedul20
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COSMO 5-6
ing time for all one’s obligations. The
result is one never has time. The African, on the other hand, always has time.
It requires an effort on our part to adjust
to this mentality – we sometimes show
impatience. We must learn to be the
masters of time and not its slaves. We
must avoid stress and rediscover our
appreciation of the precious gift of time.
Sisters M. Antonella, M. Patricia, M.
Celeste and M. Rocio
Servites community in Ayer’s Cliff. Our
deceased brother was 75 years old and
had been professed for 54 years.
On the afternoon of July 24, 2010 Fra
Pellegrino Maria (Cesio) Santucci O.S.M. died in Santa Maria dei
Servi Priory in Bologna. Fra Pellegrino was a solemn professed Servite
priest , son of the Piedmont-Romagna
Province and member of the Santa Maria dei Servi community. He was 89
years old and had been professed for 72
years.
PUBLICATIONS
On Wednesday, July 28, 2010 Fra
Marcello Maria (Salvatore) Pisanelli, O.S.M. died in the provincial infirmary at the Santissima Annunziata in Florence. Fra Marcello was a
solemn professed Servite priest, son of
the Santissima Annunziata Province and
member of the Santissima Annunziata
community. He was 87 years old and
In collaboration with the Velar-LDC
Publishing House Fra Tito M. Sartori,
Postulator of Causes, has published two
booklets on two friars, Servants of God:
Venanzio M. Quadri, L’umile gioia della
perfezione (Venanzio M. Quadri, the
Humble Joy of Perfection) and Dino Bernardino Piccinelli, Volto pieno di luce, di
gioia, di semplicità (Dino Bernardino
Piccinelli, a Face Full of Light, Joy and
Simplicity). Both booklets are about fifty
pages long and are fully illustrated.
On Friday, August 20, 2010 Fra
Luciano Maria (Narciso) Guidi,
O.S.M. Senior Ordinis [oldest
member of the Order] died in the provincial infirmary at the Santissima Annunziata in Florence. Fra Luciano was a
solemn professed Servite brother, son
of the Santissima Annunziata Province
and member of the Santissima Annunziata community. He was 97 years old
and had been professed for 69 years.
DECEASED BRETHREN
On Monday morning, June 21, 2010,
Fra Stefano Maria (Guido)
Papini, O.S.M. died at Regina
Mundi community in Piggs Peak,
Swaziland. Fra Stefano was a solemn
professed Servite priest and member of
the Regina Mundi community. He was a
son of the Santissima Annunziata Province. At his death he was 90 years old
and had been professed for 72 years.
At 3:15 AM on September 7. 2010
Fra Giovanni Maria Onini,
O.S.M., died in Martini Hospital in
Turin. Fra Giovanni was a solemn professed Servite priest, son of the Piedmont-Romagna and member of the San
Pellegrino community in Turin. Our deceased brother was 82 years old and
On Saturday, July 17, 2010 at the
Centre d’hébergement de soins de
longue durée de Memphrémagog
[Long Term Care Facility] in Canada, Fra Columba Marie (James)
McManus, O.S.M. died. Fra Columba
was a solemn professed Servite priest
and son of the Canadian Province. He
was a member of the Notre-Dame des
21
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COSMO 5-6
S UMMAR Y
The Prior general speaks
Photos
1
1. Cover. Priory of Prata Sannita Italy
The General Council and Secretariats
4
The Prior general speaks
8
2. Rio de Janeiro - Brazil. Cardinal
Orani João Tempesta with friars
participating in UNIFAS International, 2010
The Servite Family
13
3. OSSM of Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil
19
4. CLIOS at work at Campo Grande,
Brazil
19
5. Fr. Franco M. Azzalli and helpers
at the Meeting in Rimini - Italy
Publications
Deceased brethren
6. Retreat of the Servite Family in
France and Belgium at the Abbey
of Mont-des-cats, France
7. Fr. Clario M. Salatin at the end of
his religious service
8. Montefano - Italy. Virgin with the
Servite crest
9. Fr. Paolo M. Simonelli: the oldest
friar in the Servite Order
COSMO
Piazza San Marcello, 5
00187 ROMA – Italy
tel. (+39) 06 699 30 1
fax (+39) 06 679 2131
Posta elettronica:
[email protected]
DIRETTORE RESPONSABILE: LINO M. PACCHIN
EDITORE: CASA GENERALIZIA SERVI DI MARIA
AUTORIZZAZIONE DEL TRIBUNALE DI ROMA
N. 55/91 DEL 1° FEBBRAIO 1991
STAMPATO IN PROPRIO
COSMO viene inviato gratuitamente a chiunque
ne faccia richiesta. Ogni destinatario è tuttavia
pregato a inviare un contributo annuo tramite
CCP n. 29430006 intestato a:
Economato generale osm
Piazza San Marcello, 5
00187 ROMA, Italy
22
[email protected]
23
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24
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forever devoted to clois

Transcription

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