divine mercy sunday: a dream come true for marian deacon

Summer 2015
DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY: A DREAM
COME TRUE FOR MARIAN DEACON
en years ago on Divine Mercy
Sunday was my first time on
Eden Hill — and it was muddy!”
laughed Deacon Allen Alexander, MIC,
who served as Deacon of the Eucharist this
Divine Mercy Sunday, April 12, at the
National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. He
also announced the spiritual presentations
before Mass at the Mother of Mercy
Outdoor Shrine.
“It was a very special day for me 10
years ago. It was just profound to be here. I
was a freshman in college, just starting to
discern with the Marians. I was living with
the Marians as a candidate. (They don’t have
that program anymore.) I came up with
them for Divine Mercy Sunday. Pope John
Paul II had died that Saturday while we were
driving up for Divine Mercy Sunday.
“I remember Mass was outdoors at the
A-frame, and it was cool because you
could see the mountains behind it,” he
recalled. “It was just special. I didn’t come
for another few years because I didn’t end
up joining the Marians until 2008. It was
an amazing experience just to be here.
“In a mysterious way, I really felt his [St.
John Paul’s] presence here on the Hill that
day,” Deacon Allen recalled, “and now to be
here 10 years after that, knowing that next
time Divine Mercy Sunday comes, I’ll be a
priest and be able to celebrate Mass — it was
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FELIX CARROLL
by Chris Sparks
Deacon Allen Alexander, MIC, served as Deacon of the Eucharist on Divine Mercy Sunday this year at
the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. He said that it was “an honor” to serve at the altar alongside
Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New York and the principal celebrant of the Mass.
just a good day. God’s mercy is flowing.”
Among the many channels of God’s
mercy were the times of praise and worship
before the Mass, punctuated by spiritual
presentations from celebrated author and
speaker Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, and
actress Maria Vargo, star of St. Luke
Productions’ touring live drama Faustina:
Messenger of Divine Mercy.
“It was nice to be able to introduce Fr.
Don and Maria Vargo,” said Deacon Allen,
“It was personal for me. I wasn’t just introducing random people. It was special
because I got to see her production [on the
Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday] so that gave
me some insight, and I know Fr. Don well.
Fr. Angelo Casimiro, MIC, explains why prayer is
at the heart of a Marian vocation.
The family connection: Read about how parents of
Marian priests fostered their vocation.
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He’s our vocation director.”
Deacon Allen also said that it was “an
honor” to serve at the altar alongside
Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of
New York and the principal celebrant of the
televised Divine Mercy Sunday Mass.
He also expressed his deep appreciation
for all the contributions of the Marian
Helpers, including those who volunteered
their time to help make the annual Divine
Mercy Sunday celebration at the National
Shrine possible, those whose prayers and sufferings provide the spiritual strength for the
Marians to perform their ministry, and those
whose financial contributions offer the funds
Continued on page 6
Be like Blanche: You can become a prayer warrior
for the Divine Mercy Intercessory Prayerline.
Special thanks: Memorials and tributes on
Eden Hill.
Prayer: The heart of a Marian vocation
Father Angelo Casimiro, MIC, prefect
of students and moderator of postulants
at the Marian House of Studies in
Steubenville, Ohio, shares with us the
importance of prayer for Marian formation, as well as some of the details of
Marian prayer: when they pray, why
they pray, and for whom they pray.
INTERVIEW
BY
CHRIS SPARKS
What’s the schedule of daily prayer for
the men in formation?
Our weekdays (Monday-Friday) begin
here at the Marian House of Studies in
Steubenville, Ohio, at 6:40 a.m. in the
chapel with Morning Prayer, a half-hour
of meditation, and Holy Mass. Then we
have breakfast. Afterwards, our Marian
students go to their undergraduate classes
at Franciscan University of Steubenville
throughout the day. At noon, we have an
examination of conscience, then lunch. At
3 p.m., there’s the optional praying of the
Chaplet of Divine Mercy. At 5:20 p.m., we
pray the Rosary, then Evening Prayer. We
have dinner at 6 p.m. Our students do
their studies in the evening. On Saturday,
we only have the 8 a.m. Mass in common.
On Sunday, we go to Franciscan University
for the 10:30 a.m. Mass. We do Morning
Prayer and meditation on our own on the
weekends. In the evening, we pray the
Rosary and Evening Prayer together. On
Sunday afternoon, we have Eucharistic
Adoration from 3 to 6 p.m. Each of us
signs up for a half-hour in front of the
Blessed Sacrament. Once a month, we
have a silent retreat from Friday night to
Saturday night.
For whom do the Marians pray?
On Monday, we usually pray the Office
of the Dead during the Liturgy of the
Hours (Morning Prayer and Evening
Prayer), and we also celebrate the Mass
Helping • Summer 2015
COURTESY OF THE MARIAN FATHERS
Why is prayer at the heart of
Marian formation?
Our men in formation have to be
formed in prayer first because their relationships with God and Our Lady are at
the heart of their vocation.
The Marians pray together on Saturday evening, April 25, at the Marian House of Studies in Steubenville,
Ohio. Father Angelo Casimiro, MIC (far right), says they usually pray for the Holy Souls at this time.
How the Helpers can join with the Marians in prayer
The Marian Helpers are also encouraged to pray for the Marians — their
needs, their intentions, and their works. Pray the Rosary and the Divine Mercy
Chaplet for the Marian priests and brothers. Offer up the graces of your Holy
Communion at Mass for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, and always remember to
unite your sufferings in prayer to Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross for the needs and
intentions of the Marian Fathers and your fellow Marian Helpers.
You can also join with the Marians and like-minded Marian Helpers as part of a
special club in committing to pray regularly the Rosary (Thirteenth of the Month
Club) or the Divine Mercy Chaplet (Friends of Mercy), or in offering your prayers
and sacrifices for the Holy Souls (Holy Souls Sodality). To learn more about these
opportunities to deepen your prayer life, call 1-800-462-7426, ext. 5.
for the Dead. This is one way we pray for
the Holy Souls. We also remember them
in our communal and personal prayers
throughout the week. During November,
we will go out to the local cemetery to
especially pray for the Holy Souls and
offer up indulgences for them.
During the prayers of intercession for
each Mass that we celebrate, in the praying of the Liturgy of the Hours, and in our
Marian prayers, we often pray for all of
our Marian benefactors. I do not think a
day ever goes by that we aren’t praying for
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them. In May, we celebrate Masses for our
seminarian benefactors, whom we count
on greatly for their support, both materially
and spiritually. We don’t know where we
would be without them. I believe it’s partly
because of their prayers that we have seen
such a boom in vocations within the
Marians in the past few years.
To ask the Mar ians to offer a
Mass for your special intention,
visit MemorialsOnEdenHill.org or
call 1-800-462-7426.
Association of Marian Helpers
The family connection:
Fostering Marian vocations
FELIX CARROLL
he ancient expression Ecclesia
domestica — domestic Church —
has significant bearing in the modern life of the Marian Congregation. For
most Marian priests and brothers, their
families served as the first school of
Christian life, the first heralds of the faith.
As the Church celebrates the Year
of Consecrated Life, which runs
through Feb. 2, 2016, Marian priests
and brothers gladly acknowledge that
being a consecrated religious is a family
affair — the spiritual dividends distributed and the sacrifices shared.
Kathleen Roesch, the mother of Fr. Joe
Roesch, MIC, the Marians’ vicar general,
still recalls the “indescribable” joy she felt
the moment in 1992 when her son first
elevated the Host after reciting the words
of the Consecration at his first Mass.
“It was an experience like no other,”
she said.
Janice Larson, mother of Fr. John
Larson, MIC, ordained to the priesthood
in 2006, says the spiritual fringe benefits
cannot be outdone.
“I’m the mother of a priest,” she
says. “I don’t think that there’s any
greater honor.”
There is no secret to raising a future
religious. What the parents or guardians of
Marian priests and brothers have done is
what all parents and guardians are called
to do: to love their children unconditionally
and to instill in them a trust in the Lord, a
desire to serve others, and the willingness
to make sacrifices for the sake of God’s
Kingdom, whatever their ultimate vocation. With that upbringing, if God calls
their son to become a priest or brother,
they have the strong foundation to say yes.
“My family, I think, like many of the
Marians’ families, did everything they
could to share their own spirituality, their
Catholic faith, and then step back and
allow me to seek God’s will for my life,”
says Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC, who was
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Helping • Summer 2015
FELIX CARROLL
BY
Father John Larson, MIC, and his mother, Janice Larson, when he was ordained to the priesthood in
2006. “I’m the mother of a priest,” she says. “I don’t think that there’s any greater honor.”
ordained in 2002 and now serves as rector
of the National Shrine of The Divine
Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
“Now,” he says, “it’s sort of a matter
of what comes around goes around. My
parents raised me in the faith, and I have
dedicated my life to God, and since then,
my parents’ own spiritual life has grown
deeper as a result. I think so many of us
see that. And the Marians now have this
extended family who are with us in prayer
and who often come for special Marian
events to show their support for us.”
“Our domestic church consisted of my
mother and me after my parents divorced
when I was 7 years old,” says Marian
seminarian Br. Kevin, MIC. “She [Helen]
was always a great model of a simple and
living faith for me. We would drive out
every Saturday during the school year to
migrant laborer housing projects in the
Everglades of South Florida. We spent our
afternoons helping the mostly Hispanic
immigrant children learn English, helped
them with their homework, and taught
them simple Catholic catechesis to make
sure they received their Sacraments.
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“Then we would usually play soccer or
basketball with them, too. Afterwards, we
always went back to the Opus Dei center, a
house nearby, and had our own brief meetings on living our Catholic faith in our
everyday lives, followed by BBQs or picnics. It was a great ministry. My mom
always encouraged me to participate.”
Those experiences, Br. Kevin says,
served as his foundation for seeking
to serve Christ’s people through the
sacred priesthood.
Oscar Cervantes took the rearing of his
son even a step farther.
“Before James was born, I asked Jesus
to give me a son, and that if He granted
my prayer I would offer Him back to
Jesus,” says Oscar, father of Fr. James
Cervantes, MIC, who was ordained in
2011. “While my wife was still pregnant
with James, I also prayed to the Blessed
Mother, begging that if I had a son, my
son would become a priest.”
Father James, who now serves as a
missionary in the Philippines, recalls how
his father always blessed him and his
Continued on page 4
Association of Marian Helpers
BLANCHE’S STORY CAN BE YOUR STORY
BY
FELIX CARROLL
n the Spring 2015 issue of Marian
Helper magazine, we featured the
endearing, indomitable, and adorable
94-year-old prayer warrior Blanche
Koprek, a longtime volunteer for the
Marians’ Stockbridge, Massachusettsbased Divine Mercy Intercessory
Prayerline. Twice a week, Blanche comes
to the Marian Helpers Center, takes her
position before the tabernacle in Our
Lady of Mercy Oratory, and prays individually for hundreds of intentions sent
in to the Prayerline.
Reaction to that story — in the form of
letters, emails, and phone calls — was
overwhelming. People not only wished to
extend gratitude to Blanche but to the
Prayerline itself.
The story also prompted many inquiries
about volunteer opportunities to assist the
Prayerline, which (as noted in the story)
receives more than 200,000 prayer
requests annually and an additional 93,500
requests a year for votive candles to be lit
for individual intentions.
“Yes, we definitely can use volunteers,”
says Cathy Chichester, the Prayerline
manager. “We look for faithful Catholics
who have a compassionate heart and a
desire to help others.”
If you are local to western Massachusetts
or the nearby Albany area in New York,
I
FELIX CARROLL
Twice a week, Blanche Koprek volunteers her time to pray individually for hundreds of intentions
sent to the Divine Mercy Intercessory Prayerline. “People need prayers,” she said.
the Prayerline is looking for people to help
answer phones, pray for petitions, and light
candles. If you are not local, you can join
the many people around the world who —
from their home or parish — pray a Holy
Hour once a week for all the intentions that
come in to the Prayerline.
Father Joseph, MIC, the director of the
Association of Marian Helpers, notes that
the benefit to volunteering is twofold. The
first involves developing our own relationship with God in prayer. The second is
that volunteers are assured of prayers for
their own intentions.
FAMILY
MARIAN ARCHIVES
Oscar Cervantes prays during his son James’ ordination to the
priesthood in 2011. “I prayed to the Blessed Mother, begging
that if I had a son, my son would become a priest,” he said.
Helping • Summer 2015
Indeed, Prayerline volunteers’ names
are permanently recorded on a CD and
placed under the first-class relic of St.
Faustina that’s located in the Oratory.
In other words, the prayer intentions of
volunteers are perpetually remembered.
Volunteers also receive free spiritual
resource material.
“Prayer is an awesome source of
strength and unity when people come
together and pray for a common intention,” says Fr. Joseph.
To volunteer, call 1-800-804-3823, or
email prayerline@mar ian.or g.
Continued from page 3
brother before they went to school in the morning and before they went to
bed at night. “Now, I get to bless my father, as a Father,” he says.
Still, for some parents of Marians, their sons’ call to the priesthood
came at a personal sacrifice. The parents of Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, were
hoping for future grandchildren through their son.
“But priests are needed so badly everywhere,” says Rosalie Alar,
mother of Fr. Chris, who was ordained in 2014 and now serves as the
director of the Association of Marian Helpers.
Similarly, for Br. Kevin’s mother, his call to the priesthood initially came
as a shock. Brother Kevin is her only child. She wanted grandchildren.
“It was hard for her to contemplate at first,” said Br. Kevin, “but she
quickly got used to it and is now very supportive and very proud that I
have answered God’s call. I’m slowly helping her to realize that she may
not be a biological grandmother, but someday soon she will be a
spiritual grandmother to thousands!”
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Association of Marian Helpers
Marian Fathers launch new service on Marian.org
W
BY ELLEN MILLER
e are excited to offer a new
service on our website for
planned giving that provides
interactive tools to help you maximize
the benefit of your gift and plan your estate
with care, working at your own pace. This
series of web pages also gives you information and news on planned giving and
directs you to resources if you want to
explore your options further.
So whether you are updating your will
or considering a gift to support the Marian
Fathers in some aspect of their ministry,
please visit marian.org/plannedgiving
soon. Then feel free to contact me to
discuss any thoughts or ideas you have
involving your estate planning or making
a special gift to the Marians.
To pique your curiosity, here’s a brief
overview of what you will find:
Planning Tools: Guidance and
Documentation. This section is the heart
of the site where you can explore and compare your options. “Design Your Gifts for
Maximum Benefit,” for instance, is an
interactive tool for matching your goals to
a particular type of gift. It is complemented
by “Chart Your Path,” which provides more
detail on various aspects of gift planning,
including the tax consequences, method of
transfer, and valuation of your gift.
“Estate Planning Lessons” offers five different lessons, each with an interactive quiz.
l Lesson One: “Your Estate Planning
Scorecard” introduces the subject of estate
planning and helps you “score” the
effectiveness of your current plans. The
exercise illustrates which of your planning
areas may need improvement, and the
readings offer ideas and strategies.
l Lesson Two: “Planning a Thoughtful
Will” contains a wealth of information on
making and revising wills. It includes
When you visit the Marians’ latest webpage, marian.org/plannedgiving, you can explore all the
different interactive tools that will help you plan your estate or make a special gift to the Marians.
helpful ideas on choosing your executor
(personal representative) and ensuring that
special people receive particular items
from your estate.
l Lesson Three: “Avoid Estate
Shrinkage” discusses the challenges that
estate settlement costs pose — especially
for those who face state or federal estate
taxes. You can do a rough calculation to
determine whether your estate will be
eroded by “death taxes” and then consider
some ideas for reducing or eliminating
such a tax.
l Lesson Four: “Trusts for Family
Security” explores how trusts can be adapted
to a variety of modern planning needs,
including avoidance of probate, help during
disability, reduction of taxes, and assistance
for worthwhile organizations — all while
preserving family security.
l Lesson Five: “Leaving Your Mark on
Tomorrow” discusses ways that thoughtful
people have included worthwhile organizations in their estate plans, to their
immense satisfaction and the great benefit
of posterity. Many of these ideas can save
considerable taxes for your estate.
Under News and Information, new
“Personal Planning Ideas” will be added
each month. You can also sign up to
receive them by email. One of the articles
in April was “What Lessons You Can
Learn from Your Tax Return.” This and
other articles will be kept on the site for
six months, so you have time to read them
at your convenience.
Under Resources and Direction, you will
have quick access to the current issue of the
Helping newsletter, e-brochures on many
planned giving topics, our contact information, and a place to type your questions.
Of course, I always encourage you to
contact me directly by phone, email, or
mail as well.
So enjoy exploring the new webpage at
marian.org/plannedgiving, and please let
me know what you think of it.
Ellen Miller is Fr. Joseph’s director for
Special Gifts. You can reach her at
[email protected] or 413-298-1380.
For more information or to create a
memorial or tribute at any of the shrines
on Eden Hill, go online to
MemorialsOnEdenHill.org
or call 1-800-462-7426, ext. 5.
Helping • Summer 2015
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Association of Marian Helpers
Special thanks
to all who have made recent gifts for a memorial or tribute on Eden Hill.
Mrs. Margaret Agreen
Ms. Bernette Albert
Mr. & Mrs. Ronald A. Andreano
Mr. Edward Baldyga
Mr. George Becker
Michael Benkert
Daniel Brandi
Ms. Barbara Ann Breaux
Mrs. Kay Brooks
Juan & Arlene Carvajal
Marsha Casey
Mrs. Josey Clay
Mr. John H. Connors
Dr. & Mrs. Bret Coughlin
Mrs. Mary J. Cranny
Mrs. Rita Dady
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Densmore
Mr. & Mrs. John DeStefano
Mr. & Mrs. Donald DeYoung
Dr. Joanne Dupue
DEACON
Mr. John Fantine, Jr.
Alice Fretwell
Lorraine Gentry
Dr. Joseph R. Godzik
Mr. Peter Grant
Mr. Ed Heslin
Mr. Mark Hodsen
Mrs. Suad Husaynu
Mr. Earl Kalkbrenner
Mrs. Florence Kaszewski
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Keefe
Cheryl Kempinski
Genevieve Kinzer
Jen Kugler
Mr. Edmund Kulowiec
Marion Kutawski
Christie Lacy
Mrs. Linda Lopatka
France Marquez
Ellen C. Martin
Continued from page 1
to finance the ministry and vocations
of the Marian Fathers.
“Obviously, we couldn’t do anything that we do without the Marian
Helpers, without all of the volunteers,
without the seminarian benefactors,”
said Deacon Allen. “I take seriously
our call to pray every day — every
day — for all the members of the
Association of Marian Helpers and
the Confraternity of the Immaculate
Conception and all the people who
come here, all the people who ask
us for prayers. Our life is offered
for them. In a special way, when
I’m a priest, I can offer up the Mass
for all those people. Thank you to
all of them.”
In fact, Deacon Allen made it a
point on Mercy Sunday to personally
thank as many of the volunteers as
possible. “I went around to where
Mr. Donald Mayerjak
Mr. Thomas McCarthy
Mr. Frank McEvoy
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Milillo
Mr. and Mrs. Jason Miller
Dr. & Mrs. Jesus S. Montemayor
Mrs. Charlotte Morris
Mrs. Elaine Mosser
Ms. Heidi Mungcal
Izabella Nagiel-Ostaszewski
Karen O’Donnell
Mr. & Mrs. Carlos Ortiz
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Otis
Mr. & Mrs. Paul R. Pagel
Mary Panik
Mrs. Mary Christine Parris
Marie Poulard
Hermy Reyes
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Rodgers
Carol & Larry Roux
[the volunteers] were having breakfast, and where people were getting
to their posts,” he said, “just to tell
them thanks for coming — and just
to see how God’s mercy was working today in spite of all the stuff
that was going on.”
“All the stuff ” included a
remarkably muddy Eden Hill,
which forced the organizers to turn
back a number of buses, and all
the challenges faced in organizing
an event of this size.
Still, Deacon Allen said, one
could see that God’s mercy was
present and active on the Hill
that day.
“God allows us all to participate
in His mercy,” he said, “and so it’s a
blessing that we can be vessels of
His mercy.”
Visit thedivinemercy.org/ewtn
for more coverage of Divine Mercy
Sunday weekend on Eden Hill.
Printed by the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, Stockbridge, MA 01263. www.marian.org
Louise Rutherford
Cathy Savoie
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Shomilak
Mrs. Eileen Soranno
Dr. Barbara Sorvino
Maria Stork
Miss Aljorehmee Sumalpong
Mrs. Maria Szostak
Mr. Donald C. Tappe
Mrs. Kaaren Tatera
Anne Toffey
Mr. Roland H. Tremblay
Willa Veno
Deirdre Walsh
Mrs. Joanne Wilczynski
Margaret Williams
Jamie Wintringer
Penelope Wolfe
Maryann Yanko
Norma Young
Sandra Young
Three new Marian priests
for province!
God willing, the Marian Fathers’ province headquartered in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, will soon
welcome three new Marian priests into its ranks.
The ordinations are scheduled as follows:
• Deacon Jonathan Inskip, MIC, will be ordained
to the priesthood on Saturday, May 16, at Sacred
Heart Cathedral in Kamloops in British Columbia,
Canada. His first Mass will be at Sacred Heart
Cathedral on May 17.
• Deacon Thaddaeus Lancton, MIC, will be
ordained to the priesthood on May 30 at the
National Shrine of The Divine Mercy on Eden Hill
in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. His first Mass will
be on May 31 at the National Shrine.
• Deacon Allen Alexander, MIC, will be ordained
to the priesthood on Saturday, July 25, at his home
parish, St. Michael the Archangel, in Muskegon,
Michigan. His first Mass will be Sunday, July 26,
also at St. Michael Parish in Muskegon.
© 2015 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. 06980072