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Congregation of the
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Publisher: Very Reverend Norman B. Pelletier, SSS: (440) 442-6311
Editor: Mrs. Jill Mayock (440) 442-6311
Provincial's ColumnWar and rumors of war! Thus the current media fills our daily newspapers and
evening television newscasts with an unending refrain about the seeming inevitability
of armed conflict with Iraq. We get so caught up in the media coverage of the
preparations for war that it practically becomes an all-consuming obsession.
Sometimes we forget, if even for a very brief moment, that bloodshed and violent
struggle are already daily occurrences for many people in other areas of the
world such as Kenya, Palestine, Kashmir, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Columbia, and others.
We are surrounded by cries of war so deafening that we must ask who listens
to the cries of the poor?
During this liturgical time of Advent, the prophet Isaiah tells us to “cry
out at the top of your voice . . . fear not, cry out and say to the cities .
. . ‘Here is your God!’ ” The prophet continues: “In
the desert prepare the way of the Lord. Make way in the desert a highway for
our God . . . A voice says, ‘Cry.’ And I say, ‘What shall
I cry?’ ” “ ‘Comfort, give comfort to my people,’
says your God.” This message is repeated again in Psalm 85. “I will
hear what the Lord proclaims; He proclaims peace to his people and salvation
to those who fear him . . . Justice shall walk before Him and peace will tread
along his path.”
As Christians we cannot ignore the fact that Advent is a time of preparation
for the coming of the Prince of Peace. Jesus was born in Palestine and his mother
gave birth in a shelter because there was simply no place for them. Shortly
afterwards, they became undocumented immigrants in Egypt. When they returned,
their land was still occupied.
During this Christmas season may our meditations on the Scriptures provided
by the Church’s liturgical readings help to deepen our understanding of
the meaning of the gift of the Incarnation; of how God is present to our world
and how God continues, through his people, to cry out for peace on our fragile
planet and for comfort for his people. Let us, at Christmas, be able to “sing
joyfully to the Lord . . . and break into song” for God “has revealed
his justice, and has remembered his kindness and shown his faithfulness.”
May the Spirit of the Lord be upon you, because he has anointed you to bring
glad tidings to the poor! And we are all poor before God.
DECEMBER
01 1920 Rev. François Jean
01 1982 Rev. Joseph Lamontagne
02 1999 Rev. Patrick Fenton
04 1981 Rev. Adolphe Bilodeau
06 1981 Br. Joseph Morin
16 1986 Rev. Raymond Robitaille
17 1963 Rev. Henri Lachance
17 1981 Rev. Raymond Fleurant
20 1960 Br. Placide Morel
21 1989 Rev. Arthur Godin
22 1949 Br. Alphonse Bonneau
22 1953 Rev. George Légère
22 1995 Rev. John Paul Choquette
23 1992 Rev. Lionel Vashon
24 1995 Br. Victor Coté
26 1912 Rev. Louis Estevenon
28 1993 Rev. Charles Charest
JANUARY
04 1990 Rev. James Feeley
06 1975 Rev. Raymond Tartre
08 1988 Rev. Clarence Loch
10 1917 Br. Télèsphore Roy
10 2000 Br. Fernand Duquette
11 1991 Rev. Joseph Ouellette
13 1961 Rev. Hervé Huot
13 1990 Rev. Gerald Dorais
16 1991 Rev. Hector Lemieux
18 1970 Br. Marie-Louis Girard
23 1955 Rev. Alphonse Pelletier
FEBRUARY
01 1954 Br. Ely Gingras
01 1987 Br. Paschal Frazer
07 1933 Br. Pacific Roy
12 1969 Br. Alphonse Caron
17 1991 Rev. William LaVerdiere
18 1985 Br. Philip DuFour
21 1914 Rev. Louis Pilon
23 1925 Rev. Josaphat Beaudry
24 1984 Br. Paschal Dwyer
27 1942 Rev. Leo Shaienks
27 1984 Rev. Robert Baldoni
27 1999 Rev. William O’Halloran
DECEMBER
10 1977 Rev. James Hayes
15 1973 Rev. Michael Arkins
19 1964 Rev. Thomas Fitzgerald
20 1969 Rev. John Keenan
22 1956 Rev. Joseph Roy
JANUARY
24 1998 Rev. Scott Haig
FEBRUARY
11 1978 Deacon Joseph Bourgeois
DECEMBER
21 1980 Rev. Joseph Thai Tran
JANUARY
No professions this month
FEBRUARY
08 1959 Rev. Ralph Roberts
11 1964 Br. Gary LaVerdiere
11 1966 Rev. William Fickel
27 1954 Br. Edward Kowalski
We wish all of our Associates and their families a safe and enjoyable summer.
Remember to send in your reports of local activities by the 25th of the month
in order to be included in the Province Newsletter.
Cleveland Associates—
The Cleveland Associates group met at the Provincialate on Thursday, December
6.
The evening’s focus was a viewing part 3 of the video, Why We Go to Mass,
The Liturgy and Our Lives. This videotape features noted lecturer Rev. J-Glenn
Murray, S.J., who “shows viewers the dynamic celebration that is our Catholic
liturgy.”
The Associates will meet again in early January.
Last night I took a journey
To a land across the seas.
I didn’t go by ship or plane
I traveled on my knees.
I saw so many people there
In bondage to their sin,
And Jesus told me I should go,
That there were souls to win.
But I said, “Jesus, I can’t go
To lands across the seas.”
He answered quickly, “Yes, you can
By traveling on your knees.”
He said, “You pray; I’ll meet the need.
You call, and I will hear.
It’s up to you to be concerned
For lost souls far and near.”
And so I did; knelt in prayer,
Gave up some hours of ease,
And with the Savior by my side,
I traveled on my knees.
As I prayed on, I saw souls saved
And twisted persons healed,
I saw God’s workers’ strength renewed
While laboring in the field.
I said, “Yes, Lord, I’ll take the job.
Your heart I want to please.
I’ll heed your call and swiftly go
By traveling on my knees.”
--Author Unknown
All of us in Bethany Center wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
DECEMBER
25 1935 Rev. Joachim Viet-Chau
27 1921 Br. Edmund Hardy
29 1937 Rev. Thomas Fitzgerald
JANUARY
04 1931 Rev. Joseph Roy
08 1933 Rev. Timothy Mangan
12 1921 Br. Thomas Flanagan
13 1932 Rev. Dennis Ruane
18 1930 Rev. Robert Lussier
26 1950 Rev. Robert Rousseau
31 1950 Rev. Anthony Schueller
FEBRUARY
05 1925 Rev. Peter Cops
11 1950 Rev. Robert Stark
14 1928 Rev. Andrew Beaudoin
27 1928 Rev. George Evans
by Fr. Thomas Wiese, S.S.S.
Houston, TX
I thought that you might be interested in our recent trip to the Gaza Strip,
so I share with you this excerpt from my daily sabbatical diary.
On Sunday, October 20, 2002, we got off to an early start on our trip to the
Gaza Strip, part of the Occupied Territories along the southern coast of Israel.
Dan Simmons and Allen and Holly from World Vision Jerusalem (an international
network of Christian humanitarian agencies working in over 90 countries and
five continents) picked us up at 6:30 a.m. and we set off in three cars for
Gaza. The trip took us a little under two hours and we arrived at the checkpoint
between Israel and Gaza at 8:30 a.m. The weather was in stark contrast to the
cooler, drying Jerusalem weather. We thought we had arrived in plenty of time
to attend the Roman Catholic Mass at Holy Family Church in Gaza around 9:00
a.m. The pastor, Fr. Manuel Mussalem, assured us that he would postpone the
time of the Mass until 9:30 a.m. to accommodate us.
At our arrival, the checkpoint looked deserted except for three ambulances.
After checking with the soldiers, Dan learned that we would have to wait for
a while. After further inquiry, he was told that there was a problem since a
man had just died of a heart attack and there were all of the formalities and
certifications to go through. Later, we learned that the man was being taken
to the hospital in Israel and had had a heart attack and died at this crossing.
Along with us, waiting to cross were two buses of Muslims from India who were
going into Gaza to visit the shrine of a family member of Mohammed. One by one,
the ambulances moved, the corpse of the man who died was loaded into a Palestinian
ambulance and turned around for its journey back to Gaza City. Finally, we were
all called into the checkpoint station to have our passports examined. I would
have thought that this could have been facilitated since we had already waited
a considerable amount of time. The army officials at the checkpoint, however,
were in no hurry. It took them about a half an hour to complete whatever they
had to do, and we continued to walk through the checkpoint to the Gaza side
at 10:05 a.m. At this point, we met Yasser who is the local director for World
Vision in Gaza and a devout muslin. Yasser was to be our guide throughout the
day and his first words to us were, “We are a people who love peace.”
We arrived at Holy Family Church just as Holy Communion was being distributed
and the congregation was singing a moving hymn in Arabic—it was 10:30
a.m.! Later, we found out that Fr. Manuel (called Abuna Manuel in Arabic) had
continued to postpone the time of the Mass in hopes that we would arrive in
time to join the community. There are a total of 200 Catholics in all of Gaza
which has a population of 1,200,000 people (the total number of Christians in
Gaza is 3,500 which means that Christians are .03% of the total population).
The people were so happy to see other Christians who came from far off lands.
Abuna Manuel was an older man who was very large and walked with difficulty.
He gave Holy Communion seated on a chair in front of the altar. After Holy Communion,
he came over to where we were seated and addressed us in very good English.
He welcomed us in the name of his parish community and in the name of the people
of Gaza. He told us how the children were praying throughout the week for our
safe arrival and pleasant stay in their city. He then invited us to sing a song
in English for the congregation. Together we sang “Amazing Grace”
after which the whole congregation applauded. We were then invited to have coffee
with the people in the church courtyard. On our way out of the church, a middle-aged
lady accosted a few of us and said that she had a message that she wanted us
to bring back to our president, Mr. George Bush. She pleaded, “Please
tell him that you are destroying us—we have no jobs, we have no freedom,
we have no life!” We had a little time to speak with those who had attended
the Mass, many of whom were young adults. (The population of Gaza and the West
Bank in general is very young.) All were happy to use their limited English
to make us feel welcome into their community.
At 11:00 a.m., we proceeded with our visit of Gaza, driving along the Mediterranean
coast and witnessing the agricultural fields that had been bulldozed by the
Israelis in the name of security and the houses that had been shelled and bulldozed
for whatever reason. We saw in the distance Jabalia refugee camp which is the
largest in Gaza, and continued on to the Nusseirat refugee camp which today
is home to 86,000 people living in different states of poverty. 90% of the people
of Gaza used to cross the border daily and work in Israel for wages much below
what an Israeli citizen would be paid (less that _ of what an Israeli would
receive), but since the beginning of the Al Aqsa Intifada in September 2000,
the crossing of the border for reasons of work has been severely limited, although
not stopped completely. We drove through the camp and arrived at a school that
is supported by World Vision—a school for deaf children and those who
suffer from cerebral palsy. The facility was clean and well-divided into classrooms
each having its own teacher. The classes were small in order to give each child
individual attention. The goal of the school is to be able to eventually integrate
these children into normal society with normal children. We visited various
classes and observed the beaming smiles of these beautiful children. Yasser
continued to refer to them as “God’s happy children” and from
what we could see, they surely were. Yasser explained that when this project
began over 20 years ago that efforts made had to be made to identify children
who were deaf or suffering from cerebral palsy since parents were ashamed to
bring their children forth because of their disability. Today, things have changed
so radically that parents line up at the door to have their children receive
the necessary care and education that the school offers. Since the war in 1967,
the United Nations has also been involved in relief efforts through their agency
(UNRWA).
Next, we visited a factory where the older deaf children are being taught how
to make wicker furniture which can then be sold to provide funds for the school.
Unfortunately, because of the present situation between Israel and Gaza, no
markets outside of Gaza can be explored since no materials can pass over the
border. The people in Gaza are of quite modest means and therefore not much
of this furniture can be sold locally. So, in some sense this project is not
realizing the possibilities that it has. We did note, however, that the young
people learning how to make the furniture were very proud of their newly-acquired
skills and happy to show them off to us.
We returned to the Catholic parish after these visits for our typical Gazan
lunch. They cook rice, meat, nuts, and many exotic spices in large clay jars—it
was wonderful and all of us enjoyed eating this with fresh yogurt. After the
meal, Fr. Manuel took the occasion to speak to us at length about the situation
in Gaza, especially the religious situation. He emphasized over and over again
that fundamentalism in Gaza is not directed against Christians, but rather against
the occupation and the occupying forces. He assured us that Christians and Muslims
work together. He feels that they are brothers and sisters and live in an amicable
way. He spoke of the many Muslims that came to him for advice, seeking counsel
in their personal lives. Even though he is Catholic, he is well-respected among
the Muslim population. Yasser followed up with the phrase, “We are brothers
and sisters, Christians and Muslims, because we suffer together!”
After lunch, our stop was at the Palestinian Center for Human Rights and we
were given an orientation to the work of the center by Jabr M. Wishah, vice
director. He spoke of the efforts of the center to document and publicize the
violations of human rights on both sides, Palestinian as well as Israeli. He
shared with us much of their printed material to help us further understand
the situation particularly in Gaza. Mr. Wishah said that recently the situation
in Gaza has deteriorated and is worse because of the uncertainty for tomorrow
for ordinary people. He emphasized that the big obstacle to peace in Gaza was
the ‘occupation’ by the Israelis. It is the occupation, he felt,
which is the main reason for corruption and violence. If the occupation is ended
and the whole push to establish Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza
is brought to an end, peace is them possible. He underlined that if the occupation
does not stop, then the violence and suffering will continue on both sides of
the fence: Israeli and Palestinian. Mr. Wishah spoke of his own personal situation
of spending 15 years (5,621 days, he emphasized) in jail because of his protest
against the occupation. His parting words were, “We seek peace, we love
life—we want tranquility in our lives, we want a better future for our
children: Israeli and Palestinian.” Mr. Wishah was asked to work for the
Palestinian authority, but chose not to because he felt that he was called to
work for human rights of all peoples in Gaza. He identified the three necessary
legs for a successful state as being a free judicial system, democratic election
of officials and an atmosphere where human rights are guaranteed. He pointed
out that the Palestinians are like stubborn mules and will continue to struggle
until their human rights are guaranteed.
After this interesting briefing, we returned to our mini-bus and were taken
back to the checkpoint driving through the city of Gaza. Along the way, many
people were waving at us and smiling. Even the Palestinian police waved. We
drove through the badly deteriorated streets of Gaza—deteriorated because
of the tank traffic through the city—and shared the dusty roads with tractors
carrying harvested crops, donkey carts taking sheep to market, students brightly
dressed in colorful school uniforms (girls walking in bunches and boys together
in another group), cars, bicycles, and taxis. Life takes place in the streets
of Gaza, men sitting at the doorways of their small shops, groups of young men
standing on street corners talking and laughing together, children playing with
a simple ball or sticks and waving wildly at our bus. Amidst the evident suffering
and poverty of this city you still noticed the joy in the hearts of the people.
How much more joy would there be in they could be free to develop their own
future?
This day spent in Gaza was a gift from the Lord, made possible through the generosity
of World Vision that sponsored our trip and showed us the reality of life in
a city destroyed by the ravages of war and occupation for more than 50 years
(beginning in 1948). We felt one with our brothers and sisters—Christians
and Muslims—one in their suffering and longing to be free, one in their
striving to share the simple gifts of life which are the right of each human
being. We arrived back at the checkpoint which seemed more like a traffic jam.
There were taxis and cars and carts and people all over the place. I commented
that it was going to take us a week to get to the actual checkpoint given all
of the traffic. The police facilitated our passage through these vehicles who
were waiting to pick up fathers and brothers, mothers and sisters who had gone
for the day into Israel to try to earn enough shekels to care for their families.
The soldiers at the checkpoint were very pleasant and we spoke with them freely.
It took only about 30 minutes to re-process our papers and enter back into Israel.
We had a two hour journey back to Jerusalem and we brought with us the memories
of the many beautiful people of God that we had met in our short visit to Gaza.
Our lives were changed because of the experiences that we had had on a sunny
day in Gaza—this place that the rest of the world just thinks about as
violent and dangerous. The words of the local Christians continue to ring in
our ears—“Please pray for peace in Gaza, please pray that we can
live normal lives!”
If we didn't notice already, the weather has appeared more like April than late
November. It is very mild out as I write this article, but we know that it will
not last for very long. When we think of Christmas, most of us think of a time
of bitter cold and snow, with a brisk wind in the air.
We are all trying to get into the Christmas spirit. Yet again it is difficult
for many of us. We see the sales in the department stores and some of us have
already received “Seasons Greetings’ ” cards. Christmas is
coming, ready or not. Somehow with the continued alerts due to security, I think
that most of us will be staying closer to home this holiday season.
For most of us, Christmas is a season when we look back to earlier days. Many
of us look back perhaps to a time wherein we had a close gathering of family
and friends that was especially memorable. For many this ‘best’
is the measuring stick for all Christmases. For others, however, this may be
a time to recall the past holidays from a more difficult perspective—perhaps
we were at a point in our life away from family and had to celebrate in other
surroundings less than ideal, or perhaps we were missing a particular person
who could not be with us, or we are thinking of someone who will not be with
us this year.
Celebrations are a major part of our individual story, regardless of when or
where or how we celebrated in the past. They become the vibrant thread that
weaves itself into the fabric of our lives. They become markers within our lives
by which we measure our happiness. They shape our resolutions and form our future
hopes. If we have a good holiday, we somehow want the next year's to be even
better. If the holiday is not so good, we vow to make it better next year.
Regardless of what our life is all about, we must pay attention to the actions
of the Spirit. I always recall one situation each year around Christmas that
clearly illustrates the presence of the Spirit. Here at the Church we collect
food, clothes, and toys during the holiday season. Usually, a few days before
Christmas, the crews from Catholic Charities come and gather the bags of toys
and take them to the needy. A few years ago, however, in the days before Christmas,
we had collected two bins of toys which were placed in the center of the Sanctuary.
On that Christmas Eve, late in the afternoon, the van from Catholic Charities
came and carted off the many bags of toys. At approximately 5:30 p.m., a young
woman came to the Rectory door. She explained that she was recently employed
but she did not have enough money to buy her son and daughter any Christmas
presents. She went on to explain that she had wanted to feel like a "real
parent" to her two children ( a small boy and a girl ) that Christmas.
My heart sank, for I had just seen the last of the toys being taken away. I
also knew that the Church was closed and the lights were off. Thus, I tried
to explain to the woman but she seemed insistent that I take another look at
the bins. As I readied for the inevitable disappointment in her eyes, I brought
her into the vestibule and turned on the lights in the Sanctuary area. Both
of us were shocked by what we saw—there were two bags full of toys (with
tags for a boy and the other a girl) right in the center of the Sanctuary! I
knew that the two bags were not there minutes before. She was ecstatic and very
grateful.
What I realized later was that, just moments before the Church was closed and
the lights turned off, someone dashed across the plaza, slipped into the Church
and dropped off these bags in front of the altar. That person then mysteriously
vanished in the herd of the rush-hour commuters heading to the subway station
to get home.
The last image which I have indelibly etched in my mind is of the woman exiting
the Church into the darkness outside with both arms full with the bags of toys.
I have often since wondered, "Who was that mysterious stranger who delivered
those toys at such a moment of need?" I am forever grateful for his/her
sacred intervention on Christmas Eve here at St. Andrew's Church.
The perfect timing of this simple act of charity is a blessed reminder of the
Spirit's work in this sacred season. There is no gift too small or too late
as we share in the most consummate gift of Christ's coming. As we go about the
season's preparations, please remember to say a little prayer for me.
The grace of God has appeared, offering salvation to all. It trains us to reject
godless ways and worldly desires, and to live temperately, justly and devoutly
in this age as we await our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of the
great God and Savior Christ Jesus. It was he who sacrificed himself for us,
to redeem us from all unrighteousness and to cleanse for himself a people of
his own, eager to do what is right. (Tit 2:11-14. Second Reading, Mass at Midnight
on Christmas). St. Paul urges us to see the coming of Jesus Christ into our
lives by grace as the heart of the mystery of the Incarnation. The Son of God
became one of us. Jesus of Nazareth is the very incarnation of the Word. He
was made flesh and dwelt among us.
The graciousness of God has appeared among us. The world must experience the
love of God and share that love with other human beings. In the past year we
have become a more reflective people. While life goes on after the crisis of
security in our country, we wonder more about our lives. We are very fragile.
We are also very precious. Each human life is important. No one is nameless
or dispensable.
During the Holiday Season, especially during its preparation, we reach out to
those in need and share our prosperity and care. We want everyone to experience
great joy and happiness. We want to contribute to their joy.
Righteous Living
We want to exchange gifts and thoughtful messages, and prayers and food and
fellowship. More than sharing the material things we have, however, we need
to share ourselves, and our values, with those who have less than we do.
At Christmas we take time to be with others and for others, sharing with family
and friends. God too shares his abundance with us. God shared his Son so that
we may be free from sin and given a new birth of grace.
In the master plan of God the world is not sand blowing in the wind, a boat
tossed by the sea. Just as the macrocosm and the microcosm show infinite and
patient order, so God wills our part of his ordered plan. Prayerful reflection
and quiet contemplation enable us to discover what God’s plan is for us.
Christmas Preparation
Advent is a time of waiting, a time of expectation and preparation. It has its
own rhythm and purpose. Our culture wants to by-pass it to “get into the
Christmas spirit” by which is meant the frenzy to consume and spend. Advent
should be a spiritual time, a time to look at nature and see that amid the cold
of winter, nature is preparing a new birth and a new spring.
Having spent four short weeks in preparation for Christmas we are ready to sing
our joy and shout our faith and love for God and his marvelous ways. But Christmas
is more than caroling and making a joyful sound. It is living with God and for
him. It is living temperately, justly and devoutly in expectation of the second
coming of Jesus Christ in glory.
We have been cleansed from sin, so that we might be the church, the bride without
wrinkles, the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit. As such we are
to work at the transformation of those around us, to build God’s kingdom
and a better world. We are to bring people together in unity. We are to promote
life and love and faith.
Eucharist and Unity
The Eucharist is the transforming sign of God’s presence that bridges
time and eternity. Through our communion with the body and blood of Jesus Christ,
we are made into the body of Christ and the temple of the Spirit. We become
what we receive and help to transform the world in the Spirit through the Eucharist.
We are united in Christ with our Christian brothers and sisters. Together we
celebrate the birth of Jesus. Together we pray that through this celebration,
our faith, hope and love will be renewed and deepened. We ask to share more
deeply in the life of Jesus to the glory of the Trinity.
Last weekend, November 17, 2002, I had the opportunity to speak in a parish
in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. This city is located across the Ohio River from Cincinnati,
Ohio. The invitation to speak was arranged months ago by two active members
in the parish of St. Catherine of Siena. Terri Babey and Sharon Kohrs had read
the Ground Zero story that appeared in the last edition of the National Catholic
Register (December 2001). The topic of the talk was on the events of September
11, 2001 and the World Trade Center Towers. This was the first opportunity I
have had to speak about our experience here in the Lower Manhattan area. I spoke
of my story from Ground Zero and the process of healing that I am going through.
The talk was held in the local Church and started at about 7 p.m. and lasted
till 10 p.m. The focus of the story was how God had spared my life. In many
ways, I also detailed how at each step of the way through the weeks and months
at the Ground Zero morgue, in a very real and personal manner, I have realized
that I have been given a second chance. All of the three hundred in attendance
could finally put a face and attach a person to the events of Ash Tuesday. Many
were surprised to hear that there were also many, many priests at the site of
Ground Zero that day and in the weeks and months to follow. The recent crisis
in the Church has really overshadowed that fact. All in all, it was a good experience
for me to speak on such a personal matter and to find that many were still interested
in the events from a first-hand account. Each day, I am acutely aware of the
fact that I am alive and I am so thankful for that most precious gift.
I will be speaking to other varied groups and parishes in the New York City
area. In early December, I will speak at another parish, St. Stanislaus here
in Lower Manhattan. Just before Christmas, I will be the keynote speaker at
the national meeting of Counselors and Psychologists (EAPA) on Spirituality
and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Sacred Heart Parish in Salt Lake City marked the 50th anniversary of the construction
and dedication of its church building with a special Thanksgiving Vespers and
Dinner on Monday, November 25. Three members of the Taylorsville community –
Fr. Dana Pelotte, Br. David Phelan, and Fr. Anthony Schueller – attended
the evening’s festivities. Fr. Dana and Br. David served as readers during
the Vespers, and Fr. Anthony, at the request of Fr. Hernando Diaz, Sacred Heart’s
Pastor, gave the reflection.
The foundation of the parish dates to 1917, when Bp. Joseph S. Glass, the second
bishop of Salt Lake City, asked Holland-born Fr. Henry J. Wientjes to be the
Pastor of a new Catholic church at the southern extremity of the city. It was
to be called Our Divine Savior. Restricted by rather small territorial boundaries,
the parish has been challenged throughout its history to accommodate the changing
demographics of the surrounding neighborhoods. The church’s original parishioners
were very diverse: Lebanese, Italian, Irish, African-American, German, and from
various East European nations. Its first house of worship was a wood-frame building
previously used by a congregation of Swedish Baptists. With the addition of
new windows, an altar and shrines, and later a reinforced bell tower, this small
building served the parish for the next 34 years.
The year 1950 brought significant changes to Our Divine Savior Parish. Fr. William
E. Vaughan was appointed the third Pastor, construction was begun on a new church,
and the parish was renamed in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The new church
was dedicated on October 20, 1952, and cost $175,000 to build. Among it most
impressive features are stained-glass windows along the east and west walls
which tell the story of the Catholic Church in North and South America through
prominent women and men. Heraldry and other symbols in the windows illustrate
the growth and expansion of the Diocese of Salt Lake City.
In 1981, Bp. William K. Weigand invited the Blessed Sacrament Fathers and Brothers
to come to Salt Lake City to establish a Eucharistic center at Sacred Heart.
The members of the founding community were Fr. Henry Dery, Br. Raymond Lussier,
Fr. Walter A. Riendeau, Fr. Frederick Roberge, and Fr. Dominic Thuan Phuc Nguyen.
The community also served St. Paul’s Chapel and The Paraclete Gift Shop
on Main Street in downtown Salt Lake City.
Bp. Weigand’s hope had been that the new Eucharistic center would attract
worshipers from throughout Greater Salt Lake City. This happened to some degree,
but the truly unexpected development was the growth of outreach ministries to
newly-arrived Vietnamese and Hispanics. Soon, Sacred Heart was again home to
thriving immigrant communities, as it had in the past.
In 1992, the Congregation returned the parish to Diocesan administration, realizing
that the local church had greater resources and personnel to meet the needs
of Spanish-speaking peoples, and moved to St. Martin de Porres Parish in suburban
Taylorsville.
We are proud to be a small part of the history of this parish, where we first
ministered on our arrival in Utah.
Fr. Robert Pittman, S.S.S., from the Body of Christ Messenger, the publication of the Body of Christ Community, dated November 2002, writes . . .
Last month, I shared with you, my friends, the suffering of this ministry. At
the time, the problem was the great harvest with so few laborers. I expressed
the hope that by greater collaboration with St. Peter’s, our parish church,
we would reach more children and help them get to Mass and classes at St. Peter’s
on Sundays, in addition to work and prayers they do here on Friday evenings.
The director of family and youth ministry programs at St. Peter’s is very
interested in helping these youth. She wrote to the parents of 100 children
whom we have served here in the past three years. One couple was able to come
back. This means so much to the children. We also have another volunteer from
St. Peter’s, and someone from St. Joseph’s in Pomfret hopes to volunteer
here on Fridays as a regular commitment as soon as she is healed of an injury
and she can travel. We pray for her rapid recovery and look forward to when
she will be with us.
In the past month, I had the opportunity to speak about our ministry to children
who are descendants of Roman Catholic families that need our special help to
be properly instructed in the Catholic Church in several parishes: one here
in southern Maryland and three in western Pennsylvania. People are showing much
interest in this ministry.
Plans are going ahead for getting two S.S.S. brothers from Brazil here to help
for three months. In my missionary travels, I am greatly edified by the faith
of so many people. They come to Mass every Sunday and share the good news of
the Gospel and receive Holy Communion. All of these good people want to help
the neglected children by their prayers and offerings. I feel very upbeat about
our ministry, and I will keep you, our friends, well informed. In the meantime,
we will keep you and your loved ones in our prayers.
Fr. Donald Fuller, a former member of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
entered into his eternal rest on Monday, November 25, 2002. He was a much-loved
priest, who enjoyed his vocation and the people whom he served.
Fr. Fuller was very giving of himself and his time throughout his priesthood.
He was much sought after for counseling because people were so comfortable with
him, and he kept his stole in close proximity so that he could hear confessions.
Always a vocation director at heart, his relationship and conversations with
high school students frequently centered on religious vocations. Story after
story about his life centers on his love for his church family and his great
desire to live his vocation until the very end of his life. He truly lived his
life as he thought Christ wanted him to.
Fr. Fuller was born in Gardner, Massachusetts and was ordained on September
20, 1958 as a Blessed Sacrament Father in Cleveland, Ohio. He served as Vocation
Director for the Congregation in Waupaca, Wisconsin, then became associate pastor
and superior at Notre Dame Church in Chicago, and was then named rector and
superior of the Blessed Sacrament Seminary in Waupaca. When the seminary closed,
he received permission from the Green Bay Diocese to work there, and became
incardinated in that diocese in July 1974. Further assignments include Associate
Pastor of Holy Name Parish, Kimberly; Pastor of St. Aloysius Parish, Kaukauna;
Pastor of St. Jude Parish, Green Bay; and Pastor of Holy Angels Parish, Darboy.
Fr. Fuller retired from active ministry on February 29, 2000, and resided in
Appleton, WI., until his death.
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©2002 Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament 5384 Wilson Mills Road Highland Heights, Ohio USA 44143-3092 (440) 442-6311 email: jtlanesss@blessedsacrament.com |