Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament

International Priest Appeal 2025

Sunday, May 11, 2025

Fourth Sunday of Easter – Good Shepherd – Vocation Sunday

Mother’s Day

Dear Friends:

Grace and peace to you in the joy of this Easter Time! I hope that this letter finds you well and in good health. We pray for this in your life.

Each year we come to you for assistance with our ministry and service of our parishes and institutions. We are so grateful for how you have supported us over the years, but especially recently with our International Religious Appeal. YOU HAVE BROUGHT men from around the Blessed Sacrament family to serve in our parishes, as hospital chaplains, and support the mission of the Province of Saint Ann. THANK YOU! In the picture to the left, you see the men I am blessed to live with and work together in the Diocese of Cleveland:

• (Left of me) Fr Louis Demba-Ndione, SSS from Senegal, serving as parochial vicar, Saint Paschal Baylon, Highland Heights, OH
• (in front of me) Fr Rosario Pushparaj, SSS from India, serving as a parochial vicar in two parishes in nearby Lake County.
• (Right of me) Fr Joseph Kiet (JK) Nguyen, SSS from Vietnam, serving as a hospital chaplain nearby at a Cleveland Clinic Hospital.
• We also have Fr Choy Ramos, SSS from the Philippines living with us.

In the coming weeks, we will look forward to others coming to serve in San Antonio Texas:

• Fr Arul Tharcius, SSS (India) as pastor Downtown Saint Joseph Church
• Fr Martin Hien Tran, SSS (Vietnam) as parochial vicar Cathedral of San Fernando (picture below)
• Fr Anthony Trang Pham, SSS (Vietnam) as parochial vicar at a nearby parish in San Antonio from our River Walk rectory – TBD soon!

They will be joining our other men that you have helped come to the USA:

• Fr Dominic Long, SSS (Vietnam), pastor Saint Vincent de Paul, Holiday, FL
• Fr Joselito Hitosis, SSS (Philippines), parochial vicar Saint Vincent de Paul, Holiday, FL
• Fr Choy Ramos, SSS (Philippines), parochial vicar Saint Paschal Baylon, Highland Heights, OH
• Fr Christian Christopher, SSS (Sri Lanka), hospital chaplain, Houston, TX
• Fr Sekar, SSS (India), pastor and novice director, Corpus Christi Church, Houston, TX
• Fr Jaime Reyes, SSS (Columbia), parochial vicar, Corpus Christi Church, Houston, TX

How can you help? It’s now “extension of visa” season, meaning we are in the process of applying for the men to continue serving in the United States with homeland security, thus completing their visa process for a full 5 years. Your support, financial and prayer, help us fund these renewals with the USA government, support their regular basic everyday needs (occasionally a new computer is necessary and of course we provide a mobile phone when they arrive), their health care and other living expenses, while being in our country. They come very simply here with one suitcase and an “overhead bag.” YOU MAKE THEM FEEL AT HOME!

In our 125^th Year, it was French-Canadian international priests and brothers who were first welcomed to our current New York City parish of Eglise Saint Jean Baptiste. They brought a lot of trust and faith with the Blessed Sacrament, “the Saint Peter Julian Eymard vision,” along with the mystery of the Eucharist and all of its reality to a new church. PLEASE SPONSOR A RELIGIOUS for the next 125 years! Help them thrive in bringing the love of God in the Eucharist to others in our beloved country.

Please know that our Blessed Sacrament Community religious – at Saint Ann Shrine in the Oratory of the Blessed Sacrament and our retirement centers of Bethany Center and Regina Health Center in Richfield, OH, constantly keep you in prayer. Let us continue to pray for each other and vocations for other men to join in a vocation as a Blessed Sacrament brother, deacon or priest! Thanks again for your loving care of us –these 125 years!

In Christ our Eucharist,

Very Reverend John Thomas J. Lane, SSS

Provincial Superior

PS Folks are always curious the amounts for these visas: $4,150 for an R1 application and $2,500 for an extension.  The government fee for each application will be added at $500.00.  $ 7,650.00 per individual for 5 years.

Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (SSS)

Province of Saint Ann – 125 Years