April 2, 2020
From Fr. Oscar Vasquez
Fr. Oscar new
Dear Brothers,


Preparing for Holy Week

On behalf of the Provincial Council, I call all members of the Province (Province Communities) to spend additional time in prayer and adoration during these chaotic days. Please remember to call a family, friend and member of the Province.

Personnel

Assignment(s) are effective with the publishing of the new personnel book.

  • Bro. Jack Ventura is assigned to the Hollywood Community (Florida) with part-time ministry at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory as the Director of Mission Integration and continued assistance to the Marianist Center for Lay Formation in Philadelphia.
  • Fr. Patrick Tonry is assigned to the Alumni Hall Marianist Community with continued ministry as the Spiritual Director for the Marianist Mission.
  • Bro. Stephen Glodek has accepted the appointment as the Director of the Marianist Center for Lay Formation in Philadelphia. He will continue to live in the Philadelphia community. Thank you to Steve for taking on this additional service to the Marianist Family!

Marianist Response to the Current Situation

Did you know that Marianist ministries are continuing to work daily to pass on the faith and accompany their students/parishioners? They have been doing this by live-streaming the Mass, offering daily prayer and other creative approaches. Our teachers are teaching. At least one community (Chambers, Dayton) has been live-streaming its community Sunday Mass. To see a list of some of these options, please click here. Please let me know if we are missing any other opportunities.
Thank You

Please join me in thanking all who had a hand in walking with Fr. David Fleming in his final days. A special thank you and expression of sympathy to Fr. Dave's community, the Novitiate. Many Brothers helped deal with all of the preparations and adjustments to the funeral, thank you.

Thank you to Bro. Mark Motz for organizing the live-stream broadcast of the funeral. Because of the travel restrictions, Fr. David’s family was not able to attend but they were able to view the live-stream of the Mass. We have also been in touch with them to provide the Memorial cards, funeral program, etc. They are eager to join us for the Memorial Masses. We will schedule the Memorial Masses in Dayton and San Antonio after our world situation stabilizes.

COVID-19

Employees
  • We want to thank all our employees throughout the Province who continue to work for our various ministries, care centers and offices to keep things running smoothly. Please remember them and their families in prayer.

Ministries Adjusting
  • Last week, I shared with you that our ministries and communities are working hard at providing pastoral outreach to their members. Please click here to see the Mass opportunities online.

Communities
  • I have received information on religious communities, providing information on how to internally deal with COVID-19. Because of the importance of such information, I will send these out as a Special Notes from the Provincial Council in the next few days.

This Coming Week

  • April 2-8: St. Louis
From Fr. Tim Kenney
Fr. Tim New
Dear Brothers,


Prayers for Healing and Atonement

During Lent, as a Province, we continue as communities to be in solidarity with each other as we pray for our Church and our Province over the abuse crisis and our preparing to release names. We pray for people who have been abused whether physically, emotionally, mentally or sexually that our God of all tenderness and compassion will restore them and give them peace.

This week, I would like to present to you this Morning Prayer Service that could easily be adapted to your particular needs or even as part of Evensong.

Over the course of our Lenten Season, I have shared the following services that you may wish to use for your community prayer:

Coronavirus and Managing in a Challenging Time

Last week, I shared with you two prayers that you may use during these challenging times. This week I would like to share with you an article by Dominican Fr. Charles Bouchard titled, Spirituality for a Time of Scarcity . Fr. Bouchard spoke at our last Province Assembly in St. Louis.

I would also like to share with you a delightful video conversation that I came across between the president of one of the Jesuit high schools and one of their students, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has been a shining example of service to our nation and to our world. View the video.

Please find an interesting interview article, That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief , on the importance of naming grief from a scholar in the field, David Kessler, who wrote the book Finding Meaning the Sixth Stage of Grief.

Missionary Preaching

Deanna Snyder and I have been working on the Missionary Preaching program for this summer and trying to make some adjustments in calendaring with the (Arch)Dioceses. I was struck by Deanna reminding me that when Fr. Leo Meyer and Bro. Charles Schultz landed in New York in the summer of 1849 they experienced the cholera epidemic which was taking its toll on the population in places like Cincinnati, Ohio. Due to that pandemic crisis, when they arrived in Cincinnati, they were almost immediately assigned to minister at Emmanuel Parish in Dayton, Ohio (sixty miles northeast of Cincinnati) and care for the people suffering the effects of the epidemic.

Upcoming Calendar

  • April 2: Formation Council Zoom Meeting
  • April 8: Birthday of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade
  • April 9-12: Holy Triduum
  • April 15: Blessed Damien of Molokai
From Bro. Jesse O'Neill
Bro. Jesse New
Dear Brothers,


NACMS Responds

Submitted by George Lisjak , director of the North American Center for Marianist Studies (NACMS).

NACMS is committed to serving the Marianist Family during the current health crisis. Current programs continue, and we are adding new ones for those in the Marianist Family who have expressed a need for connection in these times of spatial separation.

Continuing Ongoing Work

  • NACMS will continue to respond to information requests via phone and email.
  • Although we have a temporary inability to fill book orders, over 200 e-publications are available for free download on the website. Editing of publications in progress remains ongoing.
  • We continue to develop familiar resources, including podcasts and community meeting kits.
  • The Spirit of Saragossa Retreat in Daily Life is accepting new participants.
  • Ongoing programs, including the Marianist History Course for Novices, the New Employee Orientation to the Charism for new province employees and MSP 2.0, continue to be delivered virtually. We are replacing the in-person MSP 2.0 session with a virtual process session where participants will receive feedback on their projects from peers and outside consultants.

New Programming in Response to the Signs of the Times

  • We have launched a virtual book discussion group. The first selection is Bro. Larry Cada’s A Short History of Marianist Spirituality, available for free download on NACMS' website.
  • We are working on a virtual version of Food for the Soul, a program treating Marianist topics with brief input and discussion.
  • We will soon begin collecting stories of Marianist responses to the health crisis for future publication.
  • We are developing a virtual version of the Marianist History Course, currently only available to novices, for the larger Marianist Family.

Find out more about these and other NACMS services on our website.
Office of JPIC - Brian Reavey
Dear Brothers,

COVID-19 Resources

As the world responds to the novel coronavirus pandemic, here are some resources to remain grounded in faith, hope and love:

  • Pax Christi USA
  • Ignatian Spirituality
  • Spiritual Direction with Fr. John Dear. Starting in Holy Week on April 6, internationally known peace activist, Fr. John Dear, will be available for a one hour phone conversation for spiritual direction with Pace e Bene friends and supporters. If you are interested, fill out this form to make a request. Pace e Bene will contact you to schedule a phone appointment with Fr. John. Pace e Bene will ask for a free will offereing for this gift.

Marianist PULSE

  • Thank You! We are very grateful to Jodi Mott who has served as PULSE's Administrative Assistant for the past three years. Jodi has been a tremendous help assisting Coordinator, Maureen O'Rourke, and our PULSE volunteers with a myriad of projects each week. Thanks for your service, commitment and faithful witness to the charism and the program. We wish you well as you spend more time with your parents and granddaughter! 
  • Part-Time Job Opportunity. There is a part-time Administrative Assistant position available for the Marianist PULSE program in Dayton. The Administrative Assistant performs general office procedures to assist the Coordinator in completing the necessary administrative tasks of their work. Learn more.
  • PULSE Applications. Marianist PULSE is still accepting applications for our 2020-21 year of service. Young adults interested in solidarity, intentional community living and full-time non-profit service experience, partnered with spiritual and professional development as servant leaders through the Marianist Charism, are strongly encouraged to apply! Click here for more information. Please continue to help spread the word throughout your networks! 

Linking Lectionary to Justice and Peace

Below you will find homily resources from CMSM members and other people of wisdom in our community for your reflection. If you are not preparing homilies, please consider sharing with your local presider.

Sunday, April 5 by Thad Crouch
Office of Vocation Ministry - Bro. Mark Motz
Dear Brothers,

March started very differently than it ended. March and April are usually my busiest travel months, and now, they are the lightest. But, don’t worry, I am keeping busy, actually - more busy! My usual response for not attending something is “I will not be in town.” However with everything moving to online, I attend meetings and events all across the world. I want to share a picture and reflection that I shared on my personal social media that may help you understand a day in the life of a Millennial Vocation Director. I also would like to share a few more items that have been and will happen in the Marianist world.

Day in the Life of a Millennial Vocation Director

"I am currently sitting outside my bedroom where I joined joined Pope Francis praying the Our Father, live streamed to our followers on the Vocations Instagram. I joined a member of my lay community for morning prayer via FaceTime. I prayed with the Taize community, and read and replied to an email from a mentor. Now I am finishing a cup of coffee and watching the sunrise. All before 7:15 am. I am thinking of it as bilocation. I am able to go from Texas, to Rome, to Connecticut to France and to Ohio in an hour. Now, inside for Mass with my community, the universal Church and the Communion of Saints. Our Church is so much bigger than the buildings. We truly are universal Church!” (Posted March 25, 2020)
March 2-6: Special thanks to the Stonemill-Kiefaber Community for hosting two UD students to live with them from March 2-6. If you are interested in hosting a live-in but need materials or advice, please email me.
March 6-8: The Ohio Regional Vocation Office hosted a local discernment retreat. Special thanks to Sr. Laura Leming, Bro. Mitch Schweickart (Regional Vocation Director) and Bro. Justin Quiroz for hosting the retreat.
Inquirers

We have been receiving more inquirers these last few weeks. I had lunch with one and socially distanced phone or video calls with three that may have some great potential. Another inquirer is discerning a vocation as an Affiliate with Bro. Jack Ventura. Please continue to pray for all those who are discerning their call.

Live Streaming Mass and Prayer

Thank you to all who are streaming Mass and Prayer. I have sent several contacts to watch your live streams.

As Fr. Oscar Vasquez, mentioned in his section, we are working on compiling a list of all liturgy or prayer experiences that are happening in the Province. Please email me if your community or ministry is offering something that we could advertise.
Birthdays
Please pray for our Brothers who are celebrating their birthdays

April 2: Thomas Farnsworth
April 3: Christophe Kolele (RDC)
April 4: Junghyeon Francisco Cho [(KO) novice], Ronald Luksic, Robert Wiethorn
April 7: Louis Mason, David Quigley
On the Calendar

April 8: Birth of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, 1761
This publication is for members of the Society of Mary. Please do not forward it. Also, please provide a printed copy for brothers who do not use email.