January 17, 2019
From Fr. Oscar Vasquez
Dear Brothers,


Safety of our Brothers in Eastern Africa

I have been in contact with Fr. Gabriel Kirangah the regional superior for our Brothers in Eastern Africa.  I checked with him regarding the recent bombings in Nairobi. Fr. Gabriel reports that all are safe! No reports of injuries to our faculty, staff or students. Let’s pray for an end to the violence and hatred in our world. 

Visit to the District of India 

Bro. Bernie Ploeger and I completed our visit to the District of India this past Monday, January 14. We are both so thankful for the opportunity to visit and to experience the district. 


Perpetual Profession

We are waiting to receive the pictures of the Perpetual Profession in India. As soon as they arrive, we will make them available. It was a wonderful celebration!  

This Coming Week

  • January 16 - 18, UD board meeting
  • January 21 - 22, Provincial Council meeting, Dayton 
  • January 23 - 25, Los Angeles, Mass at Chaminade West Hills and visit the community. 
From Fr. Tim Kenney
Dear Brothers,

On the Road! 

From January 15-26, I will be on the road:

  • Visiting our community on Governor’s Island in Ohio: We will be beginning the planning for our summer retreat.
  • Visiting the novitiate: I will have meetings with Bro. Jack Ventura and Matt Dunn. We will be planning meetings for our Province summer retreats and I will be catching up on all of the happenings at the Marianist Center for Lay Formation.
  • Visitation to the DeSales Community and Saint Francis DeSales Parish
  • Celebrating our Founder’s Mass at Central Catholic High School in San Antonio
From Bro. Jesse O'Neill
Dear Brothers,

What’ Happening

Heading to Ohio this upcoming week for the following meetings:

  • January 20 - meet with Savio Franco- Leadership Development Program
  • January 21 & 22 – Provincial Council Meetings
  • January 23 – visit to Purcell Marian High School and NACMS
  • January 24 – visit to Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School
A Story of Hope and Joy 

“Go your way…send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be worried, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and your stronghold.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

Submitted by Robin McKenna , director of the Marianist Urban Students Program (MUSP) at St. Mary’s High School in St. Louis, Missouri.

Hope and joy are the two words that describe the Marianist Urban Student Program at St. Mary’s High School in St. Louis, MO. There are 16 boys in the program. The boys and I were having a meeting when someone said to me, "Thank you so much Ms. McKenna for the sweatshirt we received. I wanted to see if you had any extras for some of the kids who do not have enough money to buy one." So we all put our heads together and the boys decided to use their own tutoring money to buy 16 extra sweatshirts to give out to the kids in need for Christmas. They each wrapped and gave out the sweatshirts. These boys are giving hope and joy to others in need. I could go on and on about how wonderful these boys are. They bring hope and joy to my life each day I walk through the doors. We are so lucky to have this program and the support for others. 
Robin is pictured above with MUSP scholars as they prepared to wrap sweatshirts purchased with their own tutoring money. 
Office of Vocation Ministry - Bro. Mark Motz
Dear Brothers,

Antonian High School Visit

I was able to speak to all of the juniors at Antonian High School in San Antonio. I am always happy to speak to classes because there is such a wide variety of questions—I learn from the high school students as much as they might learn from me.  


Annual Contact Retreat

The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas always seems to pass quickly. So, I took less speaking engagements and focused on preparing for the annual contact retreat.  

On this year’s contact retreat, 4 young women and 6 young men were able join us. We had a different retreat style this year where all the contacts read two chapters from Missionary Oblate Fr. Ron Rolheiser’s new book Wrestling with God. Our retreat team responded to questions and reactions from the contacts. We began with a panel of Sr. Nicole Trahan, Bro. Tom Oles, Bro. Dave Murphy and myself. Then Frs. Ken Templin and Jim Heft used those questions as a starting point for the rest of the retreat. Thank you to the West Hills Community and Bro. Tom Oles for their wonderful support on this retreat. Thank you also to the many people who offered prayers and words of support for this retreat. Our contacts were most grateful.  
We wanted to share a few quotes from retreat evaluation from the contacts: 

  • “The sense of community is unique and one of the most attractive things about the order - the ability to sense the presence of God through others.”
  • “Hearing other retreatants' stories and discernment journeys gave new insight and context to my own, and I feel that I can continue moving forward with more clarity of mind.”
  • “I was aching for this kind of time -- I haven't done a good job making intentional space for discernment, prayer, and silence over the past couple months, so I really appreciated simply the guidance and intentionality throughout the weekend.”
  • “I think the most noticeable things that came from this weekend were: 1.) continuing to build community among the Marianists, which is incredibly helpful when picturing a future there, and 2.) a more renewed energy & commitment to focus on discernment than I've felt in years.”
  • “As I continue to journey with you, I continue to feel progressively more at home with you and your charism. Thank you.”
  • “...any Marianist function I go to helps me deepen a sense of belonging and build community through relationships, which is, I think, a vital part of the process”
  • "It is inspiring to see how generous the Marianists are to us who have expressed interest in them.“
  • “Thank you to all who paid for, planned and delivered this retreat. It was a gift.”
  • “Thank you so much for putting this on! I really appreciate the time, energy, and resources provided for us to try to help us along our discernment.”
  • “A beautiful experience of journeying, sharing and community.”
  • "This retreat helped me to see Marianist religious vocation is a way of living that is fulfilled through communal support and relationship with God and I am deeply attracted to the mission and charism of the Marianist religious life.”

Life Awareness Retreat 

On January 11-13, I represented the Marianists at the Life Awareness Retreat which is sponsored by the Archdiocese of San Antonio and several religious congregations. There were 22 young people aged 18-35.  
Birthdays
Please pray for our brothers who are celebrating their birthdays

January 17: Michael Nartker
January 18: Steven O’Neil
January 20: Sebastien Abalodo (TO)
January 22: Thomas Wendorf
January 23: Harry Cornell
January 24: Robert H. Hughes
On the Calendar
January 21: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 22: Blessed Chaminade Day
January 21 - 22: Provincial Council meeting, Dayton
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