July | August 2021
Pope: Pray for Haiti and Afghanistan
Kathleen N. Hattrup, reprinted from ALETEIA

Pope Francis called the faithful to pray for two countries in crisis, Afghanistan and Haiti. The Holy Father asked for this, and led the faithful in prayer, after the midday Angelus on August 15. He calls on the God of Peace for Afghanistan, and entrusts the earthquake victims of Haiti to the Madonna.  
Mary of Late Summer
by Fr. Dennis Kriz, OSM,
National Assistant to the Order of Secular Servants of Mary
While August and September are considered liturgically to be “Ordinary Time,” this time of year offers us Servites much occasion for reflection.
 First there is an Octave of Celebration in August beginning with the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Aug 15) and ending with her Coronation as Queen of Heaven (Aug 22) eight days later, when we recall Mary being lifted up at the end of her life to the glorified place given to her by God in Heaven, understanding that what happens to Mary, faithful handmaid of the Lord, Jesus’ Mother and his first and most perfect Disciple, is promised to all of us as well. 
 Then on August 23rd we celebrate the Feast of St. Philip Benizi, who in the early decades of the Order as its Prior General had served as its preeminent defender and propagator and who in fact passed from this life on the Feast of the Coronation of Mary, Aug 22, 1285.
 A few days later, on August 28th, we celebrate the Feast of St. Augustine, whose Rule the Servite Friars and Sisters follow (as do most of the mendicant orders). 
 Then on September 8th, we celebrate another Octave dedicated to Mary, beginning with the Feast of the Birth of Mary and ending eight days later on September 15th with the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.  In this Octave in September we recall both Mary’s birth, certainly a happy occasion, and then her role in the redemptive act of her Son which involved a great deal of sadness and suffering.
 So if this may seem a “slow” time of year for the Church, it is clearly a time for both much celebration and reflection for us Servites. May God bless you all.
Relief for Haiti
Father Magloire in Haiti reports that after the earthquake and its aftershocks came Tropical Storm Grace with flooding and mudslides. The latest information from Father is that the school has been flooded and many of the banana plants on the property have fallen. So, there will be lots of work and clearing to prepare for the eventual beginning of the new school year.
 With the flooding, and as a result of the earthquake and aftershocks, some of the school children, staff members and Secular Servites have either lost their homes or suffered from damage or flooding.  
 We can hope to provide some relief to them. The best and most direct way to help is to send funds. So, any donation that anyone wishes to make for HAITI RELIEF will be greatly appreciated and we the funds can then be wired directly to Father Magloire for proper distribution to provide some relief and assistance to our sisters and brothers in need.
 
Checks can be made to:
SECULAR ORDER SERVANTS OF MARY
And mailed to:  
Kate Steimel
OSM Provincial Center
3121 W. Jackson Blvd
Chicago IL 60612-2729
 
Needless to say, let us continue to pray for all who have lost their lives in this disaster and for those who have suffered injuries or any losses. May the Lord have mercy and assist them in their need. Amen.
On-Going Formation
On-Going Formation is in its ninth month. There are faithful groups in both our English and Spanish sessions and only two more sessions remain this year. It is scheduled to wrap up on October 16th. Each session has been documented and a video resource has been saved on the OSSM website for future viewing or listening. The online audio/video resources will be updated with any related document resources to provide easy access for communities to use in their local on-going formation. Initial and On-Going Formation Resources
At the end of this learning endeavor, the OSSM individuals who have completed all the courses will receive a certificate of accomplishment and could then be considered a credible resource for outreach and formation online and in our local communities.
It took courage, for all who participated, to say “yes” to this new experience and especially during a pandemic. It was a new way to come together across many long and difficult distances. We learned we could still be together, to learn, to share and to pray.
Excerpt from Rule of Life #2: From the fiat of the lowly servant of the Lord, they have learned to receive the Word of God and to be attentive to the promptings of the Spirit.
Finally, we are very grateful to all the presenters. For some it was easier than others to step into the role of teacher. But all experienced a new way of teaching, in a virtual classroom session. They said “yes,” prepared content and materials, and sacrificed their time to be with us from across the USA and Mexico. Unfortunately, there are no funds to stipend our instructors so if you are able to make a contribution to reward their efforts please do so here. In the comment section please tag your donation for “On-going Formation Presenters.” Donations
The next online formation is scheduled for September 18th, see you there.

Promise Ceremony: Mary, Mother of the Church Community, Sarasota Florida
by Carmen M. Rodrigues, OSSM
This was taken when our community made the promise on May 31, 2020, the pandemic had just started and the churches were closed. But by a miracle of God, it opened that month for them to make their promise to Mary.
This picture was taken August 8, 2021, when we actually got to have the celebration. So in spite of the pandemic, we were able to go forward.
So Who is UNIFAS, Exactly?
Pronounced many ways, it is the Italian acronym for the International Union of the Servite Family. In Italian, it is probably: UNion Inter-national FAmily of Servites. But regardless of how you say those six letters, it means you are talking about the Servite family.
The chart shows that lay members far outnumber friars and sisters.
Friars are perhaps the most well known of all the expressions. The Friars in the United States are all members of one community or province. Friars are ordained priests and non-ordained brothers.
The Ladysmith Sisters are a diocesan congregation and not connected to any Servite congregation in Europe. They were founded in 1912 in Ladysmith, WI to teach in a parish school started by Servite friars who started Our Lady of Sorrows parish in that logging town. Over the years, the congregation worked with friars at parishes in the Chicago area. Ladysmith Servites worked at many small parishes in rural northern Wisconsin as well as in St. Paul, MN and Cartaret, New Jersey. The sisters also trained in nursing and lab tech, they worked at two hospitals in WisconsinI and Addolorata Villa in Wheeling, IL.

Servants of Mary, Faith Resources
This video, Chapter Two and the fifth in the series on the Legenda of the Servants of Mary continues to explore the origins of the Order. It identifies St. Philip Benizi as not only a great saint of the Order but also as having shared his birth year with the establishment of the Order. In twelve short minutes, it reveals through beautiful music and stunning artwork the origins of our Order, uniquely dedicated to Our Lady.

The next issue will feature Chapter Three, part 6 of the 20-part series. Videos range from 10-20 minutes each. Enjoy!