FR. KEVIN'S KORNER 

by Fr. Kevin Scallon, C.M.

Magnificat Central Service Team Spiritual Advisor

 

My good friend Shane O'Dougherty spent fourteen and a half years in Wormwood Scrubs (what a name for a prison), London, for being a member of the Irish Republican Army and doing desperate things for the "cause of Irish freedom." While in prison, Shane encountered Christ in the pages of the Gospel and by reading the life of St. Padre Pio. His conversion experience was nothing short of Pauline. He is a monument to the grace of Christ, and all these years later, remains an outstanding Catholic layman who repudiates every form of violence and whose love for the Church and our Blessed Lady is unique.

 

Shane has been trying for years to get me to go with him on his annual visit to Lourdes 

and Garabandal, of which he is a great devotee. Finally, after having said, "Yes," we set out and flew to Bilbao where we rented a car and drove to Lourdes. Shane is a man of great directness and tremendous humour. He said, "This is what we are going to do. We are going to stay in Lourdes tonight. We will get up early in the morning and go down to have a bath as Our Lady has directed all pilgrims." He knocked on my door next morning, handed me a cup of coffee and said, "Get dressed." I had often been to Lourdes, but only once ever went to the baths. He persuaded me that this is one of the things that our Blessed Mother asks of all the pilgrims who go to Lourdes. I reminded him that my memory was that priests got preferential option, meaning they were allowed to go first. What happens is you go into a cubicle that holds about a dozen people. You strip down to your jockey shorts, which I did, sitting and thinking of nothing in particular. Sitting around were German theologians, English canons, Filipino bishops and your faithful servant. We were not a pretty sight and I almost laughed out loud at the thought at how the Lord reduces our importance to jockey shorts. After that, I went into the place of the baths and I was assisted by holy men from somewhere in the world who helped me down into the pool of frigid sanctifying water, and then helped to dunk me into this. Shane later said that the gasp that came from me at that moment was heard as far away as Paris, maybe even Dublin.   

Humour aside, the experience was truly mystical, and Our Lady's promise to bring healing to my sickly frame was answered completely. She fixed me good. Afterwards I met up with Shane who said, "Now we have to go to Confession." So we went to the confessional chapel near the shrine and I found myself sitting in front of a Holy Ghost Father from Ireland who spent his life in Sao Paulo, Brazil. We chatted for quite a long time and then I began to wonder if he would ever hear my Confession. After that we went to breakfast in a place of Shane's choosing and in due course said "Adieu" to Lourdes and were on our way to Garabandal.

Yours Sincerely in Jesus Christ,

Fr. Kevin    

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I am sure it was a most exciting and challenging time for each of them; the Catholic Charismatic Renewal was in full swing in New Orleans and women's prayer groups were forming. In the fall of 1970, a group of women who had been attending other prayer groups began to meet at Marilyn Quirk's home. A pastoral team was formed from this group to provide support for these thriving women's prayer groups. This team consisted of Lorraine Levine, Judy Zelden, Yvonne Hymel, Bonnie Talbot, and Marilyn Quirk. They recalled the words of Jesus, "the gift you have received, give as a gift." Mt. 10:8. We wanted to reach out to our Catholic sisters, to share the good news with them - this extraordinary grace of the
'Baptism in the Holy Spirit' that had changed our lives".    

 

Archbishop Hannan

Aglow, an international, interdenominational outreach to women began in the New Orleans area. It was warmly received by the women in the area, of whom a large percentage was Catholic. The late Archbishop Hannan of New Orleans was concerned that Catholic women who attended these events may be confused in their faith.  At that time, the late Fr. Stanley Ott was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Archbishop Hannan and Bishop Ott had discussed the situation before and they thought something like Aglow should begin for Catholic women. Marilyn contacted Bishop Stanley Ott because he was  

Bishop Ott

Judy Zelden remembers that "we were overwhelmed because we were knee-deep in family responsibilities in 1979. Marilyn was pregnant with her sixth child, I had three small children, and each of us had many commitments to the church, family, and to work. But, I suggested that since this was our shepherd, we should at least prayerfully consider the idea. We met for prayer with Fr. Harold Cohen S.J., and two scripture passages read that day were significant. One was from the Song of Songs 4:12 and the other from Haggai 2:3. In my own spirit, I perceived God the Father calling me into His throne room telling me: Isaiah 43:19  'See I am doing a new thing: now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wastelands.'  We planned our first meal on the Feast of the Holy Rosary, October 7, 1981. Magnificat was raised up for such a time as this. It is charismatic, evangelistic, Marian, faithful to the Magisterium, pro-life, and provides a biblical image for Catholic women."

Lorraine Levine remembers the eventful meeting where she said, "I believe this is the Lord speaking to us through the Bishop. We held our first breakfast at the St. Dominic Knights of Columbus Hall. We brought potted plants from our home to place on the tables. Vinca Delesdernier cooked the eggs, bacon, grits and biscuits and Marilyn Heap [Central Service Team (CST) Treasurer]  helped serve. It was a wonderful success! We would need a larger place for the next one! We were all blessed as Magnificat continued to grow. I thank God for the privilege of being able to be a small part of those holy women. Magnificat will always own a part of my heart. Hurricane Katrina took away my home, but thank God, hurricanes can't take away your memories!"

Our first speaker was Patti Mansfield. She said, "I remember very clearly the day Marilyn came to my home to tell me about the plans for the first breakfast. An anointed idea needed an anointed name, within moments the name leaped into my heart: Magnificat! It seemed to perfectly express the grace of a ministry for women, by women, and to women. Mary and Elizabeth, both filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaiming God's greatness were inviting us into their hymn of praise! I felt privileged to be the first speaker surrounded by love. Bishop Ott was in attendance, and I still have the beautiful words of affirmation he wrote about that first meal. At the second breakfast, I took a napkin and outlined some key points on how to give a personal testimony, because I knew that following me would be a host of women with their own Magnificat to sing. The points outlined that day became my book Proclaim His Marvelous Deeds: How to Give a Personal Testimony.   It was written just for you. As I have visited your chapters over these thirty years, I have been filled with joy at the abundance of spiritual fruit being born. May you echo this beautiful Magnificat for generations to come!"

Since that time, Magnificat has grown to include more than 77 chapters worldwide and our foundress, Marilyn Quirk, has received the Papal Medal of Honor from Pope John Paul II.  Currently serving with Marilyn Quirk on the Central Service Team are Kathy MacInnis, Marilyn Heap, Elaine Chetta, Paulette Renaudin, Nancy Skok, and Carol Dazzio. They continue to invoke the Holy Spirit as He blows upon our Magnificat garden and spreads its perfume abroad. 

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SPIRITUAL LEADER, ARCHBISHOP PHILIP HANNAN

by Paulette Renaudin  

Retired New Orleans Archbishop Philip Hannan, WWII Paratroop Chaplain who counseled John F. Kennedy during his historic march to the White House as the first Catholic president, died Thursday, September 29, at 3 a.m. at the age of 98. He died on the feast of St. Michael the Archangel, the patron of paratroopers.  

He will be remembered as being very energetic and most accessible. He was the last surviving U.S. bishop to have attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) as a bishop. He came to New Orleans in 1965 right after Hurricane Betsy had flooded and damaged large areas of the city. He started educational television (WLAE) in the 1980's and was still filing reports as late as Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He traveled the world for news stories, concentrating on the religious implications underlying the news.

 After being named Archbishop of New Orleans, he immediately got to work founding a Social Apostolate Program for the community, then a Summer Witness Camp for underprivileged youth.  He was successful in bringing the Second Harvest Food Bank program through which surplus foods were collected and distributed to non-profit institutions.  He also created a program for the elderly providing free government surplus foods each month to nearly 19,000 needy senior citizens.  

He was very close to the Kennedy family, and Jacqueline Kennedy invited Archbishop Hannan to deliver the eulogy at JFK's funeral. He also delivered the graveside eulogy for Robert F. Kennedy and the prayers at the interment of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in Arlington Cemetery.

Archbishop Hannan mentions Magnificat in his book,  The Archbishop Wore Combat Boots.  Magnificat was the inspiration of Archbishop Hannan and Bishop Stanley Ott, his auxiliary bishop. It was their encouragement which birthed this Ministry. Bishop Ott was present at the first Magnificat Meal, October 7, 1981. Archbishop Hannan approved our constitution allowing it to become a canonical entity within the Church as a private association of the Christian faithful. At a Mass he celebrated at our conference, he stated that it was one of the easiest and best decisions he made as Archbishop.

In the conclusion of his autobiography, Archbishop Hannan wrote "From my perspective as a priest - I will accomplish in death what I could not in life because as priests we are most fully alive when we die. If we don't feel that way, we certainly have not served the cause of Christ as we were meant to. In the final spiritual analysis, to fulfill the will of God, a priest must die in life as did His own Son. And when that time comes, with the grace of God, I am ready. In the end, all that matters is love."