At the recent meeting of the Provincial Council, we reviewed
a number of requests from our dependent units. The following have been approved for the next steps in their religious formation:
VOWS, ORDINATIONS
Ordination to the diaconate on Jan. 11, 2014, in Rome
Bro. Arul Raj Maria Francis
Bro. Jinu Muthukattil
Congratulations to these brothers and a vote of gratitude to
Fr. Francisco Canseco and Bro. Lester Kaehler who have accompanied them.
Ordination to the priesthood on Jan. 22, 2014, in Bangalore
Deacon Chitti Babu Gunja
Deacon Nittamaria Varaprasad
Deacon Chinnaiah Polisetti
Bro. Francisco Gonz�lez, who will begin a sabbatical in January, will represent the Provincial Council at the ordination.
Fr. Paul Marshall will travel to Ranchi, India, for the perpetual vow celebration of four Indian Marianists on Dec. 29. We wish these brothers God's guidance and blessing as they seek to serve our communities in India.
Juan Pablo Espinoza Ch�vez from Mexico has completed his novitiate in Santiago, Chile, and has been approved for the first profession of vows on Nov. 30 in Quer�taro. I will be present for the profession and will represent the Provincial Council at this happy occasion. Congratulations to Juan Pablo and the brothers in Mexico.
PROVINCE ASSEMBLY
A Province Assembly is planned
in St. Louis for June 25 - 29, 2015. Fr. Oscar Vasquez and Bro. Jesse O'Neill will serve as co-chairs for this important event and will be assisted by the
following committee: Tim Eden,
Jos� Juli�n Matos, Joe Kozar, Tim Kenney, Dennis Schmitz (Provincial Council liaison) and Diane Guerra. Pat Stephens will provide administrative support.
Please mark your calendars to reserve this time. We hope as many
of the Province members as possible will attend. This assembly marks the end of the present administration's mandate of service and the mid-point of Vision 2020. Other Province members will be contacted during the next year to assist in various aspects of planning the assembly.
HOME VISITS
Fr. Jack McGrath will be in the Province from Nov. 21 until mid-January for a visit. Fr. Kip Stander will do the same, arriving in early February. We welcome these brothers back. The District of India has concluded its District Chapter and the third session of the Kairos leadership program, which was well organized and implemented by Bro. Tom Giardino and Savio Franco.
OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT
The Province Office of Development is engaged in two important initiatives: planning for a capital campaign for the Province that will help us raise needed funds for healthcare, the Office of Sponsorship, and a sufficient endowment for the District of India. Some Province members have been contacted by Allison Hewitt and her team. Others will be engaged as planning unfolds. Thanks to the brothers who have been so supportive and encouraging.
We have invited 11 brothers from developing units to come for a five-week period (Dec. 12 - Jan. 20) to take part in a development/ leadership program organized by the Office of Development. The intention is to help these growing units build capacity for their own development offices and to assist in their grant writing and fundraising.
Part of the program will take place in St. Louis and part in Dayton.
A warm welcome to these brothers and our wishes for a successful and encouraging program.
From India
Bros. Arockia Doss, Saju Chittadiyil, Jyoti Prakash Minj and Alex Toppo
From Eastern Africa
Bros. Chola Mulenga, Charles Kimeu and Paul Kageche, and
Fr. Callistus Jeje
From Congo
Bro. Blaise Mosengo
From Mexico
Bros. R�gulo Garc�a Hern�ndez and Gobi Torres Nazar�o
MEXICO
As part of the restructuring that is taking place within the Society
of Mary, especially as it relates to the zonal conference, the District of Mexico will become a sector of the Province of the United States effective Jan. 1, 2014. This new designation is supported by the brothers in Mexico and promulgated by the superior general. The sector coordinator will now take part in the meetings of the Marianist Conference and the community directors will be invited to attend the annual Province directors' meeting.
As Fr. Cort�s has indicated, this designation more clearly reflects this unit's level of organization and developmental formation. The brothers in Mexico are planning for a common missionary project, probably a school. We have very fine Mexican Marianists, and we
are supporting them in leadership development and mission focus.
Fr. Oscar Vasquez has confirmed that the Stella Maris program for temporary professed of the Province will take place in June 2014 in Mexico and will include the Mexican brothers. This reflects the global focus that was important to the recent General Chapter. Many of our younger brothers are studying Spanish, and the brothers in Mexico are studying English.
PROVINCIAL LETTER
I have just completed a Provincial Letter that I will send out next week. I hope this letter can be helpful in community visitations this year. The schedule for the area visitations is:
San Antonio
December 14 - 19, 2013
Dayton
Jan. 18 - 23, 2014
Hawai'i
Feb. 14 - 19, 2014
For Province communities outside these three areas, visitation dates will be arranged by the community contact person.
NOVITIATE
Yesterday, the novitiate community moved to its temporary housing near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The community will occupy four townhouses which will provide 12 rooms and sufficient common rooms for the next 12 months as the new novitiate is built. A big THANK YOU to Chris Wittmann, Charlie Johnson, Jack Somerville and John Lemker for executing this difficult move. And a big thanks to novices Allen Pacquing and Andrew Giles for their great effort, enthusiasm and energy. The planning committee continues its work and the new facility promises to be a testimony to our religious and Marianist life.
Applications for visas have been submitted for two Korean aspirants to come to the United States and begin their initial formation in the Society of Mary. If the visas are granted, Songhyuck Choi and Seungcheol Choi will begin an English language program in January in Honolulu. If successful, they will become part of the new novitiate group next July. Please pray for this important intention.
On Nov. 16, the novitiate community hosted about 50 members of the Marianist Family in Dayton for a celebration of closure and a
de-commissioning of the novitiate chapel. Reports have it that the entire evening was well done. Information about future plans for the novitiate site will be forthcoming.
SPONSORSHIP COMMISSION
The Sponsorship Commission with the Provincial Council: Marty Solma, Dan Donnelly, Francisco Gonzalez, Bill Campbell, Marge Cavanaugh, Tim Fallon, Paul Marshall, Steve Neiheisel, Bill Meyer, Joe Kamis, Ed Brink and Tony Fitzgerald
Steve Neiheisel, chair of the Province Sponsorship Commission, offers this summary of the recent meeting of the Sponsorship Commission:
"The Sponsorship Commission met Nov. 15 - 17 at the Provincial offices in St. Louis. The group discussed mission formation with Carol Ramey, director of the North America Center for Marianist Studies; corporate structures and governance with Fr. Jim Fitz, vice president for mission and rector at the University of Dayton; and financial stewardship with Fr. Paul Marshall.
"The Commission also began a dialogue with the Office of Sponsorship about a revised sponsorship agreement for the ministries. The Commission encouraged Dan Donnelly, director of the Office of Sponsorship, to work with his team to develop creative, collaborative and inspiring methods and programs to enlarge and deepen the Marianist charism at the sponsored ministries.
"Members of the Sponsorship Commission are Bro. Bill Campbell, Marge Cavanaugh, Tim Fallon and me (chair). The volunteer members of the Sponsorship Commission assist the Office of Sponsorship and the Provincial Council in ensuring that the charism
of Blessed Chaminade and the mission of the Marianist Province and Catholic Church are served and advanced in the Province's sponsored ministries."
PRAYERS
Bro. Bernie Hartman and Bro. David Quigley report that things are going well enough in Australia for the moment. Bernie will have
a court appearance at the end of November and a trial is likely to begin sometime in March. Dave will return to San Antonio for a few weeks of break and Bro. Dennis Schmitz has left for Australia to stay with Bernie in the interim. Your prayers for this intention are greatly appreciated.
I want to take the opportunity to wish all of the members of the Province a graced Thanksgiving and a joyful start to the Advent season. Let us pray for one another, especially for our brothers who are ill.
Fraternally,
Dear Brothers:
