NUNTIA (Congregation of the Mission) August Issue Online
NUNTIA No. 8 AUGUST 2007 -Monthly Bulletin of News from the General Curia of the C.M.
The following will also be available on http://cmglobal.org/en/
Earthquake: For those of who have not gone through the rubble each day, or wiped away the tears of the victims, or who do not still keep fresh in our minds the images of those who perished in the tragedy, it is possible that the earthquake of August 2007 in Peru is not yet news.
The media have abundantly communicated what happened. Our own communications media have likewise informed us, at first without many details, but afterwards with greater precision. The most detailed was a circular letter from the visitor of Peru, Fr. Rubén Pedro Borda, which brought the tragedy close to hand.
Although NUNTIA is not a press service, we cannot ignore the sorrow and anxieties of those days, nor the needs of the present and the immediate future. For those who died, especially our two Sisters, Daughters of Charity, we offer our prayers. For everyone, we offer our thoughts and participation in their sorrows and for their efforts at reconstruction.
The General Curia
A quiet house. The Curia was been active during this month of August, traditionally the time for vacations, but the house was nearly empty on many days.
On the 1st, the Superior General returned from his visit to Brazil. More information can be found on http://cmglobal.org. Then after a quick trip to Paris, he kept up with his usual duties in the Curia, and then welcomed his relatives to Rome.
Fr. Gerard Du, who arrived back from his vacation on July 31, left on August 16 for a canonical visit to Madagascar. Fr. Ubillús, who was spending some days with his family in Peru during the time of the earthquake, had scheduled a canonical visit to the provinces of Brazil. The vicar general, Fr. Kapuściak returned on the 24th from his vacation in Poland, and Fr. Nieto, who returned from his visits to Honduras and Costa Rica on the 7th, left on the 16th for a vacation in Spain. Fr. Gouldrick made a brief visit to Eritrea to join our confreres in the celebration of the birth of their new province. He left on the 9th for his vacation. The Secretary General, Fr. Claudio Santangelo, relived his apostolic experiences in Istanbul from July 29 to August 22. Fr. Alfredo offered some pastoral help in Modena,
August 6 to 12.
Another kind of family experience: Those of us who remained at home in August enjoyed another kind of family experience. The brothers and nephews of the Superior General, who were celebrating the silver wedding anniversary of their parents, along with another sister and a cousin, stayed with us for a few days. Although there was lots of coming and going on this, their first trip to Europe, their point of reference was our house. We shared some memorable moments with them, when our community life was extended to what is so precious to each one, our own family. Our privacy was respected, but each one was welcomed into our community with all their individuality. It’s important to realize this sometimes.
From the provinces
Brazil, Fortaleza: Visit of the Superior General (July 8-19)
The CM web page (http://cmglobal.org) published a series of photographs and an interview given by the Superior General on his return from Brazil to the administrator of the page, Fr. Julio Suescun.
The Superior General was joined during this visit to the province of Fortaleza, by the Econome General, Fr. John W. Gouldrick, who returned to Rome on 19 July.
Brazil, Rio de Janeiro: Visit of the Superior General (July 20-29)
Besides the interview mentioned above, more information and several photographs from this visit can be found on the web page of the Province of Rio, http://www.pbcm.com.br.
Costa Rica: (Extract from the report of the visit of Fr. Nieto, July 19 – August 6.)
This viceprovince is continuing the apostolic activity of the German missionaries who arrived at the end of the nineteenth century.
In San José, our confreres run a co-ed secondary school (colegio) with 400 students from 12 to 18 years of age. In addition, the house is used as the viceprovincial headquarters, welcomes our infirm confreres and is a center for spiritual meetings. Here, too, six young men are in formation: one deacon, two admitted candidates, and three others not yet admitted. Vocational recruitment and formation is one of the main objectives of the viceprovince.
In the poor and remote diocese of Limón, where the confreres have served for many years, our men have two parishes, Amubri and BribrÃ. Surrounding these are more than 55 small communities, some of which are have native peoples, and which can be reached through forest roads and across torrid valleys, using canoes on unpredictable rivers.
In addition, the apostolic work of the viceprovince includes other forms of evangelization: service to the Daughters of Charity, to the Vincentian Family, to other communities, “Vincentian vocation missions,†lay formation and social ministry.
Honduras: (Extract from the report of Fr. Nieto on his visit, June 27 – July 18)
The Province of Barcelona has been working here for nearly a hundred years, and the province of Zaragoza for about fifteen years. Bishop Luis Solé, governs the huge diocese of Trujillo, where, in the near future, the province of Slovakia will also be serving. In addition, confreres from our provinces of Central America, Colombia and Poland are also working, along with lay people from Spain. For more than fifteen years, a community of JMV/MISEVI has been living and working in San Pedro Sula. Various communities of the Daughters of Charity enrich the presence of the Vincentian charism. We might say that Honduras has been changed into an interprovincial mission as well as a mission of the
Vincentian Family.
Ten confreres from the province of Barcelona and three from other provinces are working in four locations: the parish of la Milagrosa and the CM seminary in Tegucigalpa; the parish of Saint Vincent de Paul (with more than 120,000 inhabitants), and the city and mountain of San Pedro Sula; the parish of San José (60 communities of some 35,000 inhabitants) in Puerto Lempira; the parish of Santa Cruz (30 communities of some 35,000 inhabitants) in Barra Patuca. These last two are in Mosquitia, a poor region at the end of the country, and are difficult to reach.
The five confreres from the province of Zaragoza care for the parish of Sagrado Corazón (about 100,000 inhabitants) in Puerto Cortés and the rural parish of Cuyamel (nearly 50 communities, with some 40,000 inhabitants). During the summer, other confreres and students come to help in the ordinary work and to undertake special activities.
The missionary work of all these places integrates evangelization, catechesis, lay formation and human promotion. Their social ministry embraces a multitude of initiatives and services: primary and secondary schools, professional formation of the youth, the formation of adults, homes for children without families or who are at risk, shelters for adolescents, education of street children, radio programs, areas for the service of other schools and parishes, medical dispensaries and pharmacies, care of AIDS patients, homes for the aged, prison ministry, construction of chapels and churches, the promotion of cooperatives for the production of coffee, raising poultry, and collaboration with other humanitarian organization. “Love is inventive to infinity!â€
South India: The Tanzania Mission (from the newsletter Southern Vani)
The Tanzania mission was delighted to receive three new confreres from India, Fathers Raju Karickal and George Kannamkulath, who arrived May 15, plus Fr. Cino Thonakkara who arrived on the 13th. During mass on the 16th, Fr. Mathew Onatt welcome them and officially named Fr. Raju Karickal as director of the internal seminary and Fr. George Kannamkulath as rector of Depaul Seminary. Fr. Cino Thonakkara will help Fr. Varghese Ayyampilly in the parish of Mbangamao and also work in the area of formation.
Depaul Seminary is the house of studies for philosophy and theology of the C.M. in Tanzania. The students live in this seminary and take classes at the Salvatorian Institute. The plan for the house has six phases, of which only four have been completed. When the plan is finished, the seminary will be able to hold 28 seminarians, 2 formators and 2 guests. For the moment, its capacity is 20. We are very grateful to Bro. Peter Campbell, C.M., administrator of the VSO, for his great help in completing this seminary.
Vocational development
CEVIM: Inauguration of the program of the interprovincial internal seminary of Avila,
Spain
With the presence of the Superior General, the new home for the interprovincial internal seminary of the provinces of southern Europe, who are part of CEVIM, will be inaugurated on September 26.
The Tanzania Mission (South India Prov.): New Internal Seminary (from Southern Vani)
The Tanzania mission formerly sent its students to Ethiopia for their formation in the internal seminary. During his last canonical visit, the visitor of South India, Fr. Varghese Thottamkara, along with his confreres, decided to establish the internal seminary in Tanzania. The construction of the building for the internal seminary began without delay in Msamala, Songea. The date for its opening was set for the feast of Saint Justin, July 31, 2007. This year there are three novices.
Likewise during the most recent canonical visit, it was decided that, beginning this year, candidates for the Congregation would spend a year of initial formation at Mbangamao. Fr. Cino Thonakkara will be their director.
Brazil, Curitiba: Course for Vocation Promoters: (from Iprosul nº 162)
The program has as its general objective: “to form Vincentian vocation promoters by means of a deepening of theological, human, Vincentian, missionary and pastoral formation, for the evangelizing work of the Church, and preparing them to multiply the Vincentian charism.â€
The program is open to Vincentians, Daughters of Charity, Vincentian seminarians, and laity who are active in Vincentian parishes and in works directed by the Daughters of Charity and by other members of the Vincentian Family.
Rome: Ordination in the Community in Dialogue
The province of Rome has received the grace of three priestly ordinations. We note that this event, especially for its importance, was highlighted in the Catholic publication Avvenire, in a long interview, also available on http://cmglobal.org.
The “Community in Dialogue†is a center run by Fr. Matteo Tagliaferri, C.M., and a small group of confreres who form a sort of house (“ad instar domusâ€), together with a large number of lay collaborators who welcome young men and women who come with family or social problems.
One day, ten years ago, a young attorney, Ricardo Sasso, came to ask for help. And there, in the midst of a loving welcome and respectful assistance, he encountered Christ the Savior, who showed him the mercy of God in the help that this community was offering. Today he is a Vincentian priest.
Popular missions: France, Paris
At the request of Nuntia, Fr. Pascal Bremaud briefly described the activity of the popular mission team of the province of Paris: “The confreres go all over France during the entire year to respond to those pastors who have requested a mission. A mission normally lasts from two to four weeks and always begins with a visit to each home in the parish to invite the people to the functions of the mission. Mass is celebrated each morning, and at its conclusion the faithful share a cup of coffee in a festive and fraternal setting.
“The afternoon events take an hour and are composed of a time of prayer, a talk (about family, marriage, the education of children, etc.), a homily on the theme of event (reconciliation, mass, charity, etc.), a sketch (an event from the Gospel) produced by the children and young people (in which the adults can also participate), and the blessing of the assembly.
“The mission is an important moment in the life of the parish. It is designed for everyone and allows each person to be renewed in their faith, both humanly and spiritually, in this space of ecclesial life that is their parish. The mission also allows the Christian people to commit themselves concretely within the bosom of the Church in the perspective of the Third Millennium.â€
Service of the clergy: Kenya, Emmaus Program for diocesan priests
The Kenya mission, of the Midwest province of the United States, was one of the winners of the mission award for this year, for its program for diocesan priests. It began as a response to a request from the bishops of Kenya that the Vincentians lend a hand to their priests, many of whom live alone and isolated, spread about through the vast regions of Kenya.
Fr. James E. Swift, visitor of the Midwest Province, in a letter thanking the Superior General for the award, wrote that one of the bishops of Kenya asked him to extend the program to diocesan seminaries who were already ordained deacons and who had completed their academic program. He noted, correctly: “At the time the bishop asked, I thought this was so reminiscent of Vincent’s first efforts to help the clergy before ordination.â€
A Debt of Gratitude Joyfully Paid:
A member of an illustrious family, Matyas Gondi, a young man twenty-two years old, spent several weeks at DePaul University in Chicago this summer to perfect his English. His branch of the Gondi family is Hungarian, living in Budapest, and they are well aware of their Vincentian connections. It was a privilege for the confreres at DePaul University to be able to host a member of the family of the Congregation’s benefactors after nearly 400 years. (Note from J. Rybolt).
Nominationes
PERIBAÑEZ PERIBAÑEZ Tomás
25-08-2007 Director DC Pamplona
Ordinationes
EKPUNOBI IFEANYICHUKWU Pedro António
Nig 13-07-2007
UKADIKE ANAYOCHUKU Cosmas Nig 13-07-2007
NGUYEN TRONG Jean Baptiste Thinh Par 17-07-2007
SZEWCZENKO Aleksy SCM 27-07-2007
PAULINO LÓPEZ Nelson Rafael Por 28-07-2007
BAKONGA BOKONDA Jean Denis Cng 29-07-2007
KANKU MUPEMBA Roland Cng 29-07-2007
MAMBE IYANDA Willy Cng 29-07-2007
NKEE MOKELO-MO-EYALI Jean Rufin Cng 29-07-2007
SASSO Riccardo Rom 14-08-2007
IRWAN YULIUS Martinus Ids 15-08-2007
Necrologium
FLOURENS Henri Jules
Sac 31-07-2007 Tol 86 61
MURRAY John Bernard Sac 04-08-2007 Orl 91 70
BENOIT Camille Marie Sac 05-08-2007 Tol 87 68
CHOW Joseph Sac 06-08-2007 Sin 99 79
DÃAZ RAMIREZ AgustÃn Fra 07-08-2007 Sal 81 60
ALBIZUREZ MELGAR Hermenegildo de Jesus Fra 08-08-2007 Amc 84 64
GRASS Kenneth Edwin Sac 09-08-2007 Ocn 78 60
PIECZKA Walenty Sac 25-08-2007 Nan 87 71
NORMANNO Giambattista Sac 29-08-2007 Nea 83 66
Tags: CM Curia