Perpetual Help WINTER/SPRING 2016
VOLUME 8, NUMBER 1
P ubl ished b y t he R e d e m p t o r i s t s
Celebrating 150 years since Our Mother of Perpetual Help made her home with the Redemptorists PA G E 1 0
EDITOR’S COLUMN
A bright future Mary C. Weaver, director of communications
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ast summer I was able to attend two ordination Masses in the Caribbean and one here at home, in Ephrata, Pa. All were beautiful celebrations, but the ones in Roseau, Dominica, and Port-au-Prince, Haiti, stood out for several reasons. One was trivial: the lack of air-conditioning. It’s hard to imagine most Americans attending an extremely long ordination Mass when the temperature is in the 90s and the cooling system consists of a couple of big fans. But a standing-room-only congregation packed St. Gerard Church in Dominica on May 26. And on May 31 thousands turned out for the ordination of nine Redemptorists in Port-au-Prince. Both Dominica and Haiti are poor countries, but economically there’s no comparison. First you should know that the estimated gross domestic product per capita for the United States is $54,629. Dominica’s GDP per capita income is meager, at $7,433. But it’s princely compared with Haiti’s: $824. Unemployment in Dominica is about 23 percent, but in Haiti it’s nearly 41 percent. In the capital city of Dominica, you see lots of small mom-and-pop businesses. Nothing fancy—small buildings or open-air kiosks. But in Port-au-Prince, a small
IN THIS ISSUE IN THIS ISSUE
10
Mary: the icon of love
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business might be a woman selling used clothing laid out in piles on the sidewalk. Some of Dominica’s winding roads are well-paved and engineered, others narrow and dangerous. Port-auPrince’s wide boulevards must have been impressive before the 2010 earthquake. Now they’re full of potholes better described as craters. You’d be shocked by what passes for housing in some parts of Haiti: tin and cardboard “apartments” made of tiny conjoined shacks, some not more than eight feet square. Mounds of garbage line Port-au-Prince’s streets, and you see grown-ups and children picking through it—as well as stray dogs, goats, and even cows. But did I have a bad time in the Caribbean? Not at all. The people I met were warm and hospitable, treating me like an old friend. Their faith and joy were palpable. I’d go back in a heartbeat. The biggest plus of attending these three Masses was the opportunity for me to get to know the recently ordained men as well as the Redemptorist priests and brothers of the English-Speaking Caribbean. You can read about the ordinations on page 16, and the story provides video links so you can view some of the highlights of the ordination Masses. n
‘The gift of the priesthood’
Three countries, three ordinations
New insights into her miraculous image.
ADDRESS Perpetual Help Center 107 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis, MD 21401-2526
MORE STORIES
News briefs................................ 4 First professions......................... 5 Q&A with Father Hoegerl.......... 8 Lenten Devotions available......... 14 Redemptorist jubilarians........... 15
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Mary C. Weaver
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Perpetual Help ©2016. Perpetual Help is published for friends and supporters of the Redemptorists. Redemptorist priests and brothers follow in Jesus’ footsteps, preaching the Word and serving the poor and most abandoned, with a special devotion to the crib of Bethlehem, the Cross, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Eucharist.
PROVINCIAL’S PREFACE
Every Catholic can encourage vocations Father Paul Borowski, C.Ss.R., Provincial Superior
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his past summer witnessed people generously respond to God’s school was enough to get my interest. new members joining the call, every Catholic can encourFrom that moment, God continranks of “the sons of Alage vocations. The prompting of a ued to use various people in my life phonsus.” During the spring and grandparent, a parent, a co-worker, to encourage me to join the semearly summer we celebrated the or a friend might be what someone inary. I gave up my idea of being ordination of several men from needs to respond to God’s call. the next Michael Jordan or Neil Haiti, Dominica, and the United Why are we afraid to ask a young Armstrong and traded it in to be States. The later days of summer we person, “Have you ever thought of the next Alphonsus Liguori. All joyfully welcomed five young men being a religious? Have you ever because someone had the courage (two from the Caribbean and three considered being a priest?” to walk into a classroom and ask from the States) as they professed I know if a Redemptorist had not whether anyone there would considfirst vows as Redemptorists. asked me that question when I was er being a religious. Often I am asked about the num- in the seventh grade, I would never I look back on my call to be a ber of vocations within the Congre- have responded. Redemptorist and see that there gation, and based on was no burning bush 2015, it might look like Moses saw, there I gave up my idea of being the next like the Redemptowas no visit from the Michael Jordan or Neil Armstrong and traded Angel Gabriel as in rists are doing well. Indeed, we are thankMary’s case, no Son it in to be the next Alphonsus Liguori. ful for the response of God walking on All because someone had the courage to to God’s call of these the seashore making walk into a classroom and ask whether any- a personal invitation fine young men—but the “harvest is plentias He did for Peter, one there would consider being a religious. ful and laborers few.” James, and John. But —Father Paul Borowski, C.Ss.R. August also saw a there were flesh-andtime of transfers for blood people who many of our Redemptorists. We I was all set to be a professionasked, who encouraged, who inthank Father Richard Bennett for al basketball player, and if that spired me. his seven years of tireless work as didn’t work, I was going to try to I went on a weekend just to get vocation director and wish him well be an astronaut with NASA (yes, I away from school and came back as he begins to serve as pastor of St. know—both lofty goals). But one touched by the Spirit of God that Peter the Apostle Church in Philday during seventh grade religion a I saw in the students and the Readelphia. Father Matthew Allman young Redemptorist walked in and demptorists who staffed St. Mary’s has taken over as our Province voinvited us to visit the minor semiin North East, Pennsylvania. I have cation director, and I’m sure he has nary at North East for the weekend. purposely not mentioned names been asked countless times: “How A weekend of religion: no sane since there were so many who enmany vocations do you have?” seventh grader would ever do that. couraged and inspired me and I The work of a vocation director But he told us we would leave on a don’t want to forget anyone. Their is just one part of cultivating vocaFriday and return late Monday. My faces and names are in my heart, tions. Besides praying to the Lord hand (and hands of numerous classand as I thank Mary for giving me Vocations continued on page 14 of the harvest that more young mates) went up. Missing two days of Winter/Spring 2016 | 3
BY MARY C. WEAVER
NEWS
Two men make first profession in the Caribbean Region
BRIEFS
On August 6 Romero Radix (left) and Augustus Rivière of the Caribbean Region made their first profession of vows at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Roseau, Dominica. Congratulating them is Father Vanty Auguiste. Regional Superior Father Rodney Olive (not seen) received their vows.
New books available about Our Mother of Perpetual Help Three new titles have been published in honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the icon’s being entrusted to the Redemptorists. Mary in 3-D: Icon of Discipleship, Doctrine, and Devotion by Father Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R., of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary has been published by New City Press. The book is available at newcitypress.com. Embracing the Icon of Love (Liguori Publications) by Brother Daniel Korn, C.Ss.R., is available as a paperback or e-book from liguori.org or amazon.com. Our Mother of Perpetual Help: Her Intriguing Past and Comforting Presence by Father Philip Dabney, C.Ss.R., is also available from Liguori. Father Dabney is the Redemptorist North American Conference’s representative on the General Commission for the Jubilee Celebrations. Learn more about the icon on page 10 of this issue, or visit redemptorists.net/icon.
4 | Perpetual Help
Celebrating with Pope Francis
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everal Redemptorists had the opportunity to take part in papal Masses when Pope Francis was in North America in September. Father Ruskin Piedra, based in Brooklyn, traveled to Cuba to concelebrate the pope’s Mass at Plaza de la Revolución in Havana on September 20. Sitting in the second row, he was just yards away from the altar. Provincial Superior Father Paul Borowski sat with the U.S. bishops during the September 23 papal Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Con-
ception in Washington, D.C. He called it “a truly blessed day that I will never forget.” Father Kevin O’Neil of Long Branch, New Jersey, was present for the same Mass and seated with U.S. government officials. Father O’Neil was a guest of his good friend Denis McDonough—President Barack Obama’s chief of staff. On September 27 the pope visited St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. Father Dennis Billy, John Cardinal Krol Chair of Moral Theology, had a chance to meet him during his stay at the seminary.
Pope Francis greets faculty, staff, and seminarians of St. Charles Borromeo on September 27.
‘To live as Jesus Christ lived’ Three men profess their first vows and begin their new life as Redemptorists.
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By Mary C. Weaver
uy Mier, Miguel Moreno, and Kenneth Stigner made their first profession of vows as Redemptorists on September 5, committing themselves to poverty, chastity, and obedience in a Mass held at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia. First profession follows two years of postulancy and one year in the novitiate. Once a former novice has made first profession, he continues as a theology student and seminarian for at least four years. Both priest and brother candidates live in a formation community, study, and work part time in ministry. During those years they continue to pray and Above: Father Denis Sweeney (third from left), director of theology studies, poses with Kenneth Stigner, Guy Mier, and Miguel Moreno, after their first profession Mass in Philadelphia. Winter/Spring 2016 | 5
“Our world encourages us to gain wealth, to enjoy pleasure, to seek power. Yet today you will kneel before family, friends, and your God to renounce those things.” —Father Paul Borowski, C.Ss.R. seek spiritual direction, and they prepare for the profession of final vows. “Today is not a day to celebrate the ending of a novitiate year,” said Provincial Superior Father Paul Borowski during his homily. “Today is the beginning of your lives as members of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. “For Guy, Tony, and Ken it is a day to rejoice as they commit their lives to Jesus Christ the Redeemer and look forward. God has called them to a vocation within the Redemptorist family—not just to start something but also to endure and finish the race.”
is that of St. John Neumann, who joined the Redemptorists in 1842. “He has a place of honor not simply because he was the first to profess vows as a Redemptorist here in America but because of the way he lived his life. . . . the way he ran the race. “His tireless efforts to preach the Good News by his words and actions are why he is a saint. A man on fire with love for God and his people, who at the end had given so much that he sat down on a stoop a few blocks from here—after mailing a chalice to a priest on the frontier—and collapsed across the finish line,” Father Borowski said. St. John Neumann is remembered “because of the way he lived those vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.” Before making first vows, candidates are asked whether they are willing to “take seriously the Gospel that Jesus Christ lived and preached, to accept the Redemptorists’ Constitutions and Statutes as particular expressions of that Gospel for you, to preserve chastity for the sake of the Kingdom of God, to embrace a life of poverty, and to offer to God the gift of obedience.” Each man kneels before the Provincial Superior, professes his vows, and is received as a member of the RedempProvincial Superior Father Paul Borowski (right) embraces the newly professed Redemptorists (from left), Guy Mier, Miguel Moreno, and Kenneth Stigner. torist community. He is given a cross and presented with a copy of the ConFather Borowski noted that the names of the three gregation’s Constitutions and Statutes. He then goes young men professed that day would be added to a to the altar and signs the document of profession. book in the provincial archives, listing everyone who “To many in the world, what you profess today has taken vows as a Redemptorist in the Baltimore seems foolish,” said Father Borowski. “Our world enProvince. courages us to gain wealth, to enjoy pleasure, to seek Their names will be numbers 2339, 2340, and 2341 power. Yet today you will kneel before family, friends, in the book, he said—adding that the very first name and your God to renounce those things. 6 | Perpetual Help
“Like St. John Neumann, you will profess that a simple life is more important than acquiring material goods. Like the thousands of Redemptorists who have professed vows before you, you will say that a life lived in community with your brothers and serving the family of God is more important than having your own family. “Like the Redemptorists who join you here today and in prayer throughout the world, you will profess
The ordinary provincial council receives Guy Mier’s profession of first vows. Council members are (from right) Father Matthew Allman, Second Consultor; Father Borowski; and Father Gerard Knapp, Provincial Vicar.
Kenneth Stigner receives a cross from Father Knapp.
Father Knapp presents the Redemptorists’ Constitutions and Statutes to Miguel Moreno.
“Like the Redemptorists who join you here today and in prayer throughout the world, you will profess to live as Jesus Christ lived, who came to follow not His own will but the will of His Heavenly Father.” —Father Borowski to live as Jesus Christ lived, who came to follow not His own will but the will of His Heavenly Father.” It’s crucial to know the legacy and history of the Redemptorists, said Father Borowski, as well as the rule of the Congregation. But much more important is living the rule and one’s vows. Faithfully practicing those vows daily “will make you saintly Redemptorists,” he said. Living out the vows “takes place on good days and bad alike.” “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith,” said Father Borowski, quoting 2 Timothy 4:7. “Guy, Tony, and Ken, today is a celebration not only of your response to God but also your continued daily response to God. Today is a day of great promise and great joy,” he said. “Never forget the immense zeal you have for God at this moment. May this zeal be always in your hearts as you live in community and proclaim the Good News.” n View a short video from the Mass of first profession and listen to Father Borowski’s homily online at redemptorists.net/profession2015. Winter/Spring 2016 | 7
BY TONI PACITTI
A ‘ tremendous gift of God’
Father Carl Hoegerl reflects on 70 years of life as a Redemptorist.
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ith this issue of Perpetual Help, we’re beginning a series of Q and A interviews with Redemptorists young and old. Our first interview subject is Father Carl Hoegerl, age 92. He serves as emeritus archivist for the Baltimore Province and lives in the provincial house in Brooklyn. Father Hoegerl is a historian, the author of several books, a prodigious walker, and a former mountain climber. He played a major role in the sainthood cause of Blessed Francis Seelos, C.Ss.R, who was beatified in 2000. He is one of eight children of German immigrants John and Rosa Hoegerl, and he grew up in the small town of Meadville, Pennsylvania, between Erie and Pittsburgh.
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How did you get to know the Redemptorists? Every Sunday a priest from St. Mary’s (the minor seminary in North East, Pennsylvania) would come down to help our pastor with the Masses. So I got to know the Redemptorists through seeing and hearing them preach on Sundays. When I was in seventh grade there was a sister in the school, Sister Mary Ida Green, who had had a brother from Erie who had gone to North East. He was there six years, and when he went to the novitiate, he dropped out. It seems that Sister Mary Ida’s vocation in life was to get people to take her brother’s place as a Redemptorist. In those days you had to write a letter to the rector of St. Mary’s and say you’d like to become a Redemptorist. Well, she 8 | Perpetual Help
Father Hoegerl was professed in August 1945 and ordained in June 1950. He was then assigned to study history at the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. After earning his master’s degree, he taught at St. Mary’s, North East, for 11 years. In 1964 he was transferred to the major seminary at Esopus, N.Y., serving as prefect of students and novice master. In 1978 he became pastor of St. James Parish in Baltimore. In 1980 he was called to an assignment in Rome, and in 1987 he was asked by the Superior General to begin work on the canonization cause of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos. That process took 13 years, and Blessed Seelos was beatified in April 2000. He is currently working on a new biography of Blessed Seelos.
wrote my letter and said, “Copy this and sign your name.” That’s the way God works in things like that. In 1938 I went to North East, and I spent six wonderful years there. I’m particularly grateful for what they gave us. We got a good old-fashioned classical education. Strong on all the humanities. Of course, the courses there all revolved around Latin. We had six solid years of Latin. It was a nice life for a young boy to grow up in. You had a lot of companionship.
Q
What was it about the Redemptorists that attracted you? They were so friendly, and they were tremendous preachers. It was such a great contrast to the diocesan priests. Our pastor was a won-
derful priest, but he couldn’t preach. The Redemptorists had something to say, they said it very clearly, and it was nice. As altar boys we’d meet them in the sacristy getting ready for Mass, and invariably they would talk to the altar boys; they’d have something to say. You’ve worn a lot of hats in your career. What’s it been like to do so many different things? That’s what we were trained for: you can fit yourself into any kind of work if you just make up your mind to do it. In religious life, you really don’t depend that much on your surroundings. Your life is an interior life, and no matter what goes on outside, it’s the interior that counts. The presence of God keeps you nice and quiet and peaceful because you don’t have
Q
to worry about anything. God is with you. If you start worrying about stuff, there’s no end to worry. It’s [being aware of ] the presence of God and knowing that God takes care of us whether we deserve it or not. Life is meant to be peaceful and happy.
Q
What do you think is the most rewarding aspect of being a priest? That’s hard to say. Part is saying Mass daily, part is being a Redemptorist and living in a house with the Blessed Sacrament, living with Our Lord, and also— how do I put this?—the conviction of the people who feel that a priest can give them special help. People confide in you. People tell you their troubles that they wouldn’t tell anyone else. It’s a great feeling of well-being to have helped somebody who has problems, whether solvable or not. That you bring some relief to people who are confused sometimes, in sin even. You bring some light into some people’s lives whose lives are not so bright at all. I think it’s the reaching out toward people in need that only a priest can do because people wouldn’t tell their problems to anyone else.
Q
Who is your favorite saint? Well, of course the Blessed Mother, and St. Joseph. I have a pretty good devotion to St. Joseph. Then I have a debt to pay to St. John Neumann. When I was in Rome in, I think, 1984, I planned a trip during the summer to visit the places where St. Clement Hofbauer worked—Germany, Austria. Before I went, I thought I’d better get a physical. So I went to the doctor, and he took a blood sample and found out I had leukemia. Out of the blue. Well, I stormed heaven with St. John Neumann,
Pope St. John Paul II greets Father Hoegerl in Rome on April 9, 2000, the date Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos was beatified. Father Hoegerl was instrumental in the sainthood cause.
and I came home right away, went to the lay clinic where they took care of me, and after seven months it was all gone, and I haven’t had a relapse. It’s all gone. For follow-up I would go to the lay clinic and see the same doctor who took care of me in the beginning, and he would see the results and say, “It’s really not supposed to go like this.” That was 30 years ago now.
Q
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? I’m interested in history and walking. At my age, I don’t have the legs I used to have, but when I first got here, I got myself a book, A to Z Something or Other, and it included all the churches in Manhattan. On Wednesdays, when I took a day off, I’d go to the city and visit two or three more churches. It was kind of a hobby, not wandering around, but having this distinct objective, so I almost finished those. And anyhow, I’m getting to be very afraid of falling. My age, you know. The big challenge is getting old. You just can’t do all the things
you used to do. I must say, being a Redemptorist, everyone’s very concerned about you, for you. We have no fears of being abandoned in old age because our confreres take care of us. It’s something marvelous.
Q
What are your thoughts on having spent 70 years in the community? Being a Redemptorist has been a tremendous gift of God to me. Having St. Alphonsus as one’s model—he was such a marvelous individual. What strikes me about him is that there was only one focal point in his life, and that was to love Jesus. We have a lot of disparate interests that are distracting. Most of them are worthwhile, but when you read his writings, what he’s interested in is getting you to see how much Jesus loved us in His life and death and how much we should love Him. He says in one of his letters to the confreres, when he was Superior General, “If we don’t love Jesus, who will?” And that’s what we’re all about. We have to remind ourselves that nothing is really important except that. n Winter/Spring 2016 | 9
Mary:
the icon of love
For 150 years Redemptorists have promoted Our Mother of Perpetual Help. But now we have new insight into this miraculous icon. By Mary C. Weaver
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early 150 years ago—in the spring of what do we do with the next 150 years? 1866—the Redemptorists were given What’s the mission?” said Brother Daniel a very specific mission of evangeliKorn, C.Ss.R., in an interview with Perpetual zation by Pope Pius IX: to make the miracHelp magazine. ulous icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help The icon’s jubilee celebration began June 27, “known throughout the world.” 2015, and will continue throughout the year At that time the ancient icon had just been following the 150th anniversary celebration in rediscovered, after June 2016. years of obscurity in Brother Dan is an a small chapel. Many iconologist who has “After 150 years of spreading devotion to believed the image extensively studied her all over the known world, now we have Our Mother of Perhad been lost when the Roman church petual Help and now to ask ourselves, what do we do with the that formerly housed gives retreats and next 150 years? What’s the mission?” it, St. Matthew, was missions focused on destroyed by Napothe icon. He is the —Brother Daniel Korn, C.Ss.R. leon’s forces. author of the new Since the papal book Embracing the mandate, Redemptorists have eagerly promoted Icon of Love (Liguori Publications, 2015). devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, as the “We Redemptorists have to ask, what’s the next Congregation grew and spread globally. They’ve givphase in the history of the icon? Most of us believe it en missions and led novenas all over the world. And is teaching the people to pray and read the icon.” in the United States it’s unusual to find a Catholic As the Eastern Church teaches, icons are much church that doesn’t have the famous icon on display. more than beautiful pictures. They are “the Gospel in “After 150 years of spreading devotion to her all image form,” said Brother Dan. over the known world, now we have to ask ourselves, In his book, Brother Dan writes that “When we 10 | Perpetual Help
“Her face, her ear, and her mouth are showing us that we can be in the mystery of Christ by being contemplative, by listening and taking in the Gospel. She’s asking us to go deeper into the mystery.” —Brother Dan
focus on sacred images within iconography, we see the mystery of salvation with new eyes of awareness as we’re called into a deeper experience of the holy.” He explains that the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help is itself an instrument of evangelization, with five “chapters,” or elements, of the Gospel story. Mary’s face The first chapter is Mary’s face, with eyes of compassion and contemplation that gaze at the viewer, not the Child Jesus. Tradition holds that Jesus blesses whomever his mother gazes upon. Her mouth is small—a sign of contemplation—and her ear is visible. “In Mary’s time women never showed their hair or ears outside the home,” said Brother Dan. “But in icons of Our Lady, you’ll see part of her ear” as a symbol of her hearing the Annunciation. She is always listening, always attuned to the Father’s will. “Our Mother of Perpetual Help always teaches us how to be in the mystery of Christ,” said Brother Dan. “So her face, her ear, and her mouth are showing us that we can be in the mystery of Christ by being
contemplative, by listening and taking in the Gospel. She’s asking us to go deeper into the mystery.” Mary’s hands Her right hand is straight and pointing toward Christ. Her left arm and hand hold Jesus but don’t pull Him toward herself. Instead, she presents Jesus to us as we look at the icon. It’s almost as though she’s inviting us to reach out toward Him. The Child Jesus The third chapter is Christ Himself, and His gaze, garments, and feet are all significant, as Brother Dan explains in his book. Many people have been fascinated with the sandal falling from one of Jesus’ feet. One traditional story holds that the Child Jesus was given a vision of the crucifixion and ran to His mother to be comforted. In His haste, one of His sandals came loose. Winter/Spring 2016 | 11
“This desire for God is planted in every human heart, but Mary, with her maternal warmth, is probably the easiest and most nonthreatening road back to the Father.” —Father Philip Dabney, C.Ss.R. “I always tell people that story is wonderful, but there’s so much more,” said Brother Dan. “We didn’t tell you a fairy tale; it’s the way we understood the picture from our point of view, not being schooled in Byzantine iconography.” In fact, “the falling sandal is a sign of Jesus’ humility in taking on our humanity,” Brother Dan writes in his book. His sandals are golden—a sign of His divinity, concealed within His humanity. The angels The Archangel Gabriel on the right of the icon holds the cross and nails, and the letters above him signify his name. He—the angelic messenger of the Annunciation—bows toward the Virgin Mary. The Archangel Michael, at left, holds the lance, sponge, and jar of gall and vinegar used during the crucifixion. He too is identified with the letters above his image. Both angels’ hands are veiled—“a sign of reverence and respect,” writes Brother Dan. The golden background The icon’s richly gilded background signifies the divine light of God and His redemptive love. Those who contemplate the icon will also notice the many golden touches on the garments of Mary and Jesus as well as their halos. The “golden light of the background radiates throughout the icon,” writes Brother Dan. “It is the healing, compassionate light of the Godhead, the same light that infused the body of Jesus at the resurrection.” 12 | Perpetual Help
The future of Marian devotion After the Second Vatican Council, devotion to Mary fell out of fashion among many people. But that began to turn around in the past 25 years, “and the one who really put Mary back on the map and helped ignite devotion to her again was Pope St. John Paul II,” said Father Philip Dabney, C.Ss.R., in an interview with Perpetual Help. Father Dabney is the Redemptorist North American Conference’s representative on the General Commission for the Jubilee Celebrations. Far from diverting our attention from Jesus, devotion to Mary brings us closer to Christ, he said. One key reason for renewed attention to Mary, he noted, is the “hunger in our world for the supernatural.” “This desire for God is planted in every human heart, but Mary, with her maternal warmth, is probably the easiest and most nonthreatening road back to the Father.” In today’s culture, he said, “Mary is a spring of fresh water. She helps us to see God, and she opens our hearts to Jesus.” A former vocation director for the Redemptorists, Father Dabney said that a large percentage of young men who have become priests in the past 20 years have found their vocation “because they either began a devotion to Mary or always had a devotion to her.” After all, he said, Mary is the God-bearer, who models what it means to be a disciple and carries out the mission of bringing Christ into the world. How can Catholics come to a deeper relationship with God and a better understanding of Our Mother of Perpetual Help through her icon? First, said Father Dabney, “You have to understand that an icon is not an image or a painting per se. It’s a door or a window, and it’s not painted, it’s written. In its story we find the story of our salvation—the incarnation, the passion, and the resurrection of Christ.” Mary continued on page 14
Join us in June 2016 for an
Unforgettable Pilgrimage
Italy to
1111 Days! DAYS! June 220-30 June 0-30 2016
2016
Celebrate the 150th jubilee of the Redemptorists’ being entrusted with the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
HOSTED BY
Father Paul Borowski, C.Ss.R. Provincial Superior and
Father Philip Dabney, C.Ss.R.
North American representative on the Central Commission to plan the icon’s 150th anniversary
The Redemptorists
With Him is plentiful redemption. (Psalm 130:7)
To learn more or request a brochure, call 877-876-7662 or visit perpetualhelp.us.
Mary continued from page 12
“You have to understand that an icon is not an image or a painting per se. It’s a door or a window, and it’s not painted, it’s written.” —Father Dabney
Available now: 2016 Daily Lenten Devotions Ash Wednesday falls on February 10 this year. During the blessed 40 days of Lent, we’ll prepare our hearts and souls for Easter— the most glorious feast of all. To help with your Lenten journey, we’ve created a Daily Lenten Devotions booklet with text in both English and Spanish. In it you’ll find a reflection for each day, written by one of our Redemptorist priests. They’ve created these brief readings just for you, hoping to bring you joy and comfort and draw you closer to our Redeemer. You can purchase a copy for $5, which includes shipping and handling, by calling 877-876-7662 toll-free or visiting our online gift shop at redemptorists.net/devotions. Or you can download a free pdf copy of the English version at redemptorists.net/booklet. Easter Mass cards for 2016 will also be available soon, at no cost. Call us at the number above or check our gift shop at redemptorists.net/store. Please connect with us on Facebook too: point your web browser to facebook.com/ RedemptoristsBaltimore. n
14 | Perpetual Help
Because it’s an icon, he explained, its role is to lead us into the presence of God. It’s something to be prayed with rather than prayed to or at. “As you pray with it, you contemplate the image, and it brings you into the presence of God and into a relationship,” he said. “Finally, you want to move toward contemplation. And once you’re in the presence of Mary and her compassion and her son, then you speak your needs or speak heart to heart. “Because you can’t help but feel that you are in the presence of one
who’s listening and whose eyes alone tell you that she knows. She knows your sorrow and your heart; she understands.” n Toni Pacitti helped research this article. For more information about the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, visit the Icon of Love website at www.iconoflove.org or redemptorists.net/icon. To learn more about our pilgrimage to Italy in June 2016, in honor of the icon’s jubilee, visit perpetualhelp. us. To order Brother Daniel Korn’s book Embracing the Icon of Love, visit liguori. org/embracing-the-icon-of-love.html.
Vocations continued from page 3
the gift of perseverance, I also utter a prayer of thanks for those who supported my vocation, most especially my parents for allowing me to follow my dream. Many of us reading this are either Redemptorists or have a special place for the Redemptorists in our hearts. We are better people because of one or several Redemptorists who have allowed us to experience the face of a loving God. I say this in all humility: we Redemptorists are a great group of men. Why would we not invite someone to join the ranks of the Redemptorists? Perhaps there is a person you know who needs a little push. (Perhaps an invitation to miss a few days of work or school is all he needs!) The job of vocations is not just that of the Province’s vocation director or Redemp-
torist confreres but of anyone reading these words. The year 2015 has seen our Congregation blessed with new and zealous members. There is so much we as Redemptorists would love to do, but the “harvest is plentiful and laborers few.” Don’t be afraid to pray for vocations! Don’t be afraid to ask someone if he or she ever considered a vocation! May Our Mother of Perpetual Help be with all those considering God’s call in their lives, and may she always be with them, offering them the grace of perseverance. In the Redeemer, Father Paul Borowski, C.Ss.R.
Redemptorist jubilarians
Join us in thanking God for the gift of their ministry.
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he following priests and brothers celebrated significant anniversaries of their profession as Redemptorists and/or their ordination to the priesthood in 2015. Please join us in thanking God for the gift of their ministry and pray for their continued faithfulness in service to God’s people. Anniversary of profession 70 Years (1945) Father Karl A. Aschmann, C.Ss.R. Father Carl W. Hoegerl, C.Ss.R. Father Eugene J. Grohe, C.Ss.R. 65 Years (1950) Brother Raphael Rock, C.Ss.R. Father Gerard G. Oberle, C.Ss.R. Father William H. Tracy, C.Ss.R. Father Andrew W. Carr, C.Ss.R. Father John J. Bauer, C.Ss.R. 60 Years (1955) Father James Geiger, C.Ss.R. Father Ruskin Piedra, C.Ss.R. Father John Furey, C.Ss.R. Father William Gaffney, C.Ss.R. Brother Christopher (Francis) Walsh, C.Ss.R. 50 Years (1965) Father Ronald Bonneau, C.Ss.R. Father Norman Bennett, C.Ss.R. Father Charles McDonald, C.Ss.R. Father Francis Gargani, C.Ss.R. Father James Gilmour, C.Ss.R. Father Charles Donovan, C.Ss.R. Father Francis Skelly, C.Ss.R. Father Thomas Sullivan, C.Ss.R. Father Eugene Daigle, C.Ss.R. Father Mark Wise, C.Ss.R.
40 Years (1975) Father Joseph Dionne, C.Ss.R. Father Jack Fiske, C.Ss.R. Father John Kingsbury, C.Ss.R. Father Kevin O’Neil, C.Ss.R. 25 Years (1990) Father Richard Bennett, C.Ss.R. Father John Bailey, C.Ss.R. Anniversary of ordination Anniversary of ordination 65 Years (1950) Father Karl A. Aschmann, C.Ss.R. Father Carl W. Hoegerl, C.Ss.R. Father Eugene J. Grohe, C.Ss.R. 60 Years (1955) Father Gerard G. Oberle, C.Ss.R. Father William H. Tracy, C.Ss.R. Father Andrew W. Carr, C.Ss.R. 50 Years (1965) Father Anthony T. Russo, C.Ss.R. Father Arthur B. Tuttle, C.Ss.R. Father Thomas M. Deely, C.Ss.R. Father Lawrence P. Kearns, C.Ss.R. Father Andrew J. Costello, C.Ss.R. Father Terence E. Wall, C.Ss.R. Father Clement M. Krug, C.Ss.R. Father John Connor, C.Ss.R.
40 Years (1975) Father Brian Kennedy, C.Ss.R. Father Donald Roth, C.Ss.R. Father Gerard Knapp, C.Ss.R. Father Joseph Tizio, C.Ss.R. Father Robert Pagliari, C.Ss.R. Father Patrick Woods, C.Ss.R. Father Alistair McKay, C.Ss.R. 25 Years (1990) Father James McDonald, C.Ss.R. Father Clement John Vadakkedath, C.Ss.R.
Winter/Spring 2016 | 15
Gift
‘The
of the
Priesthood’’ Three men are ordained for the Province in the Caribbean and the United States. BY MARY C. WEAVER
16 | Perpetual Help
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his year the Redemptorists’ Balti- more Province reaped a rich harvest of brand-new priests. On May 26 Father Calvin Auguiste, 26, was ordained in Dominica, one of the island nations in the Region of the English-Speaking Caribbean, which is part of the Baltimore Province. Five days later, on May 31, nine Redemptorists were ordained in Port-au-Prince, Haiti—one, Father Jacky Mérilan, 32, for the English-Speaking Caribbean and eight for the Region of Haiti. Two of those eight—Fathers Pierre Desruisseaux and Yvon Trémont—are currently on assignment with the Baltimore Province, Father Desruisseaux at Mission Church in Boston and Father Trémont at St. Peter the Apostle in Philadelphia. And on June 27 Father Anthony Michalik, 61, was ordained in Ephrata, Pa., at his home parish of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. The following day, when Father Michalik celebrated his first Mass—in the company of dozens of Redemptorists, including Fathers Auguiste, Mérilan, Desruisseaux, and Trémont—Provincial Superior
“This conversion always begins with self. You can’t talk or preach about conversion if you haven’t done it yourself.” —Father Richard Bennett, C.Ss.R.
Father Calvin Auguiste celebrates his first Mass on May 27 at St. Gerard Church in Dominica.
Father Paul Borowski gave the homily. “As we gather today to celebrate the gift God’s given Anthony, the gift of the priesthood, we as a Redemptorist family are coming to the end of a monthlong celebration of ordinations,” he said. “It is indeed a day to give praise and thanks to God for His goodness, for bestowing His Spirit upon all these fine men, to serve as priests at His altar.” The Holy Spirit “poured into your heart and soul” during an ordination Mass’s prayer of consecration is the same Spirit “that was given to you at baptism, at confirmation, at your profession of final vows,” Father Borowski said. “God has given you life in the Spirit and asks you now, after days of celebration, to go forth and proclaim the Gospel to all people—but to do it with the Spirit of our Heavenly Father. God’s Spirit is in your continued on page 19
Posing with Cardinal Chibly Langlois of Haiti are eight new Redemptorist priests ordained for the Region of Haiti and one for the Region of the English-Speaking Caribbean. Father Charles Duval, far left, is provincial of the Province of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in Quebec; Father Rodney Olive, far right, is superior of the Region of the English-Speaking Caribbean. Winter/Spring 2016 | 17
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Father Jacky Mérilan processes out of the church after his ordination on May 31.
heart and in your soul.” The new priests are now serving in the States and the Caribbean. Father Auguiste is based at Seelos House, Vieux Fort, St. Lucia, West Indies; Father Mérilan in Roseau, Dominica; and Father Michalik at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia. The consecrating bishop for the four-hour ordination Mass in Portau-Prince on May 31 was Cardinal Chibly Langlois. Because the church—St. Gerard—was never repaired after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010, the Mass was held under a metal-roofed structure with no exterior walls and no air-conditioning. Thousands of the faithful packed the celebration, conducted in French. (View a video from the Mass at redemptorists.net/haiti.) In Dominica the main celebrant for the May 26 ordination Mass was Bishop Gabriel Malzaire of Roseau. Concelebrants included Father Rodney Olive, Regional Superior for the English-Speaking Caribbean, and Redemptorists from the Caribbean, United States, and Canada. (Video from the Mass can be seen at redemptorists.net/dominica.) Bishop Ronald Gainer of Harrisburg, Pa., was the primary celebrant
for Father Michalik’s ordination Mass on June 27, the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. (Watch a video from the Mass at redemptorists.net/michalik.) The rule of the Redemptorists calls confreres to be apostles of conversion, as Father Richard Bennett, former vocation director, reminded Father Auguiste during his Mass of thanksgiving in Dominica on May 27. “This conversion always begins with self,” he said during his homily. “You can’t talk or preach about conversion if you haven’t done it yourself. “Bring people to an experience of Christ, an experience of redemption, an experience of conversion. As you celebrate the Eucharist—the pinnacle of our prayer and ministry—you will hold the sacred Host in your hands, say the words of institution, and re-
Important moments in an ordination Mass Promise of obedience: Each candidate kneels before the bishop, places his hands between those of the bishop, and promises respect and obedience to the local ordinary and to his religious superiors.
The Litany of the Saints: Priest candidates lie prostrate while cantors lead the sung litany, asking the saints by name to pray for those to be ordained. All respond, “pray for us.” Laying on of hands: Each candidate kneels before the bishop, who lays his hands on the ordinand’s head, invoking the power of the Holy Spirit. All the priests present now lay their hands upon the candidate in silence. The bishop prays the prayer of consecration.
Bishop Ronald Gainer presents the chalice to Father Anthony Michalik on June 27.
peat ‘Do this in memory of Me.’” Addressing the newly ordained, Father Bennett said, “May you live Christ’s example, may you live His word, His beatitudes, His values, His Gospel, and this sacred meal, the Lord’s supper that was left to us. “And then you will know, as Pope Francis says, the joy of the Gospel, as you preach and teach, sanctify, and make whole. It is in giving that you shall receive. It is by evangelizing that you yourself shall be evangelized by God’s chosen people.” n
Investiture with stole and chasuble: After the prayer of consecration, priestly vestments are presented to the newly ordained. An assisting priest helps the new priest arrange his stole and put on his chasuble for the first time. Anointing of hands: The new priest kneels before the bishop, who anoints his palms with chrism—holy oil. The bishop says, “The Father anointed Our Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus preserve you to sanctify the Christian people and to offer sacrifice to God.” n Winter/Spring 2016 | 19
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Entrusted with the miraculous icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
JOIN US at the National Shrine to honor Our Mother of Perpetual Help In 1866—150 years ago—Pope Pius IX gave the Redemptorists the miraculous icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, asking us to “make her known throughout the world.”
We’re celebrating this Jubilee all year long, and you’re invited! Please join us in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, September 17, for a 150th-anniversary event, begin-
ning with Mass at 2 p.m. at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, followed by a festive reception. Call 877-876-7662 toll free for more information.