“Make of the world one family”
Xaverian Mission Volume 58 - No. 2 |
May 2010
Newsletter
Website: xaviermissionaries.org • MissionBlog: xaverianmissionaries.blogspot.com
CATHOLICS & AMERICA’S RELIGIOUS & CULTURAL DIVERSITY
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he Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org) is a center dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. One way they do this is by tracking the activities of hate groups and domestic terrorists across America, and then launch and they launch innovative lawsuits that seek to destroy networks of extremists. Hate groups stayed at record levels — almost 1000 nationwide. Antiimmigrant vigilante groups soared by nearly 80%, adding some 136 new groups during 2009. And, most remarkably of all, so-called “Patriot” groups — militias and other organizations that see the federal government as part of a plot to impose ―one-world government‖ on liberty-loving Americans — came roaring back after years out of the limelight.
Highlights
• The Passing of Fr. Peterlini • Serving Jesus Smol-Smol • •
Letter from a Missionary in Colombia America‘s Religious Pluralism and our Catholic Challenge
• Spirituality for the Marketplace • Four Steps to Better Prayer • World Mission News Digest ... and more
The Auxiliary Bishop of Washington DC, Francisco González, with Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, and Dr. Ingrid Mattson.
Cultural and religious diversity is part of a long tradition in the US, yet today it is often perceived as a threat to the cohesion of increasingly diversified societies like ours. The US Census Bureau projects that white Caucasians in the US will be a minority by 2050. As a Church, we hold that cultural and religious diversity can constitute a positive contribution to humanity, and is indeed God‘s vision.
a model of religious and cultural pluralism, and to humbly offer that model to the world?
As missionaries across faith and cultural borders, we understand the gift our religious and cultural diversity is, not only to our own country, but to all the world. What if we decided that part of our goal for the 21st century as the American Catholic Church was to create
In this number of XMN we look at why this is such a crucial issue in the way we attempt to live out our passion for Christ and for humanity. U
Religious and cultural pluralism goes beyond mere tolerance for diversity and requires that we build positive relationships and work with one an-other. It is a state where we respect each other‘s religious identity and work together to make this world a better place.
Catholic in a World of Many Faiths
The Passing of Fr. “Lucky” Peterlini
X averian Missionaries of the
United States Region
Provincial Headquarters 12 Helene Court Wayne, NJ 07470-2813 Tel.: (973) 942-2975 Fax: (973) 942-5012 Email: usaprovincial@gmail.com Xavier Knoll Pre-Novitiate House 4500 Xavier Drive Franklin, WI 53132-9066 Tel.: (414) 421-0831 Fax: (414) 421-9108 E-mail: xavmissionswi@hotmail.com Mission Center & Fatima Shrine 101 Summer Street P.O. Box 5857 Holliston, MA 01746-5857 Tel.: (508) 429-2144 Fax: (508) 429-4793 E-mail: holliston.sx@gmail.com
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Xaverian Mission Newsletter Official publication of the Xaverian Missionaries of the United States
Coordinating Editor Fr. Carl Chudy Editorial Team Fr. Tony Lalli Fr. Joseph Matteucig Fr. Alfredo Turco Layout Consultant Diamand Design, Wrentham, MA Printing Rea-Craft Press, Inc. Foxboro, MA E-mail & Web:
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n February 16th in a hot after-noon last month in Sierra Leone, West Africa, a quiet, unassuming and overwhelmingly generous missionary priest passed away. His name was Fr. Luciano Peterlini, and to many who shared his warm friendship and pastoral zeal, he was Fr. “Lucky”. He worked for more than ten years as a young priest in the United States, teaching in our seminary High School and encouraging missionary vocations among young people. Prior to his departure to Sierra Leone, where he spent the last 36 years of his life, Fr. “Lucky” was an inspiration and friend to many in the USA. Mrs. Anne Petrarca, a very close friend of the Xaverian Missionaries and Co-President of the West Essex Xaverian Mission League, who has tirelessly promoted the mission of the Church for more than 30 years, fondly recalls her friendship with Fr. Lucky: “In the early 1970’s, we were expecting the parish priest in Roseland, New Jersey, for Sunday dinner. He called and asked if he could bring along a visiting missionary. That began a friendship with Fr. Lucky that would last over 30 years.
“Fr. Luciano started helping out at our sister Parish, St. Aloysius in Caldwell, New Jersey. He would find time to come visit, share a meal and play catch with our children. He would ride around the yard in the boys’ go-cart. Then over coffee and dessert he would talk about the missions. When he came back to visit from Sierra Leone, he would always find time to visit our family and tell us about his life and work.”
Xaverian Mission Newsletter • May 2010
Fr. Peterlini in his last years in Sierra Leone.
“He shared with us that during the terrible war that was inflicted on Sierra Leone from 1991-2002, horrific times of destruction and murder followed. Yet these were his people, and he felt God calling him to minister to them. There was no where else he would rather be.” In the last few years of his life he suffered from Parkinson’s Disease but continued to serve in the selfless ways he always did for the mission of the Church, to the poorest of the poor.
Fr. Luciano, third from the left, readies to leave for Sierra Leone in 1974 from New Jersey.
We are all indeed “lucky” to have known such a soul as Fr. Peterlini. U – CC
Xaverian Missionaries in the World
Serving Jesus “Smol-Smol” (meaning: “a little” in Sierra Leone) By Brother Patrick Santianez Salazar, SX
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rother Patrick Santianez Salazar is a Xaverian Missionary from the Philippines, working in Sierra Leone prior to completing his last year of theology. He took his first vows May 1, 2004. “We are made for service to care for all of humanity…” This is one of my favorite lines in the song called Service. Jesus Christ many times asked his disciples to serve, not to be served. He taught his disciples and all of us that life is about serving others; it is about giving up ones life for the other, for our friends. When I left the Philippines on June 24, 2008 and was assigned here in Sierra Leone one thing was clear to me, that I am here to serve. But how? I really did not know at the beginning. It was only later that I began to discover my small contribution to our work in Sierra Leone. In my first months I was struck by how hopeful people were here, in spite of the great poverty and aftermath of destruction from the war. They love to sing and dance in every celebration,
especially during the Eucharist or the Liturgy of the Word. Sierra Leoneans are indeed a warm and generous people. Everybody is their brother and sister. They like to greet people even if they don’t know that person. They say “thank you” when they see you working or doing something. It is their openness to me that encourages me, in spite of some problems and fears. I try to share whatever gifts the Lord has given me with the people I serve here. Four times a week, in the evening hours, I visit the Christian communities I am assigned to for catechesis in order to prepare them for baptism and later for confirmation. Most of the catechumens are youth and there are some adults. In them I see their enthusiasm and interest to embrace Christianity. I admire their perseverance and determination to wait for the sacraments of initiation, a two year journey. Every Sunday I share the Liturgy of the Word with the communities. Sierra Leonean Catholics have a high regard for ritual in the celebrations. Just by the way they dress, which is quite formal, I can see their respect for the Eucharist. Some of them are really pre(continued on next page)
Brother Patrick with a small boy.
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Xaverian Missionaries in the World
Somewhere between Bo and Kenema in Sierra Leone. (continued from page 3)
“In serving the Lord in this country my talents developed and my trust and confidence in myself was strengthened.�
Bro. Patrick leading Palm Sunday services.
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pared and well versed in the scripture readings for that particular Sunday. One thing that impresses me is the prayer of the faithful when the people pray and raise their problems and concerns to God. Through the intercessory prayers they show their reliance on God in their struggles and their determination to be faithful. Last academic year I taught mathematics in one of our junior secondary schools. It was not an easy task to teach this subject since most of the students found it difficult to follow the lessons due to a lack of books and mathematics texts. In order to lessen the uneasiness of this subject, I gave the students extra time. My presence in the school was not only to teach but also to share my faith in Jesus even though most of them are Muslim. In serving the Lord in this country my talents developed and my trust and confidence in myself was strengthened. I have had my share of struggles, too, such as finding the language difficult, coming down with
Xaverian Mission Newsletter • May 2010
malaria, and traditional practices among the people I have yet to understand. But one thing is clear, God never abandons us. He provides me with insight and reasonably good health that enables me to share in the mission of the Church here in Sierra Leone. My missionary life is a smol-smol service to His Kingdom. U
Letters from our Missionaries
Letters from our Missionaries
Father Mark Marangone from Colombia
Ingrid Betancourt (born December 25, 1961) is a Colombian politician, former senator, anti-corruption activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Betancourt was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on February 23, 2002 and was rescued by Colombian security forces six and a half years later on July 2, 2008.
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r. Mark Marangone both prepared for missionary priesthood and worked for a number of years in the USA. Here he sends a letter regarding his work in Colombia, where he has been working for more than 14 years.
Dear Friends, I continue to live and work in BogotĂĄ, the capital of Colombia, as pastor of La Encarnacion, a parish around 50 meters from our Xaverian center. This parish has been entrusted to the Xaverian Missionaries since 2001. When we first took over this parish, I was assistant to Father Leonardo Raffaini. He returned to Italy in 2003 for health reasons. I understand he will soon return to Colombia and I am looking forward to that. There is more work here than one priest can handle and I am thankful to our other fathers, Father Augustinus and Father Mauro, who give me a hand. I could never do this alone. As the community grows, we have added services and another mass, especially for the children preparing for Holy Communion, about 80 each year. We also have another community in another part of town. Sacramental service is always demanding, but so satisfying. Fr. Mark Marangone
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America’s Religious Pluralism America’s Great Gift
A Some thoughts here were inspired by Fr. Tom Ryan, CSP of the Paulist Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations and Iboo Patel of the Interfaith Youth Corp of Chicago. See their links at: www.Ifyc.org and www.paulist.org/unity
merica is now one of the most religiously devout countries in the West and the most religiously diverse country in the world. Let me give you an example of what that means. The episcopal Church, which many of America’s founding fathers attended, has about 2.2 million members in America. In contrast, there are today six million Muslims in America. Why is this important? First, because the cornerstone of any diverse society is the relationships between its different communities. As the political philosopher Michael Walzer writes, “The challenge of America is to embrace its differences while maintaining a common life.” America’s religious diversity matters because we live in an age of global religious conflict. There is enormous opportunity here. While the negative images we see of Muslims in Iraq and elsewhere can certainly impact the way we see our neighbors here in America, developing positive relations between different religious communities in America can have an enriching impact abroad. What if America looked at its unique situation as an opportunity? What if we decided that part of our goal for the 21st century was to create a model of religious pluralism, and to humbly offer that model to the world?
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Xaverian Mission Newsletter • May 2010
There is little doubt that the 21st century will be shaped by the question of the faith line. What if America today takes religious pluralism as seriously as we took racial diversity in the 1960s? There is certainly fear that the fighting between Hindus and Muslims in Bombay, between Catholics and Protestants in Belfast, between Sunnis and Shias in Baghdad, can have repercussions in Boston. But getting the rela-
A Catholic priest, a Jewish Rabbi and his wife and a Muslim imam participate in a program in a Catholic parish.
tionships between these different communities right in Boston can have positive repercussions right back.
The Centrality of Interfaith Dialogue in Catholic Outreach In a very relevant way, this take on our religious diversity as a nation is an opening to the central commitment of interfaith dialogue of the Catholic Church in its outreach both here in the US and worldwide. In 1964 Pope Paul VI wrote in Lumen Gentium (On the Church) generally considered the magna carta of dialogue with other faiths— “that the Church must be a people in dialogue with the world” (4).
& Our Catholic Challenge Under the pontificate of John Paul II the Church continued to develop the relation between mission and interreligious dialogue. This all important task was seen not merely as an aspect of Catholic mission but a constitutive element of the task of the Church to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Pope John Paul II said: “As far as the local churches are concerned, they must commit themselves to helping all the faithful to respect and to esteem the values, traditions and convictions of other believers. At the same time, they must promote a solid and suitable religious education of the Christians themselves so that they know how to give convinced witness to the great gift of faith. No local church is exempt from this duty, which is made urgent…” He went on to say, “Authentic dialogue becomes witness, and true evangelization is accomplished by respecting and listening to one another.”
US Catholics and a New Interreligious Solidarity The privilege (as St. Paul termed it) of worldwide Catholic outreach, starting right here at home grounds itself in the Lord’s ardent desire to reach out to all of humanity through the Church. This is a task not only for missionaries in far away lands, but for all Catholics and all parishes. There is no conflict between proclaiming Christ and engaging in dialogue with other faith traditions.
John Paul II also reminds us: “Dialogue is based on hope and love, and will bear fruit in the Spirit. Other religions constitute a positive challenge for the Church: they stimulate her both to discover and acknowledge the signs of Christ’s presence and of the working of the Spirit, as well as to examine more deeply her own identity and to bear witness to the fullness of Revelation which she has
“What if we decided that part of our goal for the 21st century was to create a model of religious pluralism, and to humbly offer that model to the world?”
Scene from an interreligious youth conference outside of Chicago of 2009 where more than 700 youth from the major religions attended.
received for the good of all.” The Catholic answer to extremism is to help create a world of religious pluralism where faiths seek solidarity in tackling together the great challenges facing today’s world. Imagine a world where Catholics and peoples of all faiths come together to create understanding and respect by serving together our communities. What better way to overcome the pain of religious extremism in all its forms. This challenge of Catholic mission in the 21st century waits for us all. U – Fr. Carl Chudy, SX
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World Mission Spirituality
Spirituality for the Marketplace Reflection on the Papal Encyclical: Charity in Truth Based on an article by Sr. Katherine Feeley, SND educationforjustice.org
“... humanity is called beyond exchanges of economic advantage to encounters of grace, to generosity, altruism, and selflessness.”
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ope Benedict XVI examines the root causes and dynamics at the heart of a series of economic and social crises now confronting the church and world. Benedict’s mantra throughout his latest encyclical or teaching, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), stresses that human actions in economic, political and social spheres have moral implications and impact on the local and world community.
In Caritas in Veritate, Benedict looks at the ‘logic of the market’ and finds it inadequate when left to its own workings. The role of the state, Benedict insists, must not be abrogated to the market when the power of the market or the seduction of capital or the lure of generating wealth goes unchecked. We continue to see the harm done at the personal, societal and global levels. In contrast to the ‘logic of the market’ Benedict lifts up the ‘logic of gift’ and the principle of gratuitousness which challenge the foundations upon which economic theories are built. Instead he recognizes that humanity is called beyond exchanges of economic advantage to encounters of grace, exchanges of greater meaning; they are called to generosity, altruism, and selflessness. They are called to a life in community, to solidarity, where exclusion is not an option. The human person is not guided by the invisible hand of the market but by the human heart with divine origins and an ultimate destiny far greater than anything the market can offer. This principle requires recognition of the giver, namely
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Xaverian Mission Newsletter • May 2010
God, and an enlightened perspective framing our world view. Prior to the release of the encyclical, Benedict remarked, “The conviction that the world is a gift of God, and that God has entered the twists and turns of human history, is the perspective from which Christians view creation as having a reason and a purpose.” (L’Osservatore Romano, May 20, 2009). Our own human insufficiency allows us to draw on a love that is deeper, an embrace that is ever more inclusive, and a mercy that exceeds the demands of justice. We ourselves are gifts: our lives, our actions are to be gifts for others. It provides a foundation for restoring the most essential bonds of connectedness that make persons more human, not less, reminding them that they are divine beings not merely consumers, that they are not sufficient unto themselves, but grounded in a profound sense of communion within our communities and the entire globe.
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Become a Partner in Global Mission
1. Ask God
Four Steps to Better Prayer
Being a person of prayer is not some-thing we achieve by our own strenuous effort. I am reminded of a story from the desert fathers, early Christian hermits who lived in the Egyptian and Palestinian desert, that illustrates this point. A young monk asked the old Master, “How long will it take me to achieve “enlightenment?” The Master replied, “Five years.” The young monk asked, “But what if I work really, really hard?” The Master re-plied, “Ten years.”
Reflection on the Papal Encyclical: Charity in Truth Based on an article by Sr. Melanie Svoboda, SND
Prayer is a grace God gives us. We must never forget that. But it is a grace God is eager to give. It is also a grace we can make ourselves more likely to receive. We can begin by simply asking God for the grace of prayerfulness.
vocation-network.org
2. Slow down and notice things We live in an age characterized by busyness and excessive speed. Such busyness breeds impatience. Be honest. Do you ever get impatient be-cause your microwave or computer is “too slow”? Do you get antsy waiting in check-out lines, at red lights, or when a friend is five minutes late? Prayer begins with attentiveness. And attentiveness is something we can cultivate. We begin by noticing little things: the way the sunlight is streaming through the window, the chirp of a robin in an oak tree, the scent of the soap in our hands, the steady in-and-out of our breathing. Slowing down and being attentive are vital to prayer, for they increase our likelihood of finding traces of God in our everyday lives.
3. Begin to pray I often begin my prayer by telling God where I happen to be at this particular time: “God, I‘m feeling great today. . . . God, I‘m exhausted . . . Jesus, I‘m sad and I do know why. . .. God, I‘m so worried about so-and-so. . .. God, I‘m really mad.” In prayer, it‘s often good to start just where we are and go from there.
“There are many different ways to pray. Experimenting with various prayer forms can be healthy.”
4. Seek help There are many wonderful resources out there to help us with our prayer. Countless books, for ex-ample, have been written about prayer. Devotional magazines such as Living Faith, Living with Christ, and Magnificat give short reflections for every day of the year. And don‘t forget to check out some of the websites about prayer. Just search “prayer” and see what comes up. U
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World Mission News Digest
World Mission News Digest Minh Man of Ho Chi Minh City and Bishop Thomas Nguyen Van Tram of Ba Ria led the ceremony at Mary, Mother of God Cathedral in Ba Ria on April 10. Some 30 bishops and 190 priests concelebrated the Mass attended by 8,000 Religious and Catholics. In 2009, the diocese had 233,932 lay Catholics, 133 priests, 646 Religious and 125 seminarians and seminary candidates.
Brazil The number of victims caused by landslides due to heavy flooding in the state of Rio de Janeiro is 180, even as the aid and rescue effort continues especially in the town of Niteroi where there are fears that at least 200 people are buried under the mud on the Morro do Bumba hill. With 11 million inhabitants, including metropolitan Rio itself, Rio has 1000 favelas (groups of slums) – including ‘Favela da Rocinha’, the largest bidonville in Latin America and where most of those who died in the flood were noted. INDONESIA A priest has asked Catholics in the archdiocese of Jakarta to use social networking website Facebook to develop a faith-based fellowship.
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“Catholics should understand and use Facebook in the light of their faith in order to develop spiritual fellowship, as well as [learn to] avoid the negative effects [of Facebook].” Father Bernardus Mardiatmadja, who teaches at the Jesuitrun Driyarkara School of Philosophy in Jakarta, presented this to about 60 lay people attending a seminar on April 11. VIETNAM Leading churchmen in Vietnam consecrated a new cathedral in a fouryear-old diocese on April 10. Bishop Pierre Nguyen Van Nho of Da Lat, head of the Vietnam Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Jean Baptiste Pham
Xaverian Mission Newsletter • May 2010
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO In a remote area of northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, one of Africa’s most notorious armed groups – the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) – brutally attacked civilians, killing at least 321 people with machetes, axes, and heavy wooden sticks. Another 250 civilians,
including at least 80 children, were abducted and led away into the wilderness. A new Human Rights Watch report is the first detailed documentation of the massacre, which happened in December. Despite the enormous death toll, the LRA attack was initially unreported, in part because the region is so remote – there are no telephones, electricity, or roads – but also because few paid attention when reports about the killings began to surface. Publicly, the governments of Uganda and Congo maintain that the LRA, a Ugandan rebel group, is no longer a serious threat as a result of joint military operations by their armies. But this massacre illustrates that the LRA’s ability to attack civilians remains intact. U
From our USA Communities
News from our USA Communities GIVING BACK FROM WHAT WE RECEIVED
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preparation of the food for those in need in the South Milwaukee area. The second and the fourth Monday of the month, I help distribute the food at St. Mary’s food Pantry. It is the food collected at the beginning of the month from the parishioners who are generous. Our effort is to organize it so that those in need would come and choose what they need.
rancois Noah Onguene of Cameroon, Africa, is one of our seminarians preparing for final vows and ordination in Milwaukee. Here he shares on his work in ministry. The year started for me in July 2009 after we moved from Chicago to Franklin. The change was profound. It needed from me a thoughtful effort of adaptation. This is due to the fact that Chicago and Milwaukee are very different worlds. I decided to join the St. Vincent DePaul Society at St Marys in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. Ministry is organized in such a way that we have activities once a week.
The Center is equipped with a large room allowing the society to prepare and serve food to the needy. In addition, Mr. Fred Matestic, who is the coordinator of the St Vincent DePaul, leads the
THE XAVERIAN MISSION FESTIVAL OF MILWAUKEE IS Coming SOON! h
JUNE 26-27, 2010 Delicious Food • Sit-Down Dinners Family Entertainment • Fun Games Huge Rummage Sale • and much more... Come and volunteer, or just to have some great fun and help the Missions Contact Fr. Turco at 414-421-0831
I also help out in the French community with the Bible Study with another Xaverian, Father Kansanziki, at St Teresa of Avila in Chicago. In addition to that, in collaboration with a Cameroonian evangelical Pastor, Rev. Jacque Mono, we are trying to organize a faith community of French speaking Africans. This effort is the result of several attempts to mix the traditional French community - which is already well established - with some African and Caribbean French speaking people who expressed the desire to worship in a cultural context that helps them to pray better. We are now starting an ecumenical group of Protestants and Catholics praying and working together. U
TASTE OF MISSION Try this tasty dish from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa.
Mwamba Ingredients: 1 chicken, cut up, or 2 lbs. beef or lamb, or 13/4 lbs. fish fillets, fresh or thawed Salt to taste Oil 2 large onions, cut up 2 to 4 chili peppers mashed or 1/2 to 1 tbsp. dried crushed red pepper 6 or 7 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and mashed Preparation: Season chicken, meat or fish with salt. In a heavy stewing pan, sauté chicken, meat or fish in the oil with onions until well browned. Add chili peppers, tomatoes and just enough water to cover. Simmer until tender and thoroughly cooked. Chicken mwamba is usually served with boiled rice. Fish, lamb or beef mwamba is usually accompanied by fried plantain.
Xaverian Mission Newsletter • May 2010
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Xaverian Mission Newsletter • May 2010
We share the hope of Christ
across faith and cultural boundaries in 19 countries worldwide.
We establish and assist new Christian
Communities, engage in interreligious dialogue and work in solidarity with the poorest.
Become a Xaverian Missionary Contact: Fr. Joe Matteucig, SX pino.ma@gmail.com
The painter is He Qi. He is a well known contemporary artist based in China who paints large canvases in a Christian/Chinese style – They are Cubist, Picasso-esque and Klimt-like all in one with a strong Chinese identity. This is a depiction of the Risen Christ.
The Xaverian Missioners Are Presently Serving In: Bangladesh • Brazil • Burundi • Cameroon • Chad • China • Colombia • Democratic Republic of Congo • France Great Britain • Indonesia • Italy • Japan • Mexico • Mozambique • Philippines • Sierra Leone • Spain • Taiwan • U.S.A.
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