“Make of the world one family”
Xaverian Mission Volume 60 - No. 4 | November 2012
Newsletter
www.xaviermissionaries.org • Mission Blog: www.global-catholic.org
Letter from a Seminarian............... 2
Simple Treasures.................................. 5
The Miracle of Peace..............................3 Year of Faith....................................................6 30 Years of Service............................. 4
Missionary to the World................... 8
The Legacy of Saint Guido Maria Conforti
A Seminarian’s Story Continued from August XMN
While I was trying to figure out if I had a vocation to the priesthood I saw Blessed Pope John Paul’s words:
X averian Missionaries Provincial Headquarters 12 Helene Court Wayne, NJ 07470-2813 Tel.: (973) 942-2975 Fax: (973) 942-5012 Email: missionmedia@xaviermissionaries.org
Xavier Knoll Mission Center 4500 Xavier Drive Franklin, WI 53132-9066 Tel.: (414) 421-0831 Fax: (414) 421-9108 Email: franklin@xaviermissionaries.org
Global Youth Mission Services (GYM) Fatima Shrine 101 Summer Street P.O. Box 5857 Holliston, MA 01746-5857 Tel.: (508) 429-2144 Fax: (508) 429-4793 Email: holliston@xaviermissionaries.org
Xaverian Mission Newsletter Official publication of the Xaverian Missionaries of the United States
Publisher Fr. Carl Chudy Editorial Team Fr. Tony Lalli Fr. Joseph Matteucig Editor Mary Aktay Printing AlphaGraphic, Totowa, NJ Email & Web:
missionmedia@xaviermissionaries.org website: www.xaviermissionaries.org mission blog: www.global-catholic.org St. Guido site: www.guidoconforti.com www.facebook.com/catholicmissionaries www.twitter.con/worldcatholic
Young men: Christ Loves you! The love of Christ is the greatest force in the world. It is your own strength. Young men: CHRIST SENDS YOU! Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. Young men: Take your places in the world. Take in full your place in the Church. If the call of Christ reaches your heart, don’t silence it: let it develop until it matures into a vocation! And underneath it was written: TO FOLLOW CHRIST means to commit oneself without asking what I get out of life, but what I can “give” together with HIM, in the streets of the world at the service of our brothers and sisters…. I was so touched by these words. I read them over and over and over, it seemed to me that the Lord was talking directly through these words. Given that the Xaverian Missionaries have been living those values in my country since I knew them as a child, I decided to answer the call of Christ and send an application to them. After examination I was admitted to study Philosophy in Freetown with Rev Fr. Eugenio Montesi. After four years of philosophical and language studies I was sent to Kinshasa Congo to study one year French and then one year novitiate. After my fist profession in 2010 I was sent to Parma to the Xaverian International Theology Center. I thank God for the gift of faith which I received through the Xaverian missionaries. My faith is really growing. I also thank my parents who brought me up in the Catholic Faith. I leave the future in the hands of God, to Him be the glory and may His will be done in my life and the lives of others. I am not yet an ordained priest. I am a Xaverian student of theology in 4th year at Parma Mother House in a 6 year program on the way to the priesthood by God’s grace and the confirmation of Holy Mother Church through my superiors. I would like to minister in a place where Christ Jesus has not yet been known for God’s glory and the good of His people. That has been our Xaverian Charism left by our beloved founder, Saint Guido Maria Conforti. Also, I would like to work where Christ has been known but has been forgotten or wherever there is an urgent need to proclaim Christ. However, I am ready to go wherever the Holy Spirit together with my superiors will send me. I believe that true happiness lies in listening and doing the will of God. With God’s help, I hope to bring what our beloved founder desired. “The Love of Christ Urges us.” I strongly believe that the greatest force that can change the world for better is the Love of God incarnated in Christ for humanity, so that all may be one. As our founder said, “make the world one family.”
Simon Kabba Koroma Theological Student, Xaverian Missionaries Parma, Italy
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Xaverian Missionaries in the World
SARAJEVO 2012: The “Miracle” of Peace
S
eptember 11 was observed in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to reflect peace and interfaith harmony. The town was chosen because this year marks the 20th anniversary of the fierce internal strife and war from 1992 to 1995, and to commemorate the convocation of inter-religious commitment to peace that Pope John Paul II convened in Assisi in 1986. A meeting sponsored by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sarajevo, the Islamic community, the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Jewish community can seem like a miracle. Yes, peace is possible! Love, goodwill can prevail, because God always wants and expects that we accept the grace of cooperation! Attendees of all religions experienced this “miracle” with intense emotion. The annual meeting was organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio, which perpetuates and renews the “Spirit of Assisi.” It is characterized by international participation and involvement of government officials. World peace involves politicians, as it is their objective; but religions can and must be the soul of the service for peace, finding concrete ways to implement, protect, and consolidate it, nationally and internationally. As in the past the Center for Interreligious Dialogue of the Xaverian Missionaries in Japan, Shinmeizan, was invited to participate. Sister Maria De Giorgi MMX and Fr. Franco Sottocornola SX were sent as delegates and participated in two “round tables.” The panel discussions ranged from the prospects for peace in conflict zones, to social and political conditions, to the indispensable contribution of religions to promote and ensure world peace. The closing ceremony of the three-day event was moving and challenging, with messages given by youth from different ethnic and religious backgrounds while representatives of the different religions passed symbolic torches to the politicians present. The concluding speeches were full of inspiration that drives, in the words of Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio, the “courage to dare [to have] peace.” Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, who was in Sarajevo during the conflict as the personal envoy of Pope John Paul II recounted the trauma of the war and celebrated the promise of peace today: We had come through the narrow and muddy tunnels dug by defenders to allow communications with the airport guarded by UN forces, avoiding the gunfire of the armed forces. I crossed once along the tunnel 800 meters long and a meter and a half wide, to make visits on behalf of John Paul II, in the heart of the city. I prayed with you on Friday in a mosque, Saturday in the synagogue, an Orthodox Cathedral [on] Sunday, then in the Catholic Cathedral. Sarajevo! I say unto thee today: Courage! Learn again to live together.... Courage, to make this earth inhabitable by people as all are brothers and sisters and equally loved by the Father of the human family ... Sarajevo, now your hand to your neighbor, and together raise your hands together towards God! It was with deep emotion and a sense of a prophetic responsibility that all, hundred thousands of people of different cultures and languages, of different religious traditions, gathered in the Grand Square of Sarajevo and as friends held hands together and raised them skyward. Fr. Franco Sottocornola, SX and Sr. Maria De Giorgi, MMX
Top: Four young Bosnians, representatives of the Catholic, Orthodox, Islamic and Jewish communities, read the appeal for peace. Center: Fr. Franco (r. second row ) with some Japanese representatives of the Tenrikyo religion. Bottom: Sr. Maria at the round table dedicated to the theme: “The religions of Japan on the road to dialogue.”
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Xaverian Missionaries in the World
Thirty Years in Service to Cameroon and Chad
O
n September 5, 1982, we arrived in Douala: Erchie, Demetris, Franceschetti, Maniero and I. The Xaverian adventure in Cameroon began. A few days later, Favarin, Sana and Romano arrived for Chad. We give thanks to God who called us to this mission: for those who have had the grace to be here these three decades, whether all or part of the time. We give thanks for the brothers who passed on and gave the best of themselves to the Gospel in these countries! We think of Frs. Peppino Mattu, Giorgio Gagliani and Sergio Favarin.
We celebrate the many initiatives brought to completion; the many people accompanied in their journey of faith, received and trained to be collaborators in the mission; the many miles travelled on foot, by bicycle, motorcycle, car, bus, or train; the many community and diocesan meetings, assemblies and chapters. How much of hassle, risk, social insecurity, impassable roads, disease, adaptation attempts and political situations to get close to people, to learn languages and to enter into the local cultures! The huge treasure was the gift of self, of concrete love, in times of stress and loneliness, of woven friendship, and strained hands! What a wealth of friendship we have accumulated over the years with people who have been with us in neighborhoods and villages, parishes, seminars, presbyteries, schools, associations and various initiatives in which we belong! Everything was not perfect, far from it; but compassion is a reality and the positive is much more than the negative. We have confidence in the future of our charism in recruitment and training of young Cameroonians and Chadians for Xaverian missionary life! We praise God for the results that are before our eyes today. I give thanks to God whenever I think of you and keep you always in every prayer. “Such is my belief: that the excellent work began within you by God will continue to completion until the day Jesus Christ returns” (Phil 1). In fraternal communion, Fr. Armando Coletto SX (Look forward to The Journey Continues: In the Footsteps of the Pioneers by Fr. Richard Nembouet SX in XMN Feb. 2013)
Photos by Fr. Angelo Costalonga SX From Top: Procession in Cameroon; Mass at the school in Bafoussan, Cameroon; The center of Bongor, Chad; The Church in Bongor, Chad
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Xaverian Missionaries in the USA
Simple Treasures: Memories of Colombia Fr. Mark Marangone SX, now Superior of the Xaverian Community in Franklin WI, reflects on the country where he served from 1997 to 2010.
C
olombia is a very beautiful country which many consider an earthly paradise. In a few hours you can go from springtime to hot weather, to colder. You find all kinds of fruit and vegetables all year long as most of the country is green throughout the year except for desert areas. There is a great variety of trees, plants, and flowers, as well as animals, birds and insects.
Yet it’s easy to be aware of the problems many people have to face every day, in spite of the fact that the country is rich in natural resources. Injustice appears to be the main factor which is reflected in much corruption, like in many other countries. There is much wealth available but only to a few people so the many poor have to struggle to make ends meet day by day. The gap grows larger as the middle class shrinks. The country has a long history of suffering, violence, and shedding of blood, starting with the two main political parties a few decades back; and later with the “drug cartels,” a war that now is being fought in Mexico. In the late 1940’s rebel movements began as a consequence of the injustice and other abuses by those in power and the armed forces. Later, in order to survive, they joined forces with the drug cartels and started to lose purpose; and violence was what was left. Over the past decade several leaders of the movements either died, were killed by the military, or defected. Today the country seems to be making more serious efforts towards finding a solution to the struggle by means of dialogue and commitment to peace. As far as poverty is concerned, there is still a long way to go. Most of the people are very simple folk. They have little in material goods, but possess great spiritual faith, and are happy nonetheless. Once they realize that your main concern is their well-being, and they feel respected and loved, they reciprocate with gratitude, generosity, and enthusiasm. When we took on the parish in Bogotá and the people realized that we were there for them, we were overwhelmed by their response not only in donations (in spite of the fact that our area is modest low income housing for most part, with much unemployment), but also in involvement in various services. Xaverians arrived in Colombia in February 1975 and have been entrusted mostly with parishes over the years. We have tried to foster dialogue, respect, unity, sharing, and reconciliation. We give witness with our life-style, since actions speak much louder than words. That seems to be the most practical way to go in the hope of bringing about a change for a better future. We are also involved in Diocesan projects and the Conference of Religious. A humorous memory is of a Sunday evening during Lent of 1999. I was presiding at the evening Mass in the parish church which was under construction. Before communion a dog fell through the roof (one story high, made of clay and plastic tiles), and landed safely by the side of the altar without a scratch. At the closing of the Mass, I remarked to the congregation: “I knew that when it rains in Bogotá it pours. Now we can say the English phrase literally: ‘It is raining cats and dogs!’
Photos from Top: Fr. Mark in a pensive moment; An exuberant St. Guido Maria Conforti’s Fraternity in Bogotá; Mass in Fr. Mark’s parish, La Encarnación in Bogotá, Colombia. Cover Photo: Fr. Mark (second from rt, fr. row)with fellow Xaverians in Colombia.
I treasure the love and family spirit experienced in the community and the parish as well and God willing; someday I hope to go back again. Fr. Mark Marangone SX
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Gl obal Mi ssi on and the Ne w Ev a n g e l i z a t i o n in the Ye a r o f Fa i t h Promoting and encouraging interfaith and inter-cultural dialogue at home in the USA are profound ways with which we strengthen its urgency in local churches to share this mission both locally and abroad, as well as contribute to a vital renewal in the USA Church.
T
he preface of the preparation document for the synod on the new evangelization reads: “This renewed dynamism in the Christian community will lead to renewed missionary activity (first proclamation), now more urgent than ever, given the large number of people who do not know Jesus Christ, in not only far-off countries but also those already evangelized.”
The traditional concepts and boundaries of the different ways we as Catholics share Christ with others are through the first proclamation (with non-Christians), pastoral care of the faithful, and the new evangelization (with lapsed Catholics). Promoting and encouraging interfaith and inter-cultural dialogue at home in the USA are profound ways with which we strengthen its urgency in local churches to share this mission both locally and abroad, as well as contribute to a vital renewal in the USA Church. Three-fold Impact of Missio ad Gentes on Parishes and Dioceses First, the Catholic parish is in the midst of a diverse, multi-religious neighborhood. Often parish life is quite insulated from this surrounding environment, like a Catholic island in a sea of humanity with no real meaningful connection. It is not merely on a social level, but on a level of faith, where they may not see that relationship as a necessary part of the mission of the parish, the first proclamation of the parish community. Second, the Catholic parish in a rich and diverse multi-cultural environment is attended to with greater resolve. The diverse cultural groups in the USA are made up of people at many different levels of acculturation to the American experience. While the Church has served as a conduit for this process of adaptation throughout U.S. history, the bishops today are very clear about the fact that the Church’s mission is not to Americanize but to evangelize. This means respecting the languages, customs and style whereby particular cultures live their Catholic faith while seeking to form their emerging Catholic identity in light of the Word of God and Church teaching. Third, the thoughtful appreciation of global solidarity that each Christian, family, community and parish is exemplified by many generous projects that local parishes carry out with poorer communities worldwide through support of the Pontifical Mission Societies and missionary congregations, parish twinning, etc. The assistance of missionary priests from outside of the United States in many parishes also underlines the global connection US Catholics feel more and more, a kind of reverse-mission. The bishops encourage this solidarity when they said: “At a time of dramatic global changes and challenges, Catholics in the United States face special responsibilities and opportunities. We are members of a universal Church that transcends national boundaries and calls us to live in solidarity and justice with the peoples of the world. We are also citizens of a powerful democracy with enormous influence beyond our borders. As Catholics and Americans we are uniquely called to global solidarity.” The new evangelization is a call to re-discover our missionary origins by leading Christian communities to be less concentrated on themselves inwardly in the midst of the changes already taking place and more engaged in proclaiming the faith to others. In this regard, much is expected from parishes that are seen as an entryway, open to everyone in every place on the globe, to the Christian faith and an experience of the Church. But it is not only limited to parishes as other religious institutes and campus ministries are other important entryways to meet and share Christ. Missionary religious congregations and the Pontifical Mission Societies are an enormous resource for all dioceses in this regard. We need to collaborate with one another and provide the needed resources to bishops, priests and lay leadership as each diocese clarifies their strategies that include all aspects of mission: the first proclamation, pastoral care of the faithful, and the new evangelization. In doing so, we assist the Church of the United States to own and value the first proclamation as essential to its mission and to embrace an organic and holistic understanding of the new evangelization. Fr. Carl Chudy SX
Opposite page: Xaverians in Mission worldwide: South America, Africa and Asia This page: Multi-cultural Celebration of the Canonization of St. Guido Conforti at St. Bridget Parish, Framingham, MA with people of many faiths. (Photo: Mike Marraffino)
The Global Mission Spirituality
Missionary to the World The second and third of Fr. Tony Lalli’s reflection on St. Guido Conforti, founder of the Xaverian Missionaries, given at the Holliston MA Soup & Mission Program.
Some Cross-Roads In the life of Bishop Conforti we cannot but be struck by some particular moments which became important turning points or cross-roads where Divine Providence showed him course changes. And it wasn’t always change without pain. As a child he felt his vocation for the first time looking at a large Crucifix. Much later as a Bishop, he looked for that Crucifix and had it hung in his Missionary Institute where it is to be found even today, in a little chapel in the ‘Conforti Shrine,’ just near to his tomb, for all his missionaries and visitors to see and worship. As a seminarian, in his last year of theology, he was barred from Ordination as a priest by a serious illness. He attributed his sudden and complete healing to Our Lady venerated at the Shrine of Fontanellato, not far from Parma, to whom he had devotedly prayed. In thanksgiving for the cure, he celebrated his first Mass at her Shrine. He wanted to be a missionary, but he was refused both by the Jesuits and the Salesians, to whose Institutes he had applied on condition that he be sent to the missions. So, he himself became Father of a family of missionaries for which he obtained Rome’s authorization as a young priest, only 29 years old. This led him, eventually, to be defined as “a shepherd of two flocks,” his diocese and his Missionary Congregation. Made Archbishop of Ravenna, at age 37, he had to renounce the See barely two years later, once again for reasons of health. Once declared out of danger and recovered from his sickness, the Pope made him Bishop of his native Parma, where he remained until his death, twenty five years later, from 1907 to 1931, years which proved him capable of being ‘a good shepherd of two flocks.’
Neither a prophet, nor a revolutionary, simply a Bishop: Characteristics Conforti was not a prophet of new times; neither was he a revolutionary of his days. He was simply a bishop as every bishop should be, with roots in his diocese and branches and fruits which open up on the whole world. It’s not easy for us to draw out of the richness of his spiritual life some distinguishing points. It seems that his spirituality grows parallel with the turns his life takes. As a grade school child the encounter with the large Crucifix was particularly important to him. He will recall it during his whole life: “I looked at Him, and He looked at me, and He seems to tell me so many things! To me it was a miraculous Crucifix: I owe Him my vocation” he will confide years later. As a bishop he will recover that Crucifix which he wanted to be guarded in the Motherhouse of his Missionary Institute. To the sons he will send to the missions, he will give the Crucifix as a model of mission and wellspring of energy and strength. His other devotion was that to Our Lady. He attributed to her the grace of having been cured of a sickness which would have prevented him from being ordained a priest. As we mentioned, in gratitude, he will celebrate his first Mass at the Shrine of ‘La Madonna di Fontanellato,’ to whom he had turned for a cure. As an ordained priest, he will draw from the Eucharist the inspiration that will make of his life, of his spirituality, of his pastoral ministry, all and always bearing toward Christ. His spiritual life was centered on Christ, as he wished the spiritual life of his sons to be. His ministry will always have a particular mark, and that was his insistence that life consecrated to God be imprinted with religious vows. To anyone, even higher-ups in the Church,
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Xaverian Mission Newsletter • November 2012
of Saint GuidoStories Mariaof Conforti Missionary Courage who suggested for him to give life to missionaries not tied by religious vows, as a simple priest and later as a bishop, he always gave an absolute “No.” He himself will take those same vows. Another characteristic of his spirituality was his passion for the spreading of the Gospel in lands not yet enlightened by the presence of the Church, and for the missionary animation of the diocesan and parochial communities. Another distinguishing mark he wanted to set his missionaries apart was that of mutual charity: “Love one another as brothers, respect one another as princes” he kept on repeating endlessly. Today, we’d say, “Be gentle and compassionate, respectful and supportive of one another.” It’d be an unpardonable void if we did not mention that from the spirituality and paternity of Saint Guido Conforti was born also another religious family, the Society of the Missionaries of Mary, Religious also known as the Xaverian Sisters. It was Xaverian Fr. G. Spagnolo and the school teacher Celestine Healy/Bottego who in 1944 gave life to a dream not realized by Bishop Conforti. Mother Celestine Healy/Bottego was born in the USA, in Butte, Montana, then, called the ’richest hill in the world’ because of its copper mines. Mary Healy, Celestine’s mother, was born in Ohio, of Irish immigrants; and her father was a young Italian immigrant in search of fortune in this great new land. Because of family reasons, the Healy/Bottegos moved to Parma, Italy, first, her father with her younger sister and a brother, then Celestine and her mother, a few years later. Celestine had finished her high school education in Butte, and was valedictorian at her graduation ceremony. Today there are about 250 Xaverian Sisters, with missions in Japan, Thailand, the Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Cameroon, Brazil, Mexico, and the USA in Worcester, MA. A beautiful and rich inheritance left to sons and daughters who today, received from a Saint officially proclaimed by the Church, gains greater value still. A great inheritance but also a great responsibility for missionary sons and daughters called to be not only blessed heirs, but worthy of such a holy founder and father, Saint Guido Maria Conforti. Fr. Tony Lalli SX
Photos: Opposite page from top: The Crucifix that was so influential in St. Guido’s life. St. Guido as a very young bishop. A picture of the Immaculate Heart of Mary belonging to the founder. This page from top: St. Guido with his first Xaverians. St. Guido’s formal portrait. St. Guido in China with Bp. Luigi Calza SX and Fr. John Bonardi SX. St. Guido’s legacy lives on in today’s Xaverian priests and sisters.
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World Mission News Digest
World Mission News Digest AFRICA/CHAD Expulsion of the Bishop of Doba: “There seems to be an opening attitude towards dialogue on behalf of the government”
Landscape in Chad
N’Djamena (Agenzia Fides) - “There is an openness to dialogue on behalf of the government to resolve Bishop Russo’s situation in a positive way” sources of the local church in N’Djamena, capital of Chad, say to Fides where local authorities have announced the expulsion of Bishop Michele Russo of Doba, because during a homily he had criticized the management of oil revenues in the country denouncing an unfair distribution. Bp. Russo is a Combonian missionary from Italy. “Bp. Russo’s homily was broadcast by a local radio station, but the translation from the French to the Ngambay language did not perfectly comply with the Bishop’s words, using words that he did not use say our sources that hope for “the continuation of good relations between Church and State.”
AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE Severe state of famine for 30 000 families in the province of Gaza
Flooding in Mozambique
Poverty in Colombia
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Maputo (Agenzia Fides) - About 30,000 families in the southern Mozambican province of Gaza have been in a state of famine since March. The problem is particularly serious in Chibiuto, Changalane, Bilene, Güija and Chicualacuala. According to local sources, there is an immediate and urgent need of food aid to try to save the lives of the people of these four areas, who are currently feeding on leaves, roots, wild fruits, and the little food they still have, aware that this situation cannot last long. Although in Gaza, about a month ago, we were able to produce more food, the distribution has not yet been carried out. Since March, the four
regions are supported by the World Food Programme. Hunger is also felt in neighboring areas and regions of Manjacaze, Macia, Xai Xai and Malahice. The production in Gaza has been hampered by torrential rain from February to March, which have caused severe flooding in the Limpopo valley.
AMERICA/COLOMBIA
“Dignity and rights of indigenous peoples must be protected from violence” Holy Father’s Letter
Bogota (Agenzia Fides) - “With deep love for all and in tune with the social doctrine of the Church, I invite you to listen to the voice of our brothers and sisters without prejudice, to favour true knowledge of their history and their way of being, as well as to enhance their participation in all spheres of society and the Church. The current situation is providential until the way, the truth and the life for all mankind, the desire to safeguard the dignity and rights of indigenous peoples and the latter, in turn, are more willing to comply with their duties, in accordance with their own ancestral traditions grow among the pastors and the faithful.” These are Pope Benedict XVI’s words in the letter sent to Archbishop [now Cardinal] Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogotá and President of the Episcopal Conference which mark the efforts of many pastoral workers who live and work with indigenous peoples of Colombia. The Pope also recalled the “need to devote greater attention to the evangelization of the indigenous peoples and the constant promotion of their dignity and of their progress.”
From our USA Communities
News from our USA Communities The Berceto Banquet Every September the Berceto Foundation of Queens, NY hosts a banquet dinner/dance to honor and benefit the Xaverian Missionaries in Parma Italy. The event is organized by Anna Sabini, the President of the Foundation with Fr. Frank Grappoli representing the US Xaverian Provincial House in Wayne, NJ. This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Berceto Foundation. The Guest of Honor was Rev. Robert S. Maloney SX, who told the story of the origins of the Foundation. It began with Fr. John Bonardi, a Xaverian Missionary born in Boston, MA and right-hand man of the holy founder St. Guido Conforti. He was sent to China in 1904 along with other Xaverians. On his return he learned that his brother had immigrated to the USA. With the help of Lino Pietrantoni and others originally from Parma the two brothers reunited in New York after more than forty years of separation. From this point began the association between the Bercetese and the Xaverians in Parma. That relationship continues to this day. Local food and music guarantee everyone a lovely day with friends and family and strengthen the ties between the US and Parma. Peter Raccasi
USCCB National Advisory Council Appointment The US Provincial Superior of the Xaverian Missionaries, Fr. Carl Chudy SX, has accepted the appointment by the Conference of the Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) to be a representative on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) National Advisory Council. The NAC was formed three years after Vatican II to assist the bishops by representing the national picture of the Church in various ways. The National Advisory Council includes bishops, men and women religious, diocesan priests, deacons and lay persons representing the fifteen geographical regions of the USCCB. Appointments are usually for a four-year term. Fr. Chudy’s first meeting with them will be in Baltimore in March 2013. The National Advisory Council meets twice a year to review and offer recommendations about matters before the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Members of the Council are free to present any concern of the Church to the Bishops. Following each meeting, recommendations put forth by the Council may be forwarded to the USCCB Administrative Board or to the appropriate USCCB Committee for review and/or action. The US bishops’ National Advisory Council is taking on an increasingly more public role in making recommendations about documents the bishops are considering and topics they might address in the future. The council could be seen as a “national pastoral council,” said Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh in 2006 when he was Bishop of Green Bay and a member of the council representing the US bishops’ Administrative Committee. In an interview with Catholic News Service Bishop Zubik said that council members represent “the adult Catholic population by age, occupation, ethnicity, geography, vocation and avocation,” and described it as “the church in miniature.”
Photos from top: Fr. Bob Maloney SX (center) joins former president Anna Conti (left) and current president Anna Sabini and their husbands; Mary Pietrantoni, widow of Lino reviews the early years of the foundation; little Mia Bacchioni shows off her handbag to her great-grandmother Elsa Bacchioni while her great-grandfather Hugo Bacchioni and grandmother Judi Meo (office manager for the Xaverian Provincial House) and friend, Maria Francheschini look on. Elsa, Hugo and Maria were confirmed by St. Guido himself when he was Bishop of Parma. Fr. Carl Chudy SX newly appointed to the USCCB National Advisory Council
Fr. Chudy states: “I find this an enormously important opportunity to be of service to the Church in a unique way. I hope to bring the concerns of religious congregations and our commitment of global solidarity to our bishops who are continually seeking to understand the pulse of the Catholic Church in the USA today.
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Xaverian Mission Newsletter • November 2012 From Simon Kabba Koroma: TO FOLLOW CHRIST means to commit oneself without asking what I get out of life, but what I can “give” together with HIM, in the streets of the world at the service of our brothers and sisters….
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