Make of the world one family

Xaverian Mission
Volume 63 - No. 2 | May 2015

Newsletter

www.xaviermissionaries.org Mission Blog: www.global-catholic.org

Representing USA Religious in Rome....6-7

Popes Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations ....2

Visit to the Stone House in Sierra Leone ...................3
Missionary in Mexico .......................................................4
From Fear to Love .........................................................5
Come and Let Easter In ............................................8-9
World & US Province News .....................................10-11

Photo: The Executive Committee of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men of the USA in St. Peters Basilica

Year of Consecrated Life

Exodus, a fundamental experience of

vocation:
X averian Missionaries

Popes Message for the 52nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Provincial Headquarters
12 Helene Court
Wayne, NJ 07470-2813
Tel.: (973) 942-2975
Fax: (973) 942-5012
Email:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

To offer ones life in mission is possible only if we are able to leave ourselves behind.
On this 52nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, I would like to reflect on that particular exodus which is the heart of vocation, or better yet, of our response to the
vocation God gives us. When we hear the word exodus, we immediately think of the
origins of the amazing love story between God and his people, a history which passes
through the dramatic period of slavery in Egypt, the calling of Moses, the experience
of liberation and the journey toward the Promised Land. The Book of Exodus, the
second book of the Bible, which recounts these events is a parable of the entire history of salvation, but also of the inner workings of Christian faith. Passing from the
slavery of the old Adam to new life in Christ is an event of redemption which takes
place through faith. This passover is a genuine exodus; it is the journey of each
Christian soul and the entire Church, the decisive turning of our lives towards the
Father.

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

(theGYM)
Fatima Shrine
101 Summer Street
P.O. Box 5857
Holliston, MA 01746-5857
Tel.: (508) 429-2144
Fax: (508) 429-4793
Email:

At the root of every Christian vocation we find this basic movement, which is part of
the experience of faith. Belief means transcending ourselves, leaving behind our
comfort and the inflexibility of our ego in order to centre our life in Jesus Christ. It
means leaving, like Abraham, our native place and going forward with trust, knowing
that God will show us the way to a new land. This going forward is not to be
viewed as a sign of contempt for ones life, ones feelings, ones own humanity. On
the contrary, those who set out to follow Christ find life in abundance by putting
themselves completely at the service of God and his kingdom. Jesus says: Everyone
who has left home or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for
my names sake, will receive a
hundredfold, and inherit eternal
life. All of this is profoundly rooted in love. The Christian vocation
is first and foremost a call to love,
a love which attracts us and draws
us out of ourselves, de-centering
us and triggering an ongoing exodus out of the closed inward-looking self towards its liberation
through self-giving, and thus
towards authentic self-discovery
and indeed the discovery of God.

holliston@xaviermissionaries.org

Xaverian Mission Newsletter

Official publication of the

Xaverian Missionaries
of the United States

Publisher
Fr. Carl Chudy
Communications Board
Fr. Carl Chudy SX
Fr. Tony Lalli SX
Fr. Rocco Puopolo SX
Fr. Aniello Salicone SX
Editor
Mary Aktay
Printing
AlphaGraphics, Totowa, NJ
Email & Web:

missionmedia@xaviermissionaries.org
Website: www.xaviermissionaries.org
St. Guido site: www.guidoconforti.com
Mission blog: www.global-catholic.org
www.facebook.com/catholicmissionaries
www.twitter.com/worldcatholic

EXODUS AND THE CROSSING OF THE READ SEA. Wall Painting from the DURA EUROPOS, one of the earliest known
Synagogues. Dated C. 245 CE located in Todays Iraq

Donation: $5.00 per year

Join with the Xaverian Missionaries in the call to love:

Contact
Fr. Frank Grappoli, SX
12 Helene Court
Wayne, NJ 07470
Tel: 973-942-2975
Or visit: www.xaviermissionaries.org for online donations

Xaverian Mission Newsletter May 2015

Increa
your im se
pact!
If your
emplo
yer
ha s a
Gift P Matching
rog
contrib ram your
utio
b e d o u n ca n
bled.

Xaverian Missionaries in the World

Visit to the Stone House

n M arch I v isite d Kur b ola, the head quar ter s

of N ey a Chiefd o m, 3 4 mile s aw ay fro m o ur
p ar ish in M o ngo B endu gu. T he jo ur n ey w a s
n o pro blem, the ro ad w a s n ot s o b ad. O nly in
the place calle d o n e gallo n hill, n ot to o far
fro m Kur b ola, did we str u ggle a little bit.

In Kur b ola we co uld n ot m e et the Par am o u nt

Chief, b ut we m et his sp o ke sp er s o n, ad v is or s
and the Tow n Chief. T hey welco m e d u s ver y
w ar mly and all s aid: Father, this is yo ur h o m e,
to o, T hey were hap py for o ur v isit. For m e it
w a s an o p p or tu nit y to k n ow the place and to
gre et the p e o ple and the eld er s.
A s u sual, the p e o ple ex p e c te d a missio nar y to
g ive them s o m ething w hen he v isit s. T hey k n ow
ver y well h ow to a sk. T hey s ay that they w ant
Fr. Sudarmanto (Sudo) is second from the left in the
Chr istianit y for their children, e du catio n for their p e o ple group picture of the Xaverian Missionaries in Sierra Leone
and this can o nly b e acco mplishe d in a s ch o ol w ith teacher s prov id e d by the church. I realize d that we co uld n ot avoid this tr aditio n s et fir st by en co u n ter s w ith p e o ple in the v illage s of M o ngo and the N ey a chiefd o m, and other place s. B ut w hen we
k n ow w hat to ex p e c t, we can remain calm and co ncentr ate o n the p o sitive a sp e c t of the en co u nter,
nam ely, b uilding hu man relatio nship s and fr iend ship,
w ith o p enn e ss to any pro gre ss in the future, e sp e c ially for spreading the s e e d s of the Kingd o m of G o d.
T he v isit w a s ac tually pro mpte d by the retur n of M r.
Jam e s S aio M ar ah, a for m er pr ayer lead er, w h o cam e
back to Kur b ola fro m Yir aia v illage in S engb e
Chiefd o m. H e w ant s to s er ve the p e o ple in his ow n
tow n, by teaching the children and lo o k ing after the
small Chr istian co mmu nit y there. We th o u ght it w a s a
go o d o p p or tu nit y to b e t aken into co nsid er atio n. It
lo o k s a s if the co mmu nit y is going to su p p or t him and
allow ing him to st ar t cla ss 1 and 2 in a simple str u cture, b uilt by the co mmu nit y it s elf. We w ill tr y to
remain clo s e to
May G od gui de o ur wo rk of
the co mmu nit y.
School Children in Sierra Leon queue up for class.
evan g e lizat i on , eve n if this We w ill al s o tr y to
br id ge w ith and find
is only a small an d si mple
su p p or t fro m the gover nm ent thro u gh the D ep ut y D ire c tor of
Edu catio n in Koinadu gu D istr ic t, w h o is in charge of e du cast e p in th e ri ght dire ct i on .
tio n.
M ay G o d guid e o ur wor k of ev angeliz atio n, even if this is
o nly a small and simple step in the r ight dire c tio n. O n the w ay b ack to M o ngo, I a ske d M r. Jam e s
S aio M ar ah ab o ut the m eaning of Kur b ola. H e ex plain e d that Kur b ola m eans sto n e h o u s e or
cave. T here is a cave n ot far fro m the tow n, w hich can acco mm o date all the p e o ple of the tow n.
In tim e s of w ar, e sp e c ially in colo nial tim e s, this cave w a s a place for the p e o ple to hid e fro m
the danger and r isk s. In this sto n e h o u s e, they fo u nd s e cur it y and prote c tio n for all their familie s. M ay o ur en co u nter w ith the p e o ple of Kur b ola b e a w ay to ex p er ien ce the dream of St. Guid o
M ar ia Co nfor ti to b e co m e p ar t of o n e single family, u nd er the prote c tio n and guidan ce of G o ds
love.

Fr. Franciscus Xaverius Sudarmanto SX

Xaverian Mission Newsletter May 2015

Xaverian Missionaries in the World

Sierra Leonean
Missionary in Mexico
Like a deer that yearns for running
streams so my soul is longing for you my
Lord.
Psalm 42:1

Solomon is seated in the first row on the left.

Thanks to God
and to the
Xaverian Family
for the peace and
serenity that
abide in my
heart.

I am Solomon Bobson Kargbo. I was born in Makeni

in 1982 into a large extended family. My parents
are faithful believers from whom I learned so much
in taking steps towards following Christ.

Between the ages of 20 and 22, I had a vocational experience, from which
emerged in my heart an irresistible desire to follow Christ. Following him
became the centre of concern in my life. At that time through youth activities, I
came to know one of the Xaverian missionaries, Fr. Victor Bongiovanni: he introduced me to the Xaverian Family. The testimony of this family in proclaiming the
gospel of Jesus Christ in my country marked a new horizon in my life: a model on
which I could trust for a total commitment to serving in the proclamation of the
Gospel.
In 2005, I was accepted for the spiritual year before entering the Xaverian community. I was blessed in my spiritual accompaniment with enthusiastic formators. They
transmitted the Xaverian charism to me right from the beginning of my formation. I
was taught the values of Xaverian spirituality and how to assimilate them in my personal and community life.

Way of the Cross in Mexico

In 2011, after one year of novitiate, I took my first vows

and I was then assigned to Mexico City to study theology. I am now in the third year of theology. The study of
another language and of theology in a multicultural and
international community is personally and communally
enriching my formation. This has helped me much, to
better understand the dream of our Founder, St. Guido
Maria Conforti, to make of the whole world a single
Family.
In Mexico City I dedicate myself to the study of
Theology, but at the same time, on the practical side, I
carry out some apostolic missionary activities, especially during the Holy week when we went to the Santa
Cruz mission to share our faith with the people there.
This was one of the greatest moments of my life in
Mexico City, sharing my faith with simple and openhearted people. Santa Cruz, where there is a Xaverian
community, is a bit far from the City, but the people
are very happy to receive missionaries and the Word of
God from them.

Thanks to God and to the Xaverian Family for the peace and serenity that abide in my heart.

Solomon Bobson Kargbo SX

Mexico City

Xaverian Mission Newsletter May 2015

Xaverian Missionaries in the USA

From Fear to Love

ith the m e eting o n M arch 31st the we ekly

L enten Co nver s atio ns held at O ur L ad y of
the Valley Par ish, Fro m Fear to Love,
cam e to a clo s e. In spite of the cold and of the sn ow
an aver age of 23 p e o ple attend e d faithfully the s e
co nver s atio ns aim e d at d e ep ening and b etter ap pre c iating o ur C ath olic faith.

T he to pic s r ange d fro m the ind welling pre s en ce of the

H oly Spir it and it s p ower ful gro aning in the hear t s of
the Faithful, to a b etter u nd er st anding of the Ble ss e d
Tr init y, a s a s o urce for a b etter u nd er st anding of o urs elve s.
Je su s w ar n e d His dis c iple s. B y their fr uit yo u w ill
re co gnize them. D o p e o ple pick gr ap e s fro m th or nbu she s, or fig s fro m thistle s? Likew is e, ever y go o d
tre e b ear s go o d fr uit, b ut a b ad tre e b ear s b ad fr uit
(Mt. 7:16 -17). M e ek n e ss, hu milit y, o p enn e ss to dialo gu e, welco ming s e em e d to b e the tr ad e mar k of this
realit y. B y this all p e o ple w ill k n ow that yo u are my
dis c iple s, if yo u have love for o n e an other. J o hn 13:
35
To claim to b e a Chr istian m eans to b e p a ssio nate
ab o ut dialo gu e. N ot o nly at the olo g ical level, b ut
m ore s o in o ur d eter minatio n to wor k to gether w ith
other different relig io ns for the go o d of hu mank ind.
T he H oly We ek and the E a ster celebr atio n make u s re alize h ow Chr ists re sur re c tio n is n ot a hap py ending
stor y, b ut a celebr atio n of the my ster y of life, the
ans wer to the th o u s and s of W hy s? that make the
fabr ic of o ur live s.
Sp eak ing of the Re sur re c tio n of Chr ist and h ow this event
change d the hu man histor y we cam e to ap pre c iate the p ower of
weak n e ss and h ow love and co mp a ssio n are alw ay s v ic tor io u s.
G o! I am s ending yo u o ut like lamb s am o ng wolve s. L k 10:3 a s
lamb s and she ep of his f lo ck we k n ow this co mmand ver y well
and, lo o k ing at w hat is hap p ening aro u nd u s. J e su s m e ek n e ss
and go o dn e ss w a s the cau s e for His cr u c ifix io n, after all!

To claim t o be a Christ ian

m eans t o be passi onat e
abo ut dialogue . No t
only at th e ologi cal
leve l , b ut mo re so in o ur
det e r minat i on t o wo rk
t og eth e r with o th e r
dif f e re nt re li gi ons f o r th e
go od of humankin d.

T he streng th of the she ep is in their weak n e ss: the weaker and

m ore d efens ele ss, the fa ster the Shep herd w ill co m e to their
re s cu e. Even th o u gh I w alk thro u gh the dar ke st v alley, I w ill
fear n o ev il, for yo u are w ith m e; yo ur ro d and yo ur st aff, they co mfor t m e. P s. 23:5

T he A b b a to w h o m J e su s t au ght u s to pr ay, and the gen etic co d e we share w ith him imp el s u s. D o
n ot rep ay ev il w ith ev il or insult w ith insult. O n the co ntr ar y, rep ay ev il w ith ble ssing, b e cau s e to
this yo u were calle d s o that yo u may inher it a ble ssing 1 Pet. 3:5
Revenge is a hu man, a ver y hu man R E AC TIO N. To this situatio n J e su s instr u c t s his dis c iple s: B ut I
tell yo u, d o n ot re sist an ev il p er s o n. If anyo n e slap s yo u o n the r ight che ek, tur n to them the other
che ek al s o. Mt. 5:39. H e gave u s an example w ith His life, b e cau s e W hen they hur le d their insult s
at him, he did n ot ret aliate; w hen he suffere d, he mad e n o threat s. Instead, he entr u ste d hims elf to
him w h o ju d ge s ju stly. 1 P t. 2:23. H e tr u ste d the Father, even w hen silent, and tr u ste d the fu ndam ent al go o dn e ss of hu mans, even w hen hidd en u nd er layer s of ev il.
~

Fr. Michael Davitti SX

Xaverian Mission Newsletter May 2015

Representing
USA Religious
Pope Francis is all smiles as he greets people during his
general audience.

CMSM & LCWR in Rome

People from all over the world gather to meet Pope

Francis in his General Audience.

Fr.

Carl Chudy SX, Provincial of the US Xaverian

Missionaries, accompanied the Executive
Committee of the Conference of Major
Superiors of Men of the USA in meetings with
fourteen departments in the Vatican, as well as with the US
Ambassador to the Vatican, Mr. Ken Hackett.

The CMSM serves the leadership of the Catholic orders and

congregations of the more than 17,000 vowed religious
priests and brothers of the United States, ten percent of
whom are foreign missionaries. CMSM provides a voice for
these communities in U.S. church and society. CMSM also
collaborates with the U.S. bishops and other key groups and
organizations that serve church and society.
Fr. Chudy as an at-large member of the Executive
Committee, along with Frs. John Pavlik, OFM Cap (Executive
Director), James Greenfield, OSFS (President), John
Pazounas, OFM (Secretary/treasurer), and Brother Bob
Boslik, OSF (Vice president), talked with the heads of
various Vatican departments on behalf of religious men
in the USA and discussed a number of important issues.
They included: abuse prevention, response to terrorism,
relationship with Bishops, Catholic education, refugees,
interfaith dialogue, justice and peace, among other issues.
Fr. John Pavlik, OFM Cap, (on the right of the icon)
joins the Under Secretary for Catholic Education, Fr.
Frederich Bechina FSO with (from left to right) Fr.
John Pazounas OFM, Fr. James Greenfield OSF, Brother
Bob Boslik OSF and Fr. Carl Chudy SX

The Executive Committee of the Leadership Council of

Women Religious was also in Rome. The CMSM and LCWR
held joint meetings in various Vatican Offices.

in Rome
Look whos shaking Pope Francis hand! Bet he never washes
his hand again!

CMSM & the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) Executive Committees at work in the
Pontifical Council for Social Communications with
Archbishop Claudio Celli, its president

CMSM & LCWR joined by the US Ambassador to the Vatican,

Mr. Ken Hackett former head of Catholic relief Services
(center).

The CMSM & LCWR members meet with Cardinal Peter

Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice
and Peace.

CMSM and LCWR members enjoying a meal in a Roman Trattoria

Xaverian Spirituality

Come and Let Easter In!

n B anglad e sh there is a great n e e d and a

d e sire for re sur re c tio n. Pe o ple p erceive
that p olitical lib er atio n, o bt ain e d in 1971,
remains u nfinishe d, e sp e c ially in the spir itual
field. T he n e ce ss ar y re co n c iliatio n ha snt
em erge d.

B anglad e sh, o n ce co nsid ere d a co u ntr y w ith

the highe st nu mb er of hap py p er s o ns, make s
m e think ab o ut s o m ething s e emingly rem ote:
D o Chr istians celebr ate the Re sur re c tio n in
ter ms of the full m eaning of life? T he streng th
of Chr istianit y in this M u slim-d o minate d co u ntr y is cer t ainly n ot in nu mb er s b ut in it s abilit y to reveal the child of B ethlehem, the carp enter of Na z areth, the cr u c ifie d man at
C alv ar y and the r is en Chr ist.
T he great danger remains the s am e: that the
realism of the in car natio n b e co m e s m erely a
b eautiful fair y-t ale. We t ake refu ge in r ite s
and r itual s. Ever yday life is missing. W here are
the s o ng s of bir th, employ m ent, mar r iage and
brother h o o d ?
T he w a shing of the fe et is ver y often a small
cerem o ny o n H oly T hur s day. T he s am e tear s
p o ure d alo ng the w ay of the cro ss reveal that
we join in the p a ssio n of Chr ist. We re co gnize
that for many th o s e tear s are p o ure d in co ncrete life. W here d o we get the smile of the
w itn e ss e s of the r is en L ord ?
Until all the event s of o ur life it s joy s, s orrow s and h o p e s car r y the mar k of Chr ist cr uc ifie d and r is en, we w ill live alw ay s in danger
of lo o k ing b ack to the slaver y of Eg y pt, to
adapt to the m ent alit y of this wor ld (RO M .
12.2).
J e su s s aid: A nd I, w hen I am
lifte d u p fro m the ear th, w ill
dr aw all p e o ple to my s elf
(J o hn 12:32). Is he p er hap s
d elu d e d or tr ick ing u s?
W hen he pre s ent s hims elf
a s r is en, sh ow ing the mar k s
of the nail s and the sp ear,
did he ju st w ant to m ove
u s? W hen we r ais e o ur

eye s to the o n e w h o w a s pierce d, is it ju st an

ac t of d evotio n?
I like to m e dit ate o n the p ainting of the
Cr u c ifix io n by S alv ad or Dali, sh ow ing Chr ists
love p o ure d o ut to the wor ld. We a sk o urs elve s: W hat d o e s Chr ist s e e fro m the cro ss?
At his fe et yo u d o nt s e e p e o ple w h o lo o k u p
to him? J e su s is still w aiting for o ur ga ze and
o ur invo catio n. If n ot join e d to gether in the
d eath and re sur re c tio n of Chr ist there can b e
n o tr u e Chr istianit y.
I rem emb er w ith em otio n the intro du c tio n to
the E a ster Vig il that I u s e d to organize in the
v illage s of B anglad e sh. I s at w ith adult s and
children o n the gr a ss of the churchy ard. I
heard the adult s ex plain to children w hy that
night w a s different than all other s. G oing to
listen to the v ar io u s gro u p s, I w a s ama ze d at
the r ichn e ss in h ow the adult s ex plain e d the
m eaning of the ble ssing of the fire, the O ld
Te st am ent reading s, b aptismal w ater, and
Eu char ist to the children. It w a s a ref le c tio n
of the teaching of J e su s o n the ro ad to
Emmau s.
To m e E a ster is still the cr adle of hu manit y
by G o d, the b e g inning of a jo ur n ey full of
m eaning, b e cau s e it is in the co mp any of
G o ds S o n, w h o rea ssure d u s ab o ut o ur or ig ins
and o ur end.
Ever y hu man b eing n e e d s of E a ster. Chr ist
die d for all and the vo catio n of hu manit y is in
fac t o n e, and div in e, s o that we b elieve that
the H oly Spir it g ive s ever yo n e the chan ce to
m e et, in the w ay that G o d k n ow s, w ith the
Pa s chal my ster y ( Vatican II, T he Church and
the m o d er n wor ld, 2 2/1389).
O ur relig io n is n ot simply a relig io n of the
b o o k, b ut it is the relig io n of the p er s o n, of
the G o d of the liv ing.
For this, a s lo ng a s we are in this wor ld, its
nice to sp end E a ster in an inn ovate d w ay of
fre e d o m and h o p e, u ntil the day w hen we w ill
enter into the re st of G o d.

Fr. Silvano Garello SX

Opposite page: Christ of St. John on the Cross by Salvador
Dali
Insert: Crucifixion sketch by St. John of the Cross. Dal was
inspired by this drawing.

Xaverian Mission Newsletter May 2015

A Resurrection People!

Xaverian Mission Newsletter May 2015

World Mission News Digest

World Mission News Digest

AFRICA/SIERRA
LEONE
The Bishops: We must be
steadfast in the efforts to
eradicate the Ebola virus
disease and defend our
democracy

Fr. Luigi Brioni SX with friends Sierra Leone

Las Patronas

Freetown (Agenzia Fides)

- We are still living in
fear since the outbreak
of the Ebola virus disease
and now with uncertainty
about the political
situation of our Country,
said the Bishops of Sierra
Leone in their
Easter message.
Sierra Leone is one
of three African
Countries most
affected by the
epidemic of Ebola,
with at least 12
thousand recorded
cases and more
than 2,900 deaths.

The Bishops, in the

light of Easter, invited
the faithful to hope, but
express their concerns
about developments in
the political situation of
the Country. We are
greatly concerned about
the increased level of
political tension they
said in their message.
This is inevitable where
justice and fundamental rights are
not perceived to be promoted and
respected. The situation needs to
be urgently addressed. Our national
destiny is in our hands and we must
remain vigilant in defending our
democratic rights. The ultimate goal
is the welfare of the people and the
Country leading to a lasting and stable
democratic rule.
After inviting the faithful to maintain
peace and responsible citizenship

10 Xaverian Mission Newsletter May 2015

and to be steadfast in the efforts

to eradicate the Ebola virus disease
respecting the prohibitions and health
alerts, they launched an appeal to all
Sierra Leoneans to respect the law and
the due process in seeking redress in
grievances.

AMERICA/MEXICO
For 20 years a group of
women has offered railwayline assistance to emigrants
travelling towards the
United States

Veracruz (Agenzia Fides) These

women, known as Las Patronas,
counteract the selfishness, pride and
greed of politicians and government
which has produced chaos and forced
people to move away in order to
survive, said Bishop Jos Ral Vera
Lpez of Saltillo,Mexico, during Mass to
mark 20 years of the groups activity.
Led by Norma Romero Vazquez and her
mother and sister these 15 exceptional
women stand along the railway lines
at the station of Amatln de los Reyes,
Veracruz, to meet the train, known as
La Bestia and offer food and water to
emigrants on their way to the United
States.
The celebration brought together human
rights activists and defenders from all
over the country.
Bishop Vera Lpez, who said the Mass
along the train lines where the group
offers its humanitarian services, ended
with these words: God wants everyone
to eat and to eat every day, and these
women know this. This is why they
come here to give food to the migrants
who are passing through. The fact
that people are born in disaster struck
places does not mean they must starve.
It is estimated that every year some
20,000 persons travel on La Bestia
train. Many are robbed and some
even kidnapped. The Mexican state of
Veracruz has one of the highest rates
of violence against migrants: in 2014

alone the number of registered cases

of persons kidnapped was 157, but
many more are never reported. In
2013 in recognition for its social
contribution La Patrona group was
awarded Mexicos National Human
Rights prize.

AMERICA/UNITED
STATES
The denunciation of
Bishops after the visit in
Texas: Why imprison the
most vulnerable?
Olinda and Recife (Agenzia Fides) After this visit, my main question is:
why? Why imprison these vulnerable
people, young and traumatized mothers who, with their children fled from
persecution in their own countries?,
Bishop Garcia-Siller of San Antonio
said when a group of Catholic Bishops
and other religious leaders visited the
Dilley detention center, in Texas.
A great nation like ours does not need
to imprison the most vulnerable as a
form of deterrence. The moral character of a society is judged by how it
treats its most vulnerable. Our policy
of detention of families is shameful
and I pray institutions to put an end
to this practice, he added.
Bishop Elizondo, President of the
Committee on Migration of the United
States Conference of Bishops (USCCB),
said after the visit: The detention of
families does not make sense. It is
particularly harmful to children, who
suffer emotional and psychological
damage after being arrested.
According to Bishop James Tamayo of
Laredo, Texas, there are alternatives
to detention: humanitarian actions that
can be used in favor of the people
involved.
Since last summer, the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) has arrested
hundreds of families, leading them to
detention centers in New Mexico, Texas
and Pennsylvania, as a result of the
new policy of detention aimed at
those fleeing from Central America and
illegally cross the border with the
United States.

News from our USA Communities

News from our USA Communities

NEW ASSIGNMENTS
The General Direction of the Xaverian
Missionaries has assigned Fr. Tony
Senno SX to US Province. The
Provincial Council assigned him to
the community of Holliston where he
will assist the Shrine Team as well
as other areas for the community.
Welcome Fr. Tony!
Fr. Rene Casillas SX from the
Northern Brazilian Region joined
the Holliston Community to work on
the English language as he prepares
himself for studies in Rome this fall.
Welcome Fr. Rene!
Fr. Martin Ali Keke Ndemsou SX, who
has been studying English since last
May in Holliston will soon complete
his program and depart for his first
mission.
Fr. Salvador Cruz Rojo SX, who also
has been studying English in Wayne
will leave for preparation of his
mission assignment in April or May
of this year.
~Fr. Carl Chudy SX

FRANKLIN: SAVE
THE DATE
Mark your calendars for the annual
Franklin WI Mission
Festival to be held on June 27
and 28, 2015 at Xavier Knoll in
Franklin WI. There will be music,
food and fun for all ages. For
Information please call 414-421-0831.
We hope to see you there!

~ Fr. Alex Rodriguez Gomez SX

XAVERIAN
MISSIONARIES
FATIMA SHRINE

Fatima Days
On Wednesday May 13th, the Xaverian Missionaries held the traditional
Fatima Day celebration in honor
of Our Lady. The theme was: MARY
MOTHER OF GOD in the writings of
ST. GUIDO M. CONFORTI Founder

of the Xaverian Missionaries. There was

a Sing-along, Mass, Rosary and Candlelight procession followed by refreshments
served in the Shrines Hall. The main
celebrant and homilist was Fr. Tony Lalli,
sx. Fr. Tony served for many years in
Brazil: the Amazon region in the North
as well as in the City of San Paolo in
the South. At present he is very much
involved in ministry especially with the
Portuguese and Brazilian communities in
the Archdiocese of Boston.
FATIMA DAYS are held at the Shrine on
the 13TH of EACH MONTH from May
through October 2015, 6:30 pm 9:00
pm and the annual Brazilian Pilgrimage:
Me Peregrina Pilgrimage takes place
on Sunday May 31st.
Monthly Retreats
The Xaverian Missionaries are offering a
monthly RETREAT at the Fatima Shrine
on the second Sunday of each month
giving those who come an opportunity
to celebrate the many ways that Mission
can be expressed, proclaiming the Lord
Jesus to all Gods people. For information please call 508-429-2144
~Fr. Joe Matteucig SX

CONVERSATIONS
AMONG HUMANISTS,
ATHEISTS AND
RELIGIOUS BELIEVERS
Our monthly MeetUP seeks dialogue
among atheists and religious believers. Our meetings are wonderfully rich,
with a diverse group: atheists and
theists. Our conversation is on doing
good, with or without God. How can
religious people, atheists and humanists
find ways to bring good into the world
together? We meet either at the Provincial House or at the public library on
the last Sunday of the month. For more
information or to register go online to
http://www.meetup.com/ConversationsAmong-Humanists-and-Religious-Believers/
or call 973-942-2975.

COMMON GROUND
CONFERENCE TO BE

HELD AT RUTGERS
UNIVERSITY
The Xaverian Missionaries have
been active in interfaith and
intercultural outreach since
our founding. Two years ago
we convened an international
conference in Coatbridge, Scotland
to advance the cause of sacral/secular understanding and cooperation. It
was a huge success and resulted in
many forms of continued dialogue.

We
bid
a fond farewell to
Fr. Salvador (above)
and Fr. Martin (left)
who are leaving the US
province for their mission
ministry abroad.

We are planning a second conference

in association with the American
Humanist Association to be hosted by
Rutgers University in New Brunswick,
NJ on October 8, 2015, entitled:
Common Ground:
Growing Understanding
and Cooperation
Between Religious
Believers and Secular
Humanists
The one day event will consist
of four speaker and/or panel
presentation sessions focusing on
Finding Meaning in
Life; Shared Ethics and
Values; and Communities in Actionsuccess
stories and future
initiatives. Dr. Welton
Gaddy, founder of the
Interfaith Alliance and
producer of the State
of Belief radio program,
Roy Speckhardt, Director of the American
Humanist Association will be taking part in the presentations.
It is our intent to provide a
forum to show how and why both
world views can not only coexist
but also assist one another in
efforts to build a just and peacefilled society.
~Fr. Carl Chudy SX

Xaverian Mission Newsletter May 2015

11

Xaverian Mission Newsletter May 2015

To offer ones life in mission is possible only if we are

able to leave ourselves behind.~ Pope Francis
Are you called to look beyond yourself?
Contact:

Fr. Rocco Puopolo at

The GYM

for information on becoming a

Xaverian Missionary!

thegym@xaviermissionaries.org
508-429-2144
Xaverian Missionaries Serve In:
Bangladesh Brazil Burundi Cameroon Chad Colombia Democratic Republic of Congo France
Indonesia Italy Japan Mexico Mozambique Philippines Sierra Leone Spain Taiwan Thailand UK USA

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