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La Salette's 80 Years in Myanmar
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| Fr. Valentine receives the chalice during the Ordination Rite |
In his manuscript entitled A Short History of the La Salette Missionaries in Myanmar (Burma) and the Diocese of Pyay (Prome), Fr. William (“Doc”) Doherty, M.S., notes that it was on November 9, 1937 that the first five American La Salette Missionaries—34 year-old Fr. Thomas Newman, later to become the first Bishop of the diocese of Prome, known today as Pyay; 27 year old Fr. Edward O'Sullivan; 28 year old Fr. Wienczyslaw Weselak; 32 year old Fr. Joseph (“Phil”) Gardner; and 31 year old Fr. Joseph LaBonte—set foot in the newly assigned mission in Burma.
The isolated, crescent-shaped Arakan district of Burma, measuring 300 miles by 60 miles, seemed to have very little potential for growth. Scattered among a population of one million staunch Buddhist were a scant 750 Catholics in four principal villages. Their work was cut out for them.
World Youth Day 2008 in Australia
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Happy Memories of World Youth Day 2008 in Australia
From my vantage point, the most important and invigorating event that took place in the Australian Catholic Church in 2008 was the world youth day event which was held in Sydney from July 15-21.
World Youth Day was established by Pope John Paul II in 1986 as a regular event to reach out to the youth of the world. He was inspired by the massive gathering of young people in Rome celebrating the Youth Jubilee in 1984 and the United Nations International Year of Youth in 1985. He wanted to bring together young Catholics from around the globe to celebrate and learn about their faith on a more regular basis.
The first World Youth Day was held in Rome in 1986 on Palm Sunday. Every two to three years World Youth Day is taken to an international host city. In 2008 the World Youth Day celebration was an eye-opener for secular cultured Australia.
Happy Easter from Myanmar!
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“Alleluia” resounds throughout our holy and blessed Church because the Lord, who once was dead and now is risen from the tomb and will never die again. As we believe, all of us share in his glory by virtue of our baptism.
The Risen Christ greeted his apostles in the upper room with “Peace be with you!” Jesus wants to remove our fears and confusion. Indeed we are an Easter people, living after the resurrection of the Lord and called to witness it to the whole world. This Easter peace can change our lives and move us closer to God.
As we hear the word “peace” often during this Easter season, what does it mean to us? Is it a peace only for ourselves and those close to us? No, he wants to share this gift with all God’s people and help us realize that he is truly risen. We must also remember that for Jesus, peace came to him only after he endured suffering and death.
The Philippine Apostolate of Education
The La Salette mission in the Philippines began in 1948 in the Diocese of Ilagan. The major thrust of trhose first Missionaries was evangelization. From the very beginning, both the Bishop and the local people asked them to make the apostolate of education one of their priorities. The government assured a fairly wide range of elementary schools throughout the country. What was lacking for a large majority of children, except those who lived in and neat large cities, was high school education. As a result La Salette Missionaries began setting up high schools in many smaller towns The town of Ramon, some 13
An Immigrant Ministering to Immigrants
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| Fr. Pancho Negri, M.S. |
He had just turned 50 a few days earlier and had only been ordained for five years when “Padre Pancho” died in Argentina on September 28, 2009. Born to Jose and Josefina Negri on September 24, 1959 in Santiago del Estero, Argentina, Francisco Negri soon became known as Pancho to his friends. When the family moved to the outskirts of Buenos Aires, many miles south of Santiago del Estero, they settled in the city of Derqui, into a parish where the La Salette Missionaries ministered. There he grew up. His outgoing personality allowed him easily to make friends wherever he went.
Moving from Place to Place
I am scared… but I still believe
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| PEOPLE LINE UP FOR GAS IN AFTERMATH OF MAJOR QUAKE IN HAITI |
A Letter from Port-Au-Prince, Haiti:
A Journal of the Earthquake and Its Aftermath
By Fr. Andrew Laboratorio, CICM, A Missionhurst Missionary
(shared by Fr. Bernie Baris, M.S.)
Fr. Andrew is a 40 year old Missionhurst Priest from the Philippines, working as a pastor in one of the poorest sections of Port-au-Prince.
He has 80,000 people in his neighborhood.
Newly Elected in Madagascar
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Two of the newly elected provincial leaders in Madagascar are known to many of you. Fr. Jeannot Rakotondrainy, MS, who was born in Madagascar in 1962 and ordained in 1992, lived, studied and ministered with us here in St. Louis for three years in the early 1990s. This is his second term as Provincial of Madagascar. He is also a General Councilor, and as such works with Fr. Dennis Loomis, MS who is the Superior General of the La Salette Congregation, who lives in Rome.
Fr. Jeremy Morais, MS, who was elected 2nd councilor, is also known to many of you. A Canadian citizen, born in 1953 in Red Lake, Ontario – at that time served by the La Salette Missionaries out of Olivette, IL. He came to study in the United States. Professed in 1977, he was ordained in 1981 and spent 5 years doing vocational work for the Milwaukee Province. Then he left for Madagascar, and has served there ever since. In a few weeks he will be returning for a vacation in Kamloops, BC, Canada where his family lives.
The third member of the new Provincial leadership team, Fr. Jean Wenceslas Rakotomahefa, MS, was born in Madagascar in 1963 and ordained in 1997. He has been studying in Rome for the past few years.
We wish them well in their leadership rolls.
Reverse Mission
Sometimes we speak of “Reverse Mission.” That’s when the enthusiasm, dynamism, skills and energy acquired and sustained during years of missionary work outside the country are newly directed to ministry a missionary undertakes when returning to serve in his homeland. I could give many examples of “Reverse Mission” but a few will suffice:
– my work here at the La Salette Mission Center (LSMC);
– that of Frs. Steve Krisanda, MS and Brian Sheridan, MS at Good Shepherd Parish in Orlando Florida;
– that of Fr. John Patrick Sullivan at the La Salette Shrine in Attleboro, MA
– that of our Missionaries returning every few years for a vacation, like Frs. Jack Garvey, MS from Argentina and Jeremy Morais, MS from Madagascar who came this year.
Another aspect of “Reverse Mission” focuses around the qualities brought to ministries by non-Americans who come to minister here. Some come only for a few months to help with ministry here at LSMC, especially in giving mission appeals. This year we have Fr. Eugene Flores, MS from the Philippines. Others, like Frs. Pedro Chingandu, MS from Angola, Francisco “Pancho” Negri, MS from Argentina, Romuald “Mémé” Rakotondraibe, MS from Madagascar, Baiju Avittappally, MS, Johnny Vadakkan, MS and others from India are here working full time. What a grace their presence is for our ministries in North America.
Summer Camp
Coming from class one day in Cochabamba I noticed a group of kids dismantling a temporary tent-like structure on the basketball court near the parish church. I had noticed the structure a few days earlier when I arrived. So I walked over to see if I could practice my Spanish a bit with them. I learned that they were cleaning up the last vestiges of the La Salette Summer Camp for kids in the parish. Diego Diaz, a seminarian who is living at the nearby formation house with Fr. “Juan Francisco” Higgins, introduced me to it’s organizer. Since Diego was one of the animators, I later asked him to write an article about the Summer Camp.
The Summer Camp began two years ago, organized by a Maryknoll Lay Volunteer couple, Evan and Susan Cuthbert. With their two daughters, Mary and Rosie, they live in one of the 14 barrios of the parish.
A Day at the Beach
Easter Monday is an official national holiday in Madagascar. It is traditionally “picnic” day, when people leave the cities, towns and villages and head for the beaches, streams, lakes, or wherever they can find a pleasant area for a family or group picnic. Bishop Donald Pelletier wrote about this year’s picnic.
Our main course for the picnic lunch was – you guessed it – chicken and rice, accompanied by two bananas! That was the picnic. It was however a stress-less day – the sun, sand, fresh air, wind and water all contributed to help us relax. And of course I enjoy being with these young men. They are the future of the church. We don’t have many seminarians. With a strong seminary formation program here at the moment, there is hope. This year I will ordain another priest for the diocese – the third since becoming Bishop. I tell our seminarians that another Bishop will ordain them but I am happy to have helped for their formation.