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Fire at La Salette Attleboro Shrine
Fire at Attleboro La Salette Shrine
by George W. Rhodes,
Sun Chronicle Staff, Attleboro, MA, May 6, 2010.
Two sheds at La Salette Shrine, including one that held fond memories of friendship and Christmas, were destroyed late Wednesday afternoon by an arsonist who struck in broad daylight.
Three sheds, which housed greeters and concessions during the shrine’s Festival of Lights every Christmas season, were set ablaze. The third was badly damaged and it couldn’t be determined immediately if it’s salvageable, La Salette maintenance supervisor Adam Steed said. The fire was reported at 5:11 p.m.
Fr. Jim Kuczynski, M.S., Honored by Atlanta Archdiocese
Catholic Charities Atlanta held its third annual gala on Thursday, April 15, at 6 p.m. at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta. In honor of the Year for Priests, three priests of the archdiocese were honored for their particularly supportive of the work. Among them was La Salette Father Jim Kuczynski, M.S., pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Smyrna, GA.
In the program for the evening, he was described as: “A compassionate servant leader for what is perhaps the largest and most diverse parish in the Archdiocese, St. Thomas the Apostle, Fr. Jim is an unwavering voice for Catholic Charities Atlanta. He, his staff and his parishioners support our Village of St. Joseph Counseling Program and implement many of the Catholic Charities Parish and Social Justice Ministries initiatives, including Justice for Immigrants, Just Faith and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.” His parish is nearly half Hispanic.
Read more Fr. Jim Kuczynski, M.S., Honored by Atlanta Archdiocese
Sacred Heart Dedication
Sacred Heart Parish
Served by the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette
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Sacred Heart Church in Lebanon, NH is Rededicated
Many Thanks from Bolivia
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Dear Co-Missioners,
Greetings from a sunny Cochabamba, Bolivia where another experience offers me the opportunity to share a bit of our reality with you and those who helped to make this project possible.
Last Sunday I visited one of the neighborhoods that I will be accompanying this year, Villa Urkupiña. It is named after the most popular devotion to Mary here in Bolivia, Our Lady of Urkupiña, a quechua language expression meaning roughly “she is up there”.
I had good luck since it was a day when the local school community was out in full, planting trees and
Haiti, a Ravaged Country
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| Overlooking the Poor and Crowded City |
I have just returned from my visit to Haiti. I postponed my trip due to the earthquake. Father Marc-Edy and the Sisters really wanted me to go down to see what is happening. The money we raised for the earthquake victims was close to $170,000. Amazing! We have already sent $109,000 by wire transfers.
We made a contribution to Matthew 25 House and to St. Jude’s Parish in Port-au-Prince which is in the middle of the disaster zone. The greater portion went to Saint Claire’s which had taken in many families and 350 displaced children into the four schools of the parish.
As you may know, the La Salette Missionaries have several schools in the Philippines. When they heard about the earthquake and my involvement with Haiti, they asked the students to give a donation for the earthquake victims. The Filippino students collected $1,200 which they sent to me. I told the students that this money will be used for scholarships to help some of the 350 displaced children from Port-au-Prince enrolled in the parish schools of Saint Claire’s.
As you may know, the Bishop of Gonaïves has offered the Missionaries of La Salette a parish in his Diocese. Right now, there is only a small chapel building in a place called Bayonnais. It’s about 2 hours north of Dessalines (5.5 hours north of Port-au-Prince). The Bishop wishes that the La Salettes establish a parish in that area. The name of the chapel is Sainte Monique (St. Monica’s).
Good Shepherd School Reaches Out to Haiti Children
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The Good Shepherd Parish staffed by La Salettes supported the School in welcoming Haitian victims of the earthquake. In the aftermath of the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Good Shepherd Catholic School community has mobilized to assist three displaced Haitian families with meeting their immediate and future needs as they transition to the United States.
The first family arrived a week after the earthquake. The mother came with her two daughters. There was an outpouring of love and concern shown by many donations from the Good Shepherd community. The donations included uniforms, school supplies, shoes and food for the refugee family. The two girls have made friends easily and adapted quickly at the school. One is in the eighth grade and the other is in the third grade. They came with the blessing of having some knowledge of English. Two weeks later two more families arrived. These families came with nothing and without relatives. They had neither belongings nor a place to live. The father and the mother arrived with their children, two boys and three girls. The father’s sister’s family, a mother with three daughters, is the third family. The eight children range in age from 18 months to 15 years. These families only speak Creole so the learning curve is quite challenging.
Read more Good Shepherd School Reaches Out to Haiti Children
Church in Downtown Atlanta Elevated to Minor Basilica
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Photo: CNS photo Michael Alexander, Georgia Bulletin |
its outreach to the poor and homeless of downtown Atlanta.
Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory, center, stands before the altar during the Liturgy of the Eucharist at Sacred Heart Church during a Mass on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
The title of Minor Basilica has been granted to Sacred Heart Church located in the heart of Atlanta at 353 Peachtree Street NE. This high honor came in the form of a Decree from the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments at the Vatican. The designation is intended to strengthen the relation of this important Church with the Chair of Peter and to make it an ideal center of special liturgical and pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
Read more Church in Downtown Atlanta Elevated to Minor Basilica
La Salette Goes Hollywood
The former property of the La Salette Missionaries in Ipswich, MA., then known as the La Salette Shrine, now described as “Turner Hill”, has welcomed actors and filmmakers alike to its over 250 acres of manicured grounds and a classic Georgian Mansion House just three times in the past fifty years. The first was for the filming of 13 Rue Madeleine, a 1947 World War II spy film starring James Cagney, Annabella, and Richard Conte. The title refers to the Le Havre address where a Gestapo headquarter is
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| The Box (CNS photo/Warner Bros.) |
located. Our property including our main house and stables was used along with another Ipswich area Manor House.
The second and third times were much more recent. In the winter of 2007, Turner Hill was used in the filming of The Box, a 2009 American science-fiction -- thriller/horror based on the 1970 short story "Button, Button" by Richard Matheson. The story was previously adapted into an episode of the 1980s incarnation of The Twilight Zone. (Wikipedia) See Turner Hill Newsletter for more: (click here)
The film is written and directed by Richard Kelly and stars Cameron Diaz and James Marsden as a couple who receive a box from a mysterious man who offers them one million dollars if they press the button sealed within the dome on top of the box. Production for the film began in November 2007 and concluded in February 2008.
Remembering Argentine Years of Terror
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| Fr. Velarde, MS, of Argentina, was kidnaped by the military dictatorship in 1976 |
An article, basically written by Fr. Alfredo Velarde, MS, appeared recently in the local paper for the province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina. It has been translated, with certain changes incorporated to make it more understandable for us who were not there. The parish referred to is Our Lady of Perpetual Help, served by Missionaries of our Lady of La Salettes. Fr. Alfredo is the Pastor. Together with the other La Salette novices and Fr. Jim Weeks, MS, the novice master-, he was kidnapped by the military in 1976. The headlines of the article in the local paper stated: 300 PEOPLE MARCHED THROUGH LAS TERMAS AND SAID NEVER AGAIN TO MILITARY DICTATORS.
Attleboro Prolife Monument Dedicated
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monument surrounded by Knights of Columbus Honor Guard |
On Saturday, January 23, 2010, a Prayer Service and Dedication of a new Pro-Life Monu ment was held at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Attleboro, MA. The Prayer Service was hosted by Rev. Bro. Robert Russell, M.S., past Director of the Shrine. Bp. Daniel Reilly, Bishop Emeritus of Worcester, MA., presided over the Dedication, with many members of the Knights of Columbus, La Salette Missionaries, several dignitaries and a large crowd of supporters present.
The sculpture was fashioned by Steven James Taylor and placed in an outdoor plaza in front of the Shrine’s Welcome Center. The purposes of this monument include:
• To prompt viewers to give thanks for their own parents who gave them life;
• To be an inspiration to all those who will see it;
• To encourage others to pray for an end to abortion;
• To support respect for life for people of all ages.