According to Fr. Roger Plante, M.S., he and Fr. Joe Gosselin, M.S., are “traveling preachers” for the lay Catholic foundation, Unbound, when someone has sponsored one person through this organization, that benefactor actually “did for five of these least brothers of mine.” The reason for this fivefold factor? It’s because the sponsored person typically has several immediate family members who also benefit from the relationship.
Using that formula, Fr. Roger calculates that, since its founding, Unbound has accumulated 808,125 sponsors. Therefore, Unbound has affected the lives of over four million people in places like Uganda, Madagascar, Honduras, India, the Philippines, plus 16 other countries.
Nineteen years as an itinerant advocate for Unbound have resulted in Fr. Roger alone giving 359 parish presentations, contacting 22,875 sponsors and touching well over 100,000 lives. In 2013, Unbound, which is highly rated and recognized by third party organizations that evaluate charities, provided $100+ million for program support to sponsored friends at a direct assistance rate of 93%.
Additionally, the financial commitment on the donor side, is enhanced and complemented by an obligation on the receiving end. For example, mothers must attend mothers’ groups, workshops on nutrition, as well as dental and medical clinics. Similarly, children need to succeed in their educational efforts. Likewise, families have to start a savings account (matched by Unbound), and seek livelihood initiatives.
Editor: Bro. Donald Wininski, M.S., has been with the La Salette Community since 1970 and took his first vows in 1972. He has recently moved from the La Salette House in Altamont, NY, to the La Salette National Shrine in Attleboro, MA.
As a child of five, I lived in a foster home. The woman in charge of our home was an artist, who enjoyed putting color on canvas with paint. I was inspired by her and one day I picked up one of her charcoal pencils and a pad of paper from the floor and began to draw what she was painting at the easel.
As I got older, I received presents of colored pencils, water colors, pads of artist paper, instead of the usual toys. My childhood was surrounded by colors and, as self-taught artist, I simply learned by doing. One day I received my first oil painting set and that launched my career in the medium of oil paintings.
I chose oil painting as my medium because oils are very forgiving; that is, if I make a mistake, I can easily change the image. However working in watercolors, I cannot change very much.
My schooling in art was limited to one course in mechanical drawing. It helped me to establish proper perspectives in my drawings. I didn’t like working in basic black and white but very much enjoyed working with the vast spectrum of colors. They lift my spirit and help me better express my ideas on canvas.
In the midst of the fast-paced Orlando International Airport, La Salette Father Robert Susann, provides a moment of peace and blesses a family from Puerto Rico before their departure. In the bustling airport he has only a short time with the travelers he meets each day, but as the only airport chaplain for the past 11 years, Father Susann knows the value of a moment.
"Airport ministry is a ministry of presence," he explained. "I bring Christ to the people whether its five minutes, 10 minutes, or just 15 seconds. People see the collar and know that Christ is with them."
Part of the tourism ministry of the diocese and supported by Our Catholic Appeal, the airport ministry brings the good news of Jesus Christ to Central Florida's visitors.
Walking through the terminals that see 38 million people each year, Father Susann shares Christ's peace with people of all faiths traveling for a variety of reasons and with wide-ranging emotions. In addition to celebrating two Sunday Masses in the airport chapel, he daily offers prayers, blessings, the Sacrament of Penance, a i mile and calming words.
"Christ welcomed everyone. It's an important ministry for the Church because the Church goes where the people are," he said. "The Church is made to bring Christ."
Pope Francis, in his Message for Lent 2015, pleads: “Dear brothers and sisters, how greatly I desire that all those places where the Church is present, especially our parishes and our communities, may become islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference!”
I live at the La Salette Shrine in Attleboro, MA. As I was sitting at the supper table recently, it occurred to me that I can testify to the fact that our Shrine and the hundreds of La Salette Missionary priests, brother and sisters who have served here – over the past 62 years and counting – have been a true “island of mercy”. We are living examples of the hope which Pope Francis expresses so well.
Our charism (or gift) as consecrated La Salette religious is reconciliation which includes the reconciliation of sinners. One important aspect of this charism is, for the priests of our community, to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation – or as my mother would describe it, “Going to Confession.”
From the very inception of our Shrine in 1953, we have offered sometimes extensive hours of availability for celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Our old-time members mention that they remember confessions being available from 8am to 6pm, five days a week. Others remember their three-hour sessions each day. Someone described our ministry as “celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation with everybody else’s parishioners”; that is, the Church at large in our area and beyond.
More than a century ago, when Central Florida was part of the Diocese of St. Augustine, several communities of religious sisters, priests and brothers arrived in Central Florida from other parts of the country and the world to minister to and serve the growing number of Catholics in the area and to bring those who had yet to find faith, closer to God.
In the years that followed, these men and women not only played an instrumental role in the establishment of many of our parishes and schools, but also in the faith formation of thousands of adults and children. Today, the Diocese of Orlando is blessed to have nearly 50 communities of religious priests, brothers and sisters, who continue to share their love of Christ and give witness to him through their daily lives.
In celebration of the Year for Consecrated Life, we present a three part series to highlight some religious communities and the impact they have made on our past and are making on our present and future. In this first installment, you will read about why the Diocese is grateful for the past contributions of the religious communities who helped establish our diocese with their mission of teaching and establishing parishes.