In Loving Memory 2023

Please fill out the form, enter the name of deceased loved one you would like us to remember at our Masses in November. One name per box.

Rev. John W. Crossin, OSFS, 1947-2023

REV. JOHN W. CROSSIN, OSFS

Oblate Priest, Theologian, Ecumenist

With sadness, but with faith in the Resurrection, we announce that our brother, Rev. John W. Crossin, OSFS, died at the age of 75, on May 12, 2023, after a brief illness.

Fr. Crossin was a professed member of the Oblate community for 56 years and a priest for 47 years.  A teacher, theologian, author and scholar, Fr. Crossin was an expert in the field of Christian ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.  His scholarship also focused on ethics, virtue and friendship.

John was born on May 17, 1947, in Philadelphia, the oldest of four children of John William and Marie (Astley) Crossin.  He attended Father Judge High School in Philadelphia and joined the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales after graduation in 1965.  John had been a scholar and athlete at Judge and declined several scholarships, including to the University of Pennsylvania, to enter religious life.  John made   his First Profession of vows in 1967 and his Perpetual Profession of vows in 1971.  For his apostolic internship, John taught Math at Northeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia.

John earned a B.S., summa cum laude, in Mathematics at Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales (now DeSales University).  He also earned an M.A. in Theology and an M.A. in Psychology from The Catholic University of America.  Fr. John was ordained a priest on May 15, 1976, at Our Lady of Ransom Church in Philadelphia.  Subsequently, Fr. Crossin taught religion at Salesianum School in Wilmington for a year.  In 1982, John received his Ph.D. in Moral Theology from Catholic University. 

Throughout the 1980s, Fr. John was on the faculty and formation team at the Oblate seminary in Washington, D.C., and served as religious superior. In 1987, Fr. Crossin became President of the De Sales School of Theology.

In 1999, Fr. John was appointed the Executive Director of the Washington Theological Consortium, where he served for the next fourteen years.  During this time he also taught at several theological schools, including Catholic University, Wesley Theological Seminary, Virginia Theological Seminary, and Gettysburg Lutheran Theological Seminary.

From 2012 to 2017, Fr. John served as Executive Director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in Washington, D.C.   During this time, Fr. John was a visiting fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, President of the North American Academy of Ecumenists and a Consultor to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity at the Vatican.  In the latter capacity, Fr. Crossin was a member of the Pontifical Council’s team for the Joint Working Group with the World Council of Churches. 

Fr. John served on the boards of many organizations in the Church and in his religious community.  He was the Assistant General Treasurer for the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, a member of the Province Planning Committee and the Province Vocations Committee, and was twice elected a Provincial Counselor of the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province. 

Upon completing his term at the USCCB, Fr. Crossin became Director of Spiritual Formation at the St. Luke Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland.   Subsequently, Fr. John had a research sabbatical during which he wrote his latest book, Moving into the Ecumenical Future:  Foundations of a Paradigm for Christian Ethics (published in 2022).   In addition to this title, Fr. Crossin is also the author of the following books:   What Are They Saying About Virtue (1985), Walking in Virtue: Moral Decisions and Spiritual Growth in Daily Life (1998), Everyday Virtues (2002), and Friendship: The Key to Spiritual Growth (2014). Throughout his long career, Fr. Crossin contributed numerous articles to many theological and ecumenical journals.

Recognized as a national leader in ecumenism, Fr. John was the recipient of the Interfaith Bridge Builders Award of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, the Pillar of Faith Award of the Howard University School of Divinity/United Church of Christ and the Washington Theological Consortium Ecumenical Award. He was also a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America, the Society of Christian Ethics, and the Thomas More Society of Washington.  Fr. John also served on the board of De Sales University and on the Ethics Committee at Providence Hospital in D.C.

Throughout his many years in the Washington/Northern Virginia area, Fr. Crossin ministered on weekends at Annunciation Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Washington, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Vienna, Virginia, and St. John Neumann Parish community in Reston, Virginia.  Fr. John retired to Reston in 2022 so that he could concentrate on his writing and assist in the parish.

He also continued to be a beloved spiritual director to many people in the area, including the Daughters of St. Francis de Sales and members of the Cursillo community.

Fr. Crossin is preceded in death by his parents.  He is survived by his Oblate confreres, his brother James (Kathy), his brother Robert (Barbara), his sister Ann Larkin (Joseph) and many nieces, nephews and cousins. 

Fr. John lived a life dedicated to living the Gospel in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales, the gentleman saint.  He brought the lessons and inspiration of Francis into his academic and pastoral work.  He was passionate about exploring the breadth of the Christian faith and finding common ground with all faiths.  In reflecting on his most recent book, Fr. John was most optimistic that it may be the foundation for an international dialogue about ecumenical studies. He reflected, “I hope this book will help bring us together, which is Jesus’ will at the Last Supper; pray that we be one.” 

An educator throughout his life, in his final weeks, Fr. John taught us how to live in the present moment. May he experience the fullness of God’s presence, which he saw revealed in Scripture, the Church and Salesian Spirituality. May he rest in peace.

Arrangements:

The wake for Fr. Crossin will be held on Wednesday, May 17 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at St. John Neumann Parish Community in Reston, Virginia, followed by Mass of Christian Burial 3:00 pm.  A reception will follow the Mass.

Another viewing will be held at the Oblate Retirement Residence in Childs, Maryland, on Thursday, May 18.  Visitation is from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  Burial will follow in the Oblate Cemetery.

 Condolences may be sent to: 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert & Barbara Crossin

140 New Road

Southampton, PA  18966

In memory of Father Crossin’s life and legacy, donations may be made to the Oblate Development Fund, P.O. Box 87, Childs, MD 21916-0087 or here.

DeSales Networking Breakfast Featuring Ed Turzanski

April 21st ~ 7:37 AM - 9:00 AM

The Union League at Torresdale

3801 Grant Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19114

Edward A. Turzanski

National Security, Intelligence & Political Analyst

Topic: "Virtue as a Necessary Element of National Security"

The DeSales Network is proud to welcome Edward A. Turzanski to the Networking Breakfast on April 21, 2023. The event will start at 7:37 am with continental breakfast and networking followed by a presentation by Ed Turzanski on "Virtue as a Necessary Element of National Security." You will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn from Ed and each other.

Edward A. Turzanski Over a four-decade-long career, Edward A. Turzanski has been a practitioner, researcher, historian, professor, essayist and commentator in the fields of Intelligence, Espionage, National Security and Foreign Policy. He is a Life Member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers, having served with the U.S. Intelligence Community during the Reagan Administration with postings throughout the Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. During the George W. Bush Administration, he served on the U.S. Department of Justice’s Anti-Terrorism Advisory Committee (ATAC) for the Third District and the Department of Homeland Security’s Port Security Committee for Philadelphia. He is also a Life Member of the Naval War College Foundation and the National Association of Scholars. Mr. Turzanski is a Member of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Advisory Board and a Senior Fellow with the Foreign Policy Research Institute where he was its first John Templeton Fellow. His commentary on National Security, Intelligence, Political and Diplomatic affairs has been heard over more than four-dozen media outlets across North America, and on the BBC’s World Service, CBC and CTV News in Canada, Fox News Channel and National Public Radio. Mr. Turzanski is a 1977 graduate of Northeast Catholic High School for Boys and was inducted into its Alumni Hall of Fame in 2012.

The Mission of the DeSales Network

To honor the memory of Fr. William Guerin, OSFS, the DeSales Network will offer engagement and social opportunities for spiritual growth for Gospel-minded people in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales to fuel the grace that, in the words of Fr. Guerin, “gets you to heaven."

For more info, email info@oblates.org

Rev. Thomas J. Tucker, OSFS, 1938-2023

Father Thomas J. Tucker, OSFS

Rev. Thomas J. Tucker, OSFS, in his 66th year of religious life as a professed member of the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, died on February 7, 2023.

Father was born in Philadelphia in 1938, the son of Morgan J. Tucker and Henrietta Bach Tucker. After graduating from Northeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia in 1956, he entered the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and professed first vows on February 2, 1958.  He made perpetual profession on February 2, 1961 and was ordained a priest on October 1, 1966. Father earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Niagara University (Lewiston, NY), a Master of Science in Biology from the Catholic University of America (Washington, DC) and a Master of Theology from De Sales School of Theology (Washington, DC).

Over the years, he served on the faculty of both Father Judge High School (Philadelphia, PA) and Salesianum School (Wilmington, DE) and also served as Superior of the Salesianum Oblate Community.

Rev. Thomas J. Tucker, OSFS is preceded in death by his parents and his brother-in-law, Paul Davis.  He is survived by his sister, Janet Davis as well as his nephews, Matthew Davis and Adam Davis. 

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, February 11, 2023, beginning at 11:30 AM at Our Lady of Light Chapel, 1120 Blue Ball Road, Childs, MD 21916. The Viewing will precede the Mass from 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM. Interment will take place at a later date. Attendees must be fully vaccinated and boosted from COVID-19.  Social distancing and masks are required.

In memory of Father Tucker’s life and legacy, donations may be made to the Oblate Development Fund, P.O. Box 87, Childs, MD 21916-0087.

Brother Robert M. Carter, OSFS, 1952-2023

Brother Robert M. Carter, OSFS

Brother Robert M. Carter, OSFS, in his 35th year of religious life as a professed member of the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, died on January 25, 2023.

Brother Bob was born in Philadelphia in 1952, the son of Norman Carter and Catherine Byrne Carter.  He was a proud parishioner and student of Incarnation Parish and Grade School in the Olney section of Philadelphia. Brother Bob entered the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and professed first vows on August 13, 1988.  He made perpetual profession on May 6, 1995.

Over the years, Brother Bob faithfully served on the staffs of Brisson Seminary (Center Valley, PA), Paul VI High School (Fairfax, VA), Divine Word College (Washington, DC), the Newman Center at George Washington University (Washington, DC) and Buckley and Annecy Halls (Childs, MD). Brother Robert M. Carter, OSFS is preceded in death by his parents and his brother Edward Joseph Carter.  He is survived by brothers Norman Carter (Patty) and Kevin Carter (Kathleen) in addition to his nieces and nephews. 

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, beginning at 11:30 AM at Our Lady of Light Chapel, 1120 Blue Ball Road, Childs, MD 21916. The Viewing will precede the Mass from 10:00 AM to 11:15 AM. Interment will take place at the Oblate Cemetery following the Mass.  Attendees should be fully vaccinated and boosted from COVID-19.  Social distancing and masks are required.

In memory of Brother Bob’s life and legacy, donations may be made to the Oblate Development Fund, P.O. Box 87, Childs, MD 21916-0087 or www.oblates.org/support-us

DeSales Networking Breakfast Featuring Ellen Kolodziej

October 21st ~ 7:37 AM

The Union League at Liberty Hill

Liberty Ballroom

Lafayette Hill, PA 1944 

Ellen Kolodziej, TV Reporter/Media Relations & Public Speaking Consultant

The DeSales Network is proud to welcome Ellen Kolodziej to their Networking Breakfast on October 21, 2022. The event will start at 7:37 am with continental breakfast and networking followed by a presentation by Ellen Kolodziej. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn from Ellen and each other.

Ellen Kolodziej is a TV Reporter/Media Relations and Public Speaking Consultant who has worked at 13 different TV and radio stations in her incredible career. You will recognize her face from FOX 29 and NBC10 and her voice from KYW1060 where she was recently News Anchor.

She is a dear friend to the Oblates as her little brother Father Jack Kolodziej, OSFS, serves as Provincial of the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province.

Ellen is happy to be back in Philadelphia on FOX29! She is passionate about all Philly sports and loved reporting for the “Charlie Manuel” TV show. Other fun shows she has worked on include "Phillies Postgame live with Mike Missanelli and John Clark,” "Inside Golf," and “Philly Pheud” with Missanelli.

In addition to her broadcast career, Ellen delivers media training and public speaking coaching for executives. She also taught Public Speaking at her alma mater, La Salle University for 13 years. Ellen is a Philadelphia native and a product of Nativity BVM School in Port Richmond and John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls’ High School. She received a Bachelor's Degree in Communications from La Salle and a Master's Degree in Journalism from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She calls Havertown home now and has two beautiful children - Krystyna, a senior at FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology) in New York, and Jack, a sophomore at Arizona State University.

The Mission of the DeSales Network

To honor the memory of Fr. William Guerin, OSFS, the DeSales Network will offer engagement and social opportunities for spiritual growth for Gospel-minded people in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales to fuel the grace that, in the words of Fr. Guerin, “gets you to heaven."

For more info, email info@oblates.org

Reflection on the Papal Encyclical “Fratelli tutti” by The Superior General of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

Pope Francis

© Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk, Catholic Church England and Wales. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Source.

October 4, 2020

Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi

My dear confreres, lay colleagues, and all who experience the ministry of the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales around the world, my brothers and sisters:

On October 1, in a handwritten note to the Superiors General of religious institutes of men and women, Pope Francis wrote: “I am happy to be able to share with you the new encyclical letter “Fratelli tutti”. Its title is the exhortation of Saint Francis to follow the message of Jesus: to recognise each other as brothers and sisters and to live accordingly in the common home that the Father entrusted to us.” For the first time, the Holy Father has requested that each Superior General, in addition to the Bishops, join him in presenting the Encyclical and making it available to all the members of the Congregation, all our collaborators and associates, and all our brothers and sisters within our sphere of influence. As Italians would say, a tutti! I am honored to have been invited into the process of facilitating the reception of the Encyclical. I am equally honored, for the first time, to be able to address all of you in our Oblate world.

We Oblates, and those who work with us today, are under the influence of three men by the name of Francis—Pope Francis, Francis of Assisi, and Francis de Sales. While Pope Francis took the name of Francis of Assisi, we recognize much of our Francis in him as well. In 1616, Saint Francis de Sales published the classic, Treatise on the Love of God. It has often been remarked that he wished to compose a parallel treatise on the love of neighbor. In Fratelli Tutti, an encyclical letter “On Fraternity and Social Friendship,” Pope Francis fulfills this desire. He writes: “The following pages do not claim to offer a complete teaching on fraternal love, but rather to consider its universal scope, its openness to every man and woman. I offer this social Encyclical as a modest contribution to continued reflection, in the hope that in the face of present-day attempts to eliminate or ignore others, we may prove capable of responding with a new vision of fraternity and social friendship that will not remain at the level of words. Although I have written it from the Christian convictions that inspire and sustain me, I have sought to make this reflection an invitation to dialogue among all people of good will” (§6).

All who are familiar with Salesian spirituality will take note that the Holy Father grounds his Encyclical in what we call the virtues of Salesian hospitality and Salesian solidarity. In fact, the theme of our twentieth General Chapter (Annecy, France) in 2018 was “Fraternal Humanism: Cultivating Salesian Solidarity Among Ourselves and Within our World.” At that General Chapter we reflected on our experience of violence in society and against creation, interculturality and migration, and contemporary issues concerning youth.

Fraternal Humanism has as its goal the building of a civilization of love. Salesian Solidarity in the context of Fraternal Humanism more firmly links the thinking and actions of one Francis, our patron saint, with another Francis, our pope, across time and space.

How we cultivate Salesian Solidarity among ourselves and within our world today gets to the heart of being an Oblate. This is our essential spirituality and identity expressed in mission. Blessed Louis Brisson, our founder, insisted that we “are thus called to enter society such as it is” and to make it Christian, “by every means possible” (Chapter, 1 February 1893).

Pope Francis views hospitality as one specific way of opening ourselves, moving beyond ourselves, and encountering others. This is the foundation of social friendship, with the greatest possible danger lying in failing to love (§92). We need a universal and existential openness to expand our circle of friends, even out toward the margins of society, the result of a “conscious and careful cultivation of fraternity” (§104).

To achieve this ideal, Pope Francis calls us to solidarity, to thinking and acting in terms of community. His description of solidarity includes giving the lives of all priority over the acquisition of goods by a few, combatting the structural causes of poverty and inequality, and attending to the lack of work, land, and housing. It is more than clear that this Encyclical on fraternity and social friendship, this reflection on the love of neighbor, is by no means ethereal. It is contextualized in ever widening socio-political-financial-ecclesial-ecumenical circles and spheres of influence.

Launching from a survey of the dark clouds that currently hang over a closed world and a sustained theological reflection on the parable of the Good Samaritan, Pope Francis then envisions an open world and hearts that are open to the whole world. He calls for a better kind of politics in our societies, critiquing both populism and liberalism alike, and for a new culture, arising out of social dialogue grounded in acknowledging the other and the recovery of kindness, consensus, and truth. He encourages the world to take the path of renewed encounter in truth to deal with conflict, practice forgiveness, eschew war and the death penalty, and construct peace. He asks world religions to place themselves at the service of fraternity in our world, recognizing that religious violence only distorts our religious convictions.

I encourage all of you in your reading, reflection, and discussion of this Encyclical. It is, I believe, a hard-hitting global examination of conscience that is more than likely to provoke both inspiration and nods of approval, on the one hand, as well as pointed questions and profoundly defensive reactions, on the other. Like any good examination of conscience, it calls for the ruthless honesty of a believer before God and in relation to the neighbor—but in this instance, all neighbors, all our brothers and sisters, without exception. In his Admonitions, Saint Francis of Assisi addressed his brothers and sisters as fratelli tutti and encouraged them with counsels on how to live a Gospel-infused way of life in the world of their day and with all. Quoting the saint, Pope Francis remarks: “Of the counsels Francis offered, I would like to select the one in which he calls for a love that transcends the barriers of geography and distance, and declares blessed all those who love their brother ‘as much when he is far away from him as when he is with him’”(§1).

I conclude with A Prayer to the Creator which Pope Francis places at the end of his Encyclical:

Lord, Father of our human family, you created all human beings equal in dignity: pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit and inspire in us a dream of renewed encounter, dialogue, justice and peace. Move us to create healthier societies and a more dignified world, a world without hunger, poverty, violence and war.

May our hearts be open to all the peoples and nations of the earth. May we recognize the goodness and beauty that you have sown in each of us, and thus forge bonds of unity, common projects, and shared dreams. Amen.

My brothers and sisters, please be assured of my prayers for all of you. In this time of global pandemic—how strange it is that we are all united in this one reminder of our need to protect each other—may God keep you safe and grant you health to serve those entrusted to your care.

Live Jesus!

Most Rev. Barry R. Strong, OSFS
Superior General

Fratelli Tutti: http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html

DeSales Weekly: https://www.oblates.org/desales-weekly

DeSales Weekly Editor: Fr. John (Jack) Kolodziej, OSFS