Our Family, the Church
Growing up in a very Catholic neighborhood in Philadelphia, PA, in the 1970s, my family belonged to the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. “Nativity,” as we called the parish, was more than where you attended mass once a week. Nativity was a home. It was a place to worship, pray, go to school, attend basketball games, socialize at dances, have fun at carnivals and hang out with friends. Like my immigrant ancestors at the turn of the last century, I was lucky to have experienced the parish church as an extension of my own family.
The church, like any family, had its share of characters. There were the old-timers and the pillars of the parish. There were the priests, nuns, and teachers, along with my classmates and friends. There were the families who went to church regularly and those who only showed up at certain times of the year. Like any family, we had good times and challenging times, but we always walked together on the journey of life.
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast is a reminder that Jesus came from a real, human family. God could have had his Son come to Earth in many ways. Greek, Roman, and other religious mythologies give us many examples of how the ancient gods came to earth. But God chose his Son to come to us through Mary. The Christian Scriptures explain that “in the fullness of time, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law (Galatians 4:4).”
The Gospel chosen for this feast is the genealogy of Jesus from the writings of Saint Matthew. The list of ancestors of Our Lord includes saints and sinners, humble people and proud people, lowly folks, famous folks, and unknown believers. No matter who was in his family tree, Jesus was able to break away from prejudice and bias and to do something new.
Matthew uses this list to show us that the story before and after the birth of Jesus is the same. Like the family of Jesus, the story of the Church is made up of the great and the small, the sinner and the saint, the ordinary and the extraordinary. The Church has a family tree that encompasses thousands of years and millions of people. Over time and into eternity, we are all striving for perfection and trying to follow the Lord.
As we recall the birth of the Mother of Jesus, we can reflect on our own family and our own story. We all come from a “mixed bag” of many different people, many different experiences. But, like Mary, God chooses the lowly to do great things and calls us all to walk and work together.
In the preface to the Introduction to the Devout Life, Saint Francis de Sales tells us that we are all called to live a holy life: “My purpose is to instruct those who live in cities, within families, and at court, and whose situation obliges them to live an ordinary life as far as externals are concerned.”
Wherever we are, wherever we came from, we are all invited to live a devout life. We are all invited to share our story, to share in the life of the Church.
Rev. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS
Provincial
Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
A Field of Honor
They call it “A common field one day, a field of honor forever.”
Flight 93 Memorial Gate
This past week, as I was traveling through western Pennsylvania, I made a stop that has been on my list for a long time. I journeyed to a field in a remote area outside the town of Shanksville, Somerset County, Pennsylvania at what is now the site of the Flight 93 National Memorial operated and maintained by the National Park Service. It honors those who lost their lives there after United 93, a flight from Newark, New Jersey en route to San Francisco, California was hijacked as part of a coordinated attack by al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001. Most likely with the United States Capitol as the fourth target of the day, the terrorists on Flight 93 failed in their mission due to the heroism of those on board. Ordinary citizens who had heard of other atrocities that morning gave their lives so that others might live.
As I entered the memorial area, it was a two-mile drive to make it to the visitor center and the overlook, and three miles to the memorial grove and crash site. I kept thinking about the first responders on 9/11. Those roads did not exist. To make it to the remote crash site was, in fact, a feat in itself. When they got there, they were anxious and eager to help but there was nothing they could do. There was total devastation; everyone was gone.
As I approached the overlook, I walked over three markers etched into the pavement. These name the times and crash sites of the first three planes on 9/11. After I looked down on the third, noting American Airlines Flight 77 at the Pentagon, I looked up and my eyes set upon a field, a beautiful meadow. It brought me to tears as I thought about the culmination of the tragedy of that day.
Twenty-one years ago, that ordinary field in the middle of nowhere became the site of tragedy. In a place of quiet tranquility where it seems like you could literally reach up and touch the clouds, the earth was literally shaken. Making my way down to the meadow and the crash site, I looked at each of the names on the memorial wall and then came to a gate, beyond which is an area visible but closed to visitors, the final resting place of those on board. I began my prayers for those heroes, for their families, for the first responders, for peace, and for hope.
Flight 93 Memorial Flag
It is what is beyond the gate that has become my focus. This was a place where evil was stopped, heroes were made, and ordinary men and women laid down their lives for others. It reminded me of the admonition by Jesus to enter through the narrow gate, the admonition we are given to be selfless in our love and care for others.
The language of those who gave their lives on Flight 93 is universal. It reminds me of the words of Francis de Sales: “Heart speaks to heart. Lips speak only to ears.” These heroes stand there in perpetual vigil, their hearts speaking to ours about the journey through the narrow gate, a journey home to God.
Through that gate of selflessness for us is incredible possibility, the joy and peace that can only come from eternity with God. Beyond the gate and in the field of self-sacrifice are those clouds that look like you can reach up and touch them, a reminder of the closeness of God, the promise of Heaven.
Last year, on the twentieth anniversary of the tragedy, President George W. Bush spoke at the Flight 93 Memorial. He concluded his remarks with these words: “These Americans were brave, strong, and united in ways that shocked the terrorists – but should not surprise any of us. This is the nation we know. And whenever we need hope and inspiration, we can look to the skies and remember.”
Let us make our way through the gate. Let us look up to the sky and remember why the promise is worth living for. May the heroes who have gone before us inspire us not only on this anniversary but always.
Father Michael Vannicola, OSFS
Assistant Provincial, Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
Francis & Me: Maureen Furletti
Maureen Furletti, Graduate Student, Institute for Ministry, Loyola University New Orleans
Maureen Furletti
“From time to time, one must recreate and relax in mind and body.” - Saint Francis de Sales
This summer I followed this wise and holy man’s advice and went “down the shore” – as we Philadelphians say – to vacation in Cape May, New Jersey.
As my husband was loading the car with the three kids, the dog, and tons of “stuff,” I wondered if this is the recipe for relaxation that Saint Francis recommended.
I think it is.
The Oblates at my home parish – Our Mother of Consolation in Philadelphia – and my “vacation parish” –Our Lady Star of the Sea in Cape May – remind me that holiness is not found apart from my vocation as wife and mother. Rather, Salesian Spirituality recognizes that the quest for holiness is integrated into the quotidian of life. Even “down the shore.”
I am drawn “down the shore.” I find the surf, sand, and sun salvific. I see God everywhere in the Cape May landscape, even in ordinary, non-religious nautical structures like the Cape May Lighthouse. While not an overtly Catholic symbol, the lighthouse reminds me that Christ is the “Light of the World.” (John 8:12)
The natural beauty of Cape May is alluring. I crave comfort in the cathedral of Creation. I recognize that this time at the shore is more than just fun in the sun; it is sacred time. It is a sacred space. The stunning sunset over the Delaware Bay reminds me of the awesomeness and generosity of our Creator, who offers me the opportunity for grace.
Is our Creator inviting me to conversation through Creation? How am I to respond?
I begin by listening. As Saint Jane Frances de Chantal suggests, “in prayer, more is accomplished by listening than by talking.” Therefore, I must embrace a posture of openness.
Perhaps our wise and holy friend Saint Francis recognized that once we relax our minds and bodies, then our souls are more disposed to the promptings of the Spirit. If so, then I must have more than flip-flops in Cape May. I must have an open heart and a submissive soul to not only listen, but to hear and heed God’s will.
What will you bring?
New Principals & Great Plans for Oblate Schools
When Father Judge High School (Philadelphia, PA) and Nativity Preparatory School (Wilmington, DE) started the school year, students were greeted by new principals with wonderful plans for this year and beyond.
Ms. Shaquona B. Meyers
Ms. Shaquona B. Meyers, Principal at Nativity, describes her role as “not a job but a purpose and a passion.” As principal of this tuition-free Catholic middle school for boys in Wilmington, she is committed to supporting her teaching staff. She plans to focus her efforts on giving educators agency: the capacity of teaching to act purposefully and constructively to direct their professional growth and contribute to their colleagues.
“When we give teachers who are with the students the empowerment to do what is best for the children in our student-centered environment, we see a big shift,” Meyers said. She looks forward to helping teachers hone their crafts and support lesson development. “We want to diversify the scope and sequence to reach all learners.”
Ms. Meyers with students at Nativity Prep
Nativity, like many schools, welcomes a diverse community of learners. Many boys come from marginalized or disadvantaged communities, and most have African American, Latino, or multi-ethnic heritages. “What is so beautiful about Nativity is that we have students with so many diverse experiences, it allows for the true beauty and purpose of this place,” Meyers said.
She wants all her students to know that they deserve to be at Nativity, to have opportunities, and to receive every good that God offers. Salesian Spirituality is the pathway for these messages. School days begin with the Direction of Intention and end with a gratitude reflection. Prayer services highlight Saint Francis’ teaching and weekly house sessions (boys are divided into houses) explore what it means to be Salesian Gentlemen. Saint Francis’ practical spirituality is infused in all they do at Nativity. Teachers regularly challenge students to explain how they live out the Salesian virtues and what ordinary activities they do extraordinarily.
Mr. James Hozier
Fifty miles north in Philadelphia, boys at Father Judge face similar Salesian challenges. But this year, under the direction of Mr. James Hozier, Principal, one of the school’s three core goals is to increase students’ knowledge and practice of Salesian Spirituality. All teachers, in every discipline, have been tasked with incorporating one Salesian virtue into their curriculum and creating a paper assignment exploring this connection. “We want students to be able to connect Salesian virtues to all they do, in every subject, in and out of school,” Hozier said.
Other initiatives for the new school year include further development of the school’s science laboratory and technology suite with an E-sports arena, podcast studio, green screen room, and high-speed auto-CAD laboratory. This year, Judge will also extend their maker space with new 3-D printers, upgrade their TV studio, and renovate the science labs.
As Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs, Hozier designed Judge’s three-year integrated welding curriculum, the first of its kind among archdiocesan high schools and a component of the Father Brisson Academic Excellence Center, a career and technical education (CTE) initiative. The first cohort graduated in June as certified welders and were all offered full-time welding jobs. Father Judge is developing a similar program for students to graduate as certified automotive technicians and future plans include other trade programs. For Hozier, this is just the beginning, “I am very excited about all that’s happening at Judge,” he said. “We have a lot going on and it only going to get better!”
Learn more:
Salesian Seasons
Today, September 1, and next Monday, Labor Day, mark the unofficial end of summer and the beginning of fall. Often this is a time in which people set new goals and begin new adventures. Students start new semesters at this time of year, some heading off to college, choosing activities and academic and social goals to guide their year. Parents face empty nests with a new slate of options, a new way of being each day. Farmers intensify their efforts in harvesting. Retail stores shift from summer merchandise to fall clothing; just last week I saw Christmas merchandise at the local Costco! Even nature joins in the transformation as leaves change color, days and nights cool down, and birds head south.
Saint Francis de Sales wrote in a letter: At the beginning of each month, ask for divine inspiration and put yourself in the presence of God. Imagine yourself to be a poor servant sent by God into this world as into His own house. Indeed, it is Him who put you here, and so we should approach Him with humility…
To enable you to obtain what he has planned for you, He has given you an intellect to know Him, a memory to keep Him in mind, a will and a heart to love Him and your neighbor, an imagination to have a picture of Him and His gifts, and all your feelings to serve Him and glorify Him.
Francis encourages following this advice monthly. September 1, like January 1, is a date that invites us to follow his advice more intentionally and comprehensively. His words are optimistic and proclaim God's grace and goodness in our lives. It is God who will complement our effort to commit our lives to love Him and our neighbor, trust in His sacred plan, and set our hearts and minds on what is good and holy.
Take five, ten, or thirty minutes today to reflect on the words of Saint Francis de Sales above. Let the beauty of his insight fill your heart with gratitude, and embrace the opportunity to enter more fully into God's plan for you with great optimism and joy.
Fr. Jack Loughran, OSFS
Provincial
Toledo-Detroit Province
Pilgrimage to Mexico
Below are excerpts from Oblate Father Mike McCue’s reflection on his pilgrimage to Mexico City. You can read the entire reflection here.
At the beginning of August, I traveled to Mexico City with Brother Rick Phillip, a Franciscan friend from Camden, to visit the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the tomb of Blessed Miguel Pro.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is in a huge plaza, several football fields in size. Over the acres of the shrine are seven chapels of various sizes, representing various eras and a huge catechetical center, a garden with flowing water, a way of the cross, and a bell tower.
The centerpiece is the modern basilica built to accommodate more than 10,000 people. Its huge doors, certainly 20 feet high, let the plaza’s sunlight and cool breezes into the church. This 1979 building could not be more different in style than the typical churches of the city, its half-circle shape enables people to view the original image of Mary from all directions.
There is no person featured in art more than the Blessed Mother, and the icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe has to be among the most familiar and widespread. The image could be seen in every church and chapel, in food stalls, shops, bus stations, houses, street corners, taxis, parks, clothing, jewelry, tattoos, and more. Widespread throughout the Catholic world, no doubt, because of its beauty and because the story of its origin connects with the power of the overall Christian message.
As the story has been handed on to us, Mary appeared to a local Nahua man, a devout new Catholic, Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. She looked like the people there and spoke their language, Nahuatl. This communicated unmistakably that the God of Christianity was not a possession of the Europeans arriving on the wave of conquest but God is the Creator and Redeemer of all and Mary always shines God’s light into our world. This image imprinted on Juan Diego’s cape is a sign and reminder that reflects the light of the incarnation, helping people encounter the Living God.
Tepeyac, Mexico: Still Point in the Turning World
Brother Rick Phillip, OFM, praying with fellow pilgrims.
One high point of our visits took place on the hilltop of Tepeyac, the spot where the Blessed Mother appeared to Juan Diego. It rises high above the rest of the sanctuary and, standing there you could see all of Mexico City and the mountains in the distance. The sky was full of dramatic beauty, in one direction you could see rain falling miles away, and in the other, a pure blue sky.
Shrine of Miguel Pro, Mexico City: Pilgrim Center of Hope
Blessed Miguel Pro, a Mexican Jesuit priest, always appealed to me because he was faithful to Christ in a very difficult time. While ministering in Mexico City during a time of persecution, he was arrested and without a trial placed before a firing squad. The anti-Catholic government documented and published the event with photographs intended to deter resistance and destroy faith. Images portray a man with dignity and strong faith in the face of an ugly fate. You see him kneeling, praying with the bullet-scared wall in the background. Witnesses report that when he stood up, he blessed the soldiers, and prayed out loud. Photos show him standing without the usual blindfold, arms outstretched, like Jesus on the cross, rosary in one hand, crucifix in the other. He cried out his final words: Viva! Cristo Rey! before being executed.
Rather than extinguish faith, the images disgusted believers and people of goodwill. His life and death - his faithfulness to God, the one who is faithful to us, inspires people to choose a better way, to put violence and coercion away.
Travel offers a welcomed change of scenery and a break from the usual activities while letting us learn about a country and its people through authentic experiences and interactions. Through this pilgrimage, I was able to experience these benefits as well as see and feel the profound impact of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Blessed Miguel Pro.
Fr. Mike McCue, OSFS
Chaplain, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital
Camden, NJ
Francis & Me: Martin Brett, Ph.D.
Martin Brett, Ph.D., DeSales University, Associate Professor & Chair, Sport Management
Martin Brett, Ph.D.
Over the years, I have collected quotes from a variety of sources. I keep them and turn to them whenever I need a little motivation or a reminder of those things that are important to me. Having spent over the last 15 years as a member of the DeSales University faculty, five more as a student or staff member, and four years at a Salesian high school, it probably comes as no surprise that some of those quotes come from Saint Francis de Sales.
The part that I have always found most challenging (by this I mean, I am left with no excuse) about Saint Francis de Sales is the simplicity of his message. When I read his words, I understand them. I know what he means, and, in almost all cases, I am able to quickly identify moments in my life where those words apply to me.
For example, I do not know when I collected this one, but it is one that I have reflected on often, “It is a fact that people are always well aware of what is due them. Unfortunately, they remain oblivious of what they owe others.” I am sure that, like me, you have had moments where you were angry that you had to miss out on something that you “deserved.” Taking just a few minutes to read and reflect upon these words has helped me maintain a sense of humility by recognizing all that I am still able to do because of other people.
Another quote that I have turned to often reads, “Worry disturbs reason and good judgment and prevents us from doing well the very things we are worried about.” During the pandemic, DeSales University prepared to become Ready for Anything, I willingly admit I worried I wouldn’t be ready for anything! The truth is, if I continued to allow this worry to remain top of mind, I would not have focused on preparing. However, by taking a few minutes to reflect upon this quote I refocused my energy on preparing which lead to greater confidence. Through this time spent preparing, I also developed a deep sense of gratitude for all of those members of our community who helped make the return to campus possible.
For me, I have found the strength to move forward each day through reflection on the words of Saint Francis. My hope for all of you is that you too have a source of strength upon which you are able to rely on when you need a little help, perhaps you too can turn to the words of this Salesian saint.
Exceptions
Some of my musings have centered on language and the importance of language. With this musing, I’d like to look at the theme of exceptions. Many of us grew up with rules, “I” before “E” except after “C,” eat your vegetables, brush your teeth, etc. English has so many exceptions, so I’m very happy that I didn’t have to learn it except as a native speaker. In all compassion, try to explain to someone who’s learning English how to pronounce the letters OUGH. Think of the word thought, then though, then thorough, then tough. Exceptions seem to be a rule in life.
Luke is the gospel of inclusion - women play a central role from the Christmas story told from Mary’s perspective to the visitation of Mary to Elizabeth with the only recorded conversation between two women in the gospels, Martha and Mary, etc. It is the gospel of outsiders: the Samaritans (dreaded enemies), a good one who teaches us to be a neighbor, and a grateful leper who shows us the importance of that key virtue. Early this month, was an exception to Jesus in Luke. We heard from Luke 12:49-53 in which Jesus spoke of the divisions that can exist within families: father against son, etc. Jesus explains those divisions as part of the human condition and not part of God’s intended plan.
Rules and commandments are essential in life to help us guide our way through our day-to-day living. However, exceptions come up each and every day, and the challenge for us is how we are to embrace and live with those exceptions. Divisions, conflicts, and arguments are all present in life. Do we dig in our heels and stand on the principle that “I am right” is the goal, or do we look in love at the person whom we love with whom we have this disagreement? If we do the latter, the outcome might be much brighter.
Live Jesus!
Father Matthew Hillyard, OSFS
Pastor
Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, Vienna, VA
$1.2 million Lauer Donation Expands Literacy Initiative and Service at St. Francis de Sales School, Toledo, OH
Reading Buddies
Fueled by a $1 Million donation to St. Francis de Sales School (SFS), students and school leaders, in partnership with the Toledo Lucas County Public Library (TLCPL), are expanding an existing reading program, Reading Buddies, to address literacy issues in our community. Tom Lauer, an SFS 1967 alumnus and philanthropist residing in Boston, and his wife, Helene, made the single largest gift to the school in its 67-year history.
Their gift will further incorporate service and leadership to the Toledo community as a meaningful part of their educational experience at St. Francis. Tom Lauer stated, “We are pleased that our investment allows the school to scale the impact of the Reading Buddies program by partnering with other organizations and addressing the problem of literacy among young children where our students can do the most good. And, we hope this experience encourages a commitment to service among St. Francis students where they can learn communication skills, patience, and empathy.”
Tom and Helene have been long-time supporters of the SFS mission. While they have helped with numerous capital projects over the years, their primary philanthropic interest has been to recognize young men who are exemplary leaders in their commitment to community service. What was especially appealing to Tom and Helene in this partnership is that SFS students would know how their service makes a difference.
“This gift…creates new opportunities for participants, and provides human and financial resources to address one of the toughest issues plaguing education today,” said Fr. Geoff Rose, OSFS, President. “It is transformational philanthropy.”
For the full press release from St. Francis de Sales School click HERE.
Mom’s House
Advent Giving Tree
Meet Father Michael Newman, OSFS, Assistant Provincial & Pastor
Father Michael Newman, OSFS
Father Mike was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. The oldest of three boys, Father Mike is one of several North American Oblates whose brother is also an Oblate priest (Father Joe Newman, OSFS). Father Mike attended St. Francis de Sales High School and then DeSales University where he majored in Spanish and was certified as a K-12 teacher. Following graduation, Father Mike entered the Oblates in 2003 and moved to Toronto where he earned a Master of Divinity degree from the University of St. Michael’s College. He was ordained a priest in 2009.
During his formation process, Father Mike spent one summer at St. Mary of Good Counsel Parish (now Holy Family Parish) in Adrian, Michigan, ministering to the local Hispanic community and to the seasonal migrant workers. Following ordination, he returned to Holy Family each weekend to celebrate the bilingual Mass and, in 2016, lived there in residence while finishing his doctoral dissertation. In 2018 he earned a Doctorate in Ministry from the Catholic University of America in Adult Spiritual Formation.
Father Mike has been the pastor of Holy Family Parish since 2019. He is well known for his dynamic homilies, Mass on the Grass, work with the parish youth group, and support of the Hispanic community in Adrian and throughout the Diocese of Lansing. He also serves as the University Chaplain at Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan, and is a member of the Salesian Scholars Seminar.
In addition to his ministry in Adrian, Father Mike coordinates and leads parish missions and retreats throughout the United States that focus on living the principles and practices found in Salesian Spirituality. He has also served the Oblates as the Assistant Provincial of the Toledo-Detroit Province since 2014. In this capacity, he works in close collaboration with Rev. Jack Loughran, OSFS, Provincial, on the general oversight and governance of the Province.
When asked about his life and ministry Father Mike said, "I try to teach Salesian Spirituality regardless of the ministry I am engaged in. This spirituality of optimism, hope, gentleness toward others, and humility, or self-knowledge, has really changed my life and I enjoy being able to preach and teach it and see how it can change the lives of others. As the Assistant Provincial, I see my role as one of service to my brother Oblates. Leadership works best when it empowers others to, as St. Francis de Sales would say, 'be who you are and be that well’ so that together we can continue to spread the Gospel."
His prior ministry experience includes serving at St. Francis de Sales School as a Spanish and theology instructor and Assistant to the President for Strategic Planning (2009 – 2012), serving as Director of Novices for North American Provinces of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (2012-2021), and Vocation Director for the Toledo-Detroit Province (2011 – 2022).
Learn More about Father Mike:
Father Mike’s Publication: “Be Who You Are and Be That Well Salesian Principles and Practices for the Devout Life” Catholic University of America Press: Washington, DC.
Francis & Me: Paul Cillo
Paul Cillo: Pastoral Associate for Youth Ministry, Our Mother of Consolation Parish (Phila. Pa)
Paul Cillo
A Spiritual Father from the Past
Starting in high school I began my ten-year journey attending and working in La Sallian Schools. Over that time I became familiar with the life and teachings of Saint John Baptiste de La Salle. We would begin each class with a prayer and end that prayer with the words, “Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.” After discerning out of the Christian Brothers I found myself back in Philadelphia at a school and parish under the ministry of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales. It was here that I became familiar with de Sales and his motto “Live Jesus.”
Over the last four years, Saint Francis has become a spiritual father to me that speaks across time. His instructions and words help me to grow in holiness as a husband, father, and teacher. While I can quote any number of his practical sayings, one that has always been important to me has been, “Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.” I first came across this quote while reading a book about de Sales before I even knew that I would be working at a Salesian parish.
The quote really came alive though through the conversations that I would have with my former pastor, Father Bob Bazzoli, OSFS. The common thread of confessions and conversations was always to be patient in my spiritual growth and to take each day or obstacle as it comes. It’s the advice that just about every young person needs to hear and one that comes from lived experience. It is easy to be full of excitement, hopes, expectation, and energy when you are young and fired up about Jesus. That feeling quickly hits the wall of falling short of those expectations and feelings. I know deeply that I am not the person that I want to be and that I do not always do what God wants me to do. Just because I do not do what God wants does not mean that I am not who God wants me to be. I am who God made me to be. I am a work in progress on the path of holiness. If God can be patient with me then surely I can be a little more patient with myself.
Centering Prayer
The founder of Contemplative Outreach, Father Thomas Keating, OCSO, often said “Silence is God’s first language.”
This maxim is more a statement of proximity than linguistics. When someone is far away, we yell. When they are near, we whisper. The language of silence implies extreme closeness and intimacy: God is closer to us than we are to ourselves.
When we call to mind the presence of God, Saint Francis suggests we imagine God in us. He also recommends thinking of God as everywhere. But if God is everywhere, then there is no place we can be but in God. God in us, we in God… such intimate proximity! In this closeness, God speaks in the silent, universal language of pure love and presence. Our silent prayer, then, is the holy sound our hearts make when united with God. And union, Saint Francis taught, is exactly what love seeks.
Centering prayer is a contemporary presentation of the prayer described in the spiritual classic, The Cloud of Unknowing. Its anonymous author invites us to “Lift up [our] hearts to God with a humble impulse of love… without thinking of anything but [God].” He calls us to send little arrows of love into the Divine Indwelling and so unite our human heart with the Sacred Heart.
Centering Prayer differs from discursive meditation. The latter uses our intellect, imagination, memories, and senses to bring Scripture alive. It helps us understand the Lord, hear the Holy Spirit, and live Jesus. In contrast, Centering Prayer lets go of thoughts, memories, feelings, insights, and commentaries. We give them as little attention as possible. We not only ignore thoughts about ourselves but about God as well. The aim of Centering Prayer is not to think about God, but to love God, the Ultimate Mystery who can “certainly be loved, but not (fully) known” (Saint Denis).
When we attempt to move prayer from the head to the heart, we realize our minds are like perpetual motion machines: thoughts keep coming down the stream of consciousness and some really grab our attention. This is a normal part of Centering Prayer. When we get caught by thought, when we move away from our initial intention to consent to God’s presence and action within us, we quickly return to our loving gaze of God with the smallest of mental action, such as using a simple prayer word like “God." Simplicity and gentleness are major characteristics of Centering Prayer.
Fr. Ken McKenna, OSFS
Novice Director
“Wedding of the Sea”
The Assumption of Mary is celebrated at Our Lady Star of the Sea, Cape May, NJ, in a very special way!
Oblate Fathers David Devlin, Jim Dever, John Dolan, and Mathias Kumar, accompanied by Monsignor Joseph Marino and Father Miles Barrett, celebrated Mass for the Feast of the Assumption at Our Lady Star of the Sea.
Following Mass, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was processed from the church to the beach for the “Wedding of the Sea” ceremony. After the blessing, a lifeguard assisted Father David Devlin, OSFS, by casting a floral garland into the surf.
According to tradition, the ceremony commemorates an event in the life of the Bishop of Cervia, Italy, Paul Barbo, who later became Pope Paul II. The Bishop is said to have been returning by ship from Venice on the Feast of the Assumption in 1445 when he was caught in a storm. The Bishop, it is said, calmed the storm by prayer and throwing his pastoral ring into the sea.
The “Wedding of the Sea” is a popular centuries-old rite in many European seacoast cities and towns like Venice. The ceremony symbolizes the Wedding of the Sea and the City created by God, in proximity to each other, and blessed by His love and protection.
Where Mary has gone, we hope to follow! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
A special thank you to Doctor Edward J Mahaney Jr., former Mayor of Cape May, who was instrumental in organizing this ceremony, and the Knights of Columbus - St. Mary's Council #6202.
Faith Through Inspiration
Mr. Joe Kochendoerfer, OSFS, Father Craig Irwin, OSFS , Master of Ceremonies, and Father Jack Loughran, OSFS, Presider.
On Saturday, August 6, Joe Kochendoerfer professed, for the first time, the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience as an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales. He will renew his vows annually until he decides to make a permanent commitment to the Oblates in his perpetual profession.
It was a very moving and beautiful event celebrated on the Feast of the Transfiguration. In his homily, Father Mike Depcik, OSFS, used a quote from Corrie ten Boom. For those who do now know, Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker who aided Jewish people escaping from the Nazis during World War II by hiding them in her home. She was caught, arrested, and sent to a concentration camp.
Her most famous book, The Hiding Place, is a biography that recounts the story of her family's efforts and how she found and shared faith in God while imprisoned in the concentration camp. She wrote: "Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only God can see."
Corrie ten Boom's insight captures an essential aspect of the spirituality of Saint Francis de Sales. I mentioned in a previous reflection how valuable I find Francis' encouragement to be attentive to the present moment, for it is in the present moment where we meet God. Like Corrie ten Boom's insight, Joe Kochendoerfer found his way to the Oblates through the faith his family instilled in him and the people who inspired him to see religious life and priesthood as a viable way to respond to the Gospel. And, indeed, Joe met an Oblate, or two, or three, who helped direct his response by how they lived their lives of faith.
Joe's profession and Father Mike's homily drew me to reflect on those who have been in my life and opened my heart to the grace of God. I would not be the person I am without their example: family members committed to the Church, Oblate teachers filled with optimism and joy, and now those who share my life as Oblates. I am grateful beyond words and thank God for those who crossed my path and made a difference. Who has done that for you? Maybe today is a good day to be thankful for "Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives…" Perhaps today is a good day to thank those who gave direction in your life!
Fr. Jack Loughran, OSFS
Provincial
Toledo-Detroit Province
Francis & Me: Nick Grant
Nick Grant: Postulant in Formation
As a student at Salesianum, I began to ask the big questions. My high school days were filled with after-school activities, time spent with friends, and a busy schedule I almost couldn’t keep track of. However, my senior year brought about a lot of questions that were beyond the problem of managing classes, college applications, or social relationships. What do I want to do with my life? Where do I want to be in four years? Ten? Twenty? I began thinking more intently about these challenges that were fast approaching. It would not be until several years later that I would truly respond.
I am now a college graduate and a postulant just beginning his long journey to become a future Catholic priest and Oblate of St. Francis de Sales. The pivotal role that this saint has played in my discernment and life can not be overstated; although, the ways in which he called to me to answer my vocation were quite understated. St. Francis had many sayings, but his primary spirituality focused greatly on what he called the little virtues. Humility and gentleness were his favorites. He writes: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.”
When I began to discern not what I wanted in life but what God was calling me to do as a vocation, I realized I needed to embrace humility and accept the presence of the Holy Spirit’s work. Vocations are not just for priests or brothers or sisters or any consecrated religious life; rather, they apply to all of us. What are you called to do? Salesian Spirituality imparts great wisdom on this matter and gives us the freedom to accept God’s will and the great plan the Lord has in store for all his flock.
Live today well!
Celebrate Saint Jane de Chantal
Join us in celebrating one of our patrons, Saint Jane de Chantal!
Feast Day: August 12th
Saint Jane, a widowed mother of four adult children, co-founded the Sisters of the Visitation of Holy Mary with Saint Francis de Sales after the two developed a close spiritual friendship. By the time of her death, over 80 Visitation monasteries had been established. The Visitation Sisters are largely responsible for the existence of the Oblates. It was a Visitation Sister, Mother Marie de Sales Chappuis, who strongly urged and supported Blessed Louis Brisson in founding the Oblates. Just as Saints Jane de Chantal and Francis de Sales worked closely together, the Oblates and Visitation Sisters continue the tradition with close collaboration.
Father Jack Kolodziej, OSFS
Mr. Jonathan Dick, OSFS
Father Don Heet, OSFS
Oblates share their favorite Saint Jane quotes and stories
Father Paul Colloton, OSFS
“In prayer, more is accomplished by listening than by talking.”
“With God, there is no need for long speeches.”
Brother Mickey McGrath, OSFS
The peak of perfection lies in our wanting to be what God wishes us to be.”
Father Kevin Nadolski, OSFS
“If we wish to possess the virtue of neighborly love, we must accustom ourselves to accept people just as they are, regardless of their failings and actions.”
Father Patrick O’Connor, OSFS
“In prayer, one must hold fast and never let go, because the one who gives up, loses all. If it seems that no one is listening to you, then cry out even louder. If you are driven out of one door, go back in by the other.”
“Follow your own way of speaking to our Lord, sincerely, lovingly, confidently, and simply, as your heart dictates.”
“Hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to Him. That is all the doing you have to worry about.”
Father Michael Vannicola, OSFS
When Jane de Chantal was a Baroness, she had the responsibility of feeding the poor who would come to the gate of her home and line up to receive their meal. Those assisting her brought to her attention that some were getting back in line for another serving, acting as if they had received nothing in the first place. When her assistants asked what they should do, Saint Jane said that she had gone to the gate of Heaven over and over again asking for God’s mercy and it was never refused her no matter how many times she came back. In the same way, everyone who came to her gate was to be fed as many times as they presented themselves. There is no better sign of a Christian than one who recognizes God’s love and mercy in his or her own life and seeks to imitate the Lord by sharing that same love and mercy with others.
Congratulations to Joe Kochendoerfer on his First Profession!
On Saturday, August 6th, at the Sacred Heart Chapel at Camp DeSales (MI), Joe Kochendoerfer of Toledo-Detroit Province made his first profession vows. These are the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience as an Oblate of St. Francis de Sales. Oblates from the Toledo-Detroit Province as well as Father Brian Zumbrum, OSFS, Mr. Jonathan Dick, OSFS, and Mr. Nick Grant from the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province witnessed and celebrated this special moment.
Joe will move to Washington, DC, and live at the Oblate house of studies while he takes classes at the Catholic University of America as he begins his preparations for priesthood.
Please keep Joe and our men in formation in your prayers. If you feel called to follow God as an Oblate, contact Father Ken McKenna, OSFS, or Father Tim McIntire, OSFS.
Food Justice Garden Grows 798lbs of Produce in July!
The Food Justice Garden is flourishing again this year!
The Food Justice Garden at Holy Infant Catholic Church, grew 798 pounds of produce in July! Holy Infant is administered by the Oblates and led by Father Robert Rutledge, OSFS, in Durham, North Carolina. The Food Justice Garden is a service program the parish has run for over a decade. The entire harvest is given to those experiencing food insecurity in the Durham, NC community.
This ministry is a volunteer-led effort that invites parishioners and community members of all ages to help address the lack of food as well as the lack of healthy food choices in the communities surrounding the parish. Volunteers plant vegetables and flowers, weed, water, harvest and construct raised beds for planting. They meet regularly to tend to the garden but also to build meaningful relationships.
Throughout the year, the garden grows berries, figs, spinach, salad greens, tomatoes, peppers, okra, potatoes and sweet potatoes, winter squashes, summer squashes, green beans, snap peas, turnips, carrots, beets, and some herbs. These are sent to the Parkwood Community Food Hub, Feed my Sheep Pantry and End Hunger Durham
Vacation Bible School students help at the garden.
During the summer time, children attending Vacation Bible School at Holy Infant did some service work in the garden. The volunteers also run sessions teaching children how to grow vegetables.
The Food Justice Garden harvested close to 5,000 pounds of produce for local food pantries in 2021, topping the 2020 harvest by nearly 300 pounds! This year they are slated to grow even more! To learn about this important ministry, visit the Food Justice Garden.
Co-Responsibility with Clare & Jane
Last week I attended a meeting of the major superiors of male religious orders and communities. The title of the conference was “One in the Mission of Christ: Co-Responsibility in Religious Leadership.” The talks and reflections focused on how the Church can work more closely with our sisters and brothers in proclaiming the Gospel and living the Christian life.
Throughout the week we discussed the call of Pope Francis for the whole Church to listen, to walk, and to journey together in a synodal experience. Through our participation in this process, the Church can learn to better live in communion and to help in our mission of renewal.
This week the Church celebrates the lives of two saints who, I believe, paved the way for the co-responsibility and synodality that we are calling for today.
Today is the feast of Saint Clare of Assisi. Clare was a friend and follower of Saint Francis. She co-founded a religious order of women in the same spirit of the mystical friar and his companions. Together, they taught others how to live the Gospel with joy, humility, and compassion.
Tomorrow is the feast of Saint Jane Frances de Chantal. Saint Jane was a wife, mother, widow, nun, and foundress. After losing her husband, Jane sought spiritual direction from the Bishop of Annecy, Francis de Sales. Together, they founded a religious community of women. They chose the name “Sisters of the Visitation” in order to imitate the humility, meekness, and charity of the Virgin Mary and her kinswoman, Elizabeth.
Clare and Jane are united by their placement in the Church calendar, but they are also united in the way they worked with others to spread the Gospel. These two women of faith shared the responsibility of leadership and mission that are an example for modern women and men in the Church.
The famous writer Antoine de Saint Exupéry has written “to love does not mean to look at each other, but to look together in the same direction.” Like other Christian couples that strived for holiness, these saints did not spend their lives looking at each other but looking to the crucified Christ.
As we recall Clare and Jane, may we never forget their example of holiness. May we strive for the friendships that they developed in their vocations and the responsibility they shared with other Christian leaders. Saint Paul tells us that we are all “co-workers in the service of the Lord” (1 Corinthians: 3-9).
Through the stories of Clare, Francis, Jane, and Francis, we can learn to share responsibility, to be friends and co-workers, but most importantly, we can learn to be saints.
Rev. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS
Provincial
Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
