Marianists to Leave Misíon Noell After 53 Years

Because of the lack of Spanish-speaking parish personnel to replace the present pastor and associate pastor, the Provincial Council has decided to withdraw from the Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Divina Providencia (familiarly known to the Province as Misíon Noell).

The adventure of Marianist presence in this needy part of Puerto Rico began with a call from the Bishop of Ponce in 1952 for someone to serve the scattered small communities in the mountainous central part of the island. The Marianists, already serving at the Colegio Ponceño de Varrones in Ponce, responded to that call in the person of Father Albert Schmidt. Many areas of the future parish were accessible only on horseback and there are famous pictures in the archives of Padre Alberto in white cassock and straw hat astride a horse on his way to celebrate one of the sacraments for his people.

For 10 years the Marianists acquired properties in the area and built a string of small chapels throughout the mountainous region. They worked in this area in collaboration with the Carmelite Sisters first and more recently with the Sisters of Fatima, a native Puerto Rican order. The present Bishop of Ponce, Felix Lazarro, writing to Provincial Stephen Glodek said: “While the absence of the Marianists will be a small death for the people of Ponce, in the eyes of faith I know that the long list of dedicated Marianists who have served my people are written in the Book of Life.” He went on to thank especially Fathers Vincent Plassenthal and Raymond Middendorf for their decades of service to the parish.

The Province community is most grateful to Brother Francisco González who has been negotiating so many of the details of our move, the sale of cars and real estate in his already busy schedule. Second year novice, Armando Añeses, will be at Misíon Noell during July to help Father Middendorf with packing and the transfer of parish records. We are most grateful to the Province of Saragossa for sending Father Jesús Miguel Fernández de Retana to assist us during the month of July.

We praise God for allowing the Marianists for 53 years to serve the people of this parish. Ponce, Villalba, Misíon Noell will always echo for us the call to serve the poor. We thank the several living members of the Province who have served Misíon Noell so wholeheartedly. And a special note of thanks to Fathers Vincent Plassenthal and Raymond Middendorf who have been for a couple of generations the heart and arms of the Nuestra Señora de la Divina Providencia to her people.