Volume 2, Number 1
Friday, Jan. 10, 2003

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please pray for . . .

Bro. Charlie Walke, 88, (Rockaway Community, New York), who died early this morning (Jan. 10) in the 71st year of his religious profession. Bro. Charlie was born in Muncie, Ind., on May 12, 1914. He had been in Peninsula Hospital since Jan. 6 suffering the effects of pneumonia and a blood clot in his leg. A wake will be held at St. John’s home at Rockaway Beach Sunday evening, Jan. 12, from 5 – 9 p.m. A wake at St. John’s home, followed by Eucharist, will be held at 8 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 13. On Tuesday, Jan. 14, a wake will be held at Queen of Apostles Chapel in Dayton at 6:30 p.m., followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 7:30 p.m. Bro. Charles will be buried at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Dayton on Wed., Jan. 15, at 10 a.m.

Bro. Pat McMahon (Reardon Community, San Francisco), who has been diagnosed with tumors on his colon and will undergo surgery for their removal on Jan. 13.

Joseph Singler, 83, brother of Bro. Francis Singler (Marianist Residence, San Antonio), who died Dec. 9 in St. Louis after suffering a stroke. He was an active member of St. Pius V parish in St. Louis for more than 50 years. His wife Wilma died in 1991.

Robert McCormick, who died suddenly in San Antonio. Robert was the husband of Marguerite McCormick, who is the niece of Bro. Jim Burkholder (Central Catholic Community, San Antonio). Marguerite taught choral music at Nolan High School in Ft. Worth for many years.

Father Ed Jach (DeSales Crossings Community, Cincinnati), who will undergo knee replacement surgery at Deaconess Hospital in Cincinnati on Jan. 23. He anticipates 3-4 days in the hospital, followed by weeks of physical therapy.

Helen Margaret Nichols, 101, longtime Marianist Affiliate, who died
Dec. 27 in Fremont, Calif. Her son, Richard, is a former Marianist. May she rest in peace.

Phyllis Lipker, former provincial secretary for the Cincinnati Province, requests prayers for her daughter Jill and Jill's husband. Jill is pregnant and has been bedridden for several weeks due to extremely high blood pressure. This will be Phyllis and John Lipker's first grandchild.

Jerry Lennon, a retired lay Marianist English teacher, who died in Cleveland of cardiac arrest on Dec. 27 on his 70th birthday. Jerry taught at several Marianist high schools, including Chaminade High School in Dayton and Villa Angela-St. Joseph in Cleveland, and prided himself on having taught a number of future Marianists during his 40-year career.

TASK FORCE ON FAITH AND CULTURE

Five Marianists have been appointed to the Province Task Force on Faith and Culture: Fr. Tim Eden (Center Marianist Community, Honolulu); Bro. Victor Forlani (Washington Street Community, Dayton); Fr. Bill Meyer (San Antonio); Bro. Steve O'Neil (Rockaway Beach Community, New York); and Fr. Rudy Vela (Woodlawn Community, San Antonio). The task force reports to the Provincial Council and will work on many issues, including cultivating awareness of personal and Marianist internal culture and the influence cultural differences have on community living.

MORNING MIST

Early morning at Gethsemani Abbey, Kentucky Photo courtesy of Novice Brian Halderman

WHO'S DOING WHAT

Fr. Jerry Chinchar (Stonemill Road Community, Dayton) was elected secretary of the North American Academy of Liturgy (NAAL) at its January meeting. Fr. Jerry created the NAAL website and continues to maintain it. Congratulations, Fr. Jerry.

Bro. Ed Loch (Central Catholic Community, San Antonio) authored an article on the Archdiocese of San Antonio in the recently-released second edition of the New Catholic Encyclopedia. Congratulations, Bro. Ed.

Bro. Bob Metzger (Lindell Boulevard Community, St. Louis) has been appointed to a four-year term on the Accounting Practices Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Kudos to Bro. Bob.

Bro. Jerry Bommer (Curé of Ars Community, St. Louis) will participate in the Hesburgh Renewal Program at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago from Jan. 20 - May 15. His address is Catholic Theological Union, 5401 South Cornell Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615; phone number 773.753.7479.

Bro. Les Kaehler has been appointed novice master and director of the Nirmal Deep Community, India.

Bro. Darwin Joseph has been appointed executive director of REDS and has been assigned to the Chaminade Nilaya Community, Karnataka, India.

NEWS OF INDIA

A few tidbits about the new regional superior of India, Father Ignase Arulappen:

Born: July 11, 1963 (St. Benedict's Day)
Family: Fr. Ignase comes from an Indian family from the south of India, which he describes as ". . . a very traditional Catholic family since the 16th century. My ancestors were among the founders of the Catholic faith and the Church in the surrounding area. They worked with the Jesuits."
Education: Graduated in 1986 with a B.A. in English Literature from
St. Joseph's College, Trichy, which is affiliated with Baradhidasan University.

More news of India . . .

The superior general of the Marianist Sisters, Sr. Joelle Bec, FMI, and the provincial of the Province of Italy, Sr. Franca Zonta, FMI, will visit the Region of India in February to discuss the possibility of the Marianist Sisters coming to India.

SR. MARIA BLANCA LOPEZ RUIZ DIES

Sr. Maria Blanca Lopez Ruiz, 77, first Provincial of the Daughters of Mary in the U.S., died Dec. 29, 2002, in Huarte, Spain, after a long bout with Parkinson's disease. Considered one of the founding sisters of the Province, Sr. Maria Blanca's ministry included Provincial duties, as well as work at the Marianist Library in Dayton. In the 1980s, she ministered to Hispanic communities in Dayton and San Antonio. She retired in 1985 and returned to Spain, her country of origin, where she remained until her death.

(Note: See the full obituary in the Marianist Sisters' Newsletter, next item.)

NEWS FROM THE MARIANIST SISTERS

To read the January 2003 issue of the Marianist Sisters' Newsletter, please click here:

The Marianist Sisters ask the entire Marianist Family to spread the word about their special February "Come and See" weekend in Dayton:

"Is God calling you to serve the Church and the Marianist Family in a new way? Women are gathering in Dayton, Ohio, the weekend of Feb. 7-9, 2003, to explore whether God could be calling them to be a bearer of life - and of hope - as a Marianist Sister. COME AND SEE if you, too, could be called to our unique style of living, being, praying and serving in the spirit of Mary! Call Sr. Eileen Cehyra, vocation director, at 210.433.5501, or the local Dayton vocation contact at 937.224.5896."

"We are few in number, and God acts in our smallness - taking us to unexpected horizons..."

VIA LATINA 22

To read the January 2003 issue of Via Latina 22 from the General Administration in Rome, please click here.

MARIANIST SAINTS

To read the December 2002 issue of "Causes Marianistes," which includes an update on the causes of the saints of the Marianist Family, canonizations and beatifications in 2002, and a photo of the shrine of the saints in the chapel of the G.A., please click here.

A "CYBER-PILGRIMAGE"

Bro. John Samaha (Villa St. Joseph Community, Cupertino) suggests that we "try a cyber-pilgrimage to a different kind of shrine" by visiting The Mary Page (www.udayton.edu/mary), the website of The Marian Library and the International Marian Research Institute at the University of Dayton. The website has received national and international recognition. Bro. John suggests two places to visit on this website: First, click on "6. Marianist Corner" and go to "Meditations." This is a useful resource with information about Blessed Chaminade and his Marian charism.

Second, click on "Resources" and then proceed to the second item listed under "1. Marian Magisterial Documents." There you'll find an important document about the role of Mary in salvation history, "The Virgin Mary in Intellectual and Spiritual Formation." Bro. John says the article supports the Chaminadean/Marianist perspective and is a valuable resource.

LIFE ALUMNI RETREAT, HAWAII

Bros. Jack Ventura & Dennis Schmitz hosted a LIFE Alumni Retreat in Hawaii in January.
From left (bottom row): Gwen Duran, Norman Capinpin, Joe Cabansag, Drew Humberd,
Bill Minoske, Leslie Vitin; (top row): Bro. Jack Ventura, Brandon Alana, Jonathan
Nagasako, Rick Boesen, Todd Decosa and Bro. Dennis Schmitz

CORRECTION

We misspelled Fr. Santosh Tudu's name in the last issue of FamilyOnline. Our apologies! Fr. Tudu is the head of religious life on the new regional council of India.

OUT AND ABOUT

To read the upcoming travel schedule of members of the Provincial staff in St. Louis, please click here:

VILLA ST. JOSEPH

For the January 2003 edition of Fr. Steve Tutas' Life at Villa St. Joseph, please click here:

VISIT GOVERNOR'S ISLAND!

Bros. Bill Deanhofer and Don Smith and Fr. Jim Russell of the Governor's Island community say, "come on over!" They invite you to their facility, which is used for retreats, meetings, family reunions and plain old rest and relaxation. Governor's Island has been owned by the Marianists since the early 1950s and is located about 60 miles northeast of Dayton. They report:

"Many different groups use our facilities: In 2002, we had students from the University of Dayton; Marianist communities; parish programs; lay Marianist events; discernment weekends; high school groups; private retreats; and family reunions. In early July, we hosted a "Family Vacation Retreat" program with six families and 11 staff members.

"If you or your group are looking for a place in the sun or the snow, consider Governor's Island. Our facility contains 17 rooms with 24 sleeping spaces. We supply linens, three meals a day and allow full use of the property, which includes two pontoon boats, a sailboat, a small outboard fishing boat, a canoe, two kayaks and a paddle boat for use on Indian Lake (about 5,800 acres of water). The rates are very affordable."

From left: Bro. Don Smith; Frs. Jim Russell and Tim Kenney; and
Bro. Bill Deanhofer at Governor's Island in Ohio.

REMINDER

Bro. Richard Dix, Provincial assistant for temporalities, reminds all communities that any notes, comments or conclusions about the document, "A Province Conversation on using Our Common Resources," should be sent to him no later than Jan. 15 at rdix@sm-usa.org. The Provincial Chapter recommended that local communities have a conversation on the principles contained in this Chapter document.

THE JOY OF GIVING

Bro. Brian Zampier in Dayton Photo courtesy of Novice Brian Halderman

VOCATION NEWS FROM MEXICO . . .

Bro. Lorenzo McBride, director of vocations for the Sector of Mexico, is happy to report that eighteen young men from five states in Mexico attended a vocation workshop at the Marianist Novitiate in Queretaro the weekend of December 27-29. The novitiate community and Bros. José Hernández Luis and Lorenzo McBride organized and presented the workshop. The response from the participants was encouraging, with six young men asking to enter the prenovitiate program at San Jose in Coatza (beginning Jan. 28), one asking to enter the aspirancy, and the rest wishing to remain as contacts. Among the participants were 10 students from the San Isidro Residence in Uxpanapa, Veracruz and from Chaminade High School in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz.

. . . AND FROM HAWAII

Bro. Dennis Schmitz (Center Marianist Community, Honolulu) reports that three young men joined their Community in Hawaii for a "live-in" experience in early December. Two of the men are students at Chaminade University, and one just graduated from the school. The next "live-in" is scheduled for Holy Week.

AT LONG LAST, DIAL TONE

Telephone lines have finally arrived in the Uxpanapa Valley in Mexico!
The new phone for the Marianist Community in La Chinantla, Uxpanapa, is 011-922-244-3083. Bro. Bob Rapp can also get e-mail in his DECAMP office at robertorapp@yahoo.com.

AFRICA UPDATE

Bro. Bill Schlosser (Mombasa, Kenya, Africa) reports that the XVIII meeting of the Chapter for the Region of Eastern Africa met Dec. 29-31, 2002, at the Subiaco Centre in Nairobi. The Chapter members discussed a wide range of topics concerning the region.

CHAPTER MEMBERS, REGION OF EASTERN AFRICA
From left (back row): Bro. Michael Jun Otieno; Fr. Michael Nartker; and Bros. Stephan
Wanyoike, Frank Annunziata, Timothy Mazundah, Jomo Maria Mwaura, Carmine
Annunziata and Peter Kiama. (front row): Bros. Godfrey Ssenyomo and Patrick Muthamia.
(not shown): Fr. Tony Jansen and Bro. Valentine Chola Mulenga.

GETHSEMANI RETREAT

Seven members of the Dayton Novitiate community traveled to the Abbey of Gethsemani near Louisville for a week-long Advent retreat. The Novitiate community enjoyed the monks' hospitality and joined them for prayer and conferences. Those attending the retreat included Novices Aaron Sonnenburg, Tobias Ferrer, Brian Halderman; Bros. Tom Redmond, Leo Willett and Hugh Bihl; and Fr. Joe Tedesco. All found the retreat to be a wonderful time of prayer, relaxation and quiet. For more information about the Abbey, visit http://www.monks.org

From left: Bro. Leo Willett; Novices Brian Halderman and Aaron Sonnenburg;
Fr. Joe Tedesco, Bro. Tom Redmond, and Novice Tobias Ferrer at the Abbey of
Gethsemani in Kentucky. Not shown: Bro. Hugh Bihl.

FEEDING AFRICA'S POOR

Bro. Peter Daino (Karonga, Malawi, Africa) is excited to report that the German government has donated and sent a large shipment of maize to feed the widows and orphans of Karonga. The Marianists will be in charge of distribution. The shipment is timely because the famine season is beginning.

APPLY FOR PROVINCE GRANTS ONLINE

Sr. Eileen Donovan, Province director of peace and justice, encourages those interested in the Province Grants Program to apply online by visiting http://www.marianist.com/grants. Sr. Eileen suggests applicants type their narrative responses in a Word document (12 point type) and then cut and paste the information, which allows applicants to edit their responses before placing them on the Internet. Sr. Eileen asks applicants not to send additional materials electronically or by mail.

GROTTO IN THE SNOW

PROVINCE BIRTHDAYS

(Note: To send an e-mail birthday greeting, just click on the individual's e-mail address below.)

January

NOTE: Happy late birthday to Bro. Ralph Neumann (Queretaro), who turned 68 on Jan. 6! Bro. Ralph was inadvertently omitted on the birthday list.

Changes to the Birthday Book
JANUARY: Change Showri Mandanu's birthday from January 5 to January 25

PERSONNEL REVISIONS

For the latest revisions to the Personnel, please click here.

ABOUT FamilyOnline

This biweekly e-mail newsletter is produced for members of the Society of Mary and the FMI. NEWS: We'll include news of travels, health updates, prayer requests, community celebrations, professional accomplishments, birthdays, and whatever personal or community news you'd like to share. Please send news, digital photos and comments and suggestions to Diane Guerra at dguerra@sm-usa.org and use "FamilyOnline" as your subject line. TECHNICAL PROBLEMS: If you're not receiving this newsletter in the proper format, with proper spacing and photographs and art appearing, please let us know and we'll try to find a solution. CHANGE IN E-MAIL ADDRESS: Send to Ann Mueller at amueller@sm-usa.org. NOTE TO DIRECTORS: Please print this newsletter and post or distribute to Brothers who do not have e-mail.