Volume 2, Number 5
Friday, Feb. 28, 2003

NOTE: Some of the subscribers to FamilyOnline did not receive this issue, so we are sending it again.

CHAPTER MEETING NEXT WEEK IN SAN ANTONIO

Assistant Provincial Fr. Jim Fitz has received four propositions to be discussed at the Chapter meeting March 6-10 in San Antonio: #1 - Marianist Education Project (assigned to the Education committee); #2 - Standardization of wages
(Temporalities); #3 - Support of the Center for Economic and Social Justice-East St. Louis (Temporalties); and #4 - Support of Secondary Education by Personnel and Financial Assistance (Education and Temporalities).

To read the four propositions, please click here:

The Chapter will discuss documents from the General Administration and send its feedback to the GA. To read the "Consultation Regarding the Revision of Chapter VII of Books I and II of the Rule of Life" please click here: To read "Governance of the Society - Post-Chapter Commission on Government Structures" please click here.

NEXT ISSUE

The next issue of FamilyOnline will be published on March 14 due to the Chapter meeting.

WHO'S DOING WHAT

Fr. Terry Weik (Woodlawn Community, San Antonio), interim director of campus ministry at St. Mary's University, has been appointed director of university ministry. Fr. Terry and his staff will develop a larger ministry to the entire university community. Congratulations to Fr. Terry.

Fr. Bob Hackel (Houston, Texas) is serving the Marianist community in Lusaka, Zambia while Fr. Anthony Jansen (Lusaka, Zambia) is in the United States for medical treatment and to celebrate his jubilee. Fr. Bob will return to the U.S. on June 15.

Fr. John Putka (Alumni Hall Community, Dayton), lecturer in political science at the University of Dayton, appeared on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" Feb. 10. Discussing the topic "Are You Ready for War?" Putka told host Bill O'Reilly, "I think there's residual support and confidence in the president. There's always going to be a certain percentage who are going to be Neville Chamberlain incarnate, but I think that fundamentally, the American people are going to follow the president's leadership."

PRAYER REQUESTS

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE REPOSE OF THE SOUL OF …

Charles Stupka, brother of Bro. Dan Stupka (DeSales Crossings Community, Cincinnati), who died Feb. 22. The funeral was on Feb. 25 at St. Joseph Church in Cleveland, with burial at Calvary Cemetery. May he rest in peace.

Chester E. Burnog, father of Bro. Chester Burnog (Curé of Ars Community, St. Louis), who died Feb. 23. The Mass of Christian Burial will take place on March 1 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Joan of Arc, 820 Division Street, Lisle, Ill., a suburb of Chicago on the south side. May he rest in peace.

Libby Mazella, 57, longtime faculty member of Chaminade Madonna High School in Hollywood, Fla., who died of a heart attack. Ms. Mazella was a teacher and director of guidance at the school, where she worked for more than 20 years. Funeral arrangements are pending. May she rest in peace.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE HEALING OF …

Bro. Richard Schrader (Holy Rosary Parish Community, San Antonio), who has been hospitalized at Baptist Hospital in San Antonio to remove fluid from his lungs. He will be in the hospital for four to five days.

Fr. Ed Jach (DeSales Crossings Community, Cincinnati), who underwent bypass surgery on Feb. 26 in Cincinnati.

Bro. Ed Kiefer (Madeleine House Community, New Orleans), who is undergoing radiation treatment for melanoma.

Fr. John Mueller (Mercy Siena, Dayton), who has been hospitalized for weakness and is undergoing evaluation.

Bro. Frank Mullan (Roland Avenue Community, Baltimore), who has been hospitalized at Nassau University Hospital on Long Island while visiting his family. They are testing for a heart embolism.

Erna Wethington, longtime secretary for the St. Louis Province, who remains hospitalized at St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis for complications due to diabetes.

NEW GROTTO AT SAINT LOUIS SCHOOL IN HONOLULU

Fr. Allen DeLong (Center Marianist Community, Honolulu), president of Saint Louis School in Honolulu, reports that the Saint Louis School class of 1951 donated a magnificent grotto to the campus. Construction was completed in 2002 and the dedication was held Feb. 13. More than 100 alumni, Marianists, students, faculty and staff attended the dedication presided by Bishop Francis Xavier DiLorenzo. The grotto has a waterfall with a Carrara marble statue of Mary and Child sculpted by Italian artist Rossato Giovanni.

MLNNA LEADERSHIP MEETING

Tony Garascia, chair of the MLNNA (Marianist Lay Network of North America) leadership team, reports that over President's Day weekend, the team held its annual meeting in Philadelphia with the regional representatives and members of the Lay Formation Collaborative. Twenty people participated and discussed where the group is, where it needs to be and where it is going on an international level. Great progress and fun times were had, despite the blizzard of '03 cutting the meeting short (but all made it home safely). This July, MLNNA will host the Continental Assembly in St. Louis. For information, visit www.mlnna.com.

Joanne McCracken joins (from left) Bro. Walt Oberster, Ray McCracken and Bro. Jesse O'Neill at a social hosted by the Bella Vista community in Philadelphia following a meeting of the MLNNA.

FINAL MOVE

Bro. Jim Vorndran (Mercy Siena, Dayton) reports that the final move from St. Leonards to Mercy Siena in Dayton will occur March 3. He asks that all mail addressed to "Marianist Community" which was sent to Duckview Court be sent to his personal address at 6045 N. Main, Apt. 139. For the complete list of addresses and phone numbers of all community members, effective March 3, please click here:

RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES

Bro. Steve Erspamer (Maryland Avenue Community, St. Louis) was featured in a wonderful article in the Feb. 21 issue of National Catholic Reporter. To read the article, please click here:

Virginia Kettering, longtime philanthropist whose family invested more than $10 million at the University of Dayton, died Feb. 17 at the age of 95. To read the article about Virginia Kettering from the University of Dayton, please click here: http://alumni.udayton.edu/np_story.asp?storyID=988

REPORT FROM INDIA FROM THE MARIANIST SISTERS

Sr. Estella Ibarra, FMI, says the report written by Sr. M. Joëlle Bec and Sr. M. Franca on their investigative trip to India is quite interesting. To read the report, please click here:

Fr. Ted Cassidy (Cape May Point, N.J.) discussed the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative and facilitated a roundtable on the issue of racism on Feb. 21 to the staff of the Province offices in St. Louis.

ON THE SPEAKING CIRCUIT

Fr. Bernie Lee (Woodlawn Community, San Antonio), assistant chancellor of St. Mary's University, has been busy lately. He accepted an invitation to membership in the International Society of Empirical Research in Theology at the University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands. On Feb. 14, he presented a paper and conducted a workshop at St. Thomas University in Miami on "The Mission of an American Catholic University." On Feb. 18, he delivered the Marianist Lecture at the University of Dayton on "Whose Story Is It? The 'Guild' of Catholic Interpreters." The next day, Fr. Bernie conducted a colloquium at the UD department of religious studies on "Research on Small Christian Communities: Data and Theological Reflection." To read Fr. Bernie's first two presentations, please click here:

CORRECTION

We regret that in the article on the St. Mary's University Heritage Week, we omitted the name of Bro. Joseph Barrett as a jubilarian in 2003 from San Antonio. He'll celebrate 60 years this year! Our apologies.

YES, EVEN IN TEXAS

The Lone Star State didn't escape the snow, as evidenced at Tecaboca Marianist Center for Spiritual Renewal in the Hill Country north of San Antonio.

VOCATION RETREAT

Bro. Dennis Schmitz (Center Marianist Community, Honolulu) reports on a vocation retreat in San Antonio the weekend of Feb. 21, where he says that the retreatants and leaders knew nine languages and as many cultures. The retreat offered the participants knowledge about the Marianists and the support of others on the vocation discernment path.

At the vocation retreat in San Antonio (front row from left): Bro. Dennis Schmitz, Aspirant Isak Ige, Fr. Cris Janson, Dali Waltu, Rosa Acosta, Sara Murillo; (middle row): John Gill, Tom Fox, Alfredo Chavez, Aaron Smith; (back row): Brandon Alana-Maugaotega, Sr. Eileen Cehyra, Fr. John McEnhill, Bro. Jim Wisecaver, Bro. Mike Sullivan and Joyce Detzel, FMI pre-novice.

PROVINCE BIRTHDAYS

February

March

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