Volume 2, Number 6
Friday, March 14, 2003

THIRD SESSION OF PROVINCIAL CHAPTER
MEETS MARCH 6-10 IN SAN ANTONIO

On Thursday evening, March 6, 2003, Provincial Brother Stephen Glodek opened the third session of the Provincial Chapter of the Province of the United States in San Antonio, Texas. Delegates gathered in the Alumni Room of the law library at St. Mary's University. The Chapter consists of 23 voting members and one non-voting member. Fr. Larry Doersching served the Chapter as recording secretary, and Bev Rombach as working secretary.

Provincial Chapter members at the March 2003 session. Front row, from left: Timothy Kim, Tim Kenney, Quentin Hakenewerth, Joe Grieshaber, Tim Dwyer and Francisco Gonzalez. Second row, from left: Joe Lackner, Frank Annunziata, Ray Fitz and Larry Doersching. Third row, from left: Stephen Tutas, Ignase Arulappen, Roberto Hanss, Mike O'Grady, Richard Dix, Mateo Woo, Paul Marshall and Jim Dods. Back row, from left: Bernie Ploeger, Jack McGrath, Stephen Glodek, Jim Fitz, Christopher Conlon, Joe Kamis, Christopher Wittmann and Jim Heft. Timothy Kim served as translator for Mateo Woo; Roberto Hanss is a non-voting member.

Bro. Glodek welcomed Fr. Ignatius Arulappen, new Regional Superior of India, and recognized Bro. Joe Kamis, newly-installed superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The Chapter elected Bro. Bernie Ploeger to continue as moderator for the next two sessions of the Chapter.

Issues discussed
The Chapter delegates discussed a myriad of issues and documents. The first item of business was to review the Provincial Chapter report from the Provincial Council, From the Barn to the Oak Tree. To read the report, please click here:

Other issues and documents discussed included:

• Four propositions: Marianist Education Project; Standardization of
  Wages; Support of the Center for Economic and Social Justice-East
  St. Louis; and, Support of Secondary Education by Personnel and
  Financial Assistance (to read these documents, see FamilyOnline #10)
• Financial stewardship, including principles and guidelines for the
  Province budget
• Province assessment for the next two years
• A statement on revitalization, especially deepening the practices of faith
  and prayer
• Sponsorship document on schools, which explains how Marianist
  schools will be assessed
• Interaction of faith and culture, including the role of the Marianist
  universities
• Report on vocations written by Bro. Charlie Johnson, Province
  director of vocations

Bros. Paul Metzer and Bill Chewning of the Marianist Residence in San Antonio relax with Chapter member Fr. Paul Marshall (Stonemill Road Community, Dayton) during a Chapter meeting social.

Iraq statement
During the meeting, the tensions in our world were part of the prayer and reflection of the delegates. The Chapter approved a statement on the international crisis concerning the United States and Iraq, and included it with a cover letter to President George Bush. To read the statement and cover letter, please click here:

Outside the meeting room . . .
. . . the group gathered with members of the Society of Mary in the San Antonio area for evening prayer, dinner and a sharing session at the Marianist Residence on Saturday night, and enjoyed a social hosted by the Woodlawn community on Sunday night. Several Chapter members also attended a social hosted by the lay network of San Antonio. The Chapter ended on Monday, March 10.

More to come . . .
Bro. Glodek will report all decisions and results of the Chapter in a Provincial Letter in an upcoming issue of FamilyOnline.

Chapter member Bro. Joe Kamis (top) with Bro. Cletus Behlmann of the Marianist Residence in San Antonio and Provincial Council member Fr. Joe Lackner.

Bro. Roberto Hanss with lay Marianists Mary Medina and Angie Cortez at a social in San Antonio during the Chapter meeting.

FAMILYONLINE TO PUBLISH ON TUESDAYS

Beginning with the next issue, FamilyOnline will be published every other Tuesday instead of Friday. This will allow those who receive the publication at work to get the news immediately. Tuesday also is a traditionally slow e-mail day! The next issue will be published on Tuesday, April 1 (and this is not an April Fool's joke).

PRAYER REQUESTS

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE REPOSE OF THE SOUL OF …

Bro. John Krus in 1959

Recent Photo

Bro. John Krus (Marianist Community, Ft. Worth), 65, who died suddenly March 4 of heart disease. Bro. John taught mathematics for almost 50 years at the secondary and university levels in Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin and in the Province of Peru, and had run the computer lab at Nolan Catholic High School in Ft. Worth since 1995. Fr. Larry Doersching, president of Nolan Catholic, said, "He provided service to so many in such an unassuming way." The funeral Mass was celebrated on March 8 by Fr. Jim Mueller, director of the Marianist community in Ft. Worth, at the chapel of St. John Vianney High School in St. Louis. Burial followed at the Maryhurst Cemetery at Vianney. To read Bro. John's obituary, please click here:

Fr. Roger Ninféi (Province of France), 86, who died Feb. 28 in Antony. May he rest in peace. To read Fr. Roger's obituary, please click here:

Fr. José Ricardo Unzueta Aguirrezabala (Province of Madrid), 84, who died March 5 in Cádiz. May he rest in peace. To read Fr. José's obituary, please click here:

Bro. Arsene Volkringer (Province of France), 95, who died March 13 in Colmar. May he rest in peace. Bro. Arsene's obituary will be available in the next issue of FamilyOnline.

Josephine Guzman, mother of Bro. Agustin Guzman (Callao, Peru), who died March 10. May she rest in peace.

The father of Chris Schmid, who passed away last week. Chris is a former faculty member at Chaminade High School in St. Louis, a LIFE moderator, and a founding member of St. Louis MLC.

The Memorial Mass for Louis H. Ernst, father of Bro. Louis Ernst (Marianist Community, Fort Worth), will be held Sat., Apr. 5, at 10 a.m. at St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in north St. Louis county. All are invited to lunch after Mass in the parish hall.

Bro. Dan Stupka (DeSales Crossings Community, Cincinnati), offers the following note to his Marianist Brothers: "Please accept my sincere thanks and the thanks of my family members for your prayers and concern at the recent death of my brother Charles. I was truly heartened by so many of you who sent your condolences and offer of prayers. May this Lenten season be a time of special grace for you and those you love."

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE HEALING OF …

Bro. Robert Johns (Dittmer, Mo.), who will undergo surgery on March 19 for removal of kidney stones.

Don Ahrens, uncle of aspirant Nathan Hess (Cleveland), who has an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer.

Fr. Ed Jach (DeSales Crossings Community, Cincinnati), who completed his recuperation from bypass surgery and has returned to his community.

Fr. Frank Kenney (Franklin Street Community, Dayton), who has been admitted temporarily to Mercy Siena Gardens (assisted care) to recuperate from a serious infection.

WHO'S DOING WHAT

Bro. Jerry Bommer receives an Aloha shirt from Chaminade University President Sue Wesselkamper

Bro. Jerry Bommer has been appointed rector of Chaminade University in Honolulu effective Aug. 4, 2003. Bro. Jerry will replace Fr. John Bolin, who is retiring from this position at the end of June. The rector is the sponsorship officer of the university and works with the president and the university community to promote the campus' Catholic and Marianist identity. The director of campus ministry will report to the rector.

Bro. Jerry was the assistant provincial and assistant for education for the former St. Louis Province. Prior to that, he was a teacher and principal at Marianist schools in Missouri, Colorado and Texas. He is enrolled in a sabbatical program at the Hesburgh Center of the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Congratulations, Bro. Jerry!

Fr. John Bolin (Marianist Hall Community, Honolulu) will retire in June as rector at Chaminade University in Honolulu, but will continue at the university as senior advisor to the president for diocesan relations. In this part-time position, he will be the liaison for the university with the diocese and Catholic community of Honolulu. These activities will be coordinated with the office of the rector. Congratulations to Fr. John.

Bro. Jack Somerville (Novitiate Community, Dayton), facilities director at Mount Saint John, will participate in a geographical survey of the Mount Saint John property. The first phase of the survey will focus on all underground utilities. The second phase will focus on surface elements and topography.

Bro. Jack also recently made a vocation presentation at Carroll High School in Dayton, demonstrating to over 100 students the rich variety of choices offered to Brothers involved in manual and technical work. He appeared in his work clothes and brought along a wide variety of materials.

Bro. David Herbold will begin ministry on June 2 at the Marianist Center and Chaminade University in Honolulu. Bro. David previously served in Japan. He is temporarily living at the Center Marianist Community.

Photo courtesy of Bro. Urban Naal, SM

GRANTS AWARDED

In February, the Province Provisional Grants Program awarded $176,500 in grants to 69 organizations including schools, communities and ministries. The grants ranged from $500 to $5,000. For a complete listing of grant recipients, funding allocations and the criteria for selection, please click here: For further information, contact Sr. Eileen Donovan at edonovan@sm-usa.org.

NEWSLETTER CENTRAL

VIA LATINA. To read the March issue of Via Latina, the publication from the General Administration in Rome, please click here:

LIFE AT VILLA ST. JOSEPH. To read the March issue of Fr. Steve Tutas' Life at Villa St. Joseph, please click here:

CENTERPOINT.COM. To read the March issue of Centerpoint.com, the newsletter of the Center for Marianist Spirituality & Communities, please click here:

MLNNA NEWS. To read the March issue of the MLNNA E-News, a publication of the Marianist Lay Network of North America, please click here:

MARIANIST SISTERS' NEWSLETTER. To read the March issue of the Marianist Sisters' newsletter, please click here:

The Marianist sisters in San Antonio (seated, from left): Sr. LaVon Kampf, Sr. Rose Marie Eggleston, Sr. Eileen Cehyra and Sr. Evangeline Escobar; (standing, from left): Sr. Grace Walle, Sr. Laola Hironaka, Sr. Durie Kim, pre-novice Joyce Detzel and contact Katie Varatta. Not present: Sr. Gretchen Trautman, Sr. Grace Luther and Sr. Marcy Loehrlein.

INDIA NOVITIATE FRESCO

This fresco was created by Bros. Steve Erspamer and Tom Suda and Anand the mason at Nirmal Deep in India. The fresco depicts the Tree of Jesse and is nearly 30' high, covering an entire wall of the novitiate chapel. Photo courtesy of Bro. Sukrit Tirkey, SM

MARIANIST BOOTH AT L.A.
RELIGIOUS ED CONGRESS

Bro. Dennis Schmitz (Center Marianist Community, Honolulu) reports that the Marianist booth at the recent Los Angeles Religious Education Congress generated a lot of interest, with graduates of Marianist schools stopping by to thank the Marianists and ask about Brothers who taught them, and several young men asking for more information about vocations. The booth included a "living room" style setting (thanks to the West Hills Community in Southern California) as well as a section with table and bar for displays and brochures. Thanks to the many who helped with the booth: Rick Boesen, Frs. John McEnhill, Roland Bunda and Edwin Johnson, Jo Repanich, Bros. Jim Wisecaver, Dennis Schmitz and Augustin Guzman, novices Brian Halderman and Tobias Ferrer and aspirant Aaron Smith. The Western region Marianist Lay Community contact person, Kay Stone, also helped in the venture.

RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES

Sr. Leanne Jablonski, FMI, at the Mary statue outside Mystical Rose Oratory, the campus chapel at Chaminade University.

Sr. Leanne Jablonski, FMI, was featured in an article in the Feb. 28 issue of the Hawaii Catholic Herald entitled "An environment of faith: Visiting Marianist Sister Leanne Jablonski finds a spiritual companion in Brother Earth." To read the article, please click here:

As part of the outreach ministry of the Marianist Environmental Education Center (MEEC) in Dayton, Sr. Leanne spent a month in Hawaii, where she gave the Marianist Mackey Lecture series address (co-sponsored by Chaminade University, Marianist Center of Hawaii and Saint Louis High School) entitled, "Ecology, Christianity & Indigenous Wisdom: Weaving a Sustainable Ethic." Sr. Leanne also taught a course on Christianity and Ecology and gave several other presentations and workshops on environmental issues. Kudos to Sr. Leanne.

Bro. Ray Fitz (Stonemill Road Community, Dayton) has returned from sabbatical at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley and is featured in an article in the University of Dayton's Campus Report, entitled "Back from Sabbatical, Fitz Shares Lessons Learned" by Teri Rizvi, associate vice president for public relations. Bro. Ray is working at the university's Center for Leadership in Community that bears his name. In the fall, he'll co-teach "Leadership in Building Communities" with Dick Ferguson, director of the Fitz Center, and pilot a new course called "Politics, Social Justice and the Urban Question." To read the article, please click here:

The Hamm family was all over the latest issue of Cavalier, the alumni magazine of Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati. Bro. Wilbert Hamm (Montgomery Road Marianist Community, Cincinnati) was honored in an article for his 60th jubilee in 2002; Bro. Wilbert's nephew, Lenny Hamm, was featured in an article for his recognition as Teacher of the Month; and a large photo of Bro. Wilbert's great-niece Megan Hamm, a 2002 grad of Purcell and current student at the University of Dayton, ran on the final page.

MARIANIST TRIVIA

So who said Mass for Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos? In answer to the trivia question in Issue #9 of FamilyOnline, it was Fr. Roland Bunda (Santa Cruz) who celebrated Mass at the infamous couple's home in Hawaii during their exile in the 1980s. Fr. Roland reports that it started with a request from a student to preside at an informal family Mass to celebrate her parent's anniversary. Prepared for a simple evening, he dressed casually in an Aloha shirt, summer slacks and sandals, and took only his stole with his Mass kit. When the young lady picked him up, she said there was a change of plans - the festivities would be at the home of her parents' best friends, the Marcos. After entering the gates and being frisked by bodyguards, he met Imelda, who greeted him, looked at his sandals for a long minute, and then indicated that Mass would be outdoors. Imelda asked to sing the Our Father during the liturgy. Everything went well, Fr. Roland says. She had a lovely soprano voice.

VIANNEY ALUMNI AWARD

Fr. Bob Osborne (Curé of Ars Community, St. Louis), president of St. John Vianney High School in St. Louis, has awarded the school's first Alumni Marianist Award to Tom Lang, an attorney and 1964 graduate of Vianney. The honor is given to an alumnus who lives the Characteristics of Marianist Education in both his personal and professional life. Lang was among the founding members of the school's Alumni Association and has served on the board of directors. His family donated the statue of the Virgin Mary and Child in the front courtyard at Vianney.

Alumni Marianist Award recipient Tom Lang with Fr. Bob Osborne

LENTEN WEBSITE

Fr. Jerry Chinchar (Stonemill Road Community, Dayton) reports that his Lenten website has many resources for inspiration and devotion. Visit http://www.udayton.edu/~campmin/lent/

SPANISH WEBSITE HAS INTERNATIONAL FORUM

Agora Marianista, a website from the Spanish Marianists, includes a variety of discussion forums, including one that invites Marianists from around the world to post a message (in English or Spanish) introducing themselves. The link is http://www.marianistas.org/foros_sm_1044397761_0.htm. For help translating from the Spanish, visit http://freetranslation.com/. Contact novice Brian Halderman at brian.halderman@notes.udayton.edu with questions.

OUT AND ABOUT

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

PROVINCE BIRTHDAYS

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

March

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.