Volume 2, Number 14
Tuesday, June 24, 2003

NEW MEXICAN VENTURES RENEW UXPANAPA VALLEY

Bro. Bob Rapp (left) and Bro. Richard Dix visit one of the families in the Uxpanapa Valley who will benefit from the new cheese company and bank.

Bro. Bob Rapp (La Chinantla, Veracruz) reports that DECAMP's cheese factory is so successful that the business will now operate as a separate company. "Lacteos Chaminade" will be jointly owned by the Marianists (60 percent) and six other investors who own 40 percent. In other news from the Uxpanapa Valley, DECAMP has received a $140,000 grant to convert its credit unions into a rural bank that will offer daily banking service for the Mexican people. More details in the upcoming issue of NOVA. Congratulations, Bro. Bob!

WHO'S DOING WHAT

Fr. Rudy Vela (Woodlawn Community, San Antonio) received his Doctor of Ministry from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. His dissertation is titled, "Restoring the Cultural Significance of Juan Diego and His Tilma: A Third Generation, Mexican-American Perspective." Congratulations!

ON THE MOVE

We pray that the transitions of the following Brothers will be blessed. All personnel changes are effective Aug. 15, 2003, except where noted.

Bro. Paul Bredestege will become director of the Marianist community and the facility at Governor's Island in Huntsville, Ohio, effective Aug. 15. Bro. Paul had been on sabbatical.

Bro. John Campbell has been assigned to the Marianist Center Community in Honolulu, with ministry at Saint Louis School. Bro. John is completing a sabbatical year.

Bro. Hugh Charlson will move from the community on Lincoln Street in Hollywood, Fla., to the community in Fort Worth, with ministry at Nolan Catholic High School.

Bro. Ray Dotzler has moved from the Marianist Hall Community in Honolulu to the Villa St. Joseph Community in Cupertino, Calif., effective immediately.

Fr. John Klobuka will move from the community at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Helotes, Texas, to begin a sabbatical year to prepare for his assignment as pastor of St. Mark Parish in Denton, Texas. During the fall semester, Fr. John will live at the Woodlawn Community in San Antonio.

Fr. Charles Oyabu will move from the Marianist Hall Community in Honolulu to the community at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Helotes, with ministry at the parish.

Bro. John Schneider has completed his work in the Center Marianist Community in Honolulu and has been reassigned to the Meyer Hall Marianist Community in Dayton, effective immediately.

Bro. Fred Stovall will move from the Casa Maria Community in San Antonio to the Pillar of Faith Community in Houston.

Bro. Tom Wendorf will move within Dayton from the Trinity Avenue Community to the Novitiate Community, with continuing ministry at the University of Dayton.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE REPOSE OF THE SOUL OF…

Bro. José Jeremías Arroita Bilbao (Province of Zaragoza), 82, who died June 10 in San Sebastián. May he rest in peace. To read Bro. Jose's obituary, please click here:

Fr. Joseph Knobloch (Province of France), 91, who died June 17 in Saint Hippolyte (Haut-Rhin). May he rest in peace. Fr. Joseph's obituary will appear in the next issue of FamilyOnline.

Lucille Metzger, 81, who died June 10 in St. Louis. Mrs. Metzger was the sister-in-law of Bro. Paul Metzger (Marianist Residence, San Antonio). May she rest in peace.

Patricia Sobocinski, 69, Lay Marianist Affiliate, who died June 13 in Milwaukee. May she rest in peace.

FRESH AS A . . .

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE HEALING OF…

Fr. Paul Landolfi (Rockaway Marianist Community, New York), who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Paul and his doctors are studying several treatment options.

Bro. Ed Kiefer (Madeleine House, New Orleans), who began Interferon therapy on June 17 and radiation treatment on June 19.

Margery O'Grady, mother of Bro. Mike O'Grady (St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland), who suffered a stroke June 3 and is undergoing rehabilitation.

Rolly Acker, Lay Marianist Affiliate from Milwaukee, who will undergo surgery June 26 for prostate cancer.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

Fr. Bert Buby (Stonemill Road, Dayton) has gone Hollywood on us. The History Channel interviewed Fr. Bert for a two-hour documentary about the ancient books of the Bible that's scheduled to air later this year. One of the producers said his "… scholarship and expertise on the subject (of Mary) will be of great value to the film." The interview was conducted in the Marian Library, site of the world's largest collection of print material about Mary. Fr. Bert is an assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Dayton, a researcher with the Marianist Library-International Marian Research Institute, and the author of Mary of Galilee, a trilogy of books about Mary. (Information and photo courtesy of UD's Campus Digest)

EDUCATION CHIEF

Fr. Tim Kenney, Province education director, and Michael Guerra, president of the National Catholic Educational Association, at the organization's 100th convention held in April in St. Louis. In the right foreground is the candle and stand created by Bro. Mel Meyer for the celebration.

GETTING THE WORD OUT

Bro. Charles Johnson, Province vocation director, is working with the Province communications department to create a print advertising campaign for 2003-2004. The first ad in the campaign will appear this summer in the Vision 2004 Guide vocation magazine and again in the Guide to Religious Ministries in December. A second ad is being produced to run in university newspapers in the fall. The campaign was based on feedback from an advisory council and Provincial staff members. To view the first ad, please click here:

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

More than 30 Brothers attended a retreat June 9-15 at the San Damiano retreat center in Danville, Calif. Sr. Margaret Brennan served as the retreat director.

CAROLINA BEACH TIME

Joseph Spadaford, an alum of the University of Dayton, has offered a beach home he owns (six bedrooms) in the Charleston, S.C., area to Society of Mary members who need a break or for retreat. There are weeks available in September, November and early December. There is no cost. For information, contact Fr. Jim Fitz at jfitz@sm-usa.org

ST. LAURENCE COLLEGE AWARDS

Bro. Jim Contadino (Dublin) and Dermot Lacy, lord mayor of Dublin and former student at St. Laurence College, presented awards in May at the school's Awards Night.

NEW PERSONNEL

The new Personnel for 2003-2004 will be delivered in mid-August to all communities. If you have questions about the Personnel, contact Diane Guerra at dguerra@sm-usa.org or Ann Mueller at amueller@sm-usa.org.

SEMINAR IN ROME PREPARES NEW LEADERS


Attendees, presenters and translators at the New Unit Leaders Seminar, back row, from left: Fr. Timothy Kim; Bro. Bob Wood; Fr. David Fleming; Bros. Francisco Gonzalez and Peter Pontolillo. Front row, from left: Bro. Bob Hanss; Fr. George Cerniglia; Bros. Sukrit Tirkey and Terry O'Connor; and Fr. Ignase Arulappen. Kneeling: Bro. Tom Giardino.

Eleven new leaders of Marianist Units from five continents met for the first two weeks of June for the "New Unit Leaders Seminar," which is held every two years in Rome. Fr. George Cerniglia and Bro. José Maria Alvira of the General Administration organized the gathering. Four individuals from the Province of the United States attended: Fr. Ignase Arulappen and Bro. Sukrit Tirkey from India; Fr. Timothy Kim from Korea; and Bro. Robert Hanss from Mexico. Bro. Tom Giardino and the GA leadership made presentations. Three U.S. Province Brothers acted as translators: Bros. Francisco Gonzalez, Terry O'Connor and Robert Wood. Presentations included leadership in a postmodern time, dealing with difficult people, and self-care of the leader.

NEEDED: MSJC STUDY GROUP MEMBERS

Bro. Bob Donovan (Findlay Street Community, Cincinnati), a member of the steering committee of the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative (MSJC), needs study group members to discuss whether MSJC should start a gay and lesbian issue team. Contact Bro. Bob at brodrbob@pol.net or 513.369.0388 no later than July 8. To read the full memo from MSJC, please click here: Steering committee members include Bros. Ted Cassidy, Bob Donovan, Bill Farrell and Richard Dix (SM); Srs. Leanne Jablonski and Laola Hironaka (FMI); Jim Vogt and Nancy DeHonores (MLNNA); and Sr. Eileen Donovan (PA).

BUDDIES

Fellow artists and friends Bro. Cletus Behlmann (Marianist Residence, San Antonio) and Bro. Mel Meyer (Curé of Ars, St. Louis) share a laugh at the St. Louis jubilarian celebration in late May.

Pals Bros. Brian Zampier (Lindell Boulevard, St. Louis) and Ken Jung (Waldron Community, St. Louis) at the St. Louis jubilarian event.

VOCATION RETREAT AT THE CAPE

Fr. Ted Cassidy (Cape May Point, N.J.) reports on a successful vocation discernment retreat June 15-17 at the Marianist Family Retreat Center at Cape May. Three young men joined Fr. Ted, Bro. Charlie Johnson, vocation director, and Novice Isak Keyman-Ige, who shared Fr. Quentin Hakenewerth's writings on vocation discernment. Bro. Ed Unferdorfer and the retreat center staff served the retreatants.

Front row, from left: John Calabro, Michael Horton and David Kiel. Back row, from left: Novice Isak Ige, Bro. Charlie Johnson and Fr. Ted Cassidy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

The staff of the Province office in St. Louis celebrates birthdays each month in a special way. June birthday folks were honored at a barbeque lunch at 4425 West Pine. Enjoying the barbecue chicken, Italian sausage and potluck buffet are, from left: Bro. Richard Dix; Pat Stephens, administrative assistant to the Provincial; and Fr. Tim Dwyer.

JUBILARIANS OF 2003

We celebrate the jubilees of 48 members of the Society of Mary this year from the new Province of the United States, whose combined years of service exceed 2,095 years of religious profession and 450 years of ordained ministry. Congratulations to all! Jubilee celebrations have been held in San Antonio (March 29-30), Honolulu (April 27), San Jose (May 18), St. Louis (May 24), and Baltimore (June 14) and will be held Aug. 16 in Dayton.

NEWS RELEASES: We're sending a news release to the local newspaper of each jubilarian. If you see an article about any jubilarian, please clip it and send to Diane Guerra, Province of the United States, 4425 West Pine Boulevard, St. Louis MO 63108. Thank you.

25 YEARS A MARIANIST PRIEST!

OUT AND ABOUT

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

CORRECTIONS

We apologize for two errors in the last issue of FamilyOnline. Bro. Fred Hausch's name was misspelled, and Fr. Bob Hackel was, indeed, ordained!

FAMILYONLINE ARCHIVED!

All back issues of FamilyOnline are available at www.marianist.com/fol.

PROVINCE BIRTHDAYS

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

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. BACK ISSUES: Visit www.marianist.com/fol