And the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us (Jn 1:14).
|
|
Our Religious Family Events
2006-2007 And the word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us (Jn 1:14). |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
News from the Third Order in Santa Clara, California: May
and June Meetings
Confirmation Girls Retreat
The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary/Pro-Life Chain
To commemorate the Feast Day of the Holy Rosary, we had a special Rosary procession for
world peace after the noon Mass on Sunday
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lithuanian, Colombian,
Puerto Rican, and Guatemalan heritage.
While in Rome the group traveled to the tombs of Sts. Peter & Paul and to the Church of St. George,
as well as many other amazing stops. In each place they gave thanks for all the graces that have been bestowed upon the thousands
and thousands of parishioners from St. George's over the past 100
years. Likewise they implored the continued intercession of the Church
Triumphant for the Parishioners of today and all of their spiritual and
material needs. St. George, pray for us!
California Kids Celebrate All Saints Day
“Could you not watch with me for one hour?” With this question of Jesus in mind, we celebrated the
Anniversary of 31 Years of Perpetual Adoration at Our Lady of Peace on Sunday October 21, 2007.
To give thanks for these years of Adoration, Father Walter Mallo preached at a
special Anniversary Mass which was followed by a luncheon for all the dedicated
adorers. At the reception, two video clips were shown of Monsignor John Sweeny,
the late pastor who began Perpetual Adoration at our parish, speaking on EWTN with Mother Angelica in the 1980’s.
A power-point
presentation on Eucharistic miracles followed. Finally, the captains and adorers
received special prizes in thanksgiving for all their dedication to our Lord present in the Eucharist. We give thanks for
these 31 years of Adoration and ask Our Lady to continue to bless our parish and bring more souls to
our Lord, hidden in the Eucharist.
Nearly forty girls preparing for Confirmation
gathered from Saint Leo the Great and Our Lady of Peace
for their first retreat of the year. We had the great grace to
hold the retreat at a local Byzantine Catholic Church. The pastor, Father
Anthony Hernandez, was overjoyed to host us. He took the opportunity to explain
the differences between the Eastern and Western rites, as well as the meaning
of the many icons since for many, it was their first time in a Byzantine
church. Prayer, sports, Holy Mass, confession, and talks filled their day.
Father Anthony Hernandez and Sister Maria de los Angeles gave talks on “The Meaning of
Life” and “How to Attain
Holiness.” We pray for the the sanctification and perseverance of our Confirmation students.
The Craft Fair
IVE Third Order Meeting
October 7, 2007.
Members of the Third Order, Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, and our
catechism children carried flags from different countries around the world, and wooden crosses with the names of the fifty states. Father Walter Mallo led the Holy
Rosary
and dedicated each mystery to praying for peace in specific countries and
states. Many people participated in imploring peace for the world.
The 7th was also
Pro-Life Sunday during which we participated in the Pro-Life Chain on a busy
intersection in San Jose. We prayed the Holy Rosary to end the
violence of abortion and bring peace to those who have already experienced the trauma of abortion. May Our Lady, Queen of Peace and Comforter of the Afflicted, intercede for us as we continue to be the instruments of peace and voices for the most forgotten.
On
October 7th in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, the sisters of the
Houses of Formation held a benefit concert to support the need for a
permanent property to house our growing number of vocations. Jessica Swink,
the international-known soprano, graciously shared her
musical
talents with all those gathered at the St. Francis Hall in
Washington, D.C. Accompanied by her sister Colleen Swink on the
violin and by her friend and pianist Edward Rogers, Ms. Swink
dedicated her repertoire to Our Blessed Mother with songs by Mozart,
Schubert, Andrew Lloyd Weber, and others. 
To the audience of nearly 150 people, the sisters gave a
presentation on the charism and work of the Institute around the world and particularly here in the United States. The
presentation also highlighted importance of the 7th of October for
us since it marked the 36th anniversary of priestly ordination of
Fr. Carlos Miguel Buela, our Founder. Finally the presentation
concluded with a petition for help in our effort to purchase a
property suitable to serve as a permanent residence for the growing
number of new vocations.
On the Feast of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, October 1, 2007, Sr. Marie de la Trinité Siopongco made her perpetual vows, ten novices made their first profession, and Juniorate sisters renewed their vows during a solemn Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. Sisters, family, and friends came from all over the country for the Mass which was presided over by Fr. Gustavo Nieto, IVE the Provincial Superior of the Institute of the Incarnate Word. Also the time and place were
very special to all the sisters since not only is New York the seat of the Provincial House of our community, but St. Thérèse
is the Co-Patroness of the Foreign Missions and has been a
very dear companion for many in their discernment of the
religious vocation. We rejoice that once again God has shown
His love and mercy by drawing souls to the consecrated life
as Spouses of the Incarnate Word. In the midst of the
modern world, may these sisters never cease to proclaim with
their lives that God is Love! DEUS CARITAS EST!
During the Holy Mass of the Triumph of the Cross at Our Lady of Peace in Santa Clara California, Sister Maria Ng Krus Totanes,
SSVM professed perpetual vows of poverty, manifesting that Christ is
her only wealth, chastity for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, and obedience, even unto death on a cross.
Father Gustavo Nieto, IVE, the Provincial Superior of the Incarnate Word, offered a beautiful homily reflecting on the beauty of virginity and the great gift it gives to the Universal Church. We were very grateful to have Fathers Walter Mallo, IVE and Jeff
Obniski, IVE, concelebrating and Father Marcelo Navarro serving as Master of Ceremonies. After Holy Communion, three
people were formally received into the Third Order of the Incarnate Word
while also consecrated themselves to Mary. Nearly twenty children of Third
Order families were also invested with the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of
Mount Carmel.
our IVE Saint Monica Spanish group. The four beneficiary
missions this year were: Guyana, Ecuador, and
the Peruvian missions of Camaná and Cotahuasi.
Between various musical performances, Father Walter Mallo, Sister Maria de los Angeles, and Sister Maria Madre Inmaculada
gave brief presentations explaining how each mission would benefit from our fundraising.
We ask God to bless all the donors and organizers for their
generosity as they work and pray for the missions in Guyana,
Ecuador and Peru.
and
Sr.
Maria Esperanza de la Iglesia Rosales were received into the
cloister as new contemplative sisters at the Monastery of St. Edith
Stein in Brooklyn, New York; and in Washington DC, three sisters
renewed their vows in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel at the Basilica
of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. All of the sisters thank our Lord and the Virgin of
Matará for the many graces we have received and with joy we
congratulate the new perpetually professed sisters: Veni, Sponsa
Christi!
included
Morning Prayer, three parallel workshops offered in English and Spanish,
Holy Mass, and meals together. The first talk, entitled “The Top 10
Questions Every Catechist Should Know How to Answer” dealt with common apologetic questions,
such as “why do I need to confess to a priest?” and “why is missing Mass a
mortal sin?” Following Mass and lunch, the second talk, “Catechetical Methodology,”
explained the structure of a catechism class and equipped the catechists
with concrete aids for time management in the classroom. In the last
workshop the catechists and their assistants put into practice the
methodology they learned earlier in the day by planning classes together
with consultations and advice available from the day's speakers.
English and Spanish about teaching catechism at a practical level to children and
youth.
Novices, postulants, and professed sisters came from Maryland to
California to help with the oratory.
The children were divided into four age groups of girls and boys.
These groups had the opportunity to play sports and compete amongst each other,
practicing the virtues of patience, fortitude, and joy. The daily schedule included: talks, games, Holy Mass, silent Bible reading (based on the talk in the morning), Rosary procession around the Shrine, songs.
Towards the end of the oratory, we had a visit from Bishop Patrick McGraw.
During his homily, Bishop McGraw recounted his own vocation story and encouraged
all present to be open to whatever God’s will had in store for you.
After Holy Mass, he visited the gym to the delight of all the oratory members,
and admired the special welcome signs made by the different age groups.
During the last day, we invited the families of the kids to come and enjoy a
hot dog lunch with their children and take part in the awards ceremony.
We thank God for the success of the Summer Oratory, and ask Our Lady to continue to lead her little ones to the
Heart of her Son.
On Saturday August 4th, we had our monthly Third Order meeting at Our Lady of Peace. Members of the Third Order, as well as many families and friends, joined us for a traditional potluck dinner and to share in the IVE spirituality. As dinner was ending, Sister Angeles introduced the countries which will benefit from our fundraising dinner to take place in September: Guyana, Peru, and Ecuador. Father Walter Mallo then showed pictures and explained what happened during the IVE General Chapter. The theme of this night’s talk was Consecration to Mary, taken from Saint Luis de Montfort presented in English by Father Walter Mallo and in Spanish by Father Rolando Santoianni. As the parents listened, the children did arts and crafts and played games with the sisters. After the talks, certain teams met to discuss specifics for the fundraising dinner. We pray to Our Lady and ask her to continue to bless our Third Order with generosity and docility to the Holy Spirit.
In August, five sisters from the Juniorate traveled to Guyana
for the first time to participate in two parish
missions. While the IVE priests and seminarians have
made several trips in the past, only with the recent
establishment of a convent of sisters in Charity has there
been the possibility of receiving a large group of visiting
sisters and a number of lay volunteers. Sisters Mary
Ark of the Covenant, Maryam Sub Diloo Ki Malka, Mary Mother
of Light, Maria Theotokos and Maria Espejo de Paciencia went
for the mission, and Sr. Paciencia stayed on as a permanent
new member of the community of sisters in Charity. We
also were blessed to have with us several lay volunteers,
three of them are sisters of some of our religious sisters: Juilianna Whiting, Nicole Ganzenmuller, Marlene
Araza; as
well as Kelly Faltus, a visiting nurse.
and very generous cultural tradition. The mission
included children's oratory (games, songs, talks, snack time
and crafts), youth group (discussion groups, singing, and
preparation of campfire and flowers for Our Lady), home
visits to all the village and surrounding islands, as well
as the central mission preaching during daily Mass. It
was beautiful to see the large crowds at the 4:00 PM daily
Mass and preaching; the community usually only has Mass on
two Sundays of the month since the two parish priests must
care for over ten chapels. Every evening the whole
town gathered for the traditional "campfire" with
controversies on topics of the faith, songs, dances,
and skits. The youth group performed beautiful songs
accompanied by guitar and linked each song to provide
unbroken music as the children danced and the adults sang
along and clapped. The mission ended after many
Confessions, a Rosary Procession and with the baptism of
four infants. The graciousness and kindness of theses
people made a lasting impression on all of the missionaries.
The trucks, loud music, and dense population provided a
ready mission field and striking back-drop for the daily
Rosary Processions lead by the children singing in front,
followed by the boys of the youth group carrying the statue
of Our Lady, and completed by the parishioners and young
people praying the Rosary. The mission also included
the traditional method of daily children's oratory, youth
meetings, and mission talks as used in Kamwatta. The
home visits were conducted both on foot and by boat and led
by members of the youth group who grew in courage and love
for their Catholic identity as they accompanied the
missionaries to every home in the neighborhoods--Muslim,
Hindu, Protestant or Catholic. 
During the summer months we often receive visiting foreign missionaries who come to
participate in various Mission Cooperative Plans (MCP) sponsored by the Propaganda
of the Faith.
The sisters visit
parishes on the weekends to increase awareness about
missions in the Church and to collect donations for the
subsistence of specific projects. Between week-ends we have
the opportunity to show the visiting sisters different parts of our Province.
This year our missionary sisters came from Egypt, Ecuador, Argentina, and
Ukraine (our sister in the black habit belongs to the Byzantine Catholic Rite). Included here are some photos of the visits in New York: St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the tomb of Servant of God Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the Statue of Liberty; as well as a Fourth of July spent in the beautiful farmland of Avondale, Pennsylvania.
The Annual Corpus Christ Possession was held on August
10, 2007 through the streets of North York (Toronto)
Canada, within the boundaries of the Parish of St.
Augustine of Canterbury.
one
for the younger girls from June 8-11 and another for the teenagers from June 15-18.
The Girls' Camp
based its activities on the theme “Behold your Mother”
and had 52 girls participating, while 37 older girls
came for the the second adventuresome weekend following the theme “You will be my witnesses.” From praying to playing each group of girls enjoyed a weekend filled with fun in a spirit of fraternal charity and joy.
They gathered together in the IVE Retreat House in Upstate New York from Harlem, East New York
(Brooklyn), Williamsburg (Brooklyn), Pennsylvania, and
Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Once there, they separated into groups in order to compete as teams in various activities such as sports, acting, hiking, and swimming. The camp
reached its climax at the end when all were awarded for the outstanding virtues demonstrated throughout the days spent together. They truly
demonstrated their ability to “celebrate” life as our founder says. Let us ask our Blessed Mother to continue to foster their holy joy which
stems from the love and grace God has poured into their souls and so be true witnesses of Christ. 
religious
vows, three of our seminarians renewed
their temporary vows, 10 IVE Novices
made their Consecration to Our Lady taken from St. Louis De Montfort,
and 6 new lay people were admitted into the 3rd Order of the
Incarnate Word.
turns hitting the piñata! We ask Our
Lady to continue to bless our Third Order members and bring
them all closer to her Eucharistic Son. 
Blessed Hesselblad was a nurse from Sweden who had been
baptized Lutheran and was
received into the Catholic Church on August 15, 1902 in
Washington, DC. She led a renewal of the Order of the Most Holy
Savior of St. Bridget (the Bridgettines) from the original house of St.
Bridget of Sweden (d. 1373) in Rome. She was especially dedicated to
the Unity of Christians and succeeded in
for the Novices who made
their consecration to Our Lady according to Saint Louis Grignion de Monfort's
Total Consecration to Mary, the foundation of our 4th vow
of Marian Slavery fulfilled at the time of religious
profession.
Recently
Sister Maria Madre Inmaculada and Sister Mary of the
Incarnation visited a local Catholic elementary school
for their annual Vocations Week. The day started off
with a presentation about vocations for the students
from grades 5-8. They listened attentively and asked a
lot of questions about religious life and how to become
a priest or religious. They then visited each of the
classrooms to spend a few minutes talking to the
children. The class sizes in the school are very small,
and include children from pre-kindergarten up to eighth
grade. They were very interested in hearing about the
missions and what they could do to help. The most
attentive class was the kindergarten girls who all
offered themselves to pray one Hail Mary each day for
the fruit of the missions. We pray for the fruit of this
visit and ask Our Lady to inspire many of the children
to answer generously the call to religious life.
Saturday
April 24th and Sunday April 25, 2007.
“A Story of Mercy” is one of the plays written by Sister
Maria de las Virtudes, SSVM, who is a cloistered contemplative in
Rome. The play focuses on the conversion of Peter, one
boy’s father, thanks to the prayers and sacrifices of
his son, Anthony, and Anthony’s friend Francis. The hard
work of the cast and crew made this year’s Lenten play a
huge success! We pray for the fruit of this Lenten
season, especially for a true conversion of heart.
