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3 March - April 2012 COSMO 3-4 THE PRIOR GENERAL SPEAKS My dear Brothers, At the beginning of this new year, 2012, let us seek the protection of Mary, the Mother of God and ask her to be our guide. May she help us live this new period of grace given us by the Lord of History with Gospel intensity. This will make us fully human and Christian; it will bring us happiness. We begin this year, God s gift to mankind, with many thoughts, fears, hopes and desires. Let us face this new year with confidence and not let our troubles overwhelm us. We must see the world as it actually is. The January 1st World Day of Peace has a slogan: Educating young people in justice and peace. It is vital that we devote our attention to the world of young people. We must know how to listen to them and give them courage. We must instill respect for the positive value of life and the desire to live lives of service and righteousness. We must educate young people in truth, freedom, justice and peace. We must work to protect the family. In the family young people learn human and Christian values that make it possible for them to live together peacefully and profitably, bridge the generation gap, respect rules and foster forgiveness of and openness to others. Like all the years the Lord gives us 2012 is a time of opportunity; a time filled with events that will renew our enthusiasm as Christians and Servants of Mary. The Pope has proclaimed a Year of Faith to begin on October 12th, 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and close on the Feast of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, November 24, The Year of Faith is a call to authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the One Savior of the World. This year, 2012, the Order will celebrate all its provincial chapters of election. These chapters are an occasion to renew our faith, hope, religious consecration, loyalty and integrity of life. Dear Brothers I wish you all a happy and peaceful new year, a year full of God. May the Lord of History, who is also the Lord of our own personal histories, continue to work wonders in our lives and enable us to proclaim and cry from the depths of our hearts his greatness, goodness and mercy. Happy New Year to all of you. May God bless and may Mary protect you. Fra Ángel Dear Brothers, Thee specific events this month (February 2012) merit our attention and reflection: the World Day of Consecrated Life (February 2), the Solemnity of our Seven Holy Founders (February 17) and Ash Wednesday (February 22). Some believe that the original inspiration of religious life was ascetic and not apostolic. The very first religious did not seek to change the Church or the world. They wanted to change themselves. They wanted to live a different sort of life. This striving for conversion was so powerful and so attractive that it changed history. That urge, that attraction does not seem so powerful today and we must ask ourselves why this is the case. We must approach this problem with sincerity and an intensely Gospel inspired attitude. We must return to our roots and recover our sense of mission, the timeliness of our charism and our identity as Servites. Our daily lives 3 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

4 COSMO 3-4 March - April 2012 must reflect this identity so we can hon- GENERAL COUNCIL AND estly say: Moved by the Spirit, we com- SECRETARIATS mit ourselves, as did our First Fathers, to witness the gospel in fraternal communion and to be at the service of God and VINCIAL TO PRIORS, VICARS AND DELEGATES PROall people, drawing abiding inspiration and, as information: To the friars of the from Mary, Mother and Servant of the Order Lord. Our witness must be one of integrity My dearest brothers, and transparency. What we do must accord with who we are. We must give credible and consistent witness to the reality and values that form the basis of our individual human lives and the shared work of our communities. Let us not fool ourselves, we must be realistic and recognize our weakness. We know that conversion is a life-long endeavor. We must struggle for the kind of singlemindedness that allows us to overcome our mediocrity, fear, apathy and resentment. We must be free and happy men who strive for the happiness that comes from Christ and the Gospel. It is a happiness that can never be taken from us. We must ask the Lord to help us turn this Lent into a genuine journey of faith. We must renew our religious consecration; we must strengthen our brotherhood as Servites and must bring new life to our Gospel service. Other things are happening in the Order this month: the Provincial Chapters of election continue and in February the Tyrolese and the USA Provinces celebrate their chapters. We wish them success. We ask you also to pray for our brother, the friar bishop, Fra Gaétan M. Proulx. He will be ordained a bishop on February 25 th. May the Lord make his ministry one of good will and love for the people of God. Enjoy the upcoming feasts and celebrate a Lent that is beautiful, sincere and committed. Lift your spirits and move ever forward. Do not be discouraged; God s love and mercy are great indeed. Fr. Ángel To all of you who share with me and the members of the General Council the responsibility of leadership and government in the Order I send fraternal greetings. In compliance with decree 58b of the 212 th General Chapter (Ariccia, October 8-30, 2007) I am writing this letter to convoke a third meeting (in this six-year term) with the General Council. The meeting will be held at Maison de la Madone in Trois-Rivières [10, rue Denis-Caron, Trois -Rivières, Québec, G8T 3W9, Canada] and will last nine days: September 3 to 12, During the meeting we will take part in the 100 th anniversary celebration of Servite friars in Canada (September 8, 2012). This third meeting will take place after all this year s chapters of election and will begin with a training period for the newly elected provincials (September 3-4). This will be followed by a discussion of the subjects designated by the General Chapter (Cf. GC 2007, nos. 58b, 72). Agenda. As decreed by the General Chapter the agenda for these meetings can be prepared through letters of study, dialogue, consultation, analysis and proposals. The Prior General should send these letters to the Priors/Vicars Provincial and their respective councils and ask for contributions that reflect their thoughts, experience and proposals so that the Order can come up with specific proposals in these various areas (GC 2007, no. 72c). Given the subjects suggested by the last General Chapter the following items will be on the agenda. 4 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

5 March - April 2012 COSMO The General Chapter: review of extent to which the last General Chapter s guidelines have been followed (Cf. GC 2007, no. 72a); preparations for the next General Chapter at Pietralba in 2013 (Cf. GC 2007, nos ). 2. Communities overall plans (progetto globale) (Cf. GC 2007, no. 72a); Restructuring (Cf. GC 2007, no. 72a). 3. Regional Conferences (Cf. GC 2007, no. 55). 4. General Directory and Servite Constitutions (Cf. GC 2007, nos ). 5. Communion: sharing possessions, personnel, needs and resources in the Order (Cf. GC 2007, nos. 25, 58, 70); financial assessments for the Order 6. General Houses (Cf. GC 2007, nos ). 7. Initial and ongoing formation; training formation personnel and centers of study (Cf. GC 2007, nos , 72a); suggestions. 8. Various other items. I hope to receive your suggestions and proposals by April 30, In the interests of making this third meeting more geographically representative of the Order s communities the Council is inviting Provincial Delegates to the meeting. We hope that our meeting in Trois- Rivières will provide an occasion for frank and fraternal dialogue. We can discuss what we expect the General Council and the upcoming General Chapter to accomplish. The General Council will describe the Order s needs. It will be an occasion for listening to each other and sharing responsibility in governing and providing leadership that will strengthen our our combined efforts to work for the good of the Order. Please arrange to arrive at the Maison de la Madone, at Trois-Rivières, before dinner on September 2 nd. That way we can begin our meeting promptly at 9:00 AM on Monday, September 3, Please send information about your arrival in and departure from Montreal to the Canadian Prior Provincial, Fra Yvon M. Chalifoux (osmyvon@mac.com or procanosm@mac.com) Fra Yvon can provide assistance and meet your eventual needs in Canada. Please bring your habit, the Constitutions and the approved texts of the General Chapter in your own language. I send my fraternal greetings to each of you and my hope that God, the Lord of the Harvest, will bring light and assistance to our plans and discussions during the meeting. May the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady of Sorrows and our Seven Holy Founders crown our work with success. Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, O.S.M. Prior General SAN MARCELLO, ROME Terms of Provincial Officials On December 17, 2011, Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, the Prior General, sent a letter to all the friars of the Order on thef terms of office for the Order's officials. The letter read: "With this letter I inform you that on Saturday, December 17, 2011, Fra Franco M. Azzalli, Procurator of the Order, received a letter from the Holy See (the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life) telling us that article 73 of the 212 th General Chapter (Rome, October 8 30, 2007) cannot take effect. The decree is contrary to articles 204a, 225a, 232, 241, 249c and 245b of the Constitutions; it prolongs by one year the term of office for priors, vicars and provincial officials. This represents a change to the Constitutions and therefore requires a two-thirds vote at the General Chapter (Cf. Acta OSM, n.s. II/12 (2007) 5 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

6 COSMO 3-4 March - April 2012 p. 242: placet 36, non placet 21, abstained 0). We will therefore continue to follow the terms for priors, vicars and provincial officials set out in the Constitutions: three years. The letter adds that this decree can be presented again at a General Chapter and if it receives the required majority may be presented to the Holy See for definitive approval. ROME SECRETARIAT FOR COMMU- NICATIONS Fra Silvo M. Bachorik, Ángel M. Camarillo and Fra Gino M. Leonardi, members of the General Secretariat for Communications, met in Rome (December 5 9, 2012) to work on improvements to the Order's website: updating and making the site more effective. The website's name will be changed from to on January 1, The homepage has undergone slight changes as have the picture gallery and other less important sections. I would also point out the that Servite Liturgy of the Hours in Portuguese is now on line. It can be found in both the liturgy and the hagiography sections. MARIANUM PONTIFICAL THEOLOGI- CAL FACULTY, ROME The Holy Father, Benedict XVI, has received the program for the XXIII International Mariological Congress sponsored by the Pontifical International Marian Academy: Mariology Since the Second Vatican Council Reception, Evaluation, Perspectives. The Congress will be held at the Antonianum Auditorium in Rome (September 4 9, 2012). Two teachers from the Marianum are among the speakers: Fra Salvatore M. Perrella, President of the Faculty and Professor Cettina Militello. The Faculty has been asked to lead the first Italian language work group. GENERAL SECRETARY FOR FORMATION AND STUDIES During the canonical visitation of the CASA region, Fra Eugene M. Smith, as General Secretary for Formation and Studies visited the formation communities in India, the Philippines and Indonesia. He attended the annual meeting for Students in Formation at Chennai (December 1-2, 2011) and spoke on Servite Formation in the Modern World. Fra Eugene visited all the formation communities in the Phillipines and met with the thirty-six pre-novices in Tunasan. The Vicariate has a problem unknown in the rest of the Order: the pre-novitiate house is overcrowded! On January 7, 2012, Fra Eugene took part in the Servite Family s annual meeting which discussed The Compassionate Presence of the Servants of Mary. More than 400 members of the Servite Family came together to celebrate Mass, share cultural presentations and enjoy the traditional choosing (sortitio) of patron saints on Epiphany. SPAIN: REQUEST TO CHANGE THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE SPANISH PROVINCE In a letter dated September 8, 2012, Fra Francisco Javier M. Badillo Martín, Prior Provincial of the Spanish Province, requested that the legal status of his Province be changed. The General Council carried out the required legal and Constitutional formalities; in its February 4, 2012, session the Council did not reach a definitive decision but did set out the following guidelines: a) in light of revision criteria determined by the 212th General Chapter (Cf. GC 2007, no. 54b) the June 2012 Provincial Chapter is suspended; all the friars will meet in Denia, however, to establish transitional norms for the Province s revised legal status; b) a delegate of the Prior General will be appointed to work with the local priors creating a sort of council to support the Span- 6 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

7 March - April 2012 COSMO 3-4 ish Friars and promote discussion and the exchange of information; c) a survey will be conducted in all the Provinces of the Order on the Spanish Province s reversion to the legal status of a Delegation; d) the Spanish Delegation will begin cooperating with a Servite jurisdiction that will incorporate it and with which it will draw up a contract; e) the 213th General Chapter (Pietralba 2013) will review the progress made and evaluate these guidelines. GENERAL SECRETARIAT FOR ON- GOING FORMATION Following the mandate of the 2007 General Chapter in Ariccia, the Secretary General for On-Going Formation has prepared the final theme for permanent formation during It is With Mary: a discussion of problems with the status of women. In his preface Fra Rhett M. Sarabia, the Secretary, describes the abundance of material, the problems and the complexity of this subject: the status of women differs enormously from continent to continent; our perspectives on this subject are overwhelmingly masculine. The document will be sent to all the Curia s addresses and will also be found on the Order s website: in the Resources/ Formation / On-going Formation menus. MARIANUM PONTIFICAL THEOLOGI- CAL FACULTY Meeting with the President of the Marianum Pontifical Theological Faculty During its February 2, 2012 session Fra Salvatore M. Perrella, the new President of the Marianum Pontifical Theological Faculty (since June 1, 2011), reported on the Marianum s activities and challenges. He began by saying he was happy to undertake this new service and was satisfied with the smooth transition of institutional responsibility involved. He then presented an overview of the Faculty s positive and negative aspects. Fortunately the positive elements outnumber the negative. He noted the increased enrollment there are now 204 students and the quality of the courses being taught at the Faculty. Among the problems are faculty stability, the difficulty of finding young teachers and the Faculty effort to be self-supporting. NEPI, ITALY Cecilia Eusepi will be the Order s first Blessed who was a tertiary and not a nun. She will be beatified on June 17, 2012 in the little town of Nepi. On February 16, 2012, I went with Fra Gino M. Leonardi, acting Postulator Delegate, to our Priory in Nepi. In view of her upcoming beatification Msgr. Romano Rossi, the Bishop of Civita Castellana, oversaw the canonical exhumation of the remains of the Servant of God, Cecilia Eusepi. As the National Assistant of the Servite Secular Order I was invited to attend this ceremony with the Servite Community and the periti of the Canonical Tribunal. Cecilia was clothed in the Servite Third Order habit with the Servite Scapular and the Seven Dolor Rosary. Her body looked intact and mummified. Once the canonical formalities were taken care of Cecilia was dressed in the Mantellate Sisters habit something she desired at the time of her death. We carried her body into the church and sang First Vespers of our Seven Holy Founders. The Bishop presided and spoke with great feeling of his joy and gratitude for the chance to participate in this very important event. Fra Luciano M. Masetti PRIORIES AND JURISDICTIONS CANONICAL VISITATION IN THE INDI- AN VICARIATE Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, the Prior General, and Fra Rhett M. Sarabia, the responsible General Councilor, carried out the canonical visitation of the Indian Vicariate, Aikiya Annai (Mother of Unity) 7 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

8 COSMO 3-4 March - April 2012 which includes the community in Myanmar. At present the Vicariate has 52 solemn professed and 16 temporary professed friars, 4 novices, 15 prenovices and 22 postulants. At the next provincial chapter the Aikiya Annai Province will begin its life officially. The Prior General called on all the friars to prepare for this event. It is not just something legal but involves "taking root in the culture, dreams and values of the Indian people." The visitors then met with other members of the Servite Family in India and Myanmar. Throughout the visit the visitors encountered genuine friendship, helpfulness and a Sensus Ordinis. ROME Catholic Theological Union (CTU) plays an important role in the life of the US Servite Province. Since 1968 it has been the province's major seminary. It is also an example of how religious communities can work together successfully in the field of theological education. Fra Michael M. Doyle came to Rome in December. He is a member of the CTU Board of Directors. The purpose of his visit was to initiate collaboration in education between CTU and the Centro dei Laici at Foyer Unitas. During his meetings he was pleasantly surprised to discover how many persons involved had already met Servites: John M. Mullane, John M. Pawlikowski, friars from Benburb in Northern Ireland and Servites from the Marianum. YANGON, MYANMAR (FORMERLY BUR- MA) Greetings from Fra Soosai Maria, OSM, in Myanmar. I am well now (ed. note: Fra Soosai had been seriously ill) and I hope you are too. I thank you with all my heart for your prayers and the help of every sort you have provided for our mission in Myanmar. We are building a house of formation which should be completed by the end of March We hope to establish a community by mid- January when two of our friars will arrive: Thomas and Alexander, both of whom are Myanmar citizens. It would make me very happy to see our Myanmar mission on stable footing when the Indian Vicariate becomes a province! I would ask you to remember us in your prayers and to continue helping us in our pastoral and formation work. You are in our thoughts and we wish you well. Fra Soosai Maria ELECTION OF NEW PRIORS PROVIN- CIAL On December 6, 2011, on the first ballot, Fra John M. Fontana was reelected Prior Provincial of the United State Province. On December 11, 2011, on the first ballot, Fra Gottfried M. Wolff, was reelected Prior Provincial of the Tyrolese Province. We offer them our heartfelt best wishes for fruitful service. QUÉBEC, CANADA A NEW SERVITE BISHOP On December 12, 2011, the Osservatore Romano announced that the Holy Father had appointed Fra Gaétan M. Proulx as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Québec. He will be the titular bishop of Azura. Fra Gaétan was born on May 27, 1947 and entered the Servite Order in He was ordained to the priesthood on June 8, For many years he was in charge of religious and priestly formation in the Canadian Province. Beginning in 1991 he was engaged in pastoral work in parishes of the Archdiocese of Québec. From 2000 to 2006 he was the Prior Provincial for Canada, France and Belgium. In 2005 he was appointed the administrator of Sainte -Marie Parish in Québec and then became its pastor in His episcopal ordination will take place on February 25, 2012 at the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de- Beaupré. We send you, Gaétan, our very best wishes and assure you of our prayers. 8 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

9 March - April 2012 COSMO 3-4 GUADALAJARA, MEXICO: NAC MEETING Priors provincial of the Regional Conference of North America (NAC) met at Santa María de la Asunción community in Zapopan, Jalisco (December 13 14, 2011). The meeting began with personal statements and then moved on to a discussion of the items on the agenda: financial collaboration in formation, drawing up a plan that will integrate Indonesian professed students into the American and Canadian provinces. It was noted that not much was said about regional conferences at our General Chapters. We expressed our hope that the provinces would take part in each other's chapters and that there would be greater collaboration and exchange of personnel in the three provinces. MONTE BERICO, VICENZA On December 16, 2011, votes of the fourth ballot in the Venetian Province provincial election were counted. Fra Giuseppe M. Zaupa was elected provincial. When asked if he would accept election he said no. We must begin all over again with the first of four more ballots as prescribed by our Constitutions. MANILA, PHILIPPINES We celebrated the annual Servite Juniors Day on December 21, Temporary professed friars joined with temporary professed from the Compassionist Servite Sisters, the Servite Sisters of India and the Servite Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows of Naples. We made a one-day Christmas pilgrimage to the churches of Bulacan and Pampanga. We recited the Seven Dolor Rosary and visited historically and culturally important places in those locations. It was a memorable occasion. MEETING OF FRIARS FROM GEN- ERAL HOUSES On December 22, 2011 friars assigned to General Houses met at San Marcello and St. Alexis Formation Community in Rome. The meeting began with a visit to the Palazzo Venezia museum for an exposition entitled Roma al tempo di Caravaggio [Rome in Caravaggio's Time, ]. After the museum San Marcello provided lunch for all the participants. That afternoon in the Aula Magna of the Marianum Fra Franco M. Azzalli gave a Powerpoint presentation on the Servite community at the Deir Rafat Sanctuary in the Holy Land. Afterwards the temporary professed presented a concert of Christmas songs in various languages. The day concluded with the celebration of Solemn Vespers in the college chapel followed by a fraternal banquet. Friars exchanged best wishes for a happy Christmas and New Year. TRICHY, INDIA Fra Sahayaraj M. Raju sent us a note describing how children celebrate Christmas in our Indian school. "The Birth of the Lord Jesus, the Redeemer, is celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm all over India. India is a country of many religions and it assigns equal importance to the Birth of the Lord. We celebrated Christmas on December 9 at our school, Jegan Matha Matriculation School, in Trichy. Of our 550 students, 440 are Hindus, 35 are Muslims and only 75 are Christians. In India schools run by Christians are free to teach catechism to Christian students. Students learn about Jesus and Christian ethics; nobody objects. Many parents are eager to enroll their children in Christian schools. The former President of India, Mr. Abdul Kalam studied in Christian schools. For Christmas in our school the children sang Christian songs and put on a presentation of the birth of Jesus. More 9 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

10 COSMO 3-4 March - April 2012 than 60 children came dressed as angels or Santa Claus. In this simple way we manage to communicate the joy and message of Christmas." PORTLAND, OREGON December is a very busy time at the Grotto in Portland. Our Christmas Festival of Lights celebrated its 24 th anniversary. It becomes more beautiful and elaborate every year. This year a large number of people took part since the weather was pleasant: cold, clear sky, no rain. We counted some 23,000 people at the celebration and we hope to double that number by the time the Festival ends. Fra Gregory M. Atherton ITALIAN PROVINCIAL CHAPTERS Following the proposal emanating from a meeting of the three Provincial Councils, the Italian Priors Provincial decided to attend each of the three Provincial Chapters in Italy. Fra Cesare M. Antonelli, Prior Provincial of the Piedmont- Romagna Province, suggested that the mission and vocation secretariats collaborate more closely; that our youth ministry be renewed and that we do not lose sight of an eventual unification of the three provinces even if this is not a short term possibility. CANONICAL VISITATIONS IN AUSTRALIA AND INDONESIA From December 11 th to 18 th Fra Eugene M. Smith, as the Prior General s Delegate, and Fra Rhett M. Sarabia, as the Responsible Councilor, conducted the canonical visitation of the Australian Delegation. There are twelve friars in the Delegation (two from India) who face the same problems as other jurisdictions in the Northern Hemisphere: aging friars, lack of vocations, etc. Especially noteworthy was their apostolic work among young people in schools and their contributions and collaboration on the regional level of the CASA conference. They have at present one candi- date in formation. He is from the Fiji Islands. From December 18 th to 26 th Fra Eugene and Fra Rhett carried out the canonical visitation of the Servite Houses in Indonesia. Even though the friars live in two houses somewhat distant from each other they form a single community. Their primary focus and apostolate is the formation of candidates for the Order. The visitors were impressed by the number and enthusiasm of the students in formation. This is a source of hope for the entire Order. The significant growth of the Servite Family in Indonesia is also worthy of note: the Compassionist Servite Sisters, the Servite Sisters of Naples, the Servite Sisters of Galeazza, the Servite Sisters of Pisa and the Servite Sisters of Nocera are all in Indonesia. SOLEDAD COMMUNITY IN AGUASCALIEN- TES, MEXICO This year, 2012, will mark the fortieth anniversary of the Servite community in the diocese of Aguascalientes. The first Servites arrived in October, The friars are beginning their commemoration of the anniversary with the feast of our Seven Holy and will continue their celebrations with a series of events until October On January 15 we presented a play about St. Anthony M. Pucci. It was entitled Sublime Vengeance. It described a priest s experience in the confessional and was based on fact. The local Bishop, his Vicar, the Prior Provincial, Fra Gerardo M. Torres Ornelas, and former pastors will take part in our celebrations. Fra Jorge Luis M. TURVO - BRAZIL The Brazilian Province Chapter of Elections was held at the Turvo Priory in Santa Catarina State (January 10 th to 17 th ). Twenty-five friars with the right to vote attended. Fra Franco M. Azzalli, the Prior General s delegate, presided. Also present were Fra Charlie M. Leitão De 10 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

11 March - April 2012 COSMO 3-4 Souza, the responsible General Councilor, Msgr. João M. Messi, Bishop Emeritus of Barra do Piraí-Volta Redonda, and Fra Ricardo M. Silva Aranda, Prior Provincial of the Santa María de los Andes Province. There was an atmosphere of fraternity throughout the chapter. Speaking via Skype, the Prior General greeted all the Chapter members. Work began with a presentation of Fra José M. Milanez s research on the fifty years of the Servite Province in Brazil. January 12, the feast of St. Anthony Pucci, was devoted to elections. The Chapter prepared for this activity with a spiritual retreat in the morning. The results of the elections were as follows: Fra João Carlos M. Ribeiro, Socius Provincial; the Councilors elected were: Fra Antônio Eugênio M. Chemin, Fra Nereu M. Milanez and Fra Gilson M. De Lima Freitas. Five committees were established to discuss these items: priorities and proposals for the Province; finances and administration; initial and ongoing formation; justice and peace in Sena Madureira; Cono Sur, provincial officials, delegation of powers and the Provincial Directory. FATIMA (ARGENTINA) Santa María de los Andes Provincial Chapter of Elections The Santa Maria de los Andes Provincial Chapter of Elections was held in the Fatima, Argentina Priory (December 27 th, 2011 to January 6 th, 2012). Thirty friars with the right to vote attended as did several temporary professed invited as guests. Fra Franco M. Azzalli, the Vicar General, presided at the Chapter. He was assisted by Fra Charlie M. Leitão De Souza, the responsible General Councilor. Two bishops who are members of the Province were also in attendance: Msgr. Juan M. Arguto Muñoz, the Bishop of San Carlos de Ancud, was present during the first week and Msgr. Luis M. Infanti during the second week. Fra Paolo Sergio M. Angeloni, the newly elected Prior Provincial of the Brazilian Province attended the Chapter for a few days. The Chapter was celebrated in an fraternal, calm and constructive atmosphere. The Prior General opened the Chapter via Skype. Elections were held on the morning of December 30 th and the following friars were elected: Fra Ivo M. Solarini as Socius; Fra Marcelo Ignacio M. Henríquez Trujillo, Juan Antonio M. Chávez Ramos and Bernardino M. Zanella as Provincial Councilors. Fra Vladimiro M. Memo led a meditation based on a text by Msgr. Aldo M. Lazzarin O.S.M. ( ). Its subject was An elegy of compassion. The text was found in the archives of Coyhaique Priory. The meditation served as a spiritual basis for the whole chapter. Six committees discussed the following subjects: the Province s general goals; formation and vocations; witness to evangelical poverty; fraternity; apostolic service; organization and the Servite Family. On the afternoon of January 5 th we spent an hour in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; at the end of this time the Prior Provincial received the renewed temporary profession of five friars. CAVALLINO TREPORTI, VENICE Venetian Province Chapter of Elections The Venetian Province celebrated its Chapter of Elections (January 23 rd to 27 th, 2012), at Casa Santa Maria Assunta in Cavallino Treporti, Venice. Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, the Prior General, opened the chapter and then Fra Gino M. Leonardi, the responsible General Councilor, presided. Forty friars with the right to vote attended. They began by electing Fra Renzo M. Marcon Prior Provincial. Fra Renzo declined the office and then Fra Lino M. Pacchin (born in 1943) the Prior of Pietralba was elected. To assist him in his work Fra Giuseppe M. Zaupa was elected Socius Provincial and Fra Renzo M. Marcon, Fra Stefano M. Bordignon and Fra Enrico M. Rossi were elected Provincial Councilors. The 11 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

12 COSMO 3-4 March - April 2012 Chapter s work proceeded in an orderly fashion. The following decisions were taken: the Provincial Council will elect priors and pastors; the infirmary for sick friars at the Istituto Missioni in Vicenza will continue; the Religious Studies Institute would also continue to work at the Istituto Missioni. The Chapter s work took place in an especially peaceful and cooperative atmosphere. Our special thanks go to Fra Ferdinando M. Perri and his Council who have led the Province for the past nine years. COYHAIQUE AYSÉN, CHILE Fra Vladimiro M. Memo has written a book entitled I Servi di Maria in Cile e Bolivia [Servants of Mary in Chile and Bolivia]. The book tells how and why the Servites came to Chile and Bolivia, a relatively recent event (1937). The book is a well documented history of this event. Footnotes on every page indicate the source of specific information. Fra Vladimiro writes: In telling the story of this new religious family coming to Chile I have attempted to describe the historical context in which the event took place. This book is about recent history; consequently there is a considerable amount of external history and context but there is also a detailed description of all that has been accomplished: how much effort was involved, what setbacks and uncertainties were encountered. Ultimately it tells of a mission that succeeded thanks to the mercy of God and the good will of men. INDIA Both communities and individual friars of the new Indian Province are preparing to celebrate the first Provincial Chapter of the Aikiya Annai Province [Mother of Unity Province]. The Vicar Provincial, Fra A. Savariappan, and his Council have organized a seminar: Norms, Rules and Guidelines for a Provincial Chapter of Elections. Fra Paul M. Addison and Fra Lourdusamy have helped in organizing this project. Three groups of friars will meet with others who have been in reli- gious life for the same amount of time at Chennai on three successive dates in March and April, CHICAGO, USA Prayers too can celebrate their anniversaries. The Novena of Our Sorrowful Mother, published for the first time in Chicago on January 8, 1937, is completing 75 years. To mark this important occasion, a provincial committee has proposed revitalizing devotion to the Virgin and commemorating this important aspect of US Servite spirituality with celebrations and concerts. DEIR RAFAT, ISRAEL For the first time in the Order s history Servites celebrated the Feast of our Seven Founders in the Holy Land. The Prior General, Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica presided at the celebration. At noon on February 17, 2012 some sixty people took part in a solemn celebration in honor of our Seven Holy Founders at the Shrine of Our Lady, Queen of Palestine. A Melkite Catholic Bishop and the Patriarchal Vicar, Youssef Jules Zerey, were in attendance. Twelve priests from religious congregations in the Holy Land concelebrated. The Sisters of Bethlehem, the Assumption of Our Lady, Saint Bruno, Saint Dorothy and many lay people joined us on this festive occasion. There was an atmosphere of genuine liturgical celebration with readings and songs in various languages: French, Arabic, Spanish and Italian. After Mass we gathered in the Sanctuary dining room to enjoy local food and have a chance to get to know each other. Our celebration was marked by a family atmosphere. Later a smaller group of priests joined us in our little house to taste Gemma d Abeto. We were grateful that they had attended our Feast. JAMUNDI, COLOMBIA: COMMUNITY OF SANTA MARIA DE LOS SIERVOS After a Triduum in honor of our Seven Holy Founders we celebrated their feast 12 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

13 March - April 2012 COSMO 3-4 in our parish church. A large number of people attended. A group of boys Servite Youth - formed a choir to sing at the Mass. These boys are all eager to embrace our spirituality and hope to create a youth movement that follows the example of our Seven Holy Fathers. During Mass twenty-three young men began a period of initial formation in this youth group. Fra Julian Araque, OSM ANAHEIM, US CHAPTER OF ELEC- TIONS, 2012 I found that the confirmation of the Assistant Provincial and the three Provincial Counselors to be the most impressive act of the chapter. The confirmation took place in the Theater of Servite High School during a liturgy for the Solemn Feast of the Seven Holy Founders. Assembled there were the 950 plus all boy student body, organized into eight priories, each with the name of a Founder and Philip (Benizi). After a challenging homily, inviting the students to imitate the Founders, by the Prior Provincial, John Fontana, the newly elected were confirmed in office by the Vicar General, Franco Azzalli. At the conclusion of the Mass, the cool Bishop Jose Luis Ponce de Leon of the Vicariate Apostolic of Ingwavuma spoke to the students about his youth and soccer days in Argentina. Speaking to the students in English and Spanish, he mentioned how he would like to see a closer relationship between the high school Star of the See in Africa and Servite in Anaheim. His remarks drew thundering applause and affirming hoots. Next the Vicar General spoke of his youth in Turin, Italy. He shared how he resisted the vocation call. His sincerity was enhanced by his struggle to speak to the students in English. His efforts were affirmed by loud applause and warm hoots. The final speaker was the Prior General of the student body. His message GO SERVITE electrified the students into a growing thunderous pep rally! I was impressed that we are doing something right at the school and both the lay administration and the committed Servite Friars there have instilled a spirit that is around since Michael Doyle, O.S.M. TERESOPOLIS, BRAZIL Our novitiate community is complete. It includes three solemn professed friars: Fra João Carlos Ribeiro, the novice master, Fra René Pontel and Fra Fábio Luiz Ribeiro; eight novices: five Brazilians, Adecacio Barros do Nascimento, Dalcione Rosso Correa, João Paulo Souza Lima, José Pablo de Menezes Lira and Luís André de Lima Correia; one Italian: Davide Moscogiuri (ANN) and two novices from Mozambique: Edson Artur João and Nelson Pedro Madoda. We spent some initial time together as a fraternity prayer, work and formation meetings - and then on February 17, the Solemnity of our Seven Holy Founders, the novitiate was officially inaugurated. Fra Paulo M. Angeloni, the Prior Provincial, presided at a Eucharistic Celebration in which Bishop Emeritus Dom João M. Messi, the local parish priest, sisters from Servite congregations and the community s friends took part. ROME: SAN MARCELLO CHURCH On Saturday, February 18, Pope Benedict XVI created the Archbishop of Florence, Msgr. Giuseppe Betori, a cardinal. At St.Peter s the Pope placed on his head the red hat, the symbol of his rank as a cardinal. It s red color symbolizes the martyrdom new cardinals must be ready to face. The Archbishop was also given a cardinal s ring with images of Sts. Peter and Paul as well as an eight-pointed star representing the Mother of God. Like all cardinals he was assigned a Roman titular church. For the Archbishop of Florence it was San Marcello al Corso. This was only fitting: for centuries the Servants of Mary have cared for the church and their Order was born in the Archbishop s diocese, Florence cosmo.osm@gmail.com

14 COSMO 3-4 March - April 2012 AYSEN, CHILE Aysén (Agenzia Fides) February 23, 2012: Our people cry out for justice. All the problems listed in our petitions reflect the State s lack of concern or interest. I say State and not Government. We are not against this government, nor any past or future government. We have been presenting these petitions for years now and in spite of all the signed documents and promises nothing has been done. This is the cause of our dissatisfaction. Our patience has been stretched to the limit and is now reaching its end. These are the words of Msgr. Luis Infanti della Mora OSM, the Apostolic Vicar of Aysén, spoken in one of his many recent interviews with the media. He was talking about the petitions local people have forwarded to the state for help and justice. NEW PROVINCIAL COUNCILS The Tyrolese Provincial Chapter (February 6-10, 2012) elected Fra Fero M. Bachorik, Socius Provincial and Friars Martin M. Lintner, Silvo M. Bachorik and Alexander M. Reimann as provincial councilors. On February 15, 2012 the USA Province elected Fra Gerald M. Horan, Socius Provincial and Fra Donald M. Siple, Fra Michael M. Pontarelli and Fra Michael M. Guimon as provincial councilors. We wish them all a successful and fraternal service. THE SERVITE FAMILY UNIFAS IS 25 YEARS OLD! Yes! UNIFAS was officially established 25 years ago on May 4, It roots, however, had already existed for quite some time. From its very beginnings the Order reflected the loyalty and vitality of all its members who were the heirs, custodians and bearers of our first fathers charism. More recently, and especially in the twentieth century, our communion grew more intense; this was clear from the mutual help and collaboration that developed among the various branches of the Order. These branches became ever more aware of the fact that they belonged to the same spiritual family. I believe that the Second Vatican Council provided an added incentive to this growing unity. The Council urged religious orders to renew and revise their Constitutions. All of us began this quest for renewal together. In 1968 the Friar Servants of Mary celebrated the famous General Chapter in Majadahonda, Spain. It was an overwhelming experience. Representatives of all the female congregations affiliated to the Order were present. This phenomenon was repeated at Opatija and Barcelona. Our thanks to all our brothers and sisters! I feel a personally obligation to point out the important contribution that came from the Union of Servite Female Congregations. The Union held regular meetings for years and the Italian Secular Institutes soon joined them. Since their meetings frequently took place at San Marcello s in Rome I became aware of the spirit and concerns of these sisters of ours and could share their hopes. They often discussed what it meant to belong to the Order. Their discussion had reached a point where one beautiful Sunday in the autumn of 1982 they sent me a letter that described their feelings and desires. In 1983 they sent a letter to the friarsssss General Chapter. In my report to that General Chapter I emphasized the value of fraternal communion and commented on our sisters intentions which I fully supported. They became part of the Chapter s Agenda (Acta Ordinis; , 1983, pp. 79ff.). Let me quote a brief passage: The members of the Union, feel the need for a relationship that more fully defines the reality of the Servite Family... They asked to meet with me for the purpose of discussing the import and con cosmo.osm@gmail.com

15 March - April 2012 COSMO 3-4 sequences of this need and of seeking appropriate ways to make the insights in the Constitutions texts a reality... During all these years of sharing, of the lively and fraternal exhange of ideas and experiences the Union gradually realized that the life and values of the Servite Family are far richer, deeper and more diverse than our present institutions would suggest. Only a living and operative organization that ncluded all branches of the Servite Family First Order friars, Second Order nuns, female Congregations, Secular Institutes, the Secular Order and all the lay groups could represent our life and values... These observations along with all the positive experiences of this year the 750th anniversary of the Order have led me to the conclusion that the time may have come to establish a Union that included all those with primary responsibility for the various branches of our Family. Such a Union could meet some of these needs; it could promote collaboration, mutual assistance and coordinate common areas of work (e.g. studies, research, spirituality, liturgy, history, consultation, vocations, formation, the missions). The 1983 General Chapter agreed: The General Chapter accepts and shares the proposal made by the Union of Prioresses General... and asks the General Council to appoint a representative friar to join the representatives of all the other branches of the Servite Family who will discuss and lay the groundwork for this international organization... (Acts of the General Chapter). On the strength of the 1983 General Chapter s decision and with the assistance of our sisters a small study committee was created. I represented the friars. The committee was charged with laying the ground work for this organization. The full independence of every branch of the Servite Family was guaranteed. The committee established contact with everyone responsible for the various groups affiliated to the Order (cloistered nuns, female Congregations, Secular Institutes, Secular Order, lay and youth groups) and sought their opinions and suggestions. Beginning in 1984 the Committee held several meetings at San Marcello and by November 1986 it convoked an international meeting to establish an International Servite Union that would embrace all branches of the Servite Family. The meeting was held in Santa Marinella, Italy at the Servite Sisters of Reparation (Riparatrici) Istituto Santa Maria (April 30 to May 6, 1987). Forty-two Servites took part. For further information on the origins of UNIFAS it would be interesting to read the conferences given during the meeting on April 30, 1987 by Fra Aristide M. Serra, OSM, Fra Ignacio M. Calabuig, OSM and above all by Sister M. Mirta Del Favero, SMR. She detailed all the steps that led to the establishment of UNIFAS. I would like to thank all those who worked so hard often without fanfare to establish this international organization, UNIFAS. I will never forget their names nor their efforts. I hope that our brothers and sisters will foster this spirit of collaboration and sharing with the same conviction and enthusiasm. This is what we hoped to initiate, establish and spread. UNIFAS, Happy Anniversary! Fra Michel M. Sincerny, O.S.M. JINJA, UGANDA REGNUM MARIAE At 10:00 AM on Thursday, December 8, 2011, Grace Gaudencia Akello made the Promise according to the Regnum Mariae Rule of Life in the Jinja Novitiate Chapel. Fra Camille M. Jacques led the celebration and Fra Rajkumar acted as Master of Ceremonies. Attending the service were Fra Giuseppe M. Xotta, Fra Francis M. Kawuki, the Rev. Picavet (Grace's pastor), Sisters Leonard, 15 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

16 March - April 2012 COSMO 3-4 Florence and Betty as well as candidates Helen, Veronica and Agnes. Servite novices, professed and Grace's friends and relatives were also present. In his homily Fra Camille spoke about looking for and finding God and his grace. The homily was linked to the readings of the day. After the service and dinner the small Regnum Mariae group met with Fra Camille for meditation. SISTERS OF OUR LADY OF SOR- ROWS OF NAPLES Sister Elizabeth Torres Martínez was appointed Postulator for the Cause of Canonization of the Servant of God Sister Maria Luisa di Gesù, the Foundress of our Congregation. Sister Elizabeth met with Father Nunzio Delia, Archdiocese of Naples, who will guide the Cause and with the Secretary for the Causes of the Saints, His Excellency, Msgr. Marcello Bartolucci. They discussed the status of the cause. CIVITA CASTELLANA, VITERBO, ITA- LY "The first month of mission in preparation for the beatification of Cecilia Eusepi has come to a close. As planned a small group of men and women missionaries have traveled throughout the Soratte vicariate (nine parishes). From week to week the cross with an image of Cecilia was passed from parish to parish it was the principal symbol of our mission. Servite friars, sisters of various congregations and sisters of Regnum Mariae have carried out this mission with dedication and generosity. We would like to thank them all. Our best wishes to them and to all who would like to join our mission ranks!" Sister M. Giovanna Giordano, SMR SERVITE SECULAR ORDER - PHILIPPI- NES Typhoon Washi, which hit the Southern Philippines caused over 1,250 deaths and affected an area where there are several Servite Secular Order fraternities. Fr. Vidal M. Martinez, Secretary General for the Secular Order and Lay Groups, wrote to the national prior of the Secular Order in the Philippines, Bro. Pershing Golez, and received the following response: Indeed the devastation is tremendous and the sufferings of the people cannot be quantified. A number of people are still missing. Bayugan, where we have a OSSM Community, has also been devastated by the continuous rains, floods and landslides. I made contact with those responsible for the Secular Order and they confirmed the flood and landslides, but the people are safe. We can send help to our Filipino brothers and sisters through Fr. Vidal s office, by writing to the following address: OSSM NATIONAL OFFICE, 3121 W JACKSON BLVD, CHICAGO, IL ; or through the general treasurer in Rome. UNIFAS The Prior General, Fra. Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, as President of UNIFAS, has officially convoked the Seventh UNIFAS Assembly at the Compassionist Servite Sisters Santa Maria Casa di Spiritualità in Rome (June 14 to 17, 2012). The theme of the Assembly is: Servite Friars and Sisters with People on Their Journey: Immigration, Forced Labor, Hospitality etc. On June 17 th, participants will attend the beatification of the Servant of God, Cecilia Eusepi, in Nepi. Those who have not yet registered are asked to do so as soon as possible, by contacting the Secretary of UNIFAS, sr. Elizabeth Torres M, segretariaunifas@libero.it MEETING OF UNIFAS-MEXICO. The Union of the Servite Family in the Mexican Province celebrated its Assembly (January 14-15, 2012) at the cloistered Servite Nuns convent in Celaya. Among the agenda items discussed and approved were the following projects: creating an online bulletin to promote 16 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

17 COSMO 3-4 March - April 2012 planning and communication; revising the statutes (especially new wording for organization); launching the fifth pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe; attending the International UNIFAS Assembly and the beatification of Cecilia Eusepi. BIJAEPASU, TIMOR - INDONESIA The Galeazza Servite Sisters are happy to announce that as of January 12, 2012, they will have another community in Indonesia. In addition to the community of Ruteng on the Island of Flores, there is now a community in Bijaepasu Parish on the Island of Timor. The community s primary work will be pastoral ministry in this rural parish. It will share the life of the local people as well as their joys and suffering while announcing the Good News of the Kingdom. CASTELLO D ARGILE, BOLOGNA, ITALY On Sunday, January 22, 2012 a street in Castello D Argile, Bologna, was dedicated to Sister M. Camilla Gili, a Galeazza Servite Sister. The Pastor, the Mayor, the Prioress General, friends, relatives and sisters were all present for this occasion. Twenty years have passed since her death, since the time Sister Camilla walked the city streets seeking out the needy. She brought help, comfort, and home-nursing to the sick, aged and lonely. TWENTY-SEVENTH SERVITE NIGHT MARCH Please keep the night between Saturday May 5 and Sunday May 6 open. That night the Servite March organized by UNIFASI will be held. The general theme of the March is: My passion is to sing of love. It was inspired by the spiritual thoughts of the Servant of God, Cecilia Eusepi. The march is 16 km long and will begin at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Civita Castellana. Participants will attend the musical performance... canto l amore and then take part in a Mass celebrated in the Cathedral by the local Bishop, Msgr. Romano Rossi. The March comprises three stages led by different groups. At the end we will meet in Nepi s San Tolomeo Church where Cecilia Eusepi s remains rest and will be given a special souvenir of the March. For further information please write to Fra Massimo M. Chechile, massimoosm@gmail.com and/or Rosanna Marchionni, President of UNIFASI rosmarchi@tin.it TWENTY YEARS SINCE THE DEATH OF FRA DAVIDE M. TUROLDO NOTHINGNESS AND THE WORD Gianfranco Ravasi Avvenire, January 30, 2012 The life you have returned to me I now give back to you In song. This was the autobiographical epitaph Father Davide Maria Turoldo put at the end of Canti Ultimi (Garzanti), a collection that certainly ranks among the greatest of his poems. These poems were born in the long winter of his suffering, a winter that ended with his death twenty years ago in Milan on February cosmo.osm@gmail.com

18 COSMO 3-4 March - April 2012 In his presentation of Grande Male (the beginning of Turoldo s last season as a poet) Carlo Bo was right in writing: God gave Father David two gifts: faith and poetry. By giving him faith he obliged David to sing this faith always. For decades Turoldo sang. He echoed, unwittingly, a Jewish mystical tradition that urged the believer to sing: a song every day and a song for every day. We can learn all there is to know about Turoldo the man and the believer from the continual confession that is his poetry. We find him in the golden thread of O sensi miei... (Rizzoli). There is a vast anthology of his thought in his immense poetic oeuvre from 1948 to There is especially: Canti Ultimi. This last work is not just his will and testament; it is his masterpiece. One smells the fragrance of Friuli s earth in his verse. Friuli is the land of his birth and origins. One can imagine his childish, blue eyes staring at the fresco in the parish church of his small village, Coderno. It depicts Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac. Reading his mature work one notes the jumbled rigor (an oxymoron that fits his poetry) of a mind schooled in the philosophy of Gustavo Bontadini. One cannot remain indifferent before his tender love of Our Lady. He chose to pursue his religious journey among her Servants. One shares his fervor in the anti-fascist struggle when he joined friends to produce the underground paper entitled L Uomo [Man]. One feels his revulsion at injustice; he was never obsequious to the powerful. His work produced over years and years of poetic endeavor echo the sermons he delivered in Milan Cathedral, or his impassioned support of Don Zeno and Nomadelfia. His words, written and spoken in newspapers, plays, television and even movies (Gli Ultimi) reflected the broad spectrum of his friends both powerful and humble. There is his zeal for the work of the Second Vatican Council, his retreat to the hermitage of Sotto il Monte, his stand in the difficult moments of history. He derived no advantage from the positions he took and as he often said in those years, he was not accepting or rejecting he was looking for meaning. He longed to cry out, to pray from his mud hut as he did in Giobbe [Job] in It is quite possibly imprecise to define Turoldo s literary and spiritual genre as prophetic. But he was a prophet in the original sense of that word. Prophets are not fortune tellers or clairvoyants, nor do they cast horoscopes for history; rather they are proud men of their time. They see signs of the times and thus foresee the future which is hidden in the present. In this sense Turoldo s work is prophetic. There is another important aspect necessary for an authentic picture of Father David s spirituality and poetry: his ruddy, imposing physique and his thundering voice a voice made for a cathedral or for the desert. The irrepressible smile in his blue eyes tempered this image. His heart was immersed in the Words of Scripture. His words had impact and not just when his voice was strong but when it was weakened by sickness. He had a voice that could still a noisy and chaotic crowd; he could make people listen fascinated and surprised. The WORD was central to Turoldo; it was something outside of him; his voice was only its echo chamber. He once identified himself by saying I am the Servant and the Minister of the Word. The words of another monumental twentieth century poet, the Rosminian Clemente Rebora were especially true of Turoldo: The WORD silenced my chatter. The purpose and raison d être of his poetry was to sing the Divine WORD. This was the basis of my personal encounter with Turoldo. An encounter that turned into a friendship and even a collaboration in the strict sense. This was especially true in the poetic approach to three Biblical books he genuinely loved: the Psalter... in Lungo i fiumi... (San Paolo); the Song of Songs, the sublime allegory, and the scandalous cosmo.osm@gmail.com

19 March - April 2012 COSMO 3-4 Qohelet, the Old Testament Wisdom book which was the basis of a short posthumous work dedicated to Cardinal Martini, the Archbishop of Milan: Mie notti con Qohelet (Garzanti). The truth was Turoldo sang his way through the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. His was a continued flow; a real struggle with the WORD even when the WORD was silent. It was God s silence or the mysterious collision/encounter between God and nothingness that excited his voice, that ultimately aroused Turoldo s thoughts and poems. We see this in Canti ultimi. God and Nothingness even if one is distinct from the other... You cannot not be You must be, Even if Nothingness is your ocean. This tangle of light and shadow is reflected in the emblematic image of Christ crucified. True faith is Good Friday When you are not up there. Father David was attracted to this. It was like a whirlpool that sucked him in. This was evident in earlier poems. And You, You, o Absent One, my furthest shore... My God absent and remote... But Him, Him always remote and invisible... Your absence leaves us desolate No one reaches the longed for encounter... A night that is deep and dark binds us a black shroud If you do not light the light, O ord... But You, Lord, are a white marble statue in the night... A God that suffers in the heart of man... In his final writings Turoldo journeys toward that Jerusalem that has been decisively overthrown. He is the pilgrim of nothingness and the pilgrim of everything. He moves through the silence of space, he slips into the crater that is the incandescent God; he navigates the fjords of hope and passes through underwater tunnels where yellow lights flicker under God s watchful eye the eye of a falcon on his nest. And at the frontier between being and nothingness Turoldo encounters God just as Jacob after the struggle at the Jabbok river or Job after his long dark night. At this boundary God is not an emperor, impassive and omnipotent; he is a God who suffers; every living creature dies in his arms at the same time it is created and flourishes. While creating God has experienced the opposite of creation: nothingness. Your frontier and ours. In Christ God has drunk the cup of death. In the wake of this beaten faith that understands the ascent to Mount Moriah where the loved and cruel face of God almost contradictory - is revealed and then becomes absence. I will conclude with the poem I chose as an emblem of the Courtyard of the Gentiles, a space the Pontifical Council on Culture has chosen as the locus for dialogue between believers and non-believers, noble thinkers. Atheist, my brother, nobly thoughtful Seeking a God I am unable to give you, We cross the desert together. From desert to desert, we go beyond The jungle of faith, Free and naked to The Naked Being And there Where words die Our journey will end cosmo.osm@gmail.com

20 COSMO 3-4 March - April 2012 THE SERVANT OF GOD, CECILIA EUSEPI In preparation for the beatification of the Servant of God, Cecilia Eusepi (June 17, 2012) COSMO is presenting some of her more significant writings. Ave Maria! La Massa, November 21, 1927 My dearest Achillina, You want to know how I am. The fever seems to have left me for the past two days. My poor childhood companion! How every much you love me! Right? Every now and then you pay me lengthy visits (I m talking about my companion the fever). Thank you for the prayers and the beautiful words you send me. You envy me my crown? Who knows yours will be even more beautiful. It is not just sickness that makes you triumph but then you know that better than me. It s true the Lord seems to have a special attachment to me. The cross has always been my faithful companion. Jesus is especially attached to your family too. Let us thank him from the bottom of our heart; let us learn to suffer without suffering. This might seem impossible but it was the secret of all the saints. It is only when we have learned to suffer without suffering that we will enjoy that enviable joy which is a foretaste of heaven. I offer you and your whole dear family Jesus little embrace. Pray for me and you will begin to share all these graces which Jesus grants me. If I don t take advantage of them I am a wretch and the house of fire (hell) is waiting for me. I don t want to go there nor do I want others to go there. I so much want to see you. I wait for you every day. I imagine you are very busy now since you must prepare for etc. etc. You will never find a day that I am not waiting for you because I am always waiting for you unless you come on a rainy day (impossible). I m so very happy that our good Mother General has agreed to send Norma. She knows I want to see her. Warmest greetings to you and your whole family from all of us. Kisses and affection from your dear friend, Cecilia Eusepi OUR DECEASED BROTHERS Fra Joseph M. (Anthony Michael) Carbone [USA] Fra Joseph M. (Anthony) Carbone, died of pneumonia and chronic lung disease on December 7, 2011 at the Little Sisters of the Poor Home in Denver, Colorado. He was 84 years old and had been a friar for 56 years and a priest for 52. Fra Joseph was a son of the US Province and a member of the Community of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Denver, Colorado. Fr. Basil M. (Harold) Prior [ISL] On Gaudete Sunday, December 11, 2011, Fra Basil M. Prior, died in the Manchester Hospital after a brief illness. He was 95 years old and was the second oldest friar in the Order. He entered the Servites in 1935 and spent the first years of his religious life at Begbroke Priory. He was ordained a priest in He was a priest for 69 years cosmo.osm@gmail.com

21 March - April 2012 COSMO 3-4 Fra Bernard M. Lajeunesse [CAN] On Friday, December 16, 2011, Fra Bernard M. Lajeunesse died in Cité de la Santé de Laval (Québec, Canada). He was 82 years old and had been a religious for 62 years. He was a solemn professed priest, a son of the Canadian Province and a member of the Community of Saint-Donat in Montreal. Fra Albert M. (Jean-Louis) Desrochers [CAN] On December 17, 2011, Fra Albert (Jean-Louis) M. Desrochers died in the Francscan Friary of the Resurrection in Montreal (Quebec, Canada). He was 94 years old and had been a religious for 75 years. He was a solemn professed priest, a son of the Canadian Province and a member of the Seven Holy Founders Community in Montréal-Nord. Fra Paolo Maria (Pasquale) Simonelli [ANN] At 11:30 AM on January 6, 2012 Fra Paolo M. Simonelli died in the Padre Girolamo M. Russo Rest Home in Saviano. He was the Senior Ordinis. He was a solemn professed priest, a member of the Santissima Annunziata Province and a member of the community of Santa Maria del Parto in the Mergellina, Naples. Our departed brother was 96 years old and had been a member of the Servite Order for 78 years. Fra Andrea Maria (Lino) Acquaroli [PRG] On January 18, 2012, Fra Andrea M. (Lino) Acquaroli died in Sacred Heart Priory in Ancona. He was a solemn professed priest and a son of the Piedmont Romagna Province. He was a member of the Ancona community. Our deceased brother was 72 years old and had been in the Order 54 years. Fra Giuseppe Maria (Bonuccio) Navari [ANN] At 10:30 PM on January 26, 2012, Fra Giuseppe Navari died at the Barbantini Clinic of the Sisters, Servants of the Infirm, in Viareggio. He was suffering from lung problems. Fra Giuseppe was a solemn professed priest, a son of the Santissima Annunziata Province and a member of the Sant Andrea Community in Viareggio. Our deceased brother was 73 years old and had been a member of the Servite Order for 55 years. Fra Paul Mary (John) Cullen [USA] On February 10, 2012, Fra Paul M. (John) Cullen died in his home priory. He was a solemn professed priest, a son of the US Province and a member of Annunciata Community in Chicago. He was 72 years old and had been a professed Servite for 53 years. Fra Giovanni Maria Fusaro [ANN] At 8:20 AM on February 16, 2012, Fra Giovanni M. Fusaro died in his priory, Santa Maria in Valdragone, Republic of San Marino. He was a solemn professed priest, a son of the Santissima Annunziata Province and a member of the Valdragone community. He was 64 years old and had been in the Servite Order for 45 years. Fra Gottfried M. (Johann) Lutz [TYR] On February 20, 2012 Fra Gottfried Maria (Johann) Lutz died in our priory, Maria Hilfberg in Gutenstein, Austria. He was a solemn professed brother, a son of the Tyrolese Province and a member of the Gutenstein community. Our deceased brother was 86 years old and had been a professed Servite for 47 years cosmo.osm@gmail.com

22 COSMO 3-4 March - April 2012 SUMMARY The Prior General speaks General Council and Secretariats Priories and Jurisdictions 5 The Servite Family 12 Twenty years since the death of fra Davide M. Turoldo The Servant of God, Cecilia Eusepi Our Deceased Brothers 18 PHOTOGRAPHS 1. Cover: Turvo, Brazil the Parish church 2. Nepi, Italy. Fra Gabriele M. Gravina in conversation with the Mantellate Servite Sisters of Pistoia. The sisters had come to dress the Servant of God, Cecilia Eusepi, in their habit. This took place during the canonical exhumation. 3. Manila, Philippines: Ordination to the priesthood of Fra Pascual M. Salas. 4. Turvo, Brazil: Provincial Chapter of Elections. 5. Bulacan, Philippines: Meeting of Servite Juniors with Servite temporary professed. 6. Fra Clement M. Langa (VEN-SWA) and Fra Pontiano M. Musoke, (VEN- EAF). 7. Cavallino Treponti, Venice: Venetian Provincial Chapter of Elections COSMO Piazza San Marcello, ROMA Italy tel. (+39) fax (+39) Posta elettronica: cosmo@curiaosm.org 8. Poster for the Servite Family Night March DIRETTORE RESPONSABILE: LINO M. PACCHIN EDITORE: CASA GENERALIZIA SERVI DI MARIA AUTORIZZAZIONE DEL TRIBUNALE DI ROMA N. 55/91 DEL 1 FEBBRAIO 1991 STAMPATO IN PROPRIO COSMO viene inviato gratuitamente a chiunque ne faccia richiesta. Ogni destinatario è tuttavia pregato a inviare un contributo annuo tramite CCP n intestato a: Economato generale osm Piazza San Marcello, ROMA, Italy 22 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

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