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3 November - December 2011 COSMO 9-10 THE PRIOR GENERAL SPEAKS My dear Brothers, Advent has begun. Together with the whole Church we are beginning a new liturgical year. Advent is a time of great hope and mystery: God takes on our lowly human flesh and through this hope we enjoy full and total participation in the plan of Salvation. We can interpret the signs of the times. In this past year we have witnessed the failure of so many false hopes; hopes that gave rise to violence and division. Imperialism and the inclination to act as judges and umpires in international conflict have made countries and international organizations sources of violence and strife. International organizations have abandoned the promotion of justice and peace and have instead served the economic interests of those who have much neglecting those who have little. It has been said that war is a conflict of the rich in which the poor die. War is only won when it is not begun. Faced with these disappointments several questions come to mind. Has there really been an Arab Spring? Will Palestine ever be recognized as a free and sovereign state? Will the manipulated war in Libya lead to peace? Will people still die of hunger in our well-fed part of the world? Will the strange economic crises in wealthy countries lead to justice and balance in the world at large? Will drug trafficking continue to spread violence and death? Will new walls be built: Jerusalem/Palestine, Mexico/US? Will people who have been deprived of dignity have their dignity restored? We have so many hopes: personal hopes, family hopes, community hopes. Each of us has his own individual hopes. We must not let the harshness of life crush our hopes. Advent commemorates the greatest event in human history, the total fulfillment of history. We are a people of hope, a hope that does not disappoint, a hope which enables us to work for a new world. We must never tire of being prophets of hope and optimism. We bring others to Christ. The world needs God, the Church needs God and our Servite Family needs God. May Mary, the Queen of Advent, teach us to live our daily lives with a new spirit, with deep and eager hope that can only be satisfied by God s coming. I wish you all a Good Advent, full of hope. From our Priory in Chennai, India. Fra Ángel CHRISTMAS LETTER Ave Maria You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned and have revealed them to the childlike First Week of Advent, Tuesday Gospel: Luke 10,21 To all the brothers of the Order, At this time of Christmas and the New Year I would like to extend my best 3 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

4 COSMO 9-10 November - December 2011 wishes and invite you to join with me in reflecting on the theme of littleness. Jesus often speaks of this subject. Let us pause for a moment and consider the relationship between adults and children, between adults and the outcast. We can begin with the words of praise found in the Gospel of Luke, words that we hear at the beginning of Advent (Cf. Luke 10, 21-24). The Father is gracious to little ones The Gospel tells us that Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said: 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, for that is what it has pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.' Jesus praised his Father, the Lord of heaven and earth for his concern for the little ones: he has revealed the mysteries of the Kingdom to them. He praised his Father s graciousness: nothing that passes before his eyes is unseen, nothing is hidden even the hairs of our head are counted. Who are the little ones to whom God pays so much attention? In Gospel language the little ones are children who are given little consideration. Other times the term refers to those excluded by society. Jesus stands on the side of the little ones, the excluded, the outcast. He is there to defend them. Jesus is himself a little one among the little ones Jesus shared the condition of the little ones. He was not born in Jerusalem, the spiritual center of the nation, but on its outskirts, in Bethlehem, David s village; his hometown was Nazareth in Galilee of the Gentiles, from whence what good could come! He was born and grew up far from Israel s religious center. At his birth there was no room for him at the inn; during his ministry he was a traveler, he had no place to rest his head. From the time of his birth he shared the life of the little ones, the outcast, the homeless. He was like the shepherds who found him lying in a manger. Jesus, the humble servant Jesus became a servant. Though his nature was divine, he did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness (Phil 2, 6-7). He followed in the footsteps of his foster father, Joseph, and became a carpenter. He was known as the carpenter, the son of Mary (Mk 6,3). Later he was called Teacher by his followers but he chose to live among them as one who serves (Luke 22, 17). He told them: : the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10, 45; Cf. Const. 2). He taught his disciples to do the same: "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them and those in authority over them are addressed as 'Benefactors'; but among you it shall not be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant (Luke 22, 25-26). Jesus taught his disciples to serve one another, to wash each other s feet. Jesus, defender of the little ones Jesus defended the little ones. In the Gospel he insists on welcoming them: whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the one who sent me (Mark 9, 37); whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a 4 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

5 November - December 2011 COSMO 9-10 disciple - amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward (Matthew 10, 42). He tells his disciples not to despise the little ones and not to scandalize them; he reveals that before God, the little ones, the children, come before the great ones, the adults. He visited the house of Zaccheus who was small of stature and also small in the esteem of other people, and his visit changed the life of this head tax collector who promised to make up for whatever wrong he had done in the past. Speaking of the Last Judgment Jesus declares that the just will be received into the kingdom of heaven because they have cared for one of these least brothers of mine (Matthew 25, 40). He identifies with these least brothers. Jesus insisted so much on welcoming the little ones because so many of them were unwelcome, outcast. In the Israel of those days women and children were of little account: they were despised and kept silent. Even the apostles attempted to keep them from Jesus; they thought it a waste of time for Jesus to talk to them. God s law was poorly interpreted and used to exclude rather than welcome the little ones. Being little, like Jesus Dear brothers, let us welcome Jesus invitation to recognize our personal littleness and the littleness of our service: When you have done all you have been commanded, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do (Luke 17, 10). Next year on June 17, the venerable Cecilia Eusepi ( ) will be beatified. It is surprising the simplicity with which Cecilia, a disciple of Jesus, considered herself a Little-Nothing and allowed the Master to make his home in her he became her strength: When I think of what I am, my desires really do seem like follies. It is true that I am Jesus Little-Nothing, doesn t my last name perhaps mean something else? With Jesus, the Little-Nothing becomes everything, strength personified; I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me (Cf. Philippians 4, 13). (Cecilia Eusepi, Diary, 22 January 1928) During this time of Advent let us recognize our littleness, our lack of wisdom and give the Lord ever more space in our lives. Accept his teaching; follow his counsel and example and we will thus become heralds of the good news of salvation for all mankind. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, O.S.M. Prior General Chennai, November 27, 2011, First Sunday of Advent GENERAL COUNCIL AND SECRETARIATS ROME: MARIANUM PONTIFICAL THEOLOGICAL FACULTY OUR PROGRAM Dear friends, I thank you once again for the esteem and support you have shown me on the occasion of my appointment by the Congregation for Catholic Education to the Presidency of the Marianum Pontifical Theological Faculty. This is an enormous responsibility but your support has demonstrated a precious fact: I am not alone. The support of many is the point of departure for every good work. It is the spiritual, religious and intellectual capital that ensures our Faculty is faithful to the mission it has received from the Church and the Servite Order. Such capital must not be wasted or dissipated; it must be cultivated and increased. 5 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

6 COSMO 9-10 November - December 2011 Equally precious is the subject we study: a subject we foster with dedication and gratitude: Our Lady. She is the extraordinary witness to the mystery of Christ and the Church, the Mother of believers and the sister of mankind; she is the woman of authentic encounter who journeys with us. She calls us together as the genuine and rich fruit of encounter with the Trinity. As Blessed John Paul II said on his visit to the Faculty (December 10, 1988) an event that is recent and alive in my memory the Marianum is an integral part of the Church and its institutions. In this time of great flux those institutions are credible to the extent that they are places of encounter, places where thought, theology, activity and service seek and build communion. Through Mariology intellectual charity, the very soul of theology, reveals the essential need for connection and synthesis. This synthesis is not Hegelian (overcoming someone or something) but in the words of Michel de Certeau never without the other. Benedict XVI has frequently referred to Our Lady as the teacher of Christianity, the very image of theology. She puts everything in its context, eliminates confusion and reveals the One who is the basis of this fundamental option life, thought, word, action the Spirit. Encounter and the Spirit are inseparable. Together with Mary, the Servant of the Lord, The Marianum academic community is called to a renewed and joyful understanding of love. It is called to be charismatic in the truest sense of that word. These are my goals in the service I have been called to carry out with all of you. At the beginning of my mandate I would like to pay homage to the men I consider my mentors: Father Salvatore M. Meo (+1990) and Father Ignacio M. Calabuig (+ 2005). They were a gift and treasure and not just for the Marianum. They were leaders who supported and penetrated the council s rediscovery and post-conciliar understanding of Our Lady. They did this with the sensitivity that comes from the Holy Spirit. I remember and pray for them from the very depths of my being. The simple fact is I would not be what I am without them. May God send other such individuals to the Marianum today. Fra Salvatore M. Perrella, OSM Rome, September 8, 2011 EGER / BUDAPEST, HUNGARY Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, the Prior General, Fra Roch M. Boulanger and Fra Piergiorgio M. Mazzoleni went to Hungary (August 21 26, 2011) to discuss questions concerning our property in Hungary especially St. Anne s Church. While in Hungary they met with His Eminence, Cardinal Péter Erdo, the Archbishop of Budapest, and His Excellency, Csaba Ternyák, the Archbishop of Eger. We offered the Budapest Church of St. Anne to the Hungarian Church and specifically to the Archdiocese of Budapest. During our stay we met with Fra Philip M. Van Dael, OSM, who is working in Hungary and with the Hungarian Delegation of the Servite Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows of Florence. We enjoyed several days of fraternity with the Sisters. DECREE ERECTING THE NEW AIKIYA ANNAI PROVINCE The whole General Council assembled at San Marcello Priory on September 22, 2011, the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Monte Senario. The Council decided by secret collegial ballot to erect a new province: the Aikiya Annai [Mother of Unity] Province. The new Province comprises the Servite communities of the Aikiya Annai Indian Vicariate. The General Council extends its heartfelt congratulations to the friars of the new province 6 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

7 November - December 2011 COSMO 9-10 (IND). With the ongoing help of their mother Province, the Venetian, they have displayed perseverance and determination to arrive at this point. When he learned of this decision the current Indian Vicar, Fra Savariappan M. Arockiam, sent the Prior General and his Council a note of thanks on behalf of all the friars of the Vicariate. He wrote: I would like to express our gratitude for having accepted our request to become an autonomous province. I have communicated this message to all the friars of the vicariate. Thank you all for the trust and esteem that you have for us. We assure you that we will try to implant the charism and spirit of the Founders in our life on Indian soil. Please do continue to sustain us with your fraternal support". Speaking on behalf of the General Council the Prior General included the folowing provisions in the official letter canonically erecting Aikiya Annai Province. Provisions 1. All those friars who have professed temporary or solemn vows as sons of the Venetian Province in the Indian Vicariate are now sons of the Aikiya Annai Province. 2. The regulations regarding possible incorporation or assignment described in articles 185 and 186 of our Constitutions remain unchanged; each friar may choose within three months of this present Decree going into effect. 3. Everything the Constitutions say about the individual members and institutions of a province (Cf. Const. 175) aplies to the members and institutions of a vicariate that becomes a Province except for those things the General Council has included in the Transitional Norms. 4. This present decree takes effect on September 22, 2011, Commemoration of the Dedication of the Monte Senario Church. TRANSITIONAL NORMS 1. From the date this present decree takes effect (September 22, 2011) until the new Province celebrates its first Chapter of Elections, the Vicar Provincial and his Council will handle all decisions in the new Province. 2. The Vicarial Council will arrange preparation of the Provincial Directory which will be presented and approved in the new Province s Provincial Chapter of Elections. 3. Within three months of the date this present Decree takes effect (September 22, 2011) the Vicarial council will present all the friars with temporary or solemn vows who made their profession as sons of the Venetian Province in the Indian Aikiya Annai Vicariate with two propositions: - I wish to be a son of the Aikiya Annai Province; - I wish to be a son of the Venetian Province. The response to these propositions is binding. 4. The friars of the Aikiya Annai Indian Vicariate intend to celebrate the new Province s Chapter of Elections April 24-27, To allow more time for balloting for the Prior Provincial of the new Province the Prior General will convoke the new Province s first Chapter of Elections four months before the event in spite of what article 205 of the Constitutions says. The Prior General will also indicate the date balloting should begin. 6. For the election of the Prior Provincial by universal suffrage all the friars who have made solemn profession as sons of the Venetian Province in the Aikiya Annai Indian Vicariate will have active and passive voice; this applies to all those friars who may be assigned to 7 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

8 COSMO 9-10 November - December 2011 other jurisdictions of the Order or under the direct jurisdiction of the Prior General and not just those friars who are living in the communities of the new Province on the day the Chapter is convoked (Cf. Const. 211). My dear brothers, I believe I speak for all the friars of the Order and for the General Council as well in expressing our gratitude for the constancy and persistence with which you have worked towards this goal. With the help of the Venetian Province you have reached it. We send you our best wishes: may your Province exemplify fraternity, communion and service to the people of God. After the passion, death and resurrection of her son Mary, the Mother of Jesus remained in the cenacle with the disciples joined in prayer (Cf. Acts 1,14). May she always be with you. May she inspire your service and discipleship of Christ and search for God. May you with the grace of the Holy Spirit be ever ready to respond to her inspiration. Through the intercession of Our Lady, the Mother of Unity, may the Lord Jesus meek and humble of heart (Mt 11,29; Cf. Const. Ant., Chapter 15) who prayed that his disciples might be united (John 17, 21) guide you along the path of the Gospel. May you together with the whole Order share fraternity to the people of today who are divided by reason of age, nationality, race, religious, wealth and education. (Const. 74). Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, O.S.M. Prior General GENERAL HOUSES As of September 1, 2011, there are 82 friars living in the General Houses of the Order: Solemn professed: 51 (Marianum 17; Sant Alessio 6; San Marcello 14; Monte Senario 9 / Le Stinche 3; Holy Land 2). Temporary professed: 31 (México: 9 (2 México, 1 Colombia, 6 Indonesia); Annunziata: 6 (4 Italy, 1 Argentina, 1 Zimbawe); India: 4; Piedmont and Romagna: 2 (1 Italy, 1 Nigeria); S. María de los Andes: 2 (1 Argentina, 1 Perú); Mozambique: 1; EAF/Venice: 1 (1 Uganda); Brazil: 6). NOVITIATES IN THE ORDER In recent months novitiates for have begun and we note with satisfaction that the number of novices is higher: 44. This is the current situation: Philippines 8 novices ; Uganda 8 novices (4 from Uganda, 2 from Congo and 2 from Zululand); India 6 novices; Mexico 7 novices (1 from Mexico, 1 from Colombia, 1 from Bolivia and 4 from Indonesia); Indonesia 15 novices. DEIR RAFAT, ISRAEL On 30 August 2011, Fra Roch M. Boulanger joined Fra Carlos M. Razo Villanueva at the Marian Sanctuary, Mary Queen of Palestine, in Deir Rafat,. There are now two Servite friars permanently assigned to the sanctuary and serving the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Our warmest greetings and best wishes go to both friars; we wish them well and assure them of our constant support and prayers. VIAREGGIO, ITALY GENERAL COUNCIL: ANNUAL PLANNING MEETING The entire General Council gathered for its annual planning meeting at the Mantellate Servite Sisters (Pistoia) house in Viareggio (October 1 7). We began by evaluating the work of the past year and then discussed issues which have arisen in the Order s various jurisdictions. We made an effort to determine what should be discussed in the upcoming chapters of election. We discussed the need to reduce the number of friars in General Houses to reflect the reduced number of friars in the Order. We met with the three Italian Provincials (October 4) and discussed subjects of common 8 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

9 November - December 2011 COSMO 9-10 interest: collaboration between the provinces; problems in Africa; finances; Monte Senario; formation; novitiate and training formation personnel. Our discussion covered the September meeting of the three Italian provincial councils in Rovato. The Council elected Fra Carlos M. Razo Villanueva as the Prior General s official representative for ordinary relations with the Jerusalem Patriarchate and the Israeli civil authorities. We examined the approximately 100 responses to the first six questions about a subjects for discussion at the 2013 General Chapter. They came from individual friars, provincial councils and conventual chapters. We further decided that the next biennial meeting of Priors Provincial and Vicarial will be held in Canada in It will be our third such meeting and will coincide with the one hundredth anniversary of the Order s presence in Canada. We also met with Fra Javier M. Badillo Martín to discuss the Spanish Province s request to return to the status of a Delegation. ROME MARIANUM PONTIFICAL THEO- LOGICAL FACULTY On October 26, 2011, the School Year was inaugurated at the Marianum Pontifical Faculty. The celebration began with a presentation by Archbishop, Piero Cardinal Marini and a report from Fra Salvatore M. Perella (President of the Faculty). This was followed by a musical interlude performed by a string quartet. Professor Ghislain Lafont OSB then delivered a paper entitled Mariology at the Heart of Contemporary Theology. ROME SECRETARIAT FOR PERMA- NENT FORMATION The pilgrimage for English-speaking Servites was an enormous success. The Secretariat for Permanent Formation has decided to organize a similar event for Spanish and Portuguese speaking friars. It will take place between the 14 th and 26 th of May in There will be a limit of 12 to 14 friars taking part. We hope to provide a prayerful context for visits to places of special Servite importance in Italy: Rome, Nepi, Monte Senario, Siena, Florence, Faenza, Forlì, Ravenna, Viareggio, Pisa, Ronzano, Monte Berico, Vicenza, Reggio Emilia and Todi. Anyone interested in taking part should reserve a place as soon as possible through the Secretary for Permanent Formation, Fra Rhett M. Sarabia, or the Secretary of the Order, Fra Camille M. Jacques. CHENNAI - INDIA Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, the Prior General, wrote a Christmas letter from our community in Chennai (November 27, 2011). He was in the midst of a canonical visitation. The letter was addressed to all the friars of the Order and spoke of littleness. This is something that Jesus often spoke about. The letter focuses on the relationship between adults and the little ones or the outcast. ROME: MARIANUM PONTIFICAL THEOLOGICAL FACULTY In its ordinary November 17, 2011 session the Presidential Board determined subjects for papers to be delivered at the XIX International Mariological Symposium (October 1-4, 2013). The framework of the Symposium [Mariology-Liturgy from Vatican II to Today] was chosen to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council ( ) and the promulgation of Sacrosanctum Concilium ( ). Up to now the Symposia have never had Marian Liturgy as a theme. The board has appointed a preparatory committee of professors headed by Fra Salvatore M. Perella, the President. DEIR RAFAT, ISRAEL In the November Cosmo On Line we mentioned the visit of Fra Franco M. Azzalli and Mother Maria Daniela Sabatino (Superior General of the Servite 9 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

10 COSMO 9-10 November - December 2011 Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows of Pisa) along with her secretary to the community in Deir Rafat. The sisters were considering the possibility of opening a community at Deir Rafat. They took part in the great feast of Our Lady of Palestine at the Sanctuary (Sunday October 30) and met the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude, Msgr. Fouad Twal. They were in the Holy Land to draw up an initial contract between the Order and the Latin Patriarchate on service to the Sanctuary. At the same time Fra Carlo M. Serpelloni, Prior of our Community in Venice, spent three weeks in Deir Rafat. He was there to help out. ROME: GENERAL DIRECTORY The committee for editing the General Directory met at San Marcello for the third time (November 14 to 18). The members of the committee are: Fra Hubert M. Moons, Fra Gottfried M. Wolff, Fra Miguel M. Flores Valderrama, Fra Venanzio M. Ramasso, Fra Paul M. Addison and Fra Franco M. Azzalli. They concentrated on the tasks assigned by the 2007 General Chapter, especially on preparation of specific proposals (with motivation) for possible updates or modifications to the General Directory. They edited the text and revised the decrees of the 2007 General Chapter. Whether eventual inclusions or modifications to the Constitutions should be made was discussed; suggestions had emerged in the general survey of friars on this subject. The committee suggested that the General Council might conduct a general survey of all the friars on this subject. The Directory committee would be willing to articulate the proposals that emerged. PRIORS GENERAL OF MENDICANT ORDERS The Priors General of the Mendicant Orders met in Rome for the third time on Tuesday, November 22. Twelve friars attended; Fra Franco M. Azzalli represented our Prior General. The atmosphere was friendly and cordial at the Augustinianum where the meeting took place. The friars decided to organize a seminar devoted to Mendicant Orders and the New Evangelization to be held on May 19, The friendly atmosphere bodes well for future collaboration in other areas of common interest. UNION OF SUPERIORS GENERAL The 78 th Semi-annual Assembly of the Union of Superiors General (USG) was held in Rome (November 23-25). The Assembly had as its theme: Passing On the Faith: From the Theological Seminar to the Synod on New Evangelization. More than 120 attended; Fra Franco M. Azzalli represented our Prior General. On it first working day the Assembly focused on the study prepared by the February 2011 Theological Seminar on the Theology of Consecrated Life: the Service of Authority and Formation. The second day was devoted to New Evangelization From the Perspective of Consecrated Life. A monk, a mendicant friar and a missionary delivered papers. Afterwards there were group discussions. On the final morning we listened to reports from the various Commissions that represent the USG in the Vatican Congregations. We then elected ten representatives from the USG to attend the Synod of Bishops that will be held in October SEGRETARIAT FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE Mary and our commitment to Justice and Peace Charlie M. Leitão de Souza Living out our charism and devotion to justice, peace and the environment awakens in us, the Servants of Mary, a special desire and commitment: following the example of the Virgin Mary, we must see Christ in the poorest and lowliest of our brothers cosmo.osm@gmail.com

11 November - December 2011 COSMO 9-10 In Christian life Mary is always seen in relation to Christ and the mystery of human redemption brought about by the incarnation, death and resurrection of the Lord. Devotion to Mary has its roots in specific theological realities: faith, hope and charity. Our vocation and our mission derive from these realities. Mary can be found among the humble and poor of Yahweh. She is full of grace, the blessed amongst women, the Virgin of the Fiat, the fruitful Virgin, the Mother and Servant of the Lord. She is the new woman, the new Eve, who through her obedience and faith re-establishes the mystery of salvation. Her immaculate conception proclaims the approach of redemption; it is the beginning of the sign promised by God to the House of David. Mary is the daughter of Zion in whom all the hopes of Israel s remnant rest. Mary is the soil that receives the Holy Spirit, the good soil in which the Savior takes root. Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant which bears Jesus. In their thanksgiving, those who partake in the body and blood of Christ share Mary s experience through the Magnificat,: they bear Christ within themselves and bring him to their brethren. She is the full of grace;, she is and continues to be the faithful servant. She is the Virgin who hears and consents; for both believers and non-believers she is a sign of total openness to the God who is coming. Mary s cooperation in the work of salvation derives from these elements. In the words of Chapter VIII of Lumen Gentium: Mary was used by God not merely in a passive way, but as freely cooperating in the work of human salvation through faith and obedience. Being obedient became the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race. (St. Irenaeus). The Mother s attitude is an example and a motivation for her children and her servants. She is the Virgin who listens. Listening to the Word of God is her supreme priority. It is the beginning and foundation of her spiritual life and holiness. Mary listens fully, she accepts and ponders within her heart so that she might bear fruit. She accepts this word as one must accept what comes from God: with faith, openness, humility and readiness to respond. The words of Jesus apply to her: Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it. (Lk 11, 27). She is the Virgin of the fullness of time. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father! (Gal 4, 4-6). Her virginity is prophetic. The virginity of the Mother of God is the radical and exclusive gift of her whole person to God, it involves total availability. This allows the Spirit to form her body and heart. The Virgin is totally receptive, a temple of the New Covenant. As such she sheds new light on the world and history. Through her virignity Mary has opened a path for all those who renounce the things of this world for the Messianic treasure to be found in God. Mary s virginity reflects the very life of Christ; it is a mirror in which believers must gaze if they are to have their lives conform to the promptings of the Spirit. The Virgin Mother is an archtype of the Church. Through her faith she receives the word of God and conceives the Word of God she is a model of the Church. She is a model of total openness and availability for Christ s mission, for the Gospel. Her motivation is the same as her Son s: to do the Will of the Father. We too must develop the ability to see and listen to the world in which we live, 11 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

12 COSMO 9-10 November - December 2011 serve and give witness to fraternity. We must learn to interpret and welcome the signs of the times; we must judge our world in the light of the Gospel which is Christ living in our midst. We must obey the Gospel message and promote justice, peace and respect for the environment. We must work prophetically, quick to do good and promote the values of the Kingdom. This means that each of us must live a life that is devoted to essentials, to sobriety but above all to solidarity with the poor and the environment. Mary shows us how to do this. We need only follow in her footsteps. POSTULATION: CAUSES OF THE SAINTS With the necessary caveat, Fra Tito M. Sartori, the Postulator for the Causes of the Saints, has informed us of a miracle attributed to the intercession of Fra Venanzio M. Quadri, OSM, that may further the cause of his beatification. In July 1969 an individual was suffering from cirrhosis of liver aggravated by ascites. He was at the end of his life. The doctor asked his relatives to come home and prepare the clothes needed for burial. The individual prayed to Fra Venanzio (the miracle friar ) and within a few days was completely cured. The medical records of the attending physician and the opinion of a professor in Bologna (July 20, 2011) bear this out. Fra Venanzio was born in Vado di Setta (Bologna) on December 9, He entered the Order as a young man and later died on November 2, 1937 shortly before his ordination to the priesthood. JURISDICTIONS AND PRIORIES FRANCE/BELGIUM Following the death of Fra Bruno M. Chenais, Fra Yvon M. Chalifoux consulted the Provincial Council and then appointed Fra Roch-André M. Grisé to serve as his representative for France and Belgium until the next Chapter of Elections in Fra Joseph M. Lèbre who is currently pastor of three parishes in Canada said he was willing to work in France. He was assigned to the Magnificat Fraternity in Orbec, France at the end of August. MANILA PHILIPPINES On August 23, the feast of St. Philip Benizi, St. Mary of the Servants formation community, welcomed thirteen pre-novices who will begin their formation journey. The simple rite of reception included in Vespers at which the Vicar Provincial, Fra Joel M. Morata, presided. Friends, benefactors and friars of the community attended the service. The prior and master of prenovices, Fra Michael Angelo M. Baco, spoke and emphasized the essential points of the formation program. He pointed to Our Lady of Sorrows as a model and true disciple of Christ. VIENNA, AUSTRIA The European Society of Catholic Theology held an international congress in Vienna (August 25-28, 2011). Two hundred and fifty theologians from all over Europe attended. At the end of the congress the general assembly elected a new Vice-president: Fra Martin M. Lintner, OSM, Professor of Moral Theology in Brixen. The Society is committed to promoting theology in Europe in a spirit of ecumenical dialogue and cooperation with theological societies on other continents. The Society is actively engaged in inter-disciplinary exchange, developing theology in universities and 12 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

13 November - December 2011 COSMO 9-10 colleges and regular contact with representatives of the Holy See s theological institutions. The new Vice-president, Fra Martin, will be responsible for preparing the next congress in Brixen (2013) at which time he will assume the role of President. VALINHOS, BRAZIL The television channel, TV Século 21, is managed by Fra Rinaldo M. Stecanela. On August 30 Fra Valdir M. Borges and Fra Oldair José M. Gonçalves of the São José dos Campos community presented a program in the United in the Faith series on vocations to the Servite Order. Fra Oldair is preparing for his definitive consecration to the Lord in the Order of Our Lady s Servants on November 15, 2011 and he spoke about his vocation. The program was widely viewed and many later called the station for more information about the friars. JAMUNDI, COLOMBIA The month of September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. During that month the Community of St. Mary of the Servants in Jamundi reflected on Our Lady s seven sorrows and how they related to life and society in Colombia where we suffer from violence, drug trafficking, prostitution, abortion, abduction, arms trafficking and degradation of the environment. Reflection and discussion of these problems involved the friars and the candidates to the Secular Order in the parish. We celebrated the Solemnity of Our Lady of Sorrows on September 15. Twenty-eight brothers and sisters began their life as members of the Secular Order. Our new fraternity is dedicated to Nuestra Señora del Sagrado Corazón [Our Lady of the Sacred Heart]. We had a great food and culture festival in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows in the following days. SANTA MARÍA DE LOS ANDES PROVINCE On 20 September 2011 Fra Ricardo M. Silva Aranda, was elected Prior Provincial of the S. Maria de los Andes Province on the second ballot. Felicitaciones! Auguri! Congratulations! Fra Ricardo will succeed the current Prior Provincial Fra Demetrio De La Torre Melián, to whom we send heartfelt thanks for all that he has accomplished in the last three years. TERESÓPOLIS, BRAZIL The Brazilian Province recently acquired a house in Teresópolis, a city of more than 162,000 inhabitants in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro. The new community will be dedicated to the Seven Holy Founders and will serve as the novitiate house beginning in Because of the number of Brazilian vocations and the province s collaboration with other jurisdictions of the Order the need for a separate novitiate house has long been felt. After a certain amount of remodeling the new community has settled in. The Provincial Council has assigned the following friars: Fra João Carlos M. Ribeiro (Master of Novices), Fra René M. Pontel and Fra Fábio Luiz M. Ribeiro. Msgr. Filippo Santoro, the bishop of Petrópolis (the diocese in which Teresópolis is located) will soon inaugurate the new house. It will be an occasion to make the Servants of Mary known in that diocese. On September 18, Fra Fabio Luiz M. Ribeiro made his Solemn Profession as a Servite in his home parish, Santa Maria in Goiânia (State of Goiás, Central Brazil). Fra Nivaldo M. Machado, the Brazilian Prior Provincial presided at the ceremony which was attended by many friars, family members and friends. INGWAVUMA, SOUTH AFRICA Fr. Mel M. Loftus informed us several weeks ago that Bishop Jose Luis Ponce de Leon, Vicar Apostolic of Ingwavuma, South Africa, and an Argentinean class mate were victims of armed intruders who made them lie on their backs on the ground with their wrists tied with their 13 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

14 COSMO 9-10 November - December 2011 belts. The bishop was able to convince them that there was no money and nothing of value in the safe. However, the thieves took his car (later found completely burned), computer, cell phone and shoes. Shortly thereafter, three youths were arrested. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Fr. Mel, with a bit of humor, then took the occasion to tell the young people at Mass the following Sunday that if they were looking for an exciting life...they should become priests! RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL On October 27, 2011, Fra Paulo Sérgio M. Angeloni was elected Prior Provincial of the Brazilian Province on the second ballot. We send our congratulations to Fra Paulo Sergio who is currently the pastor of Nossa Senhora das Dores church in Rio de Janeiro. At the same time we send our thanks and gratitude to Fra Nivaldo José M. Machado, the outgoing Provincial. He has served the Province well during these last three years. CANONICAL VISITATION TO THE PROVINCE OF THE ISLES Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, the Prior General, accompanied by Fra Eugene M. Smith, the responsible councilor, carried out a canonical visitation to the Province of the Isles (September 2 17, 2011). There are some thirty friars in the province who live in six priories: 2 in Dublin, 1 in Benburb, 1 in Dundee, 1 in Manchester and 1 in London. The visitors met with almost all the friars, including the second oldest friar in the Order: Fra Basil M. Prior. They met also with many members of the Servite Family. The visitors were impressed with the work friars perform with lay people and friends of the Order. Many of our communities are engaged in a ministry of compassion that focuses on St. Peregrine. Two of our friars are prison chaplains. Discipline and human values are taught in our parish schools. The friars cultivate a strong Sensus Ordinis as well as sensitivity to the needs of the Order. PIETRALBA, ITALY There was a meeting of European formation personnel at Pietralba (October 10 14, 2011). The purpose of the meeting was to create a network of relationships between formation personnel and provincials. Dr. Maria Grazia Costa conducted a session on formation and Don Giovanni Dal Piaz, a Camaldolese monk, led a session on religious life. One of the ideas that came to the fore was that the vocation crisis in the western world stems from the lack of a search for meaning in life. CANONICAL VISITATION IN CANADA The current issue of Cosmo On Line is being published in the Ayer s Cliff, Canada community. Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, the Prior General, accompanied by Fra Gino M. Leonardi, the responsible councilor, have been carrying out a canonical visitation of the Canadian Province (October 9 31, 2001). The Province has 54 friars 8 of whom are nonordained brothers. Visitation began in Belgium with the friars who live in Brussels and Banneux. The visit continued in the communities of Saint-Ortaire and Orbec in France and then moved on to Canada where there are nine priories and three communities ad experimentum. The same problems that exist in other western world provinces are present in Canada: lack of vocations, advanced age of friars, etc. There is no lack of new approaches to apostolic activity that provides an interesting response to a society that seems indifferent to religion. We are grateful to the Canadian Province for its sensitivity to the needs of the Order and of those jurisdictions in need of support. SENA MADUREIRA, ACRE, BRAZIL In spite of his advanced age (85) Fra Paolino M. Baldassarri continues to exercise his ministry/profession as doctor. It is a labor of love that he performs daily cosmo.osm@gmail.com

15 November - December 2011 COSMO 9-10 He is equally indefatigable in his work as a missionary. He plans yet another missionary journey (desobriga) along the shores of the Yaco River (October 6 to November 14). Fra Paolino meets with indigenous families scattered throughout this vast territory. Fra Paolino loves this mission and as and as long as God gives him strength, he will carry on... it makes both him and the people he visits feel better! DUNDEE, SCOTLAND The Province of the Isles Provincial Council is preparing for the definitive closing of the community in Dundee, Scotland. Preserving its archives, works of art, as well as the use of the property and a fitting celebration of the closure were the subjects discussed. CELAYA, GUANAJUATO, MEXICO Mexican Province Priors met in Celaya to discuss the violence occurring mainly in northern Mexico. We realize that the Church is not in the same situation as society at large but we discussed what was going on in our parishes where violence and corruption harm children who are often used as pawns and give rise to new violence. We must teach children to avoid the temptation of easy money and corruption. The Prior Provincial, Fra Gerardo M. Torres Ornelas closed the meeting asking what our communities were doing (especially in Ciudad Juárez) about the drug violence. He further suggested that we continue this discussion in our conventual chapters. LUCBAN, PHILIPPINES At the suggestion of their Prior and Master, Fra Dominador M. Javier, temporary professed friars of the Philippine Vicariate organized the Third Servite Convention at the Monte Senario Novitiate in Lucban, Quezon (October 25-27, 2011). We met to discuss Servite documents. Vicariate novices along with novices and aspirants from the the Mother of Sorrows Servants of Mary Sisters of India took part. We studied and discussed Do Whatever He Tells You: Thoughts and Proposals for Promoting Marian Devotion. The temporary professed introduced the subjects for discussion and Fra Vincent Badongen acted as moderator. QUÉBEC, CANADA Fra Sylvain M. Paquet who only recently joined the Sainte Marie de Foi community in Quebec described the work at the St. Peregrine Sanctuary. Our activities at the Sanctuary are always important. In October while the Prior General, Fra Ángel and Fra Gino, the General Councilor, were visiting us we held a celebration at which Fra Gino presided. It was much appreciated. To launch the CLIOS publication, Book of Blessings for St. Peregrine Laziosi, Fra Luc M. Marsolais, the Sanctuary Director, blessed more than 100 bottles of St. Peregrine oil. They were gone in record time. A new set of bottles will be blessed as soon as possible. There is great demand among those suffering from cancer. TODI Every year a different jurisdiction of the Order offers a lamp and the necessary oil to be placed in front of St. Philip s tomb in the Servite Church in Todi. This year the St. Alexis Falconieri Formation Community in Rome offered the lamp and oil. On November 13, 2011, Fra Paolo M. Orlandini, the Master of Professed, celebrated Mass during which the offering was made. ORURO, BOLIVIA A special Marian Week was celebrated at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Socavón in Oruro (November 14 18). The purpose of this exercise is to promote and strengthen devotion to the Mother of God. The subject chosen for discussion was Marian Devotion based on the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope 15 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

16 November - December 2011 COSMO 9-10 Paul VI, Marialis Cultus. Fra Salvador Cuevas conducted the week which was open to all. PERTH, AUSTRALIA During Awards Night at Servite College in Perth, Fra Christopher M. Ross announced his retirement from the position of College President at the end of this academic year (December). Fra Chris has held this position for twenty years. During the ceremony Fra Liam M. Mackle, the Provincial Delegate, presented him with the St. Philip Award for the outstanding service he has given the school. He has performed this service with heart artistically and intelligently. Next year he will be replaced by Fra Stephen Barker who had long experience in the area of educational and pastoral work. THE SERVITE FAMILY HUNGARY: SERVITE SISTERS OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS OF FLORENCE On August 27, 2011 Holy Mária Eszter and Becsei Mária Zsuzsanna made their perpetual profession in the church of St. John the Evangelist in Eger, a former Servite church. Msgr. Csaba Terniák, the archbishop of Eger, presided at the ceremony. Sister Paolo Romoli, the Mother General, received their profession. On September 3, novices Éva Voo, Bernardett Váradi and Valéria Beszerdich made their temporary profession in Budapest. SERVITE SISTERS OF OUR LADY OF SOR- ROWS OF NOCERA On September 17, 2011, Sister Ana Rosa Fuentes Rubio made her perpetual profession before the Prioress General, Sister Teresa Pastore, in Holy Cross church in Guadalajara, Mexico,. The Servite Sisters of Nocera work in Italy, Canada, Argentina, Mexico and Indonesia. MISANO ADRIATICO, ITALY INTERNATION- AL SERVITE SCHOOLS NETWORK The International Servite Schools Network held its fourth International Conference at Istituto San Pellegrino in Misano Adriatico (September 26-30, 2011). Fifty participants from twelve different nations were present. The Indian friars and Servite Sisters from the Congo and the Ivory Coast attended for the first time. The theme of the Conference was Sharing Servite Values: Mary, Service and the Option for the Poor. Fra Noel M. Rath addressed the subject of Marian Identity; Fra Paul M. Addison spoke about Mary and the Option for the Poor; Mr. Larry Toner addressed the subject of Service; and Fra Chris M. Ross spoke about Mary in Salvation History. In addition, many schools presented their educational program and described how they include the values of Servite education in their programming and curricula. The participants also enjoyed the warm hospitality and welcome of the local community of friars and the students, faculty and staff of the Istituto San Pellegrino. The students of the Liceo Linguistico acted as French, Spanish and English tour guides in the city of Rimini; Foundation professors served as translators for the Conference. As each school presented and discussed its program, it became overwhelmingly evident that in spite of differences of language, geography, culture and social-economic backgrounds, all our schools are speaking the same language in sharing and imparting the Servite charism and values of education: Marian identity, universality, openness, respect for diversity, holistic education, community, fraternity, and service. Fra Eugene M. Smith, Regent of Studies, participated in the Conference cosmo.osm@gmail.com

17 COSMO 9-10 November - December 2011 MEXICO CITY: UNIFAS UNIFAS assembled in Divina Providencia Priory, Mexico City, on September 24, Fra Gerardo M. Torres Ornelas, the Prior Provincial, presided at the assembly. We elected the following officials of UNIFAS Mexico: Silvia Curiel Curiel (REM) Vice-president; Petra Martínez Martínez (SM-Naples) Secretary and Señora Margarita Bravo de Criollo (OSSM) Treasurer. ROVIGO : SERVITE SISTERS OF REPARA- TION (RIPARATRICI) Autumn 2011 is full of events for the Riparatrici Servite Sisters. This year they celebrated the 100 th anniversary ( ) of their arrival in the city of Rovigo and the meeting of their Foundress, Mother Maria Elisa Andreoli with Maria Inglese, (Sister Maria Dolores of the Reparation). On September 24 we celebrated a day of fraternity and spirituality at the Beata Vergine Addolorata Marian Center. Our theme for the day was Nella Famiglia dei Servi un incontro tanti incontri [In the Servite Family an Encounter So Many Encounters]. Some two hundred people took part in our day of spirituality: lay people, friars, sisters and members of Regnum Mariae. The event was sponsored by UNIFAS Italy of Lombardy and the Triveneto, the local Church and the City of Rovigo. JAMUNDI, VALLE DEL CAUCA, CO- LOMBIA Fra Martín M. Muñoz presided at a Mass in which the new Sacred Heart Secular Order Fraternity was launched in Jamundi. Twenty-seven brothers and sisters who began their formation journey several months earlier expressed their desire to become part of the Servite Family in the Secular Order. These Secular Order aspirants along with members of the Jamundi Community, the temporary professed and their family members attended the service. Fra Carlos M. Vélez González will be the Assistant. After the ceremony there were delicious alambres mexicanos. NAPLES, ITALY During Mass on September 18 in the church of San Pietro a Maiella in Naples Don Salvatore Esposito made the promise as a member of the Servite Secular Order. Don Salvatore is a priest of the diocese of Naples, a friend of the Servite Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows of Naples and the Master of Ceremonies for the Cardinal Archbishop of Naples. Fra Attilio M. Carrella concelebrated Mass and received Don Salvatore s promise. VIAREGGIO, ITALY: MANTELLATE SERVITE SISTERS On October 6, 2011 the Mantellate Servite Sisters of Pistoia celebrated the 150 th anniversary of the founding of their congregation in Sant Andrea church in Viareggio, the former parish of St. Anthony Pucci. On October 6, 1861, two Servite tertiaries, Sister Filomena Rossi and Sister Giovanna Ferrari, established the congregation. Along with the sisters, students and teachers from middle and elementary schools run by the sisters attended the service. Msgr. Italo Benvenuto Castellani, the Bishop of Lucca (Viareggio is in the diocese of Lucca) presided at the Mass. Priestteachers from the schools, friars of the local community and the entire Servite General Council concelebrated the Mass. The General Council was in Viareggio for its annual planning meeting. On October 8, Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, the Prior General, and Fra Franco M. Azzalli, the Vicar General, went to the town of Treppio to take part in the solemn festivities. The congregation was founded in Treppio. The Prioress General, her Council and many of the 17 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

18 COSMO 9-10 November - December 2011 sisters attended a concelebrated afternoon Mass. Seeds of Hope for the World]. Over 120 per il mondo [A Light in the Church... people attended the gathering. Fra Hubert M. Moons delivered the closing address. MARINA DI MASSA, ITALY: XXXI NA- TIONAL CONVENTION OF THE SECU- LAR ORDER At the beginning of October over 130 people from all over Italy gathered in Marina di Massa for the Thirty-First National Convention of the Secular Order. Fra Franco M Azzalli, the Vicar General, led a discussion on the Rule of Life. Our visit to Sant Andrea church in Viareggio was especially moving. The remains of St. Anthony Pucci were laid to rest there. During that visit representatives of the Secular Order were able to meet with Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica, the Prior General, along with the General Council who were holding their annual planning meeting at the nearby convent of the Mantellate Sisters. ROVIGO, ITALY THE SERVITE SISTERS OF REPARATION (RIPARATRICI) Autumn 2011 is full of events for the Riparatrici Servite Sisters. This year they celebrated the 100 th anniversary ( ) of their arrival in the city of Rovigo. We held an especially meaningful and moving celebration in the Province Council Room on September 30. For the first time we presented a short film entitled Nulla accade per caso [Nothing Happens By Chance]. The film tells the story of the of the meeting between Mother Elisa Andreoli and Sister M. Dolores Inglese and was sponsored by the Province of Rovigo and the communes in which the Riparatrici Sisters live and work. The Centro Veneto Esperienze Musicali of Rovigo co-sponsored the event. The film was produced by director Ferdinando de Laurentis and the Riparatrici sisters. On October 21 23, 2011, at the Beata Vergine Addolorata Marian Center in Rovigo a spirituality convention was held for the sisters lay collaborators. The convention had as its theme: Nella chiesa una luce...germogli di speranza SANTA MARÍA DE LOS ANDES PROVINCIAL UNIFAS Our young Province - Santa Maria de los Andes organized the first meeting of the Servite Family at the San José Retreat House in Santiago, Chile (October 7 10, 2011). One hundred and nineteen brothers and sisters attended: 25 from Bolivia; 25 from Argentina; 4 from Peru and 65 from Chile. We found inspiration in the slogan: One heart, one mind and one family. We had talks on Marian Spirituality (Fra Ricardo M. Silva); Mary as Servant (Sister Marta Veliz and Señora Mónica Hernández) and Collegiality and Fraternity (Fra Wladimiro Memo). 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF MA- RIA VALTORTA On October 12, 1961, Servite Secular Order member, Maria Valtorta, died in Viareggio. She was a woman of deep faith and attachment to the Servite Order. Fra Romualdo M. Migliorini and later Fra Corrado M. Berti guided her on her difficult spiritual journey. She was a mystic who wrote many books some of which have been published under the title: L Evangelo come mi è stato rivelato [The Gospel As It Was Revealed To Me]. On the fiftieth anniversary of her death, Maria Valtorta is being commemorated in the City of Viareggio where she lived most of her life and at the Santissima Annunziata Basilica in Florence where she has been laid to rest. ROME: UNICIS On October 25, 2011 Sister Nadia Padovan, Prioress General of the Servite Sisters of Reparation (Riparatrici) was elected the new President of UNICIS (Union of Major Superiors of Servite Sisters in Italy). Members of the new council are: Sister Daniela Sabatino (Prioress 18 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

19 November - December 2011 COSMO 9-10 General of the Servite Sisters of Our Lady of Sorrows of Pisa) and Sister Emanuela Canziani (Prioress General of the Mantellate Servite Sisters of Pistoia). MONTRÉAL : NOTRE DAME DE LA DÉFENSE On Saturday, October 29, 2011 the Twenty-Fifth annual Servite Family meeting took place at Notre Dame de la Défense Church in Montréal. Fra Ángel M. Ruiz Garnica presided at Mass. He was assisted by Fra Gino M. Leonardi, Fra Yvon M. Chalifoux, Fra Michel M. Sincerny, Father Yvon M. Lauzon and many Servite friars. The magnificent singing of the Compassionist Servite Sisters from convent of Brossard added to the solemnity of the occasion. After the homily, the Prior General received fifteen new Spanish-speaking members into the Secular Order and officially established the fraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows. After Mass, all gathered in the parish hall for Fra Gino s Power Point presentation on the new Servite foundation in the Holy Land. We then shared a fraternal meal that brought our meeting to a close. Some 120 attended. SEVILLE, SPAIN Last October 29 th, the installation of the Permanent Commission of the Secretariat of Servite Secular Orders, Lay Groups, Fraternities and Confraternities of Andalusia under the Presidency of Señor Eduardo Enrique Sáenz de Tejada Fernández took place at the Royal Servite Fraternity in Seville. The Secretariat will coordinate relations with all the above mentioned groups and with the Order of Servants of Mary. While respecting the distinct character of each group we hope also to outline a common program of witness to the Servite charism and promotion of devotion to Our Sorrowful Mother. We hope to do this in a uniform fashion as opposed to our isolated efforts in the past. CÁDIZ, SPAIN Among the activities planned by the Servite Secular Order of Cadiz to mark the Canonical Coronation of Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, is a series of Marian conferences scheduled for November 29 December 1, Fra Charlie Leitão de Souza, General Councilor and President of the Servite Secretariat for Justice and Peace will give talks on Like Mary, to Live Out the Problems of Justice and Peace and New Life Styles. Fra Manuel M. Fontanet Nento also spoke on the subject: Another World Is Possible REGNUM MARIAE SECULAR INSTITUTE Once more in Uganda Margherita Palazzi Our fourth visit to Uganda resembled a magnificent hymn to female perseverance and to the great women we have met who go forward with their head held high in spite of the very difficult path they tread. Once again we three Regnum Mariae members - Anna, Margherita and Ester - were the guests of our brothers in Jinja and Kisoga. We can always depend on Fathers Giuseppe, Robert, Tadeo, Rajkumar and Francis to involve us in the life and customs of the villages and cities of Jinja or Kisoga. They do this with fraternal discretion. We can always come back to them and discuss what we have experienced. We can engage in dialogue and while our perspectives may be distant and mysterious we are aware that our very differences make us richer. These long conversations with our brothers remind us of our early days in the Philippines when Fathers Tarcisio and Luigi would show us the star-filled skies after dinner and describe the closest constellations. They would take this opportunity to talk about Philippine culture and how we could become a part of it cosmo.osm@gmail.com

20 COSMO 9-10 November - December 2011 It is not the night sky that inspires us in Jinja but the majestic Nile that underscores our conversations. The genuine protagonists of this article and of our life are the women: Betty, Grace, Veronica, Helen, Juliana, Leonard, Florence, Agnes, Sister Giuditta, Sister Gemma, Alba Sara and so many others, members of the Secular Order, villagers, friends, collaborators, unknown helpers who come to the fore... Each one has her own hardluck story and consequently can react and build the future. Betty from Jinja is a seamstress; she helps the poor and attends Secular Order meetings. She planned a micro-project with the Sulle orme dei Servi verso il mondo Association to buy a few sewing machines in good shape. Her project succeeded. As soon as she received contributions she sought the advice of an experienced woman already working and with the fraternal assistance of Fathers Xotta and Kyeyune she went to Kampala and bought the machines. She was satisfied and chose two machines and now can make her dream a reality: she will open a small tailor shop in Jinja. She will employ and train other girls. She will keep the few Euros that remain in the bank to support her future endeavors. Florence did something similar in Bulata, a small village not far from Kisoga. With contributions for her micro-project she bought a variety of items to sell in her small food shop. The first time we saw her the shop sold only rice, pasta, shabby notebooks, detergents and bars of soap. Thieves had emptied her cash register many times. This time just before we left Uganda Florence had got hold of more food and second-hand clothing from the shop in Mukono. She re-sold everything and made a little profit. Her very small village shop is growing. In Kisoga Sister Giuditta is always close to the poor and the aged but especially the women and children. Many are suffering from AIDS. She seeks out every possible solution to combat destitution. With the small amount she received from the Sulle Orme dei Servi Association she has bought several small pigs and goats for families as well as plants to cultivate: beans, peanuts... she will pay the rent for a small family garden. These are only a few examples of what is being done. We are in line with what is going on in society at large. The United Nations has recognized the innovative and transformative contributions women make to Twenty-first century society. Achieving development in this millennium is directly related to the advancement of women in the world. THE THE SERVANT OF GOD, CECILIA EUSEPI The Servant of God, Cecilia Eusepi will be beatified on June 17, COS- MO is presenting here some of Eusepi s more significant writings. I don t know how to describe what I have suffered this morning. I was so looking forward to Jesus and then he did not come. I felt restless and didn t know what to do. Finally I sat down next to the window in my room. I heard the birds sing; the beauties of nature carried me away and I remained there quite some time; gradually my heart became calm and with the calm came the usual peace. I was so hungry and I believed Jesus would have pity on me but... instead I was wicked and not satisfied. How I envy those people who can go to Communion every day. I used to be one of them but I am no longer... who knows? Maybe Jesus is punishing me 20 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

21 November - December 2011 COSMO 9-10 because my Communions were so often cold and without feeling. Whatever the case may be I adore his Holy Will. I long for heaven because there Communion will be eternal, there my hunger will be sated. While I am down here all I can do is offer up this hunger in reparation for all the offenses you receive in this Holy Sacrament. I did my spiritual reading, on the Holy Trinity, and I believe I have understood everything I read. One thing has really struck me: today after dinner while I was sleeping I dreamt I was explaining the Trinity to others: the Eternal Father generates the Son this way: He conceives a thought that perfectly reflects his image; this thought is divine just like the one who thought it, it is also always present: it is the Word, or the Son. From the Father and the Son the Holy Spirit proceeds in this way: the Word (or Thought) produces love in the Father and this love is also divine because it is of God and this is the Holy Spirit. The three divine Persons are equal, that is of the same divine nature; they do not share in this nature individually but all together. I see this so clearly in my mind that I m sure I am not mistaken who knows maybe I have created a genuine heresy. The evening after supper I felt a little sad but I don t know why. Maybe Jesus wanted me to feel for an instant his agony in the garden. What an awful event. One has to experience it to understand it. Many believe that my life moves happily along they are mistaken. I am a little flower blooming in the shadow of the Cross; I can assure others that not a day passes that I do not feel the Cross on my shoulders. My Crosses are not known; they are hidden intimate Crosses but painful all the same. Today was one of those days that the Cross did not leave me all day not even for a moment. In the morning I was anxious, later restless, then calm; after dinner uneasy everything annoyed me. This evening I am somewhat sad. My Cross is that I appear unaffected by all these changes. From Diario, June 9, 1927 DECEASED BRETHREN At 10:30 PM on October 4, 2011 Fra Mario Maria (Fernando) Bozzi, O.S.M. died in the Umberto I Policlinico in Rome. He was a solemn professed priest, a member of the Santissima Annunziata Province and the community of Seven Holy Founders in Rome. Our deceased brother was 85 years old and had been a professed religious in the Servite Order for 69 years. In the afternoon of November 14, Fra Giuseppe Maria Polo, O.S.M. died in his priory. He was a solemn professed priest, a member of the Venetian Province and de familia in the community of Our Lady of Sorrows in Pietralba. Our deceased brother was 76 years old and had been a professed religious in the Servite Order for 56 years. THE GENERAL COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY OF SAN MARCELLO WISH ALL THE FRIARS AND THE WHOLE SERVITE FAMILY A HEARTFELT MERRY CHRISTMAS! 21 cosmo.osm@gmail.com

22 COSMO 9-10 November - December 2011 COSMO Piazza San Marcello, ROMA Italy tel. (+39) fax (+39) Posta elettronica: cosmo@curiaosm.org 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 S UMMAR Y The Prior general speaks The General Council and Secretariats Priories and Jurisdictions 10 The Servite Family 14 Cecilia Eusepi 18 Deceased brethren PHOTOS 1. Cover: Madonna with Child and St. Catherine of Alexandria, Polidoro de Renzi ( ), Venice, formerly in the Church of St. Mary of the Servants 2. General Council's planning days in Viareggio 3. Diaconal ordination of fr. Francesco M. Scorrano 4. Ottawa, canonical visitation to the community of St. Anthony 5. Manila - Philippines: OSM Students 6. Viareggio - Italy: OSSM National Convention 7. La Ceja, Colombia - Unifas Convention 8. Fr. Gaétan M. Proulx, OSM: newly elected auxiliary bishop of Québec City 9. Fr. Ricardo Antonio M. Silva Aranda, newly elected Prior Provincial of the Province of the Andes 10. Fr. John M. Fontana: newly elected Prior Provincial of the USA Province 11. Fr. Gotfried M. Wolff, newly elected Prior Provincial of the Tyrolese Province 12. Fr. Paulo Sergio M. Angeloni, newly elected Prior Provincial of the Brazilian Province 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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