St. Paul of the Cross Monastery and Church

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Summer 2018 Volume 1, Issue 1 St. Paul of the Cross Monastery and Church 148 Monastery Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15203-1498 Website: stpaulofthecrossmonastery.com Visit us on Facebook: www.facebook.

Our Passionist Community looks forward to sharing with you many signs of God s presence and grace on this holy ground.

1 Summer 2018 Volume 1, Issue 1 St. Paul of the Cross Monastery and Church 148 Monastery Ave., Pittsburgh, PA Website: stpaulofthecrossmonastery.com Visit us on Facebook: Phone: Editors: Fr. Richard Nalepa, CP and Christine Tripoli Welcome to St. Paul of the Cross Monastery! Our Passionist Community looks forward to sharing with you many signs of God s presence and grace on this holy ground. From the 1850 s to the present day, the Passionist Priests and Brothers have invited the people of Pittsburgh to join us in prayer and sacrament, in service and ministry. Behind the walls of St. Paul s, the Passionists have met with God s people and walked the spiritual journey, seeking God s gentle compassion and grace. Also from St. Paul s Monastery, Passionists have set out to the churches and chapels of Pittsburgh to preach Christ Crucified a message of hope and promise. As you are part of our Passionist family, we invite you to turn the pages of this newsletter and rejoice with us in the many ways, and through the many lives, the Lord comes to give us all the fullness of life and joy! V. Rev. Mark Ward, CP Rector of the Monastery of St. Paul of the Cross Join the Passionists for these liturgical celebrations! Aug. 15 Celebration V. Rev.Mark Ward s 50 th Jubilee Sept. 14 Exultation of the Cross Sept. 15 Our Lady of Sorrows Oct. 20 St. Paul of the Cross Portrait of a Volunteer Good morning, St. Paul of the Cross Monastery. How can I help you? That s the way Mondays begin for me, greeting and helping all those who come into the office or call on the phone. Maybe they have an appointment or maybe are asking for prayers from the Passionist community. It is quite a privilege to listen and perhaps offer a few words of compassion. Some are strangers but some are descendants of students from my teaching days. It is so rewarding to know that the seeds of faith I helped to nourish are bearing fruit! The most kind and generous people come through the doors of the Monastery. It is my joy to be able to say to them, Have a blessed day! Pat Muehlbauer St. Paul of the Cross Monastery & Church Newsletter Page 1 of 8

Church Renovation Project Visitors to St. Paul of the Cross Monastery Church in South Side, Pittsburgh, are struck by the beauty and serenity they feel inside the building.

2 Church Renovation Project Visitors to St. Paul of the Cross Monastery Church in South Side, Pittsburgh, are struck by the beauty and serenity they feel inside the building. Originally constructed in 1859, the church is built of brick in the Romanesque style that offers a warm, traditional place in which to pray and celebrate Eucharist. Over the years various improvements were made to the Church: a new façade was added in 1886, and the first stained glass windows were installed the following year. About the same time, the original slate altar was replaced by a marble one, and a pipe organ was added. Some of the major work includes: Electrical wiring and lighting improvements Fire alarm system installation Repair of church flooring Plastering and painting Pew replacement and ADA restroom construction Sound system improvements An oil painting of St. Paul of the Cross hangs beneath the rose window. The Vatican gave the painting to St. Paul s in In 1919 a stunning rose window with deep tones of azure and ruby was designed and installed by George Sutter, in the style of medieval jeweled glass found at the Cathedral of Rheims in Paris. Murals grace the ceiling depicting scenes from the life of St. Paul of the Cross and other Passionist saints. In 1981 the Monastery Church was designated as a historic building by the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. At this juncture of our history, our beloved Church is in need of upgrading and renovation to better serve the needs of our people. The cost for these improvements is around $2 million. Campaign packets were mailed to over 1800 persons in April 2018 and pledges are coming in. We will keep you informed of campaign progress in future editions of this newsletter. If you have not made a gift yet, please consider supporting this worthwhile project to enhance the beauty and structural integrity of our Church. Donations may be made at the Monastery Office or sent online at our secure website: stpaulofthecrossmonastery.com. Thank you in advance for your generous support! Fr. Michael Salvagna, CP St. Paul of the Cross Monastery & Church Newsletter Page 2 of 8

In Our Community Presenting Brother Matt, CP In the Beginning.. In the 1850s, Western Pennsylvania was a vast wilderness that was quickly swelling its numbers through immigration from Europe.

Bishop Michael O Connor, the first Bishop of Pittsburgh, had the responsibility of ministering to Catholics scattered across 22 counties.

3 In Our Community Presenting Brother Matt, CP In the Beginning.. In the 1850s, Western Pennsylvania was a vast wilderness that was quickly swelling its numbers through immigration from Europe. Roman Catholics who arrived on our shores received little spiritual shepherding due to a shortage of clergy and religious. Bishop Michael O Connor, the first Bishop of Pittsburgh, had the responsibility of ministering to Catholics scattered across 22 counties. To help him with this daunting task, he invited several religious communities to establish foundations in his Diocese. One such group was the Congregation of the Passion. In November 1852 four Passionists, Fathers Anthony Calandri, Albinus Magno, Stanislaus Parczyk, and Brother Lawrence DiGiacomo, sailed from Italy and docked in Philadelphia, PA. Unfamiliar with the language and culture of Americans, these dedicated missionaries made the difficult overland journey to Pittsburgh to plant their Congregation in the burgeoning city of Pittsburgh. In two short years the three priests and one brother succeeded in building a Monastery in what is now the South Side in Pittsburgh, and dedicated it to their founder. Brother Matthew Krawchyk celebrated 60 years as a Passionist on March 7, Fr. Mark Ward, CP, Rector, received the renewal of his vows at the Community Mass in our Chapel. Brother Matt grew up in the Imperial neighborhood of Pittsburgh, one of six children. After attending high school at West Allegheny, he listened to the whisper of Jesus in his heart, calling him to religious life, and entered the Passionists here in his home town. Now retired, Br. Matt spent most of his active years as maintenance supervisor at Holy Family Monastery in W. Hartford, CT. While there he organize and assisted on weekend retreats for teenagers. Br. Matt was gracious in serving the poor who came to the Monastery seeking assistance, often doing minor repairs in their homes. He misses his lifelong hobbies of fishing and golf, but has become an avid reader. St. Paul of the Cross ( ), Paul Daneo, was an 18 th Century Italian mystic, gifted preacher and director of souls. He was raised up by God to found a new Congregation in the Church to meditate upon and proclaim the passion and death of Jesus as the permanent sign of God s love for humanity. In 1859 the Monastery Church was dedicated in his honor, and in 1981 it was declared a Pittsburgh Historic Landmark. St. Paul of the Cross Monastery & Church Newsletter Page 3 of 8

Providing Listening Ears and Hearts for the 5 th Step At St. Paul s Monastery we have five priests who do what is called Fifth Step Ministry. This has been a part of St.

4 Providing Listening Ears and Hearts for the 5 th Step At St. Paul s Monastery we have five priests who do what is called Fifth Step Ministry. This has been a part of St. Paul s ministry for many years. At St. Paul s we hear over 150 Fifth Steps every year. Let s take a brief look at the Twelve Steps. Before an alcoholic even takes the First Step, he or she has to hit some kind of bottom Their drinking isn t working anymore they re drinking because they have to they can t stop it. Maybe they lost their job or family, maybe they have some DUIs, maybe things are still holding together, but they just can t stop their drinking. They stop into a bar for a drink or two and always end up with a whole lot more. Maybe they drink alone at home and it ends up being a quart of something too often. In the first three Steps of AA people begin to own up to the fact that their lives are unmanageable, they need help, and they can t do it themselves. AA s first Three Steps help them to turn their lives over to the care of a Higher Power, whom most AAers call God. God will help them. Other folks in AA witness to how God helped them stop their drinking. The newcomer is encouraged to simple prayer. They can trust that God will help them. They are in the midst of AA s spirituality their relationship to God. The first five steps are about what I would call soul work admitting their failures and opening their hearts to God s healing power, because they can trust God s loving mercy. In the Fourth and Fifth Steps they face their wrongs and admit their past failures to God and to another human being. The Fourth and Fifth Steps help show them their character defects and how they have hurt others and themselves manipulation, lying, using others, self-centered fears, resentments and anger etc. In the Fifth Step they share these character defects with another person, seeking God s forgiveness. In Pittsburgh many AAers come to St. Paul s for their Fifth Step. As I have worked with AAers I have seen the Twelve Steps as a spiritual discipline. AAers don t just stop drinking. Their lives change and take on a spiritual depth of prayer and service to others. Do they do this perfectly? Of course not. Are they saints? Of course not. But God and prayer and service and honesty and humility and compassion and forgiveness all of these become alive in their lives. They say it best: progress, not perfection. Fr. Don Ware, CP St. Paul of the Cross Monastery & Church Newsletter Page 4 of 8

Confraternity of the Passion Our Passionist Family reaches far and wide! The spiritual lives of many men and women have been influenced by our Passionist charism and spirituality.

5 Confraternity of the Passion Our Passionist Family reaches far and wide! The spiritual lives of many men and women have been influenced by our Passionist charism and spirituality. Among our extended family we single out for special mention the Confraternity of the Passion, which was established by our founder St. Paul of the Cross. The Confraternity of the Passion is a devotional union of men and women dedicated in a special way to the Passion of Jesus. Members of the Confraternity join St. Paul of the Cross as disciples at the foot of the Cross. The simple Rule of Life includes the subjects of Prayer, the Passion of Christ and our suffering world. Members view the suffering of our world thru the lens of the Cross, recognizing God s loving presence even there. Jesus does not abandon those who suffer. We are all called to be disciples at the foot of the Cross. Our Pittsburgh Confraternity has members all over the United States and the world, including England, Philippines and South America. We stay in touch with them via a modern resource for preaching the Word of the Cross. Some of our local confraternity members with Fr. Donald Ware, CP, and Fr. Jerome Vereb, CP. They are gathered at the shrine of the Servant of God Fr. Theodore Foley, CP, who died in 1974 and whose body rests in our church. Fr. Foley s cause for sainthood has been presented in Rome. May he be elevated to the altar so that his example may shine to the glory of the priesthood and commitment to the Cross. We ask this through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with the Holy Spirit, One God forever. Amen. From Prayer for Fr. Foley s cause St. Paul of the Cross Monastery & Church Newsletter Page 5 of 8

Paul of the Cross Province. Fr. James O Shea was elected Provincial (2 nd from left in photo above), along with 4 Consultors: Fr. Enzo Del Brocco, C.P., Fr. Jim Price, C.P., Fr. William Murphy, C.P., and Fr.

6 PASSIONISTS ELECT FR. JAMES O SHEA, CP, AS THEIR NEW PROVINCIAL! Passionist priests and brothers from the eastern Province of the US and Puerto Rico came together in Rye Brook, NY the week of May 6, 2018 to pray and choose new leadership for St. Paul of the Cross Province. Fr. James O Shea was elected Provincial (2 nd from left in photo above), along with 4 Consultors: Fr. Enzo Del Brocco, C.P., Fr. Jim Price, C.P., Fr. William Murphy, C.P., and Fr. Hugo Esparza-Perez, C.P. (Holy Cross Province). They will lead the Province for the next four years. Also in the photo are V.Rev. Joachim Rego, General of the Congregation (third from left in the front row) and V. Rev. Denis Travers, General Consultor from Rome (first in back row). You can see the news and ministry of Passionists around the world by viewing St. Paul of the Cross Monastery & Church Newsletter Page 6 of 8

Awakening the Faith of Catholic Men on Retreat On Friday evening, February 9th, a flood of men from all parts of the Diocese of Pittsburgh flowed through the corridors of St.

7 Awakening the Faith of Catholic Men on Retreat On Friday evening, February 9th, a flood of men from all parts of the Diocese of Pittsburgh flowed through the corridors of St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Center in the South Side of Pittsburgh. The chapel reverberated with the voices of 85 men singing traditional hymns and hymns of worship and praise. It was the 2018 Men s retreat, which continued a tradition that began more than 40 years ago. In front of me I saw three generations of worshippers sharing a pew; they included a grandfather, his son, and his grandson. Their eyes were fixed on the Holy Eucharist exposed in a monstrance. The retreat continued until Sunday afternoon. Catholic spirituality provided the foundation for the retreat. Between praying the Liturgy of the Hours each morning and evening the men participated in Eucharistic adoration, the Holy Rosary, walking reflectively along the path of an outdoor Stations of the Cross, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Although there were moments of reflective silence the weekend was not exclusively devoted to prayer; there was plenty of good food and laughter, which is characteristic of Christian fellowship. The library and reading room were stocked with inspiring books to deepen our spiritual lives, but I found that I wasn t likely to get through more than a page or two before I was drawn into a lively conversation about the challenges and opportunities of living a life of faith in today s world. The camaraderie between the men illustrated the theme of the retreat: In Christ, United in Mind and Heart. Not only did the retreat strengthen our identity as members of the Body of Christ, it challenged us to reach beyond the parameters of the institutional church to become a vibrant presence in the surrounding community. There were workshops emphasizing the relationship between empathy (the ability to understand and share other people s feelings) and compassion (the motivation and ability to act upon the feeling of empathy). Compassion draws one out of oneself and one s comfortable and familiar surroundings to minister to the world. Men shared their experiences during conferences, talking about what it means to remain in Christ and to allow Christ to dwell in us. They also identified the many gifts of the Holy Spirit; and discussed what it means to live with compassion and love. One of the Passionist priests created devotional audio-visual presentations to stoke our imagination during our prayers. These visual images helped to make our prayers more vivid and moving. There was also a documentary video by Bishop Robert Barron. The day after the retreat one of the men reflected on his experience: I went to Mass this morning and I was thinking -- I want to hold onto this feeling forever. As the men carry the fellowship of the retreat into all areas of their lives they demonstrate the awakening of faith among our laity and the vibrancy of the New Evangelization in our churches. Author Matthew Hawkins is a seminarian studying for the priesthood for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Printed with permission from The Pittsburgh Catholic St. Paul of the Cross Monastery & Church Newsletter Page 7 of 8

Our Mass Schedule: Saturday 5:30 PM Sunday 8:00 & 10:00 AM Weekday 8:00 AM, 5:30 PM Holyday: 5:30 PM anticipated, 8:00 AM & 5:30 PM Monday with Passionist Novena

8 Non Profit.Org U.S.POSTAGE Paid Permit No.2427 Pittsburgh, PA St. Paul of the Cross Monastery and Church 148 Monastery Ave. Pittsburgh, PA Come worship the Lord with us! Our Mass Schedule: Saturday 5:30 PM Sunday 8:00 & 10:00 AM Weekday 8:00 AM, 5:30 PM Holyday: 5:30 PM anticipated, 8:00 AM & 5:30 PM Monday with Passionist Novena 8:00 &10:00 AM, 2:00 & 5:30 PM Reconciliation: Mondays after each service, Mon-Sat after 8:00AM Mass Saturdays 3:00-4:00 PM Retreat: Please call or visit: Food Bank: 9:00 AM-12 Noon Fridays only St. Paul of the Cross Monastery & Church Newsletter Page 8 of 8

to Our Lady of Consolation

Pathwayse to Our Lady of Consolation Your Journey to Faith, Hope and Healing Spring/Summer 2011 A SEA OF CANDLES: THE AUGUST NOVENA AT OUR LADY OF CONSOLATION by Fr. John Stowe, O.F.M. Conv. Even though