December, 2018 Volume 9, Issue 12

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1 P a g e 1 December, 2018 Volume 9, Issue 12 The Cabrinian The newsletter of the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order, St. Maximilian Kolbe Region We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not depend on material success; nor on sciences that cloud the intellect. Neither does it depend on arms and human industries, but on Jesus alone. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Something to Consider After Mass, whether the weekend or daily Mass, please say a Memorare, Divine Mercy Chaplet, or a St. Michael prayer for spiritual protection of our brokenhearted Church. Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is patroness of the United States, Our Lady of Charity is patroness of Cuba, Our Lady of Guadalupe is patroness of Mexico and the Americas, and St. Joseph is patron of Canada. These are the native countries of our fraternity brothers and sisters. As Our Lady proclaimed to St. Juan Diego, No estoy yo aquí que soy tu madre? (Am I not here, I who am your mother?) Franciscan Quote of the Month I will go anywhere and do anything in order to communicate the love of Jesus to those who do not know Him or have forgotten Him. St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, MSC, OFS Virgin, Missionary July 15, December 22, 1917 (Feast Day November 13) Fraternity Council Robert Burtscher, OFS - Minister Roberto Meza, OFS - Vice Minister Larry McNutt, OFS - Secretary Rick Dunlap, OFS - Treasurer David Gaydos - Councilor Jose Ventosa, OFS - Councilor Debbie Ventosa, OFS - Formation Fr. Dennis Arambasick, OFM - Spiritual Assistant Monthly Gathering 3 rd Sunday, 1:30 PM St. Nicholas Byzantine Church 1051 Robinson Avenue Barberton, Ohio St. George Hall (behind the church) The December Gathering will be Sunday, December 16 at 1:30 PM. Visitors are most welcome and expected!

2 P a g e 2 Eucharistic Adoration Sunday Betty DeMarco, OFS Monday Rose Akins, OFS Annie Butts Judith Hoyt, OFS Richard Russelo, OFS Wednesday Rick Dunlap, OFS Bill Marshall, OFS Dorothy Takacs, OFS Thursday Joanne Angeletti, OFS Carol Perrine, OFS Tuesday Michael Butts, OFS Eugene Grande, OFS Maria Elena Meza, OFS Roberto Meza, OFS Larry McNutt, OFS Eileen Dunlap, OFS Chris Devore, OFS Lee Ann Devore, OFS Friday Bob Burtscher, OFS Dave Gaydos, OFS Lee Gaydos, OFS Debbie Ventosa, OFS Pepe Ventosa, OFS Saturday Mary Cate Roberts, OFS Susan Kramer, OFS The apostolate of daily Eucharistic Adoration is VITAL to our Fraternity. It does not depend only on the brothers and sisters listed above and is not only limited to one day. When you find yourself at church, say a prayer of adoration to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. *This apostolate is entering its 10 th year!* Fraternity Council Update On learning of the move of Paul and Mary Tag, OFS to Florida in October, Council was faced with filling the position of Councilor left vacant by Paul. Following fraternity guidelines, Council offered the position to David Gaydos, OFS, who graciously accepted the responsibility for the remainder of Paul s term. Thank you, Dave, and all our Council members, for your unselfish and dedicated service to our fraternity, the Order, and our Church! Also many thanks to those who volunteered to participate in our various apostolates for the upcoming year. We will have a schedule prepared to distribute at the December Gathering. Pepe Ventosa, OFS Councilor; Debbie Ventosa, OFS, Formation Director; Robert Burtscher, OFS Minister; Larry McNutt, OFS Secretary; David Gaydos, OFS Councilor; Rick Dunlap, OFS Treasurer; and Roberto Meza, OFS Vice Minister. Not Pictured Fr. Dennis Arambasick, OFM Spiritual Assistant

3 P a g e 3 Day of Recollection (November Gathering) Our annual Day of Recollection at the Shrine of Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted was a great day for spiritual growth and fellowship with our Franciscan brothers and sisters. Members from our fraternity, the Youngstown fraternity, as well as friends, brought the attendance to 46. Due to the weather, some who planned to attend were unable to come. After enjoying breakfast, the day started with Liturgy of the Hours and Lectio Divina. Fr. Vit Fiala, OFM gave a very informative talk which began with the question Is seeking and pursuing scandal a good thing? If it descends to gossip, no. But if it serves as a warning to amend our lives, yes. Father described how the devil is attacking the Church and God s people. Satan cannot attack God, so he goes after His children. He explained how Communism, homosexuality and other evils infiltrated the Church in the 1920s, leading to gradual changes in the views of many in the Church. This led to an antifamily agenda, and more previously unthinkable sins which have become acceptable in our secular society. Father cited Bella Dodd s testimony before the US Senate. Father reminded us that the OFM Rule insists they must be obedient unless it goes against our consciences. Fr. Vit s talk was followed by a Holy Hour, Confession, and Rosary, and then a beautiful Mass offered by Father Dennis, our Spiritual Assistant. After that, lunch, and Prayers for the Dead of our fraternities. Finally, Fr. Dennis presented his talk. Father spoke on the culture of death and the devil's attack on the family. We must remember that an attack on the family is also an attack on the Church and her clergy. Father stressed the teachings of Humanae Vitae. He read a passage from the Gospel, proclaiming that Jesus "came to the world to testify of the truth..." Many believe Catholic doctrine is "threatening". In fact, the opposite is true. Catholic doctrine protects the souls of those who live by it. Until the 1930's, all Christianity condemned contraception, which nullifies the act of creation and removes it from the hands of God. Father taught we cannot build a culture of life if we think contraception is acceptable, as oral contraceptives can sometimes act as abortifacients. Oral contraceptives are also Class 1 carcinogens, and when expelled into the environment by those who use them, they adversely affect the water supplies, endangering the health of other humans, fish, and wildlife. Contraception and abortion go against the teaching of the Church, as well as our Rule, which demands obedience to Church doctrine, and the protection and prudent defense of creation. Our Day of Recollection ended around 3:30 PM. Our great thanks to Fr. Vit, OFM and Fr. Dennis, OFM, as well as Marilyn Hoetzel, OFS and Debbie Ventosa, OFS who planned and coordinated the day. Lord, it was good for us to be together!

4 P a g e 4 Come and See Formation Director Debbie Ventosa, OFS reports that the Come and See in Northfield resulted in a new formation group. The Formation classes are being held at St. Barnabas Parish Rectory Room 2. Rose Akins, OFS will assist with Formation, and Betty DeMarco, OFS; Susan Kramer, OFS; and Cindy Russo, OFS will also attend as they are able. There will also be a Come and See for the Akron-Canton area on Wednesday, January 9 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at Casa Ventosa. Please feel free to invite Catholics who may have a vocation to the Franciscan Order and its charism of joyous and faithful service to Our Lord and His Church. Contact Debbie Ventosa for updates and further information. We pray God will send us faithful souls who want to serve God in imitation of our good St. Francis! Hospitality, Little Portion, and Food Pantry Offering Our Gathering on December 16 will be a potluck in celebration of the upcoming Christmas holy day. Please bring something to share, according to the initial of your last name: December Profession Anniversaries None this month! A through F - Side Dish G through L - Salad M through R Dessert S through Z Main Dish We do not have a Little Portion assignment for December, but we will still be collecting for the food pantry offering, so please be generous! *The Little Portion Apostolate is entering its 15 th year!* Reminder: A representative from Embrace, a pregnancy care alternative for women and men who are in difficult circumstances, will be our guest at our January Gathering. Instead of food pantry items, we will collect baby items, such as diapers, formula, clothing, etc. Also, the January Gathering meal will again be a potluck, with the same food assignments as above. December Birthdays None this month!

5 P a g e 5 Holy Land Pilgrimage by Susan Kramer, OFS Fred and I were blessed to participate in a pilgrimage to Israel with St. Sebastian Parish of Akron, as part of their 90 th anniversary. Our group included 38 pilgrims, faithfully led by Fr. John Valencheck, pastor of St. Sebastian, and Fr. Jared Orndorf, pastor of St. Joseph of Cuyahoga Falls. Our tour guide and his brother, who was our bus driver, are Melkite Catholics (whose Divine Liturgy is in Arabic). It was rather a shock to realize, coming from safe, friendly, and clean Ohio, that Israel is largely still a war zone, albeit a relatively peaceful war zone for the time being. We regularly passed through areas where landmines were being deactivated along the Jordanian border, and security checkpoints. One member of our group, who is a muscular Italian-American with a shaved head and a moustache, was routinely asked for his passport and visa by Israeli soldiers with machine guns. We all decided Dave appears to fit the stereotyped image of a terrorist, so he sat behind the driver to make it easier for the soldiers to check on him! The most spiritual places for me were Mount Tabor, the site of the Transfiguration; the Way of the Cross and the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem; Bethlehem, where a young Melkite Catholic man sang the Our Father to us (a capella) in Aramaic; sailing on the Sea of Galilee, where the sailors showed us how the Apostles fished with weighted nets; and the usually very small churches where we had Mass every day. Most of the country had a lot of litter and broken glass in the streets, especially in the Palestinian territories where there is no clear civil authority. The people were not terribly friendly. We were warned not to drink the water. National security is rightly their focus, rather than the niceties we Americans take for granted. But when we passed through the gates of the church courtyards (many Catholic churches are behind walls), it reminded me of when the Wizard of Oz went to Technicolor. Suddenly, there was peace, cleanliness, order, and pure beauty. Most of these churches are maintained by the Franciscans, who officially have Custody of the Holy Land since the time of St. Francis s courageous but unsuccessful mission to convert the Muslims during the Crusades 800 years ago. As the only Franciscan in the group, I took a bit of pride in this, which is not Franciscan of me at all! (Photograph courtesy of Fr. Valencheck that s me in the baseball cap beside the arch.) This is the Jerusalem Cross, which marks all the Franciscan holy sites. Our guide explained that the large cross represents the True Cross of Jesus, and the four smaller crosses depict Jesus s commission to His followers to spread the four Gospels to the four corners of the Earth. We did not visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum. The Catholic tour company who employs our guide and his brother does not include this on their itinerary because, on the Wall of War Criminals in the museum, a portrait of Pope Pius XII hangs, in spite of repeated objections from local Church and Vatican representatives. Pope Pius nobly saved the lives of thousands of Jews and others at risk of terror and murder by hiding them in Church institutions, thus placing himself, priests, nuns, and other Church representatives at risk of arrest, torture, and murder. Our guide told us that, as Catholics, he and his brother also personally refused to go there specifically for that reason. Sadly, we learned that Christians in the Holy Land (mostly Latin or Eastern Rite Catholics, or Orthodox) are a persecuted minority. In fact, our driver was stopped and charged with using his cell phone while driving us in Jerusalem. This is a far more serious offense in Israel than it is in the USA. All 38 of us protested that Obadiah never used his phone while driving, but he was still cited. If he is found guilty, he will lose his license and his job. I prayed for my parish priests, our fraternity, the Order, and our suffering Church every day while I was away. And when we returned to the Newark terminal, I smelled bacon and thought, God bless America! Shalom!

6 P a g e 6 Spiritual Pilgrimage at Home by Rose Akins, OFS JPIC Correspondent With the approach of Thanksgiving, and the New Year looming, I feel the urge to take some special "time out" from all the distractions - to spend some quality quiet time with Jesus. The desire to express thanksgiving and gratitude for the year behind and to help set some priorities for the new year ahead nags at me until I make a determined plan of action to do it. I need to make time for a spiritual pilgrimage. What is a Pilgrimage? A pilgrimage is a dedicated journey or time set aside for spiritual growth or renewal. Some may last a few hours, and some for a few days. The important thing is to reconnect, revitalize and renew our faith. Obviously, the unknowns of winter weather can make it hard to plan for destination pilgrimages. But that journey can take place within the hermitage of your own home with some effort to turn off and tune out the world for a little while. Some of the best retreats I have ever made have taken place at my own home. Some tips that have helped me: setting a defined time period in advance, perhaps two days using a spiritual retreat guide book that provides topics for reflection, with readings and questions to aid my journey keeping the television, radio, and computer off and the phone on silence (I set aside an hour per day to deal with phone calls that cannot be ignored) starting with a prayer of Blessing for the hermitage area I have chosen (whether it be my home, back patio, automobile or campsite) The most important thing to bring along is an open heart and ears so you can listen to God speaking to you. A journal also comes in handy to record any messages you hear or insights that come to you from the Holy Spirit. God is, after all, always desiring to speak with us, so if we make ourselves available, we know we are bound to hear something. He will not disappoint us. If your home is not a good option, check out a website for the National Association of Shrine and Pilgrimage Apostolate at There you will find listed 30 shrines from 17 states and the District of Columbia that have been designated as national Catholic shrines. Perhaps you will find one that inspires you to spend some intentional time alone with the Lord. What better way to start the New Year ahead! December 8 December 12 December 15 December 16 December 25 January 1 January 9 January 20 Save The Date! Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Holy Day of Obligation) Our Lady of Guadalupe (Patroness of Mexico and the Americas) Stand for Life (Bob Burtscher, OFS and Bill Marshall, OFS) December Gathering (St. Nicholas Byzantine Church, 1:30 PM) Christmas (Holy Day of Obligation) Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Holy Day of Obligation) Come and See (6:30 PM to 8:30 PM, Casa Ventosa) January Gathering (St. Nicholas Byzantine Church, 1:30 PM)