P a g e 1 June, 2018 Volume 9, Issue 6 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 June Gathering Please note that our June Gathering will take place on Sunday, June 24. Father s Day is June 17. So that members who are fathers may celebrate with their families, and for the rest of us to honor the good men in our lives, Council pushed our June Gathering to June 24. Don t forget we want to see you when we meet on June 24! And God bless all our brother Franciscans who are fathers, grandfathers, Godfathers, uncles, and priests! 40 th Anniversary of the Franciscan Rule The Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order was updated and approved by Pope Paul VI on June 24, 1978. There will be a 40 th Anniversary celebration of the Rule at the June Gathering, featuring an ongoing formation teaching on its impact on the Order and how we can apply its teaching to our daily lives. Please be sure to attend! Fraternity Council Robert Burtscher, OFS - Minister Roberto Meza, OFS - Vice Minister Larry McNutt, OFS - Secretary Rick Dunlap, OFS - Treasurer Paul Tag, OFS - Councilor Jose Ventosa, OFS - Councilor Debbie Ventosa, OFS - Formation Fr. Dennis Arambasick, OFM - Spiritual Assistant Monthly Gatherings 3 rd Sunday, 1:30 PM St. Nicholas Byzantine Church 1051 Robinson Avenue Barberton, Ohio St. George Hall (behind the church) Visitors are welcome and expected! The next Gathering will be June 24, 2018.
P a g e 2 Sunday Betty DeMarco, OFS Mary Tag, OFS Paul Tag, OFS Monday Rose Akins, OFS Judith Hoyt, OFS Richard Russelo, OFS Tuesday Maria Elena Meza, OFS Roberto Meza, OFS Larry McNutt, OFS Eileen Dunlap, OFS Chris Devore Lee Ann Devore Wednesday Rick Dunlap, OFS Bill Marshall, OFS Sandy Pollino, OFS Dorothy Takacs, OFS Thursday Joanne Angeletti, OFS Carol Perrine, OFS Sandy Pollino, 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. When you find yourself at church, say a prayer of adoration to our good Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Urgent Prayer Request Bishop George Murry, SJ, Bishop of Youngstown, was hospitalized at the Cleveland Clinic with acute leukemia. He is undergoing several weeks of chemotherapy and recovery. His Excellency has resigned as Chair of the USCCB s Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism as a result of his illness. We understand he has been released to recover at home. Please add Bishop Murry to your daily prayers. Our fraternity straddles the Youngstown and Cleveland Dioceses, and we are blessed to have Richard Russelo representing the Steubenville Diocese. We are very grateful indeed for Bishop Murry (Youngstown), Bishop Pérez (Cleveland), Bishop Monforton (Steubenville), and of course our good Father Dennis. Every day, they sacrifice for the salvation of our souls, serve unselfishly, bring us the Sacraments, and pray for us. God bless and protect each of our good shepherds. Jesus, in Your endless mercy, remain close to Bishop Murry. Let him feel Your strong and loving presence. If it is Your will, heal and cure him of his illness, so that he may continue to serve You and Your children in the Youngstown Diocese and beyond. Protect him spiritually, physically, and mentally, and bring him Your peace.
P a g e 3 Fraternity Apostolates Eucharistic Adoration We pray daily in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at our local parishes. See any Council member if you can dedicate time in Adoration, and to pray to our good Jesus for the faithfulness and spiritual protection of the Franciscan Order and our Fraternity. Food Pantry Apostolate Bring non-perishable food items and/or hygiene items to the Gathering for our monthly donation to one of the local food pantries operated by the parishes of our members. Infirmarian Apostolate If you are cannot attend the Gathering for any reason, please contact a Council member. If you anticipate surgery or other health issues, Council will notify Maria Elena Meza, who will see you are visited by a Fraternity member and that you receive Communion if your parish has not already made arrangements. If you want to help, contact Maria Elena Meza. Little Portion Apostolate Every month at the Gathering, a member provides a bagged lunch to be delivered by another member to the homeless of downtown Akron or Canton. See any Council member to help. Prayer Chain Apostolate When you need prayer for yourself or a special intention, contact Rick Dunlap. Rick will notify your Fraternity family, and you will be assured of sincere prayer assistance. As Jesus told us, Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I will be with them. Prison Ministry Apostolate The Prison Ministry collection jar is available at each Gathering. Before Christmas, Council will purchase Bibles to distribute to prisoners with the approval of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Please see anyone on Council if you have questions. Rhoda Wise House Apostolate If you want to volunteer and/or make a donation to Servant of God Rhoda Wise s house, see Rose Akins. Mrs. Wise reportedly received apparitions and healings from Jesus and St. Therese. Her cause for beatification is now being investigated by the Youngstown Diocese. Stand Up for Life Apostolate Contact anyone on Council if you want to witness to the Catholic doctrine of the defense and dignity of life. 3 rd Saturday of each month, 10 AM-Noon, Northeast Ohio Women Center, 2127 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls. June representatives Rose Akins and Bill Marshall. St. John Vianney Seminarian Support Apostolate Monthly donations are collected at the Gathering, and all members are asked to pray daily in support of Frater (Brother) Gastor Bahati of the Moshi Diocese in Tanzania, as well as the five Franciscan seminarians we have adopted in Cleveland.
P a g e 4 Hospitality, Food Pantry, and Little Portion Bob Burtscher will provide lunch for our June Gathering. If you would like to assist Bob with the meal, please give him a call. June Profession Anniversaries Mike Butts and Gene Grande 14 Years Christine Davis 12 Years St. Francis de Sales Parish was selected for the May food pantry offering. Kenny Green delivered the pantry items. Lucy McNutt will prepare our Little Portion offering to the poor for June. Bill Marshall will deliver it to the street people and homeless of downtown Akron. Long overdue thanks to Lucy McNutt for organizing our luncheon set up every month, and to Fr. Miron, Joanne Angeletti, and St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Parish for so generously hosting our monthly Gathering. God bless you all! June Birthdays Deacon Fred Browne June 3 Elizabeth Francis June 13 Susan Kramer June 29 St. Anthony of Padua Relics on Tour Starting Friday, June 8, two first class relics of St. Anthony will tour the Dioceses of Cleveland and Youngstown, escorted by Fr. Mario Conte, OFM of Padua, Italy, where St. Anthony is buried. The complete schedule is at (http://www.livingbreadradio.com/2017/07/fatimacentennial-tour/). In the Akron/Canton area, the relics will be at Saint Anthony-All Saints Parish, Canton on June 10 from 8:30 AM-3:45 PM, and at the Shrine of Our Lady, Comforter of the Afflicted, Youngstown on June 12 from 7 AM-6:15 PM.
P a g e 5 Formation News Cindy Russo, and Chris and Lee Ann Devore, are studying hard, with the help and encouragement of their sponsors (Rose Akins, OFS; Paul Tag, OFS; and Mary Tag, OFS). The candidates present the lesson under the direction of Debbie Ventosa, with the support of professed members of the fraternity. They also explore other sources of Franciscan and Church teaching and how to apply all this to their daily lives as Franciscans. If you can spare an evening, you will not regret reinforcing your Franciscan studies, nor in the support you offer to our candidates! Debbie invites professed members to join the candidates and sponsors for Formation classes at her home, twice monthly on Thursday evenings from 7 PM to 9 PM. Check with her to confirm upcoming classes. Profession will be at St. Barnabas in Northfield on October 6, and the St. Padre Pio Prayer Group will host a reception afterward. God bless our candidates, their sponsors, and our faithful Formation Director! Ongoing Formation Susan Kramer led the May Ongoing Formation on Article 20 of the Constitution, followed by Father Dennis s insight and teaching, clarifying how we can bring this Franciscan lesson into practice in our daily lives. Afterward, we discussed the challenges of living this Article: 1. Secular Franciscans, committed by their vocation to build the Kingdom of God in temporal situations and activities, live their membership both in the Church and in society as an inseparable reality. St. Francis asks us to live the Gospel, and to bring the Gospel to life. We cannot separate our Faith life from any facet of our life in the world. We must fully live our vocation, even when it is countercultural and politically incorrect. We live our Faith as an open book, simply and honestly. 2. As the primary and fundamental contribution to building a more just and fraternal world, they should commit themselves both to the generous fulfillment of the duties proper to their occupation and to the professional training that pertains to it. With the same spirit of service, they should assume their social and civil responsibilities. No one was ever bullied into loving Jesus or the Church. While maintaining the dignity of others and extending courtesy, we must never fail to defend the Church or its teachings. We cast our vote and unhesitatingly, openly live our lives within our Catholic morality and teaching, with no boundaries between our consciences and our actions, unselfishly serving our communities and parishes as faithful Catholics and Franciscans.
More Thoughts on JPIC (by Betty DeMarco, OFS) QUESTION: How can we become better JPIC persons? P a g e 6 To answer this question, let us examine again what JPIC is all about. to assist the professed Secular Franciscan as they reflect and meditate on their relationship with God with special regard to our daily choices made in the area of justice, peacemaking and respect for all people and created things (underscoring added). As one can read in this JPIC Mission Statement, we are to reflect and meditate on our relationship with God. This is, of course, our daily commitment: to grow in virtue - in holiness. But I suggest that during this month of June, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we more mindfully attempt to sharpen our focus on how we are doing. We will have many special days for prayer to check ourselves on how we are doing in deepening our friendship with Our Lord. Here are just a few June feast days: Corpus Christi, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, on June 3 Sacred Heart of Jesus, on June 8 Immaculate Heart of Mary, on June 9 St. Anthony of Padua, on June 13 A plan to consider: make an appointment for a 10-minute break (set a timer) every day to specifically examine where you are in your friendship with the Lord. If we do that, I think, we will make strides in growing spiritually, and, thereby, become a better Secular Franciscan and a better JPIC person. And, this just might create our daily choices made in the area of justice, peacemaking, and respect for all people and created things to take on a greater JPIC flavor. Save The Date Assumption of the BVM (Holy Day of Obligation) August 15 Fraternity Picnic August 19 Hike with Fr. Dennis September 1 St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Profession October 6 Day of Recollection November