MISSIONARIES OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES USA REGION rsmsfsusar-at-17 January 5, 2011 Dear Confreres: We have just begun a new year. We begin the new year on the first of the month of January. The name of the month comes from the Roman god, Janus, which means gate (opening, door). Janus has two faces, one looks behind, the other looks ahead, one is old and the other is young. It is urgent to close the door behind and look behind only to discover, glean, learn and discern the wisdom of yesterday. It is even more urgent to open the door in front and walk in, grounded in faith, moving in hope and living in love. The door (Janus) of 2011 is opened and we have walked in and we are now walking into the mystery of a new year. May God bless you and empower you to walk in this mystery with confidence, courage, determination and wisdom! We have left the known and the familiar and embraced the unknown and uncertain. We face the future, not knowing what the days and months will bring us or how we will respond. Let us pray that we welcome all who come our way; that we deepen our faith to see all of life as God s wonderful gift; that we live and move with hope and abiding trust in God-with-us, in God dwelling in us amidst all our joys and sorrows; that we rise each day with desire and decision to love life, love people, love all of God s creation and love our God; that we become optimistic, peaceful and joyful. We have important challenges to face. We must live lives of faith; we must move in hope in the face of difficulties and tragedies; we must concern ourselves with loving and serving; we must work for justice and peace; we must develop real spirituality, one that is rooted in life and not mere sentimentality; we must witness to the reality of Jesus and His Gospel. We definitely have to make our faith and our hope and our love more real for us and for the world around us. We have to live our life and fulfill our mission and be optimistic, peaceful and joyful as we go about fulfilling our mission in life. A Special Prayer for you today that God will bless you, protect you, care for you and grant you all the blessings of His Love the whole year through. Each day is a gift from God. May the year 2011 be a Happy and Holy and Grace-filled year for you and for all! May the year 2011 be God s wonderful gift to you and I pray that you will make it a gracious and joyful gift to others. Regional Assembly: February 7 th evening to February 11 th morning, 2011 The Regional Assembly of MSFS USA Region will be held from the evening of Monday, February 7, 2011 to the morning of Friday, February 11, 2011. Please register for the Regional Assembly by January 20, 2011 so that all necessary arrangements can be made at the Retreat House. All members of the region (permanent & short-term) are expected to participate in the assembly. If, for some serious reason, you are unable to participate in the assembly, you are requested to write to the 1
Superior General and get his permission to be absent from the assembly. MSFS USA region is directly under the administrative authority of the Superior General. Regional assembly will be a time of grace for all of us as it brings us together, provides us an opportunity to meet, pray, share and discuss our desires, aspirations, hopes and plans and to thank God for bringing us together as a community of brothers. There are a number of important matters to be discussed and decided and plans to be made for the growth of the Region, which will affect all members of the region as well as the provinces. Your presence is important and urgent. Our Superior General has informed me that Fr Abraham Vettuvelil will be his delegate at our Regional Assembly in February 2011. We look forward to having Fr. Abraham with us at our regional Assembly. Theme of the regional Assembly: Nurturing belongingness in community toward a fulfilling mission and ministry in USA. New Permanent Members for MSFS USA Region Fr. Agnelo Fernandes, our Superior General has informed me of the following decisions of the Curia Generalis: 1. Fr. Mathew Thottiyil of South West Province will be a fully affiliated member of MSFS USA Region from January 1, 2011. Fr. Mathew Thottiyil is now obliged to follow all the general and specific policies of USA Region. Fr. Mathew, we welcome you to our region as a permanent member. We look forward to your being fully involved in our ministry as Missionaries of St. Francis De Sales in USA. 2. Fr. Joseph Pottemmel of Nagpur Province will be fully affiliated member of the MFS USA Region from January 1, 2011. Fr. Joseph Pottemmel is now obliged to follow all the general and specific policies of USA Region. Fr. Joe, we welcome you to our region as a permanent member. We look forward to your being fully involved in our ministry as Missionaries of St. Francis De Sales in USA. 3. Fr. Mathew Thayil of Nagpur Province will be fully affiliated member of the MSFS USA Region from January 1, 2011. Fr. Mathew Thayil is now obliged to follow all the general and specific policies of USA Region Fr. Mathew, we welcome you to our region as a permanent member. We look forward to your being fully involved in our ministry as Missionaries of St. Francis De Sales in USA. 2
New Arrivals: Welcome to Fr. Roy Plathottathil and Vinod Kanatt from South West province for studies at De Sales University, Allentown, PA. Let us pray for them as they begin their studies and get settled into their new situation. I will send you their address and other details as soon as I have them. Silver jubilee of Fr. John DeVore John DeVore was born on August 22, 1925 in Detroit, Michigan, as the second son of his parents. John was baptized at the Church of the Visitation in Detroit. In 1926, the family moved to Chicago, Illinois. John received his first Holy Communion at the age of seven and was confirmed at the age of twelve in St. Dorothy Church. He attended Arthur Dixon Elementary School for eight years until his graduation there. In 1939, John lost his father due to a massive heart attack, and his family moved with his grandmother into a high-rise cooperative building. John attended high school at Hyde Park High and graduated in 1943. While in high school, John was able to earn after-school wages working at a furniture store, moving, dusting and cleaning. He also worked at Walgreens delivering packages of medicine using the store s bicycle and earned extra money by working Saturday mornings on the rifle range selling targets and ammunition. In 1943, John and several of his companions took the exam for specialized training in the Army. Young men were being sent overseas to participate in World War II, and serving in the army was also a good way to get a free college education. John and a companion got top grades on the exam. John was away for the weekend in the Indiana Dunes on the shores of Lake Michigan when his mother and her brother showed up with his invitation to join the U.S. Army. At the age of seventeen, with his mother s approval, John went to Lawrence, Kansas, joined the army and became a brave and tough infantry soldier. After a couple of basic trainings, John was assigned to the 66th Signal Repair Company in South Carolina. While in South Carolina, D-Day occurred and fierce battle ensued. Most of John s company was sent to Camp Holobird in Baltimore where they had to learn radio and transmitter repairs until the whole unit was ready for overseas duty. In 1945, John s company was sent overseas on a troop ship. After winning the war in Europe, they returned to the United States. During that time in history, it was difficult to find a job or enroll in college. After a few months working in an advertising agency, John was accepted to St. Ambrose College a Catholic university in Davenport, Iowa. In 1952, John received a bachelor s degree in electrical engineering. After his graduation, John took a position with the Public Service Company of Northern Illinois. John took the exam to become a professional engineer and passed after three tries. His next job was with Edison where he worked seven years. Following his time at Edison, John worked as an assistant editor of Electrified Industry which gave him ample opportunities for interviewing great dignitaries. John left that position after seventeen years. Next, John took a position in Atlanta, Georgia where he worked as editor of another electrical magazine for four years. During this time, John was a parishioner of St. Patrick s Church in Norcross, Georgia. John read many spiritual books during this time and also during his time at St. Ambrose College. He was much impressed by the life of St. Francis of Assisi. These readings made him question himself and the purpose of life. Fr. Ken Bayer, msfs was a great influence on John. Martin Kopchik (Fr. Marty), also influenced him at this time by helping him to realize that it is never too late to become a priest. Both John & Marty applied to the Superior General of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales to become Fransalian Missionaries. They were both accepted and called to England where they entered the Novitiate in 1981. Together they made their first profession as Missionaries of St. Frances de Sales on August 15, 3
1982. On their return to the United States, John joined the College of Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Washington, DC while Marty entered the Catholic University in Washington, DC for their studies of philosophy. John later attended Catholic University in Washington, DC and secured his master s degree in Theology in 1985. John was ordained a priest on January 24, 1986 by the Most Reverend Eugene Marino, Auxiliary bishop of Washington at St. Patrick Church in Norcross, Georgia. Fr. John served as parochial vicar at St. Lawrence Church in Lawrenceville where the late Fr. Ken Bayer, msfs was the pastor and Fr. Vincent Fernandes, msfs of Nagpur-Amravati Province was also a parochial vicar. In 1990, Fr. John was transferred to St. Patrick Church in Norcross. In 1993, after the death of Fr. Ken Bayer, Fr. John was appointed the pastor at St. Lawrence Church in Lawrenceville. After serving as pastor of St. Lawrence, Fr. John retired to Villa Luyet where he served as the Bursar of the then American Mission of the Missionaries of ST. Francis De Sales and the Superior and Bursar of Villa Luyet. He continued to say Mass and participate in other ministries of the Archdiocese as he was needed. At this time, Fr. John is enjoying good health after a couple of bouts of illness last summer. In fact, these days, Fr. John is busy sending invitations for his forthcoming Silver jubilee of his priestly ordination to be celebrated on January 24, 2011. Congratulations to you Fr. John! The MSFS USA Region is proud of you and joyfully joins you in thanking God for all his abundant blessings of twenty five years of priestly ministries and over eighty five years of exemplary life as a good Christian, persevering student, valiant soldier, committed editor and a dedicated worker. MSFS USA Region joins hands with the whole Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales and salutes you on your Jubilee day. Together, we pray that the Lord will give you good health of mind, body and spirit for many years to come. May your gracious and jovial presence with us attract many young men to join the MSFS to serve God and God s people. (Fr. Matthew Thayil, msfs ) Dear Father John, in behalf of the 45 confreres in USA Region, I thank God for blessing us with your vocation to the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Francis De Sales, especially to the USA Region. We thank you for accepting God s call and for your faithfulness to the ideals of religious life in our community. Your joyful, prayerful and simple life has blessed and inspired all of us. Thank you for twenty five years of dedication in ministry as a Fransalian priest. We rejoice with you as we remember your life as a Missionary of St. Francis De Sales. We gratefully remember your parents and all your loved ones for the gift that they have given us in your vocation. May God continue to bless you with good health and the joyful spirit that you have always nurtured. Hearty congratulations and prayerful wishes from all of us, your confreres in USA! Congratulations and Prayer wishes: Fr. Francis Thadathil is appointed Provincial Superior of North East India Province for a second term of 3 years beginning January 24, 2011 Fr. Anthony Dharmaraj is appointed Provincial Superior of South-East India Province for a term of three years from January 24, 2011. The installation ceremony of the new provincial will take place at the Provincialate in Trichy at 10:30am on Monday January 24, 2011. Let us pray for our confreres, Fr. Francis and Fr. Raj as they begin their new responsibilities in their provinces. 4
Philippine Delegation Our Superior General has constituted and established Philippine Delegation of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales under the authority of the Provincial Superior of South-West Province, India with effect from December 8, 2010. Fr. Ginu Pathiyakam is appointed Superior of the Delegation. Let us pray for Fr. Ginu as he begins his new responsibilities. Let us Pray... Fr. Kurian Aranjaniyil aged 79 of South West Province, passed away on December 26, 2010, in a car accident near Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu. Funeral services were held at 10:00am on Wednesday, December 29, 2010 at SFS Seminary, Ettumanoo, Kerala, India. Fr. George Pakumala of Vizag Province, passed away on December 26, 2010. He was 74 years old. His funeral service were held at 10:00am on December 30, 2010 at 10:00 am at Vadakkumcherry, Kerala, India. We express our deepest sympathies and our prayer for the two provinces of South West, India and Visakhapatnam, India as they grieve the loss of our senior confreres. We, in USA, will prayerfully and gratefully remember them, their families, their provinces and all their loved ones during this time of grief. May they rest in God s Peace. Conclusion: Dear confreres, thank you for your ongoing support. Be courageous and learn to walk faithfully! We are Fransalian Missionaries. We must learn to live a lifestyle that is uniquely Fransalian, different from that of the world around us. The only measure of our faith is how we live, not what we profess! Let us walk faithfully, for faithfulness is the mark of a man of God. You are in my daily prayer. God bless you and all you do for God s people and keep you safe in the center of His Love. Augustine Tharappel, msfs Regional Superior, MSFS USA Region 5