Winter 2018 V+J Oblates of St. Francis de Sales Toledo-Detroit Province Celebrating St. Francis de Sales
BONDINGS The Quarterly Oblate Magazine 450th Anniversary We recently celebrated the 450th anniversary of St. Francis de Sales birth (1567) in the Duchy of Savoy (modern France). Vatican City issued a special stamp commemorating the anniversary. De Sales feast day is Jan. 24. We celebrate on Jan. 10 the feast of St. Léonie Aviat, OSFS (known in religious life as Sister Frances de Sales Aviat), the cofounder with Blessed Louis Brisson of the Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales. This rich liturgical month concludes on Jan. 31 with the feast of St. John Bosco, founder of the Salesians. Francis de Sales is notable for his psychological insights into human nature. Many of his comments foreshadow the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. In his great Treatise on the Love of God, he says, Love is the abridgement of all theology! Elsewhere he adds, Those who love to be feared fear to love. One of his most often quoted thoughts is Be who you are and be that well! May we live our lives as De Sales did, expressed in his motto Suaviter et fortiter gently but courageously, always aware of how great is God s love and protection that surrounds us. Mission Statement The mission of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales of the Toledo- Detroit Province is, to Live Jesus according to Salesian spirituality in our personal and communal lives, and to share this spirituality with the People of God. Bondings Bondings is published regularly for the members and friends of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, Toledo-Detroit Province. Its purpose is to enhance and develop the bond we have through our common faith in Jesus Christ and Salesian spirituality. Bondings is free of charge to anyone on request. Send your name and address (or that of a friend) to the Provincial Office or call 419.724.9851. Provincial Office 2043 Parkside Blvd. Toledo, OH 43607-1597 419.724.9851 www.oblates.us Editorial Staff Father Roland Calvert, OSFS Father Tom Helfrich, OSFS FAITH Catholic 1500 E. Saginaw St. Lansing, MI 48906 Chairman Rev. Dwight Ezop President and CEO Patrick O Brien Editorial Director Elizabeth Martin Solsburg Graphic Designer Janna Stellwag 2 Editorial Staff
Salesian Reflection By Jacob Oberski On Oct. 12, 2017, the student body, faculty and guests of St. Francis de Sales H. S. in Toledo, Ohio gathered at Gesu Church for a Mass celebrating Founder s Day, which commemorates the beginning of the Oblate congregation. Senior Jacob Oberski offered the following reflection during the Mass. As we celebrate Founder s Day as a school community, we must ask ourselves: Is the Founder s mission and vision alive and strong today? Not just for the Oblates, but, would Father Brisson be proud of our Knight community? Well, my brother Knights, I am convinced that he would be proud of us. And I truly mean that. You see, I have personally been transformed by becoming a Knight. It was five years ago that my mother was first diagnosed with cancer. In those years, my Mom underwent chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and other treatments in her battle against cancer. These years consisted of hospital trips, pain, suffering, fears, anxieties, doubts and so many more difficulties. However, just after the first year of having this life-altering disease, my Mom s cancer went into remission, and her health seemed to be improving. All seemed to be going well and, finally, our home was stress and worry free. However, the joy faded when the cancer returned. What began as breast cancer became lung cancer, brain cancer, and cancer that has even invaded her spine. Through it all, my family trusts that God s will is unfolding in our lives. We are thankful that Mom is still with us today. Why would I share this with you? Ultimately, the reason is that I am wholeheartedly and endlessly grateful for each of you, my brother Knights. Your support and encouragement has been life-changing to me. Whether it is the entire school wearing the pink soccer shirts, the meals donated to my family during the week, or the endless support I receive from all of my teachers to be the best version of myself, all of this is concrete evidence of our founder s mission being lived out in the Knight Community. So, I think Father Brisson would be proud. I certainly am. And grateful. The mission and vision are alive and strong. May God be blessed as we continue to change the world and live the words of Father Brisson: Go, and reprint the Gospel with your lives! Winter 2018 www.oblates.us 3
BONDINGS The Quarterly Oblate Magazine Oblate Associates Oblate associates are young men in various colleges throughout the country who are discerning a possible vocation to the Oblates. They pursue their college education but also commit to learning about religious life and the Oblates via e-mails, social media, personal visits from Father Mike Newman OSFS (director of Novices), associate retreats and social gatherings. There currently are 57 associates enrolled. Please pray for them and their discernment process. From (l-r): DeSales University associates Andy Okuley, Pat Ludlow and Will Edwards with Father Dan Lannen, OSFS. Associate trip to the Cross in the Woods and Grand Rapids, Mich. From (l-r): Father Alan Zobler, OSFS with Oblate associates Ben Meyers (MIT), Eric Nusbaum (University of Dayton), James Karban (OSU), Jacob Reece (OSU) and scholastic Craig Irwin, OSFS. This picture was from our summer associate gathering at St. Francis de Sales School in August 2017. 4 From (l-r): Associate Joe Kochendoerfer (University of Toledo), Postulant Jimmy Herrighty, Father Tim McIntire, OSFS, Associate Nick Fresco (DSU), Associate Matt Trovato (DSU) and Associate Andy Okuley (DSU). Trip to Niagara Falls February 2017.
Father Depcik meets Pope Francis In October 2017, Father Mike Depcik, OSFS attended a conference in Rome sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization. It was titled, Catechesis and Persons with Disabilities: A Necessary Engagement in the Daily Pastoral Life of the Church. Father Depcik was one of the presenters sharing on Christian Prayer: The Religious Dimension. More than 400 people from all over the world attended. Conference participants had a private audience with Pope Francis. Father Mike gave a DVD to the pope about the 100th anniversary celebration of the Detroit Catholic Deaf Ministry. He said to the Holy Father, I am deaf and we deaf people love you! Pope Francis reaction is clear from the picture! Winter 2018 www.oblates.us 5
BONDINGS The Quarterly Oblate Magazine Assembly of the North American Provinces 6 In June 2017, the members of the North American Oblate Provinces (Toledo-Detroit and Wilmington-Philadelphia) gathered at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, for a week of prayer, study, reflection and social interaction.
Our Provincial, Ken McKenna, shared a powerful message from Father Brisson, our Founder: We take as our motto to do passionately well what we do and to have good courage. The Convocation was a sacred time to come together. An inspiring call to do more of that in building a great future as servants of the Lord. Father Tom Helfrich, OSFS Winter 2018 www.oblates.us 7
BONDINGS The Quarterly Oblate Magazine Father Richard McLernan, OSFS (1929-2017) Father Rich died on Oct. 4, 2017, at the Rosary Care Center in Sylvania, Ohio. He was born in Philadelphia and attended Northeast Catholic H. S. He earned his bachelor s in classical languages from Niagara University in 1954, a Licentiate of Sacred Theology from the University of Fribourg in 1958 and a master s in chemistry from the University of Notre Dame in 1963. He made his first profession as an Oblate in 1948 and was ordained a priest in July 1957. Father McLernan devoted his ministry to education, teaching at Oblate schools in Lockport, N.Y. (DeSales Catholic), Philadelphia (Father Judge H.S.), Toledo, Ohio (St. Francis de Sales H.S.), Salt Lake City (Judge Memorial H.S.) and Jackson, Mich. (Lumen Christi H.S.). His career as an educator lasted nearly a half-century. Father Richard also is remembered for his excellent homilies, which have been published in two separate volumes available from EmbracedbyGod.org. The funeral Mass was celebrated at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Michigan Center, Mich. with the Toledo-Detroit Provincial Father Ken McKenna, OSFS presiding and the homily given by Father Geoff Rose, OSFS. A very large gathering of fellow Oblates, former students, parishioners and friends mourned his passing. There is no change in human experience more profound than death, except this one: death and rebirth. There you get a sense of how God sees commitment to faith a change as deep and far-reaching as that of death itself. From a homily by Father McLernan 8 I think the first time I met Rich was at a Salesian Conference, when I first joined the Oblates. I was struck by his desire to soak up any opportunity for Salesian scholarship. I lived with Rich for ten years in the
Jackson house, a three story behemoth of a house. He always lived on the top floor. I attribute his good health, in part, to the two and a half flights of stairs every trip! The most vivid thing I will always remember about Rich is his faithfulness. If he said he was going to do it, he did it! He always supported me as the young priest in terms of getting behind new things I tried at school even if they weren t things he preferred. I will always be grateful for that. It s easy to support things you like, but to support something not because you like it, but just to support the person who is doing it, well that is a powerful form of fraternal love. I always chuckled when Rich would explain why he never desired to teach religion/theology. Obviously, he had higher education in the sciences, but his reason was quite simple, and was so true of his basic personality. He would say, Everyone can have an opinion, but not every opinion is equal. I never want to teach a subject where the student can say, That s your opinion. The laws of physics aren t interested in your opinions! Father Geoff Rose, OSFS Toledo, Ohio Despite his reputation as a tough teacher when it came to chemistry and mathematics, Father always was kind and gentle in counseling. I learned early in the relationship that if I didn t want to hear the truth, don t bring it up. There always was time for a little humor, mostly about the limitations of our mutual age. Father McLernan was my spiritual advisor for almost nine years until his final illness. Each time we ended our sharing time, he gave me a short motto for meditation: There is no such thing as a fib. If it isn t true it s a lie ; If we try to deceive someone, it is always an attempt to make ourselves look better in that person s opinion ; and It is an insult to God to deny our talents, in order to appear humble. Beverly Garges, Michigan Center, Mich. Winter 2018 www.oblates.us 9
BONDINGS The Quarterly Oblate Magazine In Memoriam Consider how happy the blessed are in the enjoyment of God. God favors them forever with the sight of his gracious presence and thereby infuses into their hearts a deep delight. How great a happiness it must be to be united to their Creator! St. Francis de Sales Eunice McKenna It was hard for us to watch Mom lose her memories over these past ten years. One of the nurses a few years ago wanted to prepare us for the day Mom would not recognize us. She shared that her mother had died from Alzheimer s and, like our family, her father faithfully visited her mom almost every day. Near the end her mom rarely spoke, but two weeks before passing she looked up at her husband and said: Sir, I do not know who you are but I know that I love you. The nurse said those beautiful words were a comfort to her family during the funeral. A number of us Oblates have used that story in homilies. It fits some Scripture so well: For Love is strong as Death from the Song of Songs and from 1 Corinthians: So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love. I must confess I was secretly hoping Mom would leave me something similar for this homily. She didn t speak the day she passed so I asked the nurses if she had said anything recently. One of them said: Well yes, just a few days ago I was walking toward her with the blood pressure cuff to take her blood pressure. She looked up, and as clear as day, said: Don t even try. That was very Mom. But I thought: Lord, what do you do with that? From the funeral homily for his mother by Father Ken McKenna, OSFS at Gesu Church, Toledo, Oct. 7, 2017 Bob Ziolkowski 10 I met the Ziolkowskis in the early 1970s when Tom and the younger Bob were campers and eager sailors at Camp De Sales. It s been a joy and blessing
to know Bob all these years. Gathered with Pat and the children before the funeral, I realized all eight had been campers. That led me to ask how many had been on staff. Every one of them! Camp De Sales was only one of many outreaches Bob committed himself to. He served as chair of Camp s Board of Directors for many years. He worked closely with Oblate Bill Auth as an integral board member for the Maya Indian Mission. Inspired by his friends, Dr. Jim and Connie O Connor, Bob made many visits to their medical clinic in Bolivia. Perhaps most dramatically, more than 35 years ago, he and his brother John were pivotal in the founding of the Interfaith Shelter in Jackson, Mich., that provides meals and overnight shelter for the city s most needy. Bob s faith, his love of the Salesian spirit and his dedication to the Church were as strong as his love for his family. In fact, all eight of his children were convinced of being his favorite. It s fair to say that all life long Bob was answering the question Jesus repeated three times to Peter in the final chapter of John s Gospel, Do you love me? His spirit, devotion and outreach were his way of saying yes over and over again. Father Tom Helfrich, OSFS, Clarklake, Mich. Of what value is belief in an afterlife? Well, that s a question you must answer for yourself. To me, it makes all the difference. Nothing I do makes any sense without a belief in the afterlife. Nothing makes sense. The good I do doesn t make sense. The evil I do doesn t make sense. Without a notion of a divine good, or retribution of some value outside my own mind that can be placed on human actions, what does good mean or evil or virtue or vice or anything? If we re all just a bunch of cosmic mistakes spinning along through space for a 60 or 80 or 100 year ride on this fragment of interstellar dust, what does anything matter? I would like to quote an author on this topic whose name I have lost: I am obliged to believe in an abyss of love, which is deeper than the abyss of death. I dare not lose faith in that love. I sink into death, eternal death, if I do. I must feel that love is encompassing the universe. More about it I cannot know. God knows. I leave myself all to Him. Father Richard McLernan, OSFS, The Seed Is the Word of God, his reflections on the Sunday readings, pages 419-20. Publisher: DeSales Resource Center Winter 2018 www.oblates.us 11
V+J Oblates of St. Francis de Sales Toledo-Detroit Province 2043 Parkside Blvd. Toledo, OH 43607-1597 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID LANSING, MI PERMIT NO. 689