Inside this issue:
The Vincentian Mission In Kenya
Leadville, Colorado ...Revisited!
African Novices Find A Home In St. Louis
Also visit:
Around the Provinces:
Confrere News and Updates
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| Tom Kloppenborg | Ray Van Dorpe | Jim Fischer | Henry Piacitelli | Peter Baxter |
MIDWEST PROVINCE:
Provincial Office, St. Louis:
The Finance Department of the Midwest Provincial Office took part in a five-day training workshop for the new Blackbaud accounting software. This Windows-based program replaces an outdated DOS system that had been used for a number of years. It will enable our office to work more efficiently and manage our financial data in such a way as to help the Provincial (with his Council and executive staff) make more informed decisions concerning provincial operations and future planning. Attending all five days were Tom Beck, Kristin Durow and Pat Senft (all of the Finance Office). Attending for selected sessions were Michelle Ferguson (Insurance Coordinator) and Val Hopson (Data Entry and Reception). Also attending for the entire week were regional treasurers, Mike Walsh (Chicago), Tom Kloppenborg (St. Louis), and Lee Schumer (Perryville). It is hoped that all houses will eventually be able to tie into this program, via email, for financial reporting. Those onfreres who have been at the Provincial Office for lunch have appreciated the work of our cook, Dede Fritz. Dede was on medical leave during the month of October and the first week of November, but returned to the kitchen on November 10. Welcome back Dede! Ray Van Dorpe, attended the Provincial Assembly of the Southern Province during the week of October 20-24, in Dickinson Texas. Ray learned that there are now 23 confreres in that Province, but they also have six confreres (including our own Jim Fischer) working with them in various apostolates. Despite the small number of confreres, the province as a whole remains dedicated, hopeful and creative as they face their future. They have one seminarian studying at St. John's Seminary, Camarillo.
Pat Senft and Kristin Durow attended a Notary Public workshop on October 31, 2003. Although already registered as notaries, attendance at this workshop gave them a fuller understanding of the different functions that may be performed by a Notary Public.
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| Paul Golden | Bob Schwane | Tom Munster | Frank Agnew | Frank Germovnik |
Denver, Colorado:
Paul Golden has accepted the invitation to join the Canon Law Committee of the Catholic Health Association. In October, Paul attended the annual convention of the Canon Law Society of America held in Portland, Oregon.
Confreres of De Paul House were involved in activities of the Colorado Vincentian family during the month of September. They hosted a dinner for the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers and staff, which was preceded by a prayer service that recognized world hunger. They participated in a fund-raiser for the Vincentian Center for Spirituality and Work to benefit its ministry to women prisoners. Bob Schwane participated in a retreat for the Ladies of Charity and presided at a Eucharist which celebrated 130 years of service of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth at St. Joseph Hospital.
St. Mary's of the Barrens, Perryville:
It is always beautiful in the Fall (and Winter) at The Barrens and all are welcome to visit. Recent visitors have included Joe Haley and his brother John, Tom Munster and his cousin Marty, Henry Piacitelli for an afternoon, and John Rybolt earlier in August. We thank all for stopping by and wish to welcome everyone to be our guests.
Bob Zimney is doing much better and is walking without his oxygen tank. Frank Agnew is progressing toward wellness after a bout with cancer on his vocal cords. Bro. Peter Baxter had a pneumonia scare and was hospitalized for three days but is back in good health. Frank Germovnik has had cataracts removed and his sight is much improved.
We are happy and pleased to have a new office for our kitchen manager on the same floor as the kitchen, a repaired porch on the north side of the C building- it was rotting and full of bees, and a new floor in the dining room - the old one was 30 years old and needed to be replaced. We still have plans to replace the rest of the floors in the kitchen and hallway.
Finally, we are proud of Chas Shelby and his extra work for these past 8+ months in Earth City. He was missed here at The Barrens but will be returning full time to the house and his "real job" at the Association of the Miraculous Medal.
St. Lazare House, St. Louis:
The Vincentian novices from East Africa have completed their first three months and are all doing well. In mid-September, they made their annual retreat which was directed by Sister Jeanne Parrish, DC, at the Carondolet motherhouse in St. Louis. They have also started to attend the weekly gatherings of the inter-community novitiate program for novices in the greater St. Louis area. The group of 25 (9 men and 16 women) from different congregations meets weekly from September through April.
Jack Melito has been having a series of five meetings with the novices on the five Vincentian virtues.
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| Jack Melito | Dan Borlik | Bob Zimney |
SOUTHERN PROVINCE:
Greetings:
Welcome and A BIG HOWDY from Fr. Dan Borlik, the "Visitor" for the Southern Province! Although our numbers are small (24 members), we minister in Arizona (Gallup, NM diocese), Texas (Dallas, San Antonio and Laredo dioceses), Louisiana (Lafayette diocese and New Orleans archdiocese) and Arkansas (Little Rock, diocese) as well as Cuba.
We look for any way to keep in contact with you. Please visit our web site (www.cmsouth.org) to find out not only the latest Vincentian news for the South, but to view pictures and get additional information on how to contact us and for a number of web-links to connect you with other Vincentian sites both in our country as well as throughout the world, links with our USA Vocation web sites, and official documents of the Congregation of the Mission.
Assembly:
With much thanks to Tom Stehlik, Lou Arceneaux and Perry Henry as planners, we worked well together during our Assembly. We used our time first in preparation for the worldwide Assembly (to take place in Rome this summer), to update our Norms and policies, and to discuss our future as Vincentian priests and brothers over the next five years. This is our one opportunity annually to gather as a province, to pray, to work and to relax together. Over 22 confreres attended with a number of guests including Bill Piletic, representing the Province of the West, Ray Van Dorpe, representing the Midwest Province, and our candidate, Chad Howat, visiting from the pre-theology program at Camarillo, California.
VUELAN:
Some thirty Vincentians and Daughters of Charity who are involved in Hispanic ministry nationwide attended the VUELAN (Vincentians United for the Evangelization of Latinos in North America) conferences, which dealt overall with Latino Catholic vocations. This session's emphasis on young Latinos (Jovenes Latinos), their lives, experiences and needs was critical to our Vincentian outreach and Evangelization, as well as our ability to invite them to join us. They visited area sites in the Eastern province (Oyster Bay and Brooklyn) where formation for seminarians and pre-candidates happen. We are very grateful to those of VUELAN who planned the conference events and to the Eastern Province and the staff of St. Vincent's Center in Princeton for their hospitality and enthusiastic assistance.
Message From Padre Gilberto Walker, Cuba:
I hope that all is well with you and the confreres in the South. I sent you an e-mail earlier to let you know that I arrived fine and that I was praying for you all in the Assembly. I'm enjoying my work with the Daughters of Charity...and life here with the confreres. In many ways this is similar to the Dominican Republic, but in lots of other ways it's very different too! Please write—and take good care!
un abrazo,
Gilbert
Vocation News: Holy Trinity Vocation Awareness Mission:
A Vocation Teamworks Group consisting of Mark Ford, Jim Steinbach and John Maher (the Vocation Coordinator from the Province of the East) on the weekend of October 4-5, finished a five-day Vocation awareness Program at Holy Trinity Church and School. The Team shared their own vocation stories in a question and answer format during the homily at all the weekend masses. They met with the young adult group, the parish staff, and various parish leaders. Mark spent all day Tuesday at the school visiting the 5th through 8th grade students and teachers. Tuesday night, Mark gave a presentation on vocation awareness to the Parent/Teacher Association, challenging them to make a vocation to the priesthood and religious life a viable option for their children. On Monday evening, Jim and Mark met with three young men who were interested in serving the Church. One young man is interested in the Permanent Diaconate Program and the other two men expressed a real interest in the Vincentians. The Vocation Teamworks thanks Fathers
Jack Cawley and Rex Hays for their support and hospitality in promoting vocations at a parish that has a history of fostering vocations to the Vincentian Family since 1905!
Vocation News: Please Keep In Your Prayers:
Jeff Teague: Jeff has expressed an interest in the Community since participating in the World Youth Day in Toronto two summers ago.
Sean Kearney: Sean is a first year college student from Dallas and an active member of Holy Trinity Parish. Sean participated in the Vincent Experience 2 this last summer and has expressed an interest in the priesthood.
Michael Clarke: Michael is originally from Mobile, Alabama, and attends Holy Trinity Church in Dallas. He will assist in the planning of the National Youth Conference taking place in Houston this month.
Carlos Emmanuel Estrada (Manuel): Manuel lives in Rogers, Arkansas, and presently works in a street ministry helping Hispanic immigrants addicted to alcohol and drugs find recovery. Manuel continues to work on English skills while discerning with Miles Heinen and Mark Ford his possible call to a life of ministry with the poor.
Brad Sheguit: Brad is from Cappell, Texas, and had been seriously contemplating a vocation with the Oblates of Mary or the Dallas Diocese. Brad has great interest in serving the poor and a friend of his from Holy Trinity asked him to come to the Vocation Evening that Bro. Jim and Mark Ford presented. Brad showed a great interest in the Brotherhood after talking with Jim Steinbach and will be continuing to pursue opportunities to get to know us better. Brad has had spiritual direction for several months as part of his discernment process and will continue to do so.
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| Chas Shelby | Mark Ford | Rex Hays |
Vincentian is published bimonthly by the Midwest and Southern Provinces of the Congregation of the Mission, the Vincentian Priests and Brothers, to promote the apostolic works of its members and those of the larger Vincentian Family.
Congregation of the Mission, Vincentian
Attn: News Editor
13663 Rider Trail North
Earth City, MO 63045
phone: 314-344-1184
fax: 314-344-2989
email: info@vincentian.org
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