Around the Provinces: Confrere News and Updates

Fr. Jim Cormack, CM		Fr. Prudencio Rodriguez, CM		Fr. Mark Pranaitis, CM

Midwest Province

ST. LOUIS – LAZARIST RESIDENCE

Fathers John Clark, CM, and Jack Melito, CM, attended the mid-year meeting of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul held in St. Louis. Father Dan Harris, CM, presented a preaching workshop for the priests of Savannah, Georgia, March 31-April 2. Many clergy of the diocese emigrated from Ireland (including Bishop J. Kevin Boland) and related happy memories of their days with the Vincentian faculty at All Hallows College in Dublin.

ST. LOUIS – ST. CATHERINE LABOURÉ PARISH

Father Jim Cormack, CM, reports that the expansion and renovation of St. Catherine Labouré Church is completed. Parishioners were out of the church for nine months while it underwent a complete renovation. Nearly 100 seats were added and the windows were enlarged to give the interior an open and light-filled look. There is a new baptismal font, altar, and ambo that are more accessible, as is the entire sanctuary. The Daughters of Charity donated a triptych of stained glass windows, showing the Blessed Mother giving the Miraculous Medal to St. Catherine Labouré. It now hangs in front of a large set
of windows that look out toward Sappington Road, immediately behind the altar and tabernacle. Archbishop Burke dedicated the remodeled church on May 11.

Improvements to the church building were only part of the project. The old convent on the property was torn down and replaced with a multipurpose building; there is a new playground; and a new classroom and office will be added in the parish day school. The parish hopes to open the elementary school in the fall of 2008 with 515 or more students.

CHICAGO – PERBOYRE MISSION HOUSE

Mr. Jeremy Dixon, CM, has finished his second year of theological studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. On May 17, Father Jim Swift, CM, installed Mr. Dixon into the ministry of reader at a Vespers service at Perboyre Mission House, with family and confreres in attendance. This summer Mr. Dixon travels to Morelia, Mexico, for a Spanish immersion program for seminarians. He will be there for about six weeks and hopes to visit some of the Mexican Vincentians as well.

Mr. Toshio Sato has been approved for entrance into the novitiate – a year long program that helps the fledgling Vincentian focus on spiritual growth and community life.

CHICAGO – DEPAUL VINCENTIAN RESIDENCE

Three of our international priest students, Fathers Jaroslav Jasso, CM, Jose Nazhiampara, CM, and Daniel Hasso, CM, tickets in hand, drove to New York to attend the Papal Mass at Yankee Stadium. Father Mark Pranaitis, CM, has been assigned to the house. He will be an assistant provost of the University, with oversight of special projects as assigned by the provost, Dr. Helmut Epp. We also congratulate Father Jaroslav Jasso, CM, Ph.D., on completing his dissertation for the doctorate at Catholic Theological Union.

DENVER – DEPAUL HOUSE

Father Prudencio Rodriguez, CM recently returned from New Orleans where he attended the annual gathering of The Vincentian Family. Over 200 people met and experienced first-hand the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, and saw the wonderful response to the poor that several branches of the Vincentian Family are giving to those who suffered great loses. Fr. Rodriguez also attended a meeting of VUELAN (Vincentians United for the Evangelization of Latinos in North America).

Father Tom Nelson, CM, is busy with the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers while
the directors of that program, Bill and Mary Frances Jaster, are in Paris attending an international program for Vincentian leaders.

NAIROBI – DEPAUL CENTRE

April 25, 2008 was a great day for the Daughters of Charity and the mission in Kenya! It marked the inauguration and blessing of the DREAM Center in Nairobi. Over 200 people attended the ceremonies. DREAM (Drug Resource Enhancement against AIDS and Malnutrition) was developed in 1998 by the Community of Sant’Egidio. The reality is that AIDS is linked to poverty, malnutrition, tuberculosis, malaria and poor levels of health education. The DREAM approach combines prevention and treatment. Amazingly, 98 percent of children born to HIV-positive mothers who adhere to the DREAM program are HIV-free. In addition, there is a 95 percent adherence rate of compliance with the medicine and food regimen. DREAM is completely free of charge for AIDS patients.

The community at DePaul Centre finished the closing days of school and examinations in May. We are preparing to send our seminarians on their six-week Pastoral Experience. They will be involved in various projects and programs for the poor and marginalized in Uganda and Kenya. Father Rich Wehrmeyer, CM, is quite busy coordinating this program.

The community celebrated the deacon ordination of our confrere, Reverend Mister Chrisandus Ambale, CM, on May 17 by Bishop Cornelius Schilder, Bishop of the Ngong Diocese. Deacon Chrisandus will be doing his internship at St. Catherine Labouré Parish in St. Louis.

Father Tom Esselman, CM, has completed his course on Ecclesiology at Tangaza College. He is in the midst of student papers and oral exams. Fr. Tom had 50 students in his class this semester!

Four of our novices will be taking Good Purposes on June 24, and seven
others have been approved by the Formation Council for the novitiate class of 2008-2009. Fathers George Busieka, CM, and John Musolo, CM, are in the process of interviewing candidates for our Initiate Program. The next group of Initiates will arrive in January 2009. We do not accept more than 10 candidates per year.

Southern Province

The Vincentian Fund for Systemic Change Committee has awarded two grants to works done by the Southern Province. The Salt and Light Ministry, which combines Catholic leadership and Church social doctrine training to help parishes respond to emerging needs of the poor, was awarded a grant of $150,000. The Dallas Area Interfaith’s “Education Partnership” was awarded $100,000 to reach out to low-income minority families, who comprise 64 percent of Dallas County.

In addition, the following groups received Vincentian Sharing Program Grants to continue their good works:

• Proyecto Juan Diego-Brownsville, Texas, Educational Outreach
• Marginalized Priests Assistance
• Seed Money for Legal Aid
• Emergency Funding Assistance - VET
• Assistance to Hillcrest House (HIV/AIDS Residents)
• Assistance to St. Therese of Lisieux Chapel at Little Rock
• St. Jude Soup Kitchen
• Assistance to The Rebuild Center New Orleans
• Council of Dallas: SVDP Society “Light in the Darkness”