Around the Provinces: Confrere News and Updates

		Fr. Frank Agnew, CM		Fr. Bob Brockland, CM		Fr. George Busieka, CM

Midwest Province

Lazarist Residence, St. Louis

Lazarist Residence welcomed two new members, Fathers John Gagnepain and Bob Brockland, CMs. Father Tom Nelson, CM, has been staying at Lazarist Residence to recover from shoulder surgery.

We celebrated two special anniversaries of confreres who are members of Lazarist Residence. Father Marty Culligan, CM, celebrated 50 years as a priest. He traveled to Kansas City recently to celebrate with his classmates, Fathers Frank Crowley, Tom Cawley, and Louis Franz, CMs. Fr. Culligan celebrated with his family in Chicago with a Mass at St. Vincent Church.

Father Ray Van Dorpe, CM, celebrated 25 years as a priest. Fr. Van Dorpe decided to celebrate with the confreres at Lazarist Residence with a jubilee Mass in June.

Perboyre Mission House, Chicago

Fathers Tony Dosen and Gerry Kelly, CMs, celebrated their 25th anniversary of ordination with a Mass at St. Vincent de Paul Church followed by a reception at the DePaul University Student Center. Those who joined in the celebration included members of the university and the community, Catholic Charities, and other members of the Vincentian Family. A good time was had by all!

Father Pat McDevitt, CM, was elected to a three-year term as Chair of the Department of Advanced Studies in Education and Counseling at DePaul University. One of his fellow department members said that Fr. McDevitt’s “leadership abilities made him a natural and logical choice for the job.”

Mr. Jeremy Dixon, NCM, continues to recover from his surgery. He appreciates all of your thoughts, concerns, and prayers and would like you to continue to pray for a fast recovery.

Memphis, Tennessee

Father Mike Joyce, CM, preached a retreat to Daughters of Charity from the Southeast and Northeast Provinces at the Vincentian Renewal Center in Princeton, New Jersey, in May.

St. Mary’s of the Barrens, Perryville

While the vast majority of the building and grounds project are now complete, there is still work to be done. Since the last newsletter we have received a new driveway to the Apostle of Charity Residence from St. Joseph Street, permission to re-enter Rosati Hall (“A” Building), and new landscaping around the Visitor Center. Some of the remaining tasks are to erect directional signs on the campus, lights for the front parking lot and driveway, cleaning up Rosati Hall, and moving the house archives and cattle operation offices into the building. Later this fall we will finish the landscaping of the campus.

At a luncheon in May we celebrated the retirement of Joanne Moore. She had worked with our infirm confreres for over 18 years. Her attentive attitude and caring spirit were a blessing to many confreres.

We bid farewell to Father Bob Brockland, CM, in June as he joined the Lazarist House in St. Louis, Father Frank Agnew, CM, in July as he joined the confreres in Nyeri Africa, and Father Kevin Fausz, CM, in August as he began a sabbatical.

This summer, we welcomed Fathers Don Ours, Bill Rhinehart, Joe Williams, and Milton Ryan, CMs. We thank God for the ministry performed in Perry County by those leaving the House and look forward to the ministry by those arriving.

The “Seminary Picnic Grove” was sold to Mt. Hope Cemetery. Almost all the land on the north side of St. Joseph Street is now sold. A child care center, apartments and physical rehabilitation center are now standing where the former barn and cattle yard use to be. If you have not been here in a while, you will hardly recognize that intersection.

St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Perryville

Father Kevin Fausz, CM, led parishioners in a “Kick Off” Mass and Dinner on June 2 to raise $2 million for an endowment at St. Vincent High School. Archbishop Burke attended and congratulated Fr. Fausz and the parish for their support of Catholic education. The high school honored the Daughters of Charity for their long period of service as educators and administrators.

Vincentian Parish Mission Center, Independence, Missouri

Father Tom Cawley, CM, along with classmates Fathers Martin Culligan and Louis Franz, CMs, celebrated their Golden Jubilee in May at the Chapel of Mary Queen of the Angels. They were joined by other confreres of the house, visiting confreres from around the province, family and friends.

Fr. Cawley continued his jubilee celebration with the Class of 1964 of St. Vincent’s College in Cape Girardeau, and with his home parish of Coronation of Our Lady in Grandview, Missouri. Father Cawley also celebrated his jubilee with confreres, family and friends in June at St. John the Evangelist Church in Lawrence, Kansas.

DePaul Centre, Nairobi

A Memorial Mass for Father Tom Kloppenborg, CM, was held in the Damascus House (novitiate) chapel at the same time his funeral was being celebrated in St. Louis. Father Barry Moriarty, CM, presided and gave the homily, then invited others to share some reflections.

The annual meeting of seminary formators for the African provinces of the Congregation was held from July 9 - August 3. Seven confreres from four African nations participated. The principal languages used by the group were French and English. During the weekends they visited cultural sites, wildlife reserves, and other tourist activities of Nairobi. Our local Vincentian parishes hosted them for Mass and a meal on two occasions. They were a delightful group of men, adding much flavor to
the house. The same seven confreres are expected to return next year at this time for the second and final installment of presentations.

Fathers George Busieka and Rich Wehrmeyer, CMs, spent three weeks visiting our students on their Long Break pastoral assignments. The locations ranged from central and western Kenya to Kampala, Uganda. Each and every student was challenged in a positive way and will use these pastoral
experiences to help them in the future. Fr. Busieka is currently interviewing prospective candidates for the next group of initiates, which begins in January 2008. From over 300 applicants, he will meet some 20 to 25 hopefuls, and bring that group down to 8 to 10 men for entrance into the forthcoming program. After the summer holiday, Father Hugh O’Donnell, CM, led a week-long retreat for returning students.

Brother Jim Donlevy, CM, and his working crew have just completed the DePaul Blue ‘Duka’ (Kiswahili for ‘Store’) just off the main road in front of the Centre. It is primarily a showroom of furniture he and his men produce. It is intended to boost sales of the woodwork shop and raise much needed funds.

		Fr. Pat McDevitt, CM		Fr. Jim Ward, CM		Fr. Kevin Fausz, CM

Southern Province

Comments from Father Dan Borlik, CM, Provincial Superior

We are blessed to have Consultors who not only provide much needed consultation to me, but also take extraordinary initiatives (and time) as leaders. Father Lou Arceneaux, CM, continues to keep himself (and us) up to date on social justice issues throughout the nation, even as a significant part of his current sabbatical. In August, Father Jim Ward, CM, participated in a Catholic Theological Union (Chicago) workshop on the “Cultural Audit”, a process we judge will become increasingly helpful to our members as we change, adapt, and learn to effectively welcome new generations and cultures into our membership. Father Perry Henry, CM, represented the province and offered a presentation on efforts at rebuilding New Orleans at the CMSM National Assembly in Cleveland, also in August.