AUGUST–SEPTEMBER 2018

THE VOICE OF PROVIDENCE

FEATURED STORY | PAGE 13 The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

VOLUME 31, NUMBER 5 AUGUST–SEPTEMBER 2018

PUBLISHED BY: THE VOICE OF PROVIDENCE The Pious Union of St. Joseph, Patron of the Suffering and Dying 953 East Michigan Avenue 1 Marriage Grass Lake, Michigan 49240-9210 FR. JOSEPH RINALDO, SDC 517-522-8017 voice 517-522-8387 fax 3 Joseph, Lover of Poverty [email protected] BISHOP KENNETH J. POVISH www.servantsofcharity.org 5 Sleeping St. Joseph, www.pusj.org “The Problem Solver” Editor In Chief: Fr. Joseph Rinaldo SdC FR. FRANKLIN AROCKIADOSS, SDC Editing Team: Joe Yekulis, Kelly Flaherty, 7 Shrine News Fr. Satheesh Alphonse SdC FR. SATHEESH ALPHONSE, SDC Photos: St. Louis Center Archives, Joseph Yekulis, 9 From the Inbox Kelly Flaherty and the Mailbox 10 Exodus Repeats in Syria O St. Joseph, foster father of FR. LEO JOSEPH XAVIER, SDC Christ and true spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray for us and the 13 The Nativity of the Blessed suffering and dying of today. Virgin Mary: Who Can Gaze on the Face of The Now and at The Hour is a non-profit bi-monthly publication Virgin? of the Divine Providence Province of the Servants of ST. LOUIS GUANELLA Charity, a Catholic Religious Congregation founded by Saint 18 Servant of Maria Louis Guanella, (1842–1915). Esperanza: Prophecy The Queenship of Mary (August 22nd) is the Octave of 9/11 day of the feast of the Assumption (August 15th). In the KELLY FLAHERTY meditations for the Guanellian St. Guanella invites us to ponder this mystery: 21 I’m Allergic to What? SILENT LOVING ONE Mary, our greatest sister, is crowned by the Most Holy . Mary, our greatest mother, is queen of and 23 Child Poverty earth. Do you think that she would not intercede for her FR. JOSEPH RINALDO, SDC little children on earth? Invoke her and see what she can do for you. The saints in heaven look at their queen and 25 Dawn of a New Era they rejoice in being in the kingdom of God where justice, JOSEPH YEKULIS peace and truth reign. 28 Frank & Sharon Pignanelli: Cover Image: of the , Boticelli, The “Daring Duo” 1481, . In this version of the , Boticelli JOSEPH YEKULIS portrays the Blessed Virgin Mary as and Earth. She holds the Christ Child on her lap and writes 30 XX (20th) General Chapter her ‘Magnificat’on the right hand page of a book. The of the Servants of Charity ‘Benedictus’ appears on the left hand page. FR. DENNIS WEBER, SDC Center Image: Coronation of the Virgin, Annibale 32 The Pious Union Library Carracci, 1595, Metropolitan Museum of Art. We see the Holy Trinity crowning Mary as Queen of Heaven and 33 Sharing Your Devotion Earth surrounded by saints and angels. Marriage BY FR. JOSEPH RINALDO, SDC Anytime the subject of marriage comes up in a conversation, the questions are always the same. Why the Church is so adamantly opposed to “gay marriages” and civil unions?

oesn’t the Church’s stance discriminate against homosexuals? What harm is done if homosexual activity is between consenting adults? How does it D affect my marriage and family? Why does the Church care if in fact the Church won’t be required to witness such unions? These are just some of the questions debated today over gay marriage and civil unions. For the sake of the record, there is no difference between the two: just different terminology for the same thing.

FROM THE EDITOR | 1 It seems however, that some advocates use civil unions as a stepping stone to legitimize gay marriage. As the debate continues, it’s really important that Catholics understand why this is such a critical moral issue and why the Church is involved. And we begin with a review of the Church’s fundamental teaching about marriage. As Catholics we believe that matrimony is a sacred institution, designed by God and raised to the level of a sacrament by Jesus Christ. The clearly sets forth God’s plan for the human race: “God created man in His image, in the divine image He created him, male and female He created them. God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fertile and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.’” (Gn 1,27-28). The teaching of the Church explains: the intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by Him with its own proper laws. God Himself is the author of marriage. The two divinely established purposes of marriage are obvious: to promote life and love and to be creative and unifying. “This life giving complementarity between the sexes is natural and normative. Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another.” (Catechism, #1604). A statement of the Pontifical Council for the family explains it this way: “We can also see how incongruous the demand is to grant marital status to unions between persons of the same sex. It is opposed, first of all, by the objective impossibility of making the partnership fruitful through the transmission of life according to the plan inscribed by God… Marriage cannot be reduced to a condition similar to that of a homosexual relationship: this is contrary to common sense.” (#23). The statement refers to “common sense” and I think that’s important. When we learned about the birds and the bees, it was always male and female, wasn’t it? Some advocates of homosexuality point to the fact that there is evidence of homosexual behavior in the animal kingdom, and I suppose that’s true. But it always emerges as an exception to the norm. Finally, even from a biological standpoint, the “facts of life” are obvious: man and woman are physically designated for union with each other. In short, from the evidence of the Bible, the teaching of the Church, common sense and biology, so called gay marriages and civil unions are contrary to God’s plan, morally objectionable, and an unacceptable substitute for marriage.

2 | FROM THE EDITOR Joseph, Lover of Poverty BY BISHOP KENNETH J. POVISH When the fifteenth invocation of the litany calls St. Joseph a “Lover of Poverty;” we have to ask immediately about the meaning of the statement. In what sense is it so?

or one thing, poverty in itself is not a good thing. It means Fthe lack of the material necessities of life. Besides, St. Joseph and the Family over which he was set was not impoverished in that sense. Our God provides the goods of the earth in ample fashion, and it is not the will of God that any of His children should go without the things they really need. When any of God’s children are without the necessities of life, the Scriptures continually exhort us to go to their assistance. Jesus made it very plain that we have a responsibility to help those in need. In Mt 25 He told us most solemnly that we are going to be judged on whether or not we did so. And He encourages us to help the needy by telling us that whatever we do for them we do for Him. While the did not live like the royalty of 2000 years ago, nothing in the Scriptures suggests that they were ever without the necessities of life. St. Joseph seems to have been a good provider, and the glimpses we get in the Gospel all suggest that his family was as well off and no more deprived than most of the people of Nazareth in Galilee.

HONORING ST. JOSEPH | 3 “Our God provides the goods of the earth in ample fashion, and it is not the will of God that any of His children should go without the things they really need.”

Here then, is the sense in which our patron, St. Joseph, was a Lover of Poverty: He possessed what the Catechism now calls “poverty of heart,” (nos. 2544-47). Jesus enjoined His disciples to prefer Him to everything and everyone and bade them to renounce all that they had for His sake and that of the Gospel (see Lk 14,33; Mk 8,35). In the Sermon on the Mount, the very first of the eight Beatitudes (Mt 5,3) was “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” St. Joseph manifested these qualities during the Boyhood of Jesus, anticipating, as it were, his Son’s teaching even before it was pronounced. Joseph’s conduct during the Infancy accounts show that he preferred the safety and well-being of Jesus above all and did all that was required for Jesus’ sake. This “poverty of spirit;” displayed by Joseph and recommended to us, was exercised by the great God Himself, as St. Paul wrote (2 Cor 8,9), “For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for our sake He became poor although He was rich, so that by His poverty you might become rich.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Bishop Povish had a deep devotion to St. Joseph which he shared with the faithful through these meditations on each invocation of the Litany of St. Joseph. The meditations were originally published in this magazine, one invocation each issue. They have been collected into a book which is now available through the Pious Union, see page 32 for instructions to request your copy. May his words help to draw you closer to the foster-father of the Son of God.

4 | HONORING ST. JOSEPH Sleeping St. Joseph, “The Problem Solver”

BY FR. FRANKLIN AROCKIADOSS, SDC Augustine Anna was distressed due to her relationship with her friend Judith, because they had trouble getting along. As a result, they almost broke their friendship. It had been over three months since they talked to each other, Augustine Anna deleted Judith’s mobile number and things were getting worse.

ue to this crisis Augustine was unable to fulfill her responsibilities well. Sometimes she wanted to call Judith but could not swallow her pride. DFinally, Augustine overheard the story of the statue of sleeping St. Joseph, “the problem solver” and decided to buy one. She went to the religious articles store, bought a statue and placed it on her reading table. The first day she spent some time in front of that statue looking at it and wondering how the sleeping St. Joseph could solve problems. Later in the day she took a piece of paper, wrote her intention, placed the paper under the statue and asked St. Joseph to look after the relationship problem. After two days, she almost forgot about it, when suddenly there was a call from an unknown number. Augustine was a little bit hesitant to answer the call but finally she decided to answer and immediately she recognized the voice; it was

ST. JOSEPH | 5 “AS CATHOLICS WE ARE ALL INVITED TO LEARN THE QUALITIES AND CHARACTERS OF ST. JOSEPH BECAUSE, ST. JOSEPH WAS A STRONG MAN, A MAN WITH A DEEP INTERIOR LIFE.”

Judith. Augustine could not control the tears flowing from her eyes; she was overwhelmed with joy and stood speechless for some time. When she was able to speak, she began the conversation by asking forgiveness, and they talked for a long time. Anna went back to the sleeping St. Joseph and asked, “If you are silent and sleeping, then how did you listen to my voice and perform such a miracle?” She was wondering and pondering over the miracle. It is no wonder that the sleeping St. Joseph could solve the problem and perform a miracle because, “while he is sleeping, St. Joseph receives the messages of God.” We all know this from Holy Scripture that God sent His Angel to St. Joseph while he was sleeping. He listened, got up, accepted and did as he was commanded or instructed in his dream. Our beloved Pope Francis himself says that he has a sleeping image of St. Joseph on his table, which has accompanied him since his life in Maximo San Miguel College where he was rector. Furthermore, Pope Francis made an open confession while he was visiting Manila, Philippines, “I would like to tell you something very personal. I like St. Joseph very much. He is a strong man of silence. On my desk I have a statue of St. Joseph sleeping. While sleeping he looks after the church. Yes, he can do it! We know that. When I have a problem or a difficulty, I write it on a piece of paper and I put it under the statue so he can dream about it. This gesture means: please pray for this problem.” This personal confession of Pope Francis inspired many pious and devout Catholics to have a statue of sleeping St. Joseph in their homes and to grow in the habit of placing cards under the statue. Many say that St. Joseph can hear our petitions and dream about it while sleeping. We all know that St. Joseph is silent, never outspoken, but he is a very strong person, an attentive listener and protector. As Catholics we are all invited to learn the qualities and characters of St. Joseph because, St. Joseph was a strong man, a man with a deep interior life. Silence in our life helps us develop a life of prayer. St. Joseph was a man of prayer who listened to the word of God. He was not distracted by the many exterior things; he was always a man with a deep interior life. Why? Because God lived in his very house. He was dreaming about God always. Therefore give your problems to sleeping St. Joseph, though he is physically sleeping, spiritually he is dreaming and he will dream about your problem too.

6 | ST. JOSEPH Shrine News

BY FR. SATHEESH ALPHONSE, SDC

he months of April and May for the Shrine have been T beautiful, especially with regards to the weather. Certainly, the spiritual heart of the Shrine is always fed by the people praying for the suffering and dying. The month of April started with the Resurrection of our Lord. The Second Sunday of Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday. Here in the Shrine it is a special day since we have the devotion of Divine Mercy celebrated extensively. The Divine Mercy image was exposed during the morning Mass. At 3:00 p.m. the Blessed Sacrament was exposed by Fr. Leo Joseph, Assistant Director. Confessions were heard by Fr. Franklin and Fr. Leo until 4:30 “Those who give themselves p.m. During confessions, the faithful to prayer should in were singing the praises of God and a special manner have reciting the Divine Mercy chaplet led by the Pellican family. always a devotion to St. Joseph; for I know not The month of May is dedicated to how any man can think of our Blessed Mother. It is a month in which we also celebrate Mother’s Day. the Queen of the Angels, May 13th was Mother’s Day this year during the time that she and we planned to have the Mass at suffered so much with the Grotto of Our Lady at the Shrine, the Infant Jesus, without but due to the wonderful Michigan giving thanks to St. weather, as rain was predicted that Joseph for the services he day, Mass was celebrated in the rendered them then.” Shrine. The Shrine was full and a special blessing was given to all the St. Teresa of Avila mothers in attendance. It is always

SHRINE NEWS | 7 wonderful to thank our mothers for their dedication and care. Everyone stayed to pray a decade of the Rosary after Mass. Fr. Satheesh blessed the wreath for the Blessed Mother which was brought in procession by Rylee Welser. As a hymn to our Blessed Mother was played on the violin, Rylee crowned our Blessed Mother, who is a model for all mothers. As the quotation of St. Teresa of Avila says, St. Joseph protects us and he walks with us in every step that we take. There are many volunteers who help in so many ways to run the Shrine. We are really grateful to them all. We are proud to present this magazine. We are so grateful to the readers who have contributed to the printing costs of the magazine. It is a good start, but we are nowhere near the number of people who are on the mailing list so we once again invite you to consider giving a subscription donation of $10 or more. May God bless you all.

Leadership Changes Come to the Pious Union of St. Joseph We are proud to announce a number of changes taking place at the Pious Union of St. Joseph in Grass Lake, MI and within the Servants of Charity Community; effective July 16, 2018. Fr. Satheesh Caniton, SdC, who has been the Director of PUSJ for the past five years, has Fr. Leo Joseph, SdC been requested by Most Rev. Bishop Earl Boyea of the Diocese of Lansing, to be the next pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Michigan Center, MI east of Jackson. Fr. Leo Joseph, SdC, referred to as the Assistant Director in this article, has been elevated to the Director’s position of the PUSJ in Grass Lake, MI. We congratulate both of these holy men on their new positions, and pray for their success.

8 | SHRINE NEWS From the Inbox and the Mailbox

Father Rinaldo, The April-May 2018 issue of Now and at the Hour was once again totally beautiful and meaningful. The cover most touching – it’s write-up inside spiritually moving! Imagine ourselves being held in the arms of the Blessed Mother… the Mother of Jesus! (And I had not even read page 1 yet.) This magazine is a joy to read and keep and savor over and over again, and I happily enclose a contribution for your subscription appeal. God bless you, Gerrie King

Dear Joe, Just got the latest issue and your article was excellent. The details of these shooters’ backgrounds proved your point. It seems like I’m living in a different world compared to the 1950s and 1960s. There were fatherless families then but much fewer and as for cell phones, people seem to be addicted to them. The next article by David Pellican was very interesting. What it didn’t mention was that one of the sacrifices priests make is living alone. I know of two older priests in that situation. I would like to see priests living in group homes to keep each other company. That is very difficult these days with the shortage of priests. Keep up the good work, take care, and God bless you, Don

FROM THE INBOX AND THE MAILBOX | 9 Exodus Repeats in Syria BY FR. LEO JOSEPH XAVIER, SDC

“The LORD said: I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry against their taskmasters, so I know well what they are suffering” (Ex 3,7). These words in the Bible are reflected as a second Exodus with what is going in Syria.

More than 250,000 Syrians have lost their lives in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full- scale civil war. More than 11 million others have been driven from their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other—as well as jihadist militants from the so-called Islamic State.

10 | SUFFERING & DYING Pro-democracy protests erupted in March 2011 in the southern city of Deraa after the arrest and torture of some teenagers who painted revolutionary slogans on a school wall. Later, security forces opened fire on demonstrators killing several, more took to the streets.

The unrest triggered nationwide protests demanding President Assad’s resignation. The government’s use of force to crush the dissent merely hardened the protesters’ resolve. By July 2011, hundreds of thousands were taking to the streets across the country. Opposition supporters eventually began to take up arms, first to defend themselves and later to expel security forces from their local areas. Violence escalated and the country descended into civil war as rebel brigades were formed to battle government forces for control of cities, towns and the countryside. Fighting reached the capital, Damascus, and the city of Aleppo in 2012. By June 2013, the UN said 90,000 people had been killed in the conflict. By August 2015, that figure had climbed to 250,000, according to activists and the

SUFFERING & DYING | 11 UN. The UN Security Council has demanded all parties end the indiscriminate use of weapons in populated areas, but civilians continue to die in the thousands. Many have been killed by barrel bombs dropped by government aircraft on gatherings in rebel-held areas—attacks which the UN says may constitute massacres.

More than 4.5 million people have fled Syria since the start of the conflict, most of them women and children. Neighboring Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey have struggled to cope with one of the largest refugee exoduses in recent history. “The number of Christian refugees has been very low compared to their representation in the population. Many churches in the United States have been very generous at the local level in supporting and welcoming new refugees, but the UN Security Council urged Catholics and Christians to get in touch with their representatives to voice their concerns about policies affecting Syrian and other refugees. There are hundreds, thousands of civilian victims, children, women, the elderly; hospitals have been struck; people can’t find anything to eat… all this is inhumane.” Pope Francis said, “Evil cannot be fought with other evil”. Hate cannot be fought with hate. Evil cannot be conquered by darkness. Only love has the power to conquer them both. “Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good,” (Rom 12,21). In solidarity with the people affected by this inhumane fighting we need to pray for the end of war and let people live in peace and harmony in the land of the Lord.

12 | SUFFERING & DYING THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Who Can Gaze on the Face of The Virgin? BY ST. LOUIS GUANELLA

he Virgin is only a new born baby girl, yet who can stay and gaze on her face? I cannot do that because my eyes cannot make it. You T could not do it either. When the bright noonday sun is reflected by a pure crystal, who can fix his eyes on it? It would almost be like fixing your eyes directly on the noonday sun! That little girl, who is she? She is the fortunate one who is blessed by heaven so that she may become the mother of the savior. Heaven come to my help! A creature destined to become the Mother of God! Amen, amen! And it is for this very reason that I, in astonishment ask, “Who is able to fix his eyes on the face of the Virgin?” I flatly declare to you that it is impossible to perceive how lofty a degree of dignity that humble baby hides within.

GUANELLIAN CHARISM | 13 Nonetheless, this event is not only rare, but a unique one in the history of the world. The daughter of and Anna, whom we see as a newly born baby, is blessed so that she may one day become the Mother of Jesus Christ. What does this great mystery mean? Pay devout attention as you listen. It means that Mary will give a body to the Son of God from her most pure flesh and blood. Thus it means that the Son of the Most High will adhere to Mary as a fruit to its tree, so as to be considered as one with the Virgin, as a fruit is one with its tree. Admirable mystery! “This is how, “ St. Thomas Aquinas says, “the child of any mother, until it has been delivered, adheres to his mother so as to be one with her.” The very same guardian angel of the mother is the guardian angel of the child. With this start you may now rise to a very high step from where you will be better able to consider the lofty dignity of the Virgin. Admire and give glory to the Most High for raising Mary to such a great honor. Still there is more to it. As Mary became mother of Jesus, she drew Jesus’ virtues into her heart. Here my mind gets lost in pondering upon how the virtues of the Most High could dwell in the heart of Mary. I make use of this thought to help myself. The mother of the Maccabees brothers gave life to seven children who were going to be martyrs, who not only did not yield to the whims of the tyrant Antiochus, but they even denounced his impiety. For this very reason the mother of the Maccabees is regarded with esteem. Think, now, of any other woman who has been the fortunate mother of generous martyrs, unconquered confessors, wise popes, and most zealous apostles. Who would not vie in honoring such a mother? Still, this mother would compare to Mary less than a maid to her magnificent queen. If you want to have a better understanding of this, come with me to her house in Nazareth. There you see Mary fulfilling the roles of a mother and you see Jesus obeying her. Jesus obeying Mary? Yes indeed, and be not surprised. From the moment Jesus chose to become true Son of Mary, by the same token He chose to submit to her. Jesus wanted to be obedient to her as a devout son who loves his mother, who reveres her, helps her, and in everything shows her obedience out of gratefulness to her. In this respect Mary achieved such a high degree of dignity that truly astonishes the mind of anyone who ponders upon it. Yet I did not say everything so far. The holy Church, in reflecting upon the dignity of Mary, comes out with this admirable greeting, “Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia; the Son whom you merited to bear has risen as He said, alleluia. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia,

14 | GUANELLIAN CHARISM for the Lord is truly risen, alleluia!” Praise be to God! We now fix our attention on those words that say: Rejoice, O Mary, for He whom you merited to bear, Jesus the Savior, has risen. How can a creature merit to bear his Creator Yet this blessed Mary did merit it. She merited such a great favor not by justice, as the scholars explain, but by suitability, that is because of the great virtue she possessed within, which prepared her to be the dwelling and throne, as others say, of the Most High. Likewise the heart of Mary is inflamed by the love for the heart of Jesus. The heart of Mary is like an iron rod that, when left in the furnace, cannot be distinguished from the fire that penetrates it. Most admirable wonder! I am astonished and exclaim in ecstasy of admiration: who can ever fix his gaze on the face of Mary?

GUANELLIAN CHARISM | 15

SERVANT OF GOD MARIA ESPERANZA PROPHECY OF 9/11 BY KELLY FLAHERTY From the moment of her birth, it was apparent that the life of Maria Esperanza would be filled with supernatural signs.

s her mother began to experience labor pains, she got on a ‘humble Acraft’ to get to the hospital in a nearby town down the river, but she didn’t quite make it. Maria was born in the boat at the intersection of the Orinoco and Caroni Rivers near Barrancas, Venezuela. It was the feast day of St. Cecelia, Patroness of Music.

18 | CURRENT EVENTS Maria had her first mystical experience when she was five years old. Her mother was about to depart on a trip and Maria saw St. Therese of Lisieux emerge from the Orinoco River and hand her a rose. Maria’s mother was quite surprised because roses could not be found anywhere nearby. Her playmates even witnessed her playing with statues of saints as if they were dolls. After receiving her First Holy Communion at age ten she attended Mass daily to reverently receive the Lord. In 1939, after moving to Caracas with her mother, Our Lady appeared to her for the first time. Maria was seriously ill and the Blessed Mother appeared as Virgin of the Valley, Patroness of the Island of Margarita, to comfort her. Our Lady revealed to her for the first time what her mission would be, “Help me save this world that is going astray.” Maria’s health improved. This would not be the only time that her health was miraculously restored. Her life continued in a pattern of holiness. She received communion daily, fasted, prayed did penance and even lived for a time with the Franciscan Sisters of Merida discerning a call to religious life. But she heard clearly that her call would lead her to marriage and family life, eventually becoming the mother of seven children. Even with so much responsibility as a wife and mother, she continued to be obedient to the whisperings of the Blessed Mother and eventually established, in obedience to her, Finca Betania a place of Marian apparitions and pilgrimage. Maria moved through her days always guided by the Blessed Mother and strengthened by the . She led many to Finca Betania where many healings and conversions occurred. She eventually founded the Betania Foundation and travelled widely spreading the message of love and reconciliation given to her by Our Lady as Mary, Reconciler of all Peoples and Nations. As the vehicle through which the Apparitions delivered messages from

CURRENT EVENTS | 19 Our Lady, it is only fitting than that Maria would have received prophecies of events such as the 9/11 tragedy.

In December of 2000, Venezuelan mystic, and now Servant of God, Maria Esperanza reported to Spirit Daily that enemies were on American soil and planning to strike. Their headline read, “World-known mystic Maria Esperanza warns U.S. of foreign danger, sees world ‘saddened’ in a short while, is concerned with the Mid-East, the Pope, and two nations.” She was warning of two foreign ‘powers,’ one that she described as small, the other larger, acting in such a way as to provoke America. “The United States has to be very careful,” she stated. “It has to act with a lot of prudence.” As her son-in-law and interpreter explained to us at the time (ten months before September 11), “She feels in her heart that there is a certain big thing that is about to happen.” He went on to say that a heaviness in her heart indicated something was on the way. She repeated this warning while in New Jersey that following March of 2001. It would be something that “will shake the world.” Then, in mid-August of 2001, her family sent Spirit Daily a fax warning that the event of which she had been speaking was about to occur -- which, of course, it did, less than three weeks later. The exact date: August 25 at 9:35 pm. The fax said the event would occur in ‘three weeks or three months.’ It happened 17 days later. In the frenzied day after 9/11, Maria—who happened to be in northern Manhattan on September 11th, during a long stay in the U.S.!—said she saw a ‘roaring lion’ behind the attacks. This is before the world knew of Al Qaeda. It later turned out that Osama means ‘lion.’ Years before, in the 1990s, she had described to pilgrims a vision she had of two large towers in New York on fire and collapsing. (Spiritdaily.org/Esperanzabinladen.htm)

Why is it so difficult for the world to listen to the messages sent by Our Lady? When will we learn to listen to the voice that even Jesus obeyed? She only wants us to pray and to love in the example that Jesus gave us. As we commemorate the 17th Anniversary of 9/11, let us all remember that Mary wishes us to be humble, holy and obedient and through lives lived in this manner perhaps we can truly help to spread the messages given to Servant of God Maria Esperanza through Our Lady Reconciler of all Peoples and Nations. To learn more about this saintly woman visit: mariaesperanza.org.

20 | CURRENT EVENTS I’m Allergic to What? BY SILENT LOVING ONE

Several years ago, I had a most unusual experience. It was a hot sunny summer day and I had this overwhelming urge to make a pitcher of lemonade made from fresh lemons like my mother used to make to quench her thirst.

t had been years since I had fresh lemonade. It was so delicious that I drank the whole thing. It tasted so good I thought that was just what my body needed. IThe next several days whenever I bent down there was a crackling sound from my knees. There was no pain, just an annoying crackling sound. I learned over the years that if I listen carefully to my body it will send out signals of a possible problem developing. Kind of like a warning light on a car when tire pressure is low. I never had any problem with my knees, so I thought back at the last couple of days to remember what I put into or on my body that I had not had before. Immediately the lemons came to mind. I thought that can’t possibly be the problem. The lemons were so good. But there was nothing else that came to mind. Then I thought, peanuts are good too, but I know a person who when he eats too many peanuts he gets hemorrhoids. Someone else came to mind that grew up with cats, and as a kid she was always sick. Now as an adult when she gets near a cat her eyes swell to the point where they close, and she stops breathing. So, I decided to do an experiment.

CURRENT EVENTS | 21 I stopped all lemonade. After my knees stopped crackling I drank lemonade again and the crackling knees started again. I realized that “for me” I need to stay away from lemons. After several weeks I had some soda pop and my knees started to crackle. So, I experimented again. I don’t normally drink soda pop, so I looked at the label only to find that lemon was an added ingredient. It is surprising how many food products add lemon!

One day a co-worker complained about a crackling sound from her knees. I asked if she likes lemons. She said she loves them and eats them raw. I shared my experience about lemons and she said she would stop eating lemons and see what happens. Later I asked her if stopping the lemons helped her crackling knees. She said that the crackling did stop, but she loves lemons so much that she was going to put up with the crackling. I am amazed at how uniquely God makes the body. Many people can eat lemons without any warning sign from their body and I can eat peanuts without getting hemorrhoids! What warning sign is your body sending you; what are you allergic to that you don’t realize? While God sends us physical signs, we must not neglect His spiritual signs. Our spiritual strength comes from the Divine Providence of God, and must be continually sustained through prayer and the sacraments.

22 | CURRENT EVENTS Child Poverty BY FR. JOSEPH RINALDO, SDC

n September 2016, Pope Francis visited the United States. Throughout his remarks, the Pope called attention to the most vulnerable Americans: our young. I“Their problems are our problems,” Pope Francis remarked. “We cannot avoid them. We need to face them together, to talk about them and to seek effective solutions rather than getting bogged down in discussions.” For millions of Americans, childhood means growing up in poverty without access to the basic needs and opportunities that everyone, especially a child, should have in our country. In the United States, over 21 percent of children under the age of five spent 2017 in poverty. Pope Francis’ call to action is clear. The time is now to advance real strategies to care for America’s children and eliminate child poverty. Creating a national target to cut child poverty is not unprecedented.

GUANELLIAN SPIRITUALITY | 23 It has been established in the UK with good results cutting the country’s child poverty rate by 50 percent during the first decade’s effort. This remarkable success starkly contrasts with what has happened in the USA during that same period: a more than 20 percent increase in child poverty between 2013 and 2017. The government cannot address child poverty alone. It is going to take a national commitment from both the public and private sector to act and end this crisis. Eliminating child poverty in the coming years is a moral and just cause around which we must all rally in order to move our nation forward. The poverty of the children is a hidden problem. They have no voice. When they complain, they are told to be quiet. When they cry they are sent to their room. When they are hungry or thirsty they are told to wait. We are talking about American children. Can we even imagine what the conditions of children in Africa, India, China and all the countries suffering starvation are like? The Gospel mentions more than once how much Jesus loved all the children. He took time to bless them and show His love for all of them. People were bringing children to Him that He might touch them but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this He became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to Me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such of these. “Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then He embraced them and blessed them, placing His hands on them. When an argument arose among Jesus’ disciples about which of them was the greatest, Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed him by His side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name re c e i v e s Me .”

24 | GUANELLIAN SPIRITUALITY Dawn of a New Era BY JOSEPH YEKULIS A new era began for the Guanellian Family in the United States on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, as the formal dedication of St. Louis Guanella Village and the Grand Opening of four new Children’s Homes for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities took place.

he Servants of Charity began operating the St. Louis School for Exceptional Boys, located in Chelsea, MI, in 1960, and 58 years later T they are now providing a continuum of care for children as young as five and older adults with I/DD as old as 77 years of age who require assisted living services. St. Louis Center will be serving girls aged 5–18 years for the first time in its history as one of the Children’s Homes is meant for their care. Each home has five bedrooms, a kitchen, a modern, open dining room, living room, sensory/ play room, laundry room, and caregiver work areas. The homes were specially designed for the needs of children on the autism spectrum, and feature soft, natural color palates, full spectrum LED lighting in each room and plenty of natural lighting.

GUANELLIAN MISSION & INSTITUTIONST | 25 The concept being developed for St. Louis Guanella Village is known as an “intentional community,” wherein mixed housing will be provided for children, adults, and families who are caring for loved ones with I/DD. Along with future plans for family homes, there will also be additional cottage homes built for adult residents with I/DD who require supportive services, townhouses for independent living, a fitness center, a chapel, a rectory and a retail center for skill building and job training. In 2010, St. Louis Center celebrated its 50th Anniversary and began an introspective analysis of what was needed to safeguard its future. The first thought was that the Center’s aging facilities needed to be updated, uplifted and upgraded. A development director was hired and a capital campaign known as the “Legacy Campaign” began. Over the course of seven years, a total of $10 million was raised with the support of a 25-member fundraising team. Renovations and new construction began shortly thereafter. A Family Welcome and Orientation Center was added in 2011, a Special Needs Playground was built in 2012, and Fr. Guanella Hall was renovated and became an assisted living home in 2014. The Grand Opening Celebration was an exciting event that drew 300 people to a 4:00 p.m. Mass celebrated by Very Rev. Bishop Emeritus Carl F. Mengeling

26 | GUANELLIAN MISSION & INSTITUTIONS of the Diocese of Lansing along with ten priests from the Servants of Charity Congregation and the local community. Following Mass, a procession of supporters was led to the St. Louis Guanella Village by the local 4th Degree KofC Color Corps. The crowd swelled to over 400 people to hear words of welcome from Fr. Enzo Addari, Executive Director of St. Louis Center, along with a history lesson about St. Louis Center from Fr. Joseph Rinaldo, SdC, Community Superior. Fr. David Stawasz unveiled the new St. Louis Guanella Village logo, and Legacy Campaign Chair Norman Neuman thanked all of the people who helped realize the vision of the St. Louis Guanella Village. A joint tribute was received from the Michigan Legislature, and several important funders, including the Michigan Knights of Columbus represented by State Deputy Kenneth Unterbrink, were acknowledged. Christine Lindemann, the sister and guardian of one resident, told her family’s story and talked about how meaningful this accomplishment was for SLC families. Bishop Mengeling and Fr. Addari cut the ribbon to officially open the Children’s Homes. Food, entertainment, and games were provided and continued in spite of the rains that came into the area just after the ribbon cutting. While Bishop Mengeling was blessing each home with Holy Water, God was doing the same. For more information about St. Louis Guanella Village and the new Children’s Homes, please visit www.stlouiscenter.org.

GUANELLIAN MISSION & INSTITUTIONS | 27 Frank & Sharon Pignanelli The “Daring Duo” BY JOSEPH YEKULIS

Frank and Sharon Pignanelli are the volunteer “Daring Duo” of St. Louis Center, and each has their own set of talents they use throughout the year to benefit our many events and activities. Frank became involved with SLC in 2001 as a member of the Chelsea Knights of Columbus, but it didn’t take long for Sharon to step in after that.

“It’s a joy doing the work that I do for SLC,” said Frank. Sharon added, “The priests keep me coming back because they are such a holy group of men. You don’t always see priests with that kind of dedication who are so pious, loving and caring. The three new priests give me such a hope for the future of the priesthood.”

28 | GUANELLIAN LAY MOVEMENT “MY MOTHER WAS BI-POLAR, SO I ALWAYS HAD AN AFFINITY FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS. THAT SAME AFFINITY GREW FOR SLC, BECAUSE THE RESIDENTS WEREN’T MENTALLY ILL BUT THEY WERE MENTALLY CHALLENGED.”

Frank grew up in Dearborn, MI while Sharon lived in NW Detroit. Frank’s Aunt Mary and Uncle Sam served as foster parents for him during his summers growing up in Clarksburg, WV while Sharon’s grandmother made sure that she was catechized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church. She later became Catholic after being inspired by Vatican II. The Pignanelli’s met as college students at the University of Michigan, and according to Frank, “I needed a date for my pledge formal and Sharon lived in Stockwell Hall, so I invited her. We were pinned in my junior year and after Sharon’s graduation we were married on July 1, 1961. By then I was working as a pharmacist, however I was drafted into the U.S. Army on Feb. 2, 1962. Sharon began teaching second grade at Willow Run, and then followed me to Fort Knox, KY until I finished my two years of service.” Frank returned to his career as a pharmacist in Ann Arbor, while Sharon became a computer software instructor at Warner-Lambert/Pfizer, and was the senior manager of a desktop support group until she retired in 2004. Frank became a volunteer for SLC through his dedication to annual K of C projects. “I became the chairman of the ‘Tootsie Roll Drive,’ and then I was REALLY involved in raising money for SLC. My mother was bi-polar, so I always had an affinity for people with mental health problems. That same affinity grew for SLC, because the residents weren’t mentally ill but they were mentally challenged.” Frank’s commitment for SLC grew as he became the Volunteer Coordinator of the annual Golf & Glory Outing in June. Meanwhile, Sharon volunteered for the annual Fall Dinner Auction at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital-Chelsea. “It was clear that I had a needed skill-set, so I started working more closely with Chairwoman Kathi Neuman, and now I’m the logistics person, working to put things together.” Sharon also assists Fr. Joseph Rinaldo with editing books before they go to print, and is Vice-Chair of the Guanellian Cooperators and publisher of the Guanellian Newsletter. Like Batman and Robin, Frank and Sharon are the “Daring Duo” of volunteers for St. Louis Center, who “swoop in” to get things done whenever they’re needed.

GUANELLIAN LAY MOVEMENT | 29 XX (20th) General Chapter of the Servants of Charity

BY FR. DENNIS WEBER, SDC n the beautiful Alpine hills of the Lombardy region of North Italy, at the Casa Don Guanella in Barza, the XX General Chapter of the Servants of Charity Iwas conducted from April 8th–April 28th and the theme was “Charism, Interculturality and Prophesy.” The setting was fitting as the house was a house of formation for novices. Many confreres throughout the years have spent some of their most memorable times in this house. It also serves as a place of formation for those preparing for perpetual profession as well as a local spirituality, pastoral and cultural center. The chapter opened on the evening of April 8th at the motherhouse in Como with the celebration of the Eucharist by Bishop Oscar Cantoni, bishop of Como, in the shrine church of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The chapter fathers then gathered on the morning of April 9th in the chapter hall, and the initial acts of the chapter began with the reading of the convocation letter by Fr. Alfonso Crippa, Superior General, the singing of the Veni Creator Spiritus and then his opening remarks. This day also was inspired with a reflection given by Bishop Paolo Martinelli, a Capuchin friar and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Milan as well as episcopal vicar for men religious in the archdiocese, whose theme was “The Intercultural Characteristics of the Christian Experience.” There are significant and essential acts of the General Chapter which mark it and one such act took place during the next morning and part of the afternoon with the presentation of the report of the Superior General. Fr. Alfonso gave a panoramic view of the life of the entire congregation and the chapter members, in various groups, had an opportunity to discuss the report and present to the chapter assembly their findings.

30 | GUANELLIAN FAMILY The chapter itself takes on a certain rhythm and a multitude of tasks are assumed by the chapter fathers. These are done in view of the General Chapter being “a singular moment of revision and discernment by which we strengthen our religious family according to the Gospel and in harmony with the times and directives of the Church” (Constitution n. 112) and whose “primary task…is to guard the charism of the Founder and whatever constitutes the spiritual patrimony of the Institute with fidelity in order to render them operative in its life and apostolate.” (Constitutions n. 113) The General Chapter and its members were spiritually nourished throughout the chapter with the liturgical celebrations. Daily Mass celebrated by many of the chapter fathers as well as Eucharistic adoration and benediction along with the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours were rich times for its members and helped to sustain them in the work of the chapter. In a sense, the zenith of the General Chapter is reached with the vote taking place for the Superior General, Vicar General as well as the 3 remaining General Councilors. These are historic moments in the life of the Congregation and this chapter proved to be no different. The election occurred on April 25th and it was prepared for by a personal hour of reflection and adoration in the chapel as well as Eucharistic Benediction with the chapter fathers. The following were elected as the new leadership of the Institute of the Servants of Charity: Fr. Umberto Brugnoni, Superior General; Fr. Nicola (Nico) Rutigliano, Vicar General; Fr. Soosai Rathinam; Br. Franco Lain; and Fr. Gustavo De Bonis. The composition of this council is certainly one that is historical in nature with, for the first time, a general councilor from India and a religious brother being elected; representation on the General Council from three nations - Italy, India and Argentina; and five continental mission experiences within the General Council—Europe, Asia, Africa (where Br. Franco has served for 25 years), South America and North America. One can say that this Holy Spirit led effort responded to the theme of the General Chapter, “Charism, Interculturality and Prophesy” and the motto of the General Chapter, “Rooted in the Charism for the Universal Mission.” The General Chapter ended as it began with a Eucharistic Liturgy taking place, on April 28th, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Como and celebrated by the newly elected Superior General, Fr. Umberto Brugnoni. The General Chapter proved to be a prophetic witness to the charism of the Institute; a reflection of the growing inter-cultural nature of the Congregation; and a living out of a fraternal and family spirit so desired by our holy Founder, St. Louis Guanella. May God continue to shower his blessings upon the Servants of Charity!

GUANELLIAN FAMILY | 31 THE PIOUS UNION LIBRARY: Pray the Rosary, the Guanellian Way Another delightful booklet has been added to the English collection of the Guanellian Library.

Over one hundred years ago St. Louis Guanella, fervently devoted to the Blessed Mother and an ardent believer in the power of the Rosary, published a booklet entitled A Half Hour of Great Prayer. The holy Founder presented the then 15 mysteries in a very touching way. He has a short but vibrant introduction to each mystery. Then, before each mystery, he added a one line reflection focusing on faith, hope and love, as well as the content of the contemplated mystery. He wrote it mostly for the children, the handicapped and the elderly in his homes of charity. This booklet was ignored until Fr. Umberto Brugnoni, SdC, Vicar General of the Servants of Charity, resurrected this hidden treasure. He added the Mysteries of Light and gave the booklet a new cover and looks. The English edition gives us 100 pages of sincere love for the Virgin Mary. It includes photos of the Blessed Mother’s National Shrines in the USA, Italy, Mexico, India and Philippines. It includes photos of the Madonnas so dear to Fr. Guanella: Our Lady of Providence and Our Lady of the Workers. In the appendix we find a short biography of the Guanellian saints: St. Louis Guanella, Blessed Clare Bosatta and Venerable Bishop Aurelio Bacciarini.

If you would like a copy of these or any of our other books, send your request and a donation to The Pious Union of St. Joseph, 953 E. Michigan Ave., Grass Lake, MI 49240. Your donation for shipping will be appreciated.

32 | GUANELLIAN PRESS Sharing Your Devotion to St. Joseph with your family and all those who God brings into your life. Donations Give blessed St. Joseph Medals to family & friends ...... $5.00 each Offer a Mass in thanksgiving to St. Joseph ...... $10 offering Share a copy of the Holy Cloak with a friend ...... $5.00 each Share copies of The Voice of Providence ...... $1.50 each Let us know if there are places that you visit that would display brochures of the Pious Union of St. Joseph. Please use the envelope in the center of the magazine to make requests and send donations.

DEDICATIONS & MEMORIALS | 33 To become a member of the Pious Union of St. Joseph or to extend membership to prayerful friends and relatives, please send names and addresses to 953 E. Michigan Ave., Grass Lake, MI 49240 or email [email protected] Shrine of St. Joseph Sacraments and Hours of Devotion Mass times: Sun 10:00 a.m. • M, Tu, Th, Fr and Sat 11:30 a.m. Wed 8:30 a.m. followed by Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament Benediction: Wed 4:45 p.m. • Divine Mercy Chaplet: Wed 4:30 p.m. Holy Rosary: Before Mass • Stations of the Cross: Friday at 11:00 a.m. Anointing of the Sick: First Saturday during 11:30 a.m. Mass and when requested Confession: Before and after Mass, upon request

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