2015-2016: Year of Mercy Province of St. John the Baptist

PROVINCIAL NEWSLETTER BOLETIN PROVINCIAL

Around the Province / Noticias de la Provincia  Welcome to the Province / Bienvenidos a la Provincia  From our Missions / De Nuestras Misiones  Flash News Birthdays, Anniversaries / Cumpleaños, Aniversarios In Memoriam

AUGUST - DECEMBER 2015 Oak Park IL

Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year! ¡Feliz Navidad y un 2016 lleno de bendiciones!

AROUND THE PROVINCE DESDE NUESTRA PROVINCIA

WELCOME TO THE PROVINCE - BIENVENIDOS A LA PROVINCIA

Deacon Jesus Ramirez Cerda, cs, born in Mexico and completed his Theology curriculum in Bogotá, Colombia. Deacon Jesus is assigned to do his deacon Internship at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Melrose Park IL. Deacon Jesus is assigned to the Province of St. John the Baptist. Deacon Luis Bello Gutierrez, cs, born in Colombia and completed his Theology curriculum in Bogotá, Colombia. Deacon Luis will do his Deacon Internship at St. Leo the Great Parish in Houston, Texas. After he is ordained to the priesthood, he has been assigned to Region Our Lady Mother of Migrants. Dat Duc Le, cs, born in Viet Nam and studying his Theology curriculum in Bogotá, Colombia. Dat will do his year of Tirocinio at St. Leo the Great Parish in Houston, Texas effective December 2015. Liem Nguyen, cs, born in Viet Nam and studying his Theology curriculum in Bogotá, Colombia. Dat will do his year of Tirocinio at Holy Rosary Parish in Kansas City, Missouri effective December 2015.

ORDINATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD Deacon Candelario Patiño Morán, cs will be ordained to the priesthood on January 16, 2016 in the Parish of San Andres Apostol in Temixco, Morelos, Mexico. Candelario was born in Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico, in a family of three children. He has lived more closely the experience of migration because he migrated to the United States. He met Scalabrinian Charisma, and he decided to give his life to the Lord through our congregation. He will say “Yes” to the Lord for a lifetime as a priest and this is a great blessing to our Scalabrinian family. Candelario has been assigned to our province so we thank God for the great blessing that He gives us each day. We continue to ask through the intercession of Blessed Scalabrini to help and call more people to this apostolic service among our Migrants brothers. Congratulations and great blessings to Candelario Moran.

Nuestra provincia de San Juan Bautista anuncia la futura ordenación sacerdotal del diacono Candelario Patiño Morán, cs el próximo 16 de Enero del 2016 en la parroquia de San Andrés Apóstol en Temixco, Morelos, Mexico. Candelario nació en Cuernavaca Morelos, Mexico, en una familia de tres hijos. Vivió de cerca la experiencia de migración porque el mismo tuvo que emigrar hacia los Estados Unidos. Conoció el carisma Scalabriniano y decidió responder a la voluntad de Dios dentro de nuestra congregación. Hoy ha decidido decir "Si" al Señor para toda la vida como sacerdote y esto es una gran bendición para nuestra familia Scalabriniana. Candelario ha sido asignado a nuestra provincia y por esto damos gracias a Dios por las bendiciones que nos brinda todos los días y seguimos pidiendo por la intercesión del Beato Juan Bautista Scalabrini que siga llamando a más jóvenes al servicio apostólico a los migrantes. Muchas felicidades y bendiciones a Candelario y su familia.

Deacon Pierre Vertus, cs will be ordained to the priesthood on January 30, 2016 at 8:00 am in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Port-au-Prince by Archbishop Guire Poulard. His First Mass will be celebrated at 9:00 am January 31, 2016. Pierre is assigned to St. John the Baptist Province.

Pierre was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on November 11, 1978. He completed his Theological studies in Sao Paulo and was ordained to the Diaconate on August 1, 2015 in the Parish of Nossa Senhora da Paz in São Paulo.

We welcome these two young men to our Province and wish them all the best in their journey with the migrants.

INTERPROVINCIAL COUNCILS MEETING The Interprovincial Councils Meeting was held in Oak Park IL October 19-23, 2015. The next meeting will be held in Delray Beach FL in February 2016.

NEW IDENTIFICATION CARDS FOR CONFRERES

In January 2016 we will issue new Identification cards for everyone in the province. Please send a recent digital photo of yourself wearing your collar. You may send the photo by email. Please send it as soon as possible so that we can complete this by January.

NEW NOVITIATE GROUP

On October 25, 2015, at Seminario San Carlos Efrain Garcia Herrera started the Novitiate Program in Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico. We wish the best to him in this new journey of formation. Abner René Bonilla Torres will spend one year doing pastoral ministry at the Casa del Migrante in Guatemala City while being followed by the Master of Novices, Fr. Francisco Pellizzari, cs. In addition, we now have seven students from Haiti who are in Mexico to study Spanish in order to begin their Novitiate in 2016.

FIRST PROFESSION VOWS

On November 28, 2015, on the Feast of Foundation of our Congregation, Noé Vera Jaime and Ricardo Josué Gómez Alvarado made their First Religious Profession in the Congregation of the Missionaries of Saint Charles/Scalabrinians. We congratulate them for this important step in their lives. Noé will be studying theology in Manila and Ricardo Josué will be studying in Sao Paulo. Our best wishes go out to them in their theological studies.

Noé Vera Jaime Ricardo Josué Gómez Alvarado

CURSO DE AGGIORNAMENTO

Frs. Abner Ables, Jaime Aguila, Humberto Barrios, Gildardo Blanco, Juan Carbajal and Abraham Lopez took part in the “ongoing formation course” for our young confreres held at our Mother House of Piacenza, Italy, from October 4 to November 4, 2015. The course was structured upon the pathway of identity and renewal, indicated by the XIV General Chapter, as well as on the three master lines given by Pope Francis for the year of Consecrated Life: gratitude for the past, passion for the present and hope for the future.

Los Padres Abner Ables, Jaime Aguila, Humberto Barrios, Gildardo Blanco, Juan Carbajal and Abraham Lopez asistieron el curso de formación permanente para nuestros cohermanos jóvenes en Piacenza. El curso está estructurado de acuerdo al camino de identidad y renovación, propuesto por el XIV Capítulo General, así como a las líneas maestras propuestas por el Papa Francisco para el año de la Vida Consagrada: gratitud por el pasado, pasión por el presente, esperanza por el futuro.

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CONGREGATION (CdC)

This year, the meeting of the Council of Congregation took place in Turcifal de Torres Vedras - Portugal, from September 29 to October 1, with the presence of the general administration, the Regional Superiors and Regional Vicars and the Provincials of our Congregation. The Final Document will be published in the next ICS

Este año, la reunión del Consejo de Congregación tuvo lugar en Turcifal de Torres Vedras - Portugal, del 29 de septiembre al 1 de octubre, con la presencia de la dirección general, los superiores y vicarios regionales, y superiores provinciales de nuestra Congregación. En el próximo ICS se publicará el comunicado final.

WORLD CONGRESS OF SCALABRINIANS FORMATORS

The World Congress of Scalabrinian Formators was held in Turcifal de Torres Vedras – Portugal, September 20-27, 2015. The report of the Congress was sent to all the confreres.

El Congreso Mundial de Scalabrinianos Formadores llevó a cabo en Turcifal de Torres Vedras – Portugal, 20-27 de septiembre 2015. El informe del Congreso fue enviado a todos en dos comunicados.

FROM OUR MISSIONS

FR. FLORENZO RIGONI, CS

Fr. Florenzo Rigoni, cs received an award “Recognizing Solidarity for Work Done as a Missionary to Protect the Rights of Migrants in Mexico” from the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Mexico.

Left to right:

President – Italian Chamber of Commerce in Mexico Fr. Florenzo Rigoni, cs Italian Ambassador to Mexico

RETURNING ST. LUCY’S PARISH TO THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO

Some years ago, at our Provincial Assembly we concluded that it was time for us to return St. Lucy’s Parish and move on, but at the same time our predecessors agreed to retain the parish until the retirement of Fr. Nick Marro. Fr. Nick is 80 years old and in his golden years and has earned time to retire and rest, after many years of work in the Lord’s field. With the feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 2015, we concluded 63 years of service in the parish. The confreres who served at St. Lucy’s Church touched the lives of thousands of people in the Chicago area.

On behalf of the Province of St. John the Baptist, I would like to give our heartfelt thanks to all of the confreres who served there for their dedication and testimony all these years in this mission of the Province and, in particular to Fr. Nicholas Marro, cs, the final Scalabrinian Pastor of St. Lucy’s Parish, for his 25 years of ministry to the parishioners and for his work in this time of transition and to Fr. Hily Gonzales, cs for his work as Associate Pastor.

Fr. Nick will enjoy the golden years praying and resting and Fr. Hily will be assigned to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish in Sun Valley CA.

St. Lucy’s Church

INAUGURATION OF SCHOOL FOR THE MIGRANTS IN TAPACHULA

On December 14, Arco Iris School for the migrants will be inaugurated in Tapachula. The school is located on the property of the Casa del Migrante and will offer the opportunity to learn trades for the migrants including: plumbing, computers, making clothing and hairstyling.

From the LA Times: California Journal: Trump's rhetoric on immigration gets a reality check in Tijuana

By Robin Abcarian • Contact Reporter

, 20015, 3:00 AM | TIJUANA

He's called for a 2,000-mile border fence. He's called for an end to remittances. He's called for the deportation of 11 million people and for the end of birthright citizenship.

I guess we should all be grateful that the current Republican presidential front-runner, Donald Trump, hasn't called for anti-immigration drone strikes at the Mexican border, as his rival Ben Carson did Wednesday. Or alligator-filled moats at the border, as Herman Cain did in 2012.

Still, there are so many delusional aspects to Trump's immigration plan that it's hard to pick the looniest. "I will build a great, great wall on our southern border," Trump said in June, when he blithely smeared Mexican immigrants as rapists and criminals in his presidential announcement. "And I will have Mexico pay for that wall, mark my words." As I crossed into Mexico the other day, all I could think was: How can this blowhard not know that we already have fences in California and Texas? And that they are unfeasible anywhere else?

At our San Ysidro border, in fact, there are two fences: The old one, with horizontal ridges that gave a toehold to anyone willing to scale it, and the new one, which cannot be climbed, that runs into the sea.

The parallel fences, many yards apart, create a No Man's Land that no man or woman in his or her right mind would try to cross. And that's the thing, really. Screaming about illegal border crossings may be at an all-time high, but actual illegal border crossings are at historic lows.

To all but the most determined smugglers, our border is effectively sealed. (And the great wave of Central American children who streamed to the border last summer? The whole point was to get caught so they could apply for political asylum.)

"It's virtually impossible right now," said Juan Carlos Garcia Aguilar, 39, who was deported last month from Kern County after serving a drug sentence. His five children, ages 9 to 21, live in Bakersfield.

We spoke in the central courtyard of a four-story apartment house, Casa del Migrante, a shelter operated by the Scalabrini order of Catholics. Men in jeans and T-shirts, some grimy, some immaculate, sat around with their belongings in mesh bags or small backpacks, waiting for dinner.

The casa, which has a doctor, social worker, psychologist and attorney on staff, provides social services for migrants, many of whom are Mexican-born, American-raised deportees. Their deportation-worthy acts range from driving with a missing headlight and DUIs to drug crimes and domestic violence.

"When I first got here in July, I was lost, literally lost," said Garcia Aguilar, who moved to Bakersfield from Michoacan when he was 9. "The culture shock."

Garcia Aguilar told me he is resigned to staying in Mexico, and has found a job in the sales department of Telvista, a major call center operation in Tijuana where employees with flawless English are particularly valued.

"I'm dealing with people in the States all day long," he said. "It's weird."

Father Patrick Murphy, the shelter's director, said he thinks 60% of the people he serves have families in the U.S. "And they all want to go home," he said, "to Los Angeles, to Fresno."

The deportees' original hometowns — mostly in southern Mexico — mean little to them.

"A lot of them say, 'I haven't been to my "home" in 20 years,' " Murphy said.” 'I don't know anybody. I don't have any family there. I don't speak Spanish well.' The big problem here is that Dad has been deported and Mom and the kids, who usually have papers, are living in Los Angeles. This is really separating families in a big way."

Lucky for us, Trump has a solution: Deport the whole family!

"So you're going to split up families? You're going to deport children?" asked Chuck Todd of "Meet the Press" as he interviewed Trump last week in the aisle of the billionaire and reality TV star's luxuriously appointed jet.

"Chuck. No, no. We're going to keep the families together," replied Trump. "We have to keep the families together…. But they have to go."

Actually, they don't have to go. Nor will they go. And anyone who says otherwise is engaging, as Murphy put it, in "Fantasyland thinking."

I challenge anyone to read Trump's immigration "plan" and tell me how he can accomplish anything other than pushing the rest of the Republican field to the right, toward what the party's own officials have described, in so many words, as a political suicide leap. ("If Hispanic Americans perceive that a GOP nominee or candidate does not want them in the United States, i.e. self- deportation, they will not pay attention to our next sentence," concluded a 2013 Republican National Committee report ripping the party for its alienation of Latino and other minority voters.)

Most of the clients at Casa del Migrante are not following American politics.

Garcia Aguilar said he talks to some of his call center co-workers about Trump. "I always say if they want to see what it's really like to deport everyone, they should watch a movie called 'A Day Without a Mexican.' " (In that 2004 comic fantasy, all of California's Mexicans suddenly disappear, plunging the state into chaos.)

"Mexicans do all the hard labor to begin with," Garcia Aguilar said. "If they were to deport everybody, the U.S. economy would go broke."

Murphy, for his part, worries about something darker. This week, he noted, was the two-month anniversary of the Charleston, S.C., church shootings, committed by a white man who expressed deep-seated racism toward blacks.

"My fear is that Donald Trump will wake up a lot of people and sooner or later some crazy person is going to start killing Mexican people," Murphy said. "Because he's really lighting a lot of fires."

I don't know about that, but I think he will electrify a lot of people: Latino voters. Also known as American citizens, who reliably vote for Democrats.

FLASH NEWS

MISSIONARY ASSIGNMENTS / ASIGNACIONES MISIONERAS

Fr. Hily Gonzales, cs – Associate Pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Parish in Sun Valley CA effective December 8, 2015. Fr. Nicholas Marro, cs – In Residence at St. Lucy’s Church in Chicago IL effective December 8, 2015

LOCAL RELIGIOUS SUPERIORS

In October 2015 consultations were held for Local Religious Superiors in five of the Province Areas.

We thank Fr. Miguel Alvarez, Fr. Marvin Ajic, Fr. Richard Zanotti, Fr. Giovanni Bizzotto and Fr. Florenzo Rigoni for their time and effort and for their dedication as they completed their terms as Local Religious Superiors.

MIDWEST, Chicago, Kansas City, Windsor, Thunder Bay Superior Local: Fr. Aldo Vendramin, cs appointed November 1, 2015

CALIMEX, Los Ángeles, San José, Tijuana Superior Local: Fr. Ramiro Sanchez Chan, cs appointed November 1, 2015

TEXMEX, Houston, Irving Superior Local: Fr. Carmelo Hernandez, cs appointed September 1, 2013

VANCOUVER, St. Helen’s, Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Fatima Superior Local: Fr. Leonardo Rocha, cs appointed November 1, 2015

CENTROMEX, Guadalajara, Purépero, México City Superior Local:- Fr. Miguel Ramirez Lepe, cs appointed November 1, 2015

SANGUATEMEX, San Salvador, Guatemala, Tecún Umán, Tapachula Superior Local: Fr. Humberto Barrios, cs appointed November 1, 2015

We are grateful to all the local superiors for their participation and contribution, particularly to help and promote religious and missionary life in local communities of the Province.

The next Meeting of Local Religious Superiors will be held at Scalabrini House of Discernment in Sun Valley CA February 1-4, 2016.

Agradecemos a todos los Superiores Locales por su participación y contribución, en particular por ayudar y promover la vida religiosa y misionera en las comunidades locales de la Provincia.

La próxima reunión se llevará a cabo de 1 a 4 de febrero de 2016 en la Scalabrini House of Discernment en Sun Valley CA. 15

BEST WISHES TO THE JUBILARIANS 2016

 Fr. Gino Dalpiaz, cs, for his 65 years of ordination to the priesthood – July 8, 2016. Congratulations!

 Fr. Adilso Balen, cs, for his 25 years of ordination to the priesthood – January 26, 2016. Congratulations!

 Fr. Clair Orso, cs, for his 25 years of ordination to the priesthood – August 3, 2016. Congratulations!

 Fr. Francisco Pellizzari, cs, for his 25 years of ordination to the priesthood – September 28, 2016. Congratulations!

BIRTHDAYS – CUMPLEAÑOS

DECEMBER 12/02/26 - Gino Dalpiaz ANNIVERSARIES 12/20/60 - Luis Kendzierski ANIVERSARIOS 12/21/43 - Richard Bezzegato

12/24/54 - Maurizio Maifredi DECEMBER JANUARY 12/08/73 Firmo Mantovani 01/14/75 - Abner Ables 12/08/90 Luiz Kendzierski 01/20/76 - Humberto Barrios 12/09/00 Jose Guadalupe Hernandez 01/22/62 - Francisco Pellizzari 12/12/09 Gildardo Blanco 01/23/35 - Nicholas Marro 12/14/74 Anthony Tapparello 01/24/64 - Gianantonio Baggio 12/27/06 Raul Ochoa 01/24/87 - Liem Nguyen 12/28/96 Hily Gonzales 01/29/21 - Mario Rauzi JANUARY FEBRUARY 01/07/12 Abraham Lopez 02/06/20 - Peter Sordi 01/17/93 Mauro Verzeletti 02/08/82 - Candelario Moran 01/26/91 Adilso Balen 02/09/52 - Patrick Murphy 01/31/88 Ademar Barilli 02/16/28 - Albert Corradin 01/31/15 Marcos Lopez 02/16/30 - Alex Dalpiaz 02/16/46 - Romano Cerantola 02/18/57 - Adriano Barbiero

02/26/53 - Richard Zanotti

IN MEMORIAM

Born Dec'd December 4 - Rev. Giuseppe Quadranti 1863 1920 6 - Rev. John Rigo 1909 1975 7 - Rev. Angelo Cugnidoro 1928 1996 13 - Rev. Joseph Chiminello 1900 1995 23 - Rev. Leo Silvestri 1930 2012 29 - Rev. Vincent Lo Savio 1919 1978 31 - Rev. Joseph Favotto 1914 2005

January 1 - Bro. Stephen Borgo 1913 2006 2 - Rev. Angelo Calandra 1924 1991 9 - Rev. Arnaldo Vanoli 1881 1957 21 - Rev. Alex Peloso 1914 2000 23 - Rev. Luigi Riello 1909 1971 25 - Rev. Giuseppe Bernardi 1903 1959 26 - Rev. Angelo Bordignon 1927 2004 27 - Rev. Pietro Vesta 1927 1975 31 - Rev. Lino Fongaro 1920 2006 31 - Rev. Jesus Olivares 1951 2015

February 2 - Rev. Gerolamo Angeli 1908 1984 7 - Rev. Giulio Gragnani 1911 1979 10 - Rev. Anthony Felicicchia 1909 1960 10 - Rev. Mario Spada 1924 1977 19 - Mons. William O'Brien 1877 1962 19 - Rev. Luigi Franchinotti 1884 1981 22 - Card. Carlo Perosi, 1868 1930 sup. gen. 26 - Rev. Peter Bianchetta 1887 1950

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

FELIZ NAVIDAD Y PRÓSPERO AÑO NUEVO!

FELIZ NATAL E UM ABENÇOADO ANO NOVO!

BUON NATALE E FELICE ANNO NUOVO!

Provincial Office December 11, 2015 Oak Park IL