Blessed Maria Angela Astorch

Capuchins of Central Canada 2100 Jane Street, Toronto ON, M3M 1A1 Province of Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd

CHARITABLE REGISTRATION # 11883 7988 RR 0001 Capuchins of Central Canada 2100 Jane Street, Toronto, ON M3M 1A1 Tel. 416-244-8458 Fax.416-244-9796

[email protected] Charitable Reg.# 11883 7988 RR 0001

Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd Province Christmas 2020

I greet you all with joyous proclamation of Bethlehem: "Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace among those whom he favors" (Luke 2:14). Like the shepherds who first went with haste to the stable, let us stand in wonder before the sign that God has given us: "A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12). In silence, let us fall to our knees and worship. The universal message of Christmas is that God is a good Father and we are all brothers and sisters.

This truth is the basis of the Christian vision of humanity. Without the fraternity that Jesus Christ has bestowed on us, our efforts for a more just world fall short, and even our best plans and projects risk being soul-less and empty. For this reason, my wish for a happy Christmas is a wish for fraternity. Fraternity among individuals of every nation and culture. Fraternity among people with different ideas, yet capable of respecting and listening to one another. Fraternity among persons of different religions. Jesus came to reveal the face of God to all those who seek him.

We Capuchin brothers thank you for the fraternal relationship you share with us by including us in your prayers and in breaking of the bread. You are a blessing to us and through your generosity good work is continued by the brothers in different areas in serving the poor.

Our brothers in formation are doing great. Br. Michael Mascarenhas is in the final year of theology studies. If God wills, Br. Michael will be ordained deacon in the summer of 2020 and will be just a year away from ordination to priesthood. Br. Sunil D’Costa has moved on to his second year of theology studies and Br. Martin Ngo has begun first year of Philosophy studies. Like proud parents we are happy to hear positive reports concerning our men in formation from St Peter’s Seminary. Br. Peter Poel is continuing his post-novitiate formation joyfully serving at “Poverello Charities” – A house that provides accommodation and fraternity to people with mental health issues.

Our Capuchin brothers in the province held a day’s workshop on vocation promotion and discussed different ways of welcoming young men into our friaries to experience our Capuchin way of life. We hope that God will inspire more young men to join our order and province. We remain grateful to you for helping us through your prayers and financial support in our mission of forming young men to be good Capuchins. We need your continual support in keeping our hopes for the province of Central Canada and the Capuchin Order alive. You remain constantly in our prayers, please send your intentions to us at www.capuchins.ca/product/masswww.capuchins.ca/product/mass----intentions/intentions/ and allow us to include your intentions on the chapel alters in our friary’s as we pray for you.

May God bless your family! May all your hopes and dreams come true. I wish you “A joy filled Christmas” and “A Happy New Year 2020”.

Bro. Henry Alva, Capuchin Minister Provincial

-2- Blessed Maria Angela Astorch (Memorial December 2) 1 September 1592 – 2 December 1665) was a Spanish religious figure and mystic. Born in Barcelona, she founded the Capuchin Poor Clares of Zaragoza and Murcia. She died in Murcia and was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 23 May 1982. She was born into a comfortable family where she was the youngest of her four siblings. Her father, Cristóbal Cortey, sold books for a living; her mother, Catalina Astorch, was the universal heir of Pedro Miguel Astorch, with the condition that all of her offspring would keep her last name. Both parents died within four years, leaving Maria an orphan in the care of her housekeeper in Sarria. On 16 September 1603, at age 11, she entered the monastery of St. Margaret of Barcelona, founded by Mother Angela Serafina Prat. She did it with the six volumes of the Breviary in Latin, which she had already mastered. Despite her early maturity, she had to wait until 1608 for the recruitment to end, a wait made difficult by misunderstanding and envy of the teacher, who came to abuse her; eventually because of her maturity and culture, she was commissioned to give some training to their colleagues. In the end Mother Angela Serafina ended up deposing the master and putting in place Astorch Isabel, Maria Angela's sister. She became the teacher on 8 September 1609. In 1612 she was appointed to join the community council.

On 19 May 1614 Maria Angela was released, along with five others, to a religious foundation in Zaragoza, which opened on 24 May the same year. During her years at Zaragoza, Maria Angela served as mistress of novices (1614-1623); teacher of young professed (1623-1626); and Abbess (1626-1642), for which it was necessary to ask for dispensation to Rome because she was not of the canonical minimum age. At this time also she devoted herself to writing small works of a spiritual nature. One of her greatest accomplishments was getting approval from Pope Urban VIII in 1627, constitutions which governed the life of the Capuchins of Zaragoza and the derived monasteries for three centuries.

María Angela's spiritual progress has been preserved in the "autobiographical stories" and "Accounts of spirit". In them she tells of mystical experiences that occurred between the years 1626-1656. Her experience is similar to that of Saint Gertrude of Helfta . Pope John Paul II called her liturgical spirituality, scriptural and patristic, "the mystique of the Breviary" in his beatification, as well as a great devotion to the passion and the heart of Jesus. In 1655 Maria Angela stopped writing with the thought of her upcoming death. She had begun losing mental faculties in 1660, regressing to a childlike state. In 1661, she resigned from the position of Abbess. On 21 November 1665, she suffered a hemiplegia, never fully regaining her mental faculties. She died on December 2 of that year after receiving the sacraments.

The Diocesan process for her beatification was begun in 1668, concluding in 1670. On 29 September 1850, Maria Angela was declared officially Venerable. In 1936, the process was halted due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War . Her grave was desecrated and the corpse was taken to the common cemetery, but it was possible to identify it at the end of the war thanks to the boldness of a stonemason who separated the remains from those of others, and to Placido Ruiz Molina, the doctor who had observed the corpse before the desecration. In 1979 he returned to present the already approved miracle. New doctors studying it, giving a favourable opinion on 21 February 1980, giving a favourable opinion on 21 February 1980.On 23 May 1982 Maria Angela was beatified by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square . -3- Answering God’s Call ~ Living Capuchin Spirituality (Your donations at work for the Church)

Franciscan Spirituality: The Spirituality of Love

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13, 1-7)

St. Paul is giving us the base of “Love Spirituality” We are called to do all things with love in our hearts. When we look at the life of St. Francis of Assisi we see this “Love Spirituality” lived out. Francis first stumbled upon this spirituality in his meeting of the leper. St. Bonaventure in his life of St. Francis writes:

Now on a day while he was riding over the plain that lay beneath the city of Assisi, he met a certain leper, and this unforeseen meeting filled him with loathing. But when he recalled the purpose of perfection that he had even then conceived in mind, and remembered that it behooved him first of all to conquer self, if he were fain to become the soldier of Christ, he leapt from his horse and ran to embrace him. When the leper stretched forth his hand as though to receive an alms, he kissed it, and then put money therein. Then forthwith mounting his horse, he looked round him on all sides, and the plain was spread before him unbroken, and no trace of that leper might he see. Then, filled with wonder and joy, he began devoutly to chant praises unto the Lord, purposing from this to rise ever unto greater heights. (The Life of St. Francis, St. Bonaventure 5)

Francis encounters the leper and for the first time recognizes the lepers as humans created by God and for this reason and this reason alone deserving of love. Going forward in his life Francis lived his love for all God’s creation. He sums this love up in the

Canticle of the Sun

O Most High, all-powerful, good Lord God, to you belong praise, glory, honour and all blessing.

Be praised, my Lord, for all your creation and especially for our Brother Sun, who brings us the day and the light; he is strong and shines magnificently. O Lord, we think of you when we look at him.

Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Moon, and for the stars which you have set shining and lovely in the heavens.

-4- Be praised, my Lord, for our Brothers Wind and Air and every kind of weather by which you, Lord, uphold life in all your creatures.

Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Water, who is very useful to us, and humble and precious and pure. Be praised, my Lord, for Brother Fire, through whom you give us light in the darkness: he is bright and lively and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, for Sister Earth, our Mother, who nourishes us and sustains us, bringing forth fruits and vegetables of many kinds and flowers of many colours.

Be praised, my Lord, for those who forgive for love of you; nd for those who bear sickness and weakness in peace and patience you will grant them a crown.

Be praised, my Lord, for our Sister Death, whom we must all face. I praise and bless you, Lord, and I give thanks to you, and I will serve you in all humility.

St. Francis recognizes that all things in creation are from God and therefore deserving of love, even sister death. The implications of a love spirituality are broad and deep. If one live a spirituality of love then love ought be the measure of every action. The question of how any action or in action will impact love must be in the mind. This because sin can be defined as any action or inaction that obstructs love. As a Capuchin Franciscan this is how I try to approach my life.

Br. Stephen Van Massenhoven OFM Cap.

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Capuchin Burse Report 01 January, 2018 — 14 December, 2018

Please remember that you can obtain a record of your giving at any time, if you wish. Simply contact our office by phone, mail or email to make your request.

-6- Please Pray For… Our Men In Formation

Br Michael Mascarenhas Br Sunil D’Costa Bro. Martin Ngo Bro. Peter Poel Solemnly Professed Simply Professed Simply Professed Simply Professed in Priestly Formation London, ON London, ON Toronto, ON London, ON

We wish to take this opportunity to offer our heartfelt thanks for your generous prayerful and financial support. We wish each and every one a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and offer our warmest blessings to each of you throughout the coming New Year.

”For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; And he is named, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

-7- THE CAPUCHIN LEGACY PROGRAM

As Christians one of the most important tasks we have is that of faithful stewardship. This is beautifully expressed in St. Francis’ “Canticle of the Creatures” which gives thanks for our interdependent relationship with all of God’s creation, in which we all share.

This same spirit also finds contemporary resonance in a quote by Blessed Fr. Solanus Casey, OFM, Cap (d.1957) who stated, “The only science that gives purpose to every other science is the science of religion – the science of our happy relationship with, and our providential dependence on God and our neighbour.”

One of the most important and faith filled acts of stewardship that you can do is to make certain that you have a current will. It is your loving remembrance for others and your love is returned a hundred-fold in your

Blessed Solanus Casey, Capuchin Have YOU considered what your legacy will be? Not only can you leave a gift of

financial remembrance but gifts of Bro. Alan R. Gaebel, ofm, cap. Life Insurance, Stocks, Bonds or Development Office Property may also be gifted 2100 Jane Street through your will. Toronto, ON M3M 1A1

For further information contact: 416.241.3101 ext.245

OUR CAPUCHIN BURSE PROGRAM

The Capuchin Burse Program exists to fund our participation in the Capuchin Initial Formation Programs. These programs consist of three elements, Postulancy, Pre-Novitiate and Novitiate, in which our men receive their initial training and education in the Capuchin Franciscan way of life.

Our Postulancy Program is a collaborative effort between the Capuchin Provinces of St. Joseph (Detroit), St. Mary (New York) and ourselves, and is currently based in Milwaukee, WI. The Pre-Novitiate and Novitiate programs have an international reality in which the Capuchin provinces of the United States, Australia, Canada (English), and Guam participate, by sending their members to our Intercontinental Novitiate based in Santa Ynez, California. During this time our men begin studying the life of St. Francis of Assisi as well as our Capuchin and Church history.

The goal of our programs is to provide solid religious foundations for our young men, which are world-class, informative, enlightening and which emphasize that their vocations are not only to the local, but also the worldwide Church.

The current costs from Postulancy through Novitiate are approximately $100,000.00 (CDN) per person. Your donations to our Capuchin Burse Program directly enable our men to participate in these Capuchin Initial Formation programs and thereby provide the Catholic Church with men who are well formed in Capuchin Franciscan spirituality and prepared for active ministry within the Church..

PLEASE, be generous and THANK YOU for your Financial Support and Prayers!