Across All International Formation International Formation
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WINTERWINNTERR 20152015 BORDERS Across All International Formation International Formation Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Contents Priests and Brothers We are an apostolic, Roman Catholic community of priests and brothers, who WINTER 2015 | ISSUE 31 with zeal and a preferential option for the poor, work to make God known, 2 From the Provincial Superior loved and served in our education, parish Inside 3 and mission communities across the United States, and around the world. Across All Borders My dear friends in Christ, Holy Cross Mission Center 5 Given our work in four colleges and universities, high schools and parishes with schools, many people associate education as the hallmark of Holy Cross’ Where We Are Provincial Superior District of East Africa ministry. Yet our history reflects a commitment and Rev. Thomas J. O’Hara, C.S.C. passion for missionary service. Years before the Congre- Assistant Provincial; Vicar 8 gation of Holy Cross received its Papal Approbation in 1857, Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., Rev. Richard S. Wilkinson, C.S.C. was sending members of his religious community around the world to Algeria, Canada, Assistant Provincial; Steward Sacred Heart Parish Poland, Italy, Bengal (now Bangladesh) and the United States. With evangelical zeal, still Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C. A New Ministry in Tanzania present in every member of Holy Cross, these pioneers selflessly, and in many cases at the Assistant Provincial; Secretary cost of their lives, entered foreign soil to proclaim the Gospel and to serve the people where Br. Donald Stabrowski, C.S.C. 12 Director of Province Development and how most needed. Kent Goffinet I deeply value this legacy of Holy Cross — it speaks volumes to our faithfulness, our charism, Editor Formation Reflection A Place at the Table our gift to the Church — and it’s very close to my heart as I’ve had the opportunity to serve Angela Knight 12 in Bangladesh and in East Africa and have witnessed desperation, poverty, indignity and Contributing to this Issue 14 helplessness. But I’ve also seen the power of hope and the transformation of lives made James Kramer Contributing Photographer possible by Holy Cross and the outstanding support we’ve received that empowers our Matt Cashore Holy Cross international work. Graphic Design District of Perú Today, the missionary spirit of Holy Cross is evident in 17 countries and across five con- Kreative Koncepts, Kristina R. Craig tinents. The United States Province serves God’s people in its three international districts: 16 Chile, East Africa and Perú, along with the Region of México. As members of the international family of Holy Cross, we also have special relationships with Bangladesh and Haiti. Each Office of Development Where We Are summer a number of our seminarians experience the Holy Cross mission in various countries P.O. Box 765 District of Chile Notre Dame, IN 46556-0765 in Asia, Africa and South America. 574.631.6731 5 16 20 20 It’s difficult to convey the impact of our missions in terms of the lives we inspire through [email protected] education, or the healing we offer through our clinics, or the souls moved toward greater holi- www.holycrossusa.org 14 ness in our Sacramental ministry. It is possible, however, for each of us to understand hope — facebook.com/holycrossus twitter.com/HolyCrossUs hope that Holy Cross brings to all of our ministries and is shared with every life we encounter pinterest.com/holycrossusa www.subscribe.holycrossusa.org Also in this Issue — hope that you demonstrate through your support of our work. Where we Are God bless you and your family this Advent season, and may God continue to bless the Our Philanthropic Mission: 25 Holy Cross in Bangladesh México Congregation of Holy Cross. Uniting those who are called to be witnesses of Christ’s love and stewards of His gifts, 26 Holy Cross in Haiti 22 with our mission to proclaim the Kingdom 28 Holy Cross Family Ministries Rev. Thomas J. O’Hara, C.S.C. of God to all. 34 Tribute to Fr. Ted Columns 27 Plain ! Speaking 31 Around the Province Pillars HolyCrossUSA.org Winter 2015 Pillars MissionCenter Endowment Across All Borders 4 HolyHoly Cross Mission Center 5 ur mission sends us across borders of every sort. Holy Cross Mission Center (HCMC) was established as the Holy Cross Foreign Mission Society in 1923 by O several brothers and priests under the leadership of Rev. Michael Mathis, C.S.C., to support the works of Holy Cross in what is now Bangladesh, and later East Africa, in the late 1950s. Today, HCMC supports locations for which the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers, has jurisdiction: • District of Chile • District of East Africa: includes Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda • District of Perú • México The HCMC has a special relationship, due to its common history, with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Province of Bangladesh, which is now its own province. As well, the HCMC offers assistance through its services to other jurisdictions of the Congregation, as it did with the Province of Haiti, for example, for the relief efforts in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. Rev. Michael McGrath DeLaney, C.S.C., director of the Holy Cross Mission Center, was gracious enough to answer the following questions about the history and goals of the Mission Center, as well as explain the areas of the world in which we work and why the work of the Congregation is so crucial. missionary invitation. So much so that even after Q: What is Holy Cross’ history in the boat carrying the first group of religious to Bengal Mission Work? sank, Fr. Moreau decided to send a second group who, DeLaney: Holy Cross was founded as a missionary luckily, did arrive. From the very beginning, there community since the time of Blessed Basil Moreau, has always been that sense of mission. It’s in our and what I think is interesting is that the first Constitutions, and it’s always been a part of our life to mission didn’t work out … they went from France to respond. And I trust it will be a part of our future. Algeria which was a French colony at the time. They were there a few years and came back. They were sent Q: What is the HCMC? to the Bengal region – what’s now Bangladesh – in DeLaney: HCMC serves to support our international the mid-1800s. So even though they didn’t feel they mission. We can help bring people together — our had enough personnel, they always responded to the religious, our young men in formation, our lay Pillars HolyCrossUSA.org Winter 2015 Pillars MissionCenter Mission Center colleagues, our students, our alumni from our schools. There’s a fundraising component, but there’s Q: Why do we care about this work? also the formation and education piece to build onto DeLaney: We care about them because we’re part this internationality. We serve as a bridge between of the Church and they are too. It’s about education We are in this to share our faith, and to build one region and another perhaps with the exchange and responding to a great need. Something unique of personnel, perhaps through a service project. We that a religious community like Holy Cross offers the up the Church, but we do that very much in 6 cross boundaries of every sort — be they political, Church — and this is fundamental — is equality. While respect of the cultures where we serve. 7 cultural, or language. In many countries where Holy the world might have walls or preconceived notions Cross serves, more than one language is required to of power, equality or opportunity between people by serve in the church there. This is becoming more of a gender, race, ethnicity, economic opportunities, etc. reality as well with the changing demographics in the — by our vowed life as religious, we transcend those walls and see one another as equals. This is a very im- United States. The crossing of boundaries of every their own dignity, some by the age of three. We bring portant sign for the people of God to witness when- Q: What kind of impact have we made? sort is in a sense what mission is, and it’s been since brothers and sisters together when they’re removed ever they interact with us. A member of Holy Cross in DeLaney: One observation that many have made our origins. from the homes, or if their parents have gone to jail, Uganda, Bangladesh or México shares in the same life. which I believe holds much truth: wherever Holy or have simply been abandoned. People offer us help It doesn’t matter what language we speak, where we Cross serves in the world, it makes a profound impact What is your role with the HCMC? with their schooling and housing and their profes- Q: open the parish, or where we have our school or our on the life of the Church, the society at large and DeLaney: I think there’s a three-part role to it: sional staffing — they have social workers, psychol- ministry — with the marginalized, disadvantaged or the people it serves. Two brief examples from Latin To be an ambassador within the Province and to ogists. These kids can regain, in some sense, their exploited children or the homeless — we are all con- America (and this could be said of everywhere Holy Holy Cross in the United States and abroad — help- innocence, as well as a future. Most go on to success- nected because we’re all created by the same God.