DECEMBER 2017 – JANUARY 2018

THE VOICE OF PROVIDENCE

FEATURED STORY | PAGE 11 Feast Day of the Holy Innocents VOLUME 31, NUMBER 1 DECEMBER 2017–JANUARY 2018

PUBLISHED BY: THE VOICE OF PROVIDENCE The Pious Union of St. Joseph, Patron of the Suffering and Dying 1 ...... New Year’s Resolutions 953 East Michigan Avenue FR. JOSEPH RINALDO, SDC Grass Lake, Michigan 49240-9210 517-522-8017 voice 517-522-8387 fax 3 ...... Joseph Most Valiant BISHOP KENNETH J. POVISH [email protected] www.servantsofcharity.org 5 ...... The Dignity of St. Joseph www.pusj.org FR. SATHEESH ALPHONSE, SDC Editor In Chief: Fr. Joseph Rinaldo SdC Editing Team: Joe Yekulis, Kelly Flaherty, 8 ...... Shrine News Fr. Satheesh Alphonse SdC FR. SATHEESH ALPHONSE, SDC Photos: St. Louis Center Archives, Joseph Yekulis, 10 .....From the Inbox Kelly Flaherty and the Mailbox

FEATURED STORY O St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus Christ and true spouse of the 11 .....Feast Day of the Holy Virgin Mary, pray for us and the Innocents suffering and dying of today. FR. JOSEPH RINALDO, SDC Now and at The Hour is a non-profit bi-monthly publication 13 .....Human Rights of the Divine Providence Province of the Servants of Charity, a FR. JOSEPH RINALDO, SDC Catholic Religious Congregation founded by Saint Louis Guanella, (1842–1915). 18 .....St. Louis Guanella Center: A House and a Multitude of Saints by St. Louis Guanella Attend EXCERPT FROM PRIEST FROM THE Let’s go back with our thoughts to what happened [two-thousand- MOUNTAIN seventeen] years ago in the cave in Bethlehem. There for the first mass time the Blessed Mother reverently gazed on her newly born divine infant. Then the holiest of personages, St. Joseph, joined in more 21 .....Unleash Your Gifts admiration the canticles of the angels who came down on earth KELLY FLAHERTY to sing with jubilation: “Glory to Go in the highest and peace on earth to men of good will.” Then the simple and good shepherds, 23 .....Christmas of the Poor exhorted by angles, came bringing their gifts to pay homage to the Messiah and Savior. What a spectacle! It is the admirable sight FR. JOSEPH RINALDO, SDC of a house of saints: Jesus, Mary and Joseph; it is the wonder of a group of people who set out to become in that house a multitude 25 .....Rebuilding a Church of saints... There is the Infant Savior. The heavenly Child has in His heart the in India stream of eternal blessedness; He sits on the lap of the Virgin who FR. VISUVASAM, SDC is a most holy mother and turns His little eyes around to receive the homage of the first-fruits of a multitude of saints... 28 .....My Best Friend Jesus We draw near. We ask for the grace of the Lord for our poor STELLA JOHN hearts, and it is granted to us... We have a house of saints in the family of Bethlehem. In its midst there is the Holy of Holies. Whoever draws near it immediately 31 .....Dedications & Memorials experiences the blessing of the greatest peace as a sample of perfection... 32 .....The Pious Union Library Let us take refuge in the most holy heart of the baby Jesus. Let us join our voices of praise to the angelic hymns and then let us 33 .....Adopt a Seminarian rejoice heartily in the Lord. Image: The Nativity, Perino del Vaga, 1534, National Gallery of Art New Year’s Resolutions

BY FR. JOSEPH RINALDO, SDC

The New Year is slowly approaching, and with the Christmas season already upon us many people are indulging in retrospection and reevaluating some of their life choices.

New Year’s resolutions are the perfect opportunity for all those who have failed to start making the changes that they said they would make next week, next month, or perhaps when winter starts. It’s no surprise that New Year’s resolutions are not always effective. We make too many, or we don’t think them through or prepare for them very well. They often don’t have roots. Taking a cue from the Gospel, instead of making new resolutions, maybe we should think of making reflections at the beginning of a New Year. For example where is my life moving? There are many things I can’t choose. I can’t decide to live at some future date or in some past era, instead of now. But within the life I have, I can make choices.

Attend Pray Eat Pray mass healthier rosary more more more

FROM THE EDITOR | 1 As the life of Jesus unfolds, different people come and go, and all will make choices. Some accepted Him, “The best way to some didn’t. We have the freedom to make choices like that. start is to make a I need to remember that my life good examination of is surrounded by and enfolded in conscience. We are all God’s providence, who has a direct hand in my life and in all that sinners and we can all surrounds me. God’s love ultimately become saints if we stop holds sway over everything. This love will see to it that all works are looking for excuses.” for good, not for evil, but in God’s own time. Not ours. The beginning of a New Year is also an appropriate time to reflect on God’s providential love in my life. These early days in 2018 are a good time to make these kinds of reflections. Well, now’s our chance to sit down and prepare a list of important lifestyle changes we want to make, and being the charitable and caring bunch that we are, we’ve decided to give you a bit of help; because since the majority of people fail to stick to their resolutions, we will need all the help we can get. We have resolutions committed to our souls and others that concern our bodies. Our souls and our bodies support each other. The most common resolutions in the spiritual area are related to church attendance and sacramental life. “I can’t miss Mass anymore. I will go to confession more often. I will invite my neighbor to return to church. I will ask my family members to pray before and after meals. I will spend 5 minutes of personal prayer every day. Our family will recite the Rosary once a week.” For our well being, the New Year’s resolutions could be: “I will start eating healthier food. I will eat what the rest of my family eats. I will stop procrastinating. I will meet new people, especially my neighbors. I will help to do the house chores. I will not spend money uselessly.” These lists can go on forever. The best way to start is to make a good examination of conscience and forget all the excuses we make when we think that what we need to do is too hard. We are all sinners and we can all become saints if we stop looking for excuses to live our Christian life. The good Lord gives us good thoughts, but we need to listen and follow through. Our efforts are all counted. At this level, the members of our family will benefit from our good Christian life and God Himself will be our reward.

2 | FROM THE EDITOR Joseph Most Valiant

BY BISHOP KENNETH J. POVISH

Valor is commonly considered a masculine quality, but it is often found in women too.

Perhaps the most famous use of the word in modern times was by Admiral Nimitz in his praise of the US Marines at Iwo Jima in 1945, “Uncommon valor was a common virtue.” The classic comment comes in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar;” where the bard says, “Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.” Both “valor” and “valiant” come from the Latin verb “valere,” meaning to be strong, courageous or heroic. Heroic strength of mind or spirit has been found in women just as often as it has been demonstrated by soldiers.

HONORING ST. JOSEPH | 3 Joseph of Nazareth displayed strength and courage in heroic ways in several episodes already cited in this series of reflections. We saw it in the flight into Egypt and the sojourn there amidst an alien culture. We saw it in the diligence with which Joseph protected and provided for his wife and her Holy Child. And the chastity required in his marriage called for heroism of a high order. Note that none of these instances, whether we think of an individual act of courage or a prolonged series, was very public or would have warranted a medal from an admiral or praise from a poet. Joseph of Nazareth was a valiant man in his role as husband and foster father in his own home, as a workman who earned a living with his hands, as a layman who was conscientious in his religious duties, as one who drew little attention to himself. The carpenter of Nazareth becomes a model, then, for men and women who, like him, have had to struggle and often suffer silently in the affairs of everyday life. One thinks of men and women who have addictions, who work one day at a time to maintain sobriety and retain control over their lives. One thinks of chronically ill persons whose days are marked by medication and discomfort. One thinks of the unemployed and underemployed who are constantly absorbed in making ends meet. One thinks of widows, widowers, or single parents who must make it alone without the support of a spouse. One thinks of people living in fear for their physical safety who have to worry constantly about their loved ones and about themselves. One thinks of anxious parents who see their children or grandchildren going adrift and want to be helpful but don’t know how. All these people, and others in similar life situations, are called to be brave, to stand fast, and to rely on God’s love and grace. This calls for nothing short of real valor in their homes and families, their jobs and communities. They would do well to become clients of the prayers of St. Joseph of Nazareth, whom we salute in the litany as most valiant.

4 | HONORING ST. JOSEPH The Dignity of St. Joseph

BY FR. SATHEESH ALPHONSE, SDC The dignity of man is a question that has been pondered by philosophers throughout human history.

In the Christian tradition and even in the human historical point of view, the dignity of man or person begins essentially from being ‘the creation of God’. The referral point is God: the Ultimate Good. We are all human beings given an essential dignity as a creation of God. The epitome of this definition is the spouse of the Virgin Mary: St. Joseph’s exemplary life gives us an example of the best version of human dignity as a creature of God.

“IN THE LIFE OF ST. JOSEPH, WE EXPERIENCE HIS HUMAN DIGNITY MAGNIFIED WHEN HE RISKED HIS LIFE FOR THE SAKE OF A HIGHER GOOD.”

In the world that Joseph grew up in, a world scarred by the presence of a brutal and pagan Rome, this concept of dignity was under attack. It has been the same throughout history whenever the worldly mentality of men confronted the God- mentality of man. Today’s world, however, is more sophisticated in challenging the dignity of the human person; its support

ST. JOSEPH | 5 of abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty and its treatment of the poor and the mentally and physically disabled define its attack on this image. In contrast, St. Joseph stands out as a unique saint in professing this human dignity as sacred and important. The dignity of St. Joseph shines in his life because of the fact that he was called virtuous, the ‘just one’. Every account of Joseph in the bible shows him as a righteous man, a man who hears the word of God and keeps it. It is because of this image of a just man—righteous and compassionate—that he decides to “divorce her (Mary) quietly” rather than subject her to public shame and death by stoning. Joseph recognized that God gives us this dignity as human persons when we are born. The word “just” sums up all the virtues and height of Christian perfection. The biblical writer St. Luke refers to him with this title since St. Joseph lived his life virtuously adhering to the word of God. Secondly, the aura of silence that characterizes the behavior of St. Joseph adds to this image of dignity. It is silence which reveals in a special way his inner disposition. The Gospels speak of his actions. But everything was wrapped in silence; it is the perfect atmosphere of profound contemplation. In his contemplation, he found God and he remained close to God. Dignity leads to “likeness to God”; the more Joseph embraced and followed the will of God, the more perfect he became in attaining the image of a man of dignity. Being in communion with God is the essential step for living a dignified life. The souls that are most sensitive to the inspirations of divine love rightly see in Joseph a shining example of the interior life that embraces the true dignity of human nature as combined with the Divine calling in his life.

6 | ST. JOSEPH The third factor in this image of St. Joseph’s dignity would be his dedication and commitment to God’s will; this made him a key part of Salvation History. In the life of St. Joseph, we experience his human dignity magnified when he risked his life for the sake of a higher good, the good that God wanted him to accomplish. His protection of Mary and the Christ child, his willingness to embrace the dangers of travel and the status of alien in Egypt, his commitment to raise his foster son in the Jewish tradition—all these shaped an image of a man of dignity who entwined his experience solely with the will of God. As the ‘foster father’ of our Savior, St. Joseph protected our Lord from subjugation to any of this, though he risked his life for that. He dignifies his human nature by attending to the higher call from God. The image of dignity is strengthened through his submissiveness to God’s will. In his Summa Theologica, St. Thomas says, “The submission to God, which makes the will prompt to consecrate itself to all that concerns His service, is nothing but the exercise of the devotion that constitutes one of the expressions of the virtue of religion.” St. Joseph was totally submissive to God. When God spoke, he acted without hesitation. Like his foster son, he understood that submission was an act of freedom, an act of faith that freed him to serve God and God’s plan.

“DIGNITY LEADS TO ‘LIKENESS TO GOD’; THE MORE JOSEPH EMBRACED AND FOLLOWED THE WILL OF GOD, THE MORE PERFECT HE BECAME IN ATTAINING THE IMAGE OF A MAN OF DIGNITY.

In conclusion, if St. Joseph has dignity in himself, it is not because of the greatness of his ancestors. His identity as a carpenter was as dear to him as the title of prince. His greatness comes above all from his glorious title: “the just one.” The philosopher Immanuel Kant noted that “Morality, and humanity as capable of it, is that which alone has dignity.” It is this focus on virtue as a child of God expressing his moral strength in his focus on God’s will and his perfect attainment of it in which St. Joseph expresses the ideal of dignity. This is the challenge to the fathers of our time: to imitate the great steadfastness and sacrifice of St. Joseph to become a “just man” of God and attain as he did a true image of a man of dignity in our world.

ST. JOSEPH | 7 Shrine News BY FR. SATHEESH ALPHONSE, SDC

“May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.”– St. Teresa of Avila

The intervention of St. Joseph is abundant in the Shrine since he guides the Shrine in the right direction. August 20th was Family Day, a gathering to uplift the spirit. Dr. Joey McCoy spoke of how the worldly mentality today is attacking the spirit of the family. Speaking about Dr. Joey, he finished medical school and followed his heart in proclaiming the Good News rather than practicing medicine. Families brought a dish to pass, and the day concluded with a potluck and some entertaining sports. September marks the start of the school year on the 14th, we celebrated the Exaltation of the Cross. Mass was held at the Calvary since it is appropriate to celebrate Mass under the Cross. The usual visitors to the Shrine attended. The Mass was offered for the students and the teachers who were starting the new school year. A potluck followed Mass and pizza was ordered for the kids. It was a pleasant evening

8 | SHRINE NEWS for everyone who came since after the meals, the teenagers played volleyball and we also organized sports for the younger children. Due to the weather change in Michigan, every year we clean the grounds of the Shrine during the fall so that we will be ready for the winter. This year, fall cleaning was completed on September 30th. Volunteers came around to clean the area surrounding the Shrine. We also cleaned the flower gardens around the Grotto. The work went on for a couple of hours. The volunteers headed home after snack time. It was wonderful to see families with little ones helping with the raking. Thank you to all the volunteers.

The month of September was packed with not only activities of the Shrine, but also the activities of the Servants of Charity since the Provincial Superior and his council along with the General Secretary came for meetings and to visit our community. The Local Assembly of the confreres in the United States was held September 25th -26th. The Provincial and his council held their meetings after that. They celebrated Mass at the Shrine on September 28th. Fr. Charlton Viray from the Philippines, the Vice- Provincial, celebrated Mass in honor of the first saint of the Philippines, St. Lorenzo Ruiz. That day was also the birthday of Fr. Leo Joseph, the Assistant Director of Pious Union and so the faithful sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to him after Mass. Our pilgrim community is so attached to the priests. The Provincial Council had discussed the request to build a Hall on the grounds of the Shrine. After the meeting, Fr. Provincial gave the verbal permission to start fundraising for Providence Hall. We are all in the Hands of Providence and Divine Providence will always provide. This was the belief of our Founder St. Louis Guanella and we, as his followers, also believe in the Providence of God.

SHRINE NEWS | 9 FEATURED STORY From the Inbox and the Mailbox

Dear Fr. Rinaldo, I read your article Listen to One Another. Thank you for making such good points which need to be said. The accompanying pictures, however, disappointed me. Neither of the couple have wedding rings. I suppose they could be dating, but it does look odd. My main concern though is the stereotype showing the man as the non-listener and the woman as the victim. In reality the problem is equal for both males and females. Women complain more, but they are just as guilty. For decades it has been open season on males in the secular media, advertising, etc. The Church has been just as guilty if not more so. In Catholic publications, sermons, etc. males are always the butt of jokes, examples of selfish behavior, etc. It is well past time that men were built up, honored and praised for what they are and do. Thank you for listening. Please, no need for a reply. Sincerely, Tom

Tom, Please read ‘Joseph Most Valiant’ and ‘The Dignity of St. Joseph’ in this issue. They both give positive portrayals of men. Look for more articles in the future. FEATURED STORY Feast Day of the Holy Innocents BY FR. JOSEPH RINALDO, SDC

In these days we experience the love of Christmas, which gradually draws us to the source of Christian joy. We are called to foster this joy among our relatives, friends and neighbors. It is important that we do not let ourselves be robbed of this joy.

Christmas is also accompanied by tears. The Evangelists did not disguise reality to make it more credible or attractive. They relate the birth of the Son of God as an event full of tragedy and grief. Quoting the prophet Jeremiah, Matthew presents it in the bluntest way: “A voice is heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children” (2,18). It is the sobbing of mothers mourning the death of their children in the face of Herod’s thirst for power. Today too, we hear this touching cry of pain, which we neither desire to ignore or to silence. In our world we continue to hear the lamentation of so many mothers, for the death of their children, their innocent children.

CURRENT EVENTS | 11 To contemplate the manger also means to contemplate this cry of pain, to open our eyes and ears to what is going on around us, and to let our hearts be open to the pain of our neighbors, especially where children are involved. It also means realizing that a sad chapter in history is still being written today. Can we truly experience Christian joy if we turn our backs on these realities? Can Christian joy even exist if we ignore the cry of our brothers and sisters, the cry of the children? St. Joseph faced the atrocious crimes that were taking place, St. Joseph, the model of an obedient and loyal man, was capable of recognizing God’s voice and the mission entrusted to him by the Father. Because he was able to hear God’s voice, and was docile to His will, Joseph became more conscious of what was going on around him and was able to interpret these events realistically. The same thing is asked of us today: to be attentive, and not deaf, to the voice of God, and therefore more sensitive to what is happening all around us. Today, with St. Joseph as our model, we are asked not to let ourselves be robbed of joy. We are asked to protect this joy from the Herods of our own time. Like Joseph, we need the courage to respond to this reality, to arise and take it firmly in hand. The courage to guard this joy from the predators of our time, who devour the innocence of our children. Innocence robbed from them by the oppression of illegal slave labor, prostitution and exploitation. Thousands of our children have fallen into the hands of gangs, criminal organizations and merchants of death. We hear these children and their cries of pain; we also hear the cry of the Church, our Mother, who weeps for the pain caused to her youngest sons and daughters. Today, as we commemorate the feast of the Holy Innocents, let us renew our complete commitment to ensuring that these atrocities will no longer take place in our midst. Let us find the courage needed to take all necessary measures and to protect the lives of our children in every way, so that such crimes may never be repeated. In this area, we support, clearly and faithfully, zero tolerance. Christian joy does not arise on the fringes of reality, by ignoring it or acting as if it did not exist. Christian joy is born from a call to embrace and protect human life, especially that of the holy innocents of our own day. Christmas is a time that challenges us to protect life, to help it be born and grow. It is a time that challenges us to find new courage. The courage that generates ways capable of acknowledging the reality that many of our children are experiencing today, and working to ensure them the bare minimum needed so that their dignity as God’s children will not only be respected but, above all, defended. Let us not allow them to be robbed of joy. Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of joy, but guard it and nourish its growth.

12 | CURRENT EVENTS In today’s world, because of their faith or belief, persons belonging to religious minorities experience various degrees of abuse that run from physical attacks to kidnapping for ransom, from arbitrary detention and obstacles in requesting registration, to stigmatization.

Effective protection of the human rights of persons belonging to religious minorities is lacking or inadequately addressed even in the U.N. and international systems. Lately this worrying situation has caught the attention of some governments and segments of civil society. Thus awareness about this serious problem has become more evident. On the other hand, widespread discrimination affecting religious minorities persists and even increases. The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief has rightly focused his Report on the many human rights violations perpetrated against persons belonging to religious minorities. States may be directly involved through indifference toward some of their citizens or through the political will to marginalize, suppress or even eliminate communities with a different identity no matter how long they historically have been rooted in their own country. In some circumstances, non-State actors also take an active and even violent role by attacking religious minorities. The extensive indication of the variety of violations reported offers a realistic picture of today’s oppression of religious minorities and should serve as a call to action.

BY FR. JOSEPH RINALDO, SDC CURRENT EVENTS | 13 However, the Report underplays the basic issue that minorities are defined either from the perspective of a “majority” or from the perspective of other “minorities”. Moreover, according to the Report the State should act in a neutral way in the recognition of religious groups. Indeed, the Report defines individual persons as holders of the right to freedom of religion and sees the goal of protection of religious freedom directed at “ensuring the survival and continued development of the cultural, religious and social identity of the minorities concerned”. It indicates individual protection of religious freedom as the way to achieve the protection of religious communities, a process that will not translate automatically into their protection. In fact, the Report itself shows very well that most violations of religious freedom occur at the religious group level. While the State should enforce the universality of human rights by balancing freedom and equality, it often identifies itself with the “dominant community” in a way that unfortunately relegates minorities to a second class status, thus also creating problems for the religious freedom of individuals. Individual freedoms and rights can be reconciled and harmonized with those of the community that wants to preserve its identity and integrity. There is no opposing dialectical process, but a necessary complementarity. The person should not become a prisoner of the community nor should the community become vulnerable simply because of the assertion of individual freedom. The Special Rapporteur rightly states that by stressing too narrow an understanding of equality, we may lose the diversity and specificity of freedom. The legal recognition of a minority is the starting point for the necessary harmony between individual and group freedom. By adopting such a realistic approach to this issue the coexistence of communities is facilitated in a climate of relative tolerance. However, before such a realistic approach can be pursued, legal status must be granted to religious communities as is required by the innate human right of any person, which precedes and is binding on the State. We fully agree then with the Special Rapporteur’s recommendation: “What

14 | CURRENT EVENTS “GENUINE FREEDOM OF RELIGION BANS VIOLENCE AND COERCION, AND IT OPENS THE ROAD TO PEACE AND AUTHENTIC HUMAN DEVELOPMENT THROUGH MUTUAL RECOGNITION.”

the State can and should do is create favorable conditions for persons belonging to religious minorities to ensure that they can take their faith related affairs in their own hands in order to preserve and further develop their religious community life and identity”. Only through respect for this balance can both peaceful coexistence and the advancement of all human rights be attained. The recognition of the freedom of other religious communities does not reduce one’s own freedoms. On the contrary, the acceptance of the religious freedom of other persons and groups is the corner stone of dialogue and collaboration. Genuine freedom of religion bans violence and coercion, and it opens the road to peace and authentic human development through mutual recognition. The experience, and by now a tradition, of interreligious dialogue in Western societies proves the value of a reciprocal recognition of religious freedom. Religious freedom is also a duty, a responsibility to be fulfilled both by individuals and religious groups. The recognition of the religious freedom of individuals and social groups implies that they should act by the same standards of the freedom they enjoy and such a condition justifies their presence as important and authentic actors in the public square. To eclipse the public role of religion creates a society which is unjust since it would fail to take into account the true nature of the human person and would stifle the growth of authentic and lasting peace for the whole human family.

CURRENT EVENTS | 15

St. Louis Guanella EXCERPT FROM PRIEST FROM THE MOUNTAIN Louis Guanella was born on December 19, 1842 in Fraciscio di Campodolcino, surrounded by beautiful and rugged mountains that were to accompany him from childhood to the hardships of life.

18 | GUANELLIAN CHARISM His parents were Lorenzo Guanella and Maria Bianchi, a rural family of which Louis was the ninth of thirteen children. Among his childhood companions a special place was reserved for the Rabbiosa torrent that flowed at the foot of the village; with Caterina, his favorite sister, he would go out not far from the house and make mud pies in bowls, playing at “making soup for the poor.” When he was seven years old, Louis had a vision which was almost a prediction of the path he was to follow throughout his life: near the parish church of Campodolcino, an old man appeared to him and asked him for the sweets he had in his hand, then disappeared. This vision made him panic and filled him with regret. It was to remain a secret which he only spoke of many years later, towards the end of his life on earth. “YOU, WHO HAVE LONG In the spring of 1852, on the day of his first Communion, in the solitude of the BEEN SEEKING ADVICE TO heights of Gualdera, he had another BECOME HOLY, PRAY TO BE vision. This time it was of the beautiful ABLE TO DO ALL THINGS Lady, Our Lady, who spoke to him and IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE recommended that he devote his life to DIVINE WILL, BECAUSE the needy. THAT IS ENOUGH TO MAKE In 1854, at the age of twelve, he left Fraciscio and went to the Collegio Gallio YOU A GREAT SAINT.” in Como where he studied for six years. ST. LOUIS GUANELLA Although he was later to speak with gratitude of his teachers and professors, he spent his first period at the college nostalgic for the mountains and his birthplace. At the end of his secondary education, he entered the diocesan seminary at St. Abondio to study philosophy. This was followed by theological studies at the Major Seminary. On May 26, 1866 Bishop Bernardino Maria Frascolla of Foggia, condemned by the Italian Government to compulsory residence in Como, ordained him a priest and

GUANELLIAN CHARISM | 19 exhorted him “with words of fire” to be courageous and enterprising. Years later in his booklet Il Montanaro, referring to himself, he wrote that his plan on that solemn day was to “be a sword of fire in the holy ministry.” A few days later he celebrated his first Mass in the Church of St. Maria Assunta in Prosto, in the presence of his parents, brothers and sisters; the following year (1867) he was sent to carry out his priestly duties in Savogno, a small village at an altitude of about one thousand meters in the mountains of the Valle Bregaglia. With the help of his sister Caterina, he stayed there for eight years, sparing no effort to help his people, becoming “everything for everyone.” In 1875, he asked the bishop, and obtained permission to join Fr. John Bosco in Turin, from which he acquired “an experience useful to his own projects.” Don Bosco entrusted him with various responsible tasks and would even have liked to send him on a mission to Latin America but Fr. Louis was too focused on his desire to work for the people of his valley, to found his own institute, and he regretfully declined the offer from the Turin saint. When he left the Salesians he returned to his diocese and was sent by the bishop to Traona, a village in the lower Valtellina; there he was parish vicar for three years and, in 1880, opened a college for the poor children of the valley. Unfortunately, his project was opposed by both the archpriest and the Prefect of Sondrio and the following year he was forced to close it. After this experience, which must certainly have been traumatic, in August 1881 the bishop asked Fr. Louis to go for a while to the parish of Olmo, a tiny village in the Valle San Giacomo. Here, Fr. Louis spent months in loneliness and suffering, in interior purification and in prayer while waiting for Providence to show him which path to take in order to create some kind of institution, for which he felt soundly called by God. Louis Guanella spent his childhood and the first years of his ministry as a priest, apart from the “Salesian” parenthesis, in small mountain villages. The typical mountain environment influenced his personality and, indirectly, his progress to sainthood. His origins, his character, his sensitivities, his language and his concerns made him a thoroughbred man of the mountains; passionate about them, he always clung to them with his whole heart, glad to have been born in the mountains and to have spent his early years there. From the mountain environment Louis Guanella received a magnificent cultural heritage of thought and values, which had its fulcrum in a strong religious sense and its dominant points in a great spirit of sacrifice and sobriety, of practice in tenacity and work, in perseverance on the path “step-by-step,” in attachment to his own traditions, in a powerful family spirit and a genuine sense of belonging to the community.

20 | GUANELLIAN CHARISM Unleash Your Gifts: A Reflection on the Pastoral Letter Unleash the Gospel

BY KELLY FLAHERTY

Since Christmas is the time of year that we give and receive gifts, it seems an appropriate time to reflect upon some of the gifts we have been given and discern how we are being called to use them.

As Catholics, we are all taught about the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit before our Confirmation. Through our Baptism and the Spirit’s outpouring of these gifts upon each of us, we are all called to “Unleash the Gospel” through the witness of our very lives. In an effort to renew and inflame this mission in the Archdiocese of Detroit, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron released an apostolic letter entitled “Unleash the Gospel” after representatives from throughout the archdiocese gathered for Synod 16 last November. The main purpose of the Synod and hence, the apostolic letter was to reflect, pray and map out the course for the Church in Detroit to become a “joyful band of missionary disciples.” (p. 3) This is not just the job of the clergy and religious however; it is a job for each Catholic person living not only in the Archdiocese of Detroit, but anywhere in the world today. It sounds like a daunting, unattainable task for people living in today’s society, being a missionary disciple is very countercultural. So how can each person be expected to

EVANGELIZATION | 21 step up to the plate and do their part? The archbishop suggests that the first step is to ask for ‘forgiveness for the failings of the past enabl[ing] us to move forward with new hope and courage.’ (p. 3) Washing away sins committed in the past can open up each person to have a ‘personal encounter with Jesus Christ [and] embrace his or her identity as a [child] of God;’ (p. 3) ‘making one’s relationship with Jesus and alignment with His Will the central guiding principal of every aspect of life.’ (p. 4) This year for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, why not ‘[re]awaken your baptismal identity as missionary disciples’ (p.5), make use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and clothe yourselves in the love of Christ. In this process spiritual poverty may be discovered, but this is ‘what can lead us to rely wholly on God.’ (p. 5) ‘If we have become spiritually dry, we need not fear. Dry wood is perfect for being set on fire!’ (p. 6) There are many bad habits and false religions that have contributed to the crises of faith and the disappearance of God from humanity, the letter describes in detail the ‘Roots of the Crisis’ on pages 6-10. But we are living in the world, we see these problems so the archbishop also gives us the Guideposts to follow in order to set the dry wood ablaze. Baptism with water is not the final step in making us missionary disciples. In order to be fully equipped the Apostles were baptized with the Spirit, they waited in the Upper Room until they were set ablaze before they went out to spread the good news. At Confirmation we were all sealed with the Holy Spirit, but we may need to ‘return to the Upper Room, asking for a fresh outpouring.’ (p. 11) We all know that ‘we cannot give what we do not have,’ (p. 11) so must continually return to the Word of God to remind us that we must repent and believe in the Gospel, come to know what it means and to be able to share the love of the Gospel with others. Most importantly of all we must all learn that we are not alone on this journey. There are the many who have gone before us and many among us who have a powerful witness that will ignite the spark in all who know them. The archbishop quotes scripture and papal teachings throughout his letter especially to remind us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We must encounter Jesus in scripture, the sacraments and in others in order to help us surrender ourselves to Him completely because He can provide us with the grace that we need and the most important message that we must share. The “kerygma” should be loudly proclaimed by everyone, ‘Jesus Christ loves you; He gave His life to save you; and now He is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you.’ (The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis p.164) In order to “Unleash the Gospel,” I suggest you start by reading this letter. It can be easily downloaded at unleashthegospel.org/# in either English or Spanish. Then re- ignite your Gifts of the Holy Spirit so that you can set your family, your parish, the church and the world ablaze with the good news of Jesus Christ.

22 | EVANGELIZATION Christmas of the Poor BY FR. JOSEPH RINALDO, SDC

Christmas is here, and we have The world economic trade system is to think what it means. It’s constantly depriving the poor of land much more than Santa Claus and livelihood, fairness is excluded and and consumerism. It’s about corruption and exploitation take over the compassion, love for the poor, world. This evil system of unjust trade and seeking justice in an unjust policies and practices is growing and has caused great damage to families. Pope world. Jesus was sent to help Francis himself condemned this liberal change it. We must carry on this runaway economic system that causes mission. We have to understand such social and economic injustice. what that challenge is. In many countries, powerful families control Congress and consequently, millions of poor people. St. Joseph is a representative of the poor who suffer from deprivation because of this unjust power system. Millions of poor are living outside the normal economy. They are mostly people on the peripheries of society, landless and displaced people, poor, unemployed and voiceless. But Pope Francis gave them a voice heard around the world. He told the leaders that he stood with them in the demands for justice and social and economic inclusion. This is his mission of lifting up the downtrodden and sending the rich away empty-handed as we read in the Gospel song “Magnificat”. People want change, real change and structural change. The unjust globalization of the economic system has imposed the mentality of profit at any price, with no concern for social exclusion or the destruction of nature.

SUFFERING & DYING | 23 This system is intolerable: farm workers find it intolerable, laborers find it intolerable, communities find it intolerable, people find it intolerable. The Earth itself, Mother Earth, as St. Francis would say, also finds it intolerable. At one point, Pope Francis spoke against the unbridled capitalism that ran over the rights of the poor. This he called a new form of colonialism, which damaged native peoples and culture in the name of kings, emperors, and big traders. The new colonialism takes on different faces. At times it appears as the anonymous influence of mammon: corporations, loan agencies, certain free trade treaties, and the imposition of measures of austerity which always tighten the belt of workers and the poor. The Gospel values of fairness and economic and social justice are very important today. We need to know how and why this is happening and what it means in the daily lives of discarded and unwanted people. We need to wake up from apathy and become involved in a mission to find and implement positive solutions. Fair trade is one way to do this. It is a movement that creates an alternative way of doing business with fairness, honesty, profit-sharing and positive empowerment of the poor so that they can be educated and break the cycle of poverty. In developed and developing countries, more people are producing goods and food under fair trade conditions, becoming avenues for fair earnings and social development projects. Fair trade brings together the producer and the consumer in a positive, respectful partnership. The buyer knows the producer and how the food or the products are produced. The poor suffer depression of a kind that most citizens of developed countries and economies cannot understand. In developed countries, the poor and the jobless will have the social net of welfare and unemployment payments by the state. These benefits are unheard of in developing countries. In this ocean of unfair trading and economic activity, the rulers and the rich are the characters in the story of Jesus that contrasts the life of the filthy rich man in the palace where Lazarus begged for the crumbs that fell from the table. The leftovers were all Lazarus wanted but the rich man was so mean he would not give them from a loaded table. There, at the gates of heaven or hell-on-earth, depending on how one sees it, Lazarus died of his sores and ulcers. Only the dogs had pity and came to lick his sores. They had more compassion than the humans. Jesus, Mary and Joseph had rejection, poverty and killers chasing them and they escaped as refugees to Egypt. Today, we see many refugees welcomed and others made unwelcome and rejected. It’s an image of our world today.

24 | SUFFERING & DYING Rebuilding a Church in India: A New Home for the Faithful of Sagaya Matha Parish

BY FR. VISUVASAM, SDC

The Guanellian Mission is to take care of the poorest of the poor, those who have no one else to care for them.

Following the example of Christ, Good Shepherd and Good Samaritan, and walking in the footsteps of the Founder of the Servants of Charity, St. Louis Guanella, we seek and care for the poor, the suffering, the abandoned, and the wounded members of God’s family. Today there are more than 500 confreres serving the poor in 23 different countries around the globe. The Servants of Charity expanded their mission to India in 1992 to continue St. Guanella’s mission of reaching out to the poor. Currently, there are about 100 confreres in India working in different apostolates such as formation, parish ministry, homes for the mentally ill, social services, orphans and educational support. United in a community, they strive to make visible the Lord’s mercy, by becoming instruments of

GUANELLIAN MISSION & INSTITUTIONS | 25 His Providence among the most fragile and neglected who, like the Paralytic in the Gospel, cry out, “Lord, I have no one!” Their first community was established in Cuddalore, at Sagaya Matha Parish. The parish was built with the permission of the Archdiocese of Pondicherry - Cuddalore and began serving about 50 families, by the grace of God through Fr. Arputham under the patronage of Our Lady of Perpetual Help on January 21, 1984. Due to a lack of funds the small parish church was built 33 years ago with limestone walls and corrugated asphalt roofing. On November 13, 1994 the Servants of Charity were entrusted with the parish. Through their hard work, the parish grew in faith and numbers. There are now over 200 families, totaling almost 900 members. The parishioners are devout Catholics, practicing their faith deeply through ardent piety and charity. Some of the church activities in which parishioners are involved include Legion of Mary, Society of St. Vincent De Paul, Franciscan Third Order, St. Antony Movement, Guanellian Cooperators, and the Guanellian Youth Movement. Many are also involved in choir, Liturgy group, Parish Council and as altar servers. These pious groups attend spiritual retreats, daily masses, adoration, novenas and

26 | GUANELLIAN MISSION & INSTITUTIONS important feasts of the parish. They participate in social activities that carry out the corporal works of Mercy: helping the poor; visiting the sick, imprisoned, disabled and elderly; offering medical camps and celebrating world disabled day. The church is small and can only accommodate 200 people. Attendance on Sundays and special liturgical feasts often attract as many as 1500 people. It should be noted that among those who attend services, many are students and other faithful who are not registered parishioners. Many must stand outside, at times during adverse conditions. Due to the age of the church the building has begun to deteriorate and no longer provides adequate protection from the sun and rain. The Cuddalore district is often affected by natural disasters such as a tsunami in 2004, Thane Cyclone in 2011, flooding in 2015, and Varda Cyclone in 2016. The buildings and property were heavily damaged by each disaster. The walls of the church are compromised and it seems they will fall at any time. During the rainy season the water leaks through the ceiling, even onto the altar. Water runoff from the road enters the Church portico forming a puddle which flows into the chapel. For these reasons, some parishioners do not attend Church during this season because they fear for their safety and are not able to worship the Lord peacefully.

“BY COMPLETING THIS AMBITIOUS PROJECT, THE GUANELLIAN MISSION TO PROVIDE ‘BREAD AND THE LORD’ WILL CONTINUE TO PROSPER IN CUDDALORE, AND FULFILL THE CALL OF ALL CATHOLICS TO ‘GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS.’”

Through Mary, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, we pray that this, the first Guanellian parish in India, will be given the necessary attention to construct a church building worthy of housing our Lord and ample in size to accommodate the ever-increasing numbers of faithful who flock to the parish. The church building not only provides a place for believers to worship, but also provides a location to conduct missionary training sessions, teaching religious education to children and various other ministries. There is a continual demand for these buildings. Our main goal is to provide a proper atmosphere and faith to the people. By completing this ambitious project, the Guanellian Mission to provide ‘bread and the Lord’ will continue to prosper in Cuddalore, and fulfill the call of all Catholics to ‘go and make disciples of all nations.’

GUANELLIAN MISSION & INSTITUTIONS | 27 My Best Friend Jesus I want to share my faith, part of my life and my journey with Jesus.

BY STELLA JOHN, GUANELLIAN COOPERATOR

When I understood what faith was I was too young. Like everyone I prayed to God for scoring well on my exams and I remember we prayed as a family every evening.

My faith was built by watching my parents and the people around me. My prayer moved from scoring well on exams to thanking God for everything in my life. As time went on, I grew in faith and remember receiving my first Bible as a youngster. I didn’t understand much, but I thirsted to know Jesus. Soon I got busy with higher education and adulthood. My first encounter with Jesus was when I experienced failure in my life. I remember my youth; so much fun, love, and excitement. Then suddenly I began feeling let down, lonely and confused. I was broken and felt there

28 | GUANELLIAN LAY MOVEMENT was no purpose to my life. Something told me that I should end my life. My strength was my prayer and at that moment I surrendered to God. This was when the Spirit of God inspired me to live for my parents and I felt this strength in my heart that Jesus would walk with me throughout my life. I fought for my life and continued my journey. I knew that the life I lived was not mine but Jesus’, who lived in me. In prayer, Jesus comforted me and all that I did was cry to Him. His words from scripture constantly told me, “I will raise you up to the Cedars.” I built my faith on this verse and trusted in Jesus. To this day I am still haunted by memories from my past. But Jesus gave me all the strength I needed. One evening I wept inconsolably, but the spirit of God filled my heart with joy. Christ’s face came through as I prayed and saw a vision of Jesus up above a mountain, streams coming down with the lamb. The face of Jesus was the sweetest face I have ever seen. I started laughing through my tears and felt light in my heart.

“JESUS GAVE ME ALL THE STRENGTH I NEEDED. ONE EVENING I WEPT INCONSOLABLY, BUT THE SPIRIT OF GOD FILLED MY HEART WITH JOY. CHRIST’S FACE CAME THROUGH AS I PRAYED AND SAW A VISION OF JESUS UP ABOVE A MOUNTAIN…”

Today God has blessed me with all that I need. The struggle to get to where I am today was not easy. There were many challenges, hurts, and failures. I lost my father whom I loved so much, my mother became ill, and I lost my job when I thought I was settling down. But what remained constant inside of me was Jesus and His love. He walked with me and held me close to His heart. Life has been so much fun with Jesus beside me. He has taught me to live with courage, to share my happiness, to love the rejected and He has added meaning to my life. Some days Jesus uses me to touch a soul and change his/her life. He has kept His promise to me to place me above the cedars. From my own bitter experiences I was able to council others, for I knew what it was like to go through their pain. God has helped me to speak to many people who were on the verge of ending their lives. A friend came to me and said if I had not spoken to him the previous evening he would have committed suicide. I noticed him acting aloof and sad when I decided to talk to him. He shared his pain and I counseled and consoled him. “Today you want to die because you can’t marry the girl you love, but have you ever thought of

GUANELLIAN LAY MOVEMENT | 29 “I AM NEVER ALONE, JESUS LIVES IN ME AND I DO NOT FEAR THIS LIFE. I AM HIS AND HE WILL what will happen to your parents? Don’t you TAKE CARE OF want to give something back to them?” This changed him. To this very day he calls me to say, ME UNTIL THE “Stella thanks for that evening, I’m happy now.” END OF MY LIFE.” When my mother was diagnosed with Cancer, the world around me came to a standstill. But as I was speaking with the doctor I felt a hand on my shoulder giving me strength and I heard a voice within me say, “I am there”. This gave me the courage to face what was ahead. I put my trust in God and convinced my Mother to receive chemotherapy. She put her trust in God and she believed my words. During the treatment God gave me immense strength. There were scary moments which I could never imagine having to face alone. My mother endured four major surgeries in four years; all praise to God. In the past, I cried to Jesus to show me a reason for my life. Today He has brought me to a place where He has made me the reason for many to smile. My experiences have made me sensitive to people around me to enable me to reach out to those who are hurt. My life has become meaningful and the reason is Jesus living in me. But I am never alone, Jesus lives in me and I do not fear this life. I am His and He will take care of me until the end of my life. I pray to God that He holds me close to His heart and never lets me go astray. Today I live with dignity because of Jesus. I love Him the most! I wanted to share my faith and I hope someone takes confidence from my experiences with Jesus.

30 | GUANELLIAN LAY MOVEMENT REMEMBER YOUR LOVED ONES… By Making a Dedication or Memorial in Their Name Dedicate a step of the Holy Stair...... $5000 Dedicate a Pew in the Shrine...... $1000 “I am the Resurrection and the Life” Memorial Wall ...... $500 Dedicate a tile near the Calvary...... $250 Become a Shrine Forester, Plant a tree...... $150 Dedicate a leaf on the Tree of Remembrance in the Shrine...... $500

All donations are used for ministry at the Shrine of St. Joseph for the Suffering and Dying and for the continued building up of the Shrine in his honor.

For more information or to make a pledge, please call the Pious Union of St. Joseph Office Monday–Friday at 517- 522-8017. Send email to [email protected].

DEDICATIONS & MEMORIALS | 31 The Pious Union Library

FR. JOSEPH RINALDO, SDC

Christmas is a gift from God to humanity. From this truth comes the tradition of exchanging gifts with one another. You will find inspiring, durable, spiritual gifts in the library of the Pious Union of St Joseph. Surprise a relative or friend with a unique gift this Christmas. At this time the library can offer: 1. A Biography of St. Louis Guanella: a. Samaritan Priest b. A Priest from the Mountain c. The Life, Spirit and Works of Father Louis Guanella d. Parables of a Good Samaritan 2. Works of St. Louis Guanella: a. On the Tomb of the Deceased b. Oh Father, Oh Mother: Meditations for the Liturgical Year Please call, write or email the Pious c. Spiritual Pages Union with your request. Your donation d. The Bread of the Soul, vol. 1, 2, 3 for shipping will be appreciated. e. Hardbound Anthologies of St. Guanella’s Writings i. Vol. 2: 1910 Regulations of the Servants of Charity ii. Vol. 3: Let Us Go to the Father, In the Sacred Time, The Little Poor Man of Christ iii. Vol. 4: The Mountaineer, The Ways of Divine Providence iv. Vol. 5: In the Month of Fervor, In the Month of Flowers 3. The Spirituality of St. Louis Guanella: a. The Figure, the Thought and the Action of Fr. Louis Guanella in His Writings b. Prayer and Suffering c. The Heart of a Father d. Under the Wings of Divine Providence 4. Basic Document for the Guanellian Mission 5. The Holy Cloak in Honor of St. Joseph 6. The Guanellian Way to Pray the Rosary 7. The Biography of Blessed Clare Bosatta 8. Bishop Aurelio Bacciarini, SdC: A Man from the House of Divine Providence 9. The Litany of St. Joseph

32 | GUANELLIAN PRESS Adopt a Seminarian Today 500 Servants of Charity priests and brothers serve in 22 countries. There are numerous seminarians in formation at Guanellian seminaries throughout the world.

The formation process combines spiritual growth, academic studies and hands-on training. It can take up to eight years to prepare them to make permanent vows of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience as a priest or brother. Many of them come from poor countries. “Adopting” a seminarian can make a huge impact. For $1 a day (the cost of a cup of coffee or a donut), you can help make a young man’s dreams of religious life come true. Can you make a small sacrifice to make that happen?

SACRED HEART CHURCH DAUGHTERS OF ST. MARY Fr. Silvio De Nard OF PROVIDENCE 118 Taunton Ave. Sr. Beth Ann Dillon East Providence, RI 02914 4200 N. Austin Ave., tel: 401-434-0326 Chicago, IL 60634 [email protected] [email protected]

PIOUS UNION OF ST. JOSEPH Are you being called to serve God’s “special people” Fr. Satheesh Alphonse through Consecrated Life as 953 E. Michigan Ave. a Servant of Charity or Grass Lake, MI 49240 Daughter of St. Mary of tel: 270-556-7789 Providence? [email protected] 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

To receive the Monthly Shrine Bulletin and all special event mailings, please contact the office at 517- 522-8017 or send email to [email protected]

Pious Union of St. Joseph 953 East Michigan Ave. NON-PROFIT­ Grass Lake, MI 49240 U.S. POSTAGE Phone: 517-522-8017 Email: [email protected] PAID PERMIT NO. 87 ANN ARBOR, MI