Thepresentmoment Summer2021
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Te Present Moment USA Distict of te Voluntas Dei Insttut Summer 2021 HEART SPEAKS TO HEART Fr. Tony’s letter translated by Héctor and Ernestina Piña Dear Voluntas Community, Querida Comunidad Voluntas, Two years ago, I had the opportunity, Hace dos años, en mi viaje a España, tuve la together with some of our members and friends, to oportunidad de recorrer El Camino de Santiago, walk the Camino in Spain. The journey was a acompañado de algunos de nuestros miembros y beautiful experience for me that was filled with amigos. El viaje fue una hermosa experiencia, llena de many graces and surprises. bendiciones y sorpresas. We have begun a Camino in the USA En el Distrito de USA, hemos comenzado un District as we journey to our District Assembly in Camino mientras nos acercamos a nuestra Asamblea en January 2022. The delegates had our first enero de 2022. Los delegados tuvimos nuestra primera meeting on April 15 to start the immediate reunión el 15 de abril para comenzar la preparación de preparation for the Assembly. The dates and la Asamblea lo más pronto posible. Las fechas y la agenda for our journey are presented in this issue agenda de nuestro viaje se presentan en esta edición de of our newsletter and will be discussed at our nuestro boletín y se discutirán en nuestro Congreso de August 2021 Congress. agosto de 2021. The Assembly will be a time of deep La Asamblea será una oportunidad para listening as we read the sign of the times asking escuchar profundamente lo que el signo de los tiempos how God is calling us to serve the Church as we nos está diciendo, preguntándonos cómo Dios quiere live out our Voluntas vocation in the midst of the que le sirvamos a la Iglesia, mientras vivimos nuestra world. vocación como Voluntas Dei en medio del mundo. Dedicamos este número a los delegados electos que se We dedicate this issue to the elected unen a los delegados “ex oficio” (el director actual, el delegates who join together with the “Ex Officio” consejo y el ex director) según lo establece nuestra delegates (the current director, council and the constitución. former director) as guided by our Constitutions. En El Camino, la experiencia que más me The most powerful part of my Camino impactó fue cuando llegué a la tumba de Santiago, en experience was arriving at the end of the journey Santiago de Compostela. Los extraños que conocimos at the tomb of St. James in Santiago de en el camino estuvieron presentes en la última misa en Compostela. Strangers that we met along the way la Catedral. Ya no éramos extraños; ahora éramos una were present at the final Mass in the Cathedral. familia. Invitamos a los miembros del Distrito de USA, a We were no longer strangers; we were now one embarcarse en el viaje hacia nuestra Asamblea, donde family. We invite the entire USA District to make abriremos nuestros corazones al plan que Dios tiene the journey to our Assembly where we will open para nosotros en un futuro. our hearts to the future God has planned for us. Fraternalmente, Fraternally, Tony Tony SAVE THE DATES! Annual Retreat and Congress August 2-6, 2021 Holy Family Retreat House Hartford, Connecticut Remembrances The Retreat begins on Monday, August 2 at 12 noon and concludes on Wednesday, Robert Boris August 4 at 10:30 AM Roy Brown Fr. Albert Haase, OFM will be our retreat director. Claudia Bruno He was ordained a priest in 1983 and has had Arthur Candreva varied ministries over the years, including several years in China as a missionary. He is Joseph Deitz currently a popular retreat director and itinerant Julie Devine preacher. He is a great story-teller and has a Thomas Furlong marvelous sense of humor. Malachy Higgiston The Congress begins on Wednesday, Augustine Katady August 4 at 12 noon and concludes with lunch on Friday, August 6 Raymond Lefebvre Frank Masiello Sr. Sharon Holland, IHM will be the presenter at our annual Congress. Sister is an expert on Ruth and Bill McClellen secular institutes and spent many years in Rome William McKeone serving on the Congregation of the Institutes of George Perreira Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Our members met her at our Zoom mini John Schotka congress in January. Eleanor & Bob Suroweic We look forward to her being with us to enhance our understanding of the spirituality of secular institutes. Mark your calendars now! 2 THE USA DISTRICT ASSEMBLY UPDATES All members are asked to start praying APRIL 15, 2021 this prayer for our upcoming District Assembly in January 2022. Cards with Meeting of Delegates the prayer will be distributed at the August Overview of what an Assembly is and the Congress. Assembly process Role of the delegates and council Role of the facilitator and Assembly Coordinator Assembly Prayer MAY 20, 2021 Meeting of Delegates Loving God, you give us the present Assembly theme moment to create marvels. Every four Assembly prayer years you offer us a new day like a blank Surfacing proposals page. We are your artists committed to Assembly schedule painting a new picture to bring about your kingdom of peace, love and justice. You AUGUST 2-6, 2021 are already waiting to fill us with special August Retreat and annual Congress graces at our Assembly. Help us to Break out session to surface proposals (Delegates cooperate with your graces and be will facilitate groups on August 4) courageous in going to new places where After the Assembly proposals can be submitted by your Spirit wants to lead us. We place our individuals or teams (Deadline: Sept. 15) trust in you and in Our Lady for we know you are with us as we strive to do SEPTEMBER 28 your will above all things. Amen Meeting of Delegates Presentation of proposals Voluntas Dei Formation of working groups Per Mariam Immaculatam OCTOBER 21 (Adapted from the writings of Meeting of Delegates Fr. Louis-Marie Parent) Final presentation of proposals Finalize Assembly schedule NOVEMBER 1 Global communication to the USA District Director and Council Report Proposals/Assembly Theme and format JANUARY 3-7, 2022 Celebration of the USA District Assembly, Franciscan Renewal Center, Scottsdale, Arizona Delegates arrive on Sunday afternoon or evening, January 2 Assembly begins on January 3, 2022 at 9:00 AM Assembly concludes on January 7, 2022 at 12 noon 3 Meet the Delegates Daniel LaBlanc, OMI Central Park Team Assembly Facilitator I came to know Fr. Parent a great many years ago. Later, when I worked as a missionary in Peru I was in frequent contact with the OMMI’s. And, after being asked to serve as the OMI representative at the United Nations in New York in 2004 and, by chance coming to live at Ascension Parish in Manhattan, I had the opportunity of meeting some of the VDI members. I was invited to visit the team in New York and have been with VDI ever since, in different capacities, all the while remaining a Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate. Our spiritualities have many of the same roots, most notably Mary Immaculate. Hector and Ernestina Piña Hispanic Team God has always been present in our daily life. However, it was at the end of a Mass celebrated by Father Andrew Sioleti, over four years ago, at the St. Augustine Church, in Brooklyn, when we received an invitation to join a Friday evening meeting of the Voluntas Dei Institute. That was our call. Ever since our lives have changed from being “semi-active catholics”, following the practices but without a deeper involvement, to becoming seekers of a more profound spirituality within the midst of the world. The principles derived from the Institute have helped us to be more in contact with our love and faith in God which has grown steadily, deeper, and stronger; our devotion to the Virgin Mary has taken a extensive significance through praying the Rosary in group and trusting in her divine intercession. Our journey within Voluntas has opened an opportunity to find God in any aspect of our daily life, and increase our opportunity to serve, starting within our own family and extending to others. We have been more conscious to change understanding instead of criticism and living more in the present moment as an opportunity to be better rather than spinning wheels in a past which will never return. The Catholic Church is currently facing enormous challenges within and outside its walls. Somehow, it seems as if we are at a breaking point where some elements, rules and traditions need to change and adapt to the new realities but without losing its essence and fundamental principles. The spirituality of the IVD precisely offers a simple but profound way which can allow us to strengthen our catholic beliefs within these changing realities. We thank God for this opportunity to be part of the Voluntas Dei Institute. 4 Greg McGivern Paul Tolve San Francisco Bay Team Reservoir of Grace Team The power of a personal invitation can never be I came to Voluntas really by a “fluke” or was it the underestimated. I was introduced to Voluntas Dei by Rory quiet work of the Spirit? In 2001 my Director of Pastoral Murphy. It was my first time hearing about Secular Institutes. Services at the Westchester County Department of Corrections Rory’s enthusiasm about Voluntas Dei and his generous was intimating to me that he wanted to prepare me for his invitation for me to attend one of the March gatherings in position, as he was getting New Jersey many years ago had a profound and lasting impact ready to retire in the following year.