Paulist Fathers Fall 2011 Paulist Fathers: GivingGiving the Gospel the a Voice Gospel Today a Voice Today Vol. 17 No. 4 WHAT’S MISSION: New book helps parishes evangelize .......... 3 NEWBIES: Meet the Paulist novices ............................. 6 HAPPENING: UNDERSTANDING: Muslim-Catholic project in LA ...... 3 FACES AND PLACES: Find out what’s happening ........ 7 President’s Message For whom do you give thanks? inus, one of the Peanuts cartoon Lcharacters, famously said: “I love mankind; it’s people I can’t stand.” I am thinking this, only in reverse: “I love the Paulists, only more so in thinking of those individuals I have known.” One of the blessings of being president of PT/Bruce Byers the Paulist Fathers is Richard R. Andre, CSP, (left), Rene I. Constanza, CSP, and Thomas C. Gibbons, CSP, pose together after making visiting our houses on their final promise with the Paulist Fathers Sept. 2. a somewhat regular basis. Wherever I go, wonderful people who worship and/or work at our parishes, campus ministries, and centers eagerly Promise for a lifetime tell me what a wonderful group of people the Paulists are. Three Paulists make final promise, ordained deacons But then I press them: “Tell me more.” By Stefani Manowski at St. Vincent Chapel at The Catholic And their narrative of the “Paulist in University of America in Washington, general” becomes a story of a “Paulist in Three Paulists took the final two D.C. The next morning, they joined two particular.” “Father So-and-So, when no one else steps before reaching their ultimate members of the Order of Friars Minor would had the time or interest, visited goal of priestly ordination in the as they were ordained to the diaconate my friend who was dying of AIDS.” community. Richard R. Andre, CSP, by Most Rev. Martin D. Holley, “Father So-and-So witnessed my Rene I. Constanza, CSP, and Thomas C. auxiliary bishop of Washington D.C., marriage; he made all the guests feel so Gibbons, CSP, made their final promise in the Crypt Church of the Basilica of included and his homily – well, I’ll always – pledging a lifetime of service with the the National Shrine of the Immaculate remember it.” Paulist Fathers – before their Paulist Conception. Continued on Page 2 brothers, family and friends Sept. 2 Continued on Page 6 Washington, D.C. Washington, Giving the Gospel a Voice Today Voice a Gospel the Giving Paulist Fathers Paulist Permit #919 Permit Washington, D.C., 20017 D.C., Washington, PAID 3015 Fourth Street NE Street Fourth 3015 North American Paulist Center Paulist American North Office for Media Relations Media for Office U.S. Postage U.S. PAULIST FATHERS PAULIST Non-Profit Org. Non-Profit 2 Paulist Today - Fall 2011 New school opens at OSM, Chicago A much anticipated new school building opened at Old St. Mary’s in Chicago this September. The first day of school finds Stacia Konow (left, photo below) and Lucy Callahan discussing their homework by the lockers while Phoenix Savage (photo at right) pays attention in her second-grade class. Give thanks for our relatives, friends and Paulists! Continued from Page 1 before our mind’s eye. “Father So-and-So received me into the church. If it hadn’t Rather what we picture are individual names and faces, have been for him, I don’t know where I would be today.” with their human quirks, mannerisms, gestures, kindnesses, “Father So-and-So was there for the first communion of my and embraces. Unlike Linus our love for an abstraction comes children and was with me when we had a really tough time through the expression of individuals. That one priest – Father when one of them later got in trouble with drugs.” So-and-So – he is “the Paulists” to me (I wish I could mention And so the stories go. Indeed, just recently, a woman, the Paulist names that immediately present themselves to me, cherished for her work in welcoming back Catholics who had but then that might be too much of a bias and most of you left the church, urged me to memorialize to Landings’ founder probably would not know them). by using his name. But now the ministry has been handed over Who are the names that pop up in your mind? Whose to others – Paulists and laypersons with different names – and names do you invoke before our gracious God when you say, the legacy lives on with the gifts of new eyes and new energy. “Thank you ever so much, my gracious God, for the presence But her insight was keen and right on target: individual of So-and-So in my life”? Some of them will be Paulists, many Paulists, each with his unique name, touched people’s lives. of them will be your relatives, still others your friends, but Often their memory provokes those same people to be they all have a name whose uttering may bring a smile to your generous in reply. lips. How blessed we are to have known them! And thank These touching, various stories show patterns, even amid you, our Gracious God, for making them a part of the tapestry their uniqueness: frequent themes include a welcoming spirit, of my life! sensitivity to particular circumstances, a “human touch,” the And let us pray for/with one another. willingness to make a special effort. These are not peculiarly – but we do hope that they are fundamental – Paulist traits. We are coming up on November, the month of both thanksgiving and remembering those who have gone before us in death. As we gratefully pray for our loved ones who have gone before us, both within the Paulist Family and our Father Michael B. McGarry, CSP benefactors’ families, it is not abstractions that take shape President of the Paulist Fathers Published by Contact Us Missionary Society Phone: 202-269-2521 of St. Paul the Apostle Web: www.paulist.org Office for Media Relations E-mail: [email protected] Paulist Today 3015 Fourth Street NE Editor and Production Washington, D.C. 20017 Stefani Manowski Paulist Fathers Giving the Gospel a Voice Today Paulist Today – Fall 2011 3 Mission America: Evangelization New book helps Catholics share their faith By Stefani Manowski book further enhance the readers’ - mainly Father Frank DeSiano, CSP, lives pastors’ and parish with a big frustration. leaders’ – experience “There doesn’t seem to be a big by encouraging mission or importance in wanting to personal reflection, share our Catholic faith with people challenge, and who are not Catholic or who are thinking about inactive Catholics,” he explained. the concepts Father DeSiano hopes to aid in the presented in remedy with his tenth book, Mission terms of their America: Challenges and Opportunities own parish. for Catholics Today. The 110-page book The book intends is the result of a collaboration between to “define what mission Father DeSiano, president of Paulist looks like today,” according to Father Evangelization Ministries, and Paulist DeSiano, “what mission means in an Press. The book’s six chapters discuss ecumenical context, what it means in conversion, conversion in American terms of a larger secular context.” society, why Catholics need to reach Father DeSiano is a veteran in evangelization strategies, serving as out and share their faith, Catholic evangelization ministry, which began a consultor on evangelization to the parishes in American culture, a look at after his priestly ordination in 1972. U.S. Bishops, and helping to write Go a future church in a future world and His first assignment was at St. Philip and Make Disciples – A Plan and Strategy an agenda for today’s American parish. Neri Church in Portland, Ore., where for Evangelization in the United States. It The appendix engages readers he developed favorably received was work that was “both the flowering in a New Testament spirituality for courses on Catholicism. His first of earlier seeds and also seedlings for mission, according to Father DeSiano book, Searching for Sense came out of future ministry,” he said. and reflection questions throughout the this experience. During these years in He now serves as president of Paulist Oregon he received over 60 people into Evangelization Ministries based in the Catholic Church. Washington, D.C., which seeks to He returned to his home parish of “reach the unreached in faith,” with a ‘Like’ the Paulists the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in particular emphasis on those who do Manhattan to serve as pastor and to not have an active faith life. In this on Facebook! begin welding together the ideas of position, he developed Seeking Christ: “missionary” and “parish.” While at First Steps Toward Catholic Faith, to help The Paulist Fathers have a the Paulist Mother church he authored parishes welcome inquirers at any time new Facebook community page! Presenting the Catholic Faith. These of the year. Just log on to facebook.com/ notions of parish and mission further When it comes to reaching the paulists and hit “like”! Keep up developed during an educational unchurched or fallen-away, the bottom sabbatical at Boston University, where line, Father DeSiano said, is that to date with all the latest Paulist he wrote a D. Min. thesis on parish- Catholics need to “believe we have an news, announcements and photo based evangelization. Father DeSiano important, compelling, and essential galleries! then spent six years in Washington, message. The Church gives people the D.C., helping to form parish opportunity to find community and evangelization teams, developing find meaning in their lives.” 4 Paulist Today - Fall 2011 Christians, Muslims ‘Stand Together’ in LA The following is an excerpt of an article Muslim communities.