Catholic Islander Template.Qxd
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EXCLUSIVE NEWS INSIDE *Columban Hall Opens THE CATHOLIC *St. Francis’ Blessing of Animals *New Initiatives for Vocations *VI Priests Serving the Military *Deacon Recovering from Stroke *Nuestra Señora De Providencia ISLANDER *Deacon Says Farewell to VI VOL. 20, NO. 11 NOVEMBER 2004 *Listings of Coming Events A PUBLICATION OF THE DIOCESE OF ST. THOMAS IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS CHANCELLOR CELEBRATES CATHOLIC MEN ON RETREAT 14TH ANNIVERSARY Some twenty men attended a Catholic Men’s Msgr. Jerome Feudjio (right) celebrated his birthday and Retreat at Holy Family Church on St. Thomas on his fourteenth anniversary of ordination to the priesthood September 24-25. Warren Mitchell, a St. Croix native on September 29 by concelebrating Mass with Fr. Neil Scantlebury at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas. working in youth and family counseling in Baltimore, Maryland, led the retreat. FIREFIGHTERS STUDENTS PERFORM TEACH SAFETY CANTERBURY TALES Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes from St. Mary School on St. Croix went to the fire station in Cotton Valley on October 1. They were shown around the fire station and learned about fire safety, especially about Stop, Drop and Roll. They were able to beep the truck horn and shoot the water from the hose. Ethan Rodriguez shot water from a fire hose when Eliana Schuster, Karen Henry, Shawon Reyes and Lynette Kindergarten and Grade 1 classes from St. Mary School Clarke staged Canterbury Tales for fellow students at St. on St. Croix visited a fire station on October 1. Joseph High School on October 15 and 19. Notes from the Bishop’s Desk The Most Reverend George V. Murry, SJ Bishop of the Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands NEW VOCATIONS DIRECTOR ST. PATRICK SCHOOL Bishop George Murry, SJ, has appointed Fr. John Mark as Vocations Director, effective October 4. Fr. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Mark will also continue as Parochial Vicar of Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas. TRUSTEES MEET Also in vocations news, Fr. John McLoughlin, Parochial Vicar at St. Patrick Church on St. Croix, has scheduled a vocations retreat for teen-agers on December 4 and for adults on December 11. He is preparing a brochure for distribution throughout the diocese. Meanwhile, Bishop Murry continues to solicit applicants for the deaconate. Those interested in discerning a call to serve the Church on St. Thomas and St. John as a deacon should direct a letter to him as soon as possible. Weekly classes will begin in January 2005. CONVOCATION IMPLEMENTATION Bishop George Murry, SJ, and Very Rev. Kenneth Twenty-one Catholic leaders in the U.S. Virgin Gaddy, CSsR, met with the St. Patrick School Alumni Islands have been assigned to seven working groups to Association Trustees at the alumni dinner at St. Gerard draft a plan for addressing the needs of the diocese. Hall on St. Croix on October 9. By examining the suggestions made by the eighty Back row, left to right: Anastasia Doward; Vertilee priests, religious and lay persons who participated in the Bailey-Daniel; Anne Doute; Bishop George Murry, SJ; Diocesan Convocation on St. Croix on May 13-15, the Fr. Kenneth Gaddy, CSsR; Dr. Catherine-Milligan new committees this month will determine which Terrell; and Sr. Claina Letang, ICM, Principal. suggestions are realistic or which can be adjusted to be Front row, left to right: Iris Bailey-Richards; Aurea realistic, how they can be adjusted, and then outline Gomes-Stamatakis; Hortense Milligan-Rowe; and how and when they may be implemented. Jeanne Duval-Garcia. BISHOP MURRY’S ITINERARY FOR NOVEMBER 2004 November 5 6:00 p.m. Teacher Appreciation Dinner Victor’s Hideout St. Thomas November 6 5:00 p.m. Mass St. Anne Chapel St. Thomas November 7 6:30, 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. Mass OLPH Church St. Thomas November 13-19 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Bi-Annual Meeting Washington, DC November 20 6:00 p.m. Mass OLMC Church St. John November 21 8:00 a.m. Mass St. Anne Chapel St. Thomas November 21 6:00 p.m. St. Joseph High School Fundraising Kickoff Dinner St. Croix November 22 8:30 a.m. School Thanksgiving Mass Cathedral St. Thomas November 23 9:00 a.m. Schools Thanksgiving Mass Holy Cross Church St. Croix November 25 9:00 a.m. Parish Thanksgiving Mass Cathedral St. Thomas November 28 3:00 p.m. Prayer Service St. Joseph H.S. St. Croix November 30 10:00 a.m. St. Thomas/St. John Deanery Columban Hall St. Thomas THE CATHOLIC ISLANDER * NOVEMBER 2004 * 2 FOUR VI PRIESTS VI PRIEST SERVING THE MILITARY STUDYING IN ROME Fr. Alejandro Sanchez, former Administrator of St. Ann Chapel on St. Thomas, has been called into active Msgr. Michael Kosak, Pastor of St. Ann Church on duty by the National Guard. He is in Kuwait, waiting to St. Croix, started his one-year course of studies at the be sent to Iraq. Angelicum in Rome in October. He is studying the Fr. Simon Obeng, former Pastor of Our Lady of History of Spirituality together with the spiritual Perpetual Help Church on St. Thomas, in active duty doctrine of Teresa of Avila, the Theology and with the United States Army, is in Baghdad and will Psychology of Prayer, Man-Image of God, and Aspects return to the diocese in 2006. of the Consecrated Life. Fr. Jose Herrera, former Pastor of St. Joseph Church, is serving in the Army at Ft. Leavenworth, Msgr. Kosak is living in the heart of Rome with Kansas. sixty-two priests from all over the United States plus a Fr. Cecil Corneille, Pastor of St. Joseph Church, few from England, Australia and Poland. serves in the National Guard but has not been called into “Most of the priests were ordained five to ten years active duty. ago and are pursuing degrees in Systematic Theology, DEACON RECOVERING Moral Theology, Scripture, and Canon Law,” Msgr. Kosak told The Catholic Islander. “They are our future FROM STROKE seminary professors and canon lawyers. It is a very Deacon Hyacinthe George of St. Ann Church on St. good experience for me to share in their journey.” Croix is recovering slowly from a stroke which partially paralyzed him on August 13. Deacon Neville Charles is taking Deacon George to therapy on Mondays, Deacon James Verhoff is taking him on Wednesdays and Deacon George’s wife Frances is taking him on Fridays. He has begun taking a few steps. Deacon George returned to the parish for the first time, surprising his fellow deacons, by rolling in on his wheelchair at Deacon Robert Brady’s farewell celebration at St. Ann Church on September 29. NFP INSTRUCTOR TO BE RECERTIFIED Sr. Louise Marie Bryan, SC, will attend a Billings Ovulation Method Association USA international seminar and conference in Dallas-Fort Worth on November 5 and 6 in order to be re-certified as an instructor of this method of Natural Family Planning. Sr. Bryan has been the only certified teacher of the Billings method in the diocese since 1977. She will Msgr. Michael Kosak (right) with Fr. Charles Martin from continue teaching the method at marriage preparation Dominica at the Vatican. Bishop Gabriel Malzaire sent Fr. seminars in the diocese. Martin to study Canon Law. ================================================================================= The Catholic Islander is published monthly by the Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. The Catholic Islander is written, edited and printed solely in the U.S. Virgin Islands. P.O. Box 301825, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, 00803-1825 http://www.catholicislander.com Telephone: (340) 776-6339 Fax: (340) 693-7685 E-mail: [email protected] Publisher The Most Reverend George V. Murry, SJ Editor-in-Chief Fr. Charles Crespo Contributing Editor Bernetia Akin Copy Editor Madeleine Anduze Staff Photographers Faye Abdullah-Boschulte Webmaster Br. James Petrait, OSFS Circulation Deacon Emith Fludd THE CATHOLIC ISLANDER * NOVEMBER 2004 * 3 ALL SAINTS DAY OBLIGATION DOMINICA INDEPENDENCE Dominica will celebrate twenty-six years of ABROGATED FOR 2004 independence on November 3. Catholics in the Virgin All Saints Day, November 1, will not be a holy day Islands will remember the occasion with festive French of obligation this year because it falls on a Monday. The Creole Masses. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ On St. Croix, Fr. Vincent Esprit of Dominica will Committee on Liturgy has abrogated for this year the celebrate Mass at St. Ann Church on Sunday, November usual obligation of U.S. Latin-rite Catholics to attend 7, at 9:30 a.m. On St. Thomas, Fr. Vanty Auguiste of Mass on that day. Nevertheless, the feast day will be Dominica will celebrate Mass at Holy Family Church celebrated by all churches. on Sunday, November 7, at 10:00 a.m. In 1992, the Vatican approved a decision by the bishops to lift the obligation to attend Mass on three NUESTRA SEÑORA DE holy days when they fall on a Saturday or Monday. Those feast days are Mary, Mother of God, on January PROVIDENCIA, 1, the Assumption of Mary on August 15 and All Saints PATRONESS OF PUERTO RICO Day on November 1. Hundreds of Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics are ALL SOULS DAY expected to turn out for celebrations of Nuestra Señora Each year, Catholics are called to pray for the poor de Providencia (Our Lady of Divine Providence), souls in purgatory on All Souls Day, November 2. Two patroness of Puerto Rico, whose feast day is on Friday, local parishes have announced special celebrations. November 19. On St. John, congregants at Our Lady of Mt. The largest celebration likely will be the one at St. Carmel Church are invited to bring cut flowers to Mass Joseph Church on St.