bread broken & shared may/june 2014

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See the Invisible, Do the Impossibleby Robert Stark SSS Director, Office for Social Ministry

FatherRobertStarkSSSoftheCongregationoftheBlessedSacramenthasworkedincommunityandsocialjusticecausesinthecontinentalUSA,LatinAmericaandnowinHawaii.HebeganhisministryfortheSocialMinistryOfficein2010asits resourcedeveloper/communityorganizerandnowservesas itsdirector.Hehasbeen involvedin recruiting, organizing and training HawaiiCatholics to support and sustain the diocese’shousingandhomelessministries. Ordained a priest in 1977, he obtainedadoctorate in social ethics from theUniversityof Chicago Divinity School and has also beenengaged in parish ministry, and ministered inCentralAmericaandtheCaribbean. Presentlyministering inHawaii,FatherStark spent15years inNewMexicowith theNewMexicoCommunityFoundationwherehe servedas itsexecutivedirectorfornineyears.Underhisleadership,thefoundation’saidtomostlyimmigrantsandNativeAmericansgrewfrom$70,000to$7millionayear. WesharewithyouexcerptsofFatherStark’shomilyattheRedMassinHonolulurecently.TheRedMassisanannualcelebrationatthestartofthelegislativeandjudicialyearandattendedbyStateandFederalofficials.

Aloha kakou! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to come here today to celebrate this Red Mass together! To all our public servants, mahalonuiloafor your generous service.

When Bishop Larry Silva (Bishop of the Diocese of Honolulu) asked me to speak here today about how faith is related to the formidable challenge of affordable housing in Hawaii, frankly, I felt overwhelmed. But then I remembered what a medicine man told me when I was working as a missionary in Latin America. That wise man said, “Thosewhocanseetheinvisible,candotheimpossible,andwelearntoseebylistening.”That simple, profound truth continues to help

A Newsletter for friends of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament of the Province of Saint Ann

Inside This Issue

4 The Associates Corner 6 Mary and the Eucharist 7 From Our Provincial 8 The Blessed Sacrament

Mission 10 Ecumenical Corner 12 Vocation Views 14 Saint Ann’s Shrine

Father Robert Stark SSS sharing the homily at the Red Mass in Honolulu,

Hawaii

Province of St. Ann newSletter

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See the Invisible...Continuedfrompreviouspage

me in my current work at the diocesan Office for Social Ministry, where daily I try to listen more and strive to see what is invisible to the human eye in order to attempt to do what appears impossible for the human hand.

When I came to these beautiful islands, I was immediately struck by how folks here love to “talk story.” What a way to connect! For example, by talking story, listening. Connecting with Makia Malo, an amazing blind storyteller from Kalaupapa, I have learned to see plenty of what he says I “nevercareforlook.”Through “talking story” here, I have come to see some of the often invisible examples of collaboration around the seemingly impossible challenges of providing affordable housing in Hawaii. Today I simply come to connect, to share some of these stories in the framework of our faith and the scriptures we just heard.

The lyrics of our entrance song this morning are very fitting. “We come to share our story.” Those words were first connected to a traditional Hawaiian melody at Malia Puka O Kalani Parish in the historic Hawaiian homestead of Keaukaha where I am blessed to serve on weekends. It was there that I received a blessing from a kupuna Auntie Ulu who taught me the Sign of the Cross in Hawaiian — a combination of prayer and gesture that helps us connect, communicate and be in communion, collaborate with our God and our neighbor.

In this Sign of the Cross, we reverently invoke the image of Makua – Father, Keiki – Son and ‘Uhane Hemolele — Holy Spirit: Three Persons in one divine collaboration connecting God and humankind through creative love, compassionate sacrifice and merciful healing. This image of collaboration is especially appropriate as we come together to ask for our invisible God to help us work together, to connect, communicate, collaborate, to govern well — a task that can often seem impossible. The blessing of a collaborative God challenges us this morning to go beyond the mere visible appearance of cooperation — among faiths, between church and state — to deepen our genuine desire to join together, to be nourished by what we share, to be sent forth to labor together on what may seem like impossible tasks for the good of all.

Our Scripture readings today challenge us to recognize our connectedness and God’s call to compassionately collaborate on building a better world for all, especially the vulnerable. The prophet Micah calls us to “dojustice,love

compassionately, walk humbly withour God.” The Acts of the Apostles describes early Christians “dividingresourcesamongallaccordingtoeachone’s needs.” Luke’s Gospel recalls Jesus beginning his public ministry by quoting the great prophet Isaiah: “TheSpiritoftheLordhasanointedmetobringGoodNewstothepoor,libertytoprisoners,sighttotheblind.”Then in conclusion, Jesus says, “TodaythisScripture is being fulfilled in yourhearing.”

These scriptural challenges may seem like impossible tasks, but Scripture also tells us, “With God, all is possible.” These Scripture passages were chosen to help us connect, communicate, collaborate so we can see the invisible, and do the impossible — to overcome the hopelessness of homelessness and lack of affordable housing. How? By recognizing that when we collaborate together, seemingly unattainable or unfeasible tasks can be fulfilled in our midst.

The proof is right here! Saints Damien and Marianne of Molokai prayed in this cathedral more than a century ago, as we do today. They shared these same scriptural challenges. We know their stories. How they dedicated their lives with those considered even more outcast than the souls who sleep on our sidewalks today. Damien and Marianne’s compassion inspired collaboration between government, hospitals, businesses and faith communities – to do the impossible for those, whom some of society wished were invisible. We are invited to follow in their footsteps in a mission of mercy today; to put our faith in action, in service with the most vulnerable, in a way that is healing for all of us – as sinners struggling to become connected.

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Bishop Larry Silva invoking God’s blessings on Hawaii’s public servants

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“Following in the footsteps of St. Peter Julian Eymard, our mission is to respond to the hungers of the human family with the riches of God’s love manifested in the Eucharist.” RuleofLife3

Conscious of our call to bear prophetic witness to the Eucharist, we commit ourselves to the renewal of Church and society through this sacrament, especially by:

♦gathering communities characterized by hospitality, reconciliation, and service;

♦celebrating the Eucharist as the source and summit of the life of the Church;

♦associating others with our prayer;

♦giving personal witness to the presence of Christ in the Eucharist;

♦sharing our Eucharistic mission with others in full collaboration.

Who We AreSee the Invisible...Continuedfrompreviouspage

Now in our day, Pope Francis, the once invisible Argentine bishop, has been working on the impossible task of transforming the church today into a hospital of healing for all right before our eyes and TV cameras. He was recently on the cover of TIME magazine as Person of the Year. Why are people paying attention to him, even those not Catholic? Perhaps because, like his namesake Saint Francis of Assisi, he lives by a phrase: “PreachtheGospelatalltimes.Ifnecessary,usewords.”

This pope’s recent writings call us to “keepour ear to thepeople,” to “bepositive,”to seek “unityprevailingoverconflict.”He warns that if we remain trapped by what divides us, we will lose a sense of the profound reality of what connects us. By focusing on what we share in common, we can achieve far more together than by going separate ways.

Yes, Pope Francis’ words are inspiring. But his actions speak even louder. You probably recall recent images of him washing the tattooed feet of female Muslim prisoners, embracing persons with distressing deformities or disabilities, celebrating his birthday with the homeless – These are the pictures of our scripture readings being fulfilled today.

Pope Francis reminds us we are all connected. And he calls us all to reconnect, be about forgiving, healing! That is why TIME MAGAZINE called him A People’s Pope. This People’s Pope recently urged priests to prepare better homilies by focusing on real questions in people’s lives. Well the need for affordable housing is certainly a real issue for people in Hawaii. We’ve all heard the statistics about Hawaii having the highest rate of homelessness and the highest housing costs in the nation. Hawaii’s working and middle class families often pay 50% or more of their income on housing. But the real issue is about so much more than statistics.

It’s about real people like Christy, a 34 year old from the Big Island a veteran diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and like Lynne, a 61 yr old disabled UH Manoa security guard with sciatica who both live in fear of losing their affordable one room or studio units in nearby Chinatown. Because it is a real issue in so many people’s lives, six years ago the diocese’s new strategic plan, “Witness to Jesus,” listed homelessness and affordable housing as a priority action. In 2011, the U.S. bishops called for renewed commitment to increase affordable housing. That same year, Bishop Silva’s appointed Homeless and Affordable Housing Task


Father Robert Stark SSS with a mural of the two saints of Hawaii - Father Damien and Mother Marianne


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Force launched a Plan whose goal is to increase affordable housing in Hawaii by partnering with public and private sectors, non-profits and faith-based communities. This collaborative effort contributes to the governor’s overall plan for ending homelessness and it underscores that partnerships with many others, including government, help make it all possible.

There are plenty reasons and opportunities for collaborating including the critical concern about the current sale of 12 city-managed affordable rental housing complexes where Christy and Lynn live; or the multiple needs of migrant populations such as workplace housing, driver licenses and living wages. All are part of the challenge to fulfillinourmidsttheScriptureweheardtoday.

If we care to look, and can tap our invisible capacity for collaboration, maybe someday the Time Magazine Person of the Year Cover will have not just one person, but one image of one people of Hawaii – hand in hand, unified in a rainbow of efforts to create affordable housing for all. Impossible? Not if we remember those who can see the invisible, can do the impossible. And if we are connected and collaborating with God, all is possible.

Let us leave here more connected with one another, like a flower lei artfully joined, woven together and the stronger for it, with differences but of ONE loving heart — a pu’uwai aloha – in our collaborative service to be Good News with the vulnerable, so that together, with Jesus, we can say, “Todaythesetextsarebeingfulfilledinourmidst.”

Ma ka Inoa, O ka Makua, A o ke Keiki, A me ka ‘Uhane Hemolole. ‘Amene.

by Jim Brown

T h e B l e s s e d S a c r a m e n t Congregation first came to Corpus Christi parish in Houston, Texas in 1987. Parishioners w e r e q u i c k l y attracted to the spirit of hospitality and the love for celebrating the Mass that the religious exuded. And in addition to hearing the homilists consistently proclaim God’s love manifested in a special way in Christ’s gift in the Eucharist, they also were introduced to the founder of the congregation, Saint Peter Julian Eymard, who was canonized in 1962 at the conclusion of the first session of the Second Vatican Council.

In 1991, a group of parishioners were introduced to a program called LifeintheEucharist. Some of them were so touched by this adult spiritual formation experience that they stepped forward to participate on a LITEteam and began training and formation for presenting this five evening program to other parishioners and parishes in the Houston area. In 1992, a group from this team went to Cleveland, Ohio, and put on the program for the pastors and superiors of the province of Saint Ann. One of the superiors, the late Father Timothy Mangan, SSS, said in the evaluation at the end of the program: “WeareconcernedaboutthelackofvocationsintheAmericanchurch.Duringthesedayswehaveexperiencedvocationsforthefuture,committedlaypeoplewitnessingtotheirloveoftheEucharistandtheirfaith.Iamveryhopeful.”

Increasingly, women and men involved in the LifeintheEucharistministry in Houston and Cleveland in particular welcomed an invitation by the religious of the congregation to see themselves as “associates” of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation. Many of these early associates began to join the religious for the Liturgy of the Hours, Adoration, province retreats and meetings. It was with great joy that they along with staff members and ministers in the various Blessed Sacrament parishes responded to the formal invitation in 2010 to become associates and to join the Eymardian family.

The Associates Corner-Associates of the Future


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The Associates Corner...Continuedfrompreviouspage

Fast forward to 2012 when a young couple, Vangie and Jim Ziegler, relatively new to experiencing the charism of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation, stepped forward in curiosity to go through the initial formation program to become associates of the congregation. In 1994, they moved to Houston as a young family and settled at Corpus Christi parish in 1996. From the very first Mass they attended and without realizing it, they experienced a genuine example of the charism of the Congregation. Jim remembers, “Itwasasifaheavyburdenhadbeenliftedfromourshoulders.Wefoundahomewhereourfamilycouldbecomepart of a larger welcoming family.”Vangie said in a conversation at the end of the formation experience that “Corpus Christi parish has becomea‘family’forus.WearetheonlyonesinHouston.”

As their two children were now older they felt that they could become even

more active in the life of the parish and especially as associates. For Jim, “itwasmostmovingtobeinvitedtojointheassociatesprogram.Itwasveryhearteningthatothersnoticedhowweliveourfaithlife.” Vangie and Jim now take time out of their very busy family and work lives to attend – when they can – the monthly meetings and activities of the associates that take place at Corpus.

Vangie and Jim represent the kind of parishioners that the Congregation hopes it can attract more of as associates: a young couple with a young family (somewhat more recently connected to the Congregation), active in their parish, a curiosity to know more about the congregation and its charism. Jim speaks for quite a few who might aspire to being an associate:“Ihadtogetcomfortabletalkingaboutmyfaith.Itendtoapproachmyfaithfromamoreintellectualbasis.IlookforwardtoamoreindepthstudyofSaintEymardandthetheologyoftheeucharistespousedbythecongregation.”

Jim also spoke eloquently to the question: whatisexpectedofanassociate?One answer is simply to witness to the Eucharist with a quiet presence and Jim’s version of the teaching of Saint Francis of Assisi:“PrayandlivetheGospeloftenandusewordsonlywhennecessary.”

Vangie and Jim made their covenant commitment as Associates of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation on December 12, 2012, along with 18 other parishioners from Corpus Christi Parish. By March 2012, 34 parishioners from Corpus were enrolled as Associates, including Noreen Hoard, Nancy MacRoberts, David Ford, and Patty and Bubba Pizzitola, who were members of the LifeintheEucharistteam who presented the program to the pastors and superiors back in 1992.

Vangie and Jim Ziegler at a gathering to evaluate the initial formation program for

Associates, January 2013.

“itwasmostmovingtobeinvitedtojointheassociatesprogram.Itwasveryhearteningthatothersnoticedhow

weliveourfaithlife.”

A Word of Thanks to ourPartners in Ministry

Many of you returned the enclosed response card in with a generous donation to the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. We are most grateful to you for making it possible for our priests and brothers to continue their ministry. Your gift, whether large or small, helps you to actually share in the ministry of the Congregation in the USA. You are remembered daily in the prayer intentions of the priests and brothers of the Congregation.


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Mary and the EucharistDuringthe2005SynodofBishops,whichwasdevotedtotheHolyEucharist,Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now our Holy Father Pope Francis,reflectedontheBlessedSacramentandtheBlessedVirginMary.

Cardinal Bergoglio, citing an apostolic exhortation and two encyclicals by Pope John Paul II, added:

Our faithful people believe in the Eucharist as a priestly people (cf.Christifideles laici1,14). It is a qualitatively constant participation (cf.Christifideleslaici1,17).

Our faithful people believe as a Eucharistic people in Mary. They tie together their affection for the Eucharist and their affection for the Virgin, our Lady and Mother (cf. Redemptoris Mater III, 44). In the “school of Mary,” Eucharistic woman, we can reread contemplatively the passages in which John Paul II sees our Lady as a Eucharistic woman, and see her not alone but “inthecompanyof”(Acts1:14) the People of God.

We follow here that rule of tradition by which, with different nuances,“what is said of Mary is said ofthesoulofeveryChristianandofthe whole Church.” (Ecclesia deEucharistia,57). Our faithful people have the true “Eucharisticattitude”of giving thanks and of praise.

Remembering Mary, they are grateful for being remembered by her, and this memorial of love is truly Eucharistic. In this respect I repeat what John Paul II affirmed in EcclesiadeEucharistia,number58:“TheEucharisthasbeengivento us so that our life, like that ofMary, can become completely aMagnificat.”

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by Norman Pelletier SSS

During the week of March 11-15 our priests and brothers met for a meeting, called a Province Assembly. During this Assembly the 30 or so religious (priests and brothers) spent time in prayer and planning. The reason we get together at this time is to prepare for an important gathering to be held in November, called a Province Chapter, during which we determine tasks and programs for the next four years and elect our leadership accordingly for that period of time.

On the agenda for this meeting are the critical areas of our religious/community life, our ministries, and our resources. Consequently, we take a hard look at our personnel situation relative to our ministries and our finances. This picture can be sobering as we come to realize that the number of our priests and brothers is diminishing while our financial picture is also shrinking. In this mix is also the great need for new vocations which, sorry to say, are not storming the gates of our seminaries and religious communities these days. In addition to all of this, we are evaluating our elder care programs and the best future use of our older buildings in constant need of repairs.

This is indeed a sobering but necessary exercise and one that we are facing head on with courage, determination and good planning. Reality teaches us to be responsible in our stewardship and often invites us to be bold in our solutions. We realize, however, that although we often employ the best practices of the

business world, we are not operating a commercial business but rather we are working as disciples of Jesus who are witnessing to a Kingdom where gospel values are supreme. This is not always an easy task, but one that is not unlike every Christian family which struggles to live a life of faith in this world.

It is still Lent as I write these words and I can easily associate the Assembly agenda, which I have explained above, to our common “desert journey” experience. And just as Lent leads through the desert to a glorious Easter experience of resurrection, so too, we believe will our common journey be filled with the hope of a bright future. In fact, I am writing this on the first day of spring. After a long record breaking winter, spring brings hope for a warmer, sunnier, more colorful season. By the time you read these lines you already will, most probably, be enjoying the passage of winter.

Saint Peter Julian Eymard often spoke of the Eucharist as the Divine Sun who illumines and warms the hearts of Christians just as this world’s sun does for our earth. It is the light and heat of this Sun that gives us hope for a new springtime in our religious communities and in our families.

ReligiousCommunitiesinIllinois,Florida,

NewYork,Ohio,Texas

CONgRegATiON Of THe BleSSeD SACRAMeNT5384 Wilson Mills RoadCleveland, Ohio 44143

BreadBroken&Shared Newsletter is published five times a year by the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Province of Saint Ann, for family, friends and benefactors.

Contactinformation:Phone: (440) 442-6311Fax: (440) 442-4752Editor: Thomas A. Wiese, SSSDesign: Kay VincentEmail: [email protected]: www.blessedsacrament.com

Photographsinthisissuecourtesyof:Diocese of Hawaii, File Photos

From Our Provincial Superior...

Gracious God of our ancestors, you led Peter Julian Eymard, like Jacob in times past, on a journey of faith. Under the guidance of your gentle Spirit, Peter Julian discovered the gift of love in the Eucharist which your son Jesus offered for the hungers of humanity. Grant that we may celebrate this mystery worthily, adore it profoundly, and proclaim it prophetically for your greater glory. Amen.

Prayer in Honor of Saint Peter

Julian Eymard


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The Blessed Sacrament MissionA Perspective from Rome

[L-R] Father Sebastian “Bong” Luistro, Father Joseph Binh Vu Quoc (general consultor - from Vietnam), (Father General

– Eugenio Barbosa Martins), Ms. Maria Novani (from Scotland), Father Vittore Boccardi (from Italy), Father Olivier Ndondo (from Congo-Kinshasa), Father Marcelo Da Silva (from Brazil), Father

Peter Antonysamy (from India) and Mr. James Brown (from USA).


by Jim Brown

I was again privileged to attend another International Commission of the “SSS Mission” meeting representing the Province of Saint Ann (USA). The meeting was held March 3 – 6, 2014 in Rome, Italy. The Commission (CIM) was formed at the XXXIV General Chapter (2011) to guide and support the religious of the Congregation in their ministries and to encourage eucharistic initiatives so that all members in the Eymardian family may truly become “apostlesanddisciplesof theEucharist.”

The CIM is made up of members representing a global perspective for the congregation: Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Ireland/Great Britain, Italy, the Philippines, Viet Nam and the United States.

As the meeting got underway, those on the General Council talked about the impact and “inspirationofPopeFrancis”and the climate he has created in Rome. Father Eugenio Barbosa Martins SSS, Superior General, had attended a meeting of superiors general in November with Pope Francis which turned into a “conversation.” At that meeting, Pope Francis said,“...realityisunderstoodonlyifitislookedatfromtheperiphery,andnotwhenourviewpointisequidistantfromeverything.Trulytounderstandrealityweneedtomoveawayfromthecentral position of calmness and peacefulness and direct ourselves to theperipheralareas.”Fr. Eugenio said, “IbelievethataswelookatourBlessedSacramentmission,weneedtogetoutofourcomfortzones.”On that note the meeting began.

(The followingweek, Iwaspresent foraProvinceAssemblyheld inTampa,Florida.FathersWilliamFickelSSS,andAnthonySchuellerSSS,ledthegroupinadayofreflectiontokickofftheAssembly.Theyfocusedthedayontextsfromthat”conversation”andthechallengingwordsutteredbyPopeFrancis,includingthecalltotakethemissiontothe“periphery.”)

And so we began our meeting, one focused on two major priorities: 1. Maximizing resources for mission throughout the Congregation. 2. Assessing the status and development of the Aggregation (Associations)

throughout the Congregation, including discussion of the status of the LifeintheEucharistministry.

The first day was spent discussing reports from the provinces concerning mission and ministry. Across the Congregation, with some exceptions, the main ministries are: a) parish shrines and parishes; b) the formation of associates; and, c) Eucharistic centers, e.g., The Center for Eucharistic Evangelizing (CEE), dedicated to providing resources and materials “especially for the formation of laity in a Eucharistic spirituality.”

The second and third days were spent sharing stories of all that is taking place in the various sectors of the Congregation and in particular efforts to initiate and develop Associates programs. We began on the third day to brainstorm ways the CIM might help in animating and supporting efforts to build a greater partnership with the laity.

During this time, the Superior General offered a clarification on how lay women and men partner with the Blessed Sacrament religious in different parts

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The Blessed Sacrament Mission...Continuedfrompreviouspage

Visit our New Websites!TheCongregationoftheBlessedSacramentnowhasfournewwebsites:

1. www.blessedsacrament.comThe Congregation’s main website shares the life and ministry of the Blessed Sacrament priests, deacons, and brothers and the history and spirituality of the Congregation; it also includes Father Ernest’s Ecumenical Blog and the Vocation site.

2. www.eucharisticevangelizing.comThe website of the Center for Eucharistic Evangelization (CEE) which highlights the Congregation’s various educational programs and the Blessed Sacrament Associates.

3. www.emmanuelpublishing.org This is the official website of Emmanuel Magazine which introduces the reader to this magazine of Eucharistic Spirituality and will also be available online.

4. www.st-ann-shrine.org The Saint Ann Shrine website invites people to partner with the Congregation through prayer.

of the world, where cultural differences shape how laity see themselves in partnership with the Congregation. “Therearethousandsofpeoplearoundtheglobewhohave joinedus inourmission, e.g., parishandother staffsandvolunteers,membersofEucharisticleagues,participantsinLITEprograms,etc.AndnowwehaveagrowingnumberofAssociateswhohavesteppedforwardto make a deeper commitment andfollowa lifestyle laidout in theRuleofLife forAssociates. The latterarenotbetterthanbutdifferent.WemustcontinuetoformallinanEymardian/Eucharistic spirituality,” said Father Eugenio.

In the last part of the meeting we came up with a number of recommendations that will be presented to a meeting of all the provincials of the congregation to be held in January, 2015. There were four:

1. Continue clarifying the elements of a Eucharistic spirituality, what should be at the center of all the Blessed Sacrament ministries as well as the various formation programs for religious and associates.

2. Establish a way to connect the CIM and all the Associations throughout the Congregation (e.g., identify a Director for each Association, perhaps have an international meeting of directors or representatives).

3. Serve as a clearing house for an exchange of information about formation programs: syllabi, schedules of events for Associates, etc.

4. Continue to clarify what the congregation expects of Associates while respecting local cultures.

A final note: The sharing about the various Associates programs was really a rich conversation. I was amazed to hear about the mission activities Associates in India, Brazil and the Congo engage in: working with the dying and destitute, visiting the sick and those affected by natural calamities, assisting with monetary and material assistance for struggling families, ministering to the homeless, a ministry of presence in war torn Africa, to name a few.

Going back to earlier comments offered by Father Eugenio, he reiterated something very important to the general leadership: “We must formthosewhochoosetogodeeperintheircommitmenttotheEymardianfamilyso that the Eucharistic spiritualitythey learnresults inapostolicworksformission.”


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John Wesley (1703-1791)

Father Ernest’s Ecumenical CornerThe Grace Given You in ChristCatholics and Methodists in Dialogueby ernest falardeau SSS

FatherErnestFalardeauSSS,aregularcontributortoBreadBroken&Shared,hasbeenchampioningthecauseofunityamongChristianchurchesformanyyearsinhisministryandinthiscolumn.Wethankhimforkeepingthisimportantcausebeforeoureyes.

John Wesley and his brother Charles are the founders of Methodism which began as a movement and eventually became a Protestant denomination after their death. The brothers are well-known for their very inspiring hymns which, since Vatican II, have found their way into Catholic hymnals after years of use in many Christian denominations.

John Wesley attributes his inspiration for Methodist spirituality to a “warmingofhisheart” at a meeting in Aldersgate Street,

London for prayer. The meeting was led by members of the Moravian Church. Wesley was deeply interested in their spirituality and he was very committed to the Church of England and to the Arminian theology which characterized it in the eighteenth century. This theology he preferred to the Calvinist theology which prevailed in the Protestant churches.

Over the years, fifty or more, of my acquaintance with Methodists, I have had the pleasure and privilege of knowing some, especially the Reverend Rodney Roberts and his wife of Albuquerque, NM and the Reverend Phil Hardt, United Methodist minister of New York. Rodney was dedicated to ecumenism and to the Asbury United Methodist Parish in Albuquerque. We shared conferences together across the country and served as ecumenical officers of the Archdiocese and the Methodist judicatory.

Each year Phil Hardt, Methodist minister, joins members of the staff of Saint Jean Baptiste Catholic Church in New York, NY presenting reflections on the Seven Last Words of Jesus on Good Friday. His wife Veneeta is Roman Catholic, and was a member of Saint Jean Baptiste while Phil taught at Fordham University before becoming pastor of the United Methodist Church in Glendale, New York. We

continue to enjoy their company many times during the year as we celebrate holidays at dinner with friends.

The latest Agreed StatementAs I indicated in my last article, it is very helpful to “getahandle”on the ecumenical movement and progress being made in bi-lateral dialogues to examine the agreed statements that dialogue commissions have sent to their churches for study and reception. The last agreed statement of the joint commission appointed by the Vatican’s Pontifical Commission for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and the World Methodist Council (WMC) is entitled: The Grace Given You inChrist: Catholics and MethodistsReflectFurtherontheChurch (Seoul Report, 2006). It is the second report centered on the Church. The first was Towards a Statement on the Church (Nairobi Report, 1986). Twenty years after the first report and thirty years after the close of Vatican II, “anewcontext” has developed for a better appreciation of the realbutimperfectcommunionwhich exists between the


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Catholic Church and the World Methodist Communion. The full text of the document can easily be found on the internet at vatican/va/pontifical councils/pcpcu/English.

The Church, its nature and mission is a central issue in the dialogue between the Catholic Church and other Christian churches and ecclesial communions. It is one of the major hurdles that need to be overcome on the journey to full communion among all Christians. This issue is one that has gained more and more attention in recent years. The Catholic/World Methodist Council agreed statement reviews the history of their relationship. Although Methodism began a hundred years after the Reformation, there is a strategical difference for the reconciliation of our churches.

Highlights of the Agreed StatementThe agreed statement is a long document and covers many issues. There is an acknowledgment of the rhetoric and the history of antagonism between Catholics and Methodists even from the beginning. The modern ecumenical movement since the twentieth century, in particular since Vatican II with the participation of Methodists and other Christian Churches as observers, has had a lasting impact on Catholic/Methodist relations.

There are far more essentials which unite the churches than non-essentials that divide them. These differences are discussed by the dialogue and clarified. They are reconciled in the context of a shared communion. Recognition of a common baptism joining all Christians in the body of Christ which is the Church exists among many Christian churches. The people of God already share in the kingdom of God which will reach its completion in the glorious return of the Risen Lord and the final resurrection of those who share God’s holiness and grace in Christ.

A long narrative covering the exchange of gifts, especially those developed by each of the dialogue partners during the years and centuries of separation is found in chapter 3 (#107 ff). Differences are understood as complementary rather than church dividing. The journey toward full communion is seen as guided by the light of the gospel and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

A new context exists as a result of the Second Vatican Council and the fifty years of dialogue. Many obstacles to full communion have been eliminated. Many of those that remain are seen as matters for further study, dialogue and reconciliation, not as insurmountable. The dialogue partners agree that full communion will come by God’s grace, in God’s time and according to his will. The churches are encouraged to continue in prayer for the healing of memories and the reconciliation that Jesus

prayed for and is clearly God’s will for the Church.

The church is an invisible grace, sacrament and communion. But it is also a visible reality. It must reflect the kingdom of God already present in time and history. Signs of that reality need to be seen and appreciated. In a final section of the document a series of principles and proposals are set forth for developing the relationship between Catholics and Methodists. The practical proposals suggested stem from the degree of shared belief already existing between Catholics and Methodists, and from the degree of existing mutual recognition and from a desire for a mutual sharing of gifts leading toward a full communion in faith, sacramental life and towards full communion in mission.

Under these headings, there are many particular suggestions that can already be implemented with due regard to the norms and principles established in the DirectoryofNormsandPrinciples(1993) published by the PCPCU at the Vatican. It is understood that the directives of the Conference of Catholic Bishops and World Methodist Council determine what is appropriate for geographic regions.

ConclusionReading through The Grace GivenYouinChrist was a great pleasure for me. It reminded me of my experience of United Methodist pastors and lay persons that I have known and whom I consider close friends. We share a great desire to see the unity of the Church made visible where it is possible and for progress for an ever deeper communion in Christ and with each other. As friends we share our gifts,

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Therearefarmoreessentialswhichunitethechurchesthannon-essentialsthatdividethem.


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our faith and our fellowship.

I have come to appreciate Methodist emphasis on sanctification, spirituality and relationships (Connectedness). The Catholic emphasis on the tradition of the East and the West, on apostolic teaching and succession and sacraments are something I try to share with my Methodist friends.

This document emphasizes that there already exists a wealth of areas with a substantial degree of agreement in faith, sacraments and mission which can be given visible application and approval at the local level. The implementation of these suggestions and recommendations will make visible more clearly that the movement towards full communion is happening. This progress is both encouraging and challenging for all of us.

Father Ernest’s Ecumenical Corner...Continuedfrompreviouspage

Vocation Views:Get to Know Father Ernest Falardeau SSS

FatherAnthony Marshall, our vocationdirector, has asked various priests andbrothersoftheCongregationtoreflectontheir own religious vocations so that hecould share those vocation stories withthe readers of Bread Broken & Shared.Acoupleofissuesback,FatherMarshallintroducedourreaderstoBrotherMichaelPerezSSS.

BlessedSacramentFatherErnestFalardeauhasbeenareligiousformanyyears,andispresentlyservinginourNewYorkCitycommunity.Heshareswithushisvocationstorywhich isan inspiringexampleofaEucharisticLifeofservicetotheChurch.

FatherErnestiswell-knowntothereadersofBreadBroken&SharedsincehewritestheEcumenicalCornercolumnineachofitsissues.

No one likes to be alone. We have an instinctive need to be with others, with family and friends. There were ten children in my family, six boys and four girls. The oldest was twenty years older than the youngest. And so there was a lot of variety in my family. The special moment in our daily life was when we gathered at the dinner table together. There we shared our life, the stories of our day, our adventures and misadventures. We shared our lives and loved one another.

Leaving the family nest to go to the minor seminary was not easy. But it was easier for me because my older brother, Normand, preceded me there four years earlier. I knew many of his friends who visited him during the summer. I was encouraged to bring my trumpet along to help to form the Eymard Seminary Orchestra. It was like extending my family. In fact that was what attracted me to the Blessed Sacrament Fathers and Brothers. It was my extended spiritual family.

As a youngster I had been attracted to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. I asked to be an altar server when I was nine and was allowed to do so. In this way I met diocesan priests and was able to develop my love for the Jesus in the Eucharist.

Father Ernie’s Blogfather ernest falardeau SSS and father Anthony Marshall SSS have collaborated in establishing a blog called fr. ernie’s Blog, an extension of fr. ernie’s ministry for Christian unity and interreligious collaboration. focused on the eucharist, the blog contains articles, bibliographies, videos and a biography. Updated regularly, the blog discusses current issues and developments. fr. ernie’s Blog can be reached easily through the link at b le s sedsacrament . com. Questions and comments are welcome.

Father Anthony Marshall SSSVocation Director

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AsayoungsterIhadbeenattractedtoJesusintheBlessedSacrament.

Vocation Views:Get to Know Father Ernest Falardeau SSS

At the seminary we attended Mass every day and spent some time in Eucharistic Adoration. The studies were challenging but it was an opportunity to learn and prepare me for the future. Each year we were asked to write a letter asking for permission to move to the next year of studies at the seminary. We were free to do so or not. The choice was ours.

Decisive MomentsThere were similar “decisive” moments during the time of formation, for example, entering the Novitiate at Barre, Massachusetts, making first vows, and preparing for ordination leading to the priesthood. These decisions were formative and helped me all my life. Another choice was to study

in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University. I welcomed the chance to do so and earned a doctorate in theology at that university. My dissertation on EucharisticServiceintheWritingsofSaintPeterJulianEymard:ATheologicalAnalysis(Rome, PUG, 1959).

Religious lifeAfter ordination, I was sustained as a priest by the life of prayer and the different communities in which I served and found fellowship. After serving as a teacher in the minor and major seminaries for twenty-five years, I was asked to serve at Saint Charles Borromeo Parish in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I had followed the sessions of the Second Vatican Council and was impressed by its ecumenical thrust. Work and prayer to “reintegrate” Christian churches and ecclesial communities seemed like a great cause and a vocation within my vocation. And so when the Archbishop of Santa Fe, NM asked me to serve as ecumenical officer of the Archdiocese, I accepted with the consent of my superiors and support of my community. I served in that capacity for twenty-four years. An added blessing in that assignment was Father Normand’s assignment to the same parish a year after I had arrived. He served there until his death twenty-five years later.

New York and the futureEleven years ago I came to New York City and served my community as the local superior. I enjoy my assignment here where I continue to contribute to the ecumenical mission of the Church and our Congregation. In spite of some health problems, I am still able to celebrate Mass in the beautiful church of Saint Jean Baptiste (Iwasordainedherewithmyclassmates inSeptember1956)and to continue my ministry, prayer and religious life. It has been a joyful and beautiful life. It has prepared me to see God face to face and to join the great family of God in heaven. I look forward to seeing my family, friends and members of my Congregation there.

Formoreonvocationstothepriesthoodandconsecrated

life,pleasecontactFather

AnthonyMarshall,SSS–VocationDirector:

(440)442-7243www.blessedsacrament.com/

vocation

Like us on Facebook! facebook.com/sssvocations

@sssvocations

Vocation Views...Continuedfrompreviouspage


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In Loving MemoryMay07 1986 Rev. Henry Foley07 2004 Bro. Ignatius Montgomery09 1944 Bro. Claude-Hudon Beaulieu13 1985 Rev. Ralph Lavigne15 1996 Rev. Jose Barandiaran18 2008 Rev. Thomas McKeon23 1975 Rev. Peter Goulet23 2005 Rev. John Dowling25 1912 Bro. Leonardus Routhier25 1975 Bro. Anthony Nolan26 1974 Rev. Normand Audette29 1994 Bro. James Lent

June02 2004 Rev. Normand Falardeau03 1999 Bro. Thomas Morrissey07 1933 Rev. Calixtus LeBlanc07 1984 Rev. Joseph Nearon13 1968 Rev. Omer Goulet23 1991 Rev. Rosario Morin24 1979 Bro. Ovid Poirier25 2010 Rev. Edmund Slattery

July01 1980 Rev. Joseph Lamontagne03 1922 Bro. Armandus Mathieu04 1988 Rev. Alfred Trudeau09 2013 Bro. Thomas Flanagan11 1940 Bro. Henricus Gatien13 1967 Rev. Omer Hebert13 1981 Bro. Richard Leclerc13 2006 Rev. Roger Pageot16 1983 Rev. Jules Simoneau18 1984 Rev. Lionel Dorais19 1914 Bro. Theodorus Bellavance20 1964 Rev. Daniel Sullivan22 1993 Bro. Paul Omer Gaudreau23 2000 Rev. Donald Brouillard25 1983 Rev. John O’Brien26 1978 Bro. Maxime Béliveau28 1914 Rev. Patricius Murphy

August06 2007 Rev. René Bélanger10 1938 Rev. Roland Amyot10 1938 Bro. Normand Richard12 1996 Rev. Maurice Prefontaine20 1994 Rev. Joseph Bernier22 1994 Rev. Francis Costa23 1965 Rev. Leo Rousseau23 1971 Bro. Andre Bernard23 1992 Rev. Eugene Laroche23 1993 Rev. Jean-Marie Bauchet24 1921 Rev. Arthur Letellier26 1961 Rev. Alfred Vey28 1934 Rev. Ludger Lachance31 1958 Bro. Nazaire Bergeron31 2009 Rev. Donald Jette

by linda Hensley

I loved my grandmother. She was a warm person and hugged me and baked cookies. I doubt that I thanked her often enough for making my life better. Like a lot of little kids, I grabbed the cookie off the cooling rack and ran back outside to play without thinking about whether or not she got enough thanks for everything she did for me.

When I got a little older, I started to understand that she was a complex person, with more history than I could understand. She was already elderly when I was born and it was hard to imagine that she skinned her knees as a kid, or ever held hands with someone besides my grandfather.

It’s funny how getting older myself changes my perspective on these things, and this is a universal thing about grandchildren and grandparents and the process of getting older. We all start out as kids who just want a cookie and to be hugged, and it takes years of living before we can really appreciate our grandparents more fully.

Many of the people who come to the daily Masses at Saint Ann’s Shrine are grandparents. Many of the people who send in their prayer intentions and gifts to the Shrine are grandparents too. Often those prayer intentions are for their children and grandchildren, and the love behind those prayers makes me feel those hugs and cookies that I received many years ago from my own grandmother.

Traditionally, Saint Ann is the patron saint for pregnant women, mothers, and grandmothers and Saint Joachim is the patron saint of fathers and grandfathers. They offer all of us the warm hug and a kind ear for our concerns.

The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament celebrates Saints Ann and Joachim’s Feast Day on July 26th each year. Saint Ann’s Shrine hosts a Triduum (3 days of prayer, July 24 – 26 at 7 p.m.) in Cleveland, Ohio, and a 9-day Novena is held at St. Jean Baptiste Church in New York City (July 18 – 26, check website www.stjeanbaptisteny.org for service times).

Please join us if you are able to attend these preparatory days of prayer for the feast of Saints Ann and Joachim at either the Cleveland or New York locations. If you’re unable to join us in person, please unite your prayers with ours. Honoring Saint Ann and Saint Joachim’s Feast Day is a way we can say our thanks for everything that God has done for us through their intercession.

Saint Ann’s Shrine:Novena and Triduum 2014

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tFather Norman Pelletier SSS, provincial

superior, presenting the relic of Saint Ann for veneration during the annual Triduum in

Cleveland

tFather John Christman SSS celebrating the Mass

during the Cleveland Saint Ann’s Triduum

qThe beautiful shrine of Saint Ann set up for the

Triduum services

pFather Paul Bernier SSS giving benediction

with the monstrance during the annual

Saint Ann’s Triduum in Cleveland

tFriends and devotees of Saint Ann joining in song

during the annual Triduum

Did you ever wonder what gift you might give to a friend or relative that was hard to buy for? Why not consider our Mass Association. Your loved one will share in Masses for a whole year.

For a donation of your choice, you will receive a beautiful card that you can send to your friend or relative and they will be remembered in a weekly Mass celebrated here in Cleveland at the Shrine of Saint Ann.

All you have to do is request Mass Association cards in advance. When you decide to use one of the cards, simply fill out the name of the person you want to enroll in the Association, and send it back to us. It’s so simple – you just send your donation when you use a card. When you need more cards, just let us know and we’ll be happy to send them to you.

For more information about the Blessed Sacrament Mass Association, write to:

Saint Ann’s Shrine5384 Wilson Mills Road

Cleveland, OH 44143

Blessed Sacrament Mass Association

Telephone: 440-449-2700Email:

[email protected]:

www.st-ann-shrine.org

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father Mike’s Mail BagSaint Ann’s Shrine records the many “miracles” that our devotees share with us. If you have a story to share about the powerful intercession of Good Saint Ann, please send us your testimonial.

Prayer in preparation of Provincial Chapter XXIV (Join with the priests, brothers and associates of the Congregation in praying for

the success of the upcoming chapter in November 2014)

ALMIGHTYGODwegiveyouthanksforthegiftofEucharisticlifewhichyougaveusthroughSaintPeterJulianEymard.Likehim,YouhavecalledustoreligiouslifetoproclaimaEucharisticgospel.

Asweprepareforourprovincialchapter,weaskyouthegracetodiscoveranewinyourson,JesusChrist,thecenterofourlifeandmission.Helpusacknowledgeourneedforaprofoundconversionofourpersonalandcommunitylife.

SendyourSpirittohelpusreadthesignsofthetimes,andtodiscernwhatweneedtochangeinourpersonal,communityandapostoliclifeinordertobeinfusedwithanewmissionaryimpulse.MaythissameSpiritdrawusintoaneverdeeperlifeofprayer.

WeaskyouthisthroughtheintercessionofOurLadyoftheCenacleandalsoofSaintPeterJulianEymard,ApostleoftheEucharist.Amen.

“I prayed to SaintAnn for her helpwithahealthproblem. Through theGraceofGodshehelped.Godblessyoufortheworksyoudo.” (Mary Ann A. from Herkimer, NY)

“I received a le t ter from theCongregationoftheBlessedSacrament,Saint Ann’s Shrine and I orderedblessed oil. Every time I feel painanywhere in my body I use the oil.TodayIwaslayingonourcouch.AllofasuddenIfeltpaininmytemple.Igotupandusedtheoil.Thepainwasgonejustlikethat.It’samiracle.Thisisn’tthefirsttimethathappened.IdependonSaintAnn’soil. It’snever failed.I don’t usepain relieveranymore.” (Zeny F. from Daly City, CA)

“TwoyearsagoIhadanappointmenton July 26 to have a small bumpremovedfrommyeye.ThatmorningIthought‘SaintAnn,thisisyourfeastday. Perform a miracle for me.’ Iwent to thedoctor’sofficeandwhenhe opened my eye he said ‘There’snothingthere.It’sgone.’IknewSaintAnn could do miracles. Thank youSaintAnn,thankyouLord.” (Jeanette T. from Lewiston, ME)

“I had a CT scan and they saw a‘nodule’ and wanted to check on it.I prayed each day to SaintAnn andusedheroil.Iwentbacktothedoctorforthereport. Theydidnotfindthenodule.ThankstoSaintAnnandheroilplusourprayers.”(Patricia Y. from Greensburg, PA)

“Wegotourmiracle!Myhusbandwasdiagnosedwith cancer inSeptember2013. I had the oil from SaintAnnandweorderedthenovenapamphlets.We sent them to family and friendsand asked everyone to pray withus. I anointed my husband everynight. In January, after radiation,chemotherapy, lots of tears, lots ofprayers,hisPETscanisclear.Cancerisgone!! Wewillbecheckingevery3monthsforrecurrenceandprayingevery day to SaintAnn. Prayers ofthanksandaskingforGod’shandonus.Hopefullycancerwillstayaway.ThankyouSaintAnn.” (Mary L. from Carlyle, IL)

Saint Ann’s Shrine...Continuedfrompreviouspage

bread broken & shared may/june 2014

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