piarist newsletter - padres...
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THE PIARIST FATHERS PROVINCE OF THE U.S.A. AND PUERTO RICO
Number 12 Spring 2017
PIARIST NEWSLETTER
C a la sa n z ia n Jub i l ee Year ( 16 17 - 2017 )
Pope Paul V promulgated
a document titled Ad ea per quae
on March 6, 1617. The purpose
of the document was to officially
approve a new religious congre-
gation, which today is called the
Order of the Pious Schools
(Piarist Fathers). Cardinal Bene-
dict Giustiniani accepted St. Jo-
seph Calasanz and fourteen con-
freres as novices in the new con-
gregation just nineteen days later
on March 25. For the past four
hundred years, Piarist priests and
brothers have sought to provide a
solid education in piety and let-
ters worldwide.
Pope Clement XIII officially
recognized the sanctity of our
Founder’s life by canonizing him
on July 16, 1767. For the past
two hundred fifty years, members
of the Catholic faith have honored
him as a saint and sought his in-
tercession.
In recognition of these two
anniversaries, Pope Francis has
established a special Calasanzian
Jubilee Year. From November
2016 through November 2017,
the Piarists in our schools, parish-
es, houses of formation and other
religious works will be celebrating
these two memorable occasions.
Pope Francis sent a letter
to the Piarists at the beginning of
the Jubilee Year. In the letter, he
shared his admiration for the life
and work of the Piarists both past
and present (http://piarist.info/?
p=3536). He also granted a ple-
nary indulgence to people, who
fulfilled the usual requirements
during the Jubilee Year in each of
our communities or related works
(http://piarist.info/?p=3530).
The Piarists have been
ministering continuously on the
mainland of the United States
since 1948 and in Puerto Rico
since 1956. We have been
blessed to serve in schools, par-
ishes and other religious minis-
tries. We thank the many bish-
ops, priests, religious brothers
and sisters and lay men and
women, who have walked with us
side by side as we have minis-
tered according to the charism of
St. Joseph Calasanz. We thank
the many parents, who have en-
trusted the care of their sons and
daughters to us in the class-
rooms. We thank the many peo-
ple of God, who have sought spir-
itual strength through us. You
have all provided us with the op-
portunity to fulfill our special
fourth vow, to educate the young.
(left) “Last Communion of Saint
Joseph Calasanz” by Francisco
Goya, a Piarist alumnus, in 1819
(right) Saint Joseph Calasanz
by Brother Ricardo Rivera, Sch.P.
Page 2
FO R MATION — OU R FUTU R E
R.I.P. We ask you to
remember in your
prayers our deceased
relatives and friends: Ligia Argentina
Estelle Baumiller
Robert Baxter
James Connelly
Michael Crocco, III
Victor Cruz
Gabrielle M. Devine
Arlene Erdman
John Gallagher
Rosalie Guerra
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Hockert
Sr. Patrice Holahan, OSF
Michael Johnston, Jr.
Andres Lacruz
Mary Jane Lang
John Lowry, Jr.
Janet Molchan
Mark Moyano
Charles V. Neff
Evelyn Poe
Marina Rivera
Ana Maria Sanchez
Dr. & Mrs. R. Schlagenhauff
Joseph Schwantes
Timothy Shannon
Christopher Sheehan
Deacon Richard Stoughton
Eric Tarmey
Julio Zunun Velasquez
Rev. Robert Wurm
Number 12
VOCATIONS
Youth Is Our Concern.
If you think the Lord may
be calling you,
contact Father Francisco
Aisa in Devon, PA.
610-688-7337, ext. 178 or
The Piarist Fa-
thers’ Province of the
United States and Puerto
Rico is now blessed with
twenty seminarians.
This is a term used to
describe men, who are
preparing to become
members of our religious
order as priests.
On August 29, Father
Fernando Negro,
Sch.P. conferred the
Piarist Ministries of
Care for the Poor and
of Christian Educa-
tion upon Brother
Federico Avila, Sch.P.
in Celaya, Mexico.
He is a member of
our Province, and we
expect him to soon
move here to minis-
ter in one of our vari-
ous works.
On October 22, Fa-
ther Fernando Negro,
Sch.P. conferred the
Ministry of Lector on
Brother Ricardo Rive-
ra, Sch.P. and the
Ministry of Acolyte on
Brother Vinod Anga-
dathu George, Sch.P.
The ceremony took
place at Saint Hele-
na’s Church in the
Bronx, NY. They are
both studying theolo-
gy at St. Joseph’s
Seminary in Yonkers,
NY.
On November 20, Fa-
ther Emanuel Suarez,
Sch.P., who is the
Provincial Superior in
Mexico, conferred the
Ministries of Lector
and Acolyte on Broth-
er Federico Avila,
Sch.P. in Celaya,
Mexico.
On February 20, our
Superior General, Fa-
ther Pedro Aguado,
Sch.P., received the
(top row) Bishop Ruben Antonio Gonzalez Medina, C.M.F. of Ponce, PR offered
a Day of Recollection for our seminarians in Puerto Rico. Father Javier Alonso,
Sch.P. met with our seminarians and some lay cooperators in Puerto Rico to
advance the Calasanzian Movement among local youth. (bottom row) Our sem-
inarians in Puerto Rico sponsor a Vocation Retreat almost every month for per-
spective seminarians. Father General and other Piarists gathered to celebrate
the solemn profession of Brother Vinod Angadathu George, Sch.P. in the Bronx.
(continued on page 3)
PIARIST NEWSLETTER Page 3
We Celebrate Our Jubilee Year Throughout the Province
FO R MATION — OU R FUTU R E (CON TINU ED)
solemn profession of Brother
Vinod Angadathu George,
Sch.P. at Saint Helena’s
Church in the Bronx, NY.
On April 22, Bishop Emeritus
Felix Lazaro, Sch.P. of Ponce,
PR will ordain to the diaco-
nate Brother Federico Avila,
Sch.P. in Celaya, Mexico.
Brother Ruben Plata, Sch.P.
will profess his solemn vows
on April 29, and he will be or-
dained a deacon on April 30
in Bolivia. At the request of
Father General, he is now on
loan for a period of three
years from our Province to the
new Province of Brazil and
Bolivia. He is helping in our
house of formation in Cocha-
bamba, Bolivia.
On June 17, Bishop Emeritus
Felix Lazaro, Sch.P. will ordain
to the diaconate Brother
Vinod Angadathu George,
Sch.P. at Saint Helena’s
Church in the Bronx, NY.
We now have one pro-
fessed seminarian, who has al-
ready completed his studies and
who is ministering full-time. In
addition, we also have nine pro-
fessed seminarians, who are
studying theology, eight pro-
fessed seminarians, who are
studying philosophy and educa-
tion, one novice and one pre-
novice.
Indeed, our dear Lord has
looked kindly upon us by steering
men of good faith in our direc-
tion. With diligent work on their
part, proper direction on our part
and spiritual assistance from our
dear Lord, they will become the
future of our Province. They will
become the Piarist Fathers, who
will teach in the classrooms, min-
ister in the parishes and missions
and assist in many other types of
religious works. We will all walk
together according to the char-
ism of our Holy Founder, Saint
Joseph Calasanz.
We are alive and well.
Thanks be to God!
Celebrations of our Jubilee in (top row) Miami, Ponce, (bottom row) San Juan and Fort Lauderdale.
A New Saint Among the Piarist Fathers
Five Fun But Relevant Reasons to Donate to The Piarist Fathers
Page 4 Number 12
In its edition of December
22, 2016, the Bulletin of the Holy
See Press Office reported that
Pope Francis had signed a De-
cree, which acknowledges a mira-
cle due to the intercession
of Blessed Faustino Miguez, a Pi-
arist Father.
Blessed Faustino Miguez
was born in 1831 in Spain. In
1853 he made his solemn profes-
sion in the Order of the Pious
Schools (Piarist Fathers), and he
was ordained a priest in
1856. His spent his first three
years of ministry in Guanabacoa,
Cuba, where he studied botany.
Back in Spain, he was assigned
to Getafe, Celanova, and Sanlu-
car de Barrameda. There, he
founded the Congregation of the
Calasanzian Sisters, Daughters of
the Divine Shepherdess. Their
mission was to provide for the
education of girls. He died in
1925 in Getafe.
Blessed Faustino Miguez
will be the third Saint in the Order
of the Piarist Fathers. Saint Jo-
seph Calasanz was canonized in
1767 by Pope Clement XIII, and
Saint Pompilio Maria Pirrotti was
canonized in 1934 by Pope Pius
XI. In the Calasanzian Family,
Saint Paula Montal, who is the
foundress of the Piarist Sisters,
the Daughters of Mary, was can-
onized in 1991 by Pope Saint
John Paul II.
The date for the canoniza-
tion has not yet been set, but it
will happen during the Jubilee
Year of the Piarist Fathers, in
which we are now celebrating the
400th anniversary of the creation
of the Order of the Pious Schools
and the 250th anniversary of the
canonization of Saint Joseph Ca-
lasanz.
better world: one that’s safer,
healthier, more stable and happi-
er for all of us.
5. Giving to the Piarists really
works. For 400 years the Piarists
have tirelessly ministered
throughout the world. For more
than seven decades the Piarists
in our Province of the United
States and Puerto Rico have en-
gaged in countless ministries
and taught in numerous schools.
They have literally touched the
lives of millions.
During our 400th anniver-
sary, will you kindly consider a
donation to the Piarist Fathers?
Your donation will let us help oth-
ers.
and the amount of people’s lives
we can touch.
2. Giving to the Piarists benefits
the needy. The Piarist Fathers
take a vow of poverty. In addi-
tion, the mission of the Piarist
Fathers of our Province is “…the
education of youth, especially
the poor…” We need your help
to help others.
3. Giving makes us happier. A
Harvard Business School study
suggests: “Happier people give
more and giving makes people
happier, such that happiness
and giving may operate in a posi-
tive loop.”
4. Giving brings us closer to the
world we want to live in. Giving
lets us work towards building a
1. Even small donations make
an impact. When giving to the
Piarist Fathers the size of your
donation directly correlates with
the number of people you can
help. But you don’t have to be a
millionaire to make a significant
difference. Even small donations
have the potential to drastically
improve our ability to minister
The Piarist Angle - Calasanzian Jubilee Year
Page 5 PIARIST NEWSLETTER
It has been four hundred
years since the foundation of the
Piarist Family (1617-2017). It
has also been two hundred fifty
years since the canonization of
our Founder, St. Joseph Calasanz.
How could we not rejoice as
members of the Calasanzian
Family? On this occasion, every-
one is really rejoicing. By every-
one, we include both Piarist reli-
gious and lay Piarists. We also
include the many people, who
appreciate the personal witness
of our members who have devot-
ed their lives to the educational
ministry, who share the Calasan-
zian charism and who value the
role of education in society. Pope
Francis has confirmed the value
of this historic event by granting
a special Calasanzian Jubilee
Year to the Piarists and to those,
who are close to us and our mis-
sion.
Jubilee means joy and
abundant gladness. In fact, as
Piarists, we wish to share these
two emotions. Every Christian
celebration is a reenactment of
what we remember from the
past. Today, it is the translation
of an historical event into an act
of faithfulness and innovation. It
is an act filled with faithful crea-
tivity. Therefore, we should not
simply dwell on rites and external
actions. We should reach for the
core in order to experience the
Piarist way of life, which began in
1617, and to experience the
sanctity of our Founder, which
was officially recognized by the
Church 250 years ago. We are
filled with joy and satisfaction.
Let nothing and nobody take this
from us.
Calasanz felt a deep love
for poor children. In his message,
Pope Francis offers something
inspiring for each of us: “To be a
Piarist is essentially a continuous
process of abasement, to be sim-
ple in order to get in touch with
the little ones and the poor… You
have not been born for any other
grandeur, but that of becoming
little, for any other summit than
the kenosis of Christ. He guides
you in order to become coopera-
tors with the divine Truth, becom-
ing children with the children,
and poor with the poor.” There is
such a beautiful likeness be-
tween the life of a Piarist and the
life of Jesus!
May this joy motivate us to
live and to share, not only during
this year but forever. Our Found-
er, St. Joseph Calasanz, recom-
mended the following: “Strive to
live joyfully. If you can demon-
strate both patience and a deep
sense of joy together, then your
works will become very meritori-
ous.” (Letter dated October 12,
1621)
Let’s be determined to re-
vitalize the potential of our Piarist
life today, as part of a community
and as an individual. Let’s recon-
nect with the freshness of Ca-
lasanz’ charismatic love, through
which he founded the Piarist Or-
der as a path toward holiness.
Father Jesús María Lecea, Sch.P.
As all members of any reli-
gious order, the Piarists profess
vows. One of those vows is obe-
dience. Six devoted members of
our Province recently received a
transfer to one of our other com-
munities. We thank them for
their whole hearted willingness to
accept a move to another mis-
sion. Their obedience is a true
example to our seminarians and
lay cooperators. We are includ-
ing here their names and their
new mailing addresses:
Father Jesus Maria Lecea,
Sch.P. (Madrid, Spain; e-mail:
Father Jose Alberto Moreno,
Sch.P. (St. Helena Church,
1315 Olmstead Avenue,
Bronx, NY 10462);
Father Jesus Negro, Sch.P.
(Padres Escolapios, P.O. Box
7760, Ponce, PR 00732);
Brother Ruben Plata, Sch.P.
(Casa de Formacion, Jose An-
tonio Arze 1292, Zona Las
Cuadras, Casilla 5905, Cocha-
bamba, Bolivia);
Father Jose Javier Vanegas,
Sch.P. (Padres Escolapios,
P.O. Box 7760, Ponce, PR
00732);
Father Mario Vizcaino, Sch.P.
(The Piarist Fathers, 4605
Bayview Drive, Fort Lauder-
dale, FL 33308)
Examples of Obedience - Some Recent Transfers
P R O V I N C I A L ’ S C O R N E R ( F R . F E R N A N D O N E G R O )
We are on the Web!
piarist.info
www.churchofsthelena.com
www.devonprep.com
www.cghsfl.org
piaristschool.org
www.theannunciation.net
copin.net
www.colcarmen.net
calasanz.cc/ccsju/
scolopi.org
A Thought from Our Development Office
Your gift can be quick and safe by using Pay Pal:
www.piarist.info
The Piarist Newsletter is
the official bulletin of the
Piarist Fathers - Province
of the U.S.A. and Puerto
Rico. If you or anyone else
wishes to receive a copy,
let us know.
Editorial Staff:
The Development Office
P.O. Box 11822
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33339
E-mail:
Telephone:
954-771-6525
Fax:
954-776-8060
Page 6 Number 12
“It is no secret that
the ministry of the Piarist
Fathers greatly depends
upon the generosity of
our benefactors. Please
consider us in your annu-
al donations, will, trust or
insurance plan.”
Web Site:
www.piaristchallenge.com
Piarist Fathers—Padres Escolapios—Compassion Challenge
Dear Friends of the Piarists,
On behalf of the Pia-
rists in the USA and Puerto Rico,
I offer you my heartfelt good
wishes. My feelings arise out of
gratitude and praise to the Lord
for our vocation as Piarists. We
are at the service of educating
and evangelizing children,
young people and their families.
Our ministry is a grace filled gift,
which God offers to us through
his generosity.
The Calasanzian Jubi-
lee Year, which we are now
celebrating, has the following
motto, “To Educate, to Proclaim
and to Transform”. These three
terms have a powerful meaning.
They combine three of the best
desires that any person can
possess. After all, we are all
human beings, made in the
image and likeness of God.
To Educate implies to
work from the inside out. We
can discover, through educa-
tion, the treasure of our person-
al and spiritual DNA. We should
strive to be defined not so much
by what we did in the past but
by what we are called to be. In
this sense, the horizon becomes
the absence of a horizon. It is
about the dream, which God
has for each of us.
To Proclaim implies to
share and to spread the gift,
which we have received. It
means telling the message of
salvation just as St. Mary Mag-
dalene and the disciples on the
road to Emmaus did. Of course,
we can only do this once we
personally experience and real-
ize that Christ is alive in us and
through us.
To Transform is a re-
sult of both education and proc-
lamation. It is about creating
something new around us. It is
about caring for the seeds of
the Kingdom. Both day and
night, they grow and mysteri-
ously become fruit trees where
birds can build their nests.
I wish to thank you for
being close to us and for coop-
erating with us hand-in-hand
through your prayers, material
support and the thousands of
gestures, that portray the love
and care, which you have for us
and for our ministry.
One of the fruits,
which we are already gathering,
is the solemn religious profes-
sion of Brother Vinod Angada-
thu, Sch.P. at St. Helena’s
Church in the Bronx, NY. In the
near future, Bishop Emeritus
Felix Lazaro, Sch.P. will ordain
to the diaconate Brother Federi-
co Avila, Sch.P. in Celaya, Mexi-
co. Soon thereafter, Brother
Rubén Plata, Sch.P. will profess
his solemn vows and become a
deacon in Bolivia. We thank all
of our friends, who have helped
play a role in their religious and
academic formation.
Let us remember that
life is not a problem to be
solved but rather a mystery to
be lived. A problem is solved
through intellectual and rational
knowledge by applying formulas
and strategies. On the other
hand, the Mystery of Life shines
upon us light and meaning,
even when we walk in the valley
of darkness. When things were
really bad and when he was on
the brink of death, our holy
Founder, St. Joseph Calasanz,
said: “Be not discouraged, for
we have faith that everything
will be all right if we remain
united.” His words are still just
as valid today.
Graduates from our schools in Cuba, members of UFEC and members of ITEC celebrated the
Jubilee Year with the administration, faculty, staff and students of Cardinal Gibbons High
School in Fort Lauderdale. The Piarists appreciate their devoted kindness to us.