All posts by Anne Tschanz

General interest

Watch 2014 National Meeting Via Live Video Streaming

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40thThrough the generosity of Corey and Katherine Huber of the Mater Ecclesiae Fund for Vocations, we wish to extend a special invitation to all our IRL affiliates, especially cloistered and monastic communities, and IRL friends to participate in the 2014 IRL National Meeting by viewing all the scheduled chapel events online via video streaming.

To view select portions of the National Meeting on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you can paste this link into your web browser:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrwD_SicR4hbkuvzS-zzf-w/videos?live_view=502&flow=list&view=2&sort=dd

Or you can go to the www.ReligiousLife.com home page and click on the link there.

The link will direct you to a dedicated IRL YouTube channel.

Please note that the times given below are Central Daylight Time. Check the YouTube channel for the times for your particular time zone.

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 Friday, April 25, 2014

4:00 pm        Pontifical High Mass (Extraordinary Form) celebrated by Most Rev. James Timlin

7:15 pm       Keynote Address: “Building the Civilization of Love through the Sacred Heart of Jesus,”   Dr.  Timothy O’Donnell

8:15 pm         Rosary & Benediction

 Saturday, April 26, 2014

1:30 pm       “Having Our Answers Ready: Combating the Cultural Climate of Confusion and Scorn,” Sheila Liaugminas

2:30 pm       “Our Shepherds Speak,” Panel Presentation featuring Most Rev. Robert F. Vasa  and Most Rev. James C. Timlin, moderated by Dr. Timothy O’Donnell

4:00 pm       Holy Mass, Main Chapel celebrated by Most Rev. Robert F. Vasa

 Sunday, April 27, 2014

9:00 am       “True Holiness, True Joy,” Mother M. Julie Saegaert, S.C.M.C.

10:00 am       Divine Mercy Chaplet & Relic Veneration

10:30 am       Holy Mass celebrated by Rev. Brian Mullady, O.P.


Please keep in your prayers the dear mother of Katherine Huber, Marjorie, who recently passed away. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace!

Liturgical Year

“The Greatest Easter Painting Ever Made”

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This headline (“The Greatest Easter Painting Ever Made“) piqued my curiosity so I went to the Crisis magazine website to see what the writer was talking about. When I saw the picture, I knew and believed because I have kept a copy of the exact same picture in my desk for years. The painting is by Eugène Burnand and is called “The Disciples Peter and John Running to the Sepulchre on the Morning of the Resurrection.”

It depicts the moments after St. Mary Magdalene has proclaimed to St. Peter and St. John (John 20: 1-10) that the Lord was not in the tomb. They run with haste and urgency to see for themselves what Mary proclaimed to them: “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

Easter Monday

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

The author of the article, Elise Ehrhard, says: “Burnand created a sparse, simple painting capturing two of the most important players in the greatest story ever told. Meditate upon their faces as Burnand intended you to do and through them discover the empty tomb.”

Pro-life

The Colorado Holy Week Miracle

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co lifeIt is easy to get discouraged these days for a whole host of reasons but on this day, Holy Saturday, let us rejoice! The Lord’s Resurrection is at hand!

Earlier this week the news was not good. One of the headlines that was particularly depressing was the fight in Colorado over an abortion bill that would have effectively killed pro-life activities for a good long time.

Colorado Family Action said the legislation could have eliminated a broad range of laws including: parental notification laws, laws promoting maternal health, government programs and facilities that pay for or promote childbirth and other health care without subsidizing abortion, conscience protections laws, laws requiring that abortion only be performed by a licensed physician, laws regulating school health clinics, laws concerning abstinence education, laws affecting pregnancy centers, etc.

But the faithful rallied around their archbishop, Most Rev. Samuel Aquila of Denver, an IRL Episcopal Advisor. He and Greek Orthodox Father Ambrose Omayas and almost 1000 supporters stood on the steps of the Capitol at 3:00 pm on April 15th and prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. On April 12th, the archbishop had issued a letter explaining the dire consequences of the law and what we as Catholics should do about it.

I am prayerfully asking every person of good will to spend 10 minutes this weekend in prayer. Plead to Our Lord for His intercession on behalf of life in Colorado. Also, pray for our politicians on both sides of this issue, particularly for those who work tirelessly and often without recognition to promote life-affirming legislation in our State Capitol. Pray for the conversion of the heart and mind of those who support such irrational, unscientific, and a denial of conscience legislation. (Read the entire letter here.)

“Many of you have lost faith in politics,” he said, “but remember that attitude is not of God and is of the evil one. The devil confuses people and discourages them.” He quoted Pope Francis who said, “The devil is here…even in the 21st century! And we mustn’t be naïve, right? We must learn from the Gospel how to fight against Satan.”

And on April 16th, the bill died.

“Some of the senators have said they have shut off their phones, some of them said they have never been contacted by so many,” the archbishop said during the gathering. “And you can make a difference. Too many times we have taken a backseat, and Catholics, Christians, and people of good will can no longer take a back seat.”

Jenny Kraska of the Colorado Catholic Conference praised everyone who helped, saying, “I cannot thank you all enough for what you did to make this possible—this is truly a miracle.”

Liturgical Year, Reflection

Oh Priest, Who Are You?

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On this Holy Thursday when we thank God for the institution of the Sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Orders, it is good to recall this meditation on the priesthood by St. Norbert:

norbertO Priest, who are you?

You are not yourself, because you are God.
You are not of yourself because you are the servant and minister of Christ.

You are not your own because you are the spouse of the Church.
You are not yourself because you are the mediator between God and man.

You are not from yourself because you are nothing.
What then are you? Nothing and everything.

O Priest!

Take care lest what was said to Christ on the cross be said to you:
‘He saved others, himself he cannot save!’

News

Job Posting – Office of Consecrated Life – Phoenix

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PhoenixIf you know of someone who can fulfill this position, please pass on the information!

Director, Office of Consecrated Life

 To support the Diocese of Phoenix in its mission of encountering the Living Christ, this position assists the Bishop by acting as his liaison to those women and men in consecrated life and assigned to the Diocese of Phoenix in all matters directly related to the local church. This position reports to the Chancellor for day to day activities including office management, diocesan communications and budgeting.

Essential Job Functions: Officially represents those living a consecrated life in the Diocese of Phoenix in all matters directly related to the local church by communicating the concerns and their needs to the appropriate diocesan administrative level; by meeting regularly with the Bishop; by representing those in consecrated life at official diocesan functions; and by visiting with individuals and communities of consecrated women and men; Collaborates with the vocation director of the Diocese of Phoenix to assist parishes, high schools and Newman Centers in their work of fostering vocations, Establishes an advisory board to receive input and recommendations from members appointed by the Bishop for policies and programs of the Office of Consecrated Life; Serves as a contact person as needed when positions open in various ministries in the Diocese; Disseminates information from the Diocese, USCCB, and Holy See to members of Consecrated Life; Assists those in consecrated life who seek counsel and/or spiritual direction by developing resources such as lists of therapists, counselors, and spiritual directors, as needed; by offering support as requested to those who are on leave of absence or exclaustration; Collaborates with the Vicar for Priests in matters related to counseling assistance through the Religious and Priest Assistance Program; Proposes educational, enrichment, and spiritual growth programs for those in Consecrated Life in collaboration with the Bishop; Coordinates activities and provides opportunities for education about consecrated life and community building with diocesan priests, deacons, and seminarians; Serves as initial contact person for those discerning consecrated life; Develops technology resources to promote vocations and discernment for consecrated life; Works in collaboration with the Vicar for Priests to foster opportunities for dialogue about consecrated life between priests and sisters/brothers in the Diocese; Develops outreach presentations to lay community about consecrated life; Coordinates the appeal for consecrated persons who are retired; Performs any other job-related duties the position requires or that are discerned by the Bishop and Director of Consecrated Life.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required: Knowledge of and grateful commitment to the Church’s teaching on consecrated life; Ability to explain the vocation and mission of consecrated persons in the Church; Ability to take initiative in fulfilling tasks in a professional manner, keeping the Bishop advised of progress in relation to assigned duties; and the ability to keep abreast of trends affecting those in consecrated life; Ability to preserve confidentiality of sensitive personal and business information; Working knowledge of the Church at a diocesan level; familiarity with the Code of Canon Law as it pertains to those in consecrated life; Excellent communication and organization skills; Ability to be sensitive to cultural diversity and justice issues and to needs of the people; Ability to make decisions regarding individual and program needs and operate independently with little direct supervision; Ability to travel throughout the diocese if required for committees, special programs, meetings, celebrations and visits to individual and local communities of consecrated life; Technology skills, emphasis on social media and technology related resources to promote vocations.

Minimum Qualifications: Master’s Degree in theology, counseling, human resources or other appropriate discipline; Experience with formation work or a leadership position within an Institute of Consecrated Life; Excellent understanding of the Church’s teaching on Consecrated Life in the Church; Fluency in English and Spanish.

To apply, please send cover letter and resume to:

Diocese of Phoenix

Human Resources

400 East Monroe Street

Phoenix, AZ 85004

applicants@diocesephoenix.org

College Campus News

Juventutem Sweeps the Country!

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Harvard Juventutem
Harvard Juventutem

A new student movement is sweeping the country like wildfire through a dry pasture! Called Juventutem, it now has eleven chapters in places such as New York, New Jersey, Kentucky, Miami, Chicago, DC and New Hampshire. The first chapter in the USA was only established in 2012 but look how quickly it has spread!

Click here to read the impact it has had on students at Harvard!

Juventutem is comprised of young Catholics who pursue a life of holiness by attending the Traditional Latin Mass and by embracing other timeless traditions of the Faith.  The International Juventutem Federation was founded on the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians on May 24, 2006 in Berne, Switzerland, though a delegation attended World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany in 2005.

The name ‘Juventutem’ itself is the Latin word for youth and it appears in the opening lines of the traditional Mass (Introibo ad altare Dei. Ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam. “I will go in to the altar of God; to God, the joy of youth.”). The phrase comes from Psalm 43:4.

The US chapters are affiliates of the Fœderatio Internationalis Juventutem (FIJ), whose members work for the sanctification of youth – both at World Youth Days as well as in the local dioceses and parishes. Recalling St. John  Bosco’s dream of the the “three whitenesses”, the members of Juventutem profess a great love for the Holy Eucharist, the Blessed Virgin and the Holy Father.

The commitments of each individual who joins Juventutem are:

  1. to pray the psalm Judica me (Psalm 42:1-3) or some other prayer each day for the sanctification of youth
  2. to visit a church and adore Our Lord, once a week (can be before or after Sunday Mass)
  3. to attend the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) at least once a year
  4. to go to confession at least once a year
  5. to participate in at least one Juventutem event per year
  6. to annually support the International Juventutem Federation head office with prayer and funds

Said one Harvard student, “I have no idea who chose to begin Juventutem here. I do know that Harvard is a great place to find fiery, idealistic young people willing to put their lives into this outlandishly awe-inspiring Mass.”

For more information, visit their website. Also, for those interested in attending mass in  the Extraordinary Form, the IRL will be celebrating the TLM mass during its National Meeting (April 25-27, 2014). See our website for details!

 

 

Cloistered life, News, Women's Communities

Bismarck Diocese Blessed With Two New Religious Communitites

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Sr. Mary Baptist
Sr. Mary Baptist

The Diocese of Bismarck in North Dakota has recently been blessed with the arrival of two very different religious congregations. As you can imagine, currently the diocese does not have many religious. However, Bishop David Kagan and his predecssor were eager for religious to come to minster to and pray for the people. Both will do the work of the New Evangelization in very differnt ways.

I posted months ago that the Carmelites in Alexandria, South Dakota, had decided to send four sisters to the diocese where they will live in a renovated farmhouse (“in the middle of nowhere”) in Emmons County. The four cloistered nuns arrived on March 19 and will have an open house from April 23-25 before they are permanently enclosed in the Carmel of the Holy Face. On April 26, Bishop Kagan will celebrate Mass at 11:00am then the nuns will be enclosed in their new home.

"In the middle of nowhere"
“In the middle of nowhere”

“Prayer is really the foundation for all missionary activity,” said Sister Mary Baptist, the Prioress. “You can talk to somebody and try to convince them, but if they don’t have grace, which is won by prayer, then it won’t be effective. So we really need prayer as the basis.”

The other group of four sisters coming to the diocese is from India. The Congregation of Teresian Carmelites is establishing their first mission in the Western Hemisphere in this most unlikely of places. They will minister to the people of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, assisting the priests and parishes and teaching at a mission school.

One of the Teresian Carmelites
One of the Teresian Carmelites

“It’s important to have the presence of holy people who can model what a life of faith should look like,” said a diocesan spokesman. “They’re also very obviously knowledgeable in the Catholic faith, and so they can evangelize to the people on the reservation and set a good example: that what is valuable to them … [is] a life that is for Christ and has meaning and purpose because it is lived for God.”

Visit the Diocese of Bismarck website or the National Catholic Register for more information.

News, Women's Communities

“Lean Into the Wind” with the Alhambra Carmelites!

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OCD Alhambra

 

 

 

The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Alhambra, California, are one of the fastest growing religious orders in the United States and fortunate for them, many of those entering in the past few years have had musical talent! Thus, they were pleased to recently announce the release of their seventh CD: “Lean Into the Wind.”

This latest CD, a combination of traditional chant and contemporary praise music, flows from their spirituality. “We come together three times a day and chant the Liturgy of the Hours,” says Sr. Timothy Marie “We spend four hours of prayer each day, but the Lord has called us to take our form of spirituality and take it into the world. We work in education, health care and retreats. We’re a blend — in the world, but not of the world.”

Almost 150 sisters serve the Lord in the community, in addition to 11 novices and postulants. The Carmelites were founded by Mother Maria Luisa Josefa of the Most Blessed Sacrament who arrived in the U.S. in 1927 after religious persecution drove her from Mexico. Their Motherhouse is in Alhambra, California, but they also serve God’s people in Florida, Colorado and Arizona.

leanwind“Lean Into the Wind” is their seventh recording.  Sr. Timothy Marie says, “There’s a parable in the Bible in which God talks about people not using their talents, so we wanted to use our gift to the service of the people, making a spiritual difference.“  (For excerpts from the beautiful recordings, click here!)

Sr. Gianna Heinemann, a native of South Dakota,  explains the “Lean Into the Wind” title:  “It’s facing your fear, but it’s more than that. It’s like grabbing the Lord’s hand and just running into the wind. It’s that sense of going deep with the Lord and allowing him to lead you and to trust.” She first felt called to religious life at World Youth Day in Germany, “For the first time, I saw young religious sisters who were wearing the full habit,” she said, and was struck by their joy and love for the Lord. A visit with the sisters convinced her that this was home.

Sr. Gianna is a South Dakotan native, one of two South Dakotans whose voices  you can hear on the CD. The other is Sr. Marie Estelle Klein who professed final vows in 2012 and hopes the CD will be a source of hope for people. “And we do pray for everyone. We see our charism as prayer. Each and every person in the world has a home in the hearts of Carmelite sisters.”

See the stories in the Pasadena Weekly and the Argus Leader. Click here to the order the CD!

Men's communities, News

The Most Holy Mother of God in Vladivostok

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Priests with Patrick and Anulfo2010With the crisis in Crimea in the news, it is happy to see that there is happier news from across the vast continent that is Asia. On March 12, 2014, Brother Patrick Milan Napal, CJD, made his perpetual profession with the Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord in Vladivostok, Russia.

The Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord is a new congregation being founded in Russia at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Mother of God in Vladivostok. The canons are helping to replant Christianity in a land where it was almost completely destroyed.

The story behind the re-establishment of this Catholic church is amazing. Over twenty years ago, Andre Popok, a young Soviet naval officer, converted to Roman Catholicism after reading restricted religious literature as part of a Communist indoctrination course. In 1991, he put ads in the local Vladivostok papers, looking for other Catholics. After a community formed, Popok wrote to the bishop responsible for the area asking for a priest. On November 15, 1991, the bishop accepted the application of Fr. Myron and (then) Br. Daniel Maurer to be the first resident Roman Catholic clergy in Vladivostok in 50 years. They found ten Catholics and a state-owned wreck of a church.

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Our Lady of Vladivostok

After receiving help from Catholics in the US and elsewhere, the building was restored and returned to the Catholic Church. Eleven other parishes have grown up as well, some huge distances away. Fr. Myron and Fr. Dan are doing heroic work.You can help. They welcome donations, would love to come and speak in your parish and welcome visitors on mission trips. You can sponsor one of their seminarians. Come for a visit and bring some tenderness to a lonely person in an orphange or nursing home. Russia has the dubious distinction of being the first country in the world to legalize abortion. The average woman in Russia has between 6 to 8 abortions in her lifetime. Your donations can help save a life by supporting the CJD’s women support center.

The address for inquiries in English and Russian: myron@catholic.vladivostok.ru
For inquiries in English, Spanish, Russian and French: daniel@catholic.vladivostok.ru

Mrs. Vicky Trevillyan is the National US Coordinator in Modesto, CA. Her phone number: 209-408-0728 and Email: usoffice@vladmission.org.

News

IRL 40th Anniversary Featured in the National Catholic Register!

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Mother Teresa and Archbishop Sheen were faithful supporters of the IRL.
Mother Teresa and Archbishop Sheen were faithful supporters of the IRL. Shown here with then-Abbot Edmund McCaffrey, IRL Executive Director.

This month, as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the IRL’s founding at the 2014 National Meeting, we were pleased to see a story about this momentous event in the National Catholic Register.

Appearing in the March 22, 2014, issue, the author talked to several IRL board members and employees to get their perspective on 40 turbulent years of in religious life. The IRL was originally founded to “save religious life in America” which was experiencing a precipitous decline in membership, in both men and women’s orders.

Father Thomas Nelson, O.Praem., our National Director, said, “The IRL has a good reputation in the Church to fidelity to the Church. Therefore, communities become members because it’s a stamp of approval, in a certain sense, [that] they are faithful to Church teaching.” Four times a year, the IRL Executive Committee meets to discuss applications for new Affiliate members. We scrutinize them carefully and in some cases visit them before they are approved for membership. Earlier this month, we approved four new communities showing that we continue to be a vital portal for vocation information for youth, a source of assistance to the communities themselves and that there are new, growing and faithful communities emerging in the Church.

Mother Marie Julie Saegaert, SCMC, superior general of the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady, Mother of the Church, said that a number of young women who have come in and persevered in their order “met us at the annual meeting.” She also praised the laity who are such an important part of the IRL’s mission. “They are faithful to the Church and love the consecrated life. They are powerhouses of prayer.”

To read the complete story, visit the National Catholic Register.