Category Archives: News

News, Resources

“Home Again: A Prayerful Rediscovery of Your Catholic Faith”

Leave a comment
Behold, I make all things new (Rev 21:5)

It does us all good to refresh, renew, and rediscover what it means to be human, to be a child of God. In this new book by Fr. John Henry Hanson, O.Praem., he shows you how to come “home” through a prayerful revitalization of your faith in God’s plan for you by recalling its incredible beauty and depth. 

“…if people are still people, and the world operates according to all the patterns Ecclesiastes says it does, with sunrise and sunset, rivers flowing to the sea, and the birth and death of all living things (cf. Eccl 1, 3), we should look deeper for an inner renewal caused by grace. Change without grace, renovation without interior renewal, is spiritually worthless. The thing remodeled, so to speak, remains what it always was. The most important kind of regeneration isn’t outward or skin-deep but takes places in the hidden depths of the soul.” 

Allow yourself to be reminded that God is a lover Whose very desires for you will lead you directly to fulfillment and everlasting joy. The author hopes for you to live the resounding cry:

“My story must flow from Him, and return to Him.” 

You can order this book from Scepter Publishing.
1 (800) 322-8773

News, Vocations

Free Graphic Design Assistance for IRL Affiliate Communities

Leave a comment

Vocations Outreach, an outreach of  Franciscan University of Steubenville, offers free graphic design to religious communities. Since Vocations Outreach has an ongoing partnership with the Institute on Religious Life, communities may request this service if they:

1. Are participating in the Day in the Life series

2. Are an Affiliate Community with the Institute on Religious Life

Vocations Outreach will assign one of their interns to work with your community to design brochures, flyers, social media posts, and other marketing materials as requested. This is an ongoing resource you can request at any time.  If your community is interested in their graphic design services, then we recommend also requesting their photography services to receive new pictures their interns can use while designing. At this time, they are not able to help with website design or to print designed materials.

Please contact them if you are interested in receiving graphic design services.

Complete a digital resource application if your community is not an IRL Affiliate or if you would like to receive additional digital resources for your community.

News

In hoc signo vinces – An Atheist Doctor Comes to Believe

Leave a comment

This was sent to me by a Little Sister of the Poor. It came from a doctor who is on the front lines fighting the coronavirus.

“In this sign thou shalt conquer”

—A LIGHT IN A DOCTOR’S DARKEST NIGHTMARE—

Never in my darkest nightmares did I imagine that I would see and experience what has been going on in Italy in our hospital the past three weeks. The nightmare flows, and the river gets bigger and bigger. At first, a few patients came, then dozens, and then hundreds. Now, we are no longer doctors, but sorters who decide who should live and who should be sent home to die, though all these patients paid Italian health taxes throughout their lives.

Until two weeks ago, my colleagues and I were atheists. It was normal because we are doctors. We learned that science excludes the presence of God. I laughed at my parents going to church.

Nine days ago, a 75-year-old pastor was admitted into the hospital. He was a kind man. He had serious breathing problems. He had a Bible with him and impressed us by how he read it to the dying as he held their hand. We doctors were all tired, discouraged, psychologically and physically finished. When we had time, we listened to him.

We have reached our limits. We can do no more. People are dying every day. We are exhausted. We have two colleagues who have died, and others that have been infected. We realized that we needed to start asking God for help. We do this when we have a few free minutes. When we talk to each other, we cannot believe that, though we were once fierce atheists, we are now daily in search of peace, asking the Lord to help us continue so that we can take care of the sick.

Yesterday, the 75-year-old pastor died. Despite having had over 120 deaths here in 3 weeks, we were destroyed. He had managed, despite his condition and our difficulties, to bring us a PEACE that we no longer had hoped to find. The pastor went to the Lord, and soon we will follow him if matters continue like this.

I haven’t been home for 6 days. I don’t know when I ate last. I realize my worthlessness on this earth. I want to use my last breath to help others. I am happy to have returned to God while I am surrounded by the suffering and death of my fellow men.

Men's communities, News

Coronavirus Threat Recalls Historic Sacrifice of Eight Mercedarian Friars

Leave a comment

Mercedarian friars proved their mettle years ago by stepping up to the plate to help victims of disease in a city overcome by despair.

Eight friars of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy heroically gave aid to the people of plague-stricken Palermo in 1625-26, and as a result died of contracting the disease, said Fr. Daniel Bowen, O. de M. Fr. Daniel is based at a Cleveland, OH parish and is the Order’s vocation director in the United States.

“These men generously offered their own lives to the people of Palermo,” he said, adding, “This shows that Christians have dealt with such troubles as the coronavirus before, and this will not keep us back from loving the Lord and one another.”

“Prompted by the demands of their fourth vow, these religious men centuries ago put themselves at the material and spiritual service of the plague-stricken people.”

The fourth vow of the Order of Mercy involves offering up one’s own life to ransom those Christians who are held captive because of their faith in Christ. The Order was founded in 1218 in Spain to redeem Christians held captive by Muslims.

“Other religious who had been infected went back after they recovered,” he added, “to serve those plague-stricken people without worrying about the risks.” He said that there was a ninth person in the effort who also died, a Mercedarian tertiary.

There were  also three Mercedarian lay knights who voluntarily cared for victims of the plague during the 7th Crusade (13thC). Captured by Muslims and ordered to convert to Islam, they refused, were tortured and killed in Damietta, Egypt.

In response to the threat of the coronavirus, the Order’s Master General in Rome, Fr. Juan Carlos Saavedra Lucho, O. de M., wrote in a March 14 letter sympathizing with those suffering in a world that is “convulsed.” He asked that his friars around the world make a “Chain of Redemptive Love” dedicated to St. Joseph on March 19, his feast day.

This effort would be, he said, “…a sign of our concern for those most affected in the world. Together with all of you, I have the faith and hope that after testing, our faith increases and after the storm comes the calm; but we need to be signs of fraternal charity through the antidote of universal prayer in the Church. In this way, I invite you to make fraternal prayer among religious and the faithful in all Mercedarian communities be the footprints of our evangelizing mission.”

Thus, the Master General was asking his own Mercedarian friars to pray, and to pray together with their parishioners and those whom they serve in this effort.

His letter included a passage that could be used as a prayer:

“May this time of Lent en route towards Easter be a time of true fasting, conversion, and solidarity with what God wants from us. Let us follow the instructions provided by the various institutions concerned with the health of the world. Let us take care of our bodies with corporal hygiene and spiritual cleanliness. Let us help the new captives so that they can overcome the psychosis, the chaos, the anxiety and uncertainty of each day, showing that the Mercedarian is always at the side of the sick and needy.”

Friars of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy can be found in 22 countries, and mainly in the Americas, Italy and India. In the United States, they serve in parishes, hospitals and schools as well as marriage and prison ministry in Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida.

To learn more about the Mercedarian Friars USA, Contact Fr. Daniel Bowen, O. de M., at frdanielbowen@gmail.com, or Br. Dominic Whetzel, O. de M. at socialmediacoordinator.merced@gmail.com.

Or visit their website: OrderofMercy.org

News, Vocations, Women's Communities

Franciscan Sisters and Cistercian Nuns Offer Lenten Discernment of Spirits Retreat – March 14th

Leave a comment

What a marvelous idea –  to have two religious communities host a Come & See Retreat. The Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity and Cistercian Nuns are offering a silent Discernment of Spirits Retreat on March 14, 2020.  You can experience both active and cloistered  religious life at one event.

Franciscan Sister Jacqueline Spaniola, OSF, leads the retreat day.  St. Ignatius’ inspired and practical discernment process will be introduced and reflective time provided to pray through the material.

The Sisters and the Nuns will be available for conversation and questions about their active and contemplative religious life. Join them for the tranquility of Valley of Our Lady Monastery near Prairie du Sac, WI.


For more information or to register, please click here. Call or text Sister Julie Ann at 920-323-9632.

 

News

2020 Vita Consecrata Courses & Schedule

Leave a comment

Here is the 2020 VCI course schedule.  As was true  last year, there are electives for each session.  Complete course descriptions are below.

VCI Course Descriptions 2020 – Christendom College, Front Royal

Session I begins June 29th  (6/29-7/10)

SPIR 630 The Spiritual Life Fr. Brian Mullady, O.P.

This course covers the universal call to holiness, the stages of the spiritual life, the role of Christ and the Church in the spiritual life, the supernatural organism and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, personal vocation, and the four essential means to perfection, namely, the sacraments, the life of prayer, self- denial and asceticism, and charity working through the virtues. It also treats the secondary means to Christian perfection.

CONL 621 History of the Consecrated Life  Fr. Thomas Nelson, O.Praem.

An overview of the development of the consecrated life over the centuries showing the Apostolic origins and the growth of consecrated life under the guidance of the Holy Spirit working through founders, saints, and the Magisterium; includes examination of extra-biblical sources with special emphasis on early monastic and Patristic sources.

SPIR 803 Heart Speaks to Heart Fr. Alphonsus Hermes, O.Praem.

We know that “grace builds on nature.” So, if our spiritual life will flourish, our natural life must be made solid. This course will examine the formation of the heart according to human nature. Every consecrated person strives for the “perfection of charity.” The course will clarify what it means to “love your neighbor as yourself.” We will explore the impact of family dynamics on our understanding of “love,” and how our relationships – especially in communities – can help to heal and transform our hearts. You will learn about effective tools for healing the heart and have opportunities to practice using them!

Session II begins July 13th  (7/13-7/24)

SPIR 631 Sacraments in the Spiritual Life Fr. William FitzGerald, O.Praem.

This course examines the Sacraments as essential means to Christian perfection, looking at each of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation and how they insert one into the Paschal Mystery of the Lord. Also treated are the Sacrament of Penance as a means of overcoming sin and attachments and growing in virtue, and the various Christian states of life as concrete ways of living the universal call to holiness.

SPIR 802 Philosophy of Man Fr. Anselm Rodriguez, O.Praem.

This course is an introduction to the philosophy of human nature, as found in the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas. Our systematic study will begin with a general introduction to Philosophy and end with an introduction to Christian Anthropology, but the bulk of our time will be spent answering the crucial question “What is man?”. We will dive into many important topics: e.g. man as a composite of body and soul; the unity of the human person; how man differs from angels, brute animals, and machines; the rational, sensitive, and vegetative powers of the human soul; a demonstration of the immortality of the human soul; and special emphasis on the passions. This course serves as a remedy for the intellectual formation lacking in many and is beneficial on both the natural and supernatural planes. For if grace builds upon and perfects nature, we can better understand how grace brings about our spiritual perfection if we grasp the underlying human nature. Hence my goal is not just to teach the truth about human nature, but also to communicate how a better philosophical understanding can be fruitful and helpful in our everyday lives as Christians and religious.

CONL 803 The “isms” Today, How They Affect Religious Life and Our Response To Them Fr. Thomas Nelson, O.Praem.

This Course will describe the philosophy behind the various “isms” present in our culture today and how they affect religious life and what is our response to them as religious. We will begin with secularism and how that is contrary the Christian world view of transcendence which religious witness to in a radical way by renouncing the temporal goods of this world. Then we will launch into a study of communism vs capitalism and the Catholic teaching on economic goods and how religious witness to that in their vow of poverty in the midst of consumerism another “ism” we will look at. Then will turn our attention to hedonism and the Catholic teaching on bodily pleasure in the virtues of temperance and chastity. Individualism vs collectivism is the next “ism” and the Catholic balance between individual autonomy and communion as religious live fraternal life in community. Feminism leading to lesbianism will be looked at and the Catholic teaching on sexual identity and the importance of human formation in sexual identity in religious life. Relativism, today’s greatest enemy according to Pope Benedict, will be treated and its threat upon religious life who must be a counter witness to it. Lastly, we will look at how the Mass Media has affected religious life and what virtues we need to use it properly.

For more information, please visit: https://graduate.christendom.edu/academics/summer-program/

2020 Pricing due out shortly…..

Men's communities, News

Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn Welcomed as New Affiliate

Leave a comment

At the most recent Board of Directors meeting, the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn were welcomed as the IRL’s newest Affiliate Community.  In talking to two religious in the New York area, I was amazed to discover that each one of them had been educated and formed by the Brothers.  What a beautiful legacy to leave to the Church!

Formally known as the Congregation of the Religious Brothers of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, the community was founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 1858.  They have been actively involved in the education of young men and women, primarily on Long Island, New York, serving the Diocese of Brooklyn (and later also the Diocese of Rockville Centre) since that time.  They are the largest congregation of Religious Brothers founded in America.  Formerly a diocesan congregation, in 1989, they became an Institute of Pontifical Right.

They pray the Liturgy of the Hours as a community at the Monastery, and each morning they attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. They also pray the Franciscan Crown, glorifying God through the Blessed Virgin Mary, their patroness.

For those unfamiliar, the Franciscan Crown is a rosary consisting of seven decades commemorating the Seven Joys of Mary, namely: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Finding in the Temple, the Appearance of Jesus to Mary after the Resurrection, and finally, the Assumption and Coronation of Mary.

The Brothers serve as teachers, administrators, campus ministers, coaches, spiritual directors, lawyers, college professors, and retreat masters.  Their apostolates include St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington, and St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights.  They also staff residences for low-income elderly, substance abuse recovery centers, parishes, and soup kitchens.

Faithful to the Third Order Rule, they profess the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.  With their motto as Deus Meus et Omnia (“My God and My All”) they strive to live the Gospel, in humility and in joy, affirming Christ’s Kingdom of Peace as did their Seraphic Father, St. Francis of Assisi.

 

 

News, Women's Communities

Lovers of the Holy Cross Celebrate 350th Anniversary

Leave a comment

The Lovers of the Holy Cross opened a Jubilee Year of celebration on September 14, 2019, with a Mass at Christ Cathedral in Orange, California, commemorating the 350th anniversary of their founding.  Founded in Vietnam in 1670 by Bishop Pierre Marie Lambert de la Motte, a French missionary, the congregation has faithfully endured despite experiencing a turbulent history of persecutions, wars and religious suppression.

On September 9, 1659, Pope Alexander VII signed the edict Super Cathedram establishing two apostolic dioceses in Vietnam, appointing Bishop Lambert to be Apostolic Vicar of South Vietnam.  This event marked the birth of the Vietnamese Catholic Church.   He received the vows of the first two Lovers of the Holy Cross in 1670.

In the ensuring years, the congregation went through a painful history of bloody martyrdom, where convents were destroyed, sisters dispersed and others killed for their faith. Today, they number 30 congregations in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and the U.S., with over six thousand sisters serving the people of God.

The Lovers of the Holy Cross of Los Angeles, one of the autonomous and independent congregations that are part of the family, was established in 1992. Ministering in the Los Angeles area, they have 66 professed sisters, four novices, seven postulants and seven candidates in eight communities.

The spirituality of the Lovers of the Holy Cross is embodied in their love for Jesus Christ Crucified, believing that “in my flesh, I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of His body, which is the Church.” (Col 1:24)

“Since the beginning,” said Sr. Grace Duc Le, Superior General, “our spiritual patrimony continues to inspire us to offer ourselves generously in serving the poor and homeless in shelters and on the streets, assisting the sick and lonely, and teaching the youth faith and morals.  May we passionately do everything for the sake of glorifying God and for the salvation of souls!”

For more information, please visit: www.lhcla.org

News, Women's Communities

Carmelites of the Divine Heart of Jesus Open New Residential Home for Women

1 Comment

Last Fall, the Carmelites of the Divine Heart of Jesus opened a new residence  for women with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. This is a new apostolate for the sisters, who previously ran a boys home on the site that began as an orphanage back in 1916. The building can house 15 independent and ambulatory women in beautiful apartments designed to give the women their independence while building community though the common eating area, work assignments and spiritual nourishment.

As parents age, their desire to find a safe and nurturing home for a daughter or son with special needs becomes a worrying issue. They are looking for a place where their loved one will be safe, happy, busy and spiritually nourished. This home addresses that concern and then some with activities, religious education, daily Mass, beautiful accommodations, and a community spirit, all under the watchful and loving care of the sisters whose convent is located on the same grounds.

They also plan on opening a Formation and Enrichment Center in the Fall for men and women with IDD, offering a wide range of programs and activities for adults seeking to grow to their fullest potential. Many thanks to Fr. Al Veik, OFM Cap., Sr. M. Rose Therese, Carmel DCJ, and Teresa for their warm welcome.

Please visit their website for more information or email:  srrosetherese.stjo@gmail.com

The charism of their Foundress, Mother Maria Teresa of St. Joseph, was to put the CONTEMPLATIVE spirit of Carmel into the ACTIVE SERVICE of the direct apostolate, aggregated with the First Order of Discalced Carmelites…. A gift to the Church and the world and a new branch on the Ancient Tree.

 

News

Looking to become a Spiritual Director? Two New Opportunities!

Leave a comment

In spiritual direction, those who seek deeper intimacy with God open their hearts to a spiritual director who travels with them on their spiritual journey. But there is a definite shortage of spiritual directors and an increasing need for them in our wounded world.  Perhaps you are discerning that God is calling you to this important ministry, so more people can know the Father’s love.

Here are two new opportunities for people wishing to become spiritual directors from two very solid organizations.

  1. Franciscan University School of Spiritual Direction

In the fall of 2019, Franciscan University of Steubenville launched a School of Spiritual Direction. The school has taken as its motto:  cor ad cor loquitur—“heart speaks to heart.”

“This is a program for those who feel called by God to give what they have, which is an interior life of contemplative prayer and love for Our Lord,” said Robert Siemens, Director of the program. “While ideally applicants should be familiar with spiritual direction and have experienced the exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, they do not necessarily need advanced academic training in theology.”

The school operates under a cohort structure both during the academic year, in which students meet once a week for 24 sessions, and during the summer, in which students meet daily for two weeks.

Classroom sessions will focus on topics that lay the foundation for spiritual direction, while a practicum focused on prayer and discussion will help students discern and act as a conduit of the Holy Spirit working in their directees’ lives.

Applications are currently being accepted for the summer 2020 and fall 2020 terms. For more information on Franciscan University’s School of Spiritual Direction, including how to enroll in either the semester or summer cohort, visit their website or email inquiries to ssd@franciscan.edu.

2. Spiritual Direction Courses at the Institute for Ministry Formation at Saint Vincent Seminary

Benedictine Fathers Thomas Acklin and Boniface Hicks will conduct two classes this summer on Spiritual Direction at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, PA. Authors of the book Spiritual Direction: A Guide for Sharing the Father’s Love, they will conduct 2 classes this summer:

  • Spiritual Direction I: Art of Accompaniment (May 18-22, 2020)
  • Spiritual Direction II: Advanced Topics in Spiritual Direction (June 22-26, 2020)

Through reading, lectures and discussions participants will learn the foundational dynamics of spiritual direction including:

The need for spiritual direction
The interior life
Listening that reveals and heals
Psychological insights
Qualities of a spiritual director, and more

The courses consist of five hours of instruction per day for five days. There will be time for private meetings with the instructors.

For more information, visit their website or email: IMF@StVincent.edu

PS. Father Acklin and Father Boniface will once again be presenting at the 2020 IRL National Meeting in Mundelein, Illinois.  Please join us from April 17-19, 2020!!