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Make of the world one family

NewsletterVolume 60 - No. 4 | November 2012www.xaviermissionaries.org Mission Blog: www.global -catholic.org

Letter from a Seminarian .............. 2

The Miracle of Peace .............................. 3

30 Years of Service ............................ 4

Simple Treasures .................................

Year of Faith ....................................................

Missionary to the World ..................

Xaverian Mis sion
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2 Xaverian Mission Newsletter November 2012

X averian M issionaries

Provincial Headquarters

12 Helene CourtWayne, NJ 07470-2813Tel.: (973) 942-2975Fax: (973) 942-5012Email: [email protected]

Xavier Knoll Mission Center4500 Xavier DriveFranklin, WI 53132-9066Tel.: (414) 421-0831Fax: (414) 421-9108Email: [email protected]

Global Youth Mission Services (GYM)Fatima Shrine101 Summer StreetP.O. Box 5857Holliston, MA 01746-5857Tel.: (508) 429-2144Fax: (508) 429-4793Email:[email protected]

Xaverian Mission Newsletter

Of cial publication of the Xaverian Missionariesof the United States

PublisherFr. Carl Chudy

Editorial TeamFr. Tony LalliFr. Joseph Matteucig

EditorMary Aktay

PrintingAlphaGraphic, Totowa, NJ

Email & Web:[email protected]: www.xaviermissionaries.orgmission blog: www.global -catholic.orgSt. Guido site: www.guidoconforti.comwww.facebook.com/catholicmissionarieswww.twitter.con/worldcatholic

Donation:$5.00 per year

The Legacy of Saint Guido Maria Conforti

A Seminarians StoryContinued from August XMN

While I was trying to figure out if I had a voca-tion to the priesthood I saw Blessed Pope JohnPauls words:

Young men: Christ Loves you! The love of Christis the greatest force in the world. It is your ownstrength. Young men: CHRIST SENDS YOU! Go outto the whole world and proclaim the Good Newsto all creation. Young men: Take your places inthe world. Take in full your place in the Church.If the call of Christ reaches your heart, dont

silence it: let it develop until it matures into a vocation!

And underneath it was written:

TO FOLLOW CHRIST means to commit oneself without asking what I get out of life, but whatI can give together with HIM, in the streets of the world at the service of our brothersand sisters.

I was so touched by these words. I read them over and over and over, it seemed to me thatthe Lord was talking directly through these words. Given that the Xaverian Missionaries havebeen living those values in my country since I knew them as a child, I decided to answer thecall of Christ and send an application to them. After examination I was admitted to studyPhilosophy in Freetown with Rev Fr. Eugenio Montesi. After four years of philosophical andlanguage studies I was sent to Kinshasa Congo to study one year French and then one yearnovitiate. After my fist profession in 2010 I was sent to Parma to the Xaverian InternationalTheology Center.

I thank God for the gift of faith which I received through the Xaverian missionaries. My faithis really growing. I also thank my parents who brought me up in the Catholic Faith.

I leave the future in the hands of God, to Him be the glory and may His will be done in mylife and the lives of others. I am not yet an ordained priest. I am a Xaverian student of the-ology in 4th year at Parma Mother House in a 6 year program on the way to the priesthood

by Gods grace and the confirmation of Holy Mother Church through my superiors.I would like to minister in a place where Christ Jesus has not yet been known for Godsglory and the good of His people. That has been our Xaverian Charism left by our belovedfounder, Saint Guido Maria Conforti. Also, I would like to work where Christ has been knownbut has been forgotten or wherever there is an urgent need to proclaim Christ.

However, I am ready to go wherever the Holy Spirit together with my superiors will send me.I believe that true happiness lies in listening and doing the will of God. With Gods help, Ihope to bring what our beloved founder desired. The Love of Christ Urges us. I stronglybelieve that the greatest force that can change the world for better is the Love of Godincarnated in Christ for humanity, so that all may be one. As our founder said, make theworld one family.

Simon Kabba KoromaTheological Student,

Xaverian MissionariesParma, Italy

You can help seminarians reach their goals. Contact:

Fr. Frank Grappoli, SX12 Helene CourtWayne, NJ 07470Tel: 973-942-2975

Or visit: www.xaviermissionaries.org for online donations
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3Xaverian Mission Newsletter November 2012

Xaverian Missionaries in the World

S eptember 11 was observed in Sarajevo,Bosnia and Herzegovina, to reflect peaceand interfaith harmony. The town waschosen because this year marks the 20th anni-

versary of the fierce internal strife and war from1992 to 1995, and to commemorate the convoca-tion of inter-religious commitment to peace thatPope John Paul II convened in Assisi in 1986.

A meeting sponsored by the Catholic Archdio-cese of Sarajevo, the Islamic community, theSerbian Orthodox Church and the Jewish com-munity can seem like a miracle. Yes, peace ispossible! Love, goodwill can prevail, becauseGod always wants and expects that we accept the grace of cooperation! At-tendees of all religions experienced this miracle with intense emotion.

The annual meeting was organized by the Community of SantEgidio, whichperpetuates and renews the Spirit of Assisi. It is characterized by interna-tional participation and involvement of government officials. World peaceinvolves politicians, as it is their objective; but religions can and must be thesoul of the service for peace, finding concrete ways to implement, protect,and consolidate it, nationally and internationally.

As in the past the Center for Interreligious Dialogue of the Xaverian Missionar-ies in Japan, Shinmeizan, was invited to participate. Sister Maria De GiorgiMMX and Fr. Franco Sottocornola SX were sent as delegates and participatedin two round tables. The panel discussions ranged from the prospects forpeace in conflict zones, to social and political conditions, to the indispens-able contribution of religions to promote and ensure worldpeace.

The closing ceremony of the three-day event was moving and

challenging, with messages given by youth from different ethnicand religious backgrounds while representatives of the differ-ent religions passed symbolic torches to the politicians present.The concluding speeches were full of inspiration that drives, inthe words of Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community ofSantEgidio, the courage to dare [to have] peace. CardinalRoger Etchegaray, who was in Sarajevo during the conflict as thepersonal envoy of Pope John Paul II recounted the trauma of thewar and celebrated the promise of peace today:

We had come through the narrow and muddy tunnels dugby defenders to allow communications with the airport guarded by UN forces, avoidingthe gunfire of the armed forces. I crossed once along the tunnel 800 meters long and ameter and a half wide, to make visits on behalf of John Paul II, in the heart of the city. I

prayed with you on Friday in a mosque, Saturday in the synagogue, an Orthodox Cathe -dral [on] Sunday, then in the Catholic Cathedral. Sarajevo! I say unto thee today: Courage!Learn again to live together.... Courage, to make this earth inhabitable by people as allare brothers and sisters and equally loved by the Father of the human family ... Sarajevo,now your hand to your neighbor, and together raise your hands together towards God!

It was with deep emotion and a sense of a prophetic responsibility that all, hundred thousandsof people of different cultures and languages, of different religious traditions, gathered in theGrand Square of Sarajevo and as friends held hands together and raised them skyward.

Fr. Franco Sottocornola, SX and Sr. Maria De Giorgi, MMX

SARAJEVO 2012: The Miracle of Peace

Top: Four young Bos -nians, representatives of the Catholic, Orthodox,

Islamic and Jewish com -munities, read the appeal for peace.Center: Fr. Franco (r.second row ) with some

Japanese representativesof the Tenrikyo religion.Bottom: Sr. Maria at theround table dedicated tothe theme: The religionsof Japan on the road todialogue.

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Xaverian Mission Newsletter November 20124

Thirty Years in Service toCameroon and Chad

Xaverian Missionaries in the World

O n September 5, 1982 , we arrived in Douala: Erchie,Demetris, Franceschetti, Maniero and I. The Xave-rian adventure in Cameroon began. A few days later,

Favarin, Sana and Romano arrived for Chad. We give thanksto God who called us to this mission: for those who have hadthe grace to be here these three decades, whether all orpart of the time. We give thanks for the brothers who passedon and gave the best of themselves to the Gospel in thesecountries! We think of Frs. Peppino Mattu, Giorgio Gaglianiand Sergio Favarin.

We celebrate the many initiatives brought to completion; themany people accompanied in their journey of faith, receivedand trained to be collaborators in the mission; the manymiles travelled on foot, by bicycle, motorcycle, car, bus, or

train; the many community and diocesan meetings, assem-blies and chapters. How much of hassle, risk, social inse-curity, impassable roads, disease, adaptation attempts andpolitical situations to get close to people, to learn languagesand to enter into the local cultures!

The huge treasure was the gift of self, of concrete love, intimes of stress and loneliness, of woven friendship, andstrained hands! What a wealth of friendship we have accumu-lated over the years with people who have been with us inneighborhoods and villages, parishes, seminars, presbyteries,schools, associations and various initiatives in which we be-long! Everything was not perfect, far from it; but compassionis a reality and the positive is much more than the negative.We have confidence in the future of our charism in recruit-ment and training of young Cameroonians and Chadians forXaverian missionary life! We praise God for the results thatare before our eyes today.

I give thanks to God whenever I think of you and keep youalways in every prayer. Such is my belief: that the excellentwork began within you by God will continue to completionuntil the day Jesus Christ returns (Phil 1).

In fraternal communion,Fr. Armando Coletto SX

(Look forward to The Journey Continues: In the Footsteps of the Pioneers by Fr. Richard Nembouet SX in XMN Feb. 2013)

Photos by Fr. Angelo Costalonga SX From Top: Procession in Cameroon; Mass at the school in

Bafoussan, Cameroon; The center of Bongor, Chad; TheChurch in Bongor, Chad

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Xaverian Mission Newsletter November 2012 5

Xaverian Missionaries in the USA

Simple Treasures:Memories of Colombia

Fr. Mark Marangone SX, now Superior of the Xaverian Community in Franklin WI, reflects on thecountry where he served from 1997 to 2010.

C olombia is a very beautiful country which many consider an earthly paradise. In a few hoursyou can go from springtime to hot weather, to colder. You find all kinds of fruit and veg-etables all year long as most of the country is green throughout the year except for desertareas. There is a great variety of trees, plants, and flowers, as well as animals, birds and insects.

Yet its easy to be aware of the problems many people have to face every day, in spite of the factthat the country is rich in natural resources. Injustice appears to be themain factor which is reflected in much corruption, like in many othercountries. There is much wealth available but only to a few people sothe many poor have to struggle to make ends meet day by day. The gapgrows larger as the middle class shrinks. The country has a long historyof suffering, violence, and shedding of blood, starting with the two mainpolitical parties a few decades back; and later with the drug cartels, a

war that now is being fought in Mexico.In the late 1940s rebel movements began as a consequence of the injus-tice and other abuses by those in power and the armed forces. Later, inorder to survive, they joined forces with the drugcartels and started to lose purpose; and violencewas what was left. Over the past decade severalleaders of the movements either died, were killedby the military, or defected. Today the countryseems to be making more serious efforts towardsfinding a solution to the struggle by means of dia-logue and commitment to peace. As far as povertyis concerned, there is still a long way to go.

Most of the people are very simple folk. They havelittle in material goods, but possess great spiritualfaith, and are happy nonetheless. Once they real-ize that your main concern is their well-being, andthey feel respected and loved, they reciprocatewith gratitude, generosity, and enthusiasm. Whenwe took on the parish in Bogot and the people realized that we were there for them, we wereoverwhelmed by their response not only in donations (in spite of the fact that our area is modestlow income housing for most part, with much unemployment), but also in involvement in variousservices.

Xaverians arrived in Colombia in February 1975 and have been entrusted mostly with parishes overthe years. We have tried to foster dialogue, respect, unity, sharing, and reconciliation. We givewitness with our life-style, since actions speak much louder than words. That seems to be the most

practical way to go in the hope of bringing about a change for a better future. We are also involvedin Diocesan projects and the Conference of Religious.

A humorous memory is of a Sunday evening during Lent of 1999. I was presiding at the evening Massin the parish church which was under construction. Before communion a dog fell through the roof(one story high, made of clay and plastic tiles), and landed safely by the side of the altar without ascratch. At the closing of the Mass, I remarked to the congregation: I knew that when it rains inBogot it pours. Now we can say the English phrase literally: It is raining cats and dogs!

I treasure the love and family spirit experienced in the community and the parish as well and Godwilling; someday I hope to go back again.

Fr. Mark Marangone SX

Photos from Top:Fr. Mark in a

pensive moment; An exuberantSt. Guido MariaConfortis Fraternity in Bogot; Mass inFr. Marks parish,

La Encarnacin inBogot, Colombia.Cover Photo: Fr.Mark (second fromrt, fr. row)with

fellow Xaverians inColombia.

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8 Xaverian Mission Newsletter November 2012

The Global Mission Spirituality

Missionary to the WorldThe second and third of Fr. Tony Lallis reflection on St. Guido Conforti, founder of the Xaverian Missionaries, given atthe Holliston MA Soup & Mission Program.

Some Cross-RoadsIn the life of Bishop Conforti we cannot but be struck by some particular moments whichbecame important turning points or cross-roads where Divine Providence showed himcourse changes. And it wasnt always change without pain.

As a child he felt his vocation for the first time looking at a large Crucifix. Much later asa Bishop, he looked for that Crucifix and had it hung in his Missionary Institute where itis to be found even today, in a little chapel in the Conforti Shrine, just near to his tomb,for all his missionaries and visitors to see and worship. As a seminarian, in his last year oftheology, he was barred from Ordination as a priest by a serious illness. He attributed hissudden and complete healing to Our Lady venerated at the Shrine of Fontanellato, not farfrom Parma, to whom he had devotedly prayed. In thanksgiving for the cure, he celebrat-ed his first Mass at her Shrine.

He wanted to be a missionary, but he was refused both by the Jesuits and the Salesians,to whose Institutes he had applied on condition that he be sent to the missions. So, hehimself became Father of a family of missionaries for which he obtained Romes authori-zation as a young priest, only 29 years old. This led him, eventually, to be defined as a

shepherd of two flocks, his diocese and his Missionary Congregation. Made Archbishopof Ravenna, at age 37, he had to renounce the See barely two years later, once again forreasons of health. Once declared out of danger and recovered from his sickness, the Popemade him Bishop of his native Parma, where he remained until his death, twenty five yearslater, from 1907 to 1931, years which proved him capable of being a good shepherd of twoflocks.

Neither a prophet, nor a revolutionary, simply a

Bishop: CharacteristicsConforti was not a prophet of new times; neither was he a revolutionary of his days. He wassimply a bishop as every bishop should be, with roots in his diocese and branches and fruitswhich open up on the whole world.

Its not easy for us to draw out of the richness of his spiritual life some distinguishing points.It seems that his spirituality grows parallel with the turns his life takes.

As a grade school child the encounter with the large Crucifix was particularly important tohim. He will recall it during his whole life: I looked at Him, and He looked at me, and Heseems to tell me so many things! To me it was a miraculous Crucifix: I owe Him my vocationhe will confide years later. As a bishop he will recover that Crucifix which he wanted to beguarded in the Motherhouse of his Missionary Institute. To the sons he will send to the mis-sions, he will give the Crucifix as a model of mission and wellspring of energy and strength.

His other devotion was that to Our Lady. He attributed to her the grace of having been curedof a sickness which would have prevented him from being ordained a priest. As we mentioned,in gratitude, he will celebrate his first Mass at the Shrine of La Madonna di Fontanellato, towhom he had turned for a cure.

As an ordained priest, he will draw from the Eucharist the inspiration that will make of his life,of his spirituality, of his pastoral ministry, all and always bearing toward Christ. His spirituallife was centered on Christ, as he wished the spiritual life of his sons to be.

His ministry will always have a particular mark, and that was his insistence that life conse-crated to God be imprinted with religious vows. To anyone, even higher-ups in the Church,

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Missionary Stories of Courageof Sa int Guido Maria Conforti

who suggested for him to give life to missionaries not tied byreligious vows, as a simple priest and later as a bishop, he alwaysgave an absolute No. He himself will take those same vows.

Another characteristic of his spirituality was his passion for thespreading of the Gospel in lands not yet enlightened by thepresence of the Church, and for the missionary animation of thediocesan and parochial communities.Another distinguishing mark he wanted to set his missionariesapart was that of mutual charity: Love one another as brothers,respect one another as princes he kept on repeating endlessly.Today, wed say, Be gentle and compassionate, respectful andsupportive of one another.

Itd be an unpardonable void if we did not mention that from thespirituality and paternity of Saint Guido Conforti was born alsoanother religious family, the Society of the Missionaries of Mary,Religious also known as the Xaverian Sisters. It was Xaverian Fr. G.Spagnolo and the school teacher Celestine Healy/Bottego who in 1944 gave life toa dream not realized by Bishop Conforti.

Mother Celestine Healy/Bottego was born in the USA, in Butte, Montana, then,called the richest hill in the world because of its copper mines. Mary Healy,Celestines mother, was born in Ohio, of Irish immigrants; and her father was ayoung Italian immigrant in search of fortune in this great new land. Because offamily reasons, the Healy/Bottegos moved to Parma, Italy, first, her father withher younger sister and a brother, then Celestine and her mother, a few years later.Celestine had finished her high school education in Butte, and was valedictorianat her graduation ceremony.

Today there are about 250 Xaverian Sisters, with missions in Japan, Thailand,the Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Cameroon, Brazil, Mexico, and the USA inWorcester, MA.

A beautiful and rich inheritance left to sons and daughters who today, received

from a Saint officially proclaimed by the Church, gains greater value still. A greatinheritance but also a great responsibility for missionary sons and daughterscalled to be not only blessed heirs, but worthy of such a holy founder and father,Saint Guido Maria Conforti.

Fr. Tony Lalli SX

Photos: Opposite page from top: The Cruci x that was soin uential in St. Guidos life. St. Guido as a very youngbishop. A picture of the Immaculate Heart of Mary be -longing to the founder.

This page from top: St. Guido with his rst Xaverians. St.Guidos formal portrait. St. Guido in China with Bp. LuigiCalza SX and Fr. John Bonardi SX. St. Guidos legacy liveson in todays Xaverian priests and sisters.

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From our USA Communities

News from our USA Communities

The Berceto BanquetEvery September the Berceto Foundation of Queens, NY hosts a banquet dinner/dance to honor andbene t the Xaverian Missionaries in Parma Italy. The event is organized by Anna Sabini, the Presidentof the Foundation with Fr. Frank Grappoli representing the US Xaverian Provincial House in Wayne, NJ.

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Berceto Foundation. The Guest of Honor was Rev. Rob-ert S. Maloney SX, who told the story of the origins of the Foundation. It began with Fr. John Bonardi,a Xaverian Missionary born in Boston, MA and right-hand man of the holy founder St. Guido Conforti.He was sent to China in 1904 along with other Xaverians. On his return he learned that his brotherhad immigrated to the USA. With the help of Lino Pietrantoni and others originally from Parma thetwo brothers reunited in New York after more than forty years of separation. From this point beganthe association between the Bercetese and the Xaverians in Parma.

That relationship continues to this day. Local food and music guaranteeeveryone a lovely day with friends and family and strengthen the ties

between the US and Parma.Peter Raccasi

USCCB National AdvisoryCouncil AppointmentThe US Provincial Superior of the Xaverian Missionaries, Fr. Carl Chudy SX,has accepted the appointment by the Conference of the Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) tobe a representative on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) NationalAdvisory Council. The NAC was formed three years after Vatican II to assist the bishopsby representing the national picture of the Church in various ways. The National AdvisoryCouncil includes bishops, men and women religious, diocesan priests, deacons and laypersons representing the fteen geographical regions of the USCCB. Appointments areusually for a four-year term. Fr. Chudys rst meeting with them will be in Baltimore inMarch 2013.

The National Advisory Council meets twice a year to review and offer recommendationsabout matters before the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Members of theCouncil are free to present any concern of the Church to the Bishops. Following each meet-ing, recommendations put forth by the Council may be forwarded to the USCCB Administra-tive Board or to the appropriate USCCB Committee for review and/or action. The US bishops NationalAdvisory Council is taking on an increasingly more public role in making recommendations aboutdocuments the bishops are considering and topics they might address in the future.

The council could be seen as a national pastoral council, said Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh in2006 when he was Bishop of Green Bay and a member of the council representing the US bishopsAdministrative Committee. In an interview with Catholic News Service Bishop Zubik said that councilmembers represent the adult Catholic population by age, occupation, ethnicity, geography, vocationand avocation, and described it as the church in miniature.

Fr. Chudy states: I nd this an enormously important opportunity to be of service to the Church ina unique way. I hope to bring the concerns of religious congregations and our commitment of globalsolidarity to our bishops who are continually seeking to understand the pulse of the Catholic Churchin the USA today.

Photos from top:Fr. Bob Maloney SX (center) joins for -mer president AnnaConti (left) and current

president Anna Sabiniand their husbands;Mary Pietrantoni,widow of Lino reviewsthe early years of the

foundation; little MiaBacchioni shows off her handbag to her

great-grandmother Elsa Bacchioni whileher great-grandfather

Hugo Bac -chioni and grandmoth-er Judi Meo(of ce man -ager for the

XaverianProvincialHouse) and

friend, Ma -ria Franche -schini lookon. Elsa,Hugo and Maria werecon rmed

by St. Guido himself whenhe was Bishop of Parma.

Fr. Carl Chudy SX newly ap -

pointed to theUSCCB National

Advisory Council

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Xaverian Mission Newsletter November 2012

N o n - P r o f t O r g . U . S . P o s t a g e

P A I D P e r m i t # 5 2

W a y n e , N J 0 7 4 7 0

t u r n S e r v i c e R e q u e s t e d

Xaverian Missionaries Serve In: Bangladesh Brazil Burundi Cameroon Chad Colombia Democratic Republic of Congo France

Indonesia Italy Japan Mexico Mozambique Philippines Sierra Leone Spain Taiwan Thailand UK USA

X a v e r i a n M i s s i o n a r i e s

1 2 H e l e n e C o u r t W a y n e , N J 0 7 4 7 0 - 2 8 1 3

From Simon Kabba Koroma :

TO FOLLOW CHRIST means to commit oneself without ask-ing what I get out of life, but what I can give togetherwith HIM, in the streets of the world at the service of ourbrothers and sisters.

[email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

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