Communio Volume 3 Issue 1 Winter 2010

As members of Our Lady’s Society, how do we present our congregation to people and communities who are inquiring about our way of life? Do we know our vision, our charism, and our mission statement by heart, and if we do, are we confident enough to express them to others in words and actions? The 2006 General Chapter of SOLT decreed that we should pursue Pontifical Recognition of our community. Everyone attending the Chapter agreed that pursuing this direction fulfills the primary and ultimate dream and vision of our Founder, Fr. Jim Flanagan, who sees the entire Society of Our Lady as one family in the Church. At the same time, the proper and legitimate autonomy of every vocational branch in the community will not be compromised. In response to this decree, a commission was established to work on drafting the document needed to fulfill this goal. For over a year and a half, this Commission has been working very hard to fulfill its mandate. The Commission has met with canon lawyers and with The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. It is our hope and prayer that the final draft of the document will be done in time for Regional Consultations to be immediately implemented, and that ultimately, an Extra-Ordinary Chapter be convened to finalize the document, which will then be submitted to the Holy See. This is a challenging work not only for the commission and the Chapter but also for each one of us as we return to the original vision of our founder and ask the Holy See to approve our way of life as one ecclesial family in the Church, while maintaining the proper and legitimate autonomy of each of the vocations within the community. As I mentioned at the beginning, there is a need for each one of us to revisit our very own work, ministry and apostolate, our very own mission, our ways of being faithful to our spirituality and relationships, our

very own charism – that gift that we should give to the Church, that breath, that impulse of the Holy Spirit that we have to share with the Church through Our Lady’s Society. There is a need to revisit our ways of incarnating the gift and value of graced-friendship, as well as our ways of making our Marian-Trinitarian spirituality a true lifeline that enables us to continue to dream and live, no matter what. Let us revisit Fr. Jim’s vision of how we should live in communion. We are called to imitate Our Lady as she lived in communion with the Father as His Daughter, a Mother to Jesus and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. Quoting the Venerable John Paul II, let us never get tired of making Our Lady’s Family a ―School of Communion‖. As an Ecclesial family of priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful, we are always called to incarnate our very own patrimony, within our community and in the Church. It is also in this line that the THEME for this year’s Regional Assembly, both for Asia-Pacific and America, focuses in communion: “Father, that we may be one”. I urge you to pray for all the members of the Society of Our Lady, especially the sick and those who are facing challenges in their missions and ministries. Please also continuously pray for the Commission, as they proceed with the mandate given to them. I also wish that you pray for the American Region as they prepare for the upcoming elections of Regional Servants in July 2010. In Communion, + REV. FR. ROGEL B. ROSALINAS, SOLT General Priest Servant

A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNION

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Our Lady’s Society

Vision Statement: “All peoples in Communion with the Most Holy Trinity and Our Lady

through the Discipleship of Jesus and Mary.”

Mission Statement: “We the members of The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity

Commit Ourselves to Daily, Personal Encounters with the Living Jesus Christ of the Scriptures, to Come to the Communion of the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

to Live the Paschal Mystery as Disciples of Jesus and Mary, Living the Evangelical Counsels, United in Eucharistic Life, Prayer and Service in Areas of Greatest Apostolic Need,

for the Integral Development of All Peoples, Leading Them to Become Disciples of Jesus and Mary.”

Charism Statement: “Discipleship of Jesus and Mary in the Gospels,

on Ecclesial Teams of Priests, Consecrated Life and Lay Faithful in Marian and Trinitarian Relationships, in areas of Greatest Apostolic Need.”

Kommunio Kids Korner (for kids ages 4-144)

Here are words of Jesus you might want to follow during Lent. See if you can fill in the blanks. The Scripture references are included, so you can look them up in the New American Bible if you need help with the answer!

1. But when you _________, go into your inner _________, close the _________,

and pray to your Father in secret. (Matthew 6:6)

2. Say _________ when you mean _________ and _________when you mean

_________. (Mathew 5:37)

3. Love your ________________________. (Matthew 5:44)

4. Your _________ is a _________ of the Holy Spirit. (I Corinthians 6:19)

5. _________ for those who ______________ you. (Matthew 5:44b)

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This has been my 7th trip to the mission in Haiti operated by Fr. Glenn Meaux. I would have to say that this trip was the most profound trip for me yet. However, every trip has been wonderful. All of the people that Fr. Glenn serves are poor. These people are from 14 different villages; I suppose about 15,000 or more souls. When the poorest of the poor (the ones who have no means to support themselves) came in to the mission while we were there, to get their monthly supply of food, I was struck by how pitifully little food it was that they received. And, they had to feed themselves for a month on it. They received a couple of coffee cans full of ground corn, a can full of rice and a can full of beans and about a pint of cooking oil. That's it!!!! I felt that perhaps it would have been enough to feed one of our US families for about a week. On former trips to the mission, I noted that the mission staff also gave them some cash to help supplement their diet. But, there are so many now and the mission does not have the financial resources to continue this practice. I hope and pray that this is a temporary situation. I am again reminded how far a simple $30 a month sponsorship would go to help solve the problem. For most of us, this amount is less than a single evening out. The mission desperately needs many more sponsorships. There are about 1200 kids in the 2 schools that the mission operates. There is so much to do. As I helped to hand out the food supplies to these poor, I was able to look into their eyes. They had the most grateful look as they received their meager

portions. They would each say, "Thank you-very much.‖ I felt that I could truly see Jesus in these poorest of the poor. Jesus' command, "Feed the Hungry" took on a whole new meaning for me. I think of what we eat in a single meal———we are so blessed, and so spoiled as a people. There were about 430 families represented that day. I suppose that that would translate into about 2500 people that we gave food to. Many of them walked several miles to get this food. They were so thin, and many were quite weak. As I watch them leave the mission, I consider what my life would be like if I had to endure what these poor people have to live with: the most meager of houses, some with only banana leaves for a roof, is home for many. They have no electricity (I think of all that I have that requires electricity to make my life comfortable.) They have no running water, no sewer systems, no grocery stores, no mail system, no job, and very little to eat. As I reflect, I think that it is not fair that I, we, have so much and they have so little. They did not ask for their lot in life. And, they are helpless to change it. Even the poor in our country would be considered rich in Haiti. I know that there are other poor countries; but I am told that Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. I cannot imagine a poorer country anywhere on earth. As I consider these things, I also pray, Jesus, have mercy on us. We are the ones that some day will have to face Him and answer the question, "What did you do for the least of my brothers"?

Reflections on a Haiti Mission Trip—January 2009

– by Tom Rosenberger

May the Peace of Christ be with you! As we live this holy season of Lent, we are invited to draw closer to God through prayer, almsgiving and fasting. This reflection from a worker at the SOLT Haiti mission speaks to those three actions in concrete ways, and also reminds us of how Jesus treasures the poor and identifies with them. Let’s open our hearts wide for the

grace Our Lady desires us to receive. May we use this grace to bring complete joy and abundant life to all we meet! In Christ, Bernadette Cathers Diane Olsen Editors for Communio We are eager to hear from you! Please send any news, articles, prayers, etc. to the Communio email address: Communionewsletter@yahoo.com

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This past summer I had the opportunity to spend five weeks with the migrant team in Indiana serving the migrant farm workers in the Lafayette Diocese. The members of our team were Fr. Miguel Noyola, Sr. Leticia Venegas, Sr. Esperanza Lopez, Br. Greg Joseph, Br. Jay Jackett and myself. Growing up in the Benque Viejo, Belize SOLT mission, as a daughter of missionaries, I heard about other missions of Our Lady’s Society. They all sounded interesting, and the stories about the great work being done everywhere were fun to listen to. Fr. John McHugh always came back full of stories from the assemblies and often the thought of working in other missions crossed my mind. When God opened the doors for me to serve in Indiana, I knew if I didn’t do it then, it would be several years before I had the opportunity to do it. Other than all the stories I had heard about Fr. Vince Albano’s adventures, I had no idea what to expect when I arrived. I found out that we drove long distances to get to the farms where the migrants worked and lived, to catechize and serve them in whatever way we could. When I arrived at the camp the first day, I was put to work right away. My first student’s first language was neither English nor Spanish but an indigenous language from Mexico. As time went along and I got into it and was trying to teach the kids what they needed to know to receive the sacraments, I just felt that there was not enough time. So many of the families did not go to Church often, and the kids did not know basic prayers. How was I going to have enough time to teach them why it was important to follow Christ’s teachings?

It caused me to reflect about my own Communion and Confirmation classes. Other than what I was required to memorize, I really didn’t remember much from them. It wasn’t until I was an adult, after I had undergone a deeper conversion and was asked to be a Confirmation sponsor that I realized what graces I had received. On that Confirmation day, I realized what had been present in my life all those years without me even knowing it or even being open to it at times. Working with the team was a blessing. They had been doing this much longer and understood the frustrations. They were able to give me guidance when I was experiencing difficulties. Talking with the Sisters at the end of the day and laughing about our experiences are my fondest memories. As the time for the kids to make their First Holy Communion and/or Confirmation came and I knew that my time with them was nearing the end, it was very sad for me. I remembered what my expectations when I got there were – I was excited to be outside all summer long instead of stuck in air-conditioning. I was looking forward to eating beans and corn tortillas three times a day. While the summer wasn’t as warm as I had hoped, and I didn’t get my fill of beans and tortillas, I was able to meet a group of hard working people whose faith was in God and not material wealth. They moved a lot, but the bonds that these families had, who came to the camps every year, were very tight. They remain in my thoughts and prayers, and the lessons they and the team taught me will be with me as I move into my new vocation.

Working with the migrants—Summer 2009

– by Bernadette Cathers

Fr. Miguel and Sr. Esperanza with migrant farm workers’ children and the children of local volunteers after an open air Mass.

Mass at one of the farm camps with the families.

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October graced us with a wonderful retreat given to us by Fr. James Flanagan. The Consecrated Widow’s (CW) retreat had Faith, Hope and Charity as its theme. Practicing these virtues with greater commitments, we become closer to the holiness that Jesus desires for us. Three women were consecrated at the closing Mass. Mary Ellen Theisen, Rosemarie DePillo, and Marie Murnane. All ask your prayers as they start their new vocation. We ask St. Bakita, the saint of abused women, our patron, to help us as we focus our prayers and energies for these women. Please pray with us:

Most high Loving Father, creator of all humankind, we ask you as consecrated widows, to hear this

special prayer. We know that we merit nothing for ourselves,

but yet, we dare to ask You on behalf of all those who are annihilated, cast out, tortured and abused simply

because they are female. We beg you to rescue them from their plight.

We pray for each of these souls, that they may receive the promises of Christ and enjoy the help

and protection of our Mother of the Most Holy Trinity. AMEN

In November I met with Marie Blount and Janis Teegan in Florida. We hosted several women who were interested in the vocation. Both women are now in formation which brings that number to 16.

A poem by Rosemary Fesen, CW I live in a widow’s world. I have become almost unseen, transparent. I fade away from other’s sight and hearing. Why so Lord? It is because I have seen and engaged death and dying having fought with all my strength the enemy of life alongside my brave and good beloved, my champion, my husband and protector my love? We stood together through every wave of illness, through every siege, through every assault on both body and personhood to the end. But alas the one who grew more pure and stronger daily in the Lord and who loved me and cherished me more each day could not carry me with him into the glory of Paradise. He but could only promise with a voice I hear in my heart always that he would never leave me and he never has. He told me he would wait for me by the Gate of Heaven. His gentle spirit hovers always, always with me. I now live in two places, the world and Paradise so longed for. Oh fading hidden life of widowhood, Oh Holy widow, Oh Blessed widow, Blessed Mother Mary pray for us. October 2009

From the Consecrated Widows Corner – by Nicolina (Nikki) Sullivan, CW

Fr. Jim with Consecrated Widows at their retreat in October 2009.

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Drums beating with people chanting in the night, roosters crowing, goats bleating, and the guard dogs barking. I hear these sounds as I lay awake in the early morning hours in our safe walled-in mission compound, wondering about our next plan for evacuation. I am one of a 16 member optometric team that has just completed mission work in the SOLT Haiti Mission compound, work we had been planning for with Fr. Glenn for the past year. VOSH (Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity) - Ohio sends teams into underserved countries around the world to provide eye care to those needing these services, and this was our first mission trip to Haiti. We saw 2,556 patients and provided glasses to many of these patients. Those patients with surgical needs have been identified and will be referred for further care. It is still hard to believe what has happened this past week: the most devastating earthquake in 100 years has hit Port-au-Prince, one that we felt here in Hinche, 75 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake. Now that our mission trip has come to an end, how do we get home? I called our airlines and rescheduled our flights. I was told they would begin flying in five days and so I rescheduled the team for the first flight available, which was in seven days. E-mails kept coming in from family, friends, and organizations giving us advice on how to depart. One option was to try to cross the border into the Dominican Republic, since the PAP (Port Au Prince) airport was damaged. Then we were told the border into the Dominican Republic was closed. We were told to go north and fly out of Cap Haitien and get a lift by missionary flight services. This would be a five-hour trip in a Tap Tap (hired car) or Chicken Bus over unpaved roads to reach the port, and then a missionary service could get us out. Another option would be to have the missionary service fly in Pignon, 13 miles away, to

pick us up. Calls to the missionary flight service told us that they were only taking supplies and rescue equipment into PAP and would not offer their services to us for probably six days. Even though the border to the Dominican Republic was only a few miles away, it was cut off; going north was also not available for us. We felt we needed to get out soon. Reports told us of the unrest and violence in the capitol city. The US Embassy recommended that US citizens leave; starting Friday, the US would evacuate its citizens. This is our only option.

Quickly the team packed and we rented an air-conditioned (meaning the windows open) van and

started our venture. We decided that each team member could take only one suitcase. Glasses, medications, and some equipment along with all our duffels were left behind. Excess clothes, shoes, and personal items were left behind. We did take toilet paper, water, surgical masks, breakfast bars, and the mission team made peanut-butter sandwiches for us, as we had no idea how long we would be at the airport until we were evacuated. Luggage was piled high on top of the van and tied down with a frayed rope. The van was supposed to hold sixteen and the front seat was reserved for a Haitian guard. Well, this may have been enough room

for sixteen Haitians, but not for sixteen Americans! We put two team members in the seat reserved for the guard, and three to four across each bench in the back, assuring that the only two skinny team members were distributed evenly. During the three-hour trip I heard comments like, ―If you move this way, I could move my foot or shift to this cheek!‖ The road from Hinche to PAP had recently been redone to cut an eight to twelve hours trip down to three hours. Haitian roads are usually not paved and have multiple rocks in the road bed. We honked and swerved the entire trip, avoiding goats, horses, people, and other vehicles. The bumpy

VOSH—Ohio Mission to Haiti

– by Barbara Plaugher, VOSH-Ohio Mission Coordinator, January 17, 2010

It is still hard to believe what has

happened this past week: the most

devastating earthquake in 100

years has hit Port-au-Prince, one that we felt

here in Hinche, 75 miles from the

epicenter of the earthquake.

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travel was extremely exhausting for the younger as well as the older team members. Then our adventure began! Arriving at PAP we were immediately caught in a traffic jam, vehicles scraping other vehicles just to get through. Fallen buildings, Haitians walking en masse, Haitians in tap taps and chicken buses over-loaded inside and on top, heading out of the city with furniture, suitcases, chickens and animals, whatever. Haitians wearing masks, riding motor-bikes with multiple people on each bike, finding any way possible to get out. And we were trying to get in to the city. Our driver worked hard to find the best streets to take in order to get to the airport. Finally we arrived. We found the terminal damaged and the tower not working. We were met by a crowd of men eager to help us with our suitcases. I finally chose three of them, and they untied the suitcases on top of the van. We gave them a tip, much to the dismay and shouting of the others. We were led through the fence to the next exhausting part of our journey. This was Friday at 12:30 pm, 2 ½ hours after leaving the mission compound. We were instructed to stay in line and stand, as the terminal was unsafe to enter. We stood there for five hours, eating our sandwiches for supper and distributing our remaining food to the people through the fence, as we were on our way home shortly. The US had soldiers surrounding the airport. We were safe and going home. After about five hours in front of the terminal, we started looking for a rest room. Men were instructed to stand between two buildings and women were allowed to enter a single very undesirable toilet within the terminal. Then we were led, surrounded by US troops, behind the terminal where many cargo planes were arriving and departing. We had to shout to one another over the din around us. We were again told to stand in single lines. I think back to our five days of clinic as we had our patients ―stand in straight lines‖. The only difference was the length of time we stood. Planes from all over the world were bringing in medical and rescue teams, as well as rescue dogs for body retrieval. Three patients with IVs were lying on gurneys on the tarmac waiting for smaller evacuation planes to arrive. We gave

interviews with Portuguese and French TV and radio reporters. We stood in line for another five hours. At 10:30 pm we were led out onto the tarmac to enter a US Air Force C 17 cargo plane. About 100 people were strapped into seats along the wall and down the center of the belly of this plane. We talked to Brian Williams and Ann Curry. Katy Couric was also a passenger on this plane. We were treated well, given blankets and pillows, and earplugs to help with the noise level. When we boarded the plane, we had no idea where we would land. Previous flights had taken people into the Dominican Republic and Florida. We found out we would stop in Charleston to fuel up and then head to McGregor Air Force Base, which had been commissioned by the government to deploy the refugees. Finally at 6 am on Saturday morning we arrived at the base. We had name bands placed on

our wrists and were given a health kit to shower. Then we were briefed by Air Force personnel and taken to a gymnasium full of cots. We were given food, and telephones so we could make arrangements to fly the rest of the way to our homes. I felt like a refugee. It was such a good feeling to be home! After

obtaining airline tickets we were led into buses and taken to either Philadelphia or Newark airports for departure home. A state police was our escort, and with sirens blaring we made our hour trip to the airport. We arrived at home by midnight Saturday, two hours earlier than originally planned from our original flight one short week ago into Haiti. So much had happened after that 30 second shaking of the earth; we will never forget it.

So much had happened after that 30 second shaking of the

earth; we will never forget it.

We will try to provide more updates in the

next issue of Communio on the Haiti Mission.

You may visit their website for updates at

www.SOLTHaitimission.org and you can go

to KLFY.com to view coverage of the Mission

by a news team.

Thanks and God bless.

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Message from Fr. Glenn Meaux—Haiti Mission

Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity PO Box 152 Robstown, TX 78380

Please pray for the health of: Fr. Jim Flanagan, SOLT Fr. Tito Ayo, SOLT Br. Philip Howard, SOLT Br. Michael Brady, SOLT Br. Duran Jensen, SOLT Sr. Trinity Vaughn, SOLT Sr. Eileen Dougherty, SOLT George Estes Deacon Paul McCardle, SOLT Fr. Joe O’Connell, SOLT Maria Blount

Please pray for the repose of the souls of: Leocadia Serban, SOLT Br. Wayne Williams, SOLT George Sparke Fr. Isidore Sitnyein Fr. Neal Stull, SOLT Rudy Marks Lillian Walsh Herbert Dumotier

Please pray in thanksgiving for the miraculous healing of Br. Patrick Prajvner and Ann Craig.

To make immediate direct donations to the EARTHQUAKE RELIEF, Fr. Glenn Meaux has asked that checks be made out to SOLT Haiti Mission and mail your check to:

Fr. Glenn Meaux PO Box 1400 Abbeville, LA 70511

In the memo of your check, please indicate if you would like your donation to go to:

Earthquake relief – where needed Earthquake relief – Haiti Mission, Kobonal

Since the earthquake on Jan 12 the Mission of Our Lady in Kobonal has

continued the ordinary ministries of education, agriculture, Spiritual Formation,

the building of houses and many other programs.

We now have added to the Mission nearly 1500 individuals who have come

from Port au Prince to live with their families in the mountains. We have

organized the refugees and put them with a person who is responsible for them

in each house. We give out corn, rice, beans and oil every 15 days and the

amounts vary according to the numbers in the group.

The Mission added 70 of the refugees into our schools and are absorbing to

the best of our ability refugees into the work force.

Progress is being made to get them back on their feet so they will then feel

independent and also feel that they are a part of a Faith community.

I want to thank all of my Brothers and Sisters who have made great sacrifices

for the Poor.

Let us always be mindful of "The Preferential Option Of the Poor."