bread broken & shared

�SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

Painting the Church by John Christman SSS

Before joining the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, John Christman was an artist. His love for art was seen through childhood paintings and drawings. Later, he obtained an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. Through his early formation with the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, he would spend his free time painting. As he explains, “Art wasn’t simply a means of expression for me; it was a way of attempting to understand the world and our place in it.” Thus, theology and art easily intersected. We asked John to share with our readers reflections on some of his recent art works.

After taking our first vows Anthony Marshall and I were sent to Catholic Theological Union in Chicago to study for the priesthood. I remember the first time I walked into Catholic Theological Union. The school had just finished construction of a new building and Anthony and I had the distinction of being part of the first group of students to attend classes in the new building. As we walked through the gleaming interiors and open spaces of that impressive

A Newsletter for friends of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament of the Province of Saint Ann

Inside This Issue

4 Ecumenical Corner 6 From Our Provincial 7 Coming to a Web Browser 8 New Assignments 10 The Associates Corner 11 Change of Editors 12 In Memoriam-Father

James Moore 13 Vocation Views 14 Saint Ann’s Shrine

Continued on next page...

The Church in the Modern World - Santa Cruz Church, Manila, The

Philippines. Oil on Canvas, 4ft x 3ft.

Father John Christman SSS discussing his paintings at Catholic Theological

Union (CTU) gallery opening

Province of St. Ann newSletter

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Painting the Church...Continued from previous page

institution an idea began to take shape in my mind. The modern architecture and vast expanses of white walls seemed to be calling out for artwork, but not just any artwork. No, this building needed artwork as contemporary as the theology taught within its walls. At the time I had no idea what that might look like. But the dream took hold and I hoped to one day show a group of my own paintings at Catholic Theological Union.

The first couple of years of study, I had little time for painting, immersed as I was in becoming acquainted with the major theological currents of the day. However, over time I became more fluent in the theological language and aware of the important issues impacting the life of the Church. Amidst all of the contemporary and contextual theologies that intrigued me, I nevertheless found myself going back, again and again, to one of the documents of the Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes, (The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World). This was the first Church document that truly spoke to me. It painted a picture of a Church that desired to engage the world in dialogue. It painted a picture of a Church that looked wide‑eyed into the “joys and hopes, the griefs and the anxieties” of the people of this world and saw itself reflected there (Gaudium et Spes §1). It painted a picture of a Church wherein I recognized myself. And through the complex picture it painted, I found myself wanting to pick up my own brush and explore this relationship between the Church and the modern world.

But what does the Church in the modern world look like today? Much has happened in the Church and in the world since Gaudium et Spes was written and promulgated. The Church has grown and expanded in some areas of the world and it has diminished in others. While secularism has become an important

issue in certain contexts, inter‑religious dialogue and post‑colonialism has become increasingly important in others. How could I paint all of this? How could I paint the Church in the modern world today when experiences of Church vary so widely?

Through the thought of theologians like Robert Schreiter, Stephen Bevans and Antonio Sison, I began to see the Church more and more as a contextual reality. Their writings often highlight the idea that it is in the specificity of our own cultural contexts that we encounter the Church and that our experience of Church is often, first and foremost, our own local church. Through that lens I imagined a series of paintings that tried to capture the life of the Church in different locations around the world. From the cacophonous roar of activity outside of Santa Cruz Church in Manila to the clanking of a CTA train as it rumbles past St. James Church in Chicago, I

The Church in the Modern World - Saint Joseph Cathedral, Beijing, China. Oil on

Canvas, 4ft x 3ft.

Continued on next page...Father John Christman SSS presenting his paintings at

Catholic Theological Union in Chicago

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SePteMBer/octoBer �0��

“Following in the footsteps of St. Peter Julian Eymard, our mission is to respond to the hungers of the human family with the riches of God’s love manifested in the Eucharist.” Rule of Life 3

Conscious of our call to bear prophetic witness to the Eucharist, we commit ourselves to the renewal of Church and society through this sacrament, especially by:

♦gathering communities characterized by hospitality, reconciliation, and service;

♦celebrating the Eucharist as the source and summit of the life of the Church;

♦associating others with our prayer;

♦giving personal witness to the presence of Christ in the Eucharist;

♦sharing our Eucharistic mission with others in full collaboration.

Who We Are

Painting the Church...Continued from previous page

desired not only to capture images of church buildings but the complexity of life lived in these contexts. However, this is difficult because there is so much more to reality than what we see. The influences of globalization and the confluence of cultures that makes a local church in Chicago a bilingual (Spanish/English) if not a tri‑lingual (Spanish/English/Polish) reality. The intermingling and clashing of differing philosophical perspectives that makes for the co‑existence of modernist and post‑modernist perspectives. The post‑colonial realities that affect life in places like Sri Lanka or the Philippines. These realities shape life just as much as trains, busses and church buildings.

To help evoke these realities then, I drew upon the rich visual language of art. From modernist forms and splashes of paint, to post‑modernist compositions and aesthetic clashes, to patterns gleaned from differing cultural contexts, I tried to evoke the experience of the “Church in the Modern World” in its complicated splendor. With each new painting from each new location I tried to expand the image of the Church.

Serendipitously, as I completed enough paintings to merit a showing, Catholic Theological Union was preparing numerous events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. Given that the series was named after that important document from the Council, The Pastoral Constitution on The Church in the Modern World, I proposed showing the paintings as part of the anniversary events. The school graciously accepted and I was asked to give a brief presentation on the works at the opening. Moreover, New Theology Review, the theological journal published by Catholic Theological Union, used one of these paintings for the cover of its Vatican II issue with an accompanying article that I wrote about the paintings. So my dream to have my paintings displayed at Catholic Theological Union came true in ways I would never have expected the first time I walked through the school. But what excites me most, is the idea of new students walking into that same building for the first time and seeing dynamic paintings of the Church in the modern world. I don’t know what they will see in these images. But I hope they see the familiar and the unknown, challenges and possibilities, and something of the “joys and hopes, the griefs and the anxieties” of the people of this world (Gaudium et Spes §1). And maybe, just maybe, viewing these paintings might inspire some new dreams.

The Church in the Modern World - Saint James Church, Chicago, USA. Oil on Canvas, 2ft x 2ft.


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Father Ernest’s Ecumenical Corner


The Ravenna Report: Orthodox-Catholic Breakthrough?by Ernest Falardeau SSS

Ernest Falardeau SSS lives Ecumenism! For many years he has dedicated his life and efforts to promoting the unity of Christians. His articles are frequently featured in Bread Broken & Shared. He is committed to promoting this unity in line with the Rule of Life of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament which states: “The celebration (of the Eucharist) leads us to promote unity in all our activities: within our Christian communities, among all confessions that share the same baptism and among all those who are working to unify the world” (Rule of Life, 38).

IntroductionIt would be useful for us to take another look at the Ravenna Report. It is part of an ongoing dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches and is seen by some as a genuine breakthrough, especially on the question of authority and the role of the Bishop of Rome in the first centuries of Christian history and indeed of the first millennium. It is also important for a resolution of one of the central problems separating the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

The Orthodox‑Roman Catholic Dialogue (1980‑2010)As indicated in some of the articles which have appeared in this newsletter in recent months, the Orthodox‑Roman Catholic Dialogue gathers both the Oriental Orthodox and the Eastern Orthodox in dialogue with delegates from the Catholic Church. This dialogue began at Rhodes in 1980 and produced three significant statements in the first years of the dialogue. For over a decade the question of “uniatism” occupied the dialogue; in spite of the demise of the Communist regime in Russia and satellite countries, this did not hasten the progress of the dialogue.

The Ravenna Report of 2007 is generally considered to be a breakthrough which “put the dialogue back on track” along the lines foreseen by the original discussion in 1980. After clarifying the nature of the church in the light of the Eucharist and the Trinity, the Orthodox‑Roman Catholic Dialogue explored the relations between the bishops and between the local Churches over which each presides in communion with the One Church of God extending across the universe (cf. Munich Document, 1982). The joint commission underlined the relationship which exists between faith, the sacraments – especially the three sacraments of Christian initiation – and the unity of the church (cf. Bari Document, 1987). They studied the sacrament of Order in the sacramental structure of the

church indicating clearly the role of apostolic succession as the guarantee of the communion (koinonia) of the whole church and of its continuity with the Apostles in every time and place (cf. Valamo Document, 1988). From 1990 until 2000, the main subject discussed by the Commission was that of “uniatism” (Balamand Document, 1993; Baltimore, 2000). In the Ravenna Report, the Commission took up the theme raised at the end of the Valamo Document, and reflected upon ecclesial communion, conciliarity and authority. Since Ravenna the Commission has studied the role of the Bishop of Rome in the first millennium (Cyprus in 2009, Vienna in 2010).

The Ravenna Report (2007)The Ravenna Report concludes with the following statements:

“It remains for the question of the role of the bishop of Rome in the communion of all the Churches to be studied in greater depth. What is the

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Father Ernest’s Ecumenical Corner...Continued from previous page

specific function of the bishop of the “first see” in an ecclesiology of koinonia and in view of what we have said on conciliarity and authority in the present text? How should the teaching of the first and second Vatican councils on the universal primacy be understood and lived in the light of the ecclesial practice of the first millennium? These are crucial questions for our dialogue and for our hopes of restoring full communion between us.” (#45)

“We, the members of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, are convinced that the above statement on ecclesial communion, conciliarity and authority represents positive and significant progress in our dialogue, and that it provides a firm basis for future discussing of the question of primacy at the universal level in the Church. We are conscious that many difficult questions remain to be clarified, but we hope that, sustained by the prayer of Jesus ‘That they may all be one…so that the world may believe’ (John 17:21), and in obedience to the Holy Spirit, we can build upon the agreement already reached. Reaffirming and confessing ‘one Lord, one faith, one baptism’ (Ephesians 4, 5), we give glory to God the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who has gathered us together.” (#46)

At the twelfth session in Vienna, Archbishop Koch said: “I think there is certainly recognition that in the early days of the Church, there was a practice or an order of things in which Rome had a special role, a primary role. We still have to speak about what that meant and implied. Ravenna was the great recognition that there was a protos, a first one, at all levels – at the level of the local church, of the region and on the universal level. Now we are at the universal level and we’re looking more closely what this protos at this level looked like at that time. This is something new.”

Metropolitan Zizioulas added: “We are still studying the first millennium; we have not reached a conclusion yet. But the main and most important thing we have discovered in the discussions is that we decided in Ravenna seems to be confirmed by the history of the first millennium. In other words in the first millennium there was a recognition of the special role that the Bishop of Rome played in the Church. There was also the fact that the Bishop of Rome did not operate without consultation with other bishops in his own area as well as universal. So we are discovering that in history and this is an important aspect.”

As we indicated in our previous article, the Russian Orthodox Church had some reservations about the Ravenna Report and its understanding of the role of the Bishop of Rome in the first millennium.

The Ravenna Report is available at www.vatican/va under roman curia/pontifical council/christian unity‑orthodox docs/ravenna document. Its subtitle is Ecclesial Communion, Conciliarity and Authority, dated Ravenna, 13 October, 2007. The Ravenna Report is part of the research on the Ecclesiological and Canonical Consequences of the Sacramental Nature of the Church, which had been the focus of the dialogue before the question of uniatism was introduced.

Father Ernie’s BlogFather Ernest Falardeau SSS and Father Anthony Marshall SSS have collaborated in establishing a blog called Fr. Ernie’s Blog, an extension of Fr. Ernie’s ministry for Christian unity and interreligious collaboration. Focused on the Eucharist, the blog contains articles, bibliographies, videos and a biography. Updated regularly, the blog discusses current issues and developments. Fr. Ernie’s Blog can be reached easily through the link at b le s sedsacrament . com. Questions and comments are welcome.

A Word of Thanks to ourPartners in Ministry

Many of you returned the enclosed response card in with a generous donation to the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. We are most grateful to you for making it possible for our priests and brothers to continue their ministry. Your gift, whether large or small, helps you to actually share in the ministry of the Congregation in the USA. You are remembered daily in the prayer intentions of the priests and brothers of the Congregation.


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Father Norman B. Pelletier SSS

The following address was delivered in June on the feast of Corpus Christi at our Manhattan parish in New York City on the occasion of the transition of the current pastor, Father Anthony Schueller SSS and the introduction of the incoming pastor, Father John Kamas SSS. We thought we would include these remarks as they well apply to all of our pastors in transition (as you will notice in the article about them in this issue of Bread Broken & Shared). So what is said of the incoming and outgoing pastors at Saint Jean Baptiste is equally applicable also to Fathers Michael Arkins SSS, leaving St. Vincent de Paul in Florida for St. Eulalia in Chicago, and to Dana Pelotte SSS departing Corpus Christi in Houston for St. Vincent de Paul, and for Thomas Smithson SSS going from Chicago to Houston, Corpus Christi. To all the outgoing pastors we owe a large debt of gratitude for their untiring service and generous self-giving to the people of their respective parishes; and we wish them well in their new assignments as they go forward with our prayers and God’s blessing.

I wish to join my voice in gratitude to all of you who have expressed sentiments of appreciation for Father Anthony Schueller’s ministry here at Saint Jean Baptiste parish community. It was a ministry marked particularly by his gentleness, his kindness, and especially by his spiritual sensitivities toward all and everyone who came to Saint Jean’s to pray and to worship. So, Father Tony, “mille grazie” – a thousand thank yous – for your ten years of pastoral attention and generous dedication to Saint Jean Baptiste parish and community.

I want to say a few words of welcome to Father John Kamas SSS, the incoming pastor at Saint Jean’s since I will not be able to attend his inauguration. I will be in Sri Lanka. Father John is not a new face for many at Saint Jean’s having been pastor here for the period before Father Tony, ten years ago. Welcome back! Father John brings his own particular gifts and talents to this assignment, to this ministry. With God’s grace and with your prayers and collaboration, Father John will provide his own contribution to the growth and life of Saint Jean’s community as have done all the previous wonderful pastors of this great parish.

As Provincial Superior, with a clear responsibility to assure the genuine transmission of our eucharistic mission throughout our Province and especially in our parishes, I wish to share a few thoughts on what it means to be a Blessed Sacrament pastor in a eucharistic parish. It’s all about proclaiming and being Eucharist. Our pastors are expected and ought to be driven to spend their time and energy on nourishing and feeding spiritually the souls, the hearts and the minds of their people. They are called to celebrate their people’s comings and goings, their passing and their joys and sorrows. They are committed to being present with a spiritual attentiveness to the religious yearnings of their people. In a word, they dedicate themselves to being Eucharist – that means to be welcoming, inviting so as to gather in order to feed and nourish all who are searching to connect with God and to serve their neighbors. And it all happens at the Eucharist, around the Eucharist, and because of the Eucharist. We pray, we celebrate and we serve. And to all the parishioners, I implore, let your pastor

be a pastor not a construction foreman or a maintenance engineer. Let your parish church be an oasis for prayer, worship, celebrations and gatherings, not a museum or merely a nice place to visit. In this year of faith, let us all proclaim what we believe and continue working at creating a eucharistic culture here at Saint Jean Baptiste in the heart of New York City.

In conclusion, Father Tony, Thank You! – “vaya con Dios” – may God be with you! Father John, welcome back – God’s blessing be upon you.

Religious Communities in Illinois, Florida,

New York, Ohio, Texas

COngREgATIOn OF ThE BlESSED SACRAMEnT5384 Wilson Mills RoadCleveland, Ohio 44143

Bread Broken & Shared Newsletter is published five times a year by the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Province of Saint Ann, for family, friends and benefactors.

Contact information:Phone: (440) 442‑6311Fax: (440) 442‑4752Editor: Thomas A. Wiese, SSSDesign: Kay VincentEmail: [email protected]: www.blessedsacrament.com

Photographs in this issue courtesy of:John Christman SSS, Anthony Marshall SSS, File Photos

From Our Provincial Superior...

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Autumn is a season of change for most of us. A new school year begins, baseball season is winding down, and the leaves on many trees are changing colors and falling to the ground with these waning days of warmer weather. This season of change is also happening online with the Province’s Internet presence.

In January of this year, the Province of Saint Ann contracted with Sister Susan Wolf SND of Catholic Web Solutions (CWS). CWS is a Cleveland based firm which, according to their web site, helps religious communities and Catholic organizations to

think strategically about integrating the Internet and social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) into their mission.

Throughout the year, Sister Susan has been meeting with Father Provincial, our Director of Communications, and the ministry heads of Emmanuel Magazine, Saint Ann Shrine/Development Office, the Center for Eucharistic Evangelizing (CEE), and the Vocation Office. The purpose of the meetings and working with Catholic Web Solutions has been to overhaul the two existing Province web sites (blessedsacrament.com and st‑ann‑shrine.org) as well as to create two additional sites for Emmanuel Magazine and the CEE.

“It is so important for us to have a vibrant web and social media presence in order to better connect with young people,” said the Reverend Anthony Marshall SSS. Father Anthony, who serves as the Vocation Director for the Province, has been assisting the Communications Office with the entire process. “Not only is this important in terms of attracting future vocations, but also to attract a new generation of readers for Emmanuel, for example, or pastors looking online for Eucharistic missions for their parishes from the CEE,” he continued.

According to a 2012 study on Catholics’ usage of the media (i.e., TV/Radio, Internet, other digital services, etc.) commissioned by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Catholic site most often visited by adult Catholics is their parish web site. It stands to reason that having first‑rate information online in an interactive and helpful design will appeal to web users. This is why the Province began the process to overhaul and extend its web presence.

Coming Soon to a Web Browser Near You!


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New Assignments Take EffectChange is part of life! Many of us are resistant to change, but know that it is inevitable. In the province of Saint Ann, there were several personnel changes effected over the summer months. We will highlight here for you some of those changes. Please keep all of our new pastors in your prayers.

Saint Jean Baptiste Parish in new York CityFather Anthony Schueller SSS has been the pastor of the parish for 10 years now, and was replaced on June 1, 2013 by Father John Kamas SSS, who had formerly been the pastor of the parish. Father Anthony leaves the parish with many fond memories of the wonderful people with whom he was engaged in ministry over the ten year span. In addition to the pastoral ministry, Father Schueller has been instrumental in raising funds, in excess of one million dollars, for the repair of the church’s aging towers. Father Tony often commented, “God must really have a sense of humor since he brought me to New York City with its millions of inhabitants and I was born and brought up in a small town in Wisconsin with a population of only 500!” Sense of humor or not, Father Schueller is dear to the parishioners of Saint Jean Baptiste Church and will be remembered for his kindness and dedication. Father Schueller moves from New York City and takes on the responsibilities of our Center for Eucharistic Evangelizing, director of our lay associates and the new editor of our magazine, Emmanuel all of which are located at our provincialate in Cleveland, Ohio.

Father John Kamas SSS will not be a new face to Saint Jean Baptiste. Father Kamas previously served as pastor there from 1987 to 2001. One of his major accomplishments was the total interior renovation of the church completed in the year 2000. Since he moved on from being pastor at the parish Father Kamas has been ministering in New York as the chaplain of the school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart as well as a parish associate at Saint

Coming Soon...Continued from previous page


The targeted completion date for the project is December 2013. Once the web project is completed, the present options available to visitors of blessedsacrament.com and st‑ann‑shrine.org will be expanded, and more features will be added to enhance a visitor’s overall experience. For example, subscribers of Emmanuel Magazine will eventually be able to access a digital edition of the print issue, as well as subscribe for a regular feature online. In the meantime, visitors to both the Province and the Shrine’s web sites will still be able to access helpful information about the Congregation’s presence in the U.S., Eucharistic spirituality, prayer and Mass request options, the life and mission of the priests and brothers, and much more.

“I’m not sure what the new sites will look like,” said Father Anthony, “but I can tell you that I am excited about this project and I look forward to seeing the finished product.”

VISIT US ON OUR WEBSITES

Watch for our New Look!

Follow us on Facebook and

Twitter

www.blessedsacrament.comwww.st-ann-shrine.org

www.eucharisticevangelizing.comwww.emmanuelpublishing.org

Father Anthony Schueller SSS

Father John Kamas SSS

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Francis de Sales Church. In addition to these two responsibilities, Father John has been engaged in several musical foundations. John is no stranger to the upper East side of New York, because that is where he was born and grew up. Father John Kamas SSS returns to Saint Jean’s with enthusiasm to meet the challenges of ministry in a large city. For more information on Father Kamas, there was an article in the January/February 2013 issue of Bread Broken & Shared on page 16.

Saint Vincent de Paul Parish in holiday, FloridaSunny Florida will get a new pastor in the person of Father Dana Pelotte SSS. Father Dana has succeeded Father Michael Arkins SSS as the pastor of Saint Vincent de Paul Parish. Up until this summer, Father Dana has been the pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in Houston, Texas. This new assignment allows Father Pelotte to share his love for people and ministry in a totally new setting, but still warm and sunny.

Father Michael Arkins SSS has moved to our newest parish of Saint Eulalia in the Chicago suburb of Maywood. Father Mike will be the first pastor to bring the SSS charism to this parish. New beginnings are always exciting

and Father Arkins will be returning to his native Chicago after many years to take on parochial responsibilities. In addition to spending four years at Saint Vincent de Paul Parish in Holiday, Florida, Father Mike was pastor of Saint Paschal Baylon Parish in Cleveland, Ohio from 1999 to 2009. Father Arkins’ quiet disposition has

endeared him to both of these parishes.

Corpus Christi Parish in houston, TexasIt is an understatement to say that Father Dana Pelotte SSS is well loved at Corpus Christi. Having been the pastor of the parish since 2003, Father Dana has ministered effectively with staff and parishioners of this vibrant parish were there is much lay involvement. Much time and effort was expended in repairing and beautifying the parish buildings and properties. Father Pelotte leaves Corpus Christi in good financial condition and has successfully built up enrollment in the parish school. Saying good‑bye is not easy for Father Dana nor for the dedicated parishioners.

Father Thomas Smithson SSS replaces Father Dana and will surely endear himself to its staff and parishioners. Father Tom is a kind and generous man, ready to respond to the needs that he is faced with. Since 2007, Father Smithson has been the pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish on the south side of Chicago – formerly three different parishes blended into one. Because of the increasing Hispanic population and the need for the Spanish language in ministry in the parish, the Congregation has moved from Blessed Sacrament Parish to Saint Eulalia Parish this past summer.

Saint Eulalia Parish in Maywood, IllinoisThe Congregation has introduced itself to this parish this summer and looks forward to collaboration over the years. Father Michael Arkins SSS is the first pastor of the Congregation who will minister here and acquaint its parishioners with our Eucharistic charism. A future issue of our newsletter will feature our newest parish ministry site.

New Assignments...Continued from previous page

Father Dana Pelotte SSS

Father Thomas Smithson SSS

Father Michael Arkins SSS


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The Associates Corner-What is Eucharistic Spirituality

by Marjorie Zalar

The number of Lay Associates of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation continues to grow throughout the Province of Saint Ann. Nearly 135 lay women and men have been installed as Associates over the last two years. We will be telling the story of the evolving Associates program in this bimonthly Newsletter. Our first installment features a reflection sent in by Marge Zalar who first came to be associated with the Congregation in Cleveland, Ohio.

For most of the 42 years Frank and I have been married, we have belonged to the Blessed Sacrament parish of Saint Paschal Baylon in Highland Heights (Cleveland), Ohio. We were attracted to the parish because of the welcoming friendliness, openness and hospitality of the priests and brothers of the Blessed Sacrament Congregation. Through the years we were educated about Saint Peter Julian Eymard and his Eucharistic vision. Our love for the Eucharist deepened and expanded. The idea of living a life with a thankful attitude and a desire to spread the many facets of the Eucharist were realized by joining a Life in the Eucharist team and becoming a Lay Associate. Weekly adoration time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament became part of our lives.

Now in our old age, we have relocated to Virginia to be close to our daughter, son‑in‑law, and our two granddaughters. We no longer enjoy the closeness of the Blessed Sacrament religious, the parishioners of Saint Paschal’s, our neighbors and friends.

We find ourselves asking, how does one live a Eucharistic spirituality during times of challenge and change? We greatly miss the support and nourishment of the Eymardian family. There are no Blessed Sacrament parishes in the area where we live. What to do?

After much searching, we found a parish in Frederick, Maryland, a 40 minute drive one way. Saint John the Evangelist has a welcoming pastor and staff. When we explained that we live in Virginia and asked if we could become members of Saint John’s parish, the pastor, Fr. Kevin, replied, “You go where you are nourished.”

One of the first homilies we heard at the church was given by an 80 year old priest who spoke of covenant, nourishment, reconciliation and transformation – themes near and dear to us from our experience of the Life in the Eucharist. The essence of the meals of Eucharist overflows to the meals we share with our daughter and her family. We truly feel blessed!

Memory also plays a role in our Eucharistic spirituality. During stressful times, we

recall God’s guidance and love in our lives. Shortly after we moved into our home in Virginia, our daughter’s church expanded the First Friday Adoration to every Friday. How comforting for us to be able to continue a weekly Friday hour of prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

Recently all the Lay Associates were invited to join the Blessed Sacrament religious for their annual retreat. We felt reconnected with the Blessed Sacrament community and learned more about the history of the Congregation. Once again we were reminded how Saint Peter Julian Eymard had a vision for lay people. In 1897, the Holy See granted the Aggregation of the Blessed Sacrament canonical status. Our roots with the S.S.S. (members of the Congregation) were established long ago. We lay people have been invited to experience covenant, sacrifice, nourishment, reconciliation, transformation, blessing and praise, communion with the poor and prophetic service.

The Eucharist continues to be the center of our lives and to enrich our lives. We will continue to struggle and search and learn to live a Eucharistic spirituality no matter where we live because this exploration deepens our relationship with the Lord.

Marjorie and Frank Zalar

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Change of Editors for Emmanuel Magazineby Anthony Schueller SSS

Many people are genuinely surprised to learn that the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament publishes one of the oldest and most respected Catholic periodicals in the United States, and has quietly done so since 1905.

Actually, the origins of Emmanuel, the “Magazine of Eucharistic Spirituality,” go back even further, to 1895 and the formation of the Priests’ Eucharistic League (PEL) in this country by Bishop Camillus P. Maes of Covington, Kentucky. Bishop Maes,

a native of Kortrijk, Belgium, who served as a priest in the Diocese of Detroit, Michigan, and later as a missionary in Kentucky, had been impressed by the efforts of the PEL in Europe and elsewhere to promote priestly spirituality and devotion to the Eucharist. He lobbied his fellow bishops on the matter and became the first National Moderator of the PEL and editor of its monthly review Emmanuel.

Five years after the arrival of the first Blessed Sacrament priests and brothers at Saint Jean Baptiste in New York City in 1900, Bishop Maes turned over direction of the Priests’ Eucharistic League (PEL) and the editorship of Emmanuel to the Congregation, a natural development since Saint Peter Julian Eymard had established the Priests’ Eucharistic League in Paris in 1867.

Throughout much of the last century, the League and the magazine grew hand‑in‑hand. Most priests in the United States became members of the PEL at ordination, and a subscription to Emmanuel automatically came with it. And Emmanuel carved out a niche among the country’s Catholic periodicals by emphasizing articles and an editorial policy focused on priestly ministry, preaching, and spirituality flowing from the Mass and Eucharistic adoration.

Following Vatican II and the advent of other vehicles of priestly animation and a subsequent decline in subscriptions, Emmanuel sought to broaden its base by reaching out to laity and religious involved in pastoral and liturgical ministry. This has been both a challenge and an opportunity to expand the magazine’s readership and mission and one which Emmanuel’s editors

over the years, among them Fathers Eugene LaVerdiere, Norman Pelletier, and most recently Paul Bernier, have embraced with enthusiasm.

New challenges face Emmanuel today, notably taking the magazine and its distinctive perspective on the Eucharist into the digital age. Planning has been underway for several months now to enhance the Province’s online presence and to launch a digital edition of Emmanuel in addition to the print edition.

I will be taking over the editorship of Emmanuel with the January‑February 2014 issue, and am excited about the potential for reaching even more people through the medium of the Internet. We will also be renewing our editorial and publishing boards and other aspects of the magazine.

Emmanuel is an important national ministry of the Congregation. It has always been a place where our religious and Associates have been encouraged to share their talents through art, writing, liturgical commentary, prayer, reflection on the Eymardian charism, etc. with the wider Church. We are grateful to all of our collaborators, past, present, and future.

Thanks to Father Paul Bernier for the great job he has done and is doing in keeping Emmanuel faithful to its original mission of helping priests to live and proclaim the Eucharistic mystery through their personal spirituality and ministry. With his rich understanding of and appreciation for the gifts, talents, and contribution of the laity in church life, he has laid the foundation, too, for what is to come.

Father Paul Bernier SSS

Father Anthony Schueller SSS


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Funeral Homily for Father James Moore, SSS Associateby John Thomas lane SSS

We share with you some excerpts from the homily delivered by Father John Thomas Lane SSS at the funeral of Father Jim Moore, an Associate of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. Although a diocesan priest of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in New Mexico, Father Moore was attracted by Saint Peter Julian Eymard’s charism and having the Eucharist as the center of his life. May he rest in peace!

It’s an honor and a privilege to have this opportunity to fulfill Father Moore’s, ‘Uncle Jim’ – as we called him – final wishes to preside and preach the homily at his funeral Mass.

I had the privilege of giving Uncle Jim Viaticum, when I saw him in his last speaking moments. He said something profound as I entered the room with Curtis and Tomás that I feel summarizes his whole life,

his whole baptismal call as a disciple of Christ. His last words were:

“I Want Communion!” Now that of course was a command, and we all knew that in these last years of Jim’s life we would do what he asked … because he had a way of having us all do anything for him, from taking care of Kima, feeding chickens, fixing his computer, TV, and the list would go on!

“I Want Communion!” – A command, but also his ideal for everything in his life. It summarizes what he always tried to do and what he always wanted.

“I Want Communion!” – Having many gatherings at his rectory and his always, always inviting many different people to his house. He always wanted people to get along – and hoped we would because his house, his life, was a Table of Hospitality – a Table of Communion.

“I Want Communion!” – In his thirst for the world to get along and his quest for peace, world peace, the peace that Christ gives. He had a thirst for news and information, but of course we know that this all came from his background as an “information specialist.” His thirst for knowledge led him to distant lands and wonderful travels.

Father Moore grew into becoming an Associate of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, wanting the charism of our founder, Saint Peter Julian Eymard, and that of the Eucharist to be lived in his life. But he was already living our charism of eucharistic living very well.

Of course he symbolized the greatest gift of always learning what communion meant, he never stopped learning and wanting to grow, and appreciated getting to know the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, and then becoming an associate member.

“I Want Communion!” – as the Rule of Life of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament reminds us, we are attentive to prayer, unity and waiting for the Lord – and this Eucharist, this communion, holds us in a special bond and our life flows from this Eucharistic Mystery.

Like we heard from the first reading Continued on page 16...

“Father Moore grew into becoming an Associate of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, wanting the charism

of our founder, Saint Peter Julian Eymard, and that of the Eucharist to be lived in his life.”

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by Anthony Marshall SSS

In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells his disciples: “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another,” (John 13:35). The love of Christ and his Church ideally inspires every vocation that flows from Baptism: marriage, priesthood, religious life, and single lay‑life. How each Christian reflects this love is unique. For priests, brothers and sisters (nuns), the love of Christ and his Church is lived out in a unique manner through the vow of celibate chastity.

Being celibate does not mean that priests and religious are not lovers! On the contrary, the vow of celibate chastity enables religious to love all people following the example of Jesus, whom the Gospels reveal as being celibate. Through the vow of celibate chastity, priests and religious declare to the world their intense love for God alone, together with an inclusive love for all of God’s people. Blessed John Paul II put it this way: “the consecrated life is above all the joyful living of perfect chastity, as a witness to the power of God’s love…. Yes, in Christ it is possible to love God with all one’s heart, putting him above every other love, and thus to love every creature with the freedom of God! This testimony is more necessary than ever today, precisely because it is so little understood by our world.” No one is ever excluded from the love of a priest, brother or sister!

Every vocation requires sacrificial love. Jesus himself showed us the depths of his sacrificial love upon the wood of the Cross. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends,” (John 15:13). Being a celibate priest or religious is not easy, but neither is it easy to be a faithful husband and father or wife and mother. It is not easy, either, being a single layperson. Remaining faithful to Christ and his Church is never easy, especially in our ever‑changing society. And that’s because being a Christian requires us to love one another as Christ has loved us, (see John 15:12).

For more on vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, please contact Father Anthony Marshall, SSS – Vocation Director:

(440) 442-7243

www.blessedsacrament.com/vocation

Like us on Facebook! facebook.com/sssvocations

Through our encounters with the Risen Christ in the Sacred Scriptures, the Church’s teachings and sacraments – especially the Eucharist – we are strengthened to be Christian lovers. Jesus told his disciples that he “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,” (Mark 10:45). Generously serving God’s people with a sacrificial love is the mission of all Blessed Sacrament priests and brothers in the Church. What’s your mission?

For priests, brothers and sisters (nuns), the love of Christ and his Church is

lived out in a unique manner through the vow of celibate

chastity.

Vocation Views:Loving One Another

Father Anthony Marshall SSSVocation Director


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pThe shrine set up for the yearly

Triduum in honor of Saint Ann

tFather Hermogenes

Garcia SSS anoints a devotee of Saint Ann with healing oil

A quiet prayer to obtain the intercession of Good Saint Ann

by linda hensley

When I came to Saint Ann’s Shrine, I was pleased to see that every prayer intention sent in is actually read before it is placed in the Shrine. We read them so we can add our prayers to yours and ask Saint Ann with you to intercede on your behalf.

Sometimes people write to tell of their happiness of their grandchildren’s achievements, or about their fears about getting a new job or paying the bills, or often they write about their health, or the health of someone they love.

Some prayer intentions can break my heart. Many of us love people who drink too much, get in trouble, or leave the Church. So many people have lost loved ones or fear losing them. Many people worry about things they see on the news. Sometimes people write “God knows” on their intention slips, and I’m sure He does.

In a way, reading other people’s prayers reminds me how much we’re all alike. We care about the happiness, success, and health of our family and friends. In a way, it’s uplifting to read prayer intentions because people care, and people often write to say thanks to Saint Ann for answering their prayers.

In that vein, thanks to all of you who prayed for the successful surgery of our devoted volunteer, Helen Delguyd. Helen is home again and working on her recovery. Many of you know Helen personally because she has written to many people who are going through tough times. Her

thoughtfulness is a blessing from God, and the least we can do is to continue to offer prayers for Helen through her recovery.

Thanks also to everyone who attended this year’s celebrations for Saint Ann’s Feast Day. The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament administered the events in both Cleveland, Ohio and New York City. Father Paul Bernier presided at Saint Ann’s 3‑day Triduum in Cleveland, and Father John Kamas presided at the 9‑day Novena at St. Jean Baptiste Church in New York.

Attending a Novena or Triduum is one way of expressing our appreciation

Saint Ann’s Shrine

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If you’ve had an experience like the ones below, we’d love

to hear about it.

to Saint Ann. She is Mother and Grandmother to all of us and hears our prayers.

Many of the testimonials you read in “Father Mike’s Mailbag” show that devotion to Saint Ann is a moving experience in people’s lives. If you’ve had an experience like the ones below, we’d love to hear about it.

Father Mike’s Mailbag“Our prayers were answered through the intercession of St. Ann for our grandson, Alex, who shortly before his third birthday suffered two strokes. He recovered ‑ it is a miracle! Along with his great medical care, prayer to St. Ann was equally or even more of a factor in his healing. We are truly grateful! Alex turned 10 years old this February 27th. We continue our prayers of thanks and prayers for his continued good health. We have truly been blessed! Alex became an altar server and recently served his first Mass. Thank you Saint Ann for Your intercession to Your Grandson, our Lord, Jesus Christ!” (Charlene S. from Sheffield Lake, OH)

“I used all of the oil you sent me on my leg which was painful for months. The pain is gone. I talked to myself ‘No one is going to believe this. I have no pain.’ Saint Ann knows I’m here. Thank you Jesus and His Grandmother.” (Angela H. from West Palm Beach, FL)

“I have suffered severe knee pain for years. I was to have knee replacement surgery twice, but was not able to due to my heart problems. I have prayed to my Patron Saint Ann and began the anointing prayer with the sacramental oil and enrolled in the Congregation’s prayers. My prayers are answered. I have relief of my pain. Thank you Saint Ann for the graces and gifts bestowed on me.” (Vernona M. from Labadieville, LA)

“My son was hurt and paralyzed. I took your package of Saint Ann’s oil and placed it on his arms and legs. Several days later he moved his arms and legs. I thank Saint Ann for Her intercession. God bless you all.” (Dorothy E. from Albuquerque, NM)

“Thank you Saint Ann for healing my back pain through your holy oil. After massaging my back with it the pain never came back. It’s been almost six months now. I have had this back pain for years. Now it is healed.” (from Emelita S. from Merced, CA)

“Miracles really happen when you pray!” (Alejandra S. from Woodside, NY)

Did you ever wonder what gift you might give to a friend or relative that was hard to buy for? Why not consider our Mass Association. Your loved one will share in Masses for a whole year.

For a donation of your choice, you will receive a beautiful card that you can send to your friend or relative and they will be remembered in a weekly Mass celebrated here in Cleveland at the Shrine of Saint Ann.

All you have to do is request Mass Association cards in advance. When you decide to use one of the cards, simply fill out the name of the person you want to enroll in the Association, and send it back to us. It’s so simple – you just send your donation when you use a card. When you need more cards, just let us know and we’ll be happy to send them to you.

For more information about the Blessed Sacrament Mass Association, write to:

Saint Ann’s Shrine5384 Wilson Mills Road

Cleveland, Oh 44143

Blessed Sacrament Mass Association

Telephone: 440‑449‑2700Email:

orders@st‑ann‑shrine.orgWebsite:

www.st‑ann‑shrine.org

Saint Ann’s Shrine...Continued from previous page


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today from Paul’s Letter to the Thessalonians, Uncle Jim was like Paul reminding us all that we always have hope. In this Eucharist, at this table, and at the table of his home, he wanted us to console one another and be hope for each other. Uncle Jim wanted hope to sustain our lives and have hope for many things. Later in this Mass, we will raise a chalice, in remembrance of Christ’s Body and Blood, a toast to our Lord, who wanted this same Communion that Christ, Paul and he hoped we would all share in the Eucharistic life that we are called to live.

“I Want Communion!” – Uncle Jim, like Christ, wore so well the mantle of “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” As we heard in the Gospel, we have faith in God – then live that faith, live this love and hope for God prepared a place for us to live this in our world.

Christ prepares a place for each one of us. It starts in this communion and leads us forward as we live this communion in all we say and do, in how we hope, love, and bring others together in a unity and bond that can never be broken.

God said to Jim at his baptism – I want communion with you in this earthly life. Through his life as a Navy man, a teacher, administrator, an ordained deacon, then priest for almost 25 years, he gave and shared the gift of communion in so many ways – on so

...he gave and shared the gift of communion in so many ways—

on so many levels.

many levels. Now we know that Jim shares in the ultimate communion.

We could go on and on sharing moments in the 83 years of Uncle Jim’s life – moments of Communion building, sharing our lives, eating and drinking together, building the Body of Christ. But now our charge is to continue his legacy, the legacy he took seriously from his baptism in Christ.

We are here to say to Jim, “Well done good and faithful servant.” Let us continue to go forth to prepare places of Communion in a world that hungers to know the Communion we share as the Body and Blood of Christ. For we need this Communion – in Christ our Lord.

Father James Moore...Continued from page 12

In Loving MemorySeptember08 2008 Rev. Walter A. Riendeau09 1974 Rev. Leopold St.‑Hilaire11 1959 Rev. Alphonse Ouimet19 1937 Rev. Louis Tardif19 1983 Rev. Antonin Dumont22 1982 Rev. Leo Bourque23 1964 Rev. John Graham24 1978 Rev. Adrien Maheu24 1911 Joseph Falls (Seminarian)25 1971 Bro. George Lemoyne25 1975 Rev. Adrian Hébert26 1971 Bro. Anthony Carucci27 1980 Bro. Noël Canuel28 1991 Rev. Norman MacPherson

October05 1988 Rev. Arthur Maheu05 1999 Bro. Mark Proulx14 1989 Rev. Thomas Kennette15 1991 Bro. Narcisse Barette17 1956 Rev. Wenceslaus Giasson17 1999 Rev. Thomas Waldie18 1945 Rev. Auguste Pelletier18 2002 Bro. Martin Stebens20 1953 Rev. Emile Poirier22 2009 Bro.Stanislaus (Edward) Kowalski24 1996 Bro. Raymond Lussier26 1946 Bro. Charles Caron27 2003 Rev. Frederick Roberge31 1974 Rev. Francis Brennan31 2003 Rev. Lionel Lavigne

Gracious God of our ancestors, you led Peter Julian Eymard, like Jacob in times past, on a journey of faith. Under the guidance of your gentle Spirit, Peter Julian discovered the gift of love in the Eucharist which your son Jesus offered for the hungers of humanity. Grant that we may celebrate this mystery worthily, adore it profoundly, and proclaim it prophetically for your greater glory. Amen.

Prayer in Honor of Saint Peter

Julian Eymard

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