THE PIARIST FATHERS PROVINCE OF THE U.S.A. AND PUERTO RICO

Number 15 Fal l 2018

PIARIST NEWSLETTER

Fa t h er O scar G . A l on so , S ch . P. ( 1940 — 20 18 )

Father Oscar G. Alonso,

Sch.P. was born in Madrid de las

Caderechas, Spain on February

20, 1940.

After finishing elementary

studies in his native village, he

entered the Piarists’ formation

house in Villacarriedo and later in

Getafe, where he finished high

school. He entered the novitiate

on August 14, 1957 and made his

first profession on August 15,

1958.

He continued his studies at

the House of Formation in Irache

(1958-61). He then studied theol-

ogy in Albelda (1961-63) and in

Salamanca (1963-65).

The Piarist Fathers’ Castil-

ian Province assigned him to the

United States, where he arrived

on January 18, 1966. He resided

at the Piarists’ House of Studies

in Washington, DC with Father

Mario Vizcaino as his Master of

Juniors. He completed his theo-

logical studies at the Catholic Uni-

versity of America with a master’s

degree. He was ordained a priest

in the National Shrine of the Im-

maculate Conception in Washing-

ton on February 17, 1968.

He was then assigned to

the Piarist community in Devon,

PA. He did not stop studying. He

obtained a master’s degree in li-

brary science in 1970 and anoth-

er master’s degree in Spanish lit-

erature in 1975 from Villanova

University in suburban Philadelph-

ia. He taught Spanish and theolo-

gy from 1968 until 1979 at Devon

Prep. He also served as the librar-

ian of the school and as a forma-

tor and Director of Vocations for

the Piarists’ Province. He offered

pastoral services in nearby parish-

es and convents.

In 1979, Father Oscar was

assigned to Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Since then, he taught theology at

Cardinal Gibbons High School. In

2003, he was also appointed to

serve as Superior of the Piarist

community.

His work in the school did

not completely fill his time. He

assisted for decades at St. Paul

the Apostle Parish in Lighthouse

Point, St. Bonaventure Parish in

(continued on page 2)

We Rejoice with the Ordination of a New

Piarist Father

Father Vinod Angadathu

George, Sch.P. was ordained to

the priesthood by Most Rever-

end Thomas Menamparampil,

SDB, who is the Apostolic Ad-

ministrator of Jowai and the

Archbishop Emeritus of Gu-

wahati (India), on Saturday, Au-

gust 4. The ordination took

place in his home parish, St.

Rita Church in Nanthirikal in

the Diocese of Kollam in the

state of Kerala. He celebrated

his First Mass in the same

church on Sunday, August 5.

Father Vinod was born

on January 1, 1985 to George

Sebastian and Daisy George

(deceased). He is the youngest

of three children and was born

in Kollam, which is an old sea-

port located on the coast of the

(continued on page 3)

Page 2

FAT H E R OS C AR G . ALO N SO, SC H. P.

R.I.P. We ask you to

remember in your

prayers our deceased

relatives and friends: Arcelia Aviles

Tom Bulfin

Carolina Calderin

Joan M. Caracappa

Thomas T. Coon

James Cooney

Miguel Cruz Negron

Charlotte Dissette

George Esser

Jesus Gandarillas

Irene Garcia Valcarce

Rev. Fernando Guillen, Sch.P.

Alina Hernandez

Jesus Hernandez Velazquez

Joseph M. Hill

Richard Jagelman

Suzan Marie James

Tanya Jones

Maria Maseda

Carmen Medina

Jeanette Mojica

Luz Mosqueda

Philip W. Neff, Jr.

Jeffrey S. Ortiz

Francisca Perez

Ben Povilonis

Pat Quandt

Alicia Recio

Edwin T. Toberts

Margery Ann Roberts

Daniel Stark

Chris Strycharski

Rafael Torres

Rev. Oriol Tremoleda, Sch.P.

Number 15

(see page 1)

Davie, St. Elizabeth of

Hungary Parish in Pom-

pano Beach and St. Joan

of Arc Parish and St.

Jude Parish, both in Boca

Raton.

He never got tired

of studying and sharing

with others what he

learned. He devoted

himself to thoroughly

study the Bible. He of-

fered courses at the

Southeast Pastoral Insti-

tute (SEPI) in the mas-

ter’s program for Hispan-

ic ministry. He also

taught courses on the

Bible for the men train-

ing to be permanent dea-

cons in the Archdiocese

of Miami. During the

1980’s, he also taught

as an adjunct professor

at Saint Vincent de Paul

Seminary in Boynton

Beach. More recently, he

offered courses on the

Bible in local parishes.

One of the most

interesting facets of Fa-

ther Oscar’s life was his

missionary vocation.

Since 1981, he took part

regularly in the summer

missions with Father

Mario and other Piarists

in the parish of Macus-

pana in Tabasco, Mexico.

He put his soul into his

ministry among the peo-

ple of the rancherias. He

not only financially sup-

ported some construc-

tion projects (chapels),

but also more important-

ly trained lay leaders in

the local communities

and lay volunteer mis-

sionaries from the United

States. For many years,

he also promoted a Bible

program by offering Bi-

bles to farmers at a very

low cost. For a few

weeks every summer, he

applied himself to this

gigantic task. He did so

in the tradition of so

many generations of

missionaries in the coun-

try of Mexico.

Father Oscar al-

ways said that he want-

ed “to die with his boots

on.” He did just that. He

taught at Cardinal Gib-

bons High School for 39

years. Father Oscar died

peacefully in his sleep on

February 16, 2018 in the

Piarist Fathers’ resi-

dence in Fort Lauder-

dale. He would have cel-

ebrated his 50th anniver-

sary as a priest on Febru-

ary 17.

A viewing and

Mass of Christian Burial

took place on Saturday,

February 24 at Saint

Paul the Apostle Church

in Lighthouse Point, FL.

His burial took place in

Burgos, Spain.

The Piarist Fa-

thers request that dona-

tions in memory of Fa-

ther Oscar Alonso be

made to the Piarist Sem-

inarian or Retirement

Funds, P.O. Box 11822,

Fort Lauderdale, FL

33339. May he rest in

peace.

(Right) Father Oscar’s cremated remains were returned for

burial to his native town in Burgos, Spain.

Annual Retreat Members of our

Province gathered for our

annual retreat and as-

sembly in June 2018 at

Malvern Retreat House in

Malvern, PA. Our Superi-

or General, Father Pedro

Aguado, Sch.P., was the

director of the spiritual

exercises this year.

PIARIST NEWSLETTER Page 3

(continued from page 1)

Laccadive Sea in the Indian state

of Kerala. He had a strong desire

to be a priest even in his earliest

years.

He completed his elemen-

tary studies at Saint Margaret’s

L.P. School (1990-1994) and his

middle school and junior high

school studies at Saint Anthony’s

H.S.S. (1994-2000), both of

which are also located in Kerala.

He completed his senior high

school studies at Saint Au-

gustine’s H.S.S. (2001-2003) in

Aroor. He then studied botany at

Saint Albert’s College (2003-

2006) in Kerala.

He entered the aspirancy

program of the Piarist Fathers in

2000 and the pre-novitiate in

2005. A year later, he began the

novitiate in Cebu, Philippines. He

professed his simple (temporary)

vows in May 2007. On that occa-

sion, he chose his religious name,

Vinod Angadathu George of Saint

Rita of Cascia. His home parish

in Kollam is dedicated to her, and

the earliest seeds of his vocation

were fostered there. After his

first profession, he returned to

India for further studies. He

earned a bachelor’s degree in

Philosophy from Kristu Jyoti Col-

lege in Bangalore, India in 2009.

For various reasons, he

lived outside of the Order for four

years, during which time he com-

pleted a master’s degree in Bota-

ny from Fatima Mata National

College in Kerala in 2011. He

returned to the Order on January

1, 2013 and was sent for a five-

month period to the Piarist House

of Formation in Bamenda, Came-

roon. There, on April 18, 2013,

he again professed his simple

vows. One month after returning

to India, his beloved mother, Dai-

sy, passed away after a lengthy

illness.

On September 1, 2013, he

arrived in the United States and

resided at Annunciation Parish in

Manhattan before becoming one

of the founding members of the

Piarist Community at St. Helena’s

Parish in the Bronx. He made his

solemn (perpetual) profession of

vows on February 20, 2017 in

Saint Helena’s Church. He was

ordained to the diaconate on

June 17, 2017 in Saint Helena’s

Church.

In August 2017, he was

transferred to the Piarist Provin-

cial House in Washington, DC,

where he completed his final

year of theology at both the Do-

minican House of Studies and the

Catholic University of America. In

May 2018, he graduated from

Saint Joseph’s Seminary in Yon-

kers, NY and received both the

Bachelor’s in Sacred Theology

(S.T.B.) and the Master’s in Divini-

ty (M. Div.) degrees.

He is currently assigned to

the Piarist Community at Cardi-

nal Gibbons High School, which is

located in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

He teaches Theology to sopho-

mores and helps on weekends at

Saint Paul the Apostle Church in

Lighthouse Point, FL.

We thank our dear Lord

for the gift of Father Vinod’s voca-

tion as a Piarist Father, and we

pray that our dear Lord will con-

tinue to send His blessings upon

him as he begins a new step in

life’s journey.

We Rejoice with the Ordination of a New Piarist Father

(Left) Piarists gathered for the First Mass of Father Vinod Angadathu, Sch.P. in Nanthirikal, India. (Right) Brother Ricardo

Rivera, Sch.P. painted an icon of St. Ephraim. Piarists gathered for its blessing at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, NY.

Page 4 Number 15

Colegio Calasanz, San Juan

Graduation of Our Seminarians

The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico

held its annual graduation ceremonies on June 29, 2018.

Three of our seminarians completed their undergraduate

studies. We congratulate Brother Abner Gonzalez

(Physical Education), Brother Juan Sebastian Manrique

(Mathematics) and Brother Christian Santiago (History).

All three of them also minored in Philosophy. We wish

them well in their new assignment at Annunciation Church

in NYC. They will be studying English.

Summer 2018 Missions in Mexico and Puerto Rico

(Above and

Left) 48th

Mission to

Macuspana in

Tabasco,

Mexico

(Right) 1st

Mission to the

Parish of St.

Joachim and

St. Anne in

Adjuntas, PR

Piarist Synod on Youth Our Province spon-

sored a Synod on Youth during

the past year. Brothers Pedro,

Orlando and Manuel organized

the activities. They had meet-

ings in New York, Pennsylva-

nia, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

Father Pedro Aguado, our Su-

perior General, took their sug-

gestions with him to the Bish-

ops’ Synod on Youth in Rome.

Devon, PA San Juan, PR Playa de Ponce, PR

Ponce, PR Ponce, PR Coto Laurel, PR Mexico

Bronx, NY

Hurricane Relief in Puerto Rico

Page 5 PIARIST NEWSLETTER

Hurricane Maria swept

over the island of Puerto Rico on

September 20, 2017. Life on the

island changed drastically for

most of its inhabitants. At the

time, our Piarist Fathers worked

in two parishes, three chapels,

one house of formation and three

schools on the island. All of

these ministries were affected,

some worse than others.

Fortunately for us, there

are many concerned friends of

the Piarist Fathers on the main-

land of the United States and

elsewhere. They include: parish-

ioners, students, co-workers and

alumni of the various ministries

in which we work. In addition,

various foundations answered

our requests. Most significantly,

the Knights of Columbus made a

donation of $460,000. We have

so far received more than

$736,000 in donations and more

than $17,000 in gifts-in-kind.

The Piarists of the United

States and Puerto Rico are most

appreciative to our many friends

and benefactors. Your generosity

has helped us to make much

needed renovations. You are all

in our daily prayers.

A bequest is a gift from your estate – a

transfer of cash, securities or other property

made through your estate plans. You can

make a bequest to the Piarist Fathers by

including language in your will or living trust

leaving a portion of your estate to the Piarist

Fathers or by designating the Piarists as a

beneficiary of your retirement account or life

insurance policy.

Remembering the Piarist Fathers with a

bequest from your estate will help sustain

and strengthen the Piarists and our minis-

tries for years to come. Some of the ad-

vantages of creating a bequest include:

A bequest costs nothing now, yet it

gives you the satisfaction of knowing

that you have provided for the Piarists in

the future.

You retain control of and use of your

assets during your lifetime.

You may modify your bequest if your

circumstances change.

Gifts to the Piarist Fathers from your

estate are exempt from federal estate

taxes.

If you let the Piarist Fathers know of

your plans, then we will be able to thank

you now and recognize you for your gen-

erosity. You can contact our Provincial

Treasurer, Father John Callan

(jgcallan@bellsouth.net), or our Develop-

ment Director, Kevin Owens

(owens9316@bellsouth.net).

The Piarist Fathers Province of the Unit-

ed States and Puerto Rico holds the

coveted Platinum Seal of Transparency

from GuideStar. This recognition is

awarded to non-profits, who provide the

highest level of transparency to their

foundation partners and benefactors.

Feel free to view our profile on

GuideStar’s web site.

Development Office: A Gift with Impact - Bequests and Estate Giving

VOCATIONS

Youth Is Our Concern.

If you think that the Lord may

be calling you,

then contact:

Brother Pedro Rivas, Sch.P.

in San Juan, PR.

House: 787-761-3314

Cell: 787-510-7470

pedrorivasg81@aol.com

(Left) Piarist alumni from Cuba held a fund raising meal for our ministries in Ponce. (Center) Members of the Knights of Columbus toured

Our Divine Savior Church in San Juan. (Right) K of C members visited Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and School in Playa de Ponce.

Solemn Profession Brother Ricardo Rivera,

Sch.P. professed his solemn

(perpetual) vows at St. Helena

Church in the Bronx, NY on June

23, 2018. We congratulate him.

P R O V I N C I A L ’ S C O R N E R ( F R . F E R N A N D O N E G R O )

A Thought from Our Development Office

Your gift can be quick and safe by using Pay Pal:

www.piarist.info

The Piarist Newsletter is the official news bul-letin of the Piarist Fa-thers Province of the U.S.A. and Puerto Rico. It is published semi-annually. If you or any-one else wishes to re-ceive a copy, then let us know.

Editorial Staff: The Development Office P.O. Box 11822 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33339

E-mail: piaristfl@bellsouth.net

Telephone: 954-771-6525 Fax: 954-776-8060

Page 6 Number 15

“It is no secret that

the ministry of the Piarist

Fathers greatly depends

upon the generosity of

our benefactors. Please

consider us in your annu-

al donations, will, trust or

insurance plan.”

Web Site:

www.piaristchallenge.com

Piarist Fathers—Padres Escolapios—Compassion Challenge

Life is not a repetition of

events that leads us to rou-

tine, fatalism and mediocrity.

On the contrary, life is an

adventure, which is open to

the permanent surprises of

the Spirit of God.

In order for us to truly live,

we must get up every morn-

ing and open the window of

our hearts with thanksgiving

for what we have experi-

enced. On a daily basis, we

are exposed to everything

that the God of surprises

gives us through events, peo-

ple and circumstances. If we

view them as if they are pag-

es in a book, then they will

lead us to discover the beau-

ty of who we are and who we

can be.

I have written this reflection

at the beginning of a new

school year. I have tried to

focus my thoughts on those,

who will read this article. It is

my desire that we may never

give in to the temptation of

repetitive fatalism. Other-

wise, without realizing it, we

may fall despite our faith in

the God of surprises.

Each morning, the mem-

bers of the Piarist Fathers

must try to expertly train our

own hearts to help our stu-

dents and the people, whom

we serve. From the begin-

ning of eternity, God has had

a dream about who we can

be. In order to make that

happen, we must all passion-

ately live the lives of who we

are.

We must be thankful to

God for the gift of every mi-

nute and second. We must

direct every step and decid-

edly focus on the goals,

which give meaning to our

lives. We cannot allow any-

one to be left behind. After

all, we should be for one an-

other agents of hope and

growth.

In 1621, our Holy Founder,

Saint Joseph Calasanz, ex-

pressed his thoughts in this

way: "By daybreak the

course of the day is already

known. If it starts out well,

then it ends well. Similarly,

the course of one’s life de-

pends upon the education,

which one receives in child-

hood. Just as a good liqueur

never loses its smell while in

the bottle, so a well-educated

person will not lose what he

has learned. Therefore, who

does not foresee the great

benefit that an institution will

experience in the exercise of

its ministry if its cooperators

are prepared and well-

educated?"

I would like to end with a

tone of hope and openness

to the gift of daily life. There-

fore, I offer you a poem:

“I let myself be found by Him.

My search has led to the

discovery of a Mystery without

equal:

He dwells inside me,

hiding in a corner,

allowing Himself to be found

in my slumbering heart.

I will no longer waste my time,

nor my energies,

in the tangle of artificial fires

and lights,

nor in cheap markets

where I have sometimes reward-

ed myself for a bit of ego,

father of all idols made with clay;

cocky, dead, dry and hollow

amulets.”

I Found a Treasure (by Fr. Fernando Negro, Sch.P.)

We are on the Web! Province of USA-PR:

piarist.info

Generalate in Rome:

scolopi.org

Bronx, NY:

www.churchofsthelena.com

Devon, PA:

www.devonprep.com

Fort Lauderdale, FL:

www.cghsfl.org

New York City, NY:

www.theannunciation.net

Ponce, PR:

copin.net

San Juan, PR:

calasanz.cc

Annual Appeal

Our friends and benefactors

will receive literature regarding

our Annual Appeal in Spring

2019. In advance, thank you!