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

Number 18 Winter 2020

PIARIST NEWSLETTER

Father Moisés Navascués Leoz, Sch.P. (1930-2019)

Father Moisés Navascués

Leoz, Sch.P., who was a member

of our Community in Coto Laurel,

PR, passed away on November

23, 2019.

Father Moisés was born in

San Martín de Unx in the Province

of Navarra in Spain on August 28,

1930. His parents, Venancio and

Zita, had nine children. He had a

twin brother, who is still alive but

quite ill.

At the age of 12 years, Fa-

ther Moisés began studying at

the Piarists’ school in Barbastro

in the Province of Huesca. It is

not far from Peralta de la Sal,

which is the birthplace of our Holy

Founder, St. Joseph Calasanz.

After two years of studies, he

joined the Piarists and moved to

Peralta de la Sal. While there, he

completed the pre-novitiate and

the novitiate.

He studied philosophy

(1947-1949) in the Piarists’ Com-

munity of Irache in the Province

of Navarra. He then moved to the

Community of Albelda de Iregua

in the Province of Logroño to

study theology. After one year,

he was sent to the Piarists’

school in Logroño (1950) to di-

rect the seniors’ boarding home.

After a year, he returned to Al-

belda de Iregua to finish theolo-

gy. He professed his solemn

vows in 1953 and became a

priest on June 12, 1954.

Following his ordination,

Father Moisés ministered at Pia-

rist schools in Daroca, Zaragoza

and Soria. During these 12

years, he devoted himself, body

and soul, to education.

Father Moisés was as-

signed to Puerto Rico in 1966.

For the next 43 years, he worked

at the Pontifical Catholic Universi-

ty of Puerto Rico in Ponce. He

served as the director of a resi-

dence hall for male students and

as a professor at the university.

He combined teaching with stud-

ies and completed a Master's De-

gree in Education. In addition, he

regularly assisted local parishes

on weekends, especially in Santa

Isabel and Mayagüez.

While at the university,

Father Moisés lived in the Piarist

community of the Catholic Univer-

sity. For many of those years, he

lived with Father José Luis Lar-

reátegui, Sch.P. and Bishop

Emeritus Félix Lázaro, Sch.P. of

the Diocese of Ponce.

The Piarist community on

the campus of the Catholic Uni-

versity closed in 2009. At that

time, Father Moisés and Father

José Luis were transferred to the

Piarist community of Colegio

Ponceño in Coto Laurel, PR.

Father Moisés Navascués

was a fine religious. He was

proud to identify himself as a Pia-

rist. He loved his work with

young people. He was indeed an

example of what it means to be

an excellent educator. In his

spare time, he loved to watch

soccer, especially his much be-

loved Osasuna and Real Madrid

teams.

The remains of Father

Moisés were interred at the Cem-

etery of the Risen Christ in Tuque,

PR.

We request that donations

be made in the name of Father

Moisés Navascués to the Piarist

Fathers Seminary or Retirement

Funds, P.O. Box 11822, Fort

Lauderdale, FL 33339. Thank

you.

May Father Moisés Navas-

cués rest in peace.

by Rev. Fernando Negro, Sch.P.

Page 2

R.I.P. We ask you to

remember in your

prayers our deceased

relatives and friends:

Dr. Julian L. Ambrus

Alejandro Bartolome

Mary Rose Buechele

Eusebio Carbot

Alfredo De Sanctis

Caterina De Sanctis

Dr. Rudolph J. Frei

Robert L. Furness

Robert L. Gallagher

Dr. John Gostigian

Robert Hanke

Rev. Patrick Murnane Msgr. James Parrapally

Uday Patankar

Carlos Perez-Albuerne

Leonardo Ramos

Dr. Verisimo Sanchez

Juliet Schlosser

Edward W. Schmid

Kellyann Simon

Bobbie Stanley

Mercedes Suarez

Gary Tugby

Dominica Velasco

Number 18

Father Pedro Rivas, Sch.P. and Father Manuel Sánchez, Sch.P.

Bishop Emeritus Félix Lázaro

Martínez, Sch.P. of the Diocese of

Ponce ordained to the priesthood Fa-

ther Manuel Sánchez Villanueva,

Sch.P. and Father Pedro De Jesús Ri-

vas Guardado, Sch.P. The ordination

Mass took place in Saint Helena’s

Church in the Bronx, NY on December

21, 2019. Piarist priests and seminar-

ians from throughout our Province,

diocesan priests, religious from differ-

ent congregations, friends, family and

members of the Calasanz Movement

attended the ceremony.

Father Pedro celebrated a

Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Patrick’s

Church in Glen Cove, Long Island, NY.

Father Manuel celebrated a Mass of

Thanksgiving at Annunciation Church

in Manhattan, NY. Both Masses took

place on Sunday, December 22.

Father Manuel and Father Ped-

ro are members of our Community in

San Juan, PR. They will complete their

theology studies at the Dominican

School of Theology at Bayamon Cen-

tral University in May. They assist at

the Parish of Our Savior and Colegio

Calasanz in San Juan. They are coordi-

nators of the Calasanz Youth Move-

ment. Father Pedro is also the Direc-

tor of Vocations for our Province.

The Piarists of our Province

congratulate our two new priests. We

pray that almighty God will send his

blessings upon them as they begin

their service as Piarist priests.

Bishop Emeritus Félix Lázaro

Martínez, Sch.P. of the Diocese of

Ponce ordained to the diaconate

Brother Orlando Josué Rodríguez Mer-

cado, Sch.P. The ordination took

place along with the priestly ordination

of Father Pedro and Father Manuel in

Saint Helena’s Church in the Bronx, NY

on December 21, 2019.

Deacon Orlando is a member

of our Community in Manhattan, NY.

He will complete his theology studies

at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers,

NY in May. He assists at Annunciation

Church in Manhattan. He is also a co-

ordinator of the Calasanz Youth Move-

ment.

The Piarists of our Province

congratulate Deacon Orlando. We

pray that our dear Lord will continue to

assist him during the last few months

of his priestly formation.

(Far Upper Left: Bishop Lázaro with Father Manuel and Father Pedro before their ordination. Above Left:

Participants in the ordination at St. Helena’s Church in the Bronx, NY. Above Right: Father Pedro, Father

Manuel and Deacon Orlando after their ordination.)

Deacon Orlando Josué Rodríguez Mercado, Sch.P.

PIARIST NEWSLETTER Page 3

Solemn Profession of Vows in New York City and Mexico City

San Juan, PR

Deacon José Guadalupe García Jasso, Sch.P.

An accreditation team from

the Middle States Association visit-

ed Colegio Calasanz in San Juan,

PR from November 11 to 15, 2019.

At the conclusion of their visit, the

team reviewers met with the ad-

ministrators and faculty of the

school. In their verbal report, they

recommended the reaccreditation

of the school until 2027. The Pia-

rists of our Province congratulate

Father Juan L. Cabrerizo, Sch.P.,

who is the Director of Colegio Ca-

lasanz, and the faculty for their

dedicated and skillful work.

Brothers Jorge Luis Ramí-

rez Quiles, Sch.P. and Orlando

Josué Rodríguez Mercado, Sch.P.

p r o f e s s e d t h e i r s o l e m n

(perpetual) vows on December

20, 2019 at Annunciation Church

in Manhattan, NY. Brothers Mel-

chor Ortega Rosales, Sch.P. and

Jose Victorino Carreras Floreano,

Sch.P. made their solemn profes-

sion in Our Lady of Guadalupe

Church on February 1, 2020 in

Mexico City, Mexico. Father Fer-

nando Negro Marco, Sch.P., who

is our Provincial Superior, presid-

ed on both occasions.

Brother Jorge and Brother

Orlando are members of our

Community in Manhattan. They

are both studying theology at St.

Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers,

NY. Brother Melchor and Brother

Victor are members of our Com-

munity in Mexico City. They are

studying theology at Interconti-

nental University.

The Piarists of our Prov-

ince congratulate our newest sol-

emnly professed brothers. We

ask all of our friends to keep

them in your prayers.

Bishop Emeritus Félix

Lázaro Martínez, Sch.P. of the

Diocese of Ponce ordained to the

diaconate Brother José Guada-

lupe García Jasso, Sch.P. The or-

dination Mass took place in the

Chapel of Christ the King in Cela-

ya, Mexico on January 25, 2020.

Deacon José Guadalupe is

a member of our Community in

Campeche, Mexico. He has al-

ready completed his studies for

the priesthood. While waiting to

receive an R-1 visa from the Unit-

ed States, he is assisting our Pia-

rists in the Province of Mexico.

The Piarists of our Prov-

ince congratulate Deacon José

Guadalupe. We look forward to

the time when he will join us in

our Province of the United States

and Puerto Rico.

VOCATIONS

Youth Is Our Concern.

If you think that the Lord may be call-

ing you, then please contact:

Father Pedro Rivas, Sch.P.

in San Juan, PR.

House: 787-761-3314

Cell: 787-510-7470

pedrorivasg81@aol.com

(Top Left: Solemn Profession of Brothers Melchor and Victor. Top Right: Sol-

emn Profession of Brothers Orlando and Jorge. Below: Deacon José Guada-

lupe and Bishop Lázaro.)

Page 4 Number 18

Mark your calendars. The

Piarist Fathers’ Annual Appeal,

Ignite Compassion, is set for

March 2020. We will begin to

mail appeal letters in late March.

The Piarist Fathers depend on

your generosity. As a pontifical

religious order, whose members

take a vow of poverty, our ability

to help others is related directly

to the generous response of our

benefactors during our Annual

Appeal.

The Annual Appeal pro-

vides critical support to offset the

rising cost of education for Piarist

seminarians, who are currently in

formation to serve as future

priests in our Province. The pro-

ceeds will also support our

schools, parishes, ministries and

programs, which serve the educa-

tional, physical and spiritual

needs of the people, who are en-

trusted to us in our Province of

the United States and Puerto Ri-

co.

Please visit piarist.info

and piaristchallenge.com to learn

more about what we do and to

see how your donation can im-

pact others.

How Can Planned Giving Help You and the Piarist Fathers?

Piarist Fathers’ Annual Appeal, Ignite Compassion

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 Pia-

rist Fathers by including language

in your will or living trust leaving

a portion of your estate to the Pi-

arist Fathers or by designating

the Piarist Fathers as a benefi-

ciary of your retirement account

or life insurance policy. Remem-

bering the Piarist Fathers with a

bequest from your estate will

help sustain and strengthen the

Piarist Fathers and their minis-

tries in years to come. Some of

the advantages of creating a be-

quest or designating life insur-

ance or retirement accounts to

the Piarist Fathers include:

A donor may achieve signifi-

cant income and estate tax

savings by naming the Piarist

Fathers as the beneficiary of

their retirement plan assets.

A donor is entitled to a chari-

table income tax deduction

equal to the cash surrender

value of the property and any

future premiums paid if the

Piarist Fathers are named as

the owner and beneficiary of

the life insurance policy.

A bequest costs nothing now,

yet gives you the satisfaction

of knowing that you have pro-

vided for the Piarist Fathers in

the future.

You retain control and use of

your assets during your life-

time.

You may modify your bequest

if your circumstances change.

Gifts to the Piarist Fathers

from your estate are exempt

from federal taxes.

If you let the Piarist Fathers

know about your plans, we

will be able to thank you now

and recognize you for your

generosity. We are also will-

ing to help or field any ques-

tions, which you may have

concerning this process.

Other Planned Giving op-

tions like charitable gift annui-

ties and charitable remainder

trusts can be reviewed and dis-

cussed on an individual basis.

The Piarist Fathers wel-

come the opportunity to work

with you and your financial and

legal advisors to execute your

philanthropic vision.

Please contact our Direc-

tor of Development, Kevin J. Ow-

ens, to set up a convenient time

to discuss your questions or

plans. You can reach him by

phone (954-771-6525) or by

email owens9316@bellsouth.net

Plans For a New Piarist Mission in Guatemala

Page 5 PIARIST NEWSLETTER

Father Pedro Aguado,

Sch.P., who is our Superior Gen-

eral, has asked the Province of

the United States and Puerto Ri-

co, the Province of Mexico and

the Vice-Province of the Californi-

as (USA and Mexico) to investi-

gate the possibility of a new Pia-

rist mission in the country of Gua-

temala.

Such an opportunity would

allow the Piarists to share the

charism of Saint Joseph Calasanz

by educating and evange-

lizing children in another

country.

Father Francisco

Anaya, Sch.P., who is the

Assistant General for

America, led a delegation

of Piarists to Guatemala

from September 18

through September 21,

2019. This was the second such

visit. Father Emilio Sotomayor,

Sch.P. and two other Piarists also

participated in the journey.

They visited two possible

locations. The Missionaries of

the Way Foundation (Misioneros

Del Camino) operates a school in

Sumpango, Sacatepéquez. The

Archdiocese of Los Altos Quetzal-

tenango-Totonicapán offered us a

parish and two schools. The visi-

tors also met with an auxiliary

bishop and with representatives

of religious congregations in Gua-

temala to help us in our discern-

ment process.

The commission members

wrote a report for Father General

and the three Major Superiors.

The three superiors will soon visit

Guatemala to determine the loca-

tion of our new mission.

In Guatemala, the school

year begins in January. There-

fore, the plan is that a group of

Piarists from each of the three

demarcations will form our first

community in Guatemala by the

end of 2020.

May God continue to bless

us with vocations and additional

options for the expansion of our

Order and further sharing of the

charism of Calasanz. by Fr. Emilio Sotomayor, Sch.P.

A New Adventure Called The Calasanz Movement

Our Province has been

experiencing great changes in

recent months, especially in

youth ministry. Throughout the

world, the Piarists have estab-

lished The Calasanz Movement.

It is a new way of offering

youth ministry.

So far, The Calasanz

Movement is present in three

of our parishes: St. Helena in

the Bronx, NY; Annunciation in

Manhattan, NY; and Our Savior

in San Juan, PR. In addition,

we also have non-parish based

groups in Miami, FL.

(Above: Manhattan, NY. Below Left: San Juan, PR)

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 18

Piarist Fathers

Web Site:

www.piaristchallenge.com

Piarist Fathers—Padres Escolapios—Compassion Challenge

Dear Friends,

I greet you with joy at

the beginning of the year 2020.

At this time, as always, God pro-

vides us with a gift of his uncon-

ditional love to fill every moment

of our lives with the same love

with which He loves us.

As I write these lines,

the secret harp in my heart vi-

brates with joy. We recently

celebrated the beauty of two

solemn professions, two priestly

ordinations and one diaconal

ordination of four Piarist semi-

narians. The ceremonies took

place on December 20 and 21 in

our parishes of the Annunciation

in Manhattan, NY and St. Hele-

na’s in the Bronx, NY. We toast

in the name of the Risen Christ:

"May your YES within the Piarist

Order have no end!"

The party did not end

there. We celebrated another

diaconal ordination on January

25 in Celaya, Mexico and anoth-

er two solemn professions on

February 1 in Mexico City. The

previous toast also applies to

these three seminarians but

with an additional thought: “One

day you arrived in the United

States of America in search of

the American Dream. Through

the Piarist Fathers, you discov-

ered God’s wonderful dream,

which He reserved for you ever

since the creation of the world.

Congratulations!”

I would like to thank all

of the friends and benefactors of

the Piarist Fathers. Your gener-

osity helped to create a hopeful

future for these followers of

Christ, who walk in the footsteps

of St. Joseph Calasanz. Shortly

before his death, he wrote about

you: “Taking advantage of the

occasion, we must all show grat-

itude to our benefac-

tors” (August 10, 1641).

We dream about addi-

tional opportunities to help us

better serve the Church and soci-

ety! Plans are now underway to

establish new foundations in

Guatemala and in Houston, TX.

We are taking concrete steps

and, little by little, a beautiful

possibility is dawning. Such new

endeavors are surly the dream

of the Holy Spirit for us. We

cannot stop saying Yes. In these

endeavors, we will certainly

need your prayers and support.

It becomes clear that

the words of Christ are still real:

“The harvest is abundant, but

the laborers are few; so ask the

master of the harvest to send

out laborers for his harvest.”

From the depth of my

heart, in the name of the Piarist

Fathers in the United States and

Puerto Rico, I say “Thank you.”

In a special way, we

are also grateful for the upcom-

ing 50th anniversary of the Pia-

rist Fathers’ Latin Mission in

Tabasco, Mexico. Father Mario

Vizcaino, Sch.P., who was a

founder of the Southeast Pasto-

ral Institute (SEPI), also estab-

lished the Latin Mission with the

help of many lay people like you.

The anniversary celebrations will

take place in July. Our Superior

General, Father Pedro Aguado,

Sch.P., plans to participate along

with many other Piarists and lay

people.

May the Lord always

bless you and your family!

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

Manhattan, NY:

www.theannunciation.net

Ponce, PR:

copin.net

San Juan, PR:

calasanz.cc

@Piarist_Fathers

(Left to Right: Manhattan, NY; Playa de Ponce, PR; San Juan, PR; Washington, DC)

(Left to Right: Bronx, NY; Coto Laurel, PR; Devon, PA; Fort Lauderdale, FL)