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1 Basilian Fathers Missions Newsletter of the Latin American Apostolate Fall-Winter 2017 Mexico: Novices Begin Their Basilian Journey Founded in 1822 in Annonay, France, the Congregation of St. Basil (Basilian Fathers) has a long history of service to the Catholic community. Initially arriving in Mexico in 1961, the Basilians came to Tehuacán in 1978 to serve in the parish of San Lorenzo Teotipilco. Originally served by Basilian priests from the USA and Canada, the parish now has a native Mexican, Roberto (Beto) Rojas CSB, as pastor. He is assisted by Basilians from Mexico, the USA, Italy, and Colombia. The novitiate is the first step that a man makes toward becoming a Basilian. It is a year of intense spiritual formation: prayer, Eucharist, reading and studying Scripture, learning about Basilian history and traditions, manual labor, and recreation. Two novices are currently living and learning at the Basilian novitiate in Tehuacán which is near the parish of San Lorenzo. Juan José Ortiz Torres (left) is from the state of Puebla and Antonio Ibáñez Santos is from the state of Tlaxcala. These young men are accompanied on the Basilian novitiate journey by Father René Espejel CSB, the Director of Novices, and they are supported by the prayers of all Basilians. (page 2) Colombia: Basilians Are Making a Difference In the photo above, Basilian Fathers Bob Seguin CSB and Óscar Gómez Soto CSB accompany Bishop Luis Adriano Piedrahíta Sandoval, the Bishop of Santa Marta, Colombia. The Bishop came to Taganga to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, a popular devotion among the Catholic community in the area. The Diocese of Santa Marta was founded in 1532 and the city is the oldest in Colombia. Fathers Bob and Óscar minister to the people of Taganga, a small settlement not far from Santa Marta. Before the arrival of the Basilians the chapel of San Francisco de Asís had no resident priest. (page 3) Please donate to the Basilian Latin American Apostolate. We count on your support

Basilian Fathers Missions · 2019-07-24 · surely bless your efforts. Please know that you are always in our prayers and thoughts as you help us with your prayers and donations to

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Page 1: Basilian Fathers Missions · 2019-07-24 · surely bless your efforts. Please know that you are always in our prayers and thoughts as you help us with your prayers and donations to

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Basilian Fathers Missions Newsletter of the Latin American Apostolate Fall-Winter 2017

Mexico: Novices Begin

Their Basilian Journey

Founded in 1822 in Annonay, France, the Congregation of St. Basil (Basilian Fathers) has a long history of service to the Catholic community. Initially arriving in Mexico in 1961, the Basilians came to Tehuacán in 1978 to serve in the parish of San Lorenzo Teotipilco. Originally served by Basilian priests from the USA and Canada, the parish now has a native Mexican, Roberto (Beto) Rojas CSB, as pastor. He is assisted by Basilians from Mexico, the USA, Italy, and Colombia. The novitiate is the first step that a man makes toward becoming a Basilian. It is a year of intense spiritual formation: prayer, Eucharist, reading and studying Scripture, learning about Basilian history and traditions, manual labor, and recreation. Two novices are currently living and learning at the Basilian novitiate in Tehuacán which is near the parish of San Lorenzo.

Juan José Ortiz Torres (left) is from the state of Puebla and Antonio Ibáñez Santos is from the state of Tlaxcala. These young men are accompanied on the Basilian novitiate journey by Father René Espejel CSB, the Director of Novices, and they are supported by the prayers of all Basilians. (page 2)

Colombia: Basilians Are

Making a Difference

In the photo above, Basilian Fathers Bob Seguin CSB and Óscar Gómez Soto CSB accompany Bishop Luis Adriano Piedrahíta Sandoval, the Bishop of Santa Marta, Colombia. The Bishop came to Taganga to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, a popular devotion among the Catholic community in the area. The Diocese of Santa Marta was founded in 1532 and the city is the oldest in Colombia. Fathers Bob and Óscar minister to the people of Taganga, a small settlement not far from Santa Marta. Before the arrival of the Basilians the chapel of San Francisco de Asís had no resident priest. (page 3)

Please donate to the Basilian

Latin American Apostolate.

We count on your support

Page 2: Basilian Fathers Missions · 2019-07-24 · surely bless your efforts. Please know that you are always in our prayers and thoughts as you help us with your prayers and donations to

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Mexico: (continued from page 1)

The San Lorenzo parish church dates from the 17th century; it has been the center of a Catholic community for hundreds of years. However, the church is far too small for the large congregations that come to worship at San Lorenzo today.

Basilians Fathers René Espejel CSB, Jess Owens CSB, Juan Carlos Rojas CSB, and Roberto (Beto) Rojas CSB gather to celebrate the daily Eucharist at the colonial Church of San Lorenzo.

Father Jess Owens CSB (pictured above right) has spent over 40 years ministering in Mexico.

At San Lorenzo, Basilians work with the Misioneras del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús de Xalapa. Sister Marilú Alvarado (left) and Sister Irene Martínez (right) provide music for the liturgies and serve in other parish ministries as well.

Sunday Eucharist is celebrated in the unfinished church of San Lorenzo (photo above) which is situated beside the colonial chapel. Large crowds come each week for Sunday worship.

Help the Basilians finish this Church!

Send a donation to the Mission Center and write on the Memo line: “Mexico Church.”

Father Paul Walsh CSB (center) with the Basilian scholastics (seminarians) and associates at their Mexico City residence. Please pray for vocations.

Greetings from

Aron Fernandez

In March of this year the St. Joseph Center in Sugar Land, TX was entrusted to Father Vincent Dulock CSB and me with the assistance of

Mrs. Maria Hernandez, our accountant. In the past months we have achieved marked progress in our work. This is due in part to the oversight of the Basilian Curial Office staff in Toronto, ON, Canada.

We manage the Basilian Fathers Missions’ finances: bequests and donations, largely given by you, our readers and supporters. Without your generosity, the Basilians Fathers’ efforts to heal and educate the needy communities of Mexico and Colombia would cease. Please continue to donate to the Basilian Fathers Missions; we are grateful for your support.

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Words of Pope Francis

“Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). These words of the Apostle John voice a strong imperative that no Christian may disregard. The seriousness with which the “beloved disciple” hands down Jesus’ command to our own day is made even clearer by the contrast between the empty words so frequently on our lips and the concrete deeds against which we are called to measure ourselves. Love has no alibi. Whenever we set out to love as Jesus loved, we have to take the Lord as our example; especially when it comes to loving the poor. Message for World Day of the Poor 2017

Colombia (continued from page 1)

The Basilian School in Cali, the Instituto de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, continues to receive accolades. Lily de Jensen, a respected Colombian journalist, after visiting the school with Basilian founder Francisco Amico CSB, wrote in EL PAÍS, a major newspaper in Cali: “This great school distinguishes itself by the Catholic and Christian dimension which permits it to develop a lifestyle according to the values of Jesus Christ. The school is connected with the community through meetings with the parents, sharing the Christian faith in all its dimensions, based on the motto: ‘Goodness, Discipline and Knowledge’.”

“Cali can feel proud of this school. It is forming young people from a hostile environment and a community with few resources. It is changing violence, vandalism and injustice into an atmosphere of human growth where learning and living are brought to their full potential.”

The Basilian Community in Colombia, priests, scholastics (seminarians) and postulants, all work to spread the Gospel; they count on your help.

In the city of Medellín, the Basilian Fathers minister in the parish of San Basilio where Father Pedro Mora CSB is the pastor. In the photo above Father Mora blesses the property in Colinas de Calasanz where the new chapel of Jesús Amigo will be constructed. In the photo below, the Medellín community celebrates the Eucharist in the temporary structure on the site of the future chapel. The Basilians and the parish community work together to build up the Kingdom of God. All your donations are gratefully received.

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Vince Dulock CSB

A Message from Father Vince Dulock CSB

Dear Friends of the Basilian Missions, Peace and greetings to you as we approach Advent and Christmas and recall the great generosity of God the Father; he grants us his Son to live among us and allows us to share in his divine nature. This important time of year for Christians plays out in our love and generosity with friends and family. The gift of the Paschal Mystery, Christ’s dying and rising, gives us hope of eternal glory with Christ Jesus our Lord. If you are receiving this newsletter it is because you have helped us in the past or we are hopeful of your generosity to serve Christ by supporting our mission to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. God loves every creature he has created and continues to love them and invites them into friendship and union with Him. The world needs to know this great good news. What could be more important to know and believe this? Yet there are still many who have not heard this Good News or have not penetrated to its depths. Your support will help us make them more aware of this great invitation to life. Please be generous and help us if you can. God is never outdone in generosity and will surely bless your efforts. Please know that you are always in our prayers and thoughts as you help us with your prayers and donations to be heralds of the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. In gratitude for your support,

Director of the Basilian Mission Center

Non-Profit Organization US Postage

PAID Permit No. 10970

Houston TX

Basilian Fathers Missions Latin American Apostolate

PO Box 708 Sugar Land TX 77487-0708