D I S C I P L E S O F T H E H E A R T S O F J E S U S A N D M A R Y

Friends, Issue No 2 1

reetings from Rome! It is a great joy to see how this second issue of our Friends Newsletter comes to reality. I hope you have had a peaceful Christmas time with family and friends and I wish

you a Blessed and Happy New Year.

The number of our Friends in Colorado keeps growing. Thank you for all the support you provide our community. This year we have been blessed with new vocations and a new Novitiate, which is the first year of our formation. Four young men are in our Mother House of Villaescusa de Haro, Cuenca, Spain preparing for their first vows within a year, God willing.

We are growing. And not only in Europe: as you may know we have now five priests in Colorado. Fr. Armando Marsal has been employed by the Archdiocese of Denver to work at St. Michael Parish in Aurora and to serve as an Advisor to both the Hispanic Ministry and the Family Life Offices in the Archdiocese. He is in residence at St. Mary Parish, living in community with Fr. Alvaro, Fr. O’Connor, Fr. Javier and Fr. Jorge.

Thanks to your help as Friends we are also in the process of translating into English a book on Education written by some of the Disciples. We hope to have it published during 2011.

It is my intention to share with you our vision of education and to have you as partners to work for the evangelization of our families and our society. I also wanted to share the good news that Fr. José Granados, who teaches at the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family Life in Washington DC, has been appointed associate professor of Dogmatic Theology at the central section of the Institute in the Pontifical Lateran University of Rome. Fr. José has frequently visited Colorado and I am sure many of you have met him. He has also coauthored the book “Called to Love” with Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of Columbus.

This is my dream for the future: that we grow together to the fullest of our vocation through our common work and

friendship. It is in our daily choices that we are partners with God and we find Him close to us. I can use the

following image to express this thought: the Lord and each one of us under the same yoke, sharing our life on earth and yearning for eternal life in Heaven. With your help we can bring to fulfillment the good work the Lord has started.

To Mary, Star of Hope, I entrust each one of you and your intentions.

In union of prayers, with friendship,

Fr. José Noriega, DCJM Superior General

G

A Semi-Annual Newsletter Issue No 2 - New Year 2011

Passing on the FaithThis job is very important -assisting in teaching the faith to our youth.Page 3

History of the OrderPart two of the orders history, America the land of great hope.Page 4

New brother - his storyAn accomplished artist from a Christian persecuted family.

Page 2

Celebrating 20 yearsWhat influenced this man to become a priest and a Disciple?Page 5

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2 Friends, Issue No 2

y name is Ionut Gotia. I was born on June 23, 1978 in Cluj, Romania. I am a Romanian Byzantine-Catholic and I have

received the gift of my vocation in my family, as a fruit of the testimony of life of my grandparents and of my parents. I am

especially grateful to God for the witness of faith of my grandfather, who was imprisoned for 17 years during the communist regime, and of my grandmother who waited for him faithfully and supported him lovingly always. Shortly after his release from prison, my grandfather was secretly ordained as a Byzantine priest and has ministered ever since to the reviving of the Byzantine community from the “catacombs.” My father too has received the call to priesthood and together with my mother has transmitted to us children the precious gift of faith.

I have expressed my passion for art from a young age. My undergraduate studies were at the school of Art followed by my masters at the Faculty of Theology Greco-Latin (BA, 2001) and my PhD in Ecclesiastical Science at the Pontifical Oriental Institute (Rome) during which I

focused on my specialization in Byzantine iconography.

On March 25, 2007 I painted a mural dedicated to the Greco-Catholic chapel of the Annunciation in the International Theological Institute for

Studies on Marriage and Family in Gaming, Austria. That year in Rome, I finished another mural for the Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary in their Chapel of the Holy Spirit. I have also illustrated a variety of book covers.

I have been blessed with the ability to speak several languages, including

Romanian, English, Italian, Spanish and some German. During 2004-2005, the Theological Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family in Austria hired

me to teach two Iconography courses at the college level. The first workshop focused on the theology of the icon, the second on Iconography.

This year I have been admitted as a candidate to the Religious Institute of the Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. I lived in the house of Rome that is home to

priests who come to study there. In September 2010, I started my religious life in the Novitiate at the Mother house of the Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

Inside a DiscipleM

Ionut with his father Anton during a home liturgy

Grandparents - Tertulian and Doina Langa along with Mother Maria Manuela.

Ionut painting the front wall of the chapel in Rome.

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ello.  My name is Fr. Jorge Agüera.  I arrived in Colorado on July 4, 2009 and took up residence with my brother Disciples at St. Mary Parish in Littleton. In August 2010, my job

duties changed from a parish priest to a Chaplin and Teacher. As you know, Bishop Machebeuf High School is one of the two diocesan high schools of the Diocese of Denver. In 2000, it moved to its current location on the Lowry Campus, a former Air Force Base in East Denver. There are 360 students currently enrolled.

My job as a Chaplain consists of celebrating daily Mass for faculty and students, either before classes or after school. There is also an “All School Mass”, namely a monthly Mass celebrated for the whole school. Hearing confessions is another of my duties, either in a formal way, every Thursday, or at any time in my office. Except for the monthly All School Mass, all other sacramental activities are voluntary. At the last All School Mass, on November 5, Archbishop Chaput did us the honor of presiding, commemorating the 150 year Anniversary of the arrival of Bishop Joseph P Machebeuf to Colorado.

There is also the opportunity for further development through spiritual direction for those who want. The students just have to show up by my office. Two clubs provide another level of spiritual guidance: “Frassatti Society” for

boys, and “Agape Dulcedo” for girls. Sport team retreats and excursions and sporting events allow me to get involved in the students’ life and make myself available when they wouldn’t come to me otherwise.

Twice a year, during Advent and during Lent, we have an “All School Penance Service,” with all the students and faculty

gathering around the

Blessed Sacrament in an environment encouraging them to go to confession. There are “class retreats” once a year, when a whole class goes off-campus for a Retreat. The Faculty and those involved more closely in campus ministry have also a specific Retreat for them. On First Fridays there is Eucharistic Adoration for the whole school day where the students take turns to go and adore the Blessed Sacrament.

As a Teacher, I teach 2 classes of senior Religion and 1 class of senior Philosophy. The religion classes go once a week to the chapel for prayer. Seniors are taught Social Doctrine of the Church during the first semester, and Christian vocation and John Paul II’s Theology of the Body during the second semester. The Philosophy class is an introduction to the classical ideas of the western thought tradition.

In summary, the daily presence of a priest on campus fortifies the Catholic identity of the school and gives the students and faculty a chance to participate in the sacraments of the Church and to turn to the priest for advice at any moment.

Blessings to you, Fr. Jorge Agüera DCJM

Passing on the FaithH

St. Malo Junior girls’ retreat Mass

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n our first newsletter we included a brief description of our history from our foundation to our arrival to the

US, which we envisioned as the great land of hope. We had three main goals: developing family ministry, teaching opportunities and helping with Hispanic ministry. Our desire was to work and also learn. In 2004 Fr. José Granados first arrived to open a new house in Falls Church, VA, accompanied by Fr. Jorge Agüera and Fr. Armando Marsal. Why Virginia? Bishop Paul Loverde of Arlington welcomed us and let us work in his Diocese, particularly with Hispanic Ministry. A teaching position was also offered to Fr. José Granados at the John Paul II Institute for Studies for Marriage and Family, with offices at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC.

Fr. José Granados, Fr. Armando Marsal and Fr. Jorge Agüera therefore formed the first community of Disciples in the US. Within a year a fourth disciple was sent to Washington DC: Fr. Ignacio de Ribera. His mission was to pursue a Masters and a PhD in philosophy at the Catholic University of America. Fr. Jorge worked at St. James Parish and Fr. Armando was assigned to Nativity of Our Lord Parish. They focused mainly on Hispanic ministry. Regarding Family Ministry, Fr. José and Fr. Armando directed the Pre-Cana catechesis for the Hispanic Community in the diocese. Fr. Armando also helped the Missionaries of

Charity, the sisters of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, giving retreats and Spiritual Exercises to their communities both in the US and abroad (Costa Rica, India, Ethiopia, Haiti, Argentina).

We now fast-forward a few of years. In 2007 the Disciples decided to open their second community in the US. In January 2007 Fr. Alvaro Montero was sent to spend some time in the Bronx, as a guest at St. Rita Parish, located near the first house Blessed Teresa of Calcutta opened in the US. The plan was to prepare for the arrival of other members. In February, Fr. José Granados, Fr. Javier Nieva and Fr. Alvaro Montero flew to Denver to interview with Archbishop Chaput. I still remember the meeting with Archbishop Chaput, who had already known about us three years before when Fr. José first came and visited with him. The Archbishop’s first question after a warm welcome was: thanks for your visit but,

how serious are you about coming to Denver? Archbishop Chaput was extremely open and positive, with a very generous offer to work at a parish level and also at the seminary.

Between June and August 2007 the three priests assigned to work in Colorado arrived: Fr. Alvaro Montero, Fr. Javier Nieva and Fr. Javier O’Connor. The mission we were entrusted with includes parish ministry at Saint Mary Parish but also to both teach and offer spiritual direction at the Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. The work at our parish school has been a growing focus for all of us as well. We look forward to developing a parish school exchange program with students from Spain.

Needless to say, I never thought about living and working in the US as a

priest! At one point in my life I desired to visit the US because of its leading role in the western world and the impact of its culture in Europe. When we opened the house in Virginia, I started to think that maybe I could spend one summer with my brother Disciples there. But I never thought of being sent to minister in Colorado, nor of living so close to the beautiful Rocky Mountains and enjoying some skiing. All these have been unexpected gifts from Providence. And for all these reasons we are most grateful.

God bless you, Friends!

Fr. Álvaro Montero, DCJM Local Superior

Dawn of the Disciples, part II

I

(Left to Right) Fathers Javier Nieva, Jorge Agüera, Archbishop Chaput, Javier O'Connor, and Álvaro Montero

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Friends, Issue No 2 5

y soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly

servant” (Lk 1: 46).

The story of my priestly vocation? It is known above all to God. At its deepest level, every vocation to the priesthood is a great mystery, as Pope John Paul II once wrote; it is a gift which infinitely transcends the individual. Every priest experiences this clearly throughout the course of his life. Faced with the greatness of the gift, we sense our own inadequacy. Every day in the Eucharist he renews his love for the True Shepherd and asks Mary for a true configuration with the mystery of His Redemption.

Mary, Full of Grace, has always been my star and light in my personal vocation. She called me to a pilgrimage of faith, abandoning my own securities and plans

and allowing the Lord to work with my poor clay and mold a new vessel of His love for the service of other

men and women.

My preparation for the priesthood in the seminary was preceded

by the preparation I

received in my family, thanks to

the life and example of my parents and to the great gift of two older brothers and my younger

sister. Above all I am grateful to my mother Pilar and father Alberto. They have been always a big fountain of

inspiration and love for me.

My Jesuit school was kind of a second family for me which also entrusted me to the care of Mother Mary. The school community gave me countless examples of self-denial and competence in their ministry. I was also lucky with the class I was in, 42 companions and good friends. From primary school I’ll never forget the Salve Regina on Friday afternoon before departing to our houses.

The hints of a priestly vocation were clearer and louder at the end of my high school years and during my freshman year in college. The hidden example of my uncle Fr. José Ramón Bidagor SJ helped me to discern and find my true vocation. Also the providential book “Three Religious Rebels” came just in time to find the right path. I had a deep desire in my heart to become a religious and a priest and to serve God through the life of a religious, always eager to move where the need is greater and where we are sent by our superiors. And I found the perfect fit in my religious order: the Disciples of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

My time in formation included one year of novitiate and six years of studies. I was particularly blessed to be part of the

foundational group with our first Superior general Fr. Luis de Prada, our current Superior General Fr. José Noriega and Fr. Armando Marsal, currently assigned to our community in Littleton as well.

My apostolate as a newly ordained priest started as a college chaplain. Preaching the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises has always been an essential part of my ministry. After 10 years in Madrid, I was sent to Rome to study for my doctorate at the Pontifical Lateran University. Back in Madrid I worked four more years with

students and young couples.

The rest of the story you already know, as my Superior General sent me to Littleton in August 2007 to work as Parochial Vicar at St. Mary Catholic Parish and as a Spiritual Director at St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver.

St. Mary’s and Colorado has brought for me a true renewal of my priesthood making it more real and concrete. Also I’m blessed with a beautiful community of brothers who help me remain accountable and humble in my religious vocation. Pray for our holiness and for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

God Bless you, Friends,

Fr. Javier O’Connor DCJM

Celebrating 20 YearsM

OrdainedDecember 15, 1990OrdainedDecember 15, 1990OrdainedDecember 15, 1990

My parents Pilar and Alberto on ordination day

DISCIPLES OF THE HEARTS OF JESUS AND MARY6853 South Prince StreetLittleton, CO 80120

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Front Page photo, Painting by our Brother Ionut Gotia DCJM, Front wall of our chapel in Rome

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