Skip to main content

Full text of "Passionist : bulletin of Holy Cross Province."

See other formats 


] 

SH 

Smjj 

9M 

Feb.,    1957 

© 

Vol.   X,   No.    1 

«■■«    » -    * IIL    """m*    Jiinr 


777E  PASSIONIST  is  pub- 
lished bimonthly  at  Immac- 
ulate Conception  Retreat , 
5700  N.  Harlem  Ave.,  Chicago 
31,  Illinois,  U.S.A.  Issued  each 
February,  April,  June,  August, 
October  and  December.  Fi- 
nanced by  free-will  offerings 
of  its  readers.  There  is  no 
copyright.  The  paper  is  a 
private  publication. 

THE  PASSIONIST  aims  at  a 
deeper  knowledge  and  closer 
attainment  of  the  purpose  of 
our  Congregation.  Coopera- 
tion is  invited.  Contributions 
by  any  member  of  the  Con- 
gregration  are  welcome; 
whether  it  be  news,  past  or 
present,  of  general  or  pro- 
vincial interest,  articles  dog- 
matic, ascetic,  canonical  or 
historical.  Photographs  of  re- 
cent or  historical  events  in 
the  Congregation  are  also 
helpful  towards  the  ideal 
THE  PASSIONIST  strives  to 
reach  and  are  sought. 

Bruce,  C.P. 


The  PASSIONIST 

Bulletin   of  Holy  Cross   Province 

Vol.  X,  No.   1  Feb.,   1957 

lie  a11  rig  aiimmiE  anmig  ainnug  an  me  an  mug  an 


IN  THIS  ISSUE 

This  issue  of  The  PASSIONST  features 
an  historical  article  on  "The  Passionists  in 
Texas."  Anxious  to  preserve  in  a  more  last- 
ing form  many  of  the  details  of  the  work 
of  the  Passionists  in  the  Diocese  of  Corpus 
Christi,  the  Editor  has  drawn  up  this  article 
from  the  material  provided  by  the  thorough 
research  of  Rev.  Fr.  Emmanuel  Sprigler,  C.P., 
which  is  gratefully  acknowledged. 

Rev.  Fr.  Carroll  Stuhlmueller,  C.P.,  Pro- 
fessor of  Sacred  Scripture  at  Immaculate 
Conception  Retreat,  Chicago,  Illinois,  has  con- 
tributed a  timely  article  on  "Mental  Prayer 
in  the  Life  of  a  Passionist." 

This  issue  also  contains  the  directives  en- 
closed in  a  recent  letter  from  the  General 
Curia,  relative  to  the  establishment  of  a  News 
Section  in  connection  with  the  ACTA  CON- 
GREGATIONS and  The  PASSIONIST.  We 
would  refer  our  readers  and  correspondents 
to   this  letter. 

This  issue  likewise  inaugurates  two  new 
sections,  Letters  to  the  Editor,  and  Books 
Reviewed.  These  will  prove  of  deep  interest 
to  the  readers  of  The  PASSIONIST,  and,  it 
is  hoped,  will  provide  a  forum  for  very 
profitable    discussion    in    the    future. 


tm% 


"Return  into  the  land  of  thy  fa- 
thers .  .  .  and  I  will  be  with  thee.  (Gen. 
31:3).  Happy  is  the  day  wherein  thou 
didst  return  to  the  land  of  thy  fathers." 
(I  Mac.    10:55). 

THE  happy  day  that  saw  the  return 
of  the  Passionists  to  Texas  was 
foreshadowed  in  the  spring  of  1946. 
In  April,  while  conducting  a  mission 
in  the  city  of  Beaumont,  Father  George 
Jungles,  C.P.,  was  invited  by  the  pas- 
tor to  accompany  him  to  the  Chancery 
Office  in  Galveston.  Father  asked  for 
an  audience  with  the  Bishop,  Christo- 
pher J.  Byrne,  and  was  received  most 
cordially.  His  Excellency  extended  an 
invitation  to  the  Passionist  Fathers  to 
take  up  residence  in  the  diocese,  prefer- 
ably in  charge  of  a  new  parish  in  Beau- 
mont. Upon  being  reminded  that  we 
are  primarily  a  missionary  Congrega- 
tion, and  also  that  a  more  central  loca- 
tion would  be  desirable,  the  Bishop 
launched  into  a  eulogy  upon  Houston 
and  its  advantages.  He  also  added  that 
we  might  come  into  the  diocese  on  our 
terms.  Father  George  contacted  the 
Provincial,  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Herman  Stier, 
C.P.,  urging  that  time  was  of  the  es- 
sence, since  the  Bishop  was  advanced 
in  age.  In  fact  Bishop  Byrne  had  told 
Father  George  to  inform  the  Superior 


that  the  Bishop  was  "a  cranky  old 
man."  His  Excellency  often  said  that 
the  Bishop  of  Galveston  was  a  proud 
man,  but  that  Christy  Byrne  was  a  very 
humble  man — the  truth  of  which  was 
borne  out  many  times. 

The  Provincial  took  immediate  ac- 
tion. An  appointment  was  made  with 
the  Bishop,  and  the  Provincial  and  Fa- 
ther George  were  cordially  welcomed, 
and  given  much  information  about  the 
diocese.  The  Provincial  asked  the  Bish- 
op to  put  his  invitation  in  writing, 
which  he  did  there  and  then.  At  this 
time  Father  George  was  conducting  a 
mission  in  Houston,  for  Father  Hanks, 
S.S.J.,  who  drove  him  to  Galveston  for 
his  appointment.  He  also  generously 
offered  the  hospitality  of  his  large  rec- 
tory for  the  use  of  our  Fathers  until 
the  foundation  was  made. 

Father  Herman  sent  his  First  Con- 
suitor,  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Malcolm  LaVelle, 
C.P.,  present  General,  to  take  up  with 
the  Bishop  the  matter  of  this  founda- 
tion. Bishop  Byrne  again  expressed  his 
delight  at  the  prospect  of  having  Pas- 
sionists in  his  diocese.  The  prospect 
became  a  reality  on  May  15th,  when  a 
seven-room  bungalow  at  807  Teetshorn 
Street,  in  Houston,  was  purchased  from 
Mr.   and   Mrs.   Sam  Turner  by   Father 


Father   George   Jungles,   C.P. 

Malcolm  for  the  Provincial  Curia.  The 
deal  was  practically  closed  on  the  pre- 
ceding day,  the  feast  of  St.  Gemma, 
but  actual  possession  was  not  obtained 
until  the  15th.  On  Friday,  May  21st, 
Father  Malcolm  offered  the  first  Mass 
in  the  new  Retreat,  begging  God  to 
bless  the  foundation  and  all  who  would 
go  forth  from  it  to  labor  for  the  sal- 
vation of  souls.  Then  were  fulfilled 
the  words  of  the  Scripture,  and  we 
were  taken  back  to  another  day  in  May, 
thirty-three  years  previous,  when  on 
May  20,  1913,  Paul  Joseph  Nussbaum, 
C.P.,  was  consecrated  the  first  Bishop 
of  the  newly  created  diocese  of  Corpus 
Christi  and  our  Fathers  first  began  their 
apostolic  labors  in  that  giant  of  the 
Southwest,  Texas. 


GIANT!  So  it  is— this  vast  land 
which  is  Texas,  comprising  267,339 
square  miles,  as  against  212,339  for 
the  whole  of  France,  or  194,945  for 
the  whole  of  Spain,  or  181,714  for  the 
whole  of  Germany,  or  119,713  for  the 
whole  of  Italy,  or  58,324  for  England 
and  Wales  combined.  Originally  the 
Territory  of  Texas  included  also  what 
is  now  New  Mexico,  Oklahoma,  Colo- 
rado and  Wyoming,  making  a  grand 
total  of  556,838  square  miles!  Only 
when  the  immortal  Sam  Houston  coun- 
selled moderation  (?)  did  the  lines 
become  as  they  are  now.  The  other 
portions  were  sold  to  the  United  States 
in  1850,  for  $10,000,000.  But  Texas 
is  still  THE  GIANT! 

Geologically  Speaking 
This  is  an  ancient  land.  The  entire 
geologic  series,  with  a  few  exceptions, 
is  represented  in  Texas.  The  peculiar 
features  of  the  American  Cretaceous 
(the  lowest  member  of  the  geologic 
series,  unknown  elsewhere  in  the  Unit- 
ed States)  gives  individuality  to  the 
Central  Texas  region.  The  final  emer- 
gence of  the  State  began  in  Middle 
Cretaceous  time,  and  was  connected 
with  the  same  movements  that  brought 
up  the  Rocky  Mountain  system.  The 
strata  of  Texas,  except  the  Paleozoic 
group,  are  soft,  and  yield  readily  to 
disintegration,  as  can  be  readily  veri- 
fied by  anyone  who  has  absorbed  some 
Texas  soil!  A  few  eruptive  sheets  are 
found  in  the  trans-Pecos  region  and 
along  the  lower  Rio  Grande,  being 
remnants  of  the  eastern  edge  of  the 
great  eruptive  area  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 


First  Passionist  Bishop  in  United  States,  Bishop  Paul  Joseph  Nussbaum,  CP. 
Bishop  of  Corpus  Christi,  Texas. 


tain  area.  Granitic  masses  occur,  as  ex- 
trusions from  the  pre- Cambrian,  in  the 
central  and  trans-Pecos  Paleozoic  de- 
posits. While  the  central  plateaus  some- 
times attain  an  elevation  of  as  much 
as  four  thousand  feet,  the  only  true 
mountains  are  west  of  the  Pecos,  e.g., 
El  Capitan,  with  an  elevation  of  al- 
most nine  thousand  feet. 
Exploration 

The  white  men  paid  their  first  visit 
to  this  up-and-coming  part  of  the  world 
in  1580-83,  when  the  Spaniards  came 
into  the  upper  Rio  Grande  Valley,  and 
established  missions  among  the  Indians 
near  El  Paso  and  Santa  Fe.  The  great 
conquistador,  Coronado,  went  far  to 
the  north;  and  this  is  the  origin  of 
the  famous  Llano  Estacado,  "Staked 
Plains,"  so  named  because  the  expedi- 
tion marked  its  trail  with  willow  stakes, 
in  order  not  to  go  astray  on  the  return 
journey. 

The  first  white  settlement,  strangely 
enough,  was  made  by  the  great  French 
explorer,  La  Salle.  He  had  already 
navigated  the  Father  of  Waters,  and 
now  in  1685  he  was  on  his  way  back 
from  France  to  found  a  settlement  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  as  a  pro- 
tective measure  against  both  the  Eng- 
lish and  the  Spaniards.  Due  to  an  er- 
ror in  his  estimate  of  the  latitude  of 
the  mouth,  or  perhaps  from  misjudging 
the  currents,  he  passed  the  mighty 
stream.  Sweeping  along  the  Gulf  Coast, 
he  made  a  virtue  of  necessity  and  land- 
ed in  what  is  now  Matagorda  Bay,  but 
which  he  named  Bay  of  St.  Bernard. 
The  settlement  itself  was  called  Fort 
St.  Louis.    One  of  his  ships,  L'AIMA- 


BLE,  was  wrecked  in  the  landing,  and 
shortly  after,  another,  LA  BELLE,  was 
lost  during  exploration.  Presently  there 
was  nothing  either  amiable  or  beautiful 
about  the  whole  enterprise.  On  March 
17,  1687,  near  the  bank  of  the  Trinity 
River,  La  Salle  was  murdered  from 
ambuscade,  and  several  of  his  friends 
were  killed  at  the  same  time.  The  mur- 
derers took  charge  of  everything.  How- 
ever, the  intrepid  explorer  was  buried 
in  the  soil  of  Texas  by  his  faithful 
friend,  Father  Danay,  one  of  a  group 
of  four  Recollect  and  three  Sulpician 
priests  who  had  accompanied  the  ex- 
pedition. The  death  of  the  leader 
sounded  the  knell  of  the  colony.  The 
Indians  fell  upon  Fort  St.  Louis,  de- 
stroying it  and  its  inhabitants.  The 
news  of  this  French  attempt  at  colon- 
ization brought  action  from  the  Span- 
iards the  Viceroy  of  Mexico  sending 
Don  Alonzo  de  Leon  as  his  emissary. 
The  anxious  Spaniards  were  not  able 
to  locate  Fort  St.  Louis  from  the  sea, 
and  it  was  not  until  1689  that  an  ex- 
pedition by  land,  guided  in  part  by  a 
French  deserter,  came  upon  the  ruins. 
The  only  trace  of  human  beings  con- 
sisted of  bones,  some  with  long  hair, 
evidently  of  women.  Not  strong  at 
best,  the  settlers  had  fallen  victims  to 
the  savages  and  perished  almost  as 
completely  as  Raleigh's  colony  at  Roan- 
oke. 

Colonization 
The  advent  of  de  Leon  was  the  be- 
ginning of  Mexican  colonization  as 
such;  and  it  is  to  this  same  man  that 
some  ascribe  the  origin  of  the  name 
"Texas."   But  most  probably  the  appel- 


lation  came  from  La  Harpe's  dating  a 
letter  from  the  territory  of  "Las  Tekas." 
This  in  turn  must  obviously  derive 
from  the  name  of  a  friendly  local  In- 
dian tribe,  "Tejas,"  a  word  meaning 
"friendship."  Texas  is  well  named! 
Most  of  the  Spanish-Mexican  efforts 
through  the  years  were  chiefly  with 
regard  to  the  founding  of  missions 
among  the  Indians.  But  when  Mexico 
achieved  independence  in  1821,  the 
colonization  of  Texas  began  in  earnest 
as  a  protective  measure.  This  was  the 
age  of  the  "empresarios,"  from  the 
United  States,  and  from  abroad,  chiefly 
from  Ireland.  Great  land  privileges 
were  given  to  these  settlers,  but  there 
were  some  restrictions;  e.g.,  profession 
of  the  Catholic  Faith.  In  practice,  how- 
ever, this  was  sometimes  interpreted  in 
a  very  nominal  way.  (The  Baptismal 
record  of  Sam  Houton  is  still  preserved 
at  Nacogdoches,  and  Sam  was  any- 
thing but  a  practical  Catholic!) 

The  Irish  made  famous  and  lasting 
ranching  establishments  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Refugio  and  San  Patricio, 
and  also  farther  south.  Today  this  dis- 
trict is  known  as  the  Great  Coastal 
Bend.  Some  of  these  fabulous  ranches 
are  still  in  existence,  owned  by  the 
descendants  of  the  "empresarios." 
There  was  also  a  great  influx  of  Bo- 
hemians, Alsatians,  Moravians,  Molda- 
vians, Slovaks,  Czechs,  and  Poles,  and 
these  settled  in  central  Texas,  mostly. 
The  towns  of  Castroville  and  New 
Braunfels  are  monuments  to  this  migra- 
tion. 

Independence 

The    decree    of    Mexican    President 


Bustamente,  in  1830,  prohibiting  fur- 
ther entrance  from  the  United  States, 
plus  delay  in  separating  Texas  from 
the  Mexican  state  of  Coahuila,  and 
other  sources  of  discontent,  brought 
about  the  successful  revolution  of 
1835-1836.  On  March  16,  1836,  a 
Constitution  was  adopted  for  the  Re- 
public of  Texas,  and  signed  on  the 
17th.  This  independence  lasted  until 
1845,  when  the  Republic  was  annexed 
to  the  United  States,  becoming  the 
Lone  Star  State,  with  the  privilege  of 
dividing  into  five  states,  at  will.  An- 
other Texas  only!  It  was  torn  away 
from  the  Union  by  the  Civil  War,  and 
furnished  a  few  distinguished  generals 
and  over  ninety  thousand  soldiers  to 
the  cause  of  the  Confederacy.  The  very 
last  battle  of  that  War  was  fought  on 
Texas  soil — a  skirmish  at  Brownsville, 
on  April  13,  1865 — four  days  after 
Lee  surrendered  to  Grant  at  Appomat- 
tox. 

Religious  History 
The  real  religious  history  of  Texas 
may  be  said  to  have  begun  with  the 
advent  of  La  Salle,  who  had  with  him 
the  seven  missionaries  mentioned  above, 
who  presumably  gave  up  their  lives  in 
the  Indian  attack  upon  Fort  St.  Louis. 
The  Franciscan  friars  came  with  dc 
Leon,  and  through  many  years  and 
various  vicissitudes  did  great  and  good 
work  among  the  Indians.  The  period 
of  their  endeavors  embraced  the  span 
from  1583,  when  the  first  Spaniards 
came  into  Texas  in  the  neighborhood 
of  El  Paso,  to  1794.  These  were  very 
fruitful  years  indeed,  although  one  anti- 
pathetic author  has  stated  that  the  \\a- 


tives  "were  completely  alienated  from 
their  original  language,  religion,  do- 
mestic habits,   and  tribal  relations." 

Father  Margil 

One  of  the  most  famous  of  all  the 
Franciscan  missionaries,  if  not  the  most 
famous  was  Father  Antonio  Margil  de 
Jesus.  He  was  born  at  Valencia,  in 
Old  Spain,  on  August  18,  1657;  joined 
the  Friars  Minor  on  April  22,  1673, 
and  arrived  in  Vera  Cruz,  Mexico, 
June  6,  1683.  He  gave  innumerable 
missions  in  Yucatan,  Costa  Rica,  Nica- 
ragua and  Guatemala:  in  this  latter 
country  to  such  an  extent  that  he  was 
called    "The   Apostle   of   Guatemala." 

Father  Margil  died  at  Mexico  City, 
on  August  6,  1726,  in  the  famous 
Convento  Grandie  de  San  Francisco, 
and  was  beatified  by  Pope  Gregory 
XVI  in  1836.  One  of  the  buildings 
at  St.  John's  Seminary,  San  Antonio, 
bears  the  illustrious  name:  "Margil 
Hall." 

First  Diocese 

Thus  far  we  have  considered  the  re- 
ligious history  of  Texas  in  its  broadest 
aspects,  from  those  earliest  days.  It  is 
well  that  we  now  give  our  attention  to 
the  first  diocese  of  Texas,  considering 
its  import  with  reference  to  the  sons  of 
St.  Paul  of  the  Cross.  And  so  we  come 
to  that  part  of  Texas  known  as  Treas- 
ure Isle,  the  island  of  Galveston,  so 
named  in  honor  of  Bernardo  de  Gal- 
vez,  the  governor  of  Louisiana,  about 
1782.  The  island  is  thirty  miles  long 
and  about  five  in  breadth.  The  present 
city  of  Galveston  encompasses  an  area 
of  eight  square  miles.    The  city  itself 


is  called  the  Oleander  City,  from  the 
fact  that  more  than  one  million  olean- 
der bushes,  of  sixty  classified  varieties, 
grow  there;  and  all  stem  from  one 
shoot  brought  to  the  isle  in  1841,  by  a 
ship  captain  from  the  West  Indies.  The 
white  man  was  upon  this  island  long 
ago,  since  the  famous  wanderer,  Cabe- 
za  de  Vaca,  spent  some  time  in  cap- 
tivity there,  during  the  famous  seven 
years  it  took  him  to  travel  from  ship- 
wreck on  the  shores  of  Florida  to  find 
fellow  Spaniards  in  New  Mexico.  It 
was  the  lair  of  pirates  and  buccaneers, 
such  as  Jean  La  Fitte,  later  driven  out 
by  United  States  authorities,  about 
1820.  The  first  United  States  settle- 
ment was  made  in  1837,  and  incorpo- 
rated by  the  Republic  of  Texas  in 
1839.  In  December  of  1838  there 
landed  at  Galveston  town  the  famous 
Vincentian  priest,  Father  Timon;  and 
on  December  28th  he  celebrated  what 
was  probably  the  first  Mass  ever  said 
in  the  city.  On  December  31st  he  pro- 
ceeded to  Houston,  then  the  capital  of 
the  Republic,  and  preached  in  the  Hall 
of  Congress  in  the  presence  of  many 
legislators.  On  April  12,  1840,  he  was 
made  Prefect  Apostolic  of  Texas,  and 
appointed  Father  Odin  as  Vice-Prefect. 
He  visited  Galveston  and  Houston 
again,  urging  the  people  forward  in 
their  plans  for  a  church.  Pushing  on 
to  Austin,  now  the  capital,  he  present- 
ed letters  from  Cardinal  Frasconi  of 
Propaganda,  addressed  to  President 
Mirabeau  G.  Lamar,  which  letters  were 
virtually  a  recognition  by  the  Papal 
government  of  the  independence  of  the 


Republic.  President  Lamar,  then  ab- 
sent, was  represented  by  Vice-President 
David  G.  Burnet,  who  was  greatly 
pleased  to  receive  these  letters.  On 
December  23,  1840,  the  first  Mass  was 
said  in  Austin.  Monsignor  Timon  was 
well  received  by  the  legislators,  preach- 
ing many  times  in  the  capital;  and  in 
conversation  with  the  Vice-President 
and  a  few  prominent  members  of  the 
Congress  created  a  very  favorable  esti- 
mate of  the  Catholic  Faith. 

With  the  diplomatic  aid  of  M.  de 
Saligny,  minister  from  France  to  the 
Republic  of  Texas,  Monsignor  Timon's 
bill  on  the  restoration  of  church  prop- 
erty, secularized  by  the  Mexican  gov- 
ernment, was  spontaneously  endorsed 
by  the  legislators,  to  whom  it  was  first 
read  in  private,  was  then  introduced  to 
Congress,  and  passed.  By  this  Act 
were  restored  to  "the  Chief  Pastor  of 
the  Catholic  Church  in  the  Republic 
of  Texas,"  the  churches  of  San  Fernan- 
do (present  cathedral  of  San  Antonio), 
the  "Alamo,"  La  Purissima  Concep- 
tion, San  Jose,  San  Juan  Capistrano, 
San  Francisco  de  la  Espada,  Goliad, 
Victoria  and  Refugio,  together  with 
their  lots,  the  latter  not  to  exceed  fif- 
teen acres. 

After  this  master  stroke  of  diplo- 
macy, Monsignor  Timon  returned  to 
Galveston,  and  administered  Confirma- 
tion, January  18,  1841,  to  Margaret 
De  Lacy,  whom  he  had  converted  and 
baptized  on  the  15th  of  the  same 
month.  The  entry  in  the  "Liber  Con- 
firmatorum"  of  Galveston  diocese  certi- 
fying to  this  function  may  be  said,  to- 
gether  with   the   baptismal    record    be- 


ginning December  7,  1840,  to  mark 
the  beginning  of  the  history  of  the 
diocese  of  Galveston .  The  state  of 
Texas,  with  the  exception  of  El  Paso 
County,  which  remained  subject  to  the 
Vicariate  of  Arizona,  was  erected  into 
a  diocese  in  1847,  with  Bishop  Odin 
as  first  Ordinary.  He  had  previously 
refused  the  see  of  Detroit,  just  as  Mon- 
signor Timon  had  refused  the  coad- 
jutorship  of  St.  Louis  and  ended  by 
becoming  Bishop  of  Buffalo.  There 
were  then  thirteen  priests,  including  the 
Bishop,  in  this  vast  Galveston  diocese; 
of  these,  at  least  six  were  Vincentians. 
In  1849  the  Oblates  of  Mary  Im- 
maculate were  brought  from  Canada 
by  Bishop  Odin.  Their  zeal  has  been 
great;  today  they  have  flourishing  in- 
stitutions in  every  ecclesiastical  division 
of  the  great  state.  The  very  existence 
of  religion  among  the  Mexicans  along 
the  Rio  Grande  is  largely  due  to  the 
mighty  labors  of  this  Congregation. 
Corpus  Christi  Diocese 
Now  all  these  things  were  a  prepara- 
tion for  the  great  day  when  the  sons 
of  Saint  Paul  of  the  Cross  would  be 
called  to  walk  in  the  footsteps  of  the 
religious  pioneers — large  footsteps  in 
this  great  land.  On  March  23,  1913, 
Pope  Pius  X,  through  the  Congrega- 
tion of  the  Consistory,  elevated  the 
Vicariate  Apostolic  of  Brownsville  to 
the  rank  of  a  diocese,  with  the  City  of 
Corpus  Christi  as  the  seat  of  residence. 
On  May  9th  of  the  same  year,  the 
Very  Reverend  Francis  Racine,  V.G., 
of  New  Orleans,  arrived  in  Corpus 
Christi,  carrying  with  him  the  Bull  from 
Rome  authorizing  the  erection  of  the 


new  diocese  of  Corpus  Christi,  as  well 
as  other  documents  showing  that  he 
had  been  sub-delegated  by  his  Grace, 
Most  Reverend  J.  H.  Blenck,  to  erect 
the  new  diocese.  According  to  the 
tenor  of  the  Bull  of  Erection,  the  arch- 
ives were  to  be  removed  from  Laredo, 
a  former  seat  of  the  Vicariate,  and 
taken  to  Corpus  Christi;  and  St.  Pat- 
rick's church  was  elevated  to  the  dig- 
nity of  a  cathedral.  To  this  cathedral 
was  to  come  a  great  man,  the  first 
Passionist  Bishop  in  the  United  States, 
Bishop  Paul  Joseph  Nussbaum,  C.P. 

Just  how  this  great  honor  came  to 
be  bestowed  upon  the  Congregation 
has  always  been  a  moot  question.  Of 
many  conjectures,  the  following  seems 
to  carry  the  most  weight.  A  Christian 
Brother,  en  route  by  train  from  New 
York  to  Philadelphia,  chanced  to  meet 
a  certain  priest  whom  he  had  taught  at 
the  Christian  Brothers  College  in  Phila- 
delphia, and  who  was  now  a  secretary 
to  the  Apostolic  Delegate,  Archbishop 
Bonzano.  The  priest  mentioned  the 
creation  of  the  new  diocese  of  Corpus 
Christi,  and  the  difficulty  in  securing 
a  candidate  as  Ordinary.  It  would 
seem  that  there  was  a  rivalry  between 
New  Orleans,  the  metropolitan  See  at 
the  time,  and  San  Antonio.  A  "dark 
horse"  would  be  the  only  solution; 
and  the  bishop-elect  must  be  able  to 
speak  Spanish.  Whereupon  the  Brother 
mentioned  the  name  of  Fr.  Joseph 
Nussbaum,  C.P.,  who  had  spent  some 
years  in  the  Argentine.  It  would  also 
seem  that  this  Brother  had  taught  Fa- 
ther Paul  Joseph  in  Philadelphia.  With- 
in due  time  the  summons  came,  and  so 


we  were  blessed  with  the  first  Amer- 
ican Passionist  Bishop.  Another  ver- 
sion has  it  that  the  Christian  Brother 
was  told  personally  by  Archbishop 
Bonzano  that  he  was  looking  for  a 
suitable  candidate  for  the  new  diocese, 
and  that  the  Brother  told  him  of  Paul. 
A  little  later,  Father  Paul  was  giving 
a  mission  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Washington,  and  the  Delegate  dropped 
in  to  see  for  himself.  .  .  .  Evidently  he 
was  pleased  .  .  .  not  too  long  after, 
while  Father  Paul  was  giving  a  mission 
at  St.  Matthew's,  in  Brooklyn,  the 
news  of  his  appointment  appeared  in 
the  New  York  papers.  However,  the 
first  version  seems  more  likely.  The 
consecration  took  place  on  May  20, 
1913,  the  anniversary  of  his  ordina- 
tion. The  Apostolic  Delegate  was  the 
Consecrator,  assisted  by  Bishops  O'Con- 
nor of  Newark  and  McDonald  of 
Brooklyn.  The  Hudson  Dispatch  for 
May  21,  1913,  forgot  all  about  dis- 
patch, and  went  to  considerable  lengths 
in  describing  the  great  occasion.  The 
Southern  Messenger,  Catholic  weekly 
of  San  Antonio,  Texas,  May  22,  1913, 
was  not  far  behind  in  its  lavish  spread. 
The  reception  accorded  the  Delegate 
was  remarkable,  the  street  of  approach 
being  simply  black  with  people.  No 
less  than  a  platoon  of  police  headed 
the  procession,  and  another  force  of 
patrolmen  and  superiors  (sic!)  cleared 
the  street  for  the  clergy  and  their  es- 
corts. Both  of  these  latter  were  there 
in  abundance.  There  were  cadets  and 
drum  corps  galore.  And  of  course  a 
goodly  number  of  Passionists,  to  the 
extent  that  the  Delegate  expressed  his 


surprise,  saying:  "I  thought  that  only 
in  Rome  could  I  see  so  many  of  you." 
According  to  the  scribes  "the  magnifi- 
cent monastic  temple  was  at  its  best; 
in  the  glory  of  electric  illumination 
and  decorations,  in  the  variety  of  mon- 
astic robes,  the  masterly  rendition  of 
the  Church  chants,  the  superbly  rich 
vestments  of  the  clergy  and  Bishops. 
The  imposing  procession  marched  into 
the  great  Passionist  temple."  Father 
Stanislaus  Grennan,  C.P.,  was  the  as- 
sistant priest,  Father  Jerome  Reuter- 
mann,  C.P.,  the  first  deacon  of  honor, 
and  a  Paulist  priest,  Father  Hughes, 
the  second  deacon  of  honor.  Needless 
to  say,  the  musical  program  was  some- 
thing special,  and  "the  altar  boys,  who 
had  practised  faithfully,  acquitted  them- 
selves with  much  merit." 

Father  Isidore  Dwyer,  C.P.,  a  class- 
mate of  the  new  Bishop,  had  been  se- 
lected as  preacher  for  the  solemn  occa- 
sion, and  his  sermon  was  noted  as 
"one  of  the  ablest  ever  heard  in  that 
monastery  church."  The  trend  of 
thought  underlying  the  discourse  was 
that  the  principles  represented  by  the 
Catholic  Episcopate,  with  the  Pope  at 
its  head,  were  the  only  salvation  of  the 
individual  and  of  the  State,  from  the 
consequences  of  destructive  revolution 
and  anarchy  rampant  everywhere  in  hu- 
man life.  The  subject  was  solidly  and 
ably  handled,  as  was  evidenced  by  the 
intense  silence  of  the  immense  audi- 
ence. Father  Isidore  also  alluded  to 
their  days  together  in  South  America, 
stating  that  Bishop  Paul  and  he  had 
been  under  fire,  and  mentioning  in 
particular  when  they  were  surrounded 


by  the  "crackling  shells  of  Brazilian 
rebels  and  whistling  bullets  of  Federal 
riflemen  in  the  Bay  of  Rio  de  Janeiro"; 
and  this  in  view  of  the  fact  that  Mexi- 
can bullets  would  one  day  again  pierce 
our  southern  border.  He  bade  the 
Bishop  to  go  forth  to  the  labors,  dan- 
gers and  hardships  of  his  new  charge, 
and  adjured  him  to  "forget  yourself 
therefore  and  your  infirmities  as  an 
individual."  In  the  evening,  Archbishop 
Bonzano,  Bishop  Paul  and  a  number 
of  his  Passionist  confreres  repaired  to 
St.  Joseph's  Church,  for  a  devotional 
and  musical  program,  the  latter  being 
notably  aided  by  renditions  from  the 
Arbeiter  Mennenchor,  and  the  Ein- 
tracht  Singing  Society. 

Bishop  Nussbaum 
Bishop  Paul  Joseph  Nussbaum  was 
born  in  Philadelphia,  on  September  7, 
1870,  and  in  Baptism  received  the 
name  of  Henry.  His  parents  dying 
during  early  childhood,  he  was  cared 
for  by  relatives,  and  through  them  was 
made  acquainted  with  our  Congrega- 
tion. He  applied  for  admission,  was 
received,  and  after  his  novitiate,  hav- 
ing taken  the  name  of  Paul  Joseph  of 
the  Five  Wounds,  he  was  professed  on 
July  24,  1887.  While  still  a  student  he 
volunteered  for  our  missions  in  Argen- 
tina, which  country  was,  at  that  time, 
attached  to  the  Province  of  St.  Paul 
of  the  Cross.  After  finishing  his  stud- 
ies he  was  ordained  on  May  20,  1894. 
For  seven  years  he  was  stationed  at 
Buenos  Aires,  where  he  acted  as  Lec- 
tor, for  which  office  he  was  eminently 
qualified,  since  God  had  given  him 
exceptional  talents. 


When  Argentina  was  erected  into  a 
separate  Province,  Paul  Joseph  returned 
to  this  country  where  he  was  employed 
for  several  years  as  curate  in  the  par- 
ishes attached  to  our  monasteries  in 
Union  City,  N.J.,  and  Dunkirk,  N.Y. 
Later  he  became  Vice-Rector  of  the 
monastery  in  the  latter  place.  In  1908 
the  Provincial  Chapter  elected  him 
Consultor;  to  which  office  he  was  re- 
elected in  1911.  During  his  five  years 
as  Provincial  Consultor  he  was  much 
occupied  in  preaching  missions  and  re- 
treats, which  he  did  most  successfully. 
As  noted  above,  it  was  while  engaged 
on  a  mission  that  he  received  the,  to 
him,  astounding  news  of  his  elevation 
to  the  episcopate. 

Entrance  into  Texas 

Now  the  triumphal  tour  began.  Bish- 
op Paul  was  accompanied  by  Fathers 
Jerome  Reutermann  and  Alfred  Cag- 
ney  of  the  Western  Province,  and 
their  journey  was  made  by  rail.  Fa- 
ther Stanislaus  Grennan  and  Theodore 
Noonan  went  by  boat  to  Galveston, 
thence  to  Houston  where  they  finally 
joined  the  entourage.  Fathers  Isidore 
Dwyer  and  Linus  Monahan  came  later. 
On  May  25  th,  the  Bishop  confirmed  at 
St.  Joseph's  in  Baltimore.  On  Sunday, 
June  1st,  he  ordained  nine  of  our 
priests  and  confirmed  a  large  class  at 
St.  Ann's,  Normandy,  Missouri.  Thence 
to  New  Orleans,  to  Houston,  and  San 
Antonio.  He  arrived  in  the  latter  city 
at  7:30  a.m.  on  Saturday,  June  7th, 
and  was  escorted  to  Santa  Rosa  In- 
firmary, where  he  said  Mass.  Strangely 
enough,   at  this  his  first  Mass  in  the 

10 


South,  Bishop  Paul  was  assisted  by  the 
Reverend  Mariano  Simon  Garriga,  now 
Bishop  of  Corpus  Christi.  Bishop  Paul 
continued  on  to  Corpus  Christi,  and  at 
practically  every  stop  the  train  was 
boarded  by  members  of  the  clergy 
and  laity.  Arrival  at  the  See  city  was 
on  Sunday  afternoon,  at  3:55,  and  the 
train,  in  spite  of  its  nickname  "The 
Sap"  (for  Southern  Pacific)  was  "on 
time  to  the  minute."  A  throng  of  five 
hundred  met  the  Bishop  at  the  station, 
while  a  band  played  "The  Holy  City." 
The  Sisters  of  Spohn  Sanitarium,  an- 
ticipating their  inability  to  be  present 
at  the  reception  and  formal  installation 
— had  lined  up  along  the  railway  tracks 
in  front  of  the  hospital,  to  greet  the 
Bishop  as  his  train  puffed  into  town. 
There  followed  a  real  southern  recep- 
tion. The  Bishop,  together  with  Mon- 
signor  Jaillet,  pastor  of  St.  Patrick's, 
and  Father  Scheid,  Chancellor-to-be, 
first  repaired  to  the  church  to  visit  the 
Blessed  Sacrament.  Then  they  were  es- 
corted to  the  Nueces  Hotel  for  the 
formal  reception.  Mayor  Roy  Miller 
delivered  the  first  address  of  welcome. 
Then  Mr.  M.  T.  Gaffney,  one  of  the 
oldest  members  of  St.  Patrick's  parish 
spoke  his  piece  on  behalf  of  the  con- 
gregation. The  clerical  welcome  of 
filial  love  and  devotion  was  extended 
by  Father  Schied,  and  the  Oblate  Fa- 
thers also  promised  their  all-out  effort 
and  devotion.  The  Bishop  made  a 
stirring  response,  including  such  re- 
marks as:  "You  have  a  beautiful  little 
city  and  already  I  am  enraptured  with 
what  I  have  seen  of  this  gem  city  by 
the  sea."    Also  his  avowed  purpose  to 


St.   Patrick's  Cathedral,  Corpus  Christi,  Texas. 


n 


The  interior   of  St.  Patrick's   Cathedral,   Corpus   Christi,  Texas. 


do  his  part  in  seeing  that  "Texas  be  in 
the  front  rank  of  enlightened  civilization 
and  material  prosperity."  Father  Isi- 
dore spoke  again,  saying,  in  part: 
"Twenty  years  ago  two  young  students 
sailed  from  New  York  for  the  Argen- 
tine Republic .  .  .  one  of  the  students 
is  the  present  Bishop  of  Corpus  Christi, 
the  other  is  the  weather-beaten  man 
addressing  you.  .  .  .  Today,  in  behalf 
of  the  Passionist  Order,  I  present  you 
with  the  new  Bishop.  The  Order  re- 
linquishes him  to  you  and  gives  him 
into  you  care.  Today  he  is  wedded 
to  this  city  and  he  can't  get  away. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  work  to  be 
done  in  the  diocese,  and  from  my 
knowledge  of  the  new  Bishop,  gained 
from  years  of  association  with  him  on 
the  missions  of  Argentine,  I  know  that 
I  can  say  to  you  that  he  is  a  worker. 
Take  him,   then,   and  treat  him  well; 


and  I  am  sure  that  he  will  deliver  spir- 
itual goods."  Unfortunately,  the  Bish- 
op could  and  did  get  away! 

There  was  a  dinner  at  six  o'clock  at 
the  Incarnate  Word  Academy,  and  then 
at  seven-thirty  there  was  the  solemn 
installation  at  the  Cathedral.  There 
were  at  least  nine  hundred  people 
jammed  into  the  edifice — a  glance  at 
the  accompanying  photograph  of  St. 
Patrick's  will  bear  out  the  use  of  the 
word  "jammed" — and  many  more  with- 
out. The  Bishop  spoke  in  Spanish  as 
well  as  in  English,  thus  rendering  all 
of  his  hearers  attentive  and  benevolent. 
In  this  discourse  he  laid  down  his  spiri- 
tual platform  in  the  following  words: 
'And  to  you,  my  priests,  I  say — remem- 
ber that  while  I  may  differ  from  you  in 
my  livery,  I  am  still  a  priest;  I  am  not  a 
stranger  to  missionary  work."  And  the 
following  years  were  to  bear  out  the 


12 


truth  of  these  words,  showing  forth  his 
burning  and  apostolic  zeal.  The  Bish- 
op could  turn  a  neat  phrase,  and  he 
lost  no  friends  when  he  referred  to 
Corpus  Christi  as  "the  Naples  of  the 
Gulf."  It  was  to  be  said  of  him  more 
than  once:  "The  Bishop  is  a  fine 
speaker,  and  his  words  were  earnest 
and  impressive." 

Since  there  was  no  episcopal  "pal- 
ace" for  the  newly  installed  Ordinary, 
he  stayed  overnight  at  the  Nueces  Ho- 
tel, and  then  moved  into  Father  Jail- 
let's  rectory,  which  had  been  remod- 
elled to  make  room  for  the  Bishop. 
Here  he  remained,  together  with  some 
of  his  priests  until,  through  the  gener- 
osity of  Mr.  John  G.  Kenedy,  a  cot- 
tage on  Broadway  was  turned  over  to 
his  use.  Bishop  Paul  took  possession 
on  July  3,  1913,  and  continued  to  oc- 
cupy it  until  adequate  funds  were  avail- 
able to  erect  a  suitable  cathedral  resi- 
dence. On  Monday  afternoon  there 
was  an  entertainment  at  the  Convent 
of  the  Incarnate  Word,  brief  in  nature, 
and  the  Bishop  responded  "in  a  few 
well  chosen  words."  Then  after  all 
the  grand  excitement  of  welcoming  and 
installing,  there  came  the  hard  reality 
of  the  work  to  be  done. 

Organising  the   Diocese 

When  Bishop  Nussbaum  came  to 
Corpus  Christi,  the  population  of  his 
diocese  was  H8,000,  of  whom  82,000 
were  Catholics,  and  of  these  more  than 
70,000  were  Mexicans.  To  minister  to 
that  immense  Catholic  population  there 
were  sixteen  secular  priests,  and  nine- 
teen religious  priests.  There  were  nine- 
teen churches  with  resident  priests,  and 


fifty-four  missions  with  chapels.  Some 
of  these  latter  were  visited  every  Sun- 
day,  others  less   frequently. 

Aflame  with  zeal  for  the  greater 
glory  of  God,  the  Bishop's  first  efforts 
were  directed  toward  the  spiritual  up- 
building of  the  Cathedral  parish,  and 
of  the  diocese.  His  conviction  that  the 
growth  of  religion  is  determined  by 
the  growth  of  individual  piety  seems  to 
explain  every  detail  of  his  administra- 
tion. Moreover,  he  realized  that  or- 
ganized Catholic  action  is  essential  to 
the  promotion  of  personal  holiness 
among  Catholics  generally.  Therefore 
the  first,  and  perhaps  the  outstanding 
result  of  his  labors  was  the  organized 
parish. 

Bishop  Paul  arrived  on  June  8, 
1913.  In  August  he  had  Father  Robert 
McNamara,  C.P.,  conduct  a  triduum 
for  the  women  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathe- 
dral parish.  The  press  referred  to  Fa- 
ther Robert  as  "the  oldest  active  mis- 
sionary in  the  United  States,"  and  gave 
praise  to  his  oratorical  ability.  At  the 
end  of  the  triduum  over  one  hundred 
ladies  were  received  into  the  Sodality 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  This  was 
the  very  beginning  of  the  Sodality  in 
St.  Patrick's  parish. 

In  the  same  month  of  August,  1913, 
the  Corpus  Christi  Catholic  Club  was 
organized  for  the  purpose  of  bringing 
together  the  young  men  and  women 
of  the  parish,  in  order  to  foster  a  fam- 
ily spirit  in  the  parish,  and  ultimately 
to  bring  about  Catholic  marriages. 

Two  years  later,  Fathers  Isidore 
Dwyer  and  Camillus  Hollobough  gftve 
a  mission  in  the  Cathedral  parish.    The 


13 


latter  missionary  had  come  down  in 
1915,  together  with  Brother  Bernard, 
who  was  to  be  the  Bishop's  secretary. 
At  that  time  the  Dunkirk  Evening  Ob- 
server, December  29,  1914,  announced 
their  departure,  adding  that  Father 
Camillus  had  been  appointed  auxiliary 
Bishop  to  Bishop  Nussbaum !  The  mis- 
sion was  a  huge  success,  especially  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  many  non-Cath- 
olics were  present,  and  concerning  the 
closing  the  press  had  this  to  say:  "At- 
tracted by  the  eloquence  of  the  preach- 
ers and  the  beauty  of  the  ritualistic 
service,  scores  of  non-Catholics  have 
attended  the  exercises  from  the  very 
beginning,  but  last  night  an  exception- 
ally large  number  was  present." 

Besides  having  frequent  missions 
and  retreats  preached  in  the  parish,  the 
Bishop  introduced  several  exercises  of 
devotion  calculated  to  develop  the  in- 
terior life  of  the  lay  Catholic.  For  in- 
stance, there  was  the  Holy  Hour,  which 
was  observed  every  Sunday  night  from 
7:30  to  8:30,  the  Bishop  himself  pre- 
siding whenever  he  was  in  town.  Later, 
this  devotion  was  transferred  to  Thurs- 
day nights.  He  also  introduced  con- 
gregational singing,  and  he  often 
walked  up  and  down  the  center  aisle, 
directing  the  singing. 

It  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that 
Bishop  Nussbaum  was  endowed  with 
apostolic  fervor  in  a  high  degree.  He 
said  Mass  in  the  Cathedral  every  morn- 
ing until  his  private  chapel  was  ready 
in  the  new  episcopal  residence.  Even 
after  that  time,  until  he  left  the  dio- 
cese, he  said  Mass  in  the  Cathedral 
every  Sunday,  preached  at  his  Mass, 
14 


and  when  possible  assisted  at  all  func- 
tions in  the  Cathedral.  On  each  Friday 
night  during  Lent  the  Bishop  could  be 
seen  in  the  sanctuary,  following  the 
Stations  of  the  Cross  with  the  people; 
and  from  five  to  six  every  evening  he 
was  found  in  the  Cathedral,  praying 
before  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 

Nor  did  his  Excellency  neglect  the 
children.  He  often  spoke  to  them  at 
their  Sunday  Mass.  Further,  when 
classes  were  resumed  at  the  Academy 
of  the  Incarnate  Word,  in  the  Septem- 
ber after  his  arrival,  he  had  Father 
Scheid  celebrate  a  Mass  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  at  which  he  was  present.  At 
the  end  of  the  Mass  the  Bishop  de- 
livered a  practical  sermon  to  the  chil- 
dren. And  this  he  did  each  year  there- 
after, when  at  home  for  the  opening  of 
the  school. 

The  seed  sown  by  the  Bishop  fell, 
for  the  most  part,  on  good  ground. 
The  congregation  responded  well  to  all 
this  spiritual  endeavor  to  such  an  ex- 
tent, that  during  the  very  first  Lent 
of  his  incumbency,  the  sanctuary  rail- 
ing in  the  Cathedral  had  to  be  altered 
to  provide  better  accommodations  for 
the  increasing  number  of  daily  as  well 
as  Sunday  Communions.  The  Bishop 
exhorted  the  people  in  season  and  out 
of  season  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
privilege,  given  them  by  Pope  Pius 
X,  of  daily  receiving  our  Lord  in  Holy 
Communion. 

Of  all  the  devotional  exercises  en- 
couraged by  the  Bishop,  that  of  the 
Forty  Hours  seems  to  have  been  most 
dear  to  his  heart.  Early  in  1915  he  es- 
tablished this  pious  practice,  arranging 


the  schedule  in  such  a  way  that,  begin- 
ning with  the  Cathedral  in  January, 
there  would  be  Forty  Hours  Adoration 
in  some  parish  of  the  diocese  each  Sun- 
day of  the  year.  The  churches  dedi- 
cated to  the  Sacred  Heart  were  as- 
signed the  month  of  June.  In  writing 
to  Father  Ledvina,  Secretary  for  the 
Catholic  Church  Extension  Society,  and 
later  Bishop  Paul's  successor,  he  said: 
"I  am  trying  to  get  the  Forty  Hours 
Adoration  going  in  this  diocese,  biu 
many  missions  have  not  the  necessary 
equipment.'' 

Meanwhile  the  work  of  parish  or- 
ganization was  being  perfected.  Be- 
sides the  Sodality  of  the  Blessed  Vir- 
gin, the  Bishop  had  his  priests  organize 
the  Sodality  of  St.  Anne  for  the  mar- 
ried women,  which  later  merged  with 
the  Altar  Society,  and  the  union  title 
became  St.  Ann's  Altar  Society.  In 
August  of  1914  the  first  Court  of  The 
Daughters  of  America  was  organized. 
In  March,  1916,  the  senior  and  junior 
branches  of  the  Holy  Name  Society 
were  organized  for  the  men  and  boys 
of  the  parish. 

Apostolic  Activity 

Thus  far  we  have  dealt  with  the 
transformation  effected  in  the  Cathe- 
dral parish  itself,  and  which  the  Bishop 
aimed  to  make  the  model  for  the  dio- 
cese. Yet  by  no  means  was  this  the 
confine  of  his  activity.  In  August,  the 
year  of  his  arrival,  Bishop  Paul  began 
his  Confirmation  tour.  He  went  first 
to  Brownsville,  being  met  at  the  sta- 
tion with  great  fanfare,  and  the  press 
reported  that  "a  large  number  of  auto- 
mobiles were  in  attendance."    On  nu- 


merous other  occasions  emphasis  was  to 
be  placed  on  the  presence  of  automo- 
biles. During  the  four  and  one-half 
days  in  Brownsville  the  Bishop  con- 
firmed nearly  a  thousand  souls;  nine 
hundred  and  fifty  at  Immaculate  Con- 
ception, and  forty  at  Sacred  Heart. 
After  these  ministrations  the  Knights 
of  Columbus  sponsored  a  dinner  at 
Hotel  Point  Isabel.  The  Bishop  de- 
livered a  discourse,  and  then  the  entire 
party  crossed  the  bay  to  Padre  Island. 
The  press  reported  that  "the  Bishop 
did  not  go  in  the  surf,  but  the  remain- 
der of  the  party  enjoyed  a  tussle  with 
the  breakers."  At  San  Benito  he  was 
met  by  the  local  clergy,  the  Knights  of 
Columbus  and  the  Mayor,  all  in  autos, 
together  with  an  escort  of  Mexican 
horsemen  decorated  with  the  Papal 
colors,  and  a  delegation  of  school  chil- 
dren. Five  hundred  were  confirmed  in 
this  town.  At  Mercedes,  two  days  were 
required  for  administering  the  Sacra- 
ments. On  this  occasion  there  was  a 
great  dinner,  and  a  long  list  of  toasts, 
mostly  in  praise  of  the  Oblate  Fathers. 
Father  Robert,  C.P.,  was  asked  to  tell 
some  secrets  about  the  Bishop,  "which 
he  did  quite  tactfully  and  humorous- 
ly." From  here  the  Bishop  went  to 
Mission,  and  at  his  departure  from  said 
town,  there  was  "a  long  line  of  horse- 
men, buggies  and  automobiles,  headed 
by  a  brass  band,  and  there  was  an  im- 
pressive serenade  at  the  depot."  From 
Mission  to  Rio  Grande  City,  and  then 
to  Roma.  Of  all  the  outlying  parishes, 
missions  and  stations,  this  town  of 
Roma  was  that  of  the  Bishop's  pre- 
dilection:    not    only    because    of    the 

15 


warmth  of  its  welcome,  but  also  be- 
cause of  its  lovely  situation  upon  seven 
hills,  overlooking  the  Rio  Grande.  The 
large  number  of  confirmations  was  due 
to  the  preponderance  of  the  Latin- 
American  element.  Confirmation  was 
formerly  administered  in  early  infancy, 
and  occasionally  this  custom  still  pre- 
vails. Such  a  function  is  enough  to 
beget   awe   in   the   angels   and   saints. 

The  Latin-American  element  still 
prevails  in  the  diocese  of  Corpus  Chris- 
ti,  with  the  consequent  heavy  ministra- 
tions. Only  recently  a  pastor  wrote  to 
the  Chancellor:  "We  have  not  had 
confirmation  in  this  parish  in  the  past 
three  years.  Since  then  we  have  bap- 
tized 1,684  children."  We  can  easily 
imagine  the  zeal  and  effort  displayed 
by  Bishop  Paul  in  those  early  days,  es- 
pecially when  travel  was  anything  but 
comfortable. 

In  March  of  1915  there  was  Con- 
firmation in  Rockport,  Lamar,  Aransas 
Pass  and  Port  Aransas.  It  was  on  the 
occasion  of  the  visit  to  Rockport  that 
the  press  made  mention  of  "the  power- 
ful address  delivered  by  the  Bishop 
Sunday  night,  to  an  overflowing  crowd 
of  all  denominations.  His  topic  was 
the  necessity  of  self-sacrifice  in  order 
to  enter  eternal  life."  This  particular 
sermon  was  "long  remembered  by  the 
people."  During  this  same  visit,  the 
Mexican  Catholics  thanked  God  for 
having  sent  them  a  Mexican  Bishop! 
Obviously  this  sentiment  was  the  out- 
come of  the  Bishop  speaking  in  Span- 
ish as  well  as  in  English.  The  bulk  of 
the  souls  committed  to  his  charge  un- 
derstood only  the  Mexican-Spanish  lan- 


guage, and  although  he  had  acquired 
some  familiarity  with  Spanish  while  in 
South  America,  he  was  not  too  con- 
versant with  the  Mexican  form;  yet 
he  did  much  preaching  in  this  dialect. 
Today  it  is  called  the  "Tex-Mex"  ver- 
sion of  Spanish. 

Moving  about  took  up  a  large  part 
of  the  Bishop's  time — an  understate- 
ment, if  ever  there  was  one!  In  those 
days  practically  all  distance  travel  was 
by  rail,  which  in  turn  meant  via  the 
Southern  Pacific  System,  a  veritable 
maze  of  tracks  in  south  Texas.  But, 
needless  to  say,  there  were  no  stream- 
liners, and  the  schedules  were  anything 
but  supersonic.  Sometimes  the  greater 
part  of  a  week  might  be  consumed 
in  going  out  from  Corpus  Christi  to 
one  town  alone,  and  then  the  return; 
and  this  just  for  Mass  on  Sunday! 
The  spiritual  side  of  these  many  and 
lengthy  trips  was  of  course  the  most 
important  feature,  including  the  para- 
mount effect  of  the  Bishop's  preaching. 
At  his  consecration,  the  book  of  the 
Gospels  had  not  been  placed  upon  his 
shoulders  in  vain.  But  the  external  cir- 
cumstances were  often  of  interest.  Men- 
tion has  been  made  of  several  of  the 
resounding  welcomes  and  farewells,  yet 
not  all  of  the  visits  were  of  the  parade 
and  brass-band  variety.  At  Lamar,  it 
was  necessary  to  travel  three  miles  by 
skiff,  and  then  the  Bishop  was  carried 
on  the  shoulders  of  the  accompanying 
men,  walking  through  the  sand  to  the 
chapel,  because  there  was  no  convey- 
ance available,  and  the  lone  horse  had 
wandered  off!  Again,  at  Aransas  Pass, 
he  literally  had  to  "walk  the  plank," 


a  unit  measuring  2"  x  8",  and  this 
with  a  heavy  suitcase  in  each  hand. 
But  Bishop  Paul  was  dedicated  to  the 
proposition  that  the  eminence  of  his 
enterprise  was  in  the  saving  of  souls, 
and  all  his  labors  and  sufferings  can  be 
summed  up  in  this  one's  idea. 

From  the  above  localities  the  Bishop 
moved  on  to  Tivoli,  blessed  the  new 
church,  which  he  dedicated  to  Our  Lady 
of  Guadalupe,  and  spoke  in  English 
and  Spanish.  From  thence  he  was  ac- 
companied to  the  O'Connor  Ranch, 
where  he  offered  Mass  and  confirmed 
a  small  class.  This  ranch  was  and  still 
is  one  of  the  greatest  in  Texas,  and 
dates  back  to  the  days  of  the  Irish 
"empresarios."  Today  there  is  a  most 
beautiful  chapel  at  the  ranch  head- 
quarters, with  resident  priest  and  all 
parochial  privileges.  It  is  primarily  for 
the  benefit  of  the  Mexican  vaqueros 
and  their  families,  thus  testifying  to  the 
concern  of  the  owners  for  the  spiritual 
welfare  of  their  retainers.  In  this 
connection  we  mention  also  the  dedi- 
cation on  Sunday,  June  27,  1915,  of 
the  chapel  at  Bluntzer.  This  was  the 
name  of  another  great  ranching  family, 
staunch  Catholics,  and  very  solicitous 
for  the  faith  and  morals  of  their  ranch 
hands.  It  was  quite  an  occasion,  and 
the  Corpus  Christi  Caller-Herald  for 
July  1st  tells  us:  "An  eloquent  and 
impressive  sermon  was  delivered  by  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Paul  Joseph  Nussbaum,  who 
is  a  skilled  logician  and  an  orator  of 
rare  ability."  And:  "The  Reverend 
Father  Mark,  a  fluent  and  able  speaker, 
also  preached  a  forcible  and  affecting 
sermon."     And   then,   by  way   of  per- 


oration, the  secular  journal  continued: 
"It  will  be  a  day  of  dreadful  account- 
ing when  the  Lord  will  judge  the  rich 
who  had  no  more  regard  for  their  la- 
borers than  for  mere  beasts  of  burden! 
There  are  in  Texas  owners  of  great 
estates  who  will  not  tolerate  chapels  on 
their  property,  for  fear  that  the  op- 
portunities of  practicing  their  religion 
might  make  Mexicans  less  efficient  bur- 
den-bearers. .  .  .  What  a  shameful  man- 
ifestation of  greed  for  money  this  is!" 

Paul  Joseph  Nussbaum  began  his 
work  as  a  missionary  Bishop,  and  thus 
he  continued  it,  confirming,  blessing 
churches,  preaching  his  eloquent  and 
effective  sermons,  and  encouraging  all. 
Non-Catholic  Missions 

No  sooner  had  he  entered  upon  his 
exalted  office  as  shepherd  of  souls  in 
the  diocese  of  Corpus  Christi  when  he 
discerned  impending  danger  to  his  flock 
from  the  existence  of  non-Catholic 
bigotry  and  proselytizing  activity  with- 
in the  confines  of  the  diocese.  He  real- 
ized the  imperative  necessity  of  taking 
immediate  steps  to  meet  the  activities 
of  these  Protestant  agencies.  Accord- 
ingly he  engaged  the  services  of  Father 
Isidore  and  Father  Camillus,  who  de- 
voted their  time  exclusively  to  the  giv- 
ing of  missions  and/or  lectures  to 
Catholics  and  non-Catholics  alike,  but 
especially  for  the  latter.  They  toured 
the  entire  eastern  section  of  the  dio- 
cese, visiting  every  town  and  village. 
In  each  place  an  inquiry  class  was  or- 
ganized, to  give  desiring  non-Catholics 
men,  walking  through  the  sand  to  the 
Church.  Their  impressions  and  experi- 
ences were  varied  and  interesting.    At 

17 


Robstown,  for  example,  Father  Camil- 
lus  met  with  more  opposition  than  any- 
where else  on  the  tour.  He  wrote: 
"There  is  but  one  American  Catholic 
in  the  place.  The  people  were  startled 
when  they  learned  that  a  Catholic 
priest  dared  to  come  into  their  town  to 
defend  the  Church.  ...  I  was  informed 
that  I  could  not  afford  to  go  to  and 
return  from  the  lecture  hall  unguard- 
ed, as  a  young  gentleman  had  heard 
threats  made  against  me."  On  the  first 
night  of  the  Robstown  endeavor  only 
eleven  persons  were  present;  but  the 
number  grew  each  night  until  on  the 
last  evening,  about  four  hundred  were 
in  attendance.  Today,  there  are  two 
Catholic  churches,  and  four  resident 
priests  in  the  town!  Another  series  of 
lectures  was  given  in  Laredo,  at  San 
Augustin's,  for  the  purpose  of  counter- 
acting as  much  as  possible  the  work 
of  proselytism  carried  on  among  the 
Mexicans  by  the  Laredo  Seminary, 
which  was  controlled  by  the  Methodist 
Missionary  Society  of  Tennessee. 

Concerning  the  mission  for  non- 
Catholics  at  Goliad,  the  press  report 
reads:  "These  lectures  created  quite  a 
good  deal  of  enthusiasm  .  .  .  and  the 
church  was  thronged  every  night  by 
eager  listeners  who  gathered  to  hear 
the  discourses  of  the  scholarly  lecturer. 
The  first  evening  the  church  was  taxed 
to  its  full  seating  capacity,  and  on 
Monday  a  supply  of  a  hundred  chairs 
had  to  be  procured  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  the  guests.  The  interest  grew 
with  each  lecture  and  the  audience  be- 
came larger  and  larger  each  night.  The 
most  prominent  professional  and  busi- 

18 


ness  people  in  the  city  attended  regu- 
larly and  were  deeply  impressed.  They 
called  on  the  Father  personally  and  ex- 
pressed to  him  their  gratification  on 
his  efforts.  Many  signalized  (sic)  their 
intention  of  investigating  further  into 
the  teaching  of  the  Church.  A  dele- 
gation of  non-Catholics  waited  on  the 
lecturer  and  requested  him  to  return 
again  at  his  earliest  convenience.  A 
special  musical  program  was  arranged 
for  each  evening,  and  the  best  singers, 
both  Catholic  and  non-Catholic,  volun- 
teered their  services.  On  the  last  eve- 
ning an  orchestra  was  in  attendance." 

From  another  correspondent:  "We 
have  but  one  fault  to  find  with  this 
mission,  and  that  is,  that  it  closed  too 
soon.  Father  Camillus'  splendid  lec- 
tures aroused  such  widespread  interest 
and  enthusiasm  as  has  never  before 
been  awakened  by  a  public  speaker  in 
this  vicinity.  We  Catholics  are,  figura- 
tively speaking,  on  our  knees  thanking 
God  for  the  privilege  we  have  enjoyed 
while  our  non-Catholic  friends  are 
deeply  interested  and  wish  to  hear 
more.  All  are  charmed  with  Father 
Camillus  and  very  anxious  for  him  to 
come  again.  .  .  .  More  has  been  done 
to  remove  prejudice  and  explain  our 
belief  than  ever  before;  but  the  good 
work  should  not  be  allowed  to  rest. 
We  are  praying  that  Father  Camillus 
will  be  able  to  return  and  carry  on  the 
work  he  has  so  well  begun." 

In  Kingsville:  ".  .  .his  efforts  at  the 
Lyric  fully  sustained  his  reputation;  the 
beauty  of  his  language,  his  grace  of  ac- 
tion and  charming  personality  held  his 
audience  spellbound." 


Father  Isidore  sent  in  a  long  com- 
munique concerning  his  experiences. 
For  example,  at  Riviera:  "One  minis- 
ter lent  me  his  Bible,  and  was  evident- 
ly pleased  when  I  told  him  how  much 
more  correct  his  1881  version  was  than 
the  old  King  James  version,  and  how 
delighted  we  Catholics  would  be  if  all 
Protestants  got  their  religion  out  of  it, 
rather  than  of  the  'Menace,'  etc." 

At  Falfurrias:  "One  minister  is  re- 
ported to  have  offered  to  prove  me  a 
liar;  when  told  by  a  Protestant  where 
he  could  find  me,  his  zeal  lapsed  into 
prudence." 

"The  whole  town  has  been  agitated 
as  a  result  of  the  lectures  and  the  ques- 
tion box.  .  .  .  One  resident  called  the 
mission  the  best  thing  that  ever  hit 
the  town." 

At  Bishop:  "This  town  was  found- 
ed by  F.  Z.  Bishop,  an  enterprising 
young  promoter.  One  of  his  attrac- 
tions to  draw  homeseekers  were  elabo- 
rate church  conveniences.  He  built  two 
churches,  one  Baptist,  one  Methodist, 
with  the  result  that  the  whole  com- 
munity is  of  church  folk,  thoroughly 
saturated  with  Southern  Methodism  and 
Baptistism.  One  might  hear  people 
talking  religion  almost  everywhere,  in 
hotels,  stores,  schools,  etc.  Gideon  Bi- 
bles were  in  one's  room.  Nobody 
dared  remain  neutral.  Human  respect 
cowed  and  cudgeled  every  one  into 
line.  Everybody  had  to  put  up  a  show 
of  'righteousness,'  and  be  zealous  for 
the  'moral  uplift'  of  the  country,  un- 
der penalty  of  social  ostracism,  perhaps 
even  political  or  financial  ruin.  Liber- 
ty there  was  none.    Only  one  Catholic 


man  in  town  was  able  to  resist  the 
odious  tyranny,  and  still  maintain  him- 
self socially  and  otherwise.  He  was 
Mr.  Bishop's  ablest  man,  straight  as  a 
ray,  a  good  fighter,  loved  by  many 
and  respected  by  all."  Incidentally,  the 
Methodists  asked  this  same  Catholic 
man  to  finance  their  insolvent  church 
through  some  hard  times!  He  refused, 
naturally.  Father  Isidore  continues:  "I 
found  this  town  a  stronghold  of  the 
densest  bigotry  I  ever  encountered  .  .  . 
they  instinctively  dread  Catholic  truth, 
which  would  awaken  their  dormant 
consciences,  show  them  up  to  them- 
selves, and  exact  painful  sacrifices  from 
them.  .  .  .  The  Catholic  Church,  there- 
fore, is  for  them  a  real  menace,  which 
threatens  to  explode  their  false  sys- 
tems and  spoil  their  lucrative  spiritual 
traffic.  ...  To  tolerate  the  Catholic- 
Church  would  be  suicidal." 

Of  course  life  was  not  all  thorns  and 
thistles.  After  a  mission  in  Rockport, 
"a  moonlight  picnic  was  given  at  the 
Nine  Mile  Point,  in  honor  of  Father 
Camillus." 

Fr.  Isidore  Dwyer 

Regarding  these  two  outstanding 
missionaries  of  the  early  days  in  Texas, 
a  few  words  of  biography  will  not  be 
out  of  place.  Father  Isidore  was  born, 
January  23,  1867,  at  Central  Mine, 
Michigan.  When  about  seven  years  of 
age,  he  migrated  with  the  family  to 
O'Neill,  Nebraska;  a  town  probably 
more  famous  for  its  being  the  birth- 
place of  the  famous  Notre  Dame  play- 
er and  coach,  Frank  Leahy,  and  for 
the  great  number  of  female  religious 
vocations   which   have   conic    from   the 


parish.  Our  sage  was  professed  on  No- 
vember 23,  1889,  and  as  was  noted 
before,  went  to  the  Argentine  as  a  stu- 
dent. He  was  ordained  on  September 
20,  1894,  subsequently  laboring  in 
South  America,  and  also  far  a  short 
time  in  the  Canal  Zone.  Then  his  field 
of  endeavor  was  back  in  the  States  for 
almost  forty  years,  the  last  portion  of 
which  was  spent  among  the  Mexicans 
in  the  southwest.  Four  years  before  his 
death,  March  11,  1949,  he  was  forced 
by  ill  health  and  complete  exhaustion 
to  retire.  Much  of  the  ill  health 
stemmed  from  an  auto  accident  which 
he  sustained  on  August  15,  1915.  In 
company  with  Father  Scheid,  and  the 
Bishops  of  Monterey  and  Aguascalien- 
tes  (the  latter  weighing  about  300 
pounds),  the  car  overturned  twice,  fin- 
ally pinning  Father  Isidore  beneath  the 
wreckage.  According  to  witnesses  the 
car  was  traveling  at  such  a  high  rate 
of  speed  that  no  damage  was  done  on 
the  first  turnover.  Father  Scheib  had 
received  the  car,  an  Overland,  as  a 
present  from  an  uncle  just  two  weeks 
previously.  Father  Isidore  was  not  ex- 
pected to  live;  and  after  his  recovery, 
the  accident  left  him  impaired  for  the 
rest  of  his  life,  thus  enabling  him  to 
gain  much  merit  through  his  many  and 
often  intense  sufferings.  If  ever  there 
was  what  the  French  call  un  original, 
it  was  Isidore  Dwyer,  C.P.  He  cer- 
tainly was  not  a  "standard"  type  of 
Passionist,  as  the  writer  of  his  obituary 
notes;  but  his  was  an  indomitable 
determination  to  devote  his  whole  life 
to  the  service  of  God.  As  a  missionary, 
it  was  war  to   the  death   on   sin  and 


the  devil.  He  could  be  uncouth,  but 
also  forceful.  There  was  no  disparity 
between  his  inner  and  outer  life.  And 
there  was  a  very  soft  spot:  his  love 
for  the  Blessed  Mother. 

Fr.  Camillus  Hollobough 
Father  Camillus  was  born  at  Natro- 
na, Pa.,  February  23,  1877,  professed 
July  23,  1893,  and  ordained  May  16, 
1901.  Never  robust,  he  was  able  for 
thirty-four  years  of  priestly  ministry  to 
maintain  a  state  of  health  which  was  a 
sufficient  support  for  his  enormous  in- 
dustry. His  devotion  to  study  was  in- 
tense, his  activity  in  missionary  labor 
ceaseless.  Of  a  truth  he  fulfilled  the 
advice  of  St.  Paul:  "Carefully  study  to 
present  thyself  approved  unto  God,  a 
workman  that  needeth  not  to  be  a- 
shamed,  rightly  handling  the  word  of 
truth"  (II  Tim.:  2,15).  His  eager 
mind  kept  him  abreast  of  the  latest 
trends,   the   newest  theories,   the  most 


Father  Camillus  Hollobough,   C.P. 


20 


recent  authors.  A  question  put  to  him 
received  an  instant  answer,  dear,  in- 
cisive and  complete.  But  the  study  to 
which  he  devoted  himself  most,  the 
one  in  which  he  excelled  was  the  Eng- 
lish language.  As  a  result  his  sermons 
possessed  fluency,  beauty,  vigor,  thus 
bringing  illumination,  conviction  and 
soul-stirring  resolutions.  He  was  emi- 
nently successful  and  constantly  em- 
ployed in  giving  missions,  and  in  con- 
ducting retreats  for  the  clergy  and  re- 
ligious. Nowhere  did  he  fail  in  giv- 
ing satisfaction  in  the  execution  of  his 
appointed  task.  Another  proof  of  Fa- 
ther Camillus'  proficiency  in  his  study 
of  English  was  in  the  fact  that  from 
time  to  time  he  gave  lectures  on  Shake- 
speare. To  some  this  might  seem  an 
anomaly  in  a  Passionist;  but  this  activ- 
ity was  simply  a  by-product  of  his  in- 
tensive studies  in  his  native  tongue, 
and  in  dramatic  expression.  His  spe- 
cial lecture  in  this  field  was  the  one 
on  Henry  VII:  "The  Tragedy  of 
Greatness,"  and  which  he  delivered 
many  times  during  his  sojourn  in  south 
Texas.  The  press  always  gave  him  a 
royal  build-up.  E.  G.  "The  Reverend 
Camillus  has  studied  under  some  of  the 
best  masters,  and  has  lectured  in  uni- 
versities, colleges  and  schools,  and  be- 
fore the  most  critical  and  select  literary 
audience,  and  on  every  occasion  has 
been  the  recipient  of  unstinted  praise 
and  commendation.  The  information 
he  imparts  is  novel  and  enlightening, 
and  the  rendering  of  his  selections 
from  the  plays  and  his  impersonations 
of  characters  shows  his  powers  of  elo- 
cution  and   dramatic  art."    When   this 


lecture  was  given  in  the  Lyric  Theatre 
at  Kingsville,  "many  present  who  had 
heard  other  noted  speakers  pronounced 
Father  Camillus  the  greatest."  On  an- 
other occasion  the  warning  was  sound- 
ed: "Those  who  miss  the  lecture  are 
missing  an  intellectual  treat  and  refined 
entertainment."  In  1935  Father  Camil- 
lus was  called  to  share  the  happiness 
of  the  Master  He  had  served  so  well, 
death  coming  as  the  result  of  a  tragic 
accident. 

Need  for  Vocations 

Among  the  handicaps  felt  most 
keenly  by  Bishop  Nussbaum  in  his 
boundless  zeal  to  bring  every  soul  un- 
der his  jurisdiction  to  God,  was  the 
dearth  of  priests.  He  spoke  very  often 
to  the  people  of  the  Cathedral  parish 
on  this  subject  so  dear  to  his  heart.  On 
such  occasions  he  would  stress  the  fact 
that  there  was  only  one  boy  from  the 
diocese  studying  for  the  priesthood. 
Even  today,  the  number  of  "native" 
priests  remains  relatively  small.  But 
there  are  in  this  number  those  who 
attribute  their  priestly  vocation  to  the 
advice  and  example  of  Father  Mark 
Moeslein  and  Father  Erasmus  Glock- 
ner.  They  have  said  that  they  were 
counselled  to  become  secular  priests 
rather  than  Passionists,  "for  the  day 
would  come  when  the  diocese  would 
have  need  of  good  and  many  secular 
priests."  These  men  are  still  in  admira- 
tion at  the  selflessness  of  the  Passion- 
ists, with  which  they  compare  the  at- 
tempts on  the  part  of  other  congrega- 
tions to  influence  likely  prospects  into 
their  own  communities. 

However,    the   Bishop   went   further 

21 


than  merely  appealing  for  the  fostering 
of  vocations  among  the  boys,  and  col- 
lecting funds  for  their  education.  He 
needed  priests,  immediately:  priests  of 
missionary  caliber.  At  the  very  begin- 
ning, it  was  the  opinion  of  some  that 
the  diocese  was  given  to  the  Passion- 
ists,  rather  than  to  Father  Paul  person- 
ally. That  sentiment  grew,  and  there 
is  reason  to  believe  that  the  Bishop 
himself  felt  that  way.  Seemingly,  he 
expected  the  Congregation  to  go  all 
the  way  in  helping  him  staff  the  dio- 
cese, and  he  appealed  time  and  again 
to  the  American  Superiors  for  priests 
to  labor  in  his  vast,  neglected  territory. 
They,  in  turn,  were  generous  from 
their  meagre  manpower  resources,  but 
apparently  did  not  recognize  any  real 
obligation  to  staff  the  diocese.  Not 
satisfied  with  the  response,  Bishop  Paul 
then  appealed  to  the  Holy  See  to  inter- 
vene with  the  Superior  General  to  in- 
fluence the  American  Superiors.  He 
was  successful  in  this  attempt;  but  soon 
after  Pope  Pius  X  died,  and  there  was 
no  further  obligation  from  that  quar- 
ter. This  sorely  grieved  the  Bishop, 
and  he  once  said  that  he  was  sorry 
that  he  had  not  accepted  the  offer  made 
by  Fr.  Jerome  Reutermann,  made  at 
the  very  beginning,  namely  to  let  the 
Western  Province  supply  his  needs. 
Now  it  was  too  late.  He  had  been  ill 
advised  all  along  the  line,  it  seems,  be- 
ing told  to  resign  if  the  needed  help 
was  not  forthcoming.  When  he  went 
to  Rome  in  1920,  he  discussed  the  mat- 
ter with  the  General,  who  explained 
that  though  the  promises  might  be 
made  to  render  aid,  yet  when  the  time 

22 


came  to  do  so,  the  Congregation  might 
not  be  able.  Bishop  Paul  decided  to 
resign.  A  railway  accident  in  1918, 
which  resulted  in  a  fracture  of  his  right 
leg,  was  given  as  justification  for  pre- 
senting his  resignation.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  this  accident,  from  which 
he  never  fully  recovered,  caused  him 
great  inconvenience.  The  Bishop  did 
not  possess  an  automobile,  and  travel- 
ing in  Texas  at  that  time  was  difficult 
enough  for  the  well  and  sound.  In  an 
audience  on  March  26,  1920,  Pope 
Benedict  XV  accepted  the  resignation, 
and  for  the  rest  of  his  days  Bishop 
Paul  regretted  having  acted  on  the  ad- 
vice given  him.  It  is  reported  that  the 
Holy  Father  told  the  Bishop  he  could 
retire  to  the  monastery  only  for  such 
time  as  the  Holy  See  deemed  expedi- 
ent, since  "he  was  still  too  young  a 
Bishop  to  do  nothing,"  Likewise,  it 
seems  that  the  Apostolic  Delegate  was 
somewhat  provoked  over  the  resigna- 
tion, and  some  time  elapsed  before  he 
resumed  his  former  cordiality. 
Catholic  Education 
If  ever  there  was  a  Bishop  whose 
mind  and  heart  were  set  upon  Cath- 
olic education,  its  necessity  and  bene- 
fits, that  man  was  Paul  Joseph  Nuss- 
baum.  Not  only  did  he  make  every 
effort  to  advance  the  educational  work 
of  former  bishops  and  priests,  but  he 
took  the  means  to  secure  greater  ef- 
ficiency for  some  of  the  pioneer  edu- 
cators under  his  jurisdiction.  Thus,  to 
bring  a  greater  number  of  children  un- 
der the  influence  of  the  Sisters  of  the 
Incarnate  Word  and  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment, a  cloistered  community  that  had 


pioneered  in  Texas  since  1852,  the 
Bishop  asked  that  their  communities  in 
Corpus  Christi  and  Brownsville  apply 
to  the  Holy  See  for  abrogation  of  the 
cloister,  a  petition  which  was  granted 
by  Rome  as  early  as  1915.  That  the 
work  done  for  the  cause  of  Catholic 
education  in  the  diocese  of  Corpus 
Christi,  under  Bishop  Nussbaum's  ad- 
ministration, was  a  splendid  success 
may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that 
when  he  came  to  the  diocese  there  were 
but  nine  parochial  schools,  but  double 
that  number  at  his  departure.  Like- 
wise there  was  an  increase  in  pupils 
from  1,150  to  2,654. 

Reverses 
During  the  seven  years  of  his  incum- 
bency Bishop  Paul  had  accomplished 
wonders,  especially  when  one  considers 
all  the  reverses  attending  those  trying 
years.  First,  the  Mexican  persecution 
threw  into  this  border  diocese  an  in- 
flux of  refugee  priests  and  nuns.  The 
diocese  was  too  poor  to  support  all 
who  came;  and  their  inability  to  speak 
English  prevented  their  being  placed  in 
those  towns  where  they  could  have 
been  of  service.  Then  occurred  the 
hurricane  of  1916,  devastating  fields 
and  towns  throughout  the  territory. 
Churches  which  the  Bishop  had  built, 
as  well  as  many  of  those  built  by  his 
predecessors,  were  either  badly  dam- 
aged or  entirely  destroyed.  Added  to 
all  this  was  the  calamity  of  a  three- 
year  drought,  climaxed  by  the  storm 
of  1919,  which  destroyed  the  greater 
part  of  Corpus  Christi  and  razed  or 
damaged  more  churches  and  rectories. 
To    complicate    matters    still    further, 


World  War  I  was  in  progress,  hence 
money  for  repairing  and  rebuilding  was 
scarce.  Finally,  the  great  heart  of  the 
Bishop  seem  to  break  when,  in  the  ter- 
rible influenza  epidemic,  he  lost  his 
very  capable  and  promising  Chancellor, 
Father  John  H.  Scheid,  and  the  Rector 
of  his  Cathedral,  Father  Paulinus  Dor- 
an,  C.P.,  both  within  an  hour  of  each 
other,  on  January  15,  1919;  as  well 
as  Father  Patrick  Walsh,  C.P.,  the  fol- 
lowing July. 

Ad  Limina  Visit 

In  January,  1920,  Bishop  Paul  left 
for  Rome  on  his  ad  limina  visit  to  the 
Holy  See.  Father  Timothy  Fitzpatrick, 
C.P.,  was  left  in  charge  in  the  capacity 
of  Vicar  General.  On  March  24th, 
Father  Timothy  received  a  letter  stat- 
ing that  the  Holy  Father  had  accepted 
the  Bishop's  resignation  of  the  diocese. 
It  was  a  deep  shock  to  both  clergy  and 
laity,  but  having  loved  their  Bishop 
from  the  beginning,  they  loved  him  to 
the  end,  and  accepted  in  good  part 
that  which  he  considered  best  for  him- 
self and  for  them. 

Bishop  Nussbaum,  as  a  religious  and 
priest  was  most  edifying  both  at  home 
and  abroad.  Whilst  cherishing  the  mon- 
astic observance,  he  was  ever  ready, 
in  obedience  to  Superiors,  to  go  out 
and  labor  for  souls  and  to  do  the  work 
assigned  to  him.  He  hated  display  and 
shunned  honors;  hence  the  notification 
of  his  elevation  to  the  episcopacy  ut- 
terly confounded  him.  Only  after  long 
consultation  with  the  Apostolic  Dele- 
gate did  he  accept  the  office.  As  a 
Bishop  he  ever  remained  most  retiring 
in  his  habits,  very  simple  in  his  man- 

23 


ner  of  life,  and,  at  heart,  always  the 
religious  and  the  Passionist.  He  de- 
lighted to  visit  our  monasteries,  which 
he  frequently  did,  and  where  he  made 
himself  perfectly  at  home  among  his 
former  confreres,  who  familiarly  called 
him  "Bishop  Paul."  He  might  be  de- 
scribed as  a  strong  character,  fearless 
and  outspoken,  with  an  utter  disregard 
for  the  esteem  of  men.  This  led  at 
times  to  what  seemed  a  repelling  lack  of 
meekness  and  gentleness  in  his  methods. 
In  fact,  his  natural  disposition  was  some- 
what cold  and  undemonstrative;  but 
his  many  sterling  qualities  compensated 
for  this.  It  could  easily  be  seen  that 
he  was  thoroughly  sincere  with  God, 
straightforward  with  men,  and  desirous 
of  doing  what  was  just  and  right.  In 
his  speech  on  the  day  of  his  arrival  in 
Corpus  Christi  he  gave  the  people  a 
side-light  into  his  character  when  he 
said:  "I  want  to  give  friendship  to 
anyone  who  will  accept  it.  My  two 
cardinal  principles  are  to  give  every- 
one his  due  and  to  remember  the 
Golden  Rule."  That  he  lived  up  to 
these  principles  can  be  attested  by  all 
who  knew  him,  by  all  who  worked 
with  him.  His  zeal  was  unquestioned, 
leaving  as  he  did,  forty-six  priests, 
thirty-one  churches  with  resident  pas- 
tors, eighty-three  missions  and  two  hun- 
dred stations. 

One  of  our  Fathers  who  worked 
for  and  lived  with  Bishop  Paul  during 
his  entire  tenure  in  Corpus  Christi, 
writes  thus:  "I  judged  him  very  quali- 
fied for  the  duties  of  a  bishop.  Bodily 
he  was  decidedly  presentable.  When 
vested    for    a    pontifical    function    he 

24 


looked  every  inch  a  bishop.  It  was 
a  pleasure  to  watch  him  at  such  func- 
tions. His  dignity  and  devotional  man- 
ners made  up  for  much  that  was  want- 
ing in  better  furnished  cathedrals.  The 
Catholic  laity  were  proud  of  the  way 
their  bishop  carried  himself  without  be- 
ing pompous.  He  was  equal  to  the 
mighty  difficult  task  of  transforming 
into  a  standard  diocese  a  loosely  run 
Vicariate  Apostolic.  (Note:  one  of 
the  present-day  pastors  of  the  diocese 
has  said  that  "Bishop  Nussbaum's  chief 
contribution  to  the  diocese  of  Corpus 
Christi  was  the  imposing  of  the  new 
Code  of  Canon  Law  upon  a  body  of 
clergy  who  had  never  had  any  law  ex- 
cept their  own  will!")  It  did  not  take 
him  long  to  make  all  realize  that  in  the 
Catholic  system,  government  is  from 
the  head  down.  Under  the  circum- 
stances his  rule  simply  could  not  be 
popular.  His  stay  was  too  short  to  en- 
able objectors  to  realize  the  wisdom 
of  his  course.  His  successor  realized 
it,  and  acknowledged  that  Bishop  Nuss- 
baum  and  his  Passionist  helpers  had 
made  the  road  ever  so  much  easier  for 
him. 

"Bishop  Nussbaum  did  not  shy  at 
bodily  discomfort.  You  saw  his  ac- 
commodations. He  put  up  with  these 
for  years.  The  same  spirit  was  always 
in  evidence,  when  there  was  question 
of  traveling  about  that  frontier  dio- 
cese. He  adapted  himself  to  the  primi- 
tive ways  of  the  poor  Mexicans,  under 
conditions  which  called  for  consider- 
able self-denial." 

Another  Passionist  who  lived  and 
worked  in  both  the  Corpus  Christi  and 


Marquette  dioceses,  has  this  to  say: 
"Bishop  Paul  had  his  faults,  but  he 
also  had  his  good  qualities,  some  very 
high  and  noble.  You  certainly  can  say 
that  he  was  a  zealous  bishop — zealous 
in  preaching  the  Gospel  to  his  people, 
zealous  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  his 
clergy  and  his  people.  He  was  a  man 
of  prayer.  In  all  the  years  I  was  with 
him,  he  was  most  exact  in  making 
his  preparation  before  and  thanksgiv- 
ing after  Mass,  and  every  evening  he 
was  in  the  cathedral  making  his  medi- 
tation. The  Rector  of  the  Cathedral 
told  me  that  for  the  past  two  years  he 
made  very  frequent  visits  to  the  cathe- 
dral, and  that  at  any  time  of  the  day 
you  might  find  him  there  praying.  Since 
the  Bishop  got  his  own  new  home,  he 
had  the  priests  and  help  assemble  every 
evening  for  Rosary,  litany  and  our  reg- 
ular Passionist  night  prayers." 

And  still  another  Father  who  labored 
for  several  years  in  Marquette,  de- 
clares: "Bishop  Paul  was  first,  last  and 
always  a  Passionist.  His  heart  was  in 
the  monastery.  After  the  duties  of  his 
diocese,  his  greatest  interest  was  in  the 
Congregation.  He  was  happiest  when 
surrounded  by  our  Fathers,  talking 
about  the  interests  of  the  Order.  He 
was  very  kind  to  our  Fathers  who  were 
working  in  Marquette.  Whenever  he 
was  in  the  vicinity  of  their  parishes  he 
always  visited  them  and  when  unable 
to  do  this,  he  would  send  for  them.  His 
own  home  at  Marquette  was  always 
open  to  us,  and  when  we  went  there, 
his  hospitality  exceeded  all  bounds." 

Marquette 

After   his   resignation    from    Corpus 


Christi,  Bishop  Paul  spent  two  years  in 
the  monastery  at  Union  City,  where  he 
acted  as  Lector  of  our  students,  having 
graciously  offered  his  services  for  this 
purpose.  In  1922,  he  was  appointed 
to  the  vacant  See  of  Marquette,  Mich- 
igan: from  the  humidity  of  south  Tex- 
as to  the  frigidity  of  northern  Mich- 
igan. Here  he  ruled  till  his  death, 
which  came  on  June  24,  1935,  as  the 
result  of  a  fall  sustained  eleven  days 
previously.    Ecce  sacerdos  magnus! 

Helpers  in  the  Vineyard 
At  the  end  of  the  year  1914,  Bishop 
Nussbaum  retired  Father  Claude  Jail- 
let,  pastor  of  St.  Patrick's,  with  the 
title  of  "Pastor  Emeritus,"  and  appoint- 
ed him  chaplain  of  Spohn  Hospital. 
His  successor  at  St.  Patrick's  was  Fa- 
ther Peter  Hanley,  C.P.    There  are  two 


Father    Peter    Hanley,    OP. 


25 


outstanding  memories  of  Father  Peter 
among  the  parishioners  of  St.  Patrick's, 
and  among  people  of  all  faiths.  Dur- 
ing his  pastorate  there  occurred  the 
storm  of  1916,  which  did  a  great  deal 
of  damage  to  the  city  and  caused  great 
loss  and  suffering  among  the  people. 
Father  Peter  did  much  to  further  or- 
ganized relief,  and  he  himself  visited 
the  people  in  need,  regardless  of  their 
creed.  Relief  was  extended  to  all,  with 
no  questions  asked.  Likewise  at  this 
time  World  War  I  was  at  its  height, 
and  Father  Peter  organized  the  Junior 
Red  Cross  among  the  girls  of  Incar- 
nate Word  Academy. 

Each  morning  he  left  the  rectory  on 
the  rounds  of  the  parish.  He  visited 
the  school  first,  giving  Catechism  in- 
structions there,  and  then  he  was  off 
for  his  visits  to  the  sick,  the  poor,  and 
those  in  any  kind  of  trouble.  When  he 
found  sickness  in  the  family,  he  would 
do  whatever  he  could  to  relieve  distress 
— even  bathing  babies,  and  clothing 
them  afresh.  He  was  fond  of  saying: 
"My  religion  is  in  my  feet."  This 
peripatetic  pastorate  was  the  means  of 
bringing  back  the  lapsed,  rectifying 
marriages,  the  conversion  of  many  non- 
Catholics,  and  a  general  toning  up  of 
Catholicism  in  general.  Father  Peter 
was  transferred  to  Beeville  in  1917, 
leaving  fond  memories  of  "dear  old 
Father  Peter  who  is  among  the  most 
beloved  of  all  pastors  that  have  ever 
been  in  South  Texas."  Shortly  after 
Bishop  Paul's  resignation  Father  Peter 
was  recalled  by  the  Superiors  for  work 
in  other  fields. 


Father   Paulinus   Doran,   C.P. 

His  successor  at  the  Cathedral  was 
named  on  November  7,  1917 — Father 
Paulinus  Doran,  C.P.,  whose  tenure 
lasted  but  a  year.  In  January  of  1919 
he  fell  victim  to  the  influenza  epidemic, 
as  did  also  his  assistant  Father  Scheib, 
the  Chancellor,  both  dying  within  thir- 
ty minutes  of  each  other.  As  mentioned 
before,  this  seemed  to  take  the  heart 
out  of  Bishop  Paul. 

Then  came  Father  Malachy  O'Leary, 
C.P.,  only  to  be  recalled  to  the  mon- 
astery toward  the  close  of  1920.  His 
outstanding  achievement  was  his  organ- 
ized relief  work  and  the  opening  of  a 
soup  kitchen  for  the  victims  of  the 
1919  hurricane,  and  which  caused  so 
many  of  the  citizens  to  lose  home  and 
all    else    that    they    possessed.     Father 


26 


Father    Aloysius    Boyle,    C.P. 

Malachy  worked  night  and  day,  solicit- 
ing food,  clothing  and  other  necessities 
for  the  destitute.  His  kindness  and 
generosity  were  unbounded,  and  Cath- 
olics and  non-Catholics  sang  his  praises 
for  the  untiring  labor  in  their  behalf. 
Father  Aloysius  Boyle,  C.P.,  succeed- 
ed Father  Malachy  in  1921.  The  out- 
standing feature  in  his  short  term  as 
pastor  of  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  was 
his  work  with  the  young  boys.  His 
love  for  and  devoted ness  to  them  was 
particularly  noticeable  in  his  encourage- 
ment of  them  in  their  studies,  as  also 
in  their  games,  in  which  he  often 
joined.  The  response  was  wholehearted 
and  long-lasting.    Father  Aloysius  also 


oragnized  a  boys'  choir  which  was  a 
credit  both  to  him  and  to  the  boys. 
He  was  still  pastor  at  the  accession 
of  Bishop  Ledvina,  and  sang  the  sol- 
emn Mass  for  the  installation.  But 
due  to  ill  health,  Father  Aloysius'  stay 
in  Corpus  Christi  was  very  short.  In 
1922  he  returned  to  the  monastery  in 
Union  City,  and  died  on  October  8, 
1926,  a  victim  of  sarcoma,  at  St.  Ag- 
nes'  Hospital,   Baltimore,  Maryland. 

The  next  in  line  of  succession  was 
Father  Damian  O'Rourke,  C.P.  He  ar- 
rived in  Corpus  Christi  just  two  months 
before  Bishop  Nussbaum's  resignation, 
and  was  loaned  to  Bishop  Ledvina  for 
four  months.  However,  since  there  was 
no  experienced  diocesan  priest  to  as- 
sume the  rectorship  of  the  Cathedral, 


Father    Damian   O'Rourke,   C.P. 


27 


Bishop  Ledvina  petitioned  the  Superior 
General  of  the  Passionists  for  permis- 
sion to  keep  Father  Damian  until  he 
could  be  replaced.  The  request  was 
granted,  and  Father  Damian  remained 
eight  years.  Although  he  knew  that  he 
was  merely  loaned  to  the  diocese,  he 
put  his  whole  heart  and  soul  into  his 
work,  as  though  he  were  to  remain  al- 
ways. One  of  the  first  things  he  was 
asked  to  do  was  to  undertake  the 
renovation  of  Holy  Cross  Cemetery. 
It  was  full  of  high  weeds,  mesquite 
brush,  tumbling  down  trees  and  fences, 
and  in  general  an  eye-sore.  Father 
Damian  began  the  work  immediately, 
in  the  face  of  much  opposition  on  the 
part  of  the  people,  who  had  their  own 
ideas  regarding  the  order  that  should 
exist  in  cemeteries,  and  the  manner  of 
showing  their  love  for  their  dead.  The 
new  pastor  soon  brought  order  out  of 
chaos.  Having  taken  down  old  fences, 
clearing  the  weeds  and  brush,  he  had 
the  cemetery  landscaped,  and  then  set 
about  beautifying  it.  Father  Malachy 
had  attempted  this  work  during  his 
pastorate,  but  the  people  resented  these 
"Yankee  priests  coming  down  here  up- 
setting everything  —  even  the  dead!" 
So  strong  was  their  feeling  that  Father 
Timothy  Fitzpatrick  advised  Father 
Malachy  to  leave  the  weeds  and  snakes 
with  the  dead,  if  that  was  what  the 
people  wanted. 

To  the  already-introduced  duplex 
Sunday  envelope  system — one  side  for 
the  Sunday  offering,  the  other  for  the 
Cathedral  Building  Fund  —  Father 
Damian  added  the  annual  bazaar,  and 
the  annual  drive  for  funds.    Thus  he 

28 


was  able  to  turn  over  to  Bishop  Led- 
vina the  sum  of  forty-six  thousand  dol- 
lars towards  the  goal  of  a  new  Cathe- 
dral. 

Having  given  the  best  that  was  in 
him  for  eight  years,  Father  Damian 
was  recalled  to  monastic  life,  and  a  suc- 
cessor appointed.  He  was  loved  by  all 
his  parishioners,  and  by  many  non- 
Catholics  as  well.  His  kind,  amiable 
sympathetic  disposition  won  the  hearts 
of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact. 
The  day  of  his  departure,  April  12, 
1928,  was  indeed  a  sad  one  for  all 
concerned.  Years  later,  when  Father 
Damian  returned  for  a  visit  on  the  oc- 
casion of  his  golden  jubilee  of  pro- 
fession, he  was  met  at  the  station  by 
a  band,  and  a  copious  multitude  of 
well  wishers,  who  serenaded  him  to  the 
skies!  This  year,  Father  celebrated  the 
golden  jubilee  of  ordination.  Ad  mul- 
tos  annos! 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of 
Fathers  Isidore  and  Camillus.  We  may 
not  pass  over  a  few  of  the  other  Pas- 
sionists who  gave  an  "assist"  in  the 
work  of  the  diocese,  especially  Father 
Mark  Moeslein.  The  story  of  a  sepa- 
rate place  of  Catholic  worship  for  the 
colored  people  of  the  city  of  Corpus 
Christi  dates  back  to  the  year  1868, 
and  to  a  priest  named  Father  P.  Berth- 
et.  He  had  made  plans;  but  due  to 
an  accident  in  which  he  lost  the  index 
finger  of  one  hand,  and  was  unable 
to  say  Mass  for  some  time,  he  left 
Corpus  Christi  without  seeing  the  ful- 
fillment of  his  hopes.  Under  Bishop 
Nussbaum,  accommodations  for  these 
neglected  children  of  God  finally  be- 


Father  Mark  Moeslein,  C.P. 

came  a  reality.  On  January  31,  1917, 
Father  Mark  was  requested  to  begin 
this  work.  He  immediately  insisted  on 
the  erection  of  a  school.  "With  a 
school,"  he  reminded  the  Bishop,  "we 
will  build  up  a  congregation  of  colored 
people,  and  the  church  will  come  in 
due  time."  So,  a  combined  school  and 
church  was  erected.  The  chapel  occu- 
pied the  first  floor;  two  classrooms, 
each  with  a  capacity  of  thirty-five  pu- 
pils, occupied  the  second  floor.  A  two- 
story  frame  building  was  purchased  and 
remodelled  for  the  Sisters'  residence. 
The  priest's  house  was  built  with  lum- 
ber salvaged  from  a  house  which  had 
been  damaged  in  the  cyclone  of  1916. 
Father  Mark  started  his  parish  with 
only  two  Catholics;  and  the  school 
children,    all    non-Catholics    numbered 


about  thirty.  A  few  years  later  he  was 
able  to  secure  the  old  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment church,  which  had  been  used  by 
the  Mexican  congregation  on  Last 
Street,  and  was  now  moved  to  North 
Staples,  remodelled,  and  blessed  under 
the  title  of  Holy  Cross.  The  chapel 
was  then  converted  into  classrooms  for 
the  increasing  number  of  children  who 
sought  admission.  The  parish  plant  is 
still  practically  the  same,  a  monument 
to  his  zeal,  patience  and  spirit  of  sacri- 
fice. Father  Mark  built  up  the  parish 
by  walking  from  house  to  house,  seek- 
ing souls.  He  lived  very  frugally,  the 
grocery  bill  amounting  to  about  eight 
dollars  a  month.  Friends  would  some- 
times drop  by  with  a  few  eggs,  some 
milk,  or  some  fruit.  However,  it  is 
a  proven  fact  that  often  his  fare  con- 
sisted of  a  cup  of  Postum  and  a  piece 
of  bread  for  breakfast,  an  apple  or 
other  fruit  for  lunch,  and  Postum  with 
bread  or  toast  for  supper.  While  Fa- 
ther Mark  was  pastor  of  Holy  Cross 
he  also  attended  the  Catholics  in  Violet 
(formerly  known  Landsiding),  a  little 
town  about  fifteen  miles  from  Corpus 
Christi.  He  would  say  his  first  Mass 
on  Sunday  at  Holy  Cross,  walk  to  the 
depot — a  distance  of  at  least  two  miles 
— take  the  train  to  Violet,  hear  con- 
fessions, say  Mass,  then  give  catechism 
instructions  before  breaking  his  fast.  It 
was  often  noon  before  he  got  a  cup 
of  coffee,  and  he  in  his  sixties  at 
this  time!  Incidentally,  Bishop  Nuss- 
baum  paid  only  one  visit  to  this  town, 
even  though  it  was  so  near  the  See 
City.  It  was  with  deep  regret  that  the 
colored    people    heard    the    news    that 

29 


Father    Fidelis    Kent    Stone,    C.P. 


Father  Mark  was  being  recalled,  and 
this  feeling  was  shared  by  the  white 
people  among  whom  he  had  labored 
before  assuming  charge  of  Holy  Cross. 
During  this  latter  pastorate  Father 
Mark  was  assisted  by  Father  Fidelis 
Kent  Stone,  C.P.  It  is  "a.  coincidence 
that  Father  Fidelis,  having  fought  for 
the  emancipation  of  the  negro,  should 
spend  some  of  his  declining  years  in 
their  spiritual   service. 

On  September  12,  1915,  a  new 
church  for  the  Mexican  congregation 
in  Corpus  Christi  was  dedicated  under 
the  title  of  St.  Mary.  Father  Patrick 
Walsh  was  installed  as  the  first  pastor. 
During  this  time  he  was  also  ordinary 
confessor  for  the  Sisters  of  the  Incar- 
nate Word  and  Blessed  Sacrament.  But 
he  was  not  long  for  this  world.  Hav- 
ing sustained  a  mysterious  bite  on  one 
of  his  great  toes,  he  was  laid  up  for 


30 


Holy    Cross    Church, 

Rectory    and    School, 

Corpus    Christi,    Texas, 

as  finished  by  Fr.  Mark 

Moeslein,  C.P. 


quite  some  time,  and  even  when  able 
to  be  up  and  around,  the  toe  never 
completely  healed.  One  day  he  was 
called  to  minister  to  a  nurse  who  was 
dying.  Sometime  later  he  remarked: 
"I  never  again  want  to  see  a  person 
die  of  blood  poison."  Within  a  few 
months  he  himself  lay  dead  of  blood 
poison,  ending  his  life  in  Spohn  Hos- 
pital, July,  1919. 

Father  Timothy  Fitzpatrick,  C.P., 
spent  a  very  short  time  in  the  diocese, 
chiefly  as  Vicar  General  to  Bishop 
Nussbaum.  Father  Theodore  Noonan, 
C.P.,  likewise  had  a  short-lived  stay  in 
Texas.  He  acted  mostly  in  the  capacity 
of  the  Bishop's  secretary,  and  also 
helped  out  around  the  Cathedral  in 
all  religious  functions  during  his  stay. 
It  was  noted  above  that  the  choir  had 
made  progress  under  his  direction. 

Father  David  Ferland,  C.P.,  was 
brought  on  from  New  Mexico  to  be 
assistant  to  Father  Peter  in  Beeville. 
Due  to  the  resignation  of  Bishop  Paul, 


and  the  subsequent  departure  of  the 
Passionists  from  the  diocese,  Father 
David's  stay  in  Texas  was  of  short 
duration;  although  one  would  not  think 
this  from  the  great  number  of  times  his 


Father    Patrick    Walsh,    C.P. 


31 


Left,  Father  Timothy  Fitzpatrick,  C.P., 
right,   Father   Theodore  Noonan,   C.P. 


was  the  pastor,  but  Father  Fidelis  was  a 
real  circuit-riding  missionary,  covering 
many,  many  miles  in  the  great  section 
known  as  West  Texas. 

Epilogue 
Emmanuel  Boleslaus  Ledvina,  the 
successor  to  Bishop  Nussbaum,  was  not 
a  stranger  to  south  Texas,  having  been 
there  as  secretary  of  the  Extension  So- 
ciety. We  give  him  his  due  in  these 
pages  because  he  so  cheerfully  admitted 
his  great  debt  to  Bishop  Paul  and 
the  Passionist  Fathers.  Under  a  date 
line  of  Chicago,  June  14,  1921,  we 
read  the  following  headline:  "Priest's 
Mania  For  System  Leads  Him  To 
Bishopric."  Msgr.  Francis  C.  Kelley 
remarked  at  the  consecration  banquet 
that  on  the  occasion  of  a  visit  to  the 
then  Father  Ledvina,  in  Princeton, 
Indiana,  he  noticed  that  the  sacristy 
and    the    library-office    were    so    well 


name  appears  in  the  various  parish 
registers.  Later  on,  he  was  to  spend 
some  very  fruitful  years  in  assisting 
Bishop  Paul  in  the  diocese  of  Mar- 
quette. 

In  addition  to  these  American  Pas- 
sionists  who  labored  in  the  diocese  of 
Corpus  Christi,  we  must  also  mention 
two  Mexican  Passionists  in  particular: 
Fathers  Camillus  and  Fidelis.  They 
made  their  headquarters  at  San  Augus- 
tin's  in  Laredo,  building  the  church. 
The  church  has  been  lengthened  since 
the  Oblate  Fathers  took  charge  in  1927, 
and  the  parish  plant  has  grown  tremen- 
dously. But  the  memory  of  the  two 
Passionists  still  lingers.   Father  Camillus 


t    & 


Father   David   Ferland,  C.P. 


32 


catalogued  and  labeled.  Quote:  "This 
man  had  a  perfect  mania  for  order  and 
neatness.  In  a  corner  was  a  typewriter, 
the  files  near  it  indicating  not  only  that 
he  answered  his  letters — a  rare  clerical 
practice — but  that  he  also  kept  copies 
of  them.  There  were  little  drawers  and 
big  drawers;  and  one  of  the  little 
ones  was  labeled:  'Needles,  Thread 
and  Pins.'  Then  and  there  I  made  up 
my  mind  that  St.  Philip  had  directed 
my  steps  to  the  man  the  Extension 
Society  was  crying  for,  the  man  who 
could  put  order  and  system  into  a 
growing  concern."  It  was  only  fitting 
that  Father  Timothy  Fitzpatrick,  C.P., 
the  Vicar  General  of  Corpus  Christi, 
should  be  present  at  the  consecration 
of  Bishop  Ledvina.  So,  in  the  Corpus 
Christi  Times,  for  May  31,  1921,  we 
read  the  following  travelogue:  "Rev. 
Father  Timothy  Fitzpatrick,  C.P.,  Chan- 
cellor of  the  Corpus  Christi  diocese  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  leaves  here 
tonight  by  way  of  New  York,  to  attend 
the  ceremonies  consequent  to  the  con- 
secration of  Rt.  Rev.  Emmanuel  B. 
Ledvina  as  bishop  of  this  diocese.  The 
ceremonies  will  take  place  June  14  at 
Terre  Haute,  Indiana.  .  .  .  Father  Fitz- 
patrick will  go  first  to  New  York,  then 
will  return  to  Terre  Haute  to  be  pres- 
ent at  the  consecration  of  the  bishop. 
It  is  his  intention  to  return  with  the 
Bishop  to  New  Orleans,  from  which 
point  he  will  precede  Bishop  Ledvina 
to  Corpus  Christi  by  several  days."  The 
consecration  took  place  at  St.  Mary-of- 
the-Woods,  Indiana,  in  the  mother- 
house  chapel  of  he  Sisters  of  Provi- 
dence, "one  of  the  finest  specimens  of 


Italian  Renaissance  architecture  in  the 
country."  Besides  the  fulness  of  the 
priesthood,  Bishop  Ledvina  also  ac- 
quired a  sizeable  purse,  amounting  to 
almost  thirty  thousand  dollars.  The 
solemn  Mass  for  his  enthronement  as 
Bishop  of  Corpus  Christi  was  sung  by 
Father  Aloysius  Boyle,  C.P.,  rector  of 
the  cathedral.  According  to  the  Times: 
"The  sermon,  a  particularly  eloquent 
and  instructive  one,  was  preached  by 
Reverend  Father  Mark  Moeslein,  pas- 
tor of  the  Holy  Cross  Church  of  this 
city."  The  Bishop's  welcome  to  Corpus 
Christi  was  cordial  enough,  but  appar- 
ently there  was  not  the  same  feeling 
as  there  was  at  the  advent  of  Bishop 
Paul.  However,  the  train  was  once 
more  on  time,  and  the  crowd  at  the 
station  was  reckoned  at  two  thousand. 
Return  to  Texas 
The  good  work  of  the  Passionists 
continues  in  Texas.  There  were  the 
usual  founding-troubles  when  we  came 
to  Houston:  close  quarters,  distance 
from  town,  disruption  of  telephone 
service,  all  the  things  that  gained  merit 
for  the  first  Fathers,  and  merit  our 
praise.  Transfer  was  finally  made  to 
the  location  on  Bunker  Hill  Road,  and 
with  this  our  work  began  in  earnest. 
The  first  day  of  recollection,  with  ten 
men  present,  was  conducted  on  Feb- 
ruary 29,  1948.  The  second  one,  on 
April  4th,  had  twelve  men  attending. 
There  were  to  be  many  more  of  these 
days  of  grace,  plus  radio  program., 
and  our  missionary  work  throughout 
the  state.  On  January  18,  1949,  there 
was  an  organization  meeting  of  the 
Laymen's  Retreat  League;    on  January 

33 


30th,  four  inches  of  snow;  on  May 
8th,  "Mother's  Day"  there  was  the 
formal  opening  of  the  Rosary  Path. 
At  this  time  it  was  written:  "Next 
to  God's  blessing  there  can  be  little 
doubt  that  the  fine  development  of  our 
Retreat  House  in  Houston  must  be  as- 
cribed to  the  great  zeal  of  its  Superior, 
Father  Aloysius  Dowling,  whom  God 
has  so  benignly  kept  with  us,  and  to 
the  generous  and  efficient  activity  of 
Father  Conleth  Overman,  the  Retreat 
Director."  Father  Conleth  branched  out 
into  the  dramatic  field,  offering  a 
Christmas  play  entitled  "When  God 
Was  a  Little  One,"  and  which  was 
seen  by  over  two  thousand.  His  Re- 
treat Theatre  Group  made  national 
news  in  the  Catholic  press  with  its  pres- 
entation of  "Queen  of  Sorrows,"  which 
gained  the  title  of  "Houston's  Own 
Passion  Play."  As  a  result  of  these  ef- 
forts, the  Theatre  Guild  of  Houston 
was  formed,  and  attracted  a  great  deal 
of  much-deserved  attention. 

But  the  retreat  work  remained  of 
paramount  importance.  On  March  5, 
1951,  Bishop  Nold  wrote  to  Father 
Conleth,  "...  to  express  my  satisfac- 
tion regarding  the  fine  work  being 
done  by  you  in  the  promotion  of  the 
Lay  Retreat  Movement.  .  .  .  Anything 
that  you  can  do  by  word  or  by  writing 
to  encourage  our  lay  people  to  this  end 
will  redound  to  God's  glory,  to  growth 
in  holiness  and  to  the  meriting  of 
God's  help  and  favor  in  these  our 
troubled  times." 

In  the  Provincial  Chapter  of  1953 
the  Houston  foundation  was  given 
canonical  status,  Father  Conleth  being 
34 


Father  Aloysius  Dowling,  C.P. 

elected  the  first  Rector.  Meanwhile,  the 
new  retreat  house  had  been  abuilding, 
and  on  October  11,  1953,  there  was 
"open  house";  Mass  was  said  in  the 
new  chapel  on  October  16th,  and  that 
night  the  Charter  Retreat  Class  met  for 
dinner,  and  the  beginning  of  the  his- 
toric first  retreat.  There  were  twenty 
men  in  this  privileged  group.  The 
solemn  dedication  of  the  new  house 
took  place  on  November  29th,  amidst 
a  flurry  of  superlatives.  And  again  it 
was  written:  "It  would  be  unjust  and 
ungracious  to  neglect  the  Passionist, 
who  under  God,  has  been  most  respon- 
sible for  the  success  of  the  retreat 
movement  in  Houston.  Our  own  Very 
Reverend  Father  Rector,  Father  Con- 
leth, C.P.,  certainly  merited  the  public 


tribute  paid  him  by  his  Excellency, 
Bishop  Nold;  and  to  that  tribute  we, 
the  members  of  his  community,  add 
our  own  sincere  appreciation  of  his 
sterling  qualities  of  leadership  at  home 
and  in  the  retreat  work  of  the  dio- 
cese." At  this  writing,  the  number  of 
retreatants  has  most  probably  passed 
the  three  thousand  mark,  and  this  does 
not  include  the  numbers  of  clergy  who 
have  found  Holy  Name  Retreat  House 
to  be  a  spiritual  and  physical  haven. 


Texas  remains  a  territory,  a  large 
territory,  in  the  geopraphic  as  well  as 
the  political  sense,  and  the  Passionists 
continue  to  plow,  plant  and  reap  in  this 
fertile  field  to  which  they  were  first 
called  so  many  years  ago.  We  can 
hardly  close  with  a  better  thought  than 
was  expressed  by  a  Nueces  farmer  in 
those  early  days:  "There  is  no  use 
lying  about  a  country  that  gives  so 
many  chances! 


OFFICIAL  CHANGES 

Two  important  changes  take  place  on  The  PASSIONIST  beginning  with 
this  issue. 

First,  The  PASSIONIST  has  been  officially  designated  as  the  English-News 
SUPPLEMENT  to  the  ACTA  CONGREGATIONIS.  This  recognition  by  the 
General  Curia  comes  as  a  distinct  joy  to  The  PASSIONIST  and  Holy  Cross 
Province,  for  it  gives  the  News  Section  of  The  PASSIONIST  official  status 
and  serves  as  an  indication  that  in  some  way  it  has  succeeded  in  attaining 
the  goal  put  before  itself  at  its  inception  almost  fifteen  years  ago  by  its  founder 
and  first  Editor,  Fr.  Vincent  Mary,  C.P.:  to  be  the  vehicle  of  articles  and  news 
items  that  would  tie  the  Congregation  more  closely  together  in  fact  as  well 
as  in  spirit. 

Secondly,  with  this  issue,  The  PASSIONIST  has  a  new  Editor.  Father 
Bruce  Henry,  C.P.,  has  been  appointed  Editor  and  succeeds  Father  Vincent 
Mary,  C.P.,  and  his  interim  subsitute,  Father  Warren  Womack,  C.P.  The  whole 
Congregation  is  grateful  to  these  two  Passionists  for  the  excellent  work  they 
have  done  in  editing  The  PASSIONIST.  May  the  Editor  following  them  walk 
in  their  footsteps! 

Editor 


OUR  COVER  DESIGN 

The  famous  Pilgrim  Statue  of  Our  Lady  of  Fatima  as  it  left  LaGuardia 
Airfield  for  its  journey  to  Buffalo  is  the  cover  design  for  this  issue  of  The 
PASSIONIST.  Rev.  Fr.  Lambert  Missack,  C.P.,  (left)  a  member  of  the  Jamaica 
community  escorted  the  Statue  to  the  Airfield.  Father  Montiez,  O.M.I.,  (right) 
was  commissioned   by  the   Holy   Father  to  take  the  statue  around   the  world. 


35 


/Cental  |p>ra^er 

life   of  H   lPassioniet 


in    tbe 


by 


CARROLL  STUHLMUELLER,  C.P. 


BOVE  the  tomb  of  St. 
Paul  of  the  Cross  in  the 
basilica  of  Sts.  John  and 
Paul  in  Rome,  there  hangs 
a  well-  known  painting 
which  very  well  portrays 
the  spirit  of  the  Passionist 
vocation.  Jesus  has  freed  his  hands  from 
the  clasp  of  the  nails  and  is  leaning 
down  from  the  cross.  With  his  right 
arm  He  is  lifting  Paul  from  the  earth 
and  drawing  him  close  to  Himself,  so 
that  Paul  is  leaning  upon  the  wounded 
side  and  pierced  Heart  of  Christ.  With 
his  left  arm  Christ  is  reaching  out  to- 
wards the  world,  in  a  gesture  that  seems 
to  say:  "Tell  the  world  the  secrets  that 
you  learn  in  my  wounded  Heart." 

St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  was  the  great 
apostle  of  the  Passion.  But  his  work 
was  not  accomplished  by  himself  alone, 
but  by  an  apostolic  band  of  missionaries 
who  would  succeed  him  in  each  genera- 


tion. In  order  to  assure  the  Church  a 
group  of  zealous,  well-trained  apostles 
of  the  Passion,  St.  Paul  put  on  paper  a 
Rule  of  life.  And  he  also  impressed 
upon  the  hearts  of  his  first  companions 
a  "rule  of  the  spirit,"  an  unwritten 
tradition.  This  was  to  be  a  spirit  of 
prayer,  of  solitude,  and  of  poverty  as 
well  as  promoting  devotion  to  the  Pas- 
sion (Reg.  94,  4).  In  this  paper  we 
will  analyze  one  element  of  that  spirit, 
that  of  grayer.  We  will  seek  to  deter- 
mine what  way  and  to  what  extent  the 
spirit  of  prayer  depends  upon  the 
■practice  of  mental  prayer?  Our  study 
will  follow  two  general  lines,  of 
thought: 

I)  Why  we  have  so  much  time  de- 
voted to  mental  prayer.  (This 
will  be  an  historical  study.) 
II)  Why  we  need  this  time  of  prayer. 
(This  latter  section  comprises 
the  theological  answer.) 


PART  I— WHY  WE  HAVE  MENTAL  PRAYER 


The  answer  to  this  first  question 
takes  us  back  into  the  origins  of  the 
Congregation.  We  will  step  back  into 
the  ages  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross,  in 
order  to  become  better  acquainted  with 
our  Holy  Founder.    This  will  lead  us 


to  a  fuller  knowledge  of  the  Holy  Rules 
and  a  deeper  penetration  of  their  spirit. 
Our  journey  into  the  past  will  take  us 
along  the  following  paths  of  investiga- 
tion: 1)  the  importance  of  mental 
prayer  in  the  personal  life  of  St.  Paul  of 


36 


the  Cross;  2)  the  high  degree  of  prayer 
to  which  he  thought  his  religious  were 
called  by  reason  of  their  vocation;  3) 
the  place  which   St.    Paul   assigned   to 


mental  prayer  in  his  rule  of  life;  and 
4)  the  commission  which  he  laid  upon 
the  Congregation  to  teach  others  how 
to  make  mental  prayer. 


1.  MENTAL  PRAYER  IN  THE  LIFE  OF  ST.  PAUL 


"Prayer,"  we  read  in  his  Life  by  St. 
Vincent  Strambi,  "was  his  constant  oc- 
cupation. From  his  early,  years  he  would 
rise  at  night  with  his  brother  John  the 
Baptist  and  .  .  .  recite  the  divine  office 
and  throughout  the  silence  of  the  night 


deal  with  God  in  prayer.  In  later  years, 
prayer  was  his  continual  practice  and 
to  be  united  with  God  was  the  occupa- 
tion of  his  whole  life."1  St.  Paul  once 
spoke  of  the  time  which  he  called  his 
conversion:    "I  used  to  spend  at  least 


Picture  above  the  Tomb  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  showing  the  Saint  embraced 

by  Christ. 


37 


seven  hours  of  the  day  and  night  in 
prayer  and  other  pious  exercises.  On 
Sundays  and  feast  days  I  used  to  rise 
early  in  the  morning  and  go  to  the 
Oratory  of  the  Confraternity  in  which  I 
was  enrolled  where  I  recited  the  divine 
office  with  the  other  members.  Then  in 
the  principal  church  I  would  kneel  for 
five  hours  without  intermission  and 
adore  the  Sacred  Eucharist  solemnly  ex- 
posed. After  a  light  meal,  I  would  go 
again  to  church  for  Vespers,  and  after 
that  I  would  take  a  solitary  walk  in  the 
country.  I  would  finish  my  day  by 
making  an  hour's  meditation  in  the 
church  of  the  Capuchins."2 

On  November  22,  1720  St.  Paul  was 
clothed  by  his  bishop  in  the  black  habit 
of  mourning  in  which  Mary  had  ap- 
peared to  him.  Immediately  after  re- 
ceiving the  Passionist  habit,  he  begun 
a  forty-day  retreat.  The  diary  which  he 
kept  during  these  days  reveals  a  man 
whose  breath  and  heart-beat  were  men- 
tal prayer.  In  its  pages  St.  Paul  mani- 
fests a  long  acquaintance  with  the 
masters  of  prayer,  St.  Teresa,  St.  John 
of  the  Cross  and  St.  Francis  de  Sales, 
as  well  as  an  ability  to  describe  accurate- 
ly his  own  state  of  soul.  On  Dec.  2nd, 
the  tenth  day  of  this  retreat,  he  began 
writing    the   Holy    Rules.     He    would 


spend,  as  he  says :  "three  hours  in  prayer 
before  the  Blessed  Sacrament  each  time 
that  he  would  take  up  his  pen  and 
write  a  new  section."3  This  primitive 
rule  devoted  four  and  three-quarters 
hours  a  day  to  mental  prayer,  besides 
the  time  for  chanting  the  office.  Even 
though  this  was  later  modified,  still  it 
declares  unequivocally  the  great  import- 
ance which  St.  Paul  attached  to  mental 
prayer. 

Fr.  Caetan  has  an  entire  chapter  in 
one  of  his  books,  devoted  to  the 
amount  of  time  which  St.  Paul  gave  to 
mental  prayer  during  the  different 
periods  of  his  life.4  As  we  read  this 
chapter,  we  are  left  with  the  same  im- 
pression as  a  witness  who  was  long 
acquainted  with  St.  Paul  and  who  stated 
in  the  processes  for  beatification: 
"Prayer  preceded,  accompanied  and  fol- 
lowed all  of  Paul's  actions."5 

The  life  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross, 
which  Pius  XI  tells  us  is  the  "supreme 
example  to  be  followed"  by  us  his 
children, 5a  shows  us  a  man  with  an 
overwhelming  love  and  spirit  of  prayer, 
who  manifested  this  in  the  practice  of 
much  mental  prayer.  To  what  extent  he 
intended  his  sons  to  follow  this  example 
will  be  studied  in  the  following  sections. 


2.  PASSIONIST  VOCATION  TO  A  HIGH  DEGREE 
OF  PRAYER 


St.  Paul  believed  that  his  religious 
were  called  to  a  high  degree  of  prayer 
by  reason  of  their  vocation.  It  is  dis- 
puted whether  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross 
thought  that  all  men  were  called   to 


infused  contemplation.  Since  he  lived 
before  the  time  of  this  modern  contro- 
versy, it  is  doubly  difficult  to  decide. 
Fr.  Caetan,  C.P.,  thinks  that  St.  Paul 
did  not  consider  all  souls  destined  to 


33 


infused  contemplation,  even  if  they 
faithfully  followed  their  religious 
duties. ,!  Others  differ  with  him  in  this.7 
However,  Fr.  Caetan  says  unhesitatingly 
that  St.  Paul  was  pursuaded  that  his 
own  religious  were  called  to  a  very 
high  and  elevated  state  of  prayer.  He 
quotes  the  words  of  one  of  the  first 
Passionists  who  testified  in  the  processes 
of  beatification:  "In  order  to  animate 
us  to  the  holy  exercise  of  prayer,  the 
servant  of  God  had  the  custom  of  saying 
that  all  our  religious,  having  professed 
an  austere,  retired  and  solitary  life,  are 
called  to  a  high  prayer.  I  myself  have 
heard  this  many  times  from  his  mouth."8 
St.  Teresa9  and  St.  Jane  Frances  de 
Chantal10  have  similar  statements,  link- 
ing a  life  of  solitude  and  penance  to  a 
high  degree  of  prayer. 

REACHING  FOR  A  HIGH  GOAL 

That  is  why  St.  Paul  wanted  the 
master  of  novices  to  prepare  his  charges 
for  this  gift  of  prayer.  In  several  of 
his  letters  St.  Paul  explains  in  what  way 
the  Master  will  dispose  his  novices  for 
this  gift.  "Affective  prayer,  made  in 
pure  faith,"  he  wrote  to  the  Rector  of 
the  novitiate  house  on  Mt.  Argentaro, 
"whether  it  be  a  high  interior  recollec- 
tion or  infused  prayer,  is  a  gratuitous 
gift  of  God  and  we  ought  not  to  pre- 
tend to  place  anyone  in  it  by  force  of 
one's  arms."  He  then  enumerates  the 
virtues  in  which  the  master  should  habi- 
tuate the  novices:  humility,  blind  obe- 
dience, perfect  abnegation,  total  morti- 
fication. "These,"  he  concluded,  "arc 
the  fundamental  virtues  for  the  spiritual 
edifice   and   for  obtaining   the  gift  of 


holy  prayer  and  union  with  God" 
{Lettere  III,  439).  He  wanted  his  own 
little  booklet,  Mystic  Death  and  Divine 
Birth,  given  to  the  novices,  but  "not 
until  the  end  of  the  novitiate  when  it 
can  be  known  that  they  have  made 
notable  advance  in  prayer  and  holy 
virtue."  The  reason  for  this  delay  rests 
in  the  fact  that  within  its  pages  "there 
is  presented  the  highest  perfection  and 
holiness"  {Lettere  III,  442).  This  shows 
what  he  expected  of  his  religious  even 
at  such  an  early  period  of  their  religious 
life. 

There  are  still  other  letters  which 
speak  of  the  "high  union  with  God 
through  holy  contemplation"  that  he 
expected  of  all  his  religious  {Lettere 
111,157;  IV,  251).  To  his  religious  at 
Terracina  he  wrote:  "The  important 
point  is  this:  we  will  never  be  men  of 
great  prayer  and  union  with  God,  if  we 
do  not  have  a  great  love  of  mortifica- 
tion." He  then  made  an  earnest  appeal 
that  they  avoid  unnecessary  distractions 
and  vain  curiosity.  If  they  do  not  fol- 
low his  advice,  he  warns  them:  "How 
much  trouble  and  interior  remorse !  How 
fatigued  you  will  be  for  recollecting 
yourself"  {Lettere  IV,  292-295).  St. 
Paul  felt  convinced  that  the  Passionist 
vocation  led  to  a  high  degree  of  prayer, 
not  automatically,  but  only  when  the 
religious  take  advantage  of  the  many 
opportunities  for  silence  and  detach- 
ment. 

From  an  early  document  of  this 
period  we  learn  how  well  St.  Paul  suc- 
ceeded in  forming  his  first  companions 
in  a  spirit  of  high  prayer:  "The  exercise 
of    mental    prayer   was    performed    by 


39 


these  religious  with  such  ardor,  that  it 
seemed  to  be  their  sole  occupation.  To 
this  end  they  kept  an  inviolable  silence, 
living  as  much  as  possible  retired  from 
the  world,  dividing  their  time  between 
study  and  prayer.  .  .  .  The  time  assigned 
in  the  Rule  to  prayer  was  to  them  but 
little  time,  so  that  even  during  external 
employments  they  were  absorbed  in 
God.  .  .  .  This  love  of  prayer  went  still 
further,  every  care  being  taken  that  the 
seculars  who  served  as  domestics  in 
the  Retreat  should  learn  this  holy  ex- 
ercise.11 

Up  till  now  we  have  investigated 
the  importance  of  mental  prayer  in  the 
personal  life  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross 
and  the  high  degree  of  prayer  to  which 
he  felt  his  religious  were  called  by  rea- 


son of  their  vocation.  This  puts  us  in 
a  good  position  to  estimate  the  place 
of  mental  prayer  in  the  Holy  Rules. 
By  personal  inclination  St.  Paul  would 
be  expected  to  give  a  prominent  place  to 
prayer  in  the  day's  horarium.  Further- 
more, since  Passionists  are  called  to  a 
high  degree  of  prayer  and  are  recog- 
nized by  the  Church  as  men  "devoted  to 
prayer,"  they  would  be  expected  to 
follow  a  program  where  prayer  and  si- 
lence occupy  a  great  part  of  the  day 
(cf  Rules  10).  For  Prayer,  like  base- 
ball, cannot  be  book-learned.  Practice 
alone  makes  perfect.  What  others  have 
written  of  it,  must  be  tried  and  experi- 
enced by  each  individual  religious.  The 
Holy  Rules  would  guarantee  that,  so  far 
as  external  legislation  can  do  so. 


3.  MENTAL  PRAYER  IN  THE  HOLY  RULES 


In  writing  the  Passionist  Rule,  St. 
Paul  assigned  a  special  place  to  mental 
prayer.  In  what  he  himself  called  the 
first  and  fundamental  chapter  of  the 
Holy  Rules  {Lettere  IV,  250),  St.  Paul 
wrote:  "Since,  however,  one  of  the 
chief  objects  of  our  Congregation  is 
not  only  to  devote  ourselves  to  prayer, 
that  we  may  be  united  to  God  by  chari- 
ty, but  also  to  lead  others  to  do  the 
same,  instructing  them  in  the  best  and 
easiest  manner  possible;  those  members 
who  may  be  considered  fit  for  so  great 
a  work,  should,  as  well  during  apostolic 
missions  as  other  pious  exercises,  teach 
the  people  by  word  of  mouth  how  to 
meditate  devoutly  on  the  Mysteries, 
Sufferings  and  Death  of  Our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ"   (Rules  3). 


As  we  study  these  words  carefully, 
certain  ideas  catch  our  attention.  First, 
the  two  chief  objects  of  our  Congrega- 
tion are  "to  devote  ourselves  to  prayer" 
and  "to  lead  others  to  do  the  same." 
That  is  our  way  of  being  "united  to 
God  by  charity"  and  of  bringing  others 
to  the  same  goal.  In  evaluating  the 
means  of  perfection  prayer  is  given  the 
first  place.  Secondly,  by  prayer  the 
Rules  understand  principally  what  is 
called  mental  prayer.  We  are  "to  devote 
ourselves  to  prayer"  and  "to  teach  the 
people  .  .  .  how  to  meditate."  The  par- 
allel between  the  two  phrases  is  signifi- 
cant. The  Rule  of  1736  even  more 
clearly  understands  the  word  "prayer"  to 
mean  "mental  prayer."  "One  of  the 
principal  ends  of  this  least  Congregation 


40 


consists  not  only  in  being  indefatigable 
in  holy  prayer  in  order  to  seek  holy 
union  with  God,  but  also  in  inducing 
our  neighbor  (to  do  the  same),  in- 
structing him  on  the  easiest  manner  pos- 
sible in  so  angelic  an  exercise." 

UNION   WITH    GOD   THROUGH 
PRAYER 

These  words  of  the  Holy  Rules  re- 
mind us  of  an  entry  that  St.  Paul  made 
in  a  diary,  just  three  days  after  com- 
pleting the  primitive  draft  of  the  Rule. 
In  the  one  entry  for  the  10th- 13th  of 
December  we  read:  "...  I  know  that 
God  gives  me  to  understand  that  the 
soul  which  God  wishes  to  draw  to  high 
union  with  Him  by  the  means  of  prayer 
must  pass  by  this  way  of  suffering  dur- 
ing prayer." 

That  mental  prayer  is  to  be  given 
special  prominence  in  the  Passionist 
way  of  life  and  in  fact  is  to  be  con- 
sidered the  Passionist's  chief  means  for 
union  with  God  is  a  truth  reflected  else- 
where in  the  Rules  and  Regulations. 
We  read  that  mental  prayer  is  "the 
strongest  and  most  necessary  prop"  for 
all  religious  orders,  but  for  a  Passionist 
it  is  something  altogether  special.  He 
belongs  to  a  Congregation  "established 
in  an  especial  manner  in  a  spirit  of 
prayer  and  communion  with  God" 
(Reg.  21).  Passionist  home-life  is  to 
give  him  the  leisure  to  attend  to  God 
(Rules  190),  where  he  can  "willingly 
remain  .  .  .  given  up  to  religious  quiet 
and  pious  meditation  at  the  feet  of 
Jesus  Crucified"  (Rules  221).  The 
Passionist  Congregation  is  among  the 
very  few  who  "spend  an  entire  hour  in 
holy  meditation"   each  evening   (Rules 


160).  Moreover,  there  are  two  half- 
hours  of  solitary  walk.  These  walks 
are  granted  principally  to  relieve  the 
tension  of  the  mind  and  to  grant  physi- 
cal exercise  to  the  body.  But  there  is 
also  another  reason,  that  "from  the 
beauty  of  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
(they  can)  .  .  .  infer  the  goodness  of 
the  Creator"  (Rules  159,  Reg.  67). 
Altogether,  the  Holy  Rules  devote  two 
complete  hours  to  mental  prayer,  two 
and  one-quarter  hours  to  chanting  the 
office,  and  another  25  minutes  to  night 
prayer. 

BLEND  OF  RULE  AND  SPIRIT 
Like  the  life  of  St.  Paul,  the  Holy 
Rules  blend  the  practice  of  formal 
prayer  with  a  continual  spirit  of  prayer. 
There  is  given  to  Passionists  the  high 
ideal  of  doing  everything  "as  recol- 
lecting that  they  are  in  presence  of 
God"  (Rules  46).  "Let  each  one 
strive  to  excel  in  an  ardent  love  of  God 
and  to  cherish  a  lively,  active  and  con- 
stant faith.  In  all  things  let  them  con- 
sider God  as  present.  In  this  way  we 
shall  pray  continually."  Besides  these 
general  recommendations  to  a  deep  spirit 
of  recollection,  the  Rules  and  Regula- 
tions alro  become  very  detailed.  Before 
recreation  they  should  first  "renew  a 
strong  determination  to  remember  the 
presence  of  God"  (Reg  80).  /;/  the 
corridor  as  they  proceed  to  the  refec- 
tory, let  them  remember  "that  Our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ ...  in  His  last  agony 
had  not  even  a  drop  of  water  to  quench 
his  thirst"  (Reg.  69).  At  table  they 
should  be  "meditating  on  divine  things" 
(Rules  125).  Even  /;;  bed  "let  them  .  .  . 
reflect  on  the  presence  of  God  and  His 


41 


angels"  as  they  fall  asleep  (Rules  240). 
"Let  them  travel  with  their  mind,  as 
much  as  in  them  lies,  fixed  on  God" 
(Rules  288;  cf.  218,  290;  Reg.  267). 
We  pass  over  the  many  references  in 
the  Rules,  Regulations  and  Letters  of 
St.  Paul  which  view  the  other  means  of 
perfection  as  so  many  helps  for  pro- 
viding an  atmosphere  of  prayer  and 
union  with  God.12  But  we  would  like 
to  delay  a  moment  upon  one  element, 
that  of  solitude,  so  characteristic  of  the 
Passionist  spirit.13  St.  Thomas  teaches 
that  an  order  which  emphasizes  soli- 
tude is  ipso  facto  "directed  to  contem- 
plation" (II-II,  Q  188,  a  8).  In  the 
early  days  of  his  life,  St.  Paul's  inspira- 
tion to  found  a  new  institute  was  ever 
accompanied  by  an  impelling  desire  for 
solitude.  We  notice  this  at  once  in  the 
preface  to  the  first  Rule  {Lett ere  IV, 
217-220).  It  is  true  that  in  his  letters 
to  others,  he  would  emphasize  the  fact 
that  solitude  was  essentially  of  the 
spirit  {Letter e  II,  477).    However,  for 


solitude  as  well,  and  for  the  reason,  as 
he  told  the  religious  at  Terracina,  that 
we  are  to  be  "men  of  great  prayer" 
{Lettere  IV,  293). 

This  section  may  have  repeated  much 
that  is  obvious  to  every  one  of  us.  But 
the  accummulated  force  of  so  many 
texts  should  show  the  pressing  demand 
which  is  made  upon  a  Passionist  for  a 
life  of  prayer.  It  is  his  special  means  for 
union  with  God.  This  is  not  to  deny 
that  every  religious,  and  in  fact  every 
Christian,  must  have  a  spirit  of  prayer. 
But  in  the  Passionist  way  of  life,  mental 
prayer  receives  a  particular  emphasis. 
According  to  modern  authorities,  the 
spirituality  of  any  institute  is  determined 
by  the  emphasis  of  one  means  rather 
than  another,  by  a  "proportion  amongst 
the  means"  and  by  the  manner  in  which 
these  are  "organized  and  composed."14 
Not  only  is  prayer  the  Passionist 's  chief 
means  for  union  with  God,  but  (as  we 
shall  now  see)  one  of  his  principal 
objects  in  the  apostolate. 


his  own  religious  he  demanded  external 

4.  COMMISSIONED  TO  TEACH  MENTAL  PRAYER 


We  have  come  to  the  fourth  reason 
why  Passionists  have  long  periods  of 
mental  prayer.  They  have  been  com- 
missioned by  St.  Paul  to  teach  others 
how  to  make  mental  prayer.  They  are  to 
be  masters  of  this  art.  They  must  know 
the  way  well,  in  order  to  direct  others 
along  it.  Nemo  dat  quod  non  habet. 
TO  INSURE  LASTING  RESULTS 
From  beginning  to  end,  the  Holy 
Rules,  left  by  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross, 
consider  mental  prayer  as  the  most 
practical  way  to  insure  lasting  results  to 


missionary  labors.  The  missionary  will 
go  away  from  the  parish  church  or  reli- 
gious house,  but  he  must  leave  behind 
his  own  enduring  love  for  Jesus  on  the 
Cross.15  The  Rules  open  with  the  clear 
and  unmistakeable  statement  of  how 
this  is  to  be  done:  "One  of  the  chief 
objects  of  the  Congregation  is  not  only 
to  devote  ourselves  to  prayer  .  .  .  but  also 
to  lead  others  to  do  the  same,  instructing 
them  in  the  best  and  easiest  manner  pos- 
sible; (they  should  therefore)  teach  the 
people  by  word  of  mouth  how  to  medi- 


47 


tate  devoutly  on  the  Mysteries,  Suf- 
ferings and  death  of  Our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ ..."  (Rules  3).  There  is  a  chain 
of  references  throughout  the  Rules  and 
Regulations  which  continue  this  same 
thought.  We  will  quote  only  one  which 
sums  up  all  the  others:  "Let  them  not 
only  exhort  but  also  instruct  the  people 
how  to  meditate  piously  on  the  Myster- 
ies of  the  Life,  Passion,  and  Death  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Let  them  teach 
them  to  accustom  themselves  to  prayer, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  lay  open  and 
refute  the  pernicious  error  of  some  who 
imagine  that  meditation  on  Divine 
things  is  an  employment  proper  only 
for  Religious,  and  for  the  Clergy.  Let 
them  .  .  .  show  that ...  by  means  of 
(prayer)  .  .  .they  will  understand  more 
and  more  the  deceitful  arts  of  the  devil 
and  of  the  world,  see  the  deformity  of 
vice,  and  the  excellence  of  virtue. 
EXAMPLE  OF  ST.  PAUL 
This  prescription  of  the  Holy  Rules 
receives  its  best  commentary  in  the  life 
of  St.  Paul.  Throughout  the  processes 
for  beatification  and  canonization,  one 
witness  after  another  testifies  how  he 
"was  accustomed  with  great  efficacy  to 
recommend  (mental  prayer)  not  only  to 
his  own  religious,  but  also  to  other 
ecclesiastics  and  secular  persons,  .  .  . 
teaching  both  one  and  the  other  the 
way  to  make  it."1,;  A  typical  example 
of  his  procedure  is  given  by  Fr.  John 
Mary  of  St.  Ignatius.  St.  Paul  wanted 
to  induce  a  certain  girl  to  live  a  less 
frivolous  and  more  fervent  life.  He 
saw  how  vain  she  was  in  dress.  At  the 
first  meeting  he  encouraged  her  to  cer- 
tain practices  of  devotion.   In  the  second 


meeting,  "he  then  proposed  that  she 
spend  some  time  each  day  in  meditation. 
Seeing  afterwards  the  progress  that  she 
had  made  .  .  .  and  that  she  was  attended 
much  to  holy  prayer  he  said  clearly 
to  her,  'What  does  all  this  vanity 
serve?'  "1T  Another  example  is  the 
time  when  he  was  asked  by  Clement 
XIV  for  counsel  in  the  reform  of  the 
clerics  regular.  St.  Paul  replied  that  the 
essential  thing  above  all  was  to  make 
efficacious  the  practice  of  mental  prayer, 
and  he  then  proposed  a  plan  for  this.18 

Our  Holy  Rules,  then,  do  commission 
us  to  be  masters  in  the  art  of  mental 
prayer.19  In  this  way  Passionist  mis- 
sionaries produce  lasting  results.  It  is 
a  stable  means  to  insure  an  abiding  love 
for  Christ  upon  the  cross.  The  example 
of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  with  his  ener- 
getic, practical  zeal  makes  these  words 
of  the  Rule  come  alive  before  our  eyes. 
Since  Passionists  preach  to  all  classes  of 
men,  they  must  be  all  things  to  all  men 
in  this  matter  of  mental  prayer.  As  St. 
Paul  expressed  it:  "The  director  (of 
souls  along  the  way  of  mental  prayer) 
ought  to  be  a  very  learned  man,  a  man 
of  great  prayer,  and  of  much  experi- 
ence" {Lett ere  I,  177-178).  Therefore, 
to  fulfill  this  commission  mental  prayer 
must  have  a  conspicuous  and  predomin- 
ant place  in  their  own  lives  as  well  as 
in  their  apostolate. 

We  can  conclude  this  historical  part 
of  the  article  by  stating  that  mental 
prayer  has  a  very  special  place  in  Pas- 
sionist Spirituality.  Although  it  numbers 
among  the  means  of  perfection  common 
to  all  religious,  it  has  .1  particularly  im- 
portant role  in   Passionist  sanctification 


43 


and  in  the  Passionist  apostolate.  We 
saw  this  fact  clearly  emerge:  1)  from 
the  example  of  St.  Paul,  our  father  and 
founder,  and  2)  from  his  conviction 
that  all  Passionists  by  reason  of  their 


vocation  are  called  to  a  high  degree  of 
prayer.  It  was  demanded:  3)  by  the 
words  of  the  Holy  Rules,  and  4)  by  the 
commission  to  teach  others  the  art  of 
mental  prayer. 


PART  II— WHY  WE  NEED  MENTAL  PRAYER 


In  the  preceding  section  we  gathered 
together  certain  historical  facts  that  ex- 
plained why  we  have  so  much  time 
devoted  to  mental  prayer.  Passionist 
Spirituality,  with  its  emphasis  upon 
prayer,  received  its  formation  in  the 
hands  and  heart  of  a  saint.  It  was  re- 
peatedly and  solemnly  blessed  by  the 
Church  through  the  person  of  the 
Sovereign  Pontiffs.  There  must  have 
been  soild  ascetical  or  dogmatic  reasons 
beneath  all  this.  We  are  now  setting 
ourselves  to  the  task  of  finding  those 
reasons.  What  are  the  theological  rea- 
sons connecting  our  spirit  of  prayer  with 
our  practice  of  mental  prayer?  History 
has  linked  the  two  together.  Does 
Theology  also  ?  Or,  to  put  the  question 


in  another  way,  to  what  extent  is  mental 
prayer  necessary  as  the  normal  way  for 
arriving  at  full  Passionist  perfection? 
First  of  all,  we  will  seek  the  opinion  of 
those  who  are  authorities  in  this  matter, 
both  ancient  and  modern.  Since  Theol- 
ogy is  the  scientific  expression  of  what 
has  been  believed  and  taught  in  the 
Church,  this  survey  can  be  considered  the 
voice  of  Catholic  Tradition.  As  such,  it 
is  one  of  the  strongest  arguments  ad- 
vanced by  Theology.  After  this,  we  will 
see  if  anything  can  be  deduced  from 
the  nature  of  prayer  itself.  Lastly,  we 
will  turn  our  attention  to  the  soul- 
purifying  effects  of  the  prayer  of  faith 
and  the  part  it  plays  in  Passionist  sanc- 
tity. 


1.  THE  VOICE  OF  CATHOLIC  TRADITION 


From  the  authority  of  others  a  strong 
argument  can  be  raised  that  long  periods 
of  mental  prayer  are  of  the  utmost 
advantage  for  maintaining  a  spirit  of 
prayer.  Yet,  at  the  very  start  and  evi- 
dent difficulty  is  encountered.  St.  Bene- 
dict, the  father  of  western  monasticism, 
set  aside  no  definite  period  for  mental 
prayer.  But  we  should  remember  that 
the  modern  notion  of  mental  prayer  is 
somewhat  new  in  the  centuries-old  Cath- 
olic Church.  Poulain  remarks:  "Before 
the  fifteenth  century,  or  even  the  six- 
teenth, the  usage  of  methodical  mental 


prayer — prayer,  that  is  to  say,  where  the 
subject,  method  and  duration  are  de- 
termined— is  not  traceable  in  the 
Church."20  In  early  monasticism  lectio 
divina  took  the  place  of  mental  prayer 
as  a  daily  practice.  During  this  sacred 
reading,  the  monks  slowly  perused  the 
Holy  Scriptures  with  frequent  pauses 
for  personal  consideration.40  The  Rule 
of  St.  Benedict  allowed  four  hours 
daily  for  this  (Rule  ch.  48).  The  needs 
of  an  earlier  age  were  met,  not  with 
less  time  for  prayer,  but  rather  with 
more  time  for  a  prayer  of  a  slightly  dif- 


44 


ferent  kind. 

The  objection  is  often  put  forth  that 
St.  Thomas  was  against  long  periods  of 
mental  prayer.21  In  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion "Whether  prayer  should  last  a  long 
time?"  he  wrote:  "Prayer  should  last 
long  enough  to  arouse  the  fervour  of  the 
interior  desire:  and  when  it  exceeds 
this  measure,  so  that  it  cannot  be  con- 
tinued any  longer  without  causing  wear- 
iness, it  should  be  discontinued"  (II-II, 
Q  83,  a  14).  However,  we  must  realize 
that  by  the  word  prayer  (oratio)  St. 
Thomas  meant:  "petitio  decentium  a 
Deo  cum  quadam  mentis  elevatione."22 
Even  the  term  oratio  mentalis  as  used 
by  St.  Thomas23  means  "a  petition  which 
the  soul  addresses  to  God  without 
making  use  of  words."24  The  words  of 
St.  Augustine  which  St.  Thomas  im- 
mediately quotes  in  this  context  also 
refer  to  the  long  vocal  prayers  of  the 
monks  of  Egypt,25  and  St.  Thomas 
himself  is  here  opposing  the  error  of 
the  Euchites  who  taught  that  the  faith- 
ful must  give  all  their  time  to  vocal 
prayers.26  In  another  place  he  repeats 
with  favour  these  words  of  St.  Augus- 
tine: "Absit  ab  oratione  multa  locutio, 
sed  non  desit  multa  precatio,  si  fervens 
perseveret  intentio.  Nam  multum  loqui 
est  in  orando  rem  necessarium  superfiuis 
verbis  agere.  Multum  autem  precari  est 
ad  eum  quern  precamur,  diutuma  et 
pia  cordis  exercitatione  pulsar e"  (4 
Sent,  dist  15,  Q  4,  a  2).  St.  Thomas 
also  admits  that  contemplation  cannot 
"last  long  at  its  highest  pitch  .  .  .  (How- 
ever, he  goes  on  to  say)  it  can  be  of 
long  duration  as  regards  the  other  con- 
templative acts."27 


EARLIER  WRITERS 

The  greatest  authority  on  mental 
prayer  is  St.  Teresa  of  Jesus.  So  de- 
voted was  she  to  prayer  the  she  wrote: 
"I  cannot  conceive,  my  Creator,  why  the 
whole  world  does  not  strive  to  draw 
near  to  Thee  in  this  intimate  friend- 
ship."28 All  her  defects  she  attributed 
to  the  omission  of  mental  prayer  and 
all  her  progress  to  the  practice  of  it.29 
For  her  it  was  the  short-cut  to  perfec- 
tion,30 the  "door  of  entry  into  this  (in- 
terior) castle  (of  union  with  God),"31 
and  the  "royal  road  to  heaven."32 

St.  Teresa  introduced  two  separate 
but  complete  hours  of  mental  prayer 
into  the  Carmelite  reform.33  Even  for 
beginners  she  wrote:  "They  should 
allow  Thee  to  be  with  them  for  at  least 
two  hours  each  day,  even  though  they 
may  not  be  with  Thee,  but  are  per- 
plexed, as  I  was,  with  a  thousand  world- 
ly cares  and  thoughts."34  It  is  evident 
that  she  realized  the  difficulties  which 
accompanied  mental  prayer.  Yet,  despite 
this,  she  wrote:  "My  sisters,  practice 
mental  prayer.  .  .  .  Let  those  who  cannot 
do  so  strive  to  pray  vocally,  or  even  to 
read  and  converse  with  God.  .  .  .  But 
let  no  one  among  you  fail  to  give  to 
prayer  the  hours  laid  down  by  the  Rule. 
You  do  not  know  at  what  moment  the 
bridegroom    will    call    you."35 

5"/.  John  of  the  Cross,  the  Doctor  of 
Prayer,  realized  that  graces  of  high 
prayer  come  only  from  God,  and  there- 
fore do  not  of  their  nature  depend  upon 
long  periods  of  preparation  on  man's 
part  .  But  he  also  held  that  ordinarily 
preparation  is  a  sine  qua  non.  "Into  a 
soul   that   is   prepared   the  act  of   love 


45 


enters  in  a  few  moments,  for  the  spark 
seizes  upon  the  dry  fuel  at  each  con- 
tact; and  merely  because  of  its  thorough 
preparation,  it  is  wont  to  remain  a  long 
time  in  the  act  of  love  or  contempla- 
tion."36 These  words  of  St.  Teresa  and 
St.  John  of  the  Cross  are  especially 
significant,  not  only  because  of  the  great 
authority  of  those  two  saints  (one  of 
whom  is  a  doctor  of  the  universal  church 
and  the  other  probably  would  be  if  she 
had  not  been  a  woman),  but  also  be- 
cause St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  was  well 
acquainted  with  their  writings.37  An- 
other, great  saint  known  personally  to 
St.  Teresa  and  greatly  esteemed  by  her 
was  St.  Peter  of  Alcantara.  He  main- 
tained that  "less  than  an  hour  and  a 
half  is  not  sufficient;  for  it  often  hap- 
pens that  a  half -hour  is  spent  in  the 
effort  to  become  recollected."38 

Our  own  St. Paul  of  the  Cross  is  to  be 
classed  among  the  great  authorities  on 
prayer.  He  was  very  discreet  and  careful 
in  regulating  the  time  spent  in  mental 
prayer.  Even  though  St.  Francis  de 
Sales  wanted  an  entire  hour  each  day39 
and  Tauler  at  least  an  hour40 — two 
authors  whom  he  knew  well — St.  Paul 
would  ask  of  persons  he  directed  only 
one-quarter  or  at  most  one-half  an  hour 
in  the  evening,  and  would  carefully 
allow  more  time  only  as  the  person  ad- 
vanced.41 To  a  young  lady  given  to 
melancholy,  he  allowed  only  one-quarter 
of  an  hour  {Lett ere  IV,  27).  Thomas 
Fossi  may  spend  one-half  an  hour,  but 
he  was  to  ask  only  one-quarter  of  an 
hour  of  his  children.  But  as  the  soul 
advanced,  he  would  urge  more  prayer, 
and   that   despite   the   difficulties.     He 


once  wrote:  "Overcome  the  ennui  and 
repugnance  which  you  feel  towards 
prayer  and  remain  the  fixed  time.  If 
sleep  begins  to  overtake  you,  stand  up  or 
place  yourself  in  a  less  comfortable 
position.  .  .  .  You  are  never  to  leave  it, 
never,  never"  (Lettere  III,  382-383). 
And  to  a  more  advanced  soul  he  wrote: 
"Give  to  prayer  as  much  time  as  possi- 
ble. This  divine  embrace  desires  a  holy 
leisure"  (in  Bolletmo,  vol.  9,  p.  148). 
We  can  conclude  from  this  that  when 
St.  Paul  stipulated  an  hour  (as  he  did 
for  his  own  religious),  he  was  con- 
vinced that  the  soul  was  prepared  and 
needed  it. 

MODERN  WRITERS 
The  great  masters  of  the  past  did  feel 
a  need  for  prolonged  prayer.  And  they 
would  usually  stipulate  at  least  an  hour. 
But  what  do  modern  writers  say  on  this 
subject?  One  of  the  foremost  of  these 
is  Poulain.  In  writing  about  affective 
prayer  and  the  prayer  of  simple  regard 
(both  of  which  he  would  consider 
acquired  rather  than  infused)  he  said: 
"Before  these  two  states  could  really 
constitute  separate  degrees  of  prayer, 
they  must  be  capable  of  being  prolonged 
for  more  than  a  few  minutes  at  a  time; 
they  should  continue  for  instance,  for 
an  hour  or  more."42  Fr.  Joseph  de 
Gu'tbert,  another  Jesuit  authority  on  the 
spiritual  life,  wrote:  "True  mental 
prayer  does  not  seem  possible  in  a 
space  of  time  less  than  half  an  hour, 
some  brief  moments  of  recollection 
being  added  throughout  the  day.  ...  It 
does  not  appear  possible  to  achieve  in  a 
shorter  time  that  profound  and  intimate 
recollection    of   soul   before    God,    on 


46 


which  the  fruits  of  mental  prayer  princi- 
pally depend;  and  frequent  brief  mo- 
ments of  recollection  in  the  course  of  the 
day  will  be  of  great  assistance  in  sup- 
plementing this  minimum  period.  In 
fact,  a  full  hour  of  mental  prayer  will 
usually  be  necessary  for  those  who  wish 
to  lead  a  true  interior  life  but  who  are 
prevented  from  spending  almost  the 
whole  day  in  prayer  of  one  kind  or 
another  as  do  the  contemplative  orders. 
Present-day  practice  in  religious  and 
ecclesiastical  institutes  confirms  this 
view,  since  we  are  here  concerned  with 
ascertaining  the  time  to  be  given  to 
prayer  in  the  actual  modern  conditions 
under  which  we  must  live  the  spiritual 
life:  other  ages  had  other  needs  as  well 
as  other  means  of  supplying  those  things 
which  we  today  must  derive  from 
prayer."43 

A.  Saudreau  would  want  a  full 
hour.44  Another  recognized  expert  in 
this  matter  is  Eugene  Boylan.  He 
emphasizes  the  necessity  of  staying  at 
prayer  despite  the  difficulties.45 

Various  writers  in  the  Review  for 
Religious  criticize  lengthy  periods  of 
mental  prayer,  but  only  when  the  person 
is  a  beginner  in  the  postulancy,  novitiate 
or  seminary.  "Frequently,"  wrote  Fr. 
Le  Buffe,  S.J.,  "they  are  asked  to  begin 
with  a  half-hour  or  even  a  full  hour.  It 
would  seem  that  either  is  far  too  long. 
Why?  Because  they  know  little  about 
the  principles  of  religious  or  seminary 
life,  and  not  much  more  than  generali- 
ties about  the  life  of  Our  Lord.""''  An 
hour  then  is  not  too  long  when  these 
two  barriers  are  removed.  R.  E.  Eiten, 
S.J.,   wrote:     "The   important   thing    is 


that  everyone  who  desires  to  advance  in 
prayer  will  follow  those  suggestions  that 
help  him  and  then  set  about  to  pray,  and 
pray,  and  pray  some  more.  Only  thus 
does  one  normally  advance  in  prayer.  .  .  . 
We  remain  before  God  in  silence  .  .  .in 
spite  of  all  the  distracting  tedium  and 
weariness  which  make  these  attentive 
pauses  at  times  wearisome,  tedious  and 
distressing."47  Fr.  G.  A.  Ellard,  S.J., 
speaks  of  mental  prayer  as  "normally 
about  an  hour,"  adding  that  the  primary 
source  of  difficulty  in  mental  prayer  is 
none  other  than  lack  of  interest."48 
OPINIONS  OF  THE  HOLY  SEE 
In  the  three  volumes  of  Acta  Et 
Doctumenta  of  the  General  Congress  on 
States  of  Perfection  (Rome:  1950), 
suggestions  are  made  about  mental 
prayer:  i.e.,  discontinuing  the  reading 
of  a  common  meditation,  eliminating 
vocal  prayers  so  as  to  leave  more  room 
for  mental  prayer;  but  never  once  (as 
far  as  we  could  find)  was  it  suggested 
to  shorten  mental  prayer.40  Those  who 
participated  in  the  Congress  were  greatly 
aware  of  the  nervous  tension  and  other 
problems  of  modern  religious  life. 

The  wish  of  the  Holy  See  is  reflected 
in  a  newly  approved  Congregation,  the 
Little  Brothers  of  Jesus  (1936).  They 
live  in  the  world  and  work  side  by  side 
with  other  men  in  factories,  on  fishing 
boats,  in  stores  and  offices.  Each  morn- 
ing they  recite  "Lauds,  meditate  on  the 
Gospel  and  hear  Mass.  On  coming  back 
from  their  work  at  night,  they  meet  for 
Vespers  and  their  hour  of  adoration  be- 
fore the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  before 
going  to  bed  say  Compline  together. 
One  night  a  week   (usually  Thursday) 


47 


they  also  get  up  for  an  hour's  adora- 
tion."50 In  approving  this  institute,  the 
Sacred  Congregation  of  Religious  saw 
no  incompatibility  between  modern  life 
and  an  hour's  continuous  prayer.  Rather, 
it  recognized  the  advantages  of  such 
prayer  for  modern  man. 


In  conclusion  it  can  be  said  that 
ancient  and  modern  authorities  on  the 
spiritual  life  favor  prolonged  prayer,  and 
by  that  they  would  mean  a  continuous 
hour  whenever  possible.  An  intense 
life  of  prayer  ordinarily  depends  upon 
it,  or  at  least  is  greatly  helped  by  it. 


2.  REASONS  DEDUCED  FROM  THE  NATURE  OF  PRAYER 


From  the  nature  of  prayer  itself 
strong  reasons  can  be  deduced  why  pro- 
longed prayer  is  of  great  advantage  for 
maintaining  a  spirit  of  prayer  and  recol- 
lection. 
MEDITATION,   THE   FIRST   STEP 

Meditation  is  the  first  step  in  the 
ways  of  prayer.  In  these  early  stages  the 
supernatural  nature  of  prayer  is  least 
apparent.  In  contrast  to  the  higher 
forms  of  prayer  where  the  rain  falls 
down  from  heaven,  St.  Teresa  writes 
that  "beginners  in  prayer ...  are  those 
who  draw  the  water  out  of  the  well."50a 
There  is  need  of  activity  and  initiative 
on  the  part  of  the  soul's  interior  facul- 
ties. The  soul  turns  to  God,  by  putting 
away  distracting  thoughts  and  centering 
all  her  attention  on  Him.  The  imagina- 
tion will  picture  some  scene  of  Our 
Lord's  life,  the  memory  recalls  what  we 
have  previously  read  or  heard,  the  intel- 
lect studies  the  reasons  why  and  how  this 
took  place.  However,  if  meditation  con- 
sists only  of  well  thought-out  considera- 
tions or  beautifully  phrased  sentences,  it 
is  not  prayer  but  mental  exercise  or 
sermon  writing.  These  are  only  the  pre- 
liminary acts.  The  real  acts  of  prayer 
are  the  combined  efforts  of  will  and 
intellect:  faith,  hope,  love,  sorrow, 
admiration,  etc.  Prayer  is  the  reaction  of 


a  child  of  God,  upon  seeing  the  reflec- 
tion of  its  Heavenly  Father  or  its  Savior 
Jesus  Christ,  cast  upon  its  imagination 
and  intellect.  Scripture  gives  us  many 
examples  of  this,  especially  in  the  writ- 
ings of  St.  John  and  St.  Paul.  After 
repeating  Our  Lord's  discourse  to  Nico- 
demus,  St.  John  cannot  restrain  his  own 
personal  reflection  of  loving  admiration : 
"For  God  so  loved  the  world  ..."  (Jn. 
3,  16). 

THEOLOGY  AND  LITURGY  NEED 
MENTAL  PRAYER 
Every  Passionist  must  feel  within  his 
intellect  and  will  frequent  hunger-pangs 
for  a  prayer  of  this  sort.  The  more  that 
he  reads  and  studies  about  God,  Our 
Lord,  Our  Blessed  Mother  and  all  the 
mysteries  of  our  faith,  so  much  the  more 
will  he  realize  how  inadequate  are  all 
the  books  of  the  world  to  contain  "the 
breath  and  length  and  height  and  depth 
.  .  .  (of)  Christ's  love  which  surpasses 
(all)  knowledge"  (Eph  3,  18-19).  As 
a  child  of  God,  the  soul  wants  to  know 
God  as  well  as  possible,  yet  realizes  the 
inadequacies  of  Theology,  and  even  of 
the  Liturgy,  to  contain  God.  God  is  a 
Person,  not  a  mathematical  or  Theologi- 
cal formula,  and  can  be  truly  known 
only  by  a  living,  experimental,  loving 
contact  that  introduces  us  into  His  in- 


48 


ward  life.  Meditation,  then,  is  that  slow, 
constant,  steady  pulse  of  life,  whereby 
we  begin  to  live  by  the  "faith  of  the 
Son  of  God  who  loved  me  and  gave 
Himself  up  for  me"  (Gal  2,  20). 
Meditation  puts  the  truths  of  faith  into 
the  blood-stream  of  our  supernatural 
organism,  so  that  they  become  a  source 
of  personal  conviction,  the  stamina  for 
energetic  works  of  zeal,  the  kindling  of 
a  consuming  fire  of  charity.  This  is 
what  Our  Lord  meant  when  he  told  the 
Apostles:  "This  is  eternal  life,  that 
they  may  know  thee,  the  only  true  God, 
and  him  whom  thou  hast  sent,  Jesus 
Christ"   (Jn  17,  3). 

Liturgy  makes  the  same  demands  as 
Theology  and  spiritual  reading.  Liturgy 
leads  us  to  God  in  the  momentum  of  a 
glorious  paean  of  praise.  Joined  to  the 
ranks  of  the  Church  suffering,  militant 
and  triumphant,  we  enter  the  presence 
of  God.  Our  whole  soul  is  drawn  to 
"fall  down  .  .  .  and  ...worship  him 
who  lives  forever  and  ever"  (Apoc  4, 
10).  St.  Benedict  realized  this  and 
granted  the  monks  the  liberty  of  many 
intervals  for  private  prayer.  After  having 
been  led  to  God  by  the  liturgy,  prayer 
is  the  leisure  to  remain  alone  with  Him. 
UNHURRIED   PACE   OF   PRAYER 

All  of  this  prepares  us  to  realize  the 
advantage  of  prolonged  mental  prayer. 
At  the  beginning  it  takes  time  to  be  free 
of  distraction  and  completely  alone  with 
God.  We  already  quoted  the  words  of 
Fr.  de  Guibert,  S.J.,  "It  does  not  seem 
possible  to  achieve  in  a  short  time  (than 
a  half  hour)  that  profound  and  intimate 
recollection  of  soul  before  God,  on 
which  the  fruits  of  prayer  depend.  .  .  . 


In  fact,  a  full  hour  of  mental  prayer  will 
usually  be  necessary."51  Once  this  deep 
spirit  of  recollection  has  been  achieved 
through  acts  of  faith  in  God's  presence, 
humility  and  compunction,  the  soul  can 
proceed  to  the  acts  of  the  imagination 
and  intellect.  Here  there  will  be  a 
leisurely  but  profound  penetration  of 
the  basic  dogmas  of  Christianity.  Inter- 
mingled with  this,  or  else  following  it, 
are  the  acts  of  will.  The  soul  is  lost  in 
wonder  at  the  glory  of  God;  she  humbly 
adores,  bending  her  knees  before  the 
God  and  Father  of  Our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  With  supreme  detachment  she 
will  "count  everything  loss,  because  of 
the  excelling  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ" 
(Phil  3,  8).  These  and  many  other 
affections  of  the  will  follow  with  the 
unhurried  pace  of  friends  walking  to- 
gether. To  rush  them  is  like  the  forced 
growing  of  flowers;  there  is  a  quick 
bloom  and  a  quick  death.  St.  Paul  of 
the  Cross  would  advise  his  charges  to 
pause  and  silently  adore;  if  the  mind 
wanders,  then  quietly  call  it  back  by 
some  aspiration. 

At  this  point  we  are  reminded  of 
what  Fr.  de  Caussade  wrote  of  a  higher 
form  of  prayer.  His  words  are  equally 
true  of  meditation.  "There  is  nothing 
more  sublime  than  contemplation  as  we 
find  it  in  books;  nothing  more  beautiful 
or  grander.  .  .  .  But  in  practice  there  is 
nothing  more  humiliating,  more  cruci- 
fying."52 The  difficulties  of  meditation 
are  undeniable.  In  fact,  there  are  a  few 
persons,  who  may  be  incapable  of  pro- 
longed prayer  because  of  an  extremely 
nervous  temperament  or  an  extraordin- 
arily   high    degree    of    extra  version.53 


49 


However,  modern  spiritual  writers 
would  consider  these  the  exception;  in 
laying  down  the  norms  of  conduct — as 
seen  in  the  preceding  section — they  were 
all  in  favor  of  prolonged  prayer  for  the 
average  modern  religious.  The  ordinary 
difficulties  can  be  handled — according 
to  the  teaching  of  St.  Teresa54  arid  St. 
Paul  of  the  Cross  {Lett ere  I,  791)  by 
the  formation  of  good  habits  of  prayer. 
SIMPLIFIED    AFFECTIVE    PRAYER 

The  soul  gradually  passes  from  medi- 
tation to  a  more  simplified  affective 
prayer.  As  St.  Teresa  remarks:  "Before 
long  you  will  have  the  great  comfort  of 
finding  it  unnecessary  to  tire  yourself 
with  seeking  this  holy  Father  to  Whom 
you  pray,  for  you  will  discover  Him 
within  you."55  A  variety  of  mental  con- 
siderations becomes  not  only  unneces- 
sary, but  increasingly  impossible.  We 
cannot  open  an  already  opened  door. 
To  try  to  do  so  would  only  distract  the 
mind  and  will  from  the  vision  of  God 
that  lay  beyond  the  door.  St.  Paul  of 
the  Cross  was  always  careful  to  note  the 
passage  to  a  more  simplified  prayer56 
and,  in  fact,  would  expect  the  souls  that 
he  directed  to  pass  on  very  soon  to 
affective  prayer.57  In  this  type  of  prayer, 
the  intellect  and  will  are  not  inactive, 
but  the  multiplicity  of  acts  will  have 
disappeared.  The  loving  attentive  pauses 
are  of  longer  duration;  the  acts  of  the 
soul  are  mostly  those  of  love  and  praise. 
It  is  the  silence  that  only  true  love  can 
explain,  but  which  true  love  demands. 

The  intellect  has  brought  the  soul 
into  the  presence  of  God.  With  a  gasp 
of  wonder  the  soul  exclaims  in  the 
words  of  the  Psalmist:    "Such  knowl- 


edge is  too  wonderful  for  me,  sublime; 
far  beyond  me"  (Ps  138,  6).  So  the 
will  rushes  ahead  into  the  arms  of  God, 
while  the  intellect  feels  its  thoughts  turn 
to  darkness  when  faced  with  such  radi- 
ant splendor.  Love  penetrates  ever 
further  into  the  mystery  of  God's  divine 
goodness  and  (as  it  were)  leaves  the 
intellect  behind  in  the  obscurity  of  faith 
(cf  1  Cor  13,  12).  The  pauses  become 
ever  longer,  as  the  over-mastering,  con- 
quering love  of  God  captures  the  entire 
realm  of  the  soul.  Prayer  becomes  more 
simplified  and  affective,  according  to 
its  basic  laws  of  growth  and  develop- 
ment. 

This  kind  of  affective  prayer  wants 
a  prolonged  period.  St.  Paul  wrote: 
"Give  to  this  prayer  as  much  time  as  you 
can."59  And  this  is  true,  whether  it  is 
infused  or  acquired.  At  the  sight  of  a 
glorious  desert  sunset,  or  of  a  towering 
mountain  majestically  lifting  its  snow- 
capped peak  into  the  clouds,  a  person 
wants  to  remain  quiet,  in  order  to  ad- 
mire and  wonder.  He  does  not  want  to 
rush  away.  All  the  masters  of  prayer 
want  the  soul  to  remain  quietly  with 
God.  "When  you  arrive  at  this  pro- 
found recollection  which  is  caused  by  the 
presence  of  God,"  St.  Paul  wrote,  "con- 
tinue thus  without  making  any  other 
kind  of  prayer.  Abandon  yourself  in 
God,  repose  in  God,  leave  Him  the  care 
of  all"   {Lett ere  I,   110). 

Prayer  of  this  kind  welcomes  pro- 
longed periods,  despite  the  accompaning 
difficulties.  St.  Teresa  wrote:  "The 
mind  .  .  .  does  not  understand  what  is 
happening  and  so  wanders  hither  and 
thither    in    bewilderment,    finding    no 


50 


place  to  rest.  .  .  .  Let  the  spirit  ignore 
these  distractions  and  abandon  itself  in 
the  arms  of  divine  love.",!0  At  times, 
these  difficulties  at  meditation  and  dis- 
cursive reasoning  are  the  very  reason 
why  the  soul  should  pass  on  almost 
immediately  to  simplified   prayer.61 

In  conclusion  let  it  be  said  that  prayer 
— like  grace  of  which  it  is  the  breath 
and  heart-beat — is  supernatural.  Even 
in  its  first  stages  it  is  not  governed 
merely  by  the  laws  of  human  effort  and 
ability.  Its  needs  and  demands  surpass 
the  human  in  each  of  us,  and  are  sup- 
plied by  the  Spirit  of  Christ.  The  Spirit 
helps  us  in  our  weakness,  maintaining 
and  increasing  that  filial  love  by  which 
our  soul  cries  out,  "Abba,  Father!" 
(Rom  8,  16,  26).  Prolonged  periods 
of  meditation  enable  the  soul  to  search 


out  the  depths  and  heights  of  Christian 

3.  THE  PRAYER  OF  FAITH 


doctrine  as  learned  in  Theology  and  to 
inject  these  truths  into  the  blood-stream 
of  its  own  supernatural  life.  Persever- 
ance at  prayer  brings  the  soul  beyond  the 
borders  of  meditation  into  the  more 
simplified  gaze  of  affective  prayer.  This 
latter  prayer  of  its  nature  is  a  silent  re- 
pose in  God,  and  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross 
begged  his  charges  to  give  as  much  time 
to  it  as  possible.  The  difficulties  which 
are  encountered  are  the  price  paid  for 
any  advance.  Such  was  the  conviction 
of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  when  he  wrote 
to  a  penitent:  "I  have  good  news  to 
announce  to  you;  after  this  struggle, 
you  will  enjoy  great  peace,  great  light; 
you  will  have  the  gift  of  prayer  and  of 
union  with  God.  And  then,  indeed,  your 
heart  will  exult  in  God  our  Savior.  Ex- 
pecta   Dominum,    viriliter   age."62 


Lastly,  there  is  need  of  prolonged 
prayer,  because  of  the  special  effects  of 
the  prayer  of  faith. 

Every  moment  of  suffering,  patiently 
and  gladly  accepted,  buries  the  soul  into 
the  dark  obscurity  of  the  tomb  of  Christ. 
It  is  a  union  with  Christ  in  his  sufferings 
and  death,  freeing  the  soul  of  attach- 
ment to  worldly  objects  and  at  the  same 
time  granting  a  share  in  the  thoughts 
and  reactions  of  the  suffering  Heart  of 
Christ.  Every  Christian  is  called  upon 
to  die  with  Christ  and  to  go  down  into 
the  tomb  with  Him  (Rom  ch.  6).  He 
must  "die  daily"  (1  Cor  15,  21).  But 
each  Christian  has  his  own  particular 
way  of  doing  this:  the  missionary  in  the 
midst   of   apostolic  work,   through   the 


discouragement  of  being  poorly  received 
at  times  and  the  purifying  hours  of  the 
confessional;  the  superior,  through  the 
criticism  and  seeming  indifference  of 
subjects,  confinement  to  a  desk,  and  the 
perpetual  demand  to  be  patient;  the 
parish-priest,  when  his  minutes  are  con- 
sumed and  he  himself  almost  eaten  up 
by  the  demands  of  others;  the  teacher 
and  student  through  the  difficulties  of 
the  class-room;  the  mother  and  father, 
through  care  and  worry  for  their  chil- 
dren. Those  who  are  engaged  in  the 
active  life  are  subjected  to  external 
trials.  Those  whose  life  includes  much 
prayer  and  solitude  are  usually  sub- 
jected to  interior  sufferings,  such  us 
aridity,    obscurity,     and    abandonment. 


51 


St.  John  of  the  Cross  wrote  that  God 
arranges  "to  tempt  them  more  interior- 
ly."™ 
NECESSITY  OF  INTERIOR  TRIALS 

Passionists  are  dedicated  to  a  voca- 
tion which  by  its  nature  is  one  of  prayer, 
solitude  and  silence.  This  is  not  the 
complete  description  of  it,  but  is  an  im- 
portant part  of  it.  Therefore,  these  must 
be  the  active  agents  that  form  a  Passion- 
ist  to  the  likeness  of  Jesus  Crucified. 

Eugene  Boylan  describes  well  what 
happens  in  the  soul  during  the  prayer 
of  faith.  It  is  a  type  of  simplified, 
affective  prayer  when  the  intellect  is  not 
at  rest  as  in  the  later  degrees  of  the 
prayer  of  quiet,  but  rather  is  tossing  and 
turning  beneath  a  sky  of  darkness. 
"When  the  time  for  prayer  comes,  the 
mind  seems  to  have  lost  all  its  power  of 
action.  There  are  no  good  thoughts,  no 
good  affections;  complete  sterility  and 
aridity  reign,  and  ordinary  effort  cannot 
dispel  them.  This  powerlessness  of  the 
mind  is  only  evident  at  the  time  of 
prayer.  At  other  times  the  mind  func- 
tions with  normal  vigor.  At  prayer, 
however,  it  seems  dead;  the  imagina- 
tion may  run  riot,  and  the  senses  may 
clamor  for  earthly  things.  But  in  some 
obscure  way,  the  will  wants  God.  .  .  . 
It  is  by  no  means  uncommon."64 
FIRST  EFFECT:  PURITY  OF  SOUL 

The  first  effect  of  this  prayer  of  faith 
is  purity  of  soul.  One  of  the  finest 
description  of  this  is  found  in  the  Diary 
written  by  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  during 
his  forty  day  retreat.  He  writes  about 
himself:  "I  was  dry,  distracted,  tempted; 
I  kept  myself  by  sheer  force  at  prayer. 
I  was  tempted  to  gluttony;  hunger  kept 


coming  over  me;  I  felt  the  cold  more 
than  ordinarily,  and  my  flesh  desired  to 
be  relieved  and  to  that  end  I  kept 
wishing  to  escape  from  prayer  .  .  .  but 
by  the  mercy  of  God  I  kept  saying  that 
T  wish  to  remain  so,  even  were  it 
necessary  to  carry  me  away  in  small 
pieces.'  ...  I  understand  that  this  sort 
of  prayer  of  suffering  is  a  great  gift 
which  God  grants  a  soul  to  make  it  an 
ermine  of  purity,  a  rock  amidst  suffering 
to  such  an  extent  that  it  no  longer  takes 
any  account  of  them;  and  when  it  shall 
have  arrived  by  the  favor  of  God  at 
this  state,  the  Sovereign  Good  will  con- 
sume it  with  love;  it  is  necessary  to  be 
careful  not  to  leave  prayer  at  this  so 
painful  a  time,  because  the  suffering 
will  not  diminish  but  on  the  contrary  the 
soul  would  be  afflicted  more  without 
profit,  because  it  would  see  itself  going 
into  tepidity:  that  is  why  I  know  that 
God  gives  me  to  understand  that  the 
soul  which  God  wishes  to  draw  to  high 
union  with  Him  by  means  of  prayer 
must  pass  by  this  way  of  suffering  during 
prayer.  .  .  ."  (Dec.  10-13). 

SECOND  EFFECT:  LIVING 
PORTRAIT  OF  THE  CRUCIFIED 
Moreover,  St.  Paul  is  careful  to  point 
out  another  effect  of  this  interior  martyr- 
dom and  prayer  of  suffering.  There  is 
experienced  in  the  soul,  he  writes,  "a 
keen  infused  knowledge  of  the  tor- 
ments of  my  Jesus"  {Diary  Dec.  5).  In 
writing  to  one  of  his  own  religious  he 
said  that  the  soul  is  "plunged  wholly  in 
the  sea  of  the  Savior's  suffering.  ...  It 
becomes  a  fountain  of  love  and  grief, 
for  the  mind  is  entirely  penetrated  with 
it;    it  is  wholly  drowned   in  dolorous 


52 


love  and  amorous  pain"  {Lett ere  III, 
149).  St.  Paul  was  accustomed  to  call 
this  a  "mystic  death."  Each  new  death- 
inflicting  stroke  really  gives  a  resurgence 
of  life.  Each  time  that  a  soul  is  further 
"clothed  in  its  interior  with  the  most 
holy  pains  of  Jesus,  crucified  and  dead 
to  every  created  object,"  it  is  really 
"more  alive  in  God"  (Lettere  II,  292). 
Gradually,  the  soul  becomes — in  his 
beautiful  expression — "a  living  portrait 
of  the  Crucified"   (Lettere  I,  508). 

From  the  constant  warning  of  St. 
Paul  never  to  abandon  prayer  at  this  so 
painful  a  time,  we  can  conclude  that 
prolonged  prayer  is  most  advantageous 
and  ordinarily  required  before  this  trans- 
formation of  soul  takes  place.  He  would 
insist:  "Never,  never  leave  it  (prayer), 
for  that  will  be  your  ruin"  (Lettere  I, 
415).  And  again:  "Above  all,  never 
leave  prayer,  even  though  you  should 
have  to  endure  the  pains  of  hell" 
(Lettere  I,  4 16). 

CONCLUSION 

In  the  midst  of  the  aridity  and  dark- 
ness of  prayer,  a  marvelous  event  takes 
place.  The  arms  of  Christ  again  detach 
themselves  from  the  firm  grasp  of  the 
nails — as  they  once  did  for  St.  Paul  of 
the  Cross — and  reaching  down  lift  the 
Passionist  up  to  the  level  of  the  cross. 
"With  Christ  I  am  nailed  to  the  cross." 
Through  the  silence  of  prayer — and  per- 
haps without  realizing  it — an  exchange 
takes  place  between  the  wounded  Heart 
of  Christ  and  the  sorrowing  heart  of  the 
Passionist,  an  exchange  of  thoughts  and 
desires,  of  love  and  sorrow.  And  so  it 
happens  that  as  he  studies  the  picture 
above  the  tomb  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross, 


what  once  seemed  a  far-away  ideal 
gradually  became  a  reality  in  his  own 
life. 

In  this  article  we  studied  the  spirit  of 
prayer,  one  of  the  principle  means  of 
achieving  this  ideal.  The  first  part,  an 
historical  study,  slipped  back  into  the 
pioneering  days  of  the  Congregation. 
As  the  life  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross 
flashed  before  our  eyes,  we  realized  that 
"prayer  was  his  constant  occupation,"  as 
St.  Vincent  Strambi  declared.  St.  Paul 
was  convinced  that  all  his  religious  were 
called  to  a  high  degree  of  prayer,  be- 
cause they  professed  an  austere  and 
solitary  life.  Therefore,  in  proportion- 
ing the  means  of  salvation  and  so  con- 
stituting the  basis  of  a  Passionist  Spiri- 
tuality, St.  Paul  gave  a  prominent  place 
to  mental  prayer.  The  Holy  Rules  have 
ample  evidence  of  this.  Those  who  pro- 
fess this  Rule  would  then  be  prepared  to 
carry  out  the  solemn  commission  of 
teaching  others  the  art  of  mental  prayer 
and  so  insuring  a  lasting  devotion  to 
Christ  Crucified. 

What  was  established  by  a  saint, 
solemnly  blessed  by  Sovereign  Pontiffs, 
and  proven  by  long  experience  in  the 
making  of  other  saints,  must  certainly 
rest  on  solid  Theological  reasons.  In 
the  second  part  of  the  article  we  investi- 
gated these  reasons.  From  the  authority 
of  ancient  and  modern  writers  came  a 
consensus  of  Catholic  Tradition  that 
prolonged  prayer  is  usually  required  or 
at  least  is  very  advantageous  for  a  deep 
spirit  of  prayer.  The  nature  of  prayer, 
its  various  stages,  and  the  transition 
from  one  to  another,  demand  that  prayer 
be  more  and  more  prolonged.    This  is 


53 


true  not  only  despite  the  inherent  dif- 
ficulties but  even  because  of  them.  Since 
prayer  occupies  such  an  important  place 
in  Passionist  Spirituality,  it  must  be  one 
of  the  most  necessary  means  for  uniting 
each  Passionist  to  Jesus  Crucified.  This 
is  the  Passionist's  entire  purpose  in  life, 
and  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  was  convinced 
that  the  "prayer  of  suffering"  helps 
greatly  to  achieve  it. 

One  with  Jesus  Crucified  in  thought 


and  desire,  the  Passionist  is  then  ready 
to  tell  the  world  with  words  that  it  will 
never  forget:  "In  this  we  come  to  know 
his  love,  that  when  as  yet  we  were 
sinners  Christ  died  for  us"  (Rom  5,  8). 
As  the  doubting  Thomas'  of  the  world 
see  and  touch  the  wounds  of  Christ  in 
His  ambassador,  they  will  fall  down 
on  their  knees  before  the  cross,  exclaim- 
ing:  "My  Lord,  My  God,  My  All!" 


1  This  immediate  section  relies  upon 
the  Letter  of  Fr.  Titus  of  St.  Paul  of 
the  Cross  "Spirit  of  Prayer"  1938: 
Selected  Letters,  208-9. 

2  Summ.  Super  Introductione,  n.  8, 
65. 

3  Caetan,    Oraison   et  Ascension,   221. 

4  Caetan,  Oraison  et  Ascension,  217- 
227. 

5  Sum  super  intro.,  n.   13,  140. 
5a  "Unigenitus  Dei  Filius"  Eng  trans 

in  Review  for  Religious  11  (1952)    185. 

6  Caetan,  Doctrine  de  S.  Paul  de  la 
Croix,  52-53. 

7  Mimeograph  notes  of  Ascentical  and 
Mystical  Theol.  by  Fr.  Roger,  C.P., 
Louisville,  Ky. 

8  Caetan,  Doctrine,  53. 

9  Way  of  Perfection,  ch.  17  (Peers 
ed.,  II,  71). 

10  Letter  to  a  superior,  quoted  by  A. 
Poulain,  Graces  of  Interior  Prayer,  trans, 
by  L.  Smith  from  6  ed.  (Herder:  St. 
Louis)   18-19,  n.  31. 

11  Memoirs  of  the  First  Companions 
(1913)  p.v;  cf.  Atti  del  II  Convegna  di 
Spirit ualita  Passionista,  1955,  Privincia 
di  Maria  SS.  della  Pieta,  36-37. 

12  For  obedience,  comparative  study  of 
Rules  271,  32,  372;  mortification,  Lettere 
I,  94;   IV,  293;   Rules  145,  33;   poverty, 


FOOTNOTES 

Lettere  II,  555;    IV,  220. 

13  Cf.  Letter  of  Most  Rev.  Fr.  Titus  of 
St.  Paul  of  the  Cross,  "On  Solitude" 
1940  Selected  Letters  of  Recent  Passionist 
Generals,  224-244. 

14  Quoted  by  Fr.  Ward  Biddle,  C.P., 
"Passionist  Spirituality?"  in  Passionist  8 
(1955)  2,  124-125. 

15  Cf.  rules  10  &  191;  Lettere  I,  229, 
415,  432,  526;  II,  388;  2III,  370;  Excel- 
lent treatment  in  Caetan,  Apotre  et  Mis- 
sionnaire,    89-91. 

16  Quoted  by  C.  Brovetto,  C.P.,  lntro- 
duzione  alia  Spiritualita  di  S.  Paolo  della 
Croce  (1955)  24. 

17  Cf.  Caetan,  Doctrine,  46;  Lettere 
I,  506;   C.  Brovetto,  op.  cit.,  93,  fn.  3. 

18  C.  Brevetto,  op.  cit.,  94. 

19  Have  we  lost  or  forgotten  this 
special  commission  of  teaching  others  to 


pray?  It  does  not  seem  to  be  emphasized 
today  as  it  was  in  St.  Paul's  day.  This 
can  be  explained  by  the  general  anti- 
contemplative  reaction  of  the  Catholic 
world  during  the  previous  century.  Only 
with  the  Thomistic  revival  has  there 
come  about  a  new  realization  of  the 
nature  and  importance  of  contemplation. 
Modern  Jesuit  writers  mention  how 
Mercurio  and  Roothaan  began  a  move- 
ment that  confined  the  Ignatian  method 


54 


of  prayer  to  use  of  the  three  powers  and 
excluded  other  more  simplified  forms  of 
prayer.  (G.  A.  Ellard,  S.J.,  "Contempla- 
tion" in  Review  for  Religious  7  (1948) 
235-241;  P.  Philippe,  Mental  Prayer 
and  Modern  Life,  "Mental  Prayer  in 
Catholic  Tradition,"  49-50,  70-71)  A 
similar  false  interpretation  was  given  to 
the  method  of  St.  Sulpice  by  M.  Tronson 
(P.  Philippe,  op.  cit.,  60)  and  to  Car- 
melite Spirituality  (according  to  R. 
Rouquette,  S.J.,  in  Mental  Prayer  and 
Modern  Life,  69).  For  a  similar  re- 
action among  Passionists,  see  Convento 
III  di  Spirit  ualita  Passionista,  op.  cit.,  5. 

20  Graces  of  Interior  Prayer,  p.  37,  n. 
66.  St.  Francis  Borgia  made  an  hour's 
prayer  mandatory  for  Jesuits  (DeGui- 
bert,  Theorogy  of  Spiritual  Life  (Sheed 
&  Ward:  1953  n.  296);  Dominicans 
inserted  a  half-hour  only  in  1505  & 
Franciscans  in  1595  and  1642.  In  stipu- 
lating a  full  hour  in  his  own  rule,  St. 
Paul  was  not  simply  riding  on  the  tide 
of  current  practice,  for  he  was  well 
acquainted  with  both  the  Dominicans 
and  Franciscans. 

21  G.  Vann,  Of  His  Fullness,  108-109. 

22  Leonie  Manual  ed.,  cura  et  studio 
Sac.  Petri  Caramello  (Marietti:  1950) 
II,  414,  fn.  1.  In  II-II,  Q.  83,  a.  17  (esp 
ad  2)  St.  Thomas  seems  to  find  a  differ- 
ent meaning  to  oratio.  However,  here 
prayer  of  petition  is  divided  according 
to  1  Tim.  2,  1. 

23 IV  Sent,  d.  15,  Q  4,  a  2,  sol  1; 
ibid  a  7,  sol   1,  ad   1. 

21  P.  Philippe,  op.  cit..  4;  cf.  I.  Men- 
nessier,  La  Religion  (Paris  1932)  327. 

25  Cf  Review  for  Religious  8  (1949) 
139. 

2,:  Leonie  Manual  ed.,  op.  cit.,  II,  426. 

27  II-II,  Q  180,  a  8,  ad  2;  cf.  St. 
Teresa,  Life,  ch.  18  (Peers  ed.,  I,  108- 
109). 


28  St.  Teresa,  Life,  ch.  8  (Peers  ed.,  I, 
50-51). 

29  Ibid. 

30  Ibid,  ch.  21;  ch.  10;  Interior  Castle 
III,  c.  2,  n.  17. 

31  Interior  Castle  I,  ch.  1. 

32  Way  of  Perfection,  ch.  21. 

33  Fr.  Alphonsus,  Practice  of  Mental 
Prayer  (Desclee  1910)    54. 

34  Life,  ch.  8. 

35  Way  of  Perfection  ch.  18,  n.  4. 

36  Living  Flame,  I,  n.  33  (Peers  ed., 
Ill,  137)  order  of  sentences  reversed. 

37  M.  Viller,  "Contemplation,"  Dic- 
tionnaire  de  Spirit ualite  V,  2039;  P. 
Castante  Brevetto,  op.  cit.,  9-12. 

38  Quoted  by  Fr.  Alphonsus,  op.  cit., 
56. 

39  Introduction  to  Devout  Life,  P.  II, 
c.  1. 

40  Dom  post   Trin.   S.    1. 

41  Caetan,  Doctrine,  19-20. 

42  Graces  of  Interior  Prayer,  n.  7,  p. 
9-10;    also  n.  52,  p.  30. 

43  Op.  cit.,  n.  296;  p.  240  in  Eng.  tr. 
Italics  our  own. 

44  Degrees  of  Spiritual  Life  (London 
1926)    125-126. 

45  This  Tremendous  Lover  (Newman 
Press    1948)    255. 

46  "Beginning  Beginners  in  Mental 
Prayer"  in  Review  for  Religious  8 
(1949)     57. 

47  Ibid  4  (1945)  22,  25-26  "Towards 
Simplified  Affective  Prayer" 

48  "On  Difficulties  in  Meditation"  in 
Review  for  Religious  6  (1947)  5  ff. 
Mention  should  be  made  of  a  very  well- 
received  article  by  Joseph  F.  Gallen, 
"Renovation  and  Adaptation"  in  Revieu 
for  Religious  14  (1955)  295-6.  Under 
the  heading  of  matters  to  be  examined 
for  possible  adaptation,  he  lists:  "A 
schedule    of    prayer    that    gives    proper 

(Continued  on  page  63) 


55 


oaks  lllefrteforft 


PASSIONIST  SPIRIT 

I    PASSIONISTI:     SPIRITUALITA— 
APOSTOLATO,  by  Henry  Zoffoli,  C.P. 

(II  Crocifisso,,  Rome,  1933.    P.404) 

To  define  the  particular  spirit  of  any 
religious  congregation  is  froth  with  no 
little  difficulty  on  several  scores.  The 
main  spring  of  the  difficulty  lies  in 
determining  its  essential,  individual, 
constitutive,  fixed  and  peculiar  elements 
and  in  distinguishing  them  not  only 
from  the  historical  elements  but  also 
from  what  is  transient,  variable,  tem- 
poral, and  accidental.  Fr.  Zoffoli  has 
undertaken  this  difficult  task  for  the 
Congregation  of  the  Passion. 

The  work  falls  logically  into  three 
parts.  In  the  first  section  the  author 
considers  the  general  condition  of  the 
Passionist  Religious  inasmuch  as  they  are 
both  christian  and  religious  men.  In 
the  next  section  he  treats  the  principal 
point  of  his  study.  He  determines  the 
constitutive  and  specific  elements  proper 
to  the  Passionist  Religious,  which  dis- 
tinguish their  congregation  from  other 
religious  families.  Accordingly  the  au- 
thor asks  what  is  the  genuine  spirit  of 
St.  Paul  of  the  Cross,  that  is,  what 
elements,  apart  from  historic  conditions 
of  space  and  time,   ought  to  be  con- 


sidered essential  to  the  mind  of  St.  Paul 
in  founding  the  Passionist  Congregation. 
It  is  this  mind  or  spirit  of  their  Founder 
that  should  be  held  in  honor  always 
and  everywhere  and  should  be  faith- 
fully followed  and  embraced  by  all  sons 
of  the  Passion. 

In  what  does  this  spirit  of  St.  Paul 
of  the  Cross  consist?  According  to  the 
author  in  Christ  Crucified.  He  proves 
this  conclusion  from  a  great  many  docu- 
ments of  St.  Paul  himself  and  of  his 
companions,  in  which  the  proper  char- 
acteristic of  Passionists  is  shown  to  be 
devotion  to  Christ  Crucified.  Therefore 
a  Passionist  religious  is  another  Christ 
Crucified,  and  the  means  of  sanctifica- 
tion  for  himself  and  souls  should  be 
sought  in  Christ  Crucified.  Consequently 
the  proper  characteristic  of  Passionist 
spirituality  must  lie  in  the  goal  that  is 
sought,  that  is,  in  union  with  God  in 
Christ  Crucified. 

In  the  third  section  Fr.  Zoffoli  treats 
the  question  of  Passionist  adaptation  to 
modern  conditions  of  our  times. 

Whatever  we  may  think  of  particular 
conclusions,  it  is  certain  that  the  author 
treats  these  questions  with  great  modera- 
tion,  prudence   and   with  concern   for 


56 


truth  and  sound  progress,  that  he  affirms 
and  strengthens  his  arguments  with  solid 
documentation,  and  that  he  accomplishes 
a  study  that  will  be  a  great  help  to  the 
modern  apostolate  without  injuring  the 
spirit  proper  to  the  Passionists  and  St. 
Paul  of  the  Cross.  For  this  reason  we 
think  the  work  of  Fr.  Zoffoli  will  be 
very  useful  first  to  the  Passionist  Reli- 
gious, then  to  other  religious  families, 
and  finally  to  all  those  who  with  a 
right  intention  seek  and  are  solicitous 
for  sound  and  perennial  spiritualities 
in  the  Church  of  Christ. 

Xavier  Ochoa,  C.M.F. 
(from    Commentarium    pro    Religiosis) 

PROBLEMS  OF  A  PREP 
SEMINARY 

LA  SCUOLA  APOSTOLICA  DEI  PP. 
PASSIONISTI,  OSSIA,  PRINCIPI  E 
DIRETTIVE  PER  IL  RETTO  ORDI- 
NAMENTO  DELL  ALUNNATO.  Fa- 
ther Dominic  of  the  Holy  Family,  C.P. 
(Cosenza,  1956.    P.  160) 

The  Preparatory  Seminary,  or  the 
Apostolic  School  as  it  is  more  frequently 
called  in  Europe,  has  been  part  of  the 
Congregation's  formative  program  for 
many  years  now.  Nevertheless  neither 
our  Rules  nor  our  Regulations  speak  of 
it.  Even  Father  Titus'  Jus  Particulare 
devotes  only  two  pages  to  it  (209-2 11). 

It  is  true  that  our  General  Chapters 
have  dealt  with  various  aspects  of  the 
Preparatory  Seminary  since  1890,  and 
Provincial  Chapters  in  various  provinces 
have  enacted  legislation  concerning  it. 
Nevertheless,  those  who  are  engaged  in 
our  educational  work,  and  especially 
those  at  the  Preparatory  Seminary  itself, 


have  long  experienced  a  need  for  a 
greater  recognition  of  its  importance 
and  for  an  official  clarification  of  its 
function  in  the  formation  of  future 
Passionist  Missionaries. 

Several  years  ago  Father  Dominic 
Bono  of  the  Italian  Province  of  the 
Sacred  Side  attempted  to  analyze  the 
problems  involved  in  a  Prep  School  and 
to  offer  a  solution  for  them.  His  work 
has  been  published  this  past  year  at 
Cosenza  in  Italy.  It  is  honored  by  a 
prefatory  letter  of  the  present  Bishop 
of  Dodma,  the  Most  Reverend  Jeremias 
Pesce,  C.P.,  formerly  Provincial  of  the 
Immaculate  Heart  Province.  Unfortu- 
nately Father  Dominic  wrote  prior  to 
the  publication  of  the  new  Statuta 
Generalia  of  the  Holy  See  on  studies 
in  clerical  religious  institutes. 

Father  Dominic  divides  his  work  into 
three  parts.  In  the  first  part  he  treats 
of  the  structure  of  the  Prep — the  semin- 
arians, lectors  and  superiors  that  make 
it  up.  He  outlines  here  just  what  a 
Preparatory  Seminary  should  be. 

It  is  the  author's  opinion  that  the 
Director  of  the  Prep,  should  be  also  the 
canonical  superior  of  the  entire  institu- 
tion, appointed  ad  nutum  Curiae  Pro- 
vincial i 's.  Father  Dominic  rejects  the 
earlier  forms  of  the  Prep,  whereby  it 
was  simply  a  minor  part  of  a  regular 
house  of  observance.  He  maintains  that 
it  should  be  an  institution  entirely  de- 
voted to  the  work  of  educating  the 
seminarians,  only  those  Religious  being 
assigned  there  who  are  necessary  for  this 
work.  The  entire  institution,  seminarians 
and  Religious,  should  be  under  the  di- 
rection of  one  sole  superior. 


57 


The  writer  also  holds  that  the  semin- 
arians should  be  divided  into  three 
groups  or  "squadrons,"  each  with  its 
own  Vice-  Director  and  Coadjutor. 
These  divisions  are  not  necessarily  iden- 
tified with  the  various  classes  or  "years" 
of  the  seminarians,  but  rather  are  to  be 
made  according  to  the  varying  ages  of 
the  boys.  Such  a  threefold  grouping  is 
more  necessary  in  Europe,  where  boys 
enter  the  Prep  at  an  early  age,  due  in 
great  part  to  the  fact  that  elementary 
school  there  ends  with  our  sixth  grade. 
It  seems  to  us  that  our  grouping  into 
the  high-school  and  college  levels  is 
more  conformable  to  conditions  in  this 
country. 

In  the  second  part  we  are  told  of  the 
formation  of  the  seminarians  along 
cultural,  moral,  civic,  intellectual  and 
spiritual  lines.  One  would  like  to  see 
in  this  section  a  greater  insistence  on 
the  scholastic  and  intellectual  needs. 

The  third  section  is  concerned  with 
the  activities  of  the  seminarians.  Here 
the  author  considers  such  questions  as 
the  daily  schedule  of  the  boys,  their 
daily  spiritual  exercises,  vacations,  free 
days,  and  such  like. 

The  book  closes  with  two  appendices : 
the  first  contains  a  suggested  ordering 
of  morning  prayers  and  the  requirements 
of  the  honor  roll;  the  second  appendix 
is  the  author's  address  to  the  Congress 
on  the  Prep  School  held  at  Manduria 
in  September,  1955. 

In  conclusion,  we  would  like  to  add 
several  important  remarks  concerning 
this  book.  First  of  all,  from  the  very 
nature  of  the  work  it  is  obvious  that 


many  of  the  suggestions  and  opinions 
expressed  are  applicable  only  to  the 
Italian  scene  and  mentality.  LA  SCUO- 
LA  APOSTOLICA  does  not  have  that 
world-wide  view  that  would  make  its 
conclusions  appropriate  for  formulation 
in  the  universal  law  of  the  Congrega- 
tion. It  is  indeed  hoped  that  our  Prep- 
aratory Seminary  be  regulated  by  norms 
and  regulations  emanating  from  the 
highest  authority  in  the  Congregation. 
But  at  the  same  time,  it  should  be 
recognized  that  such  regulations  must  be 
of  a  very  general  nature,  capable  of 
varying  applications  in  the  various  prov- 
inces. 

Secondly,  the  present  reviewer  would 
have  liked  to  have  seen  a  greater  insist- 
ence on  the  need  for  the  intellectual 
and  scholastic  training  of  the  religious 
who  are  assigned  to  our  Preparatory 
Seminaries.  Certainly,  our  Preparatory 
Seminaries  should  attain  to  a  standard 
equal  to,  if  not  higher  than,  those  of 
the  public  and  religious  schools  on  the 
same  scholastic  level  (cf  Statu ta  Gen- 
eralia,  art  43,  #1).  Our  Preps  should 
have  the  same  scholastic  efficiency  as 
the  diocesan  minor  seminary  and  the 
"middle  schools"  of  the  public  educa- 
tional systems.  This  demands  that  the 
Lectors  in  the  Prep  have  the  intellectual 
and  scholastic  training  necessary  for  one 
to  teach  on  the  high-school  or  junior 
college  level. 

From  all  that  we  have  said,  it  is 
obvious  that  this  is  a  book  that  should 
be  of  interest  to  all  who  are  concerned 
with  the  improvement  of  our  educa- 
tional program.  It  should  be  of  especial 
interest  to  those  who  are  engaged  in 


58 


the  work  of  the  Preparatory  Seminary  in 
whatever  capacity.  The  problems  in  our 
Italian  Preps  are  not  after  all  so  greatly 
different  from  those  we  experience  in 
our  own.  The  reading  of  Father  Dom 
inic's  timely  work  will  help  us  to  under- 
stand their  problems  and  conditions 
better,  and  at  the  same  time  frequently 
assist  us  in  improving  the  standards  of 
our  American  Preps. 

Roger  Mercuric,  C.P. 
Louisville,   Kentucky 


SHORT  NOTICES 


EXAMINATION   OF   CON- 
SCIENCE 

A  booklet  for  married  couples 
showing  their  duties  towards  each  other, 
their  children  and  the  Community  has 
been  rendered  into  Spanish  by  Fathers 
Aldredo  Castagnet,  C.P.,  and  Peter 
Richards,  C.P.  This  is  the  second  edition 
of  Fr.  Edwin  Waugh's  pamphlet  on 
the  same  subject. 


All  news  items,  notices  and  letters  to  the  Editor  to  be  printed  in  the  April 
1st  issue  of  The  PASSIONIST  must  be  sent  in  by  February  10th. 


NOTICE 

Bound  copies  of  The  PASSIONIST  for  1956  are  now  available.    Please  send 
orders  to  the  office  of  The  PASSIONIST,  5700  N.  Harlem  Ave.,  Chicago  31,  111. 


NEW  SECTION  NEXT  ISSUE 

Beginning  with  the  next  issue  The  PASSIONIST  will  feature  a  new  section 
entitled  ANSWERS  TO  QUESTIONS.  The  purpose  of  this  new  feature  is  to 
provide  our  Readers  with  ready  answers  to  questions  that  touch  closely  upon 
our  Passionist  way  of  life.  Questions  on  Law,  Custom,  Theology,  Liturgy  and 
Sacred  Scripture  that  have  a  special  interest  to  Passionists  will  be  answered. 
Men  throughout  the  Province  who  have  specialized  in  these  subjects  have 
graciously  consented  to  answer  these  questions.  Our  Readers  are  invited  to 
send  their  questions  to  the  Editor  who  will  forward  them  to  those  handling 
this  special  subject. 


59 


lie* 

ETTERS  to  the 


DITOR 


PASSIONIST  PROPER 

Feast  of  St.  Leonard! 
November  26,    1956 
Dear  Editor: 

I  would  like  to  ask  a  little  space  to 
comment  on  Father  Ronald  Murray's 
timely  article  "Toward  Simplifying  the 
Passionist  Proper"  in  the  recent  Sept.- 
Oct.  issue. 

Little  disagreement  should  be  made 
with  many  of  Father  Ronald's  judg- 
ments on  the  many  saint's  feasts  in  our 
Proper.  Such  feasts  were  made  a  part  of 
our  Proper  at  a  period  of  liturgical 
thought  when  the  temporal  cycle  was 
for  all  practical  purposes  being  lost 
sight  of.  The  Sunday  and  ferial  offices 
of  the  old  St.  Pius  V  Breviary  were  so 
long  and  cumbersome,  that  many  sought 
escape  by  inserting  a  saint's  feast  on 
practically  every  day  of  the  year.  One 
of  the  great  guiding  norms  of  the  re- 
forms of  St.  Pius  X  and  of  our  present 
Holy  Father  is  to  restore  the  temporal 
cycle  to  its  original  role  of  importance. 
This  is  seen,  for  example,  in  St.  Pius 
X's  permission  to  celebrate  the  Lenten 
ferial  Mass  on  all  feasts  of  double  rank, 
and  in  Pope  Pius  XII's  further  permis- 
sion to  recite  the  Lenten  ferial  Office  on 
these  same  days.  Any  effort  to  relieve 
our  Proper  of  its  many  now  obsolete 
saints'   feasts   will   be  therefore   greatly 


welcome,  as  in  conformity  with  the 
principles  of  the  recent  liturgical  reforms. 

However,  this  does  not  mean  that  all 
saint's  feasts  should  be  eliminated.  Fa- 
ther Ronald  wiseldy  preserves  those 
saints  who  were  members  of  our  Congre- 
gation. But  we  might  ask  if  the  feasts 
of  St.  Gemma  and  St.  Mary  Goretti 
should  not  also  be  retained,  for  these 
two  saints,  whether  we  like  it  or  not,  are 
historically  closely  associated  with  our 
Congregation.  They  should  be  honored 
by  us  with  a  feast  of  double  minor.  St. 
Leonard  of  Port  Maurice  also  deserves 
special  honor  in  our  Proper,  not  merely 
because  of  his  association  with  Our  Holy 
Founder,  but  precisely  because  he  is  the 
official  patron  of  home  missionaries. 
Surely  a  Congregation  that  is  most 
especially  dedicated  to  the  work  of  home 
missions  should  secure  the  aid  of  and 
properly  venerate  the  special  Patron  of 
such  work. 

My  greatest  difficulty  with  Father 
Ronald's  article  occurs  in  connection 
with  the  Passion  Offices  of  Lent.  The 
weekly  celebration  of  these  Passion 
Offices  during  the  season  of  Lent  seems 
to  me  to  be  in  little  conformity  with  the 
spirit  and  even  the  legislation  of  the 
recent  Decretum  Generale.  For  these 
offices  interrupt  the  observance  of  the 
ferials,  eliminating  all  Friday  ferials 
for  us. 


60 


I  would  suggest,  therefore,  that  the 
Passion  Feasts  be  observed  by  us  in  the 
final  week  of  the  Septuagesima  season, 
preferably  during  the  now-abolished 
octave  of  the  Solemn  Commemoration. 
These  Passion  Feasts  should  be  reduced 
to  double  minors,  all  having  the  same 
short  verse  at  Prime,  and  the  same  con- 
clusion to  the  hymn.  The  scriptural  les- 
sons could  be  taken  from  the  occuring 
week,  thus  avoiding  repetition  of  the 
same  lessons  practically  every  day.  If 
possible,  the  Creed  would  be  omitted  at 
the  Mass. 

In  regard  to  the  Psalms,  these  would 
be  proper  at  Matins  and  Vespers  with 
their  respective  antiphons.  If  varying 
matin  psalms  causes  inconveniences,  as 
Father  Ronald  maintains,  then  a  special 
"Commune  Passionis"  could  be  estab- 
lished for  us,  consisting  of  psalms  which 
in  their  literal  or  typical  sense  refer  to 
the  suffering  Messias.  Certainly,  there 
is  no  liturgical  foundation  to  select  just 
any  psalms,  e.g.,  from  the  Sunday  or 
some  other  "commune,"  as  Father  Ronald 
surprisingly  suggested. 

Such  an  arrangement  as  here  suggested 
would  preserve  the  Passion  Offices  for 
us,  without  infringing  on  the  traditional 
Lenten  and  Passion-tide  offices  and 
Masses.  The  week  of  Quinquagesima 
would  thus  become  for  us  a  special 
Passion  week,  disposing  us  for  a  deeper 
participation  in  the  Lenten  liturgy  of  the 
Church  and  for  a  more  fruitful  preaching 
of  the   Passion  during  Lent. 

I  will  conclude  with  a  few  other 
observations.  I  fear  that  I  have  never 
experienced  any  difficulty  with  the  Feast 
of  the  Holy  Redeemer,  as  the  result  of 
"a  strained  polysyllogism."  Perhaps  my 
concept  of  devotion  to  the  redemptive 
Passion  is  awry!  Several  of  Father 
Ronald's    arguments    seem    rather    weak 


from  a  liturgical  point  of  view — such  as 
his  concern  for  the  Passionist  who  must 
celebrate  Mass  outside  the  Monastery  on 
October  17;  or  his  argument  from  the 
physical  bulk  of  our  Proper;  or  the 
chanced  inconveniences  arising  in  prov- 
inces that  still  use  the  old  Psalter. 

I  trust  that  my  comments  will  not 
seem  to  imply  that  I  disagree  with 
Father  entirely.  Many  of  his  points  are 
well  made.  I  am  in  fact  happy  to  see  a 
discussion  arise  on  a  matter  which  should 
deeply  concern  us  all.  My  final  sug- 
gestion is  that  Father  Ronald  has  not 
said  the  last  word  on  what  our  Proper 
should   contain. 

Roger  Mercurio,  C.P. 
Louisville,   Kentucky 

MISSION  ADAPTATION? 

Dear  Editor: 

The  fine  letter  of  Missionarius  in  your 
September  issue  encourages  me  to  offer 
the  following  thoughts  in  the  hope  that 
they  will  provoke  written  discussion — 
pro  and  con. 

The  weak  link  in  our  missions  is  the 
groundwork — the  preparation  for  them. 
We  rely  on  the  pastor  for  announce- 
ments, public  prayers  and  the  hope  that 
he  will  round  up  the  stray  sheep.  Often 
enough  his  preparation  is  extremely  hap- 
hazard and  just  does  not  work  in  our 
large  impersonal  city  parishes.  As  a 
result  the  missionary  faces  a  cold  congre- 
gation Sunday  morning.  Bishop  Sheen 
would  wince  at  this  almost  impossible 
task — to  convince  masses  of  varying 
kinds  of  Catholics  to  come  to  church  16 
times  in  the  following  week.  A  more 
organized,  personal  approach  must  be 
implemented.  Father  Peyton  with  his 
Rosary  Crusade  and  dozens  of  commer- 
cial   firms   like   Lawson  Associates  have 


61 


shown  what  can  be  done  by  organization. 
Practically  every  diocese  and  every 
parish  in  the  country  has  used  this  ap- 
proach to  get  people  to  say  the  rosary  or 
to  give  money  for  building  programs. 
Missions  are  as  important  as  saying  the 
rosary  or  raising  money.  They  come  once 
in  a  matter  of  years.  Why  cannot  we 
then  use  much  of  this  system?  Have 
the  pastor  preach  on  preceeding  Sundays 
sermons  that  will  prepare  tfye  people. 
Have  the  men  organized  to  go  out  and 
personally  contact  250  or  500  families. 
Fifty  men  can  contact  250,  one  hundred 
can  convince  500  of  the  worthwhile 
meaning  of  a  modern  day  mission.  To 
convince  the  nucleus  of  fifty  or  one  hun- 
dred men  is  the  problem — and  that  is 
where  a  study  of  Father  Peyton's  ap- 
proach might  be  very  rewarding. 

However  this  is  an  ideal  and  at  the 
present  time  it  would  seem  there  are  few 
pastors  who  are  that  sold  on  a  mission. 
It  would  take  time,  trouble,  effort  and 
expense.  So  it  is  forced  back  on  us  to 
solve  our  problem.  And  to  sell  a  mission 
in  modern  day  America  it  might  be 
necessary  to  shorten  it.  We  ask  modern 
day  Americans  to  give  up  eight  evenings 
of  pleasure  and  relaxation — and  from 
the  response  it  seems  they  do  not  have 
the  faith.  But,  before  condemning  them 
we  might  ask  ourselves  what  would  be 
our  reaction  to  making  a  thirty  day 
retreat.  An  eight  day  mission  for  the 
average  person  has  about  the  same 
appeal  as  a  thirty  day  retreat  for  the 
average  religious.  Yet,  we  can  shorten 
our  mission  and  lose  nothing  as  regards 
essentials. 

One  solution  might  be  to  have  the 
mission  run  from  Sunday  to  Wednesday 
— four  nights.  The  rosary  would  be  left 
out — the  sermon  would  begin  at  7:30 
and  end  at  7:55.   The  second  missionary 


would  speak  at  8:05  and  end  at  8:30. 
The  ten  minutes  could  be  used  for  the 
rosary  or  benediction.  Then  the  men's 
mission  could  begin  on  Thursday  night 
and  close  Sunday.  Eight  sermons  would 
be  given  in  four  days — and  it  will  be 
easier  to  get  500  for  four  days  than  250 
for  eight  days. 

Another  solution  might  be  to  have  the 
mission  go  from  Sunday  to  Thursday, 
Friday  and  Saturday  could  be  spent 
hearing  confessions  before  the  opening 
of  the  second  half. 

The  problem  of  our  missions  is  a  vast 
one  and  will  not  be  solved  by  letters  to 
the  PASSIONIST.  Authority  and  the 
experience  of  others  is  the  ultimate  solu- 
tion. However,  I  feel  that  the  PASSION- 
IST is  offering  a  welcome  beginning  to 
the  solution  of  why  we  have  zealous, 
well-prepared  men  facing  so  many  half 
empty  churches. 

C.P. 

Dear  Editor: 

May  I  take  this  occasion  to  express  my 
appreciation  for  the  fine  job  you  have 
done  in  the  September- October  issue,  of 
The  PASSIONIST.  The  article  by  Father 
Ignatius  McElligott  was  particularly 
timely  and  interesting  and  ought  to 
arouse  a  great  deal  of  important  dis- 
cussion here  in  the  U.S.  I  was  pleased 
to  read  the  letter  by  "Missionarius,"  for 
some  of  his  suggestions  are  very  close 
to  my  own  thinking  on  the  matter. 
Fortunately,  his  community  does  more 
discussing  of  these  vital  problems  than 
does  ours. 

I  was  pleased  to  note  that  you  fol- 
lowed up  your  approach  to  the  mission 
problems  with  the  article  by  Father 
Edwin  Ronan,  C.P.,  in  the  November- 
December  issue.  May  I  suggest  that 
Father  Edwin  give  us  some  of  his  com- 


62 


ments    and    reactions    to    the    letter    by 
Missionarius? 

A  Passionist   Father 

Dear  Editor: 

When  I  read  Father  Edwin  Ronan's 
recent  article  in  The  PASSIONIST  I 
wanted  to  stand  up  and  cheer  him.  So 
I  thought  I  would  do  it  in  print,  (with 
more  of  an  audience  than  God  and  my 
Guardian  Angel).  I  think  he  did  a 
great  job  of  tracing  how  the  ideal  Pas- 
sionist Missionary  career  should  run  from 
start  to  finish,  rooting  it  firmly  in  the 
best  of  our  traditions  and  introducing 
the  finest  of  what  our  own  age  has 
offered.  The  Passio  contemplate  aliis 
tradere  is  indeed  a  norm  of  striving  well 
put. 

Fr.  Ward  Biddle,  C.P. 
Chicago,  Illinois 


MENTAL   PRAYER 

(Continued    from    page   55) 

emphasis  to  mental  prayer,  is  sufficiently 
liturgical,  and  not  excessive  in  the  quanti- 
ty or  in  the  importance  on  vocal  prayer." 
He  had  already  stated  in  an  earlier 
article  {ibid  13  (1954)  126  "Pray  Rea- 
sonably") what  would  be  a  proper  bal- 
ance: "five  minutes  of  morning  (vocal) 
prayer  and  forty-five  minutes  of  medita- 
tion." He  is  writing  for  institutions 
where  there  might  be  a  "twelve-hour 
day  and  perhaps  a  seven-day  week."    It 


is  true  that  this  45  minute  period  would 
suffice  for  the  entire  day,  but  he  would 
absolutely  favor  a  long  prayer  rather 
than  shorter  periods  or  many  vocal 
prayers. 

49  This  sentence  was  based  principally 
upon  those  parts  referred  to  by  General 
Index  sub  "ortio,"  vol  IV,  p.  384. 

50  Rene  Voillaume  Seeds  of  Desert 
(Fides    1955)    42-43. 

™*Life,  ch.  XI  (Peers  ed.,  I,  66). 

51  Cf.  footnote  43,  above. 

52  Insti.  spir.  dial.,  dial  XII,  quoted  by 
Poulain,  op.  cit.,  15,  fn. 

33  G.  A.  Ellard,  "On  Difficulties  in 
Meditation"  Review  for  Religious  6 
(1947)    7. 

54  Way  of  Perfection,  ch.  XXIX 
(Peers  ed.,  II,  122). 

35  Ibid. 

™Lettere  I,  103;  also  I,  525;  III, 
367,  607,  631. 

57  Caetan,  Doctrine,  35-37. 

38  Diary,  Tues.,  Nov.  26.  St.  Paul  is 
speaking  of  passive  infused  prayer.  But 
his  words  apply  here  also,  though  to  a 
lesser  extent. 

59  Way  of  Perfection,  ch.   17. 

c0  Int.  Mansions,  4th  Man,  ch.  Ill,  n.  7. 

<"Dark  Night,  Bk.  I,  ch.  VIII,  n.  3; 
also  Living  Flame  III,  n.  27-67;  Fr. 
Rene  Voillaume,  op.  cit.,  has  a  beautiful 
example  of  this  on  pp.  192-193;  see  fn. 
56-57  above. 

^  Bolletino  9  (1948)  44. 

^Living  Flame  II,  5. 

04  This  Tremendous  Lover,  251-252. 


Our  readers  are  invited  to  send  in  letters  to  the  Editor,  giving  .their  com- 
ments and  opinions  on  articles  and  letters  appearing  in  The  PASSIONIST. 
Letters  on  other  subjects  that  will  be  of  interest  to  our  Readers  will  also  be 
printed.  If  requested,  the  name  of  the  sender  will  not  be  printed,  but  anon- 
ymous letters  will  not   be  accepted. 


63 


na 


THE  PARISH  MISSION 

Old,  New,  or  Both? 

Our  readers  who  are  interested  in 
finding  some  remedy  for  the  small 
attendance  at  some  of  our  missions  will 
find  the  article  in  VIEW,  a  Catholic 
Comment  on  the  News,  for  December 
1956,  interesting.  The  following  is 
taken  in  part  from  the  VIEW.  "Within 
the  past  few  decades,  .  .  .  the  old-time 
mission  seems  to  have  lost  much  of  its 
attraction.  Despite  eloquent  persuasion 
from  the  pulpit  a  small  percentage  of 
the  parishioners  are  willing  to  leave 
the  comfort  of  their  homes  and  come 
to  the  services. 

The    reason?      Several    have    been 


given  .  .  .  lukewarmness  .  .  .  other  diver- 
sions. .  .  .  The  principal  villain  is  with- 
out doubt  the  television  set.  .  .  What 
to  do?  Father  James  F.  Finley,  of  the 
Paulist  Fathers,  has  been  advocating  a 
radically  new  type  of  parish  mission, 
tailored  to  meet  the  needs  of  our  chang- 
ing society.  Instead  of  the  customary 
week-long  series  of  evening  talks  Father 
Finley  has  developed  a  mission  which 
presents  the  usual  topics  at  all  Masses 
on  five  consecutive  Sundays.  "Hit  them 
where  they  are,  not  where  they  aren't" 
— might  sum  up  the  Paulist' s  idea. 

Father  Finley  and  his  associates  have 
already  tried  out  the  new  technique  ex- 
perimentally in  several  churches  and  re- 
port noteworthy  success. 


NOTICE 

The    Citrus    Heights    telephone   number    has    been    changed    from    IVanhoe 
7-0122  to  EDgewood  2-1113. 


The  PASSIONIST  is  looking  for  individual,  identified  (religious  and  family 
name)  pictures  of  past  and  present  members  of  Holy  Cross  Province  for  its 
files. 


64 


ROME 


General   Curia  Letter 

In  a  letter  dated  November  25,  1956 
and  signed  by  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Tarcisio, 
Secretary  General,  notice  was  given  of 
a  change  in  the  manner  of  gathering 
and  publishing  news  of  the  entire  Con- 
gretation.  In  a  past  issue  of  the  ACTA 
CONGREGATIONS  there  appeared 
the  resolution  of  the  General  Curia  to 
revise  the  ACTA  in  order  to  make  it 
correspond  more  precisely  to  its  intended 
scope  and  purpose,  namely,  the  'Official 
Organ  of  the  Congregation,'  both  as 
far  as  the  General  Curia  is  concerned 
and  also  the  individual  Provinces.  The 
caption  'Varia  Notatu  Digniora,'  a  sub- 
title under  Chronica  Congregation}* 
Nostrae,  will  in  the  future  appear  as  a 
separate  publication,  considered,  how- 
ever, as  an  integration  and  supplement 
to  the  ACTA  itself.  For  the  time  being 
the  Supplement  will  appear  in  two 
languages:    Italian,  published  in  Rome, 


and  English,  published  by  the  PAS- 
SIONIST,  Bulletin  of  Holy  Cross  Prov- 
ince, Chicago,  Illinois.  Thus  it  is  hoped 
to  continue  in  a  more  appropriate  man- 
ner the  laudable  work  begun  by  the 
PASSIO  CHRISTI,  and  that  with  time 
and  experience  this  enterprise  will  en- 
dure and  perfect  itself. 

The  Italian  Supplement  will  be  called 
Notiziario  Passionista.  There  is  no  in- 
tention of  making  this  Notiziario  a 
periodical  or  anything  similar  to  one; 
rather  its  precise  purpose  will  be  to 
keep  all  the  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tion informed  on  outstanding  events  in 
the  Congregation  that  are  of  general 
interest,  and  to  effect  this  in  a  simple, 
brief  and  clear  manner. 

The  same  division  of  matter  adopted 
by  the  PASSIO  CHRISTI  will  be  re- 
tained, namely,  notices  of  the  Congre- 
gation in  Rome,  Europe,  in  America 
and  Austrailia,  and  in  the  Missions. 


65 


The  letter  gave  the  following  list  as 
a  guide  to  news  correspondents: 

1.  Annual  statistics  of  work  of  the 
Apostolate  such  as  missions  and  retreats, 
retreats  to  the  Clergy  and  laity  in  our 
Monasteries,  activities  of  the  Confra- 
ternity of  the  Sacred  Passion  and  of 
other  similar  organizations. 

2.  Outstanding  Missions,  in  the  sense 
of  the  exceptional  number  of  mission- 
aries conducting  it,  or  the  collaboration 
of  various  Provinces  in  a  mission,  or 
an  account  of  any  other  outstanding 
circumstance. 

3.  Special  Apostolates :  social,  in  fac- 
tories, among  the  poor,  etc.,  Passionist 
parochial  activities,  radio,  television, 
work  among  non-Catholics. 

4.  Scientific  achievements  whether 
within  the  Congregation  or  together 
with  other  Catholic  organizations  of  a 
cultural  value. 

5.  Foundations  of  new  Retreats  or 
Residences;  new  Missions,  new  con- 
structions of  particular  interest. 

6.  Special  celebrations  of  Retreats, 
Missions  or  of  individual  Religious. 

7.  Happenings  that  have  a  special 
relation  of  our  Congregation  with  the 
ecclesiastical  Hierarchy,  civil  authorities 
or  the  scientific  and  cultural  world. 

8.  Matters  of  importance  in  the 
foreign  mission  field  or  home  missions 
(negro  missions,  etc.)  not  grouped  un- 
der missions  in  our  particular  sense  of 
the  word. 

9.  Facts  of  particular  significance 
regarding  the  activities  of  our  residential 
Passionist  Bishops.  This  notice  will  fall 
back  oh  the  correspondent  of  the  Prov- 
ince   to   which   the   respective   Bishop 


belongs. 

Correspondents  are  also  asked  to  send 
photographs  relating  to  items  sent,  in- 
sofar as  this  can  be  done.  All  this  pre- 
supposes a  generous  and  active  cooper- 
ation of  the  various  Provinces,  especially 
on  the  part  of  the  correspondents.  The 
development  and  prestige  of  the 
Notiziario  will  be  dependent  upon  the 
zeal  and  efficiency  of  the  correspondents. 

The  local  correspondent  for  each 
retreat  will  send  his  material  to  the 
Provincial  correspondent.  The  Provincial 
correspondent  in  turn  will  coordinate 
the  items  sent  to  him  by  the  local  cor- 
respondents, and  send  the  finished 
product  to  the  editor  in  Rome.  All 
news  items  should  be  sent  to  the  editor 
in  Rome  every  two  months,  not  later 
than  the  10th  of  the  months  of  January, 
March,  May,  July,  September  and  No- 
vember. The  address  is :  Redazione  del 
' r Notiziario  Passionista,'  Piazza  SS  Gio- 
vanni e  Paolo  13,  Roma  847,  Italy. 
Pastoral   Ministry  of   Passion- 

ists 

The  Editor  of  the  NOTIZIARIO 
PASSIONISTA  is  planning  on  making 
a  summary  of  the  Pastoral  Ministry  of 
the  Passionists  throughout  the  world. 
To  be  included  in  this  summary  is  the 
work  done  by  our  Fathers  in  parishes, 
as  pastors  or  assistants,  chaplaincies  in 
chapels,  hospitals,  religious  institutes, 
etc.  This  inquiry  is  to  cover  only  Prov- 
inces, V  i  c  e-Provinces,  Commissariats 
and  houses  in  regions  that  are  not 
geographically  united  to  the  Province. 
Houses  of  the  Congregation  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  Bishops,  Prelates  Nullius, 
Prefects  and  Vicar  Apostolic  will  not 


66 


be  included  in  this  summary. 

It  is  requested  therefore  by  the  Editor 
of  NOTIZIARIO  that  the  Provincial 
Correspondents  and  the  Missionaries  in 
regions  not  geographically  united  with 
the  Province  send  in  their  information 
not  later  than  March  10th  so  the  report 
can  be  printed  in  the  April  number  of 
the  NOTIZIARIO  and  the  PASSION- 
IST.  This  report  is  to  cover  only  the 
year  1956. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  ques- 
tions the  -Editor  of  NOTIZIARIO 
would  like  answered: 

I.  Parishes  taken  care  of  by  Passion- 
ists. 

1.  Diocese.  2.  Locality:  city,  village, 
or,  if  in  the  country,  the  locality.  3. 
Number  of  inhabitants  of  locality :  Cath- 
olics, non-Catholics.  4.  Number  of 
parishes  in  the  Passionist  Province.  How 
many  Fathers  occupied  in  each  parish. 
5.  Is  the  parish  in  connection  with  a 
Retreat  or  not.  Date  of  founding  of 
parish.  Date  when  Passionists  given 
charge.  7.  Catechetical  instruction  given 
to  children.  To  adults.  How  many 
classes  given.  How  attended.  Number 
of  those  attending.  Results.  8.  Number 
of  baptisms.  First  Communions.  9. 
Parochial  schools.  Grade.  High.  How 
many  registered.  How  many  attend. 
Results.  10.  Catholic  action.  How  many 
meetings.  Number  of  members.  Apos- 
tolate  of  members.  1 1 .  Social  and 
charitable  activities.  Nature  and  pur- 
pose. Number  of  organizations.  Num- 
ber of  members.  Of  those  assisted.  12. 
Statistics  about  attendance  at  Mass  on 
days  of  precept.  Reception  of  Sacra- 
ments.   Age  and  social  status  of  per- 


sons. Attendance  at  certain  feasts  during 
year.  13.  Influence  of  those  not  prac- 
ticing. 14.  Associations  working  for 
conversion  of  non-catholics.  15.  Relation 
with  diocesan  clergy,  with  Ordinary. 

II.  Church  of  the  Passionists  not 
Parochial. 

1.  Diocese.  2.  Distance  from  "neigh- 
bors." From  village  or  city.  3.  Seculars 
living  near  retreat.  How  far  away. 
How  many.  4.  Is  it  an  agricultural  or 
industrial  section.  Active  or  dormant. 
5.  Catechetical  instruction.  Children, 
adults.  Number  registered.  How  many 
attend.  Results.  6.  Catholic  action  as 
in  I.  7.  Social  or  recreational  activities 
as  in  number  I.  8.  Relations  with  clergy, 
bishop.  9.  Attending  Mass,  frequenting 
of  Sacraments  as  in  number  I. 

III.  Chaplaincies  directly  confided  to 
Passionists. 

1.  Diocese.  2.  Locality.  City,  village 
or  in  country.  3.  Number  of  chaplaincies 
confided  to  each  Retreat.  How  many 
fathers  in  such  work.  4.  Distance  from 
Retreat,  from  nearest  city.  5. Agricul- 
tural or  Industrial  section  as  in  Number 
II.  6.  Character  and  development  of 
the  work.  7.  Catechetical  Instructions 
as  in  number  II.  Level  of  subjects. 
8.  Social  and  recreational  activities  as 
in  number  I.  9.  Average  attendance  at 
preceptive  Mass,  Sacraments,  according 
to  age,  social  condition,  times  of  year, 
etc. 

IV.  Collaboration  and  Help  to  Pas- 
tors. 

1.  Diocese.  2.  Which  Parishes  or 
other  churches  receive  help.  Number 
per  Retreat.  How  many  Fathers  thus 
employed.    3.  How  many  inhabitants  in 


67 


such  parish  or  church.  4.  Character  and 
development  of  such  help  given.  5. 
Social  atmosphere  of  said  parish  or 
church.    6.  Date  of  founding  of  said 


parish  or  church.  Fruits  of  labor  given. 
Clergy  in  Diocese.  8.  Relation  with 
clergy  and  Bishop. 


PROVINCE  OF  HOLY  CROSS 


Deaths  in  the  Province 

A  month  had  hardly  run  out  and  Holy 
Cross  Province  counted  in  quick  suc- 
cession three  sudden  and  completely 
unexpected  deaths.  Two  of  these  deaths 
occurred  within  twenty-four  hours  of 
each  other  and  the  third  one  a  month 
later.  All  three  priests  were  engaged  in 
an  active  apostolate  up  to  the  time  of 
their  death.  Two  of  them,  Rev.  Fr. 
Arnold  Vetter,  C.P.,  and  Very  Rev.  Fr. 
Ronan  Dowd,  C.P.,  Rector  of  Sacred 
Heart  Retreat,  Louisville,  Ky.,  were 
active  missionaries,  while  the  third,  Rev. 
Fr.  Xavier  Praino,  C.P.,  was  Navy 
Chaplain  at  the  Veterans'  Hospital  in 
Northport,  L.I. 

Death  first  came  to  Father  Arnold 
on  the  morning  of  November  7  th  while 
preaching  a  mission  in  Bolivar,  Missouri. 
Father  had  hurried  down  to  Bolivar  to 
take  the  place  of  Rev.  Fr.  Cornelius 
McGraw,  C.P.,  who  suddenly  became 
ill  upon  completing  one  week  of  the 
mission.  Father  Arnold  was  preaching 
the  second  week  of  the  mission  at  the 
mission  church  in  Buffalo,  Missouri. 
While  the  pastor  was  arranging  the 
altar  for  the  early  mission  mass,  Father 
Arnold  was  in  the  sacristy,  preparing 
to  go  to  the  confessional  to  hear  confes- 
sions during  the  mass.  While  the  pas- 
tor was  in  the  sanctuary  he  heard  Father 


coughing.  He  returned  to  the  sacristy 
and  there  found  Father  Arnold  uncon- 
scious on  the  floor.  He  quickly  annointed 
Father  and  within  a  few  minutes  he  was 
dead. 

The  body  of  Father  Arnold  was  taken 
to  Sierra  Madre,  California  for  burial. 
The  brother  of  Father  Arnold,  Father 
Henry  Vetter,  C.P.,  is  stationed  at  Mater 
Dolorosa  Retreat,  Sierra  Madre,  while 
another  brother,  Father  Matthew  Vetter, 
C.P.,  is  the  superior  of  the  mission  of 
Holy  Cross  Province  in  Japan. 


Father  Xavier   Praino,   C.P. 


68 


Funeral  of  Fr.  Xavier  Praino,  C.P.,  in  Brighton,  Mass. 


Within  twenty-four  hours  after  the 
death  of  Father  Arnold,  the  Province 
was  notified  of  the  death  of  another  one 
of  its  priests.  Father  Xavier  Praino, 
C.P.,  of  the  Sorrowful  Virgin  died  in 
Mary  Immaculate  Hospital,  Jamaica, 
Long  Island,  on  November  8,  1956. 
Three  days  previous  to  his  death,  he  had 
been  in  New  York,  but  at  this  time  he 
felt  ill,  being  bothered  with  severe  chest 
pains.  Before  returning  to  the  Veterans' 
Hospital  in  Northport,  L.I.,  where  he 
was  stationed  as  Chaplain,  Father 
stopped  off  at  the  Jamaica  Monastery. 
The  doctor  advised  removal  to  the 
hospital  and  there  tried  to  alleviate  Fa- 
ther's pain  and  discomfiture.  But,  all 
was  to  no  avail.  The  illness  was  diag- 
nosed as  a  complete  coronary  occlusion. 

After  his  death,  the  body  of  Father 
Xavier  was  taken  to  St.  Gabriel's  Mon- 
astery in  Brighton,  not  far  from  Father's 
home  in  Norwood.  Because  Father  was 
well  known  in  that  area,  especially  since 


he  had  been  stationed  at  the  Veteran's 
Hospital  in  Chelsea,  a  great  number  of 
people  came  to  the  monastery. 

The  Funeral  Mass  on  November  12th 
was  sung  by  the  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Neil 
Parsons,  C.P.,  Provincial  of  Holy  Cross 
Province.  A  cousin  of  Father  Xavier, 
Father  Murphy  was  the  Deacon  and 
Father  Urban  Curran,  C.P.,  of  Immac- 
ulate Conception  Monastery,  Jamaica, 
L.I.,  was  the  Subdeacon.  Father  Cronan 
Regan,  C.P.,  Director  of  Students,  was 
the  Master  of  Ceremonies.  The  students 
of  the  monastery  formed  the  choir.  The 
eulogy  was  preached  by  Father  Bona- 
venturc  Griffiths,  C.P.,  Provincial 
Chronicler  of  the  Province  of  St.  Paul 
of  the  Cross. 

His  Excellencyy  Most  Reverend  Jere- 
miah Minihan,  D.D.,  Auxiliary  Bishop 
of  Boston,  presided  at  the  Mass  and 
gave  the  solemn  obsequies.  In  addition 
to  the  community  of  St.  Gabriel's,  a 
number  of  diocesan  priests  attended  as 


69 


well  as  several  Navy  Chaplains  and  VA 
Chaplains.  Passionists  came  from  Union 
City,  Jamaica,  Hartford  and  Springfield 
for  the  Funeral.  The  Very  Rev.  Fr. 
Ernest  Welch,  C.P.,  Provincial  of  St. 
Paul  of  the  Cross  Province,  flew  up 
from  Union  City  for  the  funeral,  and 
then  flew  back  again  to  address  the 
Jamaica  Laymen's  Retreat  League  that 
same  evening. 

Father  Xayier  left  his  aged  father, 
ninety  years  of  age,  a  sister  and  two 
brothers.  He  was  born  in  Roxbury,  a 
section  of  Boston,  but  in  later  years 
the  family  moved  to  Norwood,  Mass. 
Father  Xavier  was  a  member  of  Holy 
Cross  Province. 

On  the  Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception, December  8th,  the  Very  Rev. 
Fr.  Ronan  Dowd,  C.P.,  of  the  Immacu- 
late Conception,  rector  of  Sacred  Heart 
Retreat  died  while  at  home  in  the 
Retreat.  Father  Ronan  had  just  com- 
pleted a  one  week  mission  the  previous 
Sunday  for  Reverend  Fred  Gettelfinger, 
pastor  of  St.  Catherine's  Church,  New 
Haven,  Kentucky. 

Father  Ronan  was  talking  with  two 
of  the  priests  of  his  community,  Fathers 
Richard  Hughes  and  Lambert  Hickson. 
To  all  appearances  Father  Ronan  was  in 
perfect  health  and  neither  of  his  visitors 
suspected  that  within  a  few  minutes 
Father  would  be  dead.  Father  Lambert 
was  preparing  to  leave  the  room  of  the 
Rector,  when  suddenly  Father  Ronan 
bent  forward  and  fell  across  the  top  of 
his  desk.  Before  the  doctor  could  reach 
the  monastery,  Father  was  dead. 

Father  Ronan  was  still  a  very  young 
man  at  the  time  of  his  death,  being  only 


forty-one  years  of  age.  He  was  also 
one  of  the  most  active  men  of  the 
Province,  preaching  both  missions  and 
retreats  to  clergy  and  sisters. 

After  the  funeral  mass  at  the  Retreat 
in  Louisville,  the  body  of  Father  Ronan 
was  taken  to  his  home  town,  St.  Paul, 
Kansas,  and  was  buried  in  the  communi- 
ty cemetery  of  St.  Francis  de  Hieronymo 
Retreat.  Father  Ronan  has  an  older 
brother  Father  Conell  Dowd,  C.P.,  who 
has  succeeded  him  as  Rector  of  Sacred 
Heart  Retreat. 
Ordinations 

The  month  of  December  was  ordina- 
tion month  for  students  of  Holy  Cross 
Province.  Six  students  from  Sacred 
Heart  Retreat,  Louisville,  Kentucky 
were  ordained  Deacons.  The  names  of 
the  new  deacons  are:  Fathers  Gerard 
Steckel,  Peter  Berendt,  Michael  J.  Sten- 
gel, Louis  Doherty,  and  Henry  White- 
church.  Father  Henry  Whitechurch  is 
from  the  Immaculate  Conception  Prov- 
ince, Argentina. 

On  the  first  Sunday  of  Advent  eleven 
students  of  Immaculate  Conception  Re- 
treat, Chicago,  Illinois  were  given  the 
clerical  tonsure.  The  ceremony  was 
held  in  the  small  Chapel  of  Immaculate 
Conception  Retreat  and  was  completely 
filled  by  our  own  students  and  twenty- 
seven  religious  from  other  religious 
orders — Servites,  Viatorians  and  Scala- 
brini  Fathers.  They  were  received  into 
the  ranks  of  the  clergy  by  the  Most 
Reverend  Raymond  P.  Hillinger,  Auxil- 
iary Bishop  of  Chicago.  On  December 
8th  and  1 5th  the  same  Bishop  gave  them 
Minor  Orders  in  Quigley  Seminary 
Chapel,    the   minor    seminary    for   the 


70 


*  9  **?  *y*^i^  * 


Students  of  Immaculate  Conception  Retreat,  Chicago,  111.,  ordained  to  Minor 
Orders.  First  row,  1.  to.  r.:  Confrs.  Leonard  Kosatka,  Jerome  Brooks,  Alfred 
Pooler,  Kevin  Kenney,  Morris  Cahill,  Martin  Thommes.  Second  row,  1.  to.  r.: 
Stephen  Balog,  Joseph  M.  Connolly,  Andrew  M.  Gardiner,  Vincent  Giegerich, 

Gerald  Appiarius. 


Archdiocese   of  Chicago. 

Symposium 

The  Old  Testament  as  inspiration  and 
sourcebook  for  the  Passionist  Mission- 
ary: this  was  the  theme  of  a  symposium 
presented  by  the  second-year  students  of 
Sacred  Scripture  on  the  afternoon  of 
November  20th.  The  three  papers 
treated :  the  prophets  Amos  and  Osee  as 
models  for  a  Passionist  missionary,  by 
Confrater  Stephen  Balog,  the  Old  Test- 
ament concepts  of  God's  Name  and 
Glory,  as  fulfilled  on  Calvary,  by  Con- 
frater Andrew  M.  Gardiner,  and  the 
Problem  of  Sin  in  the  Book  of  Genesis, 
by  Confrater  Vincent  Giegerich. 


Providential  Drug 

For  the  first  time  in  years  the  Prov- 
ince of  Holy  Cross  has  had  one  of  its 
students  so  near  to  death  as  to  be 
anointed.  On  October  14th,  Confrater 
Owen  Duffield,  of  Sacred  Heart  Retreat, 
Louisville,  Kentucky,  was  taken  to  St. 
Joseph's  Infirmary  for  a  check-up  after 
complaining  of  abdominal  pains  and 
had  been  running  a  fever.  After  some 
time  Confrater  Owen  developed  a  lung 
condition  and  it  was  decided  to  anoint 
him  on  October  25th  and  his  family 
was  called.  After  a  piece  of  lung  tissue 
was  extracted  on  October  30th,  the 
Doctors  gave  him  just  twenty-lour  hours 

71 


to  live.  This  is  when  the  providential 
hand  of  God  showed  itself.  Doctor 
Taugher,  the  lung  specialist,  returned 
to  his  office  that  afternoon  and  picked 
up  a  recent  issue  of  a  medical  journal 
describing  a  new  remedy  for  a  condition 
much  like  that  which  Confrater  Owen 
had.  The  new  drug  was  at  once  rushed 
to  the  hospital  and  applied.  In  two  days 
there  was  a  noticeable  improvement  in 
his  breathing.   The  first  crisis  was  over. 

The  Doctors,  however,  were  still 
unable  to  diagnose  the  case,  and  in  fact, 
on  Sunday,  November  11th,  they  gave 
little  hope  to  his  parents  who  had  re- 
turned to  Louisville.  That  week  the 
abdominal  pains  returned  with  greater 
intensity,  and  finally  on  November  19th, 
an  operation  was  deemed  imperative,  as 
it  was  certain  that  there  had  been  a 
perforation  of  the  intestine.  Once  again 
Confrater  Owen  was  anointed  and  pre- 
pared for  death.  Dr.  Charles  Bisig  per- 
formed the  emergency  operation  that 
same  afternoon.  This  proved  to  be  the 
crisis  of  the  case.  With  several  lesser 
set-backs,  Confrater  Owen  is  on  his  way 
— a  long,  hard  way — to  eventual  re- 
covery. 
Parish  Activities 

St.  Agnes  Parish  attached  to  Sacred 
Heart  Retreat,  Louisville,  Ky.,  had  a 
very  successful  mission  from  Novem- 
ber 4th  to  19th  preached  by  Fathers 
Bartholomew  Adler,  C.P.,  and  John 
Devany,  C.P.  This  mission  proved 
not  only  a  spiritual  help  to  the  parish, 
but  also  a  real  inspiration  to  the  Reli- 
gious Community.  For  those  who  are 
detained  at  the  Monastery  for  one  rea- 
son or  another,  especially  the  students, 


it  was  encouraging  to  be  able  to  see 
our  Missionaries  in  action. 

On  Wednesday,  November  23rd,  the 
week  following  the  mission,  Rev.  Fr. 
Gail  Robinson,  Assistant  Pastor  of  St. 
Agnes  Parish  began  an  Inquiry  Class. 
It  has  proved  very  successful  and  there 
has  been  an  average  attendance  each 
week  of  about  thirty-five  people 

On  Sunday  afternoon,  December  2nd, 
Father  Forrest  Macken,  C.P.,  lector  of 
Canon  Law  and  Moral  Theology  at 
Sacred  Heart  Retreat,  conducted  a  Cana 
Conference  in  St.  Agnes  School  Hall. 
The  Cana  Conference  was  sponsored  by 
the  parish  and  was  very  well  attended. 

The  Parish  of  St.  Francis  de  Hierony- 
mo,  St.  Paul  Kansas,  now  has  some 
very  fine  new  offices  in  the  basement  of 
the  church.  A  moderately  large  waiting 
room  and  two  adjoining  offices  make  up 
this  new  and  badly-needed  addition  to 
the  parish.  Another  much-needed  im- 
provement is  the  new  floor  in  the  church, 
which  was  laid  during  the  first  week  of 
December.  At  the  call  for  volunteers, 
a  crowd  of  men  came  to  help  the  pastor, 
Rev.  Fr.  Nilus  Goggin,  C.P.,  and  lay 
the  felt,  plywood,  and  asphalt  tile  that 
gives  the  church  a  new  fresh  look.  This 
same  spirit  of  cooperation  made  the 
recent  Thanksgiving  Drive  a  success — 
"the  best  ever."  "More  financial  aid 
was  given  to  the  parish  then,"  the  pastor 
told  the  people,  "than  in  any  other  day 
in  the  history  of  the  parish." 

In  the  very  near  future  Holy  Cross 
Parish,  Cincinnati,  Ohio  plans  to  start 
a  Catholic  Information  Class  for  all  on 
the  hill.  Many  interested  persons  have 
been  asking  questions  about  the  Faith. 


72 


Laymen's  Retreat  News 

On  Wednesday  evening,  November 
21st,  the  annual  Mass  of  Thanksgiving 
for  the  members  of  Holy  Cross  Retreat 
League,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  was  offered 
by  Bishop  Issenman.  The  sermon  for 
the  occasion  was  preached  by  Rev.  Fr. 
Damian  Cragen,  C.P.  About  five  hun- 
dred men  were  present  at  St.  Mary's 
downtown  church.  Half  of  the  men 
present  received  Holy  Communion.  On 
December  2nd,  the  Monastery  at  Holy 
Cross  had  the  largest  group  as  yet  on 
retreat.  Gus  Schimpf  from  St.  John's 
Parish  in  Deer  Park  brought  65  men 
with  him  on  retreat. 

The  first  retreat  for  the  laity  at  our 
new  retreat  house,  Warrenton,  Missouri, 
is  scheduled  for  January  25th.  Because 
of  the  delay  in  the  construction  of  the 
retreat  house  the  retreat,  orginally  sched- 
uled for  January  4th,  had  to  be  post- 
poned to  this  later  date.  The  retreats 
for  the  laymen  will  be  preached  by  Rev. 
Fr.  John  Devany,  C.P.  February  4th  is 
the  date  scheduled  for  the  first  retreat 
to  the  clergy,  and  these  will  be  preached 
by  Rev.  F.  Herman  J.  Stier,  C.P.  Bishop 
Marlin,  of  the  recently  created  diocese 
of  Jefferson  City,  Missouri,  also  re- 
quested that  his  priests  be  able  to  make 
their  retreats  at  the  retreat  house  at 
Warrenton. 
New  Prep  Seminary 

Except  for  some  finishing  up  work, 
the  New  Preparatory  Seminary  is  com- 
pleted. On  November  4th,  the  members 
of  the  Passionist  Father's  Guild  had  an 
open  house  for  visitors.  Two  Grey- 
hound busses  were  chartered  for  the 
occasion.    Over  one  hundred  and  fifty 


visitors  toured  the  buildings  and 
grounds.  A  meeting  of  the  active  mem- 
bers of  the  Guild  was  held,  and  the 
vocation  movie  on  the  Passionist  Way 
of  Life  was  shown.  The  day  ended  with 
Benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
and  a  short  address  by  the  Rector,  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Thomas  M.  Newbold,  C.P. 

On  November  11th  the  beautiful 
statue  of  our  Mother  of  Good  Counsel, 
standing  in  the  Chapel  entrance  (see 
cover  design  for  Nov. -Dec.  1956  PAS- 
SIOIST)  was  blessed  by  Rev.  Fr.  Camp- 
ion Clifford,  in  the  presence  of  his 
Parents  who  donated  it  to  the  Seminary. 
The  Students,  under  the  direction  of 
Rev.  Fr.  Claude  Nevin,  sang  hymns 
honoring  our  Blessed  Mother,  while  the 
rest  of  the  Community  assisted  at  the 
brief  but  impressive  ceremony. 
Jubilees 

During  the  year  1956  twelve  priests 
of  this  province  celebrated  their  Silver 
Jubilees  of  ordination  to  the  priesthood. 
Eleven  of  them  were  ordained  on  De- 
cember 20,  1931,  and  one,  Father 
Declan  Egan,  was  ordained  on  May  30, 
1931.  Father  Declan  celebrated  the 
Silver  Jubilee  of  his  ordination  to  the 
priesthood  on  May  29th  at  St.  Paul  of 
the  Cross  Monastery,  Detroit.  At  that 
time  Father  was  the  Director  of  the  Lay- 
men's Retreats  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross 
Monastery.  He  is  now  stationed  in 
Sierra  Madre,  California  and  preaching 
the  Laymen's  Retreats. 

Both  Father  Patrick  Tully  and  Father 
Cyprian  Leonard,  Pastor  and  Assistant 
Pastors  of  St.  Gemma's  Church,  Detroit, 
celebrated  their  Jubilee  at  the  same 
time.   Father  Cyprian  offered  his  solemn 


73 


Mass  of  Thanksgiving  on  Saturday, 
December  15th.  Father  William  West- 
hoven  preached  the  sermon.  On  January 
6th  Father  Cpyrian  sang  a  Solemn  Mass 
of  thanksgiving  at  his  home  parish,  St. 
Catherine's,  Genoa,  Illinois.  Father 
Patrick  celebrated  his  Solemn  Mass  on 
Sunday,  December  16th.  The  Very  Rev. 
Fr.  Walter  Kaelin,  Rector  of  St.  Paul  of 
the  Cross  Monastery  preached  the  ser- 
mon. 


Father  Aidan  McGauran,  C.P. 

On  December  12  th,  the  Feast  of 
Our  Lady  of  Guadalupe,  Father  Emman- 
uel Sprigler,  sang  his  Solemn  Mass  of 
Thanksgiving  in  St.  John's  Seminary, 
Little  Rock,  Arkansas.  The  sermon  was 
preached  by  the  Rector  of  the  Seminary, 
Msgr.  James  E.  O'Connell,  Ph.D.    On 


Father    Cyprian    Leonard,    C.P. 


Father    Emmanuel    Sprigler,    C.P. 


74 


Father   Fidelis    Benedik,   C.P. 


December  30th,  Father  Emmanual  said 
a  Solemn  Mass  in  St.  Agnes'  Church, 
Louisville,  Ky.  Father  has  the  honor 
of  being  the  first  Passionist  alumnus 
of  St.   Agnes  School. 

Father  Joyce  Hallahan,  celebrated  his 
solemn  Mass  of  Thanksgiving  at  St. 
Mary's  Church,  Taunton,  Mass.,  on  the 
Feast  of   the   Immaculate   Conception, 


Father    Declan    Egan,    C.P. 


Father  Theophane  Gescavitz,  C.P. 

December  8th.  The  three  other  Jubi- 
larians  of  Sierra  Madre,  California, 
Father  Harold  Travers,  Father  Theo- 
phane Gescavitz  and  Father  Aidan 
McGauren,  celebrated  their  masses  of 
Thanksgiving  simultaneously  in  the 
Monastery  Chapel.  Father  Declan  Egan, 
Retreat  Master  at  the  Laymen's  Retreat 


75 


House,  preached  the  sermon.  Following 
their  masses  a  banquet  was  served  at 
the  Retreat  House. 

Father  Fidelis  Benedik  celebrated  his 
solemn  Jubilee  Mass  in  St.  Paul  of  the 
Cross  Retreat,  Detroit.  On  Sunday, 
December  16th,  Father  Leopold  Vaitie- 
kaitis  said  his  Solemn  Mass  of  Thanks- 
giving in  Saint  Francis  de  Hieronymo 
Church,  St.  Paul,  Kansas. 


ail. 


:  ;:    ,       .:.    :     ,:;:, 


On  December  20th  the  Communi- 
ty at  Houston  assisted  at  the  Solemn 
Mass  of  Father  John  A.  Torisky.  Then 
on  the  30th  of  December,  Father  John 
sang  another  Solemn  Mass,  in  St.  Mat- 


Father  John  A.  Torisky,  C.P. 


76 


thew's  Church,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  The 
preacher  for  the  occasion  was  Father 
Eugene  Kozar  from  West  Springfield, 
Mass.  Father  Eugene  preached  at  the 
first  Solemn  Mass  of  Father  John 
twenty-five  years  ago. 

As  noted  in  the  last  issue  of  the 
PASSIONIST,  Father  Anthony  Maher 
celebrated  his  Jubilee  Mass,  on  Sunday, 
October  7th  at  Cincinnati. 


Changes 

Upon  the  death  of  Father  Arnold 
Vetter,  C.P.,  Father  Alvin  Wirth,  C.P., 
was  appointed  to  take  his  place  as  Vicar 
at  St.  Francis  de  Hieronymo  Retreat,  St. 
Paul,  Kansas.  Father  Alvin  had  been 
assistant  pastor  at  the  Colored  Mission 
Parish,  in  Ensley,  Alabama.  His  place 
was  taken  by  Father  Bede  Doyle,  C.P., 
who  was  transferred  from  Louisville, 
Ky.  Two  other  members  of  the  Louis- 
ville Community  were  also  transferred 
at  this  time.  Father  James  Busch  was 
transferred  to  Sacramento,  California 
as  a  member  of  the  community.  Father 
John  Devany  has  been  assigned  to  the 
new  Laymen's  Retreat  House,  Warren- 
ton,  Missouri,  as  the  first  Retreat  Master 
to  conduct  the  laymen's  retreats. 

On  November  15th  Father  Victor 
Salz,  C.P.,  left  St.  Paul,  Kansas  for 
Warrenton,  Missouri,  to  replace  Father 
Emmet  Linden,  C.P.,  as  Vice-Director 
of  Students.  Father  Emmet  is  now  a 
member  of  the  community  at  St.  Paul, 
Kansas.  Father  Herman  J.  Stier,  C.P., 
was  transferred  from  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
to  preach  the  clergy  retreats  at  Warren- 


ton. On  October  8th,  Brother  Raphael 
Coutuier,  C.P.,  left  the  novitiate  and 
joined  the  Community  at  Des  Moines, 
Iowa.  Father  Charles  Guilfoyle,  C.P., 
was  transferred  from  Des  Moines,  Iowa 
and  is  now  a  member  of  the  community 
in  Sierra  Madre.  California. 

First  Japanese  Candidate 

November  28,  1956  will  be  a  day 
always  to  be  remembered  in  the  Province 
of  Holy  Cross.  On  that  date  Augustine 
Kunii,  our  first  Japanese  candidate, 
arrived  at  our  Novitiate,  St.  Paul, 
Kansas.  He  was  planning  on  arriving 
at  the  Novitiate  sooner,  but  an  eye 
infection  caused  the  delay.  Before  he 
could  get  his  visa,  it  was  necessary  that 
he  wait  for  sixty  days  after  the  treat- 
ments were  finished. 


Augustine    Kunii,    our    first    Japanese 
candidate    who    arrived    at    the    Novi- 
tiate, St.   Paul,   Kansas,   on    November 
28,  195H. 


77 


Bishop  Cuthbert  O'Gara  with  Cardinal  James  F.  Mclntyre  upon  the  occasion 
of  his  visit  to  Los  Angeles. 


Bp.  Cuthbert  Visits  L.A. 

On  Sunday,  October  21,  Bishop  Cuth- 
bert O'Gara,  C.P.,  preached  the  sermon 
for  the  Annual  Mission  Sunday  Vespers 
at  St.  John's  Military  Academy  Stadium, 
Los  Angeles,  California.  The  Bishop 
spoke  to  more  than  three  thousand 
school  children  of  the  Archdiocese  who 
joined  in  singing  the  Solemn  Pontifical 
Vespers  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  The 
annual  Mission  Sunday  Vespers  are 
sponsored  by  the  Holy  Childhood  Asso- 
ciation. 

Bishop  Cuthbert  thanked  the  children 
for  their  aid  to  his  mission  and  asked 
them  to  take  to  heart  the  warning  of 


Fatima.  The  Bishop  is  still  shocked  at 
American  indifference  to  the  Communist 
threat,  even  in  Catholic  circles.  He 
described  the  'it-can't-happen-here'  atti- 
tude as  sheer  stupidity  if  sincere.  "When 
you  know  that  Communism  is  100  per 
cent  evil,  when  you  have  the  record 
of  what  is  going  on  in  the  world,  when 
missionaries  and  even  Cardinals  are 
imprisoned  and  vilified,  you  would  ex- 
pect indignation,"  he  said.  Bishop 
Cuthbert  concluded  by  saying:  "I  say 
to  you  boys  and  girls,  what  Our  Lady 
said  to  the  children  at  Fatima:  'Pray, 
pray  much,  make  sacrifice  and  repara- 
tion.'  " 


71 


Missions  and  Retreats 

During  the  year  1956  the  Mission- 
aries of  Holy  Cross  Province  preached 
approximately  500  Retreats,  and  310 
Missions.  There  are  around  60  priests 
of  the  Province  engaged  in  preaching 
missions  and  retreats. 

Community  Retreats 

The  Annual  Retreats  for  the  com- 
munities of  the  Province  is  as  follows: 
Father  Elmer  Sandman,  preached  the 
retreat  for  the  Louisville  Community, 
December  1 6th  to  26th.  From  January 
6th  to  12th  Father  Finan  Storey  for 
Sierra  Madre,  and  Father  Elmer  Sand- 
man for  Houston.  Father  Paulinus 
Hughes,  for  Ensley  January  6th  to  12th. 
From  January  20th  to  26th,  Father 
Paulinus  for  Birmingham  and  Father 
Roland  Maher  for  Sacramento.  From 
January  27th  to  February  2nd,   Father 


Robert  Borger  for  Cincinnati  and  Father 
Jerome  O'Grady  (St.  Paul  of  the  Cross 
Province)  for  Warrenton.  Father  Je- 
rome Stowell,  will  conduct  the  Retreat 
for  the  Prep  seminarians,  January  29th 
to  February  2nd.  Father  Anselm  La- 
comara,  (St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  Prov- 
ince) .  will  conduct  the  retreats  for 
Chicago  from  February  3rd  to  9th  and 
for  Des  Monies  from  February  17th  to 
23rd.  Father  Jerome  O'Grady,  will  con- 
duct the  retreat  at  Detroit  from  Febru- 
ary 10th  to  16th.  The  retreat  at  St. 
Paul,  Kansas  will  be  preached  by  Father 
John  A.  Torisky  from  February  26th 
to  March  5  th. 

Retreats  in  Japan 

Under  the  capable  guidance  of  Fr. 
Peter  Claver,  C.P.,  the  retreat  movement 
in  Japan  is  making  progress.  Fr.  Peter 
visited  all  the  parishes  in  Osaka  and  the 


First  Laymen's  Retreat  preached  bv  Passionists  in  Japan  at  Mefujinja  Retreat 

House  by   Father   Peter  Claver   Kumle,  C.P.    (2nd   from   Left).    Left.   Fr.   Paul 

Placek,  C.P.    Right,  Fr.  Carl  Schmitz,  C.P. 


79 


surrounding  area  in  order  to  make  con- 
tacts. The  result  has  been  a  day  of 
recollection  each  of  the  Sundays  in 
November  and  the  first  two  Sundays  in 
December.  There  were  also  a  few  days 
of  recollection  during  the  week. 

Fr.  Matthew,  C.P.,  preached  a  ten 
day  retreat  in  Japanese  to  the  Sisters  in 
a  near  by  convent.  After  finishing  this 
retreat,  Father  preached  another  retreat 
to  some  English  speaking  sisters  in 
Southern  Japan.  At  our  house  at  Hibar- 
igaoka  Fr.  Paul,  C.P.,  gave  a  retreat  to 
a  group  of  priests.  During  the  first  part 
of  December  he  was  busy  preaching  a 
retreat  to  the  Black  Franciscans  from 
the  Polish  Province  in  the  U.S.A.  These 
Franciscans  have  charge  of  some  small 
islands  off  the  southernmost  tip  of 
Japan.  Many  of  the  people  on  these 
islands  have  been  Catholics  for  several 
hundreds  of  years.  The  faith  was  passed 
on  from  generation  to  generation  by 
the  people  themselves  since  there  were 
no  priests.  The  result  has  been  that  the 
people  are  greatly  in  need  of  instruction. 
The  Superior  of  these  Islands  has  asked 
if  our  Fathers  would  conduct  a  series 
of  missions  for  their  people. 

Meditation  on  Our  Lord's  Sacred 
Passion  seems  to  have  a  great  appeal  to 
the  people  of  Japan.  Fr.  Clement,  C.P., 
found  the  girls  at  a  High  School  run 
by  the  Sisters  of  Notre  Dame  very 
interested  in  his  talk:  "How  to  Medi- 
tate on  the  Passion."  Perhaps  it  is  be- 
cause of  the  great  suffering  and  hard- 
ship in  their  own  lives  that  the  Passion 
has  such  an  appeal. 
Catholicity  in  Japan 

The  most  recent  figures,  just  received, 


show  that  there  has  been  a  constant, 
steady  growth  of  the  Church  in  Japan 
during  the  past  year.  The  overall  Catho- 
ilic  population  is  now  199,760,  revealing 
very  significant  gains  over  19  5  3 
(185,284)  and  1952  (171,785).  Dur- 
ing the  past  year,  there  were  10,730 
adult  converts,  while  infant  baptisms 
numbered  5,802.  A  total  of  24,863 
catechumens  were  under  instruction  at 
the  time  the  statistics  were  compiled. 

The  largest  single  group  of  Catholics 
is  the  71,  660  in  the  Diocese  of  Naga- 
saki. Kagoshima  Diocese,  at  the  south- 
ernmost tip  of  the  Island  reports  the 
smallest  concentration  of  Catholics. 
There,  five  Japanese  priests  minister  to 
1,218  faithful,  of  whom  125  are  con- 
verts of  last  year. 

The  Osaka  Diocese,  in  which  our 
Fathers  work,  reported  the  largest  num- 
ber of  converts  (2,089),  although  it 
possesses  over  a  hundred  less  priests 
than  the  Archdiocese  of  Tokyo,  which 
reported  1,611  converts. 

Statistics  published  by  the  Japanese 
Ministry  of  Education  show  that,  as  of 
December  31,  1952,  there  were  in 
Japan  34,570  Shintoists,  419,764  Chris- 
tians, 42,312,586  Buddhists  and 
3,188,890  other  believers.  The  Minis- 
try put  the  strength  of  the  32  Protestant 
sects  at  214,389  as  against  172,202 
Catholics,  pointing  out  that  since  the 
War  the  Catholics  have  increased  while 
the  Protestants  have  decreased  in  num- 
bers. Catholics  and  Protestants  in  Japan 
have  usually  been  considered  in  the  ratio 
of  about  two  to  three,  but  it  would 
seem  that,  according  to  the  new  statis- 
tics, the  proportion. is  changing. 


80 


PROVINCE  OF  ST.  PAUL  OF  THE  CROSS 


Departures 

His  Excellency,  Archbishop  Leo  Kier- 
kels,  C.P.,  sailed  for  Holland  on  Sept- 
tember  4th,  after  spending  two  months 
in  the  United  States.  He  was  accom- 
panied by  his  Secretary,  Father  Neil 
McBrearty,  C.P.  The  Archbishop  sailed 
on  the  Nieuw  Amsterdam  from  Hobo- 
ken.  The  Very  Rev.  Father  Provincial, 
his  Consultors  and  Father  Brendan 
Boyle,  C.P.,  Provincial  Econome,  saw 
the  Archbishop  off  for  Europe.  Father 
Bonaventure  Griffiths,  C.P.,  represented 
His  Excellency,   Bishop   Cuthbert. 

On  August  22nd,  Father  Bonaventure 
Moccia,  C.P.,  sailed  for  Naples  on  the 
Independence  of  the  American  Export 
Lines.  He  has  taken  up  duties  in  SS. 
John  and  Paul,  Rome,  as  guest-master 
for  English  speaking  pilgrims  and  is 
also  engaged  in  advanced  studies  in 
Italian. 

Two  missionaries  of  the  Province 
destined  to  assist  the  Austro-German 
Vice  Province  for  the  next  ten  years, 
Father  Anthony  Neary,  C.P.,  and  Ron- 
ald Hilliard,  C.P.,  sailed  September  12th 
for  Lisbon  on  the  Conte  Bianchimano. 
Before  arriving  at  their  destination  near 
Munich,  they  visited  Fatima,  Lourdes 
and  Rome. 

Father  Ronald  Hilliard  is  the  son  of 
the  late  Captain  John  Hilliard,  U.S.N. 
He  was  born  in  New  Hampshire  and 
spend  his  boyhood  in  the  Orient  where 
his  father  was  in  command  of  a  divi  lion 
of  destroyers.  He  attended  the  Punahou 
Academy,    Honolulu,    Monterey    High 


School,  Monterey,  California,  and  the 
United  States  Naval  Academy,  Ann- 
apolis, Maryland.  During  the  war  he 
served  with  the  20th  Armored  Division 
in  the  Rhineland  Campaign,  engaged 
in  the  Battles  of  Munich  and  Salzburg. 
He  will  now  serve  the  cause  of  Christ 
close  to  the  scenes  of  his  World  War 
II  career. 

Father  Anthony  Neary  is  a  native  of 
Scranton.  His  war  service  was  on  the 
USS  Guam,  part  of  the  Third  and 
Fifth  Task  Forces  in  the  Pacific.  He 
participated  in  the  invasion  of  Okinawa, 
Easter  Sunday,  1945  and  later  took  part 
in  the  occupation  of  Korea. 

Both  young  Passionists  were  professed 
on  August  15,  1948  and  ordained  by 
His  Excellency,  Bishop  Cuthbert  at  St. 
Michael's  Monastery  Church,  Union 
City,  on  April  28,  1954. 

Mission  Accomplished 

Father  Reginald  Arliss,  C.P.,  com- 
pleted his  assignment  as  Master  of 
Novices  for  the  Sons  of  Mary,  Framing- 
ham,  Mass.  This  new  Institute  of  Medi- 
cal Missionaries  was  founded  by  Father 
Edward  Garesche,  S.J.  Father  Reginald 
was  loaned  by  the  Congregation  to  train 
the  first  novices  of  the  young  society. 
He  served  in  this  capacity  from  August 
13,  1952  until  August  15,  1956. 

Father  Reginald  was  ordained  in 
1934  and  left  for  the  Hunan  Passionist 
Missions  the  following  year.  He  was 
appointed  Vice  Rector  of  the  Yiunling 
Seminary  in  1937  and  Rector  in  193°. 
He    held    this    office    until    appointed 


81 


Rector  of  the  Hunan  Regional  Seminary 
by  Archbishop  Riberi,  the  Papal  Inter- 
nuncio to  China.  This  provincial  semin- 
ary was  located  in  Hengyang,  Southeast 
Hunan.  With  the  Red  invasion  the  sem- 
inary was  closed  and  the  seminarians 
dispersed.  Father  Reginald  then  returned 
to  the  Diocese  of  Yuanling  and  was  a 
missionary  in  Yungsui  when  expelled 
by  the  Reds  from  China  in  1951. 
Homiletics  for  Navy  Chaplains 

Rev.  Father  Alfred  Duffy,  C.P.,  one 
of  the  outstanding  missionaries  of  the 
Province  and  former  Lector  of  Sacred 
Eloquence,  conducted  a  special  course 
in  Homiletics  for  the  Navy  Chaplains  at 
New-Port  News,  Va.,  from  August  12th 
to  24th.  Father  Alfred  expressed  him- 
self as  well  satisfied  with  the  coopera- 
tion received  and  for  the  gracious  hospi- 
tality of  the  naval  authorities.  The 
courtesy,  interest  and  assistance  of  the 
ranking  officers  impressed  Father  Alfred 
immensely. 
Death  of  Fr.  Charles 

Rev.  Father  Charles  Frederick  Lang, 
C.P.,  of  the  Sacred  Hearts  of  Jesus  and 
Mary  died  in  Mercy  Hospital,  Scranton, 
Pa.,  on  August  10th,  just  a  few  days 
prior  to  his  fifty-third  birthday.  He  was 
the  grand-nephew  of  the  famous  Lang 
twins,  Father  Frederick  and  Father 
Charles,  the  latter  being  the  first  Pro- 
vincial of  Holy  Cross  Province.  The 
deceased  Passionist  combined  the  names 
of  his  grand-uncles  for  his  own  religious 
name  when  he  entered  the  Congrega- 
tion. 

Father  Charles  was  born  in  Pitts- 
burgh and  after  attending  Duquesne 
University    High    School    in    that    city 


Father   Charles    Frederick    Lang,    C.P. 

and  Holy  Cross  Preparatory  Seminary, 
Dunkirk,  entered  the  Novitiate  where 
he  was  professed  on  August  15th,  1922. 
Seven  years  later,  on  May  25,  1929,  he 
was  ordained  to  the  Holy  Priesthood  in 
the  Newark  Cathedral  by  Bishop  (later 
Archbishop)   Walsh. 

During  twenty-seven  years  of  priest- 
hood, Father  Charles  effectively  filled 
several  important  posts.  In  succession 
he  was  Director  of  Students,  Director 
of  Retreats  in  Springfield,  Director  of 
Retreats  at  the  Passionist  Nuns  Con- 
vent Retreat  House  in  Dunmore,  near 
Scranton,  Curate  and  then  Pastor  of 
St.  Joseph's  Monastery  Parish,  Balti- 
more, and  preacher  of  the  Laymen's 
Retreats  in  Hartford.  Between  these 
assignments  he  was  engaged  in  preach- 
ing missions  and  retreats. 


82 


For  the  past  several  years,  Father 
Charles  suffered  from  acute  hyper- 
tension combined  with  a  cardiac  ail- 
ment which  necessitated  a  curtailment 
of  his  ministerial  activities.  This  sum- 
mer, while  visiting  the  Scranton  Mon- 
astery, he  became  ill  and  died  shortly 
after  reaching  Mercy  Hospital.  His 
funeral  took  place  at  St.  Paul's  Mon- 
astery, Pittsburgh,  where  he  had  been 
stationed  as  a  member  of  that  com- 
munity. In  the  absence  of  Father  Pro- 
vincial, the  First  Consultor,  Very  Rev. 
Fr.  Cuthbert  McGreevey,  C.P.,  cele- 
brated the  Solemn  Funeral  Mass.  The 
Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Monastery,  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Theodore  Foley,  C.P.,  assisted 
as  Deacon,  and  Father  Malachy  McGill, 
Vicar  of  St.  Ann's  Monastery,  Scranton, 
and  a  cousin  of  the  Deceased,  was  the 
Subdeacon.  Rev.  Father  Paul  Ubinger, 
C.P.,  preached  the  eulogy. 


Father    Berchmans    McHugh,    C'.I\, 
standing   before   Mission    Chapel   dur- 
ing   Pitt    County    Fair    at    Greenville. 


Greenville,  N.(\,  Mission 

The  Mission  of  St.  Gabriel  opened 
a  new  school  this  September  beginning 
with  the  first  four  grades.  The  Sisters 
of  Christian  Charity  are  teaching  the 
eighty-six  pupils  attending  the  new 
school.  Of  these  eighty-six  children 
attending  the  school,  only  thirteen  are 
Catholics.  Next  year  another  class  will 
be  added. 

The  parishioners  of  St.  Gabriel's  co- 
operated with  those  of  St.  Peter's  Parish 
in  a  new  project  this  year.  They  bor- 
rowed the  mission  trailer  from  the 
Raleigh  diocese.  During  the  Pitt  County 
Fair  at  Greenville  this  chapel  was  placed 
in  a  prominent  place.  About  one  thou- 
sand people  went  through  the  chapel 
and  listened  to  an  explanation  of  the 
Stations  of  the  Cross,  as  well  as  to  one 
about  the  altar  and  vestments.  About 
fifteen  hundred  people  attending  the 
Fair  accepted  pamphlets  that  were  given 
to  them  to  read.  It  is  certain  that  for 
many  of  these  people  it  was  their  first 
contact  with  the  Church.  Everyone  who 
visited  the  Chapel  was  also  given  a  copy 
of  Fr.  Edgar  Ryan's  postcard  offering 
more  information  about  the  faith. 
Missions  and  Retreats 

In  the  July,  189^  issue  of  the  'Stu- 
dents Journal,'  a  printed  magazine 
edited  and  published  by  the  Passionist 
Students  of  St.  Michael's  Monastery, 
West  Hoboken,  N.J.,  there  is  this  in- 
teresting item.  "During  the  year  189-i 
(the  year  of  the  First  Missionary  Con- 
gress) our  missionary  Fathers  in  the 
United  States  gave  a  hundred  and 
twenty  missions  and  a  hundred  and  ten 
retreats.  .  .  .  The  total  number  of  priests 


83 


engaged    in    the    work,    ranged    from 
about  twenty-seven  to  thirty." 

In  1955,  the  year  prior  to  the  Second 
Missionary  Congress,  missionaries  of 
St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  Province  preached 
671  retreats,  500  missions,  207  novenas 
and  59  triduums.  The  mission  band 
numbered  approximately   150. 

Retreat   Conventions 

The  16th  Biennial  Retreat  Conven- 
tion took  place  over  the  week-end  of 
August  24th  in  Hartford,  Conn.  His 
Excellency,  the  Most  Reverend  Henry 
J.  O'Brien,  D.D.,  Archbishop  of  Hart- 
ford, was  the  host  for  the  occasion, 
assisted  by  the  members  of  the  Holy 
Family  Retreat  League  which  is  the 
official  organization  of  the  Holy  Family 
Retreat  League  House  in  Farmington. 
Representatives  of  various  retreat  organ- 


izations throughout  the  country  together 
with  officers  and  directors  of  the  Na- 
tional Retreat  Conference  conferred  in 
Hartford  to  further  the  interests  and 
the  continued  great  contribution  to  the 
Church  in  America  that  has  materialized 
through  the  Lay  Retreat  Movement  in 
the  United  States. 

Archbishop  O'Brien  pontificated  at 
the  evening  Mass  on  August  24th.  At 
this  Mass  there  was  a  general  Com- 
munion for  the  members  of  the  Con- 
vention. His  Excellency,  James  H. 
Griffiths,  D.D.,  Auxiliary  Bishop  of 
New  York,  preached  the  sermon. 

Holy  Family  Monastery  and  Retreat 
House  entertained  the  delegates  the  fol- 
lowing day,  during  which  panel  meet- 
ings and  workshops  were  conducted. 
Solemn  Compline  at  the  open  air  altar 
closed  the  visit  to  the  monastery. 


The   Passionist   display   at   Vistarama,   in    the   Convention    Hall,   Philadelphia. 
Fr.   Marcellus   White,   C.P.,    (right)    and   Fr.   Andrew   Ansbro,   C.P.,   (left). 

84 


Visitarama 

The  country's  largest  Mission  and 
Vocation  Exhibit  was  held  in  Conven- 
tion Hall,  Philadelphia,  from  October 
7th  to  14th.  Some  three  hundred  com- 
munities were  represented.  It  is  esti- 
mated that  half  a  million  people  visited 
the  Exhibit  which  aptly  had  been  called 
Vistarama. 

At  the  opening  Mass  on  Sunday 
afternoon  of  October  7th,  Archbishop 
Cicognani,  the  Apostolic  Delegate,  pon- 
tificated and  our  exiled  Bishop  Cuthbert 
preached  a  stirring  sermon,  "A  Chal- 
lenge in  Red."  Among  the  prelates  in 
attendance  was  His  Excellency,  Arch- 
bishop Pietro  Sigismondi,  Secretary  of 
Propaganda. 

The  Passionists  had  an  extensive  and 
informative  display,  especially  on  the 
work  of  the  Congregation  in  Japan  and 
the  B.  W.  I.  The  two  Provincial  Asso- 
ciate Directors  of  Vocations,  Fathers 
Andrew  Ansbro  and  Ronald  Beaton, 
together  with  the  Local  Director  of 
Union  City,  Father  Bennet  Kelly,  were 
in  charge  of  the  vocational  end  and 
Fathers  Marcellus  White  and  Reginald 
Arliss,  former  Chinese  Missionaries, 
represented  the  missions  . 
Pilgrim  Virgin  at  Jamaica 

The  world  famous  pilgrim  statue  of 
Our  Lady  of  Fatima  arrived  at  the 
Idlewild  Airport  on  September  15th 
and  was  taken  to  Immaculate  Concep- 
tion Monastery,  Jamaica.  Father  Mon- 
tiez,  O.M.I.,  was  commissioned  by  the 
Holy  Father  to  take  the  statue  around 
the  world  with  its  message  of  prayer 
and  penance.  It  was  to  have  been  kept 
at    Fatima    during     1956,    but    it    was 


decided  to  send  it  to  Buffalo  for  the 
Congress  of  the  Confraternity  of  Chris- 
tian Doctrine.  The  solemn  enthrone- 
ment with  procession  took  place  in  the 
Monastery  Church  on  Sunday  after- 
noon, September  16th.  A  triduum  was 
then  held  in  honor  of  Our  Lady  of 
Fatima  and  the  statue  remained  at  the 
monastery  for  the  veneration  of  the 
faithful  until  September  21st,  when  it 
was  taken  by  air  to  Buffalo. 

Father  Lambert  Missack,  C.P.,  a 
member  of  the  Jamaica  community  es- 
corted the  Pilgrim  Statue  to  LaGuardia 
Airfield  where  an  American  Air  Lines 
Plane  was  ready  to  receive  the  Pilgrim 
Statue  for  the  journey  to  Buffalo.  Im- 
mediately after  the  Congress  in  Buffalo, 
the  Pilgrim  statue  was  flown  back  to 
Fatima. 
Men  of   Fatima 

The  8th  Annual  Candlelight  Pro- 
cession sponsored  by  the  Men  of  Fati- 
ma, a  First  Saturday  Communion  group, 
was  held  on  Friday  evening,  October 
19th,  at  Immaculate  Conception  Mon- 
astery, Jamaica.  It  was  a  perfect  autumn 
night,  a  full  moon  riding  high  in  the 
sky,  giant  searchlights  probing  the 
heavens  while  ten  thousand  Men  of 
Fatima  marched  through  the  streets  of 
Jamaica  adjacent  to  the  monastery,  all 
carrying  lighted  candles  and  praying  the 
rosary.  Leading  the  procession  was  a 
floodlighted  float  on  which  Our  Lady 
of  Fatima  stood  in  a  bed  ot  roses.  His 
Excellency,  Bishop  John  Boardman, 
Auxiliary  of  Booklyn,  walked  behind 
the  float.  Thousands  o(  women  dud 
children  lined  the  route  o(  march  with 
lighted    candles.      Catholics    along    the 


85 


K.  of  C.  Honor  Guard  accompanying  Statue  of  Our  Lady  of  Fatima  in  candle- 
light procession. 


Crowd  listening  to  sermon  by  V.  Rev.  Felix  Hackett,  C.P.,  Rector  of  Jamaica 
Monastery    after    candlelight     procession.     An     estimated     28,000     took     part. 


86 


On   November  11,   1956,  Bishop  Cuthbert  O'Gara  was  received  in  Audience  by 
His   Holiness,  Pope  Pius  XII.    Also  present  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fred  Hansen 

of  Chicago,  111. 


way  lighted  up  their  homes  and  stood 
with  candles  on  the  steps  or  lawns. 

As  the  procession  reached  the  altar 
on  the  monastery  grounds,  the  eight 
huge  searchlights  converged  and  threw 
a  magnificent  canopy  over  Our  Lady  of 
Fatima  visible  for  miles  in  all  directions. 
The  Rectory  of  the  Monastery,  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Felix  Hackett,  C.P.,  preached 
the  sermon  for  the  occasion,  very  force- 
fully outlining  Our  Lady's  teaching  of 
'prayer  and  penance'  to  which  she  had 
given  voice  on  the  hill  of  Fatima. 

The  great  event  closed  with  Pontifi- 
cal Benediction  by  Bishop  Boardman. 
Perhaps  nowhere  outside  of  Fatima  it- 
self  has   there    been    an    event    which 


proved  as  thrilling,  devotional  and  in- 
spiring as  the  Candlelight  Procession. 
In  the  past  eight  years  it  has  become 
one  of  the  annual  highlights  of  Catholic 
devotion  in  the  Diocese  of  Brooklyn. 

Bp.  Cuthbert  Visits  Pope 

His  Excellency,  Bishop  Cuthbert 
O'Gara,  C.P.,  was  received  in  private- 
audience  by  the  Holy  Father  on  No- 
vember 11th.  The  Bishop  left  New 
York  on  November  2nd  by  TWA  plane 
with  the  primary  intention  of  making 
a  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land.  The 
unsettled  conditions  of  the  Near  and 
Middle  East  prevented  him  from 
reaching   Palestine. 

The  Bishop  was  accompanied  by  Mr. 


87 


and  Mrs.  Fred  Hansen  of  Chicago. 
Fred  Hansen  is  the  head  of  D.  B.  Han- 
sen and  Sons,  well  known  church  goods 
house.  They  also  were  granted  a  private 
audience  with  the  Holy  Father.  Fred 
Hansen  has  been  a  staunch  friend  of 
the  Order  and  a  close  personal  friend 
of  the  Bishop  for  many  years.  During 
the  period  of  the  Bishop's  imprison- 
ment in  China,  Mr.  Hansen  used  every 
means  at  his  disposal  to  assist  in  having 
Bishop  Cuthbert  released.  He  also  was 
of  great  assistance  when  THE  SIGN 
MAGIZINE  was  established  thirty-six 
years  ago.  His  business  acumen  and 
contacts  were  of  great  help  in  the 
formative  period  of  the  new  Passionist 
publication. 
SIGN  Expansion 

Ground  was  broken  at  the  beginning 
of  November  for  the  addition  to  the 
Sign  Building  in  Union  City.  Fortun- 
ately, the  weather  permitted  the  pouring 
of  the  entire  foundations  before  the 
real  cold  set  in.  It  is  expected  that 
the  annex  will  be  completed  by  the 
summer  and  it  will  afford  every  facility 
needed  to  expedite  the  publishing  of 
the  SIGN,  which  now  carries  a  print 
order  of  400,000  copies.  This  is  a 
gain  of  one  hundred  per  cent  in  eight 
years.  In  December,  1948,  the  circula- 
tion had  reached  200,000.  However, 
the  growth  is  nearly  triple  what  it  was 
estimated  a  decade  ago  and  expansion 
of  the  various  departments  made  a  new 
building  imparative. 
SIGN  Staff  Changes 

Father  Gerard  Rooney  ,C.P.,  Assist- 
ant Director  of  Retreats  at  Brighton,  has 
been  appointed  to  succeed  Father  Dam- 


ian  Reid,  C.P.,  as  Associate  Editor  of 
the  SIGN.  Father  Damian  became  a 
member  of  the  Jamaica  community.  At 
the  same  time,  Father  Joseph  P.  O'Neil 
of  Brighton,  was  appointed  Assistant 
to  Father  Lucian  Ducie,  C.P.,  the  Di- 
rector of  Laymen's  Retreats  at  St. 
Gabriel's,  Brighton. 

New  Course  for  Students 

A  new  Course,  Guide  to  Good 
Writing,  has  been  written  by  Fathers 
Cyril  Schweinberg,  C.P.,  and  Roger 
Gannon,  C.P.,  for  the  use  of  the  Stu- 
dents in  Philosophy  and  Theology.  It 
consists  of  a  progressive  treatment  for 
each  year  in  rhetoric,  grammar  and 
writing  with  a  view  to  greater  perfec- 
tion of  the  spoken  word  in  our  active 
apostolate.  Father  Provincial  has  made 
this  course  obligatory.  Father  Cyril  and 
Father  Roger  took  post-graduate  courses 
in  Public  Speaking  and  Oral  Expression 
at  Northwestern  University,  Evanston, 
111. 

Philippine  Survey 

Very  Rev.  Fr.  Carrol  Ring,  C.P., 
Second  Provincial  Consultor,  left  by  air 
on  November  28th  as  Father  Provin- 
cial's representative  to  survey  the  pros- 
pects of  a  mission  in  the  Philippines 
and  to  confer  with  the  Apostolic  Dele- 
gate to  the  Philippines  on  that  matter. 
This  mission  will  be  in  charge  of  Pas- 
sionists  from  the  Province  of  St.  Paul 
of  the  Cross.  The  Most  Reverend 
Father  General  hopes  that  the  Province 
will  soon  be  able  to  take  over  this 
new  mission  venture. 

Very  Rev.  Fr.  Caspar  Caulfield, 
Secretary  General  of  the  Foreign  Mis- 


sions  of  the  Congregation  will  meet 
Father  Carrol  in  the  Orient  and  assist 
him  in  gaining  the  needed  information. 
Hour  of  Crucified   Cited 

Rev.  Father  Fidelis  Rice,  Director  of 
"The  Hour  of  the  Crucified,"  the  week- 
ly radio  program  produced  under  the 
direction  of  the  Passionist  Fathers  in 
Springfield,  Mass.,  has  been  informed 
by  the  Pentagon  that  the  United  States 
Air  Force  has  awarded  a  "Citation  of 
Merit"  for  making  this  program  avail- 
able on  the  Armed  Forces  Radio.  Gen- 
eral Twining  signed  the  citation  and  it 
was  presented  to  Father  Fidelis  by  the 
Commandant  at  Westover  Field,  Mass. 
Other  Radio  Programs 

In  addition  to  "The  Hour  of  the 
Crucified,"  two  other  radio  programs 
are  produced  in  the  Province  of  St. 
Paul  of  the  Cross.  Since  1943,  St. 
Ann's  Monastery,  Scranton,  has  been 
broadcasting  the  Weekly  Novena  in 
honor  of  St.  Ann,  over  Station  WGBI. 
In  June,  1955,  the  facilities  of  a  second 
radio  station,  WPTS,  Pittson  were  made 
available.  With  the  reorganization  of 
the  Confraternity  of  the  Passion  under 
Father  Edmund  McMahon,  C.P.,  an 
offer  was  made  by  two  benefactors  of 
the  monastery,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Angelo 
Fiorani,  to  use  their  radio  station  as  a 
means  of  preaching  Christ  Crucified. 

A  fifteen  minute  program  under  Fa- 
ther Edmund's  direction  is  broadcast 
each  Friday  at  3:00  P.M.  to  honor  the 
hour  of  Christ's  Death  on  the  Cross. 
The  program  is  called,  "Lessons  from 
the  Life,  Passion  and  Death  of  Our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

The  TV  Mass  was  inauguarated  in 


1954  by  Father  Kenneth  Dolan,  Direc- 
tor of  the  Diocesan  Television  Bureau 
of  the  Diocese  of  Scranton,  for  the  ben- 
efit of  shutins.  St.  Ann's  Monastery 
was  co-sponsor  for  the  Mass  televised 
from  WGBI-TV,  on  the  Second  Sunday 
of  each  month.  The  first  year  Father 
Norbert  Herman  celebrated  the  Mass 
and  preached  each  month  a  timely 
instruction.  In  195  5  Father  John  J. 
Reardon  preached  a  series  of  Sermons 
on  the  general  topic  of  the  "Cross  and 
the  Crisis."  With  the  beginning  of 
the  third  season  in  1956,  the  new 
Rector  of  the  Monastery,  Very  Rev.  Fr. 
Rupert  Langenstein,  began  a  course  of 
sermons  on  the  "The  Church  and  the 
Christian  Life."  Instead  of  the  usual 
Low  Mass,  Father  Rupert  introduced  a 
High  'Mass  program  with  the  Students 
of  the  Monastery  providing  the  choir. 

The  Radio  Apostolate  at  Holy  Cross 
Seminary,  Dunkirk,  New  York,  began 
quite  auspiciously  on  Christmas  Eve, 
1949,  when  Midnight  Mass  was  broad- 
cast from  the  seminary  chapel.  The  en- 
tire staff  of  Station  WFCB  was  in 
attendance  at  the  Mass  and  greeted  the 
Fathers  and  Postulants  afterwards.  The 
following  day  the  five-a-week  broad- 
casts were  begun  which  have  continued 
for  the  ensuing  seven  years.  These 
broadcasts  include  the  High  Mass  each 
Sunday  from  9:30  to  10:30,  a  morning 
program  on  Monday,  Wednesday  And 
Friday,  from  7:30  to  7:45,  with  a  short 
instruction  and  a  Friday  evening  broad- 
cast of  fifteen  minutes  on  the  Passion 
of  Christ.  These  broadcasts  arc  in  the 
manner  of  a  'public  service,'  with  the 
exception   of   the   Christmas   Eve    Mid- 


89 


night  Mass  and  the  Three  Hours  Devo- 
tion on  Good  Friday.  These  two  pro- 
grams are  sponsored  but  carry  no  adver- 
tizing. Such  'sponsorship'  became  neces- 
sary when  non-Catholic  groups  de- 
manded 'equal  time'  rights  from  the 
radio  station. 

Retreat  League  Banquet 

Fifteen  hundred  members  of  the 
Laymen's  Retreat  League  of  the  Bishop 
Molloy  Retreat  House,  Jamaica,  togeth- 
er with  many  of  the  clergy  filled  the 
ballroom  of  the  St.  George  Hotel, 
Brooklyn,  to  pay  annual  tribute  to  His 
Excellency,  Archbishop  Molloy  of 
Brooklyn.  The  gathering  was  addressed 
by  Father  Provincial,  Father  Cosmos 
Shaughnessey,  Director  of  the  Ja/naica 
Retreat  House,  and  Msgr.  Edward 
Hoar,  V.G.,  representing  Bishop  Mol- 
loy who  was  ill.  The  main  speaker  was 
Mr.  Frank  J.  Sheed,  well  known  Catho- 
lic lecturer  and  apologist  who  is  known 
to  be  the  only  layman  in  American  in 
possession  of  a  Degree  of  Sacred  Theol- 
ogy. The  invocation  was  given  by 
Father  John  M.  Aleckna,  Vicar  of  Im- 
maculate Conception  Monastery,  Jamai- 
ca. 

The  illness  which  prevented  Arch- 
bishop Molloy  from  attending  the  din- 
ner was  a  fatal  one.  He  had  suffered  a 
stroke    just    a    few    days    before    the 


Annual  Tribute  and  with  the  onset  of 
pneumonia  he  lingered  in  a  critical 
condition  for  some  time  until  death 
took  him  on  November  26th.  So  ended 
one  of  the  finest  careers  in  the  history 
of  the  Church  of  America.  As  Arch- 
bishop-bishop of  Brooklyn  he  was  in- 
strumental in  having  the  Passionists 
erect  the  large  monastery  and  the  Bishop 
Molloy  Retreat  House  attached  to  it. 

Community  Retreats 

The  Annual  Retreats  for  the  various 
communities  of  the  Province  are  as 
usual  divided  into  two  separate  lists. 
From  February  10th  to  16th  the  fol- 
lowing houses  and  retreat  masters: 
Jamaica,  Father  Camillus  Barth;  Spring- 
field, Father  Bartholomew  Adler,  (Holy 
Cross  Province) ;  Dunkirk,  St.  Mary's, 
Father  Berehmans  Lanagan;  Baltimore, 
Father  Bertrand  Weaver;  Pittsburgh, 
Father  John  Devaney,  (Holy  Cross 
Province) ;  Pittsburgh,  Novices,  Father 
Columba  Moore. 

January  27th  to  February  2nd,  Toron- 
to, Father  Berehmans  Lanagan.  Feb- 
ruary 24th  to  March  2nd:  Union  City, 
Father  Camillus  Barth;  Scranton,  Fa- 
ther Bartholomew  Adler;  Dunkirk, 
Holy  Cross,  Father  John  Devaney; 
Hartford,  Father  Berehmans  Lanagan; 
Brighton,  Father  Bertrand  Weaver; 
Holy  Cross,  Postulants,  Father  Bennet 
Kelley. 


© 


90 


PASSIONISTS   AROUND   THE   WORLD 

ROME 
SAINTS  JOHN  AND  PAUL 


Papal   Audience  of  Students 

The  theological  students  of  Sts.  John 
and  Paul  along  with  those  of  St.  Gab- 
riel were  present  at  a  general  audience 
with  the  Holy  Father  on  June  14th. 
As  usual  after  his  address,  the  Holy 
Father  read  off  a  list  of  different  groups 
that  were  present.  When  he  came  to 
the  name  of  the  Passionist  Students, 
the  applause  was  so  prominent  that  the 
eyes  of  the  whole  group  turned  towards 
the  Passionists.  In  answer  to  their 
applause  the  Holy  Father  said  to  them: 
"Be  worthy  sons  and  imitate  your  grand, 
renowned  and  admirable  Founder." 
New  Mayor  of  Rome 

On  August  3rd,  the  Very  Rev.  Fr. 
Ignatius,  First  General  Consultor,  the 
Very  Rev.  Fr.  Tarcisius,  Secretary  Gen- 
eral and  the  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Paul  Mary, 
Rector  of  Sts.  John  and  Paul  were 
received  in  an  official  visit  by  the  newly 
elected    Mayor    of    Rome,    the    Hon. 


Umberto  Tupini.  The  Mayor  graciously 
received  them  and  spoke  with  them  for 
fifteen  minutes  expressing  his  apprecia- 
tion at  their  thoughtful ness  in  paying 
their  respects  and  offering  their  con- 
gratulations. 

Sts.    John    and    Paul    on    Tele- 
vision 

On  September  7th  the  RAI-TV 
showed  the  archiological  parts  of  the 
Basilica  of  Sts.  John  and  Paul,  as  also 
the  piazza  and  the  ancient  parts  of  the 
retreat.  This  formed  a  part  of  a  regular 
TV  program  showing  the  Piazza's  and 
Monuments  of  Italy.  This  is  the  first 
time  since  the  restoration  that  such 
publicity  has  been  given  to  Sts.  John 
and  Paul. 
University  Students 

During  the  19^-^6  academic  year 
thirteen  Provinces  were  represented  in 
Sts.  John  and  Paul  as  University  Stu- 
dents.   There  were  thirty- five  students 


91 


Angelicum:  The  Obligation  of  Parents 
to  Send  their  Children  to  Catholic 
Schools;  Fr.  Clement  Sobrado  (Sacred 
Heart  Province)  at  the  Angelicum: 
The  Mental  Word  as  a  Formal  Sign  in 
the  Doctrine  of  St.  Thomas;  Fr.  Ber- 
nard M.  Echeandia  (Sacred  Heart  Prov- 
ince) at  the  Angelicum:  Car  act  er 
trandscendente  del  apetecer  segun  St. 
Tomas;  Fr.  Fabiano  Giorgini  (Pieta 
Province)  at  the  Gregorian :  The  Socio- 
Religious  Situation  of  the  Maremma 
in  the  Eighteenth  Century. 
Scientific  Activities 

Rev.  Fr.  Stanislaus  Breton,  C.P.,  a 
member  of  the  community  at  Sts.  John 
and  Paul,  has  achieved  European,  if  not 
international  recognition  for  his  acumen 
in  modern  philosophical  questions. 
While  professor  of  Contemporary  His- 
tory of  Philosophy  and  Rational  Psy- 
chology at  the  Pontifical  University  of 
the  Propaganda  Fidei  in  Rome,  he  still 
found  time  to  appear  with  eight  highly 
scientific  articles  in  various  periodicals. 
Within  the  past  two  years,  articles  and 
lectures  of  Father  Stanislaus  have  ap- 
peared in  four  distinct  collections  of 
philosophical  treaties.  He  is  also  an 
outstanding  member  of  the  Centra 
Intemazionale,  an  association  studying 
modern  scientific  problems.  Its  mem- 
bers include  university  men  from  the 
principal  cities  of  Italy. 

ITALY 

SORROWFUL  MOTHER  PROVINCE 
Theological   House  of  Studies        tations  to  make  it  the  Theological  House 

The    venerable   retreat    at    Ceccano,      of  studies  for  the  Province, 
opened  by  our  Founder,  St.  Paul  of  the      Steps  Toward  Beatification 

Cross,  is  undergoing  changes  and  adap-  In   response  to  the  requests  of  the 


in  all.  Nine  of  these  were  studying 
theology  at  the  Angelicum;  one  Sacred 
Scripture  at  the  Biblicum,  and  one  in 
Palestine;  eight  Philosophy  at  the 
Angelicum;  four  Church  History  at 
the  Gregorian;  seven  Canon  Law  at 
the  Lateran;  one  Oriental  Studies  at 
the  Oriental  Institute;  three  Missiology 
at  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith;  and 
one  Mathematics  at  the  University  of 
Rome.  Some  of  these  students  also 
took  courses  in  other  subjects.  For 
example,  some  of  the  Students  in 
Theology  took  a  course  in  Spirituality 
at  the  Angelicum,  while  some  of  the 
Philosophy  students  had  courses  in 
Sociology  at  the  Instituto  Omonimo 
and  some  of  the  Missiology  Students 
took  a  course  in  Medicine  and  surgery. 
Seven  of  these  Students  received  the 
Doctorate  and  sixteen  the  Licentiate. 

The  theses  submitted  for  the  Doctor- 
ate were  as  follows:  Fr.  Alexander 
Lagarreta  (Sacred  Heart  Province)  at 
the  Lateran:  The  Right  of  Property  in 
the  Congregation  of  the  Passion;  Fr. 
Norman  Demeck  (St.  Paul  of  the  Cross 
Province)  at  the  Angelicum:  The  Mas- 
ter Idea  and  the  Fount  of  the  Aposto- 
late  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross;  Fr.  Barry 
Rankin  (Holy  Cross  Province)  at  the 
Angelicum:  The  Soteriology  of  St. 
Leo  the  Great;  Fr.  Aquinas  McGurk 
(St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  Province)  at  the 


92 


retreats  of  Ceccano  and  Falvaterra,  the 
Chapter  of  Our  Sorrowful  Mother 
Province  unanimously  voted  that  steps 
be  taken  towards  the  Beatification  and 
Canonization  of  Confrater  Grimoaldo, 
a  professed  Passionist  cleric  who  died 
in  1902,  and  Father  Fortunatus  Mary, 


a  professed  Passionist  priest  who  died 
in  1905.  Some  of  the  favors  granted 
through  the  intercession  of  Confrater 
Grimoaldo  took  place  in  the  U.S.A. 
The  General  Curia  has  entrusted  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Frederick,  Postulator  General, 
to  initiate  the  canonical  procedures. 


PIETA  PROVINCE 


Print  Shop  at  St.  Gabriel's 

The  printshop  inauguarated  a  few 
years  ago  by  the  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Hyacinth 
Ercole,  C.P.,  now  second  Provincial 
Consultor,  has  proved  to  be  quite  an 
asset  to  the  Pieta  Province.  Besides 
avoiding  the  inconveniences  necessarily 
connected  with  having  the  printing  of 
L'ECCO  DI  S.  GABRIELE  done  by 
outsiders,  it  has  made  it  possible  to 
improve  this  magazine  and  get  the 
40,000  copies  in  circulation  much 
faster.  It  has  also  made  it  possible  to 
begin  a  new  vocational  periodical  called 
IL  SANTO  DEL  SORRISO  which  has 
a  circulation  of  140,000  copies.  Besides 
this,  in  1935  it  started  the  scientific 
series  called:  STUDIE  TESTI  PAS- 
SIONISTI.  The  new  p  e  r  i  o  d  i  c  a  1  s 
FONTI  VIVE  which  is  edited  by  Fr. 
Costante  Brovetto,  and  the  annual 
GIOVENTU  PASSIONISTA  edited  by 
Fr.  Natale  Cavatassi  are  also  put  out  by 
the  new  printshop. 
Vocational  Work 

A  few  years  ago  the  recruiting  of 
vocations  was  started  in  a  more  positive 
manner.  It  was  initiated  in  the  Prov- 
ince by  Fr.  Valentine,  C.P.,  in  collabor- 
ation with  Fr.  Paulinus.  This  year  the 
Province  began  publishing  the  voca- 
tional pamphlet  called  I  FORI  DI  S. 


GABRIEL.  This  pamphlet  brings  knowl- 
edge of  the  Passionists  into  thousands 
of  homes  and  asks  for  prayers  and  alms 
for  vocations.  This  method  has  helped 
greatly  in  increasing  vocations  in  the 
past  year.  In  fact,  the  requests  for 
entrance  into  the  Preparatory  Seminary 
are  so  numerous  that  many  of  them 
must  be  turned  down.  This  now  brings 
up  the  new  question  of  a  new  and 
larger  Prep  for  the  Province. 
New   Center  of   POA 

Upon  the  urgent  request  of  Msgr. 
F.  Baldelli,  President  of  the  POA 
(Pontificia  Opera  di  Assistenza),  the 
Provincial,  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Remigio,  has 
established  a  center  of  Pontifical  Assist- 
ance in  the  region  of  Castelli  near  the 
Shrine  of  St.  Gabriel.  The  center  has 
been  planned  because  of  the  great  lack 
of  religious  care  of  the  people  in  the 
area  and  of  the  infiltration  of  non- 
Catholics.  In  the  mountain  section 
several  projects  have  been  started  by 
protestant  groups  and  flourished  undis- 
turbed. Three  Passionist  Priests  from 
the  Province  have  been  assigned  to 
this  work. 
Pilgrimage   of    Body   of   St. 

Gabriel 

On  the  afternoon  of  July   31rt,   the 
body  of  St.  Gabriel  left  his  Basilica  and 


93 


started  its  triumphal  tour  throughout 
the  region  of  the  Marche.  This  tour 
recalls  the  centenary  of  the  trip  Francis 
Possenti  took  to  enter  the  Passionist 
Novitiate  in  Morrovalle.  The  Pilgrimage 
stopped  at  Gran  Sasso,  then  through 
the  valleys  of  Mavone  and  Vomano. 
The  procession  then  proceeded  through 
Grottammare,  Fermo,  Porto  Civitanova 
(the  birthplace  of  St.  Gabriel's  mother) . 
On  the  8th  of  August  the  procession 
reached  the  Passionist  Church  at  Recan- 
ati,  Maria  della  Pieta.  From  here  the 
body  was  taken  to  Morrovalle  where 
St.  Gabriel  had  made  his  novitiate,  and 
then  on  to  the  Prep  Seminary  of  the 
Province,  S.  Angelo  in  Pontano.  At 
midnight  of  August  2  3rd  the  procession 
made  its  way  back  to  the  Shrine  of 
Gran  Sasso. 

HOLY  SIDE 
National  Eucharistic  Congress 

In  his  radio  address  to  the  National 
Eucharistic  Congress  at  Lecce,  the  Holy 
Father  said  "...  the  great  success  of 
the  Congress  is  greatly  due  to  the  year 
of  preparation  for  the  Congress  during 
which  the  devout  pilgrimage  of  "Jesus 
passing  by'  spread  treasures  of  blessing. 

The  preparation  for  the  Congress 
was  entrusted  to  the  Passionists  by  the 
Bishop  of  Lecce,  and  began  on  January 
8th  and  ended  on  April  29th  the  day 
the  Congress  opened.  Under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Pastor  of  each  parish  where 
the  Pilgrimage  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
was  to  pass,  a  parochial  committee  was 
organized  to  distribute  pamphlets  ex- 
plaining the  devotion  and  also  a  prayer 
composed  by  the  Holy  Father. 

Three   days   before   the  solemn   en- 


This  Pilgrimage  of  St.  Gabriel  has 
been  the  first  of  its  kind  in  the  history 
of  the  Congregation.  The  relics  passed 
through  hundreds  of  villages  and  cities 
and  was  a  sort  of  mission  for  the  people 
who  took  part.  Those  who  followed 
the  relics  during  those  twenty-four  days 
witnessed  an  almost  continual  miracle 
of  grace. 
Vestition  at  Morrovalle 

Exactly  one  month  after  the  visit 
of  the  relics  of  St.  Gabriel  to  the 
Novitiate  at  Morrovalle,  the  same  cere- 
mony of  vestition  that  St.  Gabriel  had 
taken  part  in  was  repeated  on  the 
anniversary  of  his  vestition  one  hundred 
years  ago.  On  September  21st  eight 
young  men  were  vested  at  the  same 
altar  that  St.  Gabriel  had  received  the 
habit. 

PROVINCE 

trance  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  one  of 
the  Passionist  Missionaries  would  preach 
a  triduum  in  preparation.  Then  upon 
the  arrival  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
and  after  having  been  enthroned  on  the 
altar  in  the  public  square,  the  opening 
sermon  was  preached.  After  Benedic- 
tion, the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  carried 
to  the  church  and  public  adoration  be- 
gan which  lasted  day  and  night.  Two 
more  missionaries  would  then  arrive 
and  free  the  first  to  go  to  the  next  town 
or  village  where  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
was  to  come  in  procession. 

The  program  for  the  day  consisted  of 
confessions,  Masses,  and  Holy  Com- 
munion. In  the  afternoon  there  was  a 
Holy  Hour  and  preaching.  Rosary,  a 
sermon  on  the  Blessed  Sacrament  and 
Benediction  took  place  in  the  evening. 


94 


After  Benediction  there  followed  a 
dialogue  instruction  on  the  Sacraments 
and  especially  the  Holy  Eucharist. 
During  the  rest  of  the  day  the  mission- 
aries visited  the  sick  and  administered 
the  sacraments  to  them.  There  were 
special  days  for  the  children  and  youth 
of  the  town.  This  program  was  carried 
out  in  twenty-six  cities  and  villages. 
Golden   Jubilee  of  Marian 

Shrine 

When  the  Passionists  came  to  Lauri- 
gnano  in  1906  they  found  a  small 
church  with  a  popular  image  of  the 
Madonna  delta  Catena.  Beside  the 
church  was  a  small  dwelling  which 
had  been  inhabited  by  some  hermits 
who  were  descendants  of  Fra  Bene- 
detto Falcone  who  found  the  picture 
of  the  Blessed  Mother  in  1833. 

During  the  past  fifty  years  the  Fa- 
thers have  instilled  in  the  people  a  deep 
devotion  to  our  Blessed  Mother.  They 
have  also  built  a  church  rich  in  marble 
and  made  it  the  most  popular  shrine  of 
Mary  in  Calabria.  After  the  work  on 
the  church  was  nearly  completed,  the 
Fathers  began  the  construction  of  a 
'pilgrim  house'  containing  fifteen  private 
rooms  and  large  halls  for  meetings. 

The  Jubilee  Celebration  began  by 
taking  the  picture  of  Our  Blessed  Moth- 
er to  the  Cathedral  of  Cosenza  on  Sep- 
tember 16th  where  it  remained  until 
September  23rd.  Each  evening  a  ser- 
mon was  preached  by  a  visiting  Bishop. 
The  climax  of  the  Celebration  came 
with  the  arrival  of  Cardinal  Mimmi  on 
the  evening  of  September  22nd.  After 
the  conclusion  of  the  ceremonies  in  the 
Cathedral    in    honor    of    our    Blessed 


Mother  the  picture  of  Mary  was  taken 
back  to  the  Shrine.  The  following 
morning  a  Solemn  high  mass  was  cele- 
brated at  the  Shrine  by  the  Archbishop 
in  the  presence  of  the  Cardinal.  The 
radio  gave  national  notice  to  the  cele- 
bration by  featuring  an  interview  with 
the  Cardinal  and  a  talk  by  the  Rector 
of  the  Retreat  at  Laurignano. 
Resignation  of  Bishop 

On  September  29th,  Bishop  Raphael 
Faggiano,  C.P.,  Bishop  of  Cariati,  re- 
signed his  post  as  Bishop  of  the  diocese 
on  account  of  his  health.  He  is  now 
living  in  the  Retreat  of  Manduria. 

Bishop  Faggiano  was  consecrated 
February  19,  1936  in  Manduria.  At  the 
time  of  his  election  he  was  Master  of 
Novices  at  Laurignano.  This  diocese 
had  been  without  a  bishop  for  twelve 
years.  When  the  Bishop  took  over  the 
diocese  was  in  very  poor  condition. 
But  his  amiability  and  especially  his  love 
for  the  poor  and  neglected  soon  won 
the  hearts  of  his  people. 

His  attention  was  immediately  taken 
up  in  restoring  the  diocesan  seminary 
and  increasing  the  fervor  of  his  clergy 
and  laity.  Before  the  end  of  the  first 
year  of  his  Episcopate  he  acquired  a 
large  piece  of  property  as  a  summer 
residence  for  the  seminarians.  At  his 
appointment  the  large  Cathedral  of  his 
diocese  was  in  urgent  need  of  repairs. 
During  the  years  that  he  was  Bishop 
of  Cariati,  he  took  a  great  interest  in 
the  repair  of  the  Cathedral  and  two 
years  ago  made  improvements  upon  a 
large  scale.  He  will  always  be  remem- 
bered for  his  love  for  the  poor  and 
neglected. 


95 


IMMACULATE  HEART  OF  MARY  PROVINCE 


A  New  Retreat 

On  July  29,  1956,  the  cornerstone 
for  the  new  Retreat  at  Sezano-Verona 
was  laid  by  His  Excellency  Bishop 
Peuzzo,  C.P.  The  Bishop  was  assisted 
in  the  ceremony  by  the  Provincial,  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Primo,  C.P.,  and  the  First 
Consultor,  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Michael. 

The  laying  of  the  cornerstone  for 
this  new  Retreat  is  the  third  outstanding 
event  in  the  history  of  this  foundation 
which  was  begun  in  1946.  The  first 
big  event  of  the  foundation  was  the 
laying  of  the  cornerstone  of  the  Church 
in  1947.  This  Church  was  built  by  the 
generosity  of  the  Barenghi  Family  of 
Milan.  At  this  time  His  Excellency 
Jeremiah  Pesce,  now  Bishop  of  Dodo- 
ma,  Africa,  was  Provincial.  The  second 
big  event  was  the  solemn  blessing  of 
the  Church  in  1951  by  Bishop  Peuzzo, 
C.P. 

Up  to  the  present  the  small  commun- 
ity of  the  new  Retreat  lived  in  a  Villa, 
situated  on  a  very  scenic  hill.  In  the 
laying  of  this  cornerstone  progress  is 
being  made  in  the  development  and 
growth  of  the  Province.  One  of  the 
wings   of  the  new   building  will   take 


care  of  the  Preparatory  Students,  espe- 
cially from  the  vicinity  of  Venice. 

Retreats  at  Caravate 

In  the  past  year  the  number  of  the 
clergy  making  retreats  at  the  Provincial 
House,  S.  Maria  del  Sasso,  has  con- 
tinued to  grow.  Frequently  Catholic 
Action  groups  come  to  the  Retreat  to 
make  days  of  recollection.  A  new  road 
has  made  the  Retreat  more  accessible 
to  the  retreatants. . 

In  fulfillment  of  a  vow  made  to  St. 
Gabriel  by  Count  Angelo  Cicogna 
when  a  prisoner  of  war  in  1945  at 
Milan,  the  Count  errected  fourteen 
little  chapels  in  the  beautiful  park  sur- 
rounding the  retreat  for  the  Stations 
of  the  Cross.  He  completed  his  gift 
this  year  by  having  the  artist  Salvini 
paint  the  fourteen  pictures  of  the  sta- 
tions. Each  picture  is  two  feet  by  three 
feet.  The  retreatants  are  now  able  to 
make  the  way  of  the  cross  in  the  Mon- 
astery Garden.  The  corridors  of  the 
Retreat  itself  have  been  adorned  with 
paintings  by  Barbaris  representing  the 
outstanding  incidents  in  the  life  of  St. 
Paul  of  the  Cross. 


o 


96 


HOLLAND 

MOTHER  OF  HOLY  HOPE  PROVINCE 


Meeting  with  Javenese 
Students 

On  Mission  Sunday,  October  28th, 
a  meeting  was  held  with  the  Javenese 
University  students  in  Mater  Dolorosa 
Retreat,  Mook.  At  the  suggestion  of 
their  Javenese  student,  Confrater  Cani- 
sianus  Setiardja,  C.P.,  contact  was  estab- 
lished with  these  students.  Ten  of 
them  responded.  All  of  them  were 
Catholics  and  were  accompanied  by 
their  Vice-Moderator,  Father  Robert 
Baker,  S.J.,  as  well  as  their  moderator, 
Fr.  Haas.  All  of  them  are  members 
of  the  Ikatan  Mahatiswa  Katolik  Indo- 
nesia (IMKI)  and  will  be  the  future 
Catholic  leaders  of  Indonesia. 

The  meeting  began  with  a  Solemn 
High  Mass,  after  which  they  were  in- 
troduced to  their  hosts,  the  Director  of 
Theologians,  Fr.  Germano,  C.P.,  and 
the  students.  The  students  then  de- 
livered several  interesting  papers  one 
of  which  was  entitled:  "The  Aposto- 
late  as  a  Profusion  of  Faith."  None  of 
these  young  Indonesians  had  ever  met 
a  Passionist  before.  But,  the  cordial 
care  the  students  took  of  them  went 
far  to  create  that  congenial  spirit  which 
prevailed  all  through  the  day.  By  the 
time  lunch  was  served,  it  became  evi- 
dent that  the  object  of  this  meeting  had 
been  fully  -achieved.  As  one  of  the 
Indonesian  Students  put  it  in  his  fare- 
well speech:  "This  eminently  success- 
ful! meeting  laid  the  foundation  lor  a 
permanent  friendly  intercourse  between 
all  the  participants;    and  it  is  bound  to 


remain  an  agreeable  remembrance  to 
those  of  us,  who  may  be  assigned  to 
the  mission  in  Indonesia.  We  shall 
remember  then,  that  we  are  associated 
in  the  paramount  business  of  propa- 
gating the  Kingdom  of  Christ." 
Help  for  the  Blind 

The  R.  C.  Institution  for  the  blind 
in  Grave,  not  far  from  Mook,  launched 
a  campaign  to  provide  the  blind  with 
books  other  than  the  usual  Braille  type. 
Worthwhile  books  are  read  aloud  before 
a  tape  recorder.  From  these,  copies 
are  made  and  these  form  a  library  for 
the  blind,  who  can  listen  to  them 
whenever  they  wish.  The  theologians 
of  the  Retreat  who  have  good  speaking 
voices  joined  this  charitable  movement. 
With  the  blessing  of  their  superiors 
they  now  spend  their  free  time  in  re- 
cording the  books  the  R.  C.  institute 
sends  them  for  that  purpose.  By  doing 
this  they  have  found  a  practical  way 
to  develop  their  eloquence  in  view  of 
the  apostolate. 
First  Passion  Congress 

Holland  was  the  site  chosen  for  the 
first  Passion  Congress  of  the  Passionists 
of  the  Benelux  countries  (Belgium, 
Netherlands  and  Luxembourg).  The 
Congress  was  held  on  August  27  and 
28,  L956,  at  the  Seminary  of  St.  Paul 
of   the  Cross,   Mook. 

The  Congress  was  well-drawn  up, 
and  prepared  for  in  advance.  From  the 
advance  program,  we  sec  that  the 
organization  behind  the  congress  was 
efficiently     handled.      Complete     direc- 


97 


tions,  schedules,  and  outlines  were 
printed  in  the  advance  program,  and 
forwarded  to  those  who  were  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  affair. 

The  program  took  occasion  to  point 
out  the  necessity  and  usefulness  of  such 
meetings,  and  pointed  out  that  this  first 
Passion  Congress  was  not  to  determine 
whether  we  should  preach  the  Passion 
but  how  it  might  be  preached  and  how 
applied  to  the  lives  of  men.  In  ac- 
cordance with  such  a  purpose  were  the 
various  papers  planned  and  delivered. 
Very  Rev.  Fr.  Charles,  C.P.,  2nd  Pro- 
vincial Consultor  of  the  Province  of 
Our  Lady  of  Holy  Hope,  read  a  paper 
on  "The  Meaning  of  the  Passion  in  the 
New  Testament."  Rev.  Fr.  Gaston, 
C.P.,  Lector  of  Theology  in  the  Theo- 
logicum  at  Diepenbeek,  Belgium,  fol- 
lowed with  a  paper  on  "The  Passion  in 
the  Teaching  of  the  Church."  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Valentine,  C.P.,  Rector  of  the 
student    house    at    Leuven,     Belgium, 


spoke  on  "The  Passion  in  Preaching." 
Father  Lambert,  Lector  of  Church 
History  in  the  House  of  Philosophy  at 
Maria-Hoop,  Echt,  talked  on  "The 
Sufferings  of  Christ  in  the  Spirituality 
of  Holland." 

Each  day  of  the  two  day  Congress, 
the  congress  opened  with  a  Solemn 
High  Mass  (facie  ad  populum),  cele- 
brated by  the  Provincials  of  the  Prov- 
inces of  Mother  of  Holy  Hope  and  St. 
Gabriel,  Very  Rev.  Frs.  Stanislaus  and 
Albert,  C.P.,  respectively,  assisted  by 
the  Provincial  Consultors,  and  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Eleutherius,  C.P.,  Rector  of 
Maria-Hoop   Retreat,    Echt. 

On  Monday  evening,  August  27th, 
the  Students  presented  a  play  "Return 
to  Gethsemane,"  written  by  Gabriel 
Smith.  The  following  evening,  there 
was  a  showing  of  the  film  "Green 
Pastures,"  based  on  "Ol'man  Adam  and 
his  Chillum,"  by  Mark  Connolly. 


Passionist  religious  in  attendance  at  Passion  Congress,  at  Mook,  Holland, 
from  August  27  to  28,  1956.  The  Provincials  of  St.  Gabriel  Province,  V.R.  Fr. 
Albert,  and  of  Mother  of  Holy  Hope  Province,  V.R.  Fr.  Stanislaus,  were  present. 


k     <$    ** 


*"■  | 


•t   «f  *    *#  ^  •  £«  9  *    4  -  *% 


*m  A  *£&  km  -4s 


?    •»  -=**  '*  «* 


BELGIUM 

ST.  GABRIEL  PROVINCE 


Feast  of  St.  Gabriel 

When  the  Province  was  first  erected 
in  1910,  a  decree  of  the  first  Provincial 
Chapter  determined  that  the  Feast  of 
the  Patron  of  the  Province,  Saint 
Gabriel,  should  be  observed  as  a  Double 
of  the  First  Class.  Under  date  of  July 
6,  1956,  the  Province  received  news 
from  the  Congregation  of  Rites  that 
the  feast  may  be  celebrated  as  a  Double 
of  the  First  Class  with  all  the  privileges 
of  such  a  feast.  By  doing  this  the  Con- 
gregation of  Rites  confirmed  by  rescript 
what  formerly  was  only  a  decree  of  the 
Provincial  Chaper. 
For  Peace 

In  order  to  obtain  peace  in  the  world, 
by  order  of  the  Provincial,  Very  Rev. 
Fr.  Albert  of  the  Immaculate  Concep- 
tion, the  most  Blessed  Sacrament  is  to 
be  exposed  one  day  each  week  during 
the  evening  meditation  and  the  Litany 
of  All  Saints  sung.  It  is  hoped  by  those 
extra  prayers  that  God  will  preserve 
Belgium  and  the  world  from  a  III 
World  War. 
Congo  Mission 

On  Wednesday,  October  17th,  the 
Rev.  Fr.  Gregory  Versweyveld,  C.P., 
Mission  Procurator  of  the  Province  left 
for  the  Congo  Mission.  He  was  ac- 
companied by  Brother  Gaston  Trap- 
peniers,  C.P.,  who  has  already  spent 
twenty-one  years  in  the  Mission.  Be- 
cause the  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Albert,  Pro- 
vincial, was  preaching  a  mission  at  the 
time  he  was  not  able  to  accompany 
them.   But,  he  left  Belgium  by  plane  on 


November  19th  and  joined  them  in 
the  Congo  Mission.  Father  Matthias 
Janssen,  C.P.,  who  spent  seventeen 
years  in  the  Mission  accompained  him. 
Father  Matthias  is  the  brother  of  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Lambert  Janssen,  C.P.,  the 
Provincial  Superior  of  the  Congo  Mis- 
sion. 

The  Provincial  made  the  canonical 
visitation  of  the  Mission  on  this  trip 
It  is  hoped  that  by  having  the  Mission 
Procurator  present  at  the  same  time 
many  practical  decisions  can  be  made 
for  promoting  the  welfare  of  the  Mis- 
sion. While  there  the  Provincial  and 
Mission  Procurator  met  with  his  Excel- 
lency Bishop  Hagendorens,  C.P.,  in 
order  to  look  for  a  suitable  place  for  a 
foundation  of  a  Congo-Passionist  Mon- 
astery with  complete  observance  for 
Negro-Passionists. 

During  the  past  year,  the  Congo 
Mission  celebrated  its  Silver  Jubilee 
under  the  care  of  the  Passionist  Fathers. 
It  was  in  1930  that  Fathers  Joris  Joye, 
C.P.,  and  Benedict  Weetjens,  C.P., 
sailed  for  the  Congo  where  they  would, 
the  following  year,  begin  to  take  over 
a  section  of  the  Scheut  Fathers'  Mission. 
The  beginning  was  made  on  July  7, 
1931,  at  Kamba,  where  Father  Joris 
worked  alone  for  two  months,  building 
a  house,  chapel  and  school,  before  being 
joined  by  Father  Benedict.  Five  months 
later,  they  were  joined  by  Father  Ru- 
dolph Pycke  and  Brother  Augustine 
Van  Tendeloo,  and  the  Passionist  Mis- 
sion   in    the    Congo    began    the    rapid 


99 


growth  that  has  characterized  it  through- 
out the  past  twenty-five  years. 

Gradually,  the  Passionists  took  over 
more  and  more  of  the  territory  original- 
ly tended  by  the  Scheut  Fathers.  In 
1936  their  mission  district  was  raised 
to  a  Prefecture  Apostolic,  and  Father 
Eusebius  Hagendorens,  C.P.,  who  en- 
tered the  Congo  Mission  work  in  1935, 
was  made  the  first  Prefect.  On  March 
13,  1947,  the  Prefecture  was  raised  to 
a  Vicariate,  and  His  Excellency,  Bishop 
Hagendorens  was  made  its  first  Bishop. 

Outstanding  events  during  the  past 
twenty-five  years,  in  addition  to  those 
mentioned  above,  were  celebrated  in 
1945,  when  the  first  native  priest, 
Wandja  Victor,  was  ordained,  and  in 
1944,  when  Bishop  Hagendorens 
founded  a  Congregation  of  native  Pas- 
sionist  Brothers.  As  early  as  1934,  a 
Congregation  of  Passionist  Missionary 
Sisters  was  founded  to  help  with  the 
work  of  the  Congo  Mission,  and  their 
efforts  have  been  most  successful. 

A  recent  Jubilee  issue  of  Kruis  en 
Liefde,  the  Passionist  magazine  pub- 
lished at  Wesembeek-Oppem,  Belgium, 
outlines  in  statistical  form  the  marvel- 
ous work  being  done  in  the  Congo  by 
the  Belgian  Passionists.  The  Vicariate 
possesses  only  nine  churches,  but  serves 
397  missions.  This  means  unrelenting 
toil  for  the  38  priests  (four  native), 
13  Brothers  (four  native)  and  31 
Sisters,  and  their  375  catechists.  Cath- 
olics number  somewhat  over  36,000,  of 
whom  204  are  white.  There  are  1,211 
catechumens  under  instruction  at  the 
present  time.    Protestants  number  only 


about  8,000,  and  Mohammedans  are  a 
weak  107,  but  there  are  146,191  non- 
Christians.  Baptisms  during  the  year 
1955  numbered  2380,  of  whom  935 
were  adult  and  858  were  children.  A 
total  of  419,023  Communions  were 
received.  In  459  schools  there  are 
12,374  boys  and  2,693  girls.  Four 
vocational  schools  serve  157  boys,  and 
there  is  one  home  economic  school  that 
is  attended  by  45  girls. 

In  its  Jubilee  number,  Kruis  en 
Liefde  took  occasion  to  mention  the 
wonderful  work  done  by  the  Passionist 
Brothers  in  the  Congo  Mission.  Singling 
out  the  record  of  the  work  done  by  two 
in  particular,  Brother  Andrew  Vranken, 
C.P.,  and  Brother  Baston  Trappeniers, 
C.P.,  the  editors  appropriately  comment 
how  amazing  it  would  be  if  there  were 
space  to  cite  all  the  work  done  by  all 
the  brothers. 

Brother  Andrew,  a  bricklayer  by 
trade,  entered  the  congregation  at  the 
age  of  27  and  spent  24  years  in  the 
Congo.  During  those  years  in  the  Mis- 
sion, he  has  built  the  following:  two 
convents  and  a  garage  for  the  Sisters, 
a  rectory,  storehouse,  dispensary,  hos- 
pital, maternity  home,  Brothers'  mon- 
astery, two  primary  schools,  lepers' 
hospital,  manual  training  school,  normal 
school  with  extra  dormitories  and  work- 
rooms, eight  homes  for  normal  school 
teachers,  a  meeting  hall,  offices,  store 
rooms,  dining  and  laundry  rooms,  in 
addition  to  a  number  of  farm  buildings. 
Brother  Gaston  entered  the  Congrega- 
tion at  the  age  of  20  and  spent  21 
years  in  the  Mission.  During  that  time 
he  constructed  two  rectories,  a  maternity 


100 


home,  a  convent,  office  buildings,  many      in   addition   to  eleven   stone   buildings 
classrooms,  lecture  halls  and  storerooms,      and  four  schools. 


SPAIN 

HOLY  FAMILY  PROVINCE 


Growth  in  Vocations 

Slowly,  but  with  firm  steps,  the 
Province  of  Holy  Family  is  making 
progress.  Recently  their  new  Church 
and  Retreat  at  the  Preparatory  Semin- 
ary, at  Zuera,  near  Zaragoza  were  in- 
aguarated.  Although  the  Seminary  at 
Zuera  now  has  only  one  hundred  and 
fifty  boys,  it  is  able  to  accommodate 
two  hundred  and  forty.  His  Excellency, 
Casimiro  Morcillo,  Archbishop  of  Zara- 
goza solemnly  blessed  the  Church  and 
Retreat.  His  Excellency,  Ubaldo  Ci- 
brian,  C.P.,  Bishop  in  Bolivia,  said  the 
Pontifical  High  Mass.  The  Provincial 
Curias  of  the  three  Spanish  Passionist 


Provinces  were  represented.  The  Civil 
and  Military  Authorities  of  the  City  of 
Zaragoza  honored  the  occasion  by  their 
presence. 

Each  year  Holy  Family  Province 
receives  more  than  one  hundred  applica- 
tions for  entrance  into  their  Seminary. 
But,  of  this  one  hundred  they  admit 
only  around  sixty.  On  the  Feast  of 
Our  Blessed  Mother's  Assumption,  Au- 
gust 15th,  they  professed  fifteen  new 
Clerics.  Then  on  September  7th  nine- 
teen boys  who  had  just  finished  their 
studies  at  the  Preparatory  Seminary  were 
vested  with  the  holy  habit.  They  also 
have    one    novice    Brother    and     two 


*-    * 


«f  f  f 


** 


%  ^ 


Clerical    Novices    of    Holy    Family    Province,    Spain,    who    received    the    Habit 

September  7,  lOSfi. 


101 


:i|fi                  m>             ~ fe 

■X 

4    :    '*      .•■£♦    t 

4                               v          # 

t 

Newly  professed  students  of  Holy  Family  Province,  Spain. 


postulant   Brothers   in   their   Novitate. 
Away  to  Mission  Fields 

Holy  Family  Province  has  a  very 
large  field  for  missionary  activity.  They 
have  houses  in  Cuba,  Mexico  and 
Venezuela.  In  September  and  October 
of  this  year,   eleven  Passionists  sailed 


for  these  three  countries  to  help  the 
Religious  who  are  already  there  and 
overburdened  with  work.  The  large 
number  of  Theology  and  Philosophy 
Students  at  present  gives  hope  of  great 
things  for  the  future! 


POLAND 


ASSUMPTION 

Signs  of  a  Better  Future? 

Conditions  in  Poland  have  changed 
radically  during  the  past  few  months, 
and,  as  we  go  to  press,  further  flare-ups 
are  being  reported  in  that  sector  of  the 
world.  It  can  be  hoped  that  the  out- 
come will  favor  the  cause  of  the  patri- 
otic, freedom-loving  Poles.  In  view 
of  the  recent  developments,  the  fol- 
lowing letter,  received  some  time  ago, 
is  very  interesting: 

"In  a  short  time,  the  number  of 
priests    has    doubled.     Two   are    now 


VICE-PROVINCE 

studying  at  the  Catholic  University  of 
Lublino,  preparing  to  teach.  Outside 
of  Father  Michael,  who  has  his  licenti- 
ate, the  Vice-Province  has  no  Lectors 
prepared  to  teach;  hence,  we  must 
bring  in  professors  from  the  Diocese, 
at  no  small  expense.  The  professors  are 
appointed  by  the  Bishop  of  Varsavia. 
"We  preach  many  retreats  in  the 
parishes,  and  during  Lent  there  is  al- 
most a  fight  among  the  pastors  as  to 
who  shall  obtain  our  services,  for  we 
preach  the  Passion  of  Our  Lord  to  the 


102 


people,  in  obedience  to  our  vow.  At 
present  there  are  six  novices  in  the 
Novitiate.  Those  professed  total  14, 
and  the  Vice- Provincial  is  contemplating 
opening  another  retreat,  which  would 
be  the  fourth  in  the  Vice-Province. 

"Conditions  in  this  Communist-dom- 
inated land  are  not  too  disastrous.  Who- 
ever wants  to  praise  God  may  do  so, 
and  most  of  the  Communists  them- 
selves believe  in  God.  Actually,  the 
Catholics  today  in  Poland  are  better  off 
than  before  the  War,  in  that  they  are 
more  courageous  and  resolute  in  their 
fight  to  retain  their  faith.  There  does 
not  seem  to  be  that  laxity  of  morals  that 
existed  before  the  War.  For  example, 
one  does  not  see  such  open  scandals  in 
public.  Public  drunkenness  or  vulgar 
language  runs  the  risk  of  imprisonment, 
and  the  Communists  have  completely 
banned  all  immorality  from  the  movies, 
the  stage  and  the  newspapers.  Certainly, 
materialistic  propaganda  is  very  strong, 
especially  among  the  young,  but  the 
Church  also  teaches  her  doctrine  more 
forcibly  than  ever." 

Death  of  Count  Szembek 

Count  Bogdan  Szembek,  an  out- 
standing  benefactor  of  the  Congrega- 


tion in  Poland,  died  on  Good  Friday, 
March  30,  1956.  Exactly  eleven  years 
before,  on  Good  Friday,  Count 
Szembek,  a  devout  Catholic  and  daily 
communicant,  had  given  10  hectares 
(approximately  25  acres)  of  land  for 
the  new  retreat  at  Sadowie-Golgota, 
asking  in  return  an  annual  Mass  for 
100  years  for  his  son  who  had  been 
killed   in   a   tragic  accident. 

The  Count  died  as  beautiful  a  death 
as  he  had  lived.  "On  the  last  day  of  his 
life,  Good  Friday,  he  went  to  work  as 
usual.  He  took  part  in  the  evening 
services  of  Good  Friday,  and  received 
Holy  Communion.  Upon  returning 
home  he  wrote  to  a  friend,  telling  him 
of  the  day's  experiences  and  the  thoughts 
that  had  inspired  him  on  the  day  of 
Our  Lord's  death.  Among  other  things, 
he  wrote  that  he  had  a  great  desire  to 
hear,  that  very  day,  the  words  of  Our 
Lord  to  the  Good  Thief:  'This  day 
thou  shalt  be  with  me  in  paradise.' 
God  heard  his  prayer.  Shortly  after 
writing  this  sentence,  he  died  a  very 
edifying  death." 

The  funeral  took  place  at  Wysocko. 
Count  Szembek  was  buried  near  the 
church  that  forms  part  of  the  building 
he  donated  to  the  Passionists. 


IRELAND 

ST.  PATRICK'S  PROVINCE 

Centenary  Celebrations  carried    out.     The   celebrations    had    a 

The  PASSIONIST  (Nov.-Dec.  1956)  nationwide  diameter  and  significance, 
carried  the  program  for  the  Centenary  which  was  heightened  by  the  cordial 
Celebrations  in  St.  Patrick's  Province.  cooperation  and  participation  of  the 
Since  then,  we  have  received  official  Hierarchy,  the  Civil  Authorities,  the 
reports  attesting  to  the  magnificent  Clergy  and  the  Laity.  It  has  been  said 
manner    in    which    the    program    was      that,  since  the  International   Eudhahstk 


103 


Congress  in  1932,  nothing  as  liturgically 
splendid  has  been  seen  in  Dublin. 

The  Irish  Passionists  deserve  much 
praise  for  the  enthusiasm  with  which 
they  carried  out  the  preparations  and 
details  of  the  Centenary.  Their  efforts 
were  handsomely  rewarded  in  the  actual 
unfolding  of  the  celebrations  them- 
selves. The  program  was  publicized  by 
the  national  radio  and  the  newspapers 
carried  daily  accounts  of  the  elaborate 
functions,  as  well  as  special  features  on 
the  lives  of  our  Holy  Founder,  Venera- 
ble Dominic,  Father  Charles  of  St. 
Andrew,  Father  Ignatius  Spencer  (great- 
uncle  of  Winston  Churchill  and  the  first 
Passionist  to  set  foot  on  Irish  soil), 
the  Passionist  Generalate  at  Rome  and 
Passionists  throughout  the  world. 

Mt.  Argus  was  decked  out  in  flags 
and  bunting  during  the  days  of  the 
celebration,  and  the  festive  mood 
seemed  to  have  pervaded  all  of  Dublin 
itself.  Special  bus  service  brought  en- 
thusiastic multitudes  to  the  Passionist 
Church  for  all  the  functions.  The  vast 
edifice  was  overcrowded  with  people 
from  all  stations  in  life,  both  high  and 
low.  At  night  the  "Lady  of  the  Lake" 
and  the  Lourdes  Grotto  were  flood- 
lighted, to  add  to  the  solemnity  of  the 
occasion. 

The  official  opening  of  the  celebra- 
tions took  place  on  October  21,  in  the 
Aberdeen  Hall  of  the  Gresham  Hotel, 
Dublin,  with  an  address  by  the  Hon. 
Lord  Pakenham,  grand-nephew  of  Fa- 
ther Paul  Mary  Pakenham,  C.P., 
founder  and  first  Rector  of  Mt.  Argus. 
Lord  Pakenham  was  introduced  by  Very 
Rev.   Alfred  Wilson,  C.P.,   Procurator 


General  and  personal  representative  of 
Most  Rev.  Fr.  General.  A  convert  to 
the  faith  as  was  his  illustrious  uncle,  the 
eminent  speaker  gave  a  most  interesting 
and  entertaining  talk,  which  highlighted 
episodes  from  the  community  platea  at 
Mt.  Argus.  Present  for  the  occasion 
were  the  Hon.  Lord  Longton,  brother 
of  the  speaker,  Mr.  Eamon  De  Valera 
and  the  Mayor  of  Dublin,  Mr.  Briscoe. 

The  solemn  liturgical  functions  began 
on  Thursday,  October  25th,  at  St.  Paul's 
Retreat,  where  the  presence  of  the 
Bishops  of  Nara,  Meath,  Down,  Con- 
nor, Anchory  and  Clogher  distinguished 
the  beautiful  ceremonies,  and  the  noted 
orators  stressed  the  significance  and 
importance  of  the  Passionists  and  their 
apostolate  in  glowing  words.  Particu- 
larly impressive  and  touching  was  the 
sermon  of  the  Canon  J.  M.  Hayes,  of 
Bansha,  who  spoke  on  the  first  day  of 
the  Triduum.  The  functions  were  car- 
ried out  perfectly  in  an  atmosphere  of 
decorum  and  piety,  heightened  by  the 
exceptional  music  provided  by  the  Stu- 
dents of  the  Congregation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  the  Irish  Christian  Brothers,  the 
Students  of  the  Passionist  Sisters'  Col- 
lege and  the  Passionist  Students  at  Mt. 
Argus. 

On  the  first  day,  His  Excellency 
Archbishop  J.  C.  McQuaid  of  Dublin, 
Primate  of  Ireland,  assisted  at  the 
Pontifical  High  Mass  celebrated  by  his 
Auxiliary,  Most  Rev.  Bishop  Dunne. 
The  entire  Metroplitan  Chapter  and 
many  pastors  were  present  at  this  Mass. 
Afterwards,  His  Excellency  had  high 
words  of  praise  for  the  Passionists,  and 
expressed  his  deep  appreciation  for  the 


104 


intense    apostolate    carried    on    in    his 
Archdiocese  by  the  Congregation. 

On  Saturday,  October  27th,  His 
Eminence,  John  Cardinal  D'Alton, 
Archbishop  of  Armagh  and  Primate  of 
All  Ireland,  presided  at  the  Solemn 
High  Mass.  Afterwards,  at  the  luncheon 
at  St.  Paul's  Retreat,  His  Eminence  took 
occasion  to  express  his  high  regard  for 
the  religious  spirit  and  work  of  the 
Passion irts.  "It  is  a  great  pleasure  for 
me,"  said  His  Eminence,  "to  be  here 
today  to  join  with  you  in  celebrating 
the  Centenary  of  the  coming  of  the 
Passionists  to  Mt.  Argus.  Their  coming 
was  an  event  of  outstanding  importance 
in  the  history  of  our  Catholic  people. 
The  zeal  and  self-sacrifice  of  the  Pas- 
sionists were  already  well  known 
through  the  missions  which  they  had 
conducted  in  Dublin  and  other  parts  of 
Ireland.  They  preached  Christ  Crucified 
and  their  lives  were  a  mirror  of  their 
preaching.  Ireland  was  under  a  debt  to 
them  for  the  deep  interest  which  they 
took  in  our  exiles,  who  were  forced  by 
the  Famine  to  seek  a  livelihood  in 
England.  At  a  time  when  our  people 
were  slowly  recovering  from  the  dis- 
asters of  the  Famine  years,  that  founda- 
tion must  have  inspired  them  with  new 
hope  and  fresh  courage,  and  helped  to 
lift  them  from  the  despondency  that  still 
lay  heavy  on  many  an  Irish  home.  .  .  . 

"I  recall  with  great  pleasure  my  own 
contacts  with  the  Passionists.  During 
my  student  days  in  Rome  there  were 
close  ties  of  friendship  between  the 
Irish  College  and  the  community  at 
San  Giovanni  e  Paolo.    We  had  reason 


to  be  greatful  to  the  Fathers  there  for 
many  acts  of  kindness.  It  was  custom- 
ary for  the  Irish  students  to  make  their 
retreats  with  them  in  preparation  for 
Major  Orders.  However,  Monsignor 
O'Riordan  considered  that  the  delights 
of  a  monastery  garden  might  prove  too 
great  a  distraction  for  the  rctreatants,  so 
other  arrangements  were  made,  to  our 
great   regret.  .  .  . 

"While  offering  my  sincere  congratu- 
lations to  the  Provincial  and  all  the 
members  of  St.  Patrick's  Province,  it  is 
my  earnest  prayer  that  during  the  cen- 
tury that  is  beginning  Mt.  Argus  may 
play  a  still  more  glorious  part  in  Irish 
Catholic  life.  It  has  been  a  centre  of 
spiritual  guidance  and  consolation  for 
great  numbers  of  our  people  who  cher- 
ish St.  Paul's  Retreat  and  its  community 
with  deep  gratitude  and  affection.  They 
know  that  they  will  continue  to  serve 
them  generously  and  faithfully.  We 
may  be  sure  that  during  these  days  of 
celebration,  many  prayers  are  being 
offered  up  for  the  continued  success  of 
Mt.  Argus  and  for  an  abundant  out- 
pouring of  God's  blessings  on  its 
labors." 

On  Sunday,  October  28th,  the  climax 
of  the  Centenary  was  reached  with  the 
Pontifical  High  Mass  celebrated  by  His 
Excellency  Eugene  O'Callaghan,  Bishop 
of  Clogher,  and  presided  over  by  His 
Excellency,  Most  Rev.  Albert  Levame, 
Apostolic  Nuncio.  Present  for  this  cere- 
mony was  His  Excellency,  Mr.  Sean  T. 
O'Kelly,  President  of  the  Republic,  the 
Prime  Minister,  Mr.  John  A.  Costello, 
and  Councillor  Robert  Briscoe,  Lord 
Mayor    of    Dublin.     After    the    Mass. 


105 


President  O' Kelly  and  the  other  dis- 
tinguished visitors  attended  the  dinner 
at  St.  Paul's,  pleased  at  the  opportunity 
of  visiting  the  Passionists  in  their  own 
home.  The  after  dinner  speeches  ex- 
pressed deep  faith  and  devotion  to  the 
Church.  This  was  especially  true  of  the 
talk  given  by  the  Prime  Minister.  In 
his  turn,  President  O'Kelly  related  how, 
as  a  small  boy,  he  was  cured  of  an  ill- 
ness through  the  intercession  of  the 
Servant  of  God,  Father  Charles  of  St. 
Andrew.  He  noted  reverently  that, 
without  wishing  to  anticipate  the  judge- 
ment of  the  Church,  the  sanctity  of 
Father  Charles  was  an  established  fact. 


Finally,  His  Excellency,  the  Apostolic 
Nuncio,  summed  up  the  praise  being 
heaped  on  the  Passionists  from  all  sides, 
by  emphatically  stating  that  it  corres- 
ponded perfectly  with  the  merits  and 
the  virtue  of  the  Passionists  all  over  the 
world,  and  especially  in  Ireland. 

The  Centenary  Celebrations  proved 
not  only  an  historical  event  of  great 
significance  in  the  Province  of  St.  Pat- 
rick, but  also  a  grace  and  gift  from 
the  goodness  of  God  and  a  reward 
from  Christ  Crucified,  which  will  cer- 
tainly instill  a  greater  consciousness  of 
the  Passionist  vocation  throughout 
Ireland. 


MEXICO 

IMMACULATE  HEART  PROVINCE 


Visit  by  Italian  Ambassador 

In  the  late  afternoon  of  March  1st, 
the  Prep  School  at  San  Angel  received 
a  visit  from  the  Italian  Ambassador  to 
Mexico,  His  Excellency  Dr.  Justin 
Arpesani,  accompanied  by  his  counsel- 
lor, Dr.  Charles  De  Franchis  and  their 
wives. 

This  visit  was  of  special  interest,  for 
the  Ambassador  has  spontaneously  and 
repeatedly  requested  to  see  the  Italian 
Passionists  and  their  students  at  San 
Angel,  after  having  received  flattering 
reports  about  them  from  His  Excellency 
Archbishop  Piani,  Apostolic  Delegate 
to  Mexico.  While  inspecting  the  exten- 
sive grounds  and  buildings  of  the  Prep 

HOLY  FAMILY  PROVINCE 

National  Shrine  of  the  Passion      Cross,  the  National  Shrine  of  the  Pas- 

On    September    14th,    the    Patronal      sion,  in  Mexico  City,  was  the  scene  of 

Feast  of  the  Exaltation   of  the  Holy      an  impressive  ceremony,  as  the  Passion- 


School,  His  Excellency  showed  a  great 
interest  in  all  the  activities  of  the  Pas- 
sionists in  Mexico,  and  expressed  his 
admiration  at  their  indefatigable  labors. 
Pausing  in  the  Chapel  for  a  visit  to  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  the  Ambassador  was 
pleased  to  hear  the  students  render  a 
number  of  Mexican  religious  songs. 

In  bidding  farewell  to  the  religious 
and  students  at  San  Angel,  His  Excel- 
lency expressed  his  great  satisfaction 
over  his  visit.  He  assured  all  of  his 
sympathy  with  the  work  of  the  Italian 
Passionists,  and  expressed  the  hope  that 
the  world  might  see  many  more  such 
oases  of  peace  and  virtue. 


106 


ists  there  welcomed  with  appropriate 
devotion  the  reception  of  a  "reliquia 
insignis"  of  the  True  Cross,  which  be- 
longs to  Mexico.  The  occasion  drew 
great  crowds  of  people  to  the  National 
Shrine,  which  is  already  noted  for  the 
multitudes  that  frequent  the  beautiful 
edifice.  Fr.  Emiliano,  C.P.,  Superior, 
revealed  that  an  ordinary  Sunday  or 
Feast  day  attracts  at  least  14,000  people. 


Not  yet  completed,  the  Shrine  will 
measure  approximately  135  feet  in 
width,  by  245  feet  in  length.  It  has  a 
magnificent  crypt  measuring  42  feet 
wide  by  195  feet  in  length,  which  has 
been  completed.  An  additional  42  feet 
of  crypt  will  be  built  into  a  beautiful 
"Capella-Pantheon,"  providing  room 
for  more  than  2,000  burials. 


ARGENTINA 

IMMACULATE  CONCEPTION  PROVINCE 


Vocations 

On  October  14th  more  than  one 
hundred  pupils  of  the  Secondary  Col- 
leges, gathered  at  the  Apostolic  College 
in  Vicente  Casares  for  discussions  on 
vocations.  The  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Albert 
Deane,  Provincial  of  Immaculate  Con- 
ception Province,  and  the  staff  of  St. 
Joseph's  Preparatory  were  present.  A- 
mong  the  number  of  postulants  leaving 
the  Preparatory  Seminary  in  order  to 
enter  the  Novitiate,  is  the  first  Uru- 
guayan aspirant  to  the  Passionist  life. 
He  is  the  son  of  one  of  the  leaders  of 
the  Christian  Family  Movement  in 
Montevideo. 
C.F.M.  Growth 

In  an  effort  to  counteract  the  attacks 
made  on  Catholic  Home  Life,  radio 
talks  on  preparation  for  matrimony  and 
correct  home  life  were  given  both  in 
Buenos  Aires  and  Montevideo  by  Father 
Peter  Richards,  C.P.  Father  is  the  Gen- 
eral Moderator  for  the  Christian  Family 
Movement  in  Argentina  and  Uruguay. 
Delegates  from  the  three  Americas 
(including  Miss  Schaeffer  of  the  N.C. 
W.C.)   visited  the  new  Retreat  House 


built  by  the  C.M.F.  for  the  Passionist 
Fathers  in  Montevideo.  The  rapid 
growth  of  the  movement  can  be  traced 
to  the  Spiritual  Retreats  from  Friday 
to  Sunday  which  are  preached  by  Pas- 
sionist Missionaries.  More  than  forty- 
six  retreats  have  already  been  preached 
with  an  attendance  of  twelve  hundred 
married  couples.  Provision  is  also  made 
for  engaged  couples  to  make  week-end 
retreats. 

With  the  assistance  of  the  Apostolic 
Administrator,  the  second  Annual  Con- 
vention of  the  Christian  Family  Move- 
ment was  held  in  Buenos  Aires  on 
November  3rd  and  4th.  A  group  dis- 
cussion on  the  "Married  Lay  Man's 
Part  in  the  Mystical  Body"  and  the 
"Community  Spirit  of  the  Family"  was 
lead  by  Fr.  Peter  Richards.  With  the 
aid  of  modern  group  techniques  (such 
as  Panel  Forum  and  "66  Discussion") 
married  groups  from  all  over  Argentina 
considered  The  Cause  and  Solutions  of 
the  Present  Day  Matrimonial  Crisis. 
The  Convention  closed  with  a  Socio- 
Guidrama  portraying  the  lack  of  trust 
of  modern  youth  in  their  parents.    This 


107 


was  debated  by  parents  and  adolescents 
alike.   Simultaneously  Engaged  Couples 


debated    The    Economic    Pressure    on\ 
Home  Life. 


BRAZIL 

CALVARY  PROVINCE 


"Bible  Week"  in  Curitiba 

A  "Bible  Week,"  under  the  patron- 
age of  His  Excellency,  Most  Reverend 
Emmanuele  da  Silveira  D'Elboux,  Arch- 
bishop of  Curitiba,  was  held  from 
September  23  to  30,  1956.  This  out- 
standing event  was  the  culmination  and 
a  fitting  crown  to  the  zealous  efforts  of 
Father  Emmanuel  Ximenez,  C.P.,  Lec- 
tor of  Sacred  Scripture  at  the  Retreat 
in  Curitiba,  who  initiated  and  spear- 
headed the  drive  which  was  aimed  at 
interesting  all  classes  in  the  city  in  the 
reading  of  Sacred  Scripture. 

In  the  weeks  of  intense  preparation 
for  the  Bible  Week,  Father  Emmanuel 
visited  each  of  the  city's  twenty- two 
parishes  at  least  four  times,  organizing 
all  elements  in  the  drive,  in  an  all-out 
effort  to  verify  the  slogan:  "A  thousand 
Bibles  in  every  parish."  Father  received 
generous  cooperation  on  all  sides.  The 
State  University,  the  Catholic  Faculties 
and  the  Civil  Authorities  united  in 
backing  the  drive,  which  had  two  dis- 
tinct appeals:  a  University  Course  in 
Sacred  Scripture,  and  a  Biblical  Exhibit. 
The  first,  naturally,  was  intended  to 
give  the  educated  class  a  more  profound 
knowledge  of  biblical  science  and  pro- 


vide them  with  an  expert  defense  a- 
gainst  the  encroachments  of  non-Catho- 
lics. The  Biblical  Exhibit  appealed  to 
the  general  public,  and  featured  some 
22  paintings  of  biblical  scenes,  painted 
by  the  Italian  painter  Barontini. 

The  double  purpose  of  the  Bible 
Week  was  fully  attained,  in  that  the 
laity  were  given  a  renewed  conscious- 
ness of  the  Bible  as  the  Word  of  God, 
and  were  also  provided  with  a  defense 
against  the  non-Catholic  propaganda 
which  has  been  particularly  insidious. 
It  was  noted  that  some  of  the  Separated 
Brethren  tried  to  take  advantage  off 
the  Bible  Week,  by  going  with  their 
bibles  from  house  to  house. 

The  Passionist  Retreat  at  Alto  do 
Cabral  (near  Curitiba)  was  the  head- 
quarters for  the  Bible  Week.  Assisted: 
by  his  religious  brethren,  Father  Emman- 
uel ably  carried  out  the  organizing  and: 
directing  of  the  gigantic  undertaking,; 
which  has  left  an  indelible  mark  on  thei 
religious  history  of  Curitiba  and  Brazil. 
The  Bible  Week  closed  officially  on 
September  30th,  Feast  of  St.  Jerome, 
which  the  Hierarchy  of  Brazil  had  pro- 
claimed National  Bible  Day. 


AUSTRALIA 

HOLY  SPIRIT  PROVINCE 

Television  1st  in   Australia  to   appear  on   a  TV 

In  November  Father  Aloysius,  C.P.,      program.    Father  was  chosen  as  one  of  I 

had  the  honor  of  being  the  first  Passion-      several  priests  in  Sydney  to  give  the 

108 


short  religious  talk  which  opens  the 
daily  program  of  the  first  TV  Station 
in  Australia.  Father  Stanislaus,  Vice 
President  of  the  Liturgical  Group  in 
the  Archdiocese  of  Sydney  is  preparing 
his  liturgical  choir  to  broadcast  Solemn 


Prime  over  the  ABC  (Austrailian 
Broadcasting  Commission)  network  the 
middle  of  January.  Father  Aloysius  will 
comment  on  the  service  and  then  preach 
a  short  sermon. 


WHO   IS  WHO  AND  WHERE 

HOLY  CROSS  PROVINCE  —  JANUARY   1957 


ROME 

Malcolm    La   Velle    1 
Rene    Champagne    14 
Vincent    M.    Oberhauser 
Students 

Barnabas    M.    Ahern 
Paul    M.    Boyle 
Eugene   Peterman 
Myron   Gohmann 

CHICAGO 

Neil    Parsons    2 
Kyran    OConnor    3 
Clarence   Vowels    4 
Cormac    Lynch    5 
Miles    Bero    7 
Aurelius  Hanley 
Augustine   Scannell 
Vincent  X   Ehinger 
Justin    Smith 
Alban    Hickson 
Thomas    Carter 
Matthias    Coen 
Gregory   McEttrick 
Joseph   M.   O'Leary 
Pius    Leabel 
Malachy    Farrell 
Donald    Ryan    21 
Colum    Haughey 
Brian    Mahedy    21 
Benet   Kieran    10 
Bartholomew   Adler 
Paul    F.    Ratterman    9 
William   Steil    17 
Godfrey   Poage 
John    Baptist    Pechulis    12 
Warren   Womack    15 
Carroll    Stuhlmueller    12 
Kent   Pieper   14 


Ward    Biddle    13 
Joachim    Gemperline    10 
Barry    Rankin     12 
Bruce  Henry   1  4 
Students 
Kevin    Kenney 
Andrew    M.    Gardiner 
Stephen    Balog 
Vincent   Giegerich 
Leonard    Kosatka 
Gerald    Appiarius 
Joseph    M.    Connolly 
Morris    Cahill 
Martin    Thommes 
Jerome    Brooks 
Alfred    Pooler 
Brothers 

Thomas  Brummett 
Leonard  Paschali 
Matthew    Capodice 

CINCINNATI 
Boniface    Fielding    5 
Brendan    McConnell    7 
Alphonus    Kruip 
Raphael    Grashoff 
Bernard    Brady 
Louis    Driscoll 
Nicholas    Schneiders 
Cyprian    Frank    9 
Bernard    M.    Coffey    9 
Damian    Cragen    18 
Dunstan    Branigan    19 
Howard    Ralenkotter    20 
Jude    Monteith    10 
Brothers 

Columban    Gausepohl 
William    Lebel 
Bernard    Schaefer 


LOUISVILLE 

Connel    Dowd    5 
Thaddeus    Tamm    7 
Adalbert    Schesky 
Laurence    Bailey 
Alexis    Quinlan 
George   Jungles    20 
Aloysius    Dowling    23 
Richard   Hughes   9 
Conrad    Amend 
Hubert    Bohne    12 
Hilary    Katlewski 
Lambert    Hickson 
Emmanuel    Sprigler 
Quentin    Reneau    10 
Mel    Schneider 
Brice    Zurmuehlen 
Roger    Mercurio    1  2 
Forrest    Macken    1  2 
Firmian    Parenza    13 
Gail    Robinson    10 

Students 

Gerard    Steckel 
Peter    Berendt 
Michael    J.    Stengel 
Louis    Doherty 
Henry    Whitechurch 
Thomas    A.    Rogalski 
Raphael    Domzall 
Owen    Duffield 
Francis    Cusack 
Casimir    Gralewski 
Sebastian    MacDonald 
Philip    Schaefer 

Brothers 

Gabriel    Redmon 
Gilbert    Schoener 


109 


Casimir  Skiba 
Leo   Arndt 
Joachim   Saunders 

WARRENTON 

Thomas   M.   Newbold    5 
Michael    Brosnahan    7 
Celestine    Leonard 
Christopher   Link 
Herbert   Tillman    12 
Herman   J.   Stier   20 
Claude   Nevin    12 
Edgar   Ryan    12 
Ervan    Heinz    1 2 
Germain    Legere    1 2 
Conleth    Overman    18 
Cyprian   Towey    1  2 
William   J.   Hogan    12 
Leo    P.    Brady    13 
Emil   Womack    12 
John    Devany     20 
Leon    Grantz    1  2 
Campion    Clifford    1  2 
Raymond   McDonough    1  2 
Simon    Herbers    22 
Bernardine   Johnson    19 
John    F.    Kobler    12 
Victor  Salz  16 
Albert   Schwer    12 
Berchmans    Pettit    13 
Carl    A.   Tenhundfeld    12 
Brothers 
Philip    Frank 
Gerald    LaPresto 
John    Gebaur 
George   Stoiber 
Robert   Baalman 
Francis    Hanis 

ST.    PAUL 

Roch    Adamek   5 
Faustinus   Moran    6 
Alvin  Wirth   7 
Hyacinth    Clarey 
Julian    Montgomery 
Edward    O'Sullivan 
Cornelius    McGraw 
Kevin    Cunningham 
Paulinus   Hughes 
Leopold    Vaitiekaitis 
Nilus   Goggin    9 
Loran    Aubuchon    10 
Emmet    Linden 
Denis    McGowan    1 1 


Brothers 

Louis    Hockendoner 

David   Williams 

Regis    Ryan 

Vincent   Haag 

Novices 

Alan    Kasal 

Nicholas    Kliora 

Mark   Tomasic 

Alphonse   Engler 

Blaise   Czaja 

Joseph   Van    Leuwen 

Kenneth    O'Malley 

George    Paul    Lanctot 

Richard   M.   Sanchez 

Timothy   Joseph    O'Connor 

Anselm    M.    Passman 

Bro.    Michael   Wilson 

Postulants 

Bro.    Paul    Stewart 

Bro.    Damien    Linzmaier 

Bro.    Michael   Wilson 

DES   MOINES 

Ignatius    Bechtold   5 
Nathanael    Kriscunas    7 
Ignatius   Conroy 
Urban    O'Rourke 
Sylvester   Cichanski 
Philip   Gibbons 
Peter    Kilgallon 
Anthony   Maher 
Terence    Powers 
Robert    Borger 
Alfred    Shalvey 
Frederick   Sucher    1  2 
Columban    Browning    13 
Randal   Joyce    12 
Melvin    Glutz    12 
Caspar   Watts 
John    M.    Render    12 
Luke   Connolly 
Rian    Clancy 
Lawrence    Browning 

Students 

Francis    Martin    Keenan 
Bernard    Kinney 
Damian    McHale 
Benedict   Olson 
Gabriel    Duffy 
Augustine   Wilhelmy 
Mel    Joseph    Spehn 
Andre   Auw 
Terence   M.    O'Toole 


Aloysius   M.    Hoolahan 
Christopher   M.   Sobczak 
Theodore   Deshaw 
Fabian    M.   Hollcraft 
Hugh    Pates 
Xavier   Albert 
Ambrose   M.    Devaney 
Bonaventure   Timlin 
Patrick   E.    O'Malley 
Brothers 

Romuald    Reuber 
Pius   Martel 
Christopher   Zeko 
Isidore   Bates 
Raphael    Couturier 

DETROIT 

Walter   Kaelin    5 
Ralph    Brisk    7 
David    Ferland 
Gerald    Dooley 
Arthur   Stuart 
Linus    Burke 
Gerard    Barry 
Mark   Hoskins 
William   Westhoven    18 
Timothy   Hurley 
Daniel    Maher 
Valentine    Leifsch 
Fidelis    Benedik 
Patrick   Tully   9 
Cyprian    Leonard    10 
Gordian    Lewis    20 
Cyril   M.   Jablonovsky 
Flannon    Gannon 
Roderick   Misey 
Harold   M.    Leach 
Brothers 

Aloysius   Schoeppner 
Charles    Archeluta 
Justin    Garrity 

SIERRA   MADRE 

James    P.   White   5 
Joyce   Hallahan    7 
Reginald    Lummer 
Gabriel   Sweeney    19 
Maurice   St.   Julien 
Norbert   McGovern 
Angelo    Hamilton 
Basil    Killoran 
Ferdinand    Madl 
Egbert   Nolan 
Marion    Durbala 


10 


Roland    Maher 
Harold    Trovers 
Theophane    Gescavitz 
Aidan    McGauren 
Kilian    Dooley 
Henry   Vetter 
Charles    Guilfoyle 
Isidore    O'Reilly    18 
Wilfred    Flahery 
Keith    Schlitz 
Declan    Egan    20 
Brothers 
Rhicard    McCall 
Felix    Bauer 
James    Keating 
Denis    Sevart 
Joseph    Stadfeld 

BIRMINGHAM 

Francis    Flaherty    5 
Camillus    Kronlage    7 
Alan    Prendergast 
Dominic   Merriman 
iBro.    Henry    Zengerle 


Leo   Scheible 

Edward   Viti 

Finan    Storey    20 

James    Busch 

Bro.    Theodore    Lindhorst 

Bro.    Patrick    Keeney 

HOUSTON 

Gregory   J.    Staniszewski    5 
Jerome    Stowell    7 
Edwin    Ronan 
John    Aelred    Torisky 
Jeremiah    Beineris    20 
Ernest    Polette 
Jordan    Grimes    18 
Bro.    Daniel    Smith 

ENSLEY 

Gilbert    Kroger   9 
Eustace    Eilers 
Ludger   Martin 
Canisius    Womack 
Bede    Doyle    10 


HONGKONG 

Anthony   Moloney 

MEXICO 

Joel    Gromowski    32 

JAPAN 

Matthew   Vetter    8,    30 
Carl    Schmitz   9,    31 
Paul    Placek    30 
Peter   C.    Kumle    30 
Clement    Paynter    30 


CITRUS    HEIGHTS 
Fergus    McGuinness   5 

FAIRFIELD 

Can 

jte    Horack    7 

Edmund 

Drake 

9 

REFERENCES 

1. 

General 

22. 

2. 

Provincial 

23. 

3. 

First   Consultor 

24. 

4. 

Second    Consultor 

26. 

5. 

Rector 

27. 

6. 

Master   of    Novices 

7. 

Vicar 

28. 

8. 

Superior 

9. 

Pastor 

29. 

10. 

Assistant    Pastor 

1  1. 

Vice    Master 

30. 

12. 

Lector 

13. 

Director   of   Students 

31. 

14. 

Secretary 

15. 

Provincial    Econome 

32. 

16. 

Vice    Director 

17. 

Chaplain,    Chicago    State 

Hosp 

tal 

33. 

18. 

Retreat    Director 

34. 

19. 

Asst.    Retreat   Director 

35. 

20. 

Retreat    Master 

21. 

Sign    Magazine 

CHAPLAINS 

Leonard    Barthelemy 
Kenny    Lynch    27 
Lucian    Hogan    26 
Noel    Pechulis    28 
Anselm    Secor    35 
Pascal    Barry    34 

SICK    LEAVE 

Reginald    James    33 


24 


Vocational    Director 

Chaplain,    Lady  of    Peace   Hospital 

Chaplain,  VA   Hospital,   Marion,   Ind. 

NAS,   FPO  955,  San   Francisco,  Calif. 

The  Eng.  Center   (7071   SU),  Ft.  Belvoir, 

Va. 

Catholic  Chaplains  Office,  Marine  Corps 

Base,    Camp    Lejeune,    N.    Car. 

Mission      Bulletin,      1 06A      Kwok      Man 

House,    8A    Des    Voeux    Rd.,    Hongkong. 

Hibarigaoka    Catholic    Church,    Takara- 

zuka-shi,    Hyogo-ken,    Japan. 

Catholic       Church,       793       Masumi-cho, 

Ikeda-shi,    Osaka-fu,    Japan. 

Templo  del    Espiritu   Santo,  Union   y  Av. 

Marti    233,   Mexico    18,   D.   F. 

406    N.    17th    Avenue,    Phoenix,   Ariz. 

Mercy   Hospital,    Independence,   Kansas. 

Mt.  St.   Mary  Convent,   3700  E.   Lincoln, 

Wichita    1,    Kansas. 


Ill 


PROVINCE  OF  ST.  PAUL  OF  THE   CROSS 


ROME 

Paul    F.    Nager    1 
Neil    McBrearty   45 
Ignatius    Formica    47 
Caspar   Caulfield    46 
Bonaventure    Moccia 

UNION    CITY 

M.    Rev.    Cuthbert   M. 

O'Gara,   DD. 
Provincial    Staff 
Ernest   Welch    2 
Cuthbert   McGreevey    3 
Carrol    Ring    4 
Frederick   J.    Harrer   9 
Brendan    Boyle    10 
Ferdinand    Braun    1  1 
Paul   J.    Dignam    1  1 
The   Sign 

Ralph    Gorman    25 
Damian    Reid    26 
Gerard    Rooney 
Jeremiah    Kennedy   26 
Donald    Nealis    28 
Harold    Poletti    29 
Pius   Trevoy    30 
Austin    Busby    31 

St.    Michael's   Monastery 
Clement   Buckley   5 
Wilfrid   Scanlon    8 
Herbert   McDevitt 
Xavier   Gonter 
Michael    Rausch    1  8 
Hyacinth    Sullivan 
Alfred    Duffy 
Adelbert    Poletti 
Ernest   Cunningham    35 
Paulinus    Hughes 
Ronald    Norris    23 
Bernard    Gilleran 
Kenneth    Naudin 
Raymond    J.    Foerster 
Stephen    P.    Kenny    17 
Michael    A.    Campbell 
Linus    Lombard  '50 
Hugh    Carroll 
Bonaventure    Griffiths    24 
Andrew   Ansbro    22 


Hyacinth    Malkowiak 
Lawrence   Steinhoff 
Agatho    Dukin 
Athanasius    Drohan 
Richard    Kugelman    15 
Bertrand    Weaver 
Reginald    Arliss 
Wendelin    Moore    18 
Thaddeus    Purdon 
Dennis   Walsh 
Charles    A.    Oakes    18 
Nicholas   Gill    15 
Francis    Kuba 
Albinus    Leach    18 
Kilian    McGowan    13 
Bennet   Kelly 
Cyril    Schweinberg    15 
Cuthbert   Sullivan 
Stanislaus   Waseck 
Paul   J.    Fullam    49 
Neil    O'Donnell 
Cormac   Kinkead    18 
Subdeacons 
Benedict    Berlo 
Clement   Kasinskas 
Leo   J.   Gorman 
Vincent   M.    Boney 
Louis   J.   McCue 
Kiernan    Barley 
Augustine   Sheehan 
Colman    Connolly 
Gerard   Griffiths 
Donald    Mclnnis 
Gabriel   Shields 
Aelred    Lacomara 
Brothers 
Francis    Boylan 
Jerome   Cowan 
Conrad    Federspiel 
Arthur    Bouchard 

St.   Joseph's 
Benjamin    Wirtz    17 
Julius    Reiner    18 
Hubert   Arliss    18 

PITTSBURGH 

Theodore    Foley   5 
Gregory    Flynn    6 


Vincent   M.    Frahlick   8 
Benedict   Huck 
Fulgentius   Ventura 
Adrian    Lynch 
Paul    J.    Ubinger 
Norman    Kelly 
Ignatius    Ryan    21 
Theophane   Maguire 
Basil    Bauer 
Celestine    McGonigal 
Gabriel    M.   Jaskal 
Cyril    McGuire 
Robert   O'Hara 
Theophane    Kapcar 
Camillus    Barth 
Cajetan    Sullivan    19 
Daniel    Hunt 
Cornelius    McArdle 
Raymond    M.    Houlahen 
Maurice   Sullivan 
Paulinus   Gepp 
Anselm    Lacomara 
Kieran    Baker 
Paschal   Smith    20 
Sebastian    Kolonovsky 
Cajetan    Bendernagel    14 
Cornelius    Davin 
Julian    Morgan 
Brothers 
Damian    Carroll 
Xavier   Vitacollona 
Louis   Mitchell 
Edmund    Fletcher 

St.    Michael's 

Adolph    Schmitt    17 
Wendelin    Meis    1 8 
Edward    Hennessey    18 
Timothy   Stockmeyer    1  8 

DUNKIRK 
St.    Mary's 
Walter   Wynn    5 
Gerard   A.   Orlando    8 
Isidore   Smith 
Antoine   de   Groeve 
Mark    Seybold 
Eugene    Kiernan    17 
Myles   Whelan    15 


112 


Julian    Connor 
Herman    Kollig    18 
John    J.    Reardon    15 
Alban    Lynch 
Ernan    Johnston    18 
Leo    F.    Vanston 
Clement    Pavlick 
Basil    Stockmyere    18 
Crispin    Lynch 
John    B.    Pesch 
Norman    Demeck    15 
Michael    J.    Brennan    15 
David    Roberts    1 3 
Students — 3rd    Phil. 
Frederick    Bauer 
Mario    Gallipoli 
Edwin    Moran 
Joel    Polasik 
Donatus   Santorsa 
Joseph    Fiorino 
Gordon    Amidon 
Barry   Ward 
Isaias    Power 
Ignatius    McGinley 
Seamus    McHugh 

Brothers 

Stanislaus    Tansey 
Bernard    Pughe 
Paul    Morgan 

DUNKIRK 
Holy   Cross 

Boniface    Buckley    5 
Aquinas    Sweeney    8 
Linus    Monahan 
Maurice    Kansleiter 
Columban    Courtman    15 
Luke    Hay 

Columban    Aston    15 
Silvio    De    Lucca 
Paschal    Drew    15 
Christopher   Collins    34 
Leopold    Secundo    15 
Ronald    A.    Beaton    22 
Simon    P.    Wood    15 
John    S.    Gresser    15 
Colman    Haggerty    15 
Brendan    Breen    32 
Linus    Rottloff    15 
Victor   A.    Mazzeo    15 
Stephen    Haslach 
Justin    Brady    33 
Brothers 
Vincent   Cunningham 


Ronan    Caulson 
Gabriel    Chilbert 
Joseph    Holzer 

BALTIMORE 

Owen    Lynch    5 
Roderick    Hunt    8 
Hilarion    ORourke 
Arthur    Benson 
Jeremias    McNamara 
Justin    Mulcahy    15 
Hubert   Sweeney 
Columba    McCloskey 
Raphael    Duffy 
Arthur   May 
John    F.    Poole    18 
Flavian    O'Donnell 
Alexis    Scott 
Terence    Brodie 
Adrian    Poletti    17 
Silvan    Brennan    38 
Leander    Delli    Veneri 
Claude    Ennis 
Alan    McSweeney 
Leo    Byrnes 
Leonard    Amhrein    18 
Dominic   M.    Cohee 
Albert   Catanzaro    18 
Benedict   J.    Mawn 
Columkille    Regan    13 
Gerald    Hynes    1 8 
Cassian    Yuhas    15 
Ronan    Callahan    15 
Daniel    Free    1 8 
Students — 1st    Phil. 
Bruce    Bucheit 
Conrad    Bauer 
Brennan    Keevey 
Michael    Flinn 
Germain    Flack 
Shawn    McLaughlin 
Antoine    Myrand 
Isidore    Dwyer 
Lambert    McDonald 
Mark    Mulvaney 
Luke    Perry 
Colgan    Keogh 
Arthur    McNally 
Brothers 

Bernardine    Carmassi 
Aloysius    Blair 

SCRANTON 

Rupert    Langenstein    5 
Malachy    McGill    8 
Bernard    Hartman 


Henry    Brown 
Edward    Goggin 
Stephen    Sweeney 
Winfrid    Guenther 
William    Cavanaugh 
Roland    Hoffman 
Leonard    Gownley 
Brian    Murphy 
Paul    M.    Carroll 
Alban    Carroll 
Ambrose    Diamond 
Xavier   Welch 
Alfred    Weaver    17 
Jordan    Loiselle 
Godfrey    Reilly 
Edgar   Vanston 
Edmund    McMahon 
Cletus    Dawson    51 
Marcellus    McFarland 
Neil    Sharkey    15 
Peter   Hallisy    13 
Kevin    McCloskey    15 
Godfrey    Kaspar    1  8 
Gregory    Durkin 
Christopher   Czachor 
Giles    Ahrens    18 
Aquinas    McGurk    15 
Joyce   Spencer 
Students — 1st   Theol. 
Keith    Blair 
Austin    McKenna 
Terence    Kelly 
Rex    Mansmann 
Myles    Scheiner 
Andrew    Giondomenica 
Ralph    Tufano 
Vernon    Kelly 
Carl    Thorne 
Kent    Rummenie 
Rocco    Oliverio 
Bernard    O'Brien 
Dominic    Papa 
Kenan    Peters 
Philip    Bebie 
Bede    Engle 
Brothers 
Edward    Blair 
Alphonsus    Coen 

BOSTON 

Canisius    Hazlett    5 
Hilarion    Walters    8 
Damian    ORourke 
Claude    Leahy 
Francis    Shea 


113 


Quentin    Olwell    17 
Lucian    Ducie    19 
Jordan    Black 
Berchmans    Lanagan 
Thomas   A.   Sullivan 
Leo   J.    Berard 
Finbar   O'Meara 
Jerome   O'Grady 
Cletus   Mulloy 
Bede   Cameron    18 
Joseph    P.    O'Neill    20 
Linus   McSheffrey 
Norbert   Herman    15 
Louis   Maillet 
Jerome   Does    1  8 
Con  ran    Free 
Eugene   Fitzpatrick    21 
Angelo    lacovone 
Venard    Byrne    1 5 
Justinian    Gilligan    15 
Luigi    Malorzo 
Cronan    Regan    13 
Students — 2nd    Phil. 
Raphael    Amhrein 
Celestine    Riccardi 
Denis   Mansman 
Hyacinth   Welka 
Rupert   Neyer 
Eymard    Rehill 
Zacharias   Statkun 
Basil   Trahon 
Alderic    Richard 
Rene   Luedee 
Alphonsus   M.   Welling 
Brothers 
Benedict    Palese 
Christopher   Farrell 
Michael   Stomber 

SPRINGFIELD 

Luke   Misset   5 
Martin   J.   Tooker   8 
Bede   Horgan 
Eugene   Kozar 
Frederick   Corccoran 
Nilus   MaAlister 
Hilary   Donahue    21 
Hilary   McGowan 
Rupert    Langenbacher 
Miles    McCarthy 
Connel    Hopkins 
Dominic   Grande 
Gilbert   Walser    19 
Winfrid    McDermott 


Fidelis    Rice    16 
Casimir   Horvat 
Ronald    Murray 
Sylvester   Cannon 
David    Bulman 
Lawrence   Mullin 
Columba    Moore    13 
Lucien    Morel 
J.   Chrysostom    Ryan    20 
George   Nolan 
Canisius    Lareau 
Quentin    Amhrein 
Leo   Gerrity 
Sacred   Eloquence 
William    Davin 
Raymond    Pulvino 
Francis   Hanlon 
Martin    Grey 
Kilian    M.   McNamara 
Kevin    Casey 
Patrick   McDonough 
Norbert   M.    Dorsey 
Nicholas   Zitz 
Eugene    Leso 
Brian    Rogan 
John    F.   McMillan 
Albert    Pellicane 
Damian   Towey 
Timothy   Fitzgerald 
Aloysius    Fahy 
Alan    Cavanaugh 
Brothers 

Valentine    Rausch 
Patrick    Fallon 
Andrew   Winkleman 
Timothy   Foley 
Valentine   Cashman 
Francis    Dalton 

JAMAICA 

Felix   Hackett   5 
John    M.   Aleckna    8 
Bartholomew   Mulligan 
John   J.    Endler 
Cosmos   Shaughnessey    19 
Roger   Monson 
Owen    Doyle    1 7 
Canice   Gardner 
Conon    O'Brien 
Bertrand    McDewell 
Gordian    O'Reilly 
Vincent   Connors 
Cronan    Flynn    18 
Lambert   Missack 
Damien    Reid 


Malachy   Hegarty 
Kevin    Conley 
Bernardine   Gorman 
Philip    Ryan 
Quentin    Cerullo 
Benedict   McNamara 
Alexander   Hoffman 
Urban    Curran 
Peter   Quinn 
George   Sheehy 
Arnold    Horner   38 
Kieran    Richardson    1 8 
Matthew   Nestor   21 
Victor   Donovan    1 5 
Gordian    Murphy 
Brian    Burke    18 
Florian    Pekar 
Thomas    Berry 
Julius   Durkan 
Richard    F.    Leary    15 
Bernardine   Grande 
Silvan    Rouse    15 
Berard   Tierney    20 
Camillus   Gentakes 
Emmanuel   Gordon    15 
Brice    Ingelsby   53 
James   Verity 
Lawrence   Bellew 
Harold    Reusch    13 
Students — 2nd   Theol. 
Earl    Keating 
Nelson    McLaughlin 
Adrian    Christopher 
Xavier   M.    Hayes 
Christian    Kuchenbrod 
Alexander   Mulligan 
Victor   Hoagland 
Theodore   Walsh 
Paulinus   Cusack 
Sebastian    Colluqy 
Cosmas    Dimino 
Emmet   Maguire 
Matthew   Martin 
Dermot   Dobbyn 
Barnabas   Wenger 
Owen    Lally 
Roderick   Mescall 
Brothers 
John    Murphy 
Henry  Cavanaugh 
George   Kowaleski 

HARTFORD 

Aloysius   O'Malley   5 

Basil    Cavanaugh    8 


114 


Gilbert   Smith 

Cyril    Feeley 

Timothy    McDermott    21     ■ 

Kenan    Carey 

Alphonsus   Cooley 

Caspar   Conley 

Conran    Kane 

Ronan    Carroll 

Joseph    L.    Flynn    19 

Vincent    Durkin 

Regis    Mulligan 

Gerald    Matejune 

Venard    Johnson 

Bonaventure   Gonella 

Patrick   J.    McDwyer    20 

Damian    Rail 

Augustine    Paul    Hennessey 

Alphonsus    Grande 

Arthur    Derrig 

Hilary   Sweeney 

Aidan    Mahoney    15 

Bertin    Farrell    15 

Jude    Mead 

Fintan    Lombard    15 

Roger   Gannon    15 

Declan    Maher    13 

Malcolm    McGuinn 

Flavian    Dougherty    20 

Students — 3rd   Theol. 

Jerome    McKenna 

James    A.   Wiley 

Gerald    Surette 

Herbert    Eberly 

Henry    Free 

Roger    Elliot 

Boniface    Cousins 

Columban    Hewitt 

Alban    Harmon 

Leonard    Murphy 

Campion    Cavanaugh 

Brothers 

Simon    West    44 

Dominic    Critchlow 

Anselm    Catalucci 

Philip    Maggiulli 

Virgil    Pasi 

William    Drotar 

Fidelis    Cristiano 

Peter    Albright 

Raymond    Sarrasin 


TORONTO 

Connel    McKeown    5 
James    A.    McAghon    8 
Gerard    Kenney 
Egbert    Gossart    1 7 
Donald    Keenan 
Michael    Connors 
Boniface    Hendricks 
Maurus    Schenck    18 
Cyprian    Regan 
Regis    Eichmiller 
John    F.    McLaughlin 
Justinian    Manning 
Bro.    Brian    Forrestall 

RIVERDALE 

Urban    Manley    7 

Albinus    Kane 

Aloysius    McDonough  1  2-27 

Constantine    Phillips 

Bro.    Thomas    Aul 

NORTH   CAROLINA 
Washington 
Daniel    McDevitt    17 
Joachim    Carrigan 

New   Bern 
Julian    Endler    17 
Gerald    Ryan    18 
Howard    Chirdon    1  8 
Thomas   Carroll    1  8 

Greenville 
Maurice   Tew    1  7 
Berchmans    McHugh    18 

ATLANTA 

Emmanuel    Trainor    17 
Gabriel    Gorman    52 
Edward    J.    Banks    18 

JAMAICA,    BWI. 
William    Whelan    7 
Cormac   Shanahan 
Calistus    Connolly 
Anthony    Feeherry 
John    B.    Maye 
Ernest    Hotz 
Dunstan    Guzinski 


MEXICO    CITY 
Anthony   J.    Nealon    17 
Dunstan    Stout    18 

ARGENTINE 
Justinian    Tobin 

GERMANY 

Walter    Mickel    3 
Germain    Heilmann 
Roland    Flaherty 
Ronald    Hill iard 
Anthony    Neary 

AUSTRIA 

Fabian    Flynn    43 

CATHOLIC    U 

Jogues    McQuillan 
Edgar   Crowe 
Robert    Erne 

CHINA   FURLOUGH 

Marcellus   White 
Justin    Garvey 

CHAPLAINS 

Sidney    Turner    39 
Christopher   Berlo    39 
Timothy    McGrath    40 
Romuald    Walsh    40 
James    Follard    40 
Nilus    McAndrew    39 
Hugh    McKeown    39 
Gabriel    Bendernagel    42 
Conor   Smith    39 
Eustace    McDonald    42 
Robert   Mulgrew   39 
Conan    Conaboy   39 
Nilus    Hubble    40 
Ambrose    Maguire    39 
Fidelis    Connolly 
Jude    Dowling 
Edmund    Hanlon 

SICK    LEAVE 

Raphael    Vance 
Terence    Connelly 
Cyprian    Walsh 
Leander    Steinmeyer 


115 


1. 

4th   Gen'l   Consultor 

2. 

Provincial 

3. 

1st   Consultor 

4. 

Ind   Consultor 

5. 

Rector 

6. 

Master   of   Novices 

7. 

Superior 

8. 

Vicar 

9. 

Prov.   Secy. 

10. 

Prov.    Econome 

11. 

Mission    Secy. 

12. 

Prov.    Dir.    Studies 

13. 

Director 

14. 

Vice   Master 

15. 

Lector 

16. 

Lect.    Sac.    Eloq. 

17. 

Pastor 

18. 

Curate 

19. 

Retreat   Dir. 

20. 

Assist.   Ret.  Dir. 

21. 

Retreat   Master 

22. 

Vocational    Director 

23. 

Public   Rel.   Dir. 

24. 

Chronicler 

25. 

Sign:   Editor 

26. 

Sign:   Assoc.    Ed. 

REFERENCES 

27. 

Sign    Post 

28. 

Sign:   Business   Mgr. 

29. 

Sign:   Mission    Proc. 

30. 

Sign:   Field    Director 

31. 

Sign:    Fieldman 

32. 

Dir.    Prep.    Sem. 

33. 

Asst.    Dir.    Prep. 

34. 

Dean    of   Studies    Prep. 

35. 

Chaplain:    Laurel    Hill 

36. 

Chaplain:    Creedmor 

37. 

Chaplain:   St.  Agnes  Hosp. 

38. 

Chaplain:    Bon   Secours  Hosp 

39. 

Chaplain:   Army 

40. 

Chaplain:   Navy 

41. 

Chaplain:   Marine 

42. 

Chaplain:   Air    Force 

43. 

Supervisor  Jun.    Bros. 

45. 

General    Econome 

46. 

Secy.    Gen'l    For.    Miss. 

47. 

Rules    Commission 

48. 

Higher   Studies 

49. 

Prov.    Archivist 

50. 

Bishop's   Secy. 

51. 

Chaplain:    Passionist  Nuns 

52. 

Building   Superintendent 

53. 

Librarian 

16 


BULLETIN  OF  HOLY  CROSS  PROVINCE 


April  1,  1957 


Vol.  X,  No.  2 


in-  an  in  in-    -an  m  nr    an  m  nr- 


iiic  a i1; 


THE  PASSIONIST  is  pub- 
lished  bimonthly  at  Immac- 
ulate Conception  Retr eat , 
5700  N.  Harlem  Ave,,  Chicago 
31,  Illinois,  USA.  Issued  each 
February,  April,  June,  August, 
October  and  December.  Fi- 
nanced by  free-will  offerings 
of  its  readers.  There  is  no 
copyright.  The  paper  is  a 
private  publication. 

THE  PASSIONIST  aims  at  a 
deeper  knowledge  and  closer 
attainment  of  the  purpose  of 
our  Congregation.  Coopera- 
tion is  invited.  Contributions 
by  any  member  of  the  Con- 
gregration  are  welcome ; 
whether  it  be  news,  past  or 
present,  of  general  or  pro- 
vincial interest,  articles  dog- 
matic, ascetic,  canonical  or 
historical.  Photographs  of  re- 
cent or  historical  events  in 
the  Congregation  are  also 
helpful  towards  the  ideal 
THE  PASSIONIST  strives  to 
reach  and  are  sought. 

Bruce,  C.P. 


The  PASSIONIST 

Bulletin  of  Holy  Cross  Province 
Vol.  Xf  No.  2  April   1,   1953 

urn*    mi  in  lit    limn*    aimi  hi    -l.iiii,     „ r     -I,,,, 


IN  THIS  ISSUE 

Most  Rev.  Malcolm  La  Velle,  Superior  Ge 
eral,  gives  his  impressions  of  his  visit  to  t 
cradle  of  our  Congregation,  Monte  Argentat 

In  a  timely  article  entitled  "The  Passion 
Painting  Through  the  Ages,"  Rev.  Fr.  Jol 
Mary  Render,  C.P.,  Lector  of  Literature  a\ 
History  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  shows  the  ii 
portant  part  the  Passion  has  played  in  fc 
paintings  of  great  artists. 

Rev.  Fr.  Roland  Maker,  C.P.,  experience 
missionary  and  retreat  master  of  Holy  Crc 
Province,  offers  many  insights  into  the  pro\ 
lems  of  modern-day  missions  in  his  excelle 
article  entitled:  "Modern-Day  Mission  Pro\ 
lems." 

"Cana  Conferences  in  the  Passionist  Apost 
late,"  by  Rev.  Fr.  Forrest  Macken,  C.P.,  Lect 
of  Moral  Theology  and  Canon  Law  in  Lorn 
ville,  Ky.,  points  out  how  Cana  Conferenc 
can  be  an  excellent  way  of  spreading  devotii 
to  the  Passion. 

"Do  we  lose  the  indulgence  of  the  Litany 
our  Blessed  Mother  by  adding  the  invocatio 
'Regina  Congregationis  Nostrae'?"  Rev.  Fr.  Pa 
Mary  Boyle,  C.P.,  gives  us  an  answer  to  th 
question. 

Obituary  of  Rev.  Fr.  Arnold  Wetter,  C.P. 

With  this  issue,  The  Passionist  offers  a  ne 
section  entitled  "Answers  to  Questions"  for  tl 
convenience  of  its  readers. 


for  our  modern-day  speed  to  carry  his 
message  of  the  Crucified  to  the  four 
corners  of  the  world.  For  him  the 
automobile,  the  train,  the  airplane,  radio 
and  television  would  have  been  a  great 
gift  from  God  to  be  used  in  drawing 
mankind  to  the  foot  of  the  Cross.  The 
words  of  Pope  Pius  XII  would  have 
expressed  his  own  sentiments.  "...  The 
Believer .  .  .  will  find  it  natural  to  place 


E 


III  Ml  IK  S     PAGE 


Are  we  prepared 

to  meet  the  challenge  of 

Modern-Day  living? 


As  he  trudged  wearily  along  the  rough 
roads  from  city  to  city,  from  town 
to  town,  in  the  cold  of  winter  and  the 
heat  of  summer,  barefooted,  bare- 
headed, Our  Holy  Founder,  St.  Paul 
of  the  Cross,  would  have  rejoiced  to 
see  the  days  that  we  see.  Consumed  by 
his  desire  to  make  known  to  the  world 
"the  glories  and  the  ignominies  of  the 
Cross,''  St.  Paul  must  have  often  wished 


technical  conquests  beside  the  gold, 
incense  and  myrrh  of  the  Magi.  This 
offering  ...  is  the  fulfilment  of  a  divine 
command  once  placed  upon  him  by 
God:  'Fill  the  earth  and  subdue  it' 
(Gen.  1 :28) .  "...  How  long  and  bitter 
has  been  the  climb  up  to  the  present 
times,  in  which  man  can  in  some  way 
say  that  he  has  fulfilled  this  divine  com- 
mand' "  (Christmas  Message,  1955). 
How  St.  Paul  would  have  welcomed 
the  typewriter  as  night  after  night  into 
the  early  hours  of  the  morning  his  tired 
fingers  wrote  out  his  message  of  the 
Love  of  the  Son  of  God.  How  often 
in  his  numerous  letters  we  come  across 
words  like  the  following:  "In  yester- 
day's evening  mail  I  received  your  letter, 
to  which    I    respond   in   haste,   since   I 


117 


am  very  occupied  and  close  to  departing 
on  a  mission"  (Lettere  I,  523).  "I 
write  with  great  haste,  since  I  am  still 
convalescing  and  am  also  loaded  with 
letters  and  business"  (Lettere  I,  559). 
To  have  had  at  hand  our  modern-day 
newspaper  and  magazine  would  have 
rejoiced  his  heart. 

For  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  our  inven- 
tions would  offer  no  problem.  With 
his  great  spirit  of  prayer,  penance, 
poverty  and  solitude  he  would  be  able 
to  use  all  for  God's  greater  honor  and 
glory  and  for  bringing  souls  to  the 
foot  of  the  Cross.  But,  for  most  of  us 
today,  these  inventions  offer  a  challenge. 
Use  them,  we  must,  if  we  want  to  be 
effective  in  our  apostolate  for  souls. 
But  there  is  a  the  great  danger  that  we 
will  fall  into  the  easy-going  ways  of  the 
world  which  seeks  these  things  for 
themselves  and  not  for  the  usefulness 
that  can  be  found  in  them  for  bringing 
before  the  world  the  knowledge  of 
"Christ  and  Him  Crucified." 

The  answer  is  to  be  found,  not  in 
condemning  the  progress  of  the  modern 


world,  but  in  condemning  the  inordinate 
use  of  these  things  that  is  contrary  tc 
our  Passionist  Spirit.  Certainly  there  isj 
great  room  for  adaptation  today,  for  the 
world  of  the  twentieth  century  is  no! 
the  world  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross.  But.i 
the  Spirit  that  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  lefll 
his  followers  is  an  abiding  spirit  ano 
can  be  practiced  in  any  place  and  ir 
any  age  by  Passionists  who  are  sincerely 
trying  to  walk  in  the  footsteps  of  theiji 
Founder. 

The  challenge  to  the  modern-da) 
Passionist  is  to  make  effective  use  oi 
the  progress  of  science,  but  in  the  word: 
of  St.  Paul  the  Apostle:  "To  use  then 
as  if  they  used  them  not."  It  is  up  tc 
each  Psasionist  who  desires  to  be 
real  follower  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Crosr 
to  refound  the  Congregation  with  iti 
spirit  of  poverty,  prayer,  penance,  soli 
hide  and  devotion  to  the  Passion  03 
Christ  in  his  own  heart.  If  this  is  done 
then  many  of  the  problems  of  modem 
life  will  disappear  and  our  apostolate 
for  souls  will  become  more  effective. 


'JWMW, 


% 


11 


MY 
IMPRESSIONS 
OF 
MONTE 
ARGENTARO 


by  Most  Rev.  MALCOLM,  C.P. 


rPoLLOWiNG  an  ancient  custom  estab- 
|_|  lishcd  by  my  venerable  predecessors, 
I  was  happy  to  accept  the  cordial  in- 
vitation of  M.  R.  Padre  Damaso,  Pro- 
vincial, and  M.  R.  Padre  Gregorio, 
Rector  of  the  Retreat  of  the  Presenta- 
tion, Monte  Argentaro,  to  visit  the 
cradle  of  our  Congregation  on  the 
titular  feast  of  the  first  Retreat,  the 
more  so  because  it  was  the  first  time 
since  I  had  taken  office  that  I  was  free 
from  other  duties  on  November  21st 
to   fulfill    this   sacred   tradition. 

You  ask  my  Impressions  of  that 
historic  occasion. 

From  the  time  the  invitation  was 
extended,  and  during  my  journey,  I  had 
the  impression  that  I  was  not  going  on 
an  ordinary  visit  to  one  of  our  Houses, 


but  that  I  was  In  Fact  Making  a  Pil- 
grimage. 

At  Orbetello,  where  our  Fathers 
kindly  met  me  and  conducted  me  by 
car  to  the  very  doors  of  the  Retreat,  my 
impression  was  that  I  was  arriving  there 
by  too  easy  and  too  convient  a  means. 
I  could  not  fail  to  recall  my  first  visit 
there  ten  years  before,  just  after  the 
General  Chapter  of  1946,  when  the 
road  had  not  yet  been  completed,  and 
it  was  necessary  to  make  the  last  stage 
of  the  journey  on  foot.  Perhaps  that 
was  the  better  way  to  arrive,  if  one 
would  savor  to  the  full  the  proper 
atmosphere  of  this  holy  place,  for  it 
was  the  way  Our  Holy  Founder  and  his 
companions  and  many  later  generations 
of  Passionists  came  and  went  on  the  r 


119 


apostolic  and  questing  journeys. 

At  the  door  of  the  Church  I  was 
met  by  the  Community  with  torches, 
because  the  electric  lights  had  failed, 
and  it  was  now  dark.  This  circumstance 
gave  the  further  impression  that  it  was 
the  Monte  Argentaro  of  long  ago,  not 
the  modern  one,  that  I  was  visiting. 
Seeing  the  faces  of  the  Religious  in- 
distinctly in  the  uncertain  and  flickering 
light,  and  noting  their  efforts  to  see 
me  under  the  same  difficult  circum- 
stances, seemed  to  obscure  my  own 
identity  and  to  heighten  the  impression 
that  I  was  not  there  in  my  own  right, 
but  as  the  representative  or  delegate  of 
Our  Holy  Founder,  who  alone  really 
had  the  right  to  be  received  at  that 
particular  place  with  such  a  demonstra- 
tion of  welcome. 

Solemn  Matins  that  night  somehow 
was  more  solemn  than  anywhere  else. 
Perhaps  there  where  Passionists  first 
sang  Matins  one  felt  more  intensely  the 
reason  our  Spiritual  Father  chose  that 
particular  means  of  praising  God  and 
helping  mankind. 

The  Solemn  Mass,  with  the  young 
students  singing,  assisted  by  the  Novices 
from  nearby  San  Giuseppe,  had  the 
warming  effect  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross 
must  have  felt  there  in  the  solitude  of 
Monte  Argentaro  when  youthful  and 
generous  disciples  began  to  join  him, 
and  this  impression  was  increased  by  the 
presence  a  meter  or  two  from  the  sanc- 
tuary of  the  venerated  remains  of  one 
of  the  youngest  and  holiest  of  Passion- 
ists, Galileo  Nicolini. 

The  walk  to  the  Novitiate  and  back 
during   the   morning,    accompanied   by 


many  from  both  Communities,  with  a 
stop  en  route  to  pray  at  the  tomb  oil 
our  Religious,  among  them  the  Vener- 
able Padre  Nazarreno,  gave  an  oppor- 
tunity to  observe  the  beauty  and  tran- 
quility of  the  spot  destined  by  Divine 
Providence    to    be    for    all    Passionists 
what  Bethlehem  is  for  all  Christians, 
and  to  understand  why,  even  from  its 
natural  attractions  it  would  have  drawn 
our  Holy  Founder  as  he  first  beheld  it 
from  his  becalmed  ship  off  the  coast 
of    Tuscany.     Monte    Argentaro    was 
ideally  suited  for  the  supernatural  work 
St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  here  accomplished: 
the  maturing  of  his  previously  conceived 
notions   of   the   spirit   with    which    he 
would   endow   his   new-born   Institute, 
the  giving  of  concrete  forms  to  those 
ideals  in  his  own  life  and  those  of  hisi 
early  companions.   The  impressions  one 
gets  is  that  here  the  "shadow  of  things- 
to  come"    (Col.   X,    17)    that  wouldl 
form  Passionists  everywhere  were  fore-: 
seen  and  prayed  for  and  suffered  fon 
by  the  Founder,  as  Christ  in  Gethsemane 
suffered  and  prayed  for  the  future  needs 
of  His  Church,   and  in  atonement  fofl 
the  failings  of  its  members.    As  Christ 
had  the  consolation   of  foreseeing  the 
world-wide    ultimate    triumph    of    His 
Church,  we  know  that  St.  Paul  of  the 
Cross  saw  in  vision  "my  sons  in  far  ofl 
England."    We  do  not  know  if  there 
was  another,  but  unrecorded,  vision  oi 
seeing  his  sons  carrying  his  message  ancj 
accomplishing  his  mission  in  thirty-five 
or  forty  nations  in  every  part  of  the 
world,  but  one  feels  here  that  he  did. 

(Continued  on  page  187) 


120 


CANA 

Conferences 

in  the 

Passionist 

Apostolate 

by  FORREST  Macken,  C.P. 

An  excellent  way  of 

spreading  Devotion  to  the 

Passion  of  Christ 


PUBLIC  attention  has  been  caught 
by  accounts  in  L'Osservatore  Ro- 
mano1   and    The    Homiletic    and 

Pastoral  Review,'1  describing  how  our 
Passionist  Missionaries  in  Italy  have 
reached  out  to  projects  having  no  prec- 
edent. One  is  struck  by  certain  similari- 
ties between  these  new  works  in  Europe 
and  the  Cana  Conferences  preached  by 
Passionists  in  several  countries  of  South 
America,  but  particularly  in  the  United 
States. 

It  does  not  demand  much  imagina- 
tion to  mark  some  parallels  between 
these  two  recent  applications  of  Passion- 
ist zeal.  In  Italy,  the  Passionists  preached 
Christ  Crucified  to  vocational  groups, 
such  as  factory  workers,  army  personnel, 
intellectuals  and  students,  and  the  sick 
in  private  homes  as  well  as  in  hospitals; 
and  in  America,  to  audiences  of  married 
couples  gathered  in  specialized  group- 
ings popularly  known  as  Cana  Con- 
ferences. Whether  in  Naples  or  Nor- 
wood Park,  in  Ferrara  or  Farmington, 
the  Passionist  preachers  perform  much 
the  same  work:  they  explain  to  partic- 
ularized gatherings,  with  a  view  to  the 
special  needs  of  each,  the  way  to  mo- 
tivate their  day-by-day  living  with 
Christ  Crucified.  That  the  needs  of 
souls  in  Italy  demanded  the  particular- 
ized attention  given  there,  was  the 
judgment  of  the  Cardinal  of  Naples 
and  the  Bishop  of  Ferrara.  And  with 
the  same  logic,  all  the  Bishops  of  the 
United  States  have  proclaimed  that  the 
present  needs  of  family  life  in  our 
country  call  for  the  specific  work  oi 
Cana  Conferences. 


121 


In  November,  1947,  the  Cana  Con- 
ferences (named  after  the  village  of 
Cana  where  Christ  manifested  his  loving 
concern  for  husbands  and  wives)  were 
only  about  two  years  old.  Yet  the 
American  Bishops,  convened  in  their 
Annual  Meeting  for  that  year,  expressed 
their  approval  of  this  apostolate.  Their 
prompt  decision  appears  the  more 
striking  in  contrast  with  their  delibera- 
tive delays  in  approving  other  proposals 
for  present  needs,  such  as  the  modifica- 
tion of  regulations  for  Fast  and  Abstin- 
ence, the  Collectio  Rituum,  and  the  like. 
Not  content  with  the  original  approval, 
they  forcefully  declared  in  the  Annual 
Statement  of  1949,  "Canna  Conferences 
.  .  .  should  be  widely  encouraged  and 
zealously  promoted  throughout  the 
country."3 

Our  Passionist  Superiors,  alert  to  the 
pressing  needs  of  souls  redeemed  by 
Christ,  have  heeded  the  Bishops'  call. 
In  this  they  were  not  assuming  the  kind 
of  work  categorized  by  our  Thirty  Sixth 
General  Chapter,  in  1952,  as  "Foreign 
to  our  Institute  .  .  .  contrary  to  the  spirit 
of  our  Congregation  .  .  .  (which  work) 
can  be  accepted  only  in  exceptional 
cases,  'should  some  important  reason 
require  it,'  as  the  Rule,  n.  301  pre- 
scribes."4 It  is  commonly  agreed  that 
Cana  Conferences  are  nothing  else  than 
one-day  retreats.  For  example,  H.  D. 
Lavell,  in  his  book,  The  Obligation  of 
Holding  Sacred  Missions  in  Parishes, 
writes,  "In  late  years  one-day  retreats, 
or  days  of  recollection,  have  become 
popular,  especially  in  the  United  States. 
They  are  held  regularly  by  some  parishes 
and  by  various  lay  groups  (e.g.,  Holy 

122 


Name  Society,  Legion  of  Mary,  Third 
Orders,  Cana  Conferences).  These  days 
of  recollection  have  proved  popular 
because  many  who  are  unable  to  attend 
a  full  retreat  are  still  able  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  these  exercises."5 

Should  it  be  true  that  such  one-day 
retreats  do  not  fall  under  the  term 
"retreat"  as  used  among  us  Passionists 
and,  accordingly,  by  the  General  Chap- 
ter when  it  designated  our  "Primary 
Activities,"  then  they  clearly  fall  within 
the  "Secondary  Activities"  designated 
by  the  same  Chapter.  Such  activity  must 
be  done  "in  a  manner  moving  souls  to 
detest  sin,  and  to  cultivate  devotion  to 
Our  Lord's  Sacred  Passion."6  Just  as 
Missions  and  Retreats  conducted  in 
the  Passionist  manner  are  distinguished 
from  any  others,  so  a  Canna  Conference 
conducted  by  a  Passionist  is  distinctive: 
among  others. 

Cana    Conferences    are    directed    in 
part  to  the  purpose  of  eliminating  moral, 
disorders.     The   couples   are   instructed; 
"to  detest  sin,"   especially  sins  of  un-t 
charitableness    in   quarreling,    disobedi-i 
ence   towards   God's   authority   in   the 
head  of  the  home,  injustice  regarding! 
the    "debitum,"    unchastity    in    "birth! 
control."    Even  more,  they  are  taughtt 
to  hate  these  sins,  because  of  the  stress 
laid  on  the  positive  attractiveness  which 
God  has  planned  in  the  opposite  virtues 
Most  of  all,  they  learn  how  to  live  witU 
Christ,  how  to  profit  by  ready  opportun 
ities  for  "cultivating  devotion  to  Christ 
in    His    Passion."      For    instance,     ir 
Chapter  XVI  of  Our  Holy  Rule:    On 
the  Vow  to  Promote  Among  the  Faith 
jul  a  Religious  Devotion  Towards  ana 


Grateful  Remembrance  of  the  Passion 
and  Death  of  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
we  read,  "Let  them  exhort  them  to  suf- 
fer something  each  day  for  Jesus 
Christ."  How  easy  for  parents  to  do 
this,  for  example,  in  suffering  with 
Christ  their  discomfort  in  getting  up 
during  the  night  to  care  for  a  crying 
child.  So  much  of  the  drudgery  and 
monotony  of  married  couples  takes  on 
rich  meaning  in  suffering  something 
each  day  to  fill  up  in  their  flesh  the 
things  wanting  to  the  sufferings  of 
Christ.  In  fine,  our  Passionist  purpose 
is  served  by  the  Church's  words  in  the 
ritual  instruction  read  to  couples  during 
the  Cana  Conference,  "Rest  the  security 
of  your  wedded  life  upon  the  great 
principle  of  self-sacrifice.  .  .  .  We  are 
willing  to  give  in  proportion  as  we 
love  .  .  .  God  so  loved  the  world  that 
He  GAVE  His  only  begotten  Son;  and 
the  Son  so  loved  us  that  He  GAVE 
Himself  for  our  salvation." 

Cana  Conferences  are  commonly  held 
on  Sunday,  as  most  other  days  of  recol- 
lection. The  day  commences  with  Mass. 
Even  when  family  circumstances  de- 
mand that  the  conferences  be  given  only 
after  dinner,  the  couples  are  instructed 
to  make  their  Mass  this  Sunday  their 
Cana  Mass  and  to  receive  Holy  Com- 
munion together.  A  homily  on  Christ's 
attitude  toward  marriage  is  preached 
whenever  possible.  The  remainder  of 
the  day  is  often  compressed  into  brief 
prayers,  four  conference  periods  and 
Benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
ending  before  supper  time.  Duties  of 
their  state  in  life  limit  the  hours  they 
have  free  for  retreat,  just  as  during  our 


own  Community  retreats  there  are  neces- 
sities that  call  for  attention  during 
parts  of  the  day  from  Superiors,  Direc- 
tors of  Students,  Brothers  in  the  kitchen 
and  in  charge  of  the  boiler,  and  the  reli- 
gious watching  with  the  sick  brethren. 
As  for  silence,  many  Cana  conductors 
allow  it  to  be  optional  during  periods 
interlaced  among  the  four  conference 
periods,  as  some  of  our  Fathers  do 
during  High  School  and  College  re- 
treats. Many  couples  feel  they  can 
learn  much  from  discussion  with  the 
other  couples  in  light  of  the  conferences 
of  homely  ways  of  living  with  Christ 
in  their  family  life.  Other  couples  find 
it  helpful  to  walk  alone  while  they 
discuss  the  application  to  themselves  of 
the  conferences,  which  are  couple-cen- 
tered rather  than  individual-centered. 
Should  any  clarification  from  the  preach- 
er be  desired,  they  can  ask  it  before  the 
closing. 

Some  features  of  these  Cana  days  of 
recollection  can  strike  one  as  novel. 
However,  if  couples  were  to  wait  for 
an  opportunity  to  make  a  retreat  to- 
gether as  a  couple  in  a  traditional  for- 
mat, hundred  of  thousands  of  them 
would  wait  in  vain.  Among  other 
things,  retreat  houses  accomodating 
couples  are  comparatively  few.  Still 
the  couples'  hunger  for  inspiration  and 
help  to  married  holiness  cries  out  NOW. 

This  does  not  imply  that  instruction 
is  lacking  in  their  parishes  at  present, 
whether  in  sermons  or  the  parish  Mis- 
sion. But  when  is  it  practicable  for 
these  to  ignore  the  general  congrega- 
tion and  concentrate  several  hours  of 
sermons  addressed  to  married  COUpleS? 

12C 


What  equals  the  time-saving  directness 
of  addressing  married  couples  exclu- 
sively ? 

Among  the  hundreds  of  thousands 
of  couples  who  have  participated  in 
Cana  Conferences,  farily  widespread 
agreement  determines  the  need  of  an- 
other Conference  after  a  year  or  two. 
For  Cana  does  not  claim  to  be  a  novelty, 
attracting  the  curious  and  exhausting  its 
worth  in  one  or  two  experiences. 

Most  couples  feel  the  need  of  some- 
thing like  Cana  as  long  as  they  recognize 
that  their  love  for  each  other  falls 
short  of  the  description  by  Pope  Pius 
XI  in  His  encyclical  on  Christian  Mar- 
riage. His  Holiness  wrote,  "Love  con- 
sists in  the  deep  attachment  of  the  heart 
which  is  expressed  in  action,  since  love 
is  proved  by  deeds.  This  outward  ex- 
pression of  love  in  the  home  demands 
not  only  mutual  help,  but  must  go 
farther;  must  have  as  its  primary  pur- 
pose that  man  and  wife  help  each  other 
day  by  day  in  forming  and  perfecting 
themselves  in  the  interior  life,  so  that 
through  their  partnership  in  life  they 
may  advance  ever  more  and  more  in 
virtue,  and  above  all  that  they  may 
grow  in  true  love  towards  God  and  the 
neighbor,  on  which  indeed  'dependeth 
the  whole  law  and  the  prophets'  "7 
*     *     * 

Perhaps  the  best  barometer  for 
gauging  the  worth  of  Cana  Conferences 
is  to  evaluate  them  through  the  testi- 
mony of  the  people  who  have  made 
them.  This  testimony  is  here  confined 
to  their  spoken  and  written  remarks 
following  the  Cana  Conference  on  the 
Husband-Wife  areas  of  family  life,  i.e., 

124 


dealing  with  such  topics  as,  Vocation 
from  God  to  be  "one  in  mind,  heart 
and  affection"  (despite  psychological 
differences);  Marriage  and  the  Mass; 
the  Virtue  of  Married  Chastity;  Living 
For  and  With  Christ  Crucified  Today.8 

As  one  Cana  Conference  ended,  a 
man  walked  up  to  the  priest,  shook 
his  hand  firmly  and  said,  "Father,  I've 
been  married  twenty-four  years,  but 
I've  learned  some  things  about  the 
meaning  of  my  marriage  I  never  knew 
before."  Similar  remarks  are  not  un- 
common. 

Some  days  after  another  Cana  Con- 
ference, a  wife  was  ironing  the  cuffs 
of  her  husband's  white  shirt,  exactly  as 
she  had  always  done,  when  her  husband 
came  in  to  do  something  he  had  never 
done  before.  He  told  her  how  he 
appreciated  all  the  work  she  did  for 
him.  Then,  a  little  embarrassed  at  the 
sound  of  his  own  words,  he  mumbled 
something  about  the  Cana  Conference. 
But  their  hearts  beat  with  gratitude  to 
Christ  of  Cana  for  being  drawn  closer 
together  by  an  incident  that  can  seem 
so  trivial  to  us  celibates. 

The  reason  for  such  incidents  can  be 
easily  traced,  by  young  husbands  and 
wives  and  others  not  so  young,  to  the 
few  hours  on  a  Sunday  that  they  spent  I 
side  by  side,  listening  together,  dis- 
cussing together,  praying  together. 
These  hours  did  not  seem  taxing  or 
tiring.  The  reason  lay  not  merely  in 
the  informal  atmosphere  of  the  con- 
ference room — an  auditorium,  school 
cafeteria,  or  hall — where  they  could 
relax  while  listening  to  the  talks.  It 
was  rather  that  the  Cana   Conference 


directly  met  a  need  they  somehow  felt, 
a  vague  hunger  for  something  not  al- 
ways defined.  Not  that  they  were 
having  trouble  with  their  marriage.  The 
majority  of  them  felt  reasonably  satis- 
fied with  their  marriage,  but  they  still 
sensed  a  need. 

As  the  Cana  Conference  progressed, 
part  of  this  need  proved  to  be  as  old  as 
Original  Sin.  It  became  plain  to  them 
that  many  truths — such  as  the  high 
dignity  of  marriage  in  God's  plan — had 
slipped  back  into  the  darker  corners 
of  their  mind  and  memory.  Such  things 
came  into  focus  as  the  Cana  Conference 
played  upon  homely  family  life  the 
spotlight  of  divine  splendor.  They 
found  inspiration  in  the  teaching  of 
Pope  Pius  XI:  the  spousal  relationship 
between  Christ  and  His  Church  re- 
mains mystically  present  in  the  marriage 
bond  linking  them  now  and  for  life. 
Further  encouragement  came  from  a 
realization  that  the  virtue  of  chastity 
means  control  of  the  sex  drive  accord- 
ing to  the  principles  of  right  reason 
and  Faith.  So,  in  acting  according  to 
God's  law,  as  taught  by  the  Church, 
they  were  not  merely  tolerating  what 
is  lawful,  but  could  exercise  virtue  and 
in  fact  could  grow  in  the  virtue  of 
chastity. 

As  for  other  influences  of  Original 
Sin,  their  daily  experience  had  some- 
times become  a  living  commentary  on 
the  words  in  Galatians,  "You  do  not 
do  what  you  would.''  Their  good  in- 
tentions had  dissolved  into  petulance. 
And  then,  amid  daily  routine,  they  had 
rationalized  their  selfishness.   But  in  the 


Cana  Conference  they  learned  how 
personal  fulfilment  could  be  achieved 
by  complementing  instead  of  competing 
with  each  other.  To  inspire  a  GENER- 
OUSLY GIVING  LOVE  for  one  an- 
other ,the  Crucified  Christ  was  held  up 
before  them  as  before  the  married 
couples  at  Ephesus  in  St.  Paul's  day. 
"Husbands  love  your  wives  just  as 
Christ  also  loved  the  Church  and  de- 
livered himself  up  for  her." 

One  obstacle  to  sanctification  of  mar- 
ried life  was  found  by  the  couples  in 
their  own  attitude  towards  sanctity. 
Their  desire  for  holiness  had  often  been 
deadened  by  the  doubt:  "Holiness  for 
the  likes  of  us?  .  .  .  between  my  job 
and  meetings  bills  ?  .  .  .  among  dishes 
and  diapers?  ?  ?"  These  persons  were 
assured,  in  the  course  of  the  Conference, 
that  God  has  not  consigned  married 
people  to  mediocrity.  They  heard  this 
truth  addressed  to  married  people  di- 
rectly, in  the  words  of  Pope  Pius  XI 
Himself  in  his  encyclical  On  Christian 
Marriage.  "All  men,  of  every  condition 
and  in  whatever  honorable  walk  of  life 
they  may  be,  can  and  ought  to  imitate 
the  most  perfect  example  of  holiness 
placed  before  man  by  God,  namely 
Christ  Our  Lord,  and  by  God's  grace  to 
arrive  at  the  summit  of  perfection,  as 
is  proved  by  the  example  set  us  by 
many  saints. "•  Our  present  Holy  Father 
assured  them  in  His  encyclical  letter, 
The  Mystical  Body  of  Christ,  that  Chris- 
tian Marriage  is  one  way  to  "the  peak 
of  holiness;  and  such  holiness  Jesus 
Christ  has  promised  will  never  be 
wanting  to  the  Church."10  The  same 
Pope  later  emphasized  that  this  way  to 


125 


holiness  cannot  be  considered  as  indi- 
vidualistic. "Marriage,  in  effect,  unites 
two  persons  in  a  common  destiny,  in 
their  progress  toward  the  realization  of 
an  ideal  which  implies .  .  .  the  attain- 
ment of  spiritual  values  of  a  trans- 
cendent order.  .  .  .  This  ideal  the  mar- 
ried couple  pursue  together  by  dedi- 
cating themselves  to  the  attainment  of 
the  primary  end  of  marriage,  the  gen- 
eration and  education  of  children."11 

While  the  effects  of  Original  Sin 
accounted  for  part  of  their  need,  still 
the  couples  found  that  other  aspects  of 
their  problem  were  as  new  as  the 
modern  trends  detected  by  vigilant 
sociologists  in  the  rapidly  changing 
American  family.  Couples  had  come  to 
realize,  as  our  society  undergoes  great 
change,  that  their  home  life  must  differ 
to  some  extent  from  their  parents'  way 
of  living.  How  to  make  adjustments 
and  yet  remain  true  to  the  wishes  of 
Christ  had  proved  bewildering.  In 
answer  to  their  perplexity,  perhaps  the 
Cana  speaker  paraphrased  a  statement 
of  the  renowned  Jesuit  sociologist, 
Reverend  John  L.  Thomas,  who  points 
out  that  the  Catholic  minority,  as  every 
minority  in  our  complex  and  changing 
culture,  "must  distinguish  clearly  be- 
tween necessary  adaptations  and  those 
innovations  based  on  premises  opposed 
to  its  own  and  rendering  the  realization 
of  its  own  values  either  improbable  or 
impossible.  .  .  . 

"What  is  required,  therefore,  is  a 
clear  understanding  of  essential  family 
values,  and  a  willingness  to  make  what- 
ever adjustments  and  adaptations  are 
required  for  their  realization.  If  (some) 

126 


traditional  means  prove  ineffective,  then 
new  means  must  be  devised,  since  the 
essential  purposes  of  the  family  remain 
unchanged.  Unless  means  are  found  to 
realize  these  purposes  in  a  manner  com- 
patible with  Catholic  standards,  other 
practices  will  be  adopted.  Family  needs 
are  immediate,  and  cannot  be  readily 
postponed."12 

Discussion  of  essential  family  values 
followed.  Adjustments  and  adaptations 
were  suggested  by  the  couples  them- 
selves under  the  priest's  guidance.  Each 
couple  was  heartened  by  the  experience 
that  all  other  couples,  not  only  their 
circles  of  friends,  meet  the  same  chal- 
lenges. Many  solutions  opened  out  for 
them. 

The  ceremony  concluding  every 
Cana  Conference  usually  remains  the 
most  vivid  memory  of  the  day.  Going 
to  the  church,  the  couples  kneel  side 
by  side.  At  the  priest's  direction  they 
hold  each  other's  right  hand,  and  renew 
their  "marriage  vows" — the  mutual  gift 
of  their  wedding  day,  again  taking  each 
other  for  better,  for  worse,  for  richer, 
for  poorer.  .  .  . 

Then  from  the  tabernacle,  for  Bene- 
diction of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  is 
taken  the  Christ  Who  was  present  at 
the  Marriage  Feast  in  Cana  in  Galilee. 

The  enthusiasm  that  they  take  home 
is  found  not  in  a  sentimental  reminder 
of  their  Wedding  Day,  nor  merely  in 
a  heartening  experience  amid  many 
other  couples,  but  in  the  fact  that, 
instead  of  "going  it  alone,"  they  will 
more  than  ever  walk  with  Christ 
Crucified. 

They  will  do  this  because  of  a  new 


application  of  the  Passionist  Apostolate. 
They  will  do  it  because  their  Cana 
Conference  was  a  one-day  retreat  during 
which  a  Passionist  preached  "in  a  man- 


ner moving  souls  to  detest  sin  and  to 
cultivate  devotion  to  Our  Lord's  Sacred 
Passion." 


FOOTNOTES 


1  November   4,    1955. 

2  December,  1956. 

8  "The  Christian  Family,"  Our  Bishops 
Speaks,  p.  159.  Milwaukee,  The  Bruce 
Publishing  Co.,   1952. 

4  Officially  printed  English  translation 
for  the  Provinces  of  St.  Paul  of  the 
Cross  and  Holy  Cross,  p.   12. 

5  P.  100.  Washington,  D.C.,  The 
Catholic  University  of  America  Press, 
1949. 

6  Loc.  cit. 

7  Five  Great  Encyclicals,  pp.  83-4. 
New  York,  The  Paulist  Press,  1939. 

8  Another  series  of  conferences  treats 
of  motives  and  means  for  fostering 
Christian    attitudes    in    pre-adolescents. 


Still  another  series  does  so  in  regard  to 
adolescents.  Pre-Cana  is  devoted  to 
couples  before  marriage,  usually  already 
engaged;  the  Sunday  conferences  by  the 
priest  are  followed,  on  two  evenings 
during  the  week,  by  sessions  conducted 
by  specially  trained  married  couples 
and  doctors. 

9  Loc.  cit. 

10  Paragraph  17,  N.C.W.C.  translation. 

11  Address  to  the  Second  World 
Congress  on  Fertility  and  Sterility,  May 
19,  1956,  The  Pope  Speaks.  Autumn, 
1956,  p.  193. 

12  Social  Order.  November  1955,  p. 
405. 


KS&DO 


OUR   COVER    DESIGN 

Salvadori  Dali,  an  excellent  modern  painter  who  is  now  devoting  his  talents 
to  Christian  themes  is  the  author  of  our  Cover  Design,  "The  Christ  of  St.  John 
of  the  Cross."  He  considers  this  painting  his  greatest  work.  The  original  in- 
spiration came  from  a  sketch  of  Christ  leaning  forward  from  the  Cross  painted 
by  St.  John  of  the  Cross  after  a  vision.  Dali  reproduces  the  figure  projected 
over  the  bay  of  Port  Lligat,  Spain.  The  cross  gives  the  impression  of  extending 
forward  and  backward  through  all  space  and  time,  as  though  timeless  in  His 
desire  to  pour  down  mercy  on  men  everywhere.  The  Body  of  Christ  is  flawless, 
a  symbol  of  the  perfection  of  Christ  as  God  and  man.  Dali's  early  paintings  are 
characterized  by  limp  watches,  plastic  pianos,  and  other  less  delectable  subjects. 
After  an  audience  with  Pope  Pius  XII,  he  turned  from  "surrealism"  to  what 
he  calls  "the  realistic  mysticism  of  the  Catholic  Faith." 


-)G^<» 


27 


Dishop  Joseph  McGucken,  the  new 
u  ordinary  of  Sacramento  California 
and  warm  friend  of  our  Congregation, 
in  a  recent  conversation  that  touched 
upon  our  specific  work  in  the  Church 
remarked  flatly  that  it  was  his  experi- 
ence, "we  have  lots  of  missions,  but 
very  few  missionaries."  As  the  more 
timid  ones  present  scurried  to  the  shelter 
of  silence  before  this  direct  blast,  several 
of  those  present  rallied  and  offered  by 
way  of  defense,  something  of  what  is 
contained  in  the  following  paper. 

Our  people  have  changed  with  the 
times. 

No  one  can  deny  the  drastic  social 
revolution  which  has  taken  over  in 
American  life  in  the  57  years  of  this 
century.  In  the  year  1900  few  of  our 
average  parishes  could  boast  of  parish- 
ioners who  were  university  graduates; 
indeed,  a  very  large  percentage  of  our 
adults  at  that  time  had  never  seen  the 
inside  of  a  Catholic  High  School.  At 
the  turn  of  the  century  the  forty-hour 
week,  paid  vacations,  the  airplane,  the 
automobile  were  unknown  factors  in 
Catholic  life.  Movies,  television,  radio 
were  things  of  the  future.  There  was 
little  of  the  bizarre  of  modern  life  to 
attract  or  distract  the  adolescent,  the 
mature  Catholic  man  or  woman. 

One  cannot  say  that  theirs  was  an 
unhappy  life.  It  had  been  the  way  of 
living  for  untold  generations  of  our 
people  here  and  in  the  various  countries 
of  Europe  from  which  they  had  stemmed 
— founded  on  and  almost  completely 
taken  up  with  home,  work  and  the 
Faith. 

To  such  a  people  missions  were  a 

128 


OUR 


combination  of  Disney  Land,  Coney 
Island,  Ed  Sullivan  Shows  and  the 
Brooklyn  Dogers  combined.  Coming  as 
they  did,  once  every  five  or  ten  or 
twenty  years  into  the  midst  of  such  a 
humdrum  (to  our  viewpoint)  existence, 
the  missionaries,  dressed  in  mantled 
black  robes  and  sandled  feet,  sparkling 
speakers  preaching  with  poise  and  force 
and  burning  ardor,  spiced  with  an 
occasional  dash  of  humor  threw  delight- 
ful spiritual  hysteria  into  the  lackaday 
life  of  the  workingman's  parish,  and 
'the  mission'  served  as  subject  matter 
of  conversation  for  months  and  even 
years  after  the  last  strains  of  the  Holy 
God  We  Praise  Thy  Name  had  died  in 
the  rafters. 

A  half  century  has  wrought  a  gigan- 
tic, physical,  moral,  intellectual,  enter- 
tainment-wise change  on  the  American 
scene.  Our  advanced  economy,  from 
the  tenement  house  to  suburbia,  our  vast ; 
expansion  in  higher  education,  not  to 
mention  the  greately  increased  leisure 
time  and  the  wholesale  onslaught  of 
materialistic  philosophy,  makes  our 
childhood  days  of  the  1900's  and  the 


MODERN  -  1JAY 


1910's  seem  more  like  the  17th  century 
than  a  mere  fifty  years  ago. 

One  cannot  possibly  detract  from 
the  forensic  artistry  and  apostolic  zeal 
which  made  the  names  of  Robert 
McNamara,  Xavier  Sutton,  Alexis  Cun- 
neen  and  Ignatius  Conroy  the  successful 
popular  legends  of  Passionist  Mission- 
aries they  were  in  their  day.  But,  their 
day  is  not  our  day.  The  last  faint  echo 
of  their  day  died  and  was  interred  re- 
cently when  John  Ringling  North  folded 
up  his  circus  tents  and  said  Finis. 

Surely  human  nature  has  not  changed. 
But,  indisputably  we  face  congregations 
today  whose  receptivity  to  missions  as 
such  has  been  blunted  so  tremendously 
by  a  thousand  and  one  outside  influences 
and  attractions  that  I  belive  a  Vincent 
Strambi  or  our  own  Holy  Founder 
would  have  difficulty  in  attracting  a 
9V7  or  \00r/r  parish  attendance  in 
a  society  such  as  Los  Angeles  or  Miami. 
Yes,  cannot  one  recall  in  all  reverence 
that  Our  Divine  Lord  had  some  advice 
to  the  Apostles  relevant  to  those  places 
and  people  who  would  not  listen? 

But,  we  are  dealing  with  our  own 


MISSION 
PROBLEMS 


The  last  faint  echo  of  their 
day  died  and  was  interred 
when  John  Ringling  North 
folded  up  his  tents  and  said 
finis. 

by  ROLAND  Maher,  C.P. 


129 


beloved  people  and  with  our  own  times, 
and  the  challenge  is  being  thrown  at 
our  feet,  as  one  of  the  outstanding 
specifically  missionary  congregations  in 
the  Church  of  America — 'Have  mis- 
sions lost  their  appeal  to  American 
Catholics  ?' 

Let  us  not  forget  in  the  face  of  the 
pessimistic  hue  and  cry  that  has  erupted 
recently,  that  our  missions  are  by  no 
means  total  failures  today.  No  one  who 
has  had  any  practical  experience  as 
prospectors  in  the  gold  mine  of  human 
souls  can  doubt  for  a  minute  that  our 
missions,  by  God's  grace,  still  effect  a 
great  harvest  of  good;  in  encouraging 
the  solid  care  of  our  finest  people  and 
in  drawing  into  the  net  of  God's  for- 
giveness thousands  of  wayward  and 
harrassed  souls — and  many  of  these 
latter  may  well  have  plunged  down- 
ward into  total  loss  of  faith  and  Eternal 
Damnation  were  it  not  for  the  modern 
generation  of  Passionist  Missionary. 
Nor  can  one  forget,  although  it  is  be- 
side the  point,  the  tremendous  spiritual 
boost  and  moral  courage  which  again 
by  God's  grace  the  Passionist  Missionary 
injects  into  that  grand  army  of  our 
nuns  in  their  annual  retreat;  nor  by 
the  same  token,  in  that  ideal  method 
of  spiritual  strengthening  and  rehabili- 
tation accomplished  as  magnificently  for 
our  thousands  of  weekend  retreat  lay- 
men. We  are  not  by  any  manner  of 
means  drooping,  sterile  branches  on  the 
tree  of  Passionist  Missionary  activity. 

The  point  of  interest  and  surely  none 
with  a  fourth  vow  can  be  uninterested 
is,  what  is  needed  to  arrest  the  attention 
of  that  great  number  of  Mass  going 

130 


Catholics  who  do  not  turn  out  for  our 
parish  missions. 

Actually  it  is  physically  impossible 
for  a  great  quota  to  come,  who  other- 
wise would.  We  have  the  night  shift 
problem  and  consequent  baby-sitting 
problem  which  excludes  a  growing 
number  in  our  industrial  areas.  We 
have  the  heavy  homework  problem  of 
those  of  High  School  age  who  formerly 
had  front  seats  every  night  when  there 
was  no  opportunity  of  High  School. 
We  have,  I  would  hazard,  about  one- 
fourth  of  our  people  who  once  swelled 
the  crowd  in  the  good  old  days  who  can- 
not possibly  make  our  missions  today. 

Now  as  to  the  problem  of  those  who 
could  make  our  missions  but  indifferent- 
ly pass  them  by  completely,  let  us  look 
for  some  positive  side. 

Promotion 

As  Father  Cornelius  McGraw  pointed 
out  very  well  in  his  letter  to  the  Hotni- 
letic  Monthly  our  mission  attendance 
has  suffered  from  a  lack  of  proper  and 
sufficient  advertising,  through  no  fault 
of  our  own.  A  casual  glance  at  our 
newspapers  and  magazines  or  a  single 
evening  of  radio  or  television  spells  the 
thought  of  successful  business  relative 
to  the  value  of  advertising.  A  great 
deal  of  Billy  Graham's  success  lies  in; 
the  high  pressure  public  relations  experts 
who  precede  his  evangelical  invasions. 
Given  a  similar  build  up  for  a  name 
missionary  and  one  hundred  Madison 
Square  Gardens  would  not  hold  Metro- 
politan New  York's  curious  Catholic 
throngs. 

What  is  our  build  up  in  most  cases 
but  a  dated  'come  to  the  mission'  leaflet 


ill  the  vestibule  of  the  church,  or  a  dull 
announcement  two  Sundays  in  advance 
with  the  enthusiasm  of  Steppin  Fetchit 
by  perhaps  a  well-meaning  but  inept 
assistant. 

The  best  preparation  by  far  for  a  holy 
mission  is  a  house  to  house  door  bell 
ringing  parish  census  by  the  parish 
priest  or  better  still  by  nuns  trained  for 
the  work,  seconded  by  rousing  enthusi- 
astic sermons  by  the  local  clergy.  A 
suggestion  would  be  a  series  of  two  or 
three  outlined  or  entirely  written  fifteen 
minute  talks  sent  out  in  advance  to,  in 
many  cases  grateful,  assistants  and 
pastors. 

Again,  all  of  us  have  found  the 
children  who  attend  the  parochial  school 
to  be  veritable  dynamos  of  advertising. 
But,  there  are  besides  a  sizeable  group 
of  public  school  children  whose  parents 
are  frequently  in  the  lax  and  indifferent 
class,  whom  we  can  seldom  contact  save 
on  the  Saturday  morning  before  the 
mission  closes.  Could  the  missionary 
arrive  in  time  to  speak  to  these  often- 
times grand  children  he  could  through 
them  contact  a  large  element  who  would 
otherwise  never  be  reached. 

Then  there  remains  that  final  last 
ditch  golden  moment  of  advertising  and 
promotion — the  first  Sunday  announce- 
ments and  ferverino.  I  can  remember 
the  fringes  of  the  old  days  when  the 
mission  was  opened  at  the  last  mass  at 
ten  or  ten  thirty.  The  procession  after 
the  gospel,  the  singing  of  the  prayers 
and  the  long  opening  discourse  (We  are 
Ambassadors  of  Almighty  God).  Often 
the  Mass  being  a  sung  Mass  lasted  from 
an  hour  and  a  half  to  two  hours.    Such 


an  official  opening,  with  the  church 
jammed  to  the  doors  was  the  spark 
which  united  the  spiritual  bonfire  which 
resulted. 

Imagine,  if  you  can,  the  effect  of  an 
opening,  such  as  we  have  read  recently 
in  Italian  cities,  taking  place  in  Chicago 
or  Atlantic.  The  Bishop  or  Cardinal 
Archbishop  surrounded  by  surpliced 
clergy  and  altar  boys  awaiting  the  arrival 
of  the  missionaries  at  the  depot.  The 
TV  cameras  in  action  as  the  mission- 
aries kneel  for  the  asperges — then  the 
solemn  procession,  church  bells  clanging 
in  the  various  parish  churches — we  can 
dream ! 

Alas,  in  many  cases  we  have  masses 
on  the  hour  every  hour  form  six  through 
twelve  noon.  We  have  parking  lot 
problems,  parish  announcements,  hun- 
dreds of  Communions  at  the  earlier 
masses,  so  that  we  have  ten  to  fifteen 
minutes  at  the  most  to  make  our  spirit- 
ural  sales  talk,  to  sell  ourselves  and 
our  God-given  product  to  a  discrimi- 
nating audience.  No,  our  mission  is 
not  at  all  a  matter  of  self  exploiting; 
but  we  are  God's  humble  instruments 
and  the  message  we  carry,  divine  as  it 
is,  comes  from  human  lips  to  human 
ears.  That  Sunday  morning  fifteen 
minutes  is  our  introduction  and  as  any 
salesman  will  agree  that  first  impression 
is  generally  decisive. 

We  can  all  learn,  even  the  experi- 
enced missionary,  a  great  deal  from  the 
one  or  two  minute  TV  network  com- 
mercials. The  poise,  the  fervid  manner. 
the  friendly  touch,  the  well-chosen 
words  are  often  revelations  of  sales- 
manship and  effective  examples  of  the 


131 


craft  of  speaking.  We  are  not  dealing 
with  Fords  or  Camels  or  Pabst  Blue 
Ribbon  but  with  souls  in  great  need  of 
inspiration  and  help. 

The  Missionary 

The  head  of  a  big  insurance  company 
in  Los  Angeles,  an  intelligent  and 
solidly  Catholic  man,  recently  sought 
solution  of  a  difficulty.  He  commenced 
by  describing  the  veritable  rat  race 
which  big  business  is  today.  He  en- 
larged upon  his  standards  for  his  more 
than  two  hundred  men.  No  master  of 
novices  could  have  been  more  exacting, 
more  intolerant  of  mediocrity.  Now, 
then,  he  continued,  if  this  be  the  day 
by  day,  dog  eat  dog,  battle  of  wits 
and  test  of  efficiency  in  the  business 
world,  how  is  it,  he  wondered,  that  a 
priest,  engaged  in  this  worlds  most  sub- 
lime and  precious  of  products,  could 
stand  before  an  intelligent  audience 
Sunday  after  Sunday,  and  hand  out  the 
pap,  the  poorly  thought  out,  haltingly 
preached,  dull,  uninspiring  sack  of  talks 
which,  he  said,  had  been  his  general 
experience  in  his  secular  parish  for 
years  ? 

Would  you  say  he  had  a  point  ? 

As  missionaries  trained  in  soul  and 
mind  and  preaching  potential,  in  a  day 
of  expanded  education,  efficiency  meth- 
ods, super  jets  and  super  anahist,  not  to 
mention  a  day  of  Life  Magazine  type  of 
superficial  thinking  millions,  we  are 
certainly  expected  to  be  and  rightfully 
so,  masters  of  the  public  platform. 

(These  notes  are  not  intended  to 
deal  with  the  spiritual  qualities  which 
certainly  adorn  the  character  of  the 
sandled  monk  who  faces  the  people. 

132 


I  speak  solely  of  the  physical  tools  of 
his  profession  and  of  the  human  prob- 
lems and  helps  confronting  the  modern 
Passionist  Missionary. ) 

Surely,  he  should  possess  a  great  deal 
of  the  artistry  which  his  profession  and 
subject  matter  demand.  He  should 
stand  head  and  shoulder  above  the  local 
clergy  as  a  dynamic,  an  arresting,  an 
inspiring  public  speaker.  No  means 
should  be  left  unturned,  no  time  spared, 
to  embellish  his  God-given  talents,  to 
sparkle  his  sermons  with  solid  well- 
presented  spiritual  food  to  attract  the 
soul-hungry  ones  looking  to  the  mis- 
sionary as  one  sent  by  God. 

This  should  be  the  ideal  set  forth  in 
all  its  allurement  to  the  Passionist  Cleric 
from  his  first  day  at  the  Prep  through 
his  first  critical  years  as  a  professed 
priest. 

Why  can  we  not  produce,  with  such  j 
long  years  of  magnificent  opportunity 
of  preparation,  the  finest  priest  orators 
of  the  United  States?  Some  few  per- 
haps have  little  of  the  necessary  talent 
or  aptitude.  But,  for  most,  with  all 
the  years  of  study  under  degreed  teach- 
ers, with  all  the  public  reading  in  choir 
and  refectory,  with  all  the  chanting  to 
develop  voice — to  say  nothing  of  count- 
less hours  of  meditation  and  prayer — 
there  is  no  reason  on  earth,  why,  pos- 
tulating the  'zelus  domus  tuae  comedit 
me'  of  a  forth  vowed  Passionist,  they 
cannot  become  forceful  speakers  and 
requested  men  on  our  mission  band. 

The  doleful  complaint  that  the  people 
didn't  turn  out,  or  that  the  mission 
fell  of,  or  I  never  get  any  requests  for 
missions,  might  well  be  poorly  made  by 


the  individual  so  complaining.  The 
pastors  of  large  parishes  for  the  most 
are  clever,  zealous,  experienced  men. 
Too  often  in  by-gone  days  were  they 
burned  by  writing  to  a  superior  for 
two  missionaries,  possibly  at  a  late  date, 
and  got  those  who  remained.  They 
want  today  some  guarantee  by  way  of 
previous  knowledge  or  dealing  or  hear- 
say of  at  least  the  principal  missionary 
coming  to  their  parish — and  can  you 
say  honestly  that  you  blame  them.  I 
dare  say  our  own  pastors  of  monastery 
parishes  so  request  missionaries  of  the 
Provincial  90%  of  the  time. 

By  way  of  an  aside,  the  writer  has 
frequently  heard  the  remark:  "Such  a 
father  might  not  make  a  missionary, 
but  he  should  be  good  for  sister's 
retreats."  By  contrast,  it  is  my  con- 
sidered opinion  that  of  all  groups  to 
whom  we  have  the  privilege  of  preach- 
ing, none  demand,  by  reason  of  their 
intelligence  and  high  dedication,  except 
perhaps  the  secular  clergy,  more  tal- 
ented, more  versatile  and  more  naturally 
and  supernaturally  gifted   missionaries. 

Granted  then  the  difference  of  atti- 
tude and  thought  and  environment  of 
modern  American  Catholic  life  from 
fifty-seven  years  ago,  missionaries  today 
need  far  more,  than  our  illustrious 
predecessors  to  attract  and  to  hold  their 
present  day  audience.  And,  if  any 
group  in  the  country  should  be  able  to 
keep  abreast  of  the  situation,  the 
thoroughly  trained  and  almost  individ- 
ually tutored  Passionist  professed  priests 
should  be  the  men. 

By  way  of  conclusion  to  this  point, 
I    might    add    that    oftentimes    I    have 


wished  we  could  occasionally  work  a 
public  miracle,  such  as  frequently  oc- 
curred in  apostolic  times  and  in  the 
middle  ages — or  even  that  Almighty 
God  would  send  His  Immaculate  Moth- 
er in  a  verified  apparition  somewhere 
in  our  fair  land.  How  these  would  help 
us!  What  a  concourse  would  hasten  to 
our  missions.  But  then  I  hear  an  echo, 
"Unless  you  see  signs  and  wonders, 
you  will  not  believe."  And,  too,  is 
Paris  much  different,  morally,  as  a  result 
of  Lourdes. 

Subject  Matter? 

In  the  light  of  what  Canon  Law  has 
to  say  about  the  preaching  of  the  eternal 
truths  and  in  the  vivid  realization  of  our 
prescribed  and  long  established  sequence 
of  evening  sermons,  and  with  a  warm 
salute  to  dear  old  Father  Linus  Mona- 
han  for  his  masterful  and  moving  lecture 
on  Passionist  tradition  of  Missions  in 
the  report  of  the  Eastern  Province 
Missionary  Congress — which  we  all  will 
cherish — it  will  likely  appear  temerar- 
ious to  write  at  variance,  in  a  minor 
degree,  to  the  traditional  topics.  But  if 
some  difference  of  ideas  be  permitted 
expression,  they  are  offered  not  as  my 
own  actually  present  usage,  (we  must 
conform)  but  as  possible  implementa- 
tions to  the  attraction  of  our  people  to 
our  missions.  Nor  are  we  in  any  sense 
eager  beaver  youths  seeking  change  or 
glamour  for  their  own  sakes:  nearly 
thirty  years  of  uninterrupted  mission 
activity  certainly  leaves  one  with  an 
intense  leisure  to  see  our  beloved  life's 
work  retain  its  effectiveness. 

Which,  I  query,  is  better,  to  speak 
with  the  force  and  fervor  of  the  ancients 


133 


on  the  accustomed  series  of  earth 
shaking  topics  to  an  ever  dwindling 
congregation  of  a  thrill  sated  genera- 
tion, or  to  hold  them  and  increase  their 
numbers  and  interest  by  combining  the 
solid  hard  hitting  type  of  mission  ser- 
mons on  the  eternal  truths  with  some- 
thing of  instructive  sermons  more  di- 
gestible by  our  superficial  thinking  gen- 
eration. 

I  am  convinced,  perhaps  erroneously, 
but  nonetheless  sincerely,  that  were  one 
of  our  men  of  hallowed  memory  to 
return  to  life  and  preach  his  mission  of 
1910  in  a  parish  on  Long  Beach,  Cali- 
fornia some  October  week  when  the 
heralded  climate  of  that  same  tropical 
area  is  luring  people  by  the  tens  of 
thousands  to  the  beaches,  to  the  moun- 
tains, to  the  resorts,  to  the  Coliseum 
and  maybe  to  hell — or  even  in  other 
less  worldly  distracting  areas  of  our 
land — and  were  he  to  pursue  as  we 
suggested  his  unswerving  sequence  of 
Sunday  night,  The  End  of  Man,  Mon- 
day night,  Mortal  Sin,  Tuesday  night, 
Death,  Wednesday  night,  General 
Judgment  or  Hell,  by  Friday  night  he 
might  well  wonder  what  happened  to 
his  mission. 

I  have  heard  most  of  our  ancients 
whose  glorious  service  and  record  well 
deserve  niches  in  our  hall  of  fame,  so 
pulverise  their  audience  with  the  afore 
mentioned  block-busters  that  were  they 
alive  and  active  today,  many  thousands 
of  1957  Catholics,  good,  bad  and  in- 
different simply  would  not  make  it. 

What  then;  are  we  advocating  the 
abolishing  of  strong  sermons  on  the 
Eternal  Truths  as  a  compromise  to  a 


weak  and  sinful  generation?  God  for- 
bid. But,  cannot  we  somehow  temper 
the  severity,  by  a  rotation  of  less  severe 
but,  nevertheless  highly  important  and 
very  necessary,  and  by  the  same  token, 
more  attractive  instructive  topics? 

It  was  partially  from  such  a  con- 
sideration that  our  own  Missionary 
Congress  of  1945  sought  and  received 
permission  to  integrate  the  several  in- 
structions on  the  Sacrament  of  Penance 
(the  missionaries  being  in  accord)  into 
one  big  evening  subject.  Most  of  those 
who  opposed  such  an  arrangement  at 
that  time  have  since  become  ardent 
advocates  of  the  innovation.  What, 
further,  is  more  Passionistic,  more  neces- 
sary for  the  rank  and  file  than  a  striking 
dogmatic-moral  sermon  on  the  Holy 
Mass? 

I  am  not  by  any  manner  of  means 
holding  in  suspect  any  one  of  the  eter- 
nal truths  as  other  than  powerfully  per- 
suasive means  of  drawing  sinners  to 
repentance,  lapsed  Catholics  to  the  con- 
fessions. No.  They  are  our  life's  blood 
and  bone  and  marrow.  But,  I  suggest 
a  spacing,  a  staggering  of  such  strong 
sermons,  especially  at  the  early  stages  of 
the  mission  with  lighter  but  just  as 
wholesome  bread  of  the  Faith.  People 
have  changed  from  the  solid  sturdy 
workingman  of  little  education  but  pro- 
found faith  of  1910.  And,  unless  we 
bend  somewhat  to  the  cultivated  if 
synthetic  tastes  of  our  former  G.I.'s 
and  their  families  we  will  be  preaching 
to  empty  pews. 

Has  there  not  been  a  notable  recog- 
nition of  this  restless  tension  of  modern 
life  in  recent  proposals  to  mitigate  the 


34 


severity  of  our  Holy  Rule? 

This  writer  wishes  fervently  that 
compromise  were  not  feasible.  That  it 
would  be  a  case  of  like  it  or  leave  it, 
dig  or  die.  And  perhaps  his  thoughts 
expressed  concerning  our  people  and 
their  reactions  have  been  somewhat 
slanted  by  four  years  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia's neo-paganism,  with  its  indif- 
ferentism  and  exaggerated  materialism. 
Here  we  have  trouble,  talking  pastors  of 
1500  to  2000  family  parishes  into  a 
two  week's  mission.  They  never  had 
more  than  one  week  and  many  are 
amazed  and  highly  pleased  at  turnouts, 
while  we  who  know  better  are  sick 
at  heart.  I  still  cherish  the  memory  of 
the  packed  churches  of  Chicago,  St. 
Paul,  Minnesota  and  Detroit  in  sub 
zero  weather. 

The  subject  matter  of  our  customary 
morning  talks  on  the  combined  Pas- 
sion Commandment  sequence  are  per- 
fect for  the  spirit  of  the  mission  and 
the  spiritual  wants  of  the  people.  But, 
alas,  how  many  even  of  those  fine 
people  who  do  come  so  faithfully  at 
nights  simply  cannot  remain  after  Mass 
for  the  talks.  And  pray  tell  me  where 
oh  where,  apart  from  strictly  rural 
parishes,  can  you  find  a  mission  where 


a  late  mass  is  practicable  for  the  men's 
mission  ? 

For  the  patient  reader  who  has  per- 
severed thus  far,  I  would  like  to  sum  up. 

We  are  practically  the  only  religious 
congregation  in  America  exclusively 
dedicated  to  preaching  missions.  This 
high  and  exalted  work  has  ever  been 
considered  one  of  the  most  powerful 
means  of  preserving  the  faith  in  the 
lives   of   any   people. 

We  are  confronted  with  greater 
hindrances  than  any  generation  of  mis- 
sionaries before  us  in  the  Congregation. 
But,  our  young  aspirants  to  the  platform 
have  greater  opportunities  of  training 
and  education  ever  afforded  Passionist 
Students. 

Until  a  better  way  be  devised,  in 
some  future  technological  advance,  of 
preaching  Christ  and  Him  Crucified, 
parish  missions  are  at  the  top  of  the 
hierarchy  of  the  means  at  our  disposal. 

Let  us  gather  our  forces  by  such 
debate  as  our  magazine  provides — and 
by  suggestions  and  articles  to  equal  if 
not  surpass  the  glorious  record  of  our 
predecessors,  the  Passionist  Missionaries 
of  the  past,  in  holding  our  people  to 
the  Faith  by  means  of  parish  missions. 


NOTICE 

Beginning  with  this  issue,  The  Passionist  is  featuring  a  new  section  entitled 
Answers  to  Questions.  The  purpose  of  this  new  feature  is  to  provide  "our 
Readers  with  ready  answers  to  questions  that  touch  closely  upon  our  Passionist 
way  of  life.  Questions  on  Law,  Custom,  Theology,  Liturgy  and  Sacred  Scripture 
that  have  a  special  interest  to  Passionists  will  be  answered.  Men  throughout 
the  Province  who  have  specialized  in  these  subjects  have  graciously  consented 
to  answer  these  questions.  Our  Readers  are  invited  to  send  their  questions  to 
the  Editor  who  will  forward  them  to  those  handling  this  special  subject. 


135 


Art  has  its  own  insight  into  reality. 
Art  has  its  own  way  of  sharing 
that  insight.  Pope  Pius  XII,  speaking 
to  the  First  International  Congress  of 
Catholic  Artists,  Sept.  5,  1950,  com- 
ments : 

"Thanks  to  its  subtlety  and  refine- 
ment, art — whether  heard  or  seen — 
reaches  depths  in  the  mind  and  heart 
.  .  .  which  words,  either,  spoken  or 
written,  with  their  insufficiently  shaded 
analytical  precision,   cannot  attain."1 

Artists  great  and  small  have  tried  for 
centuries  to  penetrate  deeply  into  the 
reality  of  Our  Lord's  Passion  and  help 
others  to  see  its  meaning:  men  as 
famous  as  Fra  Angelico  painting  on 
the  cell  of  the  Monastery  of  San  Marco, 
men  as  unknown  as  the  artist  who 
painted  Christ  Crucified  on  the  cell  of 
a  Police  Station.2 

The  Church  and  the  faithful  profited 
greatly  for  centuries  from  the  work  of 
great  artists.  The  beauty  and  apprecia- 
tion of  the  Faith  grew  together.  St. 
Thomas  gives  three  reasons  for  the  use 
of  visual  arts  in  Church: 

"First,  for  the  instruction  of  the 
uneducated,  who  are  taught  by  them 
as  by  books;  second,  that  the  mystery 
of  the  Incarnation  and  the  examples  of 
the  saints  be  more  firmly  impressed  on 
our  memory  by  being  daily  represented 
before  our  eyes;  third,  to  enkindle 
affective  devotion,  which  is  more  effica- 
ciously evoked  by  what  is  seen  than  by 
what  is  heard."3 

Pope  Pius  XII  gives  a  historical  sum- 
mary and  psychological  explanation  of 
the  function  of  Art  through  the  ages  of 
Christianity: 


Scenes  from  the  Passion 
have  inspired 
Artists  to  produce 
their  greatest  works. 

by  JOHN  M.  Render,  C.P. 


The 


PASSION 


in   painting 


"In  this  manner,  the  great  masters 
of  Christian  arts  became  interpreters, 
not  only  of  the  beauty  but  also  of  the 
goodness  of  God,  the  Revealer  and 
Redeemer.  Marvelous  exchange  of 
services  between  Christianity  and  art! 
From  their  Faith  they  drew  sublime 
inspirations.  They  drew  hearts  to  the 
Faith  when  for  continuous  centuries 
they  communicated  and  spread  the  truths 
contained  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  truths 


136 


itmmr  v  ■*#  ,  ,.%■ 


?V\1  ^ 

%  if 

'* 

#%*•   ^^        ^a 

l:;  P* 

^^» 


& 


"Christ  Taken  Down  from  the  Cross"  by  Fra  Angelico.  Note  the  group  of  men 
on  one  side  studying  the  instruments  of  Christ's  suffering  while  the  group  of 
women  on  the  other  side  all  bend  in  pitying  love  over  the  dead  body  of  Christ. 


through  the  Ages 


inaccessible,    at    least    directly,    to    the 
humble  people. 

"In  truth,  artistic  masterpieces  were 
known  as  the  'Bible  of  the  people,'  to 
mention  such  noted  examples  as  the 
windows  of  Chartres,  the  door  of 
Ghiberti  (by  happy  expression  known 
as  the  Door  of  Paradise),  the  Roman 
and  Ravenna  mosaics  and  the  facade  of 
the  Cathedral  of  Orvieto.  These  and 
other   masterpieces    not    only   translate 


into  easy  reading  and  universal  language 
the  Christian  truths,  they  also  com- 
municate the  intimate  sense  and  emotion 
of  these  truths  with  an  effectiveness, 
lyricism  and  ardor  that,  perhaps,  is  not 
contained  in  even  the  most  fervent 
preaching. 

"Souls  ennobled,  elevated  and  pre- 
pared by  art,  are  thus  better  disposed  to 
receive  the  religious  truths  and  the  grace 
of  Jesus  Christ."' 


137 


Colmar  "Crucifixion"  painted  by  Matthias  Grunewald.   Its  awesome  and  almost 

brutal  realism  can  be  understood  if  we  realize  that  he  painted  it  for  a  hospital 

of  victims  of  erysipelas,  leprosy  and  other  skin  diseases. 


Churches  became  great  picture  books 
and  people  came  to  know  Christ  and 
Him  Crucified;  to  know  the  power  of 
His  Passion. 

The  rest  of  this  study  is  meant  to  be 
a  sketch  of  the  main  lines  of  develop- 
ment in  the  history  of  painting  the 
Passion,  with  representative  or  very 
distinctive  exponents  of  these  develop- 
ments chosen  as  examples. 4a 
Symbolic  Art:    lst-5th  Century 

The  earliest  drawings  in  regard  to 
Christ's  Passion  were  in  the  form  of 
symbols.  A  symbol  is  a  representation 
of  some  fact,  dogma,  belief,  or  practice 


by  means  of  a  sign.5  Our  Lord  Himself 
constantly  used  symbols  in  His 
preaching : 

"His  discourses  are  full  of  the  fields, 
the  threshing-ground,  the  mill,  the  bee- 
hive, the  house,  the  open  sheep-fold 
with  its  watch  tower,  the  fig-tree  and 
the  olive  tree,  the  vinebranch  and  the 
grape  that  is  pressed  under  foot;  in 
them  we  can  hear  the  swallows  and  the 
pigeons;  the  dog  begging  its  bread 
like  a  humble  supplicant;  the  hen 
dreading  the  eagle  and  the  storm  for 
her  little  ones  as  He  Himself  fears  for 
humanity.    His  message  is  wrapped  in 


38 


earthly  symbols,  and  instinctively  He 
chooses  the  most  beautiful,  which  are 
also  the  most  familiar,  those  whose 
simple  grandeur  is  the  basis  of  human 
poetry."6 

The  early  Church  likewise  used  the 
simplest  things  as  symbols  of  the  most 
profound  realities.  Not  only  a  fish,  but 
the  very  letters  spelling  the  word  in 
Greek  had  profound  meaning.  Not  only 
the  word  for  Christ  of  Jesus  in  Greek 
but  the  very  way  the  X  could  be  placed 
over  the  I,  or  the  P  over  the  X  brought 
a  hidden  but  clear  impression  of  Christ 
on  the  Cross.  And  not  only  figures  but 
colors  soon  took  on  distinctive  symbol- 
ism; still  with  us  today  in  the  vest- 
ments for  the  Liturgy. 

Especially  in  regard  to  Christ's  Pas- 
sion there  was  special  concern  to  use 
symbols.  Christ  has  already  given  the 
example  speaking  of  "the  grain  of 
wheat  falling  to  the  ground"  and  "the 
serpent  lifted  up  in  the  desert."7  Histor- 
ical as  well  as  theological  reasons  made 
the  early  Christians  search  for  symbols. 
The  pagans  as  well  as  the  Jews  had  a 
horror  of  the  Cross  as  denoting  deepest 
shame  along  with  terrifying  suffering. 
Only  to  Christians  prudently  instructed 
was  the  mystery  of  the  Cross  revealed 
directly.  Again,  the  Cross  shown  plainly 
would  have  identified  Christians  to  their 
persecutors.  So  symbols  were  used  as  a 
means  of  mutual  identification  without 
dangerous  revelation.  The  theological 
implications  of  Christ's  sufferings  were 
another  reason  for  resorting  to  symbols. 
The  depth  of  the  mystery  of  Redemp- 
tion, its  reach  backwards  and  forwards 
into  time  and   eternity,    its   range   and 


meaning  in  men's  lives:  all  of  these 
were  in  danger  of  being  obscured  if  a 
literal  picture  of  Christ  on  the  Cross  as 
a  complete  and  completed  incident  were 
given.8 

Some  common  examples  of  symbols 
used  early  and  often  are  the  following: 

The  fish:  This  was  used  by  pagans  as 
a  sign  of  funeral  rites  and  so  did  not 
arouse  suspicion.  The  Greek  word 
"ichthus"  for  fish,  contains  the  first 
letters  of  "7esous  CAristos  Theou  Uios 
Soter":  "Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God, 
Savior."  This  figure  is  found  in  the 
catacomb  of  St.  Callistus  (110  A.D.). 
The  Fathers  of  the  Church  often  refer 
to  this  figure  and  St.  Augustine  gives 
the  following  patristic  explanation: 
"Christ  is  mystically  understood,  be- 
cause He  was  able  to  live,  that  is,  to 
exist,  without  sin  in  the  abyss  of  this 
mortality  as  in  the  depths  of  water."9 
The  fish  appears  at  times  with  loaves 
and  a  chalice  as  a  symbol  of  the  Mass. 
It  is  used  with  the  /  X  (Iesus  Christ), 
the  X  bisecting  the  fish  as  a  symbol 
of  Christ's  sacrifice  on  the  Cross.10 

The  anchor:  This  is  the  symbol  of 
hope  and  the  Cross.  It  finds  its  Scrip- 
tural basis  in  Heb.  6,  19:  "This  hope 
we  have  as  a  sure  and  firm  anchor  of 
the  soul,  reaching  even  behind  the  veil 
where  our  forerunner  Jesus  has  entered 
for  us."  It  is  found  often  in  repre- 
sentations of  the  2nd  and  3rd  century. 
The  anchor  became  shaped  more  like  a 
cross  by  the  addition  of  a  small  cross- 
bar near  the  top.  Then  a  fish  was 
added  representing  Christ.  "The  broiled 
fish  is  Christ  who  suffers,"  St.  Augustine 
tells  us.11 


139 


"The  Crucifixion'  painted  by  Salvadori 
Dali  in  1954. 


The  Lamb:  This  is  a  frequent  symbol 
used  in  the  4th  and  5th  century.  It 
reproduced  in  line  and  color  the  great 
truth  the  Church  sings:  "Pascha  nos- 
trum immolatus  est  Christus."12  The 
lamb  sits  on  a  book  with  seven  seals 
or  stands  on  a  throne  from  which  pour 
streams  of  water,  or  stands  before  a 
rising  sun.  Almost  always  the  cross  is 
in  the  background,  waving  red  in  a 
white  field  on  a  banner.13 


The  fcrux  gemmata':  The  oldest 
figurative  representation  of  a  crucifix 
is  found  on  a  cypress  door  in  St.  Sabina, 
Rome  (432-440).  Before  this  the  Cross 
has  been  more  a  cryptogram.  Here  for 
the  first  time  the  cross  is  central  and 
clear.  The  upright  beam  of  the  cross 
sends  forth  twelve  flowers,  the  Apostles, 
first  fruits  of  Christ's  death  on  the 
Cross.  Hanging  from  the  crossbeam  are 
the  Alpha  and  Omega,  symbols  of 
Christ's  divinity  used  against  the  Arians. 
Above  the  crossbeam  are  two  candles: 
Christ  the  light  of  the  world.  St.  John 
Chrysostom  added  this  decoration.14 
Instead  of  Christ's  Body  precious  jewels 
adorn  the  Cross,  showing  how  precious 
Christ's  death  is. 

Byzantine  Art: 
6th-12th  Century 

As  the  centuries  of  persecution  sub- 
side the  portrayal  of  the  Passion  be- 
comes more  manifest.  The  Cross  was 
forbidden  to  be  used  as  an  instrument 
of  torture  and  took  on  the  glory  of 
Christ's  triumph.  A  Syriac  manuscript 
appears  in  the  5  th  century  bearing  a 
representation  of  Christ  Crucified.15 
Christ  is  clothed  in  a  long  purple  robe. 
His  feet  are  nailed  directly  to  the 
Cross.  The  two  thieves  are  pictured 
along  with  Longinus  piercing  the  side 
of  Christ.  In  the  famous  mosaics  of 
Ravenna  the  characteristics  of  the 
Byzantine  style  are  already  apparent: 
classical  lines,  huge  eyes  to  show 
Christ's  superior  knowledge,  gold  back- 
ground to  symbolize  divinity  and  spiri- 
tuality. The  halo  or  nimbus  is  around 
Christ's  Head,  and  standing  on  a  lion 
and  a  serpent,16  He  carries  a  red  cross 


140 


horizontally  across  His  shoulders.  It  is 
the  figure  of  Christ  triumphant  through 
the  Cross.  These  mosaics  are  important 
historically.  In  the  middle  of  the  6th 
century  Theodoric  was  beseiging  Ra- 
venna with  Arian  forces.  Justinian, 
instead  of  army  defence  spending,  spent 
money  to  build  and  adorn  churches, 
showing  in  brilliant  artistic  form  the 
theological  and  political  system  he  was 
defending.  "Strange  stratagem  for  a 
successor  of  Caesar,  but  it  prevailed."17 

Plainer  representation  of  Christ's 
Passion  received  an  impetus  when  the 
Trullan  Council  (692  A.D.)  ordered 
the  symbolical  and  allegorical  treatment 
to  be  laid  aside.18  Then  in  the  9th 
century  the  Fourth  Council  of  Con- 
stantinople gave  Christian  Art  Ecclesi- 
astical Sanction  by  condemning  the 
Iconoclast  heresy  definitively. 

"We  decree  that  the  sacred  image  of 
Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Redeemer  and 
Savior  of  all,  be  venerated  with  honor 
equal  to  that  given  the  book  of  the 
Holy  Gospels.  For  just  as  all  attain 
salvation  through  the  words  in  the  book, 
so  all  whether  learned  or  illiterate  profit 
directly  from  colored  works  of  art.  For 
colored  pictures  preach  and  commend 
the  same  things  as  the  written  word."11' 

Giotto  (1266-1337) 

Giotto  di  Bondone  broke  with  the 
stylized  conventional  manner  of  the 
past,  and  portrayed  the  sufferings  of 
Christ  in  a  new  and  human  way.  It 
was  the  great  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  that 
was  his  inspiration  in  this  work.  In 
painting  the  life  of  St.  Francis  in  the 
upper  Chruch  at  Assisi  current  events 


and  the  everyday  life  of  the  period  were 
used.  "In  painting  he  invented  that 
dolce  stil  nuovo,  that  vulgare  eloquium 
which  Dante  created  in  the  realm  of 
poetry.  He  is  truly  the  founder  of  the 
art  of  painting  in  Italy."-0  For  the  first 
time  depth  and  volume  appear  in 
paintings  on  the  Passion  and  the  human 
character  of  Christ  and  the  circle  at 
Calvary  appears.  Because  St.  Francis 
was  so  like  Christ  and  yet  so  human, 
Christ  Himself  emerges  caught  up  in  the 
flow  of  human  events.    In  his  Lamenta- 


Kembrandt    van    Rijn'a 
'Decent    from    the    Cross. 


141 


-.-.r^k-" 

.*.;•■■•■:■■ 


•'V     \ 


Sip 


'!K 


^B 


wy 


>^p^%^^^;^x.v^^|;^^ 


"The  Crucifixion"  painted  by  Jan  Styka  is  the  largest  religious  painting  in  the 
world,   a   symbol   of   the  greatest   fact   in   the   world:     man's   Redemption.    It 


142 


NiL 


measures    195    feet    long   and   45    feet   high.    This   picture   reproduces   only   the 

center  section. 


43 


"Dead  Christ  with  Angels,"  by  Manet. 

twn  over  Christ  (c.  1305)  every  figure 
has  weight  and  life.  Even  the  angels 
have  been  humanized  and  re- act  with 
grief.  A  sagging  feeling  of  sorrow 
dominates  the  picture.  The  single  piece 
of  background  is  a  ledge  of  rock 
dropping  down  to  the  left  of  the  center 
to  add  weight  to  the  picture.  Each  of 
his  other  famous  paintings  on  the  Pas- 
sion, The  Betrayal  of  ]udas,  Christ 
Carrying  His  Cross,  and  the  Crucifixion 
have  the  same  solidness  and  simplicity. 
Fra  Angelico  (1387-1455) 
Fra  Angelico' s  name  in  religion  was 
Giovanni  da  Fiesole.  In  the  best 
Dominican  tradition  the  man,  the  monk, 
and  the  artist  were  one  in  him.   He  took 


the  full-flowering  of  the  Middle  Ages 
along  with  the  spring-like  surge  of  the 
early  Renaissance  into  his  heart  and 
poured  it  into  his  art.  He  combined 
the  natural  and  the  supernatural  in  his 
life  and  in  his  work.  The  evil  seeds 
of  pride  and  passion  and  paganism 
already  growing  in  the  world  caused 
him  only  disgust.  He  strove  to  realize 
the  ideal  set  before  him  by  Fra  Domin- 
ici. 

"Christ  is  our  only  guide  to  happi- 
ness .  .  .our  father,  our  leader,  our  light, 
our  food,  our  redemption,  our  way,  our 
truth,   our  life." 

"As  the  years  of  tender  youth  flow 
by,  the  soft  wax  may  take  on  any  form. 
Stamp  on  it  the  impress  not  of  Nar- 
cissus, Myrrha,  Phaedra  or  Ganymede, 
but  of  the  crucified  Christ  and  of  the 
saints."21 

Fra  Angelico  worked  consciously  and 
logically  as  well  as  artistically  to  finish 
his  paintings  with  the  wholeness,  har- 
mony, and  radiance,  that  distinguishes 
true  beauty.  When  he  was  painting  for 
the  monks  at  San  Marco  he  gave  only 
enough  details  to  add  and  not  distract 
their  contemplation.  His  Mocking  of 
Christ  (c.  1437)  shows  a  seated  Christ 
regal,  blindfolded,  and  with  a  Crown 
of  thorns.  The  mocking  soldiers  appear 
only  as  a  group  of  disembodied  hands 
and  a  cruel  face  spitting  on  Christ  with 
a  cap  raised  in  sarcasm.  When  he 
painted  for  the  people  he  is  careful  to 
add  interesting  and  meaningful  back- 
ground. His  " Christ  taken  down  from 
the  Cross"  (c.  1440)  (see  picture)  is 
carefully  planned  and  elaborated.  A 
group  of  men  on   one  side  study  the 


144 


"Christ  in  the  Garden"  by  El  Greco  is  a  masterpiece  of  plastic  art,  combining 

abstract  and  mobile  elements  in  story  and  emotion.    Everything  in  his  pictures 

on   the   Passion   sweeps   upward,  natural   appearances  sometimes  distorted   to 

produce  his    flame-like   forms. 


instruments  of  Christ's  suffering:  the 
"docta  p/etas"  or  learned  piety  of  the 
early  Renaissance.  A  group  of  women 
on  the  other  side  all  bend  in  pitying 
love  over  the  dead  body  of  Christ.  A 
Spring  landscape  in  the  background 
signifying  the  new  life  from  Christ's 
death  completes  the  picture.  It  is,  per- 
haps, the  first  landscape  painted  in 
the  15th  century,  bringing  in  a  new 
element  which  will  later  dominate  many 
masterpieces.25 


Renaissance  Art: 
16th-17th  Century 

New  influences  which  affected  all  of 
the  artistic  work  found  their  expression 
in  the  painting  on  the  Passion  done 
during  this  time.  The  first  and  dominant 
tendency  was  to  glorify  man  as  man. 
Pagan  themes  and  models  served  as 
sources  of  inspiration.  The  new  scienti- 
fic study  of  anatomy  and  optics  had  its 
influence  too.  Muscle  and  bone  con- 
figurations were  reproduced  in  art.  The 


145 


play  of  light  and  shadow  appeared  in 
painting  as  in  life  and  new  depth  came 
into  the  pictures  with  the  application  of 
the  laws  of  perspective.23  Nature  came 
from  the  background  to  the  foreground 
of  the  picture.  Biblical  scenes  were 
portrayed  in  the  backdrop  of  sixteenth 
century  life.24  The  Mystery  Plays,  too, 
had  their  influence  upon  Painters. 
Though  many  of  them  may  have  been 
poor  as  drama,  yet,  as  Male  points  out25 
"To  have  suggested  groupings,  atti- 
tudes, costumes,  and  even  color  to 
Roger  van  der  Weyden,  Jean  Fouquet, 
and  Hans  Memling  is  to  have  had  no 
slight  effect  upon  art."  Also,  the  finding 
of  the  different  relics  of  the  Passion 
influenced  later  pictures.  The  low 
column  with  the  iron  ring  brought  back 
from  Jerusalem  in  1223  finally  makes 
its  appearance  in  the  pictures  of  Maratta, 
Rubens,  and  Murillo,  replacing  the 
earlier  use  of  a  high  column.26  Finally 
there  is  the  desire  to  see  Christ  suffering 
brought  on  by  the  Black  Death,  the 
plagues,  and  the  wars  which  ravaged 
Europe.27 

Some  of  these  influences  are  apparent 
in  the  Colmar  Crucifixion  (see  picture) 
painted  by  Matthias  Grunewald  (1465- 
1528).  Its  awesome  and  almost  brutal 
realism  is  at  first  sight  a  shock.  Christ's 
arms  are  elongated,  the  hands  twisted 
upwards  nailed  to  the  limb  of  a  cross- 
bar, the  bend  of  which  increases  the 
tension.  Christ's  body  is  covered  with 
welts  and  wounds.  Our  Lady  stands 
leaning  back  in  an  agonizing  position 
on  the  arms  of  St.  John.  John  the 
Baptist  stands  on  the  other  side  pointing 
to  Christ  while  on  the  ground  a  lamb 


pours  its  blood  into  a  chalice.  At  first 
sight  one  wonders  at  the  extreme  suf- 
fering portrayed  but  its  historical  pur- 
pose gives  an  insight  into  its  meaning. 
It  was  painted  for  a  hospital  tended 
by  Antonite  Monks  for  victims  of 
erysipelas,  leprosy  and  other  skin 
diseases.  It  hung  over  the  high  altar. 
On  Easter  another  panel  folded  over  it, 
showing  a  picture  of  Christ's  body 
radiant  with  the  glory  of  the  Resurrec- 
tion. "Grunewald's  awesome,  agonized 
art  has  prompted  others  from  Durer  to 
Picasso  to  distort  form  and  color  for 
greater  emotional  force."28 

In  1541  Michaelangelo  Buonarroti 
(1475-1564)  completed  seven  years 
work  on  his  masterpiece  "The  Last 
Judgment"  finishing  his  work  in  the 
Sistine  chapel.  This  picture,  remarkable 
in  many  ways,29  shows  the  powerful 
influence  of  the  Passion  at  the  Last 
Judgment.  The  forceful,  mobile  figure 
of  Christ  appearing  in  order  to  pass 
judgment  features  the  wounds  of  His 
hands,  feet  and  side.30  Giant  angels 
move  in  on  each  side  of  Christ  and  His 
Mother,  bearing  the  instruments  of 
Christ's  Passion,  the  column  and  the 
Crown  of  Thorns  and  the  Cross.  All 
through  the  picture  the  human  form  is 
used  to  portray  the  awe  and  anguish  of 
man.  It  is  the  "Dies  Irae"  caught  and 
concretized  in  color. 

Finally  the  reflection  of  light  and 
shadow  finds  its  expression  in  art 
through  the  work  of  Rembrant  van  Rijn 
( 1606-1 669) .  He  painted  many  pictures 
of  Bible  scenes  making  Christ  a  partaker 
of  common  life,  working  with  light  and 
shadow  to  show  the  deeper  mysteries 


146 


involved.'-1  (sec  picture)  In  his  57. 
Peter  denies  Christ  a  candle  held  in  the 
maidservant's  hand  lights  the  cynical 
face  of  the  centurion  and  the  suffering 
face  of  Peter  as  Christ  stands  looking 
in  the  background. 

One  more  painter  can  be  mentioned 
from  this  period  who  really  stands  out- 
side of  every  period.  Dominikos  Theo- 
tocopoulos  (154l-l6l4)  far  better 
known  as  El  Greco,  became  early  in  his 
life  a  master  of  the  Byzantine  art  of 
the  ikon.  About  1566  he  went  to 
Venice  and  studied  under  Titian,  learn- 
ing dramatic  composition  in  the  true 
Renaissance  style.  He  was  hailed  as  an 
Italian  master  when  he  left  Italy  and 
settled  in  Toledo,  Spain.  Here  he  im- 
mortalized the  longing  of  man  for 
union  with  God  through  self-denial 
and  love,  putting  into  pictures  what  St. 
Teresa  and  St.  John  of  the  Cross  put 
into  words.52  Everything  in  his  pictures 
on  the  Passion  sweeps  upward,  natural 
appearances  sometimes  distorted  to  pro- 
duce his  flame-like  forms.  His  Christ 
in  the  Garden  (see  picture)  is  a  master- 
piece of  plastic  art,  combining  abstract 
and  mobile  elements  in  story  and  emo- 
tion. A  simple  rock  is  used  as  backdrop 
for  Christ's  Body,  and  it  seems  to  bend 
over  Christ.  Two  masses  of  clouds 
approach  on  each  side,  looming  behind 
the  rock.  The  sleeping  disciples  sus- 
pended in  a  circle  between  Christ  and 
the  angel  who  holds  the  chalice,  the 
flashing  light  and  shadow  on  Christ 
Himself  and  the  soldiers  in  the  back- 
ground all  become  centers  of  focus  and 
express  the  tension  of  the  scene.88  His 
other  paintings  on  the  Passion  are  of 


"Christ    Mocked    by    the    Soldiers"    is 

perhaps  his  most  famous  work  on  the 

Passion    by    the    modern    art    painter, 

Georges  Rouault. 

like  intensity:  The  Spoliation,  Christ 
Carrying  His  Cross,  The  Crucifixion. 
The  dead  Christ  presented  to  the  Father. 

Decline  of  Art  on  the  Passion: 
17th-18th  Century 

From  the  last  half  of  the  17th 
Century  to  the  Middle  of  the  19th 
Century  there  was  no  great  painting 
on  the  Passion.  Many  reasons  explain 
this  fact.  Renaissance  artists  soon  went 
to  excess  in  their  accent  on  nature  and 
man.  The  divine  and  supernatural  dis- 
appeared from  Art.    Even  the  halos  arc 


147 


dropped  from  religious  pictures.34  The 
symbolic  function  of  art  also  disappears 
to  the  great  detriment  of  theological 
accuracy.35  The  excesses  of  the  Renais- 
sance were  condemned  by  the  council  of 
Trent.36  At  the  same  time  art  was 
frozen  by  neo-classicism :  the  demand 
for  heroic  human  themes,37  and  the 
Cartesian  demand  for  clear  and  distinct 
rules  strictly  followed.  Religious  emo- 
tion was  frozen  by  the  puritanical  spirit 
of  Jansenism.  The  faith  of  many  was 
destroyed  by  Rationalism.  To  summarize 
this  whole  period  as  far  as  art  goes 
one  writer  puts  it  simply:  "No  one  is 
thinking  of  Jesus."38 

Romanticism  and  Realism: 
19th  Century 

About  the  Middle  of  the  19th  Cen- 
tury there  was  a  return  of  interest  in  the 
Middle  Ages.  Religious  feeling,  if  not 
religious  faith  revived.  The  grandeur 
of  ideals  and  execution  during  the 
period  when  "All  Europe  wept  over  the 
wounds  of  Christ,"39  was  looked  upon 
with  longing  by  a  people  immersed  in 
Industrial  expansion  and  "rugged  Indi- 
vidualism." Some  of  the  greatest 
painters  of  this  period,  Goya,  Proud'hon, 
Hofmann,  and  Manet  (see  his  picture 
of  Dead  Christ  with  Angels)  again 
painted  scenes  from  Christ's  sufferings. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  century  the 
great  advances  and  specialization  in  the 
fields  of  history  and  archeology  had 
their  effect  in  art  on  the  Passion.  Now 
for  the  first  time  and  the  only  time  an 
effort  was  made  at  historically  accurate 
reproductions,  the  "you- are-there"  type 
of  picture  with  which  we  are  perhaps 
most  familiar.  Artists  travelled  to  Pales- 


tine and  studied  the  locale,  the  customs, 
and  the  lives  of  people  who  lived  as 
Christ  had  lived.  The  Crucifixion  (see 
picture)  painted  by  Jan  Styka,  is  a 
masterpiece  that  came  from  such  study. 
After  a  visit  to  the  Holy  Land  the 
artist  stopped  in  Rome  to  have  his 
palette  blessed  by  Pope  Leo  XIII. 
Though  realistic  in  its  portrayal  of 
persons  and  place  it  has  its  own  peculiar 
symbolism.  The  painting  is  on  a  canvas 
195  feet  long  and  45  feet  high.40  Jan 
Styka  wanted  it  to  be  the  largest  reli- 
gious painting  in  the  world,  a  symbol  of 
the  greatest  fact  in  the  world:  man's 
Redemption. 

Modern  Symbolic  Art: 
20th  Century 
The  symbolist  movement  in  modern 
art  which  began  about  the  turn  of  the 
century  meant  new  life  for  painting  on 
the  Passion.  Turning  from  outward 
appearances  to  inward  reality  once  again 
men  tried  to  clothe  ideas  in  forms  per- 
ceptible to  the  senses.  Man's  love  and 
hate,  hope  and  fear,  joy  and  sorrow, 
his  relation  to  external  and  eternal 
reality  once  more  found  expression  in 
line  and  form  and  color.  The  great 
liberator  in  regard  to  painting  the  Pas- 
sion is  Georges  Roualt  (1870-  ). 
"The  image  of  the  Crucifixion,  the 
'capital  sign  of  Christianity,'  has  been 
freed  by  him  from  that  academicism  to 
which  it  seemed  condemned  for  two 
centuries,  even  in  the  work  of  great 
painters."41  In  the  midst  of  the  buoyant 
optimism  of  the  early  20th  century  he 
painted  the  inner  reality  of  a  cruel  and 
sinful  world.  With  thick  lines  and 
somber   colors   he   painted   his    Cruci- 


148 


fixi on  (c.  1918).  The  truth  was  told 
once  more:  Men  could  be  cruel  and 
crucify  Christ.  Perhaps  his  most  famous 
painting  on  the  Passion  is  Christ  Mocked 
by  the  Soldiers  (1932)  (see  picture). 
The  curved  figure  of  Christ  sits  bent  in 
submission  to  His  Father's  will.  The 
leering  upturned  faces  of  two  men  and 
clashing  colors  show  the  hatred  there 
was  during  Christ's  Passion. 

Another  excellent  modern  painter 
who  is  now  devoting  his  talents  to 
Christian  themes  is  Salvadori  Dali.4'- 
He  considers  his  greatest  work  "The 
Christ  of  St.  John  of  the  Cross  (1952) 
(our  Cover  Picture).  The  original  in- 
spiration came  from  a  sketch  of  Christ 
leaning  forward  from  the  Cross  painted 
by  St.  John  of  the  Cross  after  a  vision.4'5 
Dali  reproduces  the  figure  projected 
over  the  bay  of  Port  Lligat,  Spain.  The 
cross  gives  the  impression  of  extending 
forward  and  backward  through  all  space 
and  time,  as  though  timeless  in  His 
desire  to  pour  down  mercy  on  men 
everywhere. ll  The  Body  of  Christ  is 
flawless,  a  symbol  of  the  perfection  of 
Christ  as  God  and  man.  Since  then 
Dali  has  painted  The  Crucifixion  (see 
picture)  (1954)  and  The  Last  Supper 
(1956)  on  the  same  cosmic  scale. 

Finally,  there  is  a  modern  artist  who 
combines  naturalism  and  symbolism  in 
a  most  effective  way:  Primo  Conti.'"' 
Some  excellent  examples  of  his  work 
are  in  the  Sanctuary  of  St.  Gemma.  His 
most  recent  painting  on  the  Passion, 
Mater  Passionis  (see  picture)  won 
First  Prize  at  the  Exposition  of  Sacred 
Art  "Pro  Civitate  Christiana''  at  Assisi, 
1956. ,,;    Our  Lady  stands  holding  the 


instruments  of  Christ's  Passion;  the 
Crown  and  Nails.  A  serene  yet  deep 
sorrow  fills  her  face.  The  lines  and 
figures  are  simple  and  clear  yet  steeped 
in  symbolic  meaning.  The  pictuer  seems 
to  say:  "Think  what  you  have  done, 
and  what  He  has  done  for  you!" 

And  so  down  through  the  centuries 
Christ's  Passion  has  come  to  be  known 
and  loved  and  appreciated  by  men. 
From  earliest  Christian  times  to  the 
present  the  artists'  eye  and  hand  has 
guided  men  to  the  meaning  of  Christ's 
love  that  through  the  love  and  appre- 


"Mater  Passionis"  by  Primo  Conti  won 

First  Prize  at  the  Exposition  of  Sacred 

Art  "Pro  Civitate  Christians  at   Assisi. 

in  1956. 


149 


ciation  of  things  visible  men  might  be 
drawn  upward  to  the  love  of  things 
invisible.  We  who  have  dedicated  our 
lives  to  searching  the  unspeakable  riches 
of  Christ's  Passion  and  sharing  them 
with  others  can  gain  from  great  art  new 
insight  and  appreciation  and  new  angles 
for  presentation.  A  symbol  may  bring 
home  the  theological  depth  implied,  a 
scene  from  El  Greco,  or  Fra  Angelico 


draw  us  on  to  new  union  with  Christ, 
a  painting  from  Rouault  or  Primo  Conti 
may  show  us  its'  meaning  for  the  world 
today.  For  in  the  words  of  Pope  Pius 
XII,  "The  function  of  all  art  lies  in 
breaking  through  the  narrow  and 
tortuous  enclosure  of  the  finite,  in 
which  man  is  immersed  while  living 
here  below,  and  in  providing  a  window 
to  the  infinite  for  his  hungry  soul."47 


APPENDIX* 

Scenes  of  the  Passion  by  famous  Painters 


LAST  SUPPER 

Medieval  spirit:  Fra  Angelico,  Giotto 
Renaissance:  Francesco  Bassano,  Pab- 
lo de  Cespedes,  Bartolomeo  Car- 
ducci,  Annibale  Carracci,  Andrea 
del  Castagno,  Lucas  Cranach,  da 
Vinci,  Ghirlandajo,  Holbein  (the 
elder),  Holbein  (the  younger), 
Vincente  Joanes,  Juan  de  Juanes, 
Justus  of  Ghent,  Murillo,  Poussin, 
Giulio  Procaccini,  Raphael,  Ricci, 
Rubens,  Andre  del  Sorto,  Tiepolo, 
Tintoretto,  Titian,  Giorgio  Vasari, 
Veronese 
Modern  Realism  and  Symbolism: 
Salvadori  Dali,  Eduard  von  Geb- 
hardt 


CHRIST  WASHES  HIS  APOSTLES' 
FEET:    Fra  Angelico,   Giotto,  Tin- 
toetto,  Ford  Madox  Brown 

CHRIST'S  AGONY  IN  THE  GAR- 
DEN: 

Medieval  spirit:  Buoninsegna,  Duccio, 
Giotto 

Renaissance:  Bellini,  Annibale  Car- 
racci, Correggio,  Cranach,  Carlo 
Dolci,  El  Greco,  Hendrik  Goltzius, 
Holbein  (the  younger),  Vincente 
de  Joanes,  Mantegna,  Memling, 
Murillo,  Perugino,  Poussin,  Raph- 
ael,  Reni,  Tintoretto,   Titian 

Modern  Realism  and  Symbolism: 
Delacroix,  Dore,  Hofmann 


*  Many  of  these  names  are  from  the  detailed  manuscript  notes  of  Fr.  Emmanuel 
Sprigler,  C.P.,  to  whom  the  author  is  indebted  for  his  help  and  encouragement. 


150 


CHRIST  TAKEN  CAPTIVE  AND 
THE  KISS  OF  JUDAS:  Cranach, 
Duccio,  Giotto,  Holbein  (the 
younger),   van   Leyden 

CHRIST  BEFORE  THE  HIGH- 
PRIEST:  Giotto,  Master  of  Kappen- 
berg,  Holbein,  Tintoretto 

ST.  PETERS  DENIAL:  Duccio,  El 
Greco,    Rembrandt,    de   la   Tour 

CHRIST  MOCKED:  Fr.  Angelico, 
Daumier,  Giotto,  Holbein  (the 
younger),   Rembrandt,   Rouault 

THE  MAN  OF  SORROWS:  Bellini, 
Mantegna,  de  la  Tour 

CHRIST  BEFORE  PILATE:  Holbein 
(the  younger),  Munkacsy,  Rem- 
brandt,   Schongauer,   Tintoretto 

CHRIST  SCOURGED:  Bosch,  Carrac- 
ci, Dore,  Piero  della  Francesca, 
Griinewald,  Holbein  (the  elder), 
Holbein  (the  younger),  Murillo, 
Signorelli,  Sodoma,  Velasquez,  Zur- 
baran 

CHRIST  CROWNED  WITH 
THORNS:  Bosch,  Caravaggio,  Car- 
racci,  Dore,  Holbein,  Messina,  Manes- 
sier,   Titian,    Van   Dyck 

THE  "ECCE  HOMO":  Bosch,  Bouts, 
Caravaggio,  Carracci,  Ciseri,  Correg- 
gio,  Holbein  (the  elder),  Vincente 
de  Joanes,  Murillo,  Rembrandt,  Reni, 
Sodoma,  Tintoreto,   Titian 

CHRIST    CARRYING    HIS    CROSS: 

Bellini,  B  o  s  c  h,  Bcrna  da  Siena, 
Brueghel  (the  elder),  Brueghel  (the 
younger),  Caravaggio,  C  a  r  r  a  c  c  1. 
Dore,  Diirer,  Giorgione,  Giotto,  II 
Greco,  Holbein  (the  younger), 
Vincente  de  Joanes,  Valdes  Leal,  Le 


Sueur,  Martini,  Morales,  Paolo, 
Palmaggano,  Prombo,  Raphael,  Ru- 
bens, Schongauer,  Tiepolo,  Tintoret- 
to, Titian,  Veronese 

CHRIST  CRUCIFIED: 

Medieval  spirit:  Fra  Angelico,  Ber- 
linghieri,  Bernardo  Daddi,  Duccio, 
Giotto,  Guariento,  Lochner,  Mar- 
tini, Pisano,  Andrea  Vanni 

Renaissance:  Baldung,  Bellini,  Berna 
da  Siena,  Bosch  Andrea  del  Cas- 
tagno,  Cranach,  David,  Diirer,  El 
Greco,  Griinewald,  Holbein,  Justus 
of  Ghent,  Filippo  Lippi,  Mantegna, 
Masaccio,  Messina,  Masolini,  Mas- 
ter of  the  Bedford  Hours,  Modena, 
Murillo,  Perugino,  Raphael,  Rem- 
brandt, Reni,  Roberti,  Rubens, 
Signorelli,  Tintoretto,  Titian,  Van 
der  Weyden,  Van  Dyke,  Van 
Eyck,  Valasquez,  Veronese,  Zur- 
baran 

Modern  Realism  and  Symbolism: 
Bellows,  Chagall,  Dali,  Delacroix, 
Delvaux,  Dore,  Gaugin,  Goya, 
Lebrun,  Munkacsy,  Rouault,  Ben 
Stahl,  Jan  Styka 

CHRIST  TAKEN  DOWN  FROM 
THE  CROSS:  Fr  Angelico,  Pedro 
Campana,  Correggio,  Cranach,  Hol- 
bein, Vincente  de  Joanes,  Jouvenet, 
Lambert  Lambard,  Lorenzetti,  Mar- 
tini, Memling,  Modena,  Murillo, 
Perugino,  Rembrandt,  Rubens,  An- 
drea del  Sarto,  Sodoma,  Tintoretto. 
Volterra,  Van  der  Weyden,  Van 
Dyck 

CHRIST  DEAD,  AND  THE  PIETA: 
Fra  Angelico.  Bellini,  Carracci,  Cor- 


151 


reggio,  Diiurer,  El  Greco,  Giotto, 
Holbein,  Manet,  Mantegna,  Orcagna, 
Perugino,  Sebastiano  di  Piombo, 
Procaccini,  Rembrandt,  Sodoma,  Ti- 
tian 
CHRIST  LAID  IN  THE  TOMB: 
Blake,   Bouts,   Caravaggio,    Carracci, 


Holbein  (the  younger),  Master  of 
the  Bedford  Hours,  Raphael,  Rem- 
brandt, Tintoretto,  Titian 
CHRIST  WITH  HIS  WOUNDS  AT 
THE  LAST  JUDGMENT:  Cranach, 
Giotto,  Justus  of  Ghent,  Michael- 
angelo,  Van  Eyck 


FOOTNOTES 


1  Cf.  Theological  Studies,  Sept.,  1954, 
p.  458,  fn.  45. 

2  Cf.  The  Passionist,  May-June,  1956, 
pp.  231-3. 

3  In  III  Sent,  t.  3,  d.  9,  q.  1,  a.  2, 
ad  3m. 

4  The  Function  of  Art,  P.  Pius  XII, 
Address  of  April  8,  1952.  N.C.W.C 
translation,  pp.  4-5. 

4a  Cf.  Selected  Letters  of  Recent  Pas- 
sionist Generals,  p.   108. 

5  Fr.  E.  M.  Catich,  "The  History  and 
Critique  of  'The  Image  of  Christ  in 
Art,'  "  The  Catholic  Messenger,  Daven- 
port, Iowa;  May  17,  1956;  pp.  3-4. 
This  whole  article  is  very  good,  espe- 
cially the  third  part  which  treats  the 
artistic  and  theological  principles  neces- 
sary to  produce  Christian  art.  Cf.  also 
Dorthy  Donnelly,  The  Golden  Well: 
An  anatomy  of  Symbols  c.  1. 

r>  A.  D.  Sertillanges,  O.  P.,  What  Jesus 
Saw  from  the  Cross,  pp.  163-4. 
7Cf.  Jn.  12,  25;    3,  14. 

8  Cf.  Catich,  op.  cit.  Also  cf.  Conf. 
Raphael,  C.P.,  "Artists  and  the  Cruci- 
fixion," The  Passion  Review,  Vol.  4, 
1952,   pp.   36-38. 

9  City  of  God,  Modern  Library  edition, 
p.   630. 

10  Sr.  M.  A.  Justina  Knapp,  O.S.B. 
Christian  Symbols  and  How  to  Use 
Them,  p.   54. 


"lb.    p.    57. 

12  Easter  Mass,  Alleluja  verse.  Cf.  1 
Cor.  5,  1. 

13  In  the  7th  Century  the  Truallan 
Synod  ordered  the  human  figure  to  be 
used  instead  of  the  Lamb  because  of 
the  danger  of  heresy.  Cf.  Knapp,  op. 
cit.,  p.  70. 

14  St.  Chrysostom  arranged  proces- 
sions and  had  silver  crosses  with  burning 
candles  placed  on  them  carried  before 
the  people  as  profession  of  faith.  Knapp, 
op.   cit.,   p.   65. 

15  Cath.  Encyc.  Vol.  IV,  p.  527.  One 
earlier  picture  of  Christ  crowned  with 
thorns  still  exists  dating  from  the  2nd 
Century.  E.  I.  Watkin,  Catholic  Art  and 
Culture,  p.   11. 

16  Cf.  Ps.  90,  13  for  the  Biblical 
source  of  inspiration. 

17  Theological  Studies,  Sept.  1954,  p. 
451,   fn.  25. 

18  Cath.  Encyc.  Vol.  IV,  p.  527. 

19  D.  B.  337.  Cf.  Theol.  St.  op.  cit., 
p.  452. 

20  Cath.  Encyc.  Vol.  VI,  p.   567. 

21  Time,  Dec.  26,   1955,  p.   32. 

22  Giulio  Carlo  Argan,  Era  Angelico, 
a  biographical  and  criticial  study,  Skira 
edition,   p.   77. 

23  Se  do  Cheney  ,A  World  History  of 
Art,  p.  509. 

24  W.  H.  Goodyear,  Renaissance  and 


152 


Modern  Art,  pp.    114-5. 

28  Emilc  Male,  Religions  Art  from  the 
Twelfth  to  the  Eighteenth  Cent/try.  p. 
111. 

-'■  Male,  op.  cit.,  p.    186. 

27  Male,    op.    cit.,    p.    113. 

**Timet  July  18,  1955,  p.  69.  Cf. 
The  Sign.  Feb.  1956,  p.  35.  The  whole 
current  series  of  Passion  articles  is  ac- 
companied by  examples  of  great  art. 

29  In  contrast  to  the  Medieval  pictures 
there  is  no  halo  on  any  figure,  and  no 
sign  of  joy  or  contentment.  Pope  Paul 
II,  shocked  by  the  nakedness  of  so  many 
figures  had  one  of  Michaelangelo's 
pupils  Domile  da  Volterra  paint  draper- 
ies around  some  of  the  bodies.  Because 
of  this  Volterra  later  became  known  as 
"il  braghettone"  or  "the  breeches-maker." 
Cf.  The  Vatican:  Its  History-Its  Treas- 
ures, c.  1914.  Pp.  97-99.  Also  cf. 
Michaelangelo,  Pocket  Library  of  Great 
Art  c.  1954. 

:;"  The  raising  of  Christ's  right  hand 
makes  it  possible  to  feature  all  the 
Wounds  and  complete  the  flamelike 
form  characteristic  of  Michaelangelo. 

:il  Cheney,  World  History  of  Art,  p. 
704.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the 
Protestants  for  whom  he  painted  re- 
jected his  work  while  Catholics  have 
always  regarded  him  highly.  For  an 
explanation  of  this  fact  see  P.  R. 
Regamey,  O.P.  "Le  protestantisme  de 
Rembrandt,"  La  Matson-Dien,  n.  I7. 
pp.  89-93. 

•'-Fr.  Bruno  De.  J.  M.,  O.D.C.  three 
Mystics,  p.  21.  El  Greco  remains  a 
paradox.  He  painted  the  esctasies  of 
martyrdom  and  loved  luxury,  living  in 
a  24  room  apartment  where  he  even 
maintained  a  private  orchestra.  He  was 
a  true  artist,  yet  painted  like  a  commer- 
cial painter,  often  doing  the  same  picture 


over  and  over  again  with  little  change, 
and  charged  huge  prices  for  them. 

88  Modern  artists  studying  this  picture 
find  all  of  their  efforts  realized  three 
centuries  ago. 

"  Cf.  Michaelangelo's  Last  Judgment, 
or  Rubens'  Crucifixion  and  Descent  from 
the  Cross. 

35  Fr.  Catich  discusses  the  nature  and 
effect  of  this  loss  in  his  article  referred 
to  above,  n.  5. 

5,1  At  the  same  time  it  renewed  the 
traditional  teaching  on  the  power  of 
painting  to  instruct  and  confirm  the 
people  in  their  Faith.  D.  B.  985-6. 

:{7  Christ's  life  and  death  were  con 
sidered  "unheroic"  in  the  classical  sense. 
A  good  example  of  how  a  great  artist 
fell  into  obscurity  because  of  this  atti- 
tude is  the  work  of  Georges  de  La  Tour 
(1593-1652).  His  "Man  of  Sorrows" 
was  discovered  in  1946.  It  is  a  picture 
done  in  light  and  shadow,  using  a  candle 
as  the  source  of  light.  Christ  sits  alone 
through  the  night  hours  bearing  His 
humiliation  and  the  guilt  of  the  whole 
human  race.  The  painting  fell  into 
oblivion  because  it  was  anti-aristocratic, 
showing  a  popular  person  rather  than  a 
pompous  one;  anti-classical,  ignoring  the 
frozen  rules;  and  anti-conventional,  ex- 
ploring the  secret  places  of  the  soul. 
Cf.  Rene  Huyghe,  "Georges  da  la  Tour," 
1955  Art  News  Annual .  pp.    126  ff. 

:;s  "Christ' s  Image,"  Fr.  Library  of 
Fine   Arts    1939,    p.    28. 

89  Selected  Letters  of  Recent  Passiotlist 
Generals,  p.  103. 

10  In  1900  Styka  exhibited  the  painting 
at  the  St.  Louis  Exposition.  Unable  to 
pay  the  customs  duty  tor  exportation 
lie    was    never    to   see    it    again.     It    was 

(Continued  on  page  1ST) 


153 


Regina 


Congregationis 
Nostrae 

by  PAUL  M.  Boyle,  C.P. 


Do  we  lose  the  indulgences 

by  adding  this 

invocation  to  the 

Litany  of  our  Blessed  Mother? 


Anyone  who  has  more  than  a  passing 
acquaintance  with  current  literature  on 
matters  liturgical  knows  Father  Ronald 
Murray's  competence  in  the  field.  It 
was,  therefore,  quite  a  surprise  when  I 
finished  reading  the  article  "Regina 
Congregationis  Nostrae"  {The  Passion- 
ht,  Vol  IX,  No.  2  March- April  1956. 
Pp.  150-154)  to  find  his  name  at  the 
end  of  it.  Father  concludes  his  study 
by  asking,  "should  the  next  General 
Chapter  consider  abrogating  Decree  #  5 
of  the  thirty-third  General  Chapter?" 
This  present  paper  will  attempt  to 
answer  that  question. 

The  article  in  question  is  "a  brief, 
critical  study  of  the  chapter  decree  and 
its  consequences."  The  decree  referred 
to  is  the  one  which  stated  that  we 
should  add  the  invocation  "Regina 
Congregationis  Nostrae,  ora  pro  nobis" 
in  our  private  recitations  of  the  Litany 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary. 

Before  we  come  to  the  main  point 
at  issue,  there  are  two  minor  statements 
that  Father  Ronald  makes  in  the  course 
of  his  study,  upon  which  I  would  like 
to  comment. 

1.  On  page  151,  column  1,  the 
wording  of  the  chapter  decree  is  cited. 
Then  a  few  inferences  are  drawn  from 
the  wording  of  the  decree.  Inference 
no.  3  states:  "The  Capitular  Fathers, 
fearing  that  we  would  lose  the  indul- 
gence by  the  unauthorized  addition, 
commissioned  the  Procurator  to  ask 
that  this  new  invocation  be  specially 
indulgenced,  to  compensate  for  the 
loss."  From  the  wording  of  the  decree 
this  seems  to  me,  at  the  least,  a  purely 
gratuitous  inference.    The  Chapter  cer- 


54 


tainly  docs  not  explicitly  express  any 
fear  that  the  indulgence  attached  to  the 
litany  would  be  lost  by  adding  this 
invocation.  Rather  it  seems  that  they 
implicitly  express  their  confidence  that 
this  addition  would  not  destroy  the 
indulgence,  "cum  id  ex  declarations 
oretenus  fact  a  lie  eat,"  as  the  decree 
itself  says.  Then  why  should  they  com- 
mission the  Procurator  to  ask  that  this 
new  invocation  be  enriched  with  an 
indulgence?  Only  the  Chapter  itself 
can  answer  that.  But  is  it  not  perfect- 
ly understandable  that  the  Capitulars 
would  wish  to  have  this  invocation 
indulgenced  ?  That  would  make  it  more 
honored  in  the  Congregation,  the  reli- 
gious would  be  more  inclined  to  invoke 
Mary  under  this  title,  etc.  I  am  not 
trying  to  explain  the  precise  reason 
why  the  Capitulars  wanted  the  invoca- 
tion indulgenced.  My  point  is  that 
from  the  record,  inference  number 
three  seems  at  least  gratuitous,  if  not 
contrary  to  the  implications  of  the  de- 
cree itself. 

2.  At  the  bottom  of  column  2  on 
page  151,  the  question  and  answer  of 
Decree  3074  ad  3  of  the  Sacred  Con- 
gregation of  Rites  is  given.  As  asked, 
the  question  was  not  within  the  power 
of  that  Congregation  to  answer.  So 
prudently,  they  did  not  answer  that 
part  of  the  question  which  was  out- 
side their  field  of  jurisdiction — name- 
ly the  question  regarding  the  indul- 
gence. How  Father  Ronald  can  say 
"the  question  of  indulgences  was  im- 
plicitly answered"  leaves  me  a  bit  con- 
fused. Perhaps  what  follows  is  his 
explanation:     "for,    if  no  additions  arc- 


made  to  the  litany,  there  is  no  question 
of  losing  the  indulgence."  While  that 
statement  is  perfectly  true,  it  leaves 
completely  unanswered  the  question 
asked  in  the  decree — namely,  if,  by 
adding  one  or  another  new  invocations, 
the  indulgence  would  be  lost. 

So  much  for  the  two  minor  state- 
ments. The  article  fails  to  distinguish 
between  the  competence  of  the  Sacred 
Congregation  of  Rites  and  that  of  the 
Sacred  Penitentiary.  Canon  253  deals 
with  the  powers  of  the  S.  C.  of  Rites. 
Canon  258  deals  with  the  powers  of 
the  Sacred  Penitentiary.  With  a  few 
exceptions  in  fovor  of  the  Holy  Office, 
the  Tribunal  of  the  Sacred  Penitentiary 
has  the  exclusive  right  to  judge  all 
those  matters  which  pertain  to  the  use 
and  concession  of  indulgences.  The 
Congregation  of  Rites  has  no  power, 
has  no  say  concerning  indulgences. 
INDULGENCES  Canon  934,2  states 
that  if  a  particular  prayer  has  been  as- 
signed in  order  to  gain  indulgences,  the 
indulgences  can  be  gained  by  reciting 
that  prayer  in  any  language,  provided 
the  correctness  of  the  translation  be 
certain  from  a  declaration  of  the  Sacred 
Penitentiary  or  one  of  the  Ordinaries 
of  places  where  the  language  used  in 
the  translation  is  common;  but  the 
indulgences  cease  entirely  by  reason  of 
any  addition,  subtraction  or  interpola- 
tion. Within  a  lew  years  after  the 
promulgation  of  the  code,  the  Sacred 
Penitentiary  gave  several  official  replies 
to  questions  on  this  canon.  For  the 
sake  of  brevity  we  will  not  give  them 
here.  A  u,ooe\  summary  oi  them  may 
be    found    in    English    in    Bouscaren's 


155 


'Canon  Law  Digest,'  Vol.  I,  under 
canon  934.  The  tenor  of  the  replies 
was  the  same,  interpreting  the  wording 
of  the  canon  strictly  ("the  indulgences 
cease  entirely  by  reason  of  any  addition, 
subtraction  or  interpolation").  This 
interpretation,  although  official  and 
hence  unquestionable,  seem  to  be 
against  the  general  norms  of  the  code. 
Indulgences  are  favors.  By  general 
norms  of  jurisprudence,  and  even  by 
positive  legislation,  favors  should  be 
interpreted  broadly.  Between  the  time 
of  these  early  responses  of  the  Sacred 
Penitentiary  and  1934,  many  canonists 
had  expressed  their  opinions  to  this 
effect.  Hence  it  was  not  to  much  of  a 
surprise  when  on  November  26,  1934, 
the  Sacred  Penitentiary  softened  its 
earlier  responses.  Not  any  addition, 
etc.,  destroys  the  indulgence,  but  only 
those  which  are  substantial.  This  is  the 
decree  which  Fr.  Ronald  cites  on  page 
153,  column  1. 

Keeping  in  mind  the  fundamental 
distinction  of  jurisdictions,  the  three 
questions  Father  raises  in  connection 
with  this  decree  can  be  answered  quite 
easily : 

(1)  The  Holy  See  by  no  means  lifted 
the  barriers  regarding  new  invo- 
cations. These  barriers  will  be  dis- 
cussed later.  What  this  decree  says, 
in  effect,  is  that  when  and  where 
new  invocations  are  added,  they 
do  not  destroy  the  indulgence  un- 
less they  are  substantial  additions, 
subtractions   or   interpolations. 

(2)  One  new  invocation  certainly  does 
not  change  the  substance.  A  math- 
ematical norm  is  difficult  and  not 


always  applicable.  Considering  the 
nature  of  a  given  prayer,  a  qualita- 
tive change  could  be  substantial. 
The  norm  to  determine  a  sub- 
stantial change  is  a  prudent  judg- 
ment. A  help  towards  forming 
that  judgment  would  be  a  study 
of  the  examples  given  by  authori- 
ties in  the  field.  However,  the  pur- 
pose of  this  article  is  not  to  form- 
ulate such  a  norm.  It  is  simply  to 
show  that  adding  one  invocation 
does  not  endanger  our  gaining  the 
indulgence.  Perhaps  authorities 
might  help.  Regatillo(  Jus  Sacra- 
mentorum,  no.  709)  says  that  3 
Ave's  omitted  from  five  decades  of 
the  rosary  would  not  destroy  the 
indulgence.  More  to  the  point,  he 
says  {Interpretation  et  Jurispruden- 
ts, pages  375-376)  explicitly  that 
the  indulgence  of  the  litanies  is  not 
lost  by  the  omission  of  one  or  other 
of  the  invocations.  One  of  the 
greatest  authorities  on  indulgences 
is  De  Angelis.  For  many  years  he 
has  worked  in  the  section  on  in- 
dulgences in  the  Sacred  Peniten- 
tary.  The  latest  edition  of  his 
monumental  work  (De  Indulgen- 
tiis,  1950,  pages  65ss)  makes  his 
opinion  on  the  matter  quite  clear. 
The  earlier  decrees  of  1919,  1920, 
1921  (Cfr.  Bouscaren,  op.  cit.) 
have  been  abrogated  by  the  decree 
of  November  26,  1934.  The 
alterations  mentioned  in  those 
earlier  decrees  (and  they  were  all 
more  than  one  invocation)  can  not 
be  considered  substantial  changes; 
they   would   not   destroy   the    in- 


156 


diligence. 
(3)   The  conclusion  to  this  question  is 
correct.    We  do  not  lose  the  in- 
dulgence by  adding  this  invocation 
in    private    recitation,    nor    would 
we  lose  it  by  adding  the  invocation 
in  public  recitation  of  the  litany. 
INVOCATIONS  So  much  for  the  mat- 
ter of  the  indulgence  attached  to  the 
litany.    The  question  still  remains:    Is 
it  licit  for  us  to  add  this   invocation, 
even  though  it  certainly  does  not  destroy 
the   indulgence?    The   answer   to   this 
question  lies  outside  the  field  of  com- 
petence of  the  Sacred  Penitentiary.   We 
must  study  the  nature,  competence  and 
decrees  of  the  Sacred  Congregation  of 
Rites  for  an  answer  to  this  question. 

The  words  'public'  and  'private'  are 
two  very  tricky  ones.  They  can,  and 
do,  have  several  different  meanings.  A 
proper  understanding  of  their  meanings 
would  obviate  some  interesting  discus- 
sions. When  we  say  Sext  and  None  in 
our  Choirs,  it  is  a  public  act  in  one 
sense,  it  is  also  public  in  a  second  sense, 
yet  in  still  another  sense  it  is  private 
recitation  of  the  office.  One  of  our 
priests  saying  Mass  in  a  parish  on  Sun- 
day morning  is  most  likely  saying  a 
private  Mass,  even  though  in  another 
sense  it  is  public.  The  fact  that  people 
are  present  would  make  the  Mass  public 
in  still  another  sense  of  the  word. 

When  the  recitation  of  the  litany- 
forms  part  of  a  service  (more  correctly: 
when  it  is  an  act  of  cult  as  defined  by 
the  code  in  en.  1256)  then  it  becomes 
public.  Even  here  there  are  exceptions. 
Authors  commonly  as  well  as  decrees 
of  the  Holy  See  allow  certain  acts  of 


cult  to  be  considered  private  if  they  are 
performed  within  the  religious  house 
or  in  a  church  connected  to  it,  but  with 
the  doors  closed.  (Cfr.  Heylen,  De 
Indulgentiis,  page  67) 

Father  Ronald's  use  of  the  words 
'private'  and  'public'  is  correct.  Any 
author  would  substantiate  him.  I  also 
believe  that  I  would  be  correct  in 
saying  that  (at  least  in  general)  when 
we  sing  the  litany  as  part  of  the  services 
for  the  people  in  our  churches  or 
chapels,  we  drop  the  Regina  Congre- 
gations Nostrae.  We  consider  that 
public  recitation.  In  our  choirs,  or  when 
the  people  are  absent  from  the  church, 
we  add  the  invocation.  We  consider 
that  private  recitation.  In  this  matter 
the  terminology  is  used  correctly. 

Here  we  are  taking  the  two  words  in 
that  sense;  as  they  are  used  in  speaking 
of  our  recitation  of  the  litany.  The 
statements  which  follow  are  true  only 
if  we  understand  the  words  in  that 
juridical  sense.  Now  the  Sacred  Con- 
gregation of  Rites  has  jurisdiction  only 
for  public  cult.  It  has  no  jurisdiction 
and  no  interest  in  private  acts  of  devo- 
tion. The  Sacred  Congregation  of  Rites 
regulates  rites,  ceremonies  and  cult  of 
the  Church.  It  regulates  public  cult 
as  defined  in  en.  1256.  (This  "public"' 
cult  is  further  subdivided  into  various 
types  of  public  and  private,  but  the 
divisions  and  meanings  have  no  bearing 
on  the  present  discussion). 

Briefly  then  we  can  say  that  the 
decrees  of  the  Sacred  Congregation  of 
Rites  cited  by  Father  Ronald  still  hold. 

(Continued  on  page  1S7) 


157 


Father  Arnold  Vetter,  C.  P. 


A  truly  apostolic  priest  was  lost  to 
Holy  Cross  Province  in  the  death  of 
Rev.  Fr.  Arnold  Vetter,  C.P.,  the 
morning  of  November  7.  The  manner 
of  his  going  was  of  a  piece  with  his 
whole  life:  he  died  while  making  his 
preparation  for  Mass  and  while  giving 
a  mission  in  the  little  town  of  Bolivar, 
Mo.    The  words  of  his  sermon  of  the 

158 


night  before  were  still  echoing  in  the 
little  church:  "Watch,  for  you  know 
not  the  day  nor  the  hour!"  Certainly, 
he  did  not  dream  that  the  hour,  his 
hour,  was  at  hand,  but  it  found  him 
watching  with   Christ. 

The  apostolic  spirit  was  evidenced 
early  in  Father  Arnold's  life.  Its  human 
source  was  also  quite  evident:    an  ex- 


ceptionally  solid  Catholic  home.  His 
parents,  Peter  Vetter  and  Stella  Lang, 
had  that  deep  abiding  faith  which  made 
their  home  a  true  Christian  tabernacle. 
The  children  of  such  a  home  could  not 
help  but  absorb  the  teaching  and  inner 
spirit  of  their  religion.  This,  plus  the 
teaching  and  example  of  the  Passionist 
Fathers  at  St.  Michael's  Monastery  in 
Pittsburgh,  is  responsible  under  God 
for  three  of  the  boys  entering  the  Pas- 
sionist Congregation:  Fr.  Arnold  and 
"The  Twins,"  Fathers  Matthew  and 
Henry. 

Leo  Vetter,  as  Fr.  Arnold  was  known 
before  his  entry  into  religion,  was  born 
August  18,  1901,  at  Lindsay,  Pa.,  a 
small  mining  town  northeast  of  Pitts- 
burgh. He  was  the  fourth  of  eleven 
children.  Though  there  was  a  resident 
pastor,  there  was  no  church;  and  for 
over  a  year,  until  the  church  could  be 
built,  the  pastor  said  daily  Mass  and 
reserved  the  Blessed  Sacrament  in  the 
Vetter  home.  The  family  moved  back 
to  Pittsburgh  about  two  years  after 
Leo's  birth — when  the  mines  had  closed 
down  and  Mr.  Vetter's  large  store  was 
left  without  customers.  The  family 
settled  in  the  Passionist  parish,  St. 
Michael's.  Leo  finished  grammar  school 
and  two  years  commercial  school  at  St. 
Michael's.  The  last  three  years  of  grade 
school  and  the  two  years  of  commercial 
school  were  under  the  tutelage  of  the 
Brothers  of  Mary. 

He  was  one  of  the  older  children, 
and  while  still  in  grade  school  worked 
after  school  and  all  day  Saturday.  For 
many  years  he  was  a  faithful  altar  boy 
and  often  said  he  wanted  to  be  a  priest, 


a  Passionist.  But  he  was  needed  at 
home  to  help  supplement  the  family 
budget,  especially  after  his  older  brother, 
Charles,  was  called  to  the  service  in 
1917.  He  took  his  brother's  place  as 
a  filing  clerk  at  C.  A.  Turner's  Mine 
and  Milling  Supply  Co.,  in  Pittsburgh. 

Meanwhile,  his  zeal  found  an  outlet 
in  the  work  of  the  Confraternity  of 
Christian  Doctrine.  For  several  years, 
he  and  several  other  members  of  the 
Confraternity  would  go  to  the  little 
mining  town  of  Willock,  Pa.,  where 
they  taught  regular  catechism  classes, 
first  in  a  large  barn,  then  in  a  ware- 
house, and  finally  in  a  little  chapel. 
Sunday  afternoons  would  be  spent 
calling  on  fallen  away  Catholics  or  con- 
tacting children  who  had  missed  the 
morning  class  in  catechism.  How  many 
parishioners  in  the  big  parish  there  to- 
day owe  their  early  catechetical  training 
to  these  heroic  catechists  is  known  to 
God  alone. 

But  all  of  this  was  just  "marking 
time"  so  far  as  Leo's  goal  in  life  was 
concerned.  The  occasional  visits  of 
Fathers  Charles  and  Frederick  Lang, 
uncles  of  Mrs.  Vetter,  and  her  two 
cousins,  Fathers  Henry  and  Matthew 
Miller,  all  Passionists,  served  further  to 
strengthen  his  resolve  to  enter  the  Pas- 
sionist Congregation. 

Finally,  in  1921  at  the  age  of  20,  he 
applied  for  admission  to  the  Preparatory 
Seminary  at  Dunkirk.  But,  it  had  filled 
its  quota  for  the  year,  so  Leo  applied 
to  the  western  Preparatory  Seminary  at 
Normandy,  Mo.,  and  was  accepted.  He 
spent  one  year  there  and  went  to  the 
novitiate  in  Louisville  in  1922.    Hence- 


159 


forth,  he  would  be  known  as  Arnold 
of  the  Holy  Family,  Passionist.  After 
his  profession  in  1923,  he  began  the 
rugged  routine  of  a  Passionist  student 
and  was  ordained  with  his  class  in  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  December  22,  1929.  His 
student  life  was  marked  by  a  mature 
sense  of  responsibility  and  a  deep  ap- 
preciation of  his  vocation.  There  was 
no  formal  course  in  the  Sacred  Passion 
at  that  time  and  Father  Arnold  felt  the 
need  of  some  such  special  training  since 
he  was  to  be  a  specialist  in  preaching  the 
sufferings  and  death  of  Christ.  Possessed 
of  a  genius  for  organization,  he  outlined 
to  his  companions  the  possibilities  of 
the  course  and  drew  up  a  proposed 
schema  of  study.  Some  of  his  compan- 
ions were  enthused  by  the  idea,  and 
with  the  permission  of  the  director 
of  students  and  the  lector  of  Sacred 
Scripture,  embarked  upon  the  ambitious 
undertaking.  The  project  had  an  un- 
timely end,  through  no  fault  of  those 
engaged  in  it. 

During  his  student  days,  Father 
Arnold  often  expressed  a  desire  to  dedi- 
cate his  life  to  the  missions  in  China. 
But  his  desire  was  not  to  be  realized. 
After  his  ordination,  he  was  made  lector 
of  Latin  for  a  class  of  students  in  Cin- 
cinnati. Then,  through  the  urging  of 
his  cousin,  Father  Matthew  Miller,  C.P., 
he  was  sent  to  Germany  for  five  years. 
This  was  a  far  cry  from  the  China 
missions  he  yearned  for,  but  Father 
Arnold  did  his  usual  workmanlike  job. 
Shortly  after  his  return  from  Germany, 
in  January  of  1938,  he  was  sent  to 
Birmingham,  Alabama,  to  begin  the 
new    flourishing    mission    among    the 

160 


negroes.  But  that  is  too  long  a  story 
to  tell  in  this  short  obituary  notice. 
Father  Ludger  Martin,  C.P.,  has  written 
something  of  the  labors  and  trials  of 
those  days  for  The  Sign.  However,  the 
full  story  of  the  heroism  of  Father 
Arnold's  contribution  to  the  mission  at 
Ensley  will  never  be  known  this  side 
of  eternity. 

The  last  twelve  years  of  his  life  were 
spent  giving  missions  and  retreats.  And 
he  literally  gave  every  ounce  of  him- 
self in  this  distinctive  work  of  the 
Congregation.  His  preparation  at  home 
was  constant  and  unremitting.  In  every 
community  where  he  has  ever  resided 
he  will  be  remembered  for  his  intense 
application  to  writing  and  revising  his 
sermons.  His  throat  seems  to  have  been 
chronically  irritated  by  a  bad  sinus  con- 
dition, which  often  resulted  in  violent 
coughing  spells.  His  voice,  as  a  con- 
sequence, was  not  exactly  pleasant,  but 
had  an  amazing  power  and  carrying 
quality.  And  his  evident  sincerity  and 
apostolic  unction  more  than  supplied 
for  these  natural  defects  as  any  one  who 
has  ever  given  a  mission  with  him  will 
testify.  Again,  it  is  impossible  to  gauge 
the  success  of  a  mission  from  our  nar- 
row human  notions  of  success,  but 
knowing  something  of  the  genuine  zeal 
and  holiness  of  Father  Arnold,  we  can 
reasonably  assume  that  his  missions  and 
retreats  were  most  fruitful.  And  I  am 
sure  the  good  people  of  Bolivar,  Mo., 
will  never  forget  his  last  mission ! 

Fr.  Arnold  was  buried  in  the  ceme- 
tery of  Our  Lady  of  Sorrows  monastery 
in  Sierra  Madre,  Calif.,  November  10. 
His  brother,  Father  Henry,  C.P.,  sang 


the  Mass.   Very  Rev.  Fr.  Clarence,  C.P.,  Vetter,    a   brother    who   still    lives    in 

a  classmate  of  the  deceased,  was  deacon,  Pittsburgh    and    is    prominent    in    the 

and  Very  Rev.  Fr.  James  Patrick,  C.P.,  retreat    movement    sponsored    by    the 

Rector    of    the    Monastery,    was    sub-  Passionist  Fathers  there. 

deacon.    Three  of  Fr.  Arnold's  sisters,  May  the  Priestly,   apostolic   soul  of 

and  a  brother,  who  now  live  in  Cali-  Fr.  Arnold  rest  in  peace! 

fornia,   were  present,   as  also,   Charles 


OC 


DOM  MARMION  AND  THE  SPIRIT  OF  A  RELIGIOUS  ORDER 

"Each  religious  order  has  its  own  beautiful  spirit  and  characteristic  virtues 
which  delight  the  Sacred  Heart ...  if  we  have  not  the  peculiar  spirit  and  training 
of  the  order  to  which  we  belong,  we  are  out  of  joint  in  the  community  and  can 
never  be  a  good  religous,  nor  truly  delight  the  Heart  of  Jesus. . . . 

"But,  you  may  ask  me,  'how  am  I  to  gain  that  spirit,  how  am  I  to  know  if 
I  really  have  it?' 

"Well,  I  answer,  this  is  precisely  the  purpose  of  the  novitiate;  the  spirit  of 
the  order ...  is  handed  down . . .  through  the  superiors,  and  all  you  have  to  do 
is  to  leave  yourself  absolutely  in  their  hands  like  wax  in  the  hand  of  one  who 
molds  it,  and  at  the  end  of  the  novitiate  the  germs  of  that  spirit  will  have 
been  planted  in  your  heart,  to  bud  forth  into  perfection  later  on.  This,  with 
prayer,  is  the  only  means  of  acquiring  the  spirit  of  your  state.  It  is  often  hard 
to  nature,  to  be  thus  cut,  and  pruned,  but  otherwise  we  can  never  hope  to 
be  pleasing  to  the  Sacred  Heart. 

"If  I  were  joining  religion  tomorrow,  I  would  enter  with  the  determination  of 
leaving  myself  absolutely  in  the  hands  of  my  superiors,  to  let  them  cut  away, 
mercilessly,  all  the  excrescences  of  my  character  so  that  I  might  be  fit  to  be 
presented,  as  a  clean  oblation,  on  the  altar  of  God's  love,  and  even  though  nature 
might  repine,  I  would  try  to  bear  all  for  the  love  of  Jesus  crucified,  and  I  feel 
sure  that  if  I  were  but  faithful  I  would  soon  acquire  the  true  spirit  of  my  order 
and  thus  'reap  with  joy,  what  I  had  sown  in  tears.' "  (Letter  to  a  novice  of  the 
Sisters  of  Mercy,  Clonliffe,  November  27th,  1885.  Quoted  in  The  Spiritual 
Doctrine  of  Dom  Marmion  by  M.M.  Philipon,  O.P.,  ps.  34,  35.) 


NOTICE 

If  any  of  our  Readers  would  be  interested  in  translating  articles  for  The 
Passionist  from  foreign  languages  (French,  Spanish,  Italian,  Dutch,  German, 
etc.)  the  Editor  would  be  only  to  happy  to  have  this  cooperation.  If  interested 
please  send  in  your  name  to  the  Editor,  indicating  what  language  you  would 
prefer. 


161 


0$ 


TH 


W: 


mm 


QUESTIONS 

/// k Juno uMlL L  i  , 


SUFFERING  REDEEMER  IN 
ISAIAS 

Isaias  1,  5-6  is  often  applied  to 
Christ  Crucified.  Isn't  Isaias 
condemning  the  sinful  Jewish 
people  rather  than  prophesing 
of  the  future  Redeemer? 

It  is  true  that  Isaias  is  condemning 
the  spiritual  corruption  and  desolation 
of  the  Jewish  nation  during  the  pros- 
perous reign  of  Jotham  (758-743). 
The  passage  begins  with  the  denuncia- 
tion: "Ah!  sinful,  guilt-laden  people, 
brood  of  evil-doers.  ..."  This  leads  to 
the  words  often  applied  to  Our  Lord 
in  His  Passion:  "The  whole  head  is 
ailing,  the  whole  heart  is  sick;  from  the 
sole  of  the  foot  to  the  head  there  is  no 
health  in  it — nought  but  blows  and 
bruises  and  bleeding  wounds."  Isaias 
is  describing  the  sinful  corruption  of  the 
nation's  soul  under  the  metaphor  of 
a    sick    body    covered    with    festering 

162 


wounds.  It  is  only  by  accommodation 
that  these  words  can  be  referred  to  our 
Crucified  Savior.  Yet,  this  accommoda- 
tion is  based  upon  a  dogmatic  reason. 
The  Jewish  nation  at  this  time  as  well 
as  Our  Lord  upon  the  cross  are  suffering 
the  pains  of  sin.  Both  the  words  of 
Isaias  and  the  cross  of  Christ  are, in- 
tended by  God  to  impress  upon  us  the 
sickening  and  hideous  effects  of  sin 
(II,  Q  46,  a  4,  ad  3;  ibid,  a  6).  This 
is  the  primary  reason  why  a  Christian 
orator  can  rightly  use  the  words  of 
Isaias  in  speaking  of  Christ,  who  has 
appeared  "in  the  likeness  of  sinful 
flesh  as  a  sin-offering,  (so  as  to  con- 
demn) sin  in  the  flesh."  (Rom  8,3) 
For  God  "made  him  to  be  sin  who 
knew  nothing  of  sin"  (2  Cor  5,21). 
There  is  a  secondary  reason:  the  very 
words  of  Isaias  were  literally  fulfilled 
in  Christ,  even  though  only  metaphori- 
cally true  of  the  Jews. 


The  principle,  sometimes  called  the 
"analogy  of  faith,''  can  explain  the 
liturgical  use  of  many  Old  Testament 
texts.  The  "analogy  of  faith''  is  the 
harmony  that  exists  between  all  revealed 
truths,  so  that  many  different  truths  are 
united  in  the  recapitulation  of  all  things 
in  Christ  (cf  Eph  1,10).  In  Is.  1,3 
"the  ox  knows  its  owner  and  the  ass 
its  master's  crib"  we  have  a  figure  of 
speech  in  which  the  prophet  calls  upon 
the  material  universe,  always  so  obedient 
to  God's  command,  to  witness  against 
an  indifferent,  disobedient  mankind.  At 
Bethlehem  the  animal  kingdom  silently 
and  spontaneously  obeyed,  while  many 
people  proudly  rejected  the  Savior.  Is. 
65,2  speaks  of  the  love  of  God  (with- 
out distinguishing  any  Person  in  the 
Trinity)  :  "I  spread  out  my  hands  all 
day  long  to  a  rebellious  people.  ..." 
We  Christians  know  that  nowhere  does 
God's  love  surrender  itself  so  uncon- 
ditionally as  in  the  outstretched  arms 
of  Our  Lord — a  fulfillment  which  the 
prophet  Isaias  never  dreamed  of.  Lastly, 
the  words  of  Is.  63,  1-3  speak  of  God's 
complete  victory  over  sin.  The  blood 
on  his  garments  is  that  of  his  defeated 
enemy.  This  passage  can  be  applied  to 
the  Passion  because  of  a  dogmatic  rea- 
son: on  the  cross  God  crushes  the 
forces  of  evil.  It  is  his  own  Precious 
Blood  upon  his  garments.  Yet,  is  not 
Christ  "sin  in  the  flesh"  according  to 
the  daring  words  of  St.  Paul.  In  each 
of  these  cases  the  accommodated  sense 
is  under  the  controlling  and  moderating 
restraint  of  dogmatic  reasons,  (cf.  Pius 
XII,  Divtno  AjjUnte  Spniln.  n.  27) 
Carroll  Stuhlmueller,  C.P. 


PRAYING  DIVINE  OFFICE 

MENTALLY 
In    praying    the    Divine    Office 
privately,  is  a  priest  permitted 
to  read  the  words  mentally? 

The  Divine  Office  is  universally  con- 
sidered more  than  merely  mental  prayer. 
Pius  XII  defines  it  as  "the  prayer  of 
the  Mystical  Body  of  Jesus,  offered  to 
God  in  the  name  and  on  behalf  of  all 
Christians,  when  recited  by  priests  and 
other  ministers  of  the  Church  and  by 
religious  who  are  deputed  by  the 
Church  for  this."1  Such  recitation  re- 
quires formation  of  the  words  by  the 
tongue  and  lips.2  Obviously,  "it  is 
not  merely  a  question  of  recitation  .  .  . 
but  it  is  especially  a  question  of  the 
ascent  of  the  mind  and  heart  to  God 
so  that,  united  with  Christ,  we  may 
completely  dedicate  ourselves  and  all 
our  actions  to  Him."5 

The  only  foundation  for  reading  the 
psalms  mentally  must  be  a  privilege 
granted  by  the  Holy  See.  For  while 
the  practice  of  praying  the  Divine  Office 
originated  from  personal  fervor,  under 
the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  it  was 
gradually  incorporated  into  the  sacred 
liturgy  by  the  laws  of  the  Church.  Since 
this  prayer  is  imposed  by  a  law  of  the 
Holy  See,  it  alone  can  grant  a  contrary 
privilege.  Only  one  such  privilege  is 
mentioned.  In  regard  to  it  there  arise 
two  distinct  questions:  1)  Was  the 
privilege  truly  given;  2)  If  so,  does  it 
still  exist? 

It  is  categorically  stated  that  Pope- 
Leo  X  did  grant  the  privilege  by  authors 
worthy  of  confidence,  such  as  St.  Al- 
phonsus,'  Schaefer  citing  other  authors 


163 


in  agreement  with  him,5  and  Noldin.6 
Even  Traluci,  in  opposing  the  present 
use  of  the  privilege,  does  not  seriously 
attack  the  original  grant.7  The  original 
recipients  of  this  privilege  were  the 
Friars  Minor.  Later  it  was  communi- 
cated to  all  regulars,  as  well  be  noted 
below. 

The  second  question  concerns  a  possi- 
ble revocation.  Pope  Leo  X  gave  the 
privilege  vivae  vocis  oraculo.  That  was 
April  15,  1516.8  Fifty  one  years  later, 
namely  May  16,  1567,  Pope  Pius  V 
issued  the  Bull  Etsi  Mendicantium  in 
favor  of  the  Mendicant  Orders,  among 
which  was,  of  course,  the  Order  of 
Friars  Minor.  In  that  document  Pope 
Pius  V  decress,  "omnia  et  singula  privi- 
legia  .  .  .  f  acultates  .  .  .  indulta,  dispensa- 
tions, favores  et  gratiae  .  .  .  etiam  vivae 
vocis  oraculo,  in  genere  vel  in  specie, 
tarn  per  .  .  .  Leonem  X  .  .  .  auctoritate 
Apostolica  tenore  paresentium  perpetuo 
approbamus  et  confirmamus,  illisque 
perpetuae  et  inviolabilis  firmitatis  robur 
adiicimus.  .  .  ."9 

In  view  of  these  words  in  the  Bull 
commentators  maintain  that  the  status 
of  the  privilege  undergoes  an  important 
change.  It  no  longer  remanis  vivae  vocis 
oraculo;  it  becomes  written  in  the  most 
solemn  fashion;  it  becomes  privilegium 
Bullatum. 

Therefore,  they  reason,  when  fifty 
five  years  later  Pope  Gregory  XV  re- 
voked vivae  vocis  oraculo  privileges,  he 
did  not  revoke  a  privilegium  Ball  at  um. 
The  instrument  of  revocation,  the  Apos- 
tolic Constitution  Romanus  Pontifex 
explicitly  restricts  its  scope  to  vivae 
vicis  oraculo.10 


Among  the  authorities  who  reason 
in  this  way  can  be  listed  St.  Alphonsus 
(who  quotes  eight  other  authorities  in 
agreement  with  him  and  then  adds 
etc.),11  Schaefer,12  Goyeneche,13  Cap- 
pello,14   Coronata.15 

Nevertheless  the  revocation  can  also 
be  looked  at  from  another  completely 
different  viewpoint.  Apparently  that  is 
done  by  those  who  are  not  convinced 
by  the  change  into  a  privilegium  Bulla- 
tum. This  viewpoint  insists  that  even 
though  Pius  V's  Bull  changed  the  oral 
to  a  written  privilege,  still  Gregory  XV 
revoked  all  privileges  that  had  been 
given  orally  originally. 

If  that  be  so,  one  must  regard  in  that 
same  way  any  other  decree  issued  after 
Gregory's  revocation  and  concerned 
with  a  privilege  given  orally.  Such  a 
decree  must  be  likewise  understood  to 
refer  to  one  given  orally  originally. 
Such  a  document  appeared  one  hundred 
and  seventy  years  after  Gregory  XV  s 
Apostolic  Constitution.  It  was  Pius 
VI 's  Bull  Inter  multiplies  dated  Decem- 
ber 14,  1792.  We  find  it  cited  among 
the  privileges  of  certain  Religious  In- 
stitutes, including  us  Passionists.  It  gives 
these  religious  the  privileges  of  Medi- 
cants  even  though  such  have  been 
granted  vivae  vocis  oraculo  originally. 
"Communicatio  privilegiorum,  quam 
Congregatio  nostra  habet  cum  supradic- 
tis  Religionibus  (namely,  Medic  ants 
and  certain  others)  extenditur  etiam  ad 
vivae  vocis  oracula,  adeo  ut  quidquid 
alicui  eorum  hoc  modo  hactenus  conces- 
sion est .  .  .  id  omne,  motu  proprio  et  ex 
certa  scientia,  nobis  etiam  concessum 
censendum  est."16  Moreover,  the  phrase 


164 


"ex  certa  scientia"  allows  for  an  aware- 
ness of  the  intervening  revocation  of 
Gregory  XV. 

In  1918  and  the  following  years,  the 
Code  of  Canon  Law  in  no  way  affected 
this  privilege  of  reading  the  Divine 
Office  mentally.  Canon  4  states  "privi- 
leges .  .  .  granted  by  the  Holy  See  -be- 
fore the  Code  and  not  revoked  but  still 
in  use  at  the  time  of  the  enactment  of 
the  Code,  remain  in  effect  unless  ex- 
pressly revoked  by  the  Code."  Two  of 
the  phrases  concern  this  privilege,  "not 
revoked"  and  "still  in  use."  Even 
granting  that  the  privilege  was  revoked 
by  Gregory  XV,  such  a  revocation  was 
cancelled  out  in  effect  by  the  grant  of 
Pius  VI,  which  in  turn  had  not  been 
revoked.  Moreover,  this  privilege  was 
"still  in  use"  at  the  time  canon  4  was 
promulgated.17 

FOOTNOTES 

1  On    The    Sacred    Liturgy,    America      20,    1631 
Press,  paragraph   142. 

2  Summa  Theol.  Mor.,  Noldin-Schmitt, 
II  (ed.   17),  n.   764. 

:i  On  The  Sacred  Liturgy,  paragraph 
145. 

*  Theol.  Mor.,  II,  1.  IV,  n.  63. 

5  De  Religiosis,    (1947    ed.)    n 

G  Loc.  cit. 

7  Goyeneche,    Quaest.   Can..   II 
ed.),  p.   58. 

*Cf.  Theological  Studies.  1953,  p.  67. 

9  Pontes  Juris  Canonici.  I,  pp.  219- 
220.  (Emphasis  added).  The  same 
was  extended  to  all  regulars  by  Ex  su- 
pernae,  August  16  of  the  same  year,  loc. 
cit.,  pp.  220  f. 

10  Bull.  Rom.,  XII  ,pp.  7Q6-709. 
Nothing  further  is  found  pertinent  to 
the  present  privilege  in  the  revocation 
of  Urban  VIII,  Alias  f  el  ids,   December 


Thus  far  we  have  concentrated  on  the 
present  existence  of  the  privilege.  As 
for  its  extension,  explicit  support  for 
privately  praying  the  entire  Office 
mentally  is  found  in  such  authorities  as 
St.  Alphonsus  and  others  cited  by  him;18 
in  Coronata;19    and  Schaefer.-" 

As  for  actually  using  this  privilege, 
whether  for  peace  of  conscience  or  to 
avoid  being  "an  annoyance  to  other,"21 
it  must  be  added  that  the  Most  Reverend 
Father  General  limits  the  use  of  privi- 
leges to  those  printed  in  the  Collectio 
Facultatum  et  Indulgentiarum  or  ac- 
knowledged by  himself  or  the  General 
Chapter.22  The  privilege  to  pray  the 
Divine  Office  mentally  does  not  appear 
in  the  present  edition  of  the  Collectio 
"Facultatum  et  Indulgentiarum. 

Forrest  Macken,  C.P. 


1214. 


(1955 


Bull.  Rom.,  XIV,  pp.  258- 
260;  nor  in  Clement  XII's  Roman  us 
Pontifex.  March  29,  1732,  Bull.  Rom., 
XXIII,  pp.  323-327. 

11  Loc.  cit. 

12  Loc.  cit. 

I  :i  Loc.   cit. 

14  De  Sac.  IV  (1947  ed.),  n.  636. 
18  Inst.,  I,  nn.  617-619  bis. 
1,5  Collectio    Facultatum    et    Indulgen- 
tiarum.  (1956  ed.),   n.    119. 

18  Loc.  cit. 

19  Loc.  cit. 
'-'"  Loc  cit. 
21  This  was  one  of  the  reasons    (the 

other  was  to  allow  some  to  "say  it  more 
devoutly")  given  in  the  petition  for  the 
privilege.  Theological  Studies.  1953,  p. 
67. 

II  Introductory     Letter    to    the     1956 
edition,    pp.    5-6. 

165 


PASSIONIST  ORDO  AND 
EPIPHANY 

Why  did  the  1957  Ordo  require 
the  Domine,  labia  mea  aperies 
and  the  Deus  in  adjutorium,  for 
Matins  on  the  Epiphany? 

A  comparison  of  the  1956  and  1957 
CP  Ordo  USA  will  show  that  the  com- 
piler changed  his  opinion  on  this  rubric. 
In  the  1956  Ordo  (p.  4  and  54)  it  is 
stated  that  Matins  for  the  Epiphany 
begins  "immediate  ad  Ant.  'Ajferte.'  " 
In  the  1957  Ordo  reference  to  the 
Epiphany  is  omitted  in  the  notes  on 
the  General  Decree  (p.  4)  and  on  p. 
54  we  read  that  'Domine,  labia  mea' 
and  'Deus  in  adjutorium'  are  to  pre- 
cede the  'Afferte'  Antiphon.  The  rea- 
son for  this  change  rests  upon  a  more 
careful  reading  of  Title  IV,  1  and  2  of 
the  General  Decree.  In  1)  the  Decree 
indicates  how  the  Divine  Office  is  to 
begin,  and  states  precisely  that  Matins 
begins  with  the  verse  'Domine,  labia.' 
In  2)  exception  to  the  general  rule  is 
given  for  the  Office  of  the  Last  Three 
Days  of  Holy  Week  and  for  the  Office 
of  the  Dead.  No  mention  is  made  of 
Matins  for  Epiphany.  Therefore,  the 
compiler  concluded  that  Epiphany  comes 
under  the  general  rule  of  paragraph  1 ) , 
and  so  the  'Domine,  labia'  is  to  be  said 
(so  also  Bugnini-Bellocchio  De  Rubric  is, 
Rome,  1955,  p.  43).  Other  compilers 
(as  of  the  Universal  Ordo)  concluded 
otherwise.  Hence,  a  divergence  in  many 
of  the  Ordos  for  this  year.  Until  the 
Sacred  Congregation  settles  the  dispute, 
the  opinion  of  the  compiler  of  our 
Ordo  seems  better. 


ORATIO  IMPERATA  PRO  RE 

GRAVI 
Must  an  Oratio  imperata  pro  re 
gravi  be  added  at  a  sung  Mass? 

It  is  true  that  the  General  Decree 
rules  out  the  oratio  simpliciter  imperata 
at  all  sung  Masses,  but  there  had  been 
no  .change  in  regard  to  the  oratio  im- 
perata pro  re  gravi.  Therefore,  it  must 
be  added  in  all  sung  Masses  on  all  days 
that  are  not  marked  OCg  or  OCo  in  our 
Ordo.  Cf.  Emphemerides  Liturgicae  70 
(1956)  248,  where  a  response  of  the 
Sacred  Congregation  is  given  on  this 
point. 

Roger  Mercurio,  CP. 

SALVATION  OF  UNBAP- 

TIZED  INFANTS 
Recently  a  woman  asked  me  if 
in  Heaven  she  would  see  the 
baby  she  lost  through  miscar- 
riage. I  gave  her  a  vague  an- 
swer, but  now  wonder  whether 
I  could  not  have  given  her  more 
hope? 

This  is  the  old  question  of  the  lot  of 
infants  dying  without  baptism,  a  prob- 
lem that  has  ben  discussed  at  least  since 
the  time  of  St.  Augustine.  The  Church 
has  given  no  definitive  judgment  as 
yet,  but  in  view  of  the  new  surge  of 
interest  and  controversy  stretching  over 
the  past  thirty  years,  perhaps  a  decision 
will  be  forthcoming. 

The  problem  arises  from  the  conflict 
of  conclusions  that  stem  logically  from 
two  dogmatic  truths.  On  the  one  hand 
there  is  the  defined  proposition  that 
baptism  of  water  or  baptism  of  desire 
is  the  necessary  means  of  salvation,  out- 
side of  martyrdom  of  course.    On  the 


166 


other  hand  we  have  the  revealed  truth 
that  God  wills  all  men  to  be  saved. 
This  principle  of  the  universality  of  the 
salvinc  will  seems  to  call  for  a  means  of 
salvation  that  is  physically  and  morally 
possible  for  all  men,  including  infants 
dying  without  baptism  of  water. 

Hence  two  general  approaches  to  a 
"solution"  are  theoretically  open.  If 
baptism  be  stressed  as  the  sole  and 
adequate  means  of  salvation,  the  ex- 
planation for  the  infants  must  be  sought 
in  some  kind  of  baptism  of  desire,  since 
baptism  must  be  possible  for  them  (to 
maintain  the  reality  of  the  salvinc  will) 
and  in  the  case  they  do  not  receive 
baptism  of  water.  This  line  of  argu- 
ment leads  to  the  various  illumination 
theories  which  in  general  suggest  that 
these  infants  are  endowed  with  a  special 
divine  enlightenment  whereby  they  en- 
joy the  use  of  reason  and  thus  are  en- 
abled to  elicit  an  act  of  love  and  desire 
baptism.  Some,  unwilling  to  invoke  a 
constant  succession  of  miracles  have 
thought  that  a  desire  for  baptism  ex- 
pressed by  the  parents  would  be  ade- 
quate, while  others  have  suggested  that 
perhaps  the  faith  and  desire  of  the 
Church  could  supply  in  case  of  necessity. 

There  is  another  set  of  solutions, 
doctrinally  more  feeble  perhaps  but 
obviously  more  realistic.  They  generalize 
on  the  apparent  fact  that  baptism  in 
either  form  is  not  morally  possible  for 
all,  and  so  to  give  meaning  to  the 
universal  salvific  will  they  conclude  that 
baptism  is  not  the  sole  and  adequate 
means.  Hence  it  was  suggested  that 
the  untimely  death  of  these  infants 
could  be  considered  a  kind  of  martyr- 


dom in  virtue  of  which  their  "sacrifice" 
would  be  associated  with  the  expiatory 
death  of  Christ  (subsequently  branded 
by  the  Sacred  Congregation  of  the  Index 
as  a  rather  bold  and  rash  manner  of 
speaking).  Recently  a  new  theory  has 
been  offered  which  emphasizes  the  law 
of  solidarity:  with  Adam  in  whom  they 
sinned,  with  Christ  in  whom  they  are 
redeemed. 

It  is  not  necessary  here  to  go  into 
these  attempts  at  solution  in  further 
detail  since  theologians  commonly  find 
all  of  them  insufficient  in  one  way  or 
another.  And  really  the  presentation 
of  a  solution  presupposes  that  it  is  not 
certain  theological  teaching  that  infants 
dying  without  baptism  are  excluded 
from  heaven.  The  stricter  view  is  ad- 
mittedly the  traditional  view,  and  if  it 
may  be  classed  as  defined  or  at  least 
as  theologically  certain  doctrine  of  the 
authentic  magisterium  of  the  Church, 
the  question  is  closed.  Consequently 
the  first  step  toward  a  final  answer  must 
be  to  prove  beyond  a  doubt  that  the 
classic  view  is  not  certain. 

Fr.  Peter  Gumpel,  S.J.,  in  a  pains- 
taking article  in  The  Downside  Review 
for  the  autumn  of  1934  cites  more  than 
sixty  publications  of  recent  years  in 
which  about  fifty  authors  either  presume 
or  assert  that  the  traditional  view  is  not 
a  theologically  certain  thesis.  However, 
he  does  not  himself  think  that  such 
lack  of  certitude  has  been  established, 
especially  since  many  of  the  opinions 
are  reducible  to  tentative  questioning. 
To  this  we  might  add  that  it  would 
naturally  be  the  champions  of  the 
infants   who   would   appear   in   current 


167 


literature,  since  the  traditionalists  right- 
ly consider  that  up  to  now  they  hold 
the  field. 

In  conclusion  then,  given  the  present 
unsettled  state  of  the  question,  we  are 
not  free  to  discard  the  traditional  view 
and  to  assert  that  all  the  infants  are 
saved,  choosing  some  theory  adapted  to 
our  particular  theological  taste.  How- 
ever, that  does  not  mean  that  we  have 
to  tell  an  anxious  mother  that  she  will 
never  see  her  baby  in  heaven — that  is 
not  certain  either!  What  we  can  do  is 
to  stress  God's  tender  mercy  as  illus- 
trated in  both  Testaments  and  remind 
her  that  her  baby  is  in  the  hands  of  this 
loving  Father  who  is  both  provident 
and  prodigal  of  His  care  of  His  chil- 
dren. Then  too,  Our  Lord  shed  His 
precious  blood  with  her  baby  in  mind — 
surely  that  means  something! 


In  ways  like  this  we  can  perhaps 
afford  some  comfort  to  a  grieving  moth- 
er and  still  not  leave  the  impression 
that  really  it  doesn't  make  any  differ- 
ence if  a  dying  baby  is  baptized  or  not. 
St.  Robert  Bellarmine  cautions  against 
following  our  feelings  too  hastily  in 
this  matter.  After  all,  he  says,  our 
tenderheartedness  isn't  going  to  benefit 
those  dead  infants  one  bit,  but  it  may 
harm  us  &  great  deal  if  we  find  our- 
selves defending  and  propagating  a 
teaching  that  is  contrary  to  the  mind  of 
the  Church. 

Note:  For  an  excellent  and  balanced 
summary  of  the  question  plus  related 
bibliography  see  the  article  "Infants 
Dying  Without  Baptism"  by  William 
Van  Roo,  S.J.,  in  Theology  Digest  3 
(1955)    3-9. 

Barry  Rankin,  C.P. 


4,4••l•,^?,l,•^'!^4"^4,4,,i^4••^4,,l?•!^•^, 


NOTICE 


Bound  copies  of  The  Passionist  for  1956  are  now  available.  Please  send  orders 
to  the  office  of  The  Passionist,  5700  N.  Harlam  Ave.,  Chicago  31,  Illinois. 


All  news  items,  notices  and  letters  to  the  Editor  to  be  printed  in  the  June 
1st  issue  of  The  Passionist  must  be  sent  in  by  April  10th.  Articles,  Book  Reviews, 
Questions  to  be  Answered  must  in  by  the  1st  of  April. 


The  Passionist  is  looking  for  individual,  identified  (religious  and  family  name) 
pictures  of  past  and  present  members  of  Holy  Cross  Province  for  its  files. 


168 


TRANSFIGURED  WORLD,  by 
Sister  M.  Laurentia  Digges, 
C.S.J.,  Farrar,  Straus  and  Cu- 
dahy,  240  pp.,  $4.00. 

This  book  is  the  prize-winner  of  the 
literary  contest  for  Sisters  sponsored  in 
1956  by  the  Thomas  More  Association 
and  Farrar,  Straus  and  Cudahy.  As 
such,  it  meets  our  expectations;  and  we 
earnestly  recommend  it  to  all  lovers 
of  the  liturgy  and  of  art  and  literature. 

The  purpose  of  the  work  is  to  lead 
the  general  Catholic  reader  to  a  deeper 
knowledge  of  the  Mass,  the  sacraments 
and  the  Church  year  of  grace.  This 
general  purpose  is  achieved  by  an  un- 
usual and  ingenious  approach.  Recog- 
nizing in  the  liturgy  "a  sublime  work 
of  art  as  well  as  a  significant  and  trans- 
forming reality,"  the  author  uses  certain 
art  principles  to  illumine  the  liturgy 
and  to  lead  to  a  deeper  realization  of 
its  inner  meaning. 

As  all  true  art  serves  as  an  illumina- 
tion and  revelation  of  truth  and  beauty, 


the  author  uses  her  analysis  of  art  prin- 
ciples to  open  up  new  ways  of  looking 
at  the  liturgy.  The  new  look  will  help 
to  transfigure  our  everyday  world  and 
our  spirittual  life.  "The  idea  of  Chris- 
tian transfiguration  is  the  art-principle 
of  the  liturgy." 

In  the  first  part  of  the  work  Sister 
Mary  Laurentia  describes  four  qualities 
of  all  good  art  (unity,  variety,  signifi- 
cance, power) ;  and  three  functional 
principles  (structure,  theme,  symbol- 
ism). These  qualities  and  principles 
are  discussed  in  an  engaging  and  sug- 
gestive way.  The  reader  will  not  fail 
to  catch  the  inspiration  of  these  pages; 
he  will  come  from  the  reading  with 
clear,  perceptive  principles  that  can 
bring  deeper  appreciation  of  the  liturgy, 
as  well  as  of  art  and  literature.  The 
quotations  from  literature  are  used  with 
masterly   pertinence. 

Chapter  Five,  the  central  chapter. 
places  Christ  before  the  reader  as  the 
center  of  unity,  "the  still  point  of  the 


169 


turning  world."  Christ  is  the  center  of 
all  creation,  the  central  reality  in  all 
our  worship  of  God.  Christ  is  seen 
as  reestablishing  all  things  in  Himself; 
as  radiating  all  grace  to  the  souls  of 
men.  Christ  is  the  center  of  liturgy; 
transfiguration  in  Christ  is  its  purpose. 

The  second  part  of  the  work  is 
devoted  to  the  application  of  the  art 
principles  to  the  liturgy.  "Four  majestic 
circles  wheel  around  Christ  the  center. 
These  are  the  Mass,  the  sacraments, 
the  office  in  its  various  forms,  and  the 
seasons  of  the  liturgical  year. 

These  chapters  are  especially  rich  in 
suggestion  and  inspiration.  Attention 
may  be  directed  especially  to  the  chap- 
ters on  the  Mass  and  the  sacraments. 
Sacred  Scripture,  the  liturgical  texts 
themselves,  art  principles  of  structure, 
design  and  symbolism  are  brought  to- 
gether in  admirable  unity.  Personal 
participation  in  the  sacred  mysteries 
will  certainly  take  on  deeper  meaning 
from  these  pages. 

At  times,  it  is  true,  the  symbolic 
relations  pointed  out  in  the  work  may 
seem  questionable  or  arbitrary;  but  very 
ofter  an  apt  passage  from  Scripture  or 
literature  suspends  the  doubt.  One  may 
question  whether  the  art  principles  are 
not  lost  occasionally  in  detail  or  illustra- 
tion. Throughout  the  work,  however, 
the  artistic  and  spiritual  insights  of  the 
author  remain  constant — a  constant 
source  of  delight  and  inspiration. 

The  illustrations  and  charts  are  beau- 
tifully done.  They  admirably  illustrate 
the  principles  of  art  and  the  spiritual 
applications  insisted  on  throughout  the 
book  itself. 


We  have  here  an  unusual  work, 
wherein  art,  literature  and  liturgy  are 
contributing  factors  in  our  realization 
of  the  transfigured  world  as  the  in- 
strument of  God's  spiritual,  sacramental 
effects.  It  should  contribute  much  to 
our  own  transfiguration  in  Christ 
through  the  liturgy. 

Joseph  M.  O'Leary,  C.P. 

Chicago,  Illinois 
(From  Books  on  Trial) 


THE  MASS  IN  TRANSITION, 
by  Gerald  Ellard,  S.J.  Bruce 
Publishing  Company,  Milwau- 
kee, pp.  x  &  387.  $6.00. 

On  the  dust  jacket  of  Father  Ellard's 
latest  book  are  photographs  of  the  four 
last  popes:  St.  Pius  X,  Benedict  XV, 
Pius  XI,  and  Pius  XII.  Their  pontifi- 
cates mark  one  of  the  great  transitional 
periods  in  history,  and  during  this  era 
of  change  the  Mass  too  was  in  transi- 
tion. 

Fifty  years  ago  Holy  Communion  was 
rarely  received,  and  only  after  one  had 
reached  the  age  of  twelve  or  thirteen. 
Gregorian  chant  was  confined  to  monas- 
tic or  seminary  choirs.  People  did  not 
have  missals,  and  even  priests  rarely 
recited  the  entire  psalter  of  the  ferial 
offices  of  the  breviary. 

This  by  no  means  implies  that  Cath- 
olics of  that  period  were  less  Catholic 
or  less  devout  than  today.  Sunday 
Masses  were  well  attended,  and  people 
did  not  avoid  the  long  High  Mass  and 
sermon,  which  was  hardly  ever  over 
in  less  than  two  hours.  Sunday  after- 
noon vespers  were  the  usual  thing,  with 


170 


catechetical  instruction  before  or  after. 
Families  prayed  together  at  home,  which 
was  the  center  of  one's  recreational  life. 

But  times  were  changing.  Automo- 
biles were  just  beginning  to  replace  the 
horse  and  buggy  or  public  conveyance. 
Electric  lights  and  movies  and  telephones 
were  beginning  to  attract  the  public. 
Airplanes,  radios,  televisions,  talkies, 
frozen  foods,  shopping  centers,  drive- 
ins,  hospital  insurance — these  were  all 
in  the  future.  But  these,  together  with 
two  world  wars  and  their  aftermath, 
centralized  industry,  five  day  week  and 
eight  hour  day,  were  to  change  the  pat- 
tern   of   men's   lives. 

And  the  Church  had  to  keep  pace 
with  these  changes.  If  the  faithful  took 
to  the  roads  on  Sunday  afternoons  or 
dropped  the  children  at  a  movie,  then 
the  spiritual  profit  of  Sunday  Vespers 
and  catecheism  had  to  be  compensated 
for  in  other  ways.  If  Mass  had  to  be 
every  hour  on  the  hour,  then  this  pre- 
cious time  had  to  be  utilized  as  well  as 
possible.  If  sin  and  vice  could  be  more 
readily  propagandized  by  modern  mass 
media,  then  the  Church  should  give  her 
children  a  fuller  share  in  the  divinely 
ordained  means  of  grace. 

The  liturgical  movement  began  with 
the  ninetenth's  century's  attraction  for 
the  romanticism  of  the  middle  ages — 
witness  the  romantic  movement  in  litera- 
ture, art,  and  music.  Pius  X  was  to  take 
this  incipient  liturgical  movement  away 
from  the  medievalist,  and  make  it  an 
important  factor  in  his  restoration  of 
all  things  in  Christ. 

Frequent  and  early  Communion  were 
to  become  the  norm,  so  that  all  could 


live  of  the  Christian  life  at  its  indis- 
pensable source.  The  breviary  and  missal 
were  to  be  reformed,  so  that  the  liturgi- 
cal year  could  once  again  proclaim  the 
renewal  of  the  mysteries  of  Christ. 
Church  music  would  be  purified,  so  that 
all — the  entire  congregation — could  par- 
ticipate in  the  worship  of  Christ. 

In  the  war  and  post-war  years  Bene- 
dict XV  and  Pius  XI  continued  the 
work  of  their  saintly  predecessor,  but 
it  was  reserved  for  Pope  Pius  XII  to 
further  the  initial  reforms  of  St.  Pius 
X  by  his  great  encyclicals  on  the  Mysti- 
cal Body  and  the  Liturgy,  and  through 
his  mitigation  of  the  Eucharistic  fast, 
the  permission  for  evening  Mass,  the 
promulgation  of  the  New  Holy  Week, 
and  the  simplification  of  the  missal  and 
breviary  rubrics. 

The  effects  of  these  great  reforms 
upon  the  Mass  are  highlighted  by  Fr. 
Ellard  in  his  The  Mass  in  Transition. 
Beginning  with  the  simplification  of 
the  rubrics,  and  treating  of  such  matters 
as  the  fast,  evening  Mass,  church  art 
and  architecture,  congregational  music, 
lay  participation,  etc.,  the  author  helps 
us  to  see  the  absorbing  story  of  the  Mass 
in  transition. 

Father  Ellard  seems  to  have  read 
everything  and  anything  that  concerns 
the  liturgical  changes  of  the  past  fifty 
years.  He  has  enriched  his  work  with 
the  inclusion  of  many  of  the  great 
reform  documents:  such  as;  the  decree 
on  the  simplified  rubrics,  the  apostolic 
consitution  on  the  fast,  the  encyclical 
on  Church  Music,  the  Fulda  pastoral  on 
church  building,  the  French  Hierarchy's 
letter   on   church   art,   etc.     His   biblio- 


171 


graphy  on  each  topic  is  practically 
exhaustive. 

Without  anticipating  the  future — the 
author  essayed  this  in  his  earlier  The 
Mass  of  the  Future  (1948) — Father 
Ellard  indicates  to  the  discerning  the 
direction  the  liturgical  winds  are 
blowing. 

Here  then  is  a  book  that  every  Pas- 
sionist  can  read  with  interest,  for  it 
treats  of  the  Mass — the  living  memorial 
of  the  Sacred  Passion  to  which  we  are 
vowed.  Our  older  Religious  will  find 
in  this  work  a  history  and  explanation 
of  many  events  which  they  were  previ- 
leged  to  witness  during  their  lifetime. 
Younger  Religious  will  discover  in  its 
pages  the  key  to  the  recent  liturgical 
past  and  safe  guide  to  that  future  in 
which  they  will  live  and  work.  And 
may  we  add  that  those,  who  like 
"Missionarius"  are  seeking  a  solution 
to  the  mission  problems  of  today,  may 
find  in  The  Mass  in  Transition  the 
suggestions  and  insights  for  the  fur- 
thering of  our  special  apostolate  in 
the  modern  world? 

Roger  Mercurio,  C.P. 
Lector  of  Sacred  Liturgy 
Louisville,   Kentucky 

THE  SPIRITUAL  DOCTRINE 
OF  DOM  MARMION  by  M.  M. 
Philipon,  O.P.,  221  pp.Newman. 
$3.50. 

In  this  slender  volume  a  son  of  St. 
Dominic  distills  the  essence  of  the 
spiritual  teaching  of  a  son  of  St.  Bene- 
dict— and  we  warmly  recommend  the 
reading  of  it  to  the  sons  of  St.  Paul 
of  the  Cross. 


It  was  the  providential  mission  of 
Dom  Marmion  to  re-establish  the  person 
of  Christ  as  the  fountain  head  of 
modern  spirituality.  In  his  novitiate  he 
"felt  that  we  are  pleasing  to  God  in 
proportion  as  we  are  conformable  to 
Jesus  Christ,  especially  in  His  interior 
dispositions."  This  conviction  grew  and 
grew  until  it  completely  dominated  his 
thinking  and  all  the  movements  of  his 
soul.  It  overflowed  into  his  classroom 
lectures  and  retreat  conferences,  and 
now  his  written  work  perpetuates  his 
influence,  carrying  his  vibrant  Christo- 
centrism  throughout  the  Catholic  world. 

Father  Philipon  has  made  Dom  Mar- 
mion's  spirit  his  own.  For  his  study  he 
had  access  to  all  the  original  manu- 
scripts, quite  considerable  in  sheer 
volume.  More  importantly,  he  tried 
to  develop  in  himself  the  Benedictine 
spirit  so  that  he  might  achieve  an  under- 
standing of  the  Benedictine  ideal  from 
within. 

There  are  five  parts  to  the  book. 
Under  the  title  Possession  of  a  Soul ,  by 
Christ  the  author  sketches  the  formative 
period  of  Dom  Marmion' s  life,  his 
spiritual  development  as  Prior  of  Mont- 
Cesar  and  his  final  transformation  in 
d    •  -1-  as  /*.bbot  of  Maredsous. 

Then  follows  Our  Life  in  Christ, 
which  the  reader  will  recognize  as 
Christ  the  Life  of  the  Soul  m  miniature, 
although  Father  Philipon  has  drawn  his 
material  from  unpublished  retreat  con- 
ferences and  private  notes. 

Next  comes  The  Perfection  of  the 
Christian  Life  with  its  succinct  treatment 
of  monastic  spirituality  along  classic 
Benedictine  lines.    Its  themes  of  con- 


172 


version  of  life,  compunction  of  heart, 
the  Opus  Dei,  etc.,  are  reminiscent  of 
the  pattern  already  familiar  to  us  in 
Christ  the  Ideal  of  the  Monk. 

A  scant  twenty- five  pages  take  up 
the  consideration  of  Sacerdos  Alter 
Christus.  In  the  concept  of  Dom  Mar- 
mion  the  priesthood  marks  the  culmina- 
tion of  our  identification  with  Christ. 
Father  Philipon  accordingly  treats  of 
the  eternal  priesthood  of  Christ  Himself 
and  its  participation  by  the  Church. 
Again  the  concepts  are  well  known  to 
us  from  the  posthumous  work,  Christ 
the  Ideal  of  the  Priest. 

Lastly,  a  few  (eighteen)  pages  con- 
clude the  study  with  a  delineation  of 
Dom  Marmion's  approach  to  Mary, 
The  Mother  of  Christ.  He  habitually 
saw  in  her  a  radiation  of  the  mystery 
of  Christ,  which  the  author  aptly  char- 
acterizes as  "Marian  Christo-centrism." 

One  cannot  suppress  the  wish  that 
Father  Philipon  had  written  a  more 
extended  study,  especially  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  he  had  such  a  wealth  of 
unpublished  material  at  hand.  How- 
ever, perhaps  he  thought  that  further 
elaboration  might  be  interpreted  as  an 
attempt  to  rival  Dom  Marmion's  own 
works.  And  besides,  his  research  «•»*  ; 
told  him  that  making  more  of  the 
Abbot's  notes  j*iid  letters  available 
would  really  add  nothing  substantial 
to  what  we  know  of  his  doctrine  at 
present. 

Father  Philipon's  intention  was, 
therefore,  rather  to  present  a  theologi- 
cal synthesis  of  the  master-ideas  that 
formed  Dom  Marmion's  spirituality. 
For  this  reason   the  book  provides   an 


accurate  and  rich  summary,  for  those 
who  are  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
Marmion's  thought — but  the  newcomer, 
I  am  afraid,  will  be  inclined  to  quote 
to  Father  Philipon  what  the  nuns  at 
Maredret  said  to  Dom  Thibaut:  "These 
are  the  ideas  of  Father  Abbot  but  you 
have  not  recaptured  his  living,  spon- 
taneous style,  direct  and  overflowing  in 
its  enthusiasm  for  Christ." 

The  Passionist  with  his  own  "Cruci- 
centric"  spirituality  will  find  thfcrse 
pages  most  congenial.  Christian,  monk, 
priest,  son  of  Mary,  he  is  all  of  these — 
and  to  all  of  them  he  will  bring  his 
strong  loyalty  to  Christ,  yes,  and  Him 
Crucified. 

Barry  Rankin,  C.P. 

Chicago,    Illinois 


THE  PATRONAGE  OF  SAINT 
MICHAEL  THE  ARCHAN- 
GEL, by  Andrew  A.  Bialas, 
C.S.V.,  Clerics  of  St  Viator, 
6219  Sheridan  Road,  Chicago, 
111.  1954  (Vol.  7  of  the  Aquinas 
Library)   Pp.  x-163. 

This  book  (a  doctoral  dissertation 
presented  to  the  Theological  faculty  of 
the  Angelicum  in  Rome)  should  in- 
terest all  Passionists.  It  is  written  with 
an  enthusiastic  devotion  which  stirs  a 
kinship  of  feeling  in  the  soul  of  a 
Passionist.  We  are  all  well  aware  of 
the  role  of  St.  Michael  in  the  early 
history  of  our  Congregation.  So  notable- 
was  his  protection  in  those  pioneer  days 
that  Ven.  Fr.  John  Baptist  added  to  his 
own  name  that  of  St.  Michael  the  Arch- 
angel.   Fr.  Titus  writes  that  St.  Michael 


173 


was  declared  secondary  patron  of  our 
Congregation  by  the  Sixth  General 
Chapter  (Jus  Partkulare,  n  8). 

Fr.  Bialas  summarizes  very  clearly  the 
teaching  of  Scholastic  Theologians  on 
the  nature  of  angels  (ch.  2)  and  the 
notion  of  patronage  (ch.  3).  His  treat- 
ment of  angelic  knowledge  and  "move- 
ment" is  clear  and  succinct.  Their 
"movement"  and  their  care  of  the 
material  universe  are  based  on  the 
scholastic  principle  that  lower  beings 
are  governed  by  those  which  are  higher 
(p.  67).  Therefore,  Divine  Wisdom 
has  placed  different  rulers,  as  angels, 
in  charge  of  different  creatures  (p.  68). 
He  writes  that  "a  celestial  patron,  theo- 
logically speaking,  is  one  of  the  blessed 
who  is  divinely  commissioned,  in  the 
providence  and  governance  of  God,  to 
assist  the  faithful  in  definite  places  or 
particular  works  (particular  patrons), 
or  even  the  whole  Church  (universal 
patrons),  by  their  mediating  intercession 
alone  (saints  who  are  patrons),  or  also 
by  their  "movement"  (angelic  patrons) 
(p.  95).  He  concludes  that  angelic 
patronage  is  superior  to  that  of  other 
saints,  not  so  much  from  a  superiority 
of  charity,  for  while  living  on  earth,  the 
saints  could  have  merited  a  degree  of 
charity  equal  to  that  of  the  angels. 
Rather,  angelic  patronage  is  of  a  higher 
rank  because  angels  are  greater  by 
nature  (they  have  a  more  perfect  intel- 
lectual nature)  and  because  angels  ad- 
minister human  affairs  by  common  law 
while  the  other  saints  do  so  by  special 
dispensation  or  concession  of  God  (p. 
90-91;    I,  Q  108,  a  8,  ad  2). 

174 


In  its  historical  sections  it  gives  many 
interesting  details  about  devotion  to  St. 
Michael  (ch.  1  and  5).  We  read  of  its 
early  5th-century  origin  in  the  east 
(particularly  around  Constantinople) 
and  in  the  west  (at  Rome).  In  the 
Western  Church  it  received  great  mo- 
mentum by  the  apparitions  at  Gargano, 
on  the  south-east  coast  of  Italy,  in  the 
later  5th  century.  Pp.  20-22  list  the 
feasts,  masses,  prayers,  offices,  blessings, 
rosary,  archconfraternities,  instituted  in 
honor  of  St.  Michael. 


The  high  standard  set  by  the  scholas- 
tic and  historical  sections  drops  some- 
what in  the  Scriptural  parts.  The  author 
would  have  greatly  enriched  his  study 
if  he  had  further  investigated  the 
apocalyptic  literature  of  the  Jews,  both 
canonical  and  non-canonical.  In  the 
Bible  the  name  of  St.  Michael  occurs 
only  in  those  books  written  in  an 
apocalyptic  literary  genre  (Daniel,  Jude, 
Apoc,  and  probably  in  1  and  2  Thess). 
We  would  have  liked  to  have  seen 
research  into  Rabbinical  literature  which 
speaks  of  St.  Michael's  guardianship 
over  Israel.  Finally,  we  would  differ 
with  some  particulars  of  Scriptural 
exegesis. 

Despite  this  criticism  from  a  Scrip- 
tural point  of  view,  we  do  recommend 
the  book.  So  far  as  we  know,  it  is  the 
only  full  length  treatment  of  St. 
Michael  .  It  deserves  a  place  in  all  our 
libraries,  because  Passionists  should  be 
better  acquainted  with  their  heavenly 
Patron. 

Carroll  Stuhlmueller,  C.P. 
Chicago,   Illinois 


THE  BLESSED  SCRAMENT 
AND  THE  MASS,  by  St.  Thom- 
as Aquinas  (Translated,  with 
additional  notes  and  appendi- 
ces, by  Rev.  F.  O'Neill.)  New- 
man Press,  $2.75. 

This  small  volume  is  a  re-issue  of  a 
work  published  in  1933.  Certain  char- 
acteristics should   be  pointed  out. 

The  short  introduction  to  the  work; 
the  several  introductions  to  certain 
questions;  and  the  appendices  will  help 
much  to  a  deeper  understanding  of  the 
text  of  St.  Thomas. 

The  Questions  translated  are  Ques- 
tions 73-83  of  the  Pars  Tertia  of  the 
Summa  Theologiae.  The  translation  is 
precise  and  appealing;  though  often  it 
is  a  condensation  rather  than  a  full 
rendering  of  the  text.  The  material  is 
somewhat  differently  arranged  than  in 
the  work  of  St.  Thomas:  the  body  of 
the  articles  is  set  forth  before  the  objec- 
tions and  their  answers. 

The  small  volume  can  be  convenient- 
ly carried;    and  will   serve  to  put  the 
doctrine   of   the   Angelic   Doctor   in   a 
most  informative  and  inspiring  manner. 
Joseph  M.  O'Leary,  C.P. 
Chicago,  Illinois 


THE  CONTEMPLATIVE  AND 
THE  CROSS— (Le  Contempla- 
tif  et  la  Croix)  By  Fr.  Thomas 
Dehau,  O.P.  Editions  du  Cerf, 
Paris.    1956.  Pp.  40cS. 

This  work  is  a  collection  of  medita- 
tions for  retreats  to  Religious.  The 
conferences  it  contains  are  well  adapted 
to  instill  the  true  meaning  of  the  Pas- 


sion and  to  move  souls  to  total  self- 
sacrifice  for  the  sake  of  the  Crucified. 

Those  who  go  on  retreat  seek  to  die 
to  creatures  that  they  may  live  to  God 
alone.  But  what  will  surely  lead  to 
this — more  even  than  the  thought  of 
our  own  death — is  the  truth,  "A  God  is 
dead!"    (pp.    20-38). 

Why,  we  ask,  has  God  Himself  been 
reduced  to  such  a  state?  The  answer 
is — His  love.  "It  is  love  that  demands 
such  a  terrible  death."  (pp.  61-77). 
Too  successfully  has  Jansenism,  with 
its  dubious  zeal  for  divine  justice, 
snatched  from  love  its  adorable  Victim 
to  make  Him  the  Victim  of  justice! 
And  so  slyly  does  it  do  this  that  it  is 
seldom  even  noticed"  (p.  77). 

Yes,  it  is  love  that  holds  first  place 
in  the  Passion.  Love  existed  before 
creation  came  to  be — God  in  Himself 
is  Love.  It  is  only  after  creation  that 
we  can  speak  of  justice,  and  after  love 
moved  God  to  create  the  universe  (pp. 
88-89).  Besides,  justice  would  have 
been  satisfied  by  a  single  drop  of 
Christ's  blood.  "Every  glance  at  the 
crucifix  should  make  us  realize  how 
love  caused  the  divine  blood  to  be 
poured  forth  to  the  last  drop;  justice 
would  have  been  satisfied  with  but  the 
first.  Measure,  if  you  can,  the  distance 
between  the  first  drop  of  blood  and  the 
last;  such  is  the  distance  between 
justice  and  love"   (p.  95). 

This  book  brings  out  the  theological 
and  spiritual  aspects  of  the  Passion  with 
vigor  and  forcefulness.  It  will  be  most 
useful  to  souls  trying  to  lead  an  interior 
life,  and  will  contribute  to  their  solid 
progress. 


175 


THE  WAY  OF  THE  CROSS 
BY  LAYMEN— (La  Via  Crucis 
Commentata  Da  Laid)  Edited 
by  Pino  Lombardi.  Edizioni 
"Pattuglia  della  fede"  Naples, 
1955.    Pp.  88.  80^. 

This  worthwhile  book  is  but  another 
sign  of  the  importance  of  the  Stations 
of  the  Cross  for  our  own  times.  Brief 
meditations  by  the  leading  men  of 
Naples  make  up  the  book.  They  were 
given  during  the  outdoor  Stations  held 
in  that  city  on  Good  Friday,  1954. 

Anyone  who  probes  deeply  the  prob- 
lems and  experiences  of  modern  society 
cannot  help  but  recognize  the  need  to 
wean  men  from  a  naturalism  which 
shuts  them  up  within  themselves  and 
ties  them  down  to  their  own  misery, 
and  to  bring  them  to  consider  the  suf- 
ferings of  Christ.  Herein  they  will  find 
not  only  comfort  in  their  own  sufferings, 
but  instruction  on  the  positive  and  trans- 
cendant  value  of  every  trial  borne  in 
union  with  the  will  of  God. 

These  statements  of  qualified  catholic 
laymen  ring  with  sincerity  and  zeal. 
The  devotion  they  inspire  and  the  good 
example  they  give  may  well  help  to 
bring  Christ  crucified  before  men  of 
today. 

THE  HIGHWAY  OF  THE 
CROSS  (Chemin  de  la  Croix: 
Via  Crucis)  By  Albert  Frank 
Duquesne.     Editions    Universi- 


taires,  Paris-Bruxelles.  1955.  Pp. 
368. 

This  true  and  stirring  story  of  the 
Cross  is  rooted  in  the  author's  own  ex- 
perience. It  goes  back  to  that  terrible 
12  th  of  September  1941  which  marked 
the  high  tide  of  the  injustice  he  suffered 
in  the  German  concentration  camp  of 
Breendonk. 

While  his  torturers  worked  to  destroy 
in  him  and  his  fellow  prisoniers  the 
last  vestiges  of  human  dignity,  he  under- 
went a  profound  religious  experience,  a 
spiritual  purgatory.  This  special  grace 
opened  his  eyes  to  the  real  purgative, 
illuminative,  and  unitive  power  of  the 
Cross.  Duquesne  brings  this  out  in 
the  preface  of  the  book  and  the  four 
lengthy  meditations  which  follow.  The 
book  traces  the  soul's  path  through  the 
three  classical  stages  of  the  spiritual  life. 

The  author  believes  that  no  one  can 
escape  the  pressing  query  and  challenge 
that  seizes  everyman  as  he  comes  face 
to  face  with  the  Cross — Christ  is  the 
Unescapable  (cfr.  p.  28  ff.).  For  those 
who  reduce  the  "way  of  the  cross"  to 
simply  a  pious  exercise,  this  book  will 
be  a  summons  to  re-examine  the  true 
nature  of  the  christian  life — even 
though  it  be  given  a  little  harshly  at 
times.  They  will  be  impelled  to  disen- 
tangle their  lives  from  every  foolish 
compromise,  and  square  them  up  brave- 
ly with  true  Passion  spirituality. 

(From  Fonti  Vive) 


NOTICE 
Reviewers  are  wanted  to  review  books  to  appear  in   future  issues   of  The 
Passionist.   Some  of  the  books  to  be  reviewed  are  in  a  foreign  language.   If  any 
of  our  Readers  are  interested,  please  send  in  your  name  to  the  Editor,  also 
indicate  if  you  would  be  interested  in  reviewing  books  in  another  language. 


176 


SUGGESTED  LIST  OF   RECENT   BOOKS   FOR 
PASSIONIST  LIBRARIES 


SACRED  SCRIPTURE 

THE  TWO  EDGED  SWORD, 

by  J.  L.  McKenzie,  S.J.,  Bruce,  $4.50. 

A  PATH  THROUGH  GENESIS, 

by  B.  Vauter,  C.  M.,  Sheed  and  Ward, 

$4.00. 

SACRED  THEOLOGY 

ON  THE  TRUTH  OF  THE  CATHO- 
LIC FAITH,  (Transl.  of  Contra  Gen- 
tiles of  St.  Thomas,  Books  I,  II,  III  ( 1 ) , 
III  (2)),  each  $2.50;  Paper,  85£. 
THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT  AND 
THE  MASS,  by  St.  Thomas  (Transl. 
with  notes)  Newman,  $2.75. 
THE  SOURCES  OF  CATHOLIC 
DOGMA,  (English  Transl.  of  Den- 
zinger)  by  R.  Deferrari,  Herder,  $8.50. 
THE  CHURCH  TEACHES,  (Docu- 
ments of  the  Church  in  English,  with 
topical  arrangement).  Jesuit  Fathers, 
Herder,   $5.75. 

SOURCES  OF  CHRISTIAN  THEOL- 
OGY (Vol.  I  is  the  Sacraments)  by 
P.  Palmer,  S.J.,  Newman,  $4.75. 
PRINCIPLES  OF  SACRAMENTAL 
THEOLOGY,  by  B.  Leeming,  S.J., 
Longmans,   $5.50. 

MEDICAL  ETHICS,  by  E.  Healy,  S.J., 
Loyola,  $6.00. 

PHILOSOPHY 

THE  CHRISTIAN  PHILOSOPHY  OF 
ST.  THOMAS,  by  E.  Gilson,  Random 
House,   $7.50. 


GENERAL 

BOOK  OF  CATHOLIC  QUOTA- 
TIONS, edited  by  J.  Chapin,  Farrar, 
Strauss  and  Cudahy,  $8.50. 

DICTIONARY    OF    MARY,    by    D. 

Atwater,  Kenedy,   $6.50. 

SPIRITUAL 

ORDINATION  TO  THE  PRIEST- 
HOOD, by  J.  Bligh,  S.J.,  Sheed  and 
Ward,  $3.00. 

THE  SILENT  LIFE,  by  T.  Merton, 
Farrar,  Strauss  and  Cudahy,  $3.50. 

CONVERSATION  WITH  CHRIST, 
by  P.  Rohrbach,  O.C.D.,  Fides,  $3.75. 

SPIRITUAL  DOCTRINE  OF  MAR- 
MION,  by  M.  Philipon,  O.P.,  Newman, 
$3.50. 

SPRINGS  OF  MORALITY,  Downside 

Symposium,  Macmillan,  $6.00. 

IN  HIM  IS  LIFE,  by  E.  Mura,  F.S.V., 

Herder,   $3.50. 

LITTLE  STEPS  TO  GREAT  HOLI- 
NESS, by  C  H.  Doyle,  Newman, 
$3.50. 

THE  CHRISTIAN  EXPERIENCE,  by 

Mouroux,  Sheed  and  Ward,  $4.50. 

We  recommend  for  our  Libraries  a 
Subscription  to  Books  on  Trial  (210 
W.  Madison  St.,  Chicago  6,  III.,  $3.00 
per  year)  which  lists  recently  published 
books  and  contains  many  excellent  Book 
Reviews. 


177 


otft&z 


PLEA  FOR  A  MORE  ACTIVE  ATTI- 
TUDE 
Dear  Editor: 

I  wonder  how  many  readers  turn  to 
the  letter's  column  first  when  they  re- 
ceive their  copy  of  The  Passionist?  Those 
who  do,  support  by  their  action  the 
proposition  that  I  am  going  to  set  forth 
here. 

But  first,  I  must  congratulate  you  on 
the  new  features:  this  column,  the  book 
reviews,  and  the  question  box.  Now  that 
The  Passionist  has  an  official  capacity 
as  the  news  organ  of  the  English 
speaking  world,  I  am  glad  to  see  it 
really   "coming  alive." 

I  frankly  admit,  though,  that  I  would 
like  to  see  it  more  like  a  workshop 
where  worthwhile  themes  are  forged 
through  discussion  with  a  view  to  even- 
tual correlation  and  synthesis.  No  doubt 
our  publication  serves  a  very  useful 
purpose  as  a  permanent  record  of  passing 
events  and  enduring  thought.  But  this 
role  seems  to  me  much  too  passive.  I 
would  like  to  see  it  become  more  active 
— the  channel  where  fresh,  vigorous 
streams  of  thought  converge  and  run 
themselves  clear.  In  this  way  The  Pas- 
sionist would  exert  a  profound,  forma- 
tive influence  on  the  life  of  the  Province, 


178 


would  provide  those  in  office  with  an 
accurate  index  of  the  mind  of  the 
brethren  on  current  problems,  and  would 
incidentally  make  The  Passionist  more 
widely  read  and  would  win  more  con- 
tributors. 

A  word  about  these  latter  effects.  As 
a  mere  record  of  the  past  or  as  a  shrine 
for  literary  gems,  it  carries  no  note  of 
urgency;  we  can  always  find  it  in  the 
library.  But  as  a  workbook  where  con- 
trasting viewpoints  could  be  aired  and 
argued,  we  would  feel  that  ignorance  of 
this  discussion  entails  ignorance  of  the 
influences  shaping  our  Passionist  life. 
I  am  not,  of  course,  advocating  that  all 
feature  articles  involving  research  and 
scholarship  be  dropped,  but  I  am  advo- 
cating that  there  be  short,  lively  articles 
expressing  ideas  not  yet  ready  for  final 
synthesis,  ideas  that  obviously  call  for 
further  analysis,  collaboration  and  eval- 
uation. 

I  suggest  that  this  will  also  be  a 
successful  way  to  get  contributors.  How 
many  Passionist  there  are  who  express 
a  willingness  to  write,  and  even  make 
promises,  but  whose  names  never  grace 
these  pages!  I  myself  have  alleged  lack 
of  time — and  rightly  so,  I  think,  be- 
cause the  composition  of  a  well-written 


thoughtful  article  requires  a  lot  of  work. 
But  if  we  felt  that  our  ideas  were  wel- 
come even  in  their  half-matured  state, 
without  polish  and  finish,  I'm  sure  more 
would  respond.  We  all  have  ideas  and 
convictions,  and  we  like  to  express  them 
— if  we  don't  have  to  pay  too  much 
attention  to  all  the  niceties  of  published 
works. 

I  hope  no  one  will  accuse  me  of 
wishing  to  pull  down  the  high  quality 
of  The  Passionist.  No!  Irresponsible 
writing  and  pointless  prattle  are  out. 
But  I  think  the  brethren  ought  to  be 
encouraged  to  send  in  their  considered 
opinions  in  the  form  of  short  essays. 
Thus  gradually  there  will  be  created  a 
center  for  enlightened  controversy  and 
constructive  criticism. 

I  am  aware  as  I  write  this  that  in 
certain  quarters  in  Europe  there  is  a 
strong  desire  for  some  official  Passionist 
organ  on  the  scientific  level.  Perhaps 
they  are  ready  for  such  an  undertaking. 
We  are  not!  Finished  syntheses  that  will 
stand  the  test  of  time  only  grow  from 
a  long  tradition  of  scholarly  endeavor, 
from  a  generous  pooling  of  talent,  from 
a  free  exchange  of  the  fruits  of  private 
study.  I  do  think  that  we  should  have 
such  a  scholarly  review  as  our  aim,  and 
grow  toward  it  gradually  by  taking 
positive   steps    now. 

Let  me  illustrate  my  point.  Some 
years  ago  one  of  the  Fathers  of  the 
Province  wrote  a  thought-provoking 
article  on  the  spirit  of  the  Congregation. 
He  sent  copies  of  it  to  competent  men 
and  invited  their  criticism.  They  went 
to  great  pains  and  into  some  detail  in 
doing  this.  I  had  the  good  fortune  to 
read  both  the  article  and  the  ensuing 
correspondence,  and  I  found  the  experi- 
ence most  helpful  and  enlightening. 
Since  then,  I  have  often  thought  that  it 


is  a  pity  that  the  whole  Province  doe* 
not  have  access  to  those  stimulating 
ideas.  Now,  I  suppose,  that  sheaf  of 
papers  is  at  the  bottom  of  the  trunk, 
awaiting  that  future  day  (which  may 
never  come)  when  the  author  will  have 
the  leisure  to  bring  his  brain-child  to 
term! 

How  much  ordered  knowledge  we 
now  possess  on  the  complicated  Church 
and  State  question  as  a  result  of  the 
frank  controversy  between  John  Courtney 
Murray,  S.J.,  and  Francis  J.  Connell, 
C.SS.R.!  It  was  remarked  at  the  recent 
Mariological  Convention  that  this  is  per- 
haps the  only  real  contribution  that 
America  has  made  to  Catholic  theology. 

I  plead  therefore  for  a  more  active 
attitude  towards  Passionist  ideals  and 
problems,  both  on  the  level  of  specula- 
tion and  practice.  I  think  we  would  reap 
untold  benefit  from  such  an  approach. 
Barry  Rankin,  C.P. 
Chicago,  Illinois 


MENTAL  PRAYER  IN  THE  LIFE  OF 
A  PASSIONIST 

Dear  Editor: 

Your  article  on  Mental  Prayer  in  the 
Life  of  a  Passionist  in  the  February  issue 
of  The  Passionist  is  a  masterpiece.  Wish 
I  could  have  read  it  twenty  years  ago. 
May  God  and  His  Mother  reward  you 
for  making  this  matter  available  to  us. 
A    Passionist    Brother 

Dear  Editor: 

I  just  read  with  interest  your  article. 
Mental  Prayer  in  the  Life  of  a  Passionist. 
It  was  superb.  We  should  have  more 
articles  like  that  which  have  footnotes  to 
show  the  sources  from  which  the 
teaching  was  derived.  Please  give  us 
more    articles    along    those    lines    which 


179 


emphasize  the  contemplative  side  of  our 
vocation. 

C.P. 

Dear  Editor: 

I  warmly  congratulate  you  on  the 
article  "Mental  Prayer  in  the  Life  of  a 
Passionist,"  which  appeared  in  the 
February  1957  issue  of  The  Passionist. 
It  is   excellent. 

I  liked  especially  that  section  of  it 
which  treats  of  our  commission  to  teach 
mental  prayer.  The  duty  of  teaching 
the  faithful  the  manner  of  making 
mental  prayer  on  the  Mysteries,  Suf- 
ferings, and  Death  of  Our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  is  so  clearly  expressed  in  the  Holy 
Rules  and  also  the  Regulations,  it  is 
surprising  that  there  should  be  any 
doubt  about  the  meaning  of  our  Holy 
Founder. 

But,  the  manner  of  doing  this  is  not 
without  difficulty.  The  Motive  of  the 
Passion  should,  as  the  title  suggests, 
furnish  motives  why  they  should  medi- 
tate on  the  Passion,  and  also  show  them 
how  to  do  it.  But,  usually  these  ex- 
planations are  rather  sketchy  and  the 
faithful  are  left  pretty  much  to  their 
own  devices.  It  is  the  mind  of  St.  Paul 
of  the  Cross  (H.R.  Pars.  2,  3)  that  the 
faithful  should  be  instructed  to  do  the 
same  thing  that  the  religious  does  in 
his  monastery,  due  allowance  being  made 
for  the  obvious  differences.  You  would 
do  the  priests  who  want  to  promote 
mental  prayer  among  the  laity  a  great 
favor,  if  you  would  follow  up  this 
article  with  another  article  outlining  a 
method  of  teaching  them  the  art  of 
mental  prayer  on  the  Passion  of  Our 
Lord,  so  that  the  prescription  of  the 
Holy  Rule  might  be  more  easily  and 
effectively   carried  out   in  practice. 

A    Retreat    Master 

180 


Dear  Editor: 

Thanks  a  million  for  your  wonderful 
article  on  Mental  Prayer!  So  many 
good  things  were  recalled  and  a  few 
convictions  found  more  solid  footing. 

I  liked  the  stressing  of  the  idea  of  our 
commission  to  teach  mental  prayer.  And 
perhaps,  we  could  begin  at  home.  It 
often  struck  me  that  we  hear  so  little 
about  prayer  in  our  own  Choirs.  Though 
we  were  taught  how  to  meditate  in  the 
Novitiate,  and  the  training  was  con- 
tinued on  an  individual  basis  throughout 
Student  Life,  afterwards  it  is  left  up  to 
each  one  to  continue  as  best  he  can. 
I  wonder  if  we  sometimes  don't  need  a 
good  course  on  Prayer.  Examens  or 
articles  in  The  Passionist  might  help. 
If  we  knew  more  about  it —  what  to 
expect  along  the  way — we  might  not 
get  in  a  rut,   and  become  discouraged. 

I  don't  believe  we  can  ever  hear 
enough  on  the  subject,  through  I  realize, 
too,  one  learns  to  pray  by  praying.  But, 
more  frequent  mention  of  it,  does  keep 
one  stirred  up  and  eager  about  some- 
thing so  important.  So  .  .  .  why  not 
follow  up  this  excellent  article  with 
another  on:    "How  to  Pray." 

A  Grateful  Passionist 


LITANY  FOR  A  HAPPY  DEATH 

Dear  Editor: 

I  would  like  to  call  your  attention  to 
a  statement  made  in  a  recent  issue  of 
The  Passionist  (Vol.  IX,  No.  6)  under 
the  Section  entitled  Varia  (page  622). 
I  refer  to  the  interesting  bit  of  informa- 
tion concerning  the  author  of  the  Litany 
for  a  Happy  Death. 

You  mention  at  the  end  that  these 
"details  have  been  drawn  from  a  book 
by    Father    Giovanni    Marino    entitled 


//  Sacerdote  Sanctificato  (1890)."  One 
of  the  details  is  that  "the  recitation  of 
the  Litany  carries  with  it  an  indulgence 
of  100  days  each  time,  and  a  Plenary 
Indulgence,  if  said  daily  for  a  month 
(Pius  VII  and  Leo  XII)." 

While  quite  possibly  very  true,  the 
statement  could  be  misleading.  If  under- 
stood in  the  sense  that  any  of  the 
faithful  who  recite  this  Litany  today  may 
gain  those  indulgences,  the  statement  is 
incorrect.  Because  of  the  fact  that  we 
frequently  say  this  Litany  at  public 
functions  in  our  Churches,  I  think  it 
would  be  worthwhile  to  clarify  the 
point. 

The  Enchiridion  Indulgentiarum  is  an 
authoritative  and  complete  collection  of 
the  indulgences  still  in  force  for  the 
universal  Church.  ("Hoc  volumen  preces 
complectitur  ac  pia  opera  .  .  .  quae  adhuc 
vigent;  .  .  .  obrogatis  ceteris  omnibus 
generalibus  indulgentiarum  concessioni- 
bus,  quae  in  hoc  enchiridion  non  sunt 
relatae."  Decretum  S.  Paenit.  Apost., 
March  3.  1952).  The  latest  edition  of 
this  enchiridion  (Vatican  Press,  1952) 
does  not  contain  the  Litany  for  a  Happy 
Death.  Perhaps  it  was  contained  in 
earlier  editions,  I  have  not  checked. 
But  it  is  not  indulgenced  today  for  all 
the  faithful  or  for  any  general  group  of 
the  faithful. 

It  is  not  true  to  say  that  all  indul- 
gences are  contained  in  this  official  col- 
lection. There  are  three  general  cate- 
gories of  indulgences  which  are  not 
listed  in  the  enchiridion.    Not  listed  are: 

( 1 )  Indulgences  which  require  a  blessing 
by  a  competent  priest  (secular  or  reli- 
gious)    upon     some    object     of     piety; 

(2)  Indulgences  which  require  a  visit 
to  some  determined  place;  (3)  Indul- 
gences which  require  enrollment  in  some 
sodality  or  organization.  (Cfr.  Enchirid- 


ion Indulgentiarum.  Praenotanda,  No.  I, 
pg.    rii). 

Hence  it  is  entirely  possible  that  "the 
recitation  of  the  Litany  carries  with  it 
an  indulgence"  if,  for  example  the 
indulgence  was  granted  to  members  of 
some  sodality — as  the  Bona  Mors  Society. 
Whether  or  not  such  is  the  fact,  I  do 
not  know.  Certainly  the  mere  recitation 
of  the  Litany  for  a  Happy  Death  does 
not  carry  with  it  any  indulgence  for 
the  faithful  in  general  or  for  any  partic- 
ular group,  such  as  the  sick,  the  dying, 
priests,   etc. 

Paul    M.    Boyle,    C.P. 

Rome 


CORRECTION— HOLY  CROSS  PROV- 
INCE 1906-1956 
Dear  Editor: 

I  wish  to  call  your  attention  to  a 
mistake  in  the  latest  issue  of  The  Pas- 
sionist,  (Vol.  IX,  No.  6,  page  547). 
The  Very  Rev.  Frs.  Jerome  Reutermann 
and  Casimir  Taylor  were  not  elected  in 
this  consultum.  They  were  elected  in 
the  Provincial  Chapter  of  St.  Paul  of 
the  Cross  Province  of  1906. 

In  the  back  of  the  Register,  Superiors 
of  the  Western  Province,  page  2,  it  is 
stated  that  the  First  Chapter  of  the 
Western  Province  was  held  in  July, 
1906.  That  was  a  Consultum  and  not 
a  Chapter.  The  first  Chapter  was  held 
in  1908. 

C.P. 
Dear  Editor: 

I  would  like  to  point  out  the  following 
mistakes  in  the  November-December 
issue  of  The  Passionist  in  the  article 
entitled  "Holy  Cross  Province  1906- 
1956."  Father  Alban  Callagee  was  a 
nephew  and  not  a  brother  of  Father 
Denis.   I  would  also  like  to  mention  that 


181 


his  twin  brother  was  named  Matt  instead 
of  Martin.  I  also  believe  that  Father 
Philip  Birk  was  pastor  at  St.  Michael's 
in  West  Hoboken  and  not  at  St. 
Michael's  in  Pittsburg. 

Edwin    Ronan,    C.P. 

Houston,  Texas 


BETTER  LIBRARIES 

Dear  Editor: 

It  would  be  wonderful  if  our  libraries 
were  all  fully  catalogued.  This  would 
allow  us  to  get  the  best  use  of  our 
libraries.  But  this  takes  hours  of  work, 
just  to  keep  it  up  to  date.  Where  a 
beginning  has  never  been  made,  the 
situation  can  look  hopeless.  For  those 
of  our  libraries  that  are  not  yet  cata- 
logued, there  are  some  easy  steps  that 
can  be  taken  to  put  the  library  in  order. 

1.  Arrange  the  books  according  to 
subjects — preferably,  according  to  the 
categories  of  the  Dewey  Decimal  System, 
since  this  is  in  widest  use  in  the  Province. 
Then  label  the  shelves. 

2.  Mark  the  back  of  the  books  with 
the  Dewey  numbers.  This  will  insure 
a  definite  place  for  each  book,  according 
to  its  subject.  This  can  be  done  rather 
quickly. 

3.  Only  when  all  the  books  have  been 
marked,  begin  the  time-consuming  proc- 
ess of  typing  cards.  Keep  the  cards 
simple:  only  one  card  with  complete 
information — the  author  card — and  the 
others  as  little  as  necessary  to  find  the 
book.  By  working  a  section  at  a  time 
and  marking  the  title  page  when  the 
cards  have  been  made,  the  danger  of 
skipping  books  can  be  avoided. 

4.  In  all  our  libraries,  a  "checking 
out"  system  would  help  in  locating  books 
that  are  out.    This  could  be  simple:    a 


box  with  alphabetical  index  dividers  and 
a  pad  of  blank  slips.  When  someone 
takes  a  book  from  the  library,  he  writes 
the  author,  title,  and  his  own  name  on 
a  slip  and  drops  it  in  the  file.  Just  a  few 
seconds  to  check  out  a  book. 

These  suggestions  are  offered  in  the 
hope  that  they  may  be  helpful,  and  that 
others  with  library  experience  may  add 
other,  perhaps  better,  ideas. 

Amateur    Librarian 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  SPIRITU- 
ALITY OF  ST.  PAUL 

Dear  Editor: 

This  is  written  to  thank  Fr.  Costante 
Brovetto,  C.P.,  the  Translators,  and  The 
Passionist  for  making  the  "Introduction 
to  the  Spirituality  of  St.  Paul  of  the 
Cross"  available  to  English  readers.  The 
presentation  in  your  pages  maintains  and 
in  one  way  at  least,  I  believe,  surpasses 
any  previous  critical  work  which  has 
appeared:  the  reader  is  not  only  given 
the  critical  insight  of  the  original  author 
but  the  added  critical  appraisal  of ,  the 
translators. 

Fr.  Costante's  ability  in  Theology  and 
Sacred  and  Secular  History  as  well  as 
his  ability  to  both  handle  and  balance 
the  primary  and  secondary  sources  are 
certainly  enhanced  by  his  ability  to 
make  the  dead  bones  of  the  past  arise 
and  form  a  living  personality.  The  effort 
required  and  made  with  such  success 
to  present  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  as  a 
distinct  and  recognizable  person  previous 
to  presenting  his  doctrine  as  a  distinct 
and  recognizable  Spirituality  has  been 
for  me  the  best  presentation  yet,  with 
no  imaginative  additions.  The  following 
personal  references  from  St.  Paul's  own 
letters   confirm  the   impression: 


182 


".  .  .  the  great  God  of  Majesty  has 
given  me  light  to  arrange  sermons,  in- 
structions, etc.,  as  also  in  Morals  to  hear 
confessions,  having  studied  some  sub- 
jects, which  I  have  tried  to  keep  up  as 
much  as  I  could. 

"...  I  must  keep  myself  in  fear  and 
trembling  for  the  great  account  I  must 
give  as  a  chosen  dispenser  of  the  treas- 
ures of  the  Most  High,  Who  has  willed 
to  confide  to  me  not  only  missions  in 
many  Dioceses,  but  also  Convents  of 
Sisters  where  I  have  given  retreats  and 
served  as  extraordinary  Confessor.  .  .  . 
He  has  also  confided  to  me  the  holy 
directions  of  some  souls  who  are  en- 
riched with  wonderful  gifts  of  God  and 
the  highest  prayer.  .  .  ."  (Lettere  II,  pp. 
275-6) 

This  shows  us  the  broad  basis  of 
personal  experience  besides  his  own 
which  St.  Paul  could  use  in  forming  a 
proper  Spirituality. 

"...  I  am  compassion  from  my  moth- 
er's womb"  he  writes  to  Abbot  Stephen 
Zucchino  Stefani  about  a  youth  in  whom 
he   is   interested.     (Lettere   III,    p.   678) 

Another  personal  reference  to  the 
same  Abbot  two  years  earlier  gives  an 
interesting  sidelight  on  St.  Paul's  interest 
in  Sacred  Scripture: 

"I  have  just  received  your  letter,  and 
I  can  assure  you  that  I  have  much  at 
heart  the  spread  of  your  excellent  work 
on  Genesis  for  youthful  study.  For  this 
purpose  I  will  not  fail  in  the  coming 
little  General  Chapter  of  ours  to  recom- 


mend all  to  promote  its  use  etc;  and 
if  God  spreads  our  Congregation  into 
Piedmont  as  seems  likely,  I  will  try  to 
have  it  received  in  the  University  of 
Turin  and  in  all  the  schools  of  the  State, 
with  the  consent  of  the  King  etc." 
(Lettere   III,   p.    677) 

The  section  of  Fr.  Constante's  work 
on  Sacred  Scripture  as  a  source  for  St. 
Paul's  doctrine  is  a  valuable  contribu- 
tion. The  texts  used  as  the  work  prog- 
resses through  the  speculative  sections 
illustrated  his  points  well.  Incidentally, 
in  just  the  first  two  Volumes  of  his 
Letters  St.  Paul  has  already  quoted  from 
27  books  of  the  Old  Testament  and  21 
books  of  the  New  Testament. 

The  insistence  upon  the  distinction 
between  introversion  and  introspection 
and  the  way  St.  Paul  worked  to  further 
the  first  and  oppose  the  second  is  espe- 
cially helpful.  However  for  the  benefit 
of  English  readers  the  translators  might 
have  added  a  note  further  explaining 
introversion  in  the  mind  of  St.  Paul 
since  the  word  carries  a  somewhat  dis- 
agreeable   implication    for    many    today. 

Thank  you  again  for  making  the  fruit 
of  such  labor  and  love  in  analyzing  St. 
Paul's  Spirituality  available. 

John  M.  Render,  C.P. 
Des  Moines,  Iowa 

§  Father  Costante's  work  will  be  con- 
tinued in  the  June  1st  issue  of  The 
Passionist. 

Ed. 


-^^«g^»^^!^8^^g^ 


Our  readers  are  invited  to  send  letters  to  the  Editor,  giving  their  comments 
and  opinions  on  article  and  letters  appearing  in  The  Passionist.  Letters  on 
other  subjects  that  will  be  of  interest  to  our  Readers  will  also  be  printed.  If 
requested,  the  name  of  the  sender  will  not  be  printed,  but  anonymous  letters  will 
not  be  accepted. 


183 


rta 


Explanation  of  Mass  Recorded 

This  is  the  Mass  is  a  brand  new 
12"  33  1/3  LP  record  containing  an 
explanation  and  description  of  the 
Mass.  It  can  be  obtained  from  The 
Carmelite  Fathers  Guild,  55  Demarest 
Avenue,   Englewood,  NJ.  $3.00. 

Language  School  in  Tokyo 

The  Franciscan  Language  School  in 
Tokyo,  Japan,  begun  after  the  war  by 
the  Very  Rev.  Alphonse  Schnusenberg 
O.F.M.,  Delegate  General  of  all 
O.F.M.  Missions  in  the  Far  East,  had 
85  students  (priests  and  brothers) 
during  1955-56,  coming  from  12  dif- 
ferent nations  and  representing  18  Mis- 
sion Societies. 

Retreats  for  Young  Men 

The  following  news  item  will  be 
encouraging  for  those  who  are  trying 
to  further  closed  retreats  for  young 
men.  During  the  past  four  years,  ten 
thousand  young  men  aged  16  to  24 
made  a  three-day  retreat  at  Gonzaga 
Retreat  House,  Monroe,  N.Y.  Revs. 
John  M.  Fahey,   S.J.,   and  John  W. 

184 


Magan,  S.J.,  retreat  directors,  report 
constant  enthusiasm  among  the  young 
men  for  the  experience  of  prayer  and 
silence,  and  their  interest  in  recruiting 
others. 


Holy  Week  Questionnaire 

Last  April  we  sent  out  a  questionnaire 
on  the  New  Holy  Week  Services  in 
our  Monastery  and  Parish  Churches. 
We  are  grateful  for  the  replies  received, 
but  we  regret  being  unable  to  write  a 
full  article  on  it.  We  must  be  content 
with  the  following  summary. 

1.  The  attendance  at  the  services  and 
the  reception  of  Holy  Communion  were 
much  greater  in  practically  all  of  our 
Churches. 

2.  Participation  in  the  singing  and 
in  answering  the  responses  was  not  too 
common.  It  seems  our  Colored  Missions 
did  better  in  this  regard.  The  partici- 
pation in  the  Palm  Sunday  Procession 
fared  the  worse. 

3.  Only  two  churches  had  the  Tre 
Ore  Service,  and  of  these  one  said  it 
would  be  omitted  this  coming  year. 


From  another  church  we  receive  word 
that  it  was  felt  the  Tre  Ore  should 
have  been  had. 

4.  Quite  a  few  churches  had  a  com- 
mentator or  announcer.  Others  felt 
it  would  be  a  good  idea  to  have  one 
this  year.    A  few  saw  no  need  for  one. 

5.  Holy  Thursday  Solemn  Mass 
varied  from  5:00  p.m.  to  8:00  p.m. 
At  one  church  where  it  was  celebrated 
at  7:00  p.m.,  it  was  felt  it  should  have 
been  at  6:00  p.m.  Several  hoped  for  a 
morning  Mass  also. 

6.  Most  Churches  had  the  Good 
Friday  Liturgy  at  3:00  p.m.  Three  had 
it  at  6:00  p.m.  Several  expressed  the 
hope  that  it  would  be  between  noon 
to  three. 

7.  Two  churches  that  had  the 
midnight  Easter  Vigil  in  the  past,  found 
out  that  the  evening  hour  was  better 
attended  than  midnight. 

8.  In  some  of  our  churches  confes- 
sions were  heard  beginning  on  Monday 
or  Tuesday.  No  specified  complaints 
were  made  about  Saturday  confessional 
crowds. 

9.  One  pastor  felt  that  children  could 
not  attend  the  services  at  the  evening 
hour,  due  to  the  overcrowded  churches, 
and  so  feared  that  they  would  not  be 
brought  up  to  attend  these  services. 

All  in  all  we  can  say  that  Holy  Week 
was  observed  with  greater  attendance 
in  all  of  our  Passionist  Churches.  Details 
have  still  to  be  worked  out,  but  as 
throughout  the  world,  the  new  Holy 
Week  services  were  greeted  with  re- 
newed interest  and  even  enthusiasm. 


Chronology  of  Holy  Week 

On  the  much  discussed  and  still  un- 
settled problem  of  identifying  the  days 
on  which  the  Last  Supper  was  held,  E. 
Vogt  has  an  interesting  article  in  the 
Biblica,  entitled  "Dies  Ultimae  Coenae 
Domini"  (Vol.  36,  1955,  pp.  408- 
413). 

Among  the  many  solutions  offered  to 
solve  the  question,  this  author  cites  and 
explains  the  one  proposed  by  A.  Jaubert 
in  the  Revue  dHistoires  des  Religions 
(146,  1945.  pp.  140-173). 

An  old  tradition  dating  from  the 
second  century  refers  to  the  celebration 
of  the  Last  Supper  on  Tuesday  by 
Jesus.  The  Pasch  according  to  the 
ancient  priestly  calendar  fell  on  the 
same  day  every  year.  Hence,  it  seems 
that  the  solution  to  the  difficulty  lies 
in  the  fact  that  "Jesus  ate  the  paschal 
lamb  on  the  Pasch  according  to  the 
ancient  calendar"  and  died  as  the 
Paschal  Lamb  on  the  Pasch  according 
to  the  official  calendar,  and  that  both 
Paschs  fell  within  the  same  week  that 
year,  as  could  easily  have  happened. 

The  chronology  would  then  be: 
Saturday:  The  anointing  at  Bethany. 
"Six  days  before  the  (official)  Passover" 
(Jo.   12:1). 

Sunday:  The  triumphal  entrance. 
"The  next  day"  (Jo.  12:12).  The  night 
was  spent  at  Bethany  (Mk.   11:11). 

Monday:  "The  next  morning"  he 
went  into  the  city;  curses  the  fig  tree 
(Mk.  11:12).  At  evening — outside 
the  city. 

Tuesday:  "The  next  morning,'"  He 
returns  to  the  city;  the  fig  tree  is  found 
withered  up  (Mk.  11:20).   The  Priests 


185 


hold  a  consultation — "Now  it  was  two 
days  before  the  (official)  Passover" 
(Mk.  14:1).  Judas  goes  to  the  Priests. 
The  Last  Supper — "The  first  day  of  the 
unleavened  bread"  (of  the  ancient 
calendar).  (The  Synoptics).  Jesus  is 
captured  during  the  night  and  is  led  to 
Annas  (Jo.  18:13)  at  the  house  of  the 
High  Priest  (Lk.  22:24).  The  ques- 
tioning of  Jesus  and  Peter's  three  deni- 
als. Jesus  is  brought  before  Caiphas, 
the  High  Priest.  The  rest  of  the  night 
is  spent  in  the  house  of  Caiphas. 

Wednesday  morning:  The  first  ses- 
sion of  the  Sanhedrin.  Jesus  is  in  the 
prison  of  the  Jews. 

Thursday  morning:  Second  session 
of  the  Sanhedrin.  Jesus  is  taken  to 
Pilate — first  interview.  In  the  Prison 
of  the  Romans. 

Friday  morning:  Second  interview 
with  Pilate.  Barabbas.  Scourging,  cruci- 
fixion. 

After  quoting  at  length  from  tradi- 
tion and  scripture,  the  author  concludes : 
"This  chronology,  therefore,  does  not 
seem  to  contradict  the  Gospels,  rather 
it  appears  supported  by  them.  It  solves 
many  difficulties  and  throws  new  light 
on  the  happenings  of  the  Passion." 

Letter  From  Garrigou  Lagrange 
to  C.P.  Students 

The  following  letter  of  Father  Gar- 
rigou Lagrange,  O.P.,  was  written  to 
the  Students  of  St.  Gabriel's  Retreat, 
in  the  Pieta  Province,  on  the  occasion 


of  the  first  edition  of  Gioventu  Passion- 
ista  (Passionist  Youth). 

"My  Dear  Students  at  St.  Gabriel's, 

I  am  very  happy  to  learn  of  your 
initiative,  which  appears  to  promise 
much.  It  is  for  me  a  sign  of  the  super- 
natural vitality  of  your  Institute;  and 
it  shows  how  enthusiastically  all  the 
parts  of  your  Order  have  responded  to 
your  invitation. 

The  collaboration  of  your  teachers 
and  Reverend  Fathers — they  who  have 
lived  their  lives  in  the  shadow  of  the 
Cross — will  make  of  this  publication  a 
valuable  aid  for  examining  and  devel- 
oping your  rich  spirituality.  At  the  same 
time  it  will  be  an  outlet  for  your  youth- 
ful energy. 

The  division  of  the  sections  is  well 
ordered.  In  the  third  part  all  the  young 
men  of  your  Order  are  united  in  the 
drive  toward  their  sublime  ideal.  This 
publication  will  make  well  known  the 
loft  conception  of  the  Religious  Life 
which  our  Lord  gave  to  your  Holy 
Founder  and  the  other  Saints  and 
Blessed  of  your  Order.  It  is  providential 
that  this  holy  task  should  be  accom- 
plished in  the  very  place  where  St. 
Gabriel  of  the  Sorrowful  Virgin  lived. 

I  have  a  lively  desire  that  this  work 
bear  much  fruit  in  the  Church  and  in 
your  dear  Congregation,  as  I  forsee  will 
be  the  case  for  the  first  number.  I 
recommend  myself  to  your  prayers,  and 
on  my  part  I  pray  for  you." 

Fr.  Reginald  Garrigou  Lagrange,O.P. 


•t^^)(IO<39j^?^?^<tfg)0(@3|H».. 


186 


MY    IMPRESSIONS 
(Continued   from    page   120) 

The  festive  dinner,  the  taking  of 
group  photos  of  the  two  Communities 
together,  the  good-byes  exchanged — 
these  also  left  with  me  more  than 
superficial  impressions;  they  expressed 
in  tangible  form  the  solidarity  and 
deeper  union  that  exists  between  all 
Passionists  everywhere. 

And  this  ended  my  historic  pilgrim- 
age to  Monte  Argentaro  in  the  foot- 
steps of  my  nineteen  predecessors. 


REGINA  CONGREGATIONS 
(Continued   from   page   157) 

We  are  forbidden  to  add  this  or  any 
other  invocation  in  the  public  recitation 
of  the  litany.  How  I  say  the  litany 
privately,  or  how  we  say  it  privately,  is 
not  the  concern  of  the  Sacred  Congre- 
gation of  Rites.  Certainly  the  Church 
is  interested  in  our  private  devotions. 
Canon  1930  is  meant  to  safeguard  us 
from  litanies  which  are  foreign  to 
traditional  Catholic  piety  or  sound  theol- 
ogy, even  if  they  would  be  used  only 
privately.  But  the  decrees  of  the  Sacred 
Congregation  of  Rites  are  not  intended 
to  regulate  private  acts  of  devotion. 

In  view  of  all  this,  Father  Ronald's 
statement  (page  15  3,  col.  2)  that  "it 
is  evident  that  there  is  at  least  a  solid 
doubt  that  we  gain  the  indulgence  of 
the  litany  when  we  add  the  invocation 
in  question"  cannot  be  sustained.  I  do 
not   think    there   can   be   any   prudent 


doubt  in  the  matter.  Decree  #5  of  the 
thirty-third  General  Chapter  is  in  con- 
formity with  sound  juridic  principles. 


PASSION    IN    ART 
(Continued   from   page   153) 

sold  by  the  Customs  office  but  found  to 
be  too  large  to  exhibit.  It  was  finally 
purchased  by  Dr.  Eaton  for  Forest  Lawn 
Memorial  Park,  Glendale,  California, 
and  hangs  today  across  a  stage  in  The 
Hall  of  the  Crucifixion  where  thousands 
see  it  every  year. 

41  Jacques  Maritain,  Georges  Rouai/lt, 
Pocket  Library  of  Great  Art.  For  an 
example  of  Rouault  see  The  Sign,  May 
1956,  p.  33. 

42  Possibly  the  greatest  "surrealist" 
painter.  His  early  paintings  are  char- 
acterized by  limp  watches,  plastic  pianos, 
and  other  less  delectable  subjects.  After 
an  audience  with  Pope  Pius  XII,  he 
turned  from  "surrealism"  to  what  he 
calls  "the  realistic  mysticism  of  the 
Catholic  Faith."  Cf.  J.  A.  Breig,  "Dali 
Paints  Christ,"  Catholic  Digest,  Aug. 
1955,  pp.  119-121  cf.  also  Jubilee,  Apr. 
1955. 

4:<  Cf.  Bruno,  Three  Mystics,  pp.  96  ff. 

41  Cf.  Poem  of  Sr.  Miriam  of  the 
H.  Sp.,  D.C.  (Jessica  Powers)  in  Spiri- 
tual Life,  Mar.  1955,  p.  35. 

'•",  Prof.  Primo  Conti  teaches  painting 
today  at  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts, 
Florence.  From  the  age  of  14  his  works 
were  shown  in  national  and  international 
expositions. 

":  Fonti  Vive,  n.  4.  Dicembre  1955, 
pp.  429-430. 

47  "The  function  of  Art"  N.C.W.C. 
translation,  p.  3. 


187 


PROVINCE  OF  HOLY  CROSS 


International  Visitors 

An  extraordinary  number  of  Passion- 
ists  from  other  provinces  and  mission 
territories  visited  Immaculate  Concep- 
tion Monastery,  Chicago,  Illinois,  this 
past  January.  Prominent  among  them 
were  Bishop  Ubaldo  Cibrian  of  Coroco- 
ro,  high  in  the  Bolivian  Andes,  and 
Bishop  Cuthbert  O'Gara,  exiled  from 
Hunan,  China.  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Primo, 
Provincial  of  Immaculate  Heart  Prov- 
ince, and  Father  Germano,  Superior  of 
Immaculate  Heart  Province's  Mexican 
foundation,  brought  with  them  the 
flavor  of  Our  Holy  Founder's  native 
Northern  Italy.  Father  Justin  Garvey 
told  of  his  experiences  as  one  of  the 
last  Passionist  Missioners  expelled  from 
Hunan  by  the  Chinese  Red  government. 


And  Father  Marcellus,  C.P.,  from  the 
Belgian  Province,  after  nine  years 
teaching  theology  in  Rome  and  Eng- 
land, was  on  his  way  to  a  new  assign- 
ment in  Australia!  Contact  with  such 
a  wide  variety  of  visitors  certainly 
demonstrates  the  worldwide  character 
of  our  Congregation,  and  likewise  in- 
creases a  sense  of  solidarity  with  our 
brethren  in  all  nations. 

Mariological  Convention 

The  Eighth  National  Convention  of 
the  Mariological  Society  of  America, 
held  in  Chicago,  January  3-4,  drew  a 
strong  representation  of  Passionists 
from  Immaculate  Conception  Monastery 
there,  as  well  as  Fathers  Richard  Kugel- 
man,  and  Bennet  Kelly  from  St.  Paul 
of  the  Cross  Province.    Of  the  approxi- 


mately  one  hundred  members  present 
eighteen  were  Passionists.  The  doctrinal 
subject  treated  by  this  year's  convention 
was  the  Death  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 
While  our  Fathers  were  not  among  the 
scheduled  speakers,  they  took  an  active 
and  valuable  part  in  the  post-lecture 
discussions. 

Japanese  Christianity 

Professor  Paul  M.  Tagita  of  the 
Catholic  University  of  Nagaya,  Japan, 
addressed  the  Chicago  community  la~t 
December  20th,  on  what  he  termed 
"The  Secret  Christians  of  Japan."  He 
disclosed  that  at  least  half  the  famous 
Nagasaki  Christians,  who  remained 
loyal  to  Christianity  during  300  years 
of  persecution,  have  never  returned  to 
the  true  faith.  They  cling  to  many 
Catholic  practices — as  shown  by  the 
Professor's  recording  of  their  Rosary, 
chanted  in  Latin — but  thus  far  have 
not  acknowledged  the  Church  of  Rome 
as  being  the  religion  they  received  long 
ago  from  St.  Francis  Xavier.  Professor 
Tagita,  a  former  Buddhist  monk,  has 
since  his  conversion  specialized  in  the 
problem  of  the  Oriental  approach  to 
Christianity,  and  has  dedicated  his  life 
to  the  conversion  of  Japan. 

Zealous  Benefactor 

Mr.  Jonas  Mayou,  brother  of  Father 
Matthias  Mayou,  C.P.,  (deceased  1929) 
of  the  Eastern  Province,  underwent  a 
serious  operation  in  Resurrection  Hos- 
pital, Chicago,  Illinois,  on  January  28th, 
and  is  now  recovering  nicely.  Mr. 
Mayou  has  been  a  benefactor  of  Holy 


Cross  Province  in  quite  an  unusual  way. 
As  a  parish  choir  director  in  his  younger 
days,  he  was  instrumental  in  sending 
several  boys  to  our  Preparatory  Semin- 
ary, among  them  Father  Joseph  Gart- 
land  (deceased  1956)  and  Fathers  Leo 
Scheibel,  Cornelius  McGraw,  and  Mat- 
thias Coen. 

Death  of  Fr.  Regis  Enright,  C.P. 

Death  came  a  second  time  in  one 
month  to  the  Sacred  Heart  Retreat 
on  December  26th,  when  Rev.  Fr.  Regis 
Enright,  C.P.,  passed  to  his  eternal  re- 
ward. Father  Regis  had  not  been  well 
for  some  time.  On  November  19,  while 
conducting  a  novena  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  he  was  confined  to  the  Charity 
Hospital    there.     On   November    30th, 


Rev.    Fr.    Regis    Enright,    CP 


189 


he  was  able  to  return  to  Louisville, 
Kentucky,  and  at  once  entered  St. 
Joseph's  Infirmary. 

As  his  condition  did  not  improve,  it 
was  decided  to  anoint  him  on  December 
9th.  He  passed  into  a  coma  on  Decem- 
ber 22  nd,  from  which  he  did  not  re- 
cover. Assisted  by  Rev.  Fr.  Emmanuel 
Sprigler,  C.P.,  he  died  in  the  early 
hours  of  St.  Stephen's  Feast,  at  the  age 
of   forty- five. 

The  Funeral  Mass  was  sung  at  St. 
Agnes  Church  on  December  27th  by 
the  Rev.  Father  Thaddeus  Tamm,  C.P., 
Vicar.  The  Rev.  Fr.  Roger  Mercurio, 
C.P.,  delivered  the  discourse  on  this 
occasion.  The  Rev.  Fr.  Mel  Schneider, 
C.P.,  a  classmate  of  Father  Regis,  ac- 
companied the  remains  to  St.  Louis, 
where  burial  took  place  on  December 
29th  at  our  Preparatory  Seminary  in 
Warrenton,    Missouri. 

The  two  following  letters  that  were 
written  by  Father  Regis  a  week  before 
his  death  to  the  Community  at  Sacred 
Heart  Retreat  and  to  the  Students  to  be 
ordained  Deacons,  should  be  of  interest 
to  all  those  who  knew  Father  Regis: 
December  19,  1956 
"Dear   Fathers    and    Brothers, 

"My  greetings  for  a  Holy  Season. 
In  those  greetings  are  contained  a  deep 
appreciation  of  your  charity  towards  me. 
On  some  of  my  rougher  days  just  the 
simple  appreciation  of  your  remem- 
brance, your  kindness  and  charity  mani- 
fested in  so  many  ways  meant  the  world 
of  difference.  More  and  more  I  realize 
what  a  grace  God  has  given  me  to  be 
one  of  you. 

"When  once  again  God  gives  me  the 


grace  to  celebrate  the  glorious  Sacrifice 
it  will  be  with  a  deeper  fervor  and 
unction  I  assure  you,  and  an  awareness 
not  only  of  my  duty  of  gratitude  to 
you  but  also  of  the  right  of  each  one 
of  you  to  the  merits  of  the  Sacrifice  I 
offer  at  the  altar,  and  my  obligation  to 
fulfill  my  responsibility  in  a  worthy 
manner. 

I  still  have  a  long  up-hill  climb;  con- 
tinue to  keep  me  in  your  prayers!  From 
the  depth  of  my  heart  I  thank  you. 

Fraternally,  humbly,  and  gratefully 
in  Christ, 
Regis,   C.P. 
December  19,   1956 
"Dear  Ordinandi, 

"It  is  with  regret  that  I  cannot  offer 
my  congratulations  on  the  very  day  of 
your  ordination  to  the  Diaconate.  With 
pleasure  I  worked  with  some  of  you 
in  the  Prep,  watched  your  progress  un- 
der the  holy  guidance  of  others,  and 
now  with  joy  congratulate  all  of  you 
upon  the  occasion  of  your  reception 
of  the  glorious  sacrament  of  the  Diac- 
onate. No  need  for  me  to  remind  you 
of  the  greater  responsibilities  that  will 
now  be  yours,  but  I  would  like  to  re- 
call to  each  of  you  the  sacramental 
graces  of  the  office  that  will  enable  you 
to  fulfill  them  worthily. 

"On  this  glorious  day  would  each  of 
you  have  the  charity  to  pray  that  I  too, 
once  again,  will  be  given  the  grace  to 
become  a  zealous,  fruitful,  and  worthy 
worker  in  Our  Lord's  vineyard,  or  be 
given  the  grace  of  gracious  resignation 
to  Divine  Providence  to  use  me  as  He 
sees  fit. 


190 


"I  am  deeply  appreciative  of  your 
charitable  visits  to  me,  and  that  is  one 
reason  more  why  my  congratulations  to 
you  are  utterly  sincere  and  no  mere 
empty  words. 

"With    fervent    prayers    for    God's 
blessing  upon  you  and  the  promise  of 
offering  a  mass  for  your  intention  when 
that  privilege  is  mine  once  again. 
Fraternally   in  Christ, 
Fr.  Regis,  C.P." 


New  Rector 

Word  was  received  in  Louisville  on 
Christmas  Day  of  the  election  of  their 
new  Rector,  the  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Conell 
Dowd,  C.P.,  Vicar  of  Holy  Cross  Mon- 
astery, Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Father  Conell 
was  installed  as  Rector  on  January  12th 
by  his  Vicar,  Rev.  Fr.  Thaddeus  Tamm, 
C.P. 

Father  Conell  is  the  older  brother  of 
the  late  Father  Ronan  Dowd,  C.P.,  the 
former  beloved  Rector  of  Sacred  Heart 
Retreat. 

Father  Conell  was  born  in  St.  Paul, 
Kansas,  in  1909.  Professed  in  1929, 
he  was  ordained  in  1937.  After  ordina- 
tion Father  Conell  continued  his  theo- 
logical studies  in  Rome  and  Washing- 
ton, D.C.,  receiving  the  Doctorate  of 
Sacred  Theology.  He  taught  dogmatic 
theology  for  several  years  in  our  Chi- 
cago House  of  Studies,  later  serving  as 
Provincial  Secretary  and  Retreat  Master 
at  our  retreat  houses  in  Clayton,  Mis- 
souri, and  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  He  was 
appointed  Vicar  of  the  Cincinnati  Com- 
munity last   August. 


Chaplaincies 

The  chaplain  of  Our  Lady  of  Peace 
Hospital  in  Louisville,  Kentucky,  the 
Rev.  Fr.  Aloysius  Dowling,  C.P.,  turned 
over  the  first  spade  of  dirt  for  a  new 
wing  which  is  to  be  added  to  this  psy- 
chiatric hospital.  Members  of  the  Louis- 
ville Community  assisted  in  this  cere- 
mony which  was  held  on  February  2nd, 
the  sixth  anniversary  of  the  opening  of 
the  hospital.  The  hospital  is  conducted 
by  the  Sisters  of  Charity  of  Nazareth. 

The  Sick 

Confrater  Owen  Duffield,  C.P.,  third 
year  theologian  at  the  Sacred  Heart  Re- 
treat, (cf  The  Passionht,  February, 
1957,  pp.  71-72)  returned  to  the  mon- 
astery on  December  31st,  after  a  two 
and  a  half  month  stay  in  the  hospital. 
Unfortunately  a  week  later  it  was  neces- 
sary to  take  him  back  to  the  hospital, 
for  further  observations.  He  returned 
a  second  time  to  the  monastery  on 
January  31st,  in  a  much  improved  con- 
dition. It  is  hoped  that  this  time  he 
is   home   for   good. 

Member   of   National    Advisory 
Committee  of   Family  Life 
Bureau 

The  Passionist  Fathers  of  Sacred 
Heart  Retreat,  Louisville,  Kentucky,  and 
of  Holy  Cross  Province  have  been  hon- 
ored by  the  selection  of  Rev.  Fr.  For- 
rest Macken,  C.P.,  Lector  of  Moral  and 
Pastoral  Theology  and  of  Canon  Law, 
as  one  of  the  members  of  the  newly 
organized  National  Advisor)'  Commit- 
tee of  the  Family  Life  Bureau  of  the 
N.C.W.C 


191 


Father  Theophane   Gescavitz,   C.P.  as 

he    celebrated    his    Jubilee    Mass    of 

Ordination. 


Father    Joyce    Hallahan,     C.P.,    cele- 
brating his  25th  anniversary  Mass  of 
Ordination. 


His  Excellency  Aldan  J.  Bell,  Auxiliary  Bishop  of  Los  Angeles,  attended  Jubilee 

celebration  of  (1.  to  r.)  Fathers  Aidan  McGauran,  C.P.,  Harold  Travers,  C.P., 

and  Theophane   Gescavitz,   C.P.    Community  of  Sierra  Madre  and   friends  of 

the  Monastery  attended  the  celebration. 


HI 


1    ~~i4k        3f 


Jubilee    Mass    of    Father    Aidan 
McGauran,   C.P. 


25th  anniversary  Mass  being  celebrated 
by   Father   Harold  Travers,  C.P. 


Three  Jubilarians,  1.  to  r.,  Fathers  Cyprian  Leonard,  C.P.,  Fidelis  Benedik  ,C.P., 

and  Patrick  Tully,  C.P.,  with  members  of  the  Community  of  St.  Paul  of  the 

Cross  Retreat,  Detroit,  and  guests. 

■Hi 


f 


r 


■%J 


*« 


Commenting  on  Father  Forrest's  ap- 
pointment, The  Record  (Louisville 
Archdiocesan  weekly)  announced: 

"Father  Forrest  Macken,  C.P.,  al- 
ready well-known  in  this  diocese  for 
his  work  in  the  area  of  family  life,  took 
on  another  job  last  week.  He  was 
named  a  member  of  the  newly-formed 
advisory  committee  of  the  Family  Life 
Bureau.  A  division  of  the  National 
Catholic  Welfare  Conference,  the  bu- 
reau is  revising  its  aims  to  lay  the 
groundwork  for  greater  unity  in  the 
national  family  life  field. 

"While  stationed  at  Sacred  Heart  Re- 
treat, the  Passionist  foundation  in  Louis- 
ville, Father  Forrest  has  conducted  pre- 
marriage courses  at  Bellarmine  College, 
served  as  Chaplain  to  the  Louisville 
Federation  of  the  Christian  Family 
Movement  during  its  formative  years; 
re-organized  the  content  of  the  Pas- 
sionist Seminary  curriculum;  and  pre- 
sented numerous  Cana  Conferences  for 
local  parishes. 

"Father  Macken  is  much  in  demand 
as  a  speaker  on  family  life.  He  spoke 
to  Louisville  Catholic  doctors  on  this 
subject  only  recently.  Last  summer,  he 
delivered  one  of  the  two  major  ad- 
dresses at  an  international  conference  on 
Family  Life  held  in  Ontario,  Canada. 

"He  is  one  of  the  36  American  au- 
thorities on  marriage  and  family  life 
who  will  serve  on  the  Family  Life  Bu- 
reau's  new   advisory   committee." 

Laymen  Retreat  News 

Warrenton,  Mo.:  In  spite  of  very 
bad   weather   and   icy   highways,    fifty- 


eight  men,  more  than  were  scheduled, 
made  the  first  retreat  held  in  the  new 
retreat  house,  Our  Lady's  Retreat  House, 
Warrenton,  Missouri.  This  first  lay- 
men's retreat  was  held  over  the  week- 
end of  January  25  th  to  27th,  and 
was  preached  by  Rev.  Fr.  John  De- 
vany.  Most  of  the  men  making  this 
first  retreat  were  from  Ascension  Par- 
ish, Normandy,  Missouri,  in  the  same 
area  of  the  old  Preparatory  Semi- 
nary. It  was  men  from  this  parish 
who  in  1952  had  the  privilege  of 
making  the  first  retreat  in  the  Clayton 
Retreat  House.  The  second  group  of 
laymen  to  make  their  retreat  at  the  new 
retreat  house  totaled  seventy-three  men 
and  were  from  the  Newman  Club  of 
Washington  University. 

From  February  4th  to  8th  the  first 
of  a  series  of  retreats  for  the  clergy  of 
the  St.  Louis  Archdiocese  was  con- 
ducted by  Rev.  Fr.  Herman  Joseph 
Stier.  The  Most  Reverend  Leo  C.  Byrne, 
Auxiliary  Bishop  of  St.  Louis,  along 
with  thirty-eight  priests  of  the  Arch- 
diocese made  the  retreat.  The  follow- 
ing note  left  by  Bishop  Byrne  speaks 
for  itself:  "Thanks  be  to  God  for  Our 
Lady's  Retreat  House.  It  was  a  wonder- 
ful experience  being  here  for  the  first 
Priests'  retreat." 

Houston,  Texas:  Another  successful 
year  passed  in  the  retreat  work  in  the 
Houston-Galveston  area.  From  January 
1956  to  January  1957  inclusively,  a 
total  of  1283  retreatants  took  advantage 
of  the  graces  of  a  retreat  at  Holy  Name 
Retreat  House.  During  this  time  there 
were  held  forty  week-end  retreats,  which 
put  the  average  attendance  of  each  re- 


194 


treat  at  32.75.  Continued  organization 
and  hard  field  work  plus  personal  con- 
tact continues  to  raise  the  average  high- 
er and  higher. 

In  addition  to  the  retreats  held  for 
laymen,  six  clergy  retreats  were  had 
during  the  past  year  with  one  hundred 
priests  attending.  Most  of  these  priests 
were  from  Corpus  Christi  and  Dallas. 
The  clergy  from  Corpus  Christi  are  al- 
ready signed  up  for  two  retreats  in 
September  of  this  year.  The  Josephite 
Fathers  will  make  their  annual  retreat  in 
June  of  1957.  Tentative  arrangements 
for  some  retreats  this  coming  summer 
are  being  made  by  the  Christian  Broth- 
ers of  the  New  Orleans  Province. 

Sierra  Madre,  Calif.:  Father  Isidore 
O'Reilly,  C.P.,  announced  that  seven 
mid-week  retreats  were  held  last  year 
attended  by  360  men.  Of  these  222 
were  servicemen  from  nearby  camps  and 
138  civilians.  48  servicemen  also  at- 
tended the  regular  week-end  retreats. 

The  eight  mid-week  retreats  for  sen- 
ior students  of  Catholic  high  schools 
were  attended  by   522   boys. 

A  goodly  percentage  of  non-Cath- 
olics attended  the  retreats,    160  in  all. 

Parish  Activities 

Ensley,  Alabama:  The  new  high 
school  of  Holy  Family  Parish  was 
blessed  on  December  16,  1956,  by  his 
Excellency,  Most  Reverend  T.  J.  Tool- 
en,  D.D.,  Archbishop-Bishop  of  Mobile- 
Birmingham  Diocese.  His  Excellency 
was  assisted  in  the  blessing  by  the  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Boniface  Fielding,  C.P.,  pres- 
ent Rector  of  Holy  Cross  Monastery, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  Rev.  Fr.  Nathan- 


ael  Kriscunas,  C.P.,  former  Pastor  of 
Holy  Family  Church  and  now  Vicar  of 
St.  Gabriel's  Monastery,  Des  Moines, 
Iowa.  The  present  Pastor  of  Holy 
Family  Parish,  Rev.  Fr.  Gilbert  Kroger, 
C.P.,  was  Master  of  Ceremonies. 

The  following  notable  guests  hon- 
ored the  Fathers  by  their  presence:  His 
Excellency,  Most  Reverend  Joseph  Dur- 
ick,  D.D.,  Auxiliary  Bishop  of  Mobile- 
Birmingham:  Right  Reverend  Father 
Bede  Luible,  O.S.B.,  Abbot  of  St.  Bern- 
ard's Abbey,  Cullman,  Alabama;  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Neil  Parsons,  C.P.,  Provincial 
of  Holy  Cross  Province;  Rev.  Fr.  Ga- 
briel Gorman,  C.P.,  Atlanta,  Georgia. 
Besides  the  above  guests,  there  were 
about  thirty  priests  in  attendance.  Moth- 
er Mary  Bertrand,  Superior  General  of 
the  Sisters  of  Charity  of  Nazareth,  Ken- 
tucky, and  Sister  Ann  Sebastian  were 
present  for  the  blessing.  Other  Sister- 
hoods from  the  City  were  well  repre- 
sented. Besides  the  above,  the  cere- 
mony was  attended  by  two  hundred  of 
the  high  school  students  and  a  large 
crowd. 

The  speaker  for  the  occasion  was  the 
good  friend  of  the  parish,  Msgr.  Francis 
J.  McCormack,  Pastor  of  St.  Paul's  Co- 
Cathedral,  Birmingham.  In  a  beautiful 
and  practical  outdoor's  talk,  the  Mon- 
signor  outlined  the  importance  and  ne- 
cessity of  a  Catholic  Education.  The 
Monsignor  was  followed  by  his  Ex- 
cellency, Archbishop  Toolen,  who  re- 
marked in  a  few  words  how  deeply  in- 
debted he  was  to  the  Passionist  Fathers 
for  the  work  accomplished  in  his  Dio- 
cese and  how  full  of  gratitude  he  was. 
Bishop  Durick's  words,  too,  were  words 


195 


of  appreciation  and  gratitude  for  the 
Fathers'  efforts  in  the  Diocese.  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Neil  Parsons,  C.P.,  Provincial, 
concluded  the  talks  by  reviewing  the 
almost  unbelievable  works  accomplished 
within  the  past  twenty  years — Church, 
Rectory,  Grade  and  High  School,  Hos- 
pital. His  Paternity  closed  by  assuring 
His  Excellency  of  our  gratitude  and 
wholehearted  cooperation. 

St.  Gemma's  Parish:  The  latest  ad- 
dition to  St.  Gemma's  School,  Detroit, 
Michigan,  of  seven  grades,  three  of 
which  are  now  in  operation,  makes  the 
school  building  320  feet  long.  The 
school  is  a  one  story,  ranch  type  build- 
ing and  provides  eighteen  classrooms. 
At  the  present  time  there  are  only  320 
children  distributed  through  six  grades. 


Protestant  church  recently  purchased 

by  St.  Gemma's  Parish,  to  be  used  as 

a  temporary  parish  hall. 


St.  Gemma's  School,  Detroit,  Michigan, 
with  new  additions  of  classrooms. 


But  the  parish  has  700  pre-school  chil- 
dren and  they  have  build  these  extra 
classrooms  for  their  future  needs. 

Recently  the  Protestant  Church  and 
attached  Parsonage  which  bordered  the 
school  property  were  purchased.  This 
adds  an  additional  64,000  square  feet 
to  the  parish  property.  This  latter  now 
has  a  755  foot  frontage  on  Virgil 
Avenue  and  320  foot  frontage  on 
Schoolcraft,  making  a  total  of  240,000 
square  feet.  This  will  be  adequate  for 
building  a  future  Church,  gymnasium 
and  convent.  It  also  leaves  ample  space 
for  both  a  parking  lot  and  playground. 

A  new  house  was  also  purchased  next 
to  the  present  convent  and  will  be  used 
as  an  additional  temporary  convent, 
until  the  need  arises  for  a  permanent 
convent  near  the  school. 


1?6 


Novitiate  of  St.  Paul,  Kansas,  with  their  Master,  Very  Rev.  Fr. 
Faustinus    Moran,    C.P. 


Vestition 

During  the  month  of  January  three 
of  our  young  men  at  the  novitiate  were 
clothed  in  the  holy  habit.  Brothers  Paul 
and  Damien  were  both  vested  on  Jan- 
uary 11th  by  Rev.  Fr.  Alvin  Wirth, 
C.P.,  the  Vicar  of  St.  Francis'  Retreat. 
Both  Brother  Paul  (Robert  Steward) 
and  Brother  Damien  (Richard  Linz- 
maier)  had  been  at  our  Preparatory 
Seminary  before  entering  the  novitiate 
to  become  brothers.  Then,  on  January 
1 5th,  Augustine  Kunii,  our  first  Japan- 
ese candidate,  received  the  holy  habit 
from  the  Rector  of  St.  Francis  Retreat, 
Very  Rev.  Fr.  Roch  Adamek,  C.P.  He 
will  be  known  in  religion  as  Confrater 
Augustine  Paul. 


Mission  in  Japan 

After  looking  over  places  in  the  Phil- 
ippine Islands  for  a  possible  Passionist 
Mission  Center,  the  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Cas- 
par Caulfield,  C.P.,  and  Secretary  Gen- 
eral for  the  Missions,  and  Very  Rev. 
Fr.  Carrol  Ring,  C.P.,  Second  Consultor 
of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  Province,  visited 
the  Passionist  Mission  in  Hyogo-ken, 
Japan.  While  there  they  also  visited 
the  parish  in  Ikeda-shi,  not  far  from  the 
Monastery,  and  were  able  to  see  the 
wonderful  work  the  pastor  of  the  par- 
ish, Rev.  Fr.  Carl  Schmitz,  C.P.,  is  do- 
ing with  the  people  of  the  area  and  es- 
pecially the  children. 

During  the  month  of  March  the  Fa- 
thers will  once  again  be  busy  with  their 


197 


Very  Rev.  Caspar  Caulfield,  C.P.,  Secre- 
tary General  for  Missions,  visiting  the 
Sunday  School  Children  and  Teachers, 
at  Ikeda  Church,  Japan.  Right,  Rev. 
Fr.   Paul  Placek,   C.P. 


various  preaching  assignments.  Rev.  Fr. 
Matthew  Vetter,  C.P.,  the  Superior  of 
the  Foundation,  will  preach  three  Sis- 
ters' Retreats  in  Japanese.  Two  of  these 
will  be  ten-day  retreats,  and  one  an 
eight-day  retreat.  Rev.  Fr.  Peter  Kumle, 
C.P.,  Director  of  the  Laymen's  Retreats, 
has  an  eight-day  retreat  in  Japanese  for 
Sisters,  from  March  21st  to  28th.  Then 
on  the  30th  of  March  he  will  open  a 
Mission  in  Yokohama.  This  mission 
will  be  preached  in  English  because  of 
the  many  English-speaking  non-Japan- 
ese in  the  area.  The  Fathers  also  have 
a  few  triduums  to  preach  in  the  parish 
churches  during  Lent. 

Passionist  Nuns 

Owensboro:    The  Louisville  retreat- 
ants  of  the  Passionist  Nuns  Convent  in 


Owensboro,  Kentucky,  conducted  a  win- 
ter festival  and  card  party  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  Passionist  Nuns'  new  chapel 
on  January  30th.  In  spite  of  snow  a 
very  good  crowd  attended  this  festival, 
which  was  held  in  St.  Agnes  School 
Hall  with  the  generous  cooperation  of 
St.  Agnes  Parish  and  the  Pastor,  Rev. 
Fr.  Richard  Hughes,  C.P.  Over  $4,000 
was  raised  for  the  Nuns.  This  success 
is  due  especially  to  the  guiding  spirit 
of  Brother  Gabriel  Redmon,  C.P.,  who 
worked  hard  and  long  for  this  fe~tival. 
It  was  supported  ako  by  the  Louisville 
Branch  of  the  Confraternity  of  the 
Passion. 

Changes 

In  the  past  two  months  the  follow- 
ing changes  have  been  made  in  Holy 
Cross  Province.  Upon  the  sudden  death 
of  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Ronan  Dowd,  his 
brother  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Conell  Dowd 
was  appointed  as  Rector  of  Sacred 
Heart  Retreat,  Louisville,  Kentucky,  to 
take  his  place.  Rev.  Fr.  Brendan 
McConnell  was  transferred  from  the 
Community  at  Chicago  to  take  Father 
Condi's  place  as  Vicar  of  Holy  Cross 
Monastery,  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Rev.  Fr. 
Raphael  Grashoff,  a  long-time  member 
of  Holy  Cross  Community  has  been 
transferred  to  our  new  Preparatory 
Seminary  at  Warrenton,  Missouri,  where 
he  will  help  out  in  the  Laymen  Retreat 
work.  Rev.  Fr.  Timothy  Hurley,  C.P., 
has  been  transferred  from  St.  Paul  of 
the  Cross  Monastery,  Detroit,  Michigan, 
to  Mater  Dolorosa  Retreat,  Sierra  Ma- 


198 


dre,  California.  Rev.  Fr.  Nicholas 
Schneiders,  C.P.,  has  been  transferred 
from  Cincinnati  to  assistant  pastor  of 
Holy  Family  Parish,  Ensley,  Alabama. 
Rev.  Fr.  Eustace  Eilers,  C.P.,  was  trans- 
feered  from  Ensley,  Alabama,  to  Louis- 
ville, Ky.  Brother  Vincent  Haag, 
C.P.,  is  now  stationed  in  Des  Moines, 
Iowa. 

News  in  Brief 

Plans  are  under  way  to  renovate  the 
kitchen  of  Holy  Cross  Monastery.  The 
old  equipment  will  be  replaced  by  new 
stainless  steel  material.  Much  of  the 
credit  for  this  must  go  to  the  men  of 
the  retreat  movement  who  are  backing 
this  project.  .  .  .  The  tailor  shop  in  St. 
Francis  Retreat,  St.  Paul,  Kansas,  is  in 
the  process  of  being  moved  to  a  much 
larger  room  in  the  basement.  The  room 
vacated  on  the  first  floor  will  be  used 
for  a  parlor.  .  .  .  The  new  stations  of 
the  cross  at  our  New  Preparatory  Semi- 


nary, Warrenton,  Missouri,  were  erect- 
ed and  blessed  on  January  2  5th  by  Fa- 
ther Erwin  Huntsha,  O.F.M.,  of  St. 
Francis  Borgia  Friary,  Washington,  Mis- 
souri. All  three  sets  are  hand  carved 
in  wood  from  an  Italian  village  in  the 
Tyrolese  Alps,  Ortesie.  The  set  in  the 
Monastery  Choir  is  an  original  de- 
sign. .  .  .  Rev.  Fr.  Ernest  Polette,  C.P., 
conducted  a  "first"  in  the  Needville, 
Texas,  area  when  on  January  13th  he 
preached  the  first  Cana  Conference  at 
St.  Michael's  parish.  An  enthusiastic 
turnout  and  other  indications  point  to 
a  continuation  of  interest  in  this  re- 
gard. .  .  . 

Pray  For 

Brother  of  Fr.  Fidelis  Benedik,  C.P. 
Sister  of  Fr.  Alphonsus  Kruip,  C.P. 
Father  of  Fr.  Peter  Claver  Kumle,  C.P. 
Father  of  Fr.  Dunstan  Branigan,  C.P. 
Father  of  Bro.  Charles  Archuleta,  C.P. 
Mother  of  Fr.  Julius  Busse,  C.P. 


199 


ST.  PAUL  OF  THE  CROSS  PROVINCE 


MATER  MISSIONARIORUM,  St  Michael's  Monastery,  Union  City,  New  Jersey. 


Salve  Mater  Missionariorum 

St.  Michael's  Monastery,  Union  City, 
N.J.,  Provincial  House  of  the  Province 
of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross,  proudly  lays 
claim  to  this  title.  Almost  from  the 
time  of  her  establishment  in  1863,  Pas- 
sionist  Missionaries  have  gone  forth 
from  her  cloistered  walls  either  to  found 
the  Congregation  in  other  countries  or 
render  assistance  to  struggling  founda- 
tions in  various  parts  of  the  world. 

Father  John  Dominic  Tarlattini,  C.P., 
First  Provincial  of  the  new  American 
Province,  led  a  band  of  missionaries 
into  Mexico  in  1865.    Fortunately,  he 


was  able  to  use  the  services  of  the 
renowned  Father  Peter  Magagnotto, 
C.P.,  and  other  Passionists  who  had  been 
recalled  from  the  abandoned  California- 
Nevada  venture.  The  Province  of  St. 
Paul  of  the  Cross  nurtured  the  Mexican 
Mission  until  1893,  when  they  were 
removed  from  the  jurisdiction  of  this 
Province  and  place  under  the  Spanish 
Province  of  the  Sacred  Heart.  It  is  in- 
teresting to  note  at  this  point  that  one 
of  the  first  Passionists  to  enter  the  Mex- 
ican mission  field  in  1865  was  Father 
Amadeus  Garibaldi,  C.P.,  who  eventual- 
ly became  Master  of  Novices  in  this 


200 


Province  and  then  was  assigned  to  open 
the  first  Passionist  Retreat  in  Spain. 
Father  Amadeus  left  New  York  in 
1878  to  accomplish  this  commission. 

When  problems  arose  in  connection 
with  the  Passionists  attempting  to  found 
the  Order  in  the  Argentine,  again  mis- 
sionaries from  St.  Michael's.  The  cele- 
brated Father  Fidelis  Kent  Stone,  C.P., 
took  charge  of  the  new  foundation  and 
after  establishing  it  on  a  sound  footing, 
made  a  perilous  trip  around  the  Horn 
to  open  a  monastery  in  Chile.  He  cer- 
tainly can  be  called  the  Founder  of  the 
Passionists  in  South  America.  In  1901, 
the  Argentine  retreats  were  formed  into 
the  Province  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception, the  Eighth  Province  of  the 
Congregation.  Yet  for  some  time  after- 
wards assistance  both  in  means  and  per- 
sonnel was  forthcoming  from  the  Prov- 
ince of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross.  It  is 
gratifying  to  know  that  this  daughter 
province  has  supplied  to  the  Congrega- 
tion one  of  her  sons  to  rule  the  Order 
as  the  successor  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross, 
Father  Albert  Dean,  C.P.,  at  present 
Provincial  of  the  Argentine  Province. 

When  Bishop  Paul  Nussbaum,  C.P., 
Provincial  Consultor,  was  consecrated 
in  St.  Michael's  as  the  first  Ordinary  of 
Corpus  Christi,  missionaries  were  forth- 
with assigned  to  assist  the  new  Bishop 
in  the  evangelization  of  his  extensive 
Texas   diocese. 

1921  was  the  eventful  year  when  the 
first  Passionists  departed  from  St.  Mi- 
chael's to  pioneer  the  establishment  of 


if  ^m"-  I          '  -Ml* 
Ml   ^m    f.     .      M  M 

Mission  Crucifix  used  by  Fr.  Anthony 
Calandri,  C.P.,  Founder  of  the  Passion- 
ists in  America  now  preserved  in  a 
special  setting  in  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross 
Monastery,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  First 
Foundation  of  the  Passionist  in  the 
United    States. 

the  Passionist  Missions  in  Hunan,  Chi- 
na. From  that  time  until  the  last  of  the 
missionaries  were  expelled  by  the  Red 
regime  in  1955,  approximately  eighty- 
five  members  of  the  Province  had  la- 
bored at  various  times  on  the  Hunan 
mission  front.  Also  in  1921  an  un- 
usual missionary  apostolate  was  con- 
ceived at  St.  Michael's  with  the  publish- 
ing of  The  S/gu.  At  first  it  was  housed 
in  a  small  house  on  the  monastery 
grounds.  Now  as  becomes  the  premier 
National   Catholic    Monthly    Magazine, 


201 


Community  of  St.  Gabriel's  Monastery, 
Toronto,  Ontario,  Canada,  First  Cana- 
dian   Foundation. 


Monastery  and  Church  of  St.  Gabriel 
of     the     Sorrowful     Virgin,     Toronto, 
Ontario,  Canada,  First  Canadian  Foun- 
dation of  the  Passionists. 


The  Sign  has  its  own  large  building 
across  from  the  main  entrance  to  the 
monastery  and  from  where  each  month 
a  400,000  print  order  reaches  subscrib- 
ers in  all  parts  of  the  English-speaking 
world. 

In  1922,  missionaries  were  sent  from 
St.  Michael's  to  found  the  Congregation 
in  Germany  and  Austria.  The  Retreats 
in  that  section  of  Europe  now  constitute 
the  Vice-Province  of  the  Five  Wounds 
but  still  rely  on  the  Province  of  St.  Paul 
of  the  Cross  for  men  and  assistance. 

Missions  for  the  Colored  in  North 
Carolina  became  the  next  missionary  en- 
deavor. In  1928  several  members  of  the 
Province  were  commissioned  from  St. 
Michael's  to  man  mission  centers  in 
Washington,  Greenville  and  New  Bern. 

1948  saw  the  establishment  of  St. 
Patrick's  in  Mexico  City,  a  foundation 
specifically  destined  to  care  for  the 
needs  of  the  English-speaking  Catholics 
of  the  Capital. 

Another  foundation  for  work  among 
the  Colored  was  established  in  1954 
with  the  Pa~sionists  taking  over  a  sec- 
tion of  Atlanta,  Georgia,  where  a  mis- 
sion center  and  parish  for  Negroes  has 
been  opened  and  where  eventually  a 
monastery  is  to  be  built. 

In  1955,  the  Provincial  Headquarters 
commissioned  several  members  of  the 
Province  to  take  over  a  section  of  the 
Island  of  Jamaica,  British  West  Indies, 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  Most  Rev. 
John  J.  McEleney,  S.J.,  Bishop  of 
Kingston,  Jamaica. 


202 


And  now,  in  this  year  of  grace  L957, 
the  Orient  is  again  calling.  Very  soon, 
Deo  voler.tes  m:~c:onarie->  from  the 
Province  will  set  forth  from  St.  M- 
chael's  to  staff  a  proposed  m's  ion  field 
in  Mindinao,  a  large  section  of  the 
Philippine  Islands. 

Last  but  not  least,  mention  must  be 
made  of  the  large  number  who,  from 
the  Provincial  House  of  the  Province, 
have  been  assigned  to  the  important 
work  of  Armed  Service  Chaplains  in 
the  Army,  Navy,  Marines  and  Air  Force, 
both  in  war  and  peace. 

Surely  then,  St.  Michael's  Monastery 
merits  the  privilege  and  distinction  of 
the   title,   Mater   M/ss/on/aru///. 


£**.* 

5?            "^•B 

j4    -*   *****     jfMi 

Left  to  right,  Rev.  Fr.  Anthony 
Maloney,  C.P.,  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Carrol 
Ring,  C.P.,  2nd  Provincial  Consultor, 
St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  Province,  and 
Very  Rev.  Fr.  Caspar  Caulfield,  Secre- 
tary General  for  the  Missions;  at 
Kai-Tak  Airport,  Hongkong,  just  before 
Frs.  Carrol  and  Caspar  left  by  plane 
for    Tokyo. 


Philippine  Survey  Completed 

Father  Carrol  Ring,  C.P.,  Second 
Consultor,  arrived  home  on  January  28 
from  a  survey  of  the  proposed  mission 
in  the  Philippines.  He  was  accompanied 
by  Father  Caspar  Caulfield,  C.P.,  a 
member  of  the  Province  of  St.  Paul  of 
the  Cross  and  at  present  resident  in 
Rome  as  Secretary  General  of  the  For- 
eign Missions  of  the  Congregation.  Fa- 
ther Caspar  spent  several  years  in  Hunan 
until  expelled  by  the  Communists.  At 
one  time  he  held  the  office  of  Vicar 
General  of  the  Diocese  of  Yuanling. 

Father  Anthony  Maloney,  C.P.,  Proc- 
urator of  the  Passionist  Missions,  Hong- 
kong, joined  Fathers  Carrol  and  Caspar 


The  Laying  of  the  Corner  Stone  for  the 
new  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross  Church, 
Mandeville,  Jamaica,  B.W.I.  Left,  Rev. 
Fr.  William  Whelan,  C.P.,  Superior; 
Middle,  Most  Rev.  John  J.  McEleney, 
S.J.,  Bishop  of  Kingston,  Jamaica; 
Right,  Rev.  Fr.  Ernest  Hotz,  (.P.. 
Architect    and    Builder. 


203 


Attendance  of  parishoners  of  Mande- 

ville,    Jamaica,    B.W.I.,    at    laying    of 

corner  stone  of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross 

Church. 


Missions  and  Retreats 

During  the  year  1956,  appointments 
sent  out  to  the  various  missionaries  of 
the  Province  from  the  Provincial  Of- 
fice totalled  1392.  This  number  in- 
cluded: 431  Missions;  728  Retreats; 
189  Novenas;  44  Triduums;  23  Re- 
treats to  the  Clergy  in  the  United  States 
and  Canada. 

This  list  in  no  way  concerns  the  'lo- 
cal' missionary  work  which  is  in  the 
competence  of  the  various  Rectors, 
such  as  Forty  Hours,  Days  of  Recollec- 
tion, Lenten  Courses,  Holy  Week 
preaching  and  Sunday  assistance  to  the 
Diocesan  clergy. 


in  Manila  and  accompanied  them  on  the 
survey. 

Particulars  concerning  the  new  Pas- 
sionist  Philippine  Mission  will  be  con- 
sidered in  a  subsequent  issue  of  The 
Passionist. 


New  Church  in  Jamaica,  B.W.L 

On  October  29,  1956,  His  Excel- 
lency, Most  Rev.  John  J.  McEleney, 
S.J.,  Bishop  of  Kingston  Jamaica,  laid 
the  cornerstone  of  the  church  of  St. 
Paul  of  the  Cross  in  Mandeville  section 
of  the  Island.  It  is  expected  that  the 
dedication  will  take  place  on  the  Feast 
of  St.  Paul  of  the  Cross,  April  28,  of 
this  year. 


Laymens  Retreats 

The  five  large  Retreat  Houses  at- 
tached to  the  monasteries  at  Pittsburgh, 
Jamaica,  Hartford,  Springfield  and 
Brighton,  in  the  past  year  made  it  pos- 
sible for  approximately  25,000  laymen 
to  avail  themselves  of  the  Passionist 
"week-end"  closed  retreats.  In  addition, 
the  Pittsburgh  Retreat  House  was  avail- 
able for  the  Diocesan  Clergy  Retreats 
where,  at  intervals,  484  clergy  made 
their  Annual  Retreats,  as  well  as  26 
priests  of  the  Greek  Diocese.  The 
Springfield  Retreat  House  accommodat- 
ed 270  priests  of  the  Springfield  Dio- 
cese during  the  past  year. 

The  Passionist  Nuns  in  Pittsburgh 
and  Scranton  held  "closed"  retreats  for 
women.  During  1956,  the  Pittsburgh 
Retreat  House  totalled  709  women  of 
the  Pittsburgh  area  and  Scranton  for 
that  section  of  the  country. 


204 


Tonsure  and  Minor  Orders 

His  Excellency,  Most  Rev.  Jerome 
Hannan,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Scranton,  con- 
ferred Tonsure  and  Minor  Orders  on 
13  Passionist  clerics  at  St.  Ann's  Mon- 
astery on  January  24,  25  and  26.  His 
Excellency  was  assisted  in  the  cere- 
monies by  the  Reverend  Rector,  Rup- 
ert Langenstein,  C.P.,  Notary;  Rev. 
Malachy  McGill,  C.P.,  Vicar,  Arch- 
deacon; Rev.  Peter  Hallisey,  C.P., 
Director  of  Students,  Master  of  Cere- 
monies; Revs.  Cletus  Dawson,  C.P., 
Chaplain  to  the  Passionist  Nuns,  and 
Kevin  McCloskey,  C.P.,  S.T.D.,  Lector, 
Assistants  to  the  Ordaining  Prelate. 

Church  Unity  Preachers 

Very  Rev.  Luke  Misset,  C.P.,  Rector 
of  Our  Lady  of  Sorrows  Monastery, 
West  Springfield,  Mass.,  preached  at 
the  Shrine  of  the  Immaculate  Concep- 
tion, Catholic  University,  during  the 
Church  Unity  Octave.  Father  Luke 
spoke  on  January  21,  on  the  theme, 
"That  Lutherans  and  other  Protestants 
of  Continental  Europe  may  return  to 
Holy  Church."  Despite  the  fact  that 
Father  Luke  spoke  on  the  evening  of 
President  Eisenhower's  Second  Inaugu- 
ral, the  Shrine  was  filled  to  capacity. 

Father  Luke  is  no  stranger  to  the 
Catholic  University.  Before  he  was 
elected  Rector  of  the  Springfield  mon- 
astery, he  was  on  the  faculty  of  the 
Preacher's  Institute  at  the  University. 
He  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as 
Rector  of  Our  Mother  of  Sorrows. 

In  New  York  at  St.  Patrick's  Cathe- 


dral, Father  Victor  Donovan,  C.P.,  Lec- 
tor of  Sacred  Scripture  in  Jamaica  mon- 
astery, preached  during  the  Church  Uni- 
ty Octave  on  the  "Conversion  of  the 
Jews,"  January  24.  Father  Victor  has 
long  interested  himself  in  this  unusual 
apostolate  and  has  been  the  author  of 
many  papers  on  the  subject. 

Father  Luke  and  Father  Victor  have 
preached  before,  both  in  St.  Patrick's 
and  at  the  Catholic  University  during 
the  Church  Unity  Octave.  And  one  of 
the  most  memorable  addresses  ever  giv- 
en in  St.  Patrick's  and  at  the  University 
during  this  Ocatve  was  preached  by  His 
Excellency,  Most  Rev.  Cuthbert  O'Gara, 
C.P.,  exiled  Bishop  of  Yuanling. 

Philadelphia  Confraternity 

The  Congregation  has  no  house  in 
the  Philadelphia  area.  But  Father 
Charles  P.  O'Connor,  Pastor  of  Pres- 
entation Parish,  has  made  his  church 
available  as  a  meeting  place  for  mem- 
bers of  the  Confraternity  of  the  Pas- 
sion. Recently  he  arranged  for  Father 
Martin  J.  Tooker,  C.P.,  Vicar  of  the 
Springfield  Monastery,  to  preach  a  three- 
day  retreat  on  the  Confraternity  for 
the  benefit  of  his  parishioners.  More- 
over, he  purchased  the  pins,  manuals 
and  scapulars  that  would  be  needed 
for  enrolling  the  parish  in  the  Con- 
fraternity. Zealous  beyond  measure  in 
spreading  devotion  to  the  Passion,  Fa- 
ther O'Connor  merits  the  congratula- 
tions and  the  prayers  of  Passionists 
everywhere. 


205 


First  Saturday  Promoters  Meet 

On  January  10,  1957,  at  7:00  P.M. 
the  annual  promoters  meeting  of  the 
First  Saturday  Group  of  Immaculate 
Conception  Monastery,  Jamaica,  N.Y., 
was  held  in  the  retreat  house  dining 
room.  The  purpose  of  this  annual  meet- 
ing is  to  renew  the  spirit  of  Our  Lady 
of  Fatima  among  the  men  who  are 
active  in  promoting  First  Saturday  Com- 
munion. The  meeting  was  addressed  by 
Very  Rev.  Fr.  Felix  Hackett,  C.P.,  Rec- 
tor of  the  Monastery. 

In  response  to  the  urging  of  Our 
Blessed  Mother  at  Fatima,  up  to  five 
hundred  men  attend  Mass  and  receive 
Holy  Communion  at  nine  o'clock  on 
the  First  Saturday  of  each  month.  These 
men  represent  various  groups  in  the 
civil  life  of  New  York — firemen,  police- 
men, judges,  lawyers,  city  officials  and 
civil  service  employees.  Their  devotion 
is  noteworthy  and  their  zeal  efficacious 
in  recruiting  new  members  for  their 
group. 

Each  year  in  October  the  men  partici- 
pate in  a  candlelight  procession  along 
the  city  streets  which  culminates  in  a 
rally  on  the  Monastery  grounds.  Last 
October  over  two  thousand  men  were 
present. 

Pray  For 

Mother  of  Fr.  Silvan  Rouse,  C.P.; 
Mother  of  Fr.  Donald  Boyle,  C.P., 
(Deceased);  Mother  of  Fr.  Alban 
Lynch,  C.P.;  Mother  of  Fr.  Kenneth 
Walsh,  C.P.;  Father  of  Brother  Ber- 
nard Pughe,  C.P.;    Mother  of  Fr.  Hy- 

206 


Presentation  of  an  Air  Force  citation 
was  made  to  Rev.  Fr.  Fidelis  Rice,  C.P., 
on  January  5th,  for  his  work  as  director 
of  the  "Hour  of  the  Crucified."  Seen 
at  the  presentation  are,  from  left  to 
right:  Chaplain  (Maj.)  Neal  T.  O'Con- 
nor, base  Catholic  chaplain ;  Fr.  Fidelis 
Rice,  C.P.;  Chaplain  (Lt.  Col.)  William 
F.  Taylor,  chief  of  chaplains,  Eighth 
Air  Force;  Rev,  George  Nolan,  C.P., 
assistant  to  Fr.  Rice  and  Maj.  Gen. 
Walter  C.  Sweeney,  Cammander  of 
Eighth   Air    Force. 

acinth  Malkowiak,  C.P.;  Father  of  Fr. 
Peter  Hallisey,  C.P.;  Mother  of  Fr. 
Francis  Kuba,  C.P.;  Father  of  Fr. 
Florian  Pekar,  C.P.;  Father  of  Fr.  James 
A.  McAghon,  C.P.;  Mother  and  Father 
of  Frs  Basil  and  Timothy  Stockmeyer, 
C.P.;  Mother  of  Fr.  Owen  Doyle,  C.P.; 
Mother  of  Fr.  William  Cavanaugh, 
C.P.;  Mother  of  Ronald  Beaton,  C.P.; 
Mother  of  Fr.  Colman  Hagerty,  C.P.; 
Mother  of  Fr.  Vincent  Durkin,  C.P.; 
Two  Brothers  of  Fr.  Edward  Goggin, 
C.P.;  Sister  of  Fr.  Aquinas  Sweeney, 
C.P.;  Brother  of  Fr.  Bennet  Kelly,  C.R; 
Brother  of  Fr.  John  F.  Poole,  C.P. 


PASSIONISTS   AROUND   THE   WORLD 


ROME 


Passionists   Help   Father   Lom- 
bardi,  S.J. 

For  some  time  several  Passionist  Fa- 
thers took  part  in  the  training  given  by 
Rev.  Fr.  Lombardi,  S.J.,  in  the  move- 
ment known  as  Mondo  Migliore,  (for 
a  Better  World).  (Father  Lombardi's 
projects  have  been  publicized  in  United 
States  papers  and  magazines.)  Father 
Lombardi  soon  expressed  his  deep  de- 
sire to  have  the  Passionists  represented 
in  his  group  of  Promoters.  In  his  per- 
severing request  to  our  General  Curia 
to  have  at  least  one  of  our  religious  at 
the  complete  disposal  of  his  Center,  he 
mentioned  that  this  was  also  the  ex- 
plicit wish  of  the  Holy  Father.  Our 
Major  Superiors  granted  his  request  and 
appointed  Rev.  Fr.  Pacifico,  C.P.,  of 
the  Retreat  of  Sts.  John  and  Paul,  and 


formerly  Lector  of  Dogmatic  Theology 
at  St.  Gabriel's,  Gran  Sasso,  Pieta 
Province. 

For  some  time  last  year,  Father  Paci- 
fico gave  conferences  and  instructions 
along  the  lines  of  the  movement  to  both 
the  clergy  and  laity.  The  "International 
Center  of  Pius  XII  for  a  Better  World" 
has  its  headquarters  near  Frascati,  and 
lately  opened  a  new  building  and 
church. 

Retaining  Wall  Crashes  to 
Ground 

On  the  evening  of  January  14th, 
about  five-forty-five,  the  community  in 
the  Retreat  of  Sts.  John  and  Paul  felt 
the  ground  shake  as  if  there  were  an 
earthquake.  But  instead  of  an  earth- 
quake, they  soon  found  out  that  a  good 


207 


section  of  the  wall  around  their  portion 
of  the  Celian  Hill  facing  the  Colosseum 
had  suddenly  crashed  over.  Built  as  a 
retaining  wall,  it  had  stood  for  hun- 
dred of  years.  Part  of  a  more  ancient 
wall  was  revealed  behind  the  former 
wall. 

The  reverberations  of  the  shock  from 
the  fall  were  felt  within  a  radius  of 
three  blocks.    On  the  day  afterwards, 


pictures  of  the  incident  were  broad- 
cast over  TV  news  programs  in  the  U.S. 
Just  what  caused  the  crash  is  not  yet 
clear.  Perhaps  the  severe  winter  that 
Rome  had  last  year  was  the  cause.  But 
what  is  clear  is  that  the  cost  of  restor- 
ing the  eighty-foot  stretch  of  ancient 
wall  will  probably  be  more  than  five 
thousand  dollars,  and  part  of  a  familiar 
landmark  will  be  gone  forever. 


IRELAND 

ST.  PATRICK'S  PROVINCE 


Centenary  Celebrations  at  Mount  Argus,  Dublin.  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Provincial  with 
distinguished  guests  after  the  final  Pontifical  High  Mass.  L.  to  r,  (seated): 
Very  Rev.  Fr.  Cyprian,  C.P.,  Provincial;  An  Taoiseach,  Mr.  John  A.  Costello; 
His  Excellency  Sean  T.  O'Kelly,  President  of  Ireland ;  Mr.  Robert  Briscoe,  T.D., 
Lord  Mayor  of  Dublin;  His  Honor  Conor  A.  Maguire,  Chief  Justice  of  Ireland. 
Standing:  Lieut.-Colonel  D.  O'Sullivan,  aide-de-camp  to  An  Taoiseach,  and 
Colonel  S.  O'Sullivan,  Aide-de-camp  to  the  President. 

208 


New  Assignments 

On  January  1st,  Rev.  Fathers  Cor- 
nelius Crowley,  C.P.,  Macartan  Daly, 
C.P.,  and  Aquinas  McCarthy,  C.P.,  left 
Ireland  on  the  first  part  of  their  journey 
to  Australia,  where  they  will  spend 
some  years  on  loan  to  the  Australian 
Province.  The  Cross  magazine  for  Feb- 
ruary after  mentioning  the  departure  of 
the  three  Fathers  for  Australia  goes  on 
to  say:  "It  is  noteworthy  that  the  first 
Catholic  Mission  to  the  Australian  abo- 
rigines was  staffed  by  Italian  Passionists, 
who  arrived  at  Sydney  in  March,  1843. 
Soon,  however,  Fathers  from  these  coun- 
tries lent  a  willing  hand  to  the  task 
of  evangelizing  that  vast  continent  and 
of  caring  for  the  then  small  Catholic- 
population.  An  Irishman,  Rev.  Fr.  Ber- 
trand  Mangan,  C.P.,  was  the  first  Pro- 
vincial of  the  Australian  Province,  while 
Very  Rev.  Fr.  Stephen  Lafferty,  C.P., 
present  Rector  of  St.  Gabriel's  Retreat, 
The  Graan,  Enniskillen,  was  Provincial 
for  six  years  prior  to  the  Second  World 
War. 

Rev.  Fr.  Conrad  Haller,  C.P.,  left 
Holy  Cross  Retreat,  Ardoyne,  Belfast 
for  Germany  on  January  9th.  Father 
Conrad  who  is  of  German  descent,  has 
gone  to  take  up  temporary  work  with 
the  Fathers  of  our  German  Pro-Prov- 


tnce. 


Last  September,  Rev.  Fr.  Jerome 
Maguire,  C.P.,  and  Rev.  Fr.  Donald 
Connolly,  C.P.,  left  Ireland  for  Johan- 
nesburg. There  they  joined  Rev.  Fr. 
Kieran  Mclvor,  C.P.,  Rev.  Fr.  Augus- 
tine Bermingham,  C.P.,  and  Brother 
Isidore  Quinn,  C.P.,  who  are  already 
laboring  at  Bank  near  Johannesburg. 


The  following  appointments  were 
made  in  our  Passionist  Mission  in  the 
Protectorate  of  Bechuanaland :  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Carthage  Power,  C.P.,  has 
been  appointed  Religious  Superior;  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Leonard  Devitt,  C.P.,  is  First 
Consultor;  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Urban  Mur- 
phy, C.P.,  is  Second  Consultor. 

Vice-Postulator 

From  Rome  it  is  announced  that  Very 
Rev.  Fr.  Edmund  Burke,  C.P.,  Rector 
of  St.  Mary's  Retreat,  Drummohr,  Mus- 
selburgh, has  been  named  as  Vice- 
Postulator  for  the  Cau°e  of  the  Beati- 
fication of  the  Servant  of  God,  Galileo 
Nicolini,  Passsionist  Novice. 

Galileo  Nicolini,  a  young  Italian  nov- 
ice, was  born  in  1882  and  died  in 
1897.  The  keynote  of  his  short  life  was 
a  fixed  determination  to  become  a 
saint.  Interest  in  this  youngest  Confes- 
sor so  far  presented  for  Beatification  is 
growing  remarkably  in  many  countries. 
He  was  some  weeks  younger  than  St. 
Dominic  Savio,  the  boy-saint  of  the 
Salesians. 

Some  striking  favors  have  already 
been  attributed  to  the  intercession  of 
Galileo  Nicolini.  A  biography  of  the 
Servant  of  God,  entitled  "The  Boy 
Who  Knew  What  He  Wanted,"  by 
Rev.  Neil  McBrearty,  C.P.,  has  been 
published. 

Jubilee  of  Religious  Profession 

Brother  Dominic  Howard,  C.P.,  of 
Our  Lady  of  Sorrows,  who  celebrates 
the  Silver  Jubilee  of  his  religious  pro- 
fession in    L957,  was  horn  in  Glasgow 


209 


in  1912  and  was  baptized  in  the  Pas- 
sionist  Church  of  St.  Mungo  in  that 
city.  He  is  a  brother  of  Brother 
Kevin  Howard  of  Our  Lady  of  Sor- 
rows and  they  were  both  reared  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Mount  Argus,  the 


motherhouse  of  St.  Patrick's  Province. 
When  he  had  faithfully  served  in  al- 
most every  community  of  the  Province 
he  was  appointed  in  1956  to  the  post 
of  questor  at  St.  Paul's  Retreat,  Mount 
Argus,  Dublin. 


^  4*4*  4*  4*  4*  4*  4*  4*  4*  4*  4*  4*  "I*  4*  4* 'J*'!'' 

MEXICO 
IMMACULATE  HEART  PROVINCE 


Seminarians  and  Community  at  San  Angel,  Mexico.  Seminarians  comprise  2nd, 
3rd,  4th,  5th  years  and  Philosophy  Classes.  Fathers  seated,  1.  to  r.,  Juan  Maria, 
Tarcisio,  Germano,  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Primo,  Provincial,  Epiphanio,  Alfonso, 
Celestino.    Standing  on  right,  end  of  3rd  row,   Fr.  Casimir,  end  of  2nd  row, 

Bro.  Anthony. 


210 


New  Seminary  Arrangements 

On  the  3rd  of  November,  Very  Rev. 
Fr.  Primo,  Provincial  of  Immaculate 
Heart  of  Mary  Province,  in  North  Italy, 
arrived  in  Espiritu  Santo,  Mexico,  for 
his  visitation.  The  various  groups  of 
Catholic  Action  in  Espiritu  Santo  gave 
him  a  wonderful  reception.  Father  Pri- 
mo during  the  visitation  gave  a  great 
deal  of  attention  to  the  various  prob- 
lems in  regard  to  the  growing  Prepara- 
tory Seminary.  The  Seminary  finished 
the  last  school  year  in  November  with 
fifty-one  boys  in  five  classes.  (School 
in  Mexico  begins  in  February  and  goes 
till  November.  Vacation  season  there 
is  during  the  months  of  December  and 
January.)  The  Seminarians  in  the  Fifth 
Year  have  already  completed  their  sec- 
ondary education  and  are  now  ready 
for  the  Novitiate.  However,  since  as 
yet  they  do  not  have  a  Novitiate  in 
Mexico,  different  arrangements  had  to 
be  made  for  them  and  they  will  begin 
their  study  of  Philosophy  this  school 
year.  Because  of  the  increased  number 
of  boys  entering  the  seminary  for  the 
next  school  year,  new  accommodations 
had  to  be  made  for  them. 

In  order  to  facilitate  matters — in  the 
way  of  studies  and  also  in  accommodat- 
ing the  large  number  of  boys — the  First 
Year  Seminarians  were  sent  to  their 
House  in  Apasco.  There  they  will  be 
given  their  preparatory  studies  to  help 
them  adjust  to  their  new  life  and  home. 


and  also  the  regular  course  for  the  First 
Year  boys.  At  the  same  time  a  new 
faculty  had  to  be  set  up  there.  Accord- 
ingly, Rev.  Fr.  Hilarion,  C.P.,  was 
named  Superior  and  Director  in  Apasco, 
with  Rev.  Fr.  Nazario  as  Vicar  and 
Rev.  Fr.  Tarcisio  as  Assistant  Director. 
All  three  of  the  Fathers  also  are  the 
Lectors  for  the  Seminarians  at  Apasco. 

In  the  Seminary  in  San  Angel,  Fa- 
ther Epiphanio,  C.P.,  has  been  appoint- 
ed as  Director  and  Superior,  Rev.  Fr. 
Casimir,  C.P.,  is  Vicar  and  Rev.  Fr. 
Ildephonsus  is  Moderator  of  studies. 
Other  Fathers  who  are  also  stationed  in 
San  Angel  as  Lectors  are  Fathers  Celes- 
tino,  Juanito  and  Pio. 

At  the  residence  in  Espiritu  Santo, 
Rev.  Fr.  Germano  is  the  Local  Superior 
and  also  the  Father  Vice-Provincial. 
Rev.  Fr.  Alphonso  is  the  Vicar.  Fa- 
thers Juan  Maria,  Egidio  and  Joel  are 
also  stationed  at  Espiritu  Santo.  All  the 
Fathers  there  are  also  Lectors  in  the 
Seminary  and  so  have  a  full-time  job 
of  taking  care  of  things  in  the  Church 
and  commuting  back  and  forth  to  the 
Seminary  for  their  classes. 

After  closing  the  visitation,  Father 
Primo  left  Mexico  for  Italy  on  the  18th 
of  January.  After  a  meeting  of  the 
lectors  of  the  Seminary  on  the  4th  of 
February,  the  new  school  year  officially 
began  on  the  following  day  with  the 
singing  of  the  Veni  Creator  in  the 
Seminary  Chapel. 


4.4.4.4,4.4.4.4.4.4.4.4.4.4.4.4.4.4. 


21 


SPAIN 

HOLY  FAMILY  PROVINCE 


Front  view  of  New  Preparatory  Semi- 
nary, Zaragoza,  Spain. 


Main  Altar  of  New  Preparatory  Semi- 
nary, Zaragoza,  Spain. 

212 


New  Prep  Dedicated 

One  of  the  most  important  events  in 
the  Province  of  Holy  Family  in  the  past 
year  was  the  dedication  of  the  Prepara- 
tory Seminary  in  Zuera,  and  the  bless- 
ing of  the  new  church  attached  to  it. 
The  ceremony  took  place  on  the  Feast 
of  Christ  the  King,  October  28th.  After 
the  church  had  been  blessed  by  the 
Archbishop  of  Zaragoza,  our  own  Pas- 
sionist  Bishop,  Monsignor  Ubaldo  Ci- 
brian  of  the  Diocese  of  Corocoro,  Bo- 
livia, celebrated  the  Pontifical  Mass  and 
delivered  the  sermon.  Besides  the  many 
faithful  who  took  part  in  the  ceremony, 
His  Excellency  the  Governor  of  Zara- 
goza was  present. 


One  of  the  panels  over  the  Main  Altar 
of   Seminary,   Zaragoza,   Spain 


AUSTRALIA 

HOLY    SPIRIT    PROVINCE 


Arrivals 

About  the  middle  of  December,  the 
Province  of  the  Holy  Spirit  welcomed 
to  Australia  Rev.  Fr.  Stephen  Horkin, 
C.P.  Through  the  generosity  of  the 
Provincial  of  St.  Joseph's  Province,  Eng- 
land, and  with  the  gracious  permission 
of  Most  Rev.  Father  General,  Father 
Stephen  has  been  'loaned'  to  the  Prov- 
ince for  five  years.  Another  new  arrival 
at  the  end  of  January  was  Rev.  Fr. 
Marcellus  Claeys  of  St.  Gabriel's  Prov- 
ince, Belgium.  Like  Father  Stephen, 
Father  Marcellus  has  been  'loaned'  to 
Holy  Spirit  Province  for  five  years. 
Father  Marcellus  is  to  be  attached  to 
the  staff  of  Lectors  at  the  House  of 
Studies.  Rev.  Fathers  Cornelius  Crow- 
ley, C.P.,  Macartan  Daly,  C.P.,  and 
Aquinas  McCarthy,  C.P.,  from  St.  Pat- 
rick's Province,  Ireland,  have  arrived  in 
Australia  and  will  spend  some  years 
there  helping  out. 

Early  in  January,  Father  Jerome 
Crowe,  C.P.,  of  Holy  Spirit  Province, 
arrived  in  Adelaide.  Father  Jerome 
had  been  in  Rome  and  Palestine  for 
the  past  three  years  studying  for  his 
Licentiate  in   Sacred  Scripture. 

Death  of  Very  Rev.  Fr.  Placid, 
C.P. 

On  New  Year's  Day,  the  Province 
of  Holy  Spirit  suffered  a  grievous  loss 
in  the  sudden  death  of  the  Very  Rev. 
Fr.    Placid,    C.P.,    of   the   Mother   of 


Sorrows,  Second  Provincial  Consultor. 
Father  Placid  had  gone  to  the  Novi- 
tiate House  at  Goulburn  only  the  day 
before  for  a  few  days  rest.  Just  be- 
fore Mass  on  January  1st,  he  had  a 
fatal  heart  seizure  and  died  within 
fifteen  minutes.  There  was  just  time 
to  administer  the  Last  Sacraments  be- 
fore the  end  came.  The  funeral  took 
place  from  the  Goulburn  Cathedral, 
after  Solemn  Requiem  Mass  sung  in 
the  presence  of  Most  Rev.  Eris  M. 
O'Brien,  Archbishop  of  Canberra  - 
Goulburn. 

For  some  years  Father  Placid  served 
as  professor  of  Philosophy  and  The- 
ology. Later  he  was  appointed  Master 
of  Novices.  He  also  filled  the  posi- 
tion of  Rector  at  the  Passionist  College, 
St.  Ives.  On  several  occasions,  Father 
Placid  was  elected  Consultor  to  the 
Provincial.  During  his  life  as  a  Pas- 
sionist priest  he  preached  many  re- 
treats to  religious  communities  in  vari- 
ous   parts    of    Australia. 


News  in  Brief 

The  Doyen  of  Holy  Spirit  Province, 
Rev.  Fr.  Francis  of  the  Seven  Dolors 
celebrated  his  88th  birthday  recently. 
In  spite  of  his  advanced  age,  Father 
Francis  is  still  hale  and  hearty  and 
well  able  to  give  missions  and  retreats. 
He  is  a  most  popular  Confessor  for 
priests  and   religious.  .  .  .   Three  young 


213 


men  from  New  Zealand,  across  the 
Tasman  Sea  from  Australia,  will  be 
among  the  newcomers  to  enter  the 
Juniorate  of  St.  Ives.  .  .  .    Four  clerical 


novices  were  professed  recently  at 
Mary's  Mount,  and  are  now  at  Ade- 
laide, South  Australia,  studying  Phi- 
losophy. 


GERMANY 


New  Arrivals 

The  two  missionaries  of  St.  Paul  of 
the  Cross  Province  who  are  destined 
to  assist  the  Austrian-German  Vice 
Province  for  the  next  few  years,  Fa- 
thers Anthony  Neary,  C.P.,  and  Ron- 
ald Hilliard,  C.P.,  are  now  stationed 
at  the  beautifully  situated  Monastery 
of  the  Holy  Trinity,  in  Schwarzenfeld, 
Bavaria.  A  certan  Doctor  Seeger  was 
kind  enough  to  volunteer  not  only  to 
teach  them  the  language,  but  also  to 
introduce  them  to  the  German  men- 
tality, customs  and  culture. 

On  January  23rd,  Rev.  Fr.  Conrad 
Haller,  C.P.,  a  member  of  the  Irish 
Province  of  St.  Patrick  arrived  in  Ger- 
many. Thanks  to  his  German  father, 
Father  Conrad  is  able  to  understand 
German.  But,  because  he  wishes  to  per- 
fect himself  in  the  language,  Father 
Conrad  has  joined  the  two  American 
Fathers  at  Schwarzenfeld  for  further 
studies  of  German. 

Ordination 

Towards  the  end  of  April,  a  member 
of  the  German  Vice-Province,   Father 


Preparatory  Seminary  and  Monastery 

(lower   building)   and   Church,   (upper 

building)    at   Munich-Pasing. 


Anton  Ziereis,  C.P.,  will  be  ready  to 
receive  Holy  Orders.  Father  Anton  will 
be  ordained  to  the  priesthood  at  the 
Mater  Dolorosa  Monastery,  Mook,  Hol- 
land. 


214 


KETAPANG 


Mission  Work  in  the  Ketapang 
Jungles 

During  the  past  year  the  Prefecture 
of  Ketapang  celebrated  the  tenth  an- 
niversary of  the  arrival  of  the  first  three 
Dutch  Passionists  who  established  the 
Mission  center  in  this  area.  The  Keta- 
pang Prefecture  is  larger  in  area  than 
the  entire  Netherlands  but  has  only  a 
sparse  population  of  182,000  people 
comprising  Malays,  Chinese,  and  Dayas. 
Ketapang  city  itself  has  only  20,000 
people. 

For  a  long  time  this  remote  corner 
of  the  world  received  little  attention. 
It  was  only  a  few  years  prior  to  World 
War  II  that  a  minor  government  post 
was  established  at  Ketapang.  The  first 
missionary  to  visit  the  area  was  a  Dutch 
Capuchin  who  in  1917  managed  to 
penetrate  the  Ketapang  district  in  spite 
of  incredible  difficulties.  Some  twenty 
years  slipped  by  before  the  first  mission 
station  was  opened.  But,  before  long 
the  Japanese  invasion  drove  all  the  mis- 
sionaries into  a  concentration  camp. 
The  Mission  work  came  to  a  complete 
standstill  until  the  return  of  peace. 
After  the  war  Ketapang  was  separated 
from  the  Capuchin-stafTed  Vicariate  and 
was  entrusted  to  the  Dutch  Passionists. 
The  three  first  Passionists  of  ten  years 
ago  have  now  increased  to  sixteen 
priests  and  one  lay  brother.  But,  the 
number  would  even  be  greater  were  it 
not  for  the  difficulties  involved  in  ob- 
taining a  visa. 

Today  Ketapang  has  six  mission  sta- 
tions and  thirty  out-stations,  with  seven- 


teen churches  and  chapels.  There  are 
fourteen  elementary  schools  with  1148 
pupils,  as  also  a  Trade  School  and  a 
School  of  Domestic  Science,  with  a  total 
of  thirty-three  students.  Eight  boarding 
schools  care  for  ninety-three  boarders. 
A  census  of  July  1,  1936,  saw  a  Catholic 
population  of  3,171  people  as  against 
less  than  300  in  1946.  There  are  4,751 
catechumens  under  instruction  while 
1,499  children  are  attending  catechism 
classes.  During  1955  there  were  877 
baptisms. 

Missionaries  Afoot 

Life  in  the  Ketapang  Prefecture  is  a 
life  on  foot  for  the  missionary.  There 
are  six  mission  stations  with  church,  rec- 
tory and  school  which  serve  as  residen- 
tial centers  for  the  missionaries.  At 
least  two  priests  are  assigned  to  each 
of  these  centers.  One  remains  at  the 
center  while  the  other  makes  the  rounds 
of  the  surrounding  settlements.  These 
kampongs  or  settlements,  usually  along 
the  river,  are  in  small  clearings  that 
have  been  hacked  out  of  the  jungle. 
The  average  mission  tour  requires  two 
or  three  weeks.  When  covering  the 
more  distant  outposts  the  tour  may  take 
up  to  two  months.  On  returning  to  the 
center  the  missionary  remains  there  about 
one  week  before  starting  another  round 
of  the  out-stations  and  settlements. 
In  the  Kampongs 

The  Dayas  are  divided  into  small 
tribes  with  the  smaller  ones  containing 
three  or  four  hundred  people  and  the 
larger  ones  twelve  hundred  people.  The 
tribal   name  is  that  of  the  river  along 


215 


which  their  settlements  are  located. 
Each  tribe  has  its  own  customs,  and, 
what  is  of  more  concern  to  the  mission- 
ary, each  has  its  own  dialect.  The  men 
visit  the  surrounding  villages  and  are 
able  to  learn  some  Malay.  The  women, 
however,  are  only  able  to  understand 
their  own  dialect.  A  journey  between 
one  tribe  and  another  must  be  made 
through  jungle  and  swamp  and  the 
traveler  must  cover  the  distance  in  one 
day  unless  there  happens  to  be  a  Dayas 
rice  field  along  the  way.  Warm  hos- 
pitality awaits  the  traveler  there.  Dayas 
do  not  have  much,  his  hut  is  one  of  the 
crudest,  but  his  welcome  is  one  of  the 
finest.  The  hut  is  roofed  with  palm 
leaves,  the  walls  are  of  tree  bark  and 
the  floor  of  split  bamboo.  A  mat  on 
the  floor  serves  for  a  bed.  Not  only  the 
comforts,  but  even  the  necessities  of 
civilization  are  lacking.  But,  the  gra- 
cious hospitality  of  the  host  makes  the 
traveler  forget  the  lack  of  conveniences 
and  the  fatigue  of  a  jungle  journey  as- 
sures him  of  a  good  sleep. 

The  kampongs  or  settlements  which 
have  a  small  school,  or  at  least  a  resi- 
dent catechist,  are  visited  more  often. 
In  such  places  there  is  always  someone 
waiting  for  the  coming  of  the  mission- 
ary. When  visiting  these  kampongs, 
the  missionaries  live  at  the  home  of  the 
school  teacher  or  of  the  catechist.  Be- 
fore long  the  people  begin  to  gather, 
seeking  the  help  of  the  missionary.  The 
medicines  they  carry  are  in  great  de- 
mand and  the  people  pay  for  them  with 
vegetables,  eggs  or  fruit.  The  mission- 
ary uses  these  opportunities  to  become 
acquainted    with    the    people.     While 


smoking  a  straw  cigarette  similar  to 
theirs,  he  speaks  kindly  with  the  peo- 
ple and  gradually  leads  the  conversation 
around  to  religion.  Morning  Mass  is 
celebrated  in  the  school  or  home  of  the 
catechist  if  one  is  available;  otherwise 
the  guest  house  serves  as  a  chapel. 
During  the  Mass  the  people  recite  their 
morning  prayers,  sing  some  hymns  and 
are  given  an  instruction  by  the  mission- 
ary. If  there  is  a  school,  the  mission- 
ary will  visit  it  and  question  and  in- 
struct the  children.  Usually  the  mission- 
ary remains  in  each  kampong  three 
days  before  moving  on  to  the  next  set- 
tlement. 
The  People 

The  people  are  quiet  and  somewhat 
reserved  at  the  first  meeting,  but  ex- 
tremely hospitable.  To  a  person  who 
does  not  understand  their  needs  and 
their  way  of  life,  they  would  at  first 
sight  seem  to  be  very  lazy.  But  they 
are  far  from  lazy  and  are  not  to  be 
judged  by  our  standards.  The  Dayas 
with  their  simple  needs  have  far  more 
holidays  than  we  do  because  their  needs 
do  not  call  for  much  work.  What  cloth- 
ing they  have  is  made  from  the  bark 
of  trees  and  requires  neither  washing 
or  ironing.  Their  crude  homes  offer  no 
cleaning  problems  since  they  have  no 
furniture.  Even  the  'long  house,'  from 
sixty  to  ninety  feet  in  length  and  raised 
about  fifteen  feet  about  the  ground,  dif- 
fers from  the  usual  hut  only  in  size.    - 

Their  ordinary  food  of  rice,  vege- 
tables and  meat  is  provided  by  the 
jungle  and  in  the  rivers  they  are  able 
to  find  a  good  supply  of  fish.  So  there 
is  little  ned  of  constant  activity.    If  it 


216 


is  necessary  they  are  able  to  work  hard 
and  steadily  as  is  seen  between  May  and 
August  when  they  prepare  their  fields. 
Once  a  suitable  place  in  the  forest  is 
decided  upon  as  a  farming  spot,  often 
quite  a  distance  from  the  settlement, 
it  is  first  cleared  of  the  bushes  and 
smaller  trees.  Then  they  clear  away  the 
larger  trees  which  at  times  are  more 
than  five  feet  in  diameter.  Their  ax  is 
very  crude — a  three-inch  wide  piece  of 
iron  attached  to  a  piece  of  wood — 
and  is  a  home-made  affair.  While 
standing  on  a  scaffold  twelve  to  fifteen 
feet  high,  two  or  three  of  the  men  will 
chop  away  at  the  tree  all  day  long  in 
the  burning  heat,  sweat  dripping  from 
the  copper  hued  bodies.  They  continue 
hard  work  without  let-up  till  they  have 
cleared  the  determined  amount  of  land. 
Once  that  is  finished  their  vacation  is 
resumed  as  nature  will  take  care  of  the 
rest.  The  summer  sun  will  dry  out 
what  has  been  cut  down  and  then,  a 
few  months  later,  when  all  is  thor- 
oughly dry  they  set  fire  to  it.  The  ashes 
of  the  fire  serve  as  fertilizer.  Then 
in  the  open  spaces  between  the  felled 
tree  trunks  the  rice  is  planted.  One 
man  uses  a  pointed  stick  to  make  a 
hole  in  the  ground  while  another  fol- 
lowing right  behind  him  places  the  rice 
in  the  hole.  The  planting  period  calls 
for  considerable  work,  but,  once  that 
is  over,  vacation  is  once  more  resumed, 
to  end  only  with  the  harvest  when  all 
join  in  harvesting  the  rice,  stalk  by 
stalk. 

Medical  Care 

The  Prefecture  of  Kctapang  with  its 


182,000  people,  Chinese,  Malays  and 
Day  as,  the  last  scattered  among  the 
jungles  and  swamps  in  kampongs  dif- 
ficult of  access,  has  one  medical  doctor. 
He  is  Doctor  J.  Verhey  from  Didam  in 
the  Netherlands.  Young  and  energetic 
and  inspired  by  a  real  apostolic  spirit, 
Doctor  Verhey  and  his  wife  agreed  to 
come  out  to  this  difficult,  tiresome  medi- 
cal post.  In  Ketapang  city,  on  the 
coast,  he  has  charge  of  an  eighty-bed 
hosiptal  and  a  busy  clinic,  with  three 
Augustinian  Sisters  and  a  small  group 
of  Indonesian  nurses,  both  male  and 
female,  as  assistants.  Some  of  the 
nurses  are  Dayas. 

In  the  interior  town  of  Tumbang 
Titi  there  is  another  small  hospital 
staffed  by  Augustinian  Sisters  and  sever- 
al nurses.  The  Doctor  is  able  to  reach 
these  two  places  by  jeep  along  the 
coastal  road.  There  are  a  few  rudimen- 
tary roads  into  the  interior.  On  visits 
to  the  interior  the  doctor's  beat-up 
jeep  makes  the  first  part  of  the  journey 
on  a  barge  towned  by  a  motor  launch. 
After  arriving  at  Sandai  there  is  a  rough 
road  extending  150  kilometers.  How- 
ever, most  of  the  doctor's  travel  in  the 
interior  is  on  foot,  journeys  of  several 
days,  with  porters  to  carry  his  medical 
supplies.  The  doctor  is  able  to  visit 
these  kampongs  a  few  times  each  year. 
But  there  are  more  remote  kampongs 
with  a  resident  missionary,  which  the 
doctor  is  able  to  reach  only  about  once 
every  three  years.  One  may  easily  imag- 
ine the  value  of  the  work  of  this  self- 
sacrificing  doctor  to  the  missionary  apos- 
tolate  in  Ketapang. 


217 


WHO  IS  WHO  AND  WHERE 


HOLY  CROSS  PROVINCE— MARCH   1957 


ROME 

Malcolm   La  Velle   1 
Rene  Champagne   14 
Vincent   M.    Oberhauser 
Students 

Barnabas   M.  Ahern 
Paul   M.   Boyle 
Eugene  Peterman 
Myron  Gohmann 
CHICAGO 
Neil   Parsons  2 
Kyran    OConnor   3 
Clarence  Vowels  4 
Cormac   Lynch   5 
Miles    Bero   7 
Aurelius  Hanley 
Augustine  Scannell 
Vincent  X  Ehinger 
Justin    Smith 
Alban    Hickson 
Thomas   Carter 
Matthias   Coen 
Gregory  McEttrick 
Joseph   M.  O'Leary 
Pius    Leabel 
Malachy    Farrell 
Donald    Ryan    21 
Colum    Haughey 
Brian    Mahedy    21 
Benet  Kieran    10 
Bartholomew  Adler 
Paul   F.   Ratterman   9 
William  Steil   17 
Godfrey   Poage 
John    Baptist   Pechulis    12 
Warren  Womack   15 
Carroll   Stuhlmueller    12 
Kent  Pieper  14 
Ward  Biddle   13 


Joachim   Gemperline    10 
Barry    Rankin    12 
Bruce   Henry    16 
Students 
Kevin   Kenney 
Andrew   M.   Gardiner 
Stephen    Balog 
Vincent   Giegerich 
Leonard    Kosatka 
Gerald   Appiarius 
Joseph   M.   Connolly 
Morris   Cahill 
Martin   Thommes 
Jerome   Brooks 
Alfred    Pooler 
Brothers 

Thomas  Brummett 
Leonard  Paschali 
Matthew  Capodice 

CINCINNATI 
Boniface   Fielding   5 
Brendan    McConnell    7 
Alphonus   Kruip 
Bernard    Brady 
Louis   Driscoll 
Cyprian    Frank   9 
Bernard   M.   Coffey   9 
Damian   Cragen    1  8 
Dunstan    Branigan    19 
Howard    Ralenkotter   20 
Jude   Monteith    10 
Brothers 

Columban    Gausepohl 
William    Lebel 
Bernard   Schaefer 
LOUISVILLE 
Conell  Dowd  5 
Thaddeus   Tamm    7 


Adalbert   Schesky 
Laurence    Bailey 
Alexis   Quinlan 
George   Jungles    20 
Aloysius   Dowling    23 
Richard   Hughes   9 
Conrad   Amend 
Hubert   Bohne    12 
Hilary   Katlewski 
Lambert   Hickson 
Eustace    Eilers 
Emmanuel   Sprigler 
Quentin    Reneau    10 
Mel    Schneider 
Brice   Zurmuehlen 
Roger   Mercurio    1  2 
Forrest   Macken    1  2 
Firmian    Parenza    13 
Gail    Robinson    10 

Students 

Gerard   Steckel 
Peter   Berendt 
Michael    J.    Stengel 
Louis    Doherty 
Henry   Whitechurch 
Thomas    A.    Rogalski 
Raphael    Domzall 
Owen    Duffield 
Francis   Cusack 
Casimir   Gralewski 
Sebastian    MacDonald 
Philip   Schaefer 

Brothers 

Gabriel    Redmon 
Gilbert   Schoener 
Casimir  Skiba 
Leo   Arndt 
Joachim    Saunders 


218 


WARRENTON 

Thomas    M.    Newbold    5 
Michael    Brosnahan    7 
Celestine    Leonard 
Raphael    Grashoff 
Christopher    Link 
Herbert   Tillman    12 
Herman    J.    Stier   20 
Claude    Nevin    12 
Edgar    Ryan    1  2 
Ervan    Heinz    1 2 
Elmer  Sandman 
Conleth    Overman    18 
Germain    Legere    1 2 
Cyprian    Towey    1 2 
William    J.    Hogan    12 
Leo    P.    Brady    1 3 
Emil    Womack    12 
John    Devany      20 
Leon    Grantz    12 
Campion    Clifford    1 2 
Raymond    McDonough    1  2 
Simon    Herbers    22 
Bernardine    Johnson    19 
John    F.    Kobler    12 
Victor   Salz   25 
Albert   Schwer    12 
Berchmans    Pettit    13 
Carl    A.    Tenhundfeld    12 
Brothers 
Philip    Frank 
Gerald    LaPresto 
John    Gebaur 
George   Stoiber 
Robert    Baalman 
Francis    Hanis 

ST.    PAUL 

Roch    Adamek    5 
Faustinus    Moran    6 
Alvin  Wirth   7 
Hyacinth    Clarey 
Julian    Montgomery 
Edward    O'Sullivan 
Cornelius    McGraw 
Kevin    Cunningham 
Paulinus    Hughes 
Leopold    Vaitiekaitis 
Nilus    Goggin    9 
Loran    Aubuchon    10 
Emmet    Linden 
Denis    McGowan    1  1 
Brothers 
Louis    Hockendoner 


David    Williams 

Regis    Ryan 

Novices 

Nicholas    Kliora 

Mark   Tomasic 

Alphonse    Engler 

Blaise    Czaja 

Joseph    Van    Leuwen 

Kenneth    O'Malley 

George    Paul    Lanctot 

Richard    M.    Sanchez 

Timothy   Joseph    O'Connor 

Anselm    M.    Passman 

Augustine    P.    Kunii 

Bro.    Michael    Wilson 

Bro.    Paul    Stewart 

Bro.    Damien    Linzmaier 

Postulants 

Bro.    Michael    Wilson 

Bro.    Ronald    De    Caro 

DES   MOINES 

Ignatius    Bechtold    5 
Nathanael    Kriscunas    7 
Ignatius   Conroy 
Urban    O'Rourke 
Sylvester   Cichanski 
Philip   Gibbons 
Peter   Kilgallon 
Anthony   Maher 
Terence    Powers 
Robert    Borger 
Alfred    Shalvey 
Frederick   Sucher    1  2 
Columban    Browning    13 
Randal   Joyce    12 
Melvin    Glutz    12 
Caspar   Watts 
John    M.    Render    12 
Luke   Connolly 
Lawrence    Browning 
Rian    Clancy 

Students 

Francis    Martin    Keenan 
Bernard    Kinney 
Damian    McHale 
Benedict   Olson 
Gabriel    Duffy 
Augustine   Wilhelmy 
Mel    Joseph    Spehn 
Andre    Auw 
Terence    M.    O'Toole 
Aloysius    M.    Hoolahan 
Christopher   M.   Sobczak 


Theodore    Deshaw 
Fabian    M.    Hollcraft 
Hugh    Pates 
Xavier   Albert 
Ambrose   M.    Devaney 
Bonaventure   Timlin 
Patrick   E.   O'Malley 
Brothers 

Romuald    Reuber 
Pius   Martel 
Christopher   Zeko 
Isidore   Bates 
Raphael    Couturier 
Vincent   Haag 

DETROIT 

Walter   Kaelin    5 
Ralph    Brisk   7 
David    Ferland 
Gerald   Dooley 
Arthur  Stuart 
Linus   Burke 
Gerard    Barry 
Mark   Hoskins 
William   Westhoven    18 
Daniel    Maher 
Valentine    Leitsch 
Fidelis    Benedik 
Patrick   Tully   9 
Cyprian    Leonard    10 
Gordian    Lewis    20 
Cyril   M.   Jablonovsky 
Flannon    Gannon 
Roderick   Misey 
Harold    M.    Leach 
Brothers 

Aloysius   Schoeppner 
Charles   Archeluta 
Justin    Garrity 

SIERRA    MADRE 
James    P.   White   5 
Joyce   Hallahan    7 
Reginald    Lummer 
Gabriel   Sweeney    19 
Maurice   St.   Julien 
Norbert   McGovern 
Angelo    Hamilton 
Timothy    Hurley 
Basil    Killoran 
Ferdinand    Madl 
Egbert   Nolan 
Marion    Durbala 
Roland    Maher 


219 


Harold   Travers 
Theophane   Gescavitz 
Aidan    McGauren 
Kilian    Dooley 
Henry  Vetter 
Charles   Guilfoyle 
Isidore   O'Reilly    18 
Wilfred   Flanery 
Keith   Schlitz 
Declan    Egan    20 
Brothers 
Richard  McCall 
Felix   Bauer 
James    Keating 
Denis   Sevart 
Joseph   Stadfeld 

BIRMINGHAM 

Francis    Flaherty   5 
Camillus    Kronlage   7 
Alan    Prendergast 
Dominic   Merriman 
Bro.   Henry   Zengerle 

CITRUS   HEIGHTS 

Fergus  McGuinness  5 
Canute   Horack  7 


Leo   Scheible 

Edward   Viti 

Finan   Storey   20 

James    Busch 

Bro.   Theodore    Lindhorst 

Bro.    Patrick   Keeney 

HOUSTON 

Gregory  J.   Staniszewski   5 

Jerome   Stowell    7 

Edwin    Ronan 

John    Aelred   Torisky 

Jeremiah    Beineris    20 

Ernest   Polette 

Jordan    Grimes    18 

Bro.    Daniel   Smith 

ENSLEY 

Gilbert   Kroger   9 
Nicholas  Schneiders 
Ludger   Martin 
Canisius   Womack 
Bede   Doyle    10 

FAIRFIELD 
Edmund  Drake  9 


HONGKONG 
Anthony   Moloney 

MEXICO 

Joel    Gromowski    32 

JAPAN 

Matthew   Vetter   8,   30 
Carl    Schmitz   9,   31 
Paul    Placek   30 
Peter   C.    Kumle   30 
Clement   Paynter   30 

CHAPLAINS 

Leonard    Barthelemy   24 
Kenny   Lynch    27 
Lucian    Hogan    26 
Noel    Pechulis    28 
Anselm    Secor   35 
Pascal    Barry   34 

SICK   LEAVE 

Reginald   James    33 


REFERENCES 

1. 

General 

22. 

2. 

Provincial 

23. 

3. 

First   Consultor 

24. 

4. 

Second   Consultor 

25. 

5. 

Rector 

26. 

6. 

Master  of   Novices 

27. 

7. 

Vicar 

8. 

Superior 

28. 

9. 

Pastor 

10. 

Assistant    Pastor 

29. 

11. 

Vice   Master 

12. 

Lector 

30. 

13. 

Director  of  Students 

14. 

Secretary 

31. 

15. 

Provincial   Econome 

16. 

Editor,  The  Passionist 

32. 

17. 

Chaplain,   Chicago   State 

Hospital 

18. 

Retreat   Director 

33. 

19. 

Asst.    Retreat   Director 

34. 

20. 

Retreat   Master 

35. 

21. 

Sign   Magazine 

Vocational    Director 

Chaplain,  Lady  of   Peace  Hospital 

Chaplain,  VA  Hospital,  Marion,  Ind. 

Vice  Director 

NAS,  FPO  955,  San   Francisco,  Calif. 

The  Eng.  Center  (7071  SU),  Ft.  Belvoir, 

Va. 

Catholic  Chaplains  Office,  Marine  Corps 

Base,   Camp    Lejeune,   N.   Car. 

Mission      Bulletin,      106A     Kwok     Man 

House,   8A   Des   Voeux    Rd.,   Hongkong. 

Hibarigaoka    Catholic    Church,    Takara- 

zuka-shi,   Hyogo-ken,  Japan. 

Catholic      Church,      793      Masumi-cho, 

Ikeda-shi,    Osaka-fu,   Japan. 

Templo  del   Espiritu  Santo,  Union  y  Av. 

Marti   233,  Mexico   18,  D.  F. 

406  N.   1 7th  Avenue,  Phoenix,  Ariz. 

Mercy  Hospital,  Independence,  Kansas. 

Mt.  St.  Mary  Convent,  3700  E.  Lincoln, 

Wichita   1,  Kansas. 


220 


PROVINCE  OF  ST.  PAUL  OF  THE   CROSS 


ROME 

Paul    F.    Nager    1 
Neil    McBrearty   45 
Ignatius    Formica    47 
Caspar   Caulfield    46 
Bonaventure    Moccia 

UNION    CITY 

M.    Rev.    Cuthbert    M. 

O'Gara,    DD. 
Provincial    Staff 
Ernest   Welch    2 
Cuthbert    McGreevey    3 
Carrol    Ring    4 
Frederick   J.    Harrer   9 
Brendan    Boyle    10 
Ferdinand    Braun    1  1 
Paul    J.    Dignam    1  1 
The   Sign 

Ralph    Gorman    25 
Gerard    Rooney 
Jeremiah    Kennedy    26 
Donald    Nealis    28 
Harold    Poletti    29 
Pius   Trevoy    30 
Austin    Busby    31 

St.    Michael's   Monastery 
Clement    Buckley   5 
Wilfrid    Scanlon    8 
Herbert    McDevitt 
Xavier   Gonter 
Michael    Rausch    18 
Hyacinth    Sullivan 
Alfred    Duffy 
Adelbert    Poletti 
Ernest   Cunningham    35 
Paulinus    Hughes 
Ronald    Norris    23 
Bernard    Gilleran 
Kenneth    Naudin 
Raymond    J.    Foerster 
Stephen    P.    Kenny    17 
Michael    A.    Campbell 
Linus    Lombard    50 
Justinian    McLaughlin 
Hugh    Carroll 
Bonaventure    Griffiths    24 
Andrew    Ansbro    22 


Hyacinth    Malkowiak 
Lawrence   Steinhoff 
Agatho    Dukin 
Athanasius    Drohan 
Richard    Kugelman    15 
Bertrand    Weaver 
Reginald    Arliss 
Wendelin    Moore    18 
Thaddeus    Purdon 
Dennis   Walsh 
Charles    A.    Oakes    18 
Nicholas   Gill    15 
Francis    Kuba 
Albinus    Lesch    18 
Kilian    McGowan    13 
Bennet    Kelly 
Cyril    Schweinberg    15 
Cuthbert   Sullivan 
Stanislaus   Waseck 
Paul    J.    Fullam    49 
Neil    O'Donnell 
Cormac    Kinkead    18 
Deacons 
Benedict    Berlo 
Clement    Kasinskas 
Leo   J.    Gorman 
Vincent   M.    Boney 
Louis    J.    McCue 
Kiernan    Barley 
Augustine   Sheehan 
Colman    Connolly 
Gerard    Griffiths 
Donald    Mclnnis 
Gabriel    Shields 
Aelred    Lacomara 
Brothers 
Francis    Boylan 
Jerome   Cowan 
Conrad    Federspiel 
Arthur    Bouchard 

St.    Joseph's 
Benjamin    Wirtz    17 
Julius    Reiner    18 
Hubert   Arliss    18 

PITTSBURGH 

Theodore    Foley   5 
Gregory    Flynn    6 


Vincent   M.    Frahlick    8 
Benedict   Huck 
Fulgentius   Ventura 
Adrian    Lynch 
Paul    J.    Ubinger 
Norman    Kelly 
Ignatius    Ryan    21 
Theophane    Maguire 
Basil    Bauer 
Celestine    McGonigal 
Gabriel    M.   Jaskal 
Cyril    McGuire 
Robert-  O'Hara 
Theophane    Kapcar 
Camillus    Barth 
Cajetan    Sullivan    19 
Daniel    Hunt 
Cornelius    McArdle 
Raymond    M.    Houlahen 
Maurice   Sullivan 
Paulinus    Gepp 
Anselm    Lacomara 
Kieran    Baker 
Paschal    Smith    20 
Sebastian    Kolonovsky 
Cajetan    Bendernagel    14 
Cornelius    Davin 
Julian    Morgan 
Brothers 
Damian    Carroll 
Xavier   Vitacollona 
Louis    Mitchell 
Edmund    Fletcher 

St.    Michael's 

Adolph    Schmitt    17 
Wendelin    Meis    18 
Edward    Hennessey    18 
Timothy   Stockmeyer    1  8 

DUNKIRK 
St.   Mary's 

Walter    Wynn    5 
Gerard    A.    Orlando    8 
Isidore    Smith 
Antoine    de    Groeve 
Mark    Seybold 
Eugene    Kiernan    1  7 
Myles    Whelan    15 


221 


Julian   Connor 
Herman    Kollig    18 
John   J.    Reardon    15 
Ahban    Lynch 
Ernan    Johnston    18 
Leo   F.   Vanston 
Clement   Pavlick 
Basil    Stockmeyer   18 
Crispin    Lynch 
John    B.    Pesch 
Norman    Demeck    15 
Michael   J.    Brennan    15 
David    Roberts    1 3 
Students — 3rd   Phil. 
Frederick    Bauer 
Mario   Gallipoli 
Edwin    Moran 
Joel    Polasik 
Donatus   Santorsa 
Joseph    Fiorino 
Gordon    Amidon 
Barry   Ward 
Isaias    Power 
Ignatius   McGinley 
Seamus   McHugh 
Arthur   McNally 

Brothers 

Stanislaus   Tansey 
Bernard    Pughe 
Paul    Morgan 

DUNKIRK 
Holy  Cross 
Boniface   Buckley   5 
Aquinas   Sweeney   8 
Linus   Monahan 
Maurice    Kansleiter 
Columban    Courtman    15 
Luke   Hay 

Columban    Aston    15 
Silvio   De    Lucca 
Paschal    Drew    15 
Christopher   Collins    34 
Leopold   Secundo    15 
Ronald   A.    Beaton    22 
Simon    P.   Wood    15 
John   S.   Gresser    15 
Colman    Haggerty    15 
Brendan    Breen    32 
Linus    Rottloff    15 
Victor   A.   Mazzeo    1 5 
Stephen   Haslach 
Justin    Brady   33 
Brothers 
Vincent  Cunningham 


Ronan   Caulson 
Gabriel   Chilbert 
Joseph    Holzer 

BALTIMORE 
Owen    Lynch   5 
Roderick   Hunt   8 
Hilarion    O'Rourke 
Arthur   Benson 
Jeremias   McNamara 
Justin    Mulcahy    15 
Hubert  Sweeney 
Columba    McCloskey 
Raphael    Duffy 
Arthur   May 
John    F.    Poole    18 
Flavian    O'Donnell 
Alexis   Scott 
Terence    Brodie 
Adrian    Poletti    17 
Silvan    Brennan    38 
Leander   Delli   Veneri 
Claude   Ennis 
Alan    McSweeney 
Leo    Byrnes 
Leonard   Amhrein    1  8 
Dominic   M.   Cohee 
Albert   Catanzaro    18 
Benedict  J.    Mawn 
Columkille    Regan    13 
Gerald    Hynes    1 8 
Cassian    Yuhas    15 
Ronan    Callahan    15 
Daniel    Free    18 

Students — 1st   Phil. 

Bruce    Bucheit 
Conrad    Bauer 
Brennan    Keevey 
Michael    Flinn 
Germain    Flack 
Shawn    McLaughlin 
Anfoine   Myrand 
Isidore   Dwyer 
Lambert   McDonald 
Mark   Mulvaney 
Luke    Perry 
Colgan    Keogh 
Brothers 

Bernardine   Carmassi 
Aloysius    Blair 

SCRANTON 

Rupert   Langenstein    5 
Malachy   McGill    8 


Bernard   Hartman 
Henry   Brown 
Edward   Goggin 
Stephen   Sweeney 
Winfrid   Guenther 
William    Cavanaugh 
Roland   Hoffman 
Leonard   Gownley 
Brian    Murphy 
Paul   M.   Carroll 
Alban    Carroll 
Ambrose   Diamond 
Xavier  Welch 
Alfred   Weaver    17 
Jordan    Loiselle 
Godfrey    Reilly 
Edgar  Vanston 
Edmund   McMahon 
Cletus   Dawson    51 
Marcellus   McFarland 
Neil   Sharkey    15 
Peter   Hallisy    13 
Kevin    McCloskey    15 
Godfrey   Kaspar    1  8 
Gregory   Durkin 
Christopher   Czachor 
Giles   Ahrens    18 
Aquinas    McGurk    15 
Joyce   Spencer 

Students — 1st  Theol. 
Keith    Blair 
Austin    McKenna 
Rex   Mansmann 
Myles   Scheiner 
Ralph   Tufano 
Vernon    Kelly 
Carl   Thome 
Kent   Rummenie 
Rocco   Oliverio 
Dominic   Papa 
Kenan    Peters 
Philip   Bebie 
Bede   Engle 

Brothers 

Edward    Blair 
Alphonsus   Coen 

BOSTON 

Canisius    Hazlett   5 
Hilarion   Walters    8 
Damian    O'Rourke 
Claude   Leahy 
Francis   Shea 


222 


Quentin    Olwell    17 
Lucian    Ducie    19 
Jordan    Black 
Berchmans    Lanagan 
Thomas    A.    Sullivan 
Leo   J.    Berard 
Finbar   O'Meara 
Jerome    O'Grady 
Cletus    Mulloy 
Bede    Cameron    1  8 
Marcellus    White 
Joseph    P.    O'Neill    20 
Linus    McSheffrey 
Norbert    Herman    15 
Louis    Maillet 
Jerome   Does    1  8 
Conran    Free 
Eugene    Fitzpatrick    21 
Angelo    lacovone 
Venard    Byrne    15 
Justinian    Gilligan    15 
Luigi    Malorzo 
Cronan    Regan    13 
Students — 2nd    Phil. 
Raphael    Amhrein 
Celestine    Riccardi 
Denis    Mansman 
Hyacinth    Welka 
Rupert    Neyer 
Eymard    Rehill 
Zacharias    Statkun 
Basil   Trahon 
Alderic    Richard 
Rene    Luedee 
Alphonsus    M.    Welling 
Brothers 
Benedict    Palese 
Michael    Stomber 

SPRINGFIELD 
Luke    Misset    5 
Martin    J.    Tooker    8 
Bede    Horgan 
Eugene    Kozar 
Frederick    Corccoran 
Nilus    MaAlister 
Bertin    Donahue    21 
Hilary    McGowan 
Rupert    Langenbacher 
Miles    McCarthy 
Connel    Hopkins 
Dominic   Grande 
Gilbert   Walser    19 
Winfrid    McDermott 


Fidelis    Rice    16 
Casimir   Horvat 
Ronald    Murray 
Sylvester   Cannon 
David    Bulman 
Lawrence    Mullin 
Columba    Moore    13 
J.    Chrysostom    Ryan    20 
George    Nolan 
Canisius    Lareau 
Quentin    Amhrein 
Leo   Gerrity 
Sacred   Eloquence 
William    Davin 
Raymond    Pulvino 
Francis    Hanlon 
Martin    Grey 
Kilian    M.    McNamara 
Kevin    Casey 
Patrick    McDonough 
Norbert   M.    Dorsey 
Nicholas    Zitz 
Eugene    Leso 
Brian    Rogan 
John    F.    McMillan 
Albert    Pellicane 
Damian    Towey 
Timothy    Fitzgerald 
Aloysius    Fahy 
Alan    Cavanaugh 
Brothers 

Valentine    Rausch 
Patrick    Fallon 
Andrew    Winkleman 
Timothy    Foley 
Valentine   Cashman 
Francis    Dalton 

JAMAICA 

Felix    Hackett    5 
John    M.    Aleckna    8 
Bartholomew   Mulligan 
John    J.    Endler 
Cosmos    Shaughnessey    19 
Roger    Monson 
Owen    Doyle    17 
Canice    Gardner 
Conon    O'Brien 
Bertrand    McDewell 
Gordian    O'Reilly 
Vincent    Connors 
Cronan    Flynn    18 
Lambert    Missack 
Damien    Reid 


Malachy    Hegarty 
Kevin    Conley 
Bernardine    Gorman 
Philip    Ryan 
Quentin    Cerullo 
Benedict    McNamara 
Alexander   Hoffman 
Urban    Curran 
Peter   Quinn 
George   Sheehy 
Arnold    Horner    38 
Kieran    Richardson    1 8 
Matthew   Nestor    21 
Victor   Donovan    15 
Gordian    Murphy 
Brian    Burke    1  8 
Florian    Pekar 
Thomas    Berry 
Julius    Durkan 
Richard    F.    Leary    15 
Bernardine    Grande 
Silvan    Rouse    15 
Berard    Tierney    20 
Emmanuel    Gordon    15 
Brice    Ingelsby    53 
James   Verity 
Lawrence    Bellew 
Harold    Reusch    13 
Students — 2nd   Theol. 
Earl    Keating 
Nelson    McLaughlin 
Adrian    Christopher 
Xavier   M.    Hayes 
Christian    Kuchenbrod 
Alexander   Mulligan 
Victor   Hoagland 
Theodore   Walsh 
Paulinus    Cusack 
Sebastian    Colluqy 
Cosmas    Dimino 
Emmet    Maguire 
Matthew    Martin 
Dermot    Dobbyn 
Barnabas    Wenger 
Owen    Lally 
Roderick    Mescall 

Brothers 
John    Murphy 
Henry   Cavanaugh 
George    Kowaleski 

HARTFORD 

Aloysius    O'Malley    5 
Basil    Cavanaugh    8 


223 


Leopold   Snyder 

Gilbert  Smith 

Cyril   Feeley 

Timothy   McDermott    21 

Kenan    Carey 

Alphonsus    Cooley 

Caspar  Conley 

Conran    Kane 

Ronan    Carroll 

Joseph    L.    Flynn    19 

Vincent   Durkin 

Regis    Mulligan 

Gerald   Matejune 

Venard   Johnson 

Bonaventure   Gonella 

Patrick   J.    McDwyer   20 

Damian    Rail 

Augustine    Paul   Hennessey 

Alphonsus   Grande 

Arthur   Derrig 

Hilary   Sweeney 

Aidan    Mahoney    15 

Bertin    Farrell    15 

Jude   Mead 

Fintan    Lombard    15 

Roger  Gannon    15 

Declan    Maher    13 

Malcolm    McGuinn 

Flavian    Dougherty   20 

Students — 3rd   Theol. 

Jerome   McKenna 

James   A.   Wiley 

Gerald   Surette 

Herbert   Eberly 

Henry   Free 

Roger   Elliot 

Boniface   Cousins 

Columban    Hewitt 

Alban    Harmon 

Leonard    Murphy 

Campion    Cavanaugh 

Brothers 

Simon   West   44 

Dominic   Critchlow 

Anselm    Catalucci 

Philip   Maggiulli 

Virgil    Pasi 

William    Drotar 

Fidelis    Cristiano 


Peter  Albright 
Raymond   Sarrasin 

TORONTO 
Connel    McKeown    5 
James   A.   McAghon    8 
Gerard    Keeney 
Egbert   Gossart    1  7 
Donald    Keenan 
Michael    Connors 
Boniface   Hendricks 
Maurus   Schenck    18 
Cyprian    Regan 
Regis    Eichmiller 
John    F.   McLaughlin 
Justinian    Manning 
Jude   Dowling 
Bro.    Brian    Forrestall 

RIVERDALE 

Urban    Manley   7 

William    Harding 

Albinus    Kane 

Aloysius   McDonough  12-27 

Constantine    Phillips 

Bro.   Thomas   Aul 

NORTH   CAROLINA 
Washington 

Daniel    McDevitt    17 
Joachim    Carrigan 

New   Bern 
Julian    Endler    17 
Gerald    Ryan    1 8 
Howard    Chirdon    1 8 
Thomas   Carroll    18 

Greenville 
Maurice   Tew    1  7 
Berchmans   McHugh    18 

ATLANTA 

Emmanuel    Trainor    17 
Gabriel    Gorman    52 
Edward   J.    Banks    18 

JAMAICA,   BWI. 

William   Whelan    7 
Cormac   Shanahan 


Calistus   Connolly 
Anthony   Feeherry 
John    B.   Maye 
Ernest   Hotz 
Dunstan    Guzinski 

MEXICO   CITY 

Anthony   J.   Nealon    17 
Dunstan    Stout    18 

ARGENTINE 
Justinian   Tobin 

GERMANY 
Walter  Mickel    3 
Germain    Heilmann 
Roland    Flaherty 
Ronald    HiMiard 
Anthony   Neary 

AUSTRIA 

Fabian    Flynn    43 

CATHOLIC   U 

Jogues   McQuillan 
Edgar   Crowe 
Robert   Erne 

CHAPLAINS 

Sidney   Turner   39 
Christopher   Berlo   39 
Timothy   McGrath    40 
Romuald   Walsh   40 
James    Follard   40 
Nilus   McAndrew   39 
Hugh    McKeown    39 
Gabriel    Bendernagel    42 
Conor  Smith    39 
Eustace   McDonald   42 
Robert   Mulgrew   39 
Conan    Conaboy   39 
Nilus   Hubble   40 
Ambrose   Maguire   39 
Fidelis   Connolly 
Edmund   Hanlon 

SICK   LEAVE 
Raphael   Vance 
Terence   Connelly 
Cyprian   Walsh 
Leander  Steinmeyer 


224 


REFERENCES 

,. 

4th    Gen'l    Consultor 

27. 

Sign    Post 

2. 

Provincial 

28. 

Sign:    Business    Mgr. 

3. 

1st   Consultor 

29. 

Sign:    Mission    Proc. 

4. 

2nd    Consultor 

30. 

Sign:    Field    Director 

5. 

Rector 

31. 

Sign:    Fieldman 

6. 

Master   of    Novices 

32. 

Dir.    Prep.    Sem. 

7. 

Superior 

33. 

Asst.    Dir.    Prep. 

8. 

Vicar 

34. 

Dean    of   Studies    Prep. 

9. 

Prov.    Secy. 

35. 

Chaplain:    Laurel    Hill 

10. 

Prov.    Econome 

36. 

Chaplain:    Creedmor 

11. 

Mission    Secy. 

37. 

Chaplain:   St.   Agnes   Hosp. 

12. 

Prov.    Dir.    Studies 

38. 

Chaplain:    Bon   Secours   Hosp 

13. 

Director 

39. 

Chaplain:    Army 

14. 

Vice    Master 

40. 

Chaplain:    Navy 

15. 

Lector 

41. 

Chaplain:   Marine 

16. 

Lect.    Sac.    Eloq. 

42. 

Chaplain:   Air   Force 

17. 

Pastor 

43. 

Supervisor   Jun.    Bros. 

18. 

Curate 

45. 

General    Econome 

19. 

Retreat    Dir. 

46. 

Secy.    Gen'l    For.    Miss. 

20. 

Assist.   Ret.   Dir. 

47. 

Rules    Commission 

21. 

Retreat   Master 

48. 

Higher   Studies 

22. 

Vocational    Director 

49. 

Prov.    Archivist 

23. 

Public   Rel.   Dir. 

50. 

Bishop's    Secy. 

24. 

Chronicler 

51. 

Chaplain:    Passionist  Nuns 

25. 

Sign:    Editor 

52. 

Building    Superintendent 

26. 

Sign:   Assoc.    Ed. 

53. 

Librarian 

225