Alma Perfecto

Miguel Juarez, Assistant General Custodian

History - Father Judge and the Missionary Cenacle
[Edited to reflect current realities...]

Father Thomas Augustine Judge, C.M.,  was born in South Boston, Massachusetts, August 23, 1868, and ordained a priest of the Congregation of the Mission May 27, 1899, pioneered the lay apostolate in the United States and founded two missionary congregations of Religious. Outstanding as a preacher of missions and retreats and manifesting an extraordinary zeal for souls, he was widely known and revered. Worn by trials and missionary labors, he died November 23, 1933.   Father Judge was the founder of the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate (lay missionaries); Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity (Sisters); Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (priests and Brothers); and the Blessed Trinity Missionary Institute (vowed laity).  


Purpose


The GENERAL PURPOSE of the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate is to give honor and glory to the Triune God. First, in the sanctification of the Associates by means of the devotions and customs of the Missionary Cenacle; and secondly in an ardent Catholicity that manifests itself in a prudent and zealous interest in your neighbor’s welfare.

The SPECIAL PURPOSE of the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate is the
PRESERVATION OF THE FAITH.

The Missionary Cenacle Apostolate was founded by Father Thomas A. Judge, C.M. 
The first meeting was held with five members in the Church of St. John the Baptist, Brooklyn, New York, on April 11, 1909. Father judge outlined for them the good that could be done for souls by a highly spiritualized laity, alert and self-­sacrificing in the interests of the Church.

With the permission of the pastors in parishes where he gave missions, Father judge organized similar groups. By 1915 the Cenacle lay apostolate was widespread.

Today the Missionary Cenacle Aposto­late is established in dioceses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico,  Costa Rica, and Colombia.  It has approximately 1,200 members.  From the original lay apostolate movement two religious communities have developed: the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity (priests and Brothers) and the Missionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity (Sisters). The Missionary Cenacle Apostolate, with these two re­ligious congregations, forms the Mission­ary Cenacle Family.


MOTTO

The MOTTO of the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate is: 

BE GOOD! DO GOOD! BE A POWER FOR GOOD!

Our WATCHWORD IS: “Sentire cum Ecclesia” ---THINK WITH THE CHURCH!




Membership in the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate


Devout Catholics who desire greater personal sanctification and are willing to take an active part in its apostolate are eligible for membership.

Candidates must be at least seventeen years of age at the time of admission to membership. They must prove themselves for at least one year by faithful attend­ance at meetings, the annual retreat and days of recollection. They must also par­ticipate regularly in the activities of the Apostolate in so far as they are able.

For those between thirteen and seven­teen there are junior Cenacles. These groups are trained in Missionary Cenacle principles, devotions and customs.

APOSTOLIC FORMATION: The Missionary Cenacle Apostolate has a clearly de­fined plan of apostolic formation derived from the traditional spiritual writings of the Church, from papal documents, and from the conferences, sermons and letters of Father judge.
Meetings are held twice a month. These meetings are most important for it is here that the Associates receive their training in the work of the Apostolate, and to a great extent, their apostolic formation.

SPIRITUAL FORMATION: The members are led first of all to grow in personal holiness.  Monthly, on a specified day, time is set aside for a period of recollection. Annually, in each Region a recollection day is held for all Associates. Annual Retreats are held in each Region. They are encouraged to have a regular confessor and to seek personal spiritual direction from a priest well acquainted with the spirit of the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate and to follow a rule of life.

SPIRITUAL DIRECTORS: A General Spiritual Guide for the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate is appointed by the General Custodian of the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate after consultation with the General Custodians of Misisionary Servants of the Most Blessed Trinity and Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity, respectively.  The General Spiritual Guide gives counsel to the MCA leadership on matters relating to spiritual formation.

II
Cenacle Devotions


The prime devotion of the Missionary Cen­acle Apostolate is to the Most Holy Trinity, and to the Holy Spirit in a special manner. Other particular devotions are: the mystery of the Incarnation, the Sorrows of Jesus, the Apostles, the Holy Father, and the priest­hood. The Cenacle is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and prays to her as the Queen of the Missionary Cenacle.


SACRAMENTAL LIFE: Associates realizing that the Blessed Sacrament is the "sun and center of their spiritual life" shall aspire to: (a) attend Mass and receive Holy Communion daily; (b) make frequent visits to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. 
They shall strive to grow in grace through weekly reception of the Sacrament of
Pen­ance.

PRAYERS: Father judge stressed the su­preme importance of prayer. The Cenacle members follow the Gospel maxim, "we ought always to pray" (Luke 18:1). They are obliged to certain prayers each day, and are given an approved book of prayers.
The Associates’ day should include, when­ever possible, the Rosary and the Way of the Cross.

Associates are encouraged to use every op­portunity for prayer: to pray briefly for the dead when passing a cemetery, to adore our Lord when passing the Blessed Sacrament, to pray for a safe journey when starting to travel.
Indulgenced ejaculatory prayers are an effec­tive aid to obtain and preserve union with God, even in the midst of active work.

MEDITATION: Some time each day should be given to mental prayer. Among the
recom­mended subjects are:
Sunday - The Epistle and Gospel of the day 
Tuesday - Associate's individual "Practice"'
Friday - The Passion of Christ

On other days the writings of Father judge, where available, should be used.

SPIRITUAL READING: Spiritual reading is vitally important for the lay apostle. Books suitable for spiritual reading and for moral and doctrinal instruction are available to the Associates. Among these books the Holy Bible holds the place of honor. Encyclicals and writings of the Popes, as well as Pastorals and other letters of the Bishops are also ac­cessible, and should be read by the members.


III
The Cenacle Virtues

Father judge stressed the necessity of cer­tain virtues which he considered essential to apostolic formation: "You are to practice vir­tues," he said, "the virtues of Simplicity, Prudence, Humility, Charity, Self-Sacrifice, Patience and the virtue of Self-Denial."

The Associates are trained in these virtues. Frequently they are the topics of the priest's conference at the monthly recollection day. At Cenacle meetings excerpts from Father judge's talks on these virtues are read. At the annual retreat each Associate commits himself to the practice of a particular Cenacle virtue. The Associate makes a particular examination of conscience each day. Medita­tion on Tuesday of each week is usually given over to thoughts on one's Practice.

"There are two kinds of Sim­plicity-one purely natural and silly, found in people without judgment or discernment: a Simplicity which is worth nothing, or at least is not a virtue.  There is another Simplicity which comprises the essential rightness of keeping our words and thoughts clear of all deceit and complexity, and makes us go straight to God and our neighbor without evasion or pretense."

---St. Vincent de Paul

"Persons with the Cenacle Spirit are simple persons. They do not have recourse to decep­tive methods; they go straight; they are straightforward; their Simplicity begins with purity of intention. They have one aim, they are working for the love of God." (Father
judge, "Meditations," p. 176) 

"Simplicity consists in a certain transpar­ency of soul; perfect naturalness in all cir­cumstances and before everyone; a gift of freshness, detached and entirely open; of frankness which is not merely artlessness, but trust in God and our neighbors; a faculty of wonder and an innate tendency towards admiration, because everything appears great to the great, pure to the pure." (Roaul Plus)


PRUDENCE: Prudence is one of the four cardinal virtues, or one of the four corner­stones of natural character that support a good supernatural character.  Prudence is that virtue which helps us to determine what we should do in a particular case. It is the appli­cation of our knowledge of principles of right reason to concrete cases with their special circumstances of time, place and manner.

Prudence is necessary for our own personal conduct. It is necessary in performing works of zeal in line with our apostolate. It is neces­sary when we are advising people.  In our prayers and spiritual exercises, Prudence will help us to be moderate and tranquil
and in keeping with our state of life.

Prudence acts slowly and after prayer; it doubts impulses and takes counsel. Prudence does one thing at a time; figures its own strength, perseveres in its undertakings.  Pru­dence does its work carefully. Prudence quietly forces itself to work and insists on an interior spirit, pure motives and the practice of God's Presence.


HUMILITY: All that humility is, is simply the truth. It is recognizing our real relation with God. Humility does not consist in deny­ing what we are, or denying what we have, but attributing what we are and have to Him Who gave it. Humility reminds us, impresses upon us, causes us to realize that what we have, we have from God." (Father Judge, "Meditations," p. 191)


CHARITY: "Charity is our great virtue be­cause it is the great virtue of Jesus ... The love of God means the love of our neighbor. There is no better evidence, no truer proof of a great love of God, than a great love of our neigh­bor. Love of our neighbor is proven in pa­tience and in trial, in the corporal and spir­itual works of mercy. A treatment of our neighbor that is inconsiderate, harsh, un­brotherly or unsisterly is un-Christlike, and< argues a great want of the love of God. That fraternal love be in the Missionary Cenacle should be our constant prayer." (Father judge, "Meditations," p. 199)



SACRIFICE: "It is timely to stop here and ... to put the question straight to our own soul:
'What think you of Christ?' (Matt. 22:42). What would you do for Christ? And in the
answer you have the gauge of your love of Christ.

"...Love means service, and therefore a very evident mark of a real love for Jesus Christ is a desire to do something in His cause.... I never realized as much as I do when I visit ... poor neglected people the ca­tastrophe of the idle hours of our life. Idle hours! What these would mean for the Church and religion, if put to a purpose that would bring peace of mind and help to our neighbor. I tell you, my dear children, thousands of the souls of our little brothers and sisters are going to be lost to God because we have not sacrificed
enough.

“The spirit of sacrifice—do at least pray that we will get more of it! …Service, generous service, a service generous unto sacrifice, is the mark of true worship.”]From
the writings of Father Judge]

“By definition, an apostle is one who no longer lives for himself, who no longer
belongs to himself and who can’t take back anything without thieving from the sacrifice.  True zeal which is not a flood of words, which clearly loves its work considers it an entrusted mission rather than private property. Zeal consists in giving self wholly, spending and sacrificing self for the glory of God, for the expansion of His Kingdom and the salvation of souls, with the help of God’s grace.” (DeGrandmaison, Come Holy Spirit, p. 7]De Grandmaison, Come Holy Spirit, p. 7]

PATIENCE: “Patience is that grace which enables us to bear afflictions and calamities with constancy and calmness of mind and with a ready submission to the will of God.

“’…Be patient towards all men.’ We read in the Epistle. This often involves no small interior conflict. Patience is a difficult virtue and is won only little by little. To bear with defects of others is a hard task. Contradictory dispositions grate upon us, autocratic manners antagonize us, selfish natures distress us, but let us be patient, meek and yielding for the sake of Him ‘Who when He was reviled, did not revile’ (1
Peter 2:23).

“Let us all pray for a patient, peaceable quiet spirit. Pray that your Cenacles may be ports of heavenly calm, little paradises of peace, and that your lives may be redolent of our patient, gentle Savior.” [Writings of Father Judge, “Meditations,” p. 220.]

SELF-DENIAL: “The good that you would do demands much that is painful and repugnant to nature. Self is crossed at every moment …and because of searching for strayed souls self ease suffers much. If sinners have been reconciled to God, it has been only after His grace, because of your self-denial.” [Writings of Father Judge,
“Meditations,” p. 136]

“Interior mortification is a very high and meritorious degree of penance. In fact,
unless there be mortification of the spirit we will do angry violence against our body in
vain.

“How then may we practice such mortifications? …There is that great world within us of our likes and dislikes. Here we have untold opportunities of practicing interior mortifications, striving to obtain liberty of spirit. There are those natural repugnancies which we find rising in ourselves at times, for instance, in the execution of some unpleasant duty. Prayerfully and manfully we should struggle to rise above these.

-…Let us pray for one another that we persevere and become perfect in the way of interior mortifications, that our life be hidden in Christ …May our thorn-crowned, crucified Savior gaze upon us with His eyes of love and suffering. May the Mother of Sorrows obtain for us this grace to unite ourselves to the agonized Heart of her Divine Son and her compassionate heart. May St. Joseph aid us who so led in this way of
interior mortification and who sanctified himself to such a high degree by interior suffering.” [Writings of Father Judge, “Meditations,” p. 97]



IV
A Distinct Type


The motto which Father judge gave to the Missionary Cenacle is the framework around which the Cenacle plan has been developed. It is simple and concise-"Be good! Do good! Be a power for good!" It contains the funda­mentals of an effective apostolate, and for over fifty years this simple formula has been producing apostolic men and women for the Church. We see here the fulfillment of Father judge's words:

"You cannot practice these virtues, you cannot give yourself over to these devotions without producing a distinct type in the Church of God; so distinct that if you were among thousands of people you would be picked out, and they would say, he or she is a member of the Cenacle."

"When I speak of the Cenacle spirit, I speak of the Catholic spirit. If you have been trained for any pur­pose, or made at all useful, it is that you might show forth that Christ-like spirit, char­ity in good works. Saint Paul puts it this way -he speaks of 'Faith that worketh by Charity' (Gal. 5:6). This is a faith that is restless until it finds expression in good works. Now if you have that spirit you are going to communicate it. Why?  Because the Holy Ghost wants it communicated. It is His flame, the Pentecostal burning....

"Now the Spirit of God wants to use you. You are His instruments. You are the tools with which He is going to chisel out salvation for many souls. You are to work upon the lives of others. But that you may cooperate with the designs of the Holy Ghost, there must be that intensity of charity in your own hearts....

"It is the Will of Jesus Christ, understand, that this fire should spread, and that it should spread through you. You should thank God for this grace, for this selection. It should give you, certainly, a holy and tremendous joy to know that you have been chosen by the Almighty God; to know that His Holy Spirit is to burn in you for others, and is to be communicated through you to others.

"How is this to be done? You are to inspire others with this Catholic spirit. There is no problem about the extension of the Cenacle. Your only concern is to keep in your heart the Cenacle spirit; to keep in your Cenacle the Cenacle spirit. You have your rules and the programs and methods of the Cenacle are all worked out. There is no problem
concerning them.

"The great problem is this, being right with the Cenacle spirit. What is the Cenacle Spirit? What is Our Lord's spirit? What is the Apos­tolic spirit? What is the missionary spirit? What is this 'Faith that worketh by charity'? That is the Cenacle spirit. It is the Gospel spirit. It is charity-charity aflame. It is the breathing of the Holy Spirit. It is the sweet odor of Jesus Christ. You have been called to live it. This is your vocation. First of all, you are called to reservoir that spirit in your own lives, that your heart may be aflame with it. Then you are to spread it. That is your mission."

(Father judge's address on the occasion of the Silver jubilee of his priesthood, May,
1924.)

1. It is recommended that each Associate practice a particular virtue to assist in over­coming a particular fault.

"A Missionary Cenacle Associate will real­ize of what value and importance are his dif­ferent exercises of piety, for example, meditations, spiritual reading, visits to the Blessed Sacrament ... the giving of ... a Practice. Through this last, a Practice--he may know how sincere, how interested, how zealous he is for his soul's perfection. Our relation to our Practice is the story of our interest in our soul's welfare. I am anxious that all should have a Practice ... and be faithful to it." (Father judge, "Meditations," p. 193)

2 Where "Meditations" is mentioned, refer­ence is made to that unpublished collection of
Father's words which serve as the basis for meditation for the Missionary Servants.

Top of Page

 

Apostolates

    Associates, as members of the MCA are called, engage in a wide variety of apostolates.  Whatever form the missionary work of the Associates takes, it is characterized by the following: a preference for service to the poor and abandoned, whether materially or spiritually, and  a manifestation of God's love in the "providence of everyday life."  Our apostolic work is rooted in our Cenacle spirituality.  Whatever we do is done to bring glory to the Triune God.  

    Many of our Associates step out upon the public stage to militate against immoral practices, such as abortion.  Some are involved in various aspects of social justice work, such as clothing and feeding the poor; some work in Hospice organizations; some minister to those affected with AIDS; some bring comfort and consolation to shut-ins and those residing in nursing homes.  

    Whever possible our apostolates are carried out in collaboration with other members of the Missionary Cenacle Family.  

 

Top of Page

Leadership

Alma Robles,  General Custodian
516# Roble st.

Los Colobos Park

Carolina,P.R. 00987

Phone: 1-787-903-7406

MCAALMA@yahoo.com  

  

Miguel Juarez,  Assistant General Custodian
 

General Spiritual Guide: Rev. Domingo Rodriguez, S.T.

 The MCA Council  

Holy Spirit Mark McGuthrie 714-993-1098 Incarnation Pat Regan, MCA 8362 Tamar Dr. Columbia, MD 21045 410-772-5799 patregan3@verizon.net San Juan Bautista Luz Ivette Gutierrez, ACM Urb. Villas de Loiza Calle 25 AB #3 Canovanas, PR 00729 787-605-3332 ivetteprmca@gmail.com

Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles Ana Barquero mzamor24459@ice.co.cr Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Alma Rosa Hernandez, ACM Av. 20 de Noviembre # 72 Buenavista Tomatlán, Michoacán, C.P. 60500 MEXICO arhm2005@yahoo.com.mx Holy Trinity Kay Knott, MCA 4006 Governors Dr., Apt. G Montgomery, AL  36111 knott4006@aol.com

        
MCA General Office
3501 Solly Avenue 
Philadelphia, PA 19136 


The MCA Leadership Events

The MCA Leadership Assembly, April, 1999 

The MCA Leadership Retreat - Trinity Region, September 8-10, 2000

The Margaret Healy Leadership Assembly, March, 2003 

Top of Page

 

Stewardship

Throughout its history the MCA Associates have contributed freely of their time and talent to their apostolic work.  In terms of financial support, the MCA has historically relied for support on two sources,  annual contributions made by its members in the form of "dues" and funds from the other branches of the Missionary Cenacle Family.  In 1999 the MCA Council, with the support of the other branches of the Family,  launched a stewardship campaign.  The goal of the campaign is to strengthen the patterns of giving of time, talent, and treasure.     

Contact Person:

Peggy Clark, MCA
1601 Green Street
Tallahassee, FL 32303-5434

Peggy's e-mail address: mnmclark2005@comcast.net.

Top of Page

 

MCA E-mail List

Anyone may request to be receive requests for prayers and announcements relating to the MCA by contacting Jim Bolner at jimbolnersr@cox.net.  

Top of Page

Contacts

Alma Perfecto, General Custodian, gpralma@yahoo.com
Miguel Juarez, Assistant Custodian, migueljuarezm@hotmail.com
International Spiritual Guide, Fr. John Seymour, S.T., jseymourst@yahoo.com
Kay Knott, Regional Custodian, Knott4006@aol.com  
Diane and George Zine, Co-Custodians, dianezine@aol.com
Mark McGuthrie, Regional Custodian, markblanca@sbcglobal.net
 

Top of Page

            _____
            Webmaster: jimbolnersr@cox.net