 |
The Spirit of the
Cenacle |
| The Spirit of the Cenacle is the official newsletter of the Missionary Cenacle Apostolate. It is published three times during the year in conjunction with the liturgical seasons of Advent, Lent/Easter, and Ordinary Time. The deadline for the next issue is August 15, 2004. Please submit materials for the newsletter to Smittie Bolner, 460 Bancroft Way, Baton Rouge, LA 70808. E-mail: sbolner@cox.net. |
Dear
Missionary Cenacle Apostolate Members,
May
the grace and peace of the Holy Spirit be with us forever!
And
may you be filled with the joy of Easter!
So
many significant events have taken place since my last letter that I
feel compelled to share some of them with you. One of these was my visit
to the Region of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico) in January, 2004. The
purpose of my regional visits is to become acquainted with the members
and to provide support where needed.
Although Mexico is a relatively young region, the members of the
Cenacles have an overwhelming apostolic zeal. They love one another and
share each other’s burdens in cases of emergencies, illnesses, and the
like. The STs and MSBTs, who had been helping to develop these Cenacles
since their formation, have left the region. While this separation has
been difficult, the Cenacles are to be commended for carrying on the
work that was begun. The need, poverty, and abandonment of those among
whom the MCA members work is beyond belief. I was moved to tears as I
accompanied them to some of their apostolates. It was evident to me that
many of the sick, elderly, handicapped, and poor that they visit
continue to survive because they experiences the love of God through
these missionaries who are willing to give their all regardless of their
own lack of material resources. I humbly admit that this caused me to
re-examine my own commitment to the MCA. This was not comforting—it was
indeed disturbing—as I thought of the many more needy who are not being
reached. I am confident that the region, the vineyard of Our Lady of
Guadalupe, will continue to develop and bear much fruit.
During
March, 2004, I also visited the Region of San Juan Bautista (Puerto
Rico) where there is a strong presence of the Missionary Cenacle Family.
The region and Cenacles are steeped in the history and practices of the
MCA. I saw strong and well organized MCA leaders who work together and
care for one another. They are mature in the practice of taking counsel.
I was impressed to see that elderly members are included in the
activities of the MCA. Frequently their counsel is sought and included
in regional decisions.
As always, I am grateful for the strong support, love and
hospitality received from the members of the MCA and the entire
Missionary Cenacle Family. I am also grateful to my own family (my first apostolate) whose love and
support permit me to continue my service to the MCA.
As
we continue to celebrate the Easter season, my prayer is that we grow in
love, that we care for one another, walk with one another, and share
each other’s burdens.
In
the Most Holy Trinity,
Josie Morales, General
Custodian
The
Principal Agent of Mission
From
the International Spiritual Guide
Dear Brothers
and Sisters in the Cenacle,
Fr. Andrew
Lawrence, ST, may he rest in peace, once told us this story about Fr.
Judge. It was in the early part of the Great Depression. Our little
congregation of Trinitarian priests and brothers was buried in debt.
Many creditors were pressing hard for payment. Fr. Lawrence had managed
to arrange a meeting with an influential monsignor for the purpose of
asking his help in obtaining a large loan to pay off our creditors.
But as soon as
the meeting began Fr. Judge started conversing about the Holy Spirit.
The monsignor appeared very interested in what he was saying. On and on
went the conversation. Meanwhile, Brother Andrew (he was not yet
ordained a priest) waited impatiently for Father to bring up the issue
of the loan. Noontime arrived with Fr. Judge and the monsignor
continuing their lively discussion on the Holy Spirit. They went to a
cafeteria for lunch and returned to the office still going strong and
without any sign that the conversation was drawing to an end. Bro.
Andrew was about to explode. Fr. Judge had not once mentioned the loan.
Finally, the time was up. The visit was over.
As they got up
to leave, the monsignor thanked Fr. Judge for the wonderful conversation
and said: “Let me know if there is anything I can do for you.” “As a matter of fact there is,”
replied Fr. Judge. “We need a loan.” Immediately the monsignor gave
him the name of a certain gentleman. The next morning they went to see
the man, the head of a bank, who quickly arranged a large loan on
favorable terms. With the new loan we were able to pay off our creditors
and ease our financial pressures for a time.
That’s the way
it was with Fr. Judge. He was in love with the Holy Spirit, whom he
called “
In letter
written in 1922 he lays out this fundamental Cenacle principal: “The
beginning, the continuation and all activity of the … Cenacles is
grounded on a practical devotion to the Holy Ghost and if any
explanation is asked of any good that may have been done, we know of no
other reason than the devotion practiced in the Cenacle to the Holy
Ghost” (Cited in
Monograph 6, p. 36).
Father Judge
was ahead of his time. The Church is even now entering a new missionary
era, one in which the Holy Spirit will continue to be the principal
agent, working in and through us. On this Pope John Paul II writes:
Our own time,
with humanity on the move and in continual search demands a resurgence
of the Church’s missionary activity. The horizons and possibilities for
mission are growing ever wider, and we Christians are called to an
apostolic courage based upon trust in the Spirit. He is the principal
agent of mission!
….Today the
Church must face other challenges and push forward to new frontiers,
both in the initial mission ad
gentes and in the new
evangelization of those people who have already heard Christ proclaimed.
Today all Christians… are called to have the same courage that inspired
the missionaries of the past, and the same readiness to listen to the
voice of the Spirit (Cf. Redentoris Misio, #30).
Fr. John
Seymour, ST
International Spiritual
Guide
A
Very Special Missionary: Ivette Gutierrez
Who is Ivette
Gutierrez? She is the happy face in the middle of the photo on the
right. A member of our Cenacle, “Los Agradecidos Del
Señor,”
she
was
one of the delegates from Puerto Rico to the 2003 Leadership Assembly.
Ivette works for Wal-Mart in Puerto Rico, and through her collaboration,
the region was able to receive a generous donation from Wal-Mart that
permitted the representatives from Puetrto Rico to participate in
the 2003 Assembly.
Last Christmas, Ivette, like a good apostle and missionary, led the way
with her manager and co-workers from Wal-Mart to Pueblo Indio. They
journeyed in search of a place. Like Mary and Joseph at Bethlehem, the
delegation found a home with none of the comforts we associate with
modern living. Seeing this family in need, they brought gifts—the basic necessities: a new roof,
beds, paint, refrigerator, groceries. But Ivette wanted to give much
more; her gift was precious, a gift of love and of faith. She inspired
confidence and invited the family to give thanks to the Lord for the
many material gifts they had received, but also for the most wonderful
gift of all—the gift of Jesus’ Love. By involving her co-workers in her
mission, Ivette acted in the providence of her daily life to serve as an
apostle. She is a model for all of us.
As we in Puerto Rico continue our
labor of love in Pueblo Indio, we hope to follow Ivette’s example, for
the journey is long and the needs are many.
Submitted by
Alma Robles, Regional Custodian MCA
Prayers
Are Answered
One of the
customs in the Missionary Cenacle Family is to pray for one another. Use
of e-mail makes it possible for prayer requests to be sent and received
quickly and efficiently. Because we are all united in prayer, many
graces are given to us. Following is a testimonial about prayers that
were answered.
NEW FORMAT FOR THE MCA NEWSLETTER
The MCA General
Council has adopted a policy of distributing the MCA newsletter in an
all-electronic format. In this way we will save a considerable sum in
printing and mailing fees. The full text (with graphics) of each issue
will be posted on the Internet. The issues will be archived, so that
past issues will be available. The idea is that somebody in each Cenacle
has or knows someone (sons, daughters, etc.) with e-mail and Internet
access and can obtain a copy. Those MCA members who have e-mail and
Internet access are being asked to share copies of the newsletter with
those who do not. The Custodian is responsible for seeing that any
member without access to Internet gets a copy. Custodians wishing to
receive a printed copy for duplication may request one by contacting Jim
Bolner at the address below. An e-mail announcement will be sent out to
those on the MCA e-mail list when issues become available. It is very
important, therefore, that we have as complete an e-mail list as
possible. Your cooperation in making the MCA’s communication ministry
more effective will be greatly appreciated.
MCA
GENERAL COUNCIL MEETING -
March 17-22, 2004
An important
event for the MCA is the adaptation of the goal: to
develop highly spiritualized lay apostles in the Church. Drawing upon
the richness of the Missionary Cenacle charism we are to foster an
apostolic holiness as broadly as possible among the Catholic laity. In
the process of doing this we will respond to an urgent and pressing need
of the Church, encourage our own personal and leadership development,
foster vocations to the MCA and to the other branches of the Missionary
Cenacle Family.
During our most
recent meeting, the Council explored ways to achieve this goal. We urge
you in your Cenacles to study the goals and to take counsel on ways to
implement it in your Region. What are the areas of need? What are the
opportunities? How can we, as members of the MCA, be examples of lay
apostles? What can we do to foster our own spirituality and to take this
beyond our meeting places?
The message of our Holy Father to
the Pallotines Sisters should inspire us: “In
a world where the shadows of poverty, injustice, and secularism are cast
over every continent, the need for authentic disciples of Jesus remains
as urgent as ever. It is precisely this witness to Christ’s Gospel that
dispels the darkness and illuminates the way to peace, fostering hope
in
the
hearts of the most marginalized and dejected of people... It is only by
joyful fidelity to Christ and by a bold proclamation of him as Lord – a
testimony founded on his command to go and make disciples of all nations
– that you can assist others to come to know him. In so doing you will
experience the full beauty and fruitfulness of your missionary
vocation.”
The Council
continued to discuss the draft revision of the MCA bylaws. We reviewed
Sections I, II, III and VI of the draft. You can expect to hear more
about this from your Regional Custodian.
The Council has
agreed that the newsletter will now be distributed to all of the Regions
via the internet, with the exception of Mexico and Costa Rica which will
be mailed one hard copy to duplicate for its members. Every Local
Custodian is responsible for seeing that every member in their Cenacle
without e-mail receives a copy of the newsletter.
Currently our
financial situation seems to be in good health. Our administrative costs
are being covered and we have been able to provide some minimal
financial help for apostolic works. Regional Custodians have a
Incarnation Region is to forward
contributions to:
Pat
Regan.
3929 Greencastle Rd
Burtonsville, MD
20866-2114
Trinity Region
is to forward contributions to:
Leamon
Bateman
4184 Brandon Ridge Dr NE
Marietta, GA
30066-2130
San Juan Bautista (Puerto Rico) sends contributions to:
Yitza Arcelay
Calle
Manuel M. Soma #82 Trastalleres
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
00680
All other
contributions should be sent to
Josie Morales
1602 E. Helmick St.
Carson, CA 90746.
On behalf of
the Council, I wish to thank you for your contributions of time, talent
and treasure for the whole MCA.
Josie
Morales,
General Custodian
MCA General Council and Spiritual Guides
Vicente Mora
and Alma Zừňiga
celebrating the feast of St Joseph on March 19, 2004, at Council
meeting.
Remembering
Our Deceased Members:
Because we
in Atlanta have recently experienced the death of long time MCA member
Florence (Flo) Corbett of New Life in the Spirit (see obituary, this
page ), we are reminded how much the lives of our members of the MCA
matter. Just as we celebrate and worship together in life we can
commemorate the deaths of those who have been a part of our community of
faith.
At Flo’s funeral , the priest spoke of her years of dedication to church
ministry and her service as a missionary in the local Cenacle and how
much that was a part of her life.
Within the last year, New
Life in the Spirit has had two funerals of MCA members. Surviving
members of the MCA participated in the liturgy by forming an “honor
guard” consisting of the
MCA and MCF members lining up at the entrance way into the Church upon
arrival of attendees. At the end of the Liturgy, the MCA members sang
the Doxology. At Flo’s funeral, her sister from Connecticut, also an MCA
member, joined us. As the family processed out the honor guard again
lined the vestibule on both sides of the aisle as the coffin was taken
out. Following the service, the MCA members took food refreshment for
the family and visitors. I felt it an honor and privilege to participate
in these activities as a final tribute to one of our members.
Another of the ways that
we honor our deceased members is to remember them and their families in
our prayers. Please notify our Director of Communications, Jim Bolner,
as soon as possible when there is a death among our members. Include a
little information about the person and, where possible, funeral
arrangements so that individuals can attend if they are able to do so.
We are highly encouraged to honor the deceased and support the surviving
family by our attendance whenever possible.
We should also notify the Regional
Custodian, who will then notify our Ordo Committee, when there is a
death of a member. The deceased MCA member will then be included in the
Ordo to be remembered in prayer by the whole Missionary Cenacle Family.
The Regional Custodian will also notify our General Custodian. You are
also encouraged to send obituaries of deceased members to Smittie Bolner
for publication in the newsletter. Another bit of information for new
comers, our Sisters at the Motherhouse have beautiful Mass cards which
can request and, then pay for when you activate the prayer card for
someone. Just write to them at : 3501 Solly Avenue, Philadelphia, PA,
19136.
---Joanne Jones, Assistant
General Custodian
In Memoriam
Maria
Eugenia Zarco Bautista died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Wednesday February 12. She was an
Associate of Holy Spirit Cenacle in Temascalapa, Mexico. Very devoted to
the MCA, her primary ministry was visiting and taking communion to the
sick. She was also a good and faithful catechist. Her son,
Benito Quezada Zarco, is also an MCA member.
*****************************************
Florence
(Flo) Corbett
a member of New
Life in the Spirit of Atlanta, Georgia, died on Saturday, February 28,
2004, from Alzheimer's disease. She is survived by her husband and eight
children. She was a member of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in
Atlanta, GA. Flo was honored in 1992 as the Parish’s “Woman of the
Year” for her dedication to church work. In addition to her church
ministry, Flo worked in hospital ministry and with the homeless.
Florence was loved by all who knew her. She will be missed.
*****************************************
Juventa Jiminez
died in
February. She was a member of Resurrection Cenacle, whose mission is to
give comfort to families that have lost a loved one. They go out and say
the rosary and the Novenario with the family at their home, using this
opportunity to bring the family closer to God. Juventina, had a special
devotion to the Eucharist. She affirmed the teaching of Fr. Judge that
the Eucharist ought to be the sun of our lives.
*****************************************
Kay
Johnson, a long time
member of Resurrection-Ascension MCA, New York, passed away on Christmas
Eve, December 24, 2003.
*****************************************
Juan
Martinez died on Friday,
February 19, 2004, after a long battle with cancer. Mr. Martinez
and his wife Esther are long time MCA Associates of St. Vincent de Paul
Missionary Cenacle in Compton, CA. Along with other members of their
Cenacle have been responsible for feeding between 400 to 500 homeless
persons in downtown Los Angeles every Sunday for the last 10 years. In
addition to his wife, Mr. Martinez leaves six children and many nephews
and nieces.
HOLY SPIRIT REGION
Our region has
a new Assistant Regional Custodian, Mark McGuthrie, from Saint Agustin
Missionary Cenacle. Mark will be completing the term of Rosalía Becerra,
who will leaving for Colima Mexico, this summer to take care of her
mother. We give her our blessing, and ask you to remember her in your
prayers.
Victor Canela, Assistant Custodian of the cenacle San
Juan Diego, has been in discernment and dialog in considering entering
the priesthood. In April, he will go to Mexico to take the necessary
steps to enter the novitiate with our brother STs. Although Victor has
only been in the cenacle two years, he has shown strong leadership
qualities. On March 20 the region will give him a farewell as he begins
his journey.
Shindy Loza is a 17 year old teenager who entered the Cenacle
as a candidate at Pentecost of 2003. Shindy had to leave the U.S. due to
personal reasons and at this time resides in El Salvador. There she
continues her apostolic works. She is also in discernment about entering
the MSBT community after completing High School.
This spring, Brother Laughlan
Scofield, ST, give us a workshop on the gifts and the different methods
of dealing with and solving conflicts. The workshop was attended by
Custodians, Assistant Custodians, Spiritual Guides, and potential
leaders. All found it to be beneficial.
Keep in your prayers our retreat
for couples given by Sagrada Familia and the youth retreat given by our
youth cenacle Jesus de Nazaret.
---José Castro,
MCA, Regional Custodian Holy Spirit Region
OUR
LADY OF GUADALUPE REGION
In January of
this year we began on the right foot with the visit of Josie
Morales and Father John Seymour. We were very excited over
their visit to our two areas in Mexico, Michoacan and
Temascalapa. They attended our meetings and visited the
surrounding areas. They accompanied us on our ministries to the
needy in the area. The photos below and those at the end of the
newsletter help us
to tell the story of their visit. We are proud to
announce that one of our Associates, Señorita Edith Torres,
is going to be a volunteer in Chimalguacàn in the new
mission of the STs. Our region continues to experience
healthy growth and a deepening spirituality.
Vicente
Mora, Regional Custodian
 Vero Espino, Tere Gerrero, Alma Zuniga, Fr. John Seymour, Josie Morales, Vicente Mora, and Dona Margarita |
 Fr. John Seymour addresses the group |
TRINITY
REGION
Living Waters Cenacle hosted a Day or Recollection on February 28 at
Sacred Heart Parish Hall in Pensacola. Ten members attended, as well as
guests, Alston and Ann Fitts from Spirit of Peace in Selma, and Felix
and Nancy Beaukenkamp from Spirit of Life in Niceville/Ft. Walton. Fr.
Guy Wilson, ST, from St. Joseph's Parish in Holy Trinity, Alabama,
conducted the Day of Recollection on "Lent: A Time To Renew Our
Mission with Jesus."
Fr. Guy helped us to renew our
zeal to be apostles. He reminded us that the providence of our everyday
lives bespeaks an intentional missionary attitude. We need to make it a point to reach out to
people we might not meet in our everyday lives. Lay people are the
missionaries of the new era in the family, market place, and community.
They need to be prepared and re-evangelized. We appreciate Fr. Guy's
support in this effort.
Everyone enjoyed the reflections,
the fellowship, and the delicious lunch prepared by Living Waters
members.
---Marianne Beckman, Custodian
SAN
JUAN BAUTISTA
The Best Wine
For Last
Puerto
Rico Region Celebrates
Wedding Night
As we in the Puerto Rico region
celebrated “MCA Wedding Night”we could not help but think that the
marriage in Cana of Galilee (John:2.1) was Our Lord’s first miracle
wherein his divine attributes were openly revealed—his wisdom, his love,
his kindness, and his mercy. When stone jars were filled with water, he
turned the water into the best wine. It is his first public miracle, and
it took place at a wedding, pointing to the “Sacredness of
Marriage.” This event also
points to the importance of Mary’s intercessory role, which we hold so
dear today—to Jesus through Mary.
Our celebration, which
included a renewal of wedding vows officiated by Fr. Vincent, was a
manifestation of the happiness and the love between couples. During the
ceremony, the husband presented to his wife a white handkerchief as a
symbol of purity and fidelity. The wife presented her husband with a red
rose, the symbol of love. As we lifted our cups to praise the Lord with
the we can all attest that the Lord, his mother, and his disciples were
invited to our celebration, commemorating the wedding that took place in
Cana. When a marriage of hearts begins, truth must be conjoined with
good, knowledge must be applied to use, and man must take delight in
contributing to the welfare and happiness of others. From the miracle at
Cana we learn that the wine Jesus gave was better than that the hosts
had previously offered. He teaches us that his word is far better than
anything else we can hear. The wine is like the word of God. If we obey
God’s word and learn about Jesus then we will find happiness and joy
like those at the wedding in Cana.
But
as all good things comes to an end, we will have a “Night to
Remember,” where every little detail so skillfully blended with the
occasion—the music “Voces Caribeñas,” the love notes (selected from our
own “Postal Love Box”), our masters of ceremony (Lisette and Luis
Manuel, MCA), our decorators (headed by Waleska, with her team Sonia and
Micol), our wedding staff (Monica and Ronny from San Rafael MCA), our
escorts (Sarai, Francisco, Tere, and Linda), and, last, but not least,
our own wedding planner, Ivette, from our MCA Mission Team. We all said
good-by to our “First Wedding Night,” knowing there will be a second
one. Every couple left with a spirit of family and a burning fire of
divine love. As rememberances they took with them a wine cup and a
folder filled with reflections including the Novena to the Holy Spirit,
all gifts from Dr. Roberto Ferris, and Linda Landin, MCA.
We
give thanks to God for his presence and his love; we also thank our
Mission Team and their leader Alma Robles, Regional Custodian for Puerto
Rico, who coordinated and created this activity. We also thank Gerardo
Perfecto for his care and support.
Submitted by Linda Landin,
MCA
Wedding Night Celebration in Puerto Rico
_______________________________________________________________________________________
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| MCA in Michoacan, Mexico |
Edith
Torres, Vicente Mora, and Josie Morales - Mexico, January, 2004 |
