ICSS NewsletterSalesian Studies Worldwide Number 11 • October-November 2002

PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON SALESIAN STUDIES (ICSS) OF THE OBLATES OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES. ITSPRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO DISSEMINATE ON A GLOBAL SCALE INFORMATION DEALING WITH SALESIAN STUDIES (ST. FRANCIS DESALES; ST. JANE DE CHANTAL; FR. BRISSON, THE FOUNDER OF THE OBLATES;THE OBLATES OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES,THE OBLATESISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES; THE VISITATION OF HOLY MARY AND OTHER RELIGIOUS AND LAY INSTITUTES WHO ARE MEMBERSOF THE SALESIAN FAMILY.)

Editor: Alexander Pocetto, OSFS • E-mail: alexander.pocetto@desales.edu • Fax: 610.282.2059Layout: Tom McNamara • E-mail: tom.mcnamara@desales.edu

CELEBRATIONS OF SFS’ANNIVERSARIES

With the publication of the booklet,“Leadership In The SalesianTradition,” theICSS kickedoff the dualanniversarycelebrations ofSt. Francis deS a l e s — t h e400th anniver-sary of hise p i s c o p a lo r d i n a t i o nand the 125thanniversary ofhis beingdeclared a Doctor of the UniversalChurch. The booklet contains an arti-cle by the Most Rev. Lewis Fiorelli,OSFS, Superior General of the Oblates,as well as the two papal decreesdeclaring the saint a Doctor of theChurch.

The English version was translatedinto four languages: French, German,Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. Allof the Oblates, the various communi-ties of the Oblate Sisters, monasteriesof the Visitation, bishops of the dioce-ses in which the Oblates minister, allMSFS bishops and the more than 100Salesian bishops and Cardinals weresent a copy.

The booklet was warmly received andeven served as part of the preparationfor the selection of a new Superior forthe Brooklyn Visitation. The veryattractive color cover as well as theother photographs of the saint’s epis-copal ordination were taken by Fr.Robert McGilvray, OSFS.

The booklet’s Preface notes the rele-vance of the saint’s episcopal ministryas well as his writings for helping todevelop for our time the appropriaterelationship of bishops to the HolyFather and to the people they arecalled to serve. Along this line, theSalesian Center for Faith and Cultureat De Sales University, under the lead-ership and guidance of its Director, Fr.Thomas Dailey, OSFS, is planning abishops’ panel, “On the Role of theBishop in the 21st Century.” Severalneighboring bishops have been invitedto participate in this panel to be heldon Monday, 9 December – one dayafter the 400th anniversary date.

Other Provinces and Regions haveplanned or plan to celebrate theseanniversaries in appropriate ways. Aspecial committee appointed byBishop Boivineau of Annecy organizedfour conferences in Thorens, the townin which our saint was ordained abishop. One conference each month isscheduled with the first one given inSeptember. They include the followingspeakers and topics: Geneviève

Pochat, “St. Francis de Sales’ MessageOn Poverty;” J.M. LeMaire, “St.Francis de Sales and InternationalJustice and Law;” Fr. Michel Tournade,OSFS, “St. Francis de Sales and theDiscovery of A Loving God;” Dr.Hélène Bordes, “Christmas Accordingto St. Francis’ Thought.”

These celebrations will culminate witha solemn liturgy in the church of thesaint’s episcopal consecration, St.Maurice, on 8 December with BishopBoivineau presiding. To make the saintmore visible and to demonstrate admi-ration for him, the municipality movedthe bronze statue of the saint whichwas in the church near the baptismalfont and erected it at the town’sentrance on a 40 ton granite block.

To commemorate the 400th anniver-sary of the saint’s episcopal ordination,a new exhibit will take place at themonastery of the Visitation atDietramszell, south of Munich,Bavaria, from December 2002 untilMay 2003. The theme of the exhibitwill be:”St. Francis de Sales and theFrench portrait engravings of the 17thcentury.” To visit the exhibit, registra-tion by phone is required. Contact Fr.Erich Hehberger, OSFS, VisitationMonastery, 83623 Dietramszell, Phone(++49) 08027/801, Fax (++49)08027/830, Email: hehberger@osfs.at;Website: www.kloster-dietramszell.de.

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John Paul II Pays Tribute toSalesian Holiness

John Paul II paid tribute to the saints ofthe Salesian family, a day after beatify-ing three members of the religiousfamily.

The new blessed, disciples of St. JohnBosco (1815-1888), are NicaraguanMaría Romero Meneses (1902-1977), aDaughter of Mary Help of Christians;Colombian-Italian Luis Variara (1875-1923), priest; and Argentine-ItalianArtemides Zatti (1880-1951), Salesiancoadjutor.

The Holy Father recalled the lives ofthe newly honored which “did notremain hidden within the walls of theirreligious community,” but reached “somany men and women, children andyouths who knew them and benefitedfrom their apostolic work.”

The Pope mentioned Blessed LuigiVariara, founder of the Daughters ofthe Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, as“the cloth of the tears of the most seg-regated and at times the most forgot-ten of society.”

“His life invites us to give a helpinghand to all, to not disdain anyone, tobe welcoming,” the Pope added.“Today, Colombia, where he lived andgave the best of himself with the helpof God’s grace, can find in the exam-ples of this witness of Jesus Christ ahelp to overcome the harsh situation ithas been experiencing for years andpoints toward a society of greater fra-ternity and solidarity.”

John Paul II then spoke about Zatti,who, with his incessant and joyfulactivity in favor of the sick, sowed themercy that Jesus asked us to practicein Argentina: “I was sick and you vis-ited me.”

His example, can inspire in “all profes-sionals in the field of health a renewedattitude of service to the sick that willemphasize his condition as a person,provided with inalienable rights,” the

Holy Father continued.

Lastly, he said that what is most attrac-tive about Sister María Romero is “herservice to the poor, with creativity andefficacy.”

“The works she founded to promotethe Christian life of the neediest and toalleviate the situation of need beingexperienced by so many inhabitants ofSan Jose, Costa Rica, and its outskirtsexist today and continue to give rea-sons for well-founded hope throughgestures of solidarity toward the poor-est,” the Pope said.

John Paul II concluded with an exhor-tation: “May this service never be lack-ing, which has brought so much honorto the Church of Christ!”

On April 12, when John Paul IIreceived the participants in the generalchapter of the Salesians, and their newrector major, Father Pascual ChávezVillanueva, the Holy Father remindedthem that holiness is the Salesians’main task.

“Dear Salesians, if you make the effortto imprint on your work a constantmeasure of evangelical love, you willbe able to carry out your mission to theend with joy and efficacy,” the Popeexclaimed. “Be holy! Holiness, as youwell know, is your essential task, as itis also for all Christians.”

The Salesian religious family includesa total of 21 congregations and official-ly recognized groups. An additional 27have requested recognition. (Courtesyof Zenit News Service on April 15,2002. Its website is at http://www.zenit.org).

France

At its May Commencement exercises,De Sales University bestowed an hon-orary doctoral degree on MotherFrançoise-Isabelle Stiegler, OSFS,Mother General of the Oblate Sisters,in recognition of her own contribu-tions to Catholic education and that of

her Congregation. She will be awardedthe Legion of Honor by the Frenchgovernment on21 November, itshighest non-mili-tary award. Therecent canoniza-tion of MotherAviat, Foundressof the OblateSisters, has drawnc o n s i d e r a b l eattention not only to her life and works,but also to the various apostolic worksso faithfully performed by the OblateSisters in many parts of the world topromote the Salesian spirit andcharism. The ICSS extends warmestcongratulations to Mother Françoise-Isabelle and to all of the Oblate Sisters.

Fr. Jean Gayet, OSFS, has recentlycompleted a monumental task of put-ting the first six volumes of theOeuvres complètes of St.Francis de Saleson a CD-ROM and plans to scan anumber of the sermons as recom-mended by Hélène Bordes and Sr.Mary Patricia Burns, VHM. Pursuinghis Salesian scholarly interests, Fr.Roger Balducelli, OSFS, has digitizedand put on a CD-ROM a collection oftexts on spiritual problems—66 arti-cles in English, French and Germantotaling 800 pages—by a host ofnotable spiritual writers and theolo-gians as they relate to Oblate-Salesianspirituality.

A “Salesian Week” was held in Augustat the Basilica of Annecy The themewas “Everyone is Called to Love.” Fr.Jean-Luc Leroux, OSFS, gave a homilyon “All Are Called to Love With St.Francis de Sales,” and Fr. Gayet gave aday of recollection. Many pilgrimsfrom various countries visited theBasilica during the week.

In July, the Echanges SalésiensConference was held at Annecy LeVieux. For six days, the 45 participantsstudied in depth Book 10 of the Treatiseon the Love of God with the guidingtheme of “L’amour vivant et agissant”

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(Living and Active Love). Summariesof the various reflections appear in LaLettre RES, no. 8 supplément. In thissame issue another section of Fr.Michel Tournade’s doctoral thesis onLa nature dans l’oeuvre de François deSales has been published. The editor ofthis newsletter is Dr. Hélène Bordes(email: bordeshelene@wanadoo.fr). Dr.Bordes writes that the University ofMetz is planning to put her doctoralthesis on the sermons of St. Francis deSales on its website.

ICSS

Fr. Herbert Winklehner, OSFS, gave theannual report of the work of ICSS dur-ing the meeting of the major superiorsof the DeSales Oblates at Fockenfeld,Bavaria, from 28 July to 3 August 2003.He also informed the superiors fromall provinces and regions about thenew grant proposals unanimously rec-ommended by the members of ICSS.

These were approved by the GeneralCouncil and are as follows: Fr. MichaelMurray: Spanish Translation of“Salesian Perspectives;” Fr.Jean-LucLeroux: Computerization of theCraponne Salesian Collection; Fr. MarkPlaushin: Salesian SpiritualityComponent for DeSales Service Works;Fr. Joseph Chorpenning: SalesianScholars Seminar; and Fr. Laurentiusvan der Raadt: Spanish Translation ofFr. Brisson’s Instructions, originallypublished in six volumes by the DutchProvince.

The German edition of the ICSS book-let “Leadership in Salesian Tradition”was sent to all bishops of those dioce-ses in which Oblates are working, aswell as to all communities and monas-teries of the Visitation Sisters, theOblate Sisters, the Secular Institute ofSt. Francis de Sales and the Daughtersof St. Francis de Sales with a cover let-ter from the two provincials, Fr.Konrad Haußner, OSFS, (Austrian-South German province) and Fr. LeoVieten, OSFS (German province).

GERMAN SPEAKING WORLD

Austrian-South German Province

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft für SalesianischeStudien (Task Force for SalesianStudies), founded by one of thestaunchest promoters of Salesian spiri-tuality, Fr. Franz Reisinger, OSFS, cele-brated its 40th anniversary. The pri-mary mission of this task force, whichhas 50 members including bishops,priests, religious and lay people, is todisseminate the life, teaching, workand spirituality of St. Francis de Salesand of the Salesian Family throughoutthe German-speaking world.

The anniversary celebration was heldduring the “Community Week” of theSecular Institute of St. Francis de Salesin Leitershofen near Augsburg,Bavaria on 23 July 2002. The officers ofthis task force—Frs. Franz Wehrl,OSFS, (Chair), Johannes Haas, OSFS,(Vice Chair), Gottfried Prinz, OSFS,(Secretary)—celebrated a Eucharisticliturgy, followed by an informationsession, in which they spoke about thehistory, foundation, current plans andprojects of the Task Force.

Since its foundation, the Arbeitsgemein-schaft has published 34 issues of theJahrbuch für salesianische Studien(Yearbook of Salesian Studies) withscholarly and popular articles aboutSalesian research from all over theworld. The members were also mainlyinvolved in the editing and publicationof the German edition of the works ofSt. Francis de Sales in 12 volumes andedited a compendium with articlesabout the most important topics ofSalesian theology. In addition to work-ing on the next edition of the Jahrbuch,the Arbeitsgemeinschaft is currentlytranslating the French edition of theletters of St. Jane de Chantal intoGerman.

Last spring the Latin mass for orches-tra “Missa brevis in B major - MissaFrancisci Salesii” had its premiere inthe church of St. Anna in Vienna,Austria. Its composer, Gerald Spitzer,

wants to combine his work as a musi-cian with a social therapeutic aspect,i.e., he wants to study the therapeuticeffect for performers who play in theorchestra or sing in the choir.

For over ten years there has been a soc-cer team with the name FC Francis deSales. In its eleventh year the team, onwhich Deacon Thomas Mühlberger,OSFS, plays, won the championship ofits league. Congratulations! For furtherinformation, check out this site:www.fcfvs.ttn.at

The 27th general chapter at Fockenfeld2000 encouraged the DeSales Oblatesto look for ways to involve lay peoplemore intensively in the work and spir-ituality of the DeSales Oblates. Underthe leadership of Bro. HansLeidenmühler, OSFS, a group of layassociates has been formed. The firstmeeting took place in September 2001.Since then, the group has been meetingabout once a month. The members firststudied and discussed different chap-ters of the Devout Life. They are cur-rently using for their discussions Fr.Lewis S. Fiorelli’s book on theSpiritual Directory for lay people.

The dioceses of Austria designated theyear 2002 as the “Year of Vocations”. Inkeeping with this, there are many dif-ferent events to promote vocations.The DeSales Oblates of Vienna,Austria, had a very special idea. On 21April 2001 they went to the city mall ofthe Austrian capital and distributedpamphlets and invited people to an“evening of prayer” in the church of St.Anna, the first residence of the DeSalesOblates in Austria. To attract moreattention, the religious were accompa-nied by a group of dancers, a magicianand a guitar player. “This eventproved to be very worthwhile,” saidFr. Thomas Günther, OSFS, the organ-izer of the event, “It was a little unusu-al for us to present ourselves in thisway in public.”

About 60 people attended the “eveningof prayer,” which was combined with

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workshops and roundtable discus-sions. One question discussed was:“Are the DeSales Oblates Credible?”The responses were quite positive.DeSales Oblates are well-liked and areseen as open, intelligent and attentivepriests and brothers. On the websitewww.stephanscom.at and the link“Orden in Wien” (Religious in Vienna),one can find a presentation about thework and spirituality of the DeSalesOblates as well as the Oblate Sisters.

On 26 January 2003 it will be exactly 80years since Francis de Sales wasdeclared patron of writers and journal-ists by Pope Pius XI. To commemoratethis event, the DeSales Oblates of theProvince will produce a press packetwith a CD-Rom and send it to morethan 200 editorial offices in theGerman-speaking world.

In addition, there will be a symposiumfor journalists at the CatholicUniversity of Eichstätt, Bavaria. Thetopic of the symposium will be: “Ethicsand Spirituality of Journalists.”Opening statements will be made byprofessors Dr. Walter Hömberg fromEichstätt and Dr. Thomas Bauer fromVienna as well as the Director of theFranz Sales Verlag, Fr. HerbertWinklehner, OSFS. These will be fol-lowed by a discussion, moderated byFr. Johannes Haas, OSFS, Chaplain ofthe University, on the Salesian ele-ments of ethics and spirituality forjournalists. The proceedings of thisevent will be published.

Hans Angleitner, teacher at the gram-mar school of the DeSales Oblates inDachsberg, Upper Austria, and Fr.Herbert Winklehner, OSFS, are prepar-ing a Salesian calendar for the internetwith its own page for every day of theyear. It will contain Church feast daysand saints of the day, a special pictureof Francis de Sales, a quotation fromthe saint and, where possible, histori-cal information of what occurred on aparticular day in the life of St. Francisde Sales.

The calendar should be accessible by 1January 2003 and can also be installedon computer as a start-up page.

On 5 October 2002 the DeSales Oblatesfrom Vienna, Austria, organized a spe-cial pilgrimage in the spirit of St.Francis de Sales to the Austrian shrineof the Blessed Mother, Maria Taferl. Aninteresting feature of this pilgrimagewas the use of texts from the spiritual-ity of St. Francis de Sales. The topic ofthe pilgrimage was: “If Your HeartWanders or Suffers, Gently Bring ItBack in the Presence of the Lord. “(Francis de Sales)

The German magazine of theSalvatorians Wegbereiter (Pioneer) cele-brated its 50th year. In its anniversaryissue, Fr.. Winklehner, OSFS, has writ-ten an article on St. Francis de Sales aspatron of the journalists with the title,“The Mass Media and Evangelization.”He encourages the Church to use allmodern media and new technologiesof communication to disseminate theChristian faith just as St. Francis deSales did.

His Excellency, Andreas Laun, OSFS,auxiliary bishop of the diocese of

Salzburg, gave a lecture on 29 October2002 on the topic “Vocation to Holinessfrom a Salesian Perspective” at Linz ander Donau, Upper Austria. In his talkthe Bishop described how St. Francisde Sales was a precursor of Vatican II,especially of the decrees LumenGentium and Gaudium et Spes.

In the grammar school of the DeSalesOblates in Dachsberg, Upper Austria,there is a new painting of St. Francis deSales done by the artist Gerhard Roth,a teacher at the school. In the center ofthe five panels of the picture stands St.Francis de Sales. Under his portrait thebasilica of Annecy is depicted. Thefour panels to the right and left of theportrait show important topics andtasks in following Christ and inSalesian spirituality: the search forGod in life and in the world; concernfor the poor, sick and the outcast;bonding with God in the silence andloneliness of prayer; the concern forfamilies and Christian values as wellas the fulfillment of the human longingfor eternal happiness.

The traditional Salesian days of reflec-tion for lay people who are interested

The painting of St. Francis de Sales by Gerhard Roth.

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in Salesian spirituality will take place6-8 December 2002 at the retreat centerMaria Hilf at Passau, Bavaria. The spir-itual director will be Fr. ThomasGünther, OSFS. For further informa-tion and registration contact:Provinzialat der Oblaten des hl. Franzvon Sales, Ettingshausengasse 1, A-1190 Wien, Phone (++43) 01/320 66 97,Fax (++43) 01/320 66 97 22, Email:provinzialat@osfs.at

In the series of the “KIM picture post-cards” created by Bro. BenedictSchmitz, OSFS, there is now a cardwith a portrait of St. Francis de Salesand the words, “I wish you a coura-geous heart, joy and contentment.”The card is available at: Franz SalesVerlag, Rosental 1, D-85072 Eichstâtt,Phone (++49) 08421/93489-31, fax.(++49) 08421/93489-35, Email: info@franz-sales-verlag.de.

About 70 employees of the office of pas-toral care of the Eichstätt diocese cametogether at the Salesianum Rosental on7 October 2002 to learn about theDeSales Oblates and Salesian spirituali-ty. Formal presentations were given byFr. Winklehner. In the afternoon therewere small group discussions on howone can lead a Christian life in his job astaught by St. Francis de Sales.

German province

Fr. Hans-Werner Guenther, OSFS, gavea retreat to the Salesians of Don Boscoin Junkerath, Germany, 8-14 August2002. His topic was: “SalesianCommunity for Today - Brotherly Lifefrom the Perspective of St. Francis deSales.” He spoke on the Salesian imageof God and of man, respect for the peo-ple with whom we live, friendship,and the vows.

Dutch province

On the occasion of their 75th anniver-sary of the founding of the Province,the DeSales Oblates published a bookabout their history in the Netherlands.The book was presented to the public

on 16 October 2002 during the celebra-tion of the jubilee in Oudenbosch. Inaddition there will be professionallyproduced video recordings dealingwith the life and work of St. Francis deSales and Fr. Brisson, the life and min-istries of the Dutch Oblates as well astheir missionary endeavors. Furtherinformation can be obtained from Fr.Dirk Koster, OSFS, Email: d.koster@compaqnet.nl. The ICSS extendswarmest congratulations to all of ourDutch confreres.

Swiss Community

In the Swiss journal Kanisius Stimmen(Voices of Canisius), issue of 4/2002,the DeSales Oblates and their work,especially in Switzerland, were treatedin an article entitled, “OptimisticallyOpened to the World,” written by Fr.Herbert Winklehner, OSFS.

India

The region is expanding very rapidly.The newly founded community ofSalespuram in the state of Kerala cele-brated the Eucharist for the first timein the main building on the occasion ofthe installation of Fr. Baiju Puthussery,OSFS, as the first Superior. More than50 Oblate candidates attended as wellas Fr. Sebastian Leitner, OSFS,Regional Superior, and several otherOblates from the Samapanaram mis-sion in Bangalore. The formal dedica-tion of this mission took place on 12October with Bishop Kannur presidingand Fr. Lewis Fiorelli, OSFS, SuperiorGeneral, in attendance.

The August, 2002 issue of SamapanaramOsai, newsletter of the first OblateIndian mission, contains a good sum-mary by Vincent Kumar, OSFS, of thebooklet, “Leadership in the SalesianTradition.” This issue also has an articleon Fr. Brisson by Fr. Alfred Smuda,OSFS, Superior of the community.

Toledo-Detroit Province

Fr. John Graden, OSFS, has generously

agreed to take over as Director of theDe Sales Resource Center, which hasplayed a major role under Fr. JosephPower’s leadership in promotingmulti-faceted and creative approachesto disseminating Salesian thought. Fr.Graden’s new Salesian CD, “A GentleLift,” is scheduled to appear before theend of the year.

The 20th Annual Salesian Conferencewas held again at St. Mary’s College inNotre Dame, Indiana with about 150participants. This year’s theme was“Changing the World from Inside Out,”a fitting one for the saint who insistedthat to change a person we have tobegin with the heart, the person’s inte-rior. There were six presenters. Fr.Joseph Boenzi, SDB, gave the openingtalk, “Cast Out Into the Deep,” whichconsidered the Salesian Apostolic Spiritand how it provides us with a challengeof New Evangelization for the ThirdMillennium.

Gregory F. Augustine Pierce, co-publisher and editor for ACTAPublications, emphasized in his talk,“If We Get the Dismissal Right, We’llGet the Mission Right – A Spiritualityfor the Laity Building the Kingdom ‘onEarth as It Is in Heaven,’” how the laityis called to carry out that mission in theworld and suggested that the spiritual-ity of work is well suited for this mis-sion.

Other speakers included NancyDowney, whose topic was “SalesianSpirituality: A Powerful Guide forRespect and Harmony in our DiverseWorld” and Ruth Cunnings on “SocialJustice Through Right Relationships: ASalesian Perspective.” Fr. John Graden,OSFS, and Sr. Marie Therese Ruthman,VHM, played the roles of Francis andJane respectively in what was billed as“Conversations with Francis and Jane…Amidst Busyness” The format wasthat of a simulated talk show with “lis-teners” calling in questions, whichwere prerecorded.

With substantial financial assistance

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from the ICSS, the Salesian ScholarsSeminar was held in the latter part ofOctober under the dual leadership ofDr. Wendy Wright and Fr. JosephChorpenning, OSFS. Ten scholarlypapers were presented and discussedin the format previously used, viz., aperson other than the author presentedhighlights of the paper as a prepara-tion for discussing it by all of the par-ticipants.

The presenters and their topics were asfollows: Fr. Joseph Boenzi, SDB, “DonBosco, Prepares for Salesian Sisters;”Dr. Roberta Brown, “The SalesianHeart: a Matter of Integrity;” Fr. JosephChorpenning, OSFS, Imitatio Mariaeand the Biblical Mystery of theVisitation in St. Francis de Sales;” Dr.Patricia Siegel Finley, “The Savoy,Fatherland of St. Francis de Sales;” Bro.Daniel Wisniewski, OSFS, “CreativeLove: How Salesian Are ContemporaryViews of Kenosis in Creation?;” Fr.Thomas Dailey, “As the Salesian/Oblate World Turns;” Dr. WendyWright, “Jane de Chantal, Françoise deChaugy and the Visitation Tradition;”Sr. Mary Paula, “From Generation toGeneration in Relationship with theVisitation: The Cox/Prince MarkoeFamily;” Fr. Alexander Pocetto, OSFS,“Mother Mary de Sales Chappuis,Apostle of the Salesian Spirit;” Sr. Mada-Anne Gell, VHM,” Sr. M. Baptista Klein, VHM, HerAutobiography: A Sampler.”

Fr. Chorpenning’s paper was firstgiven as an address at the 53rd AnnualMeeting of the Mariological Society ofAmerica in New York City and is to bepublished in Marian Studies 53 (2002).

Wilmington-PhiladelphiaProvince

Through the efforts of Fr. RobertMcGilvray, OSFS, and with financialsupport from the ICSS, the “SalesianAccompanied Retreats” developed byFr. William Gallagher, OSFS, atAnnecy, France, took place last sum-mer in the USA for the first time. Frs.

Paul Henry, Michael Donovan, OSFSand Konrad Eßer, OSFS were the spiri-tual directors of these retreats, whichwere held in the Jesus House nearWilmington, Delaware. Participantswere two sisters of the Visitation, anOblate sister and two DeSales Oblates.Sr. Loretta Fahy, VHM, of theWheeling Visitation found the retreatto be a deeply moving spiritual experi-ence. All of the five participants areready to offer such retreats as spiritualdirectors for a larger group of partici-pants next year. These retreats willprobably take place 15-22 July 2003.For further information contact:Michael Donovan, OSFS, Childs Md.Email: mbdosfs@msn.com.

The De Sales Spirituality Center hasmoved its offices from Washington,D.C., to Childs, Md., and continues tooffer a whole host of resources andservices. With the help of an ICSSgrant, the Center has had volume 2 ofthe “Salesian Perspectives” translatedinto Spanish. It has also developed“Sundays Salesian Cycle B.” TheCenter suggests a variety of ways inwhich these can be used to supple-ment the materials you already use foryour RCIA, RCIC, religious educationand faith formation programs; for lec-tors and other lay ministers, both forpersonal reflection and for groupinteraction.

You can make single or multiple reflec-tions the basis of a retreat or day recol-lection for staff, faculty, parish coun-cils, advisory boards/boards oftrustees and other groups. These couldbe used in conjunction with such pro-grams as RENEW or Disciples andMission. The reflections could serve asthe focus for small church or faith-sharing groups.” For further resources,check out the Center’s website atwww.oblates.org/spirituality.

Numerous projects, activities and serv-ices are also provided by the SalesianCenter for Faith and Culture of DeSales University. The Center launchedthe Aviat Lecture Series in Catholic

Education with the formerSuperintendent of Education for theAllentown diocese, Dr. JamesCusimano, speaking on “The Geniusof Catholic Education.” This isbelieved to be the only lecture series inthe States dedicated exclusively toCatholic education A complete reporton the Center’s other activities andaccomplishments for 2001-2002 as wellas future plans can be viewed athttp://www4.desales.edu/SCFC/.

The Newman Center at West ChesterUniversity devised an online-retreatexperience which is going quite well.Students, faculty, staff, etc. who areconnected with the Newman Centerwere invited to purchase the book SetYour Heart Free: The Practical Spiritualityof Francis de Sales by John Kirvan Thepeople who registered online had aface to face initial meeting.

At this gathering, Fr. John Hanley,OSFS, Campus Minister at De SalesUniversity, gave a talk on “Who isFrancis de Sales and Why Should ISpend 30 days with Him.” The talkincluded an overview of the historicalcontext and the major themes ofSalesian spirituality. Participantsagreed to do the readings and prayersand, if so moved, type out their reflec-tions, prayers, thoughts, etc. and sharethem with all the other participants.

At the end of the 30 days, people havean option to meet again for a dinnerwith sharing about the experience. Thenumber of people sharing has beensomewhat low but of profound depth.This online retreat can serve as a goodmodel for those who find the methodattractive. For further detailed infor-mation, contact Fr. Hanley by email:John.Hanley@desales.edu.

Sisters of the Visitation

From 5-7 May 2002 the Franz SalesVerlag invited Catholic publishers to ameeting at the monastery of theVisitation at Zangberg, Bavaria. At thefirst evening the Visitandines together

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with the Director of the Franz SalesVerlag, Fr. Winklehner, OSFS, took theopportunity to acquaint the directorsof the different Catholic German pub-lishing houses with St. Francis deSales, St. Jane de Chantal and Salesianspirituality.

For 140 years the Visitandines havebeen living and working in Zangberg,about 50 kilometers south of theBavarian capitol of Munich. Theanniversary was celebrated on 16 June2002 with a Eucharistic liturgy. Fr.Herbert Winklehner, OSFS, gave ahomily on the meaning of theVisitation of Holy Mary in which hestressed the appropriateness of themonastery’s mission statement to livea spirituality rooted in this mystery, amystery of the graces we receive in ourhuman encounters and interactions.

Oblate Sisters of St. Francisde Sales

On 8 September 2002 the “Associationdes Amis du Père Blanchard et de la MèreChappuis” (Association of the friendsof Père Blanchard and MotherChappuis) was formed at Soyhières, atown in the Swiss Jura mountains.More than 120 members participatedat the assembly of the foundation. TheOblate Sisters, the DeSales Oblates aswell as the Visitation Sisters of Troyesare members of this association. Thereason for this foundation was the cel-ebration of the 900th anniversary ofthe village of Soyhières.

The Oblate Sisters wanted to mark thisjubilee in a special way by foundingthis association to memorialize twogreat personalities of the village: thepastor Jean-Pierre Blanchard (1762-1824), who greatly resembled the saint-ly pastor of Ars, and the Good Mother.In addition, a book was published, inwhich these two persons as well as St.Léonie Aviat are presented.

The Oblate Sisters of Linz an derDonau, Upper Austria, invited Fr.Herbert Winklehner, OSFS, to give a

lecture on the topic “SalesianPedagogy” for the approximately 25teachers of their school. In his talk, Fr.Winklehner presented 12 theses which,in his opinion, can be valuable for apedagogy in the Salesian spirit. Hiswork will probably be published in thenext issue of the Jahrbuch fürSalesianische Studien in Fall 2003.

Secular Institute of St. Francisde Sales

The German-speaking group of theSecular Institute of St. Francis de Saleshas a new website at www.saekularin-stitut-franz-von-sales.de. It is a veryattractive site with a lot of informationabout St. Francis de Sales and the goalsof the Secular Institute.

On 30 November 2002 at Viamâo nearPorto Alegre, Brazil, the house for chil-dren suffering from cancer at Viamâonear Porto Alegre, Brazil, will open itsdoors and be consecrated. Through theexcellent cooperation between theDeSales Oblates and the Sisters of theInstitute, as well as with the financialsupport of the Kindermissionswerk atAachen, Germany and many privatedonations, this building became a real-ity. Children suffering from cancer canlive here with their mothers while theyare receiving chemotherapy treatmentsat the hospitals of Porto Alegre and becarefully looked after. The administra-tion and leadership of the house willbe undertaken by the Brazilian sistersof the Secular Institute.

Daughters of St. Francis deSales

The Daughters of St. Francis de Saleshave launched their own beautifulwebsite with interesting Salesian infor-mation at www.franz-von-sales.org.Viewing this site is very rewarding. Inaddition to information on the society,St. Francis de Sales and his spirituality,one finds a quotation of the saint forevery week of the year for personalreflection and deepening one’s faith.

This service is also available via email.

The Daughters have a new group - theEastern Austria Group – founded on22 September 2002 during their annualretreat at Admont, Upper Austria.Furthermore the consecration of a newcandidate occurred on that day as wellas the renewal of the consecration of allthe members. This renewal must beundertaken every seven years. To pre-pare for this occasion, the Daughtersreflected on essential topics from theDevout Life, viz., the call to holiness,prayer, vows, virtues, temptations,progress in the interior life. GeneralSuperior Annemarie Schwab fromParis and the Councilor for theGerman-speaking region, AnnickMazevet, were present on this impor-tant day.

Research/Publications

Gereon Kühr from Munich is workingon his doctoral thesis on the topic:“Religious Experience of St. Francis deSales,” an investigation on howFrancis de Sales conveyed faith andspiritual experiences to the people,particularly union with God. He istreating it less from a theological andmore from a philosophical perspective.Fr. Jose Kumblolickal, MSFS, has com-pleted his doctoral thesis, entitled,“Union con Dios en San Juan de la Cruz ySan Francisco de Sales: Estudio compara-tivo de su Propuesta Doctrinal” (Unionwith God in St. John of the Cross andSt. Francis de Sales: A ComparativeStudy of Their Doctrinal Position). Itwill be published by El MonteCarmelo in Burgos, Spain.

A Visitation sister of the monastery ofZagreb, Croatia, translated theGerman Salesian anthology Franz vonSales. Auf heiligen Bergen (Francis deSales. On Holy Mountains) - a collec-tion of texts of St. Francis de Sales fromhis letters - into her native language.The publishing house Verbum at Split,Croatia, will publish this book verysoon. This is an example of the increas-ing interest in Croatia in the spirituali-

ty of St. Francis de Sales in the wake ofcivil war.

Franz Sales Verlag has published Seht,Christus kommt uns suchen Mit Franzvon Sales durch die Advents- undWeihnachtszeit (Look, Christ Is Comingto Seek Us! Through Advent andChristmastime Accompanied byFrancis de Sales) by Fr. HerbertWinklehner, OSFS. The book givesthoughts for every day of Advent andChristmastime which are taken fromSt. Francis de Sales. It also containsquestions for personal reflection and ashort prayer to accompany youthroughout the day. It can be orderedat: Franz Sales Verlag, Rosental 1, D-85072 Eichstâtt, Phone (++49)08421/93489-31, fax. (++49)08421/93489-35, Email: info@franz-sales-verlag.de, Internet: www.franz-sales-verlag.de.

For the year 2003 the Franz SalesVerlag is planning to publish theSalesian pamphlet series of Fr. Alois

Bachinger, OSFS, “Live Jesus in theWorld” in a folder, containing all thetwelve pamphlets.

Dr. Bordes reports a remarkable articleby Agnès Guiderdoni-Bruslé, of theUniversity of Louvain, “Images etemblèmes dans la spiritualité de saintFrançois de Sales” Revue XVIIe siècle,no. 214, janiver-mars 2002, pp. 35-54.

Gregory F.A. Pierce’s Spirituality@Work: 10 Ways to Balance your life on-the-job (Chicago: Loyola Press, 2002), hasmany practical suggestions for devel-oping a realistic spirituality of workthat is very compatible with Salesianspirituality.

Fr. Joseph Power, OSFS, “HenryBenedict Mackey, OSB, NineteenthCentury Interpreter of St. Francis deSales,” posthumously published in TheDownside Review, July 2002, 215-228.

ICSS Newsletter2755 Station AvenueCenter Valley, PA 18034-9568USA

Address Service Requested

This newsletter can be accessed at: www.desales.edu/salesian/(The last slash is necessary).Information for future issues maybe sent to A. Pocetto via email:alexander.pocetto@desales.edu.,fax:(610)282-2059 or by mail atDeSales University, 2755 StationAve., Center Valley, PA 18034-9568, USA.

The ICSS is very grateful to TomMcNamara, director of publica-tions at De Sales University, for histechnical assistance and to theUniversity for all the otherresources it very generouslymakes available to continue itswork

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