La Salle Parsons, O.F.M. Cap.

Celebrating 60 Years of Religious Life

La Salle Parsons, O.F.M. Cap.

Celebrating 60 Years of Religious Life

Allan Joseph Parsons was born to John and Margaret Carroll-Parsons on 17 November 1930 in Yonkers, NY. Although his parents were married at Saint Joseph Church on 21 June 1910, the Parsons family would later become life-long parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish, residing at 36 Tower Place in Yonkers.

Allan was baptized by Cyprian Abler, O.F.M. Cap. on 07 December 1930; he received his First Holy Communion from Anselm Leahy, O.F.M. Cap. on 15 May 1938 and was confirmed and received the name ‘Gregory’ by Bishop Stephen Donohue, DD, Auxiliary Bishop of New York [bishop 1934-82] on 05 June 1942 all at Sacred Heart Church.

By 1935, two of Allan’s older brothers would enter the Capuchin Franciscans. John, who would later be called ‘Anscar’, entered the Capuchins in 1928. He was a contemporary of Lawrence [Julius] Sullivan, Frederick Cameron, Hugh Morley, Brendan Morrissey, Clarence Grosser, and Maurice Maurer. Sadly, Anscar died at the age of 33 after only seventeen years of religious life on 17 June 1945 in Wausau, Wisconsin. His other brother James [Myles] entered the community in 1935 and faithfully ministered as a Capuchin for sixty-two years. He died on his 80th birthday in the Bronx, NY on 29 April 1998.

Allan attended Sacred Heart Grammar School [1935-1944]; Sacred Heart High School [1944-47]; Maryknoll Junior Seminary in Clark Summit, PA [1947-48]; and Maryknoll Junior College in Lakewood, NJ [1948-50].

In August, 1950, in the years when most candidates entered the community at 17 years of age, Allan, considered a belated vocation at the ripe old age of 20, entered the Capuchins for a short period of probation as a postulant at St. Felix Friary in Huntington, Indiana. He began his novitiate year, also at St. Felix on 16 September 1950 and received the religious name ‘[De] La Salle’. His Master of Novices, [Fr] Elmer a Bloomer speaks of La Salle as “…very good in his observance of discipline, very conscientious and well-motivated in all that he does.”

[Bottom row] Louis Chiusano, Martin de Porres Schmidt, LaSalle Parsons, Charles Bantle, Peter Baptist Ishigami, Dominic Silvestro; [Top row] Kevin Smyth; Martin Clarke, Lucian Pulvermacher; Eugene Tuller, Jeremiah Cassidy, Raymond Bartoldus, Valentine Thibedeau, Gordon Combs, Mark Frazier and Peter Von Essen- 1969

02

1963 1947

The following September, 1961 La Salle returned to the states to begin a master’s program in Asian Studies at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. He would return to Okinawa the following year but received his graduate degree in 1965.

Upon his return [01 August 1962-31 March 1963], La Salle was appointed pastor of the Futenma parish and catechetical assistant at Christ the King International School in Maehara, Okinawa. From 01 April 1963-01 April 1964 he served an assistant pastor of the Shuri parish as well as his previous ministries as director of the student dorm and Catholic University Students Club and teacher of English at the Ryukyu University.

On 01 April 1964 La Salle was appointed pastor of the Shuri parish and principal of the parochial kindergarten while continuing his services at the Ryukyu University. He remained in those positions until 01 April 1969.

Our brother La Salle was appointed Superior Regular of the Custody of Japan by the General Minister on 10 January 1969. He was the first superior regular resident in the Friary of Saint Francis which was canonically established on 17 March 1970 and located in Oroku, Naha on Okinawa. La Salle was elected to a second term on 28 January 1972 in the first direct suffrage election by the friars of the Custody. He finished his second term on 06 December 1974. During these years La Salle also served as pastor of the Oroku parish.

In 1975, La Salle returned to the Shuri parish, resuming his positions and ministries previously held before his five years in Custody administration and remained there until 31 March 1984. For one year [1984-85] La Salle also offered his services on Amami Island as an assistant pastor at the Koniya parish in southern Amami.

For six years La Salle served as a diocesan representative to the National Catholic Kindergarten Association [1978-1984]. His passionate dedication to issues of peace, justice and ecology animated La Salle to willingly serve as Diocesan coordinator for Peace and Justice and diocesan representative to the National Catholic Council for Peace and Justice for fifteen years [1983-1998].

La Salle was once again elected Superior Regular of the Custody on 16 January 1985 and re-elected on 28 January 1988. He finished his second term on 23 January 1991. During these years of administration he continued his ministry of pastor at the Oroku parish.

Following his novitiate year, La Salle continued with his undergraduate studies at Mary Immaculate Friary, Garrison New York at the time of the split of the province in 1952. He completed his undergraduate degree in 1954, and began his theological studies also at Mary Immaculate Friary. La Salle pronounced his solemn vows into the hands of his brother [Fr] Myles and witnessed by [Frs.] Ignatius McCormick and Martin [de Porres] Clarke on 17 September 1954.

Father LaSalle was ordained to the priesthood on 22 June 1957 along with his nine classmates Frs. John Anoia, Bruce Quinn, Douglas Smith, Paul Steffan, Louis Chiusano, Darius DeVito, Donan Hickey, Richard Donaldson, and Joseph Testagrossa by New York Auxiliary Bishop Joseph F. Flannelly [bishop 1948-1973] at his home parish of Sacred Heart in Yonkers, New York. After ordination while completing his theological studies in Garrison, on 12 September 1957 he wrote to the provincial [Fr] Seraphin Winterroth, volunteering for the Ryukyu Missions.

Since his early studies at the Maryknoll Junior College in New Jersey, his life-long dream of becoming a foreign missionary was realized when he received his ‘Obedience’ from the General Minister to work as a missionary in the Ryukyu Islands on 30 July 1958. La Salle was welcomed by our brothers in Japan on 16 September 1958.

La Salle immediately began Japanese language studies at Shuri, Naha in Okinawa [September 1958-June 1959]. During this period he ministered as director of the student dorm and Catholic University Students Study Club in Naha. La Salle also taught English at the Ryukyu University from 01 April 1960 to 30 June 1961.

03

Following his two terms as superior regular, La Salle attended the School of Applied Theology at Berkeley, CA. [02 August 1991-31 August 1992]. Upon his returned his served as pastor of the Yonabaru parish in Yonabaru, Okinawa for the next four years. At the age of 65 La Salle ‘retired’ in the Oroku friary but continued his ministry at the Oroku parish until 2007.

During the Christmas Season of 2007, La Salle wrote about his retirement years:

“This past April, after ten years in St. Francis parish which is attached to our Capuchin friary in Naha, I was assigned to St. Clare Parish which is located about seven miles on the eastern side of the island. St. Clare is situated on very high ground with a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. The parish is also the location of St. Clare Convent, the motherhouse of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Okinawa. The convent and parish will be celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2008, the year I arrived in Okinawa. The first pastor was Kevin Smyth from Yonkers, followed by our brother Gordon Combs.

I continue to reside in our friary in Oroku. So every morning I’m up at 5:00 a.m. and drive over to Yonabaru to celebrate 6:30 p.m. liturgy for the Sisters and some parishioners. Thank God that I’m in good health. My daily work seems to be little different than it has been for these past fifty years. Hopefully my health will allow me to continue to offer my services in some small way.

In 2007, our brother La Salle Parsons along with his classmate Louis Chiusano joyfully celebrated their 50th Priesthood Jubilees, hosted by the Diocese of Naha.

On 17 November 2010, our Capuchin brother Father La Salle Parsons will celebrate 80 years of life. Fifty-two years of his 60 Years of religious life have been spent in faithful and dedicated service as a missionary to the Ryukyu Islands.

We continue to cherish his example as brother, priest, pastor, administrator and peacemaker and wish him continued good health in the midst of our brothers and his beloved people of Japan.

[Above] Thomas Houle, Louis Chiusano, Peter Von Essen, Peter Baptist Ishigami, Gregory Reisert [provincial minister], LaSalle Parsons, Jeremiah Cassidy, Wayne Berndt [top row] Raymond Bartoldus, guest, Francis Yamashiro, Valentine Thibedeau, Charles Bantle, Bartholomew Minson, Paul Tamano, Gregory Noel, guest, Francis Hashiya, Martin De Porres Schmidt and Eugene O’Hara [mission director]- 1985 [Right] Oliver Anastasio, Louis Chiusano, LaSalle Parsons, Bartholomew Minson, Martin De Porres Schmidt, Francis Hashiya and Jeremiah Cassidy in 1997. [Below-right] LaSalle with His Holiness the Dalai Lama-2009

04