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P. Juan Pablo Catoggio, durante la misa Fr. Juan Pablo Catoggio during the Mass P. Juan Pablo Catoggio während der Messe |
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Escuchando, agradeciendo... Listening, thanking... Im Gespräch Fotos: Crivelli © 2005 |
As every year, upon celebrating one more anniversary of their Shrine, the Schoenstatt Fathers of the Region of the Father distributed the pamphlet SION 2005, with a letter from the Regional Superior, Father Juan Pablo Catoggio.
Dear friends,
One more year has passed and we find ourselves in the Feast of Sion, an occasion to express gratitude for the gift of the Shrine and everything that it signifies: the presence of God and of Mary among us, who give us their grace and they give us what unites us as family, that they call us to collaborate with them in the Covenant for the building of a new country that we desire. At the same time it is a happy opportunity to meet with each other to share our experiences and projects, and to thank all of you: family, friends, benefactors who accompany and who help.
We are very grateful for our vocations:
In 2004 ten young men entered the noviate, five from Paraguay and five from Argentina.
Pastor Achaval (Cordoba) and Facundo Bernabei (Cordoba) are doing their apostolic practice in Asuncion and Buenos Aires respectively.
After a year of study in Germany, Tommy Dell'Oca (San Isidro) will continue his studies in Chile and Federico Piedrabuena (Parana) will make and exchange experience for one year in our seminary of Bangalore, India.
In Paraguay, we also have for one year, the first Schoenstatt Father from Burundi (Africa), Father Deo, who wants to learn more closely about Movement work. These exchange experiences manifest the international character of our community and vocation. We are happy to serve the international family in this manner and at the same time we are enriched by the presence of our brothers from other countries.
An the most important thing: three priestly ordinations await us this year. Andres Rodriguez and Tomy Nin Mitchell who are deacons since October, will be ordained as priests on the 25th of June in Church of the Father in Florencia Varela. Beltran Gomez will be ordained as deacon on the 19th of March in Chile and as a priest on the 24th of September in Parana.
Our small foundation in Rome is securing itself little by little. The blessing of the Shrine Matri Ecclesiae in Belmonte was very important, an International Center for the Movement will be built in the future in the capital of the universal Church. Our Fathers from Argentina have collaborated very much in the preparations and they continue to support its pastoral through concrete service to the growing Movement in Italy.
Father Angel Strada, who was already a member of the General Council of the Schoenstatt Fathers, is now elected as first counselor, that is to say, as Vice General of the community. We congratulate him and we accompany him in this new responsibility, as also in his position as postulator of the cause of canonization of Father Kentenich.
Among the new challenges of this year, it is important to stress the construction of School of Mary of Nazareth, in Cordoba, founded some years ago by a group of generous and committed lay persons, that the Fathers assumed as their first school in our region, and whose direction and administration we practice with close collaboration with the Association of Mary of Nazareth. Until now a house is rented and this year the construction of our own building, on donated land with good location, will begin. A beautiful and important challenge.
The past year was blessed and also tested, especially in the area of health. Several Fathers had serious difficulties, in some cases with important consequences. We experienced our own limitations, even more as the Movement and our mission grows. But helplessness becomes a humble acceptance and trust: it is the Lord who builds the house, if not the masons would work in vain. Sickness and convalescence manifested the solidarity, the closeness and the support of so many people.
The secret
When I had been a priest for only one or two years, I once asked an older priest, who I admire very much, how he could do so many things and serve so many people in such difficult problems. He answered me with serenity and conviction: "because everyday I place all the persons on the paten of the Eucharist, that is the secret." That is the main mission of a priest. It is difficult to understand in a world where there is so much
"social exclusion" as "exclusion of God". Pope John Paul II proposes a "Year of the Eucharist": to intensely discover the source of life that God gives us when he gives us his Son made Bread of Life, to transform our life "so that all may become in certain way eucaristic", whose fruit is the "transfiguration of life and the commitment to transform the world". (EE 20)
Eucharist means "thanksgiving". To God above all, also to all who are good to us. In this year of the Eucharist "we give thanks" specially to the Father of all gifts and to each one of you, and we promise to take all you at each Eucharist and before the Lord in the Tabernacle of our Sion Shrine.
On behalf of our community, with our affection and blessing, yours,
Father Juan Pablo Catoggio
Regional Superior