Silent Night and the Dawn of Redeeming Grace

Father Gordon MacRae gave me the following article, which I thought was interesting.  Christmas is also fast approaching, and the article seems fitting for this season.  Another interesting thing I discovered is that when the article was emailed to me, the photo in the article is exactly the same one I saw in YouTube, which I had planned on posting on Christmas. Talk about prophecy.

This phrase: There is no greater service to those who suffer than to give meaning to what they suffer. This phrase reminded me of those who suffered the persecution of segregation.  There was purpose and meaning to their suffering.  This suffering was done with Christ. When you see joy in the midst of suffering rather than despair, that is the grace of God.  It is the same grace that the Apostles had when they went singing with joy to their deaths.  This is why we celebrate even if the seminary will be sold.  Our joy is not in the seminary, but in Jesus Christ.  We feel joy in the midst of suffering because we have met Christ. Christ is manifested in us. Our home is not in the seminary or in this world.  Our real home is Heaven.  We are simply passing through. The article is found here.
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This Advent, the Church entered a Year of Grace. For some at Christmas, God seems hidden in our long silent night, but even at the heart of suffering, grace abounds.

“O come, O Key of David, come, and open wide our heavenly home; Make safe the way that sets us free, and close the path to misery.” (O Come, O Come Emmanuel, verse 5)

These Stone Walls has a presence on the pictorial social media site, Pinterest. I can’t describe it because I have never actually seen it, but one of the Pinterest boards is called “Catholic News on These Stone Walls.” I don’t know a lot about how Pinterest works, but you may wish to click “Follow this Board” [the “+” button] and share it if you visit it.

But first, a disclaimer that I have made before: In the world of Catholic news, I write from the Oort Cloud, that castoff field of our Solar System’s debris out beyond the orbit of Pluto. Sorry for the astronomical analogy, but you get the point.

In an age of political correctness, I would be long forgotten by our Church if not for These Stone Walls which, ironically, you can see and I cannot. My contribution to Catholic news comes from beyond the periphery of our Church. This is why writer, Ryan MacDonald once called These Stone Walls “A Voice in the Wilderness.” But from here, I have a panoramic view of things.

And what I see from the wilderness this Christmas is troubling. In just the last decade, our culture has traveled down a darker path. In waves of upheaval from traditional values, the desires of individuals have come to outweigh the common good. The Church is thrown off course in a politically correct tempest of moral relativism, gender politics, and a cultural civil war. I wrote recently in “A New Advent, a New Beginning, and Renewed Hope”:

“This is a tough time for a lot of you. For some of us, our politics and our spirits have descended to new lows, and sometimes our society seems to be on a fast track toward self-destruction. Signs that God is indeed with us can seem fleeting and far between.”

You may think that Christmas is not a good time to air this, but it may actually be the best of times. As a society, we are in trouble, and a lot of good, faithful, conscientious people are deeply affected by it. We are entering a new dark age morally, culturally, politically, and spiritually.

It’s an age not at all unlike the one into which Christ was born. The great Advent hymn that has opened my recent posts – “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” – expresses our tenacious grasp on hope. “Emmanuel” in Hebrew is an affirmation of “God with us.”

It seems that Cardinal Raymond Burke agrees with me (or I with him) about the course we are on. He also chose this moment to bring up the state of affairs in our Church and world. When Advent began, Cardinal Burke was interviewed in a prophetic article by Paolo Gambi, an editor of The Catholic Herald (U.K.). The December 1, 2017 interview is entitled, “Perhaps we have arrived at the End Times’: an interview with Cardinal Burke.”

Like a lot of what is happening in our Church, nation, and world, I found Cardinal Burke’s interview to be both incisive and troubling. I had admired him long before reading this article. I admire him much more after. The article is brief, and very much worth our time as we struggle to see the true meaning of Christmas in a culture hell bent on suppressing it.

(One small favor, please: If you want to read the article later, come back here to click on it from TSW. It may not be lost on The Catholic Herald editors that readers are coming to it from These Stone Walls.)

THE ADVENT OF PROPHETIC WITNESS

Two years ago during Advent, I received an encouraging personal letter from Cardinal Burke. In his gracious letter, he asked that I offer some of my unjust suffering as a share in the suffering of Christ for our Church. His letter remains close to my heart because it is a model of generosity. But I did not see it that way at first.

If you have followed Catholic news this past year, then you may know that Cardinal Burke has been an outspoken advocate for the causes of fidelity and integrity in the Church. “Integrity” may seem a strange word to use. Its first meaning is “soundness of moral character” and of course our Church has moral character even when the human adherents within it are flawed – some more than others.

But there is a second meaning that refers to wholeness and unity. To have integrity in this sense means to contribute to the good of the whole, and to refrain from promoting division. After reading the interview with Cardinal Burke, I am convinced that he does not stand in opposition to anyone. He certainly does not oppose Pope Francis.

Cardinal Burke is opposed to division and its impact on the integrity of the Church. Along with other cardinals, he has since written and published his famous “Dubia,” imploring Pope Francis to respond to concerns that division and confusion are entering the Apostolic witness of the Church. His request for my prayers is for unity of faith and purpose.

His letter to me at first seemed such a bizarre thing at an equally bizarre time. Here we were – my friend Pornchai Moontri and I – buried at Christmas in a dungeon, with chaos reigning all around us, when Cardinal Burke asked me to offer my plight for the integrity of the Church – for the healing of divisions and the promotion of wholeness for an institution that threw me to the litigious wolves.

To be transparent and honest, at the time the letter arrived I felt quite divided from the leadership of our Church. Like many of “the accused” I was cast into a long silent night beyond the Church’s periphery. I have not dwelled on this at These Stone Walls, but rather I tend to keep my disgruntled thoughts to myself for the same reason Cardinal Burke is concerned about some of the direction Pope Francis has taken. I do not want to create division.

Most legitimate animosity is built upon righteous indignation, and you can find hints of mine between the lines in posts like “Opus Bono Sacerdotii Heroic Witness for a Heroic Vocation.” I had been feeling thoroughly let down by the accommodations of some of our leaders to the new political correctness.

That feeling was heightened in the Year of Mercy when bishops extended their outreach of mercy to everyone but accused priests. It’s cold out there in the Oort Cloud. So as the Year of Mercy commenced, that was my Christmas gift from Cardinal Raymond Burke: to suffer for a Church that cast me silently adrift. Thanks, Your Eminence! Next year just send me a nice tie.

But after some clearer reflection, I saw Cardinal Burke’s letter very differently. I came to see it as a gesture of mercy and Catholic prophetic witness. When a person asks for such a sacrifice, not for what some assume is his cause, but for what he, himself, knows is his purpose – to restore and preserve unity – that is generosity and virtuous witness.

That letter is among the best Christmas gifts I have received out here among the Church’s debris, and it came as a source of grace, a sort of awakening. What follows may be the most important sentence in this post: There is no greater service to those who suffer than to give meaning to what they suffer.

A few months after I received Cardinal Burke’s letter, a bishop came to this prison to offer Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday. Our friend, Pornchai Moontri and I were among the fifty Catholic prisoners gathered in the prison chapel for Mass. You know well that Divine Mercy Sunday is a very special day for us.

After the Mass, as we filed out, the Bishop grasped my hand and said something very strange to me. He had obviously been reading These Stone Walls. As he took my hand, he bent forward a bit and said quietly but forcefully, “You area prophet! YOU are a prophet.” There was no further exchange.

As we descended down the long flights of stairs outside, my friend, Pornchai said, “Wow! That was\ weird. What do you think it means?” I responded sarcastically, “If the Church is consistent, it means my head is about to be lopped off!” Our prophets do not fare very well.

In Scripture, some were thrown into prison. The Prophet Jeremiah was stoned to death. According to legend, the Prophet Isaiah was sawed in half. The Prophet Jonah was thrown overboard. John the Baptist was beheaded. Saint Paul was shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned, and finally martyred.

As the great Saint Teresa of Avila once said to God in prayer, “Lord, if this is how you treat your friends, it’s no wonder that you have so few!” If I write anything on These Stone Walls that sounds even remotely prophetic, please don’t tell me.

CHRISTMAS IN A YEAR OF GRACE

It is a very hopeful thing that Pope Francis chose this year to inaugurate a Year of Grace. It began after Evening Prayer II of the Vigil of the First Sunday of Advent. I haven’t seen much Catholic news about it, and not a word of it was mentioned in the parishes of a few friends when I asked about it.

But this Year of Grace is real, and really important. If I can convey no other thought at These Stone Walls this Christmas, the one drumbeat I must continually sound is that grace is real, and it is to be discovered even out beyond the periphery. Grace is a very great Christmas gift, but it isn’t always as nicely wrapped as we might hope and expect.

What exactly is grace, and what does a “Year of Grace” mean? Verses one to four of the grand ole’ Gospel hymn, Amazing Grace, were written by John Newton in the late 1700s. Verse five came later and is anonymous. We’ve all heard these verses many times, and most of us have winced at the “saved a wretch like me” part. But verse four is, I think, the apex of the hymn:

“Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come ‘Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” 

I find that verse to be important because it serves as a reminder that we are not at home. We are merely passing through this life. As we pass, we can become so wrapped up in the affairs and chaos of what goes on here that we lose sight of home.

Polarized politics have become familiar turf, and divisions our comfort zones. For many Americans, Hillary and Trump took up more mental space last year than God. Here is a good starting point for the Year of Grace. Resolve to never disparage the Lord’s name – not even when talking about Hillary or Trump!

Some form of the word “grace” appears 350 times in Scripture. “Mercy” appears 364 times. The Hebrew word for grace in the Old Testament is “hanan” while the word for mercy is “hesed.” I once wrote about their connection in “Angelic Justice: Saint Michael the Archangel and the Scales of Hesed.” Our capacity for mercy is contingent upon grace, and along with our souls it is weighed upon the Archangel’s scales.

Grace is the supernatural gift bestowed by God to those who accept their adoption. You could argue that all creation is in a relationship with Him, and that is true, but grace is a special aspect that enters that relationship when it is no longer a one-way street. It comes down to what and Who you serve. “You cannot serve both God and mammon.” (Matthew 6 :24).

In the New Testament, the notion of grace is rooted in a relationship with Christ. My favorite Christmas post is “Joseph’s Dream and the Birth of the Messiah.” The angel of the Lord who appeared to Joseph in a dream urged him not to fear taking Mary as his wife. This assured that Jesus is tied by paternal adoption to the lineage of King David. By that same adoption, we inherit the grace of God through Christ.

There is a ground-shaking assurance from Saint Paul in his Letter to the Romans that gives some perspective to our doubts and anxieties about this age: “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” (Romans 5:20)

You are not hearing this from someone for whom life has been a joy to awaken to each day. You are hearing it from someone in prison, and unjustly so. But grace is real, and this Year of Grace is important. Expect it. Be thankful when you see it. We have known grace even in exile, and I still have my head!

The photos below were taken in the New Hampshire State Prison Visiting Room on Saturday December 16.  The top photo is our friend Pornchai Maximilian Moontri with his friends Viktor and Alice Weyand and Mike Fazzino.  Viktor and Alice traveled from Traverse City, Michigan to be with us for an annual family Christmas party for prisoners.  Viktor is a founder of Divine Mercy School in Bangkok, Thailand and he learned of Pornchai while visiting Thailand.  He is now Pornchai’s contact with Divine Mercy Thailand.

The second photo is me with Mike Fazzino who drove up from the New York City area to join us.  Mike is friend of These Stone Walls who helps with my writing by sending printed materials to me.  It was wonderful to spend a few hours with these good friends who wanted us to share these photos with you.

With Christmas blessings,

Father Gordon

Misleading The Public Again

In Rohr's new post, he is claiming that I support CCOG.  And then he quotes God is One's comment.  The comment made by God is one is also not claiming any support of CCOG.  CCOG claimed that Archbishop Apuron's title should be removed so that Coadjuator Archbishop Byrnes will take Apuron's title as "Archbishop of Agana."  No where in my post or comment did God is one or I stated that CCOG is correct. Again, Rohr's post is misleading the public.  

I was actually laughing as I listened to David Sablan on K57.  He complained that the Board in Kamalen Karidot cannot be dissolved because the organization is not under the umbrella of the Archdiocese of Agana (UNLIKE RMS).  The fact that Archbishop Byrnes was able to dissolve the Board of Directors and the Board of Guarantors of RMS is proof that RMS had always been under the Archdiocese.  Archbishop Apuron never gave the seminary away.  Again, I will say this:  We have been saying all along that ONLY the Archbishop of Agana or his successor has full control and authority of RMS.  The fact that Archbishop Byrnes easily dissolved the Board of Directors and Board of Guarantors as well as rescind the deed restriction only proves that we are right and the Junglewatch Nation was WRONG......plain and simple.  This only goes to show that the jungle misled people.  It had always been the jungle who claimed that the Board of Directors of RMS had authority, when in fact they did not.  According to Rohr:

So while Pius lies to us and tells us that the archbishop "has all the power", Guam law tells us that it is the Directors who have all the power to exercise and control the business of a corporation. Apuron is one of the Directors, but as per the RMS annual report for 2014, he is only one of five votes. 

You now know for certain that Rohr was WRONG.  The Board of Directors of RMS had no power at all.  We have been saying all along that ONLY the Archbishop of Agana or his successor have the power and authority  That power and authority was demonstrated when Archbishop Byrnes rescinded the deed restriction and dissolved the Board of Directors and Board of Guarantors.  He did it without even informing the boards.  

Now take a look at Kamalen Karidot.  How ironic that David Sablan said that "UNLIKE RMS, the bylaws of Kamalen Karidot gave powers to the Board of Directors."  The Board whom Archbishop Byrnes appointed to KK is illegitimate.  Therefore, he intends to call a meeting in January to correct the problem. David Sablan sees, but is still blind.  

Father Mike Crisostomo came out to the radio talk show, insinuating negative things about Deacon Tenorio before the investigation was complete.  After Department of Revenue and Taxation revealed their findings, he changed his stand.  According to the Pacific Daily News: 

Crisostomo said he'd like to emphasize that Deacon Frank Tenorio and his wife, Tita, worked hard to help the poor and homeless for decades under Kamalen Karidat. But the accounting and recording process may have been an issue.

There were almost $200,000 in the account of Kamalen Karidot left by Deacon Tenorio so that his successor can continue to operate the program to help the poor and homeless. 

The Calling of the NCW to India

Recently I mentioned that Kiko Arguello was in India.  He was invited by a cardinal in India who attended the Neocatechumenal Way retreat in Israel.  He was very impressed with the Way and decided to bring the Way to India.  According to news report:

Card. Toppo: Neocathecumens for a new evangelization of India

The prelate has convoked a meeting with representatives of the Neocathecuminal Way this week in Ranchi. He speaks to AsiaNews about his desire to succeed in spreading a new evangelization in Jharkhand and all India, restoring hope, love and unity to the Church, and overcoming ritualism.

New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Spreading a new evangelization in Jharkhand and all India , that’s the aim of a meeting organised by  cardinal Telesphore Toppo, Archbishop of Ranchi, capital of Jharkhand with members of the Neocathecuminal Way. 6 bishops and 300 priests will participate in the meeting in Ranchi to be held from June 18 to 21.

Speaking to AsiaNews Card. Toppo said that “we are offering this new way of evangelisation to this state of Jharkand and this will lead to unity with the people and with their bishop and the universal church”.

“Kiko Arguello found his calling to start the Neocatechumenal Way in the slums of Madrid- continues Toppo - very much like Blessed Mother of Teresa of Calcutta who also found her calling to form the Missionaries of Charity in the slums of Calcutta. The Apostle and father in faith of the Tribals in these eastern states- Father Constant Lievens, in 1889 had envisioned that for the Christian Faith of the Tribal people  to grow, a basic prerequisite was a ‘ well knit and disciplined community formed on the rock of Gospel Values and based on love, and nourished by the word of God”.

“As a Tribal myself - adds the cardinal - I see perceive and understand that the Neocatechumenal communities are very like the Tribal way of life and within the context of our own culture.  It is important, that the Pastoral of evangelization must use the values already present in local cultures”. “Sadly, through the years, the Church in Jharkhand and in many other places in India stresses more on a Pastoral of Sacramentalization, and this has ‘Ritualised the Church’. This is sad, because in crisis of today’s world, more than ever before, the church needs to be a Sign of the Luminous Light of the Resurrection and this is possible only with a vibrant Church, which shows signs of love and unity”. “My earnest pastoral desire – concludes the cardinal - is that the Church of Jharkhand will embark on this adventure with ‘the Shepherd Jesus Christ’, and ultimately being the salt and leaven for the Church in India”.

Joyous Celebration At RMS

Every year the seminary would hold a Christmas concert and invite the public. This year there was no Christmas concert.  Instead, the Neocatechumenal Way communities gathered for a celebration at the RM Seminary tonight.  The parking was packed when we got there.  I knew we should have come earlier.  We had to park just outside the gate and walk in.  They didn't have the trolley tonight.  As we neared the seminary, we looked down and saw many of the brothers seated outside where it was cooler.  Inside there were many more people.  The place was so crowded, and there was not enough seats for everyone.  Some people had to stand at the balcony.   

Afterwards, we all gathered upstairs for an agape.  There were about four or five tables of food.  Tables and chairs were laid out.  The tables were covered with beautiful tablecloths and adorned with a floral arrangement in the center.  People were laughing, joyous, and happy. 

 The head table was beautifully arranged with flowers, and there was a bottle of champagne for each priest.  Was it champagne or wine?  I could never tell.  At any rate, there were smiles going all around as we drank, ate, and watched a slide show of all the achievements RMS brought to this island.  We listened to the Christmas songs played in the background, and we rejoiced, knowing that God our Father has much bigger plans for the Neocatechumenal Way communities in Guam.  

The seminarians also surprised us by holding a show for us.  They entertained us with their joyful singing in the various languages of their countries.  We recall all the successes that RMS in Guam has brought.  17 priests ordained for the Archdiocese of Agana.  The many vocations coming from the NCW that lead to the life of the priesthood, the religious life, married life, or an itinerant life.  We celebrated because we have local brothers and sisters as itinerants.  We have local mission families. We have couples open to life, bearing more children.  Marriages that were on the brink of divorce have been saved.  Many of those couples whose marriages were saved celebrated with us tonight.  We have much to rejoice in. Although RMS is closing, we will not forget the fruits it brought.  And it was because of this man that these fruits were born here.  God bless you Archbishop Anthony Apuron.  We love you!  

Deacons For Archdiocese

Congratulations to the men who were ordained deacons for the Archdiocese of Agana. You can find the story here. They are: 

Greg Calvo from Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Yigo; Huan Hosei and Rene Dela Cruz from the Immaculate Heart of Mary parish in Toto; John Fernandez from Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in Santa Rita; George Quitugua from Santa Teresita parish in Mangilao; Joe Gumataotao and Romeo Hernandez from Santa Barbara parish in Dededo; and Rudy Que from Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral Basilica parish in Hagåtña.

Truth And Justice

Truth and Justice are inseparable.  You cannot have justice if there is no truth for the purpose of our justice system is to determine the truth. With the discovery of DNA testing, many men convicted of rape or sexual crimes were exonerated.  Take the case of Thomas Haynesworth.  According to news report:

Back in 1984, when Thomas Haynesworth was 18, he set out to buy some groceries for his mother. A woman, who had been attacked days before, sought a police officer and told him Haynesworth was the one who did it.

Eventually five women identified him as the attacker and Haynesworth spent the next 27 years in prison. 

The Root reports on what happened next:

In 2005, in the wake of the exonerations of five other wrongly convicted men, then-Virginia governor Mark R. Warner (D) ordered a sweeping review of thousands of criminal cases from 1973 through 1988. Haynesworth's was among them. Using technology that wasn't available in the 1980s, authorities tested DNA collected from a January 1984 rape for which Haynesworth was convicted. The results cleared him and implicated a convicted rapist named Leon Davis.

It started out with one woman.  Then five other women later identified him as their rapist.  All of them had the wrong person. Although the evidence was there, DNA testing did not exist at that time.  So, how did these women identify the wrong person?  Because they did not get a very close look at their rapist.  It is natural for different people to see the same thing; yet, describe it differently.  Some will say he wore a black shirt.  Others will say it was navy blue.  Police officers often advice the public to focus on a distinguishing mark on the perpetrators such as a tatoo, birthmark, mole, or scar that could easily identify the person.  The fact that Haynesworth was Black may also play a part in his conviction. Here is another story of a man convicted and sentence to jail for a quarter of a century for a rape crime.  DNA testing set him free 25 years later.  According to news report (the bold is mine): 

"We were 100 percent certain that we did in fact have the right person," said Bernard Carter, Lake County prosecutor.

"Until recently, there was no technology that could really do what I call dissect DNA mixture," said Fran Watson, attorney.

"Once they explained to us what DNA was, we told them to bring the test on because we know where we were," Pinkins said.

That technology cleared Pinkins as a criminal.

"When you look at the evidence that stands now, it would be an injustice for us to even attempt to try Mr. Pinkins. We would not convict him," Carter said.

Pinkins waited almost a quarter century to hear that.

"This is a new beginning," he said.

The Lake County prosecutor says even now the victim is still convinced Pinkins is the man who raped her. Carter says he is committed to finding the five men responsible for that 1989 crime, and he says Lake County will be using that DNA technology in many cases going forward.

Before the existence of DNA testing, some men were wrongly convicted of rape or sexual assault and sentenced to life in prison largely on the strength of the victim's testimony.  Technology had made it possible to determine truth.  And the justice system is going forward with this technology.  With DNA testing, justice and truth prevails.  

Today, the law lifting the Statutes of limitations would only bring the justice system back to the days when there was no DNA testing, and one needed only to rely on the words of the alleged victims.  As we can see from the past, substantial evidence is needed to determine the truth.  These men who were falsely accused and sentenced to jail is proof that innocent people can be sent to jail.  However, these men were set free when DNA testing became available because there was at least some substantial evidence in which DNA can be tested, and the truth was established.  Justice and truth prevailed.   

However, in the case with the allegations in Guam's sex abuse, forty years is a long time.  After forty years, the witnesses are dead.  In some cases, the accused is also dead and unable to defend himself.  There are also no substantial evidence in which DNA can be tested.  In fact, there are absolutely no substantial evidence because even one alleged victim claimed to have burned the nude photos that Father Antonio Cruz took.  According to news report:

Tomas De Plata said Cruz kept a box of nude pictures of numerous altar boys, including of himself. 

“There were also nude pictures of Cruz, Brouillard and other priests, committing sexual acts on minor boys. Not knowing any better, Tomas burned the box of pictures out of fear that someone would see them and never returned to the Chalan Pago Parish for as long as Cruz remained the priest,” the lawsuit says.

They say that during those times, parents would not believe their kids if their kids told them they were abused by a priest.  Some say the parents would punish them if they opened their mouths.  Yet, someone did say something about Father Brouilliard, and that boy was not punished at all. His parents believed him and reported the priest to the police. In fact, Father Brouilliard was arrested.  So, what was different about this young altar boy and his parents who came forward?  Why did he and his parents not follow the so-called Guam "culture" that so many alleged victims professed to exist at that time? Father Brouilliard was arrested, but Archbishop Flores moved him to the U.S.  According to news report:

 And, a self-described, 30 year veteran of the Guam police force, who called into my radio show, stated that he had arrested a Catholic priest who molested a young alter boy on Guam. He stated that after his arrest, the priest admitted to molesting multiple victims on Guam.

According to the retired police officer, this entire incident was covered up by former Archbishop Flores. The alleged offending priest was, according to the retired officer, promptly shipped off-island shortly after his arrest, and never faced justice on Guam.  

Truth and justice should be inseparable.  However, there would be no justice if Public Law 33-187 continues to exist.  Therefore, Public Law 33-187, which lifted the Statutes of Limitations should be declared unconstitutional and inorganic.  It deprives the accused of due process.  Justice delayed is Justice denied.  

Our Blessed Mother

Today is the feast of the Immaculate Conception.  We attended the procession at the Agana Cathedral.  Some of the NCW members were there.  Our Blessed Mother is important to all Catholics.  This feast day is also important to the Neocatechumenal Way because it was on December 8th when our Blessed Mother Mary appeared to Kiko Arguello and told him to build small communities.  The Blessed Virgin Mary inspired the Neocatechumenal Way.  Thus began the founding of the Neocatechumenal Way communities.  According to Pope Francis: 

And today I confirm your call, I support your mission and I bless your charism.......... I also make these words my own and I encourage you to go forward, entrusting yourselves to the Holy Virgin Mary, who inspired the Neocatechumenal Way. May she intercede for you before her Divine Son.

The first seminary which ran under the auspices of the Way was established in Rome in 1987.  It coincided with the encyclical of St. Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater promulgated on March 25, 1987 to celebrate the bimillennial anniversary of the birth of our Blessed Mother.  The seminary was named after our Blessed Mother as well.  Redemptoris Mater means "Mother of our Redeemer."  

The icon below was  painted by Kiko Arguello after he received the inspiration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and this icon is always used in our celebrations.  The inscription on the icon was written in Spanish:  "HAY QUE HACER COMUNIDADES CRISTIANAS COMO LA SAGRADA FAMILIA DE NAZARET, QUE VIVAN EN HUMILDAD SENCILLEZ Y ALABANZA; EL OTRO ES CRISTO."  This is translated in English as “We have to make Christian Communities like the Holy Family of Nazareth, that live in humility, simplicity and praise; (and where) the other (person) is Christ.”

                                                                   

Advent Announcement 2017

The NCW had its Advent Announcement last night.  The Announcement always starts with the International Team who transmit it to the Team Catechists who then transmit it to the communities.  

The Announcement started with a couple of good news. Four RMS seminarians had passed their exams with flying colors. The 50th Anniversary of the NCW in Rome will also be celebrated next year on May 5th, and all are invited to attend. We were also reminded of the fruits that the RMS in Guam has brought.  As Jokers Wild stated: 

Many years of our own Seminary. Many priests ordained. Many young men discerning the call to the priesthood. Many young men abroad,a local priest ordained for Miami, a local boy being formed in Rome, another local boy being formed in Portugal. Many families in mission in other countries where the church is not present fully, offering their lives as a sign of Gods love. Many women have given up their lives to pray unceasingly for all of us. These are just a few of the concrete signs that we can always rejoice in.

Yes, we have young Chamorro men being formed for the priesthood. One is ordained in Miami,  and two others being formed in Rome and Portugal.  We also have local itinerants and local mission families.  These are some of the fruits of the NCW and RMS.  Imagine!  Our own people going out being missionaries.  We were also told that even communities are being called into mission. These communities in mission will be placed in a parish, helping the parish priest.  Some of the members helped the parish priest by being altar servers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers while others helped with the CCD students.  The cantors became the parish choir.  These are things many of us are already doing in our own parishes.  So, God is preparing us for the future call when we will be sent out in mission as a community.  

We were shown a short video clip of Kiko Arguello's travels to India and China.  A cardinal in India invited Kiko to his country because he was very impressed with the NCW when he attended the retreat in Galilee.  A calling was made in India, and 60 youths and men stood up for the priesthood.  62 youths and women also stood up to join the convent.  

The brothers in the Way were also instructed to begin Christmas on December 17th.  However, my family and I were already in the Christmas mood and had already set up our beautiful nativity. 

The announcement ended with the three P's: Patience, Prayer, and Perseverance.  Our catechists told us to be patient, to lead a prayerful life, and to persevere during the trials in our lives and the persecutions in the NCW.  Rejoice.  Yes, we have much to rejoice in!  Have a Blessed Advent!!!
  

Secret Meetings?

This four year controversy started with the removal of Father Paul and Monsignor James.  Everyone can agree to that.  Archbishop Apuron has always declared his innocence.  In a public release statement, he claimed that he was innocent and did not sexually molest or abuse anyone.  Rather, he claimed that there was a conspiracy to remove him.  

Recently, the jungle claimed to have a secret meeting after the removal of Father Paul.  According to Tim Rohr:

Fast forward to 2013. I was invited to a secret meeting. 

I was told no one was to know who was at the meeting. I was told that there never was a meeting. It was July, 2013. I was shown a letter from Apuron to Fr. Gofigan. 

Below is a screen shot of the statement above made by Tim Rohr in his blog. 

This secret meeting, which took place after the removal of Father Paul, already implies that there was a conspiracy.  After all, why was the meeting a "secret"?  And why was Rohr told not to say who was at the meeting?  How many secret meetings were there?  And who was involved in these secret meetings?

Family Represents The Holy Trinity

We went to watch the animated movie The Star.  It's nice to see that there are some things in this world pointing to Jesus Christ rather than Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.  Do not get me wrong.  I watched those movies when I was growing up.  But Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season.  And it is great seeing that the birth of Christ was in the new animated movie even if it is from the perspective of the animals.  

At any rate, Christmas is around the corner.  The tree is up, but most important is that the Nativity is also up.  Our catechists encouraged the brothers to set up a nativity and to start praying the novena as in the good old days.  Do you remember those good old days?  Families would come together to pray the novena in front of the Nativity.  After the prayers and songs, a child would bring the statue of the baby Jesus to everyone.  Everyone would "amen" the Baby Jesus.  Afterwards, we would come together and enjoy a meal.  There are some things in our tradition that should remain the same, and praying the novena with family and friends is one of them.  A special reminder to start setting up your belen if you have not already done so.  The Family represents the Holy Trinity.