Beruflich Dokumente
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Summer 2011
Dominican
Foundation
Dominican Friars Province of St. Joseph
A MESSAGE
Spotlight: Missions
A Dominican Moment in Eastern Africa
Fr. Martin Martiny, O.P. (62) is Vicar Provincial of our Provincial Vicariate of Eastern Africa, the foreign mission territory administered by the Dominican Province of St. Joseph, serving Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Southern Sudan. He was ordained a priest as a Dominican Friar in 1998, at age 49, following a 20-year career in the US Navy, including 9 years at sea and a term as the Chief of Staff of the US Ambassador to the United Nations. Currently staffed by 14 Friars, the Vicariate, where Fr. Martiny has served since 2000, administers the parish of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Dominics House of Studies in Nairobi, as well as the St. Martin de Porres Priory, Postulancy and Novitiate in Kisumu, Kenya. There currently are 15 Student Brothers in formation and 4 Novices.
What are the biggest challenges and obstacles for the work of the Friars in Eastern Africa?
Just as in the US: preaching Christ to a people who worship creation (people and things) while losing sight of the Creator. I cannot think of a single problem that doesnt relate to our turning towards the world and away from God. With the centrifugal forces of an excessive individualism, the family is crumbling in the developing world, as in the West. In Eastern Africa the Western evils of divorce, adultery, living together without bond or commitment, abandonment of wife/partner and child, and homosexual marriage, join with polygamy, wife inheritance, and informal marriages to further undermine the very idea of fidelity and life-long commitment. Family, clan, and tribe all tremble in the face of these influences. Many who yearn to be loved all too often mistake sex for true, unselfish love. Abandoned women and their childrenif they carry a child to termcan suffer loneliness, poverty, disease, and a myriad of insecurities. Those who abort often agonize in bitterness and guilt, convinced they have committed the unforgiveable sin. Dominicans preach Gods love, mercy, healing, and peace. This is a Dominican moment.
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The Dominican Friars in collaboration with the laity established the first parish in honor of St. Catherine of Siena in the Archdiocese of Nairobi. Seeking to give itself to the New Evangelization, God has blessed the parish with growth and various apostolic outreach to youth, university students, families, and the poor in the area.
Now, the parishioners are working together to raise funds to build a Church that will be a home for their worship and service to neighbor. The small thatched-roof structure is no longer sufficient. The parishioners come early each Sunday to move the altar, ambo, chairs, musical instruments, and all that is needed for Mass from a nearby container. They need a secure Church building for regular adoration, Mass, with the basics that we take for granted such as electricity, microphones, seating, and inspirational Christian art. In an economy that is far worse than ours, the parishioners press on, trusting in Divine Providence and the intercession of St. Catherine of Siena, confident that the new church will become a reality. Why is this so important? The parish is the center of the Christian life. It is not a building but a community growing in faith. The Catechism reminds us, Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith... The parish is the Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents (CCC 2226). Let us support and encourage our brothers and sisters who are building more than a church. Together, with Gods abundant grace, we are building the Kingdom of God. If you would like to support the building of our Church of St. Catherine of Siena in Nairobi, Kenya, contact us at df@opfriars.org or 212-535-3664.
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Novices - On August 8th, 2011, the Feast of St. Dominic, 13 young men were received into our Novitiate at St. Gertrude in Cincinnati, OH. During the liturgy in the Priory Chapel, in what is known as the Rite of Vestition, they received the Dominican habit and began their year as Dominican Novices. To read their vocation stories, visit our website: www.DominicanFriars.org. Men considering a vocation to the Dominican Province of St. Joseph should contact the Vocation Director, Fr. Benedict Croell, O.P., at vocations@dominicanfriars.org.
Likewise, on August 7th, 2011, at Evening Prayer for the Feast of St. Dominic, 4 young men were received as Novices for our Eastern African Vicariate during a liturgy at our parish of St. Dominic in Nairobi, Kenya. During the Vestition Ceremony, the Novices received the Dominican habit from the Very Rev. Martin Martiny, O.P., Vicar Provincial of the Vicariate, and began their Novice year. The Novitiate is located at our St. Martin de Porres Priory in Kisumu, Kenya.
Simple Professions - On August 15th, 2011, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother, Fr. John Albert Langlois, O.P., Socius and Vicar Provincial, received the Simple Profession of 16 Friars to the Order of Preachers, having completed their Novice year. The liturgy was held at our Church of St. Gertrude in Cincinnati. They are:
Br. Adam Bonaventure Chapman, O.P. n Br. Philip Humbert Kilanowski, O.P. n Br. Michael Thomas Davenport, O.P. n Br. Frank-Paul Peter Benedict Sampino, O.P. n Br. Curtis Dominic Mary Verner, O.P. n Br. Jesse Joachim Kenney, O.P. n Br. Britton Raymund Snyder, O.P. n Br. Matthew Jacob Bertrand Janczyk, O.P.
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Br. Ryan Joseph-Anthony Kress, O.P. Br. Michael Mary Weibley, O.P. n Br. Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P. n Br. Adam Louis Bertrand Mary Lemoine, O.P. n Br. Robert John Sica, O.P. n Br. Gregory Maria Pine, O.P. n Br. Robert Athanasius Murphy, O.P. n Br. Santiago Toms Martn Rosado, O.P.
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Solemn Professions - On August 13th, 2011 at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., Fr. John Albert Langlois, O.P., Socius and Vicar Provincial, received the Solemn Profession to the Order of Preachers of 9 Student Brothers. These Friars have now professed their vows of obedience usque ad mortemobedience until deathin the Dominican tradition. They are:
Br. Peter Totleben, O.P. n Br. Paul Martin Kennedy, O.P. n Br. Joseph-Mary Hertzog, O.P. n Br. Mario Aquinas Calabrese, O.P. n Br. Albert Duggan, O.P.
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Br. Reginald Mary Lynch, O.P. Br. Leo Checkai, O.P. n Br. Peter Martyr Joseph Yungwirth, O.P. n Br. Ambrose Mary Little, O.P.
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On August 8th, 2011 at the Church of St. Dominic in Nairobi, Kenya, a liturgy was celebrated which included, for 6 of our Friars making vows, both the Rite of Simple Profession and the Rite of Solemn Profession. Very Rev. Martin Martiny, O.P., Vicar Provincial of our Eastern African Vicariate, was the main celebrant of the Mass who received the vows of our Friars. Those who made Solemn Profession are: Br. Marc Anthony Agenga, O.P., Br. Leo Mwenda, O.P., Br. John Baptist Ssemugabi, O.P., and Br. Thomas Odhiambo, O.P. Those Friars who made Simple Professions are: Br. Francis Muongi Ngugi, O.P. and Br. Gilbert Andama, O.P.
DOMINICAN FOUNDATION: DOMINICAN FRIARS PROVINCE OF ST. JOSEPH
Spotlight: Missions
wives, or even the husbands; but to bring Christ to all persons involved, to teach them how to love with purity of heart. This is not an easy task.
You also care for orphans and the poor overall but how is your work distinct from that of the humanitarian agencies that are so plentiful in the developing world?
We are called to be preachers of Christ; not developers of programs. Gods will is our grand design. We are not against plans or programs; but we begin with Christ. We go to one and all, rich and poor, sick and healthy, believers and non-believers, the elderly, those in prison. Those who work in development do good and important work. They have tangible measurements of effectiveness and accomplishment. They bring running water, electricity, roads, sanitation, medical facilities, and so on to rural areas where there is great need. But they can also bring abortion, contraception, sterilization, euthanasiaall in the name of development and progress.
How does the faith contribute to the improvement of the status of women?
Faith in Christ does not necessarily improve the status of anyone in society. Becoming a Christian in some families can actually result in persecution and public humiliation. In a fundamentalist Muslim village, it can mean death. But it is faith that enables the woman to be in union with Christ, and to know she is loved. Thus she can be confident in her dignity and bear the crosses of the day with joy while keeping an eye on the eternal. I have met many women living in polygamous relationships. None ever criticizes the arrangement in front of her husband. But if she trusts you, shell tell you quietly that it is hell on earth. No human being wants to be one of a pride of female lions supporting one lion king. Men and women are made to give of themselves completely and exclusively in a lifelong loving relationship of selfless generosity through self-donation. That is simply impossible in polygamy and polyandry. It can be worse for the children. If a child of wife # 1 says something about his mother to the child of wife # 2 and the second child repeats it to his mother, wife # 2 can use it against wife # 1 with the husband. The child of wife # 1 has thus betrayed his own mother. Consequently, children learn to be silent and to trust no one, even, or especially, in their own family compound. The role of the Dominican Friar in this environment is not to condemn the
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Our measurement of success must always begin with Christ, not cement, stones, wood, and glass. The Friars stress virtue, good moral habits, as the gateway to morality and morality as the pathway to daily holiness. Sow a Character, Reap a Destiny is Our Lady of Grace Schools motto. It expresses the Dominican approach to making good choices in a world filled with temptation. Temptation is as much an opportunity to choose the good as it is to choose evil.
What are your most pressing needs?
First and foremost, we need prayers. Without prayer, we cannot expect to follow Christ and lead others to Him. We do, nonetheless, need material support: to educate our Student Brothers, to form our newest Dominicans and Novitiate in Postulancy, to build a permanent church at St. Catherines and a Priory (residence) for our community in Kisumu. We need to build a boys dormitory and a permanent primary school. We need childrens sponsors and spiritual and material help to assist others to know the love and loyalty of Christ Jesus.
WWW.DOMINICANFRIARS.ORG
by life. In subsequent years I have then seen them blossom as they learn to live with dignity, even if they are poor. Like all of society, the students pose a pastoral challenge as they are so eager to become modernthat is, better off, and living lives enhanced by technology and all the trappings of Western-style lives broadcast incessantly by the media, on talk shows, on game shows, and the radio. Of course, it is good to overcome poverty. But there are still higher goals. The Order has something absolutely beautiful to offer people: the saving Gospel, the Good News that Christ has saved them. The Gospel has a richness and sheen that outshine all the gifts of modern life. The Orders preaching charism is an enormous and vital gift to all people. There are so many truths, if you will, in life, but there is no greater Truth than the one preached by St. Dominic! The Priory is a house of formation. We welcome those who are considering a call, and give them an opportunity to discover the Friars way of life and to engage in a process of discernment. They must be sure about their deepest motivation and find certainty that they are choosing the Order for the right reasons. We accompany them on this path of discovery. The Friars also regularly offer retreats and days of recollection in the area, often inviting guests of other religious communities. We work with youth and minister to the sick. The Friars must be deeply contemplative and share with others the fruit of our contemplation and study, as our Constitution spells out. Only this way can we give students, or others we encounter, something truly real and valuable. None of this would be possible without the Province of St. Joseph and its donors. American Catholics have had our interests at heart for a long time. Many good men came here to preach and sometimes stayed to the very end of their lives. The African people are deeply grateful for their sacrifices.
The Dominican Friars: a really big factor in my life. Your Generosity Bearing Fruit
Catholic faith. Im very grateful that I discovered the Dominicans.
What does it mean to be a Catholic Christian in Kenya? Does being a Catholic set you apart?
we can rely on Him when human solutions seem out of reach. Our faith gives us hope.
What are your hopes for the future, what profession are you pursuing in your studies?
Maureen Brenda Atieno is a fourthyear law student in Nairobi, Kenya. An orphan, she has been supported by the Friars since she was 12.
What impact has your relationship with the Dominican Friars had on your life?
Being a Catholic is a challenge in the face of all kinds of problems besetting Kenyaabortion, divorce, all manner of scandals. Many of those around me are Protestants and it is not always easy to explain the Catholic position on key issues, which includes Confession. I am very proud, however, that there are no constant criticisms of Protestantism during our homilieswhich is not always the case the other way around.
Im studying law right now, and I would love to do a Masters. My initial thought was to enter a legal practice right away, but then I realized that such a job has huge demands and makes it hard on family life. Eventually, I would like to teach law as a way of contributing to society and to have a work schedule that would not interfere with having a family. Im studying criminal law, but sometimes that can lead a lawyer into choices that go against ones integrity, such as representing your client to the point of withholding information that might serve the cause of justice, and that can lead to corruption.
What do you love most about the Church, and the Dominican Friars?
Ive grown spiritually, and have come to understand things that initially I didnt understand, such as the Rosary. When I was growing up I was told that worship of Mary was idolatry. But thanks to the explanations of the Friars, I gradually came to understand. My connection with the Dominican Friars is a really big factor in my life: it gave me the opportunity to get an educationspurred on by the Friars insistence on the importance of studyand to embrace the
Students from the University of Nairobi gathered for a student-led post-communion reflection at the temporary Church of St. Catherine of Siena
Their faith allows Kenyan Christians to get through the many difficulties they face without despairing or giving up hope. Our trust in God is a blessing
I like their way of life. More so than is the case in other religious communities, they have a degree of freedom, and a maturity that is very attractive. They live the way they live out of conviction, which is very clear, not out of some sense that someone is watching and that they feel obligated. Another thing that has really impressed me is the education and the love of study that I see in the Friars. That is an example and incentive for me as I pursue my own studies and professional formation.
Asante Sana!
Gifts of Stock
There are many ways to support the work of the Dominican Friars, Province of St. Joseph, which includes the missionary work of our Friars abroad. Gifts of cash are perhaps the most common and simplest way to give, but many donors contribute financially in other ways that create additional benefits for both them and the Dominican Friars. Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Dorothy Patton, for example, support our Vicariate of Eastern Africa and our mission work in Kisumu, Kenya, through gifts of marketable securities specifically, they donate stock. Dorothy and I have always done what we could over the years, and feel its important to share our good fortune, Mr. Patton told us at the Dominican Foundation. We choose to give stock because of the available tax benefit. If we buy the stock for one dollar per share, and donate it when its worth two dollars per share, we can write off the donation in the amount of two dollars per share, even though it only cost us one dollar. We get to write off twice as much as if we had just donated the cash. Gifts of stock also offer benefits to the Dominican Friars, in that the stocks have the potential to grow even larger after the asset is transferred. We encourage you to reach out to our office at (212) 535-3664 or email us at df@opfriars.org to learn more. Thank you for your ongoing support, and may God Bless you for your generosity!
Based in the Denver area, Richard Krauswhose company develops commercial real estate projectsand his wife Shelli have two children, Clay (22) and Olivia (19). Last Christmas, they welcomed a unique visitor to their home: Maureen Brenda Atieno, a young law student in Nairobi, Kenya, to whose well-being the family has been contributing with a quarterly stipend through a program called Fr. Toms Kids. The initiative, which pairs sponsors in the US with orphans and needy students, is named after Fr. Thomas Richard Health, O.P., the first Vicar Provincial of the Vicariate of Eastern Africa who was killed in a violent robbery in 2005. We learned about the program when Fr. Benedict Croell, O.P. [then based in Kenya and currently the Provinces Director of Vocations] spoke at our parish about the Friars work in Africa, and the needs of the very poorest children there. We had begun sponsoring a couple of girls when we learned about an opportunity to connect with a student for whom Fr. Martin Martiny, O.P. was seeking a special connection in the US. Thats how we first got in touch with Maureen, who came highly recommended by the Friar as a hard-working, big-hearted, confident and faith-filled young woman. Maureen is all that and more. We discovered this last Christmas when she joined our family and met many of our friends. She enjoyed very much our mountains, which she saw for the first time. Maaureen fit right in. Given the suffering she experienced in a very harsh childhoodshe lost her parents earlythe whole family was touched by Maureens remarkable resilience and bright outlook on life. Fr. Martiny has worked with Maureen since her preteen adjustments and continues to play the paramount role as mentor and spiritual coach in her life. He came into her life at a very critical timewhen she was just 12 or so. This graced meeting gave her the strength to choose a better life. She came to understand what good men are like, thanks to Fr. Martiny and his demonstration of fatherly love. He is her primary connection to Christ for Whom he truly acts as a vicar. Surely, if it had not been for the Friars in Kenya, she would have remained in despair, feeling worthless and lacking a sense of dignity. Thanks to them, Maureen has a real sense of purpose. She is very confident and committed to her faith, her law studies, and her loved ones. We cannot spend as much time as we would like to with Maureen, but I am thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in what Fr. Martiny is doing in her life. And I must stress this pointmy family and I really get the blessings out of this. It is a very rich and rewarding experience for us.
DOMINICAN FOUNDATION: DOMINICAN FRIARS PROVINCE OF ST. JOSEPH
A MESSAGE
Dear Friends, From the very beginning of the Order of Preachers there has been a creative tension between maintenance and mission. The former emphasizes the Mission School in Fukien, China with Fr. Ferrer Cassidy, O.P. goal of strengthening what exists; the latter establishes something new. Both maintenance and mission serve the Church. Both require sacrifice. Both require the personnel and financial resources to be successful. Dominicans flourish when we answer the call of the Church first and foremost, while also meeting the legitimate needs of the Order, whether international or domestic: This creative tension will always be with us. We must form the rising generation in a tradition which recognizes the priority of the Churchs demands upon us; this ecclesial perspective lifts us above the horizon of the Province of Saint Joseph to recognize that there are places where the Gospel still needs to be preached. I have had the benefit of living with Friars of our Province who were missionaries in China, Lebanon, Lithuania, Pakistan, Peru, Russia and Kenya. The mission transformed them and us; their witness keeps us from being complacent. For these reasons, the PFIC has sent Friars in initial formation to Peru, Mexico and Kenya. Otherwise, how can they preach unless they are sent? (Rom 10:15) Sincerely yours in Saint Dominic,
Very Rev. Steven C. Boguslawski, O.P. President, Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception
THE TRUMPET is a quarterly printed newsletter of the Dominican Foundation: Dominican Friars, Province of St. Joseph. 141 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10065 Tel: (212) 535.3664 Fax: (775) 542.5511 Email: df@opfriars.org www.dominicanfriars.org