National Vocation Awareness Week, November 5-11, 2017

By Timothy Armbruster, C.PP.S., Vocation Director
National Vocation Awareness Week (NVAW) is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promote vocations to ordained ministry and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.
Observance of Vocation Awareness Week began in 1976 when the U.S. bishops designated the 28th Sunday of the year for the celebration. It was later moved to Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January. In 2014, after extensive consultation, the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations moved the observance of National Vocation Awareness Week to November to engage Catholic schools and colleges more effectively in this effort.
Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the Chair of the US Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations, reminds us that each of us in the Church has a key role to play in the witness of our vocation in ordinary circumstances, “As we go about our everyday life and most especially this week, we must keep vocations in our prayers, while, at the same time, being a mindful witness with our own vocation. We may never know how our lives may have an impact on someone else’s story. Simply living out our call as disciples of Jesus Christ fully and joyfully in the world bears witness to the love of Christ as He generously bestows on each of us our own personal call.” -from USCCB website

We are all invite and encouraged to share our vocation story and how we each answer God’s call in our live.

As we meet with Inquirers for Companions last week at Precious Blood Center as well as the Discernment Weekend Oct 6-8, we spoke of vocations, but more importantly we spoke of relationship. Not only inviting others to join us, but also inviting others to get to know us so that they may consider religious life.

I still remember growing up in WaKeeney and the members that came to visit prior to Steve Park’s ordination as well as those who visited during Dennis Meyer’s year of Diaconate.  It was those interactions and getting to know the guys that called me and planted the seed to get me thinking of religious life and priesthood.  It seemed that even though the members hadn’t seen each other in months it was as if they picked up the conversation right where it left off.
Invite, share who you are and what you do, and encourage others to consider where God is calling them in their lives. As Gaspar challenged, “I wished I had a thousand tongues to proclaim the saving powers of the Blood.”  May we invite others to join us.

Below are the bulletin inserts sent out to our parishes.
NVAW 2017 English NVAW2017-English
NVAW 2017 Spanish NVAW2017-Spanish

ASC Sisters Join Vietnam Mission in Celebration of Feast of St. Gaspar

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Sr. Hang Pham, ASC and four Sojourners in training with the Adorers of the Blood of Christ joined the Miissionaries of the Precious Blood at St. Gaspar House of Discernment to celebrate the Feast of St. Gaspar on October 21st. Together we commemorated the 25th Anniversary of the deaths of the ASC sisters who were martyred in Liberia through a special Eucharist dedicated to remembering them and the sacrifices they made. Sr. Hang presented an informative and inspirational history of their legacies before Mass started. Sisters Barbara Ann, Mary Joel, Kathleen, Agnes and Shirley were dedicated religious women whose witness continues to inspire us here in our mission in Vietnam. We admire their dedication to and solidarity with the poor and we too want to imitate their wonderful example. Following the celebration of Eucharist, we all enjoyed fellowship with each other around the dinner table.
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Take Sides: Feast of St. Gaspar

21 October 2017
Dear Members, Companions, Volunteers, and Friends,
As we celebrate the feast of Saint Gaspar this weekend, there are significant anniversaries surrounding the feast day of our founder. On October 19, 1984, Father Jerzy Popieluszko gave his life in the service of the truth. When I visited our missionaries in Poland earlier this year, one of our priests took me to Father Jerzy’s shrine in Krakow. Seeing all the pictures and listening to some of the recordings of his sermons recalled the injustices and crises the world was facing in 1980s when the struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union caused tremors and terrors throughout the world.
Caught in the midst of this epic struggle, the Solidarity movement in Poland was born in a shipyard in Gdansk. Father Jerzy took the side of the striking workers. In the struggle between justice and oppression, he took the side of justice. Encouraged by the Polish pope, John Paul II, whose long pontificate was in its early years, the Solidarity movement and Father Jerzy gathered the courage to stand up against the Communist regime. “The priest is called to bear witness to the truth,” Father Jerzy said. “To suffer for the truth, and if need be, to give up his life for it.” Father Jerzy paid the ultimate price for seeking and speaking the truth.
Five Adorers of the Blood of Christ—Sisters Barbara Ann Muttra, Mary Joel Kolmer, Kathleen Maguire, Agnes Mueller, and Shirley Kolmer—also paid that price 25 years ago in Liberia. Sisters Barbara Ann and Mary Joel were ambushed and murdered on October 20, 1992. Three days later, Sisters Kathleen, Agnes, and Shirley were executed in the yard at the convent where they were living. Pope John Paul II claimed them “Martyrs of Charity.” These five religious women dedicated to the blood of Christ, nurses, educators, and pastoral ministers, gave their lives because they stood with the poor in Liberia.
The Polish priest and the five Adorers did not stand on the sidelines but took sides. They stood with the powerless in the eyes of the world and it cost them their lives. As we celebrate the feast of our founder, St. Gaspar, in a year where there has been so much bloodshed, so much death because of violence, so much loss due to fires and floods, hurricanes and horrors that terrorize the soul, may we rededicate ourselves to the cause of truth and justice.
As Precious Blood people, we profess a spirituality of reconciliation. We often talk about “standing in the breach.” Some may misinterpret this stance as not taking sides. But standing in the breach is not “straddling the fence.” Gaspar never straddled fences; he took them down through the power of the Word of God and the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. Though he was not martyred like Father Jerzy or Sisters Barbara Ann, Mary Joel, Shirley, Agnes, and Kathleen, or Father Stanley Rother, make no mistake: he took sides. Gaspar stood with the poor and powerless. He stood with those who were disgraced, dispatched, dismissed or demeaned. Those who were distant because of who they were or what they had done, he brought near through the blood of Christ.
Gaspar took sides. He sided with those the blood of Christ led him to—those who were on the outside, those who were on the margins, those who were broken in body, mind, or spirit. This is the side we must take even as we stand in the breach and seek to hold the tensions of our world. Reconciliation demands we listen to those with whom we disagree. But if their policies promote exclusion and injustice, if their attitudes give rise to actions that threaten or harm other human beings or God’s good earth, then we must take the side of justice, truth, mercy and peace.
The new creation is calling us to stop straddling fences and start moving them. On this weekend when we honor our founder and the 25th anniversary of the Martyrs of Charity; as we remember a Polish priest who gave his life because he stood in solidarity with the poor, may we recommit ourselves to stand with those who are treated unjustly.
“For this I am a priest,” St. Gaspar said, “to proclaim the merits of the Most Precious Blood.” For this we are followers of his vision and gifted with his charism: to draw all peoples near through the blood of Christ.
With peace,
Joe Nassal, C.PP.S.
Provincial Director
 
 

Discernment Weekend Held at Precious Blood Center, October 6-8

by Fr. Timothy Armbruster, C.PP.S., Vocation Director
“What do you mean by ‘to read the signs of the times and to hear the cry of the Blood’ asked Thomas Keller, an inquirer at the Discernment Weekend held October 6th-8th at Precious Blood Center, Liberty. His question came after we had been discussing a bit of our history and Precious Blood spirituality, and were discussing the Profile of a Missionary that was developed some years ago during a gathering of C.PP.S. Formators at Giano, Italy. The profile lists the qualities of a Precious Blood missionary. It is shared in hope that it will help prospective candidates discern their call to our Congregation. The profile is divided under the headings of Mission, Community and Spirituality. It reminds us that as Missionaries we are called to evangelize through the apostolic and missionary ministry of the Word. We are called to live life in community, which supports our mission. And our community life is sustained and directed by a spirituality of the Precious Blood.
Listed under the heading of Mission, is “to read the signs of the times and to hear the cry of the blood.” In answering the question, we referenced Cain and Abel from Genesis and spoke about reaching out to those on the margins by defining who might be considered living there. We spoke of what it means to read the signs of the times through Precious Blood spirituality and what it means to be present to those we encounter.
Thomas Keller from Garden City, KS, who is attending Thomas Aquinas College in California, joined us for the weekend, along with Quinn Broverman from Springfield, IL, who joined us via webcam.
Both inquirers asked great questions. However, since neither of them has been exposed much to our community, we had to make sure the language we used was being understood. Thank you to Frs. Ron Will and Mike Goode who joined us for dinner and prayer on Friday evening. After prayer, our conversation continued into the evening around the bonfire as we shared C.PP.S. stories, family stories, and got to know one another. Thank you also to our Formation Team from Chicago who joined us, Frs. Lac Pham and Dennis Chrizt, along with candidate Matt Perez and Fr. Steve Dos Santos, vocation director.
Welcoming inquirers and speaking with others who have expressed an interest in religious life brings a sense of great joy to my ministry. It gives me a renewed sense of hope and belief in Gaspar’s vision of a thousand tongues.
Will you lend your voice in welcoming and inviting others to consider the call to religious life and sharing in the spirituality of the Precious Blood?
 

Fr. Alvin Herber, C.PP.S., 1924-2017

Fr. Alvin L. Herber, C.PP.S., 93, died on October 12, 2017 at St. Charles Center in Carthagena, OH. Born August 10, 1924 in Hessen Cassel, IN to Leo and Edna Herber, he entered the Missionaries of the Precious Blood on August 31, 1942 at St. Joseph College, Rensselaer, IN; made Temporary Profession on December 3, 1945 and Definitive Incorporation on December 3, 1948, both at St. Charles Seminary, Carthagena, OH. On May18, 1950 he was ordained for the Missionaries of the Precious Blood at St. Charles Seminary by Bishop George Rehring.
Fr. Al’s first assignment was St. Mary Parish in Centerville, IA, where he served as parochial vicar from 1950-1957. This was followed by a series of shorter assignments between 1957 and 1959: parochial vicar at Church of Mary Immaculate, Kirksville, MO; administrator of St. Michael Church, Kahoka, MO and its mission, Assumption Church in Wayland; instructor at St. Thomas Seminary, Hannibal, MO; and finally, St. Rita Hospital, Lima, OH.
In September of 1959 he began ministry at St. Joseph College, Rensselaer, IN as Director of Seminarians in Xavier Hall, where he served until August of 1963, when he was assigned to Sacred Heart College, Wichita, KS as chaplain and instructor.
In August of 1966, Fr. Al began what was to be 35 years of service to the Church as a pastor when he began his ministry among the people of St. Benedict Parish in Nebraska City, NE. Then in 1973 he became pastor of St. Mary Parish in Garden City, KS, where he served for four years. In 1977 Fr. Al began what was to be his longest term as pastor when he arrived at St. James Parish in Liberty, MO. At that time, the church was quite small and located just off the downtown area—and the need for a larger church was becoming evident as the city was growing. As pastor, Fr. Al oversaw the construction of a new church, rectory, and school at its present location in Liberty.
Following his 11 years at St. James, Fr. Al served as pastor in a series of parishes: St. Catherine, Tulsa, OK (1988-1990); Immaculate Conception, Montrose, MO (1990-1991); St. John the Baptist, Rib Lake, WI (1991-1996); and St. Munchin, Cameron, MO (1996-2001). From 2001-2004, he served in semi-retirement at Church of the Ascension, Overland Park, KS.
In 2004, after 54 years of service to the Church and his community, Fr. Al began the ministry of full-time retirement at St. Charles Center, Carthagena, OH, where he resided until his death. He is survived by one brother, Leonard Herber of Fort Wayne, IN and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers: Fr. Leo Herber, C.PP.S. and Eugene Herber; two sisters: Donna Woenker and Carolyn Herber.
A Vigil Service will be on Monday, October 16th at 7:00 p.m. at St. Charles Center. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17th at St. Charles Center, with Fr. Richard Bayuk, C.PP.S. presiding and Fr. Phil Smith, C.PP.S. as homilist.