MISSIONARIES COME AND GO, BUT THEIR SPIRIT REMAINS

Reef Lection

From:  Reef Lection:  Denis Dion, alumnus of Immaculate Conception school, Catholic writer and speaker sent me this email the other day --

http://www.holyokemass.com/transcript/church/ch23.html
This is the original church building

"How you all doing?  Hope you and your family are well.   Got some sad news this weekend.  I was talking at all the Masses at I.C. this weekend promoting Men's Retreats.  Fr. John Higgins, MS is there now but only temporarily as the diocese has decided they do not want the parish manned by the La Salettes any longer. After 100 years, the La Salette presence will be gone.  I just don't understand.  I.C. is now about 70% Hispanic and I saw Fr. John come alive the Spanish Mass.  He was good at the English Masses, but at the Spanish Mass he was alive and enthusiastic.  I couldn't understand much of what was said, but I do understand Spirit when I see it.

Anyway after  Feb. 10, I.C. will be in the hands of a diocesan priest.   I don't know if the same holds true for Holy Trinity in Westfield.  Just thought this would be of interest to you.
Love to all
Den"

This bit of news set my mind to trying to gather some historical information about the Immaculate Conception Parish.  One of the things that I found was a complete transcribed and translated copy of the souvenir book that was produced on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the parish in 1955.  It's over 100 pages long and I spent over an hour enjoying reading the names of people whose families I knew through classmates and through direct contact.  If you want to have a similar experience, here is your opportunity.  

The 50th anniversary souvenir book is here.  It contains a nice history of the first fifty years if the parish as well as details of the coming of the La Salette Missionaries.

The picture above shows the first church.  Pictures below will put the majestic Gothic church before your eyes, followed by the present little jewel that sits on the same lot as the Gothic church did.  The building above is still standing and being used, not as a holy place.

http://www.hvinet.com/sfdchurch/aboutus.html

This link will bring you to a historic story about the spread of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette in North America.  This is a reminder of the dynamic presence of the Missionaries in New York State.  I chose to feature this story with a picture of the grotto that the missionaries placed on the Church property.  Click on the link above to get the fuller story.  Bring your eyes down a bit to see a picture of the apparition facsimile that was in fact inside the Immaculate Conception church in Holyoke.  This was for the 105+

years that the magnificent gothic church stood on the site.  The person who was the spiritual leader of the parish at the time of its madernization, Marie Julien Ginet, MS, was a native of Savoy, just a few short miles away from the location of the apparition of Our Lady at La Salette.

This is a picture of the Gothic church.

This a picture of the present church of the Immaculate Conception parish.






This church was built very recently and in order to save money and to protect the memories of those who sacrificed so much to build the impressive Gothic building, as much of the old materials as could be incorporated into the new building as could be used found their way into the reality of the present church.  These include the larger than life wooden crucifix that that occupied the right front column of the church, just in front of the sanctuary.  The pews and the statiions of the cross were preserved as well as the commemorative stained glass window that was designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the parish.

Now, 101 years after their arrival, the La Salette Missionaries are leaving the parish and the bishop of the Diocese of Springfield will assure the continued existence of this parish community.  Here below is a short text describing the arrival of the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette:

 "In 1910, at the departure of Abbott J. V. Campeau for Canada, Abbott Horace Gélineau was named administrator of the Immaculate Conception. For two years, he devoted all his young energies to the spiritual and temporal prosperity of the parish and sought to maintain the parochial spirit through numerous organizations, always very successfully. He asked the Missionaries of our Lady of La Salette of Hartford to lend him their assistance until the day when the Msgr. of Springfield conferred the care of the parish entirely to the Fathers of La Salette.
      Rev. Fr. Camille Triquet, M.S., Pastor of St Joseph of Fitchburg for eighteen years, came to take his new post on July 3, 1912, with Fr. Pierre Rivoire, M.S. and Fr. Henri Galvin, M.S., as assistants.
      The parishioners of the Immaculate Conception received the Fathers of La Salette with open arms. Their arrival gave rise to the formation of religious parochial societies: the League of the Sacred Heart and of Our Lady of La Salette for the men and youth; the Ladies of Ste. Anne Society for married women; and that of the Children of Mary, for young women. The true spirit of piety of these religious societies soon made the Immaculate Conception one of the model parishes of the Diocese."

The departure of the Missionaries is scheduled for June 10, 2013.  It is sure to be a sad moment for many people.  There are still many of us who owe the spiritual attitudes that we have to the Spirit who guided our early upbringing.  And not just ours, but that of our parents and, in some cases, our grandparents.  It is also true that the La Salette Missionaries will feel a deep tear inside of themselves upon their departure.  Many of them owe their vocation as missionaries to the efforts of the valiant missionaries who dedicated their lives here.  I remember the two dozen or more photographs of alumni who had been ordained to the priesthood hanging on the wall of the main lobby of the school.  One of them, a cousin of mine; one of them an intimate friend of mine; one of them, yours truly.

The departure is not a total separation.  Like the tearing of the Temple Veil on Good Friday upon the Death of Our Savior, this departure is a passage from the past through an opening into the future.  The 101 years will never be forgotten.  They will always be the seed and the fruit of spiritual grace in the hearts of those who form the Immaculate Conception community of faithful.  Just as the parish served the needs of an important immigrant population at its inception, it continues to do the same today.  Then, it was French Canadian, now it is Latino.  What better preparation could have been planned?

People of Holyoke, you are witnessing the natural movement of missionary work.  Missionaries go in, set-up, turn it over and leave the foundation to the local clergy to continue building on it.  

Next time, La Salette in Saskatchewan.

I'M NOT OLD, I'M JUST SLOW

I know I have been away for a long time.  It is because I am doing my best to meet a deadline.  It happens to me every year at this time.  I have this historic event that I spearhead at the church.  It demands a lot of my time and it occupies my grey matter for 12 months of the year.  So, I do not have much time to write.  Now, things have happened that I just have to get off my chest.  So, I have decided to give myself some down time for some R&R.
The other day I had to go to the doctor.  Actually, I really did not have a medical reason to go.  I was just celebrating the one preventative visit that medicare gives me every year.  At that rate, the US is not going to win any prizes for giving its citizens a chance to reach old age.  It costs more to get old in the US than anywhere else in the "first world."  That's perhaps why we are not first on the life expectancy charts.  But that's not a disappointment for me.  I'm happy with what I got.  Besides, I'm not really that old.  I found out today that in the mobile home park where we live these days, there are 28 residents who are over the age of 90.
Most of them live alone.  Only three are not ambulatory.  Two are on the  neighborhood watch patrol team.  
I don't know about 90, but I do know that when we go to the weekday morning Mass where there are about 150 people in attendance, not less than ten of them are at least 80.  All of them but one or two still drive.

So, I am going to the doctor.  It is exactly 1 short mile away.  By short, I mean it is exactly 1, not 1.2.  I know because when I was incapacitated  a couple years ago, measured it with the odometer of the car.  So, since we have but the one car, and since the Voice from the Kitchen is also the Wallet of the family, I assured her that I would be comfortable walking while she used the car to go to the office.
So I did.  Naturally, before leaving I took my precautions, just as my mother always told me to do.  I combed my hair; blew my nose; left that handerkerchief home and put a clean one into my pocket and finally made it to the ceramics near the door and then, and only then did I hit the pavement.  [Yes, I still use white handkerchiefs.]
I checked the satellite time on my shiny new smartphone.  12:45 it said.
I take off with a smart, snappy stride.  I'm really hauling it.  The wind is whistling in my ears and I'm having a hard time keeping my hair in order.  [Yes, I still have hair.]  I check the traffic.  Wow, the street is barren of autos.  I boldly jump off the curb and fly across the typical California four lane city street.  Now I am on the correct side of the street and it will be smooth sailing all the way to the sawbone's office.  I'll tell you, I am snapping stercorem.  I get there in no time.  So fast that I could hardly enjoy the scenery in the bright SoCal sunshine.  I don't slowdown as I approach the door.  A quick glance at the box where the Los Angeles Times is usually sitting there waiting for me to drop my heard earned $ in search of the crossword puzzle is empty.  Rats!  I go through the door and I remind myself that the mile has been covered.  I reach into my pocket to ascertain by how much I had surpassed the open air walking mile record.  
KKEERRRASSSHHH!  13:15 is sitting there smiling back at me --- 30 MINUTES!  What a disaster!  What a calamity!  What ever happened to my 12 minute mile?  Where did my 5 kilometers per hour go?  I know it was around here somewhere.  Oh, my!   I still have not accepted it.  I still think that the satellite was wrong that day.
Maybe so, but I admit, I am afraid to put the satellite to the test.  I think I'll just lie down and have a little snooze.  Maybe I'll get my speed back that way.

I put this here so that I would be sure that you found this humerus!

A FOND GOOD BYE TO EMERY DESROCHERS, MS

Fr. Emery DesRochers, MS
Natus: Mar 12, 1920
Def: Jan 1, 2013

We have just learned of the passing of a valiant missionary, Father Emery DesRochers, MS of the La Salette Province of Mary, Queen of the Americas.
We have no relevant details of his finals days.  We do know that we had requested that the community within the reach of this publication pray for him.  This request was occasioned by the news that he was not doing well.  At nearly 93 years old, "not doing well" can be critical.  In this case it was.
Fr. Emery was a very active and very caring person.  He was a followe of the advice Jesus gave to his disciples, "Make your 'Yes,' yes, and your 'No,' no."  I worked with Fr. Emery for six months before going myself to the mission in the Philippine Islands.  He was relentless.  He never stopped.
At the tiime he was the procurator for the Philippine mission and he was working out of Southbridge, Massachusetts.  It was a small community house with three or four missionaries.  Father Emery was the superior, Brother Robert Roy was in residence and helping father with the sale of wood carvings that were imported from the mission country.  There was also in residence an older priest whose name I now forget. (I think it was Louis Bourdelais.)  Let me tell you, it was a very hectic six months.
When it was all finished, I and Fr. Maurice Cardinal and Fr. Richard Lavoie left Fr. Emery behind as we embarked for the Philippines.  That was January of 1966.
Time went on and Fr. Emery never once slowed down.  We would always get news of his dedication in caring for the less fortunate of the world.  Through his 70's - 80's and, I suppose, some of his early 90's he did not stop.  He must have slowed down, but we kept hearing that he was still serving in some way or another in social services agencies.  The most famous of his services is told to be in a soup kitchen in the Hartford, Connecticut area.
When we arrived in the Philippines, the people of Isabel remembered the tall fair haired Fr. Emery.  I am willing to wager that there are still some who remember him fondly.  I am sure that there are some in the San Mateo, Isabela area who remember him too.  Many of you who receive the news from here remember him too, I am sure.
Finally, please pray for Fr. Emery's peaceful repose.  Let's all remember to pray for him to have a nice welcome into the arms of God.

=========================

Nous venons d'apprendre le décès d'un vaillant missionnaire, le Père Emery DesRochers, MS de la province de  Marie, Reine des Amériques.
Nous n'avons pas de détails pertinents sur ses derniers jours. Nous savons que nous avions demandé que la communauté à la portée de cette publication prie pour lui. Cette demande a été occasionnée par les nouvelles qu'il n'allait pas bien.  A près de 93 ans, "ne pas aller bien" peut être sérieux.  Dans ce cas, il c'est le "sérieux" qui a vaincu.
Fr. Emery était une personne très active et très attentionné. Il était un convaincu du conseil que Jésus donna à ses disciples: «Faites de votre 'Oui,' oui, et votre 'Non,' non».  J'ai travaillé avec le Père Emery pendant six mois avant d'aller à la mission dans les îles Philippines.  Il était implacable. Il ne cessait pas de travailler.
Durant qu'il était le procureur de la mission des Philippines et il travaillait a Southbridge, Massachusetts. C'était une  petite communauté dans une maison avec trois ou quatre missionnaires en résidence  Père Emery était le supérieur, le Frère Robert Roy était en résidence et aidait le père à la vente de sculptures de bois qui étaient importées du pays de la mission. Il y avait aussi dans la résidence un prêtre age dont le nom m'échappe maintenant.  (Je crois que c'était Louis Bourdelais.) Permettez-moi de vous le dire, c'était une période de six mois très mouvementés.
Lorsque tout a été terminé, le Pere Maurice Cardinal, le Père. Richard Lavoie et moi laissâmes le Fr. Emery et nous partîmes pour les Philippines. C'était de bonne heure, début de Janvier 1966.
Le temps a passé et le Père Emery n'a jamais ralenti. Nous recevions toujours des nouvelles de son dévouement dans les soins pour les plus démunis du monde.  Durant les décennies de  70,  80,  et, je suppose, une partie de son début a la  90 ème, il ne s'est pas arrêté. Il doit avoir ralenti, mais nous avons continué à entendre qu'il était encore en service d'une manière ou d'une autre dans les organismes de services sociaux. Le plus célèbre de ses services est dit d'être dans une cuisine - soupe populaire dans les environs de Hartford, Connecticut.
Quand nous sommes arrivés aux Philippines, les habitants de la province d'Isabela se rappelèrent du missionnaire grand aux cheveux blonds, le père Emery. Je suis prêt à parier qu'il y a encore des gens qui se souviennent de lui avec émotion. Je suis sûr qu'il y en a aux alentours de San Mateo, qui se souviennent de lui aussi. Beaucoup d'entre vous qui recevez les nouvelles en nous lisant ici se souviennent de lui aussi, j'en suis sûr.
Enfin, s'il vous plaît, priez pour que le Père Emery repose paisiblement . Nous allons tous nous souvenir de prier pour lui pour qu'il reçoive un chaleureux  accueil dans les bras de Dieu.
========================

Acabamos de enterarnos de la muerte de un misionero valiente, Padre Emery DesRochers , MS, en la provincia de María, Reina de las Américas.
No tenemos información correspondiente en sus últimos días. Nosotros sabemos que hemos pedido a la comunidad sobre el alcance de esta publicación de orar por él. Esta solicitud fue causada por la noticia de que no estaba bien.  A l'edad de casi 93 años, "no andar bien" puede ser grave. En este caso, es el "grave" que ganó.
P. Emery fue muy activo y muy atento. Estaba convencido del consejo que Jesús dio a sus discípulos: "Haga que tu 'sí,', sea si, y tu 'No,' sea 
no."  
Yo trabajé con el Padre Emery durante seis meses antes de ir a la misión en las Islas Filipinas. Él era implacable. No dejaba de funcionar.
Fue durante los dias que el funzionaba como procurador de la misión de las  Filipinas y trabajaba en Southbridge, Massachusetts. Era una comunidad pequeña en una casa con tres o cuatro misioneros en residencia.  Padre Emery fue superior, el Hermano Robert Roy estaba en casa y ayudó a la venta de esculturas de madera que fueron importados desde el país de operación. También había un sacerdote en edad major en residencia cuyo nombre no recuerdo ahora. (Creo que era Louis Bourdelais.) Déjame decirte, fue un período de seis meses llenos de trabajo.  Cuando todo terminó, el padre Maurice Cardinal, padre Richard Lavoie y lo dejémos el padre Emery y nos fuimos a las Filipinas. Era temprano, a principios de enero de 1966.
Pasó el tiempo y el Padre Emery nunca ha disminuido. Siempre recibimos la noticia de su dedicación en el cuidado de los más necesitosos del mundo. Durante las décadas de sus 70, 80, y, supongo, parte de su carrera a 90 años, no se ha detenido. Debe de haber disminuido, pero seguimos escuchando que todavía estaba en servicio de una manera o otra en las agencias de servicios sociales. El más famoso de sus servicios se dice que estaba en una cocina - sopa alrededor de Hartford, Connecticut.
Cuando llegamos a las Filipinas, los habitantes de la provincia de Isabela recordaron el misionero alto con pelo rubio , el Padre Emery. Estoy dispuesto a apostar que todavía hay personas que lo recuerdan con cariño. Estoy seguro de que hay alrededor de San Mateo, que lo recuerdan también. Muchos de ustedes que reciben las noticias que se leen aquí lo recuerdan también, estoy seguro.
Por último, por favor, oren para que el Padre Emery descanse en paz. Todos vamos a recordar a orar por él para sea encontrado con una cálida bienvenida en los brazos de Dios.

NEWS -- NOUVELLES -- NOTICIAS

It is easier to put the news on blog pages than in email.  So here goes.
Il est plus facile poser les nouvelles sur les pages du blog que dans un mail.
Es mas facil poner las noticias en las paginas de un blog que en un mail.

The Four Injured Sisters

The Sisters of La Salette who had a car crash last Sunday are slowly recovering from their shock and their emotions.  Sister Vero who is suffering from a few bruises, is still very shocked and psychologically distressed.   Sister Emma, ​​with broken ribs and stitches should be released soon from the hospital.  Sister Simonette underwent delicate surgery Monday (internal damage to the intestines and liver), while Sister Martha  remains hospitalized in Lyon as the most severely affected with peritonitis pain in the spine.
With the Sisters, we thank you for your support through your prayers, testimonies of affection and solidarity with your presence for Sisters. We provide you with this word from the Sisters of Our Lady of La Salette in the Province of France:  "We want to thank you for all your prayers and visits to our injured sisters. They are a sign of brotherly love. It is important to pray for them, without forgetting any, but can now be more particularly intense in our prayers for Sr Martha.  Do not forget to pray for the caregivers and also for the people who were in the other car.
We remain united with you in prayer. '

Les Soeurs de La Salette


Nos Sœurs de la Salette accidentées dimanche dernier se remettent lentement de leur choc et de leurs émotions. Sœur Vero, qui souffre de quelques contusions, reste très choquée et éprouvée psychiquement, Soeur Emma, avec côtes cassées et points de suture,  devrait pouvoir sortir prochainement de l’hôpital, Sœur Simonette a subi une délicate intervention chirurgicale lundi (lésions internes aux intestins et au foie),  tandis que Sœur Marthe hospitalisée à Lyon reste la plus gravement atteinte avec une péritonite des douleurs  à la colonne vertébrale.

Avec les Sœurs, nous vous remercions pour votre soutien par vos prières, vos témoignages d’affection et de solidarité, votre présence auprès des Sœurs. Nous vous transmettons ce mot de la part des Sœurs de Notre Dame de la Salette de la Province de France : « Nous tenons à vous remercier pour toutes les prières et les visites à nos Soeurs accidentées. Elles sont signe de notre amour fraternel. Il est important de prier pour elles, sans en oublier aucune, mais peut être aujourd'hui plus particulièrement pour Sr Marthe. N'oublions pas dans nos prières le personnel soignant mais aussi les personnes qui étaient dans l'autre voiture. Unies à vous dans la prière. » 

Las Hermanas Saletinas in Accidente Automobilista

Las cuatro hermanas de La Salette che se accidentaron el Domingo pasado, siguen recuperando lentamente de su impacto y sus emociones.  La hermana Vero, quien sufre de algunas contusiones, todavía comtinua muy sorprendida y psicológicamente comprobada.  La hermana Emma, ​​con las costillas rotas y puntadas deberia ser liberado pronto del hospital.  La hermana Simonette sometió a una cirugía delicada lunes (daños en el interior de los intestinos y el hígado), mientras que la hermana Martha  sigue hospitalizado enLyon la más gravemente afectada por el dolor peritonitis en la columna vertebral. 

Con las hermanas, damos gracias por su apoyo a través de sus oraciones, testimonios de afecto y solidaridad con las hermanas con su presencia. Ponemos a su disposición esta palabra de las Hermanas de Nuestra Señora de La Salette en la Provincia de Francia: "Queremos darle las gracias por todas sus oraciones y visitas a nuestras hermanas accidentadas. Son un signo de amor fraternal. Es importante orar por ellas, sin olvidar ninguno, pero ahora puede ser más especial para la hermana Martha. No se olvide de ofrecer oraciones para los nuestros cuidadores , doctores y enfermeras sino también las personas que se encontraban en el otro coche. Estamos unidos con vosotros en la oración. '

===========================

We pray for Sister Elizabeth, the Superior General of the La Salette sisters who just arrived in France from Brazil.  I have no details, but my sources tell me that she encountered some personal violence while she was in Brasil.
The sisters have had a bad year.  They lost a residence in Madagascar to fire; They lost a young sister to illness not too many months ago; one of the sisters lost her mother and now they are suffering through the effects of this terrible auto accident.
It is also true that they have some aging and ailing members of the community who need our prayers.  

Oramos por la Hermana Elizabeth, la Superiora General de las Hermanas de La Salette que acaba de llegar a Francia desde Brasil. No tengo más detalles, ver mis fuentes me dicen que se encontró con algo de violencia personal, mientras ella estaba en Brasil.

De veras, las hermanas tuvieron un mal año. Perdieron una residencia en Madagascar al fuego; Perdieron una hermana joven de una enfermedad no demasiado hace muchos meses, una de las hermanas perdió a su madre y ahora están sufriendo las consecuencias de este accidente terrible.

Es demas cierto que tienen algúnos  

miembros de la comunidad

 ancianas y enfermas  que necesitan nuestras oraciones.

Nous prions pour Sœur Elizabeth, la Supérieur Général des sœurs de La Salette qui vient d'arriver en France du Brésil. Je n'ai pas de détails, mais mes sources me parlent d'une agression qu'elle aurait souffert tandis qu'elle était au Brésil.

Les sœurs ont eu une mauvaise année.  Ils ont perdu une résidence à Madagascar au feu;  Ils ont perdu une jeune sœur a la maladie il n'y a pas trop longtemps, l'une des sœurs a perdu sa mère, et maintenant elles souffrent  les effets de cet  

horrible accident routier.

Il est vrai aussi qu'elles ont un certain nombre de membres de la communauté qui vieillissent et souffre de maladie out d’infirmités   C'est une communauté qui nous est chère et qui a besoin de nos prières.

WHO ARE THE TRUE VICTIMS? LES VRAIES VICTIMES?

New intentions:
Cathy who is ill.
Cathy whose child needs spiritual support.
Marc who needs to see God.
Daniel who needs a favorable court decision.
Jing who needs a job.
Paul and Isabel need spiritual support as they direct retreats and spiritual experiences.

Remember our Orthodox brethren who celebrate Christmas on January 7.
Accompagnons nos frères et soeurs Orthodoxes qui se préparent a célébré la fête de la Naissance de Jésus le 7 de janvier.
Acordamo-nos nuestros hermanos y hermanas Ortodoxos quienes se preparan a celebrar la entrada al mondo de Jesus, nuestro Salvador, el 7 de Enero.