The Passionists - Holy Cross Province News

Series: Passionist Family Formation e-Learning 2025-2026

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 13:59:22 GMT

Welcome to the Passionist Family Formation eLearning Series 2025–2026!

We are excited to invite you to this year’s eLearning Series, a rich opportunity to grow in faith, deepen our Passionist distinctiveness, expand our understanding and renew our commitment to compassionate service.

We have a compelling lineup of speakers and topics, each offering insights and inspiration for the journey of ongoing spiritual formation.

Register Now Here

Series: Passionist Family Formation e-Learning 2024-2025

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 19:39:49 GMT

Holy Cross and St. Paul of the Cross Provinces will begin a fourth series of six presentations for our Passionist Family Formation e-Learning (PFFeL). The themes and presenters are listed below. All the presenters are well conversant in their specific subject. They will be of great encouragement to us as we grow in a deeper appreciation of our Christian faith and Passionist spirituality.

Sessions are on second Thursday of the month and scheduled as follows:

7:30 -9:00 PM Eastern Time
6:30 -8:00 PM Central Time
5:30 -7:00 PM Mountain Time
4:30 -6:00 PM Pacific Time

Register Now Here

You will need to be registered (one time only) to receive the Zoom link for each presentation. Contact Fr. Don Webber, CP, at elearning@passionist.org if you have any questions.

September 12, 2024	Mental Health and a Christian Response Jessica Coblentz, Ph.D. Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies and Theology at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana.
October 10, 2024	Navigating Catholic Engagement with U.S. Politics Steven Milles, PhD, is Professor of Public Theology and Director of The Bernardin Center at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
November 14, 2024	Come, Let Us Consider God and the Earth Elizabeth A. Johnson, CSJ, PhD, is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Theology at Fordham University in New York City.
January 9, 2025	Synod Update: Synodality is Still a Journey Maria Cimperman, RSCJ, PhD, is Professor of Theological Ethics and Consecrated Life at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and is actively involved in the Synod on Synodality in Rome.
February 13, 2025	The Word of the Lord Came to Me Dianne Bergant, CSA, PhD, is Distinguished Professor Emerita of Old Testament Studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
March 13, 2025	The Theology of Death and Eternal Life Robin Ryan, CP, PhD, is Full Professor of Systematic Theology at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and Director of the Master of Arts in Theology program.

Realizando Principios Laudato Si'

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 13:11:46 GMT

Celebrando el Día Mundial del Agua

Hoy celebramos el Día Mundial del Agua. A nosotros, católicos y Pasionistas, el Papa Francisco nos pide que tratemos lograr el cambio de corazón necesario para integrar las acciones de la Plataforma Laudato Siˊ (https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/) a nuestra vida diaria. El Papa Francisco nos pide una "profunda conversión interior" que nos conduzca hacia un futuro en el cual "todas las personas puedan prosperar personal y económicamente en armonía con los dones que Dios nos ha dado en la naturaleza".

Puedes también aprender habilidades de abogacía y aliarte con organizaciones en tu área que abogan por agua saludable en este enlace al sitio Healthy River.

El amor, lleno de pequeños gestos de cuidado mutuo, es también civil y político, y se manifiesta en todas las acciones que procuran construir un mundo mejor…. En este marco, junto con la importancia de los pequeños gestos cotidianos, el amor social nos mueve a pensar en grandes estrategias que detengan eficazmente la degradación ambiental y alienten una cultura del cuidado que impregne toda la sociedad. —Laudato Si’, 231.

La empresa “Texas Coastal Materials” obtuvo un permiso de la Ciudad de Houston para construir una trituradora de concreto y roca a un lado de la calle del Hospital LBJ. Esto fue preocupante para muchos porque el hospital público atendía a personas con problemas respiratorias. Muchos miembros de la comunidad de fe expresaron su preocupación. La Arquidiócesis de Galveston-Houston y líderes religiosos de “The Metropolitan Organization,” un grupo no partidista, alzaron su voz. Residentes y funcionarios de salud pública afirmaron que la planta, que trituraría losas de concreto, podría poner en peligro la salud del personal y los pacientes del Hospital LBJ. La mayoría de los pacientes y residentes del área era gente de bajos ingresos.

Según los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades, la trituración de cemento crea polvo de sílice, que puede "dañar irreversiblemente los pulmones", así como materia particulada, partículas microscópicas que pueden ingresar a los pulmones y a la corriente sanguínea y causar problemas de salud como el asma.

Miembros de iglesias locales firmaron peticiones y asistieron a reuniones, incluso Tomie Magee y su esposa Debrah, miembros de la Familia Pasionista, quienes pertenecen a la parroquia Nuestra Madre de la Misericordia, una de las iglesias que forman parte de The Metropolitan Organization (TMO).

Cuando se le preguntó por qué se involucró en la comunidad y participó en esta y otras acciones de TMO, Tomie explicó.

Todos luchamos a veces pa

Todos luchamos a veces para caminar el viacrucis. No soy diferente de la mayoría. Sin embargo, la oración nos hace realizar que el carisma Pasionista no nos permite estar cómodos, pensando solo en nosotros mismos.

~Tomie Magee, ejercitante y ex-miembro de la mesa directiva del Centro de Holy Name Retreat Center, Houston.

ra caminar el viacrucis. No soy diferente de la mayoría. Sin embargo, la oración nos hace realizar que el carisma Pasionista no nos permite estar cómodos, pensando solo en nosotros mismos.

~Tomie Magee, ejercitante y ex-miembro de la mesa directiva del Centro de Holy Name Retreat Center, Houston.

Para obtener más información sobre los siete objetivos de la Plataforma de Acción Laudato Si', visite https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/. [Cambiar lengua a español]

¡Laudato Si' en la gran pantalla!

El Club de Cine de la Familia Pasionista

Durante cinco semanas de enero y febrero, los miembros de la Familia Pasionista vieron una lista seleccionada de películas con temas de Laudato Si’, y se reunieron por enlace ZOOM para conversar y reflexionar. Como dijo uno de los participantes, "Mi educación fue increíble". Y una vez que nos educamos, naturalmente lleva a la transformación de nuestros corazones, vidas y comunidades.

"Yo sabía que las elecciones alimentarias eran importantes para mi salud, pero nunca las había pensado como decisiones de carácter moral", compartió otro de los participantes. Dos de las películas que vimos, Food Inc. y Kiss the Ground, se centraron especialmente en nuestros sistemas alimentarios y soluciones para crear sistemas alimentarios que sean más saludables para nosotros y para la Tierra. Aprendimos sobre los beneficios de la agricultura sin labranza, los nutrientes aumentados en los huevos de gallinas que están en pastoreo, y el papel esencial del ganado suelto en praderas para la agricultura regenerativa. También aprendimos cómo las granjas industriales ponen en riesgo la salud pública y el suministro de alimentos, contaminan el medio ambiente y el agua potable, arruinan las comunidades rurales y alimentan el cambio climático.

El tercer folleto de “Pasión de la Tierra, Sabiduría de la Cruz,” se centra en la comida e invita a la acción. Una acción sugerida es apoyar el “Acta de Reforma del Sistema Agrícola,” una ley que actualmente se está considerando en el Congreso, que introduce legislación

que pondría un moratorio inmediato en la construcción de nuevas granjas industriales o la expansión de las existentes, con una eliminación gradual de las grandes instalaciones para el año 2040. Las grandes granjas industriales han aumentado drásticamente desde 2017, mientras que las granjas más pequeñas con prácticas sostenibles han tenido dificultades. Es esencial que nuestras políticas gubernamentales reflejen los principios sostenibles de Laudato Si', así como proteger nuestra salud y la salud de nuestro hogar común.

¡Te invitamos a contactar a los miembros de tu Congreso para apoyar el Acta de Reforma del Sistema Agrícola (HR 4421/S 2332)!

Contact Your Member of Congress

Uno de los resultados felices del Club de Cine Laudato Si' fue que la Parroquia Pasionista de San Gabriel en Toronto recreó el programa para los feligreses. Si estarías interesado en un paquete de programa que enumere las selecciones de películas de Laudato Si', con preguntas de reflexión, ya sea para uso personal o para compartirlo con tu parroquia, amigos u otras comunidades, por favor contactar a Lissa Romell, Directora del equipo provincial Laudato Si', en lissa@passionist.org.

Laudato Si' news from Holy Cross Province

Sat, 23 Mar 2024 13:10:20 GMT

Celebrating World Water Day

Today, we celebrate World Water Day. As Catholics and as Passionists, we have been asked by Pope Francis to seek the change of heart that is required to make the actions of the Laudato SiˊAction Platform part of our daily lives. What Pope Francis asks of us is a “profound interior conversion” leading us toward a future in which “all people can prosper personally and economically in harmony with the gifts God has given us in nature.”

You can learn advocacy skills and connect with organizations in your area that advocate for healthy water at Healthy River.

Join us for an Online Conversation

on Brochure #3 of Passion of the Earth, Wisdom of the Cross

Thursday, April 18th

WHAT:

“PASSION OF THE EARTH, WISDOM OF THE CROSS" is our international Passionist program to live out our commitment to the Laudato Si’ Action Platform goals. This is a one and 1/2-hour conversation based on the third brochure in the six-brochure series prepared for the Passionist family. The third brochure [PDF] /Español [PDF] explains Chapter 3 of the encyclical Laudato Si’ and calls us to reflection and action on the gift of FOOD and FARMING.

WHY:
To deepen our care for God’s Creation, to embrace Gospel justice,

and to renew our Passionist charism.

WHEN:

Thursday, April 18^th

7:30 p.m. ET
6:30 p.m. CT
5:30 p.m. MT
4:30 p.m. PT

WHERE:

On Zoom. Register in advance for this conversation here

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the session. We ask that participants read brochure #3 [PDF] before the online conversation.

WHO:

All members of the Passionist family in St. Paul of the Cross and Holy Cross Provinces, as well as international members of the Passionist family. The session will be facilitated in English by Marta Salgado-Niño and Patty Gillis, members of the Laudato Si' Team.

For more information, please contact Marta Salgado-Niño at MSNino@materdolorosa.org or Patty Gillis at pjgillis48@gmail.com or 313.399.8320.

Learn more

Love, overflowing with small gestures of mutual care, is also civic and political, and it makes itself felt in every action that seeks to build a better world. . . . In this framework, along with the importance of little everyday gestures, social love moves us to devise larger strategies to halt environmental degradation and to encourage a ‘culture of care’ which permeates all of society. ~Laudato Si’ # 231

When Texas Coastal Materials obtained a permit to build a concrete and rock crusher across the street from LBJ Hospital, a public hospital that serves people with respiratory disorders in downtown Houston, members of the faith community voiced their concern. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, and faith leaders from The Metropolitan Organization, a non-partisan group, spoke up. Residents and public health officials said that the plant, which would break down slabs of concrete, could endanger the health of staff and patients at LBJ Hospital, which serves many low-income and uninsured residents.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cement crushing creates silica dust, which can “irreversibly damage the lungs,” as well as particulate matter, microscopic particles that can enter the lungs and bloodstream and cause health issues like asthma.

Members of local churches signed petitions and attended meetings, including Passionist family member, Tomie Magee and his wife Debrah. Tomie and Debrah belong to Our Mother of Mercy parish, one of the churches that make up The Metropolitan Organization (TMO).

When asked why he got involved in the community and participated in this and other TMO actions, Tomie explained:

“We all struggle at times with following the way of the Cross. I am no different than most. However, with prayer, we know that the charism does not allow us to be comfortable thinking only about ourselves.”

~Tomie Magee, retreatant and former Board member at Holy Name Passionist Retreat Center, Houston

For more information on the Laudato Si’ Action Platform’s seven goals, visit https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/.

For five weeks in January and February, members of the Passionist family watched a select list of Laudato Si' themed movies and came together for conversation and reflection on Zoom. As one of the participants said, “The education was unbelievable.” And once we become educated it leads naturally to transformation of our hearts, lives and communities.

“I knew food choices were important to my health, but I had never thought about them as moral choices,” shared another of the participants. Two of the movies we watched, Food Inc., and Kiss the Ground, focused particularly on our food systems and solutions to create food systems which are healthier for us and for Earth. We learned about the benefits of no-till farming, the increased nutrients in eggs from chickens that are pastured, and the essential role of free range cattle in regenerative agriculture. We also learned how factory farms put public health and the food supply at risk, pollute the environment and drinking water, wreck rural communities, and fuel climate change.

The third brochure of Passion of the Earth, Wisdom of the Cross focuses on food, and invites us to action. A suggested action is supporting the Farm System Reform Act, a bill currently being considered in congress, which introduces legislation

that would place an immediate moratorium on the construction of new or expanding factory farms, with a phaseout of existing large facilities by 2040. Large factory farms have increased dramatically since 2017 while smaller farms with sustainable practices have struggled. It is essential that our government policies reflect the sustainable principles of Laudato Si’ as well as protect our health and the health of our common home.

We invite you to contact your Members of Congress to support the Farm System Reform Act (HR 4421/S 2332)!

Contact Your Member of Congress

One of the happy results of the Laudato Si’ Movie Club was St. Gabriel’s Passionist Parish in Toronto recreating the program for parishioners. If you would be interested in a program package listing the Laudato Si’ movie selections, with reflection questions, either for personal use or to share with your parish, friends or other communities, please contact Lissa Romell, Chair of HCP Laudato Si’ team, at lissa@passionist.org.

A Lenten Invitation from the Provincial Superior

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 15:45:21 GMT

Lent is just around the corner. If you recall, St. Paul of the Cross didn’t take up more missions during Lent. On the contrary, for Paul, Lent was a time of greater contemplation and prayer. It is important that we take time to nourish our souls in this holy season.

At the request of the Provincial Leadership Team, the Proclaiming Our Passionist Story (POPS) Committee has coordinated with groups and individuals across Holy Cross Province to create Living into Compassion: A Lenten Journey, which will guide us during Lent.

Throughout the Lenten season, daily reflections by our Passionist Family will be available on our Province website and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube).

It is important for us as Passionists to evangelize, so I encourage any and all of you to share Living into Compassion personally and/or on behalf of your ministry or ministry site.

If you would like to share information about the Living into Compassion series in preparation of Lent, you can download resources here:

View Living Into Compassion Promotional Materials

Once we begin our Lenten journey, daily materials will be available at www.passionist.org/lent.

Here are some ways you can share Living into Compassion:

Share on social media personally or on behalf of your ministry or ministry site. (View a sample post)
Use the reflections for community prayer or as conversation starters at mealtimes.
Print and hang the poster (11" x 17") or flyer (8.5" x 11") in your ministry site.
Send an email to your database.
Include a link to the Lent website in your ministry newsletter.
Announce it at Mass, during a retreat or at a meeting.
Publish it in your parish bulletin.
Send a note home with students to invite parents to participate.

Living into Compassion: A Lenten Journey invites us to live the Passionist Way during this holy season:

The Passionist Way is not the only framework for understanding lent but for a Passionist it is a fitting one. If we think of Lent as formative, that something should happen between Ash Wednesday to Easter, the Passionist Way can help us to be formed, and transformed, through the Lenten journey. Ultimately the goal of lent is to be transformed by the Paschal Mystery.

Thank you for joining us in sharing our Passionist Lenten journey with those who surround you.

In the Passion of Christ,

David Colhour, C.P.

Provincial Superior

Join Us for Passionist Family Formation e-Learning

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 17:03:24 GMT

In September Holy Cross and St. Paul of the Cross Provinces will begin a third series of six presentations for our Passionist Family Formation e-Learning. The themes and presenters are listed below. All the presenters are well conversant in their specific subject. They will be of great support to us as we all strive to value and grow in our Christian faith and Passionist spirituality.

Sessions are on the second Thursday of the month. Note that in the month of February, the presentation will be on the third Thursday. All sessions are scheduled as follows:

7:30 -9:00 PM Eastern Time
6:30 -8:00 PM Central Time
5:30 -7:00 PM Mountain Time
4:30 -6:00 PM Pacific Time

September 14, 2023 What Is All This Talk about Synodality? Steven P. Millies Professor of Public Theology (CTU)	January 11, 2024 The Gift and Grace of God’s Compassion Virginia Blass Member of Passionist Preaching Mission - Paul of the Cross Province
October 12, 2023 Eucharistic Revival in the United States: What Is Really Happening? Richard Fragomeni Professor of Liturgy and Preaching (CTU)	February 15, 2024 (3rd Thursday of February) If You Want Peace, Work for Justice Michael Nasello Director of Passionist Solidarity Network
November 9, 2023 Dealing with Difference in a Polarized Country and Church Paul Wadell Retired Professor of Religious Studies, St. Norbert College	March 14, 2024 Keeping Memory of the Passion of Jesus Robin Ryan, C.P. Professor of Theology (CTU)

What Does it Mean to be Anti-Racist

Tue, 30 May 2023 20:20:38 GMT

Remember Amy Cooper, a white woman, who called the police on Christian Cooper, a black man who was bird watching in New York’s Central Park, because he asked her to put her dog on a leash. He videoed her saying “I’m going to tell them there’s an African American man threatening my life.” The video went viral.

When she made a public apology, she began by saying “I’m not a racist.” Maybe that’s likely what most of us would say, especially if we have just done something racist.

Ibram X. Kendi, Director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University, wrote a book entitled “How to Be an Anti-racist,” published in 2019. In it he states, “The opposite of ‘racist’ isn’t ‘not racist,’” he writes. “It is ‘antiracist.’”

The term itself has come to be used to describe what it means to actively fight against racism rather than passively claim to be non-racist. Anti-racism involves taking stock of and eradicating policies that are racist, that have racist outcomes and making sure that ultimately, we’re working towards a much more egalitarian, emancipatory society.

“One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist, or racial equality as an antiracist,” Kendi writes. “One either believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates the roots of problems in power and policies, as an antiracist. One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an antiracist.”

“There is no in-between safe space of ‘not racist,’” Kendi continues. “The claim of ‘not racist’ neutrality is a mask for racism.”

To be an anti-racist, Kendi and others say, requires an understanding of history — an understanding that racial disparities in America have their roots, not in some failing by people of color but in policies that serve to prop up white supremacy. “Why were black (and Latino) people during this pandemic less likely to be working from home; less likely to be insured; more likely to live in trauma-care deserts, lacking access to advanced emergency care; and more likely to live in polluted neighborhoods?”

The answer, he writes, is simple: racism.

Anti-racism is understanding how years of federal, state, and local policies have placed communities of color in the crises they face today, and calling those policies out for what they are: racist.

It also requires an understanding of one’s own position in a racist society, many say, an acknowledgment that you can’t simply opt out of living in white supremacy by saying you’re “not a racist” — you have to actively fight against it. first step is to take stock of that and not to disavow it or invisibilize it.”

Ibram Kendi continues “I think because it takes a lot of work to be anti-racist. You have to be very vulnerable, right? You have to be willing to admit that you were wrong. You have to be willing to admit that if you have more, if you're white, for instance, and you have more, it may not be because you are more. You have to admit that, yeah, you've worked hard potentially, in your life, but you've also had certain advantages which provided you with opportunities that other people did not have. You have to admit those things, and it's very difficult for people to be publicly, and even privately, self-critical.

But anti-racism can’t be something people think about only while it’s convenient, “It has to be a commitment that you make.”

Compiled from an article by Anna North Jun 3, 2020, VOX and Ibram X. Kendi TED Talk

Title 42: The Plight of Those Seeking Help

Wed, 17 May 2023 14:46:14 GMT

Title 42 has come and gone. Much hype was made about the chaos to come after the lifting of Title 42. The fact is that for many years agencies and refugee centers have been feeling the pressure to service all of God’s people who come seeking help. With so many desperate to escape the horrors in their own country they come here seeking a way to sustain their families. Below is an article that can give us a snapshot of the pressures and needs of a refugee center in Houston and their plight to service all that are seeking help. A reality I am sure all the agencies and refugee centers are currently experiencing.

Many Refugees, God’s People, Arriving in Houston – Help Needed

MAY 10, 2023 BY LOUISE ZWICK

Overwhelming numbers of migrants and refugees have been arriving at our doors—again. Several weeks before May 11, 2023, the date when thousands were expected at the border each day, more and more people have already been walking up to Casa Juan Diego asking for refuge.

We were already at capacity. We are over capacity. More people are arriving each day. People call from the border, from cities in other states to seek help for the relatively few of God’s people who have been able to enter the country.

Who Can Help With So Many Refugees Arriving?

Over the past couple of years we at Casa Juan Diego have cried out for others in the Houston community to help with the anticipated arrivals. We wrote to our Bishops here in the Archdiocese about the already existing crisis. A number of meetings occurred, including people from nonprofits, county or city officials and employees and even congressional representatives with the purpose of preparing the community for the potentially large numbers of migrants who would come after Title 42 was lifted.

Not Enough Practical Help Has Emerged

In meeting after meeting, people of good will talked together about what to do to prepare. They didn’t know what to do without lots of new funding and a large location and staff. Some talked about the need for a long-range plan.

Catholic Charities, with the approval and encouragement of the Archdiocese, has responded with a very helpful program. Catholic Charities received FEMA funding for their transit center by the airport where they can assist new arrivals at Casa Juan Diego and others from the border to go to their destinations if they have family or friends to receive them. This project has helped to take some of the pressure off Casa Juan Diego as they assist our guests to travel. Magnificat House is also receiving some immigrants.

No other immediate solution has been offered locally to provide a place to stay to large numbers of people coming in. The Episcopalians are working toward shelter next year and conversations continue. In the meantime, it seems that people think that Casa Juan Diego can do almost everything. Not true! We are just a few, trying to respond as Jesus the Christ has asked us to do in Works of Mercy and bringing good tidings to the poor.

As large numbers arrive, we hope the City and/or the County will immediately provide a welcome center or a new shelter, setting aside at least a park where people can stay until housing becomes available for them. It would be good for people to contact the Emergency Management offices of the City of Houston and Harris County officials here to ask their help.

Not So Easy – Often Overwhelming

There are too many who seek our help; we cannot receive them all. We can provide a temporary place to stay while people rest and begin to recover from the trauma of difficult and dangerous journeys, address health problems, provide a little help to get started with a new life in the United States. We can try to help people locate family members who were separated from them at the border, those who are lost (very difficult). We are a very few doing this work, although part-time volunteers and students help a lot. We need more full-time Catholic Workers who can make a commitment for at least a year or make the life of a Catholic Worker a vocation. We would not survive at all without the day-to-day practical assistance of the refugee guests of our houses who join us in the Works of Mercy.

We continue our work with paralyzed and very ill immigrants whom the government does not help. We cannot help them all. We distribute food to almost a thousand families a week, many of them newly arrived immigrants who have stayed in our house but are trying to survive now on their own. The Houston Food Bank, with the new ordering system now in a better place, is helping us with food. Our clinics continue to see patients each week. The San Jose Clinic and Harris Health help with referrals beyond the capability of our small clinics.

More people ask for our help than we can give. We cannot accept thousands in our houses of hospitality. We cannot help the whole city of Houston with their requests for help with rent. As Mark Zwick used to say, We have to allow others in the community to help also.

https://cjd.org/2023/05/10/many-refugees-gods-people-arriving-in-houston-help-needed/

Why We May Actually Be Preparing for Chapter 2027

Wed, 17 May 2023 12:54:35 GMT

By Pat Brennan, CP

I would like to share with all of our Passionist Family, vowed and lay, a few thoughts that have been filling my mind and heart during these past months of preparation for the 36th Provincial Chapter. Much of our conversation has centered around very important and critical topics, all of which I admire and believe is the work of the Holy Spirit in our midst. At the same time, I find myself struggling with some key questions and issues that I feel must be faced at this point in time in the life and history of Holy Cross Province.

To be sure, I have always thought of myself as being more of an idealist and a dreamer than a pragmatist or a hard-nosed realist. I suspect that those who know me well will agree. Yet, at this moment, I do believe there are a number of “realities” that simply cannot be ignored. These realities touch upon several things:

Our proud history as a Province
Our current membership of vowed members and
The work of the Holy Spirit who is guiding us as we continue to share our Passionist charism with lay Passionists and, consequently, all of God’s holy people.

“We stand on the shoulders of all those who have gone before us.” We vowed Passionists can and should be very proud of all that has been achieved in terms of community life and prayer, preaching ministry, and the deepening of the “memoria passionis” in the hearts and lives of the people of God through service and other ministries. We all vowed, prostrate at the altar, to do this with a special vow long ago and, by God’s grace, we can rightly take satisfaction with our collective history as a community of Passionist religious. And, even as we give thanks for the new life and growth in various parts of the Congregation worldwide, we can, without regret, look back and rejoice in all that has been done since the very founding of Holy Cross Province. We have a proud history and ample reason to be glad. However, the future will be shaped by others in new and different ways than what we have known and been familiar with in the past.

Another important reality is the age of our current vowed members. Surely, there is always reason to believe in the work of the Spirit in our midst. However, as hopeful as I would like to be, it is also quite clear that, given our aging membership, the ministry that is to be accomplished in the future will primarily be done by those lay Passionists who will be empowered and guided by Holy Cross Province. We have shared much with them, and, conversely, the lay Passionists have shared much with us, as well. Now is our opportunity to prepare the groundwork to ensure that a real transition can be done in keeping with the very best of all that we, the vowed, have learned and accomplished over the years. We already have an excellent beginning through the formation done thanks to the Office of Mission Effectiveness (OME) in sharing the charism of our holy founder, St. Paul of the Cross. In addition, due to the collaborative ministries that have consistently been taking place in our retreat centers, boards, parishes, and other locales, we have many who not only know, but are deeply committed to, the charism that is so foundational to Passionist life and ministry.

Lastly, if there is to be continuity and growth in the ranks of our “lay Passionists”, then it is extremely important that we give further careful consideration to what it means to be a “lay Passionist”, and how we can ensure that such a membership has both continuity and development in the life of Holy Cross Province for years to come. This is not to suggest a new form of “vowed” life, or even a kind of third order to be sure, but it does mean that we want to make sure that we give substance and clarity to the meaning of being a “lay Passionist.” It is much more than being an employee or even a good friend or benefactor, who may happen to have an attraction to Passionist spirituality and ministry, or even an individual vowed Passionist. Fr. Clemente has already done some fine reflection on what he calls the “ways of belonging” to Holy Cross Province. If we value the calling of those who are invited by God to be lay Passionists, then it is clearly important that we understand -- a) what it means to belong; b) what the various ways of belonging might be; and c) how, through ritual and prayer, we can celebrate the different levels of commitment that our lay Passionists are willing to profess as sharers in ministry, always faithful to the charism of St. Paul of the Cross.

All of the above is shared with the hope that it may serve as a prelude to a reflection pertaining to our upcoming Chapter at Mater Dolorosa in Sierra Madre. I would like to suggest that our time in session during the 36th Provincial Chapter, be a time of profound sharing on the key issues already begun, thanks to the fine work of the Chapter Planning Committee. Sharing in the “contemporary passion” of immigrants, minorities, Mother Earth, and the poor, all are pertinent to our charism and the “memoria passionis”, and can provide a very fruitful and formative chapter experience for us all. Open and honest sharing in this agenda can help to shape both the hearts and attitudes of all of us who have been serving together in so many ways. But, in addition to the above, it is my hope that, during the coming Chapter, through meaningful conversation, we can also lay the groundwork for preparing for a new phase in the life of Holy Cross Province, something that can be put into place more definitively at our Chapter in 2027! This new phase will usher in fruitful ongoing ministry of the lay Passionists as members of our Passionist Family. This can be done, first and foremost, by the model of leadership we choose to move us forward, a collaborative model between vowed and lay Passionists, and a commitment over the next four years to ensure that, while we give thanks to God for the past, we look clearly to the future and begin laying the foundation for a new commissioning, a joyful and faith-filled celebration of lay Passionists who share in the charism and ministry of Holy Cross Province and, by God’s grace, will carry on the fine history of which we are all so rightly proud.

A World Without Trash or Garbage

Tue, 16 May 2023 15:06:31 GMT

How does the Ecological Conversion that Pope Francis calls us to play out in our mundane daily living? Like when we “take out the trash”?

What IS trash? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary “trash” is “things that are no longer useful or wanted, and that have been thrown away; or useless waste or rejected matter.” And “waste” is defined as “damaged, defective, or superfluous material produced by a manufacturing process, such as hazardous waste and nuclear waste.” Some synonyms are “garbage” and rubbish”.

The Creator made a world where there was no trash, no garbage, and no waste. Built into Creation are cycles of death and regeneration that lead into ever more complex forms of life, with nothing wasted. In God’s Creation everything and everyone belongs. Biological processes like composting transform animals and plants that have completed their lives, releasing their molecules to build new Life.

Image by Manfred Antranias Zimmer from Pixabay

Could our ecological conversion be getting more in touch with these sacred cycles of Life? And how can we do that?

Pope Francis explains it this way:

“It is hard for us to accept that the way natural ecosystems work is exemplary: plants synthesize nutrients which feed herbivores; these in turn become food for carnivores, which produce significant quantities of organic waste which give rise to new generations of plants. But our industrial system, at the end of its cycle of production and consumption, has not developed the capacity to absorb and reuse waste and by-products. We have not yet managed to adopt a circular model of production capable of preserving resources for present and future generations, while limiting as much as possible the use of non-renewable resources, moderating their consumption, maximizing their efficient use, reusing, and recycling them.” ~Laudato Si’ #22

Michael Nasello, Director of the Passionist Solidarity Network, and his spouse Karen found a way to participate in the cycles of Life through composting in their home. We are grateful for their story, shared below. For other composting ideas, including some which are no cost or low cost, please go here: Compost tips

Photo by Lenka Dzurendova on Unsplash

Condo Composting

We live in a condo where there is no access to composting: no organic waste pickup in our community, with no ability to compost on-site (condo board rules, pest control, etc.). The only alternative we were left with was an unacceptable one – to throw organic waste into the garbage. Very frustrating!

Then we discovered the electric composter: an energy-saver electric device that converts organic wastes into compost in a few hours. We put in all our peelings, leftovers, plant debris etc. (everything except meat, bones, and oils), and when the 1-gallon bucket is full, we tighten down the lid and turn it on. About 4-5 hours later, we have 1 ½ - 2 cups of clean, dry peat moss which we can add to plants, gardens, or the forest floor during a hike. The kit comes with enzyme tablets which we can add to the process, thereby creating nutrient-rich soil instead of simple peat moss. There is no odor thanks to the two charcoal filters, which only have to be replaced every six months. In our home, we run the composter at least three times per week. And it’s extremely quiet.

We chose to purchase a product with the brand name LOMI, a device which sells for USD 500. (We got it on sale for USD 350.) It feels like a hefty price tag at one level, but we chose to view it as a financial contribution to the environment. And we know we are making a huge contribution to a more ecological approach to daily living – we have cut our garbage by two-thirds and are contributing good clean soil to the ecosystem. A good composting solution for the 21st century.

Michael & Karen Nasello
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

Useful Words on Cultural and Racial Diversity

Tue, 16 May 2023 14:48:01 GMT

allyship

The Rochester Racial Justice Toolkit describes allyship as "a lifelong process of building relationships based on trust, consistency, and accountability with marginalized individuals and/or groups of people."

Being an ally means learning from and listening to marginalized groups, empowering them, advocating for them, and looking inward to recognize your own bias and privilege.

anti-racist

Activists and leading scholars have argued that it's not enough for allies to say they're "not racist." Instead, they must actively adopt anti-racism, a set of beliefs and actions that oppose racism and promote the inclusion and equality of Black and brown people in society.

Ibram X. Kendi helped popularize the phrase "anti-racist"

with his best-selling book on the subject.

bias

Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.

BIPOC

This acronym, which stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of color, has gained popularity as a more inclusive term than "people of color" when talking about marginalized groups affected by racism.

cisgender

It's important to know that one's sex and one's gender are two different things. "Cisgender" is a term for people whose gender identity matches their sex assigned at birth.

It's a term used to ensure that when we're talking about people who are trans, we don't use a problematic term like 'normal' to describe those who are cisgender.

Cisgender people experience privilege in many aspects of life, from being able to easily find a restroom that matches their gender expression to having their sex listed on their driver's license match their gender.

critical race theory

Critical race theory is a school of thought that says that legal institutions and the law are inherently racist, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. The framework, which gained traction in the late 1980s, recognizes that racism is engrained in the fabric and system of the American society, according to the University of California, Los Angeles. It also says that race isn't a biological reality, but a social construct made by white people to maintain power.

cultural appropriation

Cultural appropriation is the taking of "creative or artistic forms, themes, or practices by one cultural group from another," according to Oxford Reference.

"It is in general used to describe Western appropriations of non‐Western or non‐white forms, and carries connotations of exploitation and dominance," the definition says. An example of this is a white woman wearing her hair in box braids.

"The primary problem lies in the fact while black women receive cultural repercussions, like being fired from their job, for wearing dreadlocks or braids, women who aren't black can sport the same hairstyle and be praised for being 'cool and edgy," Bustle's Mia Mercado wrote.

discrimination

Practice of treating similarly situated individuals differently because of race, gender, sexual orientation, appearance, or national origin.

diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)

"Diversity, equity, and inclusion" is used in corporate spaces to encompass efforts by business leaders to make their spaces more diverse, fair, and inclusive. But what does that mean?

Diversity initiatives aim to increase the number of people from marginalized backgrounds in places where they are underrepresented — for example, on a company's board.

Equity efforts are those that seek "to promote justice, impartiality and fairness within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources by institutions or systems."

Equity is different from equality. Equity achieves fairness by treating people differently based on need, while equality achieves fairness by treating everyone the same, regardless of need.

Inclusion is an organizational effort "in which different groups or individuals having different backgrounds are culturally and socially accepted and welcomed, and equally treated."

They added: "Inclusion is a sense of belonging. Inclusive cultures make people feel respected and valued for who they are as an individual or group."

dreamers

Children of undocumented parents who have spent most of their lives in the United States but are not U.S. citizens and seek to remain here legally, for example, to enroll in college.

driving while black

Term for police practice of singling out non-white drivers for special attention, such as by pulling them over and searching for drugs or contraband, often pulling drivers over under false and concocted pretenses.

emotional tax

"Emotional tax" refers to the unseen mental work that people from marginalized backgrounds have to do every day to feel included, respected, and safe.

The research firm Catalyst defines it as "the combination of being on guard to protect against bias, feeling different at work because of gender, race, and/or ethnicity, and the associated effects on health, well-being, and ability to thrive at work."

erasure

Practice of collective indifference towards the processes of overall eradication to the identity, history, stories, and culture of a group, rendering them invisible.

heteronormativity

Heteronormativity is the belief or assumption that all people are heterosexual, or that heterosexuality is the "normal" state of being.

"A heteronormative society operates on the assumption that heterosexuality and specific gender features are the human 'default,'" according to The Queer Dictionary. "These assumptions can be hurtful because they are stigmatizing and marginalizing, making people who are LGBT+ feel like they are perceived as deviant or unnatural."

institutional/systemic racism

Institutional racism refers specifically to the ways in which institutional policies and practices create different outcomes and opportunities for different groups based on racial discrimination.

internment

Forced confinement of West Coast Japanese Americans in relocation camps during World War II.

intersectionality

Catalyst defines "intersectionality" as "the intertwining of social identities such as gender, race, ethnicity, social class, religion, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity, which can result in unique experiences, opportunities, challenges and barriers."

jim crow laws

Anti-loitering laws, poll taxes, sundown provisions, racial segregation, and other measures enacted in order to maintain white superiority even after slavery came to an end. Meant to remove political and economic gains made by African-descended Americans during the Reconstruction period.

microaggression

Microaggressions are indirect expressions of racism, sexism, ageism, ableism, or another form of prejudice. They can be in seemingly innocuous comments from people who might be well-intentioned. But they make another person feel different, violated, or unsafe.

misgendering

Misgendering, according to Merriam-Webster, is when someone incorrectly identifies a person, such as a transgender person, by using the wrong label (such as "Mr." or "Ms.") or pronoun (such as "she," "he," or "they"). It often makes a person feel invalidated as a human being.

In a 2018 article for The Aragon Outlook, the student newspaper of Aragon High School in San Mateo, California, one student explained the personal effect of being misgendered.

"I don't know exactly how to describe it, but it's just a deep pain [to be misgendered]," the student told the newspaper. "It sort of destroys my faith in humanity to a certain point and makes me just a little more afraid of leaving the house the next day."

neurodiversity

Neurodiversity, as explained by the UK nonprofit Autism Awareness Centre, is "the concept that humans don't come in a one-size-fits-all neurologically 'normal' package."

It "recognizes that all variations of human neurological function need to be respected as just another way of being, and that neurological differences like autism and ADHD are the result of normal/natural variations in the human genome."

nonbinary

The Human Rights Campaign defines "nonbinary" as "an adjective describing a person who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman."

"Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or as falling completely outside these categories," the definition says. "While many also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do."

The gender binary — the belief that people can be only male or female —

oppresses people who fall elsewhere on the gender spectrum.

-phobic (e.g., transphobic, homophobic)

To be transphobic is to have a "fear and hatred of, or discomfort with, transgender people," according to the Human Rights Campaign. Similarly, to be homophobic is to have a fear of, hatred of, or discomfort with people who are attracted to members of the same sex.

race

A socially constructed social science framework that refutes Eurocentric-biological racial philosophy by concentrating individual’s, people’s, and community’s similar or exact ethnic and cultural foundations, which operate through unstable and perpetually altering social sequences.

racism

Any program or practice of discrimination, segregation, persecution, or mistreatment based on membership in a race or ethnic group. It is important to note that racism, as it has been enacted in “modern” society requires the social, political, ideological, and economic power of the dominant race.

reparations

The word "reparations" refers to payment for harm or damage, according to the Cambridge Dictionary. In the US, it refers to payments for harm and damage done to Black Americans who have endured decades of slavery, Jim Crow laws, racial violence, racist education and housing laws, and prejudice. The idea was popularized in recent years by the best-selling author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates, who argued his case in front of Congress in 2019.

redlining

Policy by insurance companies, banks, and mortgage lenders not to do business with home buyers or owners in certain areas with heavy minority population.

trail of tears

Route used for forced removal of certain Native American nations (North American Indigenous) from the southeastern United States to lands west of the Mississippi River.

unconscious bias/implicit bias

There's explicit bias, or bias we're aware of, and then there's implicit bias, or prejudicial beliefs we don't even know we have.

The University of California San Francisco's Office of Diversity and Outreach offers a comprehensive explanation on its website: "Unconscious biases are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness ... Unconscious bias is far more prevalent than conscious prejudice and often incompatible with one's conscious values."

white fragility

Robin DiAngelo, a researcher and author of the best-selling book "White Fragility," explains the phenomenon as "a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves," including "the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation."

An example of this could be a Black person pointing out a white person's problematic or racist behavior and the white person immediately jumping to defend themselves, making excuses and crying instead of listening and accepting what the other person is saying.

white privilege

White privilege is the vast set of advantages and benefits that people have solely because they are white or pass as white in a society characterized by racial inequality and injustice.

Generally white people who experience such privilege do so without being conscious of it.

Examples include being able to walk around in a department store without being followed by a store clerk who suspects you of shoplifting or being able to drive around a neighborhood without fearing that someone will call the police on you.

white supremacy

A power system structured and maintained by persons who classify themselves as White, whether consciously or subconsciously determined; and who feel superior to those of other racial/ethnic identities.

Personal Reflection on the Major Themes of Holy Cross Province As We Approach the 36th Provincial Chapter

Wed, 03 May 2023 18:13:25 GMT

By David Colhour, C.P.

I am curious. As you have aged, what has been the biggest surprise for you in a positive, wonderful way? I would invite you to think about this question beyond just changes in your physical body. Rather than aches, pains and diminishment, what has bloomed for you as you have aged and matured? Has a particular virtue or spiritual advancement surprised you?

Several years back, I found myself fascinated with the issues and questions around solidarity. What is the value in finding solidarity with others? How can I be in solidarity with people who are outside my proximity? Is it possible to be in solidarity with people I have not met? As I have aged I certainly have wrestled with this moral puzzle. To my astonishment, I was not expecting it to challenge me like it has.

The news media has reported on numerous conflicts over the years, yet specifically, when the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine I was really torn up. I found myself reading the Russian newspapers in an attempt to glean even the slightest glimpse into something that did not make any sense. This daily exercise led me into the life and stories of people who were suffering, many of whom were not allowed to freely speak about their suffering. Solidarity was taking on a new meaning. After several months of the stories and images of this war before me, I was re-reading the Passionist Rule and Constitutions. This time, even though the words were the same, they sounded different.

We are aware that the Passion of Christ continues in this world until he comes in glory; therefore, we share in the joys and the sorrows of our contemporaries as we journey through life toward our Father. We wish to share in the distress of all, especially those were poor and neglected; we seek to offer them comfort and to relieve the burden of their sorrow.^{^[i]}

Even the introduction in the recently promulgated Passionist Way reminds us,

We understand that Christ’s Passion and death are “no mere historical events. They are ever-present realities to people in the world of today, ‘crucified’ as they are by injustice, by the lack of a deep respect for human life, and by a hungry yearning for peace, truth, and the fullness of human existence”^{^[ii]}

The Passionist Charism is a constant reminder of how connected we are even with people whose homes and families are being destroyed, even though we may have never met them. The Passionist Charism is not just about responding with compassion, it is also deeply rooted in justice because Jesus' trial and execution was extremely unjust. Even the centurion who had nothing to gain proclaimed Jesus as innocent.

When the war began I questioned myself. If I lived there would stay and fight or would I leave the country? Observing the people trying to escape both Ukraine and Russia, I could not help but wonder, were they any different than people trying to leave Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan or Venezuela? Why is life so bad for people that they have to leave their homelands and their loved ones? What a deep gashing aching loss! Frequently, displaced people initially tell themselves this will only be till things settle down. Yet, their lives and families are uprooted and the trauma lasts their whole life. I am still questioning, how do I respond with compassion? Is there something I can do about this injustice? The Passionist Charism connects us to the displacement of human life evolving into massive migration problems.

Last year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates 103 million people have been forcibly displaced.^{^[iii]} The categories include internally displaced people, refugees, asylum-seekers and those seeking international protection. The pain of splitting families apart and vacating the very land a person calls home is heartbreaking. Frequently, the escape itself pushes people into the struggle of human survival, and sometimes even to the threshold of life and death. Merely trying to sustain life while navigating the ultra-complexities of fresh water, food chains, overcrowding and other hardships certainly is unfathomable. The duration of the trauma is unpredictable. Yet, to finally come to a place that is somewhat safe, even a place where one can put down roots, is remarkably comforting. However, they are still far from the place they call home. Internationally, it is amazing how some countries extend hospitality knowing the shifts will lead to instability in their economies.

The Passionist Charism asks us to not be ignorant of these realities and to stretch ourselves by asking about systems and structures which lead to suffering. Pope Francis invites us to engage questions regarding how we live on this planet and what is our relationship with our Earth? His reflection on the global crisis in which we find ourselves speaks of having an integral ecology by which the economic, environmental and social interconnectedness of people can contribute to a healthier humanity. As we do, "any place can turn from being a hell on earth into the setting for a dignified life."^{^[iv]} It is easy to see the connection. Looking through the lenses of the Passionist Charism we begin to see the multiplicity of threads so interconnected. What is our Passionist response? I anticipate the upcoming Provincial Chapter to move beyond highlighting the interconnectedness. Can we respond as people of faith?

For many years we have all seen that Catholic bumper sticker that says, Think Globally, Act Locally. So, if I continue to ask questions, I challenge myself and ask, “do I care as much about the people on the South Side of Chicago as I do about those trying to escape the war?” If I am willing to make a financial contribution for the people in Ukraine but I am unwilling to help the neighbor of Hyde Park, then I hear Jesus' words questioning me, "Who is my neighbor?" Are there really differences between the gun violence here and the shootings and bombings in any other city, including Kyiv? Do I understand the similarities that many of my own neighbors here in this city are the decedents from those who came here fleeing the violence, injustice and terror in the American South?^{^[v]} Growing up in a small town in Colorado, I never realized this migration of people were unwelcomed as they looked for new lands and new opportunity in the cities in the North? Knowing this, does it change the way I live in my own city and the people I relate to on my own streets?

On one level, life would have been simpler if I never started thinking about solidarity. In picturing my life, if years ago I would have chosen a different career where I was not very challenged, I could have been like an ostrich, sticking my head in the sand and not pay attention. Yet somehow I did not choose that path. God led me to the Passionists, and the Passionists have invited me to ponder life through the lens of the Passion of Jesus Christ. This has certainly changed me. I continue to think of the interconnectedness of humanity and the place which the Passion of Christ has in the midst of humanities' suffering. And I am left pondering Pope Francis' challenge wondering what will we truly pass on to the next generation?

Once we start to think about the kind of world we are leaving to future generations, we look at things differently; we realize that the world is a gift which we have freely received and must share with others. Since the world has been given to us, we can no longer view reality in a purely utilitarian way, in which efficiency and productivity are entirely geared to our individual benefit. Intergenerational solidarity is not optional, but rather a basic question of justice, since the world we have received also belongs to those who will follow us.^{^[vi]}

[i] Passionist Rule and Constitutions, Chapter 1 "Fundamentals of Our Life" #3. 1984.

[ii] The Passionists of Holy Cross Province, "The Passionist Way" 2022. Also referenced in the Passionist Rule and Constitutions, Chapter 4, "Apostolic Community" #148. 1984.

[iii] UNHCR:The UN Refugee Agency, "Refugee Data Finder" October 27, 2022. https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/

[iv] Pope Francis. Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home. #148 Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2015. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

^[v]Fox 5 Atlanta. "MLK Day keynote speaker: Bryan Stevenson, Founder of Equal Justice Initiative." YouTube, January 16, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5fId7nn5Y8 @12:33.

[vi] Pope Francis. Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home. #160 Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2015. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

Through Hell to Hope: Migrants Trying to Reach the USA

Tue, 02 May 2023 18:12:26 GMT

On September 23, 2022, my husband, my daughter and I decided to undertake a journey for a better future, for a better quality of life. We are from Venezuela, but had been living in Peru. Everything was going well when we started out in Peru, then Ecuador. Our nightmare began in Colombia. We entered into the Darién jungle on September 27. No one told us the horrible truth that is hidden in this jungle. We saw the dead left by their family members. Some children who did not have money were raped or even killed by paramilitary personnel.

I especially suffered due to being overweight. It was very difficult for me to climb the mountains. I was always the last one. It was always my nephew who waited to help me, because my husband was in charge of carrying the bags with our food and what little clothing we decided to keep after the first mountain.

I lost all of my toenails. I suffered a lot because no sooner had we started and my feet were already in bad shape. I crossed 2 mountains in only my socks because my toenails hurt so much and the bottoms of my feet were covered in blisters. It took us 12 days to traverse through the jungle. We ran out of food on day 10. For 2 days we drank water from the river and what we begged off of passersby. We were tired and weak, distressed because our daughter was weak.

We decided to take a shortcut across the river. It was a terrible decision because when I was halfway across the river a strong current caused me to lose my footing. I was slapped against a rock, in peril of drowning. My husband realized I was swallowing lots of water. He grabbed me by the hand the best he could and began to cry for help. Then a young man helped him to get me out of the river.

We lost our remaining belongings, like our clothes and money. But the most important thing is that they saved me from drowning and I am still alive. It was a horrible scare. After they pulled me from the river I just cried and wailed.

We continued our journey. Because I had lost my sandals, my husband gave me his boots. It was then I saw the wounds he sustained on his feet: ulcers on his heels, wounds over most of his feet, covered in blood. Because of the pain he was enduring, we decided to rest that day. We were just 8 hours from escaping this hell where I almost lost my life.

The next day we resumed our journey.

We stayed 5 days at the United Nations camp so they could attend to our wounds. Then, little by little, we went through Panama, Costa Rica, and then Nicaragua. We arrived at a dreadful banana plantation where our wounded feet made it difficult to walk. Little by little we made it to Honduras, and then to Guatemala. The people in both places were kind. However, the government officials were like garbage. At Corinto, one of the official border crossing sites between Honduras and Guatemala, we had to stay 4 days, sleeping on cardboard, because they would not let us pass, and we had nothing to eat.

A man said to my husband, “Go with your daughter and ask if the truck drivers will help you.” They gave us money to buy food, and on the 5th day at the border we were able to move on. Full of fear, we embarked on a barge because we had to cross the Motagua river. We were able to get across, but once again we were without transportation because we were left in a very dangerous place. We walked for 2 hours, fleeing from the police. We hid in another banana plantation, but we did not know where to approach to get past the police. By this time it was dark. Off in the distance we saw a police truck with officers with lanterns and rifles.

The best we could, we hid ourselves, very afraid of the awful things we had already seen. We tried to sleep in a well. This was a bad idea because ants, large and small, bit our backs, legs, and all over. We had to endure the pain and itching because we could not risk the police discovering us. They got tired of looking for us, so we decided to move on. At this point, we met a Guatemalan family that helped us a lot, thank God.

I fell ill with fever for the next 2 weeks, so we could not keep going. When I get better we decided to travel through the capitol, Guatemala City. There, the police themselves robbed us and several other groups of immigrants, again.

Still, we went on. By this point, my husband was discouraged to the point he did not want to go on. However, I was still filled with faith and hope that we would reach our destination.

We managed to make it to Tapachula, Mexico, the worse of the countries we were to travel through. We had to stay 20 days in Tapachula because I once again became sick with fever and an exacerbation of asthma. Even so, we tried to go out each day to look for work, to no avail, every day. Because of this, my husband decided to call some family friends to wire us money. We were living in the street, and had no money to buy food.

Thanks to my Almighty God, I got better. We turned ourselves into Mexican Immigration and they gave us a document of permission to go as far as Arriaga, Chiapas. My husband bought bus tickets to Arriaga. When we were not quite there, in Tonalá, we were forced to get off the bus at an Immigration Checkpoint. We were not detained more than 5 minutes but the bus had already left so we had to wait for another one.

While we were waiting, a man in a red car stopped and offered to give us a ride. We were naive about what was about to happen to us. After driving just 4 km, we reached another police checkpoint where the driver was obligated to get out of the car and we had to show our documents for passage to Arriaga. We felt badly because we thought we had inconvenienced the man and had gotten him into trouble. But no, he was already wanted for human and drug trafficking. Thank God the police checkpoint was there and they did their job. Otherwise, we may not be alive to tell this story.

We were detained 8 hours in an office in Tonalá so they could check if what we told them was the truth or a lie. A police commissioner approached us and asked us how we were doing. We said we were scared. “Well, next time, do not get into any car with someone unknown to you for any reason.” He then proceeded to show us the cell phone messages and photos of us the evil man had taken, The text message read, “I’ll get back to you in a little bit, Immigration is stopping me. Hopefully they won’t take away the ‘3 bunnies’ I am bring you, and also a minor girl.” When we read this we began to cry and hug our daughter, because we realized we just missed being sold into human sex trafficking, or worse. Then the commissioner brought us to a shelter in Arriaga.

Within 3 days we had made plans to continue to San Pedro to get permission to travel farther. At the last checkpoint, my husband and the other members of our group managed to get through. However, my daughter and I were captured by Immigration and locked in a white lorry. This was a psychological trauma and my daughter panicked. It took all my strength not to faint, knowing what they could do to us.

But what the Immigration officials wanted was money. I gave them my last 500 pesos, and they let us go. We made it to the camp and got our names on the list. The next day they gave us documents of passage through Mexico. We left there, on our way to Mexico City. From there, we went to Monterrey, and from Monterrey, to Matamoros. On this part of the journey, there are a lot of extortion, kidnappings, and killings—if you do not give them what they want. We had to get through 3 checkpoints: one was manned by state police, another by drug cartels, and the third by Immigration. If you did not give them the money they asked, they would put you in jail in Reynosa for 10 days, or send you all the way back to Tapachula.

Finally, we made it to Matamoros where we stayed 1 month and 7 days, waiting for our request to be processed, anxious and at the point of despair. Some days were discouraging, others were very cold. However, with great faith and hope that soon we would be able to cross.

Here I am, summarizing a little of the travels of these long 3 months and 18 days since we left Peru for the United States. For a new future, a fresh start, for me, my husband, my children, my grandson, my parents. Here I am, a warrior of always moving forward. I owe my life and that of my family first and foremost to God, who is always at our side, caring for us and protecting us. To Him, we owe our lives, faith, and hope. Thank you dear God for not abandoning me.

Departure: September 23, 2022 Arrival: January 10, 2023

Printed with permission:

Houston Catholic Worker, January-March 2023, Vol. XLIII, No. 1.

Join us for Walk with Us Thursdays!

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 18:36:45 GMT

The Chapter Planning Committee (CPC) invites you to join us for Walk With Us Thursdays to prepare for the communal discernment that will take place at our June 2023 Chapter. These conversations will be held via Zoom at 4:30 pm, PDT; 5:30 pm, MDT; 6:30 pm, CDT; 7:30 pm, EDT.

We recognize that we all have very busy calendars, but we pray that you will find a way to join us for this important work and preparation for our June 2023 Chapter.

As a reminder, there is no Walk With Us Thursdays conversation this Thursday, April 6. Our next one will be Thursday, April 13. Our topic will be Leadership. We have come to understand that the traditional role of the Provincial is no longer tenable and realize that a different model of leadership would be more appropriate going forward. We look forward to our conversation with you around leadership.

Upcoming Walk with Us Thursdays

4:30 p.m. PT; 6:30 p.m. CT; 7:30 p.m. ET

April 13	Leadership
April 20	Diversity
April 27	Migration
May 4	Migration
May 11	Diversity
May 18	Passionist Way
May 25	Laudato Si’
June 1	CPC
May 1	Spiritual Conversation Bob Choiniere, Facilitator 10:00 a.m. PT, 12 p.m. CT, 1:00 p.m. ET

From the Cultural and Racial Diversity Committee

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 18:34:59 GMT

What is Systemic Racism?

Today, racism continues to exist in our communities and in our parishes. Racism is what makes us see the "other" with suspicion or to attribute negative characteristics to an entire group of people. This evil manifests itself in our individual thoughts, and also in the workings of our society itself. Today's continuing inequalities in education, housing, employment, wealth and representation in leadership positions are rooted in our country's shameful history of slavery and systemic racism.

Systemic Racism

Discrimination based on race and ethnicity takes many forms. The United States has made progress in eliminating some of the institutional, legalized racial discrimination of years past such as slavery, Jim Crow laws, “separate but equal” schools and prohibitions on voting or owning land.

These hard-fought victories deserve to be remembered and celebrated. Still, these advances are incomplete. Data on social and economic welfare show disparities between many persons of color and their white counterparts.

Unemployment rates for Africans Americans, Latinos and Native Americans are considerably higher than the national average. Growing income inequality increasingly affects minorities.
In the United States, median wealth for white households is ten times greater than for black households, and eight times greater than for Hispanic households.
Minority homeownership rates lag behind their white counterparts, and yet research shows that minorities face extra hurdles in getting approved for mortgages.
African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans are disproportionately affected through every stage of the criminal justice system, despite the evidence that different racial and ethnic groups commit crimes at roughly the same rate.

The above was reprinted with permission from the USCCB.

Systemic racism affects every area of life in the United States. From incarceration rates to predatory loans and trying to solve these problems requires changes in major parts of our system.

Here is a closer look at what systemic racism is, and how we can solve it.

What does the Church say about Migration?

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 18:31:34 GMT

According to Catholic social teaching, migration should be a matter of choice, not necessity. People have a right not to have to migrate, and states have a responsibility to provide the minimal conditions that would allow their residents to flourish and realize their God-given rights at home.

As Catholics, what should we think about people who come to this country as immigrants? Should we support people breaking the law by coming here without documentation or permission? What does the Church say about immigration?

Catholic theology has always promoted an ethic that is rooted in natural law and God’s Revelation. As Catholic social teaching on migration developed, three fundamental principles came to inform Church teaching on this issue:

People have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families.
A country has the right to regulate its borders and to control migration.
A country must regulate its borders with justice and mercy.

Although the first two of these principles may seem to contradict each other, they are put into context by the third. People of faith must seek a way of balancing their valid security needs while at the same time striving to meet the basic human needs of others, including those who are foreign born. It is in achieving this balance that we can embrace each of the principles of Catholic social teaching on migration.

When war, natural disaster, famine or crushing poverty causes mass migration, the lands that receive these displaced people may feel threatened, with the citizens of the host nation fearing that newcomers will take scarce jobs, land and resources. While recognizing these fears, the Church teaches that people have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families. As the Gospels make clear, it is God’s will that the abundance of the earth be shared in love by all his people.

Reflecting on this spiritual imperative, Pope Benedict XVI observed that “those who have to leave everything, sometimes even their family, to escape from grave problems and dangers . . . [should find] the Church as a homeland where no one is a stranger” (Angelus, June 19, 2005). At the same time, the second principle of migration acknowledges that a country has the right to regulate its borders and to control migration. Individuals have the right to move in search of a safe and humane life, but no country is bound to accept all those who wish to resettle there.

Ordinarily, people migrate because they are desperate, and the opportunity for a safe and secure life does not exist in their own land. Migrants and refugees endure many hardships, and most would prefer to return home under more favorable circumstances. As American Catholics, we should work to alleviate the conditions that force people to leave their homeland while protecting their rights when they reside among us.

The third principle calls upon nations to regulate their borders with justice and mercy, seeking the common good above self-interest. Family reunification must be at the center of all government migration policies, thereby allowing families to remain intact as much as possible and avoiding periods of prolonged separation.

The above was reprinted with permission from the USCCB.

Please contact the Migration Committee Co-Chairs should you have any comments or questions:

Joe Castro, Co-Chair

joecastro.ministerio@gmail.com

Alfredo Ocampo, C.P., Co-Chair

freddyocampo@yahoo.com

Here is a YouTube video that gives us a glimpse of a family story on a journey for a better life in the United States.

We Want to Hear from You!

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 18:23:42 GMT

As we prepare for Chapter 2023, please feel free to reach out to the members of the Chapter Planning Committee with any proposals, thoughts, questions or suggestions. You can reach all members of the Committee at any time by emailing chapter2023@passionist.org.

The Chapter Planning Committee

Faith Offman, Chair

Joe Castro

David Colhour, C.P.

Phil Paxton, C.P.

Jim Strommer C.P.

Elizabeth Velarde

Keith Zekind

Robert Choiniere, Facilitator

Preparing as a Province for Chapter

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 20:26:36 GMT

By Bob Choiniere, Facilitator

During our pre-Chapter meetings, I offered two presentations on synodality in the life and mission of the Church to help ground the upcoming Provincial Chapter in the goals and methods of the emerging Synodal Church. Synodality is not a new concept, but a re-claiming of the origins of Christian communal discernment that began at the Council of Jerusalem as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. Synodality is a way of being church that roots decision-making in a shared discernment of the will of God in our midst: in our communities of faith, in the hearts of all believers and in the fabric of the universe.

Grounding our upcoming Chapter in synodality includes a process of discernment that is inclusive, prayerful, inquisitive and attentive to how the Holy Spirit is calling us in light of the world we live in. When the Chapter delegates meet in June, their discernment will not be beginning but culminating. The process has already begun and continues as every member of the Passionist Family is invited to be part of the prayer, inquiry and reflection that will lead to a true discernment of the Spirit’s call.

I would like to invite each of you now into this process to fan the flames of the Holy Spirit among us. Over the next few months you are invited to listen, study, pray and then share the fruits of your experience. In this way, we will follow the synodal path outlined by the Apostles who prayed together, considered the signs of their times and made decisions together.

To be more specific, the Chapter will take up critical issues that will define our ministry and our shared life for years to come. These issues include the environmental crisis, cultural and racial diversity, immigration and migration, leadership, vocations and stewardship. We must all now prepare to have these critical conversations that will lead to decisions around these areas.

Throughout the spring, we will be holding a series of conversations on each of these topics to gather a sense of direction as we head to the Chapter. These conversations will be an opportunity to share the fruit of your preparation.

Before coming to the conversation, each individual and community is asked to become informed through study and inquiry. We invite each community to continue or begin listening to the signs of the times in your local area. Synodality includes becoming aware of what is happening around you in order to respond.

What are the environmental issues in your region, the struggles of inclusion and diversity, the stories of immigrants and migrants, the concerns and hopes around leadership, stewardship and vocations for the Province?
Where is Christ present in each of these areas where you live and minister?
Where is Christ being crucified in your backyard?

This process of inquiry can begin with reading a local newspaper, seeking out local organizations working on these issues, talking with one another, your neighbors, local activists and especially the marginalized and forgotten about the critical issues they face, their fears and hopes. The preparation also includes seeking formation and education to learn more and acquire a new lens through which to evaluate what you are learning through your listening and inquiry. The various committees of the Province will be offering learning opportunities to assist in this.

After a time of study and inquiry, you are invited to enter into a time of prayer and reflection. Prayer allows a space for the Spirit to speak to our hearts about these important matters, reveal new insights, bind the pain of the world to the cross of Christ that leads to new life. Prayer is a necessary and central component of the Passionist charism and the synodal path. The Passionist Way document encourages each member of the Passionist Family to take 20 minutes of silent prayer each day. This could be a time to bring what you are learning to God and ask for insight and prompting.

The topical conversations will be a time of reflection. These meetings are designed as a space to offer, listen and respond to the insights that came from our inquiry and prayer. In these meetings we will learn how to best shape the conversations that will occur at the Chapter. The Chapter will be a time of discernment and decision-making that will be based on this preparation. The quality of the Chapter then depends on the level of engagement and the depth of the preparation that precedes it. Those who will be attending the Chapter will receive the results of the reflective conversations. They will be asked to read, consider and pray over these responses as they prepare to attend the Chapter.

So, we invite you and every member of the Passionist Family to begin to listen, to inquire, to pray and then to attend the upcoming conversations. Together, we can discern the ways that the Holy Spirit is calling us to respond most effectively and faithfully to the crucified of our world and continue to live and proclaim our Passionist Charism in all that we do.

What Chapter Might Look Like

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 20:25:13 GMT

Jim Strommer, C.P., shares some of his thoughts
on what Chapter 2023 might look like.

What We Heard at Pre-Chapter

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 20:23:26 GMT

The members of the Chapter Planning Committee (CPC) - Faith Offman, Chair; Keith Zekind; Jim Strommer, CP; David Colhour, CP; Elizabeth Velarde; Joe Castro; Phil Paxton, CP; Robert Choiniere, Chapter Facilitator - would like to extend a sincere THANK YOU to all who joined us for our Pre-Chapter via Zoom.

Your presence, energy and open, honest sharing were most welcomed and helpful to our on-going conversation.

The Visioning Process, begun in Holy Cross Province some years ago, has invited us to ‘hold the tension’ of living into the reality of the paschal mystery – the dying and rising that is foundational to life and life in community. We moved from ‘strategic planning’ to ‘visioning’ and ‘becoming visionaries’ as we continue to witness to God’s call to transform ourselves, our institutions and our ministries.

At Pre-Chapter, we further embraced the synodal process as we explored shifting from a hierarchical/imperial/pyramidal model to a more horizontal/synodal/circular model of leadership. Grounded in the documents we pledged to live into at our last Assembly, we dreamed together what it means to enlarge our tent.

The energy among the 80 or so participants was positive and animated. We heard:

Gratitude

For the Passionist Family and Charism
For faith sharing opportunities among the Passionist Family who are grounded in our love and commitment to remain faithful to the Passionist Charism
For our efforts to listen in a more synodal way and seek out voices not heard
That people are feeling part of the Province and willing to work together to look at the future

Uncertainty - can we continue

To be open to the Holy Spirit and be willing to step out of our comfort zone
To recognize the importance of cultivating a ‘habit of listening’ throughout the Passionist Family – open to ongoing conversion of mind and heart
To acknowledge our need to continue to grow together, vowed and lay, united in the Charism
Through the unknown, are we willing to move forward with the guidance of the Holy Spirit
With the process to decide and create which model to use for future leadership

Hopefulness

We find our strength in the community experience
Excitement and willingness to work together to carry the Charism forward
An openness of everyone sharing
Excited about the direction the Province is moving toward
The interconnectedness of all three documents – they work together to embody the Charism more deeply
Holy Cross Province is in a period of important transition and transformation – if that continues, the future is immensely hopeful

Concerned questioning

Need to continue to explore what it means to be Passionist Family and engage younger people
How do we continue to refine the structure and mission of Holy Cross Province
Need to open our eyes to the people we serve and the languages they speak
The Extended Council is a step in the right direction but more work needs to be done to integrate the vowed and lay co-responsibilities and authority
We need to address the power dynamics that are in play within our current system
The leadership presentation could have been better modeled – perhaps vowed and lay joint presenters
Need to move from language of Vowed and Lay Passionists, to Passionists
There is a general sense that many of the same people are on committees – in some ways this looks like more layers of management, ‘inside’ circles rather than enlarging the tent, still defaulting to imperial model – same old people
How do we more openly name and address the challenges we face with moving forward as we address racism, sexism, comfort with status quo, power, fear and defensiveness
Not enough diversity within our prayer experience or in the Pre-Chapter welcome – a little too ‘white’
Need more effort to make the experience intercultural
How can we be radical and intentional in our strategic ways to include and engage others, not only in dialogue, but in leadership and decision-making as well
How can we ritualize or validate the various levels of lay involvement within the Province

We are grateful for your presence at Pre-Chapter and for all that we heard in your honest sharing. We need you and your voice as we work together toward greater and deeper synodality and circular leadership.

Together, we will continue to invite the Holy Spirit into our planning, dreaming and discernment as we move forward toward Chapter. We look forward to you participating in further preparations and conversations with us. Invitations will be sent to you soon.

Have a question or comment for us? We would like to hear from you. Contact us at chapter2023@passionist.org.

May the Passion of Jesus Christ be Always in our Hearts!

The Chapter Planning Committee

85 Years and Counting...

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 20:05:17 GMT

On Sunday, February 5, the Passionist Family in Birmingham, Alabama, gathered to celebrate the 85th anniversary of Holy Family Parish. Pastor Phil Paxton, CP, celebrated Mass. After Mass, a reception was held in the parish center with a breakfast buffet and great conversation!

Congratulations to all at Holy Family!

Holy Family Pastor, Phil Paxton, CP, celebrated Mass for the parish anniversary.

The parish center was decorated in the parish’s Mass for the parish anniversary. signature blue and yellow colors for a wonderful celebration.

March Updates from HCP

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 18:26:14 GMT

The Extended Council meets via Zoom, March 15-16.
Joe Moons, CP, will be at St. Paul of the Cross Community in Detroit, Michigan, March 14-21, and at Mater Dolorosa Community in Sierra Madre, California, March 29-April 4, for visitation.
Please remember in your prayers, our Passionist Alumni who died:
- Fr. Jonah “Tom” Wharff, OCSO
- James Smith
Visit our Passionist Facebook Page for daily Lent Reflections taken from Victor Hoagland, CP’s book, A Lenten Journey with Jesus Christ and St. Paul of the Cross.
Learning to Pray during Lent. Please join Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center this Lent for a series of prayer learning experiences designed and hosted by the Los Angeles Retreat Center Community. The series is being offered online and includes an introduction to popular prayer forms to be encountered during the Lenten spiritual journey. Click here for more information.