Dear confrere!
And for the first time since long, the house at Samarpanaram is really empty for a few hours.
Fr. Shaju is on retreat. I am happy that he takes some time off to renew himself spiritually.
The theologians, Bala and Chandra, are in Dharmaram for their studies.
The philosophers finished their first semester with a busy week of exams last week and are on holidays this week. They support Fr. Vincent in his ministry in Shivajinagar on the occasion of their parish feast; they distribute communion, sell candles etc. I am amazed by the energy our young men have. Today, they are attending a first aid course at St. John’s.
Fr. Fred left two days back for his well-deserved holidays in the States. I already miss him. He has become a pole of stability here in Samarpanaram. We always count on him, and he keeps challenging us as of where we are with our being Oblates. He keeps searching the real oblate life and I enjoy his search, though it doesn’t always seem to be that easy for him.
The novices are in Carmalaram for their inter-novitiate classes about the history of religious life. Yesterday they were all busy inquiring about our charism, today they have to share it there.
A few minutes ago Fr. Xavier left for Andhra, Deacon Bruzily for Mudhur. Two days back
Fr. Reji and Fr. Maichael had already left for Kerala. All four had been in Samarpanaram after their three weeks journey to Europe. They attended the World Youth Day in Cologne, Fr. Josef showed them a little bit of Austria and Fr. Esser introduced them to Troyes and Annecy. And they attended a young Oblate meeting in Overbach, which had been well organized by Br. Markus Adelt and other Oblates in Germany.
Samarpanaram is quiet.
It is my opportunity to sit down and write to you. The last two months have flown by and there is so much to tell.
Emptiness reflects well the feeling I had, when I heard that Fr. Ceresko had left us for his final destination. He had just visited us in India in May, had shared with us his visions, talents and joys. His departure came so unexpectedly, so suddenly. After a very short illness he died in the Philippines. Fr. Josef, who had been in Austria for a meeting rushed back to the Philippines to make the necessary arrangements for transporting Tony’s remains to the States where he was buried in the presence of many confreres, among them Fr. General, Fr. Josef Koeltringer and Fr. Baiju. I am still speechless, uncertain what to say. Fr. Josef is returning to the Philippines today. He will look through Tony’s belongings and assess the situation in the Philippines. I plan to visit Fr. Josef some time in October. For now let us pray in a special way for Fr. Tony, who played an essential role for our foundation in India, that his feast in heaven may be a great one and for Fr. Josef and the Philippines Project as he needs to deal with this sudden departure of Fr. Tony. I add to this letter the death-notice of Fr. Dave Whalen, the provincial of the Toledo-Detroit Province, who in my point of view, pictures Tony quite accurately in it.
Another, though smaller, emptiness was left in India by the departure of Fr. Baiju to the States. Fr. Baiju has been assigned to study for his M.Ed. at the DeSales-University in Allentown. Though it had been planned for quite a while, the visa came so fast, that Fr. Baiju’s departure almost came in a rush. He was sent off from Salespuram on August 15th. Many neighbors, friends, well-wishers and confreres came to Salespuram for a prayer service and a grand lunch. And on August 18th Fr. Baiju left for the States. I am grateful to Fr. Baiju for his service in the last five years in Salespuram. He helped to build up Salespuram in a special way; he was the superior of Salespuram for three years. He served also for the last two years as member of the advisory board. Thank you! A new project lies ahead of him, and I request your prayers for him in his studies. I already know that he has been warmly welcomed by our confreres in the Wilmington-Philadelphia Province and in a special way by his community at Wills-Hall. For all who wish to write to him, here are his data: Fr. Baiju Paul Puthussery, Wills Hall Oblate Residence, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA, 18034-9568, USA, Tel: 001-610-282-3300 Ext. 2227. Keep in touch!
The departure of Fr. Baiju made it necessary for me to travel to Salespuram and to install the new superior. I am happy to let you know that Fr. Mathew Mukkath has consented to accept this ministry. Having been approved a few months earlier by the General Council, I introduced him into his new office on Sunday, August 21 during the Eucharistic celebration. I spoke there about the GPS (Global Positioning System), which can be found in airplanes, ships and even cars in order to be able to identify where someone or something is located on the globe. A GPS system needs three things: a fixed point of reference as orientation, a satellite and a person, who wants to know where he is, a seeker. Our point of orientation is of course Jesus; we are the ones, who want to know where we are in our vocation, in our studies, in our human development, etc.; we are the seekers; and the superior can be the satellite, the person who helps the individual to get into touch with Jesus, who encourages orientating ones own position in the light of Jesus, a reliable instrument that can promote growth in ones own spiritual, intellectual and academic development. I am convinced that Fr. Mathew is the right man for Salespuram. He will be that person onto whom our young confreres in Salespuram can look at for guidance and orientation. He will be a constructive part of a GPS system, and above all, he will be a GPS, a Salesian Gentle Patient Superior. God bless you!
The Preparatory Commission for the General Chapter of next year went well. I experience it always as uplifting to gather in an international group of Oblates. The hospitality of the French confreres was overwhelmingly good. The deliberations were fruitful, encouraging. Fr. Shaju, who represented India in Annecy, will soon write to you. He will be distributing a prayer in preparation for the General Chapter. I ask you to pray that prayer daily. The General Chapter is an important event in the life of the Congregation every six years. Confreres come together to deliberate and decide, where we are heading to, as Congregation, and they will also elect a new Superior General. That this Chapter be fruitful and in the Spirit of our Founders, requires your spiritual involvement, your participation. At our General Meeting in October we will discuss the proposals so that our delegate can represent well at the Chapter the position of India. I kindly request you to pay close attention to the upcoming letter of Fr. Shaju.
I was privileged to visit our three regents, Br. P. Balaswamy, Rayappa and Mathias in Assam and Meghalaya. Of course they experience quite a difference between a life in the formation community and a busy life as regent. All three look after 40 to 80 kids on a daily base, without break at the weekends, all three teach in the school, all three are struggling to learn one of the local languages and all three experience some solitude. All three are doing well. The fathers challenge them, trust them and can rely on them. The children like and appreciate them. I feel they are doing a very good job. They discover themselves, and that is good. The SDB were welcoming and introducing me slowly to the North-East of India. I was fascinated by the multi-cultural setup the North-East of India has to adjust to. You may find up to six languages in one district. I was fascinated by the countryside. The warmth of the people fascinated me as well. And of course it was a pleasure to see our three brothers, to share with them their experience, to be a small Oblate community for a short time. I left the place rather in a rush because “Independence Day” was on its way, and some bombings were taking place around us. Our three regents are longing for frequent contact with the Oblate world; may I encourage you to satisfy their longing.
Allow me also to report that Br. Jayaraj, our fourth regent, is doing very well in Salespuram. He has plenty of opportunities to actively involve himself in the activities of the community there. The brothers appreciate his guidance. He started also some ministry in Iritty, the local Latin Parish, where he is teaching catechism classes and action songs. The first “Point-Alpha” under his leadership was also well done.
Br. John George has well adjusted to the life of a Major Seminary. He keeps in touch with many Oblates. I am happy about this. He is now preparing for his first round of exams. All the best!
Fortunately Fr. John Sankarathil came twice to Annecy to meet Fr. Shaju, Reji, Xavier, Josef, Maichael, Bruzily and me. I was happy that he took the time, since we were not able to enter Switzerland. Fr. John is doing well, has settled the difficulties he had with his thesis and is working on the thesis. Fr. Aregger has recuperated after his heart attack and is now again living in the Provincial Residence.
I remind all of you to attend our General Meeting 2005. It will take place from Saturday October 29th to Sunday October 30th 2005 in Samarpanaram. I request all perpetually professed members living in India to be present for that meeting. I also formally request all of you to come forward with any proposals you wish the General Meeting 2005 to discuss. Together with the advisory board I will work on an agenda. Please submit to me in writing until October 5th 2005 any matters you wish to be discussed by the General Meeting. One point of the agenda will be the election of the advisory board for the coming two years and the election of one delegate and an alternate to the General Chapter 2006.
And in brief some other short information from around the world:
- Fr. Allie from Keimoes-Upington, who attended the meeting in Annecy, sends his regards. He is now the parish priest of a parish in Pretoria. I hear that he sometimes longs to come back to India.
- The French Province has had its first ordination since long. Fr. Anatole from Benin was ordained in June. He is the first Oblate priest from Benin. And in September 3 more Oblates from Benin will be ordained deacons.
- It looks like the German province will have a multi-cultural novitiate soon. We rejoice with our confreres.
- Fr. Balducelli has met our four travelers to Europe. He is still in good spirits and is presently working on the beatification process of Fr. Brisson and the Good Mother. Keep praying for Fr. Balducelli, the Oblate Sisters and the beatification of our founders!
- The Austrian-South German Province was as always a good host to me and to the Indian confreres visiting. Their hospitality always makes me still feel at home and I am grateful for it.
- The Wilmington-Philadelphia and Toledo-Detroit Province has been able to celebrate the first vows of a few confreres. Let us share their joy.
- The health of the Italian Provincial is not so good. Please remember Fr. Agostini in your prayers.
- Our Dutch confrere, Fr. Koster, is working on a biography on Fr. Brisson.
- The South American region is reaching out towards Hawaii. There seems to be a possibility of Candidates from there.
- The French confreres have offered us an edition of the writings of St. Francis de Sales in French, which will be put into the library of Samarpanaram. Thank you very much. It may inspire us to study St. Francis de Sales more.
Let me close with a word of St. Francis de Sales.
He says: “It is for us to labor diligently, but it is for God to crown our labor with success.”
I came across this quotation the other day. It helped me to learn to make a difference between my effort, and the result of my effort. It encouraged me to continue faithfully in what I am doing without bothering too much about its outcome. The outcome doesn’t lie so much in my hands. Very often I make a too close connection between both. And this puts me under pressure and creates frustration. St. Francis teaches me to disconnect both. I will try my best. On that part I have an influence, I can do something, I can be active, proactive. I encourage you to invest yourself into diligent labor wherever you are. And this will be enough. The result, the outcome, is indeed in the hands of God. Put into practice, this Salesian way of life can improve my approach to life. And also when something turns out well; it is still God who crowned it with success, a good lesson for my humility.
Finally we are looking forward to the ordination to priesthood of Deacon Bruzily Abraham Vettukallamkuzhyil. He will be ordained on October 12th by Rt. Rev. Lawrence Mukkuzhy, Bishop of Belthangady at 9.30 AM in Keezhpally, Bruzily’s home parish. We are especially looking forward to that ordination since it will take place on Founders’ day. There is no better opportunity for us to give thanks for our confrere. May God accompany him on his way from priesthood to sainthood! May God be praised! I hope as many of you as possible can be present on that occasion.
I remain as always your brother in our holy founders.
Fr. Sebastian Leitner osfs
Attachments:
- Death Notice Tony Ceresko
- Updated and corrected list of addresses of confreres in Oblate Asia
Live + Jesus
Dear Confreres and Friends,
For the third time this year I write to you with the sad and in this case thoroughly unexpected news of the death of another confrere. On August 13th at 1:10 a.m. local time in the University Hospital near Tagaytay City the Philippines, our confrere Fr. Anthony R. Ceresko, O.S.F.S. died one week short of his 63rd birthday and in the 43rd year of his Religious Profession and 35th year of his ordination to priesthood. His death is a shock not only to us of his province of origin but to the entire congregation especially our confreres in India where he served for nearly ten years and now in the Philippines for nearly five years.
Anthony Raymond Ceresko was born in Detroit Michigan on August 20, 1942, the first of the seven children of the late Dr. Anthony and Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Tyrie Ceresko. He is survived by his sister Mary Beth Ceresko of Novi Michigan, his brother Richard (Martha) Ceresko of Littleton Colorado, his brother Lawrence of Hudson Florida, his sister Terese (Edward Whittaker) of St. Cloud Florida, his sister Alice Ceresko of Dearborn Michigan and his brother Michael Ceresko of Adrian Michigan.
After his graduation from Salesian High School in Detroit ,Tony entered our Oblate congregation and completed his postulancy and novitiate at Childs Maryland. He was professed on August 21, 1962 and ordained a priest on September 12, 1970. His profession/ordination classmates from our Toledo-Detroit province are Frs. John Lehner of Toledo and John Lindsay of Stockton California. His classmates from our Wilmington-Philadelphia Province are Fr. Lewis Fiorelli, current Superior General of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and Frs. William Metzger, John Mukluk and Harry McGovern.
He was a 1967 graduate of Niagara University and a 1970 and 1971 graduate (S.T.B. and S.T.L) of the Catholic University of America. He completed his doctoral studies and was awarded the prestigious doctorate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome in 1979.
After a brief period of time on the faculty of the Seminary of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Orchard Lake he began his career as Professor of Scripture in the Faculty of Theology, University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto. He taught on the Faculty until 1991 when he resigned in order to become one of the “founders” of our Mission in India. In the year 2000 he again accepted the call to be one of two of the founders of a future Oblate Mission in the Philippines.
In so many ways Tony’s life was a life of one “conversion” after another. It was very clear to his superiors early on that he was the type of person who could undertake, complete and make a major contribution to the world of biblical studies. As Tony said so often and particularly each year to the newly assembled student community in Toronto, he felt called to b e a “scholar”. That meant a conversion for him. It meant that he had to forego some very legitimate things in life in order to devote himself to the world of academia, a world of study, research, reading and publication. Those of us who shared life in community with him in Toronto know first hand that he was a man of the deepest dedication and self discipline. His students knew that he was thoroughly prepared for his lectures. There are many stories that can and hopefully will be shared in the days that follow about the years living in community with Tony in Toronto.
At some point in his study and reflection on scripture Tony experienced another conversion if you will. It was the call for justice in all spheres of life. He began to read the scriptures as the story of humanity struggling for justice and freedom, for liberation. Again those of us who lived with him knew that hardly a homily would be uttered from that point on that did not include the words, “political, social, and economic justice”. His passion for justice found its way into his teaching and eventually into his book an “Introduction to the Old Testament from a Liberation Theology perspective”. That text has had innumerable printings already and has been translated into several languages.
His passion for justice led him to yet another conversion. He felt called to live in the simplest fashion possible, to take his vow of poverty and his passion for justice as far as it could go and thus he asked to be considered for the opening of our Mission in India. He went there and there is no question that he was a foundational figure in this now blossoming Mission. Most of the Indian Oblates until just about five years ago benefited directly and personally from Tony’s classes but especially from his witness to religious life.
When the General Council decided to test out the possibility of opening a Mission in the Philippines Tony was the one who came forward for the Mission and he has been there for the last five years. He has been teaching at the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay City and together with Fr. Josef Költringer OSFS, working to establish the Oblate presence there. In fact just a week or so ago we received a picture and a note from him telling us that he and Josef had found just the right place for a house.
All of his teaching and research and indeed his call to respond in a most radical way was grounded is his religious profession and in his love and dedication to the whole of Salesian Spirituality. He was always looking for ways to take the traditional elements of our spirituality and show how they were so compatible with solid biblical studies and genuine theology by whatever name was currently in vogue.
According to Father F. Saniel a Divine Word priest from the Seminary where Tony was teaching, he took ill just two days before his death. He cancelled his classes that day saying that he thought he might be coming down with the flu. By the next morning he realized that he needed more help and so he agreed to go to the university hospital. Again according to Fr. Saniel as soon as he arrived at the hospital he was placed in the intensive care unit. Fr. Saniel came to give him the support of the sacraments. At midnight he suffered a severe cardiac arrest and died at 1:10 in the morning.
The Bishop of the diocese will celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial for Tony at the seminary on Monday August 15th, the feast of Our Lady’s Assumption. After consultation with his family and in accord with their wishes we are arranging for his remains to be returned to the States. Fr. Költringer is in the Philippines trying to make this move as quickly as possible. Fr. Költringer will accompany the body to Detroit and then the body will be brought here to Toledo for a funeral and burial in our Oblate section of Resurrection Cemetery.
May angels come to meet you Tony and lead you to the new and eternal Jerusalem and there with all the faithful may you find eternal peace. We will remember you in prayer dear friend to the extent you are in need of prayers. Remember us also now before the face of God.
David M. Whalen, O.S.F.S.
Provincial
God be blessed!
DeSales-Oblates in Asia
Addresses and Phone numbers - September 2005
Name |
Address |
Phone |
Baiju Paul Puthussery |
Wills Hall Oblate Residence
2755 Station Avenue
Center Valley, PA
18034-9568 USA |
001-610-282-3300
Ext. 2227 |
Balaswamy Pasala |
Catholic Mission
Barpeta Road
781 315 Assam |
03666-26 07 24 |
Bruzily Vettukallamkuzhyil |
St. Mary's Church, Mudhur Post, Uduppi District
Karnataka 576 233 |
08254-28 91 00 |
John George Kadavumkandathil |
St Joseph’s Interdiocesan Seminary
Jeppu
575 002 Mangalore |
0824-243 70 56 |
John Sankarathil |
Provincial Residence
Thaddaeusheim
Hauptstrasse 40
CH 3186 Duedingen
Switzerland |
0041-26 - 493 11 36 |
Josef Koeltringer |
Parish of St. Sebastian
C.M. Recto Avenue
4217 Lipa City, Philippines |
0063-917- 922 4332 |
Mathias I. Kumar |
Christ the King Church
Sonapahar, Riangdo
Nonstong-via
793 113 Meghalaya |
|
Rayappa Reddy |
Don Bosco School – Catholic Church
Boko, Kamrup
783 123 Assam |
03623-28 22 47 or
Mobile Rector: 09435190474 |
Reji Choorakunnel |
Little Flower Church
Chandanakkampara PO
670 633 Kannur |
0460-22 15 617 or
944 – 78 23 683 |
Salespuram |
Vallithode
Kiliyanthara PO
670 706 Kannur |
0490 - 24 20 856 or
0490 - 24 21 067 or
944 – 73 52 556 |
Samarpanaram |
Hosur Road
Chandapura PO
560 081 Bangalore |
080 - 78 32 450 or
080 - 78 31 608 or
9845 - 17 50 47 |
Vincent Kumar |
St. Mary’s Basilica
Shivajinagar
Bangalore 560 051 |
080 22 86 54 34 or
944 –80 29 839 |
Xavier Manchu |
R.C Mission
Vissannapeta
521 215 Krishna District
Andhra Pradesh |
08673 27 28 34 or
9866 - 25 13 24 |
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