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Prom tlie P,ditor
Nearly 800 years ago, a group of men left their comfortable, middle
class lives for something greater- a less comfortable life of prayer and
service. Being members of lay, penitential group called the Society
of Our Lady, they knew well the actions that Christ prescribed for his
followers - feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the
stranger, comforting the sick, visiting the prisoners - "Truly I tell you,
just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of
my family, you did it to me." The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite
Order formed a small community dedicated to those acts .
"They actively searched out the needs of others; being men of
compassion, they provided whatever they could for the spiritually or
physically underprivileged. A neighbor was like a brother or sister to
them, so they abided by the rule to do to others as they would have
done to them and forgave any offenses committed against them. They
were sensitive to the spiritual condition of others, rejoicing with the
just and commiserating with sinners ... " (Legenda de Origine)
Throughout her history, the center of the Order has always been those
actions that older Catholics recognize as the Corporal Works of Mercy.
W,e see this demonstrated in this issue of Servites Today: missionaries
carry the comfort of the sacraments through the depressed, rural
African countryside; strangers are welcomed and become friends;
lives are celebrated; the dead are honored and buried; and all is
offered in prayer. The spirit of the Founders lives on and continues to
inspire.
Thank you to all our benefactors and donors and those who send
prayer petitions and Mass intentions. It is your goodwill and generosity
that allow today's community of friars to continue the mission to
which Christ calls them.
MAKING
ANEW
FRIEND
Mtubatuba, Zululand: One of our more
interesting and satisfying pastoral services is Holy
Communion calls to the sick and aged. It happens
during the week, there is no stress, no two homes
are the same and the chat is often revealing.
We usually go accompanied by some of our
intrepid band of sociality women, who see to the
preparation of the room and the "dressing" of the
old ladies. Yesterday, old Gago Nyawo was in fine
fettle and full voice. But my encounter was more
with her seven year old grandchild. In response to
why she wasn't at school we were informed that
she had stomach trouble. She certainly did not
look the part.
"What's your name?"
"Eye. ,,
"Would you like to be baptised?"
"What's the full version of your name?"
"Yes."
"Eye."
"Do you know how the priest baptises?"
A first for me. So I settled for Eye. She was all
eyes, accompanied the prayers fairly well. I noticed
she did not make the Sign of the Cross. So after
Holy Communion I offered to drill her in the Sign
of the Cross - she got the Father and Son badly
mixed up and let's not talk of the Holy Spirit.
"H e pours water on your head"
.
"Yes."
''Are you baptised?"
''Are you not afraid of crocodiles?"
"Where does he do that? "
''At the river."
"Do you want to be baptised in the river?"
''No."
"How come you know the prayers?"
"I was taught in Sunday School."
"So what happened?"
"My mother doesn't go, she's too lazy so I have
nobody to go with."
"Well, I am, so you will be baptised in church!"
So having made a new friend (by the way, her
full name is Noxolo - the peaceful one) and a
candidate for baptism, we moved on to the next
encounter.
- Fr. Mel Loftus, OSM
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n December 18, 2013, four Indonesian Servite
friars arrived in Chicago as the pioneers in a pilot
exchange program. The international Servite Order is
dedicated to spreading its charism and building bridges
between the First and Developing Worlds where she is
located. To that end, the Mexican Province established
a foundation on the island of Flores in Indonesia in
2006. The North American Conference (consisting of
the Canadian, Mexican, and USA Provinces), began
investigating the possibility of such an exchange program
in 2011. Fr. Michael Guimon, OSM, of the USA
Province, spent some time in Indonesia in early 2013,
meeting the young friars and experiencing Indonesian
culture. He now serves as Master of Students for the
newly arrived friars .
O
Leonard us
Ham bur
was born November
6, 1988 in Ruteng to
Damianus Nado and
Anastasia Bunut. He has
two younger sisters and
one younger brother. He
attended grade school in
Ruteng at the Sekolah
Dasar Khatolik School.
After graduation from
the Sekolah Menengah
Kejuruan senior high school, he entered the Order of
Friar Servants of Mary in 2008 . He professed his first
vows on July 10, 2011, and began studies in theology
and philosophy in Malang, East Java, Indonesia. "When
I was in Malang, I heard about the NAC's program to
invite some friars to study in Chicago and Canada, and
some friars there said that our generation will be chosen
to go to Chicago and Canada. I was really happy to hear
that because I knew that OSM was an international
community. But coming to Chicago was very stressful
for me. First, because of the long and exhausting trip.
Second, I had to be willing to part from friends and
loved ones and meet with all new people. And third,
the weather is very different here than in Indonesia."
Leonardus also had to adapt to new customs here in
Chicago. "For example, in communities in Indonesia,
young people serve the older people, but older people
here often serve the young people. I find the Servite
charism in the simple things like that. In addition, in
Indonesia, the people enter the church with silence, but
here, people talk to each other in a loud voice when
entering church." Outside of studies, Leonardus likes to
sing and play music (flute, piano, and guitar), play and
watch soccer, and reading good books.
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A nother soccer fan ,
.llBonfilius
(birth
name
Yolanda)
M.
Hojasing was born in
Manggarai, Indonesia
on December 17, 1989.
In addition to his parents
Gregorius and Monika,
he has six brothers and
sisters. His formation in
the Servites followed the
- - - same path as the others
with initial stages in Ruteng and theological studies in
Malang until he was asked to come to the United States.
Bonfilius was shocked to come out of the airport into
the cold Chicago winter, but soon found that it was only
the weather that was cold. "I am happy to be in Chicago
because all the friars were so welcoming. I enjoy living
here and feel that this place is very much my house. I
am very happy with the fraternal life in this community."
Though he knows learning English will be difficult,
Bonfilius remains optimistic. "I hope after learning
English I can continue to study philosophy and theology
at Catholic Theological Union, because it is my dream to
1-
and philosophy studies. He remained here for two years
until his move to Chicago. Sebastianus likes it here and
finds Chicago a "wonderful and beautiful city." He likes
to play football, badminton, dance, and plays guitar, but
"not very we11 ."
Also finding the weather
· to be a major adjustment
(along with the food)
is Hendrikus (Erik)
Tajung. He was born
March 1, 1989. He is
' the second born and has
three sisters. He entered
the Servites in 2008 in
Ruteng, made his first
vows, and studied in
Malang for two years
before being asked to continue his formation with the
Servites in the United States. It didn't take long for him
to notice one big cultural change between Indonesia
and the United States: the concept of time. "The people
in the USA care very much about time," he says. "I
mean, you are always on time for everything!" For Erik,
the biggest challenge about life in the United States is
learning to speak English properly. "For two months we
learn the language at DePaul University, and have started
speaking English although sometimes someone does not
understand what we say." But speaking well is not Erik's
primary goal. Rather, "my dream is that one day I can be
a good man, a good Servite, and a good priest who serves
others." In his free time, Erik likes to watch movies and
read detective novels. He loves sports, especially soccer,
and plays a little guitar and piano.
become a priest and a teacher." But for now, he continues
to work on adjusting to the new culture and language and
looks to the community here to help him develop into a
good friar.
1
Sebastianus Soy Mulu
was born July 17, 1990.
He comes from a large
extended family that he
proudly labels "100%
Catholic." His father is a
carpenter and his mother
works in a hotel as a
cook. He has one sister,
Maria Yustina who is
twenty-one and studying
at a medical university to
become a doctor. After finishing high school in Kupang,
he entered the Servite Order in the small town of Ruteng,
the site of the initial Servite foundation in Indonesia.
Sebastianus, or "Bastian" as his parents call him, found
the initial Servite experience a shock to the system.
"My first experience in the Order was about prayer,
work, discipline, and rules. It was very hard for me and
sometimes made me crazy, but step by step I followed
along and now enjoy almost all aspects of my life in the
Order." After completing his novitiate in Ruteng, he
made his first profession with twelve of his classmates.
Then there was a move to Malang, East Java, for theology
In the brief time they have been in Chicago, the new
friars have adapted well to the weather and the intricacies
of the Chicago mass transit system. Their presence has
brought a new enthusiasm and energy to life in the
province. We are most happy to welcome them and look
forward to continued collaboration.
International Arriving Passengers
Exit A
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The third characteristic of Servite
spirituality is service of the Virgin.
The Blessed Virgin was seen as an
intercessor, the model Christian, and
an example of service to the poor.
The earliest group adopted the name
Servants of St. Mary, and dedicated
their churches and other institutions
to her. They developed or adapted
prayers and liturgical services in her
honor. An example of this is the Via
Matris, the Servite Rosary, and the
Desolata which is still celebrated in
Servite churches during the Lenten
season.
0
ne of the great characteristics documents and identifies four major
of the universal Church is chara~teristics of the early group that
that she is gifted with a diversity of shape the spirituality of the Order to
religious congregations, each with the present day.
its own particular spiritualities. The
Franciscans, Jesuits, Benedictines, The first of these is a life of penance,
etc., all have specific ways in which poverty and prayer. The Founders
they manifest their devotion and lived in 13th century Florence,
service to God. Without exception, Italy. It was a time of increasing
these individual approaches have their prosperity as well as a time of great
origins in the personalities of their political tensions and factions - not
founders. The Servites too have their unlike today. They were merchants
own "brand" of spirituality. Unlike belonging to a lay group called the
the others however, the Servites do Greater Society of Our Lady who
not have an individual founder, and made the decision to form their own
very little is recorded regarding the group - one that desired to live
personalities of the original group. counter to the cultural norms of the
History debates their names as well time. Rather than acquire greater
making it apparent that the Founders wealth and social standing, they
as individuals were not as important withdrew to live a life of penance.
as they were collectively as a group.
Their desire was to be poor as Jesus
Christ was poor, and like the early
Former Servite and Italian historian, Church, whatever they possessed was
Franco A. Dal Pino, has done an to be held in common.
extensive study of the Order's earliest
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The final aspect of a Servite spirituality
is what Dal Pino calls an apostolate
of witness to Gospel values carried
out in an urban context. While the
original Founders at first fled the city
for a contemplative life at Monte
Senario, after a period of time they
left the mountain and returned to
minister in the city. Most Servite
foundations and ministries to this
day are found in cities and very few
in rural areas.
Different ages have interpreted
and lived these points of Servite
spirituality in varying degrees and
ways, but they remain consistent
throughout the Order's history.
While all of these characteristics are
common to the Christian life, it
is their distinctive combination and
stress on community that make them
uniquely "Servite."
Fr. Mark Franceschini, OSM
55 Years Ordination
March 30, 2014
Fr. Christopher Ross, OSM
60 Years Ordination
May 16, 2014
Fr. Gabriel Weber, OSM
65 Years Ordination
May 15, 2014
Fr. Donald Cantley, OSM
55 Years Ordination
May 17, 2014
US PROVINCE JUBILARIANS
Fr. Augustine (Casimir) M. Kulbis , O .S.M ., a solemn
professed friar and priest of the Order of Friar Servants
of Mary, USA Province, died Friday, January 31 , 2014,
at Our Lady of Sorrows Monastery, Chicago, IL. He
was eighty-two years of age, a friar for sixty-one years
and a priest for fifty-five years. He was born October
3, 1931, the son of the late Casimir and Julia (Daugaravicius) Kulbis in Chicago, IL.
He entered the Servite Order on August 26, 1951, and was ordained a priest in 1958
at the Church of San Marcello, Rome, Italy. Fr. Gus taught at Stonebridge Priory
as well as Loyola University in Chicago. He also served in the Servite parishes of St.
Juliana, Detroit, St. Joseph, Carteret, NJ, St. Domitilla, Hillside, IL, Assumption,
Chicago, Our ~ady of Mount Carmel, Denver, CO, as well as Christ the King Parish
in Milwaukie, Oregon. For many years, he served in the administration of the province
first as Assistant Provincial, then Provincial.
REST IN
PEACE
Fr. Damian Kobus, OSM
65 Years Ordination
June 5, 2014
In his homily, Fr. Robert Warsey, O.S.M., stated: "Gus was never far from the Word.
As a teacher and theologian, as a priest and homilist, he was deeply committed to those
aspects of his vocation. He just did not write about prayer, he lived it. It shaped who
he was as a person, as a religious and how he related to people and the world. And
even with this great background and depth of theological knowledge, he never was
overbearing or pedantic. Rather, he always expressed himself in these areas pastorally
and personally.
"There was something 'grand' about Gus : his laughter, his smile,
the depth of his ideas, the compassion in his heart. Perhaps this
is best exemplified by his enjoyment of grand opera. Who else do
you know who took a cruise down the Nile while listening to a
recording of "Aida" on a headset? Very often he would sing or hum
the music to "Va, pensiero" from Verdi's "Nabucco." It is the chorus
of the Israelites captive in Babylon, longing for Jerusalem. It is a
song of yearning, a desire for the true homeland. How Augustinian!
Think of the Confessions: '0 God, you have made us for yourself
and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.' Our Gus,
while enjoying this world and its people, always had that yearning
to know and to serve God. He lived it and he loved it."
7
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from the National Shrine of St. Peregrine
Many pilgrims joined us this past year in prayer at the National Shrine of
St. Peregrine: students from local schools; senior citizens from Michigan,
California, Indiana and Puerto Rico; international visitors from Indonesia,
the Philippines, Mexico, Canada and Europe. All have been welcomed,
told the story of St. Peregrine, blessed with the relic, and given prayerful
support.
At the National Shrine of St
Peregrine (Our Lady of Sorrows
Basilica in Chicago), a healing
Mass and blessing with relic of St.
Peregrine is celebrated at ll:OOam
on the third Saturday of the month.
There is a healing Mass and blessing
in Spanish on the second Saturday
of each month, also at ll:OOam.
Throughout most of 2013, the National Shrine was blessed to have
deacons from the Archdiocese of Chicago serve at the St. Peregrine Healing
Masses, both English and Spanish. The presence of these good men of faith
has been a gift to the Shrine and its ministry. They themselves have been
touched by the power of this ministry we hope and pray that they will
continue to help others find their way to the healing embrace and power
of St. Peregrine.
Please visit us on facebook and "Like" our page. New prayers and
reflections are posted several time a week.
II