Bro. Gene Frank in Retirement

My real retirement happened last September. I was not assigned to any work by the Province, but I used to play the organ for chapel services. Much time was also spent fixing computers for the Marianists in retirement.

Recently, Bro. Howard Hughes, S.M. joined our community. Howard is a professional organist and composer. He is a wonderful addition to our community here at the Marianist Center. Bro. John Schlund and Fr. Jack Russi now take care of major work done on our internet system and cable TV.

All of my life, I have enjoyed the beauty around me. It was my decision to start learning art in order to create the beauty I admire. At this time, my focus is on gentle computer game avatars. I have much catching up to do. It was on September 9, 2008 that I did my first trial of drawing the face of a man. This is a new start in life for me.

My Jubilee Speech

Bro. Eugene Frank, Jubilarian (50 years) renewing his vows on June 7, 2008 at Riordan High School Auditorium in San Francisco. Bro. Tom Oles, Jubilarian (25 years) is seen in the background.

The speech itself was limited to two minutes and was extemporaneous. The basic thrust of the speech is found in this draft. Material from the Introduction was not used. Bro. Gary Morris introduced me with a detailed list of some of my accomplishments, I began the speech by the phrase "None of this is really important, my accomplishments are secondary"

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Introduction

Each Religious Order has its own take on Religious Life. This “take” for Marianists is called our Marianist Charism. A key element in our Marianist Charism is that we take our vows in the name of Mary and for her Honor.

What I regard as a really distinctive trait of our two orders, and what seems to me to be without a precedent in all the religious orders I know of, is the fact, as I have said, that we embrace the religious life in the name and for the glory of the Blessed Virgin, and for the sake of devoting ourselves to her, that is to say, our bodies and all that we possess, in order to make her known, loved and served. (From Fr. Chaminade Letter of August 24, 1839 Letter to the Retreat Masters.)

I took my first vows on Saturday, June 7, 1958 using the formula found in the Rule of Life which was slightly different from the formula in the present edition:

For the glory of the Most Holy Trinity, the honor of Mary, and to follow Christ more closely in His saving mission I (name) promise to God and vow to observe during (one year, my whole life) chastity, poverty, obedience (and stability), conformably to the Rule of Life of the Society of Mary (Rule of Life, Book I, Chapter 6, Article 79 of the 1984 edition published by the Marianist Press, Dayton Ohio, February 1984.)

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I am no longer the person I was when I first took vows. I have changed greatly especially in my self-knowledge and in my prayer life.

There are two elements of the Marianist Way of Life which are of most importance to me.

Community

During the past 50 years, I have lived in many Marianist Communities where I learned to interact with all sorts of people. Some of the members were difficult to live with, others were loveable. By interacting with these people, I learned a great deal about myself. This increase in self-knowledge continues to develop through interactions with people to the present day.

Prayer

During the past 50 years, My community Brothers helped in another way. All the communities were key in developing my prayer life. This support helped me pass through difficult times. In community we have Mass once a Day as well as morning and evening prayer.

My personal prayer life went through many stages. Father Chaminade says that Marianists should pray all the time. I am 77 years old, and still working toward that goal.

Bro. Eugene Frank
Monday, June 9, 2008

Mary Mediatrix and my Jubilee

"Mary, strong as an army, give victory to our troops. We are so weak and our enemy waxes furious with such arrogance. But with Your standard, we feel sure of overcoming him; he knows the strength of Your foot, he fears the majesty of Your glance. Save us, O Mary, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army in battle array." (Pope Pius XII, December 8, 1953, proclaiming the solemn opening of the Marian Year) Quote and photo from the Mediatrix Foundation

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Background to this Post

On Saturday June 7, 2008, the Marianists in the San Francisco area will have a special ceremony honoring the Jubilarians of the area:

Fr. Larry Mann (75 years); Bros. Eugene Frank, John Haster, Richard Olsen, Fr. John Russi (50 years); and Bro. Thomas Oles (25 years).

Also being honored are the guest Jubilarians:

Fr. George Cerniglia and Bro. James Dods (50 years).

At a separate ceremony on August 15, the following Jubilarians in the San Francisco area will be honored at the Marianist Center:

Bro. Charles Ehrenfeld (75 years); Bro. Howard Hughes, and Bro. Robert Wade (60 years).

First Vows of Bro. Eugene Frank

"On the First Saturday of June and on the feast of Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces [Saturday Optional Memorial]... At 11 AM the ceremonies of first profession of vows for Eugene Frank took place. Benediction closed the impressive dedication of another son to Mary's militia" (House Annals for June 7, 1958, Marianist Novitiate, Santa Cruz, California). My vows were taken to honor this feast. This memorial chosen at my request even though it had been celebrated the previous month on May 12.

Mary, Mother of Graces and Mediatrix

This feast originally entitled Mary Mediatrix of All Graces was granted to Belgium in January of 1921 at the request of Cardinal Mercier. A month later, on February 21, the Society of Mary by papal indult was given the right to celebrate the feast on September 5, anniversary of the first public profession of vows in the Society. However in December of the same year the feast was transferred to May 31.

With the liturgical reform of Paul VII following the Second Vatican Council the title of the feast was changed to Mother of Graces and Mediatrix. The celebration of the feast in the Society of Mary was at that time moved to May 12 to commemorate two different events: the 1839 Decree of Praise for the two religious institutes and the 1865 Decree of Approbation of the Society of Mary.

By September of 1838 after having spent twenty years revising and adapting the Constitutions of both the Daughters of Mary and the Society of Mary, Father Chaminade believed the time had come to submit them to the Holy See for approval. … in his covering letter (no, 1076) to the Pontiff, he outlined the nature and intent of his work in founding the two-fold religious institute

The papal response was the Decree of Praise (April 12, 1839) which in turn occasioned Father Chaminade's great letter to the retreat masters of August 24, 1839. …This Decree of Praise, however, was not the approbation of the Constitutions for which Father Chaminade had hoped.

In 1864 the Society after revising and updating the Constitutions of 1839, again began the process of seeking approbation. Under date of May 12, 1865, the Society received not the approbation of the Constitutions (for which it would have to wait until 1891) but a Decree of Commendation which, as Father Simler later wrote (Circ. 48), gave the Society of Mary its canonical existence. (From the Marianist Book of Feasts published by the Provincial Assistants for Religious Life on January 1, 1997. This book is a loose-leaf unpaged folder).

The Marianist Official Ordo for the Marianist Liturgical Year 2007-2008 indicates that the feast is celebrated on May 12 in honor of the Decree of Commendation which led to the approval of the Constitutions in 1891.

Nicole Trahan on Solitude

Sr. Leanne Jablonski, Sr. Laura Leming and Novice Nicole Trahan

Novice Nicole Trahan is preparing to take vows as a Daughter of Mary (FMI). As such, she describes how she is preparing for this event. Her post (April 26, 2008) begins with a quote from Thomas Merton.

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Solitude is not something you must hope for in the future.
Rather, it is a deepening of the present,
and unless you look for it in the present
you will never find it.
Thomas Merton

So, it's been a little while since my last post. I hadn't even realized how quickly the time passes. I've been back in San Antonio now for a little over 2 weeks. In many ways, life has slowed down A LOT. And yet, in so many other ways, it hasn't slowed down at all!

As you might recall, my time here is specifically for "vow preparation." Some people may wonder what exactly that means. Well... it means that I spend a lot of time reflecting and praying about the commitment I will make in a little over 6 weeks... I have class with Sr. Gretchen (and sometimes other sisters) 3 times a week and reading that accompanies the classes. The reading comes from Church documents, our Sisters' documents/writings, the writings of Marianist brothers/priests and our Rule of Life. And I spend a lot of time just "me and God."

This is quite a different pace than life was in Dayton! However, I am finding this time to be good. I have time to really delve deeply into the inner life... all that God has done in, through, and around me... and the life which I will enter more completely with the profession of vows. ...

from the The Life of a New Sister a blog by Nicole Trahan

Benedict XVI At The UN General Assembly

New York, Friday, 18 April 2008

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

As I begin my address to this Assembly, I would like first of all to express to you, Mr President, my sincere gratitude for your kind words. My thanks go also to the Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, for inviting me to visit the headquarters of this Organization and for the welcome that he has extended to me.

I greet the Ambassadors and Diplomats from the Member States, and all those present. Through you, I greet the peoples who are represented here. They look to this institution to carry forward the founding inspiration to establish a “centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends” of peace and development (cf. Charter of the United Nations, article 1.2-1.4).

As Pope John Paul II expressed it in 1995, the Organization should be “a moral centre where all the nations of the world feel at home and develop a shared awareness of being, as it were, a ‘family of nations’” (Address to the General Assembly of the United Nations on the 50th Anniversary of its Foundation, New York, 5 October 1995, 14).
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For the remainder of this address and for all other documents regarding the US Visit of the Pope look HERE

Benedict XVI and Young People

Benedict XVI - Photo of the Week 17 Jan 2007 on www.fatherpaul.org

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Benedict XVI Meets Young People and Seminarians
Saint Joseph Seminary, Yonkers, New York
Saturday, 19 April 2008

Selections from the address of His Holiness Benedict XVI

Gratefulness

Young friends, I am very happy to have the opportunity to speak with you.
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As young Americans you are offered many opportunities for personal development, and you are brought up with a sense of generosity, service and fairness. Yet you do not need me to tell you that there are also difficulties: activities and mindsets which stifle hope, pathways which seem to lead to happiness and fulfillment but in fact end only in confusion and fear.
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Let us thank God that today many people of your generation are able to enjoy the liberties which have arisen through the extension of democracy and respect for human rights. Let us thank God for all those who strive to ensure that you can grow up in an environment that nurtures what is beautiful, good, and true: your parents and grandparents, your teachers and priests, those civic leaders who seek what is right and just.

Christ, Our Life and Hope

The power to destroy does, however, remain. To pretend otherwise would be to fool ourselves. Yet, it never triumphs; it is defeated. This is the essence of the hope that defines us as Christians; and the Church recalls this most dramatically during the Easter Triduum and celebrates it with great joy in the season of Easter!
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just a few weeks ago, during the beautiful Easter Vigil liturgy, it was not from despair or fear that we cried out to God for our world, but with hope-filled confidence: dispel the darkness of our heart! dispel the darkness of our minds! (cf. Prayer at the Lighting of the Easter Candle).

Abuse of Human Dignity

What might that darkness be? What happens when people, especially the most vulnerable, encounter a clenched fist of repression or manipulation rather than a hand of hope? A first group of examples pertains to the heart. Here, the dreams and longings that young people pursue can so easily be shattered or destroyed. I am thinking of those affected by drug and substance abuse, homelessness and poverty, racism, violence, and degradation – especially of girls and women. While the causes of these problems are complex, all have in common a poisoned attitude of mind which results in people being treated as mere objects ─ a callousness of heart takes hold which first ignores, then ridicules, the God-given dignity of every human being.
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The second area of darkness – that which affects the mind – often goes unnoticed, and for this reason is particularly sinister. The manipulation of truth distorts our perception of reality, and tarnishes our imagination and aspirations.
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Numerous individuals and groups vociferously claim their freedom in the public forum. Yet freedom is a delicate value. It can be misunderstood or misused so as to lead not to the happiness which we all expect it to yield, but to a dark arena of manipulation in which our understanding of self and the world becomes confused, or even distorted by those who have an ulterior agenda.

Have you noticed how often the call for freedom is made without ever referring to the truth of the human person? Some today argue that respect for freedom of the individual makes it wrong to seek truth, including the truth about what is good. In some circles to speak of truth is seen as controversial or divisive, and consequently best kept in the private sphere.

And in truth’s absence, an idea has spread which, in giving value to everything indiscriminately, claims to assure freedom and to liberate conscience. This we call relativism. But what purpose has a “freedom” which, in disregarding truth, pursues what is false or wrong? How many young people have been offered a hand which in the name of freedom or experience has led them to addiction, to moral or intellectual confusion, to hurt, to a loss of self-respect, even to despair and so tragically and sadly to the taking of their own life?

Authentic Freedom

Dear friends, truth is not simply a set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live by belief because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. That is why authentic freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in; nothing less than letting go of self and allowing oneself to be drawn into Christ’s very being for others.
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The Incarnation, the birth of Jesus, tells us that God does indeed find a place among us. Though the inn is full, he enters through the stable, and there are people who see his light.
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This is Christ’s light at work. This is the way of the saints. It is a magnificent vision of hope – Christ’s light beckons you to be guiding stars for others, walking Christ’s way of forgiveness, reconciliation, humility, joy and peace.

At times, however, we are tempted to close in on ourselves, to doubt the strength of Christ’s radiance, to limit the horizon of hope. Take courage! Fix your gaze on our saints.

Dear friends, the example of the saints invites us to consider four essential aspects of the treasure of our faith:

personal prayer, vocal and silent
liturgical prayer
charity in action
vocations.

Personal Prayer

What matters most is that you develop your personal relationship with God. That relationship is expressed in prayer. God by his very nature speaks, hears, and replies. Indeed, Saint Paul reminds us: we can and should “pray constantly” (1 Thess 5:17).
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As the saints teach us so vividly, prayer becomes hope in action. Christ was their constant companion, with whom they conversed at every step of their journey for others.

There is another aspect of prayer which we need to remember: silent contemplation. Saint John, for example, tells us that to embrace God’s revelation we must first listen, then respond by proclaiming what we have heard and seen. Have we perhaps lost something of the art of listening? Do you leave space to hear God’s whisper, calling you forth into goodness? Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness, listen to God, adore him in the Eucharist. Let his word shape your journey as an unfolding of holiness.

Liturgical Prayer

In the liturgy we find the whole Church at prayer. The word liturgy means the participation of God’s people in the work of Christ the Priest and of His Body which is the Church. What is that work? First of all it refers to Christ’s Passion, his Death and Resurrection, and his Ascension – what we call the Paschal Mystery. It also refers to the celebration of the liturgy itself. The two meanings are in fact inseparably linked because this “work of Jesus” is the real content of the liturgy. Whenever you gather for Mass, when you go to Confession, whenever you celebrate any of the sacraments, Jesus is at work. Through the Holy Spirit, he draws you to himself, into his sacrificial love of the Father which becomes love for all. We see then that the Church’s liturgy is a ministry of hope for humanity.
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Your personal prayer, your times of silent contemplation, and your participation in the Church’s liturgy, bring you closer to God and also prepare you to serve others.

Charity

The saints accompanying us this evening show us that the life of faith and hope is also a life of charity. Contemplating Jesus on the Cross we see love in its most radical form. We can begin to imagine the path of love along which we must move.

The opportunities to make this journey are abundant. Look about you with Christ’s eyes, listen with his ears, feel and think with his heart and mind. Are you ready to give all as he did for truth and justice? Many of the examples of the suffering which our saints responded to with compassion are still found here in this city and beyond.
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We must listen deeply. We must respond with a renewed social action that stems from the universal love that knows no bounds. In this way, we ensure that our works of mercy and justice become hope in action for others.

Vocations

Dear young people, finally I wish to share a word about vocations. First of all my thoughts go to your parents, grandparents and godparents. They have been your primary educators in the faith. By presenting you for baptism, they made it possible for you to receive the greatest gift of your life. On that day you entered into the holiness of God himself. You became adoptive sons and daughters of the Father. You were incorporated into Christ. You were made a dwelling place of his Spirit.

Let us pray for mothers and fathers throughout the world, particularly those who may be struggling in any way – socially, materially, spiritually. Let us honor the vocation of matrimony and the dignity of family life. Let us always appreciate that it is in families that vocations are given life.

Gathered here at Saint Joseph Seminary, I greet the seminarians present and indeed encourage all seminarians throughout America. I am glad to know that your numbers are increasing! The People of God look to you to be holy priests, on a daily journey of conversion, inspiring in others the desire to enter more deeply into the ecclesial life of believers.
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Strive for a pattern of life truly marked by charity, chastity and humility, in imitation of Christ, the Eternal High Priest, of whom you are to become living icons.
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Religious Sisters, Brothers and Priests contribute greatly to the mission of the Church. Their prophetic witness is marked by a profound conviction of the primacy with which the Gospel shapes Christian life and transforms society. Today, I wish to draw your attention to the positive spiritual renewal which Congregations are undertaking in relation to their charism. The word charism means a gift freely and graciously given.

Charisms are bestowed by the Holy Spirit, who inspires founders and foundresses, and shapes Congregations with a subsequent spiritual heritage. The wondrous array of charisms proper to each Religious Institute is an extraordinary spiritual treasury. Indeed, the history of the Church is perhaps most beautifully portrayed through the history of her schools of spirituality, most of which stem from the saintly lives of founders and foundresses.

Through the discovery of charisms, which yield such a breadth of spiritual wisdom, I am sure that some of you young people will be drawn to a life of apostolic or contemplative service. Do not be shy to speak with Religious Brothers, Sisters or Priests about the charism and spirituality of their Congregation. No perfect community exists, but it is fidelity to a founding charism, not to particular individuals, that the Lord calls you to discern. Have courage! You too can make your life a gift of self for the love of the Lord Jesus and, in him, of every member of the human family.

Friends, again I ask you, what about today? What are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of his way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded within the community of hope, which is the Church. It is from within the Church that you too will find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord. Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church’s liturgy you will discover the particular vocation God has for you. Embrace it with joy. You are Christ’s disciples today. ...

Benedict XVI Visit to the United Nations

Pope Benedict XVI Poster available at AllPosters.com

This week I have been waiting in anticipation of the address of Pope Benedict XVI to the United Nations. In view of events happening at this time in history it is clear that oversight is needed for all nations in the world. The United Nations is a human organization which has made mistakes, but has been a key element in building a Civilization of Love.

It is with pride that I think of Marianists who are directly working with the UN at the Marianist NGO.

Pope Benedict has shown strong support for the United Nations as has the Vatican in general especially in the Compendium of Social Doctrine of the Church.

Friday, 18 April 2008, Speech of Pope Benedict at the United Nations.

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
to the United Nations Staff

Ladies and Gentlemen

Here, within a small space in the busy city of New York, is housed an Organization with a worldwide mission to promote peace and justice. I am reminded of the similar contrast in scale between Vatican City State and the world in which the Church exercises her universal mission and apostolate.

The sixteenth-century artists who painted the maps on the walls of the Apostolic Palace reminded the Popes of the vast extent of the known world. In those frescoes, the Successors of Peter were offered a tangible sign of the immense outreach of the Church’s mission at a time when the discovery of the New World was opening up unforeseen horizons.

Here in this glass palace [the UN], the art on display has its own way of reminding us of the responsibilities of the United Nations Organization. We see images of the effects of war and poverty, we are reminded of our duty to strive for a better world, and we rejoice in the sheer diversity and exuberance of human culture, manifested in the wide range of peoples and nations gathered together under the umbrella of the international community.

On the occasion of my visit, I wish to pay tribute to the invaluable contribution made by the administrative staff and the many employees of the United Nations, who carry out their duties with such great dedication and professionalism every day – here in New York, in other UN centres, and at special missions all over the world. To you, and to those who have gone before you, I would like to express my personal appreciation and that of the whole Catholic Church.

We remember especially the many civilians and peace-keepers who have sacrificed their lives in the field for the good of the peoples they serve – in 2007 alone there were forty-two of them. We also remember the vast multitude who dedicate their lives to work that is never sufficiently acknowledged, often in difficult circumstances.

To all of you – translators, secretaries, administrative personnel of every kind, maintenance and security staff, development workers, peace-keepers and many others – thank you, most sincerely. The work that you do makes it possible for the Organization to continue exploring new ways of achieving the goals for which it was founded.

The United Nations is often spoken of as the “family of nations”. By the same token, the headquarters here in New York could be described as a home, a place of welcome and concern for the good of family members everywhere. It is an excellent place in which to promote growth in understanding and collaboration between peoples. Rightly, the staff of the United Nations are selected from a wide range of cultures and nationalities.

The personnel here constitute a microcosm of the whole world, in which each individual makes an indispensable contribution from the perspective of his or her particular cultural and religious heritage. The ideals that inspired the founders of this institution need to take shape here and in every one of the Organization’s missions around the world in the mutual respect and acceptance that are the hallmarks of a thriving family.

In the internal debates of the United Nations, increasing emphasis is being placed on the “responsibility to protect”. Indeed this is coming to be recognized as the moral basis for a government’s claim to authority. It is also a feature that naturally appertains to a family, in which stronger members take care of weaker ones.

This Organization performs an important service, in the name of the international community, by monitoring the extent to which governments fulfil their responsibility to protect their citizens. On a day-to-day level, it is you who lay the foundations on which that work is built, by the concern you show for one another in the workplace, and by your solicitude for the many peoples whose needs and aspirations you serve in all that you do.

The Catholic Church, through the international activity of the Holy See, and through countless initiatives of lay Catholics, local Churches and religious communities, assures you of her support for your work. I assure you and your families of a special remembrance in my prayers. May Almighty God bless you always and comfort you with his grace and his peace, so that through the care you offer to the entire human family, you can continue to be of service to him.