Alive MARIANIST CULTURE, FAITH AND ... - The Marianists

Alive
MARIANIST CULTURE, FAITH AND COMMUNITY
VOL. 4, NO. 1 ■ SPRING 2007
The Marianists in India: Teaching skills for a lifetime

Brother Stephen Glodek
A MESSAGE FROM THE P ROVINCIAL
My Dear Friends,
Greetings and blessings to you. I recently returned from a month-long visit to our Marianist
District of Eastern Africa: Kenya, Malawi and Zambia. I carried home from my visit an almost
overwhelming sense of the fragility of life. How fragile is the peace between nations, the relationships
between people, the ability to provide adequate food for a family, the opportunity to raise
a family in security and so many other daily experiences we take for granted.
One of the people who understood fragility in the depths of her heart was Mary.
Her Magnificat in the Gospel of Luke is a song acknowledging fragility. Mary sings
that God has regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden. And it is God who will turn
our human notions of fragility topsy-turvy. God will call the lowly, blessed. God will
move rulers from their thrones and enthrone the lowly. God will feed the hungry and
send the sated away empty.
In our daily lives, it is often difficult to experience this upending by our God. Life
seems to trudge on. How do we move out of the experience of fragility to the experience
of hope and praise that Mary portrays? Perhaps a place to begin is to cultivate gratitude
in our lives. The simple exercise of expressing “thank you” is a starting point. How often
during the day do we acknowledge the simple gifts that other people give us: the
thoughtful gesture, the simple smile, the unsought kindness? Thank you draws us out
of ourselves to experience fragility as opening a door of awareness. Gratefulness opens us to see
that all of life — health, material goods, relationships, even the love of God — is a gift. We have
done nothing to deserve or earn the most important things in our lives: the love of our God, our
faith and the love of others that sustains us.
The Benedictine monk, David Steindl-Rast, entitled one of his books, Gratefulness: The Heart
of Prayer. When we experience the painful fragility of life, we can work at being more aware of
the gifts that the moment and the people around us provide. In that growing awareness we
become more alert to the Giver of all gifts and the Strengthener of all fragility. As we bow our
heads in prayer, maybe one day we can sing about it like Mary did!
Thank you for your kindness and generosity to the Marianists and our mission.
Affectionately,
Stephen Glodek, SM
Provincial

Brother Stephen Glodek, S.M.
Provincial
Rev. James Fitz, S.M.
Assistant Provincial
Diane Guerra
National Communications Director
Jan D. Judy
Editor
Joan Suda
Communications Manager
Ann Mueller
Administrative Assistant
Contributing writers
Shelly Reese
Joe Schuster
Photography
Jacob Blickenstaff, page 11
Jim Callaway, pages 3- 5; page 8
(Bob Jones); back cover
Diane Guerra, page 7, 9
Colleen McCarthy, front cover,
page 19 (G. Antony, V. Srinivasa),
page 20
Jan D. Judy, Pages 16-19
(Bro. Arokia Doss), 21 and
inside back cover
Graphic design
Jean Lopez, Lopez Needleman
Graphic Design, Inc.
Front cover
A woman and children from a
Marianist-run play school in Hosur,
India. See story, page 16.
Back cover
Branches member Chelsea Korfel
enjoys a moment of fun. See story,
page 2.
ALIVE
Vol. 4, No.1 – Spring 2007
ALIVE is published three times a
year (Spring, Summer, Fall/Winter)
by the Marianists, Province of the
United States. Comments welcomed.
Direct to the editor: Jan D. Judy,
Marianist Province of the United
States, 4425 West Pine Blvd.,
St. Louis, MO 63108 or jjudy@smusa.org.
Changes to the mailing list,
e-mail amueller@sm-usa.org.
POSTMASTER: Send corrections
to ALIVE, The Marianists, Province
of the United States, 4425 West
Pine Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108-
2301, USA
The Society of Mary (Marianists)
is an international Roman Catholic
order of brothers and priests founded
in 1817 by Blessed William Joseph
Chaminade. Almost 600 Marianists
serve in the Province of the United
States, which includes Eastern
Africa, India, Ireland, Mexico and
Puerto Rico. In the United States,
Marianists sponsor the University of
Dayton in Ohio, St. Maryʼs University
in San Antonio, Chaminade Univer -
sity of Honolulu, 18 high schools,
9 parishes and five retreat centers.
Alive
VOL. 4, NO. 1 ■ SPRING 2007
Marianist Family Tree Sprouts New Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
UD students and alumni create communities of support to help each other grow in faith.
When a Sacred Voice Calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Marianists, novices and aspirants tell why they chose the Society of Mary.
A Wide-Angle View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Marianist Brother Steve O’Neil’s work at the United Nations provides a global outlook.
People of the Resurrection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Members of the Marianist Family share their views on hope as a way of life.
Loaves and Fishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Marianist ministries help families and children in the slums of India create a
better life.
Slice of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
News from the Province
Page 10

2
Marianist Family Tree
Sprouts New Growth
UD students and alumni create communities
of support to help each other grow in faith.
THREE BLOCKS FROM
THE University of Dayton campus
stands a yellow house.
Wrapped by a sunny porch, filled with
comfortable couches
and home to a kitchen
“Marianist spirituality
too small
isn’t cookie cutter. to meet the constant
It’s up to individuals demands put upon it,
to discern their call. the house bears little
resemblance to a church.
For these young adults, the But for scores of UD
… group has provided an students and graduates,
important environment in the fellowship, love and
faith-sharing they’ve
which they can do that.”
discovered in the house
— Joan McGuinness Wagner
— home to lay Marianists
A.J. Wagner and Joan
McGuinness Wagner — have played a
central role in the formation of their
Marianist spirituality.
FAITH, FOOD AND FUN
This story begins in summer 2002. That’s
when a group of incoming UD freshmen
par tici pated in the university’s Program
for Christian Leader ship. As part of the
program, the new students were invited
to dinner at the Wagners.
As director of Marianist strategies at
UD, Joan McGuinness Wagner was
accustomed to interacting with students.
But there was something special about
this group, she says. “There was an
B Y S HELLY R EESE
openness and a willingness to share their
vulnerability from the very beginning.”
Throughout the fall semester, students
came back, often bringing friends. Dinners
involved good food, laughter, faith
sharing and lively discussions about
Marianist values and spirituality. At first
the group met every three weeks or so,
growing as more students showed up. It
wasn’t long before the Wagners decided
to move their dining room furniture into
the much larger living room. Not long
after, they bought a larger dining room
table. The students kept coming.
“We invite students to come and explore
Marianist community and hospitality,”
says McGuinness Wagner. “Many come
because they’re lonely or they want a free
meal or because their friends are coming.
Some come because they are interested
in furthering their faith and really become
engaged in the Marianist charism.”
By spring 2003, a core group of students
who had participated in those dinners and
later in a Lenten reflection group, were
ready for more. “There was a sense that
we needed to hold on to this,” recalls
David Prier, a lay Marianist and UD
graduate who is pursuing his doctorate
in math at Auburn University.
Says Erin Anderson, also a UD graduate
and lay Marianist, “We wanted to create
an outlet for this energy and share it with
other students on campus. We wanted to

Top row: Erin Anderson,
Leslie Cebula, John
Graziano, Maureen
O'Rourke, Brad Lawson,
Brandon Paluch; middle
row: David Prier,
Chris Albanese, Megan
Hilleren, Chris Nieport;
bottom row: Emily
Reimer, Maria Mergler,
Chelsea Korfel, Kathryn
Janiszewski; standing
left: A.J. Wagner;
standing right: Joan
McGuinness Wagner
grow in our Marianist identity
and learn more about the
Marianists.” In the fall, the
Marianist Fellows were born.
To call the Fellows a program
connotes a false sense
of formality. Sponsored by the
rector’s office, the group is
a cohort of undergraduates
striving to embody the
Marianist ideal. The students
— some friends, many complete
strangers — meet at the
Wagner’s house for meals and
to explore what it means to
work toward the Marianist
values of community, inclusivity,
mission, Mary and faith.
The group is unusual in that
it has created an atmosphere
where everybody is special, says
senior Budd Nerone. “You get
the sense of the discipleship of
equals. It also puts the idea of
breaking bread and sharing
communion in a different context.
You’re joining together for
a meal and there’s a spirituality
about that.”
Sophomore Liz Albanese
says her involvement “has
given my faith a communitycentered
perspective. It’s helped
me to see how God works
through other people. I’ve
been given this blessing of
community and my spirituality
has really evolved. It’s helped
everything make more sense.”
THE BRANCHES
By early 2006 the Fellows
group consisted of about 35
regular participants and twice
as many occasional visitors.
Nearly all the students involved
in the group’s formation would graduate
in the spring and McGuinness
Wagner noticed a shift in their conversations.
“They asked each other: ‘How will we
continue this when we graduate? How
will we find this sense of community?’”
McGuinness Wagner asked if any of
them had considered becoming lay
Marianists. “I was concerned about presenting
the question,” she admits. “I didn’t
want them to think there had been a
hidden agenda all those years they’d been
coming to the house.”
She didn’t need to worry. Within two
weeks, 16 young adults — nearly all of
www.marianist.com/supportus 3

Joan McGuinness
Wagner gives Beth
Lownik a welcome hug.
4 Call 1.800.348.4732
them seniors — said they wanted to learn
more about becoming lay Marianists. The
discernment group began meeting weekly.
Candidates were asked to read books on
the founders and talk with at least three
vowed Marianists about their guiding
principles. The group went on a retreat
where they visited with vowed and lay
Marianists and performed service work.
“I was trying to give them different
images of Marianist life,” McGuinness
Wagner says. “Marianist spirituality isn’t
cookie cutter. It’s up to individuals to
discern their call. For these young adults,
the Fellows group has provided an
important environment in which they
can do that.”
Last April, the 16 young adults who had
participated in the lay Marianist discernment
process took on the name “The
Branches” and made a public profession
of their commitment. They professed a
one-year vow “to be men and women
living intentionally; strong in faith, firm
in hope, and constant in love.” Members
of the group will be asked to renew their
vows this spring.
“We took the vow because we’ve been
formed by this charism and we wanted
to acknowledge that,” says Anderson, who
is doing service work on the Pine Ridge
Indian Reservation in South Dakota. “We
wanted to be intentional and keep ourselves
accountable. For me, taking the
vow was the difference between saying,
‘this is an aspect of my life’ to ‘this is my
way of life.’ Taking the vow enriched my
entire UD experience because it said, ‘this
is not something I’m leaving at the door.’”
Prier says that making a public profession
added a degree of profundity and
responsibility to his faith. “To be a lay
Marianist means I hold myself accountable
to the Marianist ideals. It’s not something
I do only if I have the time. Instead,
it’s something I’m willing to commit the
time and energy to achieve.”
In addition to a group commitment,
each student wrote a personal declaration.
One vowed to live a simple
life, another “to work
toward conversation and
developing a balance
between environmental
stewardship and simplifying
human demands,” a third
“to find God’s grace in the
world” and still another
“to be a servant leader.”
LIVING WITH INTENTION
Today members of the
Branches are spread across
the globe. Many are performing
service work in
Africa, Alaska, North
Dakota, New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana.
The rest are working or pursuing their
education. While called in different
directions, members of the group say
they find strength in each other and in
their shared Marianist heritage. They
share
in biweekly Internet reflections and in
December gathered at the Wagner’s
house for their first annual retreat since
the commitment service.
Branches members
Leslie Cebula, Maria
Mergler and Chelsea
Korfel reflect in prayer.
Branches member
John Graziano with
Chris Albanese on
the guitar

Sharing a meal: Chris
Nieport, David Prier,
Erin Anderson, Maureen
O'Rourke, Brad Lawson,
Maria Mergler
Members of the group challenge each
other to live up to their Marianist heritage
and share it with the world. “The world
is longing for what the Marianists have
to offer — community, inclusivity and
hospitality — things that our secular
society has pushed away,” says Anderson.
Living up to that ethos isn’t easy given
the pressures of society. “It’s harder to
be intentional without regular meetings
with the community to back you up,”
says Prier. “The hardest part is getting
distracted by everything else that is going
on in your life.”
Lay Marianist Brad Lawson, a first-year
medical student at Ohio State, agrees.
“Instead of having the Marianist community
set up for you, you’re challenged
to create it. It’s difficult to find the time.
I feel challenged to keep a spiritual component
in my life. That’s something that
can get sucked out of you in med school.”
The Branches’ Internet reflections
and conversations force participants to
constantly assess themselves, says lay
Marianist Maureen O’Rourke, who has
been working in the rector’s office since
graduating. Even though the
community is far-flung, the
group “challenges you to be
who you say you want to be,”
she says.
EMBRACING MARIANIST
SPIRITUALITY
This year McGuinness Wagner will invite
other Fellows, who now number about
45, to consider a life as lay Marianists.
Some will answer the call. Many others,
while embracing their Marianist heritage,
will not.
Regardless of their choice, one thing
is certain: Participating in the Fellows
program has strengthened their understanding
of and love for the charism.
UD junior Andy Stuckenschneider sums
it up: “I didn’t know what a Marianist
was when I came to school. Now I feel
part of the Marianist family.”
More than anything, that’s what
O’Rourke says people need to understand
about the Fellows. “Some people
may worry that young people don’t
know the Marianist family,” she says.
A map showing where
The Branches members
now live
www.marianist.com/supportus 5

Marianist Brother Sean
Downing teaches religion
at Chaminade-Julienne
Catholic High School,
Dayton, Ohio.
6 Call 1.800.348.4732
When a Sacred
Voice Calls
Marianists, novices and aspirants tell
why they chose the Society of Mary.
IT ’ S TEMPTING TO PRESENT
Marianist Brother Sean Downing’s
story as allegory: Before answering
the call to religious life with the Society
of Mary, he was in a pit.
In his case, the pit was in the floor of
a General Motors assembly line in
Moraine, Ohio, where Brother Sean, 38,
riveted frames to the bodies of SUVs as
they passed overhead. The work was
monotonous. Each day 550 trucks —
B Y S HELLY R EESE
nearly one per minute — passed overhead.
During the 30-second lulls
between vehicles, Downing would read
spiritual books; he craved something
more. That craving ultimately led him to
the Marianists. In October 2005, Brother
Sean professed his perpetual vows.
Today he teaches Scripture to sophomores
at Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High
School in Dayton, Ohio, and is working
on a master’s degree in school guidance.

Marianist Brother Charles
Johnson, vocation director
for the Society of Mary
As allegory goes, Brother Sean’s story
is meaningful and tidy. There’s only one
problem: It’s not entirely accurate. While
Brother Sean may have labored in the
pit, he wasn’t in a spiritual abyss. Although
he sought a more spiritual life centered
on prayer and service to God, his life
wasn’t bad.
“Being in the ‘real world’ was essential
for me,” he says. “I experienced life —
earning a living, paying bills, having a
social life that was different from the one
I enjoy today. I experienced
the ups and
downs of life and that
helped me realize
what really matters:
Using my gifts and
talents to serve others,
rather than just
collecting a paycheck
and going out on
weekends. I wanted
a sense of mission.”
Brother Sean’s
story isn’t unique.
Many of the men
turning to religious
life today are no
longer boys and
young men. They are
adults who have lived
in the world, signed
bank loans, worked
jobs, honed their
skills and talents and
made important life
choices. Perhaps most telling, they are
men who approached religious life as
one of many options.
THE ULTIMATE CHOICE
The fact that these men were aware of their
choices underscores the depth of their commitment
to religious life, notes Marianist
Brother Charles Johnson, vocation director
for the Society of Mary. “The men we
have in formation want to be Marianists.
They don’t have to be, yet they’ve chosen
to put their lot in with us.”
In years past, religious orders accepted
high school students who felt called to
religious life. But most men entering
religious formation today are in their
late 20s or older. Brother Charles sees
this as an advantage. “We’re looking for
men who have life experience as well
as spiritual maturity,” he says. “We’re
not a club or a fraternity. This is a life
commitment.”
Age and life experience aren’t the
only qualities that differentiate today’s
candidates. Unlike before, says Brother
Charles, when most men seeking religious
vocation were raised in Catholic
neighborhoods and surrounded by
Catholic values, these men come from
diverse backgrounds, have been raised
in a post-Vatican II world and are products
of the information age.
“Being in the ‘real world’
was essential for me …
I experienced the ups and
downs of life and that helped
me realize what really
matters: Using my gifts
and talents to serve others.”
— Marianist Brother Sean Downing
“I don’t know how people discerned
between different orders before the
Internet,” says second-year novice Bob
Jones with a chuckle. “I did Google
searches on religious life.”
Bob, 30, was teaching math at an
Indianapolis high school when, after
years of considering religious life in an
offhand way, he finally decided to explore
it seriously. “What I had was good,” he
says. “I had a good job, and I owned my
own home. But I had a feeling I wanted
my life to go in a different direction. I
started looking into the idea of religious
life and it really resonated.”
He considered life as a diocesan priest.
He called and visited vocation directors
for a number of different orders. Like
many of the other men in formation, what
ultimately drew him to the Marianists
was the sense of community.
“While I explored other communities,
I felt most at home with the Marianists,”
says Bob, who now lives with the DeSales
www.marianist.com/supportus 7

Aspirant Brandon
Alana-Maugaotega
sounds a conch, a
tradition from his
Hawaiian-Samoan family.
8 Call 1.800.348.4732
Crossings community in
Cincinnati and teaches at
Purcell Marian High School.
“I knew I didn’t want to be in a
monastery. I wanted to be in
an active community — such
as the Marianists who are
very apostolic — serving people
in a variety of ways. That was
exciting to me, particularly
since I came from a teaching
background, and I knew the
Marianists were dedicated
to education.”
Community also was the
main thing that attracted
Brandon Alana-Maugaotega,
a 24-year-old aspirant living in
the Casa Maria community in
San Antonio. “I’m Hawaiian-
Samoan,” says Brandon, a
graduate of Chaminade Uni -
versity in Honolulu. “Family
is very central to that culture.
I knew if I was going to pursue
religious life, I wanted to do it with a
group of people and not by myself.”
Although community was important
to Brother Sean, he says he was drawn by
the Marianist sense of practicality. ”The
Marianists have a very scholarly aspect
but our feet are firmly grounded on the
earth and that’s what attracted me.”
While the welcoming
nature of Marianist
communities may initially
attract would-be
religious, men in formation
say the charism
— the desire to minister
to the world while forsaking
worldly values
and the desire to deepen
their faith by living
in community — is
what convinced them
to take their vows.
LIFE IN COMMUNITY
For all its blessings,
living in community
presents many challenges,
particularly for
men accustomed to
living on their own. As Brandon notes,
“It’s a joy and a blessing and I love it,
but there are things that come up in
community. I live in a house with eight
guys with eight ways of doing things
and eight points of view.”
While celibacy and the call to forsake
a traditional family life may loom large for
men entering the formation process, they
soon discover greater challenges elsewhere.
Because Marianist life is all about family,
many of the new brothers say the true
challenge isn’t in giving up a traditional
family, but in learning to embrace community
life and to consider the needs of the
entire community when making decisions.
“There are times I miss my independence,”
says Brother Sean. “But being able
to come home and share the Eucharist
with my brothers and sit down to the
dinner table and share the day is very
essential. It keeps people human. There
are joys and difficulties in living in community,
but I think it’s better than living
alone. When you’re surrounded by others,
you learn your strengths and weaknesses
and it helps you become a better person.”
Marianist Father Oscar Vasquez, 43,
agrees that putting the needs of the
Second-year novice
Bob Jones

Father Oscar Vasquez
(left) at his ordination,
with Brother Charles
Johnson
community ahead of individual wants and
desires can be a challenge, particularly in
a world that emphasizes individuality and
personal gratification.
“Young people focus on sexuality and
celibacy,” says Father Oscar, who made his
perpetual vows in 1990 and was ordained
in 2005. “Over the years I’ve found that
the vow of obedience is much tougher.”
For young men accustomed to making
decisions independently, learning to
accept and embrace the collective wisdom
of the group is a challenging but liberating
experience.
“Right now I’m being asked to think
about the future,” says Bob, whose
novitiate experience ends this spring.
“Do I want to take vows? If so, what do
I want to do and what types of ministries
do I want to be a part of? It’s exciting,
but it also gnarls your stomach. That’s
why it’s comforting to know that I have
the community to turn to — that we’re
in this together. I can get the wisdom
of other people and collectively work
through things.”
That sense of “so much to do and so
little time” and of choosing the best way
Becoming a Marianist
The steps to becoming a Marianist are discerned over time.
The call to become a Marianist isn’t made on a whim or with
a flash of lightning. It’s more likely to come in whispers over
a period of years. For this reason, the Marianist formation process
takes time.
Step One – Contact: The process begins with an inquiry and
a meeting with Brother Charles or another interviewer. If the
interview goes well, the candidate is invited to participate in a
discernment retreat to determine whether or not he feels called
to Marianist life. He can remain a “contact” for a couple of years
while he finishes academic work or explores other vocations. As
a contact he receives monthly mailings and Scripture reflections
from the Marianists, is invited to celebrations and jubilees, and
may be paired with a mentor if he lives near a community.
Step Two – Aspirant: Contacts who decide to take the next step
join the aspirancy program in which they live in a Marianist
community for a year. Following completion of the program,
aspirants meet with their spiritual advisors and, in consultation
with the members of the order, must come to a mutual agreement
to enter the novitiate.
Step Three – Novice: The two-year novitiate program starts
with a canonical year of serious theological study and personal
reflection, says Brother Charles. The second year is a ministerial
year in which the novice is assigned to work in a Marianist ministry,
such as an inner-city program, school or parish.
Step Four – Temporary Vows: Candidates take their first or
“temporary” vows after completing the novitiate. Time is built
into this process so that a temporary professed brother may
discern whether to make a final profession of vows. He has the
option of repeating temporary vows three times (or up to nine
years) before making his final vows.
Step Four – Perpetual Vows: Making final vows isn’t necessarily
the end of the process. Living a vowed religious life means
renewing your commitment on a daily basis, says Brother Charles.
“Every day presents challenges, but there are also the rewards
of living a spiritual life that deepen and grow with time.”
to serve God’s people is a common
thread among aspirants and the newly
professed. In many ways, it brings the
entire discernment process full circle as
young men forsaking their options in
the secular world come to realize the
abundance of choices they face as part
of their ministry.
“When I started discernment, I felt God
had one purpose for me and I had to find
it,” says Bob. “Now I realize there are
many things I could do. There isn’t just
one thing I have to do for God.” ■
www.marianist.com/supportus 9

A Wide-Angle View
IT’S IRONIC THAT MARIANIST
Brother Steve O’Neil lacks a window
in his fifth-floor New York City office
two blocks from the United Nations
building. Although he works in relative
obscurity, his job running the Marianist
non-governmental organization (NGO)
at the U.N. places
him in a unique
“Few of us can have an impact position of seeing
on a large scale, but if we the big picture — a
global understand-
develop a global understanding,
ing of issues — and
there is a greater chance we using that informa-
will be effective in local tion to influence
policymaking at
efforts. Even if it’s one step at
the United Nations.
a time, that’s what moves us From this vantage
forward to a more just world.” point, he works as
a pipeline of infor-
— Marianist Brother Steve OʼNeil
mation: Keeping
Marianists in the
field informed on international issues,
and informing decision-makers at the
U.N. of the realities facing the poor and
marginalized. Yet Brother Steve’s involvement
didn’t happen overnight. It has taken
time, persistence and a lot of patience.
10 Call 1.800.348.4732
Marianist Brother Steve O’Neil’s work at the
United Nations provides a global outlook.
THE INNER WORKINGS OF AN NGO
Begun in 2006 after three intensive years
of groundwork and an exhaustive application
process, the Marianist NGO is one
of thousands of NGOs with official status
at the United Nations. Nonprofit groups
can have NGO standing through one of
two offices at the U.N.: The Economic and
Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Depart -
ment of Public Information (DPI). It’s
B Y J OE S CHUSTER
through the latter office that the Marianist
NGO has its standing.
The principle difference between the
two classifications of NGO is that those
with standing through ECOSOC can
make direct recommendations to U.N.
officials about U.N. policy, while those
with standing through the DPI cannot.
They do, however, have considerable
access to information about U.N. programs
connected with their own missions and
serve as a liaison between the United
Nations and their organizations. NGOs
with standing through the DPI also can
influence U.N. policy.
“When NGO committees meet, there
is no distinction in the room between those
who have status with ECOSOC and those
who have status with the DPI,” Brother
Steve says. “We all have an opportunity
to express what we’ve learned from our
grass-roots efforts around the world. But
when it comes to signing off on a document
that a committee produces, only
NGOs with official consultative status
will have their names on it.”
Last year, for example, not long after
the Marianist NGO attained its status and
Brother Steve joined committees on education,
youth, and poverty, the NGO
contributed to a document on the eradication
of poverty drafted for the 2006
Commission on Social Development.
Although the Marianist name was not on
the recommendation, Brother Steve says
it was satisfying to have participated in it.
“While we could not sign the document,
it recognizes that the Marianist voice
is present. When [the NGO community]

Marianist Brother
Steve OʼNeil
asks that the World Bank help fund a
particular country to help eradicate
poverty, our voice is added to others to
say, ‘Yes, we believe that this is necessary.’
It adds weight to the proposal.”
ADDRESSING THE CAUSES
OF SUFFERING
Brother Steve sees his work at the NGO
as complementary to the grass-roots
work that religious and lay Marianists
do throughout the world.
“Our work for social justice contains
two aspects: direct service and systemic
change,” he says. “If someone is hungry,
you have to feed them immediately, but
you have to ask the question, ‘Why is this
person hungry? What parts of the system
are failing him or her? This is an important
ministry from that perspective.
“We have many Marianists working on
the local level to address those immediate
needs. But in our interrelated world, many
of the pieces that keep a person poor
and hungry cannot be addressed on the
local level.”
Although some political pundits
and government leaders in the United
States have questioned the effectiveness
of the United Nations, O’Neil thinks
that it is a vital organization. “We’ve
seen what happens when the United
States tries to address a global problem
like ‘terrorism’ unilaterally.
“If we understand that we live in a
global community,” says Brother Steve,
“and that everyone has the right to the
resources they need to fulfill their Godgiven
potential, the United Nations is the
only international organization that is
able to provide for everyone.”
STAYING IN TOUCH WITH
THE REAL WORLD
While the United Nations helps Marianists
achieve their mission in the world, organizations
like the Marianist NGO help the
U.N. be successful, says Richard Sroczynski,
a hospital administrator and lay
Marianist who volunteers with the NGO.
“For those who work in and around
U.N. headquarters, there is a sense of functioning
in a vacuum,” says Sroczynski.
“It’s easy to get out of touch with the
real world and that is why we are so
dependent on getting feedback from the
field. We need Marianists to tell us what
is going on at the local level, to tell us what
policies are working and not working.”
“You’ve heard the phrase, ‘Think
globally, act locally,’” says Brother Steve.
“Few of us can have an impact on a large
scale, but if we develop a global understanding,
there is a greater chance we
will be effective in local efforts. Even if
it’s one step at a time, that’s what moves
us forward to a more just world.” ■
www.marianist.com/supportus 11

12 Call 1.800.348.4732
People of the
Resurrection
Members of the Marianist Family
share their views on hope as a way of life.
NEW RESEARCH ON THE
subject of hope was released last
year by Anthony Scioli, Ph.D., a
professor of psychology at Keene State
College in New Hampshire. Most psychologists
would describe hope as a
feeling or emotional state. But on closer
examination, says Scioli, hope is complex
and multidimensional. At the root of all
hope is a strong spiritual core that is
associated with virtues such as patience,
gratitude, charity and faith. “Faith is the
building block of hope,” he says.
Other researchers have found that hopeful
people are more grateful and more
likely to experience joy. They have learned
to accentuate the positive and laugh at
themselves. Hopeful people also tend to
be more resilient, more trusting and more
open than others.
B Y J AN D. JUDY
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
– John 11: 25
Unlike optimism, which is connected to
self-confidence, hope is a reality-based
view of life that springs from deep relationships
with others, collaborative connections
with people and the recognition
of a spiritual reality beyond the self.
One of the most important findings is
that hope is a trait that can be cultivated
through intention and practice.
ALIVE magazine decided to explore
the many dimensions of hope with
members of the Marianist Family. What
keeps them hopeful in spite of what is
happening in the world? How is hope
related to joy and other virtues? What
daily practices help them nurture hope?
The following are excerpts from conversations
with eight individuals — vowed
religious, lay Marianists and staff members
— serving the Society of Mary.

Hope
is inseparable from faith
Brian Reavey, national coordinator of Marianist LIFE
“ONE THING THE M ARIANISTS HAVE TAUGHT
me is that community is everything,” says Brian Reavey. “If you
surround yourself in community with hope-filled people, you
will remain hopeful.”
For Brian, one daily practice that keeps him hope-filled is
laughter. “Working with young people, I spend a lot of time
laughing, especially at myself,” he says.
“I also have four great sources of hope — my two nieces
and two nephews,” he says. “When I get down, I try to get a
‘niece and nephew fix.’ They are so fun, vibrant and creative.
They really lift my spirits.”
Brian thinks hope is somewhat countercultural. “We live in
a world that teaches us to watch out for ourselves, but hope
encourages us to serve God and others.” Hope is inseparable
from faith, he adds: “Good Friday wasn’t good until Easter
Sunday happened. It taught us that we must have faith and
that God is in charge. Whatever life brings, we can find God
— our hope — in it all.”
Hope
offers encouragement
First-year Novice Luis Gamboa
“IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME TO REMEMBER
that I am not doing anything on my own or by myself, “ says
Novice Luis Gamboa. “As long as I remember there is a structure
around me — the Marianist community, my family and
friends — I know there is always someone to extend a helping
hand. Then I don’t fall into spiritual desolation.”
Much of Luis’ hope is derived from his interactions with his
Hispanic family and extended family in Mexico. “We talk
about how we can support each other as family, even though
we live far apart. We do this by writing encouraging notes, letting
family members know how important each of them is in
our lives. I also pray every day for them. These are some of
my daily practices.”
Hope
must be cultivated
Marianist Father Ken Templin, campus minister,
Chaminade University of Honolulu
A LTHOUGH THE DAILY NEWS OFTEN IS
filled with discouraging stories, Father Ken Templin says
it’s the stories about people working as advocates for the
poor and needy that buoy his spirits. “We don’t hear as
much about these,” he says. “But these good stories give
me hope.”
Other things that give him hope: “That there are people
still interested in the Marianist charism … that we have
new vocations — both lay and religious … that there are
college students hungry for spirituality, attending Mass and
a large number of them going on retreats,“ he says.
Father Ken firmly believes hope must be cultivated. “Nemo
dat quod non habet — you cannot give what you do not have,”
he says. “You cannot give hope or inspire it if you let the
darkness get to you … We are people of the resurrection,
the Good News, and are called on a daily basis to be Jesus
for others.”
Father Ken’s prescription for cultivating hope is to find
quiet time alone. Sometimes this means going to his garden,
away from busyness and distractions, where he finds time
“to be with the God who loves and encourages me. We must
believe in our hearts that God is with us, and that God is
in charge.”
13

Hope
is embodied in children
Marg Van Herk-Paradis, lay Marianist
M ARG V AN H ERK-PARADIS WORKS
as an administrator and pastoral care assistant for L’Arche,
a community for people with developmental disabilities in
Stratford, Ontario. “We are all disabled in our own ways,“
she says. “The people I work with teach me a lot about
being real and authentic. They don’t have as many masks
as the rest of us do.”
The other great teachers in her life are her two small
children. “When I am down or feeling overwhelmed from
work, I come home and play with them. They invite me
into their childlike world full of trust and hope. They live
in the moment, and that’s a challenge for me.”
One of Marg’s daily practices is the care of her children.
“By investing in my kids, giving them my time and attention,
I am investing in the future. We have a saying at L’Arche
about ‘changing the world one heart at a time.’ I do that
by investing in my children.”
14 Call 1.800.348.4732
Hope
is shared through people
Debbie Durand, lay Marianist and member of the board of the
Center for Marianist Spirituality and Communities
D EBBIE D URAND IS A NURSE IN A CRITICAL
care unit at a community hospital in Elizabeth, N.J. Her work
puts her face-to-face with death, grief and loss on a regular
basis. “When I feel most hopeless, invariably it’s a person or
relationship that pulls me back up. It’s the human spirit that
makes me hopeful,” she says.
From a Marianist perspective, regardless of life’s challenges,
“the wisdom of the community can help you find your way.”
One daily practice that helps her remain calm and grounded
is her 18-minute walk to work. “It’s contemplative … I love
being aware of my surroundings … feeling the sun, looking at
the colors of the sunset or just observing the weather. These
things lift me up and renew me,” she says.
Hope
looks for the best
Marianist Brother Art Cherrier
B ROTHER A RT C HERRIER SAYS HE LOOKS FOR
the good in every situation. “I look for things that make me
joyful — a person who is happy or an event in my life that has
helped me along.”
But he wasn’t always like this, he says, testifying to the fact
that hope is a trait you can develop. Since returning from
Marianist work in the Ivory Coast of West Africa in 1998, he
began noticing a change in himself. “I realized, ‘hey, life isn’t
going to last too much longer, why be down about it.’”
But it’s not a change that happened overnight, he says.
One of Brother Art’s favorite verses from Scripture that keeps
him hopeful is from Paul’s letter to the Philippians:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Let your gentleness
be known to everyone. The Lord is near … Philippians 4:4
“I try to be a good example to others. I do that by being happy.”

Hope
gets us through life’s tragedies
Kathy Cooper, secretary, office of development
KATHY COOPER WORKS ON THE PROVINCIAL
staff in St. Louis. “I do a lot of driving — 40 miles one
way each day,” she says. “So I have a lot of time to hope
and reflect and dream.”
Kathy believes hope is a quality that helps people get
through the tragedies and problems of everyday life. She
admits that times haven’t always been easy for her, her
husband and their three children. She believes that hope,
coupled with perseverance, has seen them through.
“I think hope is an emotion that can be turned into a
reality with perseverance — a plan or some goals,” she
says. “Somehow I have to participate in making my hope
a reality.”
One of the daily practices Kathy acknowledges is to
reflect on the three virtues of faith, hope and love. “I have
these words framed and hanging by my front door,” she
says. “We all see them each day as we come and go. I know
it’s a reminder — a way of remembering to stay hopeful.”
Hope
leads to love
Marianist Father Bert Buby, spiritual advisor to lay Marianists
F ATHER B ERT B UBY STARTS EACH DAY BY
reading the first two verses of Psalm 95:
O come let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the
rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
“I’ve used these verses for years as a touchstone, a way
to start my day.” In addition, he reads three to six Psalms,
reflects on the daily Scriptures and joins his community in
morning prayer.
“I also journal with the Scriptures each day for about 20
minutes … This is the way I get in touch with the messages of
hope. These are like spiritual vitamins I take each morning.”
Father Bert believes that hope always opens us to love. “Love
is the basis of hope,” he says. “If you practice faith of heart, then
hope is also there as well as love. These virtues are not inseparable.
They are organic and dynamic.”
One thing Father Bert has learned is that God is full of surprises.
“Yet the path he leads us on is a life of faith and love.”
We are accompanied on the journey, he says, “believing God
always has the best in mind for us.” ■
www.marianist.com/supportus 15

Marianist Brother Alex
Toppo with children
from a slum in Ranchi,
India
16 Call 1.800.348.4732
Loaves and Fishes
Marianist ministries help families and children in the
slums of India create a better life.
B Y J AN D. JUDY
This is not the age of information …
Forget the news, and the radio, and the blurred screen.
This is the time of loaves and fishes.
People are hungry, and one good word is bread for a thousand.
IT IS EARLY MORNING IN
Ranchi, India. Marianist Brother Alex
Toppo is about to begin his work
day. He starts by carefully packing bread
into a small backpack that he slings over
his shoulders. Next he straps on a helmet,
revs up his motorcycle and makes his
way onto a crowded city street. Horns
are blaring, dust is flying, and people
are everywhere.
– David Whyte, “Loaves and Fishes” from The House of Belonging
While others are taking out the morning
trash, this man is on a different
mission. In a city of more than a million
people, he is looking for piles of garbage
— some left beside the road or rotting on
vacant lots. “That’s
where we find them,”
“A ragpicker is not respected.
he says, referring to
the children known in We work in filth …
India as “ragpickers.” We smell of dirt. Nobody
“Sometimes I’ll
find 10 or 12 children from society likes us …
together picking They call us dirty — even
through trash. They
worse than garbage itself.”
are scared and very
— A ragpicker in Bangalore, India
distrusting — and
they are always hungry.
I usually offer them some bread. It’s
one way I build trust and rapport,” says
the program director of REDS in Ranchi.
“But it takes a lot of time.”
The Marianists have devoted a lot of
time — 15 years to be exact — building
trust and learning to communicate with
street children, destitute families and the
working poor of India through a ministry
called REDS – Ragpickers Education &
Development Scheme. The goals of the
program have evolved since 1992, the year
the Marianists took over the ministry,

when simply getting starving kids off
the streets and sheltering them was the
focus. Today the aim is to help families
and children through job training, life
skills and education.
“Our greatest dream for these children
and their families is that they can stand
on their own two feet,“ says Marianist
Father Pragasam Thathappa, district
superior of India and executive director
of REDS. “We want them to have work
skills, know they can manage their lives
and feel good about themselves. Our job
is to give them the training and support
to achieve this.”
THE LIFE OF A RAGPICKER
Marianist Brother Del Jorn, an American
who has served in India for more than
14 years, has witnessed India’s staggering
population explosion which now numbers
more than a billion people. According to
recent statistics, he says, there are roughly
800 million people who comprise the
lower class, with more than 20 percent
of them living below the poverty line.
There are another 200 to 300 million people
who qualify as middle class, and a small
fraction belonging to the upper class. By
comparison, last year the United States
reached a population of 300 million.
“Can you imagine taking more than a
billion people, most of them poor, and
putting them in the U.S. on land east of
the Mississippi, which is about the same
land mass as India? Think of all the problems
you would have. When you look at
India, it’s a wonder so many survive. I’m
still amazed to see how some people make
a living — for example, a man selling
mothballs or someone selling combs,”
he says.
Ragpicking is one way the poor survive.
While the Indian government has begun
Children and family
members known as
“ragpickers” comb
through trash for
food, as well as anything
recyclable in
Ranchi, India.
www.marianist.com/supportus 17

waste management programs, it is unable
to keep up with the vast amount of waste
produced by its enormous population.
Ragpickers make a living by sifting
through trash for bottles, plastic, metal
parts, glass, cardboard,
“Respect and care for old clothing — anything
recyclable that a
people as human beings,
broker will pay them
these are some of the greatest to collect. Their work
gifts we could ever give is often illegal.
It is one of the lowest
another person.” and most demeaning
— Marianist Father Joe Lackner
jobs in India. Whole
families in northern
India are caught up in ragpicking for
lack of other means of income. Poor, uneducated
and illiterate, it is the only way
they survive. But it has a high price.
Disease, exposure to toxic waste and
18 Call 1.800.348.4732
poor hygiene are just some of the problems.
Alcoholism, drug abuse and malnutrition
also exact a toll.
“For children, it is especially dangerous,”
says Brother Alex. “In Ranchi, it’s
not unusual to find a child fighting with
a wild dog over scraps of food. Often
the child gets injured and must be taken
to the hospital,” he says.
Even more devastating than health
issues is the toll it takes on a person’s
self-esteem. Says one woman who has
been ragpicking most of her life, “A ragpicker
is not respected. We work in filth
… We smell of dirt. Nobody from society
likes us … They call us dirty — even worse
than garbage itself.”
With a population that is 80 percent
Hindu, India is steeped in Hindu traditions.
The caste system and stratification
Children of a Marianist
REDS play school in
Bangalore, India

In Their Words
The boys from the Marianist Deepahalli Skills Training Centre
tell their stories.
Deepahalli Skills Training Centre, near Bangalore, was
established by the Marianists in 1998 to provide an
environment away
from street life where
ragpickers and runaways
could get
training or attend
public school. Because
many of the boys are
addicted to cigarettes,
drugs and alcohol, it
also provides a muchneeded
“safehouse” for
those going through
withdrawal as well
as nutritional food,
hygiene and regular
health care exams.
There are five
Marianist brothers
in the Deepahalli
community, most of Marianist Brother Arokia Doss, REDS program director at Deepahalli,
whom work at the with boys enrolled in the Skills Training Centre
Centre, along with six
staff members. The Centre provides training in welding, carpentry,
lathe work, tailoring, electronics, plumbing, air conditioning
and refrigeration. The students also receive instruction
in math, English, science, history, local languages and social
and moral values.
The majority of boys are between 13 and 18, orphaned or
from single parent households. Many are not capable of or
interested in attending school, but are able to learn a trade.
There are 62 boys at the
Centre, but that number
will increase to 120 this
year because of a new residential
facility recently
built by the Marianists.
Since its inception, the
Centre has trained nearly
450 students.
Marianist Brother Arokia
Doss, REDS program
director at Deepahalli,
admits that the work is
tough, but also very
Boys at Deepahalli learn tailoring or rewarding. “Many of the
other trades.
boys have attention prob-
lems. They are not able to focus on anything for long. We try
to care for them like a father would care. They look
to us for love and respect.
“I especially love being with them, just hanging out
together. Once you do that, they really open up,“ he says.
“They are very matter-of-fact about what has happened to
them — very revealing.”
Here are two stories from the boys of
Deepahalli:
G. Antony, age 13
“Both of my parents were alcoholics. They used to
beat each other. They also
beat me and my younger
brother and sister. We
ran away from home
after my mother died,”
he says. “She tied a rope
to a crossbeam and hung
herself. We were all at
home when it happened.
“Because no one in
my family was taking G. Antony
care of us, I began ragpicking.
I saved enough
money to run away to Bangalore with my brother
and sister. We lived in a cemetery.”
Antony was found by the Deepahalli staff
through a cousin. His siblings are now in other
youth hostels. His greatest wish is to get a job and save
enough money so that he and his
brother and sister may one day be
together, get married and have their
own homes.
V. Srinivasa, age 14
“I was addicted to drugs and not interested
in school. My mother began to beat me. I
stayed away from home and began sleeping
on the roadsides. I sold popcorn to earn
money,” he says.
V. Srinivasa
“I tried to quit drugs, but each time I
failed. One day my mother died along the
roadside after drinking too much. I never went back home after
that. I met a friend name Akhbar. He didn’t have any legs, so I
would carry him on my back and we would go begging.“
Srinivasa was picked up by the police in Bangalore and taken
to a REDS night shelter and later to Deepahalli. He has been
drug-free for six months and has quit smoking, both feats he
is very proud of. His hope is to graduate in two years from
Deepahalli, find his sister who is living in another youth hostel,
and make a home where he can take care of her.
www.marianist.com/supportus 19

Marianist Father
Pragasam Thathappa,
district superior of
India and executive
director of REDS
20 Call 1.800.348.4732
of society by classes is one tradition that
is beginning to change among the middle
class and more educated. But among the
poor this attitude is still strong. Marianist
Father Joe Lackner, who serves the U.S.
Province as assistant for developing
regions, believes that one of the greatest
gifts the Marianists give the poor is the
gift of dignity.
“Respect and care for people as human
beings, these are some of the greatest gifts
we could ever give another person,” says
Father Joe. This is demonstrated in a
number of ways: A simple handshake,
sharing a meal, teaching a
skill and providing an education,
he says.
THE PROGRAMS
REDS was started in 1979 in
Bangalore, a city in southern India,
by an inter-religious group of lay
people. In 1984, the Arch diocese
of Bangalore took over operations
of the ministry and invited the
Marianists in the early 1990s to
oversee administrative responsibility
for its programs.
REDS grew from a Bangalore-based
outreach program to include a sister program
in Ranchi, a city in northeastern
India, in 1997. REDS also developed
the Deepahalli Skills Training Centre on
the outskirts of Bangalore, a program
designed to get ragpicking boys off the
streets and offer them a safe haven in
which they could learn a trade or skill
(see story on page 19).
Today REDS has several outreach
ministries. “REDS started as a program
for children who were ragpickers,” says
Father Pragasam, “but now we are doing
more preventive work by offering support
to families, primarily women in the
slums and migrant workers.”
The REDS programs in Bangalore and
Ranchi — and an outlying slum called
Hosur southeast of Bangalore — provide
care and education to more than 2,000
children and training and support to more
than 1,300 women.
Bangalore, which just changed its
official name to “Bangalooru,” is a city
of six million people and growing rapidly
because of its emerging Internet technology
and outsourcing businesses. While a
portion of the city’s population is enjoying
unprecedented wealth, a vast number —
as many as 40 percent according to some
experts — are living in the slums or on
the streets.
The Marianists work in seven slums
in Bangalore, but most of their programs
are concentrated in a slum called
Koramangala-L.R. Nagar — a community
of nearly 100,000 people. It is a half hour’s
walking distance from the REDS headquarters
and the Chaminade Nilaya Marianist
community where seven Marianists
live, most of whom work directly for
REDS. Thirty-two lay staff also work for
REDS-Bangalore as social workers, field
workers and administrators.
“We are focusing our work in
Koramangala-L.R. Nagar by providing
play care centers, day care, study and
tutoring centers, night shelters, tailoring
units and women’s self-help groups,” says
Marianist Brother Xavier Raj, assistant
for religious life and a coordinator of
REDS-Bangalore.
In Ranchi, beside play schools, day care
and study centers, the Marianists have
concentrated their efforts on developing
programs for women. In addition to self-
Women from a Marianist
REDS Tailoring Center
in Hosur, India

Marianist Brother
Xavier Raj
help groups, they offer classes in tailoring,
embroidery and machine knitting.
Five Marianists, along with 23 staff
members, operate the REDS-Ranchi
program from its headquarters at the
Gyan Deep community.
BREAKING THE CYCLE
OF POVERTY
Many of the REDS programs are designed
to help poor women by providing childcare
services so that they can take a job
and earn income. When women are
employed, say the Marianists, the whole
family benefits. Many of them find jobs
in Bangalore as domestic workers, construction
laborers or as seamstresses in
nearby factories.
But in Ranchi, where 90 percent of the
people are self-employed, even the most
menial labor doesn’t exist. “Ragpickers
can’t get jobs even as dishwashers or hotel
staff. Without training, there is nothing
for them,” says Brother Alex.
With the little income that these women
do make, the Marianists have helped them
start “self-help groups” designed to help
women pool small sums of money in a
collective bank account and draw upon
these savings when they need a small loan.
“The women must contribute 25 rupees
(less than 60 U.S. cents) a week to participate
in the self-help group,” says
Brother Xavier.
The group is comprised of about 15
to 20 women. The Marianists now oversee
80 self-help groups in Bangalore and
another seven in Ranchi. Most groups
are facilitated by a REDS staff member
who keeps records of the accounts and
loans. The benefits are many.
“I joined the group,” says a woman
named Nanci, “and took a loan to pay
for healthcare expenses for my son who
is not well. If I had taken a loan outside
the group, I would have been charged
heavy interest.”
One of the greatest benefits of the
self-help groups is that they provide an
intimate setting where women can open
up about their lives, the needs of their
families and personal issues.
The best way to help these families in
the long run, says Father Pragasam, is
Sharing Your Resources
You can make a difference.
In her book, The Soul of Money, author and humanitarian
Lynn Twist talks about the injustice of describing people
as “the poor.” This description alienates us and is inaccurate,
she says. The truth is that some people are “resource deprived”
but can be rich in spirit. While in our culture there are many who
are rich in resources, but can be deprived in spirit. One way to
grow in spirit, she says, is to begin sharing your resources.
There are many ways you may share your spiritual and
financial resources through the Marianist REDS programs in
India. Here are a few suggestions. For a complete list of the
Marianist REDS Wish List, go online to www.marianistmission.
org/ministry.
REDS Wish List
Play school educational materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 50 - $65
Toys and recreational materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 50 - $65
Elementary school tuition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 100
Teacher’s salary/year. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 150
Sewing machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 250
Meals for one play school/year* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 1,255
New play school . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 2,500
*The Marianists serve one hot meal a day for children at the
REDS play schools and day care centers.
through education. One day, the Marianists
in Bangalore would like to build a high
school in Koramangala-L.R. Nagar slum.
“A quality education is the best way to
end this vicious cycle of poverty,” says
Father Pragasam.
A REAL MIRACLE
When Brother Xavier is asked about the
future of the ragpickers in Bangalore, he
brightens. “My hope,” he says “is that one
day there will be no ragpickers. They’ll
be no poor needing bread to eat or a place
to stay. One day they will get enough.
They will live like normal people. They
will live a joyful life,” he says.
For Brother Alex in Ranchi, that joyful
life starts with one good meal. “I grew
up in a very poor family near Ranchi.
I remember going to bed hungry. I know
what that feels like,” he says.
“Our work here begins with one good
meal a day. For the ragpickers, one good
meal a day is a miracle — a real miracle.” ■
www.marianist.com/supportus 21

New Leadership Team Appointed
Following consultation with members of the Society of Mary,
Brother Stephen Glodek in January named four assistants and
three advisors to the Province leadership team. These men
will assume their positions in July 2007 and will serve until
July 2010. New team members include: Father George Cerniglia,
assistant for religious life; Brother Ed Brink, assistant for education;
Brother Joe Markel, assistant for temporalities; and
Father Joe Lackner, assistant for developing regions. Three
advisors also were named: Brother Jack Ventura, Father Oscar
Vasquez and Father Steve Tutas. Father Jim Fitz was reappointed
last fall as assistant provincial.
DECAMP Ministries
in Mexico Celebrate
10th Anniversary
In honor of the 10th anniversary
of the founding of DECAMP —
the Marianist Rural Development
Project in Uxpanapa, Mexico —
approximately 140 people gathered
to pay tribute to those involved in
this ministry. Bishop Rutilo Muñoz
presided at a special Mass to observe
the occasion. Brother Roberto Rapp, Marianist Brother Roberto Rapp
DECAMP program administrator,
presented awards at a dinner to recognize individuals who had
inspired, invested and benefited from DECAMP.
22 Call 1.800.348.4732
Life
Slice of
NEWS FROM THE PROVINCE
Deacons Callistus JeJe and James Dungdung, Bishop Brian Farrell and
Deacons Marianus Lugun and Michael Otieno
Four Seminarians Ordained to Diaconate
Four Marianists were ordained as deacons on Jan. 20, 2007,
at a special service held at Santo Nome di Maria, the
Marianist parish in Rome. The new deacons are Marianus
Lugun and James Dungdung from the District of India, and
Callistus Jeje and Michael Otieno from the District of Eastern
Africa. Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity, was the main celebrant and
ordaining bishop. Rector Lorenzo Amigo and Vice Rector
Timothy Phillips presented the candidates. The four deacons,
who are in their third year of studies at the Chaminade Inter -
national Seminary in Rome, will finish the academic year before
their ordination to the priesthood. Over the next months, the
deacons will assist with liturgies and other pastoral duties.

Province Celebrates Professions in Eastern Africa, India and Mexico
Marianists in the Province of the United States celebrated
around the globe in honor of brothers making profession
of vows in the Society of Mary.
District of Mexico
In Mexico, Brother Juan
José Ochoa Salazar professed
first vows in a ceremony held
at the novitiate in Querétaro,
Mexico, on Dec. 8, 2006. Father
Quentin Hakenewerth was the
presider and homilist for the
Mass. Brother Roberto Hanss
received the vows, and Father
Joe Lackner was the presenter.
Brother Juan is living in the
Puebla community in Puebla,
Mexico, where he is completing
a degree in philosophy.
On January 22, 2007, more
than 1,000 parishioners, family
and friends gathered in La Chinantla, Mexico, to observe the
perpetual vow ceremony of Brother Raymundo Dominguez
González. Father Jose Alfingel Vazquez Dominguez was the
celebrant, Father Quentin Hakenewerth gave the homily and
District Superior Roberto
Hanss received the vows.
Brother Raymundo works
full time at San Marcos parish
in the Uxpa napa Valley in
leadership development
and family ministry.
Marianist Brother Raymundo
Dominguez González
Marianist Brother Juan José Ochoa
Salazar
District of India
During a ceremony at
the Marianist novitiate in
Ranchi, India, on Dec. 30,
2006, eight brothers made
their final profession of
vows: Augustus Surin,
Raimond Toppo, Kuldeep
Ekka, Lucien Tigga,
Nittamaria Varaprasad, Rajesh Kumar Lakra, Birendra
Kullu and Chinnaiah Polishetti. Father David Fleming was
the principal celebrant of the service. He was joined by
Father Pragasam Thathappa, district superior of India and
10 concelebrants. The brothers are now serving in Marianist
ministries throughout India and the Philippines, including
the REDS program in Bangalore and Ranchi, as well as
Marianist schools in northeastern India.
Four of the eight newly professed brothers in India: Chinnaiah Polishetti,
Rajesh Kumar Lakra, Augustus Surin and Nittamaria Varaprasad
District of Eastern Africa
The District of Eastern Africa started the new year with five
men making perpetual profession of vows at a celebration
held at Our Lady Queen of Peace parish in Nairobi, Kenya.
The ceremony, which took place on Jan. 2, 2007, celebrated
the professions of Brothers Joseph Maricky Okoth, Bernard
Lugutu Ombima, Daniel Kariethe Wang’ombe, Peter Barasa
Nato and Benjamin Kinyua Mwai. Father Manuel Cortés,
superior general, was the principal celebrant and homilist.
He was assisted by Father Martin Solma, district superior,
Provincial Stephen Glodek and Father Jim Fitz, assistant
provincial. Brother Stephen received the vows. The brothers
are working in a variety of ministries throughout Eastern
African or continuing with their education.
Front row, Father James Fitz, Benjamin Mwai, Superior General Father Manuel
Cortés, Peter Nato; back row, Joseph Maricky, Daniel Wangʼombe, Bernard
Lugutu, Brother Stephen Glodek
www.marianist.com/supportus 23

IN REMEMBRANCE
Brother Joseph Gaudet, 91, died Sept. 29,
2006, in Dayton. Brother Joseph taught in
Marianist schools and universities throughout
the United States for more than 50 years.
He began his career in 1936 teaching history,
English, religion, French and economics at
Chaminade High School in Mineola, N.Y.
He also taught in Puerto Rico at Colegio
San José and Colegio Ponceño. Brother Joseph earned his
doctorate in history in 1971 from St. John’s University in
New York and taught history at St. Mary’s University in
San Antonio, the University of Dayton and Chaminade
University in Honolulu. He retired from teaching in 1980.
Brother Bob Massa, 78, died Jan. 31, 2007,
in San Antonio. Before entering religious
life, Brother Bob served in the United States
Army just after World War II where he
received the Victory Medal and an Army
of Occupation Medal for Japan. He received
a bachelor’s degree in history in 1952 and
began a teaching career that spanned 37
years. Brother Bob taught history, reading and English at
McBride High School in St. Louis, Don Bosco High School in
Milwaukee, St. Michael’s High School in Chicago and Chaminade
College Prep in St. Louis. In 1962, Brother Bob earned his master’s
degree in American history. After retiring from teaching in
1989, he served as host for retreats at the Marianist Retreat &
Conference Center in Eureka, Mo.
24 Call 1.800.348.4732
Brother Victor Naegele, 88, died Jan. 29,
2007, in San Antonio. After receiving a
bachelor’s degree in 1939 from the
University of Dayton, Brother Victor began
teaching high school religion, English,
history, social studies, business and German.
He taught at Marianist high schools in the
Midwest, including McBride High School
and St. John Vianney in St. Louis, Central Catholic in San Antonio
and Cathedral High in Belleville, Ill. He received his master’s
degree in education from Saint Louis University in 1951 and
taught sociology at St. Mary’s University starting in 1964.
Brother Victor received a master’s degree in marriage and
family therapy in 1983 and later became the director of the
Family Life Center at Thomas More High School in Milwaukee.
Father Vincent Plassenthal, 91, died
Dec. 12, 2006, in Dayton. Father Vincent
served the Society of Mary as an educator
for much of his life. He taught religion,
Latin and English in schools in Dayton,
Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh,
Covington, Ky., Mineola, N.Y., and Puerto
Rico. Father Vincent spent more than 50
years in Puerto Rico as a teacher, chaplain, principal, pastor
and assistant pastor at Colegio San José in Rio Piedras, Colegio
Ponceño in Ponce and Misión Noell in Villalba. He was affectionately
referred to as the “pope of Puerto Rico.”
He returned to the United States in 2005 after failing health
caused him to leave his assignment as parish priest at Our Lady
of Divine Providence, a mountain parish in Puerto Rico.
Brother Leo Rothermich, 95, died Jan. 1,
2007, in San Antonio. Born and raised in
St. Louis, Brother Leo worked as an educator
for 60 years teaching English, religion,
Latin and mathematics in Marianist high
schools throughout the Midwest, including
McBride and St. Mary’s high schools in
St. Louis, Holy Redeemer in Detroit,
St. Michael’s in Chicago and Central Catholic in San Antonio.
In 1966, Brother Leo began a 24-year assignment as business
manager at Chaminade College Preparatory School in St. Louis.
He also performed similar duties at St. Mary’s High School in
St. Louis until 1999 when he retired from his posts in education
and moved to San Antonio.

Come Alive
In her book, The Soul of Money, global activist Lynne Twist invites
readers to examine the power of collaboration. In a “you-or-me
world,” she says, there is a sense of scarcity — a sense there is never
enough. In a “you-and-me world,” where collaboration, partnering,
sharing and reciprocity exist, our resources are not only enough.
They are infinite.
The Marianist Province of the United States invites you to come
alive, to make a statement about what you care about. With your
resources — time, talents and money — there are infinite ways to
make a difference. Below are some suggestions on ways you can
make an impact with your financial resources. We thank you in
advance for your generosity and spirit of collaboration.
DONATIONS
Cash. The easiest way to contribute a cash gift is through our
secure online connection. We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover
and American Express. (See “online information” below.)
Purchasing items from a ministry’s wish list. View the list
by visiting the Marianist Mission Web site at
www.marianistmission.org/wishlist or contact the Development
Office at 937.910.6090, weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., EST.
Alternative Investments. The Marianist Rural Develop ment
Project in Mexico presents an opportunity for individuals to help
poor farmers launch their own farm enterprises. By investing in
farm animals, the investor can earn six percent in annual interest
while helping a farmer become financially self-sufficient. For more
information, contact Father David Paul at 314.533.1207, or dpaul@smusa.org
or visit www.marianist.com/mexico.
PLANNED GIVING
“Some individuals want to leave a gift that perpetuates their values
beyond their lifetime,” says Lisa Gooding, executive director of
Province development for the Marianists. “Many people see the
Marianists as good stewards of those values and trust them to continue
making a difference in the world.” Here are some of her suggestions
for planned giving:
A charitable gift annuity or a charitable remainder trust
Naming the Marianists in a will or living trust
A gift of retirement assets
Contributing life insurance policies
Transferring property
Shivaraj and G. Antony learn carpentry at the Marianist Deepahalli Skills Training
Centre, Bangalore, India (see story, page 19).
“Whether you are aware of it or not,
you make an impact each day with
your choices about how you live and
how you allocate your resources …
Each financial choice you make is a
powerful statement of who you are
and what you care about. When you
take a stand for what you believe in
… you come alive.”
— Lynne Twist, The Soul of Money
For more information about planned giving, please visit the
Marianist Web site at www.marianist.com/supportus or the Marianist
Mission at www.marianistmission.org.
TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE MARIANISTS, you can contact us:
Online: You may contribute by credit card using our secure server. Visit www.marianist.com/supportus or www.marianistmission.org/donate.
By phone: Call toll-free 1.800.348.4732, M-TH 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., FRI. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., EST. Our customer service associates will assist you
with a credit card donation or a pledge. Or you may call the development office at 937.910.6090, weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., EST.
By mail: Using the envelope enclosed in this magazine, send your donation and information to: The Marianist Development Office,
119 Franklin Street, Dayton, OH 45481-0001. ■

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