A Class Act - The Redemptorists, Denver Province

A Class
Act
the Apostolate Today
A Labor of Love
Co-Redemptorist Membership Drive
The Redemptorists Denver Province
Mission Advancement Ministry
St. Joseph Mass League
Rachel’s Vineyard
spRing 2010
Redemptorist Ordination
Anniversaries

Sharing HOPE
Since 1960, thousands of apostolic-minded
people from around the country have enrolled
to help ensure that those men in training realize
their dream of becoming Redemptorist Priests or
Brothers. Their perseverance in prayer and personal
sacrifice is manifest today in the hundreds
of Priests, Brothers and seminarians that represent
the Denver Province around the globe.
The original idea for the program came about
in 1954, when Julia Flanagan, the sister of
Fr. Joseph Flanagan, started the St. Joseph Auxiliary
in Kirkwood, MO, site of our former minor
seminary. She recruited people from all over
the St. Louis area to donate a dollar a month to
help support the Redemptorist seminarians at
St. Joseph College. At one point the Auxiliary
numbered over 1,000 members!
In the fall of 1959, the new St. Joseph College
was opened near Edgerton, WI. The following
year, the St. Joseph Auxiliary became the
Co-Redemptorist Association with Father
Thomas William Murphy its first director.
Over the past 50 years, the Co-Redemptorist
Association has grown and prospered due to
the tireless efforts of Redemptorists, Religious,
and lay people who labored faithfully together
to build this remarkably successful fundraising
apostolate. Special thanks must be paid to
former directors Fr. Thomas William Murphy,
Fr. James Kelly, Fr. Frank O’Neill, Fr. Leo
The Very Reverend Thomas D. Picton, C.Ss.R.
Provincial Superior, Denver Province
2 HOPE
A Time to Celebrate
In June we celebrate a very significant anniversary.
It will be 50 years since the creation of the
Co-Redemptorist Association, arguably the longestrunning
seminarian support program of its kind in
the country today.
Hirsch, Fr. Jack Willett, Fr. Bernard Rooney, Fr.
John Paul Andree, and Fr. Peter Schavitz. Brother
Robert Ruffing and staff members Rosemary
Andrews and Lois Schenfeld also deserve to be
recognized for their years of dedicated service.
We also remember Marion Carpenter, Sophie
Wechselberger, Brother James Bohr, Mary Davenport
and Sister Mary Dolores Musial as special
members of the Co-Redemptorist family.
And, on behalf of our men in formation, thank
you to our many Co-Redemptorist benefactors
who are making it possible for these men to persevere
in their vocations.
For those who don’t know, we offer the
Co-Redemptorist preaching program, where
Redemptorists visit parishes around the country
to talk about the program and to invite others
to become Co-Redemptorists. If you would
like to schedule a Co-Redemptorist preaching
event in your church, please call our Mission
Advancement Ministry at 866.788.0343 and
ask for Mary Pelikan. She’ll make it happen!
On the back cover you’ll find the Co-Redemptorist
preaching schedule for the next few
months. If your parish happens to be on the list,
we would encourage you to attend and to bring
a friend or family member. Our Church needs
more Redemptorist Priests and Brothers, and
we need you to help them persevere in their vocations.
Thank you.
Volume 1, Issue 4
Spring 2010
Hope, published by the Redemptorists of the
Denver Province’s Mission Advancement
Ministry, is distributed quarterly to friends
and supporters of the Redemptorists. With
this publication, we hope to inspire an even
larger following of friends and supporters
eager to help because they know our cause
is all about providing love and hope to the
poorest of the poor.
PUBLISHER
Very Reverend Thomas D. Picton, C.Ss.R.
Provincial Superior
Editor
Bruce Crane
Director
Mission Advancement Ministry
Joseph A. Roos
Letters to the Editor:
Hope
Redemptorists/Denver Province
Mission Advancement Ministry
1230 S. Parker Road
Denver, CO 80231
Toll Free: 866.788.0343
Denver: 303.565.5450
Email address:
advancement@redemptorists-denver.org
redemptoristsdenver.org
poorandmostabandoned.org
Keep God’s
Earth Green
Receive Hope by Email
Let us know by sending your email
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The Birth Of A Priest Fr. Paul J. Coury, C.Ss.R.
One of the great Easter experiences
of my own life, as a Redemptorist, took
place after celebrating my first Mass in
my home parish of Holy Redeemer in Detroit,
Michigan. After Mass I was led to
our parish hall. There was a line of people
that extended into the street. I thought it
was the line for food and coffee. I was told
that these people were actually lined up to
receive my first blessing!
So there I stood for three hours blessing
each person who came forward to congratulate
me. These were people who knew
my family or who knew me since I was
a small child. Some of them were classmates;
others were just parishioners who
were honored to have a new Priest from
their parish.
Many of them who came forward told
me that they were Co-Redemptorists. I re-
Redemptorist headline news
Haiti Relief
Shortly after the devastating
earthquake in Haiti on January
12, the Mission Advancement
Ministry in Denver established an
online fundraising drive to help
the 40 Redemptorists stationed
in Haiti get food, water and medical
supplies to the poorest of the
poor caught up in this deadly
natural disaster. As of March 31,
we have raised $40,355.
SeeloS CenteR
DeDiCation
On January 30, 2010, nearly
200 guests gathered at the
new Seelos Welcome Center, in
New Orleans, LA, to take part
in the official dedication and
blessing of the new structure.
Archbishop Gregory Aymond
of New Orleans presided at the
blessing and dedication ceremony.
The building is named
for Blessed Francis X. Seelos,
C.Ss.R., the great Redemp-
3 HOPE
alized that it was their sacrifices and their
prayers that brought me to this moment. I
felt so very humbled to realize how many
people of my parish had a stake in my life.
I knew then that I was connected to these
wondrous people by a thousand golden
threads of love and caring. They truly gave
birth to my Priesthood. The beauty of life
is that we do not give birth to ourselves.
Someone else has to give birth to us and it
is to these people that we owe a great debt
of thankfulness.
St. Alphonsus Liguori, our founder,
said that “at the birth of Jesus, joy was set
free and now freely roams the universe.”
It is this joy that I felt knowing that so
many people, like you, had supported
me through the years by these “golden
threads.” You have all given birth to
my Priesthood!
torist Priest (1819-1867) who
spent most of his time in New
Orleans caring for the poor, sick
and neglected. While caring for
yellow fever victims, he contracted
the disease himself and
died there from it on October
5, 1867. His cause for canonization
is under consideration.
seelos.org
2010 SCRupulouS
anonymouS RetReat
Slated for May 14-16, 2010 and
presented by Fr. Thomas M.
Santa, C.Ss.R. at the Redemptorist
Renewal Center in Tucson,
AZ. For more information,
visit desertrenewal.org and
click on “Events Calendar” or
call 520.744.3400.
BRitiSH loyaliSt wHo
onCe fougHt CatHoliCS
emBRaCeS CatHoliCiSm
A member of a banned Loyalist
paramilitary organization that
waged a 30-year campaign of
violence against Northern Ireland’s
Catholics has become a
Catholic. The revelation that Ian
Stewart, a member of the Ulster
Volunteer Force, is Catholic
came in Belfast Crown Court
February 26 during the trial
of nine men charged with murdering
a fellow Loyalist paramilitary
member. While the Ulster
Volunteer Force is party to a
cease-fire agreement, it claimed
responsibility for the murder of
381 Catholics during a violent
campaign against the minority
Catholic community that began
in 1965 and ended with the 1998
Good Friday peace agreement.
The court was told that Stewart,
35, became Catholic after
receiving spiritual advice from
Redemptorists at the Clonard
Monastery in Northern Ireland.
Redemptorist REFLECTION
Easter is a season of new births. Let us
take the time to give thanks to God for
those who have given birth to us, either
physically or spiritually. Let our joy be set
free to roam the universe!
Superior of the Redemptorist Community
Renewal Center at Picture Rocks,
Cortaro, AZ
desertrenewal.org
On the Cover
Photo: Fr. John Paul Andree, C.Ss.R.
with his mother, Loretta, who just
celebrated her 87th birthday in
March. Loretta Andree is one of the
original members of the Co-Redemptorist
Association. Father John was
its director from 1983 to 2005. Photo
by Focal Point Studio of Photography
(Farmington, MI).
Saint: St. Alphonsus Liguori founded
the Congregation of the Most Holy
Redeemer (Redemptorists) in Naples,
Italy in 1732. He is a Doctor of the
Church and the official patron of
moralists, confessors, vocations and
people who suffer from arthritis.
Contents
4 A Class Act
6 The Apostolate Today
7 A Labor of Love
8 Membership Drive
10 St. Joseph Mass League
12 Rachel’s Vineyard
15 Jubilarians
16 The Music of Mary
HOPE 3

4 HOPE
0 th Anni
A Class
Act
In June we celebrate the 50th anniversary of this
singular fundraising program that combines prayer
and personal sacrifice to help our seminarians persevere
in their vocations.
For nearly 75 years (1888-1959), St. Joseph College in
Kirkwood, MO, served as the Redemptorist minor seminary
for the St. Louis Province. By the 1940s, the buildings were
starting to show their age. Continuing deterioration forced
the leadership to make a decision: either remodel or look for
another site.
Eventually, they decided to purchase land near Edgerton,
WI. The projected cost came in at twice the amount set
aside by the Province. So, to help make up the difference,
the leadership decided to recruit the financial help of every
parish, relative and friend.
In the end they were able to raise $1.4 million dollars;
that, together with the sale of the Kirkwood property for
$415,000, brought a smile of relief to the face of Fr. John
Diederich, Procurator at the time for the St. Louis Province.
In September of 1959, the new St. Joseph College outside
Edgerton opened its doors.
With the new seminary, however, came the realization
that other sources of revenue would have to be pursued
if the Province was going to be able to maintain this new
facility and the other formation houses here in the States
and overseas.
Paint it Black
William Davidson of St. Louis was a key figure in the early
development of this program. He was a painting contractor
by day and fundraiser par excellence when he wasn’t holding
a paint brush. For years, he would volunteer his time to help
churches and other religious organizations in the St. Louis
area find ways to fund their various capital projects.
In his meetings with Fr. John McCormick, the Provincial,
and Fr. Ray Schmitt, the Provincial Consultor, Davidson laid
out a plan he claimed would raise at least $100,000 a year,
but only if the plan was “painted” as an essentially spiritual
one; that as Catholics, we all share in the responsibility of
encouraging our sons and Brothers, friends and neighbors
to consider religious life and then supporting them through
both prayer and personal sacrifice. He saw this program as
an opportunity to help a lot of families realize the dream of
having one of their own become members of the Redemptorist
Congregation.
Davidson believed the program had to embrace three
spiritual elements for it to be successful: Prayer, Sacrifice
and Reward. People who sign up must commit to pray daily
for vocations, be willing to make some moral or material

versary
contribution to help support the men
in formation, and accept as reward
inclusion in the larger good works of
the Redemptorists.
It was Fr. Ray Schmitt who first coined
the term “Co-Redemptorist.” Next, what
to ask of the new Co-Redemptorists as
far as financial support? Again, it was
Fr. Ray who came up with $1.42, the
amount he calculated would be needed
to cover the expenses of one seminarian
for at least one day a month.
It has remained $1.42 for the last
45 years.
In May of 1960, Fr. Thomas William
Murphy moved into the new
Co-Redemptorist office at St. Joseph’s
College as its first director. He served for
two years.
Seven Redemptorists would follow
Fr. Murphy in the role as director:
Fr. James Kelly (1962-1964); Fr. Frank
O’Neill (1964-1967); Fr. Leo Hirsch
(1967-1972); Fr. Jack Willett (1972);
Fr. Bernard Rooney (1972-1983);
Fr. John Paul Andree (1983-2005); and
Fr. Peter Schavitz (2006-2008).
At the height of the program, in 1985
through 1986, roughly 21,000 people
called themselves Co-Redemptorists.
Thousands of Redemptorist seminarians
have benefited from this program
since its inception in 1960.
Since 2008, the program has been
managed from Denver, CO under the
Q:
what turns 50 years old this June, has raised
over $27.4 million,* and boasts a membership
today of over 8,000 people?
A:
the Co-Redemptorist association, arguably
the most successful fundraising program ever
conceived by the Redemptorists.
leadership of Joseph A. Roos, director of
the Mission Advancement Ministry.
To find out more about the Co-Redemptorist
Association or to become a
member please call 866.788.0343 and
ask for Mary Pelikan.
* Including wills and bequests.
(left column)
Fr. Thomas William Murphy, C.Ss.R. (1960-1962)
Fr. James Kelly, C.Ss.R. (1962-1964)
Fr. Frank O’Neill, C.Ss.R. (1964-1967)
Fr. Leo Hirsch, C.Ss.R. (1967-1972)
(right column)
Fr. Jack Willett, C.Ss.R. (1972)
Fr. Bernard Rooney, C.Ss.R. (1972-1983)
Fr. John Paul Andree, C.Ss.R. (1983-2005)
Fr. Peter Schavitz, C.Ss.R. (2005-2008)
HOPE 5

The Co-Redemptorist
Apostolate Today
Fr. John Paul Andree, C.Ss.R.
Director of the Co-Redemptorist Association from 1983 to 2005
I am personally so very thankful and gratified to know that the
Co-Redemptorist Association continues to be an apostolic activity
for so many of you, our beloved Co-Redemptorists; that so many
of you still regard the education of our seminarians as a worthy
cause and one for which you are willing to make both a personal
and financial sacrifice.
6 HOPE
F
or 50 years (June 1960 to
June 2010), our Redemptorist
Formation Program has never
refused a student for economic reasons.
This is in large part due to the sacrifices
of our Co-Redemptorists. Every
Co-Redemptorist has a definite hand
in shaping and educating Redemptorists
for the future. Your title is indeed
well deserved: Co-Redemptorists!
It is also gratifying to know that the
program has not changed substantially
over the last 50 years, except, of course,
for the original $1.42 per month contribution.
That may not sound like much
today, but I know from the lived experience
of my dear Mom and Dad, it represented
a huge sacrifice for so many of
you who could have very easily used that
money for something else but chose instead
to support a future Redemptorist.
Thankfully, every Co-Redemptorist
continues to receive a monthly spiritual
letter. Depending on whether they
send their sacrificial offering monthly,
quarterly, semi-annually, or annually,
a return envelope and reminder are in-
cluded indicating the number of days
they have sponsored one of our seminarians
and the total amount of their
donation for that month, quarter, etc.
The continued success of the Co-
Redemptorist Apostolate will depend
on the following four factors: the yearly
preaching done by Redemptorists
about this apostolate in every Redemptorist
parish; the continued preaching
in non-Redemptorist parishes; the
quality and relevance of the monthly
spiritual letter; and the continuance
of the Co-Redemptorist Association’s
‘special intention prayer program’ and
the five annual novenas.
The late Bishop Thomas William
Murphy, the first director, said this of
the Co-Redemptorist Association:
“Co-Redemptorist was inspired,
founded and built on Christian coresponsibility.
Vocations to the Priesthood
must be a preoccupation for all
Catholics; first, by faith in prayers and
secondly, through sacrifice. The result
of this sacrifice in a material dimension
is the monetary offering. The incen-
tive to prayer and sacrifice is through
the monthly letter and the sharing in
the Redemptorists’ spiritual and pastoral
efforts. There has always existed
the firm conviction that Co-Redemptorist
is not a financial project, but
a spiritual reflection whose consequence
brings forth spiritual and
material cooperation.”
As a Redemptorist Priest and former
director of the program, I would
encourage you to seriously consider
supporting one or more of our men in
our seminary program. We need these
men to go on to become Redemptorist
Priests and Brothers. Our Church
needs these men. God willing, they
will become the living presence of
Christ in your lives.
With the Church struggling today
to attract men to the Priesthood and
Brotherhood, we cannot afford to forget
those men already in formation who
have chosen to become Redemptorists.
So please, if at all possible, make an
investment in the future of our Church.
Sign up today to become a Co-Redemptorist.
Let’s keep this wonderful
program going for another 50 years!
On behalf of all your Redemptorists of
the Denver Province, thank you Co-Redemptorists
– past, present, and future!
If you would like to become a member
of the Co-Redemptorist Association,
please fill out the coupon on page 8
and mail it back in the enclosed envelope.
Thank you.

A labor of Love
by Rosemary Andrews
I began working for Fr. John Paul Andree when he moved
the Co-Redemptorist office from Edgerton, WI to the convent
of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Chicago, IL.
S
ome years later, we had to move
again when the Sisters were
asked to vacate the building
which also meant losing one of our most
faithful volunteers, Sister Mary Dolores
Musial. She would quietly come up
to our office early in the morning to begin
her rituals of opening the mail and
stuffing the envelopes along with many
other jobs. We all admired her spirit
and her great sense of humor.
Along with the geographical move
from Edgerton, the Co-Redemptorist
members’ data were being transferred
from huge file cards to a newly-acquired
computer system. Their donations were
no longer posted manually to cards but
to the computer. Lots and lots of data
input! Labels were generated by the
computer taking the place of Brother
James Bohr’s little address plates. He
had to acquaint himself with a new
labeling machine which never seemed
to be in a ‘good mood.’ Brother James
smiled through everything, even emptying
our trash! When we lost him in
1990, it truly took a toll on us.
Besides our computer files, we also
kept a file card for each and every
member. Each card contained the
donor’s name, address, etc. and also
‘little notes,’ or specific requests made
by the donors. In these notes we also
recorded personal details the donors
shared with us. Along with opening
the mail in the morning came reading
all their notes to us, asking for prayers
or perhaps requesting a change in the
amount or regularity of their pledge
due to many different factors going on
in their lives. We remained ‘close’ to
them in this way and they were never
just names to us. They were our
Co-Redemptorist family.
One afternoon I took a call from a lady
in Kansas City, MO. She was asking very
humbly if it would be all right if we included
her dog’s illness in our prayers.
She wondered if that was too silly of a
request. I reminded her how much Saint
Francis of Assisi loved animals and to
pray to him as well. She sounded very relieved
by the time we hung up and called
me many times afterwards. I would write
the monthly prayer list to send to the
seminarians and add the donors’ special
intentions, which often times included
their animals.
Our staff was small but our task was
huge. At times we were mailing over
20,000 pieces a month. But every
month it got out on time. We had many
machines to keep maintained and
cleaned. I had been known to raise my
voice on occasion to let repair people
know how important it was to get this
mailing out. Sometimes I wondered
where we found the energy to do what
we did. But I realized that what we did
was not just a job but rather a mission.
The Holy Spirit always seemed to
be with us and we were always happy
about what we accomplished and the
way we accomplished it.
There were many people who were a
great help to us: Sophie Wechselberger,
Marion Carpenter and Sister Mary Dolores
Musial. Some of our Redemptorists
even helped out when they could:
Fr. Richard Thibodeau, Fr. Norbert Delort,
Fr. Joe Morin, Fr. Jim Farrell, Fr.
Albert Castellino, and Fr. Dick Quinn.
Fr. John Andree taught us that the
Co-Redemptorists should be our only
focus, and we brought that attitude to
our work every day. These good people
give as much as they are able and expect
nothing in return. We made sure
to thank and acknowledge them as best
as we could for all they did through
their generosity and humility. It was
a real honor serving this wonderful
group of people.
Thank you, Fr. John, for the experience
and thank you, Co-Redemptorists, for all
you do and all that you have done!
HOPE 7

Co-Redemptorist Membership Drive
“Witness Awakens Vocations”
8 HOPE
00 for 50 th
As we approach the end of Pope Benedict’s
year-long observance, Year for
Priests (June 2010), the Holy Father is
asking us to “awaken in others a desire
to respond generously to Christ’s call” as
part of the 47th World Day of Prayer
for Vocations, to be celebrated on April
25, 2010, Good Shepherd Sunday.
To that end, we are launching our firstever
Co-Redemptorist Membership Drive,
to awaken in others the call to help support
and educate our Redemptorist seminarians
by becoming members of the Co-
Redemptorist Association. By extending an
invitation to our current Co-Redemptorist
members, we are hoping to increase our
membership rolls by at least 500.
If you know someone who might like to
join this unique lay apostolate, in this our
50th year, please pass along this magazine
to that person and have him/her fill
out the form below and return it to:
Redemptorists Denver Province
1230 South Parker Road
Denver, CO 80231
Attn: Mary Pelikan
To show our gratitude, we will be
offering a Mass for you and also sending
you a blessed medal of Our Mother of
Perpetual Help. Thank You.
I’d like to become a Co-Redemptorist and answer Christ’s Call
Yes, I would like to help educate future Redemptorists by:
A gift of ( ) $10 month /$120 year ( ) $25 month/$300 year ( ) $50 month/$600 year ( ) $100 month/$1,200 year
Please send me a reminder or charge my credit card automatically:
( ) Monthly ( ) Quarterly - (Jan, April, July, Oct) ( ) Semi-Annually - (Jan, July) ( ) Annually - Select a month:
Check One: ( ) Visa ( ) MasterCard
Card # Expiration Date 3 digit security code
Name on Card Signature
Billing Address
City State Zip
Email Phone
Return this completed form in the enclosed envelope to the attention of Mary Pelikan.
Referred by (Please print clearly):
First / Last Name
Home phone # Cell phone #
Email address

Crossing
REDEMPTORISTS
Cultures
The Redemptorists reach out
to many multicultural communities
in an effort to bring the
Redeemer’s message of love
and compassion to those who
are made to feel at times unloved
and unwanted.
• Kmhmu (Thailand): Providing immigrants
with special Redemptorist
assistance in assimilating into
American culture.
• Vietnamese: Raising money for missionary
work, vocational training and
education as a labor of love for the
Hmong people.
• Laotian: World-wide, Laotians find
spiritual refuge in the presence and
ministry of Redemptorists.
• Hispanic/Migrant: Providing spiritual
services and a sense of community
to the migrant workers of America’s
farms and fields.
• African-American: Missions, soup
kitchens, food banks and summer
job training programs for youth
have served African-American
populations in some of America’s
poorest neighborhoods.
To support one or more of our
many good works, visit our website
poorandmostabandoned.org to
make a secure online donation.
Author Hits the Road
Greg Barrett, the Pulitzer-nominated
author of The Gospel of Father Joe,
the riveting and poignant story of our own
Fr. Joe Maier’s work in the slums of
Bangkok, Thailand, is working on a new
book, The Gospel of Rutba: Christians,
Muslims and the Good Samaritan Story
in Wartime Iraq.
To help promote both works, Barrett is
taking his stories on the road. If you would
like Barrett to speak before your parish
or church group, feel free to write him
at greg@thegospeloffatherjoe.com or call
him at 703.599.4979.
“No one chooses to live in a slum,” Father
Joe told me in 2000, the first time I
saw his shack in a Bangkok shantytown.
Its catwalk was planted in a canal that
looked like a Basra landfill and smelled
like an al-Jummhurriya street. “You’re
never there by choice.”
But he’d been living on that catwalk for
three decades. By choice. A squeaky-clean
room in an air-conditioned Redemptorist
monastery was his for the asking a few
miles away on a shaded street across from
a 7-Eleven. He never asked.
Leaving his slum in 2000, I couldn’t
decide if choosing to live in muck and
sewage with the poorest of the poor made
Fr. Joe a madman or just madly devoted.
But in the long run, perhaps it didn’t matter
— masochist, saint, or masochistic
saint — because in a void notorious for
starving one’s spirit, he was feeding it. And
in the act of feeding, he’d been fed.
From The Gospel of Father Joe
thegospeloffatherjoe.com
HOPE 9

REDEMPTORISTS
Renewing
Spirit
The Redemptorists welcome
anyone who is looking for the
Lord. And our many renewal,
educational and inspirational
choices combined with new
media can help guide the way.
• Mission Preaching: Bringing the
Gospel to the world, one spiritual renewal
at a time.
• Retreats: Motivational “days away”
focused on spiritual and educational
messages in natural locations surrounded
by God’s beauty.
• Pilgrimages: Exploring the roots of
our faith in places made famous by the
Church and her saints and martyrs.
• Seminaries: Bringing the Redemptorist
faith to students around the world.
• Faith-Filled Correspondence: Keeping
Redemptorists and benefactors
current with website, electronic communications
and direct mail.
• CDs: The music and prayers of
St. Alphonsus beautifully rendered
for the first time on CD for your home
or car.
• Liguori Publications: Books, magazines
and other devotional items
to help believers bring their faith
to bear on the decisions they face.
To support one or more of our
many good works, visit our website
poorandmostabandoned.org to make
a secure online donation.
10 HOPE
St. Joseph Mass League
In the wake of war and disease, a
memorial fund is created for the ages
The St. Joseph Mass
League was created in 1919
in the wake of war, death
and disease. The twin
catastrophes of World War I
and the influenza epidemic
of 1918 left millions of
people grieving the loss of
loved ones.
Catholic churches throughout the
country saw a huge spike in requests for
prayers and Masses. At our Redemptorist
parishes, the lists of names grew so long
that many people feared their requests
would not be heard for weeks or even
months later.
To prevent this delay, Fr. Christopher
D. McEnniry, C.Ss.R., the Provincial Superior
at the time for the St. Louis Province,
created the St. Joseph Mass League,
a Province-wide initiative that included
Redemptorists at every parish in the offering
of Masses and prayers for those

who submitted names of loved ones, either
living or deceased, to the St. Joseph
Mass League. This way, as a member of
the League, the parishioners – and their
loved ones – would be able to share immediately
in the prayers and Masses being
said by the Redemptorists around
the Province.
In a letter dated February 14, 1919,
Fr. McEnniry urged Redemptorist Pastors
throughout the Province to establish
the St. Joseph Mass League in their parishes.
He encouraged them to promote
its benefits and “to faithfully carry out
the obligations involved.” He determined
that the St. Joseph Mass League would
begin on Passion Sunday, April 6, 1919.
The following year, Fr. McEnniry
wrote to thank his confreres and their
communities for their efforts in a successful
launch and to proclaim that
the St. Joseph Mass League would be
blessed with a long life.
How right he was!
Ninety years later, people are still enrolling
in this unique memorial service to
remember their loved ones while enjoying
the benefits of membership at three
different levels: Perpetual, All Occasion,
and Healing.
Ninety years later, people are still enrolling
in this unique memorial service to remember
their loved ones while enjoying the benefits
of membership at three different levels.
If you would like to remember someone
as a member of the St. Joseph Mass
League, simply fill out the form below
and return it in the enclosed envelope.
Thank you.
A Prayer to Remember – St. Joseph Mass League
Dear Redemptorists,
Please remember this special person in the St. Joseph’s Mass League (please print clearly):
His/Her name ( ) Living ( ) Deceased
My name is:
Enclosed is my offering for:
Perpetual Membership Enrollment
( ) Individual $20 ( ) Family $30
Check One: ( ) Visa ( ) MasterCard
Card # Expiration Date 3 digit security code
Name on Card Signature
Billing Address
All-Occasion Enrollment
( ) 2-year enrollment $10 ( ) 5-year enrollment $25
City State Zip
PErPEtual enrollment allows a
person to enjoy the spiritual benefits of
the Masses and prayers offered by the
Redemptorists of the Denver Province
for the rest of the person’s life and into
eternity. People who want to remember
a family member or personal friend
will enroll that person in this perpetual
prayer league.
all OccasiOn prayers can include
special days or events, such as weddings
or a grandson’s first birthday or
the death anniversary of a loved one.
These members also receive the spiritual
benefits that come with Masses and
prayers offered by the Redemptorists.
HEaling is a special prayer card
sent to friends or family members who
have had surgeries, illnesses, relationship
problems, or financial difficulties.
These members receive the spiritual
benefits that come with prayers
said and good works performed by
the Redemptorists.
Healing Card
$
Please return this form in the enclosed envelope or call Margi Doyle toll free at 866.788.0343 to enroll over the phone.
Please send me additional cards.
HOPE 11

Reaching
Out
No matter how desperate the
situation, Redemptorists can always
be found offering hope to
those in need in the form of a
meal, a bed or a prayer.
• Food Banks: Packaging food to
the hungry in locations where it’s
needed most.
• Soup Kitchens: Helping to nourish
the body and renew the spirit.
• Senior Services: Helping the aged
and infirm to grow old gracefully.
• Prison Ministries: Preaching the
Gospel to those who are cut off
from society.
• Marriage Preparation: Helping
couples understand and appreciate
marriage as a sacrament of the
Church and their responsibility to
one another.
• Youth/Young Adult Ministries: Helping
youth to reflect on the life Christ
led as they begin to make choices
for themselves.
• Deaf Ministry: Serving the hearingimpaired
and deaf.
• Fallen-Away Catholics: Many former
Catholics find their way back
to the Church after attending one or
more Redemptorist parish mission
preaching events.
To support one or more of our
many good works, visit our website
poorandmostabandoned.org to
make a secure online donation.
12 HOPE
REDEMPTORISTS
Rachel’s Vineyard
A place of renewal for those struggling
with loss and grief after abortion.
Fr. Larry Sanders, C.Ss.R., a staff member
at the Redemptorist Retreat Center in
Oconomowoc, WI, provides counseling
when he’s in Denver to clients of Rachel’s
Vineyard. Rachel’s Vineyard is a national
retreat movement for those who have been
affected by the emotional loss and spiritual
pain of abortion.
This is Fr. Larry’s personal account of a
recent session:
One cold Friday in February, a small
group of men and women met with me
and two other retreat directors in a hotel
in Denver. One was a grade school teacher;
another was a receptionist; still an-
other was a computer consultant; and so
on; ordinary people looking for help
and answers.
What brought them all together that
night was a terrible secret, one that they
had not shared with anyone else. They all
had or were in relationships with someone
who had had an abortion. Some of
the abortions were recent; others go back
years before abortion was legalized in this
country. Most of the women had multiple
abortions. More than 20 children were lost
among the people there that evening.
After introductions, they received the
Sacrament of the Sick. On Saturday they

shared their stories. They talked about
what life was like growing up, what their
parents and family life were like. They
shared experiences of high school and dating
and the people they met along their life
journeys. Sharing and listening to others’
stories, they began to realize that they are
not alone. They began to explore the possibility
of forgiving the people who had hurt
them in their lives and with that they began
to feel that they could be forgiven.
They were then asked to think of their
children not as lost but here in the present
and to give them a name and a gender.
After giving them names they acknowledged
their children to God and through
a guided meditation met their children in
the presence of Jesus. They were then given
a doll for each of the children they lost and
asked to bond with them. The rest of Saturday
night was taken up with adoration
before the Blessed Sacrament, writing letters
to their children asking for forgiveness,
and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one
of the most profound experiences a Priest
can have. One of the older women came
to see me. She was in her sixties. She was
bent over and leaning heavily on her cane,
taking very small steps so as not to lose her
balance. Her confession lasted more than
hour. She confessed much, starting with
the abortion she had when she was 28. She
talked about how her life fell apart after
that. She had been carrying this weight
around for over 30 years. When we finished
she stood up to leave. Her feet barely
touched the floor. It was not until the next
morning when she came downstairs that
she realized she had left her cane on the
floor of the confessional.
On Sunday we held a memorial service.
The letters written by the participants to
=================
May is the month of Mary, Our Blessed Mother. On this
Mother’s Day, we celebrate and honor the mothers in
our lives and all the soon-to-be mothers among us. We
also remember the women who have lost a child either
through miscarriage or abortion, and pray that one day
they may give birth to this great gift from God.
We pray that St. Gerard Majella, the Redemptorist patron
saint of mothers and the unborn, will intercede in the
lives of those who have lost children and guide those
who are struggling with the decision to bear children.
their children were shared with the group
as part of the memorial. The dolls were
wrapped in shrouds and placed in a
crib. The participants were each given a
rose and an angel ornament to remember
their children. A Mass of the Resurrection
was celebrated.
The reasons used to abort are usually
these: fear of a future with a child they
know they cannot support; the boyfriend
or husband threatens to leave if the woman
Fr. Larry Saunders, C.Ss.R., provides counseling
to clients of Rachel’s Vineyard.
decides to have the child; fear of facing
family and friends pregnant, unmarried,
and perhaps still a child herself.
This secret has taken a toll on their lives.
Counselors refer to it as post-abortion syndrome.
Many women who have had abortions
punish their bodies, somehow trying
to recreate the abortion process as a way
to come to a different decision this time
around. It exhibits itself through eating
disorders, promiscuity and low self-esteem.
Others experience periods of depression
around the time of the abortion or on the
day the child would have been born. Women
who have had abortions can experience
an overwhelming sense of guilt when they
hear children crying or laughing, a guilt
that seems to have no focus and no end.
Men also suffer from post-abortion syndrome
but they tend to receive less support
than the women.
On Fridays at the retreat, people arrive
full of darkness and despair and feeling
isolated from others. On Sundays, they
leave with a new sense of worth, feeling
confident that God has forgiven them
and continues to love them. They know
the journey will be long and hard. But
they also know now they don’t travel it
alone anymore.
rachelsvineyard.org
HOPE 13

GIVING Corner
Co-Redemptorists – Supporting
The Next Great Priest or Brother
I am a proud member of the Co-Redemptorist
family, and have been since 1977.
I had attended the Redemptorist minor
seminary in the late 1960s and saw
first hand the positive impact the
Co-Redemptorist family had on the lives of
many seminarians.
I had many fine teachers during my high
school years, but none were more dedicated
and influential than the Redemptorist
Priests at the seminary. And now, several of
my classmates maintain this long-standing
14 HOPE
honor among the Redemptorist family.
The Catholic Church needs fine young
men to continue the work and I believe
the Redemptorist Priests and Brothers
are the finest and most respected leaders
in the church today. My continued support
Tom Shaw
Co-Redemptorist since 1977
of the Co-Redemptorist Association hopefully
helps seminarians to continue their
journey in the hopes of achieving their goal
of becoming the next great Redemptorist
Priest or Brother.
Faith in Numbers: Co-Redemptorist Association Revenue
Revenue
Co-Redemptorist Association Revenue
The chart below reflects the cash revenues for the Co-Redemptorist
program starting in 1960 to the present (excluding
$800,000
$700,000
$600,000
$500,000
$400,000
$300,000
$200,000
$100,000
$0
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
I had many fine teachers during my high school
years, but none were more dedicated and influential
than the Redemptorist Priests at the seminary.
1980
1984
1988
1992
We do a lot.
But we can’t do it alone.
wills and bequests) Note: In 1984 the recording of gifts was
changed from a calendar-year cycle to a fiscal-year cycle.
Year
1996
We are involved in a variety of ministries, all of which depend
upon the generosity of our supporters. Please help us by
donating to one or more of the many good causes described at
poorandmostabandoned.org. Make a secure donation by selecting
Donate Now or sending a check (your chosen mission written in the
memo section) to mission advancement ministry, Redemptorists
Denver province, 1230 South parker Road, Denver, Co 80231.
2000
2004
2008
Name the
Redemptorists
in your will…
or bequest as a way to
establish a permanent
legacy of support for our
missions. For more information,
call Dan Welte at
303.565.5435.

Getting to
know our
Blessed
Mother
In the summer issue of Hope
(July / August / September) we
will be devoting a considerable
amount of space to one of the
most recognizable works of religious
art in all of Christendom.
Millions of Catholics around
the globe pay homage to Mary
under the title, Our Mother of
Perpetual Help through this
most beloved icon.
We will explore its long and
tumultuous history, and examine
each artistic element that
makes up this most celebrated
image. We will also share with
you the story of how this icon
came into the care of the Redemptorists
and what we’re doing
today to “make her known
throughout the world,” the specific
responsibility given to the
Redemptorists by his holiness,
Pope Pius IX back in 1866.
Look for this very special
devotional issue in your snail
mail or email in early July.
Share it with those you know
who have a very special devotion
to our Blessed Mother.
Congratulations!
Redemptorists Celebrating Ordination Anniversaries
Diamond Jubilee 60 Years
Fr. Francis Gautreaux, C.Ss.R.
June 29, 1950
Fr. Robert Martin, C.Ss.R.
June 29, 1950
Fr. Henry Novak, C.Ss.R.
June 29, 1950
Fr. James Nugent, C.Ss.R.
June 29, 1950
Fr. Gerard Pecht, C.Ss.R.
June 29, 1950
Golden Jubilee 50 Years
Fr. Alton Carr, C.Ss.R.
June 29, 1960
Fr. William Wright, C.Ss.R.
June 29, 1960
40 Years of Ordination
Fr. Joseph Butz, C.Ss.R.
June 26, 1970
Fr. Robert Halter, C.Ss.R.
June 26, 1970
Not Your Father’s Websites
Combining the old with the new to create
a very different visual experience online.
• Light the “virtual” candle to Our Mother
of Perpetual Help while listening to
Salve Regina.
• Watch our much-talked-about
inspirational videos on becoming
a Redemptorist.
• Listen to the voice of the great Irish-
American actor Liam Neeson while
listening to the beautiful sacred
hymns of St. Alphonsus Liguori.
• Watch and listen to one man’s account
of his vision of St. Alphonsus Liguori,
and how that vision cured him of a
terrible affliction.
• Sign up to receive daily reflections on the
Scriptures written by our Redemptorists.
• Take a virtual pilgrimage of the Amalfi
coast in Italy and other sites in and
around Naples made famous by
St. Alphonsus Liguori.
Fr. Victor Karls, C.Ss.R.
June 26, 1970
Fr. Gregory Mayers, C.Ss.R.
June 27, 1970
Fr. Andrew Meiners, C.Ss.R.
Dec. 26, 1970
Fr. Mark Scheffler, C.Ss.R.
June 20, 1970
Fr. John Phairot Somngam, C.Ss.R.
Aug. 20, 1970
Silver Jubilee 25 Years
Fr. Francis Ahpichart Natipravat, C.Ss.R.
Aug. 12, 1985
Fr. Vaiyakol Joseph Suksawat, C.Ss.R.
Aug. 12, 1985
Fr. Edward Vella, C.Ss.R.
Nov. 9, 1985
Fr. Peter Charoen Viensirinantachote, C.Ss.R.
Aug. 12, 1985
• Download a copy of St. Alphonsus’ 12
Commandments for Lawyers.
• Read through the only entire list, anywhere
online, of the complete works of
St. Alphonsus Liguori.
• Flip through our E-books to learn
more about our specific ministries
and needs.
• Browse through the latest issue of
Hope magazine online.
• Check out our Facebook page and
become a fan.
• Travel back through Redemptorist
history in the Memorabilia.
• Watch a very funny, yet thoughtful,
interview with one of our longtime
donors.
And feel free to make a donation online.
Just click on ‘Donate Now.’ Thank you.
redemptoristsdenver.org
poorandmostabandoned.org
15 HOPE HOPE 15

CALENDAR
Preaching & Events Redemptorists/Denver Province
April
2 good friday
4 easter Sunday
10-14 our lady of the lake
Branson, MO
10-15 St. patrick
Andalusia, IL
10-15 immaculate Heart of mary
Houston, MS
16 HOPE
St. michael
Delta, CO
17-21 St. mary
Villa Ridge, MO
Holy Redeemer
Odessa, TX
St. elizabeth ann Seton
Odessa, TX
17-22 St. patrick
Tipton, IL
17-22 St. matthew
Ripley, MS
our lady of lourdes
Pittsfield, NH
May
1-5 alexian Brothers
Chattanooga, TN
1-6 St. peter the apostle
N Bay, Ontario
1-6 St. Rose
Longview, WA
St. peter’s
Kansas City, MO
13 ascension
15-20 St. James the apostle
Kenosha, WI
April
10-11 St. alphonsus,
Minneapolis, MN
Fr. Allan Weinert
24-25 Holy ghost
Houston, TX
Bro. Lujan, Fr. Hoang
25 St. alphonsus
St. Louis, MO
Fr. Pat Keyes
May
1-2 mother of Sorrows
Biloxi, MS
Fr. Gary Lauenstein
16-17 gerard majella
Baton Rouge, LA
Fr. Jim Shea
June
5-6 our lady perpetual Help
Kansas City, MO
Fr. Allan Weinert
• Co-Redemptorist Preaching
303.565.5430
• Chicago Mission Preaching Team
312.642.1669
• Liguori Mission Preaching Team
636.464.6999
• Holy Days
Statistics Show Increase in
Catholics, Priests and Seminarians
VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The latest
Vatican statistics show a slight increase
in Catholics as a percentage of
the world’s population, and a slow but
steady rise in the number of Priests
and seminarians worldwide.
The Vatican said the number of
Catholics reached 1.166 billion, an
increase of 19 million, or 1.7 percent,
from the end of 2007. During
the same period, Catholics as a percentage
of the global population grew
from 17.33 percent to 17.4 percent,
it said. The number of Priests stood
at 409,166, an increase of 1,142
from the end of 2007. Since the year
2000, the Vatican said, the number
of Priests has increased by nearly
4,000, or 1 percent.
Looking at the way Priests are distributed
worldwide, it said: 47.1 percent
were in Europe, 30 percent in
the Americas, 13.2 percent in Asia,
8.7 percent in Africa and 1.2 percent
in Oceania.
Mission Advancement Ministry
1230 S. Parker Road
Denver, CO 80231
Email: advancement@redemptorists-denver.org
Toll Free: 866.788.0343
Denver: 303.565.5450
redemptoristsdenver.org
poorandmostabandoned.org
National Catholic Development Conference (NCDC) Member
This magazine is printed on FSC Certified paper.
Make her known,
through his music
On June 27, Redemptorists around the world will
celebrate the feast day of our patroness, Our Mother
of Perpetual Help. In 1866, Pope Pius IX entrusted
this most recognizable image of Our Blessed Mother
to the Redemptorists with the stipulation that we
“make her known throughout the world.”
Praying the Rosary with St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori
is the first CD produced in the U.S. to feature the
music and prayers of St. Alphonsus. He is well-known
among the saints for his lifelong devotion to Mary. Experience
the love this great saint of the Church had
for Mary by listening to the hymns and prayers composed
in her honor.
To order your copy for this great Marian feast
day, go to littlelambmusic.com or call toll free
at 888.753.0333.