The Gray Robes: Spring 2014

8/12/2019 The Gray Robes: Spring 2014

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soc i e t yof our l ady of t he mostholyt r i n i t y S PR I NG 2014

The

Gray Robes


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2 The Gray Robes Spring 2014

THE G I F T OF JOY

As I sit to compose this letter one word resounds in my head: JOY. God has

blessed us in our House of Formation with that sustained spirit. Since our last

communication during Advent, the brothers and I have had many moments of

rejoicing together. The rst and often greatest is the liturgy together. Gathering

in our beautiful intimate chapel is a consistent source of strength and happi-ness for us. The sounds of mens voices in a unison of praise carries with it an

uplifting and fortifying power; God Himself becomes present among us.

We had a chance as a group to spend two days together at a lake house just

before Christmas day. The rst snowfall hit the area turning it into a sight of

beauty, and giving us the chance to test our tobogganing skills. Those two days

together of fellowship and prayer, rest and relaxation, chats and laughter were

a real renewal in communion. The Christmas Season brought joys of its own in

the celebration of the mystery of Christs birth, a visit to a parishioners house

to join their Christmas Eve traditions, and a time to zip home during the Octave

to be with our loved ones.Returning to Detroit renewed, we turned our gaze towards another happy

event on the horizon: the priestly ordination of four of our brothers! We were

all able to make a fun trip down to Corpus Christi, Texas to be present at their

ordinations and rst Masses. The grace of the sacrament itself, combined with

time to enjoy longstanding Christ-centered friendships, brought us back to De-

troit strengthened and encouraged.

With two diaconate ordinations and two more priestly ordinations on the hori-

zon in April and May respectively, we nd that suddenly things are happening.

Although seemingly long, ordination and the shift from formation to apostolate

come with the suddenness of surprise, anticipation and excitement.The secret of the joy of these men, I believe, is their generous spirit: they live

for God, love one another in word and deed, give themselves in service to Gods

people and nd happiness in that. In a word, they are becoming men for others.

This is their inner font of joya joy too for me to witness and live at their side.

BACK L TO R: DCN. JEREMY, BR. KYLE, DCN. MICHAEL, FR. MARK, DCN. BEAU, DCN.

TRISTAN, BR. RYAN, FRONT L TO R: BR. JULIO, BR. NICK, BR. NICHOLAS, BR. JOHN, BR.

RICHARD, BR. TIMOTHY, BR. DANNY

GR AY ROBESF ORMAT I ON PROGRA M

Supporting SOLT Brothers ofthe American Region

FR. MARK WENDLING, RECTOR

I N FORMAT ION FOR BROTH-E RHOOD AND P R I E S T HOOD

New Priests in MissionFr. Al, The PhilippinesFr. Juan, MexicoFr. Michael Mary, MontanaFr. Patrick, Michigan

Theology IV

Dcn. Beau, Idaho

Dcn. Michael, TexasDcn. Tristan, Cayman Islands

Theology IIIDcn. Jeremy, Kansas

Philosophy IIBr. Richard, EnglandBr. Timothy, Canada

College IIBr. Julio, Belize

College IBr. Nicholas, Texas

Language StudiesBr. Frisquet, Haiti

I N FOR MAT ION FORBROT HE RHOOD

Year IVBr. Peter Mire, Ireland

Year IIIBr. John, CaliforniaBr. Kyle, Minnesota

Year IIBr. Ryan, Texas

Year IBr. Danny, MississippiBr. Nick, Missouri

CONTACT SOLT

SOLT House of Formation1721 Junction St.

Detroit, MI 48209313.842.3450

Rector/Vocations DirectorFr. Mark Wendling, SOLT361.767.9567

[email protected]

SOLT Development OfceSr. Mary Mediatrix of All Grace, SOLTPO Box 4116Corpus Christi, TX 78469361.289.9095 Ext. [email protected]


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Spring 2014 The Gray Robes 3

Brother Danny:The advice Dcn. Beau gave me was a

game-changer. He pointed out that we could take it to

the next level by bringing Christ to the people instead

of just bringing them food. A whole new dimension of

the program was added. Instead of just fullling the

corporal works of mercy, it has become a sharing in

their situations, even in their sufferings, and nding

fulllment by bringing them joy.

The food program also feeds me. Ive been enriched by

becoming a brother to the poor and not just an ad-

ministrator to the poor. God sends me not to go out

there and get it done. Jesus is saying, Brother Danny,

bring meto them. I get to do it in Spanish too. For the

rst time in my life, I am nally able to help people by

speaking Spanish. That is a huge blessing!

Our friendship is another huge blessing at the foodpantry. Serving together with a shared goal on a little

food team brings me great joy. I have become bona

de friends with the staff and volunteers. We all look

forward to bringing a smile to people.BR. NICK(LEFT) AND BR. DANNY PREPARE SACKS OF FOOD.

Brother Nick:Before we start in the morning I think of the Beatitudes, in particular, Blessed are those who hungerand thirst. After our neighbors leave, I feel blessed by having been with them, and I know how much they ap-

preciate having something to eat.

It lls my spirit to help people in Detroit. It is nourishing to me, just to have the chance to feed people. I think about

Christ dining with sinners. Hes not looking at what a person does for a living or how dirty someones clothes

arehe sees a brother or a sister. This is where Im fed the most: through Jesus I discover new brothers and sisters.

I nd them in the people I work with and the people who come to the food pantry. Sometimes people share their

struggles and sufferings with me, giving me things that I can pray for and letting me build relationships that bring

me closer to Christ.

THE BROTHERS GREET V ISITORS AT THE FOOD PANTRY. BR. NICKPREPARES EMPTY FOOD BOXES FOR RECYCLING.

BROTHER S TO THE POOR EXPER I ENCE S F RO M TH E

H O LY R EDE EMER FO O D PANTRY


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TOP: BP. MULVEY CONSECR ATES FR. MICHAEL MARYS HANDS

WITH CHRISM OIL .

MIDDLE: THE MEN TO BE ORDAINED RISE FOR THE GOSPEL

PROCESSION AT THEIR MASS OF ORDINATION.

BOTTOM: BP. MULVEY TEACHES AND EXHORTS THE MEN IN

PREPARATION FOR THEIR PRIESTLY MINISTRY.

FOUR MEN BECOME

WOR K ER S

FOR THE

V IN EYAR D


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Father Al Abainza, Father Juan Villagomez, Father Patrick Prajzner, and Father

Michael Mary Wight are ordained to the Sacred Priesthood on Friday,

January 24, 2014 in Corpus Christi Cathedral by Bishop Mulvey.

Watching these men, my brothers, be ordained to the priesthood was

like watching a close friend get married. The thought of not receiving

their guidance and fraternal care each day, as I did in Detroit for two

years, unsettled me a bit. But witnessing them fulll the deepest longing

in their hearts brings me great joy. On January 24thmy older brothers

denitively became my spiritual fathers. They were given to you and thewhole world for its salvation. Christ has made them his priests. Rejoice

with me! ~ Deacon Jeremy

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: WITH HIS SIS-

TERS IN THE BACKGROUND, SR. AURORA

AND DOLORES VILLAGOMEZ, DCN. JUAN

JOYFULLY AWAITS HIS ORDINATION TO

THE PRIESTHOOD.

FR. MICHAEL MARYMINISTERS THE BODY

OF CHRIST TO HIS MOTHER.

FR. ALELEVATES THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

AT HIS MASS OF THANKSGIVING IN ST.

JOSEPHS CHURCH.

NEWLY ORDAINED FR. MICHAEL MARY

(CENTER), WITH DCN. TRISTANAND DCN.

MICHAEL, PREPARES TO RECEIVE GIFTS OF

BREAD AND WINE TO BE CONSECRATED

AT HIS MASS OF THANKSGIV ING.


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Brother Timothyconcluded his Philosophy studies at

Sacred Heart Major Seminary by writing a capstone the-

sis that examines community life from the vantage points

of modern philosophy, theology and the Gospel.

In the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, we

emphasize the importance of our relationships with one an-

other. Community life is a signicant part of our formation

as religious brothers.

In modern philosophy, true community has sometimes been

seen as an impossible ideal. It is thought that community

will always be a constant battle of wills. The philosopher,

Jean Paul Sartre, said that living with other people in com-

munity is nothing short of hell.

As Christians we hold a different view. All of us began in

community, born into a family with people we did not

choose, and we might not have chosen if given the chance.

Likewise with community in religious life, we do not choose

the people with whom we will live. God chose them for us.

Our tasks are to discover why God chose these people for

us and to grow in love as we come to discover them as gifts.

Anyone who has tried living in community knows these

tasks can be very difcult. Entering community, we bring

with us our gifts and strengths, but also our weaknesses

and wounds. Often we are not aware of our own weak-

nesses and wounds until communal living reveals them to

us. We want to hide our shortcomings, afraid to let people

see our true selves. The temptation is to ee community

and to live in isolation where we wont have to face our

weaknesses. But when we persevere in community life, we

gradually break through our defense mechanisms and our

fears. When we learn to become vulnerable and see that

we are loved and accepted even in our weakness and bro-

kenness, then authentic relationships can take place and

community becomes a place of liberation, growth, and joy.

~ Brother Timothy

Learn how to encounter others with the right attitude, which is to accept and

esteem them as companions along the way, without interior resistance. Better

yet, it means learning to nd Jesus in the faces of others, in their voices, in their

pleas. And learning to suffer in the embrace of the crucied Jesus whenever we

are unjustly attacked or meet with ingratitude, never tiring of our decision to

live in fraternity. ~ Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium

FAC ING OUR W EAK NESSES , F IND ING OUR JOY


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ABOVE: DCN. JEREMY IS ORDAINED

BY BISHOP MONFORTON FROM

THE DIOCESE OF STEUBENVILLE,

OHIO.

THE ENTIRE CHURCH PRAYS FOR

THE ORDINATION CANDIDATES AS

THEY LIE PROSTRATE.

ON BEHALF OF THE NEW DEACONS,

DCN. BEAU SAYS, THANK YOU.

LEFT: BR. JULIOPRAYS WITH DCN.

JER EMYS FATHER.

DCN. JEREMY SHARES THE JOY OF

ORDINATION WITH GERALDINA

AND HIS MOTHER.

SOLT MEMBERSPRIESTS, SISTERS,

BROTHERS AND LAITYGATHER

TO PRAY AND CELEBR ATE THE

ORDINATIONS.

Brother Beauand Brother Jeremywere

ordained to the Diaconate alongside

seminarians from the Archdiocese of Detroit.

DIACONATE OR D INAT IONSS AC R ED H E A RT M A J OR S EM I N ARY A PR I L 1 2 , 20 14


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SOCIETY OF OUR LADY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY

Gray Robes Formation Program

PO Box 4116 Corpus Christi, TX 78469

Non-Pro

U.S. Postag

PAIDRobstown,

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The Gray Robes: Spring 2014

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