GO OUT TO ALL THE WORLD: NOVEMBER 15
FEAST OF ST. JOHN PAUL THE GREAT
On the 23rd of October, the Church celebrated the feast of St. John Paul the Great. It was a special day for the entire religious family which holds him as a particular patron, considered as father of our congregation.
In Rome the Holy Mass was celebrated at the altar of the Chair of St. Peter.
The festivities were also extended at our mother house in Argentina.
On this day, in the Philippines, 5 religious professed their perpetual vows and 8 novices received the cassock, the distinctive sign of their consecration to God.
In Brazil, beyond the Holy Mas, they also had a concert in honor of the saintly pope.
In Spain, two seminarians received the Ministry of the Instituted Acolyte at the monastery in Pueyo.
In addition, ceremonies were held in all of the missions, giving thanks to God for this great saint.
NEW MISSIONS
In the month of October, a new foundation began at the request of Msgr. Mariano Crocciata in the old abbey of Fossanova. A Benedictine monastery was founded in this place while St. Benedict was yet still living; there St. Bernard began the first Cistercian monastery in Italy, and oversaw the building of the actual abbey in the 12th century. It was there also that St. Thomas Aquinas, on his way to the Council of Lyon, left this life for the Father’s house. This place, both historic and sacred, will count on the pastoral care of the priests of the IVE, and at the same time serve as a center for cultural formation. For this reason, the opening of the scholastic year with the Lectio Brevis took place at this significant site.
In other parts… the mission on Tinos Island, Greece, began with the presence of Fathers Giacomo Mucha and Fernando Bravo. This mission will have Our Lady of the Rosary as patroness.
The Servants of the Lord have a new community to assist at the school “Maria Aprutina”, in Teramo, Italy.
Lastly, on the Solemnity of All Saints, the monks Agustín Prado, Andrea Bersanetti, and Cristóbal Armijo were assigned to the Monastery of Valvanera to assist with the pastoral care of this Sanctuary of the Virgin.
CELEBRATION OF ALL SAINTS
The great Solemnity of All Saints was celebrated with special activities in our missions and apostolates. Processions and presentations of the lives of the different saints with which the Church is enriched were organized. Many parishes followed the tradition that the children dress-up as saints; remembering the need to imitate their examples and seek holiness.
RELIGIOUS VOWS AND CONSECRATION TO MARY
PERPETUAL VOWS: Seven Servants of the Lord consecrated themselves completely to God by means of the perpetual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience: in France, Holland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Uzbekistan.
FIRST VOWS: On their side, 4 IVE seminarians and 19 novices made their first profession of vows in Italy, Spain, and the United States.
VOW OF MARIAN SLAVERY: One of the characteristics of our charism is devotion to the Blessed Virgin, which is manifested in our 4th vow: consecration to Mary in Maternal slavery of love. In Brazil, 18 novices of the IVE made this fourth vow on the feast of the Holy Rosary, and, on the feast of Our Lady of Aparecida, 25 novices of the Servants of the Lord made the same consecration.
