WORLDCATHOLIC.US W W W. X AV E R I A N M I S S I O N A R I E S .

O R G

News
VOL. 71 NO. 2 MAY 2023

Photo: Mentawai Woman, Indonesia https://commons.

wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Potrait_of_Mentawai_People_(20).
jpg
Yuliseperi2020, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

NEWSLETTER OF THE XAVERIAN MISSIONARIES USA

 SUMMARY
3 The Beauty of God’s Love
4-5 A man who spends his life loving and
serving humanity
6-7 Painting the Way of the Cross in a
Muslim village
My Missionary Experience and My
8-9
Expectations for the XVIII General
Chapter of the Xaverian Family
10 Paolo Andreolli, sx ordained auxiliary
bishop of the Archdiocese of Belém
11 USA News

4
WORLDCATHOLIC.US News Magazine
Official publication of the United States
Delegation of the Xaverian Missionaries
Delegation House
12 Helene Court
Wayne NJ, 07470
973-942-2975
Our Lady of Fatima Shrine
101 Summer Street
Holliston, MA 01746
508-429-2144
Xavier Knoll
4500 West Xavier Drive
Franklin WI
414-421-0831
[email protected]
worldcatholic.us
Publisher
Fr. Mark Marangone, sx
Communications Board
Fr. Carl Chudy sx

6
Br. Korneilus Glossanto, sx
Fr. Rocco Puopolo sx
Fr. Alex Rodriguez sx
Rev. Mr. Pietro Rossini sx
Editor, Layout, Design
Mary Aktay
Printer
AlphaGraphics, Totowa NJ

Please consider donating to the Xaverian

Missionaries through our Communities
listed above or online at https://www.
xaverianmissionaries.org/support/.
Please also consider naming the St. Francis
Xavier Foreign Mission Society in your Will.
Together we can help St. Guido Conforti’s
vision to “Make of the World One Family”
become a reality.

8 WORLDCATHOLIC.US NEWS 2
Upholding the Highest Standards of
Abuse Prevention
 Fr. Mark’s Message

“The Beauty of God’s

Love!”
One day the newly installed pastor walked around the streets of his new
parish to acquaint himself with the people in the neighborhood. One of his
first stops was at the local shoemaker’s shop.
The pastor talked to the cobbler, using, at times, some lofty theological lan-
guage. The cobbler replied with keen understanding and deep spiritual insight
that left the pastor astonished. “You shouldn’t be cobbling shoes,” stated the
pastor. “A man with understanding and a clear manner of expressing those thoughts
should not be doing such menial, secular work.”
The cobbler was quick to reply, “Pastor, you better take that back now!” “Take what back?” Asked the pastor.
“Take back,” responded the cobbler, “that I’m just doing menial, secular work.”
Becoming annoyed, the cobbler continued, “Do you see that pair of boots on the shelf? They belong to the son
of the Widow Healy, whose husband died last year. She’s supported by her only child, who manages to keep a
roof over their heads by working outdoors every day. I hear bad weather is in the forecast, and I felt the Lord
saying to me, ‘Will you cobble Widow Healy’s boy some shoes so he won’t catch a cold and come down with
some sickness?’ I replied, ‘Certainly, Lord, I will.’”
Looking at the pastor, the cobbler said, “Pastor, now you preach sermons under God’s direction, I trust. And
I will cobble that boy’s boots under God’s direction. Then, one day, when the final rewards are given out, the
Harvest Master will say to you and to me the same approving pronouncement - ‘Well done, my good and faith-
ful servant. (Mt 25:21)’”
Faithfulness and doing everything for God will always make a difference as we live out the charism St. Guido
Maria Conforti, our Father and Founder, shared with us.
St. Paul, a faithful servant of the crucified and Risen Lord reminds and assures us that “Nothing will be able to
separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)
In the Ressurection, our Lord reveals “the beauty” of God’s Love, who, passing through the sacrifice of the
cross and death, is transfigured in the Risen Jesus, ever living and ever present in and among those who put his
Word into practice, ready to put on His apron… ready to love and serve others just as He did.
Still experiencing the consequences of the pandemic, we need even more of that oil called ‘patience, under-
standing, thinking of others, and compassion,’ in our daily life and relationships.
In each present moment, we are invited to remain faithful and to renew that “Yes,” we said to the One who
called us to follow in his footsteps and to carry out his mission today, so to experience resurrection and new
life and share hope with those who cross our paths.

With deep gratitude,

Fr. Mark and the Xaverian Missionaries

WORLDCATHOLIC.US NEWS 3
M I S S I O N A RY S P OT L I G H T

A man who spends his life loving and

serving humanity
By Sonalika Goswami; first published in Boston University News Service
Edited for accuracy by Fr. Rocco Puopolo, sx
Father Rocco Puopolo, sx, sat back in his office where his colleagues were hiding, they could
chair at the Xaverian Missionaries community see that he was shot. He was in denial.
of Holliston and recalled the day he was shot When he looked down, he realized it was
by the 11-year-old child soldier in his Center in true. A nurse there stopped the bleeding and
Sierra Leone, West Africa. He was the director after an hour they decided the campus was
at the Pastoral Center in Kenema that provided no longer safe, and they walked three miles
post-secondary school programs. It was 40 into the forest.
miles away from the insurgent’s headquarters
While he was walking on his wounded leg,
during the Sierra Leone Civil War. That morning
all he could think of was Jesus on the cross
in 1997, when he had just begun his duties, the
praying. “Father, forgive them for they know
young soldiers attacked and looted the center.
not what they are doing.”
“We were warned the day before that they were
coming but we stayed anyway,” Fr. Rocco said. “I was praying for the young boy who had no
One of the soldiers struck up a conversation intention of harming me.”
with him. “In an African sense, we established As they were walking towards the forest,
a relationship by conversing for about 15 in his mind he could hear this conversation
minutes and so we “became friends.” playing out in his head. “Why did you stay?
When the boy realized he was getting no This war is not about you and now you are
benefit out of the conversation, he “politely harmed,” his workers said.
excused himself” to join the other boys who
He could hear his reply, “It’s like a marriage.
were already vandalizing the property. In the
Fr. Rocco Puopolo, sx afternoon, the boys reached the storeroom
There are good days and bad days. This was
a bad day. I’ll survive.”
where the Mass wine was and started drinking.
They became quite drunk. They caused no But what he felt at that moment was a deep
physical harm. love for the people around him. He was
willing to give his life for them and he knew
Later, at around 4 p.m., the boy, thinking he
they were willing to give their lives for him.
had befriended the priest, came back drunk
That was an enlightening moment for him.
and asked him to unlock the office across the
He knew he had taken the right path in life.
mall so that they could loot what may be there.
Fr. Rocco replied that he had moved everything At the Center, Fr. Rocco developed
to his apartment which they had already looted reconciliation and peace programs with
so there was nothing left of value in the offices. people of all ages, including nurses, teachers,
The boy tried to force him to go. “I said I wanted and doctors, who would be the first people to
to stay where I was. He started wrestling and meet the returning refugees when the war
pulling me to the door … He had an AK-47 and ended. These programs were training of the
he shot it near my feet to scare me,” and the trainers so that they could know ‘what the
bullet ricocheted and entered Fr. Rocco’s thigh. refugees went through and help them heal.’”
“I didn’t see it; I didn’t feel it. He saw what he He also worked on youth empowerment
had done and ran away,” Fr. Rocco said. programs and women’s cooperatives until
When Fr. Rocco walked back to his living room, 1999.

WORLDCATHOLIC.US
WORLDCATHOLIC.US NEWS 4
NEWS 4
Sierra Leone had 15,000 child soldiers
during the 10-year war. “Many of the wars
till today are fought by children,” he said.
“It’s really obnoxious.”
Childhood in Boston Fr. Rocco at the National
As a young boy, Rocco was surrounded by a Religious Vocation Council
family that made regular visits to church. He Conference (NRVC) convention
in 2020, where he was the
dreamed of becoming an architect, doctor,
celebrant for the Anniversary
or priest. When growing up in Boston, he
Mass. He used his African
found the city’s Bishop inspirational with Chasibule and began the
a “global sense” while he was serving as Anniversary Mass with an
the director of the mission office. Cardinal African Libation Ceremony.
Cushing inspired many young men and
women to become missionaries. Rocco
decided to become a priest at 10 years
old with early support from his mother and
grandmother. He wished to serve in Asia.
“But the joke of it is I never went to Asia,”
Fr. Rocco said.
When he was in graduate school there
was an opportunity to serve in Sumatra
in Indonesia as an English teacher, but
the local governing board of the Xaverian
Missionaries sent him to Sierra Leone
instead for the internship. Later as a young
priest, he returned to Sierra Leone for 10
more years.
A friend and former member of the
community, Charlie Vernon, said, “Fr. Rocco
is a good man and I think he is the perfect
fit as the superior in charge of the Holliston
community. The way he helps everyone Fr. Rocco with friends in Sierra Leone in 2009
around is inspiring.”

Present day in Holliston

Returning to a state of calm in his light-
bearded face, he described his daily life
at the age of 73 in Holliston where he
and fellow Xaverian priests live and serve
together.
Each of them has assigned tasks. Fr. Rocco
administers Fatima Shrine, is involved in
the Massachusetts Pax Christi Movement,
and offers retreats on Catholic Social
Teachings.
Susan Martell, secretary at Fatima Shrine,
said, “I see this whole place as a family, and
he is the head of the family.”
Fr. Rocco at 2023 Triduum Liturgy at St. Joseph Parish
in Medway MA, photo courtesy of Mike Marrafino

WORLDCATHOLIC.US NEWS
WORLDCATHOLIC.US NEWS 55
Painting the Way of the Cross
in a Muslim village By Fr. Antonius Wahyudiyanto, sx

T
he sky was cloudy when I and Mr. families. There are four mosques in the ecclesial and communal process.
Marinus Satoleuru, the parish Matotonan district and only one Catholic During the painting of the Way of the Cross
catechist, arrived at the bank church. However, the two communities on the veranda of Rosanna’s house, our
of the muddy river nearby the live in peace. Matotonan is among 27 sub- Mentawaian Muslim brothers and sisters
sub-station of Matotonan, after more than stations in the Parish of Siberut (Mentawai), who were passing by curiously stared at
three hours sitting in a meditation pose that we take care of more intensively the wooden panels I had just sketched
on the small canoe called a “pompong.” because the Catholic communities are and painted. Some enthusiastic Muslim
Unfortunately, the propeller of our pompong surrounded by the Mentawaian Muslim children stood closer to me watching
fell deep into the river before reaching our majority. me paint. They were impressed with the
destination. So, we needed to continue our At around 6 p.m., we arrived at the house paintings of the Face of the Suffering Christ
journey by walking on the slippery road of Rosanna, who belongs to one of our during His journey to Calvary bearing His
towards the center of the Matotonan sub- Catholic families and lives very close to the cross. One of the Catholics explained to
station for about 30 minutes on a drizzly Catholic church of St. Luke. My aim was the Muslim children that the one who was
afternoon. For me, this pastoral trip, which to stay four days in this place to paint 14 bearing the heavy cross was Jesus Christ,
lasted 4 hours, made on foot and in a small pictures of the Way of the Cross, and to or the Prophet Isa Almasih, the Lord of the
canoe was like practicing the liturgy of the put them on the wall inside the church. I Christians. Marinus, the catechist, added
Via Crucis every Friday of Lent, in all its 14 wanted to finish in three days. Mr. Marinus that Jesus Christ was crucified on the
stations. and some members of the sub-station Cross offering his life obediently to save all
Matotonan is the farthest sub-station in council helped me to cut the wooden panels humankind. In this Muslim village, painting
the Sarereiket river, 35 km from the parish into 14 pieces of the same size of 50 x 50 the Way of the Cross became an instrument
center. In this village, most of the local cm square. The creation of the pictures of to rebuild the creative dialogue with them
population are Muslims with 400 Muslim the Way of the Cross in Matotonan was not through our Christian art.
families. Catholics make up about 72 a private or personal undertaking, but an A Catholic boy (aged 4) attentively looked

WORLDCATHOLIC.US NEWS 6
at every detail I was painting. He is the
grandson of Mr. Antonius Sakarigi, the
leader of the liturgical section in this sub-
station. While I was painting the eighth
station, “Jesus meets the women of
Jerusalem who weep for him,” I explained
to the boy in a simple way that together with
those weeping women, there also were some
children and that one of the children in the
painting was him. He smiled at me tenderly.
At this point, my mind was pondering the
Crucifix of Our Founder, when he still was a
child. As a Xaverian Missionary, I wanted to
tell this child that our Founder, St. Guido M.
Conforti, when he was a boy had received
his holy vocation from the Crucifix saying;
“I looked at Him, He looked at me, and it
seemed to me that He said many things.”
To me, painting the Way of the Cross in
Matotonan is a visual catechism to our
Mentawaian Catholics. Moreover, for more
than 60 years, the church of Matotonan had
no pictures of the Stations of the Cross!
Personally, painting the way of the cross in
this small Catholic community was a kind
of penitential journey as well. In addition, I
am not sure if the people in Matotonan sub-
station would do the liturgy of the Way of
the Cross during the Lenten Season without
those 14 illustrations. Patiently they have
been longing for those paintings to hang on
the wall inside their church for more than 60
years. And praise the Lord, finally, I could
finish and provide free of cost all 14 works
of art in three days for our small but beloved
sub-station, a village whose population is
mostly Muslim.
During my free time on a drizzly evening,
one of our Catholic family invited me to his
house to have a special dinner also along
with other Muslim sisters and brothers.
Among them, there was an ustadz (Muslim
religious man) and some of the village
leaders. Informally and fraternally, we
were chatting about how to rebuild the
dialogue of life among the Muslim majority
and the Catholic minority. Living together
joyfully with the majority Muslim brothers
and sisters is a golden opportunity for
our Catholics to be genuine witnesses of Photos courtesy of the Xaverian Missionaries
Christ’s love in Matotonan. General Direction

WORLDCATHOLIC.US NEWS 7
REFLECTIONS ON THE GENERAL CHAPTER

My Missionary Experience and My Expectations for

the XVIII General Chapter of the Xaverian Family
Fr. Maurice Fokam, sx

I have been working in that the Pope gives in this encyclical

the parish of Our Lady document. I proudly describe myself as
of the Assumption of a missionary of the Evangelii Gaudium
Siberut (in the Mentawai generation.
Islands) in Indonesia The second reason comes more from
since November 2020. personal conviction, to bloom where
If we can qualify our we are sown. This leads me to answer
places of mission in the affirmative that I love my Xaverian
in terms of difficult vocation as a son of Saint Guido Maria
environments and in Conforti in the context in which I am.
easy environments, However, this love is sometimes marked
the parish where I am by misunderstandings.
currently is one of those
qualified as difficult. The island of Mentawai is if we can
After the study of the say so, a Christian stronghold in the
Indonesian language, the province of West Sumatra which is
Regional Superior (who predominantly Muslim and home to

I
after 8 months works one of the most fanatical Islamist
n a few months, delegates from with us as parish priest) groups. One of our efforts then consists
each region where we serve in the let me know that being still young, I can in “protecting” the stronghold from
Lord’s vineyard following the legacy start my mission in a rather ‘difficult’ Islamization, which is increasingly
we received from our founder Saint area. Having spent 4 days in this parish prevalent because of financial
Guido Maria Conforti, will meet in when I was still studying the Indonesian resources and administrative influence
Bukavu (DRC) for the great assembly language, I had many questions that can sometimes force Christians to
that is the general chapter. This is about my ability to withstand such an adhere to Islam. Sometimes Christians
the time given to us to reflect on the environment. With joy, I said, “I accept.” compare us to those imams who can
presence of our family in order to Sometimes during exchanges with build mosques in a short period of time,
give us new directions. “Loving our friends, they ask me how much longer while it takes years to build a chapel. We
Xaverian vocation” is the theme that I will have to stay here. And my answer are then seen as incapable of keeping
has been chosen for this year 2023. is another question. “Leave here to go up with them.
This sharing will have two main where?” Regarding the perceptions that others
points. The first part will be an answer The highlights that help me love my have of my missionary vocation,
to the main question that will guide Xaverian vocation are two. I would say that there is a certain
the General Chapter, that of saying misunderstanding at the starting point
how personally I love my Xaverian The first draws its origin from Pope and the finishing point. By starting
vocation. In the second part, I will give Francis’ encyclical document Evangelii point here, I mean my origin, my native
some points that I believe can guide Gaudium. When I started theological village (Bandjoun) in Cameroon, and
the discussions of our Chapter Fathers studies in an institution belonging to by finishing point I designate this place
so that their resolutions in this chapter the Jesuits, this encyclical was like where I live my missionary experience.
urge us to love our vocation and to the guideline of the institution, and we It is difficult for others to understand our
love it more. were modeled according to the advice

WORLDCATHOLIC.US NEWS 8
style of being missionary and consecrated, the chapter because more and more we young confreres in formation to living with
living in poverty. Oftentimes, some cousins observe the rise of nationalism in our those who are different in terms of race,
have called on me to help them carry out family. The joy and love that I have for culture or origin is a good initiative that
their projects with expectations that I am my vocation as a member of the Xaverian we have carried out so far. Sometimes
unable to meet. Here where we live, it is family leads me to make some proposals to there are ideas about grouping confreres
also useless to explain to someone that our capitular fathers. in formation by continent (continental
“priests have no money” because he One of my expectations has to do with theology). I do not share this opinion. The
will never believe the reasons for this. the basic formation. Sometimes we spend configuration of our theological houses
These misunderstandings and incorrect a lot of energy on vocational animation, (Mexico City, Parma, Manila, Yaoundé) as
perceptions have never been a hindrance which is a good thing. Sometimes we do it currently is, favors good integration into
to the enthusiasm of our father, Guido not observe the same enthusiasm when our family. If we are thinking of changing
Maria Conforti, or of Jesus, our missionary these young people have already entered this configuration, the best option would be
model par excellence. our family. What happens in the houses of to have a single theological house for all.
Alongside these misunderstandings, there formation has a great effect on those who During the chapter, there is also the election
is a certain joy that animates me, the joy of desire to serve the Lord in our family. In of the council that will lead the congregation
being a link in the chain for the realization my journey, I have encountered situations for a period of 6 years. I expect to see an
of the ideal of making the world one family. where a confrere finds himself forced to increasingly representative council of the
My experience allows me to understand abandon the family. It is preferable that general direction, counselors of Asian,
that the mission ad gentes, ad extra, and ad the regions of origin of the young confreres European, African, and American origin.
vitam is a great gift for the Church. Working in our theological houses at least once a May the Holy Spirit who has always guided
in a place where everything is new to me, year contact them to encourage them and us be the ‘Guide’ to enlighten our chapter
the language, the culture, the landscape, inquire about their background. Technology fathers.
and many other things strengthens my has already made so many means available
idea that the world still needs our presence to us to do this.
for the proclamation of the reign of God. Our Family is increasingly diverse in terms
This founding principle of our mission of the origin of its members. Familiarizing
must be defended and maintained during

WORLDCATHOLIC.US NEWS 9
World Mission News “Making of the World One Family...”

Xaverian Missionary Ordained Auxiliary

Bishop

O
n Saturday, April 15, 2023, at
9:00 a.m., at the Cathedral
of Belém (Pará),Brazil, the
Xaverian Father Paolo Andreolli
was ordained auxiliary bishop of
the Archdiocese of Belém. The
ordaining bishop was Dom Alberto
Taveira Corrêa, Archbishop of
Belém (PA), and the two co-
consecrating bishops were Dom
Bernardo Johannes Bahlmann
O.F.M., Bishop of the Diocese of
Óbidos (PA), and Dom Adolfo Zon
Pereira SX, Bishop of the Diocese
of Alto Solimões (AM).
The episcopal motto chosen
by Bishop Paolo is “Corações
ardentes pés a caminho”, a clear
reference to the text from Luke
(24:32-33): “Nonne cor nostrum
ardens erat in nobis, dum
loqueretur nobis in via...” (Did not
our hearts burn within us, while he
talked to us on the road?)
The elements present in the
episcopal coat of arms are:
1. a burning heart,
2. “feet in motion” depicted by the
world map, also reminding us
of the Xaverian vocation,
3. a star representing Mary as
the “star of evangelization”;
4. the green and blue colors that
refer to the forest and rivers of
the Amazon region.

WORLDCATHOLIC.US NEWS 10
USA NEWS DELEGATION HOUSE, WAYNE NJ
Fr. Michael Davitti’s Scripture Study Group continues to meet on Fridays at 1:30
PM during the summer in the library of the Delegation House. Please email
[email protected] for more information.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA SHRINE, HOLLISTON MA
Pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal
We have space left in a special pilgrimage we are offering to Fatima, Portugal,
commemorating the 75th anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima Shrine this year. The
pilgrimage will take place September 3-10, 2023. The deadline is May 31, join us
now while there is still space. Contact us at [email protected] or
call 508.429.2144. Reserve your place today!
Helping Refugees
The Metrowest Interfaith Dialogue Project, which we began in 2018, continues to
bring ways to inspire and bring new levels of understanding among the different
faiths of our community, as well as those that are spiritual but not religious. Recently,
we began to gather volunteers from our different faith communities to work together
to welcome Ukrainian war refugees. Interested in volunteering or donating? Visit
https://www.hollistoninterfaith.org/interfaith-refugee-committee.html
XAVIER KNOLL, FRANKLIN WI
“As followers of Christ, we are sent to proclaim, to free, and to give back sight.
These activities require us to help others, not only in their spiritual needs but also
help them to achieve a decent life, so that they, in turn, may become heralds of
God’s graciousness. Nevertheless, for us to grow more sensitive to the needs of
others, we must grow in our union with God, recognizing that we are all members
of God’s one family. Join us as we celebrate as a family at Xavier Knoll’s Mission
Festival on June 24-25!”
~ Fr. Alex Rodriguez, sx

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Wayne, NJ 07470 Holliston, MA; □Delegation House, Wayne, NJ

WORLDCATHOLIC.US NEWS 11
 Picture Yourself with Us!
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