Trust God and Jump! The Franciscan Mission to Kazakhstan

Friar David Gaa writes:
I came to the friars as an “older vocation” at age 32, after having completed the university and worked for some years. If anyone had told me when I was first discerning my vocation as a friar that one day I would end up living and working in Kazakhstan I would have laughed. It certainly wasn’t part of my plans for my life. I think it was while I was a novice in 1991 that the old Soviet Union fell apart and Kazakhstan became an independent country.

What do I do and how did I end up where I am? Well, the Franciscan Mission to Kazakhstan is part of the Order’s larger project known at the St. Francis Foundation for Russia and Kazakhstan. The Foundation, like all projects of the Order of this type, is international in make up, with brothers volunteering to serve coming from many different provinces. In all of Russia and Kazakhstan there are six friaries and about 25 friars. In Kazakhstan I live in a city called Taldikorgan (population 125,000) which is located in the upper northeast part of the country, not far from the Chinese border. There are three of us in the friary, two of whom are ordained priests.
But we Franciscan brothers do much more that just staff a parish. Our Franciscan life in Kazakhstan is really more of a life of quiet presence. This is what St. Francis told us to do in the first Rule of 1221-- just to go and live among others, and when we were able, to preach the Gospel. The reality is that we are quite restricted by the government in terms of what we can actually do for ministry. So we do what St. Francis suggested we do-- we just live and work among the people and witness to our faith by the way we live our lives. Most of our neighbors are Kazakh Muslims. There are also many Russians who are Orthodox Christians. The entire Catholic population is less than 1% of the total population of Kazakhstan, so you can see how small we are. The overall goals of the Foundation have been set by Rome: implantation of the Order, service to the existing Roman Catholic population, and dialogue with our Muslim and Orthodox brothers and sisters.

I ended up here in Kazakhstan because after my solemn vows I read in one of our Franciscan newsletters about the International projects of the Order directly under the Minister General in Rome. These projects are in Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Russia and Kazakhstan, and perhaps some other places that I have forgotten at the moment. At that time I was working as a parish priest in the Southwest of our province (Tucson, Arizona) when Rome was asking for volunteers for our project in Morocco. In my heart the international projects of the Order kind of struck a cord, and so with the blessing and permission of my local Minster Provincial of the St. Barbara Province, I applied. A letter came back from Rome asking if I would be available to work in Kazakhstan instead of Morocco. I wasn’t even sure where Kazakhstan was located, except somewhere in Central Asia! But I took that leap of faith and said “yes”, and have never really regretted my decision.

In my life as a friar I have tried to be open to the Holy Spirit working in my heart , so I agreed, with a little nervousness in my heart, to serve in Kazakhstan. I was somewhat apprehensive. Could I learn Russian? Would it be too cold?, What would the ministry be like? and so on…. It reminded me of when I was first looking at religious life. I was full of questions and had many reservations then, too. Could I live as a celibate friar? Would I be happy living with so many guys? When I took my vows, could I live them? But my life here in Kazakhstan has proven, like my life as a friar, that if God is calling, He will give you the grace to live the life. I have found great joy and fulfillment as a friar and I have found great joy and fulfillment living and working in Kazakhstan.

So I am starting year five here in Kazakhstan. I am still a member of the St. Barbara Province, but on loan to Rome to serve in the St. Francis Foundation. Currently we are trying to build a little church (see photo) since we currently celebrate Mass in a house. The “parish” is on the first floor and we friars live on the second floor. Thanks to generous support of my Franciscan brothers in the province and the generosity of others, our new church is becoming a reality. The grandmothers are overjoyed to be seeing an actual church building rise!

Please pray for the Franciscan Mission in Kazakhstan and may God Bless all of you discerning our way of life. Trust God-- and jump!

Walking the Walk Along The Migrant Trail

CT: What was the original impetus for the Migrant Trail Walk?
Friar Adrian Peelo (AP): I believe it started with a group of friends who decided to walk in solidarity with the migrants and who decided they would continue to walk until the issue was settled.
Friar David Buer (DB): That’s right. When the walls were put up along the border in urban areas, it created a "funnel effect" which has lead to deaths in the desert. It is estimated that last year (2006) alone, between 200-250 migrants died in the Tucson sector alone. A total of about 4000 have died along the entire border in the last ten years. And these are only the known deaths, where the bodies have been found.
CT: Who were the sponsors of this year’s event?
DB: This year’s event was supported by a wide range of groups, both faith-based and others, including Derechos Humanos, Humane Borders, No More Deaths, Phoenix, and Borderlinks. Faith-based groups included the Casa Maria Catholic Worker, Catholic Relief Services, and the Franciscans’ JPIC (Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation Office) for the Province of St. Barbara. The Mennonite Central Committee (West Coast Region) was also involved, as well as one wonderul Buddhist monk.
CT: A Buddhist monk?
Adrian Peelo (AP). Yes, his name is Arjahn Sarayut. He’s from Thailand and works in Tucson. He told us he came out of his own curiosity and because of his work with border issues. You know, it was quite extraordinary. I had come to help as a support person for the group. So as the friars were getting out of the car, I said, “ You know, wouldn’t it be great to have Buddhist monks in this?” Then, just as they went off, I looked out the window, and there was a Buddhist monk in his saffron robes was standing right there!” We started chatting and he ended up cooking several meals for the group himself and bringing food to the marchers. We were like a little community together. He had a Franciscan humility, a generosity about him. He wanted to help, to do as much as he could.
CT: Adrian, how did you get involved in the Trail Walk?
AP: You know, people on the margins, on the periphery of society are often so desperate/. They can be hurt or even killed—exploited so easily because they have so few resources to serve them. ….The receiving community needs to be more sensitive and welcoming to them.....I can’t help thinking of my own country’s history—of people fleeing Ireland during and after the Famine in the 19th century. People crossing the Atlantic, desperate for opportunities, Many of them traveled in the notorious coffin ships and never made it to America. So, for myself, I wanted to be there for others in my own lifetime. also wanted to be with the brothers, as part of the Franciscan witness. It was not a question of just hanging out; I felt a moral imperative.
CT: What about you, David? You walked for four days and helped out with the organizing committee.
DB: I remember back to 1979. I was in Chicago when Pope John Paul II was there. He told the half-million people gathered in Grant Park: “Your ancestors came here for a better life. Today, people coming from the South and the West for the same reasons.” That really affected me. Now that I live right at San Xavier, I realized—here we are giving people water, fresh clothes. (The migrants) are literally at our doorstep…. Also, my own background has been working with homeless people over the last 25 years. I've led six pilgrimage groups the 65 miles from Las Vegas to the Nevada Test Site, so I undertstood the importance of pilgrimage. When I got settled in Tucson, I got involved with human rights groups like No More Deaths and Samaritans.
CT: What did people do during the Walk?
DB: The walkers had their own daily routine: They usually got up at 5:00 AM, and were on their way by 6:00 am. It was higly disciplined. They had to take down tents, pack their gear and get it into trucks, grab a quick bite and a cup of coffee, all within an hour. Then they walked all morning until noon, stopping to camp at a prearranged site. Along the way, we had a water stop every evey 1.5 miles. And every 3 miles, there was a rest stop with snacks. The marchers averaged 10-12 miles per day.
AP: I can tell you from my experience marching last year. It’s a mixture of conversation, sharing, getting to know each other. You see, we were people of all sorts of backgrounds, in it together. There were also quiet times, as well. Times for silence, meditation, walking in a single file as well. It was very moving, very contemplative. The walk itself became a spiritual practice.
CT: How did you see your role as Franciscans?
AP: I tried to make the entire experience a spiritual practice. We talk about the preferential option for the poor (until) it is almost a cliché, but the Walk is a real testimony to that. It’s very much in keeping with our Franciscan tradition of being should to shoulder with people of different backgrounds, people of all kinds in a humble way. Here we were, inserted into the community, not looking for privileges or attention. Pitching our tents, queuing up, sharing the hardships with everyone else. It was eminently Franciscan. I reflected about St. Francis, when he moved out of the town of Assisi into the Portiuncula, near the leprosarium, beyond the safety of the city walls.
DB: I agree. It was a taste of the migrant experience. The temperatures were in the high 90s, there were rattlesnakes. Days without being able to take a shower. But the Walk itself was peaceful, nonviolent, and in solidarity with the immigrants. We Franciscans weren’t in charge, though sometimes called to say a prayer once in a while. It was definitely a ministry of presence.
CT: What did you learn from your experience?
DB: On the humility side-- even from the beginning in Sasabe-- people on the Mexcian side of the border hosted us with a delicious meal. Other groups of people lovingly provided our meals along the way, often bringing them to us in the desert wilderness. We carried three coffins to the border: representing the children, men, and women who had died crossing. At the border itself, a Native American man gave us his blessing as we entered the US.
AP: I learned the value of our being together. What unites us is our common humanity. Jesus blessed our humanity by becoming one of us. When we are united together in a common cause-- coming from different ethnic, religious backgrounds-- it begins to dawn on us what really unites us. The way we have all been created and blessed by God. We are connected to each others, responsible for each other.
CT: How this experience reinforce your own sense of vocation at Franciscans?
DB: The Franciscan presence and witness is a gift to the world. Often times the world responds positively when it sees that witness It has to do with a spirit of prayerfulness, peacefulness, and solidarity with the poor.
AP: Every time I got out of the car, people just came over to me to talk, to be blessed. I remember that at one place, the Serenity Baptist Church, the pastor called out to me: “Oh Brother!” And some of his flock came out to shake hands, I was very moved; I didn’t have to explain that I was a friar, or what that meant. It was humbling. This year I was in the background like David, but when I saw Luis and Martin all covered with dust and perspiration, I felt a huge sense of pride in the friars for giving this witnesss. It’s a wonderful way to preach the Gospel.
DB: Yes, it was great. The fraternal support of our brothers coming together, sharing this witness.
CT: Any words of encouragement to our inquirers and discerners?
Both: Come!
DB: We’ll be marching next Memorial Day weekend, too. Join us!

Pictures from an Ordination: Father Ed Sarrazin ofm

Take some time.
Listen to your heart.
What does your heart tell you?
What does God tell you when you pray and listen?
Are you willing to say ‘yes’ to what God is asking you?

(Tucson, June 16) “So what advice would you give to someone discerning a call to priesthood or religious life?”, I asked. It was just about 1:00 pm when I had the chance to sit with our brother Ed Sarrazin for a couple of minutes to chat. Friars, family and friends had already wolfed down a generous portions of chili, beans, potato salad, fruit salad, soft drinks and a big gooey sheet cake. The Wa:k Traditional Dancers from the Tohono O’odham nation had just finished their performance here in the wonderfully cool school cafeteria at Tucson’s historic Mission San Xavier del Bac. Everyone was about ready to mosey on home—slowly, slowly, slowly—in the ferocious desert heat.

Ed, now Father Ed, had been a priest for all of ninety minutes. Yet he seemed to have been born to the manner. Here, in the midst of all the hoopla of his own ordination, Ed himself was the picture of serenity. I was amazed. “I’m usually pretty calm in situations like this. But later on, when everyone’s gone home, I know I’ll start to crash.” Thank goodness for that! Ed was human, after all; just like the rest of us.

The truth, though, is that Ed is a pretty calm and patient man. Both our Provincial Minister, Father Mel Jurisich, and the ordaining bishop, Gerald Kicanas of the Diocese of Tucson, noted as much during the liturgy. In presenting Ed to the bishop for the rite of ordination, Father Mel spoke of Ed’s “sincerity…(and) kindness…. (his) calming presence” as a friar. He also spoke of these and other gifts Ed would bring to ministry, including his “ simplicity and humility…. his acceptance of people as they are… and his particular interest in the needs of the Native Peoples.”

So was this an ordination or a canonization? Bishop Kicanas was not to be outdone in his affirmation of Ed’s personhood and gifts: “I can just imagine why these two carved lions (in the sanctuary) are smiling today,” he began. “And I can just imagine why two other lions in the sanctuary (Father Mel and Vicar Provincial Father Tom West?) must be smiling as well.” The bishop went on to tell us some things about our brother that many of us, his Franciscan brothers, had never known ourselves:

“Ed was born to Irene Sarrazin in July, 1960,” the bishop started. “John F. Kennedy was running for president that year…. And the Pittsburgh Pirates (did the impossible and ) beat the New York Yankees!” A few years later, Ed with his French Belgian and French Canadian roots, headed off to public school and CCD (“Christian Combat Duty”) classes for religious instruction. Somewhere around Confirmation, Ed got the call and later spent a college year with the Benedictines in Shawnee, Oklahoma. But it didn’t take. A teacher later reminded him that St. Augustine had a circuitous journey in his vocation as well and urged Ed not to give up. A later stint with the Vincentian community in Perryville, Missouri didn’t work out as he had hoped, either. Still, Ed didn’t give up his search.

The bishop fast forwarded to Ed’s move, with his mother, to Oceanside, California, where he spent still more years in discernment-- thirteen years total, according to his own reckoning. Father Michel Gagnon, ofm, pastor at Old Mission San Luis Rey at the time, vividly recalls Ed’s journey with the friars:

“I remember Ed when he first came to us. He was selling shoes in the mall. He was shy-- bit of a wallflower. He came to me and told me he might like to be a Vincentian brother. So he started to work as a sacristan at the Mission and we discovered he had all kinds of organizational skills and talents we never knew about.

“After that he said he’d like to work with the Confirmation preparation class—about a dozen middle-school kids. So I told him: ‘Are you sure you want to do that? Those kids will eat you alive.’ ‘So what do I have to do?’, he asked me. I told him: ‘You have to lift up your head, stick our your chest, and show them that you have confidence in yourself. And if they give anything to you—you give it right back at them! And he did! Six months later, he had the kids eating out of his hand. He came to me and said: ‘I don’t want to be a Vincentian brother anymore. I want to be one of you guys, I want to be a Franciscan friar!” And by golly, he did!’

I asked Ed himself what was the final tipping point in his own decision to become a Franciscan. He was characteristically sanguine in his response: “Someone had given me a copy of the Constitutions and Rule of the Franciscan Order,” and as I was going through it, I thought: ‘This is the life I’m already living right now. So why not try it in community?’” Ed entered postulancy in Portland in 1999 and started his novitiate at Old Mission San Miguel, California, the following summer. By 2005, he had finished his theological studies at the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, and was ready for a mission insertion experience in Baja California. As Bishop Kicanas reflects, “It was in Cabo San Lucas that Ed realized that he was (like St. Paul) an ambassador for Christ…. He saw the face of Christ in the people he served there.” Ed took that same sense of engagement to his Clinical Pastoral Experience (CPE) hospital training—and to his most recent assignment at Mission San Xavier del Bac in Tucson, accompanying the Tohono O’odham people.

At the conclusion of the Mass, Father Mel announced that Ed would remain at Mission San Xavier as his first priestly assignment. “And by the way, you have the 8:30 Mass tomorrow morning!” he chuckled. And the congregation roared.

Ed Sarrazin’s path toward religious life and priestly ordination has been, by his own description, a circuitous one. Yet all along the way, it is clear that this very down to earth man has followed his heart and committed himself to the same quietly disciplined way he now urges upon others: Take some time. Listen to your heart. What does your heart tell you? What does God tell you when you pray and listen? Are you willing to say ‘yes’ to what God is asking you?" …. Well? How about it?//

Peter Phan on Multiculturalism: Consulting Confucius (and Francis) Amid The Confusion

In a trio of lectures offered June 5-6 at the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, California, Georgetown University professor and author Peter Phan provided a much needed Asian Catholic perspective on the Church and its ministry in a multicultural society. The Vietnamese-born Phan spoke to more than a score of friars from throughout the St. Barbara Province—students, pastoral ministers, and academicians alike —about the opportunities and challenges facing the Church in the age of globalization. In doing so, he suggested both strategies and skills essential to ministering effectively in the emerging multicultural context. Strategies and skills, by the way, which are totally consistent with the Franciscan vision. The two-day event was sponsored by the St. Barbara Province Multicultural Council and hosted by the Multicultural Institute (www.mionline.org), headed by Rigoberto Caloca-Rivas ofm.

Phan laid the groundwork for his audience by providing an historical and contemporary overview of the Asian Catholic experience in the United States. “You’ve come a long way, baby!,” he quipped, quoting a Virginia Slims cigarette ad from the early 1970s and proffered it as a mock motto of the Asian experience in America. “To understand US Asian Catholics, one must first know something about the history of Catholicism in Asia itself,” he continued, stressing that for the first five hundred years of its existence, the Christian community had its epicenter not in Rome, but rather in Baghdad, demonstrating the Church’s deep roots in the Asian continent. Primary among the gifts that Asians have brought to the US church and society today, Phan stressed, is a strong sense of community identity. Simplicity of life and a sense of frugality, he suggested, are other attributes which offer a counterpoise to American society’s rampant consumerism. In addition, a longstanding tradition of nonviolence held in many Asian communities brings with it attendant values of harmony and reconciliation—values of particular salience to the American situation.

Asian Catholics in particular, Phan noted, offer a new narrative, “a new way of understanding what it means to be fully human,” to the American context. The role of the laity in initiating ministry to the immigrant community, the contributions of religious women and laypeople, the preservation of language, customs, and rituals such as the veneration of ancestors all speak of an Asian way of “being” Church.

A tiny, yet strategic minority on both continents, Asian Catholics nevertheless are bearers of a vital tradition of Christian witness, Phan observed. The Asian Church is a church of martyrs; the sense of dying for one’s faith is an integral part of both its historical and even contemporary experience. Significantly, both laypeople and women religious have been instrumental in the establishment of religious education programs in both their home and immigrant communities. By virtue of being a minority imbedded among peoples of a variety of faith traditions, Asian Catholics understand that inter-religious dialogue is not primarily about talk, rather is descriptive of an entire way of life.

Both at the onset and throughout his lectures, Phan was quick to emphasize that the Asian Catholic experience is one in which ecclesiology has emerged from spirituality and not the reverse. It is an experience rich in possibilities for ministry in a multicultural setting. In his second talk, Phan emphasized that church leaders need to readjust their vision and strategies in order to respond to the emerging reality of global culture. In this new world, “the passport you hold in your hand says nothing about who you are.” One’s identity is no longer determined or limited by traditional geographic or ethnic boundaries. Consequently, the minister must become adept at “border crossing”— and at dismantling the unjust “fences” erected in society that deny full participation to all.

“Jesus is the border crosser par excellence,” Phan emphasized. The Incarnation, the Word of God made Flesh, is the consummate act of border crossing as “God steps out of God’s self and enters into the ‘otherness’ (of human experience.” Throughout his ministry Jesus crossed borders repeatedly: He was an itinerant, himself, wandering through and throughout country and countryside. He spoke to women, touched the ritually impure, engaged foreigners, outsiders, political enemies, and collaborators alike. His death outside the city gates of Jerusalem, followed by his Resurrection redefines the very status of border as barrier or fence to that of a marker of a new frontier.

“As multicultural ministers,” Phan continued, “we have to cross borders all the time.” Consequently, one needs to embrace new expressions of spirituality in order serve others effectively. The minister needs to understand the importance of developing a ministry of presence—“to know how to be present to others as they are, not as I expect them to be.” The minister must be prepared to engage in meaningful dialogue with others, not from a position of power but rather from the stance of giving witness. Adopting a stance of self-emptying or kenosis, the minister acknowledges that s/he “comes as a guest to the other and (is prepared to) respect and follow the rules of the new environment.” Not coincidentally, this list of “new’ ministerial virtues resonates with the lived experience of Asian Catholics.

In his final lecture, Phan challenged his audience to learn from the Asian experience “not as a set of techniques or strategies… but ultimately as a way of life.” The Asian context is one marked by chronic and persistent material poverty in spite of the vaunted material blessings of globalization. It is also marked by a richness of cultural diversity and religious expression. Interest and concern focus not on the intramural, structural issues that often preoccupy Catholics in the West, but rather on the “reign of God as the center around everything the Church does.” By the year 2050, Phan predicted, both the vast majority of the world’s population as well as the vast majority of the world’s Christians will be living in the Third World. It is a context, he asserted, in which the Penecostal movement as will be the principal source of growth in the Christian community at the expense of mainline, historical churches. At the same time, multiple religious membership will become normative for many people. This changing reality calls us to be a church in dialogue with the world rather than simply proclaiming to it.//

The Vietnamese Connection

“Mot, hai, ba!... One, two, three!” Why are these Franciscan friars smiling? They’ve all been participants in this year’s Vietnamese Vocations Day Retreat hosted by the Vietnamese Del LaSalle Christian Brothers and sisters in San Jose, California on June 2. Nearly 100 young people as well as religious representing a dozen men and women’s congregations met on the campus of the LaSalle community for a day of prayer, workshops, and speakers—plus wonderful Vietnamese food and outrageous ice-breaking activities. San Jose, along with Orange County further south, functions as an important epicenter of California’s vibrant and burgeoning Vietnamese Catholic community.

Our own St. Barbara Province has been blessed with a number of vocations from the Vietnamese community, including Friars Nghia Phan and Vincent Nguyen, who participated in the weekend event. In addition, Friars Chuck Talley and Rufino Zaragoza were on hand to lend their support. In the day’s activity we were joined by our Capuchin Franciscan confreres Fr. Hung Nguyen and Brother Hai Ho who maintained a separate information table for their community.

During the day-long event, Brother Vincent, 37, shared his vocation story with the group. He spoke of his own struggles and doubts and occasional attempts to run away from his vocation. “But what really hit me,” he shared, “was when Pope John Paul II announced the beginning of the Jubilee Year in 2000. When he quoted Jesus saying that he was sent to preach the good news to the poor, I thought: 'This is what I am supposed to do with my life.' It really woke me up. After that, I thought, okay, I will look for different communities. And when I saw the Franciscans, I said ‘I want to wear that habit!.’”

A native of Saigon, Brother Vincent emigrated to the United States with his family in 1994 and settled in California’s Orange County. Like many of our Vietnamese brothers, both Vincent and his family were dislocated by the war in their homeland. His father was imprisoned for several years as a political prisoner, and the family suffered both economic privation and social ostracism. Vincent reflects that his family’s faith, as well as daily prayer together, sustained them in their difficult moments.

Brother Nghia Phan, 32, was born in the village of Ban Me Thuat, in Vietnam’s central highlands. Along with his parents and ten siblings, he came to the United States in 1993 and entered the friars after completing basic ESL/ English as a Second Language studies. Nghia made his solemn profession in 2005 and is presently pursuing studies at Holy Names University in Oakland, with a major in philosophy. His hope—“God willing”—is to be ordained a priest. His family is devoutly Catholic and has been supportive of his vocation. One of his sisters, Huyen, now Sister Dolores, is a Poor Clare in the Aptos, California community.

A warm, open, and engaging brother, Nghia does not waste words: “I found the friars sympathetic, easy to contact. They are good around people and people like to come to us.” His advice to young people: “Come and find out who are are. Don’t be afraid. We are friendly and welcoming.” In regard to his own culture and spirituality, Nghia says, “ As a province, we really work to understand and respect other cultures. We are multi-cultural and try to make everyone feel at home with us.”

Both Nghia and Vincent live at the St. Elizabeth Friary in Oakland while pursuing their studies. In addition, they are both active with the Vietnamese community at nearby St. Anthony Parish. Nghia helps with First Communion preparation classes, while Vincent works with the Confirmation group.

In addition to Nghia and Vincent, representation from the Vietnamese community in our includes Friars Tran Nguyen, Hoang Trinh, John Luat Nguyen, and Stephen Tan Nguyen – all serving as priests who are involved in parish ministry in multicultural settings.The St. Barbara Province welcomes inquirers and candidates from any and all cultures, and we have been blessed with friars whose roots reflect the rich cultural diversity of the western United States. In addition to our Vietnamese brothers, our province includes friars of Asian background with roots in the Philippines, Japan, and China.

Multiculturalism stresses the equal value of each person’s home culture and seeks to honor and respect that significant dimension in every friar’s life. It is not enough for us that our brothers come to us from a diversity of backgrounds, however. For our part, we are working to learn more about our brothers’ home cultures and to provide ways to celebrate that richness in our Franciscan life.

For several years now, friars from the St. Barbara Province along with others have been traveling on pilgrimage to Vietnam. Led by our own Brother Rufino Zaragoza, these pilgrimages have served to open our eyes to the beauty, richness, and depth of Vietnmaese culture. They have also helped us to appreciate more deeply the tremendous witness to our Catholic faith offered by our sisters and brothers in Vietnam. You can find out more about these annual trips at www.vnpilgrimage.com

A gifted composer and musician, Brother Rufino Zaragoza is internationally regarded for his pioneer work in multicultural ministry. In recent years his efforts have focused on ministry to the Vietnamese Catholic community in both Vietnam and in the United States. Working extensively through Oregon Catholic Press, Rufino has published a number of cds featuring contemporary liturgical music inspired by traditional Vietnamese sources. Recent recordings include: Chong Ngai/ Choose Christ (2007), Tim Khat Khao/Longing Heart (2004) and Chung Loi Tan Tung/ United in Faith & Song (2001). Look for his work at www.ocp.org or contact Brother Rufino directly at FriarRufino@yahoo.com
. Inquirers can contact Brother Vincent directly at vincentofm@yahoo.com. Nghia can be reached at nghiaphan_ofm@hotmail.com.

A Tale of 3 Dinners

Oakland. (May 17) It’s 5:15-- time for evening prayer here at the St. Elizabeth friary in Oakland’s Fruitvale district. Felipé and José have been invited to dinner before the monthly Spanish-language group begins at 7:30. Yolanda, our cook, has prepared grilled chicken breasts, rice and beans, a table full of salad fixings, and a huge platter of fresh strawberries. After the guardian, Father Ponchie Vasquez, blesses the food, plates are handed to the newcomers, and everyone gets into the buffet line.

Father Peter Krieg, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, presides at the head of a table that easily seats 20. Everyone else grabs a ready chair and latecomers squeeze in at the far end. Except for Fathers Kenny,Oscar, Gabriel, and Ponchie, most of the friars in the house are in full-time studies at places ranging from Laney College and Holy Names University to the Franciscan School of Theology—FST). The strain of final exams is showing tonight. Several of the brothers, absorbed in their thoughts, mop up their plates in a hurry, then dash back to their computers to work on final papers. Still, there’s plenty of table talk as puns, jokes, and lively banter bounce around the room in both English and Spanish. Brother Nghia, famous for his love of spicy flavors, has prepared a plate of chopped red onions laced with a lethal dose of chopped jalapenas. Only the truly brave dare to sample.

In tonight’s group, there are eight men, including three newcomers. We start in the chapel with Night Prayer (Completas), then move to the reading room for discussion. We’ve selected a story from Friar Murray Bodo’s Francisco: el viaje y el sueno/ Francis: The Journey and the Dream. The discussion is animated, with lots of personal anecdotes and reflection. Friars Martin Ibarra and Sebastian Sandoval are on hand to help facilitate. By 9:00 pm, we make plans for our next meeting, then close with prayer.

Los Angeles (May 18). It’s Friday here at St. Francis of Assisi friary in LA’s Silver Lake neighborhood. Local friars— Fr. Rick Juzix, the pastor; Fr. Alberto Villafan, parochial vicar; and Br. Hajime Okuhara--- have been pitching in to help set things up for our dinner and meeting. It’s been a balmy, late-spring day so we’ll eat out on the patio. Rick and Hajime have hauled a church table and chairs over from the parish hall. I’ve been working on the culinary side: roast pork loin, a black bean salad, some leftover potato salad, and a big gooey cholocate cake from Vons.

Soon, our guests will begin to arrive and then keep trickling in over the course of the evening “depending on the traffic.” By 7:15, we’ll have a quorum and sit down to eat. Five inquirers tonight: two regulars, including Eric who has just been accepted for postulancy—and three newcomers, all of whom initially contacted us through our province website: http://www.sbfranciscans.org. The conversation is a bit stiff at first, until we get on the subject of hospital ministry. Several of our inquirers have had health care experience, and Brother Hajime still has vivid memories of his recent stint in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training. Alberto shares about an early experience in priestly ministry: “It doesn’t always work if only the family asks for the priest to come”, he reflects. “The patients themselves have to want us to be there.” The friars nod knowingly; we’ve been there. “Oh. And one thing I learned early on,” I offered. “ If you enter a room unannounced wearing a black shirt and clerical collar, good luck. The patients may panic and figure: ‘The priest is here. That means I’m going to die.’ That one gets a few chuckles, as we move indoors for more serious talk. Eric is asked how he feels about entering postulancy in September. He shares—eloquently-- about his own faith journey and discernment. There’s more talk about process, until at nine, we close with informal night prayer in the house chapel and chant the “Salve Regina” together.

Tucson. (May 18) Brother David Buer is handling things this month at historic Mission San Xavier del Bac. This will be a small group: Manny, a member of the Tohono O’odham nation and a regular, is here. Antonio has managed to get a ride from Nogales, 40 miles south. John, a recent inquirer, is expected soon.

David escorts our guests into the house chapel for evening prayer. At six, everyone sits down to dinner. As the serving plates are passed, guests are made welcome and friars check in about their day. Brother Brian works at the school and is resident computer whiz; David has been doing work with an interfaith group providing humanitarian assistance along the border. Fathers Steve and Edgar as well as Deacon Ed all work in the Mission parish. Father Camillus has been tending to the garden.

After dishes, a few of the friars will sit with David and our guests. There is a check-in followed by sharing. Friar Deacon Ed Sarrazin talks about his upcoming priestly ordination on June 16. Also, tonight, there’s a short dvd, The Gubbio Project, involving our own Fr. Louie Vitale, who has long been involved in peace and justice work…. As always, things close with prayer.

Why Prayer and Discernment Groups?
Prayer groups are a great way for inquirers to meet the friars and each other in a friendly and informal setting. The groups provide regular contact, information, referrals, and support. They help to break down isolation and stimulate personal growth.

Only Three Groups?
Right now, groups meet from September through June in LA, Tucson, and Oakland. New groups can be formed as interest arises in an area.

How do I join a group?
Contact Father Chuck at the Office of Vocations: 916/443-2714. Or email us at: friarchat@yahoo.com.//

Meet our New Postulants!

Following our annual admissions retreat (May 10-12) at Danville, California this year, our Provincial Minister, Father Mel Jurisich ofm, announced the acceptance of four candidates to our 2007-8 postulancy in Portland, Oregon. They will begin start their initial formation program at the Transfiguration Community in early September with Brother Robert Rodrigues ofm as their director.

Here’s a quck sketch of each of our new postulants:

Eric Burke (26) was born in Jemez (NM) Pueblo and grew up in Chino Hills, CA. He is full-time retreat coordinator for St. Paul the Apostle Parish in San Bernardino. Eric is a recent graduate of Cal State- Fullerton, (human resources). With deep family roots in the Jemez (New Mexico) Pueblo, Eric is understandably proud of his Native American heritage.

Javier Diaz (23) hails from Riverside, CA, and is a recent graduate of UC-Riverside, (business). Since graduation, he has been working at a local Smart & Final outlet. While at school, Javier was active in the Kyrie student group at the Newman Center. As part of his discernment process with the Franciscans, Javier spent six weeks volunteering at our Casa Franciscana program in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico.

Victor Vega (32) was born in Michoachan, Mexico, and has lived in the Salinas, California, area. A former farmworker, he recently completed a three-year course of studies at the Mount Angel (OR) Seminary ACE/ESL program while living at the House of Welcome. Victor is the first of our House of Welcome students to complete the entire ACE program. This summer he will be working at the San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville, California, before entering postulancy in September.

Adam Weaver (28) was born in South Bend, Indiana and brought up in Florida. He is a graduate of Notre Dame University’s liberal studies program and is a former Holy Cross volunteer. Adam lives in Portland, OR, and has worked most recently at the St. Francis dining hall. In addition to his service commitments—Adam has worked in a number of programs for the homeless and other marginalized people during the past several years—he has a passion for music and plays his violin whenever he is able to make time for it.

Q: What exactly is the postulancy?
A. The postulancy is the point of entry into community life for men who are discerning a call to a Franciscan vocation. After a period of reflection and discernment with us, men are invited to apply to the community. The applicant then undergoes an extensive process including the writing of his spiritual autobiography, psychological testing, resume, letters of recommendation, and a face to face interview. Successful applicants are then invited to enter into this first phase of our formation program.

Postulancy programs vary from one religious congregation to another, but for us it consists of a nine-month period of residence much like an academic year—September through June—at our community in Portland, Oregon. In a way, the postulancy is a half-way house—a period of adjustment to the reality of religious life. It provides men with the time and space in which to focus on their growth in our shared humanity, our Christian faith, and in our Franciscan tradition.

Basically, men arrive with their clothes and a few other personal possessions. They settle in to our daily routine (aka horarium) of morning and evening prayer, Eucharist, breakfast, ministry/ paid work outside the house, meal preparation, dinner, cleanup, and classes most nights of the week. Everyone is expected to pay rent for their room & board by taking part-time jobs of more than 20 hours a week. In addition, men volunteer for ministry commitments on the weekend according to their interests. Evening classes given at home focus on our prayer life, an examination of our Catholic faith and teachings, communications skills necessary for group living, the meaning of the vows we take, etc….. Men are expected to have a regular spiritual director and are encouraged to maintain avocational interests and physical exercise. Throughout the year, men meet with their director to discuss and reflect upon their experience.

In addition to the formal program, each man has his own personal program to work on during his postulancy year. Upon entry, he is given a list of specific recommendations meant to assist him in growing spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally during the year. One man may be encouraged to develop his mechanical skills or artistic talents. Another may need to experience a new type of ministry. A third candidate may be directed to appropriate 12-step work such as Al-Anon.

Again, the fundamental intent of the postulancy is to enable the candidate to discern his vocation by experiencing what it is like to live with others in community. Men maintain their own possessions; they are not in vows. Contact with family and friends is encouraged as long as it does not interfere with the program. Through group interaction and regular feedback and dialogue with the Director and others, each candidate really has the opportunity to grow more deeply in faith and to discern his calling with greater confidence. Participation is by mutual consent; a man may leave or be asked to leave during the year. Those who complete the year successfully may then apply to the next stage of formation—the novitiate.//