|
BY PRISCILLA GREEAR
Staff Writer
STONE MOUNTAIN--One hundred and fifty years after St. Anthony Claret founded
the Claretian Missionaries in Vich, Spain, Claretian priests worldwide strive
to carry on his legacy through teamwork as they live and preach the Gospel and
build the church community.
The Claretians marked their jubilee anniversary at an international
celebration in Spain on July 15. Across the ocean in Stone Mountain, Georgia,
the congregation of Corpus Christi Church held an outdoor Mass and picnic the
next day to celebrate the jubilee. Claretians at Corpus Christi, the only
archdiocesan parish staffed by the order, are pastor Father Gregory Kenny, CMF,
Father Severino Lopez, CMF, Father John Molyneux, CMF, and Father Milton
Alvarez, CMF.
Father Kenny celebrated the Mass that drew a diverse mix of Hispanics,
Asian-Americans and blacks, and included toddlers, silver-haired parishioners
and teens. About 150 parishioners gathered in the warm summer evening, sitting
on folding chairs and blankets along a hillside behind the parish. The event
was the culmination of a weeklong revival for the parish’s 1,450 families.
Parish groups coordinated the revival which drew over 200 people nightly.
St. Anthony Claret founded the order on July 16, 1849, at St. Vich Seminary,
to bring together a spiritual army of priests, brothers, sisters and lay people
to spread the Gospel. He traversed three continents preaching, writing and
serving the poor, living and proclaiming God’s word as the message of
salvation for all. The order has grown to include over 3,000 Claretians, with
760 of them in America. They serve in 57 countries, working with lay leaders to
address social concerns and issues of justice, peace and the environment.
At the Mass, Father Kenny, a Claretian for 49 years, stood by a banner
reading, “150 years of grace and service to the Gospel.” He expressed
gratitude for his order.
“As a Claretian missionary priest I am very grateful that I have had
the blessing, together with my brothers, to be called to this religious order
committed to evangelizing. And I am particularly grateful that at this time in
our lives that we are here at Corpus Christi and that we are able to gather
together in this family way on this anniversary.”
He said that one of the ideals of the Claretians is to live in community,
creating a true parish family.
“We would like everyone to whom we minister to truly feel that they are
brothers and sisters to each other and to us, and in fact, that has been my
experience at Corpus Christi. I have seen constant efforts among all of you to
really be a welcoming, loving community caring for each other in the many
ministries you carry out in this parish, in the efforts you make to really love
the Lord.”
Later that evening, Father Kenny, wearing a yellow T-shirt depicting the
Corpus Christi Claretians, recalled how St. Anthony Claret founded his order
with only five young priests.
“I think (the anniversary) gives you a good sense of remembrance on how
the order started from such small beginnings and how it has spread all over the
world. It’s a source of encouragement that if everyone does make a small
contribution then there’s a chance of something great.”
St. Anthony Claret worked to “stir up the piety of the people”
through religious instruction, encouragement and prayer. He said Claretians
embrace any ministry that can help the local bishop. Forming the church through
God’s grace has been an important part of the order’s mission.
As Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Claretians have a strong
devotion to the Eucharist and the Immaculate Heart. They strive to follow the
Virgin’s contemplative attitude in receiving God’s Word, her charity,
her simplicity in transmitting the Word and her obedience to the Lord.
In a congratulatory letter to the order, Pope John Paul II wrote how the
founder knew how to transmit to his sons a “deep sense of church.”
The Claretians of the Eastern Province, headquartered in Chicago, began
staffing the parish in 1992. Father Kenny said Corpus Christi is a “very
prayerful place” and that parishioners grow spiritually by sharing their
faith with others, caring for the poor through the St. Vincent de Paul Society,
working with other churches and praying in the perpetual adoration chapel,
which was built during a renovation of the church.
The order has collaborated with the congregation to begin a family Bible
study program and adult discussion groups as well as to plan mission trips to
Jamaica. Their first year at the parish, the order began an International Day
festival to celebrate the diversity of the parish, which represents about 40
countries and cultures. The congregation hopes to add another culture to its
community as it plans to sponsor a refugee family from Kosovo.
“We came (to the parish) just to help build on what’s already
there, to encourage and give (parishioners) a sense of pride in what
they’re doing as Christians,” since many people don't realize that by
living ordinary lives they are forming the church, the pastor said.
“I think Claretians inspire people to be one family, to truly live as
the body of Christ, as Corpus Christi, and, in turn, we receive equal
inspiration from our parishioners,” Father Kenny added.
For Father Alvarez, a Claretian for 27 years and a native of Guatemala, the
anniversary is a time to celebrate 150 years of the order’s spirituality.
It is also a time to question how the Claretians will evangelize in the new
millennium, with sensitivity to the various cultures in America, with respect
for life, and by valuing families, paying particular attention to youth.
“With the problems in society how can we go forward? How are we going
to evangelize for the third millennium?” he asked. “If we don’t
give importance to working with the youth culture, I don’t think
we’ll have a future to look forward to.”
Pope John Paul II said the order’s evangelization in the new millennium
requires a new discernment of its missionary apostolate, above all, in
encouraging vocations in youth and forming future Claretians.
Father Alvarez said that working as a team and with community is an integral
part of their mission and that they strive to serve all members of the parish.
“We don’t work with segments. We don’t work (only) with old
people. We work with the youth. We work with everybody in the community.”
Following the Mass, young ones enjoyed the picnic and moon walk, balloon
toss, cake walk and other activities as all celebrated the Claretian legacy.
Parish coordinator and 20-year parishioner Bede Soskin appreciates the
Claretians’ humility and spirit of service. “They wear regular
clothes because they’re regular people. People do things for these priests
because these priests do so much for the people. You ask them anything. They
don’t have an air (of superiority),” she said. “We’ve gone
from a lily-white suburban parish to a parish of many people of many colors and
the Claretians have embraced everybody.”
She also likes their openness to ideas, recalling their support when she
initiated the Families of Faith program, which presents religious education to
adults, teens and youth in a holistic way.
“You take an idea to them,” she said, “and they say, ‘Go
with it.’”
Estela de Tabor has also been at Corpus Christi for nearly 20 years.
“(The event is) a big celebration for everybody, especially for the
priests. In this time of (crisis in society), I think it’s wonderful that
we have this blessed Father Kenny and all the priests,” she said. “We
really love those priests.”
“They’ve been keeping the whole community together. Each (ethnic)
group feels the same way,” she said, adding that the parish has never been
closer than through events such as International Day.
“I think the Claretians have this kind of gift, making everybody feel
like they are one of us, not like they are superior as a priest. I think the
priests make us feel like you --or anybody-- you’re the only one and
you’re the most important. (Father Kenny) makes everybody feel the same
way. I feel so good here.”
Nigerian parishioner Richard Anso said the pastor is like a brother. He
recalled how Father Kenny helped he and his wife through a difficult time.
“He took me through that period. He gave me advice on what to do,”
he said. “He prayed with me. He talked to my wife. And after that we
patched things up.”
Kim Slawinski, 22, who has worked with the LifeTeen program and will begin a
preschool program this fall, is another fan of the Claretian pastor.
Father Kenny “takes the time to get to know everybody,” she said.
“I work with the children and he knows all the children. He’s just
always there for the kids.”
|
