Writing from Africa

June 24, 2010

Peace and Good,

I am writing this blog in an internet site in Tamale, Ghana, West Africa. I am here to give a retreat to a group of seminarians (about 50 of them) in the major seminary studying for several dioceses in Northern Ghana and also Burkino Faso, to the north of Ghana.

It is aways a privilege for me to be able to share my insights with priests and seminarians. When I do it in foreign countries, I sometimes worry that they will not understand what I am trying to say because of our different cultures. That does not seem to be happening here. The young men are enthused about their faith and most generous in their service.

I have always loved the people of Ghana. I find them to be the most gentle and courteous people I have ever met. Whether that lasts when the US plays Ghana this Saturday night in the World Cup we'll have to see.

It is hot, hot, hot! I am taking all the precautions against heat stroke and malaria which is endemic in this area. Keep me in your prayers.

I have finished a couple of books in this time. The first is entitled At Agincourt by G.A. Henty. He wrote a series of stories around the turn of the century. They are based in historic situations. I was surprised how good a read it was. Agincourt was a great victory of the English over the French in the 15th century (the days of Henry V). Most of the story is an adventure story that leads up to the battle.

The second book is Through Russia by Maksim Gorky. Gorky was a Russian author who wrote at the end of the 19h century into the 20th century. In his latter days, he became a stooge of the Soviet government. This was written much earlier, and it presents a number of scenes from Russian life at the beginning of the 20th century. It is incredibly good. You feel like you're entering their lives and struggles. This is the first thing I have ever read by Gorky, but I will certainly read more.

My schedule for the next months is:

June 19 - 30, 2010: St. Victor's Major Seminary, Tamale, Ghana - seminarian retreat

July 4 - 10, 2010: St. Francis Convent, Mishawaka, IN - Retreat for Sisters

July 11 - 18, 2010: Quellen Spiritual Center, Mendham, NJ - Retreat for Sisters

July 19 - 23, 2010: St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Mishawaka, IN - Novice Retreat

July 24 - 31, 2010: Chatauqua Community, Chatauqua, NY - Priest in Residence

August 5 - 15, 2010: Our Lady of Consolation Shrine, Carey, OH - Parish Novena

August 16 - 20, 2010: Maronite Seminary, Washington, D.C. - Seminarian Retreat

August 21 - 27, 2010: Ocean City, MD - vacation

August 28 - September 3, 2010: St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Mishawaka, IN - Novitiate Conferences

Take care and
Shalom

fr. Jude

Provincial Chapter

June 17, 2010

Peace and Good,

I arrived back in the States safe and sound. The trip was non eventful, but as always, long.

When I got back, I rested for a couple of days at my home friary in Ellicott City. It was very, very good to be home, even if only for a couple of days. I always suffer from horrible jet lag, and this was no exception. Today I am only now feeling OK. Saturday and Sunday my mind was so foggy that I just couldn't think. That was a little bit of a problem, because this week Tuesday at our Provincial Chapter, I had been asked to preach at a Votive Mass in honor of St. Anthony, the patron saint of our province. I decided that the Holy Spirit had to guide me in this. By Monday evening, I was back enough that I was able to put my ideas together. Then on Tuesday afternoon I gave the homily in front of the friars (around 200 of them). It is always toughest to preach before ones own. It went quite well, and the friars were appreciative. It was one of those moments when one feels the Holy Spirit working overtime.

This was also very good to remind me of what the Spirit has called me to do. At times I wonder why I was not asked to be one of the men leading the province, but I realize that this is just my own ego at work. God has other uses for me. I have to surrender to that call and respond with as much generosity as I can.

It has been wonderful to spend a week with the friars of our two provinces (the two eastern provinces which we have now agrees to unite in a few years time). During the chapter, we also decided to take spiritual responsibility for the friars in England and Ireland. They have gone through a several bad years, and their numbers are way down. Our new provincial was in charge of their jurisdiction for the past few years, and our Minister General (the big boss in Rome) asked our province to join with them so that we could help them get back on their feet. We voted overwhelmingly to do that.

I have finished a couple of books. One was a CD book called Echo Park by Michael Connelly. It was a detective novel, and it was quite a good story.

The second was a book called More Blood, More Sweat, and Another Cup of Tea by Tom Reynolds. It was the blogs of a London emergency vehicle worker. It was insightful, funny, tragic, etc. This is certainly a book I would recommend.

Please keep me in your prayers as I travel to Ghana this Saturday to give a retreat to some seminarians. I really don't know if I will have access to the internet there, so if you don't hear from me before June 30th, it doesn't mean that anything is wrong.

My coming schedule is:

June 19 - 30, 2010: St. Victor's Major Seminary, Tamale, Ghana - seminarian retreat

July 4 - 10, 2010: St. Francis Convent, Mishawaka, IN - Retreat for Sisters

July 11 - 18, 2010: Quellen Spiritual Center, Mendham, NJ - Retreat for Sisters

July 19 - 23, 2010: St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Mishawaka, IN - Novice Retreat

July 24 - 31, 2010: Chatauqua Community, Chatauqua, NY - Priest in Residence

August 5 - 15, 2010: Our Lady of Consolation Shrine, Carey, OH - Parish Novena

August 16 - 20, 2010: Maronite Seminary, Washington, D.C. - Seminarian Retreat

August 21 - 27, 2010: Ocean City, MD - vacation

August 28 - September 3, 2010: St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Mishawaka, IN - Novitiate Conferences

God bless and
Shalom

fr. Jude

Finishing up in England

June 9, 2010

Peace and Good,

Well, just a couple more days in England, and then it is back to the States. I will only be there for a week, though, because then I fly out to Ghana, West Africa, to give a retreat to a group of seminarians.

These weeks in England have been great for writings projects. I finished 24 articles for the Messenger of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy. I have been writing for that magazine since 1982, an article a month. This puts me two years in advance.

I have also finished a children's book on St. Joseph. This coming year is the 100th anniversary of Catholic Book Publishing Company, and St. Joseph is their patron saint. This book will be the 100th book in the children's series that Fr. Lovasik started and I have carried through.

My courses are almost completed. I have one more class this afternoon, and then I have to correct a couple of papers before I leave.

I have finished a couple of books. The first is Infidels: A history of the Conflict between Christians and Islam. I'm trying to read more about Islam so that I might understand what is going on a little better. The first part of the book of Spain and the expulsion of the Moors and the Jews was excellent. The rest of the book was a bit of a disappointment. It was almost as if the author had tacked together a few articles and called it a book.

The other book was a Confessors Handbook by Kurt Stasiak, OSB. It is always good to read a spiritual reading book like that, especially when so much of my ministry involves confession.

My coming schedule is as follows:

until June 11: Canterbury, England - teaching

June 13 - 18, 2010: Provinicial Chapter, Buffalo, NY

June 19 - 30, 2010: St. Victor's Major Seminary, Tamale, Ghana - seminarian retreat

July 4 - 10, 2010: St. Francis Convent, Mishawaka, IN - Retreat for Sisters

July 11 - 18, 2010: Quellen Spiritual Center, Mendham, NJ - Retreat for Sisters

July 19 - 23, 2010: St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Mishawaka, IN - Novice Retreat

July 24 - 31, 2010: Chatauqua Community, Chatauqua, NY - Priest in Residence

August 5 - 15, 2010: Our Lady of Consolation Shrine, Carey, OH - Parish Novena

August 16 - 20, 2010: Maronite Seminary, Washington, D.C. - Seminarian Retreat

August 21 - 27, 2010: Ocean City, MD - vacation

August 28 - September 3, 2010: St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Mishawaka, IN - Novitiate Conferences

God bless and
Shalom

fr. Jude

Finishing Up the Trinity Term

June 2, 2010

Peace and Good,

All goes well in not so sunny old England. We're still having cool weather, although they promise us that it will warm up in these days.

I have finished all of my extra adult ed classes. I am in the process of drawing to a close with my other three courses. I will absolutely finish next Thursday, and then Friday Fr. David Blowey (who is stationed here and is from St. Anthony Province) and I will fly back to Baltimore.

I got to visit London this past week. I love walking through the streets of London. It is a great city. Our friary in near Waterloo station, which means that it is within walking distance from most of the important sites in the city.

I visited what I think is the best book store that I have ever seen: Foyle's. Whereas other stores might have one or two books on a particular topic, Foyle's has a dozen. The only problem is that books (and everything else) are so expensive over here. I got out of the store after having bought only one book: a book on the Medieval age and how the Book of the Apocalypse influenced it.

I finished two books. The first is a biography of Cavour by Countess Evelyn Martinengo-Ceraresco. Cavour is one of the Italian patriots who was responsible for the Italian unification in 1870. He is an interesting character. He was the ultimate opportunist. He had his ideals, but he would wait for the proper moment to spring into action.

The other book was the 900 Days: The Siege of Leningrad by Harrison Salisbury. This account was excellent. It speaks of the siege of Leningrad by the Nazis during the Second World War. It lasted almost three years. For good parts of that time, a city of more than two million people was completely cut off from any assistance from the outside.

As if this brutality were not enough, he also speaks of the brutality of the Soviet system which persecuted people even during this horific time (and after sent most of the heroes of the seige to prison or to be executed).

The following is my schedule for the next few months:

until June 11: Canterbury, England - teaching

June 13 - 18, 2010: Provinicial Chapter, Buffalo, NY

June 19 - 30, 2010: St. Victor's Major Seminary, Tamale, Ghana - seminarian retreat

July 4 - 10, 2010: St. Francis Convent, Mishawaka, IN - Retreat for Sisters

July 11 - 18, 2010: Quellen Spiritual Center, Mendham, NJ - Retreat for Sisters

July 19 - 23, 2010: St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Mishawaka, IN - Novice Retreat

July 24 - 31, 2010: Chatauqua Community, Chatauqua, NY - Priest in Residence

August 5 - 15, 2010: Our Lady of Consolation Shrine, Carey, OH - Parish Novena

August 16 - 20, 2010: Maronite Seminary, Washington, D.C. - Seminarian Retreat

August 21 - 27, 2010: Ocean City, MD - vacation

August 28 - September 3, 2010: St. Francis of Assisi Friary, Mishawaka, IN - Novitiate Conferences

God bless and
Shalom

fr. Jude