FORMATION NEWS – DECEMBER 2002

UPDATED ON DECEMBEER 14, 2002

Brother Godfrey Sekula, OMI, an Oblate scholastic from Zambia studying at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX, received the Order of Deacon from Archbishop Patricio Flores of San Antonio on November 2, 2002.  The ordination took place in the chapel of the archdiocesan seminary in San Antonio.

Deacon Godfrey is completing his studies in Sacred Theology this month.  He will return before Christmas to his home country where in January he will begin his Pastoral Internship.  He joined the Oblates in the pre-novitiate community in Lusaka and then traveled to the Republic of South Africa where he completed the novitiate and studies in philosophy before coming to the United States to study.

Brother Salvador (Chava) Gonzalez, OMI, United States Province's scholastic studying at the International Scholasticate in Rome, received the Order of Deacon on December 7, 2002.  Archbishop Ennio Antonelli of Florence, Italy, also ordained an Italian Oblate, Antonio Messeri, to the Order of Priesthood at the same liturgy in the Church of the Santissima Annunziata in Florence.

The new deacon is in his fourth year of studies in Italy at the Pontifical "Urbanianum" University.  Born in Mexico, he grew up in Oakland, California, where his family presently resides.  After his pre-novitiate in Tijuana, he completed his novitiate in Godfrey, Illinois, and one year of studies at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, prior to receiving an assignment to study in Italy. 

Deacon Chava hopes to return to the United States in July, after his final exams, to begin a year of Pastoral Internship.  His ordination to the priesthood will very likely be in early 2004.

A LETTER FROM CHAVA:

Dear Brother Oblates

Last Saturday,  December 7^th, 2002, I was ordained a deacon in the beautiful basilica of the Annunziata in Florence. It was an event to remember that changed my life forever. Those of you who remember me from the past know that if there was one person who was at the front line for defending and sometimes “pushing” the vocation of Oblate brothers it was I. When I joined the Oblates back in 1995 and was sent to Tijuana, Baja California, for my pre-novitiate I would have never thought of this event ever happening. "What happened?" - many people asked upon receiving my ordination announcement. To give a quick answer, I responded that for many years I thought I was following the will of God and was listening to God’s word.  I was defending what I thought God wanted from me. The truth was far from that. Now I realize that I was only listening to my own words, doing my own will, following my own idea of what an Oblate is and how an Oblate was to be.

I now thank my superior, Fr. David Ullrich, who in 1999 decided to take a risk (to say the least) and to send me to Rome to study and to share the youth ministry of the Italian scholasticate. This has been up to now the biggest grace I have received in my formation journey. It was living in an atmosphere where together as community we strive to live the new commandment given to us by Jesus A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; as I have loved you (Jn 13:34). In Oblate words we can say we strive to live the testament of our founder St. Eugene de Mazenod …Practice amongst yourselves charity, charity, charity and outside zeal for the salvation of souls…It was living these words daily, and I must say that it was not easy most of the time, especially when our cultural differences were made evident. Nonetheless I was able to learn how to discern the will of God not only for me but also for the community, for the congregation and for the Church. I have built many friendships with the scholastics and their families. As a matter of fact many of the parents were present at the ordination.  For the past year and a half I am part of the International Scholasticate at the General House in Rome,  together with 22 other Oblates from 17 countries where I have been enriched in our cultural richness as Oblates.

I want to thank you for the many e-mails, letters, phone-calls and messages that came from US Oblates assuring me of their prayers.

I take the time also to encourage every Oblate to continue working for vocations to our religious family, to continue inviting men to have a community experience with us, and not to give up. I made it up to this point only because a few Oblates were willing to walk with me in this journey. Let us now do the same for others! God bless.

Salvador Gonzalez, OMI