Florida Pre-Novices Focus on Discernment
 
 

On September 15, 2002, Area Superior Fr. Richard Sudlik, OMI, presided at the 10:30 a.m. parish Mass at St. Stephen’s in Miramar, Florida, during which Oblate pre-novices David Muñoz and Ricky López renewed their commitment to pursue their vocational discernment for another year.

David and Ricky are the only pre-novices in Blessed Joseph Gerard Community this school year.  Fr. James Allen, OMI, is Director of the Formation House and Fr. Sudlik serves as his associate.

Pursuing courses at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, David and Ricky are both college juniors in their third year of formation with the Oblates.  Ricky’s family lives in Midland, TX.  David is from Hollywood, Fl, and a member of St. Stephen’s Parish in Miramar.

During the course of the celebration, all the members of the formation community signed the commitment whose text is found below.

Since it was also Catechetical Sunday, Fr. Steve Conserva, OMI, the pastor of St. Stephen's Parish, formally introduced and blessed all the English-speaking teachers in the Religious Education Program.

Even though the community is small this year, the pre-novices are no less thoroughly engaged in the formation process.  Besides their studies and prayer and community life, they also teach catechism classes at two Oblate parishes: St. Stephen’s in Miramar and St. Monica’s in Opa Locka.  They also spend Saturday mornings with the residents at the Catholic Charities facility, Boys’ Town.  The youngsters there are part of the Undocumented Minors Program of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. 

 
PHOTO ALBUM: CLICK THUMBNAIL TO ENLARGE

Blessed Joseph Gerard Community Residence

David Muñoz and Ricky López

Some of St. Stephen's Religious Ed. Teachers

Sisters of St. Joseph, Sister Mary Beatrice and Sister Mary David with Veronica Souza, the parishes oldest member

Fr. Sudlik's homily

Pastor Fr. Steve Conserva, OMI, installs the parish catechists.

Candidates' commitment to discernment

David signs the commitment.

Ricky signs the commitment

Blessing of Candidates

Ricky and David

The Community: Fr. Jim Allen, OMI, David, Ricky, Fr. Dick Sudlik, OMI

Pre-novices an their Formation Director

The family of David, Ruth, Damaris, and Felix Muñoz

Muñoz Family and Ricky

Community Cook, Honey Scott, with "her boys"

 

A Covenant for Growth - 2002
 

 On this 15thd day of September, 2002, as we begin this year of community life and vocational discernment, we stand before the altar of Christ’s Sacrifice to pledge our desire and our willingness to grow through the experiences we are about to share.

 

Our Mission at this point in our vocational journey is one of prayer and reflection, study and work, ministry and communal living.  The Lord Jesus Christ is the center of our lives, both as individuals and as community.  Our prayer life will flow from and lead us to a fruitful celebration of His Eucharist where we will become one each day in union with the whole Church.

 

Ours is an apostolic community: with the apostles, we gather at the feet of Jesus Christ as He reveals himself to us in our personal and community prayer, in our studies, and in the faces and personalities of our community members.  We will also seek the face of Jesus in the people whom we serve in our ministries.

 

We will strive to be open and honest with our formators and fellow prenovices, each of us contributing our personal energies and talents for the progress of our common efforts and for the building up of the Church, even as it is realized within the walls of our home.

 

Our response to the call of Jesus to discern our vocation as ministers of the Gospel will always be within the context of the charism of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a gift given us from our Founder, Saint Eugene de Mazenod.  Our motto will be that of the Oblates: “He has sent me to preach the Gospel to the Poor.”