St.
Paul of The Cross Retreat Center
Sesquicentennial
Celebration, Philadelphia, PA
Updated:
December 13, 2002
WE ARE THE PASSIONISTS!
Continuing 150 Years of Passionist
Ministry as the Journey Continues
After two
years of preparation by the Sesquicentennial Planning Committee, the dream
that the Passionist family could come together to celebrate the history
of 150 years of ministry came to fruition in Philadelphia, PA from August
30-September 2, 2002. Due to the tremendous desire for so many to share
this special event, we filled one hotel to capacity and overflowed into
another. Attending were over 550 lay men and women and nearly 250 Passionist
priests, brothers, and sisters coming from various Passionist houses, including
40 states and seven countries.
.
The first
Passionists received an invitation to come to Pittsburgh by Bishop Michael
O'Connor. On their way to Pittsburgh, they docked in Philadelphia and stayed
for several weeks. They continued their journey by stagecoach arriving
in Pittsburgh on December 7, 1852. As these four Passionists responded
to their invitation, we, too, responded coming from North, South, East,
and West to come together as one Passionist family in Philadelphia. Many
Pittsburghers were privileged to share in this historic event.
.
The opening
ritual included a prayer service and the blessing of water that was brought
by participants from all areas and joined together uniting us all as one.
The evening concluded with old friendships being renewed and new friendships
beginning. As a Passionist family, we gathered for mass each morning at
a local church and began our day at the hotel with Morning Prayer. There
were over thirty presentations to choose from on Saturday and Sunday ranging
from the Passion in scripture, to the Passionist history, to the contemporary
Passion in our life today.
.
Saturday
afternoon was free, and many of us attended the tours offered to the Colonial
Churches of the area, Valley Forge, and a historic Philadelphia tour including
the Liberty Bell. Others toured the city on their own, went shopping, or
met and shared memories.
.
"All decked
out and ready to go" many others joined us for the Jubilee Banquet Saturday
evening as we celebrated the Passionists ministry in North America and
beyond. The ballroom was an elegant background for a delectable dinner.
A surprise entrance by the Philadelphia Mummers began the entertainment
for the evening. Many of us had seen them on television, but were thrilled
to see them perform in person in their extravagant costumes.
.
The Eucharistic
Liturgy of Thanksgiving was held on Sunday at the Cathedral -- Basilica
of Saints Peter and Paul. Cardinal Archbishop of Philadelphia, Anthony
Bevilacqua, was the principal celebrant. Most Reverend Ottaviano D'Egidio,
Superior General of the Passionist Community, concelebrated with Passionist
Bishops, Auxiliary Bishops, General Consultors, and Provincials. The liturgy
was graced by the beautiful music we had experienced all weekend. A reception
at the Academy of Natural Sciences followed the mass.
.
The closing
ritual was Monday morning during which time the Sesquicentennial Cross
was blessed. This cross will be received by the Passionist Communities
throughout the year. The time spent together was an opportunity to
celebrate, share stories and to renew our commitment to the Passion of
Jesus Christ.
.
In closing,
to quote Bishop Norbert Dorsey, CP "You are God's holy and beautiful people.
You are the ones who put into practice the Compassion of Christ as your
journey continues."
WE ARE THE PASSIONISTS!
Linda Kincel
Cookie Rauscher
(Winter 2003)
2002: Another
Historical Milestone
150th Anniversary
of the Passionists in the United States
.
Jubilee Theme.
."The
ComPassion of Christ: The Journey Continues..."
.
Updated
April 23, 2002
.
The Passionists
in the United States are celebrating a special jubilee this year. It was
150 years ago that four Passionists traveled from Rome to Pittsburgh to
establish the first Passionist foundation in North America.
A national celebration is scheduled for Labor Day Weekend, August 30 -
September 2, in Philadelphia. Some Passionist communities throughout the
United States have scheduled a local celebration. More information on the
national event is in the current issue of Province Perspectives, our community
newsletter.
The Planning Committee for the Philadelphia event chose the theme: "The
ComPassion of Christ: The Journey Continues..." Passionists commit themselves
to keep alive the passion of Christ in the hearts of Christians. This is
more than preaching the passion and death of Christ. It is also pointing
out the passion of Christ for life. The evangelists chose a special word
to express this passion for life, as they wrote of the compassion of Christ.
Often the evangelists use this unique word when crowds of people were assembled.
Jesus is moved with compassion when he sees the people hungry and faint.
He provides loaves and fishes to feed them. Or Jesus is moved with compassion
when he sees the throng of sick people around him, and he begins to heal
their infirmities. Another time the multitudes moved the Lord to compassion
because he saw them as sheep without a shepherd; he taught them as a guide
leading people into the light. The blind, the bereaved, the leper, the
unfortunate all draw the attention and action of Jesus.
"Compassion" in the Gospels is more than a feeling of sorrow. Rather, it
indicates that a person not is moved from the heart by the suffering or
of another but also is willing to be to be with the suffering person, to
ex pain of the other, to be in solidarity with Compassion means that one
is alleviate the pain and suffering through acts of and kindness.
To illustrate the theme, Bro. Michael Moran, C.P., artist in St. Paul of
the Cross Province, placed the Sign, the symbol of the Passionist Community
and of Christ's overwhelming love, in a landscape. "The Sign is superimposed
on the rising sun, symbolizing our presence in life and ministry over the
past 150 years and today," said Bro. Moran.
From the Sign, that is, from Christ through the Passionist Community, a
river of compassion flows. This river is both life giving and redeeming,
refreshing and reconciling. A road leading off into the horizon suggests
that the journey does indeed continue. The border of the logo points in
all four directions, indicating that the Passionist ministry and charism
reach out to all the world.
The Beginnings
- 1852 From Rome to Pittsburgh.....
October
10, Sunday
Bishop
Michael O'Connor of Pittsburgh leaves Rome by stage, accompanied by the
four Passionists chosen to go to the new world:
-
Fr. Anthony
Calandri, age 35
-
Fr. Albinus
Magno, age 37
-
Fr. Stanislaus
Parzyk, age 37
-
Bro. Lawrence
DiGiacomo, age 26
October
11-17
After spending
the night at Civitavecchia near Rome, they boarded ship for Toulon, France.
They traveled by land through Avignon and Lyon, arriving in Pads on October
17. The bishop had business to take care of in Ireland, so he parted from
the Passionists, who were waiting for a Passionist from Tomay, for whom
they had a packet of letters from the general superior and some relics.
It was agreed that the Passionists would meet the bishop in Liverpool,
England, by October 27.
October
24-26
The four
Passionists arrived in London from Calais and were met by Passionist Ignatius
Spencer.
The next day, Spencer traveled with the four by train to Birmingham and
from
there
to Liverpool. On October 26, Spencer arranged for a trip to Sutton so the
Italians could meet some English Passionists.
October
27-November 15
The Passionists
boarded the "City of Glasgow" and awaited the bishop. Bishop O'Connor's
late arrival from Dublin caused a delay in departure. The ship arrived
in Philadelphia, but passengers had to remain on board for a two-days quarantine.
November
15-December 7
Bishop
O'Connor introduced the Passionists to the bishop of Philadelphia, John
Neumann, who offered hospitality at the seminary. On November 19, Bishop
O'Connor, Calandri, and DiGiacomo arrived by train in Pittsburgh. The other
two arrived in early December.
.
150 years is a long time in anyone's estimation -- and the year 2002 marks
the 150th Anniversary of the arrival of the Passionists in the United States.
It is 150 years of history that began when Bishop Michael O'Connor of the
newly formed diocese of Pittsburgh persuaded Fr. Anthony Testa, Superior
General of the Passionist Congregation, to allow him to help form the first
Passionist foundation in the Western Hemisphere, and the first foundation
outside of Italy, in Pittsburgh. It is thus 150 years of a history intimately
connected with the City of Pittsburgh --150 years of zeal that has radiated
out from Pittsburgh "to the ends of the earth."
.
Today as we talk about St. Paul of the Cross Monastery and Retreat Center
-- its health and vibrant ministry -- and as we plan for the future, we
must always be aware of our past: who the Passionists are and how they
began, why they came to Pittsburgh back in 1852 and how, in our particular
case, the retreat movement was born. We must look to our roots so that
we can in a healthy way nurture our growth as we enter the early years
of the 21st Century.
.
In the plan of God, the Congregation of the Passion came into existence
through the prayer and arduous labor of St. Paul of the Cross who was born
Paul Francis Daneo on January 3, 1694 in Ovada, about 369 miles north of
Rome. He was the eldest of six children who survived out of a family of
15. He was tall and had a strong constitution. His temperament was intense
and ardent, enthusiastic, sensitive, affable -- always a loving and respectful
person, despite the many sufferings of his life, which included malaria
attacks, rheumatism, and sciatica. From his parents, Luca and Anna Maria,
he absorbed a deep faith and firm religious roots. As a young man and the
oldest boy, he helped with his Father's business. He was both intelligent
and self-educated.
.
Drawn to prayer at a very young age, it was not until he was 19 that Paul
felt a special calling from God to follow Him still more closely. He did
not know how he would do this until at age 23, he received a series of
special divine insights revealing what God willed for him. With the help
of his spiritual director, Bishop DiGattinara, he discerned what God was
asking; namely, to live a life of prayer, penance, poverty and solitude,
and to attract others to accompany him in a new religious order. It was
m 1720, at age 26, while he was making a 40 day retreat that Paul was inspired
to write the rule for his yet unfounded congregation.
.
Paul's new rule would not be approved by papal authority until 1741 m 21
years (and many revisions!) later! In that same year, Paul and six companions
professed vows in public and the Passionist Religious Congregation was
born. Now 47 years old, his dream had come true after years of persevering
prayer and courageous searching. He had finally succeeded in gathering
together companions who would be contemplative apostles, living a life
of prayer, penance, poverty and solitude, and who would preach the life-giving
Passion and Death of Jesus.
.
Paul lived in very interesting times. It was the time of Enlightenment
-- of Leibnitz (1646-1716), Locke (1632-1714), Kant (1724-1804), Voltaire
(1694-1778) and Mozart (1756-1791). England was a colonial power and the
French Revolution was just around the corner. In spite of the times, when
Paul of the Cross closed his eyes in death in 1775, he led a flourishing
congregation, divided into two provinces in Italy with 176 religious in
12 houses.
.
The Passionist Congregation remained in Italy until the time of its second
great Superior General Fr, Anthony of St. James (Testa). In 1840 Fr. Anthony
sent Passionists to Belgium, and in 1841, to England. In 1852, Bishop Michael
O'Connor, the first Bishop of Pittsburgh, met in Rome with the head of
the Passionist Order to request that the Passionists come to his
Diocese of Pittsburgh. The
diocese itself was established in 1843 with O'Connor at its head. By 1852
he had 68 parishes, a new cathedral, a new college, the first hospital
in the city, an orphan asylum, a cultural society, a weekly Catholic newspaper,
and a seminary. He also had 62 priests (mostly Irish), 15 men preparing
for ordination in the seminary, and 60,000 Catholics. There were 12 Benedictines,
four Redemptorists, and one Jesuit among his priests. The Passionists would
be the fourth religious order in the dio-cese and they would be dedicated
to preaching missions and giving retreats -- a need Bishop O'Connor knew
they would fulfill admirably.
.
When the three Passionist priests and one brother arrived in the United
States, none of them could speak English. However, one of the priests,
Father Staniolaus Parczyk, spoke German and Bishop O'Connor asked him to
take charge of the German-speaking parish in Birmingham, across the river
from the city. That parish was St. Michael's, South Side.
.
At the time of the Passionist arrival in 1852, Pittsburgh was a thriving
city, industrial-based and growing -- especially through immigration. The
Passionists, except for Father Stanislaus, lived with Bishop O'Connor in
his house on,Grant Hill in downtown Pittsburgh for two years. They found
English most difficult. The Bishop finally gave them land on the top of
the South Side in Mt. Oliver where they began to build their own home --
St. Paul of the Cross Monastery -- a project that was helped and supported
by the German Catholics of St. Michael's.
.
On April 30, 1854, St. Paul of the Cross Monastery was dedicated with the
first solemn Mass. Less than five weeks later, 5 Passionists moved
in: Fr. Anthony Calandri (Superior), Fr. Albinus Magno, Bro. Lawrence,
and two postulants.
.
The early years of the Passionists at St. Paul of the Cross were difficult.
As yet they did not have enough knowledge of English to begin their primary
purpose for coming to this new country, namely, to preach. After moving
into their new home, they pleaded with their superior in Rome to send a
passionist from England who could preach in English and thus help the fledgling
order in America to fulfill its ministry. Finally in 1856 came Fr. Gaudentius
Rossi -- a magnificent preacher, a holy man and a stellar Passionist. With
his arrival at St. Paul of the Cross, the Passionists began their true
work of preaching God's word in the United States, a mission most successfully
carried out.
.
By 1860, there were 32 Passionists crammed into the Monastery and no extra
rooms in a house already expanded three times. These 32 included 18 professed
Passionist seminarians, 7 novices, 2 brothers and 5 priests. The increase
of personnel from 4 to 32 in less than 8 years was a tremendous blessing,
for now the newly established order was ready to expand from South Side
in Pittsburgh to new monasteries in Dunkirk, NY, Hoboken (now Union City),
NJ and Baltimore, Md.
.
From the very beginping of the Passionist Congregation in Italy, its founder,
St. Paul of the Cross, wanted his religious to share their spiritual gifts
and insights with others by giving retreats. He ordered that several rooms
be set aside in each of the Passionist Monasteries so that priests, religious
and laity might come and make a retreat. He had even envisioned a separate
building for such retreats, next to the monastery, but this vision was
never fulfilled in his lifetime.
.
Similarly, from the very early days of St. Paul of the Cross Monastery,
the Passionists invited clergy, religious, and laity to spend time with
them at the monastery on retreats. There are records of such retreatants
dating back to 1860.
.
The first organized retreat league for laymen run by the Passionists dates
back to 1911 in Boston. Pittsburgh's organized league, which began at St.
Paul of the Cross, dates from 1920
when the original wing of
the present Retreat Center was built and formally dedicated by Bishop Canevin.
The Passionist "Retreat House" (which it was then called) was the
first in the country built exclusively for lay people. A group of
17 laymen made the first retreat from Friday evening, Janusry 7; to Monday
morning, January 10, 1921. Fr. Stanislaus Grennan, C.P., preached this
retreat and Fr. Edwin Coyle, C.P., Was theRetreat Director. Thus
began the retreat league which grew and spread over the years. By the mid-50's,
the original retreat
house was bursting at the
sems and a new wing was completed in 1961.
.
Today, St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center is a vital, dynamic center
of spiritual development and renewal in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. During
the 2000-2001 season, over 3,300 people (men, women, teenagers, young adults,
religious and priests) have come through the doors of the Retreat Center
and have been enriched by the weekend retreats and various other spiritual
programs offered by the Center.
.
As St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center celebrates its past by observing
the 150th Anniversary of the coming of the Passionists to Pittsburgh and
the Americas, we also look to the future and our commitment to continue
our service to the people of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and its surrounding
area through our retreat ministry and the development of other spiritual
programs. As from the start, God has blessed the Passionists here in Pittsburgh,
so too, it is hoped that the Passionist presence in Pittsburgh has been
a blessing to the Diocese and to the people of Pittsburgh and will continue
to be so!
.
--From an article by Fr.
Clement Pavlick, C.P. (1913-2000)
--Edited by Fr. Paul Vaeth,
C.P.
Sesquicentennial Logo
Desisned by Bro. Michael Moran,
C.P.
The ComPassion of Christ ---
The Journey Continues ...
"To illustrate the theme of
the Passionist Sesquicentennial Celebration, I placed the Sign, the symbol
of the Passionist Community and of Christ's overwhelming love, in a landscape.
.
The Sign is superimposed
on the rising sun, symbolizing our presence in life and ministry over the
past 150 years and today.
.
From the Sign, specifically
from Christ through the Passionist Community, a river of compassion flows.
This river is both life giving and redeeming, refreshing and reconciling.
A road leading off into the horizon suggests that the journey does indeed
continue. The border of the logo points in all four directions indicating
that the ministry of the Congregation and Charism has gone out to all the
world.'
.
--Michael Moran, C.P.
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