Four Masses Sunday, present at all nine, still learning spanish, school has opened, spent some time with a crying kinder, still opening boxes, the desk has arrived and slowly getting moved into, Parish Council exec team night, Faith Formation tonight, Provincial Council all day today, the other two priests are away, Sr. Jeanne is on vacation, pray for me.
Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S.: August 2004 Archives
It was a restful three nights at Villa Maria Del Mar. The two days with the school faculty and staff was enriching. I am impressed with their youth, energy, drive, vision and gifts. The parish School opens its school year tomorrow. The Teachers will be gathering for Morning prayer at 7:40am and I will join them. As a gift for the new year I gave them a fontanini statue of St. Gaspar for the school office.
I am still unpacking. It seems that the desk has arrived and will be installed tomorrow. Tonight I hung up several pictures I had unpacked. The place is still a mess, but it is beginning to take shape.
I will be away for the CPPS cluster meeting. Then for a retreat with the teachers from here at the parish school. Both events are being held somewhat serendipitously back to back at the same retreat house.
It is a tough job, but someone has to do it. The retreat house sits on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Santa Cruz.
The computer is staying home, but the camera is going. So check back on Thursday or Friday for a report.
One of the big holes here at my new parish is Adult Faith Formation. They used to call it RCIA here, but I make a distinction between the education/formation program and the Rites of Initiation as they are celebrated in Church. Beside, any Catholic should be welcome and encouraged to participate, not just those who are becoming Catholic.
One of my first tasks is to form a Faith Formation Team, and then to develop the program. Does anyone have any suggestions of books that might be used as a text? Also I have developed my own list of topics, but do you have any suggestions of topics that absolutely have to be included?
I will have to read the homily in spanish, but can say more, obviously, in English. It will be the second time I have presided in Spanish. The first time was last March in Phoenix. The English text is below.
Okay, I was all packed by the end of May, and now I finally get started on the other side of the process. The crew here has been most dedicated, and the bookcases now installed and attached to the walls are quite beautiful. Finally some of the books are seeing the light of day again. Slowly but surely I will get moved in. As life returns to some normalcy, I am also sure that blogging will do the same.
The new bed arrived today also, so soon I may move from the guest room.
Fr. Raymond Cera, C.PP.S., 83, died at 4:28 a.m. on August 13, 2004, in the infirmary at St. Charles Center in Carthagena, Ohio. He had been in failing health for the past several months.
Fr. Cera was born on Sept. 17, 1920, in Lorain, Ohio, to Louis and Anna Cera. He entered the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in 1940 and was ordained on Feb. 2, 1946.
Much of Fr. Cera’s ministry was dedicated to the field of education at St. Joseph’s College, Rensselaer, IN, where he was professor of modern languages for many years. While at the college, Fr. Cera was also engaged in parish ministry and served for a time as Director of Seminarians. For three years he served the Precious Blood Community as Secretary General in Rome.
Fr. Cera dedicated much of his life to translating from Italian into English the thousands of letters and materials written by St. Gaspar del Bufalo, founder of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, and other documentation about the saint’s life so that the English-speaking world could appreciate and learn from this great apostle of the Precious Blood. One of Fr. Cera’s last projects was a collection of his talks about the life of St. Gaspar.
Fr. Cera shared his knowledge in many ways, teaching groups about St. Gaspar, submitting translations to the Community newsletter, and collaborating on other projects, always freely sharing what he had worked so hard to learn.
Fr. Cera was a natural teacher. When he spoke of the saint, his eyes would shine and his voice took on a storybook quality. He never seemed to tire of the subject to which he had devoted his scholarly life, and his enthusiasm spread to any who heard him speak about St. Gaspar.
Fr. Cera also was devoted to his family. It was their tradition to spend New Year’s Eve together. In later years, when poor health prevented him from traveling, he was still a part of the family circle as he called them at midnight, on the dot.
His survivors include two sisters and a brother-in-law, Clarice and Louis Broglio, and Laura Atkins, all of Lorain; a brother, John Cera, Rockville, Md., and several nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
Three brothers, Lucius, Reno and Louis Jr., and a brother-in-law, Bernard Atkins, are deceased.
A mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Charles Center on Monday, August 16, 2004, at 2 p.m., the Fr. Angelo Anthony, C.PP.S., officiating. Burial will follow in the Community cemetery.
Calling hours at St. Charles will be held Sunday from 1-5 and 7-9 p.m., with a prayer service at 7 p.m.
Hogenkamp and Sons Funeral Home, Coldwater, is in charge of the arrangements.
The following was read at the beginning of the funeral Mass yesterday morning. Fr. Barry is our Moderator General in Rome.
Today we celebrate with love and gratitude a confrere who was very dear to all of us. I wish to pay my homage to a very good friend and to a true C.PP.S.er.
From the time Ray was my teacher at St. Joe College back in the ‘60s I admired him very much as a community member and dedicated professor. He taught me Spanish and gave me the necessary language skills so as to be able to face the challenges of mission in Latin America. But not only did he teach me the language skills, but he exuded a true love of language and inspired in me the desire to learn to express myself well in it. I had four years of Spanish with Ray and was his only fourth year Spanish student and that surely was something which also bonded us.
With Ray’s passing, the Congregation has lost one of her greats. He will be remembered by many in the Congregation as a man truly dedicated to the community and above all, in love with our Founder, St. Gaspar. His translations of St. Gaspar’s letters and other works concerning our Founder is invaluable. It was truly a monumental work which he continued for as long as he possibly could, up to a short time before his death. Through this work of love, many of our English-speaking members have come to know our Founder better. Our young men in formation for years have benefited from Fr.Ray’s conferences on St. Gaspar life and works. He brought our Founder alive for them and his love for Gaspar was contagious! THANK YOU, Fr. Ray, for the legacy you have left us. I bet his meeting with St. Gaspar was a very joy-filled one! And Ray probably had more than one question of clarification for our Founder!
From heaven Fr. Ray will continue to care for the Congregation he loved so much, for Gaspar’s sons. We hold you in our hearts, dear friend and confrere. ARRIVADERCI IL CIELO! (Till we meet again in heaven!).
Fr. Barry Fischer, C.PP.S.
Tomorrow we celebrate our 189th birthday. We were founded August 15, 1815. Let us rejoice and be glad.
I would ask you to pray in a special way for the up and coming General Assembly meeting in Rome in September. It definitely will be a defining moment in our history.
St. Gaspar, the Apostle of the Precious Blood, pray for us.
I leave in the morning for Chicago. Sunday, 10:00am mass at St. John's in Whiting, IN will be the celebration of Br. Brian Boyle's Definitive Incorporation(Final Profession). Then Fr. Angelo and I will drive to Ohio where Monday at 2:00pm we will celebrate the life of Fr. Ray Cera. Monday night I fly back to California. I get home early Tuesday morning. A few friends and family are coming over that night for a Birthday BBQ. I will be 51.
I am still living in the guest room at the parish while the room is painted, the carpet has been taken up which reveals a beautiful hardwood floor which we will keep. Book cases are arriving soon, and I still need to buy a bed.
The first full week at the parish is drawing to a close. It is an amazing parish. I will be back to blogging soon.
Please remember in prayer the soul of our brother,
Father Raymond Cera, C.PP.S.
He was called to his new life in Christ on Friday, August 13, 2004. Ray was born on September 17, 1920, in Lorain, Ohio, and was ordained on February 2, 1946.
Visitation will be on Sunday, August 15, from 1 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Charles Center, Carthagena, Ohio, with a prayer service at 7 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, August 16, at 2 p.m. in Assumption Chapel at St. Charles Center. Interment will follow in the Community Cemetery.
I added a new category to the Blog: St. Edward Parish.
I have been here two weekends, and the people have been most gracious and welcoming. I have been to all the masses except for the Portuguese Mass, but will go to that in two weeks. (Next weekend I am in Chicago again)
This is my first Monday at the parish and it is time to get plugged in and moved in. I miss my books.
Today, buy a bed and some book cases, decide what to do with that ugly carpet, and clean out the room. I have a Finance comittee meeting tonight.
The Chant CD is finished and available. It can be ordered directly from Fr. Heiman.
The cost is $10.00 and $2.00 for postage.
If you are anywhere near Newark, CA you can pick up a copy from me.
The Catholic Voice is the paper of the Diocese of Oakland where I am now stationed. Their current issue has an article about my return to St. Edward.
The retreat was fine. More about that later.