Month: July 2018

Congratulations to the eighteen Our Lady of the Desert Redemptorist associates and friends who assembled for our second Sandwich-Making session July 19th. More than 400 sandwiches went out in bag lunches given out at the Casa Maria Soup Kitchen Friday Morning, July 20^th. The next scheduled Sandwich-Making session is Thursday, August 30^th at 5:00 PM. 

Casa Maria, the Catholic Worker Community in Tucson whose goal is to practice daily the Works of Mercy and Works of Justice, is very grateful for your efforts.  The Casa Maria Soup Kitchen is open every day of the year from 8:30am-11:30am,  except Thanksgiving and Christmas, typically feeding 500-600 people per day.  Thursday’s efforts made a real difference for them.

Donations are tax deductible and may be made either by cash or check  (made out to Our Lady of the Desert Church with “Sandwich Ministry” written in the memo line). Contact Diana for any questions (email: diana@davenport.net; cell: 520-612-9873).  Diana/OLD Church can provide receipts for donations.

Redemptorist Associates Meeting

Because August 1st is the feast day of Saint Alphonsus, the August 2^nd Redemptorist Associates meeting will center on the person of Saint Alphonsus Liguori.  A short video on Alphonsus’ life, planned for the meeting is narrated by Michael Brehl, C.Ss.R, superior general of the congregation. It may be found at: Alphonsus Liguroi.

Never Stop Walking

“Provided you never stop walking, soon or later you will reach the journey’s end,” advises St. Alphonsus de Liguori in a letter dated August 4, 1771 to Sr. Brianna Carafa. Born in 1696, Alphonsus had already reached his 75^th year when he wrote that letter.  He would “walk” another 16 years before finally reaching his goal – his beloved Redeemer – on August 1, 1787.

Twelve Redemptorists Associates and Book Club members read and discussed Nancy Fearon’s excellent book Never Stop Walking: The Life and Spirit of Saint Alphonsus Liguori on June 27^th to learn more about the Redemptorist charism and the congregation’s founder. Diana Davenport moderated the discussion. Fr Charlie also joined the discussion, lending his insight on how 21^st Century Redemptorists differed from and how they were similar to their 18^thCentury counterparts. On one important point, Fr Charlie noted, 18^th and 21^st Century Redemptorists were in unanimous agreement – Alphonsus’ rejection of Maria Celeste Crostarosa’s (founder of the Redemptoristines’) suggestion the men’s order adopt a male version of the red and blue habits worn by her nuns.

Alphonsus established the Redemptorists in 1732 during the pinnacle of monarchist sentiment in his home city of Naples. The Bourbon kings were very much opposed to the founding of any new religious orders in their territories because there were already too many priests who enjoyed exemptions from Bourbon taxation. They also feared that, although Alphonsus promised to live in poverty, the Redemptorists would later become as rich and powerful as the Jesuits.

Alphonsus’ goal was to make Jesus, the redeemer, accessible to all, especially the most abandoned. He pursued this goal through incredible physical, emotional, and spiritual trials for all of his 91 years. (See: Time Line.) Although he died betrayed by those closest to him and separated from the congregation he gave his life for, the Redemptorists survived, remaining true to his purpose in founding their congregation – with professed Redemptorists now numbering more that 5500 in 82 countries. 

The group also discussed the role of individual revelations in the founding of the Redemptorists, the definition of “obedience” as it was understood in the 18th century and as it is now, and Alphonsus’ view of the tender humility of Mary. Alphonsus, an accomplished artist, portrays Mary as a shepherdess, entitling his painting “Mary Crowned Queen of Heaven.”  For Alphonsus, it is Mary’s humility that makes her our queen.