Three men, Guy Mier, Miguel Moreno, and Kenneth Stigner, made their first profession of vows as Redemptorists, committing themselves to lives of poverty, chastity, and obedience. This event follows two years of postulancy and one year in the novitiate. Their names will be added to the book listing all those who have taken vows in the Baltimore Province. During his homily, the Provincial Superior encouraged them to faithfully live out their vows each day and reminded them that a simple life lived in service to others is more important than wealth or power.

1. Perpetual HelpPublished by the Redemp toristsVolume 8, Number 1
winter/Spring 2016
Celebrating 150years since
Our Mother of Perpetual Help made
her home with the Redemptorists
Pa g e 1 0

2. Perpetual Help ©2016. Perpetual Help is published for friends and supporters of the Redemptorists. Redemptorist priests and brothers follow in Jesus’footsteps,
preaching the Word and serving the poor and most abandoned, with a special devotion to the crib of Bethlehem, the Cross, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Eucharist.
MORE STORIES
News briefs................................4
First professions.........................5
Q&A with Father Hoegerl..........8
Lenten Devotions available......... 14
Redemptorist jubilarians........... 15
‘The gift of the
priesthood’
Three countries, three
ordinations
16
IN THIS ISSUE
IN THIS ISSUE
editor
Mary C. Weaver
mary@redemptorists.net
contact
877-876-7662
redemptorists.net
address
Perpetual Help Center
107 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis, MD 21401-2526
executive director
James C. Link
jlink@redemptorists.net
Editor’s column
A bright future
Mary C.Weaver, director of communications
L
ast summer I was able to attend two ordination
Masses in the Caribbean and one here at home,
in Ephrata, Pa. All were beautiful celebrations,
but the ones in Roseau, Dominica, and Port-au-Prince,
Haiti, stood out for several reasons.
One was trivial: the lack of air-conditioning. It’s hard
to imagine most Americans attending an extremely long
ordination Mass when the temperature is in the 90s and
the cooling system consists of a couple of big fans.
But a standing-room-only congregation packed St.
Gerard Church in Dominica on May 26. And on May
31 thousands turned out for the ordination of nine Re-
demptorists in Port-au-Prince.
Both Dominica and Haiti are poor countries, but eco-
nomically there’s no comparison. First you should know
that the estimated gross domestic product per capita for
the United States is $54,629.
Dominica’s GDP per capita income is meager, at
$7,433. But it’s princely compared with Haiti’s: $824.
Unemployment in Dominica is about 23 percent, but in
Haiti it’s nearly 41 percent.
In the capital city of Dominica, you see lots of small
mom-and-pop businesses. Nothing fancy—small build-
ings or open-air kiosks. But in Port-au-Prince, a small
business might be a woman selling used clothing laid
out in piles on the sidewalk.
Some of Dominica’s winding roads are well-paved
and engineered, others narrow and dangerous. Port-au-
Prince’s wide boulevards must have been impressive be-
fore the 2010 earthquake. Now they’re full of potholes
better described as craters.
You’d be shocked by what passes for housing in some
parts of Haiti: tin and cardboard “apartments” made of
tiny conjoined shacks, some not more than eight feet
square. Mounds of garbage line Port-au-Prince’s streets,
and you see grown-ups and children picking through
it—as well as stray dogs, goats, and even cows.
But did I have a bad time in the Caribbean? Not at
all. The people I met were warm and hospitable, treat-
ing me like an old friend. Their faith and joy were pal-
pable. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
The biggest plus of attending these three Masses
was the opportunity for me to get to know the recently
ordained men as well as the Redemptorist priests and
brothers of the English-Speaking Caribbean.
You can read about the ordinations on page 16, and
the story provides video links so you can view some of
the highlights of the ordination Masses. n
Mary: the
icon of love
New insights into her miraculous image.
10

3. T
his past summer witnessed
new members joining the
ranks of “the sons of Al-
phonsus.” During the spring and
early summer we celebrated the
ordination of several men from
Haiti, Dominica, and the United
States. The later days of summer we
joyfully welcomed five young men
(two from the Caribbean and three
from the States) as they professed
first vows as Redemptorists.
Often I am asked about the num-
ber of vocations within the Congre-
gation, and based on
2015, it might look
like the Redempto-
rists are doing well.
Indeed, we are thank-
ful for the response
to God’s call of these
fine young men—but
the “harvest is plenti-
ful and laborers few.”
August also saw a
time of transfers for
many of our Redemptorists. We
thank Father Richard Bennett for
his seven years of tireless work as
vocation director and wish him well
as he begins to serve as pastor of St.
Peter the Apostle Church in Phil-
adelphia. Father Matthew Allman
has taken over as our Province vo-
cation director, and I’m sure he has
been asked countless times: “How
many vocations do you have?”
The work of a vocation director
is just one part of cultivating voca-
tions. Besides praying to the Lord
of the harvest that more young
people generously respond to God’s
call, every Catholic can encour-
age vocations. The prompting of a
grandparent, a parent, a co-worker,
or a friend might be what someone
needs to respond to God’s call.
Why are we afraid to ask a young
person, “Have you ever thought of
being a religious? Have you ever
considered being a priest?”
I know if a Redemptorist had not
asked me that question when I was
in the seventh grade, I would never
have responded.
I was all set to be a profession-
al basketball player, and if that
didn’t work, I was going to try to
be an astronaut with NASA (yes, I
know—both lofty goals). But one
day during seventh grade religion a
young Redemptorist walked in and
invited us to visit the minor semi-
nary at North East for the weekend.
A weekend of religion: no sane
seventh grader would ever do that.
But he told us we would leave on a
Friday and return late Monday. My
hand (and hands of numerous class-
mates) went up. Missing two days of
school was enough to get my interest.
From that moment, God contin-
ued to use various people in my life
to encourage me to join the sem-
inary. I gave up my idea of being
the next Michael Jordan or Neil
Armstrong and traded it in to be
the next Alphonsus Liguori. All
because someone had the courage
to walk into a classroom and ask
whether anyone there would consid-
er being a religious.
I look back on my call to be a
Redemptorist and see that there
was no burning bush
like Moses saw, there
was no visit from the
Angel Gabriel as in
Mary’s case, no Son
of God walking on
the seashore making
a personal invitation
as He did for Peter,
James, and John. But
there were flesh-and-
blood people who
asked, who encouraged, who in-
spired me.
I went on a weekend just to get
away from school and came back
touched by the Spirit of God that
I saw in the students and the Re-
demptorists who staffed St. Mary’s
in North East, Pennsylvania. I have
purposely not mentioned names
since there were so many who en-
couraged and inspired me and I
don’t want to forget anyone. Their
faces and names are in my heart,
and as I thank Mary for giving me
provincial’s preface
Every Catholic can
encourage vocations
Father Paul Borowski, C.Ss.R., Provincial Superior
Winter/Spring 2016 | 3
I gave up my idea of being the next
Michael Jordan or Neil Armstrong and traded
it in to be the next Alphonsus Liguori.
All because someone had the courage to
walk into a classroom and ask whether any-
one there would consider being a religious.
—Father Paul Borowski, C.Ss.R.
Vocations continued on page 14

4. Several Redemptorists had
the opportunity to take part
in papal Masses when Pope
Francis was in North America in
September.
Father Ruskin Piedra, based
in Brooklyn, traveled to Cuba to
concelebrate the pope’s Mass at
Plaza de la Revolución in Havana
on September 20. Sitting in the
second row, he was just yards
away from the altar.
Provincial Superior Father Paul
Borowski sat with the U.S. bishops
during the September 23 papal
Mass at the Basilica of the Nation-
al Shrine of the Immaculate Con-
ception in Washington, D.C. He
called it “a truly blessed day that I
will never forget.”
Father Kevin O’Neil of Long
Branch, New Jersey, was present
for the same Mass and seated with
U.S. government officials. Father
O’Neil was a guest of his good
friend Denis McDonough—Presi-
dent Barack Obama’s chief of staff.
On September 27 the pope
visited St. Charles Borromeo Sem-
inary in Philadelphia. Father Den-
nis Billy, John Cardinal Krol Chair
of Moral Theology, had a chance
to meet him during his stay at the
seminary.
New books available about
Our Mother of Perpetual
Help
Three new titles have been pub-
lished in honor of Our Mother
of Perpetual Help, celebrating
the 150th anniversary of the
icon’s being entrusted to the
Redemptorists.
Mary in 3-D: Icon
of Discipleship, Doc-
trine, and Devotion by
Father Dennis Billy,
C.Ss.R., of St. Charles
Borromeo Seminary
has been published by New City
Press. The book is available at
newcitypress.com.
Embracing the Icon of Love
(Liguori Publications)
by Brother Daniel Korn,
C.Ss.R., is available as
a paperback or e-book
from liguori.org or
amazon.com.
Our Mother of Perpetual Help:
Her Intriguing Past and Comfort-
ing Presence by Father Philip
Dabney, C.Ss.R., is also
available from Liguori.
Father Dabney is the
Redemptorist North
American Confer-
ence’s representative
on the General Commission for
the Jubilee Celebrations.
Learn more about the icon on
page 10 of this issue, or visit
redemptorists.net/icon.
Two men make first
profession in the
Caribbean Region
On August 6 Romero Radix (left)
and Augustus Rivière of the Ca-
ribbean Region made their first
profession of vows at Our Lady of
Fatima Church in Roseau, Domini-
ca. Congratulating them is Father
Vanty Auguiste. Regional Superior
Father Rodney Olive (not seen)
received their vows.
4 | Perpetual Help
Celebrating with Pope Francis
By Mary C. Weaver
Pope Francis greets
faculty, staff, and
seminarians of
St. Charles Borromeo
on September 27.
Briefs
News

5. Winter/Spring 2016 | 5
Above: Father Denis Sweeney (third from left), director of theology studies, poses with Kenneth Stigner,
Guy Mier, and Miguel Moreno, after their first profession Mass in Philadelphia.
Guy Mier, Miguel Moreno, and Kenneth Stigner made their first profes-
sion of vows as Redemptorists on September 5, committing themselves
to poverty, chastity, and obedience in a Mass held at St. Peter the Apostle
Church in Philadelphia.
First profession follows two years of postulancy and one year in the novitiate.
Once a former novice has made first profession, he continues as a theology
student and seminarian for at least four years.
Both priest and brother candidates live in a formation community, study,
and work part time in ministry. During those years they continue to pray and
‘To live as Jesus
Christ lived’
Three men profess their first vows
and begin their new life as Redemptorists.
By Mary C.Weaver

6. seek spiritual direction, and they prepare for the pro-
fession of final vows.
“Today is not a day to celebrate the ending of a
novitiate year,” said Provincial Superior Father Paul
Borowski during his homily. “Today is the beginning
of your lives as members of the Congregation of the
Most Holy Redeemer.
“For Guy,Tony, and Ken it is a day to rejoice as
they commit their lives to Jesus Christ the Redeemer
and look forward. God has called them to a vocation
within the Redemptorist family—not just to start
something but also to endure and finish the race.”
Father Borowski noted that the names of the three
young men professed that day would be added to a
book in the provincial archives, listing everyone who
has taken vows as a Redemptorist in the Baltimore
Province.
Their names will be numbers 2339, 2340, and 2341
in the book, he said—adding that the very first name
is that of St. John Neumann, who joined the Re-
demptorists in 1842.
“He has a place of honor not simply because he
was the first to profess vows as a Redemptorist here
in America but because of the way he lived his life. . . .
the way he ran the race.
“His tireless efforts to preach the Good News by
his words and actions are why he is a saint. A man on
fire with love for God and his people, who at the end
had given so much that he sat down on a stoop a few
blocks from here—after mailing a chalice to a priest
on the frontier—and collapsed across the finish line,”
Father Borowski said.
St. John Neumann is remem-
bered “because of the way he lived
those vows of poverty, chastity, and
obedience.”
Before making first vows, can-
didates are asked whether they are
willing to “take seriously the Gospel
that Jesus Christ lived and preached,
to accept the Redemptorists’ Con-
stitutions and Statutes as particular
expressions of that Gospel for you, to
preserve chastity for the sake of the
Kingdom of God, to embrace a life of
poverty, and to offer to God the gift of
obedience.”
Each man kneels before the Provin-
cial Superior, professes his vows, and is
received as a member of the Redemp-
torist community. He is given a cross
and presented with a copy of the Con-
gregation’s Constitutions and Statutes. He then goes
to the altar and signs the document of profession.
“To many in the world, what you profess today
seems foolish,” said Father Borowski. “Our world en-
courages us to gain wealth, to enjoy pleasure, to seek
power. Yet today you will kneel before family, friends,
and your God to renounce those things.
6 | Perpetual Help
Provincial Superior Father Paul Borowski (right) embraces the newly professed
Redemptorists (from left), Guy Mier, Miguel Moreno, and Kenneth Stigner.
“Our world encourages us to gain wealth, to enjoy pleasure,
to seek power. Yet today you will kneel before family, friends,
and your God to renounce those things.”
—Father Paul Borowski, C.Ss.R.

7. “Like St. John Neumann, you will profess that a
simple life is more important than acquiring materi-
al goods. Like the thousands of Redemptorists who
have professed vows before you, you will say that a life
lived in community with your brothers and serving
the family of God is more important than having your
own family.
“Like the Redemptorists who join you here today
and in prayer throughout the world, you will profess
to live as Jesus Christ lived, who came to follow not
His own will but the will of His Heavenly Father.”
It’s crucial to know the legacy and history of the
Redemptorists, said Father Borowski, as well as the
rule of the Congregation. But much more important
is living the rule and one’s vows. Faithfully practicing
those vows daily “will make you saintly Redemptor-
ists,” he said.
Living out the vows “takes place on good days and
bad alike.”
“I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith,” said Father Borowski, quoting
2 Timothy 4:7.
“Guy,Tony, and Ken, today is a celebration not only
of your response to God but also your continued daily
response to God.Today is a day of great promise and
great joy,” he said.
“Never forget the immense zeal you have for God
at this moment. May this zeal be always in your hearts
as you live in community and proclaim the Good
News.” n
View a short video from the Mass of first profession
and listen to Father Borowski’s homily online at
redemptorists.net/profession2015.
Winter/Spring 2016 | 7
The ordinary provincial council receives Guy Mier’s profession
of first vows. Council members are (from right) Father Matthew
Allman, Second Consultor; Father Borowski; and Father Gerard
Knapp, Provincial Vicar.
Kenneth Stigner receives a cross from Father Knapp.
Father Knapp presents the Redemptorists’ Constitutions and
Statutes to Miguel Moreno.
“Like the Redemptorists who join
you here today and in prayer
throughout the world, you will profess
to live as Jesus Christ lived,
who came to follow not His own will
but the will of His Heavenly Father.”
—Father Borowski

8. W
ith this issue of Per-
petual Help, we’re
beginning a series of
Q and A interviews with Re-
demptorists young and old. Our
first interview subject is Father
Carl Hoegerl, age 92. He serves
as emeritus archivist for the Bal-
timore Province and lives in the
provincial house in Brooklyn.
Father Hoegerl is a historian,
the author of several books, a prodigious walker, and
a former mountain climber. He played a major role in
the sainthood cause of Blessed Francis Seelos, C.Ss.R,
who was beatified in 2000.
He is one of eight children of German immigrants
John and Rosa Hoegerl, and he grew up in the small
town of Meadville, Pennsylvania, between Erie and
Pittsburgh.
Father Hoegerl was professed
in August 1945 and ordained
in June 1950. He was then
assigned to study history at the
Catholic University in Wash-
ington, D.C. After earning his
master’s degree, he taught at
St. Mary’s, North East, for 11
years. In 1964 he was trans-
ferred to the major seminary at
Esopus, N.Y., serving as prefect
of students and novice master. In 1978 he became
pastor of St. James Parish in Baltimore.
In 1980 he was called to an assignment in Rome,
and in 1987 he was asked by the Superior General
to begin work on the canonization cause of Blessed
Francis Xavier Seelos.That process took 13 years, and
Blessed Seelos was beatified in April 2000. He is cur-
rently working on a new biography of Blessed Seelos.
‘A tremendous gift of God’
Father Carl Hoegerl reflects on 70 years of life as a Redemptorist.
By Toni Pacitti
8 | Perpetual Help
How did you get to know
the Redemptorists?
Every Sunday a priest from St.
Mary’s (the minor seminary in
North East, Pennsylvania) would
come down to help our pastor
with the Masses. So I got to know
the Redemptorists through see-
ing and hearing them preach on
Sundays.
When I was in seventh grade
there was a sister in the school,
Sister Mary Ida Green, who had
had a brother from Erie who had
gone to North East. He was there
six years, and when he went to the
novitiate, he dropped out.
It seems that Sister Mary Ida’s
vocation in life was to get people
to take her brother’s place as a
Redemptorist. In those days you
had to write a letter to the rector
of St. Mary’s and say you’d like to
become a Redemptorist. Well, she
wrote my letter and said, “Copy
this and sign your name.”That’s
the way God works in things like
that.
In 1938 I went to North East,
and I spent six wonderful years
there. I’m particularly grateful for
what they gave us. We got a good
old-fashioned classical education.
Strong on all the humanities. Of
course, the courses there all re-
volved around Latin. We had six
solid years of Latin.
It was a nice life for a young boy
to grow up in. You had a lot of
companionship.
What was it about the
Redemptorists that
attracted you?
They were so friendly, and they
were tremendous preachers. It was
such a great contrast to the dioce-
san priests. Our pastor was a won-
derful priest, but he couldn’t preach.
The Redemptorists had some-
thing to say, they said it very clear-
ly, and it was nice. As altar boys
we’d meet them in the sacristy get-
ting ready for Mass, and invariably
they would talk to the altar boys;
they’d have something to say.
You’ve worn a lot of hats
in your career. What’s it
been like to do so many differ-
ent things?
That’s what we were trained for:
you can fit yourself into any kind
of work if you just make up your
mind to do it. In religious life,
you really don’t depend that much
on your surroundings. Your life
is an interior life, and no matter
what goes on outside, it’s the in-
terior that counts. The presence of
God keeps you nice and quiet and
peaceful because you don’t have
Q
Q
Q

9. to worry about anything. God is
with you.
If you start worrying about stuff,
there’s no end to worry. It’s [being
aware of] the presence of God and
knowing that God takes care of us
whether we deserve it or not. Life
is meant to be peaceful and happy.
What do you think is the
most rewarding aspect
of being a priest?
That’s hard to say. Part is saying
Mass daily, part is being a Re-
demptorist and living in a house
with the Blessed Sacrament,
living with Our Lord, and also—
how do I put this?—the convic-
tion of the people who feel that a
priest can give them special help.
People confide in you. People
tell you their troubles that they
wouldn’t tell anyone else. It’s a
great feeling of well-being to have
helped somebody who has prob-
lems, whether solvable or not.
That you bring some relief to peo-
ple who are confused sometimes,
in sin even. You bring some light
into some people’s lives whose
lives are not so bright at all. I
think it’s the reaching out toward
people in need that only a priest
can do because people wouldn’t
tell their problems to anyone else.
Who is your favorite
saint?
Well, of course the Blessed Moth-
er, and St. Joseph. I have a pretty
good devotion to St. Joseph.Then
I have a debt to pay to St. John
Neumann. When I was in Rome
in, I think, 1984, I planned a trip
during the summer to visit the
places where St. Clement Hofbau-
er worked—Germany, Austria.
Before I went, I thought I’d bet-
ter get a physical. So I went to the
doctor, and he took a blood sample
and found out I had leukemia.
Out of the blue. Well, I stormed
heaven with St. John Neumann,
and I came home right away, went
to the lay clinic where they took
care of me, and after seven months
it was all gone, and I haven’t had a
relapse. It’s all gone.
For follow-up I would go to the
lay clinic and see the same doctor
who took care of me in the begin-
ning, and he would see the results
and say, “It’s really not supposed to
go like this.”That was 30 years ago
now.
What do you enjoy doing
in your spare time?
I’m interested in history and
walking. At my age, I don’t have
the legs I used to have, but when
I first got here, I got myself a
book, A to Z Something or Oth-
er, and it included all the church-
es in Manhattan. On Wednes-
days, when I took a day off, I’d go
to the city and visit two or three
more churches. It was kind of a
hobby, not wandering around, but
having this distinct objective, so I
almost finished those.
And anyhow, I’m getting to be
very afraid of falling. My age, you
know.The big challenge is getting
old. You just can’t do all the things
you used to do. I must say, being a
Redemptorist, everyone’s very con-
cerned about you, for you. We have
no fears of being abandoned in old
age because our confreres take care
of us. It’s something marvelous.
What are your thoughts
on having spent 70 years
in the community?
Being a Redemptorist has been
a tremendous gift of God to me.
Having St. Alphonsus as one’s
model—he was such a marvelous
individual. What strikes me about
him is that there was only one
focal point in his life, and that was
to love Jesus. We have a lot of dis-
parate interests that are distracting.
Most of them are worthwhile, but
when you read his writings, what
he’s interested in is getting you to
see how much Jesus loved us in
His life and death and how much
we should love Him.
He says in one of his letters to
the confreres, when he was Su-
perior General, “If we don’t love
Jesus, who will?” And that’s what
we’re all about. We have to remind
ourselves that nothing is really
important except that. n
Q
Q
Q
Pope St. John Paul II greets Father Hoegerl in Rome on April 9, 2000, the date Blessed Francis
Xavier Seelos was beatified. Father Hoegerl was instrumental in the sainthood cause.
Q
Winter/Spring 2016 | 9

10. N
early 150 years ago—in the spring of
1866—the Redemptorists were given
a very specific mission of evangeli-
zation by Pope Pius IX: to make the mirac-
ulous icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
“known throughout the world.”
At that time the ancient icon had just been
rediscovered, after
years of obscurity in
a small chapel. Many
believed the image
had been lost when
the Roman church
that formerly housed
it, St. Matthew, was
destroyed by Napo-
leon’s forces.
Since the papal
mandate, Redemptorists have eagerly promoted
devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, as the
Congregation grew and spread globally.They’ve giv-
en missions and led novenas all over the world. And
in the United States it’s unusual to find a Catholic
church that doesn’t have the famous icon on display.
“After 150 years of spreading devotion to her all
over the known world, now we have to ask ourselves,
what do we do with the next 150 years?
What’s the mission?” said Brother Daniel
Korn, C.Ss.R., in an interview with Perpetual
Help magazine.
The icon’s jubilee celebration began June 27,
2015, and will continue throughout the year
following the 150th anniversary celebration in
June 2016.
Brother Dan is an
iconologist who has
extensively studied
Our Mother of Per-
petual Help and now
gives retreats and
missions focused on
the icon. He is the
author of the new
book Embracing the
Icon of Love (Liguori Publications, 2015).
“We Redemptorists have to ask, what’s the next
phase in the history of the icon? Most of us believe it
is teaching the people to pray and read the icon.”
As the Eastern Church teaches, icons are much
more than beautiful pictures.They are “the Gospel in
image form,” said Brother Dan.
In his book, Brother Dan writes that “When we
Mary:
the icon of love
For 150 years Redemptorists have promoted
Our Mother of Perpetual Help. But now we have
new insight into this miraculous icon.
By Mary C.Weaver
10 | Perpetual Help
“After 150 years of spreading devotion to
her all over the known world, now we have
to ask ourselves, what do we do with the
next 150 years? What’s the mission?”
—Brother Daniel Korn, C.Ss.R.

11. focus on sacred images within iconography, we see the
mystery of salvation with new eyes of awareness as
we’re called into a deeper experience of the holy.”
He explains that the icon of Our Mother of Per-
petual Help is itself an instrument of evangelization,
with five “chapters,” or elements, of the Gospel story.
Mary’s face
The first chapter is Mary’s
face, with eyes of compassion
and contemplation that gaze at
the viewer, not the Child Je-
sus.Tradition holds that Jesus
blesses whomever his mother
gazes upon.
Her mouth is small—a sign
of contemplation—and her ear is visible. “In Mary’s
time women never showed their hair or ears outside
the home,” said Brother Dan. “But in icons of Our
Lady, you’ll see part of her ear” as a symbol of her
hearing the Annunciation. She is always listening,
always attuned to the Father’s will.
“Our Mother of Perpetual Help always teaches
us how to be in the mystery of Christ,” said Brother
Dan. “So her face, her ear, and her mouth are showing
us that we can be in the mystery of Christ by being
contemplative, by listening and taking in the Gospel.
She’s asking us to go deeper into the mystery.”
Mary’s hands
Her right hand is straight and
pointing toward Christ. Her
left arm and hand hold Jesus
but don’t pull Him toward
herself. Instead, she presents
Jesus to us as we look at the
icon. It’s almost as though
she’s inviting us to reach out
toward Him.
The Child Jesus
The third chapter is Christ
Himself, and His gaze, gar-
ments, and feet are all signifi-
cant, as Brother Dan explains
in his book.
Many people have been
fascinated with the sandal
falling from one of Jesus’ feet. One traditional story
holds that the Child Jesus was given a vision of the
crucifixion and ran to His mother to be comforted. In
His haste, one of His sandals came loose.
Winter/Spring 2016 | 11
“Her face, her ear, and
her mouth are showing us that
we can be in the mystery of Christ
by being contemplative,
by listening and taking in the Gospel.
She’s asking us to go deeper
into the mystery.”
—Brother Dan

12. 12 | Perpetual Help
“I always tell people that story is wonderful, but
there’s so much more,” said Brother Dan. “We didn’t
tell you a fairy tale; it’s the way we understood the
picture from our point of view, not being schooled in
Byzantine iconography.”
In fact, “the falling sandal is a sign of Jesus’ humility
in taking on our humanity,” Brother Dan writes in his
book. His sandals are golden—a sign of His divinity,
concealed within His humanity.
The angels
The Archangel Gabriel on
the right of the icon holds the
cross and nails, and the letters
above him signify his name.
He—the angelic messenger
of the Annunciation—bows
toward the Virgin Mary.
The Archangel Michael, at left, holds the lance,
sponge, and jar of gall and vinegar used during the
crucifixion. He too is identified with the letters above
his image.
Both angels’ hands are veiled—“a sign of reverence
and respect,” writes Brother Dan.
The golden background
The icon’s richly gilded
background signifies the
divine light of God and His
redemptive love.Those who
contemplate the icon will
also notice the many golden
touches on the garments of
Mary and Jesus as well as their halos.
The “golden light of the background radiates
throughout the icon,” writes Brother Dan. “It is
the healing, compassionate light of the Godhead,
the same light that infused the body of Jesus at the
resurrection.”
The future of Marian devotion
After the Second Vatican Council, devotion to Mary
fell out of fashion among many people. But that be-
gan to turn around in the past 25 years, “and the one
who really put Mary back on the map and helped ig-
nite devotion to her again was Pope St. John Paul II,”
said Father Philip Dabney, C.Ss.R., in an interview
with Perpetual Help.
Father Dabney is the Redemptorist North American
Conference’s representative on the General Commis-
sion for the Jubilee Celebrations.
Far from diverting our attention from Jesus, devo-
tion to Mary brings us closer to Christ, he said. One
key reason for renewed attention to Mary, he noted, is
the “hunger in our world for the supernatural.”
“This desire for God is planted in every human
heart, but Mary, with her maternal warmth, is proba-
bly the easiest and most nonthreatening road back to
the Father.”
In today’s culture, he said, “Mary is a spring of fresh
water. She helps us to see God, and she opens our
hearts to Jesus.”
A former vocation director for the Redemptorists,
Father Dabney said that a large percentage of young
men who have become priests in the past 20 years
have found their vocation “because they either began
a devotion to Mary or always had a devotion to her.”
After all, he said, Mary is the God-bearer, who
models what it means to be a disciple and carries out
the mission of bringing Christ into the world.
How can Catholics come to a deeper relationship
with God and a better understanding of Our Mother
of Perpetual Help through her icon?
First, said Father Dabney,“You have to understand
that an icon is not an image or a painting per se. It’s a
door or a window, and it’s not painted, it’s written. In
its story we find the story of our salvation—the
incarnation, the passion, and the resurrection of Christ.”
“This desire for God is planted in every human heart,
but Mary, with her maternal warmth, is probably the easiest
and most nonthreatening road back to the Father.”
—Father Philip Dabney, C.Ss.R.
Mary continued on page 14

13. Join us in June 2016 for an
Unforgettable Pilgrimage
11 days!
June 20-30
2016
HOSTed by
Father Paul Borowski, C.Ss.R.
Provincial Superior
and
Father Philip Dabney, C.Ss.R.
North American representative on the Central Commission to plan the icon’s 150th anniversary
The Redemptorists
With Him is plentiful redemption. (Psalm 130:7)
Italyto 11 DAYS!June 20-30
2016
Celebrate the 150th
jubilee of the Redemptorists’being entrusted
with the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
To learn more
or request a
brochure, call
877-876-7662
or visit
perpetualhelp.us.

14. Because it’s an icon, he explained,
its role is to lead us into the presence
of God. It’s something to be prayed
with rather than prayed to or at.
“As you pray with it, you contem-
plate the image, and it brings you
into the presence of God and into a
relationship,” he said.
“Finally, you want to move toward
contemplation. And once you’re in the
presence of Mary and her compas-
sion and her son, then you speak your
needs or speak heart to heart.
“Because you can’t help but feel
that you are in the presence of one
who’s listening and whose eyes alone
tell you that she knows. She knows
your sorrow and your heart; she un-
derstands.” n
Toni Pacitti helped research this article. For
more information about the icon of Our
Mother of Perpetual Help, visit the Icon
of Love website at www.iconoflove.org or
redemptorists.net/icon.To learn more about
our pilgrimage to Italy in June 2016, in
honor of the icon’s jubilee, visit perpetualhelp.
us. To order Brother Daniel Korn’s book
Embracing the Icon of Love, visit liguori.
org/embracing-the-icon-of-love.html.
14 | Perpetual Help
“You have to understand that an icon
is not an image or a painting per se. It’s a door or
a window, and it’s not painted, it’s written.”
—Father Dabney
Mary continued from page 12
the gift of perseverance, I also utter a
prayer of thanks for those who
supported my vocation, most espe-
cially my parents for allowing me to
follow my dream.
Many of us reading this are either
Redemptorists or have a special place
for the Redemptorists in our hearts.
We are better people because of one
or several Redemptorists who have
allowed us to experience the face of a
loving God.
I say this in all humility: we Re-
demptorists are a great group of men.
Why would we not invite someone to
join the ranks of the Redemptorists?
Perhaps there is a person you know
who needs a little push. (Perhaps an
invitation to miss a few days of work
or school is all he needs!) The job of
vocations is not just that of the Prov-
ince’s vocation director or Redemp-
torist confreres but of anyone reading
these words.
The year 2015 has seen our Con-
gregation blessed with new and zeal-
ous members. There is so much we as
Redemptorists would love to do, but
the “harvest is plentiful and laborers
few.”
Don’t be afraid to pray for voca-
tions! Don’t be afraid to ask someone
if he or she ever considered a vocation!
May Our Mother of Perpetual Help
be with all those considering God’s
call in their lives, and may she always
be with them, offering them the grace
of perseverance.
In the Redeemer,
Father Paul Borowski, C.Ss.R.
Vocations continued from page 3
Available now:
2016 Daily
Lenten
Devotions
Ash Wednesday falls on February
10 this year. During the blessed
40 days of Lent, we’ll prepare
our hearts and souls for Easter—
the most glorious feast of all.
To help with your Lenten journey,
we’ve created a Daily Lenten
Devotions booklet with text
in both English and Spanish.
In it you’ll find a reflection for
each day, written by one of our
Redemptorist priests. They’ve
created these brief readings just
for you, hoping to bring you joy
and comfort and draw you closer
to our Redeemer.
You can purchase a copy for
$5, which includes shipping
and handling, by calling
877-876-7662 toll-free or
visiting our online gift shop at
redemptorists.net/devotions.
Or you can download a free pdf
copy of the English version at
redemptorists.net/booklet.
Easter Mass cards for 2016
will also be available soon, at
no cost. Call us at the number
above or check our gift shop at
redemptorists.net/store.
Please connect with us on
Facebook too: point your
web browser to facebook.com/
RedemptoristsBaltimore. n

15. Winter/Spring 2016 | 15
T
he following priests and brothers celebrated significant
anniversaries of their profession as Redemptorists and/or
their ordination to the priesthood in 2015. Please join us in
thanking God for the gift of their ministry and pray for their con-
tinued faithfulness in service to God’s people.
70 Years (1945)
Father Karl A. Aschmann, C.Ss.R.
Father Carl W. Hoegerl, C.Ss.R.
Father Eugene J. Grohe, C.Ss.R.
65 Years (1950)
Brother Raphael Rock, C.Ss.R.
Father Gerard G. Oberle, C.Ss.R.
Father William H.Tracy, C.Ss.R.
Father Andrew W. Carr, C.Ss.R.
Father John J. Bauer, C.Ss.R.
60 Years (1955)
Father James Geiger, C.Ss.R.
Father Ruskin Piedra, C.Ss.R.
Father John Furey, C.Ss.R.
Father William Gaffney, C.Ss.R.
Brother Christopher (Francis)
Walsh, C.Ss.R.
50 Years (1965)
Father Ronald Bonneau, C.Ss.R.
Father Norman Bennett, C.Ss.R.
Father Charles McDonald, C.Ss.R.
Father Francis Gargani, C.Ss.R.
Father James Gilmour, C.Ss.R.
Father Charles Donovan, C.Ss.R.
Father Francis Skelly, C.Ss.R.
Father Thomas Sullivan, C.Ss.R.
Father Eugene Daigle, C.Ss.R.
Father Mark Wise, C.Ss.R.
40 Years (1975)
Father Joseph Dionne, C.Ss.R.
Father Jack Fiske, C.Ss.R.
Father John Kingsbury, C.Ss.R.
Father Kevin O’Neil, C.Ss.R.
25 Years (1990)
Father Richard Bennett, C.Ss.R.
Father John Bailey, C.Ss.R.
Anniversary of ordination
65 Years (1950)
Father Karl A. Aschmann, C.Ss.R.
Father Carl W. Hoegerl, C.Ss.R.
Father Eugene J. Grohe, C.Ss.R.
60 Years (1955)
Father Gerard G. Oberle, C.Ss.R.
Father William H.Tracy, C.Ss.R.
Father Andrew W. Carr, C.Ss.R.
50 Years (1965)
Father Anthony T. Russo, C.Ss.R.
Father Arthur B.Tuttle, C.Ss.R.
Father Thomas M. Deely, C.Ss.R.
Father Lawrence P. Kearns, C.Ss.R.
Father Andrew J. Costello, C.Ss.R.
Father Terence E. Wall, C.Ss.R.
Father Clement M. Krug, C.Ss.R.
Father John Connor, C.Ss.R.
40 Years (1975)
Father Brian Kennedy, C.Ss.R.
Father Donald Roth, C.Ss.R.
Father Gerard Knapp, C.Ss.R.
Father Joseph Tizio, C.Ss.R.
Father Robert Pagliari, C.Ss.R.
Father Patrick Woods, C.Ss.R.
Father Alistair McKay, C.Ss.R.
25 Years (1990)
Father James McDonald, C.Ss.R.
Father Clement John
Vadakkedath, C.Ss.R.
Redemptorist jubilarians
Join us in thanking God for the gift of their ministry.
Anniversary of profession
Anniversary of ordination

16. Priesthood’’Three men are ordained for
the Province in the Caribbean
and the United States.
‘The
of the
By Mary C. Weaver
Gift
16 | Perpetual Help

17. T his year the Redemptorists’ Balti-
more Province reaped a rich harvest
of brand-new priests.
On May 26 Father Calvin Auguiste, 26,
was ordained in Dominica, one of the island
nations in the Region of the English-Speaking Carib-
bean, which is part of the Baltimore Province.
Five days later, on May 31, nine Redemptorists
were ordained in Port-au-Prince, Haiti—one, Fa-
ther Jacky Mérilan, 32, for the English-Speaking
Caribbean and eight for the Region of Haiti.Two of
those eight—Fathers Pierre Desruisseaux and Yvon
Trémont—are currently on assignment with the
Baltimore Province, Father Desruisseaux at Mission
Church in Boston and Father Trémont at St. Peter the
Apostle in Philadelphia.
And on June 27 Father Anthony Michalik, 61, was
ordained in Ephrata, Pa., at his home parish of Our
Mother of Perpetual Help.
The following day, when Father Michalik cele-
brated his first Mass—in the company of dozens of
Redemptorists, including Fathers Auguiste, Mérilan,
Desruisseaux, and Trémont—Provincial Superior
Father Paul Borowski gave the homily.
“As we gather today to celebrate the gift God’s
given Anthony, the gift of the priesthood, we as a Re-
demptorist family are coming to the end of a month-
long celebration of ordinations,” he said.
“It is indeed a day to give praise and thanks to God
for His goodness, for bestowing His Spirit upon all
these fine men, to serve as priests at His altar.”
The Holy Spirit “poured into your heart and soul”
during an ordination Mass’s prayer of consecration is
the same Spirit “that was given to you at baptism, at
confirmation, at your profession of final vows,” Father
Borowski said.
“God has given you life in the Spirit and asks you
now, after days of celebration, to go forth and pro-
claim the Gospel to all people—but to do it with the
Spirit of our Heavenly Father. God’s Spirit is in your
Winter/Spring 2016 | 17
“This conversion always begins
with self. You can’t talk or preach
about conversion if you
haven’t done it yourself.”
—Father Richard Bennett, C.Ss.R.
Father Calvin Auguiste celebrates his first Mass on May 27 at
St. Gerard Church in Dominica.
Posing with Cardinal Chibly Langlois of Haiti are eight new Redemptorist priests ordained for the Region of Haiti and one for the
Region of the English-Speaking Caribbean. Father Charles Duval, far left, is provincial of the Province of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in
Quebec; Father Rodney Olive, far right, is superior of the Region of the English-Speaking Caribbean.
continued on page 19

18. 18 | Perpetual Help
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19. Important
moments in an
ordination Mass
Promise of obedience: Each
candidate kneels before the
bishop, places his hands be-
tween those of the bishop, and
promises respect and obedi-
ence to the local ordinary and
to his religious superiors.
The Litany of the Saints: Priest
candidates lie prostrate while
cantors lead the sung litany,
asking the saints by name to
pray for those to be ordained.
All respond, “pray for us.”
Laying on of hands: Each
candidate kneels before the
bishop, who lays his hands on
the ordinand’s head, invoking
the power of the Holy Spirit.
All the priests present now lay
their hands upon the candidate
in silence. The bishop prays
the prayer of consecration.
Investiture with stole and
chasuble: After the prayer of
consecration, priestly vest-
ments are presented to the
newly ordained. An assisting
priest helps the new priest ar-
range his stole and put on his
chasuble for the first time.
Anointing of hands: The new
priest kneels before the bish-
op, who anoints his palms with
chrism—holy oil. The bishop
says, “The Father anointed Our
Lord Jesus Christ through the
power of the Holy Spirit. May
Jesus preserve you to sanctify
the Christian people and to
offer sacrifice to God.” n
heart and in your soul.”
The new priests are now serving in
the States and the Caribbean. Father
Auguiste is based at Seelos House,
Vieux Fort, St. Lucia, West Indies;
Father Mérilan in Roseau, Dominica;
and Father Michalik at St. Peter the
Apostle Church in Philadelphia.
The consecrating bishop for the
four-hour ordination Mass in Port-
au-Prince on May 31 was Cardi-
nal Chibly Langlois. Because the
church—St. Gerard—was never
repaired after the magnitude 7.0
earthquake that devastated Haiti
in 2010, the Mass was held under
a metal-roofed structure with no
exterior walls and no air-condition-
ing.Thousands of the faithful packed
the celebration, conducted in French.
(View a video from the Mass at
redemptorists.net/haiti.)
In Dominica the main celebrant
for the May 26 ordination Mass was
Bishop Gabriel Malzaire of Roseau.
Concelebrants included Father Rod-
ney Olive, Regional Superior for the
English-Speaking Caribbean, and
Redemptorists from the Caribbean,
United States, and Canada. (Video
from the Mass can be seen at re-
demptorists.net/dominica.)
Bishop Ronald Gainer of Harris-
burg, Pa., was the primary celebrant
for Father Michalik’s ordination
Mass on June 27, the Feast of Our
Mother of Perpetual Help. (Watch a
video from the Mass at redemptor-
ists.net/michalik.)
The rule of the Redemptorists calls
confreres to be apostles of conversion,
as Father Richard Bennett, former
vocation director, reminded Father
Auguiste during his Mass of thanks-
giving in Dominica on May 27.
“This conversion always begins
with self,” he said during his homily.
“You can’t talk or preach about con-
version if you haven’t done it yourself.
“Bring people to an experience of
Christ, an experience of redemption,
an experience of conversion. As you
celebrate the Eucharist—the pinnacle
of our prayer and ministry—you will
hold the sacred Host in your hands,
say the words of institution, and re-
peat ‘Do this in memory of Me.’”
Addressing the newly ordained,
Father Bennett said, “May you live
Christ’s example, may you live His
word, His beatitudes, His values, His
Gospel, and this sacred meal, the
Lord’s supper that was left to us.
“And then you will know, as Pope
Francis says, the joy of the Gospel,
as you preach and teach, sanctify, and
make whole. It is in giving that you
shall receive. It is by evangelizing
that you yourself shall be evangelized
by God’s chosen people.” n
Father Jacky Mérilan processes out of the
church after his ordination on May 31.
Bishop Ronald Gainer presents the chalice
to Father Anthony Michalik on June 27.
Winter/Spring 2016 | 19
continued from page 17

20. The Redemptorists
Perpetual Help Center
107 Duke of Gloucester Street
Annapolis, MD 21401-2526
redemptorists.net
Entrusted with the miraculous icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help
NON PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
paid
PERMIT #5745
BALTIMORE, MD
In 1866—150 years ago—Pope Pius
IX gave the Redemptorists the
miraculous icon of Our Mother of
Perpetual Help, asking us to “make
her known throughout the world.”
We’re celebrating this Jubilee
all year long, and you’re invited!
Please join us in Washington, D.C.,
on Saturday, September 17, for a
150th-anniversary event, begin-
ning with Mass at 2 p.m. at the
National Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception, followed by a festive
reception. Call 877-876-7662 toll
free for more information.
at the National Shrine to honor Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Join us