‘Ad Multos Anos:’ Archbishop celebrates jubilee Mass honoring commitment to the Gospel, witness of r

‘Ad Multos Anos:’ Archbishop celebrates jubilee Mass honoring commitment to the Gospel, witness of religious life

More than 5,000 years of service to the church by women and men religious, priests, and deacons observing significant anniversaries in 2015 were honored by Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, MSpS, at the archdiocesan jubilee Mass held at Our Lady of Grace Church on April 21.

In his homily, Archbishop Gustavo said jubilees are times for memories, gratitude, and recommitment.

“You undoubtedly have many personal memories of the past. Consider for a moment all the lives you have touched in your various ministries and services to the church and the broader community,” he began. “If only we had time today to hear just one such story from each of you. How blessed we would be in our sharing of memories!”

The archbishop called on attendees to give thanks to God for all of his blessings bestowed on consecrated life. “God has provided us with the guidance of the Bread of Life – the Word of God proclaimed in Scripture and incarnate in us in the Lord’s sacred Body and Blood in the Eucharist,” said the prelate. “God has been very good to us, and we thank God with full hearts.”

Archbishop Gustavo thanked each of the honorees in the name of the entire Archdiocese of San Antonio for all that you have done in their witness and work here and elsewhere in the church. “Wherever the bishop is, the whole local church is. So, the entire archdiocese is with us in celebrating your gifts, your generosity, your goodness. Thank you.”

The archbishop emphasized that jubilees are also opportunities to renew commitment to consecrated life. In a meeting with priests, religious, deacons, and seminarians in Naples one month ago today, Pope Francis talked about community life as a vital witness and a challenge.He said community life is not easy in the convent, in consecrated life, or in the rectory.“The devil,” he said, “always tempts us with jealousy, envy, infighting, antipathy, sympathy, so many things that do not help us to live true fraternity and thus we bear a testimony of division among ourselves.”

Archbishop Gustavo stressed that while such struggles pose a great challenge, it is not something new in the life of the church. He asked listeners to reflect on the liturgy’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

The deacon Stephen had been summoned to a trial for his belief in the risen Lord.As he makes his defense, the judicial hearing turns into an angry mob who stone him to death.His last words echo those of Jesus on the cross, asking the Father for forgiveness for his executioners and commending his spirit to Jesus as he dies. However, God’s plan will not be thwarted -- even by the demonic force embodied in a bystander whose name is Saul.

“The blood of martyrs will raise up new generations of Christians,” said the Missionary of the Holy Spirit. “Paradoxically, persecution advances the work of evangelizing the whole world.”

The archbishop closed by saying that religious are called to pray and to work for justice and peace. “We are to live poverty, chastity, and obedience in such a way that the world will find its way to God -- to experience his mercy, his compassion, his enduring love,” he concluded. “We gather with Our Lady with our memories, our gratitude, and our hearts renewed to follow the Lord on our pilgrim way as persons in consecrated life.”

Following the liturgy, which was organized by the archdiocesan Department of Clergy and Consecrated Life and the Office of Consecrated Life, a special dinner was held in the parish Madonna Room.

2015 women jubilarians

80 years

Sister Ann Linda Bell, CDP

75 years

Sister Anthony Ebell, SSCJ

Sister Tricia Freeman, CCVI

Sister Mary Margaret Fuery, CCVI

Sister Vittoria Graziani, FMA

Sister Anne Marie McCaffrey, CCVI

Sister Adrienne Marie Schmidtzinsky, CDP

Sister Agatha Shimek, IWBS

Sister Patricia Ann Sullivan, CDP

70 years

Sister Elaine Braden, IWBS

Sister Mary Benedict Chavez, SSCJ

Sister Joanne Eustice, CDP

Sister Theresa Marie Miller, IWBS

Sister Genevieve Prochaska, CDP

Sister Maria de la Luz Reyes, FMA

Sister Mary Rose Zimmerer, CDP

65 years

Sister Alice Fusco, FMA

60 years

Sister Cecilia Besi, FMA

Sister Constance Christopher, CDP

Sister Annella Conway, CCVI

Sister Mary Dolores Doyle, CCVI

Sister Mary Claude Gadd, SSCJ

Sister Rosalba Garcia, FMA

Sister Lucille Gardner, OP

Sister Neomi Hayes, CCVI

Sister Durie H. Kim, FMI

Sister Rose McHugh, SHSp

Sister Joan Cecilia Moran, CCVI

Sister Carmen Nieto, FMA

Sister Grace O’Meara, CCVI

Sister Madonna Sangalli, CDP

Sister Mary Ellen Sturm, CSSF

Sister Maria Soledad Villegas Gonzalez, APG

Sister Corine Walsh, CCVI

50 years

Sister Sharon Altendorf, PBVM

Sister Oralia Arzola, MCM

Sister Theresa Ann Billeaud, CDP

Sister Teresa Carter, CSB

Sister Maria Eva Flores, CDP

Sister Ursula Herrera, OSB

Sister Esperanza Herrera, HJ

Sister Patricia King, FMA

Sister Martha Ann Kirk, CCVI

Sister Barbara Masch, SSND

Sister Felicia Mejia, CCVI

Sister Susan Mika, OSB

Sister Marion Morua, OSB

Sister Michele O’Brien, CCVI

Sister Agnes Oman, CSB

Sister Crispina Parraguirre, HJ

Sister Bernadine Prendergast, CCVI

Sister Luz del Carmen Sanchez Obregon, APG

Sister Philippa Wall, PBVM

2015 religious profession men jubilarians

70 years

Brother Richard Middleton, SM

Brother Robert Wood, SM

60 years

Brother Stanley Culotta, CSC

Rev. Gerald Haby, SM

Brother Robert Hanss, SM

Rev. Richard Sheehan, OMI

Rev. James Tobin, SM

Brother Ralph Neumann, SM

50 years

Brother Michael O’Grady, SM

Brother Richard Thompson, SM

Rev. William Zapalac, OMI

40 years

Rev. Edward DeLeon, OMI

2015 priest jubilarians

65 years

Rev. Patrick Guidon, OMI

Rev. Albert Hubertus

Rev. James O’Mahoney, MSC

Rev. Joseph Peter Petsch

60 years

Rev. William DuBuisson, OMI

Msgr. Eugene O’Callaghan

Rev. Roberto Pena, OMI

Rev. John A. Sokolski, OMI

Msgr. Lawrence J. Stuebben

50 years

Rev. Miguel Arango-Medina

Msgr. James J. Cashin

Rev. James O. Conway

Rev. Anthony O. Cummins

Rev. James Empeurer, SJ

Rev. William McNamara

Rev. Anthony Paul Pesek

Rev. Joseph Rasky, SM

Rev. James E. Shea, CSsR

Msgr. Joseph R. Wagner

40 years

Rev. David Garcia

25 years

Rev. Carlos B. Velasquez

Rev. Nam V. Kim, SS

Rev. Canon Stanislaw Fiuk

Rev. Michael E. FitzGibbon, MSC

2015 deacon jubilarians

40 years

Deacon Richard Neville

Deacon Victor Ramirez

Deacon Raymond Prevott

25 years

Deacon Larry Contreras

Deacon Eusebio Guevara

Deacon Oscar Perez

Deacon James Raso

Deacon Ben Wehman

Deacon Raymond Ybarra