‘Ad Multos Anos:’ Archbishop celebrates jubilee Mass honoring commitment to the Gospel, witness of r
May 15, 2015 | posted by Jordan McMorrough
Topics: Vocations
‘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