SHARE PRAYER
I wanted to comment on the beautiful “Prayer for Vocations” written by Deacon (soon to be Father) Charles Ogony in the Spring 2024 edition of your magazine. We are blessed with good and holy priests in our parish, and I pray for them, for those in formation and for those who struggle to be the salt of the earth and light to the world that our Lord calls them to be.
I hope that the prayer in your magazine might be published and widely distributed to seminaries and seminarians. With a little change to the wording, it could also be printed and distributed worldwide for parishes to use at the end of Mass, much like the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel.
Thank you, Deacon Ogony, for such a beautiful and heartfelt prayer!
Jill Cic
Denver, Colorado
Editor’s Note: Deacon Ogony indeed became Father Ogony. See story, p. 10.
LOVE, NOT LIKE
Bravo to the reader who sent a thoughtful and knowledgeable letter regarding the immigration situation which was printed in the Spring 2024 issue. People who have never experienced oppression, poverty and government abuse have no idea what immigrants from other countries have suffered due to wars, famine and terrible poverty. Jesus taught us to love and respect all our brothers and sisters … not just those we choose.
Kindness, selflessness and love (not “like”) are the commandment of the Lord: “As I have loved you, so you must do.” (John 13:34)
Victoria Schneider
Upland, California
FIRST LETTER
Having received the Spring 2024 issue of Maryknoll magazine, I had to write after reading “Laudate Deum” by Maryknoll Father Joseph Veneroso. This is the first letter of this kind I have ever written but, surely, this prayer is the most beautiful I have ever read. So please, pass these remarks along and thank Father Veneroso. I am overwhelmed by his beautiful thoughts.
Mary Wickett
Hamburg, New York
NEIGHBORLY LETTER
Editor’s Note: The following letter was written to Maryknoll Father Joseph La Mar, who shared it with Maryknoll magazine. It is edited for space.
l just wanted to drop you a note after reading your autobiography, A Conversation with a Friend: Concerning Justice, Peace and Joy.
ln your book, you mentioned that you must have ridden over 300 hours on horseback! Well, that explains for me why they had horses at Maryknoll back in the day.
I have lived my entire life with Maryknoll as a welcome neighbor. When walking or driving down my street in Ossining, New York, I can see Maryknoll sitting majestically on the next hill almost as if challenging us as to which sits tallest.
As a youngster, I spent much time at my grandparents’ house next to Brookside school, just a stone’s throw from Maryknoll. Once, l was lucky enough to get a tour of Maryknoll and was even able to look out of the bell tower, which was absolutely magnificent. l looked up at the tower recently and saw satellite dishes. Ah, modernity! Oh, well.
When l was a very little girl in the late 1960s, l would often tag along with my dad as he coached the men’s fast-pitch softball games for his team at a park just down the hill from Maryknoll. One evening, two riders appeared at the game. They were both young religious brothers from Maryknoll. A throng of people gathered around one brother and his pretty bay mare named Blue Bell. So, l, as the enterprising horse-crazy kid, made my way over to the grey horse who had no one milling about.
I cannot remember the kind brother’s name, but the horse was named Monsignor and he was about 30 years old (or so the brother said). He could see I was enthralled and asked my father if I could sit on Monsignor. Of course, the answer was yes! You never saw a wider smile in your life.
The very next week, I walked on over from my grandparents’ house to Maryknoll to try and find Monsignor. I did, and dutifully gave him an apple. A priest appeared and asked “Are you supposed to be here?” I replied that I had previously met Monsignor and the brother and that he had invited me to stop by. That was the last time that I saw Monsignor.
Reading in the book your account of traveling by horseback in Guatemala, I now understand why Maryknoll had horses: so those going on mission would know how to ride!
Margaret Fiore
Ossining, New York
ANNIVERSARY JOY
My husband and I, with a group of about 30 members of our church, were blessed and privileged to travel to Maryknoll recently from Saint Ambrose parish in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania. The purpose of our journey was to visit Maryknoll Father Robert Reiley, who was celebrating 65 years as a Maryknoll missionary. We were very happy to see how great Father Bob looked! He is clearly well cared for. Father helped out at Saint Ambrose during his years in retirement. We came to know him as a wonderful priest — inspiring, gentle, warm and kind. He has two religious sisters, and I can’t imagine how many souls they have led to Christ.
Many of us had not been to Maryknoll before and were impressed with the beauty of the building and grounds.
May God continue to bless the work of Maryknoll and all those who lovingly care for our retired, infirm and elderly priests and religious, and lead more workers into the harvest.
Deborah Dasch
Friedensburg, Pennsylvania
Featured image: Elderly Indigenous villagers of Puytucani in the Andes Mountains of Bolivia enjoy a nutritious meal as part of an outreach program run by the Social Justice Foundation, a ministry led by Maryknoll Lay Missioners couple Filomena Siles and Joseph Loney. (Meinrad Scherer-Emunds/Bolivia)
