Bear Fruit in Faith: A Meaningful Experience of Conversion
10 April 2024 | Aurea Gita (Indonesia) | Our thanks from the Xaverian Missionaries in the Philippines Embracing a new faith is a profound and deeply personal journey, often triggered by significant life events or deep realizations. For many raised in the Islamic tradition, the path to conversion to Catholicism...
Building Bridges: From Parma, Italy to Morocco
Fr. Pietro Rossini, SX The author, Fr. Pietro Rossini, studied at Boston University and earned a Masters in Science in Journalism. He was assigned to our community at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine and was ordained a deacon at the local parish, St. Mary’s Church in Holliston, Massachusetts. Presently...
The Xaverian Martyrs in Uvira: The Vibrant Tribute of the Catholic Church
1 APRIL 2024 BY FATSHIMETRIE Grateful to the Citizen’s Blog of Fatshimetrie for this post The upcoming beatification ceremony of the Xaverian missionaries martyred in Uvira in 1964 is a highly anticipated event, filled with reverence and remembrance. Scheduled for August 18, 2024, this ceremony will pay tribute to the...
Vatican seeks to break new ground in Confucian and Christian dialogue
Courtney Mares Catholic News Agency | Rome Newsroom, Mar 13, 2024 / 15:00 pm | Web Post The Vatican sponsored a dialogue in Taiwan this week as the Catholic Church prepares to release official guidelines for engagement with Confucianism, one of the most influential religious philosophies in the history...
Fr. Francis Cavallo, Xaverian Missionary in the US in the 1950’s and 60’s, Passes Away at 104
On Tuesday morning, February 6, 2024, at 2:00 a.m., our confrere Fr. Francesco Cavallo died in the Xaverian House in Salerno, Italy. He had turned 104 a month earlier, having been registered on January 2, 1920 in Bari, Italy, but was actually born on November 16, 1919. Fr. Francis:...
Three Martyrs of the Xaverian Missionaries Declared Blessed by Pope Francis
Fr. Francisco Xavier Beltran Aceve from the Philippines Last Thursday, December 14, the Holy Father received in the audience Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. He authorized the promulgation of eight decrees concerning the miracles, martyrdom, and heroic virtues of two Venerable Servants...
Ribat El Salam in Fnideq on the Feast of St. Francis Xavier
Fr. Rolando Ruiz Duran, SX | December 7, 2023 Xaverian Missionary communities throughout the world celebrate the feast of our patron, Saint Francis Xavier in very different ways. Here, the Xaverians are beginning a new mission in Morrocco, which is predominately Muslim. In this story, our confreres celebrate together...
Letter of a Pastor of a Catholic Community in Palestine during the Israeli-Hamas War
Fr. Issa Hijazeen, pastor of Our Lady of Fatima of Beit Sahour in Palestine writes to their sister parish in Holliston, Massachusetts, St. Mary’s Church. For peace in the Holy Land. For the safe return of hostages; the protection of civilians; and for an end to all violence in...
The Missionary Reminds the Church Who We Are
Recently, Fr. Fernando Garcia, Superior General of the Xaverian Missionaries worldwide was interviewed in Spain by the media center, Vida Nueva. The author is José Luis Celada in Vida Nueva nº 3.336, year 2023, pages 16-17. We are grateful for the possibility of reprinting the original article. Bukavu (Democratic...
Twenty Years of Missionary Work in Japan: The Power of the Word
Fr. Renato Filippini, Xaverian Missionary in Japan, studied his theology with us in the United States in Chicago, Illinois. Here, our confrere shares his missionary experience of 20 years serving the people of Japan. Reflections and evaluations on twenty years of experience[1] The Bible is a fascinating book read...
God Continues to Call: Our Students in Mexico
It was the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, who appeared to Saint Juan Diego (1531) and opened the hearts of the people of Mexico to evangelization. The Xaverians established the first school in Mazatlan in 1951, a school that propagated the spirit and life of Saint Guido Maria Conforti. The...
What More Can You Do in the Face of the Church’s Sexual Abuse Crisis?
By Thomas Berg. Church Life Journal: A Journal of the McGrath Institute for Church Life Fr. Berg lays out an excellent way to help us understand our ongoing commitment to survivors of clergy sexual abuse in the long term with a deep sense of accountability, transparency, and pastoral compassion. We...
The importance of interreligious dialogue for peacebuilding and peace education in the modern world
Through this video, the Xaverian Missionaries of Indonesia share one of the missionary activities in that nation: interreligious dialogue, especially by our seminarians who are in the beginning stages in philosophy. Recall that Indonesia is approximately 87% Muslim, but the government recognizes Islam, Christianity (Protestant and Catholic), Hinduism, Buddhism,...
Voices from outside the Church
Open House, a Catholic Magazine and Blog of Scotland, recently published an article by Fr. Carl Chudy reflecting on the North American experience of the Synod of the Church, 2021-2024. Like other continents worldwide, the North American experience of the Synod of the Church, called by Pope Francis in...
A Missionary Priest Tells His Story
Father Nicola Colasuonno SXOn the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his priestly ordination Fr, Louis Birabalige SX Fr. Nick Colasuonno studied in the United States at our community in Franklin, Wisconsin. He was ordained and worked for some years in our seminary. Fr. Nick is visiting the US...
Interreligious Dialogue and Bengali Society
In Bangladesh, over 100 Xaverian Missionaries have served here since 1952. They have witnessed the plodding progress and growth of the mission, with the formation of the local clergy, Christian villages, and numerous catechists. Bangladesh has also seen the martyrdom of two Xaverian Missionaries, Fr. Veronesi and Fr. Cobbe,...
Being Missionaries in Taiwan
We present contributions from the Xaverian community in Taipei (pp. Fabrizio Tosolini, Innocent Munandi, and Joe Matteucig). The three brethren thought it best to share the reflection personally without trying to create a common presentation – reflection. We hope that this ‘format’ will be more helpful. This blog was...
Our Parish in Taiwan for Easter 2023: Letter from a Missionary
Recently, Fr. Joe Matteucig, former Shrine Director at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston, who worked many years in the United States, wrote to us from his parish in Taiwan. His letter is slightly edited to make it more understandable to those who may not know the other...
Xaverian Missionary Ordained Bishop in Brazil
On Saturday, April 15, 2023, at 9:00 am, at the Cathedral of Belém (Pará), Xaverian Missionary Bishop Paolo Andreolli was ordained auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Belém. The ordaining bishop will be Dom Alberto Taveira Corrêa, archbishop of Belém (PA), and the two co-ordinating bishops will be Dom...
Spiritual Journeys of Christians and Muslims that Intersect at Holy Week and Ramadan
The author, Dorothy Buck is the USA coordinator for the Badilya Prayer Movement. Badaliya is an Arabic word that means to take the place of or substitute for another. It is a spiritual term that lies at the heart of the Christian faith experience and refers to the mystery of...
The Synod of the Church 2021-2024: The Continent of Asia Meets
The Synod of the Church, called by Pope Francis in 2021 and culminating in 2024, is an incremental opportunity to involve the whole church in a dialogue about our present and future in an ever-evolving and changing world. We present the work of the continental assembly of Asia. Baan...
Xaverian Missionary Appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of Belem, Brazil
Pope Francis has appointed our confrere Fr. Paolo Andreolli, S.X., as Auxiliary Bishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Belém do Pará, Brazil, assigning him the titular see of Altava. Fr. Paolo Andreolli, S.X. was born on 16 December 1972 in Noventa Vicentina (VI). He entered the Institute of Vicenza...
Christian Unity and the United Church of Christ
Reverend Bonnie Steinroeder | Minister, First Congregational Church of Holliston, MA, USA January 18-25, 2023 is the yearly celebration and awareness-building opportunity of The Week of Christian Unity. The World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity Joint Commission on the Week of Prayer for...
MOROCCO: THE “DARIYA”, THE HOUSE OF YOUTH, AND THE HOUSE OF CULTURE
In our new presence in Morocco, Fr. Moll, a Xaverian Missionary from Chad, Africa, shares his initial experience engaging with Muslims as a Catholic missionary. A heart that loves people but a head that does not learn the language: I have been in Morocco for two years now. It...
Interfaith Dialogue with Buddhists and our Seminarians in Indonesia
Stanislas Fritz Prasetyo sx “Buddhism and its relevance in the modern world” was the topic of the interreligious dialogue activity held by the Xaverian Philosophy Community of Jakarta on October 29, 2022. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, interreligious dialogue has been carried out through zoom meetings. For the first time after the pandemic, we were...
Synthesis Report for the Continental Stage of the Synod
The Holy See in the Vatican presented on October 28, 2022, the synthesis report for the beginning of the continental stage of the synod. The following is a summary of L’Oservatore Romano. At the end of the article, you may download the full report. It is a useful tool,...
Interfaith Solidarity, Anti-Semitism, and Erev Yom Kippur
Reverend Bonnie Steinroeder, pastor of First Congregational Church in Holliston, Massachusetts, and I were recently invited to evening prayer services with our Jewish neighbors and friends at Temple Beth Torah for Yom Kippur. Our friendships were forged through close connections between the Christian churches in town and the local synagogue some years ago....
Pope Francis: Respecting the diversity of world religions is not relativism
The interreligious contribution of Pope Francis continued recently during his recent trip to Kazakhstan. Below is some of the text of Pope Francis’ weekly Wednesday audience, delivered on Sept. 21, 2022. What do you think? Share with us your comments and prayers that contribute to bringing us all together....
Cardinal Sean O’Malley’s Statement of Migrants Unexpectedly Flown to Massachusetts from Florida
“I would like to begin this week sharing with you a statement I issued earlier today on the situation of the immigrants and refugees who unexpectedly arrived on Martha’s Vineyard”: Immigration policies and practices stand as an abiding moral, legal and political challenge to our Commonwealth and our country....
75 Years of Inviting US Catholics to the Global Body of Christ
The Xaverian Missionaries USA celebrate 75 years of presence in the United States. Celebrations were held at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston, Massachusetts where the first founding of our presence took place. On September 8, 1946, Cardinal Cushing of the Archdiocese of Boston blessed our first established...
Interreligious Dialogue and Solidarity in Indonesia
Stanislas Fritz PrasetyoXaverian Philosophy Community, Jakarta Stanislas, a Xaverian seminary student in Indonesia shares with us the work of interreligious dialogue that our students are involved with. Indonesia has the largest number of Muslims in the world and our relationships with them are crucial in Indonesia, and elsewhere. The...
Remembering the Sikh Gurdwara Massacre of Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Ten years ago in 2012, a white nationalist entered a Sikh gurdwara (temple) in Oak Creek, Wisconsin – and opened fire. Seven beloved community members were killed. It was the deadliest massacre of Sikhs on U.S. soil ever. Too many Americans don’t remember Oak Creek. But we do. We...
A Love for Believing What I Cannot See
Maggie Silvestri, our new social media volunteer, shares the changes in her life that altered dramatically her faith and her sense of hope. Faith and religion have always been unknown and confusing concepts for me. I was never sure what my faith was, or what I believed in. A...
New Social Media Volunteer Joins Us in the Mission Media Office
We are pleased to welcome Maggie Silvestri, who lives close to Fatima Shrine in Massachusetts, as our new social media volunteer. In her religious and spiritual search, she comes to us full of energy and enthusiasm to assist us in our social media engagement through Instagram, Facebook, blog writing,...
“YOU SHALL BE MY WITNESSES”: Message of Pope Francis for World Mission Day 2022
On this 75th anniversary of the presence of the Xaverian Missionaries in the United States, it is fitting to focus our attention on the newest message of Pope Francis for a church seeking to be a missionary in every sense of the word in a 21st-century world filled with...
Buffalo Shooting and our Catholic Missionary Response
Our hearts break for the families whose loved ones were ruthlessly murdered on May 14, 2022, by a proponent of white supremacy. We pray for the victims: Roberta A. Drury, Margus D. Morrison, Andre Macneil, Aaron Salter, Geraldine Talley, Celestine Chaney, Heyward Patterson, Katherine Massey, Pearl Young, and Ruth...
St. Charles de Foucauld Among Muslim Saints
Dorothy C. Buck’s interest in the three Abrahamic traditions, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism has led her to publish many articles and books on Interfaith topics and to establish networks of prayer groups, such as the modern revival of the Badaliya, a Christian Muslim prayer movement. Along with chapters in two...
XAVIER HOUSE: Giving opportunity to children growing up together… following the “law of love”
By Fr. Alessio Crippa who is a Xaverian Missionary from Italy, working in Thailand since October 2015. After 4 years in Khlong Toey, Bangkok, he moved in Umphang (Tak) in January 2020. The wounded by historical divisions find it difficult to accept our invitation to forgiveness and reconciliation… but...
Easter: my first experience as a missionary and as a priest
Christophe Ndiwe Chiza sx I am Father Christophe Ndiwe Chiza, a Xaverian missionary, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I was ordained a priest on September 20, 2020. Easter celebration of this year in Sierra Leone was my first experience as a missionary but also as a priest....
Following Christ Crucified
We ran across this inspiring post from Richard Rohr’s Center of Action and Contemplation that expresses the Crucified Christ in a compelling way. Surrendering his life on the cross out of love for all creation, Jesus somehow places himself (and therefore God) in solidarity with all suffering. Black Catholic...
For More Than 70 Years, the Xaverian Missionaries Share Faith in Japan
In January 1949, the Xaverian Missionaries contacted the Pope’s envoy in Japan, stating that the situation is becoming more untenable for our missionary efforts in China as they were being expelled from the country. With young missionaries being prepared to leave for the missions, alternative missionary sites were sought...
When the Faith of Another Speaks to you of God
Fr. Rolando Ruiz Duran, sx When the faith of the other speaks to you of God and transmits to you that beautiful presence that only God gives, then you discover once again something that we hardly intuit: the others always present us with something of the God whom we...
Listening to Those Who Left the Church for the Synod of the Church 2021-2023
Pope Francis has convoked a synod for the global church. It is entitled “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission” and opened on the 9th – 10th of October 2021 in Rome and on the following 17th of October in each particular Church. One fundamental stage will be...
How I encounter God through the Xaverian Missionaries
Don Mueller The Xaverian community has blessed my life for almost 35 years. Fr. Alex has asked me to share how I have encountered God through my encounters with them. The ways are endless, but I have grouped my reflections in 4 blessings. I will not single out any...
Xaverian Missionaries Celebrate International Day of Human Solidarity at our New Parish in Morocco
We celebrated the International Day of Human Fraternity in M’diq, where the St Francis of Assisi Church entrusted to the Xaverian Missionaries is located. The event took place via the Zoom platform for different reasons, the most important being that Mrs. Latifa Ibn Zaiten could not reach us because...
February 5-6, 2020: Feast of Consecrated Life and Vowed Mission
In 1997, Pope Saint John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. This celebration is attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd. This Feast is also known as Candlemas Day; the day on which candles are blessed symbolizing...
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2022
“We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship Him.” Matthew 2:2 The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2022 was selected by the Middle East Council of Churches and originates from the churches in Lebanon. Present times in Lebanon are extremely...
Fr. Victor Bongiovanni: A Missionary of Eighty Years
Last year one of our veteran missionaries, Fr. Victor Bongiovanni celebrated his eightieth year after working for decades in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Fr. Louis Bira, a Xaverian colleague in Sierra Leone conducted an interview with Fr. Victor. June 26, 1941-June 26, 2021, 80 good years have passed since...
Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year
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Looking Deeply: Interfaith Dialogue with Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs
The Metrowest Interfaith Dialogue Project, a special project of Our Lady of Fatima Shrine, Holliston, sponsored an evening of sharing across faiths. On Tuesday, December 7, multifaith neighbors gathered around a fascinating conversation and surprising connections with Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs. Swami Tyagananda, head of the Vedanta Society of...
Responding to Racism, Homophobia, and Antisemitism in our Community
The Xaverian Missionaries at Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston, Massachusetts works with other faith communities as we widen the circle of the Kin-dom of God both within and beyond the Catholic community. Recently, bias incidents showed up in our local public schools with racist, homophobic, and antisemitic...
The Triumph of Diversity
In Wayland, Massachusetts, the Islamic Center of Boston hosted the first in-person interfaith meeting amid the pandemic after more than a year. The Xaverian Missionaries collaborates with the Mosque in their outreach programming. By Pietro Rossini – Xaverian Missionaries USA Dr. Arthur P. Ciaramicoli’s book, “The Triumph of Diversity,”...
My Encounter with the Xaverian Charism
Hilda Cecilia Blanco Arreola The Xaverian Missionaries in Mexico run a Lay Xaverian Missionary Program and invite lay people to join us in our dedication to the church’s mission. Hilda Cecilia Blanco Arreola shares with us her experience. In life, we can have different ways of looking at ourselves....
God in Everything
Today is a period and a society in which the Church, Christianity, and religion in general, seem to be reaching the end. Our epoch has been defined as a truly ‘cultural night’, a night foreshadowed by the terrible proclamation that God is dead. Completely bucking this general trend, Conforti’s Testament...
What Muslim Scholars Owe Afghanistan
Used with permission from the author By Mehlaqa Samdani At their first press conference, the Taliban promised to uphold the rights and freedoms of women, the media, and civil society in Afghanistan within the framework of the Shariah. This left many wondering how the Taliban would choose to implement...
500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines
On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Catholic faith to Philippine shores, we are happy to offer this article written by Fr. Adorable Castillo, cicm, a Filipino missionary. This article has been published in May 2021 on ”CHRONICA”, the CICM bimonthly Bulletin, with the same...
Xaverian Missionary Appointed New Bishop of Padang, Indonesia
“Let us thank the Holy Father for placing his trust in the person of Fr. Vitus and the family of the Xaverian Missionaries. We join the whole Xaverian family in rejoicing and thanking the Lord; we assure elected Bishop Vitus Rubianto Solichin SX of our affection and prayers.” Fr....
Fr. Berton: The Missionary with a Big Heart
Xaverian Missionary, Fr. Joseph Berton worked for many years in Sierra Leone, West Africa and was founder of the Family Homes Movement. June 25, 2013-June 25, 2021: 8 eight years have passed since Father Guiseppe Berton – also known as Father Bepi – left this world. Yet; despite the...
Dialogue of Life and Faith
Thank God, I grew up in a family and in an environment where Muslims and Christians live together in peace....
Xaverian Missionaries have been giving Christian Witness Among the Poor in Bangladesh for 70 years
Agenzia Fides, Saturday, May 29, 2021 “When the first Xaverian missionaries arrived in what is now Bangladesh in 1952, there were few Christians in this area of the Indian subcontinent. At the end of World War II, Greater India was divided into two parts: India on one side, West...
Sierra Leone, Africa 60 years later: desire for justice, democracy and development
The Church remains at the forefront, with catechesis and works of charity, so that the Sierra Leonese themselves become the main architects of a future development that will increasingly unite the nation in peace....
Five Hundred Years of Catholic Evangelization in the Philippines
The Catholic Church in the Philippines has chosen Easter Sunday, 4 April, to formally inaugurate the year-long celebration of the 5th centenary (1521). Various programs and celebrations are being organized to celebrate the important event, with a single purpose, proclaimed by the Church. “Being grateful to God for the...
Badaliya: Muslims and Christians Come Together in Prayer in Cambridge Monthly
Badaliya is an Arabic word that means to take the place of or substitute for another. It is a spiritual term that lies at the heart of the Christian faith experience and refers to the mystery of the image of God as Jesus sacrificing his life for all of humanity....
Discovering the Cultural Centre and Museum of the Logone valley
Fr. Louis Bira, SX (Sierra Leone, West Africa) Father Antonino Melis, is a Xaverian missionary of Italian descent. Since 1985, he has been on a mission in Africa: Chad and Cameroon. Specialized in medical examinations, he practiced this profession before joining the Xaverian congregation. He later discovered anthropology and...
Our interfaith dialogue project makes local news
Recently, our interfaith dialogue project, MetroWest Interfaith Dialogue Project made the local news. We wanted to share with you the article and encourage you to join us by signing up for monthly e-newsletter and check our website for some amazing bridgebuilding going on in our community and elsewhere. This...
Covid-19’s questions to Christians: An African perspective
Fr. Louis Birabaluge, SX /Sierra Leone, West Africa The questions that the Covid-19 virus poses to Christians are to be understood from the origin of this deadly virus, its consequences on humanity and the means available today to defeat it. About its origin, available research shows that the virus...
Stretching Forth our Hands in Typhoon Times
Fr. Emmanuel Borelli, SX | 6 November, 2020 – Marikina, MetroManila (The Philippines) The night between 11 and 12 November typhoon Ulysses hit us. It was not so much the intensity of the wind as the huge amount of rain released in few hours that caused once again the...
Communion of Saints: The Christian Mystical Tradition in Dialogue with Sufism
by Dorothy C Buck The Communion of Saints is deeply embedded in the mystical tradition of Catholic Christian belief and practice. Dating back to the beginning of Christianity 2000 years ago, it speaks to the very heart of the spiritual life of the Church. The striving for sanctity, or...
Global Godliness
Timothy Radcliffe, O.P. Posted November 4th, 2015 on Thinking Faith: The Jesuits in Great Britain. What does our belief in ‘one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church’, which we profess in the Nicene Creed, really mean? It expresses a desire for unity across space and time, which is what God...
A seed of peace in Kamenge, Africa
“You shall confirm this word through the example of a holy life, with the fruitful exercise of love, with the spirit of sacrifice… and also with the heroism of martyrdom if you are called to this too. ” (S. G. M. CONFORTI, 16th Address to departing missionaries, 13 March 1927)...
Catholics in the USA between Elections and the Coronavirus Pandemic
Fr. Carl Chudy, SX On April 26, 2020 President Donald Trump held a conference call with over 600 Catholic leaders including Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, our bishop, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles and other leaders in Catholic education. The president identified...
