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A MESSaGE FROm THE GENER aL PRIEST SERVaNT

G I V E YO U R H E A R T TO T H E LO R D
Dear Friends of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, During this year of faith, each one of us is invited in a special way to reflect on the gift of faith and to pray for its increase and manifestation in our lives. It can be tempting sometimes to think of faith as merely an intellectual activity by which we affirm our belief in a series of propositions related to God and the Church. In reality, the gift of faith and our profession of faith goes much deeper than that. While the faith is certainly related to an intellectual assent, it also pertains to an act of our will. The relationship between faith and action is seen clearly in the etymology of the Latin word credo (I believe). Credo is a compound word that combines cor, meaning heart, and the verb do, meaning I give. Put simply, credo really

means, I give my heart to the object of my belief. In the context of the Apostles Creed, professing our belief in God the Father Almighty, in Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit should ultimately signify that we not only affirm the existence of God, but that we give our hearts completely to the Most Holy Trinity. Belief

in God is not meant to be merely an affirmation of an intellectual proposition, it extends to an act of giving ones heart to God! The gift of faith is no static reality in our lives. It is a dynamic force that constantly challenges us to give our hearts more completely to the Most Holy Trinity on a daily basis. When the faith is truly embraced, life becomes a pilgrimage in which the presence of God is deeply experienced and manifested in the daily events of our lives. This is certainly an accurate description of the life of the Blessed Virgin Marya pilgrimage of faith by which she gave her heart to God and experienced His presence and love throughout her life in a radical way. We too are called to imitate our Mother Mary in giving our hearts to the Holy Trinity and allowing Gods presence to radiate in our lives. This is what it means to live by faith. In this edition of the Mission magazine, you will encounter a few stories of people of faith, of people who have given their hearts to the Holy Trinity after the example of Mary, and have experienced His mercy and love in their lives and in the lives of others. As this year of faith draws toward its conclusion, let us pray for one another that the gift of faith deepen in our lives, and that each one of us may follow the example of our Mother Mary in giving our hearts completely to the Most Holy Trinity. Fr Peter Marsalek, SOLT General Priest Servant

FR. PETER maRSaLEK, SOLT

WAS ELECTED DURING THE JULY CHAPTER IN CORPUS CHRISTI, TX. HE IS ORIGINALLY FROM BURLINGTON, CANADA.

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The first duty of the consecrated life is to make visible the marvels wrought by God in the frail humanity of those who are called.

They bear witness to these marvels not so much in words as by the eloquent language of a transfigured life, capable of amazing the world. To peoples astonishment, they respond by proclaiming the wonders of grace accomplished by the Lord in those whom he loves.
VITa CONSECRaTa #20
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t was 11:30 at night. I finished with the last couple for marriage-prep then headed for the hospital to baptize a man dying of tuberculosis. A speeding drunk driver hit my vehicle and we both spun like tops. The good news was that the driver had no connection with organized crime which has become ubiquitous, shamelessly public and unspeakably cruel. Then the dreaded gang members drove up! Alas, the mafiosos had discovered our little nocturnal excitementbut all praise be to the Holy Trinity, they had recognized me. They had not come to extort or terrorize but to offer their services to rough up the offending driver. Why did these criminals care about a priest of the Society of Our
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long trench of human life:

MIXED WITH THE mUR DER ER S aR E THE mUR DER ED

in the same

Lady of the Holy Trinity? Because they know that these priests care for their souls and that they are able to minister in poor parishes because of benefactors who care. Together you represent Gods love for them. The drug cartel has threatened and bribed the local police into submission and collaboration. President Caldern replaced them with federal army forces, but now the army is sinking into the violent tactics of the enemies! The military takes no prisoners. When cartel members submit after a battle with the army, what is their reward for laying down their rifles? They are usually executed immediately. As a result, there has been no lessening of kidnappings, extortions and gunfire. Most of the two thousand folks that

When (the assassins) hear that there are some of us who love them, who are praying and fasting for them, their jaws drop.

come to Mass here weekly are sacrificially generous, patient, even joyful, in the midst of poverty, corruption and war. Many of my ninety catechists work ten-hour days in factories for eighty-five dollars a week, and yet they still make time to teach catechism and come to Mass. Then there are those who succumb to temptation. Sixteen year-old Antonio admitted to me that he had joined the drug cartel because he wanted
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a Cadillac Escalade like the one that the ruthless comandante drove. Other youth are seduced by the hope of supporting their parents. The worsening of the Mexican economy had reduced Antonios father to riding a bike to work. Poverty did not oblige Antonio to choose avarice, envy and violence, but it had tempted him. There is no direct correlation between poverty and violence, the Mexican bishops state in a recent pastoral letter, but there is such a correlation, on the other hand, between inequality and violence. Whenever my parishioners and I have the opportunity to evangelize these men directly, we do. Recently two young cartel members broke into the house of one of the members of my parish council. This good woman soon had them sitting on her couch listening to the reasons they should trust in Gods way. In the poor barrios (neighborhood) where I serve, Christs shocking gospel of love is the cure. Jesus shocks the world with his witness and teaching against violence. He is no pacifist; Jesus does not stick a daisy in the muzzle of your rifle. No, He spatters you with his Precious Blood. He does not teach us to run from violence. Christ teaches us to confront violence by standing firm and offering our other cheek. Our parish has always prayed for the kidnapped and killed, and we also pray for our brothers, the assassins. We spiritually adopt them; we fast for them on Fridays. It pains us to think that even one of these dark souls might suffer damnation. The world holds these criminals in utter disdain. When they hear, therefore, that there are some of us who love them, who are love praying and fasting for them, their jaws drop. This Christian surprise has led to miraculous conversions among them. The murderers and the murdered are buried in the communal mass grave at our local public cemetery, the unidentified bodies of the assassins and their innocent victims. Surely the suffering of the victims who endured with trust in God and joined the supreme loving sacrifice of Christ, will be the expiatory gift that will be a redemptive force for the guilty lying alongside them. FR. aNTONIO aNDERSON, SOLT
PASTOR OF OUR LADY OF REFUGE PARISH IN NUEVO LAREDO, MEXICO

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o many times we are unaware of how we affect those around us. This true story shows us that sometimes our being present to people, living and working in joy are noticed by others and it allows the Holy Spirit to move through us. The lay faithful oftentimes give witness at their work place. While sharing the faith at work, a coworker shared with me a lifelong hurt her husband had experienced. His mother was experiencing difficulties and placed him in an orphanage run by religious sisters. He left the orphanage with a great deal of hurt from their treatment and as

three in one
a result left the church. He married a non-Catholic and was instructed that by doing so he was now excommunicated from the church. When Our Ladys Montessori School moved in down the street from him, he began to see religious sisters in a completely new way. These sisters were kind, gentle, and seemed joyful in their vocation. He, with his wife, began to watch the progress of the school and how the sisters interacted with the children. The sisters had no idea how their presence was a witness and a source of healing to this man. I would converse with the wife at work about the school, the sisters and his past hurts. His wife was very encouraging to him to forgive because she knew how deeply he was hurt during his youth. He never interacted with the sisters beyond the basic cordial exchanges, but the sisters presence and joy in their vocation moved and opened his heart to forgive and heal. He had a rather sudden illness and as he was close to death, he received

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the anointing of the sick. He died soon after. This mans interaction with the three distinct vocations of the Church, priests, religious and laity made a vital impact on his salvation. The lay vocation reached places of his heart that others at the time could not. The religious vocation healed a hurting soul through their witness of joy in their vocation, apostolic work and visibility through their religious habit. The priestly vocation did what the other two could not by preparing him for God through the sacraments. We are all called to be efficacious instruments of Gods grace by simply living with the vocation to which God has called us and through the joy that comes from being a baptized member of the Body of Christ. ROSIE SULLIVaN BUERGLER
GEORGE AND NICOLINA SULLIVAN RAISED THEIR EIGHT CHILDREN AS PART OF THE SOLT FAMILY. ROSIE WAS BORN AT THE FOUNDATION HOME OF SOLT, IN HOLMAN, NM. SHE IS CURRENTLY SERVING HER MOTHER IN KANSAS CITY, WHO IS THE LAY SERVANT FOR THE SOLT CONSECRATED WIDOWS.

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How good and pleasant it is when brothers live in unity.

PSaLm 133;1

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into His Light in North Dakota

fter seven long and hard months of winter, we have dug ourselves out of the snow just in time for St. Anns Indian Mission Summer Camp. Located on the Turtle Mountain Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota, Summer Camp has been bringing chil-

dren and youth together for the past 15 years to enjoy a variety of activities while growing deeper in their faith and forming healthy relationships. The theme for 2013 is Into His Light and indeed summer camp is an instrument for bringing youth into His light. Each morning finds half-awake children filing onto the camp grounds wondering why they were not sleeping in on their summer vacation. However, within ten minutes, smiles are spread across the faces of the campers as they run around to see who would take care of Freddy the Foxthe unofficial camp mascot. Campers were very blessed to be able to attend daily Mass while at camp. They also received lessons enriching their faith on such subjects as the Sacraments, the Mass, prayer and reverence, and how to respond to Gods love. Another essential element to the campers day was the singing of silly camp songs and the

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camps theme song. It was often argued that you could hear the camp songs being sung from the hill all the way down through the town. Summer Camp offered no shortage of games and outdoor activities. After

all, it is summer. Some crowd favorites were dodge ball and capture the flag; but the top vote-getter belonged to water sports at Fathers Lake. Campers loved to canoe and paddle-boat in the peace and tranquility of the lake. Camp participants also enjoyed painting and making Rosary bracelets. Summer Camp is a great environment for the youth. There is always such a positive attitude surrounding St. Anns while the kids attend camp. It is truly amazing to see the kids interacting with one another with kindness and charity and further becoming little disciples of Jesus through Mary.

Summer camp is an instrument for bringing youth into His Light.

KELLI LOPEZ, SOLT SISTER aSPIRaNT KELLI IS ORIGINALLY FROM COLORADO. SHORTLY AFTER GRADUATING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, SHE BEGAN VOLUNTEERING AT ST. ANNS INDIAN MISSION IN BELCOURT, ND.

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how you can help

Many volunteers are needed to support the camp each summer. Are you called to volunteer or do you know someone who may be? Call us at (361) 289-9095!

t. Anns Indian Mission Summer Camp has been bringing children and youth (ages 6-18) together since 1998 to enjoy a variety of activities while growing deeper in their faith and forming healthy relationships. The theme for 2013 is Into His Light and indeed summer camp is an instrument for bringing youth into His Light. Activities include daily Mass, catechesis, singing and many outdoor activities such as dodge ball, capture the flag and canoeing on Fathers lake.

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The consecrated life thus becomes one of the tangible seals which the Trinity impresses upon history, so that people can sense with longing the attraction of divine beauty.
VITa CONSECRaTa #20
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Perpetual and One Year Enrollment Cards perfect for Weddings ~ Anniversaries ~ Birthdays ~ GET WEll ~ Sympathy

Mass Association Cards

Express your Affection, Concern and Friendship with the Society of our Lady of the most holy trinitys

Perpetual Deceased

Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Perpetual Living One Year Living

One Year Deceased

Spiritual Benefits for Members Every week, the living and deceased members of the SOLT Mass Association receive the benefit of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered at the Perpetual Adoration Chapel of Our Lady of Corpus Christi Every family or individual enrolled enjoys a share in the daily recitation of the Divine Office and the recitations of the Holy Rosary offered by members of SOLT Each year, on the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity, a special Mass is offered for living and deceased members of the SOLT Mass Association Living and deceased members share in all good works performed by members of SOLT

Yes!

I WOULD LIKE TO HELP SOLT SERVE HUmaNITY bY ENROLLING mY DEaR ONES.

To enroll or to request cards, please visit us online at www.SOLT.net or call (361) 289-9095 e x t. 312.

God bless you!

Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity PO Box 4116 Corpus Christi, TX 78469
Non-Profit U.S. Postage Robstown, TX Permit No. 774

Celebrating more than fifty years as a Catholic missionary community, the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) serves in family teams of priests, sisters, brothers, lay members, volunteers, and benefactors. The fruitfulness of SOLT grows from the prayers, sacrifices and financial support of people like you. Living a joyful life, SOLT serves the deepest needs of Gods people. Following the Gospel mandate to go and make disciples of all nations, SOLT serves people of all walks of life. Thanks to the many blessings of the Lord, membership of SOLT has tripled in the last ten years to serve the growing needs. SOLT needs your help to continue its growth in service to others. Your prayers, financial support and work as a volunteer allow more people to receive the gift of Gods love and help. Please prayerfully consider making a gift today to support the fruitfulness of this work. Checks may be made payable to SOLT or donate online at www.societyofourlady.net. SOLT PO Box 4116 Corpus Christi, TX 78469 361.289.9095 soltdevelopment@gmail.com Thank you. May God bless you. PAID

Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity - SOLT

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