Volume 3 Issue 1 Winter 2010
Communio
A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNION
As members of Our Lady’s Society, how do we
present our congregation to people and communities
who are inquiring about our way of life? Do we know
our vision, our charism, and our mission statement
by heart, and if we do, are we confident enough to
express them to others in words and actions?
The 2006 General Chapter of SOLT decreed that we
should pursue Pontifical Recognition of our
community. Everyone attending the Chapter agreed
that pursuing this direction fulfills the primary and
ultimate dream and vision of our Founder, Fr. Jim
Flanagan, who sees the entire Society of Our Lady
as one family in the Church. At the same time, the
proper and legitimate autonomy of every vocational
branch in the community will not be compromised. In
response to this decree, a commission was
established to work on drafting the document
needed to fulfill this goal.
For over a year and a half, this Commission has
been working very hard to fulfill its mandate. The
Commission has met with canon lawyers and with
The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life
and Societies of Apostolic Life.
It is our hope and prayer that the final draft of the
document will be done in time for Regional
Consultations to be immediately implemented, and
that ultimately, an Extra-Ordinary Chapter be
convened to finalize the document, which will then
be submitted to the Holy See. This is a challenging
work not only for the commission and the Chapter
but also for each one of us as we return to the
original vision of our founder and ask the Holy See
to approve our way of life as one ecclesial family in
the Church, while maintaining the proper and
legitimate autonomy of each of the vocations within
the community.
As I mentioned at the beginning, there is a need for
each one of us to revisit our very own work, ministry
and apostolate, our very own mission, our ways of
being faithful to our spirituality and relationships, our
very own charism – that gift that
we should give to the Church,
that breath, that impulse of the
Holy Spirit that we have to share
with the Church through Our
Lady’s Society. There is a need
to revisit our ways of incarnating
the gift and value of graced-friendship, as well as our
ways of making our Marian-Trinitarian spirituality a
true lifeline that enables us to continue to dream and
live, no matter what.
Let us revisit Fr. Jim’s vision of how we should live in
communion. We are called to imitate Our Lady as
she lived in communion with the Father as His
Daughter, a Mother to Jesus and the Spouse of the
Holy Spirit. Quoting the Venerable John Paul II, let
us never get tired of making Our Lady’s Family a
―School of Communion‖. As an Ecclesial family of
priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and
lay faithful, we are always called to incarnate our
very own patrimony, within our community and in the
Church. It is also in this line that the THEME for this
year’s Regional Assembly, both for Asia-Pacific and
America, focuses in communion: “Father, that we
may be one”.
I urge you to pray for all the members of the Society
of Our Lady, especially the sick and those who are
facing challenges in their missions and
ministries. Please also continuously pray for the
Commission, as they proceed with the mandate
given to them. I also wish that you pray for the
American Region as they prepare for the upcoming
elections of Regional Servants in July 2010.
In Communion, +
REV. FR. ROGEL B.
ROSALINAS, SOLT
General Priest Servant
Our Lady’s Society
Vision Statement:
“All peoples in Communion with the Most Holy Trinity and Our Lady
through the Discipleship of Jesus and Mary.”

Mission Statement:
“We the members of The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity
Commit Ourselves to Daily, Personal Encounters with the Living Jesus Christ of the Scriptures,
to Come to the Communion of the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
to Live the Paschal Mystery as Disciples of Jesus and Mary,
Living the Evangelical Counsels, United in Eucharistic Life,
Prayer and Service in Areas of Greatest Apostolic Need,
for the Integral Development of All Peoples,
Leading Them to Become Disciples of Jesus and Mary.”

Charism Statement:
“Discipleship of Jesus and Mary in the Gospels,
on Ecclesial Teams of Priests, Consecrated Life and Lay Faithful
in Marian and Trinitarian Relationships,
in areas of Greatest Apostolic Need.”

Kommunio Kids Korner

(for kids ages 4-144)
Here are words of Jesus you might want to follow during Lent.

See if you can fill in the blanks. The Scripture references are included, so you can look them up in the
New American Bible if you need help with the answer!

1. But when you _________, go into your inner _________, close the _________,
and pray to your Father in secret. (Matthew 6:6)

2. Say _________ when you mean _________ and _________when you mean
_________. (Mathew 5:37)

3. Love your ________________________. (Matthew 5:44)

4. Your _________ is a _________ of the Holy Spirit. (I Corinthians 6:19)

5. _________ for those who ______________ you. (Matthew 5:44b)

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May the Peace of Christ be with you!
As we live this holy season of Lent, we are invited
to draw closer to God through prayer, almsgiving
and fasting. This reflection from a worker at the
SOLT Haiti mission speaks to
those three actions in
concrete ways, and also
reminds us of how Jesus
treasures the poor and
identifies with them. Let’s
open our hearts wide for the
Reflections on a Haiti Mission Trip—January 2009
– by Tom Rosenberger
This has been my 7th trip to the mission in Haiti
operated by Fr. Glenn Meaux. I would have to say
that this trip was the most profound trip for me
yet. However, every trip has been wonderful.
All of the people that Fr. Glenn serves are
poor. These people are from 14 different villages; I
suppose about 15,000 or more souls. When the
poorest of the poor (the ones who have no means
to support themselves) came in to the mission while
we were there, to get their monthly supply of food, I
was struck by how pitifully little food it was that they
received. And, they had to feed themselves for a
month on it. They received a couple of coffee cans
full of ground corn, a can full of rice and a can full of
beans and about a pint of cooking oil. That's it!!!! I
felt that perhaps it would have been enough to feed
one of our US families for about a week.
On former trips to the mission, I noted that the
mission staff also gave them some cash to help
supplement their diet. But, there are so many now
and the mission does not have the financial
resources to continue this practice. I hope and pray
that this is a temporary situation. I am again
reminded how far a simple $30 a month
sponsorship would go to help solve the
problem. For most of us, this amount is less than a
single evening out. The mission desperately needs
many more sponsorships. There are about 1200
kids in the 2 schools that the mission
operates. There is so much to do.
As I helped to hand out the food supplies to these
poor, I was able to look into their eyes. They had
the most grateful look as they received their meager
grace Our Lady desires us to receive. May we use
this grace to bring complete joy and abundant life to
all we meet!
In Christ,
Bernadette Cathers
Diane Olsen
Editors for Communio
We are eager to hear from you! Please send any news,
articles, prayers, etc. to the Communio email address:
Communionewsletter@yahoo.com
portions. They would each say, "Thank you-very
much.‖ I felt that I could truly see Jesus in these
poorest of the poor. Jesus' command, "Feed the
Hungry" took on a whole new meaning for me. I
think of what we eat in a single meal———we are
so blessed, and so spoiled as a people.
There were about 430 families represented that
day. I suppose that that would translate into about
2500 people that we gave food to. Many of them
walked several miles to get this food. They were so
thin, and many were quite weak.
As I watch them leave the mission, I consider what
my life would be like if I had to endure what these
poor people have to live with: the most meager of
houses, some with only banana leaves for a roof, is
home for many. They have no electricity (I think of
all that I have that requires electricity to make my
life comfortable.) They have no running water, no
sewer systems, no grocery stores, no mail system,
no job, and very little to eat.
As I reflect, I think that it is not fair that I, we, have
so much and they have so little. They did not ask
for their lot in life. And, they are helpless to change
it. Even the poor in our country would be
considered rich in Haiti. I know that there are other
poor countries; but I am told that Haiti is the poorest
country in the Western Hemisphere. I cannot
imagine a poorer country anywhere on earth.
As I consider these things, I also pray, Jesus, have
mercy on us. We are the ones that some day will
have to face Him and answer the question, "What
did you do for the least of my brothers"?
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Working with the migrants—Summer 2009
– by Bernadette Cathers
This past summer I had the opportunity to spend five
weeks with the migrant team in Indiana serving the
migrant farm workers in the Lafayette Diocese. The
members of our team were Fr. Miguel Noyola, Sr.
Leticia Venegas, Sr. Esperanza Lopez, Br. Greg
Joseph, Br. Jay Jackett and myself.
Growing up in the Benque Viejo, Belize SOLT
mission, as a daughter of missionaries, I heard
about other missions of Our Lady’s Society. They all
sounded interesting, and the stories about the great
work being done everywhere were fun to listen to.
Fr. John McHugh always came back full of stories
from the assemblies and often the thought of
working in other missions crossed my mind. When
God opened the doors for me to serve in Indiana, I
knew if I didn’t do it then, it would be several years
before I had the opportunity to do it.
Other than all the stories I had heard about Fr. Vince
Albano’s adventures, I had no idea what to expect
when I arrived. I found out that we drove long
distances to get to the farms where the migrants
worked and lived, to catechize and serve them in
whatever way we could. When I arrived at the camp
the first day, I was put to work right away. My first
student’s first language was neither English nor
Spanish but an indigenous language from Mexico.
As time went along and I got into it and was trying to
teach the kids what they needed to know to receive
the sacraments, I just felt that there was not enough
time. So many of the families did not go to Church
often, and the kids did not know basic prayers. How
was I going to have enough time to teach them why
it was important to follow Christ’s teachings?
Mass at one of the farm camps with the families.
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Fr. Miguel and Sr. Esperanza with migrant farm workers’ children
and the children of local volunteers after an open air Mass.
It caused me to reflect about my own Communion
and Confirmation classes. Other than what I was
required to memorize, I really didn’t remember much
from them. It wasn’t until I was an adult, after I had
undergone a deeper conversion and was asked to
be a Confirmation sponsor that I realized what
graces I had received. On that Confirmation day, I
realized what had been present in my life all those
years without me even knowing it or even being
open to it at times.
Working with the team was a blessing. They had
been doing this much longer and understood the
frustrations. They were able to give me guidance
when I was experiencing difficulties. Talking with the
Sisters at the end of the day and laughing about our
experiences are my fondest memories.
As the time for the kids to make their First Holy
Communion and/or Confirmation came and I knew
that my time with them was nearing the end, it was
very sad for me. I remembered what my
expectations when I got there were – I was excited
to be outside all summer long instead of stuck in air-
conditioning. I was looking forward to eating beans
and corn tortillas three times a day. While the
summer wasn’t as warm as I had hoped, and I didn’t
get my fill of beans and tortillas, I was able to meet a
group of hard working people whose faith was in
God and not material wealth. They moved a lot, but
the bonds that these families had, who came to the
camps every year, were very tight. They remain in
my thoughts and prayers, and the lessons they and
the team taught me will be with me as I move into
my new vocation.
From the Consecrated Widows Corner
– by Nicolina (Nikki) Sullivan, CW
October graced us with a wonderful retreat given to
us by Fr. James Flanagan. The Consecrated
Widow’s (CW) retreat had Faith, Hope and Charity
as its theme. Practicing these virtues with greater
commitments, we become closer to the holiness that
Jesus desires for us.
Three women were consecrated at the closing Mass.
Mary Ellen Theisen, Rosemarie DePillo, and Marie
Murnane. All ask your prayers as they start their new
vocation.
We ask St. Bakita, the saint of abused women, our
patron, to help us as we focus our prayers and
energies for these women. Please pray with us:
Most high Loving Father, creator of all humankind,
we ask you as consecrated widows, to hear this
special prayer.
We know that we merit nothing for ourselves,
but yet,
we dare to ask You on behalf of all those who are
annihilated, cast out, tortured and abused simply
because they are female.
We beg you to rescue them from their plight.
We pray for each of these souls, that they may
receive the promises of Christ and enjoy the help
and protection of our Mother of the Most Holy Trinity.
AMEN
In November I met with Marie Blount and Janis
Teegan in Florida. We
hosted several women
who were interested in
the vocation. Both
women are now in
formation which brings
that number to 16.
Fr. Jim with Consecrated Widows at their retreat in October 2009.
A poem by Rosemary Fesen, CW
I live in a widow’s world.
I have become almost unseen, transparent.
I fade away from other’s sight and hearing.
Why so Lord?
It is because I have seen and engaged death and
dying having fought with all my strength the enemy
of life alongside my brave and good beloved, my
champion, my husband and protector my love?
We stood together through every wave of illness,
through every siege, through every assault on both
body and personhood to the end.
But alas the one who grew more pure and stronger
daily in the Lord and who loved me and cherished
me more each day could not carry me with him into
the glory of Paradise.
He but could only promise with a voice I hear in my
heart always that he would never leave me and he
never has.
He told me he would wait for me by the Gate of
Heaven.
His gentle spirit hovers always, always with me.
I now live in two places, the world and Paradise so
longed for.
Oh fading hidden life of widowhood, Oh Holy widow,
Oh Blessed widow, Blessed Mother Mary pray for
us.
October 2009
5
VOSH—Ohio Mission to Haiti
– by Barbara Plaugher, VOSH-Ohio Mission Coordinator, January 17, 2010

Drums beating with people chanting in the night, pick us up. Calls to the missionary flight service told
roosters crowing, goats bleating, and the guard us that they were only taking supplies and rescue
dogs barking. I hear these sounds as I lay awake in equipment into PAP and would not offer their
the early morning hours in our safe walled-in services to us for probably six days.
mission compound, wondering about our next plan
for evacuation. Even though the border to the Dominican Republic
was only a few miles away, it was cut off; going
I am one of a 16 member optometric team that has north was also not available for us. We felt we
just completed mission work in the SOLT Haiti needed to get out soon. Reports told us of the
Mission compound, work we had been planning for unrest and violence in the capitol city. The US
with Fr. Glenn for the past year. VOSH (Volunteer Embassy recommended that US citizens leave;
Optometric Services to Humanity) - Ohio sends starting Friday, the US would evacuate its
teams into underserved countries around the world citizens. This is our only option.
to provide eye care to those needing these
services, and this was our first mission trip to Haiti. Quickly the team packed and we rented an air-
conditioned (meaning the windows open) van and
We saw 2,556 patients and started our venture. We decided
provided glasses to many of these that each team member could take
patients. Those patients with It is still hard to only one suitcase. Glasses,
surgical needs have been identified believe what has medications, and some equipment
and will be referred for further care. along with all our duffels were left
happened this past behind. Excess clothes, shoes, and
It is still hard to believe what has week: the most personal items were left behind. We
happened this past week: the most devastating did take toilet paper, water, surgical
devastating earthquake in 100 earthquake in 100 masks, breakfast bars, and the
years has hit Port-au-Prince, one mission team made peanut-butter
that we felt here in Hinche, 75 miles years has hit Port-au- sandwiches for us, as we had no
from the epicenter of the Prince, one that we felt idea how long we would be at the
earthquake. Now that our mission here in Hinche, 75 airport until we were evacuated.
trip has come to an end, how do we
get home?
miles from the Luggage was piled high on top of
epicenter of the the van and tied down with a frayed
I called our airlines and earthquake. rope. The van was supposed to
rescheduled our flights. I was told hold sixteen and the front seat was
they would begin flying in five days reserved for a Haitian guard. Well,
and so I rescheduled the team for this may have been enough room
the first flight available, which was in seven days. for sixteen Haitians, but not for sixteen
E-mails kept coming in from family, friends, and Americans! We put two team members in the seat
organizations giving us advice on how to depart. reserved for the guard, and three to four across
each bench in the back, assuring that the only two
One option was to try to cross the border into the skinny team members were distributed
Dominican Republic, since the PAP (Port Au evenly. During the three-hour trip I heard comments
Prince) airport was damaged. Then we were told like, ―If you move this way, I could move my foot or
the border into the Dominican Republic was shift to this cheek!‖
closed. We were told to go north and fly out of Cap
Haitien and get a lift by missionary flight The road from Hinche to PAP had recently been
services. This would be a five-hour trip in a Tap Tap redone to cut an eight to twelve hours trip down to
(hired car) or Chicken Bus over unpaved roads to three hours. Haitian roads are usually not paved
reach the port, and then a missionary service could and have multiple rocks in the road bed. We
get us out. Another option would be to have the honked and swerved the entire trip, avoiding goats,
missionary service fly in Pignon, 13 miles away, to horses, people, and other vehicles. The bumpy
6
travel was extremely exhausting for the younger as
well as the older team members. Then our
adventure began!
Arriving at PAP we were immediately caught in a
traffic jam, vehicles scraping other vehicles just to
get through. Fallen buildings, Haitians walking en
masse, Haitians in tap taps and chicken buses over
-loaded inside and on top, heading out of the city
with furniture, suitcases, chickens and animals,
whatever. Haitians wearing masks, riding motor-
bikes with multiple people on each bike, finding any
way possible to get out. And we were trying to get
in to the city.
Our driver worked hard to find the best streets to
take in order to get to the airport. Finally we
arrived. We found the terminal damaged and the
tower not working. We were met by a crowd of men
eager to help us with our suitcases. I finally chose
three of them, and they untied the suitcases on top
of the van. We gave them a tip, much
to the dismay and shouting of the
others. We were led through the
fence to the next exhausting part of
So much had
our journey. happened after that 30
second shaking of the
This was Friday at 12:30 pm, 2 ½ earth; we will never
hours after leaving the mission
compound. We were instructed to
stay in line and stand, as the terminal
was unsafe to enter. We stood there
for five hours, eating our sandwiches for supper and
distributing our remaining food to the people
through the fence, as we were on our way home
shortly. The US had soldiers surrounding the
airport. We were safe and going home.
After about five hours in front of the terminal, we
started looking for a rest room. Men were instructed
to stand between two buildings and women were
allowed to enter a single very undesirable toilet
within the terminal.
Then we were led, surrounded by US troops,
behind the terminal where many cargo planes were
arriving and departing. We had to shout to one
another over the din around us. We were again told
to stand in single lines. I think back to our five days
of clinic as we had our patients ―stand in straight
lines‖. The only difference was the length of time we
stood. Planes from all over the world were bringing
in medical and rescue teams, as well as rescue
dogs for body retrieval. Three patients with IVs
were lying on gurneys on the tarmac waiting for
smaller evacuation planes to arrive. We gave
interviews with Portuguese and French TV and
radio reporters. We stood in line for another five
hours.
At 10:30 pm we were led out onto the tarmac to
enter a US Air Force C 17 cargo plane. About 100
people were strapped into seats along the wall and
down the center of the belly of this plane. We talked
to Brian Williams and Ann Curry. Katy Couric was
also a passenger on this plane. We were treated
well, given blankets and pillows, and earplugs to
help with the noise level.
When we boarded the plane, we had no idea where
we would land. Previous flights had taken people
into the Dominican Republic and Florida. We found
out we would stop in Charleston to fuel up and then
head to McGregor Air Force Base, which had been
commissioned by the government to deploy the
refugees. Finally at 6 am on Saturday morning we
arrived at the base. We had name bands placed on
our wrists and were given a
health kit to shower. Then we
were briefed by Air Force
personnel and taken to a
gymnasium full of cots. We were
given food, and telephones so we
could make arrangements to fly
the rest of the way to our homes.
forget it.
I felt like a refugee. It was such a
good feeling to be home! After
obtaining airline tickets we were led into buses and
taken to either Philadelphia or Newark airports for
departure home. A state police was our escort, and
with sirens blaring we made our hour trip to the
airport. We arrived at home by midnight Saturday,
two hours earlier than originally planned from our
original flight one short week ago into Haiti. So
much had happened after that 30 second shaking
of the earth; we will never forget it.
We will try to provide more updates in the
next issue of Communio on the Haiti Mission.
You may visit their website for updates at
www.SOLTHaitimission.org and you can go
to KLFY.com to view coverage of the Mission
by a news team.
Thanks and God bless.
7
 Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity
PO Box 152
Robstown, TX 78380

Please pray for the health of:

Fr. Jim Flanagan, SOLT
Fr. Tito Ayo, SOLT
Br. Philip Howard, SOLT
Br. Michael Brady, SOLT
Br. Duran Jensen, SOLT
Sr. Trinity Vaughn, SOLT
Sr. Eileen Dougherty, SOLT
George Estes
Deacon Paul McCardle, SOLT
Fr. Joe O’Connell, SOLT
Maria Blount

Please pray for the repose of the souls of:

Leocadia Serban, SOLT
Br. Wayne Williams, SOLT
George Sparke
Fr. Isidore Sitnyein
Fr. Neal Stull, SOLT
Rudy Marks
Lillian Walsh
Herbert Dumotier

Please pray in thanksgiving for the miraculous healing of Br. Patrick Prajvner and Ann Craig.

Message from Fr. Glenn Meaux—Haiti Mission

Since the earthquake on Jan 12 the Mission of Our Lady in Kobonal has To make immediate
continued the ordinary ministries of education, agriculture, Spiritual Formation, direct donations to the
the building of houses and many other programs. EARTHQUAKE RELIEF,
Fr. Glenn Meaux has
We now have added to the Mission nearly 1500 individuals who have come asked that checks be
from Port au Prince to live with their families in the mountains. We have made out to SOLT Haiti
Mission and mail your
organized the refugees and put them with a person who is responsible for them check to:
in each house. We give out corn, rice, beans and oil every 15 days and the
amounts vary according to the numbers in the group. Fr. Glenn Meaux
PO Box 1400
The Mission added 70 of the refugees into our schools and are absorbing to Abbeville, LA 70511
the best of our ability refugees into the work force. In the memo of your
check, please indicate if
Progress is being made to get them back on their feet so they will then feel you would like your
independent and also feel that they are a part of a Faith community. donation to go to:
Earthquake relief –
I want to thank all of my Brothers and Sisters who have made great sacrifices where needed
for the Poor. Earthquake relief –
Haiti Mission,
Let us always be mindful of "The Preferential Option Of the Poor." Kobonal