Casa Maria Marianists » bhalderman

Community Retreat at TECABOCA

bhalderman — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:49:01 +0000

The brothers of the Casa Maria Community during their Fall retreat 2011.

The brothers enjoyed their semester retreat November 25th – 27th at TECABOCA, the Marianist Spiritual Renewal Center in Mountain Home, Texas. Over the course of the weekend the brothers did some personal sharing on the progress and challenges of the semester, discussed vocation ministry efforts of the community and reflected on an article on the topic of intimacy and affective maturity. They also found plenty of time for rest, prayer, quiet reflection and communal celebrations of the Eucharist. It was a wonderful way to welcome the new liturgical year, the season of Advent and the new Roman Missal. Now if we can just remember… “And with your Spirit”!

Summer Update

bhalderman — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 02:04:13 +0000

Bros. Brandon, Dennis and Brian at Vallambrosa Retreat Center - Menlo Park, CA during their annual retreat.

Happy Summer to all! Summer is a time of rest, meetings, and spiritual rejuvenation for the brothers of the Casa Maria Community. Here is a quick update on our happenings thus far. Bro. Brandon left in mid June for sometime in Hawaii to visit family and our Marianist brothers in the Islands. Bros. Dennis and Brian participated in a week-long workshop on Leadership in the Marianist Tradition along with a dozen other Marianist religious at a retreat center in Fremont, Ohio in mid June. Bro. Dennis then went on to Dayton to attend meetings of the Sponsorship Task force (exploring sponsorship issues of our apostolic works). Fr. Bill made his annual retreat in Dayton also in mid June. Bro. Mike left for Colorado at the end of May to spend most of this summer with his mother and large family.

Bros. Brandon, Dennis and Brian reunited during their annual summer retreat in Northern California this past week. The theme of the Province retreats is Faith, Mary and Mission with talks being given by members of our Provincial Administration. Bros. Brandon and Dennis flew further west to the Hawaiian Islands, while Bro. Brian return to San Antonio.

That’s our quick update for now. More later as the summer progresses. A blessed summer time for you and all your family – safe travels!

Happy Birthday Blessed Chaminade!

bhalderman — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 21:19:26 +0000

Today we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, founder of the Marianist Family. Thank you Fr. Chaminade for the gift you have given us in the Marianist family!!!! Above is a video of “Chami” dancing with students, faculty and staff at St. Mary’s University where we celebrated his birthday with a “Big Birthday Bash” on April 7th. Fr. Chaminade would be very pleased with the Marianist Family across the globe and the work we continue in building communities of faith. The Marianist Family spirit was certainly alive in our celebration here at StMU.

Fr. Chami makes his debut

bhalderman — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 21:01:47 +0000

A new “Chami” mascot has been created to promote Blessed Chaminade during this Chaminade Year as we celebrate his 250th anniversary of his birth. He is inspired by a similar mascot created by the Marianist Family in Spain. Thanks to Leah Bowen, staff member in Campus Recreation at St. Mary’s University, for her fine sewing skills to make Chami come alive! Here Chami is pictured with Aspirant Mark Motz.

Congratulations to Bro. Mike!

bhalderman — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:46:06 +0000

Bro. Mike Sullivan, SM was honored with the Art of Peace Award on Thursday, March 31st at the conclusion of this year’s President’s Peace Commission at St. Mary’s University. The award is given annually to an individual associated with the university who has made contributions to the arts and the promotion of peace through their work. Bro. Mike was surprised and over-joyed to receive this honor. He shared a video that he prepared with a significant portion highlighting the student immersion trips to Mexico that he organized and led for over ten years. The St. Mary’s Jazz Band performed one of Bro. Mike’s original compositions. After the award ceremony a reception was held in the University Center atrium.

Planting Seeds: Supporting Vocational Discernment

bhalderman — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 04:55:25 +0000

This evening we hosted a gathering of high school students who have expressed interest in learning more about Marianist religious life. The students from Central Catholic and Keystone High Schools in San Antonio joined us for Mass, dinner and a discussion. We also welcomed Bros. Tim Pieprzyca and Rich Thompson both whom minister at Central Catholic High School and Sr. Gretchen Trautman, FMI, Marianist sister and coordinator of the local vocation office. Aspirant Mark Motz shared with the group his own vocational discernment journey and how he ultimately came to the decision to enter the aspirancy program with the Society of Mary. Following Mark’s presentation the young men asked excellent questions that were fielded by the brothers and sister present. We hope to stay in touch with these young men and continue to find ways to support their ongoing discernment.

On the Memorial of Fr. Chaminade

bhalderman — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 17:44:21 +0000

Tomb of Fr. Chaminade in Bordeaux, France (sketch by Bro. Brian Zampier, SM)

Today, January 22nd we celebrate the anniversary of the death of our Blessed Founder, William Joseph Chaminade. We also begin the special Chaminade Year in which we commemorate 250 years of his birth (April 8th). We were joined by members of the Woodlawn Marianist community for Mass and breakfast this morning.

What follows is the homily delivered by Fr. William Behringer, S.M.:

With Rome beginning the last stage of the process leading to Fr. Chaminade’s canonization looking at the miracle attributed to him, it is appropriate, I think, for us to reflect a bit on the example of holiness the Founder has left us. The decree of heroicity of his virtues stated, “This man of God travelling with firm step the path of perfection adorned his soul with brilliant virtues.” It is good for us to reflect on what that example says to us.

The basis of his sanctity as the Gospel of today’s mass pointed out is love. That is the basis of all holiness and has to be because holiness is union with God and God is love. So the basis of Fr. Chaminade’s holiness as also ours is love. Introducing his letter of 1839, the founder wrote,”The spirit of all our works is charity.” This means that we in our turn must allow love to take over our lives and all that we do. Our vocation as Marianists – indeed as Christians – calls us to become great lovers.

Secondly, Fr. Chaminade was deeply committed to God and God’s will. Nothing could sway him from that. Even when some of his closest followers tried to change his mind, he refused to abandon the plan God had revealed to him. This belonging to God will demand on our part a separation from anything opposed to God and God’s will. One of the 3 ends of the Society as proposed by the Founder was to protect the members from the “contagion of the world.” Adele de Trenquelleon expressed this same idea when she wrote, “All for God, all by God, nothing for the world.” This aspect of Fr. Chaminade’s holiness calls us to a deep evangelical radicality.

Now for Fr. Chaminade, this understanding of evil does not call us simply to be cautious about ourselves. If that were the case, we could just lock ourselves in a room and have no contact. But the Founder calls us rather to a battle against evil. He calls for New Wars! We are called to join Mary in her fight against evil which, of course, is that of her Son. So our vocation and the path of our holiness is an apostolic one. The example of our Marianist martyrs clearly shows us that we are in a battle.

Fr. Chaminade’s sanctity was also strongly rooted in the Pascal Mystery. He suffered deeply in his life – the French Revolution, exile, the opposition of his fellow Marianists at the end of his life etc. One of the Cardinals told Fr. Vasey that Fr. Caillet made our founder a saint! But he never lost faith. He always believed in the triumph of Mary. He are familiar of that scene in the garden with Fr. Chaminade pressing his hand down on the foot of Mary crushing the head of the serpent.

Now the Pascal Mystery is essentially related to Baptism and we know the importance Fr. Chaminade put on baptism as the root and foundation of our religious commitment. So our sanctity too must be rooted in our baptism and in the dying and rising of Christ.

Finally, Fr. Chaminade insists that our holiness must be communal. We are not simply to be individually holy although we are to be that also. But the community must be holy. We are to give the witness of a nation of saints! And we certainly recognize the need of our world for that very witness.

And so Fr. Chaminade’s example calls us to a challenging but a wonderful vocation. Let us pray that we may be faithful.

Norm and the Gathering at the River

bhalderman — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 22:27:17 +0000

Novice Norm Capinpin shares with us his experience at the Province Assembly.

Fiesta San Antonio!!!

bhalderman — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 23:43:15 +0000

The community is in the spirit for the two week celebration of Fiesta!

The two week celebration Fiesta San Antonio began this week! St. Mary’s University hosts the Oyster Bake on the opening weekend. Fiesta celebrates the heroes from the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto and began with a single parade in 1891 and today has grown to one of the largest civic celebrations in the country. There are over 100 official Fiesta events over the course of eleven days. Yet, none match up to the St. Mary’s Oyster Bake.

Bro. Brian created this beautiful Fiesta wreath to great the visitors to Casa Maria over the next few weeks.

Sprucing up the front of the house

bhalderman — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:11:11 +0000

The Casa Maria Community sits on a rather large piece of land in the middle of the St. Mary’s University campus. Maintaining the grounds can be a rather large chore and one that not many of the brothers have much interest in doing. Bro. Mike waters the lawn and does his best in the midst of the drought and water restrictions to keep at least some patches alive. I have taken on the duty of caring for the flower beds in front of the house and what we call the prayer garden which is visible through the windows from our chapel. Last fall I mulched the prayer garden and added a bird feeder. It took the birds three months to find the feeder, but now they really chow down! I have been wanting to improve the front flower beds to enhance the appearance of the house, they were often run over by weeds. The grounds crew helped back before summer planting some nice flower plants. This weekend I finally got around to pulling all the weeds, laying down weed block plastic and mulching the beds. I got half done today and will finish the other half tomorrow. It is a great improvement and helps make the front of the community more inviting to all who come to the front door.

- Bro. Brian Halderman, SM

Bro. Brian mulched the front flower beds this weekend and now we have a new look!