Items filtered by date: April 2025

Pictured in this photograph are the La Salette Missionaries of the Province of Mary, Mother of the Americas, who attended the annual Province retreat last June at the La Salette Retreat and Conference Center, Attleboro, Massachusetts (USA).  The Retreat Director, Rev. James DiLuzio, CSP, is a member of the Paulist Mission Preachers from New York City and the theme of this retreat was “Resurrection and the Year of Consecrated Life.”  Father DiLuzio holds degrees in theology, English literature, and in theater direction and acting.  He was ordained in 1993.

Each year the members of the La Salette Missionaries of North America are invited to come together for their annual Province retreat in June.  Fr. Cyriac Mattathilanikal, M.S. and Br. Donald Wininski, M.S., and the staff of the La Salette Retreat center hosted this community gathering with over forty-five members in attendance this year.

Skip Negley MS

In the month of July we had lot of pilgrims as it is also the summer season. Many tourists came to La Salette also to escape the heat. As per the desire of our former Superior General Eugene Barrette M.S his mortal remains (Ashes) were buried in the Cemetery of Holy Mountain. The funeral ceremony was on July Saturday July 24.

Italian Retreat and Walk from Corps to La Salette

Fr. Biju Chempottickal M.S preached the three days Italian retreat from July 3 to 5 on the theme of “The way of Reconciliation with God, with others, with oneself and with creation.” There were 42 participants for the retreat and it is for the first time in the recent years that we had a big number of participants for a retreat in the Shrine. Another special program organized by Fr. Biju this year was the “walk like the first pilgrims”; walk from Corps to La Salette on every Wednesday from June 17 to August 26. There are many pilgrims participated in this program; the walk began with the visit of the Church of Corps, house of Maximin and Melanie and other important historical places of Corps. The participants also visited the Church of St. Julien and the chapel of Les Ablandins, house of Pierre Selme, and Jean Baptist Pra where Maximin and Melanie worked. The Holy Eucharist was celebrated in the Kitchen of the house of Jean Baptist Pra, where the message of our Lady was written for the first time. It was a special moment for the pilgrims to visit those historical places. In the afternoon pilgrims participated in the long way of the cross from St. Julien to La Salette Shrine. It was a full day of walk, and prayer; a different way of doing recollection.

PPP and Final profession

In the month of July there were 44 participants of PPP with General council and translators on the Holy Mountain. At the end of the program on July 26 Sunday 21 of them professed their final profession. Those who professed their final profession were from Angola, India, Madagascar and United States. There were also few La Salette sisters participated in the Final Profession program.

Dear Brothers MS and Sisters SNDS,

A warm and sincere thank you to all for the possibility to have been able to listen, see, experience once again Maximin and Melanie’s encounter with the “Beautiful Lady”. Indeed, La Salette brothers and sisters who are preparing for perpetual vows gathered as one family, despite our cultural and linguistic differences, at the Holy mountain of La Salette, the very root of our two Congregations.
Two words come to mind when thinking about this experience that took place during the month of July: joy and light. Light: it recalls the Transfiguration of Jesus and his encounter with Moses and Elijah; it reminds us of the light that was surrounding Mary and the two children during the Apparition at La Salette; a light that reaches to all of La Salette brothers and sisters who are preparing for perpetual vows, since it is simply the light of the risen Christ. And then joy: the joy of gathering together to spend time in prayer and fraternal sharing; the joy of sharing the same commitment to the message of Our Lady of La Salette even though we come from many different cultural backgrounds; the joy of having prayed together at the Apparition site and Shrine which has deepened our fidelity to Jesus Christ and to the people of God through the compassionate love of Mary. The joy of having come together and learned about being faithful to our vows; together, we prayed Mass, Lauds and Vespers, each taking a part in our own languages. This international experience has broadened our horizons beyond just our Provinces. Our multicultural background, the various talks given to us and the recreational activities brought us great joy. What we experienced is the joy of having worked together and striving to make ours the Message of Our Lady of La Salette; the joy of being called together by Our Lady to go down to the valleys of our lives and to become new “Maximin” and “Melanie” for the people of God of our times.
The gathering was attended by 42 young Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette: 11 from Angola (4 sisters and 7 scholastics), 9 from Madagascar (2 sisters and 7 scholastics), 6 scholastics from India, 5 scholastics from Brazil, 4 scholastics from the Philippines, 3 scholastics from Poland, 2 from the United States (1 priest and 1 scholastic) and 2 sisters from Myanmar,
We have grown through the cultural exchanges which has helped us see that we belong to a global community of La Salette Missionaries. Being here at the Shrine has also helped us connect to the history of our Congregation of which we have learned during our initial formation.
May God, through the intercession of our Mother of La Salette, bless the La Salette family, so that it may continue to live the joy of the Gospel in this world that needs Justice, Peace and Reconciliation.

For more photos click on (Google +)  top right corner, below flags.

Schedule
Thursday 30th July

16:00 Arrival, introductions and selecting the various groups.

19:00 Presentation of the whole programme and prayers.

19:30 Evening meal

20:30 Presentation of the cultural show (Advise the group leaders).

22:30 Bedtime

Friday 31st July

08:00 Breakfast

09:00 Prayers England

9:30 Mary Mother of Reconciliation. (Fr Celeste)
• Testimony
• Gesture

11:00 Time for personal reflection and reading from the Bible.

11:30 Sharing in international groups,
• Presence of Mary in my life
• How to live practically, the experience of reconciliation proposed by Mary La Salette

13:00 Lunch

14:30 Time for sport (for international groups)
Football / Volleyball /Tennis

16:00 Treasure hunt
The route for the treasure hunt: La-Costa/Colle/Pascigliano/Salmata
Pascigliano/La Costa/Salmata

18:00 Eucharist. Fr. Silvano preparation international groups

19:30 Evening meal

21:00 Prayers/Adoration Taize style (Fr. Piotr J.)

22:30 Bedtime

Saturday 1st August

08:00 Breakfast

09:00 Prayers - Poland

09:30 Let us unite with God and a talk from the Ukrainian group.

11:30 Eucharist. Fr. Celeste preparation Italian group

13:00 Lunch

14:30 Time for sport (for international groups)
Football / Volleyball /Tennis

16:30 "A tool of his peace" (Fr. Heliodoro)
Delivery of the words of prayer of Francesco and personal reflection time.
Sharing of the groups, and dividing groups into one large group.

Gesture:
Sharing the leaflet of the examination of conscience, the confessions will be held tomorrow during the walk to Assisi

19:30 Evening Meal

20:00 Rosary and candlelight gathering of people of the town, and at the end moment of feast together

22:30 Bedtime

Sunday 2nd August

6:00 Depart for Assisi with opportunity of confessions during the journey. Visit to the sanctuary of the Madona dei Trefossi. Continue through to Assisi.

12:30 Arrive at Assisi and lunch.
Visiting San Damiano/Santa Chiara and San Francesco and arrive at Santa Maria Degli Angeli. When the Youth Groups arrive for their forgiveness.
18; 00 Eucharist "celebration of forgiveness of Assisi". bishop of Assisi

20:00 Pizza for everyone.

22:30 Return to Salmata and bedtime.

Monday 3rd August

9:00 Breakfast

09:30 Prayers French group
10:00 Giving and receiving. Testimony of the French Group.
Gesture.

11:30 Sharing of the International groups of experiences of the forgiveness of Asisi.
• The experience of the revolutionary, choose Maria and Franciscan peace.

13:00 Lunch

14:30 Cultural tour to the Caves of Frasassi

19:00 Final Eucharist Fr. Henryk preparation Polish group

20:00 Evening Meal

21:30 Discussions of experience and suggestions of the next trip which will be in Poland 2016

23:00 Bedtime

Tuesday 4th August

7:30 Breakfast and goodbyes

8:00 Departure

The third weekend of July, as is the case every year at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Dębowiec/Poland, is traditionally a time to meet the parents and relatives of the Missionaries and their friends.

It is an occasion to spend two days together praying, exchanging experiences, and simply socializing.

This year's program included Eucharist, the novena to Our Lady of La Salette, other Marian devotions, as well as prayer for the deceased La Salette Missionaries in the cemetery here. The novices presented a program of entertainment centered around a comedy routine. On Sunday, July 19, family members and friends met with the Provincial, Fr. Andrew Zagorski MS.

   This is my first time attending the shrine of La Salette in France. Since I arrived, I have experienced a sense of renewal. All the things that I learned about the history and charism of the congregation has now come to light. My experience in the PPP has been very positive. I have met other La Salette Brothers and Sisters from around the world and I’ve developed some lasting friendships. This has also broadened my horizon of the congregation. There are good ministries that are happening in other countries with the charism of reconciliation. It is wonderful to know that the Spirit is alive in this congregation.

     Being here at the site of the apparition has deepened my love for our Blessed Mother. Her message of reconciliation of the world to Christ certainly rings true to this day. I feel blessed to be called by God as a La Salette Missionary to help dry the tears of Mary at La Salette by leading others to her Son, Jesus.

-Br. Paul Jussen M.S.

Dear Brothers,

It is with great sadness that we have received the news of the death of Fr. Eugene Barrette from the Province of Mary, Mother of the Americas. For many years he suffered from cancer, and ultimately succumbed to a cerebral hemorrhage.

We remember him with affection and with the great awareness of the important contribution made to the Congregation in the many years he spent at the General House, first as director of scholastics, then as General Secretary and Councilor, and finally as Superior General, with his writings, his studies in La Salette, and his research into our charism and the huge dossier for the revision of our Rule of Life.

We thank the Lord for having given him to us as a member of our great religious family of La Salette, for having made him known, loved and appreciated by us. Now that his earthly journey is over, we recommend him to the mercy of the Father so that he might grant him the reward of the just for all the service given to his Church and to our Congregation.

We are certain that the Virgin of La Salette, who loved him so much in life, has welcomed and invited him into Paradise with the same words she used with Maximin and Melanie in her apparition at La Salette: “ Come near, my children, don’t be afraid….”.

Fr. Barrette was 75 years old, lived 54 years in religious life and had served 48 years in priestly ministry.

Rest in peace, Fr. Gene, and do not forget us, your brothers.

Fr. Silvano Marisa

Superior General

The 28th International Youth Gathering has recently begun at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in Dembowiec. The theme this year is "GPS" - God's Plan of Salvation. The La Salette Missionaries of Poland, along with some well-known media personnages, personal witnesses, and musical accompaniment, will help the young people discover the guidance that a loving Creator has for their lives. The gathering began July 6 and lasts for six days. Each year this gathering attracts around 2000 participants from Poland and neighboring countries.

More info on the web.

The important celebrations in the shrine during the month of June were the feast of Corpus Christi, feast of bread, feast of the Music, feast of mothers and feast of the fathers. In Preparation to the feast of Corpus Christi there was a retreat on the theme of “Eucharist Source of Life” preached by Fr. Manuel BARBIERO from the congregation of the Blessed Sacrament.

The Grenoble Gospel Singers gave a musical concert on Saturday 13 June and they also sung during the Sunday mass. Every year the Grenoble Gospel singers come to La Salette to give concert. The ceremony of Transhumance was held in Corps on June 13; Fr. Manuel the rector of the shrine blessed the herds of sheep and now after 7 months they are back to the La Salette Mountain.

Feast of the Music was celebrated with varieties of activities such as concert in the Gallery, and Salle Notre Dame, and prayer service in the Basilica. There were also many couples who celebrated their wedding anniversaries in the last Sunday of June here on the Holy Mountain. In the Last weekend of June we had more than 500 polish Pilgrims. The Month of June is concluding with the arrival of the participants of PPP.
p. Biju. MS

On Monday June 15, 2015 the Province of Madagascar Mary Mother of the Church, began its 12th Provincial Chapter at Antsahasoa/Antsirabe. Present at the Chapter were 20 delegates. The Chapter must elect a new Provincial Superior, and two assistant Councillors.

The first day of the Chapter entailed discussion on various topics: formation, peace and justice, finances, administration, mission, la Salette Laity.

Even though the climate is quite cold here in Antsirabe, we were very well received, lodged, and feed. The atmosphere at the Spiritual Centre here is quite well for the Chapter: solitude, chapel for prayer and Mass, a hall well prepared for Chapter session.

We invite you all to pray for the success of the Provincial Chapter and for the future of the Province of Madagascar.