Passing of Joseph F. O’Donnell
It is with great sorrow that we inform you of the passing Joe O’Donnell in the early hours of January 4, 2015. As soon as we have further details regarding services for Joe we will make them available here.
Update 1/5/2015 (2:03 pm):
Joe’s viewing will be at O’Leary’s Funeral Home on Springfield Rd. near Holy Cross Church on Friday evening January 9, 2015 beginning at 6pm. The funeral mass will be at St. Kevin’s Church in Springfield at 12:30 on Saturday January 10, 2015. Joe’s obituary will be referenced here as soon as it is made available.
Pete Fantacone Awarded Inisgnia of Chevalier
Pete Fantacone, Sr.
Please join us in congratulating fellow SixThree man Peter Fantacone, Sr. who was named a “Chevalier” of the Legion of Honor; the highest distinction bestowed on U.S. soldiers who fought at Normandy, Provence/Southern France or Northern France.
Last month Pete received a letter December 23rd, 2014 from the French Consulate in New York proclaiming the gratitude of the French people toward our very own American hero. It read as follows: Read more
A Reminder to Keep Christ In Christmas
You may recall a couple years ago when a fellow Six Three Man, Joe McAvoy , wrote and recorded a spiritually inspired Christmas tune to remind us to keep Christ in Christmas. Joe circulated his work around the internet to help raise money for the families of victims involved in the Sandy Hook shooting in New England.
We thought it would be nice to repost Joe’s song to remind us again of the true meaning of Christmas.
| Please enjoy the music and consider doing something special for a neighbor in need this season. Then share this link on facebook. |
by Joe McAvoy (Germany Hill)
Passing of Six Three Man, Andy Viscuso
It is with a heavy heart that I inform you of the passing of Andy Viscuso, a Six Three man and Man of Malvern, on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 in Coatesville VA Medical Center.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Basil The Great Catholic Church, 2340 Kimberton Road, Phoenixville, PA, on Saturday, December 20, 2014 at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in St. Ann Cemetery, Phoenixville, PA. A viewing will be held in the church on Saturday morning from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to St. Basil The Great Catholic Church, PO Box 637, Kimberton, PA 19442, or to the Coatesville VA Medical Center, 1B Nursing Home, 1400 Blackhorse Hill Road, Coatesville, PA 19320. Condolences may be given to the family at www.DevlinRosmosKepp.com. Arrangements are by the Devlin Rosmos Kepp & Gatcha Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 517 S. Main Street, Phoenixville, PA.
A Final Word From Our 2014 Captain
Gentlemen,
Our 2014 C.A. Captain Dr. Stephen Humbert asked us to share with you some final personal thoughts regarding our 2014 retreat. But before we do that, the Six Three Executive would like to thank Dr. Humbert for sharing with us his special brand of motivation and heartfelt devotion to the Six Three Group. Dr. Humbert and his family are living proof of the impact that one man can have on the lives of his family (8 currently active Humbert’s in Six Three).
…one more thing…it’s not too early or too late to register for our next Retreat!
Register Now for Six Three Retreat
Here is Dr. Humbert’s hand written comment:
…one more thing…it’s not too early or too late to register for next Retreat!
Register Now for Six Three Retreat
2014 Wrap Up
Gentlemen,
The Six Three Group Executive Committee and Malvern Retreat Retreat House would like to thank you for joining us on our 93rd Annual Six Three Group Men’s Retreat. We hope that you were able to find the spiritual replenishment that came seeking from Malvern.
We would also like to thank Fr. Michael Shea, C.M. and Fr. John Corbett, O.P. for all of the hard work that went into preparation and presentation so that they may educate us and help us engage our spirituality in a more meaningful way.
As some learned on retreat, Fr. Shea is the Associate Director of The Central Association of the Miraculous Medal. Fr. invites everyone to visit the Miraculous Medal Shrine at 500 E. Chelton Avenue in Philadelphia and to visit the association’s website to learn more about the Miraculous Medal. If you would like Fr. Shea to come to speak to your Parish or Group, please email him at mshea@cammonline.org or call 800-523-3674
Visit: The Central Association of the Miraculous Medal website at www.cammonline.org
For more information regarding Fr. John Corbett, Moral Theology and the Dominican House of Studies please visit The Thomisitc Institute website at www.thomisticinstitute.org
We would also like to thank GaryZimak for inspirational speech at our special Saturday afternoon conference. To order books and other materials and find out more about Gary and his ministry, please visit Gary’s website at www.FollowingTheTruth.com
Materials from Retreat
While on retreat, we heard a few requests for copies of some materials that were presented. So we acquired them so that they may be made available for download:
- Story of Tommy, “atheist in residence” – presented by Fr. Shea
- How To Pray – presented by Fr. Shea
- Lighten You Load – presented at lunch by C.A Captain Dr. Stephen Humbert
Give Us Your Thoughts
In an effort to learn more about what you liked and what can be improved, please use the comments section below to express your thoughts about this year’s retreat.
How to Pray – Fr. Michael Shea, C.M.
If you find it difficult to pray, you might simply imagine God speaking to you. His words might sound something like this:
You don’t have to be clever to please me; all you have to do is want to love me. Just speak to me as you would to anyone of whom you are very fond.
Are there people you want to pray for? Tell me their names, and ask as much as you like. Trust me to do what I know best.
Is there anything you want for your soul? Tell me if you feel guilty about anything. I will forgive you, but you have to accept my forgiveness.
Tell me about your self–centeredness, and your laziness. I love you in spite of your faults. Do not hesitate to ask me for blessings for mind and body. I can give everything you need for a happier, holier life.
Are you afraid of anything? Trust yourself to me. I am here. I see everything. I will never leave you.
Have you any joys to share with me? What has happened recently to cheer and comfort you?
Are temptations bearing heavily upon you? Yielding to them always disturbs the peace of your soul. Ask me, and I will help you to overcome them.
Well, go along now. Come back to me soon. Tomorrow I shall have more blessings for you.
This was presented by Fr. Michael Shea, C.M. the Associate Director of The Central Association of the Miraculous Medal during our 2014 retreat. Fr. invites everyone to visit the Miraculous Medal Shrine at 500 E. Chelton Avenue in Philadelphia and to visit the association’s website to learn more about the Miraculous Medal.
Visit: The Central Association of the Miraculous Medal website at www.cammonline.org
Lighten Your Load
If you are feeling tired and weary, perhaps now would be a good time to lighten your load. There are many burdens you can get rid of that you’ll easily be able to live without.
Start by abandoning all your resentments. Each resentment costs an enormous amount of time and energy, and provides absolutely nothing of value in return.
Next, you can walk away from anxiety. All the anxiety in the world cannot add a single positive moment to your life.
Let go of the need to prove that you are right. Instead, use the time and energy to more effectively listen and understand.
While you’re at it, go ahead and leave behind your envy, anger, impatience and frustration. After all, what have they ever done for you?
Dropping the burdensome negativity from your life is ridiculously easy once you realize how much it’s holding you back.
Lighten your load, and move forward to where you truly wish to be.
Tommy – by Rev. John Powell
Father John Powell, professor at Loyola University in Chicago, writes about a student in his Theology of Faith class named Tommy.
Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our first session in the Theology of Faith.
That was the day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked.. He was combing his long flaxen hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders. It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn’t what’s on your head but what’s in it that counts; but on
that day I was unprepared and my emotions flipped. I immediately filed Tommy under ‘S’ for strange..very strange.
Tommy turned out to be the ‘atheist in residence’ in my Theology of Faith course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father/God. We lived with each other in relative peace for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the back pew.
When he came up at the end of the course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a cynical tone, ‘Do you think I’ll ever find God?’
I decided instantly on a little shock therapy. ‘No!’ I said very emphatically. ‘Why not,’ he responded, ‘I thought that was the product you were pushing.’
I let him get five steps from the classroom door and then called out, ‘Tommy! I don’t think you’ll ever find Him, but I am absolutely certain that He will find you!’ He shrugged a little and left my class and my life.
I felt slightly disappointed at the thought that he had missed my clever line — He will find you! At least I thought it was clever. Later I heard that Tommy had graduated, and I was duly grateful.
Then a sad report came. I heard that Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see me. When he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted and the long hair had all fallen out as a result of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice was firm, for the first time, I believe. ‘Tommy, I’ve thought about you so often; I hear you are sick,’ I blurted out.
‘Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It’s a matter of weeks.’
‘Can you talk about it, Tom?’ I asked.
‘Sure, what would you like to know?’ he replied.
‘What’s it like to be only twenty-four and dying?’
‘Well, it could be worse.’
‘Like what?’
‘Well, like being fifty and having no values or ideals, like being fifty and thinking that booze, seducing women, and making money are the real biggies in life.’
I began to look through my mental file cabinet under ‘S’ where I had filed Tommy as strange. (It seems as though everybody I try to reject by classification, God sends back into my life to educate me.)
‘But what I really came to see you about,’ Tom said, ‘is something you said to me on the last day of class.’ (He remembered!) He continued, ‘I asked you if you thought I would ever find God and you said, ‘No!’
which surprised me. Then you said, ‘But He will find you.’ I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time.
(My clever line. He thought about that a lot!)
‘But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, that’s when I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven. But God did not come out. In fact, nothing happened. Did you ever try anything for a long time with great effort and with no success? You get psychologically glutted, fed up with trying. And then you quit. ‘Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a few more futile appeals over that high brick wall
to a God who may be or may not be there, I just quit.
I decided that I didn’t really care about God, about an afterlife, or anything like that. I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class and I remembered something else you had said: ‘The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you had loved them.”
‘So, I began with the hardest one, my Dad. He was reading the newspaper when I approached him. ‘Dad.’
‘Yes, what?’ he asked without lowering the newspaper.
‘Dad, I would like to talk with you.’
‘Well, talk.’
‘I mean. It’s really important.’
The newspaper came down three slow inches. ‘What is it?’
‘Dad, I love you, I just wanted you to know that.’ Tom smiled at me and said it with obvious satisfaction, as though he felt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him. ‘The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me. We talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say
that he loved me.’
‘It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried with me, too, and we hugged each other, and started saying real nice things to each other. We shared the things we had been keeping secret for so many years.
‘I was only sorry about one thing — that I had waited so long. Here I was, just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to.’
Then, one day I turned around and God was there. He didn’t come to me when I pleaded with Him. I guess I was like an animal trainer holding out a hoop, ‘C’mon, jump through. C’mon, I’ll give you three days, three weeks.’
‘Apparently God does things in His own way and at His own hour. But the important thing is that He was there. He found me!
You were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for Him’!!
‘Tommy,’ I practically gasped, ‘I think you are saying something very important and much more universal than you realize.
To me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to make Him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that. He said: ‘God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him.’
Tom, could I ask you a favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain. But (laughingly) you can make it all up to me now . . . . Would you come into my present Theology of Faith course and tell them what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing it wouldn’t be half as effective as if you were to tell it.’
‘Oooh, I was ready for you, but I don’t know if I’m ready for your class.’
‘Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a call.
In a few days Tom called, said he was ready for the class, that he wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a date.
However, he never made it. He had another appointment, far more important than the one with me and my class. Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed. He made the great step from faith into vision.
He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined.
Before he died, we talked one last time. ‘I’m not going to make it to your class’ he said.
‘I know, Tom.’
‘Will you tell them for me? Will you…tell the whole world for me?’
‘I will, Tom. I’ll tell them. I’ll do my best.’
So, to all of you who have been kind enough to read this simple story about God’s love, thank you for listening. And to you, Tommy, somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven — I told them, Tommy, as best I could.
It is a true story and is not enhanced for publicity purposes.
With thanks,
Rev. John Powell, Professor
Loyola University, Chicago
Have a Great, Safe and Blessed Day
In God we trust
St. Matthew’s Gospel 28: 16-20 – Reflection by Msgr. Marino
A Reading from Matthew’s Gospel 28: 16-20
Commissioning of Disciples
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw Him, they worshiped, but they doubted.
Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
The Gospel of the Lord!
REFLECTION: by Msgr. Marino
Only eleven disciples gathered on the mountain top because Judas Iscariot had defected from the company of twelve. However, we can look at this in another way. The group is short one … and isn’t that always the case!
The company of Jesus could always use one more who is willing to go and make disciples of all nations! Is that one, you? Are you willing to become a disciple who brings others from your family and friends to Christ?
The Church is calling all the baptized to embrace the New Evangelization. Become an active disciple who seeks out the lost and invites them to accompany you in the ways of Christ … invite others to come back to Christ at the Eucharistic table of Holy Sunday Mass!
Notice that when they saw Him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Christ is not looking for perfect disciples; He has from the beginning always invited the weak and incomplete to join Him. It is not our strength that will bring others to Christ; it is Christ working though us! So, as Christ has said to disciples throughout the ages: Do not be afraid–I am with you always, until the end of the age.
What is holding you back from becoming an active disciple of Christ? What are you afraid of? Christ is at your side always and forever!
Msgr. Joseph Marino
Click here to read more reflections from Rev. Msgr. Joseph Marino.
