Dear Confreres:

 

I wish you a Happy, Holy, Grace-filled, Joy-filled, Peace-filled Christmas! As we celebrate Christmas, we contemplate the deepest and the most profound presence of God in our life. We contemplate the depth of God’s Love. We contemplate the heart of God in Jesus. I pray that you have a heart of Love and Compassion. Jesus came among us as Emmanuel, “God-with-us”. Emmanuel is God’s word that carries a power which no other word carries. This word has the power to change attitudes, convert minds, transform hearts and change the course of a person’s life. It can dispel fears, instill hope, awaken courage, and inflame weakening faith. We are blessed and “Graced” and privileged to know “Emmanuel”. When fears threaten to overwhelm us or keep us from being authentic witnesses of the Gospel, “God-with-us” transforms our fears and failings into courageous faith. When doubts and depression set in, “God-with-us” brings and nurtures hope and lifts our spirits. When things seem impossible, “God-with-us” enables us to trust and face the impossible. When friends are few and sometimes far away, “God-with-us” assures us that we are never alone. When sickness sets in, when death approaches, when it is difficult to see beyond pains, sufferings, and uncertainties, “God-with-us” inspires us to trust and “hang-in-there”. It is the word, “Emmanuel” – “God-with-us” that keeps us faithful on our journey of life and leads us to the holiness and perfection, to which we are called. May God bless you with the most profound experience of His Love wherever you may be and may that experience be your hope and your strength.

 

Regional Assembly 2008: September 22-25, 2008

The dates of “Regional Assembly 2008″ had to be changed because of conflict with the diocesan programs for a large number of confreres. In consultation with the regional council and the local superiors, the assembly is postponed to be held at the retreat center in Alexandria, Louisiana from the evening of Monday, September 22, 2008 to noon on Thursday, September 25, 2008. Please mark your calendars and plan to participate in the assembly. Your presence is important.

 

Regional Council:

Our regional council will meet at Wellspring on January 24, 2008. Please let me know, as soon as possible, if you have any concerns, needs, doubts, questions or any other issues that need the council’s attention. We will address them at our next meeting and explore possibilities of meeting your needs. Please let us know how we, as a council, can support you in your ministry and help further the growth of our local communities and the region.

I request the local superiors to send me a brief report of your local community meetings as soon as possible. The report will be presented to the council at the January meeting.

 

Wellspring Anniversary:

We will celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the foundation of Wellspring with the Eucharist at 6:00pm followed by reception on January 24, 2008. You are invited to join us and share our joy on this special occasion. I realize that distance and pastoral commitments make it difficult for you to be with us. However, we will be honored if you can join us. Please remember us and our ministry in your prayer.

 

Spiritual Moments:

“Spiritual Moments” is our journal of spirituality which is published twice a year, in January and September. I request you to send us articles on your “spiritual moments” which we would be happy to include in our journal. You may also send us news items from your ministry or information about programs in your ministry that may benefit other confreres in parishes and we will include them in the journal. Please let us know if you would like to have extra copies of the journal and we will gladly send them to you.

 

MSFS USA Region Website: www.msfsusaregion.org

Our region now has a website. It is still in the process of construction. We have placed a few items on the site – just trying and testing. Please check it out and send us your comments and suggestions. We will appreciate your feedback. We want to get it into a good shape before the beginning of the New Year.

 

Wellspring Website: www.wellspringcommunity.net

I have added a new page on our website: MSFS USA Region. Point the cursor on the button, “MSFS USA Region” and click on the buttons for “News Briefs” and “Circulars”. This will be moved to the region’s website when the construction of the region’s site is complete.

I hope that you have found our daily reflections helpful. If you have not visited the site, try visiting and you may find it helpful. Click on the “Daily Reflection” button and see what the Lord has to say to you for the day. Try also our weekend meditations by clicking on the “weekend meditation” button.

 

Congratulations and Prayerful Wishes:
Fr. Lawrence Amalraj is appointed the first Provincial of the newly formed Chennai Region and Fr. Francis Thadathil is appointed Provincial of North East Province. Hearty congratulations and prayerful wishes from all of us in MSFS USA Region to Fr. Lawrence and Fr. Francis!

Dear Fr. Lawrence and Fr. Francis, we pray that God continues to bless you and empower you to fulfill your responsibilities. Please accept our thanks and appreciation for accepting this awesome responsibility. We will walk with you in prayer and give you whatever support we can to help you fulfill your God-given mission.

 

Local Communities:

I thank you, local superiors, for your faithfulness to your responsibilities. I am glad to know that you have been meeting regularly as a community. This is what I had hoped would happen and it definitely is the mandate of our regional assembly. If you have not been able to meet yet, please be sure to meet before the end of January. Community meetings are important and they contribute to the growth of our region and the fulfillment of our mission as Fransalians.

 

Important and urgent reminders:

Our old address no longer functions. Please use the following new address. The name of the town, in which we are, is “Whitehouse” and NOT “Tyler”. Please do not add the name Tyler to the address. Please give this new address to your parish and diocesan offices.

Wellspring,

P.O. Box 440,

Whitehouse, Texas 75791

Phone: 903-839-1280; Fax: 903-839-3486

Email: frgus@suddenlink.net

 

Conclusion:

Dear confreres, thank you for your ongoing support. Be courageous and learn to walk faithfully! We are Fransalian Missionaries. We must learn to live a lifestyle that is uniquely Fransalian, different from that of the world around us. The only measure of our faith is how we live, not what we profess! Let us walk faithfully, for faithfulness is the mark of a man of God.

You are in my daily prayer. God bless you and all you do for God’s people and keep you safe in the center of Love.

Augustine Tharappel, msfs

Regional Superior

MSFS USA Region