News from Around the United States Vicariate

The Vicariate in the United States is composed of six houses in the states of New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Here is some news going on in several of these houses.

A Mercedarian takes part in the Extraordinary Form Mass on the Feast of St. Stephen, Cleveland, OH

Fr. Michael
Fr. Michael as Deacon.

A beautiful and successful Solemn Mass for the patronal feast of St. Stephen was celebrated at St. Stephen’s Church in Cleveland on Tuesday, December 27, 2011! Those who took part in the High Mass were Fr. Bede Kotlinski, OSB, Celebrant; Fr. Michael Donovan, O. de M., Deacon; and Mr. Albert Beltz, Sub-deacon. The St. Stephen schola  provided the wonderful sacred music during the liturgy.

Fr. Michael is a Mercedarian priest who is stationed at the Order’s parish, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, West Cleveland. He works as a parochial vicar at the parish. Fr. Michael has many duties at the parish including: teaching Catholic Doctrine at the school, teaching adult formation classes in Sacred Scripture, and coordinating the Mercedarian Third Order. He has been gifted with a beautiful voice and a love for the sacred liturgy. This has lead Fr. Michael to celebrate the Extraordinary form of the Mass on several occasions at the Order’s parish at Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

See impressive photos of the Latin Mass at beautiful St. Stephen’s Church, Cleveland.

A New Deacon, Br. James Chia, in LeRoy, N.Y.

Br. James Chia
Br. James is from Malaysia.

The Order rejoices at yet another Ordination to the diaconate: Br. James Chia, O.de M. will be ordained the Sacred Diaconate on January 7th at 4:30 pm at Our Lady of Mercy Parish, LeRoy, NY. The ordaining bishop will be Most Rev. Edward M. Grosz, D.D. from the Diocese of Buffalo.

Br. James come from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. He grew up in a devout Catholic family of 17 children! In December 1989, Br. James came to Philadelphia to study Electrical Engineering Technology at Temple. Eventually he decided to immigrate to United States in 2001 in search of the American Dream. After a time of seeking his own dreams, Br. James came to realize God was calling him to be a Mercedarian Friar. After seven years of formation, Br James is now preparing to be ordained a Transitional Deacon in the Church. We ask for your prayers for Brother as he makes his final preparations for this important step toward priestly ordination.

Read the article, “One Man’s Search for the American Dream Led Him to Become a Mercedarian Friar.

In St. Petersburg, FL, Fr. Ken helps a group of Catholics explore the rich heritage of our Catholic Faith

Fr. Ken
Fr. Ken in Sunny Florida

Fr. Ken Breen, O. de M. is the Parochial Vicar at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle in St. Petersburg. Father has been teaching a Bible study series over the past few years at the Cathedral. These classes are held each Monday. Fr. Ken teaches two classes that day, morning and evening, to over 20 people a class.

Over the next several Mondays, the Bible study topic will be Fr. Barron’s Catholicism Series. Word on Fire Catholic Ministries offers a unique vision of the Catholic Faith with this brand new series. This program seeks to explore, through a global journey, the living culture of the Catholic Church. From the lands of the Bible, to the great shrines of Europe, to the shores and heartland of America, to the mysteries of Asia, to the rich landscapes of Latin America, to the beating heart of Africa. It is a ten-part DVD series that Fr. Ken calls “So powerful”! May this Bible study and all Fr. Ken’s work at the Cathedral lead to an increase in the love for the our beloved Catholic Faith!

Go to the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle.