Summer 2024 Denver Province Snapshots
Ordination, Professions & Jubilarians:
CELEBRATING 65 YEARS OF ORDINATION: Rev. Donald MacKinnon; CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF ORDINATION: Rev. Thomas Danielsen, Rev. Joseph Morin, Rev. James Michael Shea; CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF ORDINATION: Rev. John Steingraeber; CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF ORDINATION: Rev. Tuan Pham
In Remembrance:
Fr. Gan Minh Nguyen, C.Ss.R.: Please pray for the repose of the soul of Fr. Gan Minh Nguyen, C.Ss.R., who died on April 14, 2024 at the rectory of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Redemptorist Church in Kansas City, MO. A joyful and energetic Redemptorist missionary, Fr. Gan sprinkled conversations with humor and welcomed one and all with an inclusive, loving spirit.
Nho Thi Nguyen and Ui Van Nguyen welcomed Gan Minh on August 7, 1964 in Vietnam. He grew up in a large family of 14 children, and was 11 years old when his family fled Vietnam and immigrated to the United States. They settled in Biloxi, MS, where Gan became involved in the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (VEYM) in grade school. He completed high school and earned a degree in electronic engineering technology, but the VEYM had nourished his vocation call. He remained involved in that organization and was devoted to youth ministry for his entire life.
Gan began Redemptorist formation with the Extra Patriam Vice Province in California, but eventually transferred to the former Vice Province of New Orleans. He professed first vows on July 31, 1993 and perpetual vows on September 7, 1997. During his years in formation, he gained practical experience serving in parish and youth ministry at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Chicago and St. Gerard Majella Parish in Baton Rouge. He was ordained to the priesthood on February 14, 1998 in Baton Rouge, and immediately joined the staff as a parish priest. A year later he was appointed at Holy Ghost Parish in Houston, where he held additional responsibilities as community bursar.
Fr. Gan joined the Redemptorist Mission Team at St. Michael’s in Chicago in 2008. He enjoyed traveling across the country to preach parish missions, always allowing time to personally visit family members and friends living throughout the United States. He was appointed at Liguori Mission House in 2010. Although he remained attached to the community, he served five of the next six years as a military chaplain at White Sands Missile Range in Las Cruces, NM. Fr. Gan returned to Houston in 2016 as parochial vicar of Holy Ghost Church. Three years later, he was appointed local superior of the St. Clement Redemptorist Mission Community in Liguori. He is remembered for welcoming one and all to St. Clement’s, and hosting large gatherings at every opportunity. He instituted an All Souls Day Mass at the Redemptorist Cemetery, which has become an important annual tradition for the local community.
Fr. Gan was appointed associate pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Redemptorist Parish in Kansas City last year. He quickly became involved in the community and served the parish until his unexpected death. He recently summed up his life as, “I’m a fisherman by trade; an electrical engineer by profession; and a Redemptorist priest by choice.”
Fr. Gerard “Gerry” LaPorte, CSsR: Please pray for the repose of the soul of Fr. Gerard “Gerry” LaPorte, CSsR, who died on May 17, 2024, after suffering a heart attack in St. Louis, MO. Blessed with a brilliant mind and a quick wit, Fr. Gerry was an exceptional preacher, pastor and canon lawyer who served in ministry for more than five decades and was a beloved mentor to generations of Redemptorist missionaries.
Gerard Bernard LaPorte was born in New Orleans, LA, on January 28, 1939. He and his siblings grew up around the Redemptorists at St. Alphonsus Parish, and their uncle, Alphonse Abadie, was ordained as a Redemptorist priest in 1942.
After graduating from St. Alphonsus School, young Gerard entered St. Joseph’s Preparatory Seminary in Kirkwood, MO. An exceptional student with natural leadership skills, he was quite popular and a source of entertainment for his classmates, who enjoyed his wit and antics. He proceeded to novitiate at Mount St. Clement’s in DeSoto, MO and professed temporary vows on August 2, 1960.
While completing theological studies at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Oconomowoc he shared his musical gifts as a member of The Collarmen. This seminarian music ministry recorded albums under the Cuca Records label.
Gerry professed perpetual vows on September 2, 1963, and “fulfilled a dream” when he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas William Murphy, C.Ss.R., D.D. at Immaculate Conception Seminary Chapel on June 29, 1965. The newly ordained priest was sent to study for a master’s degree in Canon Law at the Angelicum in Rome. He returned to the United States with his degree in 1968 and was immediately appointed to the faculty of Mount St. Alphonsus Redemptorist Theologate in Esopus, NY. In addition to Canon Law, he served in the Liturgy and Comparative Religion Departments and was Director of The Collarmen Seminarian music ministry outreach.
Fr. Gerry was named assistant pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Corpus Christi, TX, in 1972. He thoroughly enjoyed pastoral ministry and was instrumental in helping the Diocese of Corpus Christi reorganize its Matrimonial Tribunal. Three years later, he was appointed pastor of Holy Rosary Church and superior of the local community in Houma, LA. For the next six years, he helped the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux organize a Marriage Preparation Program, served as a Matrimonial Tribunal Judge, and was a member of the Arbitration Board.
Fr. Gerry was so respected by his confreres that they elected him to serve as a Consultor on the Vice Provincial Council in 1981. While serving in leadership during the next six years, he served as local community superior, Vocation Director and Bursar, and also was involved in ministry planning. He served as rector and director of Holy Redeemer in Lacombe during the 1986-87 school term and then returned to parish ministry at St. Alphonsus Parish in New Orleans, where he remained for the next 35 years.
Fr. Gerry was involved in many outreach ministries serving people in need, including Beginning Experience and Caring Companions. He served on the Matrimonial Tribunal, as an Appellate Judge for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and as a Chaplain for PEACE (Eucharistic Adoration Chapels). He volunteered for the Family Life Apostolate and earned a master’s in education in Counseling from the University of New Orleans in 1994 at 55.
A compassionate confessor and spiritual director, Fr. Gerry was an insightful counselor for all who sought his wisdom. Although he was granted retirement status in 2009, he continued to preside at funerals for the faithful in New Orleans until health issues necessitated his move to St. Clement’s Redemptorist Mission Community in 2022.
Fr. Gregory Schmitt, CSsR: Please pray for the repose of the soul Rev. Gregory Schmitt, C.Ss.R., who passed away while hospitalized following an operation on Thursday, June 27. Fr. Greg recently celebrated his 81st birthday and 55th anniversary of ordination. Born in Whitefish Bay, WI, Fr. Greg served in parochial ministry across the Province and, more recently, as a member of the Parish Mission Team at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Kansas City. Semi-retired, Fr. Greg preached for Unbound but was dedicated to volunteering with the social services programs hosted at Redemptorist Church. Fr. Greg is also well known for his love of carpentry. When recently asked for a quote to commemorate his 55 years of ordained ministry, Fr. Greg responded with his favorite passage from scripture: For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. (Romans 14:7-9). Father Greg Schmitt, a Redemptorist and native of Milwaukee, also served as pastor in Kansas City, Seattle, and New Orleans, worked in retreat houses in Fargo, North Dakota, and Oakland, California and preached parish missions in Chicago, Brazil and Nigeria. His work not only included assisting with clothing and food banks but also administering funds to people in need after Hurricane Katrina. Father Schmitt enjoyed golf, walking, and woodworking.
Top Story:
Redemptorists Released by Russia
Draped in Ukrainian flags, Redemptorist Fathers (left to right) Bohdan Geleta and Ivan Levytsky were two of the ten prisoners released on June 28, after having been held in Russian captivity for more than 19 months. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised Pope Francis, as well as Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, the Pope’s peace envoy in Ukraine, and Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine (right), for their roles in mediating the repatriation. (CNS photo/Courtesy Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Communications Department)
And More!
St. Alphonsus Closing: Redemptorist St. Alphonsus Catholic School in Brooklyn Center will close at the end of this academic year, according to Fr. John Schmidt, C.Ss.R., pastor of the parish. The school, which was founded in 1959, serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students and offers a preschool program. Fr. John explained that enrollment has declined in the past 10 years from 175 students during the 2013-2014 school year to fewer than 100 this academic year. Meanwhile, recurrent teacher turnover and an increasing inability to fill open teaching positions in recent years “has impacted the quality of education,” Fr. John said. “Regrettably, despite the dedicated efforts of our current teaching staff, parish leadership and the OMCE (the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Office for the Mission of Catholic Education), the projections for the upcoming year indicate continued declining enrollment, an ongoing shortage of teachers, and a significant increase in parish funding requirements, which we are unable to meet.” Fr. John said the school will honor its contracts with full-time teachers and present parents with ways to explore neighboring Catholic schools. He thanked those dedicated to the school. “I am so grateful to the many teachers, staff and parents who worked so hard over so many years to help form our children in our Catholic faith,” he said. “Please keep our teachers, staff, parents and students in your prayers.”
IGNITE Ministry Tips: What does success look like in young adult ministry? There are no guidelines, or even a DIY YouTube video to measure success. However, I’d like to share what seems to be working at St. Michael’s in Chicago. Connection is crucial to young adults. Communication is key. Young adults live online and are extremely busy in a rather transient part of their lives. When I started the NextGen young adult group back in September of 2023, I made sure to establish several points of contact, aside from a personal presence. Of course, we utilized the typical means, i.e. pulpit announcements and the bulletin; but also, a consistent social media presence, both on Facebook and Instagram, website updates, email blasts tailored for the young adults of the parish, and GroupMe. Like WhatsApp, GroupMe is an app that provides a way for young adults to chat with the whole NextGen group, a way to DM particular members and me—all without needing to have each other’s cell phone numbers. GroupMe also has a calendar feature, which allows me to keep the young adults up to date on planned NextGen events months in advance. They can use GroupMe to mark “I’m going!” or “undecided” or “Not going” to an event, triggering a dynamic of community with a single tap of their finger. GroupMe can be accessed through a web browser, so for those not comfortable using cell phone apps—never fear! GroupMe has provided the St. Mike’s NextGen young adults with a method to build group cohesiveness and instantly share information. I consider it an invaluable tool to build that connection young adults desire and deserve. —submitted by Michael Thien Hoang, C.Ss.R.
Congratulations, Graduates! Congratulations to our Redemptorist students who graduated from St. John’s University in New York last week. Members of the Bronx community who joined the celebration at the Commencement Ceremony included (above, left to right) Fr. Greg May, Dang Nguyen, Cody Hill, Andrew Tran-Chung, Son Lai and Fr. Peter Sousa. Andrew and Son also received Certificates of Scholastic Excellence at the Dean’s Convocation Awards Ceremony. Dang, Cody, Andrew and Son are proceeding to the Redemptorist Novitiate in Mexico.
2024 Student Gathering: Unification Starts with Formation: In the hot and dry desert of Tucson last week, the Denver Province’s Redemptorist Renewal Center hosted the North American Conference’s annual Student Gathering. Students from the Conference’s four houses of formation represented four Units: Denver, Baltimore, Canada and the Extra-Patrium Vice Province. Participants reveled in the shared Redemptorist way of life, and focused on building community. Fr. Kevin O’ Neil led the students on an exploration of Moral Theology through an Alphonsian lens. He showed us the intricacies of moral theology and St. Alphonsus’ humanistic and mercy-focused approach to morality. Central to the purpose of the annual Student Gathering is the intermingling of communities and the building of relationships between Units. The Student Gathering remains the one opportunity for students to reestablish bonds and comradery with classmates from other Units that will help ensure our future collaboration in ministry. As our Provinces and the Vice Province look toward joining together, the Student Gathering is one of many events that will facilitate unification at formation, the most basic level. We hope our confreres attending the 55 and under Gathering in Mexico this August will get the same chance to come together and bond over a common mission.
Transition to Ministry: Classmates and facilitators gathered for the spring Transition to Ministry & Apostolic Community (TMAC) meeting on May 13-17 at San Alfonso Retreat Center in Long Branch, NJ. A total of 19 confreres participated.
Pope Francis appoints Fr. Michael Brehl Bishop of Pembroke: Congratulations to Fr. Michael Brehl, former Superior General of the Congregation currently serving as Provincial Superior of the Province of Canada, who has been appointed the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Pembroke. The papal appointment was announced on June 11. We congratulate Fr. Brehl and hold him in prayer as he prepares to lead more than 60,000 Catholics served by 65 diocesan and religious priests, 12 permanent deacons, one consecrated man and 60 consecrated women in the Diocese of Pembroke. — Scala News
Redemptorist Social Services Center: Redemptorist Social Services Center has provided a lifeline to the poor and elderly of metropolitan Kansas City since 1986. Their comprehensive programs of Emergency Client Assistance, Homeless Assistance, Senior Services, Legal Assistance, and Health Maintenance meet the basic needs of individuals facing chronic poverty; the working poor; the elderly; the homebound, and the homeless; the long-term and the newly unemployed. The Center addresses their most basic needs by providing critical assistance with: shelter, utility and medical payments; a food pantry and clothing pantry; education and work-related needs. The staff of the Redemptorist Center offers a combined total of more than 50 years of experience dedicated to making a substantial difference in the lives of people in crisis. On average, the Center serves 1,500 people per week. In 2023, the Center distributed over $3 million of food to those in need in Kansas City.
Conference of Redemptorists of Africa and Madagascar Meet: The Vice Province of Matadi hosted the COREAM Network Meeting, a significant event that brought together members of the Assembly of the Conference of Redemptorists of Africa and Madagascar (COREAM) and the provincial superiors of their founding provinces, from May 31 through June 5, 2024. Members gathered at a retreat center served by the Redemptorists in Kola of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Welcome! Fr. Jim White, local superior (center), recently welcomed Adam Tran-Chung (left) and Andrew Tran-Chung (right). Adam is entering the Redemptorist formation program in the Bronx this year, and Andrew is headed to the Novitiate in Mexico. The brothers enjoyed the community’s gracious hospitality and met many of the confreres at St. Clement’s, and took advantage of the opportunity to visit with the Liguori Publications team while they were in the area.
