Remembering the Montfortian Family During All Souls Memorial Mass
A deeply moving and meaningful All Souls Memorial Mass was held on Monday, November 9th, in the Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Convent in Sound Beach, NY. Montfort Missionaries Fr. Tom Poth and Fr. Don La Salle presided over the Mass, with Daughters of Wisdom Sr. Grace Malonzo and Sr. Patricia Schmidt giving the readings and Sr. Anne Scahill offering the prayers.
Fr. Don LaSalle, SMM, gave the homily and shared a story to highlight the enduring connection among members of a faith community, even after death. It was about a monk who tells his friend that there are 123 monks in the monastery, counting those living in the Abbey, those working elsewhere, and those buried in the cemetery, emphasizing that all, both living and deceased, are considered part of the community.
He continued, reflecting on the purpose of gathering: to remember the Montforts and Daughters of Wisdom who have passed away this year, saying, “…we gather to pray because they are still a part of us, a part of who we are. Their history and ours are part of the same story. They helped us to be who we are today. And so we honor those who have gone before us. We remember them, we pray with them, and for them, and we hope with them. There's a tendency to think of the dead as just past and finished, but not for us who believe in the risen Jesus and the resurrection of the dead, and the communion of saints. The Book of Wisdom that we heard from reminds us that the souls of the just are in the hands of God. What appears to be lost is not lost. Saint Paul reminds us that we believe this because we have been immersed into the death and the resurrection of Jesus, and our life is not only our life, but it's the life of Christ flowing within us. So we remember those who have gone before us.”
He spoke about the people of the past who had unique personalities, maybe sometimes considered “the peculiar ones, characters,” and those who are remembered as pioneers and inspired by the lives they led as “stunning examples of people who searched for Wisdom and found ways to embody wisdom in their own lives. And “…those who lived quiet, faithful lives, carrying out their mission with care and competence, not making a fuss, not making a big splash, but just quietly living their commitment.”
He went on to share that we honor those who have died by remembering them, telling their stories, and living out the mission they began. He emphasized that we are united with our beloved dead—they pray with and for us—and that our remembrance keeps their legacy alive. And he encouraged us to live with hope for the future, trusting in God's promise despite any disappointments we may face.
In conclusion, Fr. LaSalle reminded us, “…in our living, we consecrate ourselves to Jesus, who is the Wisdom of God made flesh and our companion on the road. Our past we place in God's mercy, our present we place in God's love, and our future we place in God's providence.”
Sr. Anne Scahill, DW, offered prayers for the Daughters of Wisdom and Montfort Missionaries who “have gone before us and inspired us by their loving service and fidelity,” remembering Sr. Agnes Bracken, Sr. Louise Defour, Sr. Ann Gray, Sr. Mary Jo O’Connor, Sr. Emma Rohn, Sr. Patricia Pelletier, Sr. Barbara O’Dea, Fr. John McCann, Fr. Bernard Brault, and Fr. Jim Manning, who served as the Chaplain at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Convent.
After the Mass, Delegation Leader Sr. Catherine Sheehan shared news about the publication of the book Hostages in Congo by H.L.M. Tielemans (a Montfortian missionary priest), recently translated into English by Frederick Rogers. Dr. Joe Cincotta, the nephew of Sr. Mary Antoinette, DW (Anne Lucy Donniacuo), who was martyred (11/19/1964) as a missionary in Insangi, pursued the translation. Her niece, Toni Cincotta, illustrated the book cover. The book is about what took place in the Insangi Mission Territory during the Congolese Rebellion (1964-1965).