Xaverian Calendar June 2011

St. Justin, lay martyr of the early church
"The Eucharist is the masterpiece and the source of love; anyone who frequents the Eucharist cannot but love God." [Saint Conforti on April 20, 1924 - Antol. 253]
1922 - Saint Conforti takes part at the First International Congress of the Missionary Union of the Clergy, and he's re-elected National President
See June Mission and Church Intentions of the Pope

Ascension Thursday, in Provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta and State of Nebraska
Saints Marcellinus and Peter, Martyrs of the Third Century
"Beloved young people, I especially appeal to you: go to Christ, guide society towards Christ, for with Jesus Christ there is life." [Saint Conforti on April 20, 1924]
1951 - Encyclical 'Evangelii Praecones' by Pope Pius XII on the Promotion of Catholic Missions [June 2, 1951]
See June Mission and Church Intentions of the Pope

St. Charles Lwanga and 21 Ugandan companions, Martyrs of Africa
First Friday
"In Christ is found salvation, resurrection and life." [Saint Conforti on April 20, 1924]
1931 - Saint Conforti writes a protest-letter because of the persecution in Italy of the movement 'Catholic Action'
1963 - Death of Pope John XXIII, the 'Good Pope'

"The Eucharist is the holy union which takes places among the faithful and Christ who is the author of our faith" [Saint Conforti on June 8, 1924]
1913 - Saint Conforti organizes and presides at the First Eucharistic Congress in Parma

Ascension of the Lord - Seventh Sunday of Easter
St. Boniface, Apostle and Martyr of Germany
"Jesus Christ instituted a solemn and eternal sacrifice in the new law, which would truly mirror his sacrifice on the cross, and at the same time would conceive that union of the faithful with everything that is the summary of his mission, which is the bringing together of humanity with God." [Saint Conforti on Aug. 15, 1924]
1972 - First Observance of World Environment Day

St. Norbert, Bishop and Founder
"The Eucharist is the sun that brings alive all our affections; it gives birth to our good works; it beautifies all our virtues, and it renews and moves our whole life." [Saint Conforti on Feb. 5, 1923]

"Christ is the source and fountain of strength and holiness, of richness and light, of warmth and life; approach him and you will obtain everything that you need in your life." [Saint Conforti on Aug. 15, 1924]
1993 - Beginning of the Theology community in Maligaya, Philippines

"Don't ever forget that Jesus Christ instituted the Eucharistic banquet for the human race, not for angels; he knew well our miseries and infirmities." [Saint Conforti on Aug. 15, 1924]

St. Ephrem, Deacon and Poet
"In the Eucharist will receive that supernatural strength which will make us stronger in everything, ready for every knock, and will bring us then respect and admiration even from our adversaries." [Saint Conforti on Aug. 15, 1924]

"How blessed are they who will move with steady walk towards the heavenly home through the path of innocence; but if this path is impossible for us, there is certainly a second one: the path of penitence." [Saint Conforti on Nov. 1, 1924]
1922 - Saint Conforti sends a letter to the Clergy of Parma about the Parish Mission Committee
1963 - John F. Kennedy declares a unilateral moratorium on atmospheric nuclear testing

St. Barnabas, Apostle, companion of Paul
"Through the sacraments, the Church sustains its children, it trains them for victories, and it makes them persevere in high and noble thoughts." [Saint Conforti on Nov. 8, 1924]
1902 - Saint Conforti, called to Rome by the Pope for the nomination as Archbishop of Ravenna, receives the episcopal ordination by the hands of Card. Parocchi. On this day, Bishop Conforti also professes his Perpetual Vows in the Xaverian Family, at the St. Paul Basilica outside the walls. Then, Saint Conforti sends from Rome his first Pastoral Letter to the Clergy and to the people of the Archdiocese of Ravenna
1927 - On the 25th anniversary of his ordination as Bishop, Saint Conforti begins the publication 'In Omnibus Christus' [Christ in All], a newsletter of the Seminaries of Parma

Pentecost Sunday
"It is the Holy Spirit who changes the apostles into new people, who guides them in their pilgrimages, who fills their minds with light and supernatural gifts, who presides over the Councils, who sustains the martyrs and inspires them to give those wonderful answers that reduce tyrants to silence." [Saint Conforti on Jan. 6, 1920 - Antol. 715]
1918 - Members of the Missionary Congregations gathered in Parma, unanimously elect Saint Conforti as the First President of the Missionary Union of the Clergy
Philippines - Feast of Independence

St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Patron of the poor
"It is the same Holy Spirit which implants in the deep recesses of our hearts the most pure fulfillment: the noble delights of virtues, personal contentment, and intimate peace." [Saint Conforti on Jan. 6, 1920]
1913 - Saint Conforti presides at the First Eucharistic Congress in Parma
1984 - Fr. Alphonse Begheldo dies in Parma: missionary to Brazil and spiritual director at Xavier Knoll, Franklin

"Humanity lives of reason and faith. Reason and faith are two suns that shine in our soul, they are two realities, of which one is the constitutive principle of our greatness and the other is its fulfillment; they are two wings that lift us up to the knowledge of all the truth." [Saint Conforti on May 19, 1918 - Antol. 271]
1903 - Saint Conforti celebrates in Ravenna the first Ordination of a Xaverian Priest: Fr. John Bonardi

"Faith enlightens intelligence and, therefore, it brings comfort to the heart, support to the conscience, energy and divine tenderness to the human life." [Saint Conforti on May 19, 1918 - Antol. 274]
1905 - Saint Conforti writes his last letter to the faithful of Ravenna with warnings about the Christian faith
1920 - After Pontifical decree, the Xaverian Congregation moves under the exclusive and direct jurisdiction of the office for the 'Propagation of the Faith'.

"Our faith cannot be a natural human faith, but a faith which is supernatural and divine, for our assent to the truths ought to based itself on the authority of God who deigned to speak to humanity by establishing the Church, which is the custodian of his word and authoritative and infallible interpreter of the Word." [Saint Conforti on May 19, 1918]
International Day of the African Child: observed annually on this day in memory of about 700 children who were massacred in June 1976 in Soweto, South Africa during the apartheid regime, as they demanded their education rights.

"Fight against personal pride which blinds the spirit and at times brings human beings to that excess of thinking of themselves as capable to dialog with God." [Saint Conforti on May 19, 1918]

"Only those people who care less to have God as Father, and do not consider the Church as Mother, will never feel the need of faith." [Saint Conforti on May 19, 1918]
1926 - Saint Conforti writes to the People of Parma asking for prayers so that the persecution against the Catholics and Clergy of Mexico may cease.

Feast of the Most Holy Trinity
St. Romuald, abbot
USA Father's Day
"I appeal particularly to you who have places of honor in society: give to your subjects an example of your filial submission to the Church, which the Gospel asks of you." [Saint Conforti on May 19, 1918]
1894 - At 29 years of age, Conforti goes to Pavia to talk to Bishop Magani, newly appointed Bishop of Parma, about his dream of founding a Mission Congregation

"Oh, if all modern Christians would have a sincere, laborious and zealous faith; what if their lives would be coherent with their faith, as a spectacle of moral beauty. What would be of Christianity!" [Saint Conforti on May 19, 1918]
UN - World Refugee Day

St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious, Patron of Youth
First Day of Summer
"The Saints had a keen sense of all the sublime poetry of creation that raised their minds and hearts from earth towards heaven." [Saint Conforti on Aug. 15, 1918 - Antol. 157]
1894 - Positive written response by Bishop Francis Magani, new Bishop of Parma, in encouraging Conforti to begin the founding of a Missionary Congregation

St. Paulinus of Nola, husband, father and dedicated bishop, St. John Fisher, bishop and martyr, and St. Thomas More, chancellor of England and martyr
"In all circumstances we must keep our eyes and our heart fixed on God, and this shall lead us along the right path and preserve us in the truth, which is the fulfillment of our obligations and the life of our intelligence which has been created for the truth." [Saint Conforti on Aug. 15, 1918 - Antol. 158]

"God, the vision of God, the beatific contemplation of God: this is the legacy of the Saints, the joy of the just, the everlasting reign." [Saint Conforti on Nov. 1, 1918]

The Birth of St. John the Baptist
1537 - Priesthood Ordination of St. Francis Xavier in Venice
"While they were on earth, the Saints had a foretaste of the joys of Heaven because they always kept their eyes fixed on God. They contemplated Him through the eyes of Faith. They contemplated Him in the wonderful works of creation and through the eyes of reason fortified by Faith." [Saint Conforti on Nov. 1, 1918 - Antol. 390]
1923 - A miracle in Parma, attributed through the intercession of Blessed Therese of Lisieux, is considered by Saint Conforti for her cause of canonization
1966 - Beginning of the Xaverian presence in Scotland
1962 - Episcopal Ordination of Msgr. Azzolini, first bishop of Makeni, Sierra Leone

"But the Son of God, through his Incarnation and sacrifice on the Cross, has made of humanity a race assumed and purified by the Word and no longer a servant, but a child of God." [Saint Conforti on Nov. 1, 1918 - Antol. 211]
1925 - Saint Conforti writes to Pope Pius XI with the request of declaring a Council of the Church
1931 - Saint Conforti gives the Mission Crucifix to departing China missionaries Frs. E. Pellerzi and F. Tissot
1975 - National Feast of Independence in Mozambique

Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ
"God created us out of a pure impulse of his heart, he wanted to carve his image and likeness in us so that we do not forget our divine origin." [Saint Conforti on Nov. 1, 1918 - Antol. 208]
1899 - Saint Conforti establishes the Catholic 'Apostolate of Faith and Civilization'
1945 - United Nations Charter Day: U.N. Charter signed by delegates from 50 nations in San Francisco, CA
UN - International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

St. Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop at the Council of Ephesus
"God continues to watch over us; he supports us tenderly like a mother supports her child who is incapable of walking in order to prevent him from falling." [Saint Conforti on Nov. 1, 1918 - Antol. 212]
1952 - Padang, in the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, becomes an Apostolic Prefecture, under the leadership of Xaverian Msgr. De Martino

St. Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr of the Early Church
"Oh Heavenly Father, may your bounty be blessed for ever, with which you have poured out everywhere goodness, beauty, beings and life." [Saint Conforti on Nov. 1, 1918]
1995 - Bishop Angelo Frosi dies in San Paolo, Brazil: provincial superior in the USA and Mexico, missionary and bishop in Northern Brazil

Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles
"What could the Apostles have done, mere men of little virtues, skilled only at nets? Yet, with the grace of God, they were transformed. We too can be renewed and will bring triumphs over our brothers and sisters, thus acquiring incomparable merits!" [Saint Conforti, FCT 20, 157-164]

The First Holy Martyrs of the Church in Rome in 64 AD
"What a difference between human and divine love! For our love searches goodness, holds on to it, and thirsts for it; divine love, instead, produces goodness which is shared in all things." [Saint Conforti on Nov. 1, 1918]
1960 - D. R. Congo: Feast of Independence