Xaverian Calendar August 2011

St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Founder of the Redeptorists
"There are many reasons why we should love one another. First and foremost, God creates us from nothing, children of the same Father." [Saint Conforti, Apr. 8, 1921]
See August Mission and Church Intentions of the Pope
1952 - Xaverians begin house in Kobe, Japan
1962 - Beginning of the Xaverian presence in Madrid, Spain
Islamic Ramadan begins: Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. Lasting the entire month, Muslims fast during daylight hours and eat small meals in the evening and visit with family and friends. It is a time of worship and contemplation; a time to strengthen family and community ties.

St. Eusebius, bishop and St. Peter Julian Eymard, founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament
"We are all equally noble in front of God: there is no distinction, nor class, nor society, nor nation." [Saint Conforti on Apr. 8, 1921]
1913 - On the occasion of his 25th of priesthood ordination, Saint Conforti sends a letter to the priests of Parma on 'the duties of a priest.'
See August Mission and Church Intentions of the Pope
1952 - Arrival of the first Xaverians in Jessore, Bangladesh

"Without fault of our own, we are prone to become selfish. Yet, remember that this fully contradicts the apostolic spirit; therefore try to effectively study how to fight our selfishness." [Saint Conforti on Apr. 8, 1921]
1956 - Xaverian Dante Battaglierin is installed Bishop of Khulna, Bangladesh

St. John Mary Vianney, Spiritual counselor and patron of priests
"St. Paul cries out to us: Caritas omnia vincit! Love conquers everything. Here is the secret of true strength, courage and triumph." [Saint Conforti on Apr. 8, 1921]

Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Rome
First Friday
"When a soul is not united with God, it becomes like an open bottle of wine, or some other liquor: it looses its vigor and becomes vinegar with time." [Saint Conforti on Apr. 28, 1921]

Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord
"Holiness consists in accomplishing our duties. We should not search for consolation, but seek the God of all consolation." [Saint Conforti on Apr. 28, 1921]
1945 - Hiroshima Atomic explosion
1978 - Death of Pope Paul VI

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
St. Sixtus II, pope and martyr and St. Cajetan, priest devoted to prayer and ministry
"The life of Jesus Christ was a continuous prayer, an eternal hymn of praise to the divine Father. So must be our life: let’s do all our deeds with a upright goal; and even our works will be converted in prayer." [Saint Conforti on June 15, 1921]
Colombia - Feast of the Republic
1929 - First Xaverian Chapter presided by Saint Conforti, in the Xaverian Motherhouse, Parma

St. Dominic, Founder of the Order of Preachers, the Dominicans
"Prayer is the foundation of everything. Our life on earth can then become a conversation with the heavens." [Saint Conforti on June 15, 1921]
1928 - Conforti sends his sixth Circular Letter to the Xaverians as the date approaches for his Missionary visit to China

St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross [Edith Stein], Carmelite nun who died in the gas chambers at Auschwitz
"Common prayer is more welcomed by God, because it binds us with the bond of fraternal charity." [Saint Conforti on June 15, 1921]
1945 - Nagasaki Atomic explosion

St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr of the second century
"Prayer is light in doubt; it is strength in temptation; it is the key that opens the heart of God." [Saint Conforti on June 15, 1921]
1996 - Opening of the Xaverian house in Kinshasa, Dem. Rep. of Congo

St. Clare of Assisi, disciple of St. Francis, and Founder of the Poor Clares
"A human being, even though he might be on the highest level of perfection, will never be exempt from temptations." [Saint Conforti on Aug. 22, 1921]
Chad - Feast of Independence

St. Jane Frances de Chantal, mother and foundress of the Visitation sisters
"We must love as Jesus Christ loved; he gave his entire self for us and, therefore, we must live for the good of the other, not being priests for ourselves, but for the others." [Saint Conforti on Aug. 2, 1913 - Antol. 654]
1922 - Saint Conforti presides at Diocesan Mission Congress in Vicenza
UN - International Youth Day

St. Pontian, Pope and martyr and St. Hippolitus, Martyr
"Rise up, go forth then because God Himself, and no one else, sends you forth by means of your vocation, which you tested and cultivated here. God sends you forth by means of the legitimate mission conferred on you to preach the Gospel of Christ to the nations." [Saint Conforti on Jan. 25, 1907]

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
St. Maximillian Mary Kolbe, Martyr at Auschwitz
"The designs of God, designs of goodness and love for all, should not and could not fail. Hence Jesus Christ, when ascending gloriously into heaven, loft on this earth apostles furnished with His power and His authority to whom He entrusted the mandate to continue the great work which He had begun." [Saint Conforti on Apr. 21, 1912]

Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
1534 - St. Francis Xavier professes his Religious Vows at Montmartre, Paris
1549 - St. Francis Xavier arrives in Kagoshima, Japan
"Just as she was the faithful copy of the Man-God in the humiliation and sufferings of life, so too did Mary have to be his faithful copy in the glory of the sepulcher. Christ’s body did not suffer corruption, neither did the body of Mary." [Saint Conforti on Aug. 15, 1925 - Antol. 434]
1931 - Conforti writes his last Circular Letter

St. Stephen of Hungary, Charitable worker
"When the Apostles of Christ crowned their apostolate with martyrdom and went forth to receive the reward of their labors, others received their heritage, and these possessed with the same powers, continued the same mission to announce to all the good news and to gain the world for Christ." [Saint Conforti on Apr. 21, 1912]

"May the Lord sustain you in your worst trials, and grant you peace and joy of heart, holiness and strength of body sufficient to work wonders for His glory." [Saint Conforti on Dec. 29, 1914]
Indonesia: Independence Day

"It is my wish that the living faith, which animated the Apostles, which in some manner urges God to perform great things, which is the secret of victory and triumph, be yours." [Saint Conforti on Dec. 29, 1914]
1911 - Saint Conforti writes a letter to the clergy of Parma on the Eucharist

St. John Eudes, Founder of the Eudists and the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
"Many would like to accompany the divine Master amid the joys and hosannas, but few are those who would follow Him in the agony of Gethsemane and in the Praetorium." [Saint Conforti on Jan. 3, 1922]

St. Bernard, Cistercian Abbot and Doctor of the Church
"May you be comforted by the thought of the confreres who share your sorrows and trials of the Apostolate, and who one day will share with you the glory of heaven." [Saint Conforti on Jan. 3, 1922]
1980 - Death of Mother Celestine Healy-Bottego, Foundress of the Xaverian Missionary Sisters

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
St. Pius X, Pope and patron of sick pilgrims
"Yes, o Lord, for the triumph of your Kingdom, we sacrifice all, confident of the hundredfold which you have promised to all who abandon all for love of You." [Saint Conforti on Jan. 3, 1922]
1988 - Fr. Edward Zannoni dies in Wayne, NJ: Welcoming Missionary of the US Provincial House

Queenship of Mary
"Jesus Crucified, here is your sword, your strength, the invincible weapon, and the secret of your victory." [Saint Conforti on Nov. 16, 1924]

St. Rose of Lima, First declared saint of the New World, Patroness of South America
"Christ wished to draw all peoples to Himself, because he wants to reign over all the minds by His heavenly doctrine, and over all hearts by His love." [Saint Conforti on March 13, 1927]

St. Bartholomew, Apostle
"Christ, unlike the conquerors of this world, did not found His Kingdom by force of arms, but with the words which conquer the mind, and with the fascination of love which wins over hearts." [Saint Conforti on March 13, 1927]

St. Louis of France, Model Ruler and St. Joseph Calasanz, Patron of Christian schools dedicated to assisting the poor
"The apostolate is essential to the Church; it is its very reason for existence. The Church exercises this by word, by charity, which knows neither limits of time nor space and with grace of the sacraments." [Saint Conforti on March 13, 1927]

"Christ said that He wanted to call all the sheep into the one sheepfold, wherever they might be on earth; not only this people or that nation, but all, the whole world. From His divine heart go forth waves of grace to purify and sanctify humanity." [Saint Conforti on March 13, 1927]

St. Monica, Patroness of mothers
"The most important thing for the Missionary is his personal contemplation, his spirit of prayer, and the purity of his intentions." [Saint Conforti on Feb. 26, 1901]
1959 - The tomb of Saint Conforti is brought in the new Chapel of the Xaverian Motherhouse, Parma
Philippines: Feast of National Heroes

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
St. Augustine, Bishop and Founder of monastic life in the West
"How precious in the eyes of our Lord is the life of a good missionary, whose aspirations are solely directed to divine glory and the salvation of his brothers and sisters!" [Saint Conforti on Feb. 26, 1901]
1903 - Saint Conforti writes to the Prefect of the Propagation of the Faith in Rome, asking to reserve a field of work for his missionaries, '... if China is not available, send us somewhere else where Christ's message is still unknown.'
1963 - Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech

The Martyrdom of John the Baptist
"You will never forget that the apostle of Christ, like his divine Master ought to pass in the midst of the people helping all, caring for all, assisting all in every type of need, bestowing on all heavenly blessings." [Saint Conforti on Jan. 25, 1907]
1962 - Beginning of the Xaverian presence in Belem, Northern Brazil
1973 - Opening of the Guadalajara community, Mexico, and blessing of the new Chapel

"May Christ’s love be the constant rule of your mutual relationships. Banish all murmuring, complaining, favoritisms, suspicion and distrust, which smother this holy flame and divide hearts to the detriment of fraternal edification and the harmony that multiplies our energies for doing good." [Saint Conforti on Jan. 25, 1929 - Antol. 57]
1957 - Beginning of the Xaverian House in Milwaukee, WI

"I humbly pray the Lord that we never need relax the observance of our constitutions, nor water down that spirit of mutual charity which binds member to member, superiors and subjects. It is by such harmonius agreement that small institutions find strength and growth." [Saint Conforti on Aug. 15, 1931]
1918 - Through the letter of Pope Benedict XV, Saint Conforti is appointed First President of the Missionary Union of the Clergy