Interest in Missionary Vocation - May 2009

An e-mail I recently sent to a young lady considering entering our missionary training program; she is also considering the religious life – she wonders about the term “vocation” as it applies in “lay missionary voacation.”

Dani -

I think you have raised an important matter. Over the years the Church certainly has emphasized the big three vocations: marriage, the religious life, and the priesthood. And these are often lifetime vocations (but certainly not always - more and more religious are taking their vows in stages, and marriages are ended by death of a partner...).

I have come to realize that the old way of thinking (big three vocations) regularly leads to a misunderstanding about our calls to the apostolates. Many laity end up with the impression that only the priests and religious are called to serve God, and that married people are only expected to stay married and care for their children. Or single laity think that they can only serve the Lord if they become priests or religious.

Today, it is clearer than ever that all of the laity are called (have a vocation) to the apostolate, and that different priests and religious have different apostolates, depending upon the gifts, talents and "calling" of the Lord on each person's life. Here we are certainly speaking of "vocations" but not the "three" so often mentioned.

The call of God to serve in foreign missions has always been considered a wonderful and special vocation. And recent Church teaching declares constantly that the laity are called to the missionary life, and that this calling to the lay apostolate is received from God, and that the special grace to enter the lay missionary vocation is rooted in Baptism and Confirmation. In recent decades a good number of lay missionary saints, single and married, have been canonized, and today there is an enormous growth in the numbers of Catholic lay missionaries. While priestly and religious vocations in the West continue to decline, there is an impressive increase in all lay apostolate vocations.

My advice to you is that you don't get bogged down in semantics. Be a religious if that is God's call to you. Remain a single lay woman, if that is the Lord's call. And be a missionary, for years or for life. If you believe the Lord is calling you to the missionary life and to marry and mother children, begin your missionary life and pray you will meet a man to marry you who wants to be a missionary too. (This has happened for some of our missionaries.)

In FMC our missionaries do not take vows. We hope many will make this their life's work. Others have left FMC to serve the Lord in other ways. We trust that they will continue to serve the Lord faithfully in new apostolates. One young lady served as a missionary with us for several years, then left, got married, and returned with her husband; both serve as missionaries today, along with their children.

Dani, God is your Father, He knows you very well and He has a plan for you - seek and you shall find, ask and you will receive, knock and the door will be opened to you. We invite you to be a lay missionary with us; here you will be challenged to live a holy, missionary life, and your life will bear fruit for God's glory - is the Lord calling you to FMC? That decision is entirely yours.


In Jesus, Frank

Frank's Note to Missionaries - March 18, 2009

Beloved Brothers and Sisters - I miss all of you so much and long to be with you when the Lord will make that possible. Please love one another for me. A couple of weeks back Joseph and Ms. Genie brought a medical mission team to Ecuador; by all accounts it was an amazing mission: they got along fine as a mission team, treated hundreds of patients, preached the Gospel and gave Christian witness, and enjoyed the great beauty of Ecuador.
Genie's son Paul Jordan died while the Ecuador group was readying to fly back home. Paul died calling out to the Lord for help and we know God heard his plea. Lots of people gathered at Big Woods for a memorial service - the Holy Spirit was present in a powerful way.
Joseph, Joanie Thompson and Lori Harvey left right away for General Cepeda to staff the FUS mission trip, and are there now. The trip is going well.
Kevin and Sarah and the kids have moved into their new house down the street from the mission house and they really like it.
Kevin and Andréa Brown and the children are here with us at Big Woods. Andrea is planning a jaw surgery and will need to undergo preliminary treatments in preparation fore the surgery. They will probably be here for some time.
I spoke with Brother Albert a couple of weeks back. He was back in Poland after a visit with our missionaries in Cordoba - the visit had really blessed him. He's now renewed his Polish I.D. and Passport and needs our prayers to renew his U.S. visa. He's going to be visiting a Polish parish for week TO TALK WITH PEOPLE ABOUT HIS MISSIONARY SERVICE AND TO FIND PRAYER AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT. Then he will visit another parish in Norway for a week. After that he hopes to travel to the Ukraine to scout our a new mission where he and his companions can live and serve for a long period. Then he hopes to return to Big Woods to prepare himself and get other missionaries to accompany him to the Ukraine mission. There's lots for us to pray for in all this! And it sounds like a great plan!
Anthony and Holly are well situated in Piedras Negras, Mexico. Fr. Armando has give them lots to do. Pray that their ministries will blossom and bear abundant fruits. Holly's pregnant again, Praise the Lord. They'll plan to be here at Big Woods when the new baby is born.
Jonathan, Chris and John Paul are doing a great job in their new Saltillo mission - they are also able to help out with the General Cepeda short term groups. Sarah Granger reports to me that she has nothing but admiration for their missionary style and commitment.
Jayne Montgomery is here at Big Woods supervising a group of four volunteers who have come down from Minnesota to work at Big Woods during their spring break - they are also interested in missions. They are painting St. Paul's House. Jayne is waiting for Colby to arrive, and the two of them are flying out to the Philippines at the end of the month; they will be living on a beautiful paradise island; but the mission work will be very demanding and challenging - we need to pray them into the new mission!
Genie and I went to minister in the Dallas area this past weekend. We gave seventeen talks from Thursday evening to Monday morning - it was GLORIOUS!!! We spoke on the Holy Spirit and missions on two radio programs and in two churches. And we got to visit with Susanna, Mike and the boys. We loved it. Pray the Lord will fulfill His Word in the lives of all we ministered to, that His Word will not return empty.
Sarita and Eric are in Wisconsin giving a Confirmation retreat and leading an evening of Praise and Worship - Pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all whom they minister to!


We realize our salvation one day at a time. We walk with Jesus one day at a time. We can only serve as missionaries and show God's love for others, and care for those in need and preach, and engage in the spiritual battle one day at a time. There are always great struggles, but only one day at a time. Then there are the glorious days of triumph and victory in the Lord!
This is the day of our salvation, now is the time. Do all you can for Jesus and God's children today; don't worry; be steadfast; keep your eyes fixed on Jesus - He has won the victory for us and for all who will come to believe in Him. Be Holy one day at a time, it's totally doable, one day at a time. Let's pray for one another each day, and for our benefactors and all the Church, let's pray that the Gospel will reach all mankind in these days. Let's pray for a springtime of Evangelization and for a new Pentecost and outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

I love you so much, in Jesus, Frank

Newly Commissioned Missionaries February, 2009

New FMC missionaries, commissioned in January: (left to right)Jayne Montgomery, Jonathan Weiss, Erin Ugran, and John-Paul Papuzynski


Family Missions Company has sent out 4 new missionaries to serve in the work of evangelization. Jonathan Weiss (Ohio) and John-Paul Papuzynski (Florida) have teamed up with Chris Alexander (a 2008 missionary from Texas) to start a new FMC mission in Saltillo, Mexico.
Jayne Montgomery (Nebraska) has teamed up with Colby Dupre’ (a 2008 misisonary from Vinton, LA) to continue Colby’s misison on Camiguin Island in the Philippines – the young women are serving as teachers in a small start-up Catholic high school.
Erin Ugran (Colorado) is planning to serve in General Cepeda, Mexico.

Missionaries Joined in Matrimony - February, 2009

Kevin Granger and Sarah Summers have both been serving as misionaries with Family Missions Company. On January 3, 2009 they were married at St. Anne’s Church in Cow Island. They are serving as full time missionaries in General Cepeda, Mexico.
Many missionaries serving with Family Missions Company are married couples with children. Some FMC missionaries who begin as singles later marry another FMC missionary and the two continue their missionary service as a family.

Frank's Note to Missionaries - January 2009

Precious Brothers and Sisters - WHEW!! It has been busy (at times hectic) and blessed these last several months: finishing the Intake formation process with the mission trip to Gral. Cepeda - which coincided with a medical mission trip and a group from Maryland (on the way back one of the FMC vans broke down outside Houston); returning in time to organize the Donor's Dinner and finish and mail out the SERVE newsletter; preparing for Christmas (all of my children and grandchildren, some missionaries and other guests were with us at Big Woods); then preparing for Kevin and Sarah's wedding (which was extraordinarily glorious!); the day after the wedding Joseph and other missionaries left for Gral. Cepeda with a ULL short term mission group; in the middle of all this, Genie's son Paul was in the hospital in intensive care, and we were scrambling to install the St. Paul's House on premises here at Big Woods; and after the wedding we had two priests and a seminarian from Spain staying with us at Big Woods for a week, along with almost all the FMC missionaries who came for Kevin an Sarah's wedding.... Genie earned several purple heart medals!

While on honeymoon in at very exclusive beach resort in Thailand (a gift from Tony and Yvonne Yoe, our friends in Singapore) Kevin and Sarah have several speaking and music engagements. (I still believe the Lord wants to set up a work like FMC to train and send out lay missionaries from Southeast Asia.)

During the holidays, all of the Spain missionaries spent time here at Big Woods, along with the two priests from Cordoba. We had lots of time to talk and pray about issues involving the mission there, which seems to be making headway, but it is extremely difficult to make headway in the nonagon culture of Europe. (We still think the Lord could set up a work there to train and send out lay missionaries.)

FMC will have fulltime missionaries in Saltillo this year, and they will be in a position to relate to our missionaries in Gral. Cepeda.

We think Colby Dupre and Jayne Montgomery will return to Camiguin Island in the Philippines. (Colby's family's rented house burned to the ground over the holidays. And the home and small business of Kristen Istre's family were destroyed by Hurricane Ike in Bridge City Texas. There is a great price to pay by those who seek to present the Gospel to the 2/3s of the people of the world who still wait in darkness for the light of Jesus to dawn in their lives - we face SO MANY TROUBLES AS WE GO FORWARD IN THIS WORK we must all lift a heavy load - it costs everything - "sell all you have, give alms to the poor" - "if any man wants to come after me, he must take up his cross each day".

We must learn to be thankful and rejoice in all we suffer for the sake of the Gospel.
From Poland, Albert will visit the Spain mission; when he gets his paper work in order and funds, he wants to go about in some of the former Soviet Republics; he needs a mission partner.
I hope all of you have read our Christmas edition of SERVE (now available online). Why not recommend it to your friends. We need all hands on board, doing all possible to support this work.

Well, after living amidst all these goings-on and dealing with so many issues, problems and blessed demands, in my personal prayer time this morning, I read from my new Bible - it's my birthday present. I read from Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul."

The Lord "makes me lie down", he requires me to stop and take a breather, to reflect and focus on Him. "He leads me beside still waters" - He places me in a peaceful quiet, a still place. And while I am in a still, quiet place He restores me, He puts things in order inside me, and restores and refreshes me. He always gives me everything I need; there is nothing I lack, or will ever lack.

HOLINESS AND CHASTITY - In Mission of the Redeemer, John Paul II without blinking asserts that "THE MISSIONARY IS THE SAINT". We will not be effective missionaries if we are not living holy lives. We must preach with our voices and by the way we act, and dress and live and work and relate to one another and to others.... One of the greatest commandments for living a holy life is that we avoid all sexual sins, even lusting after others. Sexual purity is a presupposition for the missionary life. Missionaries in religious orders VOW to be chaste and pure. We lay missionaries are commanded by the Lord to be chaste and pure.

Our conduct can never raise questions in the minds of those we are trying to evangelize. Impurity between a man and woman, or between two men or two women missionaries should never be even imagined by those who observe us. We must conduct ourselves with modesty and very decently, never giving Satan any opportunity to lead us into impurity and to allow others to imagine any thing disordered in our relationships. Yes, we have deep love and affection for one another, but we certainly do not have sexual relations with one another (unless we are enjoying holy sex with our marriage partners).

Be careful. The way of the world is so deviant as regards sex. Read the Theology of the Body. Observe the chaste singles and couples you encounter, and admire their purity. When tempted, overcome evil by praising the Lord and speaking of Him to others. Pray in tongues to ward off temptation. Touch the poor with the love of Jesus. Embrace the cross. Dance for joy in the Lord. Hold one another to a high standard of pure conduct and conversation. "Be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little ears what you hear. For the good Lord up above is looking down with love. Be careful little eyes what you see." And let us always pray for one another, even with fasting.

Pray for me, and the Pope and everyone.

- In Jesus, Frank

Cancer Free Once Again!

It is with deep joy and gratitude that I can report to all who have been praying for me that for the second time in my life I am healed of cancer: I was healed of prostate cancer three years ago, and this time I have been healed of cancer in my right breast. In both instances the cancer was detected and surgically removed; the doctors then proclaimed me “cancer free” and no follow-up chemotherapy or radiation or other medicines needed. Both times when cancer was diagnosed, Genie and I contacted our friends around the world and asked them to pray for my healing; I asked believers to lay hands on me and pray for my healing; when people said to me they would pray for me I responded, “Let’s pray now”; and I went to the priest and asked to receive the Sacrament of Healing (receiving it as often as any major juncture in the treatment occurred) – I was actually able to feel the special graces that came my way through all the prayers – and I believed the Lord was at work through the medical care and medicines I received, and I asked the doctors, nurses, and technicians if I could pray with them that the Lord would use them as ministers of His healing for me and all their patients – and I have been healed from cancer twice! The “Big C” is really not the dreaded Cancer; the Big “C” is Jesus CHRIST! “He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world – every knee must bend and every tongue confess that JESUS CHRIST is Lord, in faith, ask in agreement together. Receive the Sacrament of Healing; ask your friends in faith to lay hands on you and pray for your healing, pray with the health care professionals. Your God is bigger than your diseases.

We had reported to most of you that there seemed to be a possibility that we would be given a large facility in a nearby city that could have given us resources to greatly expand our ministry here in Acadiana. Well, that whole thing fell through. Things didn’t line up. I am convinced that it wasn’t the Lord’s will for us.

FMC begs for your fervent prayers and sacrifices for our missionaries and for those to whom they are sent.

I hope you got to view the recent EWTN program on “Life on the Rock” which interviewed Sarita, David and Judge about our mission work – it was unbelievably good!! Please feel free to view it – along with other FMC videos, on the company website: http://www.fmcmissions.com/

In Jesus’ Great Love – Frank

A LETTER TO FRANK FROM A PRIEST FROM THE PHILIDELPHIA AREA HOW WENT WITH HIS PARISHIONERS ON AN FMC SHORT TERM MISSIONS TO GENERAL CEPEDA:

What an awesome youth group we have! Twenty-nine of our young members and seven adults have just returned from a week-long mission trip to General Cepeda, Mexico. I was extremely privileged to be with them.

We spent the week with members of Family Missions Company – a faith-filled lay Catholic ministry that trains and supports lay Catholic missionaries in various parts of the world. They have a permanent missionary base in General Cepeda, a small town in an impoverished are of Northern Mexico. That is where the Family Missions welcomes groups that would share in their work on a short-term basis. Thirty-six of our parishioners took advantage of this extraordinary opportunity.

Each day we started with an hour of prayer and faith sharing on the Gospel passage for the day’s Mass. Everyone commented on how absolutely amazing it was that each day’s Scripture focused on some aspect of Jesus’ commission to his followers to be missionaries of the Gospel. It was as if God had prepared everything to help us understand and embrace this important aspect of the Christian life.

Then, after breakfast, we split into 6 groups: Some were assigned work projects like rebuilding roofs on adobe houses and painting; some visited desperately poor homebound persons; and some came with me to celebrate Mass at one of the “ranchos” – little villages in the outlying area around General Cepeda. These villages survive, for the most part, on subsistence farming. They may get to have Mass – at best – once a month, so the Family Missions Company took advantage of having a priest with out group to offer Mass wherever I went (one every morning and one every evening). It took between a half hour and hour or so to drive each one.

We then came back to the mission house and had our main meal at 2 PM followed by a much appreciated siesta. At 5 PM we split into 3 groups to ravel to different ranchos (there are 46 ranchos under the responsibility of the on Catholic priest in town). Each group, when it arrived would locate the little chapel of the rancho, ring the bell and then send small groups to knock on doors of the very humble homes and invite the people with the words: Les invitamos a la capilla para oracion (or, Misa). The people of the ranchos had no foreknowledge that we were coming; many would just drop everything they were doing to come to the chapel to spend the evening in prayer.

There was always a time of worshipful singing; the full-time missionaries would give a teaching; I would celebrate Mass and preach (gulp!). Afterwards, at each of the ranchos, several members of our group would give short testimonies of their faith and then people would be invited to come forward if they wanted prayer for any special intention. Our youth group members responded to these requests with faith and humble love. These kids seemed to mature right before my eyes. I was extremely proud of them.

Throughout the week, whenever a serious need was made known, our kids showed a tremendously generous spirit in offering alms. I think that this was in part a response to the phenomenal sacrificial witness of the full-time missionaries – all with families who nonetheless offered everything for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. They kept sharing examples of how God could not be outdone in generosity to those who offer themselves to Him.

Everyone in our group was deeply affected by the whole experience. I will let two of our teens speak for themselves:

“Wow, what an incredible trip! All the joy, laughs, fun and faith packed into a week of mission. I learned so much from this trip because of all the time spent with God. Some of the experiences we shared were roof building, painting, evangelizing, singing and spreading the faith with others.
I feel so much closer to God from this trip and it will always be in my memories. Because of all of God’s love that was poured into my heart, I have to say that this mission trip was an OUTSTANDING experience.” - - Ryan Murphy

“On previous mission trips I have been shocked and angered by the poverty of the people. While I was definitely moved by the lack of material riches in General Cepeda, my reaction their living conditions was quite different. Instead of focusing on the poverty, I was able to see the people. Instead of feeling pity, I felt inspired by their faith. While I definitely came home with a feeling of appreciation for what I have, I also came home with an awareness of what I lack – the complete faith in and reliance on God that they people of General Cepeda have.

Their humility and compassion made me recognize and commit to improving [my own] spiritual life.” - - Ani Lockard

On the last day we were asked to share our reflections on the whole week. All were deeply touched; many described it as a “life transforming experience.” Even our hosts commented on the extraordinary blessings on our group. I am confident that our parish “missionaries” will be sharing more of their stories with you in various contexts.

On their behalf I conclude with a special word of thanks to all those who financially, or in other ways, supported this mission to Mexico. You too will share in all the graces received. There was a very special anointing on this trip; I suspect that God has a special calling for our parish. Let’s keep listening for His voice so that we may respond faithfully to whatever is in God’s heart for us.

Fr. Domenic