[ADXA] Fw: Christmas Greetings from Joe Cavanagh, S.J.

[Lenny]

 F Y I  From Fr. CAV.   KC6JC  /V63JC   
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Joe Cavanagh 
: 
Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2011 10:01 AM
Subject: Christmas Greetings from Joe Cavanagh, S.J.




     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     


JOSEPH A. CAVANAGH, S.J. 
MURRAY-WEIGAL HALL

515 EAST FORDHAM RD.

BRONX, NY   10458

PHONE - (718) 430 -4955

EMAIL JOECAV at MAIL.FM



Dear Friends,



Greetings from the corner of Fordham University, were over 80 years ago my mother used to push me around In a baby carriage shortly after I born and before we moved to live in Queens.  The readjustment which began on January 20 of this y been a slow one and I am  willing to admit that I don't think it will ever be complete.!  My fifty-four years in the sun of the Pacific will never let me forget what the people and the life in that part of the world have done for me.  I will always love them, and the work I was given to do in the Caroline Islands.  Before all else,, I ask you to pray for them, their closeness to the Lord and all that they have taught me.  I will never be able to thank them enough.



I am sorry that it has taken me so long to re-establish closer connections with many of you.  The toughest part of coming back to the States has been to find work that has real satisfaction and meaning for me.  I have been living on the top floor of the Province Infirmary here looking down on busy Fordham Road since the day that I arrived, which threatened to be one of the worst days of the Winter months  But , I can tell you that that my health continues to be good with no major changes and that I have been well cared for by my Jesuit Superiors and the men I have been living with.  The major change is that those who are counting carefully know that I have moved into the 81 year of life.  (I am one of those trying very hard not to measure this count.)



Most of my interest since coming here has been to follow up on what I have done before this.  It has taken a while but I am now report that my plate is fairly full.  Here at Murray-Weigal, I am living with about 55 Jesuits.  Most of them are about my own age.  Many of you would know Fr. Jack Curran and Fr. Paul Horgan and Fr. Jim McDonough who taught at the UNIVERSITY OF GUAM for over 30 years and just celebrated his 100th birthday last month..   There are a number of other Jesuits who worked with us in the islands also working around New York, so there are a number of opportunities to get together and to  "tell story."



I am now helping a number of priests who come for confession and spiritual advice and directing a good number of retreatants as they work to get to get to know and love the LORD better by coming each week for personal direction making the Spiritual Excercises while doing their usual responsibilities in daily life.



I have also had the opportunity to visit with former parishoners from Pohnpei who have migrated to the United States to seek a new life for themselves and their children.  I have visited large communities of these old friends in Kansas City, Mo. and Marshall Mo. as well as Storm Lake, Iowa to help them to pray and be instructed in their own language which they taught me many years ago.



 All of this is a priceless experience and they are helping me to feel new growth and satisfaction, peace and happiness.



I hope that this letter will help you to catch up with what I have been doing and move you to drop me an email or buzz  me on the phone.  I feel badly that it has taken me so long to do this.



Be sure that each of you will have a very big part in my Christmas and New Year's prayers.  May God give you and your families all the blessings that you deserve..  If you can share anything with me this Christmas, be sure that it will be shared   with the people in the islands, who you have been so generous to in the past.  God Bless you!



In Christ,



Joe Cavanagh, S.J.