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HISTORY OF THE EDMUNDITES IN VENEZUELA
Holy Trinity Parish (Parroquia
de la Santísima Trinidad) originates as one parish comprising two
geographical and sociological areas: Las Minas, an area commonly referred
to a Barrio To clarify from the start who the Edmundites are who have worked in Venezuela, the following is a list of same in order of arrival: Lawrence Lyons, William Condon, Joseph Haffley, Armand Couture, Edward Dubriske, Raymond Pinard, Ralph Bramucci, Howard Muehlberger, Marcel Rainville, Brother Francis Hagerty, Jerome Mercure 1964 On the vigil of the Feast of Kings the first three Edmundites arrive -Lawrence Lyons, William Condon, Joseph Haffly. This is in response to Pope John XXIII ‘s appeal to religious communities to send 10% of their members to Latin America. The Pope's feeling was that LA was experiencing a re-birth in Christianity and needed help to evangelize. Caracas offered the opportunity for community work in two communities - rich and poor, to attempt to bridge gaps and bring the two classes together as much as possible, as well as be a part of social awareness process. Larry Lyons is the pastor and religious superior. Armand Couture arrives to form part of the Edmundite team. 1965 Joe Haffly leaves for Edmundite reassignment. First Verbena (church fair) nets $10,000. 1966 Arrival of Edward Dubriske. Nelson Ziter works in Prados during the summer months. William Condon leaves the team and returns to the USA. Armand Couture moves to the Barrio (below a pharmacy on the main street) to live and work. 1967 Arrival of Raymond Pinard who joins Armand to work in Las Minas. Arrival of seminarians Marcel Rainville and Howard Muehlberger who have just finished their philosophy and studied Spanish in Puerto Rico. They will come to Caracas every summer during their theological studies and do a part of their last year at the Interdiocesan seminary in Caracas. Arrival of Ralph Bramucci who will work in youth and drug prevention programs. Two Papal Volunteers, Sandra Stewart and Jane Till join the pastoral team. The Las Minas Community Center is begun. The Santa Cruz Center is opened. (Along with all of the Edmundite history it is noteworthy that this was the 4OOth anniversary of the founding of Caracas and the year of a major earthquake which killed, among others, the president of the ladies Catholic Action group.) First guitar Mass organized by Ray Pinard which is opposed by the local bishops who subsequently approve the custom only when Rome gives its blessing. 1968 Las Minas Community Center completed Arrival of 3 sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Newburg, NY: Nora Killilea, Theresa Turi and Rosanne Maguire to live in the Community Center and work in evangelization, pastoral endeavors and community development. 1969 Christmas midnight Mass is the first Mass celebrated in the Prados church which, while not completed, has a roof, floor and walls - more than enough in the tropics to justify its use. The church has been built thanks to the hard work and generosity of the parishioners. By building in stages, organizing several financial campaigns, the church is eventually finished without ever involving a parish debt. The cost of the church at the time was about $250, 000. It is decided by the Edmundites to separate the offices of superior and pastor. Larry Lyons remains superior and Ed Dubriske is named pastor. Sister Nora Killelea leaves Las Minas to return to the States. Arrival of Sister Maria López, PBVM Arrival of Sisters June Pemberton and Claudia Murphy from Natchez, Miss who are in the process of founding a new religious community.. 1970 Howard and Marcel do their last year of theology at the interdiocesan seminary here in Caracas. Ed Dubriske attends the funeral of his uncle Fr. Dan Lyons, who being the prankster that he always was, dies on Hallowe’en. Papal Volunteer Mary Mahon arrives. Joaquín Usuaga, a Colombian attending the seminary here in Caracas becomes interested in joining the SSE. 1971 Marcel and Howard are ordained. Howard is ordained on January 31 in the Prados church, to the great satisfaction of the parishioners; he is ordained by auxiliary Bishop Luis Eduardo Henríquez - his first ordination; Marcel in Vermont on May 1. Ray Pinard leaves Caracas and the SSE. Sisters June and Claudia leave to return to the States. 1972 Retreat this year was with the Maryknollers led by Miguel D'Escote. Jack Zemanick visits us with Ray Giroux. 1973 Tom Hoar comes to Caracas to get to know the place and study some Spanish. Stan Deresienski makes a bríef visil to Caracas to contemplate the possibilities of eventually joining us. Ralph Brarnuccí and Ed Dubriske spend vacatien in the 'motherland" of most of South America - Spain. 1974 Sisters Maria and Rosa leave and return to the States. Ralph Bramuccí leaves. Larry Lyons leaves. Community retreat led by Moses Anderson, SSE, later to be ordained the community’s only bishop. Father Leo Anctil, Superior of the Peruvian house of the Misiones Extranjeras (Quebee), contacts us looking for a place for one of his priests to stay while being treated in Caracas for leprosy and leichmaniasis. On the 17th of June, Arthem Le Blanc arrives and spends several months getting treatment for his diseases. 1975 We send an "open letter" lo the community members al large questioning what we see as a growing spirit of "provincialism” in our community. Fr. Ray Doherty, SSE and Fr. Maurice Ouellet visit us in January. Fr. Frank McMahon, SSE comes down with Canice Conners for interviews connected with the CARA study which is evaluating various facets of religious life.. The church is blessed in Prados. Eymard Calligan comes in representation of the Community gives a short speech pre pared in Spanish Siste Helen Raynor, PBVM leaves, and with her departure the involvemení of the PBVM's in Caracas ends. Dominicans Ralph Helen and Tim work with Howard in a Basic Christian Communities project. Sisters of Christ the King (Spanish) begin association with Barrio Santa Cruz. 1976 Bro Frank Hagerty, SSE joins the team. As a registered nurse he is involved in the organization and maintenance of the Las Minas clinics. Joe and Pierre Dore come as volunteers from Montreal to Las Minas. Síeve Hilley from Miami spends the summer of his deacon year here. Fr. Tom Hoar, SSE goes to study Spanish in Bolivia with the idea of coming to work here in Caracas but upon completion returns to the USA, after having a difficult experience in Bolivia and discerning that this apostolate was not in God’s plans for him. 1977 Mimi Lynch comes from SMC on her own to work in Las Minas. 1978 Edward Dubriske leaves for a sabbatical year. Fr. Pepe Martínez, a Spanish priest working here in Venezuela, replaces Fr. Dubriske in Prados. Marcel Rainville becomes pastor of Prados. 1979 Community retreat is given by Fr. Edward Braxton of Chicago. 1980 Howard Muehlberger leaves for sabbatical year. Upon his return he is named pastor of Prados and Marcel goes to Las Minas. Work is begun on the church in Las Minas. Fr. Pepe Martínez leaves for another parish in Caracas. The Social Expansion Center is opened in El Rosario. 1981 Bro Frank Hagarty leaves to return to SMC having complete his commitment to Las Minas.. Father German Crete arrives unannounced seeking hospitality - he is a member of the same Corrnnunity that Fr. Arthem belongs to and is afflicted with the same two diseases for which he seeks treatment here in Caracas. 1982 One room school is built in Santa Cruz with assistance of Rotary Club. Las Minas becomes a separate parish with the name Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Fatima. Edward Dubriske leaves for two year assignment as director of seminarians in Toronto. Fr. Robert Rank, a diocesan priest from Wisconsin becomes involved with us through contacts with the "Instituto for Cultural Affairs" out of Chicago. Jerry Mercure leaves Caracas for other Community assignments. 1983 Howard and Marcel are the only two Edmundites in Caracas for this year - luckily they continue to have the help of Bob Rank. 1984 Edward Dubriske returns to Caracas from Toronto. Howard Muehlberger leaves for a two year assignment a to Alabama. Fr. Dubriske becomes pastor of Prados. July 30, Armand Couture dies after some weeks illness and slow deterioration of health. Lawrence Lyons returns to work in Prados. 1985 Volunteer Kevin Bernier arrives and lives in Las Minas for a month. 1986 The Church is dedicated in Las Minas by Cardinal Lebrún.
Howard
Muehlberger returns to Caracas. Volunteers Christy Maher and Kim Smith come to Las Minas. Volunteer Joe Morris, a Notre Dame grad, arrives to spend a.year in Las Minas. Minor Sánchez, a permanent deacon, and his wife María Eugenia take up residence in El Rosario and become involved in various facets of the work in Las Minas. Aurelio García, a permanent deacon, and his wife Niro and their two sons become involved in the Prados parish. 1987 Volunteer Tim Rosbrook becomes involved in Las Minas. Marcel make plans to leave for a sabbatical. Joe Morris finishes his volunteer program and plans to go to Berkeley to study theology. 1996 Sister Jeannette of Enders Island contacts Father Muehlberger about the possibility of some Sisters from the Dominican Republic Hermanas Hijas de la Altagracia who are interested in coming to Venezuela to open their first mission outside of the D.R. 1997 In June a budget and payment are approved by the SSE for the Sisters. 1999 In September Fr. Muehlberger leaves Venzuela and plans to leave the Edmundites. On October 9 the Sisters arrive from the Dominican Republic. Besides the three who will found the Mission - Sor Teresa Gil, Sor Lidia Pérez and Sor Lourdes Martínez - the Mother General, Sor Ana Maria Pérez and one of the councilors, Sor Lucrecia Abreu accompany the Sisters on their new adventure. 2000 In April Fr. William Rodríguez joins the parish. He is a priest who has left the Augustinians and is in the process of being incardinated in the Archdiocese of Mérida. 2002 In May, Sor Lourdes leaves for studies in Rome. In August Sor María Altagracia arrives to join the two remaining Sisters. 2003 In Fr. William Rodriguez receives his formal assignment to the Prados parish as Parroquial Vicar. |