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Chapel in Kimony, Madagascar
With a great full and joy filled heart I am happy to announce that the construction of the St. Reginald Chapel in Kimony, Madagascar has been completed. I give thanks to God for all the generous benefactors, family and friends who have contributed to make this chapel in memory of my dear departed youngest brother, Reginald Morais.
Fr. Jeremy with some of the local children in front of the new chapel in Kimony, Madagascar.
The St. Reginald Chapel in Kimony, Madagascar has been erected by our Bishop Raharilamboniaina Marie Fabien OCD (Bishop of the Diocese of Morondava) as a Chapel directly connected and responsible to the Cathedral Maria Manjaka (Cathedral Mary Queen) in Morondava.
A Day to Remember
The dedication of the St. Reginald Chapel in Kimony took place almost a year ago on October 4, 2015. Because of the absence of the Bishop and Vicar General of the Diocese it was confided to me as Pastor of the Cathedral to dedicate and bless the new chapel.
The Mass at the Cathedral was canceled and all the Christians of the Cathedral came to Kimony as a gesture of solidarity and symbol that this chapel belongs directly to the Cathedral of Morondava. In Malagasy we say the St. Reginald Chapel in Kimony is a “zanak-piangonana ny Katedraly Maria Manjaka”, (translated, “the chapel is a child or son of the Mother Church of the Cathedral, Mary Queen of Morondava”).
La Salette Welcomed into Tanzania
These few lines are being sent to you after our return almost two months ago to Rome from Tanzania. Fr. Adilson and I have lived unforgettable moments, which certainly are very historical, with the opening of a La Salette Community in Rutete, in the Diocese of Bukoba, in northwest Tanzania, in conjunction with the commemoration of the 170th anniversary of the Apparition and the celebration of the extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis.
Our First La Salette Presence in Tanzania
Our road of discernment which lasted a few years, involved the Diocese of Bukoba, the General Council, the Council of the Congregation and the whole Congregation. Happily it culminated on July 15, 2016 with the arrival of our three confreres onto Tanzanian soil in order to begin the first La Salette presence in that country.
On Sunday, July 17th, I was accompanied by Fr. Adilson Schio, M.S.,our Vicar General, Fr. Rosanno Soriano, M.S., Provincial Superior of the Philippines and three other La Salette Missionaries: Fr. Manuel dela Cruz, M. S. (Philippines) Fr. Dileesh Poriamvelil, M.S. (India) and Fr. Aldrin Cenizal, M.S. (Philippines), as well as by Bishop Desiderius Rwoma, the Ordinary of the Diocese of Bukoba, and Bishop Methodius Kilaini, Auxiliary Bishop.
Protecting Myanmar’s Minorities
Editor: Aware that a number of our La Salettes are ministering in Myanmar, we share this information about their freedom and safety and ask for your prayers. Note that there are some 500,000 Catholics in Myanmar – around one percent of its 51 million people. Overall Christians are thought to make up about four percent of the country's population, Muslims are another four percent and Buddhists around 90 percent, with other religions including Hinduism and animism.
Some of our native Myanmar La Salettes (seated) welcome other La Salettes from around the world.As Wikipedia states: “A non-governmental organization (NGO) is any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group which is organized on a local, national or international level.”
“Recently Myanmar NGOs have asked the government about ‘protecting religious minorities from attacks by Buddhist nationalists’.
“They asked that the government to take urgent measures to protect the most vulnerable religious minorities in the country… A forum of eleven NGOs launched this appeal in order to protect human rights in Myanmar, after the two recent violent attacks against Muslims by Buddhist groups.
• On July 1, 2016, a mosque was destroyed by a mob in Hpakant, a village in the state of Kachin.
• On June 23, 2016, a massive attack destroyed a mosque, a school and several houses in a village of Bago District, in the center of Myanmar.
A Small La Salette in France
Fr. Jean-François Cordier, born in 1809 in Dampierre (Jura), was one of the first pilgrims to arrive at site of 
The quaint and lovely Chapel of Our Lady of La Salette in the still-small village of town of Lavigny (Jura), in east-central Francethe La Salette apparition on the Holy Mountain. After arriving in Lavigny in 1855, he had the idea to build a chapel in honor of Mary of La Salette. With great determination, he began his efforts to raising a great deal of money – comparable today to US $120,000. It took seven years of work to complete this challenging project, including buying tiles come from a nearby communes and the La Salette bronze statues from nearby forge in Sellières.
It's July 16, 1862, on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the new chapel was dedicated. Fr. Cordier died in 1892, after having dedicated himself to providing a beautiful Chapel in which to worship God and honor Our Lady of La Salette.
Celebrating the Feast of La Salette
The Beautiful Lady in Siador, Spain
Devotion to Our Lady of La Salette spread throughout Spain soon after the La Salette Apparition was 
La Salette Shrine in Siador, Spain (Photo Copyright © BGZ)approved by the Church. This was primarily due to the faith and efforts of two people. The first person was Count Narciso Peñalver from Northeastern Spain who became Maximin’s very good friend, paid for the nine bronze statues depicting the Apparition on the Holy Mountain in France and had people translate and print thousands of copies of materials that had been published in France.
The second person was Don Florencio Sanz from Pamplona, who published a translation of a book by Canon Pièrre Rousselot, “The Truth of Apparition” in 1863. He was also in contact with Fr. Sylvan-Marie Giraud, M.S. and thereupon regularly received the newly-begun French publication, “Les Annales”, from the Holy Mountain.
The First La Salette Shrine in Spain
The Siador Shrine owes its existence to Mr. Francisco Taboada Maria Rivas, a native of nearby Santiago de Compostela. He lived in Siador and knew about the Apparition from articles by Florencio Sanz Pamplona. In 1862, Francisco Taboada María Rivas was also invited to pray a Novena to Our Lady of La Salette. Several people from Siador and a neighboring parish met despite the frigid temperature. The two men then corresponded by mail.
Indian La Salettes Down Under
Frs. Mathew Manjaly, Jolly C. Ayyamkolil, Joy Porathur and Sunny Poovathumkudy were the first La Salettes who came to the Diocese of Parramatta. The Parramatta Diocese is one of the fastest-growing in the western Sydney area.
Map of Penrith NSW Australia, in the Diocese of Parammatta
Our First Ministries
We began ministering in different parishes and returned home to a community house provided by the diocese in 2012. We were given a parish, St. Nicolas of Myra, in Pernith, southeastern Australia. Fr. Mathew M. Antony is parish priest and Fr. Jose Manjaly is assistant. Fr. Jolly C. Ayyamkolil is the administrator in St. Finbar’s Parish in Glenbrook which is not far from our Pernith Parish.
When Frs. Jolly and Sunny went back to India, three others arrived, Jose Manjaly, Joy Chukkananikal and Joby Kadambattuparabil. Later Fr. Jolly came back to Australia and Fr. Joy went back to India.
At present we are considering accepting the Parish in Pernith our community center for gatherings, both formal and informal. We have two La Salettes ministering in the Archdiocese of Canberra, Frs. Sijo Thekkekunnel and Jiss Kunnumpurath.
Marvellous Madagascar
I am one of some 850 La Salette Missionaries currently ministering in 27 countries, including the missions 
Fr. “Mémé” Rakotondraibe, M.S., Provincial Superior of Madagascar Provinceof Madagascar, Angola, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Philippines, Myanmar, India and Haiti, bringing the message of reconciliation to the hearts and homes of people to whom we minister.
As Director of the La Salette MIssion Center in St. Louis, MO, USA, I was fortunate to visit the La Salette mission on the Island of Madagascar a few years ago. I left St. Louis, Missouri and twenty-two hours later arrived in Antananarive, the island’s capital city.
Fr. Mémé Rakotondraibe, M.S., the Provincial Superior of the La Salette Province of Madagascar, was my guide and translator throughout my trip. Among the stops on my trip was Antsirabe, located about one hundred miles from Antananarivo, which was where the La Salette Missionaries began their work in Madagascar almost a century ago.
It was an eye-opener for me. It lies in the Indian Ocean off the southwest coast of Africa. Twice the size of Arizona, it is the world's fourth-largest island and has a population of more than 22 million people. Half the country's population is Christian, and the other half practices traditional Malagasy religion. Around 92 percent live on less than $2 per day, only 6.8 percent have access to clean water, and 9.5 percent have access to consistent electricity.
Good Servants for Almost a Century
A Blessed Advent and Christmas Season
The yearly Blessing of the Horses on the Holy Mountain in FranceSome people have been writing to ask me what’s happening here on the Holy Mountain of La Salette. Well, the Shrine officially closed the 2015 Pilgrimage Season on November 11th and we had a very busy year.
Various Feasts and Groups of Pilgrims
In August and September, we had some very important religious events at the Shrine: the Feast of Mary’s Assumption, August 15. It is our biggest pilgrimage. Why August 15th and not September 19th, which is the Feast of Our Lady of La Salette?
Everyone in Europe is on vacation in August and children are out of school. August 15th is much like our July 4th in the U.S. Although France is a very secularized country – much more than in the U.S. – they still keep all the religious feasts plus national holidays, the best of both worlds. André Armand Vingt-Trois, Cardinal of Paris, was here on August 15th to lead our celebration.
Lay Catechists or Deacons for Madagascar
If, as the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention (and innovation),” we can understand why the first missionaries in Africa and Madagascar instituted a new ministry for laypeople, a ministry that still exists today, called “the Lay Catechist”.
A Much-Needed Ministry
The need for it is clear. As one priest was covering vast areas with sometimes hundreds of dispersed rural villages it was impossible for the one priest to assure the pastoral care of fifty of sixty communities, considering roads were non-existent and rivers did not have bridges. 
Catechists in Madagascar: (lleft) School for Catechists in 1940; (right) Fr. Jeremy Morais, M.S., with his Catechists in Ankavandra
The catechist is actually a church leader and shepherd, although not an ordained minister. Therefore he is serving the community from the basic nature and normal demands of baptism. He was given a very vital serious responsibility in the Catholic community as a co-worker and ambassador of the priest. Not only does he preside and animate the Sunday Liturgy of the Word and homily when a priest is not able to be present, but he prepares the faithful for the reception of various sacraments. Baptisms, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage preparation are his responsibility.
The missionary on his visits meets with the various candidates and decides when the sacraments will be administered, confidant that the Catechist will continue to assure the preparation. Except for urgent baptisms, all sacraments will be celebrated by the priest on his visits to the Christian community. This will vary greatly depending on road conditions and the importance of the community.
A Growing La Salette Digital Community
About nine years ago, I was invited to serve as the Director of Communications for our Province of Mary, Mother of the Americas. From our beginnings we have grown a great deal.
We began with a very simple website (www.lasalette.org) and welcomed about 18,000 visitors a year to our site. In 2014 we welcomed about 300,00 visitors. And finally in 2015 we have grown to welcome about 550,000 visitors to our site!
We offer countless thousands of pictures to view of our alumni, our history and our various La Salette ministries around the world, past and present. In addition we have an archive of over 1,300 articles on the La Salette Apparition, the ministry of reconciliation and our Marian spirituality. Some articles have been visited over 83,000 times!
Since we as La Salettes have hosted about thirteen seminaries in various parts of the country over our nearly 115 years of ministry in North America, we have lots of alumni, whom we invite to look over their school pictures and yearbooks online and get in touch with wonderful memories. Our website visitors include people from as close as New England to as far away as India, Russia and China, Alaska and Australia.