Province of Mary, Mother of the Americas

Fr. Clément Moussier (1860-1919)

(l to r) Frs. William Breault (1894-1974) and Aloysius Spielman (1892-1948)

For almost 110 years various La Salette Missionaries have directly impacted American mission efforts. They were men of vision and personified the La Salette mission spirit. They were men who recognized that, alone, they could do very little. They requested, and generously received support from numerous Co-Missionaries – Laity, Religious and Priests.

 

The first La Salette to depart from the USA to minister in a mission country was Fr. Clément Moussier, a native of France. In 1904 he left from the parish of St. James in Danielson, CT to serve in the parish of Santa Anna in Sâo Paulo, Brazil. La Salette presence in the North America was barely 10 years old. Bolstered also by La Salette confreres from other countries, he worked tirelessly and in 1934 both the USA and Brazil would be among the first four areas of the Congregation to become Provinces. 

(l to r) Frs. Paul Girouard (Bp., 1898-1964) and Arthur LeBlanc (1899-1990)

The first North Americans – Frs. William Breault, Alphonse Coté and Aloysius Spielman – departed from Hartford, CT for the missions on Madagascar’s high plateau in 1921. 

 

In 1928 a new group – Frs. Arthur LeBlanc, Paul Girouard [later to become Bishop], Cecil McDonald and Bro Steve Levickas – left Hartford to open a new mission in Morondava on the western coast of Madagascar. 

 

In 1937 another new mission, in the Arakan district of Burma, began when Frs. Thomas Newman [later to become Bishop], Edward O’Sullivan, Wienczyslaw Weselak, Joseph Gardner and Joseph LaBonte left Altamont, NY.

 

seated: Bp. Maurice F. McAuliffe; standing (l to r)  Frs. Edward O’Sullivan (1910-1951), Joseph La Bonte (1905-1970), Wienczyslaw Wesclak (1908-1938, Joseph Gardner (1905-1942), Thomas Newman (Bp., 1903-1978)

In 1948, leaving from Attleboro, MA to open another new mission – this time on the island of Luzon in the Philippines – were Frs. Conrad Blanchet, Paul Douillard, Raymond Leduc and Bro. Donat Levasseur.

 

In 1958 the first Missionaries from North America – Frs. Guy Gervais and Tony Morin – began working in Argentina where La Salettes from Poland had begun missioning in 1936. In 1965, when it was clear that the mission in Burma would have to be closed, some of the La Salettes from there joined others from North America to strengthen the work in Argentina. From there they also opened the mission in Bolivia in 1987.

 

The zeal of these founding Missionaries was stalwart. However, as is so evident from their letters, their zeal needed to be sustained by prayers and generosity. Many received assistance directly from family and close friends who often formed Mission Clubs. Yet the bulk of their support came through the efforts of Procurators of the La Salette Provincial Mission Offices – in Hartford, CT, Attleboro [& Southbridge], MA, Saint Louis, MO and Montréal, Canada. 

 

(l to r) Frs. Paul Douillard (1917-1975), Conrad Blanchet (1915-1998), Raymond Leduc, and Bro. Donat Levasseur

They were the fundraisers. They prepared and sent material goods. They brought information and encouragement to Co-Missionaries and supporters throughout the world, especially in the USA and Canada. No one-person can run such an office. The Malagasy have a proverb that says it well: “Ny biby tsy mandeha tsy lohany” – which can be translated: “Without the head, the rest is dead.” So I bring you the names of those who spearheaded the Provincial Mission Offices and ask you to pray for them.

 

(l to r) Frs. Guy Gervais (1931-1987) and Anthony Morin (1924-1979)

In the Hartford Province: Frs. Paul Regan, Francis Crane, Charles McElhinney, Jack Toner, Tom Baylis, James Kuczynski, Joe Bachand, John Higgins and Brian Sheridan.

 

In the Attleboro Province: Frs. Roland Bedard, Achille Nolin, Albert Fredette, Albert Bard, René Gelinas, Emery DesRochers, Raymond LeDuc, Alphonse Larochelle, Rutillo Mallillin and Bill Slight.

 

In the Saint Louis Province: Jim Jacobson, Gerry Masse, Pete Kohler, Larry Kohler, Jude Brunnert and Joe Shea. The direct outreach of the Milwaukee Province was to their Missionaries serving in the frozen tundra of Canada, and also, through the Saint Louis Mission Office, to the dusty plains of western Madagascar.