Pregonero del Amor a Jesucristo
Queridos hermanos,
Yo siempre le he dicho a nuestros Hermanos, los Consagrados del Santísimo Salvador, en las charlas de formación que les impartimos: “Hermanos, si ustedes se preguntan en qué consiste el centro de la vida, obras y espiritualidad de nuestro Padre San Alfonso, la respuesta es la siguiente: amar a Jesucristo y trabajar para que Él sea amado por todos”.
Hace poco más de un mes, el 21 de octubre pasado, falleció nuestro Fundador y Superior, el Padre Pablo Straub, C.SS.R., a quien muchos de ustedes conocieron. Él se encontraba en Cancún, Quintana Roo, preparado para predicar en el Congreso Mariano de la Prelatura Cancún-Chetumal, congreso del que el Padre Pablo fue uno de los fundadores hace diecinueve años, y al que año con año asistía. El Padre Pablo muchas veces nos decía: “quiero morir evangelizando”, y Dios se lo concedió.
Y es que el Padre Pablo, como buen Misionero Redentorista, Hijo de San Alfonso María de Ligorio que era, siempre tuvo como centro de su vida el amor a Jesucristo. Iba a las Santas Misiones, predicaba sinnúmero de Retiros, nos formaba a Los Consagrados del Santísimo Salvador y a Las Consagradas del Santísimo Salvador, partiendo siempre de esta médula: el amor a Jesucristo. Las frases de la vida del Padre Pablo eran dos jaculatorias de San Alfonso María de Ligorio, que bien muestran esta espiritualidad: Mi Jesús Mi Todo, Tú me amas y yo Te amo, y a la Virgen María le decía siempre: Madre mía, hazme amar a Jesucristo, para siempre y sin reserva; estas jaculatorias eran su más constante oración.
El Padre Pablo nació en el estado de Nueva York, Estados Unidos, el 7 de mayo de 1932. El 27 de junio de 1958 fue ordenado Sacerdote, como Misionero Redentorista. Evangelizó con toda su pasión en Estados Unidos, Puerto Rico, en las montañas de El Perú, en las calles de los barrios más pobres de las Islas Filipinas, en Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua y por supuesto a lo largo y ancho de la República Mexicana. En todas estas labores apostólicas lo movía un sólo impulso: amar a Jesucristo y trabajar para que Él sea amado por todos, así como a San Alfonso María de Ligorio. Esta es la herencia que el Padre Pablo nos ha dejado: que amemos a Jesucristo, con todo nuestro corazón, sin reservas, sin mediocridades, y trabajemos en todo por amor a Él; trabajemos para que –así como decía San Alfonso… para que la Sangre de nuestro Señor y Salvador Jesucristo, derramada por amor a nosotros en El Calvario, no haya sido derramada en vano.
Permítanme contarles de forma muy breve, y ya para concluir, dos acontecimientos: 1) En su último viaje rumbo a Cancún, en el Aeropuerto de la Ciudad de México, por la Gracia de Dios, al Padre Pablo se le acercó una mujer muy enferma y necesitada de confesión y dirección espiritual; en lo que el avión salía, el Padre Pablo la atendió con mucha caridad y aquella mujer se confesó y quedó reconfortada; el Padre Pablo le dijo al Hermano que lo acompañaba: “el objetivo de este viaje ya ha sido cumplido”. 2) Un día antes de iniciar el Congreso Mariano en Cancún, el Padre Pablo cayó grave, durante el desarrollo del Congreso él agonizaba, y muchas personas que lo conocían lo visitaban, y oraban por él, y llorando decían: “el Padre Pablo vino a ofrecerse por el éxito del Congreso Mariano, y desde aquí nos está evangelizando”… Nadie tiene amor más grande que el que da la vida por sus amigos (Jn 15, 13).
Que descanse en paz nuestro amado Padre Pablo, Fundador y Superior nuestro (aunque a él nunca le gustaba que lo llamáramos “fundador”, porque nos decía que el único fundador de nuestra obra es San Alfonso: “yo no fundé nada, yo soy solo un pobre instrumento, continuador de la obra que Dios encomendó a San Alfonso”).
Saludos a todos, Hermanos y Hermanas de nuestra amada Arquidiócesis de Acapulco. Dios los bendiga a todos y nos encomendamos a sus oraciones.
Padre Agustín Pelayo, C.SS.S.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
Praised be Jesus!
We are the Sisters and Brothers of the Consecrates of the Most Holy Savior. Our orders, as you know, are Contemplative-Missionaries and we are dedicated to preaching the Gospel to the poorest of the poor. We are the spiritual children of Father Pablo Straub, C.SS.R. Both orders, the Religious Sisters and Brothers, were founded by Father Pablo.
Today I wish to greet you and tell you, with much pain, that our Founding Father has been called from this life by God our Father to the eternal Wedding Feast of the Lamb in the kingdom of Heaven. Although this is sad news, we are confident that he is in the presence of God and this knowledge brings us much joy and inspires us to continue moving forward.
“We are celebrating the victory of Father Pablo, not his death,” said Monsignor Fabio Castilla, Archbishop of Tuxtla Gutierrez, during the funeral Mass celebrated at the Cathedral of Cancun. Hundreds of people attended to say good-bye to our beloved Father Pablo Straub, who died in a hospital in Cancun, Mexico. He was transferred to our monastery in Acapulco, Guerrero and buried at the General House of the Brothers.
But truthfully, we know on account of Father Pablo’s holy life, that we now have a New Intercessor before God. Therefore we can be nothing but thankful to our Heavenly Father for the great gift that He has granted us in allowing Father Pablo to guide us in this world towards the love of Jesus Christ and His Most Holy Mother.
Every year a Marian Retreat is organized in the city of Cancun, to which Father Pablo was always invited and this year was no exception. The Marian Congress took place on the 19th and 20th of October and Father Pablo had traveled there for the Congress. However he was unable to preach at the conference as planned because he was hospitalized in Cancun on Friday, the day before it started. An emergency operation was performed, for which he was anesthetized. He never woke up from the anesthesia and went to his final rest in our Lord Monday, October 21st at 11:20 in the morning.
We can say that half hour before he was anesthetized, he spoke over the phone with some of the Brothers and Sisters and all of us could see that he had great peace and total confidence that he was in the hands of God. His trust in our Blessed Mother was very great, like a helpless child in the arms of Our beloved Mother, Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Having offered up himself for the success of the conference, which was a great success, he died as a missionary, God having granted him what he had always desired. As He used to tell us: “A missionary dies on his feet.”
Friends, I want to share with you that a few months before his death, when he had full use of his mental faculties, he dictated to his secretary who would succeed him once the Lord called him to His Presence; resulting in the following:
His successor is and Superior general: Father Ezequiel Buenfil Batún, C.SS.S.
Vicar Counselor: Father Augustine Pelayo Corona, C.SS.S.
Admonitor Advisor: Father Juan Pablo Couoh Chan, C.SS.S.
We come before you thanking you for your prayers and the help you have given us in the past and encouraging you to continue helping us, because God's work must continue. Currently there are many seminarians who are preparing at the Pontifical University of Mexico, through very good studies in Theology and Philosophy. We also have several sisters studying for a degree in Philosophy at the same University. More than ever we need your help, which is so essential for us to continue the Mission. There are five houses of sisters and three of brothers, scattered in four different countries: MEXICO, GUATEMALA, NICARAGUA and the UNITED STATES (working in areas that are in great need of evangelization). These areas are very poor, very abandoned, where the Gospel must continue to be preached.
Thank you very much for your trust and all the love you have for us. May God protect you, bless you and accompany you on all your projects.
In Jesus and Mary,
Father Ezequiel Buenfil Batun, C.SS.S
Superior General
Praised be Jesus!
We are the Sisters and Brothers of the Consecrates of the Most Holy Savior. Our orders, as you know, are Contemplative-Missionaries and we are dedicated to preaching the Gospel to the poorest of the poor. We are the spiritual children of Father Pablo Straub, C.SS.R. Both orders, the Religious Sisters and Brothers, were founded by Father Pablo.
Today I wish to greet you and tell you, with much pain, that our Founding Father has been called from this life by God our Father to the eternal Wedding Feast of the Lamb in the kingdom of Heaven. Although this is sad news, we are confident that he is in the presence of God and this knowledge brings us much joy and inspires us to continue moving forward.
“We are celebrating the victory of Father Pablo, not his death,” said Monsignor Fabio Castilla, Archbishop of Tuxtla Gutierrez, during the funeral Mass celebrated at the Cathedral of Cancun. Hundreds of people attended to say good-bye to our beloved Father Pablo Straub, who died in a hospital in Cancun, Mexico. He was transferred to our monastery in Acapulco, Guerrero and buried at the General House of the Brothers.
But truthfully, we know on account of Father Pablo’s holy life, that we now have a New Intercessor before God. Therefore we can be nothing but thankful to our Heavenly Father for the great gift that He has granted us in allowing Father Pablo to guide us in this world towards the love of Jesus Christ and His Most Holy Mother.
Every year a Marian Retreat is organized in the city of Cancun, to which Father Pablo was always invited and this year was no exception. The Marian Congress took place on the 19th and 20th of October and Father Pablo had traveled there for the Congress. However he was unable to preach at the conference as planned because he was hospitalized in Cancun on Friday, the day before it started. An emergency operation was performed, for which he was anesthetized. He never woke up from the anesthesia and went to his final rest in our Lord Monday, October 21st at 11:20 in the morning.
We can say that half hour before he was anesthetized, he spoke over the phone with some of the Brothers and Sisters and all of us could see that he had great peace and total confidence that he was in the hands of God. His trust in our Blessed Mother was very great, like a helpless child in the arms of Our beloved Mother, Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Having offered up himself for the success of the conference, which was a great success, he died as a missionary, God having granted him what he had always desired. As He used to tell us: “A missionary dies on his feet.”
Friends, I want to share with you that a few months before his death, when he had full use of his mental faculties, he dictated to his secretary who would succeed him once the Lord called him to His Presence; resulting in the following:
His successor is and Superior general: Father Ezequiel Buenfil Batún, C.SS.S.
Vicar Counselor: Father Augustine Pelayo Corona, C.SS.S.
Admonitor Advisor: Father Juan Pablo Couoh Chan, C.SS.S.
We come before you thanking you for your prayers and the help you have given us in the past and encouraging you to continue helping us, because God's work must continue. Currently there are many seminarians who are preparing at the Pontifical University of Mexico, through very good studies in Theology and Philosophy. We also have several sisters studying for a degree in Philosophy at the same University. More than ever we need your help, which is so essential for us to continue the Mission. There are five houses of sisters and three of brothers, scattered in four different countries: MEXICO, GUATEMALA, NICARAGUA and the UNITED STATES (working in areas that are in great need of evangelization). These areas are very poor, very abandoned, where the Gospel must continue to be preached.
Thank you very much for your trust and all the love you have for us. May God protect you, bless you and accompany you on all your projects.
In Jesus and Mary,
Father Ezequiel Buenfil Batun, C.SS.S
Superior General