April 24, 2003 (Letter to Most Reverend Walter F. Sullivan, D.D.) Your Excellency: I simply wanted to drop you a note to thank you so very much for the great honor of receiving your appointment as theological censor to examine the writings of the Servant of God Francis Joseph Parater, seminarian. I consider it an honor and privilege to be associated with this cause. The reading of the material that had been sent to me by Fr. J. Scott Duarte, J.C.D, Vicar for the Causes of Saints, became subject of my meditation during Holy Week. I found myself deeply moved by this young man's intense love for Christ and His Church, and also his high idealism. Please be assured of my prayers for you that this work may be brought forward to a successful conclusion. Timothy T. O'Donnell, STD, KC*HS October 7, 2002 Thank you for supplying our office with the prayer cards for the cause of the Servant of God, Frank Parater. As the Promoter of Vocations for Arlington Diocese I can attest to the strong interest in Frank's life and mission. I have taken his prayer cards with me to all the vocation talks I have made and thought that we were all out, until today when I discovered that a whole new boxful had arrived. I personally pray to Frank each night for his intercession in my work promoting vocations. May God bless you and your efforts in Frank's cause for canonization. And may Virginia be blessed with her very own saint! Reverend Brian G. Bahista August 25, 2002 At World Youth Day in Toronto this summer, I received a prayer card of Frank Parater. After WYD, I have decided to enter the seminary for my diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts. I continue to pray that the Holy Church will recognize Frank as Blessed. G. Giella, Seminarian August 2002 I promised I would write this letter if my prayer to him (Servant of God, Frank Parater) was answered. I asked this young man to please free the coal miners in Pennsylvania. I realize the whole world was praying for these men, however, I begged him to return them to their families - so I will gladly give him credit. J. Fielding July 11, 2002 I am pleased with the introduction of his (Servant of God Frank Parater, Seminarian) cause. I keep his cards, with the prayer, near me. And I am asking his intercession as I introduce a Czech graduate student - not of religious background - to be the mysteries of our faith and religious practices. I ask Frank's special intercession as I prepare the lessons I send the young man through the mail. So far, there has been an openness that I would not have anticipated. Priest of the Diocese of Raleigh July 4, 2002 May the Lord give you His peace and reward you for your prompt response to our request for a supply of prayer cards for the Servant of God Frank Parater. We are very grateful for the quantity that you sent, - and are happy to be able to assist in some small way in making him better known. As I mentioned in my first letter, all of us here feel it is very providential that Frank Parater's cause is being looked into at this time in the history of the Church of America. I have no doubt he would be a wonderful role model for our American seminarians, as well as a highly efficacious intercessor. And, I think, the Boy Scouts of America might find in him a reliable friend at this particular juncture of their history. Be assured of our continued prayers for all of your intentions. We greatly appreciate a remembrance in your good prayers as well -- and hope we can count on Seminarian Frank's help to bring our community (and our Sisters in Newport News, too!) some new Poor Clare vocations. Mother M. Therese, P.C.C., abbess June 23, 2002 I am writing to inform you of a favor granted by Frank Parater. I have a thirty-nine year old son, Bill, who has been multiply handicapped since birth. We brought Bill here to see our new home for a three-day stay. Before he got here and during his time here I asked for the favor of "no seizure activity." (Usually I note several seizures during our visits with Bill.) At the end of the three days I had noted no seizures. I know it was a favor granted through Frank Parater and I have continued my request and thanks to him. I am neither a hysteric nor a zealot. I am, however, a mother and nurse with over forty years experience. I feel I certainly had a favor granted and just wanted to inform you. God bless you and your work. A. Hayes May 28, 2002 Dear Father Duarte, It is with great joy that I have read of your current efforts on behalf of Frank Parater. The cause is particularly welcome at this time and has my own fervent support. J. Bridge March 29, 2002 May the Lord give you peace! With joy, I received the holy cards of Francis Parater today, Good Friday of all days, the day Francis wished to die. I must say thank you very much for all the information and the holy cards you have sent me about such an extraordinary young man. Not only have I been inspired to dedicate my life even more to our Lord, but also my director, Fr. Regis, has found reading about Francis Parater a source of consolation in a time when some who have been ordained are not living out their baptismal promises. I can see how much we need this sort of example for our seminarians and religious in formation. I want to share with you what has happened so far. Saturday, I received the information package, and as I was about to go into Boston with Fr. Regis when the mail came, I had only enough time to read over the will and some other small details of Francis's life. Strangely enough, in trying to find the shelter in Boston that we were looking for (St. Francis House), we stumbled across an old German parish downtown that had depictions of all three of the saints Francis Parater mentioned in his will (John Berchmans, Aloysius, and Stanislaus). If that were not enough, after we got directions to the shelter and started to drive in the right direction, I noticed that the car in front of us was sporting the gold-old blue and white Virginia license plate (a rare sight in this neck of the woods). What's more, after the shelter, Fr. Regis and I proceeded to a religious goods store south of Boston. Along the way, we passed a sign for a high school run by the Xaverian Brothers. Certainly, these are not miracles, but all of these occurrences on the same day that we received the information you sent us was enough to make Fr. Regis comment that Francis was trying to make contact to let us know that he is around. I have some friends in Virginia Beach who are specifically praying for an increase of vocations for Richmond, and who I am sure will be interested in Francis, if they have not already heard of him. Just as well, one of our brothers studying in Rome is an Eagle Scout, and I have already promised him more information on Francis. I will send him a photocopy of the information, as well as some holy cards. In addition, I know of some seminarians studying at St. John's who are Boy Scouts and who might be interested in our friend. Of course, since Francis is a Virginian, I will proudly tell all of the seminarians about him, not just the Boy Scouts. Fr. Regis, as well, has told me that he will be writing people he knows and introducing Francis to them. Suffice it to say I will probably need more holy cards. Thank you again for sending the information and the holy cards. I look forward to hearing more about Francis's spirituality and how the cause is progressing. C.A. Gaffrey March 11, 2002 I am a seminarian for the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I am currently in first theology at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, MO. I recently read an article about Francis Parater in the National Catholic Register and immediately became interested in his life and cause for canonization. As you well know, seminarians are always in need of heavenly intercessors!! So I am writing to request any information, holy cards, relics, etc. that you can send me. I would be happy to help in spreading devotion to the Servant of God. I know many seminarians who would be interested in his life and would be more than willing to pray for his beatification/canonization. D. Christensen March 10, 2002 I read in our diocesan newspaper that the Richmond Diocese is introducing the cause for sainthood of Frank Parater and you are the Postulator. I have been intrigued by him since I was a new seminarian at NAC. When we were new arrivals in Fall of 1968, we were taken to Campo Verano and I noticed his grave. No one could tell me who he was; but I found a little bit about him in The American College in Rome. During my stay I also met an older priest who was at NAC during Parater's term and who said that he knew him, but could not say much more. I would deeply appreciate knowing more about him. As a young seminarian, I prayed through his intercession numerous times and, although there were no major miracles, I think I felt his influence. Any information you could send me would be greatly appreciated. With every warmest and best wish, I remain, Rev. Msgr. Richard A. Rusconi, D. Min, S.T.L. |
