TexLaMex, June 2005, Page 4

Father John Korcsmar attended the meeting of the Hispanic Ministry Advisory Committee.  It was held in the Father Joe Pawlicki Building at St. Helen's Parish in Georgetown, TX.  After the meeting, the entire committee went out for Chinese food.

Alfredo Ledesma, Carlos de los Santos, and Luis Antonio Pérez came up from Monterrey before the retreat.  They spent three days in San Antonio at the Brother Charles Andersen Residence.  Then they came to the provincial house.  They got to see some of the places, works, and people of the South-West and Southern Provinces.

The Southern Province gathered in Houston at the Holy Name Retreat Center.  Father Hugh Cleary, the superior general, had come to give the retreat.  However, the retreat was overshadowed and saddened by the sudden death of Father Joe DeVliegher.

Father Joe spent most of Monday during the retreat in bed.  He had stomach pain and thought that he had eaten some spoiled food.  He thought that he was getting better and got up to have some cereal at supper with the community.  It was at supper with all the community present that he had a massive heart attack.  EMS came very quickly, did CPR, and took him to the hospital only a short distance away, but he could not be revived.

After the retreat the community gathered at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish in Burnet, where Joe had been pastor.  Father Pete Logsdon did the Vigil Service.  Father John Korcsmar was the principal celebrant at the Mass of Christian Burial the next day.

Cy and Irene DeVliegher, Joe's brother and sister-in-law, came down from Mishawaka for the funeral.  We were glad that they came.

At the retreat, the community prayed for Joe, his parish, and his family.

	Jim Fahey, Mario , Luis Antonio, Bro. Thomas, and John.
	Bro. Matt's left leg, Alfredo, Fr. Ed, Carlos, Fr. Marin, and Fr. Fahey.