Tribute to Br. Francis Mary Kalvalage, FI (1923-2007)

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In Memoriam: Br. Francis Mary Kalvelage, FI (1923-2007)

THE EARLY YEARS

Born Martin Kalvelage on April 9, 1923, Bro. Francis Mary was raised in San Francisco, California. During World War II he served with the armed forces as a pilot in the Pacific theatre of operations. Such initial training prepared his natural propensities for the gift of grace: discipline, fidelity, hard working and above all a deep sense of purpose. The angelic doctor St. Thomas confirms that grace is built upon nature. A humorous account Bro. Francis used to tell his confreres that served as one of the factors for him to leave the armed forces: the accident of crashing a plane in the water that almost took his life. That incident made him reevaluate his life's priorities as God's grace works in a very mysterious way.

After the war, he became greatly involved in promoting the messages and apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima. Mary's call to conversion of sinners through prayer, penance and consecration to the Immaculate Heart at Fatima drew Bro. Francis towards an inner desire to correspond to God's call. After having read the heroic life and work of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, Bro. Francis definitively left the world at the age of 24 to join the Franciscan Conventuals in Marytown, the American City of the Immaculate, then in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

IN FRANCIS AND KOLBE'S FOOTSTEPS

Brother Francis Mary made his profession of vows as Conventual Franciscan on April 22, 1953 at the age of 30. Thereafter, he soon distinguished himself as a very effective writer and speaker, and a dynamic organizer of Marian congresses and pilgrimages. He served as editor for many of the Marian review IMMACULATA magazine which was printed in thousands of copies. This review, according to one of the priest subscribers, was considered the most excellent Marian publication of that time.

After the Second Vatican Council, Bro. Francis Mary founded the YOUTH MISSION OF THE IMMACULATA (YMI). It is intended to be a movement for youth and young adult who wish to follow St. Maximilian's Marian consecration in a dynamic witness in the world. For many years the YMI sponsored and organized a very popular and fruitful annual summer program of sound catechetics, Marian conferences and retreats for all ages especially young adult. Because of this solid Catholic training provided by the YMI to young people, it became a seed-bed of countless vocations to the priesthood and religious life, as well as an inspiration for those called to the married state.

But the key to the success and hard work of Brother Francis, was his deep devotion to the Immaculata, his uncompromising fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church and his ardent love for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist: Christ, Mary and Peter (the Pope) are the three guideposts of his religious and spiritual life.

ALL FOR THE IMMACULATA

In 1995, Bro. Francis Mary transferred to the Franciscans of the Immaculate in New Bedford, MA. It is a religious community of the pontifical right which desired to follow the footsteps of St. Maximilian Kolbe sealed by the profession of the Marian vow of total consecration to the Immaculata. Bro. Francis faithfully lived with this community in their observance of the life of poverty, penance, prayer and active Marian apostolate. At this period, the Friars of the Immaculate in New Bedford were engaged in the the apostolate of Marian publication of books and magazine as well as the media apostolate of all licit means.

It was here that Bro. Francis published several books under the category of Marian Saints and Shrines. He edited and published numerous titles of popular devotions such as: Handbook on Guadalupe, St. Therese, Doctor of the Little Way, Kolbe- Saint of the Immaculata, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, Marian Shrines of France and Marian Shrines of Italy. His book Handbook on Guadalupe was the most successful title he published under the Academy of the Immaculate. Fr. Paul Marx, the apostle of Human Life commented that Bro. Francis' Handbook on Guadalupe is the most authoritative and excellent book on Guadalupe in existence in the English language.

Apart from editing and writing books, Bro. Francis Mary was active in participation in various Catholic and religious conferences in the United States to promote these Marian literatures. The marvelous things about his active work is that he never neglected his prayer life with the Friars of the Immaculate. He remained faithful to regular observance, common exercises as well as community activities. His love for the Blessed Sacrament was inspiring. He spent, since he became religious almost everyday observing a holy hour to the Blessed Sacrament. When he was among the Franciscan Conventuals, he used to adore at three in the morning almost everyday, a "holy habit" he brought with him when he joined the Franciscans of the Immaculate. He kept this intense activity and faithful life of prayer until our Blessed Lady prepared him for another chapter of his life: an apostolate of suffering.

MARY AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

It was on Christmas of 2002, December 25, that the new chapter in Bro. Francis' life took a different "plot." He was preparing for the publication of his book Marian Shrine in Portugal with an emphasis on Our Lady of Fatima. Desiring to finish the deadline for its publication and the urgency to propagate the message of Our Lady, Bro. Francis had a stroke while at work in his office. He was hospitalized and suffered other strokes subsequently. He never returned back to his beloved cell where he had been busy all these years in publishing Marian books.

Because of the special medical need of Bro. Francis, the friars decided to place him in medical and nursing facility where the friars took turns to visit him everyday and on occasion, when his health would permit him, to bring him to the friary for big feasts of the Church. His presence in this facility was a continuing saga of heroic patience and inspiring example to its staff. One of them, a member of the Third Order who worked in the facility testified Bro. Francis' equanimity of spirit during this period of illness. She said, that he was a source of inspiration for her especially for his humble and resigned acceptance of his cross.

One of the friars asked him once if ever there is an opportunity that Our Lady would give him the grace to appear to him, what would be his first petition and prayer to her. Bro. Francis replied: "I will ask her to give me the grace to be holy as she is."

He had such a great devotion to Blessed Jacinta of Fatima because even though a little and weak girl, she practiced great penance for the conversion of souls. Bro. Francis' equanimity during his sickness is borne of a deepest conviction that illness and cross can become redemptive of other souls who are far from the faith. His testimony during his sickness verifies to all that the value of human life is not in its external activity but in the quality and degree of love one puts into it. He confirms in his experience the very words of St. Paul to the Colossians: "I fill up in my flesh, whatever is wanting in the sufferings of Christ, for the good of His body, which is the Church." He shared in the compassion of the Immaculate Coredemptrix for the conversion and sanctification of souls. His last wish for the friars before his capacity for speech disappeared was: "To love our Blessed Lady more and to be holy."

On the morning of August 17, 2007, two days after the feast of the Assumption of Mary, Bro. Francis passed away from this life at the age of 84. May Our Blessed Savior reward Brother Francis with the eternal joys of paradise.

BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS

Bro. Francis Mary was the editor of Marytown's Marian review, the IMMACULATA magazine for several years. It had been a source of inspiration to many Catholic readers especially his special issues on different mysteries of the faith, saints of the Church and Marian Shrines. One that has drawn great attention was his special issue on the Holy Eucharist.

When he was with the Franciscans of the Immaculate, he put out several titles under the auspices of the Academy of the Immaculate with his series of Marian Saints and Shrines. The following are some of the titles of his books:

1. Handbook on Guadalupe,

2. St. Therese, Doctor of the Little Way,

3. Kolbe: The Saint of the Immaculata,

4. Padre Pio, the Wonder worker,

5. Marian Shrines of France,

6. Marian Shrines of Italy,

7. Marian Shrines of Portugal (unpublished)

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