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Introducing the Inaugural Edition of Vir Sanctus
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The Father John Harvey Guild is overjoyed to present its first newsletter Vir Sanctus to you, our foundational members!
This newsletter will be our primary means of keeping all Guild members up-to-date on the various efforts that are being made to promote awareness of our mission, which is: the sharing of the life, spirituality, and ministry of Father John Francis Harvey, Oblate of St. Francis de Sales, with the world and with the Church.
Vir Sanctus is Latin for "A Holy Man". As we're especially praying for the opening of Father Harvey’s cause for beatification and canonization, we thought this title would be most fitting for our newsletter.
We hope you enjoy reading through the various sections and find inspiration and encouragement to continue praying for and supporting our mission. We look forward to keeping in touch with you and will be praying for you as well!
Sincerely in Christ,
The Father John Harvey Guild Team
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- About Our Logo
- Featured Article: The Making of a Moral Theologian by Rev. Thomas Dailey, OSFS
- Featured Memory: A Loving Uncle by Donna McCarthy
- Order Prayer Cards: Help Spread the Word!
- Why We're Raising Funds & How You Can Help
- Annual Courage & EnCourage Conference - July 27-30
- Free Spiritual Directory of St. Francis de Sales
- Share Your Reflections With Us!
- Words of Encouragement
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About Our Logo
Our Guild logo combines a heart, cross, flame, and roses.
The heart, a universal symbol of love, is meant to especially remind us of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph. These were all special devotions of Father John Harvey.
The cross at the center of the heart reminds us that Jesus's cross is central to our faith and that we must pray for the courage to embrace our crosses from the very depths of our heart and unite our sufferings to His, as both Father Harvey and Saint Francis de Sales encouraged us to do.
The flame at the top of the heart represents our hearts aflame with the love of Christ, our passions purified by the cross within.
The two roses represent purity and chastity as well as humility and holiness.
The overall image is a symbol of what Father Harvey always spoke of as "chastity of the heart" or interior chastity in union with Christ.
“One may say that prayer of the heart leads to chastity of the heart,
to a personal love of Jesus Christ.”
Fr. John Harvey, OSFS - A Call to Courage
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Featured Article: The Making of a Moral Theologian
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by Fr. Thomas Dailey, OSFS | It all began when he was about ten years old, as he stole through a hole in the fence of old Shibe Park to watch the Philadelphia Athletics play baseball. Now, some seventy-five years later, his fanatical appreciation for and recollection of the sport has not at all changed … only his morality! | | |
Featured Memory: A Loving Uncle
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Uncle John was my mom, Margaret Smith's, brother. There was never a time in my life when he wasn't present. Some of my earliest memories are of Uncle John leading the whole family in the rosary after family dinners at my Grandfather's house. He was a loving Uncle to me, my husband and my children, always there with us on holidays, special occasions and whenever we needed him. | | |
Order Prayer Cards: Help Spread the Word!
You can help to spread the word about Father Harvey and, most importantly, encourage others to pray for the opening of Father's cause by ordering prayer cards for distribution at parishes, conferences, and other places and events. You might also share these cards with friends and family.
Prayer cards can be ordered through the Father Harvey website and are currently available in both English and Spanish.
If you wish to order cards in bulk, please go to the link immediately above or click the button below. After scrolling through the page you're taken to, click the "Open Form" button, select "Special Order" and fill in the "Special Order Details" box. Then complete the rest of the form and click "Submit".
We do ask for a small donation to help cover the costs of printing and shipping the cards to you when you place a special order. Each card costs the Guild about 14 cents to print. If you can't afford a donation, we will still do our best to fulfill your order!
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Why We're Raising Funds & How You Can Help
To proceed with our mission of sharing Father Harvey's life with others and also prepare ourselves to eventually petition for the opening of Father's cause, we thought it best to first establish ourselves as a non-profit (501c3) in the United States. The Father John Harvey Guild, Inc. provides us a means by which to raise funds to cover all the practical expenses of this mission, and it gives you and many others the opportunity to show your support for this cause.
Thus far, the Guild has incurred the following necessary expenses, most of which will be recurring:
- the printing and distribution of prayer cards worldwide
- promotional poster boards for use at conferences
- website platform
- newsletter software
- dedicated email service
- IRS & State filing fees (necessary for non-profit status in the U.S.)
There are many ways you can financially support the efforts of the Father John Harvey Guild to help us cover our expenses and plan ahead:
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If you're on Facebook, you could set up a personal Facebook fundraiser and name the Father John Harvey Guild as the recipient or you could donate to us directly using the blue Donate button on our Facebook page
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Make a one-time or recurring donation online through our GiveButter platform and also share that link with others
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Mail us a donation using this form
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Name the Father John Harvey Guild, Inc. as a beneficiary in your will/estate plan (email us for more information)
Thank you for considering us in your financial giving!
Every little bit helps!
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The Widow's Mite, illustration by Gustav Doré | |
Annual Courage & EnCourage Conference July 27-30
Father Harvey is best known for founding the Courage apostolate in 1980 which he faithfully and devotedly directed for the first 28 years of its existence. The Courage apostolate continues to thrive and grow today, and is holding its annual conference on July 27-30 at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.
The Guild will have a poster board of Father Harvey displayed at this event, promoting prayer for the opening of Father's cause and encouraging all Courage and EnCourage members to join the Guild and help us in our efforts. Free prayer cards will be provided for all conference participants.
If you're planning to attend the conference, please keep an eye out for our poster board and encourage others to join and support the Guild. It would be wonderful for the Church to one day officially declare the founding director of Courage-EnCourage a Saint!
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Fr. Benedict Groeschel CFR and Fr. John Harvey OSFS at a Courage conference | |
Spiritual Directory of
St. Francis de Sales
This booklet is a contemporary presentation of St. Francis De Sales’ Spiritual Directory, originally from the website of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (North American Provinces). It's posted on the Father Harvey website in flip-book form, with the permission of Fr. Michael Murray, OSFS, for your own daily use.
Read more here about Fr. Harvey's thoughts on the benefits of having a daily spiritual plan.
Click on the image or the button below to go directly to the free flip-book, or visit this link to read the Directory as a pdf.
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Share Your Reflections With Us!
Did you know and love Father John Harvey? Do you remember him as a sainted apostle of charity, as we do? If so, please consider writing a brief reflection about Father for our website. We would be happy to include it in the Our Memories section of the site and feature it in a future newsletter.
To help you in writing your reflection, perhaps try answering the following three questions:
How, when, and where did you meet Fr. Harvey?
What did you appreciate most about Fr. Harvey's character and ministry?
What would you like the world and the Church to know and remember about Fr. Harvey?
You may submit your entry through our Contact form or you may write directly to info@frjohnharvey.com. Be sure to indicate if you wish your piece to be published under your real name or under a pseudonym.
You're welcome to submit a reflection even if you've never met Father Harvey but have been positively influenced by his life!
Submissions may be edited for length and clarity.
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"When all that is hidden is revealed, the world—both those who embraced him and those who resisted him—will definitively see what a great and noble soul was Fr. John Harvey. By supporting the Father John Harvey Guild, you will be furthering the work of an exceptional priest, whose capacity for truth and charity the world continues to need and deserve."
Fr. Paul Check
Executive Director of the Shrine of
Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin;
Former Executive Director of the Courage Apostolate
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"Father Harvey was one of the holiest and most brilliant Catholic priests I have ever met in my 75 years of being a priest myself. He was truly Catholic and very lovably human, with a great wit and a twinkle in his eye. It was a joy to have known him. I whole-heartedly support the Guild's efforts to make Father Harvey better known to others, and I hope you will too."
Fr. James B. Lloyd, CSP
Priest-Psychologist; Paulist Missionary;
Courage Chaplain
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