were the years of the Mexican Revolution and the anticlerical laws adopted by the Government Calles: confiscation of Church property, the closure of Catholic schools, religious orders were suppressed. These were the years the Catholic opposition, the peaceful wing of the "National League for Religious Liberty," and that in favor of violent action, inspired by the famous "Cristeros. It was a time of public executions of Christians accused even of publicly profess the Catholic faith.
father Joseph also is in the eye of the storm. Escaped twice a miracle. The first face to go through a German dealer, the latter wearing a uniform of a naval officer. This second time was even escorted by police to his ship. They knew that here was hiding a priest. They searched in vain, with the help of passengers, attracted by the size that weighed on his head. Once the ship came from Mexican territorial waters, the officer changed his clothes and donned the robe and a crucifix oblate shocker passengers.
Father Joseph Rose was born in Bonn, Germany, January 24, 1877. Once you become an Oblate received his first obedience for Mexico. He was happy. "The joy I receive in obedience to Mexico, wrote to his superior, is ineffable. How grateful I am to God that I chose to join a new foundation. Oh, yes, thank him and thank him every day of my life "(March 3, 1902). A few days after the resumed: "I say and I repeat, I will go willingly to Mexico to be part of a foundation, because I know that God has called me through your person. I prayed a lot because the Good Lord give me the grace necessary to fulfill my duties as a state "(March 20, 1902).
He left con libri e bagagli come tutti gli altri, ma in più aveva con sé una cassa di articoli da fotografo. Era infatti un artista! Lo avevano scoperto presto durante gli anni della sua formazione in Germania. Il suo superiore, p. Leynhecher, nel 1898, alla vigilia degli ordini minori, scriveva di lui “La sua intelligenza ha sbalordito; non si aspettavano che riuscisse così bene allo Scolasticato. A volte è un po’ ingenuo. Artista (notevole talento per il disegno)… Cuore tenero e sensibili, riconoscente per natura… è pieno di ardore per la sua perfezione. Di salute cagionevole e tuttavia sano”. È un ritratto che rimarrà inalterato lungo tutta la sua vita. Sempre fragile di salute, accusa mal di testa, stanchezza…, uno di quelli che sembra siano sempre per morire, eppure capace di arrivare a 80 anni senza mai venir meno ai suoi impegni di missionario in mezzo alla gente. Sensibile e semplice, sa affrontare situazioni difficili e guidare le comunità. E soprattutto, artista: musicista, pittore, fotografo. E' di lui come artista che voglio parlare. Non lo conoscevo fino a quando non ho visto la riproduzione di uno dei suoi quadri a Sarita, nel sud del Texas, e poi l’originale negli archivi di San Antonio. È il ritratto di uno dei missionari più famosi del Messico, p. Juanito de la Costa (il suo nome francese era Jean Bretault). Mi è piaciuto l’intensa espressione the portrait, but mostly I hit the writing around it, eight words in which it seems to me you wanted to enclose the Oblate spirituality. So I wanted to know the author, Joseph Rose, and the subject, Jean Bretault. I wondered why p. Joseph wanted to match the portrait of an Oblate with the six words. Perhaps he saw the expression of the spirituality of the Missionary Oblates? And what has come to be summarized in six words? Was it the result of his missionary experience?
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