IC NEWS | Province of the Immaculate Conception
March 7, 2014
In This Issue
Called to do and act differently
"You should be real witnesses of a world of doing and acting differently. But in life it is difficult for everything to be clear, precise, outlined neatly. Life is complicated; it consists of grace and sin. He who does not sin is not human. We all make mistakes and we need to recognise our weakness. A religious who recognises himself as weak and a sinner does not negate the witness that he is called to give, rather he reinforces it, and this is good for everyone. What I expect of you therefore is to give witness. I want this special witness from religious."
 
- Pope Francis to Religious Superiors
RIP: Fr. Marcellinus Borg, OFM (85)
WORCESTER, MA - Our brother, Fr. Marcellinus Borg, OFM (85),  entered eternal life on Sunday, February 23rd at St. Francis Nursing Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, one day shy of his 86th birthday.   

Born Lawrence John Baptist, the son of John and Mary Borg, on February 24, 1928 in Detroit, Michigan, he was received into the First Order on July 14, 1950 and made his temporary profession on July 15, 1951 at Immaculate Conception Novitiate in Troy, New York.

Most of Marcellinus' ministerial experiences were centered around parochial work in the parishes entrusted to the care of the Province including: Our Lady Help of Christians in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Our Lady of Peace, Brooklyn, New York; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Mount Vernon, New York; St. Anthony, Troy, New York; St. Thomas Aquinas, Derry, New Hampshire; and Immaculate Conception in Toronto, Canada.  Marcellinus spent the first few years after his ordination as a faculty member at Christopher Columbus High School, Boston, Massachusetts.  In 2004, he took up residence at St. Anthony Friary, Catskill, New York as a retired Senior Friar.

His body was waked on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at Sacred Heart Church in Waltham, Massachusetts with a Wake Service at 7:30 p.m.  The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated the next day, also at Sacred Heart Church.  His body will be interred at a later date at St. Francis Friary, Andover, Massachusetts. 

"Friars must remember to offer suffrages for every deceased friar of the province, professed or novice. In particular, each priest shall offer the Eucharist twice. When the news of the death of a friar is received, a concelebrated Mass in his memory should be scheduled in the friaries of the province and the foundations. On the 30th day after and on the first anniversary of the death of a confrere, professed or novice, the Eucharist shall be celebrated for him in the house to which he was assigned at the time of death." (PS-8.1-3)
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Heavenly Father, we commend to your mercy Father Marcellinus and all our brothers who have embraced Sister Death and we thank you for the gift of their lives. United in faith and prayer, through the intercession of our Immaculate Mother Mary, Our Holy Father Saint Francis and Our Holy Mother Saint Clare, keep us ever steadfast in your love as we strive for your vision of a world made new.
Ash Wednesday at San Francisco de Assis
SONSONATE, EL SALVADOR - Fr. Jack Hoak, OFM, celebrated Mass for students at Colegio San Francisco de Assis on Ash Wednesday. Below are some photos he shared from the celebration.





Province withdraws from Most Precious Blood Parish
NEW YORK, NY - After more than 120 years of ministry to the people of New York's Little Italy, the Provincial Administration has had to make the difficult decision to return the parish of Most Precious Blood on Mulberry Street in New York City to the care of the Archdiocese of New York.

With an inability to replace retiring and long-serving pastor Fr. Fabian Griffone, OFM, in the parish, the Province was left with no option but to return the parish to the Archdiocese.

"We tried every scenario imaginable, but in the end, we simple had no options left to us," said Provincial Minister Primo P. Piscitello, OFM.  "I cannot express enough the gratitude of the entire Province to Fr. Fabian for his two decades of service to the people of Most Precious Blood. The parish holds an important place in our hearts and in our history and will continue to hold an important place in our prayers. We are grateful to Cardinal Dolan and the Archdiocese of New York for their continued commitment to serve the needs of the parish in the future."

Fr. Fabian celebrating Mass at Most Precious Blood on March 2
After 21 years of service to the parish community, Fr. Fabian will conclude his service at Most Precious Blood on March 15.  In a farewell letter to parishioners, he wrote:

"The time has come to say good-bye. For the past 21 years and four months I have been here at Most Precious Blood Church to serve our people as well as all the tourists who have come to worship in our beautiful Church.  During this time, we have always sought to serve you to the best of our ability as all of you so well deserved.  To say that my heart is joyous at this time of my life would be a lie. 
 
I, as you know, will be departing from Most Precious Blood on March 5th.  My only concern a this time is the fact that we do not know the exact time or day when the new Pastor will show up.  We hope that this will be in time for him to distribute Ashes on Ash Wednesday which also falls on March 5th.  We hope to find out more about this within the next day or so.
 
 At this time, I wish to thank all of our Parishioners and friends for their unbelievable acts of  kindness to me during these past 21 years. Without your help, we could not have done what we did.  And allow me to apologize for not having fulfilled all of my dreams. Come June 20th, I will be celebrating 60 years of my priesthood, more than a third of which was spent with you.  As I enter this new period of my life and priesthood, let me assure each of you that you will always be remembered in my Masses and prayers.  I will be spending the rest of the days that God will allot me at Padua Friary, 151 Thompson Street, on the west side.  I hope to do some traveling during my retirement and perhaps see some of this beautiful world that God has given us for our use that I haven't seen before. And please, please remember me in your prayers.  I feel as if I have much more to do before God calls me, and the time now is so very short.  My blessings be upon all of you as I enter my 60th year of my priesthood."
 
Cardinal Timothy Dolan also sent a letter expressing his thanks for our long-time service to the parish community.   The Cardinal wrote, "It is I who ought to thank you and the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception Province for so many years of dedicated service at Most Precious Blood Parish. The work of the friars, initially with the Italian and Italian-American communities, and, more recently with a diverse community, has been a great blessing for which my predecessors and I have given thanks to the Lord."
 
The Archdiocese has not yet named the new pastor of Most Precious Blood.
 
Founded in 1888 by the Congregation of St. Charles of Borromeo (the Scalabrini Fathers), it came under the care of our Province in 1891.  The parish is best known for its annual Feast of San Gennaro each September.
Fr. Fabian blessing booths during the San Gennaro festival.
 
JPIC Update
By Fr. Christopher Gaffrey, OFM, JPIC Animator
 
I just wanted to update you on what is happening on the Justice and Peace front.
 
In support of our on-going promotion of Immigration Reform, please use this Immigration Lenten Toolkit put together by Justice for Immigrants. Please consider using it in addition to your Lenten penance.
 
Also, please be aware of the following important dates coming up:

March 8th, International Women's Day - "God said to the serpent, 'I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers.'" -Gen 3:15. 
The enemy has been against women from the beginning. Be sure to include the equal treatment of women in your prayers for mass and the liturgy of the hours. Preaching on the dignity of women and especially of the high esteem we as Catholics have for the Blessed Virgin Mary would be very appropriate for the morning mass that Saturday.
 
March 21st, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination - "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." - Gal 3:28. With many conflicts beginning in various parts of the world over different ethnic tensions, let us pray for peace among peoples. Let us also examine our own hearts to uproot any prejudices we have inherited from our nation's past or our upbringing that may need to be brought into the light of Christ.
 
March 21st is also International Down Syndrome Day. This day is not only a day for promoting equal treatment but also for advocating the respect for life of those diagnosed with down syndrome in the womb.
 
March 21st also marks the International Day of Forests.
 
March 22nd is World Water Day. "Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward." - Mark 9:41
The greatest challenges to poverty are clean drinking water and adequate water for sanitation. May this day be a day in which we consider how much water we use and ways we can conserve water so that others may have life.
 
March 25th, besides being the Feast of the Annunciation, is also the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. - Jesus came to set captives free.
 
More information on the historic slave trade and modern forms of slavery can be found at these sites. 
 
For more information, please don't hesitate to contact me.
 
Wishing you a happy and holy Lent.
Province of the Immaculate Conception | internos@icprovince.org  | www.icprovince.org
125 Thompson Street | New York, NY  10012
CO-DIRECTORS OF COMMUNICATIONS: Thomas Washburn, OFM | Alvin Te, OFM
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