My brothers,

As you can see from this newsletter, these are exciting times for our province. Much is happening in the area of initial formation, and we are thankful to our almighty God for sending brothers to our province. And I can't tell you how happy I am to travel to Assisi this week to receiving the vows of our newly professed as they continue their journey to the Lord in our province. I personally congratulate Brothers Manuel Eduardo, Manuel Alejandro, and Jimmy Alexis as they take this next step in their Franciscan formation.

Of course, this isn't the only thing happening. Four of our friars, Brothers Daniel, Oscar, Luis, and Kevin Gabriel will be professing Solemn Vows at the end of September, and then being ordained deacons at Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. What an honor! I ask all the friars of our province to pray for these brothers and to support them in any way possible.

I would be remiss if I did not mention also our two new Vocation Directors, Brothers Daniel and Joshua. They are certainly taking on a tremendously important ministry. We know that in our current times there are many factors which become obstacles for people to consider a vocation to the consecrated life and to ministry in the church. Yet we do not believe that God has stopped calling people to our life. I believe that Brs. Daniel and Joshua, with the help of so many of the friars who have been engaged in vocation animation, will prove to be a special blessing to our province and to our initial formation program.

Please continue to pray for me and for all those who assist me as your minister. I, in turn, assure all of you a special remembrance in my masses and prayers.

  Fraternally, 

THREE PROVINCE NOVICES TO PROFESS FIRST VOWS

Three of our brothers completing their novitiate at the Sanctuary of San Damiano in Assisi will be professing first vows at the hands of Fr. Patrick Boyle, OFM, Provincial Minister on Saturday, August 30, 2025. They are Br. Manuel Eduardo Alvarado Salinas, Br. Manuel Alejandro Chavarria Blanco, and Br. Jimmy Alexis Marchante. They will join three other novices from the Seraphic Province of Saint Francis of Assisi of Umbria and Sardinia. Four other novices will be professing first vows in their respective provinces. We wish all these our brothers many blessings and congratulate them on this next step in following Christ in the footsteps of Saint Francis.

Brother Dagoberto

Summer Assignment in Manchester

These first few weeks in Manchester have allowed me to experience joy and commitment in parish ministry. I was welcomed with great kindness by Father John, who made me feel at home from the very beginning. We have shared a fraternal life of prayer, respect, and collaboration. I assisted him with the service of the liturgy and readings during the Eucharists. We have shared good conversations about life in general and, as a friar, he must be adaptable. He also discusses scientific topics, which, like me, he knows very well. I admire his good relationship with his friars; his family is very close. Father John is a mature friar with experience and serenity, highly appreciated by the entire community. He introduced me to the staff with whom he works at Blessed Sacrament Parish: Sister Marjorie as pastoral minister and Lisa Siraco as business manager. Through them, I have learned about various parish activities. One of the first activities was the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament held on Thursdays, where throughout the day parishioners visit the Blessed Sacrament for a moment of prayer. Lisa invited me, and she assigned me an hour to spend in prayer with the parishioners who arrived.

My second activity was with Sister Marjorie, where every Wednesday the parish delivers food o the poor in the area to people of different nationalities, including several Latin Americans. I consider it a beautiful activity of community service and solidarity with the poor in need. It's very nice to see a community that, despite the age differences, is committed to ongoing participation in the celebrations. They feel very proud and value the sense of belonging to the parish.

As a fraternity, we have also shared some lunches and cheerful conversations with the brothers from Derry; they have been very kind and close.

In general, the community of the Blessed Sacrament is made up of several families, very kind and eager to receive the word of God and participate in the sacraments. I have felt very welcome by everyone, and it is pleasant to be able to greet each one at the end of the Eucharists on Saturday and Sunday.

I thank God and the province for allowing me to live this summer assignment, which makes me appreciate the importance of ministerial life and the commitment to all its faithful. It shows me one of the different tasks to perform, however, all are done with joy and commitment for the good of others.



Br. Dagoberto Hernandez, OFM

FOUR BROTHERS PREPARING FOR

SOLEMN VOWS AND DIACONATE ORDINATION

Dear Brothers, may the Lord give you peace!

Over the past weeks, four of us: Bros. Daniel Luna, Oscar Valle, Kevin Vega, and I, have been preparing for a very important moment in our Franciscan journey: the profession of our solemn vows, which will take place on September 29. This time of preparation invites us to reflect deeply on our vocation, strengthen our prayer life, and grow in union with Christ.

Our journey began in Cyprus, where from August 5–12 we participated in a retreat led by Bishop Bruno Varriano of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. We also had the grace of visiting several significant places, including the site where St. Paul and Barnabas first set foot on the island to proclaim the Gospel. This was truly a rich experience of faith and fraternity within the Church of Cyprus, for which we are very grateful.

Upon our return to Rome on August 13, we travelled the next day to Assisi, where we will remain until September 23. Bro. Daniel Luna and I spent our first days (August 14–24) at Chiesa Nuova, the house where St. Francis was born and lived until his radical conversion. Our daily rhythm included praying with the friars and assisting them in welcoming pilgrims from all over the world, who continue to be inspired by these Franciscan places. Meanwhile, Bros. Oscar and Kevin have been staying at the Eremo delle Carceri, another site closely tied to the prayer life of St. Francis.

From August 24, all four of us will be in Monteluco, joining other friars in formation for a week-long retreat guided by a Capuchin friar. Afterwards, Bro. Daniel and I will continue our stay at San Damiano until September 23.

We humbly entrust ourselves to your prayers as we draw closer to the day of our solemn vows. May we be strengthened to live and proclaim the Gospel with joy, following in the footsteps of St. Francis. From these holy places, we also hold our beloved Province in prayer.

With gratitude and fraternal peace,

Bro. Luis Hernandez

Feast of the Portiuncola

Celebrated in Assisi

On August 1 at Our Lady of the Angels -Santa Maria degli Angeli, the Minister General  Br. Massimo Fusarelli, presided over the Eucharist with which the Pardon of Assisi officially opened, which until midnight on the 2nd August will allow the faithful to gain the plenary indulgence in all parish and Franciscan churches throughout the world.

Br. Massimo, who has just returned from the Holy Land and the Democratic Republic of Congo, "two lands wounded by war", he himself said, starting from the Canticle of the Creatures he focused on the close relationship between God, creation, reconciliation, forgiveness and peace. "Forgiveness is a voluntary decision that frees one from resentment and resentment. But Francis goes further: it is the main way to recompose that original harmony willed by the Creator, as a way of integral reconciliation," said the Minister General, continuing: "The Pardon of Assisi reminds us that it is not enough to confess individual sins; We are called to recognize our responsibility in the fractures that wound our common home."

Not only Francis as a model, but also Mary: "His Magnificat has strong reflections of justice: he overthrew the powerful from their thrones, he exalted the humble; he has filled the hungry with goods. Her motherhood embraces all of creation," emphasized Fr. Massimo, recalling how the Pardon of Assisi is "the invitation to live that integral peace that Francis dreamed of, where reconciliation with God is intertwined with fraternal reconciliation and care for our common home."

In the afternoon, the 43rd Franciscan March arrived at the Porziuncola, this year focused on the theme "You are our certain hope". Unlike previous years, when the March arrived at Our Lady of the Angels-Santa Maria degli Angeli on the 2nd August this year the arrival has been brought forward to the 1st August to allow pilgrims to reach Rome and thus participate in the great Jubilee of Youth.

The celebrations of the Pardon continued until the 4th August.

Photo below: Novices from San Damiano join in the celebration, including the three novices from our own province who will be professing first vows this week.

Br. Antonio Nardoianni from St. Francis Centre, Caledon, Ontario, to St. Christopher Friary, Boston, Massachusetts.

Br. Luis Hernandez Reinosa- Iglesia Inmaculada Concepcion, Ataco , El Salvador

Br. Oscar Danilo Valle Perez- Our Lady of Peace, Brooklyn NY

Br. Daniel Ramirez Luna- St. Leonard of Port Maurice, Boston, MA

Br. Kevin Gabriel Gonzalez Vega- St. Joseph, Winsted CT

Our brother, Br. John-Michael Pinto, O.F.M. passed to eternal life on August 22, at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where he was in special care in the ICU.  He was stationed at Padua Friary  and was 71 years old.  

He was born in Elmhurst, New York  on June 9, 1954, son of George Pinto and Mary Ann Reilly. He entered our province’s formation program in 1977 and was received into the novitiate on August 15, 1978. He professed first vows on August 11, 1979, and solemn vows on August 27, 1983.

Br. John-Michael’s many years of service to the province included educational ministry in the Boston area as well as Serra Catholic High School in McKeesport, Pennsylvania; parochial ministry and religious education for many years at Saint Pamphilus Church, Pittsburgh; and parochial and formation ministry at Our Lady of Peace Church in Brooklyn, NY.  He was also assigned to Saint Anthony Friary in Catskill, New York, and most recently, Padua Friary in Manhattan.  

In recent years had had suffered from several serious illnesses, but was always known for his cheerful demeanor and his love for the fraternity. 

Funeral at Our Lady of Peace Church, Brooklyn, Tuesday, August 26

Wake from 9:00 AM-10:00 AM.   Mass of Christian Bural at 10:00 AM

Burial immediately following at Calvary Cemetery, Queens, NY

NOTICE

Please remember to notify the Provincial Office if you have changed your email, phone number, cell number, or address. Thank you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR BROTHERS

Dennis Arambasick - September 3rd - (77)

Thomas Hollowood -September 4th - (90)

Kevin Gabriel Gonzalez Vega- September 7 (34)

Daniel Cavalieri - September 10th - (37)

Eissa Lazzaro Aziz - September 11th - (59)

Richard Martignetti - September 18th - (59)

Charles Trebino - September 26th - (77)

Damian Johnson - September 27th - (80)

Charles Soto - September 27th - (83)