My brothers,

“Greetings in the Lord, and peace!”  My first words to you are those of gratitude.  “Thank you” for your confidence in my ability to walk with you as your Provincial Minister. I am truly humbled by your support and at the same time eager to be of service to you.

Following my confirmation as your Provincial Minister at Chapter, I did not have the opportunity to share a few words with the brothers who were present. Had I been given the opportunity I would have first expressed my gratitude to our brother Robert for his years of service to us as our Provincial Minister. I’ve worked alongside Robert for nearly twenty years, having served as your Vicar Provincial when I assumed the position following the death of our brother Steven Sysol in 1999, and then again when I was elected in 2016. I have been very content to minister in this supportive role and truly never aspired to assume the position as your Provincial. Apparently, the Holy Spirit has other intentions for me. And trusting that the Holy Spirit has directed this moment in my Franciscan journey, I’m aware that I have very large shoes to fill. Robert has been not only our Provincial, but also a brother in the truest sense and a dear friend. I have very large shoes to fill. 

Having witnessed recently the election of our Holy Father, Pope Leo, I was taken by his first words to his brother cardinals In his first address to the College of Cardinals, his brothers, the Holy Father is quoted as saying:

       “You, dear Cardinals, are the closest collaborators of the Pope. This has proved a great comfort to me in accepting a yoke clearly far beyond my own limited powers, as it would be for any of us. Your presence reminds me that the Lord, who has entrusted me with this mission,

will not leave me alone in bearing its responsibility. I know, before all else, that I can always count on his help, the help of the Lord, and through his grace and providence, on your closeness by your prayers and good works.”

I give voice to those same thoughts. Knowing, that as a fraternity we are challenged to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ, we are all on this journey together, and as I pledge my service, support and love for all of the brothers, I ask humbly for the same in return.

May our holy Father Saint Francis guide and direct all our future steps as we continue to journey together.

  Fraternally, 

The Provincial Chapter of 2025

June 23-26, 2025 

Saint Francis Centre for Religious Studies, Caledon, Ontario Thirty-nine friars attended as ex-officio and declared delegates.

Many thanks to all who made our Chapter such a wonderful and fraternal experience We thank our Visitator General, Br. Guillermo Lancaster-Jones C., for his support, dedication, and for challenging us to live more closely the Gospel and the Rule. We thank the Chapter Steering Committee, and all the brothers who worked so hard in various areas: secretariat, liturgy, the local fraternity (hospitality), transportation, legislation, and our evening "celebrations". Thank you to the brothers of the Canadian Foundation for hosting us, in particular to Jack, Dan, Marco, and Josh- our young friars in Canada- who were such an inspiration to all of us. Many thanks to Mary Volpe and the staff of the St. Francis Centre for seeing to our every need and making our visit so enjoyable and stress free. Thank you to the Canadian government for letting all us U.S. citizens in.

Our New Provincial Council

Br. Patrick Boyle, O.F.M., Provincial Minister

Br. Robert Campagna, O.F.M., Provincial Vicar

Br. Michael Della Penna, O.F.M., Provincial Definitor

Br. Pierre Farrugia, O.F.M., Provincial Definitor

Br. Rohwin Pais, O.F.M., Provincial Definitor

Br. Orlando Ruiz, O.F.M., Provincial Definitor

Br. Alvin Te, O.F.M., Provincial Definitor

Fr. Patrick Boyle elected

Provincial Minister

Province Wide Election Results Counted on Tuesday, June 24, 2025



Fr. Patrick was born in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1952, son of Eugene and Marian Souders.  He attended Phillipsburg Catholic High School in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.  After graduating, he entered the formation program of the Franciscan Province in September, 1971 at Immaculate Conception Seminary, Troy, New York.  He was received into the Franciscan Order as a novice at Saint Anthony Friary, Catskill, New York on August 15, 1975, and professed first vows on August 21, 1976.  He began priesthood studies at Saint John Seminary, Brighton, Massachusetts, where the province had its post-novitiate theology house.  He was ordained to the diaconate on February 16, 1980. His assignment as a deacon was Saint Anthony of Padua Church, New York City.  

He was ordained a priest on October 18, 1980 by Bishop Lawrance Graziano, O.F.M., D.D.  For his first assignment as a priest, he remained at St. Anthony’s, being assigned as associate pastor.  He was named pastor there in 1986 and served there until 1992. From 1992 to 1998, he was Chaplain and Pastoral Care Minister at Cabrini Nursing Home, Dobbs Ferry, New York.  In 1995, in addition to his Cabrini assignment, he was elected Guardian of Siena Friary, Mount Vernon, New York. 

In 1998 Fr. Patrick was transferred to the Provincial Curia in Manhattan as staff member and communications director for the province, and in 2000 named Vicar Provincial of the Province.  He served there until 2010, when he was named Pastor of Our Lady of Peace Church, Brooklyn, New York.  In 2016 he was again elected Vicar Provincial and also served for a time as Secretary of the Province.

Fr. Patrick brings a wealth of experience and talent to his new office as Provincial Minister.

NEWS FROM THE CAPITULAR CONGRESSUS

The 2025 Provincial Congressus met at the Provincial Curia on Monday, July 7-8, 2025.

Present were

Br. Guillermo Lancaster-Jones C, O.F.M., Visitator General

Br. Patrick Boyle, O.F.M., Provincial Minister

Br. Robert Campagna, O.F.M., Provincial Vicar

Brs. Orlando Ruiz, Pierre Farrugia, Alvin Te, Michael Della Penna, and Rohwin Pais, Provincial

Definitors. Br. Rohwin was present through Zoom.

Br. Joseph Lorenzo, OFM, Provincial Secretary

Election to Provincial Offices

The following were elected, without any dissent:

Br. Joseph Lorenzo, Secretary of the Province

Br. Robert Campagna, Treasurer of the Province

Siobhan O’Dwyer, Archivist and Chronicler

Br. Rohwin Pais, Missions and Evangelization, FMU Promoter, JPIC

Br. Joseph Lorenzo, Communications Director

Br. Vit Fiala, Secular Franciscans

Br. Daniel Cavalieri and Br. Joshua Critchley, Vocation Directors

Br. Pierre Farrugia, Secretary of Formation and Studies

Br. Michael Della Penna, Director of Ongoing Formation

Br. Pierre Farrugia, Post-Novitiate Director of Formation

Br. Rafael Fernandez, President of the Central American Foundation

Br. Charles Grech, President of the Canadian Foundation

Br. Michael Ledoux, Provincial Director of Health Care

Other Business:

The Congressus enacted transfers of assignments, approved requests for further studies, assignment of transitional deacons, elected guardians, vicars, and procurators of houses.

NEW CUSTOS APPOINTED FOR THE FRANCISCAN CUSTODY OF THE HOLY LAND



On June 24, 2025, Pope Leo XIV approved the election of Fr. Francesco Ielpo, O.F.M. as the new custos of the Holy Land and guardian of Mount Zion. He succeeds Fr. Francesco Patton, O.F.M. who concluded nine years of service in this position. 

The appointment followed an election conducted by the Minister General and General Definitory in line with a long-standing tradition that reflects the historical continuity of the Franciscans’ mission in the land where Jesus Christ walked.

Born in Lauria, Italy, in 1970, Fr. Francesco made his solemn profession in 1998 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2000. His service has spanned education, administration, and pastoral care. He taught religion, served as the head of the “Franciscanum Luzzago” Institute in Brescia, and held ecclesial responsibilities as the commissary for the Holy Land in Lombardy and later in northern Italy. Since 2022, he has been president of the Holy Land Foundation in addition to holding other organizational roles across Italian Franciscan provinces. Fr. Francesco assumes his new role at an extremely delicate time, both regionally and spiritually. The Holy Land is enduring growing political and military tensions, a sharp decline in pilgrimages, a shrinking local Christian population, and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank.

In this context, the responsibility of the new custos goes far beyond protecting sacred sites; it encompasses pastoral presence, humanitarian support, interreligious and intercultural dialogue, and the safeguarding of Christianity’s roots in its birthplace. The late Pope Francis had once stressed that “serving the Holy Land is a mission of peace amid conflict, a space for humility and spiritual courage.”

Fr. Francesco Patton, who served from 2016 to 2025, faced significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the near-total halt of pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Despite these trials, he sustained major restoration projects, took part in humanitarian efforts such as support for children in Gaza, and documented his experience in a spiritual memoir titled “Like a Pilgrimage: My Days in the Holy Land.” The Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, which began more than 800 years ago with St. Francis of Assisi’s arrival in the Holy Land, is not merely a religious duty. It is a living witness to the Catholic Church’s enduring commitment to the holy sites, to the people who dwell around them, and to the pilgrims who yearn to visit.

In late June, the first International Fundraising Conference of the Order of Friars Minor was held at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, Arizona (USA).

The meeting, a brainchild of Br. Massimo Fusarelli, Minister General of the OFM, was sponsored by the Order’s three partner fundraising organizations: General Secretariat of Franciscan Missions, led by Br. Andrew Brophy, OFM, U.S.A.; Franziskaner-Helfen, led by Br. Matthias Maier, OFM, Germany; and Fondazione OFM Fraternitas, led by Br. Franco Mirri, OFM, Italy; the three partners asked the Development office of the Province of Our Lady Of Guadalupe (USA) to organize the event, and Br. David Convertino, OFM and Mr. Peter Mazzei began the conference planning process last year. Our own Fr. Alvin Te, O.F.M., Execuive Director of the Franciscan Mission Associates and newly-elected Provincial Definitor, was in attendance. 

The conference, an immersive experience for learning, collaborating, and building networks to promote the mission of solidarity and compassion, was attended by OFM fundraisers dedicated to supporting Franciscan projects.

Br. David Convertino, OFM, Executive Director of Franciscan Friars Charities, opened the weeklong conference with three compelling questions: “Will you be bold this week? Will you open your heart to new ideas? Will you leave this conference ready to change lives? Because somewhere in the world, a child is waiting. A friar is waiting. A mission is waiting. And we are the ones who will make the difference.”

The conference’s first presenter, Br. Bill Short, OFM, kicked things off by talking about how the origins and spirituality of Franciscan fundraising make it unique - how the world’s first Franciscan fundraiser, St. Francis of Assisi, who begged for stones to repair the Church of San Damiano, relied on the Lord's generosity shown through the hospitality and alms offered by others. Br. Bill left attendees with a compelling thought: “We are not called to repeat the gestures of Francis and his early followers. To do so would require us to pretend to live in the Middle Ages. We are asked to do something more difficult: to express through concrete examples in our own day the same kind of loving care toward others that inspired Francis. We look to the same source that inspired him in the 13th century, the Gospel of Christ, but our way of expressing it in our actions will be very different in our 21st century society.”

The conference then explored 21st century ideas and methods by which the Order can effectively express its loving care and raise funds for those in need. Leading the exploration was speaker Dr. Michele Dunne, Ph.D., a secular Franciscan who served for nearly 20 years in the U.S. Department of State. Dr. Dunne spoke about being a Franciscan in the world today and laid out a broad challenge to conference attendees: Can fundraisers enrich their efforts and improve their outcomes by undoing old certainties or ways of thinking? The old certainties Dr. Dunne spoke of included: the Earth will always recover from human consumption, people will mostly remain within national borders, post-World War II political and economic arrangements will endure, warfare will become less brutal, and technology will serve humanity reliably.

After some very interesting workshop discussions, old certainties gave way to thoughts on the new technologies that comprise Artificial Intelligence (AI). Mr. Cameron Bennett of HIVE Group, NYC, gave attendees a fundamental understanding of AI, how it works, and how it connects to fundraising tools and missions by analyzing large volumes of data and donor behavior. Mr. Bennett also discussed the future of AI and its potential to automate entire fundraising processes, including following up with donors and tracking their responses.

Attendees still discussing fundraising automation received a welcome dose of authenticity from Mr. Peter Mazzei, CMO of the Development Office of POLG. Mr. Mazzei shared ways Franciscan fundraisers can enhance their online presence, including creating impactful websites that feature authentic ministry photos and testimonials, and utilizing social media to tell visual stories that engage followers and foster a sense of community.

Next came the conference’s featured address by Br. Massimo Fusarelli titled, “Our Cloister is the World.” Br. Massimo championed Franciscan fraternity as the best and only way to navigate an evolving and challenging fundraising landscape - that raising funds isn’t just about collecting money to care for the poor; it’s an act of fraternity that engages the world from as many local ministries as possible. “Let us continue, then, to develop a renewed creative fidelity, capable of responding to the challenges of our time with the same spirit as St. Francis of Assisi. Let us remain open to the universal, attentive to the peripheries, bold in our proclamation and denunciation, rooted in spirituality and projected towards an encounter with all. Let us go beyond the horizon of our habits, to grasp the signs of the Spirit calling us to new forms of presence”, said the Minister General.

“We wanted to have some concrete realizations of the things that need to be done,” shared Br. David. “So, I led them through a process that brought recommendations forward that will be given to Br. Massimo and the General Definitorium of the Order, as well as to the three partners. Those recommendations are being prepared, and we’ll see what the future will bring for more of these types of gatherings. Our hope is that the Order considers fundraising conferences for Franciscans in other parts of the world, which is important because the way we fundraise in the United States differs from the way we fundraise in Africa or Europe. You can’t just take a U.S. model and presume that's going to work everywhere.”

By Bryan Reilly, Content Manager

Photo by Br Octavio Duran

NEWS FROM NORTH OF THE BORDER



OUR BROTHERS IN CANADA

“We didn’t leave too soon!”

So as a nice way to blow off steam following the Provincial Chapter, several of the friars got together for a night out. What better way to celebrate fraternity than to watch the New York Yankees defeat the Toronto Blue Jays…. or so we thought. On the evening of Monday June 30^th, many of friars stationed within the Canadian Foundation along with a few of our brother “missionaries” from Central America who stayed a few days after the Chapter, attended a baseball game at the newly renovated Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto. Some of the guys, although not great fans of “America’s favorite pastime”, came to share the evening together. Others still, like myself, are avid Yankees fan and were excited at the prospect of watching our favorite team while appreciating the sport of baseball. 

The evening started off great as we all got together at St. Jane Francis Parish to “pregame” where the guardian Br. Rohwin P. and the brothers there graciously hosted us all. The menu was “Memphis” BBQ, a great way to prepare for a baseball game, eating American BBQ! Once full and ready to head downtown, we all proceeded to the nearest subway stop to take about a 30–40-minute ride downtown to the stadium. For several of us who are Yankees fan, of course donning Yankees apparel, the friendly banter with Blue Jays fans began there. More to follow on this. They always say generally people in Canada are super-nice. To an extent I totally agree because even the heckling that followed while we were at the game was somewhat “gentle”. In the top of the 4^th inning, the Yankees struck first with a two-run bomb by Jazz Chisholm Jr.! A few if us, and yes I put myself in this category, went nuts and really began to give it to the Toronto fans. A few rows back from us there were about 5-6 guys who probably had a bit to drink and from there began a bit of good ol’ fashioned sports rivalry back-and-forth. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worst. In the bottom of the 6^thwith the Yanks up 3-2, the Blue Jays broke the game open and took the lead 5-3! Oh boy did those Blue Jays fans let me have it! Once they even cursed me out while apologizing at the same time. What a beautiful example of Canadian hospitality! All in good fun as some of the friars were perhaps a little shocked by the colorful language that was being used to support one’s team. The Yankees had some good chances to come back, even closing the gap by a run following a solo homerun by Cody Bellinger but once their closer Hoffman came in to shut down the 9^th, we kind of knew it was over. The Blue Jays won 5-4 and the hometown fans let us have it – those who were courageous enough to wear our Yankees gear. However, HOWEVER, we didn’t leave too soon and we stuck it out until the end! (reference to Br. Joe Lorenzo’s article about Br. Jack Sidoti leaving the ball game in NYC early when Aaron Judge tied the single season homerun record). All in all, it was a great night of fraternity, laughs, a bit of heckling, and vintage baseball at it’s best. 

Br Dan Cavalieri, OFM

Our brothers celebrate the first anniversary of ordination of Fr. Marco Antonio and the 23rd anniversary of Fr. Charles Grech with a barbecue on the patio at Saint Jane Frances. Also a photo (bottom right)of the brothers welcoming some of the early arrivals at the Provincial Chapter in Caledon for a Sunday brunch at the friary. Thanks to our brothers for the great hospitality during the provincial chapter.

Feast of the Portiuncola (August 2)

Pardon of Assisi

From August 1st to 2nd, Franciscan churches and parish churches will welcome thousands of pilgrims who wish to experience the Pardon of Assisi. 2025 will be truly grace-filled: it is a Jubilee Year and it marks the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures. The Portiuncula Shrine in Assisi is also ready to welcome pilgrims, with initiatives and celebrations taking place from July 29th to August 4th. Among these, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, Minister General of the OFM, will preside over the Holy Masses on August 1st and 2nd.

Br. Massimo recalls how Saint Francis, through the Canticle, taught us to contemplate creation with new eyes, recognizing the Creator’s imprint in every being: Francis praises the Creator and invites mutual forgiveness out of love for Him, significantly concluding the Canticle with forgiveness. Last year, Br. Massimo, in his homily at Santa Maria degli Angeli, emphasized how the Pardon of Assisi is “an experience of grace and mercy born from the request of Saint Francis and founded in the mercy of the Father, the mediation of the Virgin Mary, and the sacrifice of Christ Crucified.” He then added: “It is a journey of personal renewal, which calls us to become a permanent dwelling place for Christ and to repair, with our witness, the home of the Church and the world.”

2016 was also an extraordinary year: the 800th anniversary of the Pardon of Assisi occurred during the Jubilee of Mercy, a year strongly desired by the then Pope Francis. During his visit to the Portiuncula on August 4, the pontiff said: “The forgiveness for which Saint Francis became a 'channel' here at the Portiuncula continues to 'generate paradise' even after eight centuries. Offering a witness of mercy in today's world is a task none of us can avoid. The world needs forgiveness; too many people live locked in resentment and harbor hatred, incapable of forgiveness, ruining their own lives and those of others rather than finding the joy of serenity and peace. We ask Saint Francis to intercede for us, so that we may never give up being humble signs of forgiveness and instruments of mercy.”

Conditions for receiving the Portiuncula Indulgence (for oneself or for the deceased)

The Pardon of Assisi can be obtained from noon on August 1st to midnight on August 2nd in all Franciscan or parish churches, observing these conditions:

• Sacramental Confession to be in God's grace (in the eight days before or after);

• Participation in Mass and Eucharistic Communion;

• Visit to the Church of the Portiuncula or a Franciscan church or a parish church in the world, where the profession of faith is renewed, through the recitation of the Creed, to reaffirm one’s Christian identity;

• Recitation of the Our Father, to reaffirm one’s dignity as children of God, received in Baptism;

• A prayer according to the Pope’s intentions, to reaffirm one’s belonging to the Church, whose foundation and visible centre of unity is the Roman Pontiff.

The Pardon of Assisi represents a very precious spiritual gift, a symbol of mercy and the desire for universal salvation beloved by Saint Francis for all the faithful. This indulgence continues to be a timely sign of hope, mercy, and reconciliation, reminding us that no one is excluded from the possibility of forgiveness and that God’s mercy surpasses all human limits. This gesture invites each person to experience and offer forgiveness in their daily lives.

Br. Celestino Canzio to St. Peter’s, Woodbridge

Br. Daniel Cavalieri to St. Christopher Friary, Boston

Br. Christopher Gaffrey to Mount Alverna, Youngstown

Br. Marco Antonio Gomez Garcia to Convento San Francesco, Rome

Br. Joseph LaGressa to Padua Friary, NYC

Br. Antonio Nardoianni to St. Peter’s,Woodbridge

Br. Charles Trebino to Padua Friary, NYC

Br. Victor Treminio to St. Joseph, Winsted

Br. Roger Hall to St. Thomas Aquinas, Derry

Br. Aziz Lazzaro Eissa to St. Leonard’s, Boston

Suppression of Guardianate: St. Francis Centre Friary, Caledon, Ontario

Suppression of Filial House: Franciscan Friary, Listening Place, Lynn, MA

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

Summer Assignment of Friars from the Convento S. Francesco

Br. Dagoberto Hernandez Lopez - Blessed Sacrament, Manchester

Br. Kevin Ottoniel Hernandez- Mount Alvernia, Wappingers Falls

Br. Gabriel Rojas Mendieta - Mount Alvernia, Wappingers Falls

Br. Kevin Leonel Flores Godoy- St. Leonard of Port Maurice, Boston

Our brother, Fr. Regis Gallo, O.F.M., passed to eternal life on June 27,  at Teresian Home in Albany, New York,  where he was in residence.  He was 93 years old. 

He was born in New York City on August 19, 1932, son of Vincent and Angela Rose Tuzio and baptized Nicholas. He was received into the novitiate on August 15, 1953; made his temporary profession of vows on August 16,1954;  professed Solemn Vows on August 16, 1957, and was ordained to the priesthood on June 16, 1963. 

Fr. Regis’ many years of service to the province included parochial ministry as pastor and associate pastor, and for many years was involved in the initial formation of our friars.  Many recall especially his years in Catskill, New York, as Master of Novices as well as other positions, and cherish the gentle care and concern he had for both the spiritual and physical needs of those under his care.  His retirement was spent in his beloved St. Anthony Friary, Catskill, New York, and Padua Friary in Manhattan, two places where he spent many of his years in ministry.  As his health failed, he was moved to Teresian Home in Albany. 

Viewing and wake: Saturday, July 12, 2025, Our Lady of Peace Church, Brooklyn NY

8:00 AM- 9:30 AM.  Funeral Mass at 10:00 AM.

Burial: Family plot, Calvary Cemetery, Queens, New York.

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

James Villa - August 6 (82)

Jimmy Zammit - August 11 (70)

Victor Treminio- August 17 (36)

Charles Gingerich - August 24 (77)

Michael D'Cruz - August 26 (95)