Provincial Update December 2022

 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus

that the whole world should be enrolled.

This was the first enrollment, 

when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.

And Joseph too went up from Galilee

from the town of Nazareth 

to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, 

because he was of the house and family of David, 

to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed,

who was with child.

While they were there,

the time came for her to have her child, 

and she gave birth to her firstborn son.

She wrapped him in swaddling clothes

and laid him in a manger, 

because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region

living in the fields 

and keeping the night watch over their flock.

The angel of the Lord appeared to them 

and the glory of the Lord shone around them, 

and they were struck with great fear.

The angel said to them,

“Do not be afraid;

for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy 

that will be for all the people.

For today in the city of David 

a savior has been born for you

who is Christ and Lord.

And this will be a sign for you: 

you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes 

and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,

praising God and saying:

   “Glory to God in the highest

      and on earth peace

to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2: 1-14

The Franciscan Friars 

of the Province of the Immaculate Conception 

extend to all our brothers and sisters, 

relatives, and friends 

a most Blessed and Joyful Christmas 

and a Happy New Year

News from the Convento San Francesco

Greetings of peace and goodness to all of you from the Convento San Francesco in Rome. By now, the Christmas environment is present in the streets and in the squares of the eternal city. That is telling us that we are getting to the end of this year, 2022. We give thanks to God for all that we have lived, for all we have learned, and for all the moments we have shared here in our community. Here are some of those moments we have lived in the past month. We celebrated Thanksgiving Day. We enjoyed a delicious meal that was prepared by some of our brothers and our great cook, Daniela. We commemorated All Souls Days, during which we prayed for the eternal rest of our Franciscan brothers, friends, and family members. Two of our brothers have the opportunity of traveling to Milano ( Fra Daniel Cavalieri and Fra Dagoberto Hernández) to participate in the installation as pastor of a diocesan priest they know. We have also been watching the soccer World Cup games, even though Italy was not participating in the championship this time. We were following the matches of the countries of the American continent. Unfortunately, Canada and the USA were eliminated. On December 8th, we celebrated the feast of the Immaculate Conception with a Mass in the chapel of the Little Handmaids of Christ the King. Also this year as a pastoral ministry we will be animating once a month one of the Sunday masses at Saint Gregory the VII church that is the parish we belong to, last month was our first time. In these last days, our community has grown with the arrival of our brother, Fra Antonio Nardoiani. Benvenuto Fra Antonio!!!! We appreciate all of your prayers, and know that we also pray for you.

Br. Luis

Getting ready for World Cup Football

Thanksgiving Dinner at the Convento

Friar Andre Cirino Presents Workshop to

Franciscan Novices

On November 30, 2022, Friar André Cirino was invited to present a one-day Franciscan workshop to all the novices of the three branches of the First Order—Friars Minor, Capuchins, Conventuals—in California. There were a total of 19 novices attending—7 Conventuals, 10 Capuchins, 2 Friars Minor— accompanied by 10 friars that comprise their formation teams. The workshop was given at Saint Francis of Assisi Friary and Novitiate (the novitiate of the Conventual Friars) in Arroyo Grande, California, which is between Los Angeles and San Francisco (near San Luis Obisbo).  All three novitiates are within a two-hour driving distance from one another, so they are able to have joint events. The Conventual friars hosted this workshop. The collaboration of the teams and their enthusiasm for their work with the novices was impressive.  Since the workshop fell on the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, a spcial cake marking Friar Andre’s feast day was made by the novices.  The workshop, entitled “Fraternitas”, is one of several opportunities for the novices of the three orders to gather together to celebrate their common vocation. 

Christmas and Other Celebrations

Around the Province

St. Anthony Church NYC

Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast

Mt. Alvernia Wappingers Falls

Brooklyn- Shower for Mary (Immaculate Conception Feast)

Brooklyn- Our Lady of Guadalupe

Brooklyn- Our Lady of Guadalupe

Brooklyn- Shower for Mary (Immaculate Conception Feast)

January BIRTHDAYS

Take time to wish our friars a Happy Birthday!

Vincent Ciaravino- January 2 - 82

Robert Campagna- January 2- 76

Bruce Czapla- January 8- 72

Charles Grech- January 9- 61

Daniel Luna- January 19- 24

Joseph Lorenzo- January 25- 73

Dominic Poirier- January 28- 80

Memories of Christmas Past

Recalling St. Francis Seminary's

Magical Display of Lights



Reprinted from the Andover Townsman, Dec. 23, 2014

For thousands of residents of the Merrimack Valley, St. Francis Seminary in Andover is fondly remembered for its exuberance of Christmas lights from mid-December through Little Christmas on Jan. 6.

In 1934, the seminarians, during their extracurricular time and under the direction of The Rev. Costa, began to place colored Christmas lights on the facade and trees about the campus. Each year thereafter, the display grew in size and scope. Attaching 30,000 lights on the building took nearly three months to complete.

The chapel was decorated with painted backdrops and scale models of Bethlehem with twinkling lights for stars, all constructed by the seminarians. The entire scene was magical and wondrous to see as it embodied the true meaning of Christmas.

Traffic, however, was backed up on River Road, east as far as where Interstate 93 is today and west to the Lowell line. No one got angry, as the long delay creeping closer to the seminary just heightened the anticipation. Once in sight, the display never disappointed anyone who witnessed the spectacle.

The Society of the Friars Minor of the Order of St. Francis in Boston purchased a portion of the former Hood Farm on Jan. 30, 1930. Work began immediately on the $500,000 group of buildings. The college was erected for the education of young men training for the Roman Catholic priesthood. One of the leading contractors in Boston, Capobianco Construction Co., was given one year to complete the work.

“The building was situated on the crest of the Hood land northeast from the existing buildings. The old farm buildings were renovated to be used as the Hood people used them in the past. It was expected that enough produce would be provided from the old farm to meet the needs of the seminary,” according to an historical account.

The main floor contained an entrance foyer, the chapel, a music hall, large library, rector’s study and office, recreation rooms and parlors. The second and third floors held about 70 rooms for seminarians and members of the faculty. A large assembly hall was in the east wing on the third floor above the gymnasium. The kitchen, dining hall and several recreation rooms, one of which featured bowling alleys, were in the basement. Directly in back of the building were four tennis courts, a baseball field, a hockey rink and a football field.

The building was ready for classes on Sept. 17, 1930 as the first scholastic year was officially opened on the feast of the sacred Stigmata of St. Francis. The course of study corresponded to four years of high school and one year of college work. The student body included about 100 men from around the country who were already studying to be Franciscan priests. The faculty had 40 priests and laymen.

From 1930 to 1946, the seminary also served as the Theology House for the Province, offering courses in sacred theology leading to ordination to the Catholic priesthood in the Franciscan Order. The seminary then operated as two separate schools — the preparatory seminary and the training school for Franciscan lay-brothers. In 1951, the Secular Franciscans formed at the seminary to live as St. Francis prescribed, “to avoid succumbing to worldly values and to be a forceful presence for a just and better world.” 

The Christmas lights stopped after 30 years in the mid-1960s, due in part to the annual operating costs and a decline in vocations that later closed the seminary in 1979.

In July 1991, the seminary reopened and the Secular Franciscan fraternity returned to celebrate its 40th anniversary. It continued under the name of St. Francis Institute, with the building remaining in use until only recently.

Today, most of the former Hood Farm structures have been lost to development or destroyed by fire.