Franciscan Friars
Province of the Immaculate Conception
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Provincial Update - July 2020
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The Sounds of Silence
Dear Brothers,
Slowly but surely, the streets of Manhattan seem to be arousing from the quietness of the COVID-19 quarantine. Although activities are not yet back to normal, there is definitely a marked increase in the noise level and sounds of the city, both during the day and night as well. Although a lot of people walk around with earphones of all sorts, some, particularly the bicycles of the food delivery people, opt for loud boom boxes, which can be very annoying. Although the use of earphones can create a dangerous situation since those who wear them often can’t hear others coming up on them,
or hear an approaching car or even listen to someone addressing them.
these devices kind of create a distraction for our lives.
One of the questions I often ask myself, is do we need to constantly be filled with noise- whether it is music or a blaring television? What has happened to silence? We find that in so many circumstances, people more and more find silence to be uncomfortable. It is almost as if our lives have to be accompanied by some kind of “soundtrack.”
Very often people find that silence is uncomfortable, especially in relationships. People feel the need to fill their lives with chatter and talk. Witness how many people spend a good portion of the day on their cell phones? Is there really that much to talk about? Do we have to give a blow by blow narrative of our lives? Are our lives really that interesting or important?
In the Old Testament, the Prophet Elijah is told that the Lord God will be passing by. Throughout the scriptures, there are some traditional ways in which the ancient peoples recognize the presence of God. God is seen as a mighty wind. The Hebrew name for this is Ruach- which means breath or spirit. We remember that the Holy Spirit came to the early church as a rushing wind.
God was frequently thought to manifest Himself in the forces of nature, such as an earthquake. We remember that at the Resurrection of Jesus, the earth quaked. Sometimes we see God manifested through fire- whether it is the burning bush on Mt. Sinai that Moses encountered, or the tongues of fire of Pentecost.
But Elijah was wise enough to recognize the presence of God in a small, whispering sound. He realized that in this very inconspicuous way, God is present- in a way we would not imagine.
We know that the prophet Isaiah predicted the coming of the Messiah in the most gentle of ways, saying that a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he would not quench.
The tradition of silence in religions, especially in Christianity, is something that many of the holy men and women cherished. Whether it was Jesus going into the desert, or escaping the crowds on the Sea of Galilee, or St. Francis retreating to the mountains of Italy, silence has always been seen as means to clear our minds for prayer, and let God speak to us.
A few years ago a movie was released titled “Into Great Silence.” It was a documentary film about Carthusian Hermits at the Grand Chartreuse Charterhouse Monastery in the Alps. The director of the film brought with him the most basic of equipment, no crew or lights, to capture the daily lives, prayers, and routines of these ascetic Catholic monks, founded by St. Bruno in 1084. The monks engage in manual labor, prayer, contemplation, but by and large live their lives in solitary silence. The film captured the silence- there was no background music or soundtrack- simply the common sounds of living in the monastery- whether it be the Gregorian chants of their prayer or the quiet of falling snow. The movie showed the importance of silence in our own Christian lives, and how silence can balance our sometimes hectic lives.
In this time of summer, we should leave some opportunity for silence in our lives so that we can hear the Lord speaking to us.
With blessings and peace,
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Fr. Robert Campagna, OFM
Provincial Minister
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From the Postulancy Program
Brooklyn NY
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Friar Marco Antonio Gomez Garcia, O.F.M.
Re-admitted into Order, Professes Vows
As mentioned in last month's newsletter, Friar Marco Antonio, who had previously made his novitiate and professed vows in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Province of Central America, had received permission from the Minister General and Definitorium to be re-admitted into the order. He professed his temporary vows on June 29, the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, at Our Lady of Peace Church. Friar Orlando Ruiz, OFM, Pastor and Director of Formation, as well as Provincial Definitor, received his vows. The General Definitorium had also determined that his year of postulancy had sufficed for him to be immediately re-admitted. Congratulations, Friar Marco Antonio.
The Our Lady of Peace fraternity also joined with the friars of Manhattan for a celebration of the Fourth of July hosted by Padua Friary on Thompson Street. Chinese food was served in abundance, and the brothers were able to view the Macy's fireworks from the Empire State Building.
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From the Convento San Francesco
Post-Novitiate Program- Rome
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Renewal of Vows, Convento San Francesco
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Peace and all good in Jesus Christ our Lord!
I greet you with great joy from the Eternal City of Rome. Wishing for God to bless each one of us in every place where we work and serve as Friars Minor in this our beloved Immaculate Conception Province. May the Lord grant us his refreshment to regain our strength in these difficult times. Pope Francis, at the Angelus on July 5th, tells us this precisely : “And then, Jesus says that if we go to Him, we will find refreshment. The ‘refreshment’ that Christ offers to the weary and oppressed is not merely psychological solace or a lavish handout, but the joy of the poor who are evangelized and are builders of the new humanity: this is solace and joy. The joy that Jesus gives us is the joy that hehimself uniquely has. "
Our Convento San Francesco in this last month of June has been full of many activities, joyful celebrations and happy receptions, where we have seen the gift of God in our vocations. For that we give thanks to God, who gives us the opportunity to live all these experiences.
Arrival of the Postulants from Canada to Rome:
On June 22
th
the postulant brothers: Dagoberto Hernandez and Matthew Mancino arrived at the convent to continue their formation on the road to becoming Friars Minor. And specifically, with a view to carry out their novitiate at San Damiano, Assisi. The reception on the part of each one of us was welcoming, fraternal and joyful. It was with great joy that they finally arrived as we waited for them eagerly. At the moment they are studying Italian. We thank God for your arrival!
Diaconate Ordination of Friar Victor Treminio Ofm
Our brother Friar Victor Treminio OFM, was ordained a deacon by Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo, OFM, General Secretary of the Congregation of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, on June 27
th
at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Together with him, two monks from the Benedictine Abbey were ordained to have pastoral care of the Basilica. The celebration was very solemn- in fact it was a papal mass. Between the songs and the presence of the Benedictine community, our Franciscan community in Rome and the moderate attendance of the people of God, the celebration was truly an “incense” that rose to the heavens with a perfume that pleased God for these three new brothers ordained for service to God, to the Church, and to the men and women of our time. In his homily, Archbishop Carballo, speaking to those who were about to be ordained, told them: "Always remain in the love of God .. and never forget the Lord and remember the glorious God as the one who saves you. ” After Ordination we had a reception on our terrace, where the joy of being together and sharing this gift of God was continued. This occasion of sharing the gift of God's call in our brother's life was a reason for joy that will remain in the memory of our fraternity.
Renewal of Temporary Vows
On June 29
th
, the solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the simply professed who live in the Convento (Friars Carl, Friar Daniel Cavalieri, Friar Jack and Friar Daniel Luna) renewed our religious vows. Friar Antonio Riccio OFM, our guardian, was a delegate to receive them. Friar Jimmy Zammit OFM and Friar Victor Treminio OFM were witnesses. This renewal of vows is a new beginning on the path of our Franciscan vocation, of being brothers and minors, faithful disciples of Jesus in living the Holy Gospel. Brothers, Pray for us! At noon on June 29th, we shared a BBQ in fraternity with great enthusiasm and joy. It was very special to meet almost all the brothers who are in the initial formation: postulants, novices, and the simply professed, together with all the other brothers who make up the fraternity of the Convento. Soon after, the brothers departed for their destinations of service in the summer: in Canada and in the USA . As for me, I am staying here, serving in the convento and continuing to learn Italian. We entrust ourselves to your prayers so that this period of service is equally a blessing for us and the places where we are serving this summer.
Blessings in abundance to all, a virtual hug !
Friar Daniel R. Luna Ofm
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Celebrating the renewal of vows of Friars Carl, Daniel, Daniel, and Jack. Congratulations!
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Dagoberto and Matthew visiting the Vatican on their arrival in Rome.
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Friar Victor Treminio Ordained Deacon
June 27, 2020
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Friar Victor Treminio, OFM, stationed at the Convento San Francesco, Rome, was ordained to the transitional diaconate on Saturday, June 27, 2020 at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome by Archbishop Jose Rodriguez Carballo, OFM, General Secretary of the Congregation of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and former Minister General of our Order. Congratulations, Deacon Victor. Blessings and peace to you.
Below: Photos from Deacon Victor's Ordination
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Friar Daniel Ramirez Luna posts video on Blessed Gabriele Allegra.
Friar Daniel, from the Convento San Francesco, recently posted a video on Blessed Gabriele Allegra, OFM. His talk can be found on the link below:
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https://www.facebook.com/FrayDanielRD/posts/611252656190727
OR
Blessed Gabriel was born in Catania, Italy in 1907. He entered the Franciscan order in 1918 and studied at the Franciscan international College of St. Anthony in Rome, now known as the Pontifical University Antonianum. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Hunan, China, to study Chinese. He began a 40 year mission of translating the Bible into Chinese. In 1942 he was actively involved in assisting other missionaries to survive their imprisonment in the Japanese internment camps. He also managed to secure the release of several prisoners. In China he organized a group of Franciscan friars to work with him on the translation of the Bible, and inaugurated the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in Beijing in 1945, dedicated to Duns Scotus. He concluded his efforts in 1968 with the publication of the one-volume Chinese Bible. He died in Hong Kong in 1976.
Blessed Gabriel was known for his missionary zeal and holiness. Pope Pius XII said of him: "Tell this young priest that he has my special blessing and that I will pray for him every day. He will meet with many difficulties but let him not lose courage. Nothing is impossible for him who prays, wills and studies. I shall not live to see this work completed, but I shall pray for him in heaven.”
The cause for his canonization was started in 1984 by Bishop J
ohn Wu
in Hong Kong, eight years after his death. He was declared V
enerable
by the Holy See in 1994, beatified on September 29, 2012, at the Cathedral of Arcireale, Catania. He is, thus far, the only biblical scholar of the 20th century who has been beatified.
Note: Some of our older friars may remember the several visits Blessed Gabriel made to our own Province, giving retreats in Italian and in English. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Blessed Gabriel gave a retreat to our formation students in Troy, New York, and visited our provincial curia in NYC, as well as our novitiate in Catskill, New York.
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August Birthdays
Take time to wish our friars a Happy Birthday!
Romano Almagno - August 5, 1939 (81)
James Villa - August 6, 1943 (77)
Maurus Muldoon - August 8, 1938 (82)
Jimmy Zammit - August 11, 1955 - (65)
Victor Treminio- August 17, 1989 - (31)
Regis Gallo - August 19, 1932 (88)
Charles Gingerich - August 24, 1948 (72)
Albert Micallef - August 24, 1950 (70)
Michael D'Cruz - August 26, 1930 - (90)
Aubert Marie Picardi - August 30, 1930 (90)
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News from Solid Ground Ministry
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OLID GROUND is a Franciscan Ministry of evangelization and outreach to African American families. It is rooted in the belief that since we are created in God’s image we are called to faithful service to share God’s abundant life.
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The message from Solid Ground Ministry to the Black Community is to choose life and reject all forms of violence. Solid Ground Franciscan Ministry always seeks to root those it serves in dignity, faith, and strength.
Solid Ground views evangelization as an on-going ministry. Therefore, the programs that are created continuously evolve as needs arise. The main thrust is always to choose life and to reject anything which opposes life. Areas of rejection may include combating such things as hunger, poverty, drugs, homelessness, health crises like HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, racism, miseducation, damage to the environment, or armed conflict.
As Franciscans the Eucharist is at the heart of our mission at Solid Ground. For we, who have encountered Christ in the Eucharist, are sent to bring others to meet the Lord. This is accomplished by the love we experience in the Eucharist and the love that Jesus commands that we share with one another.
Above all, Solid Ground’s mission is to uphold the sanctity of human life from conception to the natural end of life. It exists to uphold the inherent dignity of the human person.
Since the closing of St. Clare's Friary in Manhattan, Solid Ground Ministries is now located at The Kittay House- the New Jewish Home, 2550 Webb Avenue, Apt. 7X, Bronx NY 10468. Our brother, Friar Jim Goode, OFM, continues his hard work in this ministry as Director. For more information on Sold Ground Ministry, the web site is: www.solidgroundministry.com. Jim can be reached at Solidground440@aol.com. On June 20, Jim celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary with the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. (See photo below)
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Padua Friary, NYC
Fourth of July Celebration
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The Padua Friary community hosted a "Fourth of July" celebration for the local friars. We were joined by St. Anthony's and the Provincial Curia, as well as the Brooklyn fraternity. It was also an opportunity to welcome Friar Daniel Cavalieri, OFM to the Padua community, where he will be spending the summer, as well as Friar Marco Antonio, OFM, recently re-admitted into the order. There was a Chinese buffet with a great variety and abundance of food. The friars utilized not only our penthouse but also the two newly-restored verandas overlooking the Manhattan skyline. It was also an opportunity to watch the Macy's Manhattan fireworks display which was shot from the Empire State Building. The friars had a great time.
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The postulants with Fr. Provincial
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Saint Thomas Aquinas, Derry NH
Announces School Closing
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In a message to the parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Derry NH, Friar Joseph Powell, O.F.M., Pastor, announced the closing of the parish school. Friar Joseph wrote: "It is with great sadness that I, Fr. Joe, have had to write to our Bishop to request the closure of our beloved St. Thomas Aquinas School. A school is so more than a building - it is a community, a family, it is memories, the love and dedication of its teachers and staff. . . So much history and legacy. As we say goodbye, let us remember and honor all that our school has been. I encourage everyone to post pictures and memories in tribute to St. Thomas Aquinas School."
The following article appeared in the July 1 edition of the Lawrence Eagle-Trbune, written by Julie Huss July 1, 202020
DERRY — A school is so much more than a building — it is a community, a family, it is memories, the love and dedication of its teachers and staff.
That, according to a recent post on the St. Thomas Aquinas Church Facebook page is what the local parish and its families are feeling as they remember the St. Thomas Aquinas School. The school, located behind the Catholic church off Moody Street, will close its doors due to several issues including declining enrollment and upgrades and improvements needed to the structure of the building.
In a letter last month to St. Thomas families, Superintendent of Schools David A. Thibault said the decision to close the school was "heartbreaking."
Saint Thomas Aquinas School opened its doors in 1954 with an enrollment of 136 students in first through fourth grades. The school added fifth grade in 1955 and the numbers grew by 25%.
The adjoining, 11,000-square-foot Aquinas Center was built and dedicated in 2003, offering multifunctional space to serve both school and church with a cafeteria, meeting rooms, gymnasium and performing arts area.
The school currently served pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students from area communities and had an enrollment last year of 111 students, Thibault said. To keep the school moving forward and viable, the numbers needed to be about 170-185. The numbers were falling short.
The school needed 95 returning students to be registered, with an additional 20 to be enrolled this summer. As of June 21, there were 71 signed up.
"Enrollment has gone down over the past five or six years," Thibault said, adding many similar Catholic schools have seen struggles and low enrollment in past years. It depends on the location, he said, for how well a school can perform.
"There are some great success stories," he said, "and some schools not so much."
Other issues included some structural improvements needed at the school to make sure all fire codes were up to date. A recent GoFundMe page had asked for financial support to help with those costs.
It's not just Catholic education seeing declines in recent years, Thibault said. It's also the parish itself, the church congregation, the gathering of those of similar faith that are being affected by lower numbers and a change in the more traditional parochial model.
"We had talked about what we could do, to balance the budget, et cetera, but in the end, taking all things into consideration, it was heartbreaking," he said.
The closing of the Catholic school comes not long after another religious landmark in the community had to close its doors.
At the end of April, Holy Cross Catholic Church on Hampstead Road in Derry officially shut its doors due to an expired occupancy permit and concerns over the building’s failing fire sprinkler system. The church served the community for 20 years.
Longtime families and parents of students who attended St. Thomas Aquinas School offered thoughts on social media recently.
Nancy Garcia said she sent three children to St. Thomas School and how much she valued the education received there.
"I am 100% sure that would not be without the consistency between school values being taught and Catholic values being displayed at home," she wrote. "The combination of the two make for a strong and faithful foundation that will stay with them for a lifetime. This was our hope for our children’s future."
Families will receive guidance and information on making a transition to another Catholic school within the Diocese of Manchester, Thibault said.
Schools are currently located in Manchester, Salem and Litchfield. It's the goal to make any transition as smooth as possible.
"We sincerely hope you will embrace the opportunity to continue your child's Catholic education," Thibault wrote in a letter to families, adding all tuition rates and financial aid agreements will be honored in making the transition.
"We will be as welcoming as we can or these families," Thibault said. "Part of our vision is to have education acceptable and available."
Thibault said the teams at St. Thomas, the families and leadership all played a huge part in making the decision and making sure families are kept informed and cared for.
That also includes the staff at the school that, Thibault said, would receive support on possibly moving to another teaching position within the diocese.
"It's a great group of dedicated people who love the school," the superintendent said. "You see these beautiful faces, this beautiful staff."
And what the future holds may still be an unknown, Thibault said.
"Once the dust settles, we will work with parents, keep all our options open for the future," he said. "The important thing is to minister to these families."
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FROM OFM JPIC
We are called to a Radical Choice
to live our Franciscan charism authentically
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Marking the fifth anniversary of the publication of the encyclical Laudato Si’, on the care of the common home, and at a time when humanity is going through one of the greatest health crises, Pope Francis has declared a special Laudato Si’ anniversary year. The themes addressed in the encyclical take on greater importance in the current context where social and ecological crises have become evident and acute. One need only look at the shameful inequality in access to health care in many countries.
Integral ecological conversion is one of the proposals made by the Pope in his letter, since the problems are not presented in an isolated way, but are interconnected. An integral conversion should encompass, among other things, the political, social, environmental and economic aspects. In this way, it will be possible to face the tremendous socio-environmental crisis that we are experiencing.
The
Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
calls on all humanity “to celebrate a special anniversary year of Laudato Si’ between 21 May 2020 and 24 May 2021. “We hope that the anniversary year and the ensuing decade will indeed be a time of grace, a true Kairos experience and “Jubilee” time for the Earth, and for humanity, and for all God’s creatures”. For this purpose, the DPIHD offers a programme highlighting the Laudato Si’ platform of initiatives as a call to various institutions to get involved and commit themselves to a long-term plan – 7 years – as a path towards full sustainability in the spirit of Laudato Si’.
These two initiatives of the Holy See encourage and challenge us as Franciscans to commit ourselves to our way of life and our mission of care and safeguarding. Furthermore, we see with joy that, with the
Laudato Si’ Revolution campaign
, promoted by the JPIC offices of the Order and of the Franciscan Family, we are in full communion and harmony with the whole Church. “As individuals, fraternities, entities and as an international order, we feel strongly challenged to make a clear and radical option in the direction of the ways of living indicated by Laudato Si’” (PCO/18 n. 154).
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Blessed John Duns Scotus Library
A series of lectures on Franciscan topics has been offered at our Blessed John Duns Scotus Library since 2015. Thus far, eleven presenters have come to share their expertise on our Franciscan life. Our last scheduled speaker, Sr. Clare D’Auria OSF was set to present on April 4 of this year on “Keeping the Vigil of Mystery: Clare of Assisi’s Incarnational Prayer.” Obviously, because of the Corona virus, the lecture was cancelled and rescheduled for next year. Only when it is safe for all concerned will the lecture series be resumed.
Also, at the Library we have a collection of writings, theses, translations of early manuscripts, and publications of several friars of our Province which reflect the research and interest of our Franciscan heritage. We are delighted to have these works and preserve them. Should you have any of the aforementioned items of your own, especially masters or doctoral theses, would you consider sending a copy of the same to add to our collection? It can be sent to our Province office in care of Fr. Paul Rotondi OFM.
Also, should you have a need for any information on a Franciscan topic—on Francis or Clare, biography of our saints and blesseds, sources, spirituality, prayer, history, sacred places, Franciscan Intellectual Tradition, Franciscan art, to name a few, please consult with our librarians, Fr. Paul or Siobhan O’Dwyer OFS.
André Cirino OFM
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TRANSITIONS
Newly-Elected Provincial Administration
Province of St. Paul the Apostle, Malta
Provincial Minister: Anthony Chircop
Vicar Provincial: Marcello Ghirlando
Definitorium:
Friar Ramon Farriguia, OFM
Friar Setphen Magro, OFM
Friar Loreto Zerafa, OFM
Friar Martin Coleiro, OFM
Congratulations Brothers
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New Website
for
Franciscan Scholars of Quaracchi
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The Franciscan Scholars of Quaracchi have launched a stunning new website.
The community of Franciscan Friar scholars is called the Collegium Sancti Bonaventurae, reflecting our common life and work under the patronage of the Franciscan scholar of the Middle Ages, St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio. We are an International Center for Franciscan Studies and Research, with a publishing program called Quaracchi Editions, referring to our original home in a small town in Tuscany just outside Florence.
Today we live and work in the centre of Rome, in the beautiful setting of St. Isidore’s College of the Irish Franciscan Friars. The new website is:
Br. William J. Short, OFM, Director of the Quaracchi editors, expresses his hope that this new website will help bring the centuries-old Franciscan tradition into dialogue with today's globalized and networked world. "St. Francis of Assisi was a great communicator in his day, using poetry, song and even dance to communicate the Good News to his contemporaries. The new Quaracchi website aims to bring into our digital age the rich tradition he founded, with its message of peace-making, love of the poor and care for creation."
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Article written by
Bishop Robert Barron Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles
July 20, 2020
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I have just received word that, after voting to remove a large statue of St. Junípero Serra that stands in front of their City Hall, the government of Ventura, California (which is in my pastoral region) is now considering removing the image of Padre Serra from the county seal. This entire effort to erase the memory of Serra is from a historical standpoint ridiculous and from a moral standpoint more than a little frightening.
Let me address the ridiculous side first. To state it bluntly, Junípero Serra is being used as a convenient scapegoat and whipping boy for certain abuses inherent to eighteenth-century Spanish colonialism. Were such abuses real? Of course. But was Fr. Serra personally responsible for them? Of course not. I won’t deny for a moment that Serra probably engaged in certain disciplinary practices that we would rightfully regard as morally questionable, but the overwhelming evidence suggests that he was a great friend to the native peoples; that he sought, time and again, to protect them from mistreatment by civil authorities; and that he presided over missions where the indigenous were taught useful skills and were introduced to the Christian faith. To suggest, as did some of those who were petitioning for the removal of his statue, that Serra was the moral equivalent of Hitler and his missions the moral equivalent of concentration camps is nothing short of defamatory.
It is no exaggeration to affirm that from the missions established by Junípero Serra came much of the political and cultural life of the state of California. Many of our greatest cities—San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and yes, Ventura—were built on the foundation of the missions. And I won’t hesitate to say it: the spread of the Christian faith in this part of the world took place largely because of the work of Junipero Serra and his colleagues—and this is a good thing! Jesus told his first followers to go into all the world and preach the Good News, not as a message of oppression but of spiritual liberation. It was precisely in response to that apostolic summons that Fray Junípero left Majorca, crossed the ocean, and spent the remainder of his life proclaiming Christ to those who did not know him. Though it is politically incorrect to say it today, this kind of enthusiastic evangelism is to be celebrated, not excoriated. The majority of Catholics in California today have the faith that they cherish because Padre Serra first brought it here.
And this brings me to the morally dangerous side of this issue. When I saw the videos of Serra statues being torn down, burned, spat upon, trampled, and desecrated in San Francisco and Los Angeles, I shuddered—not only because such behavior was boorish and unjustified, but also because it called to mind very similar activities at earlier stages of American history. In the mid to late nineteenth century, anti-Catholicism was rampant in the United States, due in part to prejudices inherited from Protestantism but also due to the arrival of large groups of immigrants from Catholic countries, who were considered inferior. A powerful political party, the Know-Nothings, was organized precisely around the theme of opposing Catholicism, and in many of the major cities of our country, Catholic convents, parishes, cathedrals, statues, and churches were burned to the ground by unruly mobs. Moreover, in that same period, the Ku Klux Klan, which was active not just in the South but in many northern cities as well, endeavored to terrorize blacks and Jews, of course, but also, it is easy to forget, Catholics. If you doubt that this sort of knee-jerk opposition to Catholicism endured well into the twentieth century, I would recommend you consult some of the histrionic rhetoric used by the opponents of John F. Kennedy during the presidential campaign of 1960. The dean of American historians, Arthur Schlesinger, Sr., summed up this trend in his oft-repeated remark that prejudice against Catholics is “the deepest bias in the history of the American people.”
So when I see mobs of people tearing down and desecrating statues of a great Catholic saint, canonized just five years ago by Pope Francis, how can I not see the ugly specter of anti-Catholicism raising its head? We are passing through a Jacobin moment in our cultural history, and such periods are dangerous indeed, for there is no clear indication what can stop their momentum. So in this case, what’s next? Shall we tear down the missions themselves, the moral equivalents of death camps? Shall we call into question the Catholic faith and institutions that Junípero Serra brought to these shores? One can only hope that cooler heads will prevail and that responsible people might bring to an end this ridiculous and dangerous attempt to erase Padre Serra.
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News from
St. Anthony Friary Catskill NY
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Each year the Village of Catskill hosts several firework displays. The citizens of Catskill, as well as many people from the surrounding towns and villages, assemble at Dutchman's Landing, a park just south of our St. Anthony Friary, sitting right on the Hudson River, for a variety of festivities, including seeing the wonderful fireworks shot out over the Hudson. This is done several times during the summer, but especially for Independence Day. For some years, our friary has hosted the fireworks display by permitting the pyrotechnic artists to shoot off their fireworks from the lower field- formerly the ballfield for the friary when it was a novitiate or a seminary. This year was no exception. On July 2, the people again gathered- socially distancing, of course, at both Dutchman's Landing and on friary property. Some of the pics are listed below.
Also included below is a photo of our brother, Friar Lawrence Stumpo, OFM, who, along with Friar Isaac Calicchio, OFM, is residing at the Teresian Home in Albany. Larry sends greetings to all the friars, and asks for your prayers.
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PLEASE PRAY FOR THESE FRIARS
WHO HAVE RECENTLY DIED
Friar Christopher Posch, OFM
(Holy Name Province)
Friar David Typek, OFM
(Assumption Province)
Friar Leo Sprietsma, OFM
(St. Barbara Province)
Friar Miles Pfalzer, OFM
(St. John Baptist Province)
Friar Charles Finnegan, OFM
(Holy Name Province-Former Provincial)
Friar Humbert Moster, OFM
(St. John Baptist Province)
Friar Donnon Murray, OFM
(Holy Name Province)
Friar Bart Wolf, OFM
(Our Lady of Guadalupe Province)
Recently Deceased Family and Friends
Lynda Ianucci
(Cousin of Fr. Robert Campagna)
Ruth Busa
(Sister of Bishop Maurus Muldoon, OFM)
Joseph Troiano
(Brother of Fr. Louis Troiano, OFM)
Fr. Massey Lombardi
(Former Friar, priest of the Archdiocese of Toronto)
Hana Fialova
(Mother of Fr. Vit Fiala, OFM)
Bishop George Murry, S.J.
(Bishop of Youngstown, Ohio)
Let us pray for our infirm friars:
Friar Amedeo Nardone, OFM
Friar Albin Fusco, OFM
Friar Aubert Picardi, OFM
Friar John Bavaro, OFM
Friar Isaac Calicchio, OFM
For our Infirm Family and Friends
William Mazzarella
(Nephew of Fr. Frederick Mazzarella)
Maria Elena Middleton
(Niece of Fr. Louis Troiano- 17 years old)
For all infected and affected by the virus.
For our friars in skilled nursing and rehab facilities:
Friar Albin Fusco, OFM
Friar Isaac Calicchio, OFM
Friar Daniel Morey, OFM
Friar John Bavaro, OFM
Friar Philip Adamo, OFM
Friar Lawrence Stumpo, OFM
Friar Clement Procopio, OFM
Please pray for all friars, families, friends, and benefactors,
living and deceased.
For all those affected in any way by the coronavirus.
For medical personnel and first responders.
For those in our nursing homes and hospitals.
For families separated from their loved ones due to quarantine.
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BROTHERS:
Please print out a copy of this newsletter to share with those in your community who do not have email. We hope that every friar in our province will have access to the Newsletter and that a printed copy will be posted on your friary bulletin board.
Thank you
The Management
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Province of the Immaculate Conception, New York NY
125 Thompson Street
New York NY 10012
212-674-4388
NEWSLETTER CONTACT
Please send any articles, news items, or photos to
Friar Joseph F Lorenzo, O.F.M.
Provincial Curia
125 Thompson Street
New York NY 10012
Cell: 917.337.9833
Office: 212.674.4388 Xt. 113
jlorenzo@icprovince.org
VISIT OUR WEBSITE
www.ICProvince.org
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