Franciscan Friars

Province of the Immaculate Conception

Fr. Robert Campagna, OFM

Provincial Minister

FORMATION UPDATE

SEPTEMBER 2018

Friar Victor Receives Ministries of Lector and Acolyte

Friar Victor Treminio, OFM, who spent part of the summer at Our Lady of Peace Friary in Brooklyn, NY, has received the Ministries of Lector and Acolyte from our Provincial Minister Friar Robert Campagna, OFM. at the Provincial Curia chapel. Present were Friar Patrick Boyle, OFM, Vicar Provincial; Friars Orlando Ruiz and Courtland Campbell from Our Lady of Peace, and Friar Vincent Ciaravino. Friar Victor departed Brooklyn on September 30 and has returned to the Convento San Francesco in Rome to continue his post-novitiate formation and studies. Congratulations, Victor, and best wishes for a successful year.

Friar Joshua Critchley OFM Summer Experience

Friar Josh, in the post-novitiate program studying in Chicago, writes to us about his exciting summer:

With regards to summer ministry it was an excellent summer for me. In June I was in Brooklyn at Our Lady of Peace with Orlando and Courtland. It was a good experience of fraternal life, they were both very welcoming. I loved the diversity of the parish, the English mass and the Spanish mass, as well as the traditional Latin mass and the Neo-Cats are all present there. It was a great learning experience for how to deal with different groups and try and make them one parish community. I also got to practice and study Spanish a good deal while I was there.

Afterwards I assisted at a meeting in Wappingers Falls for OFM secretaries of formation, vocation directors, and directors of ongoing formation. That was a good experience as well being with brothers from all over the ESC, talking about the beauties and challenges of Franciscan life and how to apply them specifically to ongoing formation.

Then I went to Central America for the next 6 weeks. It was my first time in this part of the world and it was truly eye opening. In short I loved it. The people were incredible and their faith deeply touched me. I saw such poverty there but somehow a deep joy and a love of life. I was most of the time in Ataco, El Salvador at Immaculate Conception parish with Fr. Rafael. I also was able to spend a few days in Tegucigalpa, Honduras at the school there and I visited Valley of the Angels in Guatemala- all amazing and beautiful ministries of the province. My Spanish also improved considerably and the people were so willing to help me and teach me. The way of life was pretty different, so many stories of ways I got in trouble for "thinking like a person from the US!" But I consider myself so blessed to be able to have visited and experienced the missions in Central America.

I currently have four classes this semester so I am pretty busy! This is my last year at St. Xavier University, so in the spring I will be getting my BA in philosophy. Pretty excited about that.

Photos of Friar Josh in Central America

Hawkins and Dmitry in Italian class with Friar Peter.

Have Travel Plans?

The Provincial Minister would like to remind all the friars to inform him if you will be traveling outside the country. This is listed in our Provincial Norms (and also a matter of courtesy).

Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed of our Franciscan Family

Please RSVP if you wish to attend any of these Liturgies.

Find a Friary...and a whole lot more!

US Franciscans Web Site

By Friar Jim McIntosh (HNP)

 

Brothers, Just FYI. I've published a new page on US Franciscans: 

https://usfranciscans.org/locations/ — All OFM churches, shrines, missions, chapels, retreat houses, ministry sites, and educational institutions in the US.

There is also a more complete map on the friars-only side of US Franciscans:

https://friars.usfranciscans.org/locations/ — All of the above plus friar residences (retirement houses, houses of formation, etc.) and provincial offices.

The general public can find places to worship, retreat houses, etc., while friars have access to information on all our locations. The information is current as of that which will be published in the back of the 2019 Ordo.

Both maps are completely searchable by location (the viewer's actual location or any specified location) so people can find, say, retreat houses in their area or a Franciscan church when traveling to another city. Viewers can also generate directions to the selected location.

In some cases, I was not able to determine whether a house was a residence or a ministry site. When in doubt, I labeled it as a residence to exclude it from the general public's map. If you notice any problems or have any questions, please feel free to contact me: [email protected]

November Birthdays

Take time to wish our friars a Happy Birthday!

Ronald Bolfeta- November 7th- 69

Rafael Fernandez- November 10th- 64

Roberto Siguere- November 12th- 77

James Goode- November 18th- 76

Amedeo Nardone- November 18th- 76

Conrad Fernandes- November 22- 34

Feast of St. Francis

October 4, 2018



What There are many traditions for the friars and our ministries surrounding the Feast of St. Francis- the celebration of the Transitus on October 3, marking the passing of St. Francis from death to eternal life; the Solemnity of St. Francis on October 4, marked with Solemn Liturgical celebrations and festive meals; the Blessing of Animals and Pets, celebrated in many of our friaries and parishes. Below are some photos of these events.

Posted on September 27, 2018 in  General Secretariat ,  News

The September Tempo Forte of the General Definitory began at 09:00 on the 10th of the month. The Minister General, Vicar General, and each of the General Definitors spoke about the activities in which they had been engaged since the the conclusion of the previous Tempo Forte (July 16th to 27th, 2018).

That same day, the Visitator General for the General Curia Fraternity, Br. Hugh McKenna, presented his Visitation Report to the General Definitory. The report contains recommendations for improvements in the quality of the fraternity’s life of prayer and service, as well as addressing the Curia offices’ activities for the good of the entire Order.

Working sessions were spent discussing the final document of the 2018 PCO (which is in its final phase and is being translated into the official languages ​​of the Order), and the General Definitory’s letter for the Solemnity of our Seraphic Father, Saint Francis.

At 11.30 on Thursday, September 13th, Brs. Michael and Julio César went to the General Chapter of the Capuchin Friars Minor and officially greeted the new Minister General, Br. Roberto Genuin, OFMCap.

On Friday September 14th, the Definitory was warmly welcomed by the Fraternity of San Sebastiano alle Catacombe (Rome), where, with the professional assistance of Br. Matteo Giuliani, they engaged in an evaluation of the fraternal life and mission of the General Definitory during the three years since the last General Chapter. During next December’s Tempo Forte the General Definitory will devote an additional two days to devising further improved ways of working.

On Sunday 16th and Monday 17th of September, the Minister General and members of the Definitory went to the Sanctuary of La Verna for the celebration of the Feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis. On Tuesday 18th, Br. Michael, Minister General, accompanied by Br. Antonio Scabio, Definitor General, participated in the Chapter of Mats that saw three Italian Provinces gather together in Baronissi (Salerno).

During this Tempo Forte, the General Definitory elected the following General Visitators:

Br. Sérgio MOURA RODRIGUES, for the Province of St. Francis, Brazil;

Br. Stephen O’KANE, for the Holy Name Province, New York, U.S.;

 Br. Silvio Rogelio de la Fuente was appointed as Local Bursar, and Br. Angelo Flores Guerrero as Local Assistant Bursar, of the Fraternity at St. Anthony’s International College, Rome.

Br. Juan Isidro Aldana Maldonado was elected Vicar of the Santa Maria Mediatrice General Curia Fraternity, with Brs. Cesare Vaiani, Rufino Lim, and Marco Mendoza Martínez named as members of the Discretorium. They will cooperate with with the recently elected Guardian, Br. Saúl Orlando Flores Interiano, and with Br. Tiberiusz Maka, Local Bursar.

Br. John Puodziunas, General Treasurer, attended a session during which a variety of financial issues were discussed.

Following advice from experts in the field, who have been studying the matter for some time, an exploratory structure has been developed that will lead to the establishment of a Foundation for the collection and distribution of funds for the various Missionary and Formation projects of several of the Order’s Entities.

Extra-Capitular elections of some Guardians in a few Entities of the Order were ratified.

The Report of Br. Paul Smith, Delegate of the Minister General for the Custody of St. Francis of Assisi in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands was tabled and discussed.

With the sense of sadness that always characterizes such cases, the following were examined during the Tempo Forte:

Ipso facto dismissal from the Order (4);

Dispensation from celibacy and from the obligations of the clerical state(3);

secularisation pure et simpliciter(1);

exclaustration for three years(7);

 

Some obediences to return home from missionary projects dependent on the Minister General were granted, as were some obediences to take part in other projects.

The September 2018 Tempo Forte ended following the morning session of Friday 21st. The General Definitory will meet for the next Tempo Forte beginning on Monday November 5th 2018, and during the second week of Tempo Forte (November 12th to 16th), the Minister General and Definitory will meet with the 22 General Visitators appointed during 2018.

To the praise of Christ and of the Poverello of Assisi. Amen!

 

Rome, September 26th, 2018

Br. Giovanni Rinaldi, OFM

Secretary General

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

2019 InterProvincial OFM Retreat

"And The Lord Gave Me Brothers..."

January 14-18, 2019 Franciscan Renewal Center, Scottsdale Arizona

February 4-8, 2019, San Pedro Retreat Center,

Winter Park FL

Friar Richard Rohr, OFM

For full information, click below

Retreat Brochure PDF

General Definitory Visits Custody of the Holy Land

From the 10th to 15th October 2018, the OFM General Definitory visited the friars of the Custody of the Holy Land. The program allowed the General Government to devote time to learning about the significant aspects of the life and mission of the Custody, visiting the holy places and taking part in various celebrations with the Fraternities and the local Church.

The following events were organized: a meeting of the Minister and General Definitory with the Custos and the Discretorium of the Custody of the Holy Land, in the convent of Saint Saviour in Jerusalem; an assembly with the brothers in formation of Saint Saviour’s and Ein Karem; Mass in the shepherds’ field in Bethlehem; a procession to the Grotto of the Nativity and visit to the fraternity of Bethlehem; a visit to the archaeological museum of the Holy Land in the Convent of the Flagellation in Jerusalem; the Via Crucis on the streets of Jerusalem; a visit to the Basilica of the Annunciation with prayer of the Angelus in Nazareth; a visit to the Lake of Galilee and a Feast in the Sanctuary of Capernaum; a meeting and Mass with the inter-obediential fraternity in Emmaus Qubeibeh; a meeting in the friary of Saint Saviour with the brothers of the Custody, a celebration of Vespers and festive dinner; a visit to Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives; and a Mass of the General Definitory in the Holy Sepulchre.

The Minister General Br. Michael Perry, OFM, with the Vicar General and Definitors, gave thanks to God for the fraternal closeness of the brothers of the Custody of the Holy Land, for their ongoing service to the local Church and pilgrims in the Holy Land, for the life of the friars minor in dialogue with the different cultures and beliefs. Their prayer is the prayer to the “Most High, almighty, good Lord”, that He might assist the Order with his grace, to live the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, in fraternity and minority.

News from Valley of the Angels, Guatemala

Showing the Poor God Loves Them

   For the last eight years, I have been honored to serve with Silent Children’s Mission, a nonprofit Catholic charity which seeks to relieve the suffering and neglect of the poorest of the poor. Officially registered in Toronto, Canada in 2011, and directed by Frankie Burg-Feret, a Minister of her Secular Franciscan Community at our St. Francis Center in Orangeville, Canada, our organization is guided by the charism of St. Mother Teresa. We are active in various countries in the developing world, and our focus is on those who do not have a voice, especially abused children and women.  The goal is to clothe, feed and educate these little ones and to let each of them know someone cares, that God has not forgotten them but loves them tenderly. 

       We presently help the poor in eleven countries including Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, Malawi, Zambia, and Liberia. Our funds are directed to lay missionaries, priests and religious working at ground level in order to assist them with their programs in healthcare, education, nutrition, spiritual care and counselling. We value the relationships we have with our missionaries as our friendships in Christ enable us to work effectively for the children in need. We recently visited the Secular Franciscans and Franciscan Sisters in Chililibombwe, the Poor Clares in Lusaka and the Sisters of Charity in Ludzi who are selfless, Christ filled individuals who do the work of many. They welcome our visits and the opportunity to share about our work and our faith with a day of recollection and prayer. On our recent mission visit in Zambia and Malawi, we reflected on Pope Francis’ recent Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate where he encourages all people to respond to God’s call to holiness. 

Our Angels were given a unique opportunity by a very dear friend named Maria Pivaral, who helped prepare our girls to FLY in the future. With the help of Thrive and the Güino & Field Office, ten of our students have received full and partial scholarships in Seminars developed by Thrive.

Friar Michael blessing the children at the Poor Clare convent.

During our visit, we were able to see the many fruits of our work in Malawi and Zambia. What brought us great joy was our supported children who had recently graduated from school and who have either found employment contributing to their communities, or are moving on to higher education. Each story is unique and a testament to the transforming love of Jesus Christ. Gabriella’s story of abuse and extreme poverty would almost seem hopeless but with determination she just graduated from Agricultural College. Maria, a child from a very poor family in the village near the convent struggled academically until Sr. Bernadette’s faith in her and her direction to tailoring school helped this child to blossom! And Thokozani, an orphan after her beloved mother died of AIDS, recently graduated from high school and has just started college to become a nurse. A visit to the SCM sponsored farm in Mkanda, Malawi left us in wonder at God’s many gifts as we saw the once barren, dry land transformed into a productive, self-sufficient farm providing food for the poor and jobs to many. These are some of the inspiring stories of God’s work made possible by the many benefactors of Silent Children’s Mission.

     Bishop Robert Kasun CSB, the Auxiliary Bishop of Toronto and Vicar for Lay Organizations, recently commented: “These are people who take seriously the call of the Gospel.  I heartily endorse their ministry and encourage generous donations to Silent Children’s Mission to Christ’s beloved suffering people.” 

We are very grateful for Bishop Kasun’s endorsement. 

For more information please visit our website at:  www.silentchildrensmission.com

Fr. Michael Della Penna ofm

Director, Valle de los Angeles, Guatemala

Chair of the Board and Spiritual Director, Silent Children’s Mission

Sr. Bernadette, Friar Michael, and Frankie with Maria (wearing the dress she sewed).

Down Memory Lane

Photos of the razing of St. Peter the Apostle Church, Fernando Street, Pittsburgh PA circa 1960

Saint Anthony's NYC

Hosts NYC's Biggest Pizza Party

Slice Out Hunger 2018

Saint Anthony’s in New York City hosted the annual “Slice Out Hunger” event, billed as New York City’s largest pizza party. On October 10, 2018 in the social hall, over fifty pizzerias donated 1,200 pizzas to the event. which earned $70,000, all of which will be donated to local food banks and programs to assist the hungry. 

An enormous line wrapped around the entire city block, winding down West Houston Street, Thompson Street, Prince Street, and back up Sullivan Street to the church entrance. Organized by Scott Wiener of Scott’s Pizza Tours, the giant pizza party participants included some of the best pizzerias in the city, including Arturo’s, Joe’s, Prince Street Pizza, Song e Napule, Grimaldi’s, and many more. Each slice costs $1.00

That low entry price—most people spent about $10 to $20—ensured that Slice Out Hunger was once again a charity "ball" that anyone with line-standing patience and a passion for pizza could participate in, though a few $100 VIP passes were sold as well. The event is now in its ninth year and has raised a tremendous amount of money for hunger relief organizations. 

Lisa Giunta, friend of the friars and owner of Arturo's on W. Houston and Thompson Street, with her "pizza friends."

Prayer Requests

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