Even some of our secular holidays follow he path of the sun,  and many of our religious feasts and customs revolve around sowing and reaping of crops, and the birthing of the animals of the flock.

Easter, for example, is held during the spring, when the earth comes alive with new growth- flowers, and fruits.  

Christmas is celebrated at the darkest time of the year- marking a festival of light as Jesus, the light of the world, is born. The ancient Romans celebrated at this same time the feast of “Saturnalia”, which honored Saturn, the god of agriculture.  It too was celebrated during the Winter solstice and many of the traditions we have surrounding the celebration of Christmas come from this feast. 

The Jewish religion, too, has many such festivals, such as Passover in the Spring, Tabernacles (Succoth) in the fall marking the harvest and the end of the growing season. 

Of course, November as a time to remember the dead coincides with the changing of the seasons and the coming of winter.  The ancient peoples witnessed the end of fall and the “dying” of nature, always with the hope that life would return in the spring.

This time of the year was looked upon as a time to honor the dead.  And it is a tradition that crossed over into the liturgical celebrations of the church, when we mark what in some countries is called the “Day of the Dead” (Dia e los Muertos).

All Souls Day is a time for remembering those who have died, and it is good to remember how important these people were to us, and continue to be to us.  All of us have been molded by those who have gone before us, whether it is our families, our relationships, or our deceased friars.

Traditionally in November, the friars gather at our churches and cemeteries to remember the dead.  In many friaries, it is a custom to read the names listed in our province necrology.  It is important that we not only remember our brothers, but continually pray for them.

What is important that we believe that death does not end life, but brings it to perfection.    

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. 

Dear Brothers,

Affectionate greetings from the friars of the Provincial House of Formation.

On October 23rd, we received with joy the visit of our Provincial Minister, Roberto Campagna. We also join in the joy and give thanks to God because four of our brothers: Br. Nelson Aldair Calderon, Br. Gabriel Rojas, Br. Kevin Ottoniel and Dagoberto Hernandez received the ministries of the Lectorate and Acolyte on November 27, in a mass presided by our Provincial Minister. After the liturgical ceremony, we ended with a fraternal lunch.

As a fraternity, we received an invitation from the diplomatic corps of the Embassy of El Salvador to the Holy See to participate in the prayer of the Holy Rosary in commemoration of the memory of Our Lady of Peace in the Vatican Garden, an activity that took place on November 9. 

On November 6, we thanked God for the gift of life of our brother Oscar Valle, and celebrated with a lunch and a cake in his honor.

 On November 16, we had a visit to the city of Todi, Perugia, with the different universities of the Diocese of Rome. It was a day of fraternal fellowship and, at the same time, a catechesis given by Fr. Fabio Rosini.

Brothers, to conclude, let us remember that we are close to the beginning of the season of Advent and, at the same time, the great solemnity of our Mother, the Immaculate Conception, patroness of our Order and our Province. May the grace and peace that come from God accompany us on this pilgrimage towards Christmas and the feast of our Mother. May Mary Immaculate, model of all grace, hope and expectation, guide us to her Son Jesus, and rekindle our love for Him.

We commend ourselves to your prayers and may the Lord grant us peace.

Br. Kevin Leonel Flores

Remembering our Deceased in Toronto

November 11, 2024

Our friars in the Toronto area gathered together, as is our tradition every November, to commemorate the souls of our deceased friars with a Mass celebrated at St. Peter’s Church in Woodbridge, Ontario. Our Minister Provincial, Fr Robert Campagna, presided, while our deacon, Br Jack Sidoti, preached the homily.

Many thanks to Fr Charles Grech, President of the Canadian foundation of our province and Pastor of St Peter’s for organizing this fraternal gathering in memory of our brothers who have gone before us into eternal life!

Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Commemoration of the Faithful Departed, Boston Area

November 11, 2024

Friars from the Boston region gathered to remember the deceased members of the province on November 11.  Mass for the faithfully departed was celebrated at St. Cristopher Friary, Boston. Following the Mass, the friars journeyed to Andover to pray at the graves of the friars. The brothers from St. Thomas, Derry joined with those from St. Christopher ‘s at the cemetery.

On the 11th January, 2025, the VIII Centenary of the Canticle of the Creatures will officially open at the Sanctuary of San Damiano in Assisi. The Ministers General of the First Order and those of the Regular and Secular Third Order will be present, together with the President of the Conference of Franciscan Sisters.

Celebrating the Canticle of the Creatures 1225-2025

Francis of Assisi was almost completely blind by the time he composed the Canticle of the Creatures. Nevertheless, with the eyes of faith, and filled with gratitude, he contemplated the wonders of creation and perceived the presence of the Creator who gave them meaning. To him, all creatures, mirrors of the divine perfection, were brothers and sisters because they were the work and gift of the same Author. Together they constituted the chorus of creation, which contemplates, praises and thanks God the Creator, “the Great Almsgiver” who gives generously and with goodness (2 Celano 77, FF 665). The Canticle is the final expression and confession of the Poverello’s life. It summarizes his entire journey of conformation to Christ, the beloved Son. His faith in the fatherhood of God becomes a song of praise that proclaims the brotherhood and the beauty of all creatures. In fact, “In beautiful things he contuited Beauty itself and through the footprints impressed in things he followed his Beloved everywhere, out of them all making for himself a ladder through which he could climb up to lay hold of Him who is utterly desirable” (Major Legend 9: 1, FF 1162).

Celebrating as a Franciscan Family

Celebrating the Centenary of the Canticle of the Creatures as a Franciscan Family leads us to a radical change in our relationship with creation: we shift from possessing creation to caring for our common home. In fact, each one of us must respond sincerely to these questions: How do I want to live out my relationship with other creatures? As a ruler who claims the right to do what he wants with them? As a consumer of resources who sees them as an opportunity to be taken advantage of? Or as a brother who pauses before creation, who admires its beauty and safeguards its existence? We are faced with an anthropological and ecological challenge that will determine our future, because it is linked to the future of our Mother and Sister Earth. We are called to face contemporary society and reintroduce “the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world” (Laudato si’ 11).

The current ecological crisis shows us that “the human environment and the natural environment deteriorate together” (Laudato si’ 48). This realization also allows us to understand that the human environment and the natural environment can, in the same way, protect and enhance each other. However, taking care of our common home without taking care of our interior home – our heart – will not work. We need conversion that is both ecological and integral at the same time, because “the ecological crisis is also a summons to profound interior conversion” (Laudato si’ 217). In fact, the last verse of the Canticle reminds us that only those with open hearts, capable of disarming the mindset of hatred and revenge through forgiveness, can become instruments of reconciliation and harmony and offer a prophetic vision of fraternity, like Francis himself, who lived “in simplicity and in wonderful harmony with God, with others, with nature and with himself” (Laudato si’ 10).

CANTICLE OF THE CREATURES

Most High, all powerful, good Lord,

Yours are the praises, the glory, the honour, and all blessing.

To You alone, Most High, do they belong,

and no man is worthy to mention Your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,

especially Sir Brother Sun,

who brings the day; and you give light through him.

And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendour!

Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,

in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,

and through the air, cloudy and serene,

and every kind of weather through which you give sustenance to Your creatures.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,

which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,

through whom you light the night and he is beautiful

and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,

who sustains us and governs us and who produces

varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.

Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love,

and bear infirmity and tribulation.

Blessed are those who endure in peace

for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,

from whom no living man can escape.

Woe to those who die in mortal sin.

Blessed are those who will find Your most holy will,

for the second death shall do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give Him thanks and serve Him with great humility.

FROM THE CURIA

New Ordos

The 2025 Ordos have all been sent out or delivered. Starting date is November 30. We are sending one for each individual friar and an additional one for sacristies. There are only a few extras left if you need another one contact Fr. Joe Lorenzo at the Curia.

Change of Address, Phone Numbers, and Emails

Please inform the Provincial Secretary if you or your friary/parish has a change in this information. We have not yet mastered the art of Extra Sensory Perception, so the only way we can make approprate changes is through information from you. Please email the Provincial Secretary jlorenzo@icprovince.org or call 212.674.4388.

Attic Treasures

Many people find new treasures when they clean out their closets. We are no different. The curia now has many liturgical items, including vestments: chasubles, stoles, albs; chalices, reliquaries, monstrances, tabernacles, candle sticks, followers, and many other items. With the exception of those of great value or historical significance, these are available to friaries free of charge. Parishes and other entities will be asked to make a reasonable donation to the province. Call the provincial office and speak with Glenn, Pam, or Michael Dominic for more information.

Evening Prayer

 The Secular Franciscans are hosting a 7:00 PM Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours via Zoom, Monday through Friday. If you do not have a local evening prayer or would just like to experience prayer via Zoom, use the link below.

https://us05web.zoom.us/j/83812234574?pwd=mGCQAvaajRyFArfN2uXCQybPuuvbAR.1

or

Meeting ID:        838 1223 4574

Passcode:          Paf0G1

Healthcare Reminders

·      Vaccines-It is time to check on your vaccines. Currently, Covid, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Pneumonia, Flu, and shingles vaccines are available. Check with your doctor to see if you should have one or all of these vaccines. They are readily available at CVS or other local pharmacies. 

·      Health care proxies – If you have moved recently, please check to make sure that your health care proxy has been updated. Copies should be kept by your guardian, one sent to the curia, and one kept for yourself. Blank copies for your state are available on the province website in the friars’ section.

·      Documents by your door- Nobody knows when they will need an ambulance. It is highly recommended that each friar keep the following documents in an envelope next to the door in your bedroom: health care proxy, medication list, copies of your medical cards (Medicare, Hartford, Anthem BC/BS or any other cards), and a list of any past surgeries or current issues. This will help in case you are unable to answer questions. The envelope should be pinned or taped to the wall  where it is readily visible.

Provincial Visitation/Chapter News

The first mailing for the 2025 Provincial Visitation and Chapter was sent out in early November. All Solemnly Professed friars should have received this mailing. It contains:

Chapter Delegate Sign-up Form (Must be returned to the Provincial Curia by 12.22.24)

Provincial Visitation Agenda

Provincial Visitation Schedule

Provincial Visitation Prayers

Second Mailing will go out early January. It will have the folowing:

Listing of Registered and Ex-Officio Chapter Delegates

Listing of all friars with active and passive voice for elections

First straw ballot for Provincial Minister

Listing of Suffrages (all who died since the last chapter)

If you have not received the first mailing, please notify the Provincial Secretary immediately.

 VISITATION SCHEDULE 2025

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PROVINCE

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         January 15-27, 2025 (New England Region)

January 15 Arrival in Boston (stay at St. Christopher Friary)

January 16-17  St. Christopher Friary 

January 18-19 Visit with St. Leonard Parish, Fr. Richard Martignetti

January 20 Listening Place- Fr. Alfonse Ferreira 

January 21 Fr. Brennan Egan- Braintree 

January 22 St. Patrick Home Framingham

January 23-24 Blessed Sacrament, Manchester

January 25-26 St. Thomas Aquinas Derry

January 27 Depart for NYC (Curia)

February 12-19, 2025. Upstate NY and Connecticut 

February 12- in NYC

February 13-14. Mount Alvernia–Wappinger Falls 

February 15-16. St. Joseph Winsted

February 17. St. Anthony Troy 

February 18 Teresian House (Albany)

February 19 Return to Provincial Curia

March 3-7, 2025 Ohio, Pennsylvania

March 3- Depart for Youngstown OH (Mount Alverna)

March 3-5. Fr. Charles Soto, O.F.M. 

Fr. Michael Travaglione, O.F.M.

March 7 Return to NYC

March 8-21, 2025, New York City

Stay at Provincial Curia

March 8-9  Our Lady of Peace, Brooklyn

March 10-12. Padua Friary

March 13-14. Siena Friary, FMA, Medical Claims

March 15-16. St. Anthony, NYC

March 17. Ozanam Home

March 18-19 Provincial Curia

March 21 Departure

June 5-20, 2025  Toronto

June 5- Arrival in Toronto

Stay at St. Jane Frances, North York

June 6-9 St. Jane Frances

June 10-12 St. Francis Centre, Caledon

June 13-15 St. Peter Church

June 16-18 Immaculate Conception

June 19-Providence Villa

June 20- Fr. Celestino Canzio

June 23-27 Provincial Chapter, St. Francis Centre, Caledon Ontario

Saint Leonard Church, Boston

The Noble Journey Sculpture (NJS)

On September 29th we dedicated a remarkable bronze sculpture exquisitely crafted by the world renown artist Nancy Schön at St Leonard’s Church in the North End. Nancy is most famous for creating the sculpture of the ducks at the Boston Public Hardens and inspiring the Make way for Ducklings book. Her latest sculpture which is situated at the foot of the stairs at St Leonard in the Peace Garden, is a touching memorial to all immigrants who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean on the long and harrowing voyage to America. It honors and celebrates their historic "Noble Journey" by replicating the gangway of a ship used by immigrants to disembark as they arrived at port. This dynamic and interactive sculpture invites each of the millions of tourists who visit St Leonard’s to follow in the courageous and inspirational footsteps of our ancestors who chose to make Boston their home. The NJS is a specifically a lasting monument to all the Italian immigrants who upon arriving in the North End built our beautiful St. Leonard's, the first church built by Italian immigrants in New England in 1873.

"The aim of art is not to represent the outward appearance of things but their inward significance" - Aristotle

Inward Significance.

For me, the sculpture speaks of the inner journey of faith that our grandparents travelled, who like Abraham, left the known for the unknown. It is therefore a celebration of the courageous and triumphal power of faith and hope that Jeremiah 29:11 wrote about:

'"For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. "

Our grandparents carried their faith in Christ to this country as their greatest treasure and were in turn carried by that faith. They not only bequeathed us a rich cultural legacy of valuing family, good food and hard work, but gave us all a powerful example of how to trust in God who calls each of us into a journey of faith and relationship of trust. The truth of St. Therese of Lisieux's observation that "The world is thy ship and not thy home" echoes the spiritual journey motif embedded in scripture and richly expressed in the art and architecture of every Church. We as a Church of believers have long been depicted as a ship journeying to Heaven across the sea of the world. It is no coincidence that the central feature of every traditional church is called the 'nave', the Latin word for 'ship' or 'boat'. St Hippolytus of Rome even wrote "The world is a sea in which the Church is set, like a ship tossed in the deep, but not destroyed. For she has with her the skilled Pilot, Christ." The sails of the barque of our Church are propelled by the Holy Spirit that is supported by three masts, each in the form of a cross. The Church, buoyed by the unsinkable faith and invincible love of Jesus who is our captain and anchor, is truly a vessel of salvation that was prefigured with Noah's ark, that offers everyone a refuge in the midst of the storms of this world. The life preservers on the sculpture speak of the saving mission of the Church which like a lifeboat, searches to rescue those who are adrift. We are more than just passengers however, as each of us are called to be

'fishers of men,' that is, missionary disciples who seek to free others from the turbulent waters of the world and so be saved by Christ's love. The church railings of the gangplank seamlessly and organically merge into the sculpture and thus the sculpture into the church in such a way that it is unclear where the church begins and the sculpture ends. This is a powerful metaphor to me of the ambiguous truth at the heart of the Noble journey of faith. It is never just us journeying to God but rather it is first and foremost God journeying to us. Our journey is merely a response to His invitation, as it is God who continuingly and untiringly searches for us. The Saints then create a bridge to us by ever reaching out to lift us up so that we can journey into heaven. In this way St. Catherine of Siena's wise observation rings true: "All the way to heaven is heaven because Christ is the way." In this way, the eighteen footprints on the gangplank speak of the Jewish mystical tradition in which the number eighteen expresses L'Chaim or "to life", and more poignantly true or Eternal life. The Noble Journey then is not just about getting us into heaven but rather about getting heaven into us.

Fr. Michael Della Penna, O.F.M.

Take time to wish our brothers a Happy Birthday!

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

ake time to wish our brothers a Happy Birthday!

Peter  Furgiuele December 3 71

Louis Troiano December 10 94

Patrick Boyle December 15 72

Vit Fiala December 16 67

Albin Fusco December 28 95

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 Secretary/Communications Director

125 Thompson Street New York NY 10012

Cell: 917.337.9833

Office: 212.674.4388 Xt. 113

jlorenzo@icprovince.org

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