Volume 4 ~ Issue 6; Release: April 1, 2019
IN THIS ISSUE:
  • R + R Update

  • +Sister Noreen Orazio
  • Keith Douglass Warner in East Africa

  • Friars at RE Congress
Be sure to watch on Live Stream!
2019 Ignatius Brady OFM Lecture
JOE CHINNICI: Keynote Speaker
April 12, 2019, 7:30 pm (ET)

Former Minister Provincial Joe Chinnici will be the keynote address, the 2019 Ignatius Brady OFM Lecture, at the forthcoming conference: Franciscan Reform and the Crises of the Catholic Church at St. Bonaventure University, NY April 12. Joe’s topic, “Faith Reform, and Mission: When the Church Becomes an Obstacle,” will be available live stream:  http://www.ustream.tv/channel/st-bonaventure-university-live-stream
The conference will continue on Saturday, April 13, with presentations from Franciscan scholars including Dr. Joshua Benson, Sr. Florence Deacon, OSF; David Couturier, OFM. Conv.  

For the pdf of the announcement, click here.

Photo: Joe Chinnici OFM. c. Peter Jordan
From Friar Keith Douglass Warner:
On the Road with Catholic Sisters in East Africa
January, 2019

Brothers, just a few months ago in January of this year, I had the privilege of accompanying two dozen Catholic Sisters to visit a dozen social enterprises in Kenya and Uganda, in conjunction with the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Santa Clara University (Californa). Miller Center has entered into a partnership with The Association of Consecrated Women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) a regional body representing 301 congregations of about 30,000 Sisters in 10 countries. The Association requested a partnership with Miller Center to transform its social ministries -- including schools, health ministries, and orphanages -- into social enterprises. 

The youthful energy, faith and friendship of these women was stirring, reminiscent of the Visitation. I am excited to send some of my students to work with them this summer, and believe I am called, in some curious way, to continue accompanying them, on behalf of Miller Center and our province. I wrote a travelogue for Miller Center, which you can acces through this link:  https://www.scu-social-entrepreneurship.org/blog-1/2019/2/19/traveling-with-the-sisters?rq=Warner

Our brother, Keith Douglass Warner, directs Miller Center’s education, fellowship, grants and action research activities. He also directs the Global Social Benefit Fellowship, which provides a comprehensive program of mentored, field-based study and research for SCU juniors within the Center’s worldwide network of social entrepreneurs. Unless otherwise indicated, photos are by Keith Douglass Warner, OFM.

Photo: Keith Douglass Warner, OFM  c. Peter Jordan
Keith with Sisters
Sisters in Kenya
Sisters in Uganda
FRIAR PETER TABICHI OF KENYA
WINS $1 MILLION 
GLOBAL TEACHING PRIZE
March 25, 2019

Friar Peter Tabichi, a Kenyan teacher who works with impoverished children, has won a "best teacher" award as part of the Global Teacher Prize. According to ABC News, Peter was selected from 10,000 applicants worldwide. He presently works with children from poor families at Keriko Mixed Day Secondary School in Pwani Village, in a remote part of the country, where 95 per cent of his students live in poverty and 30 per cent are orphans or from single-parent families. Classes are crammed with as many as 80 students in a single session. He plans to use the funds to help his school and community.  

The Global Teacher Prize is awarded by the Varkey Foundation, whose founder, Sunny Varkey, established the for-profit GEMS Education company that runs 55 schools in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Qatar. For full story: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-25/kenya-teacher-interview-1/10935590

Peter Tabichi OFM. Photo: ABC News
Prize ceremony
Franciscan Presence:
2019 Religious Education Congress
Anaheim, California
March 21-24, 2019 

Franciscans, including members of the Province of St. Barbara and representative of FST, were present in a variety of ways at the recent RE Congress in Anaheim, California. In addition to the speakers and exhibitors, friars, Franciscan sisters, Secular Franciscans were also among the more than 30,000 attendees at the annual event. Look for more information in the next issue of OFM.FYI, but for now, here is a partial list of friars and our own Province-related entities represented:

  • Friar William Burton (SH), presently teaching at the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology (DPST) in Berkeley, California.  
  • Gilberto Cavazos-González (SH), from the Pontifical University Antonianum, Rome.
  • Friar Daniel Horan (HNP) is Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology and Spirituality at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago
  • Friar Michael Martin, OFM Conv., has served as Director of Duke Catholic Center at Duke University in North Carolina since 2010

Franciscan entities represented at the RE Congress include: Franciscan Media; Franciscan Peacemakers, Milwaukee, WI (www.franciscanpeacemakers.com); Franciscan Renewal Center; Franciscan School of Theology; Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, LaCrosse, WI; and, the Franciscan University Catechetical Institute, Steubenville, OH. 
Friar William Burton (SH)
Friar Daniel Horan (HNP)
Friar Gilberto Cavazos-González (SH)
Friar Michael Martin, OFM Conv
NEWS BRIEF:
RE CONGRESS
March 22-24, 2019
From Friar Sam Nasada

The Los Angeles Religious Education Congress 2019 (Anaheim Convention Center, March 22-24) had a big Franciscan presence. This included numerous friars from different provinces who attended, all of our novices from the Interprovincial Novitiate, our vocations team, etc. On Friday, March 22, Friar Dan Horan (HNP) presided at a Mass themed "The Cross and Suffering in Today's World in the Franciscan Tradition." Friar Sam Nasada served as deacon and  Friar Rufino Zaragoza was music coordinator. FST faculty, staff, students, and alumni helped with hospitality.

Photos: Friar Pat McCloskey (SJB) at the Franciscan Media booth
Friars Dan Horan and Rufino Zaragoza with the music team prior to Mass
Friar Sam Nasada with members of FRC booth
NEW VIDEO
From Friar Octavio Duran (HNP)

Walking the Walk along the U.S./Mexican Border, an evocative 6.38 min video by Friar Octavio Duran, describes the ecumenical border ministry in which Friars David Buer, Sam Nasada, and  Luis Ronde (SH) have participated. This trio of friars has been instrumental in the establishment of the Ite Nuntiate fraternity in Elfrida, Arizona. Friar Octavio, a native of El Salvador, is Director of Media and editor of The Anthonian, a publication of the Holy Name Province. Earlier in his life, he served as served as personal assistant and photo historian for St. Oscar Romero.

Click here for the link:

Photo: Octavio Duran OFM. 
FROM FRIAR BOB VALENTINE

We have received two great photos from our brother, Friar Bob Valentine. During a recent trip to Ireland, Bob stopped by at the Interprovincial Novitiate in Killarney for a brief visit. He brings greetings from the novitiate team and the novices (shown below). 

Photos: Bob Valentine OFM
 (l to r) Brother Novices: Antony (Custody, GB), Connor (Ireland),
Joel (TOR, Sweden), Theodore (Canada), Adrian (Canada), Claus (Germany),
Ian (Ireland), Benedetto (Netherlands).
Bob also sent in this great photo of our brother, Friar Tony (Anthony) Lavorin, on his recent birthday celebration(February 28) at Mercy Care & Retirement Center, Oakland, CA.  
(l to r) Friars Ignatius DeGroot, Evan Howard, Pat Evard,
Tony Lavorin, Ben Innes, Richard Juzix.  
IN MEMORIAM

Sister Noreen Orazio SSMO
(April 11, 1931 - March 17, 2019)

Brother Jeff MacNab wrote to inform us that Sr. Noreen died. She was 83 years old. Sister Noreen, a long-time friend of the friars, worked for 22 years with our postulants under four different directors. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on March 21, at the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon (SSMO) Motherhouse Chapel in Beaverton, Oregon, with internment at the SSMO Cemetery. Sister Noreen’s obituary notice reads in part: 

From 1980-84, Sr. Noreen served as the Education Coordinator for the Community and in 1984-86 she returned to school to earn a degree in counseling psychology. From 1986-94, Sister served at Catholic Community Services and began her private therapy practice. From 1994 to the present, she counseled many grateful clients and taught the newest members of the Franciscan Friars as well as our Sisters. 

Throughout her life, whether in the classroom, behind the principal’s desk, in a therapy session, or serving on Community committees, Sr. Noreen was an outstanding teacher, guide and mentor. Her insights revealed a deep understanding and empathy for human nature and how to address issues and concerns.

Photo: Sister Noreen Orazio, SSMO. Photo: courtesy SSMO
Mrs. Jean Westlund, grandmother of our brother Bradley Tuel, died peacefully on March 14, 2019 in Boise, Idaho. She was 93 years old.
VOCATIONS EVENTS IN APRIL 

Our hard-working Province Vocations team — Friars Eric Pilarcik, Zeno Im, and Sebastian Sandoval—are presenting a number of events in April. For details, click here 

April 5, Friday, 5:45pm – 9pm 
Discernment Dinner in Scottsdale
Franciscan Renewal Center
Br. Sam Nasada, OFM

April 5-7, Friday-Sunday, 5pm – Sunday 1pm 
Come and See Experience in the Bay Area
St. Boniface Catholic Church
Br. Eric Pilarcik, OFM
Fr. Sebastian Sandoval, OFM

April 12, Friday, 5pm – 9pm 
Discernment Dinner in Los Angeles
Assumption Catholic Church
Fr. Sebastian Sandoval, OFM

April 26, Friday, 5pm – 9pm 
Discernment Dinner in the Bay Area
St. Elizabeth Catholic Church
Br. Eric Pilarcik, OFM

Photos: All photos: c. Peter Jordan
Eric Pilarcik OFM
Sebastian Sandoval OFM
Zeno Im OFM
CORRECTION

Our most recent (March 15, 2019) issue featured a piece about Friar Chris Meyer (SJB), who will be attending Chapter. Chris worked at Cristo Rey High School in Chicago, not in Cincinnati, as stated.  
BIRTHDAYS:
April 1 - Vincent Mesi            
April 3 - Joachim Grant           
April 5  - Tom Frost              
April 12 - Dennis Duffy           
April 16  - Franklin Fong          
April 16 - John Kiesler            
April 18 - Jeff Macnab            
April 24  - Nghia Phan            
April 25 - Miguel Obregon         
April 26 - Louis Khoury            
April 27 - John Tran Nguyen
April 28 - Brian Trawick 
FEAST DAYS:
April 3 - Richard McManus
April 4 - Ben Innes
April 5 - Vincent Nguyen
April 8 - Alberto Villafan
April 12 - Sung Wook Im
April 19 - Angelo Cardinalli
April 23 - Jorge Hernandez
April 25 - Mark Schroeder
April 25 - Mark McPherson
April 27 - Rene Juarez
2019 Calendar
~ From Lara Hansen ~
~ UPCOMING EVENTS ~

Province Institutional Board and Staff Leadership Retreat
April 10-11 ~ Franciscan Renewal Center, Scottsdale, AZ

Renewal of Profession Day
April 16

Definitorium
May 20-24 ~ Old Mission San Luis Rey, CA

Chapter 2019
June 23–28, 2019 ~ Franciscan Renewal Center, Scottsdale, AZ
OFM.FYI, the bi-weekly newsletter of the Franciscan Friars Province of Saint Barbara, is published on the 1st and 15th of each month. Editor: Charles Talley, ofm. 
Relevant submissions of texts, photos, etc., are welcome at any time 
and will be placed in the next appropriate issue
 Send submissions to: ofm.fyi@gmail.com