One of the scenes that was most terrifying was the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.  The fleeing citizens, the terrified onlookers, and the bravery of police, fire, and emergency workers, captured the gamut of emotions that ran through all of us on that day.  In the end, in the midst of death and destruction, fear and heroism, the loss of loved ones and friends, remained ash- tons and tons of ash showering down on lower Manhattan. We know that much of this ash was toxic, causing great problems to the emergency workers as well as the local people.

Ash is the result of destruction.  It is the byproduct of death.  In the Old Testament, the Israelites donned sackcloth and poured ashes on their heads as a sign of repentance and sorrow for their sins.  For centuries, the church has reminded us that “you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”   Yes, dust and ashes are the residue of life, but they are not totally devoid of hope.  When volcanoes erupt, the resulting ash gives nutrients to the surrounding land, producing lush greenery.

Ash Wednesday is a reminder of our sinfulness and our mortality.  It is also a reminder that we are people who are both redeemed and redeemable- redeemed by the blood of Christ, and redeemable because each one of us can rise from the ashes of sin and death and partake of the new life which Christ gives us.

There was a time when we, as Catholics, gave something up for Lent.  Perhaps it was something superficial.  Perhaps it had some health benefit, like giving up candy or smoking.  I would hope that we’ve gone beyond that. I would hope that Lent will be a time of struggle for us- struggle with all those things in our lives which keep us from growing closer in our relationship with our God.

Ashes are a sign of surrender.  Sometimes we have to surrender things in order to embrace something that is more important to us.  We may, for example, have to surrender things we like to do in order to spend more time with our fraternity- or family and friends.  People often have to surrender something in order to help their children with their school tuition.  Life is filled with sacrifices and difficult choices.

During this Lenten season, think of surrender.  What is it in our lives or our schedules that we can surrender in order to spend more quality time with the Lord?  Perhaps this would include special works of charity, or praying the rosary, or celebrating Stations of the Cross Or perhaps it could mean sacrificing some new gadget we'd like to have, or going out to our favorite restaurant, and instead giving alms to the poor.

This Lent, let’s make our “surrender” real.  Let’s have ashes that are the products of real sacrifice- sacrifice that will last forever- sacrifice which will help us grow in the Lord.  In the end, when the ash had cleared, a large cross remained at Ground Zero- a reminder that, through it all, God remains steadfast and is always there for us.

News from the Convento San Francesco

Peace and good brothers!

During this month in our fraternity we have shared a number of wonderful moments as 2025 gets on its way, especially as the Jubilee of Hope has begun. We kicked off with the occasion of my birthday - a very special and fraternal celebration. Then on February 1st, we participated in the first vespers of the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord with Pope Francis, together with all the religious men and women present in Rome. There the Holy Father shared a reflection on the experience of the evangelical counsels, and ended his address with an interesting invitation:

“I would like to conclude by mentioning something further. Nowadays in consecrated life there is much talk about “returning to the origins.” But not a return to the origin as in going back to a museum, no. A return to the very origin of our life. The word of God that we have heard reminds us that the first and most important “return to the origins” in every consecration and for each one of us, is the return to Christ and to his “yes” to the Father."

Finally, on February 2, some brothers of our fraternity participated in the first religious profession of Sister Maria Chiara Mirella Martinez Casteñeda OSC, a Poor Clare of the Monastery of Saint Clare in Anagni. The celebration was presided over by Monsignor Ambrogio Spreafico, Bishop of Anagni-Alatri, concelebrated by various priests and we were present as altar servers. It was a very profound celebration where we were able to share with our sisters the joy of seeing how the Franciscan charism continues to grow and strengthen.

I would like to also take this opportunity (as February was my turn to send in an article on behalf of the brothers) to ask you to pray for all of us, but in particular for the four of us who will God-willing be preparing for our Solemn Profession later on this year. Kevin Gabriel, Oscar, Luis and myself are blessed to be concluding our time here in Rome and transitioning from initial to ongoing formation. We know this is a very important and crucial time for us and we wish to thank you all for consistently showing us your love and care, especially during our summer assignments. May the Lord continue to bless us all as we move forward, humbly working in his vineyard for his glory. 

Thank-you brothers and blessings of peace and goodness to all.

Daniel Luna OFM

COME AND SEE WEEKEND IN CALEDON

Dear Brothers,

May the Lord give you peace!

Greetings from Caledon, ON where we recently received over a foot of snow! Welcome to the True North! As we climb out from under the winter wonderland, we wanted to share with you all some moments from this past weekend and not just the snow! On February 15^th-16^th we were fortunate to host a few young men for a Come & See Weekend here at the St. Francis Friary. Marco Antonio and I have been asked to promote or animate vocations here in our Foundation in Canada and have been working to do so since we have been assigned here at the St. Francis Centre. Along with our ministry at the Centre we have been praying for vocations to our way of life and our beloved Province first and foremost. As we know we have to do the footwork too so have been promoting and networking in our nearby parishes regarding vocations along with some of the local parishes where we have demonstrated a presence. We have had also a positive response connecting and dialoging with young people who come for retreats at the Centre in regards to vocations.

With that said, we had several guys show interest in getting to know our way of life so we invited them for a Come & See. Due to the anticipated blizzard, which still has us shoveling and plowing, some of the gentleman who were interested were not able to come. However, we did welcome two young men from St. John the Evangelist parish located on the Gore Rd which is about a half an hour by car, maybe less from the Centre. Thanks to determination and 4x drive, Justin and Matthew came to the friary to spend Saturday and Sunday with us. We also invited Br. Jack Sidoti to come and participate in the weekend who headed up several liturgical moments, worthy of St. Peter’s, and also gave a profound reflection regarding vocations during adoration and evening prayer. Br. Josh Critchley spoke about St. Francis and the Order in one of our meetings we held via Videochat on the TV screen thanks to the snow storm that was moving in. I told him he is the next Casey Cole! Br. Antonio Nardioanni was also present and made the guys feels right at home in true Franciscan and IC Province spirit opening our first introductory meeting up with a beautiful prayer touching on all the various vocations in the Church that glorify the Lord. It didn’t hurt that they left singing the praises of the cooking and the food and desserts they enjoyed while being with us for the weekend. Nourished in body and spirit! All in all, it was a positive weekend and we were encouraged by their kindness and openness when it came to share and ask questions. Both guys seem to be at the initial phases of their respective discernment journeys so it’s only right we ask you all to pray for them and pray for us as we seek to fish men! We hope to continue with these young men and also hold similar Come & See weekends with other men who have shown an interest in our way of life. Remember we are all vocation directors in different ways of course. As always good brothers, peace and God’s grace to you all! 

Fraternally,

br. Dan Cavalieri OFM

VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY

CELEBRATES LUNAR NEW YEAR AT

SAINT JANE FRANCES, TORONTO

Dear Brothers,

            The last several months of diaconate ministry at St. Jane Frances Church in Toronto have been filled with many wonderful experiences. Whether it’s teaching Confirmation classes to our 63 candidates, training our Altar Servers, or preaching at Sunday Masses, there is always something to do in this very active parish.

            Perhaps one of the most positive aspects of living in this parish is the opportunity to get to know a culture with which I was previously unfamiliar. As some of you may know, St. Jane Frances is home to a thriving Vietnamese community. Out of the three language-based communities in this parish, the Vietnamese community is definitely the largest of them. And that comes as no surprise. Our church is one of just five in the archdiocese that offer Masses in the Vietnamese language – and ours is centrally positioned for most of the people. We have parishioners who travel over an hour each Sunday to come to Mass and be part of this parish.

            I have been extremely blessed to get to know these parishioners, who are so open to sharing their culture and traditions with me. Just about a month ago we had the celebration of Lunar New Year which, as you may know, is a major holiday for many east Asian countries. This year, Lunar New Year fell on January 29^th, but the celebration lasted much longer! The festivities began the Sunday prior to the holiday with a food festival in the Parish Hall, where the parishioners gathered to spend time together, eating traditional foods (this was also a fundraiser for the Parish), playing Vietnamese Bingo, singing, and all-around fun.

            After this, we celebrated special liturgies for Lunar New Years Eve, Lunar New Years Day, as well as the second and third days of Lunar New Year. Each day had a specific theme. New Years Eve was a time to thank God for all of the blessings received throughout the last year, and after Mass we blessed the first-fruits and passages of Scripture which everyone took home with them. After the Mass on New Years Day, we gave traditional Vietnamese Rice Cakes (Bánh chưng) to the elderly parishioners and red envelopes with “lucky money” to the children. The second day of New Year was dedicated to the memory of the ancestors. Before the Mass began, parishioners processed in the dimly lit church with tealight candles in memory of their deceased loved ones. And finally, on the third day of New Year, we celebrated Mass asking the Lord to bless everyone’s work.

In the end, I found the Lunar New Year celebration a very beautiful moment for the community to come together and thank God for our families, to thank Him for His blessings on us, and to start the new year fresh, asking God to be with us as we continue on our journey. I personally thank God for having been able to experience these traditions in the Vietnamese community, which I believe are very similar to our traditions during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

            As I continue on in my diaconate ministry here, I realize just how blessed we are to have the responsibility of ministering to the English, Italian and Vietnamese speaking communities. And the faith and devotion of all our parishioners is always an affirmation to me of the beauty of parish life. Is it perfect? No, but then again nothing is ever truly perfect on this earth! Nevertheless, being able to work with and for the people of God is an edifying experience for me, and I hope that our presence here has the same effect for our parishioners.

            I hope you are all well, brothers! Please continue to pray for me as I come to the final months of diaconate ministry and grow ever closer to priestly ordination. And, as always, you are all in my prayers as well.

God bless you all,

-Br. Jack Sidoti

PROVINCIAL CHAPTER NEWS 2025

REMINDER: BALLOTS FOR THE SECOND STRAW VOTING FOR PROVINCIAL MINISTER ARE DUE AT THE PROVINCIAL CURIA ON FEBRUARY 25.

February 28- Counting of Second Straw Ballot for Provincial Minister

Results will be sent directly to the General Definitorium for study and approval of final candidates.

March 3-7 Ohio, Pennsylvania Visitation

 March 7- Letters of Appointment sent out for Chapter Positions

March 8-21 New York City

April 4- Canonical Ballots for Provincial Minister sent out

April 22- Nominating Ballots For Vicar/Definitorium sent out to Province

May 15- Canonical Ballots Due at Provincial Curia (To be counted at Chapter)

May 16- Official Convocation of Provincial Chapter by Visitator General

June 2- Nominating Ballots for Vicar and Definitorium Due at Provincial Curia

June 4-  Counting of Nominating Ballot for Vicar and Definitorium (Curia)

June 5-20, 2025  Toronto Visitation

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

The Franciscan Martyrs of Georgia

The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church

Have you heard of the Holy Martyrs of Georgia? They are five Spanish Friars Minor murdered in September 1597 "in hatred of the faith" while conducting missionary work in Spanish Florida. Their particular mission took place in what is now the State of Georgia. As of January 2025, they have been formally declared martyrs by the Catholic Church and are set to be beatified.On January 27, 2025, the Holy See confirmed their deaths as acts of martyrdom "in hatred of the faith", officially granting them the title of Venerable, and authorizing their beatification. Their beatification date is yet to be set. T

The Spanish Franciscan missions in Florida began with the earliest settlement in Florida, St. Augustine. Thus, the Spanish Franciscan missionaries operated based out of this city. By 1597, the Franciscans had learned the local language of the Guale people and began to convert them, without military presence. ^[2]

One of the main concerns with the evangelization of this region was reconciling the local culture's position on marriage (which allowed polygamy) and the Catholic Church's position on marriage (which believes marriage is between one man and one woman exclusively).^[3] It was ultimately this issue which led to the death of the friars. The martyred friars are:

Pedro de Corpa was born circa 1560 in Corpa, near Alcalá. He joined the Franciscan Order around 1577 and was likely ordained around 1584. On July 21, 1587, Pedro and twelve other friars (including Antonio de Badajoz) set sail from San Lúcar de Barrameda and again from Havana on September 29, arriving at St. Augustine on October 5. Pedro was assigned to work at Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Tolomato.^[4] He was the first to be martyred on September 14, 1597. 

Blas Rodríguez was born in the 1550s in Cuacos de Yuste, Cáceres. In the early to mid-1570s, he joined the Franciscans and was ordained sometime in the 1580s. On May 17, 1590, he was approved to be sent to the New World and was assigned to Tupiqui. Those who killed Pedro then went to kill Blas. Before being executed on September 16, 1597,^[5] he was allowed to celebrate a final Mass and preach.

Miguel de Añon was born in Añón de Moncayo in the 1540s and entered the Franciscans around 1570. His ordination date in unknown and he was sent to the colony of Puerto Rico (and later to Florida) on July 14, 1595, with Francisco de Verascola. His arrival to St. Augustine was delayed until September 23 due to a tropical storm. He was then assigned to Santa Catalina de Guale, which was originally a Jesuit mission site. He was ultimately killed when an unbaptized native beat him unconscious with a tomahawk.

Antonio de Badajoz was born in Badajoz. He is the only one of the Georgia Martyrs to be a lay brother. He came to Florida by following the same route as Pedro. He may have worked at a number of missions, ultimately ending at Santa Catalina.^[8] He was martyred September 17, 1597.

Francisco de Veráscola Sáez de Castañiza was born and baptized on February 13, 1564, in Gordejuela. He entered the Franciscans in the 1580s and was ordained around 1590. He left from San Lúcar on July 14, 1595, he was assigned to Asao, modern-day St. Simons Island. He left his assignment at Santo Domingo de Asao on canoe for St. Augustine to resupply the mission. Once he disembarked he was axed to death in late September 1597.^[9][5]

In September of 1597, the Franciscan missionary efforts came to a head. The Catholic opposition to practices of polygamy and divorce was not aligned with the Guale practice. When a baptized Guale man, Juanillo, who was next in line to the Guale chiefdom, attempted marriage to a second wife in Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de Tolomato, Pedro de Corpa rejected the effort. In response, the Guale Juanillo beheaded Pedro.^[2] Later, Father Blas was martyred and Juanillo ordered the chief of St. Catherines Island to kill Miguel and Antonio (Miguel's translator), but he refused and instead asked the friars to go to San Pedro Island. They refused to leave and were killed by Juanillo when he arrived. Later in the month, Francisco was martyred as well.

A sixth friar, Francisco de Avila, survived but was tortured until his liberation months later.

The story of these friars was first communicated by Luis Gerónimo de Oré to King Philip III of Spain. By the 17th century, they were listed in many Franciscan martyrologies.

In the 1950s, the Friars Minor of the United States began to consider honoring their deaths. Their work culminated with Raymond W. Lessard, Bishop of the Diocese of Savannah, approving the investigation of their lives and the manner of their deaths. He opened a cause for their beatification on February 22, 1984. In March 2007, the resulting documents were submitted to Rome for approval by Conrad Harkins, O.F.M., the Promoter of their cause, on behalf of the diocese.^[3]

The Holy Father Francis has appointed as Bishop of the Diocese of Baie-Comeau in Canada, Br. Pierre Charland, OFM, member of the Province of the Holy Spirit in Canada, until now Provincial Minister of the same Province since its creation in 2018.

Br. Pierre was born on December 20, 1962, in North Bay, Ontario. He was invested with the Franciscan habit on August 18, 1991, in the then Province of St. Joseph, continuing his philosophical-theological studies in Montreal and Strasbourg. He made his Solemn Profession on May 12, 1996, and was ordained to the priesthood on June 22, 2012. During his ministry, he has held various positions in the Province, including Provincial Vicar, Provincial Definitor, General Visitor, and parish priest. He was also a professor of spirituality at the University of Montreal and provided spiritual ministry at the Argenteuil Health and Social Services Center, while also supporting former drug addicts.

We extend our best wishes to our brother, His Excellency Mons. Pierre Charland OFM for his new ministry in service of the people of God.

Fr. Andre Cirino Gives Workshop

on St. Bonaventure

At the end of January, Fr. Andre did a workshop on St. Bonaventure’s Five Feasts of the Child Jesus for the OFM and OFM Cap. novices at Santa Barbara Mission, CA. 

One of the Capuchin novices wrote the attached piece. One of the OFM novices provided the photo. 

In the photo, front row, the first 5 friars from the viewer’s right to left, are the OFM and Capuchin formators.  There were 4 OFM novices and 6 Capuchin novices.

Covering St. Bonaventure’s Five Feasts of the Child Jesus with André Cirino, OFM was an insightful seminar with immediate practical applications. The week focused on the little-known work by St. Bonaventure in which he outlines how we become spiritual mothers of Christ when we intentionally conceive, give birth to, name, adore, and present back to God the graces that we receive. 

This gave me a new framework for looking at God’s grace present and active in my life. This new framework began with seeing grace as a piece of divinity within me. This concept made the idea of spiritual motherhood much more approachable, and gave me greater appreciation for all of the little gifts that God has given me, but are easy to overlook. 

            Saint Bonaventure builds on the theology of Saint Francis’ concept of spiritual motherhood. In Saint Francis’ Earlier Exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, he states that:

 “(we) are mothers when we carry Him in our heart and body through a divine love and a pure and sincere conscience and give birth to Him through a holy activity which must shine as an example before others.” 

This is the goal of the Five Feasts of the Child Jesus, to become mothers of Christ by partnering with God’s grace in our lives and living in a way that provides an example to others.

I am grateful for this seminar for prompting me to begin reevaluating the way that I look at grace in my life, and providing me with an outline to live more fully into the call that God has for me by acknowledging by name the graces that God has given me.

Br. Joseph West, OFM Cap.

Take time to wish our brothers a Happy Birthday!

Antonio Riccio- March 3- 79

Peter Hoang Cao Thai- March 10- 45

Nelson Aldair Orantes Calderon- March 23- 26

Joaquin Mejia- March 23- 58