+Fr. Linus led several pilgrimages to these 13th-century hermitages (Le Marche, Italy)

It is with great sadness that we relate that our brother +Friar Linus DeSantis, OFM Conv. passed away the evening of December 1, 2015. After suffering a massive heart attack during Evening Mass at Syracuse University, on Sunday, November 29th, and after the care of dedicated medical specialists, our brother +Linus suffered another heart attack and passed into the arms of Sister Death. Let us pray for his soul and the souls of all our faithful departed.

There will be a 3-9:00 p.m. Reception and Wake on Friday, December 4, 2015 including a Service at 7:00 pm, at the Alibrandi Catholic Center, St, Thomas Moore Chapel, (Syracuse, NY). The 11:00 am. Funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, December 5, 2015, at The Franciscan Church of the Assumption, (Syracuse, NY). After the funeral, the body will be transported to Baltimore for a 10:30 a.m. Memorial Mass to be celebrated Monday, December 7th, at St. Casimir Church, followed by internment in the Friars’ Plot at St. Stanislaus Cemetery.

Memorial Donations may be made to the Franciscan Education Burse.

+FRIAR LINUS DeSANTIS, OFM Conv.: In 1943, he was born in Baltimore, Maryland and entered the St. Joseph Cupertino Novitiate in 1961, professing his Temporary Vows in 1962 and his Solemn Vows in 1965. He was ordained to the priesthood, on May 22, 1971, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, in Albany, NY, by Bishop Edwin B. Broderick. After earning a B.A. in Philosophy from St. Hyacinth College and Seminary (1966) and an M.Div. in Theology at St. Anthony-on-Hudson (1967-71), he earned an M.A. in English from the University of Dayton (1972).  He taught in our High Schools (St. Francis  1971-1976 & Archbishop Curley 1976-1979), served as a Definitor, Guardian, Principal (1979-1982) and became the Registrar for St. Hyacinth College and Seminary, at the same time as he was providing Pastoral Assistance at St. Stanislaus Parish, in Chicopee, MA (1982-1988). His first Campus Ministry position was at Western Connecticut State University (1988-1991) before returning to Maryland as the guardian of St. Joseph Cupertino Friary while working as the Registrar for the Washington Theological Union, in Silver Spring. After four years as Assistant Regent of Studies, he moved to Lithia Springs, GA to serve as Parochial Vicar of our pastoral ministry of St. John Vianney Church (1994). In 1996, he returned to Campus Ministry. This time he served the Roman Catholic student body and staff needs of Keenesaw State University before ending up as the Director of the John G. Alibrandi Catholic Center’s Campus Ministry for Syracuse University and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF), where he served for the last 8 years of his life. He also served as a member of the Province’s Parochial Concerns Commission from 1997-2001 and for two decades, +Friar Linus was a Regional Spiritual Assistant to the Brothers and Sisters of St. Francis Region of the Secular Franciscans (32 fraternities in the Southern United States), working with elected professed Secular Franciscans on the regional council.

December 10, 2105 article from the Georgia Bulletin.

Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. John Voytek, OFM Conv. will continue the work of +Friar Linus, in the Catholic Campus Ministry at Syracuse University, from December 5, 2015 – June 30, 2016. +Friar Linus was a loving man who truly understood the meaning of pastoral ministry for the entire Syracuse University Family. He is described by a member of the Syracuse Community as “a great, great man. He helped me so much in my tough times and was incredibly patient with me through conversations and email correspondence over the last 8 years. He was a guy who focused on the positive things in life and on the potential that people have to change the world. His perspective was unique … and it would have been amazing to see how many lives he touched, had I been even closer to him, but his accomplishments in life and service to others … say it all.”