The friars of our province join Franciscan Friars Conventual around the world in living the Missionary Charism of St. Francis. Specifically in our province, this vital work is served through our Franciscan Mission Association. Most recently, individual friars from around our province worked closely with our Mission Advancement Director, Mr. Joseph Hamilton (who also serves as Director of our Evangelization and Development Ministry – The Companions of St. Anthony – located in the lower level of the Shrine of St. Anthony, Ellicott City, MD) to gather over 5000 books on Theology, Philosophy and Church History that Mr. Hamilton and his staff shipped to St. Joseph Vaz Formation House (Kandy, Sri Lanka); of the 8yr-old Sri Lankan Mission of St. Maximilian Kolbe Province (India).

Read more about the April 23, 2016 Inauguration and Blessing of the Formation House.

In a noon time ceremony outside of the Shrine of St. Anthony, our friars who serve on the Province Definitory, and FMA/Companions of St. Anthony staff members, joined our Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv., as he blessed the donated books prior to their departure to the year-old Franciscan Friars Conventual Formation House, named for the Sri Lanka’s first saint, the Indian missionary priest St. Joseph Vaz, who died in Kandy in 1711 and was canonized by Pope Francis during his 2015 papal visit to Sri Lanka.