Our Lady of the Angels Province Friar Pictured: The Assistant Director of the Novitiate – Fr. Maurice Richard, OFM Conv. (second from right – back row) and our three Novices in the 2017-2018 class: friar Fabian Adderley, OFM Conv. (to the left of Bishop Barron), friar Steven Arias Mosquera, OFM Conv. (to the right of Bishop Barron) and friar Richard Rome, OFM Conv. (fourth from right – back row)

This week, our friars of the St. Francis of Assisi Friary Interprovincial Novitiate, in Arroyo Grande, CA joined the friars of the North American Pacific Capuchin Conference Novitiate, for a Day of Recollection with The Most Reverend Robert E. Barron. Bishop Barron, who serves as the Episcopal Vicar of the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Titular Bishop of Macriana of Mauritania. He is also the founder of Word on Fire, a global media ministry. They celebrated Mass together, gathered for a short seminar where Bishop Barron “urged them to hang onto their intellectual patrimony as the means to fuel their pastoral vocations,” and ended the day sharing a meal with priests from the nearby parishes. (See article and photos posted by Bishop Barron)
This was the last “conference” these friars will share together as a Novitiate Community, as they are all finishing up their time in the Novitiate and will be moving onto their next stages in formation as Franciscan Friars. Please keep them all in your continued prayers.

Note: On Monday, July 16, 2018, our the three Novices of our Province: friar Richard Rome, OFM Conv., friar Fabian Adderley, OFM Conv. and friar Alejandro Maria Arias, OFM Conv., will celebrate their Simple Profession of Vows during our Province Jubilarian Noon Mass, at our Shrine of St. Anthony, in Ellicott City, MD. They will then move onto their Post Novitiate studies.