Congratulations!
On Thursday, July 29, 2021, at the hands of Our Lady of the Angels Province Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv., four friars of our province Professed their Simple Vows of Poverty Chastity and Obedience. The Very Rev Fr James McCurry, OFM Conv – Homily for Simple Profession Liturgy – July 29 2021

Gathering for the Noon Mass celebration, in our Chapel of The Shrine of St. Anthony, in Ellicott City, MD, were friars from all over our province, as well as several of other provinces, family members, friends, and shrine pilgrims.
It was a day of fraternal joy, virtually shared in a Livestream via our Companions of St. Anthony ministry’s Facebook page:

CALLING
After the gospel the celebrant and people are seated. The Prefect of Formation calls by name the friars to be professed.
They answer:
Present.

Celebrant: My dear brothers, what do you ask of the Lord and of his holy Church?
Friars to be professed: The mercy of the Lord and the grace to serve Him more faithfully in the fraternity of the Order of the Friars Minor Conventual.
All: Thanks be to God

HOMILY

EXAMINATION
After the homily, the friars to be professed stand and the celebrant questions them:

Celebrant: My dear brothers, you have already been consecrated to the Lord and have died to sin through Baptism. Do you wish to be more closely united to Him through the new and special title of religious profession in our Seraphic Order?
Friars:  I do.

Celebrant: Do you wish to love God with all your heart in chastity, to embrace the most high poverty of our Lord Jesus Christ and His poor mother, to live in the obedience of the Son of God who place His own will into the Father’s hands, that you may follow his footprints in all things after the example of St. Francis?
Friars:  I do.

Celebrant:  (Acknowledging their decision the celebrant responds in these or similar words) May almighty God grant you this by His grace.
All:  Amen

Celebrant: May God who has begun this good work in you bring it to fulfillment before the day of Christ Jesus.
All:  Amen

Celebrant:
Let us pray. [All pray for a short time in silence.]

Celebrant: Lord, look upon these men your servants who today are making their profession before the Church. In their desire to imitate your poor and crucified Son, Jesus Christ, after the example of Saint Francis, they desire to offer You their lives by following the evangelical counsels. Pour into their hearts the Spirit of your love, that they may serve you eagerly and love you sincerely. By the steadfast fulfillment and faithful observance of their vows may they advance with perfect joy along the way of love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
All:  Amen

PROFESSION
When he has finished the prayer, the minister is seated. Two professed friars come forward and stand nearby to assist as witnesses. Each candidate presents himself to the minister by placing their hands in his and reads the formula of profession, which they have previously written in their own hand.
Since for the glory of God the Lord has given me this grace of living more perfectly and with firm will the gospel of Jesus Christ I, Friar ____________ in the presence of the assembled Friars, and into your hands, Friar James McCurry, vow for three years to live in obedience, without anything of my own, and in chastity, according to the Rule of St. Francis confirmed by Pope Honorius III and the Constitutions of the Friars Minor Conventual. Therefore, with all my heart I give myself to this brotherhood, that through the work of the Holy Spirit, the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, our Father Francis, and all the saints, and with the help of my brothers, I may fulfill my consecration to the service of God and of the Church.

Celebrant: I, in the name of the Church and our brotherhood receive your vows. And on the part of Almighty God, if you observe them, I promise you life everlasting. Receive, Michael, Edgar, Jonathan, Sebastian, the Rule of our Order, which is the book of life, a marrow of the Gospel, the way that leads to perfection, and to paradise and the pledge of an eternal covenant. By observing it faithfully may you attain the perfection of charity. 

The newly professed, the witnesses and the celebrant go to the altar and sign the book of profession.

Two witnesses assist in placing the knotted cord around the waist of the newly professed.

Hymn while placing of the knotted cord – O Patriarcha
O Patriarcha pauperum, Francisce,
tuis precibus auge tuorum numerum
in caritate Christi,
quos cancellatis (quos cancellatis) manibus caecutiens,
ut moriens Jacob, benedixisti.

Fraternal Embrace by ALL Franciscan Friars

More photos can be found on the Province Facebook Page

__________________

Digital copy of the program: Rite of Simple Profession – 2021

Very Rev. James McCurry, OFM Conv.
Minister Provincial
Principal Celebrant

Very Rev. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv.
Assistant General of the Conventual Franciscan Federation of North America
Concelebrant

Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv.
Vicar Provincial
Concelebrant

Fr. Mark Szanyi, OFM Conv.
Prefect of Formation
Concelebrant

Fr. Richard-Jacob Forcier, OFM Conv.
Province Secretary
Director of the Shrine of St. Anthony
Concelebrant

Fr. Jacob Carazo, OFM Conv.
Vicar Provincial for Saint Joseph of Cupertino Province
Concelebrant

Friar Richard Rome, OFM Conv.
Master of Ceremonies

Friar Timothy Blanchard, OFM Conv.
Friar Raad Eshoo, OFM Conv.
Friar Cristofer Fernandez, OFM Conv.
Friar Joseph Krondon, OFM Conv.
Altar Servers

 Junuee Castro, Carrie Sorji & Friar Franck Lino Sokpolie, OFM Conv.
Lectors

Patricia Boes & Maribel Varela
Gift Bearers