Currently, Our Lady of the Angels Province has two men in the first formal year of formation, in the St. Bonaventure Friary – Interprovince Postulancy (Chicago, IL). Together with their Postulancy Assistant Director – Fr. Joseph Bayne, OFM Conv. (a friar of our province – pictured at center), the Postulants – Marvin Fernandez and Connor Ouly took some time to visit a bit of our province roots with a stop at picturesque Corpus Christi Church (Buffalo, NY).  Corpus Christi Church was established in 1898 by +Friar Hyacinth Fudzinski, OFM Conv. (1855-1925) to accommodate a rapidly growing Polish immigrant community in the densely populated Buffalo neighborhood. +Friar Hyacinth was a friar of the St. Anthony of Padua Province USA, which is now known as Our Lady of the Angels Province after the 2014 union with Immaculate Conception Province. (Read more about our Province History and the History of the Franciscan Friars Conventual in the USA).  This site was also the original home of our Father Justin Rosary Hour ministry (Hamburg, NY). Our friars served the faithful of Corpus Christi Church, until 2003.
Friar Joe, Marvin and Connor were in the area to help a friar of the St. Bonaventure Province move into our Father Justin Senior Friars Residence (Hamburg, NY).  Our province’s two soon-to-be Novices were thrilled to take in the rich Franciscan history present in Buffalo, NY. They even got to enjoy lunch at Anchor Bar, often considered the home of the original Buffalo Wings, as a part of the pilgrimage.