As a member of the Franciscan Friars Conventual of Our Lady of the Angels Province, community is very important to Friar Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv. That was on full display at The Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City, Md., on Nov. 14, 2024, when Bishop Martin was presented with a crozier designed and crafted by two of his brother friars at the beginning of a Mass celebrating jubilarians from Our Lady of the Angels Province.

Friar Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv., (right) with Friar Peter Tremblay, OFM Conv.

Friar Joseph Dorniak, OFM Conv, designed the crozier, which resembles a shepherd’s crook and symbolizes the bishop’s role as shepherd of his diocese. Friar Peter Tremblay, OFM Conv., a self-taught wood worker, said he spent about 120 hours on the project. Friar Joseph is assigned to the St. Francis of Assisi Friary (novitiate house) in Arroyo Grande, Calif. Friar Peter is Catholic Campus Minister at Elon University in Elon, N.C.

“This crozier is a gracious gift not just from the hands and creativity of two of our friars, it is a gift from the heart from all of our friars that I will treasure for a lifetime,” Bishop Martin said. “A sincere thank you to Peter and Joe for designing and crafting such a wonderful gift that is such a powerful symbol of the episcopacy that I am coming to better understand each and every day.”

Friar Peter spent about 120 hours crafting the crozier.

“This was the most meaningful thing that I have ever made in my workshop,” Friar Peter said. “Michael is a friend, a brother, and a huge mentor of mine. I have always wanted to use my hobby to make sacred objects and the opportunity to craft a crozier has been incredibly exciting and rewarding.’

The staff of the crozier is black walnut. The central medallion is made of hard maple with 24 karat gold leaf gilding filling in the San Damiano Crucifix. The cord and knots were carved from the finest synthetic ivory. The solid brass connecting hardware had to be custom made by me for this project. Friar Tremblay said he could not source the hardware that he wanted so he fabricated it himself. He also built a carrying case of black walnut with hand-cut dovetails and custom made fitted and satin lined interior to store the crozier.

The wooden box to store the crozier was also crafted by Friar Peter.

“I carry you with me wherever I go,” Bishop Martin told the friars.” I hope you know I don’t need a crozier to do that, that you are carved into my life, into my heart, into the way I think, and hopefully into the way I live my life as a friar. This outward expression of that means a tremendous amount to me.”