Brazil – Mission Congress Official Photo – July 15, 2016
July 13-17, 2016 ~ Brazil: The goal of the Mission Congress of the Federación Conventuales America Latina (FALC), was to deepen the reflection of the scenarios and the missionary and evangelizing practice of Franciscan Friars Conventual. This year marked a 70 year presence in Latin America and the Caribbean and it was a cause for great celebration and reflection. Read More in this article from the CNNB site. (Original text)
Read about the April 2016 Provincial Visit to Brazil
The North American Friars on hand at the Congress (the Very Reverend Jim Kent, OFM Conv – Minister Provincial of the Our Lady of Consolation Province ~ Fr. Justin Biase, OFM Conv. – former Minister Provincial of Immaculate Conception Province that is now part of Our Lady of the Angels Province ~ the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. – Minister Provincial of our province of Our Lady of the Angels) take a photo with Bishop Elias James Manning, O.F.M. Conv. ~ Bishop Emeritus of Valença, Rio de Janeiro, Frei Ronaldo Gomes da Silva Pároco – Custódio Vicar of our Immaculate Conception Custody, Frei Ilson Fontenelle Júnior – Pároco (formation director in Petropolis) and Friar Isidoro (Custos of Honduras), along with two of the Postulants
1st Order friars represented by the Assistant General of the FALC – Friar Carlos A. Trovarelli, OFM Conv. (far right), Friar James (far left) and Friar Ronaldo (center). 2nd Order represented by the Poor Clares of Rio de Janeiro (cloistered sisters who had special permission to attend). 3rd Order represented by the Leaders of the Region’s OFS (Ordo Franciscanus Sæcularis aka Secular Franciscans)
Joey Dziok, former director of the youth music program at our pastoral ministry at the Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr (Chicopee, MA) now works for NBC News and is in Brazil covering the Olympics. He has a moment to take a picture with our Friar James and Friar Justin.
While participating in the Order’s Mission Congress in Brazil, our Province’s own native brother, Bishop Elias James Manning, O.F.M. Conv. (Bishop Emeritus of Valença, Rio de Janeiro) presented to our Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv., with two gifts for the Province Archives – the pectoral cross presented him by his home parish of St. Michael in Troy, New York on the occasion of his episcopal ordination in 1990, and a newly published collection of some of his spiritual writings during the years of his active ministry as Bishop of Valença, Brazil. He retired in 2014, but remains a very active Bishop Emeritus.
