On January 18th, four days after his Ordination as a Transitional Deacon, Friar Luis returned to serve as Deacon for a Mass with our friars of St. Hyacinth Friary, in Chicopee, MA, celebrated by their Guardian, Fr. Jude Surowiec, OFM Conv. who also works as a professor at nearby College of Our Lady of the Elms. This past year marked Friar Luis’ Fraternal Apostolic Year in dual ministry working for our pastoral ministry of the Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr parish & school while caring for the needs of our aged and infirmed friars of St. Hyacinth Friary, as well as those in the Felician Sisters’ Our Lady of the Angels Care Center, in Enfield, CT. Friar Luis will still be living with our friars in Chicopee, but our friars of St. Hyacinth enjoyed celebrating Friar Luis’ “Farewell Mass” in the company of his mother, Carmen who was there to visit the locations where her son had been serving.
Now that he is ordained a Transitional Deacon, Friar Luis will have a new ministry assignment. Although he will still be serving at St. Stanislaus, he will be doing so as a Transitional Deacon for the English speaking parishioners & students. In addition he will also be in part time ministry to the Spanish Speaking community of another one of our pastoral ministries, the Chicopee area – St. Anthony of Padua Parish.
Friar Luis with many of the Friars of St. Hyacinth Friary, Chicopee, MA
We friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province currently have three friar serving as Transitional Deacons: Friar Luis Palacios Rodriguez, OFM Conv., Friar Maximilian Avila Pacheco, OFM Conv. and Friar Emanuel Vasconcelos, OFM Conv. Please keep them in your continued prayers as they prepare for their Priesthood Ordinations this June, alongside Friar Milton de Jesus, OFM Conv., of the Provincial Custody of Our Lady of Coromoto (Venezuela).
(A special thank you to Br. Hugh – 2nd from right above – for proving these pictures.)
January 19, 2018: The Custos of the Custodial Nuestra Señora de Coromoto en Venezuela – Fray José Luis Avendaño, OFM Conv. and the Vicar, Fray Carlos Ortiz, OFM Conv. celebrated Mass at St. Bonaventure Friary house of studies (Silver Spring, MD), served by Friar Milton Torres Albarran (Milton de Jesus), OFM Conv., after his January 14th Ordination as Deacon, along with Friar Luis. This was a beautiful continuation of their visit with Friar Milton who is of their Venezuelan Custody and living with our friars in Silver Spring.
