It has been a wonderful privilege for the friars of our Province’s Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody to have served the “England’s Nazareth,” assisting with the life and ministry at The Catholic National Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Many years ago, in conversation with others involved in ministry, someone said: “Be careful and prudent.  Don’t let the poor get too close.  They can mess everything up.”  Those words have accompanied me throughout all these years like uninvited and unwanted company.  But, how right he was!  The poor indeed mess everything up.

They mess up our idea of the Kingdom of God, if we have kept to those safe reflections that have come down through centuries of safe theological complacency.  They mess up our idea of Jesus’ preference, if you have spiritualized his message beyond recognition.  They mess with our perspectives about the poor, the unrecognizable, the hidden, the unwanted, the discarded, the used and abused, and the begging immigrant.  But, man, they really mess with our consideration of the wealthy, the system, the structures of power, the hierarchy, capitalism, sexism, patriarchy, and everything in between.  The poor mess with our view and consideration of Jesus, religion, and the church.  Yes, they even mess with our relationship with the poor themselves.  You have to be very careful, because they can mess up everything.

They can really mess you up if you’ve turned your theories, opinions, interpretations, and conclusions into idols of worship.  The poor, well…they’ll just come into those temples and tear them apart!  Where would we worship then?  What would we worship?

~ Friar Julio

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Fr. Julio Martinez, OFM Conv. [pictured at left during the Eucharistic Procession for the parish’s Celebración a Nuestra Señora del Carmen – The Festival for Our Lady of Mount Carmel, aka Stella Maris, or The Star of the Seas] wrote the above reflection a while ago, in preparation for Palm Sunday. In his current ministry, Friar Julio serves as pastor of St. Julia Catholic Church, in Siler City, NC, alongside Fr. Luis Palacios Rodríguez, OFM Conv. (parochial vicar), who began serving the Siler City community in the Fall of 2022. On the parish website, part of the Parish History states: “On July 1, 1999, St. Julia became a parish and one year later a groundbreaking ceremony took place to begin the construction phase of the new St. Julia Parish church. Parishioners wanted the new church to convey the diversity of the parish and to welcome newcomers who might, for the first time, recognize the Catholic Church presence in the county…Today’s St. Julia Parish Church can seat 450 people. Currently, more than 2,000 parishioners call St. Julia home, and 85% of them are Spanish speaking. St Julia now has the largest weekly attendance of any church in Siler City. It is often said that Sunday is the most segregated day of the week. However, a visitor to St. Julia’s will see evidence to the contrary. The parish community celebrates diversity and the richness of the cultural backgrounds that bring us together as a Catholic community in the 21st Century.”

Friar Julio’s charism fit the parish environment like a glove, when he began serving as pastor five years ago. The parish community’s ministries also include Social Services and Food Pantry Distribution, Justice & Peace and a Sister Mission. Learn more about this vibrant parish on the St. Julia Catholic Community website.

Before the meal, Friar Max helps participants learn more about struggling families around the world, who are overcoming hunger and of the impact of climate change, through hard work and prayer.

Fr. Max Avila, OFM Conv. (Spanish Instructor) and friar Antonio Moualeu, OFM Conv. (Religion Instructor and Campus Minister) join together for this week’s St. Francis of Assisi High School Campus Ministry led Lenten Thursday Prayer Service, followed by a simple meat-less meal in solidarity with those who struggle with poverty.

[Photo Cred: St. Francis High School Facebook Page]

Currently serving his Apostolic Year of Formation, friar Antonio is a simply professed friar of our province, who plans to profess his Solemn Vows on August 14, 2023, the Feast of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, OFM Conv. Please keep him and all of the friars in formation of our province, in your continued prayers.
Read more about friar Antonio.

Joined by SFHS Religion Teacher, Mr. Michael Specht, friar Antonio helps to serve the simple meat-less meal shared after the Prayer Service, by those gathered.

For more information on vocations, visit FranciscanVoice.org or email our Province Vocation Directors, Fr. Manny Vasconcelos, OFM Conv. and Br. Nick Romeo, OFM Conv. at vocations@olaprovince.org.

Pillars of Lent: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving
“When you give alms … be unostentatious.”
Fr. Germain Kopaczynski, OFM Conv.,
of St. Mark Friary, in Boynton Beach, FL,
explains the importance of almsgiving: time, talent and treasure.

Pictured (L-R): Friar Rich Rome, OFM Conv., friar Jonathan Zenteno, OFM Conv., friar Edgar Varela, OFM Conv., Fr. Jacob Corazo, OFM Conv. (Assistant Formation Director and a friar of St. Joseph Cupertino Province, in California), Fr. Michael Zielke, OFM Conv. (Formation Director), friar Sebastian De Backer, OFM Conv., friar Raad Eshoo, OFM Conv., and Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. (Assistant General for the CFF, of our Order ~ The CFF is the Conventual Franciscan Federation, which includes Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, and the U.S.A.).

March 6-10. 2023: Our province’s student friars in Post-Novitiate Formation, at St. Bonaventure Friary, in Silver Spring, MD gathered for a mid-year retreat to the Priestfield Pastoral Center, in Kearneysville, WV. For more information on formation and vocations with Franciscan Friars Conventual in the USA, visit FranciscanVoice.org or email our Province Vocation Directors, at vocations@olaprovince.org.

Friar Manny Vasconcelos, OFM Conv. reflects on the Penitential Act at Mass, specifically the “Confiteor.”