Our own Fr. Tim Kulbicki, OFM Conv. served as our Order’s Secretary of the Executive Committee for the Revision of the Constitutions & as Secretary of the 202nd Ordinary General Chapter, while continuing to serve in his own province assigned ministries. The final drafting and approval of the Revised Constitutions at the Extraordinary General Chapter took place in 2018. For several years, Friar Tim spent time also traveling around the world, visiting the Order’s friars to provide academic conferences and friary presentations, in order to help the friars of our Order “receive” and implement the Revised Constitutions, which went into effect on February 2, 2019, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and the World Day for Consecrated Life.
Top Row: friar Connor Ouly, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of the Angels Province), friar Robert Moynihan, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of Consolation Province), friar Colden Fell, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of Consolation Province), friar Eric Rewa, OFM Conv. (Saint Bonaventure Province) Bottom Row: Assistant Novice Director – Fr. Marek Stybor, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of the Angels Province), friar André Miller, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of Consolation rovince), Fr. Tim Kulbicki, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of the Angels Province), friar Marvin Paul Fernandez, OFM Conv. (The Provincial Delegation of Saint Francis of Assisi, Canada of Our Lady of the Angels Province)
Now serving as Pastor and Campus Minister of our Chapel Hill, NC pastoral and university ministry ~ Newman Catholic Student Center Parish UNC at Chapel Hill, Friar Tim still travels to present the Constitutions of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual to new friars. He recently travelled to the St. Francis of Assisi Friary – Inter-Provincial Novitiate, in Arroyo Grande, CA, so that this year’s Novitiate Class could attended Friar Tim’s class on the Constitutions of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, as part of the preparation for their Simple (Temporary/First) Professions, coming up in the Summer of 2023.
Take some time to visit the Novitiate’s Website to keep up with the Novices throughout the year. Franciscan Voice is a great resource for all things Franciscan Friar Conventual.
Our Order’s Website is a great resource for information about our friars of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual around the world.
On Sunday, February 26, 2023, at the hands Cardeal Orani João Tempesta, O. Cist., Arcebispo de São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro (Cardinal Orani João Tempesta, O. Cist., the Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro), the Custódio Provincial Emérito of our Province’s Custódia Província Imaculada Conceição (Custos Emeritus from 2017-2022 of our Immaculate Conception Custody – Brazil), Frei Ronaldo Gomes da Silva, OFM Conv. was installed as the new Pastor of Paróquia São Francisco de Assis in Rio Comprido – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Frei Ronaldo also now serves the Custody as Definidor (a friar member of the Custody’s Definitory).
Frei Ronaldo lives in community in the Cúria Custodial: Convento e Paróquia São Francisco de Assis (Curia of the Custody & St. Francis of Assisi Friary) with the current Custódio Provincial e Guardião (Custos & Friary Guardian) ~Frei Carlos Roberto de Oliveira Charles, OFM Conv. – pictured at left giving a blessing on all those gathered for the fraternal celebration following the Mass, the Vigário paroquial (Parochial Vicar) ~ Frei Humberto Messias de Lima, OFM Conv., and the Assistente Pastoral (Pastoral Assistant) ~ Frei Fernando Pereira de Andrade Júnior, OFM Conv.
Keep Frei Ronaldo, and all of the friars of our Provincial Custody in Brazil, in your continued prayers, as they officially move to their new assignments, established after their last Chapter. For more information on vocations with our Provincial Custody, visit: ETAPAS DE FORMAÇÃO
Friar Stefano Luca, OFM Cap., Director of the Franciscan Social Theatre Program, and Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Michael Lasky, OFM Conv., General Delegate for JPIC, worked with participants to process 11 social theatre workshops held over the past six months.
The Way of the Cross can be traced to St. Francis of Assisi, who lived at a time when Christian pilgrims could not travel safely to the Holy Land. Francis brought the experience of the Holy Land home, as we bring the Way of the Cross home to our local place of natural beauty. Reflecting on the sufferings of Jesus at each station, we raise the Cross of Christ to remind us that our sister, Mother Earth—our common home—belongs to God, and we ask for strength and unity to care for God’s creation.
For the past few months, students at UNC Newman Campus Ministry in Chapel Hill, NC have been, on their own initiative, organizing, planning, and practicing for a benefit concert to help defray the costs of campus ministry. The festive evening occurred on February 16, 2023, in the Activity Center, before a crowd of 75 – mostly parents and supportive parishioners. The first half’s program of classical instrumental music included works by Telemann, Burgmüller, Mozart, Elgar, Fauré, Ewazen, Chopin, and Gillock, performed on piano, flute, horn, violin, viola, cello, and basso continuo. After intermission the program switched to choral popular fare, featuring works by Loewe and Lerner, Finzi, Porter, Sondheim, Menken and Ashman, and Lighfoot, accompanied by piano, saxophone, cello, guitar, and violin. The program concluded with a selection of a cappella music, featuring a spiritual, Gregorian chant, and works by Gawthrop and Manibusan/Hart/Angrisano.
Congratulations, Friar Michael Lasky, OFM Conv., on being elected President of Roman VI [a union of the Delegates General for JPIC belonging to the six branches of the Franciscan family in Rome]!
To be live streamed on February 21, 2023, a ‘Digital Reception, in Honor of Righteous Among the Nations ~ Monsignor Giuseppe Placido Nicolini’ will be a celebration of Bishop Nicolini’s heroic actions in saving hundreds of lives during the Holocaust. This Combat Antisemitism Movement virtual reception will highlight the Yad Vashem ‘Righteous Among the Nations‘ recipient’s story and role in establishing a rescue network in Assisi (later known as the “Assisi Network”). During the Holocaust, Bishop Nicolini rallied Assisi’s citizens and clergy to come together and save the lives of their Jewish brethren, being hunted down by the Nazis. This included Fr. Aldo Brunacci, the Canon of the Cathedral of San Rufino, who served as the head of the Assisi Network – arranging sheltering places for Jews, in some 26 monasteries & convents, and Friar Rufino Niccacci, OFM, [pictured below] the Guardian of the San Damiano Friary, who helped to provide false identity papers and also provided protection and sanctuary in the friaries and convents under his direction, disguising the Jews as friars and nuns. Read more about them and others who worked through the Assisi Network and have been recognized as ‘Righteous Among Nations.’
Frei Ronaldo lives in community in the 
