One of two annual St. Clare Inn major fundraisers ~ join virtually or in person, on Saturday September 24, 2022, to help raise money for operational costs, as this ministry is entirely funded privately and receives no government support.

Congratulations!

September 7, 2022: During the third Ordinary Chapter of our Province’s Blessed Angellus of Pisa Custody (Great Britain and Ireland – aka The Greyfriars), held at the Loreto Spirituality Centre, in Llandudno, North Wales, in the UK, Friar Maximilian M. Martin, OFM Conv. was elected Provincial Custos.  Friar Maximilian is the third Custos of the Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody, which was established as a custody of our province, in 2013. He first professed his Simple Vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience, as a Franciscan Friar Conventual, on May 18, 2012. He professed his Solemn Vows as a friar of Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody, on September 10, 2015, was Ordained a Transitional Deacon on August 6, 2016, and was Ordained to the Priesthood on March 25, 2017. Since September 2018, he has served the Custody as Secretary, Definitor & Associate Formation Director, and in November of 2020 also took on the roles of Prefect of Formation and Vocation Director.

The election and selection of the Custodial Vicar, Custodial Secretary, Custodial Econom and Exactor, and the Definitors of the Custody took place September 7th:

• Custodial Vicar – Friar Colin Edwards, OFM Conv.
• Custodial Secretary – Friar Kevin Hanley, OFM Conv.
• Custodial Econom and Exactor (known as the Bursar) – Friar Rory Doyle, OFM Conv.
• Definitors of this Custody –
  Friar Kevin Hanley, OFM Conv.
  Friar Ieremiah-Catălin “Jeremiah” Budau, OFM Conv.
  Friar Rory Doyle, OFM Conv.
  Friar Colin Edwards, OFM Conv.

Our Lady of the Angels Province Minister Provincial, Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv. and our newly elected Provincial Custos of Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody, Fr. Maximilian M. Martin, OFM Conv.

The Installation of our new Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody Provincial Custos ~ Fr. Maximilian M. Martin, OFM Conv., at the hands of our Minister Provincial ~ Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv. Our Lady of the Angels Province Secretary & Vocation Director ~ Br. Nick Romeo, OFM Conv. served as witness.

Friar Michael and Friar Maximilian with the Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody Definitory: (left to right) Friar Kevin, Friar Jeremiah, Friar Rory and Friar Colin

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Friar Maximilian reflects on his vocation journey:

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NOTE: Our Lady of the Angels Province includes friars living and serving on the East Coast of the USA, as well as friars of our two Province Custodies: Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody (Great Britain and Ireland) and Immaculate Conception Custody (Brazil), and friars of our Province Delegation of St. Francis of Assisi (Ontario, Canada), under the leadership of our Minister Provincial, Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv., who was on hand to facilitate the September 5-9, 2022 Ordinary Chapter of our Province’s Blessed Angellus of Pisa Custody. Our Lady of the Angels Province friar and Assistant General (CFF), Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. [pictured top left] was also present for this 3rd Ordinary Chapter of our Province’s Blessed Angellus of Pisa Custody. (Article on the Curia’s website)
Our province is grateful to Friar Ciprian Budău, OFM Conv. [4th from top right], a friar of the Province of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary  (Romania), who has served as Provincial Custos of our Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody, since September 2017, and to Friar Peter Damian Massengill, OFM Conv., a friar of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation (USA), who served as the first Provincial Custos.

Our newest provincial pastoral ministry, Our Lady of Fatima Parish (Ludlow, MA) celebrated their annual FESTA, September 1-5, 2022.

Joyfully, during his multi-day Fraternal Visit with our 17 friars residing in (and de familia to) our St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Friary (Chicopee, MA), St. Hyacinth Friary (Chicopee, MA), and Our Lady of the Angels Care Center (Enfield, CT), the Vicar Provincial of our Province, Friar Gary Johnson, OFM Conv. was able to join Friar Pedro de Oliveira, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of the Angels Province friar serving there as Pastor), Frei Luiz Fernando Lima Rangel, OFM Conv. (a friar of our Custódia Província Imaculada Conceição – Province Custody in Brazil – who will soon serve there as Parochial Vicar), parishioners, neighbors and thousands (an estimated 30 thousand over the course of the FESTA was reported) of visitors from many states, for this year’s 74th Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima Parish celebration. On Sunday, September 4, 2022, the faithful gathered at the outdoor chapel for Mass and a Candlelight Procession (praying the Rosary in five different languages) through the streets of Ludlow, with Most Reverend William Byrne. D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield.

Friar Gary shared these beautiful photos he was able to capture as a participant.

Preparation of the litter and crowning of Our Lady for the procession. Several of our friars in attendance can be seen in the back of the photo: Fr. Brad Milunski, OFM Conv. (pastor/rector of the Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr – Chicopee, MA), Fr. Andrew Santamauro, OFM Conv. (Guardian and Senior Friars Director at our St. Hyacinth Friary in Chicopee, MA & Chaplain of Our Lady of the Angels Care Center, in Enfield, CT), and Fr. Mieczysław Wilk, OFM Conv. (Parochial Vicar of Most Holy Trinity – St. Mary Church in Brooklyn, NY & Parochial Vicar Emeritus of the Basilica of St. Stanislaus)

Before joining, Friar Pedro, Frei Luiz and Bishop Byrne watch as the statue of Our Lady of Fatima is carried out to begin the procession.

Small sampling of the thousands of faithful gathered for the procession through the streets of Ludlow.

Friar Andy was able to catch this beautiful photo before the procession began.

Read more about the 74th FESTA celebration, in the September 5, 2022 online iObserve.org article.

Varied artistic renderings of the Franciscan Coat of Arms can be found throughout the ministries, friaries, missions and sites served by the many Orders of Franciscan Friars. All have the same key elements: the image of the crossed arms with nail wounds in the hands – one representing Christ and the other St. Francis of Assisi who bore the Stigmata (wounds of Christ). There is also a form of the cross often depicted as the letter “T.” It is actually a “Tau,” the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
A favorite passage for St. Francis of Assisi was Ezekiel 9:4 “... and the LORD said to him: Pass through the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and mark a T (X in English translations) on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the abominations practiced within it …” The faithful of God were signed with the ‘tau’ and spared. “… But do not touch anyone marked with the T …” (Ezekiel 9:6)
St. Francis’ love of this verse was cemented through Pope Innocent III’s use of this imagery during his November 11, 1215 homily at the Fourth Lateran Council, the most important religious event in the time of St. Francis. Every Catholic in the Church of that time was challenged to take the symbol of the Tau Cross as the sign of their own Passover and Pope Innocent III ended his homily with “Be champions of the Tau!”
St. Francis of Assisi  made the Tau his own and was known to even end letters, signing them with a T. It is a symbol used today by those who follow in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi and who strive to spread the understanding of it’s use among all those who walk that same path.

FrancicanVoice.org  presents several reflections on the Holy Father’s Message and the Season of Creation: September 1 – October 4, 2022.

• “Listen To The Voice Of Creation” by Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Michael Lasky OFM Conv. who serves as the Order’s Delegate General for Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation.
• “Universal Fraternity With Creation – Part One” and “Universal Fraternity With Creation – Part Two” by Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Michael Lorsentsen, OFM Conv., who serves as the pastor of the Parish of St. Junipero Serra, with two worship sites: The Church of St. Catharine of Siena, in Seaside Park, NJ & Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, in Seaside Heights, NJ.

Read the entire
Message of His Holiness
Pope Francis
for the
World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
September 1, 2022

Saint Julia Festival 2022: On Saturday, August 27, 2022, our province’s Siler City, NC pastoral ministry ~ St. Julia Catholic Community was able to again celebrate its Annual Parish Festival for the first time, in three years. It was wonderful to revive this tradition that brought parishioners and the people from the greater community together.  There were games and activities for the kids, a car show for the youth, lots of music and dancing. The clown was a crowd pleaser, and the food was fantastic.  Most of all, everyone had a great time and the Festival was a success, as is evident by the joy in these great photos.
Now that parish life is returning to a new normal, Friar Julio Martinez, OFM Conv. (pastor – at center left), Friar Luis Palacios, OFM Conv. (parochial vicar), the parish staff, volunteers and parishioners hope to have an even bigger Saint Julia Festival 2023, next year.

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The parish has started preparing for their Guadalupe celebration in December 2022.  The new committee is being formed and plans are under way.  For thirty-eight days prior to the great celebration, the parish enters a period of spiritual preparation, with the welcoming of the Torch from the Sanctuary of Guadalupe in Mexico. Three images of Our Lady of Guadalupe go into the community where three rosaries, and prayers, are offered every night, in the homes of the people of the parish. Presentations on Spiritual Life, and Days of Reflection take place, in the parish.  Of course, whenever and wherever the people come together, there is plenty of good food to share.  This year, the procession will begin seven miles from the parish with our men carrying the image of Our Lady. A great number of horses, mounted by their riders, will dance before the image of Our Lady, as well as dance groups, bands, and the prayers of the faithful.  This year’s celebration will culminate with the crowing of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe with a double crown:  Patroness of Mexico and Patroness of the Americas. (Read more and see photos from the 2021 Welcoming of the Torch)

Parishioners carrying the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe last year (December 12, 2021)