August 2, 2022: Our Provincial Custody in Brazil ~ Custódia Província Imaculada Conceição blessed and inaugurated the new Our Lady of the Angels Friary in the city of Belo Horizonte, the capital of the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais,.

Friar James McCurry, OFM Conv. (former Minister Provincial) and Friar Jude Winkler, OFM Conv., (Assistant General for the Conventual Franciscan Federation), were present at the inauguration, representing our province.

Information adapted from the Novitiate’s Website.

The 2022-2023 Class of the Novitiate of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual – CFF (Franciscan Friars Conventual – Conventual Franciscan Federation) includes seven men from three of our four of the North American Provinces; The Province of the Our Lady of Consolation, The Province of Saint Bonaventure, and our own province. These novices will live together for a year and day, under the guidance of their formation team, including Our Lady of the Angels Province friars – Friar Marek Stybor, OFM Conv. (Assistant Director) and Friar Raphael Zwolenkiewicz, OFM Conv. (Friar in Residence).
Two of these Novices are friars in formation for our Province:

Left to Right: Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv. (Minister Provincial) with our province novices – friar Marvin Paul Fernandez, OFM Conv. and friar Connor J. Ouly, OFM Conv.  Photo taken at their July 2022 Investiture.

Friar Marvin Paul Fernandez, OFM Conv. is originally from the Philippines, and is now a citizen of Canada. He worked for several years in healthcare as a nursing assistant, then as a full-time cook, and later as a full-time manager of nursing assistants, at a Senior Living Center. For a time he worked with Ottawa Public Health (OPH) as a Clerk for the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic. He decided to enter the Franciscan Friars Conventual because he was inspired by the work that the Friars do in his home parish. Having Saints Francis and Anthony as his patron saints, has been a big inspiration too.

Friar Connor J. Ouly, OFM Conv. is originally from Steelton, PA, but lived in New York City for his undergraduate studies in Voice/Opera at the Juilliard School. He became interested in the Franciscan Friars Conventual due to a love of Saints Joseph Cupertino and Maximilian Kolbe. He was also greatly attracted to the deeply fraternal and community driven life of the Conventuals, as well as their dedication to serving the poorest of the poor in simple but necessary ways such as parish, school, and hospital work. In addition to music, his interests lie in other art forms such as film, drama, and the visual arts.

Read more about the July 13, 2022 Inauguration of the 2022-2023 Novitiate Class.

Read more about the Novitiate Program!

If you would like more information on life as a Franciscan Friar Conventual, and would like to add a visit with our Vocation Directors to you discernment journey, email them at vocations@olaprovince.org or visit Franciscan Voice.

On August 15, 2022 ~ the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, most of the over half of the friars of our province friars who moved onto new assignments (90 out of 172), officially assumed their new responsibilities in ministry. A Friar’s Vows of poverty, chastity and obedience are a great source of strength, as he says “good-bye” to the ministries, the people and the places he holds dear. It is not only those who are beginning in new assignments who realize the loss, but a friar who remain in his ministry and friary also has to say farewell to his confreres who move onto new assignments. All of our friars appreciate the well wishes and the gracious welcome received from those for whom we serve.

Prayer offered by our Minister Provincial, Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv.,
on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

May Our Lady of the Angels,
Assumed into Heaven,
intercede for us with her Son
Who promises us countless blessings
as we join our “yes”
to Mary’s “yes”
and together thank God
for the wonderful things
He has done
and will continue to do
for us.

There is no official listing of these many changes, but whenever possible, the farewell & welcome liturgies, celebrations, and acknowledgements by individual ministry locations have been and will continue to be shared via our Province Facebook page. For information about friars serving in a specific ministry, visit that ministry’s website for updates. A listing of the ministries in which friars of our province serve can be found on this site’s “Locations” page, including hyperlinks.

Sunday, August 14, 2022: Our Lady of the Angels Province’s Syracuse, NY pastoral ministry ~ the Franciscan Church of the Assumption enjoyed a postponed celebration in honor of the 175th Anniversary of the parish’s founding.  The actual 175th Anniversary took place in 2020, but due to COVID restrictions, the celebratory Mass at the time, with Bishop Douglas J. Lucia (video), and other events were very limited.

The full celebratory events were two more years in the making and it was a joy for all present to combine this event with the “Goodbye Mass” for Friar Rick Riccioli, OFM Conv. (pastor) and Friar Nick Spano, OFM Conv. (parochial vicar), who are moving onto their new assignments. At right is a photo as they gave the Solemn Blessing at their last Liturgy at Assumption. Friar Rick will now serve as pastor of Most Holy Trinity – St. Mary Parish, in Brooklyn, NY. Friar Nick will now serve as pastor of St. Patrick Parish, in Trevorton, PA and pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish, in Coal Township, PA.

The parish enjoyed a great day of celebration including Mass with the Bishop, and a celebration following by a joy filled reception. The new FrancisCorps 24 volunteers and staff joined in the 175th Anniversary celebrations, taking advantage of the opportunity to grab the photo below with Friar Rick, Friar Michael Heine, OFM Conv. (Minister Provincial), Friar Gary Johnson, OFM Conv. (Vicar Provincial), and their new Chaplain & Parochial Vicar at Assumption Church ~ Friar Nader Ata, OFM Conv.
Friar Rick has served not only as the pastor of Assumption Church since 2015, but also as the Chaplain of FrancisCorps since 2017.

SIDCE NOTE: Although the parish was founded in 1845, the Franciscan Friars Conventual have been serving the people of Assumption Church since 1861; building a new church in 1865 (consecrated on May 3, 1867), and finishing the towers in 1872.

As their summer assignments came toward an end, four of our friars-in-formation renewed their Simple/Temporary Vows, including friar Fabian Adderley, OFM Conv. (pictured above) who spent this past year serving his Fraternal/Apostolic Year of Formation living and serving in ministry with our friars of our Province Delegation of St. Francis of Assisi, in our St. Bonaventure Friary (Toronto, ON, Canada). On the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels, our province’s patronal feast day – August 2nd, during Evening Prayer with the friars, friar Fabian renewed his Simple Vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, as the hands of his current Friary Guardian ~ Br. Tom Purcell, OFM Conv., as witnessed by Fr. Mark Steed, OFM Conv. and Fr. Joseph Connick, OFM Conv.

The other three, friar Raad Eshoo, OFM Conv. (returned to our Post Novitiate Friary in Silver Spring, MD, after his summer assignment with our friars in Jonesboro, GA), friar Joseph Krondon, OFM Conv. (Fraternal/Apostolic Year with our friars in Syracuse, NY), and friar Antonio Mouleau, OFM Conv. (Fraternal/Apostolic Year with our friars serving at St. Francis High School, Athol Springs, NY) first Professed Simple Vows together on July 22, 2019, during the Jubilarian Mass Celebration at The Shrine of St. Anthony (Ellicott City, MD). These three friars also renewed their Simple Vows at the end of this summer.

Excerpt from our Order’s Website:
“By their profession of the vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity, the friars:
a) dedicate themselves directly and entirely to God in a special manner;
b) are conformed more exactly to the type of life Christ the Lord chose for Himself and are united in a special way to the Church and her saving mission;
c) stimulate the fervor of their charity through a fuller expression of their baptismal consecration, progress in the life of pilgrims and penitents, and voluntarily deny themselves goods otherwise highly esteemed.”

For more information on life as a
Franciscan Friar Conventual of
Our Lady of the Angels Province,
email vocations@olaprovince.org.

On Sunday August 8, 2022, the morning Mass at our Syracuse NY pastoral ministry – Assumption Church included the commissioning the FrancisCorps 24 volunteers! The Mass was celebrated by our Vicar Provincial ~ Friar Gary Johnson, OFM Conv. (top right), joined by the new Chaplain of FrancisCorps & Parochial Vicar of Assumption Church ~ Friar Nader Ata, OFM Conv. (top left), Friar Steven Frenier, OFM Conv., outgoing Parochial Vicar & Chaplain of Franciscan Place ~ Friar Nick Spano, OFM Conv.,  and the outgoing Rector/Pastor of Assumption Church ~ Friar Rick Riccioli, OFM Conv. Also pictured above with the FC24 Volunteers is the Director of FrancisCorps ~ Mr. AJ. LaPointe (2nd from left), and the Associate Director of FrancisCorps ~ Ms. Jenny Rose Anacan. AJ served as a FrancisCorps 10 (2008-2009) volunteer, and Jenny served as a FrancisCorps 20 (2018-2019) volunteer.

During the next week, these FrancisCorps (FC24) Volunteers and staff will embark on their Orientation Retreat; their first retreat together. Pray for these volunteers as they spend this time learning about one another, and the next year living as an intentional community, in Franciscan spirituality.
Prayerfully consider spending a year of service as a FrancisCorps volunteer.
Applications for 2023-24 will be made available soon.
For more information about becoming a  FrancisCorps volunteer,
or to learn more about this important ministry of our province,
visit: FrancisCorps Volunteer Program – Apply Today

August 10th is the anniversary of St. John Henry Newman’s death in 1890. Fr. Ed Ondrako presents information from the August 4, 2022 Newman Conference. The focus was Newman’s “interiority” which is the integrating force in his 89 years.
_______________________________________

Newman, Arguer and Sniper

 Outer circle for reflection on Newman’s interiority as, an inner circle

Part One

Text and Context; Prologue;  Procedural Remark

Abstract. It is difficult to understand the outer circle without an integrating knowledge of Newman’s “interiority.” Newman is an “arguer” because religion is worth arguing about. His target was John Locke who washed and rinsed Christianity, its practices, devotions and prayers, yet did not countenance atheists. Christology was reduced to Arianism at best. Mariology was thrown overboard. Worship made no sense.

1. Text and Context.

In 1850, Newman delivered “Twelve Lectures on Certain Difficulties Felt by Anglicans in Submitting to the Catholic Church.” In 1833, J.Keble, E. B. Pusey, H. Froude, and W. Ward were prayerful friends in a common quest for the true and ancient Church.

1. Prologue.

Newman lived in modernity which is very different from living in pre-modernity. In mid life he came to realize that the Roman Church, with all of its saints and sinners, traumas and glorious moments, was the only Church that could validly claim to trace itself to the Church of the Apostles.

1. Procedural Remark.
2. At least two senses define the “gift” of modernity. Giften is cure and poison.
3. Your questions should include a look back with Newman’s critical eye.
4. Your questions should include a close look at what he says in the Apologia about late 1844 and 1845. He was writing himself into the Roman Church. He learned why modern Roman doctrines were legitimate developments.
5. What method would be better than Newman’s seven tests, notes or markers about the character of doctrinal development?
   1. Preservation of the type
   2. Continuity of principles

• The power of assimilation

1. Logical sequence
2. Early anticipations
3. Preservative additions

• Chronic continuance

Part Two

Loci of Questioning; Analysis; Prophetic Voice; Recapitulation;

Three loci of questioning about post-Christian culture

1. External forces
2. Temporization by Church authorities
3. Inviting in the secular without competence to regulate Christianly

Analysis

1. First, Newman had the instinct to identify post-Christian culture.
2. Second, Newman had the competence to invite the secular.
3. Third, Newman knew how to extricate himself from liberalism in religion.
4. Fourth, Newman used memory to remember forward.
5. Fifth, for Newman, secularity is not the same as secularism.

Newman’s Prophetic Voice is one of lamentation and jubilation. Newman exposes idolatry as idolatry. The Catholic Church missed opportunities to prepare Catholic thinkers who could engage Kant and Hegel. Newman’s Letter to Norfolk (1874-1875) offered a comprehensive treatise on authority and conscience. Newman’s voice aligns with Rahner, Balthasar, deLubac, Wojytla, and Ratzinger while not necessarily with all of their ideas.

Recapitulation

External forces are not the only cause of post-Christian culture. A seismic shift today is the erosion of belief in the doctrines, practices, and form of life in the Catholic Church. Newman gave us an explicit vocabulary leading towards simple assent that brought certitude and certainty about the true Church.

Conclusion

Newman’s “Twelve Lectures on Certain Difficulties Felt by Anglicans in Submitting to the Catholic Church,” interpret the intentions of the Religious Party of 1833. He was engaging a  “post-Christian culture.”  He lived with a peaceful trust in slow-paced truth knowing a bunker mentality could never engage effectively. The contents warrant Vatican II  to be referred to as “Newman’s Council.” His canonization sealed him as theologian. His works reveal an arguer, a Christian sniper, and genius at guerilla warfare with his “inner life” as unifying.

eondrako@alumni.nd.edu