 Responding to God’s Call Our Lady of the Angels Province Vocation Director, Br. Nick Romeo, OFM Conv. chatting with the Curley Class of 2024, during their End of Year Retreat. Archbishop Curley High School‘s entire Sophomore Class (Class of 2024) went on an End of the Year Retreat together. There, they were afforded time to reflect upon how they have responded to God’s Call over the course of this past school year and how they will continue to grow as Curley Men. Together they prayed, ate, rested, and played. God bless the Curley Class of 2024! Mother’s Day Reflection ~ Friar Michael Z.“Mary ~ Our Greatest Cheerleader” ~ Friar Michael Zielke, OFM Conv. talks about his devotion to Mary and why she is our biggest cheerleader.  World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2022
 May 1 Announcement – Columbus, GAMay 1 Announcement from St. Anne Church Columbus GA on Vimeo. Brothers, Letter from the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah
Letter from our Minister Provincial
 Friars and Ukrainian Refugees [“Easter Flowers In Poland”]General Delegate for JPIC ~ Friar Michael Lasky, OFM Conv. reflects on his visit to Poland.  NJ Friars Day of Recollection
 Left to Right: Friar Pedro de Oliveira, OFM Conv. (St. Peter Friary), Friar Marek Stybor, OFM Conv. (St. Peter Friary), Friar Michael Lorentsen, OFM Conv. -back (St. Catharine of Siena Friary), Friar Stephen Merrigan, OFM Conv. -front (St. Catharine of Siena Friary), Friar Manny Vasconcelos, OFM Conv., Friar Richard Rossell, OFM Conv. (St. Peter Friary), Friar José Guadalupe Matus Castillo, OFM Conv. (St. Catharine of Siena Friary), Friar Brennan-Joseph Farleo, OFM Conv. (Guardian – St. Peter Friary), in front – Friar Tony Kall, OFM Conv. (St. Catharine of Siena Friary). [Photo Cred & pictured in insert photo with Friar Manny: Friar Jim Moore, OFM Conv. (Guardian – St. Catharine of Siena Friary)]  Minister General Visit with Our Friars in SyracuseOur friars living in and serving from our St. Francis Friary, in Syracuse, NY were honored to welcome the Most Reverend Carlos Trovarelli, OFM Conv. (Minister General of the Order) and Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. (Assistant General of the Order – CFF) for a brief fraternal visit. Friar Carlos and Friar Jude had an opportunity to visit with our friars, share in the Eucharist at Assumption Church and Syracuse University (video of SU Mass above), tour the various outreach ministries and pray at the Assumption Cemetery Friars’ plot before heading off to Montreal for a visit with the friars there.  After Mass at Assumption Church, Some of the FrancisCorps Volunteers met with Friar Carlos and Friar Jude, with Friar Rick Riccioli, OFM Conv. (pastor of Assumption Church and chaplain for FrancisCorps).  Friar Carlos got to chat about Canon Law over coffee, with Friar Nevin Hammon, OFM Conv.  Br. Ed Falsey, OFM Conv. (Friary Guardian) took Friar Carlos and Friar Jude to the Friars Plot at Assumption Cemetery, where they were able to pray for the friars buried there, including two former Minister Generals: Most Reverend Dominic Reuter, OFM Conv. (1886-1933) and Most Reverend Bede Hess, OFM Conv. (1885-1953). Friar Dominic Reuter (1904-1910) was the first American to be elected General. He held a doctorate in both philosophy and theology, and during the First World War he was appointed to head the Vatican Office for war prisoners. Friar Bede Hess (1936-1953) served the Order during the precarious years of the Second World War. He was an intermediary between the Allied and Axis powers, and a man who promoted culture, social works, and new missions in Latin America.  Vocation Ministry & Institute on Religious Life Interview with Friar MichelOn April 28, 2022, the Institute on Religious Life via the Vocation Ministry, Facebook page, presented a live interview by Jesse Weiler, with our Vicar Provincial and Minister Provincial Elect ~ the Very Reverend Michael Heine OFM Conv.:
“What is Franciscan Leadership and What Does it Look Like?”  Brazil: Easter Fraternal Gathering of the Custody and the Mother ProvinceAfter a long period of restriction imposed by the pandemic, the friars of the Provincial Custody of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro) were finally able to celebrate their annual Easter Custodial gathering together.  1st Annual Province Pilgrimage to National Shrine of Immaculate Conception, in Washington DC Some of the friar participants: Fr. Andrzej Brzeziński, OFM Conv. (Associate Chaplain for Faith Development at CUA), Fr. Ericson de la Pena, OFM Conv. (Parochial Vicar at St. Adalbert Catholic Church), Fr. Albert Puliyadan, OFM Conv. (Associate Chaplain for Liturgy and Worship at CUA), the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. (Minister Provincial – Our Lady of the Angels Province), the Very Reverend Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv. (Provincial Delegate of our Canadian Province Delegation of St. Francis of Assisi & Province Assistant for the Marian Apostolate), the Very Reverend Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv., (Vicar Provincial & Minister Provincial Elect – Our Lady of the Angels Province), Fr. Mirosław Podymniak, OFM Conv. (Pastor – St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Church). On Saturday, April 30th, friars and faithful gathered to mark the 1st Annual Franciscan Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in Washington DC. After a seated overview tour of the shrine and a time of communal prayer, we celebrated Mass at which Our Lady of the Angels Province Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. presided and preached an inspiring homily so characteristic of our Franciscan tradition. The pilgrimage was organized by the Province’s Marian Apostolate under the direction of Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv. (Provincial Delegate of our Canadian Province Delegation of St. Francis of Assisi & Province Assistant for the Marian Apostolate). Concelebrating were Friar Jobe, the Very Reverend Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv. (Vicar Provincial & Minister Provincial Elect), two of our four friars serving in Washington DC in CUA’s Campus Ministry: Fr. Andrzej Brzeziński, OFM Conv. (Associate Chaplain for Faith Development at The Catholic University of America) and Fr. Albert Puliyadan, OFM Conv. (Associate Chaplain for Liturgy and Worship at The Catholic University of America), Fr. Mirosław Podymniak, OFM Conv. (Pastor – St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Church), and Fr. Ericson de la Pena, OFM Conv. (Parochial Vicar – St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Church). Special thanks go out to the friars and parishioners from St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Church (Elmhurst, NY), who came as a group, such a distance to pay tribute to the Immaculate Conception, patroness of our Order and the United States. Also special thanks to Mr. Steve Baglivio, one of our parishioner participants from our Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ pastoral ministry (St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church) who took the photo below of the celebratory group, which also includes Fr. Jude DeAngelo, OFM Conv. (University Chaplain & Director of Campus Ministry – CUA) and Br. Ed Handy, OFM Conv. (Friar in Residence at St. Casimir Friary – Baltimore, MD).
Building on this very successful start, we are already happy to announce that we have booked the 2nd Annual Franciscan Pilgrimage to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for Saturday, April 29, 2023. Please mark your schedules and plan on joining us for this province-wide initiative. All are welcome! – Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv., Province Assistant for the Marian Apostolate |
Our Friars of St. Catharine of Siena Friary (Seaside Park, NJ) hosted a day of recollection with our friars of St. Peter Friary (Pt. Pleasant, NJ). Friar Manny Vasconcelos, OFM Conv. travelled from our Franciscan Martyrs Friary (Columbus, GA) to serve as the presenter. The day was full of presentations on the gift of REST as well as prayer, Eucharistic liturgy, drinks and dinner. It was a most welcomed day of REST, GRACE, and Franciscan FRATERNITY!