Today is the Independence Day of Ukraine. This reflection was posted on Facebook by Bishop Edward Kawa, OFM. Conv., who serves as Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Lviv, and is a Franciscan Friar Conventual of the Provincial Custody of the Holy Cross, of the Polish Province of St. Anthony and Bl. James of Strepar:
“August 24, 2022 – 6 months of full-scale war, which the Russian Federation launched against Ukraine. We are losing sons and daughters of our people, we are losing territories, but Ukraine is still an independent state! And today, more than ever before, we value and honor this independence of ours. And we know that every drop of blood and sweat, every life, all our prayers, tears of wives and mothers, all the pain and fear that have accompanied us for 6 months – everything is not in vain. Today we prove to ourselves that we are worthy and worthy of this gift of God, which is independence, and we are ready to fight for this gift. Someone with a weapon in their hands on the front line, someone with a rosary in their hands in the church or at home, someone driving trucks with humanitarian aid, someone in the operating room, in the fields and factories, someone at the checkpoints, but all with prayer on their lips and in their hearts , begging God for protection and support, because ‘when the Lord does not build the house, its builders work in vain. When the Lord does not protect the city, the watchman watches in vain.’ (Ps. 126,1) Happy Independence Day!“
The “Sense of the Faith” in History: Its Sources, Reception, and Theology ~ by Fr. John J. Burkhard, OFM Conv
“I enthusiastically nominate The Sense of the Faith for the Best Theological Book of 2022.”
~ Peter C. Phan, PhD, STD, DD
Ellacuria Chair of Catholic Social Thought, Georgetown University
In his January 2020 “Spiritual Testimony” on this site, Friar John’s last paragraph reads as follows: “I have no particular spiritual wisdom to impart to our friars in formation or to prospective applicants to the Order except for the admonition to identify and accept your talents, thank God daily for them, develop them humanly with the help of the Order, and generously put them at the service of the Church’s universal mission. If you do this, your dreams and your life will be richly rewarded. I know mine have been!“
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,.
A brief excerpt from “Franciscan Ecology,” Chapter III, Section 4.2; pp.127-129, a thesis by friar Jonathan García Zenteno, OFM Conv., a Simply Professed ~ Our Lady of the Angels Province student friar, who graduated from the Franciscan University of Mexico with a degree in Philosophy, in 2015 and is continuing studies at The Catholic University of America, in Washington DC.
The Biggest Little Farmis the third film in the Little Portion Farm’s sustainable agriculture film series. It will be screened August 24, 2022, at 7pm in The Shrine of St. Anthony’s “Glass Room” (Ellicott City, MD).
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
