On February 2, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the Church celebrates a World Day for Consecrated Life.  This year, it is recognized in parishes on the weekend of February 6-7.  2021 is the 25th year for the world day, which celebrates the gift of religious consecration in the Church.  Since the earliest days of Christianity, men and women have dedicated their lives more completely to Christ by professing the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.  For more than eight centuries, the Franciscan Friars Conventual have participated in this awesome tradition of consecration and self-offering.  Join the tradition; join us!

Find out more by visiting FranciscanVoice.org
or by contacting our Vocation Director, Br. Nick, at vocations@olaprovince.org!

Papal Basilica and Sacro Convento of St. Francis of Assisi

Even though restrictions on pilgrim travel during the pandemic has limited in person visits to the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi (Italy), their website contains enough information and visual content that you can spend some time on your own personal tour virtually. Our friars serving there look forward to the ability to again provide in person pilgrim tours for English speaking visitors. In the meantime, spend some time exploring the website.

This video is a short introduction to the new Greyfriars website: www.thegreyfriars.org.

Health, peace and joy at the beginning of a new year!

Student Friars of our North American Provinces are on retreat in Ocean City, MD. Several took some time to participate in a Plunge for Vocations in the cold Atlantic Ocean, as seen in this video posted on the Facebook Page of our confreres of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation. Keep them and all of our friars in formation, as well as those in discernment, in your continued prayers. For more information on life as a Franciscan Friar Conventual of Our Lady of the Angels Province, email vocations@olaprovince.org

January 8, 2021: The Holy See officially announced that Pope Francis has appointed Friar Dominique Mathieu, OFM Conv. as the Archbishop of Tehran-Ispahan of the Latins (Iran).

Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Brad Milunski, OFM Conv. is the Director of our Inter-Province Postulancy, in Chicago, IL. In addition, he serves as a Pilgrim Guide for Franciscan Pilgrimages and gives his time on several ministry Boards, including the Franciscan Mission Service, where he serves as Board Chair. On January 7, 2021, virtually from the Chapel in the St. Bonaventure Friary (The Postulancy) , he was presider at their Mass of Gratitude for Monthly Donors.

Page 12 Article: “Drawing Closer – How Eucharistic Adoration brings Catholics nearer to Christ”

Homily by Fr. Colin Mary Edwards, OFM Conv., a friar of our Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody (aka The Greyfriars), serving at The Catholic National Shrine & Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham (aka England’s Nazareth).

Franciscans hold great reverence for the saints. We customarily celebrate the Epiphany as a feast for promoting personal holiness. During the para-liturgical ceremony of the Extractions, each friar draws the name of a saint (who becomes his patron for the year) and a short spiritual exhortation (as a focus for spiritual refinement). During Epiphany the community also renews the sanctity of our homes (friaries) by processing to bless each room. Early in Franciscan history, this tradition developed for our friars. In our province, traditionally, friars from local friaries in one area would join together for this fraternal celebration. As we are practicing safe social distancing, concessions had to be made. Friars of a singular friary either celebrated in their own residence, or with several friaries virtually gathered using today’s technological resources.
The insert at left is from our Immaculate Heart of Mary Friary (Baltimore, MD), as they celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany with the Extraction of Patron Saints. It shows the Blessing of the friary with the signing of the entrance door by the friary Guardian.
Below is a screenshot of the ZOOM Celebration with our four friaries in North Carolina: Blessed Sacrament Friary ~ Burlington, St. Anthony of Padua Friary ~ Durham, Our Lady of Guadalupe Friary ~Pittsboro, and Our Lady of the Angels Friary ~ Winston-Salem.