Fr. Richard Rossell, OFM Conv. Spiritual Testimony
My name is Richard Rossell. I am 85-year-old and a retired member of the Conventual Franciscan friars of Our Lady of Angels Province (USA). Right now, I am missioned as the Guardian of St. Peter Friary in Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ. I am from Trenton, NJ. My mother Marcella and my father Ralph taught me and my brothers Robert, Ralph, Ronald and Roger how to be persons who loved God and His blessed Mother. They were wonderful parents who worked very hard for our family. I was taught by the Franciscan friars at the legendary Trenton Catholic High School. It was a great experience and I got to know many of the friars.
I entered the Franciscan Order in 1952 at our seminary on Staten Island and then completed my novitiate in Middleburg, NY in 1955 and professed my first vows as a friar in 1955. The deceased +Fr. Celestine Regnier was my novice master. My solemn profession followed in 1958. After completing all my studies at our seminary, St. Anthony-on-Hudson, Rensselaer, NY, I was ordained on May 27, 1961 at the Cathedral in Albany, NY. +Father Canice Connors, Andy Dural and Joe Laufer were my classmates.
My first assignment as friar-priest was to return to my high school (Trenton Catholic) where I was a high school teacher but my ‘favorite’ assignment was and is right here at St. Peter Parish and Friary in Pt. Pleasant, NJ…a wonderful town and such good people! I also remember the wonderful people at Canevin High School in Pittsburgh, PA where I also tough high school and one of my students who died of cancer. That was tough.
I have a special devotion to the Blessed Mother and love the “Hail Mary.”
I would encourage anyone considering a vocation to our Order and Province to “pray and be open to the Holy Spirit.”
And to our current student friars: “Please trust in God and His Blessed Mother and be grateful for all of God’s gifts.”
Consistent with our Franciscan charism and tradition of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, our province has been progressing in our efforts to more fully tap into this devotion from our Kolbean heritage, through the example of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, OFM Conv., and the continued efforts of his Militia of the Immaculata’s (M.I.) unconditional consecration to the Immaculate. With a view to promoting consecration to the Immaculate among the faithful served through the ministries of our friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province, Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv., who serves as our Province MI Assistant, has completed the thirteenth successful and rewarding stop on our Province M.I Initiative Tour of our pastoral ministries. Over the next few years, Friar Jobe will preach at the Masses to encourage the faithful to consecrate themselves to the Immaculate and to enroll in the M.I.
Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr ~ Chicopee, MA
On the weekend of November 16-17, 2019, Friar Jobe was welcomed by the friars of our St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr Friary, in Chicopee, MA: Br. Michael Duffy, OFM Conv. (Friary Guardian, Province Regent of Studies, Professor at the College of Our Lady of the Elms School of Nursing, Creator of the Elms caRe vaN, & VP Board of Directors ~ Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen & Pantry), Fr. Joseph Bayne, OFM Conv. (Pastor ~ Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr), Fr. Paul Miskiewicz, OFM Conv. (photo cred: Parochial Vicar ~ Basilica), Fr. Mieczysław “Mietek” Wilk, OFM Conv. (Parochial Vicar ~ Basilica) and Fr. Nicholas Spano, OFM Conv. (Operations Manager ~ Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen & Pantry and Mass Assistance at the Basilica). At the six weekend Masses in the parish, which is already well-known for its Marian devotion, the invitation regarding consecration to the Immaculate was warmly received.
A sampling of the many of the parishioners who enrolled in the M.I. gathered in the Lower Basilica for a photo with Friar Jobe and Friar Mietek.
November 14, 2019: the Conventual Franciscan Federation (CFF) hosted the annual St. Francis Forum in Ellicott City, Maryland. This year, the coordinators, Friars Michael Joseph Lasky, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of the Angels Province) and John Ronald Heinz, OFM Conv. (St. Joseph Cupertino Province), organized a symposium to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the meeting of Saint Francis and Sultan Malik Al-Kamil. The symposium was designed to complement a similar event held at the Seraphicum in Rome on October 31, 2019.
Father Julian Maria Zambanini, OFM Conv. Spiritual Testimony
My name is Julian Maria Zambanini. I am 80 years-old and a Conventual Franciscan Priest in the Our Lady of Angels Province (USA). I am in residence at Immaculate Conception Friary in Rensselaer, NY and I am retired. I was born in Brooklyn, NY on January 20, 1939. My mother, Alvia Trentini was born in 1913 and one of 11 children in a small soft coat mining town in western Pennsylvania, the daughter of immigrants from northern Italy (Previously part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire). My father, Lino Zambanini, also born in western Pennsylvania in 1910 to immigrants of northern Italy before they returned to what is now a small town not too far from present day Trento, Italy. My paternal grandfather immigrated to the U.S.A. about 1905 and my father and his brother were born in the U.S. The family returned in time for my grandfather, Massimiliano, to be drafted into the Austro-Hungarian Empire army which was at war with Russia (War of 1916); he was captured by the Russians and sent to Siberia; after 8 years he escaped and returned home. When my fathers was 18, my grandfather sent him back to the U.S. so that he would not lose his US citizenship.
I met the Conventual Franciscan Friars because they staffed Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Albany, NY. I attended OLA school grades 5-8. I was also an altar boy in the parish. In the 7th grade at OLA school, Sister Cassilda, OSF asked us to put down on paper what we would like to be or do in life. For the first time I indicated that I wanted to be a Teaching Brother and gradually a Franciscan….and Priest and most of my life I have been involved in teaching at the high school level, university level and in our seminaries in the U.S. and in Italy. I remember +Fr. Dennis Gallagher also tutored a number of us (Fr. John Burkhard and I) in Latin at OLA school.
I arrived at St. Francis Seminary on Staten Island, NY in September, 1956 after graduating from Vincentian High School, Albany, NY. Two years later, I entered the novitiate in Middleburg, NY (August 1958-1959). +Fr. Celestine Regnier, OFM Conv. was my Novice Master and for three months +Fr. Rayner Schram, OFM Conv. was the Assistant Novice Master. +Fr. Giles Van Worner, OFM Conv. was the assistant for the remainder of the year. Some of my classmates were: +James (Elias) Manning, Joseph (Barry) Angelini, +Robert Leahey, +Mel Madden and +Thomas Larity. We professed our first vows on August 12, 1959 at the Novitiate and then our Solemn vows on September 8, 1962 at St. Anthony-on-Hudson Seminary, Rensselaer, NY. Then, after studying at the seminary there and receiving an STB degree, I was ordained a priest on May 29, 1965 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Albany, NY. Some of my ordination classmates were: Joseph (Barry) Angelini, +Mel Maddon, +Robert Leahey, +Elias Manning (in Brazil) as well as Alexander Cymerman, Herman Czaster and Herman Obijiski. I later received and MA in Classical Languages from The Catholic University of America (1969).
My first assignment was to teach Latin and Religion at Canevin High School in Pittsburgh, PA. Since then, I have had so many “favorite” assignments. These include:
1965-1978
Canevin High School, Pittsburgh, PA and
President of the Province Formation Commission
1978-1979
Director of Religious Brothers
St. Anthony-on-Hudson, Rensselaer, NY
1979-1982
Student at the Biblicum
Rome, Italy
1982-1989
Assistant General for Formation and Vice Rector and Rector
Seraphicum, Rome, Italy
1989-2002
Secretary General of the Pontifical Theological Faculty of St. Bonaventure
Rome, Italy
2008-2016
Guide at the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and de familia a the Sacred Convent
Assisi, Italy
May-July 2019
The only time I worked at one of our parishes: St. Lucie Catholic Church
Port Saint Lucie, FL
All of my assignments involved working with persons, young, middle aged, seniors and are my favorite assignments. In every instance, I learned a great deal from students, parishioners, friars, et al. Special to me were those times of celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation at St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, St. Francis Basilica, Assisi and in all of my assignments. I have many “special stories” and some of them are: Celebrating the reunion of the Canevin Class of 1969, my interactions with the other Assistant Generals in Assisi and the Seraphicum, working on the saintly ‘cause’ of Friar Martin de Porres Ward, OFM Conv., the miracles of the people to guide in Assisi and the conversion of a Canadian banker to name only a few.
All of my Franciscan prayers are special to me including the greeting that St. Francis asks us to use from his Testament: “May the Lord give you peace!” I also love the Peace Prayer attributed to St. Francis: “Make me an instrument of your peace” and the Our Father.
A piece of advice I would like to share with men considering a vocation to our Franciscan Order and Province is this: Let the Lord lead…listen intently…don’t be afraid to respond to His call…you are never alone. Investigate all the possibilities the Lord is calling you to. Choose one that with the Lord’s help you can live with joy and love. Be patient. “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived!” The Lord wants us to be happy…Whatever we freely choose…it is important that we speak and live our lives continuously making Him present in the world.
And to our student friars I would like to say: Continuously pray and recognize how much the Lord loves you. “Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.” Do not become discouraged. Have a spiritual guide that you can confide in Continuously listen to the Lord. Seek always the truth…study hard…count your blessings…we can learn a great deal from our mistakes and failures…and only with the Lord’s help we will succeed. May the Lord give you peace!
Hello! My name is Brennan-Joseph. I am a 75-year-old Conventual Franciscan priest of Our Lady of Angels Province (USA). Right now, I am missioned as the Guardian of St. Peter Friary in Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ. I was born on April 29, 1944 in Buffalo, NY. My mother was Irish came from Ireland and my Father was Italian and came from Italy. I had two brothers, Donald and Joseph who along with my parents are now deceased. I was taught by Franciscans throughout all my years in school. I had both OFM as well as Conventual friars and I loved to witness the community they shared with one another.
I entered the Conventual Franciscans on August 17, 1979 in Holyoke, MA. After my postulancy there, I entered our novitiate at St. Francis Friary, Staten Island, NY…my novice master was Fr. Bill Robinson and my classmates were Jobe Abbass and Maurice Richard. And so, at the end of my novitiate, August of 1981, I professed my first vows as a Franciscan friar. My solemn profession followed three years later in 1984 at our seminary, St. Anthony-on-Hudson, Rensselaer, NY where I was studying for the priesthood. I was ordained in 1986 and my classmates are Richard-Jacob Forcier and Dennis Grumsey.
My first assignment as friar-priest was at St. Joseph’s Parish in Enicott, NY but I would have to say that my ‘favorite’ assignment was at Immaculate Conception Parish and Friary in Trenton, NJ. In all honesty, I really loved all of my assignments and had fun times with most of the friars I lived with.
I have a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and I love any and all prayers to Him and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
I would encourage anyone considering a vocation to our Order and Province to “pray each day to know God’s Will. It’s in doing His Will that we find our peace. Stay close to the Sacred Heart.”
And to our current student friars: “Be honest and open to what God is asking you to do each day. Your prayers are so important in our way of life. Be sincere and honest dealing with God, each other and our superiors.”
I give thanks and praise to God for calling me to serve Him and His people.
November, 14, 2019 Article by Friar Michael Lasky, OFM Conv.
It was one of those cold winter mornings when the wind catches the snow in swirls of white that dance across the parking lot.
Friar Gerry with a sampling of the ROTC 1:00 p.m. Mass group
On Veteran’s Day morning (November 11, 2019), Our Lady of the Angels Province friar and Campus Minister for Syracuse University & SUNY – ESF Catholic Center, Fr. Gerald Waterman, OFM Conv. joined a large group of students, staff, faculty and others for the Veteran’s Day Fun Run. Runners began in front of the Schine Student Center on University Place, did two full laps, then onto the quad on the third lap, after passing between Maxwell and Hendricks Chapel. All participants finished on the quad in front of (fittingly) Hendricks Chapel.
November 1-8, 2019: Our Province Definitory joined that of our Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody (known as the Greyfriars) for not only meetings but the opportunity for our friars of North America to visit many of the friaries and ministries of our friars in England and Ireland. Although unable to visit all of the friaries of our Custody there, they were able to visit Dublin, Liverpool, Oxford and Walsingham – including spectacular ruins of the medieval Priory of our Lady of Walsingham, on the grounds of The Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham (pictured above). Read more in this News Feature on the website of our Greyfriars.
Our pastoral ministry of Holy Cross Catholic Church (Durham, NC) opened National Black Catholic History Month with the November 3rd tribute “Honoring Our Elders” in the parish. Our Lady of the Angels Province friar and pastor of Holy Cross, Fr. Bart Karwacki, OFM Conv. opened the celebration with The Prayer of the Elderly Christian. A panel of elders described their experiences as Black Catholics, after being led in by an African drummer. (video 1) (video 2)
If you are in the Durham area, join the parishioners of Holy Cross Catholic Church for their next Holy Cross Book Club Series. Afternoon and Evening Sessions will be held on Mondays: November 25, December 2 and December 9. The Holy Cross Book Club will be reading and discussing “Faithful and Free,” the new (2019) biography of Sr. Thea Bowman, written by Father Maurice Nutt. Contact Information & Details
Brother James Amrhein, OFM Conv. Spiritual Testimony
My name is James Amrhein and I am a 78year-old Conventual Franciscan Religious Brother in the Province of Our Lady of Angels (USA). I am retired now and live with the friars at St. Francis of Assisi Friary in Syracuse, NY. I was born in Utica, NY, and I grew up in a wonderful Catholic family. My parents were very religious and led very good Catholic Christian lives. I learned about the Conventual Franciscans through my brother, Robert, who is a Conventual Franciscan priest in our Province. I entered the Order in September, 1959 at St. Joseph Cupertino Friary in Watertown, NY. It was the initial house of formation for Religious Brothers at the time. After my postulancy, I entered the novitiate of the Conventual Franciscans in Middleburgh, NY where I professed my first vows in 1961 under the direction of my novice master +Fr. Celestine Regnier, OFM Conv. Some of my novitiate classmates are Friars John Burkhard, Mark Steed, Ed Handy and Nick Lorsen. Later, in 1964 I professed my solemn vows at our major seminary, St. Anthony-on-Hudson, Rensselaer, NY.
My first assignment as friar was at Canevin High School in Pittsburgh, PA where the Friars were teachers and administrators. Most recently, I was assigned as the director of the Food Pantry at Assumption Parish in Syracuse, NY. It was one of my “favorite” assignments because I think it was the most Franciscan of all my ministries!
Fr. Richard Rossell, OFM Conv.
Fr. Brennan-Joseph Farleo, OFM Conv.
Brother James Amrhein, OFM Conv.
