Adrian Font ‘26 (right) with Danny Chung-A-Fung ‘24, one of the retreat leaders, at the Little Portion Farm.
When one “retreats”, it is a form of reconnecting with something foundational, whether it be with internal conflicts or external influences. Retreating, in its essence, serves as a powerful means of rediscovering and reinforcing connections. To me, the January Sophomore Retreat was a journey of reconnecting with the profound roots embedded in Xaverian history and Charism, and after experiencing that retreat I felt reconnected with that Xavierian history. Stepping out of the routine of our everyday lives provided a rare opportunity to delve into profound reflections on our true motives and how we live our lives and prioritize what truly matters.
As we know by now, the Xaverian values are woven into the framework of the Good Counsel Community. These values serve as the philosophy that contributes to the cultivation of individuals striving to become the best versions of themselves. In this retreat, we had the opportunity to focus on the Xaverian value of Zeal. To me, opening mass with Father Tom was a humbling experience where I could practice my faith. Usually, we go to Mass every Sunday with different intentions in mind, but this Mass felt different and we were nurturing different parts of ourselves. I feel that is the reason why this mass was implemented in the retreat because it contributed to our retreating.
We then had the opportunity to connect with our fellow sophomores in small groups. While we were in our small groups, we went around the room and shared our strengths and weaknesses, and it felt nice seeing others make themselves vulnerable and more relatable. One of the members in my group sang a song as her talent and it was shocking to find out that she was that talented at singing because I didn’t know that before. I think I was able to have zeal in the moments I shared with my small group because of the different environment in contrast to school. Even though I was not friends with most of the people in my small group, I was able to get to know them better- because again, a retreat is all about reconnecting.
We also played this “Xaverian Values Game” where we had to express one of the Xaverian Values by acting it out or conveying it in some sort of way. For example, to represent trust, we conducted a trust fall, which surprisingly did not convey the value well enough for the person to guess!
For most, one of the more resonating moments in this retreat was the outdoor community work at the Little Portion Farm, located on the property of the Shrine. We originally thought that we would be able to work with power tools and construct tables, but we ended up working in the fields trimming asparagus and okra crops. It felt nice to give back to the Little Portion Farm because the farm was a medium to give back to those in need, and I was happy to be a small part of it.
During our closing prayer service, the responsorial psalm came from Psalm 19:8, which says, “The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.” Directing my energy towards providing for something or someone other than myself felt good and satisfying- it’s almost as if it brought joy to my heart. I believe that Sophomore Retreat was an event that resonated uniquely with each sophomore, whether they were happy to be there, or would have rather been in a classroom at school. This retreat offered a diverse array of takeaways through the activities my retreat group took part in. The setting of the retreat was very tranquil and distracted from all the other worries I had been having.
Carving out time for reflection and connection is essential for leading more meaningful lives. I hope that each individual recognizes how much retreating and having a sense of community helps bring joy to the heart.
By Adrian Font, staff writer, The Talon, the student newspaper of Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, located in Olney, Maryland.
Our Lady of the Angels Minister Provincial Friar Michael Heine, OFM Conv., has announced that Kristin Austin, a licensed clinical social worker and certified clinical trauma professional, has been retained by the province as its new pastoral advocate. In her role as a consultant to the province, Kristin will respond to anyone who reports abuse or misconduct by a member of the province, receiving their allegation and providing pastoral accompaniment to them throughout the process and the time that they are engaged with the province on the matter.
“I have been thinking about this possibility for several years,” Friar Michael said. “We needed to find the right layperson who can share our Franciscan compassion and understanding with survivors. I believe Kristin fits perfectly. She will be in regular contact with the provincial administration. I pray that we will not need her services in the future but take comfort in knowing that if and when the need arises, we have a well-trained, experienced, compassionate person who will offer pastoral outreach in a way that we pray will bring healing.”
A graduate of St. Joseph’s University, Kristin volunteered for a year in Tacoma, Wash., and later pursued a master’s degree at the University of Maryland. She currently serves as a pastoral advocate for eight other male religious orders.
“I am sincerely grateful to Friar Michael Heine and Friar Gary Johnson for the opportunity to serve the province,” she said. “I have seen so much healing over the past 15 years in this ministry and look forward to assisting the Our Lady of the Angels Province in bringing more healing to all.”
Fr. Nevin Edwin Henry Hammon, OFM Conv., 87, a Franciscan Friar of Our Lady of the Angels Province, died peacefully on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, at Enfield, Conn.
Born in Syracuse, N.Y., on Oct. 15, 1936, he was one of three sons born to Robert and Marie (nee Mautz) Hammon. Having grown up at Assumption Parish in Syracuse, Nevin entered the minor seminary of the Conventual Franciscans on Staten Island in 1951. He entered the Novitiate in Middleburg, N.Y., in 1956, making his first profession of vows on Aug.12, 1957.
Friar Nevin then went to Rome, studying at the Pontifical University of St. Bonaventure (“the Seraphicum”), where he earned his S.T.L. in 1963. During that time, he professed his solemn vows in the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, on Dec. 11, 1960. He was ordained to the priesthood in Rome, on Feb. 17, 1963. Friar Nevin continued his studies at Lateran University in Rome, completing his J.C.D. in 1968. He then returned to the United States, serving as professor of Canon Law at St. Anthony-on-Hudson Seminary in Rensselaer, N.Y., a position he held until 1987.
From 1987-1991, Friar Nevin ministered as associate pastor and director of Adult Religious Education at St. John the Evangelist Parish in New York City. Between 1991 and 1997, Friar Nevin resided in Syracuse while caring for his dying mother. Following his mother’s death and final disposition of her estate, he moved to Alabama, where he helped launch the seminary for the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, whose Constitutions and statutes he was responsible for composing.
In 1998, Friar Nevin returned to Rome, beginning a 13-year ministry as a confessor at the Vatican Penitentiary. During that time, in 2008, he was installed as a Papal Knight of the Holy Sepulchre. Returning again to the U.S. in 2012, he was first assigned in residence at Bridgeport, N.Y., before moving back to his native Syracuse. In 2022, his health beginning to fail, Friar Nevin transitioned to Our Lady of the Angels Care Center in Enfield where he remained until his death.
Visitation hours will be held Tuesday, Jan. 30,from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Our Lady of the Angels Care Center (1315 Enfield St., Enfield), with a Franciscan Wake Service at 4 p.m. Following a second viewing from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday, Feb. 2, at 11 a.m. at Assumption Church (812 N Salina St., Syracuse), followed by burial in Assumption Cemetery, Syracuse. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Franciscan Education Fund (12300 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City MD 21042).
The Franciscan Center of Baltimore was given a renovated dinning room and basic infrastructure for the Culinary Training Kitchen in 2022. The Franciscan Center has been a cornerstone in Baltimore, delivering vital services such as food, clothing, emergency aid, counseling and technology training. (Courtesy Franciscan Center)
Franciscan Sister Joanne Schatzlein, director of the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi in Wisconsin, called it “truly a gift of God” that the Ellicott City-based Our Lady of the Angels Province of the Conventual Franciscans has taken over sponsorship of the Franciscan Center in Baltimore from the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi.
The transfer was announced Nov. 29 to coincide with the feast of All Saints of the Seraphic Order, the 800th anniversary of the signing of the 1223 Rule of St. Francis which marked the founding of the Franciscan order.
The Franciscan Center was founded in 1968 by the Franciscan Sisters of Baltimore, a women’s religious community that merged with the Milwaukee-based Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi in 2001.
Since its establishment, the Franciscan Center has been a cornerstone in Baltimore, delivering vital services such as food, clothing, emergency aid, counseling and technology training. The approach aims to assist individuals in achieving self-sufficiency.
The decision of Our Lady of the Angels Province to assume sponsorship followed an invitation from the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi. The Conventual Franciscans, an order of priests and brothers, embraced the invitation, as the sisters gradually divest themselves from certain communities.
“Our brothers’ overwhelming hospitality and their assurance that we will remain part of their family into the future affirm that we are entrusting the Franciscan Center to the right group of Franciscans,” Sister Joanne told the Catholic Review.
To commemorate the transition, a special Mass was held at the Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City Nov. 29.
“We think it’s a perfect fit for our friars and are really looking forward to working there,” said Conventual Franciscan Father Michael Heine, minister provincial of Our Lady of the Angels Province.
The Conventual Franciscans have been actively involved in the center’s activities in the past, supplying fresh produce from Little Portion Farm in Ellicott City.
Angela Hall, assistant executive director of the Franciscan Center, highlighted the 24-Hours of Cooking and Serving program, where 4,000 fresh meals were prepared and delivered to various communities in need.
This culinary event extended its reach beyond the Franciscan Center, providing meals to homeless encampments, winter shelters, senior homes and selected local nonprofits. The center’s staff and volunteers worked together to deliver meals at midnight to places such as hospital emergency rooms, police stations, fire departments and public works teams. Thirty chefs, each contributing at least two hours, prepared a variety of dishes, including Italian-style meatloaf, jerk-roasted turkey, coffee-rubbed roasted brisket, and brown-sugar-glazed pit ham.
The Franciscan Center has undergone significant renovations and physical improvements in recent years, including an indoor dining room, a client choice pantry, a training kitchen, a computer lab, an education center, a clothing intake room and a new Mace Street entrance, representing a significant evolution.
The Franciscan Center, sponsored primarily for spiritual support by the friars, will maintain its independent operation. Father Heine emphasized the friars’ goal of upholding the Franciscan spirit, contributing to the board and cultivating a stronger connection with the broader Franciscan community.
“We’re really excited, and the friars are very excited that we’re doing this,” he said.
June 22, 2024, marks the 25th Death Anniversary of our confrere, Fr Martin de Porres Maria Ward, OFM, Conv., the first African American Conventual Franciscan vocation in North America. After his studies at St. Francis Seminary, Staten Island, and St. Anthony-on-Hudson Major Seminary, Rensselaer, N.Y., and ordination in 1955, he and six other friars left for Brazil.
At the last Provincial Chapter (2022), Fr Julian Zambanini was appointed vice-postulator of the Cause and a Historical Commission, composed of two U.S. friars, Fr. James McCurry and Fr. Douglas McMillan along with friars of the Brazilian Custody of the Immaculate Conception, Fr. Ronaldo Gomes, Fr. Marcelos dos Santos, Fr. Robson Malafaia, and Fr. Carlos Charles. This group is preparing a report on the life of Fr. Martin de Porres Ward. Once the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints approves the Cause presented by the Bishops of Brazil, the report of the Historical Commission will be sent to Rome where the finalPositio, whichis an extended analysis of the documentation, presented in the HC report, will be written.ThePositiowill be presented to the Dicastery of Causes of Saints by the Bishops of Brazil and to our Postulator General, Fr. Zdzislaw Kijas, O.F.M.Conv.
The Dicastery for the Causes of Saints(previously named the Congregation for the Causes of Saints),is the Dicastery of the Roman Curia that oversees the process that leads to the canonization of saints, passing through the steps of a declaration of “heroic virtues” and beatification. After preparing a case, including the approval of miracles several of which have been presented in Brazil, the case is presented to the pope, who decides whether to proceed with beatification or canonization.
For more informationon the life of Fr. Martin de Porres Ward, how his Cause is being promoted by friars in Brazil and the faithful of Andrelandia where he is buried, and the Prayer for his Cause, follow the following links. Feel free to print and share this information in your ministries.
Prayer for Canonization of Fr Martin de Porres Maria Ward:
O Glorious Most High God, who deign to glorify in Heaven the souls of those who served and glorified you on Earth, hear our prayers(petitions in silence),and according to the design of Your Divine Providence, deign to glorify your Servant Friar Martin Maria, who by his love desired to offer his life for the education and service of the youth, the poor and the sick, that like our ’compadre’ we too may progress in the service of the most needy. Amen!
Fr. Joachim (Thomas) Anthony Giermek, OFM Conv., 80, a Franciscan Friar of Our Lady of the Angels Province, died peacefully on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024 at Ellicott City, Md. Born in Buffalo, N.Y. on April 2, 1943, he was a son of the late Joseph and Mary (nee Kowalczyk) Giermek. He is predeceased by his sister, Anne Holmes, and brother Stanley.
After graduating from Bishop Ryan High School in Buffalo, he entered the Novitiate of the Conventual Franciscans in Ellicott City, Md., professing simple vows on Aug. 15, 1961. Amidst completion of a B.A. in Philosophy at St. Hyacinth College in Granby, Mass., he professed solemn vows on August 15, 1964. After finishing a teaching year at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, he went to Rome, where he studied at the Pontifical Academy of St. Bonaventure (“the Seraphicum”). He was ordained in the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles on Dec. 23, 1969.
From 1970-76, Friar Joachim served as Professor of Philosophy and then Associate Director of Clerics at St. Hyacinth Seminary, Granby. He then earned his M.A. in Franciscan Spirituality from St. Bonaventure University in Olean N.Y., a degree he used both as an instructor at St. Bonaventure and for a successful Franciscan retreat ministry.
In 1982, he was elected Secretary and Regent of Studies of the then Saint Anthony of Padua Province. In 1983, he was elected the Assistant General of the Conventual Franciscan Order, representing the friars from the English-speaking jurisdictions. He served in that capacity until 1995, when he was elected Vicar General. In 2001, Fr. Joachim was elected the 118th successor of St. Francis of Assisi, becoming the third friar from the United States to serve as Minister General of the Order.
Returning home from Rome in 2007, Fr. Joachim moved to Ellicott City, Maryland, where he was assigned until his death.
Viewing and Wake:
Friday, Jan. 12, 4 p.m.-7 p.m.
Franciscan Wake Service, 7 p.m.
Shrine of Saint Anthony
12290 Folly Quarter Rd.
Ellicott City, Md.
Mass of Christian Burial:
Saturday, Jan. 13, 9:30 a.m.
Shrine of Saint Anthony
May God grant Friar Joachim eternal life in His presence.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Franciscan Education Fund, 12290 Folly Quarter Rd., Ellicott City, MD 21042.
2023 marked the 800th anniversary when St. Francis showed the simplicity of our God in Greccio, Italy, with the first Nativity scene. We have scenes from Greccio celebrations across the Our Lady of the Angels Province, many included live animals.
Archbishop Curley High School, Baltimore, Md.
Blessed Sacrament Church, Burlington, N.C.
Assumption Church, Syracuse, N.Y.
Most Holy Trinity – St. Mary Church, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Our Lady of Hope Church, Coal Township, Penn.
Shrine of St. Anthony, Ellicott City, Md.
St. Adalbert Parish, Queens, N.Y.
St. Casimir Church, Baltimore, Md.
St. Francis High School, Athol Springs
St. Ignatius the Martyr, Ottawa, Canada
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Ottawa, Ontario.
