The Annual Linda’s Walk began in 2010 and is the largest fund raiser supporting St. Clare Inn, a transitional housing program helping homeless women with mental health challenges rebuild their lives. These homeless women (aged 30-60) find community, care, shelter, and support in their healing journey. The walk is named in honor of Linda Houston, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and who died of a heart attack, alone and homeless, in 1997. The people and the friars of the Franciscan Church of St. Bonaventure, who often helped her out with some money and food, were moved by her tragic life circumstance and her resulting death. In 2007, St. Clare Inn was established by the Friends of Saint Francis, a group of dedicated professional lay men and women, along with our area friars. St. Clare Inn’s also holds an Annual Soirée. This past April, 230 people were on hand to join the celebration of St. Clare Inn’s 10th anniversary. In its 8th year, Linda’s Walk 2017, an easy 5k walk through their neighborhood that is more of a fun get together than a physical labor. Last year’s walk raised over $45,000 for St. Clare Inn and we hope that this year’s walk will be even more successful.
The St. Clare Inn operates under the direction of
Our Lady of the Angels Province friar and Executive Director,
Friar Tom Purcell, OFM Conv.
He and all of our friars thank you for your support.
Fr. Joseph Blay, OFM Conv. with Fr. Emmanuel Acquaye, OFM Conv., a Ghanaian friar who is in the USA for graduate studies. Friar Emmanuel also serves our province in Ellicott City, by assisting at the Shrine of St. Anthony.
In May 2017, Friar Joseph Blay, OFM Conv., the Delegate General for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (elected January 15, 2016), visited the USA to attend a JPIC meeting with our US Provinces. While here, he also spoke at a seminar for our Postulants in Chicago.
His first stop was at our Provincial House, in Ellicott City, MD – also the home of our province’s Shrine of St. Anthony. Friar Joseph was hosted by Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Friar Michael Lasky, OFM Conv., who serves as our province Chairman of JPIC (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission). He was impressed that our Ellicott City complex has a vast solar array and organic farming.
Friar Joseph (bottom left) and Friar Michael (top left) with the postulants on retreat, in Chicago, IL
Friar Michael accompanied Friar Joseph to our Multi-Province Postulancy located the territory of the St. Bonaventure Province – Chicago, IL. There, Friar Joseph led a retreat for the postulants, assisted by Friar Michael, and the two presented a seminar on JPIC and LAUDATO SI’: the second encyclical Letter of Pope Francis on Care for Our Common Home.
While still in Chicago the meeting of three of the four USA Provincial Delegates for JPIC took place at the St. Bonaventure Friary. In the words of Friar Joseph: “The Provincial Delegates for JPIC shared their experiences. They discussed what they do in their Provinces and how it is possible to work together as friars in the same country.” Friar Joseph also presented JPIC projects from around the world that other Provinces of the Order are implementing, and how he will be attending a GPIC meeting convened by Friar Marco Tasca, OFM Conv. – Minister General of our Order – in Rome. He was very grateful for our friars’ fraternal hospitality during his USA visit.
Friar Joseph Blay, OFM Conv. is from the Provincial Custody of St. Anthony Province, Padova, Italy (in Ghana). In 1977, missionary friars from St. Anthony Province ITALY and our missionary friar from the St. Anthony of Padua Province USA (after the 2014 union with Immaculate Conception Province USA – becoming “Our Lady of the Angels Province”) arrived in Ghana and worked in separate ministry there until 1991. Read more history here. Three Our Lady of the Angels Province friars were among those who ministered to the people of Ghana. Friar Joseph took his visit to the USA as an opportunity to reunite with Fr. Mitchell Sawicki, OFM Conv. (now serves as Province Treasurer – Provincial House) and Fr. Raymond Borkowski, OFM Conv. ( serving the parishioners of St. Paul Roman Catholic Church – Kensington, CT) The third OLA friar who served in Ghana is Fr. Giles Zakowicz, OFM Conv. Since returning to the USA from in Africa (He served both in Ghana and in Kenya) in 2007, Friar Giles has served our USA Friars as Guardian and Novice Director, at the St. Francis Novitiate; first in Mishawaka, IN and then in Arroyo Grande, CA.
Friar Joseph visiting with the friars of St. Paul, Kensington, CT
Friar Michael is pictured here (lower left) with the early morning group that includes Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.)
Health Care Vigil: June 28-29, 2017
The Faith Community in Washington DC organized a 24 hour prayer vigil in front of the Senate, in support of Medicaid and just health reform that secures healthcare as a universal human right; mindful of the poor and marginalized. The Catholic portion of the prayerful vigil was during the 5-6:00 a.m. hour. Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Friar Michael Lasky, OFM Conv., who serves as our province Chairman of JPIC (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission) lead the group in prayer during a sunrise service. Friar Michael is also quoted in a FAN (Franciscan Action Network) online press release, concerning the current H.R. 1628, Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 that is making its way through the Senate.
Saturday, April 22, 2017: St. Clare Inn (Toronto, ON) held its 5th Annual Spring Gala, “Cheers to 10 Years.” The purpose of the annual Gala is to raise funds and awareness of the challenges faced by homeless women who are diagnosed with mental health issues. St. Clare Inn which begins its 10th year of operation this May, has helped some 70 women to rebuild their lives. At present 75% of those who have participated in the program are now living independently. Five of our friars were in attendance along with the other 230 people who gathered for this year’s celebration.
Reverend James Boric – Rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Archdiocese of Baltimore – the Premier See of the Roman Catholic Church in the USA), the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. – Minister Provincial of the Our Lady of the Angels Province, His Eminence Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson (Prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development), The Most Reverend William Edward Lori, S.T.D. (Sixteenth Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore), and at the far right, Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Robert Twele, OFM Conv. (Legal Counsel for the Province and Director of the Office of Legal Council for Catholic Relief Services
April 18-21, 2017: Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Robert Twele, OFM Conv. Director of the Office of Legal Council for Catholic Relief Services (CRS), headquartered in Baltimore-MD, served as the CRS host to Cardinal Peter Turkson, Prefect of the Vatican’s newly established (January 1, 2017) Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The photo depicts Baltimore Archbishop William Lori welcoming the Cardinal and Fr. Robert, along with Fr. James, to a tour of the Old Basilica-Cathedral and dinner in the Archbishop’s House.
We friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province are members of The Order of Friars Minor Conventual. We are a religious community founded by St. Francis of Assisi, living in an Order where friars commit themselves to the Gospel life of perfect charity, through the public vows of Obedience, Poverty, and Chastity. We are consecrated to God through the ministry of the Church, by living a common life, in union with the Rule of our Seraphic Father, Saint Francis.
We friars share a great respect for creation and life, as is evidenced through the work of the JPIC (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission) of Our Lady of the Angels Province. In union with the April 22, 2017 celebrations of Earth Day, we encourage you to incorporate the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Pope Francis refers to our Earth as our Common Home and has added caring for it as a new act of mercy. Consider adding a work of mercy to your Earth Day celebrations. St. Francis respected even the smallest creatures of Earth and we humbly try to follow on his pathway of loving care.
As this year marks the 500th Anniversary of the creation of our separate Franciscan Families, please take a moment to read through our Order’s history to better understand our future. Franciscans have a deep desire to walk together and grow in common vocation and mission. In 2016, members of different Franciscan Orders gathered to benefit a reconciliation between the Franciscan families, so that we can all more powerfully and clearly give witness to the charism of St. Francis and St. Clare. Read More
Over Spring Break 2017, twenty Elon students participated in two separate mission trips. One group traveled to Charleston, SC to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, while their Catholic Campus Ministry Chaplain, Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Peter Tremblay, OFM Conv. lead a group to Montego Bay, Jamaica to serve with Mustard Seed Ministries at their orphanage for children with disabilities. Those serving in Jamaica we were able to join the bishop of Montego Bay, The Most Reverend Burchell Alexander McPherson, for Mass at the Cathedral, on the first full day and the rest of the week was spent caring for the children, as well as some landscaping on the mission grounds. It was a powerful and life changing experience for all involved.
Friar Michael Lasky, OFM Conv. serves as Chairman of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission of Our Lady of the Angels Province. His ministry hub is now located in Washington DC. Featured here is one of the last projects he worked on, just before he left his prior ministry assignment location – where he also served the people of the Newman Student Center Parish of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as Administrator.
An online Yale Climate Connections article featuring this video states: In a recent video produced by David Salvesen of the University of North Carolina Institute for the Environment, Lasky reflects on the “Canticle of the Creatures,” composed by St. Francis in 1225. It contains praises for the natural world, including “Brother Sun” and “Sister Moon.”
Information gleaned from a letter to the friars written by Benjamin Pesante, Mission Trip Student Leader for the Dominican Republic, CUA Class of 2017:
This Spring break, a group of students from the Catholic University of America, along with Our Lady of the Angels Province friar and Associate Chaplain for Faith Development for the Office of Campus Ministry at CUA, Fr. Ericson de la Pena, OFM Conv., went on a mission trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The group volunteered in the small, impoverished neighborhood of Los Tres Brazos, serving as English Instructors at a local elementary school (grades 1-5), run by Bernardine Franciscan Sisters. The participants were challenged; making lesson plans, controlling the classroom environment, and most importantly making sure the students understood the material, all while making the class lessons very interactive and fun. After the school day, participants visited the townspeople, including the very sick. The joy of those people, through strong faith and supportive families, was a source of inspiration for the CUA students, although limited medical care availability was a profound source of frustration for those who are used to the healthcare availability of the USA. This experience magnified the importance and necessity of faith, not only the lives of the people of the Dominican Republic, but in the lives of the student participants. There was a realization that although we live very different lives, we all have Christ, and that is the most important connection that closely unites us, universally.
The group also provided some food and school supplies for which they had raised funds from donors in the USA. Overall, it was an incredible week.
Last year, a video Stations of the Cross series was created through the Catholic Relief Services’ Lenten faith-in-action program for families and faith communities ~ CRS Rice Bowl. Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Robert A. Twele, OFM Conv., Esq., who serves as the Director of the CRS Office of Legal Counsel as well as legal counsel for our province, narrated Station XII: Jesus Dies on the Cross. CRS provided not only the video series, but a printable prayer resource, through this same site.
Here is an example of the prayers for the 12th Station from that same resource:
TWELFTH STATION: Jesus Dies on the Cross
Leader: We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you. All: Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world. Leader: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)
(All kneel together for a reflective pause, and then rise.) By human standards, the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus is the ultimate failure. Members of the Jewish community had waited so long for the Messiah, had put their faith and hope in a man they believed had come to liberate them, and he died a horrific death. It was a devastating, final moment, and so many of Jesus’ friends had already fled the scene, abandoning hope in a better future. It’s a good thing the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus are not to be judged by human standards. Rather, what we see as failure, God transforms into victory. Where we see nothing but hopelessness and devastation, God is at work in surprising and spectacular ways. When we think of the hardships so many in our world face, we might easily grow discouraged; but our God offers us hope, and wants all of us to work together to build a world of peace and justice.
How does this perspective of Easter inspire our own work in seemingly hopeless, failed situations? How does God want us to look upon problems like poverty, natural disasters and environmental decay—by human standards, or something more hopeful? All: Christ Jesus, even in the most devastating failures, you show us the importance of hope. May we have the courage to work patiently and tirelessly with those in need, always keeping our sights on you.
The Annual Linda’s Walk began in 2010 and is the largest fund raiser supporting St. Clare Inn, a transitional housing program helping homeless women with mental health challenges rebuild their lives. These homeless women (aged 30-60) find community, care, shelter, and support in their healing journey. The walk is named in honor of Linda Houston, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and who died of a heart attack, alone and homeless, in 1997. The people and the friars of the Franciscan Church of St. Bonaventure, who often helped her out with some money and food, were moved by her tragic life circumstance and her resulting death. In 2007, St. Clare Inn was established by the Friends of Saint Francis, a group of dedicated professional lay men and women, along with our area friars. St. Clare Inn’s also holds an Annual Soirée. This past April, 230 people were on hand to join the celebration of St. Clare Inn’s 10th anniversary.
In its 8th year, Linda’s Walk 2017, an easy 5k walk through their neighborhood that is more of a fun get together than a physical labor. Last year’s walk raised over $45,000 for St. Clare Inn and we hope that this year’s walk will be even more successful.
The St. Clare Inn operates under the direction of
