Throughout our province ministries, there will be many Advent Liturgies, Prayer Services and Celebrations as we prepare for Christmas. Our Ellicott City, MD shrine ministry – The Shrine of St. Anthony – held an Advent Family Festival, on Saturday, November 27th, ending with an Advent Vigil Mass at 3:00 p.m. Participants made Family Advent Wreaths, enjoyed treats & fellowship, took a wagon ride tour of the property and even had a special visit from St. Nicholas.
Be sure to check out our province “Locations” page on this website to find a ministry near you, so you can join our friars in the preparations of Advent.
Photo taken by a lay staff participant in the 2012 Province Co-Worker Pilgrimage to Italy (Rome & Assisi). It is of the modern day Town Square of Greccio, which is about a mile and a half from the Santuario di Greccio.
A few years before his death and in remembrance of his visit to the Holy Land, our Seraphic Father Francis asked his friend and companion, Giovanni Velita – the Lord of Greccio, to recreated the presepio (crèche) in the cavity of a cave. At Christmas in 1223, in the town of Greccio, Francis desired to reenact for the first time, the scene at Bethlehem. In it was placed a manger with hay and a live ox and donkey. The Cappella del Presepio or “Nativity Chapel” was built there in 1228; the year of the canonization of St. Francis of Assisi. (Read More)
We now enjoy the tradition of manger scenes in our churches and in our homes because of this event – Christ coming to live among us. Throughout the years, our friars have continued this tradition with Living Nativity celebrations we simply call “Greccio.” The pandemic of 2020 has forced these celebration to change a bit but our friars and our ministries are trying diligently to still keep the tradition alive with safe social distancing protocols in place.
Many of our province ministries have already announced their own Greccio services. Be sure to check out our “Locations” page for a ministry nearest to you to see if they are going to hold a Greccio Experience. Here are just a few examples of scheduled Greccio Services around the Province:
1) Saturday,December11,2021,7:30 –8:30 p.m. Location:The Shrine of St. Anthony, Ellicott City, MD Join our friars on the grounds of the Shrine for a Service of Prayers, Christmas Carols and a Living Nativity outside of the Red Barn. Refreshment will follow, free of charge. All are welcome to come and encounter the true meaning of Christmas!
2) Sunday, December 19, 2021, 5:00 p.m. Location: Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr, Chicopee, MA Hosted by the Basilica of St. Stanislaus and the San Damiano Youth Group. Join us for a living nativity with St. Francis and LIVE animals.
3) Sunday, December 19, 2021, 2:00 p.m. Location: Assumption Church, Syracuse, NY All are welcome to come experience the wonder of Christmas with a living nativity just like Saint Francis of Assisi did in 1223 when he celebrated the first Christmas crèche at Greccio, Italy.
In the Bull of Pope Honorius III, issued November 29, 1223, the Final Rule of our Order was ratified. The Rule was initially outlined and approved by Pope Innocent III, in 1209, but as the Order grew in those first years, revisions to the initial Rule were needed. After a version prepared in 1221 was seen as too strict, St. Francis of Assisi enlisted the aid of several legal scholars to compose the Final Rule that was approved in 1223. In commemoration of that day, all the saints of the Franciscan (Seraphic) Order are remembered each November 29th. In September of 1224, two years prior to his death, while praying on Mount La Verna, St. Francis received the marks of our Lord’s Passion in his hands, feet and side; a miracle known as the Stigmata, after composing and praying “The Praises of God” (see below). Written on a parchment which is signed and also contains a blessing from St. Francis to brother Leo, it is conserved as a relic in the Basilica of St. Francis, in Assisi. In the Life of St. Francis, Saint Bonaventure states, “while Francis was praying on the mountainside, he beheld a Seraph having six wings, flaming and resplendent, coming down from the heights of heaven. When in his flight most swift he had reached the space of air nigh the man of God, there appeared betwixt the wings the Figure of a Man crucified, having his hands and feet stretched forth in the shape of a Cross and fastened unto a Cross. Two wings were raised above His head, twain were spread forth to fly, while twain hid His whole body.” (pg. 139 Vision of the Seraph) Later in the work, St. Bonaventure speaks of the Fulfillment of the Visions (pg. 146-147), “Now finally that vision that was vouchsafed thee toward the end of they life, – to wit the exalted likeness of the Seraph, and the lowly Image of Christ shewn in one, – kindly thee inwardly and marking thee outwardly as another Angel ascending from the sunrising, having the seal of the Living God in thee, – giveth a confirmation of faith unto those visions aforesaid, and likewise receiveth from them a witness unto its own truth.”
St. Francis was in intense prayer when the Lord appeared as a Seraph, whose flaming, resplendent wings mimic God’s intense love as it was shared by Christ, as is portrayed in the sanctuary space of our Shrine of St. Anthony (Ellicott City, MD), in the mural by Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Joseph Dorniak, OFM Conv. (see photo). The word seraphic is often used to describe St. Francis of Assisi and his passion for God. In turn it is affiliated with the Franciscan Order, whose members strive to live the charism of our Seraphic Father and founder. This is why it is also referred to as the Seraphic Order. We are comprised of the First Order – priests and brothers professing the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as members of one of three independent branches (OFM, OFM Conv. and OFM Cap.) as well as the Second Order – cloistered nuns professing the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience belonging to the Order of St. Clare (OSC) the Poor Clares (PC), and those members of the Third Order – religious and lay men and women performing works of teaching, charity, and social service known as the priests, brothers and sisters of the Third Order Regular (TOR) & the lay men and women of the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS).
The Praises of God
You are holy Lord God Who does wonderful things.
You are strong. You are great. You are the most high.
You are the almighty king. You holy Father,
King of heaven and earth.
You are three and one, the Lord God of gods;
You are the good, all good, the highest good,
Lord God living and true.
You are love, charity; You are wisdom, You are humility,
You are patience, You are beauty, You are meekness,
You are security, You are rest,
You are gladness and joy, You are our hope, You are justice,
You are moderation, You are all our riches to sufficiency.
You are beauty, You are meekness,
You are the protector, You are our custodian and defender,
You are strength, You are refreshment. You are our hope,
You are our faith, You are our charity,
You are all our sweetness, You are our eternal life:
Great and wonderful Lord, Almighty God, Merciful Savior.
Presented by The Companions of St. Anthony, each reflection focuses on the daily readings of Advent beginning on Sunday, November 28th and ending on Christmas Day.
On the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Sunday, November 21, 2021, our province pastoral ministry of St. Adalbert Roman Catholic Church (Elmhurst, NY) celebrated 125 years of Franciscan Presence. Fr. Mirosław Podymniak, OFM Conv. (Friary Guardian and Pastor), Fr. Herman Czaster, OFM Conv., Fr. Ericson de la Pena, OFM Conv. (Parochial Vicar) and Fr. Lucjan Szymański, OFM Conv. (Parochial Vicar) welcomed several other friars, including our Province Vicar Provincial ~ Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv., who served as the main celebrant and homilist, stating, “St. A’s is a legnd in our Franciscan Province. It was the cent of so much activity and literally hundreds of friars would pass through the doors of that friary, because this was where they would come as soon as they would land in the United States…The fruit of those early friars who ministered to this Polish community can be felt today, as the friars and all of you welcome our sisters and brothers from around the world….Here, the vision of the prophet Daniel is seen, for at St. Adalbert’s, all peoples, nations & languages serve Him [Daniel 7:14].” Friar Michael continued to ask those present to pray for vocations: “Encourage your sons or grandsons to consider a life as a Franciscan Friar, or your daughters and granddaughters to consider life as a Consecrated Religious. Who knows? Maybe one of these little crowned ones in the front, will be your next pastor or the principal or a sister at the school.”
At the end of the celebratory Mass, the pastor – Friar Mirosław also spoke to those gathered: “We have given praise and thanksgiving to God almighty at this Eucharistic celebration today, for both occasions; for the occasion of the Solemnity of Christ the King and also for our Franciscan Jubilee 125 years. It’s a long time; six generations of Franciscan Friars and people of our parish. Not long ago, in 2017, we had our Parish Jubilee of 125 Years and today, the Franciscan Friars praise the Lord for the opportunity that we have to serve the people of this parish. The 1st pastor was a diocesan priest who was here for four years, followed by another diocesan priest who was stationed here for only four months, because the bishop invited Franciscan Friars…We thank God for all these years of service He called us to do...” Friar Mirosław listed the 20 Franciscan Pastors by name, pointing out that there were also 67 Franciscan Associate Pastors, who have served over these 125 years. Four of those pastors were present for the celebration: Fr. Herman Czaster, OFM Conv., Fr. Paul Miskiewicz, OFM Conv. (now Parochial Vicar at the Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr, in Chicopee, MA), Fr. Russell Governale, OFM Conv. (now serving as a Psychotherapist at the Interborough Developmental and Consultation Center, in Brooklyn, NY), and himself. There were eleven vocations to the Franciscan Friars Conventual from the parish, and after pointing that out, Friar Mirosław took the opportunity to also ask those in attendance to continue to pray for vocations. He thanked the two student friars who came to assist and celebrate with them: friar Jonathan García Zenteno, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of the Angels Province) and friar Alexander Gould, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of Consolation Province). These student friars took some time away from study to travel up from The Catholic University of America (Washington DC) along with Fr. Everest Valentine Nyaki Mkenda, OFM Conv., a friar of the Provincial Custody of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Tanzania, who is continuing his education at CUA, while living in community in our Post Novitiate House of Formation in Silver Spring, MD.
Br. Nick in attendance at one of the NCYC arena events, along with 11,000 youth from around the country.
The 2021 NCYC (National Catholic Youth Conference) was held November 18-20, 2021, in Indianapolis, IN, with a Virtual attendance option also available. Our Lady of the Angels Province Vocation Director – Br. Nick Romeo, OFM Conv. traveled, along with two student friars of our province and one Solemnly Professed friar of St. Joseph of Cupertino Province, to attend and staff a Vocations Booth. Previous NCYC conferences have been attended by 23,000-25,000 young people. Even with COVID restrictions, 11,000 were about to attend this year, in person, and 2,210 attended virtually. According to Br. Nick, it was a “great experience at #NCYC this past weekend in Indianapolis! (They) met lots of good dudes and got bundles of our swag out into the world.” He and the other three friars: Friar Franck Lino Sokpolie, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of the Angels Province Solemnly Professed Friar), friar Raad Eshoo, OFM Conv. (Our Lady of the Angels Province Delegation of St. Francis of Assisi – Canada Simply Professed Friar), and Br. Chris Garcia, OFM Conv. (St. Joseph of Cupertino Province – California) enjoyed participating in several of the activities, as well as being a Franciscan Friars Conventual presence to the many attendees and their chaperones.
[Photo Cred: Friar Franck unless otherwise indicated]
Friar Franck, Br. Nick, Br. Chris and friar Raad attending one of the many arena events.
The Youth participants from our province’s Jonesboro, GA pastoral ministry – St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church – stopped by the Vocations Booth to visit with (front left to right: Br. Chris, Br. Nick, Friar Franck and friar Raad). [Photo taken from the parish Facebook Page]
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage,
and defend us from every evil. Amen.
Prayer taken from the
December 8, 2020 Apostolic Letter
– Patris Corde –
of the Holy Father Francis,
given in Rome, at Saint John Lateran.
On Monday, August 15th, start the day with Mass at the Church of Our Lady Victorious, where the miraculous statue of the Infant of Prague is venerated.
After a long pandemic pause, Our Lady of the Angels Province is once again sponsoring a Franciscan Pilgrimage to a number of Marian Shrines in Europe, from August 13 -25, 2022. The highlight this coming year will be to attend the Passion Play at Oberammergau, Germany. The pilgrimage will include five countries: Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. As is the past, Friar James McCurry, OFM Conv. will be the Spiritual Guide. The brochure containing all the information and details is linked:Franciscan European Marian Shrines Pilgrimage (August 13-25, 2022). The brochure is to be used to register. The reservation deadline is April 12, 2022, but great interest is expected so the limited space of 35 participants is bound to fill up quickly. Thank you for your cooperation in this provincial initiative.
Friar Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv. (Pilgrimage Director – jobe.abbass@gmail.com)
Our Lady of the Angels Province – Delegate for the Marian Apostolate
“In a treasured tradition, (Our Lady of the Angels Province friar) Father Jude DeAngelo, OFM Conv., University chaplain and director of campus ministry, blessed the hands of over 150 student nurses from the 2022 and 2023 classes in the University’s Conway School of Nursing, earlier this fall.
The annual White Coat Dedication and Blessing of the Hands Ceremony held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Washington DC) reminds student nurses of the need for patient-centered, humanistic care and seeks a commitment to the highest standards of the profession. The 2022 blessing was delayed by COVID.
November 16, 2021: The people of our Siler City, NC pastoral ministry of St Julia Catholic Community welcomed the lit torch from the Shrine of Guadalupe in Mexico’s “Torch Race” (Carrera Antorcha Guadalupana Mexico New York). For 19 years the Asociación Tepeyac de New York has coordinated the Torch Race to honor the Queen of Mexico, and thus achieve more unity among Mexicans living on both the sides of the Border. The torch left Mexico City on September 5, 2021 and crossed the boarder into the USA, on October 20, 2021.
As the race leg in NC came closer to St. Julia Catholic Community, runners ran along Rt 64 to bring the torch to the parish. The pictures below show the parish runners along the way, with the parish youth in the church courtyard, as they brought it home. Our Lady of the Angels Province friar & pastor of the St. Julia Catholic Community, Fr. Julio Martinez, OFM Conv. is seen reverencing the two images of Our Lady and of St Juan Diego, and then lighting of the Paschal Candle in the church sanctuary, with the “Light of Guadalupe.” The final photo depicts the church ready for the evening celebration of songs, tributes, poetry and dance. December will also hold a week-long celebration at the parish, and the recitation of 38 Rosaries prayed in three different homes every night has already begun, in spiritual preparation for the great Feast, on December 12th. Viva La Virgen de Guadalupe! Viva Mexico!
