Featured News Congratulations Curley Class of 2020! Taken from the Archbishop Curley High School Facebook Page: SENIORS GRADUATE AT 56th COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES After an unusual senior year, the Class ... Read More Congratulations Bro. Solanus Mary!   SOLEMN PROFESSION OF BRO. SOLANUS MARY SIMMS Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody of Our Lady of the Angels Province August 2, 2020: ... Read More Congratulations SFHS Class of 2020 Taken from the St. Francis High School (Athol Springs, NY) Facebook Page, on Thursday - July 30, 2020: _______________________________ After so many challenges ... Read More Congratulations to Friar Nicolay! Congratulations to our Russian Confrere! At noon on Thursday, July 30, 2020 the Holy See announced that Pope Francis has appointed ... Read More Solemn Feast of Our Lady of the Angels Four years ago (2016) marked the 800th Anniversary of the August 2nd Portiuncula Indulgence. You will notice that our province ... Read More Novice Retreat with Friar Marek Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Marek Stybor, OFM Conv. (pictured above in center and bottom right) serves ... Read More JPIC Farm Focus On July 14, 2020, the first potato harvest of the “Little Portion Farm” was celebrated. Read More Checking in with friar Raad Now spending the summer with our friars serving in Syracuse, NY, friar Raad Eshoo, OFM Conv., a simply professed student ... Read More Congratulations Friar Cristofer M. Fernández, OFM Conv. On Thursday, July 16, 2020, representatives of the family of Friar Cristofer M. Fernández, OFM Conv., including his parents, grandmothers ... Read More Temporary Profession - July 16, 2020 Keep in prayer, friar Christopher (Cristofer) M. Fernández, OFM Conv. as he prepares for his Profession of Simple (First/Temporary) Vows ... Read More Episcopal Ordination of Former Minister General The Most Reverend Marco Tasca, OFM Conv. will be ordained as Archbishop of Genoa, on July 11, 2020. Direct streaming of the ... Read More Minister General Visits Starvation Cell of St Maximilian Kolbe On July 7, 2020, the Minister General of our Order, the Most Reverend Fr. Carlos A. Trovarelli, OFM Conv. visited ... Read More Get to Know Our New Vocation Director Originally from Baltimore, MD, during his free time, Brother Nick enjoys hiking and reading. His favorite books are The Catcher ... Read More JPIC ~ The Franciscan Center Established in May 2019 & sponsored by our friars serving in ministry in Shamokin, Coal Township and Trevorton, Pennsylvania, The ... Read More Rite of Investiture 2020 friar Michael Boes, OFM Conv. friar Edgar Varela, OFM Conv. friar Jonathan García Zenteno, OFM Conv. friar Bram De Backer, OFM Conv. On July ... Read More JPIC News - Farm Focus One year ago this month that we planted the first plants on Little Portion Farm. At that point the farm ... Read More Curley Senior Celebrates Sacraments of Initiation On Thursday, June 25, 2020, during a special Mass celebrated at our pastoral ministry of St. Casimir Church (Baltimore, MD), ... Read More JPIC News Franciscan Action Newtwork (FAN) and the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities have planned a 3-part webinar series on Laudato ... Read More Provincial Meeting with the President of Poland On Wednesday, June 24, 2020, Our Lady of the Angels Province Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM ... Read More World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests On June 19, 2020, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, we join in a World Day of ... Read More Franciscan Voice This new website represents a joint-endeavor of friars from across the CFF, seeks to update and unify our online branding, ... Read More Re-Opening Ministries of the Province As our province ministries are mostly spread throughout the East Coast of North America (Ontario, Canada down to Florida, USA), ... Read More Checking in with Ministries Burlington, NC: The Little Portion Food Pantry, sponsored by our pastoral ministry of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Community, serves those experiencing ... Read More Consecration to the Immaculate Consistent with our Franciscan charism and tradition of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, our province has been progressing in ... Read More Order of the White Eagle Awarded Posthumously for Father Łucjan Królikowski, OFM Conv. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to social and charitable activities for the benefit of Polish war orphans, victims of ... Read More

We, Franciscan Friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province, Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv.) are members of a worldwide Roman Catholic fraternity following the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the spirit of our founder, St. Francis of Assisi. We invite you to take some time to explore our website to learn about us and our various ministries.

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Hope Amidst the Thorns (Spes inter Spinas)

Statement of the Four Ministers Provincial of the Franciscan Friars Conventual in the USA: The Franciscan Friars Conventual raise our voices in solidarity with all people of good will in grieving the death of George Floyd. In the wake of his killing, we echo humanity’s plea for justice, reconciliation, unity, and peace. May God fire our hearts these days with new hope.
At the Last Supper, Jesus Christ prayed for unity “that all may be one” (Jn. 17:21). After He took His last breath amidst the violence of Calvary, Jesus rose on the third day with an urgent message of hope for the world: “Peace be with you”! Empowered by the Risen Christ’s Gospel message of peace and hope, St. Francis of Assisi sent his followers to become instruments of peace and healing in the broken, fragile world of the Middle Ages.
Now in modern times, the message of Jesus and the mission of St. Francis are as crucial as ever for our country and world. As Franciscans, we friars understand the frustration and outrage of our African American brothers and sisters. St. Francis walked gently into tense situations of discord, seeking paths to peaceful reconciliation. He dialogued with the Sultan of Egypt during the divisive animosity of the crusades. He knelt to reverence society’s poor, and he stood to challenge society’s wolves and powerbrokers.
We friars reaffirm the words of the Second Vatican Council: “Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights, on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God’s design” (Gaudium et Spes #29.2). There can be no peace without justice. Ever since the first Africans were brought to Virginia as slaves in 1619, a long history of systemic racism has existed in our country.
We Franciscan Friars pledge ourselves to prayer and witness in actions of solidarity for the ending of racial injustice and for peace in our streets. Prayer alone is not enough. We call for genuine dialogue among our country’s diverse peoples – the courageous seeking of ways to change disordered systems of human, economic, political, and ecclesial interaction which exclude and demean “the other.” We embrace a Gospel of Hope for the inclusion, equality, and unity of everyone in America “from sea to shining sea.” While we have time, let us do good.

Fr. Victor Abegg, OFM Conv., Minister Provincial of St. Joseph of Cupertino Province
Fr. Wayne Hellmann, OFM Conv., Minister Provincial of Our Lady of Consolation Province
Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv., Minister Provincial of Our Lady of the Angels Province
Fr. Michael Zielke, OFM Conv., Minister Provincial of St. Bonaventure Province

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