Franciscan Friars Conventual {only} Top Row: Fr. Raphael Zwolenkiewicz, OFM Conv. (Friar in Residence – Our Lady of the Angels Province – OLA), Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv. (Minister Provincial – OLA), Fr. Marek Stybor, OFM Conv. (Assistant Novice Director – OLA), Fr. John Koziol, OFM Conv. (Prefect of Formation – OLA), friar Eric Rewa, OFM Conv. (Novice – Province of Saint Bonaventure – SB), friar Robert Moynihan, OFM Conv. (Novice – Province of the Our Lady of Consolation – OLC) Bottom Row: friar Marvin Paul Fernandez, OFM Conv. (Novice – The Provincial Delegation of Saint Francis of Assisi, Canada, of OLA), friar André Miller, OFM Conv. (Novice – OLC), friar Colden Fell, OFM Conv. (Novice – OLC), Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. (OLA). Fr. Jacob Carazo, OFM Conv. (Assistant Formation Director of St. Bonaventure Friary Post Novitiate – Province of St. Joseph of Cupertino – SJC), friar Connor Ouly, OFM Conv. (Novice – OLA) and Br. Joseph Wood, OFM Conv. (Novice Director – SB)

March 18-22, 2023: Our Lady of the Angels Province Minister Provincial, Friar Michael Heine, OFM Conv., who also serves as President of the CFF: Conventual Franciscan Federation – Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, U.S.A., met with each Franciscan Friar Conventual Novice and with the Novitiate Directors (photo above), to talk about each Novice’s vocation, spirituality and progress in the Franciscan life. Joining him was Friar John Koziol, OFM Conv., who serves as the Prefect of Formation of Our Lady of the Angels Province and Friar Jacob Carazo, OFM Conv., a friar of the St. Joseph of Cupertino Province, who serves as Assistant Director of the Silver Spring, MD St. Bonaventure Friary Post-Novitiate, the next Stage of Formation for our Novices.

March 21, 2023: Novice friars and their directors from across the USA’s First Order of the Franciscan Family [photo below – OFM, OFM Conv., OFM Cap.], gathered at the St. Francis of Assisi Friary Novitiate of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual – CFF, in Arroyo Grande, CA, for an inter-novitiate conference on the Marian Tradition of our Franciscan Heritage, led by Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. (photo above). During the conference, Friar James explained the importance of our Blessed Mother Mary in the life of every Franciscan friar, and by extension, the whole Family of Faith.

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“We, as lesser brothers,
walk with the People of God,
with a special mandate
to accompany the poor and most vulnerable of our society.
Guided by the Holy Spirit,
we are involved in a community-based approach
to the works of evangelization and service to humanity.”

If you would like more information on formation for, and on life as, a Franciscan Friar Conventual, spend some time scrolling through the pages of FranciscanVoice.org. If you live on the East Coast of North America and would like to speak to a Vocation Director of Our Lady of the Angels Province, email Friar Nicholas Romeo, OFM Conv. & Friar Emanuel Vasconcelos, OFM Conv. (East Coast of the USA) at vocations@olaprovince.org or call 202-681-6051, and Friar Reto Davatz, OFM Conv. (Canada) vocations.ofmconv.canada@gmail.com. or call 343-989-1459. For information on vocations with our Custódia Província Imaculada Conceição (Immaculate Conception Custody – Brazil) contact: despertarfranciscano@gmail.com. For information on vocations with our Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody (Great Britain & Ireland), contact: vocation@thegreyfriars.org.