The Our Lady of the Angels Province’s Memorial Mass for our native son, the friar-missionary-bishop +Dom Elias James Manning, OFM Conv., took place on Saturday, January 18, 2020, at 11:00 a.m., at his home parish of St. Michael the Archangel in Troy, NY. Many of his family members, old friends and friars braved the cold weather to remember this humble friar, whose entire ministry was spent serving the people of his beloved Brazil. Assistant General of our Order and a friar of our province, Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. was on hand to represent the Minister General. Frei Michel da Cruz Alves dos Santos, OFM Conv. and Frei José Luiz Magalhães, OFM Conv. traveled from Paraíba do Sul and the Araruama communities of Rio de Janeiro to represent our confreres from our Immaculate Conception Custody. Included among the several friars from our province on hand were our Minister Provincial – the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv., our Vicar Provincial – Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv. Four diocesan clergy concelebrated.

Frei Michel (left) and Frei José Luiz (right) came from a hot Brazilian summer to a typical Albany winter. Although Friar José Luiz served in ministry in the USA many years ago, it was Friar Michel’s first experience with the snow!