Spend a year serving others like St. Francis, of Assisi

Imagine running an inner city food pantry, helping refugees find their way in the U.S., or caring for abandoned disabled children while living in community and exploring faith. If this sounds interesting, and you are a young adult age 21 to 25, or know of one, consider FrancisCorps! For more information contact Johanna or visit the website.

March 13, 2018 ~ FrancisCorps News
The Glory of God Shines Brightly in our Dim Day to Day Tasks
Post by Rachel Jones, FC 19 Costa Rica

In Hogar Santiago Crespo is a home for senior citizens in Alajuela, Costa Rica. Rachel, pictured with her co-workers, helps with recreational and therapeutic services, while contributing to a loving environment, for the residents

Every day the glory of God is on display if I just take the time to stop, rest, and open my eyes. I have been learning this more and more each day during my time in Costa Rica. Oftentimes, it is so easy for me to run through my day feeling like I am always one step behind in working with all the patients in the therapy department at Santiago Crespo, getting home with sufficient time to help cook and clean, having purposeful prayer time, and maintaining both present and past relationships, and then I remember that God is inviting me in to these moments to truly be present in them and not just rush through them feeling exhausted and trying to do it all. Why put this extra pressure on myself? God is surely not asking me to do it all perfectly. Instead of looking at all the patients and calculating how much time I have in order to get it all done, He is inviting me to truly be present and fall in love with the steps of the process, not just have my eye on the end goal of completing everything at the end of the day.  In slowing down, I can understand more of who He is, how much love He has to give, and the mystery of suffering in each of the señores I work with.
Each individual is full of so much love and at the same time so much suffering- in their own way, whether it is past abuse and neglect, familial problems, psychological disorders, dementia, or overall feelings of loneliness and depression. However, the smile they have to give, a kiss on the cheek, holding their hand, a tight hug, and their constant reminders of “Dios primero, si Dios quiere, and Gracias a Dios,” which all mean, “God first, if God wants it, and thanks be to God,” are beautiful reminders that amidst the suffering, there is so much beauty and so much for me to learn from them in the day to day gritty work of life. The key- I need to take time to slow down, take a deep breath, and really see each person for who they are in that moment and see each moment as the gift that it truly is. There is something so tragically beautiful about older adults in this nursing home type of setting- most of their day consists of waiting- waiting to be woken up, changed, eat breakfast, get snack, be wheeled out to the sun, wheeled back in to eat lunch, taken to their doctor’s appointments, escorted to therapy sessions, waiting for dinner, and then waiting to go to bed, that they have lost a sense in choosing what to do all day and filling their days up with so many tasks. Yet, the grace in which many accept this way of life, the slow pace of not hurrying onto the next task of the day, and the beauty in taking as much time as needed or wanted to really sit and enjoy the sun on one’s skin, the companionship of a friend at your side, the closeness and love of family coming to visit, and entrusting every day to God because you never know when it might be your last day, holds a sense of incredible beauty in it. When God nudges me to really take a look around, I think, “Wow, God, you have got me in exactly the right place.” I am being forced to learn to slow down, live in the present moment, and see God through the beautiful, small, quiet, and evaporating moments that are often overlooked in my fast-paced way of “doing” life. In these small moments, the steps of the process, the day-to-day work, God is revealing that He is truly there. His presence, his love, his grace, and his mercy are right there in front of me. I just need to constantly remind myself to take time to focus on the small moments of the day and not just the end result. God’s glory is shining brightly, and it often is not just at the end when the goal is completed, but it’s along the entire way if I only learn to take my eyes of the finish line and truly look around at the current beauty.

Our pastoral ministry of The Franciscan Church of St. Bonaventure has several unique ministries.
The St. Bonaventure’s Ministry with Maturing Adults, “Living our Spirituality  in the Second Half of Life” will be holding several Tuesday programs this Spring, from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., in the Francis Room of the parish. All are welcome to attend and there is no fee.
To request more information, click here.

March 13, 2018
Homeless in Toronto
March 20, 2018
The Wisdom of Teresa of Avila – Responding to the summons of our elder years
April 24, 2018
Special Event with Luncheon

At the end of April, gather with the Toronto Community to support another one of the unique ministries stemming from our friars there. St. Clare Inn is a transitional housing project that offers accommodation to homeless women between the ages of 30-60 who are struggling with a diagnosed mental health issue.
Their Spring Fundraiser, “Black & White ~ Oh, What a Night!” promises an evening of lively entertainment, delicious food, silent and live auctions and more. Held at the Donalda Club in the heart of Toronto, the evening will not only be a joy, but will also help support our beautiful outreach ministry of St. Clare Inn.
For more information or to purchase you tickets visit.

If you are in the Toronto, Ontario area, please be sure to visit our friars serving there and check out the parish website for more great ministry information.

Tune in to EWTN for the Solemn Easter Vigil Mass, celebrated at the Upper Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, by the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, His Excellency, Archbishop Christophe Pierre serving as the celebrant & homilist.
Our very own Friar Emanuel Vasconcelos, OFM Conv. will serve as Deacon, including chanting the Exsultet and the Gospel at the Saturday, March 31, 2018 8:00 p.m. Easter Vigil Mass, which will be televised live on EWTN.
The other days of the Triduum, Friar Emanuel will be blessed to serve as Deacon at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, for His Eminence Donald Cardinal Wuerl, of the Archdiocese of Washington.

It is with great joy that we Franciscan Friars Conventual of Our Lady of the Angels Province announce the March 6, 2018 re-election of  the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. as Minister Provincial of our province. Friar James accepted the office and the Most Reverend Fr. Marco Tasca, OFM Conv., the Minister General of our Order, has ratified the election.
Exactly four years prior, on March 6, 2014, friars of the former Immaculate Conception Province and the former St. Anthony of Padua Province elected Friar James to be the 1st Provincial of our new Our Lady of the Angels Province that was established May 5, 2014.
In April 2018 our Provincial Chapter will convene. At that time, Friar James will take an Oath of Office and our friar delegates will elect our new Definitory. The Definitors collaborate with the Minister Provincial to articulate our province vision, determine our initiatives, and discern our friars’ assignments. Together the Minster Provincial and the Definitory will lead the friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province, in addition to those of our Immaculate Conception Custody (Custódia Provincial Imaculada Conceição – Brazil) and Blessed Angellus of Pisa Custody (The Greyfriars – Great Britain & Ireland).

Most High and Good God,
we ask You to send us Your Spirit,
as we prepare to gather in Chapter.
Inspired by our common life
of prayer and fraternity,
may we bring Your Gospel to those
who long to hear Your voice.
By our following more closely
in the footsteps of our Father Francis,
may we find You and serve you
in the poor, the marginalized,
and in our care for creation.
We ask this in the name
of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen
Saint Francis ~ Pray for Us!
Our Lady of the Angels ~ Pray for Us!

For over 20 years, The Franciscan Place at Destiny USA has provided a spiritual sanctuary for quiet reflection in Syracuse’s Destiny USA; NY State’s largest shopping center. The mall is visited by approximately 26 million guests every year and The Franciscan Place provides shoppers, mall employees and tourists, with a refuge from the fast-paced commercial atmosphere.
With help from mall management and generous benefactors, renovations in 2014 doubled the size of the Chapel and Religious Goods Shoppe, which supports the ministry. The Chapel holds 100 faithful and is separated from the store area by glass doors. There is also a conference room facilitating extension programs such as book clubs, a children’s story hour, movie nights and discussion groups.
Under the direction of Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Nader Ata, OFM Conv. (who also serves as Parochial Vicar at The Franciscan Church of the Assumption) and with the support of our friars living in the St. Francis Friary, the Franciscan Place is an outreach of our pastoral ministry, The Franciscan Church of the Assumption, with a mission to reflect St. Francis of Assisi’s presence in the marketplace.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered in the Chapel, Monday through Friday, but it is not offered on the weekends, so as to encourage the faithful to attend the Masses of their home parishes. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered Monday-Saturday. In the Religious Goods Shoppe, visitors can purchase an assortments of Religious Articles including Rosaries, Holy Cards, Medals, gifts for Sacramental celebrations, greeting cards, educational and inspirational books, CDs, and DVDs.

Enjoy a recent video from the 2018 Ash Wednesday Services:

While in Rome for some Canonical Visitations and meetings, our Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv.(center right purple vestments), caught up with the pilgrimage group from our pastoral ministry of St. Lucie Catholic Church, Port St. Lucie, FL.
Their parish pilgrimage was led by our province friar, Fr. Russell Governale, OFM Conv. (center left purple vestments) and Fr. John Cella, OFM, Franciscan Pilgrimages (far right).  In addition to his work with Franciscan Pilgrimages, Friar Russell is also the Vocation Director for our province. Also joining the pilgrims as they celebrated Mass together at the altar of Pope St. John XXIII in St. Peter’s Basilica was our Fr. Kevin Hanley, OFM Conv., a friar of our Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody who serves as a Confessor at the Vatican. It was wonderful that Fr. James was in Rome at the time and was able to visit with pilgrims from one of our pastoral ministries, as well as celebrate Mass with them, and preach.

Friar James McCurry, OFM Conv. ~ Minister Provincial, Friar James McInerney, OFM Conv. ~ Definitor, Friar Dariusz Davidowski, OFM Conv. ~ Definitor, Friar Ciprian Budău, OFM Conv. ~ Custos and Friar Maximilian McKeown, OFM Conv. ~ Definitor & Vicar somewhat enjoying a bit of snowfall at Scotland’s University of Aberdeen.

From February 20-28, 2018, Our Lady of the Angels Province – Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. visited with our friars of our Province Custody of The Blessed Agnellus of Pisa, in Great Britain & Ireland, for his Canonical Visitation. On February 27th, he met with the Custos, the Custodial Definitory and the Bishop in Aberdeen (Scotland), the Rt Rev. Hugh Gilbert OSB.