September 25, 2017: As part of this year’s Novena Preparation for the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, our Conventual Franciscan confreres processed through the streets of Assisi, Italy, to the Tomb of St. Francis, in the Basilica di San Francesco d’Assisi, for a Blessing with the Relics of St. Francis. (Video provided by Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Martin Breski, OFM Conv. who is currently serving in Assisi as a guide for pilgrims to the Basilica)
Franciscans from around the world celebrate the October 3rd Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi, in addition to his October 4th Feast Day. The definition of “transitus” is the “transit of a person or property en route from one place to another.” For Franciscans, TRANSITUS marks the night Francis left his earthly life, to move onto a life in heaven with Our Lord Jesus. He died, on the evening of October 3, 1226, a small man in his forties who had wanted to live a simple life in service to God. Traditionally Saints’ Feast Days mark the date of death and are remembered with special mention, prayers, and scripture readings. For us the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th is so much more. It is a day filled with celebration and joy; blessing animals (often on the closest weekend), gathering for meals and enjoying the fellowship of our brothers and those we serve. Just as with all of the saints, it is the day Francis obtained Eternal Life.
In his time the message of St. Francis of Assisi attracted many followers across Europe. Francis could have led a life of luxury and earthly power. He was born into a wealthy cloth merchant family in Assisi, Italy around 1181 or 1182. As a young man he spent his days admiring Troubadours who traveled across Europe and performed their poetic songs to audiences. He also partook in raucous celebrations and planned on becoming a knight. His forays as a warrior against nearby Perugia ended in capture and imprisonment. The time in isolation allowed Francis to reflect on what God really wanted him to do in life.
This weekend, at many of our ministry locations, the faithful will gather for a Blessing of the Animals. Please join us at a ministry nearest to you as we celebrate St. Francis’ love for all of God’s creatures. He called animals “brother” or “sister,” and he exhorted them to praise God. This tradition is a strong one in many sects, beliefs and denominations, but for Franciscans it is a part of one of our most beloved celebrations of the year.
The friars serving at our San Damiano Mission in Brookyn, NY (Fr. Nicholas Spano, OFM Conv. (left) – Director & Fr. Raphael Zwolenkiewicz, OFM Conv. (middle) – Assistant Director) during the blessing of the animals our first year in the community.
Lord God King of heaven and earth, Thou the Word of the Father by whom all creatures were given us for our support: look down, we beseech Thee, on our lowliness. As Thou hast given us these animals to assist us in our labors and needs so mayest Thou in Thy great goodness and mercy bless them from above, guard and preserve them; and, while Thou givest Thy servants temporal benefits, mayest Thou grant us thy continual grace so that we may praise Thy holy name with thanksgiving. Amen
On Sunday, September 24, 2017 the Good Shepherd Sisters (serving in Baltimore, MD) invited our Friars (serving from the Portiuncula Friary in Ellicott City, MD) to lunch. The Good Shepherd Sisters arrived in Baltimore in 1864 and until recently ministered at the Good Shepherd Center in Baltimore, a residential treatment facility for adolescent girls with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Our friars began a relationship of spiritual care with the sisters many years ago. For several years, the friars serving from the Immaculate Heart of Mary Friary, in Baltimore, MD, served the sisters and those in their care as one of their Sunday Mass calls. With the building of our Provincial House (administrative offices for the Province) in Ellicott City, this Mass call was transferred to the friars of the Portiuncula Friary, in 1991. The Sisters closed their residential treatment center in the early Spring of 2017 and they will be moving on; many to live in housing prepared for them by the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Danville, PA. We friars will continue to pray for these Sisters as they move onto their new homes.
During our September 24th lunch, an original painting of Emily Caton McTavish, an early benefactor of the Sisters, was gifted to our friars. The painting hung in their original motherhouse, in Baltimore. A copy of the same portrait is in the Manor House of our Carrollton Hall Historic Site. This original artwork was their going-away gift to the friars for our many years of spiritual care (Mass, Confessions, and Spiritual Direction). The painting itself is an important work of early American art and will certainly be one of the jewels of the collection at the Carrollton Hall Historic Site. Another gift was a small painting done by one of the sisters of “Willow Brook,” another home of Emily Caton McTavish.
Carrollton Hall Historic Site stands on the ground of our Shrine of St. Anthony, in Ellicott City, MD. It includes a house museum honoring the memories of those who lived there and those whose influence sculpted the United State’s most valued heritage, especially the Freedom of Religion. It was the home of Emily Caton McTavish (+1867), a favorite granddaughter of Charles Carroll of Carrollton (+1832), one of four Marylanders to sign the Declaration of Independence and the ONLY Roman Catholic. Members of the Carroll family have served the U.S. in government and as benefactors of religious orders & universities, even giving the land needed to create the U.S. Capital in Washington, DC. A cousin of Charles Carroll, Baltimore’s Bishop John Carroll, SJ, became the nation’s first Catholic Bishop.
In his later years, Charles Carroll wished to give his granddaughter Emily a lasting tribute of his affection, as she was a self-sacrificing and endearing caretaker; nursing everyone through illnesses and crises. In 1832, a retaining wall was completed, leveling a shady hill on which a great neoclassical house of Woodstock granite was constructed. The house was named “Carrollton Hall,” the 1000 acre southwest parceling from Carroll’s nearby colonial homestead, Doughoregan Manor. The parcel was named “Folly Quarter” and it became home to Emily Caton McTavish and her family.
In 1928, Folly Quarter was purchased by Friar Justin Figas, OFM Conv., a Major Superior of the Franciscan Friars Conventual on the East Coast, to be used as a novitiate for training young men for the Franciscan priesthood and brotherhood, in the Roman Catholic Church. As grand as it was, the manor house became too small for the growing community. Two years later Friar Benedict Przemielewski, OFM Conv. was commissioned to design a new novitiate, on the same property. He chose to model it after the Sacro Convento, the 13th century Italian motherhouse of the Franciscan Order, attached to the Basilica where Saint Francis of Assisi is buried. In 1995 the Franciscans transformed the novitiate into the Shrine of St. Anthony of Padua and in 1998 Cardinal William Keeler designated it as an “Archdiocesan Shrine.” Our friars have been working diligently to restore Carrollton Hall Historic Site. In early December 2014, Maryland state officials announced that it was one of nine statewide recipients of historic preservation tax credits from a fund administered by the Maryland Historical Trust. The program began in 1996 as part of the Maryland Department of Planning and for several years has been made available to religious and other non-profit organizations. In January 2015, Carrollton Hall was officially entered into the National Register of Historic Places. Steps toward opening Carrollton Hall Historic Site to the wider public began in earnest in early spring of this 2015. If you would like more information, please write the Director, Fr. Eric de la Pena, OFM Conv., St. Joseph Cupertino Friary, 12300 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City, MD 21042. He can also be reached at 410-531-2800.
A recent article in the National Catholic Register features a pilgrimage experience of Friar James Mary McInerney, OFM Conv., one of our friars of our province’s Blessed Agnellus Custody, also known as the Greyfriars. Take a moment to read The article reflects the joy we friars hold, as we encounter the people of God, in our day to day lives.
During this past month’s Custodial Chapter, Friar James Mary was elected to serve our Custody, as a Definitor. Definitors work with the Provincial Custos to help ensure that the Custody continues to best serve the needs of all of the friars and their ministries. During this recent Chapter, a proposal referencing the remains of the Walsingham Friary (the location of the above linked article) was on the agenda. We ask that you all please keep this process in your prayers, as the Provincial Custos and the Definitory Friars work with the Bishop of East Anglia to initiate a return to Greyfriar service at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. The National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham is Catholic England’s foremost Marian Shrine, attracting 150,000 – 250,000 pilgrims each year. Our Order came to Walsingham in 1347 (including a ministry to the lepers) and remained there until the dissolution of their friary in 1538. The significant ruins of the Franciscan friary can still be seen today. Over the last five years, our Custody’s friars in formation have assisted in Youth Meetings there. The actions of our friars who have been present at the Shrine, was a catalyst for our possible return. Our friars hope to work at the Shrine serving the Sacramental needs of the pilgrims. This will give our friars a presence in the community with a possibility of growth. Our friars already have a strong Marian focus and this opportunity could be profound blessing to all involved.
More with Friar James Mary: In a video from a few years ago, he shared his experience in our Novitiate, when it was still in Indiana. Our Novitiate has since moved to California, but the experiences and the purpose of the time the friars spend there, is still the same.
+Very Reverend Justin Biase, OFM Conv. +The Very Reverend Justin (Augustine) Biase, OFM Conv. was born on Staten Island, NY, on September 9, 1943, and passed away on September 21, 2017. He was the son of +Frank and +Isabelle (Carlucci) Biase. He is survived by his Franciscan family, by his sister Anna Biase Geronimo and her husband Joseph, nephew Joseph Geronimo and his wife Kerry, niece Maria Miller, five grand-nephews, one grand-niece and several cousins in the US, Canada, and Italy.
After attending St. Francis Seminary on Staten Island, +Friar Justin entered the Franciscan Friars Conventual Novitiate in Middleburgh, NY, in August of 1961. On August 28, 1962, he professed his Simple Vows and on August 28, 1965, he professed his Solemn Vows. He was ordained to the Priesthood at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Albany, NY, on May 30, 1970. During his first year of Priesthood, he lived at the friary of the Moroccan Martyrs and was a Graduate Student at Fordham University, from which he earned a Masters Degree in Sociology, in 1972.
+Fr. Justin was first assigned as a Parochial Assistant at St. Bartholomew Church, Camden, NJ, from 1971 through 1982, where in time he became both Pastor and Guardian. From 1982-1989, he was assigned to St. Joseph Church, Hoboken, NJ. He was the Novice Director at St. Francis Novitiate on Staten Island, NY, from 1989 to 1997. In 1997, he was assigned to Francis, Brother of Peace Friary in Syracuse, NY and in 2001 was made the Pastor of Assumption Parish, Syracuse. Elected as Minister Provincial of the former Immaculate Conception Province in 2005, he was re-elected in 2010, and served in that capacity until 2014, when St. Anthony of Padua Province and Immaculate Conception Province unioned to become our current Our Lady of the Angels Province. During his years as Minister Provincial, he oversaw the life and ministry of the friars of the Province living in the USA and Canada, as well as the Provincial Delegation in Costa Rica, and the Custody of the Immaculate Conception in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
+Fr. Justin became well-known for championing the cause of racial equality and empowerment of minorities, through committed service to the poor and marginal. He dedicated the early years of his public ministry to serving the African-American community of Camden. Fluent in Spanish, he later served Latino communities in New Jersey and New York. He was also very active in the Conference of Major Superiors of Men for religious, in the United States. He represented friars of the United States on the international level at General Chapters of the Franciscan Order. On several occasions, he served as a delegate and prophetic voice at religious assemblies and congresses in Africa, South America, Asia, and Eastern Europe. He will be deeply missed by those who experienced his compassion and kindness.
After the creation of Our Lady of the Angels Province in 2014, +Friar Justin moved to Most Holy Trinity Parish, Brooklyn, NY, serving as Guardian of the Friary & as Parochial Vicar to the Parish.
Sister Death claimed him quite suddenly following heart surgery a few days after his 74th birthday.
He will lie in state at Most Holy Trinity Church, 138 Montrose Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. Visiting hours will be held there on Sunday, September 24th, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., and on Monday, September 25th, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., with a Franciscan Transitus Vespers Service at 7:30 p.m., on Monday. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 26th, preceded by visiting hours from 9:00 – 10:45 a.m. Interment will be in the Franciscan Friars plot at St. John’s Cemetery, Middle Village (Queens), NY, immediately following Mass. Because of +Fr. Justin’s lifelong investment in the formation of young Franciscan Friars, memorial donations may be made to the Franciscan Education Burse, 12300 Folly Quarter Rd., Ellicott City, MD 21042.
Funeral arrangements are through B. Anastasio and Son Funeral Home, 533 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211.
CONVENTUAL FRANCISCAN PILGRIMAGE TO ITALY AND POLAND Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Militia Immaculata
Founded by St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, OFM Conv.
August 7-18, 2017
Thirty-seven pilgrims participated in Our Lady of the Angels Province’s official pilgrimage celebrating the Centenary of the founding of the M.I. movement by our confrere St. Maximilian Kolbe. Five of the pilgrims were friars of OLA Province and our Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody.
ITALY The first part of our pilgrimage was to Italy (Rome and Assisi). We began by celebrating Mass in the chapel of Convento Kolbe where St. Maximilian lived for 7 years, praying before the same statue of the Immaculate, and where, with six confreres, he founded the M.I. on October 16, 1917. The highlight of our next day in Rome was to celebrate Mass at the altar of Our Lady of the Miracle in Sant’ Andrea delle Fratte Church where St. Maximilan celebrated his first Mass. After waiting under the blazing sun to clear security at St. Peter’s Square, we visited the treasures inside St. Peter’s Basilica and prayed before the tombs of St. Peter, St. John Paul II and St. John XXIII. Our third day in Italy was all about Assisi. We visited the Basilica of St. Clare as well as the Portiuncula in Our Lady of the Angels Basilica. As always, the highlight was praying at the tomb of St. Francis and celebrating Mass in a chapel of the Sacro Convento, which St. Maximilian visited several times, and where, as a plaque records, he blessed the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. To the pilgrims’ delight, our own Fr. Martin Breski, OFM Conv. (who serves at the Basilica as an English speaking guide for pilgrims) provided a full tour of Papal Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.
We returned to Rome truly blessed and a little heavier, what with all the souvenirs and religious articles we were carrying, and the delicious pasta we consumed!
POLAND As in Italy, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. (OLA Province Minister Provincial and the Pilgrimage Spiritual Guide) continued to inspire with his spiritual guidance. With all the knowledge he has gained over the years about St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, OFM Conv., he continued to amaze us – especially in Poland. Of the eight days we spent there, three were splendid jewels that crowned our pilgrimage. The first (August 12th) was our visit to Niepokalanow (City of the Immaculate) established ninety years ago this year to promote and further the works of the Immaculate to which St. Maximilian and the friars were totally dedicated. At the celebration of the Mass in the friary’s first chapel, all the pilgrims made the total consecration to the Immaculate, enrolled in the M.I., and were given a Miraculous Medal. The second highlight (August 13th) was the visit to Poland’s National Shrine of Jasna Gora (Bright Mountain) in Czestochowa, where during the day we celebrated Mass in the Chapel of the Rosary. Then, at 9 p.m., the hour of the “Apel” (the “call”), we were all privileged to kneel right in the sanctuary before the sacred icon of the Black Madonna. In a televised broadcast to Poland and the world, Fr. Simon, one of the Pauline Fathers, singled out our group announcing that we were visiting the shrine from the U.S. to mark the centenary of the M.I. and pointing out to all that St. Maximilian had celebrated Mass there three times according to the monastery’s records. Then, three of us friars were each invited to pray a Hail Mary in English.
(Video of the “Apel”)
The third significant day (August 14th) was marked by a pilgrimage to Auschwitz concentration camp, where we joined Polish friars, bishops, a German Archbishop, and hundreds of other faithful. We participated in an outdoor Mass solemnly celebrated next to the “Block of Death” within which is the bunker cell #18 where St. Maximilian died, ultimately succeeding in the transformation of a place of hatred and death into a sanctuary of love and life.
Br. Nicholas Romeo, OFM Conv., Fr. Ericson de la Peña, OFM Conv., Fr. Michael Lasky, OFM Conv. and Fr. Matthew Foley, OFM Conv.
In his own words… Friar Matthew Foley, OFM Conv.:
For the past six years, I have brought students from Archbishop Curley High School to a week-long Catholic Service camp called Encounter the Gospel of Life based out of the University of Maryland- College Park. The idea of the camp is to serve the poor and marginalized in our own backyard.
Like our first year, the 2017 group was huge, including 36 current students, 4 alums, 3 teachers and a parent. We were also fortunate to be joined by Br. Nick Romeo, helping out his Alma Mater, in the hopes of bringing some of his students from St. Francis High School in Athol Springs, NY.
Using a “direct-relational” model of service, participants work directly with and get to know the people they serve. In turn, we believe that we will be served by the individuals that we came to serve, as we encounter Christ in those we serve and hopefully others can encounter Christ in us. This year 300 youth, young adult and adult participants served at nursing homes, with the poor, camps for children and for adults with physical and mental disabilities. There were also two sites that worked on and advocated for pro-life and immigration issues.
Each day begins with Mass and then small groups head to their service sites. This year I worked at the Arc of Howard County, right down the street from the Shrine of St. Anthony! There the young people worked with adults with Downs Syndrome and other mental disabilities. We played games, music, and did art projects. Moving from Social Outreach to Social Justice, later in the week we shared our experiences of working with the disabled by writing to members of Congress, to let them know about how some changes in health care would affect those whom we served, those who also ministered to us!
Returning to the university at the end of the day, we gather to reflect theologically on the connection between service and faith. In the evenings, we also had programing that included keynote speakers, activities on Catholic Social Teaching, Eucharistic adoration, and reconciliation. (Special thanks to the many friar priests in Washington, Ellicott City, and Baltimore who over the years have assisted in hearing confessions!)
Kenny Clapp, a rising sophomore at Curley described his experiences of working with inner city children at a day camp to teach them peacemaking skills. “I thought that I would be coming here to help the kids I worked with, considering they were homeless and coming from a bad area and seemed like the typical model for a person in need. But in reality, it was the kids that helped me. They were so joyful and happy and positive that they made me realize how blessed I was in my own life.” Please email or call if you’d like more information about the camp, or if you’re looking for a summer service experience for the high school aged youth at your ministerial site.
The August 22, 2017 many of our province friars were on hand at the dedication of our new “International” St. André Bessette Friary, in Ottawa, ON included the second of our Province Masses, Celebrating the Centenary of The Militia of the Immaculata (MI). It was celebrated at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish Church (Venier, ON), where Fr. Dominic Lim, OFM Conv., a resident friar of the St. André Bessette Friary who serves there as pastor. Our Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. was the principal celebrant and homilist at the 5:00 p.m. Mass and the Archbishop of Ottawa, The Most Reverend Terrence Prendergast, S.J. also presided. Following the Mass, the Archbishop blessed and dedicated the new friary in honor of St. André Bessette (Brother André).
In commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima, Portugal in 1917, Faith Community of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish (Johnstown, PA), under the pastoral leadership of Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Anthony Francis Spilka, OFM Conv., has created a shrine in a corner of the sanctuary to honor Our Lady. Parishioners have an opportunity to light 7-day votive candles that may be placed before the shrine. The special Our Lady of Fatima hymn is sung as a meditation hymn at each Mass.
Several of our friars of our Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody, known fondly as the Greyfriars
In Great Britain and Ireland, our friars of Our Lady of the Angels’ Custody of Blessed Agnellus of Pisa are known as the Greyfriars. Our Order’s first presence there began when St. Francis of Assisi sent them in 1224. During the English Reformation, our friars loyal to the Holy Father were forced to flee and did not return until the early 20th Century. Visit www.thegreyfriars.org to read more of the Latest News on our brothers serving in the Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody, under the jurisdiction of Our Lady of the Angels Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv.
Following a month-long Solemn Vow Pilgrimage in Assisi, Friar Colin Mary Edwards, OFM Conv. (front left), Friar Joe Fenton, OFM Conv. (center) and Friar Paul Francis Becka, OFM Conv. (front right) professed their Solemn Vows in the Capuchin Church in Oxford on the 2nd of August 2017, the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels. The vows were received by the Custos, Friar Peter Damian Massengill, OFM Conv. (rear right), and among the many celebrating was Friar Miljenko Hontić, OFM Conv., Assistant General for the Central European Federation.
On the Sunday prior to our Solemn Vow celebration (July 30, 2017), in the Blackfriars Church (Dominican Priory of the Holy Spirit) in Oxford, Friar Gerard Mary Toman, OFM Conv. (front left) and Friar Benedict Abugu, OFM Conv. (front right) were ordained to the Transitional Deaconate at the hands of The Right Rev. Malcom McMahon, OP, Archbishop of Liverpool, along with three of their Dominican classmates.
Looking ahead, the three Novices-to-be are already in Assisi working on their Italian. Joseph David Freeman, (left), Osvaldo Lopez-Figueroa (center), and Kieran John Murphy (right) – the third Murphy in our Custody – will be invested into the Novitiate at the Sacred Convent in Assisi on the 9th of September 2017. Their postulant director, Friar Daniel Geary, OFM Conv. will be present for the investiture. Our Lady of the Angels Province Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. was able to visit with Joseph, Osvaldo and Kieran during his recent time with the friars on the Solemn Vow Pilgrimage.
Traditionally Saints’ Feast Days mark the date of death and are remembered with special mention, prayers, and scripture readings. For us the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th is so much more. It is a day filled with celebration and joy; blessing animals (often on the closest weekend), gathering for meals and enjoying the fellowship of our brothers and those we serve. Just as with all of the saints, it is the day Francis obtained Eternal Life.
On Sunday, September 24, 2017 the Good Shepherd Sisters (serving in Baltimore, MD) invited our Friars (serving from the Portiuncula Friary in Ellicott City, MD) to lunch. 
Our third day in Italy was all about Assisi. We visited the Basilica of St. Clare as well as the Portiuncula in Our Lady of the Angels Basilica. As always, the highlight was praying at the tomb of St. Francis and celebrating Mass in a chapel of the Sacro Convento, which St. Maximilian visited several times, and where, as a plaque records, he blessed the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. To the pilgrims’ delight, our own Fr. Martin Breski, OFM Conv. (who serves at the Basilica as an English speaking guide for pilgrims) provided a full tour of 
As in Italy, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. (OLA Province Minister Provincial and the Pilgrimage Spiritual Guide) continued to inspire with his spiritual guidance. With all the knowledge he has gained over the years about St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, OFM Conv., he continued to amaze us – especially in Poland. Of the eight days we spent there, three were splendid jewels that crowned our pilgrimage. The first (August 12th) was our visit to Niepokalanow (City of the Immaculate) established ninety years ago this year to promote and further the works of the Immaculate to which St. Maximilian and the friars were totally dedicated. At the celebration of the Mass in the friary’s first chapel, all the pilgrims made the total consecration to the Immaculate, enrolled in the M.I., and were given a Miraculous Medal.
The second highlight (August 13th) was the visit to 
Following a month-long 
