Br. Michael Duffy, OFM Conv. (top left) with Senior students of Elms College, School of Nursing, who traveled to Holy Spirit Clinic, Maggoty, St Elizabeth, Jamaica, WI, for their Clinical Rotation.
Br. Michael Duffy, OFM Conv. (DNP, APRN-BC) is the Coordinator of the Accelerated Second Degree Program and a Professor at the School of Nursing of the College of Our Lady of the Elms, in Chicopee, MA. His vast education (B.S. American International College, M.S. University of Lowell and D.N.P. Regis College) and extensive experience as a Nurse Practitioner and Educator (Teaching at Elms College 1988-1997 and 2011 – today) is enhanced by his six years of service as a Missionary in Jamaica; managing a clinic, while serving the people of the area through the parish education and outreach needs (St Mary’s, Above Rocks, and Missions consists of: St Mary’s, Above Rocks; Holy Family, Cassava River; and Sacred Hearts, Pinto; in St Catherine Civil Parish, Jamaica, WI.). When the friars arrived in Jamaica they were instructed by the local clergy to give the people good Liturgy and take back the schools, to help stop the hand out mentality, to preach stewardship and to encourage evangelization and catechesis. For six years Brother Michael and the other friars serving there made it a point to have the church open daily while keeping the Sunday celebration of Eucharist central to the life of the Mission. They also committed themselves to weekly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. They took back the schools, helping them return to a better sense of order, with good principals, weekly Mass, and regular participation in school devotions, meetings and functions.They made great strides in bringing order to chaos and dignity to charity. They preached, encouraged and participated in every evangelization effort that the vicariate or archdiocese offered, while reviving an effective Sunday School and sacramental catechesis. When they left the missions, the seed for success was implemented as the people served took over the reins.
Br. Michael, or “Duffy” as he is affectionately known, has worked in several states and holds a special place in his heart and ministries for those he calls the underserved, including his implementation of the carRe vaN, a mobile healthcare unit serving the poor in the Chicopee area. “Having worked in street clinics in Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, I know how important it is to bring healthcare to the homeless rather than asking them to come to you.” This program also provides nursing students with clinical experience, while providing blood pressure, blood sugar, foot, episodic first aid and minor wound care, as well as patient education and other healthcare needs that may arise.
In addition to working with Br. Michael through the caRe vaN project, students have the opportunity to join him as he returns to Jamaica so they can participate in a population health and community nursing experiences. Work continues with the doctoral students to further develope ways to provide primary care to the under-served of the Chicopee area.
The Ladies from St Mary’s , Above Rocks pictured with Br. Michael Duffy, OFM Conv., after Mass at St. Paul of the Cross Cathedral in Mandeville during their annual retreat at the adjacent Passionist Retreat House. They send greetings to all the Friars who served their community.
January 15, 2015: Second bush clinic (flash clinic) in the Morgan Forest District in Clarendon, JA, where they saw served 102 people. The group is pictured here in front of the building dedicated as “Barb and Fran Homework & Community Centre” which served as their clinic for the day. Br. Duffy and his student are very grateful to our friars and our benefactors for your continued support, especially over those 13 days in Jamaica.
Friar Michael speaks at “To Heal a Broken World” presented at Elon University (where Our Lady of the Angels Province Friar, Fr. Gerald Waterman, OFM Conv. serves as Chaplain of the Catholic Campus Ministry). The presentation expressed what Judaism, Islam & Christianity say about Social Justice. On hand were a Priest (Friar Michael), a Rabbi and a Muslim who talk about why they promote social justice & how their tradition motivated them. There were two sessions: January 7th and January 14th.
Fr. Michael Lasky, OFM Conv. was born in Baltimore, Professed his Solemn Vows in our Order in 1998, and was Ordained to the Priesthood in 2000. Prior to his ordination, began his ministry in the province as a teacher at St. Francis High School in 1997, taking a break from ministry to earn his M.Div. and get ordained, returning to the high school to teach from 2000-2005. He spent the next five years as Campus Minister, at Western Connecticut State University, in Danbury, CT. In 2010, he began a two year assignment as Regional Director for the Americas, of Franciscans International (FI), in NY, working at the United Nations (UN) to address human rights injustices that impact on the poor and most vulnerable. After spending time in Spanish Studies, Bogota, Columbia, he served as the Parish Administrator and Campus Minister of Newman Student Center Parish, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (NC). He is currently residing in our SS. Francis and Clare Friary, in Washington DC.
Friar Michael was one of the Religious Leaders to sign the Franciscan Action Network and Muslim Leaders’ Joint Statement on Anti-Muslim Rhetoric. As the Chairman of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission of our Province, Friary Michael uses his gift for preaching, flair for presentation and generosity of spirit to reach out to everyone he meets; living our the loving charism of St. Francis of Assisi. His love for justice for all has no limitation; no matter what faith or cultural background ideals are held by those around him. As indicated in the picture here, he works with the rest of the friars of our Province, our Order and the world around us to help educate, encourage, mediate and be an example of PEACE in our time.
As the new year quickly approaches, we friars would like to remind you of our upcoming
“Pilgrimage of the Relics of St. Maximilian Kolbe.”
From some of those strands, four identical reliquaries were created, one of which will be venerated during this pilgrimage.
In commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Conventual Franciscan Friar, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Our Lady of the Angels Province has scheduled a pilgrimage of a relic throughout our province U.S. and Canadian territory. The reliquary pictured here is one of four that was created in 1971 (11 years prior to his canonization – thus marked as B. Max. Kolbe as he was then only elevated to blessed) to hold a portion of his beard that in 1938 was shaved after Friar Maximilian received permission from his Minister Provincial. It contains many symbols from the life of St. Maximilian: the base is in the shape of his birthplace of Poland, covered in the “thorns” of occupation by the Third Reich. Out of those thorns, however, burst forth a lily of purity and a tulip of martyrdom – symbols of love triumphing over hate. The strands of our saint’s beard are housed in a glass case entwined with our Franciscan knotted cord representing his vocation to our Order and our vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.
St. Maximilian first grew out his long beard to enhance his missionary work in Japan where the beard helped to earn the respect of the people he served. Upon his return to Poland, under the National Socialism, the beard instead provoked not only his own persecution but the persecution of his fellow friars, “Beards provoke the enemy who rapidly is approaching our friary. Our Franciscan habits also will provoke him. I can part with my beard. I can’t sacrifice my habit.” After having shaved Maximilian’s beard, one of the friars placed it in a pouch. Strands of the beard still are preserved in the Niepokalanow archives. (Claude R. Foster, Mary’s Knight, Marytown Press 2013, p. 586) From some of those strands, four identical reliquaries were created, one of which will be venerated during this pilgrimage.
Click the above image to order copies of St. Maximilian Kolbe: Martyr of Charity
In 1941, St. Maximilian demonstrated heroic charity by giving his life in place of fellow prisoner, Franciszek Gajowniczek; a husband and father who was one of ten men chosen to suffer death by starvation after being subjected to hours of standing in the hot summer sun, in the Auschwitz (Poland) concentration camp during World War II as consequence for one prisoner’s successful escape. Franciszek’s a cry of despair,” What will become of my family?” moved Saint Maximilian to step forward and ask to be taken instead. Canonized October 10, 1982, St. Maximilian Kolbe was declared the “Patron Saint of our difficult century,” and a Martyr of Charity, by Pope Saint John Paul II.
PILGRIMAGE OF THE RELIC OF
ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE
2016 Itinerary (Updates Will Occur Upon Change)
A bearded St. Maximilian smiles over the heads of his fellow friars, over whom he served as Guardian
O God, who gave the Church and the world the priest and martyr
Saint Maximilian Kolbe, burning with love for the Immaculate Virgin Mary and with apostolic zeal for souls and heroic love of neighbor, graciously grant, through his intercession, that striving for Your glory by eagerly serving others, we may be conformed, even until death, to Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. Amen
In the Meeting Room of the Organization of American States
Fr. Walter Loaisiga, OFM Conv., President of St. Francis College, in Moravia, San Jose, Costa Rica, accompanied a group of his students on a visit to the United States. They were invited to Washington, DC, the first week of December 2015, to give a presentation on Costa Rica & Education, to the Organization of American States, the world’s oldest regional organization established in 1889. The presentation was requested due to the fact that St. Francis College, our education ministry in Costa Rica – serving Preschool, Elementary and High School aged students, is the only fully bi-lingual school (English/Spanish) in Costa Rica.
Friar Walter and the students met with the Ambassador of Costa Rica to the Organization of American States prior to making their presentation on Education in Costa Rica
Our Lady of Guadalupe Celebration at Our Lady of Mercy Church, Winston-Salem
On Friday, December 11, 2015, over 1000 faithful participated in the mañanitas (early morning busy festivities) lasting from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. It ended with a re-enactment of the miracle of St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin receiving the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Saturday, December 12th, again over a 1000 people came for the procession of the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe into our church and up to her shrine there. Due to the fantastic turnout on Friday and Saturday, Fr. Carl Zdancewicz, OFM Conv., a friar from our province who serves as pastor of both Our Lady of Fatima Mission (NC) and Our Lady of Mercy Church (NC), was expecting a small number of people for the Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Latino Mass, but again over 1000 people showed up to celebrate Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday Mass for the 3rd Sunday of Advent.
A few photos of the events for the Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe:
On the December 12, 2015, in the Chapel of our St. Francis College in Moravia, San Jose, in Costa Rica, Our Lady of the Angels Province Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. (pink Gaudete/Rejoice vestments – kneeling), presided at the Profession of Vows for four of our Costa Rican Friars. In addition to the local friars on hand, also participating in the celebration were two more friars from the United States, Fr. Rick Riccioli, OFM Conv. (Syracuse-NY) and Br. Jim Moore, OFM Conv. (Silver Spring-MD), as well as American Volunteers currently serving for a year in Alajuela, Costa Rica, through FrancisCorps ministry.
~ Simple Vows – fray Henry Ramírez Vargas, OFM Conv.
~ Solemn Vows – Fray Pablo Alonso Carvajal Espinoza, OFM Conv.
~Renewal of Vows – Fray Milton Torres Albarran, OFM Conv.*
and Fray Juan Gregorio Martinez Canelon, OFM Conv.*
*Our Lady of Coromoto Provincial Custody (Venezuela) of the
Province of St. Nicholas and St. Angelo (Puglia, Italy)
Graduation Ceremonies ~ St. Francis College in Moravia: President of the College, Fr. Walter Loaisiga Gonzalez, OFM Conv. & Minister Provincial, Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv.
Visiting Costa Rica also afforded Fr. James the opportunity to preside at the Mass and Graduation Ceremonies at our Province’s St. Francis College in Moravia, San Jose, Costa Rica.
Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy: Holy Door
One of the seven Holy Door Sites in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, is our very own Shrine of St. Anthony, in Ellicott City, MD. The Holy Year runs from December 8, 2015 (The Main Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome Opened) through November 20, 2016. At designated sites all over the world, the Holy Door Rite was held on December 13th, in unison with the Holy Doors of the Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran and the Papal Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls in Rome. Anyone visiting our Shrine of St. Anthony, as with the other sites, receives an indulgence (remission of all temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven). Usually the Holy Year indulgence is only obtained through a pilgrimage to Rome and a visit to a Papal Basilica during a Holy Year, but Pope Francis has determined that indulgences can be granted to pilgrims to any of the sites with a Holy Door throughout the world. Other requirements for the Holy Year indulgence include the reception of the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, praying for the intentions of the Holy Father, and reciting the “Profession of Faith.” The Pope also extends the privilege to the home-bound and the incarcerated, as well as those performing Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy.
At noon, on Sunday, December 13th, the community of friars living and working in the St. Joseph Cupertino and Portiuncula Friars, joined friars from the surrounding area and pilgrims to the Shrine of St. Anthony, as the Director of the Shrine, Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv. opened the Holy Door of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, preceding noon Mass in the Shrine’s Chapel.
The Opening of the Holy Door at the Shrine of St. Anthony, in Ellicott City, MD
November 30 – December 4, 2015: The friars of Immaculate Conception Custody (Brazil) of Our Lady of the Angels Province met in the city of Juiz de Fora, State of Minas Gerais, for their annual retreat. Father Paulo Sérgio Carrara, C.Ss.R. directed the retreat with the theme “Pastoral Work and Consecrated Life,” in accord with the Custody’s Four-Year Custodial Plan. At the end of the retreat, on December 4th, the Mass of the Immaculate Conception was celebrated in our Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, opening the Jubilee Year of 70 years of Conventual Franciscan presence in Latin America, as well as 50 years of priesthood of Bishop Elias Manning, OFM Conv., Bishop Emeritus of Valença.
Friar Willian Gomes Mendonça, OFM Conv. and Friar Luiz Henrique Nascimento Lima, OFM Conv. Ordained as Deacons, by Bishop Elias Manning, OFM Conv., Bishop Emeritus of Valença
On the following day, December 5th, at St. Peter and St Paul Parish in the city of Paraíba do Sul, State of Rio de Janeiro, Friar Willian Gomes Mendonça, OFM Conv. and Friar Luiz Henrique Nascimento Lima, OFM Conv. were ordained Deacons. The large church was replete with the presence of practically all the friars of the Custody, several diocesan priests, family members and faithful from all the places where the friars of the Custody serve.
The sandals belonging to martyred Friar Michał Tomaszek, OFM Conv. and Friar Zbigniew Strzałkowski, OFM Conv. were placed in front of the altar in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Peter (Chimbote, Peru) during the prayer vigil on the night before the Beatification. They bore poignant witness to the two martyrs’ vocation as Franciscan Missionaries.
“The Proto-Martyrs of Peru” – A new image in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Peter (Chimbote, Peru) depicting the first declared martyrs of the Church in Peru: Blessed Miguel (Michał ) Tomaszek, OFM Conv., Blessed Zbigniew Strzałkowski, OFM Conv. and Rev. Alejandro Dordi (Italian Missionary). The men were Beatified together in the Manuel Rivera Sanchez Centenary Stadium (Chimbote, Peru), on December 5, 2015, by His Eminence, Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B.. Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. All three were slain by the Marxistguerrilla organization, Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path); Michał and Zbigniew – August 9, 1991; Alejandro on August 25, 1991. The theme of the Beatification was “Testigos de la Esperanza” (Witnesses of Hope). A new hymn by that title was commissioned for the ceremonies and premiered at the Vigil, sung by its author Enrique Enrique Mesías. (sheet music)
Three Friars represented Our Lady of the Angels Province at the Beatification, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv., Fr. José Guadalupe Matus Castillo, OFM Conv. and Fr. Jacek Leszczynski, OFM Conv. Fr. Jarosław (Jarek) Wysoczański, OFM Conv., Guardian of the Pariacoto Friars at the time of the martyrdom. Friar Jarek was not in Peru, but on a home visit to Poland in August 1991 when the martyrdom occurred. Fr. Carlos Gomez, OFM Conv. of Peru was on hand for the Beatification. He was one of three postulants in Pariacoto on the night of the martyrdom of Friars Michał and Zbigniew (August 9, 1991). Those postulants had been placed under obedience by Fr. Michał to remain praying in the friary chapel when the terrorists arrived. Friar Carlos was the first Peruvian native vocation to profess vows and be ordained. Relics of the bones of each martyr (held here by Fr. James who is pictured with Friar Carlos and Friar Jarek) were later carried to the altar by Friar Carlos and Friar Jarek during the ceremony of Beatification. The Mass of Beatification, presided by His Eminence, Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B. and 60 concelebratrants, 500 priests, and 25,000 people took place in the Manuel Rivera Sanchez Centenary Stadium (Chimbote, Peru), on Saturday December 5, 2015. (Read More from Fr. Jarosław Wysoczański)
On Sunday, December 6, 2015, the day after the Beatification, the pilgrims headed three hours north to Pariacoto, the town where the friar-martyrs ministered, died, and are buried, to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving. Pilgrims from our missions in Bolivia, Paraguay, Ecuador, Argentina, and Brazil, as well as large numbers from Poland, journeyed thousands of kilometers to attend the ceremonies in Chimbote and Pariacoto (Peru). The Minister Provincial of Kraków, the Very Reverend Fr. Jarosław (Jarek) Zachariasz, OFM Conv., the Minister General of our Order, the Most Reverend Fr. Marco Tasca, OFM Conv. and our Minister Provincial – Fr. James as well as all of the the concelebrating bishops and priests, other friars and the families of Michał and Zbigniew walked through the “Gate of Mercy” along the path taken by the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) van with its friar-prisoners, following the Mass of Thanksgiving. A prayer service was held at the Gate.
A small memorial now marks the exact site where the killing of Michał and Zbigniew took place and there are now 14 Stations of the Cross along the route traveled by the van which carried them to their place of death.
Even before the deaths of Friars Michał and Zbigniew, our Province of St. Anthony of Padua was preparing to send one of its own American friars as a new member of the Polish Mission in the Peru. That friar, Fr. Vincent Imhof, OFM Conv. had been ordained at St. Casimir’s in Baltimore (MD), in 1990. Shortly after the deaths of Friars Michał and Zbigniew, the Minister Provincial of St. Anthony Province at the time, the Very Reverend Fr. Mark Curesky, OFM Conv., allowed Friar Vincent to go on mission to Peru, joining up with Friar Jarek and thus assuring that the Order’s Peruvian mission would be sustained without interruption. This courageous decision on behalf of Friar Mark and Friar Vincent was reached after considerable prayer and anguish. When Friar Vincent arrived, the “Sendero Luminoso” was still spreading its reign of terror. Undaunted, the friars persevered indefatigably, and the Order’s implantation continues to reap a holy harvest, even now. As Tertullian wrote in the second century: “The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.” Eventually Friar Vincent transfiliated into the Krakow jurisdiction. He remains an active Missionary there, today. Before returning home to the United States, Fr. James presented to Fr. Jacek Lisowski, OFM Covnv. (Provincial Delegate for Peru) and Fr. Jarek Zachariasz, OFM Conv. (Minister Provincial of Krakow) two chalices, originally from our former ministry in Staten Island, as a gift from Our Lady of the Angels Province to the Pariacoto Mission. The chalices were re-plated in silver and gold, and inscribed with the names of the two new Blessed.For more on the events surrounding the Beatification, visit “Mártires de la Diócesis de Chimbote” on Facebook.
