Br. Nick was also able to share his message (audio below) during Masses in Syracuse University’s Hendricks Chapel (photo above) and in the St. Thomas More Chapel, after he is introduced by Friar Gerry Waterman, OFM Conv. who celebrated the Masses and who serves as Campus Minister at the SU Catholic Center.
St. Francis Friary of Syracus, NY is home to ten friars. Still in active ministry are Friar Ed Falsey, OFM Conv. – Friary Guardian & Psychotherapist with Brightpath Counseling Center, and Friar Robert Amrhein, OFM Conv. who serves in Priestly Ministry at the Franciscan Place Chapel. Also residing in the St. Francis Friary are three more retired friars living in community there and one visiting friar from India who is continuing his studies at Syracuse University.
During this age of the Corona virus pandemic, the Friars of the Our Lady of the Angels Province have been doing their part to comfort, inspire, motivate and serve the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of their communities.
Our province includes the Province Delegation of St. Francis of Assisi (Canada). The Provincial Delegate, Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv. also serves as our Delegate to the M.I., Guardian of the St. André Bessette Friary, in Ottawa, Ontario and as the Vocation Director for the Delegation. Approved as a delegation in 2018 and officially stablished on February 14, 2019, the Delegation of St. Francis of Assisi (Canada) celebrated its first new profession last August 2019, as Friar Raad Eshoo, OFM Conv. visited our parishes and friars in Ontario.
If you live on the East Coast of Canada, are a single, Catholic male, 18-40 years old, in good health, and have a desire to learn, serve, sacrifice, and share a common life, contact Friar Jobe at vocations.ofmconv.canada@gmail.com or 613-558-1962, for more information.
Amidst hate and imprisonment,
you brought love into the lives of fellow captives
and sowed the seeds of hope amidst despair.
You bore witness to the whole world by word and deed that
“Love alone creates.” V. Pray for us, St. Maximilian Kolbe. R. Help us become worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, You inflamed St. Maximilian the friar and priest with love for the Immaculate Virgin and filled him with zeal for souls and love of neighbor. Through his prayers grant us to work strenuously for Your glory in the service of our sisters and brothers, and so be made conformable to Your Son until death. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
St. Pope John Paul II blessing the statue of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, OFM Conv., gifted to him by our friars at the October 10, 1982 canonization. Our current Minister Provincial, Friar James (top video greeting) was on hand that day. That same statue now resides in a small shrine on the property of The Shrine of St. Anthony, in Ellicott City, MD (top photo).
Friar Andrew Hochstedler, OFM Conv. of the Provincial Custody of the Orient and the Holy Land of the Province of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Romania), is a student with our friars of the Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody. Ordained in 2017, he is living with our friars in England while working on his MSt – Syriac Studies at the University of Oxford. On August 4th, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history blasted outwards from Beirut’s port and swept across the city, killing almost 200 people, injuring over 6,000, and displacing more than 300,000 from their homes.
On August 7th, Friar Andrew sent us this message: “I am back in Lebanon to serve in our custody and spend time with the friars during the summer vacation from Oxford. The explosion in Beirut yesterday rocked us, very literally. But praise God, none of our friars or their family members were injured. Our church in Beirut had most of the windows shattered, even though it was over a mile from the blast, but as far as we know, there was no serious damage.”
The friars of Sin-el-Fil, on the outskirts of Beirut, are fully engaged in relief work for the local community. Our province will also be sending some financial assistance for the recovery effort. Friar Andrew is now in Beirut helping the parish’s young people and friars with relief efforts (above). He sent these photos from their relief work, as well as a video of the moment when a blast hit the parish, while they were praying the Rosary.
The Franciscan Friars Conventual
ask you to join in prayer to Our Lady of Lebanon
that she may encourage the citizens of that dear nation
to work together for peace, healing, and recovery.
Amen
Three simply professed student friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province are in the Apostolic Year stage of Formation. Typically, each friar of our province spends a year in service and ministry, known as the Apostolic Year, prior to professing Solemn Vows.
Friar Franck Sokpolie, OFM Conv. (Professed Simple Vows – July 2016) will be serving the St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School community of St. Anne Catholic Church (Columbus, GA). Monday, August 10, 2020 marked the first day of the 2020-2021 school year. During the “Back-to-School Blessings,” the pastor of St. Anne Catholic Church, Fr. Robert Schlageter, OFM Conv. introduced friar Franck to the school community: Video. The school also posted a nice write up about Friar Franck: Post
Friar Richard Rome, OFM Conv. (Professed Simple Vows – July 2018) began his Apostolic Year in May 2020, as the Director of The Franciscan Center (Coal Township, PA), a ministry of the friars of Mother Cabrini Friary (Shamokin, PA). The Franciscan Center works to assist those living in the coal region to create s sustainable and promising future in the area. Read More
Our third student friar plans to spend his Apostolic Year with our friars of St. Bonaventure Friary (Toronto, ON). Once the US/Canadian Border reopens, Friar Timothy Blanchard, OFM Conv.(Professed Simple Vows – July 2016) will serve with our friars of Toronto in their varied ministries, including those of The Franciscan Church at St. Bonaventure and that of St. Clare Inn; community, care and shelter for homeless women with mental health issues along with support for their healing journey.
These young men have answered God’s Call to serve His people in the varied ministries of our province. Our friars serve in parishes, schools, shrines, universities, and as diocesan leadership. They are pastors, social workers, counselors, psychotherapists, scholars, chaplains, and nurses. They are on boards of universities, outreach facilities, service organizations social justice groups. They have each brought forth their individual God given gifts to share with their confreres in community, as well within the ministries they serve. If life as a Franciscan Friar Conventual seems like a great way to share yourself with God’s children, our Vocation Director, Br. Nick Romeo, OFM Conv. would love to hear from you. Contact him at vocations@olaprovince.org.
Friar Rijo Mulavarickal Polachan, OFM Conv., of the Province of St. Maximilian Kolbe (INDIA) has been living and serving in our province since October 2019. He began his time in the USA with our friars of St. Joseph Cupertino Friary, serving in ministry at The Shrine of St. Anthony (Ellicott City, MD). In May 2020, he moved to Syracuse, NY where he lives with our friars of St. Francis Friary, assisting when he is able at the Franciscan Church of the Assumption, while studying Communications at Syracuse University, home to another one of our ministries – the Syracuse University Catholic Center.
Two friars of our province, the pastor of Assumption Church – Friar Rick Riccioli, OFM Conv., and one of our simply professed student friars who is on summer assignment at our pastoral ministry there – friar Raad Eshoo, OFM Conv. are featured in one of Friar Rijo’s video presentations for his studies. In it, he presents how one should enter into a church during this Corona Virus Pandemic:
Our Lady of the Angels Province Director of Vocations, Br. Nick Romeo, OFM Conv. visited our friars of St. Francis Friary, in Syracuse, NY, over the August 28-30, 2020 weekend. He was on hand to present a reflection during Mass at Assumption Church, (video of Mass), served by Friar Rick Riccioli, OFM Conv. – Pastor & Chaplain of FrancisCorps, Friar Nicholas Spano, OFM Conv. – Pastoral Associate & Chaplain of the Franciscan Place Chapel & Gift Shoppe at Destiny USA, and Friar Gregory Spuhler, OFM Conv. – Director of the Food Pantry & Soup Kitchen.
Amidst hate and imprisonment,
Friar Andrew Hochstedler, OFM Conv. of the 
Friar Franck Sokpolie, OFM Conv. (Professed Simple Vows – July 2016) will be serving the 
Friar Richard Rome, OFM Conv. (Professed Simple Vows – July 2018) began his Apostolic Year in May 2020, as the Director of 
Our third student friar plans to spend his Apostolic Year with our friars of St. Bonaventure Friary (Toronto, ON). Once the US/Canadian Border reopens, Friar Timothy Blanchard, OFM Conv. 
