Our Athol Springs, NY high school ministry of St. Francis High School (SFHS), in conjunction with a few Buffalo – South Town parishes, will host “Maximilian: Saint of Auschwitz,” on Thursday, August 15, 2019 (the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary). Admission will be free.
Our Lady of the Angels Province friar and president of SFHS, Fr. Michael Sajda, OFM Conv. was approached by Fr. Bill Quinlivan (pastor of St. Martin of Tours and St. Thomas Aquinas) to see if SFHS would be available to be one of the sites for this production.
The Diocese of Buffalo is supportive and will provide some of the funding needed to put on the production. SFHS has also procured an additional sponsor.
July 17, 2019 Announcement from the Diocese of Buffalo:
From August 14, his feast day, through the 17 in four different locations comes a one-man play about the life of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. Premiered at the 1993 World Youth Day in Denver, the play continues to be performed to this day. It was signed by Francis Gajowniczek – the very man for whom Fr. Maximilian offered his life in Auschwitz! “Saint Maximilian Kolbe has a powerful, yet cautionary, message for all of us – not to take the freedoms we cherish for granted, but rather to defend them with our lives.” All Performances are free, but there will be a free will offering: Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. at Canisius College’s Marie Maday Theater Thursday, Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. at St. Francis High School’s Ormsby Theater Alumni Hall Friday, Aug. 16, 7 p.m. at St. Gregory the Great Church Saturday, Aug. 17, 7 p.m. ta Niagara University’s Leary Theater
Duke student pilgrims, along with staff from the Duke Catholic Center – including Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Michael Martin, OFM Conv. (Director), Sr. Mary Peter Ryan, FSE (Director of Retreats and Pilgrimages), Ms. Catherine Preston (Campus Minister for Faith Development), and Mr. Andrew Witchger (Director of Music) in the cortile of the Basilica Papale e Sacro Convento di San Francesco.
In May 2019, for the first time, our Campus Ministry at the Duke Catholic Center hosted its own Assisi/Rome Pilgrimage for students, thanks in part to a grant from our friars’ Fr. Justin Ministry Fund. Reflecting on Franciscan themes, the six days in Assisi included trips to the Carceri, La Verna and Greccio. The pilgrims then spent four days in Rome.
One student pilgrim noted: “I went into the pilgrimage praying that God would open my heart to vocational discernment but afraid of what He might ask of me. My prayer was answered in the ten days of pilgrimage and my heart is more open than it has ever been! And while that fear remains, something about walking in the footsteps of Saint Francis and Saint Clare and praying in such sacred places has made me aspire to greater trust, faith, and love.”
Friar Michael expresses gratitute to his confreres of our province for the help in allowing some of the Duke Catholic Center students to witness Christ’s presence through a Franciscan lens. He sends a special thanks to Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Dan Quackenbush, OFM Conv. for an awesome tour and for facilitating some more special moments. (Friar Dan serves as an English speaking pilgrim guide at the Basilica.)
Our National Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine and Historic Site (Fonda, NY) will celebrate the annual weekend of festivities surrounding the Feast Day of their Patron Saint, Kateri Tekakwitha, July 13-14, 2019. The Shrine is a very unique property ~ “a sacred place of peace and healing; a place of history and holiness.” This is the best time to visit the Shrine. From May 1st through October 31st, Masses are celebrated on the weekends, all of the aspects of the property are open daily (9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.). Don’t count out the cold months though. From November 1st through April 30th, weather permitting – pilgrims and visitors can still visit the Candle Chapel, outdoor sanctuary, Caughnawaga Village Site, Kateri Spring, and hiking trails, from dawn to dusk. However, there are no Masses available, the Saint Peter’s Chapel, the museum, and public bathrooms are closed, and the gift shop is only open by appointment. Beatified by Pope John Paul II on June 22, 1980, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, lovingly known as the Lily of the Mohawks and the first Native American woman to be honored with sainthood, was canonized on October 21, 2012, by Pope Benedict XVI. In his homily, Pope Benedict stated, “Kateri impresses us by the action of grace in her life in spite of the absence of external help and by the courage of her vocation, so unusual in her culture. In her, faith and culture enrich each other! May her example help us to live where we are, loving Jesus without denying who we are. Saint Kateri, Protectress of Canada and the first native American saint, we entrust to you the renewal of the faith in the first nations and in all of North America! May God bless the first nations!”
SAINT KATERI FEAST DAY WEEKEND Saturday, July 13, 2019 10:00 a.m. Opening Thanksgiving Address by Bernice Lazore 10:15 a.m. Four Directions Sacred Plants smudging with music by Kateri Native Ministry of Ottawa 10:30 a.m. Welcome by Fr. Tim Lyons, OFM Conv. and Rita Gullion 11:00 a.m. Guest Speaker Kay Olan 12:00 noon Lunch break 12:30 p.m. Guest Speaker Kay Olan 1:45 p.m. Testimonials – What Kateri means to each of us 3:00 p.m. Closing – Prayer to St. Kateri 4:00 p.m. Confession available 4:30 p.m. Vigil Mass with Traditional Purification Rite (smudging) and Solemn Blessing with the relic of Saint Kateri. Music by Kateri Native Ministry of Ottawa 7:00 p.m. Prayer and healing circle with Terry Steele in Grassmann Hall
Sunday, July 14, 2019 10:00 a.m. Confession available 10:30 a.m. The Most Reverend Edward Scharfenberger, Bishop of Albany will celebrate the Feast Day Mass with Traditional Purification Rite (smudging) and Solemn Blessing with the relic of Saint Kateri.
Donations of non-perishable food items are being collected all weekend for the Food Pantry.
There are many more events and celebrations happening at our National Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine and Historic Site throughout the summer, including their 21st Annual Kateri Tekakwitha Peach Conference, August 16 & 17, 2019. Visit the Shrine’s “News & Events” webpage for more details.
Our Shrine of St. Anthony, Little Portion Farm & Carrollton Hall Historic Site (Ellicott City, MD) is also a very unique property. This site is situated on historic land, previously part of the vast Maryland property owned by the Charles Carroll family, known as Folly Quarter. The manor house known as Carrollton Hall 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. The manor house, gifted Emily by Charles, has served in many capacities through the years, including as a seminary for our friars. It is now in the midst of being lovingly restored and will serve as an historic cultural center dedicated to Faith, Family and Country. Little Portion Farm is a part of our province JPIC Office. Located on the same property, this 3-acre agro-ecosystem produces food donated to the Franciscan Center in Baltimore. It also serves as a place of gathering, service, reflection and education ~ “cultivating a deeper appreciation of the beauty of the natural world and its interconnectedness, and realizing the Catholic call to serve the most vulnerable and protect creation.
The center piece of this site is our Shrine of St. Anthony. Home to our friars for over 70 years, it was dedicated as a Shrine of the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 2005. Join our friars to celebrate Daily Mass, Adoration or Special Prayer Services in the Shrine’s Chapel. with multiple opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation available throughout the week. Explore the Grounds which include Pray Paths, Outdoor Stations of the Cross, an Open Air St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, OFM Conv. Shrine, and a beautiful Grotto of Our Lady. The Shrine also houses a Major Relic of St. Anthony of Padua, given to the friars of our province as a gift from our confreres in Padua, Italy. A special ceremony of reception of the relic took place in the Fall of 2000. The relic, and the unique reliquary that holds it, can be found in the Chapel which is open to the public for prayers and reflection. Be sure to check out the Shrine’s online calendar to see what is happening when you come to visit.
After Mass on the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady & St. Anthony’s Birthday (August 15th),
stay and share some cake with the friars, staff, volunteers and pilgrims.
The lower level of the Shrine’s building is also home to our Companions of St. Anthony ministry. You may have received one of our prayer book or religious goods mailings from this office which serves the province mission advancement, evangelization and development efforts. Visit their website for more information, including a page dedicated to Fr. Jude’s Daily Reflections. {Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. is a friar of our province who serves as CFF (Conventual Franciscan Federation) Assistant General of our Order.} One this property, you will also find our province’s Solar Panel Array and our Provincial House Offices (Administration, Finance Office and Healthcare Ministry of the Province).
As friars minor, our call to “minority”, or being “lesser”, brings us to a new way of life through a spirit of prayer and devotion, evangelization, and fraternal life. Our JPIC Summer immersion program seeks to reflect on these Franciscan values and Catholic social teaching in our society now.
Saturday, June 22, 2019: The closing ceremony of the 115th academic year of the Pontificia Facoltà Teologica “San Bonaventura” Seraphicum with a Mass of Thanksgiving and dinner in the park. The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by our Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. Among the concelebranti was Bishop Vincent Van Long Nguyen, OFM Conv., the Bishop of Parramatta in Australia, who, after his priestly ordination in 1989, was sent to further studies at the Seraphicum, where he was awared a licentitate in Christology and Spirituality. Fr. James’ Homily
Our Province Friars who minister in Coal Township, Shamokin and Trevorton (Pennsylvania) are undertaking a new ministry that will address sustainability in the Coal Region.
Our Lady of the Angels Province student friar, Fabian Adderley, OFM Conv. is on Summer Assignment at St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church. He joyfully participated in the implementation of this year’s Summer Program.
June 2019: The Summer Program at our pastoral ministry of St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church (Jonesboro, Georgia) is an opportunity for PreK – 8th Grade students to participate in Faith Formation during the summer, instead of the school year. This June, the two weeks (10days – 30 hours) of sessions included Daily Mass, Scripture Lessons, Hands-on Activities, Prayer Liturgical Experiences, Music, Snacks and Outdoor Fun. Message taken from the June 23, 2019 Bulletin:
Fr. John Koziol, OFM Conv. (pastor), friar Fabian and Fr. Vincent Gluc, OFM Conv. (parochial vicar) with one of the student participants.
“Every day with daily Mass, allowing the children to come together to offer up their day to the Lord. Students shared in classroom time, learned diverse forms of prayer, participated in games (kickball, soccer, baseball, and basketball) and unstructured play time. The younger ones chose to play on the playground, practiced gymnastic poses, and took turns hanging upside down. During the music rotation, our children learned about what full, active, and conscious participation is at Mass. Ashe Griffin led wonderful music sessions and taught our children several songs that tied back into the daily Gospel themes that they had heard at Mass. Meanwhile, Joceline Hernandez worked with several guest teachers to help students learn about ways that they can put their Catholic faith into action. They learned about care for God’s Creation and visited our Laudato Si garden and met our working goats, Anthony and Francis. They took home a little green bean seed to re-pot and grow at home. Then, later in the first week, they visited with Sherry Ann Jenkins to learn about the wonderful work that the Pregnancy Aid Center in Jonesboro does to provide support to pregnant women and their babies. Our children drew pictures and wrote cards of encouragement to the soon-to-be mothers. They also learned about Mary and how she lived out her maternity period by taking Jesus (still in the womb) to visit others and how we can do the same. On Friday of the first week, our children also took turns visiting the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry and learned about the incredible work that is accomplished through the generous gifts of canned foods and money that are given each month by parishioners! Did you know that we feed approximately 125 families each week? WOW! God is Good! Stay tuned and check back next week’s bulletin for a second update on what we did for the second week of the Summer Program!”
Click to hear today’s reflection by Our Lady of the Angels Province friar and Assistant General (CFF) of our Order, Fr. Jude Winker, OFM Conv. provinded through our Companions of St. Anthony ministry.
On Sunday, most of the Capitulars transferred to the Seraphicum College in Rome, where they enjoyed a day of rest. Today, Monday, (June 17, 2019) the last day of the Chapter, was dedicated to an audience with Pope Francis.
At 9:00 a.m., His Eminence, Angelo Cardinal COMASTRI, the Vicar General for Vatican City, presided over Mass in the apse at the end of St. Peter’s Basilica. The cardinal mentioned the “Little Testament of Siena” of St. Francis of Assisi, which says how “the friars should always love each other, always love and follow our Lady, Holy Poverty, and always be faithful and submissive to the prelates and all clerics of Holy Mother Church.” The new Government of the Order is called to guide the confreres to love each other and love the Church, so that our charism may be lived ever more deeply.
After the Mass, the Capitulars moved to the Clementine Hall, where at around noon the audience with Pope Francis began. After a salutation from the newly elected Minister General, Friar Carlos TROVARELLI, the Pope then spoke and invited the friars to live as “brothers and in minority.” St. Francis remains relevant because he put the Gospel at the center of his life. Thus today, as his younger brothers, we must proclaim the Good News with our words and our lives.
After imparting his apostolic blessing, Pope Francis bade the Capitulars farewell and thanked them for their prayers for him and his service.
Friar Aurelio ERCOLI, Chronicler
Our Athol Springs, NY high school ministry of St. Francis High School (SFHS), in conjunction with a few Buffalo – South Town parishes, will host “Maximilian: Saint of Auschwitz,” on Thursday, August 15, 2019 (the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary). Admission will be free.
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On June 17, His Eminence, Angelo Cardinal COMASTRI, presided over Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. At noon, there was an audience with Pope Francis in the Clementine Hall. After a salutation from the newly elected Minister General, Friar Carlos TROVARELLI, the Pope then spoke and invited the friars to live as “brothers and in minority.” After imparting his apostolic blessing, Pope Francis bade the Capitulars farewell and thanked them for their prayers for him and his service.
