On June 9, 2019 (Pentecost Sunday) our friars of the Portiuncula Friary (Provincial House – Ellicott City, Maryland) hosted many friars from the local area, including the student friars who are serving on our JPIC ministry’s Little Portion Farm this summer, to a Crab Feast, which included steamed crabs, crab cakes, coleslaw, corn on the cob and watermelon & berries. It was a great afternoon of relaxation after the St. Anthony Festival at our Shrine of St. Anthony the day before. Luckily the group included a few “Baltimore Boys” who could give a lesson or two on how to pick steamed blue crabs.
Our Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. with Newly Elected Minister General, the Most Reverend Fr. Carlos Alberto Trovarelli, OFM Conv.
On May 25, 2019, during the 202nd Ordinary General Chapter of our Order (May 18-June17, 2019) the capitulars elected Friar Carlos Alberto Trovarelli, OFM Conv. as the new Minister General. The election took place at the Sacro Convento, in Assisi and he took his oath of office in the tomb of St. Francis. Friar Carlos is from Argentina and belongs to the “Rioplatense” Province of St. Anthony of Padua in Argentina-Uruguay. Prior to his election as Minister General, Friar Carlos served as Assistant General for the Federación América Latina Conventuales (FALC). On May 27, 2019 the election of the General Definitory took place.
Vicar General : Fr. Jan Maciejowski, OFM Conv.
Minister Provincial of the Poland (Gdańsk) Province of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe Secretary General : Fr. Tomasz Szymczak, OFM Conv. Secretary General of the Chapter and a member of the Poland (Warsaw) Province of the Immaculate Mother of God Assistant General (FIMP): Fr. Giovanni Voltan, OFM Conv. Minister Provincial of Northern Italy’s Province of St. Anthony of Padua) Assistant General (FEMO): Fr. Tomáš Lesňák, OFM Conv. Provincial Custos of the Slovakian Custody of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. Assistant General (FAMC): Fr. Benedict Seung-jae Baek, OFM Conv. Confirmed for another term Assistant General (CFF): Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. (of our province) Confirmed for another term Assistant General (CEF): Fr. Dominique Mathieu, OFM Conv.
Not a part of the Chapter – Friar of the Provincial Custody of the Orient and the Holy Land Assistant General (FALC): Bro. Rogério Pereira Xavier, OFM Conv. Brazil’s Province of St. Francis Assistant General (AFCOF): Fr. Anthony Bezo Kutiero, OFM Conv.
Provincial Custos of Ghanan Custody of St. Anthony of Padua
The seven Our Lady of the Angels Province Friars who are participating in the General Chapter left to right – lower to upper: Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv. (Elected Delegate); Fr. Jude Winkler , OFM Conv. (Assistant General); Fr. Tim Kulbicki, OFM Conv. (Elected Delegate); Fr. David Blowey, OFM Conv. (Auditor); Fr. Vincent Rubino, OFM Conv. (Interpreter); Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. (Minister Provincial of Our Lady of the Angels); Very Reverend Fr. Michael Zielke, OFM Conv. (Minister Provincial of St. Bonaventure Province)
Week Two:
The Mass Celebration of the Feast of the Visitation (Friday, May 31, 2019) was presided over by our own Minister Provincial, the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. In addition, our own province friar and Assistant General of the CFF, Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. gave the homily. In the photo to the left, taken from the Chapter’s Website Post for May 31st, you can see Fr. James flanked by our own Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv. Fr. Jobe is an Elected Delegate for the Chapter who serves our province as Province Delegate to the M.I., as well as Provincial Delegate of our Province Delegation of St. Francis of Assisi (Canada). Read More
All of the homilies, including several more presented by Fr. Jude, (plus many more videos from the General Chapter) can be found on the Curia Generalizia OFMConv YouTube channel’s playlist – Capitolo generale 2019
Br. Michael Duffy, OFM Conv. and the Men in Nursing Chapter of the students at the Elms College School of Nursing Baccalaureate Pinning – May 15, 2019. Graduates and their families were invited to attend this special occasion.
The Baccalaureate Nursing Pinning Ceremony celebrated the nursing class of 2019. The Men in Nursing Chapter started with a grant from Our Lady of the Angels Province – St Anthony’s Bread Fund. Br. Duffy stated: “We are very grateful for the funding, and helping us give a little more voice to the great men who come to the Elms to pursue nursing.”
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Area of Study: Christian Spirituality
Dissertation Title Prisms of Perfection: The Vita Icon Images of Saint Francis of Assisi as Revelatory and Transformative of Franciscan Spirituality The vita icons of Saint Francis presented beholders with a likeness of the developing spirituality of the nascent Franciscan movement. Today these images impart presences of Saint Francis that have the capacity to serve as loci for transformative religious experience in the lives of adherents of this spiritual tradition within the broader sphere of Christian spirituality.
Consistent with our Franciscan charism and tradition of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, our province plans to more fully tap into this devotion from our Kolbean heritage, through the example of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, OFM Conv. and the continued efforts of his Militia of the Immaculata’s (M.I.) unconditional consecration to the Immaculate. With a view to promoting consecration to the Immaculate among the faithful served through the ministries of our friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province, Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv., who serves as our Province MI Assistant, has begun an M.I Initiative Tour of our pastoral ministries. Over the next few years, Friar Jobe will preach at the Masses to encourage the faithful to consecrate themselves to the Immaculate and to enroll in the M.I. So far, Friar Jobe and our friars serving as pastors have mapped out a partial schedule through January 2020.
On the weekend of May 11-12, 2019, Fr. Sebastian Karamvelil, OFM Conv. welcomed Friar Jobe toSt. Ignatius Martyr Parish, (Ottawa, Ontario) for the first stop on our M.I Initiative Tour of our pastoral ministries. Mother’s Day weekend was made all the more special by honoring Our Blessed Mother, in this way. The response of the faithful at the Masses was excellent and many more have promised to entrust themselves to Mary in the days and weeks to come. Pictured above is a sampling of the parishioners who have already made a Personal Consecration to the Immaculate.
Photo Credit: Department of Media and Communication Studies at #CUA (Twitter – @cuamediastudies)
Our Lady of the Angels Province student friar, br. Timothy Blanchard, OFM Conv. is a film student in The Catholic Univeristy – Department of Media and Communication Studies. During the Cardinal Reels Student Film Festival, br. Tim was the recipient of the Audience Award, as well as Course Section 312 (Media Composition) Best Narrative, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editor and Best Actor for his film, “Inside,” which was filmed at our Shrine of St. Anthony, in Ellicott City, MD. Several of his confreres were on hand to support him and his work.
The festival showcases films created and produced by students and was held on May 3, 2019, in the Edward M Crough Center for Architectural Studies – Koubek Auditorium.
Congratulations, br. Tim!!!
Note: The film also features original artwork by
friar Alejandro María Arias Mosquera, OFM Conv.,
another student friar of our province.
Last year Friar Brad Milunski was named the Chair of the Board of Directors for Franciscan Mission Service. He presided over the 1-27-2019 Recommissioning Mass.
Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Research Fellow Pontifical Faculty of St. Bonaventure – Rome & Visiting Scholar, McGrath Institute for Church Life – University of Notre Dame, Fr. Edward J. Ondrako, OFM Conv. was unanimously elected to the Board of Directors of the Newman Association of America. In making the request, the president recognized his lifelong training and skills in a correct interpretation of John Henry Cardinal Newman who Fr. Ed calls a somewhat elusive Oxford Plato or Victorian sage. As his canonization approaches, the unseen difficulty is a faulty hermeneutic from both the right and left that is not new but is formidable.
The NAA meets annually. Modest stipends for students or friars who wish to write papers are available from the Fr. John Ford, CSC Fund. Fr. Ed will alert us to next year’s theme, location, and deadlines for submission of paper topics. This year is already closed. Contact eondrako@alumni.nd.edu for info if you care to attend the 2019 Annual NAA Conference in New Orleans, August 1-3, 2019.
During the Hilbert College (Hamburg, NY) 58th Annual Commencement Ceremony on May 11, 2019, at the Watermark Wesleyan Church, Hilbert President Michael S. Brophy, Ph.D. presented the Hilbert College Medal to Our Lady of the Angels Province friar and Chairman of the Board, Fr. Michael Sajda, OFM Conv. The Hilbert College Medal is presented to those who embody Franciscan values, demonstrate excellence in their profession or career, and excellence in community service. Father Michael is currently president of St. Francis High School and chair of the Hilbert College Board of Trustees. He served as Interim President at Hilbert from September 2018 to December 2018. He stepped down from the board during his interim tenure and returned to the role of board chair upon the appointment of Hilbert’s fourth president, Dr. Michael Brophy, in January 2019. Father Michael’s interim leadership provided continuity and a positive outlook for the Hilbert community.
On June 9, 2019 (Pentecost Sunday) our friars of the Portiuncula Friary (Provincial House – Ellicott City, Maryland) hosted many friars from the local area, including the student friars who are serving on our JPIC ministry’s Little Portion Farm this summer, to a Crab Feast, which included steamed crabs, crab cakes, coleslaw, corn on the cob and watermelon & berries. It was a great afternoon of relaxation after the St. Anthony Festival at our Shrine of St. Anthony the day before. Luckily the group included a few “Baltimore Boys” who could give a lesson or two on how to pick steamed blue crabs. 
On the weekend of May 11-12, 2019, Fr. Sebastian Karamvelil, OFM Conv. welcomed Friar Jobe to 
