The gardens on the grounds of Mother Cabrini Catholic Church, in Shamokin, PA are quite beautiful. Parochial Vicar, Fr. Adam Ziolkowski, OFM Conv., spent many hours working on the church garden, in preparation for its summer peak, he then blessed it and put its growth into the hands of the Lord.
“Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.”
~ Excerpt from Canticle of Creation, St. Francis of Assisi
Canonized on October 21, 2012, St. Marianne Cope was only the 11th American to recognized as a saint. A Sister of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities and the first Franciscan woman from North American to be canonized, she was greatly loved and is commonly known as the “beloved mother of outcasts.” She spent her early years in Central New York (the area around Syracuse), serving as a leader in her congregation. She was also a leader in the field of education, as a teacher and principal, as well as in field of health care, opening St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Utica and St. Joseph Hospital Health Center in Syracuse. These hospitals went against the norm of the time and served all, regardless of wealth, race or creed. In 1883, she left the people of New York to serve those afflicted with Hansen’s disease (leprosy) on Kalaupapa, Molokai, Hawaii. After opening a hospital and school in Maui, she and her sisters settled on the Kalaupapa peninsula, along side those who they lovingly served, creating a community filled with care and respect. There she stayed for the last 35 years of her life. Upon her death in 1918, her sisters stayed on and cared for the community they helped to create. To this day, no sister has ever contracted the disease, as promised by Mother Marianne.
The people of Syracuse still hold St. (Mother) Marianne Cope dear, a fact made evident as our Minister Provincial, the Very Rev. Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv., blessed the newest addition in the back of the upper church, of The Franciscan Church of the Assumption. on June 4, 2015. There, parishioners and visitors will find a newly completed Shrine of St. Marianne Cope. Upon Mother Marianne’s 2012 canonization, the idea of adding the shrine was conceived by the former pastor and now the Vicar Provincial of our province, Fr. Brad Milunski, OFM Conv. Construction was completed under the leadership of the current pastor, Fr. Timothy Dore, OFM Conv. The new shrine houses a relic of the saint, as well as a plaque presented in October of 2012 to the parish, in commemoration of the Bishop of Honolulu, Most Rev. Clarence Silva’s, pilgrimage to Syracuse, accompanied by nine Hansen’s disease patients and residents of Kalaupapa, in recognition of the 8,000 patients banished to the Hawaiian Island of Molokai. The plaque honors their memory and that of Saint Marianne Cope. Also within the new shrine can be found an icon “written” by Friar Matthew Bond, OFM Conv., a Simply Professed friar in formation, of the Our Lady of the Angels Province Custody of Blessed Agnellus of Pisa, in Oxford, England.
The New Shrine of St. Marianne Cope, in the Upper Church of the Franciscan Church of the Assumption
Mother Marianne was a native of Syracuse and has strong ties to the parish and the people of the Franciscan Church of the Assumption. However, she made Hawaii her final home and her remains were transported from Syracuse to the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, in Honolulu, in July of 2014. Her Feast Day is January 23rd.
Our Lady of the Angels Province has been entrusted with two major relics of St. Anthony of Padua. They both consist of petrified skin taken from the body of St. Anthony during the 1981 public recognition of his corpse. This was achieved during the 2nd time in history that his tomb was opened. It was first opened in 1263 by St. Bonaventure. The most well known of the two Our Lady of the Angels Province’s relics of St. Anthony is permanently displayed for veneration, in a gold bust at the Shrine of St. Anthony, in Ellicott City, MD. In the narthex of the Shrine, the gold-leafed bust depicts the Portuguese Franciscan whom the whole world would come to love as a “finder of the lost.” In the middle of the flame portion of the reliquary bust is a precious first-class relic of the saint, gifted by the friars in Padua, in 1998. Catholics venerate, or pay respect to, relics as remembrances of a saint whose human body was once a “temple” of the Holy Spirit.
The second relic is encased in the gold reliquary-statuette of St. Anthony. Known as the Pilgrim Relic (pictured here), it is usually housed in the Provincial Offices. There are times when it does travel to different ministries within the Our Lady of the Angels Province. On Thursday, June 4, 2014 the Pilgrim Relic became part of nine days of Masses and Novena prayers to St. Anthony for the parishioners of The Franciscan Church of the Assumption, in Syracuse, NY, that began with a Mass of reception, presided over by the Minister Provincial of Our Lady of the Angels Province, the Very Rev. Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv. During each day of the novena, there was time set aside for the parishioners’ and visitors ‘ veneration.
After celebrating and preaching the Mass for the 7th day of their Novena to St. Anthony of Padua (falling on the Feast of the Apostle and Martyr, St. Barnabas), Fr. Robert Amrhein, OFM Conv. assists the faithful of the Franciscan Church of the Assumption, as they venerate the sacred relic.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 ~ St. Joseph Cupertino Friary’s Shrine of St. Anthony Chapel, Ellicott City, MD
Over fifty Our Lady of the Angels Province Friars gathered together in recognition of thirty-three friars’ 2015 milestone Anniversaries of Profession of Vows, Priesthood Ordinations and even an Episcopal Ordination. Bishop Elias James Manning, OFM Conv., Bishop Emeritus of Valença-Brazil, who celebrated his 50th Anniversary of his Ordination to the Priesthood and the 25th Anniversary of his Episcopal Ordination, presided at Mass. Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv., who celebrated 25 years as a priest-friar, was the Mass homilist. Fr. Firmin Finn, OFM Conv., who celebrated 60 years as a priest-friar, led the prayer before the meal. The friars of the St. Joseph Cupertino Friary hosted the event, inviting the lay staff of the Ellicott City campus to join, as well. Please keep these and all of the friars of our province in your continued prayers.
PROFESSION
65 Years
August 15, 1950: Friar Sam Zebron, OFM Conv.
August 27, 1950: Friar Conall McHugh, OFM Conv.
August 27, 1950: Friar Henry Madigan, OFM Conv.
60 Years
August 15, 1955: Friar Vincent Lachendro, OFM Conv.
August 15, 1955: Friar George Maslar, OFM Conv.
August 16, 1955: Friar Edward Costello, OFM Conv.
August 16, 1955: Friar Richard Rossell, OFM Conv.
August 16, 1955: Friar Canice Connors, OFM Conv.
50 Years
February 2, 1965: Bishop Enrique Montero, OFM Conv.
August 8, 1965: Friar Andre Picotte, OFM Conv.
August 15, 1965: Friar Germain Kopaczynski, OFM Conv.
August 15, 1965: Friar Romulus Rosolowski, OFM Conv.
40 Years
August 15, 1975: Friar Michael Kolodziej, OFM Conv.
August 15, 1975: Friar Jude Michael Krill, OFM Conv.
August 15, 1975: Friar Mitchell Sawicki, OFM Conv.
25 Years
August 4, 1990: Friar Michael Lorentsen, OFM Conv.
August 4, 1990: Friar James Fukes, OFM Conv.
August 5, 1990: Friar Stephen King, OFM Conv.
ORDINATION
60 Years
February 5, 1955: Friar Firmin Finn, OFM Conv.
50 Years
May 29, 1965: Friar Joseph Angelini, OFM Conv.
May 29, 1965: Friar Julian Zambanini, OFM Conv.
June 17, 1965: Friar Herman Czaster, OFM Conv.
June 17, 1965: Friar Alex Cymerman, OFM Conv.
October 30, 1965: Bishop Elias Manning, OFM Conv.
December 18, 1965: Friar Patrick Gallagher, OFM Conv.
40 Years
May 3, 1975: Friar Bartholomew Karwacki, OFM Conv.
May 3, 1975: Friar Mark Curesky, OFM Conv.
May 3, 1975: Friar Eugene Kole, OFM Conv.
June 29, 1975: Friar Jude Surowiec, OFM Conv.
July 4, 1975: Friar Giles Zakowicz, OFM Conv.
25 Years
June 2, 1990: Friar Rick Riccioli, OFM Conv.
June 9, 1990: Friar Michael Heine, OFM Conv.
EPISCOPAL ORDINATION
25 Years
May 13, 1990: Bishop Elias J. Manning, OFM Conv.
Our Lady of the Angels Friars, Fr. Dennis Mason, OFM Conv., Fr. Julio Martinez, OFM Conv. and Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv. {All living in and working out of the St. Joseph Cupertino Friary, in Ellicott City, MD}, joined Bishop Denis J. Madden (Auxilary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore) and over 100 area priests, religious and people from multiple faiths, for a peaceful prayer march through the area where Freddie Gray was arrested and the recent riots in the City took place. The picture here (taken from The Catholic Review, May 27, 2015 article: At prayer walk, Bishop Madden floats ideas for helping West Baltimore) shows our friars among the marchers, as they leave the area where rioters burnt down a Baltimore business, owned by a Korean couple, with no insurance. At each of the “7 stops” there was a description of what happened at that location, prayers lead by the Bishop as was the recitation of the Peace Prayer. The spirit of St. Francis of Assisi could really be felt!
One of the many ministries of our friars is at the parish of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Community, in Burlington, NC. In the May 30th The Times News online article, “IDs could bridge gap between law enforcement, Latino community,“ The work of Fr. Paul Lininger, OFM Conv., pastor of Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, as well as his parish community and Outreach Ministry, is highlighted. In a trust building event at the parish, the local police and the Latino community came together to foster better understanding and communication, including the issuance of ID cards, recognized by law enforcement agencies in Burlington, Graham, Elon and Gibsonville, and by Elon University campus police (Another Our Lady of the Angels friar, Fr. Gerald Waterman, OFM Conv. is the Chaplain for the Catholic Campus Ministry at Elon University). The trust that the people have in The Church was utilized to create a peaceful environment, full of informational opportunities. Continued events will aid in the success of the work of the FaithAction International House of Greensboro, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Community, and Burlington Police Department.
Pastoral Leadership is one of the varied ways friars from Our Lady of the Angels Province serve. There are over 40 parishes throughout the province, from which there are numerous outreach programs operating as individual parish ministries, as well as joint community and partnership organizations. One such outreach is Simon’s Soup Kitchen, operating out of the parish center of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, in Seaside Heights, NJ. This outreach is run by Council #8415 of the Knights of Columbus. Throughout the off season months of October – April, this kitchen serves super from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Fridays. The soup kitchen serves neighbors of all ages in need of a little help. Seaside Heights is a beach community, where business is strong during the summer months and sporadic during the 30 week “off season.” This is when Simon’s Soup Kitchen helps locals by serving over 250 meals-twice a week, to resident community members, who often need to stretch the summer tourism income, to last throughout the year. Summer is now in full swing so the kitchen is not open. This time is spent gathering resource and operating funds.
In the back of the parish rectory, there is a food pantry that is open every Wednesday, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to continue the assist area residents in need throughout the whole year. There are always those whose every day is an “off season.” For those residents, the parish tries to provide some steady relief.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Pastor, Fr. Bart Karwacki, OFM Conv. invites you all to visit this parish community “down the shore,” for a weekend celebration of the Eucharist, alongside his welcoming Spirit filled parishioners, in their simple yet wonderful worship space.
St. Francis of Assisi viewed all in the world as his brothers and sisters; each living person, animal, or plant has a place in this world because we are all created by God. Because of his profound understanding of all of creation, he is considered the patron saint of the environment. As the Franciscan Friars we founded by St. Francis of Assisi, this ideal is held strong in the heart of every friar. We Franciscan Friars Conventual of Our Lady of the Angels Province are no exception. Throughout the Province, friars work diligently to be good stewards of God’s creation, including the environment and a promotion of a loving respect for all of God’s creatures. The friars who are based in Ellicott City, Maryland, have taken that mindset to an extremely practical path of energy efficiency.
There have been two phases of solar panel placements on the Ellicott City property. Phase I was slated to support the Portiuncula Friary (pictured a the 16:30 mark in the video link below). The friars who live there work in several ministries, including the on-site Provincial House. Phase II, a much larger installation, supports the energy needs of the St. Joseph Cupertino Friary (pictured at the 16:19 mark in the video link below) from which several ministries flow, including the on-site Shrine of St. Anthony. Any energy credit that remains from the Phase II panels is directed to the consumption needs of Carrollton Hall, an on-site historic landmark house museum. On an annual basis, the system was designed to provide enough electricity to cover the needs of the entire property. In 2014, ALL ELECTRIC USAGE for the Portiuncula Friary was completely provided through the panels, with approximately 6,000 kWh to spare.
Featured in the Wednesday, May 27, 2015 edition of EWTN News Nightly, at the 16:07 mark.
The Canticle of the Creatures Most High, all-powerful, good Lord, Yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing. To You alone, Most High, do they belong, and no man is worthy to mention Your name. Praised be You, my Lord, with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, Who is the day and through whom You give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor; and bears a likeness of You, Most High One. Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful. Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather through which You give sustenance to Your creatures. Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water, which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste. Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom You light the night and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong. Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs. Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love and bear infirmity and tribulation. Blessed are those who endure in peace for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned. Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no living man can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin. Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will, for the second death shall do them no harm. Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks and serve Him with great humility.
The Catholic University of America – Campus Ministry sent 43 students on summer mission trips at the end of the 2014-2015 school year. Br. Jim Moore, OFM Conv., Associate Campus Minister for Justice and Missions (top left) traveled to Jamaica for ten days with 14 of the students. The other 29 students traveled to Belize and to El Paso–Juárez, the second largest bi-national metropolitan area on the Mexico-United States border.
Fr. Ross Syracuse, OFM Conv. in his chaplain uniform.
Monday, May 11, 2015: Fr. Ross Syracuse, OFM Conv., was chosen to offer the homily at the Buffalo Police Department’s Memorial Service, held at St. Joseph Cathedral. The annual event, held in conjunction with National Police Week, commemorates those officers in the WNY area who died in the line of duty. Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, bishop emeritus of Buffalo, presided. He and Father Peter Drilling, the cathedral rector, represented the Diocese of Buffalo. Local, county, state and federal law enforcement officials, as well as police officers from Canada were represented. Chaplains of the Buffalo Police Department hosted the event and area police department chaplains also took part. As the names of the fallen officers were read, each agency presented a large version of its shield or coat of arms.
Friar Ross is not only a police chaplain, he is the guardian of the St. Maximilian Kolbe Friary and the Fr. Justin Senior Friar Residence, as well as the pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church. He is a musician and a pilot, with a great affection for and appreciation of creation, especially animals. He feels we are all called in a special way to care for creation and the environment in the spirit and example of St. Francis of Assisi.
Friday, May 1, 2015: Frei (Friar) Paulo Fernando Vicente, OFM Conv. was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Elias Manning. OFM Conv., Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Valença, Brazil. The ordination took place in Frei Paulo’s home parish of Nossa Senhora da Gloria in Simão Pereira. With this ordination, the friars of the Custody have ordained three men this year, and there are still two ordinations yet to come. Our prayers for increased vocations are working – thanks be to God.
May the Province of Our Lady of the Angels also receive such a great blessing.
Saturday, April 25, 2015: Fr. Michel Alves, OFM Conv. was ordained to the Presbyterate by the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, Dom Pedro Cunha Cruz. The ceremony took place at the historical Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo da Antiga Sé (Church of the Old Cathedral Our Lady of Mount Carmel) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Our Province Secretary, Fr. Richard-Jacob Forcier, OFM Conv. was on hand for the ordination as well as Friar Michel’s First Mass (Sunday, April 26, 2015), held at the Church of St. Rita, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the faithful were filled with great joy, celebrating Good Shepherd Sunday and a new shepherd of the flock!
Br. Andre mixes and pours each batch of candles by hand, assuring the quality of every one.
Friar’s Craft Provides for Aged Brothers: Friar Andre Picotte, OFM Conv. was always creative. Earning a Graphic Design degree, however, didn’t fully prepare him for his unique ministry. Three years ago, while shopping at the mall, Br. Andre noticed the high price of commercially produced scented candles. Looking over the candle, Br. Andre said to his confrere, Br. Ray, “I can do this cheaper … and better!” That very Christmas (2012) he began making scented candles in his home, the Immaculate Conception Friary, in Rensselaer, New York. A new ministry to care for his aged and infirm brothers was born. Named Franciscan Soy Candles, Br. Andre’s venture uses clean-burning, environmentally friendly soy wax, a wood wick, and oil based perfume-grade fragrances, in a lidded glass container. Due to the materials and care Br. Andre puts into each candle, Franciscan Soy Candles burn down evenly and for a longer duration than most commercially available candles. Br. Andre’s candles also have fragrance distributed evenly throughout the wax, guaranteeing a quality scent for the life of the candle. There are many signature candles available in several sizes and scents, and each season new designs have been created, along with new seasonal fragrances. Proceeds from the sale of the candles benefit the aging and infirmed friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province.
Though it began as a hobby, Franciscan Soy Candles has quickly grown into a busy ministry, retailing on line. You can also purchase Br. Andre’s candles at our National St. Kateri Tekakwitha Shrine in Fonda, NY, Franciscan Place in Destiny Mall, Syracuse, NY, and The Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City, MD, in addition to several more of our pastoral ministries throughout our province. Br. Andre has produced thousands of candles. A unique feature of Franciscan Soy Candles, and one which uses Br. Andre’s design background, is the ministry’s ability to make customized candle labels. Customers can submit the names of loved ones they want to memorialize or honor, occasions they want to celebrate or commemorate, or any personal idea or concept, and Br. Andre incorporates that into the candle’s label. Another common option is for organizations or institutions to create a custom Franciscan label. These make wonderful milestone or seasonal gifts.
Considering how his new ministry has grown, Br. Andre is both practical and philosophical: “I like making the candles, I like designing the labels and the graphics for them, but I especially love being able to do these things to benefit my aging and ill brothers. It is a blessing that my gifts can serve them in this way.”
Franciscan Soy Candles offers a seasonal selection of candle designs and fragrances as well as their standard line of candles. All can be purchased online at www.Franciscancandles.org or by emailing Br. Andre at friars@franciscancandles.org or place your phone order by calling 518-496-4805.
In early December 2014, Maryland state officials announced that Carrollton Hall (12280 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City, MD 21042) 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 to the wider public began in earnest in early spring of this year. If you would like more information, please write the Director, Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv., St. Joseph Cupertino Friary, 12300 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City, MD 21042. He can also be reached at 410-531-2800 .
