Category Archives: JPIC News
JPIC – Farm Focus
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JPIC News
Little Portion Farm – November 2019 Newsletter
In this week of Thanksgiving, we want to express our deep gratitude to all those who have supported Little Portion Farm in our first year. Whether it be through your donations, your prayers, or your volunteer work, we greatly appreciate you joining our mission to care for our land and serve those in need. I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving!
JPIC News
November, 14, 2019 Article by 
Friar Michael Lasky, OFM Conv.
It was one of those cold winter mornings when the wind catches the snow in swirls of white that dance across the parking lot.
JPIC News
October 31, 2019: Our Lady of the Angels Province friar and Province JPIC Chairman, Fr. Michael Lasky, OFM Conv. was present during a group reflection held at the Pontifical Faculty Theological St. Bonaventure Seraphicum (Rome), on the 800th anniversary of the meeting between St. Francis of Assisi and the Sultan al-Kamil, and the document on human brotherhood for world peace and common coexistence, signed on February 4, 2019, by Pope Francis and the Great Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb. Speakers included author and scholar – Sr. Kathleen Warren, OSF, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture – His Eminence Cardinal Giafranco Ravasi, President of CO.RE.IS – Imam Yahay Sergio Yahe Pallavicini, and Missionary in Syria & Little Sister of Jesus Paola Francesca. Moderate the meeting was the Apostolic Vicar of Beirut – Most Reverend César Essayan, OFM Conv.
The signing of the document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, as well as continued dialogue have opened even more the road to a conviction, as we cannot live together without mutual dialogue, acceptance and respect. “This is what we hope and seek to achieve with the aim of finding a universal peace that all can enjoy in this life.”
Article on the Curia’s Website
After Friar Michael’s return to the USA,
the Saint Francis Forum 2019 Muslim-Christian Dialogue
will be hosted at our Shrine of St. Anthony, in Ellicott City, MD. Event Tickets
News from the Novitiate
Our Lady of the Angels Province Novice, friar Christopher M. Fernández, OFM Conv. (lighter habit) is pictured here with the rest of his Novitiate Class and his Novice Director & friar of St. Bonaventure Province, Br. Joseph Wood, OFM Conv. (at right). St. Bonaventure Province also has a Novice in this class, friar Michael Hintze, OFM Conv., and Our Lady of Consolation Province has three friar Novices – friar Alex Gould, OFM Conv., friar Roberto Macias-Marin, OFM Conv. and friar Joshua Sherls, OFM Conv.
In our desire to offer the novices some local culture, St. Bonaventure Province friar – Br. Joseph Wood, OFM Conv. (Novitiate Director) and Our Lady of the Angles Province friar – Fr. Maurice Richard, OFM Conv. (Novitiate Assistant Director) annually lead a visit to the nearby homestead of the Dana family. The “Dana Adobe,” located in the nearby town of Nipomo, CA was the original 1837 Mexican land grant offered to William Dana, a sea captain from Boston, and a Roman Catholic convert with 21 children. Our novitiate property in Arroyo Grande, CA is located within the 39,000 acre boundary of the former ranch. As the town of Nipomo continues to restore the house and grounds of this Cultural Center, we too have added our assistance in the creation of a pioneer kitchen garden, now known as “The Franciscan Garden.” Inspired by the recent encyclical, “Laudato Si,” and the progress being made at the Little Portion Farm (Ellicott City, MD) our novices are also working beside professionals and volunteers in an appreciation of “caring for creation” through organic horticulture.
If you feel life as a Franciscan Friar Conventual may be a part of your vocation discernment journey, contact Our Lady of the Angels Province Vocation Director, Fr. Russell Governale, OFM Conv. at vocations@olaprovince.org.
Wine at the Shrine – a Festival for Little Portion Farm
In collaboration with the Franciscan Center of Baltimore (the recipient of all the food harvested at our Little Portion Farm ministry – Ellicott City, MD) and our Shrine of St. Anthony, our Little Portion Farm ministry is hosting the first annual Wine at the Shrine!
This family-friendly festival will take place, next door to the farm, on the grounds of the shrine! All proceeds will support the mission of Little Portion Farm and in turn the beneficiary of its harvests – the Franciscan Center of Baltimore.
2019 Wine at the Shrine Festival
Date: Sunday, October 13, 2019
1:30pm – 6:00pm
Location: Shrine of St. Anthony
12290 Folly Quarter Rd, Ellicott City, MD 21042
(For ticket information call 410-531-2800 or info@shrineofstanthony.org
JPIC News
September 16, 2019 article by our province JPIC Chairman – Fr. Michael Lasky, OFM Conv., published by Rome’s Pontificia Facoltà Teologica San Bonaventura Seraphicum.
JPIC – Farm Focus
Little Portion Farm’ Restores Land While Providing Produce For Those In Need: “Those who lovingly work their small expanse fields reap enough not only for ourselves but for others,” Friar Mike said.
World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
On August 6, 2015 – the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord,
Pope Francis established September 1st, as the
World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.
On this fourth anniversary, let us reflect on his closing paragraph:
“In expressing my hope that, as a result of wide cooperation, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation will be inaugurated and develop in the best way possible, I invoke upon this initiative the intercession of Mary, Mother of God, and of Saint Francis of Assisi, whose Canticle of the Creatures inspires so many men and women of goodwill to live in praise of the Creator and with respect for creation. As a pledge of spiritual fruitfulness, I impart my Apostolic Blessing to you, Eminent Brothers, and to all those who share in your ministry.”
Let us heed these words as we continue to develop cooperative care for all creation.
For some more information on our province efforts, visit JPIC!
