This video is a short introduction to the new Greyfriars website: www.thegreyfriars.org.

Health, peace and joy at the beginning of a new year!

Student Friars of our North American Provinces are on retreat in Ocean City, MD. Several took some time to participate in a Plunge for Vocations in the cold Atlantic Ocean, as seen in this video posted on the Facebook Page of our confreres of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation. Keep them and all of our friars in formation, as well as those in discernment, in your continued prayers. For more information on life as a Franciscan Friar Conventual of Our Lady of the Angels Province, email vocations@olaprovince.org

January 8, 2021: The Holy See officially announced that Pope Francis has appointed Friar Dominique Mathieu, OFM Conv. as the Archbishop of Tehran-Ispahan of the Latins (Iran).

Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Brad Milunski, OFM Conv. is the Director of our Inter-Province Postulancy, in Chicago, IL. In addition, he serves as a Pilgrim Guide for Franciscan Pilgrimages and gives his time on several ministry Boards, including the Franciscan Mission Service, where he serves as Board Chair. On January 7, 2021, virtually from the Chapel in the St. Bonaventure Friary (The Postulancy) , he was presider at their Mass of Gratitude for Monthly Donors.

Page 12 Article: “Drawing Closer – How Eucharistic Adoration brings Catholics nearer to Christ”

Homily by Fr. Colin Mary Edwards, OFM Conv., a friar of our Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody (aka The Greyfriars), serving at The Catholic National Shrine & Basilica of Our Lady of Walsingham (aka England’s Nazareth).

Franciscans hold great reverence for the saints. We customarily celebrate the Epiphany as a feast for promoting personal holiness. During the para-liturgical ceremony of the Extractions, each friar draws the name of a saint (who becomes his patron for the year) and a short spiritual exhortation (as a focus for spiritual refinement). During Epiphany the community also renews the sanctity of our homes (friaries) by processing to bless each room. Early in Franciscan history, this tradition developed for our friars. In our province, traditionally, friars from local friaries in one area would join together for this fraternal celebration. As we are practicing safe social distancing, concessions had to be made. Friars of a singular friary either celebrated in their own residence, or with several friaries virtually gathered using today’s technological resources.
The insert at left is from our Immaculate Heart of Mary Friary (Baltimore, MD), as they celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany with the Extraction of Patron Saints. It shows the Blessing of the friary with the signing of the entrance door by the friary Guardian.
Below is a screenshot of the ZOOM Celebration with our four friaries in North Carolina: Blessed Sacrament Friary ~ Burlington, St. Anthony of Padua Friary ~ Durham, Our Lady of Guadalupe Friary ~Pittsboro, and Our Lady of the Angels Friary ~ Winston-Salem.

Throughout our province, many ministries are still offering live-streamed Masses. A sampling of these Masses is often posted via our Province Facebook Page and we encourage to faithful, who are unable to attend Mass in person, to continue to join our ministries online. To find a website link for our ministry location nearest to you, visit the “Locations” page on our website.

For example, Daily Mass with our friars in Toronto, ON is available on
The Franciscan Church of St. Bonaventure’s YouTube Chanel.

Daily Mass with our friars serving at The Shrine of St. Anthony (Ellicott City, MD) is available on
The Companions of St. Anthony Facebook Page.

Daily Mass in Spanish with our friars serving in Brooklyn, NY is available on
RCC of Most Holy Trinity – St. Mary Facebook Page.

Weekend Masses are streamed online from many more of our ministry locations. For example, the Duke Catholic Center YouTube Page is a great source for not only weekend Mass, but many videos created for adult enrichment, presented by Fr. Michael Martin, OFM Conv., Director of Campus Ministry. Here is his Christmas Reflection for 2020:

We fly to they patronage, O Holy Mother of God!