A series of reflections on African American Saints and Holy Men and Women,
presented by Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Br. Douglas McMillan, OFM Conv.,
at The Shrine of St. Anthony.

Venerable Mother Henriette Delille, S.S.F

Servant of God – Mother Mary Lange, O.S.P.

Venerable Pierre Toussaint

Servant of God – Julia Greeley, O.F.S.

Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton

Servant of God – Sister Thea Bowman, FSPA

Last year, in honor of Veteran’s Day, Our Lady of the Angels Province JPIC (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation) Chairman, Fr. Michael Lasky, OFM Conv. published a reflection on the Seraphicum’s website entitled “A Song of Hopefulness for Veterans & Members of the Armed Forces.” Follow the link, if you would like to take a moment to read it, as we prepare to celebrate Veteran’s Day 2020.
Within the reflections he included this stanza from the “Navy Hymn” added in 1969/70:

Creator, Father, who first breathed
In us the life that we received,
By power of thy breath restore
The ill, and men with wounds of war.
Bless those who give their healing care,
That life and laughter all may share.

Friar Santo ~ a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom

Many of our friars have served and continue to serve in the Armed Forces. A veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, Fr. Santo Cricchio, OFM Conv. (at left) is in the Reserves and currently provinces counseling services for the Jonesboro, GA area through an office in our pastoral ministry of St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church.
A veteran of the Vietnam War, where he was known as Corporal Kenneth Lucas of the US Marine Corp, Br. Ken Lucas, OFM Conv. still stays involved in Veteran Affairs, as he stated in his recent Spiritual Testament posted on this site on November 5, 2019 (click the link in his name).
There are a number of other friars of our province who are also veterans, including Br. Douglas McMillan, OFM Conv. (in residence, spiritually contributing to events and presentations at The Shrine of St. Anthony, Ellicott City, MD), Fr. Curt Kreml, OFM Conv. (Parochial Vicar – St. Lucie Catholic Church, Port St. Lucie, FL), Fr. Anthony Francis Spilka, OFM Conv. (Pastor – St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Johnstown, PA), and Br. Dennis Sokolowski, OFM Conv. (in residence at the Our Lady of the Angels Care Center, Enfield, CT).

Today is the Commemoration of All the Deceased of the Seraphic Order – Franciscan All Souls Day. We pray for all Franciscans who have died, our family, friends, and benefactors.

Share with us in this Spiritual Work of Mercy.
Join us in prayer, entrusting cares and concerns to God.
“The souls of the just are in peace.”
“The one who believes in the Son of God has life everlasting.”

Let us pray. Lord God, You are the glory of believers and the life of the just.
Your Son redeemed us by dying and rising to life again.
Since our departed brothers, sisters, relatives, friends and benefactors
of our Order believed in the mystery of our resurrection,
let them share the joys and blessings of the life to come.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Note: We will celebrate the Feast of All Saints of the Seraphic Order, on November 29th.

On October 28-29, 2020, an online meeting on youth and vocation ministry took place in the Conventual Franciscan Jurisdictions in Brazil. Those attending included: Friars Willian Gomes MENDONÇA and Luiz Henrique Nascimento LIMA from the Provincial Custody of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.

On Saturday, October 31st, Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Jude DeAngelo, OFM Conv. (top right & insert right – University Chaplain at The Catholic University of America), administered the Sacrament of Baptism to one student (above) and the Sacrament of Confirmation to a total of six students (below), who had completed RCIA instruction, through CUA Campus Ministry. Although our friars serving at CUA traditionally celebrate these Sacraments with the students during the Easter Vigil, this year’s celebration had to be deferred, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also on hand for the celebrations was Friar Andrzej Brzeziński, OFM Conv. (top left – Director of the RCIA program at the University), who had prepared the students.
Living in community in our SS. Francis and Clare Friary and serving at CUA with Friar Jude and Friar Andrzej, are Fr Louis Maximilian Smith, OFM Conv. and Fr. Albert Puliyadan, OFM Conv. Two more residents of our Washington DC Friary are a student friar from India (via the Our Lady of Consolation Province USA) – Fr. Tony Varghese Vattaparambil, OFM Conv. and our own Province Director of Vocations, Br. Nick Romeo, OFM Conv. (vocations@olaprovince.org).