On February 8, 2020, the Provincial Custody of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. in Brazil celebrated the simple profession of Friar Fernando PEREIRA DE ANDRADE JUNIOR. The ceremony took place at the São Francisco de Assis Church in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner‘s groundbreaking originality in discovering commonalities between the thought of Bl. John Duns Scotus and St. John Henry Newman is the lead to an essay by Prof. William A. Frank from the University of Dallas which was published in the American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly, December 24, 2019, edition. It is included in a collection of scholarly articles on both Duns Scotus and Newman.
Introduction Philosophical work on the relation between the thought of John Henry Newman and John Duns Scotus is not commonplace in Scotus studies, nor in Newman studies, for that matter. There are in Newman’s vast corpus of books, notes, sermons, letters, novels, and poetry, some though very few, direct references to Duns Scotus and his thought. It is likely he had little acquaintance with the Subtle Doctor’s printed works; most of his familiarity seems to have come from secondary sources in the contemporary theology of his day.
Nonetheless there are found in Newman and Scotus a range of affinities in philosophical approaches and sensibilities that run deep in both thinkers. Many of these have been identified and discussed in a recent book entitled The Newman-Scotus Reader.[1] Contributions to the book that lean toward Scotus studies are Timothy Noone, Olivier Boulnois, Mary Beth Ingham, and Cyril O’Regan. Those who particularly represent the Newman side of the conversation are John T. Ford, Geoffrey Rowell, and Robert C. Christie. There are also two authors who give more or less equal voice to both Scotus and Newman in their contributions. Patricia Hutchison reflects on the potential in Scotus and Newman for the advancement of Catholic higher education in the twenty-first century. And Peter Damian Fehlner, with his remarkable capacity for integration, introduces teachings on Scotus, Bonaventure, and Newman, ranging widely over such topics as the Immaculate Conception and the Incarnation, theological method, faith and reason, the natural and supernatural, metaphysics, anthropology and epistemology. The editor, Edward Ondrako, offers, from the perspective of Scotus and Newman, critiques of Hegel and Kant, as well as an insightful appreciation of Gerard Manley Hopkin’s poetry. As a whole, the book draws out a number of philosophically interesting commonalities in the thought of Scotus and Newman. I shall not attempt to trace any of the commonalities woven through the rich complex of ideas in Reader. Instead, I propose to discuss a feature common to Scotus and Newman that was not the focus of any direct attention in Ondrako’s Reader.
[1] The Newman-Scotus Reader: Contexts and Commonalities, ed. Edward J. Ondrako, OFM Conv (New Bedford MA: Academy of the Immaculate, 2015, rpt. 2019).
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Fr. Edward J. Ondrako, OFM Conventual
Research Fellow Pontifical Faculty of St. Bonaventure, Rome
Visiting Scholar, McGrath Institute for Church Life
University of Notre Dame
Easter Sunday, 2019
Our Province re-establish our Franciscan Soy Candles ministry this past year. Conceptualized originally and instituted by Br. Andre Picotte, OFM Conv. during the Christmas Season of 2012, his hobby turned ministry transforms proceeds from friar-produced artisan candles into funds helping to benefit our province’s Franciscan Charity Fund. Br. Andre still serves as a consultant and advisor, as production and distribution is now under the direction of Br. Brian Newbigging, OFM Conv., aided by his confreres living in the Hamburg, NY area. It is great when the fruit of our ministries comes back to help our friars – one of the graduates from our St. Francis High School (Athol Springs, NY), who is also a fire fighter in the same fire company where Br. Brian serves as an paramedic, is producing the ministry’s revamped website. Help support the charity fund of our province while filling your home with the fragrance and beauty of high quality soy candles. These artisan candles also make great gifts and can be customized just for you. Signature seasonal options are also available throughout the year.
Signature soy candles are carefully crafted by our friars, presented within a 12 ounce Libbey Status glass container with a lid, including a three part wood wick system and a gift box. Fragrance-free candles are available or you can choose one of 45 different fragrances: Among the Pines, Apple Harvest, Banana Nut Bread, Bayberry, Blue Spruce, Butter Cream, Cedarwood-Vanilla, Cherry Blossom, Chocolate Fudge, Christmas Essence, Christmas Hearth, Cinnamon Buns, Cinnamon Stick, Cinnamon-Orange, Cranberry Delight, Day at the Spa, Fig Tree, Fireside, Frank & Myrrh, Fraser Fir, Fresh Balsam, Gardenia, Gingerbread, Hot Apple Pie, Hyacinth, Hydrangea, Lavender, Lavender-Cuc-Sage, Lemon Cake, Lemon-Lavender, Lilac Bouquet, Lime Cooler, Lush Linen, Ocean Breeze, Orange Blossom, Peppermint Bark, Pumpkin Pie, Rosebud, Sage, Sage Pomegrante, Sandalwood, Sugar Cookies, Sweet Grass-Violet, Very Vanilla, Walk in the Woods.
Be sure to visit the newly revamped website at www.franciscansoycandles.org/ for details on graphic options and pricing. Plans are in the works to create many more signature candle label options in the near future.
For information or to place an order call 518-496-4805 or email FranciscanCandles@gmail.com.
On January 27-31, 2020, Friar Jude Winkler conducted a workshop on the Letters of St. Paul for the postulants of the Conventual Franciscan Federation (CFF). The workshop was held at the St. Bonaventure Friary in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
The majority our friars in the Post Novitiate stage of formation (Simply Professed) live in community in the St. Bonaventure Friary, in Silver Spring, MD, while continuing their education at the Catholic University of America, in Washington DC. However, two of our Post Novitiate friars, friar Antonio Moualeu, OFM Conv. and friar Fabian Adderley, OFM Conv. live in community in the San Damiano Friary, in San Antonio Tx, in order to continue their studies. Friar Antonio is finishing his doctoral program in Engineering. Friar Fabian is a student at the University of the Incarnate Word, in San Antonio, TX.
Both friars continue to spend time serving in varied ministries; an integral part of their 3 stages of formation (Postulancy, Novitiate & Post Novitiate).
On the first weekend in February 2020 at a local parish, friar Fabian was able to convey the Blessing of Throats in anticipation of the Feast Day of St. Blaise (February 3rd). St. Blaise is known as the patron saint of throat ailments, physicians, veterinarians, wool combers, those in the wool industry, and as an intercessor against attacks of wild animals.
If you feel called to add an inquiry into life as a Franciscan Friar Conventual of our province to your discernment journey, or if you simply want more information, visit our Vocation Page.
The Our Lady of the Angels Province’s Memorial Mass for our native son, the friar-missionary-bishop +Dom Elias James Manning, OFM Conv., took place on Saturday, January 18, 2020, at 11:00 a.m., at his home parish of St. Michael the Archangel in Troy, NY. Many of his family members, old friends and friars braved the cold weather to remember this humble friar, whose entire ministry was spent serving the people of his beloved Brazil. Assistant General of our Order and a friar of our province, Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. was on hand to represent the Minister General. Frei Michel da Cruz Alves dos Santos, OFM Conv. and Frei José Luiz Magalhães, OFM Conv. traveled from Paraíba do Sul and the Araruama communities of Rio de Janeiro to represent our confreres from our Immaculate Conception Custody. Included among the several friars from our province on hand were our Minister Provincial – the Very Reverend Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv., our Vicar Provincial – Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv. Four diocesan clergy concelebrated.
Frei Michel (left) and Frei José Luiz (right) came from a hot Brazilian summer to a typical Albany winter. Although Friar José Luiz served in ministry in the USA many years ago, it was Friar Michel’s first experience with the snow!
Our Order’s Postulancy location for the four provinces serving North America is in Chicago, IL, in the St. Bonaventure Friary of the St. Bonaventure Province. Two of our Postulants of Our Lady of the Angels Province, Mr. Michael Boes and Mr. Edgar Varela live in community in the Chicago Postulancy, along with three more Postulants from other provinces. In addition, our third Postulant, Mr. Jonathan Zenteno, is in studies at The Catholic University of America while living in community in our Post Novitiate (Silver Spring, MD) in the St. Bonaventure Friary. Each year each Postulant of every North American Province, gathers with the Postulants of his own province to take time away from the Postulancy, and visit his own individual Province ministries, friaries and friars. Our three Postulants have been documenting this year’s partial tour on the Postulancy’s Facebook Page; sharing photos and verbiage about their visits. So far they have enjoyed time with our friars serving in the Chicopee, MA area and in the Syracuse, NY area (check out their Facebook page for more info on those visits). They have now moved onto visits with our friars of our Province Delegation of St. Francis of Assisi, in Canada. The first stop on this leg of their Tour is with our friars serving in the Ottawa, ON area. They will next move onto the last leg of their journey; visiting with our friars in the Toronto, ON area.
On the Ottawa leg of the postulants’ tour of our province ministries, they were welcomed at our pastoral ministry of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish by the friars of St. André Bessette Friary, and hosted by the pastoral and finance councils for a festive dinner. Besides visiting there and to our other pastoral ministry in the Ottawa area – St. Ignatius Martyr Church, our Postulants were joined by Fr. Jobe Abbass, OFM Conv. (Guardian of St. André Bessette Friary – Provincial Delegate – Delegate to the M.I.) as they traveled on pilgrimage to Kahnawake, Québec to pray at the tomb of St. Kateri Tekakwitha (below) and onto Montréal to visit the Shrine and Basilica of St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal to pray at the tomb of its founder, St. André Bessette.
Michael, Edgar, Fr. Jobe and Jonathan are pictured in front of the first chapel of St. Joseph’s Oratory, built 1904 by Brother Abundius, CSC (a confrère of Brother André). Due to its diminutive structure, it was aptly called an oratory; a small wayside shrine. The room where Brother André lived after being appointed caretaker of the Oratory is found above the chapel and has remained the way he left it.
+Bishop Elias James Manning, OFM Conv., 81-year-old Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Valenca (Rio De Janeiro, Brazil), passed away on October 13, 2019. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at his home parish, St. Michael the Archangel Church, 175 Williams Road, Troy, NY, on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 11:00 A.M. All are welcome.
+Bishop Emeritus Elias James Manning OFM Conv. of Valenca, Brazil in 2016, at a meeting in Rio De Janeiro celebrating the 70th anniversary of Franciscan Friars Conventual presence in Latin America.
Born on April 14, 1938, in Troy, NY, the son of James and Agnes (Fennelly) Manning, he was baptized James John. Educated at the La Salle Institute, Troy, NY, he cherished his status as a La Salle alumnus, for his lifetime. When he entered the Franciscan Friars Conventual, he took the religious name Friar Elias. As a missionary bishop in Brazil, he became affectionately known as “Dom Elias.”
From 1956 to 1958, Friar Elias studied at the minor seminary of St. Francis of Assisi in Staten Island, New York. In 1958, he entered novitiate and received the Franciscan habit and his new name. From 1959 to 1962, he studied philosophy and theology at St. Anthony-on-Hudson Seminary in Rensselaer, New York, and continued his theological studies in the Order’s missions of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, arriving there on November 6, 1962. From 1963 to 1965, he studied theology at the archdiocesan seminary of San Giuseppe in Rio. In 1965, he received the diaconate by the imposition of the hands of Dom Jaime de Barros Camara and was ordained a priest on October 30, 1965 in the chapel of St. Francis on Staten Island, New York, by Archbishop Francisco E. Hyland.
Friar Elias easily adjusted to life in Brazil, quickly enculturating and learning the Portuguese language, while engaging in the pastoral work of the Church and Order. Within the Franciscan Mission of the Custody of the Immaculate Conception of Rio de Janeiro, he exercised the role of parish priest and guardian for several years; always bearing witness to the Kingdom of God by a notably simple and discreet Franciscan way of life. Friar Elias served as parochial vicar and parish priest in Santa Rita di Cassia, Pontalina (GO), in the diocese of Itumbiara; and as parochial vicar and parish priest at the Parish of San Francesco d’Assisi in Rio Comprido (RJ). From 1976 to 1979 he was Provincial Custos of the Immaculate Conception Custody of Rio de Janeiro. In 1986 he was transferred to Arauama (RJ) as parish priest.
In 1990 he was appointed sixth bishop of the Diocese of Valença, adopting the motto: “You are the highest good.” His ordination and episcopal inauguration took place on May 13, 1990. Dom Elias’ episcopal ministry in the Diocese of Valença focused on the role of the laity, and their commitment and participation in in the Church’s evangelization activities. Dom Elias strove to implement and satisfy the expectations of the Second Vatican Council, as a humble protagonist in Brazil’s Missionary Church. During his tenure as Bishop, Dom Elias inspired the faithful by his humble Franciscan lifestyle. He refused to live in the Bishop’s palace, opting instead for a small apartment in a housing complex occupied by the lay faithful.
Dom Elias retired as Bishop of Valença in 2012. After his retirement Dom Elias continued to live in his modest apartment, and he maintained an active ministerial life in the Brazilian Church. He remained closely affiliated with his religious family, the Franciscan Friars Conventual, and with the parishioners of St. Michael Parish in Troy, who supported him throughout the fifty-seven years of his Franciscan missionary labors among the poor in Brazil.
Suffering a stroke just after celebrating Mass on the Feast of St. Francis, October 4, 2019, Dom Elias passed away a few days later. His death was universally mourned throughout Brazil. Dom Elias’ Requiem took place immediately following his death, and he was interred in the Bishops’ crypt of the Cathedral in Valença.
Dom Elias was predeceased by his parents, and his sister Joan Manning Plunkett. He is survived by his brother Lawrence Manning, his sister-in-law Susan Manning, and several nieces and nephews. Memorial Donations for the Franciscan missions in Brazil can be sent to: The Franciscan Friars Conventual, 12300 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City, MD 21042.
February 2nd is the World Day for Consecrated Life. It will be celebrated in parish churches on the weekend of February 1-2, 2020 and is a great weekend to share our way of life and to invite all of the faithful to pray for vocations while encouraging those in discernment to consider a vocation to Consecrated Life with our Order. Through our ministries and vocation events, we friars will attempt to focus in on this topic at weekend Liturgies, in the classroom and at our other ministry sites. We share Vocation Stories, encourage visits our province YouTube channel and Facebook Page, as well as the North American Province’s collaborative Vocation Website, Novitiate Website, and Postulancy Facebook page.
Thank you all for helping to foster vocations to our way of life. We ask for your prayers for men who have begun application and those considering application, to the Order in July 2020. We pray that Our Lady of the Angels and St. Francis of Assisi will intercede for us, so that more men will be drawn to serve Jesus with us.
Heads Up!
In a few months, our province will be hosting another “Come and See Weekend” for those in discernmment, as well as other single, healthy Catholic men aged 18-40, who are looking to experience a weekend living and serving with our friars. Participants will meet at our Shrine of St. Anthony (Ellicott City, MD) to visit with several friaries and ministries in the Maryland/DC area. This is a great opportunity to gain a better understanding of the day to day life of a friar; to see what it means to be a as Franciscan Friars Conventual. You must be registered to participate, so email our Vocations Office soon. We do have a page on this site devoted entirely to Vocations. Take a moment to check it out and prayerfully consider adding our province to your discernment journey.
In addition to serving as Pastor and Campus Minister at the Newman Catholic Student Center Parish – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Friar Timothy Kulbicki, OFM Conv. continues to serve our Order:
On January 27-31, 2020, Friar Jude Winkler conducted a workshop on the Letters of St. Paul for the postulants of the Conventual Franciscan Federation (CFF). The workshop was held at the St. Bonaventure Friary in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
