November 1-8, 2019: Our Province Definitory joined that of our Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody (known as the Greyfriars) for not only meetings but the opportunity for our friars of North America to visit many of the friaries and ministries of our friars in England and Ireland. Although unable to visit all of the friaries of our Custody there, they were able to visit Dublin, Liverpool, Oxford and Walsingham – including spectacular ruins of the medieval Priory of our Lady of Walsingham, on the grounds of The Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham (pictured above). Read more in this News Feature on the website of our Greyfriars.
In honor of Veteran’s Day, Our Lady of the Angels Province Chairman of JPIC (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation), Fr. Michael Lasky, OFM Conv. published a November 8, 2019 reflection on the Seraphicum’s website entitled “A Song of Hopefulness for Veterans & Members of the Armed Forces.” Take a moment to read this as we celebrate Veteran’s Day 2019. Within the reflections he included this stanza from the “Navy Hymn” added in 1969/70:
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. 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. (pictured at left) still stays involved in Veteran Affairs, as he stated in his recent Spiritual Testament posted on this site on November 5th. There are a number of other friars of our province who are also veterans, including Fr. Curt Kreml, OFM Conv. (Parochial Vicar – St. Lucie Catholic Church, Port St. Lucie, FL) and Br. Dennis Sokolowski, OFM Conv. (In residence at the Our Lady of the Angels Care Center, Enfield, CT). Take a moment to re-read some more of the Spiritual Testaments written by several of our Senior Friars for more stories by our friar Veterans.
Throughout the Month of November, we are all called to continue to remember those who have gone before us. Our varied Province ministries hold special Masses, prayer services, memorials and other events to remember the faithful served by the ministries, as well those who have serve through them. We have been sharing photos and articles from our ministries, on our Province Facebook Page, since the November 1st celebration of the Solemnity of All Saints and the November 2nd Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls).
We would like to take this opportunity to share the very special way several of our recently deceased friars are being remembered this year. Our province has a large number of senior friars under the care of their confreres in friaries, in specialized facilities and, if still vibrant and strong – remaining in active ministry. Currently, we have six friars under the care of the Felician Sisters in the Our Lady of the Angels Care Center (Enfield, CT).
Over this past year, another eight of our friars were living there at the time of their deaths. Our province is so appreciative of the Sisters and of their ministry. Our deceased friars who were blessed to be under the care of the Sisters, at the time of their passing during the November 2018-October 2019 year, are remembered as part of a memorial display in their Motherhouse Convent Chapel.
The Sisters display those they have lost from their own community above, as well as photos of our friars on the levels below. “These beloved Friars and Sisters, who passed into eternal life from November 2018 – October 2019, are in our prayers and in our hearts.”
Taken at St. Patrick Parish, Friar Steven (holding the relic of St. Maximilian) is flanked by local members, including four local parishioners, of the St. Michael’s Guard trained to be Master of Ceremonies when the Bishop visits and to assist the priests of the area in enhancing liturgies.
The Most Reverend Ronald W. Gainer, D.D., J.C.L., Bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg, sent a request that every parish in his Diocese have a Mass for Healing from Addiction for those suffering from opioids and other drugs. As Our Lady of the Angels Province friar and pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish (Coal Township, PA) & St. Patrick Parish (Trevorton, PA), Fr. Steven Frenier, OFM Conv. read the letter, he was reminided that St. Maximillian M. Kolbe, OFM Conv. is the Patron Saint for those suffering from addiction. He requested to borrow a St. Maximlian Relic from our Shrine of St. Anthony (Ellicott City, MD) for use at his pastoral ministries. On September 17, 2019, the faithful gathered for a Healing Mass, at Our Lady of Hope Parish. The next week, on September 23, 2019, a Healing Mass was also celebrated at St. Patrick Parish. After each of the Masses, those present stayed for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by an invitation to come forward and receive an individual blessing with the relic of St. Maximilian. Although free to leave after the blessing if they wished, Friar Steven recommended that those gathered stay and rest in the quiet peace of the Church; allowing Jesus’ Grace to give them hope, comfort and peace. He was pleasantly surprised at both Masses to see how many people remained in the Church. After a time of quiet reflection, they closed with Benediction and a song of praise to God.
Other friars, celebrated Mass today in some of our more unique sites:
Due to serious storms in the Atlanta area, our Vicar Provincial was stuck at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, after missing his flight to the UK, for a week of meetings with our Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody. He took the opportunity to go to the Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints, at the airport’s Interfaith Chapel. There he joyfully found his confrere, Fr. Luis Palacios Rodriguez, OFM Conv. (Parochial Vicar at our pastoral ministry of St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church ~ Jonesboro, GA) celebrating the Mass. Although it is Friar Luis’ day off, he celebrates Mass at the Atlanta Airport every Friday; meeting the Lord’s People right there, in the busiest airport in the world.
As our Order’s Chairman of the Executive Committee for the Revision of the Constitutions and Seretary of the 202nd Ordinary General Chapter, Our Lady of the Angels Province friar, Fr. Tim Kulbicki, OFM Conv. continues his journeys visiting friars around the world, for the implementation of the Revised Constitutions. In addition to his other assigned ministries and positions, Friar Tim has been traveling the world helping friars to “receive” the new Constitutions, through academic conferences and friary presentations. After presenting recently in Libertyville, IL (at right) to members of St. Bonaventure and Our Lady of Consolation Provinces, Friar Tim traveled to Zambia to give presentations to the friars at St. Bonaventure College in Lusaka (for undergraduate friar students from throughout Africa); in Makeni (for the friars in the central region); in Ibenga (see video – for friars in the Copperbelt region); in Solwezi (for friars in the northwest region); and in Mwinilunga (for friars in the rural northwest region).
He traveled over 1000 miles by road, including 150 miles on washed-out roadways.
On October 26, 2019, the novice friars of the three Franciscan Families met at the St. Francis Friary in Arroyo Grande, California, USA, for a Day of Prayer preached by Friar Jude WINKLER on the Gospel of Matthew.
Halloween – All Saints Day – All Souls Day Hallow means a holy person or a saint. Halloween (October 31st) is another word for All Hallows’ Eve, because the next day – November 1st, is the celebration of the Solemnity of All Saints. Observed all over the world by many Christian Faiths, it is a day of celebrating the communion of saints; ordinary human beings who lived holy lives, in obedience to God’s will, and who now – in death – are in heaven for eternity. Everyone in heaven is a saint. As we respect & admire all of the deceased people who helped make the world a better place while still alive, we also honor the saints as the deceased who are especially honored by the Church, for having served God so faithfully. On November 2nd, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls) we remember all those who have died before us, while we ask God’s mercy for them.
As we approach Saturday, November 2nd and the Feast of All Souls,
we remember our friars who have gone to the Father in the past year:
+Friar Henry Madigan, OFM Conv. ~ December 10, 2018
+Friar Terence Pescatore, OFM Conv. ~ December 17, 2018
+Friar Marcel Sokalski, OFM Conv. ~ January 2, 2019
+Friar Joseph Grzybowski, OFM Conv. ~ January 24, 2019
+Friar Philip Blaine, OFM Conv. ~ February 5, 2019
+Friar Canice Connors, OFM Conv. ~ March 17, 2019
+Friar Duane Mastrangelo, OFM Conv. ~ March 22, 2019
+Friar David Suckling, OFM Conv. ~ March 31, 2019
+Friar Giles Van Wormer, OFM Conv. ~ April 10, 2019
+Friar Joseph Madden, OFM Conv. ~ April 22, 2019
+Friar Firmin Finn, OFM Conv. ~ May 4, 2019
+Friar Lucjan Krolikowski, OFM Conv. ~ October 11, 2019
+Friar Bishop Elias Manning, OFM Conv. ~ October 13, 2019
Daily Prayers for the Deceased
(Psalm 130)
V. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord, Lord hear my voice!
R. O let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleading.
V. If You, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?
R. But with You is found forgiveness; for this we revere You.
V. My soul is waiting for the Lord, I count on His word.
R. My soul is longing for the Lord, more than watchmen for daybreak.
V. Let the watchmen count on daybreak, and Israel on the Lord.
R. Because with the Lord there is mercy, and fullness of redemption, Israel indeed He will redeem from all its iniquity.
V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
R. and let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May all our departed brothers, sisters, relatives, friends and benefactors, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
R. Amen
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.
Our province is privaledged to have twenty friars from other countries and other provinces serving in the ministries of our province. From October 14-18, 2019, four were able to participate in the World Priest Workshop presented by the Institute for Priests and Presbyterates of the Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, in St. Meinrad, IN. The workshop was created to assist international priests in managing a successful transition into effective ministry in the United States. Presentations addressed the cultural orientation needs of international mission priests, as outlined in Guidelines for Receiving Pastoral Ministers in the United States, 3rd edition (USCCB, 2014) and Bridging the Gap: International Priests Ministering in the United States (Our Sunday Visitor, 2014).
Three friars serving at our Shrine of St. Anthony, in Ellicott City, MD ~ at far left – Friar Thomas Bahn, OFM Conv. (South Korea), next to him – Friar Rijo Mulavarickal Polachan, OFM Conv. (India) and fifth from left – Friar Everest Valentine Nyaki Mkenda, OFM Conv. (Tanzania) ~ were in attendance, as well as ~ third from right – Friar Paul Pantiru, OFM Conv. (Romania), who serves as Parochial Vicar at our pastoral ministry of St. Anne Catholic Church, in Columbus GA.
During the Fall Friars Day, on October 15th, our Vicar Provincial Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv. took the opportunity to bless one of the newest friaries of our province; the Franciscan Martyrs Friary, in Columbus, GA.
Friars Day – What is It?
Each year, during the Spring and Fall, the friars of the Our Lady of the Angels Province gather for a day of on-going formation and fraternity. Because of the tremendous geographical distance among the friars there are generally four planned days: metro-Baltimore, Western New York, Western Massachusetts and Connecticut, and either Georgia or North Carolina. Topics for each gathering are planned in advance. This Fall’s topic is Forming Intentional Disciples, with presenter: Katherine Coolidge of the Catherine of Siena Institute.
The Fall Friars Days 2019 Schedule
October 8, 2019
Our Lady of the Angels Care Center, Enfield, CT October 10, 2019
St. Francis Friary, Syracuse, NY October 15, 2019 Franciscan Martyrs Friary, Columbus, GA October 17, 2019
St. Casimir Friary, Baltimore, MD
November 1-8, 2019: Our Province Definitory joined that of our Blessed Agnellus of Pisa Custody (known as the Greyfriars) for not only meetings but the opportunity for our friars of North America to visit many of the friaries and ministries of our friars in England and Ireland. Although unable to visit all of the friaries of our Custody there, they were able to visit Dublin, Liverpool, Oxford and Walsingham – including spectacular ruins of the medieval Priory of our Lady of Walsingham, on the grounds of The Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham (pictured above). Read more in this News Feature on the website of our Greyfriars.
