NEW YORK — Members of Holy Name’s Provincial Council met Sept. 10 and 11 at the Provincial Office here for their monthly meeting. Highlights of the discussions are below.
Leadership Development Initiative
The Council received an update on the leadership development initiative from Janet Rizzuto and Dominic Monti, OFM, members of the leadership development committee, a working group. The committee began work on this initiative in July, to meet one of the goals of the new Holy Name Province Strategic Plan adopted at the June Chapter.
The first phase of the leadership development initiative included interviews with 12 friar leaders, conducted by Peg Garvey-Mitchell, from the National Pastoral Life Center, and representatives from Axiom Consulting Partners. The interviews focused on opportunities and challenges facing Holy Name Province today, effective leadership within the Province, and shared leadership practices. The Council reviewed and discussed at length the initial findings from the friar leader interviews.
The Council members also discussed the implications that the findings have for the initiative, including: the need to clarify, communicate and internalize roles and expectations at all levels of leadership across the Province, and the need to identify and agree on a process that best support and encourages changes in behaviors and perceptions at both the Provincial Council and local level.
The findings support the use of leadership profiles developed by Axiom as an appropriate initial approach to leadership development for Holy Name Province. The Council reviewed, discussed and refined five emerging leadership profiles with their corresponding core attributes and capabilities.
The leadership development committee members felt that the upcoming guardians’ meeting would be an important forum to gain leaders’ interest, confidence and support for the leadership development inititative. The Council agreed that the inclusion of this inititative be part of the agenda of the guardians meeting.
Strategic Plan Implementation
The Council also met with Francis Gunn, OFM, who is serving as the Province’s coordinator for strategic planning. The Council discussed how to best publish the proceedings from the Chapter of 2008 that includes the approved version of the stategic plan.
Francis outlined a process for the fall that begins with a joint meeting on Oct. 24 of the Provincial Council and the chairpersons of the directorates. The Council will clarify the mission of each directorate with the chairs and answer pertinent questions. That afternoon, the chairs will continue their own meeting where Francis will facilitate a discussion on the relationship of the directorates to the various parts of the plan and their responsibilities regarding implementation.
It is hoped that each directorate will schedule a meeting to take place soon after the next Provincial Council meeting to begin their work. These initial directorate meetings will provide an opportunity for members to provide input on the template for the Franciscan life and mission plan that each fraternity will be asked to complete in three phases during 2008-2009. Further input will be gathered from the guardians of the Province at their November meeting in St. Petersburg. This work by all of the fraternities of the Province will serve as an important component in bringing the stategic plan to life during this first year.
Guardians’ Meeting
The Council members also discussed some of the agenda items that will be submitted to the planning committee for the Nov. 10-13 guardians’ meeting. The planning committee includes Kevin Mullen, OFM, liaison to the Council, Francis Gunn, OFM, Mark Reamer, OFM, and Andrew Reitz, OFM. The guardians will be receiving further information about the annual gathering shortly.
Approval of Vicars
The Council appointed vicars for the following canonically-established guardianates:
• Richard Flaherty, OFM, John Hogan, OFM, and John Maganzini, OFM — St. Anthony Shrine, Boston, Mass.
• Vianney Devlin, OFM — St. Anthony Residence, Boston, Mass.
• Bernard Creighton, OFM — St. Anthony Friary, Butler, N.J.
• Capistran Hanlon, OFM — St. Bernardine of Siena Friary, Loudonville, N.Y.
• Vincent Laviano, OFM, and Alan Thomas, OFM — St. Francis Friary, New York, N.Y.
• Charles O’Connor, OFM — St. Francis Friary, Providence, R.I.
• Michael Calabria, OFM, and Christopher Coccia, OFM — St. Bonaventure University, Allegany, N.Y.
• John Capozzi, OFM, — St. Anthony Friary, St. Petersburg, Fla.
• David Schlatter, OFM — Holy Name College, Silver Spring, Md.
• John Frambes, OFM — St. Paul Friary, Wilmington, Del.
Transitions
Brian Jordan, OFM, has been assigned to direct the Holy Name Province Labor—Immigration Project office, located at the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO in midtown Manhattan. Brian will continue to reside at Holy Name of Jesus Friary on West 96th Street on the upper West Side of New York.
The next Provincial Council meeting will be on Oct. 23-24 at the Provincial Office.
The photo above shows the 2008 – 2011 Council members in June at HNP’s Chapter. They are (l-r) Thomas Conway, OFM, Councilor; Francis Di Spigno, OFM, Councilor; Christopher Coccia, OFM, Councilor; Kevin Mullen, OFM, Councilor; Dominic Monti, OFM, Provincial Vicar; Daniel Dwyer, OFM, Councilor; John O’Connor, OFM, Provincial Minister; F. Edward Coughlin, OFM, Councilor.
— Br. Michael is Provincial Secretary of Holy Name Province.