Former HNP communications director Roy Gasnick, OFM, who is commemorating 50 years as a priest, submitted this report on the recent celebration held at the St. Petersburg, Fla., friary for him and four other friars.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After the winter of our discontent and the chilly spring that followed, the Sunshine State of Florida wonderfully lived up to its nickname, providing us — the friars in St. Petersburg — another fabled day in paradise on May 1, the annual date set apart by our community to celebrate and honor each of those friars marking a jubilee in each particular year.
This year, we commemorated the 290 years of combined Franciscan and priestly life and service of five friars:
| 60 Years as Franciscans | 50 Years as Priests | 50 Years as a Franciscan |
| Clement Comesky, OFM Edward Dillon, OFM |
Roy Gasnick, OFM Alexius Mulrenan, OFM |
Miguel Loredo, OFM |
Our friary guardian, James Toal, OFM, was the presider at our 10:30 a.m. liturgy of the Mass. Roch Coogan, OFM, a former guardian of the friary, preached a homily that touched lightly on the impact each jubilarian had made in his ministries. Gerald Dolan, OFM, led the community in the sacred music for the liturgy.
After a special preprandial time together, we had a marvelous noontime dinner where the mood was happy, relaxed and conversations lingered. John Capozzi, OFM, the friary vicar, had taken care of all the decorations and settings in the dining room. It was a very fine day.
As we were celebrating here, Alexius and I knew that at the same time, others of the 1960 ordination classmates were gathered together at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y., for a larger get-together also with Mass and a dinner. Nine of the remaining class members are from Holy Name Province, while two are now with other Franciscan U.S. entities.
— Fr. Roy, a native of New Jersey, is a staff member of St. Anthony Friary in St. Petersburg, Fla. He is shown in the photo above flanked by Edward, Miguel, Clement and Alexius.