For Immediate Release
CONTACT: Jocelyn Thomas, director of communications
JThomas@hnp.org
NEW YORK — Aug. 10, 2015 — The Franciscan friars of Holy Name Province are returning to the Diocese of Savannah, Ga., to launch a communal and ministerial presence in the fourth largest city in Georgia. Next month, they will assume the administration of St. Peter Claver Parish in Macon, Ga., an area not far from where they served for nearly half a century.
In addition to administering the parish, the friars will be involved with Mount de Sales Academy, a college preparatory school founded by the Sisters of Mercy, and Daybreak, a resource center for the homeless.
The province is excited about beginning a Franciscan presence in Macon, said the Very Rev. Kevin Mullen, OFM, provincial minister, or CEO, of Holy Name Province. “We are looking forward to collaborating with and serving the people.”
Friars from Holy Name Province, headquartered in New York City, served the Diocese of Savannah in parishes and through mission churches in southwestern Georgia from 1942 until the early 1990s. They were present in towns including Americus, Albany, Ashburn, Bainbridge, Blakely, Cordele, Fort Benning, Moultrie, Thomasville and Tifton. Since the late 1950s, Holy Name Province friars have served at the University of Georgia’s Catholic Center in Athens.
Three friars will be stationed in Macon. Rev. William McIntyre, OFM, will serve as pastor of St. Peter Claver Parish, Rev. Frank Critch, OFM, will work at Mount De Sales Academy and assist at the parish, and Br. Paul Santoro, OFM, a certified drug and alcohol counselor, will serve at Daybreak. They will begin their assignments by mid-September.
About the Province
Holy Name Province is the largest of seven provinces in the United States that belong to the Order of Friars Minor. With ministries in 12 states along the East Coast, its more than 300 Catholic priests and brothers serve in colleges, parishes, urban ministry centers and a wide variety of social ministries, as well as in overseas missions.
The Order, founded in 1209 by St. Francis of Assisi, commemorated its 800th anniversary in 2009. Today, St. Francis, whose feast day is Oct. 4, remains one of the most widely known saints, revered for his affection for nature and desire for respect of all people.
Information about Holy Name Province can be found on www.hnp.org. News about the friars and their ministries can be found on the Facebook page of the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province.
Questions and photo requests should be directed to Jocelyn Thomas, HNP director of communications, at 646-473-0265 ext. 321 or jthomas@hnp.org.