(l.-r.) Basil Valente, OFM, national vocation director, Eddie Caro, OFM, a Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef and member of the fraternity in Puerto Rico, and Mario Gomez, OFM, of St. Francis Church on 31st Street in New York City, present a box of handcrafted guava tortes that Eddie sells to a local restaurant to help support the San Juan friars.
Last month, members of the national Vocation Office visited the friar fraternity in Puerto Rico to discuss the revitalization of vocation ministry in the region. But the four-day trip to San Juan evolved into far more than brainstorming sessions, according to Basil Valente, OFM, national vocation director. The trip was fraternally enriching for the visitors and their hosts.
“We are encouraged by the eagerness and commitment of our brothers in Puerto Rico to support vocation ministry and to join our team of local vocation directors in joyfully spreading the Franciscan charism to those discerning religious life. They feel blessed to have the support of Holy Name Province and the US-6 fraternity, and we are equally fortunate to call them our brothers,” said Basil.
“This is a dynamic fraternity united in delivering Franciscan ministry. Each friar is committed to understanding how they can rebuild the Church, individually and collectively, just as Francis was called to do,” added Basil, who was accompanied by Mario Gomez, OFM, and Danilo Vargas, the Vocation Office video production manager who captured the trip’s full itinerary on camera.
It was the second fraternal visit by US-6 Franciscans to San Juan since the Puerto Rico and Cuba fraternities were transferred last summer from the Custody of the Caribbean to Holy Name Province. The first visit came in early March of this year by a contingent of HNP friars that included Kevin Mullen, OFM, provincial minister; Lawrence Hayes, OFM, provincial vicar, and Joseph Cavoto, OFM.
In addition to sharing dialogue about vocation ministry, the visitors last month engaged with their hosts in prayer, meals, and community and fraternal events. They were also given the grand tour of key ministry locations.
“Their welcome and hospitality was amazing. Seeing them in their ministerial environments showed us that although friars minister in different ways, we are all united in the bond of fraternal community and in our commonality of living the Gospel and supporting each other,” said Mario.
Gerardo Antonio Vargas Cruz, OFM, the provincial delegate for Puerto Rico, teaching a class at the Universidad Central de Bayamon, where he is a professor in the psychology department.
Among the whirlwind of activity, the visitors joined Gerardo Antonio Vargas Cruz, OFM, in his classroom at the Universidad Central de Bayamon, where he is a professor in the psychology department. They spent an afternoon in the friary kitchen with Eddie Caro, OFM, a Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef who they helped bake and box his handcrafted guava tortes (the guava-cheese is hands-down the most rich and decadent!) and array of bread, which he delivers to a local restaurant to help support the fraternity.
Cordon Bleu-trained pastry chef Eddie Caro, OFM, of the friar fraternity in Puerto Rico, puts the finishing touches on his handcrafted guava tortes.
Other friars were video-recorded while engaged in their charitable, youth, and parish ministries, and the visitors joined them at their weekly fraternal meeting – where they play games, socialize, share ministry stories, and bounce ideas off one another.
“It was inspiring to see how much they enjoy their fraternal time together and their genuine appreciation of one another as brothers. Although meeting them for the first time, we felt a special connectedness,” said Basil.
The words “connection” and “life-giving” came to mind when Gerardo was asked about the visiting friars.
“We have been part of the US-6 provinces for 10 months, so we were very pleased to host them. We felt an immediate closeness. We are a small fraternity, but sharing our ministries made us realize just how much work we do in the community,” said Gerardo, the provincial delegate for Puerto Rico.
Friars of the Puerto Rico fraternity participate in communal prayer.
“We are grateful for the support, guidance and resources from the Vocation Office that will help bring new vocations to Puerto Rico. It gives possibility and hope for the future of our fraternity and the new province,” added Gerardo.
During the visit, His Eminence Roberto Gonzales, OFM, archbishop of Puerto Rico who began his Franciscan vocation with Holy Name Province, hosted a dinner for the visiting friars and some members of the local fraternity.
“Bishop Roberto was genuinely interested in hearing about our approach to vocation ministry, especially eager to know more about our team of 70-plus local vocation directors,” said Basil.