NEW YORK — Below are updates about some of the many activities of Holy Name friars, including their presentations, outreach and celebrations. More information can be obtained by visiting links to the parishes and organizations mentioned, by contacting the friars by phone or e-mail and by connecting with the Communications Office.
To provide news briefs for future issues of HNP Today, e-mail Jocelyn Thomas at communications@hnp.org.
John Alderson, OFM, of St. Anthony Church, Butler, N.J., is reported to be doing well after surgery to remove a malignant growth in his mouth. News about him and about Ronald Stark, OFM, who is recovering from heart surgery to replace the mitral valve, was included in the Pastor’s Desk section of the July 26 bulletin of St. Mary’s Parish in Pompton Lakes, N.J., where Kevin Downey, OFM, is pastor.
Louis Canino, OFM, Myron McCormick, OFM, and Francis McHugh, OFM, returned to St. Joseph Parish in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., for a closing Mass on July 26. All are former pastors of the parish, which is closing because the Diocese of Scranton, Pa., has been reorganized. Holy Name Province staffed the parish for 72 years. Details and photos will appear in the next issue of this newsletter.
The friars of St. Anthony Shrine in Boston, where David Convertino, OFM, is guardian, welcomed three men to the friary who will be postulants affiliated with Holy Name Province, starting next month. They moved in last weekend.
Thomas Gallagher, OFM, is speaking tonight at an evening of reflection as part of the Fifth Annual Sunset Cruise of St. Patrick-Anthony Parish in Hartford, Conn., where he is pastor.
Thomas Hartle, OFM, HNP’s spiritual assistant for the Poor Clares, returned recently from California, where he served as guardian for part of the OFM interprovincial solemn vows retreat at San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville. He is serving as homilist at the solemnity of St. Clare Mass on Aug. 11 at the Monastery of St. Clare in Langhorne, Pa.
The work of Daniel Horan, OFM, was recently cited in a feature article on the spirituality Web site Busted Halo. The article, “Finding God in a Fragmented Society” by Kate Clancy, highlighted the contemporary influence that Thomas Merton has for today’s young adults. In the article, Clancy names Daniel and references the academic paper he delivered at the International Thomas Merton Society conference in Rochester, N.Y., in June. Dominic Monti, OFM, was recently interviewed about his new book on the site’s satellite radio “Busted Halo Show.”
The Holy Name of Jesus Church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where Daniel Kenna, OFM, is pastor, held its fifth annual picnic on July 26 in Central Park.
A description of Francis & His Brothers: A Popular History of the Franciscan Friars by Provincial Vicar Dominic Monti appeared in the July 19 bulletin of St. Mary’s Parish in Pompton Lakes. It was part of an advertisement for The Parish Store, located near the church and run by a parishioner.
A new column by Joseph Nangle, OFM, appears in the summer 2009 issue of World Care, the newsletter of the Franciscan Mission Service (FMS). In this first installment, he commends the work of Kim Smolik, executive director of FMS since March. “From the first moment I met Kim, it was clear to me that she was exactly the right person to continue to expand the great work that is FMS,” he wrote.
Daniel Riley, OFM, and his brothers at Mt. Irenaeus — Daniel Hurley, OFM, Joseph Kotula, OFM, Kevin Kriso, OFM, and Robert Struzynski, OFM — welcomed a group of St. Bonaventure University alumni and others to the Franciscan Mountain Retreat July 17 to 19, “We Come to Share Our Story.” The 13 guests participated in discussions, prayer, meals, walks and Mass as part of the annual Franciscan Sojourners summer retreat. Each month, this group convenes by phone to reflect, pray and plan. The conference calls take place the first Tuesday of every month.
Jud Weiksnar, OFM, was quoted in an article in the July 19 issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer titled “Pope Offers Ideas about the Economic Crisis.” The pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church said, “Camden has been facing for decades the problems that other parts of the country are now facing.”
Links to articles featuring HNP friars can be found on the “Friars in the News” page. Information about health news can be found on the Extranet.
News for the next issue of HNP Today is requested by Aug. 5. Ministries, events and friars being featured in upcoming issues of the newsletter include:
· Summer youth ministry mission trips
· The senior citizen ministry of Maurice Swartout, OFM, in Buffalo, N.Y.
· The Franciscan Volunteer Ministry
· Aug. 16 affiliation of three men to the Province
· The friars in Anderson, S.C.
· Michael Harlan, OFM
· Thomas Vigliotta, OFM, and the UGA Catholic Center
— Compiled by Jocelyn Thomas