Friar News Briefs

HNP Communications Friar News

The updates below describe activities of Holy Name Province friars, featuring celebrations, presentations, and ministry events. For more information, email the friars, contact the HNP Communications Office, or visit links to the parishes and organizations mentioned.

To provide news briefs for future articles, email information to communications director Jocelyn Thomas at communications@hnp.org.

From the Administration
The Provincial Council members met last week (from May 28 to 29) in New York City. The gathering began with a discussion about an article, titled “Our Vocation: Leaving or Remaining Faithful,” from the OFM Commission on Fidelity and Perseverance. That was followed with updates about personnel, the Order’s financial crisis, the Province’s Fraternal Ecology Process, and the recent meetings of Provincial Minister Kevin Mullen, OFM, in Ireland and Italy. The next council meeting is June 26 to 27.
All are welcome to the Provincial Jubilee Celebration being held at 5:30 p.m. on June 27 at St. Francis of Assisi Church on West 31st Street in New York City.  Friars marking 50 and 25 years since their first profession as Franciscans will be honored. HNP members who are planning to attend are asked to RSVP to the Provincial Office by June 6.

Patrick Tuttle at his anniversary celebration. (Photo courtesy of Johnny Payne)

► Patrick Tuttle, OFM, and Jud Weiksnar, OFM, recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of their ordination to the priesthood. In Greenville, S.C., at St. Anthony of Padua Parish, where Patrick is the pastor, parishioners and well-wishers from the local community gathered in the school gym for the May 17 festivities that began at 7 p.m. with a short program and slideshow and was followed by food, cake, and entertainment provided by a DJ. “So many parishioners and Greenville community members attended that we had to set up more chairs for those standing,” said St. Anthony staff member Susan Cinquemani. In Buffalo, N.Y., Jud was honored on May 26 at Ss. Columba-Brigid Church. “There were lots of surprises during the ordination anniversary Mass and reception. I had been told that Father Roy Herberger, one of my mentors, could not make it but he showed up at the Mass,” said Jud. “It was wonderful to see the parade of 10 bicyclists from the Slow Roll group ride through the church hall. We also found out that one of our parishioners does a perfect imitation of me!”

► A 75th anniversary memorial Mass for Dominic Ternan, OFM, is scheduled to be celebrated on June 19 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York City. Dominic was the first-ever Franciscan military chaplain to be awarded the Silver Star. His first assignment was at the Church of St. Francis on West 31st Street from 1937 to 1942. All are welcome to join the friars for this special 5:30 p.m. Mass whose celebrant is Provincial Minister Kevin Mullen, OFM. In November 2017, Brian Jordan, OFM, wrote an article about Dominic titled “A Heroic World War II Religious Order Chaplain, Brooklyn Born and Bred.”

► Juan de la Cruz Turcios, OFM, participated in the Migrant Trail last week. The annual 75-mile journey spans Sásabe, Sonora, on the U.S.-Mexico border, to Tuscon, Ariz., and bears witness to and calls for an end to the deadly and inhumane policies of the U.S. government against migrants and border communities. During the May 27 to June 3 walk,  Juan was interviewed by Univision cable network (available to be viewed here in Spanish). Photos of Juan and the three friars with whom he walked can be found on the Facebook page of the Franciscan Friars Province of Saint Barbara.

► For the second consecutive year, John O’Connor, OFM, has been asked by the executive director of Catholic Charities, and the director of development of the Diocese of Arlington, for advice on fundraising for the Diocesan Catholic Charities program. John was also recently asked to mentor the newly appointed president of the local Catholic high school, St. John Paul the Great High School, in fundraising efforts. Additionally, John was approached for fundraising advice by the director of the newly created international program “Cities at Risk” – which responds to the ever-present threat of terrorism in major cities throughout the world. The program’s director is former assistant chief of the New York City Fire Department, Joe Pfeiffer. John’s background in fundraising includes leading the capital campaign for Holy Name Province during his last two years as Provincial Minister, in which he raised just under two million dollars and his current part-time work in fundraising for the Minister General.

► Last month, a local photographer presented William McIntyre, OFM, pastor of St. Peter Claver Parish in Macon, Ga., with a framed photograph of the ceiling of the parish church. Dsto Moore, who came to the school campus to photograph the 2019 middle school graduating class, was struck by the beauty of the church’s timbered ceiling, according to Regina Sweeney, development director of St. Peter Claver Catholic School. “He photographed the ceiling using only the natural light in the church,” she said. ”It’s taken from behind the altar and is not a viewpoint typically seen by most visitors.” The photograph will be displayed in the church’s social hall for all to enjoy, according to Sweeney. “Akin to the Franciscan charism of seeing God in every face. Moore enjoys using his art to highlight the inner, and sometimes hidden, beauty and character of the people and places of our beloved Pleasant Hill,” Bill said.

The memorial at the Memorial Glade, a new monument at Ground Zero to honor those who helped clean up the site. (Photo courtesy of Brian)

► Brian Jordan, OFM, was invited to the May 30 opening of the Memorial Glade outside of the September 11 National Memorial Museum in New York City. “The glade is dedicated to those who served at Ground Zero after 9/11 and suffered due to exposure to toxins at the site,” said Brian, who provided a photo of the memorial. “The ceremony was touching and the Memorial Glade is quite moving.”

► Daniel Horan, OFM, returned earlier this week from the Holy Land where he co-led a pilgrimage to nearly a dozen biblical sites. The trip, which began May 24 and concluded on June 2, was titled “Walking as a Disciple: A Retreat in the Holy Land” – which featured a visit to Tabgha, an area on the shores of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes. Dan is an assistant professor of systematic theology and spirituality at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. In a column titled “Going on pilgrimage, religious or secular, is important,” published May 29 in National Catholic Reporter, Dan writes, “As Christians, we have numerous sites for pilgrimage, including those tied to saints, Marian apparitions, churches and biblical locations, among others. There are at least three lessons that my current pilgrimage to the Holy Land has reminded me about the theological importance of place in our tradition.”

►Provincial Councilor Robert Frazzetta, OFM, is featured in the latest installment of “A Friar Life” – the video series produced by Casey Cole, OFM, who launched the popular series more than two years ago. Robert is the guardian of St. Anthony Friary in Butler, N.J.

► Four HNP friars stationed in northern New Jersey were honored recently for their anniversaries of religious life. Kevin Cronin, OFM, Joseph Juracek, OFM, and Emmet Murphy, OFM, who are marking 50, 40 and 60 years of religious profession this year, were recognized on May 18 at the Paterson Diocese’s annual Jubilee Mass for religious at St. Mary’s Assumption Church in Passaic, N.J. Bishop Arthur Serratelli celebrated the Mass. Brice Leavins, OFM, was among 16 priests honored at a Mass on June 4 – also celebrated by Bishop Serratelli, at St. Patrick Church in Chatham. Brice is marking 50 years since his ordination.

► The work that Michael Carnevale, OFM, did for AIDS patients in the early 1980s was described in a recent America magazine article titled “The Secret History of Catholic Caregivers and the AIDS Epidemic.” The article says, “During a sabbatical in the early 1980s, Father Carnevale lived in San Francisco’s Bay Area. He befriended a man named Michael and his partner, Donald. Michael, an artist whose love for life manifested itself in the epic costume parties he hosted, became sick. He lived with H.I.V. for about three years. During this time, Father Carnevale spent weekends with his friends, helping out as Michael grew weaker.”

 Topics that will be featured in future issues of this newsletter include:

  • Experience of Steven Patti, OFM, on a Habitat for Humanity trip to El Salvador
  • Overview of internships of two formation students
  • Summary of commemorations of 800th anniversary of the encounter of St. Francis with the Sultan of Egypt
  • Simple profession on July 2

— Compiled by Jocelyn Thomas

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