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
Friars and friends of the Province are invited to the solemn profession of Javier Del Angel De los Santos, OFM, and Roberto Serrano, OFM. The liturgy will take place at 11 a.m. on Aug. 24 at St. Francis of Assisi Church on West 31st Street, New York City.
The Provincial Councilors met in New York City on June 26 and 27. Their  agenda included an in-depth discussion on the role of guardians, and update on communications, fraternal ecology, ongoing formation, the Province’s compliance board, and the US-6 Chapter of Mats. The next Council meeting is scheduled for July 23 and 24.

► Juan Turcios, OFM, and Larry Anderson, OFM, represented Holy Name Province at the Chapter of St. Barbara Province, held from June 23 to 28 at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. Friars from all of the provinces have been participating at each provincial chapter ever since the US-6 voted to merge. From a fraternal and operational standpoint, friars are familiarizing themselves with other provinces and developing new friendships in preparation of working side-by-side when the US-6 eventually unite. “Each pair of observers had the opportunity to speak to the 97 friars of the chapter concerning their home province,” Larry said. “The week included prayerful liturgies, an address from the provincial Fr. David Gaa, OFM, concerning the state of the province, voting for the new provincial council and presentations on issues dealing with climate change and ministry with refugees and migrants. It was a great atmosphere. I found the friars of St. Barbara very easy to be with. They welcomed Juan and me as one of their own. There was an abundance of food, laughter, and fraternity! I look forward to seeing our brothers of St. Barbara Province at the Chapter of Mats in Denver later this month.”

Pat Tuttle, David Phan, and Tito Serrano at Fluor Field. (Photo courtesy of  St. Anthony of Padua Parish)

► The annual St. Anthony School Friends and Family Night at the Greenville Drive drew more than 250 people from St. Anthony of Padua Parish and School – including Tito Serrano, OFM, who took the mound at Fluor Field to toss the ceremonial first pitch before the start of the May 30 baseball game between the hometown Single-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and the visiting Baltimore Orioles affiliate, Delmarva Shorebirds. It was a “great night at the ballpark!” according to a post on the school’s Facebook page, which displayed an assortment of photos from the annual outing.  In addition to Tito, who will be professing his solemn vows next month, members of the school choir sang the national anthem, two 5th-graders served as honorary bat boys, and a group of teachers and staff members of the Greenville, S.C., school were honored in an on-field ceremony for their work and commitment to education.

Jim Scullion, John Frambes, and Scott Brookbank at the LBI fashion show. (Photo courtesy of Lori Dudek)

► Jim Scullion, OFM, John Frambes, OFM, Kevin Daly, OFM, and Scott Brookbank, OFM, walked the runway last month with other amateur fashionistas to model clothing at St. Francis Community Center’s 8th Annual Garden Party by the Sea fashion show. Proceeds of the June 19 event will support the programs and services of the Long Beach Island, N.J.-based St. Francis Community Center, which was established in 1972. The center provides preschool, senior citizen, counseling, family support, youth, recreation, and education programs and services. Photos taken of the festive fundraiser, which featured food, an extravagant basket auction, 50/50 raffle, and fashions from local area men’s and women’s apparel shops and boutiques, were posted on the community center’s Facebook page.

► In the June issue of Making All Things New, the e-newsletter of Mt. Irenaeus, Dan Riley, OFM, invites friends and supporters of The Mountain to consider attending a weekend with the Council for Spirit & Life July from 26-28. The e-publication reports that the Council’s mission is to bring Mt. Irenaeus to those in all corners of the globe who seek a deepening of faith, fellowship, contemplation, and community. Modeled after the “Tree of Life,” the Council has four branches – Mountain in Your Home, Electronic Media, Weekends & More, and Mutual Mentoring & Companioning. In other news, the June issue also describes the positive response to Mt. Irenaeus’ request for August companions, noting that inquiries came from more than a dozen people, with many of them planning to participate. Participants will be asked to share their stories in future e-newsletters – explaining what led them to try this way of life, as well as recounting their experiences as a companion. Friars and supporters of The Mountain invite anyone with interest or questions about Mt. Irenaeus to contact Mike Fenn, executive director, at mfenn@sbu.edu, or Kevin Kriso, OFM, guardian of Holy Peace Friary, at kkriso@sbu.edu. Information about the Mt. Irenaeus Franciscan Mountain Community – including links to the podcast and to Dan’s Instagram – can be found on its website.

► Dan Horan, OFM, delivered three lectures last month at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Tx., as part of the school’s 2019 Summer Institute. The theme of the lectures was “Fear and Faith.” The assistant professor of systematic theology and spirituality at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago was the major keynote at the June 10 to 12 event. He was described by the San Antonio school as one of the “emerging young Catholic spiritual voices in America today.” A video of Dan’s lecture presentations is posted on the Oblate School of Theology website. Later in June, Dan participated in the International Thomas Merton Society Conference at Santa Clara University in California. In a Facebook post, Dan said he was honored to be back on the ITMS board of directors and was “looking forward to the continuing work of spreading the word about Merton!” To learn more about the ITMS, visit www.Merton.org. Since January, Dan has been writing for the National Catholic Reporter. His columns can be found on the NCR website.

The parish church of Santa Ana where Tony Wilson works in Lima. (Photo courtesy of Jim McIntosh)

► Ignatius Harding, OFM, returned this week to Triangle, Va., after visiting the friars in South America. He spent a week “missioning with 10 parishioners at our sister parish Santa Ana in Lima where Tony Wilson, OFM, and Carlos Sarmiento, OFM, are ministering. He then attended the ceremony at which Thomas Kornacki, OFM, an alumnus of  the Province, presented the HNP Francis Medal to  a Dominican sister .  He also attended  the opening Eucharist for the Franciscan Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation national annual assembly in Cochabamba. Iggy said describes his visit as “a great two weeks.

► Siena College announced that Thomas J. Baldwin Jr., vice chairman of the  Siena Board of Trustees will assemble and chair a steering committee charged with organizing a presidential search with the assistance of an outside independent firm. Siena College had announced late last month that F. Edward Coughlin, OFM, will not pursue a third term as president. Margaret A. Madden, vice president for academic affairs, is serving as interim president of the Loudonville, N.Y., college this summer while Ed is taking a medical leave. Board of Trustees Chairman John F. Murray, said, “Br. Ed has served Siena with great distinction and has advanced a history of Franciscan leadership that has continuously enhanced our academic reputation, financial stability, physical plant, relationships with our constituencies, and profile in higher education.  He will continue to lead Siena College throughout a critical time in our history over the next year as we work together toward the goals outlined in our strategic plan, and will leave with our profound gratitude and admiration for his extraordinary example of servant leadership and for all that the College has accomplished under his direction.”

Michael Blastic was a keynote speaker at the annual Franciscan Federation Conference in St. Louis. (Photo from provincial archives)

► Michael Blastic, OFM, served as one of two keynote presenters at the annual Franciscan Federation Conference held July 21 to 24 in St. Louis, Mo. He and Sr. Mary Elizabeth Imler, OSF, of Illinois, shared speaking duties at the event attended by approximately 180 people who represented the Federation and other national organizations, including Franciscans International, Franciscan Action Network, the Secular Franciscan Order, the Commission for the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition (CFIT), Next Generation Franciscan Mentors, and the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities. Michael, who is stationed in Santa Barbara, Calif., traced the history of how Francis of Assisi was imaged in three volume sources: Francis’ own writing (The Saint); the time of the foundation of the Order (The Founder), and in later writings as the number of friars grew and the Order became more established within the Church (The Prophet). Among those attending the conference were Dominic Monti, OFM, of Western New York, and Gene Pistachio, OFM, of Boston. The 2020 Franciscan Federation Assembly is scheduled for Denver, Colo.., from June 5 to 8. This invitational assembly will explore new modes and structures of cooperation among Franciscan entities and national organizations in service of new generations of Franciscan women and men.

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

  • Chapter of friars solemnly-professed under 10 years, being held July 7 to 14 in Taize, France
  • Presentation of Francis Medal on July 4 in Bolivia
  • Reception of OFM novices on Aug. 1

 — Compiled by Jocelyn Thomas

Related