The updates below describe activities of Holy Name friars and feature 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 Councilors met on June 20 and 21 in New York City. Among the topics they discussed were World Refugee Day, planning for World Day of the Poor on Nov. 18, recent meeting of the St. Bonaventure University Board of Trustees, a proposal submitted by the HNP Racism Action Committee, updates from the Investment Committee and SAR Directorate, and a fraternal visitation of the Province that will be undertaken by Provincial Minister Kevin Mullen, OFM, between November 2018 and November 2019. The next Council meeting is scheduled for July 24 to 25. |
| The second Inside-Out Wellness newsletter for friars has been produced by HNP Health and Wellness director Amy Stewart-Wilmarth. It contains information about healthy eating, as well as how to avoid hepatitis and harm from the sun’s rays. |
►Basil Valente, OFM, and Lawrence Hayes, OFM, represented Holy Name Province at the Third Continental Congress for OFM Formators of the English-speaking Conference, held July 1 to 7 at Mount Alvernia Retreat Center in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. A variety of friars with expertise in formation and vocation gave presentations. Robert Frazzetta, OFM, provided music for the event, at which participants produced a document titled “May the Lord Teach You.” Basil is HNP vocation director and Lawrence is the Province’s secretary for formation and studies.
►Last month, James Vacco, OFM, was named honorary chairperson for the Diocese of Buffalo’s Catholic Communications Campaign, an annual collection that supports national and local communication needs in the Church. In an article published in WNY Catholic, James discussed the value of good communication and his work with Daybreak TV’s YouTube channel. As a Franciscan priest, he says he has three messages that he wants to communicate – “that God is real, that God loves us, and that in the midst of our experience, we can discover a glimpse of God’s presence.” James is pastor of St. Bonaventure Parish in Allegany, N.Y.
►Patrick Tuttle, OFM, traveled from Greenville, S.C., to Philadelphia last month to serve as disc jockey for St. Francis Inn’s annual block party. According to Michael Duffy, OFM, guardian of Juniper Friary in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, the music was the highlight of the June 24 event. “With permission from the city, we close the entire block for the day and move all the tables and chairs from the dining room to the street. We borrow more tables and benches from a neighboring ministry and transform the street into a sit-down eating venue. We set up tables of food – fried chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, cornbread, drinks and ice cream – and feed 436 people. There were balloon sculptors, face painting, water balloon toss, street drums, games and wading pools. But the center of the excitement is the music. Patrick and his summer interns drive all Saturday night and arrive in the morning to set up the DJ equipment. Once the music pumps up the speakers, the party begins! Our guests love to let loose and dance between their chowing down on their chicken and cornbread. The atmosphere is exciting, joy filled, and loving. Our guests thank us over and over for providing such a good time – a chance to interact in a carefree and upbeat spirit. Right away they start asking when we’re having another one.” Photos of the party were posted on the Facebook pages of St. Francis Inn and the Franciscan Volunteer Ministry – FVM.
►Dominic Monti, OFM, has been busy finishing the editing of a new volume in the Works of St. Bonaventure series published by the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure University. “This will be a translation, with introduction and notes, of Bonaventure’s ‘Conferences on the Six Days of Creation (the Hexaemeron)’. The author is Dr. Jay Hammond of St. Louis University, who is offering a master course on this important work at St. Bonaventure from July 9 to July 13.” This spring, he was involved with several presentations. From May 14 through 17, he was in Belleville, Ill., at a gathering of Poor Clares from across the US to celebrate the 60th anniversary of their two U.S. federations – Holy Name and Mother Bentivoglio. “I presented three mornings to the sisters on recent research on St. Clare and the development of the Poor Clares in the Middle Ages. Thomas Hartle, OFM, as spiritual assistant to the Holy Name Federation, was also in attendance, as was Octavio Duran, OFM, who videotaped my presentations for distribution to the monasteries.” Dominic was in the Washington, D.C., area, first at Holy Name College, Silver Spring, to present the history of the Province June 6 to 8 to the Holy Name postulants, “then from June 10 to 16, I was at the Bon Secours Spiritual Center in Marriottsville, Md., where, as ecclesiastical assistant to the Franciscan Secular Institute, the Missionaries of the Kingship of Christ, I took part in their quadrennial assembly, and preached their annual retreat.”
►An article about the late Mychal Judge, OFM, was published on July 4 by The Daily Beast. Written by Michael Daly, author of ‘The Book of Mychal,’ the article emphasizes the importance of Mychal’s message – that ‘America the Beautiful’ is everybody’s America. After the article as posted on the Province’s Facebook page, it was shared nearly 100 times.
►Thirteen people from nine Provincial ministries gathered at Siena College during the weekend of June 29 for the first Province-sponsored retreat for leaders of young adult ministries. Attendees discussed the challenges they faced with their ministries and shared their successes. The retreat also provided an opportunity to connect and begin building relationships among young adult ministries around the Province. The HNP Young Adult Committee, chaired by Kevin Kriso, OFM, organized the event, which was deemed a success by those who attended. More information about the retreat will be published in a future issue of HNP Today.
►From July to September, Richard Husted, OFM, will present a series of talks and prayer services titled “Let Us Now Praise Famous Women” at three parishes in New Jersey. On July 23, he will discuss Mary of Magdala at St. Mary’s Parish in Pompton Lakes; on Aug. 13, he will focus on St. Clare of Assisi at St. Anthony Parish in Butler; and on Sept. 24, he will discuss St. Elisabeth Ann Seton, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Hildegard of Bingen, Dorothy Day and St. Katherine Drexel at St. Bonaventure Parish in Paterson. More information is available on this flyer.
Topics that will be featured in future issues of this newsletter include:
- Reception of novices on July 16
- Clouds and Sun podcasts of Daniel Riley, OFM
- Profiles of Romuald Chinetsky, OFM, and other retirees
— Compiled by Maria Hayes and Jocelyn Thomas
Related Links
- “St. Francis Inn Receives Peace Award” – May 17, 2018, HNP Today
- “Friars Celebrate Poor Clares” – Aug. 2, 2017, HNP Today