ROME — The July issue of Fraternitas, the monthly publication of the Order of Friars Minor, includes the late twin brothers Adrian Riester, OFM, and Julian Riester, OFM, whose deaths eight hours apart on June 1 have garnered worldwide media attention.
Also featured in the newsletter is a review of “Guilty Priests, Scandal in the Church, and Hope of St. Francis,” the most recent lecture series by Fr. Patrick McCloskey, OFM, of St. John the Baptist Province. According to the article, the lecture examines “how St. Francis deals with the (sexual abuse) scandals of his time and how his approach could help even today with regarding the scandal of abuse of minors by members of the clergy.” The series consists of 12 lectures — each 25 minutes long — available in a five-CD collection from Now You Know Media. Fr. Pat is currently the associate editor and the author of the “Ask A Franciscan” column for St. Anthony Messenger, the magazine of St. Anthony Messenger Press.
The current OFM newsletter describes plans for the St. Francis Cancer Support Center in Lithuania, and a report on the II International Congress of the Federations of the Order of the Immaculate Conception with the OFM in Toledo, Spain.
Also included in this month’s Fraternitas:
- Report on the General Minister’s visit to the Province of Castiglia, Spain
- Description of a recent seminar on Islam at the Franciscan International Study Centre in Canterbury, England
- Details of the XXXIV Franciscan Week of Study, August 28 to Sept. 2, in Verona, Italy
Information about the Order is provided in three languages on its website.
The General Curia’s new director of communications is Br. Joseph Magro, OFM, of the Province of St. Paul the Apostle in Malta. He succeeds the late Fr. John Abela, OFM, from the same province.
— Compiled by Vicky Wolak