RIO RANCHO, N.M. — Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe gathered here last month for their All Province Assembly at Rio Rancho Inn.
Provincial Minster Larry Dunham, OFM, shown in photo, spoke at the June 2 official assembly opening, highlighting past friars in the Southwest, the great missionaries of today, and issues facing the ministry in the 21st century, according to Padres Trail, the newsletter of the Guadalupe Province. He urged friars to “remember that structures do not bring people into the Kingdom of God; people can only be loved in the kingdom.”
The assembly was facilitated by Richard McManus, OFM, of St. Barbara Province.
At the June 5 closing of the assembly, two friars, Deacons Patrick Schafer and Gonzalo Moreno, were ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Ricardo Ramirize of Las Cruces, N.M. Most province members attended the event at Holy Family Church in Albuquerque.
Chris Kerstins also professed his first vows at St. Francis Retreat in San Juan Batista, Calif., on July 4.