March History of Holy Name Province

Jocelyn Thomas Features

Notable events that took place in the month of March through the years include the following:

One Year Ago
March 10, 2018 – Three friars were ordained deacons at historic St. Peter’s in the Loop Church in Chicago. The group included Casey Cole, OFM, who is scheduled to be ordained to the priesthood on June 22.

Five Years Ago
March 2, 2014 – The HNP Franciscan Volunteer Ministry received the Saint Katharine Drexel National Justice Award. The award was given to FVM by the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament on March 2, the day before the feast of their foundress, during a Mass at the sisters’ motherhouse in Bensalem, Pa. Michael Duffy, OFM, one of FVM’s founders, gave the homily, and Franciscan volunteer ministers provided the music.

March 29, 2014 – The Province commemorated the 90th anniversary of St. Anthony’s Guild with a Mass and reception in New York City. The organization was established in 1924 by John Forrest Loviner, OFM, and the Franciscan friars of Holy Name Province. Information and a video about the St. Anthony’s Guild can be found on its website.

Ten Years Ago
March 3-6, 2009 — Approximately 20 student friars converged in Pennsylvania for a formation gathering held at the Franciscan Spiritual Center in Aston. Participants listened to presentations about the spiritual and practical aspects of finances.

March 12, 2009 – Callistus Bamberg, OFM,  74, died in Boston. His religious life included assignments as a mathematics teacher – at Archbishop Walsh High School in Olean, N.Y., and Bishop Stang High School in North Dartmouth, Mass. – associate at St. Francis Chapel in Providence, R.I., and later as director of St. Francis Chapel in Colonie, N.Y.

15 Years Ago
March 11, 2004 – Hugh King, OFM, died in Ringwood, N.J., a few weeks before his 85th birthday. The Massachusetts native was the younger brother of Province member Ronald King, OFM.

20 Years Ago
March 15, 1999 – Demetrius O’Friel, OFM, 74, died in Ringwood. During his Franciscan life, he was assigned to St. Elizabeth’s Parish, Denver, as well as Christ the King Seminary, Allegany, N.Y., and the friary in New Bedford, Mass. He also served as pastor of St. Mary’s Parish, Obernburg, N.Y., and lived at St. Bonaventure Friary in Paterson, N.J.

25 Years Ago
March 7, 1994 — Joseph Doino, OFM, died in Olean, N. Y., near St. Bonaventure University where he had taught at the Franciscan Institute. Joe was 70 years old.

30 Years Ago
March 16, 1989 – Louis Canino, OFM, founder of Boston’s St. Francis House, was one of four co-recipients of the 1989 humanitarian award of the Association of Religious and Value Issues in Counseling. Louis currently lives in Stoneville, N.C., at St. Francis Springs Prayer Center, which was established in 2005.

March 28, 1989 – William White, OFM, died in Ringwood, N.J. During his religious life, he served at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in New York City, where he worked as porter and sacristan. He was also the General Curia in Rome for one year and served at St. Anthony Shrine, Boston, and at Holy Name College in Washington.

40 Years Ago
March 17, 1979 – Pascal Foley, OFM, died in St. Petersburg, Fla., at the age of 58. He had taught most of his life at several institutions, including Bishop Timon High School, Buffalo, N.Y., Siena College, Loudonville, N.Y., and St. Francis College, Rye Beach, N.H. In 1955, Pascal also served as guardian and rector of St. Joseph’s Seraphic Seminary, Callicoon, N.Y.

50 Years Ago
March 8, 1969 – Hyacinth Barnhardt, OFM, died in Albany, N.Y. The Ontario, Canada, native was 72 years old.

March, 1969 – The Provincial Annals outgrew its editorial offices at 31st Street and was moved to the minor seminary at Callicoon, N.Y. The new space was large enough to properly house equipment and files of the Province’s historical magazine. Typesetting and printing for the Provincial Annals were done in Dover, N.H.

60 Years Ago
March 17, 1959 – Provincial Minister Celsus Wheeler, OFM, accompanied by Sabastian Egan, OFM, made a visitation to the Province’s mission in Puerto Rico. During his stay, he was invited to shows at Colegio Madre Cabrini and Colegio San Luis Rey. Celsus and the local ordinary were also feted at the annual St. Patrick’s Night in the friary. During the trip, he inspected the many buildings and properties of the mission. Bernadine Ward, OFM, celebrated a Mass at the new Colegio Santa Maria de Los Angeles.

75 Years Ago
March 1944 – Three exhausted missionaries returned from wartime China after a seven-month deployment. Returning were Gratian Feltz, OFM, Brendan Lague, OFM, and John Vianney McGrath, OFM. They reported about a number of friars: Leo Ferrary, OFM, the mission superior of the Province’s friars in China, Cletus Hughes, OFM, and Blaise Scannell, OFM, were in Chungking, the wartime capital of China; Harold Joseph Finn, OFM, Louis Francis Joyce, OFM, and Paul Anthony Plummer, OFM, were interned in the Order’s international house of Chinese studies in Peiping; and Julius Dillon, OFM, Apostolic Prefect of Shasi, Ralph Reilly, OFM, and Firmin Feltz, OFM, Gratian’s brother, were hiding in Japanese-infested territory trying to carry on their missionary work. The returning missionaries knew very little of the status of Roch Knopke, OFM, who had been taken prisoner by the Japanese in November 1942.

— Jocelyn Thomas is communications director for Holy Name Province. Jim McIntosh, OFM provided research.

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