Some notable March events that took place around Holy Name Province:
One Year Ago
March 9, 2011 — New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan visited St. Francis Breadline on Ash Wednesday to distribute food and ashes to hundreds of people in front of St. Francis of Assisi Church on W. 31st Street. (The recently elevated cardinal once again began Lent with a visit to the more than 80-year-old breadline this year.)
March 11, 2011 — A massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck the northeastern coast of Japan. In the weeks following the quake, the Franciscan Chapel Center in Tokyo became a shelter to Filiponos from Sendai and Fukushima. (Information about the center, the English language parish of the archdiocese of Tokyo, can be found on its website and Facebook page.)
March 19, 2011 — HNP’s Evangelization Directorate sponsored “Feed My Sheep: Ministering Effectively to Younger Generations,” a daylong workshop offered as a way to strengthen techniques in reaching youth and young adults. (In its 2008-2013 strategic plan, Holy Name Province states its mission to minister to young adults.)
Five Years Ago
March 9, 2007 — Siena College’s board of trustees announced that Kevin Mullen, OFM, would be the 10th president of the Loudonville, N.Y., school, effective June 1, 2007. Kevin, who was director of Siena’s Franciscan Center for Service and Advocacy at the time, succeeded Kevin Mackin, OFM. (Kevin Mackin currently serves as president of Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y.)
March 28, 2007 — The last of six fraternal gatherings for Holy Name friars was concluded at the Franciscan Center in Tampa, Fla. The three-day programs included a combination of presentations, discussions, prayer and fraternal time. (The first of seven spring 2012 regional days begins this evening at St. Anthony Friary in St. Petersburg, Fla.)
10 Years Ago
March 22-23, 2002 — An observance of the centenary of Holy Name Province took place at St. Bonaventure University, featuring a presentation on the history of the Province by Dominic Monti, OFM, then a professor of Church history at the Washington Theological Union. (In early 2009, Dominic’s book on the history of the Order, Francis and His Brothers, was published.)
35 Years Ago
March 20, 1977 — St. Bonaventure University won the National Invitational Basketball Tournament. (On March 10, the men’s team won the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The Bonnies women’s basketball team had its greatest season in program history with a 29-3 record and a perfect A-10 regular season.)
— Compiled by Rebecca Doel