Some notable July events that took place around Holy Name Province:
One Year Ago
July 1, 2010 — The four historic provinces of Germany officially amalgamated to form the German Franciscan Province of St. Elizabeth at a ceremony in Munich. Holy Name Province had close ties with the former Thuringian Province in Fulda. (When Holy Name Province was established in 1901, the majority of its 113 members were from the Fulda Province’s foundation in the United States. Another group of friars from Fulda emigrated to assist HNP in the 1920s and ‘30s.)
Five Years Ago
July 28, 2006 — Joseph Nangle, OFM, received the “Ambassador of Peace” award from Pax Christi USA at its 2006 national conference. Joe has represented Pax Christi as a media spokesperson, in nonviolent direct actions, and on delegations.
15 Years Ago
July 7, 1996 — John Heffernan, OFM, David McBriar, OFM, and Patrick Tuttle, OFM, arrived in Durham, N.C., where the Province assumed responsibility for Immaculate Conception Parish. (Today, Daniel McLellan, OFM, serves as pastor of the church.)
50 Years Ago
July 16, 1961 — The new friary at St. Bonaventure University was dedicated. The dedication ceremony began at 3:30 p.m. with more than 100 friars and friends assembled in the Immaculate Conception Chapel in Devereux Hall. The group then processed to the entrance of the new friary for a blessing. (Today, the friary is Doyle Hall, a residence for students at the Allegany, N.Y., university. The 1961 friary was replaced in 1986.)
55 Years Ago
July 17-18, 1956 — The 11th annual meeting of the American Franciscan Society for Vocations was held at Christ the King Seminary. Nearly 70 friars from a variety of Provinces attended — including 20 priests from Holy Name.Celsus Wheeler, OFM, delivered the keynote address on “The Qualifications of Franciscan Life.”
July 27, 1956 — Former Provincial Minister Mathias Faust, OFM, died. According to the November 1956 Provincial Annals, “No sooner had the death of Fr. Mathias Faust been publicly announced than the Catholic world hastened to offer Holy Name Province its sincere condolence.” The Provincial Office received notes by wire and by mail. (Last month, the deaths of twin friars Adrian Riester, OFM, and Julian Riester, OFM, attracted international attention.)
65 Years Ago
July 1, 1946 — Lawrence Kidder, OFM, the first Holy Name Province priest to enter the Chaplains’ Corps when Selective Service was inaugurated, completed his terminal leave with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Lawrence was first commissioned in March 1941. He took part in the following campaigns: Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes and the Rhineland.
85 Years Ago
July 6, 1926 — Antoninus Buch, OFM, accompanied by Dominic Sonnabend, OFM, embarked on a trip to Europe to visit the scenes of his early youth via the S.S. Columbus (shown in rear photo). It was only the second visit to his native land of Germany since immigrating to the United States 43 years before. (Antoninus died less than a year later on June 2, 1927, at the age of 57.)
100 Years Ago
July 25, 1911 — Joseph Butler, OFM, St. Bonaventure’s eighth president, died in New York. His loss was greatly mourned by the community. In the days following his death, the Allegany Citizen published a tribute, which began: “Not in the memory of the oldest inhabitants has this community been called upon to mourn a loss by death of a man so valuable and so universally loved and respected as the Very Rev. Joseph Butler, OFM, President of St. Bonaventure’s College, who passed peacefully to his eternal reward …” (The tribute was reprinted in the October 1936 Provincial Annals, in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of Joseph’s death.)
— Compiled by Rebecca Doel