Some notable March events around Holy Name Province include:
One Year Ago
March 7, 2013 — St. Bonaventure University celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Friedsam Memorial Library with a blessing and rededication. Francis Di Spigno, OFM, executive director of university ministries, and Provincial Councilor F. Edward Coughlin, OFM, were among those who participated in the event.
March 13, 2013 — Pope Francis was elected as the 265th successor of Saint Peter. (Many HNP friars were interviewed by media outlets following the pontiff’s decision to name himself after St. Francis of Assisi.)
Five Years Ago
March 1, 2009 — St. Bonaventure Parish, Paterson, N.J., celebrated the community’s first Mass in Spanish with roughly 44 parishioners.
March 1-10, 2009 — Eight HNP friars visited the Holy Land on a pilgrimage of peace to commemorate the Order’s 800th anniversary. (The Order began the three-year celebration of the 800th anniversary on Oct. 29, 2005.)
March 13, 2009 — Holy Name Friary, Ringwood, N.J., was among 27 facilities cited by U.S. News & World Report as “America’s Best Nursing Homes.” (The friary has received excellent reviews, including a five-star rating by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in January 2009.)
March 22, 2009 — St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Raleigh, N.C., celebrated a ground blessing as the community prepared to start the building phase of their $10 million campaign. (The three new structures — including a community center, chapel and parish hall — were dedicated on April 25, 2010.)
10 Years Ago
March 26, 2004 — Siena College hosted the first intercollegiate Siena College Student Leadership and Diversity Conference, titled “Empowering Individuals: Working Toward Universal Change.” (Last’s year’s conference was titled “Put Your Best Face Forward, The Ever Changing Face of Leadership.”)
20 Years Ago
March 1, 1994 — The Warming House, a drop-in center and soup kitchen in Olean, N.Y., operated by St. Bonaventure University students and the campus ministry team, celebrated its 20th anniversary. (The Warming House is one of the oldest student-run soup kitchens in the nation.)
30 Years Ago
March 23, 1984 — Fire destroyed the candle room on the sixth floor of St. Anthony Shrine, Boston. (Two years ago, in June 2012, the Arch Street community commemorated the 65th anniversary of St. Anthony Shrine.)
— Compiled by Maria Hayes