New Provincial Leaders Chosen

Jocelyn Thomas In the Headlines

The 2017-20 Provincial Council members:  David Convertino, Fred Dilger, Robert Frazzetta, and, in lower row, Thomas Gallagher, Walter Liss, and Erick Lopez (Photos courtesy of Octavio Duran)

LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. — Six new councilors were elected at the 2017 Provincial Chapter, held June 4 to 9 at Siena College. They include the first Latino friar to serve in Holy Name Province’s administration and three friars who have served as councilor during the last three years.

The councilors for the 2017 to 2020 term, in order of seniority by profession, are listed below. They were elected by 177 friars, who participated in the June 8 election. All solemnly professed friars were eligible to vote in the Province’s election.

These six friars will serve a three-year term, meeting usually once a month.

  • David Convertino, OFM, who since 2011 has served as the Province’s executive director of development, has been on the Provincial Council since 2014. David grew up near Binghamton, N.Y., and professed his first vows as a Franciscan 1973 and his final vows in 1976, and was ordained in 1977. David’s past assignments include St. Anthony Shrine, where he served as guardian and executive director, and Providence, R.I., where he served as guardian of St. Francis Friary.
  • Robert Frazzetta, OFM, a native of Long Island, N.Y., has served as guardian of St. Anthony Friary in Butler, N.J., since 2014. He professed his first vows as a Franciscan in 1977 and final vows in 1980, and was initially elected to the Council in 2014. Robert’s past roles include serving as director of music at St. Anthony Shrine in Boston, as the Province’s assistant director of pre-novitiate formation, and as a music and theology teacher at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne, N.J., and at Oratory Prep High School in Summit, N.J.
  • Thomas Gallagher, OFM, a native of New Jersey, professed his first vows in 1978 and his solemn vows in 1981, and was ordained in 1982. Since 2008, Thomas has served as pastor of St. Patrick-St. Anthony Parish in Hartford, Conn. His previous assignments include Holy Angels Parish in Little Falls, N.J., where he was pastor, and Wilmington, Del., where he served as guardian and director of novices.
  • Walter Liss, OFM, a native of Connecticut, who since 2016 has lived in Silver Spring, Md., and served on the Province’s postulancy team, first as associate director and later as director. Walter professed his first vows as a Franciscan in 2003 and final vows in 2007. His past assignments include serving as a computer science instructor at Siena College outside Albany, N.Y. Since 2016, Walter has served as guardian of Holy Name College in Silver Spring, Md.
  • Fred Dilger, OFM, who grew up in New Jersey and North Carolina, is stationed at St. Francis Inn, the Province’s soup kitchen in Philadelphia. He professed his first vows as a Franciscan in 2005 and his final vows in 2009. Fred was first elected to the Council in 2014.
  • Erick López, OFM, a native of Cuba, professed his first vows in 2006 and his final vows in 2010, and has been stationed at St. Camillus Church in Silver Spring since 2011, after being ordained a priest that spring. He moved to the United States in 1999 and settled in Hialeah, Fla., near Miami, where Erick became acquainted with friars involved with the HNP Ministry of the Word. 

At the Chapter, the Provincial Minister Kevin Mullen, OFM, thanked the friars who finished their terms in June — Bill Beaudin, OFM, Brian Belanger, OFM, and Joseph Nangle, OFM.

“I look forward to working with the men on the new Council,” said Kevin, adding, “We have already had some very rich discussions.”

Since the Chapter concluded two weeks ago, the councilors are meeting twice – in sessions called the Congressus, to determine assignments for the HNP members. The Provincial Administration aims to have letters prepared and distributed to all friars in early July that formally assign them to roles and ministries.

— Jocelyn Thomas is director of communications for Holy Name Province.

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