Below are updates about some of the many activities of Holy Name friars, including their celebrations, presentations and ministry events. More information can be obtained by visiting links to the parishes and organizations mentioned, by contacting the friars by phone or e-mail and by connecting with the Communications Office.
To provide news briefs for future issues of HNP Today, e-mail information to communications director Jocelyn Thomas.
Todd Carpenter, OFM, announced that a time of prayer and healing is being held on Feb. 27 at St. Paul Church in Wilmington, Del., where he is pastor, to recognize the upcoming closing of St. Paul School. News of the event is available on the St. Paul Church Facebook page.
F. Edward Coughlin, OFM, will be one of two presenters at a seminar called “Spiritual Direction from the Perspective of the Franciscan Tradition.” The event for spiritual directors is being held April 5 to 8 at the Chiara Center in Springfield, Ill. Information is provided in the Feb. 2, 2011, issue of Assumption Province’s newsletter.
William DeBiase, OFM, frequently updates his blog, “Franciscan.” His recent posts have been about music, the Gospels and the federal budget. Bill also creates and posts a YouTube video each week, preaching on Sunday’s readings.
Feb. 25 is the 50th anniversary of ordination for seven friars: R. Patrick Fitzgerald, OFM, Conrad Harkins, OFM, Felix McGrath, OFM, Cassian Miles, OFM, Jude Murphy, OFM, Venard Murphy, OFM, and Reginald Reddy, OFM. That date is also the 50th anniversary of what could have been a 100-game winning streak for St. Bonaventure University’s men’s basketball team, according to Patrick. Unfortunately, his alma mater was defeated 87 to 77 by Niagara University at the Olean, N.Y., Armory.
John Heffernan, OFM, of Triangle, Va., celebrated a milestone birthday earlier this month. Some of the other friars who are marking birthdays in February include Dwayne Fernandes, OFM, and Daniel Riley, OFM, on Feb. 6,David Blake, OFM, and Aubrey McNeil, OFM, on Feb. 16, Jack McDowell, OFM, on Feb. 25, and William Scully, OFM, on Feb. 28 and Kevin Cronin, OFM, on Feb. 29.
Daniel Horan, OFM, presented a talk on Feb. 13 at Buffalo State College’s Newman Center titled “How Do I Love When I Love My God? A Franciscan Perspective on Prayer and Relationship.” According to Julianne Wallace, the staff member who arranged the program, “It was a great success.” She noted: “Even though there was a vast array of people there — from high school students and college students all the way up to senior citizens — everyone seemed to enjoy and to be inspired by Dan’s message.” News from Dan can be found on his blog, “Dating God.”
A memorial Mass in memory of Daniel Hurley, OFM, will be celebrated at Mt. Irenaeus in West Clarksville, N.Y., on March 20. Daniel, who had lived at Mr. Irenaeus for nearly 20 years, died in March 2010.
The food pantry of St. Camillus Church, Silver Spring, Md., where Michael Johnson, OFM, is pastor, was included in the Feb. 13 issue of the Washington Post magazine. A photo of food pantry coordinator Joan Conway, featured in the Jan. 26 issue of this newsletter, appeared with the article “Hungry for More.”
Brian Jordan, OFM, of New York, is one of the contributors to a statement regarding the union controversy in Wisconsin and other states. It was written this week by the Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice of which Brian is a member. The document, “Statement of Support for Labor Unions,” begins its message: “Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice speaks in strong opposition to the attacks that are being made on labor unions and collective bargaining today. We speak for the right of workers everywhere to form and join labor unions in order to negotiate collectively for fair wages and benefits for themselves and their families.”
Bernardine Kessing, OFM, is mentioned in the Feb. 6 parish bulletin of St. Bonaventure Church in Allegany, N.Y., where he served as pastor. The notice encourages donations from those who would like to put a leaf or a stone on the Tree of Life in honor of Bernardine’s ordination anniversary, March 12, 1960. According to the bulletin, one of Bernardine’s dreams when he was pastor of the Western New York parish was “establishing a memorial hall as a place of gathering. We all know what a gift this continues to be.”
Joseph Kotula, OFM, and Daniel Riley led a Mountain in the Sun program last month. It was held on Don Pedro Island, Fla., at the home of a supporter of the Mt. Irenaeus Franciscan Mountain Retreat in Western New York.
The late Warren Louth, OFM, was the reason for a fourth grade student writing a school paper about Holy Name Province for which she won first prize in a competition. Mallory Morris, who attends Sacred Heart Catholic School in Warner Robins, Ga., is the great-great-niece of Warren, who died in 1994. She e-mailed her essay to the Provincial Office after receiving research assistance from staff members Theresa Bartha and Carolyn Croke.
Jerome Massimino, OFM, spoke at Masses the weekend of Feb. 12 about his departure from the St. Francis of Assisi Church community. An announcement about his departure appeared in the parish bulletin on Feb. 5 and 12.
Jim McIntosh, OFM,a member of the Province’s Communications Advisory Committee, reminds friars of the value of using @hnpfriar.org e-mail. “Since it is a permanent e-mail address, this is the perfect time for friars to start using the Province’s e-mail option,” he said, “because it can be used anywhere, no matter where friar assignments take them.” Friars who have questions about the Google e-mail system are welcomed to contact Jim at Holy Name College in Silver Spring, Md.
Photos of Provincial Vicar Dominic Monti, OFM, and Provincial Minister John O’Connor, OFM, appeared in the Feb. 2011 issue of Western New York Catholic with an article about the recent election of leaders of the Province that took place at last month’s Chapter. John and Dominic are meeting this week with the members of the Provincial Council to decide friar assignments for the next three years.
Kevin Mullen, OFM, president of Siena College, Loudonville, N.Y., was quoted in a recent article in the Albany Times Union. He commented on the value of the movie “Grazing Miss Albany,” which filmmaker Mike Camoin says is a “family feud over faith and food.” Kevin was one of several community leaders who spoke in support of the film that Camoin believes “could do for New York’s capital city what a little picture called ‘Mystic Pizza’ did for Mystic, Conn.,” in the late 1980s.
A Spanish version of the video,”Polar Bear Plunge with the Franciscan Friars” will soon be available on the Justice and Peace page of the HNP website. It features Jacek Orzechowski, OFM, co-chair of the Province’s Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Directorate, who participated in the Jan. 22 Polar Bear Plunge in Maryland to draw attention to climate change. Russ Testa, director of the Province’s Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, suggests that friars tell their Spanish-speaking friends, relatives and partners-in-ministry to visit the Climate Change page in early March.
Andrew Reitz, OFM, is providing information about an autumn trip to Italy, offered by Sacred Heart Parish in Tampa, Fla., where he is pastor. The News & Notices page of the parish website invites those interested in participating to contact Andrew by e-mail.
A five-week course on leadership that begins March 12, “Entrepreneurial Discipleship,” is being recommended by Kevin Tortorelli, OFM, director of adult education at St. Francis of Assisi Church. The March 12 to April 16 course, offered by Fordham University, is being held at the West 31st Street church on five Saturdays. It will focus on “the enterprise of discipleship — how to design a business plan, market your ministry, and incorporate evangelization and catechesis into your work — and the discipleship of enterprise — the vocational and mission-oriented dimensions of work,” according to a recent Fordham e-mail that publicized the course.
James Vacco, OFM, spoke on Feb. 16 at the “Conversations on the Sacraments” program of St. Bonaventure Parish in Allegany, N.Y.
Paul Williams, OFM, of South Carolina, will be presiding and preaching on Feb. 27 at a Black History Month Mass at Church of St. Joseph of the Holy Family on West 125th Street in New York City. Neil O’Connell, OFM, notified the HNP Communications Office about this special event at the parish where Neil resides.
News for the next issue of HNP Today is requested by March 2 (always the Wednesday before the newsletter’s publication date). Updates about Province ministries and friars can be found on the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province Facebook page, which has more than 600 followers.
Topics planned for future issues of this newsletter include:
· Music ministry of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Raleigh, N.C.
· Province’s formation gathering in March for student friars
· St. Francis International School in Silver Spring, Md.
· Profiles of Michael Carnevale, OFM, and other 2011 golden jubilarians
· Washington Theological Union’s upcoming Franciscan Symposium featuring Michael Blastic, OFM
— Compiled by Jocelyn Thomas, who reminds readers that information about Provincial events can be found of the events page of the HNP website.