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, email information to communications director Jocelyn Thomas.
Russell Becker, OFM, was featured in an article in the New York Daily Newson April 3. The story, titled “Rev. Russell Becker on Edge of Three Mile Island, 9/11 and Japan Tragedies,” begins by saying: “He’s a survivor, a witness to history and one lucky guy — all wrapped in a Franciscan friar’s brown robes.” The feature describes the work of Russell and the other Holy Name Province friars in Tokyo, sheltering victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami at the Province’s Franciscan Chapel Center.
Todd Carpenter, OFM, pastor of St. Paul’s Church in Wilmington, Del., reports that Bishop Francis Malooly visited St. Paul’s School on March 22. Each year, the bishop visits every school in the diocese, Todd said. “He visits each class and spends time talking with the students and answering the students’ questions.” Todd posted photos on the parish’s Facebook page.
F. Edward Coughlin, OFM, St. Bonaventure University’s vice president for Franciscan mission, and Todd Palmer, associate professor of management science at the Allegany, N.,Y., university, were guest speakers at the Business Ethics and the Franciscan Tradition conference on March 9 at St. Francis University in Loretto, Pa. Ed, a member of the HNP Provincial Council, spoke on “Franciscan Theological Values and business.” Palmer’s presentation was titled “Business Practice and Franciscan Tradition From the Eyes and Experience of a University Business School Professor.”
A farewell commemoration of the Franciscans of St. Joseph Parish, East Rutherford, N.J., where Kevin Daly, OFM, has been pastor since 2009, is planned for June 26. Friars formerly stationed there will be invited.
Michael Duffy, OFM, of Philadelphia, spoke on April 4 at St. Joseph Church, East Rutherford, where he was based from 1971 to 1975.
An article about Daniel Grigassy, OFM, appears in the March 20 issue of the Byzantine Catholic World, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh. The article, titled “Our Church: Tradition, Reality and Expectations,” includes a photo of Daniel, pastor of St. Bonaventure Parish in Paterson, N.J., who grew up in Western Pennsylvania. Toby Harkleroad, principal of St. Francis International School in Silver Spring, Md., who notified the HNP Communications Office of the article, pointed out that Dan’s grandfather, Fr. Julius Grigassy, is mentioned in the article.
David Haack, OFM, of St. Bonaventure University, Allegany, N.Y., is commemorating a milestone birthday on April 18.
Glenn Humphrey, OFM, a psychologist at Rice High School in New York City, enjoyed following University of Connecticut in this year’s NCAA basketball tournament because its star player is a Rice alumnus. Glenn said, “These are bittersweet times for Rice High School. I watched with pride as Kemba Walker, a 2008 graduate of Rice, led the Huskies to the NCAA Championship Monday night. What a wonderful young man who embodies the character traits that Rice stands for: responsibility, integrity, courage and empowerment. Kemba is clearly a living example of Rice — in his relations with coaches and players, particularly his freshmen teammates. But the celebration is muted with the announcement by the Rice board of directors last week that the precarious financial state of the school portends its possible closure at the end of this academic year. Rice has produced any number of outstanding young men during my six years with the school. It would be a shame if this wonderful work, begun by the Irish Christian Brothers in 1938, were to end. With prayers and the work or our board and development office, Rice will hopefully continue its mission in Harlem.”
The Holy Name College community, Silver Spring, Md., attended a Lenten day of recollection given by former friar Paul Sansone at the Bons Secours Spiritual Center in Marriottsville, Md., on March 19. “Paul gave two presentations on the theme of ‘A Scriptural Approach to St. Francis’ Charism of Penance,’ and a reflection at the Eucharistic celebration,” said to Tony LoGalbo, OFM, a member of the Province’s formation team. He noted: “The day began at 9 a.m. and ended with the Eucharist at 4 p.m. There was time for private reflection between the presentations and after lunch.”
Kevin Mackin, OFM, president of Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y., was recently elected to the board of trustees of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities of New York State for a three-year term. Kevin was mentioned on WHUD radio on his birthday, April 5.
Cassian Miles, OFM, has produced a 32-page commemorative booklet of his golden jubilee as a friar-priest. His story is told in segments devoted to his vocation, seminary training, and assignments over the years. Along with the narrative, the booklet incorporates personal photos and paintings by C. Bosseron Chambers from the original format of The Anthonian magazine published by St. Anthony’s Guild. A copy is available by contacting Cassian at St. Anthony’s Friary in Butler, N.J., or via his e-mail: cassianmiles@yahoo.com.
Dominic Monti, OFM, hosted a meeting on April 2 of the Franciscan Volunteer Ministry board in New York. Last week, he participated in a meeting of the ESC provinces’ formation directors in Cedar Lake, Ind. Dominic still has several more communities to visit in the Assumption Province as part of his visitation. He will be in Sybertsville, Pa., April 17 to 20.
Provincial Minister John O’Connor, OFM, is travelling to New Mexico this week to attend the spring meeting of the English-speaking Conference provincial ministers.
Jacek Orzechowski, OFM, guardian of St. Camillus Friary in Silver Spring, participated in a rally on March 21 in Annapolis, Md., to support development of offshore wind power in Maryland. He and St. Camillus parishioners joined representatives of the Franciscan Action Network, Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the group that organized the Jan. 21 Polar Bear Plunge which is featured on the Justice and Peace page of the Province’s website.
Student friar Michael Reyes, OFM, participated in Washington Theological Union’s Festival of the Arts on March 25. The event, called “Kaleidoscope: A Diverse Collection” is a “wonderful gathering of the members of all Washington Theological Consortium schools,” Michael said. The event featured the diverse artistic talents of students and faculty members of the various Consortium schools. As a contribution to the event, Michael presented four art pieces he painted during his novitiate year, including the icon “Banal the Mukha,” which means holy face, that he created under the tutelage of Robert Lentz, OFM, last summer at St. Bonaventure University.
An email was distributed last month from Daniel Riley, OFM, director of Mt. Irenaeus encouraging donations to the 2010-2011 Mountain Fund Campaign. It listed “a few expenses” that are supported by the fund including heating costs, summer intern scholarships, and purchase of a new tractor. The recently distributed spring 2011 issue of the Mt. Irenaeus newsletter featured thoughts by Dan about the “need to walk ‘the way’” and dates of spring and summer events, including an April 9 work and reflection overnight.
Robert Sandoz, OFM, was mentioned in a recent e-letter of Christ the King Prep School in Newark, N.J., where he is president. On March 9, he and the school’s administration welcomed executives from the HSCBC Insurance global leadership team. The visit, according to the e-letter, was an opportunity for 45 students to work side by side with HSBC senior managers from several countries in “one of the innovative personal finance and economic education programs of Junior Achievement of New Jersey.” That afternoon, Robert “proudly accepted” a $10,000 contribution from HSBC and said, “I’m not sure any of us really know what happened in our gym today. World business leaders in our gym ‘playing’ with our students. There are those ‘archival’ moments in the history of an institution, such as ours today.”
Xavier Seubert, OFM, director of SBU’s art history program, spoke in New York City March 18 at the Fordham University symposium “Dead or Alive?: The Mystery of the Man of Sorrows.” The title of his talk was “The Image of the Man of Sorrows and Medieval Sacramentality.”
Brian Smail, OFM, the Province’s vocation director, recently distributed the spring issue of Be A Franciscan to friars and men who have inquired about Franciscan life with the Vocation Office. Brian wrote the cover reflection for the spring issue, which also featured student friars George Camacho, OFM, and Stephen DeWitt, OFM.
News for the next issue of HNP Today is requested by April 13 (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.
Topics planned for future issues of this newsletter include:
· March 29 to 31 meeting of the Interprovincial OFM African-American Apostolate in Louisiana
· Profiles of friars commemorating 50 years of profession
· Parish management workshop, being held April 7-8 in Silver Spring
· Priestly ordination of two friars
— Compiled by Jocelyn Thomas