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 email and by connecting with the Communications Office.
To provide news briefs for future issues of HNP Today, email information to communications director Jocelyn Thomas.
David Blake, OFM, accompanied students from St. Bonaventure University in Western New York to St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia last month as part of a service project. He and the six young people worked at the more than 30-year-old soup kitchen from April 15 to 17. Several friars with connections to SBU hosted students from the university who traveled to Provincial parishes and ministries over recent months, according to a report provided by Sr. Suzanne Kush, CSSF, director of the Franciscan Center for Social Concern.
John Capozzi, OFM, reports that the Margate, N.J., friary where he is curator is closed from May 8 to 14 for cleaning. John moved to Margate last month from St. Petersburg, Fla.
Last month, Christopher Dunn, OFM, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Lima, Peru, participated in a rescue operation of a construction worker trapped in a ditch. “The ditch was one and a half floors below the street level at the foot of a dirt wall on the street side of the property,” he said in an email from Peru. “The construction project was located about 10 blocks from Holy Name Parish, where the friars used to serve in a wealthy area of Lima. Once I received the USAR alert via a cell phone text message in my parish, I arrived on the scene within 20 minutes. I was able to get down into the hole with William (the trapped worker) when I first arrived. Once they started digging and shoring-up the area, I had to get out.”
David Haack, OFM, received word on April 18 that he will be inducted into the Art Students League of New York. “This is a venerable institution, and it is a great honor to be a member,” said Xavier Seubert, OFM, director of the art history program at St. Bonaventure University, where David teaches.
Daniel Horan, OFM, was guest preacher for the Seven Last Words of Christ service on Good Friday at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Midtown Manhattan. “It was a very moving experience for me, particularly seeing the devotion of the many hundreds of people who came to the Holy Thursday liturgy, the Seven Last Words and the celebration of the Lord’s Passion,” wrote Dan in an April 23 entry on his blog, Dating God.
Five friars attended the “Strategies of Effective Parish Management” workshop last month at Holy Name College, Silver Spring, Md., organized by Michael Johnson, OFM, pastor of St. Camillus Church. Mark Reamer, OFM, has announced a program called “Practical Workshop on Pastoral Leadership” that he is planning for June 7 to 9. Details will be emailed to all Holy Name friars.
The late Mychal Judge, OFM, chaplain for the Fire Department of New York, was mentioned in an online article from the Albany Times Union. “Sense of relief, but little joy” recounts the reactions of those who lost loved ones on Sept. 11, 2001, to the killing of Osama bin Laden. Cassian Miles, OFM, a classmate of Mychal, told the newspaper: “Despite who (bin Laden) was, we prayed for mercy and judgment for him.” He said, “I think Mychal would have mercy for him. Mychal was just that kind of person.” Bin Laden died in Pakistan the day after the Church’s observance of Divince Mercy Sunday, Cassian noted.
Kevin Kriso, OFM, participated in an Arbor Day celebration on the St. Bonaventure University campus. The April 29 observation included a planting of a sugar maple sapling — the state tree of New York — near Shay-Loughlen Residence Hall.
Erick Lopez, OFM, will graduate on May 6 from the Washington Theological Union. Later this month, Erick will be ordained a priest with Ciduane Joseph, OFM, at Holy Name of Jesus Church on New York’s Upper West Side.
Aubrey McNeil, OFM, pastor of St. Mary of the Angels Parish in Anderson, S.C., was strong enough to celebrate Mass on Holy Thursday, according to Patrick Tuttle, OFM, who contacted the HNP Communications Office. Aubrey has been in the hospital since early April. John McDowell, OFM, Khoa Nguyen, OFM, and Patrick concelebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper with Aubrey in his hospital room at the Anderson, S.C., Medical Center. Patrick said the concelebration marked “Aubrey’s recovering so well after so grave a respiratory condition.” He added: “After a perfect storm of pneumonia, bronchitis and asthma, Aubrey could simply not breathe, the lightning strike of his lung collapse was especially burdensome. We are very grateful to God and all the visitors and well-wishers who prayed hard to see him recover.”
Provincial Minister John O’Connor, OFM, is currently in the Chicago area for meetings. Last week, he met with the Council members at the Provincial Office in New York. On May 12, John will travel to Loudonville, N.Y., for a meeting of the Siena College Board of Trustees.
Joseph Rozansky, OFM, will serve as leader for a seminar next month being given by the Order’s Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office. The seminar was mentioned in the April 25 issue of the Assumption Province newsletter. Joseph is director of the Order’s JPIC Office.
News for the next issue of HNP Today is requested by May 11 (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:
· Ordination of two friars on May 21
· Commencements at St. Bonaventure University and Siena College
· Youth and young adult programs
· Jubilarian profile of A. Francis Soucy, OFM
— Compiled by Jocelyn Thomas