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 HNP Communications Office.
To provide news briefs for future issues of HNP Today, email information to communications director Jocelyn Thomas.
John Anglin, OFM, attended the May 31 to June 1 Atlanta Eucharistic Congress at which he sold and signed copies of his book The Wandering Friar. This Friday, he is traveling to Honduras as part of a mission trip with a parish in Little Rock, Ark.
On June 20, eleven friars will be honored at the Province’s jubilee Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York City. The group includes eight golden jubilarians — Louis Canino, OFM, Bernard Creighton, OFM, John Felice, OFM, Richard James, OFM, Michael Madden, OFM, Emeric Meier, OFM, Michael Putich, OFM, andWilliam Scully, OFM — and three silver jubilarians — Henry Fulmer, OFM, William Herbst, OFM, and Barry Langley, OFM.
Frank Critch, OFM, of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Triangle, Va., was recently interviewed by the Arlington Catholic Herald “about our parish’s environmental efforts via our activities in the GreenFaith Certification Program,” according to Rob Goriab, the parish’s coordinator of Franciscan Action and Advocacy. On June 3, Frank joined 40 people from the parish at a VOICE event. Goriab provided a story that ran in Monday’s Washington Post.
Mathias Doyle, OFM, was the featured speaker at the Cattaraugus Youth Bureau’s Youth Citizenship Awards Banquet held at St. Bonaventure University in Western New York. The dinner honored high school seniors from across the county for their academic achievement and service to their schools, churches and communities. Matthias, who served as president of St. Bonaventure from 1975 to 1990, lives in Loudonville, N.Y.
Photos from the farewell party for John Frambes, OFM, former pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish, Wilmington, Del., can be viewed on the event photographer’s website by selecting “Events” and entering the password “heart.”
David Hyman, OFM, reports that the HNP African Ancestry Committee, of which he is chair, is working on several initiatives. They include organizing another Go Down Moses retreat for young black men and collaborating with the Secular Franciscans on choosing a recipient for a peace medal to mark the 50th anniversary of the presentation of the medal to Martin Luther King Jr.
Photos of Ciduoane Joseph, OFM, participating in last weekend’s A Taste of Haiti fundraiswer were included in the album posted on the Facebook page of St. Patrick-St. Anthony Parish, Hartford. The Haiti native has been stationed at the Connecticut parish since 2011.
Christopher Keenan, OFM, and the HNP Ongoing Formation Committee, of which he is chair, are planning a series of bi-monthly phone conferences where for an hour friars can consult with a resource person on topics of specia linterest. They will focus on a variety of themes including ecumenism, leadership, pastoral care and human resource issues.The first workshop will be held June 20 at 1 p.m. and will include a presentation by Michael Calabria, OFM, on contemporary Christian-Islamic relations. The second, featuring Joseph Nangle, OFM, who will lead a discusion on “where we as a Province find ourselves in today’s Church” is scheduled for June 28 at 11 a.m. Information about registration and call-in details will be provided to friars. After these two pilot conference calls in June, the series will resume in September, said Christopher, who asks friars to “save the dates of Thursday June 20 and Friday June 28 and to watch for details.”
Stephen Kluge, OFM, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Long Beach Island, N.J., and Connie Becraft, director of its St. Francis Community Center, attended the speech by President Barack Obama in Asbury Park, N.J., on May 28. They were invited by the office of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie who visited LBI in April. “This was an outdoor event attended by approximately 1,000 people,” Steve said. “We were on the beach with about 300 others.” The parish will reopen St. Francis of Assisi Church, Brant Beach, N.J., on June 14 following more than seven months of renovation after the October 2012 storm.
Gary Maciag, OFM, was quoted in a news release distributed by St. Bonaventure University last week that announced the naming of Timothy Johnson as chair of the Franciscan Institute Advisory Council. Gary said, “Tim is an internationally-recognized scholar who has a tremendous track record of research and publication.” Gary was named this spring as director of operations for the Franciscan Institute.
Louis McCormack, OFM, of Mt. Irenaeus, welcomes friars to contact him if they would like to reserve a room for the Mt. Irenaeus Contemplative Days planned for June 24 to 28. Those wishing to attend the event can call Louis at 585-973-2470.
Several friars attended the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany on May 25. They included Felix McGrath, OFM, of New York City, and Daniel Riley, OFM, who celebrated the Mass. Photos can be found on the Facebook page of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany and Associates.
Provincial Vicar Dominic Monti, OFM, gave the keynote talk at the meeting of the provincial council of St. Barbara Province with the lay members of their various corporate boards, held May 31 to June 1 at San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville, Calif. After visiting with family members in San Diego, Dominic traveled to Chicago where he and Provincial Councilor Thomas Conway, OFM, are participating in a meeting of the OFM post-notiviate directors of the United States from June 4 to 7 to discuss greater collaboration. A meeting of the OFM U.S. postulant directors is also taking place in Chicago at this time.
Sean O’Brien, OFM, is leading a monthly support group at Sacred Heart Parish, Tampa, Fla., for people with family members who are incarcerated. This new ministry is open to people of all denominations, according to the parish bulletin, and meets on the last Sunday of each month in the San Damiano Center on the corner of North Florida and Madison Ave.
Provincial Minister John O’Connor, OFM, is at the Province’s final fraternal gathering in the spring series. It is being held at Stella Maris retreat Center in Skaneateles, N.Y. On Saturday, he will attend the jubilee celebration at Holy Name Friary, Ringwood, N.J.
Gene Pistacchio, OFM, traveled recently on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, organized by St. Anthony Shrine where he is statoned. A summary of the trip, with an assortment of photos showing the pilgrims and their activities, was published in a recent issue of the shrine’s bulletin.
In a May 27 bulletin announcement, Andrew Reitz, OFM, welcomed Sr. Hasang Chang, a member of the Order of St. Benedict, to St. Francis of Assisi Parish, New York City, where he is pastor. “She comes to us from Korea.”
Joseph Rozansky, OFM, and his colleague Br. Fabio L’Amour, OFM, at the Order’s Office for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation have distributed a link to the Food and Agriculture Organization website that provides “several practical guides showing how to apply FAO policies and programs in the field.” This is an important way to protect local farmers and small landowners, according to Joseph, who said in an email: “You do not need to be an expert but can pass the link to someone or some organization that can use it to empower your people. The people at FAO say that the best way religious can help communities is at the grassroots.”
St. Bonaventure Parish, Allegany, N.Y., where James Vacco, OFM, is pastor, recently donated $1,600 to St. Bonaventure University’s Warming House, through the 2013 “Meat the Need” campaign. Francis Di Spigno, OFM,executive director of university ministries at SBU, said this annual campaign is “an important source of support” for the Warming House, the nation’s longest running student-organized soup kitchen.
News for the next issue of HNP Today is requested by June 12 (always the Wednesday before the newsletter’s publication date). Updates about the friars and their ministries can be found on Facebook and Twitter.
Topics planned for future issues of this newsletter include:
• Feast of St. Anthony commemorations
• Holy Name Province’s Lay Advisory Board
• Provincial jubilee celebration on June 20
— Compiled by Jocelyn Thomas