Below are updates about some of the many activities of Holy Name friars. They include personal news as well as developments at their ministries. 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.
St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Triangle, Va., held a lunch on Oct. 4 to welcome Paul Breslin, OFM, to the community.
George Corrigan, OFM, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Tampa, Fla., announced that the parish has launched a Facebook page. “Just go to Facebook and click like to see events, photo albums and more,” according to the parish website.
Kevin Downey, OFM, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Triangle, wrote a tribute to Janet Sarsfield, the parish music director who died last month, that appeared in the Sept. 30 parish bulletin. In it, he mentioned that former pastor Charles Miller, OFM, and Provincial Minister John O’Connor, OFM, concelebrated the Sept. 21 Mass of Christian Burial for Sarsfield.
A photo by Octavio Duran, OFM, showing the Province’s June 21 jubilee Mass appeared in the Oct. 4 issue of Catholic New York. The article featured men and women religious who are marking their anniversaries of profession this year. It included brief biographies about the HNP friars celebrating their golden jubilee — Donald Chin, OFM, Joseph Ehrhardt, OFM, Bonaventure Hayes, OFM, John McVean, OFM, Charles Miller, OFM, Edwin Robinson, OFM, John Schulmeister, OFM, and Sebastian Tobin, OFM — and those celebrating 25 years of profession — Frank Sevola, OFM, Basil Valente, OFM, and Dennis Wilson, OFM.
David Haack, OFM, visited St. Mary’s Parish in Pompton Lakes, N.J., the weekend of Oct. 6 while several of his paintings were displayed. According to the Oct. 7 bulletin, David’s paintings of St. Joseph and of Our Lady of Guadalupe were added to Downey Hall “in honor of our Latino community, who regularly use Downey Hall for worship.”
Michael Harlan, OFM, has reminded the HNP guardians to register for the annual guardians meeting, being held Nov. 12 to Nov. 15 in St. Petersburg, Fla., near St. Anthony Residence.
Gerald Hopeck, OFM, will be a co-leader of the Dec. 27 to 30 “Go Down Moses” retreat for men of African descent. He is creating an informational flyer that is being distributed by the Province’s African Ancestry Committee, which organized the gathering, to publicize the event.
Michael Johnson, OFM, pastor of St. Camillus Church in Silver Spring, Md., participated in last week’s grand opening of the Victory Oaks at St. Camillus housing development in Silver Spring. An interview with Michael and a performance by St. Francis International School’s choir were part of news coverage by ABC News on Oct. 1.
Paul Keenan, OFM, of Assumption Parish, Wood-Ridge, N.J., attended the Sixteenth Biomedical Ethics Symposium dealing with “The Ethics of Health Care Reform and the Affordable Care Act,” on Sept. 24 at Hackensack, N.J., University Medical Center. This forum “looked at the exploding costs of health care and how health care reform will impact ethical decisions made regarding our health care today and in the future,” Paul said. “The symposium was an opportunity to learn from national leaders involved in the Affordable Care Act, as well as making connections with local community contacts involved in the health care field.”
Daniel McLellan, OFM, pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, Durham, N.C., led a daylong retreat for young adults at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Raleigh, N.C., on Sept. 29.
Provincial Minister John O’Connor, OFM, participated yesterday in a meeting at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. For his involvement with a dedication earlier this year of a “green” building at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Raleigh, John was mentioned in an article in Plumbing & Mechanical Engineering, a trade magazine. The article, titled “Environmental Stewards,” spoke about the ecological attention paid to three buildings at the Raleigh parish.
Steven Patti, OFM, will lead a men’s ministry retreat at St. Francis Springs Prayer Center, Stoneville, N.C., from Oct. 19 to 21. The program will focus on the Year of Faith and the 50th anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council.
Christopher Posch, OFM, and the other members of the Province’s Hispanic Ministry Committee are making final preparations for the 2012 Encuentro Franciscano on Oct. 20. To register, interested participants should email Gonzalo Torres, OFM, or call Ana Schmitt at (302) 584-0733. The all-day program is being held at St. Camillus Parish in Silver Spring, Md. The committee has posted information on the Encuentro blog and is developing a Facebook page.
Mark Reamer, OFM, accepted the Murphy Award from the International Catholic Stewardship Conference on behalf of the staff of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Raleigh, N.C., where he is pastor. The remarks he made at the Sept. 16 presentation were published in the Sept. 23 parish bulletin.
The email account of James Sabak, OFM, has been compromised. It is suggested to not open emails from him that have no subject line.
Jud Weiksnar, OFM, was mentioned in a Catholic Star Herald article about St. Anthony of Padua Church’s peace walk on Oct. 3. Parishioners of the Camden, N.J., parish and other members of the community have participated in several events this month to advocate for peace in Camden, one of the poorest and most violent cities in the nation. Also pictured in the article were the Bells of Remembrance, brought to Camden by David Schlatter, OFM. The bells were used in a vigil for the 48 people who have been murdered in Camden in 2012.
News for the next issue of HNP Today is requested by Oct. 17 (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:
• Ordination of Francis Critch, OFM
• Websites of friar artisans
• 2013 pilgrimages offered by HNP ministries
— Compiled by Jocelyn Thomas