News Briefs About Special Ministry Activities of HNP Friars

 To provide news briefs for future issues of HNP Today, e-mail information to communications director Jocelyn Thomas.

Michael Calabria, OFM,was one of five presenters at St. Bonaventure University’s International Business Symposium on Nov. 8.

A photo of Michael Carnevale, OFM, appears in the Fall 2010 issue of Mychal’s Messenger, the newsletter of Mychal’s Message. The article describes the packages of “Blessed Bloomers,” distributed on Sept. 11, 2010, to guests on St. Francis Breadline, which Michael directs.

Kevin Daly, OFM, reminds friars that the next AlverniA workshop is scheduled for Nov. 15 to 17 at the friary in Margate, N.J. Details are available on the HNP Extranet.

Timothy Dauenhauer, OFM, hosted an annual Halloween party for the Boys Club of St. Francis in South Buffalo. Information about Timothy’s more than 25-year involvement with the Boys Club is available in the fall 2010 issue of The Anthonian. 

The friars and team members of St. Francis Inn soup kitchen in Philadelphia experienced a night with no electrical power recently when a fire destroyed a nearby building. Michael Duffy, OFM, described the scene and situation in a note he e-mailed to friends and relatives the following day. The note mentions that Michael appeared on ABC’s 11 p.m. news, but “of course I didn’t see it because we had no power.”

Martin Hanhauser, OFM, is celebrating his 95th birthday today. Several other friars have milestone birthdays this month including Ignatius Smith, OFM, who turned 80 on Nov. 8, Daniel Grigassy, OFM, who turns 60 on Nov. 12 and Robert Gavin, OFM, who turns 85 on Nov. 22.

Michael Harlan, OFM, facilitated the seventh of the Province’s eight fall fraternal gatherings last week in Raleigh, N.C. On Friday, he is leaving for Japan with Provincial Visitor Fr. Fred Link, OFM, to visit HNP friars.

An article about the late Leo Heinrichs, OFM, appeared in the Oct. 10 issue of the Watertown Daily Times.“Father Leo left his mark: Franciscan rebuilt Croghan parish, and a case was built for sainthood,” was sent to the HNP Communications Office by Provincial archivist Vincent Grogan, OFM. It describes Leo’s many contributions to the Upstate New York area, his life and his brief ministry in Denver, Colo., where he was murdered in 1908.

Brian Jordan, OFM, participated in the Solidarity Workers Rally on Oct. 25 that featured former Poland president Lech Walesa, founder of the Solidarity movement, Nobel Peace Prize winner and union electrician. The purpose of this rally, held in New York’s Times Square, was to highlight the importance of the middle class in America, especially in New York City, Brian said. “The decline of the middle class in America coincides with the decline of union membership. Recent studies indicate that the inequality of wealth in this nation directly influences the decline of the middle class in this country. Lech Walesa emphasized the importance of working class people as a means for the middle class to survive and thrive in America as well as in metropolitan New York,” Brian said. “Union construction workers, Polish Americans and university students who advocate human rights as well as workers’ rights participated in huge numbers.”Christopher Keenan, OFM, and Provincial Vicar Dominic Monti, OFM, gave the introduction at the Province’s Leadership Roundtable Discussion on Nov. 9, at which several friars served as mentors including David Convertino, OFM, John Felice, OFM, Thomas Gallagher, OFM, Angelo Gambatese, OFM, Hugh Hines, OFM,David McBriar, OFM, and Richard Mucowski, OFM. An article about the program will be included in a future issue of HNP Today.

Kevin Kriso, OFM, helped organize an information session about the Franciscan Volunteer Ministry at Mt. Irenaeus on Nov. 9. Vans took students from St. Bonaventure University to the Franciscan mountain retreat in nearby West Clarksville. The FVMs are at Mt. Irenaeus this week for a retreat.

Daniel McLellan, OFM, described the importance of several social justice issues in the Oct. 24 bulletin of Immaculate Conception Parish in Durham, N.C., where he is pastor. The issues included alleviating food insecurity, access to affordable health care and promoting immigration reform. Information about these efforts is posted on the parish website in the Social Justice Annual Report, Dan said.

Russel Murray, OFM, gave a talk Oct. 20 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Crofton, Md., titled “Faiths of Our Father Abraham: The Relationship Between Christians, Jews & Muslims.” From Oct. 1 to 3, he led a retreat for the Secular Franciscan fraternity of St. Thomas More, in Arlington, Va., titled “Following Francis, Following Christ.” The retreat focused on St. Francis as a model of conversion for disciples of Christ, Russel said.

Paul O’Keeffe, OFM, is featured in the fall 2010 issue of Franciscan World Care, the newsletter of the Franciscan Mission Service. The article, “FMS Returned Missioner Becomes Franciscan Friar,” describes Paul’s missionary work in Kenya and Jamaica and the ways that his FMS experience influenced his decision to join the friars. The newsletter includes a photo of Paul and friends in New York City on the day of his solemn profession in August.

Francis Pompei, OFM, reports that a new Franciscan Mystery Players group has been created. It is the 12th group to be established since Francis launched the ministry in 1990. The new group — at Pax Christi Parish, Littleton, Colo. — is part of the Diocese of Colorado Springs. Francis trained the teenaged participants in August. “They are wonderful and some of the best teenagers that I have started a mystery players group with,” he said. “I will be with them again for a couple days to fine tune the students’ performance and give them a mini retreat.”

Matthew Pravetz, OFM, gave a talk about music last month at Holy Name of Jesus Church, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The Oct. 26 program, “When the Music Stopped: Music in Catholic Worship,” was part of the parish’s adult faith formation program. Information about other parish events is available in weekly bulletins, posted on the parish’s website.

October has been a busy month at Santa Fe Catholic High School in Lakeland, Fla., for Paul Santoro, OFM. He gave a freshmen retreat about “being true to who you are” on Oct. 1 at St. John Neumann Parish in Lakeland. The following week was homecoming at which Paul and the student government association planned a week of activities that included a lip sync contest, a quiz bowl, a student/faculty volleyball game and a pep rally. On Oct. 23, Paul and Santa Fe president Gwen Cote prepared an Italian dinner for more than 200 people who attended Santa Fe’s Night on Broadway. Students sang songs from some 25 Broadway plays, while others served the dinner. On Oct. 26, students prayed the living rosary and on Oct. 27, “We celebrated Drug Awareness and Prevention Day coinciding with the national observance of Red Ribbon Week,” Paul said. He and SGA members held a prayer service at which two young adults shared their stories of addiction and recovery.

Brian Smail, OFM, attended the bi-annual gathering of the National Religious Vocation Conference last week. The Nov. 4 to 8 conference, held in Cleveland, Ohio, is considered “the major event for religious order vocation directors, men and women, from around the country,” Brian said. In addition to presentations, Brian attended a workshop that presented opportunities and challenges surrounding vocation promotion to Latino candidates and described the importance of understanding the Hispanic cultural context. The conference, which drew roughly 400 attendees, was “a wonderful experience of connecting with so many other vocation directors and to share ideas, challenges and hopes for the future. I was really struck by the optimism and enthusiasm of the attendees regarding the future of religious life and the great contribution that religious life makes to the Church,” Brian said.

Jud Weiksnar, OFM, asks anyone who might know of a spare church bell to contact him at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Camden, N.J., where he is pastor. The bell is one of eight items on a “wish list” of the parish that appears in the October 2010 newsletter of the parish, school and Francis House. Topics featured in this issue included the school literacy program, a new van purchased through donations and introductions to the new staff members and Franciscan Volunteer ministers.

News for the next issue of HNP Today is requested by Nov. 17 (always the Wednesday before the newsletter’s publication date).

Topics planned for future issues of this newsletter include:

  · Ministry of the Word update

  · Friar trips to Oberammergau

  · Music ministries at parishes in Providence, R.I., Triangle, Va., and New York City
· New “Franciscan Cup” basketball trophy
· Successful holiday programs for the needyUpdates about Province ministries and friars can be found on the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province Facebook page.