New York – Members of the new Holy Name Province Vocation Committee met for the first time last month at the Provincial Office. The Provincial Council recently established the committee as an advisory board to the Vocation Office.
Committee Chair Francis Di Spigno, OFM, said the committee aims to develop effective ways of publicizing Holy Name Province to men who may be considering religious life.
“The cross section of committee members – from recently professed brothers to friars with years of experience with the Franciscans to a lay person with public relations expertise – will hopefully help provide a variety of ideas for vocation recruitment to Holy Name Province,” said Francis, a member of the Provincial Council.
The group will serve as a “think tank” for the Vocation Office.
Vocation Director Brian Smail, OFM, said he expects to receive helpful insights and new ways to reach potential candidates. Brian also expects that the Vocation Committee will help highlight the importance of the Province’s vocation efforts. “The committee will emphasize the promotion of vocations as a shared responsibility of all friars,” Brian said. “But we need to develop some effective tools to assist friars in these efforts.”
The next meeting of this 11-member committee will be held May 22.
Members of the committee are friars John Felice, Henry Fulmer, Francis Gunn, Linh Hoang, Daniel Horan, Walter Liss, Gonzalo Torres, Basil Valente, and Joan Licursi, a public relations specialist.
Both Francis and John have served as Holy Name vocation directors