ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Friars at Sacred Heart Province in the St. Louis/Chicago area have elected Mike Perry, OFM, as their new provincial minister. According to the Around the Province newsletter of SHP, he received 83 votes and Michael Jennrich, OFM, was elected provincial vicar.
Held at the Frontenac Hilton Hotel in St. Louis, the friars began the meeting on June 8. The province is producing a daily newsletter, called Among the Brothers, that outlines the actions of the day.
Actions of the chapter included:
• Provincial Minister John Doctor, OFM, handing over the seal of the province to General Visitor Frank Jasper, OFM, as the friars gave “Doc” a standing ovation. With this action, the General Visitor assumed the presidency of the chapter and the provincial minister’s term officially ended.
• The reading of two letters — one from General Minister José Rodríguez Carballo, OFM, and another from John Schwieters, OFM, custodial minister of St. Benedict of the Amazon Custody in Santarem.
Jose’s letter thanked outgoing Provincial Minister Doctor for his service. He also thanked Sacred Heart friars for their care of the poor. He especially encouraged the friars to increase their level of fraternity, calling them to pray and go on retreats together, and to counsel friars suffering from depression. Joy, he said, is based on fraternity, fraternity on faith, and faith on prayer.
In other business, the chapter elected Chris Lambert, OFM, as secretary. The chapter prepared to vote on the cultural audit, flex mission, leadership development and inter-provincial collaboration.
Other agenda items of the chapter include:
1. Reports by the provincial minster and general visitator
2. Voting on leadership development and interprovincial collaboration
News about the proceedings from the balance of the chapter meetings will appear in the next issue of HNP Today.