Residents of Holy Name College marked the end of the academic year with a celebration for friends and colleagues to thank them for their work. (Photo courtesy of Christian Seno)
SILVER SPRING, Md. — As the academic year ends, the Province’s simply-professed friars are preparing to start new assignments. In June, the six men will begin living, learning and working at ministries in New York, Maryland, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
Joseph Rozansky, OFM, director of post-novitiate formation, said he is grateful to the friars who serve as supervisors.
“The learning that takes place during the student’s summer ministry and internship is an invaluable part of his formation to Franciscan life and ministry with Holy Name Province,” said Joseph. “We are very thankful for the commitment and dedication of the friars who serve as supervisors. They provide a great service to the students as well as to the Province.”
This summer, Dennis Bennett, OFM, will work at Siena College, Loudonville, N.Y., anticipating his yearlong internship there, which begins with the fall semester.
Casey Cole, OFM, and Christian Seno, OFM, will spend two months in Tenosique, Mexico, where they will work at the Casa “La 72,” a support center for migrants on the southern border of Mexico run by a Mexican friar, Fr. Tomás González, OFM. They will study Spanish and minister at the Casa.
Javier Del Angel De Los Santos, OFM, will be stationed at St. Francis of Assisi Church-Friary on West 31st Street in New York City.
Abel Garcia, OFM, will be studying at Montgomery College in Rockville, Md., while living at Holy Name College, Silver Spring.
Abraham Joseph, OFM, will be in Puerto Rico, working with Alfonso Guzman, OFM, in his in ministry.
The placements of the formation students are determined by a joint selection process. “We generally ask the simply professed to find two or three sites that they find interesting and challenging and then we work with them on details of the placement,” said Joe, who is moving this summer to Chicago, the new location of the post-novitiate formation program. He and many of the HNP student friars will become part of the interprovincial post-novitiate setting at St. Joseph Friary.
On May 6, the residents of Holy Name College gathered with friends and colleagues for a party to mark the conclusion of the academic year and to say goodbye, since many in the friary are moving on to the novitiate, to Chicago, or to another ministry to start a year-long internship.
In April, many of the friars renewed their vows, a tradition commemorating the moment with Pope Innocent III approved St. Francis’ Rule, or way of life. On August 27, the friars will gather in New York City when three of their brothers — John Aherne, OFM, George Camacho, OFM, and Edgardo Jara, OFM — profess their final vows as Franciscans.
— Jocelyn Thomas is director of communications for Holy Name Province.
Related Links
- Breaking in the Habit blog of Casey Cole, OFM
- “Alfonso Guzman Marks 50 Years as a Friar” — Feb. 23, 2016, HNP Today
- “Formation Update: Intersession Discusses Friars’ Role in Church” — Jan. 12, 2016, HNP Today
- “An Itinerant Vocation” by Javier Del Angel De los Santos, OFM — Oct. 22, 2015, HNP Today
- “Post-novitiate Formation Program Relocating to Midwest” — Sept. 17, 2015, HNP Today
- “Student Friars Grow through Summer Assignments” — Sept. 10, 2014, HNP Today