Summer Celebrations Planned for New York City

HNP Communications Friar News

The church at 135 West 31st Street in New York City. (Photo courtesy of wikimedia.org)

NEW YORK – Masses celebrating friars’ jubilee anniversaries and profession of solemn vows will be

hosted by friars of Holy Name Province this summer at St. Francis of Assisi Church on West 31st Street here. Both Masses will be celebrated by Provincial Minister Kevin Mullen, OFM. All are welcome to attend the celebrations.

Celebrating Milestones
The Jubilee Mass for friars marking their golden and silver anniversaries of vows will be celebrated on June 27 at 5:30 p.m., when relatives, friends, and well-wishers who know the jubilarians from their various ministries are expected to attend.

Friars who are celebrating their 50th anniversary as Franciscans this year include:

  • Kevin Cronin, OFM, of St. Anthony Friary in Butler, N.J.
  • John Hogan, OFM, of St. Anthony Friary in St. Petersburg, Fla.
  • John Jaskowiak, OFM, of St. Anthony Shrine in Boston, Mass.
  • Vincent Laviano, OFM, of St. Anthony Friary in St. Petersburg.

Friars marking 25 years since their first profession of vows are:

  • Todd Carpenter, OFM, of The Villages, Fla.
  • James Sabak, OFM, of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Raleigh, N.C.
  • Brian Smail, OFM, of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in New York City.

Professing Final Vows
Two friars – Javier del Angel de los Santos, OFM, and Roberto Serrano, OFM – have been approved by the Provincial Council for profession of solemn vows on Aug. 24. Javier and Roberto are completing their internship year and plan to leave for Italy in early June for the traditional month-long retreat to prepare for solemn vows.

Javier del Angel de los Santos and Roberto Serrano are scheduled to make their solemn vows in August. (Photos courtesy of Octavio Duran, OFM)

Javier, a native of Tamaulipas, Mexico, has spent his internship year at St. Camillus Parish in Silver Spring, Md., holds a master’s degree in communication and socio-cultural studies, and last fall he earned a master of arts degree in theology with a concentration in Biblical studies from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Before joining Holy Name Province in 2013, Javier worked for 13 years in the private sector in organizational development, change management and corporate coaching in Mexico, the U.S., Canada and South Korea. In 2010, he spent a year in Israel and Italy studying biblical archeology, exegesis and theology.

Roberto – who goes by “Tito” – a native of Florida with strong ties to Puerto Rico, has spent his internship year at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Greenville, S.C. He transferred to Holy Name in summer 2016 from Immaculate Conception Province after getting to know friars while at the Franciscan Interprovincial Novitiate in Burlington, Wisc. He is studying at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, working toward a master of divinity degree. Before joining the Franciscan formation program, Roberto worked in customer service for an athletic club, as well as in electrician and security jobs.

— Compiled by Jocelyn Thomas

Editor’s note: Detailed biographical information about Javier and Roberto will be provided in future issues of this newsletter.

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