This Month in Provincial History

Maria Hayes Features

Notable events for the month of May include:

One Year Ago
May 20, 2017 – Holy Name Province announced to the community of Holy Cross Parish in Callicoon, N.Y., and St. Patrick Parish in nearby Long Eddy, N.Y., that the friars would return their ministerial care and administrative operation to the Archdiocese of New York. The withdrawal marked the end of the friars’ presence in Sullivan County, where more than 100 had ministered since the late 1800s.

Five Years Ago
May 3, 2013 – Jeffery Jordan, OFM, was among the 42 students who were part of the last official graduation from Washington Theological Union. The building that housed the 40-year-old educational institution was sold earlier that year, so the graduation was held at St. Camillus Church.

May 22, 2013 – Following the appointment of Fr. José Rodríguez Carballo, OFM, as secretary of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Society of Apostolic Life, Fr. Michael Perry, OFM, was elected as the new General Minister, the 120th successor of St. Francis of Assisi.

10 Years Ago
May 24, 2008 – Scott Brookbank, OFM, Zachary Elliot, OFM, Julian Jagudilla, OFM, Gonzalo de Jesus Torres, OFM, and Christopher VanHaight, OFM, were ordained to the priesthood at St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York City.

May 31, 2008 – Our Lady of Holy Angels Parish in Little Falls, N.J., marked its 125th anniversary.  Later that year, Holy Name Province returned care of the parish to the Diocese of Paterson, N.J.

15 Years Ago
May 4, 2003 – Bishop Marcelino Tani of the Diocese of Saitama, Japan, presided at a Mass to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Holy Name Province’s former mission in Gumma-ken, Japan. In attendance were Russell Becker, OFM, Joseph Ehrhardt, OFM, Bede Fitzpatrick, OFM, Bartholomew McMahon, OFM, Donnon Murray, OFM, Callistus Sweeney, OFM, and the late Campion Lally, OFM, and Stanislaus Widomski, OFM. During his homily, Bishop Tani praised the friars for their labors in Gumma, namely founding, building and staffing parishes in Takasaki, Isesaki, Ota, Omama, Shibukawa, Numata, Tatebayashi, Tomioka, and Fujioka, along with the missions of Nakanojo, Shinmachi and the chapel in the Kusatsu Leper Hospital.

May 17, 2003 – Michael Calabria, OFM, was ordained to the priesthood at St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York City by Auxiliary Bishop Emil Wcela of Rockville Centre, N.Y.

May 18, 2003 – Holy Name Province announced its intention to return care of St. Joseph’s Parish, West Milford, N.J., to the Diocese of Paterson. The friars had served there for more than 120 years.

20 Years Ago
May 16, 1998 – Russel Murray, OFM, and Sean O’Brien, OFM, were ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Howard Hubbard of Albany, N.Y., at St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York City. This year, they are marking their 25th anniversaries as friars; their first profession was in June 1993.

May 31, 1998 – St. Joseph’s Parish in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., celebrated the centenary of its establishment. Holy Name Province cared for the parish from 1930 to 2002. In 2009, St. Joseph’s Parish was closed.

— Maria Hayes is communications coordinator for Holy Name Province.

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