This Month in Provincial History

Maria Hayes Features

Notable events for the month of November include:

One Year Ago
Nov. 19, 2014 — F. Edward Coughlin, OFM, was elected the 11th president of Siena College, Loudonville, N.Y., succeeding Kevin Mullen, OFM. (Ed was officially inaugurated as president last month.)

Five Years Ago
Nov. 29, 2010 — An historic step was taken when five of the seven provinces of the United States, along with Christ the King Province of Western Canada, committed to creating an interprovincial novitiate for North America in Burlington, Wis. (Today, the novitiate is home to novices from all the U.S. provinces, as well as provinces from the other countries of English-speaking Conference.)

10 Years Ago
Nov. 4, 2005 — The first of three St. Francis Residences in New York City marked its 25th anniversary. (This summer a mural was painted on the exterior of St. Francis Residence I by an internationally known graffiti artist.)

30 Years Ago
Nov. 10, 1985 — St. Leo’s Parish, Elmwood Park, N.J., concluded its 75th jubilee observance with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Peter Gerety of Newark. (The Province returned care of St. Leo’s to the archdiocese in July 2005.)

60 Years Ago
Nov. 23, 1955 — The new St. Anthony Shrine building at 100 Arch St. was solemnly dedicated by Archbishop Richard Cushing of Boston. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the archbishop thanked the friars for their work in the Archdiocese of Boston, saying “No other order but the Franciscan Order would ever undertake a work of such great magnitude. The difficulties were enormous, with whole litanies of trials, troubles and worries; and its completion is a perfect tribute to the Wonder-Worker of Padua.”

— Compiled by Maria Hayes

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