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From the Provincial Minister
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 | Provincial Minister
Primo P. Piscitello, OFM |
NEW YORK - I returned from the Spring meeting of the English Speaking Conference just in time for the celebration of Holy Week this week. The meeting was held in St. Petersburg and, as always, was a wonderful week of fraternity with my brother Provincials, along with the local friars who hosted us.
The highlight of our meeting was our day spent with our own good friend, Oscar Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras. The Cardinal was invited to come and speak to the Provincials on the theme of "Implications of the 'Franciscan' Papacy on Leadership." It was a wonderful day with someone so dear to our Province and so very close to Pope Francis.
One of the stories that the Cardinal shared with us was an encounter that he had with a Lutheran pastor who had approached him to say, "Your Eminence, I want to thank you for all of the Encyclicals that Pope Francis is writing." The Cardinal said that he thanked the man for his kind words, but said, "You know, the Holy Father hasn't written any Encyclicals yet." The Lutheran pastor responded, "No, not with words, but I want to thank you for the Encyclicals of his gestures." Every gesture of the Pope over this last year - his washing the feet of the most unlikely both last year and this, embracing the man with the disfiguring skin condition, his constant and contagious smile and so many, many other gestures have been power signs to us, as powerful as any words written in a document - maybe even more powerful.
They remind us of the words so often attributed to Saint Francis, "Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words."
As we pray our way through another Sacred Triduum, we are reminded that these Holy Days are days of renewal; and we are renewed so powerfully through the powerful gestures of these days - the washing of feet, the veneration of the cross, the lighting of the Easter fire, the welcoming of new members into the Church. And it is a reminder to all of us, that we are also called to be made new this Easter; to be raised up and renewed in our love of Christ and in our fraternal life together.
So, as we welcome another Easter; as we commemorate the heart of our faith; something that seems almost impossible - that Jesus has risen from the dead; we remember that on Good Friday, death died more than Jesus. And, as we are all made new through our celebration, as we embrace the new life we share in Christ, let us all become writers of our own encyclicals - the encyclicals of our gestures; the homilies of our actions; the exhortations of our good deeds and compassionate response to each other and to those around us. Let us be true witnesses of our Easter joy to all who encounter us.
Buona Pasqua!
God bless,
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A JOY WHICH ANOINTS US
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 POPE FRANCIS CHRISM MASS HOMILY:
"All who are called should know that genuine and complete joy does exist in this world: it is the joy of being taken from the people we love and then being sent back to them as dispensers of the gifts and counsels of Jesus, the one Good Shepherd who, with deep compassion for all the little ones and the outcasts of this earth, wearied and oppressed like sheep without a shepherd, wants to associate many others to his ministry, so as himself to remain with us and to work for the good of his people. On this Holy Thursday, I ask the Lord Jesus to enable many young people to discover that burning zeal which joy kindles in our hearts as soon as we have the stroke of boldness needed to respond willingly to his call."
+ Francis
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Easter Message of the General Minister: "I have seen the Lord!"
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ROME - General Minister Michael A. Perry, OFM, has issued his annual Easter Message and it is available on the Order's Website. You can download it by clicking this link: "I have seen the Lord!"
 | | Easter Greetings 2014 |
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HIDDEN BEAUTY: New Book by Fr. Richard Martignetti, OFM
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 BOSTON, MA - Fr. Richard Martignetti, OFM, is pleased to announce the publication of his new book, Hidden Beauty: Reflections on St. Bonaventure's Tree of Life.
The new book is being publishes by Tau Publishing in Arizona and can be ordered online at: Tau Publishing. It is 128 pages and available in paperback for $15.95.
In an online review of the new work, Sr. Frances Teresa Downing, OSC, said, "I think Bonaventure will bless this book because it does what he wanted most. It shows us how to use his reflections on Scripture as stepping stones for our own journey into God. The Tree of Life is commented on by Fr. Martignetti branch by branch, as it were. The passages are short, readily comprehensible, and thoroughly informed by Bonaventure's other writings so that after reading this, we realize what a treasure we have been given in this great saint and teacher. For anyone with a Franciscan heart, this will draw you deeper into God, encourage you, and help you along. Read it!"
And. Fr. Murray Bodo, OFM, also offered these words about Fr. Rick's book, "This lovely book is a rich theological and practical primer of Franciscan Spirituality written by two friars, one who lived in the thirteenth century and one who lives in the twenty-first century. Both writers moved me to want to draw closer to Christ. That is the gift of this fine book, this journey into the life, death, and glorification of Jesus Christ which involves re-discovering the meaning and mystery of the Tree of Life. I can't think of better guides for this journey than St. Bonaventure and his interpreter, Fr. Rick Martignetti, who has studied, prayed with, and lived with St. Bonaventure's thought for many years."
Congratulations Fr. Rick!
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St. Anthony's, Troy: A Parish Success Story
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A decade ago, Mass attendance and the number of registered parishioners at Franciscan-run St. Anthony of Padua parish in Troy were so low, they dismayed the new pastor.
Rev. Mario Julian, OFM, had returned to his hometown parish after about 25 years serving elsewhere. He had received all the sacraments, including ordination to the priesthood, at St. Anthony's.
His last assignment had been a parish in Connecticut that drew 400 people to every liturgy. The first Saturday night vigil he celebrated as pastor of St. Anthony's had 38 people in attendance.
"I said, 'Oh, dear Lord, I don't know if I'll be here that long,'" Father Julian recalled. 
But since then, statistics have steadily improved: Mass counts are now in the 700 to 800 range - up from 270 in 2004 - and parishioner registrations have more than doubled to about 400 families.
Parishioner involvement has also ballooned; parish ministries are being launched and the religious education program is being revived after at least a decade-long hiatus.
Forming faith
Until recently, "if anybody came with any kids," Father Julian said, "I sent them to St. Joseph's [parish in Troy for faith formation]. Before, you came to church and then you left. It's changing. The parish has become more viable."
St. Anthony's now boasts a long list of eucharistic ministers, lectors and cantors, as well as a Rosary group that leads recitations before Mass and a cleanup committee. Parishioners of St. Anthony's and Our Lady of Victory parish in Troy formed a peace and justice committee. For one month each year, St. Anthony's parish works with Joseph's House shelter in Troy to house homeless people in the church hall overnight.
Father Julian wants to start a bereavement group whose members would be present at funerals and wakes and serve at liturgies. The parish's new pastoral council is embracing a change in semantics from "parish council" by focusing less on fundraising and more on parish life; it's currently planning monthly post-Mass coffee socials.
Social and spiritual enrichment events have become the norm: a "Harvest Hello" in the fall, a Lenten mission on the writings of Pope Francis and a ziti dinner to benefit local Catholic schools and food pantries.
No, it's you
Father Julian credits parishioners with the turnaround. Many laud his charisma as a shepherd, calling him a refreshing presence.
"It's because of Father," said Angela Weisenforth, a lector and eucharistic minister. "He relates to people well. Even the children understand him."
Parishioner Gino Sestito agreed: "It's mainly due to the pastor. He is a very jolly person [and] makes everyone feel comfortable."
Father Julian's homilies are "down-to-earth," Mr. Sestito added. "He breaks [the Gospel] down into everyday situations. At the end of each Mass, most times, he'll tell a joke. They experience a very solid warmth and acceptance as part of the congregation. He develops a camaraderie that parishioners are wanting to be a part of."
Called to parish
The pastor said the diocesan Called to be Church pastoral planning process, which closed or merged 35 parishes by the end of 2009, also played a role in the growth of the parish. St. Anthony's attracted Catholics who needed new parishes and shifted from being designated an ethnic shrine church to a territorial parish.
Once largely Italian, St. Anthony's became multi-ethnic, with a Hispanic population large enough that it recruited a Spanish-speaking priest to celebrate weekly Spanish Masses that now draw up to 120 people. This year, there will be a bilingual Easter vigil Mass.
Father Julian did not allow the meaning of being redubbed a "parish" go unnoticed. He tries to "get people to realize that this is their parish. It's not just some place you go to when you can't get somewhere else."
Many parishioners travel outside parish boundaries to get to St. Anthony's: "I welcome anybody who wants to come," the pastor said. "I don't ask them why they're here. I'm so happy they're here."
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ESC Spring Meeting held in St. Petersburg
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ST.  PETERSBURG, FL - The Provincial Ministers of the English Speaking Conference OFM held their Spring meeting from April 7-11 at St. Anthony Friary in St. Petersburg.
Click here to download the Newsletter of the meeting. |
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