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FROM THE PROVINCIAL
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 NEW YORK - November is the month that the Church calls upon all her faithful to remember in prayer those who have gone before us. While we remember all those members of our fraternity, family, friends, and benefactors who have returned to the Lord, our hearts tend to give special care to those who have died in the last year.
It's hard to believe that in our Province we have laid eight of our brothers to rest this year. We pray in a special way for them.
I came across a quote recently by the Columnist Anna Quindlen who was reflecting on the passing of her mother a young age. She wrote, "My brother and I were both teenagers when our mother died. We know that if anyone were to ask us, 'When does it stop hurting?' we would have to answer in all candor, 'If it ever does, we will let you know.' As a writer, I wrote my obituaries carefully and think about how little the facts suffice, not only to describe the dead but to tell what they will mean to the living all the rest of our lives. We are defined by whom we have lost."
That last line has really stayed with me - we are defined by whom we have lost. Those who we grieve for held a special place in our lives and had an effect on us. They have helped to shape us, form us, know and love us. And as we pray for them to reach their eternal home, we are also grateful for their presence and impact on our lives.
So, let us pray throughout this month for all of our beloved dead, but in a special way let us remember Gilbert, Bruno, Kieran, Marcellinus,Edwin, Gregory, Januarius and John. Each of them impacted us all in different ways and today we are especially grateful for their lives.
We are defined by whom we have lost. May they rest in peace and may we remain forever grateful for their lives.
God bless you, my brothers!
Fraternally,
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Prayer for the Dead | Pope Francis
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PRAYER FOR ALL SOULS
God of infinite mercy,
we entrust to Your immense goodness
all those who have left this world for eternity,
where you await all humanity,
redeemed by the precious blood of Christ Your Son,
who died to save us from our sins.
Look not Lord, at our poverty, misery and human weaknesses
when we present ourselves before You
to be judged in happiness or condemned.
Gaze upon us with pity,
born of Your tender heart
and help us to walk the path of purification.
May none of your children be lost to the eternal fires of hell,
where repentance is no more.
We entrust to You Lord, the souls of our beloved departed,
of those who died without the comfort of the Sacraments
or who did not have the opportunity to repent,
not even at the end of their life.
May no one fear the encounter with You
at the end of their earthly pilgrimage,
in the hope of being welcomed
within the embrace of your infinite mercy.
May sister death find us in prayerful vigilance,
and full of all the good we have done during our existence,
be it long or short.
Lord, may nothing distance us from you on this earth,
may everything and everyone support us
in our ardent hope to serenely and eternally rest in You.
Amen.
With this faith in man's supreme destiny, we now turn to the Virgin Mary, who suffered the drama of Christ's death under the Cross and participated in the joy of His resurrection. May she, Gate of Heaven, help us to understand more and more the value of prayers for the dead. They are close to us. May she support us in our daily pilgrimage on earth and help us not to lose sight of the ultimate goal of life which is Heaven. And we with this hope that never disappoints we move forward!
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RIP: Sr. Claire Andre Gagliardi, OSF, former abbess
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Sr. Claire Andre Gagliardi, OSF
May 7, 1948 - November 4,2014
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CHESTERFIELD, NEW JERSEY - Mary Ann Gagliardi, born on May 7, 1948, in Brooklyn, New York, was the oldest of six children born to Andrew and Claire (nee Marion) Gagliardi. The family later moved to lower Manhattan where the children attended a Catholic school run by the Sisters of St. John the Baptist. When Mary Ann was ready for high school she ferried to Staten Island daily to continue her education at St. John Villa Academy a school also run by the Sisters of St. John the Baptist. The family finally moved to Staten Island in the vicinity of the school.
During her high school years Mary Ann experienced a growing desire to join the Sisters of St. John the Baptist. which she did shortly after her graduation, taking the name of Sister Claire Andre after both her mother and father. Sister was appointed as a teacher, while continuing her education during week-ends and summers. Sister Claire Andre enjoyed teaching for which she showed a natural ability and proved to be very effective in disciplining the children, especially the mischievous boys. In later years when she met her former pupils, they often thanked her for helping to improve their direction in life.
Although Sister was happy in her vocation she began to experience a growing attraction towards the contemplative life and eventually applied to enter the Poor Clare Nuns in Bordentown, New Jersey, to which community she transferred in 1975. She had some difficulty in adjusting to the new lifestyle, and went back to the Sisters of St. John the Baptist for a short time, but soon overcame her doubts and returned to the Monastery, assured that the contemplative life was for her.
After she completed her formation period, Sister took part in various functions, notably as treasurer and later as Novice Directress. In the 1990's, Sister was elected as Abbess, an office which she held for several terms. Later, health problems, notably diabetes and a weight problem, caused Sister to resign from the leadership role and eventually to spend time at a weight-loss program, which she did quite successfully. However, after returning to the Monastery in 2013, she continued to have health problems, especially a chronic kidney problem. Looking ahead, Sister was not open to the possible need for dialysis treatment but preferred to go on Hospice treatment until the Lord called her home. She was happy with this decision and went ahead with these plans.She passed during Morning Prayer on November 4, 2014.
When Sister Claire Andre was growing up, her Mother had always depended upon her, as the oldest child, to help with the care of the younger children and with other household responsibilities. The children looked on her almost as a second mother. Even after she left the family circle to enter religious life, they remained on a warm and intimate basis with her, seeking her advice and comfort in times of crisis. This closeness has passed on to the nephews and nieces.
Sister Claire Andre had a very likeable personality and made friends easily. She had several people who came to her for spiritual direction, a process to which she was well adapted. She will be greatly missed by her family, her religious family, and her innumerable friends. Please remember her lovingly in your prayers. May she rest in peace! |
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Friars remember our beloved deceased throughout the Province
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NEW YORK - Friars are gathering throughout the Province during this month of November for Annual Masses or Prayer Services of Remembrance for our deceased friars .
Services have already taken place at:
- Our Lady of Peace, Brooklyn on November 1.
- Valley of the Angels on November 2.
- Mount Alvernia Friary, Wappingers Falls on November 5.
A service will be held at St. Francis Friary in Andover on November 15 at 11 a.m.
We pray in a special way for those friars who have returned to the Lord during this past year:
- Rev. Gilbert Silverio, OFM (December 7, 2013)
- Rev. Bruno Ciardiello, OFM (December 17, 2013)
- Rev. Kieran Monahan, OFM (January 12, 2014)
- Rev. Marcellinus Borg, OFM (February 23, 2014)
- Rev. Edwin Brobrek, OFM (March 23, 2014)
- Former General Minister Giacomo Bini, OFM (May 9, 2014)
- Rev. Gregory Imbroll, OFM (May 10, 2014)
- Rev. Januarius Izzo, OFM (August 23, 2014)
- Rev. John Scarangello, OFM (August 30, 2014)
Below are a few photos of the Mass held in Brooklyn on November 1.
Photos by Courtland Campbell, OFM
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Franciscan Mission Associates report good year
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MOUNT ALVERNIA, NY - At the annual meeting of the Provincial Council and the Board of Franciscan Mission Associates took place on October 21.
Executive Director Madeline Bonnici presented the annual report to those gathered and shared the good news that FMA donations funded more than $4 million for the missionary activity the Province and other missions throughout the world. The report was for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014.
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Provincial Council gathered with FMA Executive Director Madeline Bonnici and FMA Board members for the annual meeting and report.
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Blessing of the Animals in Troy
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TROY, NY - Here are some photos sent to us from St. Anthony Church in Troy as they blessed animals in honor of the Feast of Saint Francis last month.
Photos by Mario Julian, OFM:
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Provincial Ministers hold fall meeting in Cochrane, Alberta
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COCHRANE, ALBERTA, CANADA - The Provincial Ministers of the English Speaking Conference held their Fall meeting at Mount Saint Francis Retreat Centre here. Below is the newsletter of the Fall meeting.
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National Vocation Awareness Week concludes
|  NEW YORK - One more thought on promoting vocations and calling forth men to consider a religious vocation as we end this year's National Vocation Awareness Week: It is not uncommon for religious and priests to think that in order to call forth men to consider a religious vocation, to be an effective fisher of men, they need to be a Pied Piper, a charismatic guy with a big personality.
That may help; however, that is not essential. Jesus does not need a big personality. He needs someone who discerns. A big personality is optional; a discerning heart is essential. Calling men forth is not about us choosing or convincing men to be a religious. We convince no one; we talk no one into it. That is Jesus' job; it is his activity.
Being a fisher of men is all about a spiritual father assisting those whom Christ has chosen to recognize what Christ is doing in them and to encourage them to say yes to Christ.
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Fr. Andre Cirino speaks to Felicians about San Damiano crucifix
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 As part of the activities marking Franciscan mission and heritage month, members of the Felician College community were treated to a lecture on the San Damiano crucifix by Father Andre Cirino, OFM. "I am filled with joy that the entire Felician community has the opportunity to hear Father Andre speak about this important icon in the life of St. Francis," said Dr. Anne M. Prisco, president of Felician College, as she introduced Father Andre to the gathering. "He is blessed with a generous spirit and brings the Franciscan values to life through his preaching." Father Andre explained the significance of the iconographic images depicted on the crucifix in an animated and compelling manner. "To understand St. Francis, we must understand this crucifix," he said. According to Franciscan tradition, it was while praying before this crucifix in the chapel of San Damiano, just outside Assisi, Italy, that St. Francis heard God speak to him and call him to a life of service to the Church.
Father Andre is a renowned contemporary Franciscan itinerant preacher and author of many books on St. Francis and Franciscan prayer. His ministerial experience includes parish work, Franciscan formation and high school education. Father Andre directs spiritual renewal programs through Franciscan Pilgrimages.
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Fraternitas | November 2014
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ROME - The latest issue of FRATERNITAS, the newsletter of the Order, is now available on the Order's website at:
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