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From the Provincial Minister
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NEW YORK - It has been one busy week! Last Saturday, I was thrilled to be at the Interprovincial Novitiate again - this time for the reception of Sal Baca into the novitiate.
Once again it was a truly fraternal and interprovincial celebration and a great day to celebrate this important step in Br. Sal's journey with us. He was beaming and it was wonderful to share his joy. We keep him in our prayers in a special way as he makes his journey through the novitiate year. Blessings Sal!
The rest of the week was spent at a retreat center in Techny, Illinois (just outside of Chicago) for our annual meeting of all the provincial administrations of the United States to keep our conversation moving forward on reconfiguration and revitalization.
We had a very ambitious agenda - taking all that has happened already and coming up with a few specific models of what our Franciscan life in the U.S. could look like in the years to come. We came up with four for your consideration and they range from a model that would create a single province in the country to a model that would give us four provinces. Each model has its own benefits and concerns and that will be what we will talk about.
I'm very happy to say that our entire Provincial Council present voted in favor of presenting these four models to you and the friars in our country.
The next part of this endeavor will be more conversations, but this time, not just amoung the U.S. leadership, but among all friars of the country.
The Franciscan Interprovincial Team will be creating materials for use in regional meetings to help guide this conversation. Once we have those materials we will begin to schedule our regions. In the meantime, you received the email already about the meeting and you can start by reading the information there.
We still don't know what the final model will be or what that would mean for us if we chose to be a part of it, but for now, I continue to count on your openness and willingness to engage in honest, open dialogue about this most important issue.
I hope you've all had a wonderful summer and are ready for what the Fall brings.
And, of course, blessings and congratulations to Br. Sal!!
Fraternally,
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Year of Consecrated Life | General Minister Michael A. Perry, OFM
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"I urge you as leaders to lead; to stimulate the brothers to engage fully in the life of the fraternity, to deepen their life with God and to expand their horizons of what it means to be brothers in the one universal fraternity."
- General Minister Michael A. Perry, OFM
Remarks to the U.S. Provincial Administrations
Techny Towers, August 18, 2015
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Salvador Baca received into the Interprovincial Novitiate in Burlington
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BURLINGTON, WISCONSIN - Our brother Salvador Baca was received into the novitiate on Saturday, August 15, 2015 at the Franciscan Interprovincial Novitiate here.
About 40 friars gathered on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin to celebrate the reception into the novitiate of 13 men from six Provinces of the English Speaking Conference.
The morning prayer service included readings, recitation of the psalms, a reflection by Novice Master Ralph Parthie, OFM (SH) and the washing of the feet of the new novices by the Novitiate Team to symbolize the life of service these young men are embarking upon as Franciscan religious.
Received as novices were:
- Br. Salvador Baca, OFM - Immaculate Conception Province
- Br. John Boissy, OFM - St. John the Baptist Province
- Br. Jonathan Douglas, OFM - St. John the Baptist Province
- Br. Thomas Murphy, OFM - St. John the Baptist Province
- Br. Carlo Shivel, OFM - St. John the Baptist Province
- Br. Eufemio Dimas Robaina, OFM - Holy Name Province
- Br. Angel Vazquez, OFM - Holy Name Province
- Br. Aaron Richardson, OFM - Holy Name Province
- Br. Hadijanto Djojo, OFM - St. Barbara Province
- Br. Shant Ohanees Khokasian, OFM - St. Barbara Province
- Br. Tony Pensiero, OFM - St. Barbara Province
- Br. Donald McGeragle, OFM - Christ the King Province
Also received today was Br. Tom Robinson, OFM, of the Custody of the Immaculate Conception (England). He was received in the novitiate in Ennis in Ireland and will join the fraternity in Burlington as soon as possible.|
| | Br. Salvador Baca, OFM with Provincial Minister Primo Piscitello following his reception into the Interprovincial Novitiate in Burlington |
Among those attending the Reception of Novices from our Province were: Fr. Tom Washburn, OFM, Fr. Richard Martignetti, OFM, and Fr. Michael MacInnis, OFM, along with the Provincial Minister Primo Piscitello, OFM. A festive meal was prepared to celebrate the event following the service.
During the reception service, the new novices made the following pledge: "Moved by divine inspiration, we wish to share your life in the brotherhood of the Order of Friars Minor. We ask to be admitted to your way of life that we may be tested and learn how to take on our shoulders the yoke of the Lord in love and joy. We ask to join following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, the humble servant of the Lord."
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| | The Novitiate Team pictured with the new novices. |
The Novice Team was also officially commissioned by the Provincial Ministers and their representatives present. The current team includes: Novice Master Br. Ralph Parthie, OFM (SH), Guardian Br. Joachim Studwell, OFM (ABVM), Br. Dennis Schafer, OFM (SH), and Br. Jeff McNab, OFM (SB).The novices will now engage in a year of prayer and discernment on their vocation, studying the lives of Francis and Clare, the history of the Order and coming to know the vows better that they will profess at the conclusion of their novitiate year. |
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Province celebration of First Vows - September 26
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WAPPINGERS FALLS, NEW YORK - All friars of the Province are invited to join together to celebrate the First Profession of Vows of our bothers Dale Brewer, Josh Critchley and Jay Woods.
Brs. Dale, Josh and Jay professed their first vows August 2nd at the Interprovincial Novitiate in Burlington, Wisconsin. This will be a fraternal celebration of our Province to celebrate this important moment in the lives of our brothers.
The celebration will begin with a Mass of Thanksgiving at 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel at Mount Alvernia Retreat Center in Wappingers Falls. The Mass will be followed by a festive dinner in the refectory.
Friar-priests who wish to concelebrate are invited to bring an alb and a white stole. Please RSVP to Fr. Tom Washburn, OFM if you are able to join us for this wonderful celebration. Tom can be reached by email: frtom@icprovince.org or in the Provincial Curia Office at 212-674-4388.
- What? Province Celebration of the First Profession of Dale, Josh & Jay
- When? Saturday, September 26, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.
- Where? Mount Alvernia Retreat Center, Wappingers Falls, New York
- RSVP? Tom Washburn: frtom@icprovince.org or 212-674-4388
Please make every effort to attend.
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| | Brs. Dale Brewer, OFM and Josh Critchley, OFM before their profession. |
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Bishops close two former Province parishes in New Bedford, Mount Vernon
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NEW BEDFORD/MOUNT VERNON - Two parishes formerly staffed by our Province have recently learned that they will be closed as part of plans to reduce the number of parishes in their respective dioceses.
St. Kilian Church, located in the North End of New Bedford, Massachusetts, was founded by Irish immigrants and in recent years focused on ministry to the Latino and Mayan communities. They recently learned that they will hold its final Mass on Sept. 13.
Parishioners are being urged to worship at St. Anthony of Padua Church, a few blocks away.
"Today, Friday July 31, the St. Kilian Church had a parish council meeting with our Bishop who informed us that St. Kilian community will merge with St. Anthony of Padua Church as of Sunday September 20, 2015," a post on their Facebook page said. Bishop Edgar DaCunha is the bishop of the Diocese of Fall River.
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| | St. Killian Church, New Bedford, MA |
It is unclear what will happen to the St. Kilian structure, which first opened to the public in 1927. The parish was first formed in the North End in 1896, according to The Standard-Times archives. Friars of our Province were present in the parish until the 1990s.
Mount Carmel Church in Mount Vernon is the second of our former parishes to recently receive similar news. The Archdiocese of New York recently announced the merger of 112 parishes into 55 new parishes, and more than half will result in the closing of the second church except for special occasions.
In Westchester County, 12 churches will be merged. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, located at 10 South Tenth Street is one of the churches that on the list and will be merging with St. Mary's, which is at 23 South High Street. Mass will no longer be celebrated at Our Lady of Mount Carmel starting August 1, 2015, and church members will have to travel to St. Mary's.
Founded in 1897, Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a beautiful church, built by Italian immigrants who lived in the neighborhood back then.
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| | Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Mount Vernon, NY |
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"Come and See" weekends announced by Vocation Team
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NEW YORK - The Vocation Team has announced the "Come and See" discernment retreats for the year ahead and are asking each parish or ministry site to promote them in their bulletins and other materials.
"Come and See" Vocation Retreat Schedule
- November 13-15, 2015
- February 5-7, 2016
- March 18-20, 2016
- April 15-17, 2016
Each retreat will take place at Immaculate Conception Friary in Boston.
Vocation Preaching around the Province
A member of the Vocation Team would also like to come to your parish or place of ministry to preach about vocations. Please email vocations@icprovince.org to schedule their visit.
We are all Animators of Vocations
Finally, the Vocation Team recognizes that we are all called to be vocation animators. Please share with us the name and contact information of any young man in your parish or ministry or that you know who you think may have a vocation to our way of life. Again, p lease let us know at vocations@icprovince.org.
BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENT
Please run the following announcement in your bulletin for the next several weeks:
"Come and See" Vocation Reatreat (Nov. 13-15, 2015) The Franciscan Vocation Office is holding a "Come and See" vocation discernment retreat for young men (ages 18-38) who are considering a calling to our Franciscan way of life. The retreat will take place Nov. 13-15 at Immaculate Conception Friary in Boston. To register for the retreat contact the Vocation Office at vocations@icprovince.org or (800) 521-5442. |
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General Minister addresses U.S. adminsitrations gathered in Techny
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