November 20, 2015
In This Issue
From the Provincial Minister
Provincial Minister Primo Piscitello OFM
NEW YORK - I thought I would dedicate my message to you, my brothers, this week to the theme of Thanksgiving, our national holiday just around the corner.

But, I was at first uncertain as to whether or not that was the right note to strike given the terrible attack on Paris last week - one that has once again thrown our world into anxiety and concern and fear. 

And then, I came across the Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 that is considered the precedent for our modern celebration of this national holiday. As I was re-reading it, i couldn't help but be mindful of the fact that President Lincoln wrote his words and called for this consciousness of blessing in the midst of another time of turmoil and war - right in the heart of our nation's civil war. 

So, this Thanksgiving, as I give thanks for each of you - the greatest blessings of our Province - I am mindful that our blessings always outnumber the negative. I'm aware that the Light always conquers the Darkness. And so, we give thanks.

As I wish each of you a happy Thanksgiving next week, I'll leave you with the words of Lincoln:

A Proclamation. October 3, 1863

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. 

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. 

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. 

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
  
Happy Thanksgiving my brothers, and as we give thanks, let us also pray for peace.

Fraternally,

Praying for Paris
Place de la R�publique, Paris.
Founder's Day: Remembering Fr. Panfilo
Friar Panfilo di Magliano
Sunday, November 15 was the 139th Anniversary of the Passing of our Founder Fr. Panfilo Pietrobattista da Magliano dei Marsi
IC and HNP Provincial Councils gather for fraternal evening
NEW YORK - Both Provincial Councils of our Province and Holy Name Province shared an evening of common fraternity on Tuesday, November 10.  Both Councils held separate Council meetings that day at their respective Provincial Curia, but gathered at our Provincial headquarters on Thompson Street for a time of socializing followed by a shared meal at Villa Mosconi. 

Provincial Minister Primo Piscitello, OFM, spoke highly of the gathering, "Fr. Kevin [Mullen} and I have become quite close since his election as Provincial and especially during our shared time together in Assisi for the General Chapter. Given the long shared history of our Provinces, it was wonderful to break break with our brothers and continue to strengthen our fraternal bonds."

Members of the Provincial Councils of Immaculate Conception and Holy Name provinces gathered for a shared meal on November 10
General Visitators meet with General Minister
ROME - This week, General Minister Michael A. Perry, OFM, held a meeting at the General Curia with friars appointed to serve in the role of General Visitator throughout the world, including our Visitator Niall O'Connell, OFM.

In his talk to the Visitators, the General Minister outlined their role:

"The objective of the visitation is two-fold. First, it is to encourage the brothers of a specific entity to deepen their spiritual, fraternal and missionary identity as Friars and Minors today. Francis speaks about 'fragrant words' that the Visitator should offer to encourage the brothers, celebrating areas of strengths of the brothers, inviting them to seek always to pursue the way of the Gospel life, and never to allow themselves to be defined by their limitations or failures. Second, it is to 'admonish' and to 'correct'. This requires a great deal of humility, attentive listening, looking beyond the surface and entering into the life of the brothers, of the local fraternities, and of the provincial administration. If the brothers have difficulties in certain areas, it is a matter of justice to help them see the truth and to allow the truth to set them free, from unhealthy behaviours, attitudes and structures.

He further said, "The Visitator should constantly remind the brothers of the Gospel life, which they have promised to observe faithfully. In addition, the Visitator is to 'animate' the brothers, namely, to communicate spirit and life so that the friars may live according to the spirit, in obedience to the will of the Lord. In other words, the Visitation has to foster growth in the life of the spirit in the Friars and "to urge one and all to progress from the good to the better (cf. GGCC 213)".

He concluded with the exhortation, "The Canonical Visitation can be a privileged moment for helping the Province to go out of itself and to open up to solidarity with the other Friars and Entities of the Order."

General Visitators gather in Rome. (Photo from ofm.org)
Provincial Ministers call for peace following Paris tragedy
NEW YORK - The Provincial Ministers of the English Speaking Conference issued a public statement following the tragic attack by terrorists in Paris last Friday. The text of their statement is below:

We join our voices to those around the world to express our deepest condolences following horrific acts of terror that took place in Paris yesterday. We continue to yearn and work for a world that is free of vengeance and violence and terror.
 
We pray for all of those whose lives were lost, all those who have been gravely injured, and those who now bear the burden of grief; for all those who have rushed in to provide assistance and security; and that we might find new ways to give birth to peace from the ashes of terror.
 
We call upon the spirit and intercession of our founder, St. Francis of Assisi, that we might all become "instruments of peace" and that all people of goodwill can come to see that terror and violence are never the solutions to the problems we face.
 
May all those whose lives were taken in this tragedy rest in peace, and may everyone - especially the people of Paris - feel the closeness of our Loving God during these days of trial and struggle.
 
Provincial Ministers of the English Speaking Conference of the Franciscan Order
 
Very Rev. Hugh McKenna, OFM
Province of Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
 
Very Rev. Kevin Mullen, OFM
Holy Name Province
New York, NY, USA
 
Very Rev. James Gannon, OFM
Assumption BVM Province
Franklin, WI, USA
 
Very Rev. Primo Piscitello, OFM
Immaculate Conception Province
New York, NY, USA
 
Very Rev. Marc LeGoanvec, OFM
St. Joseph Province
Montr�al, Quebec, Canada
 
Very Rev. Patrick Lonsdale, OFM
Immaculate Conception Custody
London, England
 
Very Rev. Dennis Vavrek, OFM
Christ the King Province
Cochrane, Alberta, Canada
 
Very Rev. Jack Clark Robinson, OFM
Our Lady of Guadalupe Province
Albuquerque, NM, USA
 
Very Rev. William Spencer, OFM
Sacred Heart Province
St. Louis, MO, USA
 
Very Rev. John Hardin, OFM
Saint Barbara Province
Oakland, CA, USA
 
Very Rev. Jeff Scheeler, OFM
Saint John the Baptist Province
Cincinnati, OH, USA
 
Very Rev. Richard Grech, OFM
St. Paul the Apostle Province
Malta
 
Very Rev. Astijus Kungys, OFM
St. Casimir Province
Vilnius, Lithuania
 
Very Rev. Jozo Grbes, OFM
Croatian Custody of the Holy Family
Chicago, IL, USA
Statue stolen from St. Anthony NYC

NEW YORK - Holy Mary, blessed mother of God!

Some downright sinful - or just cruel-hearted or perhaps clueless - robbers stole a statue from St. Anthony of Padua Church, at W. Houston and Sullivan Streets, early on the morning of Tuesday, November 10, according to the church.

Father Joe Lorenzo, the church's pastor, said two individuals swiped one of the statues from its outdoor shrine to Our Lady of Fatima, located in the historic house of worship's garden on W. Houston St.

The shrine depicts the reported apparition of Mary, the mother of Jesus, to three shepherd children in 1917 in the village of Fatima, Portugal.

The scene featured Our Lady of Fatima, with the three children, Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco, and some lambs. Now, though, there are only two children. The statue stolen was the one of Jacinta, depicted as a veiled girl on her knees. 

"The shrine is very popular among Catholic devotees, in particular the Portuguese community," Lorenzo said.

A church surveillance camera showed two individuals hanging around on the shrine pedestal, apparently for several hours, at times playing with the statues, he said.

"It seems that they eventually left, but came back, possibly with a car," Lorenzo said. "One of the men jumped over the fence enclosing the garden, grabbed the statue and ran off. It seems he handed the statue off to another person, who possibly put the statue in a car and left.

"The surveillance camera captured the incident from several angles, and the video is being processed," Lorenzo said.

As if it wasn't enough to yank Jacinta out of the shrine, the "devilish" duo also swiped one of the sheep.

St. Anthony's posted information about the theft on its Facebook page, and received "many comments and words of concern," according to Lorenzo. The dirty deed was also reported at Sunday Masses at the church.

As of this week, the only update was that now the church is not sure if the caper was pulled off by two men or a man and a woman.

"Some have indicated that there was a very drunk couple playing with the statues that morning," Lorenzo said on Tuesday.

Arrow pointing to the stolen statue.
Remembrance of our Beloved Deceased in November
NEW YORK - November is our traditional month to remember our beloved deceased, and as always, moments of prayer and fraternity to remember our brothers, family, friends and benefactors who have died are being scheduled throughout the Province.

Each year we remember and pray for all of our dearly departed, but we also recall in a special way those who have passed in the course of the last year. This year we remember in a special way:

Deceased Friars:
  • Fr. Frank Genevive, OFM (November 27, 2014)
  • Fr. Ottaviano Battolini, OFM (February 7, 2015)
  • Fr. Benedict Joseph D'Alessandro, OFM (February 8, 2015)
  • Fr. Berard Tufo, OFM (February 11, 2015)
Deceased Family:
  • Maria Carlotta Aguirre, mother of Fr. Nery Aguirre (November 1, 2014)
  • Ralph DeAmato, brother of Fr. Norbert DeAmato (December 4, 2014)
  • Rose Julian, mother of Fr. Mario Julian (December 7, 2014)
  • Gilda Pasto, sister of Fr. Claude Scrima (December 13, 2014) 
  • Robert L. Caprio, nephew of Fr. Robert Caprio (January 1, 2015)
  • Marianna Camilleri, mother of Bishop Roberto Camilleri (April 8, 2015)
  • Rose Daly, sister of Fr. Edmund Ansaloni (May 5, 2015)
  • Josephine Vizzari, sister of Madeline Bonnici (June 2, 2015)
  • Albert Gauci, father of Fr. Albert Gauci (July 20, 2015)
  • John Bonnici, brother of Madeline Bonnici (October 17, 2015)
  • Carmen Rauseo Caprio, sister-in-law of Fr. Robert Caprio (October 23, 2015)
  • JoAnn Arambasick, sister-in-law of Fr. Dennis Arambasick (November 5, 2015)
The following commemorations are still to take place:

Toronto Region:
Holy Cross Cemetery
Monday, November 23, 10:30 a.m.

New England Region:
Province Cemetery
St. Francis Friary, Andover
Saturday, November 28, 11:00 a.m.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Regional Meetings Underway | Our Future in Hope
NEW YORK - The first regional meeting in preparation for the May Provincial Chapter took place last Wednesday in Boston. The next one will take place this Wednesday in New York City. 

As a reminder, each of the Regional Meetings will follow the same format:

=================================

10:00 a.m. Our Future in Hope: Our Reality Now
                        Facilitated by General Visitator Niall O'Connell

12:30 p.m. Lunch

2:00 p.m.   Brothers for the 21st Century: Proposed Models for Reconfiguration
                        Facilitated by Thomas Washburn (ESC Executive Secretary)
 
Regional Meetings will be chaired by Definitor in the region

=================================

Friars are expected to make every effort to be present for the full day as these are valuable and very important conversations about the future of the Province and will shape the conversation of the Provincial Chapter.

General Visitator Niall O'Connell, OFM, is also asking that friars read a brief reflection prior to their Regional Meeting. It can be downloaded here:


Just to remind you of the schedule of Regional Meetings:
  • November 4: Boston (completed)
  • November 11: New York City (completed
  • December 10: Toronto
  • January 13: Wappingers Falls 
  • January 27: Pittsburgh
"Come and See" weekends announced by Vocation Team
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
  • February 5-7, 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 [email protected] 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, please let us know at [email protected].

BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENT

Please run the following announcement in your bulletin for the next several weeks:

"Come and See" Vocation Reatreat (Feb 5-7, 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 Feb. 5-7 at Immaculate Conception Friary in Boston. To register for the retreat contact the Vocation Office at [email protected] or (800) 521-5442.



Several young men participated in the vocation weekend sponsored by the Vocation Office. Here they are pictured on their visit to St. Thomas Aquinas in Derry.

A moment of prayer and reflection during the vocation weekend in Derry.
PHOTO FEATURE: Br. Jay Woods, OFM
Br. Jay Woods, OFM, teaching First Graders from St. John School in Boston's North End about the Mass