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From the Provincial Minister
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NEW YORK - I wanted to take a moment today to share with you some good news and invite your prayers for one of our brothers.
On Sunday, our brother, Sal Baca, who is currently in the midst of his novitiate year in Burlington, Wisconsin, will receive his religious habit along with his other brother novices.
The ritual process that the novitiate team engages in Burlington once the novices are received in August is a process that invites them first to divest themselves of the things of the world as they then step-by-step invest themselves into the Order through a series of ritual actions that have as their apex the reception of the habit.
I have asked Tom Washburn and Mike MacInnis to travel to the novitiate for this ceremony to support Sal and to represent me and all of us as he takes this important steps. I'm sure that there will be pictures from the celebration, but please keep Sal in your prayers in a special way on Sunday. Congratulations Sal!
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Also, given all that is taking place in our country this week, we once again turn our thoughts and prayers to people suffering following the tragedy of a violent attack upon the innocent. This time in San Bernardino, California.
We pray for those whose lives have been lost and for the many wounded. We pray for all those who are deep in grief and for all the men and women who risk their lives to protect us. And we pray especially for action; that we can have the courage to say this is enough and pledge to make the change in our society so that these moments will be more and more rare and that our world may be increasingly a place of safety, love and care.
May we all be instruments of God's peace.
Fraternally,
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Blessed Advent | Pope Francis
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A Thanksgiving Miracle: Stolen Statue Returned to St. Anthony NYC
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NEW YORK - We reported in our last issue of Inter Nos on the theft of the statue of Jacinta from the Fatima Shrine on West Houston Street outside of the Shrine Church of St. Anthony of Padua here in New York City.
Fr. Joseph Lorenzo, OFM, pastor, reported that security video showed two individuals stealing the statue from the outdoor shrine to Our Lady of Fatima in the early morning hours of November 10.
The shrine depicts the apparition of the Blessed Mother 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. The statue stolen was the one of Jacinta, depicted as a veiled girl on her knees.
The parish posted information about the theft on its Facebook page, and this lead to a local TV news story on CBS2 in New York. Following that story, the statue was returned in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving Day. The person responsible for stealing and returning the statue has not been caught.
Click the image below to watch the video on CBS2.
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US Franciscans create first-of-its-kind App for smartphones
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NEW YORK, N.Y. - The Franciscan Friars of the United States are excited to announce the release of the first-of-its kind app for smart phones that creates a unique communal space for prayer by using the most modern technology for communication."The FRIAR APP allows people to post their prayers, as well as, join in the prayers of others and have friars across the country and others pray for them. The app also allows you to have a candle lit for your prayer, or someone else's prayer, in an actual Franciscan church," said Friar Tom Washburn, OFM, Executive Secretary of the English Speaking Conference of the Franciscans of which the US Franciscans are a part.
"For over 800 years, Franciscan friars have been praying for the intentions of those who ask. This app allows us to do that using today's technology," Friar Washburn said.Users can add their own prayer request, or review prayers made by others. If someone sees a prayer request they find moving, they can click to join in that prayer and even to pay a small fee to have a real candle lit in a Franciscan church for that intention, or an intention of their own.
The new app is available in both the Apple App Store for iPhone and the Google Play Store for Android smart phones, and can be found by searching for "friars" or using a QR code (found on usfranciscans.org or below).
There is no cost to install the app or to submit or join in prayer requests. There is a small fee to cover the cost of lighting an actual candle.
Of note to our Province, both Fr. Tom Washburn, OFM, and Fr. Alvin Te, OFM, were part of the team that worked to create this app.
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PHOTO FEATURE: Thanksgiving at Convento San Francesco
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Merciful Like the Father | FRANCISCAN LIVING
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"Merciful Like the Father" | Mending Fractured Fraternity
What exactly does being 'merciful like the Father' mean and what am I, as a brother of the Immaculate Conception Province called to do during this Jubilee Year of Mercy that begin  s on our feast day December 8th?
While we know mercy is essentially a personal characteristic of care for the needs of others, the biblical concept of mercy, which describes it as the greatest attribute of God, is much richer and embodies a relational dimension that includes helping those who are in need or distress. It thus calls us to first and foremost help those in our own fraternity who are in need, who have been wounded or are broken.
This Year of Mercy, then, ought to challenge each of us to reach out to our brother and LIVE the spiritual works of mercy in a new and radical way; especially to console, comfort, forgive and bear wrongs patiently.
If we are to truly live the motto chosen for this Holy Year, Merciful Like the Father (Lk 6:36), we should not view it as a mere invitation, but rather as an obligation to see each of our brothers as St Francis describes in his sixth admonition:
"And wherever the friars are and find themselves, let them mutually show themselves to be members of the same household. And let them without fear manifest to one another their own necessities, since, if a mother nourishes and loves her own son according to the flesh, how much more diligently should he ought to love and nourish his own spiritual brother?"
We have been called to no less than the great task of imitating the merciful example of the Father, who asks us not to judge or condemn but to forgive and to give love and forgiveness without measure. As Pope Francis wrote, we must then "reawaken our conscience, too often grown dull" in order to rediscover and live the heart of the Gospel, which presents mercy not only as a virtue to inspire us to heal the wounds and brokenness in our fraternity but as a MEANS of extending His compassion.
Concretely enfleshing His mercy, however, not only enables us to be authentic witnesses of a prophetic fraternity, but is the very hinge on which our salvation depends, revealing THE criteria upon which we will be judged. The grave omissions of Mt 25:31-45 challenge us to ask ourselves, when did I console my brother, when did I give him comfort, when did I forgive him and bear wrongs patiently?
Without looking to our founder St. Francis and beginning within our own family, our own fraternity, can we be the credible witnesses of our primary task to convincingly profess the mystery of mercy? But can we stop there? St Bonaventure revealed in his Prologue: "In these latter days the grace of God our Savior has appeared in his servant Francis", in whom "they can venerate God's superabundant mercy, and be taught by his example to live in conformity with Christ."
The poignant words of Saint John XXIII at opening the Council, who pointed out the path to follow stated, "Now the Bride of Christ wishes to use the medicine of mercy rather than taking up arms of severity..." Can this medicine of superabundant mercy be confined to our own fraternity or are we not called to live this in a more radical way with ALL of our spiritual brothers? Just as Pope Francis called the Church to tear down the walls that for too long have served as a fortress, so too we may need to ask ourselves to tear down walls that divide us from one another.
Do our walls serve as a kind of divisive fortress, which now must be torn down in order to proclaim the Gospel in a new way and remind us once again that we are "members of the same household"? Can we allow mercy to be "the force that reawakens us to new life and instills in us the courage to look to the future with hope", empowering us to heal the wounds of our fractured fraternity, to assuage them with the oil of consolation, to bind them with mercy and cure them with solidarity and vigilant care"?
The Holy Father exhorts us with a personal and heartfelt plea:
"Let us not fall into humiliating indifference or a monotonous routine that prevents us from discovering what is new! Let us ward off destructive cynicism! Let us open our eyes and see the misery of the world, the wounds of our brothers and sisters who are denied their dignity, and let us recognize that we are compelled to heed their cry for help! May we reach out to them and support them so they can feel the warmth of our presence, our friendship, and our fraternity! May their cry become our own, and together may we break down the barriers of indifference that too often reign supreme and mask our hypocrisy and egoism!"
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General Ministers announce plans for single Franciscan University in Rome
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 ROME - The General Ministers of the OFMs, Conventuals, Capuchins and TORs have announced an historic initiative of collaboration that will lead to the establishment of a single Franciscan Pontifical University in Rome by Easter of 2018.
"At a time of division and fragmentation in our world, we have been listening to the Spirit who invites us to witness to our common identity as sons of St. Francis, heirs of the Gospel life which he founded and experienced so deeply in his own life. Although our history as well as different emphases in our living out of the charism have divided us, we are conscious that the Order is born out of the inspiration of St. Francis, and so is one. We are called to live a unity in diversity in such a way as to be a credible sign of the presence and action in history of a God who is a Communion of Persons," according to the letter issued jointly by the Ministers on November 29th, the Feast of All Saints of the Seraphic Order.
"In rereading our past history, we cannot deny that divisions may have occurred because of our distinctive interpretations and practices. Nonetheless, in the light of the signs of the times that have been given to us, we also feel that our shared history is a source of great richness as regards diversity of understanding...These are the principal reasons which moved us, on October 2nd last, to make a decision at our annual meeting in Assisi to work for the establishment of a single Pontifical Franciscan University in Rome. We believe that now is the time for a significant transformation of our presences in the academic world of Rome. Our strengths must not continue to be divided; instead, our common ministry and identity in the field of scholarship should bring about a pooling of resources."
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December issue of FRATERNITAS available online
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ROME - The December issue of Fraternitas, the newsletter of the Order, is now available online. You can download it by clicking the link or the image below. Of note, the dedication of our Blessed John Duns Scotus Franciscan Library is featured in this issue.
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Remembrance of our Beloved Deceased in November
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NEW YORK - Two final gatherings to remember our beloved deceased took place within the Province. Below are some photos from each of them.
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.
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Regional Meetings Underway | Our Future in Hope
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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:
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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
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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
- 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 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.
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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 vocations@icprovince.org or (800) 521-5442. |
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