Provincial Update January 2023

These statues depict the apostles, the martyrs, missionaries, and founders of religious orders and many other holy men and women.  Right in front of the façade of St. Peter’s Basilica, however, there are two statues, much larger than the rest, which flank the main entrance - that of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.   We are familiar with the role of both of these Saints:  Peter, the fisherman from Galilee, leader of the twelve apostles, chosen by Jesus to follow him at the sea of Galilee, who denied that he knew Jesus, and became the first Pope.   Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, not one of the original twelve, a Roman citizen and at first a great persecutor of the early Church.  As a Pharisee and deeply religious man, he saw Christianity as a great threat to Judaism.  We see Paul supervising the death of the Church’s first martyr- St. Stephen.  As we see in Acts of the Apostles, Paul is on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians when his life was changed forever by a vision of Jesus.  The narration from Acts reads as follows: 

"On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank." (Acts 9:3-9)

What happened after that encounter changed the course of Christianity.  From a small sect of Judaism Christianity grew to be a force that would change the world.  Paul’s preaching, traveling, and his letters to the various churches became an indelible part of our liturgical celebrations and a reminder of the rapid growth of the church in the midst of great persecution.  

   The preface for the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul (June 29) describes their importance:

 For by your providence

the blessed apostles Peter and Paul bring us joy:

Peter, foremost in confessing the faith,

Paul, its outstanding preacher,

Peter, who established the early Church 

from the remnant of Israel,

Paul, master and teacher of the Gentiles that you call.

And so, each in a different way

gathered together the one family of Christ; 

and revered together throughout the world, 

they share one martyr’s crown.

This week (January 25) the church marks the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. It is a reminder to all of us not only of God intervening in the life of St. Paul, but that he constantly calls us to turn away from sin and to put aside whatever it is that keeps us from fully serving God in our lives.

Happy January...

Photo Above: Retreat near Avellino with other Italian Provinces

News from the Convento San Francesco

Dear Brothers,

They say the best homilies are under 5 minutes and to the point, after that people’s attention starts to drift. So to save you the trouble I will keep it short & sweet even though we had a month filled with different events, outings and fraternal gathering whilst celebrating the holidays. 

Those who have done their theology here in Rome know that the semesters here are a bit different. This leaves us with a whole 3 weeks to enjoy Christmas break and really “get into the spirit”. We just returned to class this past week after the Epiphany and are on the cusp of finishing the winter semester. The week before Christmas, we began our vacation with a 2 day retreat in the hills of the province of Avellino, Campania in preparation to celebrate the Incarnation of our Lord. It has been a pleasure to participate in some formative events with some of the provinces of Southern Italy. Between the hospitality and the food we are right at home. For the Christmas festivities, we spent most of our time here in Rome going to the general curia for the “Midnight Mass” on Christmas Eve and animating/celebrating Christmas Mass down at the parish of San Gregorio VII. On the feast of Saint Stephen, which here in Italy is celebrated as a national holiday, we had a nice BBQ which then brought us into a more “relaxed” schedule. 

Out with the old and in with the new! For New Year’s eve, in traditional fashion we went to the Vatican for the “Te Deum” and vespers more or less presided over by Pope Francis who does what he can with his health. Of course the night couldn’t go on without enjoying  lentils made with “cotechino” which in Italy is very common to eat this day as a sign of good favor for the year to come. Then we tried our luck at our annual “tombolata” – a real favorite among the brothers. I don’t think anyone went home without a prize! All this in preparation for the New Year which we brought in together as a fraternity, toasting to all the good God has blessed our lives with. As I stated, we spent “most” of our time here in Rome with the exception of our fraternal outing to Florence on the 4^th of January. The guardian organized a really nice day trip for us to Florence, a city rich in church and cultural history which we all enjoyed. On January 7^th, for the opening of the Franciscan centenary celebrating the approval of the Rule and the Christmas at Greccio, several of the brothers from the Convento were invited by the general curia to participate in the events which hosted multiple branches of our Franciscan family at Greccio. I actually had the opportunity to go, and it was definitely overwhelming to feel a part of such a beautiful, long-lasting tradition and also to realize we are all apart of a much bigger family. 

With one week left of classes, we are beginning to prepare more intensely for the exams to come. We ask you brothers to continue your fraternal support for us through prayer and solidarity while we do the same on our end for all of you. Happy and Blessed New Year rich in the blessings of our Lord! 

Br. Daniel Cavalieri

The Convento brothers attended the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

From the OFM General Curia

INAUGURATION OF EIGHTH CENTENARY FRANCISCAN CELEBRATIONS

GRECCIO, ITALY

On January 7, 2023, In the presence of the six Minister Generals of the Franciscan Family, the Franciscan Centenary was inaugurated with a series of events retracing the last stages of the life of St Francis of Assisi, leading to the 800th anniversary of the Passover of the Seraphic Father.

The celebration, presided over by Br Luciano de Giusti, Minister Provincial of the St Bonaventure Province of the Order of Friars Minor, took place in the church of the sanctuary of Greccio where, on Christmas night 1223, St Francis desired to celebrate a very special Christmas. 

This year marks the 800th anniversary of the Rule of the Order (29 November 1223) and the Christmas of Greccio.

In the first part of the ceremony, a copy of the Later Rule was enthroned at the foot of the altar. Then, passages from the Rule and Testament of St Francis were read, closely related to each other, forming a profound unity, both nourished by the one great evangelical ideal that always guided the steps of St Francis.

The second part recalled the first Christmas in Greccio, when St Francis, as recounted by Thomas of Celano, the saint's first biographer, wanted to show contemporary eyes the hardship that the Family of Nazareth had to face to give birth to the baby Jesus.

In the last part of the celebration, the six Minister Generals, accompanied by Brother Luciano de Giusti, carried the statue of the Infant Jesus in procession to the Sanctuary's cave.

The expression Franciscan Family is used broadly to indicate all religious groups inspired by the charism of St Francis. The Franciscan charism has inspired men and women, both lay/religious and religious/priests, who have formed different groups over the centuries.

The Conference of the Franciscan Family is made up of six members: the Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM), the Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv), the Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap), the Minister General of the Third Order Regular (TOR), the Minister General of the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO), and the President of the International Franciscan Conference of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular (CFI-TOR).

The following took part in the celebration: 

Br Massimo Fusarelli, OFM; 

Br Carlos Alberto Trovarelli, OFM Conv; 

Br Roberto Genuin, OFM Cap; 

Br Amando Trujillo Cano, TOR; 

Br Tibor Kauser, OFS; 

Sr Daisy Kalamparamban, Vice-president IFC-TOR.

The Centenary is made up of five Centenaries divided into four years, during which we will reflect on the Rule and Christmas at Greccio (1223-2023), the gift of the Stigmata (1224-2024), the Canticle of the Creatures (1225-2025) and the Passover of Francis of Assisi (1226-2026).

For the occasion, the Franciscan Family, through a Commission of Communication Offices, has created the official website www.centenarifrancescani.org to distribute reflections, themes, official documents, and news that will provide guidelines for sharing this great Franciscan event.

The Centenaries are part of a single thematic project, which will develop gradually and harmoniously following the chronology of the events celebrated. 

The key themes proposed for the celebration of the Centenaries will be considered from multiple perspectives, present in each celebration, which refer to the theological (our being in Christ), anthropological (our being brothers and sisters), ecclesiological (our being in communion) and sociological (our being in the world) dimensions.

The celebration of the Centenaries becomes a suitable occasion to support, as Franciscan Family, the ecclesial reform that the Pope is carrying out in his pontificate. 

Moreover, the celebration of Centenaries also has handbooks with the aim and purpose of looking to the future and charismatically strengthening our Franciscan identity.

This centenary is aimed at the entire Franciscan Family and all women and men who feel challenged by the figure of Francis of Assisi, his life, and his work.

Centenary Website: www.centenarifrancescani.org 

Melania Bruno

Communications Office OFM

NB Several of our friars from the Convento in Rome were in attendance for this celebration (see article above).

Letter of Appreciation from the

Archdiocese of Toronto

Fr. Robert received this email from Bishop Robert Kasun, CSB, regarding our ministry at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Toronto. Thank you, Bishop.

Fr Robert Campagna, OFM

Provincial Minister

Order of Friars Minor

Dear Fr Campagna,

At the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, I am giving thanks for many blessings that have accrued to me and to the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Although it has been difficult to hear the news of the withdrawal of the Franciscan Friars from St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Toronto, I wish to give thanks to God and to the Franciscan Friars for the gift of ministry in Toronto since 1968. We have been the beneficiaries of Franciscan ministry at St Francis for 65 years! That is truly a blessing to the Archdiocese and the parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi Parish.

I wish to thank the OFM leadership team and all the pastors and associate pastors who have served at St. Francis so faithfully and generously over the past 65 years. In particular, I express gratitude for the gift of the Franciscan spirituality which has enriched the spiritual life of thousands of parishioners over the years. I also express special gratitude to Fr. Francis Walter, OFM, whom I have come to know, the last Franciscan Pastor to serve the parish. 

May God grant an abundance of vocations to the Franciscan community so as to continue your effective ministry as spiritual sons of St. Francis. 

Yours sincerely in Christ,

Bishop Robert Kasun, CSB

Central Region Auxiliary Bishop

Archdiocese of Toronto

Philip Adamo - February 2nd - 93

Brennan Egan - February 3rd - 84

Ciro Iodice - February 4th - 80

Giacomo LaSelva - February 6th - 52

James Wells - February 8th - 67

Celestino Canzio- February 15 - 75

Lawrence Stumpo - February 20 - 92

Orlando Ruiz - February 20th - 48

Michael Della Penna - February 21st - 56

Dagobert Hernandez Lopez- February 25 - 44

Robert Caprio - February 25th - 89

Christopher Gaffrey - February 27th - 45

On Sunday, January 8, 2023, St. Leonard of Port Maurice Church in the North End of Boston began its 150th Anniversary Celebration with a solemn Mass that included the formal installation of its pastor, Fr. Michael Della Penne, O.F.M., a North End native himself. Presiding at the Mass was His Eminence, Sean Cardinal O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Boston. Friar Charles Gingerich, O.F.M., deacon of the parish, and Fr. Francis Walter, O.F.M. Guardian of St. Christopher's Friary who represented Fr. Provincial, greeted His Eminence along with parish representatives and staff the parish. Present were many visiting friars, clergy and local dignitaries, including Hon. Michelle Wu, the mayor of Boston, who issued a proclamation declaring that day "St. Leonard of Port Maurice Parish Day in the City of Boston.".

Cardinal O'Malley wrote of this event in his blog:

"This past Sunday, the Feast of the Epiphany, I went to St. Leonard’s Parish in North End for a Mass to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the parish and the installation of their pastor, Father Michael Della Penna.   There was a huge standing-room-only crowd, which included the mayor, other civic leaders and Father Francis, the vice provincial of the Franciscans.  In my homily, I spoke about the history of the parish and about the faith of the Italian immigrants who built that community 150 years ago, always with the Franciscans of the Province of Immaculate Conception who ministered so generously and faithfully to the community.

Father Della Penna’s installation and my homily begin just after the 30-minute mark. At the Mass, they gave me the gift of this cross.

As you may know, the Franciscans are the guardians of the Holy Land, and this cross is typical of crosses from the Holy Land. It has mother-of-pearl and soil from the Garden of Olives, Nazareth and Jerusalem. It’s very beautiful, and I very much appreciate it."

From the 23rd to the 27th of this month all the Ministers Provincial and Custodes of Latin America will gather in São Paulo, Brazil, to thank the Lord for the gift of our Franciscan vocation at the beginning of this Centenary. They will evaluate the present journey of the Order on this continent and look to the future. We, the friars of the General Definitory, are also taking part to share with our Ministers and Custodes the life and mission of this great continent.

Realities differ in the many countries where we are present. Our brothers often live at crucial intersections. First of all, there is the cultural change that is taking place and the desire for greater awareness of the different peoples. There are forms of inequality and poverty caused by injustice and the movement of migrants. There is the ecological issue, with particular reference to the Amazon. And there is a proliferation of different religious and Christian communities that see Catholics in a new position, pushed beyond themselves towards a renewed evangelisation.

In the reality of Latin America there are many challenges that demand of our friars that they read the signs of the times and recognise the actions that can transform reality by the power of the Gospel. If there is talk of a "lost time" for the development of the continent, there is also an invitation to hope in order not to lose contact with the men and women who live every day in different situations, often marked by injustice and poverty. Together we need to search for the peace found in fraternal coexistence.

We want to continue to participate in the growth of the Church as a hospitable fraternity for many, as well as for the various actors of civil society with whom we cooperate. 

In Latin America, religious life is called to rethink itself, in contact with reality, listening to the Gospel, which is at the heart of the Franciscan charism.

In a synodal journey as Friars Minor in Latin America, we want to renew our vision and embrace our future, starting from today's Franciscan identity, around the present day context of Latin America. We do not want to repeat the patterns of the past, but to look with courage and passion to the future that has already begun.

Br Massimo Fusarelli

Minister General OFM