Provincial Update February 2023

Traditionally, the church calls us to acts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and these are all important aspects of our Lenten observance.  We might also ask ourselves, both as individual friars and as local fraternities, how we can make the observance of Lent a more fitting time of renewal and conversion.

Some practices we might consider for this Lent might include more opportunities for common prayer in our friaries.  It is so important for us to gather together, not only for meals, but also for prayer, for Mass, for the Liturgy of Hours, which we are all obliged to pray every day and other prayers together.  Often these communal acts fall to the wayside in favor of ministry or other aspects of our lives.  Lent is a good opportunity for us to renew both our personal and communal prayer, and, as we’ve said before, not something we should automatically stop when Easter arrives.  Rather, we should make our Lenten practices continue on and be integrated into our daily schedules. 

Another practice, which has its roots in our Franciscan tradition, would be celebrating the Stations of the Cross.  We know that through our order’s ministry in the Holy Land, the devotion of the Station of the Cross is universally celebrated in the church.  I would think that the Stations of the Cross are celebrated during Lent, especially in Fridays, in most parishes around the world. Our own Saint Leonard of Port Maurice played an important part in spreading this devotion, and we are very proud of its Franciscan character.

Fasting and abstinence is another important part of Lent.   Again, the purpose of fasting is not to lose some unwanted pounds. We should also not limit our concept of fast and abstinence to food.  Rather, we should all strive to reduce our dependency on those things which may take up an important part of our daily lives, like food, alcohol, watching television, computer use, or other things that can almost become addictive.  In freeing ourselves of such enslavements, we can make time to engage in activities which truly spread the gospel and are in keeping with our own call.  

In almsgiving, we are called to be mindful of the many needs of those around us.  This can be manifested in our own charitable preferences, perhaps using part of our own monthly allowances or vacation allotment to benefit others.  

In all of this, I think what we find in Isaiah, chapter 58, sums up all that we are called to do during the Lenten season:

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:

releasing those bound unjustly,

untying the thongs of the yoke;

Setting free the oppressed,

breaking every yoke;

Sharing your bread with the hungry,

sheltering the oppressed and the homeless;

Clothing the naked when you see them,

and not turning your back on your own.

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,

and your wound shall quickly be healed;

Your vindication shall go before you,

and the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer,

you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!

Let’s make this Lent a special one and re-commit ourselves to living fully a life in Christ in the spirit of Francis.

A Blessed Lent.

With the friars from Calabria

News from the Convento San Francesco

Dear brothers, a fraternal greeting from the eternal city. We are already at the end of the winter exam session, and thank God, we have passed them with flying colors. These have been very particular weeks in which we have experienced the grace and mercy of God. On January 19th we had the joy of celebrating the birthday of our dear brother Daniel Luna. We celebrated with a delicious “Polenta” and an equally delicious cake made by our excellent chef Daniela. It was a good preamble for the exam session that we began on the 23rd of the same month. On the 26th, our dear Father Antonio Nardoiani traveled to Canada to carry out a temporary mission in the parish…. After a long journey, he finally reached his destination.

With a delicious lunch and a chocolate cake, we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord and World Day of the Consecrated life on February 2. In the afternoon, some of the brothers participated in the mass organized by the Dicastery for Consecrated Life, a beautiful opportunity to learn about so many other charisms that are part of the richness of our Church.

On Friday, February 10, we had the visit of six brothers from the Province of La Calabria, with whom we shared a delicious pizza. The following day, Saturday 11th, we had an incident caused by the infiltration of carbon monoxide, which caused 5 of our brothers to be transferred to the "Umberto I" hospital, to be treated for poisoning. On Sunday afternoon, after completing the treatment and stable health, they returned home and we are happy to report it has not affected their appetite in the least bit! They’re back to normal, almost better than new! God is good. 

On another bright note, we just also celebrated Daniela’s sixtieth birthday. As you all know, she is one of our dearest friends and supporters who has been with us since we first got this house in 1997. We wish her and Gianni her husband and her entire family many blessings from above.

We appreciate your closeness and your prayers for us, dear brothers. We ask you to continue praying for us, so that the Supreme Good continues to guide our steps in this stage of formation and we can always respond faithfully. Always count on our prayers, and may God bless you brothers and may the Immaculate Conception of Mary intercede for our province, each one of us and for our families.

A brotherly hug for all of you.

Peace and good.

Marco and Kevin Ottoniel

Daniela and Gianni- Happy BIrthday Daniela- Thanks for your many years of service to the friars at the Convento.

Happy Birthday Friar Daniel Luna

Archdiocese of New York Honors

Fr. Jim Goode OFM

At the annual Archdiocesan Black History Month Mass and National Day of Prayer for the African American and African Family, celebrated on February 5, 2023 at 2:00 PM at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, sponsored by the Office of Black Ministry of the Archdiocese, our brother, Fr. James Goode, OFM, was honored in a special way. The main celebrant of the Mass was Bishop Jacques Febre-Jeune, Bishop of Charleston, South Carolina, who is of Haitian descent. The homilist for the Mass, Fr. Michael Leon Thompson, SSJ, spoke of his own friendship with Fr. Jim, who founded the National Day of Prayer and was very active in the Black Ministry of the Archdiocese. The Mass was celebrated in Fr. Jim's memory. The Mass can be found on Youtube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hShBoWSOzm8

NEWS FROM CENTRAL AMERICA

Friar Retreat

From Monday, January 23 to Friday, January 27, our brothers in Central America gathered at Posada de Bele, Antigua, Guatemala, for their annual retreat.  The retreat master was Fr. Alfonso Hernandez, O.F.M., from the Our Lady of Guadalupe (C.A.) Province.  It was an excellent retreat and a great opportunity for the friars to gather together. 

Instituto San Francisco

Fr. Rafael Fernandez tells us that on February 14, the new school year opened at the Instituto in Honduras.  It was a celebration of faith, culture, and the hope of returning to normality after more than two years of difficulties during the pandemic.  

A few days later, on February 17, there was much rejoicing at the Instituto as an alumnus returned as an ordained priest to celebrate a mass of gratitude for his vocation to the priesthood. Congratulations to Fr. Javier Flores. As a student at the Instituto Fr. Javier studied marketing and public accounting and graduated in 2008.  We should be very proud of the pastoral work of the friars in Honduras as we see the fruits of the labor of our friars who have ministered there for so many years. 

Papal Nuncio Visits our Parish in Ataco, El Salvador

On February 19, Archbishop Luigi Roberto Cona, a native of Sicily, currently Apostolic Nuncio to El Salvador, visited our parish of Inmaculada Concepcion in Ataco, El Salvador.  Fr, Rafgel Fernandez was his host.  Together, they toured some of the streets of the town, speaking to many of the people and parishioners, and then he celebrated Mass at the church.  He was consecrated as Archbishop on December 2, 2022.

Friars' Retreat

Ataco, Visit of Papal Nuncio

Instituto San Francisco, Honduras

Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Francis (Frank) Leo, currently Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Montreal, as the 14th Archbishop of Toronto. The archbishop-designate succeeds Cardinal Thomas Collins, who has served the archdiocese since 2007. The new archbishop will be installed at a ceremony at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica on a date to be confirmed in the coming days. Following his installation, he will begin his assignment as shepherd of Canada’s largest Catholic diocese, comprising almost two million Catholics and 225 parishes.  

Archbishop-designate Leo commented on the announcement: “It is with great humility that I accept this appointment from the Holy Father to serve the faithful of the Archdiocese of Toronto. I thank Pope Francis for the confidence he has placed in me. This was a most unexpected appointment, yet I have learned throughout my priesthood and service to the Church that God’s special plans for us unfold in unexpected moments that lead to tremendous blessings. I thank Cardinal Collins for his ongoing support and years of faithful and inspiring service to the Church. I invite the faithful of the archdiocese, a truly diverse and beautiful family, to please pray for me as I prepare to join them and journey together in celebrating and sharing the joy and beauty of our faith. Be assured of my prayers for all of you.”

Born in Montreal in 1971 to Italian immigrant parents, Frank Leo entered the Grand Séminaire de Montréal in 1990 and was ordained a priest for service to the Archdiocese on December 14, 1996. Father Leo served in different parish assignments in Montreal until 2006 when he accepted the invitation to enroll in the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome and subsequently enter the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See (2006-2012) serving in different Apostolic Nunciatures across the globe. In January 2012, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Chaplain of His Holiness bestowing the title of Monsignor.

He speaks English, French, Italian and Spanish.

Antonio Riccio- March 3- 77

Peeter Hoan Cao Thai- March 10- 43

Nelson Aldair Orantes Calderon- March 23- 24

Joaquin Mejia- March 23- 56

Jack Hoak- March 31- 75

Vocation Fest 2023 was held February 7-9, 2023 at Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, Florida, where Fr. Rick Martignetti, O.F.M. is Campus Minister. This annual event hosts Men's and Women's Religious Orders, Lay Ministries, and Summer Job Opportunities. Fr. Orlando Ruiz, O.F.M., our Vocation Director, set up a display this year. It was a fun, festive environment as seventeen tables of religious and lay groups interacted with about 600 college students.

Poster for Day of Consecrated Life (February 2) featuring our Friars from the Convento San Francisco in Rome (Upper Left Corner)

New Address

Friar André Cirino OFM

Immaculate Conception Church

53 Winter Hill Road

Tuckahoe, NY 10707-4399

On 26 January 2023 the Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the metropolitan archdiocese of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, presented by His Eminence Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga, S.D.B. Cardinal Rodriguez was born on 29 December 1942 in Tegucigalpa. He was ordained for the Salesians on 28 June 1970 and holds a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Lateran University, Rome, and a diploma in clinical psychology and psychotherapy from Leopold Franz University, Innsbruck.

He taught chemistry, physics and music at various Salesian colleges in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala and was professor of moral theology and ecclesiology at the Salesian Theological Institute, Guatemala, and rector of the Salesian Philosophical Institute in the same country.

On 28 October 1978 he was appointed titular Bishop of Pudentiana and Auxiliary of Tegucigalpa, receiving episcopal ordination on 8 December. 

He was promoted to Archbishop of Tegucigalpa on 8 January 1993 and was President of CELAM (1995-1999).

From 2007 to 2015 he was President of Caritas Internationalis.

On 13 April 2013 he was made a coordinator of the Council of Cardinals established to advise Pope Francis in the government of the universal Church and to study a plan for revising the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia,‘Pastor Bonus’.

He participated in the conclave of April 2005, which elected Pope Benedict XVI and in the conclave of March 2013, which elected Pope Francis.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by the St. John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001, of the Title of Santa Maria della Speranza (Our Lady of Hope).

Cardinal Rodriguez has had a long relationship with our province due to our ministry in Honduras and in his archdiocese.  He has participated in chapters and ordinations, and was present at the one hundredth anniversary of our province at St. Anthony’s Church in New York City in 2009.  We remember fondly his presence at the Chapter of 2004 when he was incorporated into the Order through our Province at St. Anthony Friary in Catskill, New York, and how proudly he wore the Franciscan habit. Best wishes, your Eminence. We hope the close bond you have with our Order and Province will continue.

VANDALISM IN THE HOLY LAND

An American tourist was arrested Thursday on suspicion of vandalizing a church statue in the Old City of Jerusalem, the Israel Police said.

Police said they were notified of vandalism at the Church of the Flagellation on Via Dolorosa Street.

Social media reports said the damaged statue was of the Scourged Savior.

“We take a very serious view of damage to religious institutions and sites,” the police statement said. “The police will continue to act against acts of violence and vandalism in the holy places of all religions.”

The Custody of the Holy Land, which represents the Vatican, identified the suspect as “an American religious Jew” and said the incident was a “hate crime” that “joins a series of attacks all directed against the Christian public in Israel that occurred in the last month.”

In a statement, the custodian said it was the fifth incident of violence against the church in recent weeks, coming after a group of religious Jews attacked tourists in the Christian Quarter last week. Other incidents included vandalism at a Christian cemetery, the spraying of “Death to Christians” on a monastery wall, and vandalism at the Maronite Center in the northern town of Ma’alot, it said.

“We are following with concern this chain of serious events directed at the Christian community in Israel,” the custodian’s statement said. “It is no coincidence that the violent discourse in the Israeli public is also translated into such serious acts. We expect and demand that the Israeli government and law enforcement agencies act decisively to eradicate these serious incidents.”

Last month two Jewish Israeli teens were arrested on suspicion of vandalism at a Christian cemetery in Jerusalem that resulted in damage to roughly 30 graves at the Mount Zion site.

US tourist arrested for vandalizing statue in Jerusalem Old City church

Sculpture of Scourged Savior toppled in Church of Flagellation on Via Dolorosa Street; security guard wrestles man to floor; police checking if he has mental health issues