September 30, 2009
Vol. 43, No. 19

IN THE HEADLINES

Ministries Celebrate Feast Day, 800th Anniversary
As the Province marks the annual feast day of St. Francis on Oct. 4, many ministries are also celebrating the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Order with a variety of events.

Services Held for Thaddeus Sapio
Funeral services were held last week for Thaddeus Sapio, 71, who died Sept. 17 in Anderson, S.C. The New Jersey native celebrated his golden jubilee of profession in July.

FRIAR NEWS

Transitions
The Provincial Council has announced new assignments of two friars.

Florida Friars Celebrate 800th With Art
Five original paintings, recalling the impact of the early Franciscans, will be dedicated Oct. 4 by guardian James Toal at St. Anthony's Friary.

The Coming of the Friars to St. Camillus
Friar Martin Bednar recalls the early years of the Province’s ministry at St. Camillus Church in Maryland when the parish bulletin announced, “The monks are coming, the monks are coming!”

Preaching Workshop Planned for February
Holy Name Province’s evangelization directorate will be offering a two-day preaching workshop in February at the Franciscan Retreat Center in Tampa, Fla.

Friars Invited to Inter-Provincial Retreats
“The Next Steps … Our Franciscan Journey,” the 2010 inter-provincial retreat, will take place in New Mexico in January. Registrations are being accepted.

News Briefs
Updates about friars Dominic Finneran, Alfonso Guzman, Michael Joyce, Jacques LaPointe, Brice Leavens, John Mahon, Paul Lostritto, Francis Pompei, Peter Sheridan, Ignatius Smith, Brian Taberski and others.

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES

‘Encuentro’ to Offer Bilinqual Workshops
Workshops in English and Spanish, lively music, fun and fellowship are on the agenda for “Encuentro,” an October event at St. Camillus Church to celebrate the Latino faith community.

Upstate New York Church Honors Service Workers, 9/11 Victims
St. Anthony of Padua Church in Yulan, N.Y., held its seventh annual “Blue Mass” this month to honor the victims of Sept. 11, 2001, and servicemen and women who have died in the line of duty.

Peacemakers Discern Next Steps
Six members of the Peacemakers in the Making group met last week at St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York to determine how to more fully enliven their Franciscan peacemaking skills.

Colleges Mark Francis Week with Lectures, Convocation
Francis Week and 800th anniversary events at the Province’s two colleges include lectures by Dominic Monti at St. Bonaventure and an academic convocation at Siena honoring John Felice.

Jersey Shore Parish Holds Annual Fundraiser
St. Francis of Assisi Parish on Long Beach Island recently held its 34th Annual Festival of the Sea, raising roughly $55,000 for varied parish and community programs.

Hungarian Church’s Fair Celebrates Many Cultures
The St. Stephen of Hungary Church community on New York’s Upper East Side continued a more than 35-year tradition this month with its annual street fair.

Friars’ Neighbor Attracts Attention for Green Features
The environmentally-friendly aspects of the Epic apartment building, adjoining the Province’s office and St. Francis Friary in New York City, were featured by the New York Daily News earlier this month.

Buffalo High School Receives $500K Gift
An anonymous donor gave Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School in Buffalo the largest single contribution in the school’s 63-year history.

Province Mourns Deaths of Friends
The friars are mourning the deaths of three friends of Holy Name Province.

FEATURES

Friars Speak Out on Their Beloved Saint
One was named for a World War II piano player, while another for his lumberjack grandfather. Four friars provide reflections about St. Francis; three happen to be named Francis.

Vocation Update: Director Attends Mega-Conference
Brian Smail represented Holy Name Province at the Franciscan Family Vocation Directors Mega-Conference held this month in Arizona. He provides an update about vocation trends and upcoming events.

Franciscan Action Network Advocates for Health Care Reform
Friars and partners-in-ministry from 10 HNP ministries participated in the recent FAN webinar on health care reform. Leadership of the advocacy group was transitioned to Friar Larry Janezic.

Young Adult Programs Grow
Following a key mission of the Province’s strategic plan, many Holy Name parishes are offering vibrant young adult programs with a variety of social, spiritual and service activities.

Order Releases Membership Statistics
More than 30,000 Franciscan friars worldwide are celebrating the feast of St. Francis. As they mark 800 years of history, just where are the Friars Minor today?

Provinces Collaborate on African-American Ministry
Friars from four provinces gathered this month in South Carolina to discuss enhancing the Catholic presence in the African-American community.

FRANCISCAN WORLD

Order’s Chapter Document Online
The concluding document of the Order of Friars Minor’s 187th General Chapter, “Bearers of the Gift of the Gospel,” is available on the Order’s Web site.

Poor Clares Celebrate Anniversary
Friars from Holy Name Province and other Franciscan communities joined the Poor Clares in New Jersey earlier this month for a celebration of the community’s 100th anniversary.

Franciscan Authors Recognized by Catholic Press
Friar Keith Douglass Warner of St. Barbara Province, along with co-authors Sr. Ilia Delio and Pam Wood received awards from the 2009 Catholic Press Association convention for their book Care for Creation.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Provincial Office Closed for Holiday
October 12, 2009
The office, at 129 West 31st Street in New York, is closed for Columbus Day.

Provincial Council Meeting in New York
October 13 - 14, 2009
Monthly meeting of the Province's council members at the Provincial Office on West 31st Street.

Discernment Retreat Weekend at Mt. Irenaeus
October 24 - 25, 2009
Are you being called to be a Franciscan? Join students from nearby St. Bonaventure University for two days of quiet, contemplative prayer at beautiful Mt. Irenaeus...

Franciscan Encuentro in Silver Spring, Md.
October 24, 2009
A celebration of Hispanic culture including prayer, praise, music, theater, talks, group reflections, workshops and Mass. Time: 9 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.; Place: St. Camillus...