Gary Stakem, OFM Cap., 1926-2022
Our brother Gary Stakem, OFM Cap., died peacefully in his bed at St. Augustine Friary, Pittsburgh, at 5:30 A.M. on Tuesday, October 5th, 2022. He was in residence at our Motherhouse Care community since January 2020. At 96, he was the oldest living member of our Province at the time of his passing, a Capuchin friar for 76 years and a priest for 71 years. Although for most of his two years as a resident of St. Augustine Friary Gary’s body weakened, and signs of an increasing dementia would plague him, our confrere’s smile and flashes of memories (always his strong point!) would continue to reveal his kind, gentle and indomitable spirit that never weakened.
Jerome Dunn, OFM Cap., 1934-2022
Our brother Jerome Dunn, OFM Cap., died peacefully just before sunrise on Saturday, September 17, the feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi, at St. Augustine Friary, Pittsburgh. He was 88 years of age when he answered the final call of God who was his strength and his peace.
Jerome was born on August 3, 1934, in Turton, South Dakota, the third of ten children born to his father, John, and mother Julia (Klapperich). Raised to share the hard work of running the family farm, the young man was educated in the public schools of Turton, and after his high school graduation in 1952, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, proudly serving four years on active duty and another four in the Naval Reserve before receiving his honorable discharge. He was employed as a metalworker in Vernon, CA, from 1956 until his admission to St. Fidelis College Seminary in 1960, without a doubt, the oldest of among his classmates.
Chapter 2022 Elects Our New Council
Every three years, we Capuchin Franciscan friars gather to discuss our lives in fraternity and service. During that meeting, called a Chapter, we also elect those who will serve in leadership as Provincial Minister. Four other brothers are elected to serve as his Council.
The Chapter of friars, held from May 23-27, 2022, elected our brother, Robert Marva, OFM Cap., to serve as Minister for this term. Currently serving as Pastor of St. Agnes/Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Cleveland, OH, Br. Bob takes the helm of the Province previously served by our Br. Tom Betz, OFM Cap., who served for the past two terms (2016-2022).
Br. Bob was born on September 26, 1966, in Solon, OH, a member of St. Rita Parish there. An early interest in high school seminary led him to apply to our Capuchin St. Fidelis Seminary in 1980, but the seminary was to close its doors that very year. So, instead, he attended St. Mark Seminary High School in Erie, PA (1980-1984) before studying for the Cleveland Diocese at Borromeo College Seminary of Ohio (1984-1988). After graduating, sensing the call to our Capuchin brotherhood, and after living as a postulant of the community and then receiving the habit of the Order in 1989, Bob professed vows as a Capuchin in 1990.
FROM THE GENERAL MINISTER: Easter 2022
English translation of the Italian Video Message below
Wednesday, April 13, 2022
We present here the Easter message of the General Minister. Let us spend Holy Week and Easter in meditation on the mercy of God and the mystery of Christ crucified and risen. Happy Easter!
Easter Greetings by the General Minister
Pace e Bene, Brothers!
We once again find ourselves fast approaching Easter, the mystery of our Lord's passion, death and resurrection. These days, I think the whole world’s been caught off guard and drawn into something very similar to these dynamics through what has been happening in Ukraine: we wonder how such a thing is possible, how cruel the hearts of men become when they no longer consider their fellow man. How evil we can be – how very evil! The iniquity of evil, what does it bring about? Evil against humanity. I think that even the evil we allow to fester within ourselves is always against humanity. And when we are too focused on ourselves, we go nowhere. Today, in the world, there exists a great evil, but perhaps it is also between us individually.
Capuchin Memories: St. Fidelis High School and College
Our Province of Capuchin Franciscans staffed a High School and College Seminary for 103 years from 1877-1980. Many of our brothers were educated there and came to appreciate the lives of the wonderful (and well-trained!) men who nurtured their knowledge and gave such great examples of faith and goodness.
Our alumni has decided to 'never forget' that story and have created A History of Memories section for the pages of the Alumni webite. Those pages in the coming months will celebrate the history and memories of the people that taught there, worked there, preached there, prayed there, studied there and lived there.
As Dave Schaffner ('81) writes for this initial installment of Memories, "I often get asked about 'the fire. It’s an event so significant in the history of St. Fidelis that, when it’s talked about, it’s just called THE Fire. So when we talked about setting up the History of Memories pages and went through some of the archives, it was clear what should be the first post."
Go back with them and start remembering . . . .
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