The Novices Reflect on Franciscan History in America . . .
In the week of March 20th, the USA novices of the Friars Minor communities -- OFMs, Conventuals and Capuchins -- got together for a workshop on Franciscan History in the United States, given by Jack Clark Robinson, OFM, currently a member of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Province (Southwest Franciscans). Included in the photo is our confrere Alex Paulin, OFM Cap. (back row), visiting from Canada.
. . . and Kip Makes History
Well, more or less? You may have missed this on TV, but the Oscar telecast had nothing on our own "Red Carpet event" of the month. On Wednesday, March 1st, our own Kip Ledger made it to a Hollywood Red Carpet for the US film premiere of Padre Pio, directed by Abel Ferrara with Shia LaBeouf as the eponymous Capuchin from the Foggia Province. But Kip informed us that his own time on the red carpet was a tad in vain: "The power [on the entire block] went out shortly after they took my picture. The movie never aired that night. I never got to the premiere . . . They ended up showing it that Friday. It's almost a 3-hour drive, so I wasn't going to go back. Tran Vu was the friar rep."
Reviews have not been the best, even from among our own, but it has definitely been reviewed. It only received a 44% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and the Australia Catholic reviewer believes it "misses the mark." Still, Pio himself always got good ratings, so I'm sure his reputation will survive. The movie is slated for wide release on June 2nd. Here's the trailer for those who may have missed it:
Moisés and friars Go Dominican
. . . Republic, that is. This week, Moisés Villalta and a group of our brothers made it to Santo Domingo for a parish mission in the St. Pio Sanctuary Parish there. Moisés, as you know, is second councilor for the St. John the Baptist Custody and serves as the Director of Hogar Padre Venard, the non-profit organization established in 1998. Its mission offers facilities, programs and services that promote positive change for the homeless in Old San Juan. From their facilities in the Community of La Perla and at Calle San Francisco, Hogar Padre Venard provides outpatient hygiene, food and health services.
With Moisés (and included in the photos sent along) are Ricardo Tardí (the musician), a member of the Post-Novitiate Formation Staff in Ponce; Post Novitiate friars Ian Vidaillet and Alfredo Aybar (from the Domincian Republic); Vocation Director Gamalier Martínez; and Norman Soto, a candidate of the OLA/California Province who is living in PR while discerning his vocation working with Moi at Hogar Padre Venard.
Candidate hosted in Borromeo Weekend
Raf Anguiano sent along some shots of the members of our Capuchin Formation Program in Wickliffe, OH, who hosted a visitor during the March 17th weekend. Raf also had the opportunity to celebrate the Saturday Mass for the students. Pictured above with Mick Joyce, are Miguel Estrada (CFP), John Paul Kuzma, Vida Bjelopera (dietary), Rafa, visitor Niklaus Charbonneaux from Lancaster, PA, and Zachary Smith (CFP).
The photo of the group below after Mass reveals some Franciscan windows, one of which Raf sent along (right, of Francis and Clare), while the other appears behind the group (of the Portiuncola indulgence). My Borromeo memory is fading, but I never remember a Franciscan chapel. Lovely.
A Quantum Leap for Charlie
At Cleveland State University, an innovative research project has been announced for their Quantum Computer Center. Charlie McElroy has been named the Principal Investigator at the Center, conducting health care research with IBM and the Cleveland Clinic. CSU is one of three “Founding Quantum Members” in the region (joining Case Western Reserve University and Kent State University) participating in the joint research and education across disciplines on campus and also with the Cleveland Clinic.
A video, The Fastest Path to Progress, "explores the emergence of a new era of discovery to meet the growing challenges of an ever-shifting world." Computing, it contends, is poised "to reshape just about every industry, field of study — and even society itself. When leveraging the capabilities of AI [Artificial Intelligence], quantum computing, and hybrid cloud [look it up] in new ways together, the potential for discovering new materials, finding novel drugs and new uses for existing ones, solving science’s hardest problems, and myriad other revelations, will be unlike anything we’ve seen before."
That video, also embedded below, discusses the technology in an informal and accessible presentation.
On to the future, Charlie!
Bringing Food and Kindness in DC
From DC's Cap College community, Pablo Lopez sent along some shots of Bill Gillum, Federico Víquez and Collin Brown (St. Conrad Province) as they prepare sandwiches and snacks as a lunch to share at Home Depot. Many people from Central America gather there who are looking for work and waiting to be hired by contractors. While they wait, Bill had the idea to bring them lunch and engage them in some friendly conversation.
In the pictures, you can see their meticulous preparations as Bill, Federico and Collin layer out the meat for the sandwiches.
Remembering those we've lost
Within the past six weeks, the Cleveland Diocese has mourned the loss of two retired faculty members of Borromeo who played important roles in the life of the Borromeo community.
News & Updates has aleady mentioned the recent passing of Ed Kaszuk (left) the former Music Director at Borromeo who, as Jack mentioned in the Updates, was cousin to our brother Sigmund Dengg (+1996). Ed's visitation is taking place on Sunday April 2nd, at Borromeo, and the Funeral will follow there on Monday, April 3rd, at 11am.
Earlier, on February 19th, Fr. Ed Mehok, passed away (right) at the age of 90. Former students of the college will remember him as Vice Rector and Dean of Students and professor of English Literature. He also took on a part-time assignement on the pastoral team at St. Felicitas Parish in nearby Euclid. With his pipe and wisdom in hand, he was not a man of many words. There were even less words available when he was non-locatable. Borromeo faculty searching for him assumed he was at St. Felicitas; we'd come to hear from the parish staff in Euclid that they always assumed the absolute reverse. As the chair of our 2022 Chapter, Bobby Barbato, once wrote of a California friar: "Padre Pio enjoyed the gift of bi-location. For others among us, they enjoy the gift of non-location." Ed had that gift.
Finally, our confrere Michael Gaffney of the St. Joseph Province, passed to the Lord's life on Friday, March 10th, at Fraser Villa in Fraser, Michigan, at the age of 79. You may remember a few months ago that we highlighted some of Mike's tremendous sculpture work that adorn various places in the Mid-West and, in truth, across the globe. 
My particlar favorite is his sculpture of Sister Death that stands in the cemetery of our brothers in Mt. Calvary, WI. In the words of his online remembrance, as a Capuchin, Mike expressed his love of God through art. Many of his pieces and works can be found at the various Capuchin ministries in Michigan and Wisconsin . . . Painting, drawing, even carving furniture for his parents. Br. Michael could turn his visions into artwork through different mediums. "I always find myself blessed by God that I could do exactly what I really like to do. How many people get to say that? . . .My work has brought me many experiences as well as travels throughout the world. I am grateful for all I have been able to create and share with others." We're grateful too. His life was celebrated at his Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, March 18th.
May they all find rest in the Lord's peace and goodness that they shared with us on this side of paradise.
Cardinal Sean Blogs the General & the Council
On his weekly blog postings of March 3rd, our Cardinal brother Sean O'Malley wrote about being visited by our General Minister Roberto Genuin: Tuesday [February 28], I was visited by the Capuchin Father General Roberto Genuin. He was visiting with the friars of the New York province and came to Boston to meet with the friars in Jamaica Plain and the Cape Verdean Capuchins who are here. So, he stopped by to see me, and we gave him a tour of the cathedral. With Father Roberto (to the right) and Father Gian Nicola Paladino, who accompanied him.
Roberto was on a tour with the brothers of NY/NE's St. Mary Province through March 2nd, and got a chance to visit their work at St. Michael's in Brooklyn -- and, while there, he took the opportunity to bless a new statue of Blessed Solanus Casey. You may remember that Solanus spent many years as porter in Yonkers, NY. The General also got up to Beacon, NY, to visit with the senior friars of the infirmary for both the St. Mary and Stigmata Provinces.
The above mentioned friar Gian Nicola, a member of what had been the Assisi Province of Capuchins, has an interesting history of his own. Born in New York in 1979, he was raised in the Adriatic splendor of Vasto, Italy. At 19, his life changed: a brutal illness forced him to stay in bed for nearly two years. With the help of and through his friendship with a local priest, the idea of entering Religious life grew. With a postulancy spent in Spoleto, a novitiate in Camerino and philosophy/theology studies in Spoleto and Assisi, he was ordained in 2013. He lives in Rome as a Professor of Hebrew and Exegesis at the Pontifical University of Sant'Anselmo.
The following week, March 10th, Cardinal Sean wrote of his re-appointment to the Holy Father's Council of Cardinals:
One of the suggestions made during the meetings of cardinals before the start of the last conclave was the possibility of the new pope having a cabinet of cardinals who could serve as his advisors. So, shortly after Pope Francis was elected, he established the Council of Cardinals, popularly called the C9 because it consisted of nine cardinals from throughout the world. The Holy Father asked me to be part of it, and I have had the great privilege to work with him and the other cardinals in the preparation of the various reforms of the Roman Curia — the changes to the different dicasteries and other innovations that have been promulgated by Pope Francis and institutionalized in the document Praedicate Evangelium.
However, since that time, a number of the cardinals have retired. So, the Holy Father told us that he was going to renew the Council of Cardinals, and his idea was to add new members but maintain some of the previous members for continuity.
As I’m sure many of you are aware, this week [Week of March 5], the Holy Father announced the new makeup of the council. Cardinal Gracias of India, Cardinal Ambongo of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cardinal Parolin, and myself were asked to continue on, and the Holy Father named a series of cardinals from different parts of the world to complete the membership.
For the first time will have a cardinal from Canada with Cardinal Lacroix and from Brazil with Cardinal da Rocha. From Europe, he has named Cardinal Hollerich from Luxembourg and Cardinal Omella from Spain. And, because the president of the Vatican City State, Cardinal Bertello, was one of those who resigned, the Holy Father has named his successor, Cardinal Vérgez of Spain, to the council.
I’m very honored to have been invited to continue to be part of the Council of Cardinals and to work with my brother Cardinals as we try to support the ministry of Pope Francis in any way that we can.
We promise continued prayers and support for all of Sean's work on the Council.
Ramón & José Ángel in Santo Domingo
It's not common for us to have the opportunity to have two reports of our Capuchin presence in Santo Domingo, but Custos Ramón Negrón and General Vicar José Ángel Torres were there before Moisés (mentioned above) - from February 27th to March 3rd. They were with the friars gathered for the Second Ordinary Assembly of the Capuchin Conference of Hispanic America (CCHA). The Conference reflected on our Capuchin presence as it currently stands in the various jurisdications. They also took time to explore the conclusions of the first Pan-American meeting which prompted new perspectives on how to look at our vocation to the Americas. At the meeting, the various Secretariats of the Conference – the secretaries for Mission, Formation, Justice/Peace/Integrity of Creaction and Communications – also shared about their work, with the goal of enhancing our united work in serving the Church and proclaiming the Gospel. New strategies for vocation ministry were examined with the help of our confrere Edison Capellán.
Mother Lange's Step Forward
Our Province shares a lot of history with the Oblate Sisters of Providence in Baltimore, MD, and so we rejoice with them at celebrating the "step forward" for her process of canonization. You may have read that the Vatican has accepted the positio in Mother Lange's cause. Sr. Rita Michelle, Superior General of the community, conveyed that they received an email from the Vatican on February 27th, informing the sisters of the acceptance of both the theological and historical record of her life. She made the announcement on March 5th at the motherhouse, during the annual conferral of the Mother Lange Awards honoring local Catholics active in the Black Catholic community. She begged the congregation not to "go telling people she was named a saint!" The community bears the distinction of being the first congregation of African American women Religious in the history of the Catholic Church.
More Glimpses from Chapters . . .
TANZANIA / February 12-17, 2023
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PUERTO RICO
February 13-17, 2023
As you know, while our Province marks the 150th Anniversary of Hyacinth Epp's arrival in the United States in 1873, we're juggling a number of anniversaries that mark the Eight Centenary of major events and places in the life of Francis of Assisi and a cause to celebrate with all our fellow Franciscans. Many friars remember well the celebrations that accompanied the 800th Anniversary of Francis' birth back in 1981-1982. Now we're marking the signposts at the end of Francis' earthly passage.
The General Curia, working together with the Conference of all four Franciscan community ministers of men, has done a great job in commissioning professional videos marking the five "posts" where the anniversaries will be remembered and celebrated. While narrated by friars in Italian (for the most part), they are subtitled in both English and Spanish.
Each of those videos appear below. You may want to remember your own pilgrimages there or, at the very least, to sort out the events and places that inspired Francis of Assisi. They still speak to us, without a doubt, of the goodness and gratitude Francis experienced in the Lord's grace working in him and in the family of sisters and brothers the Holy Spirit brought to birth through the events that happened there.
(Approval of the Rule, November 29)
(Living commemoration of the Nativity, December 24/25)
LaVERNA 2024
(Reception of the Stigmata, remembered on September 17)
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SAN DAMIANO 2025________________________________________________________________________________
PORZIUNCULA 2026
("Centenary of his passover," October 4)