January 2014 ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY PROVINCE FRIARS IN TEXAS - LIVING AS FRATERNITY IN MISSION Friars Tom Luczak, Terrence Gorski, André LeMay, Mario Nagy and José Lobaton pose in front of their present home in Edinburgh, Texas Our friars serving in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, part of the Brownsville Dio cese, have recently initiated a collaborative form of ministry called Fraternity in Mission. The concept is that a community of friars not only live in fraternity, but witness the values of our Franciscan live to the various people to whom they minister. Presently in Texas, friars Tom Luczak, Terrence Gorski and José Lobaton serve as the sacramental ministers to the vibrant par ishes of Holy Family in Edinburgh as well as Sacred Heart of Jesus in downtown McAllen. They are joined by friars Mario Nagy and An dré LeMay, who serve in a variety of minis tries at both parishes. "The project is going pretty good," said Tom Luczak, "but we are still getting adjusted to traveling between two sites. Not only are we getting adjusted to serving the two parishes, but we gone from three to fi ve friars, including José from Peru." José had served in the Diocese of Vic toria, Texas for a few years, and is now ad justing to a new way of community living in Edinburgh, where the friar is located. While Sacred Heart Parish, located in downtown McAllen Continued on page 2 Serving the Dioceses of Jackson, Mississippi and Brownsville, Texas2 there have been some adjustments for him both on a community level and assimilating to life in the United States, Mario Nagy, who serves as guardian of the community, com mented on his "joyful spirit." "Sometimes I think José misses out on our conversation, especially when we talk about things relating to our province," com mented Mario. "But he contributes to frater Holy Family Parish, Edinburgh nal life and has a very joyful spirit, joking around and fi nding enjoyment in simple things." It is a much less taxing schedule, especially for Tom Luczak, since the two parishes are now served by three ordained friars for sacramental ministry. Understandably, the people of Sacred Heart miss the friars’ presence, and Tom Luczak admitted that once he gets to his new home in Edinburg after a busy day, "it’s hard to go back to McAllen later that evening." "There is still a lot of activity going on between both parishes, so we car pool whenever we can," said Luczak. A priority the friars have set is the enrichment of their community, coming together for Morning and Evening Prayer, and as best as they can, gathering for their main meal at noon. The friary is an attractive building made of stone and tile, with a good economy of space and privacy for the brothers. Each one has their own private bed and bathroom in a section of the house which affords privacy, leading out to a small but comfortable living room, kitchen and dining room. The parishioners appreciate the witness of fraternal life and collaboration, according to Nagy. After experiencing some turmoil in the past, the parishioners of Holy Family are re lieved to experience some stability with the friars’ presence. The Fraternity in Mission model continues to develop with adjustments in both com munity living and ministry. For example, the friars have to juggle their offi ce space at either ministry site, and it won’t be possible to have their space at both places unless they remodel both parishes. Each parish is active with their various ministries, and while many are led by the laity, the presence of the friars only enhances the quality of this discipleship and mission. You can check out Sacred Heart’s Web Site at: http://sacredheartchurch-mcallen.org You can check out Holy Family’s Website at: http://home.catholicweb.com/holyfamily1967/ Submitted by: Hugh Zurat, O.F.M. Texas Friars (continued) miss the friars’ presence, and Tom Luczak admitted that once he gets to his new home in Edinburg after a busy day, "it’s hard to go back to McAllen later that evening." The friary is an attractive building made of stone and tile, with a good economy of space and privacy for the brothers. Each one has their own private bed and bathroom in a section of the house which affords privacy, leading out to a small but comfortable living room, kitchen and dining room. The parishioners appreciate the witness of fraternal life and collaboration, according to Nagy. After experiencing some turmoil in the past, the parishioners of Holy Family are relieved to experience some stability with the friars’ presence. The Fraternity in Mission model continues to develop with adjustments in both community living and ministry. For example, the friars have to juggle their office space at either ministry site, and it won’t be possible to have their space at both places unless they remodel both parishes. Each parish is active with their various ministries, and while many are led by the laity, the presence of the friars only enhances the quality of this discipleship and mission. "There is still a lot of activity going on between both parishes, so we car pool whenever we can," said Luczak. A priority the friars have set is the enrichment of their community, coming together for Morning and Evening Prayer, and as best as they can, gathering for their main meal at noon. You can check out Sacred Heart’s Web Site at: http://sacredheartchurch-mcallen.org You can check out Holy Family’s Website at: http://home.catholicweb.com/holyfamily1967/ SACRED HEART PROVINCE Galena, Alaska - Hit by Major Flood Submitted by: Joe Rogenski, O.F.M. Galen is located in the middle Yukon River basin about 300 miles west of Fairbanks. It was an extra cold winter in Alaska which produced 4 to 5 feet of thick ice on the Yukon River. On May 28th, the waters began to rise and the ice started to break up. These large chunks of ice began to pile updown river from Galena and started to dam up causing the water to overfl ow its’ banks. This fl ood caused 90% of the village to be destroyed. The 484 inhabitants, mostly Native Athabascan villagers, had to fl ee to nearby villages or to Fairbanks. The Catholic Church, St. John Berchmans, was greatly damaged. Like the houses in the vil lage, all of the insulation, dry wall and fl ooring had to be removed. All the houses now have to be built up higher, above the fl ood level, including the Church. This is the village where our own Franciscan Brother is stationed. Bro. Justin has been serving there for 13 years. He went to Alaska after having served about 6 years in the Congo, which was then called Zaire. Bro. Justin’s ministry is overseeing the mission, visiting the poor, and helping the elderly. Since he is very handy with mechanics, he is able to assist those in need with heating problems and small engine repair. This type of recovery is different in Alaska due to the remoteness of the villages. It will take about 2 years to fully restore the homes that were damaged or lost. The only way supplies can get to them is either by air or by barge. The villages of Nulato, Bro. Bob and Kaltag, Fr. Joe, were not harmed by the fl ooding. Update on the Recovery from Flood - November/2013 Some villagers in Galena are back in their homes but the majority are still awaiting the neces sary supplies to repair their homes. People gather for Church at the Elder’s Center. They hope to be back in their Church for Christmas.
PROVINCE OF ST. JOSEPH - CANADA THOUGHTS ABOUT THE MISSIONS Sessions in Brussels and Paris From 7 to 11 January 2013 , I a ended a train ing session on missionary projects which took place at the Maison Notre-Dame-des-Na ons in Brussels. At the sugges on of the Provincials of the Franco phone Franciscan en es, Dominique Joly, OFM, Provincial of the Province of the Three Companions (France) organized a mee ng with missionary broth ers (Africa, Madagascar, Mauri us, Morocco and the Holy Land) and the Centre for Franciscan Mis sions (Germany). The brothers received training in the methods of prepara on of a project , the criteria of fi nancing (Centre for Franciscan Missions and the Offi ce of Missions of St. Joseph Province of Canada) and those of governments, the Financial Accoun ng Standards and monitoring of projects. The brothers will present and train other brothers on the presen ta on of projects. We took the opportunity to discuss our re spec ve reali es, the situa on of each either in a mission country or the North. The days were spent in a fraternal and friendly atmosphere. Contacts have been established between the missionary brothers and the Offi ce of Missions so as to con nue our dis cussions and share informa on. The mee ng was very produc ve for all and we greatly appreciated these days of forma on . The Offi ce of Missions used the experience of missionary brothers and the Centre Missions of Ger many to improve our approache to mission projects. Indeed, by a construc ve dialogue between our en es, we can be er understand and help each other. All this for the good of our brothers in mission and for the people they help. In Paris, France, I had the opportunity to meet lay people engaged in organizing Friendship Days to benefi t Franciscan Solidarity, an organiza on of the Franciscan Friars of France that supports missionary projects. These lay people, who have a special a achment to the Franciscans and Francis can spirituality, dedicated me and energy to these days. Friendship which are held once a year in Feb ruary. During these days, lay people hold a fl ea mar ket with kiosks where an ques, toys, cra s, books, dishes, etc. are sold. There is also a children’s en tertainment, a place to feast on pancakes, pastries, bar and food from a mission country, for sale at any me. And that‘s not all: lectures on a country mis sion with choir and orchestra, concerts, candlelight dinner, a super lo o and a mass! The lay people I met are highly mo vated and dynamic because they want more than anything to raise funds to help the brothers in mission. A great ini a ve of these men and women volunteers who, on behalf of their faith, are commi ed to people in poor countries. Submi ed by Richard Char er, ofs Director, Offi ce of Missions of St. Joseph Province. Brothers session on missionary projects - Brussels5 Brother Magloire from Congo and Richard Chartier, ofs The Heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory. Psalm 97, 6 Before University of Georgia student Jacob Spaulding par cipated in a Short-Term Mission and Global Awareness Trip with Franciscan Mis sion Service, his experience of volunteering at a nursing home had been limited to playing cards or performing songs for residents. But this March, the University of Georgia student found himself in a nursing home in Wash ington, D.C., presented with the task of helping an elderly African man with a venereal disease to use the restroom because he could not use his legs. In Jacob’s moment of hesita on, the nurs ing home a endant turned to him and said, "Je sus helped all people. He touched the leper, and when you see the poor and vulnerable, Jacob, you see the face of God. This is Jesus in front of you, and he needs your help." That moment stayed with Jacob throughout the rest of his week in Washington, D.C. Through con versa ons with the elderly man, Jacob learned that despite their obvious diff erences, they had a lot in common, even sharing the same academic degree. In our 25 years of facilita ng long-term mission, Franciscan Mission Service has witnessed the transforma onal impact that crossing borders can have on people’s faith and their understand ing of the world. We have seen par cularly how young people grow from these encounters. We also know that not everyone is called to serve for two or more years. In order to expose more people like Jacob to the Franciscan way of mission, we created short-term trips to South Af rica, Kenya, Bolivia, and Washington, D.C. All of these trips combine the service ex perience with daily prayer, guided refl ec on, edu ca onal workshops, and social analysis in order to help par cipants process their experiences and deepen their understanding and awareness of diff erent cultures, customs, and reali es such as structural poverty. These immersive experiences help par cipants to be er appreciate God’s work and to be er discern their responsibility as Chris ans in building the kingdom of God on earth.
FR ANCISCAN MI SSION SE RVICE SH ORT -TE RM MI SSION A ND GL OBAL AWARENESS TR IPS IN FLUENCING TH E FA ITH O F YO UNG AD ULTS "I know you don’t have to go to D.C. to vol unteer at a nursing home, that back home and every city, there are people who physically need help or emo onally and socially just need some one to talk too," Jacob said. "Maybe it took this trip to D.C. with the Franciscan Mission Service to remember that in the spirit of St. Francis, in the spirit of Jesus...we are all God’s children, and any me we look into the eyes of the poor and vulner able, we look into the face of God." The interna onal Short-Term Mission and Global Awareness Trips to Kenya and South Af rica touch par cipants’ faith in a special way by completely immersing them in a new culture and helping them to put faces on global social jus ce issues. Every story and every interac on makes a las ng impact. On May’s South Africa trip, the par cipants met with young people who worked in the mines, people with HIV/AIDS, and people who survived and worked against the Apartheid, or period of government-sanc oned racial segrega on and op pression. "It is hard to come on a trip like this and not see God everywhere, not be renewed spiritu ally," one student said. "My faith and spirituality have been refreshed." One par cularly inspiring interac on was mee ng with Fr. Dominic Hession is an Irish Fran ciscan Friar who has been in South Africa for more By Kim Smolik, Execu ve Director of Franciscan Mission Service7 than 40 years. By the me our recent Short-Term Missions and Global Awareness group met him, he had already seen the rise and fall of the brutal Apartheid as a priest blacklisted for speaking out against the government’s prac ces. Fr. Dominic’s sharing personal stories of abuse and corrup on from the apartheid, and the persecu on he faced when he became a voice against the injus ce was one of the most impact ful points of the two-week trip for the eight col lege students from the University of Georgia, St. Bonaventure University, and Siena College. From visits to the professional and trade careers taught at St. Anthony’s Educa on Centre, to spirited Masses with young adults in the Kanana Township, par cipants con nued to witness the a ermath of the government’s abusive history and what fel low Catholics are doing about it. Whether it is a few days in Washington, D.C. or two weeks in South Africa, these Short Term Mission and Global Awareness Trips serve as inspira onal catalysts for par cipants to go home and advocates for peace, jus ce, reconcili a on and care for crea on in their own commu ni es. I would encourage you to share these op portuni es with your parishes and young adults. We have an upcoming trip to Bolivia in May 2014 that is open to anyone who is interested, and reg istra on ends January 15, 2014. Otherwise, we’d be happy to facilitate trips for campus ministries, Secular Fraterni es, or other interested groups. More informa on is available on our website at: h p://franciscanmissionservice.org/shor er mtrips.8
PROVINCIAL SECRETARIES FOR MISSIONARY EVANGELIZATION
Assumpon BVM Province (USA): Hugh Zurat, OFM, Madonna Queen of Peace,
5009, S. Hermitage Ave., P.O. Box 09168, Ghicago, Illinois 60609.
Home/Office: 773-436-1031, Cell: 773-372-5513, FAX: 773-778-2451, e-mail: hugzur@gmail.com
Christ the King Province (Canada): Michael Conaghan, OFM, Franciscan Missionary Union,
PO Box 220, Lumsden, SK. SOG3CO, Canada; Friary: 306-731-3316; Fax: 306-731-3807,
e-mail: office@stmichaelsretreat.ca
Holy Name Province (USA): Thomas Cole, OFM, Franciscan Missionary Union, 135 W. 31st Street,
New York, New York 10001; Office: 888-372-6478, Cell: 917-887-0022, FAX: 917-562-6830,
e-mail: friarbtc@aol.com
Russell Becker, OFM (Japan); email: nyce1999@msn.com
Immaculate Concepon Province (USA): Jim Goode, OFM, Franciscan Missionary Union,
125 Thompson Street, New York, NY 10012; Fax: 212-647-5490, Office: 212-674-5490,
e-mail: fmuicprovince@aol.com
Our Lady of Guadalupe Province (USA): Joe Nelson, OFM, Franciscan Missionary Union,
1204 Snson Street, SW, Albuquerque, NM 87121-3440; Friary: 505-831-9199, FAX: 505-831-9577,
e-mail: joenels@juno.com or joenelsofm@aol.com
Sacred Heart Province (USA): Joe Rogenski, OFM, Franciscan Missionary Union, 3140 Meramec,
St. Louis, MO 63118-4339; Office: 314-655-0547, Cell: 314-495-3224,
e-mail: fmushp@aol.com
St. Barbara Province (USA): John Kiesler, OFM, Franciscan Missionary Union, 133 Golden Gate Ave.,
San Francisco, CA 94102; e-mail: johnkiesler@yahoo.com
Max Hole, OFM, St. Francis de Paula Friary, 303 Enrico St., Tularosa, NM 88352;
Friary 575-585-2793, Fax 575-585-3005, Cell 575-937-2067, email: maxhole8@gmail.com
St. John the Bapst Province (USA): Vincent Delorenzo, O.F.M, Franciscan Mission Office,
1615 Vine Street, Cincinna, Ohio 45202-6400; Office 513-721-4700 ext. 3220, Fax 513-421-9672,
Friary 513-641-2257, Cell 513-288-8638, e-mail: vincedel@franciscan.org
St. Joseph Province (Canada): Gilles Bourdeau, OFM, Franciscan Friary, 5750 Boulevard Rosemont, Montreal,
Quebec H1T2H2, Canada; Office: 514-932-6094, email: bourdeaugilles@yahoo.ca
Province of Ireland: Bernard Jones, OFM, Franciscan Missionary Union, 8 Merchant’s Quay, Dublin, 8 Ireland;
Office: (011)353-1-677-7658; Friary: (011) 353-1-677-1128, FAX: (011) 353-1-677-7293,
e-mail: bernardofm@eircom.net
Province of Malta: Lorrie Zerafa, OFM, Franciscan Missions, St. Anthony Str., Ghajnsielem, Gozo, GSM 9024, Malta; Friary: (00356)2155-6095, e-mail: lorriezerafa@gmail.com
Province of England: Edmund Highton, OFM, Franciscan Missionary Union, Bl. John Duns Scouts, 270 Ballater Street, Glasgow G5 OYT, Scotland; Friary/Office: 011-0131-661-2185,
e-mail: edhighton@yahoo.com
Franciscan Missionary Service: Ms. Kim Smolik, EdD, Franciscan Mission Service, P.O. Box 29034, 1323 Quincy St. N.E. Washington, DC 20017; Office 202-832-1762, email: kim@franciscanmissionservice.org
ESC Provincial Liason: Paul Maslasch, OFM, Custody of the Holy Family, 4851 S. Drexel Blvd. Chicago, IL 60615-1703; Cell 414-378-9418, email: sh.croaan@yahoo.com
Towards A Franciscan Missionary Spirit
is published by the Interprovincial Secretcriate for Missionary Evangelization
of the English Speaking Conference of the Order of Friars Minor
Setting: Fr. George Bugeja O.F.M.
St. Paul the Apostle Province, Malta
email: georgebugeja@ymail.com
Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:16-19: "But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates, `We piped to you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon'; the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds." 
Meditation: Do you seek God's way of peace and wisdom for your life? The prophets remind us that God’s kingdom is open to those who are teachable and receptive to the word of God. Through their obedience to God's word and commandments, they receive not only wisdom and peace for themselves, but they, in turn become a blessing to their children and their offspring as well. Jesus warns the generation of his day to heed God's word before it is too late. He compares teachers and scholars, and those who have been taught, with stubborn playmates who refuse to follow any sort of direction or instruction. Jesus’ parable about disappointed playmates challenge us to examine whether we are selective to only hear what we want to hear. The children in Jesus' parable react with dismay because they cannot get anyone to follow their instruction. They complain that if they play their music at weddings, no one will dance or sing; and if they play at funerals, it is the same. This refrain echoes the words of Ecclesiastes 3:4 – "there is a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance." Are you in tune with the message of God's kingdom? And do you obey it without reservation? Jesus' message of the kingdom of God is good news to those who will listen and it produces true joy and spiritual freedom for them; but it is also a warning for those who refuse to obey.
