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Blessed be God in All His Designs! Spring 2017
PP, OFM Cap.
The Quarterly Newsletter of the
FR. SOLANUS CASEY REGION of the
SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER
O n Thursday, 4 May, the Vatican an-
nounced that Pope Francis had signed
the decree paving the way for the beatifica-
tion of Fr. Solanus Casey, OFM Cap., our
Region’s patron and benefactor. The an-
nouncement was made after the Holy Fa-
ther met in private audience with the Pre-
fect of the Congregation for the Causes of
Saints (CCS), Cardinal Angelo Amato,
SDB. The ceremony is expected to take
place within the next few months in Detroit, MI,
where Solanus served as porter at St. Bonaventure
Monastery and where he is buried.
In the advancement from Venerable to
Blessed, it was necessary for the Holy Father to
approve a miracle directly attributable to Solanus.
According to an article in The Detroit Free Press,
Fr. Solanus’ intercession was responsible for the
cure of a genetic skin disease in a woman, a pil-
grim from outside the US, who, while kneeling at
Solanus’ tomb and praying for others, heard an
inner voice telling her to pray for herself. She ex-
perienced an immediate and medically inexplicable
cure. An additional miracle will need to be sub-
stantiated subsequent to beatification in order for
Solanus to be elevated to sainthood.
Archbishop Allen Vigneron (Detroit) fol-
lowed with an announcement on the same day and
prayed at Fr. Solanus’ tomb, which was covered
with the usual hundreds of slips of paper bearing
intercessory requests.
Fr. Solanus died in 1957, and the cause for
his beatification and eventual canonization began
in 1976. The CCS validated the informative phase
on 7 November 1986. On 7 April 1995 the theolog-
ical advisors approved the Positio dossier, as did
the CCS on 20 June 1995. On 11 July 1995 Pope
John Paul II met in private audience with
then CCS Prefect Alberto Bovone and offi-
cially acclaimed Fr. Solanus as Venerable.
Many miracles were examined during
the investigative phase. On 18 January 2015
the phase was completed for what appeared
to be a genuine miracle. CCS validation on
12 October 2015 was followed by the ap-
proval of a panel of medical experts on 22
September 2016. A panel of theological consulters
approved the miracle on 19 January 2017. The CCS
finally granted approval on 2 May 2017; Pope Fran-
cis, in private audience with the current Prefect of the
CCS, Angelo Amato, SDB, approved the miracle and
announced that Fr. Solanus would be advanced to the
ranks of those called Blessed. An additional ap-
proved miracle will be required to advance Solanus
to sainthood. If Solanus becomes a saint according to
the curial process, he will be the first American-born
man afforded this honor.
Fr. Dan Crosby, OFM Cap., lived and
worked with Fr. Solanus at St. Bonaventure Monas-
tery in Detroit and says that Solanus was a saint re-
gardless of whether the Church declares him one.
“We knew all the time that this man was holy. But
continued on page 13
Pope Francis Paves Way for Beatification of Fr. Solanus Casey
View the Announcement by
Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron
of the Beatification of
Fr. Solanus Casey
2
Our newsletter has a special feature. INSIDE THIS ISSUE and selected articles are internal-ly hyperlinked! Just click on the links to view features within the newsletter or to continue an article without having to scroll through the document. You can return to this page by clicking on the which appears in the upper left corner of each page.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Pope Francis Paves the Way for the Beatification of Fr. Solanus Casey 1 From Our Regional OFM Spiritual Assistant 3 Fr. Cidouane Joseph, OFM
Sally Haddad — Pilgrim, but Not a Stranger
From Our Regional Capuchin Spiritual Assistant 4 Fr. Matthias Wesnofske, OFM Cap. On Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation
From Our Regional Minister Dorothea MacNeil, OFS
Fraternities as Families 5
From Our Regional Vice-Minister 6 Jim Thomas, OFS Report: 2017 Regional Chapter From Our Regional Formation Director 8 Pat Wilkin, OFS “We are Companions on the Journey” Special Feature 10 Corinne Lorenzet, OFS, Spiritual Assistant One Pilgrim’s Assisi Journey
Editorial 12 Local Fraternity News 13
Upcoming Regional Events 14 - 15 Summer Conferences at St. Bonaventure University 16
FROM “THE DOORKEEPER’S NOTEBOOK” TEAM
St. Francis established the Secular Franciscan Order to be part of a larger “organic un-
ion” (Rule 2, OFS) — the Franciscan Order itself. “The Doorkeeper’s Notebook” is intend-ed to be a vehicle both for emphasizing the special contribution that the OFS makes to this living union and for highlighting regional activity in a way that expresses our specific vocation for the particular mission that our Seraphic Father and the Holy Spirit have en-joined upon us here in the Fr. Solanus Casey Region.
Please consider sharing our commitment here at “The Doorkeeper’s Notebook” to em-
bracing the matter of building this newsletter each quarter as an apostolate, a means not simply of communication, but of formation, of fellowship, of a heart-felt expression of the Secular Franciscan phenomenon in our region and in the world.
See the bottom of page 3 for information about Submissions and Subscriptions. Please: It is important that you keep us informed of your most current contact information by writing to us at [email protected]. For snail mail and additional information, see the bottom of page 3.
Peace, All Good, Every Good,
Your Brothers and Sisters at “The Doorkeeper’s Notebook”
The FR. SOLANUS CASEY
REGION
Regional Office 226 Beech Street
Holyoke, MA 01040-4009
413-534-3736 Regional Website
The REGIONAL EXECUTIVE
COUNCIL
Minister L. Dorothea MacNeil, OFS
[email protected] 413-534-3736 413-244-6546
Vice-Minister James Thomas, OFS
[email protected] 860-889-2906
Secretary Mary Welborn, OFS
[email protected] 203-815-8955
Treasurer Chuck Haddad, OFS
[email protected] 860-828-0878
Formation Director Pat Wilkin, OFS
[email protected] 203-888-5995
Councilor West John Szolnoki, OFS
[email protected] 914-582-9590
Councilor Central Dennis Lisee, OFS
[email protected] 860-908-0644
Councilor East Anna Fulton, OFS
[email protected] 401-732-0559
Spiritual Assistants
Fr. Matthias Wesnofske, OFM Cap.
East Patchogue, NY
[email protected] 631-286-7921 Ext. 28
917-855-4272
Fr. Cidouane Joseph, OFM Hartford, CT
[email protected] 860-756-4034
Ext. 167 or Ext. 122
Spring 2017 2017 Spring
Please remember the Fr. Solanus Casey Regional Fraternity in your estate planning. Contact Regional Treasurer Chuck Haddad, OFS, for details ([email protected]).
3
Publication of submissions is at the discretion of the
Regional Executive Council.
Permission is granted to reproduce original content by any means for vocational purposes only.
Spring 2017
SALLY HADDAD — A PILGRIM, BUT NOT A STRANGER
FROM OUR REGIONAL FRIAR MINOR SPIRITUAL ASSISTANT
FR. CIDOUANE JOSEPH, OFM
Regional OFM Spiritual Assistant
Submissions All Fraternities in the Region are encouraged to submit items of interest (e.g., anniversaries, events,
professions, elections, etc.) and photos for publication. Local Fraternity members are likewise encouraged to submit articles, which may be edited for grammar, clarity, etc. (such articles will be available to review by the author prior to publication).
Subscriptions Subscriptions are accepted for e-mail distribution. A limited number of print copies will be made avail-
able for distribution by request to those without access to the internet.
UPCOMING REGIONAL EVENTS
ARE JUST A CLICK AWAY!
Submissions and Subscription Requests
Fred Conforti, MD, OFS, Editor/Publisher 2 Lake View Road
Great Barrington, MA 01230-1055
[email protected] Phone 413-528-6774 Mobile 413-441-3247
Fax 413-528-8484
A Publication of the Regional Executive Council
Father Solanus Casey Region Secular Franciscan Order
in the United States
Original Content ©2017
ORDO FRANCISCANUS SÆCULARIS
The Doorkeeper’s Notebook and the apostolate which brings it to you quarterly is dedicated to the beloved deceased of the Fr. Solanus Casey Region.
I came to know Sally when I was invited by Dan Petronella, OFS, to celebrate Mass for the deceased members of St.
Pius X Fraternity. As Minister of this group, Sally was a vi-brant and active voice of the Fraternity. She was always on the move, always working, always in the middle of some-thing when I saw her.
As Sally was on her remote journey to the Father, she invit-ed me to deepen my own relationship with God and my brothers and sisters in the Order by inviting me to the minis-try of Regional Spiritual Assistant. As I got to know her bet-ter, I became aware of her understanding of herself on pil-grimage. Yes, she knew that she was a pilgrim on this earth. Towards the end of her life she would tell me that, as a pil-grim, she was ready to go. When her husband, Chuck, was worried about her situation, she was always full of life.
While Sally’s cancer tried to tie her to the anxiety that went along with such a disease, she was always looking over the next hill to see where God was leading her. Even in her hor-rible and painful condition, she was always cheerful; she even made light of her situation and never complained.
On this earth, we are all pilgrims. We are not the same peo-ple we were last year. Today we are doing something that we didn’t think we would be doing when we got out of bed. Tomorrow we may find ourselves in some place that we were not planning to be in. This is the way it is: We are al-ways on the move, from childhood to adulthood. We move
from place to place physically, emotionally, morally and spir-itually. God’s ways are certainly mysterious.
In my own case, being born in the little village of “Carrefour des Peres” in Haiti, I left home for the larger city of Cap Hai-tian. God planned for me to pursue higher studies in the capital of my country, Port-au-Prince. That led to my coming here to the USA and to my becoming a friar-priest!
God’s design: We cannot know it, we are part of it. As pil-grims, we do not stand in any one place for too long. We are moving away from our earthly roots to be firmly planted in our Heavenly home for all time.
Sally’s earthly pilgrimage is over but her life is not — it is only changed. Now, she is at home.
Be at peace, Sally! Enjoy your time with God and say a pray-er for us from time to time.
FR. CID, OFM
4
Yes, the issues are enormous, and we are sometimes just trying to get by ourselves, but we can discuss these is-sues. Maybe local Council meetings can spend some time in seeing what we can do as a Fraternity, rather than spending time on deciding who is going to fold the table-cloths at the end of our gatherings, or who is making the coffee? We are also aware of individuals who have been able to make great differences in the lives of people. Can we encourage them? Join them? Once again acknowledge these efforts at our annual Chapters, as we did in the past? Maybe we can expand our exposure to new ideas?
Two-and-a-half million people are starving . . . .
FR. MATTHIAS, OFM Cap.
REMEMBER TO INCLUDE THE
FR. SOLANUS CASEY
REGIONAL FRATERNITY
IN YOUR ESTATE PLANNING!
Contact Chuck Haddad, OFS [email protected]
860-828-0878
Spring 2017
T wo-and-a-half million people are suffering from star-vation in the South Sudan and neighboring coun-
tries. Fifty per-cent of the people of the world do not have clean, drinkable water. More than 100,000,000 trees-worth of bulk mail arrive in American mail boxes each year
— the equivalent of deforesting the entire Rocky Moun-tain National Park every four months. These are statistics found in the book “The Other Game, Lessons from How Life is Played in Mexican Villages.” After reading these statistics, I was listening to the news on the radio as I was driving to visit my mother. There I heard that an engineer-ing department of a prestigious university just published the results on their study on why shoe laces unravel, demonstrating the forces causing the laces to unravel. I also heard that over a million people had watched a video showing a giraffe giving birth.
Two-and-a-half million people are starving in parts of Afri-ca and college students are studying why shoe laces un-ravel? Today is National Jelly Bean Day. Today, here at St. Joseph the Worker parish in East Patchogue we are cele-brating the first of two funerals (the other will be tomor-row) of two young men, one 16-years old, two of four young men who were massacred by a gang here on Long Island last week.
Now, we might be thinking that Fr. Matthias is certainly becoming a crotchety, negative-minded old man. But eve-ry now and then we can be overcome by the incongruities and inconsistencies of life here in the United States.
Whenever we speak or write of topics concerning Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation we seem to offend people, because so many of these moral issues have be-come political issues. Even Pope Francis is criticized when he addresses some of these issues, e.g., climate change. Secondly, these issues are enormous and what can we do about them? Nonetheless, the Rule of the Secular Francis-can Order states (and we hear these words so often that it is really not necessary to repeat them) that, briefly, “Let them . . . be in the forefront in promoting justice by the tes-timony of their human lives and their courageous initiatives. . . . seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs. . . . they are stew-ards of the goods received for the benefit of God’s children. . . . accept all people . . . they should move from the tempta-tion of exploiting creation . . . they should seek out ways of unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue . . .”
ON JUSTICE, PEACE and INTEGRITY of CREATION
FROM OUR REGIONAL CAPUCHIN SPIRITUAL ASSISTANT
FR. MATTHIAS WESNOFSKE, OFM CAP.
Regional Capuchin Spiritual Assistant
5
SECULAR FRANCISCANS on
Listen to Secular Franciscans from
around the country, including our
Regional Minister Dorothea MacNeil, OFS,
giving witness to their vocations.
Spring 2017
FROM OUR REGIONAL MINISTER
L. Dorothea MacNeil, OFS
Regional Minister
FRATERNITIES AS FAMILIES
M y last message was about Secular Franciscans in their families. Now I’d like to talk about our Fran-
ciscan families, which we call Fraternities. The only way to understand our Fraternities is to realize that they really are families. A Fraternity is not a prayer group. It is not just a group of nice people that meets once a month. It is not a “mini-retreat.” It is not a part of our lives; on the contrary, it enters into the whole of our lives. When we talk about our Franciscan families, we have to use our biological families as a reference point.
What is it that makes a family? It begins when a man and a woman, who are not related to each other, enter into a familial relationship. It is not a contract with an end date, but a relational covenant that endures. The same thing happens when a Fraternity is formed. Unre-lated people make a permanent commitment (profession) and become brothers and sisters in the Secular Franciscan family. As it is in marriage, the con-nections go far beyond the “nuclear family” of the Fra-ternity. We discover that our larger family includes Sec-ulars all over the world, as well as those in other Fran-ciscan orders.
Families and Fraternities need the same qualities to function well:
UNITY
All the members are unique, but they are unified by their commitment to the group as a whole, and to each person in the group.
GROWTH
This doesn’t mean just growth in numbers, although that is important. Each person has to be helped to develop in mind and soul.
TEACHING
When we’re born, we are taught and nur-tured by our families. As we become Seculars, we need to be taught by word and example.
SERVICE
Members of all families are called to serve each other. The duties may vary as we grow, come to maturity, and age. But the duty to serve others remains.
CONSIDERATION
Consideration and patience are necessary in every family, indeed, in every aspect of our lives. Family members sometimes get the least consideration from us. Instead, they deserve the most.
FORGIVENESS
All of us have seen what happens when there is no forgiveness. No family can survive when no one says, “I’m sorry,” and no one says, “I forgive you.”
JUASTICE and MERCY
According to the Catechism, justice is giving their due to God and our fellow man. In our families, we are called to consider what we owe to each other — and to give it. Mercy is a gift, given not because it is owed, but out of love. And this brings me to the last quality:
LOVE
The more love, the more mercy; the more mercy, the more love. Love is, first and last, the binding force in every family. It is the rea-son for the creation of every family. It inspires every quality, every virtue that makes any fam-ily a good family. It is the lifeblood of every family, especially our Franciscan fraternity family.
DOROTHEA
6
Spring 2017
I t’s always a special time when our Region gathers to-gether. Our gatherings usually have some particular
theme or purpose such as formation, day of reflection or, perhaps, a celebration. The annual Chapter session is dedi-cated to pulling together the full Regional Council (i.e., Local Fraternity Ministers, the Regional Executive Council and Regional Spiritual Assistants) to discuss questions regarding the life and health of the Region. This is the time to review its organization and to conduct business. Every third year we invite representatives of our National Fraternity to visit our Region to inquire about our life in fraternity and to challenge us to Gospel living.
This year was such a year and we were graced with two extraordinary witnesses to Franciscan life: Joan Geiger, OFS, and Br. Bob Brady, OFM. Joan, our Fraternal Visitor, is a member of the National Fraternity Council and former Regional Fraternity Minister from Tau Cross Region. Br. Bob Brady, OFM, our Pastoral Visitor, is a member of the Conference of National Spiritual Assistants (CNSA). These two visitors traveled from near and far — Joan from New York City and Br. Bob from Arizona. For most participants this visitation involves the Saturday session, but the event actually covers most of the weekend. The Regional Execu-tive Council (REC) and the National Visitors were involved in dialogue and discussions before and after the main gathering. Joan and Br. Bob tried to assess our strengths and weaknesses and they earnestly listened to our needs and concerns.
Saturday was joyful, in that we were able to experience the full gathering and renew those bonds of friendship and solidarity that come with our shared spiritual commit-ment. Many members had an hour or two of travel; even so, many arrived early enough to attend Mass at St. Pius X. After registration and a period set aside for light break-fast, the morning session began officially with prayer. Fol-lowing a brief introduction of our visitors we conducted our usual business items and listened to officer reports. An annual budget was passed. Ministers were encouraged to meet and visit with our recently appointed newsletter editor Dr. Fred Conforti, OFS, who set up a display table along the side of our meeting hall. The display featured the revised newsletter and our revised internet website.
As in all of our gatherings, we try hard to create time for friendship and sharing. Sadly, It’s never enough. Lunch is
FROM OUR REGIONAL VICE-MINISTER
JIM THOMAS, OFS
Regional Vice-Minister
the most opportune time for catching up with old friends and making new acquaintances. St. Pius X Fraternity, our host, never fails in its hospitality. These sisters and broth-ers maintain a tradition of providing a welcoming atmos-phere and delicious food, and we are ever grateful for their dedication.
The afternoon session was presided over by our National Visitors. The REC was asked to leave the hall while the Visitors spoke and listened to the remaining body. This practice helps to create an atmosphere in which to con-duct a forum with honest and unrestricted sharing. Sever-al participants indicated that the message of the Visitors was inspiring and the forum dialogue was helpful. Follow-ing this session, the full body regathered and concluded the day with prayer and fraternal blessings.
The REC and our visitors Joan and Br. Bob continued this fraternal visit over dinner. This session enabled our visi-tors to share some preliminary thoughts about the visit. As a Regional Fraternity we welcome the final report and hope for those insights that promote conversion to a more faithful expression of organic unity and Gospel liv-ing. Let us pray and give thanks for our visitors Joan and Br. Bob. They are true witnesses to the fraternal life.
JIM
REPORT ON THE 2017 FR. SOLANUS CASEY REGIONAL CHAPTER/NATIONAL VISITATION
K O I N Ō N I A . . . together on the journey
THE CONFERENCE OF GENERAL SPIRITUAL ASSISTANTS OFS—YOUFRA
LIVING THE FRANCISCAN CHARISM
IN TODAY’S WORLD
40 Years After Seraphicus Patriarch
Follow this link to read the articles of this first KOINŌNIA issue of 2017
CIOFS 2017
7
Secretary Mary Welborn, OFS
Spring 2017
THE 2017 FR. SOLANUS CASEY REGIONAL CHAPTER/ NATIONAL VISITATION
Above, Minister Dorothea MacNeil, OFS, addresses the Regional Coun-cil; Right, our National Visitors, Br. Bob Brady OFM, National Spiritual Assistant, and Joan Geiger, OFS, National Councilor.
Left, Fr. Matthias Wesnofske, OFM Cap., Regional Capuchin Spiritual Assistant; Right, Dorothea with Regional Friar Minor Spiritual Assistant Fr. Cid Joseph, OFM.
Formation Director Pat Wilkin, OFS
Vice-Minister Jim Thomas, OFS
Above, Treasurer Chuck Haddad, OFS; Right, Corinne Lorenzet, OFS, Minister of St. Clare Fraternity, Stafford Springs, CT, and Region-al Formation Team member, accepts certification as Spiritual Assistant.
8
Spring 2017
FROM OUR REGIONAL FORMATION DIRECTOR
P assing from the darkness of winter into the new
growth of spring is invigorat-ing, absolutely life-giving for me. Passing through the cleansing of Lent to the hope resplendent in Easter is a ne-cessity in our Christian lives. We hold this treasure with great tenderness. For a time we interrupt the usual running of our days and focus beyond it to the bigger reality of God's total involvement with our human story, including our personal call and response. I suppose the Jews feel similarly when they touch again the liberation of Passover each year. Rituals that focus our attention on God's presence in our own life's passage fill us with their sacred promise. They energize us. As Carey Landry sang years ago, "We are compan-ions on the journey." It is true in our human experience, in our faith experience, in our hopes, even in many endeav-ors. Being professed into fraternity, that travelling togeth-er should be a source of our joy in fraternity life. Each of us has been called to the Franciscan life. We are equals. There is no parent among us. We hold, in each of us, a part of the understanding and vision that all of us are called to. Some have more education, some have more practical training in certain areas, but each of us brings unique and irreplaceable vision and service to our Fraternities. We have a Rule to guide us, Constitutions that flesh it out, and Statutes for dealing with practical matters of necessity. And, as Fr. Lester Bach, stressed, "Ignorance of the Rule and Constitutions is not a virtue." Each of us has a responsibility to read, internalize, and live them to the best of our ability. In making our professions, we commit to it and promise it to each other. We take turns serving the fraternities in many ways. So much for the outside look at what is such a
personal journey of faith — and such a personal struggle of conversion away from the values and tactics of the world we live in. Fraternity is not just about knowledge, it's about walking the journey of faith as brothers and sis-ters. Practicalities tell us how we carry out fraternity: we can't solve each others problems, we support one another through them. I see it beautifully fleshed out in every place I visit.
The part of being fraternity that doesn't receive the same embrace is the responsibility to take our turns on Council. I sus-pect that is a shocking state-ment to some people. My imagi-nation hears someone saying, "Does she think everyone has to serve on the Council?" No, I don't, because there are real reasons some of us can't. And
also some times we can't — it may not always be so. The "unknown" I am poking at is the undying question that arises when people won't con-sider serving: is this really an "I can't" or is it an "I won't”? (I feel like Abraham bargaining with God in Genesis.) If it is an "I won't", how much is that a result of being afraid of messing up, not knowing enough about how things work
to feel competent, being shy, etc. — no bad intent at all! Regardless, we live it year after year and don't know why so many Seculars won't step forward. It's not right and it’s not good. I am bringing this issue to the forefront because Fraternities without people willing to accept nominations eventually falter. Without pushing, we need to come to understand why this happens and what we can do to lift some barriers. We just had a Formation workshop. The purpose of it was twofold: 1) to give some guidelines and answer some questions; and 2) to have people who work with for-mation talk with each other and exchange ideas and prac-tices. I think we all learned something from each other. One of the things we focused on was that formation is not just the responsibility of the Formation Director. It is the responsibility of every Franciscan, and we are to educate ourselves so we can be of help in our Fraternities. Now I propose to you, my next question: What kind of ground-work is needed in our Fraternities for more members to see themselves as capable of stepping up to Fraternity leadership roles in the future? The answer is going to be somewhat particular to each fraternity, but also maybe the groundwork is more universal than we at first think. The procedures for how a Council operates are in Articles 49 through 52 of our Constitutions. There are tools on our websites to assist Councils. There's a wonderful Franciscan
continued on the next page
PAT WILKIN, OFS
Regional Director of Formation
“WE ARE COMPANIONS ON THE JOURNEY”
9
to the rest of the Fraternity either. It’s not even fair to those who don't step up. Someone once said that “God doesn’t call the qualified; God qualifies the called.” When we offer ourselves, God leads. In every way we serve, we are also blessed. If in every way we trust God, we are re-warded more than we ever expected. With that, I return to my question, and now it's your question: What kind of groundwork is needed in our Fraternities for more members to see themselves as capa-ble of stepping up to fraternity leadership roles in the fu-ture? How can/should we incorporate it into our For-mation programs? Discuss it with your Councils. Discuss it in your Fraternities. Continuing formation isn't just about learning something new. It should also equip us to serve. With Easter joy and deep reverence, we bow before the One Who tied a towel around His waist. We love Him be-cause He gave so generously of Himself. What He was asking was that we imitate Him. The call is to serve God and our neighbor.
Peace and all good!
PAT
“WE ARE COMPANIONS ON THE JOURNEY”
continued from previous page
Servant Leadership workshop/handbook to help in Frater-nity and Council development. What is essential is availa-ble to us. And what are the gifts among us? Who can men-tor? Who will assist? There is no hierarchy involved in our Councils , no status, only a three-year commitment to serve. It’s not rocket science. It’s very do-able. What is needed is a good heart, a willing spirit, respect and dia-logue. These are the tools that make Councils function. What happens now when a Council member needs to step back or be away for a bit? Does the office sit vacant? It's not supposed to. Does someone offer their services? Do we mentor someone? If we did that mentoring through our continuing formation, or by some method of accompaniment, would more people say "yes" to a nomination? Many of us who serve on Councils are
perfectly willing to do it. We do it because we care, and someone has to do it. But there are terms of office be-cause it’s not good for the same people to just continue doing it or to be trading chairs at elections. It's not fair to those who have to keep doing the extra work. It's not fair
Spring 2017
At the Regional Formation meeting. Left to right, Regional Minister Dorothea MacNeil, OFS; Councilor-East
Anna Fulton, OFS; Regional Spiritual Assistant Fr. Cid Joseph, OFM; Minister Bill Wilkin, OFS, of Rosa Mystica
Fraternity (S. Woodbury, CT) and his wife Regional Formation Director Pat Wilkin, OFS; Regional Formation
Team Member Corinne Lorenzet, OFS (Minister, St. Clare Fraternity, Stafford Springs, CT); Councilor-West Dr.
John Szolnoki, OFS, and Regional Vice-Minister Jim Thomas OFS.
What is needed is a good heart,
a willing spirit, respect and dialogue.
These are the tools
that make Councils function.
10
Spring 2017
SPECIAL FEATURE
ONE PILGRIM’S ASSISI JOURNEY
CORINNE LORENZET, OFS
Spiritual Assistant
Member of the Regional Formation Team
Minister, St. Clare Fraternity,
Stafford Springs, CT
L ittle did I know on my first visit to Assisi 25
years ago, a day trip with a friend who was living in Rome at the time, that this small medieval town located on a hill in the middle of Ita-ly, would someday be to me as Fr. Bodo describes [in the quote below the picture on this page]. Several years after this first visit, I made an overnight stop while trav-eling with friends during a summer trip to Italy. While there, I woke early one morning and, as we were staying rather close to the Basilica of St. Francis, I wan-dered up the hill and hap-pened upon an early morn-ing Mass in the Lower Church, the daily Mass for the friars. Although the Mass was in Italian (of which I understood little ), something about the gathering of friars, religious sisters and lay people touched me. I remember thinking I would like to spend more time here, someday. It would be another 15 years or so before that “someday” happened. In the spring of 2007, the OFM Conventual friars, who at the time served our parish, organized a pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome. This pilgrimage, so soon after my profession in 2006, was time of prayer and ritual in the holy places of St. Francis and St. Clare. During this pil-grimage, the leader told me about a month-long study pilgrimage run by the Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs. I did this program in 2008 and since that time have been blessed to return to Assisi numer-ous times. Truly, Assisi has become my spiritual home.
While on my first pilgrimage, I was introduced to the concept of “spirituality of place.” I go to Assisi, not as a tourist reading about history and culture with a tour book, but as a pilgrim. “Spirituality of place” speaks of pilgrimage as entering into an experience
of the spirituality of the Fran-ciscan places. This idea guides me each time I visit, as I try to be open about what each site meant to Francis, to Clare, to how the place im-pacted their spirituality, and thus my own. I am often asked by my family and friends why I return to Assisi again and again, as I have “seen the sights.” But each visit for me is unique as God leads me back to the holy places I have seen before, but I arrive at each in a different place on my journey of con-version, and so experience the spirituality differently each time. I seldom have a “plan” when I go to Assisi, but rather let the Lord lead me where He will each day, knowing from experience that He will lead me to those places that speak to the parts
of our Franciscan charism that I most need at the time.
The first impression that strikes me each time I visit is the beauty of Assisi and the Spoleto valley. Whether arriving by bus, car or train, the site of Assisi, sitting as it does on a spur of Mt. Subasio, never fails to awe me. When in town, I look down on the Spoleto valley with its fields of sunflowers, and then across the valley to the mountains on the other side. Walking down (or up; in Assisi one is al-ways walking up or down hills) to places such as San Damiano or the Carceri, amid olive groves and graz-ing sheep, or through town with the window boxes full of flowers, I see the wonder that inspired Fran-cis to write the Canticle of Creatures. The beauty of all God’s creation envelopes this place.
Francis and Clare were each called to conversion and vocation as each of us, through our profession, are also called to. As I pray in front of the San
continued on the next page
“To say that Assisi is vital to me may sound like an exaggeration, but Assisi is precisely that,
a place vital to my spiritual, emotional and creative life. It clings to me
the way this Umbrian town clings to the spur of Mt. Subasio.”
MURRAY BODO, OFM
11
Spring 2017
ONE PILGRIM’S ASSISI JOURNEY
continued from previous page
Damiano cross, either its replica at San Damiano or the original which hangs in the Basilica of St. Clare, I ask that I, too, may hear the voice of God leading me to what I need to rebuild, either in His Church or in my-self. At San Damiano I try to sit near the window the priest threw the money that Francis gave him from the sale of his father’s goods in Foligno. I touch the stones and wonder if Francis himself placed his hands there. This feeling of the presence of Francis and how his conversion took time and openness, also touches me deeply at the Portiuncula. I imagine Francis kneel-ing in this space, praying and receiving the Gospel mes-sage that became the foundation of his Rule and life. Again, touching the very walls that Francis and his brothers may have touched is very moving to me. When I pray here, in this small space not much bigger than a garage, I try to ignore the huge basilica that has been built over it to accommodate pilgrims for the Feast of the Pardon of Assisi. There are few seats in the Portiuncula itself, and I will wait until I can get one (or sometimes just sit on the floor). In addition to con-version, this place speaks to me of fraternity, as it be-came the heart of the Franciscan Order, the place that the brothers left from to go out and live their voca- tions and their missions, and the place that they returned to for fraterni-ty, the one holy place Francis admon-ished them never to leave. It reminds me of the importance of our Fraternities as places that are essential to our Fran-ciscan life.
Visiting the basilicas of St. Francis and St. Clare during the day can be anything but prayerful. Groups of tourists come in and out, mostly reverent, not always quiet. The solitude that is so part of Francis’ spirituality can be found, though, in places like the Carceri, the dormitory of St. Clare, San Ruffino, San- ta Maria Maggiore. These places are not on most tour group itineraries yet are so part of the Franciscan sto-ry. At the Carceri, I see the grottoes where St. Francis and the brothers came to pray. It is mostly quiet here, with only the sounds of the birds breaking the still-ness. In the dormitory of St. Clare I am reminded that Clare spent most of her life behind the walls of San Damiano, yet was known for her healing and sought out for her counsel. Sitting on the window seat of one of the two windows in this large, barren room, I see people come and go, praying silently at the place marked off as Clare’s. I renew my own baptismal promises at the font of St. Ruffino that was used to
baptize both Francis and Clare. Santa Maria Maggio-re, where Francis stripped himself before the bish-op and set out on his new way of life offers a chance to reflect that I, like Francis, need to depend on God alone.
There is rarely a day that I spend in Assisi that I do not visit the tombs of Francis and Clare. As I am an early riser, I go to Francis’ tomb very early, before the tour groups arrive. There may only be one or two others there, affording a time of quiet, peaceful prayer, a time for me to connect with the spirit of Francis that I try to make my own. The tomb of Fran-cis is surrounded by those of his earliest brothers
(Angelo, Ruffino, Masseo and Leo) and, at the bottom of the stairs leading to the tomb, one of my favorite Franciscans, Brother Jacoba. Around 7:00 AM the friars begin their morning prayer in the Lower Church and I can hear the chanting of the Liturgy of the Hours. Mass follows,
which is attended by the friars, a large number of religious sisters and lay people. These times remind me of the connectedness between the branches of the Franciscan family. There is little space to pray in front of Clare’s tomb, so I often wait for a break in the line to be able to kneel and pray for a mo-ment. Clare is the patroness of my Fra-ternity and to me a model of strength, perseverance and prayer. Asking for her intercession is an essential piece of my Assisi time.
Above all, Assisi speaks to me of prayer and peace. The ringing of church bells,
continued on the next page
12
From the DKN Editorial Team . . .
EMBRACING COMMUNITY
AND COMMUNICATION
“. . . they should seek out ways
of unity and fraternal harmony
through dialogue . . .”
The RULE of the OFS, 19
F ather Matthias includes this passage from the RULE in his compelling article; Fr. Cid speaks of our late Sally
Haddad’s invitation “to deepen [his] relationship with God and [his] brother and sister Secular Franciscans”; For-mation Director Pat Wilkin invites the “willing spirit” to “dialogue”; Vice-Minister Jim Thomas captures the com-munity and communicative spirit of the Annual Chapter; Spiritual Assistant Corinne Lorenzet’s description of “the place that the brothers left from to go out and live their vocations and their missions, and the place that they re-
turned to for fraternity” — all of these individuals have chosen quite independently to give witness to the power of community and communication. As it is, coincidences are very common; but God leaves nothing to circum-stance.
Read the articles with the same deliberate spirit that was at work when they were transcribed into this issue of The Doorkeeper’s Notebook. These, our fellow Franciscans, invite us to listen to the inner bidding of the Holy Spirit, to act in asserting our defense of the Gospel and, if that ac-tion involves a decision to participate in a servant-as-office holder capacity in the ranks of the OFS, both the individual and fraternal life will be immeasurably enriched.
Sally Haddad — The decision was made to include a sepa-rate special memorial supplement to this season’s issue. Mailed with the e-version to our Local Fraternity Ministers, it will, for cost reasons, not be available in print. However, the Secular Franciscan presence that emanated from Sally deserves attention, dissemination and imitation, and our Ministers are encouraged to include Sally during prayer when their Fraternity meets.
Please consider attending FLIC, the gathering at Mt. Alver-nia Retreat Center in Wappingers Falls, NY, an uplifting annual celebration of fraternal life that has been a high-light for the Regional Fraternity. The summer conferences at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, NY, specifically for Secular Franciscans, are also worth looking into. Also in-cluded is a new link to the Franciscan Family Apostolate,
founded as response of the Secular Franciscan Order to the plight of the poor in the Third World. On the site click on FFA in the US to get acquainted with Founding President Alan J. Ouimet, OFS, of Madison, CT, here in the Fr. Solanus Casey Region. Our prayers are with Alan, the Board of FFA and
continued on page 13
ONE PILGRIM’S ASSISI JOURNEY
continued from previous page
the chirping of birds, youth groups singing in the Piaz-za Commune, happening upon small chapels such as San Stefano while wandering the narrow streets, the magnificence of the Giotto frescoes in the Upper Basil-ica of St. Francis, the joyous “Buon Giorno” that I am greeted with throughout the town, are just some of the other experiences that make Assisi what it is to
me. As I set about to reflect for this piece, I found that
no words could adequately portray the feeling of peace that is the essence of Assisi for me. Prayer comes easily and continually there, as the spirit of Francis and Clare is always around me. While in Assisi, my Franciscan voca-tion comes alive, and I am renewed to return home and continue my journey of conversion and to share the blessings with others.
Whether we are able to get to Assisi physically or not, each of us can contemplate the spirituality of the Fran-ciscan holy places, of prayer, solitude, fraternity, conver-sion, the beauty of creation and peace that forms the core of who we are as Secular Franciscans.
May God give us peace!
CORINNE
Endnotes:
1. Murray Bodo, Gathering Shards: A Franciscan Life
(Arizona: Tau Publishing, ©2016).
The following books may be of interest to those who would like to read about the spirituality of Assisi:
Bodo, Murray, Enter Assisi — An Invitation to
Franciscan Spirituality, Franciscan Media, ©2015.
Niemier, Roch, In the footsteps of Francis and
Clare, St. Anthony Messenger Press, ©2006.
Editor’s Note:
Many thanks to Corinne for her original photographs. On page 9, Assisi on the spur of Mt. Subasio with sunflowers in the foreground; on page 10, top to bottom: the Tomb of St. Francis in the crypt under the Lower Basilica; St. Clare’s niche at San Damiano; the Basiilica of St. Francis.
Spring 2017
13
Pope Francis Paves the Way for the Beatification of Fr. Solanus Casey
continued from page 1
today we’re announcing it’s been verified by the Holy
Father, to be promulgated to the world that it’s genu-
ine. He [Pope Francis] wants everybody to know
about Fr. Solanus and what he has to say to all of us.”
For more information on Solanus visit the feature on
our Regional website contributed by our Regional
Formation Director Pat Wilkin, OFS. For more links
related to Solanus, see page 16.
Spring 2017
LOCAL FRATERNITY NEWS
Please remember in your prayers the recently deceased of our Regional Fraternity:
Rose Pietrogallo, OFS St. Fidelis Fraternity, Beacon, NY † 27 January 2017 Jean Audet, OFS St. Clare of Assisi Fraternity, N. Providence, RI † 2 February 2017 Sally Haddad, OFS St. Pius X Fraternity, Middletown, CT † 12 February 2017 Pauline Cardin, OFS St. Clare of Assisi Fraternity, N. Providence, RI † 20 March 2017
May they enjoy eternal rest in the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ, His Blessed Mother Mary, our Seraphic Father St. Francis, St. Clare and all the saints.
LOCAL FRATERNITY NEWS will be a regular feature each quarter in The Doorkeeper’s Notebook. Submissions are gladly accepted.
Send details, including photos (with descriptions), of events that chronicle the current history of your Fraternity. See the bot-tom of page 3 for contact information.
Above, at left is Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron pray-ing at the tomb of Fr. Solanus Casey in the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit, MI.
Above, Archbishop Vigneron greets Sr. Anne Herkenrath, SNJM, the grand-niece of Fr. Solanus Casey, after the news conference announcing the decision to beatify Fr. Solanus; Below, a small boy places his petition on the tomb of Fr. Sola-nus (pictures by Mike Stechschulte, The Michigan Catholic [the magazine of the Archdiocese of Detroit]).
14
THEME
The Church, Saint Francis, and Pope Francis
PRESENTER
Br. Richard Contino, OSF
Br. Contino has been a member of the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn (the Congregation of Reli-gious Brothers of the Third Order Regular of St.
Francis) since 1993. He has taught high school in New York and North Carolina, served as Chair of
Theology at St. Anthony’s High School in Hunting ton, NY, and Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, NC. He served two terms on the Leadership Council for his religious community and has served as his community’s Director of Formation. His publications include These Sacred Days: Walking with Jesus through the Sacred Triduum and To the Stable: Encounters on the Way to Bethlehem. Two more books are in the works: Beyond the Empty Tomb: Encounters with the Risen Christ and Francis: A Friar Remembers. Over the years Brother has offered days of recollections, missions, and retreats and is now serving his community as novice and candidate director. Brother Richard has a BA in British Literature from Queens College and a Masters in Religious Education from Felician University. He is a certified Spiritual Director.
FLIC
2017
Franciscans
Living
In
Community
Spring 2017
UPCOMING REGIONAL EVENTS
Come away with your brothers and sisters to Mount Alvernia Retreat Center
Wappingers Falls, NY
Monday 7 August thru Thursday (Lunch) 10 August 2017
Review Your Call Refresh Your Spirit
Renew Your Community Life
Donation of $300.00 ($50.00 deposit with registration [balance due 07/01/2017] or full pay-ment with registration) includes choice of air-conditioned single or double room with pri-vate bath and all meals (staff can accommodate special dietary needs).
RESERVATION FORM (please print)
NAME ________________________________________
ADDRESS ______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
PHONE ______________________________________
E-MAIL ______________________________________
FRATERNITY ___________________________________
Detach and send this Reservation Form with full pay-ment or $50.00 deposit (balance due 07-01-2017). All but $25.00 is refundable after 07-31-2017.
Make checks payable to FLIC and mail to:
Bob Campbell, OFS 135 Centre Avenue
East Rockaway, NY 11518-1010
For additional information contact Bob at 516-599-4256
STATUS
□ M □ F
□ Married Couple
ROOM CHOICE
□ Private □ Semi-Private
□ Handicapped
15
OFS ON THE WEB The International Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order
The National Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order
Fr. Solanus Casey Regional Fraternity Website
Korban Fraternity, Vernon, CT
Most Holy Stigmata Fraternity, Wappingers Falls, NY
St. Pius X Fraternity, Middletown, CT
St. Clare of Assisi Fraternity, W. Stockbridge, MA
Spring 2017
MORE
UPCOMING REGIONAL EVENTS
† IN MEMORIAM †
SAVE THE DATE!
The 2017 Fr. Solanus Casey Regional Assembly
will be held on
Saturday, 11 November 2017
at
St. Pius X Church Hall 310 Westfield St. Middletown, CT
Program details as they become available.
From the DKN Editorial Team . . .
continued from page 12
their charges in the Third World.
Thanks to those who have been in touch with updated contact information. The Doorkeeper’s Notebook and the Fr. Solanus Casey Regional Fraternity Website are works in progress and need your help to evolve in the manner intended for the good of both the Regional Fraternity and the Order. If you have a special event occurring in the near future (Fraternity Chapter of Elec-tions, Professions, etc.), please share it with us. Photos (with descriptions and identification of individuals) are always welcome. Our editorial staff (tausaeculum @gmail.com) is always available to help with issues related to use of the internet for submissions. If the internet proves to be too much of a hassle, put a stamp on your submission and trust it to the “good-ole” USPS. (see the bottom of page 3 for the address).
“Send forth your spirit, they are created and you renew the face of the earth” (Psalm 104: 30).
Happy Spring!
FPC
Fr. Benitius Brevoort, OFM, Cap.
4 March 1938 - 17 January 2017
Ex-General Assistant OFS and YOUFRA
Read Fr. Ben’s memorial and a personal reflection by
our Minister General Encarnación del Pozo, OFS
NOTICE of DEATH
Fr. Roch Ciandella, OFM, Spiritual Assistant for Holy Stigmata Fraternity in Wappingers Falls, NY, where he was located, passed into eternal life on Thursday, 11 May, 2017. Please remember Fr. Roch in your prayers. At the time of publication funeral details are not available.
16
Spring 2017
SECULAR FRANCISCAN CONFERENCE
The Development of the Franciscan Person Friday 21 July through Sunday 23 July 2017
PRESENTER
Fr. David B. Couturier, O.F.M., Cap. Dean of the School of Franciscan Studies at St. Bonaventure and Executive Director of the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure
One of the stories about St. Francis of Assisi relates how a brother watched the saint in prayer, and heard him pray the words, “Who are you, Lord, and who am I?” These two questions are fundamental to the Christian life and the Franciscan vocation.
This course will explore how we come to our Franciscan identity and how we develop as a Franciscan person. Using Franciscan sources, the Secular-Franciscan rule, and contemporary psychology, we will discuss the stages of spiritual transformation and the fundamentals of Franciscan spirituality.
We will focus our attention on two books, Jacques Dalarun’s "The Canticle of the Creatures: Francis of Assisi Recon-ciled" (2016), and David B. Couturier’s "The Four Conversions: A Spirituality of Transformation" (2017), both from Franciscan Institute Publications.
GO TO ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM
SUMMER CONFERENCES
at ST. BONAVENTURE UNIVERSITY
ON THE MAIN CAMPUS, OLEAN, NY
IGNATIUS BRADY LECTURE
Bonaventure and the Centrality of Love 7:30 p.m., Friday 14 July 2017
PRESENTER
Sr. Ilia Delio, O.F.S., Ph.D. Senior fellow at Georgetown University's Woodstock Theological Center
Sr. Ilia is a Franciscan sister of Washington, D.C., who holds a doctorate in pharmacology from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and a doctorate in historical theology from Ford-ham University.
She has written extensively in the area of Franciscan theology, with a particular emphasis on the theology of Bonaventure. She lectures nationally and internationally in Franciscan theology/spirituality with a particular focus on integrating Franciscan theol-ogy and contemporary questions.
She is a member of the Commission for the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition that is sponsored by the English Speaking Confer-ence of Friars Minor, and recently served as Spirituality Department chair at Washington Theological Union.
Presently a senior fellow at Georgetown's Woodstock Theological Center, Georgetown University, where she concentrates in the area of science and religion, Sr. Ilia is the author of "A Franciscan View of Creation" (Franciscan Institute Publications, 2003).
THIS LECTURE IS FREE AND OPEN TO ALL. NO PRIOR REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
17
Fr. Solanus Casey Region Franciscan Family Apostolate The National Fraternity of the OFS The International Fraternity of the OFS Franciscan Action Network The Vatican Holy Name Province (OFM) Immaculate Conception Province (OFM) Assumption Province (OFM) St. Mary Province (OFM Cap.) Holy Stigmata Province (OFM Cap.) Our Lady of the Angels Province (OFM Conv.) The Solanus Casey Center The Fr. Solanus Guild US Franciscans
LINKS
Recommended Reading
Saint Clare: Beyond the Legend Marco Bartoli, translated by Sr. Frances Teresa Downing, OSC, Franciscan International Study Center ©2010, St. Anthony Messenger Press, Cincinnati, OH
St. Francis and the Third Order Raffaele Pazzelli, TOR, ©1989 Franciscan Herald Press, Chicago, IL
To Live As Francis Lived: A Guide for Secular Franciscans Leonard Foley, OFM, Jovian Weigel, OFM, Patti Normile, SFO, St. Anthony Messenger Press ©2000, Franciscan Media, Cincinnati, OH
Franciscan Prayer Ilia Delio, OSF, ©2004 Ilia Delio, St. Anthony Messenger Press, Cincinnati, OH
Called to Proclaim Christ: Short Reflections on the SFO Rule Benet A. Fonck, OFM, ©1998 Franciscan Press, Quincy, IL
Called to Make Present the Charism: Ongoing Formation for Secular Franciscans Based on the Footnotes of the SFO Rule Benet A. Fonck, OFM, ed., ©2002 Franciscan Press, Quincy, IL
THE CAUSE
for the Canonization of Venerable
Solanus Casey, OFM, Cap.
Prayer for Canonization
Place a Prayer on Fr. Solanus’ Tomb
Report an Intercession
Canonization Process
Words and Wisdom of Fr. Solanus
Plan a Visit to the
Solanus Casey Center
Franciscans International is a non-governmental organization that voices concerns at the United Nations, with and on behalf of the most vulnerable, about justice, poverty and the planet.
Spring 2017
The simple tomb of Venerable (soon to be Blessed) Fr. Solanus Casey, OFM, Cap.,
in the Solanus Casey Center adjacent to St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit, MI.
FRANCISCANS INTERNATIONAL
A Voice at the United Nations
18
Send forth your spirit, they are created and you renew the face of the earth”
PSALM 104: 30
PHOTOS: FPC for The Doorkeeper’s Notebook
