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FEASTS of the GENERAL ROMAN
CALENDAR for MARCH
4 Casimir
7 Perpetua & Felicity, Martyrs
8 John of God, Religious
9 Frances of Rome, Religious
15 Longinus
17 Patrick, Bishop
18 Cyril of Jerusalem,
Bishop and Doctor
19 Joseph, Husband of Our Lady
23 Turibius De Mongrovejo, Bishop
25 The Annunciation of Our Lord
The
ST. CLARE of ASSISI FRATERNITY West Stockbridge, MA
SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER
VENERABLE FR. SOLANUS CASEY REGION
Vol. 5, No. 3 March 2016
Venerable Fr. Solanus Casey, Pray for Us!
JANET CANTARELLA, OFS
MINISTER
Box 216
Lanesboro, MA 01237
Michael Guertin, OFS
FRATERNITY SPIRITUAL ASSISTANT
Springfield, MA
Fr. Matthias Wesnofske,
OFM Cap.
Patchogue, NY
REGIONAL
SPIRITUAL ASSISTANT
Fr. Cidouane Joseph, OFM
Hartford, CT
REGIONAL
SPIRITUAL ASSISTANT
The Fraternity meets
for Teaching, Fellowship,
Prayer and Formation
on the
2nd Wednesday
every month
at
St. Patrick’s Parish Center
30 Albany Road
W. Stockbridge, MA
“The rule and life of the
Secular Franciscans is this:
To observe the gospel of
our Lord Jesus Christ
by following the example of
St. Francis of Assisi, who
made Christ the inspiration
and center of his life with
God and people.”
The Rule of the OFS, 4
We dedicate this publication
and the Apostolate which
brings it to you monthly to the
memory of the beloved
deceased of the
St. Clare of Assisi Fraternity.
MARCH SCHEDULE
Meeting Day/Date: Wednesday 9 March
Starting this month, meeting times are returning to our previous schedule:
The Council meets at 12:00 am The Fraternity meets at 1:00 pm
Exploring the Spirit: Reading & Reflection
The Imitation of Christ
Book I
Useful Admonitions for the Spiritual Life
Leader: Janice
Chapter 4: On Being Prudent in What We Accept and Do Reader: Nancy
Chapter 5: On the Reading of Holy Scripture Reader: Janet
Chapter 6: Concerning Inordinate Affections Reader: Tom
Prayer: Janice
FEASTS of the FRANCISCAN
CALENDAR for MARCH
2 Τ 2 St. Agnes of Prague, Virgin
14 Τ3 St. Catherine of Genoa, Virgin
16 Τ3 Bl. Torello of Poppi, Confessor
20 Τ3 Bl. Hippolyte Galentini,
Confessor
23 Τ3 Bl. Jeremy Lambertenghi,
Priest
28 Τ1 St. John of Capistrano, Priest
29 Τ3 Bl. Jane Mary of Vaille, Virgin
Τ1 = 1st Order; Τ2 = 2nd Order;
Τ3 = 3rd Order Secular
HE IS
RISEN!
Happy
Easter!
Sunday
27 March
ARTICLE 53§ 1
RULE 24 THE FRATERNITY MUST OFFER TO ITS MEMBERS OPPORTU-
NITIES FOR COMING TOGETHER AND COOLABORATING THROUGH MEET-
INGS TO BE HELD WITH AS GREAT A FREQUENCY AS ALLOWED BY THE
SITUATION AND WITH THE INVOLVEMENT OF ALL ITS MEMBERS.
The
General Constitutions 2000 of the Secular Franciscan Order
The Rule of the
Secular Franciscan Order Chapter Three, 24
Life in Fraternity
24.
TO FOSTER COMMUNION AMONG MEMBERS, THE COUNCIL SHOULD
ORGANIZE REGULAR AND FREQUENT MEETINGS OF THE COMMUNITY AS
WELL AS MEETING WITH OTHER FRANCISCAN GROUPS, ESPECIALLY WITH
YOUTH GROUPS. IT SHOULD ADOPT APPROPRIATE MEANS FOR GROWTH IN
FRANCISCAN AND ECCLESIAL LIFE AND ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO A LIFE
OF FRATERNITY. THIS COMMUNION CONTINUES WITH DECEASED
BROTHERS AND SISTERS THROUGH PRAYER FOR THEM.
2
MARCH ANNIVERSARIES
BIRTHDAYS
Fred Conforti 3-1
PROFESSION
Peter Feudo 3-14-2000
BEATIFICATION
Bl. John Duns Scotus 3-20-1993
IN MEMORIAM
Br. Gilbert Mary Hunter 3-18-2010 Joseph A. Finn 3-22-2007
“OUR” PSALMS
Now there is not one of us who does not seek peace. If the Psalms are sometimes anguished, sometimes
tormented, turbulent, warlike, defiant, yet they all end in peace, or show us that the way to peace is in confi-
dence in the Strong Living God who is far above the struggles and tempests of the earth, and who, neverthe-
less, descends on the wings of the whirlwind to rescue His elect.
There is therefore one fundamental religious experience which the Psalms can all teach us: the peace that
comes from submission to God’s will and from perfect confidence in Him.
This, then, gives us our guiding principle in praying the Psalms. No matter whether we understand a Psalm
at first or not, we should take it up with this end in view: to make use of it as a prayer that will enable us to
surrender ourselves to God. If we keep this one thing in mind, the various Psalms will gradually yield their myster-
ies to us, and we will begin to find out that certain ones fit our own condition and our own experience better
than others. This recognition of a special appropriateness for our own lives, in particular Psalms, is an actual grace
of God. It is an invitation of the Holy Spirit, urging us to pay more attention to these Psalms, to use them more
frequently in our prayers and meditations, to adopt them for our own use. They become “our” Psalms. We do
not have to tell other people about our preference, preach about it or write books about it. We simply need to
take possession of these Psalms, “move in” to them, so to speak. Or rather we move them into the house of
our own soul so that we think of our ordinary experiences in their light and with their words.
Thomas Merton
On Praying the Psalms
Thomas Merton was a Secular Franciscan before entering the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (OCSO).
. . . the passion of Christ
completely suffices to fashion
our lives. Whoever wishes to live
perfectly should do nothing but
disdain what Christ disdained
on the cross and desire what he
desired, for the cross exemplifies
every virtue.
St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Joseph,
Foster Father of Jesus
19 March
SECULAR FRANCISCAN FOCUS
Blessed Jane Mary of Maille (1332—1414)
Feast Day: 29 March
Jane was the daughter of the wealthy baron of Maille; she was born in his chateau near St.
Quentin in France. The atmosphere of life in the chateau was infused with spirituality under the
direction of a Franciscan. As a youth Jane had such intense devotion for the Virgin Mary that she
took her name at Confirmation and always used it with her baptismal name. She lived a life of
prayer, severe penance and good works.
Her father died when she was fifteen and her grandfather, quite advanced in age, assumed
guardianship. Wishing to fulfill his duty of settling Jane Mary in life as soon as possible, he ar-
ranged a marriage with the noble and exceptionally virtuous Baron Robert of Silly. On the even-
ing of their wedding day the grandfather died suddenly. The pious husband was so moved by this
that he readily yielded to the wish of his young wife to live in virginity.
The household that the young couple established was extraordinary in its concern for virtue.
Only servants who were willing to live in faithful submission to Christ and the Church were admit-
ted. They were expected to demonstrate restraint in speech and action, following the example of Jane Mary and her husband. No
one in need was turned away from their door.
The Baron of Silly was mortally wounded during a conflict between England and France and was taken prisoner. Jane Mary suc-
cessfully petitioned for his release but he died shortly afterwards.
Now Blessed Jane Mary of Maille withdrew entirely from the world. She left her vast possessions in the hands of relatives, while
she moved to a little house near the Franciscan church in Tours. Dressed in the ash-grey habit of the Third Order, she went out to
nurse the sick and the poor; the remaining time she spent in prayer.
She prayed especially that God might bless the labors of priests, particularly those who preached the divine word. She
prayed most of all for the universal Church, which at that time had to endure one of its severest trials: the Western Schism. A pope
in Rome, an anti-pope in Avignon (France) and even one in Pisa (Italy) divided Christendom to the extent that even saintly people did
not know which one was the rightful head of the Church. Confusion and many scandals were the inevitable results. Had the Church
been the work of human hands, it must certainly have gone to ruin. In answer to the prayers of many pious souls, God came to the
assistance of the Church, and Jane Mary had the consolation before her death of seeing the Church again united under one head by
the Council of Constance (1414-1417).
Jane Mary of Maille died in the year 1414, at the age of eighty-two years. When her remains, clothed in the habit of the Third
Order, were brought into the church, the body appeared to have the freshness of youth. The veneration paid to her since her death
was approved by Pope Pius IX.
Adapted from The Franciscan Book of Saints, edited by Marion Habig, OFM.
Blessed Jane Mary of Maille
1332—1414
THINGS TO DO IN THE JUBILEE YEAR OF MERCY
The Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception offer the following check list of things to do during the Jubilee Year of Mercy:
Forgive those who have hurt you or done you wrong. If possible, consider forgiving debts owed you and/or returning collateral.
Go to confession regularly — monthly, even weekly. Read and meditate on the Sacred Scriptures, especially the Gospel of Luke. Perform one or more works of mercy every day. Go on a pilgrimage to a place with a Holy Door, including the National Shrine of the Divine
Mercy in Stockbridge, MA. Share the good news of God’s mercy through your words and good deeds. Make the Stations of the Cross regularly, especially at 3 PM, the Hour of Great Mercy. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy daily, imploring mercy “on us and on the whole world. Read the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska.
Let’s seek refuge in the Merciful Heart of Jesus. — St. Faustina, Diary, 692
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FRATERNITY NEWS
Many thanks to our Fraternity Spiritual Assistant Mike Guertin, OFS, for an inspirational presentation on Life in the Spirit during last month’s meeting. The calendar continues to fill in. June is Community Outreach month and a presentation is planned on Franciscan Spirituality: The Secular Franciscan Life in Christ by our Formation Director Fred Conforti, MD, OFS. Dur-ing the summer months we will continue to read and reflect on passages from The Imitation of Christ. At our September meeting we will share our annual Day of Recollection. This year’s focus: Mercy and St. Francis.
Reminders
Beginning in March we will return to our previous schedule of meeting times. Council will meet at noon, Fraternity will meet at 1:00 PM. Please remember to bring your own lunch to the meetings (unless, of course, we agree on potluck). Coffee will be provided. It’s approaching Fair Share time of the year again. Reminder cards with the details are included with this month’s mailing and there will be another next month. As your means allow, please join in this endeavor to fund the Order for another year.
He promised to show mercy . . . and to remember His holy covenant. — Canticle of Zechariah, Luke 1: 72
Spring begins on 21 March, and this year brings
us a very special reminder of God’s constant work
of renewal in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The unretouched digital photo at left is one of
three taken with different cameras at different
angles during the recent visit of our Fraternity
Spiritual Assistant Mike Guertin to the Franciscan
missions along the California coast. The identity of
the individual on the right who appears white is
not important. The sign itself, however, is of cru-
cial significance as we move forward each day in our
lives of prayer, penance and good works. God is
constantly fulfilling
the promise that He made to gather us to Himself, to transform us in order to bridge the otherwise
infinitely immense chasm that exists between us and Him:
Behold, I tell you a mystery. . . . we will all be changed, in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall all be changed. For that which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility, and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality. And when this which is incorruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: “Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” . . . thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Putting the newsletter together each month can be a challenge. Comments are always welcome. If you find the content to be unsuitable or inconsistent with our Franciscan spirituality in any way, please don’t hesitate to be heard (write our minister at the address in the masthead or e-mail to [email protected]). Submissions are also very welcome. FPC
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REVIVING THE SPIRIT
Revive your spirit! Register for the 2016 Quinquennial. Nick-named the “Q”, the congress is for Secular Franciscans, the wider Franciscan Family, and Franciscan-hearted companions. It takes place June 30-July 4 at Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel, St. Louis, Missouri. Keynote presenter is theologian and spiritual writer Father Dan Horan, OFM, a young Franciscan
scholar who has already become a prolific author and sought-after speaker. “Rediscover the Franciscan charism at the 2016 Quinquennial in St. Louis and enjoy new growth and fruitfulness,” the Q committee states, adding:
“Experience a rebirth of joy in our vocation.”
Other speakers and breakout sessions will round out the congress, which opens with Mass and dinner on Thursday evening, June 30. The session will close with Mass on Sunday evening, July 3, with departure on July 4.
Don’t Let Finances Keep You Away!
Interested in attending the Quinquennial but unable to because of financial circumstances? The 2016 Q Scholarship Fund may make attendance possible. The fund provides full and partial scholarships for Professed and Candidates; details and application form are available online at www.quinquennial.org. Alternatively, Fraternities may wish to sponsor individuals as their means allow. Individual contributions to the scholarship fund are always welcome and can be sent to National Treasurer Jerry Rouseau, OFS, 82 Kim Street, Blairsville, GA, 30512. A detailed account of all funds received and used for this purpose is available.
And don’t forget Operation Blessing Bag, described in last month’s newsletter. Last date for do-nations is Wednesday 8 June. More details next month.
NATIONAL NEWS
REGIONAL NEWS
The annual Forming the Formators workshop for the Solanus Casey Region, Central District, will be held on Saturday 12 March from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM at St. Pius X Church Hall in Middletown, CT. Enti-tled Relationships: Francis’ and Ours, the focus will be on St. Francis’ relationship with the Persons of the Trinity and how this permeated his relationships with his brothers and sisters. The focus will then turn to an examination of our own individual relationships with the Persons of the Trinity and of how the quality of those relationships shapes the manner in which we interact with both our fellow Secular Franciscans in Fraternity and individuals in the world everyday. Our Fraternity Formation Director Fred Conforti, MD, OFS, will be attending. There is no charge for this workshop but registration is required, and anyone interested (Professed only) should let Fred know ASAP. Or contact Regional Director of Formation Patricia Wilkin, OFS, directly at 203-888-5995 or [email protected]
Fr. Dan Horan, OFM
5
MY GOD
AND
MY ALL!
GALLERY
FRANCISCAN SAINTS
MARCH
AGNES OF PRAGUE
Left: Rendered by the Bohemian Master (1482), St. Agnes of
Prague (1211-1282), the illustrious daughter of the king of Bohe-
mia, is depicted performing the work that occupied the majority
of her life: Tending to the poor, the sick, and the dying.
Agnes was a valuable political pawn; she was betrothed
at age 8 to Henry, the son of Emperor Frederick II, but the con-
tract was cancelled after 6 years. Agnes’ father Ottokar went to
war over cancellation of the betrothal and wished for her to
marry Henry III of England. Frederick II vetoed this; he then
wanted Agnes for his own wife.
The friendship between Agnes and St. Clare of Assisi is
one of the most powerful stories of how women shaped the
early history of the new Franciscan Order. Agnes and her com-
panions lived the Rule of the Second Order of St. Francis that
was approved by Innocent Iv on 9 August 1253, two days before
the death of St. Clare.
CATHERINE OF GENOA
Right: The great mystic St. Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510) spent the
last 31 years of her life caring for the poor. She would have been 45
years old when her fellow Genoese Christopher Columbus set sail on
the first trek that would lead to the discovery of the New World; she
was 28 when Michaelangelo was born in Settignano outside of Flor-
ence.
St. Catherine appears at right in a mixed-medium
watercolor and acrylic painting by Connecticut artist Joseph Trepic-
cione. It is an interpretation of a portrait found in the hospital of Pam-
matone in Genoa, where she and her husband lived and worked until
her death in 1510. The painting is the cover art for the book Catherine
of Genoa: Purgation and Purgatory, The Spiritual Dialogue, Paulist Press,
Mahwah, NJ, © 1979.
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