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The St. Anthony CCoommppaanniioonn Volume 5, Number 2 Companions Pray for You roughout the Year

praying for them; other times they send a Mass card to some - one grieving the loss of a loved one; sometimes they even call on the phone so that someone in Continued on Page 2

Look What’s InsIde …

InterCessIon of the ....4-5

The basket of Companions prayer petitions sits before the altar at the Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City, Maryland. God Gave Us Brothers ...... 6-7 very day, friends from all around the Eover the country send the country and the world, and their Companions of St. Anthony lay prayer partners hold up these prayer petitions in handwritten many petitions before God in letters, reply cards from our mail - many ways throughout the year. ings, emails, Facebook messages, When prayer petitions are and voicemails. Praying to St. mailed in to us, either on per - Anthony for his intercession with sonal stationery or on reply ChrIstmas CandLe ...... 8 our Lord on behalf of our friends forms from our mailings, they and benefactors has been a cen - are read by our staff who pray for tral ministry of the Companions them immediately. Our lay since it began over 25 years ago. Prayer Partners will often write The Franciscan Conven - an encouraging note to someone, tual of the Shrine of St. Anthony reminding them that God loves in Ellicott City, Maryland, their them and that the Friars are enter the chapel. Though the Friars of the Shrine personally pray for Companions petitions every day, in some cases, when a priest is needed immediately, a will reach out to him or her. Lastly, some petitions are sent to Friars around the country who continue to pray for these inten - tions during their personal times of prayer. On the third Saturday of each month, the lay Prayer Part - ners gather to pray for the many intentions that come in. Follow - ing Mass at the Shrine, the The basket of monthly benefactors to the Companions of St. Anthony sits Prayer Partners retire to a private before the relics of St. Anthony at the Shrine of St. Anthony. room to pray. This prayer takes Companions Pray, from on Page 1 reach for many petitions. Peti - many forms: some read petitions as they pray in their own words dire need will hear the sound of a tions are placed in a basket out - while others pray the caring voice. side the private chapel of the while reading petitions, and The lay Prayer Partners Friars at the Shrine of St. An - some write notes, also. In coordinate with the Friars for thony, and the Friars take a peti - further prayer and pastoral out - tion into prayer each time they Continued on Page 3 Companions Comments “Thank you for the wonderful items of St. An - was still there with my pocket book in it! I could thony that you send me. After hearing stories of St. not believe that after 20 minutes it would still be Anthony, I’ve not only learned a lot about him but there. Thank you, St. Anthony.” also about myself and what I can do for God.” A.R., Springfield, MA Friend of St. Anthony, Syracuse, NY

“I am writing to tell you of my deep love and devotion to St. Anthony. He has been my closest intercessor to Mary and the Trinity. Mostly I pray for my brother’s MS. St. Anthony has protected him from the harsh results of this disease for 20 years. Please continue to spread his love!” Anonymous

“I received a miracle today. I went to the store and I left my pocket book on the basket. I re - turned right away when I realized what I had done. I was praying to St. Anthony, the Virgin Mary, In April 2016, Companions Jay and Jean Dugas from and the Sacred Heart of Jesus to find my pocket Albuquerque, New Mexico visited the Shrine of St. book. When I arrived at the parking lot, the basket Anthony in Ellicott City, Maryland.

2 Companions Pray, from on Page 2 whichever form it takes, the petitions of our Com - panions are lifted up by their fellow lay Compan - ions before our Lord. Prayer petitions are present at many liturgies throughout the year. Every Tuesday, petitions from the week are taken in a basket to sit before the altar at the Shrine of St. Anthony for Mass and the Tuesday Novena to St. Anthony. These same peti - tions are taken back to the Shrine on Thursdays and placed before the Blessed Sacrament during Adoration. At the end of each month, the names of all benefactors to the Franciscans are placed in a basket before the relic of St. Anthony and are pres - Pilgrims Carlotta Salazar from Virginia and her sister ent at all Masses and liturgies for the following Elizabeth Ledesma from Texas made the long journey month. In this way, the intercession of St. Anthony to the Shrine of St. Anthony in March 2016 as part of is continued for an additional 30 days. their Lenten devotions. A special aspect of prayer at the Shrine is the lighting of candles in our chapel. Pilgrims come Spiritual Benefits of Masses and Novenas every day to seek St. Anthony’s intercession at Mass for Companions of St. Anthony and in private devotion before his relics. Many will end their pilgrimage by lighting a candle for their • Novena to St. Anthony every Tuesday of the year intentions. For all of the requests to light candles • August 11 Feast of St. Clare that are mailed in from around the country, the • August 15 Feast of the Assumption/ Friars of the Shrine light them throughout the week. St. Anthony Birthday Lastly, Masses and Novenas are said multiple • September 18 Feast of St. Joseph Cupertino times throughout the year for the intentions of the • October 4 Feast of St. Francis Companions of St. Anthony. Besides daily and • Oct. 24-Nov. 1 All Souls Novena weekly Masses, your intentions are remembered • December 16-24 Christmas Novena during special Feast Days and Holy Days. We • December 25 Christmas Mass encourage you to send us your intentions to be included in these special Masses, which are listed • Nine days before Lent Novena in the schedule to the right. Ash Wednesday As you can see, the intentions that our • Nine days before Easter Novena Companions send in to us are prayed over many, Easter Sunday many times throughout the day, week, month, and • Nine Days before St. Anthony Novena year. It is a special blessing the Friars have to be June 13 entrusted with these needs, and it is their great privilege to have the opportunity to speak to God, • Daily Mass at the Shrine of St. Anthony through St. Anthony, on behalf of so many. • Daily Mass at the Porciuncula Friary, Visit www.companionsofstanthony.org to Provincial House submit a prayer petition to the Friars online! In ad - dition you can watch a video of thanks from Friars • Weekly Mass at the Tomb of St. Francis, Assisi, Italy at the Shrine of St. Anthony! • Weekly Mass at the Tomb of St. Anthony, Padua, Italy

3 Praying for the Intercession of the saints

By Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. One of the most consoling that He will grant us whatever At times we approach promises that Jesus has made we need? prayer as if God were a to us is that whatever we pray What is Prayer machine and we have to place for in His name will be granted. Before we can address that the proper fuel in that machine He has promised to be our question, there is a more basic to make it work. Our prayers intercessor with the Father, question to ask. Does Jesus are that fuel, and if we strike and that we will never feel cut really grant all those things for the proper mixture of novenas, off from the power of God. which we pray? Very often we candles and promises to reform If Jesus made this promise, pray for something for years our lives, then God is all but then why should we bother and years and we never seem to obliged to give us what we praying for the intercession of receive it. So what are prayers want. the saints? Should we not and how do they work? At other times, we recog - simply pray to Jesus, trusting nize that God might not grant us what we want. Therefore, our prayers seem more like tokens which we place in a slot machine. We say our prayers and pull the lever, hoping our three oranges –our miracle –will pop up. Prayer as Relationship All of this is to take a very mechanical approach to our relationship with God. God is not a machine which we prime with our prayer. God is a person, and our prayers are communication, an expression of love and trust. In prayer, we join our love to that of God and we trust that God will respond to our need in the most loving way possible. This is where some of the confusion lies. We almost always believe that the most loving response to our prayers would be to grant what we want when we want it. God often realizes that we can be more loving people A pilgrim, about to receive the Holy Eucharist, reaches out to touch the statue if the response to our prayer is of St. Anthony, seeking his intercession. 4 not the miracle that we request. Sometimes we learn patience when our request is not granted, “Our prayer to the saints for their or we learn to trust in the midst intercession in our time of need... of suffering, or we learn to persevere in our request. is an act of faith in the belief that Praying as a Community Because prayer is an expres - love is stronger than death.” sion of love, we often ask others to join us in prayer for a partic - ular need. It is not that we will still on this earth until they are reach out and embrace the develop a greater weight of once again in Heaven. whole world. These, in fact, are prayer when more than one Most of us have experi - the two basic requirements for person is praying for a need. It enced this in our own lives. one to be canonized: that there is that when I express love, I We have a favorite relative, or be a devotion to that person naturally want others to partici - a husband or a wife who has and that the intercession of that pate in my love. It makes a passed away. At first, we were person be proved through the difference when I am praying overwhelmed by the loneliness miracles obtained by praying to together with a friend or with of separation. It feels as if all that person. When this has my Church for a particular the love which we had shared been certified, the Church need. The more love that is had somehow been defeated proclaims that these heroes are expressed, the easier it is for us and now we were all alone. both examples of lived faith and to respond to God’s response Then one evening we felt a intercessors in time of need. with love and trust. presence alongside of us. Never Lonely The Community of Saints We were not afraid; we did not If we think of what all of What has been said about think it was a threatening pres - this means, we realize that the wanting our family and friends ence. We simply knew that our heavens are literally packed with to join us in prayer for a partic - loved one was there with us. people who love us and who are ular need can also be said of the We began to talk to that person. willing to intercede for us. One saints. We can pray to God We began to feel the help of of our greatest fears in the without asking for the interces - our loved one in difficult times. modern world is that we will be sion of the saints, but because The Church’s Saints all alone and lonely. The our prayer is an expression of This experience teaches us doctrine of the communion of love, we want everyone in our what the saints mean for us. saints is the guarantee that we community of love to join us in The saints are all those who are part of a loving community our prayer. have gone to heaven. Yet, the which even death cannot sepa - But who exactly are saints? Church has chosen certain men rate. Our prayer to the saints At its broadest definition, saints and women whom it has for their intercession in our are people who were so in love officially proclaimed as saints. times of need, whether it be the with God and with their sisters These are women and men who saints from our own family or and brothers in this life that were so courageous and gener - those saints whom the Church they continue to express that ous in their love that everyone has officially proclaimed, is an love even after their deaths. knows that they are in heaven. act of faith in the belief that Their love is stronger than Their love was so large and love is stronger than death. death. They will continue to expansive that they want to express love for those who are

5 “God Gave Us Brothers …” Franciscan Vocation News

Investiture

On July 20, 2016 at the St. Friary in Arroyo Grande, California, the Very Reverend Fr. Michael Zielke, OFM Conv., Minister Provincial of St. Bonaventure Province, presided and preached at Vespers for the 2016 Investiture Ceremony. There were fifty Friars in attendance, as we welcomed seven new , vested in the habit of our Order. Our province congratulates our newest : Friar Jason DeMartini.

Director of the St. Bonaventure Left: Friary Postulancy, Friar Paschal Kolodziej, OFM Conv. (far left) & Assistant Director, Friar Anthony Lajato, OFM Conv. (far right) will direct our 16 new Postulants in a year of immersion into the Franciscan way of life, common prayer, class instruc - tion, and outreach ministries.

Friar Nick Rokitka Ordained to Holy Priesthood

It is with praise and gratitude to the Most High God that the Friars Right: joyfully celebrated the ordination to the Holy Priesthood of our brother, Friar Nicholas John Rokitka, OFM Conv. conferred by Bishop John Eric Stowe, OFM Conv. of the Roman Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky on June 25, 2016 at St. Casimir’s Church in Baltimore, Maryland. The day was filled with joy and , as friars, family and friends from all over the province gathered in celebration. Pictured here are the newly ordained Fr. Nicholas and Bishop Stowe. Please pray for Father Nick in his ministry! 6 Simple Vows Friar Nick Spano Ordained a

On July 21, 2016 the Franciscan Friars Conventual of North America celebrated the joy of the Profession of Simple Vows (also known as First or Temporary) Vows of seven Novices, at St. Paul’s Church, in Pismo Beach, California. Congratulations go to Friar Roberson Lubin, Friar Jacob Min - jarez, Friar Brian Mary Tougher, Friar Jaime Zaragoza, Friar Timothy Blan - chard, {bottom row} Friar Franck Lino Sokpolie, and Friar Marco Antonio Didden. Many thanks go to their Novitiate Formators: Director Fr. Giles Zakowicz, OFM Conv. (far left, back), and Assistant Director Fr. Maurice Richard, OFM Conv. (far right, back)!

On Saturday, August 6, 2016, Solemn Vows at San Damiano Mission in Brooklyn, New York, Friar Nicholas Spano, OFM Conv. was ordained a Transitional Deacon by the Bishop of Brooklyn, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Nicholas Anthony DiMarzio. Friar Nick was supported by many of the friars of our province, his family, friends and a large as - sembly of the people he serves. Please keep Friar Nicholas in your prayers. The St. Anthony Each summer, friars who are approaching their solemn, or final, vows make a special pilgrimage to Assisi to explore the rich Franciscan history Companion of the area, accompanied by veteran friars. For the last week, the men is a publication of continue delving into the life of St. Francis of Assisi and his followers, with the Companions of St. Anthony a focus on living out their Franciscan calling. Pictured here are the four 12290 Folly Quarter Road Friars with Our Lady of the Angels Minister Provincial, Fr. James McCurry Ellicott City, Maryland 21042 (left to right: Antonio Sandoval, Don Bassana, Emanuel Vasconcelos, and 410-531-9200 Maximilian Avila. Please keep all the Franciscan Friars Conventual in Visit us online at formation in your prayers during this important step in their vocation. www.companionsofstanthony.org 7 sharing the Gift of Your faith and Love How can you ensure that the retreat centers and youth pro - 3. Residue of Your Estate legacy of your earthly journey grams and as missionaries in dis - The portion of your estate that is left after specific bequests to your family and will live on? tant lands. loved ones have been distributed is re - A gift made to the Compan - If you have already prepared ferred to as the “Residue.” ions of St. Anthony through a Will, a simple codicil can be To leave such a bequest, please state: “All residue of my estate, including real your Will can be used to share added. If you have not yet writ - and personal property, I give, devise and your faith in the Holy Gospel of ten your Will, please contact an bequeath to the Companions of St. An - Jesus Christ with the least of our attorney to assist you. thony of Ellicott City, Maryland.” 4. Specific Dollar Amount brothers and sisters throughout Here are four options for A bequest of any amount will be deeply the world. making a bequest: appreciated and would have an impor - Your legacy will live on 1. A Percentage of Your Estate tant impact in caring for the poor and through our service to the poor To leave a percentage of your estate to needy. To leave a specific dollar amount, the Companions of St. Anthony, please and needy in soup kitchens and please state: state in your Will: “I give, devise and be - “I give, devise and bequeath to the Com - homeless shelters, Catholic queath to the Companions of panions of St. Anthony of Ellicott City, schools, hospitals, parishes and St. Anthony of Ellicott City, Maryland, Maryland, the amount of $______.” ______% of my estate.” prison ministry. Your generosity 2. Specific Property Please be assured that a will assist the Franciscan Friars To leave a specific piece of your property, Conventual serving in please state: “I give, devise and bequeath revocable gift listed in ministry, and as teachers, chap - to the Companions of St. Anthony of your Will can be changed Ellicott City, Maryland, (description of at any time. lains, counselors, , in property), located at (exact location).”

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