Saint Francis of Assisi

The Joyful Messenger Winter 2021

REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Jeane Swaynos, OFS Regional Minister

Janice Novello PhD, OFS Regional Vice Minister

Kenneth Wolfert, OFS Regional Formation Director

Karen Rooney, OFS Regional Treasurer

MISSION STATEMENT Patricia Wolfert, OFS Regional Secretary The mission of the Five Franciscan Martyrs Region of the Secular Franciscan Order is to walk in the Br. Lombardo D’Auria, OFM spirit of St. Francis of Assisi by bringing gospel to Co-Regional Spiritual Assistant life and life to the gospel and promoting a sanctified family life. John Deaton, PhD OFS Co-Regional Spiritual Assistant REPORT FROM THE REGIONAL REGIONAL FAMILY EXECUTIVE MEETING COUNCILORS JEANE SWAYNOS, OFS, REGIONAL MINISTER Ruth Huddle, OFS Marcia Stamboulian, OFS The first “in person” Regional Council meeting since -St. Elizabeth of Hungary Family the pandemic began for the FFMR was held on February

20th at the San Pedro Franciscan retreat center in Tampa. Sheila Solomon, OFS There were 11 of our council members present at the Mark Banschbach, OFS -St. Thomas More Family meeting, coming from as far as Alabama and Hialeah. We met in the Sabbath House, a special place set aside Susan Deshotel, OFS at the retreat center. We brought in all the food and Hilda Aguilera, OFS distanced ourselves as much as possible. -St. Margaret of Cortona Family

These are some of the highlights from the meeting. STANDING Looking forward for more things to happen in the COMITTEES coming months!

Bonnie Barlow, OFS • There will be another class for Spiritual Assistants Database Manager starting in the early fall when we recruit a workable Mark Banschbach, OFS number of students. Look for more details from John Webmaster Deaton at the Annual meeting. Andy Buchleitner, OFS Justice, Peace, & Integrity of Creation • The Council decided to pay for all the regional Liaison (JPIC) ministers’ registration fees for their delegates for the up-coming visitation meeting in May at San Pedro Theresa A. Zesiewicz, OFS Electronic Newsletter Editor Retreat Center. We are doing a special workshop on Servant Leadership and how it applies to “Instrumentum Janice Novello, PhD OFS Laboris” focusing on Servant Leadership. Since there Youth and Young Adult Apostolate YouFra were few visitations this past year, we will invest in our Hilda Aguilera, OFS fraternities with hope they all can attend. We have as of Multi-Cultural Liasion today all 48 rooms filled and 63 people in attendance. Be sure to bring your masks. We will keep you as Judith (Judy) Born, OFS Archivist separated as possible. Look for exciting pictures in the future of this wonderful visitation meeting. Fred Schaeffer, OFS Prayer Requests • St. Elizabeth of Hungry in Port St. Lucie is in the final stage for its Canonical Establishment, after almost 3 years including a pandemic! Their establishment date is June 3rd, 2021. Please keep them in your prayers. Congratulations!

• The Council has decided to develop a form for local fraternities to use for requesting funds from the Regional Board. This will be developed over the summer. If you would like to be part of this effort, let your area Councilor know of your interest.

Pictures from the REC meeting.... SEARCHING FOR SIGNS OF RESURRECTION AMIDST THE PANDEMIC JEANE SWAYNOS, OFS

The pandemic has changed us, individually and collectively. We have lost loved ones, pieces of our lives, routines, and connections. We have also gained things like new perspectives, different rhythms, and a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of life. I ask myself what has died in this pandemic, and what new habits have been born or are resurrecting. To keep becoming, we need to grieve and let go of what has been lost and honor new life and new beginnings. I think we continue to have many incarnations throughout our lives. I define incarnations as moments where we sense the Divine and see life in a deeper direction. We just returned from Seattle with 4 and 7-year-old boys. They have been covered with masks and confined to the home for over a year. In Seattle, outdoor contact was minimal. Spending time with a four-year-old, covered with a mask for one-quarter of his life, has given me some insight into his incarnation. He is beginning to question creation and what it means; he is falling in love with what he senses around him.

Some parts of our conversations will give you a glimpse into his world. For all of us, life begins with a simple curiosity for life and creation. • Grandma, you walk so slow. I need to hold your hand and cane all the time, so you don’t fall. What if I keep hopping on one foot? Look, we walk at the same speed. We can stay together. • Why do you think the moon is always following us….pause…..I think it loves us and wants to be with us. • How come an oatmeal bath does not look like oatmeal? Is it toxic? Can I eat it? • There are germs all around; I think I should wear my mask to bed and maybe an eye patch. Are you afraid of germs? Are you going to die? • Grandma…..this is the BEST week of my life. I just can’t get enough.

As we begin again to gather with our families, the conversations will be different. Capture these moments and allow things to unfold. Take time to listen, pause, repeat what they said, and listen again.

As you expand energy again with these human interactions, keep Franciscan spirituality as your backdrop, and let this color your conversations. Your loved ones have been so hungry to be with you again, just like God patiently waiting for your response. FFMR CALENDAR OF ELECTIONS, VISITATIONS, AND ALL OTHER EVENTS THIS IS A TENTATIVE SCHEDULE: UPDATED APRIL 1,2021

Date Day Time Fraternity Place 1-Apr Wednesday 8:00am San Damiano, Summerfield St. Mark Church Hall

11-Apr Sunday St. Joseph-Ft. Lauderdale 17-Apr Saturday 9:00am St. Maximiliam Kolbe, DeBary St. Ann Catholic Church

1-May Saturday 11:00am San Damiano, Ruskin St. Anne's Catholic Church 7-May Fri-Sun 9:00am Regional Meeting San Pedro 15-May Saturday 11:00 AM St. Josephs, Cocoa Beach Church of our Savior 5-Jun Saturday St. Lucie, Florida St. Elizabeth of Hungary Canonical Establishment Mass 6-Jun Saturday 11: AM San Damiano Fraternity St. Anne Cath. St. Joachim Hall 13-Jun Sunday Little Flock, Fairhope, AL St. Lawrence Church 13-Jun Sunday 9:00 AM St. Anthony of Padua, Milton St. Anthony of Padua, Milton 11-14-June Alabama & Pensacola Fraternities

10-Jul Saturday 10:00 AM St Michael the Archangel Sacred Heart Church, Tampa

11-Sep Saturday St. Francis of Assisi St. Vincent Soup Kitchen 19-Sep Sunday 1:00 PM St. Clare of Assisi St. Charles Borromeo Chruch

9-Oct Saturday 9:30 AM St. John Capistrano Most Holy Redeemer Church 17-Oct Sunday 9:30 AM St. Anthony of Padua Most Holy Name of Jesus

6-Nov Saturday ?9:00 - 3:00 PM San Damiano, Ruskin St. Anne's Catholic Church 7-Nov Sunday 12:45 St. Clare Ave Maria Ave Maria Parish Center

FFMR Calandar of Elections, Visitations, and all other events Updated April 1, 2021 This is a tenative schedule and will depend on the conditions of conducting face-to-face contact.

Picture By C. Gooch Photography FORMATION KEN WOLFERT OFS, REGIONAL FORMATION DIRECTOR

They will know us by our Joy ....and they will hear us coming by our laughter.

Considering the year we have been through, finding reasons to be joyful can be quite a challenge. Humor can be medicinal. The Bible, for example, is filled with many funny moments. Let’s take a look for what it offers. Scripture tells us that laughter is good for our bodies and our souls. Actually, there are dozens of references to laughter in those sacred books that suggests God has a sense of humor and wants us to laugh.

Take a look and consider some helpful ideas that could add humor and laughter as we try to adapt to stressful living.

Some comic years ago said something about God telling Noah to build an ark. Noah’s response to the nosy neighbor “How long can you tread water?” became a catchphrase at that time. Or, imagine Jesus chuckling at Cana when he saw the reaction of wedding guests who tasted wine when they thought they were drinking water. What about some other examples: “The one enthroned in heaven laughs” (Ps 2:4). “A glad heart lights up the face, but by mental anguish the spirit is broken” (Prv 15:13). “Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh” (Lk 6:21). “I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete” (Jn 15:11).

Even inappropriate humor is funny. The Bible tells us there’s “[a] time to weep, and a time to laugh” (Eccl 3:4). Laughter at a real funeral is said to have inspired the “Chuckles the Clown Bites the Dust” episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Ranked as one of the funniest moments in television history by TV Guide, it ends with Mary unable to stifle the urge to laugh during the clown’s funeral service, before she breaks into uncontrollable sobbing.

Hurray for Hollywood. Screwball comedies by the late Frank Capra and other filmmakers gave some respite to people during the Great Depression andWorld War II. In addition to his humor (It Happened One Night, You Can’t Take It With You, Arsenic and Old Lace), Capra’s Christian vision is obvious in many of his films (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It’s a Wonderful Life). Watching humorous films and TV shows can give us some (comic) relief as we try to cope with the problems we face in our lives. Laughter IS good medicine. The health benefits of humor are nothing new: the Book of Proverbs tells us, “A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones” (17:22). As early as the 13th century, some surgeons used humor to distract patients from the pain of surgery. Not only is humor being taken seriously for its healing effects, but reports show that humor and prayer are both forms of complementary medicine and are used with standard medical treatments in order to “develop the mind’s ability to help the body to heal or keep itself well.”

As we continue striving to cope with the many concerns caused by COVID-19: the financial problems, losses, and other stresses that hinder us, let’s not overlook the power of exercising our knees when we pray and our funny bones when we laugh. Research says that both prayer and humor are safe, affordable, and readily available. It’s just up to us to use them.*

(*references from the Franciscan Spirit Blog, “The Importance of Laughter” 4/7/21) FFMR 2021 JPIC AWARD WINNER: MARIE RIZZI, OFS JANICE NOVELLO PHD, OFS

The young boy in the special reading class went up to his substitute teacher, Mrs. Rizzi. “Are you a Christian?” he asked. “Yes I am, she answered.” “I knew you are by the way you act” was his response.”

“Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”-Saint Francis of Assisi.

I met Marie Rizzi more than 10 years ago when she joined the Peace and Justice Commission at our Parish. The depth of her caring, her experience in living out the Beatitudes and her unending energy brought St. Francis’ quote to mind immediately.

Living in California, she obtained an unused Church for free and wrote a $30,000 grant to have it moved to her own parish for the children to use for Religious Education and liturgical plays.

Moving to Gainesville Florida, she obtained a grant for $600,000 from the KOCH Foundation to assist in building a parish church.

At her current parish of Our Lady of the Angels, Lakewood Ranch, the importance of immersing our Youth in Catholic Social teaching is ongoing. In September of 2017 Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico especially hard. Marie was able to obtain 1,500 wooden paint stirrers from a local hardware store and invited the Youth Group to assist her in painting each stick a beautiful color and hand printed a Biblical Quote and gave them to the parishioners after mass She contacted the Diocese of San Juan Puerto Rico and was able to send $8,000 of gift cards for construction materials to their Bishop for distribution to the homeless.

Locally, she has become a champion for Casa San Juan Bosco in Marie volunteering at a Care for God’s Creation cleanup at Arcadia, Florida. Always including our Catholic Youth, she had her parish them print and hand out lunch bags to collect funds to feed needy children during the Summer Break. When Marie originally met Sr. Cathy, SP and Sr. Carolyn, SP who were leading the work at “the Casa” she hosted a dinner to educate the Peace and Justice Commission about the various needs and to kick off a campaign to build a commercial kitchen at the facility. This would enable the retired members of the community, las abuelas, to receive Government Surplus food to turn into nutritious meals while the children’s parents worked the fields each day. She paid for 1,500 envelopes to be printed and then personally paper clipped them into each of the Church’s Bulletin to facilitate donations directly for this needed kitchen, a yield of $5,000. Renting a storage space, she received donated furniture and then hired a truck to bring the furnishings to the homes of the migrant workers.

She opens her home to the members of the Portiuncula Fraternity for celebrations such as Permanent Professions, with everything made from scratch and all manner of baked goods. She grocery shops for those who cannot go out and always remembers their preferences, phoning ahead to see if there is a last-minute item or two needed before she checks out.

Sr. Carolyn, SP’s, letter of recommendation bests summarizes how Marie starts with the necessary and turns impossible tasks into surprising results to help the poor, the homeless, the hungry, the needy, the poor.

“Put on your sneakers and take a deep breath if you want to keep up with Marie Rizzi as she goes out on her works of mercy. You’ll need to carry the freshly baked goods or the delicious meal intended for anyone in need. You’ll drive here, there, or anywhere – distance is no deterrent. If I ever said to her, “Marie, you are performing the Works of Mercy,” she’d just brush that away.

Casa San Juan Bosco consists of housing for farmworkers in Arcadia. When hurricane Charlie swept across the state, it totally destroyed their poor housing. FEMA placed two families in each single-width trailer.

Marie saw the degradation of this and dreamed of adequate housing for these families. She’s run fund-raising events, driven out to Casa countless times with clothes, furniture and household items, written grants for the needed kitchen, and begged from those who could help if they knew the story.”

If you think a task is impossible, pray to Saint Francis and call Marie Rizzi to come and get things started.

-Janice Mary Novello, OFS Five Franciscan Martyrs Region Vice Minister WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CATHOLIC TODAY?

FROM OUR SPIRITUAL ASSISTANT, JOHN DEATON PHD, OFS First off, I certainly don’t have all the answers to the question posed by the title of this article. I teach in academia, and I know from experience that if you ask five different Professors a question on a topic, you will get five different answers. I suspect that may be the case here as well.

I believe we as Catholics are going to be challenged by many contrary beliefs now and into the future. When I say contrary, I mean contrary to our Catholic teachings and theology. This is especially true today, as we are confronted with so many different ideologies, in politics, morals, and culture. The “hot buttons” now seem to be abortion, immigration, transgender roles and same sex marriages. How do we make sense of all this? What position should we take on various issues that may be in opposition to what we believe as Catholics. This is not an easy question to answer in my opinion. It has many levels of complexity. We could simplify the issue and merely say anything contrary to the Church is not acceptable. That’s certainly one position. Another perspective may be to consider all viewpoints as viable initially, but then discuss the issue with others and take a more thoughtful look at the various viewpoints. Our job is not to cast judgement. In doing so, it doesn’t mean we have to accept some or all perspectives in today’s society. Take, for example, the political arena. Please be assured I’m not taking any political viewpoint here; I’m politically neutral (most of the time!). If we like a candidate, but he/she supports abortion, what do we do? Should we still vote for this candidate? Or do we rationalize our thinking with the attitude that, “Well, the candidate may support abortion but he falls in line with my thinking as a Catholic in other ways (say helping the disadvantaged/the marginalized/poor)”. Can we “cherry pick” those issues we like, but dismiss those issues that would demonstrate the candidate is not in line with Catholic teaching. I’m being very blunt here; I don’t think we can pick and choose those issues we support. That gets us going down the “slippery slope”. There are some issues the Catholic Church would find inviolable. The abortion issue is one of them. If we support a candidate who supports abortion, are we still Catholic? Is this an inconsistency that is difficult to dismiss? Let’s take another topic: contraception. The Catholic position on contraception was formally explained and expressed by Pope Paul VI’s Humanae vitae in 1968. Artificial contraception is considered intrinsically evil, but methods of natural family planning may be used, as they do not usurp the natural way of conception. But then I read elsewhere that the Church does not condemn things like the pill or condoms in themselves. This is very confusing to me. The pill and condoms are not, I don’t believe, considered “natural” forms of contraception. So these two statements are inconsistent. It’s no wonder that there is some confusion on the part of many Catholics on many of the issues we face today. We get mixed messages at times.

So how do we reconcile our Catholic faith with what we encounter on a daily basis. Franciscans have been widely recognized as “peace-makers”. As such we try to understand other viewpoints and with that understanding influence others by what we say and what we do. I firmly believe that we are more successful in influencing others by our behavior/actions more than what we say. Bombarding others with Biblical verses and religious platitudes by itself aren’t really successful in changing others’ behavior. By modeling our Franciscan spirituality others may come to see alternative perspectives and perhaps engage in deeper discernment. We can do this without evaluating others or telling others what they should do. This is peace-making in action. Influencing others by modeling the behavior we feel best represents our faith. This is what Francis did. We would be following in his footsteps to do the same. HOW DID YOU SLEEP LAST NIGHT?

FROM THE DESK OF ANDY BUCHLEITNER, OFS

A memory I will always treasure from my trip to Assisi is that of seeing the “bed” St. Francis used while staying at the Eremo delle Carceri. It is basically a formation in the rocks, inside a cave, that somewhat resembles the shape of a man. There is even a rock “pillow.” And to think I sometimes say I feel achy when getting out of bed in the morning! How could Father Francis even move? But for those of us who need a little more comfort when we sleep, as we complain about our too soft or hard mattresses, we have only to buy a Mr. Pillow for a hundred bucks. And if that doesn’t do it, we can always consider the perfect solution: the supersonic, contoured, temperature controlled, floating mattress with 400 adjustments - as seen on tv. And it’s only twelve payments of $300!

Personally, I don’t get much sleep. It’s not because I don’t have a comfortable bed. It’s not even because my pillow has lost most of its feathers. It’s certainly not because I sleep on a rock. It’s because “sleep time” for me is the time the devil and I do battle. My night is spent in scenarios in which I confront injustice, although in a sleep-like state, which seem oh too real. The continual cry of the poor is just too deafening to allow me to rest. I keep thinking, “So much to do but so little time.” One battle that began for me thirty years ago and continues today is the plight of children in much of South America. It always amazes me the amount of good that my small monthly contribution can achieve. When I think about it, the cost of one of those super duty mattresses could sponsor one of these children for ten years! Maybe that’s why Francis chose to sleep on a rock? Perhaps he looked at the money he spent on himself as being that much less he could offer to those less fortunate.

My priest gave me a great penance for my last confession: “Count the ways God has blessed you - and thank Him.” In thinking about it, I realized that I can continuously come up with examples, all day long. But what has really had the greatest impact in practicing this exercise (should I say repentance/conversion experience) is that I have begun to realize just how many “neighbors” I have that I never noticed that do not share my good fortune. It leads me to not only a greater appreciation for what I have but how great an opportunity I have been given to be able to share with those so desperately in need. I invite you to join me in my “penance,” that together we may experience the joy of discovering ever new opportunities in which to share the blessings we have received from our All Good God. Roger J Reid Sr. passed away on 2/14/21 at the age of 81. Roger was born on June 20, 1939 in Brooklyn NY. He was the son of Stephen and Rose (Maher) Reid.

He grew up in Floral Park, Long Island NY and graduated from Sewanhaka HS in 1956. Roger proudly served in the United States Air Force from 1956 -1961, being stationed in Spokane Washington and Minot, North Dakota.

After the Air Force, he returned to NY with his wife Carol (deceased) and his infant daughter Janet. Roger worked at Pan American World Airways as Manager of Material Roger J. Reid, Sr., OFS and Logistic Support at JFK airport. He enjoyed his career at Pan Am as it June 20, 1939 - February 14, 2021 allowed him to travel internationally with his family. MINISTER, BLESSED SOLANUS CASEY ♦ In 1960 Roger joined the Knights FRATERNITY of Columbus and continued to be an Venice, FL active member; recently serving as The Faithful Scribe. ♦ Roger joined the International Order of Alhambra, a fraternal organization dedicated to assisting intellectually disabled persons, in 1970 and held every elected office in the organization, culminating with the highest office of Supreme Commander. ♦ He was professed as a Secular Franciscan in 2013 and belonged to the Blessed Solanus Casey Fraternity in Venice, Florida. He was serving most recently as the Minister of the Fraternity. His wife, Agnes, has recently been elected as their new Minister. ♦ Roger was proud of his Irish heritage and his Catholic faith, and recently became a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, St Finninan of Clonard Division. Gene Thomas, better known as Lamar, was born on September 11, 1935 in Orange, Texas and died in Florida March 22, 2021. He received his college degree from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Lamar was employed for 34 years by Lockheed Martin as an Electronic Program Manager responsible for computers and radar systems. He was also an avid pilot who loved flying his Beechcraft Bonanza and helping folks out using Amateur Radio (W5-VEG) from the age of 16. Just prior to his retirement in 1993, he married his wife Marie on September 11, in a hot air balloon.

Lamar requested that if you wish, a donation may be made in his memory to:

M D Anderson Cancer Center P. O. Box 4486 Houston, Texas 77210-4486 FROM MARIE THOMAS, OFS (FORMER REGIONAL MINISTER, FFMR)

Dear Secular Franciscan Brothers and Sisters,

It was so thoughtful of you to take the time out of your busy schedules to have Masses said for my husband Gene Lamar Thomas (better known as Lamar) and to send me cards or call me. I will always remember your prayerful kindnesses. It is the thoughtfulness of Franciscans like you that add so much joy to my life. Thank you so much for your kind words, your generous gifts of prayers and Masses and of your friendship with Lamar. Knowing you are praying for him makes my burden a little bit easier to bear.

Pax et Bonum, Marie Thomas, ofs

Ken and Pat Wolfert recently visited Marie at her new home in St. Petersburg to express sympathy from her Franciscan Brothers and Sisters in the loss of her husband, Lamar. She so loved her Franciscan visit and the Lilies and the Peace Lily plant. We miss you Marie and wish you Peace and All Good! PRAYER REQUESTS

Fred Schaeffer, OFS has volunteered to take over the Regional Prayer Ministry, formerly held by Roger Reid, OFS who went to the Father on March 16, 2021. May he rest in peace.

Fred will use a different email address for prayer requests: frederick.schaeffer.ofs@ gmail.com and the Regional Prayer Request page (https://www.ffmr-ofs.org/prayer- requests/) will automatically send these requests to Fred. He will forward requests to all Ministers so that they can, in turn, tell their Fraternity members about the requests. How many times a month Fred will send these messages depends on the amount and urgency of the requests. Fred asks us to please be brief. Messages that are too long will be shortened.

Thanks Fred!