W INTER/SPRING 2018 THE THE MAGAZINE C ONNECTING SECULAR FRANCISCAN FRATERNITIES THROUGHOUT OUR REGION. P UBLISHED BY OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS REGION OF THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER — USA L etter from the R egional M inister JANUARY 2018 Dear Brothers and Sisters, As we entered this brand-new year, I’m sure many of us made a few resolutions regarding health and time management. I certainly did! We, along with everyone else, want to do better. We resolved to change and be transformed into better versions of ourselves. Of course, we Franciscans should be very good at this. We see every day as an opportunity to start fresh in our journey to the Father. Metanoia, daily conversion, is a big part of our lives. I'd like to suggest that this might be a good time to think about and understand more about fraternity and the vital role it plays in our lives as Franciscans. To be successful and life-giving, Fraternity at all levels needs some special ingredients: COMMUNITY COLLABORATION COMMUNICATION COMMITMENT Our life in fraternity Our willingness to work Our realization that Our daily recollection with all it entails, together toward any communication does of what we have including the common goal or project not only mean talking; promised at profession. acceptance of taken on by the fraternity. it also means listening DO WE MAKE OUR and empathy for our We are especially to one another. FRANCISCAN LIFE brothers and sisters. concerned with helping It takes great patience A PRIORITY? DOES IT FEEL LIKE one another on our and humility to truly FAMILY? journey to the Father listen to others, especially and in reaching out to when we don't agree. those in need. DO WE LISTEN? DO WE GET INVOLVED? These ingredients are nurtured by Formation and prayer. We have many sources of initial and ongoing formation materials available to us, but we should choose wisely. It can be easy to forget that formation must be more than information. No matter how much we learn, how much we read, how many talks and retreats we attend, even how much we pray, if formation does not transform us, we need to reexamine our goals. The same is true of prayer. Our prayer is not just words. It should change us and make us better. By striving to pray in community, relying on the Holy Spirit and remembering the humility shown by God in becoming one of us, we move forward in our journey. I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THE QUESTIONS I WILL BE ASKING MYSELF THROUGHOUT THE YEAR: • How am I transformed through my life as a Secular Franciscan? • What is my commitment according to the Rule and Constitutions? • How am I brought closer to God through my profession? • Why is fraternity an important part of my life? • Through my words and actions, do others know that I am a Franciscan? Do they even realize that I am a Christian? Peace and blessings, Minister, Our Lady of the Angels Region 2 | T HE T ROUBADOUR | W INTER /SPRING 2018 O URLADYOFTHEANGELSREGION. ORG 2018 REGION CALENDAR g eneral M EETINGS OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS NORTH JERSEY CLUSTER MEETING 2017--2020 SATURDAY, JUNE 2ND, 2018 REGIONAL • 9:30 a.m. — Noon EXECUTIVE COUNCIL: • All are Welcome • No RSVP is required MINISTER: Diane F. Menditto, OFS TOPIC: VOCATION [email protected] VICE-MINISTER: LOCATION: St. Bonaventure Church Hall Richard Spana, OFS 174 Ramsey Street, Paterson, NJ [email protected] SECRETARY: CONTACT: RONALD L. PIHOKKER, OFS Frances Acosta, OFS COUNCILOR — NORTH JERSEY [email protected] [email protected] TREASURER: Debbie Wickham, OFS [email protected] FORMATION DIRECTOR: REGION RETREAT Ed Wojciechowski, OFS [email protected] JULY 27--29, 2018 • See ad on pg. 9 COUNCILOR: —Manhattan Barbara Lyne, OFS [email protected] COUNCILOR: —Staten Island/ Central New Jersey Chris Leone, OFS [email protected] COUNCILOR: —North Jersey Ronald L. Pihokker, OFS [email protected] COUNCILOR: —Westchester Everlyn Pacheco-York, OFS [email protected] SPIRITUAL ASSISTANTS: Fr. Frank M. McHugh, OFM [email protected] Bro. Lombardo D’Auria, OFM Cap [email protected] S ECULAR F RANCISCAN O RDER WINTER /S PRING 20 1 8 | T HE T ROUBADOUR | 3 It has been my privilege to Richard ha serve as Regional Minister s faithfully served ou of Our Lady of the Angels r Regional Council ho Region since 2014, and lding the off Treas ice of urer for the p I am anxiously looking ast 4-terms forward to the next three He is a n equally a me ctive years of serving our region. mber of hi s local fraternity, L Some of you may ittle Portio in Westch n know that I was a Spanish ester, NY, whe re he has p teacher for 35 years. reviously served as Minister, Vice Min Now that I am cu ister and is rrently serv This ing as Trea retired, in addition is Rick’s 34 surer. Fr th year in to my activit e wi anciscan O the Secula My vocation as a Secular i s th the rder, his da r celebrate te of professi Order, I love to travel, d October on is Franciscan was most likely 4, 1984. decided from birth. especially to see my friends I was born on October 4th, of 50 years in Mexico. my baptismal name is Frances, I also enjoy baking, reading and photography. my godmother was Frances Founder of Stella Mundi and my parish is St. Francis I look forward to getting Franciscan Ministries; Church in Hackensack. to know all of you even an educator for twenty- I was professed in 1979 and better. seven years in the have served on the local, As always, you will be Archdiocese of New (provincial) regional and in my prayers as I hope I York; currently Campus national levels. will be in yours. Minister & Theology department chair at a Franciscan High School in Yonkers, NY and Co-Director of the Associate Program for the Sisters of St. Francis Neumann Community, Professed in May 2011, Frances serves as Formation Director in her local fraternity, Sacred Heart in Yonkers, NY and is a Bro. Lombardo Minister of the Eucharist at her local parish. Born and raised in the Bronx. Frances is the oldest of three girls. Her family currently live in North Carolina D’AURIA, and she looks forward to visiting in the Summer. OFM Cap “I have a great interest in the culinary arts. I love (left) the pleasure food gives, both to others and to myself. I also enjoy ballroom dancing and singing. I sing in my and parish choir and cantor wherever I am invited”. Fr. Frank M. Frances holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Advertising, a Master’s Degree in Education MCHUGH, from Lehman College and an Administrative Diploma for Administration from Manhattan OFM (right) College. I hold certification in Catechesis and a certificate for Spiritual Direction from the Avila Institute. 4 | T HE T ROUBADOUR | W INTER /SPRING 2018 OURLADYOFTHEANGELSREGION . ORG This is my second term as the Regional Formation Director. I was professed in October, 2001 and am a member of the St. Anthony Fraternity in Butler, NJ. I have served my fraternity as Formation Director and Minister over the past 9 years. I love being Formation Director and sharing experiences with my Brothers and Sisters throughout our region. More importantly, I love visiting the fraternities in our region and listening to your stories and experiences of being a Secular Franciscan. My hope for the region is that we all grow in love of Jesus Christ over the next three years of my term through the example of St. Francis and St. Clare. God Bless You. We are members of “I consider both jobs Several years ago, I completed the Most Holy Name as more than just jobs – they my dream of going to every Professed on June 13, 1980, Fraternity in Little Falls, NJ, were and are a ministry.” She major league baseball stadium. we were a new Fraternity that where I serve as Treasurer and is still involved with the BSOA I’ve been ballroom dancing came about when Christ House, Joe as Vice-Minister. as a volunteer, serving as the for 50 years (Joe always kids a Franciscan retreat house in Committee Chair for the that our pre-nup was that he Lafayette, NJ was closing. Though recently retired from Paterson Diocese Catholic had to learn to dance), There were 13 of us—one of her full-time job as executive Committee on Scouting. newest passion is line-dancing.and my them was my husband, Joe. assistant for the Patriots’ Debbie is a member of the I went back to college in Path Council, Boy Scouts of Columbiettes, 2006 and earned my bachelor’s the female We’d met in 1971 and were America, auxiliary of the Knights of in 2009 and a MBA in non-profit (BSOA), Debbie married October 21, 1978. continues working as a part- Columbus since 1989, mgmt. in 2011, both from We have one child, Michael, time Director of Religious having served in many Caldwell College. who is 34 years old and lives Education in her local parish positions on different levels. I am looking forward to in Los Angeles, CA. of St. Thomas the Apostle in “I enjoy reading and serving as Regional Treasurer Oak Ridge, NJ. baseball, especially rooting for and getting to know more of S ECULAR F RANCISCAN the N.Y. Mets. my sister and brother O RDER W Secular Franciscans.” INTER / S PRING 20 1 8 | T HE T ROUBADOUR | 5 In addition to being the I am a retired bilingual teacher Reg ional Animator for who worked in NYC public Just ce a i , Pe ce and the elementary schools in Brooklyn, Integrity of Creation (JPI ) C Queens and Manhattan for and the Minister of his 37 years.