- - JUNE 2015 C ONNECTING THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT OUR REGION. Published by Our Lady of the Angels Region of the Secular Franciscan Order in the USA. - 2 - L etter from our R egional M inister JUNE 2015 May 10, 2015 Dear Brothers and Sisters, As I write this, I have just returned from Saturday evening Mass, and tomorrow is Mother's Day. As if it had been planned, the gospel was about love. Jesus tells us in John 15:9-17: "As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love." "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy might be complete." "This is my commandment: love one another as I love you." Our Holy Father St. Francis speaks about the love of the Lord in terms of a spouse, a sibling, a mother... "We are spouses when the faithful soul is joined to our Lord Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. We are brothers to Him when we do the will of the Father Who is in Heaven (Mt 12:50); mothers, when we carry Him in our heart and body (cf. 1 Cor 6:20) through divine love and pure and sincere conscience and when we give birth to Him through a holy manner of working, which should shine before others as an example." (cf. Mt 5:16). (The Letter to the Faithful) The ancient Greeks had four words for the different kinds of Love: Agápe is the kind of love or charity that we show to our brothers and sisters. It is also the love of God for us and the love that we give to God. Eros is the passionate or intimate love that we find in marriage. Philia is the affectionate regard or friendship that we find between equals. Aristotle explained it as loyalty to friends, family and community. It requires virtue, equality and familiarity. Storge is love and affection, especially between parents and children. It is used as a description of love within a family where sometimes we put up with those who might annoy us because we love them.* continued on next page - 3 - L etter from our R egional M inister continued Most of us have experienced at least three of these types of love, and perhaps all four, in our lives. But, where do we stand in our love for one another and for the Order? How well do we love our families and our fraternities? As Secular Franciscans, we are asked to love our brothers and sisters with a special kind of love that embraces everyone, whether or not we “get along” with them. We are asked as Catholics and as Franciscans to reach out, not just to those whom we like, but to everyone. We are challenged to reach beyond the confines of the fraternity to serve those who are most in need. We must also reach out within our fraternities and families to heal wounds and to seek and offer forgiveness. In the case of those of us who are servant leaders, we carry out a “fraternal service [by holding ourselves] available and responsible in relation to each brother and sister and to the fraternity.” We are to help our brothers and sisters realize their vocation and make each fraternity a true community.” (quote and paraphrase of Article 31, General Constitutions) In short, we serve out of love--the kind of love that would be defined as Agápe, Philia and even Storge. We give of ourselves willingly. Many of our servant leaders give hours and hours of their time to the Order for the well-being of the brothers and sisters. We don’t ask anything in return, and when it is time to step away from our leadership positions, we do so with humility and love and the promise to help those who take up the task after us. We hope that those of you who are serving your fraternities serve with the love asked of us by Jesus and St. Francis. If your fraternity is coming to the time of elections, please pray and discern if God is calling you to servant leadership. Without your help, our fraternities cannot go on. Love one another enough to give up a part of your lives for your brothers and sisters! Please keep your local councils and your Region Council in your prayers. May God bless you always, Diane F. Menditto, OFS Minister, Our Lady of the Angels Region *See: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Greek_words_for_love - 4 - 2015 REGION CALENDAR OFS general MEETINGS OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS N AF RA CHAPTER PLANNING MEETING — See below 2014--2017 June 6, 2015 REGIONAL Our Lady of the Angels Region will host EXECUTIVE the National Fraternity Annual Chapter. COUNCIL: R EGION RETREAT — See page 5 Friday, July 31 — Sunday, August 2, 2015 MINISTER: Mount Alvernia Retreat Center, Wappingers Falls, NY Diane F. Menditto, OFS [email protected] NNUAL HAPTER OLTAR A C VICE-MINISTER: November 7, 2015 — MARK YOUR CALENDARS Nancy Conroy, OFS DETAILS TBA [email protected] SECRETARY: Kate Asselin, OFS [email protected] by TREASURER: R ON PIHOKKER, OFS Richard Spana, OFS Chairperson [email protected] NaFra 2015 Chapter Host Committee FORMATION DIRECTOR: Ed Wojciechowski, OFS [email protected] [email protected] COUNCILOR: —Manhattan In October of this year, the Patricia Clayton, OFS Our Lady of the Angels Regional Fraternity [email protected] will have the honor of hosting our National Fraternity meeting and Chapter of Elections. COUNCILOR: In addition to being a very special experience, —Staten Island/ Central New Jersey it will enable us to participate in the higher Mary-Frances Reavey, OFS governance of our Order and extend a Franciscan [email protected] welcome to our Sisters and Brothers from throughout the United States, and our Order's highest leadership from COUNCILOR: around the world. —North Jersey Ronald L. Pihokker, OFS We need you, please help us extend our Region's welcome [email protected] to the New York and New Jersey area. COUNCILOR: Please come to an important planning meeting on Saturday, —Westchester June 6, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. to learn how you can help. Sheila Tuohy, OFS Meeting will be held at St. Francis Church, 50 Lodi Street [email protected] Hackensack, NJ 07601. Looking forward to seeing you. SPIRITUAL ASSISTANT: Fraternally and gratefully, Bro. Doug Soik, OFM Cap [email protected] Ron - 5 - 2015 REGION RETREAT We will once again be utilizing the beautiful facilities at Mt. Alvernia Retreat Center in Wappingers Falls, New York, for our regional retreat from July 31 — August 2, 2015. The cost is $175.00 per attendee. O UR R ETREAT M ASTER IS F R . THOMAS HARTLE, OFM Fr. Tom is a member of the Friars Minor of Holy Name Province and currently resides at St. Anthony’s Friary in Butler, NJ. In the truest sense, Fr. Tom is an itinerant preacher. In addition to offering retreats, he also conducts pilgrimages to Assisi and Rome. Fr. Tom has the privilege of being the Spiritual Assistant to the Holy Name Federation of Poor Clares. R ETREAT T OPIC: PLEASE “OUR FRANCISCAN LIFE: AN ALTERNATIVE TO RUIN.” NOTE THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER Fr. Tom will be giving 5 talks OF PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS throughout the weekend— AVAILABLE. Friday evening, Saturday For additional information morning, afternoon, evening and Sunday morning. contact: Richard Spana, OFS 914-478-2010 Remember space is limited. [email protected] Register now using the form below or on our regional website. 2015 REGION RETREAT REGISTRATION FORM Please check one ____Professed ____Candidate Name:___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address:_________________________________________________________________________________________________ City:__________________________________________________________State:_______________Zip:___________________ Phone:__________________________________________ E-mail: __________________________________________________ Fraternity:____________________________________________________ Single room ________ Double room____________ Special Needs:____________________________________Room with:_______________________________________________ Send completed registration form with $175.00 check, payable to “Our Lady of the Angels Regional Fraternity” to: RICHARD SPANA, OFS ● 332 Warburton Avenue, Hastings on Hudson, NY 10706 ● Phone: 914-478-2010. This registration form is available on our region website at: http://ourladyoftheangelsregion.org - 6 - FRATERNAL TIDINGS ELECTIONS SACRED HEART FRATERNITY Yonkers, NY Congratulations to our newest professed member, CHRISTINE SELVANAYAGAM, OFS, (pictured in center with her family) who was professed on May 16th in the Monastery of the Sacred Heart in Yonkers, New York. We wish her every blessing as she begins her new ministry as a Secular Franciscan. Benedicta Fornacier, OFS, Minister Sacred Heart Fraternity, Yonkers, NY SISTER DEATH Fr. Robert Gavin, O.F.M. Called home to the Lord on May 19, 2015. A Mass of Christian Burial was held Friday, May 22nd at St. Francis Church on West 31st Street. Our dear Fr. Robert was a blessing to all of us, a gift from the Lord. He was kind, gentle, understanding, generous, open to all who came to him. We are so grateful for his many years of devoted service to our fraternity. Our loss is Heaven's gain! God bless Fr Robert! He will be remembered with great love and affection. 1925-2015 Patricia Clayton, OFS, Minister NTO YOUR HANDS, O LORD, St. Benedict the Moor Fraternity, NYC. we humbly entrust our brother, Fr. Robert was born in Olean, N.Y., on November 22, 1925. Following Fr. Robert Gavin, OFM. service in World War II, he attended St. Bonaventure University in In this life You embraced him with Allegany, N.Y., graduating with a degree in philosophy in 1950. After Your tender love; deliver him now from serving in the Korean conflict, Fr. Robert was received into the Franciscan every evil and bid him eternal rest.