UNC

As we approach the end of this Year of St. Francis, the Ministers General of the Franciscan Order have declared the first week of November the “Week of the Poor” in conjunction with the World Day of the Poor on November 15. The Ministers General shared that this initiative will emphasize how “the preferential option for the poor is not an optional choice, but belongs to the very essence of our Franciscan charism and of being Christians.” We are all called to share in the Franciscan spirit of loving the poor.

The Vatican has announced that the theme for this year’s World Day of the Poor will be “The Lord is the refuge of the poor” (Psalm 14:6). This theme relates heavily to the spirit of St. Francis, whose mission was to help people, especially the poor, encounter the Gospel.

For generations, the Franciscan Friars Conventual, supported by you, our generous Companions, have lived out the mission of St. Francis through their service to the poor. The soup kitchens and food pantries work daily to remedy food insecurity in Baltimore and Syracuse, serving thousands each month. The Franciscan Mission Association allows friars to minister to the poor in over 60 countries, helping those in need access healthcare, education, food and water, and faith formation. FrancisCorps gives volunteers the opportunity to serve others and live in community with each other, fostering in them a spirit of service similar to that of St. Francis.

Friar Gary Johnson, OFM Conv., encouraged by the various missions of the order, reflects, “Every time I visit other friaries, I always see that no matter where we serve, our fraternity remains committed to living the Gospel.” For 800 years since St. Francis’s life, the friars have prioritized not only caring for the physical needs of the poor, but even more importantly, fostering encounters with Christ so that they may know the joy of the Gospel.

This year, especially as we celebrate the Week of the Poor, we thank you for your support of the friars, your prayers, and your personal service to the community.

This month, the newest facilities at St. Francis High School in Hamburg, New York were dedicated and blessed, and they are now being enjoyed by the young men studying there. More than $1.2 million was invested in these state-of-the-art spaces by generous donors.

The Russell and Paula Corigliano Family Student Center is a home-base for many student life opportunities, including student collaboration spaces, spots for individual studying, and a place to receive academic support. The Russo Family STEAM Center brings a scope of opportunities within the Academy of Science and Engineering, offering spaces for experimental learning, robotics, and more.

These new facilities reflect St. Francis High School’s community’s commitment to the future of their students. As they prepare for their 100th anniversary next year, these school updates exhibit their pledge of “Celebrating the Past, Securing the Future,” the theme of their $20.5 million capital campaign.

There was an unmistakable joy in the air at the Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City, Maryland the first weekend of October. Throughout the weekend of St. Francis of Assisi’s feast day (October 4), the Shrine offered several opportunities for pilgrims to grow in relationship with this holy saint, Christ, and one another.

Perhaps the most poignant of these events was the Transitus of St. Francis, a Franciscan prayer service held on the evening of October 3, in remembrance of the 800^th anniversary of St. Francis’s passing.

Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, who preached at the Transitus, shared, “One of the most remarkable aspects of Francis’ life is his insistence on fraternity. He did not found an institution first – he formed brothers first.”

The Archbishop’s reflection emphasized how instrumental St. Francis was in changing the culture of the Gospel – that it is “lived together,” and not meant to be divisive. “The friars who gathered around Francis were not united by personality, politics, education, or social class. Many of them had little in common. What united them was Christ.”

The next morning, St. Francis’s feast day brought a new sense of hope and light which contrasted beautifully with the solemnity of the Transitus the prior evening. Through Mass and fellowship, the Franciscan spirit of fraternity was captured as visitors were drawn together to celebrate, worship, and be together.

At Sunday’s Mass, celebrant Fr. Albert Puliyadan, OFM Conv. echoed Archbishop Lori’s sentiments on the significance St. Francis put on living the Gospel out together. Fr. Albert described his experience of seeing the Lower Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Italy. As he looked around at the altar, he was “surprised to notice that the stones were not identical…but when all these different stones were put together, they created a beautiful harmony.” In a way, Fr. Albert pondered, we are like these stones. “We are not all the same…but we can all contribute to the building up of God’s kingdom.”

Every day, the Franciscan Friars who administer the Shrine of St. Anthony live out the fraternal faith that Archbishop Lori and Fr. Albert described. They imitate St. Francis’ love of the poor through their selfless dedication to serving the impoverished people of Baltimore. They minister to thousands of pilgrims each year at the Shrine through prayer and the sacraments, living out St. Francis’ call to bring people closer to Christ. They “[remind] the Church that simplicity is not weakness and that joy can coexist with sacrifice,” as Archbishop Lori so eloquently summarized.

As Companions of St. Anthony, we are invited to support the Friars in their ministries. Your generosity helps the Friars continue their work in the community and advances the Franciscan mission. St. Francis’s example invites us to choose compassion, humility, and service. May we be inspired by the Franciscan life to give of ourselves, care for creation, and pursue community.

Laura Kelly Fanucci often wonders what St. Anthony must feel like taking so many requests to help find lost items day in and day out.

“Does St. Anthony resent that he’s the one being called upon so often?” she wondered. A Google search identifies St. Anthony as the saint prayed to the third most of any Catholic saint. “Or does he thank God every day for letting him be the one we turn to for all our losses – our little ones and our big ones?”

Laura spoke at the St. Anthony Festival, held annually at the Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City, MD, home of the Companions. She writes for OSV News Service, Give Us This Day, and is a regular contributor to publications including America Magazine and U.S. Catholic. She’s written several books and her work has also been featured on the Hallow app.

The St. Anthony Festival was held on St. Anthony of Padua’s Feast Day (June 13), and provided ample opportunity for prayer, reflection, and exploring the Shrine’s grounds. Nearly 1,000 pilgrims gathered from near and far to celebrate the patron saint of lost things and the great miracle worker that was St. Anthony.

“It was truly special to look out and see so many gathered for Mass here on our grounds,” said Friar Gary Johnson, OFM Conv., Director of the Shrine of St. Anthony. Friar Gary celebrated Mass during the Festival and said he was overwhelmed by the number of pilgrims gathered to praise Christ and St. Anthony in communion with one another.

During his homily, he encouraged all present to profess their faith proudly and seek ways to be great witnesses of their faith, as St. Anthony did.

The theme of the Festival was reflecting on all that has been lost and found. Pilgrims were invited to take stock in their losses and thank St. Anthony and Christ for all that has been found.

“We don’t always get back what we lost, but God promises to pour out graces in abundance,” Laura said. “We lose in this life. But even our deepest losses are not the end of the story.”

During her talks, Laura shared personal stories of loss – everything from her five boys’ many articles of clothing, to health (her battle with breast cancer), to the loss of loved ones. To lose, she said, is part of the human condition. But so is being found by God.

Laura, a first-time visitor to the Shrine, remarked on how she felt as if the many prayers to St. Anthony to seek what has been lost were imprinted into the building. She could see what a special place the Shrine is for so many.

More than 80 years since Fr. Ignatius Maternowski, OFM Conv, was killed in action in the early hours of the morning on June 6, 1944, Friar Martin Kobos, OFM Conv., walked down a country lane in Normandy.

It was the same path walked by Fr. Maternowski all those years ago and, as he walked, Friar Martin reflected on how their Franciscan vocation was just but one piece of their shared history. Like Fr. Maternowski, Friar Martin was born in Massachusetts. Both share Polish heritage. They graduated from the same Franciscan high school, attended the same seminary, and lived in the same friary during their early years as friar priests.

“As I walked down that same street in Gueutteville, Normandy, it became so clear to me that he’s just not a name in a book or a story,” Friar Martin said. “Fr. Maternowski’s story is a very inspiring story, among the thousands from that day. There are bravery and self-sacrifice in abundance.”

Friar Martin was in France this June for celebrations commemorating the life and sacrifice of Fr. Maternowski – the only U.S. Chaplain to die on D-Day. As a member of the 82^nd Airborne, Fr. Maternowski was killed trying to establish an Allied aide station protected by the Geneva Conventions of the time. Armed with his chaplain’s insignia and Red Cross armband, Fr. Maternowski used his agency to walk a narrow country lane to negotiate with the Germans. He was killed on his return walk to the infirmary.

Honoring a Brother in Arms

On June 3, 2026, an outdoor memorial service and evening candlelight vigil were held in Normandy honoring the life and service of Fr. Maternowski.

The outdoor memorial service was held at the very site of his death in Gueutteville and expressed hope for peace and reconciliation among all nations of the world. During the service, Friar James McCurry, OFM Conv., spoke of Fr. Maternowski’s sacrifice and how his heroism lives on.

“In his Franciscan heart, he risked his life to be an instrument of peace and justice,” Friar James said during the service. “His was a true martyrdom of charity and peace.”

The evening candlelight service was held in an 800-year old chapel where a stained glass window depicting Fr. Maternowski was installed in 2021. It was the largest candlelight vigil in the history of the event, with a couple hundred in attendance, and individuals spilling into the street to participate. Service men and women from the United States, French, and German armies were in attendance. The service included the recitation of the Our Father and the St. Francis Peace Prayer in three languages, and performances by the 82^nd Airborne Choir.

“It’s truly incredible to see such a large number of people from all walks of life coming together, sitting shoulder to shoulder in communion with Fr. Maternowski,” said Joseph Hamilton, Director of the Companions of St. Anthony, who traveled with Friars Martin and James this June. “People are making time for these events because what Fr. Maternowski did is important and his memory really resonates with people.”

A Lasting Legacy

It’s been 82 years since Fr. Maternowksi’s death. While the number of D-Day survivors continues to dwindle at commemorative events, Friar Martin believes the memorial services will continue long into the future.

“We underestimate the impact of the D-Day story here in the States,” Friar Martin said. “Normandy is the epicenter of the rescue of Europe and that has passed down to the next generation.”

The Fr. Maternowski Remembrance Project seeks the support of Companions to help continue memorial events in Maternowski’s honor. This project helps maintain his memorial sites and supports community gatherings that promote the justice and peace Fr. Maternowski died to protect.

“His is a Gospel story,” said Friar Martin. “He laid down his life for his friends.”

More information about Fr. Maternowski and Fr. Maternowski Remembrance Project can be found at www.fathermaternowski.org.

Reflection by Friar Michael Heine, OFM Conv.

This past February, I was present in Assisi for the exposition of St. Francis’s relics. It was the first time his mortal remains had been exposed publicly for veneration in the Basilica. Around 400,000 pilgrims filed past the glass reliquary during those days.

I cannot fully describe the feeling when the remains of St. Francis were carried from the crypt. For about two hours, friars from all the Franciscan families were able to pray in silence before Francis. It was powerful and deeply moving.

Then the doors opened, and the pilgrims came in waves — hundreds of thousands visited the Basilica in a matter of weeks. Yet, believe it or not, everything was organized beautifully.

What struck me most was what happened after the pilgrims passed before the remains of Francis. They were led into a nearby chapel to renew their baptismal promises — a deliberate movement from Francis’ life to their own lives. The message was clear: Francis does not point people to himself. He points them to Christ and reminds them of who they are called to become.

During this Jubilee Year commemorating the 800th anniversary of the transitus of St. Francis, we friars find ourselves at an important moment in the life of Our Lady of the Angels Province. This year’s Provincial Chapter is also a kind of renewal — a chance to begin again. As we move into the next four years, only God knows what the future holds.As we begin this new four-year term, we have recommitted ourselves first and foremost to one another. Our primary vocation is not simply ministry. Our primary vocation is fraternity. The fraternal life is the gift we offer to the Church and to the world.

In a world where peace is increasingly fragile, we hope people can look to us as witnesses that men of different backgrounds, personalities, cultures, and temperaments can actually live together in peace, reconciliation, and joy. We care for each other.

We friars promise to live the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience with the “help of my brothers.” That final line matters so much in our fraternal life. I believe the same goes for all we serve, no matter what their vocation. None of us can, friar or lay person, live this life alone.

It sounds so simple. Maybe even obvious. But it matters.

Today, I invite you to recommit yourself to your community. When our community life is weak, we look to vices for meaning and affirmation. Building strong communities helps us live the Gospel the way Christ intended.

Continue reaching out to those on the margins — the forgotten, the lonely, the wounded, the people no one else notices. St. Francis challenges us to heal wounds, to bind what is broken, to bring home those who are lost. Pope Francis’ image of the Church as a “field hospital” remains so powerful and relevant for all of us.

What I witnessed in Assisi reminded me that Saint Francis still has an extraordinary ability to draw people. But Francis never drew people to himself. He drew them to Christ. We are called to do the same.

And so, my brothers and sisters, we begin again.

Newly ordained friar-priest reflects on call to Franciscan life

As Friar Edgar Varela, OFM Conv., discerned life a Franciscan, it was the support of friends and family that helped fuel his journey.

“People see the vocation to religious life in others, and it’s important that they say something,” Friar Edgar said. “Sometimes someone is considering the priesthood or consecrated life, but they need a sign. Having the support of others can be that sign.”

Friar Edgar is the latest Franciscan Friar Conventual to be ordained a priest in Our Lady of the Angels Province – his ordination was on April 25 at the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Graham, North Carolina. Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., of Atlanta, Georgia, was the ordaining prelate for the Mass.

“My call to Franciscan ministry includes the priesthood,” Friar Edgar said. “I’m excited to bring God to people through the Sacraments.”

Friar Edgar celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, April 26, the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

“Ordained in the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi, whose 800th anniversary of his transitus into heaven we commemorate this year, Friar Edgar embraces a priesthood rooted in humility, fraternity, and joyful service, offering his life so that others may encounter the mercy and love of Christ,” Friar Michael Heine, OFM Conv., said at the ordination Mass.

Born in Phoenix, Ariz., Friar Edgar is the son of Maribel and Manuel Varela. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Loyola University in Chicago, and a Masters in Divinity from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C..

Friar Edgar’s path to the Franciscan Order began when he was studying in D.C. He said he was most attracted to the fraternity and “down to earth” nature of the friars he interacted with. In the Franciscans, he saw the true joy that comes from living the Gospel in community with others.

Prior to his ordination, Friar Edgar spent a year serving as a deacon at the Basilica of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr in Chicopee, Massachusetts. During the year, he also brought Communion to the sick and taught Spanish to fourth through eighth graders at the parish school.

Friar Edgar spent some of his final weeks preparing for ordination at the Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City, Maryland – home of the Companions of St. Anthony. He professed his solemn vows as a Franciscan Friar Conventual in the Shrine Chapel in May 2025.

During his pre-ordination retreat he reflected: “You don’t have to be perfect to make this decision to pursue religious life or the priesthood. If it’s meant to be, God will open the doors.”

Easter Sunday Mass celebrated on 350^th Anniversary of St. Kateri’s Baptism

Pilgrims braved the cold in the unheated St. Peter’s Chapel at the Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site in Fonda, New York on Easter Sunday. While Easter Sunday is always the high point of the Church year, those huddled at the Shrine were celebrating a renewal of baptismal promises on a very special anniversary.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha was baptized on that very historic site 350 years ago this Easter Sunday. The spring where her baptismal water was drawn from still flows on the site today.

“Today, we stand on holy ground,” said Friar Michael Heine, OFM Conv., who serves as Minister Provincial for Our Lady of the Angels Province. “Holy ground made sacred not only by the Resurrection of Jesus, but by the faith of a young Mohawk woman who was baptized 350 years ago this very day, along with two other native believers. What a grace and what a providence that this Easter and this anniversary meet for one single moment of joy.”

In addition to Mass on Easter morning, pilgrims took part in a smudging ceremony, a Native American tradition for purifying and healing.

Incorporating Native American traditions is routine at the Shrine, as the site’s historical significance – the site of the Caughnawaga National Historic Site (a Mohawk Village) – and natural beauty, the Shrine often attracts pilgrims who have not previously attended Catholic Masses.

“It was an honor to host so many for such a significant anniversary,” said Melissa Bramble, Director of Operations at the Shrine. “We’re looking forward to welcoming many more through the rest of this Franciscan Jubilee and Baptismal Anniversary year.”

The Saint Kateri Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site is stewarded by the Franciscan Friars Conventual of Our Lady of the Angels Province and supported by the Companions of St. Anthony. Thousands of pilgrims visit the Shrine every year for Mass, special events, and to visit this historic Mohawk Village or walk through the expansive grounds. Shrine events embrace St. Kateri’s love for creation, solidarity with the poor, and peacemaking, in harmony with the charism of St. Francis.

St. Kateri was born to a Mohawk chief and Christian Algonquin woman in 1656. Contracting smallpox at an early age, St. Kateri was left with scarred skin and poor eyesight. Her Mohawk name, Tekakwitha, means “she who bumps into things.”

She began learning about the Catholic faith when Jesuit missionaries entered her Mohawk village in her teenage years. She was later baptized on Easter Sunday 1676, taking the name Catherine, which she chose in honor of St. Catherine of Sienna. Kateri is the Mohawk form of that name.

She died in 1680 in her early twenties. She was canonized as a saint in October 2012. She continues to be a light for those seeking peace, healing, and intercultural encounters.

To learn more about the Saint Kateria Tekakwitha National Shrine and Historic Site, click here.

Recent convert thanks friars and Shrine of St. Anthony for helping her find Christ

Every day, fresh flowers are arranged (or rearranged), bulked up, or trimmed down in the Shrine of St. Anthony in Ellicott City, MD for placement near the tabernacle and at the feet of the Mary and St. Anthony statues flanking the altar in the Chapel. Behind these arrangements is Karen Sympson, a volunteer who uses this way to give back to the place she says has given her so much.

“I’d been to more churches than you can imagine in search of the Lord, and many of them, I turned around and walked right back out,” Karen said. “I walked in here and the Lord’s not letting me walk out.”

Karen was confirmed this Easter (2026) at the age of 65. She grew up in a house that did not have a faith tradition, but said she discovered who Christ was, as well how saints can pray and intercede for us, at the Shrine of St. Anthony.

The Shrine of St. Anthony is a ministry of the Franciscan Friars Conventual of Our Lady of the Angels Province and home to the Companions of St. Anthony. A private novitiate for decades, the Shrine building began being used for public Masses and retreats in the 1990s before being established as the Shrine of St. Anthony for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 2005.

Karen first came to the Shrine in 2021. At the prompting of three customers in the same week – she worked at a local grocery store chain at the time – Karen decided to visit the Shrine despite her long-held skepticism for Catholicism.

She didn’t get very far, she said, sharing that she left before entering the Chapel, but something drew her back the next day and the day after that.

It took months before Karen would attend Mass, but she still found solace on the Shrine’s grounds. For a long time, Karen would come to the Shrine property and pray after work.

“I walked the eternity garden until I wore holes in my shoes,” she said, referring to the St. Anthony Garden of Eternity just west of the Shrine building.

With the help of friars, staff, and volunteers at the Shrine, Karen started to learn more about Catholicism and eventually went to her first Mass. Months later, she received her first Communion on All Saints Day in 2023.

“I was broken when I came here,” Karen said, referencing years of seeing specialists and needing medications for health troubles. “The friars have totally changed my life. When they pray for you, you feel it!”

As for St. Anthony and the Blessed Mother, she held on to some skepticism for a while even after she started to feel Christ’s presence at Mass and in receiving the Eucharist. She described her interactions with the saints as “snarky,” before they each showed her their way of interceding for her journey in their own way.

Now, arranging flowers in the Shrine’s sacristy for refresh the vases in the Chapel, Karen said she talks with Mary while she works.

“It’s like I’m hanging out and chatting with a girlfriend,” she said, the thought of never returning to the Shrine a distant memory.

“It took this whole community to get me here,” she said, with a special thank you to the friars who live and minister on this site. “Whatever I needed, they were there for me.”

Taking home a basket of fresh produce that includes hearty greens, root vegetables, and herbs can be intimidating for any amateur chef. It can be especially hard for clients of a soup kitchen and food pantry with limited resources to cook.

In March 2021, the Franciscan Center of Baltimore, a ministry of the Franciscan Friars Conventual, started a culinary training program for clients receiving one of the more than 200 boxes of fresh produce being distributed weekly at that time. This past fall, the Center celebrated its 14^th class of graduates from the program.

Dignity Plates Training Academy has hosted 118 students for a free 13-week culinary training program over the last five years. And over time the program has evolved from simply teaching clients to process fresh food to a workforce development program, helping students not only learn to cook at a high level, but find employment upon completion of the program.

More than 65 percent of students who have gone through the program have successfully found employment in the food industry in Baltimore. Students have found employment at medical centers, Baltimore sports stadiums, universities and local country clubs. The Center has also employed many graduates as it expands its own catering program.

Sustainable Living

Dignity Plates Culinary Academy offers free tuition for the 13-weeks and includes a $1,300 stipend for participating students. The program is funded through donations from the community and social enterprises of the Center.

In addition to culinary techniques, students are taught menu development and food safety, as well as customer service skills. “Wellness Wednesdays” include classes on diet and nutrition, and students also take classes on financial literacy. Students visit Little Portion Farm, another ministry of the friars which donates a large sum of its produce to the Center’s soup kitchen, during their course to learn about different ingredients they will use in their culinary career. Their final exam is preparing a luncheon for Center donors from start to finish – including developing the menu, ordering all required ingredients and quantities, and preparation.

“We’re helping students create opportunities for sustainable living,” said Chef Derrick Purcell, Culinary Director at the Franciscan Center. “It’s great to see our students achieve a growing sense of confidence and identity after completing the program, which is not easy.”

Looking Ahead

The Franciscan Center of Baltimore offers a variety of services to clients in West Baltimore, including child and family support, health care referrals, Maryland state ID services, and daily hot lunch for clients in the soup kitchen. While the Center has been operating for more than 50 years, Our Lady of the Angels Province began their relationship with the organization 2023 when the Franciscan Sisters of Milwaukee asked the friars to support a ministry they no longer had the resources to provide for.

While the sponsor relationship is relatively new, the friars’ Little Portion Farm has donated tens of thousands of pounds of fresh produce to the Center’s kitchen since 2019.

“We were honored to begin working with the Center more formally a couple years ago after so many years of successful partnership with the farm,” said Friar Michael Heine, OFM Conv., Minister Provincial of Our Lady of the Angels Province. “St. Francis was a man of the poor, and the Center embodies his spirit every day.”

And the Center has no plans to slow down. In 2026, the hope is to begin offering the culinary training program at night as well.

“We recognize that the industry need is not slowing down, and students can’t afford to give up a paid job to do the course,” Derrick said. “We want to offer chances for students to get a new or renewed passion for cooking.”