UNC

By Friar Chris Dudek, OFM Conv.

Youth ministry has always been central to the Church’s mission, and especially important for Our Lady of the Angels Province. From the beginning, Sts. Francis and Clare recognized that young people are especially open to encounter, transformation, and courageous change. Both heard Christ’s call to a deeper Gospel life at a young age. Today, our Province carries on this legacy by creating spaces where young people can experience fraternity, prayer, and the adventure of following Christ. We are grateful to have friars serving in high schools, college campus ministries, and parishes with active youth groups and parish schools that continue to thrive.

This same spirit fuels my ministry as Campus Minister at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, MD, where the friars have faithfully served for several decades. Each day at Curley is life-giving—journeying with young men as they discern who God is calling them to be, celebrating the Sacraments together, forming them in the Franciscan ideals, and watching them grow in faith, character, discipline, and service. It is an honor to work so closely with my fellow lay teachers and administrators who have also embraced the Franciscan mission. Our school is a vibrant example of what happens when friars and the laity walk with youth consistently and joyfully.

Much of my passion for youth ministry comes from my personal experience. My own calling to our fraternity began in high school, when I met the friars and was drawn to their joy. I was particularly inspired by my active youth group at The Basilica of St. Stanislaus in Chicopee, MA. During that time, I traveled to Assisi for the first time. Walking those old streets, praying in the Portiuncula and at the tomb of St. Francis, and standing where Francis encountered the leper changed my life. That experience planted the seeds of my vocation and showed me that God speaks powerfully through encounters, places, and community. Now, it is a privilege to help create similar opportunities for young people in our province.

In the past three years, one way this vision has come to life has been through the Assisi by the Chesapeake retreat, a three-day gathering for youth on the Chesapeake Bay. Each summer, young people come together to pray, share stories, serve meals, and enjoy being young disciples of Christ. My fellow friars play a big role each year, with at least a dozen joining us to celebrate Mass, lead small groups, offer Confession, play games, and, most importantly, walk with young people on their faith journeys with the warmth and joy of Sts Francis and Clare. My favorite part of the retreat is seeing the Franciscan joy present among both the friars and the young people, the same joy in Christ that inspired me when I was a teenager.

Last year, for the first time, we launched a youth Assisi Pilgrimage, inviting young people to walk physically and spiritually in the footsteps of Sts Francis and Clare. We have already filled up our second pilgrimage for this upcoming July. This pilgrimage is a transformative experience that immerses young people in the heart of our charism. From the holy walls of the Vatican to the quiet caves of the Carceri, from the bustling piazzas of Assisi to the tomb of our Seraphic Father, students and young adults discover the power of place—how stepping into the story of a saint can awaken their own call to holiness. Once again, our friars journey with them, helping each participant reflect on the deeper movements of God within their hearts.

These initiatives remind us that encounter is everything. When young people step out of their routines, place themselves before Christ, and journey with others who love the Gospel, their lives truly change. Some find renewed faith, some experience healing, and some discern a deeper call to serve. And some, inspired by Sts Francis and Clare, may begin to imagine the possibility of religious life.

As a Province, we are deeply grateful to the friars who give their time, the ministries that send their young people, the benefactors who support us, and everyone who prays for these efforts. We ask that you continue supporting these efforts. Encourage the young people you know to take part, come back to Church, deepen their faith, and, if God wills, consider the vocation of a friar or sister. Let’s keep walking with our young Church, trusting that Christ, who called our founders in their youth, still calls today.

The foundations of a new Franciscan friary in Gulu, Uganda have been laid, paving the way for a larger community of friars to minister in the missionary outpost of the Franciscan Friars Conventual.

“Our mission in Gulu is being built from scratch,” Friar Józef Matuła, OFM Conv. said. “We look forward to offering opportunities for pastoral development, reaching more people in our area, and allowing the mission to grow not only through buildings and infrastructure, but above all, spiritually.”

Friar Józef arrived in Gulu (in the northern region of Uganda) in April 2025. He is helping oversee the construction of the new friary in Gulu, though friars have been living and ministering in southern areas of Uganda for decades.

“We are grateful to see that our mission is growing and brings many wonderful fruits,” Friar Józef said. “Our prayerful presence with all people, our sisters and brothers in our mission, all pastoral and sacramental ministry, catechism and catholic formation, strengthening the faith, raising and discerning new vocations brings so much joy to our missionary life!”

A New Marytown

On an area of about 40 acres in Gulu, tall grasses have been cleared, a deep well dug, and construction begun to open the new site, which was inspired by St. Maximillian Kolbe, OFM Conv.

A saint with a deep devotion to Mary whom he called the “Immaculata,” St. Maximillian Kolbe began the Militia of the Immaculata and envisioned a world where “Marytowns” continued to spread devotion to Jesus through Mary. Franciscans have founded these communities committed to Mary in Poland (Niepokalanow nearby Warsaw), Nagasaki, Japan, and in Libertyville, IL (near Chicago).

Friar Józef envisions the next Franciscan epicenter of Marian devotion in Gulu.

“Saint Maximilian with his great faith and heart wanted also to come to Africa, but because of his sickly health condition and the Second World War made it never happen,” Friar Józef said. “We give thanks to God, that now after many years the dream and prayers of Saint Maximilian, his inspiration brought many brothers Franciscans to this continent and now we are serving in many African countries!”

Hope for the Future

Friar Józef describes Gulu as warm and dry, as compared to Kampala on Lake Victoria in the South, but a rainy season contributes to a lush and colorful landscape. He said most people rely on farming and cattle raising to make a living.

“Every day on such a mission is filled with various organizational and material responsibilities, but we also strive to ensure that this mission grows spiritually and brings blessed fruit to this local Church and everyone we meet here,” he said.

While work is underway on the new friary, the mission friars also dream of building a large Church in the region.

Friar Józef added that through their mission work in Uganda, they have come to see a great devotion to Mary among the people. Especially in a country still recovering from decades of civil war (ended 2008), a center of Marian devotion would be a welcome blessing and promote further healing and reconciliation.

“A Church dedicated to Marian spirituality can bring a very positive, blessed influence and impact on people here and their families,” Friar Józef said.

Donations to the Companions of St. Anthony assist with mission projects in Uganda, through the Franciscan Mission Association.

“If you build it, they will come.”

Or, in the case of the Newman Catholic Community at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill, if you renovate, even more will come.

When faced with needed improvements to campus ministry infrastructure, Newman’s Pastor and Director of Campus Ministry, Friar Tim Kulbicki, OFM Conv., knew starting a more than $1 million project was a leap of faith.

“God [has] rewarded us with both burgeoning numbers and generous benefactors who often took the initiative in suggesting and funding further projects,” Friar Tim said. “We are now positioned to better minister to both larger numbers of students and increasing involvement in the parish. God bless this community of faith for its hope in the future.”

Phase II of these capital improvements was completed in September – the occasion marked by a rededication ceremony for the main gathering spaces of the Activity Center. The center is now more accessible to students and parishioners with mobility challenges, with ADA compliant facilities and gathering spaces that can more safely and easily accommodate wheelchairs. Additionally, the sound system and electrical capacity of the indoor and outdoor gathering spaces were significantly upgraded.

“This ministry is growing, and these updates will bring the community together even more,” Friar Michael Heine, OFM Conv., said. “We’re blessed to share our Franciscan charism with all who visit there.”

Friar Michael serves as Minister Provincial of Our Lady of the Angels Province, a branch of the Franciscan Order that ministers in 19 (arch)dioceses of the United States. Friars live and minister in Chapel Hill and the Newman Catholic Community at UNC. Contributions from the Companions of St. Anthony multiply the generosity of the local community in helping this campus ministry to thrive.

“The local parishioners are very dedicated to the students, and the Catholic students reap the benefits of the local community invested in their faith,” Friar Michael said.

The final stage of the renovation project includes replacing the chairs in the Church with pews. These pews are set to be installed in Spring 2026 and the seating capacity in the Church will increase from 315 to 350.

Ken Reeb, Newman’s Finance Council Chair, speaks at rededication ceremony on September 28.