Franciscan Friars Third Order Regular Province of the Immaculate

Franciscan Friars
Third Order Regular
Province of the Immaculate Conception, USA
Province Newsletter • October 2012
“And now I am no longer in the world, but
they are in the world and I am coming to you.
Holy Father, protect them in your name that you
have given me, that they may be one, as we are one.”
John 17:11
WELCOME TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PROVINCE
Father Anthony B. Aarons
Father Aarons was raised in the Anglican Tradition and was a member of a Franciscan
community before entering the Catholic Church. He was ordained a priest in 2006 and served in
the Diocese of Mandeville, Jamaica as Vicar General of the Diocese. Father Aarons will be
telling us more about his journey of faith in a future newsletter. Welcome, Brother!
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Father Anthony’s Contact Information:
Fr. Anthony Aarons
St. Bernardine Monastery
768 Monastery Road
P.O. Box 139
Hollidaysburg, PA 16648-0139
USA
Phone: 814-695-3992
Mobile: 814-207-2939
MINNESOTA NEWS – ST. GERARD PARISH
On August 5, 2012, a group of thirty five teens and adult chaperones from the Church of St.
Gerard in Brooklyn Park, MN traveled almost 750 miles cross country to serve with the Franciscan Sisters
of the Poor located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Franciscans for the Poor offer a Summer Youth Program that
provides high school youth groups and their chaperones the unique opportunity to serve those persons
less fortunate in the Franciscan tradition throughout the Greater Cincinnati area. Groups make a oneweek commitment and live in community, sharing a simple lifestyle of service and prayer. The goal of
the week is to provide all participants with a culturally diverse experience with times for group and
individual prayer activity and a chance to live a simple lifestyle.
Youth from St. Gerard’s spent their week taking care of infants and children of teen mothers,
making and distributing lunches for the poor, working at a food shelf / free pantry, cleaning, refurbishing
and delivering furniture to low-income families, building and remodeling homes for families getting out
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of shelters, working with kids and adults with disabilities, and landscaping and cleaning for multiple nonprofit agencies in the city. The group lived in community serving each other, praying together, and
creating fun and lasting memories. They finished their trip with an exciting Cubs game at historic
Wrigley field on their way home to Minnesota.
The trip was funded by the St. Gerard’s congregation who generously donated over 90% of the
total cost of the trip. Students and adults from the trip hope to continue their mission work in their own
home community and encourage others to do the same.
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TWIN CITIES FRANCISCANS
During the past year, at the invitation of Sisters Corinna Thomas, FSPA (Franciscan Sister
of Perpetual Adoration, LaCross), Mary Hroscikoski, OSF, (Little Falls Franciscan) and about 15
members of the Franciscan order—friars, sisters, and secular members—met monthly to pray
and to share dreams and hopes. This core group refers to itself simply as “Twin Cities
Franciscans.”
It seemed important to bring together
all the Franciscan women and men who live
and serve in the Twin Cities area so they might
get to know and support one another better and
share their love for Francis and the Franciscan
life with the local Church and wider community.
Thus, the core group invited vowed Franciscan
men and women and members of the
Secular Franciscan Order to gather from
3:00 PM-6:00 PM on Sunday, October 7, 2012,
at the Church of St. Austin, a campus of the
Parish Community of St. Bridget in
north Minneapolis.
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This first-ever event drew
about 75 Franciscans from all over
the area. Represented were many
Secular Franciscans plus members of
the Conventual Friars, Poor Clare
Sisters, Third Order Regular Friars,
Clarist Sisters, Franciscan Brothers of
Peace, Franciscan Sisters of Little
Falls, MN, Franciscan Sisters of
Rochester, MN, and Franciscan
Sisters of Perpetual Adoration of
LaCross, WI.
Together they prayed, sang and shared discussions about their personal desires to
deepen their Franciscan Gospel calling. Many had never met one another before, so a great
deal of personal story-telling helped them get better acquainted. The event ended with a
simple, delicious catered meal. All agreed that this gathering helped strengthen the spiritual
bonds that unite them as Franciscans. They hope to repeat the experience periodically.
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UPDATE
In last month’s newsletter Brother John Kerr told us about the Community Garden
on the grounds of St. Bernardine Monastery in PA. The Franciscan Action Network
published an article on its blog about the Community Garden and you can access the
article through this link:
http://franciscanaction.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/justice-in-the-garden/
LAST WORD
O Jesus, here I am before you. You are suffering and dying for me, old as I am now and drawing
near the end of my service and my life. Hold me closely, and near to your heart, letting mine beat
with yours. I love to feel myself bound forever to you with a gold chain, woven of lovely,
delicate links.
The first link: the justice which obliges me to find God wherever I turn.
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The second link: the providence and goodness which will guide my feet.
The third link: love for my neighbor, unwearied and most patient.
The fourth link: the sacrifice that must always be my lot, and that I will and must welcome at all
times.
The fifth link: the glory that Jesus promises me in this life and in eternity.
O crucified Jesus, ‘my love and my mercy now and forever.’ ‘Father, if thou are willing, remove
this cup from me; nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done (Luke 22:42).’
Blessed John XXIII, “August 1961”, Journal of a Soul
fine
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