Nurturing our Bonds with Secular Franciscans
On Easter Friday and Saturday, April 6-7, Secular Franciscan (OFS) representatives from fraternities for which our Province is bound to provide Spiritual Assisitance gathered in New Baltimore, PA. Led by our brother Andrew McCarty, OFM Cap., Provincial Spiritual Assistant, a number of Spiritual Assisitants, both local and regional, were also present for the overnight.
Padre Pio Center Lives It & Shares It
#SpringBreakOutreach2018
Our brothers in the Frankford area of Philadelphia are trying to bring the living spirit of our confrere Padre Pio into their work for the people here. In the week of March 12th, the friars of Padre Pio Friary and Prayer Center were blessed with a group of university students from Connecticut. The students made the decision (like many others throughout the country #Spring Break Outreach 2018) to spend their Spring break with our friars and postulants, serving in the Frankford community and deepening their relationships with each other and the Lord. Brs. Andrew McCarty, OFM Cap., and Ross Henley, OFM Cap., spent some time filling the students in about the area and its needs, and how the Gospel challenge to address those needs is a compassionate focus of their service. Kip Ledger, OFM Cap., Guardian and Director of our Candidacy (Postulancy) Program there, also got a chance to take the visitors on a visit to the city featuring a look at our urban impact through the Capuchin ministry at St. John the Evangelist Church downtown.
Celebrating Jubilees 2018
Let the celebrations begin! Two of our 2018 Jubilarians have already taken time this year to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of their priesthood Ordinations in January. Our brothers Bill Henn, OFM Cap., and John Pavlik, OFM Cap., celebrated their January 28th date, one publicly and another privately with classmate Fr. Dale DeNinno of the Pittsburgh Diocese. They were ordained on a very snowy weekend in 1978, and some friars may remember their torturous trips to first Masses on the following day.
Our Brothers in Papua New Guinea Need Your Help
On Monday, February 26th, a massive earthquake hit our missions in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. In fact, the 7.5 quake was centered right in the Diocese of Mendi where our Capuchin missionaries live and work. Everything shook violently for almost five minutes, causing landslides, toppling towers, shaking buildings off their moorings, splitting homes in two. Reports are still scarce, but the ones we are receiving and the photos we are getting make it clear that this is catastrophic. One government official stated this is the worst natural disaster to ever hit Papua New Guinea.
Fr. Angelus Shaughnessy, 1929-2018
Our confrere Angelus M. Shaughnessy, OFM Cap., passed to the Lord's eternal life on Friday, March 2, 2018, in his 89th year, after more than 67 years in vows as a Capuchin friar and 62 years a priest. He was preceded in death by sisters Mary Elizabeth (Roth), Sr. Mary Cecilia (Anna Mae) CDP, Irene (Murray), Pauline (Adams Cucinelli) and Josephine (Laman), and by brothers Fr. Sigmund (John Joseph) OFM Cap., Paul and Joseph. He is survived by sisters Regina (Sykes) and Bernadette (Higgins), and brother Bernard.
Matthew Edmund Shaughnessy, fourth son and ninth child of John and Anna (Spang) Shaughnessy, was born on November 16, 1929, in Rochester, PA, and baptized at St. Cecilia Church by Capuchin pastor Fr. Hugh Rauwolf, OFM Cap., on November 24th. After attending St. Cecilia Grade School, he entered St. Fidelis College and Seminary in Herman, PA in 1947.
Province gathers for December Ordinations
Our brothers Roshan Anthonypillai, OFM Cap., and Reynaldo FrÃas-Santana, OFM Cap. (above) were ordained as friar-priests in Pittsburgh, PA, by Bishop David Zubik who shepherds the diocese there. of Pittsburgh, PA. The celebration took place on Saturday, December 9. Both men will be headed to our Custodies: Fr. Reynaldo will minister in Utuado, PR, to assist one of the areas most damaged by the recent hurricane, and Fr. Roshan will be serving in Papua New Guinea.
A BIG Thanks to our Golfers & Friends!
      Our annual Capuchin Golf Outing continues to grow as a successful fund raiser to support our life and work as Capuchin Franciscan friars. Luckily, the rain held out on Friday, August 4th. There were a whopping 102 golfers who came out for the day at River Forest Country Club in Freeport, PA, and many others joined the golfers to have lunch and enjoy the day of family and friendship. The golfers and sponsors graciously raised over $34,000 for the Father Bill Wiethorn Scholarship Fund which supports the education and formation of our Capuchin Friar students (tuition, room and board just doesn't get cheaper, does it?) . . .
Fr. Bernard Finerty, 1935-2015
Place of Birth:Â Pittsburgh, PA
Investiture:Â July 13, 1955
Temporary Profession:Â July 14, 1956
Perpetual Profession: July 14, 1959
Ordination:Â June 3, 1961
Date of death:Â January 23, 2015
Burial: St. Augustine Cemetery, Millvale, PA
even as early as high-school,
I envisioned preaching
as the core of my ministry.â€
Letter to Provincial Minister
November 29, 1989
   At the funeral of Bernard Finerty, Fr. Tom Betz, OFM Cap., a friend and former student, made the observation that what struck him about the life of our confrere was that from everywhere he was stationed in his life as a Capuchin, the “Province pulled out.†It was an exaggeration, of course. The places did not come crashing down like dominoes.
   “Bernie†spent a good 24 years of his life in Herman, PA, before our high school and college were closed. He stayed there for 11 years as Director of the Retreat Center, trying to build a retreat ministry in a rural area; it ended only when the property was sold, of course.
Fr. Bertin Roll, 1916-2015
Date of birth: October 5, 1916
Place of Birth: Pittsburgh, PA
Investiture: July 13, 1936
Temporary Profession: July 14, 1937
Perpetual Profession: July 14, 1940
Ordination: May 28, 1942
Date of death: January 5, 2015
Burial: St. Augustine Cemetery, Millvale, PA
I've worn out some automobiles
and many more Guardian Angels.
God has been so good to me.
Who has it better than I do? Nobody!
the local crew of confreres,
to bring him back to life for real
after weeks of adulation
and pampering from Christian Mothers
who whispered with reverence
his name in full:
Father Bertin Roll,
the national director
of the Archconfraternity of Christian Mothers.
Thus began the tribute to our confrere by Fr. Bonaventure Stefun, OFM Cap., written on his hearing of the death of our brother "Bert. "National Director was Bertin Roll's job title and his life's work. Except for the 26 years necessary to grow up, go to school, join the Capuchin Order and become a priest, Bertin pretty much lived to work for the Christian Mothers, the longest term of any friar in any one ministry “ 61 years “ finishing off with another 10 years as Director Emeritus. Could any friar ever have been assigned to one friary for so many years? After 71 years in a ministry, how did he remain so committed and enthusiastic?
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