NewsNotes: March 2024

We're a little late with March -- but we'll be displaying some Easter photos at the end of April.
For now, here are the March "happenings".

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A Happening PORT

At the end of February, The Port, our evangelization ministy in Pittsburgh, reported a few of its March offerings: "Kicking off this Lent, there are two upcoming books studies on prayer open to anyone. On Mondays, here at The Port, Fr. Phil White, OFM Cap., will lead a study of Thirsting for Prayer by Jacques Philippe. On Wednesdays, at St. Padre Pio Parish, Fr. Tom Gramc & Angela Gaughan will be leading a study of Essence of Prayer by Carmelite Nun, Ruth Burrow."

In March, a video alerted their Facebook followers to "some highlights from this past year with The Port: "Support the ministries of The Port at April 6th's rib cookoff fundraiser! Friar-made ribs, bbq & beer; raffles; and final-four game viewing."

The 3-minute video is below -- feel free to invite others to the fundraiser -- and to the ribs -- this Saturday, April 6th!

 If the video does not show below, try this link

Vocation Weekend Extended

Raf Anguiana sent us a photo from the Vocation Weekend held at Alverno on March 9-10 where there were "12 wonderful men who are looking into our way of life."

Mike Herlihey was there, and forwarded on some photos from the weekend that continued from March 10-14 with a trip to Philadelphia. He brought 5 men (3 from University of Cincinatti encounterd at the FOCUS SEEK conference we reported on in a previous NewsNotes), 1 from Franciscan University and 1 from Christ the King Parish in Columbus). They toured Philadelphia, both the tourist attractions of the city and our Capuchin ministries and friaries. Mike writes that "we did ministry, prayer and spent time with the brothers of both friaries. The candidates cooked for the brothers one night. The guys expressed great appreciation for the brothers' hospitality." Mike added a request: "Please pray for Eric, Joseph, Aidan, Andrew and John. All the photos are self-explanatory except for the one: the one with the guys in St. John’s Sacristy see them praying in the presence of a glove of St. Pio."

New Baltimore Hosts an Archbishop

St. John's hosted the LESA USA Joint Retreat from March 1-3 at the Retreat Center in New Baltimore. Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya, Archbishop of Bamenda, Cameroon (2022) directed the retreat for an enthusiastic and dedicated group of women. The LESA USA Joint Retreat, from March 1-3, was designed to support the mission of LESA. Their motto is "Sisterhood – Faith – Justice," and their mission is to empower young girls in Cameroon, Africa and their community by supporting educational and vocational programs, promoting sisterhood through Christian values and establishing a network for sharing experience and knowledge.

Also in March, Mark Pattock led the candidates from St. John's Parish to Johnstown, PA's Cathedral of St. John Gaulbert for the Rite of Election for the candidates who would come to join our Catholic community last weekend at the Easter Vigil.  Mark wrote that "[m]any more other churches attended the evening Rite of Election at the cathedral in Altoona."

Baltimore 's St. Ambrose
Spotlights and Highlights

Our brother Connor Bannon has been working at Baltimore's St. Frances Academy this school year, and the school put the "Spotlight" on Connor and his work with the faculty and students. And they let us know a little about Connor and his work and "fun facts" that included Kanye West and a horse named Hercules (tell us more, Connor!) . . . .

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March found our Provincial Minister in Baltimore to lead and celebrate a revival for parishioners . . .

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During the series of Lent's catechumenal Gospels, the parish dramatized each of the stories, as always, with creative costuming. Here are shots of Jesus' dialogue with the "woman at the well."

 Palm Sunday invites people to come out of the church doors and
sing "Hosanna" to the Lord's entry into Jerusalem
. . . and into Baltimore.

On March 4th, Pastor Paul Zaborowski and parishioners gathered at Mount Providence, the mothehouse of the Oblate Sisters of Providence to celebrate the Mother Lange Awards recognizing parishioners in the areas of leadership, service and youth. St. Ambrose recipients were: George Johnson (Service), Tracey Stone (Youth-Service) and Christine Barnes (Leadership). The Black Catholic Gospel Choir under the direction of our music director Deitrick Goodwin led them in song . . .

 . . . and to make up for a missed opportunity, the parish celebrated black history month in February, and I only caught the lovely remembrances of six Black Americans on the path to sainthood. Their images graced the back of St. Ambrose throughout the month.

Journeying to the Salvadoran Martyrs

Our brother Moisés Villalta and friends visited the shrine of the Salvadoran martys in Aguilares, El Salvador, on March 12th. Beatified in January 2022, the martyrs, two priests and two lay people, were murdered as victims of the death squads that acted with total impunity protected by the  Salvadoran security forces and the Salvadoran governments between 1977 and 1980. Jesuit Rutilio Grande, a  close friend of St. Oscar Romero, was  beatified along with Manuel Solórzano, an elderly catechist, and the teen Nelson Rutilio Lemus, who  were killed on March 12, 1977. Franciscan friar Cosme Spessotto  was murdered for the same reason in 1980 and joins the "Salvadoran martyrs," examples and heroes that point to countless others who suffered the same fate in their struggle to rescue people from oppression through their compassion and fidelity.

"Vamos todos al banquete…. " Let us all go to the banquet....is the theme that graces the church doors of the sanctuary.  The inspiration for the phrase derived from the sermons of Padre Rutilio. An article from American magazine talks about What we can learn from Rutilio Grande: "Father Grande’s personal contributions to the poor of his beloved country, his commitment to the church and the Jesuit community, his love for the people that he generously served, his love for his many friends and family all resonate in the commitment that led to his martyrdom."

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Back to the island, we also came across the picture of the friars from our Custody making the Stations of the Cross during their annual retreat; the journey of the Lord's compassion and mercy continues . . . .

Cap Corps Marches On with Hope and Gratitude

Margaret McIntyre-Stacy has been posting grateful and encouraging thoughts for our Cap Corps Volunteers. It's been over a month since the death of Ryan Realbuto, and Margaret writes its supporters: "Thank you for the light and love you’ve shown us in these challenging days. We’ve been carried by your prayers, and we’re so grateful." The volunteers in DC were rejoicing at the blossoming of the area's early spring.

April is National Volunteer Month. "This (and every) month, we celebrate the heart and soul of our program -- our incredible volunteers! Their selfless commitment echoes the call of Christ to serve others with humility and love. Please continue to pray for them as they serve in their placement sites." These are our 2023-2024 volunteers living and working in DC (l) and Pittsburgh (r).

Papua New Guinea's Religious
Gather in Mendi

The Federation of Religious of PNG/SI Annual General Meeting (AGM) for 2024 was held from February 16th-March 1st, in  Alexishafen-Madang, PNG. As our brother Modest Sangia, Custos of our Custody, wrote in summation of the work of the gathered Religious leadership:

It was a wonderful moment as delegates from all over Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands shared experiences with one another. It was enriching to all of us. The theme of this year’s meeting was Pilgrims of Hope: On the Path of Peace . . .

As Pilgrims of Hope: On the Path of Peace, we advocate the Synodal Way of relating, discerning and correcting wrongs which is advocated by Pope Francis, embraced by our Bishops and widely recognised as the Way of Our Peoples. We shall give immediate concrete expression to it by amalgamating the current separate Female and Male Conferences of Religious to form a new and inclusive peak body known as Catholic Religious PNGSI which will be more representative of the National Religious of PNG and SI and shall foster partnership with the Catholic Religious of Oceania.

Catholic Religious recognise the pain and trauma that afflict our people through poverty, riots, tribal fights, abuse of women and minors and the scourge of sorcery. These realities contribute to an ever-increasing number of internal refugees who seek only safety and peace. We stand ready to assist them when we can, and are always willing to join hands with government and all people of good will, to address underlying causes.

We applaud progressive initiatives of the Governments of PNGSI such as free tuition, which give hope and a pathway to a better standard of living for so many. However, we urge Leaders to follow up with full pay and supply necessary resources for teachers, sufficient classrooms and facilities, and adequate security. Moreover, we believe that progressive social initiatives must always be safeguarded from ambitious political competition and be motivated only by determination to maximise benefits to our people.

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In February, we mailed out a  photo of our newest PNG postulants after the ceremony of initiation on February 24th. Tage also sent along a picture of all the members of this year's Padre Pio fraternity in Madang on the left below:

(left-right): Lucas Tamshong, Postulants Junior Paul (Dabaraba, Hela Province), Simon Tindini (Hedamari, Hela Province), and Samuel Kawagle (Mingende, Simbu Province), our brother Tage, Jim Bikine, Justin Purusi and Postulant Ignasius Rambaliku (W. New Britain Province). In the right photo, Custos Modest Sangia gives them them TAU cross as they begin their Franciscan walk with us.

The Custody has over 30 men in formation across all levels and asks for our continued prayer, especially for our newest members.

Before we went to "press," we also caught some shots of Mendi's Holy Week/Easter celebrations  with their bishop Don Lippert . . . .

Marino is a Champion

Our brother Marino Msigala plans to return to his home Province of Tanzania in May. His last day of employment at Pittsburgh's West Penn Hospital was March 31st, Easter Sunday, but not before the Allegheny Hospital named him a Core Behavior Champion. Marino worked as Chaplain with Pastoral Care Services, and Jason Roeback, Chief Operating Officer, was a frequent attendant at the noontime Mass which Marino celebrated. He was impressed by our brother's practical and inspirational homilies, his generous outreach to patients and his servant-leadership attitude. After Jason posted the recognition on dozens of monitors throughout the hospital, and many folks noticed it, they enthusiastically offered their congratulations to Marino for his service and dedication to his ministry.

In the banner which displayed on monitors, they offered a description of Marino's Living our Core Values, below reproduced for easier legibility:

While he's been with our Province for a number of years now, we can "Get to know our Champion" from AHN's summation of Marino's reply to their questions for him:

On the following PDF link, you can read about AHN's Core Values and Code of Conduct.

Prayers for our brothers to the west . . .

In the past few weeks, there have been a few requests for prayer from our brother Mark Schenk, Provincial Minister of the St. Conrad Province:

• Gene Emrisek (1963 Profession class of John Bednarik and Allan Wasiecko) was admitted to St. Joseph Hospital in Denver on Saturday, March 30th, because of swelling in his legs. After being treated for pneumonia earlier in the month, he'd been in rehab but in recent weeks he's been in and out of the hospital due to the swelling of his legs. He had a pacemaker implanted in late February.
• Earl Befort (1964 Profession class of Scott Seethaler & Emett Schuler)  had surgery on his back in late February but was treated for an infection and leg swelling in subsequent weeks.
• Earl Meyer (1955 Profession class) has experienced some pain from a gallbladder flare up. An impending surgery was cancelled as his physician decided on another course of action to relieve some his discomfort.
• Both "Earls" are back at their St. Fidelis Friary in Victoria, KS, and plan on receiving a round of physical therapy there.
• Former friar Charles (Chuck) Wolfe passed away in Thornton, Colorado, on March 5th.

Our brother Pio Arrives in New Castle, PA

I Embrace You - a premier replica of a unique statue representing our Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, was presented to the Holy Spirit Parish's St. Mary Church in New Castle, PA, by Julia Calandra, Chief Development Officer of Barto, PA's Saint Pio Foundation.  The original work was dedicated in 2021 on the feast of Padre Pio, September 21st, near the friar's home in Pietrelcina, Italy.

The March 9th celebration in New Castle, PA, marked the 125th anniversary of Grazio Forgione’s arrival in New Castle; Grazio, the father of young Francesco Forgione, found work among friends and family in New Castle which allowed him to earn money for the family back at home. Francesco would be given the name Pio in his Capuchin novitate [though we're unsure after which "St. Pius" our Capuchin brother was named; there were six canonized popes with the name, though Pius I was the first pope to be named a martyr].

Accounts say that close to a thousand men and women gathered at the church in New Castle, PA, to welcome the dedication and blessing of the statue that measures almost 10 feet tall! The statue imagines Pio in a posture of prayer and represents the correlation of crucified Christ with the world; in the church, it's positioned in a corner dedicated to the People of Italy.

Strangely, Pio is sculpted with an OFM or modified Conventual habit, not a Capuchin habit. No one ever seems to mention that in articles (the Leonine Franciscans have done this to us!!).  The artist, Timothy Paul Schmalz appears to do this often, though not always, in his recreations of Pio's image. But we digress . . .

Pittsburgh's Bishop David A. Zubik, celebrated a 4:00 p.m. Mass in remembrance of Saint Pio that Saturday, and during the homily, he focused on the importance of the sacrifices made by Pio's father, beginning on that day, one hundred and twenty five years ago. You can read articles about the event and the statue in New Castle News and on the foundation's site.

Msgr. Edward Sadie, 1930-2024

Some of our friars will still remember the parish for which we ministered in Charleston, WV, from 1901- 1980. The church of the Sacred Heart was named the co-cathedral of the newly named Wheeling-Charleston Diocese in 1974. We continued our ministry there until Msgr. Edward Sadie was named its co-cathedral's pastor in 1980, and our brothers were replaced by a Diocesan staff. Through his efforts, the co-Cathedral gained the status of a Basilica.

Msgr. Sadie died on February 11, 2024, and his obituary describes him as "[a] happy and compassionate man of deep faith and humility, a dreamer and a visionary, a builder of lives both young and old. . . Through his lifetime of service, he touched lives in untold and profound ways. Through his example, he challenged all who knew him to find the better angels in themselves and in others and to look beyond what is and imagine what might be . . . . Monsignor capably dealt with current issues while dreaming of future possibilities. Where some saw blight, he saw possibilities."

He had celebrated his 90th birthday in 2021, and Charleston's Catholic Spirit features an article on his funeral services. May he rest in the Lord's peace and goodness.

Quick Captures

Our brothers Allan Wasiecko and Ben Regotti were busy on Holy Saturday coloring the Easter Eggs. 'Looks like Allan is happy with his hard work . . .

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On Saturday, February 24th, we caught our "Champion" Marino Msigala on a trip to Houston, TX, that he captioned on Facebook: "Today I had the privilege of learning about the journey to the moon -- and the moon here in Houston, Texas." Fortunately, when Marino returns to Tanzania, he won't be as far away as the moon . . . . And we have the added bonus (below, right) of his February Facebook profile photo. He's obviously serious about wanting to shepherd the Lord's people? He's certainly good at it -- he may as well look the part.

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By chance, we caught a shot of our brother novice Charlie Cascino posted on the Canadian Capuchin Facebook page . . . Somebody has to take care of the chapel linens. Nice work on that purificator, Charlie . . .

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Former friar Bill Dorn hosted three of our Pittsburgh friars for a dinner at his place on Sunday, March 3rd -- sounds like they were able to forego Lenten fare on the sabbath.

Last evening, I hosted three Capuchin Franciscan priest-friars for dinner. (l-r) Fr. Joe Minding, my spiritual director during graduate school, Br. David Cira and Fr. John Getsy, my novice director from back in 1974. We dined on lobster bisque, salad, and grilled chicken, boursin mashed potatoes, and asparagus. Since three of us celebrated birthdays recently, we shared a birthday cheese cake for dessert. It was a delightful evening reminiscing and telling our favorite stories. I was honored to be with these men who positively impacted my life over the years.

Oklahoma Capuchins Remembered

We caught the March 2024 issue of the Eastern Oklahoma Catholic, marking the 150th edition of the magazine in which they reviewed some of the highlights of their Diocesan history which they'd covered for decades.

Some of the more seasoned friars may remember knowing about one of their historical moments that took place: the coming of the Capuchins to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Of Polish heritage, at least 16 of the friars had been prisoners in Dachau or Auschwitz concentration camps during World War II.

Between 1948 and 1995, around 22 Capuchins came to Broken Arrow, and "the story is both ironic and poetic: ironic in that Bishop Francis Clement Kelley had invited Capuchins to the diocese of Tulsa in 1935 but was turned down due to the Capuchin understanding that it was incompatible with their way of life; poetic because the U.S. Seventh Army’s 45th Infantry Division, which had clear Oklahoma ties, liberated Dachau." Some of the friars (especially Stanley Kolowski, OFM Cap., who was prisoner in Auscwitz from 1941-1945) were visitors to our Province to see Polish relatives in the area and to share their experiences.

The article includes the major contributions of the Capuchin Province under a section entitled Items we can thank the Capuchins for. You can read the article on this link to the Eastern Oklahoma Catholic.