On Sunday December 13,  Fr. Paul Schloemer, Province Formation Director, led the Conventual Franciscan student friars and postulants from San Damiano Friary, along with Capuchin Franciscan student friars, as they walked a El Camino de las Misiones de San Antonio. The pilgrims began early in the morning at Mission San Francisco de Espada and ended their journey in the afternoon at San Fernando Cathedral, where they passed through the Holy Door and had Mass.

Please keep our students in your prayers as they will keep you in theirs.

Rosary for the Year of Mercy

Mission San Francisco de Espada

1st Decade of Mercy – To instruct the ignorant and counsel the doubtful

Reading 1 (A Letter to Brother Leo) – Brother Leo, health and peace from Brother Francis! I am speaking, my son, in this way—as a mother would—because I am putting everything we said on the road in this brief message and advice. If, afterwards, you need to come to me for counsel, I advise you thus: In whatever way it seems better to you to please the Lord God and to follow His footprint and poverty, do it with the blessing of the Lord God and my obedience. And if you need and want to come to me for the sake of your soul or for some consolation, Leo, come.

Reading 2 (2 Tim. 3: 14-17) – But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known [the] sacred scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work

Our Father
Hail Mary (x10)
Glory be
Mission San Juan

2nd Decade of Mercy – To admonish sinners

Reading 1 (Later Admonition and Exhortation vv- 40-44) – We must also deny ourselves and place our bodies under the yoke of servitude and holy obedience as each one has promised to the Lord.
And let no one be bound to obey another in anything in which a crime or sin would be committed. Instead, let the one to whom obedience has been entrusted and who is considered the greater be the lesser and the servant of the other brothers. And let him have and show mercy to each of his brothers as he would want them to do to him were he in a similar position. Let him not become angry at the fault of a brother but, with all patience and humility, let him admonish and support him,

Reading 2 (John 8: 3-11) The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they could have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with his finger. But when they continued asking him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he bent down and wrote on the ground. And in response, they went away one by one, beginning with the elders. So he was left alone with the woman before him. Then Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and] from now on do not sin any more.”

Our Father
Hail Mary (x10)
Glory be

Mission San José
3rd Decade of Mercy – To bear wrongs patiently and forgive offenses willingly.

Reading 1 (True and Perfect Joy, vv. 7-15) “Then what is true joy?” “I return from Perugia and arrive here in the dead of night. It’s winter time, muddy, and so cold that icicles have formed on the edges of my habit and keep striking my legs and blood flows from such wounds. Freezing, covered with mud and ice, I come to the gate and, after I’ve knocked and called for some time, a brother comes and asks: ‘Who are you?’ ‘Brother Francis,’ I answer. ‘Go away!’ he says. ‘This is not a decent hour to be wandering about! You may not come in!’ When I insist, he replies: ‘Go away! You are simple and stupid! Don’t come back to us again! There are many of us here like you—we don’t need you!’ I stand again at the door and say: ‘For the love of God, take me in tonight!’ And he replies: ‘I will not! Go to the Crosiers’ place and ask there!’ “I tell you this: If I had patience and did not become upset, true joy, as well as true virtue and the salvation of my soul, would consist in this.”

Reading 2 (Col. 3: 12-17) – Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Our Father
Hail Mary (x10)
Glory be

Mission Concepción
4th Decade of Mercy – To comfort the afflicted.

Reading 1 (The Later Rule, Ch. 6 vv. 7-9) – Wherever the brothers may be and meet one another, let them show that they are members of the same family. Let each one confidently make known his need to the other, for if a mother loves and cares for her son according to the flesh, how much more diligently must someone love and care for his brother according to the Spirit! When any brother falls sick, the other brothers must serve him as they would wish to be served themselves.

Reading 2 (Luke 13: 10-17) – Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment." When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day." But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?" When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

Our Father
Hail Mary (x10)
Glory be

Mission San Antonio (The Alamo)
5th Decade of Mercy – To pray for the
living and the dead

Reading 1 (1 Celano, Book 2, Ch. 9) – At Francis' death, a whole crowd of people praising God came together and said: “You, our Lord and God, be praised and blessed, for you have given us unworthy ones so precious a remnant! Praise and glory to you O ineffable Trinity!” The whole city of Assisi rushed down as a group and the entire region hurried to see the wonderful works of God which the Lord of majesty gloriously displayed in his holy servant. Each person burst int a song of joy at the urging of a joyful heart, and all of them had their desire fulfilled and blessed the almighty Savior. Still his sons were mourning, bereft of so great a father, and showed the deep feeling of their hearts in groaning and tears.

Reading 2 (2 Maccabees 12: 42-46) – Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out. The noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection in mind; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be absolved from their sin.

Our Father
Hail Mary (x10)
Glory be

San Fernando Cathedral
For the intentions of the Holy Father in this Year of Mercy

A Prayer for the Year of Mercy (Pope Francis)

Lord Jesus Christ,
you have taught us to be merciful like the heavenly Father,
and have told us that whoever sees you sees. God.
Show us your face and we will be saved.
You are the visible face of the invisible Father,
of the God who manifests his power
above all by forgiveness and mercy:
let the Church be your visible face in the world.
Send your Spirit and consecrate every one of us with its anointing,
so that the Jubilee of Mercy
may be a year of grace from the Lord,
and your Church, with renewed enthusiasm,
may bring good news to the poor,
proclaim liberty to captives and the oppressed,
and restore sight to the blind Amen.

Our Father
Hail Mary (x3)
Glory Be

Salve Regina

Passage through the Holy Door and Mass.

Merry Christmas from the Province of Our Lady of Consolation to all our friends.

During Christmas Eve Mass at Mount St. Francis in southern Indiana, Minister Provincial Fr. Jim Kent, OFM Conv. spoke of the closeness of the Incarnation, that God became one of us, a human being, born in the most humble circumstances possible.

And despite the storms throughout history, Jesus - Emmanuel, God is with us - remains close to us.

Taking the words we heard tonight from Isaiah: We pray that Jesus, the Wonder Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, may bring His Peace into the hearts of you and your loved ones, in this beautiful season and throughout the New Year.

As we move forward in this Jubilee Year of Mercy, let us work together to follow the Lord’s command to care for one another as we continue our pilgrimage here on Earth. Take some time to pray and to consider how you will participate in and celebrate this Extraordinary Jubilee.

We offer some suggestions below on how you may practice mercy. These are in no particular order and we are not placing them into a particular category. Help us add to the list. Share your ideas in the comment area at the bottom of the page.

1. Declutter and give your things to the needy.

2. Donate some time to an organization helping the needy 
(such as the Franciscan Kitchen).

Br. Larry Eberhardt, OFM Conv., volunteers at the Franciscan Kitchen.

3. Take a meal to someone who is shut-in, new parents, or someone 
who has lost a loved one.

4. Clear the snow and ice away for an elderly neighbor; or offer to 
run an errand for them or take them to the store.

5. Smile and greet people you pass on the street.

6. Do your children get new backpacks every school year? Donate the old one to a homeless shelter or soup kitchen.

7. Let someone else take that parking space you were waiting on for what felt like ten minutes (and be at peace with it).

8. Have some old blankets, towels, sheets that you don’t think anyone would want? Chances are your local animal shelter would be happy to receive these items.

"Put yourself in someone else's shoes."

9. Try to be less critical of others. Imagine what it would be like to ‘be in their shoes.’

10. Pray and don’t forget to pray for those who you feel have wronged you.

11. Be mindful of all that you have and do not be wasteful.

12. Visit a nursing home and share a talent or simply be present with a smile, some time to share, and a listening ear.

13. Know someone who is going through a difficult time? Send a card, give them a call, take them to lunch, and let them know that you are there for them.

14. Are you the parent of young children? Ask them to create some greeting cards and then go to a nursing home and hand deliver them.

15. Volunteer at a hospital.

16. Let go of grudges. Try to be positive with those you are having a difficult time with.

17. You may be performing acts of mercy in your everyday job – taking care of children or the elderly or the handicapped, teaching, working in healthcare or education. Try to be patient and joyful in these very important vocations.

18. Take care of your own health and that of your family. Eat nutritious foods and try to stay active. Model healthy habits for your children.

Br. Don Bassana, OFM Conv., gives a sandwich to someone who is hungry in San Antonio, Texas.

19. Keep granola bars or other wrapped foods in your car to hand out to those asking for help at stoplights.

20. Help someone for whom English is a second language.

21. Help someone learn how to read.

22. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.

23. Support the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

24. Become a mentor through a program such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters.

25. Be welcoming in your demeanor. Open the door for people. Hold the door open for those coming behind.

The Friars welcome you at their parishes and retreat centers. As Fr. Christian Moore says, "For us Franciscans, it's not just the Year of Mercy - our Franciscan charism doesn't stress sinfulness. It stresses that people are loved by God, they're part of a family no matter what. They're part of the life of the Church as long as they want to be."

The year of Consecrated Life continues until February 2, 2016. As we approach the end of this celebration of religious vocation, we want to share with you some of the Vocation and Formation highlights of 2015 – continuing discernment and the discovery of new vocations. We also want to continue to thank you, our friends and benefactors, for your prayers and support throughout this year. (If you haven’t yet had an opportunity to do so, please view our Thanksgiving video.)

2015 began with a retreat for our Franciscan students as they returned from their Christmas break. The retreat focused on Pope Francis’ vision of the Church as a “field hospital” and the possible positions or ministries Franciscans might serve in the Church.

In January, more than 9,000 college students met in Nashville, TN for FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students.)

In February, the Friary in San Antonio hosted a Come and See weekend. Also in February, many of the friaries hosted open houses. In the Kentuckiana area, we began to collaborate with Habitat for Humanity and many volunteers from the Catholic Community to build a “Wake Up World” house in the West End of Louisville, in celebration of Consecrated Life.

Our students continued to grow in their understanding of Conventual Franciscan Life. They, as well as the novices and postulants of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Perpetual Adoration, attended a workshop on the Gospels with Friar Jude Winkler, Assistant General for the Order.

In March we received the news that one of our Friars, John Stowe, OFM Conv., was named Bishop of Lexington, Kentucky. On May 5, the Most Reverend John Stowe, OFM Conv. was ordained and installed as Bishop of Lexington.

Vocation Directors Friar John Bamman and Friar Andy Martinez at Abbey Youth Fest in Louisiana.

Friars Tony and Andrew professed First Vows in July.

August 21, Friar Ian Bremar professed his Solemn Vows. Friar Ian expressed gratitude for his vocation while Fr. Jim Kent reminded Friar Ian’s family “they were not losing a son they were gaining a bunch of other brothers and sons...”

A Muslim family of ten from Somalia were grateful to move into the "Wake Up World" house in Louisville.

In September, Pope Francis made his long-awaited visit to the United States. He canonized Franciscan Junipero Serra on September 23. A Vocation Discernment weekend was held at Our Lady of Consolation in Carey, Ohio. The attendees were able to witness the ministry at the Shrine, participating in devotions and prayers with the many pilgrims.

In October, we celebrated the Feast of Our Holy Father Francis. On October 17, Friar Bryan Hajovsky was ordained to the priesthood by the Most Reverend John Stowe, OFM Conv. We had two vocation discernment events – one in Mesilla Park, New Mexico, and one in Prior Lake, Minnesota.

A great turnout for the Vocation Discernment Weekend at Holy Cross Retreat Center in Mesilla Park, NM

November gave us much to be thankful for. In Indianapolis we joined with many other vocation directors and youth from across the country for the National Catholic Youth Conference.

Photos by Friar Tony Martinez

In December we prepared for the Nativity of Christ and celebrated Christmas with great joy. January brought snow and more celebrations. The Most Reverend Joseph Kurtz, Archbishop of Louisville, ordained Friar Nicholas Wolfla to the permanent diaconate.

We have many vocation events planned for 2016. If you know someone who make a great Friar please share this 2016 Vocation Retreats Brochure with them.

Thank you again for your support. Please continue to join us in prayer for our men in formation and for all those discerning religious vocations.

The Mount St. Francis Center for Spirituality, in Mt. St. Francis, Indiana, and Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, in Prior Lake, Minnesota, celebrate milestones this year.

Fr. Jim Kent talks with two friends before the spaghetti dinner at Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center.

Our Retreat Center in Prior Lake is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. A Spaghetti Dinner, organized by the Our Lady of Consolation Secular Franciscan Fraternity, was held on January 17, 2016. More than 100 friends attended. Many more events are planned, including a series of evening speakers focused on Pope Francis, a Mass on the Grass, a presentation on Labyrinths, along with the installation of a nine circuit Labyrinth, and the annual Christmas Open House. For all the details, please visit www.franciscanretreats.net.

Mount St. Francis Center for Spirituality is kicking off the celebration of 40 Years of Retreat Ministry with a celebration February 20. This FREE event will be from 3 to 7 p.m. The afternoon will include a presentation on the history of the Mount by Br. Bob Baxter, hiking for experienced and novice hikers, arts and crafts for the kids, a photo expedition, tours of the archives, Mass, and supper. For more on this and the other events planned for the year please visit www.mountsaintfrancis.org.

We hope you can visit our retreat centers for one of these special events. Don’t forget our other two centers – Holy Cross Retreat Center in Mesilla Park, New Mexico, and Carey Retreat House in Carey, Ohio. Check out our calendar page for events and retreats scheduled throughout the year at all four locations.

by Fr. Jim Kent, OFM Conv.

Crucifix at Holy Cross Retreat Center, Mesilla Park, New Mexico

This a familiar lament and a reminder how this penitential season seems to sneak up on us, especially when it comes early.  While we seek ways to fast, pray and give alms, these actions should lead us to constant—even daily—conversion. Scripture speaks of the need for the "daily," whether it's to daily take up our cross or give us our daily bread. Conversion often comes through consistent practices that lead us deeper into the life of discipleship.

Through the cycle of readings as we follow Jesus to Jerusalem, Lent is also a time to reflect upon our own journey of life, death and that ultimate meeting with God.  One way to give us the perspective for such an encounter is to ponder that certainty in solitude.  Such quiet time allows us to unplug and breathe deep the Spirit of God. In busy lives it can be a challenge to even take 15 minutes a day to do this. But how insightful and rewarding it can be.  And as I've heard it said to me: if you're too busy to take these 15 minutes, then you really need to take 30!

May God bless us all in this special season that leads to the Paschal Mystery.

Conventual Franciscan Friars from Our Lady of Consolation Province were on both sides of the border for Pope Francis' historic visit to Juarez.

Friars Mario Serrano and Andy Martinez, both serving as campus ministers, were there with many students from Our Lady of the Lake University and UTEP. They share their joy of being there in this brief video:

Friar Charles McCarthy was also at the border for this historic event. He used Instagram to capture some of the preparations for the Pope's visit. The Pope stopped for a moment of silent prayer and blessing at the border to recall the plight of migrants.

The ramp at the border in the Chamizal in Juarez that the p. Francisco will walk to challenge our consciousness about migrations of peoples.

Friar Tom Smith was in Juarez with about 15 other priests from the Diocese of Las Cruces. He reported that he was seated very close to the front and was with the sick and infirm.

Friar Miguel Briseno was at the Sun Bowl Stadium along with thousands of others. Pope Francis: "Thank you, brothers and sisters at El Paso, for making us feel like one family, and one and the same Christian community."

Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the fairground of Ciudad Juarez. He used the story of Jonah and Nineveh to help us understand the necessity of mercy. "The king listened to Jonah, the inhabitants of the city responded and penance was decreed. God’s mercy has entered the heart, revealing and showing wherein our certainty and hope lie: there is always the possibility of change, we still have time to transform what is destroying us as a people, what is demeaning our humanity. Mercy encourages us to look to the present, and to trust what is healthy and good beating in every heart. God’s mercy is our shield and our strength."

Please join us in praying for conversion, salvation, and mercy. Lord, have pity on us, cleanse us from our sins and create in us a pure heart, a new spirit.

by Fr. Tom Merrill, OFM Conv.

Fr. Tom is pastor at St. Mary's Catholic Church in New Albany, IN

As Friars, we walk in faith, and much of our work of proclaiming the Gospel and serving the church has intangible results that are not easily measurable. It is true that we can record the number of Baptisms conferred, the number of the ill and infirm we visit, or the number of students we've taught over the years. To measure how the grace of God has worked through our attempts to preach the Gospel to others is much more difficult.

However, once in a while God's love for us gives a glimpse that our efforts are not in vain. As I write this, I am in Central America  to represent our Provincial, Fr. Jim Kent, at the annual meeting of Central American Friars, who work among the people of Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala . Among the 26 Friars present for the meeting, the Friars pictured here have a special meaning for me because I was blessed to live with them during their first years of formation as postulants in Costa Rica. I am also blessed because of your prayers and support over all these years have made it possible for them to have a place to live, the possibility to receive a philosophical and theological education, and so much more. Today in many and varied ways, they enrich the lives of the other Friars and the church in Central America.

      (Left to Right) Friar Isidora Mejia- Hernandez, 45, is currently serving as the Custos (regional superior) of the Central American Friars. He has served as Pastor in several of our parishes. Friar Erick Marin- Carballo, 38, serves as Formation Director for the Postulants. Friar Javier Ernesto Guerra, 45, serves as the Formation Director for Friars in temporary vows studying philosophy and theology. Friar Jonhatan Vargas-Ramirez, 36,  has served as Administrator in many of our friaries and parishes. Friar Enoc Zeladon-Hernandez, 48, has served as Director of Formation and currently is Pastor of Jesus of Mercy Parish in San Salvador. Friar Edgar Ramirez- Arrias, 47, currently teaches at St. Paul High School in Costa Rica, and Friar Arturo Vallejo-Escoto, 54, now serves as Pastor at Santa Ana Parish in Campamento, Honduras.

Please continue to pray for these Friars and all the Central American Friars as they work more closely together to build up the Church in Central America.

Do you know someone who has questions of faith or needs spiritual healing? Maybe that someone is you? The Friars invite you to bring a friend and come to our HeartToHeart event on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 3, at the Mount St. Francis Center for Spirituality, Mt. St. Francis, Indiana. Have a cup of coffee or hike the Mount with a friar and talk about anything on your mind. Let us help you get started on a path to a quieter mind and a closer connection to God.

Mount St. Francis Center for Spirituality -- Celebrating 40 years of Retreats!
For more information go to MountSaintFrancis.org or call (812) 923-8817.

Friar Ian Bremar, OFM Conv.

by Friar Ian Bremar, OFM Conv.

And the Lord gave me brothers…St. Francis

When I tell people I'm a Franciscan brother, one of the responses I often hear is, “So what does a brother do?” Usually I smile and say, “Well... it's not so much a matter of what we do as it is who we are.”

Religious brothers do many different things. They are retreat directors, teachers, professors, missionaries, nurses, administrators, chaplains, campus ministers, social workers, carpenters, cooks, writers, artists, and many other things. But their unique and oftentimes overlooked vocation is to be a certain kind of man in this world.

All of the baptized have been called to a life of holiness and to give witness to Christ in their lives. Whether one is married, ordained, single, or a religious, each person expresses that universal call of baptism in a particular way. For religious, living the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience give witness to the life of Christ, and to the future resurrected life of all humanity in the heavenly kingdom. Consecrated religious are called to be a light within the Church as the Church is meant to be Christ's light in our world.

Religious priests, sisters, and brothers all partake in this kind of witness, but each in their own way. They remind the Church that we are all sisters and brothers in Christ with the same Father in Heaven. Women religious offer the unique gift of sisterhood and make known the feminine experience and reality of a life in Christ. Brothers, as men who live in community and as brothers to the human family, similarly are witnesses to fraternity in a world that is so often divided and in which human relations at all levels are breaking down. Just as religious sisters bring to the Church their unique gifts as women, so brothers, with a masculine perspective, offer their gifts to the Church as men.

There is something especially counter-cultural about the brotherhood vocation. Often I am asked, “So why don't you become a priest?” or “Why not go all the way?” There is something subversive about men who willingly choose to pursue paths in life which eschew roles of direct authority, that necessarily put them under the authority of others. It is startling to some that a man, who has not followed the path of father and husband for the sake of a life committed to the Church, would not readily seek to become a priest.

Herein lies, I think, the distinct perspective that the brotherhood vocation offers. A religious brother lives out a calling to service in ways that the world does not expect for a man. A brother is not a parent nor pastor nor priest, but his vocation is not defined by what he is not. A brother is a brother, and like a brother in a family, he serves and relates with the other members in that unique capacity.

I think of growing up with my own brother. We were not friends, and he wasn't a parent to me, but we shared a bond that was unconditional. We were equally loved by our parents, yet, as he was the older and more experienced brother, I looked to him for leadership and guidance. Likewise, it isn't that brothers forgo or run from leadership and responsibility, but that they exercise their responsibilities in the Church familially, as brothers and equals to their fellow sisters and brothers in Christ.

Again, I am reminded of my own brother, who, though he does not yet have a family of his own, is quite the “family man” when we all get together – setting a light-hearted tone, helping at the grill, playing games with the grandkids. So too the religious brother is like that “family man” of the Church – not the parental figure, but one who walks with the People of God and enjoys the life in Christ with and among them.

Whatever I “do” as a brother, I hope that I will do it sincerely as one called to be a brother to others, a family man in the Church.

Know someone who would make a great Friar? Interested in learning more about Conventual Franciscan life? Come and See at Mount St. Francis, April 8-10. 

Friar Mario Serrano serves as director of campus minister at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. 

Friar Mario Luevano Serrano, OFM Conv.  was ordained a transitional deacon on Friday, April 8, at the Sacred Heart Conventual Chapel of Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, Texas, by the Most Reverend John Stowe, OFM Conv., Bishop of Lexington. It was a wonderful celebration with many friars and friends in attendance.

After years of preparation and a two-part Synod of Bishops, Pope Francis has released an Apostolic Exhortation entitled "The Joy of Love."

During this Holy Year, the Jubilee of Mercy, the Holy Father challenges us to seek and share God's Mercy for ourselves and others. As part of this effort, there will be much conversation and comment over the next weeks and months as this very long, yet important document is studied.

To find links to the document and some initial reaction, follow this link: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/amoris-laetitia.cfm

Most Reverend John Stowe, OFM Conv., Bishop of Lexington

Also, Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., a former member of our Province who now serves as Bishop of the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, has issued a statement:

“The Church has been anxiously awaiting Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation following two sessions of the Synod of Bishops treating the issues of the contemporary family. At the sessions, the pope encouraged open and bold dialogue and that occurred. Especially as the situations of the divorced and civilly remarried were discussed, there was lively discussion about how the Church should best uphold the permanence and indissolubility of marriage and be pastorally inclusive to those in situations deemed ‘irregular.’ In Amoris Laetitia (“The Joy of Love”), the pope does not create new rules nor a universal solution, but rather a path of discernment for those in irregular circumstances with the pastoral accompaniment of a priest. The apostolic exhortation goes through Scripture and the Tradition of the Church to both uphold the theology of marriage and simultaneously encourage the exercise of Christ-like mercy towards those who fall short of the ideal. It requires close and careful reading and offers material for reflection and prayer for all members of the Church.”

Please check back as other members of our Province offer their reflections on the Exhortation. And may the Joy of God's overwhelming love fill your lives.

Fr. Phil Ley stands outside of Posada Guadalupe

Posada Guadalupe, a shelter in San Antonio, Texas, was founded as a response to Jesus’s challenge at the end of St. Matthew’s Gospel: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” For the past ten years, it has offered hospitality to indigent immigrants, mostly young adults who have nowhere else to go.

The importance of this work in the Church was highlighted recently by Pope Francis when he brought refugees with him back to the Vatican after a visit to southeastern Europe. We have an obligation to see the face of Christ in all we meet, to be instruments of God’s love in the world around us.

The Big Give S.A. is a 24-hour online giving event on May 3, 2016 (midnight through 11:59 p.m.). Please consider supporting Posada Guadalupe, not only during the Big Give, but through your year-round giving.

The following is an explanation of Posada Guadalupe’s life-transforming work, a combined effort by Conventual Franciscan Friars and lay volunteers in the San Antonio area.

POSADA GUDALUPE
A LIFE CHANGING MINISTRY

 Beginnings

It was in October of 2006 that we opened the doors to our first residents. One was a man from Mexico who was sick with diabetes, the other was a man from Guatemala who was injured in an auto accident. They both remained with us for about two months, before moving on, just before Christmas.

After their departure we had no one for about five weeks. Then, I received a call from Casa Marianella in Austin, asking if we could take a man who needed dialysis. We took him, and since that day we have not been without residents.

Early on, we took only people who were sick or injured, usually referred to us by one of the local hospitals, men for the most part, but we have housed a few women, too. After about two years, we were getting calls from RAICES, a group of immigration lawyers, asking us to take in their clients who had aged out of the detention centers for unaccompanied minors. Now, these young people make up the majority or our residents.

Who are these young people?

It is this group that presents us the major challenge. Teenagers in general require a lot of attention, but those who come to us, come with lots of emotional baggage. Most of these kids leave home to escape the dire poverty they live in, domestic violence or gangs, or all of the above. Frequently they have been abandoned, abused or neglected by their parents, and have a very hard time trusting anyone. Besides all of this, or because of it, they tend to have a very low self-esteem.

These youth stay with us anywhere from a few months to more than a year, while they go through the process of acquiring legal status through the Immigration court. This time varies considerably from person to person. Having been abandoned, neglected or abused by one or both parents, a minor can apply for legal status in the United States.

As one might imagine, this is not an easy ministry. Each resident has his own way of doing things, or, as is more often the case, of not doing things. We have to be on top of them to make sure the house is kept clean—they all have their turn to clean. I am reminded of what Dorothy Day said about working with the poor: “Life itself is a haphazard, untidy, messy affair.” I’m also reminded of what Mother Teresa of Calcutta said: “Love until it hurts.”

And to be sure, it often does hurt. How can it not hurt when a young man tells you his father used to tie him up and then beat him. Others tell us they don’t know who their father is. Or when a young mother says she feels guilty eating what we serve in the shelter, knowing that her children in El Salvador are hungry. None of this is made up. Stories of this nature are not the exception, they are the norm. Nobody wants to leave their homeland. But when life is so difficult, so violent, so seemingly without hope, we begin to understand how a person (even a child) is able to make the decision to leave home and strike out on his/her own, heading to the United States, even though the odds of making it alive are not great.

Having mentioned all this, one might conclude that the young people at the Posada are on the fast track to failure. However, we have had a number of success stories. Five or six of our young men have gone to work for La Michoacana, a meat market that has agreed to employ anyone we send them, as long as their documents are in order. Others have found employment on their own. One recently finished a course in Job Corps and plans to continue his studies to become a nurse. Some have chosen to remain in San Antonio, while others have opted to go elsewhere in the country. We currently have six who go to local high schools. The good thing is that, little by little, they all become independent.

How you can help

As mentioned above, our residents need a good bit of attention, they need to know that they are loved. To continue with this ministry and to be able to reach out to more people in need of our service, we need financial help. You can help by sending your donation to: Posada Guadalupe, P.O. Box 5712, San Antonio, Texas 78201

Sixth Sunday of Easter May 1, 2016.
(a reflection from Fr. John Curran, OFM Conv. - Fr. John is living currently in El Paso, Texas, and is an Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish.)

Fr. John Curran, OFM Conv.

On May 8, 1948 St. Anthony Church in Louisville, Kentucky, was filled with hundreds of people. It was First Holy Communion Day for 60 second-graders. The girls walked in procession, followed by the boys. The girls wore pretty white dresses and veils, white gloves, white socks, and white shoes. The boys wore white shirts with white ties, white trousers and white shoes and socks. Each child carried a prayer book and a rosary, white for the girls and black for the boys. Printed in gold letters on the front cover of the prayer book were the words, “WELCOME JESUS.” That day was the beginning of my amazing friendship with Jesus.

Jesus is my amazing friend. One day Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Mt 16, 13-20. Who is Jesus for you? One day I was wearing a crucifix around my neck as I passed through the check-out counter at K-Mart. The check-out lady said, “That cross is beautiful!” I responded, “That is Jesus on the Cross.” She said, “Oh, yes. He was a great man!” The amazing truth about Jesus is that he is both man and God.

Isleta del Sur at Mt. Carmel Parish in El Paso, TX

He is really human, and he is really divine. Try to picture the man Jesus in various real-life situations. The little baby in the stable in Bethlehem. Jesus as a boy in Joseph’s carpenter shop. Jesus sitting among the teachers in the Temple when he was 12. Jesus walking away as a crowd of people tried to throw him off a cliff at Nazareth. Jesus kicking up his heels in a line-dance at the wedding feast of Cana. Jesus laughing as he helped Peter pull in the net filled with fish. Jesus standing before Pilate. Jesus suffering and dying on the Cross.

Try to picture Jesus, when he showed his divine power. Jesus calming the storm. Jesus driving out demons. Jesus multiplying the bread and the fish. Jesus healing the blind and the crippled. Jesus raising the dead.

The Presence of Jesus in our hearts is a three-in-one gift. “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” Jn 14, 23.

In today’s Gospel (Jn 14, 23-29) Jesus mentions his Father five times, and he promises to send us the Holy Spirit to teach us everything. v. 26. First the Holy Spirit teaches us to love in the way that Jesus loves us. He teaches husbands and wives to love each other. He teaches parents what they need to know. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit teach me EVERYTHING (including Spanish, French, Micro-soft Word, the piano, the guitar, etc.).

Everything that Jesus taught his disciples is true. His main theme is “life.” “I have come that you may have life in abundance.” Jn 10, 10. “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jn 14, 6. “Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood will never die.” Jn 6, 54. “I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me.” Jn 6, 57.

God really is real! As I awake from sleep each morning, I feel Jesus present inside me. I say to myself and to Jesus, “One of these days I am going to die. But it won’t be today!” (Jn 10, 10).

First Holy Communion Day in our parish is a happy day for me. It reminds me of my own journey through life, with my amazing friend Jesus at my side.

by Friar Bob Roddy

260 friends of Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center gathered at the Wilds Golf Club in Prior Lake, Minnesota on May 5, 2016 for the 58^th Franciscan International Award Dinner. The glorious Spring weather, coupled with the enthusiasm of our guests and the thought-provoking presentation on the work of Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, made for a very memorable evening.

The 2016 recipient of the Franciscan International Award is Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative of St. Paul, Minnesota. Beacon Interfaith sponsors the Families Moving Forward Program for Scott and Carver counties and Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, in partnership with the Church of St. Michael in Prior Lake, has participated in that program since its inception three years ago. Local congregations in Scott and Carver counties agree to house families who are in transition to permanent housing for evenings for one week at their congregation. During the day, members of the families go to the Day Center where some receive help looking for jobs and/or permanent housing, other family members may depart for their jobs while their children head off to school.

Founded in 1999 (originally as the Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation) Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative believes that high quality, affordable housing is the foundation for families and individuals to create the stability and security that all people seek. Beacon develops new housing, preserves existing housing and manages ongoing housing operations. Beacon has developed sixteen properties with four more in development. Beacon collaborates with 87 congregations to provide shelter, develop housing and advocate for public funding and policies to end homelessness.

Bro. Randy Kin, representing the Minister Provincial, Jim Kent, presented the Franciscan International Award at the banquet. Lee Blons, the Executive Director of Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, gave a moving presentation about the work of Beacon in which she played a series of voice mails from women and men desperately looking for safe housing for themselves and their families. Lee asked those gathered the simple question, “How will we respond to these calls?” “Homelessness is no longer an urban issue,” Lee explained, “We are now finding that the number of homeless families in the suburbs exceeds those numbers in the city.”

This FIA Dinner coincided with the 50^th Anniversary of the first overnight retreat in the Prior Lake location. On July 17, the Retreat Center will host a Homecoming Event, with an outdoor Mass, weather permitting, at 11:00 a.m., followed by a chicken dinner, activities for children and tours of the Retreat Center.

Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center in Prior Lake, Minnesota, continues its celebration of 50 years of retreat ministry with the installation of a nine circuit labyrinth. On April 20, Lisa Moriarty, a nationally known labyrinth designer from Stillwater, MN, gave a photographic presentation on the history of labyrinths, how they differ from mazes, and how they are used as a spiritual prayer practice. On May 14, Lisa led a group of 32 volunteers to install a 35-foot Circle of Peace. The labyrinth was ready to go in under six hours. Many thanks to Lisa and all the volunteers!

The next special event will be Mass on the Grass on July 17, 11 a.m. - A Homecoming Tent Event. Friar Fr. Richard Kaley,  pastor of St. Bonaventure parish in Bloomington, MN, will be the principal celebrant. Following Mass is a summer open house featuring returning friars, directors, employees, retreatants and friends of the retreat center. The event includes chicken dinner, family activities, tours of the retreat center, live music, face painting, bounce house and more. Friar John Bamman will be teaching participants of all ages how to make Catholic paracord survival bracelets. The retreat center will be open for tours and viewing of historical displays or just for relaxing and strolling the grounds. No registration required. For more information about this and other events please visit www.franciscanretreats.net

 
Mount St. Francis Center for Spirituality continues its celebration of 40 Years of Retreat Ministry with MountFest - a celebration of Kentuckiana, on June 4, 2-8 p.m.  This event will feature live music, local artists, food and drink. The celebration will continue July 9th with a 'Live the Fourth' event - Rekindle the Fire of your High School Retreat at the Mount. Homecoming at the Mount, October 1, will include hayrides, campfires, cookouts and family fun. For more information about these events please visit www.mountsaintfrancis.org.

May 25th, Our Lady of Consolation Feast Day -

The title of Our Lady of Consolation, or Mary, Consoler of the Afflicted, comes from the Latin Consolatrix Afflictorum and is the title by which the Blessed Virgin Mary is venerated in Luxembourg.  In 1875, a replica of the statue of Our Lady of Consolation in Luxembourg City was brought to Carey, Ohio, and the miraculous procession on May 24 of that year marks the origins of the Basilica and National Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation.  Countless pilgrims have visited the shrine since then and have experienced healing and consolation in many ways.

Conventual Franciscan Friars have been the guardians and ministers of the Shrine since 1912 and for that reason the name of Our Lady of Consolation was chosen for our province.

Many blessings to you on this Feast day.

The statue of Our Lady of Consolation in 1875.

Fr. Jim Kent offering your petitions and placing them at the Tomb of St. Francis in Assisi.

I felt quite honored and humbled to take your petitions with me to Italy.  And to bring your many needs to the Basilica of  St. Francis in Assisi and the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua was a double-blessing beyond measure.  I celebrated Mass at both these sacred sites, and placed your petitions at the tomb of these two holy saints.  I was also aided by two other friars, Fr. Steve McMichael and Fr. Wayne Hellmann, who helped me carry these petitions in our hands and in our hearts.  All who participated in these holy liturgies were touched by the solemnity of the moment.  There seemed to be no better time to present your requests for healing and hope as during this Year of Mercy. 

May our loving and merciful God bless you with peace!

Fr. Wayne Hellmann

Fr. Steve McMichael

Our Conventual Franciscan novices began their journey west today. They were sad to say goodbye to the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, who have supported for many years the Novitiate in Mishawaka, Indiana, with their friendship and prayers. They honored the Sisters with a farewell celebration on May 26.

The Novices were busy packing last week. After beginning their drive today (June 15) they expect to be at the new novitiate in California by Saturday, June 19. 

Please keep all our men in formation in your prayers.