It’s the kind of testimonial often heard by Sandy Sieben, vice president for operations at the Franciscan Friars Club of Cincinnati for the past four years.   

“I played here. My son played here. And I want my grandson to play here,” said one grandpa bringing a child to enroll in the Friars Club program, which offers basketball, baseball and martial arts, along with a variety of sports programs and education to urban youth.  

Sometimes Friars Club alumni will come by. One, with a good job, a successful life, married and with children, noted, “I have to be honest. I didn’t have a lot of family and strong support growing up. Without the Friars Club, I would have ended up on the street or in jail.”   

Every year, more than 1,000 young people enter the doors of the facility, located in the St. Bernard neighborhood. Volunteer coaches and counselors, along with four full-time staffers and two part-timers, are there to guide them.  

Programs include a popular day camp. Sports are not the only emphasis. A Catholic Inner-City Scholars Education Program brings together 300 students from urban Catholic schools for after-school educational enrichment.   

The place bustles with activities, including a Dribblers Academy for four-year-old aspiring hoopsters and the Ron Walker Youth Sports program for older students in basketball, volleyball and baseball.   

A Leadership program trains high school student volunteers to coach grade-schoolers.  

“The cool thing is that we are from all over. You don’t have to live in a certain zip code,” said Sandy. Programs are geared to promoting sportsmanship and good behavior as much as winning skills.  

“The skills they learn on the court are life skills to be used away from the court as well,” she said, noting the focus is on what she describes as “the Franciscan way.”   

A team huddles up at the Friars Club court. Basketball is just one offering for youth enrichment in this Franciscan program. (Photo courtesy of Friars Club Cincinnati)

A proud history 

The Friars Club remains a Franciscan ministry, formerly of the St. John the Baptist Province based in Cincinnati. Now, it's part of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The organization's board includes Cincinnati community leaders and three Franciscans.  

A congenial atmosphere pervades. No swearing is allowed. Players learn to treat each other with respect, a quality lacking in some youth leagues. Still, the Friars Club boasts alumni who played basketball at Division I schools and the NBA.  

There’s been several changes to the program, including new facilities, relocations, and the emergence of lay leadership under the direction of President Annie Timmons.  

The Friars Club began 164 years ago when friars devoted themselves to providing an after-school outlet for the children of German immigrants who crowded into Cincinnati. It began in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood and moved to a new facility during the Great Depression. 

German immigrants are now rare in Cincinnati, but new generations replenish the program.  

Participants now come from all over the city, its suburbs, and nearby areas of Kentucky and Indiana. Scholarships help defray the costs for those who cannot afford to go.  

At one time, the Friars Club included services for dependent youth, homeless families, and community empowerment programs. Now its focus is on sports and education for youth, particularly for younger children.  

The Friars Club opened a facility next to the Franciscan-founded Roger Bacon High School in the St. Bernard neighborhood in 2014. Funding came from the Province and a facilities steering committee project that called for community support.  

Big Smiles on Junior Dribblers: At the Friars Club, outstanding junior and high school students can volunteer to coach and mentor more than Jr. Dribblers K-2nd grade. The coaches get the training, and the kids score the points—and the cupcakes! (Photo courtesy of Friars Club Cincinnati)

Register for summer camp! 

Just in time for summer, registration for the Friars Club Summer Camp is open!  

The Friars Club Summer Day Camp runs June and July from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The program lasts eight weeks and includes academics, athletics and enrichment activities. Each day, campers get breakfast, a snack and a hot lunch. Activities include swimming lessons and swimming, golf lessons and golfing, chess, field trips and more!  

To learn more about the Friars Club Summer Day Camp, visit https://www.friarsclubinc.org/summer-program/  

For more information about the Friars Club, call 513-488-8777, email info@friarsclubinc.org or visit them online at www.friarsclubinc.org.   

This story appeared in The Franciscan Way, a publication of Franciscan Friars Charities.  

In a powerful act of unity and remembrance, Br. Jose Luis Peralta, OFM, and three postulants joined a group of 40 participants for the weeklong Migrant Trail Walk in May. 

They traveled along the sun-scorched borderlands, bearing witness to lives lost and many missing along the U.S.-Mexico border – not only to raise awareness, but also to honor every name and narrative that might be forgotten. 

Carlos Velazquez Estrada, Kevin Fox and Francis Llamas joined Br. Jose in a 75-mile trek from Sasabe, Mexico, to Tucson, Arizona, carrying crosses with names of the deceased or missing. The group is the latest to represent the Province of our Lady of Guadalupe. 

The walkers, diverse culturally and spiritually, included people from all over the United States and Mexico. They walk for those who did not make it across the border and pray for those who might attempt the journey in the future. 

According to KOLD-13 News, over 8,000 people have died at the border since the 1990s, with 4,376 remains found in Arizona. In 2024, officials in Pima County discovered 154. 

Kevin wrote about the experience on his blog, Kevin’s Corner.  

In it, he wrote “Not everyone on the walk was a practicing Christian, and ... not everyone reading this reflection will agree on immigration policy. However, I hope all that read my reflections do have the care for human life.” 

Participants in the Migrant Trail Walk gather along the wall separating the United States and Mexico. Postulant Francis Llamas said that he walked to better understand the experience of migrants. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Fox)

‘Eye opening’ experience 

Kevin called the walk “one of the most emotionally, physically and spiritually powerful weeks” of his life, and expressed hope friars would continue to participate. 

“The Franciscan presence proved fruitful to me in my early stages of discernment because it is exactly where I hope the province will be, on the margins with those who are most vulnerable,” he said.  

The walk was “eye opening” for Francis. 

“I walked to experience what the migrants have gone through with a more visceral feeling,” he said. “To understand the plight of the migrants and to realize that they make this trek because they seek a better life, not just for themselves, but for their families.” 

He envisions a world where nations will welcome migrants with care and compassion. 

“We believers are to love one another, so let us press forward toward the mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus, as Paul encourages us to do in his letter to the Philippians,” he said. 

Walkers covered 75 miles in the sometimes harsh conditions migrants often encounter as they try to enter the United States. “The Gospel compels us to respond to the needs of the poor, marginalized (including women) and vulnerable persons, and our common home,” reads Priority 2 of the concrete initiatives the province adopted after the synodal meetings in January. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Fox)

Synodal emphasis 

Participation and support of events such as the Migrant Trail Walk aligns with Priority 2 of the concrete initiatives the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe adopted following the synodal meetings in Kansas City in January. It reads: 

“The Gospel compels us to respond to the needs of the poor, marginalized (including women), and vulnerable persons, and our common home.” 

It also highlights Priority 7, which says: 

“In light of the Gospel, we will read the signs of the times and respond with creativity and hope to the reality we encounter.” 

As a friar Air Force chaplain, Br. Bob Bruno, OFM, blended Franciscan spirituality with the demands of the military in a dynamic ministry of care, faith and adventure. 

In 34 years, Br. Bob moved 15 times, serving in extreme climates from the intense heat of Nellis Air Base in Nevada to the frigid Arctic Circle at Greenland’s Thule Air Base. His distinguished record includes work at the Pentagon and Ramstein Air Base in Germany. 

He met two presidents and worked for two Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He flew shotgun in an F-16 fighter three times and jumped out of a perfectly good airplane five times to earn his jump wings. 

Now retired from active duty, he serves as auxiliary Catholic chaplain in Hampton Roads, Virginia at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Fort Eustis Army Base in Yorktown and Navy Base (NAVSTA) in Norfolk.  

Throughout his ministry, he has literally served God and country.  

“It was the people, most importantly, the young men and women in service to America and their families, trying to live their faith for themselves and their children” that meant the most to me, Br. Bob said. 

Br. Bob Bruno, OFM, rides in an armored Humvee in Iraq. (Photo courtesy of Br. Bob Bruno, OFM)

Franciscan ‘lifer’ takes flight 

Br. Bob joined the Franciscans’ high school seminary in his teens, professed his solemn vows as a Franciscan friar on June 30, 1973, and was ordained in 1977, just as the Apple II computer launched and Silver Slew won horse racing’s Triple Crown. 

Inspired by another friar chaplain, Br. Bob pursued military chaplaincy to minister to young service members and experience flying.

He recalls being fascinated as a child by a tour of the former Griffiss Air Force Base in New York, where his uncle worked as a jet engine mechanic.  

At 64, Br. Bob retired from his final active post at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He was set to minister as an auxiliary chaplain in “God’s Country,” as he calls Colorado, when he got a call about the sudden death of a civilian priest at Joint Base Langley–Eustis in Virginia.  

They asked if he could come out. 

"I didn't want to leave Colorado," he said. "Four seasons, low humidity, the Rocky Mountains, and no mosquitos or cockroaches. But I prayed to the Lord and said, 'I want to be where you need me to be.’” 

After holding that position for five years, he retired again. Today, he helps at military bases that serve all branches, including the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, and Space Force. “It’s a good place for me to be now,” said Br. Bob. 

Br. Bob Bruno, OFM, with Technical Sergeant James, USAF, who served as his enlisted teammate while deployed to Ali al Salem Air Base, Kuwait. The pair supervised the transfer of mission of the port mortuary (center for battlefield fatalities) in Kuwait City from the U.S. Marine Corps to the U.S. Air Force. (Photo courtesy of Br. Bob)

Leading with the Franciscan spirit 

Leadership is a mainstay in Br. Bob’s service, whether in friars’ habit or Air Force service dress uniform. That's how it goes for a man who served as a Provincial Councilor and as Wing Chaplain at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. 

“As Command Chaplain for Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Illinois, I had pastoral visitation responsibilities covering 21 bases in the U.S. and overseas,” Br. Bob said.   

His fair and kind demeanor as a friar shaped his military career. As a colonel, he managed a staff of 50 at the academy, providing needed resources and support. 

“People can fear that rank unless you de-claw it,” he said. He would tell his staff: “If you can’t get something – training, personnel, funds – in the chain of command, please come see me.”  

Br. Bob motions to the silver eagle insignias that would be on his uniform, marking him as a field-grade officer. “I can fly these eagles to get us past the hurdles of bureaucracy. I didn’t want the team to be afraid to ask.”   

His staff understood the balance between military authority and Franciscan kindness. One night, as cadets left a meeting while Br. Bob worked in his office, they tapped on the window. When he turned around, he saw all 23 of them posing humorously for him. 

“A Kodak moment,” Br. Bob remembers with a smile. “I’ll never forget that.” 

Br. Bob Bruno, OFM, seated to the right of the rock, with The Chaplain Corps Team (386th Air Base Wing, Kuwait). This version is not a formal pose, a testament to the team’s comfort level in his presence. (Photo courtesy of Br. Bob)

Chaplain knows his audience 

Both friar life and military life are filled with changing assignments and connecting with people. Like delivering a homily, he must know his audience when he speaks. 

In the chapel audience, “we have Airmen from an array of career fields,” Br. Bob said. “That makes it exciting and rich. You have to know your ground to stand your ground, but you also have to know when to go with the flow.  

“You have to be able to relate to young people. These guys are sharp and at the top of their game. You gotta be at the top of your game, or you will lose them. Not once, but for good.” 

Br. Bob, influenced by tradition, is one of the latest Franciscan military chaplains. Some young personnel seek him out, curious whether such a dual role is for them, too. 

“They might say, ‘he wears a habit. He wore an Air Force uniform. This guy had a pretty exciting life,'” Br. Bob said. “That sounds appealing to them. So, we dialogue.” 

Br. Earl (Robert) Benz, OFM, 95, peacefully passed away on June 26, 2025, at Blessed Giles Friary in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. He spent most of his 66 years as a Franciscan friar caring for his brothers and working as a carpenter. 

A memorial service for Br. Earl will be held in the chapel of Blessed Giles Friary, 1820 Grand Avenue, Manitowoc, WI 54220 at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 2. His cremains will be taken to Quincy, Illinois, for a final Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 5, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 2223 St. Anthony Road, Quincy, IL 62305, followed by the interment of his cremains in the Frank H. Benz plot in the parish cemetery. 

Br. Earl was born to Francis and Mary (née Wolf) Benz on Nov. 14, 1929, in Quincy, Illinois, and received the sacraments at Quincy’s St. Anthony of Padua Church, where he met the friars. He became a tertiary brother on May 17, 1955, in Westmont, Illinois, and was received into the Order of Friars Minor on June 21, 1958, at the novitiate in Teutopolis, Illinois, professing first vows on June 22, 1959.  

He lived at Our Lady of the Angels Friary in Cleveland, Ohio, for one year before moving to St. Paschal’s Brothers School in Oak Brook, Illinois, where he worked as a carpenter, creating the staircase in the entry hall, the doors and much of the wooden furniture. Br. Earl professed solemn vows on June 22, 1962, in Cleveland, Ohio, and continued serving at St. Paschal’s in Oak Brook until 1992. During that time, he was also the friary’s vicar (1978 to 1981 and 1987) and guardian (1981 to 1986, 1988 to 1992), providing fraternal care to the brothers.  

In 1992, he became administrator of St. Francis Village, a faith-based retirement community in Crowley, Texas, and vicar of the friary. He worked there for five years before returning to Illinois in 1997 to work in maintenance at St. Gratian Friary in Countryside. 

Two years later, he moved to Our Lady of Angels Friary in Sherman, Illinois, where he was vicar and assistant caretaker of the community of retired friars and helped shepherd them through their move to Springfield, Illinois, in 2001. After many years of service to the retired friars, Br. Earl retired himself in 2018, settling at Blessed Giles Friary in Manitowoc, where he lived until his death. 

Br. Earl is survived by a nephew, Charles Benz, his wife, Christi, and their four children,  Samantha, Jessica (Taylor) Brown, Max and Alexandra; a niece, Geri Ann Black, and her two sons, Kris and Zach (Ally) Weaver and her husband, Trenton; two great great nephews, Wyatt and Eli Brown, as well as other relatives and his brother friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

With gratitude in his heart and tears in his eyes, Br. Manuel Mendoza, OFM, professed his solemn vows as a Franciscan friar of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe on June 23 at Mission San Jose Church in San Antonio, Texas. Provincial Minister Br. Lawrence Hayes, OFM, presided at the Mass, and many other brothers were present to share Br. Manuel’s joy.  

“I just feel so wonderful right now and very thankful,” Br. Manuel said. “When Br. Larry was asking me questions during my solemn vows, it was very touching for me. When I answered ‘yes’ to his questions, it made me cry.”  

Provincial Minister Br. Larry Hayes, OFM, receives the vows of Br. Manuel Mendoza, OFM (Photo by Br. Jose Luis Peralta, OFM)

The culmination of a journey 

Br. Manuel’s path to the Franciscans illustrates that God’s timing doesn’t necessarily coincide with ours. Originally from Santa Cruz, Oaxaca, Mexico (about 300 miles southeast of Mexico City), Br. Manuel recalls that at 12 years old, he wanted to become a missionary, to live a life of spirituality and service to others. At the time, though, he needed to finish high school, so those plans didn’t come to fruition.  

He met the Franciscans in Querétaro, Mexico, while searching for a spiritual director and was invited to explore friar life. Br. Manuel joined the province in Michoacán in 2014, before eventually moving to the United States, where he studied philosophy and theology at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.  

He was drawn to the Franciscans, said Br. Manuel, due to their public witness and example. “It was interesting for me in Mexico to see so many friars wearing their habit. I wanted to be like them – a person of service and prayer who loves others and helps them be closer to God.”  

Br. Manuel also relates to the Franciscans’ founder on a very personal level. Like St. Francis of Assisi, who faced his father’s wrath when he renounced his wealth to embrace a life of poverty, Br. Manuel’s decision to join the friars caused conflict between father and son.  

“My father was angry with me because my parents are indigenous people and have different traditions,” he said, noting that St. Francis’ experience, deep prayer life and relationship with God strengthened and inspired him on his faith journey.  

In San Antonio, Br. Manuel has shared his faith and Franciscan spirit in a variety of ways: ministering in charismatic renewal, teaching catechism and ACTS – Adoration, Community, Theology and Service, a project that strives to deepen parishioners’ relationships with God and others through conversations and activities during retreats. 

Br. Manuel Mendoza, OFM, poses for a picture. (Photo by Br. Jose Luis Peralta, OFM)

For God and neighbor  

During his homily at Br. Manuel’s solemn profession liturgy, Br. Larry reminded those gathered that “Our gift of self to God will be transformed by the Spirit and our gifts strengthened as we exercise them out of love of God and neighbor. Ultimately, it’s not about us. Rather, it’s about what God can do with, in and through us.”  

To Br. Manuel, he said, “In few minutes, you will make God’s heart sing for joy as you declare your resolve, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to spend your whole life generously in the love of your brothers and in service of the people of God. Thank you for your commitment. Thank you for the gift you are to the Order and to the Church. May God bless you most abundantly and make you a blessing to countless others.”  

Following the liturgy, Br. Manuel was overcome with joy. “Right now, I don’t have many words,” he said. “I’m just very happy because of my solemn vows.”  

For now, Br. Manuel will remain in San Antonio, but will be moving to live with a group of friars in Tijuana, Mexico, soon. He anticipates spending a year there, and while unsure what his ministry will be, he trusts in God’s guidance and his brothers’ love. 

"Existes de verdad donde amas, no solo donde vives". Esta profunda reflexión extraída del sermón dominical de Buenaventura capta la esencia de la visión espiritual de Francisco de Asís. Francisco concentró todo su ser en un único amor a Dios. A través de este amor, Francisco descubrió la abundancia en todas las manifestaciones de la vida. En lugar de perseguir la riqueza material o las posesiones, se sumergió en el desbordamiento del amor divino, reconociendo la bondad de Dios en cada hoja, árbol y persona humana. El descubrimiento revolucionario de Francisco fue sencillo, pero transformador: solo el amor cura y devuelve la integridad. 

Nuestro mundo contemporáneo se parece poco al de Francisco. Mientras hemos acumulado conocimientos y bienes materiales sin precedentes, nos hemos convertido tal vez en la especie más solitaria sobre la Tierra. Experimentamos la división tanto entre nosotros como dentro de nosotros. Se ha degradado el amor a un mero sentimiento, despojado de significado genuino en nuestro léxico cultural. Esta disminución tiene consecuencias graves: sin amor, la vida se marchita. 

¿Cómo hemos llegado a estar tan desconectados: de los demás, de nosotros mismos y, más profundamente, del mundo natural? ¿Cómo perdimos nuestro encanto por la creación? Este distanciamiento narra la historia de la civilización occidental, que abarca el retiro la religión de la vida secular y la especialización y la compartimentación extremas del conocimiento. Habitamos un planeta cuyos recursos se enfrentan al agotamiento por el consumo excesivo y la indiferencia global. Los académicos calculan que si la humanidad entera viviera como los estadounidenses, se necesitarían cerca de seis planetas para poder sostenernos. 

En su histórico artículo de 1966 The Historical Roots of Our Ecological Crisis (Las raíces históricas de nuestra crisis ecológica), el historiador Lynn White razonó que nuestro predicamento medioambiental es fundamentalmente religioso. En concreto, criticó el enfoque extraterrenal y el antropocentrismo del cristianismo. Puesto que, en gran medida, nuestros problemas se originan en fundamentos religiosos, sostenía White, la solución también debe ser de naturaleza religiosa. Debemos reimaginar nuestra relación con la naturaleza y nuestro destino. En particular, White reconoció a Francisco de Asís como un santo patrono de la ecología. 

De forma acertada, el papa Francisco caracteriza nuestra situación actual como una "policrisis": varias capas de disfunción a través de distintos niveles de la existencia.  

Tomando inspiración en el Cántico de las criaturas de Francisco de Asís, el papa subraya que nuestros desafíos requieren más que soluciones superficiales. Llama a los fieles a evaluar sus estilos de vida y pautas de consumo, a reconocer cómo la tecnología aplana nuestra cognición y a reorientar nuestras vidas hacia la red más amplia de relaciones no humanas. En esencia, el papa Francisco nos urge a volver a la naturaleza. La dificultad, sin embargo, es que hemos olvidado cómo reconectarnos con el mundo natural y lo que esa reconexión podría significar para el futuro de la humanidad. 

La naturaleza abarca una vasta red de interacciones intrincadas que incluyen a la física, la biología, la química y la ecología. Nuestros encuentros con la naturaleza (un paseo por el bosque, el ritmo de las olas en la orilla o la simple maravilla de las floraciones primaverales junto a nuestra ventana) nos ofrecen una reconexión momentánea. Sin embargo, estas experiencias resultan cada vez más efímeras a medida que las notificaciones digitales interrumpen nuestra atención y la información inunda nuestras mentes abrumadas desde una cantidad incontable de fuentes. Hemos cultivado una cultura del agobio perpetuo, incapaz de aflojar su agarre a medida que cambiamos el mundo natural por los reinos virtuales. 

La sabiduría de Buenaventura resuena a través de los siglos: "La falta de autoconocimiento provoca un conocimiento defectuoso en todos los demás asuntos". Esta visión habla profundamente de nuestra condición contemporánea, no solo a nivel individual, sino a través de las dimensiones interconectadas de la existencia biológica y cósmica. En gran medida, seguimos ignorando nuestros orígenes cósmicos y la profunda narrativa evolutiva de la aparición humana.  

El papa Francisco subraya la necesidad urgente de integrar la ciencia y la teología "para evitar permanecer inmóviles, anclados en nuestras certezas, hábitos y miedos". San Juan Pablo II, en su carta de 1988 al astrónomo Fr. George Coyne, SJ, concibió esta integración como mutuamente enriquecedora: "La ciencia puede purificar a la religión del error y la superstición; la religión puede purificar a la ciencia de la idolatría y los falsos absolutos. Cada uno puede atraer al otro a un mundo más amplio, un mundo en el que ambos puedan florecer". Ambos pontífices reconocieron al científico jesuita Pierre Teilhard de Chardin como un visionario que alumbró nuevas posibilidades para entender al cristianismo junto a la evolución. 

Como científico, Teilhard comprendió el alcance temporal inmenso de la existencia cósmica. El consenso científico contemporáneo sitúa la edad del universo en unos 13,800 millones de años, y la vida terrestre surgió hace unos 3,700 millones de años. Nuestra especie, el Homo sapiens, se originó en África hace apenas 140,000 años. Al observar cómo el universo sufría colisiones cósmicas masivas mientras la Tierra era testigo de cinco extinciones importantes, Teilhard propuso un principio regente de integridad en el proceso de desarrollo de la vida: Omega, una presencia de amor energético. Describió la materia como "bifacial", que posee tanto una dimensión interior de conciencia como un aspecto exterior de atracción. Esta doble naturaleza permite a la materia organizarse continuamente en formas cada vez más complejas y conscientes. 

Teilhard reconoció su conexión fundamental con la Tierra: existía en el planeta y existía de este. Sostuvo que cualquiera que experimenta esta relación profunda debe vivir de forma incondicional en unión con la totalidad del mundo. Escribió con reverencia sobre la "materia sagrada", a la que describió como "el medio divino, cargado de poder creador". Al igual que Francisco de Asís, Teilhard rechazaba la noción de la materia como caída o profana. Por el contrario, comprendió que entramos en el mundo mediante la materia, y el mundo entra en nosotros. La materia se vuelve el lugar de lo Absoluto. "La verdad es", confesó, "que, incluso en la cima de mi trayectoria espiritual, nunca llegué a sentirme en casa a menos que estuviera inmerso en un Océano de Materia". Teilhard descubrió una presencia divina vital: no un Dios que solo reviste al mundo de poder, sino un Dios intrínseco al devenir del mundo. Dios y la materia forman una relación inseparable: "Veo en el mundo un producto misterioso de realización y plenitud para el propio Ser Absoluto". De acuerdo a Teilhard, no nos acercamos a Dios de forma directa, sino mediante nuestra participación con la materia. "La materia nos pone en contacto con las energías de la tierra y junto con ella nos encontramos mirando al 'Dios Desconocido' que está por venir". Francisco de Asís compartía esta perspectiva. Como observó Buenaventura: "En las cosas bellas, Francisco contemplaba la Belleza misma, y de todas y cada una de las cosas hacía una escalera por la que podía subir y abrazar a su Amado". 

Teilhard de Chardin reconoció a la evolución humana como un componente integral de los procesos creativos y generativos de la naturaleza. Existimos incrustados en incontables capas de vida energética, que surgen del cosmos al tiempo que constituyen su dimensión pensante. Para Teilhard, la reflexión representa "el poder adquirido por una conciencia de replegarse sobre sí misma, de tomar posesión de sí misma como objeto... ya no solo para saber, sino para saber que se sabe". Haciéndose eco de Julian Huxley, entendía a la persona humana como "nada más que la evolución hecha consciente de sí misma". Este reconocimiento (que la humanidad participa en un vasto proceso de desarrollo que abarca marcos temporales inmensos) transforma nuestros conocimientos y creencias de forma fundamental, incluso nuestras concepciones de Dios, el misterio de Cristo y el significado de la salvación y la redención. 

La tradición franciscana debe comprometerse con la ciencia moderna no solo porque el papa Francisco ha llamado a la reconciliación entre la Iglesia y la investigación científica, sino porque la comprensión científica constituye un elemento significativo de nuestro legado intelectual. Keith Warner, OFM, ha trabajado para construir puentes entre la tradición intelectual franciscana y la ciencia, destacando la obra del fraile Roger Bacon, entre otros. Dentro de la cosmovisión franciscana, el estudio de la naturaleza nutre la sabiduría, el conocimiento profundizado mediante el amor. El enfoque Franciscano de la investigación científica puede resumirse como la búsqueda del conocimiento en nombre del amor.  

¿Qué aspectos de la ciencia contemporánea podrían alumbrar la contribución del carisma Franciscano a nuestro mundo en crisis? Surgen tres puntos esenciales: 

1. La apertura al cambio y la complejidad se manifiestan a través de niveles superiores de conciencia y estructuras de relación en evolución. Vivir con un espíritu evolutivo significa soltar lo que sirvió su propósito y adoptar nuevos marcos relacionales cuando el momento llama a la transformación. 
2. Desarrollar una conciencia del holismo y de los sistemas vivos, al tiempo que se reconoce la unidad fundamental de la vida cósmica. Como observó el físico David Bohm, "como seres humanos y sociedades parecemos separados, pero en nuestras raíces formamos parte de un todo indivisible y compartimos el mismo proceso cósmico". 
3. Aceptar la evolución como la narrativa de la vida emergente. Si la evolución no proporciona un hilo conductor, carecemos de una estructura narrativa coherente y experimentamos crisis mitológicas. Thomas Berry identificó esta necesidad cuando escribió lo siguiente: "La razón de la aversión a la historia de un universo emergente es que la historia se ha contado por lo general simplemente como un proceso físico aleatorio, cuando en realidad necesita ser contada tanto como un proceso psíquico-espiritual así como físico-mental desde el principio". 

Para Teilhard, ir en busca de Dios significa unirse al poder de la materia de forma creativa; ser tocado, cuidado y amado por la materia misma. Como Francisco de Asís, se nos invita no solo a pensar en Dios, sino a experimentar la presencia divina. No debemos simplemente descansar en la naturaleza, sino unirnos con ella, convirtiéndonos en algo más profundo mediante esta unión: una naturaleza más consciente, más intensamente amorosa, más ella misma. Como escribe San Pablo: "Porque sabemos que todas las criaturas gimen a una, y a una están de parto hasta ahora" (Rom 8:22). Teilhard reconoció que, a lo largo de las eras,  la vida ha construido estructuras cada vez más complejas. Somos una de sus manifestaciones complejas, participantes esenciales en la red siempre vital de la vida continua. 

Es nuestra vocación seguir construyendo la Tierra en armonía con el viaje evolutivo de la vida que abarca miles de millones de años. Dios busca emerger en una luz y pensamiento mayores mediante este magnífico proceso de la existencia interdependiente. Como nos recuerda Teilhard de Chardin, no nos acercamos a Dios de forma directa, sino que nos encontramos con lo divino mediante la tierra y con ella. Es nuestro planeta el que proporciona la energía esencial que permite nuestro viaje hacia Dios. Así pues, debemos cultivar la conciencia de que la energía divina impregna todas las facetas de la creación: desde los humildes granos de arena hasta las montañas majestuosas y los árboles imponentes, dentro de cada hoja y de las venas intrincadas que enhebran cada hoja de cada árbol. Como observó profundamente Ángela de Foligno: "Toda la creación está encinta de Dios". 

Nuestra relación con la creación trasciende la mera administración. Estamos llamados a sumergirnos por completo en la creación, en la dimensión psíquicoespiritual de la naturaleza, acogiendo la materia-naturaleza en nuestro propio ser hasta que se disuelva la frontera entre los mundos interior y exterior. El mundo exterior habita dentro de nosotros, mientras que nuestro mundo interior se extiende hacia el exterior. Para conocernos de verdad es necesario trascender nuestra autopercepción limitada. Encarnamos el mundo en su devenir. Junto con todos los seres interconectados (los hongos, las bacterias, los árboles, los micelios, las lombrices de tierra, las abejas, los carboneros), todas las criaturas grandes y pequeñas, tocamos y experimentamos al Dios oculto del amor. Descuidar esta comunión íntima es abandonar el carisma del Poverello, San Francisco, y sufrir las consecuencias de un planeta moribundo. 

Concluyo con las convincentes palabras de Buenaventura: 

Por lo tanto, cualquier persona que no esté iluminada por ese gran esplendor en las cosas creadas, está ciega. Cualquiera que no se despierte ante estos grandes gritos, está sordo. Cualquiera que no se deje llevar por tales efectos para alabar a Dios, es mudo. Cualquiera que no se vuelva hacia el Primer Principio como resultado de tales signos, es un tonto. Por tanto, abran los ojos; alerten los oídos espirituales; desaten sus labios, y dediquen el corazón, para que en todas las criaturas puedan ver, oír, alabar, amar, y adorar, magnificar y honrar a su Dios, no sea que el mundo entero se levante contra ustedes. 

-Buenaventura, Itinerarium mentis in Deum, 1.15 

Padua Franciscan High School in Parma, Ohio, launched a $16 million capital campaign, Achieving Excellence, on May 27. The goal is to construct a new athletic center and transform the current gymnasium into a dedicated performing arts center. The campaign is the largest since the school was founded by the Franciscan friars in 1961. 

The 29,000-square-foot athletic facility will include a 14,000-square-foot gymnasium space that provides two full-size courts for practice and tournament competitions and room for 1,300 spectators. The additional 15,000-square-foot space will include a grand concourse entrance, complete with a ticket booth, lavatory facilities, a Bruin Shop kiosk and a concession stand for both stadium and gym venues.  

During the second phase of construction, the current gym will be renovated into a performing arts center for both vocal and instrumental instruction, performances, and theatrical productions. The front of the facility will house a new vocal classroom and a new band room.  

The 1,500-square-foot vocal classroom will include an expanded Fine Arts office, storage areas, and a ticket booth and concession space. The 2,500-square-foot band room will include a director’s office, new individual practice rooms and instrumental storage. Utilizing state-of-the-art acoustical design, the tiered 295-seat auditorium would include the expansion of the wings of the main stage, as well as an extended front stage.  

Padua President Dave Stec ’86 made the announcement in Padua’s Gym at the campaign kickoff event that also honored Padua’s campaign contributors and leadership volunteers. 

“We are very excited about this future vision for Padua, especially as it will add a new building to our campus for the first time in the school’s history. The initiatives supported in this effort will drive Padua forward and keeps us at the forefront of providing an outstanding Franciscan educational experience,” he said. 

Every morning, more than 600 students pour into the courtyard at The Franciscan School in Raleigh, North Carolina, creating a joyful noise as the school day begins. 

And then one by one, they fall silent.  

In a busy, buzzing world, these young people quiet their minds and their hearts and spend a few minutes drawing close to Jesus as one of their peers leads their community in morning prayer.  

After prayer, they pass by a statue of St. Francis with the Wolf of Gubbio and head into one of seven buildings named for Franciscan saints. The kindergarteners learn to recite St. Francis’s “Prayer Before the Cross” while the eighth graders put Catholic Social Teaching into action through service.  

This year, The Franciscan School celebrated its 25th anniversary of educating children in the spirit of St. Francis. The K-8 school, one of the largest Catholic elementary schools in the Eastern United States, is a beacon of Franciscan community.  

The Franciscan friars haven’t had an active presence at The Franciscan School since 2020, when the legacy Holy Name Province returned care of its parish, St. Francis of Assisi, to the diocese due to a declining number of friars available for ministry.  

Having been formed in Franciscan values, the laity proudly carry on the Franciscan tradition, wrapping these students in Franciscan wisdom before sending them forth to make the world a better place.  

Br. James Sabak, OFM, introduces students to a TFS tradition – rubbing the nose of the statute of the Wolf of Gubbio for good luck. (Photo courtesy of Laureen Wacenske)

Sharing the goodness of God 

The idea for The Franciscan School came from the people, says Br. Daniel Kenna, OFM, who was pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish when the school was founded. A diocesan survey indicated a desire for a Catholic school, so Br. Daniel and a team of committees set out to establish an educational community that would shape the hearts and minds of students and parents alike. 

“St. Francis of Assisi Parish had a reputation of being a place of welcome to all,” said Br. Dan. “It was rooted in the Franciscan spirit: the goodness of God and therefore the goodness of the human person and the goodness of creation. All of the Franciscan values that were celebrated in the parish were now to be incorporated into the curriculum.” 

From the very beginning, the school has integrated the Church’s social justice teachings through in-classroom learning and community service. “Students aren’t just donating a can of vegetables once a year for the poor,” said Br. Daniel. “There are monthly experiences of working with the poor and marginalized.” 

The Franciscan School welcomes students of all faith backgrounds and has committed to providing as affordable an education as possible. Ten percent of every parish collection is set aside for tuition assistance. 

5th graders spread dirt from their homes around the newly planted Trident Maple Tree, part of the 25th anniversary celebrations. (Photo courtesy of Laureen Wacenske)

Shaping students for a lifetime of service 

The Franciscan School reminds its students that their lives are built for service and encourages them to care for one another. 

“At The Franciscan School, the necessary elements of elementary education are not just taught, but folded into the context of the Franciscan tradition,” said Br. James Sabak, OFM, who works for the Diocese of Raleigh and remains a member of The Franciscan School community. “How do we define the presence of God in all that we study and teach children to recognize where there is God active in the world? That makes Catholic education relevant to time and place in society.  

“We are not a holy bubble that you run to when things get tough. We are meant to face the world and say, ‘Here is where God is speaking to us.’” 

One of The Franciscan School’s greatest gifts is its community, says principal Dawn Smith. Parents and grandparents join the students for daily prayer and acts of service. Alumni come back to visit and some to work – 13 alumni have returned to serve on the school’s staff. 

“We have such incredible involvement from our families,” she said. “No matter the service that we are engaging in, there’s such an incredible energy that bonds us not only to each other, but to the greater community.” 

It was that sense of community that attracted K-5 counselor Laureen Wacenske and her family to the school – Laureen as one of the first staff members and her son as a member of its first kindergarten class.  

“My son purposefully chose a profession in service and continues to not only enrich himself in his career, but also in service to the community,” she said. “Our graduates will frequently come back and thank The Franciscan School for sharing these values and the faith. Walking the talk has greatly impacted the choices they’ve made in their lives, and what they are giving back to society is incredible.” 

Twenty five years later, Br. Dan looks back with gratitude on the work the friars did to integrate Franciscan values into the parish and school community.  

“The spirit that we established there in the beginning as Franciscans came to fruition and continues to be in fruition there,” he said. “My belief was that if there ever came a day when the brown robes left St. Francis, the spirit of Francis would live there for generations to come. That came true.” 

The Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe are a voice for the voiceless and stand in solidarity with the poor, the immigrant, and the marginalized. As millions of people exercised their First Amendment right to peacefully assemble on Saturday, June 14, friars brought a Franciscan call for justice and peace, as well as a ministry of presence, to the gatherings. Below, two friars share their experiences in Atlanta and New York City. 

Santo Vangelo Friary takes Gospel to the streets 

By Provincial Vicar Br. Mark Soehner, OFM 

Whenever and wherever we encounter the Lord, our lives open up and we begin to glimpse alternatives. The real experience of the Risen Lord stirs new life in us, sometimes coaxing comfort or, at other times, offering challenging prods to explore new ways for our personal lives and to re-examine how we are conducting ourselves in our wider society.   

Our own fraternity of Santo Vangelo in Atlanta has been dutifully watching the evening news as of late and we consistently come away deeply troubled and disturbed. We daily see the violence inflicted on people who are immigrants in our country. We have watched the effects of the withdrawal of humanitarian funding for the poorest: people in other countries who are literally starving, including infants needing formula, and others who no longer have access to health care for medical conditions such as diabetes, leprosy, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. We have witnessed the withdrawal of funds for our planet and for the peaceful working together with other nations.  

We have written to our Senators and Representatives in Congress, urging them to uphold the Catholic value of the dignity of every person from conception to natural death. We have read articles by Archbishop Weisenberger, Archbishop Wester and the other U.S. Catholic bishops asking us to find ways to welcome the stranger and protect the common good. We have lamented how some national policies are now going against the Gospel, most especially Matthew 25:40, “Whatever you did unto the least of my brothers/sisters, you did unto Me.”  

During a friary meeting, we talked about our discontent and wondered, “What else can be done?”  Then we heard about an opportunity to participate in a protest here in Atlanta, about 20 minutes away. We decided that we did not want our message to be explicitly political, but rather to draw people’s attention to the Good News of Jesus. We did not want to stir hatred but offer the alternative in Jesus. We decided to attend, dressed in habit and carrying placards proclaiming these Gospel values. 

From left to right: Provincial Vicar Br. Mark Soehner, OFM, Provincial Minister Br. Larry Hayes, OFM, and Provincial Secretary Br. Larry Ford, OFM, carried signs calling people to welcome the poor and migrants. (Photo courtesy of Br. Larry Ford, OFM)

Our experience was surprising on many levels.  We marveled at the sheer number of people at this event. Not all of them had the same reasons for being there as we did. Some wanted the restoration of government by the people and for the people. Others felt that President Trump was taking too much power away from Congress. There were literally thousands of people, and it was both startling and invigorating to witness it.  

Our habits were a big draw for people, including newspaper reporters.  Many Catholics came up and thanked us for our presence. They too expressed dismay about the lack of care for immigrants who come to our country. They were grateful for the explicit Gospel expressions on our placards. Some people knew our friars like the late Br. Joe Nangle, OFM. One person had been friends with the late Bishop Thomas Gumbleton. Some knew our friars from when we staffed the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception just a few blocks away in Atlanta.  Others wanted to know if we were in costume or real!  

Many young people wanted to know “what is a friar?”  When they learned we were brothers and priests of the Catholic church, several—with eyes widening—expressed deep gratitude (and surprise). One young adult, his face lighting up with a big grin, exclaimed: “Wow, that’s big!  Thanks for being here.” It was a great opportunity to be with so many concerned and engaged young and old people.  

We returned tired, but happy for those conversations that allowed us to share our and their concerns for others, our nation and our planet.  After our return and the exuberance died down, we still wondered: How can we continue to share our experience of the compassion of Jesus and express that today? How can we take a public stand with others upholding the dignity of life, this undeserved gift of God to us all? How can we as Franciscans join with others to ensure that the vision of Pope Francis does not fade from our nation’s imagination and agenda. As he said in his letter to the U.S. bishops on Feb. 10, 2025: 

An authentic rule of law is verified precisely in the dignified treatment that all people deserve, especially the poorest and most marginalized. The true common good is promoted when society and government, with creativity and strict respect for the rights of all… welcomes, protects, promotes and integrates the most fragile, the unprotected and vulnerable.  This does not impede the development of a policy that regulates orderly and legal migration.  However, this development cannot come about through the privilege of some and the sacrifice of others.  What is built on the basis of force, and not the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly.   

Br. Christopher Keenan, OFM, age 82, on left, and Br. Emmet Murphy, OFM, 91, on right, provided a ministry of presence to marchers in New York City. (Photo courtesy of Ann Kansfield)

Franciscan Witness in New York 

By Br. Christopher Keenan, OFM 

SHALOM!  We want to share a great story of what can happen when friars go out "two by two"!    

91-year-old Br. Emmet Murphy, OFM, and I were at New York City’s "We The People: No Kings" demonstration on June 14. Prior to participating, we attended the monthly Homeless Leadership Study Program at the province's San Damiano Hall on West 31st Street. It is one of five 30-year-old programs run by Life Experience and Faith Sharing Associates (LEFSA), a team of 8 formerly homeless persons accompanying currently homeless persons. The LEFSA team invites several people from St. Francis Breadline to participate in this gathering each morning.

We then went up to West 31st Street and 5th Avenue to participate in the demonstration. We stood on the corner "two by two" in habit. We were a few steps from our car parked on the corner in case we needed to take a break. We have developed this "safe OFM senior environment a few steps from the car" to enable friars in their 80s and 90s to take part in JPIC (justice, peace and integrity of creation) demonstrations while remaining safe. 

We stood in the pouring rain for two hours welcoming more than 200,000 people coming down 5th Avenue. It was so life-giving for both of us. Literally hundreds of people came over to us to share a brief word. All were surprised and delighted to see us there. Some were fascinated to know that we were "real" and not in costume. Others wanted to take pictures. Often people identified as "other than Catholic" and just wanted to express their gratitude to see the Catholic Church involved. Many also wanted to celebrate our Pope Leo. 

Everyone who stopped to speak with us thanked us for being with them. Older Catholics expressed the importance of the gift of the presence of our Catholic faith as Franciscans from St. Francis Church. Every age group was represented. It was especially moving to see people in wheelchairs, those with walkers and canes, and their courage as they made the milelong journey of hope in the pouring rain. 

Both Emmet and I were stunned by the number of people who identified as “no longer Catholic” and were moved to chat with us about it. It was like they were reaching out to "touch back to their roots."  As we held up our signs and umbrellas, we were literally "celebrating street corner healing" and with our eyes, extending an invitation for people to come over so we could say hello to them. 

Even the crowd that was 25 people deep across to the other side of 5th Avenue was calling over to us with "thumbs up." We responded, lifting and waving our signs with messages of courage, challenge and hope for our country. It was so clear in the spirit of this pilgrimage down 5th Avenue that "what we can't do alone, we can do together." It was a deep sense of community. 

Br. Michael Tyson, OFM, was unable to join us this time. Mike's 50-year history with justice, peace and integrity of creation (JPIC) was spent organizing ecumenically against drug lords through community marches through neighborhoods in the boundaries near our parishes: Sacred Heart in Rochelle Park, New Jersey; Holy Cross in the Bronx and Holy Name on West 96th Street in New York City; and St. Camillus in Silver Spring, Maryland. The NYPD had a yearlong detail overnight protecting the friaries, especially after drug lords attempted to burn down Bronx's Holy Cross Church. 

As Emmet and I stood on the corner, we rotated our 2-sided signs wrapped in plastic that were held up on wooden sticks. They bore these messages: 

1) We Are Pilgrims of Hope 

2) Protect Our Immigrant Children 

3) Courage, Courage Together 

4) Be An Instrument for Peace 

5) Care for Creation, Our Common Home 

Thanks so much for "listening” here to our most moving experience together. Please read Br. Russel Becker’s insightful and inspiring article "Franciscan Evangelization" in Br. Octavio Duran's superb recent issue of Franciscan Way published by Br. David Convertino, OFM, through Franciscan Friars Charities. Reviewing the life of St. Francis, Br. Russel unfolds a classic friars' theological reflection that describes the Franciscan evangelizing power of our "two by two" experience on fashionable 5th Avenue. 

Together with Franciscan Action Network and the Conventual Franciscan Province of Our Lady of Angels, the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) hosted an informational Zoom meeting on June 18 to promote Pilgrimages of Hope for Creation in 2025.  

This initiative is the primary public commemorative endeavor undertaken by the province in honor of the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures. The province has also created educational resources and organized other activities around prayer, lifestyle change and artistic expressions. 

The pilgrimages are being promoted by more than 30 U.S. Catholic organizations, including our province and Franciscan Action Network. They are designed to deepen the spirituality and ongoing conversion of integral ecology as we celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Canticle, 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’ and the Jubilee Year of Hope. They are a response to Pope Leo’s encouragement to build bridges with others in our faith to help spread the Gospel. 

Please watch the information meeting’s recording, share it with others in your ministry, especially the laity, and reach out to our JPIC Animator Russ Testa for more information on how you can participate. 

Br. Manuel Mendoza, OFM, will make his solemn profession as a Franciscan friar of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe on June 23 at Mission San Jose Church in San Antonio, Texas. Provincial Minister Br. Lawrence Hayes, OFM, will preside at the Mass. 

Br. Manuel, originally from Santa Cruz, Oaxaca (about 300 miles southeast of Mexico City), met the friars in Queretaro while searching for a spiritual director. A friar invited him to experience Franciscan life, so he joined the province in Michoacán in 2014 before eventually moving to the United States. 

Br. Manuel currently serves in Franciscan ministries in San Antonio, Texas. He has experience in charismatic renewal, teaching catechism and ACTS – Adoration, Community, Theology and Service, a project that seeks to deepen parishioners’ relationships with God and others through conversation and activities during retreats. 

“I feel blessed and glad when those I work with are happy,” said Br. Manuel. 

He studied philosophy and theology at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He worked in Querétaro, Mexico, managed a Chinese restaurant in Augusta, Georgia, and then embraced religious life. He enjoys writing poetry, listening to audiobooks and cooking. 

Br. Manuel thanks Brothers Joe Rozansky, OFM; Bill Minkel, OFM; Mike Johnson, OFM; Erasmo Ramero, OFM; and Jose Luis Peralta, OFM for their guidance. “They really helped me throughout my life,” he said. 

The Franciscans view all of God’s creatures as brothers and sisters. This sacred kinship is beautifully expressed in the Canticle of the Creatures, also known as the Canticle of Brother Sun, a poem written by St. Francis of Assisi shortly before his death. Filled with gratitude, St. Francis was inspired to compose the Canticle because, for him, all creation manifests the goodness of God.  

The Canticle inspired the late Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’ (“Praise be to you”), a passionate call to care for our common home. Laudato Si’ challenges us to view the ecological crises we face not just as environmental issues, but as moral and spiritual ones, recognizing that the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are deeply intertwined. It calls us to reimagine our relationship with nature, urging individuals, communities and nations to embrace an integral ecology rooted in justice, compassion and care for the poor. 

This year, we mark the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, the 800th anniversary of the Canticle and the enduring truth they proclaim. In a world facing ecological crises and deep inequality between the rich and the poor, these works remind us of the interdependence between humans and creation – that we are all one family under God’s loving care. With that truth comes a call: to protect the earth, to uplift the poor and the marginalized, and to care for one another. 

Friars across the United States have been commemorating both anniversaries in a variety of deeply meaningful ways.  

Reflecting on the beauty of creation  

Friars and parishioners at Church of the Transfiguration in Southfield, Michigan, are joining with other churches in their family of parishes, Southeast Oakland Catholics, to celebrate. Both seasoned and amateur photographers are invited to participate in a special photo contest geared toward contemplating the wonders of creation with gratitude and eyes of faith. Each month, beginning in May, one stanza (verse) of the Canticle is being released for reflection purposes. Parishioners are then encouraged to take a picture or look in their photo library for an image that evokes that stanza for them. A presentation featuring the Canticle accompanied by the photos that illustrate each stanza will be created. At the end of all the stanzas, the whole Canticle will be presented in Transfiguration’s parish hall in January 2026. This video features the images submitted in honor of Brother Sun.  

In addition, Brothers Jeff Scheeler, OFM, pastor, and Jeremy Harrington, OFM, took part in an event at Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve in Southfield on May 3 to honor the beauty of creation and our shared responsibility to protect it. The event included a reflective reading of the Canticle, a guided walk through the trails and a community prayer for the planet as participants celebrated both nature and their faith.  

Committing to Laudato Si’ 

On May 22, the faithful gathered at the Franciscan Renewal Center (the “Casa”) in Paradise Valley, Arizona, for a special program titled “A Celebration of the Casa’s Care for Our Common Home.” In the past decade since the release of Laudato Si’, the Casa community has aimed to foster a deeper respect for creation, promote sustainable habits and deepen their commitment to a lifestyle that respects the Creator’s handiwork. Provincial Councilor Br. Sam Nasada, OFM, was on hand for the celebration, which included a prayer and presentation, the blessing of solar panels, activities for children and teens and a commemorative dinner and fellowship. Brothers Page Polk, OFM, Vincent Nguyen, OFM, and Matt Ryan, OFM, also took part. See The Casa’s celebration here in its entirety.  

El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz signs a letter implementing the diocese’s Laudato Si’ Five Year Action Plan. (Photo courtesy of Br. Ignatius Harding, OFM)

In El Paso, Texas, friars, including Br. Ignatius Harding, OFM, have strived to re-energize a diocesan team working to move the local community from reflection to action by implementing a Laudato Si’ Action Plan. During a joyful gathering on May 25 at St. Luke Parish, Bishop of El Paso Mark Seitz gave a moving homily emphasizing the integral ecology and care for the poor/care for creation focus of Laudato Si.’ The celebration culminated in Bishop Seitz signing a letter formally putting the El Paso Diocese Laudato Si’ Five Year Action Plan into effect. 

Meaningful resources 

Br. Ed Mckenzie, OFM, has found a very personal way to incorporate the Canticle into his ministry and share it with others in need of healing. He developed a meditation based on the Canticle that he has used with the veterans he works with who are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or other anxieties, along with incorporating it into retreats he has given at Old Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, California.  

A combat veteran himself, Br. Ed said the meditation evolved from the therapy he participated in during his own struggle with PTSD.  

“Guided meditation that encouraged mindfulness was an important part of the therapy,” he explained. “I had a lot of time to reflect on this, and I was able to dovetail our Franciscan tradition into what was a rather secular example of therapeutic mindfulness that we practiced there. It has now become a part of my prayer and my life. It helps me to have a ‘healthier’ life. I am grateful to St. Francis for giving us this avenue to healthy living.”  

Another valuable resource is a video presentation by Br. Bill Short, OFM, focusing on the connection between the Canticle and integral technology. The video is accompanied by a reflection guide that can be adapted for use in group discussions and ministry settings.  

The Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation is developing additional resources and will continue to share other offerings from the Franciscan family in the coming months.  

The patron saint of lost and stolen possessions, St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) was a Franciscan friar known for his eloquent preaching, profound knowledge of Scripture and unwavering commitment to help the poor and the sick.  He is frequently depicted holding a book or the Bible, the Christ Child or a lily. 

St. Anthony was born Fernando Martins de Bulhões on Aug. 15, 1195, to a wealthy noble family in Lisbon, Portugal. At age 15, he entered the community of Canons Regular at the Abbey of St. Vincent against his family’s wishes. Seeing his scholastic potential, the Canons sent him to the Abbey of the Holy Cross in Coimbra, Portugal’s former capital, for nine years of intense theological studies in the Augustinian tradition. He was ordained to the priesthood and appointed the abbey’s guest master. 

Often depicted holding the Christ Child, St. Anthony wanted to join the Franciscans so that he could travel to Morocco to preach. (Photo courtesy of Jan Van Bizar)

Anthony’s altered path  

In 1219, Fernando encountered five Franciscan friars who were enroute to Morocco to preach the faith to the Muslim community. Less than a year later, news arrived that they had become the first martyrs of the Franciscan Order. As their bodies were processed through Coimbra, Fernando was so inspired by their witness that he went to a nearby hermitage and asked to join the Franciscans, saying:  

“Brother, I would gladly put on the habit of your Order if you would promise to send me as soon as possible to the land of the Saracens, that I may gain the crown of the holy martyrs.” 

He took the name Anthony after the patron of their hermitage, St. Anthony of Egypt, and hoped to become a missionary. He went to Morocco but fell seriously ill after a few months and tried to make his way home. Storms diverted his ship to Sicily, where the friars of Messina welcomed him and began nursing him back to health.  He was recovered enough to attend the Order’s General Chapter of 1221 in Assisi, also known as the Pentecost Chapter of Mats (because there was not enough housing for the 3,000 friars, they were required to sleep on mats). 

After the Chapter, Anthony approached the Provincial Minister (the leader) of the province in Northern Italy and asked that he be instructed in the Franciscan life. He did not mention his prior theological education and so was assigned to work in the kitchen of the rural hospice of San Paolo near Forlì in Northern Italy. 

St. Anthony was selected to deliver a “simple” sermon that turned out to be a pivotal moment in his ministry with the friars. (Photo courtesy of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe)

What was St. Anthony known for?  

In a moment of truth that would shape his destiny, a young man once drawn to the solitude of prayer climbed to prominence with an extraordinary homily delivered during an ordination attended by Dominicans and Franciscans in 1222.  

When no one answered the provincial's request for a sermon, Anthony was chosen. Unknown to them, he was well-versed in Augustine and Franciscan philosophy. His holiness and wisdom were clear to all there and so began a lifetime of preaching.  

St. Francis appreciated how Anthony's actions aligned with his words, unlike many preachers of the time whose pride in their knowledge led to them abandoning a life of poverty. St. Anthony embodies the importance of persistence in seeking truth and justice.  

On the Commission for the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition’s website, Franciscan historian Br. Dominic Monti, OFM, describes Anthony’s preaching: 

“Anthony’s preaching emphasized the connection between conversion to the Gospel and working for justice in society. For example, he persuaded the government of Padua to come to the aid of people in financial difficulty: instead of being imprisoned for debt, a person could instead declare bankruptcy and pick up their life again. In such ways, Anthony became beloved by the poor for drawing the attention of society to their plight.” 

St. Anthony’s teaching 

He also taught theological studies to friars pursuing ordination. St. Francis trusted Anthony to educate the younger friars because he knew that St. Anthony would not let his knowledge make him prideful. Throughout his life, Anthony was an example of Franciscan poverty and humility. 

In addition to teaching and preaching, Anthony also served the Franciscan Order in various roles, including Provincial Minister of the friars in Northern Italy, where he made his home in Padua, the city he is now most closely associated with. 

St. Anthony died on June 13, 1231, at age 35 and was buried in the small church of Santa Maria Mater Domini. He was canonized the next year by Pope Gregory IX, one of the fastest canonization processes in history, and his body was eventually moved to the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, completed in 1310. 

Did you know?  

St. Anthony is also the patron saint of:  

For sickness  

“Kind Saint Anthony, I lay this sickness at your feet. Pray for divine healing, for restored strength and for comfort in pain. May the healing touch of Jesus reach every part of what’s broken. Amen.”  

For a miracle  

“O glorious Saint Anthony, you are known as the Wonderworker, the patron of those in need and the finder of lost things. With confidence in your unfailing intercession, I come to you with a heart full of hope, seeking an urgent miracle in my life. Hear my plea and present it before the Lord with your fervent prayers. (Mention your request here.) Through your love for the Christ Child and your unwavering trust in God’s providence, I trust that my petition will be granted according to His holy will. Saint Anthony, I beg you to assist me in my hour of need. Let your compassionate heart move the heavens to bring swift resolution to my struggles. Amen.”  

Did you know?  

A novice once stole a psalms book from Anthony as he left the Order. Anthony prayed for its return, and the man returned his property – and rejoined the Franciscans. Thus, Anthony became the finder of lost things.  

Br. Richard McFeely, OFM, 79, passed away on June 6, 2025, at St. Anthony Friary in Boston. He devoted his 52 years of Franciscan ministry to caring for others as a nurse and a counselor, and as a mentor to student friars and men considering a Franciscan vocation.  

Visitation for Br. Richard will be held on Wednesday, June 11 at 10:30 a.m., followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at noon at St. Anthony Shrine, 100 Arch Street, Boston, MA 02110. The Mass will be livestreamed on the Shrine’s website. Burial will take place in a private ceremony at St. Joseph Cemetery in West Roxbury, Massachusetts.  

Br. Richard, born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 3, 1946, to John and Monica (née Redmond) McFeely, attended Holy Family Grammar School in Flushing, New York, and Holy Cross High School in Bayside, New York. He attended Queen of Apostles College and John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, and received his bachelor's of arts degree in Sociology from Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts, in 1975.  

He was received into the Franciscan Order on Aug. 20, 1972, at St. Francis Friary, Brookline, Massachusetts, professed simple vows there on Aug. 25, 1973, and made his solemn profession on Aug. 21, 1976, at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in New York City.  

Br. Richard studied nursing at Trocaire College in Buffalo, New York, from 1976 to 1981, and served at St. Anthony Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1981. From 1981 to 1990, he was a counselor for recovering alcoholics at Andrew Johnson Detox Center in East Boston, Massachusetts, and a guidance counselor at East Boston Central Catholic School.  

Br. Richard began mentoring student friars as a member of the formation team at in Brookline from 1990 to 1993, and Providence, Rhode Island, from 1993 to 1996. In 1996, he became parochial vicar at St. Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, where he served until 2000.   

In 2000, he was appointed assistant vocation director for the legacy Holy Name Province, serving for three years while living in New York City and New Jersey. In 2003, he returned to nursing, caring for the retired, sick and elderly friars of Holy Name Friary in Ringwood, New Jersey (2003 to 2006 and 2014 to 2020); St. Anthony Friary in St. Petersburg, Florida (2006 to 2008); St. Anthony Residence in Boston (2008 to 2011); and St. Anthony Friary in Butler, New Jersey (2011 to 2014). He also served as spiritual assistant for the Secular Franciscans of St. Francis of Assisi Fraternity in Ringwood, New Jersey.  

Br. Richard continued to support men pursuing a vocation, serving as a regional vocation director for New York City and New Jersey from 2020 until 2023. He also worked as the friar liaison for St. Francis Breadline in New York City. He told The Franciscan Way that every day was Thanksgiving there.  

“It’s more than food in each sandwich bag,” he said. “Joy, hope and compassion is at the heart of what we offer to our guests, who are often forgotten and cast aside. The Breadline makes them feel welcomed and loved.”  

In 2023, he returned to Boston, joining the staff at St. Anthony Shrine, where he assisted in the Food Center, welcomed visitors in the information booth and helped form a support group for people who have lost loved ones to suicide.   

Br. Richard is survived by eight siblings, several nieces and nephews and his brother friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. 

When March storms in St. Louis’ South Side flooded St. Anthony of Padua Food Pantry, volunteers and visitors looking for assistance teamed up to bring a deluge of community support of their own.  

With electricity out but Franciscan spirit in, they pitched in to dry out the basement ministry to continue the good work the community has counted on since 1991.  

“The gates opened,” said Rob Telthorst, St. Anthony of Padua Food Pantry director. “People who thought the pantry was open came to help mop up. It was surreal.”  

They helped swing open the pantry door within three days of the storm.  

After a tornado hit nearby in May, the pantry briefly closed due to power outages. With the help of youth volunteers, they quickly reopened and began supporting storm victims.  

Whether it’s a volunteer trekking 45-minutes from the suburbs or the community supplying a timely donation of crucial equipment, St. Anthony of Padua Food Pantry takes root in the faithful Franciscans who serve there and delivers hope to those in need.  

Br. Jim Lause, OFM, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, credits volunteers and donors for their dedication to the ministry. 

"The pantry provides a loving environment of respect and concern for every individual in need,” he said. “The volunteers and the staff have big hearts that put forth the love of Jesus and the Franciscan values of peace and joy to all who come to the door.” 

The food pantry offers service hours, shares parishioners' expertise and deepens community ties. (Photo courtesy of St. Anthony of Padua Food Pantry)

'An amazing network’  

This ministry is more than canned corn and condensed milk.  

It is a clothing bank where people can choose shirts, shoes and socks, plus toiletries. It’s a referral center for people who need help with utility bills and rent, are trying to escape domestic violence, or need elder care. In 2024, it helped to dispense 20,000 diapers.  

St. Anthony is where youth rack up service hours, parishioners offer help in their fields of expertise and relationships are fostered in the name of community support.  

“It is an amazing network that the Franciscans have built,” said Rob, a lawyer who started as a volunteer and became director six years ago. “I just inherited it. Our volunteer corps is the envy of other pantries. This experience has been spiritually transformative.”  

 Prayer and discernment have consistently supported the pantry's survival.  

A March thunderstorm is a light sprinkle compared to the challenges COVID-19 posed. As federally funded pantries closed, visits to St. Anthony skyrocketed, along with the need for donations and volunteers. “It’s an exercise in faith,” Rob said.  

“It is everything you think about a Franciscan mission, a bare-basics operation,” he said. “We’re in a basement with no central heating, there is no air-conditioning, it’s hotter than you-know-what in the summer, and we don’t do fundraisers. 

“God always provides.” 

St. Anthony of Padua Food Pantry cares for homeless people, some facing addiction or mental illness. (Photo courtesy of St. Anthony of Padua Food Pantry)

In a place of great need  

If you imagine a mob of like-hearted folks merrily filling boxes of food and stocking shelves, you have only part of the picture.  

St. Anthony of Padua Food Pantry is a frontline mission. As with many Franciscan ministries, it sits in a place of great need. Its visitors are people on the street, some battling addiction or mental illness, sometimes both. 

Others are in dire condition upon arrival, and wind up on a car ride to the ER instead. One woman struggled to walk up the ramp, while wearing a hospital bracelet. She’d come from her discharge from treatment for a gunshot wound. 

A teenage volunteer helped her to the door and cared for her throughout her visit. 

“Our volunteer didn’t miss a beat,” Rob said. “She was there to help from the start.” 

Sometimes, that means helping a victim of violence’s family cover funeral costs.  

“Everyone knows we are a safe place,” Rob said. “Even the troublemakers know. Their friends and family might need to come to St. Anthony.” 

St. Anthony of Padua Food Pantry offers multiple services, and director Rob Telthorst aims to broaden them. (Photo courtesy of St. Anthony of Padua Food Pantry)

Hopes for the future 

The demand continues to grow. Rob envisions a transition to a pantry remodel, expanded services, and more direct assistance. He hopes to switch to a client-choice model, allowing visitors to shop instead of getting pre-packed boxes.  

A social worker would have enough to do at St. Anthony, too.  

“The Lord leads us every day,” Rob said. “We try to keep each other healthy.   

“It’s exhausting, it’s overwhelming, but it’s beautiful.” 

Since the original publication of this article on June 5th, conditions have significantly deteriorated, particularly for the people of Gaza. Although open hostilities between Israel and Iran have subsided with a ceasefire, the situation in Gaza has worsened, as global attention shifted away from the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank have faced heightened restrictions, with many unable to access their farms or places of employment outside their communities. In light of the escalating crisis and the looming threat of mass starvation in Gaza, expressions of solidarity and support are more critical than ever.

The living conditions of Palestinians in Gaza and the Occupied Territories of the West Bank have rapidly deteriorating leaving thousands at risk of mass starvation and death. 

From the very beginning of this most recent iteration of the violence in the Holy Land, the Franciscans have decried the attack of Hamas on Israelis on Oct 7, 2023, and been unequivocal that the response of the Israeli government is also immoral in its level of suffering brought upon civilians.   

We have continued to advocate and pray for peace as we uphold the legacy of nearly 800 years of Franciscan ministerial presence in the Holy Land. We stand on the side of life and nonviolence. 

A recent study from 46 international and Palestinian NGOs (non-governmental organizations) attempting to provide humanitarian services there shows: 

• A nearly complete (93%) exhaustion of all aid supplies in Gaza — leading thousands on the verge of mass starvation. 

• Massive movement restrictions (93%) in the West Bank make the delivery of any assistance in the occupied territories more difficult if not impossible. 

The study is titled The Edge of Erasure — a tragically correct description. 

The result of this blockage of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians of the Holy Land will result in the displacement (either through death or forced migration) of most Palestinian people. This is against international law as well as immoral. 

Our prayer, voice and action are needed more than ever. We encourage you to: 

1. Include the plight of the Palestinians in your prayers of the faithful (e.g., We pray for the Palestinians of the Holy Land that they may receive just humanitarian assistance to thrive, safeguard their communities and not be subject to near constant violence.) 

2. Increase awareness of the current status and progression of this war. These resources may be helpful: 

• A Jewish-American Call to Franciscans - testimony prepared by Peace Activist Mark Braveman for an event, "Voices in the Wilderness: Stories of Resilience, Solidarity, and Hope," hosted by Siena College. Mr. Braverman urges all Franciscan-hearted people to intensify their efforts in Gospel-rooted peacemaking efforts and not be afraid to peacefully speak out against actions that harm others.

• “Why Palestinian Christians Feel Betrayed by American Christians” - an editorial piece by Nicholas Kristof 

• Mini-courses to deepen our understanding of the humanitarian and legal challenges in the region led by the Catholic Advisory Council of Churches for Middle East Peace 

3. Speak to your elected officials—the Israeli government is unlikely to change its approach without pressure from the United States  

The death toll of Palestinian citizens is rising. The violence is leading people to bring violence and death to the Jewish community in the United States in response to the atrocities visited on the Palestinians. There is NO JUSTIFICATION for these attacks. 

We must add our voices to the emotional appeal of Pope Leo for “ceasefire now!” There is no time to waste. 

There is currently rising fear and tension in countless communities where there are significant numbers of immigrants.  

Some examples that fuel this fear may include: 

These examples and countless others were shared at the most recent immigration check-in among friars and ministry partners of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Conventual Province of Our Lady of Angels and Secular Franciscans. 

Uncertainty and fear  

Many of our immigrant brothers and sisters in our ministries and communities are afraid. Their fear is heightened and shared by the friars and others who are serving them. 

The Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation is working with friars and other to prepare resources to address these concerns and provide guidelines to help us be prudent in our actions. More details will be provided in the coming weeks. 

A Franciscan response  

What can we do in response? Our Franciscan tradition was founded in the spirit of itinerancy. We naturally hold people “on the move,” like migrants, close to our hearts. We also know that both the Old Testament and the Gospel are clear that we must prioritize “welcoming the strangers” (those who are not yet part of the community and thus more marginalized).                

Friars and ministries already have sought to “welcome the strangers” in our midst through: 

• Training people to know their legal rights 

• Directing them to legal assistance,  

It takes courage and trust in the Lord’s love to joyfully respond to his call for us. With warmth and welcome, the friars and faith community at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in New York City embraced the men who have been accepted for Franciscan formation for the 2025-26 class during weekend Masses May 18 and 19.  

Four of the five accepted postulants – Tim, Alex, Jason and Chris – were on fire for their faith and eager to share their stories as they joined in the celebration for World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Also in attendance were Br. Basil Valente, OFM, executive director of vocations. and members of the province vocation team, who set up a table in the back of church with information packets and merchandise. 

Each friar presiding at Mass that weekend preached enthusiastically about vocations.  

During his homily, Br. Jim Bernard, OFM, reminded those gathered of Jesus’ commandment to his disciples to “Love one another as I have loved you. For us that means loving with humility, with sacrifice, with mercy and with joy. It is manifested in lives fully given over to Christ,” he said. “The Franciscan vocation is a powerful witness to self-giving love."  

 After Communion, the postulants were called forward to receive a blessing from the congregation, saying they felt “so affirmed and delighted by the experience.”  

Following Mass, they enthusiastically chatted with parishioners and encouraged other men to consider Franciscan life by saying, “I think you’d make a good friar.”  

Please pray for the postulants as they prepare to begin formation in August at Holy Name College in Silver Spring, Maryland, to continue their journey of faith!

The Season 2 premiere of Franciscan TV's Friar Time will air on Franciscan TV on June 7. With new issues to discuss, new special guests to welcome and an all-new set, the interview program will again engage its audience by discussing timely issues through the lens of faith.  

Hosted by Br. David Convertino, OFM, the second season of Friar Time will stream up to 14 episodes, offering viewers a deep dive into the intersections of faith, society and personal well-being.  

Br. David’s guests will include friars, friends and lay professionals who are experts in their fields or have firsthand experience with the episode's featured topic. On June 7, Friar Time will hit the ground running on a global issue that affects our everyday lives, the “State of the World.”  

Joining Br. David for this premiere will be Dr. Michele Dunne, Ph.D., who served for nearly 20 years in the U.S. Department of State. Dr. Dunne is a professed secular Franciscan, Executive Director of the Franciscan Action Network and a respected voice whose career once focused on the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy. 

The second episode of Season 2 will explore a hot-button issue with significant societal impacts: “Immigration.” Br. David and Br. Julian Jagudilla, OFM, a friar who has spent years working with the Migrant Center at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, will ask meaningful questions such as: 

Can a country uphold its laws and compassion?  

Is there room in our politics for mercy?  

Answers can be seen and heard on the “Immigration” episode of Friar Time airing on Thursday, June 21. 

With an exciting new look and slate of guests, Season 2 of Friar Time will again take viewers on inspiring journeys of introspection and spiritual growth, with stops at meaningful discussions on: