"We all have a potential vocation inside of us.
Don't fight it!"
~Colton Rodgers, Postulant

World Day for Concecrated Life

World Day for Concecrated Life is observed every year on February 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation, and will be celebrated this year in U.S. parishes the weekend of February 4-5, 2012. Established in 1997 by Blessed John Paul II, he intended the day to help the Church esteem the witness of those in concecrated life as well as establish some time for renewal and rekindling of their personal offering to the Lord. Click here to read his yearly message 1997-2005. Strengthened by vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, Religious Priests, Sisters and Brothers live and pray in community, as they serve the Church in ministry or contemplation.
Please pray for dedicated, holy consecrated men inspired by Jesus Christ, supported by the faith community, and responsive to God's gift of a vocation.
View video from several Conventual Franciscan Friars as they share their journeys answering God's Call.

St. Franics of Assisi's Vocations Prayer:
Most High, Glorious God, enlighten the darkness of our minds, Give us a right faith, a firm hope and a perfect charity, so that we may always and in all things act according to Your Holy Will. Amen.
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Meet our Novices
friar Emanuel Vasconselos, OFM Conv.
friar Moises d'Avila, OFM Conv
OFM Conv. Formation Process: Vocation Program, Postulancy, Novitiate, and Post-Novitiate.
In the USA, the five provinces (Immaculate Conception, St. Anthony of Padua, Our Lady of Consolation, St. Joseph of Cupertino and St. Bonaventure), along with the friars in Australia, send novices to the interprovincial novitiate in Mishawaka, IN. Currently, St. Anthony of Padua Province has two friars at the Conventual Franciscan Novitiate. Check out the Novitiate's Website for information about this stage in the Formation process as well as a little bio on each of the 7 men in Formation there. Please continue to pray for them as well as all discerning Vocations to Concecrated Life.

We thank God for all those who answer His Call.
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"This Bead's for You!"
A Mini-Lesson on Praying the Rosary
Traditional prayers are often used to enrich prayer life. Reflecting on Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries as we pray the Rosary, blends our minds and our voices, together or alone, as we honor and learn to imitate the virtures of the lives of Jesus and Mary. Click on this link to see a short video on how to pray the Rosary, featuring the Joyful Mysteries, guided by Fr. James McCurry, OFM Conv.
Video Link
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Love Explains Everything to Me;
Adventures of the Spirit
Fr. Lucian Krolikowski, OFM Conv.
Fr. Lucian, best selling author of books like Stolen Childhood, A Saga of Polish War Children and Memories of a Siberian Prisoner and a Displaced Person, brings us another one of his inspirational works. Currently only available in Polish, Miłość mi wszystko wyjaśniła. Przygody ducha is a collection of deep reflections born mostly from his meditation on the Gospels and work among God's people. For more on the interesting life led by Fr. Lucian, as a Franciscan Friar, click on the following video links to see two parts of a 2010 interview with him, I lived with St Maximilian Kolbe for Three Years, as presented on the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate in the United States website, AirMaria.
Part I and Part II
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50th Jubilee of Priestly Ordination
Most Rev. Donald Kos, OFM Conv., S.T.D., I.C.D.
Fr. Donald Kos, the Procurator General of the Order, celebrated the 50th Jubilee of his Priestly Ordination in Rome, with a Solemn Mass of Thanksgiving and festive dinner at the Church and Convent of the Twelve Apostles (Santi Apostoli). A member of St. Anthony Province and native of Holyoke, MA, Fr. Donald has spent the entire 50 years of his public ministry working in Rome as an official of the Order and of the Vatican, where he continues working in the Sacred Congregation of the Penitenzieria. Three Cardinals attended the Mass, at which our own Bishop Gianfranco Girotti preached the homily. The Minister General of the Order, Most Rev. Marco Tasca, OFM Conv. and his entire General Definitory participated, as did the Minister Provincial of Fr. Donald's native Province. This said, the celebration was actually a very modest and simple one, in keeping with the humble character of the man, who in his thanksgiving remarks referred everything about his Franciscan priesthood to the goodnes of God.
Please look for the first Newsletter of the New Year for more pictures from this day of celebration.
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Love from Zambia
The Letters of a Franciscan Missionary Friar
Fr. Fritz O'Kelly, OFM Conv
On Thursday, November 17, 2011, Fr. Fritz' book of letters from his time in the missions had a launch at the Riverbank House Hotel in Wexford, Ireland. During the event, Fr. Paul Miskiewicz, OFM Conv (co-ordinator for our Friars in England and Ireland) stated that if he was asked to write a character reference for Fr. Fritz, he would simply state that 'he was one'.
Fr. Fritz also spoke, sharing his gift for humor and admitting that he had many people for whom to be thankful. Writing these letters helped him to stay in contact. Bishop Denis Brennan, Bishop of Ferns, also spoke at the launch. He let everyone know how sad the town was when the Brown Friars left and how grateful they were when the Grey Friars, Fr. Fritz among them, came in 2008. He commended Fr. Fritz for his gift of missionary work and stated that his love of God and of people is what helped him to sustain his life in such places.
Read more on Fr. Fritz and his new book:
Articles by Maria Pepper - 1 and 2
Article in the Wexford Echo - 24 November 2011
Audio: "In My Zambian Home" by Fr. Fritz
(Quality a little rough but we hope you will enjoy!)
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Saint Anthony of Padua Province
Provincial House
12300 Folly Quarter Road
Ellicott City, MD 21042-1419

410-531-1400 (voice) • 410-531-4881 (fax)