HTR News
New Book: Francis of Assisi: The Hidden Story by Chiara Mercuri
Greetings from Paraclete Press! Francis of Assisi: The Hidden Story by Chiara Mercuri is a challenging new biography with a bold thesis. Mercuri takes the reader back in time to the real Francis of Assisi, revealing with wisdom and clear scholarship the complexities of the social, family, religious, and economic dynamic of the Middle Ages, and the concentric circles of those who knew and wrote about St. Francis from firsthand knowledge. This is a biography of the world’s most popular saint – for everyone! "This biography will blow the doors off the box holding a pious, mystical, aloof St. Francis. Chiara Mercuri, in Robert J. Edmonson's lively translation, reveals a man who is no less saintly than the legends have it, but who in his humanness is more relevant than ever." - Jon M. Sweeney, editor of The Road to Assisi by Paul Sabatier, and author of The Enthusiast: How the Best Friend of Francis of Assisi Almost Destroyed What He Started Chiara Mercuri is an Italian historian whose book on Saint Louis’s acquisition of the crown of thorns won the prestigious prize of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. She writes for the Italian magazine Medioevo (Middle Ages), and spent years reconstructing, on the basis of unofficial sources, this life and teaching of Francis of Assisi. _____________________________________________________________ Learn more about our San Damiano Books here: San Damiano Imprint and be sure to look at our other Franciscan Spirituality here. This book is now available for purchase through your local bookstore, amazon.com, Paraclete Press or anywhere books are sold. The General Curia is planning to include a blurb about it in a future edition of Fraternitas, so please be on the look at for that! Thank you for your time and I welcome your feedback or conversation. |
National Executive Council (NEC) Report January 2019
Here is the latest communication from the National Fraternity's Executive Council. |
Franciscan Youth Program at St. Clements
Our Council for Youth, Colleen Gerke, has started a grade school program at St. Clements as a pilot youth program. Hopefully, next year she will add a high school program. We have over 50 kids grade 4-8 that are giving up their lunch hour and recess to meet once a month. The kids are so excited that they would like to meet every other week. Unfortunately, Colleen has been trying to cover all the expense herself. It cost about $120 a month to keep the group going. We meet with the 7-8 grade one week and 4-6the next. It cost roughly $60 each week for food plus meeting supplies. Right now the kids are putting birdseed in plastic bags to give out to parishioners at the Christmas masses which have a label telling the story of Francis asking the mayors and lords for extra rations of grain for Christmas so the animals could celebrate the Incarnation of Christ. If you believe in reaching out to youth, you can be of great help. If you would like to sponsor a child at $5 a month it would be a great help. Or you could sponsor a whole meeting for $60. Please send your contribution clearly marked for the Franciscan Youth Program to: Colleen Gerke, OFS C/O St. Clement's Parish 4536 Vine St. Cincinnati OH 45217 Peace and all good, Paula Voborsky, OFS |
All Franciscan Day on August 4
Please join lots of members of the Franciscan family at St. Vivian's Catholic Church on Winton Road in Cincinnati. Check-in is 8:45-9:15 am on Saturday morning, August 4. Friar Dan Horan, OFM, will be speaking on: ALL GOD’S CREATURES: Rethinking Franciscan Theology of Creation The form for pre-registration for fraternities or groups is attached. You will need to bring a lunch. Drinks will be provided. See the brochure for more information. |
Our Venezuelan Family Needs Help
Dear Brothers and Sisters, As you may have heard on the news, the people of Venezuelan are suffering. They lack food, medicines and other supplies. The cost of living has skyrocketed to over 1500%. Many have left the country, hoping to find a way to support themselves. Those who are left behind struggle daily to find the means to feed and care for their families. The corrupt government is making the situation impossible. Please read the attached letter sent to us from our dear sister, Chelito, the CIOFS Vice Minister, who lives in Venezuela. She and the members of their local Fraternity in Venezuela are trying to find every way possible to make certain that the children are fed and to provide medicines for the hundreds of people who go to the church for help. The list of medicines which are most needed are listed below. Please consider helping in whatever way you can.. Below is the address where you can send funds and another address where you can send medical supplies. Let’s give our brothers and sisters of Venezuela one more day of hope, one more day of relief. Peace and All Good, Your sister, Mary Stronach, OFS (International Councilor) for the NEC ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mail money donations to our national treasurer who will forward funds to our Venezuelan Brothers and Sisters: Mr. Jerry Rousseau, OFS 82 Kim Street Blairsville, GA 30512 Ship meds and other supplies to: OFS de la Chiquinquirá a/c María Consuelo Núñez (Chelito) Iglesia de la Chiquinquirá Final Avenida Andres Bello Parroquia El Recreo, Urb. La Florida Caracas 1050 VENEZUELA Phone: 58-212-7300102 Cell phone: 58-414-3295626 Meds can also be sent through the following mailing agency. It may be less expensive: UN SOLO DOLAR / Phone: 786-703-4999 and 786-502-2620 unsolodolar@gmail..com They are located in Doral, Fla. List of medications frequently requested: Antihypertensives: Losartan, amlodipine, enalapril, carvedilol, metoprolol, valsartan. Endocrine: Metformin, euthyrox (levothyroxine), anovulatory. Anti-epileptics: Valproic acid, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, diphenylidantoline, clonazepam. Gastric problems: Omeprazole, pantoprazole, esomeprazole. Analgesic Anti-inflammatories: Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, diclofenac, meloxicam. Anxiolytics: Bromazepam, alprazolam, diazepam. Antihistamines: Cetirizine, loratadine, desloratadine. Antibiotics: Amoxicillin, amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, sultamicillin, ciprofloxacin, cefadroxil. Anti-platelet agents: Clopidogrel, acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin 81 mg) Anti-fungals: Fluconaxol, clotrimazole Diuretics: Hydrochlorothiazide, chlorothiazide, furosemide, spironolactone. Hypocholesterominants: Atorvastatin, simvastatin. Influenza and antitussives Vitamins, minerals and infant formulas You can donate these medications in any doses. |
9th Summer Seminar for Secular Franciscans
9th Summer Seminar for Secular Franciscans / July 12-15, 2018 / Theme: “Francis the Troubadour: How Can I Keep From Singing?” / Flyer Attached |
Dear Fraternal Family - Opportunity to Donate
To all my friends and family, On Nov. 10 Peggy and I will be driving to New Orleans and spend a week Helping the Homeless get back into their home. My Dominican nun friend has been doing this for years - helping to get people back into their home after Hurricane Katrina. We go down and literally help rebuild their home; I would also like to mingle in the community and SHARE HIS LOVE. The attached is more about this project and gives you the opportunity to support this project. It costs $25,000 and all the volunteer manpower to rebuild one house. My personal goal is to raise $2,500 for them. (send money to them-not me) Blessing on each of you!! Dolores Gillen OFS |
Regional Consecration To Mary
[All of the files needed can be gotten by following this link.] +JMJFC+
Dear Ministers,
As we discussed and voted on during our last Chapter it is the goal to do a Region-wide Consecration to Jesus through Mary on the Holy Feast of Our Lady of the Angels, August 2nd. I have been working hard to gather all you will need to assist your fraternities in making this consecration. First I am going to send you 5 recorded talks to use during the consecration. You will need to click the hyperlinks below each talk on the schedule below. Please download them before the expiration date. I will also have the talks as well as the handouts uploaded to the website. The talks were recorded by Father Adam Streitenberger, OFS especially for this purpose. They are very well done and especially address our Franciscan Charism and Francis’s love for Our Lady. You may distribute them to your fraternities via email or plan to listen to them as a group as you make this journey. The first talk should be done 1 week prior to beginning your consecration preparation.
There are three books Father recommends: Daily Meditation using either Preparation for Total Consecration by Montfort http://www.amazon.com/Preparation-Total-Consecration-According-Montfort/dp/0910984077/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1465069458&sr=1-1&keywords=9780910984072 or 33 Days to Morning Glory http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_5?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=33+days+to+morning+glory&sprefix=33+da%2Cstripbooks%2C191 I have personally used both. I like the Montfort one for the piety but the meditations in the Morning Glory books are very enjoyable. There is even a section on Maximillian Kolbe J Last year during my renewal I used Montfort in the morning and Gaitley at night. It was a nice combination.
It is highly recommended that you read True Devotion to Mary by Montfort http://www.amazon.com/Devotion-Blessed-Virgin-Louis-Monfort/dp/0910984506/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1465069847&sr=1-3&keywords=true+devotion+to+mary+by+st.+louis+de+montfort at some point.
Father will discuss the book in the recordings. Again whether you read the book now or save it for later, Father’s recordings are HIGHLY recommended. He explains why this devotion would be important to us as Franciscans.
Secondly I am attaching a handout called Mary in Scriptures you should give to each member making the consecration. Thirdly I am attaching a copy of what to do as your Consecration gets closer. Last a copy of the Total Consecration Schedule.
Below you will find an outline of the consecration process with dates and links to download each talk (remember to download them before the expiration date or go to the HTR web site at http://www.holytrinityregionofs.org/ they should be uploaded before the end of the week) .
Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary
Recording 1 : Should be done the week before July 1st Introduction
· John 19:25-29 · Introduction to Consecration to Jesus through Mary · Gift of self to Mary and Renewing Baptismal Promises · Total Consecration and Franciscan Spirituality · How to Make the Consecration · Using the Books
July 1st (Feast of Br. Juniper Serra)– August 2nd (Feast of Our Lady of the Angels) The 33 Days of Preparation · Daily Prayer and Meditation using · Preparation according to de Montfort or · 33 Days to Morning Glory by Gaitley
Recording 2: Between the 1st of July and the 8th Mary, Our Mother
· Revelation 12:1-7 · Montfort and Mary · Chapter 1 of True Devotion · Our Lady and Franciscan Spirituality
Recording 3: Between July 8th and July 15th Mary, Our Model
· Luke 1:25-56 · Chapter 2 and 7 (exterior) of True Devotion · St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Anthony, St. Bonaventure, Bl. John Duns Scotus
Recording 4: Between July 15th and July 22nd Mary, Our Lady and We, Her slaves
· John 2:1-11 · Chapter 3 and 4 of True Devotion · Franciscan Spirituality and Our Lady
Recording 5: Between July 22nd and July 29th Mary, Our Mediatrix
· Genesis 2:14-20, 1 Kings1: 1-20, Luke 2:22-40, Acts 1:11-14 · Chapter 6 and 7 of True Devotion · What to do before and on Consecration day
August 2nd, The Feast of Our Lady of the Angel · The Renewal of Our Baptismal Promises and Act of Consecration after Daily Mass either as an individual or a fraternity
If you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to email me. If I have not included anyone on this list or you need paper copies of the handouts and a cd version of the talks please let me know. I would love for each Fraternity to send me pictures of their Consecration day to post on our website! You can email me at holinessisforeveryone@gmail.com or call me at 740.814.6053. I receive text too J I will send reminder emails as we get closer.
Peace and All Good,
Maggie Wright, OFS Holy Trinity Regional Treasurer
|
OFS Presence in Haiti
Here is a write up of an interview done with Gary Boice, OFS, about his mission to bring modern educational opportunities to the children of Haiti. |