NEW YORK, NY WINTER 2013
General Minister, Jose Carballo (front, center) with US Provincial Councils and the novitiate staff and novices (Photos courtesy of Frank Jasper, OFM)
The councils of all OFM provinces in the United States gathered at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, from December 10-14, 2012. The theme of the gathering was "The Future of Franciscan Life and Mission in the United States." Present also at this historic meeting were Fr.
Jose Rodriguez Carballo, General Minister of the Order, Fr.
Michael Perry, Vicar General, and Fr. Francis Walter, General
Definitor.
At the end of the meeting, the Provincial Ministers of the US provinces sent out a letter to all the other friars to share their inspiring experience of the gathering and the results of their discussions. Aiming toward greater interprovincial cooperation, they decided on the following course of action:
“1. In order to re-vitalize Franciscan life in the United States, we agreed to create an Interprovincial Commission to explore further collaboration among and possible restructuring of our provinces. By collaboration, we mean the pursuit of joint initiatives among U.S. provinces in which the provinces retain their juridical autonomy. By restructuring, we mean the joining together of provinces in some way in which the provinces are no longer autonomous juridically, although this need not require a complete merger of provinces. ( continued on page 4)
by Mario F. Julian, OFM and Christopher Lohr
Since 2009, when six out of thirteen churches in Troy closed,
St. Anthony’s has continued its service to the community as it has done for the past eighty years.
Our attendance on weekends (Masses on Saturday at 4:30 pm and on Sunday at
9 am, 10 am in Spanish, 12 noon and
5:30 pm) has gone from 200 in 2004 to
750 today. in our city center. Working cooperatively maximizes the impact of limited resources.
Joseph's House and Shelter, Inc.
, originally founded in 1982 by Sisters of
St. Joseph who were serving at St.
Anthony’s Parish, is now a communitybased, not-for-profit corporation whose purpose is to prevent and alleviate homelessness.
While attendance continues to increase, collections have not, but we have learned to work with the income we receive. After all, we are not the government in Albany or in Washington.
We cannot spend what we do not have. In
In 2008, St. Anthony’s was the first local church to join Inn from the Cold , a program administered by Joseph’s House.
Inn From the Cold is an emergency our service to the community, we have
Facade of the church long collaborated with other churches and agencies that have demonstrated success in ministry to the most vulnerable people sleeping on the street during the winter months. Since St. Anthony’s joined the program, St. Paul’s &
St. John’s Episcopal overflow shelter that provides overnight housing for men who would otherwise be
(continued on page 2)

Winter 2013 Page 2
Churches, Christ United Methodist Church, Terra Nova Church a n d F i r s t
P r e s b y t e r i a n
C h u r c h i n downtown Troy have also joined and helped in p u r c h a s i n g single beds and b e d d i n g . T h e program moves from one church to another each month and is
Parish School s t a f f e d b y volunteers from the parishes. In the year 2012 St. Anthony’s hosted the program from March 1 to April 15. Since this program began no person in Troy has died from being out in the cold all night.
Since 1997, St. Anthony’s former school building has been home to the Roarke Center , a comprehensive social service ministry to the urban poor, offering crisis intervention and advocacy. The Center was founded by the Daughters of Charity of
St. Vincent de Paul. In 2008, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of
Albany became the corporate sponsor.
Roarke Center services include: emergency assistance, free medical services for the uninsured, extensive creative arts classes, adult literacy, computer literacy, family budgeting assistance, a food pantry and the Roarke Connection.
The Roarke Connection is for women with legal issues or leaving incarceration. Working with Rensselaer County Sheriff’s
Office, the program begins a year before the women leave prison and helps them make contact with families, prepare for employment, find a place to live and get the assistance they need to get back on their feet. The program concludes with a graduation ceremony in the parish hall attended by the county judge, city mayor, parole officers, members of the Sheriff’s
Department and family members. In 2007, the Roarke Connection received a Re-entry Association of NY Commendation in recognition of an 83% non-recidivism rate for program participants.
In 2011, 10,559 meals were provided by the Roarke Center food pantry. St. Anthony’s parishioners contribute a weekly food offering for the pantry and donations received for St. Anthony’s
Feastday Bread go toward its support.
St. Anthony’s parishioners collect school supplies and backpacks for the center to give to children in need as well as contribute to the
Christmas gift distribution run by the center.
Parishioners also volunteer at the reception desk and in the art program.
The friary is host to the Ree n t r y p o s t i n c a r c e r a t i o n
Parish Friary program for men sponsored by the Sheriff’s Department. Similar to the program for women run by the Roarke Center , men who have been recently released from prison to meet with their parole officers and others to help them reconnect with their families and get back on their feet through work and a place to live.
Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous hold weekly meetings in the basement of the parish hall (Rev. Thomas
DeLuca Auditorium). There is no charge to the groups and the only request is that they keep the meeting room clean.
Once a month, year-round, the Luke 3:11 Ministry sets up in the parking lot to bring a hot meal, clothing and personal care items to people on the streets.
Rev. Thomas DeLuca Auditorium
St. Anthony’s parish is a regular donor to the following:
Unity House , founded by a nun and two Franciscan friars in
1971, provides crisis intervention, advocacy, skills teaching, information, resources, encouragement and support to disadvantaged people to help them lead productive and healthy lives. Unity House assists those living in poverty, adults living with mental illness or HIV/AIDS, victims of domestic violence, and children with developmental delays.
Originating as a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph serving at
St. Anthony’s School, The Bethany Hospitality Center offers to all homeless or needy people a daytime opportunity for shelter and food on a day-to-day basis. In 2011 this center underwent a reorganization and is now administered by Unity House . Hours of operation have been extended and peer counseling will soon be available onsite.
Troy Area United Ministries (TAUM) is an ecumenical association of congregations joining people of all faiths and backgrounds to serve people in need, to work for social justice and to build a stronger community.
TAUM sponsors: Computers for Kids - an intensive summer program for low-income and at-risk youth; CROP Walk - an international effort for hunger and disaster relief; The Damien
Center - a hospitality center for persons infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS; The Furniture Program - providing furniture free of charge to families in need; Ecumenical and Interfaith Activities
- peace vigils, services, and community forums; The Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Events & Scholarship Program
Committee - special efforts in race relations and community issues, and the provision of college scholarships to area graduates.
At the heart of St. Anthony’s service to the community remains our continuing ability to have the church open throughout the day, seven days a week, providing a place for quiet, prayerful respite from the city streets.

Winter 2013 Page 3
After months of work, the restoration of Saint Joseph Friary in
Onset, MA, has reached completion. Friars Charlie Gingerich and John Scarangello oversaw this project of refurbishing the
Russell and Marian Bullen Estate that was purchased by the province in May, 1967.
The friary was rededicated on the feast of St. Francis starting with a Transitus Service on October 3 at Saint Margaret Church in Buzzards Bay. A Eucharist in honor of Our Holy Father Saint
Francis was celebrated at Saint Mary Star of the Sea Church in
Onset on October 4. At noon that day, the friary was rededicated and blessed with many of our friars from the different regions participating.
The friary is envisioned as a place for friars who need an environment conducive to meditation, quiet, rest and relaxation.
It is now available year round. (Photos by Courtland Campbell,
OFM)
The back of the friary facing Onset Bay Chapel
Mass and procession in Central America
Friars in the chapel Informal dining room
In the hallway for the blessing Friar Chuck with the postulants
Blessing of animals in Toronto, Canada (above) and Troy, NY
Mass of St. Francis at St. Mary Church Primo celebrating the Mass

Winter 2013 Page 4
The work of the Interprovincial Commission will focus on three areas:
(i) It will address the issue of a common OFM mission, vision and set of values in the United States
(ii) It will propose specific future collaborations among provinces
(iii) It will propose multiple models of re-structuring the US provinces.
The membership of the Interprovincial Commission will include a friar from each province, one of whom will serve full time as chair. Membership of the Commission will be determined by the seven provincials in consultation with their councils, and the provincials will provide oversight to the Commission.
T h e I n t e r p r o v i n c i a l C o m m i s s i o n w i l l m a k e i t s recommendations to OFM leadership in the US by Fall 2013. All recommendations of the Commission are non-binding and subject to the approval of provincial leadership in each province.
Frank Walter, Michael Perry and Jose Carballo
2. We also identified six areas in which we will seek enhanced collaboration. In each area a proposal for enhanced collaboration will be developed by the appropriate existing bodies of the provinces within 12 months and presented to each
Provincial Council for review. The six areas we identified are:
(i) An interprovincial postulancy program
(ii) A common program for the temporary professed and ministerial formation
(iii) A national director of ongoing formation for the U.S.
(iv) A national webmaster/social media coordinator who would focus on youth evangelization and vocation promotion
(v) Consolidated operations (e.g., common insurance [auto and health], senior friar care, liability, investment strategies)
(vi) The creation of a national JPIC office.”
Members of the IC Provincial Council at the discussions
Recently he attended a fundraiser here in NYC for the benefit of
Kenyan tribesmen and their families who are in great need.
General Minister (middle) meets the novices