Sunday, August 1, through Thursday, August 5, the members of our formation teams will be attending an international meeting of Franciscan Formators at St. Malo Retreat in the mountains above Denver, CO. This is a bi-annual meeting of the directors of the various stages of formation from the English speaking provinces. As Vocation Director I will be attending for the fourth time.
Two years ago I posted pictures of the retreat house as well as of the surrounding scenery including our trek farther up the mountains on our afternoon off. This time I will be taking the video cam so I hope to be able to post even more spectacular shots. (The scene at the upper left is of a lake at the high altitudes above the retreat house.)
With questionable internet connections, I may not be able to post until i return to the heat and humidity of the Midwest. :-(
Steve Krause comments:
Looks like a great group of guys. Wishing them a wonderful experience
and discernment!
The July Vocation Office Newsletter is available in pdf form below:
Download July 2010 Newsletter
Dan Bircher, one of our new Postulants, responds to Friar Richard:
Thank you very much for the welcome, Richard. St. Anthony's does feel
like a home already and it has only been a week. Fr. Carl and Frank (and
Br. Gene), as well as the rest of the friars have made us all feel
welcome from the door. I am glad to be a part of this family and there
are so many more brothers to meet. Peace be with you as well down in
"Rasta Land." I'll be praying for you. Pax. . .
Richard Goodin, O.F.M., 3rd year Temporary Professed Friar doing a STIP year in Jamaica, writes:
Thanks, Fr. Don for putting together a great video of the postulant
reception liturgy! I don't feel so out of touch having now viewed it.
And I would like to send my warmest (and by that I mean a sunny, hot,
"One Love", Caribbean sea, "No Problem", Jamaican style) welcome to the
new postulants. Welcome home to the fraternity fellas!
Fr. Frank, Fr. Carl and Bro. Gene, will take great care of you; of that
I'm sure! Enjoy the tour of the province. When you get to New
Orleans, hop a boat going south and head past Cuba to the west end of
the island of Jamaica. I'll be the only red head on the beach and I'll
show you the SJB mission fields of Jamaica! Improbable I know, but it
sounds nice doesn't it? ;-)
peasah 'n gooda (that's Jamaican for peace and good!)
STIP = Supervised Year in Province, an assignment outside a formation context for our Temporary Professed to experience Franciscan life in the "real word." This year Friar Richard asked for and received a year in our Jamaican missions.
On a hot and muggy afternoon, the Friars of the Cincinnati area gathered at St. Anthony Friary for the annual 4th of July get together. Each year this is an opportunity for the local Friars to meet the new Postulants (some seen on the right looking a little puzzled over something) and for the Postulants to meet a few of the guys from our province. Activity was a little low due to the weather, but we managed to get in a few games of bean-bag toss and the always dreaded water-balloon toss.
If my informant is correct, this annual event dates back to 1985 when St. Anthony Friary was our Novitiate. Once the Novitiate program moved to Cedar Lake, IN where we joined forces with two other Midwest provinces, St. Anthony became the location for our Postulancy program.
Pictures of our new Postulants, new Novices, newly Professed Friar and the Friars in Temporary Vows can be seen on the Formation Page under the Vocation drop-down tab on our provincial website (www.franciscan.org) or just click on this link Formation
