Br. Akolla Ordained to the Priesthood
Our Akolla Etuge, OFM Cap., was ordained a priest in our Provincial celebration held on June 15, 2019. Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap., now the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston was on hand as the ordaining prelate. St. Catherine of Sweden Church in Allison Park, PA, hosted the even since our own motherhouse church, St. Augustine's in Pittsburgh, PA, is undergoing the construction of our additions to the current friary.
A choir of singers and musicians animated the Mass and Ordination Ritual. They traveled from the parishes of Holy Spirit and St. Agnes/Our Lady of Fatima in Cleveland, OH, where Br. Akolla served as deacon and will now serve as parochial assistant.
The CFP Graduates Sam & Ryan
CFP candidates Sam Hadjis and Ryan Schmeltzer(left) bid their own farewells to Borromeo Seminary as they graduated from John Carroll University whose commencement took place on May 19th. Borromeo's celebration, which took place on May 9th, featured former Borromeo Academic Dean, Marty Amos, who served as auxiliary bishop to the diocese before being appointed as bishop to the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, from 2006-2017. Now retired, 
Bishop Marty resides back home in Cleveland and continues to serve the Church there. The former dean spoke to the grads: “Academic credentials? Who cares about them? What’s important is what you do with them.” Sam and Ryan know what they're doing with them: they began their postulancy year at Padre Pio friary in Philadelphia shortly after graduation in June.
Postulants on to Stage 2 . . .
Our Postulants, along with formators Kip Ledger and Jim Mungovan (friars on the right) had their Triduum experience "on the road." After their Good Friday and Easter Vigil in DC, they found their way to Baltimore's Easter Sunday Mass at St. Ambrose. They're pictured here at the friary after Mass with friars Paul Zaborowski and Bill Graham (friars on the left).
On Friday, May 3rd, the men said their "goodbyes" to Padre Pio Friary in Philadelphia. After a few weeks of down time with their families, they'll be traveling to St. Louis, MO, for the Inter-Provincial Postulancy program which begins on Sunday, May 26th.
Brothers, know of our prayers for you on all your journeys - vocational and otherwise . . .
Spring Come-And-See Weekend
15 candidates "from different part of the US soil" had a "fabulous weekend" of discernment with the likes of our Capuchin friars Raf Anguiano, Tom Betz, Alex Hostoffer, Mike Herlihy, Edgar Pereira, Tage Danielson & Lester Knoll. Postulants Tony Rivera and Matt Lontz were there as well. In thanks for the March 1-3 weekend experience, Vocation Director, Br. Raf wrote: "The Lord is very good to us. The Lord really spoils us with the gift of brothers. Thank you for all your prayers!"
Postulants return to Graymoor
The inter-Franciscan Formation for men and women of the Northeast gathered for the Spring encounter in Garrison, NY, from March 12-15. This time, the Stigmata Province friar Robert William, OFM Cap,, presented on Forming a Franciscan Imagination through the perspective of St. Bonaventure. Imagine that. Our own Kip Ledger, OFM Cap., and Sr. Veronica Wood, OSF (Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann communities, Syracuse, NY) have been charged with the role of coordinating future gatherings. Lead on, Br. Kip!
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