On Sunday, September 25, Br. Massimo Fusarelli, OFM, Minister General of the ORder of Friars Minor, accompanied by Br. Jimmy Zammit, OFM, General Definitor, arrived in New York after visiting the Canadian Province of the Holy Spirit. His fraternal visit to our province and the Holy Name Province was met with great anticipation by the friars. Staying at our Curia on Thompson Street, Massimo and Jimmy were hosted by Fr. Robert Campagna, OFM, Our Provincial Minister, and Fr. Patrick Boyle, OFM, Vicar Provincial. On Monday and Tuesday morning, they visited the Provincial Curia of the Holy Name Province, as well as the retired friars in Butler, New Jersey. On Tuesday afternoon, focus switched to our own province with a visit to Franciscan Mission Associates, Kolbe Friary, and Siena Friary in Mount Vernon. Massimo met with Madeline Bonnici, Executive Director of FMA, as well as Fr. Alvin Te, OFM, Assistant Executive Director. Our visitors returned to Thompson Street, where a fraternal gthering was held in the recration room of Padua Friary. After a brief prayer service and question and answer period held with the brohtsrs of the New York area, pizza was served. Massimo had an opportunity to meet two of the three new postulants living at Our Lady of Peace in Brooklyn.
On Wednesday Massimo celebrated Mass for the Padua community and followed by a delicious meal prepared by Franklin, Padua's chef. In the afternoon, Massimo met with the Provincial Definitorium and concluded his visit with another great meal prepared by Rosa Landazuri. On Thursday, Massimo and Jimmy departed for the Croatian friars' church (the former St. Raphael's) in mid-town Manhattan. All in all it was a great visit.
Massimo made great efforts to meet and speak with all the friars in attendance. Some of the topics discussed were: the relationship of our province with the US-6 provinces, soon to be amalgamated into one new province- the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Massimo made it very clear that we were an equal province and that his wish was that we would flourish and grow. He also spoke of the various regions of the order in the world, and that the order was becoming more centralize in Asia, Africa, and South America. He spoke glowingly of our own friars in formation in Italy, and how much he enjoyed their presence. He said they visit the General Curia often and that he himself had enjoyed the hospitality offered to him at the Convento. Massimo also spoke of the jewel of our order’s ministry- the Custody of the Holy Land, and how more friars were needed to continue the great work of ministering to the places where Jesus himself lived. In all, the friars thoroughly enjoyed his visit to our province, and many expressed sincere thanks for his ministry to the order and his presence among us.