All Highest, glorious God, cast your loght into the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, firm hope, perfect charity, and profound humility, O Lord; that I may do your holy and true will.
(Saint Francis of Assisi)

New York, NY-Six men gathered in prayer with the friars from the Province to celebrate their entrance into the postulancy program. The fraternal gathering included local area friars, the formation team, as well as friars of the province from Canada, Italy, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.  The celebration included the Liturgy of the Hours in honor of the Stigmata of St. Francis and the investiture with a Tau cross to symbolize the beginning of the postulancy program. Provincial Minister Robert Campagna presided and preached, welcoming the men into the fraternity for their first year of formal discernment of life with the Friars Minor. The postulancy program will be housed at Immaculate Conception Friary in Boston's North End.

(Above) Friars gather with the new postulants at St. Anthony of Padua Church, Sept. 17, 2017

By Joshua Critchley, OFM  

The Franciscan OFM Interprovincial Post-Novitiate is going very well. I am studying currently at St. Xavier University finishing up my philosophy degree. The school is run by the Sisters of Mercy and the lived out Catholic faith is very evident. The community at St. Joseph Friary is truly wonderful. Living with brothers from so many diverse backgrounds as well as provinces is truly an enriching experience. We are 13 students and five solemnly professed members currently.

For ministry, I go once a week to a Franciscan Outreach in Chicago. It is a homeless shelter that has beds for people on the streets and serves them a warm meal beforehand. They do this service every day of the year. The dedication of the other volunteers is truly amazing to witness. I am also going to be teaching First Communion at my college to some fellow students who wish to receive the sacrament. Classes will begin in October.

Between ministry, school, and community, Chicago is truly a great place and I consider myself so blessed to be here.

Peace,

Josh

I´m Victor Ernaldo Treminio Trujillo from Nicaragua. I was born on August 17, 1989, in a small town named Dario City, the birthplace of the prince of the Castilian letters Rubén Darío.

I am the second son in the family. I have one brother and two sisters, my parents and grandparents who have  helped to form me in the faith of our Lord.  We are a very close family.

I very much enjoy playing the guitar and singing. I like to walk, search about history and cultures, interreligious dialogue, and ecumenical issues.

To do my theological studies in Rome is very meaningful to me since I will have the opportunity to enrich my Franciscan charism from the very sources. It will allow me to continue to discover the mysteries of God, and to learn  the Italian language, which is very useful in the service of the Order. In addition I will be meeting and sharing with Franciscan brothers from the different provinces of the world.

During my formative period in Central America I had the opportunity to experience and live different social realities, especially assisting and accompanying the communities in rural areas, in the mountains of Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Panama. It was very gratifying for me to accompany humble people who, in the middle of their poverty, gave me the best they had. They shared their faith and traditions which was an opportunity of personal growth not only human but spiritual.

In the urban parishes I was entrusted with the care of youth ministry in terms of human and spiritual organization and formation.In Costa Rica, I accompanied the Chilean fraternity to assist a significant group of African and Haitian migrants who, in order to safeguard their lives, embarked on the road to the United States, thus fulfilling the evangelical imperative of hospitality. We served more than 300 people among them children,and pregnant and elderly women fleeing the wars of northcentral Africa. I helped to coordinate interreligious and ecumenical dialogue between the Muslim brothers and Christians of different denominations.

I am now very happy with my vocation, the gift that the Lord has given in his infinite mercy. I feel very motivated and very available to continue fulfilling the Lord's will in my life.