BE PREPARED MISSION STATEMENT REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. March, By Marie Thomas, OFS Regional Vice-Minister

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1 BE PREPARED By Marie Thomas, OFS Regional Vice-Minister As Secular Franciscans, we try to sacrifice with Christ during Lent. But Lent comes every year! Thus, our offerings may have become rather ho- hum. Let s approach it from a different angle this year. Imagine that your doctor just told you that you have one week to live. You come home in a stupor. What should you do? The one thing you know you want to do is prepare yourself. You want to be ready. But what are we waiting for? We are dying every day. We are not getting any younger! We are coming closer and closer to our last day. So let s not put off the preparation. Saint Paul didn t. He believed the second coming of Christ was coming very soon and he lived every moment of his life with that belief. Look at the result: it made him a saint! The good news is that Jesus wants us to be prepared so He made it easy. In fact, He compared it to the banquet where the more people come, the merrier. The only stipulation is that we wear the proper spiritual attire or risk being thrown out. Let s look at the three items that are a requirement in our spiritual wardrobe: First and foremost, we must have a clear conscience. This means going to confession often because even the smallest sin or fault can cloud our vision of the Lord when He is calling us. We must be careful not to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others and consoling ourselves by thinking, They don t go to Mass and they often use vulgar language, etc. so we are better than they. No, we need to compare ourselves to Jesus and ask ourselves, Did we respond to all the inspirations of the Holy Spirit? Were we even aware of His presence? Do we still care what others say or think of us or have our priorities shifted so that we are totally concerned March, 2013 MISSION STATEMENT The Five Franciscan Martyrs Region of the Secular Franciscan Order in the United States is the organic union of all Secular Franciscan fraternities in the State of Florida, South Georgia, and Lower Alabama. We desire to promote in the world a deeper presence of the Catholic Faith and the Franciscan tradition; and we seek to bring the Gospel Beatitudes of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, as personified by St. Francis of Assisi, to all our secular, daily lives. We foster a spirit of prayer, conversion, reconciliation, justice and service, especially to the marginalized in our society. We invoke the intercession, honor the memory, and advance the Cause of the patrons of our Region, the Five Franciscan Martyrs of La Florida, who, in A.D. 1597, freely gave their lives in testimony to the dignity of Christian marriage and family life. (Rewritten from original 1991 version and approved in February 1999, updated February 2004 to include Lower Alabama). REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Fr. Tom Murphy, OFM Regional Spiritual Assistant Hans Huemmer, SFO

2 His presence? Do we still care what others say or think of us or have our priorities shifted so that we are totally concerned only about what God thinks of us? Do we think we must use every gift for doing good or do we spend more time and energy with the Person who gave us our gifts? Do we trust God enough to thank Him for everything or do we worry about things? Do we think we are the only ones who will do things right? Secondly, our mission, like that of Jesus, is to love others. He even tells us to love others as He loves us! This means we must love others... unconditionally! Love them even though they hurt us or belittle us or neglect us or are deliberately rude to us. Love them even though they are homeless drunks standing on our corner or terrorists bombing our men and women overseas. Love them even though they had an abortion or have HIV. Love them even though they don t seem to keep forgetting things and don t seem to be able to do anything right. Let s love them. Let s love them unconditionally..embrace the poor Christ Look upon Him, making yourself contemptible in this World For Him..gaze, consider, contemplate, desire to imitate St. Clare of Assisi, from The Second Letter to Agnes of Prague. Lastly, it goes without saying that we must stay close to our crucified Jesus as Francis did. There is only one way to stay close to God - through prayer! Prayer is not a multiplication of words; it is a multiplication of time - time spent with Him. We need to let go of our own agenda and gradually open ourselves to what God wants us to experience. We need to create a space in our hearts for God to reside. The more time we spend with God and ponder His word, the more it grows within us, gently changing us and shaping our thoughts, our feelings, and our lives to be more in conformity with His will. He can accomplish far more when we are open and receptive to Him. We must simply be open and allow Him to take the initiative. The most practical preparation we can make for Lent and death is to cultivate an interior silence in our life and be receptive to God s presence because He is there always. Hans Huemmer, SFO Regional Minister Marie Thomas, SFO Regional Vice Minister Pam Nagle, SFO Regional Treasurer Mary Rivera, SFO Regional Formation Minister Norma Coffin, SFO Regional Secretary John LoRicco, SFO Northeast Councilor Joy Niklas, SFO West Central Councilor Bonnie Barlow, SFO East Central Councilor Barbara Carroll, SFO Southwest Councilor Barbara Gesmundo, SFO Southeast Councilor John Abendroth, SFO Northwest Councilor Ed Duff, SFO General Councilor at- Large Theresa A Zesiewicz MD OFS, Regional Newsletter Editor Most High, Glorious God, Enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me true faith,

3 GREETINGS FROM ANDY BUCHLEITNER JPIC is alive and well in our Region! I can tell from your response to the call for nominees for the Annual Regional JPIC award. I look forward in recognizing and celebrating the winner with you. Our Franciscan challenge continues, however, as JPIC issues seem to be growing at an ever- increasing rate. In the past, some of the most pressing of these issues have been mass- mailed to the Fraternity contacts I currently have. This will continue. I will also be taking advantage of the opportunity to use our regional newsletter whenever possible. Finally, I will send a regular monthly update (if no newsletter is to be published) directly to representatives of each fraternity. I would ask, therefore, that every fraternity makes sure that I have at least one contact person s . I also welcome anyone else to send their to a.buchleitner@juno.com if they wish me to send them this information directly. true faith, certain hope, and perfect charity, sense and knowledge, Lord, That I may carry out Your holy and true command. DID YOU KNOW? The word Lent is actually derived from the German word Lenz and the Dutch Lente, meaning spring, or lengthening of days! Lent is a time of hope for a new beginning. TAU TUMBLERS Those of you who purchased a Tau Tumbler and need some adjustment, contact the Tervis Company directly because they have a lifetime guarantee with no questions asked. Either call or visit THE EMPTY TOMB In closing, I wish all of my fellow repentance seekers to enjoy with me another opportunity to come closer to our mighty God as we celebrate this Holy Season of Lent. And remember: LENT REPENT! You re looking for volunteers? I m just too busy! I have so much to do! I just don t have time. Stop Everything and for the next minute think of all the things you feel need your immediate attention. Now, for the next minute, think about all the things that are important in your life when viewed from God s eyes, in the eyes of eternity. Are your priorities and God s priorities the same? Or is it time for a change? Repent! The Kingdom of God is at hand! (Mt 4:17) Prophets throughout history have echoed these first words of Jesus. However, prophets tend to bring up much more than we want to deal with. Like two- edged swords, their words penetrate and divide our souls from our spirits and judge the Life is marked by contradictions. We experience success and failure daily. The journey from birth to death, from baptism to eternal life, isn t an easy path. The happiness of a birth is dampened by the death of a loved one. A promotion at work may be greeted with jealousy. We all experience these events; the proverbial sharp knife of an unexpected death, divorce, or betrayal. The joyful weddings and

4 penetrate and divide our souls from our spirits and judge the thoughts and desires of our hearts. Because they are so confrontational and convicting, we refuse to listen. We might even call them mad. (Mt 11:18) God s will for each of us is that we love Him and our neighbor. For our own good, He gives us guidelines to follow in His commandments. But what are His commandments? Perhaps we have changed them into something of our own fabrication: Thou shalt ignore spouse, kids and neighbors when it s TV time. Thou shalt not jeopardize thy personal comfort level. Thou shalt However, God didn t come judging He came saving! He wants to heal us. Fortunately, we have a patient God Who allows us time for repentance and change of heart. It is not the will of God that a sinner should die, but that he should be converted from his wicked ways, and live. (Ex 18:23) Maybe it s time to examine our hearts more closely and determine how well we are following God s plan for our lives. To love is not an easy thing to do. Sometimes we may need to forgive before we can even begin. But love is not an emotion it s a decision. To be authentic, it requires sacrifice. It asks that we freely subjugate our will to God s will. Loving God and neighbor means giving ourselves totally and unselfishly without counting the cost. But isn t that what our faith is all about imitating the example of loving sacrifice given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ? Lent is a time of special grace. Let us take advantage of this grace and truly repent that we may go with Jesus to the cross; not only on Good Friday but all the days of our life. Let us say with St. Paul: May I never boast of anything but the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! (Gal 6:14) SECULAR ORDER COMMUNITIES CELEBRATE, SHARE THEIR CHARISM LINDA CALDWELL betrayal. The joyful weddings and family- filled holidays feel so solitary compared to these tough times. When we experience dark days, we can take comfort by the life of St. Francis, and the joy he achieved by conversion and Gospel life. A privileged young man born to wealth shed his expensive garments and comfortable lifestyle, and embraced poverty with zeal and passion. The contradictions of life- - - our tears and joy- - - can be better understood when reflecting on the Lenten season. We recall that the Life of Jesus, as God made Man, was contrary to the expectations of those who awaited a glorious and powerful Messiah. Jesus was born in a stable, to humble parents. He was the son of a carpenter and performed manual labor. He had no royal robes, no mansion, and no servants. Jesus also experienced contradictions in his public life. Can you imagine riding into Jerusalem in triumph on a donkey on Palm Sunday, only to be hung on a Cross soon after? Even Jesus tomb is a contradiction. Tombs are unpleasant objects. Cold, dark, and stony, they are placed underground or in a crypt where no sun can reach them. The dead are placed inside them in grief and sadness. Horror movies depict tombs with skeletons and bones. They are symbols of the End. But the empty tomb of Jesus symbolized the Beginning! From the moment that Mary and the women saw the empty tomb on Easter morning, the course of humanity changed. Death was made powerless and eternal salvation was gained. Billions of souls were brought to new life. The Risen Jesus underscored the

5 LINDA CALDWELL of the Florida Catholic staff Note from the Editor: the OFS is a religious order founded for the laity with a rule approved by the Pope, and differs from secular communities or modalities life. The Risen Jesus underscored the apostles belief, without doubt, that Jesus truly was The Son of God. And it all started with an empty tomb with burial clothes folded neatly inside. Only the Master of the Universe could make the unhappiest of events, death, so glorious in the end. If we walk through life with Jesus, death will also be our final glorious contradiction. Our tombs will be the start of inexplicable joy, peace and relief as we gaze on the face of our Lord. Daily formation, conversion, and living our lives according to the Gospel help to bring us into greater union with Jesus. ORLANDO Donning the symbol of their secular order a brown scapular for the Lay Carmelites and Secular Disclaced Carmelites, a simple wooden cross for the Secular Franciscans, and a colorful scapular for the Secular Servants of Mary, Catholics from throughout the Diocese of Orlando participated in the celebration of the first diocesan Mass for secular order communities Jan. 19 at St. James Cathedral in Orlando. Bishop John Noonan served as celebrant. Bishop Noonan recognized the various secular groups, noting that they all follow the examples of the saints, powerful people who, like St. Matthew, heard the Lord s calling in their life and followed him with great devotion and dedication. We are called to know, love and serve the Lord because we were made in his image and likeness and our role more than anything else is to make sure the Word of God is alive and well, not only in our lives but in the midst of our communities and families, Bishop Noonan said. Today, you the lay religious community of the Church are living symbols in dialogue with the world so that the world may know and the world may believe that Jesus Christ is alive and well. Your devotion, your prayer life, your follower, the one who in a sense called you, is the Lord, he continued. The one The Risen Jesus makes it all possible. The contradictions in life all make sense through Him. Rest assured that He is standing at the end of our journey with wide open arms and big smile. Happy Easter. Theresa A. Zesiewicz, OFS GUESS THE FRANCISCAN QUOTE (ANSWERS BELOW) 1. In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone. 2. Place your mind before the mirror of eternity! Place your soul in the brilliance of glory! And transform your entire being into the image of the Godhead Itself through contemplation."ʺ 3. The most deadly poison of our times is indifference. And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits. Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him to the greatest extent of our powers. 4. I asked the Mother of God what

6 in a sense called you, is the Lord, he continued. The one who helped you is the one who, in a sense, too, knew the Lord. If it was Francis, if it was Augustine, if it was Mary, the Mother of God, all of them, too, were in union with the Lord. Our greatest goal in life is to know, to love and to serve the Lord. Not just what we believe but what he wants us to share with the rest of the world, that he has come to bring life and to bring it to the fullest. If you suffer with Him, you will reign with Him, Weeping with Him, you will rejoice with Him: Dying on the cross of tribulation with Him, you will possess heavenly mansions with Him Among the splendor of the saints And in the Book of Life your name will be called glorious among the peoples St. Clare of Assisi, from The Second Letter to Agnes of Prague, I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both. 5. If things created are so full of loveliness, how resplendent with beauty must be the One who made them! 6. When we pray, the voice of the heart must be heard more than that proceeding from the mouth NEWS FROM THE FRATERNITIES Southwest Portiuncula Fraternity The Portiuncula Fraternity has received its final the letters from Fr. David Morrier, TOR, Provincial Spiritual Assistant for the Sacred Heart TOR Province, transferring the Portiuncula Fraternity'ʹs canonical bond of altius moderamen from the Holy Name OFM Province to Sacred Heart TOR Province and also officially appointing Fr. Benjamin Medeiros, TOR as its Spiritual Assistant. Fr. Nichol Polichnowski, TOR, Provincial of the Sacred Heart Province, acted as Presider of the Rite of Installation for Fr. Benjamin which took place at the end of February.

7 PROFESSIONS: Six Candidates from the Southwest Area have been professed: Sionnie Tolentino, OFS and Domingo Tolentino, OFS from St. Clare of Assisi Fraternity, Port Charlotte, promised to always live the Gospel according to the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order on Thursday, January 24, 2013 at the 11:00 AM Mass. Joyful socializing followed at the International Buffet. Marie Fiscina, OFS from Portiuncula Fraternity in Bradenton; Roger Reid, OFS from Solanus Casey Fraternity in Venice; and Adele Lewis, OFS from Maximilian Kolbe Fraternity in Cape Coral all made their permanent commitment to following the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order on the Feast of the Presentation, February 2, 2013 at a con- celebrated 10 AM Mass with Rev. Benjamin Medeiros, T.O.R. as the main celebrant, in Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church. Everyone then celebrated and mingled at Duff s Buffet. Photos can be viewed on On that same day, Christina Pekar from St. Clare Fraternity in Naples was professed in the newly renovated St. William s Church. Marie Fiscina, OFS from Portiuncula Fraternity in Bradenton; Roger Reid, OFS from Solanus Casey Fraternity in Venice; and Adele Lewis, OFS from Maximilian Kolbe Fraternity in Cape Coral all made their permanent commitment to following the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order on the Feast of the Presentation, February 2, 2013 at a con- celebrated 10 AM Mass with Rev. Benjamin Medeiros, T.O.R. as the main celebrant, in Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church. Everyone then celebrated and mingled at Duff s Buffet. Photos can be viewed on On that same day, Christina Pekar from St. Clare Fraternity in Naples was professed in the newly renovated St. William s Church. DECEASED: Since our last Regional Newsletter, two members from the Southwest Area have been called home by God and will be missed by remaining members: Dolores Laporta, OFS from Maximilian Kolbe Fraternity died on November 29, 2012 and Jane Sulliva, OFS from Portiuncula Fraternity died on January 10, Both Memoriam may be views on

8 RETREAT: Advent Retreat Five fraternities from the Southwest Area participated in an Advent Retreat at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Venice with Fr. Francis De Poal, OFM as the Retreat Master. It was an uplifting day with several talks, opportunity for confession, and ended with the ultimate prayer, the Mass. Of course the socializing during a tasty lunch added to the camaraderie. St. Clare Fraternity, Naples, Florida St Clare Fraternity in Naples, Hosted a Southwest Regional Advent day of recollection at Our Lady of Perpetual help in Venice. Fr Francis De Sales OFM from Ave Maria University led the day, sharing the gift of years. We are called to joyfully live in the present, not looking back but forward in awe and wonder for what great and mighty things God has in store for us. Many young and old alike enjoyed the beauty of His creation in and around the retreat grounds during the day. Josephine (aged 3), the youngest little Franciscan~! Fr Raney'ʹs 100th Birthday Celebration and a request for prayer as Fr. Joe Sterns continues on his journey to be a Secular Franciscan! Thank You! May God Bless your Spirit with Peace and all Good! Bob Pekar, OFS Minister of St Clare Fraternity Southeast Espejo de Cristo

9 Espejo de Cristo Espejo de Cristo (aka: Mirror of Christ) had our annual Christmas Apostolate for As part of the Apostolate, we purchased and donated food baskets and toys for the children of needy families in our community. We also worked with Queen of Peace fraternity to contribute 100 care boxes with toiletry for the homeless (See pictures of us purchasing and preparation the donations!) Hard work and long hours but the Joy of Giving and expressing the Lords Love were great this Christmas season. Thanks to the generous donations of many people. West Central Florida St. Michael the Archangel, Tampa, Florida St. Michael the Archangel Fraternity Council (Maria Nicotra OFS, Fr. Angelus Migliore TOR, Sandy Scionti OFS, Marie Waddell OFS, John Williams OFS, Buzz Bruno OFS, and Dr. Margie Sweeney OFS Maryann Fitzpatrick OFS, Marie Waddell OFS, Sandy Scionti OFS, and Sharon McHugh OFS

10 St. Michael the Archangel Fraternity Members John Williams OFS and Sharon McHugh OFS St. Michael the Archangel fraternity meets at St. Patrick Church in Tampa, Florida, on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM. The fraternity is led by Francis Buzz Bruno OFS (Minister), Dr. Margie Sweeney OFS (Vice Minister), John V. Williams OFS (Formation Director), Sandy Scionti OFS (Secretary), Marie Therese Waddell OFS (Treasurer), with Jane Keehan OFS and Maria Nicotra OFS (Councilors at Large). Rev. Angelus Migliore, TOR is our beloved Spiritual Assistant. The fraternity actively assists our homeless brothers and sisters, with a ministry led by Maria Nicotra. Mary Skok, Jane Keehan, and Mary Ann Fitzpatrick also minister to nursing home patients in Tampa. The fraternity assists our brothers and sisters in Haiti and other developing countries through the Helping Hands Healing Ministry, led by Dr. Margie Sweeney, OFS. Margie will be travelling to Haiti in the spring with a team of medical professionals and volunteers, as they help those in developing countries with medical care and education, and our prayers. Margie'ʹs work is a fraternity group apostolate of St. Michael the Archangel. For more information, please visit Our fraternity received the grace and blessings of five new professions in the year In April 2012, Mary Skok OFS and Dorothy T Smith OFS were professed at St. Patrick Church with great joy! In December 2012, Bill Morgan OFS, Diana McKinney OFS, and Dr. Theresa Zesiewicz OFS were professed as well. Our Christmas party was held in December following a reception for the professions. Two members experienced Sister Death and passed on to eternal life (Robin Reich OFS and Bernadine Cameron OFS). May their souls be blessed and rest in peace. Michelle Thresher Taylor JD OFS and Dr. Margie Sweeney, OFS Dr. Theresa Zesiewicz OFS, her husband Dr. Joseph Staffetti and daughter Alessandra

11 Diana McKinney OFS and her friends John Williams OFS, David Koehler, and Buzz Bruno OFS at a formal welcoming ceremony for Dave Buzz Bruno, OFS and Rev. Jim Angert, TOR Fr. Angelus Migliore, TOR (Spiritual Assistant) ANSWERS: 1. St. John of the Cross 2. St. Clare 3. St. Maximillian Kolbe 4. St. Maximillian Kolbe 5. St. Anthony of Padua 6. St. Bonaventure This was sent to brandon@project- whiteboard.com. If you are no longer interested you can unsubscribe instantly.