Official Newsletter of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Province, Order of Friars Minor, Albuquerque, NM Remembering Terence Rhoades, OFM

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1 Official Newsletter of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Province, Order of Friars Minor, Albuquerque, NM Remembering Terence Rhoades, OFM When Terence Rhoades, OFM, passed away on Monday, July 11, 2016, at Villa Guadalupe in Gallup, New Mexico, he was just a few weeks away from his 100th birthday. He had lived with the Little Sisters of the Poor since his retirement in 2009, having served nearly 30 years in the Diocese of Gallup, at Sacred Heart Cathedral, and both Zuni Pueblo and St. Mary Mission, Tohatchi. Terence was born Harold Vincent Rhoades in Detroit on August 6, He received the Franciscan habit at St. Anthony National Shrine, Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 15, His first profession of vows took placed on August 16, 1935, with solemn vows professed at Duns Scotus College three years later. Terence was ordained to the priesthood on February 24, Early in his ministry, he served as associate pastor and pastor in Kansas City - both in Missouri and Kansas - along with Louisville, Kentucky. He was involved during those years in efforts to assist minorities during the era of desegregation and race riots. The late Fr. John Mittelstadt, OFM - who served with Fr. Rhoades at St. Mary Mission for many years - saw Terence as a dynamic priest who also loved to grow roses, took a turn at being a barber for his fellow friars, and was an avid ornithologist. All will tell you of his love for animals, especially birds, and he would always be part of the annual bird count in this part of the state, Dale Jamison, OFM, recalled. He not only loved birds, but studied them and could professionally identify every bird he ever saw. Jack Clark Robinson, OFM, Minister Provincial, stated, My understanding is that when people said in his prime, Fr. Terence knew all of the birds of the Zuni and Tohatchi area, they did not mean that he knew all of the species, they meant he knew each individual bird! Fr. Jack continued, I know that, in terms of ministry, he was proud of his ministry with African-Americans in Kansas City, where, as here in the Southwest, he was very engaged with the Legion of Mary, a devout women's organization in the Church. More than any other force, he was the one responsible for establishing the Legion of Mary in the Diocese of Gallup, noted Fr. Dale, with chapters established in many New Mexico and Arizona parishes. According to Fr. Dale, In the most recent thirty years, Fr. Terence was most especially noted as a priest chaplain and confessor to the Missionaries of Charity in Chichiltah and Gallup, as well as the Little Sisters of the Poor, and as a private confessor and spiritual director to many laity. Fr. Jack presided at the funeral Mass on July 15 at St. Francis Church, Gallup, with other friars concelebrating, and Bishop James Wall in attendance. Fr. Dale gave the homily. Burial followed in Hillcrest Cemetery, Gallup. Fr. Dale summed up Terence s impact on those around him very concisely: There is no such thing as a perfect Franciscan - but he came pretty close.

2 Into Our Tradition - A Monthly Reflection from Our Franciscan Heritage Jack Clark Robinson, OFM Dear Brothers, You have heard me say I have come to realize that one of my responsibilities as your Minister is to connect the friars of Our Lady of Guadalupe Province with the wider Franciscan world. Attending the meetings of the ESC Ministers Provincial, the General Chapter, and working with the Interprovincial Commission are all part of that connection to the wider Franciscan family. Raising our awareness of our Franciscan tradition is another element of that connection to the wider world of Franciscanism. Last year, the Provincial Council and I spent a day of recollection looking through some of the articles of the General Constitutions and the General Statutes. One of the friars, who shall remain nameless - though I will reveal he has been a friar for over twenty years - mentioned he had never had a copy of the General Constitutions and Statutes because he had always thought they were only for Definitors and the like. I don t think that friar was so unusual. Lots of us tend to think things like the Constitutions and Statutes are unrelated to our real life, that they only have to do with Chapters and elections and things like that. But in fact, the Constitutions and Statutes are mainly concerned with our everyday life. The first six chapters of the General Constitutions have to do with our life, while only chapters seven and eight look to the structure of the Order and governance. Here is what the Constitutions themselves say about why we should take them to heart, from Article 12: Section 1: The General Constitutions provide the basic norms to regulate the life of all friars everywhere in accordance with the Rule. Section 2: All the friars are to strive to observe with the greatest care, the laws contained in these General Constitutions. Unless these are faithfully observed, fraternal fellowship and evangelical perfection can hardly be achieved in a manner proper to the Order. Over the coming months, I plan to share what I can of the General Constitutions with you as a part of my on-going responsibility to connect us to the wider Franciscan world and our traditions. I am in hopes that you will be encouraged to examine these documents beyond what I present in this column. We have copies of the General Constitutions and Statutes in the Provincial Curia for anyone who would like one. The very first thing that the Constitutions do is to call all of us to the depth of our tradition, from Article 1: Section 1: The Order of Friars Minor, founded by St. Francis of Assisi, is a fraternity. In this fraternity the friars follow Jesus Christ more closely under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; through profession they dedicate themselves totally to God whom they love above all, living the Gospel in the Church according to the form observed and proposed by St. Francis. Section 2: The friars, as followers of St. Francis, are bound to lead a radically evangelical life, namely: to live in a spirit of prayer and devotion and in fraternal fellowship; they are to offer a witness of penance and minority; and, in charity towards all mankind, they are to announce the Gospel throughout the whole world and to preach reconciliation, peace and justice by their deeds; and to show respect for creation. In that first article we are reminded of at least eight elements of what our life is about: - We are a fraternity. We are a brotherhood. St. Francis founded us first and foremost as a brotherhood, with the purpose of following Jesus Christ. Our inspiration to do so is from the Holy Spirit. - Profession, a commitment by which we give ourselves totally to God and to each other, is at the heart of who we are. - We love God more than anything, than anyone else. - We are to live the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus, and we are to do so in the Church, not in some way on our own. - We are to lead the Gospel, the evangelical life, radically to the core of our being. - We are called to prayer and with a real commitment to brotherhood. - Our witness of penance, charity and the Gospel are to extend to everyone, without exception. - We are committed to human reconciliation, peace, and justice and to the care of creation. That is a lot of challenge to us in the very first article, and there is lots more to come! The Padres Trail, Volume 30, Number 8, August,

3 Summer Means... The Annual Picnic at Wheatfields The friars gathered near Our Lady of the Lake Church in Wheatfields, Arizona, on July 4 for a cookout and lots of animated conversation. This picnic has been an annual tradition for decades! John Friebel serves a steak to Pio O Connor Joseph Gonsalves feeds a bit of steak to Maxie, who lives with the Little Sisters of the Poor Where to Find Us... José Rodriguez, Andrew Koon, Bruce Hausfeld, Bryant Hausfeld and Dale Jamison enjoy their meal Internet: Facebook: SWFranciscans Twitter: SWFranciscans Youtube: SWFranciscans The Padres Trail, Volume 30, Number 8, August,

4 Summer Means... Celebrating Br. John Friebel s Green Thumb (and the colors of his garden) The Padres Trail, Volume 30, Number 8, August,

5 Summer Means... Travel Bernard Keele got a bit wet in the Pacific at Oceanside, California, while he spent a week at the Franciscan School of Theology for a summer class Edgardo Diaz Vazquez paused during his visit to Santa Maria degli Angeli while on his Italian Franciscan Study Pilgrimage in preparation for professing his solemn vows Dale Jamison and Pio O Connor with two young attendees at the Tekakwitha Conference in San Francisco Ron Walters gives a mission appeal during a Vietnamese Mass at the Cathedral of the Epiphany, Sioux City, Iowa, while the Rev. Hieu Nguyen translates for him from the pulpit The Padres Trail, Volume 30, Number 8, August,

6 Communications Corner News On Friday, August 19, Edgardo Diaz Vazquez, OFM, will profess his solemn vows during a 6:30 PM Mass at Holy Family Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Congratulations, Br. Edgardo! (The video of the Mass will be available on the SW Franciscans Youtube channel within a few days of the event.) Maynard Shurley, OFM, has been appointed principal of St. Francis School, Gallup, New Mexico, for the academic year. I m excited, remarked Br. Maynard. I m learning a lot in a very short time. He will be assisted by co-principal Angela Plummer. Birthdays 1 Robert Sprott 1 George Ward 6 Terence Rhoades 7 Eduardo Espinosa 22 Gilbert Schneider Gerry Steinmetz, OFM, recently recorded a video, reflecting on his pilgrimage to Mexico, Central and South America. Both English and Spanish versions are available on the SW Franciscans Youtube channel. The Padres Trail is the newsletter for the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Editor: Julie Ferraro, Director of Communications. Contact: 1204 Stinson Street SW, Albuquerque, NM Office phone: ext. 511 Send articles, photos, letters or article suggestions by the last day of the month to: communicationsolg@gmail.com The Padres Trail, Volume 30, Number 8, August,