As I enjoy our afternoon off from the workshop, I thought that I would upload some pictures of the interprovincial novitiate here in Burlington, WI. Once the house of philosophy for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary province, it is now home to 14 novices and their three directors, and host to the 30+ postulants and directors here for the workshop (it’s big). More to come about the week, but here’s a preview:
After a long and refreshing weekend in Wilmington, we’re off on our last leg of travels for the year. New York? Washington D.C.? Assisi? If you guessed any of these likely places, sadly for both of us, you are wrong. Sitting here at gate F35 of the Philadelphia airport, waiting for flight 4095, is the word “Milwaukee.” That’s right, Wisconsin.
As a part of the effort to better acquaint us with the postulants of the other English-speaking provinces, the formations directors have decided to gather us in Burlington, WI, at the site of the interprovincial Novitiate for an information workshop on Human Sexuality. Like our trip to Cincinnati back in October, this trip will offer an opportunity to build relationships with the men with which we’ll be living next year, as well as to touch on a very important topic in formation.
As you can probably tell from the picture, we have lots of fog and no plane… This is problematic. Assuming that this problem in remedied soon, pray for us that we have a safe trip and a fruitful week!
Discernment through the eyes of Francis allows us to identify the thing we seek to avoid, and compels us to embrace it.
Based on our experience with the religious world so far, it would appear that the Jesuits have a monopoly on spirituality, influencing (or tainting) the way in which almost every community prays; the Spiritual Exercises have become the norm for retreats and workshops, and it leaves us wondering sometimes, “What about Franciscan spirituality?”
Ask and you shall receive! In a more than refreshing change, 56 members of many different Franciscan orders met this week in Garrison, NY for a truly Franciscan experience. Looking exclusively through the eyes of Francis and Clare, Sister Clare D’Auria, OSF, spent the week leading us in a journey of discernment to a greater understanding of God, self, and community. This meant a strong focus on the Gospels (Francis’ rule), a theology focused on the Incarnation (God made flesh, importance of creation), and using the concrete and practical elements of our worldly experience as a connection to God (Eucharist, the Cross, manger).
Since none of these characteristics are all that specific, the spectrum of “true franciscanism” is quite wide. At this workshop, we had men and women wearing brown, tan, grey, and black habits, as well as some that didn’t own a habit; communities ranged from fully contemplative to non-stop active; individuals were politically conservative and liberal, liturgically traditional and charismatic, theologically orthodox and progressive; and their work included teaching, social work, coordination of liturgy, prayer, and manual labor (to name just a few).
And yet, there was a spirit that transcended all of these particularities, a charism and history that connected us all. Despite the wide range of possibilites within the Franciscan family, there is still a spirituality that connects us all, and separates us from the many others ou there. Being very new to Franciscan life, I found it to be wonderfully eye opening to see the many ways our great saint has inspired people throughout history, and to understand that there are many different, yet all connected, ways of knowing knowing God through Francis.
It was this last part that made the workshop for me: beginning to look at God through the eyes of Francis. Being so new to Franciscan spirituality, I can’t even pretend to be able to articulate what that means or even how my perspective changed. All I can say is that it connected in a way that other spiritualities haven’t in the past; there was a comfort, both spiritual and intellectual, that made me feel right at home. When I began to discern my life through his eyes, God became so much more apparent in my past as well as in the present. It’s an experience like this that leaves me thinking, “Finally, a Franciscan!”
To see the beauty of Graymoor, check out the updated shutterfly website.
Once a stronghold for the Franciscans, northern New Jersey used to be place with dozens of churches run by the friars. As the demographics began to shift in the middle of the last century, Holy Name Province began returning churches to the diocese, freeing them up to hold posts in areas with greater need. Of the locations left, we visited Church of the Assumption of Our Blessed Lady in Wodridge, NJ, Saint Anthony’s Church in Butler, NJ (both parish and retirement home), Saint Bonaventure Church in Paterson, NJ, and finally Saint Mary’s Church in Pompton Lakes, NJ.
Despite the relatively close proximity of these churches (within an hour), there was a distinct character to each that I’m sure is a reflection of the congregation and its needs. The activities varied considerably from church to church, ranging from youth ministry to drug counseling, adult education to elementary schools, outreach to contemplation, even ranging a bit between traditional and progressive. It was really interesting for me to see how much of a difference there can be, even in the same ministry (parish) led by the same people (friars of Holy Name Province).
One of the inevitable things I find myself wondering when we visited each new location was, “Can I see myself here in a few years?” (This is often compounded when each community attempts to “woo” us so that we will request placement there one day.) For each of the New Jersey houses, there was at least one thing that was very familiar and interesting, as well as at least one thing that was very off-putting or disappointing. I found both of these aspects to be very helpful: It helped me to remain open to new possibilities, new ministries, and new friars, offering an aspect of comfort along with a strong motivation to improve the aspects I found lacking.
Certainly it’s a long way away, (and trust me, I’m in no position to critique, especially not here) but I found the whole experience to be a great exercise in discernment. It allowed me to think about God’s call to me within a real, concrete possibility. It’s one thing to think in abstracts and to let my mind entertain a world of infinite possibilities, but it’s also helpful to look at already established ministries run by actual friars and discern the my life in each. Overall, I was affirmed once again in my Franciscan vocation and continue to look with eagerness as what lies ahead.
More pictures to come soon!
It's hard to believe that this isn't even half of the city!
Despite Mother Nature throwing us a curveball with ten inches of snow (in October no less!), the Postulants are back safe and sound in good ol’ Wilmington, Delaware. It was a fast couple of days with a lot to share about, but I have to be completely honest: everything we did on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday did not compare to all we did in New York City on Friday. The other days were great in their own way, and my next post will definitely be a reflection on some great ministries in our province, but New York just deserves it’s own post.
Arriving at the parking deck in Midtown Manhattan about 9:00, we began our walk through the city to our first destination, the St. Francis Residences. Started in 1980, this ministry offers permanent housing for the homeless, mentally ill population in the city, with room for 240 residents across three locations. Not only is the housing offered at a dramatically reduced rate, the friars and staff offer medical assistance, dining services, entertainment, and general guidance as well. We spent an hour in the morning touring the building on W. 22nd St. and meeting a few of the residents.
From there, we continued south towards the water for a little sightseeing and a walk on The High Line. Built just a few years back, The High Line is an old elevated train track that was converted into a green walking trail, filled with wild plants, flowers, and well manicured grass. Given it’s location (both in the city and heigh above the street), it is a great place to go for a walk and relax in such a fast-paced city.
After a nice walk and a quick lunch, we started walking north for a bit more tourism. Because I’m a huge fan of the NBC show 30 Rock, I made sure we stopped at the Rockefeller Center on our way by to get a picture and in hopes of spotting Tina Fey. Sadly, I left with only the former. Walking just a block to the east, we found ourselves at the gorgeous St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Though both of these destinations were quite breathtaking, and certainly popular for a reason, there is a little known gem right in between them that I found most interesting: St. Francis. Carved into the wall of a shop, he is depicted as a simple man, quietly living out his life of the Gospel in the shadows of enormous power and wealth of both the Church and business. What symbolism of his life and work! I wonder if the person who put it there knew what they were implying…
By then it was time to get on the subway and meet the friars at the Church of the Holy Name of Jesus. Built in 1868, this church has a long history of both growth and decline in a city that is always changing. Taken over by the friars in 1990, it has adapted well to changing demographics and population in the city, and is a key element to the life of the neighborhood. It’s school continues to teach grades K-8, they run a thrift shop, and hold outreach meetings for the community almost constantly throughout the day.
With only a few hours left in the day, we rushed around to fit in a few more sights before we left. Since we were in the area, we walked over to St. John the Divine, an Episcopal church, and easily the largest church I’ve ever seen. From there we took the subway all the way down to the water so that we could take the Staten Island Ferry and pass the Statue of Liberty on her 125th anniversary. (Talk about dumb luck on our part! We had no idea!) And as a last hoorah, we took the subway into the Village for some pizza and Italian pastries.
All in all, we got to see two incredible Franciscan ministries and a great view of the city. A suburban kid myself, the city was a great spectacle and a lot of fun. At this point in my formation, though, it seems entirely overwhelming to think about myself a ministry as large as these, but I’m open to the possibility!
Check back soon to see all the places in New Jersey we visited this weekend, and checkout the updated Photos page for new pictures!
Breaking In The Habit 
