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La Pobrecita
Newsletter of Lady Poverty Region #68
of the Ordo Franciscanus Secularis (OFS/SFO)
E s t a b l i s h e d O c t o be r 2 3 , 1 9 9 4
Let’s “Get Busy Living”
Recently an editorial that appeared in the Sunday, March
22, 2015 edition of the Tribune
-Democrat, our local newspaper, caught my attention. The
article, “Our Lives Are Only
What We Make of Them,”
was written by Robin L. Quillon, the publisher of the paper.
The article begins with some
words of wisdom from Andy
Dufresne, a character in The
Shawshank Redemption, a film
based on a novella by Stephen
King. Andy, a wronglyconvicted innocent man who
endured years of abuse in a
maximum-security prison,
finally decided that he could
endure no longer. He decided
to “get busy living or get busy
dying.”
Quillon’s editorial goes on to
exhort us to “wake up” and
get about the business of living
our lives. It’s easy, he says, to
get into a state of stagnation
or inaction, overcome with
circumstances that we may
believe that we can’t change
or improve. If you’ve seen the
movie, you know that Andy
did succeed in overcoming his
circumstances, but I won’t say
here how he did so, just in
case you haven’t seen it. It’s
definitely worth watching.
I personally have experienced
a sense of “world-weariness”
from time to time in my life.
There have been times when I
felt unable to break out of a
feeling of tedium, or to shake
off a sense of powerlessness
to change the circumstances
of my life. These are the
times of our lives when we are
prone to ask, “Is this all there
is?” For the last eighteen
months, since my husband
passed on, I have felt this way
pretty much of that time.
That’s why Quillon’s article
got my attention.
Of course, if one is really to
“get busy living,” doing so
usually involves some form of
dying. It means dying to the
old, in-a-rut-we-don’t-like-very
-much self and rising from that
death to a new life that we
begin to carve out for ourselves. Maybe we really
don’t want to make those
changes; it’s easier just to stay
in those ruts. They are familiar, but are they life-giving?
We can always “hope” that
things will change, but as Andy
Dufresne concluded, hope by
itself is not a strategy for living. True living involves taking
action to make those necessary changes.
The action of dying and rising
to a new life is the message of
The Shawshank Redemption,
and it is, of course, the Easter
message. Jesus showed us in a
very powerful way that hope
alone is not a strategy for
change. For hundreds of years
the Jewish people hoped for a
Messiah to come and liberate
them from their captors and
oppressors. They hoped, but
nothing happened. Nothing
happened until Jesus decided
to “get busy living.”
Jesus lived thirty years before
he actively pursued his ministry. What did he do during
that time? One might consider that those thirty years were
lived in a very routine sort of
life – those of a child growing
up with loving parents, of
learning and plying the trade of
a carpenter, of caring for his
mother after Joseph’s death.
Special Points of Interest:
 Annual Regional Chapter with Fraternal and
Pastoral Visitations. Registration Forms are here.
VOLUME 18, ISSUE 2
APRIL 1, 2015
EILEEN MANTZ, OFS
EDITOR
 Summer Seminar “Servant Leadership” in Loretto, PA. Registration Forms are here.
Then, Jesus is inspired to make
a change in his life. He goes
into the desert for 40 days.
When he comes out of the
desert, Jesus is baptized and
affirmed as the Son “in whom
God is well pleased,” and he
begins to “get busy living.”
You know the rest of the
story.
The point is that if Jesus, who
is as fully human as he is fully
divine, had decided to stay at
home where he was safe and
sound, his story would have
ended in that little town of
Nazareth. But his story did
not end there. Jesus accepted
God’s radical plan for his life,
even though he knew that it
would involve a painful and
torturous death, for our sake
– for our redemption. By his
death we were healed. By his
death, we now have life. So,
now, as we begin the blessed
season of Easter, let us follow
the incredible, wonderful example of Jesus and “get busy
living.”
Peace, blessings, and Easter joy
to all!
Pat, OFS
Inside this issue:
JPIC, YouFra, World Youth
Day 2016
2
Ecumenical/Interfaith, World 3
Day of Prayer, Poverello
Fund
Regional Gathering, Directo- 4
ry Updates, Portiuncula Fraternity Election
Summer Seminar, St. Augus- 5
tine Election
St. Anthony Chapel, Monastery Garden Plots Available
6
Registration Forms
7, 8,
& 13
Summer Seminar Information
9-12
Page 2
LA POBRECITA
JUSTICE, PEACE, AND INTEGRITY OF CREATIO N
Congress is working on the
Federal Budget now and FAN
(Franciscan Action Network)
and the USCCB have requested us to take action by contacting our Senators and Representatives concerning this
legislation. I am attaching a
copy of the USCCB letter
outlining what they should
consider and what we can do
in this regard:
“The Senate is scheduled to
take up the Federal Budget
Resolution this week. We
expect amendments to be
offered to cut funding to programs that serve poor and
vulnerable people.
Please
urge your Senators to oppose
amendments to reduce funding for programs that assist
poor and vulnerable people at
home and abroad.
Three
moral criteria ought to guide
their budgetary decisions:
Every budget decision should
be assessed by whether it
protects or threatens human
life and dignity.
CAROL DUBEANSKY, OFS
dress their impact on the
health of the economy. A just
framework for the federal
budget, however, cannot rely
on disproportionate cuts in
essential services to poor
persons; it requires shared
sacrifice by all, including raising adequate revenues, eliminating unnecessary military
and other spending, and addressing the long-term costs
of health insurance and retirement programs fairly. For a
more detailed presentation of
the bishops' position on how
the Federal Budget should
protect people living in poverty see their recent letter on
the USCCB.org website.
A central moral measure of
any budget proposal is how it
affects the least of these
(Matthew 25). The needs of
those who are hungry and
homeless, without work or
living in poverty should come
first.
Government and other institutions have a shared responsibility to promote the common good of all, especially
ordinary workers and families
who struggle to live with dignity in difficult economic
times.
We support the goal of reducing future unsustainable
deficits, and believe our nation has an obligation to ad-
Every day in every corner of
the world, the Catholic
Church--the Catholic Campaign for Human Develop-
ment, Catholic Charities,
Catholic Relief Services, and
thousands of schools, hospitals, parishes and NGOs-works to draw a ‘Circle of
Protection’ around the least
of these. The federal government is a vital partner in that
work. Instead of cutting programs for the poor, Congress should eliminate sequestration and prioritize
programs that help people
living in poverty, both in our
nation and around the
world.”
After prayerfully reading
about this legislation, please
take appropriate action to
put our country on the right
path.
YOU FRA ANNOUNCES NEW 3-YEAR VISION
At the National Chapter held in Dallas,
the Youth & Young Adult Commissions
newly elected leaders are Sue and
Christy Nelson, OFS. They have renamed and re-defined the mission and
initiative to be SHINE. The focus of
SHINE is to bring the next generation
of Catholics close to Christ through
Franciscan spiritual experiences.
The first steps in developing SHINE
are underway and include a
“fraternity toolbox” with an introductory video and a plan for each
fraternity to plan AND schedule
two activities this year to attract
WYD 2016 UPDATE
The 31st World Youth Day
is July 25-31, 2016 in Krakow,
Poland. Since our last print of
La Pobrecita, the official logo
was released. It illustrates the
passage Matthew 5:7:
"Blessed are the merciful, for
they shall be shown mercy."
The image is composed of a
geographical outline of Poland
and involve youth.
There is extensive information and
a planning activity tracker available
ROB BULLMAN, OFS
with a cross, symbol of
Christ , as the soul of World
Youth Day. The yellow circle
marks the position of Krakow
on the map of Poland and is a
symbol of youth. The flame
of Divine Mercy emerges
from the Cross, and its colors
are representative of the
blood and water gushing from
the side of Jesus. The colors
used in the Logo are the official colors of Krakow and its
Coat of Arms.
Latest World Youth Day
News, Updates, and Information can be found at
worldyouthday.com.
Page 3
V O LU M E 1 8 , I S S U E 2
Interfaith Activity
ECUMENICAL/INTERFAITH NEWS MARY LOU KREIDER,OFS
AN INVITATION:
Members of Canticles of the
Son Fraternity in Waterford,
Pa. attended the Ecumenical
Soup/Bread/Service each
Wednesday of Lent at the
Presbyterian Church in Waterford. This Church was the
host for the six participating
denominations this year. The
participants were from Lutheran, Episcopal, Nazarene,
Methodist, Roman Catholic
and Presbyterian churches.
The Churches sign up for
either a week for providing
soup and bread ,or providing
Canticles of the Son fraternity
invites you to a presentation
on "The Joy of the Gospel," by
Bishop Emeritus Donald Trautman, on Sunday, April 19,
2015, at 1 PM at All Saints
Parish in Waterford, PA.
There will be time for discussion and light refreshments
afterward. Please call Mary
Lou Kreider at 814-796-4150
or Mary Nelson at 814-7466783 if you have questions or
need directions. Although
there is no charge, please let
us know if you are coming. All
are welcome!
the Service and special music.
The host Church provides the
beverage and hospitality each
week. Well over one hundred people attend each
week, lots of good fellowship
and joy in the little community of Waterford.
WORLD DAY OF PRAYER
World Day of Prayer was
held March 6, 2015 at St.
James AME Church in Erie,
PA. The 2015 World Day of
Prayer began at sunrise on
March 6, 2015 in the Pacific
region and followed the
Earth’s orbit all around the
world! You may go to
www.wdp-usa.org or
www.facebook.com/
worlddayofprayerusa for
more information.
The first organized "day of
prayer for the world" held
nationally was in Canada on
January 9 , 1920. The United
States soon followed on February 20, 1920. World Day
of Prayer USA promotes justice and equality for women
through prayer, partnerships,
service and celebration. This
year the women of the WDP
Committee of the Bahamas
calls us to consider Jesus'
words to the disciples after
washing their feet: "Do you
understand what I have done
for you?" The women of the
Bahamas describe what Jesus
does when he washes the
disciples' feet as "radical love".
To them radical love comes
from humility, compassion,
and commitment. God's radical love is not static or selfcentered; it reaches out and
draws others in.
Taken from an information
sheet .
World Day of
Prayer USA
promotes justice and
equality for women
through prayer,
partnerships, service
and celebration.
POVERELLO FUND OF LA DY POVERTY REGION
The Poverello Fund was
established in the mid 1990s
so that members of Lady
Poverty Region could make
charitable contributions to
those in need, either to individuals who encounter financial hardship in a particular
way, or Franciscan organizations which need monetary
aid. In the past, donations
from the fund have been
made to victims of Hurricane Katrina and the tsuna-
mi in Japan. In recent years,
the Poverello Fund has made
contributions to our own
Franciscan family members,
to ease the burden of emergencies such as flooding or
serious illness.
Historically, there have been
very limited funds available
to make those donations,
and very few contributions
from our local fraternities.
Please consider a contribution from your local fra-
ternity treasury to the
Poverello Fund, especially
as your fraternity conducts
its’ budget process, and
makes plans for the upcoming year’s expenses. Send
your check made out to
“Lady Poverty Region: Poverello Fund” to Regional
Treasurer Michael Cresanta,
OFS, 7209 Pine Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15225. We will
be recognizing those fraternities and individuals who
make contributions to the
Poverello Fund at our annual gathering in June.
Page 4
LA POBRECITA
CALLING ALL MEMBERS OF LADY POVERTY REGION!
All members of the fraternities of Lady Poverty Region
are urged to participate in the
following upcoming events.
will serve as our pastoral visitor.
June 19-21 - Lady Poverty
Region Annual Chapter / Fraternal and Pastoral Visitation
At our annual Chapter this
year, we welcome two visitors from the National Fraternity (NAFRA). Mary Stronach, OFS, International
Councilor, will serve as our
fraternal visitor, and Fr. Matthias Wesnofske, OFM, Cap.,
June 19-21
Lady Poverty
Region Annual
Chapter /
Fraternal and
Pastoral
Visitation
of Medical Interpreters, and
operates Stronach Associates,
a public relations consulting
business specializing in working with non-profits.
Mary and her husband, Robert, OFS have two daughters,
three sons, and four granddaughters.
itual Assistant for St. Mary
Province and Regional Spiritual
Assistant for Father Solaneus
Casey Region and Tau Region.
Fr. Matthias also serves as facilitator of both regions’ Spiritual
Assistant Training Programs
and was a featured speaker at
the 6th Summer Seminar for
Secular Franciscans on Spiritual
Assistance at Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA in July
2014.
Mary Stronach, OFS
Mary Stronach, OFS, of
Marcy, NY, is formation director for St. Kateri
Tekakwitha Region and internationa l councilo r for
NAFRA.
Professed in
2003, Mary is a member of St.
Joseph Fraternity in Utica,
NY, where she is vice minister. Mary has served the national fraternity as public relations co-chair and the international fraternity as an interpreter-translator.
She teaches Spanish and Italian at Utica College, is outreach coordinator for
the Multicultural Association
DIRECTORY UPDATES
A draft of the 2015 Lady Poverty Region Directory will
soon be posted to our website - so that you will have
some time to report corrections/changes, etc. before it is
printed in May. All proposed
changes should be emailed to
Pat Serotkin, OFS, Regional
Minister at pserotkin@francis.edu. A message
will be sent to all fraternity
ministers and/or contacts
when the Directory is posted.
Fr. Matthias Wesnofske,
OFM, CAP
Registration
forms for the
Annual
Chapter are
included in
this issue of
La Pobrecita.
Fr. Matthias Wesnofske,
OFM, Cap., is a member of
the Conference of National
Spiritual Assistants (C.N.S.A.)
and serves as Provincial Spir-
PORTIUNCULA FRATERNITY ELECTION
Please join me in congratulating the newly-elected council of Portiuncula Fraternity:
Minister- Carol Gentile
Vice Minister- Richard Fetkovich
Secretary- Paul Chiappetta
Treasurer- Louis Michael
Formation Director- RoAnne Fetkovich
Elections were held Monday March 23 , 2015. Denise McCarthy, OFS, Lady Poverty Region Secretary, served as the Presider and Fr. Reginald Russo, OFM, Cap. served as the Friar Witness.
Page 5
V O LU M E 1 8 , I S S U E 2
JULY 9-12 2015, SUMMER SEMINAR FOR SECULAR FRANCISCANS: “SERVANT LEADERSHIP”
The 7th Summer Seminar for
Secular Franciscans at Saint
Francis University, Loretto,
will focus on the topic of
“Servant Leadership.” This
year’s seminar speakers are
familiar to many members of
Lady Poverty Region.
Fr. Michael Higgins, TOR
Fr. Michael Higgins, TOR,
is a Franciscan of the Third
Order Regular and is currently working as the Special Assistant to the President and
Dean of the Franciscan School
of Theology in Oceanside,
California. He has been with
the TOR Community for thirty-seven years and was ordained to the priesthood in
June of 1985.
Since being
with the Third Order Regular,
he has been involved in Parish
Ministry, Campus Ministry,
Adult Education, college instruction on both the undergraduate and graduate levels,
Director of Novices, and fulltime doctoral work. He also
has served the Third Order
Regular in Rome first as the
Secretary General of the Order and then as the Vicar
General and Minister General.
Fr. Michael is committed to
the spread of lay ministry and
leadership in the local church
and has served the Sacred
Heart Province both as the
Provincial Spiritual Assistant
to the Secular Franciscan Order and as the Local Spiritual
Assistant to St. Clare’s Fraternity in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. During his time as
Vicar General of his Order he
also held the position of General Spiritual Assistant to the
Secular Franciscan Order.
Mary Frances Charsky,
OFS, professed as a Secular
Franciscan in 1981, is a member of St. Francis Fraternity in
Binghamton, NY. She currently serves as a National
ST. AUGUSTINE ELECTION
On March 15, 2015 St. Augustine Fraternity held its elections for new council. (L to
R) Jeannette Finch, Councilor;
Bob Kruszewki, Councilor;
John Milcic, Treasurer; Steve
Critchlow ,Vice Minister; Lisa
Joy Finch , Minister; Charlene
Briggs, Secretary; Theresa
Nkonnde, Director of Formation.
Congratulations to the new
council.
Mary Frances Charsky, OFS
Councilor for NAFRA-USA.
Regionally, Mary Frances has
served as Minister, Councilor
and Formation Team member
and in her local fraternity as
Minister, Vice-Minister, Formation Director, Councilor
and Formation Team members. Her leadership training
has included professional as
well as Franciscan spiritual
experiences. Her Franciscan
spirituality training includes
multiple experiences such as
workshops, retreats, summer
seminars at Saint Francis
University and course work
at the Franciscan Institute at
St. Bonaventure University.
Mary Frances has been employed as a teacher of students with special needs, as
well as an elementary teacher, a coordinator of special
services, an elementary
school principal and an adjunct professor at Binghamton University. She is
also involved as a volunteer
in a wide variety of parish,
hospital, diocesan, and foreign-service ministries.
Mary Frances presided at the
Lady Poverty Region Elections in 2013.
Registration
information
for the 7th
Summer
Seminar for
Secular
Franciscans is
also included
in this issue of
La Pobrecita.
Page 6
LA POBRECITA
ST. ANTHONY CHAPEL
Glory to Jesus Christ!
In addition to our website,
Saint Anthony Chapel is now
on Facebook and Twitter!
We have also launched our
logo.
For those who may not be
familiar with the chapel and its
incredible story, below is a
brief background sketch.
Saint Anthony Chapel is home
to the largest collection of
publicly venerable Christian
relics – 5,000 in total – in the
world outside of the Vatican.
The chapel and its relics were
the personal property of Suitbert Goedfried Mollinger
(1828-1892), a Belgian-born
noble/physician-turned-priest
who gained an international
reputation as a source of
hope and healing. While practicing medicine in his twenties,
Mollinger discerned a vocational calling to the priesthood. As a seminarian, he left
Europe to serve as a missionary in the United States,
where he would later be ordained and eventually settle in
what is today known as the
Troy Hill neighborhood of
Pittsburgh.
Due to his personal financial
standing – and, let’s face it,
the Holy Spirit – Fr. Mollinger
was in a position to ransom a
large number of relics that
were both suddenly and unfortunately available on the
open market as a result of
political and cultural upheavals
throughout Europe during the
mid-to-late 1800s. To house
the relics, Fr. Mollinger singlehandedly financed the chapel’s
construction, which was built
in two phases: the original
chapel, also known as the
“The Shrine of the Saints”
because it houses nearly the
entirety of Fr. Mollinger’s relic
collection, was dedicated in
1883, while the chapel’s annex, also known as “The Way
of the Cross" because it houses the chapel’s life-size wooden statues of the Stations of
the Cross, was dedicated in
1892; Fr. Mollinger ensured
that dedication of each phase
would occur on June 13, the
feast day of the chapel’s patron, St. Anthony of Padua.
In addition to his duty as pastor of Most Holy Name of
Jesus Parish, which is located
across the street from the
chapel, Fr. Mollinger leveraged
his training as a medical doctor to tend to the physical
needs of his congregation, as
well as anyone else who
sought his attention. He fashioned a clinic out of a room of
his rectory, in which he would
see and treat over 100 pa-
tients on a given day; he refused to accept payment for
his services. After tending to
the patient’s physical needs,
Fr. Mollinger would pray over
the patient, touching his or
her body with a relic from his
collection. Additionally, his
healing services, which were
typically held on the Feast of
St. Anthony, drew tens of
thousands of pilgrims from
across North America and
beyond.
It is believed that during his
time on Troy Hill, Fr.
Mollinger treated over
325,000 patients and wrote
over 80,000 prescriptions.
Many of his patients claimed
the be the recipients of miraculous healings; in fact, over
300 canes, crutches, and other walking apparatuses were
found in and around the chapel, presumably left there by
people who, upon being seen
by Fr. Mollinger, no longer
had need for them.
Fr. Mollinger fell gravely ill on
June 13, 1892, the day of the
chapel’s rededication, and
died two days later in his rectory.
through even just one of us.
We humbly ask that you allow God to work through
you and announce the “Good
News” of Saint Anthony
Chapel.
Please “like" us on Facebook
and follow us on Twitter.
Please forward this to your
friends and family.
Help us make Saint Anthony
Chapel the number one pilgrimage destination in the
United States!
Website: http://
www.saintanthonyschapel.org
Facebook: https://
www.facebook.com/pages/
Saint-AnthonyChapel/801543179905529
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
StAnthonyChapel
Peace and All Good +++
Stephen, OFS
The chapel, its founder, and
its treasures serve as tangible
proof of the truly amazing
things that God can do
MONASTERY COMMUNITY GARDEN PLOTS AVAILAB LE
The Society of St Vincent
DePaul and Monastery Community Gardens are offering
area gardeners the opportunity to lease 30 X 30 foot plots
for vegetable and flower crop
production in the 2015 growing season The gardens are
located at 793 Monastery
Road, Hollidaysburg, PA.
The gardens have been soil
tested and amended according
to Penn State standards for
vegetable crops. They are
plowed and disked prior to
the opening date in the spring.
A smaller plot measuring 30
by 15 feet is also available for
smaller families who wish to
grow their own fresh, healthy
produce.
Anyone who wishes to experience the many benefits of
gardening and does not have
the space to do so, the solution is to join a community
garden. For more information
or to lease a plot, contact Pat
Trimble at:
Pat Trimble
2302 4th Ave.
Altoona, PA. 16602
814-942-8254
patrimble@verizon.net
Page 7
V O LU M E 1 8 , I S S U E 2
LADY POVERTY REGION ANNUAL CHAPTER
Kearns Spirituality Center
9000 Babcock Blvd., Allison Park, PA 15101
June 19-21 2015
Please duplicate this registration form for all fraternity members and encourage their participation!
NAME ____________________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
PHONE ___________________________________ E-MAIL ________________________________________
FRATERNITY _______________________________________________________________________________
All costs for Ministers or their official Delegates and Members of Regional Executive Council are covered by
the region. Please note: Official Delegates must obtain a letter from their Minister authorizing them to vote
on behalf of the fraternity. This letter is to be submitted with the Delegate’s registration form.
If possible, the local fraternity should cover the costs for their Spiritual Assistant to attend. Other fraternity
members are invited to attend at their own expense. All those attending who are not Ministers or Delegates will
be classified as OBSERVERS.
A special focus of this year’s Chapter will be a National visitation. We welcome International Councilor Mary
Stronach, OFS, as our NAFRA fraternal visitor, and Fr. Matthias Wesnofske, OFM Cap., National Conference
of Spiritual Assistants, as our NAFRA pastoral visitor. All are encouraged to arrive on Friday and spend the
weekend to fully experience the joys of being with family!
Please check appropriate boxes:
□ MINISTER □ DELEGATE □ REC MEMBER
□ SPIRITUAL ASSISTANT □OBSERVER □ FORMATION DIRECTOR
I am a:
I plan to attend the Annual Chapter: Circle room choice: Semi * / Private (if available)
□ Friday thru Sunday - 2 Dinners, 2 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch $160 / $170
□ Saturday & Sunday - 2 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner $105 / $110
□ Saturday only (commuter) – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner $60
* I will room with ______________________________________________________________________
Registration Deadline is June 6, 2015
ALL payments MUST be made in advance – money will not be collected at the door! Make checks payable to
Lady Poverty Region. Please send registration form and payment (if applicable) to: Victoria Snyder, OFS, Registrar, 300 E. Mahoning Street, Punxsutawney, PA 15767 814-938-3407 vasnyder@verizon.net
Page 8
LA POBRECITA
LADY POVERTY REGION
APPLICATION FOR EXHIBITORS AND VENDORS FOR REGIONAL GATHERINGS
NOTE: PLEASE SUBMIT ONLY ONE APPLICATION PER FRATERNITY, THANK YOU!
Name of Fraternity _________________________________________________________________________
Members who will be at exhibit or sale table ____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone Number of contact person (__________) ____________________
Description of Exhibit and/or general list of items for sale
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Number of tables or size of space requested _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Guidelines: Exhibitors and/or vendors are responsible for maintaining their tables, for security of their wares,
and for clean-up after the event. Tables will be provided starting the day of the event, and must be cleared
within one hour after the end of the event. Every effort will be made to provide unstructured time for
attendees to visit the exhibits or “shop,” but vendors will NOT be permitted to sell while the meeting is in session, during communal prayer, or Mass times. Please finalize sales at least 10 minutes before these times.
Reservations required: Tables may be reserved on a first-come-first-serve basis, by sending this form to the
Events Coordinator/ Registrar at least one month prior to the event. Please let the Registrar know if you have
special needs ahead of time.
Charges: Vendors are requested to make a “good will offering” to the Lady Poverty Region following the event.
We appreciate your efforts to supplement your fraternity’s financial picture, as well as contribute to the Lady
Poverty Regional Treasury! Peace and all good!
Approved by Regional Executive Council, dated ___________________________________________________
Signed ________________________________________________________________________REC Secretary
Signed_________________________________________________________Fraternity Contact Person (above)
Page 9
V O LU M E 1 8 , I S S U E 2
2015 OFS Summer Seminar
July 9-12, 2015
Endorsed by the National Executive Council of the Secular Franciscan Order USA
“Servant Leadership” – Presenters
Fr. Michael Higgins, TOR – Special Assistant to the President, Franciscan School of Theology
Fr. Michael is a Franciscan of the Third Order Regular (TOR) and is currently working as Special Assistant to the
President and Dean of the Franciscan School of Theology in Oceanside, California. He has been a Franciscan, TOR
for thirty-seven years and was ordained to the priesthood in June of 1985. Prior to religious life, he served in Viet
Nam as a radar repairman in the US Army and was the assistant manager of a large electronic store in Natick, Massachusetts. Since joining the Third Order Regular he has served in parish ministry, campus ministry, adult education, and college instruction on both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has also served in formation as
the Director of Novices for the Sacred Heart Province. Finally, he also has served the Third Order Regular in Rome
first as the Secretary General of the Order and then as the Vicar General and Minister General.
Fr. Michael’s academic credentials include: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology, Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.), Master of Arts in Spirituality (M.A.), Doctorate in Sacred Theology (S.Th.D.), and
Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration (Ph.D.)
Fr. Michael is committed to the spread of lay ministry and leadership in the local church and has served the Sacred
Heart Province both as the Provincial Spiritual Assistant to the Secular Franciscan Order and as the Local Spiritual
Assistant to St. Clare’s Fraternity in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. During his time as Vicar General of his Order he
also held the position of General Spiritual Assistant to the Secular Franciscan Order.
Mary Frances Charsky, OFS – National Councilor, NAFRA-USA
Mary Frances Charsky, OFS, professed as a Secular Franciscan in 1981 and is a member of St. Francis Fraternity in
Binghamton, NY. She currently serves as a National Councilor for NAFRA-USA. Regionally, Mary Frances has served
as Minister, Councilor and Formation Team member and in her local fraternity as Minister, Vice-Minister, Formation Director, Councilor and Formation Team members. Her leadership training has included professional as
well as Franciscan spiritual experiences.
Mary Frances’s academic credentials include: Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Education, Master of Science (M.S.) in
Special Education, Certificate of Advanced Study in Supervision and Administration, and doctoral level graduate
study in Supervision and Administration. She has also completed coursework in Clinical Supervision and Staff Development, and the IDEA Fellows program sponsored by the Kellogg Foundation on leadership development. Her
Franciscan spirituality training includes multiple experiences such as workshops, retreats, summer seminars at
Saint Francis University and course work at the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure University.
Mary Frances has been employed as a teacher of students with special needs, as well as an elementary teacher, a
coordinator of special services, an elementary school principal and an adjunct professor at Binghamton University.
She is also involved as a volunteer in a wide variety of parish, hospital, diocesan, and foreign-service ministries.
Page 10
LA POBRECITA
2015 OFS Summer Seminar
July 9-12, 2015
Endorsed by the National Executive Council of the Secular Franciscan Order - USA
“Servant Leadership”
Tentative Schedule
Thursday- July 9, 2015
12:00 - 4:30 PM – Registration (Christian Hall)
5:00 PM – Dinner (Torvian Dining Hall)
6:30 PM – Evening prayer (DiSepio)
7:00 PM – Session 1: TBA
8:30 PM – Social (Christian Hall)
Friday – July 10, 2015
8:00 AM – Breakfast (Torvian)
9:15 AM – Morning prayer (DiSepio)
9:30 AM – Session 2 (DiSepio): TBA
11:30 AM – Break
12:00 noon – Lunch (Torvian)
2:00 PM – Session 3 (DiSepio): TBA
3:30 PM – Break
4:00 PM – Eucharist (Immaculate Conception Chapel)
5:00 PM – Dinner (Torvian)
6:30 PM – Evening prayer (DiSepio)
7:00 PM – Session 4 (DiSepio): TBA
8:30 PM – Social (Christian Hall)
Saturday – July 11, 2015
8:00 AM – Breakfast (Torvian)
9:15 AM – Morning prayer (DiSepio)
9:30 AM – Session 5 (DiSepio): TBA
11:30 AM – Break
12:00 noon – Lunch (Torvian)
2:00 PM – Session 6 (DiSepio): TBA
3:30 PM – Break
4:00 PM – Eucharist – Sunday liturgy (Immaculate Conception Chapel)
5:00 PM – Dinner (Torvian)
6:30 PM – Evening prayer (DiSepio)
7:00 PM – Session 7 (DiSepio): TBA
8:30 PM – Social (Christian Hall)
Sunday, July 12, 2015
8:00 AM – Breakfast (Torvian)
9:15 AM – Morning prayer (DiSepio)
9:30 AM – Session 8: TBA
12:00 noon – Lunch and Departures
Page 11
V O LU M E 1 8 , I S S U E 2
2015 OFS Summer Seminar
July 9-12, 2015
Endorsed by the National Executive Council of the Secular Franciscan Order - USA
Driving Directions to Saint Francis University
From Northwestern Pennsylvania: Take I-79 to Rt. 422 East to Ebensburg. In town, turn left at the traffic light
onto High Street. Continue straight at next light. Turn left on to Manor Road. Saint Francis University is six
miles on the right.
From Cleveland (Ohio area): Take Ohio Turnpike East to I-80 East. Take I-680 South to Route 422 East
(approximately 120 miles) to Ebensburg. In town, turn left at the traffic light onto High Street. Continue
straight at next light. Turn left on to Manor Road. Follow this road for six miles to the Saint Francis University
entrance on right.
From Southwestern PA and Southeast Ohio: Take Route 22 East from Pittsburgh to second Ebensburg exit
(Ebensburg/Loretto exit). Bear right at end of exit ramp. Proceed straight (crossing over Route 22). Turn right
at the first light on to Manor Road. Follow this road for six miles to the Saint Francis University entrance on
right.
From Northeastern PA/Central New Jersey: Take I-80 South to I-80 West to Exit 161 (Bellefonte). Take US99/
Rt. 220 South approximately 50 miles to Altoona. Take Rt. 22 West to Lilly/Portage Exit. Turn right onto Rt.
53 North. Continue on Rt. 53 North approximately two miles to traffic light (Sheetz on left). Turn left at light
and continue beneath railroad overpass. 200 yards beyond overpass, bear right at Saint Francis University
sign onto St. Joseph Street. Take this road four miles to Loretto. At Village Cross monument on traffic circle,
bear left. Saint Francis University entrance is 200 yards on left.
From Southeastern PA, Baltimore, MD, and Washington, D.C.: Take PA Turnpike (I-76) West to Bedford Exit
146 (220 North/I-99 North). Turn left after toll booth. At top of hill, turn left onto US99/Rt. 220 North to Altoona. Travel approximately 30 miles to Rt. 22 West. Continue from Altoona -- previous paragraph.
If you are programming your GPS, set it to:
117 Evergreen Drive, Loretto, PA 15940
Page 12
LA POBRECITA
2015 OFS Summer Seminar
July 9-12, 2015
Endorsed by the National Executive Council of the Secular Franciscan Order - USA
General Information:
Room check-in is 3 PM, July 9th
Check out time is 12 noon, July 12th
Sorry, no early arrivals or late stays
All rooms are air-conditioned and have a private bath. Linens and towels are pro
vided
If you need a hair dryer, bathrobe, umbrella, iron, or other amenity, please bring
those with you
We cannot accommodate special room requests other than handicapped access
Commuter registration does not include room or board – meals are paid at the
door at the dining hall
Shuttle service is provided to/from residence hall, dining hall, and conference
center for all attendees
Air Transportation Information:
Please note: No transportation to/from airports is provided by the Seminar. We recommend flying into one of the following options and driving to campus.
Johnstown Regional - JST (25 mi.)
Altoona-Blair County – AOO (30 mi.)
University Park (State College, PA) – UNV (73 mi.)
Pittsburgh International - PIT (100 mi.)
Other questions? Please contact Diane Rombouts at 814-472-3219
(daytime) or e-mail icfl@francis.edu
Page 13
V O LU M E 1 8 , I S S U E 2
2015 OFS Summer Seminar
July 9-12, 2015
Endorsed by the National Executive Council of the Secular Franciscan Order - USA
“Servant Leadership” Registration
To register online – visit www.my.francis.edu
To register by mail – Please send this registration form and check payable to “Saint Francis University” to:
ICFL, Saint Francis University, P.O. Box 600, Loretto, PA 15940-0600
First Name _______________________Last Name ________________________________________________
Fraternity ________________________Region __________________________________________________
Address__________________________ City______________________ State__________ Zip_____________
Home Phone ______________________Cell Phone _____________________Email _____________________
RESIDENT (ON CAMPUS) REGISTRATION - Accommodations in Christian Hall which is air-conditioned
Single Room $270 /After June 1, 2015 registration is $295 per person
$___________
LIMITED NUMBER OF SINGLE ROOMS AVAILABLE
Double Room $220 /After June 1, 2015 registration is $245 per person
$___________
I will be rooming with _____________________________________________________
I will need a roommate – please match me up
OR:
COMMUTER REGISTRATION – (NO ROOM OR MEALS) @ $70 per person
$ __________
RESIDENT registration fee includes residence hall room and all meals
COMMUTER registration fee does not include room or meals
Payment must be made at time of registration and is NON-REFUNDABLE
Register before June 1st to receive a $25 discount on the RESIDENT registration fee
Seminar registration is limited to 100 participants
DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS JUNE 18, 2015. No registrations will be accepted after this date
Questions? Contact Diane Rombouts, (814) 472-3219 (daytime) or e-mail icfl@francis.edu
The Secular Franciscan Order
Visit us on the Web at
http://www.ladypovertyregion.org
Regional Executive Council
Minister: Patricia Serotkin
Vice Minister: Mary Nelson
Secretary: Denise McCarthy
Treasurer: Michael Cresanta
Formation Director: Dawn Roper
Stay in touch with the National
Fraternity Newsletter
NAFRA Statutes, “ad experimentum”
The Secular Franciscan Order is an “Association of the Christian Faithful”. More
specifically, it is an association whose members lead an apostolic life and strive for
Christian perfection while living in the world and who share the spirit of some religious institute under the higher direction of the same institute. It is governed by the
universal law of the Church, and by its own : the Rule, the Constitutions, the Ritual, and the particular statutes. The Constitutions have as their purpose: to apply the
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Mission Statement
The Lady Poverty Region of the Secular Franciscan Order supports, encourages,
and guides the fraternal and evangelical life of the fraternities within it.
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Vision Statement
Through Scripture, Tradition, Prayer, and Liturgy, Lady Poverty Region cultivates
the integration of the human, Christian, and Franciscan identity of her Franciscan
family and promotes Apostolic action by encouraging and supporting their efforts
for justice, peacemaking and care of creation in the world and the Church
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COMMUNICATIONS WITHIN THE FRANCISCAN ORDER
There are many forms of communications that we each use
in varying ways to get our
message across. There is one
way communication, like the
La Pobrecita Newsletter, TAU
magazine, and websites. The
internet is a powerful tool that
is being used to get our Franciscan message out to the
world. Lady Poverty Region
has joined the ranks of Franciscans on the web, and can be
accessed at the address:
www.ladypovertyregion.org.
We are still getting it up to
date with information about
the fraternities within the region, maybe you’ve already
been called to add your information to the site. If you go
to the website and go under
the Clusters then find your
fraternity name, you will see
basic information about your
fraternity. We would like to
have all fraternity basic information up soon. Then we will
come around again about your
Apostolates. After the basics
are covered it would be updated regularly. Pictures are always welcome, we could add a
photo album to your web page
within the regional website.
There are other useful websites that can be used on a
routine basis. To stay informed about the National
Fraternity activities go to:
www.nafra-sfo.org. But if you
are involved in Formation, go
to www.nafraformation.org to
see the FUN manual and other
important directives that directly affect all of us.
As you can see by our ads, you
can go to EWTN, need I say
more? Or to
www.franciscanmissions.org to
see how our missionaries are
doing.
If you are looking for gifts, just
type in Franciscan gifts in the
search engine and you will be
inundated with web sites to
help you.
Www.franciscanresources.co
m and www.penitents.org (the
Confraternity of Penitents) are
two very useful sites.
You probably have your favorites that could be added to the
list, send them to me for inclusion at:
ramadama@windstream.net
Stay in touch, two way communication is wonderful.
Eileen Mantz, OFS
Editor, La Pobrecita
Statue of Mary in Snow