January 2014
Volume 16, Issue 1
SECULAR
FRANCISCAN NEWS
Secular Franciscan Order
Five Franciscan Martyrs Region
St. Anthony of Padua Fraternity
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Anthony of Padua Fraternity Monthly Newsletter
Saint Anthony of Padua
Fraternity meets every third
Sunday of the month at
9:30 a.m. in Auditorium of
Saint Anthony’s Hospital,
1200 Seventh Avenue North,
Saint Petersburg, FL 33705.
by Joe Halloran, OFS
Dear Friend,
Fraternity Officers
Last November was “motto month,” so to speak. I had the privilege of sharing with you
several mottos that resonated a lot with me. The feedback from readers far and near was
so gratifying and encouraging that I felt compelled to offer another stack of favorite mottos. I sincerely believe that there truly is much wealth buried in certain mottos, and so I
am honored to place a second installment of that spiritual gold before you.
Fr. Gerald Dolan, OFM
My hope is that you will adopt at least one or two of the mottos you will find here, in addition to adopting one or more mottos from the November newsletter. And I hope you will
share all this gold with family and friends and yes, perhaps with strangers, too. (“There are
no strangers in life, only friends you have not yet met,” says an old Irish proverb.)
Fr.
Gerald
Dolan, OFM
Vice
Minister:
Maria Halloran, OFS
And now, off we go to our mountain of mottos, for, as the official motto of the State of
New York urges: Excelsior! (“Onward and upward!”)
Fraternity Officers
Minister:
Joe Halloran, OFS
Minister:
Joe
Halloran,
OFS
Spiritual
Assistant:
Spiritual Assistant:
Motto
Vice Minister:
Jim Prior, OFS
Secretary:
Ann Hill, OFS
Secretary:
“Love
the sinner but hate the sin.”
Treasurer:
Ann Hill, OFS
Frederic Wheeler, OFS
“Everyone
Treasurer:
“His
Formation
Director:
Maria Halloran,
OFS
Jim Prior, OFS
Formation Director:
Councilors-at-Large:
Jim Prior, OFS
David Grissett, OFS
Grace Krist, OFS
Councilors-at-Large:
D. Susan Pivec, OFS
Martha Dilley, OFS
Ann Hill, OFS
Rose Tomassi, OFS
Formation Team:
Jim Prior, OFS
Formation
Team:
Fr. Gerald Dolan,
OFM
Jim
Prior,
OFS
D. Susan Pivec, OFS
Fr.
Gerald
Dolan,
OFM
David
Grissett,
OFS
D.
Susan
Pivec,
OFS
Frederic Wheeler, OFS
Kathryn Maynard, OFS
Newsletter Editor:
Newsletter
Maria
Halloran,Editor:
OFS
Maria 230-2970
Halloran, OFS
(727)
(727) 230-2970
[email protected]
[email protected]
is his own enemy.”
Will is our peace.”
“I
am still learning.”
Festina lente. (“Make haste slowly.”)
Noverim
me, noverim Te.
(“Let me know myself,
let me know Thee.”)
“No
pain, no gain.”
Nota Bene
 St. Augustine has given us a rational formula
for living wisely here.
 In what way(s) is this statement of
St. Bernard of Clairvaux true?
 This is a quote from Dante’s Paradiso, and it’s
the motto of Bishop Daniel Jenky.
 Motto of Michelangelo
 Hurrying usually throws a monkey wrench
into whatever we’re trying to do. I find that I
gain time by not hurrying! Let’s avoid hurrying and thus we’ll avoid a lot of stress and the
almost inevitable collision with Murphy’s Law.
 Fr. Joseph Fredette of the Augustinians of the
Assumption Order is right on target in
explaining the Noverim me, noverim Te prayer:
“The two parts explain one another: one
cannot know God without reference to
oneself, and one cannot know oneself
without reference to God.”
 That anonymous statement can be enough to
get you out of bed when you’d rather catch
a few more winks, and the statement – a
practical reminder – can also stimulate you to
do any number of things you’d rather ignore
or postpone. As a famous UCLA basketball
coach of yesteryear, John Wooden, said:
(Continued on page 2)
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SECULAR FRANCISCAN NEWS
JANUARY 2014
(Continued from page 1)
Motto
Nota Bene
“Be hard on yourself, or life will be very hard on you.” And hey! Coach
Wooden’s statement itself would make a terrific motto!
“The best way to economize time is
 Wow! Did Blessed Frédéric Ozanam ever hit the jackpot – the
to ‘lose’ half an hour each day
“Powerball” – with that statement! In fact, just one Holy Mass is worth
attending Holy Mass.”
far more than a gazillion Powerballs!
“O God, make us children of
 What a superb prayer St. Clement of Alexandria offers here! How on
quietness and heirs of peace.”
earth did our “culture” ever descend to the low and vulgar and noisy
state that we’re in now?! Hint: The British call it “the teley.”
 Pope Paul VI (Yes, and we are the Church! Tip:
“The Church exists to evangelize.”
Contact http://streetevangelization.com)
 St. Peter Julian Eymard (Absolutely amazing, huh?! And why would
“In one day the Eucharist will make
anyone want to be without the Eucharist?! Countless good folk have
you produce more for the glory of
become devout Catholic converts precisely because of the Eucharist.)
God than a whole lifetime without it.”
“The gate of Heaven is very low; only  St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Our own St. Francis sets a wonderful example
the humble can enter it.”
of humility, doesn’t he?)
“Don’t judge each
 Robert Louis Stevenson was the author of that statement. (Did you
day by the harvest
know that Stevenson was one of the favorite authors of “the Smiling
you reap… but by
Pope”? Quick quiz: Who was/is “the Smiling Pope”? Is it Pope Francis?
the seeds you
No, but that’s a reasonable guess. If you answered, “Pope John Paul I,”
plant.”
I’d give you a gold star, but I’m afraid that I don’t have one gold star to
my name. Not even a silver star. Bronze? Nein. Sorry.)
“Without grace we can do nothing –
 Pope Francis (A private word to Grace Krist: Amazing, Grace! I wasn’t
without grace we can do nothing!”
even aware you knew Pope Francis! Say! Maybe you can get our
Fraternity a private audience with Pope Francis?! And please don’t
worry: I won’t tell a soul, not even our Fraternity, that you know Pope
Francis. Otherwise you’d be deluged with requests!)
 Attributed to the ancient Greek painter, Apelles. (What we read
Nulla dies sine linea. (“Not a day
“between the lines” in the “Nulla dies sine linea” quote is simply this:
without a line.”)
Practice every day, even if it’s only a little bit, if you want to make
substantial progress in painting or in writing or in learning a foreign
language or in anything else worthwhile.)
Ad vitam aeternam. (“To eternal life.”)  Isn’t it amazing?! The Latin expression ad vitam aeternam reminds us of
the astonishing fact that we are headed for eternal life! We’ve been on
a trajectory ever since inception in the womb of our mothers, and we’ll
remain on that trajectory until at last we arrive at our true Home:
Heaven! Hallelujah!
Aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus.
 Hey, pobody’s nerfect… I mean, nobody’s perfect, not even the Greek
(“Sometimes
writer Homer. So please don’t berate yourself – don’t be rude to
even the
yourself – when you make a mistake. Remember the “as thyself” in
good Homer
“Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Sometimes we need to cut ourselves
nods off.”)
some slack as an antidote to stress, and surely our Saviour would give
us a high five and a hug for doing so. So let’s “get off the merry-goround” when our stress is beyond the pale: relax, smile (relaxing and
smiling will change our brain chemistry for the better), and let’s thank
and praise God even when we don't feel like it.
Oy vey! We’re out of space, but not out of sincere wishes for your deep
happiness. God love you, dear Friend.
In the Joy of His Service,
Joe Halloran, OFS, Minister
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SECULAR FRANCISCAN NEWS
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Say an Ave
by Jim Prior, OFS
When in doubt, say an Ave.
When worried, say an Ave.
Before you start a project, say an Ave.
When you complete a project, say an Ave.
Whenever you think of it, say an Ave.
A rosary contains 53 Aves, so it’s a wonderful habit to
encourage.
A Franciscan Crown Rosary contains 73 Aves,
One for each year of Our Lady’s life, and one more for
the intentions of our Holy Father.
And when you think of it, say an Ave for us, and we will do
the same for you.
Bernie Segler, OFS – Jan. 27
Clyde Kerce, OFS – Jan. 31
Michael Albano, OFS – Feb. 3
D. Susan Pivec, OFS – Feb. 7
Joan Keefe, OFS – Feb. 12
Frederic Wheeler, OFS – Feb. 12
Joanne Greenslade, OFS – Feb. 24
Congratulations!
Michael Albano, OFS – 54th Anniversary – 1960
Martha Dilley, OFS – 24th Anniversary – Jan. 21, 1990
Gerard Lebrun, OFS – 4th Anniversary – Jan. 17, 2010
Lizbeth Perez, OFS – 4th Anniversary – Jan. 17, 2010
Richard Gladd, OFS – 1st Anniversary – Jan. 20, 2013
Jacqueline Ortiz, OFS – 1st Anniversary – Feb. 2013
by Jim Prior, OFS
I am happy to announce that Jim Gillis will
be professed in the Secular Franciscan
Order at our February meeting. Jim has
worked long and hard in Formation, and
has made himself an asset to our Fraternity. After Jim’s Profession and Fr. Gerald
Dolan’s celebration of Mass, the Fraternity
will return to the Auditorium to enjoy a
pot luck dinner with our
newly professed Jim Gillis.
Susan Pivec has been working with Cheri Jenner and
Debbie Ouellette in Formation meetings at St. Mary
Our Lady of Grace Catholic
Church. Susan advises that
all is well with them. Polly
St. Raphael and Jason Johns
are now Candidates and are
proceeding very well toward
Profession.
Debbie
Ouellette
Jim Gillis
Cheri Jenner
A Very Big St. Anthony’s
welcome to Michael Mendez,
Polly
who is becoming an Inquirer Jason Johns St. Raphael
in the Formation process of joining our Fraternity.
Michael’s a big guy with a big heart. He is a former Army
Ranger and a former policeman for the City of Clearwater. He is presently a facilities manager for a large technology corporation in the St. Petersburg area. Michael is
very active as an usher at St. Mary Our Lady of Grace
Church. He is also a Knight of Columbus. Say hello to
him today and welcome him to our Fraternity.
Assigned to bring refreshments for the
February Fraternity meeting:
Joan Keefe, and D. Susan Pivec
“If you want to grow in perfection,
you cannot advance by yourself –
you need a guide. Hence, when you
go to God, go through Mary and
with Mary!” – St. Maximilian Kolbe
Michael Mendez with Fr. Stan Widomski, OFM
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SECULAR FRANCISCAN NEWS
JANUARY 2014
by Joe Halloran, OFS
Get
in the habit of taking frequent
time-outs in your daily life. During
those brief, grace-filled moments,
remind yourself to breathe deeply,
slowly, mindfully, gratefully. Thank
and praise God for Who He is and
for all He has done for you, and for
all that He means to you.
Loosen up all that tenseness that
creeps into your body… and relax,
knowing and appreciating that you
are in the Presence of God.
Pray for loved ones, for strangers, for those in need,
for those you find it hard to like, for our Holy Father
Pope Francis, for our Holy Mother Church, for peace.
Smile.
Practice detachment from wanting more and more
stuff, and get rid of a lot of that stuff you own.
Be more aware of the beauty
and value of silence, and
resolve to frequently
experience more and deeper
silence, and God’s mysterious
Presence therein. Relish that
sacred silence every day!
(“Be still, and know that I
am God” – Psalm 46:10.)
Frequently ask yourself, “How can I gladden the heart
of … (e.g., my spouse, children, friends, neighbors, sick
folk, the downtrodden et al.)?”
Become more and more aware of – and grateful for –
the sacred gift of life.
Thank God that you are His child and that He loves
you to the nth degree. Call to mind what St. Augustine
said: “God loves each one of us as if there were
only one of us.”
In times of stress and
worry, say to yourself
(preferably aloud), the
following life-giving
words of St. Vincent de
Paul, and say those
words at least two or
three times so that they will more readily get down
into your spirit: “Free yourself from all that troubles
you… God will take care of things.”
Revere and enjoy and be attentive and thankful to God
for all those reinvigorating time-outs in your daily life,
and you will surely become a happier, healthier, and
holier person in the bargain.
by Joe Halloran, OFS
By now you probably know that
Jim Prior, OFS, was recently awarded the
prestigious St. Jude the Apostle Medal by
Bishop Robert Lynch for outstanding service.
We are so proud of our dear brother Jim,
who has set the bar mighty high for the rest
of us, but at least we can dream about
Jim Prior, OFS
reaching such a height ourselves in distinguished service to
God’s beloved people in our diocese and beyond.
Jim is a long-time member of the St. Anthony of Padua
Fraternity of the worldwide Secular Franciscan Order, and
over the years Jim has served the Fraternity administratively and educationally. For the past seven years Jim has
served the Fraternity as Formation Director, a major
endeavor geared to training potential members in
Franciscan spirituality. Ask Jim’s past and present students
in Franciscanism what they think of Jim, and they will reply
with encomium after encomium after encomium.
As if the Secular Franciscan Order were not enough in
terms of its activities and ministries, Jim also holds active
membership in the Serra Club, the Ancient Order of
Hibernians, and the Knights of Columbus. He is an
Auxiliary member of the Legion of Mary and a volunteer at
St. Anthony’s Hospital and at Bay Pines VA Hospital in
St. Petersburg. And there’s more! Jim is a volunteer in
prison ministry, a Lector and a Eucharistic Minister in his
parish (St. Mary Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church),
amongst other duties. Interestingly, back in the day, Jim
became a Cursillista.
Jim deeply loves the Church, because he deeply loves
the dear Saviour Who founded the Church. May God
ever love and bless His beloved son, with whom He is
well-pleased – His beloved son Jim Prior. Godspeed, Jim.
May God richly bless you. Ad multos annos!
**********
Congratulations also to Jacqueline Ortiz, who was
awarded the St. Jude the Apostle Medal by Bishop Lynch.
Jacqueline hails from the Spanish Secular Franciscan Order
of Transfiguration Parish in St. Petersburg, and she enjoys
joining our Fraternity meetings on the third Sundays of the
month. Jacqueline is quite new with us, so I lack vital
information about her apostolic work. But one thing I do
know about Jacqueline: She is a dear and gentle and gracious and holy soul who truly loves God and who realizes
how precious her holy Catholic Faith is. I liked Jacqueline
the instant I met her! If you have not met Jacqueline yet,
you will understand what I mean when you do meet her,
because you, too, will like her instantly. She’s a sweet and
lovely lady and it gladdens my heart when she joins us in
prayer and fellowship. God love you, Jacqueline… forever.