May 2010 CFR Vocations eLetter

May the Risen Lord give you His peace! May is Mary's month.

One of my favorite lines from the Second Vatican Council is: “Man only finds himself in the sincere giving of himself” (cf. Gaudium et Spes 24). This quote contains a key insight into the heart of every human person’s true vocation:loving self-donation. The bottom line of all discernment is the question: “How does God want me to give myself to Him and my neighbor?” It does not matter if we are called to the priesthood, religious life, lay consecration or married life. Every calling will (money-back guaranteed) include a daily dying to ourselves. It is part of the universal call of every Christian to take up the cross and follow Jesus. Every vocation is an invitation to the cross.

Dying to ourselves is not easy to say the least! The crosses that come to us run contrary to our inclination to be comfortable and self-centered. The crosses that meet us are impossible to bear on our own strength. Left to ourselves, we will be crushed under the weight of the cross. But we are not alone! Particularly in this month of May we must remember that Mary stood by the side of Jesus all along the Way of the Cross. She was with Him every step of the way. She gave Him motherly consolation and encouragement by sharing and participating in His saving sacrifice. How much more will Mary help her weak sons and daughters who are striving to follow the footprints of her Son?!

We must often call to mind, especially when times are most difficult, the loving presence of Mary our Mother. She walks along the way with us, guiding us at every step of the journey. When we are weary, one glance towards Her can renew our vigor and help us to give until it hurts. By Our Lady’s prayer and example we will be led out of ourselves and into the Heart of Her Son. There we will find the strength to follow Him, no matter what He asks of us.


Check it out ...
+ Pope Benedict in Fatima, May 2010
+ New York Times May April 25, 2010, Op-Ed 
on the Birth Control Pill (some surprising info)
+ Video: Art Sculpture in the Eye of a Needle (interesting)
+ ALIVE! (online version of a very good Catholic newspaper in Ireland)

+ Olympic speed skater joins our CFR sisters (from Yahoo!Sports)
+ Radio interview with Fr. Luke, Br. Pius and Br. Innocent
+ 3 CFR Friars to be ordained priests 
on May 15, 2010 (pics and bios)


May the Lord bless you,
Br. Pius Marie Gagne, CFR 
Saint Joseph Friary
523 W. 142nd St.
New York, NY 10031


For Vocation Inquiries
(212)281-4355

April 25, 2010 Special World Day of Prayer for Vocations

May the Risen Lord give you His peace!


Sunday, April 25, 2010, will be the 47th annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Our Holy Father has pre-released a beautiful message for this day. He and the priesthood are both under a considerable amount of attack lately. This is a good time to pray for the Pope and for vocations. This year the Pope highlights the importance of witness and example, in other words, we need to talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk. Our lives cannot contradict our words - Saint Francis would have said a huge amen to that!

The Holy Father stresses the importance of prayer and friendship with Jesus Christ.Here are some good quotes, "Another aspect of the consecration belonging to the priesthood and the religious life is the complete gift of oneself to God ... In following Jesus, everyone called to a life of special consecration must do his utmost to testify that he has given himself completely to God. This is the source of his ability to give himself in turn to those whom Providence entrusts to him in his pastoral ministry with complete, constant and faithful devotion ... "

+ New Vocations Website from the USCCB: www.ForYourVocation.org
+ Full text of Pope Benedict's Message


May the Lord bless you,
The Friars 
Saint Joseph Friary
523 W. 142nd St.
New York, NY 10031


For Vocation Inquiries
(212)281-4355

April 2010 CFR Vocations eLetter

May the Risen Lord give you His peace!


This month I would like to write about one of the most subtle of vices that can effect our discernment, the sin of sloth. Often this sin doesn’t really make its way on to our radar screen when we examine our consciences. This is because unlike many vices which we know so very well attack with violence on our frontline of defense, sloth sneaks in the back door attacking our very will to fight. Sloth can be defined as a sort of sorrow weighing us down, so that we don’t want to do anything or weariness in work, sluggishness in beginning to do any good (St. Thomas defines it this way in The Summa).

We have all been victims of this in little ways, “it’s too late to go pray anyway…” “I can work on this tomorrow…let’s watch another episode of 24 instead” “the Lord cannot possibly expect me to go that far… its too hard for me.” (I must confess to hours of mindless gazing at many-a blank screen in writing e-letters!) Things with little or no actual value for our lives, TV, video games etc. foster a sort of laziness in doing the good we should. When we listen to the voice of sloth, we are stopped before we ever get started standing at the base of a beautiful mountain to climb but never starting because “it’s too high.” Having taken hold of a soul, even the anthills of resistance to sin and growth in virtue seem like Mount Everest!

Sloth can have a terrible effect on our vocational discernment. For many, the whole prospect of what a call from the Lord might ask of me makes us avoid Him altogether, hiding in TV, video games and countless other distractions (often these thoughts are very far from the truth). Another effect can leave us in a sort of “order of perpetual discernment” out of excessive fear of a “mistake.” Everything can point us in a particular direction, spiritual direction can confirm it and yet we are afraid to make a move at all.

We must remember that God will give us the grace to do whatever He asks of us as well as help us all along the way in doing it. We have to trust Him… and after a little effort at the beginning, we will often be surprised at how easily and quickly we finished. Let’s ask for the grace this month to see those ways where we might have let sloth creep in, and begin to fight against this subtle enemy. I would hate to lose the race because I just never showed up!

Check it out ...

+ We are now accepting applications from those who are interested in joining us this September!    Contact us for more info and mark your calendar for the official 2-week visit from June 24 - July 8 .

+ George Weigel in defense of Pope Benedict - 2nd - 3rd by Fr. Raymond J. de Souza

+ April 25, 2010, World Day of Prayer for Vocations (excellent message from Pope Benedict)

+ March 28, 2010, World Youth Day (another excellent message from Pope Benedict)

+ February 2, 2010 World Day of Consecrated Life (yet another excellent message from Pope Benedict)

+ Cardinal Franc Rodé called to attention the need for the Church to place greater emphasis on    the vocation of the religious brother.

+ Virtual Tour of Vatican Churches

+ Salt and Light TV (some really good catholic content)

+ Life (inspiring new series from The Discovery Channel)

+ Tim Hawkins (good christian comedian)

+ Outstanding books by Fr. Timothy M. Gallagher, OMV May the Lord bless you, Br. Pius Marie Gagne, CFR Saint Joseph Friary 523 W. 142nd St. New York, NY 10031 For Vocation Inquiries (212)281-4355

March 2010 CFR Vocations eLetter

May the Lord give you His peace. Sorry for the delay in writing, we have been busy!


On March 1, 2010, our 15 Novices professed first vows at St. Antoninus Church. This beautiful parish is located one block from our novitiate friary in troubled Newark, NJ. Out of the many Masses of profession which I have attended over the years, this one stood out like no other. The beauty of the church, sacred music, large number of professing friars and powerful homily by Fr. Glenn Sudano (Novice Master) all contributed to a very moving experience. Beyond and above all of these factors the public witness of these men saying yes to the Lord was inspiring. There are special graces when you attend events such as baptisms, confirmations, first holy communions, weddings, ordinations and vow professions. It seems that grace just overflows at such public professions of faith. At such events we all have the opportunity to renew our yes to the Lord.

As the Vocation Director I was able to walk with these friars as they made their first steps in religious life. I have known one of them since he was 13 years old. It is a gift to see the hand of God at work in the lives of these brothers, knowing where they had been before and seeing where they are now. Each of them had to persevere through various trials in order to arrive at that day of professing vows. I am so thankful to the Lord for the little role I have played in helping them on the journey.

The discernment God’s will can be challenging. When it comes to vocational discernment it is rare to have absolute clarity. It is a common mistake to wait for such a certainty that never comes. Each yes to the Lord requires a leap of faith. Sometimes what the Lord is doing is clearer when we look back on our past. There is a common saying that “hindsight is 20/20”. Somehow looking in our rear-view mirror makes it easier to connect the dots of God’s guidance. If we have our spiritual eyes and ears open, He does give us glimpses and signs which point us in the right direction. We are called to respond to these glimpses as best we can, trusting in His grace to make up for what we lack in their accomplishment.

Check it out ...

+ We are now accepting applications from those who are interested in joining us this September! Contact us for more info and mark your calendar for the official 2-week visit from June 24 - July 8.
+ Snapfish picture album of the Mass of First Profession (requires a sign-in)
+ Pictures from the investiture of new novices
+ Videos of Fr. Luke's homily in York, PA, parish mission
(March 24, 2010) - part 1 - part 2 - part 3
+ 4 videos of vocation commercials from TestYourCalling.org

as the novices become professed they leave behind the caperone

br. columba leads the choir

while professing vows br. joshua - in a gesture of surrender - places his hands
in the hands of Fr. Mariusz Koch, our new Community Servant

band of brothers

May the Lord bless you,

Fr. Gabriel Mary Bakkar, CFR

Saint Joseph Friary
523 W. 142nd St.
New York, NY 10031

For Vocation Inquiries
(212)281-4355   

C.F.R. Vocations eLetter Special Message

Peace and good!

Just a simple message to all of you who have been trying to call us.
Fr. Gabriel has been in England and Ireland for the last 2 weeks. I have been
going to the hospital every day to be with some of our friars who are
sick. Please pray and thank you for your patience. You should be able to
contact us starting on Tuesday, March 2nd at 212.281.4355.

10 Postulants will be invested in the holy habit on Feb. 27.
15 Novices will profess first temporary vows on March 1. This is a blessed
time for our community. Thank you for your patience and don't give up!

God bless you,

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
Saint Joseph Friary
523 West 142nd Street
New York, NY 10031
(212)281-4355
www.franciscanfriars.com

January 2010 C.F.R. Vocations eLetter

“The Lord guides the steps of a man and makes safe the path of one he loves.
Though he stumble he shall never fall for the Lord holds him by the hand.”  Psalm 37

This passage from the psalms surely resonates within everyone.  We want to be guided, we want to be kept safe, and we want to know the path to follow.  We want the Lord to hold us by the hand.  There is another familiar passage in the scriptures to all of us from the Gospel of John chapter 14.  The verse we are pondering is verse six, but the context is verses 1-14.  Jesus responds to Thomas’ question of knowing who he was by saying: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me."
Consider combining these texts into a meditation:

  We want to be guided by the Way,

  We want to be kept safe (guarded) by the Truth,

  We want to be held by the hand and brought to Life by the Good Shepherd...

In January Fr. Gabriel, Br. Cyril and myself traveled to St. Paul, MN, to visit NET Ministries.  Br. Cyril and I had both served on NET Teams before we were Franciscans and in many ways were strengthened in our desire to enter religious life because of the positive experience of serving the Lord and others through the experience of NET. It was a wonderful week of prayer, praise, Eucharistic Adoration and fellowship - as well as a few games of indoor volleyball and ping pong.  We had all flown to St. Paul and were planning to return the same way but God’s providence provided (and guided) us another way.

NET Ministries gives thousands of retreats every year all over the USA.  A team of five men and five women travel by diocese all over the country for a year.  Carrying no more than a suitcase, sleeping bag and back pack. This spring there are eight teams traveling the USA giving dynamic retreats challenging teenagers to love Christ and embrace the life of the Church.  We had asked NET, part jokingly, if they had a van to “retire.”  To our surprise they offered as a gift a van with 170,000 miles, a perfect friar van.

We drove back on January 11^th, but the day before we actually picked up another driver.  When visiting a parish on Sunday we mentioned to a parishioner who is 28 years old that we were driving back to New York and he accepted the invitation to journey with us, to share in the driving and to see the friaries in New York.

The drive back was filled with prayers, music, rosaries and readings from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.  At midnight we made it to the grotto at Notre Dame and stopped to sing a few hymns to Our Lady of Lourdes.  We pushed onto Maumee, OH, and stayed with relatives.  In the morning after going to Mass, a school visit and adoration- we experienced the reality of psalm 37 - the Lord “guiding and guarding” us.

The van would not start and after a failed attempt at a jump start the tow truck was called.  Five hour later we were back on the road, we can only trust that all the people we met during that time needed a word of encouragement and prayers. 

We pulled up to 156^th street and Melrose Ave. at 2:30am, three weary travelers, yet filled with gratitude for the Lord “guiding and guarding us.”  Is there any other way to really live in this world?  The more you trust that the Good Shepherd is watching over your vocation, the more you can follow him and even trust that there are no accidents.  When you meet certain people, certain religious orders etc., trust that the Lord Jesus is guiding and guarding you in your vocation to a truly abundant life! 
What John Paul II said to me I say to you all — Corraggio!

 May the Lord bless you,

Br. Simon Marie Dankoski, CFR
Saint Crispin Friary
420 East 156 St.
Bronx, NY 10455 

+ Feb. 12-14, 2010 - London C.F.R. Vocation Retreat for men in Europe:
If you are a man in his twenties or thirties living in Europe and are discerning our community,
contact Fr. Emmanuel at St. Fidelis Friary, London, England.  

+ Confessions of an anchorman (eye-opening)

+ Pope Considers St. Francis' Role in Christmas (very good)

+ Pope Considers the Franciscans and Dominicans (also very good)

+ New website for our Saint Benedict Joseph Medical Center in Honduras 

+ NET Ministries

December 2009 CFR Vocations eLetter

May the Lord give you His peace! This month we have a reflection from one of our friars stationed in the South Bronx, Br. Simon. A blessed Advent and Christmas to all of you. Let us pray for one another.

Who knew? God knew!

Recently when flying out of La Guardia Airport in New York City, I was surprised by seeing a friar and a friend unexpectedly. Sitting near the gate reading a book, I took my time as the passengers boarded the plane. I was surprised when suddenly one of our own friars came up and gave me a big hello. It was joy to see him. Then all of the sudden a friend from Michigan, a college roommate - now a father of six children and successful business man - came out from the next gate. In those moments we received an unexpected blessing of the gift of friendship. Who would have known?

In our vocation to holiness we need to desire to truly accomplish God’s will for His greater glory, allowing Him to work out the details. When the apostles experienced and encountered Our Lord in the Gospels his response to them simply would be “come and see.” This would have caused the disciples to act with faith. Faith is required in the discerning of a vocation which may seem to be a longer and more difficult decision than responding to the invitation of our Lord. We ask ourselves why it cannot be more simple. On this journey of faith there will be unexpected blessings. We should pray for the grace to be content with the expected trial-of-the-day set before us, trusting that Our Lord is guiding us and those around us in our vocations.

We should be grateful for the gift of friends who pray and intercede for us in our discernment and trust that light and grace is given as a gift from God. Before I was a friar, while visiting one of the missions in California founded by Bl. Junipero, an older man who attended Mass with us approached me to ask if he could pray for my vocation. As he said a prayer he shared with me an image he received in his prayer. It was an image of me taking a detour in my journey which would actually become a catapult of grace. How true that word from the Lord became as the friars in New York asked me to wait and work. I worked in a dynamic program giving retreats for two years. It deepened my faith and friendships with other Catholics and solidified my resolve to enter religious life as a Franciscan. I am grateful for the unexpected detour, but desire that contentment Our Lord gives in being close to Him in prayer, in the sacraments lived out in a community, while experiencing the expected trials-of-the-day. This year I am a friar for nine years and I trust that “He knows the plans he has for me…” Jeremiah.

May the Lord bless you,
Br. Simon Marie Dankoski, CFR
Saint Crispin Friary
420 East 156 St.
Bronx, NY 10455

Check it out ...

+ Advent Meditation in Papal Chapel Contemplates Origins of Priesthood
+ Pope Benedict Invites the Faithful to Confession (Dec. 2, 2009)
+ NFP vs Contraception Videos (similar to the Mac vs PC commercials)
+ Video of Houston Priest Dying of Cancer
+ Made For More (excellent book by Curtis Martin, founder of FOCUS)