by Fr. Robert Abbatiello

Peace and good things to you! As the recently elected provincial minister of the Province of St. Mary, it is an honor for me to share these words with you, our families, friends, benefactors, and partners in mission. As I begin this new ministry, I am particularly grateful for your continued prayers, friendship, interest in, and support of our friars and our various ministries throughout the Province.

It is now autumn, the season of harvest and Thanksgiving. We are in the midst of the Church’s Season of Creation, when we give thanks for the beauty of the earth, our common home. As we enjoy the magnificent display of fall colors and anticipate gathering with friends and loved ones for the celebration of special holidays, please know that you are regularly in our prayers. We thank God for you! We remember you around the greatest Thanksgiving table, the altar, from which we receive the Body of Christ. There, we gather with our friars in community, those we serve in ministry, and those who seek our assistance in finding the Lord.

In this time of harvest gathering, may I invite you to join me in praying for an increase of vocations to our Capuchin Franciscan way of life? Jesus tells the disciples (and us!) in the Gospel, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37).

I consider it one of my top priorities as provincial minister to support the efforts of our vocation director, Fr. Erik Lenhart, in sharing the story of our community and our ministries as we invite young men to “come and see” who we are and what we do. We constantly encourage the friars to pray each and every day that the Lord will send more laborers to work in His vineyard, especially as Capuchin friars. Will you join your prayers to ours for this very special intention, an increase in vocations?

On the pages that follow, you will read about and see pictures that tell the stories of our friars at work in service of the Gospel, living out their vocation joyfully. Your care, concern, presence, and support in our lives helps us to serve others after the example of Jesus and Saint Francis. Truly, you are a gift to us that we do not take for granted.

May God, who can never be outdone in generosity, bless you for your kindness to our friars, and, through them, bless countless others!