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MINISTER PROVINCIAL
Fr. Anthony Criscitelli, T.O.R.
Church of St. Bridget
3811 Emerson Ave. N.
Minneapolis, MN 55412 |
�
Peace and Good
Things!
There is an ancient proverb
attributed to the Chinese that reminds us, �When you are drinking
the water, don�t forget who dug the well.�� These words of wisdom
admonish us to be mindful of those who have gone before us.� It is
due to their dedication and hard work, their willingness to make
sacrifices and their selflessness that we are in the place where we
are today.
On May 20, 2008, the Feast of Saint
Bernardine of Siena, Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, T.O.R., the Local
Minister of the Monastery which bears Saint Bernardine�s name,
hosted a celebration to mark the 80th
year since the establishment of the building that has served our
Province as Motherhouse, novitiate, friary, and retirement
residence.� Those who attended the dinner and Vespers were treated
to a sumptuous meal prepared by Fr. Christopher and spent time in
prayer and fellowship marking this auspicious occasion.� Although
there seems to be some confusion about the actual year the building
was completed and opened for use�the inscription near the roof reads
1928 while the cornerstone reads 1929�the Monastery stands as a
tribute to those pioneers who were the founders of the Province of
the Immaculate Conception.�
As a novice and a young friar, I
recall hearing stories of some of those first friars�how they would
walk for miles from parish to parish soliciting pennies for the
building of the Monastery.� I heard about the fundraising dances and
events they would hold and their determination to raise a building
at Kladder Station that would serve as the headquarters of this new
fraternity; a place where future generations of friars would be
formed to serve the needs of the Church as Franciscan Friars.� This
handful of men with a vision and a dream �dug the well� from which
we continue to drink and we can never forget the generosity, the
determination, the love for the Church and the Order that gave them
the strength to persevere and realize their dream in the face of
sometimes insurmountable odds.�
Although for many of us these friars
are but names on the headstones at the cemetery, they are the ones
to whom we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude, for they have left us
a legacy not only in brick and mortar, but also�and perhaps more
importantly�in terms of a spirit of determination, of love for the
Province and the Church, and of willingness to work and sacrifice to
build on the solid foundation they laid for us.�
As we look around us now, and as we
look to the future, we often lament that we are too old and too
few.� While it is true that our median age may be approaching 70 and
that we now number �more under the ground than above the ground� we
do number more than those pioneers who labored so long and hard so
that we might have a future.� Their legacy challenges us to channel
our energy in a more positive direction by continuing to respond to
the promptings of the Spirit, to work to meet the needs of the
Church and the world in which we find ourselves, and to build the
Reign of God in all we do.�
May the months ahead afford you some
time to break out of your usual routines so that your bodies and
spirits might be renewed.� Together may we work to keep the well
that was dug for us filled with water that will nourish and refresh
us�and those who will come after us.
�
Fraternally in
Saint Francis,
�
� ������������������������������������ (Very Reverend) Anthony M.
Criscitelli, TOR
Minister Provincial
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