July 26 - August 2, 2026
Friar's Footnotes by Fr. John Prenger, OFP
Greetings in the Name of the Lord Jesus, the Christ!
I will dive right in. Our upcoming scripture texts are Isaiah 55: 1-3; Psalm 145; Romans 8: 35-39; and Matthew 14: 13-21. The gospel is the section of Matthew where Jesus 'sees' the crowd that has followed Him when He was seeking to be by Himself, and He ministered to them. Within that healing ministry, Jesus then miraculously provided bread and fish for the multitude. This gospel sets the tone augmented by the other readings. In Isaiah 55, we are told to 'come to the Lord', that He will deal with our thirsts and hungers. And the section of Romans 8 highlights that nothing can separate us from the Love of Christ--nothing!!
Chapel Schedule
Noon Tuesday Eucharist (July 28), Fr. John presiding
NO THURSDAY EUCHARIST
5 pm Saturday Eucharist (August 1), Fr. Jim presiding
SAYINGS OF THE SAINTS
"People never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction." Blase Pascal, French religious philosopher and scientist.
"Suffering is only intolerable when nobody cares. One continually sees that faith in God and his care is made infinitely easier by faith in someone who has shown kindness and sympathy" Cicely Saunders, who is acknowledged as the pioneer of the hospice movement
I hope this is a blessed week for you as we carry Christ into our needy world. Be blessed!
Fr. John, OFP
Padre’s Pontifications by Fr. Jim McNeely
September 2025
A Pastoral Statement
September 16, 2025
As a community of people committed to following the example of Saints Francis and Clare, we are stunned by the senseless violence that occurred last week, which ended in the murder of Charlie Kirk. We condemn in the strongest possible language the use of violence and hate against anyone, regardless of their political leanings.
We call for all Christian people – and especially those who follow a Franciscan calling – to embrace the virtues of peace, love, toleration, and compassion. Pray earnestly for the repose of the soul of our brother, Charlie Kirk. Pray for his wife and family. Pray for those involved in this shooting. And most of all, pray for those who found pleasure in the senseless murder of an innocent person.
As a community of faithful followers of Jesus, we call all people to re-examine our hearts and find new ways to be Christian examples in our communities. And we renew our belief that real compassion is found not in loving those easy to love, but those who challenge our comfort zones and disagree with us on any level.
-Fr. John Prenger, OFP
Pastor and Protector of the Order
-Fr. Jim McNeely
Priest in Residence and Friend of Francis
