We ask the whole Mountain family to pray for our brother Bob Struzynski, ofm. He was taken ill over a week ago and his condition has not improved. The decision was made today that he would be taken off life support measures and be made as comfortable as possible as he passes home to God. Again please join us all in prayers and gratitude for his life with us, and his life now and always with God.
Dan Riley, ofm
Some 180 friends of Mt. Irenaeus packed the Doyle Dining and Trustees rooms at St. Bonaventure Nov. 2 for a fun-filled evening that raised approximately $30,000 for the Mountain operating budget and endowment.
“Now, after what is truly many years of an annual auction for Mt. Irenaeus, I was struck by how wonderfully fresh and enjoyable in its very own way this year’s was. It seems there is always something new going on in the community and the gifts offered us and I know all of us are very grateful,” said Fr. Dan Riley, ofm, guardian of Holy Peace Friary.
Many of the guests were driven to bid by their hearts — and stomachs. During the verbal portion of the auction, bidding on a case of Fr. John Coughlin’s Transitus Ale was fast and furious. (Check out a video of the bidding!) Bottled on the feast of St. Francis and bearing labels featuring an illustration by Dan Riley, the copper-colored brew drew a winning bid of $750.
A Mountain hike and gourmet lunch for six with Br. Joe Kotula, ofm, continues to be a popular item with a winning bid of $500.
Offered for the first time at the 2012 auction, a pie-of-the-month offering by Sr. Regina Aman of St. Mary of the Angels Church in Olean had everyone’s mouth watering. An initial offering brought in bidding that topped off at $800. Sr. Regina then graciously offered to provide a second year round of pies to another bidder for $600.
The auction’s trademark — a fun evening of fellowship and sharing — is an extension of the atmosphere that permeates Mt. Irenaeus, drawing auction-goers from many communities and many faith backgrounds.
Watch future newsletters for details about the 2014 Mountain Auction, which will be chaired by Michael Sullivan.
View the online auction, bid and share with others! All proceeds directly benefit the Mountain. Bid high and bid often and thank you for your continued support of the Mountain.
Collage of all the items at their opening bid prices.
Suzanne English describes the spiritual journey involved in becoming, and living as, a member of the Third Order of St. Francis
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A Secular Franciscan is an ordinary person like you and I, who attempts to follow Jesus in living the Gospel, just as St. Francis did.
The Order of Franciscans Secular, often called the Third Order of St. Francis, is an official Order within the Catholic Church, established by St. Francis of Assisi himself in the 13th century.
Members of the OFS do not usually live in community; we live with our families and hold ordinary jobs, gathering with our fraternity brothers and sisters for monthly meetings and keeping in touch by email or phone in between.
After a time of inquiry and candidacy, we profess (or promise) to follow a Rule of Life. Like all Christians, but with the support of our brothers and sisters, we seek to turn away from sin and to be faithful to the Gospel, helping one another in this journey to be closer to Christ.
Becoming a professed Secular Franciscan involves up to 36 months of formation. This includes orientation, when a person determines his or her level of interest; inquiry, a time to learn about the history of the Order and the charism; and candidacy, a time of discernment. If both the inquirer and local fraternity agree a vocation is discerned, the person is received into the Order.
Profession is a lifetime commitment to follow the Gospel in fraternal relationship with other professed sisters and brothers.
We invite you to join us to find out whether this journey is for you. The St. Irenaeus Fraternity meets monthly, usually on the fourth Sunday of the month. We join in the 11 a.m. Mass at Mt. Irenaeus and the potluck brunch that follows, then gather for meditation and benediction in Holy Peace Chapel at 1:15 p.m., with our meeting following until about 3:30 in the gathering room below the chapel.
We welcome you to join us as you reflect on how you might best fulfill God’s will for your life. As St. Francis said, "I have done what is mine to do; may Christ teach you what is yours to do."
Questions? Contact minister Agnes Brush at june1563@gmail.com.
Brother Kevin Kriso shares insight on the four seasons of vegetable growing as the Mountain friars prepare the garden for winter
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People often ask us, “when do you start your vegetable garden?” The expected answer is, “sometime in the spring.” It’s true that in early spring we’ll be planting spinach and peas after the snow melts, but by then our garden has been growing for several months.
The truth is there never is a start or finish time to a vegetable garden.
This fall we will clear out spent plants that provided for our table in spring and summer. However, these leftover piles of organic matter will be composted over the winter to add nourishment to the soil in the spring. Not only that, in the next few weeks we will be planting garlic cloves for next year’s crop. The winter gives the garlic a chance to develop strong roots so they can grow in earnest in the warm weather. There is no beginning or end, just different seasons.
It’s the same with our lives. There may be seasons in our lives that initiate new growth, or what we perceive as decline and decay. But these seasons are always followed by the next season.
At the Mountain we say we “join with Jesus Christ to make all things new.” The garden helps me understand that Jesus is always creating, always making something new out of our lives and our world. We may think “things ain’t what they used to be like they were in the glory days,” but contemplative eyes see something new is always happening. The glory days are now.
Monday, December 9, 2013 at 9:23PM