Every day, friends from allover the country send the

Companions of St. Anthonyprayer petitions in handwrittenletters, reply cards from our mail-ings, emails, Facebook messages,and voicemails. Praying to St.Anthony for his intercession withour Lord on behalf of our friendsand benefactors has been a cen-tral ministry of the Companionssince it began over 25 years ago.The Franciscan Friars Conven-tual of the Shrine of St. Anthonyin Ellicott City, Maryland, their

brother Franciscans around thecountry and the world, and theirlay prayer partners hold up thesemany petitions before God inmany ways throughout the year.

When prayer petitions aremailed in to us, either on per-sonal stationery or on replyforms from our mailings, theyare read by our staff who pray forthem immediately. Our layPrayer Partners will often writean encouraging note to someone,reminding them that God lovesthem and that the Friars are

praying for them; other timesthey send a Mass card to some-one grieving the loss of a lovedone; sometimes they even call onthe phone so that someone in

The St. Anthony

Volume 5, Number 2

CompanionCompanion

Look What’s InsIde…

InterCessIon of the saInts ....4-5

God Gave Us Brothers .............6-7

ChrIstmas CandLe ...............................8

Companions Pray for You roughout the Year

The basket of Companions prayer petitions sits before the altar at the Shrine ofSt. Anthony in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Continued on Page 2

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Companions Comments“Thank you for the wonderful items of St. An-

thony that you send me. After hearing stories of St.Anthony, I’ve not only learned a lot about him butalso about myself and what I can do for God.”

Friend of St. Anthony, Syracuse, NY

“I am writing to tell you of my deep love anddevotion to St. Anthony. He has been my closestintercessor to Mary and the Trinity. Mostly I prayfor my brother’s MS. St. Anthony has protectedhim from the harsh results of this disease for 20years. Please continue to spread his love!”

Anonymous

“I received a miracle today. I went to the storeand I left my pocket book on the basket. I re-turned right away when I realized what I had done.I was praying to St. Anthony, the Virgin Mary,and the Sacred Heart of Jesus to find my pocketbook. When I arrived at the parking lot, the basket

was still there with my pocket book in it! I couldnot believe that after 20 minutes it would still bethere. Thank you, St. Anthony.”

A.R., Springfield, MA

In April 2016, Companions Jay and Jean Dugas fromAlbuquerque, New Mexico visited the Shrine of St.Anthony in Ellicott City, Maryland.

dire need will hear the sound of acaring voice.

The lay Prayer Partnerscoordinate with the Friars forfurther prayer and pastoral out-

reach for many petitions. Peti-tions are placed in a basket out-side the private chapel of theFriars at the Shrine of St. An-thony, and the Friars take a peti-tion into prayer each time they

enter the chapel. Though theFriars of the Shrine personallypray for Companions petitionsevery day, in some cases, when apriest is needed immediately, aFriar will reach out to him or her.Lastly, some petitions are sent toFriars around the country whocontinue to pray for these inten-tions during their personal timesof prayer.

On the third Saturday ofeach month, the lay Prayer Part-ners gather to pray for the manyintentions that come in. Follow-ing Mass at the Shrine, thePrayer Partners retire to a privateroom to pray. This prayer takesmany forms: some read petitionsas they pray in their own wordswhile others pray the Rosarywhile reading petitions, andsome write notes, also. In

Companions Pray, from on Page 1

The basket of monthly benefactors to the Companions of St. Anthony sitsbefore the relics of St. Anthony at the Shrine of St. Anthony.

Continued on Page 3

whichever form it takes, the petitions of our Com-panions are lifted up by their fellow lay Compan-ions before our Lord.

Prayer petitions are present at many liturgiesthroughout the year. Every Tuesday, petitions fromthe prior week are taken in a basket to sit before thealtar at the Shrine of St. Anthony for Mass and theTuesday Novena to St. Anthony. These same peti-tions are taken back to the Shrine on Thursdaysand placed before the Blessed Sacrament duringAdoration. At the end of each month, the names ofall benefactors to the Franciscans are placed in abasket before the relic of St. Anthony and are pres-ent at all Masses and liturgies for the followingmonth. In this way, the intercession of St. Anthonyis continued for an additional 30 days.

A special aspect of prayer at the Shrine is thelighting of candles in our chapel. Pilgrims comeevery day to seek St. Anthony’s intercession at Massand in private devotion before his relics. Many willend their pilgrimage by lighting a candle for theirintentions. For all of the requests to light candlesthat are mailed in from around the country, theFriars of the Shrine light them throughout the week.

Lastly, Masses and Novenas are said multipletimes throughout the year for the intentions of theCompanions of St. Anthony. Besides daily andweekly Masses, your intentions are rememberedduring special Feast Days and Holy Days. Weencourage you to send us your intentions to beincluded in these special Masses, which are listedin the schedule to the right.

As you can see, the intentions that ourCompanions send in to us are prayed over many,many times throughout the day, week, month, andyear. It is a special blessing the Friars have to beentrusted with these needs, and it is their greatprivilege to have the opportunity to speak to God,through St. Anthony, on behalf of so many.

Visit www.companionsofstanthony.org tosubmit a prayer petition to the Friars online! In ad-dition you can watch a video of thanks from Friarsat the Shrine of St. Anthony!

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Companions Pray, from on Page 2

Pilgrims Carlotta Salazar from Virginia and her sisterElizabeth Ledesma from Texas made the long journeyto the Shrine of St. Anthony in March 2016 as part oftheir Lenten devotions.

Spiritual Benefits of Masses and Novenasfor Companions of St. Anthony

• Novena to St. Anthony every Tuesday of the year• August 11 Feast of St. Clare• August 15 Feast of the Assumption/

St. Anthony Birthday• September 18 Feast of St. Joseph Cupertino• October 4 Feast of St. Francis• Oct. 24-Nov. 1 All Souls Novena• December 16-24 Christmas Novena• December 25 Christmas Mass• Nine days before Lent Novena

Ash Wednesday• Nine days before Easter Novena

Easter Sunday• Nine Days before St. Anthony Novena

June 13

• Daily Mass at the Shrine of St. Anthony• Daily Mass at the Porciuncula Friary,

Provincial House• Weekly Mass at the Tomb of St. Francis, Assisi, Italy• Weekly Mass at the Tomb of St. Anthony,

Padua, Italy

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One of the most consolingpromises that Jesus has madeto us is that whatever we prayfor in His name will be granted.He has promised to be ourintercessor with the Father,and that we will never feel cutoff from the power of God.

If Jesus made this promise,then why should we botherpraying for the intercession ofthe saints? Should we notsimply pray to Jesus, trusting

that He will grant us whateverwe need?

What is PrayerBefore we can address that

question, there is a more basicquestion to ask. Does Jesusreally grant all those things forwhich we pray? Very often wepray for something for yearsand years and we never seem toreceive it. So what are prayersand how do they work?

At times we approachprayer as if God were amachine and we have to placethe proper fuel in that machineto make it work. Our prayersare that fuel, and if we strikethe proper mixture of novenas,candles and promises to reformour lives, then God is all butobliged to give us what wewant.

At other times, we recog-nize that God might not grantus what we want. Therefore,our prayers seem more liketokens which we place in a slotmachine. We say our prayersand pull the lever, hoping ourthree oranges–our miracle–willpop up.

Prayer as RelationshipAll of this is to take a very

mechanical approach to ourrelationship with God. God isnot a machine which we primewith our prayer. God is aperson, and our prayers arecommunication, an expressionof love and trust. In prayer, wejoin our love to that of Godand we trust that God willrespond to our need in themost loving way possible. Thisis where some of the confusionlies. We almost always believethat the most loving responseto our prayers would be togrant what we want when wewant it. God often realizes thatwe can be more loving peopleif the response to our prayer is

Praying for the Intercession of the saintsBy Fr. Jude Winkler, OFM Conv.

A pilgrim, about to receive the Holy Eucharist, reaches out to touch the statueof St. Anthony, seeking his intercession.

not the miracle that we request.Sometimes we learn patiencewhen our request is not granted,or we learn to trust in the midstof suffering, or we learn topersevere in our request.

Praying as a CommunityBecause prayer is an expres-

sion of love, we often ask othersto join us in prayer for a partic-ular need. It is not that we willdevelop a greater weight ofprayer when more than oneperson is praying for a need. Itis that when I express love, Inaturally want others to partici-pate in my love. It makes adifference when I am prayingtogether with a friend or withmy Church for a particularneed. The more love that isexpressed, the easier it is for usto respond to God’s responsewith love and trust.

The Community of SaintsWhat has been said about

wanting our family and friendsto join us in prayer for a partic-ular need can also be said of thesaints. We can pray to Godwithout asking for the interces-sion of the saints, but becauseour prayer is an expression oflove, we want everyone in ourcommunity of love to join us inour prayer.

But who exactly are saints?At its broadest definition, saintsare people who were so in lovewith God and with their sistersand brothers in this life thatthey continue to express thatlove even after their deaths.Their love is stronger thandeath. They will continue toexpress love for those who are

still on this earth until they areonce again in Heaven.

Most of us have experi-enced this in our own lives.We have a favorite relative, ora husband or a wife who haspassed away. At first, we wereoverwhelmed by the lonelinessof separation. It feels as if allthe love which we had sharedhad somehow been defeatedand now we were all alone.Then one evening we felt apresence alongside of us.We were not afraid; we did notthink it was a threatening pres-ence. We simply knew that ourloved one was there with us.We began to talk to that person.We began to feel the help ofour loved one in difficult times.

The Church’s SaintsThis experience teaches us

what the saints mean for us.The saints are all those whohave gone to heaven. Yet, theChurch has chosen certain menand women whom it hasofficially proclaimed as saints.These are women and men whowere so courageous and gener-ous in their love that everyoneknows that they are in heaven.Their love was so large andexpansive that they want to

reach out and embrace thewhole world. These, in fact, arethe two basic requirements forone to be canonized: that therebe a devotion to that personand that the intercession of thatperson be proved through themiracles obtained by praying tothat person. When this hasbeen certified, the Churchproclaims that these heroes areboth examples of lived faith andintercessors in time of need.

Never LonelyIf we think of what all of

this means, we realize that theheavens are literally packed withpeople who love us and who arewilling to intercede for us. Oneof our greatest fears in themodern world is that we will beall alone and lonely. Thedoctrine of the communion ofsaints is the guarantee that weare part of a loving communitywhich even death cannot sepa-rate. Our prayer to the saintsfor their intercession in ourtimes of need, whether it be thesaints from our own family orthose saints whom the Churchhas officially proclaimed, is anact of faith in the belief thatlove is stronger than death.

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“Our prayer to the saints for theirintercession in our time of need...is an act of faith in the belief that

love is stronger than death.”

“God Gave Us Brothers…”Franciscan Vocation News

Left: Director of the St. BonaventureFriary Postulancy, Friar Paschal Kolodziej,OFM Conv. (far left) & Assistant Director,Friar Anthony Lajato, OFM Conv. (farright) will direct our 16 new Postulants ina year of immersion into the Franciscanway of life, common prayer, class instruc-tion, and outreach ministries.

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On July 20, 2016 at the St. Francis of Assisi Friary Novitiate in Arroyo Grande, California, the Very Reverend Fr.Michael Zielke, OFM Conv., Minister Provincial of St. Bonaventure Province, presided and preached at Vespersfor the 2016 Investiture Ceremony. There were fifty Friars in attendance, as we welcomed seven new Novices,vested in the habit of our Order. Our province congratulates our newest Novice: Friar Jason DeMartini.

Investiture

Friar Nick Rokitka Ordained to Holy PriesthoodRight: It is with praise and gratitude to the Most High God that the Friars

joyfully celebrated the ordination to the Holy Priesthood of our brother, FriarNicholas John Rokitka, OFM Conv. conferred by Bishop John Eric Stowe,OFM Conv. of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky on June25, 2016 at St. Casimir’s Church in Baltimore, Maryland. The day was filledwith joy and fraternity, as friars, family and friends from all over the provincegathered in celebration. Pictured here are the newly ordained Fr. Nicholasand Bishop Stowe. Please pray for Father Nick in his ministry!

Postulants

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Simple Vows

On Saturday, August 6, 2016,at San Damiano Mission inBrooklyn, New York, FriarNicholas Spano, OFM Conv. wasordained a Transitional Deaconby the Bishop of Brooklyn, HisExcellency, the Most ReverendNicholas Anthony DiMarzio. FriarNick was supported by many ofthe friars of our province, hisfamily, friends and a large as-sembly of the people he serves.Please keep Friar Nicholas inyour prayers.

Each summer, friars who are approaching their solemn, or final, vowsmake a special pilgrimage to Assisi to explore the rich Franciscan historyof the area, accompanied by veteran friars. For the last week, the mencontinue delving into the life of St. Francis of Assisi and his followers, witha focus on living out their Franciscan calling. Pictured here are the fourFriars with Our Lady of the Angels Minister Provincial, Fr. James McCurry(left to right: Antonio Sandoval, Don Bassana, Emanuel Vasconcelos, andMaximilian Avila. Please keep all the Franciscan Friars Conventual information in your prayers during this important step in their vocation.

Friar Nick SpanoOrdained a Deacon

Solemn Vows

On July 21, 2016 the Franciscan Friars Conventual of North Americacelebrated the joy of the Profession of Simple Vows (also known as First orTemporary) Vows of seven Novices, at St. Paul’s Church, in Pismo Beach,California. Congratulations go to Friar Roberson Lubin, Friar Jacob Min-jarez, Friar Brian Mary Tougher, Friar Jaime Zaragoza, Friar Timothy Blan-chard, {bottom row} Friar Franck Lino Sokpolie, and Friar Marco AntonioDidden. Many thanks go to their Novitiate Formators: Director Fr. GilesZakowicz, OFM Conv. (far left, back), and Assistant Director Fr. MauriceRichard, OFM Conv. (far right, back)!

The St. AnthonyCompanion

is a publication of the Companions of St. Anthony

12290 Folly Quarter RoadEllicott City, Maryland 21042

410-531-9200Visit us online at

www.companionsofstanthony.org

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sharing the Gift of Your faith and LoveHow can you ensure that thelegacy of your earthly journeywill live on?

A gift made to the Compan-ions of St. Anthony throughyour Will can be used to shareyour faith in the Holy Gospel ofJesus Christ with the least of ourbrothers and sisters throughoutthe world.

Your legacy will live onthrough our service to the poorand needy in soup kitchens andhomeless shelters, Catholicschools, hospitals, parishes andprison ministry. Your generositywill assist the Franciscan FriarsConventual serving in parishministry, and as teachers, chap-lains, counselors, preachers, in

retreat centers and youth pro-grams and as missionaries in dis-tant lands.

If you have already prepareda Will, a simple codicil can beadded. If you have not yet writ-ten your Will, please contact anattorney to assist you.

Here are four options formaking a bequest:1. A Percentage of Your Estate

To leave a percentage of your estate tothe Companions of St. Anthony, pleasestate in your Will: “I give, devise and be-queath to the Companions ofSt. Anthony of Ellicott City, Maryland,______________% of my estate.”

2. Specific PropertyTo leave a specific piece of your property,please state: “I give, devise and bequeathto the Companions of St. Anthony ofEllicott City, Maryland, (description ofproperty), located at (exact location).”

3. Residue of Your EstateThe portion of your estate that is leftafter specific bequests to your family andloved ones have been distributed is re-ferred to as the “Residue.”To leave such a bequest, please state:

“All residue of my estate, including realand personal property, I give, devise andbequeath to the Companions of St. An-thony of Ellicott City, Maryland.”

4. Specific Dollar AmountA bequest of any amount will be deeplyappreciated and would have an impor-tant impact in caring for the poor andneedy. To leave a specific dollar amount,please state:

“I give, devise and bequeath to the Com-panions of St. Anthony of Ellicott City,Maryland, the amount of $_______.”

Please be assured that arevocable gift listed in

your Will can be changedat any time.