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News - August 2023 RSS Feed
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August 26, 2023Dear fellow parishioners of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and St. John’s, May the Lord give you peace! I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to you for all of your support and for your prayers over the course of my journey to ordination as a friar-priest. So many of you have been part of my life for many years, some even since I was barely eight years old. You have welcomed me as part of the Catholic community in Olean and supported my involvement in the life of our parishes as I learned to altar serve and became involved in family ministry through Morning Star Family Holy Hour and the St. Clare of Assisi Lifeteen group. In the eleven years since I joined the Franciscan Friars Conventual, every home visit has brought me such a sense of the love and support of the good people of Olean as I continued my journey of discernment, formation, and study. My ordination as a friar-priest this past week was an overwhelming experience of God’s merciful love and goodness for me. One of the most powerful expressions of that love I experienced was the amazing number of parishioners from St. John’s and from the Basilica who made the trip up to Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna for the occasion, and the many more who sent words of love and support my way, not to mention so many who came to my first Mass at the Basilica in Olean on Sunday and visited with me afterwards. Your presence and your words of support and encouragement mean the world to me! As I begin my priestly ministry in the context of our Franciscan high school in Baltimore, Maryland, I humbly ask that your prayers might continue – not just for me, but for the nearly 100 young men I will be teaching this year, for their families, and for my fellow teachers. Catholic education is a critically important endeavor, particularly as the world at large moves away from awareness of and reverence for God and the dignity and value of each and every human person. I believe our work here is so important, but we can’t do it alone. We need the spiritual support of many good people of faith who can commit to praying for us to be fruitful in this ministry of educating and forming our young men. I thank you in advance for your prayers, and I reassure you that you all remain in my heart and prayers each day. I will see you next time I’m home! May God bless you and give you His Peace! Fr. Manny Wenke, OFM Conv. Gallery of pictures from Ordination and Thanksgiving Mass can be found above on this main webpage.Read More
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August 26, 2023Click on title for letter from Fr. JohnRead More
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August 26, 2023click on orange title for complete reflectionRead More
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August 19, 2023Free, First Come, First Served, No ID Required. Dental, Vision, Medical. September 9-10 at the YMCA on Wayne Street, Olean, NY. Click on orange title to link.Read More
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August 19, 2023click on orange title for complete reflectionRead More
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August 19, 2023Bishop Mike is encouraging support for the Maui Wildfires Relief, Recovery and Rebuild efforts. Link: https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/donor-form/?svcid=renxt&formId=99d740d0-0ffb-411d-aa04-f73a3b16d267&envid=p-o2scMEk8zUadIIzDN-hwbQ&zone=usaRead More
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August 3, 2023click on orange title for complete reflectionRead More
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August 3, 2023This last Weekend, we heard about the beautiful treasure that we have in the Lord’s gift to us, His Son. Beyond the earthly treasures we gather to become secure in this world, we embrace the precious Divine gift of God Himself living within us, among us. Specifically, the joy we can experience in the precious gift found in and through the Eucharist is such that we could not help but give this gift to others so all can experience the same joy that Jesus offers to us. As we embrace this beautiful gift, we are then to share it with family, friends and others we meet. Pope Francis states that Jesus’ friendship with us -- His love, mercy and faithfulness, are priceless gifts. It is part of our Mission to bring the Characteristics of God to others through our faithfulness to the teachings of the Lord. We go forth and offer love and mercy to a hurting world. In doing such, the Kingdom of God is now living among us. Pope Francis has written in his book, The Joy of the Gospel, that “every Christian is challenged, in the here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelization.” We are to bear Christ into the world through His love. The Holy Father states that “indeed, anyone who has truly experienced God’s saving love [will] then go out and live according to that love and proclaim that love to others.” St. Paul told the Roman community of faith that those who follow Christ will experience His goodness as we are chosen. “For those He predestined He also called; and those He called He also justified; and those He justified He also glorified.” We, thank you, Lord, and, we praise you. You have created each of us in Your image through divine gifts that you hold precious. And, You trust us to share them to bring You into the world. In our vulnerable state, You have left Your imprint on our very souls. May we trust in Your faithfulness and love and through Your Spirit fill us with Your graces. Magnify our gifts so we can be what we were created to be. For this, we give You praise, for this, we give Glory to Our God! Fr. JohnRead More
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