The Region’s annual celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels of the Portiuncula will be Saturday, August 7, at Mayslake Village, 1801 35th St., Oak Brook. Lunch is $15 per person; however, attendees are welcome to bring their own lunches. In the morning, Br. Joe Middleton, OFM, Regional Spiritual Assistant, will speak on “The Franciscan Experience of the Portiuncula: Its Influence Then and Now”, and the film, Assisi: Home of St. Francis, will be shown in the afternoon.

To RSVP

• Secular Franciscans: It would be helpful if each fraternity minister (or a delegate) would send one email for the entire fraternity, as replies from individual attendees can become quite overwhelming. Therefore, we ask that fraternity ministers email Lorna Miressi, SFO, at viceminister @ ilsfo.org (remove spaces) with the total number of attendees from their fraternities by July 26 (Monday).
• Guests and Others: Email Lorna Miressi, SFO, at viceminister @ ilsfo.org (remove spaces) by July 26 (Monday).

Agenda (times are approximate)

NOTE: After Mass in the Chapel, all remaining activities will be in the Senior Center.

• 8:30 a.m.: Registration (outside of Chapel)
• 9 a.m.: Mass
• 9:45 a.m.: Continental Breakfast
• 10:15 a.m.: Br. Joe Middleton, OFM
• 11:45 a.m.: Lunch
• 1 p.m.: Film, Assisi: Home of St. Francis
• 2 p.m.: Evening Prayer

About Br. Middleton, OFM

Br. Joe Middleton, OFM is the Regional Spiritual Assistant, and is also the local spiritual assistant for St. Francis-St. Louis Fraternity (Chicago). Previously, he served as the Spiritual Assistant for the St. Clare Regional Fraternity. Br. Middleton entered the Order of Friars Minor in 1991 and has traveled several times to Assisi.

About the Film

In Assisi: Home of St. Francis, St. Francis (Christopher Jones) takes viewers on a tour of Assisi by visiting sites that played a significant role in his life. Assisi’s spiritual and mystical dimension, and its artistic and cultural heritage are explored, including its winding medieval streets, its squares, and its festivals.

The date for this year’s Regional Mother Cabrini Feast Day Celebration has been changed to Saturday, November 13. In addition, the location will be St. Peter’s in the Loop, 110 West Madison St., Chicago.

Please note the following updates to our Regional Calendar:

• Apostolic Action Workshop: This has been postponed until 2011.
• Leadership Workshop: The date has changed to July 10.

During our August 1 Regional Gathering, Fr. Sergius Wroblewski, OFM and Sr. Madge Karecki, SSJ-TOSF gave a presentation on the 800th Anniversary of the Franciscan Order. In addition, Fr. Wroblewski shared a handout detailing the life of Christ with corresponding sections in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Because we received many requests to view again these documents, we’ve added them to our site on the Documents page. Thank you to Sr. Karecki and Fr. Wroblewski for graciously allowing us to share these resources here!

Files:

Celebration of the Rule: One Rule, Three Versions
Life of Christ: Scripture + Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

All Professed* are invited to attend this year’s Regional Retreat, “Fire Burning in My Heart: Keeping Alive the Franciscan Spirit”.

• Dates: October 09–11 (Friday–Sunday)
• Location: Marytown, 1600 W. Park Ave., Libertyville
• Times: 4:30 p.m. Friday–2 p.m. Sunday
• Costs:
  • Double: $125
  • Single**: $175
  • Commuter: $75
• RSVP By: September 29 (Tuesday)

* If any rooms are available in the last week of September, Candidates are welcome to register for rooms. Otherwise, Candidates are free to attend as commuters.

** Please share rooms wherever possible as we can only accommodate a maximum of 66 people with Double occupancy.

Registration

Registration forms have been sent to all local ministers. Participants, please make checks payable to: Secular Franciscan Order, Mother Cabrini Regional Fraternity.

The Region is responsible for the full cost for all participants when providing the final count to Marytown, so all registrations must be paid in full by Sept. 29. Registration not paid in full by Sept. 29 will be canceled and deposits will be refunded. After Sept. 29, the Region can’t refund any deposits.

For more information or to register, email Mary Farrell, SFO at retreat @ ilsfo.org (remove spaces).

Schedule Overview

• Registration: 4:30–6:30 p.m., Oct. 09 (Friday)
  Dinner provided from 5–6 p.m.
• Departure: 2 p.m., Oct. 11 (Sunday)

General Information

Transportation to/from the Libertyville train station will be available; if needed, please note this when registering.

About the Retreat Master

Fr. Benet Fonck, OFM is the Coordinator of Communications for the Sacred Heart Province of the Order of Friars Minor. In this capacity, he writes a weekly newsletter, prepares news releases and obituary notices, publishes a quarterly journal, and soon will be the manager of the Province’s web site, www.thefriars.org.

Previously, Fr. Fonck worked for 32 years in the area of spiritual assistance for the Secular Franciscan Order and was involved with updating the SFO Ritual, providing commentaries for the new Rule and General Constitutions, and facilitating a deeper commitment to spiritual life, community participation, and apostolic endeavors in the SFO. From 1980-1985, he served as a delegate of the Franciscan Superior General for all Secular Franciscans worldwide.

A prolific author and translator, Fr. Fonck wrote extensively for the former Franciscan Herald Magazine and his books include Fully Mature with the Fullness of Christ, and To Cling with All Her Heart to Him: The Spirituality of St. Clare. He has translated a life of St. Francis of Assisi from Italian by Gianmaria Polidoro, OFM and is collaborating on a text of liturgies and prayer formats to be used by Secular Franciscans.

Born in 1945, Fr. Fonck entered the Order of Friars minor in 1965 and was ordained a priest in 1972. He holds a bachelor of philosophy degree from Quincy University (Quincy, IL), a master of arts in theology from DePaul University (Chicago), a master of divinity degree from Chicago’s Catholic Theological Union, and a degree in journalism from Marquette University (Milwaukee). He served as parochial vicar for two parishes and as the pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in St. Louis (MO) for four years. Fr. Fonck has given retreats, workshops, and seminars for Secular Franciscans and for Franciscan religious; presented days of recollection to various church-based groups; and facilitated several parish missions and renewals.