ACROSS THE BRIDGE

by Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.

On April 28, 1987 the first friars of our community stepped out on a very long bridge. We were not sure where that bridge would lead us but we trusted in God because we thought that this was His will for us. On April 2, 1990 we finally came to the end of that long bridge in a solemn ceremony held in St. John the Evangelist Church in Manhattan when John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of New York, decreed the establishment of our community as a Public Association of the Faithful. At the same time he decreed the establishment of our sister's community. The eight original friars and Sister Teresa May all made perpetual private vows at the ceremony. We first signed indults releasing us from our commitment to the Capuchin Order and, in Sister Teresa's case, from the Franciscan Sisters of the Infant Jesus. For many of us this was a painful moment and a great personal sacrifice.

The ceremony was private and attended by a handful of people who have been very closely associated with our beginnings. Concelebrating the liturgy with Cardinal O'Connor and the four friar priests were Bishop William McCormack, National Director for the Propagation of the Faith; Msgr. Patrick Sheridan, Vicar General; Msgr. Henry Mansell, Chancellor; Msgr. Michael Wren, Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church; Msgr. Raymond Powers, Rector of Saint Joseph's Seminary; Fr. Edward O'Donnell, Vicar for Religious; Fr. Nevin Hammon, OFM Conv., our canonical consultant; and several priests who are friends of our community. We were very grateful to Fr. John Rathschmidt, Provincial of the New York-New England Capuchin Province for concelebrating the liturgy. Sister Catherine Quinn, PBVM, also Vicar for Religious, assisted at the ceremony with our five sisters and our three friar novices and many other clergy, religious and lay friends.

Cardinal O'Connor reminded us of the call and pilgrimage of Abraham and the apostles and he warmly encouraged us to be faithful to the calling God has given us as servants of the poor and to be loyal witnesses of the Gospel and of the Church.

Having crossed this first bridge in our history, our little band finds ahead of us great possibilities and daunting challenges. Foremost among them is to be faithful to the example of Saint Francis and Saint Clare in our attempt to authentically follow the Gospel and to live the Franciscan Rule in a committed way. The needs of the destitute in New York City are overwhelming and already several bishops are asking us to come to other areas of equal need, like Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington to name a few, We are all personally committed to the reform of the Church and religious life at a time when many do not even recognize this need.

With so many challenges ahead of us as we leave the first bridge behind we are filled with confidence in God. We make our own the words of the early Capuchins whose heritage we sincerely desire to embrace when they concluded their first Constitutions in 1536 with these words:

"Let us therefore act manfully and not distrust our strength, because that best of Fathers Who has created us and called us to a life of evangelical perfection, knowing our condition, will give us not only strength by His aid, but also heavenly gifts in such abundance that, surmounting all obstacles, we shall be able not merely to obey His Beloved Son, but even to follow and imitate Him with the greatest cheerfulness and simplicity of heart; utterly despising those visible and temporal things, and ever yearning after those which are eternal."