December 2005___________________________
May the Lord give you His peace! I hope to write another special Vocations eLetter for Christmas. Thanksgiving was a special time this year, much serving of the poor and giving thanks to God. No more turkey to eat, please! Our community is experiencing a time of peace and grace...
Please call to set up a visit, this is the best method of discernment, experience the life as it is.
I would like to encourage all of you who are praying about a possible CFR vocation to purchase our new book (St. Francis forgive me!),
A Drama of Reform. This book will be a great help for anyone wanting to discern our way of life. We have been working on this project for almost two years. It contains a history of our community written by Fr. Benedict Groeschel; several black and white photographs of our life with stories written by the friars and sisters. The whole book is organized according to the mysteries of the Rosary. All the proceeds from this book (as with the others) goes to our work with the poor.

I will be away on the following dates during December:
  • 7-14 Annual Solitude Retreat at our Hermitages in upstate New York (I'll be praying for all of you).
  • 26-Jan.1 Visiting Family in Indiana.
  • Jan.1-5 Many meetings in New York (a.k.a. penance - pray for us).

Special Intention

  • Feb. 9-20 in England at our two friaries, London and Bradford.
We will have a vocation weekend retreat at our friary in London,
St. Fidelis Friary, on the weekend of February 17-19, 2006.
Please pray for the men in Europe who are discerning the C.F.R.
way of life!

If you are in Europe and interested, contact Br. John Paul at
St. Fidelis Friary, London, England.


Check it out:
Fishers of Men project for vocations (fasten your seatbelt).
2005 Winter "Grayfriar News Recent" at our articles page. (coming soon)
Daily eLetter, From the Friars, click eLetter on our homepage (new every day).
Catholic Underground every 1st Saturday in Yonkers, NY.
Dec. 17, 2005, Live Nativity in da Bronx with real actors (friars & friends) and real animals, info here.
Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR, every Sunday night on EWTN: info here. Watch or listen to it here.
Events page of our website (keep an eye out).
Website for the new Narnia movie (a Christian classic now on film!)
Great guide book for the Narnia movie found here.
Zenit Catholic news service from Rome in several languages.

Excellent new Vatican document on homosexuality and the priesthood found here.


We are praying for you and your discernment everyday, especially on Wednesdays. Let us set our hands to the plow in the Lord's vineyard and not look back! I found this image in honor of our fellow christians in China who are suffering because of our faith. Pray for them, especially the Bishops and Priests, maybe we can do more than pray someday in the future...
Thank you for your patience in contacting me - don't give up,
it is not a sign if you are having trouble getting us on the phone!
God bless you,

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR 
Saint Joseph Friary
523 W. 142nd Street
New York, NY 10031
(212)281-4355                                                         Archive eLetters