Preach the GospelIf necessary use words

St. Francis of Assisi

Fall 2015 Newsletter

John and FC 10 Costa Rica Alum, Dr. Erin Quandt (Duquette) working

hard at the Hospital.

The FrancisCorps Effect by Dr. John Miller, MD

a FC 10 Syracuse Alum

It’s 4 AM. I’m on-call at Georgetown University Hospital and my neck is tired. Hanging beneath my stethoscope is my Tau cross - a blessed crucifix that keeps my heart in this ministry over long stressful days. It has been over 6 years since I finished my FrancisCorps experience but the image of St. Francis caring for the Leper is still as striking an inspiration this morning as it was then. While I don’t treat leprosy specifically, I do treat many patients from the DC community that have been marginalized by their socio-economic situations and in turn, suffer from poor access to healthcare.

My experience in FrancisCorps as a case-worker at Northside CYO helped sculpt an awareness of the barriers imposed by poverty, such as transportation, safety, lack of education, and proper nutrition. This awareness has improved my ability to care for sick patients who have challenges in accessing healthcare. The growth I experienced during my year in Syracuse has allowed me to understand these challenges in a deep and meaningful way and empathize with those that are enduring them.

The spiritual impact of FrancisCorps has carried me through some grueling experiences. Honestly, some of the ‘novelty’ of being a physician has worn over the last 3 years of residency. Life as a physician-in-training carries challenges I could not have conceived of when applying to medical school. My heart is still in it of course, but what brings me strength in these early morning hours is the call to minister.

The story of St. Francis challenges us to embrace “the Leper.” FrancisCorps challenges volunteers to not just serve but embrace those that have been cast out by society as their sisters and brothers. The joy in caring for another human being that Franciscan spirituality captures perpetually inspires me. With an inspired heart and socially aware mind, I get back to work grateful for that special year in Syracuse.

FrancisCorps is more than just service

FrancisCorps volunteers dedicate a year of their time to directly serve the poor and disenfranchised in Syracuse, New York and Alajuela, Costa Rica but FrancisCorps is more than simply a “year of service.” FrancisCorps combines this incredible service with an experience of community and prayer rooted in the spirituality of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi. This holistic approach helps empower FrancisCorps volunteers to move on from this experience ready to become leaders wherever the Holy Spirit may lead them.

“The spiritual impact of FrancisCorps has carried me through some grueling experiences.”

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Community by Ana Thesing, FC 17 Syracuse

As the FrancisCorps 17 community started to settle into a routine in Syracuse, we soon realized that we didn’t know what a “typical weekend” would look like for our community. The hustle and bustle of orientation, our Costa Rican family leaving, and the start of our work at our placement sites had been our first priorities,

so we decided to adventure into the Syracuse community; we went to Beginners Yoga at the library. Not knowing what to expect we walked in and realized we would be making up half the class. We began taking our deep breaths and stretching our muscles, however the anticipated relaxation of yoga never came with one hilarious

outtake leading to another. By the end of the 90 minute class, we were all asking ourselves “What did we just do?” as we walked away laughing until our stomachs hurt and with tears rolling down our cheeks.

While we all thought we were just adventuring out into the community, trying something new, and making the best of a Saturday morning, the reality is that something more happened. We experienced vulnerability. We experienced discomfort. We experienced openness. We experienced acceptance. In the eight short weeks we have been together, we have learned the importance of these characteristics in order to grow closer to one another. We have learned that while being vulnerable, uncomfortable, open, and accepting aren’t always easy, they are what help us to grow in our faith, in our mission, and in our relationships with one another. Our yoga class will continue to bring life to our community, a sparkle in our eyes, and a smile amongst one another. It really doesn’t matter what you are doing, but rather who you are doing it with.

Service by Erin Steiner, FC 17 Costa Rica

After nearly two months of serving at Hogar El Buen Samaritano, I have been continuously challenged in new and unexpected ways. Hogar is a home for men who were previously living on the streets, many of whom have faced drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, and/or physical and cognitive disabilities. Day to day tasks involve a wide range of work including trips to the park, memory games, medication sorting, and office work. I have realized, however, that regardless of the task, my work here calls for a willingness to be present through compassionate listening and communication at all times. In my first few weeks, I was inspired by the vulnerability of many of the men who willingly shared their stories of difficult childhoods, life on the streets, and continued battles with addiction. As I continue building relationships with these residents, I have found joy in the friendship they offer.

This development of relationships has pushed me to reconsider my understanding of human dignity and I’ve been challenged to seek it in new, more personal ways. When I walk to work every day, I often see men sleeping in the streets of Alajuela. This was something I grew accustomed to when I was living in St. Louis, and I will openly admit I was often too caught up with my schedule and my needs to really acknowledge people living in these circumstances. My work at Hogar has challenged me to expand my understanding of service and continue it far beyond my 9 to 5 schedule. When I see men on the streets here, I find myself looking for familiar faces of the people we serve at the shelter. Seeing as many of our residents are recovering addicts, I worry that I’ll see one of them on the streets after a relapse. Whether it is a “good morning” or “God bless”, or keeping them in my prayers throughout the day, I have found that if I truly want to live a life of service here, I must do that by acknowledging the human dignity in all those I meet. Each person I pass has a name and a story and I’ve been humbled to realize that I have a lot to learn from people like the men at Hogar.

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Prayer by Brady Kegley, FC 17 Costa Rica

Once a week, our community prayer comes in the form of praying Vespers, or Evening Prayer, with the Friars. The first night we prayed Vespers, not all of us knew what to expect. Some of our community had experienced Vespers or had exposure to the Liturgy of the Hours, and others had not. We walked up to the chapel, and were greeted by several happy friars waiting for us with breviaries, the book which contains the prayers for all Liturgy of the Hours prayers. The chapel was calm and quiet, and we immediately were settled into the loving presence of God. As prayer began, however, we all quickly realized we were a bit lost at how to participate. The breviary is not exactly an easy book to use if you are not familiar with it, and we were wildly scanning its pages, searching for a familiar Spanish word we could pick up on. The friars didn’t let us search long, however, as they quickly moved to sit closer to us and show us how to flip pages, find the refrains, and when to respond.

Once we got into the rhythm of prayer, it was easy to see the beauty in the ritual, praising God in joined voice and song. My Spanish, however, was still warming up, and much of the meaning of the text was lost on me. I realized as I was struggling to make sense of a Psalm, that I do not always need the text in order to have a rich experience with Christ. I could find him in the serene setting of the chapel. I saw him in the friars, patiently and lovingly explaining (and re-explaining, when our Spanish needed the extra help) where to look and when to respond. Christ was there in the joy of our songs, even if I didn’t know exactly what we were singing. This experience of prayer transcended the difficulty of using a second language, and bonded us closer together as a community with one another, with the friars, and with Christ. Even as my Spanish improves and my ability to handle the breviary increases, I am continually humbled and amazed to see Christ’s loving presence in every aspect of our prayers, with or without words.

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Sean Gaw FC 1Sarah and Julia (my 4-year-old daughter) moved to Oneida, NY this summer where I’ve started work as a veterinarian.

Mark Murphy FC 3FC 3 had a mini reunion in September!

Jennifer Coelho (Drew) FC 4Our family news is that we have built a secondary school for girls in Pakistan. It has been organized and built through an organization called the Citizens Foundation and will educate up to 150 girls in a poor city outside the city of Lahore. The school is named after my mother-in-law; the Carmen Coelho School for Girls.

Melissa Landini (Davey) FC 6Married Rob Landini on 9/12/15!

Lea Durante (Rosemurgy) FC 6Our exciting news...we welcomed our first child Samuel Cooper Durante on 8/17/15. We are loving his sweet cuddles and adjusting to life as parents of a newborn and less sleep ;) He is truly a blessing!

Brian Ruell FC 7I proposed to my girlfriend Dawn Winiarski last December and will be getting married on 11/14/15.

Jocelyn Collen FC 8Now working as the Director of the Center for Ministry and Service at Regis College in Weston, MA.

Nathan Drahms FC 9Now working as the Director of Campus Ministry at McQuaid Jesuit.

Laurie King (McComas) FC 9Welcomed Clare Elizabeth King on 8/27/15!

Mary Devito FC XMarried Jens Quester on 9/11/15!

A.J. LaPoint FC XI was able to see alumni in Boston and Dayton and hope to see more in the coming weeks and I continue my travels! All the alumni are always in my prayers.

John Miller FC XMarried Jamie Massarelli on 6/6/15!

Kelli Finch FC 11I’m still living in Costa Rica and got married on 7/6/15 to Oscar Corrales!

Jordan Differding FC 12Began a clinical fellowship in fulfillment of his certification in speech and language pathology at the Mayo Clinic.

Molly LeBlanc-Medeiros FC 12Completed her Master’s Degree in Community Engagement from Merrimack College.

Amy Aubrecht FC 12In final year of MDiv at Boston University. This past summer, completed the Forrest Yoga Foundation Teacher Training.

Tom Robertson FC 12Started residency at UPMC in July!

Mairead Rauch FC 15I just started as a Trinity Fellow at Marquette University!

Grace Koleczek FC 15Started graduate school at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry.

Josselin Garibo FC 15Started working as a teacher’s assistant at a Spanish immersion school in Dallas.

Brittany Wilcox FC 16I am living in Charlotte NC and I just started a new job as a middle school teacher assistant in a special education room. Also I just started kickboxing and am on the core team for the youth ministry at my parish!

Bianca Villaseñor FC 16I am now working at Deutsch Inc, an advertising firm in Los Angeles, in the Business Affairs department.

Whitney Williams FC 16I’m currently living at home in Colorado applying to biomedical engineering jobs all across the country. Excited to see where this next step takes me!

Kristen Rayfield FC 16Began a Master of Science in Paleopathology at Durham University in Durham UK.

Alum News

I am thrilled to have assumed the new role as Chaplain of FrancisCorps. It’s a win-win for everyone involved. Both Bro Jim Moore (the founder of FrancisCorps) and I have noted how blessed we are to have an alum of the program now in the role of Director. The friars feel that with A.J. FrancisCorps is in good hands.

While my primary ministry is as Pastor of Assump-tion Church in Syracuse I am very much involved in the formation of our young volunteers both at their orientation and training when they first join us as well as the various retreats we offer throughout

the year. What an awesome privilege it is for me to help these young adults articulate their faith and to struggle with the tough questions of how faith and life intersect. Working with A.J. and our co-ministers we also present Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi as models for living and serving.

Year after year I am delighted to watch the Holy Spirit work in the lives of these young volunteers. I am humbled by the generosity and enthusiasm with which they spend themselves in service of the poor. This year’s group of FC17 volunteers is no exception. In fact they fill me with joy and give me great hope for the future of our Church and our society.

Chaplain’s Corner