The friars live a communal life according to the Rule of St. Francis and the Constitutions of the Order of Friars Minor, Conventual. The friars desire to live together “as a family.” They share their Franciscan life and spirituality by praying together and recreating together, by having common meals together and by supporting one another in their respective ministries.

The Conventual Franciscan Friars of the St. Anthony of Padua Province began serving the parish in 1981 while Fr. William Vaskas was the pastor. Fr. Vaskas, a diocesan priest who had been the parish’s pastor since 1968, welcomed the youthful enthusiasm and needed help the friars brought. Fr. Vaskas retired at the end of 1981 and was succeeded by Fr. Robert Kennedy, who sadly died less than a month after becoming pastor in January of 1982. Fr. John McGuirl was called upon to step in as the parish administrator after the untimely death of Fr. Kennedy. Fr. McGuirl served for less than two years; then the friars took over the administration of the parish. The first to come to Most Holy Trinity were Fr. Anthony Lesniak, OFM Conv., Fr. Ronald Roll, OFM Conv and Fr. Julio Martinez, OFM Conv. In August of 1984 Fr. Francis Lombardo, OFM Conv. came to Trinity and became the parish’s first Franciscan pastor. Fr. Raphael Zwolenkiewicz OFM Conv., Fr. Tomasz Ryba OFM Conv. Fr. Gabriel Scasino OFM Conv. and Fr. Nader Ata OFM Conv. are the friars presently ministering at Most Holy Trinity – St. Mary Church. In residence is Fr. Russell Governale OFM Conv.

On May 1, 2014, the Saint Anthony of Padua Province merged with the Immaculate Conception Province; both provinces were geographically located on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. The newly merged province, under the title of “Our Lady of the Angels” became heir to the work and ministry of the friars of the two former provinces.

St. Francis of Assisi was praying before the San Damiano Cross, pictured here, when he received his calling from God; he had a vision in which the Crucified Jesus called out to him and said “Francis, rebuild my Church.” This crucifix is perhaps the most sacred icon of the Franciscan Order. At Most Holy Trinity, we lead our liturgical processions with the San Damiano Cross.)

Most Holy Trinity–St. Mary Church continues to be home to the friars of the new province.  The Administrative Offices for The Conventual Franciscan Friars of the Our Lady of the Angels Province are now located in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Friars who have been assigned to Most Holy Trinity – St. Mary Church
Friars Anthony Lesniak, Ronald Roll, Julio Martinez, Ken Ward, Ross Syracuse, Larry Thorton, Edwin (Christopher) Lucas, Francis Lombardo, Dennis Grumsey, Michael Dean, Thomas Merrill, Russell Governale, Fred Wise, Stephen McMichael, Sam Savage, Jose Eduardo Medeiros, Vincent Imhof, Santo Cricchio, Timothy Dore, Edwin Mendez, Vincent Vivian, Joseph Kerwin, Michael Mendola, Marcel Sokalski, Pedro de Oliveira, Vincent Rubino, Edgar Ramirez, Michael Toczek, Darek Barna, Mietek Wilk, Michael Lasky, Nick Spano and Greg Spuhler, Fr. Pedro DeOliveira, Fr. Justin Biase, and Jose Guadalupe Matus Castillo, as well as a number of seminarian friars.

Vocations
Pax et bonum! Peace and all good! Welcome, brother!
Feeling God tugging at your heart? Discerning if He might be calling you to consecrate yourself to Him as a religious? Interested in learning more about life as a Franciscan Friar Conventual?
Take some time to check us out at franciscans.org.

Contact our Vocation Director for guidance and support in your journey of discernment:
Br. Nicholas Romeo, OFM Conv.
[email protected]
1359 Monroe Street NE
Washington, DC 20017
202-681-6051

There are three knots on the Franciscan Cord; they represent the vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience.  The Tau Cross, formed by the Greek letter "T" was a favorite of St. Francis; it recalls a passage from chapter nine of the Prophet Ezekiel in which the chosen are marked with the sign of a cross.  During the lifetime of St. Francis, Pope Innocent III referred to the passage from Ezekiel as he opened the Fourth Lateran Council; he stated that all who are marked with the sign of the Tau will share in the Passover of Christ.  St. Francis adopted the Tau Cross as his own monogram and as a symbol for his community.

Historical Footnote 

Coincidentally, it is believed that Father John Stephen Raffeiner, the parish’s first pastor and the first Vicar-General of the Brooklyn Diocese,  desired to turn over the administration of the parish to Conventual Franciscan Friars as early as 1856. Although no province of the Order had yet been erected in the United States, a number of European friars had been ministering as missionary priests in various places in the country since September of 1852.  Fr. Bonaventure Keller, OFM Conv. and Fr. Joseph Brunemann, OFM Conv. had worked since 1854 among German immigrants in the newly formed Diocese of Brooklyn; these two friars have been called “the founding fathers of the Conventual Franciscan Order in the United States.” Both were well acquainted with Fr. Raffeiner. In October of 1856, Fr. Bonaventure wrote to the Order’s Minister General in Rome informing him that the friars might be invited to take over administration of Holy Trinity parish, as it was then called. Included in his letter to the Minister General was a sketch showing the first rectory with the first and second church buildings (all still being used at the time). Fr. Bonaventure wrote: “This is the church that the Vicar-General eventually wants to give to our Order.” The offer to take Trinity was not accepted by the Minister General, most likely because of the lack of available friars. One hundred and twenty five years after Fr. Bonaventure wrote that letter, the friars came to Trinity, apparently fulfilling the wish of the parish’s founding pastor.

A special thank you to Friar Timothy Dore, OFM Conv. for researching and providing the parish history and information for the website.