On Thursday, September 28, 2017, Friar Joachin Mejia took his oath and became a citizen of the United States.

Citing declines in attendance at Mass, enrollments in schools, numbers of priests, and reduced requests for sacraments, the Diocese of Pittsburgh is unveiling a plan for a restructuring and reallocating of resources. The friars have long served in the diocese, having staffed Serra High School, St. Peter's and Our Lady Help of Christians parishes, the University of Pittsburgh, and still remain at St. Pamphilus Parish in Beechview.

The Provincial and Definitorium of the Province of St. Casmir visited New York.

Cloth from a bag that was purported to have held bread sent by St. Francis to the friary in Folloni, Italy and delivered by an angel may have some scientific proof to back the claim.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini had a strong association to the Province. Fr. Francis Oppici, OFM, served as her confessor.  St. (Mother) Cabrini herself taught religious education at St. Anthony's parish and was associated with the Italian apostolates in New York City and Our Lady Help of Christians in Pittsburgh.   Read the full text by clicking on the story headline.

St. Francis Parish, East Cambridge, MA, a parish staffed by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception Province for much of its history, will celebrate its 100th anniversary on October 1.

On December 17th parishioners will be welcomed into the church to find completely new floors, new pews, and a new beginning. And it has taken the hands and hearts of so many craftsmen and woman to complete this project. To endeavor to undertake such a project take courage and co-operation. But it also takes so much more. Over the last year it has been the people…the parishioners…the families who live within the parish and who visit, who have given so generously that have allowed this to happen.

The Tau Cross investiture ceremony took place during Evening Prayer at St. Anthony Church, Manhattan, on Sunday evening, September 17 2017. Click the heading to view video of the ceremony.

Friar Orlando Ruiz, pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish, Brooklyn, NY preached a novena (August 19-26, 2017) in preparation for the feast of Nuestra Señora de la Nube (Our Lady of the Cloud) in La Colina, Deleg, Ecuador.

Members of St. Christopher Friary have made a donation to the relief efforts of Hurricane Harvey.

The Association of Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro has bestowed upon the Province and Provincial Minister Robert Campagna the Order of Santo Hermano Pedro Award.

In preparation for the "Tau Ceremony" the six new aspirants to the postulancy program completed a retreat in Kennebunkport, ME.

Friar John Bucchino, OFM, currently serving at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Manchester, NH, participated in a Prayer Vigil for immigrants facing deportation in the greater NH area.