Dear Friends of our friars and ministries,

Greetings from the friars of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation!

As the year 2025 moves towards its closing, we carry with us the memory and meaning of two profound anniversaries that have shaped the heart and soul of our faith.

This year marks the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.) and the 60th anniversary of the completion of the Second Vatican Council (December 8, 1965). Though separated by centuries, these two councils are deeply connected in purpose and spirit.

The Council of Nicaea clarified and invited us into the mystery of communion with our Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the document, Nostra Aetate, It proclaimed the divinity of Christ and deepened our understanding of the unity within God’s being.

The Second Vatican Council, in turn, called us into deeper communion with one another. It reminded us that the Church is the People of God, called together in love, ever becoming “one body and one spirit in Christ”, (Gaudium et Spes). Both councils are ultimately about relationships: first, within the divine mystery of God’s love; and second, as that divine love is shared and made manifest among us.

We, friars, enthusiastically await your joining us in our song of praise as the Province of Our Lady of Consolation celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026. We reflect on these anniversaries in a world that is, all too often, marked by division and violence. May these anniversaries not simply be milestones remembered, but living invitations renewed, calling us into more profound unity, greater love, world peace, and enduring hope.

May God bless you and fill you with the Peace of our Lord!

Sincerely in Christ and St. Francis,

Fr. John Elmer, OFM Conv.
Spiritual Director