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Franciscan Friars served Our Lady of Mercy Church and Our Lady of Fatima Chapel in Winston-Salem for the past 34 years. Secular Franciscans held a goodbye dinner in July and Our Lady of Mercy Parish hosted its celebration after Mass Aug. 29. (Photos provided by Mike Borgerding and Betti Pettinati Longinotti, OFS)WINSTON-SALEM — Members of Our Lady of Mercy Parish and Our Lady of Fatima Mission bid farewell Aug. 29 to the Franciscan friars who have guided both faith communities over the past 34 years.

The Conventual Franciscans came to the parish in 1987, with Father Canice Connors serving as the first pastor.
“For the past 34 years, we friars of Our Lady of the Angels Province (formerly the Immaculate Conception Province) have had the privilege of living, working, and church-building with your community of believers at Our Lady of Mercy and Our Lady of Fatima,” said the order’s minister provincial, Conventual Franciscan Father James McCurry, in a letter to parishioners announcing the friars’ departure. “We are humbled that the Diocese of Charlotte entrusted to us your pastoral care for three and a half decades.”

Our Lady of Mercy Church hosted a goodbye celebration for the friars Aug. 29, the final Sunday before they left the parish. Concelebrating Mass were Father Carl Zdancewicz, pastor, and his fellow friars – Father Dan Pal, parochial vicar, and Father Joseph Angelini – in addition to the provincial vicar, Father Michael Heine.

“The Franciscan friars are grateful for the many years of ministry here in Winston-Salem,” said Father Zdancewicz, who was pastor for the past seven years. “We have made many friends and, hopefully, through our simple lifestyle, we have been good examples of ‘Franciscanism’ to our parishioners.”

Among those influenced by the friars are members of the local Secular Franciscans, a community of laypeople formed as a “third order” within the Franciscans.
Secular Franciscan Betti Pettinati Longinotti has been professed for almost 20 years and a parishioner for three decades. “I transitioned to this Franciscan parish about 30 years ago. Attracted to the Franciscan spirituality observed by the friar priests, I desired to inquire to become a Secular Franciscan.”

“I have known all the friar priests that have served us over these past 34 years, and what a blessing – they will be truly missed!” she said.

“The Franciscan friars have been a tremendous support to us, as a third order to our fraternity, in their devotion, companionship, prayerfulness and love to us as Secular Franciscans. They will be dearly missed,” echoed Secular Franciscan Barbara Robless, who is minister of the Fraternity of St. Clare in Winston-Salem.

As a tangible reminder of the care and support of the Franciscan friars over the years, the Secular Franciscans are doing something special: “We plan to plant a dogwood tree behind Our Lady of Mercy with a granite marker as a fraternity (in honor of their service). So thankful,” commented Robert Dorsch, also a Secular Franciscan.

Parishioner Mike Borgerding spoke at the farewell celebration, reminding the friars: “In the days and years to come, whenever we look above the altar during Mass and see Jesus on the cross and the beautiful stained-glass windows nearby, we will also be reminded of St. Francis, St. Clare and of the love that each of you and your brother Franciscans have shown us for these many years.”

In his parting remarks, Father Zdancewicz said, “We have tried to be authentic ministers to the great blend of cultures that make up our wonderful community. … We thank everyone who has made our stay here a very spiritual and faith-filled ministry.”

Our Lady of Mercy Church and Our Lady of Fatima Mission are now served by two diocesan priests appointed by Bishop Peter Jugis: Father David McCanless, pastor, and Father Alfonso Gamez, parochial vicar.

— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter

The Franciscans and Our Lady of Mercy

The Conventual Franciscans came to Our Lady of Mercy and Our Lady of Fatima churches in Winston-Salem in 1987. Conventual Franciscan Father Canice Connors was the first pastor. The friary of Our Lady of Mercy in Winston-Salem was officially established on June 13, 1988.

When the Franciscan friars came to Winston-Salem, the Immaculate Conception Province of the Conventual Franciscans was engaged in foreign mission in Costa Rica and some other areas of the United States, serving the Latino community.

The province was known for its work among the poor in many dioceses under their care. Many of the friars spoke Spanish, and within a few years, Our Lady of Mercy Parish, then located on North Main Street in Winston-Salem, ministered to many immigrant Latinos. The old North Main Street property became too small for the number of parishioners attending and, through the efforts of many, the former Bishop McGuinness High School property was bought from the Diocese of Charlotte.

The Link Road school building was renovated, converting the former Catholic high school to an elementary school, and opened in 2002. After that, the Franciscans oversaw the building of a new church, which was consecrated in 2005.
— Our Lady of the Angels Province and Conventual Franciscan Father Carl Zdancewicz contributed.

Friars

Conventual Franciscan friars who served in the Diocese of Charlotte included:

Father Canice Connors
Father Conall McHugh
Father Edgar Holden
Father Curt Kreml
Father Jude DeAngelo
Father Joseph Madden
Father George Sullivan
Father Michael McCafferty
Monsignor Richard Bellow (now a retired priest of the Charlotte diocese)
Father Brad Milunski
Father Paul Mizener
Father Denis Hackett
Father William Robinson
Father Gregory Spuhler
Father Daniel Quackenbush
Father Juan Carlos Hidalgo
Father Juniper Alwell
Father Mario Giuliano
Father Charles Jagodzinski (former chaplain at Wake Forest University)
Father Calixto Salvatierra Moreno
Father Joseph Angelini
Father Daniel Pal
Father Carl Zdancewicz