Story courtesy of the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit
From an early age, Felicitas Romero’s mother encouraged her to turn to the Holy Spirit for guidance. Although she was baptized Catholic, she wasn’t actively living a life of faith until she started dating the man that she would later marry. They married in the Church and began attending Mass regularly.
It wasn’t until Romero started attending St. John the Baptist Mission in Laveen, Ariz., that she felt at home. It was there where she encountered the Lord through the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit. After seeking the advice of her mother to turn to the Holy Spirit all those years ago, she was led to a parish run by a Franciscan order with a charism of the Holy Spirit, who would have a profound impact on her journey with God.
Romero talked about those initial visits to St. John Mission. “I felt comforted, accepted, loved and like I was finally home. [Fr. Antony’s] words made me feel as though he was talking directly to me. Going to church became the highlight of my weeks, and it still is.”
Those weekly Masses at St. John Mission are what led Romero to follow a prompting from the Holy Spirit to receive the rest of her sacraments in 2024. “I was moved by Fr. Antony each time he [celebrated] Mass. He was answering the deepest questions of my heart without even knowing it. Most weeks I would leave Mass and as my husband and I would discuss what we learned, I would cry as I explained how the Mass was so moving for me.”
Now, having received her sacraments almost a year ago, she looks back at her first Communion and first Confession with fondness.
“When I began to confess all that was weighing on my heart, it felt as though Fr. Antony had disappeared from the [confessional] and I opened my heart, mind and soul to Jesus Christ. I couldn’t believe that I had lived 45 years without the sacrament of Confession.”
Romero’s testimony is just one story of how the friars have provided the sacraments for countless people at St. John Mission and the 10 other missions they serve on four reservations in the diocese.
The Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit were established in the Diocese of Phoenix in 2016, and are the only religious community whose sole mission is to minister to Native American communities. The communities that the friars serve went nearly 30 years without consistent access to the sacraments.
There are three priests and four seminarians in the order and another who will be a professed brother with a Masters of Arts in Pastoral Studies. There’s a hope that with more priests being ordained in the coming years, more people can be served on the reservations and experience God’s mercy, like Romero.
True to their Franciscan nature, the friars fundraise for everything needed for their evangelization efforts, mainly through their annual event, FriarQ. The event raises funds needed for the friars’ seminary formation and formal education. This February will be the 8th annual FriarQ and it will be Br. Damien Van Amerongen’s third time in attendance.
Br. Van Amerongen is currently living at St. Mary’s House in downtown Phoenix with other Phoenix seminarians and is finishing his last year of formation before receiving his philosophy degree. It’ll be about six more years of seminary before Br. Van Amerongen is ordained a priest. Those six years of schooling adds up quickly. It’s estimated that each year of seminary costs $40,000.
Br. Van Amerongen isn’t naive to this fact and is always blown away by FriarQ, knowing that the 300 people in attendance each year are there to help support his seminary formation.
“Being [at FriarQ] is just truly affirming…with the people of God’s support, financially and with their presence. [Serving on] the reservation, sometimes you can forget how you’re connected to the local church, and so seeing everyone come together is very powerful.
“Because we’re a new community, we don’t have this institutional strength that we can just rely on. Really my discernment and life as a friar relies directly on generous donors. In a very real way, I need this in order to follow my vocation.”
Br. Van Amerongen didn’t always know he wanted to become a priest. He grew up Catholic but found himself straying away from the faith. While at college at Texas A&M, he had an encounter with God in confession and later felt God calling him to the priesthood. He met a Franciacan Friar of the Renewal on campus and felt his heart awakening to the Franciscan way of life. It was his first time ever meeting a religious priest and he was captivated. Doing a couple Google searches led him to the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit.
“I was attracted to the fact that it was a new community and to the apostolate of Native American ministry. I saw all the young guys, young members of the community and I perceived that there was new life there. I went on a couple of visits…I fell in love with the friars and here I am.”
Up until a year ago, the men in formation with the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Spirit completed their seminary formation through Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, Mich. Thanks to the new seminary program developed by Bishop John Dolan, the men in formation permanently moved to Arizona in May of 2024, where they will continue their formation at Nazareth Seminary. Br. Van Amerongen is grateful to live at St. Mary’s House, in proximity to the friary. He makes the short car-ride to the friary periodically throughout the year.
During his time with the friars, he’s noticed the importance of community and is excited to keep growing as he continues in his vocational journey.
“There’s something about living with the brothers, living with the fathers. We encourage each other, we sharpen each other. All of us are in for the faith, and that’s just a beautiful kind of place to steep…and just grow.”
The community of friars come together to put on FriarQ, which consists of Mass, games, a silent and live auction, dinner and fellowship. The silent auction contains religious items, vacation stays, decor and even items handmade by the friars themselves. Br. Van Amerongen was excited this year to write an icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help which will be a part of this year’s auction.
“I love depicting the Mother of God, especially because…it’s time I can just spend beholding the Virgin Mother and praying with her.”
Br. Van Amerongen is looking forward to FriarQ on February 22nd, especially watching two of his Franciscan brothers emcee the night and also getting the chance to connect with the people who make his vocation possible. “I love my life. Part of the reason I can enjoy this reality is because of our active donors, and for that I’m greatly indebted.”
It takes a village to put on FriarQ, some of those people being volunteers who come back year after year. Two of those volunteers who’ve been serving the friars since their humble beginnings are Ched and Nannette Salasek.
They met the friars during the miraculous healing of a little girl.
The daughter of friends of the Salaseks drowned and didn’t have a heartbeat for a half hour. The friars visited her in the hospital, celebrating Masses and praying for her recovery. Thanks to prayers from family, friends and the friars, the girl miraculously survived without any health repercussions.
Following the miraculous healing, the Salaseks were invited to worship with the friars at weekly prayer group events. The whole Salasek family was hooked pretty instantly. One of their children brought a vanload of classmates every Tuesday to the weekly event.
Ched described that the community of the friars became like family. Ched celebrated one year of sobriety at one of the friars’ retreats a few years ago and was thankful to have the friars there who had supported his journey. For Nannette, she found her prayer life deepening through her connection to the friars.
“My prayer life changed…seeing the love that they have for the Eucharist and learning their own personal stories. They’re so relatable. They don’t pass judgment on anybody…which is such an example of God’s mercy and love. They’re ready to meet people where they’re at.”
The friars have also impacted Ched and Nannette’s children. One of their sons grew close to the friars and then later in life, found himself away from the Church. He has since come back to the faith and recently had the opportunity to reconnect with the friars and introduce them to his wife. The friars had been praying for him for years and were encouraged to see the fruit of all of their prayers before their eyes.
“We absolutely adore [the friars]. So when FriarQ came around, we were so excited to help,” Nannette said. “They have such a genuine, compassionate way of relating to people. How can you not want to volunteer for them?”
Ched has witnessed the friars’ love for the Native communities they serve. “They live a life of poverty and obedience and it’s not an easy life, but they do it with such great joy. We want to see the friars succeed in their mission and that’s why we keep coming back.
“If you’re reading this, perhaps the Holy Spirit’s prompting you to come [to FriarQ]. You’re going to get to see firsthand the work that the friars do with Native [communities]. You’ll hear from people who live on the reservations and how it’s affected them, and how they’ve grown in their faith. It’s just a beautiful night.”
The friars would like to invite you to FriarQ on February 22nd at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Parish in Scottsdale, Ariz., starting with Mass at 5pm. Ticket prices increase after February 1st and can be purchased at becomefire.faith/friarq
