friar Rich, OFM Conv. It's hard to believe that a year has already passed since the Franciscan Center in Shamokin/Coal Township was blessed. We could not have asked for better weather, a better turnout, or better anything! Four other student friars and myself had just arrived from a weeklong retreat in New Mexico, and that was the first stop on a summer long experience reflecting on our minoritas as friars and the preferential option for the poor. It would wind up being an incredible experience. During the dedication, Bishop Gainer used a phrase that really stood out to me (I wrote a blog post about it): "A rising tide lifts all the boats". Throughout the rest of my stay in Shamokin, in all the different people I spoke with, I saw how the Holy Spirit was moving in little ways to start to make a difference. But that movement was not confined to Shamokin, but throughout the rest of the places we visited in Appalachia and Latin America. As part o
Reflections on Shamokin