A century ago a small group of friars received church permission and approval from the Conventual Franciscan Order to establish the St. Anthony of Padua Province in the United States. From that small band of brothers, hundreds of Franciscan vocations and ministries have come into being to serve the church and the people of God. The Friars of this province, to which the Franciscan Friars of St. Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro and St. John Vianney Church in Lithia Springs belong, serve throughout the United States, Canada, Honduras, Brazil, England, Ireland, Poland, Italy, Ghana, Kenya, Japan, the Philippines and Jamaica.

In 2006 the St. Anthony of Padua Province will celebrate its 100-year anniversary. St. Philip Benizi Church will commemorate this momentous occasion by offering a three-day parish mission March 20-22, presented by author, Father Jude Winkler, OFM Conv. The St. Anthony of Padua Triduum will include reflections and talks about St. Anthony of Padua—his life and mission, a healing service and a Mass. There will be a conference in the church nightly at 7 p.m. Confessions will be heard daily between 4 and 5 p.m. A first class relic of St. Anthony of Padua will be reverenced throughout the mission. The public is invited.

Father Winkler entered the Franciscan Order in 1971 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1981. In 2006 he will celebrate his silver anniversary of ordination.

He has taught courses on sacred Scripture at the undergraduate and post-graduate level, has been a regular or adjunct faculty member at various schools of theology, and continues to teach at the Roman Catholic Franciscan Faculty of Romania. He travels internationally giving parish missions, retreats, workshops, days of recollection and adult education courses for the laity and religious communities.

Father Winkler has written over 200 articles on various scriptural themes for publications including St. Anthony Messenger and The Word Among Us. He has written over 35 children’s books, a series of catechetical brochures, books on Scripture for adults, and Scripture series on CDs, audiotapes, DVDs and videotapes. He currently resides at the St. Joseph Cupertino Friary in Ellicott City, Md. For more information call the parish office at (770) 478-0178.