In June, the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement re-elected Rev. Brian F. Terry, SA, to serve as Minister General at their General Chapter. Elected to the General Council were Fr. James Loughran, SA, who remains as Vicar General and First Councilor; Fr. Timothy I. MacDonald, SA, Second Councilor; Fr. Daniel Callahan, SA, who remains as Third Councilor; and Fr. Robert Langone, SA, Fourth Councilor. The four Councilors assist the Minister General in his duties and serve as the Board of Directors for the Friars worldwide.
Following the tradition begun with St. Francis of Assisi, the General Chapter, held every five years, brings Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, who are dispersed throughout the world, together to elect administration and to set the course for their future.“On behalf of the Friars, I ask for your prayers as we continue to strive for the dream of At-One-Ment, set forth by our Founder, Servant of God Father Paul of Graymoor,” said V. Rev. Terry. “Following his footsteps, we are dedicated to Christian unity, healing the divisions among people throughout the world, and helping the least among us—so that the prayer of Jesus—“that all may be one. . . so the world may be believe (John 17:21)—will be achieved.”
Prior to becoming Minister General in 2014, V. Rev. Brian F. Terry had been the Friars’ novice director in Assisi since 2005. A native of Hillcrest, Maryland, he received his habit in 1989, was professed in 1994, and ordained in 1997. He earned his B.A. in Psychology and Theater from Catholic University of America, and continued advanced studies at Pontificia Università Gregoriana. At the Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo, he completed his license and doctorate in Sacramental Theology with an interdisciplinary study on the psychology and theology of dialogue in the Rite of Penance. In addition to his work with Friars in formation and novitiates, he has been an invited professor of ecumenism at the Angelicum, Rome. He began his ministerial life as a youth minister in McLean, Virginia, before entering the order.
Vicar General and First Councilor, Fr. James Loughran, SA, currently serves as the Director of the Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute in New York City, as well as working with the Discernment ministry for the Friars. Fr. Timothy MacDonald, SA, Second Councilor, is the Guardian & Administrator of the Paul Wattson Friary in Toronto, Canada, and served as the Chair of the Preparatory Committee for the 18th General Chapter. Third Councilor, Fr. Daniel Callahan, SA, currently serves as the Pastor of St. Joan of Arc Church in Toronto, Canada, and is affectionately referred to as the “Iron Friar” for his participation in more than 20 Ironman Triathlons in the United States and Canada. Fr. Robert Langone, SA, Fourth Councilor, also serves at St. John of Arc Church in Toronto, Canada as an Associate Pastor.
The Minister General and the Council were installed in a ceremony and Mass held at Graymoor on June 17.