(This article originally appeared in the Fall 2022 Issue of TAU-USA #107. Many photos of these events can be seen in the TAU-USA. Access to the TAU-USA can be found on the Home Page in the Footer)
A Jubilee Quinquennial Welcome
What happens when you get 600 Franciscans in the same room for dinner the first night of a Quinquennial? Their national minister breaks out in song and a celebratory atmosphere permeates the room. Jan Parker, OFS, who is known for her parodies, did not disappoint at the opening session of the Q in the ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Phoenix. She created her own lyrics to the tune of “My Favorite Things” and to “Celebrate Good Time” to introduce all the groups who were in attendance and welcome everyone. Accompanying herself on guitar, Jan encouraged audience participation.
The following lyrics were provided to the audience so that everyone could sing along.
Welcoming Song for the 2022 Quinquennial Congress
“Quinquennial Things”
To the tune of “My Favorite Things”
God will renew us and give us new wings These are the blessings Quinquennials bring
Here you’ll meet people from so many places See lots of smiles on so many faces
In Little Fraternities you’ll meet new friends The Q is a place where the joy never ends
Wonderful speakers have come to address us
What you will share with us, surely will bless us
These are the blessings Quinquennials bring – Our Jubilee Q is a wonderful thing!
Sisters and brothers, we’re all here together You came to Phoenix in spite of the weather! Makes me so happy I just want to sing
A Jubilee Q is a wonderful thing!
So welcome to everyone! Let’s get things started Sisters and brothers and Franciscan hearted
So glad you’re right here and not on a screen! Pick up your song sheet and let us all sing!* Interlude – This is an audience participation song so pick up your song sheet and please sing along
It’s Jubilee time and our theme is conversion We here together on this great excursion
They stand then ask Sisters and Friars to stand
Friars and Sisters, we thank you for coming You help us keep our fraternities humming Spiritual Assistants you get a hurray
A special shout out to our CNSA!
Interlude – ask Tibor to stand
We have a great leader, and his name is Tibor He’s met many Franciscans and here he will see more
Thank you, dear brother, for all that you do We are so glad that you came to this Q
We have 30 Regions, yes 30 you heard right I’d list them all, but we’d be here til midnight Regional Ministers and Councilors too
Stand up and we’ll thank you for all that you do
Applause etc.
What a great dinner yes what a great menu, God bless the staff who are here in this venue. Let’s share the love of God with all we meet Franciscan joy in the halls and the street.
May God be with us as we grow in virtue. One thing I know, He will never desert you.
Let us find peace and the love that God brings Here at the Q may we find all these things.
So many blessings are sure to inspire God’s Holy Spirit will set us on fire.
We’ll find such grace as we celebrate Mass These days may end but God’s love will not pass.
On a dark night, when your hope sinks. And you’re feeling sad
Remember these blessed Quinquennial things.
And then you’ll rejoice — and be glad!
Celebrate Good Times!
(To the tune of the song by the same name.)
Celebrate good times, come on! (Let’s celebrate) Celebrate good times, come on! (Let’s celebrate)
There’s a party goin’ on right here, a celebration of our one hundred years.
We’ve got our good friends, and our laughter too
– We gonna celebrate this JUBILEE Q !
Come on now – Celebration! Let’s all celebrate and have a good time
Celebration! We gonna celebrate and have a good time
We’re finally all together! THE GOSPEL LIFE – That’s our treasure!
Everyone around the world – Come on! – It’s a celebration!
Celebrate our God, come on! – It’s a celebration.
Celebrate our God, come on! – Let’s celebrate
Praise him every morning and night – He is the way. He is the life.
Praise him every morning and night – He is the way. He is the life.
Praise Him for his goodness and might – He is the truth – He is the light.
Praise Him for his goodness and might – He is the truth – He is the light.
Celebrate good times, come on! (Let’s celebrate)
Celebrate good times, come on! (It’s a celebration!)
Celebrate good times, Come On!
Innovation and a Lot of Hard Work Brought a More
Inclusive Dimension to the 2022 Quinquennial
The newly formed Accessibility Committee accommodated the needs of more than 200 Franciscans.
The Accessibility Committee’s job list included providing large-print program booklets, information on renting wheelchairs and scooters, locating a place for service animals to relieve themselves outside, and staffing a wheelchair brigade to help transport people who were unable to walk from the Sheraton Hotel to the Mass at St. Mary’s Basilica. Sign language translators made the keynote speeches accessible to the hearing impaired. Volunteers were relied upon to move chairs back and forth multiple times.
The Accessibility Committee is one of the Order’s newest committees, co-
chaired by Janice Benton, OFS and Susan Tabor, OFS. The goals of the committee are:
- To ensure accessibility for attendees of OFS events, such as the 2022
- To identify and make available OFS resources in accessible
- To raise awareness by developing tools to educate and support national committees, regions, and fraternities in recognizing the dignity and gifts of each person, and to take ownership of creating access within their area of
The Quinquennial represented its first major undertaking and was well worth the effort and appreciated, according to attendees.
“The Q was an awesome, awesome experience for me. And our committee was fabulous to work with,” said Susan Tabor, OFS-USA Accessibility Committee co-chair.
Susan went on to report: “All in all, we served a third of the attendees, including those with requests for dietary accommodations.”
“Prior to the Q, we called everyone who had registered a special need request to make sure we understood what was being requested and to determine whether there were additional needs. We also made sure we had all the sign language interpreters in place and that there were materials available in alternative formats. We were really busy beforehand, but when we arrived at the Q, even though we were still busy, it was different, because we were able to rein in extra help where needed.”
“The members of the Q Committee were great to work with and very resourceful. For example, they helped procure essential items through reputable, durable medical equipment vendors. They also worked at getting liturgical information ahead of time so it could be shared with the sign language interpreter, and they were responsible for having the morning prayer text copied in large print and in Braille.
“Thanks to a team of volunteers from fraternities in the Phoenix area, the attendees who were unable to walk from the Sheraton Hotel to St. Mary’s Basilica were transported by wheelchairs. The volunteers made multiple trips in the 106-degree heat.”
“The team was so eager and helpful. We couldn’t have asked for better assistance. Special thanks to Pat Nikolaisen, who coordinated the local volunteers,” said Janice.
The Accessibility Committee had a table at the Quinquennial to help people. They wore badges showing a Tau cross with several access symbols on it. They also displayed a variety of resources, including the Rule in large print and the Rule and Ritual in Braille. A future plan is to continue to prepare formation materials and essential documents of the Order in Braille, large print, and audio and to make them available online for free download.
Fraternities are encouraged to contact the committee for advice on how to assist their members with accessibility need.
Hand-tied Fleece Blanket Project
The service-oriented action of Franciscans was in evidence Saturday, Aug. 6, at the Quinquennial when attendees arrived for the service project. Led by the Franciscan Young Adults (YouFra), members made hand-tied fleece blankets for those in shelters and along the border. Fraternity members brought scissors and Blizzard fleece to the Quinquennial to create the blankets, while others who could not attend donated money to purchase materials.
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