OFS-USA National Priority 2018-2021
Fraternity Life
Secular Franciscans live the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in fraternal communion. We have a specific way of being in the world, and a specific way of being together. This fraternal communion is a constitutive element of our vocation.
“Fidelity to their own charism, Franciscan and secular, and the witness of building fraternity sincerely and openly are their principal services to the Church, which is the community of love. They should be recognized in it by their ‘being’ from which their mission springs.” (General Constitutions, Art. 100.3)
Formation resources on “Fraternity Life” can be found here.
“May the fraternal bonds of community always be our help, so that we may reach the goal of perfect Christian love.” — from the Secular Franciscan Rite of Profession to the Gospel Life
Interested in joining the
Secular Franciscan Order?
Here are your next steps:
- Find a local fraternity using our interactive map (click here).
- Reach out to the contact person listed below the map for detailed information about when and where the local fraternity gathers.
- Visit the local fraternity to learn more about the Order and how to proceed on your Franciscan journey.
In the meantime, you can read more about membership in the Order by clicking here.
A selection from our Rule of Life:
Trusting the Father, Christ chose for Himself and His mother a poor and humble life, even though He valued created things attentively and lovingly. Let the Secular Franciscans seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs. Let them be mindful that according to the gospel they are stewards of the goods received for the benefit of God’s children.
Thus, in the spirit of the Beatitudes, and as pilgrims and strangers on their way to the home of the Father, they should strive to purify their hearts from every tendency and yearning for possession and power.
Key Documents
- The Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order
- The General Constitutions of the Secular Franciscan Order (2000)
- Statutes of the National Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order in the United States of America
- Ritual of the Secular Franciscan Order
- For Up to Now: Foundational Topics for Initial Formation (FUN Manual)
- 2017 General Chapter Conclusions
- Statutes for Spiritual and Pastoral Assistance – 2009
- “Come and See” Digests