On Thursday, January 18th, the Conference of National Spiritual Assistants (CNSA) gave a workshop for 12 local and regional spiritual assistants and formation directors from St. Francis, St. Junipero Serra and St. Thomas More regions at Mary and Joseph Retreat Center in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
Our JPIC award recipient for 2023 is Steve Wasko, OFS. Steve is a member of St. Bonaventure Fraternity, in the Divine Mercy region. He is founder and executive director of the St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center, which is a faith based non-profit in Detroit. What follows is a brief interview with Steve: ...
Joe Makley, OFS, is the new national animator for Justice and Peace and the Integrity of Creation. He replaces Carolyn Townes, OFS, who was appointed to the position in 2013 by the late Tom Bello, OFS. Bello asked Townes to work on educating Secular Franciscans on JPIC issues. The National Executive Council paid tribute to Caroline (Carolyn) for her 10-year term with a retrospective slide show featuring her work on the JPIC commission. ...
“How will you respond to someone new that comes into your path? How will you present Jesus in your heart to them?”
Vickie Klick, OFS, chair of the Centenary Task Force, led an activity focusing on the four-year Franciscan Centenary Celebration. Chapter attendees had an opportunity to participate in an exercise focusing on the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order. The attendees worked in pairs to discuss questions focusing on the life of St. Francis of Assisi. The goal of the activity was for the participants to better understand how living the Rule, builds relationships between sisters and brothers. ...
The solemn opening ceremony of the 800th anniversary celebration of the Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi will be broadcast online Friday, Jan. 5.
National Chapter attendees celebrated the feast of our patron, St. Louis IX, King of France, at a Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis at its 2023 Chapter on the feast day of St. Louis, Aug. 25. Fr. Tom Nairn, OFM, provincial of Sacred Heart province, was the celebrant. ...
This year, the Franciscan Family continues to observe a series of eight-centenary commemorations. In 2023, we are reflecting on two important events that occurred 800 years ago: the Approval of the Later Rule and the reenactment of Christmas at Greccio. Not far from Rieti, in the northernmost part of the eponymous valley, is the hill town of Greccio. Home to just about 100 residents, the village is famed for an event that took place in 1223. Within a grotto nestled within a cliff, here, St. Francis of Assisi reenacted the first nativity scene. ...
“In Greccio there was no nativity scene. There were no statues around but living people. I invite you all to experience this miracle, together with Saint Francis, being those around the ‘Christmas crèche.’ Let us be the living family, in which Jesus can be born and can find a warm family spirit,” Tibor Kauser, CIOFS General Minister, said.
Seventy Secular Franciscans, friars and visitors met at the General Chapter in St. Louis amidst a record-setting heat wave Aug. 22-27. One day the mercury soared to 104 degrees, breaking a record of 101 degrees set in 1943. This was a visitation year, and Secular Franciscans were honored by the presence of fraternal visitor Dina Shabalina, OFS, from Ukraine, and pastoral visitor Fr. Carlos Gines Campos Julve, TOR, of Peru. Visitations are held every six years at the national level.