From the Newsletter

Franciscan Living – Take Delight in the Lord

I remember when each of my children was placed in my arms for the first time! I examined each one, marveling over every finger and toe, with their eyes gazing upon me! My children heard my voice and were comforted. I delighted in them, and they delighted in me. Psalm 37, verse 4, tells us to “Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” If the desire we have is to love God, then we must learn to delight in Him. How then do we do this? [...]

2022-07-12T14:27:19-04:00July 11th, 2022|Categories: From the Newsletter|2 Comments

Strengthening Our Faith Journey

I recently enjoyed conversing after Mass with several young adults who were home for the semester break from college. One of them shared that he felt a bit lost off at school without his family and the friends he’d grown up with. He was especially concerned that his faith life had come to a standstill. [...]

2022-09-30T08:03:08-04:00July 4th, 2022|Categories: From the Newsletter, FYYA|1 Comment

State of the Order Spring 2022, National Minister, Jan Parker, OFS

A little over a year ago, my daughter and I stopped at the “Little Church”, one of my favorite places of prayer. We prayed together before heading to the hospital for my surgery that day. It’s been quite a year since then, with many months of chemo. ... I reflect on all this because I am far from alone in having had to face trials this past year. As I prepared for this talk, it occurred to me that the State of our Order depends to a great deal on the state of each of us. We have all been through a lot. Health issues, isolation, job losses, and drastic changes in our lives, not to mention natural disasters, political divides, and social unrest. ... This pandemic has affected each of us, and it has affected our Order as well. ... So, what do we do when fears and worries surround us? We continue to pray. And we listen for God’s voice. [...]

2024-06-06T18:45:05-04:00June 27th, 2022|Categories: From the Newsletter, Minister’s Message|0 Comments

From Roswell to Rome for a Fraternity Gathering

In November 2021, I had the opportunity to travel from Roswell, N.M., to Rome, Italy, for a fraternity gathering. Well, it wasn’t just any fraternity meeting, it was the gathering of the International Fraternity Council of the Secular Franciscan Order (CIOFS). All Secular Franciscans (OFS) are members of the International Fraternity. [...]

2022-06-17T11:18:32-04:00June 20th, 2022|Categories: From the Newsletter|0 Comments

New Vice Minister General Is From USA – Highlights of General Chapter

Tibor Kauser, OFS, of Hungary has been re-elected minister general of the Secular Franciscan Order. This is his second six-year term. Mary T. Stronach, OFS, of the United States of America is the new vice minister general. Tibor and Mary lead the “little fraternity” of the Presidency of the International Council of the OFS (CIOFS). They were elected during the Order’s General Chapter in Rome, Italy, held Nov. 13-20, 2021.

2022-06-03T12:01:14-04:00June 6th, 2022|Categories: From the Newsletter|1 Comment

Friars Challenge, Help Bring Prayer Alive at Chapter – Highlights of National Chapter

The Conference of National Spiritual Assistants enlivened the National Chapter by focusing on being part of an order, on prayer and contemplation, and on the Liturgy of the Hours. As an Order, Respect Different Opinions “It’s important that we recognize that we are committed to an order, and we should try to be in harmony with the church... and with each other,” Fr. Jerome Wolbert, OFM, said. But, sometimes, he said, it’s difficult. Sometimes, even across the church, there may be disagreement. [...]

2022-09-30T08:06:39-04:00May 30th, 2022|Categories: From the Newsletter, National Chapter|0 Comments

A Visioning for Formation: As in St. Francis’ Time, Spirit of Age Ultimately Doesn’t Satisfy

Setting the stage for a weekend of formation visioning, Fr. David Pivonka, TOR, provided a dose of reality. “The world has profoundly changed in the last 25 years,” said the host of EWTN’s Wild Goose series. “Young people have no safe place. There is a sense of danger infiltrating every part of us.” He said that there are things that want to corrupt, to manipulate the spirit of faith.

2022-09-30T08:07:16-04:00May 23rd, 2022|Categories: Formation, From the Newsletter|0 Comments
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