With the canonical establishment of the St. Padre Pio Fraternity on Jan. 4, 2020, in Guam, the National Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order USA now reaches to the westernmost part of the United States. “The Holy Spirit has found a welcome home in the hearts of the brothers and sisters of St. Padre Pio Fraternity, and these are not just pretty words. ...
Yes there is fear. Yes there is isolation. Yes there is panic buying. Yes there is sickness. Yes there is even death.
Have you ever read what St. Clare actually wrote? If not, you will be in for a pleasant surprise! Although a lot has been written about St. Clare, reading what she actually said can be quite an eye opener!
From quarantines to stay-at-home orders, isolation is a challenge for those who meet regularly in fraternities and participate in parish and community activities. Secular Franciscans are in the world, working and playing among people all the time, so it is no surprise that during a time in which people must avoid contact with each other brothers and sisters may feel apprehensive.
Archives are important documents and artifacts that need to be preserved. They are as diverse as the institutions and people they serve. ... An archivist is more than a historian—more like a museum curator.
When we were very young, we learned that we have five basic senses that help us collect information and process the world around us. ... We are called by our profession to let the Gospel values guide the way we perceive, interpret, and interact with the world around us. With our basic senses in mind, let us ask ourselves these questions and reflect on our answers.
When we were very young, we learned that we have five basic senses that help us collect information and process the world around us. We see, we hear, we smell, we touch, and we taste. Our senses give us an awareness of the world around us.
In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us.
As part of our Franciscan charism, we have the idea that not only do we need to look to our own wellbeing, but we must also consider the welfare of others who surround us, even if our own life is not going the way we want it. For this, we have the example of St. Francis and his encounter with the leper. Francis was going through a major conversion point in his life (as he would for most of his life).
This Prayer of the Church and the Profession of the OFS Rule direct our witness and mission to build a more fraternal and Gospel-centered world. In St Francis’ day, and in our own day, the members of the Franciscan Family are in a continuous struggle to build an alternative society.