Frequently Asked Questions

Secular Franciscans, as the name implies, live their lives in the world rather than in religious communities. They may be single or married, women or men, in all walks of life. They live the Gospel in a Franciscan manner according to their own Rule which they profess after a period of initial formation. Profession as a Secular Franciscan is a lifelong commitment. Formation and profession of the Secular Franciscan takes place within a local community called a fraternity. Life in fraternity is an essential aspect of the Secular Franciscan vocation. The fraternity is a community of love, the privileged place for the sisters and brothers to develop their sense of Church and the Franciscan call. Although a self-governing Order, each Secular Franciscan fraternity receives guidance in spiritual matters from a spiritual assistant, usually a friar from one of the other Franciscan Orders. These relationships are particularly strong between Secular Franciscans and the Franciscan friars with whom they share common roots in the Franciscan penitential tradition.

Essentially Secular Franciscans live and do their work as anyone else does, but with a consciousness of trying to live the Gospel values in their lives especially in family and work life. In particular, their daily lives are most usually involved in the life of the parish (serving as lectors, Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers often taking Communion to the sick, sacristans,  Parish Council members, volunteers with St Vincent de Paul and other charities and where possible promote St Francis and his spirituality (work in soup kitchens, volunteer in hospitals, work for justice, peace and integrity of creation).

Yes, there certainly are. In fact there are more Secular Franciscan Saints than among all the branches of the Religious Franciscans combined. See our calendar of all the Secular Franciscan saints

The church accepts the Secular Franciscan Order as part of the Franciscan family. Secular Franciscans are directly under the Pope. A number of the Popes, Pius IX (Papacy 1846-1878); Leo XIII (1978-1903); Pius X (1903-1914); Benedict XV (1914-1922); Pius XI (1922-1939); Pius XII (1939-1958) to Saint John XXIII (1958-1963), belonged to the Secular Franciscan Order. Beginning with Pope Leo XIII the Franciscans and especially the Secular Franciscan Order was seen as the best way to contribute to the transformation of the world by teaching Saint Francis’ vision of universal brotherhood and peace.

Yes, we do. The Secular Franciscan Order is open to young people above the age of 18 years. Young adults choose to participate as Franciscan Youth, known as YouFra. This group gives the young person the opportunity to learn about Francis, enjoy the fun and camaraderie of people their own age. In time, some choose to make a life-time commitment as Secular Franciscans.

Secular Franciscans follow the way of life and spirituality of Saint Francis of Assisi – the way of seraphic love. Saint Francis gave the Church a new Religious Order. In fact he founded three Orders, The Order of Friars Minor, Poor Clares and the Secular Franciscan Order (Third Order). Each had its own Rule of Life. Saint Francis was not the first person to begin a Third Order for lay people. There were already groups of lay people approved by the Holy See before the Secular Franciscans. Much later the Rule of the Secular Dominicans was approved in 1285 and the Secular Carmelite Rule in1415. These were approved as Orders because they were seen as an extension of the Spirit and way of life of these Orders.  Each Order follows the particular charism of the founder.  Secular Franciscans focus on spreading the peace and love of Christ through peacemaking and serving the marginalized.

The “motto” of the Secular Franciscan Order is  “…going from Gospel to life and life to the Gospel.” This is a process whereby Secular Franciscans use the Gospel to discern how to act in real terms during life situations. By developing a deep relationship with the Lord through prayer and reading the Gospel, then Secular Franciscans experience a change in attitude and thus become more aware and able to discern and act with love and compassion.

The Secular Franciscan Order is an Order within the Roman Catholic Church. It is divided into fraternities at various levels: local, regional, national, and international. The OFS is governed by the universal law of the Church; and by its own Rule, Constitutions, Ritual, and statutes. The interpretation of the Rule and of the Constitutions belongs to the Holy See. The interpretation of the Constitutions belongs to the General Chapter of the OFS. The clarification of specific points which require a timely decision is the competence of the Presidency of the International Council of the OFS. The International Council of the OFS has its own statutes approved by the General Chapter of the OFS and confirmed by the Union of the Franciscan Ministers General. National fraternities have their own statutes approved by the Presidency of the International Council of the OFS. The fraternities at different levels are animated and guided by the minister or president, with the council, in accordance with the Rule, the Constitutions, and their own Statutes. These offices are conferred through elections.

Secular Franciscans commit themselves to live the Gospel according to Franciscan spirituality in their secular condition. The Secular Franciscan must personally and assiduously study the Gospel and Sacred Scripture to foster love for the word of the Gospel as it is proclaimed by the Church with the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Secular Franciscans, called in earlier times “the brothers and sisters of penance”, propose to live in the spirit of continual conversion. Secular Franciscans should pledge themselves to live the spirit of the Beatitudes and, in a special way, the spirit of poverty. Evangelical poverty demonstrates confidence in the Father, affects interior freedom, and disposes them to promote a more just distribution of wealth. They pledge themselves to reduce their own personal needs so as to be better able to share spiritual and material goods with their brothers and sisters, especially those most in need. They should take a firm position against consumerism and against ideologies and practices which prefer riches over human and religious values and which permit the exploitation of the human person. They should love and practice purity of heart, the source of true fraternity.

The Secular Franciscan Order began with Saint Francis of Assisi. From the very beginning of his ministry Saint Francis found people who desired to follow his way of life and spirituality — yet were married or did not want to become religious. Saint Francis responded by writing “The First Letter to all the Faithful” around 1215. So many people wanted to follow Saint Francis that the Rule of the Secular Franciscans was approved in 1221 — at that time, they were call the Brothers and Sisters of Penance later called the Third Order of St. Francis. One of the earliest Secular Franciscans was Lady Jacoba de Settesoli who was present when Saint Francis died in 1226.  From this Order the Third Order Regulars (T.O.R.) emerged in the 15th century. The Order continued as the Third Order of St. Francis, Secular. In 1978, its name was changed to the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO). In 2011, the acronym changed from SFO to OFS (Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis or Order of Secular Franciscans).