(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Fall Issue 117)

By Sharon Winzeler, OFS • Communications Committee Chair

From daily Mass to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, prayer was an essential element at the 2025 National Chapter at the Bon Secours Retreat Center in Marriottsville, Maryland, and was led by several friars, three of whom are members of the Conference of National Spiritual Assistants (CNSA).

Chapter opened with a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit, Tuesday, September 9. The celebrant was Fr. Gary Johnson, OFM Conv., vicar provincial and director of the Shrine of St. Anthony near Baltimore. Gathered for the liturgy were the National Executive Council, regional ministers, committee and commission chairs, and observers.

Fr. Gary Johnson, OFM Conv.

Fr. Gary Johnson, OFM Conv.: Franciscans are Called to Lead Through Praise, Humility, and Service

Fr. Gary began by reminding those present that being together as Franciscans is about much more than “getting along” or “learning to lead.” At the center of our vocation, he said, is praise.

“I have a sense we have it figured out when it comes to praise,” Fr. Gary reflected. “Praise is how we publicly proclaim our love of God.”

Drawing from the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians, Fr. Gary invited the listeners to reflect deeply on what it means to walk in Christ: “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him, and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Col 2:6-7)

He noted that the Franciscan tradition is rooted and built upon Jesus Christ. When we remain grounded in Him, our lives are nourished in ways that allow us to proclaim the Gospel with joy and integrity.

Fr. Gary said praise is never private or isolated. “We can’t praise God without each other,” he said.

For Secular Franciscans, this means that every act of daily life can become a song of praise: caring for family, serving the poor, fulfilling professional duties with integrity, and giving time and energy to the work of the Order. Praise draws us deeper into relationship with God and strengthens our bond with one another.

“We recognize the call to leadership is grounded in the prayer and praise of Jesus. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus chose the leaders from among the disciples and commissioned them to go out with him and witness the faith. They knew that involved compassion, charity, sacrifice, and praise,” Fr. Gary said.

He added, “The Holy Spirit helps us to live it out in the everyday experience of our lives. Welcome the Holy Spirit into our Chapter and ask the Lord to help you be grounded in the ways our readings today ask us to lead.”

Fr. Jerome Wolbert, OFM

Fr. Jerome Wolbert, OFM, Calls for Authentic Kindness Rooted in Christ

At another liturgy, Fr. Jerome Wolbert, OFM, reflected on the difference between being “nice” and being truly “kind,” urging Secular Franciscans to let their hearts be formed by Christ.

“Sometimes there is a hole in our heart that we try to cover over with nice,” he said. “But the medicine that fills the hole is Jesus Christ. To be Christian is to be Christlike. God heals us.”

Fr. Jerome warned against false humility, noting that at times people take a low place, not out of humility, but to avoid being noticed. Likewise, when called to leadership, the desire to serve can be mingled with a hidden desire for authority. True Christian leadership, he said, is rooted in service.

Drawing on the life of St. Francis of Assisi, Fr. Jerome said that real compassion requires stepping beyond comfort and appearances

“The Franciscan heart is formed by embracing the leper,” he said.