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Ecumenical Interfaith Committee Joint Committee on Franciscan Unity

“The People of God: A Sacred Prism,” was an interfaith gathering of representatives of various Franciscan groups, which sparked joy, peace, and spirituality for all who attended. What a privilege it was for us, as members of the OFS-USA Ecumenical / Interfaith Committee, to attend this special event held Nov. 14-16, 2021, at the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center in Garrison, N.Y., a ministry of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. [...]

2024-06-06T18:33:33-04:00July 18th, 2022|Categories: Ecumenical Interfaith Committee, From the Newsletter|1 Comment
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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
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Did You Know – Regionalization, A History

Willian Wicks, OFS, gives us a complete history of Regionalization – moving to geographical structuring and governing away from friar provincial jurisdictional structuring – in A History of the Secular Franciscan Order in the United States. ... Presented here are only excerpts copied directly from Vol. III, Chapter 12, pages 277- 316. ... No one can tell the story better than William Wicks.  The rest of the story, the details which mentions talks dating back to “1934 and probably before”, can be found in these volumes.

2022-07-08T09:05:52-04:00July 9th, 2022|Categories: Did You Know|4 Comments
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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
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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
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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
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