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. [...]
A National Eucharistic Revival intended to nurture devotion to the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist begins on June 19, 2022, the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi.
On November 11, 2021, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience the participants in the General Chapter of the Secular Franciscan Order, to whom he addressed the following words: [...]
Sources for Franciscan Saints, Blesseds & Holy Days can be found under "PRAY WITH US" [...]
In a recent letter, Minister General Tibor Kauser, requests both individual Secular Franciscans and fraternities to participate in the Synod on Synodality, asking for our “precious contributions.” The National Fraternity agrees that this historic event needs our active participation.
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.
"Let us ask for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit focusing now on fraternal life, on our vocation, and on our identity." Tibor Kauser, CIOFS Minister General
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. [...]
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.
The Saturday afternoon session with the Spiritual Assistants and the National Executive Council (NEC) tackled questions that attendees submitted. [...]