Carolyn Townes, OFS, JPIC Award Recipient
Carolyn Townes, OFS, is the 2025 recipient of the Secular Franciscan Order’s Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation award.
JPIC: Sharing the Joy and the Hope
We can probably agree that “the Church’s best kept secret” is not the most desirable nickname for the Secular Franciscan Order. As a regional vice minister, I was asked to initiate a “vocations ministry” a few years ago. This resulted in a handbook which referenced the national Vocations Toolkit along with best practices from around St. Elizabeth of Hungary region.
Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Award, 2024
Our JPIC Award recipient for 2024 is Michele Dunne, OFS. Michele is minister of the Mount Saint Sepulchre Fraternity in the Margaret of Cortona Region. Since 2021, she has served as executive director of the Franciscan Action Network. What follows is a brief interview with Michele:
Apostolate: Love in Living Deeds
“If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?” (James 2: 15,16.) It could also be said, if we see a river of people wandering without protection, all their savings stolen, preyed upon by criminals and officials alike, huddled against our national border, and we say to them, “peace and all good,” and do nothing to help them obtain food, shelter, and safety, what good is that?
Taking Action for Renewal
Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation is meant to be more than a list of topics. It is a model to show how our life in the Rule brings about conversion, and how our actions are its fruit. We practice contemplative prayer, we reflect on our Gospel call, experience conversion, and apply it to this age and place. In our work, in our family life, in the parish and in our fraternities, we are a people of renewal.
2023 Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Award
Our JPIC award recipient for 2023 is Steve Wasko, OFS. Steve is a member of St. Bonaventure Fraternity, in the Divine Mercy region. He is founder and executive director of the St. Suzanne Cody Rouge Community Resource Center, which is a faith based non-profit in Detroit. What follows is a brief interview with Steve: ...
JPIC – A Change in Leadership
Joe Makley, OFS, is the new national animator for Justice and Peace and the Integrity of Creation. He replaces Carolyn Townes, OFS, who was appointed to the position in 2013 by the late Tom Bello, OFS. Bello asked Townes to work on educating Secular Franciscans on JPIC issues. The National Executive Council paid tribute to Caroline (Carolyn) for her 10-year term with a retrospective slide show featuring her work on the JPIC commission. ...
Building Relationships – One Broken Soul at a Time
The priorities for the National Fraternity for the next three years are Vocations, Relationships, and Communications. All are incredibly important to who we are as Franciscans. At a brainstorming session at our recent in-person National Executive Council meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, I shared my thoughts on the three priorities: “We must build relationships with better communications in order to bring in vocations.”...
“Peace With the Earth, Peace with Each Other, Peace Within”
In late June, I was introduced to an amazing woman who was offering a wonderful gift to The Interfaith Alliance of the Southwest. This woman, Laurie Marshal, is the founder of The Singing Tree Foundation, promoting Unity Through Creativity. She wanted to partner with the Alliance and bring the Singing Tree Project to El Paso. It is the hope of both Laurie and the Interfaith Alliance of the Southwest to have the City of El Paso become declared an International City of Peace. ...
JPIC – It’s Never Too Late to Love
St Francis has inspired me since I was a little girl and read a biography of his life. My friend, Deacon Bob Campbell invited me to come to Franciscans Living in Community (FLIC), originally Secular Experience of Living Franciscanism (SELF). I was the only non- professed person there!! ... I feel like Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation chose me!! I always respond to the cry of the poor with prayer and action. ...