I remember with great warmth a snowy 2:00 AM drive to pick up our daughter, Grace, at Holy Cross Church in Lewiston, Maine, where the bus had returned from the March for Life in Washington D.C. She was less weary than the chaperones, and excited to share her adventures. It was around that same time my pastor, Father Conley, asked me to do a talk after Mass to support the diocese pro-life legislation.
Our JPIC Award recipient for 2025 is Carolyn Townes, OFS. Carolyn has had a long and impactful history as the National JPIC Animator for over ten years, and currently serves on the boards of several Franciscan organizations. What follows is a brief interview with Carolyn:
Emphasizing justice, unity, and solidarity, a Call to Franciscan Accompaniment invites fraternities to assess community needs, support immigration reform, and accompany those who are suffering with visible, compassionate service.
The first time I heard about Father Louis Vitale, OFM, was when he joined the protests at Fort Benning’s infamous School of the Americas.
Last May, JPIC animators from around the US gathered at Holy Cross Retreat Center near Las Cruces, NM, to pray, to learn, to build, and to renew connections and commitment. Fr. Ignatius Harding, OFM, (who prefers to be called Br. Iggy) served as our spiritual assistant.
Multicultural relationships involve partners from different cultural backgrounds and can present challenges and opportunities. Effective communication is very important, as language barriers and different cultural expressions can complicate relations. ... Multicultural relationships are justice issues that seek the good of the other person(s). As Franciscans, we are known for our dedication to justice. We strive to bring people together in a society that is fair (or just). Each person needs to feel welcomed to create a diverse OFS community.
"We try so hard to steer clear of anything that smacks of pain and suffering, although we are a nation in pain with tremendous suffering. We are brokenhearted. But the Psalmist tells us that God is close to the broken-hearted," Carolyn said in her JPIC award speech.
A JPIC apostolate for Secular Franciscans, essential and unique to our order, is our ministry to our families. ... Our families are not just biological or relational connections. In Lumen Gentium, Family is described as “the domestic church” (LG, 11) because we share common beliefs, purpose, and life, in a family. “…[It] has been a treasure for the Church….
Carolyn Townes, OFS, is the 2025 recipient of the Secular Franciscan Order’s Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation award.
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.