Finding a Franciscan Order (Discernment)

[amcintosh]

Hey all. I haven’t posted on here for a long long while. I’m a young single Catholic guy who recently converted and feels a passion that I hope is real and authentic for Jesus and His Church. I will graduate with a degree in Theology and a certificate in Pastoral Ministry in May 2022, so help me God, and I think that I want to do some type of ministry in life - whether lay or consecrated. I have been studying, in one of my ministry classes, our baptismal call of discipleship and what is called the ‘Priesthood of the Faithful’, which establishes the vocation of laity as those called to be holy and justified and disciples of the Lord. This is not worse than ordained priesthood, and Vatican II was very important in emphasizing this (I believe many early Church Fathers had these ideas as well as Sacred Tradition). Still, I am interested in ordained ministry in religious life. I might know the Franciscans the most because most priests on my campus are friars, and I love St. Francis of Assisi dearly and feel called to a lifestyle of difficulty and strife for the Lord as St. Francis had so dearly.

My question is now: how do I navigate the OFM? I generally know why there are so many different orders of Franciscans but I don’t know how to find a specific order; the apostolate always focuses on living after St. Francis and his ministry, but there are just so many different specific orders that I feel overwhelmed. The Franciscans of the Renewal, the Conventual, Friars of the Immaculate (they have a friary near me), etc. I have realistically a while before I could apply as I have only been in the Church for a few months, and I am open to God’s will. I will gladly accept advice on how to figure out which specific order in the OFM I should look into; YouTube and Google haven’t been helpful.

 

[InThePew]

I think I’m right in saying that every reform of the Franciscan order (and there’ve been more than a few) has been about interpretation of how to live the vow of poverty. Certainly, the CFRs probably place the strongest emphasis on this to the point of not even owning their own friaries! Still, each branch has its own particular emphasis - Capuchins, for example, are big on community; the FFIs have a strong Mariology as part of their charism. As with any discernment, it’s very much a case of “come and see” remembering of course, that being a mendicant order, Franciscans don’t remain in the same community (one Capuchin novice once told me how they had to change rooms regularly in novitiate just to make this point) although this of course has its pluses and minuses.

Putting aside your recency in the Church, one thing you do need to think about is whether you feel called to priesthood or to religious life since the two aren’t necessarily the same. All religious are members of their Order above and beyond their clerical status (if any) and this is especially true of Franciscans (St Francis himself was never a priest). This isn’t something you need to decide prior to applying but it is something you need to think about sine formation in Franciscan orders is focussed on becoming a Franciscan first and foremost - priesthood is something which comes later (religious profess their final vows before they proceed to ordination) and wouldn’t be your decision alone.

 

[commenter]

I think I’m right in saying that every reform of the Franciscan order (and there’ve been more than a few) has been about interpretation of how to live the vow of poverty. Certainly, the CFRs probably place the strongest emphasis on this

Interpretation of Poverty may have been the point of issue for renewals prior to 1970.

In recent years I talked to the founder of the FFI, who branched off from the OFMs, and heard the founder of CFRs who branched off from Capuchins, on Ewtn, and his writings. Both men RIP.

They both described the Orders they left as having other issues unrelated to Poverty. Both referred to theological ambiguity, de emphasis on the Blessed Sacrament, tolerance of liturgical abuses, really, really bad seminaries, and other concerns either promoted, or accepted, in the prior Order.

 

[Cloisters]

Also need to learn how to delineate between the Order of Friars Minor, who are the original Franciscans; the Conventionals; and the Capuchins. I believe I’m correct in saying that all others who identify as Franciscan Friars are congregations, not Orders.

However, if you are attracted to the OFM proper, then work in that direction. You’ll need two or three years under your belt as Catholic before you are eligible.

Be sure to look at other Orders, too. Work on becoming a good Catholic Christian and make God and His Will your priority.

Blessings,
Cloisters
My new congregation:
http://cloisters.tripod.com/charity/
My particular Ministry:
http://cloisters.tripod.com/

 

[commenter]

Also need to learn how to delineate between the Order of Friars Minor, who are the original Franciscans; the Conventionals; and the Capuchins.

Actually the Conventuals and ofm’s are equally old. Neither can be considered the Original. What we now call the ofm was a merger of a few communities in the 1800s. The Capuchins came after Francis time.
But all 3 are considered equally the First Order under the Pope’s then 1800s recognition because all three are directly connected to Francis.

Other male groups are considered “third order”. They do not trace back directly to Francis. For instance the men at Steubenville are Third order Regulars, meaning they are religious, as compared to third order secular. Some women religious have “third order” in their names.

They are different from Second Order founded directly by Francis (and Clare).

I wonder how groups that later after the 1800s spun directly off of, the Capuchins or ofm’s, are grouped. …as First Order, or third? I’m thinking of CFR and (perhaps) FFI.

 

[Cloisters]

Ok, what I was trying to communicate was that there are many little congregations out there, and the OP should make sure he understands which one is which.

Those not founded from the First Order would be a variation on the Third Order Regular theme. But, there’s also a proper Third Order Regular in and of itself.

Yes, the Second Order, the cloistered nuns, have 13 Observances of the Poor Clare Rule.

Third Order Secular are the Laity.

Did I get that right?

 

[PapyrusDouay]

. I will gladly accept advice on how to figure out which specific order in the OFM I should look into; YouTube and Google haven’t been helpful.

The best advice I can give you is to visit them and spend time with them. Reach out to a friary or vocation director and the chances are high you’ll probably end up joining them for evening prayer and dinner once the COVID pandemic passes. It’s the best way to do it, and the friars know that too.

Each community is different, but at the same time they’re also not that different. These days, aside from different habits and friaries in different locations, there are not a lot of differences. The differences among provinces in one order can be just as significant (or insignificant) as differences among orders. In fact there are ongoing discussions (if not already plans) for the OFM’s, Caps, and Convs to start doing a lot more join collaborations in formation, particularly on novitiate.

Talk to a friar on campus if your comfortable with that.

Your profile says you’re from Massachusetts… Boston has Capuchins and two different provinces of OFMs, Franciscans of the Primitive Observance are in Lawrence, and Conventuals are near Springfield.

I don’t know much about DC, but I know one of the Capuchin provinces sends its men to CUA for their MDiv and are pretty active around the city. The OFMs have the Monastery of the Holy Land there, which is part of the Custody of the Holy Land. The Capuchins in DC are of a different Province than the ones in Boston. So that’s an opportunity to see how they’re different.

They may want you to wait before applying because you just converted, and the Boston/NY province of Capuchins would probably make you wait until you finish your degree… but it doesn’t mean you cannot get in touch with them, get to know them, let them get to know you, etc.

In fact, right now may be a great time, because if they’re allowing visitors or have a parish the Feast if St. Francis is coming up, and the Transitus Service (the evening of October 3rd) is is one of the most important services in the Franciscan tradition. It would really be worth attending one with a Franciscan community if possible.