I am considering becoming a lay Franciscan

[Holly3278]

Hey everyone. I am considering becoming a lay or secular Franciscan. Two of my favorite saints are Franciscan: Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony of Padua (my personal patron saint). Also, Saint Padre Pio is a Capuchin and Capuchins are closely related to the Franciscans. Saint Padre Pio is another one of my favorite saints.

So anyway, if any of you have any resources or know of a Franciscan group that meets in the Diocese of Evansville, Indiana, I’d appreciate the information.

 

[ausculta]

Hey everyone. I am considering becoming a lay or secular Franciscan. Two of my favorite saints are Franciscan: Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony of Padua (my personal patron saint). Also, Saint Padre Pio is a Capuchin and Capuchins are closely related to the Franciscans. Saint Padre Pio is another one of my favorite saints.

So anyway, if any of you have any resources or know of a Franciscan group that meets in the Diocese of Evansville, Indiana, I’d appreciate the information.

Just call 1-800-FRANCIS and ask them what Secular Franciscan fraternities are near you. It’s a real phone number! I promise

The next step will be to contact the Formation Director or Minister of those fraternities to see how you can begin discerning a vocation as a Secular Franciscan. Here’s the basic timeline:

3 Months as a visitor.
6 Months as an inquirer.
12-18 Months as a candidate (novice)
Temorary Profession or Perpetual Profession to live the rule.

If I can be of any other help please let me know.

God’s peace and all Good,

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Hey everyone. I am considering becoming a lay or secular Franciscan. Two of my favorite saints are Franciscan: Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony of Padua (my personal patron saint). Also, Saint Padre Pio is a Capuchin and Capuchins are closely related to the Franciscans. Saint Padre Pio is another one of my favorite saints.

So anyway, if any of you have any resources or know of a Franciscan group that meets in the Diocese of Evansville, Indiana, I’d appreciate the information.

They aren’t closely related, they are Franciscans.

The 1st order (men): OFM (Friars Minor), OFMCap (Capuchins), OFMConv (Conventuals). (Some would include the TOR–Third Order Regular, too). One big happy Franciscan family

 

[vacanebrake]

Holly3278, If you go to groups there are a couple of Franciscan Group Forums. I recommend Franciscan Spirituality because it is more active than others I have tried, but look into them.

Find a fraternity near you and visit them, I know they would love to have you visit and if you decide to pursue becoming a Secular Franciscan that is the place to begin.:yyeess:

I’ll pray for your discernment

Peace & all good.

 

[Holly3278]

Just call 1-800-FRANCIS and ask them what Secular Franciscan fraternities are near you. It’s a real phone number! I promise

The next step will be to contact the Formation Director or Minister of those fraternities to see how you can begin discerning a vocation as a Secular Franciscan. Here’s the basic timeline:

3 Months as a visitor.
6 Months as an inquirer.
12-18 Months as a candidate (novice)
Temorary Profession or Perpetual Profession to live the rule.

If I can be of any other help please let me know.

God’s peace and all Good,

Ah okay! Thanks!

They aren’t closely related, they are Franciscans.

The 1st order (men): OFM (Friars Minor), OFMCap (Capuchins), OFMConv (Conventuals). (Some would include the TOR–Third Order Regular, too). One big happy Franciscan family

Oh cool! I had no idea that the Capuchins were actually Franciscans!

Holly3278, If you go to groups there are a couple of Franciscan Group Forums. I recommend Franciscan Spirituality because it is more active than others I have tried, but look into them.

Find a fraternity near you and visit them, I know they would love to have you visit and if you decide to pursue becoming a Secular Franciscan that is the place to begin.:yyeess:

I’ll pray for your discernment

Peace & all good.

Thanks VacaneBrake! I’ll check it out!

 

[krissylou]

Oh cool! I had no idea that the Capuchins were actually Franciscans!

Also, cappuccinos (coffee and milk) are named after the Capuchin friars because the tan-colored beverage is the same color as the Capuchin habits.

This is entirely useless information but I thought I’d throw it in there!

 

[Biedrik]

Hey everyone. I am considering becoming a lay or secular Franciscan. Two of my favorite saints are Franciscan: Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony of Padua (my personal patron saint). Also, Saint Padre Pio is a Capuchin and Capuchins are closely related to the Franciscans. Saint Padre Pio is another one of my favorite saints.

So anyway, if any of you have any resources or know of a Franciscan group that meets in the Diocese of Evansville, Indiana, I’d appreciate the information.

I should mention this to my bishop the next time I see him. He’s a capuchin, and would be surprised to find out he’s not exactly a Franciscan.

But seriously, just pray on it, and consider the many orders. You’d be surprised at what can turn up. My discernment for seminary has been an odd trip. First I wanted to go towards diocesan priesthood, then I felt drawn towards the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, then I felt drawn back towards the diocesan priesthood, then I became interested in FSSP, the Dominicans, and the Franciscans, roughly at the same time. Then, I thought I might be called to the Trappists or Carthusians. In the end, I’ve settled on diocesan priesthood as my vocation, and am currently in seminary. Given how much I managed to swerve back and forth between choices, I’m shocked I ever got back to where I started.

The point is, never totally rule out something just because it’s not what you initially think may be where God wishes for you to be.

 

[joandarc2008]

You can also just go to the website which is the National Tau Website and go to the Section labeled Regional and local Fraternities and find the one nearest you and it will have contact information. Your best bet is to go check out a meeting.

 

[JReducation]

Hey everyone. I am considering becoming a lay or secular Franciscan. Two of my favorite saints are Franciscan: Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Anthony of Padua (my personal patron saint). Also, Saint Padre Pio is a Capuchin and Capuchins are closely related to the Franciscans. Saint Padre Pio is another one of my favorite saints.

So anyway, if any of you have any resources or know of a Franciscan group that meets in the Diocese of Evansville, Indiana, I’d appreciate the information.

I believe that you mean Secular Franciscan. The Secular Franciscans are lay and clerics. But they are seculars, not consecrated religious.

The Capuchins are more than closely related to the Franciscans, they are the same order. There is one Order of Friars Minor with three obediences: Capuchins, Conventuals and Franciscans. The Capuchins were simply a group of Friars Minor that wore a very large capuche.

The Franciscans got the name because they were many small groups of Friars Minor that were consolidated into one large community under the same General Minister, hence the term “obedience”. Not knowing what to call the unified group, people simply referred to them as The Franciscans.

Canonically speaking, Franciscan is any relgious and secular community that belongs to the Franciscan family, better said, the sons and daughters of St. Francis.

As to your question, you can Google the Secular Franciscans and find the homepage for the national leadership. On that page they’ll give you the names and telephone numbers of the local fraternities.

Welcome to the family!

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[BrotherPaulMary]

NOOOOOO!!!

Become a Lay Dominican.

Br. Paul

 

[The_Old_Medic]

The Third Order Regular’s ARE most definitely a Franciscan order.

I seriously considered entering this community after I was discharged from the Army back in 1969. I was especially attracted to their “Worker Priest” movement.

 

[The_Old_Medic]

Oh, as to becoming a Lay Dominican, that is certainly an option.

Many religious communities have some form of lay ministry. I know that the Franciscans, the Passionist’s and the Trappists do, and most other communities have either a Lay Order or Oblates. This is becoming more and more popular, as the numbers of religious have decreased.

Most of them (but not all) accept both men and women.

Your Diocese should be able to tell you what communities are active within your area.

 

[JReducation]

The Third Order Regular’s ARE most definitely a Franciscan order.

I seriously considered entering this community after I was discharged from the Army back in 1969. I was especially attracted to their “Worker Priest” movement.

The Third Order Regular is the religious arm of the Secular Franciscan Order. Together, they form the Brothers and Sisters of Penance founded by St. Francis.

Medic is correct, they are sons and daughters of St. Francis. Therefore, they are Franciscan.

We have to understand that Franciscan means a son or daughter of St. Francis. Franciscans come under many names, because Francis founded a family and never named it. Like all families, we have a family name, that of our father, Franciscan. We also have specific names: Capuchin, Conventual, Clares, Peace, Penance, Life, Immaculate, Renewal, Little Brothers, etc.

There were several groups pulled together by Pope Leo XII. They had different names. Since no one could come up with a good name for the new unified group, Pope Leo simply referred to them as The Franciscans. That’s how they go their name.

What makes us Franciscans is the uninterrupted line of succession back to our Holy Father Francis. One Franciscan founds a new commiunity. Another one comes out of that new community and founds another and so forth. Each community has a name of its own, but all can trace their line of succession to Francis and all follow one of Francis’ four rules. He wrote four rules, not one: Rule for Minors, Rule for poor nuns, Rule of penance, and Rule for hermits.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[JReducation]

Oh, as to becoming a Lay Dominican, that is certainly an option.

Many religious communities have some form of lay ministry. I know that the Franciscans, the Passionist’s and the Trappists do, and most other communities have either a Lay Order or Oblates. This is becoming more and more popular, as the numbers of religious have decreased.

Most of them (but not all) accept both men and women.

Your Diocese should be able to tell you what communities are active within your area.

There are canonical differences between Third Order, Secular Order, Lay Order and Oblates.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF