Traditionally-minded catholic wondering about the SFO

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Lowyoyo

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I’ve been researching different lay/secular orders/societies… I was wondering how a traditionally-minded catholic would fare in the SFO. Any thoughts? Thanks
 
If its that then, not far… A traditional minded person wont really agree on a secular order since its more modern thing.
 
Lowyoyo said:
I’ve been researching different lay/secular orders/societies… I was wondering how a traditionally-minded catholic would fare in the SFO. Any thoughts? Thanks
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This is also not the way to discern. If you are called to a secular order, then you will know, and God will draw you into the order. Don’t try and fit in your own ideas of your supposed “traditionalism” with the Franciscans or any order. You’ll end up being very unhappy and constantly trying to make things go your way. If you’re already asking a question like this perhaps the SFO is not for you.
 
NewsTheMan said:
This is also not the way to discern. If you are called to a secular order, then you will know, and God will draw you into the order. Don’t try and fit in your own ideas of your supposed “traditionalism” with the Franciscans or any order. You’ll end up being very unhappy and constantly trying to make things go your way. If you’re already asking a question like this perhaps the SFO is not for you.
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Agreeing with this, it depends from person to person, depends what’s your vocation. God is all knowing. What he wants from you will be what you get
 
seems awful presumptuous… the thought of lay societies just dawned on me the other day, and was curious if the the people of the fso was typically of an anti-traditionalist mindset, as unfortunately some groups of people seem to be. not as a rule, but as a tendency. also, just because i enjoy tradition doesn’t mean that i can’t also appreciate some more modern concepts.

also, i think that a person should be allowed to ask a question, even out of naivety, without people assuming that they know if a person is suited for a particular vocation or not. can you really assess that so quickly, even before i consider it an option? you all really must be experts!

*reading back, i didn’t mean to be rude 🙂 too sleepy to be tactful is more like it.
 
TradionalWay said:
If its that then, not far… A traditional minded person wont really agree on a secular order since its more modern thing.
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Um, no, secular orders date back to the high middle ages, starting with the SFO founded by St. Francis.
 
Lowyoyo said:
seems awful presumptuous… the thought of lay societies just dawned on me the other day, and was curious if the the people of the fso was typically of an anti-traditionalist mindset, as unfortunately some groups of people seem to be. not as a rule, but as a tendency. also, just because i enjoy tradition doesn’t mean that i can’t also appreciate some more modern concepts.
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Brother Jay, are you around?😃
 
MarcusAndreas said:
Um, no, secular orders date back to the high middle ages, starting with the SFO founded by St. Francis.
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Exactly… just like taking private vows of poverty, chastity and obedience dates back to the first monks.

I think we need to make sure we know what we are talking about before we speak!😉

A traditionally minded person should be open to whatever God is calling them to.

In Christ,
Peter
 
A traditionally minded person should be open to whatever God is calling them to.

---- good point, lotw
 
I can only tell you about my own SFO experience. I am not a “Traditionalist” but an orthodox Catholic. IMO, the SFO’s in my area have been infected and would no longer be recognizable by the great Saint Francis of Assisi, a loyal son of the Church. As only one example, I learned that my SFO sponsor, in charge of lectors at my parish, believes in reincarnation. Other unorthodox opinions are tolerated without objection. Look before you leap.

Jim Dandy
 
TradionalWay said:
If its that then, not far… A traditional minded person wont really agree on a secular order since its more modern thing.
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As others have stated, the SFO was formed by Francis himself. Members of the SFO are just as Franciscan as a brother, priest, or anyone else.

Ironically, the comment made by this poster is actually not the “traditional way”.

The SFO was formed in large part because married men, married women, diocesan priests, teenagers not yet able to move out, people who worked in big or small businesses, anyone and everyone wanted to join Francis. In several cases though, people couldn’t (example; men could not leave their wives or vice versa). So Francis took a third option; he founded an Order for everyone else.

Dominic, meanwhile, saw this and liked it as well. He founded a Lay Order as well. The Dominican lay order is designed for people’s personal prayer life, and to bring Dominican spirituality (preaching, teaching, contemplative) into their parish and into the world.

Really, to question Lay and Secular Orders is to question two of the greatest Saints the Church has to offer.

That said, take a look at the local group. Chapters, like Parishes or other organization, could have some bad apples.
 
Different fraternities have different flavors, just like any parish would. My fraternity is quite old, with an average age well into the 70s. That affects what kind of apostolates we can be involved in, how easily people can travel for retreats, etc.

Our elected Formation Director is a traditionalist who goes to the EF Mass whenever he can. Our Spiritual Assistant is totally orthodox and still knows all the Latin responses from his boyhood years as an altar server in the EF.

There are certainly some hippy types out there, and some whose ecumenism goes too far for me, but they aren’t in my fraternity.

So you just have to look and see, and if you are in an area with more than one fraternity within a reasonable distance, have a look at each of them before making a decision.
 
thanks, guys, so much for your info and advice. i think i will contact a couple local-ish chapters and see what they are about. i wish they had a more traditional “wing” of the SFO or something along those lines.
 
Iirc, there are a handful of fraternities based not on geography, but “interest.” Try your local ones, but also give a call to 1-800-Francis and see if she (yes, it rings in one woman’s house!) can give you more options.
 
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