2013 | Page 2 of 4 | Franciscan Mission Service

Catholic Heroes — Can’t Get Enough of Them!

Missioner-in-training Hady Mendez comments on some of the media she has been exposed to during formation for mission. “There But For the Grace of God” was the name of a funk/disco song when I was growing up. I remember dancing to the song quite a bit yet never giving a second thought to what the…

Photos from My Archives

Nate Mortenson, missioner-in-training, is excited to use his skills of photography to document the life experiences he and his wife Mary share here in D.C. and while on mission. These are some photos from years ago: my family, places, and moments. I’ve been drawn to shooting black and white film photos for their nostalgic qualities…

Taste and See: Surrendering My Will

Part of our mission preparation program includes regular volunteering with impoverished or vulnerable populations in the area. Today missioner-in-training Valerie Ellis talks about the first few weeks of her volunteer experience. My dream for going on mission is to work with children, and I was thrilled when I received the email from Franciscan Mission Service …

Onward and Upward

Being continuously called back to the Creator. Photo by Nate Mortenson Through discussions, required readings, spiritual direction, and prayer, our mission training program has many opportunities to reflect on life, faith, and self. Here’s what been on missioner-in-training Mary Morrtenson’s mind these last few weeks. One concept that I’ve been mulling over since the beginning…

Franciscan Feast Day Cartoon: Francis vs. “Francis”

Happy Feast of St. Francis! Our current social media domestic volunteer, Jason, is also an aspiring cartoonist. In honor of today’s feast, the feast of our patron saint, he drew this cartoon for us, entitled Francis vs. “Francis.”

The Kingdom of God

By flickr connerdowney via Creative Commons Missioner-in-training Brittany Koepke reflects on her experience volunteering in D.C. for mission formation. During group prayer the other night the question was proposed, “In what moment of today did you glimpse the Kingdom of God?” I immediately thought of my volunteer site with the Missionaries of Charity that I…

Walking the Walk – I’m On My Way

Here’s the latest blog post from missioner-in-training Hady Mendez. Hady and her five classmates are training at our Washington, D.C. headquarters for service to Bolivia. We have been discussing the notion of “simplicity” during formation. Essentially, the act of “living more with less”. I wish I could explain the new direction my life is taking,…

Pope Francis’ interview with America Magazine – The OTHER side of the story

Pope Francis’ recent interview with America Magazine has been getting a lot of coverage from the media, both Catholic and non-Catholic. Of particular interest were the comments the Pope made regarding what he saw as a tendency within some Church circles to focus on hot button social issues at the expense of the Gospel. This…

On Two Wheels in DC

Missioner-in-training Nate Mortenson reflects on his journey to D.C. and where he is volunteering while in training here. As we packed up the car for our move to Washington, D.C. I thought it would be ridiculous for my wife Mary and me to take our bikes along. I mean life, would be too busy with…

Shopping for Trust

Missioner-in-training Dae Doseff’s first reflection from formation touches on what life is like in the community house where the missioners-in-training live with our volunteers and other residents. Trust is one of the most difficult things for me to do in life. Trusting myself to make good decisions, trusting that God’s plan is going to be…

Franciscan Friday: Building A More Human City

Domestic volunteer and program associate Chanda Ikachana continues our Hunger Action Month reflections by sharing her experiences of befriending those who are homeless in downtown D.C. Over the past few months, I’ve volunteered with the Sant’Egidio community on their Friday night food-runs, a ministry to the homeless in the Dupont area downtown. Last week, our…

Friends on the Street

Missioner-in-training Valerie Ellis reflects on the need of those around us. I was thinking back to a time when I really needed a friend of mine to be present in my life. Because I really needed her, I was spending more time with her. It struck me that at times when I didn’t need her…

Meet Our New Volunteer, Jason!

A Spanish-speaking Anglo kid from Oregon who studied Theology in New Jersey and is working on a career as a web-based Catholic cartoonist: the life history of Jason Bach is nothing but varied. The latest chapter brings him to Washington, D.C. for a 13-month volunteer position as a communications associate with Franciscan Mission Service. Jason…

Let Your Mercy Light The Path Before Me

Discerning and preparing for mission can be an emotional process, as missioner-in-training Brittany Koepke shares here. “I could be safe here in Your arms and never leave homeI could just stay right where I am and hope to feel YouBut You have called me higherYou have called me deeperAnd I will go where You will…

Mission Monday: Sharing Stories in Sacred Spaces

A watercolor by Annemarie that was inspired by the women of Santa Rosa First-year missioner Annemarie Barrett reflects on the conversations she has had with the women she has come to know in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Work. More work. Children. Husbands. Cooking. Cleaning. More cooking and more cleaning. Domestic violence. Machismo. More violence. And no justice.…

Can I Get An Amen?

From The McKenna Center Missioner-in-training Hady Mendez talks about meeting the men at her Wednesday morning service site. As I think about social justice, children come to mind. And women. But I hardly ever find myself thinking about the men that need help on their journey and what I could be doing to accompany them.…

Life on Pause

Nate and Mary Mortenson Missioner-in-training Mary Mortenson shares her thoughts on the beginning of mission training. Nate and I arrived in Washington, D.C. the Monday of Labor Day, tired and emotional. We had spent our summer moving back home to help my parents on the strawberry farm, taking long bike trips, celebrating weddings and saying…

Franciscan Friday: Learning about Humility In the Strangest Ways

Lay missioner Jeff Sved tells a story of purchasing food for the prison kitchen in Cochabamba, Bolivia. “Cabeza de baca…” “Wait a second! You want me to buy cow heads?” The head delegate of one of the prisons here was actually asking us to go out and buy cow heads. I guess when you’re cooking…

Mission Monday: Kitzi Answers God’s Call to Continue Service in Cochabamba

Second-year missioner Kitzi Hendricks has decided to renew her contract for another year! We are thrilled to have her continue her ministries of providing social services for children and supporting survivors of torture in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Kitzi has also been part of a team working closely with the Archdiocese of Cochabamba to open a new…

Franciscan Friday: Combating Hunger in D.C.

In honor of September’s Hunger Action Month, we’re sharing experiences of combating hunger. In Washington, D.C. one in eight households struggles with hunger. D.C.’s poverty rate is the third highest in the nation, and on any given night, 6,000 people here are homeless. While our short and long-term international mission programs focus our attention on…

Mission Monday: Sharing and Solidarity with Workers

On this Labor Day edition of “Mission Monday,” we share a reflection from first-year lay missioner Annemarie Barrett who serves in Cochabamba, Bolivia. I had white paint all over my paints, sandals and even in my hair. I was painting the inside of one of the sheds in the parish garden of Santa Vera Cruz…

Take the Pledge to Join Our Missioner Prayer Community

This August, our new class of overseas missioners Catholics will begin their three-month Formation program with us in Washington, D.C. This training is essential in preparing them to work for peace and justice abroad. But it’s not always easy. The 13 weeks are packed with workshops, lectures, paper work, homework, retreats, prayer, reflection, volunteering, community…

We Shall Overcome: 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington

Washington, D.C. was abuzz this weekend with events commemorating Wednesday’s 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. Communications Coordintor Bridget Higginbotham shares some thoughts on the experience she and Program Coordinator Natalie Helfrick had as attendees. “Realize the Dream” March and RallyJustice for Trayvon. Close Guantanamo. Stop racial profiling. Raise wages. Statehood for DC. Stop…

Mission Monday: Back to School in Guatemala

Kathy Snider, who served with Franciscan Mission Service from 1998-2000, was so moved by her experience that she decided to return to Guatemala. She continues to live in and serve the remote jungle community in Santaigo Ixcan through her own non-profit, Ixcan Ministries. As students in the U.S. begin the “back to school” season, Kathy…

Franciscan Friday: No Violencia – En Español!

Missioner Annemarie Barrett on the Onda Verde radio show with Bolivian friar Efrain in Cochabamba This week, Franciscan Mission Service missioners took to the airways to discuss nonviolence. The discussion between current missioner Annemarie Barrett and former missioner Nora Pfeiffer took place on Onda Verde, a Franciscans International – Bolivia radio show on which Nora…

Join Us For An Open House At Our New Offices

August has been a busy month for our staff as we prepare to welcome five new lay missioners to training in September. Part of that preparation has been moving our administrative offices out of our Casa San Salvador on Quincy Street and into space in the Theological College’s McCormick Pavilion at 415 Michigan Avenue, Northeast.…

Mission Monday: Be A Part of Our Classroom

A chair. A desk. A book. As any educator or student knows, the proper learning environment and materials are keys for success. In our classroom, lay missioners learn about Scripture, prayer, Franciscan spirituality, Catholic Social Teaching, conflict resolution, cross-cultural adaption and more. The 13-weeks of formation in Washington, D.C. are essential in preparing them to…

Franciscan Friday: Bridge Building at the Summer Confabulation

Photo by flikr user Conrad Kuiper – Creative Commons Bridge building is important. It creates avenues for mutual understanding, opens the lines for communication, paves the way for peacemaking, fosters community, and more. Bridge building is so important, in fact, that it’s the 2013 theme for the National Secular Franciscan Order USA. And this theme…

Kitzi’s Quinoa Recipe: A Complete One Pot Meal

Quinoa is a Bolivian staple, second only to the potato. Our missioners in Bolivia have become more acquainted with this highly-nutritious grain, and today we share one of their recipes in honor of the ongoing celebration, “International Year of Quinoa.” The United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the “International Year of Quinoa,” in recognition…

Paz y Bien: The Importance of Community

In concluding this Paz y Bien blog series, I have taken time to consider what element is the most essential to these nonviolence workshops that we have been engaging here in Cochabamba. What makes these experiences sacred? What about these workshops lays the foundation for personal and social transformation? My experience has led me to…

Franciscan Friday: Praying for World Youth Day

Every two to three years since 1984, millions of teens and young adults from around the globe gather together for a week of celebrating their faith with the pope. This year’s World Youth Day festivities started on Tuesday and run until Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, under the motto, “Go and make disciples of…

Throwback Thursday: The Face of God

In honor of World Youth Day taking place in Rio de Janeiro, here is a reflection written by lay missioner Joe Hambuchen while he was serving with his wife Julie in Brazil from 1996 to 1999. Bible study here is a time for reflection on the coming Sunday’s gospel reading. Although at times the discussion…

Paz y Bien: “Pieces of the Truth” activity

Lay missioner Annemarie Barrett continues her non-violence series by sharing an activity inspired by Mohandas Gandhi that she has done with groups in Bolivia. “Gandhi’s nonviolence maintains that no one possesses the entire truth. Rather, each of us possesses a piece of the truth and the un-truth. In a conflict, nonviolent action seeks to reveal…

Mission Monday: The Value of Relationships

First-year lay missioner Jeff Sved sends an update from his time in Bolivia: At the recent Asamblea Nacional del Movimiento Franciscano “Justicia y Paz” Bolivia, I was blessed with the opportunity to enjoy la fraternidad (fraternity) within the Franciscan family throughout Bolivia. Jeff (center) dancing at the Asemblea Nacional del Movmiento Francisco Forty representatives came…

Francsican Friday: Meet Our Newest Staff Member

Natalie Helfrick This week we welcomed the newest member of the Franciscan Mission Service team: Natalie Helfrick, program coordinator! With her passion and experience with the ministry of presence, we are confident in Natalie’s ability to journey with our long-term overseas missioners from discernment through formation, service abroad, and re-entry. She will also be a…

Paz y Bien: Living as Minority

The third part of the Paz y Bien nonviolence series by lay missioner Annemarie Barrett: “Poverty is a way of being by which the individual lets thing be what they are; one refuses to dominate them, subjugate them, and make them the objects of the will to power. One refuses to be over them…

Mission Monday: Share A Lifetime of Experience

Long-term overseas mission isn’t just for young people. After decades of work and life experience, those of you in your 40s, 50s and 60s have something to share with the global community. You have skills. You have compassion. You have love. Our program prepares you for service abroad, supports you while you’re in the field,…

Franciscan Friday: Revisiting Ramadan

To celebrate interfaith friendship and St. Francis’ history with Islam, last summer we featured a special series on Ramadan. As our Muslim brothers and sisters once again celebrate this holy time, we encourage you to learn more about it through these posts. As a Franciscan priest and scholar of Arab and Islamic Studies, guest blogger…

Paz y Bien Part 2: A Posture of Nonviolence and Balance

The second part of the Paz y Bien nonviolence series by lay missioner Annemarie Barrett: “With one hand we say to one who is angry, or to an oppressor, or to an unjust system, ‘Stop what you are doing. I refuse to honor the role you are choosing to play. I refuse to obey you.…

Paz y Bien Part 1: Engaging the Nonviolent Journey in Cochabama

Today we kick-off a special series written by lay missioner Annemarie Barrett. “You can feel it. You can feel the energy!” She told me, beaming, the two of us surrounded by a room full of women sharing hugs and laughter and walls covered in poster board and notes. We had just finished another nonviolence…

Franciscan Friday: Part 2 of “Francis and the Foolishness of God” Podcast

This week we continue to our latest podcast series that focuses on the book, “St. Francis and the Foolishness of God,” by Marie Dennis, Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, Stuart Taylor and Fr. Joe Jangle, OFM. In this multi-part series, recorded during our fall 2012 formation class, Fr. Joe takes listeners through the thought process behind the book…

A Prayer for America

Maybe We Need To Be A Little More Like Thomas

“The Incredulity of Thomas” by Matthias Stom, public domain St. Thomas the Apostle gets a bad rap for doubting Jesus’ resurrection by saying, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” But before we…

Francis and the Foolishness of God: Podcast Series, Episode 1

Our FMS podcasts bring the missioner formation classroom right into your home. Our presenters speak on a number of topics including church history, Franciscan spirituality, simplicity, and social justice issues. Our latest podcasts focus on Fr. Joe Nangle’s book, “St. Francis and the Foolishness of God.” Fr. Nangle takes listeners through the thought process behind…

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

Second-year lay missioner Kitzi Hendricks writes about her current ministry in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Every 26th of June, organizations and individuals all over the world stand together in solidarity to support victims of torture and bring awareness to this atrocious violation of human rights. As a part of an organization in Cochabamba that provides accompaniment and…

Mission Monday: Friends from the Streets of Bolivia to the Seats of the United Nations

While abroad, our lay missioners are invited into the community to share in the local peoples’ lives, culture, and ministries. This leads to strong bonds, so missioners who are able stay in touch with the community and go back to visit. Lay missioner Ginny Dachenhausen on mission in Cochabamba, Bolivia from 2007 to 2010. Ginny…

Franciscan Friday: The Franciscan Family Tree

Explaining the Franciscan “family tree” is no easy feat. The simple man from Assisi inspired and attracted so many people to his Gospel-driven lifestyle over the centuries, and each person has found (or created) his or her own place in the vast movement. Whether male or female, religious or lay, professed or just interested in…

Meet Our New Board Members

This spring we welcome three new members to our Board of Directors. Their varied backgrounds reflect the how FMS strives to be an intersection of the different paths within the Franciscan movement. The support of our mission is a meeting point for religious, seculars, and the “Franciscan-hearted” laity who are also attracted to the example…

Trip Partcipants Learn About Catholic Church’s Fight Against Apartheid

Fr. Dominic Hession is an Irish Franciscan Friar who has been in South Africa for more than 40 years. By the time our recent Short-Term Missions and Global Awareness group met him, he had already seen the rise and fall of the brutal Apartheid as a priest blacklisted for speaking out against the government’s practices.…

Lifelong Accompaniment: Being inspired by our Returned Missioners

For more photos from our returned missioner retreat, please see our online album. Domestic Volunteer Sarah Hoffeditz writes about her experience last weekend as the Franciscan Mission Service staff joined some of our returned missioners in Colorado for a retreat we host every three years for those who have served with us. Their stories were…

Year: 2013

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