Year: 2019
Providential Curveballs
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer, Amy Brandt reflects on the unexpected ways a year of service with FMS has provided growth. “Jesus, just provide.” A frequent prayer of mine that is often laced with expectations. I often question the providence of our creator. As if God hasn’t carried me to safety and joy countless…
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If These Walls Could Talk
Editor’s Note: After living in the Casa San Salvador for three years, Amanda Saunders reflects on the gifts and lessons received through living alongside many FMS volunteers, missioners, and guests. As her time as House Manager comes to an end, Franciscan Mission Service extends our gratitude towards Amanda for her service and dedication over the…
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My American Penance and Reconciliation
Editor’s Note: Lifelong missioner, Janice Smullen describes how her way of thinking continues to shift as she learns more about the history of the United States and ways she can live out a journey of reconciliation after returning from mission in Jamaica. I have to admit that I am not a regular attendee of weekly…
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In Pride, My Pentecost
Editor’s Note: Kevin Ruano shares his personal reflections, observing what Pentecost and Pride mean to him. It is Saturday, June 8 – the day before the feast of Pentecost. My body is currently in Tulsa, Oklahoma where tomorrow I will share a glimpse of Franciscan lay mission with the community of St. Francis Xavier Catholic…
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What’s Next?
Editor’s Note: Nayeli Garcia describes her discernment process as her time with DC Service Corps comes to a close and new opportunities arise a the Father McKenna Center. As my time at FMS is coming to an end, I can’t help but wonder what is next? What will the next chapter of my life look…
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What the Sea Will Bring
Editor’s Note: Hannah Hagarty, Missioner in Jamaica, reflects on a poem from Brian Andreas’ Flying Edna and how it relates to her experience on mission so far. Those of you who know me well understand that I rarely miss the Flying Edna story of the day. I am a really big fan of Brian Andreas…
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Hogar. Home.
Editor’s Note: Sabrina Portner, Missioner in Bolivia, reflects on the definition of “home” and the vulnerability that she is experiencing as she discovers a new home within her ministry site in Cochabamba. Hogar. Home. Ambiente familiar que se desarrolla en la vivienda habitual. Family atmosphere that develops in the habitual residence. When I think of…
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Bigger than the Internet
Editor’s Note: Tim Shelgren, Missioner in Jamaica, describes the relationships he has built on mission and how he has learned to communicate love to others without using words or technology. Lately, I have been listening to Richard Rohr’s podcast series, Another Name for Everything, that he is offering in conjunction with his new book, Universal…
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Drawing Upon Symbols
Editor’s Note: Freshman at Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School, Cayla Dolet spends her Wednesdays as an intern at FMS. Cayla has been working on creative projects to engage her artistic talents with the mission of FMS. This is a reflection Cayla wrote based off her drawings inspired by the Easter season. As a young…
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The Lay Warrior
Editor’s Note: Current DC Service Corps volunteer Amy Brandt reflects on what it means to be a lay woman in the Catholic Church. I have always perceived the title “laity” as a description of what I’m not. I’m not a priest or a vowed religious. While both are true, this definition does not capture the…
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Spotlight on Guatemala
During the beginning of the Easter season, Executive Director Liz Hughes visited the missioners in Guatemala as part of FMS’ commitment to an annual site visit for each mission site. FMS missioners serve at Valley of the Angels School and Orphanage, located on the outskirts of Guatemala City. Founded in 1993 by Fr. Rocco Famiglietti,…
Read More2019 World Care Benefit & Celebration
Franciscan Mission Service Commemorates Active and Engaged Laity at the 2019 World Care Annual Benefit and Celebration On April 5, Franciscan Mission Service hosted the annual World Care Benefit and Celebration to highlight its unique commitment to mission and to recognize lay people who are heeding the call to work for peace, justice, and hope.…
Read MoreCongratulations to Lynn Myrick and Joel Vaughn!
Please join Franciscan Mission Service in congratulating Lynn and Joel on their recent profession with the Secular Franciscan Order! Please see below for Lynn’s reflections on their journey to become Secular Franciscans: On April 13, 2019, my husband, Joel Vaughn, and I, along with three other candidates, were perpetually professed as Secular Franciscans (OFS) at…
Read MoreThe Other Side of “Where are you going?”
“Where are you going?” It’s a familiar, important question for our missioners serving overseas, but also relevant for our year-long volunteers, who often arrive in DC for the start of their service program after considering various options for after college. At the same time, all of our missioners and volunteers come from somewhere, and connections…
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My Peace I Give to You
Editor’s Note: Current Missioner Hannah Hagarty shares how she has found peace while building a routine overseas in Kingston, Jamaica. “I find it deeply important to accept that we are not the masters of this place. We are her visitors. And like guests let’s enjoy this place like a garden. Let us treat it with…
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To Stop and To Be
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Nadia Barnett reflects on the importance of finding moments to pause and invite God to reveal their presence through our surroundings. It is imperative that we all remember to stop and to be – with God, with others and with self. I find the concept being, not doing does…
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Solitude Amidst the Woods
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Kevin Ruano shares a poem inspired by reflective moments spent in nature and the struggle to stay present. I sit straight up and rest my head against the tree. I put on an alarm on my phone, close my eyes, open my hands, and face the sun. The fallen…
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Beyond Language
Editor’s Note: Missioner Sabrina Portner reflects on language barriers and ways she can better connect with her surroundings as she begins her ministry in Cochabamba, Bolivia San Martin, the home for boys that has become my new place of service and source of contentment, cares for one singular cow, Betty, and her bull calf. Beyond…
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Into the Stations
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member, Amy Brandt gives a behind the scenes look at the motivation and process of her interpretation of the Stations of the Cross. This Lent I had the opportunity to create a collection of visual prayers and reflections based off of the Stations of the Cross. Inspired by Scott Erickson’s…
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Into the Barren Winter
Editor’s Note: As we transition from winter to spring, Programs Manager, Emily Norton reflects on the vulnerability of winter and the lessons that can be learned from sitting with the bareness of nature. Do trees in the winter feel ashamed of their nakedness? Or do they fully embrace the colder months when their beautiful leafless…
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Into The Fog
Editor’s Note: Executive Director, Liz Hughes reflects on the trust required when facing the unknowns and uncertainties of daily life. Last January, I was driving to St. Raphaela Retreat Center in Pennsylvania when I encountered a fog so thick I could barely see. I was scared, claustrophobic, and wondering if I should pull over. As…
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Is God in the Wild Flowers or is He in the Church?
Editor’s Note: Tim Shelgren, FMS missioner, reflects on a powerful experience in Kingston, Jamaica where God revealed His presence through a day at the pool. About thirty years ago when my children were little, every Sunday morning before church I used to go running behind our home on the “dikes” along the Allegany River in…
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Glimpses of the Kingdom
Editors’ Note: Missioner in Guatemala, Becky Kreidler, describes a moment of receptivity as she encountered the children of Xela. Sometimes I get caught up in the intended purpose for each chapter of my life and underestimate how God is at work all around me. When I came to Guatemala my eyes were fixed on the…
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Breathing in the Yearning of God
Editor’s Note: Missioner SarahJane Cauzillo reflects on the constant cooperation and presence of the Creator and creation. She describes the mountains that have guided her heart towards a deeper connection with God. The words of Cynthia Bourgeault – mystic, Episcopal priest, and writer – ran through my ears as I stood surveying the mountain range…
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Praying With a Wild Heart
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer, Nayeli Garcia, reflects on the ongoing challenge of prayer and how a new approach inspired by St. Francis is helping her dive deeper in relationship with God. I’m not going to lie, blog writing is not easy. However, this blog was easier to write since it is about something…
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Recipe for Prayer
Editor’s Note: Current missioner in Bolivia, Maggie Van Roekel, shares a beautiful reflection she created based from her favorite bread recipe. Baking has been a love of mine for as long as I can remember. In my short lifetime, the kitchen has provided me with space to reflect and build relationship. I love the process…
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Being Afraid to Love Deeply Again
Editor’s Note: Current missioner, Erin McHugh, reflects on the hesitations of her heart as she moves forward with new challenges and endeavors on mission in Guatemala. For the past 2 years I had the honor of working with the same group of high school girls, which had been so fruitful and life giving for me.…
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Disney, Dreams, and Divine Intervention
Editor’s Note: FMS missioner Hannah Hagarty reflects on the meaning of a dream that brought up a childhood longing for global service and justice. I found myself walking down the street with three stone goblins. I don’t remember the topic of conversation, but we were strolling along and chatting. I woke up. Who were those…
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Invitations to Dance
Editor’s Note: Sabrina Portner recently moved to Cochabamba, Bolivia to embark on a mission of love and accompaniment through FMS Overseas Lay Missions. Sabrina reflects on the ways God is inviting her to encounter Him in this new environment. Everyday I wake up amazed by God’s love. This is most definitely not an exaggeration. I…
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Into the Vines
This Lent, we invite you to join the FMS family as we reflect on how nature has served as a backdrop to prayer and transformative encounters with God, just as the desert served as the context for Jesus’ 40 days of fasting and praying. No doubt, some stories will be of majestic views, peaceful retreats,…
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Getting to Know Christ as My Lover
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer, Kevin Ruano, reflects on what it looks like to turn to Christ as a lover while embracing the mysteries of God’s pursuit. Some days ago, as I discussed with my community mates some of the various outlooks on prayer experiences found in the Church, someone shared a perspective on…
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Embracing Littleness
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer, Amy Brandt, reflects on the purpose behind the smaller details of her daily routine and how they play a powerful role in the bigger picture. I’m a big picture kind of gal. I have dreams and I long to dive into them. My community members can attest to this,…
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No Recipe Required
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer, Nadia Barnett, reflects on the growth she has experienced through cooking for the Casa San Salvador community. I’ve known how to cook since middle school. I’m no José Andrés but I can make myself something to eat when I’m hungry. Still, since my family tends to cook a lot,…
Read More2019 Re-Commissioning Mass
On January 27, Franciscan Mission Service held its annual Re-Commissioning Mass celebrating three recently returned missioners Anna Klonowski, Cindy Mizes, and Misty Menis-Kyler, who lived in solidarity with the marginalized of Bolivia, Jamaica, and Guatemala, respectively, for two years. The special Re-Commissioning Mass not only brought a close to the missioners’ time serving with FMS…
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Quiet Joy that Leads Me Home
Editor’s Note: Becky Kreidler reflects on the little joys of life that have revealed God’s presence. I’ll be the first to admit my heart often wanders. Even though I’ve felt God’s steadiness in my life, in my imperfectness, I can stray from His path. In this past season, I’ve been leaning on myself more than…
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Time To Celebrate!
Editor’s Note: As Tim Shelgren approaches his one year anniversary in Kingston, Jamaica, he shares a selection of photos that express the main themes he has experienced thus far during mission. Reflection Question: Which moments from your past year capture strong themes of your spiritual journey?
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Las Manos Femininas | The Feminine Hands
Editor’s Note: Missioner SarahJane Cauzillo reflects on the beauty and strength of the women she has encountered in Cochabamba, Bolivia. An ode to the working women at Hogar Nuestra Casa, who have introduced me to the Feminine God I have learned to see God as feminine in the working hands of women— hands that create,…
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