Mission and Service Archives | Page 13 of 14

Mission Monday: Reconciliation as Mission

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, current missioner Valerie Ellis writes today about her faith’s relationship to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and her call to mission. Every time I come out of confession, I feel completely cleansed and at peace. What a beautiful gift we have from God to go…

Franciscan Friday: On Mission with Nora Pfeiffer

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, Communications Associate Michael Carlson interviews Nora Pfeiffer about her faith’s relationship to Confirmation, the Holy Spirit, and her response to God through her mission service. Nora served in Bolivia as a Franciscan missioner and subsequently joined the staff of Franciscans International. 1. The sacrament of Confirmation is a…

Confirmation as Mission: Gifts I Didn’t Ask For

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, full-time volunteer Michael Carlson writes today about his faith’s relationship to Confirmation, the Holy Spirit, and Franciscan mission. . “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from…

Sacraments and Social Mission: The Holy Spirit at Work

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, current missioner Hady Mendez writes today about her faith’s relationship to Confirmation, the Holy Spirit, and her response to God through her mission service. When I was sitting in my JustFaith class back in late 2012, the spirit truly moved me to give…

“Necesitamos menos ciencia y más Pachamama”

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, current missioner Annemarie Barrett writes about her relationship with the Earth, its presence in her life, and her ongoing conversion. When I am in Santa Rosa, time is relative. We spend less energy worrying about what time it is or when we need…

Spirit, Body, and Earth: A Missioner’s Transformation

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, current missioner Annemarie Barrett writes about her relationship with the Earth, its presence in her life, and her ongoing conversion. I did not grow up gardening. I never got much into my science classes. I preferred reading and writing and making art to…

Sacraments and Social Mission: The Eucharist as Mystery

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, current missioner Annemarie Barrett writes about her relationship with the Earth, its presence in her life, and her ongoing conversion. As a Catholic, my faith has taught me to reverence the mystery in myself, in others and in all of creation, to honor…

Sacraments and Social Mission: Baptism’s Call to Mission

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, Bro. Tony LoGalbo (OFM) reflects on Mission and Baptism in Franciscan Spirituality. Baptism makes us members of one another by initiating us into the community of the people of God. In this community we are united in Jesus Christ, as Paul says: “…neither…

Baptism and Social Mission: 6 Not-so-Easy Reflection Questions to Ask Yourself About Baptism and Social Mission:

Inspired by Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples–United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Franciscan Mission Service presents a blog series about the connection between our faith and our actions. Sacraments and Social Mission focuses on the fulfillment of each sacrament as a call to mission. 1. In Baptism, the “one Spirit” makes us members…

Short-Term Mission and Global Awareness Trip Announcement!

Associate Director Mariam Kaldas tells you everything you need to know about the upcoming Short-Term Mission and Global Awareness Trip. Several weeks ago, executive director Kim Smolik and I returned from establishing a trip to Bolivia, and we are very excited to share with the itinerary with you. The trip is May 2-11, 2014 (both…

Sacraments and Social Mission: Baptism’s Dignity in the Jails of Bolivia

Today in Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples: Jeff Sved writes below about his ministry to bring dignity to prisoners as fulfilling the sacrament of baptism’s call to human dignity. “Prison reform would most likely come in dead last for any social justice popularity contest in the US. “Jailed Christ” Much of that is…

New Series: Sacraments and Social Mission

Franciscan Mission Service is beginning a new blog series: Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples. Inspired by Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples written by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, this series focuses on the seamless connection between the Sacraments and Mission. Each week will focus on a specific sacrament…

The Light of One: Confessions of a Bad Listener

Continuing our daily Advent reflection series, Nonprofit Servant Leadership Associate Sarah Hoffeditz writes about how an individual encounter challenged her to listen to others more deeply. I’m a bad listener. Anyone who knows me knows how much I like to talk. I often spend most of my non-talking time in a conversation thinking about what I’m…

The Light of One: Proof of Edified Youth

Continuing our daily Advent reflection series on the Feast of St. John Damascene, Domestic Volunteer Chanda Ikachana writes about an experience at her volunteer site, Mary House. I love working with kids! Their innocence is refreshing, their joy infectious, and their potential for growth astounding. I was most recently reminded of this at my weekly…

“This, my friends, is Ministry of Presence”

ME: I’m going to be Audrey Hepburn for Halloween. You know who she is, right? MAC: Nah, never heard of her. ME: Let me show you a picture. You’ll probably recognize her. SHOW HIM PIC. MAC: Nah, I don’t know who that is. Hady serving coffee to the men at Fr. McKenna Center I had…

I…ummm….I’m a Missioner.

Franciscan missioner Hady Mendez reflects on embracing her new identity as a lay missioner. We did collaborative training this past week with three other mission organizations: Maryknoll Lay Missioners , Society of African Lay Missioners , and Comboni Lay Missionary Program . In all, there were 16 missioners preparing for life on mission. It was…

When My Story and Your Story Becomes Our Story

Lay missioner Annemarie Barrett reflects on what she’s learned about solidarity in the past few months of serving in Bolivia. I once heard solidarity defined as, “When my story and your story becomes our story.” That definition touched my very core. It resonated with my experiences of accompanying families in El Salvador and my time…

Feria en Cochabamba de la Democracia Intercultural

Second year missioner Kitzi Hendricks shares photos from a recent Exposition Fair in which her service site, Instituto de Terapia e Investigación (ITEI), and its clients set up tents with information for the public. ITEI is a human rights organization, and the clients participating in the fair had all been affected directly by torture during the dictatorships…

A Poem for Bolivia (and more)

Franciscan Mission Service file photo A few thoughts from missioner-in-training Hady Mendez on Bolivia, her recent retreat, and scripture. Bolivia I do not know you YET Will you welcome me with a warm embrace? Show me your people — I know how they suffer. Injustice and racism take their toll. Tears and sadness. Doesn’t…

Mission Monday: A Look Into Bolivia’s Prison System

Each week, lay missioner Jeff Sved visits six prisons in Cochabamba, Bolivia, through his ministry with Pastoral Penitenciaria, an organization looking out for the basic needs of those in Bolivian prisons. Here is something he has observed during his visits. “Lo único que pedimos es que cumplan lo que manda la ley” “All that we…

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 …

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

Recommiting to a Life-Long Mission

Mission does not end with a flight back to the U.S. It does not end with the completion of a term of service or a year of volunteering. Every three years, our returned missioners from across the country gather in Colorado for three days to reflect on this fact. This weekend, our retreat centers around…

Franciscan Friday: Visiting an AIDS Hospice

Today, travelers on our Short-Term Missions and Global Awareness Trip to South Africa visit an HIV/AIDS Hospice center. A few months ago Domestic Volunteer Anna Robinson also went on this trip and visited patients affected by AIDS. For this Franciscan Friday post, she shares with us a reflection on the experience and finding common ground…

Franciscan Friday: Prayers from South Africa

South Africa is on our hearts and in our minds as we lead seven college students on a Short-Term Mission and Global Awareness Trip this week. By engaging with locals, the students will learn about nation’s history of apartheid as well as current realities faced by some of its residents, including HIV/AIDS and poverty. Each…

Franciscan Friday: Laborers of the Lord

This Friday post comes from Jeff Sved on mission in Bolivia where he is finding work, and God, in the vineyards. Photo by Feliciano Guimarães Fruit of the vine and work of human hands now has a new meaning for me after a few afternoons sorting grapes with the Capuchin Sisters down the street. They…

Mission Monday: Mother and Community Love

For this Mission Monday post, Missioner Annemarie shares a story of the pain of a mother’s love and the healing power of a supportive community. Missioner Annemarie with her mom before she leaves for Bolivia. In the CEB that I have come to know in the northern zone of the city, there is a woman…

FMS Podcasts: Liberation Theology

If you haven’t noticed yet, we have a few podcasts available on our SoundCloud profile covering a wide range of topics. From Franciscan spirituality and history to Catholicism and social justice, you can listen and learn right along with our missioner candidates in formation. The last two podcasts came from a talk Fr. Joe Nangle…

Franciscan Friday: Experiencing the Ministry of Presence

One of the hallmarks of Franciscan service is something we often refer to as the “ministry of presence” or “accompaniment.” From community gardens in Cochabamba to the slums of Nairobi to the after-school programs and homeless shelters in Washington, D.C., FMS missioners and volunteers spend their time focusing on being with people rather than doing…

Alternative Spring Break with FMS: Advocating for a New Kind of Service Trip

University of Georgia students in an advocacy workshop with Russell Testa. Five days into their alternative spring break trip to D.C., college students from the University of Georgia ditched the work gloves for a clipboard and a stack of talking points. Franciscan Mission Service’s newly developed Short-Term Mission and Global Awareness Trips includes a spring…

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