Overseas Lay Missioners in Formation
Rejoice with Me!
Editor’s Note: In her first FMS blog post, lay missioner Mary Liepold, OFS describes her season of formation through the lens of joy. This phase of my new life is called formation, a spiritual, intellectual, and even physical preparation for the mission ahead. My Franciscan Mission Service formation began in August of 2023, with the…
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A Happy Ending
Editor’s Note: Ralph Anderson, a newly-commissioned missioner, reflects on FMS’s in-depth Formation for Overseas Lay Missioners and his experiences with living in intentional community. “What can they possibly teach me in thirteen weeks of Formation?” That was my thought before beginning Formation at Casa San Salvador. I knew there was a lot I needed to…
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Saying Yes and Saying No
Editor’s Note: Kim Wagner, a newly commissioned missioner describes how she discerned joining FMS’s Overseas Lay Mission program through a series of yeses and nos. As we draw closer to the end of formation in Washington D.C., I have taken time to recall the first few months of 2023 when I was discerning joining FMS’…
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A Tribute to Our Lay Missioners
Editor’s Note: As this year’s Overseas Lay Missioner Formation comes to a close, DC Service Corps member Bohdan O’Shaughnessy dedicates this blog to FMS’s three recently commissioned missioners. In the not-too-distant future, the Casa is losing our three lay missioners as they embark to their international ministry sites. Last Saturday was their Commissioning Mass, and…
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The Parable of the Peas
Editor’s note: Just as a new recipe can change our opinion on an ingredient, missioner-in-Formation Susan Sarkissian shares how her community at Casa San Salvador has inspired her to change her perspective through their witness to adaptability and service. Peas were a staple on the dinner table. My mother loved them. There it would sit,…
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The Long Walk
Editor’s note: Not all formation comes from a classroom or book. Missioner-in-formation Ralph Anderson, OFS, shares what he learned on a self-directed day during his 3-month Formation program in Washington, DC. I can hardly believe that I have been living at Casa San Salvador in Washington DC for six weeks. Time has flown by. I…
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Finding My Center in Nature
Editor’s note: After moving across the country to Washington, DC, missioner-in-formation Kim Wagner shares the ways that nature has kept her grounded in prayer and peace during this season of transition. These past few months have been a season of transition for me. Between saying goodbye to my Jesuit Volunteer Corps intentional community in May,…
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A Life of Permanent Transition: Finding My Home in Intentional Community
Editor’s Note: Overseas Lay Missioner Julia Pinto discusses her upcoming transition from the Casa community and how a feeling of belonging makes a place a home. “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” Hebrews 13:14 I am not experiencing homelessness, as so many of…
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My Cloister
Editor’s Note: Sr. Meg Earsley, a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration and Overseas Missioner in formation, reflects on what it means to see the world as her cloister. “…with a gesture, [the brothers] showed [Lady Poverty] the extent of the horizon and said to her: ‘Lady, this is our cloister.’” (Boff, Francis of Assisi, Page 90)…
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Introducing Mari Snyder: What Matters to Me
Editor’s Note: Overseas Lay Missioner in formation, Mari Snyder, reflects on what matters most to her. What matters to me … is that I have a meaningful life purpose. According to the “Book of Twain,” the two most important days in your life are the day you’re born and the day you discover why. While I’ve long…
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Introducing Victor Artaiz: What Matters to Me
Editor’s Note: Overseas lay missioner in formation, Victor Artaiz, reflects on how God tugged on his heart and led him to formation with FMS. God has always tugged on my sleeve and at my heart, especially during those times when I was only focused on myself! Here in the Brookland neighborhood of DC, I am…
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Introducing Sister Meg Earsley: What Matters to Me
Editor’s Note: Sr. Meg Earsley, a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration and Overseas Missioner in formation, reflects on the interconnectedness, beauty, and diversity of God’s creation in relation to her calling as a sister. For as long as I can remember, I’ve felt passionate about inclusion. Perhaps it was connected to the loneliness I experienced…
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From A to B: The Humble Invitation to Encounter God and Others
Editor’s Note: Overseas lay missioner in formation, Julia Pinto, reflects on God’s invitation to encounter Him and the people around her. For most of my life, I have identified myself as a doer. Having been raised by parents who primarily show love through acts of service, I often find myself thinking of what needs to…
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Rest
Editor’s note: Current lay missioner in Formation, Jenny Tsui, gives a new perspective to the often overlooked afternoon nap, a deliberate choice of freedom and trust in the Lord. One of the new habits I’ve adopted in Formation is a brief, post-lunch nap. Spurred on by the inspiring example of some of my Casa-mates and…
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W.W.S.F.D? (Part One)
Editor’s note: Lay Missioner, Joleen Johnson, pauses to reflect on the many lessons she’s learned in Formation. To keep her main takeaways simple, she acts with intention, allowing the thought “What would Saint Francis do?” to translate into every facet of her life. Four weeks ago I arrived at the Casa San Salvador to begin,…
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Casa Love
Editor’s note: In this blog, new missioner Rhonda Eckerman introduces her experience within Casa San Salvador. Coming into this new space, she reflects on the familiarity of the house as well as the community that’s been deeply ingrained within its foundation. She invites the reader into her home and onto the front porch for a…
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