St. Francis Archives | Franciscan Mission Service

Faith Calls Us to be Neighbors: Relationships, Community, Involvement, Learning

Editor’s note: Joseph J. Cicala, Ph.D., is the Vice President for University Life and Dean of Students at Alvernia University and accompanied Alvernia students on a DC-based FMS service trip last spring. As a guest blogger for FMS’ 2017 Advent blog series, Joe reflects on God’s intentions for us and how Jesus came to live out these intentions…

Faith Calls Us to be Neighbors: Finding Peace

Editor’s note: Pat Maloney is the Principal Director for Joint Operational Programs for Aerospace at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland and one of FMS’ Board members. As a guest blogger for FMS’ Advent blog series, Pat reflects on her recent trip to Rome and Assisi and shares the opportunities she had to live out…

Faith Calls Us to be Neighbors: Embracing the Culture of Encounter

Editor’s note: Fr. Kevin Mullen, OFM, serves as provincial minister of Holy Name Province. As a guest blogger for FMS’ 2017 Advent blog series, Fr. Kevin describes a time when he “embrace[d] the culture of encounter” by welcoming someone in the spirit of Saint Francis. This Advent, as we think about hospitality and about awaiting the…

World Care Benefit and Celebration 2016 Recap

When everyone gathered in St. Francis Hall on May 13 for the 2016 World Care Benefit and Celebration, the spirits of generosity and gratitude were almost tangible. This annual celebration at Franciscan Mission Service is more than a fancy catered event; it’s a call to action. It’s a reminder of how important it is to…

“Praised Be You, My Lord, With All Your Creatures”

Editor’s Note: Missioner Janice Smullen reflects on the adjustments during her first month on mission in Jamaica and the beauty that she’s discovered there. “When you send forth your breath, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.” Ps. 104:30 “Praised be You, my Lord, with all your creatures, especially…

Comfort and Joy: St. Francis’ Story of Perfect Joy

Editor’s Note: As part of our “Comfort and Joy” Advent/Christmas blog series, Development Associate Sarah Sokora shares the story of St. Francis and “true and perfect joy.” Our dear Saint Francis is known for his wild deeds, but his story of “true and perfect joy” proves that his antics are not thoughtless, but are in keeping with his…

Comfort and Joy: The Cyclical Process

Editor’s note: As part of our “Comfort and Joy” Advent/Christmas blog series, missioner Jeff Sved shares how his experiences of prison ministry in Bolivia have shown him how comfort and joy are often fruits of initial discomfort. Francis – brother, not pope – is quite a remarkable example when it comes to the relationship between comfort and joy. What…

Honoring Saint Francis

Editor’s Note: Missioner Amanda Ceraldi shares what the Feast of St. Francis looked like where she serves in Guatemala. For hundreds of years Franciscans from all over the world have been commemorating the last moments of Saint Francis’ life and his passage to eternal life. Best known as the Transitus, on October 3rd, Franciscan communities from…

Walking in the Footsteps of St. Francis

At my Discernment Days retreat with Franciscan Mission Service back in March, Fr. Tom Washburn, OFM, told me that I may not know about St. Francis or Franciscan spirituality explicitly, but I definitely knew it implicitly. I didn’t really know what he meant by that until now. As I have learned more about St. Francis…

The Power of Presence

Editor’s Note: Missioner Amanda Ceraldi reflects on an experience of ministry of presence during her time at Valley of the Angels orphanage in Guatemala. St. Francis got a lot of things right. He understood the reason for radical poverty and simplicity and lived it out. He understood that stepping out of your comfort zone is…

Getting Over ‘Otherness’

Program associate John Quense tells how he ended up teaching yoga every Wednesday at Miriam’s Studio, an art therapy program in Washington, DC. I find that God often draws me to Himself using very personal and uncomfortable methods. This particular encounter began in my bed (pretty comfortable) while I read about the conversion of St.…

Visiting Christ the Prisoner: “Council”

Editor’s Note: This is Part III in a series called “Visiting Christ the Prisoner: A Look into Prison Ministry in Bolivia”. Read Part I and Part II. Each of the six prisons are unique, but in each of them inmates govern themselves with an elected system of delegates who oversee various parts of the prison society.…

“Poor and Free”: Not an Oxymoron!

Get ready for Lent! This Lent, Franciscan Mission Service presents “Poor and Free: A Spiritual Yes to Less”! Beginning on Ash Wednesday, March 5, with an interview of social justice activist Shane Claiborne, our weekly series contributors focus on the joyful freedom of spiritual poverty. While Christians are called to value loving relationships over possessions,…

Mission Monday: Anointing of the Sick as Mission

Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, current missioner Nate Mortenson writes today about his faith’s relationship to the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and his call to mission. Our calling to be present with those around us requires a lot more of me than I often realize. It’s a…

Lorraine Kelley on Mission and Reconciliation Pt. II

This is part of a three part series by Lorraine Kelley: “Mission and Reconciliation” Part I Part II Part III Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, returned missioner Lorraine Kelley writes about her faith’s relationship to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and experiences on mission. Read Part I. Examining my…

Franciscan Friday: Returned Missioner Lorraine Kelley on Mission and Reconciliation Pt. I

This is part of a three part series by Lorraine Kelley: “Mission and Reconciliation” Part I Part II Part III Continuing our series Sacraments and Social Mission: Living the Gospel, Being Disciples, returned missioner Lorraine Kelley (Bolivia, 1994-2002) writes about her faith’s relationship to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and experiences on mission. My work as a…

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…

Franciscan Friday: Former Volunteer Releases Album

During Anna Robinson’s time as a volunteer communications associate with Franciscan Mission Service, her community and coworkers were blessed by her many gifts. From dining room jam sessions, to music for Mass, to recordings of original arrangements for our YouTube videos, it was her musical talent in particular that blew us away. Suffice it to say…

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…

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…

Take the First Step and Don’t Leave a Footprint!

Earth Day is in a couple of weeks and as a Franciscan organization we are looking forward to celebrating! With a new Pope expressing the urgent need of our attention to protecting the earth, a renewed push for environmental sustainability has rattled the religious world. Search “catholic earth day” on Google and you will receive…

FMS Podcasts: History of the Church and Franciscanism

Franciscan Mission Service is making resources from our mission formation available to the public, including podcasts from the classes. Our missioners get to learn some interesting subjects while in formation: history, theology, geography, environmentalism, social justice issues, cross-cultural communication… the list goes on! Now you can also be enriched and inspired by these same lessons…

Les Misérables and the Ministry of Presence

Domestic Volunteer Anna didn’t expect to feel the spirit of St. Francis in a movie theater. And yet she couldn’t help but hear a familiar Franciscan message in the context of this pop-culture film. Les Misérables, the movie that everyone seems to be talking about struck an unexpected chord when I finally viewed it a…

Franciscan Fridays: God Give Us Courage This Advent

Ring in the new Church year and prepare for Christmas with Fr. Joe Rozansky’s four-part Franciscan Friday series on Advent: Photo by Per Ola Weiberg The Advent readings are beautiful invitations to walk in the ways of the Lord. The reading from Isaiah for the first Monday of Advent speaks about the instruction that the…

Christmas without Consumerism: Unwrapping some Franciscan Thoughts

Just in time for the holidays, Fr. David B. Couturier, OFM Cap., helps us focus on the reason for the season with a two-part Franciscan Friday series on having a Christmas without consumerism. Christmas is a time for tradition and rituals. Unfortunately, many of the customs we have been developing lately are stressful and inordinately…

Mission Monday: Insights on Interreligious Dialogue (Part 2)

Friday we shared the first half of Br. John Kiesler, OFM’s recent workshop from the United States Catholic Mission Association conference in Los Angeles on interreligious dialogue. Today we finish his talk on how St. Francis of Assisi’s encounter with the sultan can provide us with insight today. How can Francis’ encounter with the sultan…

Franciscan Friday: Insights on Interreligious Dialogue

At the recent United States Catholic Mission Association conference in Los Angeles on interreligious dialogue, Br. John Kiesler, OFM, presented a workshop on what insights we can draw from St. Francis’ encounter with the sultan. Today we share the first of two parts of Br. John’s workshop. Francis Before the Sultan by Giotto (image in…

Franciscan Friday: It’s All About the Hair

As No-Shave November got underway yesterday, Domestic Volunteer Anna Robinson reflected on the connection between Franciscans and the statement of hair, or lack there of. Photo of monks with tonsures taken by Flickr user waldopics November 1st began a month of many well known U.S. holidays: All Saint’s Day, Thanksgiving, plus all the awareness campaigns…

Mission Monday: Let’s Talk About Nonviolence

This past week the formation class attended a session on nonviolence, a subject that candidate Annemarie is very passionate about. For this Mission Monday post she shares her reflection on the training and the connections she had made through her spiritual journey. Annemarie (left) at anti-war rally in Oct. 2010. Recently, as a part…

Franciscan Friday: St. Francis of Assisi – The Young Man

After writing Getting To Know the “Real” St. Francis of Assisi, Fr. George Corrigan, OFM. continues to bring to light the kind of person St. Francis was in context of his time, his upbringing, and his faith. St. Francis of Assisi – by dawnzy58 Even in Francis’ day Assisi was a small town, but it…

Franciscan Friday: Not The Only Fool In The Square

This past week our missioner candidates and domestic volunteers took a day retreat to reflect on the theme of Simplicity and Authenticity. Domestic Volunteer Anna Robinson shares her take on the group discussions and the “Discipline of Simplicity.” Assisi’s town square – by Peter Gutierrez When you think of St. Francis, what is the first…

Getting To Know the “Real” St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi by Cimabue Did you know that statues of St. Francis are the second most popular lawn ornament sold every year – right behind pink flamingo? That is an image many people have of St. Francis, certainly one reinforced by Franco Zeffirelli’s film “Brother Sun, Sister Moon,” another in a long line…

Hunger Action Month: Hungry vs. Hunger

A high school student from New Hampshire reflects on volunteering at St. Francis Inn, a soup kitchen in Philadelphia, for this Hunger Action Month post. “I’m hungry.” This phrase is often spoken by my family, friends and myself. All we have to do is go look through the kitchen for something “good” to eat. The…

Finding and Sharing Perfect Joy

The three members of our 28th Lay Mission Class have begun their training in Washington, D.C. Candidate Jeff Sved reflects on his formation so far. Over these first few weeks with FMS, one theme has continued to demand my attention. It has continued to surface during our various formation sessions and to dominate my personal…

Meet Our Newest Volunteer, Anna!

Last week a new face moved into our office. Anna Robinson has joined our communications team after completing a couple of volunteer programs this past year. Calling the Midwest home, Anna grew up in many places, but found herself in Milwaukee, WI in 2007 where she attended Cardinal Stritch University for four years, obtaining a…

Praise for Brother Sun – Happy Aymara New Year!

Thousands of Bolivians gathered this morning on Inka Rakay, a mountain sacred to the Aymara people, to greet the sun rise that marks the winter solstice and their new year. Pilgrims wave the Andean flag, called a wiphala, at the sunrise to greet the new year. Because June 21 is the shortest day of the…

Franciscan Friday: Relating to God and each other

FMS hosted our inaugural Sunday Souposium this week as an opportunity for lay and religious Franciscans and Franciscan-hearted people to gather casually for soup, bread, a reflection and small group discussion. We were honored to have Sr. Margaret Mary Kimmins, OSF, share with us a reflection called,”Francis in his time, Franciscan in our time.” Central to her talk…

How to be forgetful…the Franciscan way

In his recent article “The Rugged Altruists,” N.Y. Times op-ed columnist David Brooks discusses three virtues that American individuals must possess in order to better create successful impacts (from the point of view of the recipients) upon communities around the world that are disadvantaged in areas like education, economic prosperity, and health. Brooks extols personal…

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