St. Francis of Assisi (1191-1226) was an ordinary young man, dreaming of fun, fame and a life of worldly success. Being the son of a wealthy merchant, Francis had the means to achieve these. However, Francis began to feel a great emptiness in his life, and in the activities he was pursuing. With time, he realized that God was calling him to another way of living, and he responded to that call, gradually discovering a life of peace, joy, and service in Christ.

Witnessing Francis’ true joy in living and being of service to others, a number of his friends and countrymen came to join him. The Pope accepted their Rule of life, and the First Order of Franciscans began. Women also came and wanted to live the type of life Francis and his brothers were living, and with the inspiration of St. Clare of Assisi, the Second Order of Franciscans was developed. When lay people told Francis that they, too, wanted to live his lifestyle but remain in the world, Francis adapted the Rule to fit their way of life. After receiving Papal approval, the Third Order of Franciscans was established. Today, we are called the Secular Franciscan Order (the OFS), because we remain living and working in the everyday world, bringing Franciscan spirituality into our personal, family, work, parish, and community lives.

Admission to the Order is open to men and women, married or single, who are not already members of another religious or secular Order, and who are 18 years of age or older. Candidates must be practicing Catholics of good moral character, peace loving, and faithful to the teachings of the Church. Secular Franciscans do not take vows; instead, they make a pledge (or solemn promise) to observe for life the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order. This Rule has been adapted to today’s circumstances and is designed to offer practical help in leading a spiritually rich and fulfilling Christian life.

Over the past 800 plus years, men and women have followed in the footsteps of St. Francis as members of the Secular Franciscan Order. More than 125 Secular Franciscans have since been beatified or canonized including the Order’s patron and patroness, Saints Louis of France and Elizabeth of Hungary. Other well-known members include Dante, Michelangelo, John Vianney, Louis Pasteur, Matt Talbot, Thomas Merton, and Pope John XXIII.

The Secular Franciscan Order is a place to learn to live the Gospel in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. These “learning places” are called fraternities and are normally established and connected with a particular parish. A fraternity is a witness to a more fraternal way of living, treating each other as brothers and sisters. Within the context of fraternity, members support each other, encourage each other, and learn from each other. A fraternity is like a small faith community where members are renewed in their Franciscan spirituality, so they can go out and live it in their circles of family, friends and community.

People interested in exploring becoming a Secular Franciscan experience several stages of formation in the context of a local fraternity. They would first contact a fraternity, and come as a guest to several meetings. If they are interested in continuing to learn more about Franciscanism and the Order, there is a short period of Orientation, during which candidates are provided with information regarding the Secular Franciscan Order, and given an opportunity to have their questions answered. Subsequently, there is a longer period called Inquiry during which candidates are introduced to Franciscan spirituality in more depth. Finally, there is a time of study during which the candidates are provided with an opportunity to grow in the Christian life as well as to be formed in Franciscan spirituality. This time of candidacy lasts approximately 18 months, after which candidates may request profession as Secular Franciscans. When making profession, candidates promise to live the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Secular Franciscan Order by observing its rule of life with the support of the members of the fraternity. In fraternity, the members experience ongoing formation, which allows members to continue to grow in their Franciscan spirituality throughout their lives.

Secular Franciscans aspire to live the Gospel life by following in the footsteps of St. Francis (and St. Clare). In doing so, Secular Franciscans try to be faithful to certain spiritual virtues such as: humility, poverty, peace-making, care of creation, and contemplative prayer. In a spirit of social justice, Secular Franciscans advocate for those on the margins of society and work to address the needs of the poor.

Franciscan spirituality is one of the many spiritualities within the Catholic Church. Franciscan spirituality is a way of life founded by St. Francis and St. Clare more than 800 years ago. There are a number of central tenets of Franciscan spirituality that we can identify:

• Franciscan spirituality is rooted in the Incarnation of Christ the Son of God, and Christ’s love, compassion and mercy for humanity.
• Franciscan spirituality advocates the virtues of humility and poverty, acknowledging our own weaknesses and shortcomings, and our need to rely on God to fulfil our spiritual journey.
• In the imitation of Christ, Franciscan spirituality calls adherents to be peace-makers, building a more fraternal and peace-filled world.
• At the centre of Franciscan spirituality is the vocation to care for creation. St. Francis is the patron of ecology and composed the Canticle of the Creatures, espousing the glory and beauty of God’s creation.
• Francis believed that our spiritual journey would not be solitary. He advocated that brothers and sisters support and encourage each other in a spirit of community (fraternity). In this way, they would have “companions on the journey”.
• Franciscan spirituality, in keeping with the personal practice of St. Francis and St. Clare, invite us to embrace contemplative prayer, a form of deep listening prayer open to the voice of God.
• Franciscan spirituality calls us to a love of the Holy Eucharist, recognizing this sacrament as a profound gift of Christ to His followers, as essential food for our life’s journey.
• Finally, Franciscan spirituality entails a rich devotion to Mary the Mother of Jesus. St. Francis identified Mary as Protectress and Advocate for the Franciscan family.