From Our April 2017 Newsletter

Our April Gathering

We will hold our monthly gathering on Sunday, April 9th at 12:30 pm in Conway Hall. We will participate in ongoing formation, recite the Franciscan Crown Rosary and, after our regular meeting and prayers, we will proceed to St. Francis Church for Benediction.

If you are unable to fulfill your obligation to attend the monthly meeting, please call Pat Simon at 610-352-5390

“And we will be involved in the monthly meeting as an act of worship and a building of community.”

~ The Lay Franciscan Monthly Pledge

Prayer Petitions

Please contact Mrs. Fran Urso at francesurs@aol.com or 610-202-8965 if you would like to include a petition in the newsletter. A new list will be generated
each month.

• Marie – mental and spiritual health
• Fr. Kozak – physical, spiritual and emotional health
• Holmes Family- peace and acceptanceRita – cancer healing
• Bill – repose of his soul and peace within his family
• Bill – health issues
• Frank – dental problems
• Rosa – ankle surgery
• Jim – broken footMarie – clean bill of health
• Anne – dental health
• Terry- conversion of family
• Nicole – repose of soul and family healing
• Cindy – family healing
• JW – physical, spiritual and emotional health

Annual Fair Share

Please remember that this year’s Fairshare contribution of $30 was due in March. If you haven’t been able to make it to a gathering recently and would send in your Fairshare by mail, please send it to Mary Mead, 602 Marplewoods Dr., Springfield, Pa 19064.

The Fair Share is not meant to be a hardship on anyone. If your financial circumstances makes it difficult to contribute please let a council member know.

St. Francis Inn Needs

• Men’s & Women’s Underwear
• Men’s Shoes
• Dinner-size Forks
• Deodorant
• Toothpaste
• Paper Towels
• Prayers

Formation Information

I want to try something a little different during our ongoing formation session in April. I’d like to have a open discussion about the idea of “Franciscan fraternity”. Please ponder and pray the passages below and respond to the questions that follow. Although I am leaving room for you to write some notes (and I really hope you do) you will not need to turn your answers in and you only have to share if you want to.

As National Minister, I cannot mandate love or joy, so I will defer to our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. After washing the feet of his disciples, our Lord said: “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35).

This love should be seen in our joy and our caring, regardless of disagreements or contentious discussions. Without others seeing our love and our joy, how can we ever keep the people we now have or receive from the Lord new membership and life?

~  Tom Bello OFS, National Minister’s Annual Report to the Order,
October 4, 2015

The fraternity, summoned by the Holy Spirit in Christ’s name, is an aspect of penitential life that is both highly meaningful and irreplaceable. The brothers help each other to grow in the love of God through reciprocal love, encouragement, fraternal correction and so forth. Together they overcome difficulties, are freed from selfishness, and give witness of conversion to God.

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The local fraternity is the basic living organism of the whole SFO. It is the center for spiritual growth, apostolic outreach and loving union among members. Fraternity should be a place where we are offered an opportunity for conversion, for spiritual growth. There are two facets of Fraternity Life. One is internal calling, and the other is external calling; internal spiritual growth and external apostolic works. Both are important for the life of SFO. The Rule of SFO calls Secular Franciscans to go from Gospel (conversion) to life (apostolate).

~ Fr. Irudaysamy, OFM Cap, “Fraternity as a Fundamental Element of St. Francis Spirituality” (FUN Manual)

What are the most important qualities of a local Secular Franciscan fraternity?

How can our fraternity help it’s brothers and sisters to better live their Franciscan calling?