Most Holy Name SFO Fraternity at 471 Main Street, Little Falls, NJ 07424 US - SECULAR FRANCISCANS TODAY
SECULAR FRANCISCANS TODAY
Today, the Secular Franciscans, founded by St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) as the third order in the Franciscan Family, number 435,000 world wide, with about 16,000 in the United States. We believe we have been called by the Spirit of God to live the Gospel, a vocation lived out in fraternity and through the support of shared prayer and Christian service. We are not called to "leave the world" but to transform it. We remain in our families, maintain and deepen our friendships. But as we live our lives, our ideas, our prayer and our lifestyle become a witness and a proclamation of the Gospel, challenging both those around us and ourselves to change. The Spirit both enlightens us and empowers us to transform and free ourselves from all that keeps us from loving God and each other.