Community News | Franciscans of Life

“Come to Bethlehem and see / Christ Whose birth the angels sing!”

Nativity scene at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church

The Franciscans of Life wish to extend to you our most sincere hope for a peaceful and joyous Christmas!

Christmas is a very special time in the life of mankind, because it sets into motion the fulfillment of the Covenants that the Lord had made with Israel at different times before pre-Christian history.

Th 12313767_1724552867778905_4437807418574257125_n e Incarnation and the Virgin Birth set into motion the journey to Calvary and our redemption.

Our holy father St. Francis was sensitive to the connection between Christmas and the Pasch of the Christ. He sets up the first creche, not because Christmas is the center of our Faith, but it is the first step in the final chapter of the Covenant, which was fulfilled during the Easter triduum.

As we enter the Christmas season let us remember that Christmas is not an end. Rather, it is the beginning of the journey to Good Friday and Easter.

“Let us begin. Up to now we have done nothing.”

– St. Francis

The Franciscans of Life will remember your intentions at Midnight mass. If you have a special intention, you can email it to us, and your communique will remain strictly confidential: email

Have a grace filled Christmas!

Nativity scene at our mother house

The Brothers

Published in:

on December 22, 2015 at 6:51 PM Comments (1)

GAUDETE

advent wreath As we prepare for Christmas Day, many small, but wonderful things are happening in our community. Probably the most exciting is the fact that we held a chapter and Brother Bernardo D’Carmine’s request to make vows as a regular brother was accepted by the chapter and ratified by the superior. A regular brother is one who makes vows, lives a celibate life in community and follows a monastic schedule during the day. An extern brother is one who makes a solemn promise to observe the rule and constitutions. However, he remains in the world This can be a diocesan deacon or priest, a married layman or a single man who is hoping to marry.

Brother Bernardo will profess vows of obedience, poverty, chastity and free service to the Gospel of Life on January 18, 2016, just one month away. The profession will take place at 7:45PM in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of St. Maximilian Kolbe Church. Rev. Mr. Scott Joiner will preside over the solemn vesper service and Father Superior will receive Brother Bernardo’s vows.

I regret that I cannot extend an open invitation. Profession of temporary vows usually takes place in a private setting with the immediate family, the brothers and two friends of the newly professed.

Some of you may be curious as to what happens at this ceremony. There are several parts. Let me walk you through them.

One: After the opening of solemn evening prayer, the superior calls up the candidate and asks him what he wants, to which the novice responds that he wishes to consecrate his life to Christ, the Immaculate and to the Church.

Two: The Liturgy of the Hours continues as usual. If it’s not a required feast day, the brothers pray the Office of the Passion composed by Saint Francis and approved by the Church for public use.

Three: After the psalms there are two readings, one from an epistle and one from the Gospel.

Four: The superior again invites the novice to come up to the sanctuary and proceeds to interrogate him on his faith. This is extremely important, because Francis clearly said that no one may be admitted to the fraternity unless he is truly Catholic. The novice must proclaim that he believes and obeys without question, everything that the Church teaches.

Five: The novice now returns to his seat and the cleric proceeds to deliver the homily.

Six: After the homily, the novice quietly walks up to the superior who is seated on a special chair in the sanctuary and says, “Father, please pray that I may do the will of God.” He then prostrates on the floor while the other brothers sing the litany of the Franciscan saints.

Seven: Having finished the litany, the novice knee profession of vows ls with hands in the superior’s hand. The superior asks him, “Are you firmly resolved to live the Gospel walking in the footsteps of St. Francis under the protection of the Immaculate.”

The novice answers in the affirmative and the superior encourages him to profess his vows.

The novice says:

I, Brother N, vow and promise to almightly God, the Immaculate Virgin Mary, our holy father Saint Francis and to you Father, to observe, for three years, the Rule of the Brothers and Sisters of Penance and the constitutions of this society, living in obedience, without property, in celibate chastity and I also vow to freely proclaim the Gospel of Life. May God be my judge.

The superior responds:

May the Holy Spirit, who has begun this work in you bring it to fruition and may the Immaculate Mother of God lead you into the presence of her divine son.

The newly professed brother stands and the superior removes his wooden Tau cross and replaces it with a brass Tau cross. He turns toward the congregation and recites the Magnificat; “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord . . . . “

The brother then proceeds to the altar where he will sign the profession book and his signature is witnessed by one of his parents, two brothers and the superior. He then goes to the front of the sanctuary where he will receive the embrace of peace from those gathered for the ceremony.

Eight: Now the Liturgy of the Hours continues as usual. Just before the final blessing, the superior says a few words to the brother and those in the congregation.

Because Franciscans of Life is a private association of the faithful, with the blessing of the Archbishop of Miami, Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski, these vows are considered private vows. We pray for more vocations so that when we have the required number of brothers, the Church may elevate us to a public association of the faithful and eventually to a congregation. So, please pray with us for more vocations.

We want to congratulate Brother and tell everyone how proud we are of him. Brother has distinguished himself in the quest for virtue, life of prayer, love for his brothers and service to the voiceless. He gives talks, organizes educational events on the Right to Be Born, and collects other people’s treasures to sell at a flea market to help support us and our work. He also teachers religious education and is founding a group of Young Franciscans for Life with college students. Brother is also a full-time graduate student and a researcher at a leading university.

Postulant Novice

From postulant to novice, soon to be professed

Let us remain united in prayer as we proceed toward Christmas and let keep Brother in prayer as he completes his last month of novitiate.

Published in:

on December 16, 2015 at 3:04 PM Leave a Comment

First time in Miami: Respect Life Hispanic Conference

On Saturday, November 7, the Franciscans of Life attended the Second Statewide Respect Life Hispanic Conference. This is the first Hispanic pro-life conference to take place in the Archdiocese of Miami. The location – Immaculate Conception Catholic Church – was no coincidence: Hialeah is the city with the highest number of abortions in the State of Florida, and the Catholic pro-life efforts in its territory are still limited.

Featuring an impressive panel of speakers, the Conference covered topics such as: “Christian Matrimony: God’s master plan”, “The truth on abortion”, “Recovery after abortion”, “The ethical care of human life from conception to natural death”, “Moral medical methods for the treatment of infertility”, “Spiritual and practical support for couples suffering infertility”, and “Plan of action for the family”.

One of the talks was titled: “Project Joseph – for fathers”. This was the first time that we presented in Spanish the work carried out in Project Joseph – a joint effort between the Franciscans of Life and Respect Life Ministry Archdiocese of Miami to serve fathers in unexpected pregnancies.

The talk was delivered by our Father Superior, Br. Jay, who founded the program 6 years ago and currently directs it. He was accompanied by Br. Bernardo, Project Joseph mentor at the North Dade Pregnancy Help Center.

The talk – which we will feature in an upcoming article – began by describing how Project Joseph is relevant to the Ibero-American culture, in which too often women, and particularly mothers, are treated as if they were servants or nannies, rather than with the respect they deserve. This leads to the development of dysfunctional environments. As a consequence, there are many situations in which few rights are recognized to the women but many burdens are imposed on her if she becomes a mother, while the father on the other hand retains many rights and few responsibilities. On this note, the origin of Project Joseph were described.

“Don’t let me catch you talking badly about my Project Joseph dads!”, admonished Br. Jay. “These men are good people. Project Joseph offers them the opportunity to mature and grow as men and as fathers.” Over 200 fathers have participated and become mature men, responsible and prepared to face the challenges of life.

Br. Jay mentioned that the success of the Project is due to the intercession of St. Joseph, patron of all fathers. His role in the Holy Family, described in a few examples, shows why it is so important to help these men walk in the footsteps of St. Joseph. The Franciscan charism is also behind the success of Project Joseph, a charism that originates in the Seraphic Father and finds worthy example in the martyr St. Maximilian Kolbe, patron of the pro-life movement.

It was a beautiful, well organized, well attended event. We were glad to be there and have a table set aside for us to raise awareness of the work carried out by the FFV.

Our apostolate to the preborn children and their parents has developed significantly through Project Joseph, and we are particularly interested in recruiting Hispanic or bi-lingual mentors, since many of our dads speak Spanish as their primary language. However, we also serve the chronically and terminally ill and their families and caregivers, as well as the immigrant poor – populations that are very much in need of attention as we look to “The Family in light of God”.

The Conference came to a closing with Holy Mass celebrated by H.E. Thomas Wenski, Archbishop of Miami. During his homily, he underscored the important role of St. Joseph in God’s plan for the family. Here is our translation:

“The theme of this conference has been “The family in light of God.” Here, in Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus, that is, in the holy family, we see reflected God’s plan for the family when there is no stain of sin.

May the prayers and example of the Jesus’ parents strengthen today’s parents in their efforts to raise their children according to God’s will. In thefulfillment of His plan of salvation for mankind, God did not need the participation of Joseph to create the child Jesus. Nevertheless, God decided that the help of Joseph was indeed necessary in raising the holy child. Joseph, as chaste spouse of the Virgin Mary, played an indispensable role in the life of Jesus as his foster father. He was not an absent or indifferent father. In fact, to him was entrusted the safety and well-being of Mary and of Jesus. We see this in the episode of the flight to Egypt. We perceive this in the narration of the child lost and found in the temple of Jerusalem. We can deduce that Joseph played a crucial role in the life of Jesus before he began his public life by the fact that his fellow citizens knew him as “the son of the carpenter”.

God wanted the best for his Son, and thus made it possible for Mary to marry Joseph, for only matrimony ensures the commitment between the parents and for the children. The children are raised better when the effort is carried out by a father and a mother. Thus was then and thus is now: every child needs a father, every child deserves a father – a father like Joseph. For this reason, the Church proposes the family of Nazareth as a model; and if for some reason our earthly family does not count with the presence of a mother or father, the Church invites us to count on Mary and Joseph. They will not disappoint us.”

The event was featured on the Archdiocesan News. Click here to read the article, which features the Project Joseph talk.

If you wish to see some more pictures, courtesy of Respect Life Ministry Archdiocese of Miami, follow this link 🙂

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to us! We will be glad to help you explore and discern if the Lord is inviting you to proclaim the Gospel of life with us.

Published in:

on November 26, 2015 at 12:45 PM Leave a Comment

FFV Highlights

Pax et bonum!

The past few months have been quite busy 🙂 We wish to share with you some highlights, hoping that you will enjoy them and pray for us! Also pray for vocations. The Year of Consecrated Life is not over yet. Could the Lord be inviting you to build with us in the footsteps of St. Francis…?

The regular brothers wear the “corona” as a sign of consecrated celibacy.

Extern Brother Chris Thomas More (right) renewed his Solemn Promise, and Regular Brother Leo (center) made his First Profession.

In September we celebrated the birthday of Father Superior by throwing a “surprise puppy”… 😉

We crafted our first holy cards featuring a statue of St. Joseph donated to us by a generous benefactress. Some of the cards were blessed in Philadelphia by the Holy Father.

We went in pilgrimage to D.C. and Philadelphia following the footsteps of the Holy Father. In the picture: Pope Francis preaches the homily at the closing of World Meeting of Families.

On the evening of October 3rd we celebrated the Transitus of our Seraphic Father, St. Francis outside of our mother house.

The brothers worked hard to raise funds at the Flea Market of St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church. Most of the objects were donated to us for this purpose!

20151024_003_X 20151024_005_X

Tailor and cobbler workshop at the mother house 🙂 In the pictures, a brother sows a pair of pants and admires its seam, then proceeds to repair some sandals.

A big “thank you” to the generous donor who helped us purchase much-needed front tires for the community car!

Boo! 😀 On Halloween we “dressed up” the front door of the mother house for the joy of the little children who live in the neighborhood.

Franciscans of Life presented Project Joseph (Proyecto Jose’) at the II Respect Life Ministry Hispanic Conference.

Mrs. Joan Crown, Executive Director of Respect Life Ministry Archdiocese of Miami, along with our Superior and Director of Project Joseph.

Franciscans of Life attended the Ministry Fair at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church, raising awareness for Project Joseph and its great need for mentors.

[How to Help]

Published in:

on November 8, 2015 at 11:03 PM Leave a Comment

“Never Forget to Love”

St. Maximilian,
Pray for us.

On Friday, 14 August, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe. Many know that Saint Maximilian Kolbe was a Conventual Franciscan friar who gave his life, in a concentration camp, to save the life of a young man who was a husband and father. More here

Maximillian, along with the Immaculate and Saint John Paul II, is patron of the Franciscans of Life. Maximilian also founded the Knights of the Immaculate, movement to promote devotion to the Mother of God, devotion that allows her to point to Christ as she did at Cana. This he did after he consecrated his life to the Immaculate. The Church has named Maximilian the Patron Saint of those who work for the Gospel of Life.

In honor of Saint Maximilian, the Franciscans of Life will gather for a festive supper and solemn vespers on the evening of August 14^th. There will be food, music, pictures, games and a great deal of fraternal spirit. Please keep the Franciscans of Life in your prayers this day.

“Man is called to a fullness of life which far exceeds the dimensions of his earthly existence, because it consists in sharing the very life of God. The loftiness of this supernatural vocation reveals the greatness and the inestimable value of human life . . .” (Evangelium Vitae).

Published in:

on August 13, 2015 at 5:44 PM Leave a Comment

FFV On The Web

A brother writing for the blog

This year the Franciscans of Life, ever faithful to the inspiration of St. Maximilian Kolbe, have dedicated several blog posts to articles on a variety of topics spanning from Franciscan studies to theology, to current Church issues to life issues.

We have also embarked in a full redesign of our website, franciscansoflife.org, that was launched in June.

Besides our own modest publication efforts, other sources have kindly featured our content. We are very grateful to them and we wish to recognize them. If we missed any, please let us know 🙂

In January, the Archdiocese of Miami “Let’s Talk” Blog featured our May 2014 article “What’s a brother? Do we really need them?” under the title “What is a brother?” (they even provided a Spanish translation: “¿Qué es un hermano?“).

In February, St. Bride’s Catholic Church in Bothwell (Scotland), a parish to whom an enclosed community of Poor Clares is attached, featured our January 2015 article “Conscience in crisis” in their parish newsletter (click here).

In May, Respect Life Ministry Archdiocese of Miami featured content from our April 2015 article “Project Joseph – Better Men, Better Dads“, including the Youtube video presentation that we produced, on their new web page about Project Joseph (click here). They also mentioned that FFV provides initial and ongoing formation for Project Joseph mentors.

In June, the Institute on Religious Life featured our emerging community in their Vocation Blog (click here).

[How to Help]

Published in:

on August 1, 2015 at 3:00 PM Leave a Comment

Our new website is up!

We are proud to present our entirely re-designed community website!

Take a look at it at http://www.franciscansoflife.org and help yourself to donuts and soda while you are at it!

El discernimiento requiere de muchas rosquillas

He just visited our new website : )

Published in:

on June 15, 2015 at 11:50 AM Comments (1)

A family celebration

This Saturday we had an interesting event, as both memorials of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and of St. Anthony of Padua coincided. For the Franciscan family, the day of St. Anthony is a feast. Since the Immaculate is our patroness, we wished to honor her in some way.

We decided to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity by Biscayne Bay (Miami), where we would attend the midday mass in honor of the Immaculate Heart.

The legend of the statue of “la Caridad del Cobre”, as it is commonly known among the Cuban people, traces back to the 1500s, when it was found floating in the Nipe Bay (Holguin province) by three young slaves (“los tres Juanes”) from the copper mines. The statue was placed near the mines, first in a humble hut and eventually in a church. She was proclaimed the Patroness of Cuba in 1916 by Pope Benedict XV.

The Cuban Exile to Miami retained its devotion to la Virgen de la Caridad, and one of its representatives, the Rev. Augustin Roman, began working with Archbishop Carroll to build a shrine in her honor.

Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Miami in 1979, he would oversee its construction and serve as its rector up to the very last day of his life.

The brothers arrived at the Shrine around 11:30 am and were joined by a good friend.

Before Mass, presided by Fr. Rumin OFM, they had some time to admire the artwork inside the Shrine, along with the blessed replica of the statue that arrived from Cuba in 1961.

The mural behind the altar is a tribute to the faith of the Cuban people going all the way back to the 1500s. An overview of the different parts can be found on the website of the Shrine, here.

Afterwards, we gathered at the little kiosk outside of the Shrine, where we enjoyed typical Cuban food, such as “guarapo” (a juice made from sugar cane), croquetas, and pan con jamon y queso 🙂 We were soon joined by a group of “spectators” who were quite interested in the crumbs left behind!

[How to Help]

Published in:

on June 14, 2015 at 8:56 PM Leave a Comment

Life calls out to life

Hello my friends:

After a month in the hospital, I’m finally home. My old pastor said that I had used up another of my nine lives. He’s known me since I was a teen. Now he’s retired and living nearby.

Some people would say that I’m “confined” to a wheelchair. I don’t know if that’s the term that I would use. I am certainly in a wheelchair. I can no longer feel my legs. However, there is an inner joy that comes with this. I eucharist in creche remember being at the hospital and receiving the sacraments of Penance, Eucharist and Anointing of the sick. Anointing of the sick is a sacrament that many of us know about, but we rarely speak about it. Not too many people report anything extraordinary after receiving it.

The day that I was anointed, I felt that it was my last day on earth. I was sure that by the next morning I would be pushing daisies. That night, I went to sleep as usual, still in the hospital. After a few hours of sleep I awoke. Without thinking I grabbed a sock and put it on. I suddenly realized that I was putting on a sock and enjoying the challenge. When your legs no longer work as they did before, you have to plan how to put on your socks, pants, shoes and so forth. Activities that the brain would plan, coordinate and execute in nanoseconds now become projects that you have to figure out and plan before you begin. “If I put this there and pull my leg that way, then I can slide this over here,” and so forth. In my line of work we call this motor planning. You literally plan every movement before you engage. We all do it, but we don’t pay much attention to the brain. The brain does it so quickly that we don’t notice.

I’ve found out that all of the things I did before were not just random actions. There are physical laws that the body must follow or you can get hurt. The more I analyze and problems solve, the happier I feel. I’m finally finding out the beauty and harmony that God created when he created man. We function like a miracle. We can dance and hold a conversation at the same time or get dressed and plan tomorrow’s dinner.

I am more convinced than ever before that there is a God. This well-orchestrated body of ours cannot be a random accident. The fact that we can compensate when we lose a function, means that someone created laws that allow the physical world to function either on high speed using the brain body alone or on a slower speed using the brain, body and adaptive devices. Because these things work each and every time, they can be considered laws.

However, I have discovered that where there is a law, there is also a law giver. Whenever I have to face a new challenge these days, I begin to analyze the laws of physics and body movements. This way I can execute whatever it is with a certain degree of confidence and order. This knowledge that there is a law giver brings me a great sense of peace and gratitude.

It also brings me a little shame, because I have taken so many little things for granted. I used to think that putting on a pair of shoes was not a big deal. Now I know what the brain has to do in fractions of a second just to meet our demands. This understanding increases my awe in the presence of God.

I don’t know how much of my legs I’m going to recover. But I do know one thing. Nothing is an accident. Everything is part of a divine plan. The more I see myself as part of this plan, the happier and more peaceful I feel, even though my body seems twice my age. LOL

I need to get back to rest. Please keep me in your prayers and let us not forget to pray for those who take God’s gifts for granted, as if they were random accidents. Nothing is random. Everything is a sign of life calling out to life.

Published in:

on May 20, 2015 at 12:58 PM Leave a Comment

“Life calls out to life”

A couple of months ago we mentioned that there would be some upcoming articles focusing on Project Joseph and on our family, the Franciscans of Life. The former we addressed in April. Today we continue this “mini series” by answering the question…

Who Are The Franciscans Of Life?

The Franciscans of Life is a private association of Catholic laymen who are celibate, singler, or married. It is the hope of the society to become a public association of the faithful someday, maybe an institute of mixed life, where regular and secular meet.

We exist with the permission and blessing of the Archbishop of Miami, the Most Reverend Thomas Wenski. Men from six countries, four language groups and three generations make up the fraternity.

We attempt to replicate that brotherhood that grew up around Saint Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth century, where there were friars, nuns, married men and women, diocesan priests, widows and single people who followed the Gospel according to the Rule of Penance written by Saint Francis. Today, our fraternity is comprised of men only. There are “regular” brothers who live the evangelical counsels in private vows and “extern” brothers who live the evangelical counsels as single or married men.

Our Way of Life

The Franciscans of Life make a covenant to live the Gospel according to the Rule of Penance and the constitutions of the society. Every brother, celibate, single, or married is a full member of the fraternity. Therefore, each one binds himself to observe obedience to the Church and the superior of the fraternity, to live a life of detachment from material things and temporal honors, and to persevere in chastity in the celibate, single, or married life.

While all of the brothers in Franciscans of Life are lay and secular, we use the term “extern” to identify those brothers who are married or single and hoping to marry, and the term “regular” to identify those brothers who live in community, are in private vows and are celibate.

Eucharist, Liturgy of the Hours, private prayer, fasting and abstinence are the guiding lights for the brothers. Fraternity is a hallmark of Franciscan tradition. Therefore, the brothers look to Christ and the apostles and endeavor to follow that model of fraternal life and service.

Common prayer, sharing, openness to each other, our families, and support for each other along the journey toward the perfection of charity are the means by which the brothers sanctify their lives and the lives of those they touch. The brothers are faithful and obedient to the Catholic Church as she speaks to us through the successor of Peter and the local bishop.

Our Mission

The mission of the fraternity is to proclaim the Gospel of Life through service to the voiceless, in particular the preborn child and his family, the terminally ill and the elderly, the immigrant poor who feels hopeless, and the person living with disabilities.

The brothers engage in a variety of apostolic activities in the Archdiocese of Miami. These include catechesis, campus ministry, Respect Life, prayer vigils at abortion mills, and serving fathers in crisis pregnancies through Project Joseph. Other apostolates are hospice and linking immigrant poor with community resources.

The invisible dimension of the brothers’ mission is a life of atonement for those who embrace the culture of death.

Extern Brothers

The extern brothers live in the secular world, but are not of the world. They are husbands, fathers, and single men. The fraternity is also open to deacons and diocesan priests who have the permission of their bishop to join.

These brothers hold typical jobs in the world and belong to different parishes in the Archdiocese. However, they come together with each other and the regular brothers at the weekly family meeting, liturgical functions, prayer, and apostolic activities.

Those who are husbands and fathers include their spouses and children in as many of the fraternal activities as possible. In this way, the Franciscan spirit is carried into the family and the family is embraced by the fraternity.

The extern brothers and their families engage in the proclamation of the Gospel of Life through participation in activities that promote the sanctity of life.

Regular Brothers

These brothers live in community under the leadership of a superior. They make private vows of obedience, poverty and chastity and are celibate for life.

None of the brothers owns anything individually or in common. They rent their home, share their material resources, and work to provide for their material needs as prescribed by Saint Francis in his Testament. When the income is not enough, the brothers beg as did the early Franciscans.

The daily life of these brothers is comprised of prayer, apostolic service to the voiceless, study, and labor that generates enough income to support the brothers and their work for the poor.

Under the guidance and encouragement of a superior also known as a guardian, the brothers strive to live as a family where brother serves brother as Christ served the apostles when he washed their feet at the Last Supper. These brothers spend a great deal of time together at prayer, work, ministry, study, recreation and rest.

Trinitarian

Like Saint Francis and the first generation Franciscans, the Franciscans of Life look to the Trinity for guidance and example in community, intimacy, love, unity and holiness.

Marian

Saint Maximilian Kolbe and Saint John Paul II are the patrons of the Franciscans of Life. From these saints we learn to live under the mantle of the Immaculate and to protect the sanctity of life from conception to death.

“Vita ad vitam vocat…”

Prayerfully consider whether the Lord is inviting you to walk the way with us. In doing so, bear in mind the sayings of our patron saints: “Do not be afraid…forget not love!”

We look forward to hearing from you!

[How to Help]

Published in:

on May 17, 2015 at 4:56 PM Leave a Comment

Franciscans of Life

Vita ad vitam vocat

“Come to Bethlehem and see / Christ Whose birth the angels sing!”

Have a grace filled Christmas!

GAUDETE

First time in Miami: Respect Life Hispanic Conference

FFV Highlights

“Never Forget to Love”

FFV On The Web

Our new website is up!

A family celebration

Life calls out to life

“Life calls out to life”

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories

Follow the FFV Blog!

Blogroll