As Secular Franciscans, we live our lives out in the world. We can be single or married, women or men, in any walk of life. We live out the Gospel in a Franciscan manner according to our Rule which we, upon being accepted into the fraternity, profess to live after a period of initial formation.
- Profession as a Secular Franciscan is a lifelong commitment.
- Formation/ profession of the Secular Franciscan takes place within our local fraternity but you are connected with your brothers and sisters worldwide.
- Life in fraternity is essential to the Secular Franciscan vocation.
- The fraternity is a community of love, the privileged place for the sisters and brothers to develop their sense of Church and the Franciscan call.
- As a self-governing Order, the Secular Franciscan fraternity receives guidance in spiritual matters from our spiritual assistant (a Friar from our parish).
- There is a strong bond between Secular Franciscans (OFS) and the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) and the Order of Saint Clare (OSC) as we share common roots in the Franciscan penitential tradition.
Saint Francis gave the Church a new Religious Order. In fact he founded three Orders, The Order of Friars Minor, Poor Clares and the Secular Franciscan Order (Third Order). Each had its own Rule of Life. Saint Francis was not the first person to begin a Third Order for lay people. There were already groups of lay people approved by the Holy See before the Secular Franciscans. Much later the Rule of the Secular Dominicans was approved in 1285 and the Secular Carmelite Rule in1415. These were approved as Orders because they were seen as an extension of the Spirit and way of life of these Orders. Each Order follows the particular charism of the founder.
The Order of Franciscan Seculars is a Section 501(c) (3) charitable organization. All donations are deemed tax-deductible absent any limitations on deductibility applicable to a particular taxpayer. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution.