This year we commemorate the 800th anniversary of Francis’ death. When he was dying, Francis wanted his followers to continue bringing their spirituality into the world.
Did you know that only 5 percent of plastics used in the United States get recycled?
I keep seeing St. Francis of Assisi credited as saying, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” I have looked in several places but cannot find where he said this.
Bro. Ricky Medere, OFM, knows what it’s like to get his hands dirty. Before entering the Franciscan community in 2023, he worked as a mechanic.
For Bro. Domingo Martinez, OFM, Labor Day is more than an excuse for an end-of-the-summer barbecue.
Brother Maikel Gómez Pérez, OFM, grew up in Cuba, a country where the presence of the Catholic Church and the Franciscan order have long been repressed. But as it has with so many others, the Francis story still broke through to him, even in the face of government repression.
Phillip McCarter of Cincinnati, Ohio, did what many young men do in their twenties. He began exploring his purpose in life. At the time, he worked in shipping for a nationally-known glue company. But he felt called to something different and began exploring a religious vocation.
Fr. John Quigley, OFM, is approaching his 82nd birthday having devoted more than six decades to Franciscan life. That ministry has been a varied one: co-leader of New Jerusalem, a vibrant charismatic community in Cincinnati; work on behalf of the promotion and protection of human rights with the United Nations; peace, justice and environmental concerns with the Franciscans, as well as on the world stage; extensive travels around the world, retreat work and preaching and, in recent years, artistry created in his Cincinnati studio.
Father David Phan, OFM, sees himself as a missionary, traversing the cities, small towns and rural villages of South Carolina, serving small parish communities around the state. Each year, his Toyota goes through more than 50,000 miles. It’s a practical vehicle.
Reared in the modest steel town of Shelby, Ohio, Br. John Friebel, OFM, 85, never found inspiration in the pursuit of academic accolades or the confines of scholarly halls. Rather, his spirit soared beneath the vast skies of his native Ohio and the desert southwest, where he discovered his deepest connection to God in hands-on work and the simple beauty of practical labor.
