(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Spring 2025  Issue #115)

by Diane Menditto, OFS

National Vice Minister

Listen! ¡Escuchen!

If I have said that word once, I probably said it thousands of times during my thirty-five-year career as a Spanish teacher. The results varied each time the word was uttered in either language.

When I was asked to write an article on communication for this issue of the TAU-USA, I looked back at the many articles (most recently, a 2023 issue) and presentations I’ve given on the topic. An integral part of those sharings has been listening, which will be the main focus here. How we listen–not only with our ears, but with our eyes, our hearts, and our souls–affects who we are as Secular Franciscans, as family members, and as professionals in whatever field we find ourselves.

What kinds of listening require more than just ears? I’m glad you asked. I consulted Microsoft CoPilot to provide a list of the types of listening in both secular and religious settings. Interestingly, it came up with many of the same terms that I have spoken and written about over the years.

We have active listening, empathic listening, critical listening, and reflective listening. These show up in a classroom, business, medical office, repair shop, coffee shop, or supermarket. Active listening requires us to focus our eyes and ears on the speaker. We lean forward to look at and engage the other person. We need to concentrate on what is being said, and our body language (head nods, smiles) will tell the speaker that we hear and understand what is being said.

Empathic listening requires that our minds and hearts help us to feel what the speaker is saying whether we agree or not. Its cousin, reflective listening, often requires paraphrasing what the speaker is saying without injecting an opinion. These kinds of listening help us to build trust if our empathy and understanding are genuine. Critical listening puts the heart aside and keeps the brain well-engaged. We want to hear everything said, putting our emotions and opinions aside, to make the best decision for our family or our fraternity. This very often takes patience and humility.

Other types of listening that we find more often in fraternal and religious settings are contemplative, pastoral, communal, and discernment listening. Obviously, contemplative listening requires us to sit silently, listening for the Holy Spirit’s whisper. We listen to homilies, spiritual direction, and guidance given during reconciliation. In fraternity, we practice communal listening where the goal is the well-being of the fraternity and our spiritual growth. With discernment, we listen to what God is asking of us by asking the Holy Spirit to guide us, perhaps by listening to a trusted individual or spiritual director, reading our Rule, or reading the writings of our founder.

There are some other key things about listening that Artificial Intelligence forgot to list because it is not human! While listening to each other, we must listen to ourselves. Sometimes we stop paying attention to how we sound when we speak or write. We need to hear what our listeners’ body language tells us. The expression “read the room” is good advice. Knowing our audience, whether giving a talk, having a one-on-one conversation, or writing an email, is key to how our message will be received. Listening internally to how we say something is sometimes all that is necessary to avoid having a simple statement or comment become a contentious issue that can destroy the peace of the family or fraternity.

Listening well often means giving up control. It takes wisdom, patience, and humility to listen well. The Holy Spirit has given us these gifts, but it is up to us to use them.

Susan Ronan, OFS

By Susan Ronan, OFS
National Executive Council Secretary

“Time in New England
Took me away
To long rocky beaches…
I feel the change comin’
I feel the wind blow
I feel brave and daring
I feel my blood flow.
With you I could bring out
All the love that I have.
With you there’s a heaven,
So earth ain’t so bad…”

From “Weekend in New England” – (Written by Randy Edelman/Sung by Barry Manilow)

One of our recent Formation Friday’s offered a beautiful reflection on St. Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures that we’re all celebrating during these centennial years. We were asked to write our own canticle. I offer to you my humble “New England Spring Canticle.”

Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun,
who has graciously returned after his long winter’s nap.
And he is beautiful and radiant but like a playful child,
plays hide and seek with the cold and chilly Spring raindrops.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars.
You wake up our little “peeper” friends
to sing a gentle lullaby throughout the dark night.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind.
Ah yes, Brother Wind!
Open the windows and watch him cover every piece of furniture with a light dusting of…pollen!
Time to get those eye drops and antihistamines out of the medicine cabinet!

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water.
April showers…and May showers…and June showers!
Thank you for reminding us that, without you,
God’s gardens full of color and sweet nectar
would not give us His great gifts of Nature to enhance our senses.

(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Winter 2025  Issue #114)

St. Thomas More Region

The Region of St. Thomas More covers all of Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada, and includes 11 active fraternities. The region’s name was chosen after proposals were requested from OFS members. A short list was created and sent to the fraternities for their vote. Thomas More was the favorite and became the name of the region in 1994.

A few years after Arizona became a state in 1912, Secular Provinces banded together to form the North American Federation, which sponsored its first Quinquennial in 1921. When invitations went out to disband the Provincial Councils and form new Regional Councils, St. Thomas More Region, which had begun groundwork ten years earlier, was ready with skilled leaders and an inspiring patron. While it took nine months for the Document of Establishment to travel from Rome and across the U.S. gathering the necessary signatures along the way, the transformation from Provincial to Regional Fraternity was completed in a single year.

St. Thomas More Region has the honor of sending the first woman to serve on the National Directive Board (the precursor of NAFRA). Clyda Markham, OFS, lived all her life in Phoenix and served for almost two years on the National Board before being dismissed for being “the wrong gender.” She returned to Arizona to serve on both fraternity and provincial councils. She had many friends from the days when Arizona was a new state and was asked to write an article about the role of Franciscan friars in the exploration and development of Arizona Territory. Many historical sites have names given by friars, and Secular Franciscan values are woven into Arizona lifestyles. Clyda’s story, published around 1939, was entered into the Congressional Record and can be obtained online from the Library of Congress.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha Region

St. Kateri Tekakwitha

St. Kateri Tekakwitha Region covers Eastern, Central and Western New York State, and Erie, Pennsylvania, and includes 18 fraternities. The name was chosen because New York State is known for the Native American tribes that were living there. There is still one active reservation – The Seneca Nation of Indians reservation – in   Cattaraugus County.

St. Kateri Tekakwitha was a Mohawk Indian born near Auriesville, NY. She developed smallpox at the age of four, which left her with a scarred face and very low vision. The translation of the Native American word “Tekakwitha” is “she who bumps into things.” Kateri is a form of Catherine, and she was given this name when she converted to Christianity. She was educated by the Jesuit missionaries and is the patron saint of traditional ecology, Indigenous Peoples, and care for creation. She was not a Secular Franciscan. . . but members like to think she would have been if she had the chance.

There are several other saints that lived in the state of New York including St. Marianne Cope, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and St. John Neumann. Blessed Solanus Casey also resided and served in New York State for 20 years.

Troubadours of Peace

The states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska are all part of the Troubadours of Peace Region. It includes 13 fraternities, two newly forming groups, and one satellite group.

In 2024 they had a regional retreat which was both live-streamed and recorded. One of our National Spiritual Assistants, Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, TOR, gave the presentations. The topic is “The Stigmata of St. Francis.” There are five sessions of varying lengths which are available on the region’s website. To view the presentations, go to secularfranciscanspacificnorthwest.com; “Stigmata Retreat.”

St. Joan of Arc Region

Mississippi, Louisiana, the southern part of Arkansas and the eastern part of Texas make up the St. Joan of Arc Region, which includes 15 fraternities.

The region’s name was chosen because St. Joan of Arc fought for Orleans, France, and the United States purchased the Louisiana Purchase from France with New Orleans having the first fraternity in the region.

They are a hospitable group that meets as a region four times a year with two on Zoom and two in person. They represent the diversity of five continents. They also have an annual regional retreat where they bond more with one another.

St. Junipero Serra Region

St. Junipero Serra – Apostle of California

St. Junipero Serra Region consists of Northern California from the Oregon border at the north to Bakersfield in the south, and one fraternity in Reno, Nevada. They have 25 established fraternities and two emerging groups.

The name for the region was chosen because St. Junipero Serra is the patron saint of California. He founded many of the California missions for the Franciscans.

Within the region there are seven National Parks, a large number of State Parks, and many County Parks in various counties. California spans four climate zones including coastal, inland valley, mountain and dessert.

The region is culturally diverse with four Hispanic fraternities, two Korean fraternities, and one Chinese fraternity, which is the only one in the nation.