At our National Chapter in October 2022, the National Fraternity Council decided that the priorities for the following three years would be Vocations, Communications, and Relationships.  As we enter 2025, we have a year-long opportunity to assess our progress and plan for the future.

Diane Menditto, OFS National Vice Minister

“Vocations” was also named one of the Secular Franciscan Order’s worldwide priorities at the General Chapter in November. It is easy to see why this is so. Our order, like many religious orders, is shrinking. While some fraternities are growing with more professions than before, and some new fraternities are being established, we, as an Order, are not keeping up. Take a look at fraternities that are growing. What do you see? What do I see?

I believe the path to stronger and more numerous vocations lies with our other two priorities: relationships and communications.

The heart of fraternity lies in the relationships we form, first with God, next with St. Francis through his example and our Rule, and then with one another. The healthiest fraternities have an excellent spiritual life. They pray together at gatherings as a fraternity and individually at home or at Adoration. Deepening our relationship with God and being open to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit allows the Spirit to lead us to daily conversion and helps us to love one another.

How is our relationship with St. Francis? We’re Franciscans, so it must be great, right?  We need to take a serious pause here to see how we are doing! Through his example, his writings, and our Rule and Constitutions, we grow as Franciscans, become fluent in the charism, and strengthen our vocation. We are fortunate to have so many of the writings of our founder. These and other excellent works by classical and modern Franciscan authors are easily accessible online at franciscantradition.org.

Perhaps we take the third aspect of relationship for granted: our relationship with one another. What does a typical fraternity gathering look and feel like? Is it a happy and nourishing experience? Do I look forward to being with my brothers and sisters? Building relationships in fraternity takes work, but they make the fraternity come alive and provide the “glue” that keeps the fraternity together.

I’ve saved communication for last because it is the key to attracting, retaining, and strengthening vocations. First and foremost, are we willing to listen to one another? Listening to what our brothers and sisters have to say is crucial to collaboration and building strong relationships. We don’t need to agree with everything that is said, but the courtesy we give to others helps the fraternity to be a welcoming place. Guests to our fraternity will sense how well we get along by how well we communicate with one another.

Good communication also involves when and how we speak or write to one another. Do we think of the effect our words will have on others? Many times, the way something is said or written has an impact that we never intended!

Communication plays a large part in attracting vocations to the Order. The first way we communicate the love of our vocation to others is through our example. Those who are searching will be attracted to someone who appears to be at peace. They would like to feel that way too!

Telling others why we love our Franciscan life gets them thinking. Whether it involves a “Come and See,” a witness talk at mass or a prayer group, or just a short testimony to a friend or acquaintance, spreading the word opens the minds and hearts of others to recognize the vocation they may have lying dormant within them.

So, if we live authentic Franciscan lives and communicate our commitment through our words and actions, we will have gone a long way in fulfilling our National Priorities before 2025 turns into 2026.

https://www.secularfranciscansusa.org/2025/01/01/our-national-priorities-revisited/

En nuestro Capítulo Nacional en octubre de 2022, el Consejo de la Fraternidad Nacional decidió que las prioridades para los tres años siguientes serían las Vocaciones, las Comunicaciones y las Relaciones. Al entrar en 2025, tenemos una oportunidad para evaluar nuestro progreso y planificar el futuro.

Diane Menditto, OFS National Vice Minister

“Vocaciones” también fue nombrada una de las prioridades mundiales de la OFS en el Capítulo General en noviembre. Es fácil ver por qué esto es así. Nuestra orden, como muchas órdenes religiosas, se está reduciendo. Si bien algunas fraternidades están creciendo con más profesiones que antes, y se están estableciendo algunas nuevas fraternidades, nosotros, como Orden, no estamos manteniendo el ritmo. Eche un vistazo a las fraternidades que están creciendo. ¿Qué ve usted? ¿Qué veo yo?

Creo que el camino hacia las vocaciones más fuertes y numerosas está en nuestras otras dos prioridades: las relaciones y la comunicación.

El corazón de la fraternidad está en las relaciones que establecemos, primero con Dios, luego con San Francisco a través de su ejemplo y nuestra Regla, y luego entre nosotros. Las fraternidades más sanas tienen una excelente vida espiritual. Rezan juntos durante los encuentros e individualmente en casa o en la Adoración. Profundizar nuestra relación con Dios y estar abiertos a la inspiración del Espíritu Santo permite que Él nos guíe a la conversión diaria y nos ayuda a amarnos.

¿Cómo es nuestra relación con San Francisco? Somos franciscanos, así que debe ser genial, ¿verdad?  ¡Hagamos una pausa aquí para ver cómo estamos! A través de su ejemplo, de sus escritos, y nuestra Regla y Constituciones, crecemos como franciscanos, adquirimos fluidez en el carisma, y fortalecemos nuestra vocación. Tenemos la suerte de contar con muchos de los escritos de nuestro fundador. Estas y otras excelentes obras de autores franciscanos son fácilmente accesibles en línea en https://www.franciscanos.org/ .

Tal vez damos por sentado el tercer aspecto de la prioridad de la relación: nuestra relación mutua. ¿Cómo se ve y se siente un típico encuentro de fraternidad? ¿Es una experiencia feliz y enriquecedora? ¿Tengo ganas de estar con mis hermanos y hermanas? Construir relaciones en fraternidad requiere trabajo, pero hacen que la fraternidad cobre vida y proporcionan el “pegamento” que mantiene unida a la fraternidad.

He dejado la comunicación para el final porque es la clave para atraer, retener y fortalecer las vocaciones. En primer lugar, ¿estamos dispuestos a escucharnos los unos a los otros? Escuchar lo que nuestros hermanos y hermanas dicen es fundamental para colaborar y construir relaciones sólidas. No tenemos por qué estar de acuerdo con todo lo dicho, pero la cortesía que damos a los demás ayuda a que la fraternidad sea un lugar acogedor. Los invitados a nuestra fraternidad verán lo bien que nos llevamos por lo bien que nos comunicamos unos con otros.

La buena comunicación también implica cuándo y cómo hablamos o escribimos unos a otros. ¿Pensamos en el efecto que nuestras palabras tienen en los demás? Muchas veces, la forma en que se dice o se escribe algo tiene un impacto que nunca pretendimos.

La comunicación desempeña un papel importante en la atracción de vocaciones a la Orden. La primera forma de comunicar el amor de nuestra vocación a los demás es a través de nuestro ejemplo. Los que buscan se sentirán atraídos por alguien que parece estar en paz. ¡A ellos también les gustaría sentirse así!

Decirles sinceramente a los demás por qué amamos nuestra vida franciscana les hace pensar. Ya sea que se trate de un “Ven a Ver”, una charla testimonial en una misa o un grupo de oración, o simplemente un breve testimonio a un amigo o conocido, difundir la palabra abre la mente y el corazón de los demás para que reconozcan la vocación que pueden tener latente dentro de ellos.

https://www.secularfranciscansusa.org/2025/01/01/nuestras-prioridades-nacionales-revisadas/

by Jane DeRose-Bamman, OFS National Minister

(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Fall 2024  Issue #113)

National Minister Jane DeRose-Bamman, OFS, updated attendees on the status of the three national priorities – Vocations, Communications and Relationships – in the annual State of the Order address delivered at Chapter on September 18th.

National Chapter  2024

(The Video YouTube of the Address)

Vocations

• As of July 2024, there were 10,232 active professed members and candidates.
• Of these, 25 regions experienced a decrease in membership, with losses ranging from 7% to 23.8%.
• Conversely, five regions saw increases of 6.5% to 9.7%.
• Each region is comprised of candidates, aspirants, and seekers, with numbers ranging from 6 to 98. There is potential for a membership increase of 5% to 24%.
• In 2023, 13 fraternities were Currently, there are 22 active Emerging Communities or Newly Forming Groups.
• Membership distribution across regions includes two with fewer than 100 members, six with 101 to 300, nine with 301 to 500, and

13 with over 500 members.

• The national fraternity continues to seek opportunities to promote vocations wherever possible, including at the Eucharistic Congress held in July.
• The United States is the sixth largest in membership among countries in the world following Italy, Mexico, India, Korea and

Communications

• The Communications Committee, which includes members from various subcommittees, held three virtual meetings instead of one in-person summit. They

discussed protocols for consistent communications representing OFS-USA, established social media guidelines, confirmed translation processes, and addressed bulk email and document transfer logistics.

• The NEC planned workshops and introductions for new Regional Executive

Relationships

• This year the NEC conducted six visitations and eight elections.
• There was significant participation nationally and internationally with attendance at various chapters, involvement in the International Formation Secretariat, representation from the USA by the general vice minister, and participation in the Korean Congress.

Other updates

• New Look: The updated Ritual became available in August 2024 and can be ordered from the Gospel to Life Bookstore.
• Language Translations: Key rites and ceremonies will be translated into Spanish and possibly Korean.
• Formation Pilot Test: The National Formation Commission is pilot testing the first book for initial formation.
• 2026 Quinquennial Preparation: Preparations continue for the upcoming Quinquennial event July 29 – August 2, 2026, in Lexington, KY.
• Servant Leadership Workshops: Additional workshops are being planned before the Chapter of Elections in September 2025.
• Important election preparation deadlines: Nomination Committee by May 13, 2025. Slate of Candidates by July 13, 2025. Chapter of Elections on September 13,

https://www.secularfranciscansusa.org/2024/12/30/state-of-the-order-ofs-usa-2024/

Life is a time for interactions, social friendships, offering patient endurance, strength when life’s crosses are heavy and enduring. Life exists where there is bonding, communion, fraternity, even-temperedness, tranquility, unpretentiousness.

Father’s Homily – text

https://www.secularfranciscansusa.org/2024/12/29/the-gospel-through-a-franciscan-lens-feast-of-the-holy-family-fr-christopher/