Our Fraternity Gathering: Our Life!
(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Winter 2023 Issue #108)
by Francine Gikow, OFS
Why is being in a fraternity so important? Short Answer: because it is our brothers and sisters who support and challenge us to live the LIFE of a Secular Franciscan. We cannot do it alone! We learn about ourselves and our charism by living in fraternity. Living with the same people in fraternity for the rest of our lives (unless we relocate) challenges us to an ever-deepening relationship with others in a new family of faith. As family, our Constitutions outline this responsibility when it states: “The brothers and sisters are co-responsible for the life of the fraternity to which they belong…The sense of co- responsibility of the members requires personal presence, witness, prayer, and active collaboration….” (GC 30, 1-2-) Therefore, fraternity is all about relationships and responsibility. Without relationship, we do not have fraternity. Without responsibility, we do not have fraternity. We are co- responsible and co-accountable for our fraternity life. We must be participating “in fraternity” as Secular Franciscans―there are NO isolated members. It is a part of our charism, and it is what we promised at profession. We owe our brothers and sisters our presence. It is VITAL to our vocation.
Our fraternity is canonically established, which means that we are officially an arm of the Catholic Church―so we should be a role model or example of a “little church.” Fraternity is not a prayer group, a business meeting, or a sodality. We are an Order in the Church and have a different goal than any other parish group: our goal is to grow in holiness through living the Secular Franciscan life in fraternity.
To grow in holiness means we need a stable, committed (permanently professed) community of like-minded brothers and sisters to encourage us in our journey, challenge us to conversion and to accompany us in our sorrows and joys. In other words, we need a family! Since fraternity, and the ongoing Franciscan formation it provides, is crucial in our Secular Franciscan journey, we prioritize our attendance at gatherings before parish or other commitments.
There are four essentials that make up a Fraternity Gathering. They are:
- A Communal Prayer Experience
- Announcements (very short in length)
- Ongoing Formation (This is the most important part of the gathering and should be given the longest time allotment,)
- Social
(Please note: All four elements/parts should be present for most meetings except for an occasional celebration or feast.) A time schedule for the fraternity gathering ensures that all four elements are addressed and given their due. There should also be a balance between times for prayer, ongoing formation, business, and social interaction within the fraternity gathering.
The Fraternity Council is encouraged to develop a yearly formation plan or calendar of formation topics for each fraternity gathering. Topics and ideas can come from the CIOFS and National OFS websites, Papal encyclicals, Formation Fridays, TAU articles, Franciscan books, and the identified needs of the fraternity seen by the Council. The regional formation team can be invaluable in helping to locate resources and materials for a particular theme.
Let’s look at each element individually. The suggested time schedule identified in each section is for a two- hour gathering. Of course, if there is additional time available, segments can be lengthened accordingly. Ultimately, the fraternity council is responsible for developing an appropriate schedule for the gathering and adhering to it.
Ongoing Formation: (approx. 30-40 minutes)
Ongoing formation is considered the most important part of a fraternity gathering and is the only place where we are fed Franciscan and lay spirituality, as well as the Franciscan charism. Ongoing formation offers study and practice in the Secular Franciscan Way of Life and through its discussions, reflections, and the sharing of relationships, we develop a cohesiveness of mission in the fraternity’s ongoing formation. Attendance is crucial for each and every gathering, because we are, in a sense, feeding ourselves and others with “Franciscan food” in ongoing formation. When it’s absent, we starve!
Communal Prayer Time: (about 15-20 minutes)
Communal prayer times should be Franciscan in focus and could be taken from a selection of the Liturgy of the Hours or the Office of the Passion, intercessory prayer, a decade of the Crown rosary, Stations of the Cross, Gospel meditation, words of St. Francis or Clare, and many others. Prayer time is NOT a time for private devotions, or the latest trend in pious practices/activities. Please Note: Attending Mass as a fraternity is nice, but it is not a mandatory part of a fraternity’s prayer time.
Announcements: (usually 10 minutes or less)
Fraternity business should be the shortest portion of the fraternity gathering. Announcements of retreats, upcoming events, anniversaries, and deaths can be highlighted in the newsletter, with a short mention at the gathering. Fraternity apostolates and volunteer needs could be discussed with signup sheets available. CIOFS/ NAFRA/Regional News can be listed in the fraternity newsletter and briefly mentioned at the gathering.
The Social: (usually around 30 minutes)
This, too, is an essential part of the gathering. It provides a way to deepen relationships through sharing of personal news within the fraternity in a casual but caring environment. Every gathering should include time for the brothers and sisters to informally share among themselves and encounter each other. From experience, I realize that this element of the fraternity gathering is the most likely of all the elements to extend past its allotted time. It is important, however, that someone is assigned to monitor the time and announce the ending of the social in order to clean up and progress to another part of the gathering. Continued eating during prayer time and/or ongoing formation should be discouraged, because it distracts from prayer and the content of the ongoing formation.
Needless to say, having a loving, active, joyful fraternity does not simply happen. It takes a lot of work! Because we are a “gathering” not a meeting, we rely on the Holy Spirit guiding us. We are not a business, nor are we “run” like a business, but rather, we lead by consensus and by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This is known as “servant leadership” in the Secular Franciscan Order. To be a servant leader in the order, is to first serve and animate (inspire) a fraternity. It is sacrificial in nature because it is a gift freely given to the fraternity with a generous spirit of service. The elected Council’s style of servant leadership – is NOT directing, but rather listening deeply and with compassion.
It is NOT “My way or the highway” but rather being open to new ideas/concepts.
IT is NOT power and control but rather valuing and encouraging the growth of others.
The “Ideal” Fraternity has:
- the “anima” (or spirit) of the Franciscan Charism, which is JOY,
- a cohesiveness of fraternal spirit and sharing,
- a sincere love witnessed in personal interactions,
- acceptance and warmth,
- unity of purpose while accepting diversity in expression.
At our profession, we promised to “make the fraternity a genuine ecclesial assembly and a living Franciscan community” (OFS Ritual, p.22). Let us do what we have promised to do!
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
- What inspired you in this article? Describe what inspired you and
- What are some “take aways” or ideas you want to remember?
- What idea or thought challenges you the most and why?
- What will you change in your Secular Franciscan life as a result of this article?
We Are All Volunteers
(This article originally appeared in the Winter 2023 TAU-USA Issue #108)
by Jane DeRose-Bamman and Diane Menditto
According to the Google Dictionary/Oxford Languages website: “Volunteer” means:
“a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.”
Each Secular Franciscan is a volunteer of sorts… a volunteer for Jesus. We choose daily to say yes to our vocation, going from Gospel to life and life to the Gospel. Although elected to our positions, the members of the new National Executive Council volunteered to serve in those positions.
There are other volunteers in the Order who serve in appointed positions. The appointees are often behind the scenes. Without those willing to serve in appointed positions, those who were elected would be floundering immediately upon election.
On the national level, these appointments are in the areas of the Commissions (Formation; Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation; and Youth/Young Adult), the National Database, the TAU-USA newsletter, 1-800-Francis vocations line, the national website, archives, historian, public relations specialists and, more recently, those working with social media and accessibility concerns. There are also very task specific appointments, e.g., the Quinquennial Committee, which lasts for five years. Many members of the Database Committee (formerly the Computer Committee) and TAU-USA Committee have served for more than 10 years. Some committee chairs and members have served in various roles as committees have transitioned. We are not sure that people would have said yes to their original appointment if they had known it would last 5+ years. Here are a few of those who have been serving for many years:
Dan Mulholland, OFS, served as a JPIC Commission Co-Chair and transitioned to the Computer Committee, and as an offshoot has helped with the website, social media, TAU-USA, setting up and maintaining email listserv, and many other tasks. He always offers his expertise, as well as sharing his knowledge with others. He is active with his local and regional fraternities. His unending “yes” to volunteer and share his gifts is inspiring.
Bob Herbelin, OFS, has been managing the current database for 20 years. He has been helped by the Computer Committee members, but Bob is the main database manager. Cyl Maljan-Herbelin, OFS, for about eight years now, has been overseeing access to the database. Bob and Cyl create the National Directory based on the database information. Cyl also maintains the mailing list for the Tau-USA. Bob helps with the annual report functions of the database. They are working with the Database Committee to set up the new database (which we hope to roll out in 2023). Thanks to Bob and Cyl for their longtime efforts.
Randy Heinz, OFS, managed the mailing list for many years before Cyl. He was integral in initiating the new website, Twitter, and Facebook pages. Thanks to Randy for helping us evolve with our communication methods.
Jim and Cindy Wesley, OFS, work on key parts of our communication efforts with the Tau-USA newsletter. They have been working on compiling the articles as well as translating them for more than 10 years. Their efforts have produced 32 newsletters in English and Spanish. Their consistent labor of love is a gift for the OFS-USA. Combined with efforts from the website committee members, we have all versions of the newsletter since 1987 posted to the website. https:// www.secularfranciscansusa.org/tau-usa-newsletter/
Unfortunately, we aren’t able to list all the volunteers here by name. Thanks to all who have been and will be willing to accept appointments!
Because an appointment should not be considered a life-long commitment, the NEC is soliciting applications for our Commission Chairs―National Formation, National Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation, and National Youth/Young Adult, and the Tau-USA Editor in this newsletter. The NEC will solicit applications for other appointed positions in future Tau-USA editions.