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

Joe Makley, OFS
National JPIC Animator

We can probably agree that “the Church’s best kept secret” is not the most desirable nickname for the Secular Franciscan Order. As a regional vice minister, I was asked to initiate a “vocations ministry” a few years ago. This resulted in a handbook which referenced the national Vocations Toolkit along with best practices from around St. Elizabeth of Hungary region. It can be found at https://stelizabethofs.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SEHRegionVocations-Handbook.2023.pdf

That work was to address primarily the challenge of getting people to know we exist. Individual best practices include: 1. Wear the Tau consistently and be ready to speak when asked about it. 2. When meeting with someone who might be interested, invite them to a fraternity meeting. 3. Be recognizable in tone and demeanor, as a Franciscan, especially on social media. (OFS Rule, Art. 19)

OFS General Constitutions, Article 45:
“… Although nothing can substitute for the witness of each member and of the fraternity, the councils must adopt appropriate means to promote the Secular Franciscan vocation.”

Council best practices include: 1. Organize a “Come and See” event once a year. 2. Develop contacts with pastors at surrounding parishes and arrange to send pulpit speakers to talk to the congregations after Mass, or in another forum. 3. Propose activities to increase visibility in the home parish which can include Franciscan celebrations, Transitus services, animal blessings, anniversaries of profession, shared ministries, and volunteering as a group. 4. Propose activities to take the fraternity outside the parish hall, such as public good works, social action, diocesan events, etc. Be the public face of the Church in the marketplace.

So, let’s say we’ve done all these things, and visitors show up at our meeting. They experience sincere prayer that is liturgical and shows a strong love for the Church. They hopefully catch our non-judgmental love for one another, our tendency toward social interaction, and the presence of shared food. They will learn something new about our Franciscan charism and theology. If it is a planned “Come and see,” they will hear testimonials, and get a sense of the “radical interior change” from personal witness. At the meeting level, we have exercised due diligence in the basics of promoting vocations.

The next level would be the apostolate – our collective courageous action for peace, justice, human dignity, or care for creation that takes us outside the meeting room to fill a need in the community. A visitor invited to participate in an active apostolate will get a much richer look at who we are. The JPIC animators’ handbook explains it this way: by “working with fellow Franciscans in a cooperative, collaborative, manner respecting the gifts and person of each member,” we communicate “an example of the early Christian community… simultaneously ministering not only to the needs of others but also witnessing to the Franciscan identity by the manner in which the ministry is dispensed.” (Adapted from Formators’ guidelines from the Brothers and Sisters of St. Francis Region, 2010.) One way to give life to the apostolate would be to appoint a fraternity contact for Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation, who can be given the time, the responsibility, and the learning opportunities to assist the members in developing this active level of fraternity.

This beloved life of ours, this transformative journey with Christ in Francis’ footsteps, is worth sharing, and we share it best by living it with intensity, joy, and hope.

1 Peter 3:15: “… in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…”