|
Community Outreach
The Franciscan spirit asks us to use the gifts God has given us to make our world a better place to live. The Conventual Franciscan friars try to live up to this idea.
In this section, we feature local news reflective of the Franciscan spirit of reaching out to those less fortunate than ourselves as well as ongoing projects that are run to improve the quality of life in communities throughout North America and beyond.
Franciscan Week
A number of Conventual Franciscan Friars who serve the people of the Eastern United States and Canada
The Franciscan Church of St. Bonaventure in Toronto, Ontario will begin its Franciscan Week this Saturday (October 1). The week covers two very important days in the lives of all Franciscans and those who are close to them: October 3 – The Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi and October 4 – Francis’ feast day.
The Transitus of St. Francis marks Francis' transition from death to life. The next day the world celebrates the gift of St. Francis to the Church and his place among the saints. At St. Bonaventure Parish during the week that surrounds those two important days, the Conventual Franciscan Friars have organized many interesting and spiritually fulfilling events. These include a town hall meeting with Friar Paul Lininger – St. Bonaventure’s new pastor, an animal blessing, a Feast of St. Francis Liturgy, and the Welcoming of the Pilgrim Cross.
The Pilgrim Cross is special to the Conventual friars of Immaculate Conception Province and St. Anthony of Padua Province. It has been traveling to Conventual Franciscan-staffed parishes and ministries in those two provinces, which cover the Eastern United States and Canada. At each stop the cross has brought communities together in prayer while reminding them of their Franciscan interconnectedness. This interconnectedness is particularly important as both Immaculate Conception Province and St. Anthony of Padua Province will form a new province in 2014. In this new entity the friars will better serve the vulnerable and spiritually hungry people of Canada and the USA.
(Source of all related images on webpage and homepage: www.stbonaventure.ca.)
Ongoing Projects
St. Clare Inn (Toronto, Ontario) - A transitional home for women who have battled mental health problems. The St. Clare Inn - founded by The Friends of St. Francis - provides a safe welcoming space
with clean private rooms, food, and counseling facilities to help residents start healthy independent lives.
Franciscan Collaborative Ministries (Syracuse, New York) - A multi-pronged community organization with the intention of revitalizing the North Side of Syracuse, New York. FCM offers many services to improve the lives of the poor. These include: The Poverello Health Services, Coffee and Donuts, Soup and Scripture, Legal Assistance, and others.
El Padrecito's Online Church (Arroyo Grande, California) - Founded by Friar Masseo Gonzalez, OFM Conv, the church ministers to thousands of troubled youths around the United States.
FrancisCorps (Syracuse, New York) - FrancisCorps allows young college graduates from age 21 to 25 to live together in community and volunteer to improve lives in impoverished areas of Syracuse and Costa Rica.
The Franciscan Center (Buffalo, New York) - The Franciscan Center welcomes troubled young men who need help reintegrating into family and community life. It provides a welcoming non-judgmental atmosphere along with necessities for emergency situations.
|
