Secular Franciscans establish Our Lady of the Philippines Fraternity
Eastern Canada’s Secular Franciscans established the new Fraternity of Our Lady of the Philippines last Saturday, January 28, in rites during a joyful Mass celebrated at the Notre-Dame-des-Philippines Catholic Mission in Montreal.
Witnessed by several parishioners of the Filipino parish and many members of several Secular Franciscan Fraternities from Montreal and Ottawa, the rites took place after the Homily with Rev. Fr. Marc Le Goanvec, ofm – Minister Provincial of the Franciscans of Eastern Canada, Leonarda Mac Neil, ofs- Regional Minister, Eric Lasota, ofs - Regional Vice-Minister , and Bernadette Jalea, ofs- Facilitator assisting. The Mass was preceded by the election of the new council of leaders of the Fraternity composed of 31 initial members of professed men and women . Appointed as Spiritual Adviser to the new Fraternity was Rev. Fr. Andre Comtois, ofm.
The Our lady of the Philippines Fraternity will be part of the Regional Fraternity of Eastern Canada which includes 18 Anglophone SFO fraternities located between the Diocese of Pembroke in Ontario and the Archdiocese of Halifax in Nova Scotia. This Regional Fraternity of the SFO will now include approximately 250 active Secular Franciscans.
The Secular Franciscan Order was established for lay persons by St. Francis of Assisi some 800 years ago in Italy. Local fraternities consist primarily of single and married men and women, but may also include some diocesan clergy. Spiritual assistance for local fraternities is provided under the direction of friars of the First Order of St. Francis. Prior to 1978, the Secular Franciscan Order was known as the “Third Order of St. Francis of Assisi”. The Order now includes some 400,000 members in thousands of fraternities around the world. In Canada, there are more than 4000 members of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, who are organized in 13 Regional Fraternities across the country.
St. Francis never intended to begin a religious order, but his lifestyle of poverty, simplicity and love for the poor attracted men to pray and work with him. Later, women committed themselves to the same way of life, foremost among them, St. Clare of Assisi and her order of Poor Clares.
As is the way when God’s work reveals itself through loving and steadfast men and women, millions have asked to follow in their way, including lay men and women as they live and work in the world. These are the Secular Franciscans.
FCMM Weekly Bulletin
February 5, 2012 issue
