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Laudato Si Conference

Laudato Si Generation Conference Focuses on Care for Common Home

A report by Kelly Moltzen, OFS, USA New and exciting initiatives, like the Great Green Wall across 11 African countries, were addressed at the The Laudato Si Generation Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya July 15 and 16. It focused on the role of faith and religion in the care for our common home, the role …

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Swiss Secular Franciscan Is Canonized

Swiss Secular Franciscan Marguerite Bays was elevated to sainthood on Oct. 13, 2019, along with four others.  A native of Siviriez in the western Swiss canton of Fribourg, Bays belonged to the Third Order of St. Francis of Assisi. Born in 1815, she was a laywoman from a farming background who dedicated herself to God. She worked as a seamstress, domestic help and …

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Fr. Amando Trujillo Cano Is the New TOR Minister General

ROME — Fr. Amando Trujillo Cano, TOR, who served as general spiritual assistant for the OFS and YouFra for the past six years, was elected minister general of the Third Order Regular (TOR) on June 9, 2019. He succeeded Fr. Nicholas Polichnowski. A musician and song writer, Father Amando was known for bringing his gift …

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Great Britain Holds ‘Beatitudes’ Chapter

Calling it their “Beatitudes” Chapter, Secular Franciscans in Great Britain held a Chapter of Mats June 21-23, 2019, to mark the close of the year celebrating the 40th anniversary of the OFS Rule approved by Pope Blessed Paul VI in 1978. National Minister Betsy Hart, OFS, described the chapter’s theme: “The essence of our Franciscan …

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Cameroon Re-Confirms Minister

The National Fraternity of Cameroon celebrated its elective chapter from August 22 to 24, 2019, at the home of the Xaverian Fathers of Ngodi Bakoko in Douala. The chapter identified five priority themes to be implemented by the new council, including a commitment to form a National YouFra Fraternity. Genesis Ngwambi was re-confirmed as national …

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Bust of Umiliana de' Cerchi

800th Anniversary of Blessed Umiliana de’ Cerchi in 2019

The Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) is celebrating the 800th anniversary of the birth of Blessed Umiliana de’ Cerchi, a Franciscan tertiary who lived and died in Florence, Italy (1219-1246). She was proclaimed blessed in 1694. Festivities took place throughout 2019, thanks to the Friars Minor Conventual at the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence. The …

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Painting of Veronica Antal

Secular Franciscan is beatified – Veronica Antal of Romania

NISIPORESTI, ROMANIA — A 22-year-old Romanian Secular Franciscan – Veronica Antal – was beatified Sept. 23, 2018 as a “martyr to chastity,” six decades after she was murdered while fighting off a would-be rapist during the Communist-era repression of the Catholic Church. Catholic News Service reported that Cardinal Angelo Becciu, prefect of the Vatican Congregation …

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image of Lucien Botovasoa in stage banner

Secular Franciscan is beatified – School teacher Lucien Botovasoa of Madagascar

The Secular Franciscan Order participated in all the preparatory phases of the beatification ceremony. For the great Franciscan family – 1,000 secular and religious — it was a moment to live fraternal joy in one community…during three days of pilgrimage: 13, 14, 15 April 2018.  The pilgrimage began at a church near where Lucien lived …

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