The Fraternity Council

The Council of the Glory of the Most High Fraternity 2024-27, elected November 10, 2024. 

From left, Rich Backlas, OFS (Spiritual Assistant), Mary Smith, OFS (Councilor), Lee Strong, OFS (Minister), Nancy Strong, OFS (Formation Director), Donna White, OFS (Treasurer), Sue Boyer Reid, OFS (Secretary), Betty Annechino, OFS (Vice Minister).  

 

Pax et bonum

The Canticle of the Creatures

The CANTICLE OF CREATURES:

A Profound Hymn of Praise to God

 

This year is the 800^th Anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures. The following is from Our Lady of Indiana Regional Fraternity.

 

The "Canticle of Creatures" (also known as the "Canticle of the Sun") is a lyrical hymn attributed to St. Francis of Assisi and is one of the earliest pieces of vernacular Italian literature.

 

Written around 1224, this canticle reflects St. Francis's deep reverence for God's creation and his profound spirituality.

 

It is a cornerstone of Catholic thought on the relationship between humanity, God, and the natural world, embodying humility, gratitude, and a universal sense of brotherhood.

Let us delve into its historical context, theological depth, and spiritual significance.

 

Historical Context

 

St. Francis composed the canticle during a time of personal suffering and societal unrest. He was gravely ill, partially blind, and nearing the end of his life.

Despite his physical ailments, Francis's soul overflowed with joy and gratitude for God's creation.

 

His canticle was written as a song of praise to God for the beauty and harmony of the world, reflecting his recognition of all creation as a mirror of God's goodness.

 

Structure of the Canticle

 

The hymn is poetic and divided into stanzas, each expressing gratitude for specific elements of creation. Key themes include:

 

1. Praise of God

The opening verses establish the foundation of the hymn: all creation exists to glorify God. St. Francis exclaims:

 

> “Most High, all-powerful, good Lord, yours are the praises, the glory, the honor, and all blessing. To you alone, Most High, do they belong, and no man is worthy to mention your name.”

 

This introduction emphasizes God's transcendence and immanence, a recognition of God's supreme authority and intimate presence in creation.

 

2. Brother Sun

 

Francis refers to the sun as “Brother Sun,” acknowledging its essential role in sustaining life:

 

> “Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, who is the day and through whom You give us light.”

 

The sun symbolizes Christ, the “Light of the World” (John 8:12), whose radiance illuminates both the physical and spiritual realms.

 

3. Sister Moon and the Stars

 

> “Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful.”

 

Francis sees the moon and stars as reflections of divine beauty and order, evoking a sense of awe and wonder at the Creator's design.

 

4. Brother Wind and Sister Water

 

> “Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind, and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every kind of weather through whom You give sustenance to Your creatures.”

 

“Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water, which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.”

 

These verses highlight the interconnectedness of all creation. Wind represents movement and spirit, while water, humble and life-giving, mirrors God's grace in baptism.

 

5. Brother Fire

 

> “Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire, through whom You light the night, and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.”

 

Fire, while powerful and potentially destructive, is also a source of warmth and light, symbolizing God's refining power and the Holy Spirit's purifying presence.

 

6. Sister Mother Earth

 

> “Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.”

 

St. Francis personifies Earth as a nurturing mother, emphasizing humanity's dependency on the land. This verse underscores the Catholic commitment to stewardship of the environment.

 

7. Sister Death

 

> “Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no one living can escape.”

 

Francis addresses death with peace and acceptance, viewing it not as an end but as a transition to eternal life. This reflects the Catholic teaching on the resurrection and eternal union with God.

 

Theological Themes

 

1. Praise and Thanksgiving:

The Canticle is a litany of gratitude, celebrating God's glory revealed through creation.

 

2. Universal Brotherhood:

By addressing elements of nature as "brother" or "sister," Francis emphasizes the familial bond shared by all of God's creation.

 

3. Ecological Awareness:

St. Francis anticipates the modern call for environmental stewardship, seeing nature as a sacred gift entrusted to humanity.

 

4. Christ-Centric Vision:

The Canticle reflects Christological themes, particularly light, humility, and death, paralleling the life and mission of Jesus.

 

5. Simplicity and Humility:

The hymn models Franciscan poverty and detachment, finding joy not in material wealth but in the Creator's gifts.

 

Spiritual Significance

 

The "Canticle of Creatures" serves as a profound meditation on God's presence in the world. It invites us to:

 

Foster Gratitude: Recognizing the blessings of creation leads to a deeper appreciation of God's providence.

 

Embrace Humility: Humanity is reminded of its place within the web of creation, neither above nor separate from it.

 

Seek Unity: The canticle's inclusive language calls for harmony with nature, God, and others.

 

Relevance Today

 

The Canticle of Creatures remains remarkably relevant in contemporary Catholicism:

 

1. Pope Francis and Laudato Si’:

Pope Francis draws heavily from the Canticle in his encyclical Laudato Si’ (2015), which addresses the urgent need for ecological conversion.

 

2. Environmental Stewardship:

The hymn inspires Catholics to advocate for sustainable living, recognizing ecological care as a moral obligation.

 

3. Spiritual Renewal:

In a fragmented world, the canticle reminds us to find unity and peace in the Creator's presence.

 

CONCLUSION

 

The "Canticle of Creatures" is a timeless masterpiece of faith, ecology, and spirituality.

St. Francis's poetic celebration of creation draws us closer to God, urging us to see the divine fingerprint in every element of the natural world.

 

It challenges us to live with gratitude, humility, and a commitment to harmony with all of creation.

 

As we meditate on its verses, we are called to echo its praise in our lives, becoming stewards of the beauty and sanctity of God's creation.

Pax et bonum

Looking at the Rule - Paragraph 3

Looking at the Rule

 

This year Franciscans are celebrating the 800^th anniversary of the Later Rule. Our own Rule was revised in 1978. This is the fifth of a series of articles looking at that Rule.   

 

3. The present rule, succeeding Memoriale propositi (1221) and the rules approved by the Supreme Pontiffs Nicholas IV and Leo XIII, adapts the Secular Franciscan Order to the needs and expectations of the Holy Church in the conditions of changing times. Its interpretation belongs to the Holy See and its application will be made by the General Constitutions and particular statutes.

 

Comments: Our current Rule is the fourth expression of the Rule. While the language is updated, the principle of Franciscan gospel living remains unchanged. It is applied to the “changing times” to keep it relevant. At the same time, the Rule recognizes the authority of the Church – the Holy See. This fidelity to and faithful relationship with Church authorities has been one of the strengths of the Order, helping to sustain it for 800 years.  

Pax et bonum

Looking at the Rule - Paragraph 2

Looking at the Rule

 

This year Franciscans are celebrating the 800^th anniversary of the Later Rule. Our own Rule was revised in 1978. This is the fourth of a series of articles looking at that Rule.   

 

2. The Secular Franciscan Order holds a special place in this family circle. It is an organic union of all Catholic fraternities scattered throughout the world and open to every group of the faithful. In these fraternities the brothers and sisters, led by the Spirit, strive for perfect charity in their own secular state. By their profession they pledge themselves to live the gospel in the manner of St. Francis by means of this rule approved by the Church.

 

Comments: The “family circle” is, of course, the Franciscan family – the First Order (friars), the Second Order (women religious), and the “Third Order,” the Secular Franciscans.

 

As Seculars we support and encourage the first two orders, as well as each other. But we also have a special call to “strive for perfect charity in their own secular state.” We seek to put the Franciscan charism into practice in world.

 

Although “secular,” we are professed members of an official order in the Church. We are more than just a group of lay people who get together regularly.

Pax et bonum

Looking at the Rule - Paragraph 1

Looking at the Rule

 

This year Franciscans are celebrating the 800^th anniversary of the Later Rule. Our own Rule was revised in 1978. This is the third of a series of articles looking at that Rule.   

 

Chapter 1 THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER (OFS)

 

The Franciscan family, as one among many spiritual families raised up by the Holy Spirit in the Church , unites all members of the people of God — laity, religious, and priests — who recognize that they are called to follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi .

 

In various ways and forms but in life-giving union with each other, they intend to make present the charism of their common Seraphic Father in the life and mission of the Church.

 

Comments: There are many spiritual families in the Church raised up by the Holy Spirit. One of those families is our own Franciscan family, which binds together laity, religious, and clergy. All Franciscans work to live out the charism of Father Francis in serving the Church.

 

Those of us who are Secular Franciscans have a vital role to play in the Franciscan Family. We are in community with the other two orders – the friars and the Poor Clares – and with each other. All three parts of the Franciscan family support and complement each other.

 

But we also have a special call to make the spirit of St. Francis present in the world through marriage and raising families, through our work, through our participation in parishes and various ministries, and so on. In doing so, we advance the life and mission of the Church.

Pax et bonum

Looking at the Rule - Prologue 2

Looking at the Rule

 

This year Franciscans are celebrating the 800^th anniversary of the Later Rule. Our own Rule was revised in 1978. This is the second of a series of articles looking at that Rule.   

 

Prologue

Exhortation of Saint Francis to the Brothers and Sisters in Penance

In the name of the Lord!

 

Part Two:

 

Concerning Those Who Do Not Do Penance

 

But all those men and women who are not doing penance and do not receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and live in vices and sin and yield to evil concupiscence and to the wicked desires of the flesh, and do not observe what they have promised to the Lord, and are slaves to the world, in their bodies, by carnal desires and the anxieties and cares of this life (cf. Jn 8:41).

 

These are blind, because they do not see the true light, our Lord Jesus Christ; they do not have the Son of God who is the true wisdom of the Father. Concerning them, it is said "Their skill was swallowed up" (Ps 107:27) and "cursed are those who turn away from your commands" (Ps 119:21). "They see and acknowledge, they know and do bad things and knowingly destroy their own souls.

 

See, you who are blind, deceived by your enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil, for it is pleasant to the body to commit sin and it is bitter to make it serve God because all vices and sins come out and "proceed from the heart of man" as the Lord says in the gospel (cf. Mt 7:21). And you have nothing in this world you would possess the vanities of this world for a long time.

 

But you have been deceived, for the day and the hour will come to which you give no thought and which you do not know and of which you are ignorant. The body grows infirm, death approaches, and so it dies a bitter death, and no matter where or when or how man dies, in the guilt of sin, without penance or satisfaction but does not do it.

The devil snatches the soul from his body with such anguish and tribulation that no one can know it except he who endures it, and all the talents and power and "knowledge and wisdom" (2 Chr 1:17) which they thought they had will be taken away from them (cf. Lk 8:18; Mk 4:25), and they leave their goods to relatives and friends who take and divide them and say afterwards, "Curse be his soul because he could have given us more, he could have acquired more than he did." They worms eat up the body and so they have lost body and soul during this short earthly life and will go into the inferno where they will suffer torture without end.

 

 All those into whose hands this letter shall have come we ask in the charity that is God (cf.1 Jn 4:17) to accept kindly and with divine love the fragrant words of our Lord Jesus Christ quoted above. And let those who do not know how to read have them read to them.

 

And may they keep them in their mind and carry them out, in a holy manner of the end, because they are "spirit and life" (Jn 6:64). And those who will not do this will have to render "an account on the day of judgement" (cf. Mt 12:36) before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Rom 14:10).

 

Comments

 

The second part of the prologue deals with those who do not do penance – in effect, those who turn from God, and who do not receive His Body and Blood..

 

As a result, they are prone to “live in vices and sin and yield to evil concupiscence and to the wicked desires of the flesh.” They have been blinded, unable to hear the “voice of the Spirit,” and are enslaved by sin. They are warned that they will not know true happiness in this world or the next.

 

The call is to do penance!

Pax et bonum

Looking at the Rule - Prologue 1

Looking at the Rule

 

This year Franciscans are celebrating the 800^th anniversary of the Later Rule. Our own Rule was revised in 1978. This is the first of a series of articles looking at that Rule.   

 

Prologue

Exhortation of Saint Francis to the Brothers and Sisters in Penance

In the name of the Lord!

 

Chapter 1

Concerning Those Who Do Penance

 

All who love the Lord with their whole heart, with their whole soul and mind, with all their strength (cf. Mk 12:30), and love their neighbors as themselves (cf. Mt 22:39) and hate their bodies with their vices and sins, and receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and produce worthy fruits of penance.

 

Oh, how happy and blessed are these men and women when they do these things and persevere in doing them, because “the spirit of the Lord will rest upon them” (cf. Is 11:2) and he will make “his home and dwelling among them” (cf Jn 14:23), and they are the sons of the heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:45), whose works they do, and they are the spouses, brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Mt 12:50).

 

We are spouses, when by the Holy Spirit the faithful soul is united with our Lord Jesus Christ; we are brothers to him when we fulfill “the will of the Father who is in heaven” (Mt 12:50).

 

We are mothers, when we carry him in our heart and body (cf. 1 Cor 6:20) through divine love and a pure and sincere conscience; we give birth to him through a holy life which must give life to others by example (cf. Mt 5:16).

 

Oh, how glorious it is to have a great and holy Father in heaven! Oh, how glorious it is to have such a beautiful and admirable Spouse, the Holy Paraclete.

 

Oh, how glorious it is to have such a Brother and such a Son, loved, beloved, humble, peaceful, sweet, lovable, and desirable above all: Our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave up his life for his sheep (cf. Jn 10:15) and prayed to the Father saying:

 

“Oh, holy Father, protect them with your name (cf. Jn 17:11) whom you gave me out of the world. I entrusted to them the message you entrusted to me and they received it. They have known that in truth I came from you; they have believed that it was you who sent me. For these I pray, not for the world (cf. Jn 17:9). Bless and consecrate them, and I consecrate myself for their sakes. I do not pray for them alone; I pray also for those who will believe in me through their word (cf. Jn 17:20) that they may be holy by being one, as we are (cf. Jn 17:11). And I desire, Father, to have them in my company where I am to see this glory of mine in your kingdom” (cf. Jn 17:6-24).

 

Observations:

 

In this prologue, Saint Francis begins by listing some key components of being one who does penance, by which he means a person who has turned toward God. Those are:

 

Love of God

Love of Neighbor

Hatred of Vice and Sin

Receiving the Eucharist

Producing Worthy Fruits of Penance

These are all part of our call as Christians, but as Franciscans we are called to give these elements added focus. He notes that those who love the Lord have a deep, familial relationship with Him. We become obedient sons and daughters, spouses, brothers and sisters, and mothers. Saint Francis asks the Father to protect all those “who do penance.”  And in being ones who do penance, we are called, in effect, to mirror Christ in our lives. St. Francis himself set an inspiring example, so mirroring Christ he even received the Stigmata.

Pax et bonum

Pat Cammarata, ofs

May Pat rest in peace.

Pax et bonum

Transitus 2022

More than 50 people gathered at the St. Padre Pio Chapel October 3 to celebrate the Transitus of St. Francis with a Mass and a reception. The Mass and reception were cosponsored by The Glory of the Most High Secular Franciscan Fraternity and The Immaculate Heart of Mary Secular Franciscan Fraternity. 

Father Dave Baetzold was the concelebrant of the Mass. The main celebrant was Fr. Joe Catanise, OFS.

We collected food for a local food pantry.

Pax et bonum

Saint Junipero Serra

In 1776, when the American Revolution was beginning in the east, another part of the future United States was being born in California. That year a gray-robed Franciscan founded Mission San Juan Capistrano, now famous for its annually returning swallows. San Juan was the seventh of nine missions established under the direction of this indomitable Spaniard.

Born on Spain’s island of Mallorca, Serra entered the Franciscan Order taking the name of Saint Francis’ childlike companion, Brother Juniper. Until he was 35, he spent most of his time in the classroom—first as a student of theology and then as a professor. He also became famous for his preaching. Suddenly he gave it all up and followed the yearning that had begun years before when he heard about the missionary work of Saint Francis Solano in South America. Junipero’s desire was to convert native peoples in the New World.

Arriving by ship at Vera Cruz, Mexico, he and a companion walked the 250 miles to Mexico City. On the way Junipero’s left leg became infected by an insect bite and would remain a cross—sometimes life-threatening—for the rest of his life. For 18 years, he worked in central Mexico and in the Baja Peninsula. He became president of the missions there.

Enter politics: the threat of a Russian invasion south from Alaska. Charles III of Spain ordered an expedition to beat Russia to the territory. So the last two conquistadors—one military, one spiritual—began their quest. José de Galvez persuaded Junipero to set out with him for present-day Monterey, California. The first mission founded after the 900-mile journey north was San Diego in 1769. That year a shortage of food almost canceled the expedition. Vowing to stay with the local people, Junipero and another friar began a novena in preparation for St. Joseph’s day, March 19, the scheduled day of departure. On that day, the relief ship arrived.

Other missions followed: Monterey/Carmel (1770); San Antonio and San Gabriel (1771); San Luís Obispo (1772); San Francisco and San Juan Capistrano (1776); Santa Clara (1777); San Buenaventura (1782). Twelve more were founded after Serra’s death.

Junipero made the long trip to Mexico City to settle great differences with the military commander. He arrived at the point of death. The outcome was substantially what Junipero sought: the famous “Regulation” protecting the Indians and the missions. It was the basis for the first significant legislation in California, a “Bill of Rights” for Native Americans.

Because the Native Americans were living a nonhuman life from the Spanish point of view, the friars were made their legal guardians. The Native Americans were kept at the mission after baptism lest they be corrupted in their former haunts—a move that has brought cries of “injustice” from some moderns.

Junipero’s missionary life was a long battle with cold and hunger, with unsympathetic military commanders and even with danger of death from non-Christian native peoples. Through it all his unquenchable zeal was fed by prayer each night, often from midnight till dawn. He baptized over 6,000 people and confirmed 5,000. His travels would have circled the globe. He brought the Native Americans not only the gift of faith but also a decent standard of living. He won their love, as witnessed especially by their grief at his death. He is buried at Mission San Carlo Borromeo, Carmel, and was beatified in 1988. Pope Francis canonized him in Washington, D.C., on September 23, 2015.

Pax et bonum

Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, Secular Franciscan

Elizabeth is usually depicted in royal garb with a dove or an olive branch. At her birth in 1271, her father Pedro III, future king of Aragon, was reconciled with his father James, the reigning monarch. This proved to be a portent of things to come. Under the healthful influences surrounding her early years, she quickly learned self-discipline and acquired a taste for spirituality.

Thus fortunately prepared, Elizabeth was able to meet the challenge when at the age of 12, she was given in marriage to Denis, king of Portugal. She was able to establish for herself a pattern of life conducive to growth in God’s love, not merely through her exercises of piety, including daily Mass, but also through her exercise of charity, by which she was able to befriend and help pilgrims, strangers, the sick, the poor—in a word, all those whose need came to her notice. At the same time she remained devoted to her husband, whose infidelity to her was a scandal to the kingdom.

Denis, too, was the object of many of her peace endeavors. Elizabeth long sought peace for him with God, and was finally rewarded when he gave up his life of sin. She repeatedly sought and effected peace between the king and their rebellious son Alfonso, who thought that he was passed over to favor the king’s illegitimate children. She acted as peacemaker in the struggle between Ferdinand, king of Aragon, and his cousin James, who claimed the crown. And finally from Coimbra, where she had retired as a Franciscan tertiary to the monastery of the Poor Clares after the death of her husband, Elizabeth set out and was able to bring about a lasting peace between her son Alfonso, now king of Portugal, and his son-in-law, the king of Castile.

Pax et bonum

Franciscans and Just War

From our weekly News Notes - 

In a recent interview (carried in Vatican News July 1), Pope Francis said in response to a question,


“I believe it is time to rethink the concept of a ‘just war.’ A war may be just, there is the right to defend oneself. But we need to rethink the way that concept is used nowadays. I have said that the use and possession of nuclear weapons are immoral. Resolving conflicts through war is saying no to verbal reasoning, to being constructive. Verbal reasoning is very important. Now I am referring to our daily behavior. When you are talking to some people, they interrupt you before you have finished. We don’t know how to listen to one another. We don’t let people finish what they are saying. We must listen. Receive what they have to say. We declare war in advance, that is, we stop dialoguing. War is essentially a lack of dialogue.”

The “just war theory” is one that has been debated since articulated by St. Augustine and later explicated by St. Thomas Aquinas.

The theory (and some of its implications) is stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

2309 The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration. The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time:

- the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;
- all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;
- there must be serious prospects of success;
- the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modern means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

These are the traditional elements enumerated in what is called the "just war" doctrine.

The evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good.

2313 Non-combatants, wounded soldiers, and prisoners must be respected and treated humanely.

Actions deliberately contrary to the law of nations and to its universal principles are crimes, as are the orders that command such actions. Blind obedience does not suffice to excuse those who carry them out. Thus the extermination of a people, nation, or ethnic minority must be condemned as a mortal sin. One is morally bound to resist orders that command genocide.

2314 "Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation." A danger of modern warfare is that it provides the opportunity to those who possess modern scientific weapons especially atomic, biological, or chemical weapons - to commit such crimes.

Over the years, theologians have debated whether particular conflicts met the criteria. Some conflicts that were deemed just initially were later called into question due to tactics used, the targeting of civilians, shifting aims of the conflict, and more. And there is often confusion due to the fact that in wars both sides often claim their conflict is just. We see that in the current war in Ukraine.

St. Francis himself provided a model of how to conduct “dialogue.” In 1219 during the Fifth Crusade, he crossed the lines to preach the Gospel to the Sultan of Egypt, Malik al-Kamil, who had himself repeatedly made offers of peace to the Crusaders, all of which were rejected. He even offered to return Jerusalem and rebuild its walls, and to return the True Cross, but these offers were also rejected. So he was open to receiving St. Francis. They spoke for several days, and though Francis’s efforts did not bring peace, they did result in Franciscans being allowed to have free access to the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and led to the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land that continues to this day.

Later, when St. Francis created the Secular Franciscan Order, he included in the first Rule a statement about Secular Franciscans and war.

In the Rule of 1221, Article 16 states, “They are not to take up lethal weapons, or bear them about, against anybody.”

This prohibition on taking up arms led to conflicts with local authorities, who were resentful of the loss of soldiers. There are some historians who suggest this helped to lead to a weakening of feudalism in Italy – and to provide some limits to the frequent local wars.

We see a more recent example in the case of Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, OFS, who, though an Austrian, was conscripted into the German Army during World War II. While he did undergo military training, he refused to take the “Hitler oath,” and, after learning about some of the immoral things the Nazi’s were doing, declared himself a conscientious objector when called to active duty. Despite pressure to conform, he refused to relent. He was executed in 1943, a martyr for the faith.

The Holy Father is right in saying that some wars may be just, so we need to keep that possibility open, but given the nature of war today, it is perhaps time to reevaluate the just war theory and how it is applied. And given the models of St, Francis and Blessed Franz, and our own vocation as Secular Franciscans, we need prayerfully to examine our own understanding of the concept.

After all, we follow St. Francis in greeting others with “Pax et bonum” – “Peace and goodwill.”

Pax et bonum

Saint Benedict the African

This month is Black History Month. The focus tends to be more on African Americans, but certainly is not limited to them.

One Black Franciscan Saint who is honored as a patron by African Americans is Saint Benedict – sometimes called “the Moor,” “the Black,” or “the African.”

Saint Benedict was born in 1526 in San Fratello in Italy. He was the son of two slaves, but as a reward for their service he was set free. He did various kinds of farm work to support himself. In his early 20s, he joined a group of Franciscan-affiliated hermits, and eventually became the leader of the group.

In 1564, Pope Pius IV disbanded independent communities of hermits, ordering them to attach themselves to an established religious Order, so he joined the Order of Friars Minor. He initially served as a cook for the Friary he joined, but when his growing spirituality was recognized, even though he was illiterate and not ordained, be became the master of novices, and then the guardian. In truth, he was forced to accept his election as guardian. When his term ended, he happily returned to his work in the friary kitchen.

He became widely known for his gifts of prayer and the guidance of souls, and his reputation of holiness. Following the example of Saint Francis, Benedict kept seven 40-day fasts throughout the year; he also slept only a few hours each night.

Saint Benedict’s died in 1589. He was canonized in 1807.

Saint Benedict, pray for us.

Pax et bonum

New Fraternity Council

The 2021-24 Council following elections November 14 (from left) Rich Backlas, Spiritual Assistant; Mary Smith, Treasurer; Marilyn Gawlik, Secretary; Nancy Strong, Vice Minister; Lee Strong, Minister, Betty Carmen, Formation Director. 

Pax et bonum

Personal Charitable Action

Personal Active Charity

Mother Teresa once commented, “Love is not patronizing and charity isn’t about pity, it is about love. Charity and love are the same — with charity you give love, so don’t just give money but reach out your hand instead.”

As Franciscans, we are called to give more than money and donations. We are called to reach out with our hands, to take a personal active role as best we can.

St. Francis himself was not afraid to make his charity personal. Thomas of Celano noted in his first life of Francis that our Seraphic Father did more than kiss a leper once.

“And then the holy lover of all humility betook him to the lepers, and was with them, serving them all most zealously for God's sake, washing all foulness from them and even wiping away the matter from the ulcers; even as he says himself in his Testament, ‘For when I was in sin it seemed to me exceeding bitter to look on lepers, but the Lord brought me among them, and I showed mercy unto them.’”

Thus we each need to find ways – based on our particular circumstances – in which we can go beyond donating money and goods, and undertake direct, active works of charity as individuals and as a Fraternity.

Pax et bonum