For an article about St. Elizabeth of Hungary and the Secular Franciscan Order, visit http://www.stpetersloop.org/libraries/bulletins/2007_46.pdf
The Secular Franciscan Order – A Different Kind of Vocation
by Diana J. Faust, SFO
“Does this mean you’re a nun?” It’s a question that Cindy Kaduk, SFO, often hears when someone sees the three letters after her name. They become especially confused when they find out that she is married and has three kids.
Cindy is not a nun but a member of the Secular Franciscan Order, a worldwide group approved by the Church that has around 500,000 members. Secular Franciscans are full, equal members of the Franciscan family but do not take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and do not live in community. The Secular Franciscan Order was founded by St. Francis of Assisi in the early 1200’s, right after he founded the Order of Friars Minor (the OFM’s) and the Poor Clares (the Second Order of St. Francis). The Third Order of St. Francis eventually divided into two groups: Third Order Religious and Secular Franciscan Order.
Of the half million Secular Franciscans worldwide, almost 1,000 live in the Chicago Archdiocese. Yet they can be hard to spot. They don’t wear distinctive habits. They don’t even all use S.F.O. after their names. Secular Franciscans can be married or single, retired or working, old or young. They can even be deacons or diocesan priests. They can be sales clerks, lawyers, homemakers, secretaries or anything else.
While most Secular Franciscans work in jobs that are not associated with a ministry, some are blessed to be able to bring their work and their vocation together. Cindy was the coordinator of the full time volunteers at Franciscan Outreach Association, which operates a homeless shelter and soup kitchen in Chicago. (Visit them at www.franoutreach.org.) Another Secular Franciscan there is the Assistant Executive Director / Director of Development. Others serve on the board and volunteer.
Secular Franciscans try to use their actions, instead of words, to define who they are. Cindy was first attracted to the Secular Franciscan way of life by some women in her parish. Like everyone else who was involved in the various ministries, they were faithful, generous people. Yet there was something more. “There was an aura of serenity and peace about them,” said Cindy. “They had a certain simplicity to their lives. They were not so concerned about material things.” Later she found out that they were Secular Franciscans.
Another question that Cindy often hears is “What special rights do you have in the Church?” The answer is: “None.” Being a Secular Franciscan is not about having special privileges or a special “rank” in the Church. Instead, the main focus of the Secular Franciscan’s life is this: “to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and the center of his life with God and people.” This statement comes from the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order which was approved by Pope Paul VI in 1978.
Len Michno, SFO, who is an Assistant Vice President at the First National Bank of Chicago, views his Franciscanism as a way to remind himself of what is really important in life. “Every day when I wake up, I remind myself that I am a Secular Franciscan,” says Len. He asks himself “How am I going to live the gospel today?“ He thinks of the decisions he has to make and the things he has to do and compares them against the standard of love that he finds in the gospels. Being a Secular Franciscan helps him stay focused on what is important. “The prayerfulness of St. Francis of Assisi gives me a lot of inspiration. So do the other Secular Franciscans in my fraternity.”
The fraternity he’s talking about is the one of the basic communities that make up the Secular Franciscan Order. There are 33 fraternities in the Mother Cabrini Region, which includes Chicago, its suburbs, Rockford, Joliet, and Kankakee. (Visit them at www.ilsfo.org.) Fraternities can include anywhere from about 20 to over 100 persons. Most of them meet once a month for two or three hours, but Len’s meets every week for 50 minutes at St. Peter’s Church in the Loop.
At the fraternity meetings, Secular Franciscans pray together, get to know each other, learn about Franciscanism, and help each other figure out how to apply the gospel to their own lives. Most fraternities also have some kind of organized ministry, such as sponsoring a Christian family in India or supporting the work of a soup kitchen. They also talk about the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order and how it works in their lives.
The current Rule was approved by Pope Pius VI in 1978 in response to the Second Vatican Council’s request that religious orders return to the charism of their founder. The new Rule did away with many of the set devotions that the previous Rule, from the late 1800’s, prescribed for Third Order Franciscans. It also changed the name of their order from the Third Order of St. Francis to the Secular Franciscan Order.
Some of the general guidelines for how Secular Franciscans are to follow in the humble footsteps of Jesus and St. Francis are:
· to devote themselves to a careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to the gospel
· to seek to encounter the living and active person of Christ in their brothers and sisters, in sacred scriptures, in the Church, and in liturgical activity
· to proclaim Christ by their life and by their words
· to rebuild the Church by living in full communion with the pope, bishops, and priests, fostering an open and trusting dialogue of apostolic effectiveness and creativity.
Each of these directives comes from some aspect of St. Francis’ life that applies to a Secular Franciscan’s spirituality today. By following St. Francis, Secular Franciscans are not trying to imitate St. Francis but to draw inspiration from his exuberant love for Jesus, the poor, and all of creation.
Like any third order, the Secular Franciscan Order helps its members acquire a definite spiritual shape for their lives in the midst of family or professional commitments. A Third Order does not encourage people to leave their present state in life or their present circumstances, but rather helps them infuse their own unique lives with the strength and inspiration they need to become fully mature with the fullness of Christ. The Secular Franciscan Order is for those people who’s own spirituality can grow deeper by studying and following the example set by St. Francis of Assisi.
Some people who aren’t familiar with the life of St. Francis are surprised to find out that he provides so much inspiration to so many people. Most people associate St. Francis with his love for animals, and little else.
Francis was born into a well-to-do merchant family. He was an outgoing young man who loved parties and dreamed of being a knight. Gradually, he began to see in the poor of his town the reflection of the poor Christ. He found it harder and harder to turn his back on the beggars and lepers who were just about everywhere.
As he began to follow his own path, he turned away from the wealth of his family. He lived “with no place to lay his head” for a while, and began to talk to whom ever would listen about the love of Jesus, who emptied himself and became human and poor for our sakes.
In his own poverty, Francis began to understand what it means to empty himself for Christ’s sake. In his complete dependence on God he found joy and a great deal of freedom. He was at the same time very prayerful and very in tune with the world around him. He respected the dignity of every human being, rich or poor, learned or illiterate. He valued every living creature and inanimate object as brother and sister since they were all created by the same loving God that created him.
By his example, St. Francis challenged the settled security of the religious world of his time. His simple ways and humility shocked a world that valued wealth and power over dependence on God and humility. His constant exhortation to his followers to live the gospel without glossing over the more difficult parts challenged people to rethink the established ways of doing things. The Third Order Franciscans, who were prohibited from bearing arms, are credited with causing the breakdown of the feudal system and the bringing about the dawning of the Renaissance.
Throughout history, many well known people have been Third Order Franciscans. The list includes Dante, Michelangelo, Raphael, Pope John XXIII, Pope Leo XIII, St. Pius X, the Curé of Ars, and possibly Christopher Columbus and Joan of Arc. Some of the many kings, queens, princes, and princesses who were Secular Franciscans are St. Louis IX of France and St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Many Saints and Blesseds were Secular Franciscans.
To become a Secular Franciscan today, a person would contact a fraternity in their area and ask about their formation program. All formation programs include a time of inquiry, in which a person finds out what becoming a Secular Franciscan is all about. Then there is at least a one-year period in which a candidate tries out the Secular Franciscan lifestyle to see if it matches who they are inside. The existing members of the fraternity also use the time to be sure that the person whom they are considering would be a responsible and appropriate member of their Secular Franciscan community. The whole process takes anywhere from eighteen months to three years, depending on the fraternity.
Requirements for joining include being a baptized and practicing Catholic, being of good moral standing, and showing clear signs of a vocation to the Franciscan Order. A vocation, in general, is a call by God to intensify the responsibility of one’s baptism through a particular state in life or a particular Church-approved spiritual family. Some people find that they are more suited to the Third Orders of the Dominicans, Carmelites, Benedictines, or other spiritual family.
At the end of the candidacy program, Secular Franciscans do not take a vow but make a public profession of their intent to always live the gospel of Jesus Christ, after the example of St. Francis, and in accordance with the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order. Profession, however, is just the beginning, and not the end of the journey. Being a Secular Franciscan is a matter of conforming one’s way of thinking and acting to that of Christ by the radical interior change which the gospel calls conversion. This conversion is something that must be carried out every day.
To find a fraternity near you in the Chicago, Rockford, or Kankakee diocese, visit our website at www.ilsfo.org. We’ll put you in touch with a fraternity near you. For other fraternities in the United States, visit www.nafra-sfo.org or elsewhere in the world visit www.ciofs.org/sfo.htm.
For Further Consideration…
A prayer by St. Francis:
Almighty, eternal, just, and merciful God,
grant us miserable ones
the grace to do for you alone
what we know You want us to do
and to always desire what pleases You.
Thus, inwardly cleansed,
interiorly enlightened,
and inflamed by the fire of the Holy Spirit,
may we be able to follow in the footprints
of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
and, by Your grace alone,
may we make our way to You, Most High,
who live and rule
in perfect Trinity
and simple Unity,
and are glorified,
God all-powerful,
for ever and ever,
Amen.
The Secular Franciscan Lifestyle:
Here is an excerpt from the introduction to a book often used in Secular Franciscan formation programs, Fully Mature With the Fullness of Christ, third edition, by Benet A. Fonck, O.F.M., Introduction - page 00-7, ©1995 Franciscan Province of the Sacred Heart, Chicago IL
In order to become
”Fully Mature with the Fullness of Christ," (Eph 4:13, JB)
the Secular Franciscan,
called to holiness within the Church
and prompted by the Spirit to deepen that calling,
like Francis and Clare,
through the Secular Franciscan Order,
with its rich history and development,
observes the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
in community
through a life of penance,
through evangelical simple living,
through a life of prayer, and
through evangelizing with witness and the apostolate
as a secular person with a lay mission
by bearing peace and charity,
by instilling justice and dignity,
by being sensitive and loyal to the Church, and
by witnessing to the Gospel in a public profession
through the example and help of the Blessed Virgin Mary
in intimacy with and conformity to Jesus the Lord.
The Secular Franciscan Rule:
Here are some of the provisions of the Rule of The Secular Franciscan Order that was approved by Pope Pius VI in 1978. Secular Franciscans must work towards
· conforming their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by that radical interior change which the gospel calls conversion
· making prayer and contemplation the soul of all they are and do
· imitating the complete self-giving and prayerfulness of Mary, the Mother of God
· faithfully fulfilling the duties proper to the circumstances of their life, witnessing to the poor and crucified Christ even in difficulties and persecutions
· seeking a proper detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs, freeing themselves from yearning for possession and power, and recognizing that they are stewards of the goods they have received for the benefit of all
· accepting all people as a gift from God and placing themselves on an equal basis with all people, especially the lowly, for whom they shall strive to create conditions of life that are worthy of people redeemed by Christ
· building a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively
· promoting justice by the testimony of their lives and by their initiatives
· esteeming work as both a gift and as a sharing in the creation, redemption, and service of the human community
· cultivating the Franciscan spirit of peace, fidelity, and respect for life, in their families
· respecting all creatures as being created by God
· seeking out ways of unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue, trusting in the divine seed in everyone, and in the transforming power of love and pardon
· striving to bring joy and hope to others
· being immersed in the resurrection of Christ and serenely preparing for their own ultimate encounter with the Father.
This article originally appeared in the Vocations edition of the Joliet Explorer, April 16, 1999.
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