Do you desire a life of peace, simplicity and in harmony with Nature? Do you strive daily to live a Gospel life in a secular world? Perhaps you have a vocation to the Secular Franciscan Order.
The Secular Franciscan Order is a Religious Order within the Catholic Church, for men and women who seek to fully live their baptismal call, in following a “Rule” of Life that was originally written by St. Francis of Assisi and has since been adapted to today’s circumstances.
As a Lay Order, we are called to live in the world and transform it. Our vocation is to follow Jesus as did St. Francis, in living the Gospel as a way of life. St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), the son of a wealthy cloth merchant, lived a life of comfort and dreamed of achieving worldly glory and knighthood. Then the Lord called him to “rebuild His Church.” He turned from a life of indulgence to a life of conversion and service. In 1209, Francis established the First order of the Franciscan family (Order of Friars Minor) for men.
Inspired by the change in Francis, Clare of Assisi also left her wealth and family to find the Gospel truth. She helped St. Francis to found the Second Order (Poor Clare‘s) in 1212.
Finally in 1221, Francis instituted the Third Order, which has two major divisions. The first division comprises Secular Franciscans who keep their commitments to their families, homes, or work. The second division is the Third Order Regular: they are priests, brothers and sisters but follow a different rule (#1221) than the former. The purpose of the Third Order is to live a life of the Good News of Christ and be a living light and legacy to the world.
St. Clare’s Fraternity is a vocation community where we enrich our sense of the Church, and our Franciscan spirituality and ministry. We strive to encounter the living person of Jesus in each other and we embrace continuous conversion through the Scriptures, the Liturgical Prayer and the Sacraments.
We seek to live simply, valuing people above material possessions, and sharing what we have with others. We respect all creations of God and that they belong to God. Each of us has different charisma, hence different apostolates. We reach out to the needy and the marginalized and promote social justice. We work for peace and reconciliation, and uphold families as a sign of peace, fidelity and respect for life. We embrace work as a gift through which we share God’s creation, and as evangelization and service to others.
The rule and life of the Secular Franciscan, Article 4, states: “To observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of St. Francis of Assisi who made Christ the inspiration and the centre of his life with God and people. Christ, the gift of the Father’s love, is the way to him, the Truth into which the Holy Spirit leads us, and the life which he has come to give abundantly. Secular Franciscans should devote themselves especially to careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to gospel.”
Secular Franciscans do not take vows. Instead, we “profess” (promise) to observe for life the Rule of the Franciscan Order. This imposes no obligation that bind us under pain of sin, except for those that bind all Catholics.
We invite you to meet with us and discern whether you are called by the Spirit of God to become an expression of the Gospel in the manner of St. Francis and St Clare. For more information please contact:
Nicole Poudrier, OFS, Minister of St. Clare’s Fraternity (Chilliwack)
604-824-0509
