Friars chart a new course
Provincial Minister Mark Soehner address the friars at Chapter.
Today, there are seven Franciscan provinces in the United States. On May 30, 2018, the friars of six of those provinces voted to support the formation of one new organization. It will comprise the almost 1,000 friars belonging to the six provinces and will be headquartered in a yet-to-be-determined location.
This Province (St. John the Baptist Province) was started by a group of immigrant friars from the Province of the Tyrol in Europe. We came in response to an invitation by the Bishop of Cincinnati to help serve the needs of German immigrants. Initially our Mother Province wanted all of us to return. They were suspicious of some of the accommodations we allowed to adjust to a North American climate. For example, in the winter, we wore shoes, not sandals. Through the intervention of Cincinnati Bishop John Baptist Purcell, we persuaded the Minister General to permit us to form a new Province.
Our Franciscan ancestors knew how to adapt to changing circumstances and needs. At present, like our Tyrolean Franciscan ancestors, we are presenting our case to the Minister General in Rome. If we receive a positive reply, we will begin a process of planning that should culminate into one, new Province by 2023.
As an important member of our Franciscan family, we will do our best to keep you updated as things progress. This is an exciting time for us. Our hope is that this coming together will provide a revitalization of the Franciscan Order in the United States. We have six great communities where we will share our prayers, struggles and hopes, like many other families. From this energy and with your continued support we will maintain our service to people on the margins as Jesus taught us.
Please feel free to contact us with your questions or concerns at friarworks@franciscan.org
Blessings,
Fr. Mark
The Franciscan friars of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Province (based in Franklin, Wisc.), Holy Name Province (headquartered in New York City), Our Lady of Guadalupe Province (Albuquerque, N.M.), Sacred Heart Province (St. Louis, Mo.), St. Barbara Province (Oakland, Calif.), and St. John the Baptist Province (Cincinnati, Ohio) have been in dialogue about unifying their communities since 2012.
Fr. Cliff Hennings collects the ballot from Fr. David Kobak
Posted in: Prayer
