OFS: Plain and Simple Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC - PowerPoint Presentation

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Slide1

OFS:

Plain and Simple

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

1Slide2

The Rule of 1978 (The Pauline Rule)

Reinforces the nature of our “Order”

“Secular” Franciscan

We are Christ-Like and in the world

Return to the principles of the Founder (St. Francis)

The

OFS – An Action oriented OrderIs it “individual action” or “group action”?

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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Starting out: new members?

Stages to profession

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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Starting out: Can you commit?

 ”Since you may be someone we haven’t met before, we need to know if you will be able to attend our monthly formation sessions and Fraternity gatherings. Our community gatherings keep us growing in the Franciscan spirit and strengthen our living of the Gospel. If you know that such gatherings would be impossible for you to attend, it may give us indications about the reality of your call to the

OFS,

at least at this time in your life. Or we may be able to direct you to another Fraternity with gatherings at a time more amenable to your schedule.”

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

4Slide5

Initial Interview

See HandoutImpediments to becoming OFS?What are the signs of a vocation?These issues should be discerned through interview during first visits phase

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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Formation- Road to being professed

Lester Bach: (2010)The Franciscan Journey: Embracing the Franciscan Vison. Washington, DC: US Conferences of Catholic Bishops: USCCB Pub

Chapter 1-3 Orientation phaseChapter 4-9 Inquiry phaseChapter 10- 33 Candidacy phase

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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Orientation Period

A critical time to discover together: A time of serious and prayerful discernment of the call to

OFS

Discover the visitors reasons for wanting to become a Secular Franciscan

Formation Team

observes

the whole person: physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and interpersonally.Requires good knowledge of catholic faith by the visitorTime: At least 3-4 and maybe 6 months. Determine how much time can be spent on one person….

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

7Slide8

Panel Discussion: On orientation

a brief discussion and opportunity for questions from attendees.

Carol

Lieser

OFS Summer Workshop LTC

8Slide9

Inquirer Stage- Ritual of the Secular Franciscan Order pp 9-10

Ceremony of introduction and WelcomingSimple ceremony performed before fraternity members

Expresses support of inquirer and interest in their journey by members. Occurs within a regular fraternity meeting.Symbols used:

Rule

of

OFS National Statues A wooden Tau may be presented (optional) Six months, at least for this stageCarol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC 9Slide10

Panel discussion of inquirer stage

Question and answer period from attendees

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

10Slide11

Candidates stage

Individual makes a request and states a will to experience the gospel life like St Francis.The request is r/t a possible future profession commitment to live this way of life.

Rite of Admission Franciscan Ritual pp11-17Occurs within a fraternity meeting; not within a Eucharistic celebration (p 4 Ritual)

Presentation of a Crucifix

(ideally a San

Damiano

Cross), Candle, a Tau. A copy of the Gospels is often given .. This may vary!Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC 11Slide12

Process

You may consider holding an interview with the future candidate and the councilAllows better view of the individual and gives the individual another opportunity to consider if this is a good path to pursue.

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

12Slide13

Panel discussion of Candidate Phase of Formation

Questions and Answers: What would you like to know about this phase?

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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Rite of Profession

The candidate writes a letter asking for acceptance. This is voted on by the fraternity’s council with aid of Spiritual Assistant. The vote is a closed ballot, anonymous vote.

Public and ecclesial actPerformed at a Eucharistic celebration or at appropriate celebration of Liturgy of the Word.

Expresses permanent commitment to Gospel LifeCarol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

14Slide15

Determining candidate’s acceptance

Council conducts an interview with the future professed individuals

Development of a protocol for this interview by Manuel Cortez, our regional Spiritual Assistant– see handoutImportant to include fraternity members in discernment process prior to council interviews

Based on article 39-41 of Constitution for profession

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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Panel discusses profession

What questions do you have?

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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Commitment means:

Renewal of one’s consecration and promises at Baptism and Confirmation

Dedication of self to God through his people with all consequences flowing from thisLiving in union with God and holding firm to His plan of salvation, A consecration that is to be lived in the world

Incorporation into the OFS, which is a harmonious union of all members who promise to live the gospel after the example of St Francis of AssisiRemaining in a secular vocation either as laity or clergy

Desire to live in the world and for the world

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

17Slide18

Commitment is:

Desiring to live the gospel for the whole of one’s

lifeCollaborating in building a more fraternal world

Experiencing the joy of sharing the journey of gospel life with other membersBeing incorporated into the local fraternity, which is an integral part of the church. The journey continues throughout one’s life

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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More questions

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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Promises, not VOWS, of Obedience

Secular Franciscans do not make vows of obedience

. This would be incompatible with a normal family life and our secular and lay work. Secular Franciscans

live the spirit of the evangelical counsel of obedience which is obedience to the Gospel, to the Church, to the Rule and to one’s conscience.

… I promise to live…the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by observing its rule of life.

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC 20Slide21

Discussion

VOWS are not made; PROMISES are made!

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

21Slide22

Commitment process (Ritual pp 18-26)

Received by the minister of the fraternity in the name of the Church and Fraternity

Priest presides as a witness of the Church’s hierarchy and of the Franciscan family. A Franciscan priest is preferred.

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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Our mission as Secular Franciscans

“Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation.” -Mark 16:15

“……….going from gospel to life, and life to the gospel.”

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

23Slide24

Responsibilities for each member

•

A Life-long commitment •

Attends Fraternity meetings (gatherings)

• Contributes to the common fund • Participates actively in Community • Participates in on-going formation • Willingly performs duties when asked

•

Votes and may be elected to office

•

Transfers Fraternities when moves

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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“It’s a question of discipline,” the little prince told me. “When you’ve finished washing and dressing each morning, you must then tend the planet!”

Antoine

de Saint

Exupéry

in “The Little Prince”

What is your responsibility to your secular vocation? Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC 25Slide26

Membership Category

Regularly attend monthly fraternity meetings

Voting rights in the Fraternity

Fraternity common fund contributes Fair Share to Region

A professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order

Visitor &/or Inquirer

Yes

No

No

No

Candidate

Yes

No

Yes

No

Active Professed

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Excused Professed

Requires Action by Fraternity Council

Yes

Yes

Yes

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

26Slide27

Fraternity

Council

Meetings

Monthly

Reports given by

Minister Vice Minister Secretary

Treasurer

Formation Director

Spiritual Assistant

Other as appropriate

Agenda, Minutes, Attendance

Record

Planning of activities for fraternity

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

27Slide28

Monthly Fraternity Meetings

•Initial Formation monthly

•Prayer Service

•On-Going Formation •

Business Meeting

-Ritual to open meeting

-Minutes and Treasurers Report -Old Business -New Business - Reports (Formation & Apostolates) •Close with Ritual/Prayer/Blessing •Community Social Time Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

28Slide29

Fraternity: Records/Information to Keep

Secretary/Treasurer reports

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

29Slide30

Professed

OFS

Members:

Member information: address, phone, e-mail, nearest relative

Copy of Profession document

Copy of Transfer documents

Roster of all members – categories separated Keep current – probably every 6 months

Name tags for use at meetings/events

Photographic album (s)

Fraternity Banner

Library

Items with special significance to the Fraternity

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

30Slide31

System to Preserve Docs

:

Canonical Establishment Document

SFO Rule, Constitutions & Statutes/Guides

Fraternity Guidelines

Meeting sign-in book (bound) Activities Records (special events) Fraternity Ledger (bound)

Regional/Spiritual Assistant Visitation

Repts

Fraternity Elections – dates, results

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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Formation documents

:

Separate file for each visitor/inquirer

Interview documents

Formation attendance-subjects covered

Copies of any records supplied by individual

Copy of profession documentCarol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

32Slide33

Correspondence & Minutes

:

Letters & e-mails – phone calls

Province/Provincial Spiritual Assistant

National SFO (letters TAU USA)

lostrescompaneros.org Local Spiritual Assistant

Other Fraternities

Other entities (Chancery, local parish, community groups, friaries, convents,

etc

)

Meeting Minutes (General and Council)

Prayer Services

Annual reports to the region

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

33Slide34

Region---

Los

Tres

Companeros/The Three Companions

Established in 1994

Council: Minister of each fraternity in Region

Exec Council:

Minister, Josh

Molidor

Vice minister,

Pura

Reyna, vice minister

Spiritual formation director, Carol

Lieser

Secretary, Dolores Boswell

Treasurer, Chuck

Lieser

Spiritual Assistant, Manuel Cortez

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

34Slide35

Portions and portion councilors

Angelo

(

North–Jorge

Sosing

, OFS)Alternate-Norma Patricia Carranza (Paty), OFS

Leo (Central –

Richard

Mendiola

, OFS

)

Alternate– Ron Martinez OFS

Rufino

(South – Mary

Vielma

OFS

Alternate-

Oralia

Garza, OFS

Carol

Lieser

OFS Summer Workshop LTC

35Slide36

OFS Regions in the USA

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

36Slide37

The Franciscan Trilogy

First, Second and Third Order

It is the first (and only) religious experience, preordained to apostolic life, born

simultaneously

and

coordinated

to involve all states of life. A common FounderSame Charism & Same Mission in different states of life, interdependent and

complementary

: all three for the marvelous operation

Independence and Unity: Vital interconnection

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

37Slide38

The Nature of the

OFS

The Franciscan nomenclature is inspired by this historical and juridical classification, with some small changes:

First Order – Religious and Clerics with Vows

Second Order – Consecrated

nuns (Poor

Clares

)

Third Order – men and women, married or single, living in their families and working in the “world”; diocesan priests, deacons,

TORs, clerics and religious

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

38Slide39

Nature of the Relationship with Franciscan Religious and Assistance

In the context of the present church legislation, it is not the 1st Order and TOR that has received the “privilege” (Can 315) of jurisdiction over the

OFS (altius

moderamen) but it is the

OFS

that has received from the Apostolic See the privilege

(can. 312 §3) of being under the jurisdiction of the 1st Order & TOR, to achieve its spiritual good.The 1st Order and TOR must offer the service of spiritual assistance

not because of a law instituted by St. Francis, nor by its own initiative,

but for an explicit request by the Apostolic See.

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

39Slide40

The unbreakable bond of the three orders

… In various ways and forms but in life-giving (

comm

)union with each other, they (the brothers and sisters of the three Orders) intend to make present the charism of their common Seraphic Father in the life and mission of the Church.

It follows that both the spiritual assistance and the

altius

moderamen must always be referred to

vital reciprocity and viewed in the

perspective of fraternity

which binds indissolubly the three Orders of the Franciscan Family. From this comes the vocational necessity of a reciprocal spiritual dependence and of mutual assistance.

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

40Slide41

Food for thought

Secular

Franciscans are “not vowed religious

”.

Describe what that really means to each of us as we make our way in the world.

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

41Slide42

Explain what an “order” is

Group discussion

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

42Slide43

Discussion point

Explain the “basic unit” of the

OFS.

How does this

basic unit relate

to a “Region” and how do Regions Relate to

NaFra and to CIOFS? Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC 43Slide44

Carol

Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

44

Immaculata

- Arlington

St. Angela -

San Angelo

San

Damiano

-

Dallas

St. Francis of Assisi

- Dallas

Señor

Santo

Niño - Dallas

Local Fraternities within

our Region

http

://

lostrescompañeros.org

/

Padre

Pio

- Georgetown

St

. Francis

of

Assisi -

San Antonio

Sacred Heart -

Austin

San

Jose -

San

Antonio

St

. Jose

Obrero

-

Mc Allen

Sts

. Francis

&

Clare-

Victoria

San Bonaventura

FW- emerging

St. Clare -

Crowley

St

. Paschal

Baylon

-

Weslaco

San Antonio De Padua

–

Hebbronville

San Felipe De

Jesus

–

LaredoSlide45

Hierarchical structure

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

45

Local fraternities

Region of OFS

International Fraternity

CIOFS

National Fraternity

NaFra

Angelo Portion

Rufino

Portion

Leo Portion

Los

Tres

Compañeros

Region Slide46

Authority

In the

OFS, there is a Council and its Minister, and not the other way around. The Minister is obliged to do what the Council decides (the Minister is part of it and presides over it

).The election of a Minister does not confer on him/her the power to do what he/she wants, but only the power to serve the brothers and sisters, help them and love them

(

cfr

GG.CC. 31.2).Nature of authority in the Order must be understood always in the spirit of the two verbs used in our Rule and Constitutions: animate and guide – not command and prescribe. Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC 46Slide47

Authority in the OFS

The governing bodies of the

OFS do also have authority. This specifically applies to:

The admission and reception

of

Profession

in nomine EcclesiaeThe presidency of elective chapters of Fraternities of the lower levels.The fraternal visits, in which the visitor has the authority and the duty to suggest, and at times impose, measures when fraternity is not authentically lived or the Rule is clearly violated or, in general, when there are objectively severe problems.The possibility of suspending or removing from the Order.

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

47Slide48

Other categories to be aware of

We will cover these in future workshops. Regional Guidelines Title 13; Canon 92-98

We are not covering these areas todayWithdrawal from fraternity

VoluntaryInvoluntary Lapsed Voluntary

Involuntary

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

48Slide49

Discussion

Define the relationship between the

OFS

and the First Order/TOR?

Describe the “Nature of Authority” in the

OFS.

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC 49Slide50

Review

Profession incorporates the individual person in the entire Order as a whole

and not only into a local Fraternity. Only in the

awareness of our belonging to the entire Order

, can we fulfill our vocation to fraternity and make present the charism of St. Francis, individually and as an Order, in the life and mission of the Church.

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

50Slide51

Review

The

rule of

subsidiarity

, is fundamental: local Fraternities are the mainstay of the Order: in them the brothers and sisters live. Fraternities have (they all should) a broad self-determination capacity and what they can

legally

do should be done without undue intrusions by the higher levels.The

regional and national governing councils are organs of connection and coordination,

not of command. They are structures to serve, to guide and to animate, to establish bridges between fraternities

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

51Slide52

Discussion

Do you still have questions about the OFS?

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

52Slide53

Question to ponder

Do you understand what a commitment to Franciscan promises means? Discuss what this means to you.

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

53Slide54

References/Resources

Bach, Lester (2010). The Franciscan Journey: Embracing the Franciscan Vision

. Wash, DC: USCCB. Formation text for orientees, inquirers and candidates to the OFS.

CNSA (2011). Franciscan Family Connections: program for preparing people to serve as Spiritual Assistants to the SFO (Rev Ed.)

Lindsborg,KS

: Smokey Valley Printing.

Missionary Sisters of the Society of St Paul the Apostle in the State of NY. (1982). Francis and Clare: The complete works. Trans by Regis J Armstrong OFM, CAP and Ignatius C. Brady, OFM. NY: Paulist Press. Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC 54Slide55

References/Resources

Ritual of the Secular Franciscan Order (1985). Cinti, OH: St Anthony Messenger Press.

Los Tres

Compañeros - The Three Companions Region

lostrescompaneros.org

The

Tau --quarterly newsletter from NAFRAEssential Documents of the Secular Franciscan Order Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order - https://www.nafra-sfo.org/sforule.htmlGeneral Constitution of Secular Franciscans www.nafra-sfo.org/GC2000.docInternational Order of Secular Franciscans

http://www.ciofs.org

/

Los

Tres

Compañeros

Regional Guidelines.

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

55Slide56

More references

Bach, Lester (2014). Giving life to the words: a spiritual commentary on the Secular Franciscan

constituions. Smoky Valley Printing.

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

56Slide57

Regional Guidelines

Copies now available in English and Spanishlostrescompaneros.org

Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC

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St Francis of Assisi

Pray for US!