1 The Rule of 1978 The Pauline Rule Reinforces the nature of our Order Secular Franciscan We are ChristLike and in the world Return to the principles of the Founder St Francis ID: 694641
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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
2Slide3
Starting out: new members?
Stages to profession
Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC
3Slide4
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
6Slide7
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
13Slide14
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
16Slide17
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
18Slide19
More questions
Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC
19Slide20
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
24Slide25
“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
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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
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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
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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
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Regional Guidelines
Copies now available in English and Spanishlostrescompaneros.org
Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC
57Slide58
Carol Lieser OFS Summer Workshop LTC
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St Francis of Assisi
Pray for US!