Eight hundred years ago Francis of Assisi was praying in a small rundown chapel when he heard the voice of Jesus Christ say to him from the cross that hung over the altar, “Francis, go and repair my church, which as you see is falling to ruin around you.” Although Francis took the words as a charge to rebuild the crumbling chapel in which he prayed, he eventually came to realize that the voice of Christ was directing him to a larger rebuilding program; the spiritual repair of the Catholic Church itself.
Those words, spoken to Francis so long ago, ignited a movement that has gone on for nearly eight centuries. Since that time countless Christians have followed Francis in fulfilling God’s call to repair his church. And the work continues, as it did with Francis and his band of Lesser Brothers, stone by stone and brick by brick in the heart of each person who hears the Franciscan call.
- Our vision is to return to the simplicity, devotion, and service that characterized the life of Jesus Christ and his gospel.
- Our Vision is to once again value God above all things. It is a call to find our greatest joy and our dearest pleasure in God and His Son Jesus Christ.
- Our Vision is to live sacrificially in behalf of the poor and to live simply and frugally so that we can give liberally to a hungry and suffering world.
- Our Vision is to restructure our lives around the daily rhythm of prayer and to so focus our thoughts on the moment by moment presence of God that we once again become accustomed to and enjoy his divine company.
- Our Vision is to take the gospel of Jesus Christ out of the cloister of our homes and churches and back into the highways and byways of our neighborhoods and communities where the people who need to hear the life giving message of Jesus Christ do their living.
- Our vision is to come out from our rugged individualism and cloistered existence and back to true Christian community where people of like faith and passion, with one heart and mind, encourage each other and minister together in the world as brothers and sisters.
- Our Vision is to be true instruments of God’s peace sowing love where we find hatred; pardon where we find injury, faith where we find doubt, hope where we find despair, light were we find darkness and joy where we find sadness.
When Jesus told Francis to rebuild his church these are the things that Francis and the Lesser Brothers taught and modeled with their lives. Our Vision is to continue the rebuilding project that Francis began so many years ago, stone upon stone as God touches the hearts and souls of men and women like you and me.
Is God calling you back to a life that is characterized by gospel simplicity, deep devotion, and sacrificial service in the Kingdom of God? If so than consider partnering with other like-minded pilgrims who have the same Vision.
This page was last updated: November 12, 2011
Our Vision
Simplicity~Devotion~Service
In the Franciscan Tradition
