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Franciscan Order Research Paper

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Franciscan Order

A Franciscan is a priest of a Christian religious order founded in the early 13th century by St. Francis of Assisi. The members of the order strive to the ideals of the order’s founder, St Francis. The Franciscans actually consist of three orders. The First Order is made up of priests and lay brothers who have sworn to lead a life of prayer, preaching, and penance. This First Order is divided into three independent branches: the Friars Minor (O.F.M.), the Friars Minor Conventual (O.F.M. Conv.), and the Friars Minor Capuchin (O.F.M. Cap.). The Second Order consists of nuns who belong to the Order of St. Clare (O.S.C.) and are known as Poor Clares (P.C.). The Third Order consists of religious and lay men and women who …show more content…

Among the best known are the Christmas crib, where jesus is placed in the manger, the Stations of the Cross, where you go station to station and pray in front of each one, and the Angelus, which is a devotion commemorating the Incarnation of Jesus and including the Hail Mary, said at morning, noon, and sunset. Besides their traditional role of preaching, Franciscans have been active in the work of foreign missions and have made many contributions to the field of education and scholarship.

More than 800 years ago, St. Francis came upon a church outside of Assisi, Italy, that was in great disrepair. In the midst of the mess, on a wall, was a crucifix. As he knelt in prayer, the image on the cross spoke to him, telling him to “Go, and repair my church.” Francis didn’t turn to a fundraiser to raise the money to get the job done. He assumed his rather wealthy family would help. He was wrong. His father disowned him. But like Jesus, Francis had an extended view of “family.” All of creation, all people, especially the poor, became his family. Francis didn’t know a thing about fundraising. But he knew how to work with his hands for the poor. If more was needed, then he begged. Eight hundred years later, Franciscans are still working with their hands and begging to help the poor in the name of the …show more content…

Funds have supported orphanages, soup kitchens, medical clinics, sustainable water projects, and the development of farms to feed and to teach others to farm. They fund the education of Franciscan missionaries, the building of churches, housing for the poor, and formation housing for Franciscan students. Franciscan Missions have provided for humanitarian relief in Haiti, the Philippines, Syria and Ecuador. One of their specific goals is to educate the world, particularly in the United States, about the mission work of the Franciscans. This is currently done by visiting Franciscan missionaries who preach in parishes each summer, and through there mailings to generate awareness of and financial support for this important

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