Does anyone know where I can join the third Order in Chicago, particularly the
south suburbs?<br><br>Pax Christi,<br><br>Gene

Welcome onlinepreacher:<br><br>I don't have an
answer to your question. You may, however find the
answer by calling the national SFO line at
1-800-FRANCIS. I think they might be able to help
you.<br><br>PAX ET BONUM

Gene,<br><br>Please contact me directly, TomSFO@.... I'll be glad to help
you find a Fraternity in Chicago. I'm the Regional Minister.<br><br>Tom

Does anyone have the address of a certain
Franciscan book store in the midwest--I think it was in
Wisconsin--which used to ship orders to private individuals, then
invoice for payment, including shipping? I lost their
name and address in the course of one of my
moves.<br><br>Thanks.

I don't know that it is a bookstore, bu t the address for Franciscan Resources
is:<br>             PO Box 350<br>             Menaahga,Mn 56464<br><br>PAX ET
BONUM<br><br>dick sfo

Sorry<br>thats Menagha<br><br>dick

Thanks for the info.  That's certainly more than I had!

Hello everyone! I'm so glad I found this site. My name is Marcia and I'm Third
Order St Anthony of Padua Fraternity in Delray Beach, Fl. Pax et Bonum

Hi Marcia and Welcome:<br><br>I'm glad you found
this site. I started it thinking that it might spread
but so far it has been a failure. Maybe if you tell
your friends and they tell theirs ad infinatum it
might take off.<br>My name is dick and I am a member of
St. Conrad Fraternity out of Hanover, Pa.. It is a
small fraternity, we have about 15 Active members and
about 10 inactive.<br><br>Is your fraternity
large?<br><br>Pax et Bonum<br><br>dick.<br><br>Ps. come and visit
sometime. I am beginning to feel like the Maytag repairman.
:)

Hi Dick, My Fraternity has about 30 members with
20 that are active. We are having our meeting this
Sunday. I will mention this website to them. I hope
things perk up for you.At our last months meeting we had
profession with 2 other Fraternities joining us. We are
fortunate in having a Franciscan Friar as spiritual
advisor.<br>Anything going on with your Fraternity? Working any
projects?<br>Pax et Bonum.

Nice to hear from you. Being a sort of rural
fraternity, many of the members are some distance from
others. A core group live in Hanover and surrounding
areas while others, like myself, live 30 or so miles
away. So we do a lot of individual projects but not too
much as a group. We currantly have a formation class
of 5 going on and have several new inquirors.<br> In
August we will be going to a local retreat house for a
retreat sponsored by our Region. The region is conducting
a series of these retreats with individual
fraternities throughout the region to prepare us spiritually
for the millenium. Kind of looking forward to it
eagerly.<br><br>Our Fraternity is having a picnic on the 25th and
have invited neighboring fraternities to attend. This
is the third annual and is usually a good time. Last
year there were somwhere around 60 people
there.<br><br>We have a Franciscan sister as our spiritual
assistant, and she is really great. I have learned a great
deal from her and hope she will continue for a long
time.<br><br>It is really good to hear from you. Keep those
letters coming.<br><br>dick<br><br>Peace and all good

Hi Dick, How have you been? I've been rather tied
up moving. Once I get settled, I'll probably be very
happy, but right now I'm sorry I started it!At any rate,
I just wanted to let you know I did give out the
info on your web site at our meeting yesterday.
Hopefully you'll be hearing from them.<br>Marcia

Hi marcia<br><br>nice to hear from you again.  hopefully we can get people from
around the country to begin using this site for dialog.<br><br>PAX ET
BONUM<br><br>dick

Let's get a topic going. What is Franciscan spirituality? Some say it is simply
-- love Jesus with all your might and follow in His footsteps as best you can.
Is there more or is this enough?

It is also to live a gospel life according to the
spirit of St. Francis in communion with Christ poor and
crucified. Love of the Father and brotherhood of all men and
all creation, participation in the Church, prayer,
continual conversion and to be instumental in peace. Pax et
Bonum Marcia

Hi Marcia -- Thanks for responding. It sounds
like you are a very spirit filled person. Do you have
a particular ministry? I operate a neighborhood
program. We take people with marginal skills and try to
help them find a meaningful way to participate in our
community. We do different types of service projects and
help other service agencies. I am often reminded of
Jesus's words -- to the least of my brothers. Pax et
Bonum -- Bill

Hi Bill, Sounds like a very interesting ministry
your in. It must be very rewarding.I am a Eucharistis
Minister for my parish and do Outreach. I also belong to
St. Vincent de Paul.I am somewhat new to this
parish,so my involvement needs to grow. What Fraternity do
you belong to?<br>Pax et Bonum, Marcia

Hi Marcia -- Sorry for the tardy reply. I have
been busy these past few days. I did not even have
time to turn on my computer. I belong to the St.
Pascal Fraternity in Toledo, Washington. It is a small
fraternity located in the first mission in Western
Washington. Up until a couple years ago, it was a Franciscan
mission. It had been a Franciscan mission since the 1870s.
However, due the shortage of priest, the Frair was
relocted to Portland and now it is a diocesan mission. It
is a beautiful church. What I find most interesting
is how you have to walk by the cemetery to enter the
church. Baptisms, weddings, processions of every kind are
done within the presence of the departed members of
the church and fraternity. It is a constant reminder
of our mortality and the offer of everlasting life
offered by Jesus. I noticed that you put Outreach with a
capital "O". It must be an important part of your
ministry. The outreach Francis provided the lepers was a
conversion experience for him. What kind of outreach do you
do? Pax et Bonum -- bill

I am so glad to see that people are actually communicating on this "frequency."
Hope more join in.<br><br>dick

+ + + greetings!<br><br>What you are looking for<br> is what is looking.
-St.<br> Francis of Assisi

Hi Dick -- I noticed that you were the first person to post a message on this
club.  Would you mind telling us something about yourself ?  For instance, do
you have a particular ministry.  Pax - bill

Hi Sr -- What an interesting quote.  It sounds very zen.  What does it mean? --
bill

Hi Bill<br>I am a member of St. Conrad's
Fraternity which covers an area of South Central
Pennsylvania and meets in Hanover, Pa. Have been professed
about 5 or so years. I am retired and work part-time in
a library in the town where I live.<br>In the
Fraternity I was recently the Secretary. My current
interests are in the area of the Work Apostolate . I also
do some stuff for my Parish.<br>I just started a
small column for our fraternity newsletter acquainting
members having internet acceaa of some of the interesting
web sites on the net.<br><br>Aside from that it is a
quiet life.<br><br>PAX<br>dick

Hi Dick -- Glad you wrote back. Is your
fraternity the only group in south central Penn? If so, it
covers a huge area. I am also in the work apostolate in
my fraternity. One of the first things i did was
start presenting talks about living a simple life. My
fellow brother who serves in the apostolate with me
jokingly claims i advocate the simple life to get out of
work. Perhaps he is right. I much prefer doing the
things i don't get paid for. Did you create this club?
Pax et Bonum -- bill

+ + + well gosh, that opens up a big can o worms
dosent it then?<br> i was hoping that you might tell
me.<br><br>first think about that quote and about st. Francis and
about his time and where he was and where his
spirituality came from.<br>then tell me what it means.
<br><br> i am not a franciscan, but i am close. i was
interested in what is going on here in this club since it is
franciscan.

Peace bill<br><br>No there are several
fraternities in this area. One in York, Pa, One in Harrisburg,
Pa. and One in Emmitsburg, Md. There are also
fraternities in lancaster, Baltimore, D.C. and the beltways. I
live about 35 miles from my fraternity, but was much
closer when I professed. Then i retired and moved away.
Actually i am only 15 miles from the Harrisburg
fraternity, but maintain my membership in the Hanover one
because it is where the people I know best are. Perhaps
some day I might be too old to commute and would
probably ask to transfer to the Harrisburg
frat.<br><br>yes I started this club because I felt that there
might be SFO's around the country who might want a
place to share and learn. I requested such a site from
the National Fraternity Chapter of Mats in Delaware
three or so years ago but only got a lot of promises. i
stumbled across yahoos clubs and formed this one. Haven't
been too good about getting the word out
however.<br><br>I still think it is a viable idea. Spread the word
if you can.<br><br>Interesting your observation
about work. I worked 36 years and was very glad to
retire. It wasn't until I retired,however, that I
discovered how much God blesses those who work.<br><br>In
order to keep my gray cells operating, I now work part
time at my town library. You know, I feel more of Gods
blessings on my little minimum wage job at the Library than
I everr felt in my Executive Career job. I guess
that is a testemonial to the expression "less is
more"<br><br>Guess I will sign off now that I've gotten
maudelin.<br><br>PAX<br><br>dick

Hi Dick -- What a nice letter. I enjoyed learning
more about you. It sounds like you are surrounded by
fraternities. I plan to visit York someday. My nephew lives
there and he speaks very highly about it. I will do my
best to spread the word about your club. I think it
will fly because it is a good idea. We need to remind
our fellow brothers and sisters what the rule says
about dialogue and openness. Also about the
international nature of our Franciscan family. I am going out
of town for a few days. While I am gone, I plan to
read "The Way of St. Francis" by Murray Bodo. Have you
read it or heard about. When I get back, perhaps we
can swap opinions. God bless all -- bill

Hi Marcia -- Been some time since I heard from
you. Hope you are in the peace of our Lord. Please
drop me a note before i start worrying about you. I
will remember you in my prayers this evening. Pax --
bill

Here it goes. Francis was really into the
incarnation of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He desired
with all of his being to be like Christ. When i read
this quote from St. Francis -- What you are looking
for what is looking. -- i think how Francis's
reflection mirrors the reflection of Jesus Christ. However,
Francis was too humble to admit it. Some may say it means
that all that is worth knowing is inside you. That
would not be much without Jesus. Now it is your turn.
What do you think it means?

Bill<br>Thanks for the nice comments. I don't
think I have read that book. Peoople in my Fraternity
are being read to from a book called "I Francis" as a
part of our meeting, The name of the author escapes me
right now but it is a very good book. I decided to try
to find a copy to read at my leisure.<br><br>If you
ever get to York, let me know. If it is during the
fourth Sunday of any month you would be more than
welcome to attend one of our meetings. We don't get
outside brothers and sisters very often, but it is a
treat when we do. I agree with Francis about the
benefits and necessity for communicating. Sometimes I fell
so insulated . <br><br>PAX<br>dick