Burkina Faso: St. Maximilian Kolbe Hospital Blessed
On February 5, 2022, the friars of the Provincial Delegation in Burkina Faso blessed the St. Maximilian Kolbe Hospital in Sabou, Burkina Faso. The...
The Mission of St. Francis of Assisi and the First Friars
This is the final article of the series on the Mission of St. Francis of Assisi and the First Friars.
The Mission of St. Francis of Assisi and the First Friars
The renewal of apostolic life, to which Francis and his friars contributed by involving themselves in the pastoral activities of the whole Church, reached both Christians and non-believers.
The Mission of St. Francis of Assisi and the First Friars
10. A Missionary Orientation of Life
Although the Seraphic Father’ s first attempts to preach the Gospel to non-believers might have been unsuccessful, the “orientation...
The Mission of St. Francis of Assisi and the First Friars
9. The Idea of Going to the Infidels
Francis left his native Italy for the first time in 1212. He was driven by the desire...
The Mission of St. Francis of Assisi and the First Friars
8. The Situation in Non-Christian Lands
The Church deeply desired missionary activity ad gentes, even before the time of St. Francis. One of its strongest...
The Mission of St. Francis of Assisi and the First Friars
7. The Preaching Activities of the Friars
Reports from other religious of the time, especially the Benedictines, confirm that the friars had the habit of...
The Mission of St. Francis of Assisi and the First Friars
6. Preaching Conversion and Penance
When St. Francis wrote about preachers in chapter XVII of the Earlier Rule (46-49), he spoke about their standing, wishing...
The Mission of St. Francis of Assisi and the First Friars
5. A New Style of Presence in the World
In the mindset of the Middle Ages, the friars’ way of being present in the world...
The Mission of St. Francis of Assisi and the First Friars
4. Characteristics of Religious Orders in His Day
Monastic life gained particular importance in the Middle Ages. It was seen as a kind of exile....