» Franciscan

Feast of St. Bonaventure

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Jul 14, 2023

Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Bonaventure (July 15). In many ways St. Bonaventure is a Saint for the times in which we live - when divisions are ripe and the unity of a nation is being sorely tested. In the years while St. Francis was alive, the Franciscan Order experienced rapid growth – which only accelerated after St. Francis’ death and canonization – each friar and local fraternity trying to discern what it meant to follow Christ in the “tradition” of Francis of Assisi. They came to several...

Peace

by Fr. Jim Scullion OFM | May 9, 2023

Today’s Gospel reading continues this past Sunday’s Gospel. John 14 is Jesus’ Farewell Discourse. He tells his disciples that he is going away but that he will always be with them to guide them. The disciples have sorrow and perhaps even despair as they hear of Jesus’ departure so he begins and ends his discourse with a call to faith and trust as he offers them his gift of peace: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.” (14:1) “Peace I leave with...

St. Anthony of Padua

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Jun 13, 2022

Most people know St. Anthony of Padua as the patron saint of lost and stolen articles, but have you ever wondered why he is that particular patron saint? The Patron Saint of Lost Things. The reason for invoking St. Anthony’s help in finding lost or stolen things is traced back to an incident in his own life. As the story goes, Anthony had a book of psalms that was very important to him. You have to remember this was before the age of the printing press and so all books were of great value, and...

The Transitus of St. Francis

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Sep 20, 2021

In Western Christianity, the Transitus (translation from Ecclesiastical Latin: crossing or passing over) refers to “the time of passage through death to life”. The Christian theologian German Martinez writes that: “The idea of death in the Latin transitus … represents a unique Christian terminology linked to the paschal mystery. It consecrates the passage of the dying to eternal life. Offering the sacrifice of his or her personal life, the believer shares in the paschal transitus of Christ...

Francis of Assisi – Military Adventures

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Sep 17, 2021

Much of Francis’ youth had been spent as an apprentice in his father’s cloth business by day and as playboy by night – a time that the older Francis refers to as “When I was in sin.” At the same time, the intrigue and rivalry of imperial and papal politics swirled around Assisi. When Francis was 16-years old, the popolo, as the merchant and new generation of leaders were called, rose up in revolt against the nobles of Assisi (1198 AD). The last remnant of feudal governance was replaced by the...

Francis of Assisi – the Young Man

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Sep 17, 2021

The first article of the series about St. Francis essentially proposed that what most people think they know about St. Francis of Assisi is a very limited and romanticized version of the “poor man from Assisi.” Such versions often emphasize the Francis who loves animals, who was an ecologist before “ecology” was a word or a concern, and who wrote the “peace prayer.” The first article ended with a challenge: discover the “real” Francis whose story will challenge, inspire, unsettle, amaze, and...

Francis of Assisi – An Introduction

by Fr. George Corrigan OFM | Sep 17, 2021

Every year – or so it seems – very good biographies of St. Francis of Assisi are published. The ones published in the last 10 years all share some great qualities: readable and increasingly historical – introducing the “real” St Francis of Assisi to the world. You might ask why I say the “real” St Francis? Did you know that statues of St Francis are the second most popular lawn/garden ornament sold every year – right behind pink flamingos. Rather like the popular icon shown above. That is an...