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Blessed Christmas!
The Brothers and Sisters of the Order of Ecumenical Franciscans wish you a Joyful and Blessed Christmas. May your celebration of Incarnation raise your spirits and give you strength for the year ahead! From Catholic Education Resource Center: The story of the origin of the Christmas creche rests with the…
Brother Rat’s Christmas Message
It is Christmas Day this week and I cant wait to see what presents I will get. Helen says not to expect too much because Christmas is not about presents but about celebrating the birth of Jesus. Does that mean Jesus gets all the presents? I hope not, I do…
Towards Words & Actions of Peace and Goodwill
FRANCISCAN ACTION NETWORK STANDS WITH MUSLIM BROTHERS AND SISTERS As Franciscan and Muslim leaders we join together in calling for an end to vitriolic hate speech, attitudes and actions against Muslims. We condemn acts of hatred and violence committed by any group against another. Zechariah 7:10 declares that the word…
Addressing Racist Rhetoric in the U.S. Elections- Updated
The Servant Team of the Order of Ecumenical Franciscans is deeply concerned about certain directions that the present Presidential debates are taking. UPDATE: We are updating this letter originally sent September 13, 2015. Our concerns have not lessened. The continued attacks by varied candidates running for President of the United…
A Message from Co-Minister Shoshanah Kay
Sisters and Brothers, I write this from a hotel room in San Antonio as I watch with sadness the news rolling in as Paris explodes. I witness the cold power of violence, the dark power of fear. “Love one another” feels a feeble response. We take baby steps among friends,…
Brother Rat’s November Rule Report
Helen told me that chasing non-existent pests from her house was not good enough and I had to try some other form of mission. She took me down to the Thrift Shop where she works and made me work on the counter all day. My job was to guard the…
Co-Minister Shoshanah Kay’s Address to OFS/NAFRA
You, Secular Franciscans, have thousands upon thousands upon thousands of members. We, Ecumenical Franciscans have tens upon tens. You are pushing 800 years old. We are barely 30 something. Measuring our years to your years, we are but kid-Franciscans. Measuring our size to your size, we are barely more than…
Br. Rat’s October Rule Report
O woe is me. My trials continue. Helens mother came to stay and she took exception to my good looks so I was banished to Helens bedroom. The down side of that was that I was present at Morning Prayer for a whole week. No way of escape! Not long…
Becoming “Laudito Si” Franciscans of the Rivers and Seas in the Era of Mining Spills
by Brother Gary “Coyote” Nabhan The recent toxic spill of 3 million pounds of mine wastes in the Animas-San Juan watershed is roughly I received my “call” year ago to become a Franciscan after days of solitude and prayer in the wilderness of the Four Corners region. It is also…
Migratory Monarchs and Native Bees as Spiritual Messengers of Climate Change
By: Gary Paul Nabhan and Ina Warren, MakeWayforMonarchs.org Two monarchs on a pink milkweed blossom. By Ina Warren When Pope Francis recently released his encyclical on climate change, people of many faiths finally realized how climate change is ultimately an issue of social and environmental justice that bringing caring for…