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Posted By Teresa Redder, on June 14th, 2026 On Sunday, June 14, 2026, Immaculate Conception Fraternity held a Chapter of Elections at Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in W. Norriton, PA. The presider was Regional Formation Director Jennifer Drees, OFS (Delegate) and the ecclesial witness was Br. John Neuffer, OFM (Regional Spiritual Assistant).
We give thanks to God for these newly elected servant leaders of their local fraternity. May God continue to bless them with the fidelity to serve with great humility!
| Council Position |
Council Member |
Status |
| Minister |
Stephanie Russo, OFS |
Newly elected |
| Vice Minister |
Jeremy Cherelli, OFS |
Newly elected |
| Secretary |
Amanda Jamnicky, OFS |
Newly elected |
| Treasurer |
Maria Innocenti, OFS |
Newly elected |
| Formation Director |
Mary Ellen Shannon, OFS |
Newly elected |
| Councilor-at-large |
Iliana Mendez, OFS |
Reelected |
| Councilor-at-large |
Rose Bondi, OFS |
Newly elected |
Left to right: James Wileczek, OFS (SKD Councilor-at-large), Iliana Mendez, OFS (Councilor-at-large), Rose Bondi, OFS (Councilor-at-large), Jeremy Cherelli, OFS (Vice Minister), Stephanie Russo, OFS (Minister), Maria Innocenti, OFS (Treasurer), Br. John Neuffer, OFM (SKD Spiritual Assistant/Ecclesial Witness), Amanda Jamnicky, OFS (Secretary), Mary Ellen Shannon, OFS (Formation Director), and Jen Drees, OFS (SKD Regional Formation Director & Presider-Delegate)
Posted By Teresa Redder, on June 11th, 2026 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
June 2026
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord bless you with His peace!
St. Francis of Assisi stands in Christian history as one of the most luminous witnesses to the mystery of God’s self‑sacrificing love, a love that finds its most concentrated and symbolic expression in the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Although Francis lived centuries before the formal development of the Sacred Heart devotion, his life, spirituality, and writings reveal a profound intuitive grasp of the same truth: that the Heart of Christ is the burning center of divine charity, poured out for humanity in total self‑giving. To contemplate Francis is to contemplate a man who allowed himself to be shaped entirely by the love that flows from the pierced Heart of the Savior, and to contemplate the Sacred Heart is to contemplate the divine source that animated Francis’s radical poverty, humility, and compassion. The two themes, therefore, are not separate but mutually illuminating, each revealing the depth of the other.
Francis’s journey begins with his encounter with the crucified Christ, an encounter that transformed him from a pleasure‑seeking youth into a man consumed by the desire to imitate Jesus in every aspect of life. The moment before the San Damiano crucifix, when Francis heard the words Rebuild my Church, marks not only the beginning of his mission but also the beginning of his lifelong immersion into the mystery of Christ’s suffering love. The crucifix he prayed before depicted Christ not in agony but in serene majesty, yet still wounded, still offering himself. This image profoundly shaped Francis’s understanding of divine love: a love that suffers, a love that gives itself without reserve, a love that remains open even when pierced. In this sense, Francis’s spirituality already contains the essential elements of the Sacred Heart devotion, which centers on the wounded yet radiant Heart of Jesus as the symbol of God’s boundless mercy.
The Sacred Heart is, at its core, a revelation of God’s interior life. It is not merely a symbol of emotion but a symbol of the divine will to love, even unto death. When Jesus’ Heart is pierced on the cross and blood and water flow out, the Gospel of John presents this as the culminating moment of salvation, the moment when Christ’s love is fully revealed. Francis, who meditated constantly on the Passion, understood this intuitively. His writings show a man who saw in the crucified Christ the very definition of love. He urged his followers to look at the humility of God and to contemplate the One who gives Himself entirely in the Eucharist and on the cross. For Francis, the cross was not simply a historical event but a living reality, a present outpouring of divine love that demanded a response of total surrender.
This surrender took the form of radical poverty, which Francis embraced not as an ideology but as a way of participating in Christ’s self‑emptying. The Sacred Heart devotion emphasizes the emptying (kenosis) of Christ, the self‑emptying love that led Him to take on human flesh and to endure suffering for the sake of humanity. Francis’s poverty mirrors this divine kenosis. By stripping himself of possessions, status, and even personal security, Francis sought to imitate the humility of Christ, who though he was rich, became poor for our sake (2Corinthians8:9). Poverty for Francis was not deprivation but freedom—the freedom to love as Christ loves, without clinging to anything. It was a way of making space in his own heart for the love that flows from the Heart of Jesus.
Francis’s love for the poor, the sick, and the marginalized also reflects the compassion of the Sacred Heart. The Heart of Jesus is often depicted as aflame, surrounded by thorns, and pierced, signifying both the intensity of divine love and the pain that love endures. Francis lived this compassion in concrete ways. His embrace of the leper, which he once found repulsive, became a turning point in his conversion. In the leper, Francis encountered Christ Himself, and in that encounter he discovered that true love requires vulnerability, sacrifice, and the willingness to suffer with others. This is precisely the message of the Sacred Heart: that God’s love is not distant or abstract but deeply involved in human suffering. The Heart of Jesus is wounded because it loves; Francis’s heart became Christ-like because he allowed himself to be wounded by the suffering of others.
The culmination of Francis’s conformity to Christ came in the stigmata he received on Mount La Verna. This extraordinary event, in which Francis bore in his own body the wounds of Christ, is perhaps the most striking parallel to the Sacred Heart devotion. The stigmata is not merely a physical phenomenon but a mystical union with the suffering love of Jesus. Francis did not seek the stigmata; he sought only to love Christ completely. The wounds were the divine response to that desire, a sign that Francis had become so united to the Heart of Jesus that he shared in the very marks of His love. The Sacred Heart, too, is a wounded heart, and the wounds are not signs of defeat but signs of love’s triumph. In Francis, the wounds of Christ become visible again in the world, reminding all who see him that divine love is not an idea but a reality that takes flesh.
The Sacred Heart devotion, which developed more fully in the centuries after Francis, especially through the visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, emphasizes reparation for sin and the call to love Christ in return for His love. Francis lived this long before it was articulated. His life was a continual act of reparation, not in a punitive sense but in a relational one. He sought to console the Heart of Jesus by loving Him with purity, by living the Gospel without compromise, and by drawing others into the same love. His preaching was not harsh or condemnatory but filled with joy, urging people to turn back to God because God is love. Francis understood that sin wounds the Heart of Jesus not because God is offended in a human sense but because sin separates us from the love that God longs to give. His mission, therefore, was to heal that separation by calling people to conversion, reconciliation, and peace.
The Sacred Heart also emphasizes the Eucharist as the living presence of Christ’s self‑sacrificing love. Francis’s devotion to the Eucharist was intense and reverent. He saw in the consecrated Host the same Christ who hung on the cross, the same Heart that continues to pour out love for humanity. He wrote with awe about the humility of God, who hides Himself under the appearance of bread and wine:
Let the entire man be seized with fear; let the whole world tremble;
let heaven exult when Christ, the Son of the Living God,
is on the altar in the hands of the priest.
O admirable height and stupendous condescension! O humble sublimity! O sublime humility!
that the Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God,
so humbles Himself that for our salvation He hides Himself under a morsel of bread.
For Francis, the Eucharist was not a ritual but a relationship, a moment of intimate union with the One who gives Himself entirely. This Eucharistic devotion aligns perfectly with the theology of the Sacred Heart, which sees the Eucharist as the sacrament of divine love, the place where the Heart of Jesus continues to beat for the world.
Francis’s Canticle of the Creatures, often seen as a hymn to nature, is also an expression of his understanding of divine love. He saw all creation as a reflection of the goodness of God, a goodness that flows from the divine Heart. The Sacred Heart devotion teaches that God’s love is the source of all life, sustaining and renewing the world. Francis’s joyful praise of Brother Sun, Sister Moon, and all creatures is rooted in his awareness that everything exists because it is loved by God. His ecological sensitivity, centuries ahead of its time, arises from his contemplation of the Creator’s love, a love that is generous, overflowing, and self‑giving.
The connection between Francis and the Sacred Heart becomes even clearer when considering his approach to peace and reconciliation. The Heart of Jesus is often invoked as the source of peace, a peace that comes from the healing of relationships, between God and humanity, and among people themselves. Francis embodied this peace in his interactions with others, including his famous meeting with the Sultan during the Crusades. He approached the Sultan not with hostility but with respect and openness, seeking dialogue rather than conflict. This attitude reflects the Heart of Jesus, who seeks to reconcile rather than divide, who loves even enemies, and who desires unity among all people. Francis’s peacemaking is therefore another expression of the divine love that flows from the Sacred Heart.
In contemplating Francis and the Sacred Heart together, one sees a profound harmony. Francis is, in a sense, the human echo of the divine Heart. His life makes visible what the Sacred Heart symbolizes: a love that gives everything, holds nothing back, and embraces all creation. The Sacred Heart reveals the inner life of God; Francis reveals what that love looks like when lived by a human being fully surrendered to grace. The two together offer a powerful vision of Christian discipleship, one that calls believers not merely to admire Christ’s love but to participate in it.
This participation requires transformation. The Sacred Heart devotion invites believers to allow their own hearts to be shaped by the Heart of Jesus, to become more compassionate, more humble, more willing to sacrifice for others. Francis shows that this transformation is possible. He was not born a saint; he became one through continual conversion, through daily choices to love, forgive, and serve. His example challenges modern Christians to examine their own lives and to ask whether they are allowing the love of Christ to penetrate their hearts. The Sacred Heart is not a distant ideal but a living reality that seeks to enter the human heart and make it new.
In a world marked by violence, division, and indifference, the message of the Sacred Heart and the example of St. Francis are urgently needed. They remind us that love is not weakness but strength, that humility is not humiliation but freedom, and that sacrifice is not loss but gain. The Heart of Jesus continues to beat with love for humanity, and Francis continues to inspire those who seek to follow Christ more closely. Together, they offer a path toward healing, reconciliation, and peace, a path that begins in the heart and radiates outward into the world.
May the gentle spirit of our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi and our Holy Mother St. Clare of Assisi guide our hearts in peace and trust. In the Sacred Heart of Jesus, may we all find strength, healing, and renewed hope. In that Heart opened for love of us, may we enter the loving embrace of the Father’s Love and be filled with the gifts of His Holy Spirit to be Pilgrims of Hope in our world.
You and your loved ones will be remembered in my prayers each day. Your intentions will also be with me during Mass. May God’s tender love and mercy surround us all.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, OFM Cap
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on June 11th, 2026 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
June 2026
Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing,
I adore You, I love You, and with a lively sorrow for my sins.
I offer You this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure, and wholly obedient to Your will.
Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in You and for You.
Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions;
give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs,
Your blessings on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death.
Within Your heart, I place my every care.
In every need let me come to You with humble trust saying,
Heart of Jesus, help me.
Amen.
Daily reading of the Franciscan Sources continues from the Compilation of Assisi #103-#106
Witty quotes for the day taken from words of saints and blesseds
103 – THE NOVICE WHO WANTED TO HAVE A PSALTER; A DESCRIPTION OF HIS HOLY BROTHERS
1 – Likewise, there was once a brother novice who could read the psalter, but not very well. And because he enjoyed reading, he sought permission from the general minister to have a psalter and the minister granted it to him. But he did not wish to have it unless he first had permission from blessed Francis, especially since he had heard that blessed Francis did not want his brothers to be desirous of learning and books, but wanted and preached to the brothers to be eager to have and imitate pure and holy simplicity, holy prayer, and Lady Poverty, on which the holy and first brothers had built.
– Lord if this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few. (St. Teresa of Avila)
2 – And he believed this to be the more secure path for the soul’s well-being. Not that he despised or disdained holy knowledge. On the contrary, he revered with great feeling those who were knowledgeable in religion, and all knowledgeable persons, as he himself says in his Testament: “We must honor all theologians and those who minister the divine words and respect them as those who minister to us spirit and life.”
– From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us. (St. Teresa of Avila)
3 – But, foreseeing the future, he knew through the Holy Spirit and even repeated it many times to the brothers, that many brothers, under the pretext of edifying others, would abandon their vocation, that is, pure and holy simplicity, prayer, and our Lady Poverty.
– Don’t drag your feet on the way to heaven; it’s embarrassing. (St. John Vianney)
4 – And it will happen that, because they will afterwards believe themselves to be more imbued with devotion and enflamed with the love of God because of an understanding of the Scriptures, they will occasionally remain inwardly cold and almost empty. And so, they will be unable to return to their first vocation, especially since they have wasted the time for living according to their calling; and I fear that even what they seem to possess will be taken away from them, because they have lost their vocation.
– Be at peace, and if you can’t, pretend. (St. Francis de Sales)
5 – “There are many,” he used to say, “who, day and night, place all their energy and care in knowledge, losing their holy vocation and devout prayer. And when they have preached to others or to the people, and see or learn that some have been edified or converted to penance, they become puffed up or congratulate themselves for someone else’s gain.
– God has no need of your cleverness, He wants your heart. (St. Therese of Lisieux)
6 – For those whom they think they have edified or converted to penance by their words, the Lord edified and converted by the prayers of holy brothers, although they are ignorant of it. This is the will of God so that they do not take notice of it and become proud.
– Holiness is not for wimps, so stop acting like one. (St. Carlo Acutis)
7 – “These brothers of mine are my knights of the round table, the brothers who hide in deserted and remote places, to devote themselves more diligently to prayer and meditation, weeping over their sins and those of others, whose holiness is known to God, and is sometimes ignored by the brothers and people.
– Patience is the companion of wisdom and the enemy of complaining. (St. Augustine)
8 – And when their souls will be presented to the Lord by the angels, the Lord will then reveal to them the fruit and reward of their labors, that is, the many souls saved by their prayers, saying to them: ‘My sons, behold these souls have been saved by your prayer, and since you were faithful in little things, I will set you over many.’ ”
– Even if you are on the right road, you will get run over if you just sit there. (St. Padre Pio)
9 – Because of this, blessed Francis used to say about this passage: The barren one has given birth to many children and the mother of many languishes: the barren one is the good religious who edifies himself and others by his holy prayers and virtues. He often said these words in a talk in the presence of the brothers, especially during a chapter of the brothers at Saint Mary of the Portiuncula in the presence of the ministers and the other brothers.
– Pray, hope, and don’t worry…especially the last part. (St. Padre Pio)
10 – He therefore instructed the brothers, the ministers as well as preachers, about work, telling them, because of the office of ministry or of their zeal for preaching, that they should not abandon holy and devout prayer, go for alms, and work with hands like the other brothers, for good example and for the benefit of their souls as well as others.
– Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere. (St. Philip Neri)
11 – He said: “The brothers who are subjects will be very edified when their ministers and preachers devote themselves freely to prayer, bow down, and humble themselves.” Therefore that faithful disciple of Christ, while he was in good health, practiced what he taught the brothers.
– Scruples are like mosquitos: swat them. (St. Alphonsus Liguori)
12 – When that brother novice described above was staying in a certain hermitage, blessed Francis one day happened to come there. That brother said to him: “Father, it would be a great consolation for me to have a psalter. But, although the general minister has given me permission to have it, I still want to have it with your knowledge.”
– Heaven is filled with converted sinners, not spiritual know-it-alls. (St. Philip Neri)
13 – Blessed Francis gave him this sort of response: “The Emperor Charles, Roland, and Oliver, and all the paladins and valiant knights who were mighty in battle, pursuing unbelievers with great toil and fatigue even to death, had a glorious and memorable victory for themselves, and, finally, died in battle fighting as holy martyrs for the faith in Christ. And there are many who want to receive honor and praise by only relating what they did.”
– Never try to win by force what can be won by love. (St. Francis de Sales)
14 – And because of this he wrote the meaning of these words in his Admonitions, saying: “The saints have done these deeds, and we want to receive honor and glory by recounting and preaching about them,” as if to say: “Knowledge puffs up, but charity builds.”
– Don’t be afraid to be ridiculous for God. (St. Philip Neri)
104 – THE SAME NOVICE ASKS AGAIN: “A BREVIARY, A BREVIARY!”
15 – Another time, when blessed Francis was sitting near a fire, warming himself, the same one spoke to him again about a psalter. And blessed Francis told him: “After you have a psalter, you will desire and want to have a breviary; after you have a breviary, you will sit in a fancy chair, like a great prelate telling your brother: ‘Bring me the breviary.’“ And speaking in this way with great intensity of spirit, he took some ashes in his hand, put them on his head rubbing them around his head as though he were washing it, saying: “I, a breviary! I, a breviary!”
– Let your face show you belong to heaven. (St. John Bosco)
16 – He spoke this way many times, passing his hand over his head. The brother was stunned and ashamed. Afterwards blessed Francis said to him: “Brother, I was likewise tempted to have books. But, in order to know God’s will about this, I took the book, where the Lord’s Gospels are written, and prayed to the Lord to deign to show it to me at the first opening of the book.
– Better to limp on the right road than run on the wrong one. (St. Augustine)
17 – After my prayer was ended, on the first opening of the holy Gospel this verse of the holy Gospel came to me: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to the others all things are treated in parables.” And he said: “There are many who willingly climb to the heights of knowledge; that person be blessed who renounces it for the love of God.”
– Some people think they are holy because they are unbearable. (St. Philip Neri)
105 – THE SAME NOVICE ASKS HIM AGAIN ABOUT A PSALTER, AND HE IS UPSET
18 – Many months later, when blessed Francis was at the church of Saint Mary of the Portiuncula, at a cell behind the house on the road, that brother spoke to him again about the psalter. And blessed Francis said: “Go and do as your minister tells you.” When he heard this, that brother began to go back by the same road he had come.
– Don’t be a half-saint; they are twice as annoying. (St. Francis de Sales)
19 – Blessed Francis remained on the road, and began to think over what he said to that brother. Suddenly he yelled after him: “Wait for me, brother, wait!” He went up to him and said: “Come back with me and show me the place where I told you to do with the psalter what your minister tells you.”
– Your face should prove that you believe in heaven; right now it’s not helping. (St. John Bosco)
20 – When they returned to the spot where he had said this, blessed Francis bent over in front of the brother and, kneeling, said to him: “Mea culpa, brother, mea culpa. Whoever wishes to be a Lesser Brother must have nothing but the tunics, a cord, and short trousers the Rule allows him; and for those forced by necessity or illness, shoes.”
– God loves you. Try not to make it so difficult for Him. (St. Augustine)
21 – Whenever brothers came to him to ask advice about such things, he would give them the same answer. For this reason he used to say: “A person is only as learned as his actions show; and a religious is only as good a preacher as his actions show;” as if to say, “A good tree is known only by its fruit.”
– Worry is useless; also unattractive. (St. Padre Pio)
106 – HE REPLIES TO A BROTHER WHO ASKED HIM WHY HE DID NOT CORRECT ABUSES IN THE ORDER; AND THE PORTIUNCULA AS AN EXAMPLE
22 – One day while blessed Francis was staying in that palace, one of his companions there said to him: “Father, excuse me, because what I want to say to you, many have already thought. You know,” he said “how formerly through the grace of God, the whole religion flourished in the purity of perfection, that is, how all the brothers fervently and zealously observed holy poverty in all things, in small and poor dwellings, in small and poor furnishings, in small and poor books, and in poor clothing. And as in these things, as well as in other exterior things, they were of one will, concerned about observing everything that had to do with our profession and calling and good example. In this way they were of one mind in the love of God and neighbor.
– If you are going to be a saint, at least try not to be boring. (St. Philip Neri)
23 – “But now for a little while, this purity and perfection have begun to change into something different, though the brothers make lots of excuses saying that, because of large number, this cannot be observed by the brothers. In fact, many brothers believe that the people are more edified by these ways than by those mentioned, and, it seems to them, more fitting to live and behave according to these ways. Therefore, they consider worthless the way of simplicity and poverty, which were the beginning and foundation of our religion. Thinking this over, we believe that they displease you, but we really wonder why, if they displease you, you tolerate them and do not correct them.”
– Some people carry their crosses like they are auditioning for a tragedy. (St. Philip Neri)
24 – “May the Lord forgive you,” blessed Francis said to him, “for wanting to be against me and opposed to me and involve me in these things that do not pertain to my office.” And he said: “As long as I held office for the brothers, and they remained faithful to their calling and profession, and, although I was ill from the beginning of my conversion to Christ, with a little of my care, I satisfied them by my example and preaching. But afterwards I realized that the Lord multiplied the number of the brothers daily and that through tepidity and lack of spirit they began to turn away from the straight and sure way on which they used to walk and take, as you said, a broad way, without paying attention to their profession and calling and good example, or would not give up the journey that had already begun despite my preaching and my example.
– Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward is to see what you believe. (St. Augustine)
25 – I entrusted the religion to the Lord and to the ministers. When I renounced and gave up among the brothers, I excused myself before the brothers at the general chapter saying that, because of my illness I could not take care of them and care for them. And yet, if the brothers had walked and were still walking according to my will, for their consolation I would not want them to have any other minister except me until the day of my death. As long as a faithful and good subject knows and observes the will of his prelate, then the prelate has to have little concern about him.
– Let us run to Mary, and, as her little children, cast ourselves into Her arms. (St. Francis de Sales)
26 – Rather, I would be so happy at the goodness of the brothers and be so consoled, both on their account and my own, that even if I were lying sick in bed, it would not be considered a burden to me to satisfy them.” He said: “My office, that is, a prelacy over the brothers, is spiritual, because I must overcome vices and correct them. Therefore, if I cannot overcome and correct them by preaching and example, I do not want to become an executioner who beats and scourges, like a power of this world.
– Love God. Serve God. Everything is in that. (St. Clare of Assisi)
27 – I trust in the Lord; invisible enemies, the Lord’s police, who punish in this world and in the next those who transgress the commandments of God, will take revenge on them, having corrected men of this world, and thus they will return to their profession and calling. “Nevertheless, until the day of my death, I will not cease teaching the brothers by example and action to walk by the path which the Lord showed me, and which I showed and explained to them.
– Stop trying to be impressive. Be holy instead. (St. Therese of Lisieux)
28 – Thus, they will have no excuse before the Lord, and I will not be bound to render any further account about them or about myself before the Lord.” Thus he had it written in his Testament that all houses of the brothers should be built of mud and wood, as a sign of holy poverty and humility, and the churches constructed for the brothers must be small. In fact, he wanted reform on this matter, that is, houses constructed of wood and mud, and in every other good example to begin in the place of Saint Mary of the Portiuncula. This was the first place where, after they settled there, the Lord began to multiply the brothers, and it should be an external reminder to the other brothers who are in religion and those who will come to it.
– Humanity always wanting heaven, rarely wanting the work. (St. Catherine of Siena)
29 – This is the reason he wrote in his Testament: “Let the brothers be careful not to receive in any way churches or dwellings or any other things built for them, unless they are according to the poverty we have promised in the Rule, as pilgrims and strangers let them always be guests there.” We who were with him when he wrote the Rule and almost all his other writings bear witness that he had many things written in the Rule and in his other writings, to which certain brothers, especially prelates, were opposed. So it happened that on points where the brothers were opposed to blessed Francis during his life, now, after his death, they would be very useful to the whole religion. Because he greatly feared scandal, he gave in, although unwillingly, to the wishes of the brothers. But he often repeated this saying: “Woe to those brothers who are opposed to what I know to be the will of God for the greatest good of the religion, even if I unwillingly give in to their wishes.”
– It is no use to walk anywhere to preach if our walking is not our preaching. (spirit-St. Francis of Assisi)
30 – He often said to his companions: “Here lies my pain and grief: those things which I received from God by His mercy with great effort of prayer and meditation for the present and future good of the religion, and which are, as He assures me, in accordance with His will, some of the brothers on the authority and support of their knowledge nullify and oppose me saying: ‘These things must be kept and observed; but not those!’ ” But, as was said, because he feared scandal so much that he permitted many things to happen and gave in to their will in many things that were not according to his will.
– The deeds you do may be the only sermons the people you meet today will hear. (spirit-St. Francis of Assisi)
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on May 12th, 2026 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
May 2026
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis of Assisi,
The Paraclete of Divine Presence, The Pardon of Divine Mercy, The Peace of Divine Love
Be the Easter Gifts that remain forever in your hearts,
with Mary’s Motherly Love to encourage you.
The Month of May always rekindles in the heart the loving devotion the Church has always expressed for Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Holy Mother. The saints of “both lungs” of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church of our Eastern Rite and Orthodox sisters and brothers as well as we of the Western Roman Rite Church have praised our Most Blessed Mother in so many ways. In the Northern part of the World, May speaks of new life, rebirth, beauty of God’s kaleidoscope of colors in nature. The Paschal Mystery of Easter-Pentecost that celebrates the Church born from the side of Christ and our Mother Mary, birthing us in her Faith as She accepted the “impossible” and brought centuries of anticipation to an end with the mystery of the Virgin-Birth of Jesus.
Is it any wonder that St. Francis of Assisi, our Seraphic Father, the Poverello of Assisi, should be “overwhelmed” just by the thought of the Incarnation of Jesus, the unique collaboration of Mary, and how She, one of us, becomes the “Virgin-Made-Church”. The title given by Francis is uniquely Hers, but we share with our Mother. For in Faith, through Baptism, especially when we receive the Eucharist bring the Lord into the secret recesses of our body and soul (the Tabernacle) and then, by grace and the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Manifest Him to the world as we live the One we have sought to become in the Eucharist – Conformity to Christ, one with Christ, is living Jesus.
Mary is the highest honor of our race and greatest example among human beings of all this. She gave birth to Jesus in the secret of her womb when She gave her unconditional “Yes” to God’s request through the Archangel Gabriel. Thus She became the first true Tabernacle of the hidden and Real Presence. Yet, almost immediately, Mary becomes the First Monstrance and shows and offers Jesus, born in the poverty of Bethlehem, to poor Shepherds, wealthy Magi, ancient Temple Rites, up to the ultimate moment when a Mother offers Her Son to the Eternal Will of the Father as Her Son hung upon the Cross. To the end, Mary said “Yes” without hesitation, regardless of the personal price placed on a Mother’s Heart.
Is it any wonder that St. Francis of Assisi should express such love and praise for Mary in his life and to the religious Family God inspired him to initiate. An interesting expression St. Francis used in a prayer recited daily as an introduction to his Office of the Passion greets Mary as Virgin-Made-Church.
St. Francis of Assisi had a way of speaking about holy things that felt less like a scholar lecturing and more like a friend pointing out something beautiful you might have missed. His title for Mary—“the Virgin made Church”—is one of those phrases that sounds simple at first, almost like a poetic flourish, until you sit with it long enough for its layers to unfold. Francis was not trying to invent a new Marian doctrine. He was trying to express something he had seen in prayer, something that had seized his heart: that Mary, in her very being, shows us what the Church is meant to be. And he said it in the way he said most things—directly, humbly, and with a kind of spiritual common sense that makes you wonder why you never thought of it that way yourself.
When Francis calls Mary “Virgin,” he is not merely referring to a biological fact. He is pointing to her radical openness to God, her uncluttered interior space, her freedom from anything that would block the divine initiative. Virginity, for Francis, is about availability. It is about being so empty of self‑assertion that God can do something new in you. And when he calls her “Church,” he is not thinking of an institution or a hierarchy or even a community in the sociological sense. He is thinking of the Church as the place where Christ becomes present in the world. Mary is the first to receive Christ, the first to bear him, the first to give him to others. In her, the mystery of the Church begins in miniature.
Often, in households of the past, those who cooked for the family had special containers for specific items – and God help anyone who used them for anything else. These items were never used unless for the purpose they were intended. These jars or whatever, were always empty, not because they were not to be used but because they were ready for the day required—mixing dough, holding fruit, catching vegetables from the garden. Mary is like that container. She is empty so she can be filled, and she is filled so she can be given. That is the kind of image Francis would have loved. Mary’s virginity is not a static purity but a dynamic readiness. Her motherhood is not a private privilege but a public gift. And the Church, if it is to be what it claims to be, must learn from her.
Francis saw this connection most clearly in the mystery of the Incarnation. For him, the whole Christian life begins with the astonishing fact that God chose to become small. He loved to meditate on the humility of Christ in the manger, the vulnerability of God wrapped in swaddling clothes. And he understood that this humility was not only Christ’s but Mary’s as well. She allowed God to become small in her. She made room for the infinite. She let the Word take flesh. In that sense, she is the prototype of every believer. What happened in her physically must happen in us spiritually. Christ must be conceived in us, grow in us, and be brought forth into the world through our actions. That is why Francis can say that we, too, are mothers of Christ when we carry him in our hearts and give birth to him through our works of love.
Years ago, a Franciscan sister described Mary’s virginity in a way that would have made Francis smile. She said that Mary’s virginity was like the silence before a beautiful piece of music begins. It wasn’t emptiness for its own sake. It was a space charged with expectancy, a readiness for something divine to break in. That is how Francis understood virginity, not as a negation but as a capacity, a freedom from anything that would crowd out God’s voice. Mary’s virginity was the soil in which the Word could take root. And the Church, if it is to be faithful, must cultivate that same interior spaciousness.
Mary is the first and fullest example of this mystery, and so she becomes the mirror in which the Church sees its own identity. When Francis calls her “Virgin made Church,” he is saying that the Church is most itself when it resembles Mary, when it listens before it speaks, receives before it acts, treasures the Word before it teaches it. The Church is not primarily a structure or a system but a womb, a place where Christ can take flesh again and again in the lives of believers. Mary shows us what that looks like in its purest form.
For Francis, the Incarnation was not a distant event. It was something he expected to see traces of everywhere—in the poor, in the Eucharist, in the fragile beauty of creation, and especially in the maternal tenderness of Mary. She was the one who first held the mystery, and she continues to hold it in the life of the Church. To call her “Virgin made Church” is to say that the Church is born from her yes, shaped by her faith, and sustained by her example.
This title also carries a challenge. If Mary is the model of the Church, then the Church must imitate her humility, her poverty of spirit, her willingness to let God lead. Francis was never shy about reminding Christians of this. He believed the Church becomes less itself when it becomes self‑protective, self‑important, or self‑sufficient. Mary shows another way. She does not cling to control. She does not seek status. She simply receives, trusts, and gives. And in doing so, she becomes the dwelling place of God.
Francis probably loved this title because it kept the Church grounded. It reminded believers that holiness is not complicated. It begins with listening, with making space, with saying yes to God in the ordinary circumstances of life. Mary did not perform miracles or preach sermons. She welcomed the Word. She carried him. She offered him to the world. That is the heart of the Church’s mission, and it is the heart of every Christian’s vocation.
Calling Mary “the Virgin made Church” is not just a theological statement. It is an invitation. It invites the Church to rediscover its identity not in power or prestige but in humility, receptivity, and maternal love. It invites each believer to become a place where Christ can dwell. It invites us to say yes to God in the concrete circumstances of our lives, just as Mary did in hers.
Francis knew that the Church is always in need of renewal. But he also knew that renewal does not begin with strategies or structures. It begins with holiness. It begins with hearts that resemble Mary’s, open, trusting, and ready to receive Christ anew. Mary is the Church in its purest form, and the Church becomes more itself the more it becomes like her.
In the end, “Virgin made Church” is Francis’s way of saying that Mary is not just the mother of Jesus; she is the mother of all who belong to him. She is the first home of Christ and the first image of what his home on earth, the Church, is meant to be. And like all good mothers, she teaches not by demanding but by embodying. She shows us what it looks like to let God’s life unfold in us. She shows us how to become, in our own small way, a place where Christ can be born again.
May Mary, Virgin-Made-Church and thus Mother of the Church, accompany us through life’s journey. We take refuge in Her Motherly embrace as we seek to conform ourselves to the image and likeness of Her Son. We are the Church called to be the Mystical Body of Christ and Heralds of Hope who “Live Jesus” that He may be alive in all who accept Him as Lord and Savior, and that they proclaim with Thomas: “My Lord and My God!”.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on May 12th, 2026 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
May 2026
Hail, Holy Lady, most Holy Queen, Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Who are the Virgin made Church and the one chosen by the Most Holy Father of Heaven,
Whom He consecrated with His Most Holy Beloved Son and with the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete;
On you descended and in whom there was and is all fullness of grace and every good.
Hail His Palace; Hail His Tabernacle; Hail His Home. Hail His Robe; Hail His Handmaid; Hail His Mother and
Hail all you holy virtues, which by the grace and illumination of the Holy Spirit are poured into the hearts of the faithful, so that from being unbelievers, you make them faithful to God.
(Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi honoring Mary, Virgin-Made-Church)
The Assisi Compilation continues below from #99-#102
Quote for the day from C.S. Lewis
99 – HE AWAITS DEATH AT THE BISHOP’S PALACE IN ASSISI; HIS COMPANIONS SING THE CANTICLE FOR HIM
1 – When blessed Francis lay gravely ill in the palace of the bishop of Assisi, in the days after he returned from Bagnara, the people of Assisi, fearing that the saint would die during the night without them knowing about it, and that the brothers would secretly take his body away and place it in another city, placed a vigilant guard each night around the palace’s walls.
– When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind.
2 – Blessed Francis, although he was gravely ill, to comfort his soul and ward off discouragement in his severe and serious infirmities, often asked his companions during the day to sing the Praises of the Lord which he had composed a long time before in his illness. He likewise had the Praises sung during the night for the edification of their guards, who kept watch at night outside the palace because of him.
– Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in difficulties.
3 – When Brother Elias reflected that blessed Francis was so comforting himself and rejoicing in the Lord in such illness, one day he said to him: “Dearest brother, I am greatly consoled and edified by all the joy which you show for yourself and your companions in such affliction and infirmity. Although the people of this city venerate you as a saint in life and in death, nevertheless, because they firmly believe that you are near death due to your serious and incurable sickness, upon hearing praises of this sort being sung, they can think and say to themselves: ‘How can he show such joy when he is so near death?
– Don’t shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see HIM.
4 – He should be thinking about death. “Do you remember,” blessed Francis said to him, “when you saw the vision at Foligno and told me that it told you that I would live for only two years? Before you saw that vision, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, who suggests every good in the heart, and places it on the lips of his faithful, I often considered day and night my end.
– Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less
5 – But from the time you saw that vision, each day I have been even more zealous reflecting on the day of my death.” He continued with great intensity of spirit: “Allow me to rejoice in the Lord, Brother, and to sing His praises in my infirmities, because, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, I am so closely united and joined with my Lord, that, through His mercy, I can well rejoice in the Most High Himself.”
– Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.
100 – A DOCTOR NAMED JOHN TELLS HIM HE WILL DIE SOON: “WELCOME, MY SISTER DEATH!”
6 – Another time during those days, a doctor from the city of Arezzo, named Good John, who was known and familiar to blessed Francis, came to visit him in the bishop’s palace. Blessed Francis asked about his sickness saying: “How does my illness of dropsy seem to you, Brother John?”
– Once people stop believing in God, the problem is not that they will believe in nothing; rather, the problem is that they will believe anything.
7 – For blessed Francis did not want to address anyone called ”Good” by their name, out of reverence for the Lord, who said: No one is good but God alone. Likewise, he did not want to call anyone “father” or “master,” nor write them in letters, out of reverence for the Lord, who said: Call no one on earth your father nor be called masters, etc.
– There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.
8 – The doctor said to him: “Brother, by the grace of the Lord, it will be well with you.” For he did not want to tell him that he would die in a little while.
– There is someone that I love even though I don’t approve of what he does. There is someone I accept though some of his thoughts and actions revolt me. There is someone I forgive though he hurts the people I love the most. That person is……me.
9 – Again blessed Francis said to him: “Tell me the truth. How does it look to you? Do not be afraid, for, by the grace of God, I am not a coward who fears death. With the Lord’s help, by His mercy and grace, I am so united and joined with my Lord that I am equally as happy to die as I am to live.”
– If you never take risks, you’ll never accomplish great things. Everybody dies, but not everyone has lived.
10 – The doctor then told him frankly: “According to our assessment, your illness is incurable and you will die either at the end of September or on the fourth day before the Nones of October.”
– I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else
11 – Blessed Francis, while he was lying on his bed sick, with the greatest devotion and reverence for the Lord stretched out his arms and hands with great joy of mind and body and said to his body and soul: “Welcome, my Sister Death!”
– The greatest evils in the world will not be carried out by men with guns, but by men in suits sitting behind desks.
101 – HE TELLS BROTHER RICCERIO HIS LAST WISHES; THE MEANING OF “LESSER BROTHERS.”
12 – Brother Riccerio of the Marches of Ancona, noble by birth and more noble by holiness, was loved by blessed Francis with great affection. One day he came to visit blessed Francis in that palace. Among other points he discussed with blessed Francis about the state of the religion and observance of the Rule,…
– Some journeys take us far from home. Some adventures lead us to our destiny.
13 – … he asked him: “Tell me, Father, when you first began to have brothers, what was your intention? And what is it today, and what do you believe it will be until the day of your death? Because I want to be sure of your intention and of your first and last wish, so that we, cleric brothers who have many books, may keep them although we will say that they belong to the religion?”
– The fact that our heart yearns for something Earth can’t supply is proof that Heaven must be our home.
14 – Blessed Francis told him: “I tell you, brother, that it has been and is my first and last intention and will, if the brothers would only heed it, that no brother should have anything except a tunic as the Rule allows us, together with a cord and underwear.”
– One of the most cowardly things ordinary people do is to shut their eyes to facts.
15 – Another time, blessed Francis said: “The religion and life of the Lesser Brothers is a little flock, which the Son of God in this very last hour has asked of His heavenly Father, saying: ‘Father, I want you to make and give me a new and humble people in this very last hour, who would be unlike all others who preceded them by their humility and poverty, and be content to have me alone.’
– Every contact you make with everyone you meet will help them or hinder them on their journey to heaven.
16 – And the Father said to His beloved Son: ‘My Son, Your request has been fulfilled.’ ” This is why blessed Francis would say: “Therefore, the Lord has willed that they be called Lesser Brothers, because they are the people whom the Son of God speaks in the Gospel:
– I have often repented of speech but hardly ever of silence.
17 – Do not fear, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom; and again: What you did for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did it for me. For, although the Lord may be understood to be speaking of all the spiritually poor, he was nevertheless predicting the religion of the Lesser Brothers that was to come in His Church.”
– Don’t judge a man by where he is, because you don’t know how far he has come.
18 – Therefore, as it was revealed to blessed Francis that it was to be called the Religion of the Lesser Brothers, he had it so written in the first Rule, when he brought it before the Lord Pope Innocent III, and he approved and granted it, and later announced it to all in the Council.
– If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable: think of it as a place of training and correction and it’s not so bad.
19 – Likewise, the Lord also revealed to him the greeting that the brothers should use, as he had written in his Testament: “The Lord revealed a greeting to me that we should say ‘May the Lord give you peace.’ ”At the beginning of the religion, when blessed Francis would go with a brother who was one of the first twelve brothers, that brother would greet men and women along the way as well as those in their field, saying:
– There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.
20 – “May the Lord give you peace.” And because people had never before heard such a greeting from any religious, they were greatly amazed. Indeed, some would say almost indignantly: “What does this greeting of yours mean?” As a result that brother began to be quite embarrassed. Then he said to blessed Francis “Let me use another greeting.”
– God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons that we could learn in no other way.
21 – Blessed Francis told him: “Let them talk, for they do not grasp what is of God. But do not be embarrassed, for one day the nobles and princes of this world will show respect to you and the other brothers because of a greeting of this sort.” And blessed Francis said: “Isn’t it great that the Lord wanted to have a little people among all those who preceded them who would be content to have Him alone, the Most High and most glorious?”
– Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
22 – If any brother wanted to ask why blessed Francis in his own time did not make the brothers observe such a strict poverty as he told Brother Riccerio, and did not order it to be observed, we who were with him would respond to this as we heard from his mouth.
– Those who do not think about their own sins make up for it by thinking incessantly about the sins of others.
23 – Because he told the brothers this and many other things, and also had written down in the Rule what he requested from the Lord with relentless prayer and meditation for the good of the religion, affirming that it was completely the Lord’s will.
Afterwards when he showed them, they seemed harsh and unbearable, for they did not know what was going to happen to the religion after his death.
– To love at all is to be vulnerable.
24 – And because he feared scandal for himself and for the brothers, he did not want to argue with them; but he complied with their wish, although not willingly, and excused himself before the Lord.
– Love is never wasted, for its value does not rest upon reciprocity.
25 – But, that the word of the Lord, which He put in his mouth for the good of the brothers, would not return to Him empty, he wanted to fulfill it in himself, so that he might then obtain a reward from the Lord. And at last he found peace in this and his spirit was comforted.
– God loves us: not because we are lovable but because He is love, not because He needs to receive but He delights to give.
102 – A MINISTER ASKS ABOUT BOOKS; THE MINISTERS REMOVE THE CHAPTER IN THE RULE ABOUT POVERTY
26 – At the time when he returned from overseas, a minister spoke with him about the chapter on poverty. He wanted to know his will and understanding, especially since at the time a chapter had been written in the Rule from prohibitions of the holy Gospel: Take nothing with you on the journey, etc.
– Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different.
27 – And blessed Francis answered: “I want to understand it in this way, that the brothers should have nothing except a tunic with a cord and underwear, as contained in the Rule, and those compelled by necessity, may have shoes.” And the minister said to him: “What shall I do, for I have so many books worth more than fifty pounds?”
– If nothing in this world satisfies me, perhaps it is because I was made for another world.
28 – He said this because he wanted to hold on to them with a clear conscience, most especially because he had a qualm of conscience about keeping so many books when he knew blessed Francis strictly interpreted the chapter on poverty.
“Brother,” blessed Francis said to him, “I cannot and must not go against my own conscience and the perfection of the holy Gospel which we have professed.” Hearing this, the minister became sad. Seeing how disturbed he was, blessed Francis said to him with intensity of spirit, intending this for all the brothers:
– You must make your choice: either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God.
29 – “You, Lesser Brothers, want to be seen as and called observers of the holy Gospel, but in your deeds you want to have money bags.” Although the ministers knew that, according to the Rule of the brothers they were bound to observe the holy Gospel, they nevertheless had that chapter of the Rule where it says “Take nothing for your journey, etc.” removed, believing, despite it, that they were not obliged to observance of the perfection of the holy Gospel.
– If you live for the next world, you get this one in the deal; but if you live only for this world, you lose them both.
30 – Knowing this through the light of the Holy Spirit, blessed Francis said in the presence of some brothers: “The brother ministers think they can deceive God and me.” Then he said:”Indeed, that all the brothers may know that they are bound to observe the perfection of the holy Gospel, I want it written at the beginning and at the end of the Rule that the brothers are bound to observe the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that the brothers may always be without an excuse before God, …
– There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘All right, then, have it your way.’
31 – I want to show with these deeds and always observe, with God’s help, what God has placed in my mouth for the welfare and usefulness of my soul and those of my brothers.” Therefore, he observed the holy Gospel to the letter from the day he began to have brothers until the day of his death.
– God doesn’t want something from us. He simply wants us.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on May 9th, 2026 Joyful Gospel Living
“Come to Him, a living stone…chosen and precious in the sight of God.”
Background:
Like many other fraternities, our local fraternity (Holy Assumption-Roebling, NJ) prayed that we might find a common apostolate. At the suggestion of one of our members, we decided that this should be a pro-life apostolate. After exploring several options in our local area, we made arrangements to meet Clare Kirk, OFS (belonged to St. Peter Fraternity in Riverside, NJ) , who worked at Good Counsel Home in Riverside with expectant and new mothers. She gave us a tour of the facility and what the needs were. Later, she visited our fraternity and spoke to our membership about this life-giving ministry. In a follow-up phone call, Clare mentioned to me that there was an even greater need to assist the mothers after their two years of association with the home, when their life skills were put to the test and they sometimes struggled to adjust. At that time, Clare maintained contact with seven alumnae (new mothers) who were trying to make a life for themselves and their new babies. Our fraternity made a commitment to help one of those mothers (Emma) and her 18-month old baby Essence. It has been a wonderful journey of accompaniment for all of us. This June, Essence will be 14 years old and graduating from 8th grade!
One of our fraternity members has been at the Masonic Village in Burlington, NJ, for many years now. Every year, we take fraternity to Carla to celebrate her birthday (June 29th). Emma and Essence celebrate birthdays in May and June respectively, so Carla gets to enjoy a triple celebration. How special will the visit be this year! Little sister Symone’s birthday is in September, but she gets to party, too. Carla looks forward to these visits and lavishes affection on Emma and the girls.
Reflection:
A few years ago, my husband Jeff and I made a trip to the White Mountains of Maine to visit one of my brothers and his wife. They live on Mt. Abram, but their home provides easy access to the Presidential range in New Hampshire and the Appalachian Trail (AT) as it crosses into Maine. One day, we decided to take a hike on the AT and found a trailhead to Table Rock, famous locally for the spectacular views when reaching the summit. As we hiked the rugged trail, we encountered the characteristic terrain details of Maine: stones, rocks, and boulders! When we were about 2/3 of the way up, we were both envious of bighorn sheep and their abilities to traverse such terrain!
What does a living stone look like? In St. Peter’s epistle, he encourages the local Church to “Come to Him, a living stone, rejected by human beings, chosen and precious in the sight of God.” This was an appeal to people of faith to turn to the Light of Christ and have a desire to be a living stone to build up the Church as a visible sign of Christ’s presence in our world.
On April 14th, the Franciscan Action Network (FAN) hosted a one-hour webinar to encourage people of faith to advocate for a just Farm Bill. This important legislation not only protects the needs of farmers who raise the food that will nourish our country and people in faraway lands, but it also funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Both of these programs are critical to the life and dignity of people affected by poverty.
From dialogue with the coordinators at FAN, I knew that their promotion of advocacy was to get constituents to write to the members of Congress to make it a priority to preserve funding for those who are in need. When the One Big Beautiful Bill was passed last fall, there was intention to cut $30B of SNAP funding over the next decade. The proposed budget for FY2027 includes a $4.9B reduction to SNAP. What must a living stone do to build the spiritual house whose cornerstone is Jesus Christ? These reductions have a direct impact on struggling families like Emma’s.
I visited the Catholic Charities USA website to see what the impact has been. In recent news, I found a link to a letter to the Senate Committee on Appropriations by Kerry Alys Robinson, the President and CEO of Catholic Charities USA, in which she wrote on behalf of the 169 diocesan Catholic Charities agencies in the US to make an urgent appeal for the vulnerable in our society:
https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/letter-appropriations-labor-hhs-fy2027.pdf
In the introduction to her letter, Robinson wrote:
“As you consider the Fiscal Year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) urges you to invest in programs that protect and support poor and vulnerable children, seniors, families, people facing behavioral and mental health crises, workforce development and training.”
As living stones, we can choose to place ourselves where we intentionally build a strong structure. The Gospel teaches us how we are to live by loving one another and following the example of Jesus in seeing Him in one another. In this weekend’s Gospel from St. John, Jesus tells His followers: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.”
What is ours to do? In our parish life, we know that there is a ministry to those in need through the efforts of our St. Vincent de Paul Society. Many people come to our food pantry for temporary and sustaining assistance. In many cases, many of those families also receive SNAP benefits, but they do not cover the growing expenses of our world today. As draconian cuts are made to these critical benefits, how will families cope? What must living stones do for one another? How does our faith in God inspire us to do the work as Christ, our foundation, would?
For 13 years, our Secular Franciscan fraternity has accompanied a young single mother and her two daughters as a pro-life ministry. Through this accompaniment, we have learned a great deal about the difficulties that poor people face with the very basics of society: food nourishment; affordable housing; sources of basic material needs such as clothing, furniture, public transportation, legal protection; and serious safety concerns when living and working in dangerous areas. These experiences are part of an ongoing conversion for those who sincerely want to be living stones for Christ.
  
When Pope Francis released his encyclical Fratelli Tutti in 2020, I explored the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) using the search engine for “common good” and found 73 results. In Part Three (Life in Christ), there was a resonating teaching for living stones:
“Freedom is exercised in relationships between human beings. Every human person, created in the image of God, has the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being. All owe to each other this duty of respect, the right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person. This right must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of the common good and public order.” (CCC, 1738)
The Beatitudes are our blueprint for building the Kingdom of God here and now. Jesus teaches us that God’s reign is visible where people respond to the needs for righteousness and justice with mercy and compassion. There are so many needs in our world today. Sometimes, there can be a global impact by a singular event (e.g., the Chernobyl nuclear disaster). Every person of faith is called to be a living stone, and then it is good to:
“…let yourselves be built into a spiritual house.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
Saint Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
Posted By Terri Leone, on May 5th, 2026  Did You Know ….
The US Bishops recently discussed and planned a special celebration for our Country’s 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence? The goal of this Consecration is the unity and healing of the USA. The highlight of this celebration will be the Consecration our Country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11, 2026. As part of that celebration, the Bishops are asking the whole USA Church (dioceses, parishes, families & individuals) to prepare with Eucharistic Adoration, special prayers to the Sacred Heart, and Works of Mercy. Background information, Consecration prayer, prayers to the Sacred Heart & resources for the 250 Hours of Adoration – 250 Works of Mercy may be accessed from the links below and are available in English and Spanish. (FYI – both “250” items are expected to be divided among members of groups not done by individuals alone and between now and July 5th – e.g. in a fraternity of 10 members, each member would commit to 25 hours &/or works prior to July 5th; in a regional fraternity of 10 fraternities, each fraternity would commit to 25 hours &/or works .) While the Bishops would like group support; they also heartily encourage individual participation.
Citations from Preparing our Hearts 2026 – Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (USA)
Consecration sets something aside for a holy purpose and entrusts it to the special care of God. As Pope Benedict XVI said in his 2009 Chrism Mass homily, consecration means total immersion in God: “To consecrate something or someone means, therefore, to give that thing or person to God as His property, to take it out of the context of what is ours and to insert it in His milieu, so that it no longer belongs to our affairs, but is totally of God.” …
In 1899, Pope Leo XIII, known as the father of modern Catholic social teaching …“When religion is once discarded it follows of necessity that the surest foundations of the public welfare must give way,” causing “disquiet of mind and . . . waves so rough that no one is suffered to be free from anxiety and peril” (Annum Sacrum 10). A national consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus signals to God that his goodness is not forgotten and that our country relies on God’s providence for continued flourishing. …
Exactly 100 years after Leo XIII wrote those words about the Sacred Heart, John Paul II preached a homily emphasizing the importance of praying with the Sacred Heart in order to know more intimately the love of God. He said, “Everything that God wanted to tell us about himself and about his love, he placed in the Heart of Jesus.” Jesus gave us the image of his Sacred Heart as a dramatic reminder of his love. …
Citations from Reflection on Consecration to the Sacred Heart | USCCB
by Archbishop Alexander K. Sample, Chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty
“Popes have lauded the practice of consecration of the self, home, and even whole nations to the Sacred Heart. In his encyclical instituting the Solemnity of Christ the King, Pope Pius XI, drawing on the teaching of Pope Leo XIII, commended the “pious custom” of consecrating the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a way to recognize the kingship of Christ. By celebrating this important national anniversary with this devotion, we have the opportunity to encourage all Catholics to honor our Lord and to “infuse the spirit of the Gospel into various communities and departments of life.”
With his encyclical, Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis brought devotion to the Sacred Heart to the forefront of our contemporary Catholic life and culture. He noted: “In contemplating the pierced heart of the Lord, who ‘took our infirmities and bore our diseases,’ we too are inspired to be more attentive to the sufferings and needs of others and confirmed in our efforts to share in his work of liberation as instruments for the spread of his love. As we meditate on Christ’s self-offering for the sake of all, we are naturally led to ask why we too should not be ready to give our lives for others.” In Dilexi Te, Pope Leo invited us to contemplate Christ’s love, which moves us out on our mission to attend to our sisters and brothers suffering in the world today, particularly in our care for poor and vulnerable people. As we reflect with gratitude on the blessings God has bestowed on our country, our devotion to the Sacred Heart demands that we consider how we might foster truth, justice, and charity in American life. We are called to bring our faith into the actions we take and the lives we lead in our communities.”
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As faithful followers of our Seraphic Father St. Francis and obedient to our Rule and Constitutions, we place ourselves under the care and guidance of our Holy Father and Bishops. Let us humbly and joyfully, not only respond to the Bishops’ request but promote it in our fraternities and our parishes.
We Hold These Truths | USCCB – basic information
Preparing our Hearts 2026 – Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network Check your
Reflection on Consecration to the Sacred Heart | USCCB Diocesan
Novena & Litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Website, too!
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for Families-Brochure
FYI: The Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and
The Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
may be found in the Secular Franciscan Companion
Posted By Teresa Redder, on May 3rd, 2026 Results of Saint Katharine Drexel Regional Chapter of Elections – May 2, 2026
The Regional Fraternity Council met at Saint Francis Friary in Wilmington, DE, for our Chapter of Elections. There were 20 (of 22) local fraternity ministers or their delegates and 7 (of 8) Regional Executive Council members who participated in the voting (27 total voters). Due to medical restrictions, Cindy Louden, OFS (outgoing Regional Vice Minister) was not able to be present, but she was with us by Zoom for the whole day. The required majority for each ballot was 14 or more votes. There were seven (7) nominees for councilor-at-large.
Ecclesial Witness: Fr. Marek Stybor, OFM Conv. (President-in-Turn of the Conference of National Spiritual Assistants)
Presider: Corinne Lorenzet, OFS (National Councilor and Delegate of the OFS-USA Minister)
| Council Position |
Member |
Status |
| Minister |
Teresa Redder, OFS
Holy Assumption Fraternity
|
Reelected |
| Vice Minister |
Kathy Agosto, OFS
Divine Mercy Fraternity
|
Reelected (new position) |
| Secretary |
Terri Leone, OFS
St. Francis Fraternity (Phila)
|
Reelected (new position) |
| Treasurer |
Ed Schirra, OFS
St. Joseph Fraternity
|
Reelected |
| Formation Director |
Jen Drees, OFS
Christ the King Fraternity
|
Reelected |
| Councilors-at-Large (4) |
Tom McGurk, OFS
St. Francis Fraternity (Folsom)
|
Newly elected |
| Jeff Redder, OFS
Holy Assumption Fraternity
|
Reelected |
| Carolyn Murray, OFS
St. John the Evangelist Fraternity
|
Newly elected |
| James Wileczek, OFS
Christ the King Fraternity
|
Newly elected |
Left to right: Fr. Francis Sariego, OFM Cap (Spiritual Asst), Carolyn Murray, OFS (Coundilor), James Wileczek, OFS (Councilor); Ed Schirra, OFS (Treasurer): Kathy Agosto, OFS (Vice Minister); Teresa Redder, OFS (Minister); Jeff Redder, OFS (Councilor); Terri Leone, OFS (Secretary); Tom McGurk, OFS (Councilor); Jen Drees, OFS (Formation Director); and Br. John Neuffer, OFM (Spiritual Assistant)
Fr. Marek requested a group photo when we were in the chapel for installation of the Council. Corinne is in the left front row wearing green and Fr. Marek is in the back underneath the crucifix:
Please keep the newly elected Regional Executive Council in your prayers.
We are very grateful to our National Fraternity, especially our two visitors, who gave such joyful affirmation to our Regional Fraternity Council and challenged us to live our Gospel calling with fidelity and conviction.
Peace and all good,
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
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Posted By Teresa Redder, on April 26th, 2026 On Sunday, April 26, 2026, Saint John the Evangelist Fraternity held a Chapter of Elections at St. John the Evangelist Parish Center in Philadelphia, PA. The presider was Teresa Redder, OFS (Regional Minister) and the ecclesial witness (delegate) was Fr. John McCloskey, OFM Cap.
It is such a great joy to see the election of two newly professed members (Adriano and Victor) to the Fraternity Council with a great desire to serve the Lord with gladness.
We give thanks to God for all of these newly elected servant leaders of this local fraternity. May God continue to bless them with the fidelity to serve with great humility!
| COUNCIL POSITION |
MEMBER |
NOTES |
| Minister |
Carolyn Murray, OFS |
Reelected |
| Vice Minister |
Terry Guerra, OFS |
Newly elected |
| Secretary |
Adriano Duque, OFS |
Newly elected |
| Treasurer |
Bob McKee, OFS |
Newly elected |
| Formation Director |
Venus Murphy, OFS |
Reelected |
| Councilor-at-Large |
Víctor Sanchez, OFS |
Newly elected |
Left to right: Terry Guerra, OFS; Bob McKee, OFS; Adriano Duque, OFS; Carolyn Murray, OFS; Teresa Redder, OFS; Venus Murphy, OFS; Fr. John McCloskey, OFM Cap; and Victor Sanchez, OFS.
The fraternal gathering concluding with Franciscan joy…
and the inquirers who were present had a peek at what a Chapter of Elections looks like!
Posted By Teresa Redder, on April 26th, 2026 On Sunday, April 19, 2026, Saint Joseph Fraternity held a Chapter of Elections at St. Joseph Oblate Seminary in Pittston, PA. The presider was Teresa Redder, OFS (Regional Minister) and the ecclesial witness (delegate) was Deacon Gerard P. Pernot.
We give thanks to God for these newly elected servant leaders of their local fraternity. May God continue to bless them with the fidelity to serve with great humility!
| COUNCIL POSITION |
MEMBER |
| Minister |
Ed Schirra, OFS |
| Vice Minister |
James Gaffney, OFS (new) |
| Secretary |
Michele T. Sisak, OFS |
| Treasurer |
Theresa Lisiewski, OFS (new) |
| Formation Director |
Nancy Beccaloni, OFS (new) |
Back row (left to right): Jim Gaffney, OFS; Theresa Lisiewski, OFS; & Michele Sisak, OFS
Front row: Teresa Redder, OFS; Ed Schirra, OFS; Nancy Beccaloni, OFS, & Deacon Gerard Pernot
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