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Levels of OFS Fraternity
1. Local Fraternity:
The basic "cell"/group of members in a given locality. Members are animated & guided by an elected council & a Spiritual Assistant appointed by the Provincial Minister to which the local fraternity is "bonded" when established.
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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.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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
+ + +
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
Posted By Teresa Redder, on April 26th, 2026 JOYFUL GOSPEL LIVING
April 5, 2026 – The Resurrection of the Lord
“This is the day the Lord has made…”
At the Easter Vigil, my parish welcomed four catechumens into the Church through baptism. During this long liturgy, all of the faithful experienced the awe and wonder of Christ’s Resurrection through powerful symbols (fire, light, water, and oil), the chanting of the glorious Exsultet, special Scripture readings, and the rite of Christian initiation with water, candles, and chrism, followed by the reception of the Eucharist. This ritual is observed all over the world with the same reverence and glory that our faith has preserved by tradition for centuries.
For the catechumens and all of us, the celebration of Easter helps us to appreciate what Christ has promised to all of us who believe in Him and to share with Him the eternal life that He offers. Over three weekends in March, the catechumens participated in the weekend scrutinies of their faith. The symbols of Easter are profoundly present in our communal celebration:
- First Scrutiny: “I am the Living Water.”
- Second Scrutiny: “I am the Light of the World.”
- Third Scrutiny: “I am the Resurrection and the Life.”
Once a year, we renew our baptismal promises on Easter Sunday and then we are sprinkled with holy water to symbolize the new life that we share in Christ. As we are welcomed into God’s family as His sons and daughters at baptism, we also begin our journey of discipleship. For those of us who were baptized as infants, we relied on the examples of our parents, godparents, and other faith-filled people to shape our lives. When we are sprinkled with holy water, we should experience the incredible joy that Psalm 118 describes:
“This is the day the Lord has made.”
On the feast of Saint Joseph (March 19th), my husband Jeff and I were at Sacred Heart Church (Mount Holly, NJ) for the Confirmation service for our twin grandchildren (Zofia and Nathan), who were among the 50 students to receive the sacrament this year. For their 8th grade year, Jeff (a.k.a. Grandpa) was their catechist! On their own, they chose Clare and Francis as their Confirmation names. As their sponsors, we received a special gift from the parish catechetical team—a beautiful commemorative card with the title “The Role of the Sponsor.”
Before the service, I opened and read my card, which included an inscription of our granddaughter’s name and the date that she was sealed with the Holy Spirit—on the feast of Saint Joseph– the patron saint of my paternal grandfather, home parish, grammar and high schools, and university! It was a day that the Lord had made for us. Although the words inside the card highlighted the role of the sponsor, I thought that everyone who lives the faith with joy and conviction shares in this kind of witness for Christ:
“You have the honor of being chosen as witness to the confirmand’s initiation into full Christian life. Through this sacrament, the confirmand is strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit, made a true witness of Christ in word and deed, and invited more deeply into the life of the Church. Your most significant role in relation to him/her is to be a role model of such witness and unifying love.
Some ways in which you can nurture this spiritual relationship all through life are:
- Celebrate the anniversary of this holy day of Confirmation with a visit, call, or card.
- Listen to and share in the confirmand’s maturing struggles and triumphs in living a Christian life and keep yourself informed on Christian doctrine and values to be able to answer questions when they arise.
- Encourage a maturing life of faith through special cards, letters, or gifts which celebrate holy events…Christmas, Easter…and personal growth events…graduations, first job, engagement. (Gift suggestions: a Bible, rosary, spiritual book, religious jewelry, retreat opportunity).
- Most importantly, become a model of Christian living for the person you have sponsored, through daily prayer, virtue, and active participation in parish life and liturgy.”
During the Confirmation service, I felt especially close to my own late sponsor (my Dad’s youngest sister), Cioci (Aunt) Irene, who passed away at age 95. Not only was she a great influence on my spiritual life, but she also played a large role in the lives of my four children even into their adult lives and with my twin grandchildren, who accompanied me on many visit to her assisted living facility.
When Cioci Irene passed away in July 2022, her son asked me to offer the words of remembrance at her Mass of Christian Burial. I had to smile inwardly when I spoke with the parish staff on the phone about the instructions: make sure that the words have spiritual content to them. Besides my grandparents and parents, my aunt was the greatest spiritual companion in my life for another 10 years after all of them had passed away.
I reread what I had written about Cioci Irene after I received that card at the Confirmation service. In my special memories of the “saint” that God had chosen to be my sponsor, I treasured how she: took away my fear of the bishop when I was confirmed; was the first to send me Polish wafer bread (opⱡatek) when I went away on active duty in the USAF; used her butter mold to make lambs for our family for the blessing of Easter food on Holy Saturday (and gave me her mold to continue the tradition); brought holy water to the parish cemetery for all of us to sprinkle as we bid farewell to her husband (my uncle); gave her treasured sodality rosary to my granddaughter with the instruction to pray it often; and always gave us a blessing on our foreheads when we left our visits with her, even if we were in the dining room and everyone could see it.
As we remember our Baptism during the Easter season, let us delight in the awe and wonder of God’s glory in new life that we experience in Christ. Let us remember those who have been witnesses of faith for us:
“…let us rejoice and be glad.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
Saint Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
Posted By Terri Leone, on March 25th, 2026 March 23, 2026 update to a recent blog about
“Servant of God Adele Brice & Our Lady of Champion (WI, USA)”
From: https://championshrine.org/timeline/
 Adele and her companions form a community of Third Order Franciscans and begin to stabilize their missionary work in a farmhouse not far from the wood frame Chapel. Later in the year a school and convent are built of wood frame construction.
Update:
Based on a more complete biography of Adele Brice from the records at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, we have confirmation that Adele & her group of “Sisters” were not canonically established as a religious Order but were a group of lay/secular women living a Franciscan life. According to the terminology of that period in history, they were “Third Order” or Lay/Secular Franciscans.
Some Third Order/Secular Franciscan History:
In A Short History of the Third Order by Marion Habig, OFM & Mark Hegener, OFM (1963), Part 2 addresses the history of the Third Order of St. Francis in the USA from approximately the early 1900’s through the mid-1960’s.
In the Introduction to the book, the author cites two ancient philosophers concerning the importance of knowing one’s history: Cicero called history the “teacher of life” and Dryden rephrased this concept as “the most pleasant school of wisdom”.
- The authors frequently use the term Tertiary or tertiaries which is just a shortened form of “Third Order member(s)”. Tertiary is still used but only rarely.
- While it’s probable that some Third Order Franciscans came to America when Franciscan friars traveled with the early explorers, the Third Order had little organization, uniform practices or recorded history till the late 19th – early 20th What little they did have was predominantly in the hands of the friars & developed during a few national Congresses or Conventions under Franciscan friar leadership & then distributed to the Third Order fraternities.
- The General Constitutions of 1957 and new Ritual helped to facilitate this necessary unification. But along with this unification came a sense of being 2nd class Franciscan religious. Although they didn’t take vows, they were expected to practice the evangelical virtues of faith, hope and charity in a heroic way, have a regulated prayer life, take religious names (called each other Sister or Brother…..) & wear “habits” daily which, over the years, went from modified religious habits to a scapular and cord.
- The Second Vatican Council (early 1960’s) and Popes John XXIII and Paul VI (both of whom were Third Order Franciscans) encouraged all religious & lay Orders to “look to your roots” as a means to revitalize their Orders. These factors were the impetus for the Franciscan friars to encourage & support the lay Third Order leaders to honor the sacredness of their lay vocation; to assume responsibility for updating their governing documents to meet the needs of our times and to discern “what is ours to do” (which included changing the name of our Order to “The Secular Franciscan Order”).
- Frs. Habig & Hegener closed Part II with “the Third Order was founded to ‘satisfy a thirst for heroism’ in the hearts of people”.
Do you feel called to “satisfy a thirst for (spiritual) heroism”? Are you living in such a way that you inflame a thirst for spiritual heroism in others?
Terri Leone, OFS
Posted By Terri Leone, on March 19th, 2026 Are you aware that our Blessed Mother Mary appeared to a young woman in a Belgian settlement near Champion Wisconsin in 1859? She appeared to a young woman, Adele Brice, and gave her a special mission from Jesus.
In January 2026 the Holy See started their investigation for the cause of Adele’s possible canonization. Adele is currently titled a Servant of God.
Read the story at Servant of God Adele Brice & Our Lady of Champion – Secular Franciscan Order – USA
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 28th, 2026 Joyful Gospel Living – March 1, 2026
“Lord, it is good that we are here.”
For three years now, my husband Jeff and I have participated in a treasured monthly spiritual series at Francis House of Prayer (Allentown, NJ) with Sr. Marcy Springer, SSJ, on St. Teresa of Ávila. This year, our group has been reading and discussing her book The Way of Perfection, written for her religious community of Carmelite sisters to instruct them in their prayer life. Last month, we read about St. Teresa’s thoughts on the prayer of quiet, something that all of us need in our daily lives, too.
As we celebrate the important Lenten meaning of the Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor, I was reminded of a personal connection to this when I was reading our February assigned text from St. Teresa:
“Persons in this prayer [quiet] see that only one thing is necessary and everything else disturbs them. They don’t want the body to move because it seems they would thereby lose that peace; thus, they don’t dare stir…They are so close that they are seeing as though understanding through signs. They are within the palace, near the King, and they see that He is beginning to give them here His Kingdom.”
Even before St. Teresa ended that paragraph with a reference to St. Peter’s exclamation about building three places to remain with Jesus on the mountain, I already had an image of an intimate prayer experience where the heart speaks to God and says, “Lord, it is good to be here.” More than 1500 years after the Transfiguration, St. Teresa, like other saints before and after her, was able to teach her sisters how prayer can transfigure our lives. Her enduring text continues to inspire us 500 years later, just like this Gospel story.
On Ash Wednesday, the Gospel reminded us of the three Lenten disciplines: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. As we are now in the second week of our 40-day Lenten experience, how are we doing with prayer practices that transfigure our minds and hearts? What are some of the ways to do that?
- Read and pray over the daily Scripture readings.
- Use a Lenten daily devotional to go deeper into the conversion that is the goal of Lent.
- Explore internet resources that provide deeper insights into the Christian pilgrimage of hope.
- Make a Holy Hour in adoration and open the heart to hear Christ speaking,
- Practice Centering Prayer in which there is a deliberate detachment from worldly distractions and 20 minutes of contemplative prayer (prayer of quiet).
- Attend daily Mass more frequently and meditate on the Scripture readings. How will they shape the course of our day?
Recently, I received an e-mail from Sr. Mercedes Rojo, a Franciscan Sister of Philadelphia who is the spiritual assistant to St. Francis Fraternity-Milmont Park. A well-known retreat director, she is a person who incarnates the Scriptures with great joy and zeal.
For her Lenten fraternal reflection, she commented on a recent post on the Center for Action and Contemplation’s (CAC) thread on “Desert and Transformation” that described how people in the early Church (after 313 C.E.), in their desire to have a closer relationship with Christ, would go into the desert to seek the wisdom of the desert abbas (fathers) and ammas (mothers). Their hope was to receive a word to awaken their souls.
After quoting from the CAC post, Sr. Mercedes added her own commentary to her Secular Franciscans, with special emphasis for their Lenten journey:
“After reading this reflection today, it reminded me of [Sr.] Macrina Wiederkehr [a late Benedictine retreat director], and how she describes Lectio Divina: ‘Read under the eyes of God until your heart is touched. Then, give yourself over to Love.’ – For when we do so, we receive A WORD!
What a wonderful practice this could be as we walk the Lenten Journey!! Asking the Lord to give us ‘a WORD’ as we reflect on the daily readings. So I invite us to pay attention to a WORD or phrase that touches us from the daily reading… And STAY with it… LISTENING TO WHAT GOD MAY BE SAYING TO US… TO ME…”
Just imagine the possibilities if we were to experience the prayer of quiet that St. Teresa described. What would it take to have that intimate moment with God in prayer in which we know that we are in the Palace with Him, near the King, and we realize that He has revealed to us that his Kingdom is here? Like the three apostles on Mount Tabor, would we be reluctant to leave there? Consider, though, how it would transform our world if we took that profound experience back into our daily lives with greater love and service!
In our daily living, faith calls us to be both active and contemplative (Martha and Mary). Our prayer experiences offer us the sacred time and place to surrender our will to God’s will, where St. Teresa told her sisters that all of our faculties would be joined together to serve the Lord. This is a wonderful Lenten desire—so close to us if we find that daily word in which we can center our minds and hearts on God’s love for us, aware of how good it is to be there.
When we carry our prayer experience with us into the world, it will be a source of strength and hope for us and others, remembering the words from Psalm 33:
“As we place our trust in You.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
SKD Regional Minister
Photo: Consecrated Life: Transfigured into Christ (Passionist Nuns of St. Joseph Monastery)
https://www.passionistnuns.org/blog/2015/08/05/consecrated-life-transfigured-into-christ
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