Franciscan Month Reflection Series

Growing up, I always knew to respect my great aunt Sr. Deotilla who was a Franciscan Sister from Dubuque, Iowa.  My young thoughts of her were of how athletic she was and how she liked to pray the rosary.  I have been blessed with some of her prayer books and reflections of her commitment to God and the Franciscan way of life.  My older self sees her vision through her writings and her dedication to the Holy Trinity.  Sr. Deotilla was a devoted individual who put others before herself and believed in the power of prayer.   As I work at  Briar   Cliff  University, I reflect on the Franciscan Value of “Building a Caring Community”.  This Value has been dear to my heart from the very beginning of my social work career at  Briar   Cliff .  A sign of a caring community is when each person feels valued and respected.   Because of this Value, I try to be someone who values all life, and provides dignified care and leadership....

In 2022, Neumann University committed to develop and implement Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ Action Plan for the next 7 years. The Laudato Si’ Action Plan is particularly important and aligns with our Neumann values of Reverence for all creation and Stewardship of resources. Moreover, the 7-year commitment aligns with the values and commitment of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia who sponsor our University. One of the 7 goals of Laudato Si’ is ecological education. It is about “re-thinking and re-designing curricular and institutional reform in the spirit of integral ecology in order to foster ecological awareness and transformative action.” To promote this goal and to achieve one of Neumann’s Core learning outcomes “ 4.4 Demonstrate environmental awareness and stewardship ,” developing and adding a Sustainability Minor appeared critically important. The Studies in Sustainability Minor Program is intended to help students deepen and broaden their understanding of what susta...

When I was asked to write a reflection on Saint Francis and given the liberty to pick any Franciscan theme, my thoughts went immediately to Greccio and the story of the first Live Nativity Scene. Saint Francis was first inspired by the idea of a live Nativity scene after visiting the historical place of Christ’s birth on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land – the humble stable in a Bethlehem cave. Saint Francis stopped at Greccio (1223) because he wanted to contemplate the realness of the Incarnation, namely the simplicity, poverty and humility of the Son of God “who gave Himself for us with supreme and indescribable love” (I Celano) Thus, the custom of having a Nativity Set in every home became a reality. I am certain that most families carry on this tradition today and this display in many cases has been handed down from generation to generation. Whether the display is most ornate, elaborate or very plain, the message that it brings is the Love of God giving us His Only begotten Son t...

As we call to mind St. Francis of Assisi during this month-long celebration of his life and legacy, it is essential to remember that St. Francis was not a man who set out to make a name for himself, but instead, was a man who lived fearlessly for Christ, as all the saints before us have done and all the saints who walk among us continue to do. The Franciscan values that govern our institutions and organizations are embodiments of the unique ways in which St. Francis responded to God’s invitation to relationship. We cannot truly understand our Franciscan values if we do not acknowledge that these characteristics that we revere in Francis, his exuberant joy, servant heart, and devout faith, were born from a deep love of Jesus Christ and led to a life modeled on His example. As our society continues to relegate religion and promote relativistic attitudes, it is harder to give God, the Church, or discussions about faith a seat at the table. In an attempt to stay relevant with the times, wh...

Each morning as I grab my cup of coffee and settle into my work space to begin my day, I take a quick glance to a medium sized wooden plaque with a motivational statement stenciled on it that sits next to my computer. Some offices have walls plastered with motivational posters of mountains and rivers with inspirational statements of determination, team work, and commitment. Not me. My daily declaration of motivation is simply this, “Today I will be happier than a bird with a french fry.” The first time I saw this saying was in my early 20s on the wood paneled wall of a hole-in-the-wall honky tonk my father’s country western band was playing. My sister and I caught a glimpse of this particular sign amidst a collage of quirky sayings and had such a hard laugh that the following year my sister gifted it to me on the first day of my first fulltime job. This simple statement has been with me my entire professional career and continues to be my daily driving motivational motto. I grew up s...

Blessed Are the Peacemakers By Christopher Heffron “Mankind must remember that peace is not God’s gift to his people; peace is our gift to each other.” These words, from Holocaust survivor and peace activist Elie Wiesel, are my go-to on Franciscan Media’s social channels whenever acts of violence or political unrest befoul our country. Needless to say, I’ve tweeted them often. The message speaks to our own potential as peace-builders—and they are so inherently Franciscan they could have flowed from the pen of Francis himself. The poor man of Assisi was medieval to his core, but his struggles were surprisingly contemporary. Born into privilege, a young Francis was wooed by earthly trappings and dreams of glory on the battlefield. But that was not to be. During his time as a soldier, he was captured and taken as a prisoner of war for a year, eventually returning home, sick and broken. But healing through spiritual conversion was underway. One chapter in that conversion story happen...

Dear Sister and Brothers, As we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis amid this year in which we are  remembering the 800th centenary of the First Order Rule and the first  Christmas celebration at Greccio, my wish for you is that you have a  most blessed Feast day with a most joyous celebration. Peace and all Good! So often we use this greeting in our conversations  and correspondence. We have become so accustomed to hearing it that we  sometimes miss the power of its message, especially in the world in  which we now live. The peace of St. Francis is indeed a gift that the  world needs greatly. We, who know St. Francis, have a most important  mission in praying for and spreading peace. As we celebrate this  Feast in whatever way you feel is most meaningful for you, I pray  that you include a remembrance of those values that St. Francis  treasured, especially poverty, simplicity and care for creation. May  God continue to instill ...