Novice Guardians of various Anglican Religious Communities met at the Convent of the Incarnation, Fairacres in Oxford recently, including Sr Maureen CSF.
In the picture are: back row – Fr Thomas CR, Sr Margaret Therese SLG, Sr Elizabeth Jane CSMV, Sr Katharine SSC, Sr Sue OCMM. Front row – Sr Alison OSB, Sr Aileen CSC, Sr Maureen CSF.
As we mourn the death of Pope Francis, with Christians around the world, we are reminded of the influence of the life of St. Francis on his papacy. This video created by Dr Liam Temple, explains how Pope Francis was inspired by the life of the saint.
The Centre for Catholic Studies at the University of Durham is hosting a Summer School from 9th-20th June 2025.
The content of the lectures will encompass Franciscan Reform and Renewal Movements; Franciscan Foundations for Moral Theology; and St Bonaventure on Love, Wisdom and the Quest for Holiness. The academic level of the content will be equivalent to second year undergraduate study and the Summer School is suitable for all people who are interested in Franciscan Theology.
To find out more, click here
To book a place, click here
You are warmly invited to attend a ‘Companions’ Zoom Coffee morning’ which will be hosted by Br Finnian on Saturday 29th March at 10.30am. Please email Finnian by clicking here for a link.
Br Simeon made his First Profession in Vows on Saturday 8th February in Alnmouth Friary. He was joined by members of his family, friends, members of the Church he attended before joining the Community and Brothers and Sisters. Simeon – who is currently based in Birmingham – will now wear the three knotted rope (signifying the Vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience) for a further period of time whilst discerning whether he wishes to commit himself to the Vows for life within the Society of St Francis.
Brothers SSF and members of TSSF shared with Roman Catholic colleagues from the Archdiocese of Birmingham in the Mass for Religious and renewal of vows at St Chad’s Cathedral on Saturday 1st February at the invitation of Archbishop Bernard Longley. Here we see them with Sr Shirley CSJD, Fr Gary Buckby Episcopal vicar for Religious (a Wolves supporter!) and the Sicilian Sorelli Minori Di San Francesco, based in Kingstanding Birmingham.
There will be a Retreat for Companions of the Society of St Francis in Alnmouth Friary from Monday 12th – Friday 16th May 2025. Please click here to contact the Guestbrother for more information.
On Saturday 9th November there will be an opportunity to explore the Franciscan life with Sisters and Brothers, ask questions and watch a DVD about life as a Sister and Brother. Please contact Sr Maureen for further details by clicking here. A flyer may be found by clicking here (please feel free to print it out!)
To mark this significant anniversary, an ecumenical team had put together a series of events that marked the movements of the friars in the first few months of their arrival in England. It began on 9th September, with a gathering on the beach with a prayer and then a search for a stone with a hole in it (9th 1&1a). The significance of this became clearer after we had walked to St Edmund’s Chapel, in central Dover, one of the few almost- 800 years old buildings in Dover. It was here that pilgrims came, with their holed stone, when they arrived on the English shore, so the friars would have followed this unusual, but already well-established custom. At the chapel, (9th 2 & 3) the pilgrims would pray about the purpose of their pilgrimage – for healing, renewed faith, the well-being of their family, or whatever – before setting off on their journey to Canterbury. Canterbury – Rome was one of the main European pilgrim routes in medieval Europe.(9th 4)
On 10th September, after an early morning Mass on Dover beach, (10th 1-3 )then a simple breakfast, two groups of pilgrims set off to walk to Canterbury (10th 4-5). The main group walked the whole way, aiming to get to Canterbury by the early evening, and a small group (6 of us) went by car to Womanswold, and 5 of us (Christopher John SSF, Sian Yates TSSF, Pat Mossop TSSF, Judi N/CSF and Maureen CSF) then walked the rest of the way to Canterbury (10th 2) (the 6th person walked part of the way then went back for the car), arriving in time for the service of Evening Prayer in the crypt of Canterbury Cathedral, led by Christopher John. (10th 6-8).
After Evening Prayer, attended by around 70 people including Roman Catholic Franciscans (Third Order Regular sisters, First Order friars, Third Order Friars, a Poor Clare, and Secular Franciscans) as well as Anglicans from the First Order sisters and brothers, and tertiaries, Companions and other friends, there was a short talk by a historian about the arrival of the friars in Canterbury. Those first friars very soon split into two groups, one remaining in Canterbury, the ecclesiastical centre of the day, the other group going to London, the economical and political centre. Within a few months, both groups having increased in number, they were able to establish a presence in Oxford, which with its new university was the educational centre of England. Subsequently, they spread to other locations, as well as expanding their mission and ministries in those places.
The following day, 11th September, the Canterbury celebrations continued with Morning prayer (at 10.30 am) in the cathedral crypt, led this time by the Roman Catholics, and then an Anglican Eucharist in the Greyfriars gardens, ( 11th 2-6 with no. 5 in 3 parts) the actual building (11th 1) being inaccessible due to essential building works taking place. We had two short, brilliant sermons, very different from one another, from Samuel during Morning Prayer in the crypt and Micael Christoffer at the Eucharist in Greyfriars gardens.
The London-based celebrations took place on 17th September, with the double celebration of 800 years since St Francis received the stigmata, as well as the arrival of the friars. After Morning Prayer in the Anglican Southwark Cathedral, groups of people made pilgrimage,(17th 1-4) by a slow route, to the Roman Catholic Southwark Cathedral (St George’s) (17th 5 & 6) for a midday Mass, followed by lunch and then time in the Lambeth Palace garden (17th 7). The afternoon concluded there with a symbolic watering of some fig tree saplings of ecumenical significance, and a blessing.
The third part of the celebrations took place on Friday evening and Saturday morning, 20 and 21 September, in Oxford where, appropriately, the Saturday event was two lectures relating to Franciscans in England.
