SECULAR FRANCISCANS & THE CHURCH MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER MISSION STATEMENT. Keep It Simple. Winter 2017

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1 Winter 2017 SECULAR FRANCISCANS & THE CHURCH MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER By Marie Thomas, OFS, Regional Minister Keep It Simple Once upon a time, long, long ago when I was young, I made New Year Resolutions! I remember a few of them: lose a couple pounds, exercise more, eat healthy, etc. How well did I do? Truthfully, not very well! But as this New Year dawned, I was thinking about the various saints lives and the individual and unique holiness each of them possessed. That s when it came to me! All the saints really have one thing in common. The more I thought about it, I became more convinced that I found the answer and it wasn t complicated. Actually, it is rather simple! What do I mean? They all had one single purpose, one goal, one focus. It doesn t matter what you call it. You can call it love, or call it kindness, or forgiveness, or call it generosity, but they had a single minded purpose and could not be distracted from it. They kept their eyes and hearts fixed on God and only wanted to do His will. They lovingly said yes no matter what He asked. They realized that God loved them unconditionally and overwhelmingly. They knew God IS love, so to believe in God is to believe in love. Perfect faith results from LIVING God s word and not just hearing it. They had complete confidence that God designed all things for them because everything comes from God, everything that occurs is in His control, and everything will ultimately return to Him. That is it! MISSION STATEMENT The Five Franciscan Martyrs Region of the Secular Franciscan Order in the United States is the organic union of all Secular Franciscan fraternities in the State of Florida, South Georgia, and Lower Alabama. We desire to promote in the world a deeper presence of the Catholic Faith and the Franciscan tradition; and we seek to bring the Gospel Beatitudes of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, as personified by St. Francis of Assisi, to all our secular, daily lives. We foster a spirit of prayer, conversion, reconciliation, justice and service, especially to the marginalized in our society. We invoke the intercession, honor the memory, and advance the Cause of the patrons of our Region, the Five Franciscan Martyrs of La Florida, who, in A.D. 1597, freely gave their lives in testimony to the dignity of Christian marriage and family life. (Rewritten from original 1991 version and approved in February 1999, updated February 20.) Isn t this easy? We need not worry or fret over who is doing things wrong. We need not worry what others say about us or even what they do to us because God knows it all and has allowed it for a good spiritual reason. We need not even worry about our families because we know and trust the All-Powerful and Almighty God will take care of them. We know God loves everyone and His greatest desire is for all people to know how much He loves them. Even when they mess things up or are down-right sinful, God has an overwhelming love for them. So, all we need do, is say yes to His will and love everyone with God s love. God wants to use our hands and our voices to convey His message of love. If God is number one in our life, everything else takes second place. If God is truly our main goal, we would not put our feelings, our free time, or our

2 opinions first because with this type of attitude, our spiritual life eventually comes to be identified with a few prayers only. We do not want to encounter others. We say our morning and evening prayers even attend daily Mass but this is not giving God our all. We will not become holy by keeping to ourselves and saying a few prayers. Jesus gave us the great commandment: Love God with your whole heart, mind and soul but He did not put a period there. He added, and your neighbor as yourself. In other words, we cannot get to heaven by ourselves. We must love our brothers and sisters ~ all of them! So this year, let us focus on growing in holiness. Let us keep in mind to be holy, is to love! Let us come into His presence and receive His love so that later, we can take that love to the world. True, we cannot bring peace to the entire world nor can we bring peace to our own country but we can bring kindness, forgiveness and love to those we meet even if it is only one more person. The January 1 issue of the Parade magazine had this on its cover: Throw kindness around like confetti. It s the little things we do that make all the difference. This secular magazine encouraged: 1) Write 52 thank-you notes one a week to a different person for a year. 2) Do one kind act a day. 3) Do spiritual reading, or visit davidgaz.com or cityofkindness.org to learn about the viral power of kindness and how cities are spreading kindness, etc. It brings the article to a close with these words, So here s to a year of doing kindness and living kindness. It s easy, it s free, it feels good and it really makes a difference. THANK YOU: INSPIRATIONAL SECULAR FRANCISCANS! By Marie Thomas, OFS, Regional Minister Secular Franciscans never cease to amaze me! By giving of your love and your lives, the contributions you make to the Church, to the Franciscan Order and to the world are enormous. Secular Franciscans bring Christ to people in hospitals and bring comfort to those who are dying in Hospice. Some devote themselves weekly to the education of the youth. Others take care of the elderly who have been forgotten. I believe that Franciscans who live their lives joyfully to the fullest and meet every challenge with a smile and only use kind words, are witnesses in their town or city and will make better Christians of all they meet. Yes, I believe true Franciscans possess the kindest hearts. But the many, many, many who helped in so many hidden ways during the NAFRA Chapter receive my deepest appreciation. You are dedicated and showed an immense love for the Franciscan Order. I am very grateful for your beautiful example during this time because you joyfully sacrificed your lives, your talents and your time that week or you sent gifts of love in the form of baked goods or your banners, etc. Your witness warms my heart and encourages me in my own efforts to overcome my own self-indulgence and to REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Marie Thomas, OFS Regional Minister Jeane Swaynos Regional Vice Minister Patricia Gagnon, OFS Regional Treasurer Carole Bertrand OFS Regional Secretary Rosemarie Ingersoll, OFS Regional Formation Minister James Grant, OFS West Central Councilor Bonnie Barlow, OFS East Central Councilor Maureen O Hare, OFS Southeast Councilor Barbara Carroll, OFS Southwest Councilor Mark Banschbach, OFS Northern Councilor Andy Buchleitner, OFS Justice, Peace, Integrity of Creation Liason Janice Novello, Ph.D. OFS Regional Chair for Franciscan Young Adults Fred Schaeffer, OFS Regional Webmaster Theresa Zesiewicz, MD OFS Regional Newsletter Editor Drtheresaz@gmail.com

3 give more fully of myself as a servant to my fellow Franciscans. I pray that all of you may be richly blessed! Marie Thomas, OFS LETTER FROM JAN PARKER, NAFRA MINISTER Beloved Brothers and Sisters, Greetings and Peace to you! It was just a week ago that we said goodbye but so much has happened this past week that it seems like 3 or 4! I did not want another day to go by without touching base with you about our 2016 NAFRA Chapter. First of all, a huge thank you to Five Franciscan Martyrs Region for being a truly amazing host Region. As someone said at the Sunday morning Round Table the hospitality was out of this world! Marie, thank you for heading up this monumental effort. Thank you to each member of your Region, too many to mention by name, who served us in so many ways, giving hours of time to make everything, down to the last detail, so wonderful! Mary Bittner is currently collating the evaluations and will send a report, but for just a taste of how folks felt about the Chapter I have attached the comments made at the Round Table discussion. (Thank you Vickie for taking these notes.) Something I know we all appreciated at Chapter were the wonderful liturgies - our Masses and the very meaningful prayer times including the Rite of Remembrance. What a blessing to share in Word and Sacrament! What bonds of unity we experienced! May we be strengthened as we reflect on all the grace filled moments of this Chapter. And there were many! The Minutes from the Chapter are almost complete and you should receive them before the end of November. In the coming weeks the National Executive Council will follow up on all the topics addressed at Chapter, as well as report further on those agenda items that we did not get to. I have them all listed and we ll move on them as quickly as possible in fact we have an NEC meeting scheduled in just a few weeks (Dec in St. Louis). With God s help we ll move forward and we ll continue to keep you updated as best we can, bearing in mind that Advent and Christmas is around the corner. Thank you dear brothers and sisters for this Chapter. I learned so much from all of you and from Chelito and Fr. Francis. Praise God! Thanks to all of you who attended and who contributed in any way and for all that you do day in and day out for our Order. Thank you to the members of our National Executive Council (NEC), our Regional Ministers and our National Commission and Committee Chairs and members. It takes all of us doing our part in prayer and in effort to keep this National Fraternity going and it s happening! We have so much to be thankful for! Love and prayers, Jan ANNUAL MEETING SAN PEDRO April 28-30, 2017 The Five Franciscan Martyrs Regional Fraternity Triennial Chapter of Election will be held during our 2017 Annual Regional Fraternity Meeting scheduled for April 28 to 30, 2017 at San Pedro Retreat Center in Winter Park, Florida. The Elective Chapter will be presided over and witnessed by NAFRA/CNSA representatives. We continue to hold in prayer all the needs that were lifted up during our time together. Marie and Kathleen, we appreciate the updates on Lamar and Dave and we continue to pray for them and for you, as well as all the needs of the brothers and sisters of the National Fraternity, spoken and unspoken.

4 REGIONAL FORMATION By Rosemary Ingersoll, OFS As spring and election time approaches our last regional meeting will be held in February at the Tampa Franciscan Retreat House. My involvement in Formation has been limited due to continuing health issues. At this time I am feeling well. A very good outreach program called 1800Francis is continuing and regularly receives inquiries from all over Florida. This ministry is chaired by Kathleen White,OFS who forwards them on to me. In turn I send them to appropriate Area Counselors to follow up contact which has been very successful. Much of my involvement has been using s and phone calls to answer questions and offer support to fraternities as needed. In this process I have found our Constitution and Statutes to be a wonderful help and use it often as a reference. The formation team that Marie Thomas appointed in my absence has been a great help in many ways, most recently at the last Regional Annual meeting. Many participated in the recent NAFRA meeting at San Pedro hosted by our Region last Fall. My thanks to them for their dedication, support and time these past months. It has been my honor to serve the FFMR Council and to support our Order in this small way! Best wishes and blessings to the new REC as they begin their leadership roles guiding all of us as we continue our Franciscan Journey. -Rosemary Ingersoll, OFS 25TH & 50TH CERTIFICATES FOR JUBILARIANS At the end of April, during the Regional Annual Meeting, we will be honoring the 25th and 50th year Jubilarians at a special Mass and giving each of them a Certificate. So please check your fraternity rosters. The person should have been professed 25 or 50 years by the end of This means: 1) everyone professed in 1991 will receive a 25 year certificate and 2) everyone professed in 1966 will receive a 50 year certificate. Please contact Karen Szczesniak at: karensfo@gmail.com as soon as possible so the certificates can be made. Also please remember to put the full name of the Jubilarian, the name of your fraternity with the city name and, in case there is a question, include your name and telephone number.

5 FINANCIAL INFORMATION FOR FFMR By Pat Gagnon, OFS ACCOUNT FIVE FRANCISCAN MARTYRS REGION OF THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER -- USA Quarterly General Fund Report for Calendar Year Ending December 31, st Qtr Actual through 3/31/2016 2nd Qtr. Actual Through 6/30/16 3rd Qtr. Actual Through 9/30/16 4th Qtr. Actual Through 12/31/16 Total YTD Proposed Budget 2017 Proposed Budger Budget Assumptions INCOME: Annual CHAPTER $ 14,649 $ 14,649 $ 12,000 $ 12,000 Accomodation Income at San Pedro Center FAIR SHARE $ 28,724 $ 9,650 $ 38,374 $ 37,000 $ 37,000 ( $55)(2016 Actual Other Inc $ 150 $ 1,130 $ 50 $ 27 $ 1,357 $ 2,500 $ 2,500 Miscellaneous (Grab Bags $453 + Elections & Visitations) REC Non Cash Donation $ 1,090 $ 1,325 $ 1,151 $ 38 $ 3,604 $ 4,000 $ 4,500 REC expenses - not reimbursed- donated back to region by REC NAFRA $ 1,850 $ 2,154 $ 4,004 $ 500 Income for NAFRA Chapter "Day Away" and "Airport transportation" TOTAL INCOME $29,964 $26,754 $ 3,051 $ 2,219 $ 61,988 $ 55,500 $ 56,500 EXPENSES: Annual CHAPTER Expense $ 13,520 $ 13,520 $ 12,000 $ 12,000 offset by Annual Chapter income. Chapter NAFRA attendance $ - $ 750 $ 2,500 (Fr. Christopher could not attend in 2016 cancelled) 25th Anniversary Celebration $ 72 $ 51 $ 115 $ 238 $ 675 with our 2017 Annual Chapter "former ministers and invited guest" NAFRA Per Capita (FAIR SHARE) $ 11,900 $ 11,900 $ 12,000 $ 12,000 NAFRA per capita $17 for 700 members (Includes TAU-USA) NAFRA meeting 2016 $ 195 $ 12 $ 482 $ 6,762 $ 7,451 $ 4,000 Hosting National Meeting see reconciliation REC Minister's Expense $ 1,107 $ 1,672 $ 1,300 $ 25 $ 4,104 $ 3,800 $ 3,800 Travel Reimbursement - Mileage, Lodging, Tolls, etc REC Vice Minister Expense $ 312 $ 312 $ 2,000 $ 2,000 Travel Reimbursement - Mileage, Lodging, Tolls, etc REC Secretary Expense $ - $ 500 $ 500 Travel Reimbursement - Mileage, Lodging, Tolls, etc REC Treasurer's Expense $ - $ 500 $ 500 Travel Reimbursement - Mileage, Lodging, Tolls, etc REC Formation Director $ - $ 500 $ 500 Travel Reimbursement - Mileage, Lodging, Tolls, etc REC Councilors Expense $ 104 $ 175 $ 279 $ 2,250 $ 2,250 Travel Reimbursement - Mileage, Lodging, Tolls, etc REC Meeting Expense $ 2,113 $ 1,655 $ 196 $ 3,964 $ 7,500 $ 8,000 REC Meetings 3 scheduled for 2016/ 2017 Regional Spiritual Assistant (RSA) $ 150 $ 150 $ 74 $ 300 $ 674 $ 1,000 $ 1,000 Stipend to RSA RSA Training/RSA Workshops $ - $ 1,625 $ 1,700 RSA assistance, courses, books NAFRA Annual Meeting (Minister) $ - $ 1,100 $ 1,100 NAFRA meeting Travel Expense for Minister 2016 Quinquennial St. Louis MO $ 320 $ 422 $ 742 $ 1,500 Minister attending ($474 to Delta Airlines paid 11/2015) YouFra $ - $ 300 $ 300 Reserve for Franciscan Youth Activities National Retreat Belleville,IL JPIC $ - $ - $ 775 $ 775 JPIC chair to attend (To St Joan of Arc Fraternity for Louisiana Flooding 8/16- balance taken Apostolates/Donation $ 1,000 $ 1,000 $ 500 $ 500 from reserve) Record Retention/Storage $ 170 $ 200 $ 219 $ 219 $ 808 $ 1,200 $ 1,200 Record storage at Public Storage increased to $73 per month Postage, Copies, Office Supplies $ 30 $ 79 $ 42 $ 151 $ 500 $ 500 Printing, Supplies, Postage, Copies Web Site $ 15 $ 132 $ 147 $ 800 $ 800 Web Site (100% paid by FFMR beginning in 2013). Other Miscellaneous Expense $ 20 $ 20 $ 10 $ 50 $ 400 $ 400 Spiritual Bouquet, Gifts TOTAL EXPENSES $ 4,224 $27,546 $ 5,424 $ 8,146 $ 45,340 $ 55,500 $ 53,000 NET INCOME $25,740 $ (792) $ (2,373) $ (5,927) $ 16,648 $ - $ 3,500 Respectfully submittted by Patricia Gagnon, OFS, Regional Treasurer 02/03/17 Check Book BALANCE 1/1/2016 $ 42,685 Check Book Balance 12/31/2016 $ 58,000 Earnings Balance Other Investments TOTAL IN BANK $ 58,000 Rserve for Emergency Assistance Fund $ (3,353) Amount available $ 54,647

6 ACCOUNT FIVE FRANCISCAN MARTYRS REGION OF THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER -- USA BUDGET FOR 2017 AS APPROVED AT THE REGIONAL CHAPTER ON APRIL 30, Approved Budget Budget Assumptions INCOME: Annual CHAPTER $ 12,000 Accomodation Income at San Pedro Center FAIR SHARE $ 37,000 (2014 actual 653 $55)(2015 Actual $55)(2016 members Other Inc $ 2,500 Miscellaneous REC Non Cash Donation $ 4,500 REC expenses - not reimbursed- donated back to region by REC Workshops $ 500 Income from workshops TOTAL INCOME $ 56,500 EXPENSES: Annual CHAPTER Expense $ 12,000 offset by Annual Chapter income. Chapter/Election NAFRA attendance $ 2,500 ( member of NAFRA for election) 25th Anniversary Celebration $ 675 to be held with our 2017 Annual Chapter "former ministers and invited guest" NAFRA Per Capita (FAIR SHARE) $ 12,000 NAFRA per capita $17 per member (Includes TAU-USA) REC Minister's Expense $ 3,800 Travel Reimbursement - Mileage, Lodging, Tolls, etc REC Vice Minister Expense $ 2,000 Travel Reimbursement - Mileage, Lodging, Tolls, etc REC Secretary Expense $ 500 Travel Reimbursement - Mileage, Lodging, Tolls, etc REC Treasurer's Expense $ 500 Travel Reimbursement - Mileage, Lodging, Tolls, etc REC Formation Director $ 500 Travel Reimbursement - Mileage, Lodging, Tolls, etc REC Councilors Expense $ 2,250 Travel Reimbursement - Mileage, Lodging, Tolls, etc REC Meeting Expense $ 8,000 REC Meetings 3 scheduled for 2017 Formation Directors workshop(regional) $ 1,500 Annual workshop beginning in 2017 Formation Workshop NAFRA $ 1, Regional Spiritual Assistant (RSA) $ 1,000 Stipend to RSA RSA Training/RSA Workshops $ 1,700 RSA assistance, courses, books NAFRA Annual Meeting (Minister) $ 1,100 NAFRA meeting Travel Expense for Minister Loretto Summer Seminar $ 1,000 Loretto Summer Seminar, St. Francis University, Loretto, PA (Regional Minister) YouFra $ 300 Reserve for Franciscan Youth Activities National Retreat Belleville,IL JPIC $ 775 JPIC chair to attend Apostolates/Donation $ 500 To be determined Record Retention/Storage $ 1,200 Record storage at Public Storage $67 per month & misc Postage, Copies, Office Supplies $ 500 Printing, Supplies, Postage, Copies Web Site $ 800 Web Site (100% paid by FFMR beginning in 2013). Other Miscellaneous Expense $ 400 Spiritual Bouquet, Gifts TOTAL EXPENSES $ 56,500 NET INCOME $ - 01/27/17 Respectfully submittted by Patricia Gagnon, OFS, Regional Treasurer 1

7 WATCH WITH ME By Marie Thomas, OFS, Regional Minister Even though this newsletter deadline is in January, I realized that by the time most of you receive it, we will be approaching or in the throes of Lent so I decided to share my most favorite scene from Christ s life with you. Strange as it may seem my most favorite scene, even when I was much younger, is in the Garden of Gethsemane. Why? I can relate to it so well! Jesus is agonizing over the pre-knowledge of what He knows will happen and He asks a few of His apostles to share this moment with Him and invites them to come Watch with Me. He asked Peter (the future pope), James, and John (a favorite friend) to accompany Him. What did they do? They slept! The gratified their bodies when Christ needed them the most. No one shared His suffering. No one even shared one hour with Him; He was totally alone. Sometimes, I see myself in this scene. Sometimes I am in Christ s place. Sometimes I am in the apostles place. I am sure all of you have the same experiences when everything seems to go wrong and there doesn t seem to be anyone who cares. Or we want to be a comfort to others but forget or become too busy. Keep in mind that in reality, we can always watch with Jesus because Christ is within everyone. We can watch with Jesus by the way we relate to others. Here are a few ideas: Reach Out to someone who is alone in the fraternity or church and extend a warm welcome. Offer Temporary Service like a meal, to someone recovering from surgery or sickness. Help someone when you are stressed out and watch your own stress melt away. Speak with Love on current issues even electronically. Hateful talk only alienates others. Volunteer and give as much time as possible to your fraternity. Make it a habit to be joyful to the waitress, checkout clerk, and all your fraternity members. Drive someone who needs a ride to the store, doctor, meeting, etc. Call, Write or Visit someone and make them feel special and don t forget your family members. Pray for everyone, especially those for those who ask you for prayers and those you dislike. Truly as you did it to one who are members of my family, you did it to me (Matt.25:40)

8 REGIONAL SCHEDULE The Five Franciscan Martyrs Regional Council is sharing some of our travels and activities with you,so you know where we will be and what we will be doing. Below you will find a partial schedule. Pax et Bonum, Jeane Swaynos, ofs Five Franciscan Martyrs Regional Visitation & Election Schedule For January to April, 2017 Jan E 14 Sat 10:00 am Little Flower Fraternity Basilica St. Paul, Daytona Beach E18 Wed 7 pm St. Michael the Archangel St. Patricks, Tampa Feb Feb 7-8 Regional Meeting Tampa V 2-18 Sat 9 am St. Josephs Fraternity Church of Our Savior, Cocoa Beach Mar E 4 Sat 10:00 am Padre Pio S. Martin de Porres, Jensen Beach E18 Sat 11:30 am St. Bonaventure Sacred Heart Church, Fleming Is E&V 18 Sat 9:00 am St. Anthony St. Rose of Lima, Milton/ Pensacola E 19 Sun 12:00 St. Clare of Assisi St. Charles Borromeo, Port Charlotte V 19 Sun 2:00 Portiuncula Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Bradenton Apr V 2 Sun. 12:00 Lady Poverty San Pedro, Winter Park V 15 Sat 8:30 am Stigmata of St. Francis St. Thomas Church, Sarasota Apr Annual Chapter of Elections San Pedro Apr 15 Regional Newsletter Deadline

9 NEC REPORT TO NAFRA 1. Franciscan Action Network (FAN) Sr. Margaret Magee OSF, President of the FAN Board of Directors, and FAN Board Vice President Fr. Mike Laskey OFM Conv. have both accepted our invitation to meet with the National Executive Council (NEC). This meeting is scheduled for Friday March 24, 2017at Carondelet Hospitality Center, Lathan, New York (Albany). As this will be in conjunction with a previously scheduled NEC meeting we will incur no additional costs for a separate meeting. Commission Chairs Carolyn Townes and Mary Anne Lenzi will also be in attendance. 2. Duns Scotus Trust Fund (DSTF) Reminder: Applications for grants received by January 31 will be reviewed by the Board by March 15. The application form can be found on our NAFRA webpage (under Forms and Resources) but is also available by sending an to DunsScotusTrustFund@gmail. com. 3. Adding Regional Vice-Ministers to NAFRA-L and NAFRA- RM At Chapter we agreed on the proposal to add Regional Vice Ministers to the NAFRA-L and NAFRA-RM Listservs. In post-chapter discussions the NEC and the Computer Committee agreed that it would be easier to maintain the Listservs if we simply set up a separate listserv for Regional Vice Ministers and copy that listserv on all NAFRA-L or NAFRA-RM s. Jane is currently working to compile the s for all Regional Vice-Ministers. We will send out a notice to all on NAFRA-L at least a week before the new Vice Minister Listserv goes active. 4. Computer Committee Transition New Website and Database Committees to Form As previously announced, after many years of dedicated service Dan Mulholland, Bob Herbelin and Roger Raupp are retiring from the Computer Committee. Due to this change in personnel and in order to better achieve newly set goals, the Computer Committee will undergo a structural change. The NEC has set two new goals: (1) a major redesign of the NAFRA website (basically a new website) and (2) a transition to a new national database. To achieve these goals the NEC will set up two new committees Website and Database and appoint a new Chair for each. These two committees will each have a distinct focus, but will communicate as needed and work together on projects wherever their areas of expertise overlap. The Website Committee will consist of a Chair and one or two other members, chosen by the Chair, as it is important to have several persons available to update and maintain our website. We are very grateful to Vickie Klick who has wonderfully maintained our webpage for many years. Vicky will continue to maintain our current webpage until a new one is developed and will assist in the transition as needed. The Database Committee will initially be coordinated by Vickie Klick who has accepted a one year appointment as a Database Transition Chair. 5. Website Committee Chair Needed The NEC is currently seeking a Website Committee Chair and we kindly request your assistance. Please distribute the following notice, which will also be included in the next issue of TAU-USA, and please let us know of anyone who may be a good candidate for this position. Website Developer Needed After many years of quality outreach and service, the NAFRA website is due for a major redesign. The National Executive Council is seeking a Secular Franciscan who has the skills necessary to design, develop and maintain a website that will appeal to newcomers as well as serve our members. The ideal candidate must have sufficient experience in Web Development and Multimedia Design or the equivalent to create and maintain a creative and interactive online presence for the NAFRA page. He/she will work with a committee of OFS to access our needs, write copy, and provide photos, etc. If you are interested in applying, please send your resume to Jan Parker at ofs.national.minister.usa@gmail.com and Jane DeRose- Bamman at janedbsfo@msn.com. Please include links to websites you have designed and whether you would offer this service as member of a volunteer committee. 6. Ideas for 2021 Quinquennial The NEC is interested in your ideas for the 2021 Quinquennial. Please send us your ideas for a theme, a keynote speaker, etc., and any other suggestions you might have. The search for a Q Chair is underway (see to NAFRA-L from Jan Parker on Dec. 10, 2016.) 7. National Opportunities to Serve The National Fraternity needs your help. If you are interested in any of the following positions, or for more information, please contact National Secretary Jane DeRose Bamann at janedbsfo@msn.com. - Jan Parker OFS, Minister Secular Franciscan Order, U.S.A.

10 YOUR GIFT We cannot all be great artists, musicians, poets, or Philosophers, but we all have some unique talent or capacity which no one else possesses. Each of us has a certain sparkle, a way of being helpful to others, and an ability to do certain things as no other person can do them. This gives every man, woman, and child the value of uniqueness. The world would be less if you had not been born. You have added something to it, that was not here before you came. That something is from God, and it is precious beyond all price. If you fail to use it to the best of your ability and to seek diligently to nurture and cultivate your talents, you are depriving the revelation of the personality of God, or one outlet which He needs; and sent you into the world to supply. No one can take your place, and if you fail, the loss will be irreparable. - Author Unknown -

11 Called to Proclaim Christ: Short Reflections on the SFO Rule (SFO Resource Library) To Cling With All Her Heart to Him: The Spirituality of St. Clare of Assisi OBITUARY OF FR. BENET FONCK, OFM Age 71, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 23, 2016 at Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home in Joliet, IL where he served as Chaplain from He was born June 3, 1945 in Akron, Ohio to the late Anna Rita (nee Karabinos) and Arthur Fonck and was raised in Joliet, IL and Elmhurst, IL. Fr. Benet was ordained a Priest June 3, 1972 and served parishes in Texas, Illinois and Missouri. He also served as the General Spiritual Assistant for the Secular Franciscan Order in Rome from and and as a Liaison to friars in Manitowoc, Wisconsin in the early to mid 1990 s. Father retired to St. Clare s Village in Alton, IL earlier this year. Fr. Benet was a prolific writer and a faithful and gifted Franciscan. His works include: Called to Follow Christ: Commentary on the Secular Franciscan Rule (SFO Resource Library, Vol. 1) From Gospel to Life: The Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order With Commentary Called to Build a More Fraternal and Evangelical World:Commentary on the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order (Sfo Resource Library, Vol. 6) New Ritual for Public Functions: Franciscan Third Order

12 Called to Make Present the Charism (SFO Resource Library) Fully Mature with the Fullness of Christ Among others...may Benet s soul rest in the peaceful presence of the infant Jesus. FR. ROCK TRAVNIKAR He was named Director of Ministry at Rocky Creek Village, a retirement community in Tampa, Florida in His friar classmates recall his joy in playing his button-style Slovenian accordion and his humble pride when his book The Blessing Cup, a book of prayer rituals for families and groups, was published in Fr. Rock was kind-hearted, funny and humble. He was a warm spiritual advisor to many in the Tampa Bay area, and a great priest, homilist, confessor and friend. FR. ROCK was the beloved pastor of Mother of Good Counsel Parish in Hazard, Kentucky from Born to Joseph and Caroline (Smith) Travnikar in Madison Heights, MI, Fr. Rock was one of six children. Ordained in the Franciscan priesthood on November 14, Fr. Rock served variously as Vocation Director, Provincial Councilor for nine years, and in retreat work and as a university chaplain.

13 PICTURES FROM NAFRA CHAPTER, 2016 We are proud to present the joyful pictures from the NAFRA Chapter! Feel free to share them with all you might be interested... especially those who were in attendance! Simply go to our regional web site: and click 2016 National Chapter Images (Jeff) for pictures of the Chapter. But do not miss our talented participants in the 2016 NAFRA Images-Talent and Fashion Show immediate underneath. All pictures were taken by Jeff and posted on the web site by Fred! As you know, this joyful event was the result of many,many talented and generous regional members! More links: AF1QipOMikLyPwAsDAWUdPfix2T_ MERRY CHRIST MASS! PEACE ON EARTH AND GOODWILL TO ALL By Pat Chalmers Now that I have finished the Liturgy of the Hours, I am free to begin praying., said the priest. What were you just doing?, asked the Carmelite Retreat Master. Most of us try, at least, to pray the Liturgy of the Hours every Morning and Evening. Few of us really understand, deeply, what we are actually praying. We mutter along following the Opening Prayers, Antiphons, Invitational, Hymns, Glorias, Psalms, Canticles, Readings, Responses, Intercessions, Lord s Prayer, Closing Prayer and Blessing...20 minutes more or less and we re all done with that duty. Phew! And yet, Pope Paul VI wanted us to use the Liturgy as a Family Prayer. Our Bishops gave us General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours. Our Province of the Most Holy Name, through Rev. Thomas K. Murphy instructed us to Sing to the Lord a New Song: Praying the Psalms in the Light of the Lord s Prayer. Our own Region of the Five Franciscans Martyrs, by way of Mark Banschbach, OFS (our current area councilor, by the way) wrote Canticle Reflections. Perhaps, you and I (WE) could unite in learning more deeply what it is that we pray during the Divine Office Liturgy of the Hours. Yet, time constraints do get in the way of true meditation and contemplation during our prayers. We all know distractions too well. Yet BEAUTY awaits us. And so maybe we should make one New Years Resolution: discern the beauty contained within praying the Divine Office Liturgy of the Hours along with entire Church of Christ Family GRACE VIOLA, OFS - PRAYER WARRIOR OF GOD Grace Viola, a true prayer warrior of God, was called back to her Heavenly Father on October 30, Grace was 110 years old and a Secular Franciscan member of St. Bernard s Fraternity in Sunrise, FL. Born Gracia Maria Balsamo on December 28, 1905 in Brooklyn, NY. She married Mariano Viola in 1928 and together they had 3 girls. In 1946 Grace was professed as a Secular Franciscan. This passed April she celebrated her 70th year of profession. In 1974 she moved to Sunrise, FL and became an active member of St. Bernard Church. Grace was a care giver, servant and prayer warrior for God. Grace cared for her father (who passed away at 104 years old) and also her blind sister. Grace served her parish by being an active member of the legion of Mary, the rosary makers, the prayer group, the women s guild, and a Eucharistic Minister. She loved bringing Christ to the nursing homes in the area, giving the patients Christ in the Eucharist along with a loving heart to spend time with those who had no visitors or loved ones in the area. As a Secular Franciscan, Grace was always there sharing her wisdom and spirituality. At 102, she still baked pies for the meeting and would recite poems that she had memorized in the 3rd grade. She always had a kind word to all. The last few years before her death, Grace was our prayer warrior with rosary in hand and her special prayers that she recited daily. We have been truly blessed to be touched by such a saintly woman of God. I m sure she is now in heaven watching over us all.

14 FROM THE DESK OF ANDY BUCHLEITNER, OFS How Easily We Forget It seems that the older I get, the harder it is to remember. I sometimes even forget what I am doing in the middle of doing it. Ever happen to you? As we begin this New Year, ( Should old acquaintance be forgot ), this might be a good time to bring to mind those who have gone before us that have had a positive impact on our lives. May you have eternal rest, Virginia. Your 87 short years were an inspiration to all that knew you. Crippled with arthritis, burdened with a heart that barely beat, you never stopped loving. Whether struggling to bake a pie for a neighbor, giving candy and presents to a little child, or sending an uplifting letter to a friend in distress, your smile never faded. Our weekly lunch always filled me with joy. The witness of your life will never leave me. I know you were ready to meet your God; I just was not as ready for you to leave. Christ s peace, Doris. Life in heaven must surely be a big improvement over your last years spent in the nursing home. I will never forget your quavering rendition of The Old Rugged Cross. It always brought a tear to one of your fellow residents. Now your voice, a voice that once sang opera, will forever sing with the angels to the glory of God. I give thanks for you, Lucile. Homebound and alone, you wished only for a visitor to comfort you. When God s grace was finally accepted, you welcomed Jesus into your home and into your heart. At 82 years old, you were baptized into a new life, a life that took on new meaning for all eternity. Even though you were late entering the vineyard (Matt 20:1-16), I am sure you will be forever thanking God for His generosity. Dad, I will never forget you. It has been nearly twenty years now since you gasped your last breath, putting an end to your fifteen-year struggle with emphysema. A day does not go by that I do not rely on your wisdom, a wisdom I learned from a gentle loving daddy. May our Father give you a special place at the table, reserved for His most faithful. The highest tribute to the dead is not grief but gratitude. (Thornton Wilder) The greatest gift we can give to our beloved departed is our prayer of thanksgiving to God for having put them in our lives.

15 BEING HAPPY By Pope Francis You may have defects, be anxious and sometimes live irritated, but do not forget that your life is the greatest enterprise in the world. Only you can prevent it from going into decadence. There are many that need you, admire you and love you.i would like to remind you that being happy is not having a sky without storms, or roads without accidents, or work without fatigue, or relationships without disappointments. Being happy is finding strength in forgiveness, hope in one s battles, security at the stage of fear, love in disagreements. Being happy is not only to treasure the smile, but that you also reflect on the sadness. It is not just commemorating the event, but also learning lessons in failures. It is not just having joy with the applause, but also having joy in anonymity. Being happy is to recognize that it is worthwhile to live, despite all the challenges, misunderstandings and times of crises.being happy is not inevitable fate, but a victory for those who can travel towards it with your own being. Being happy is to stop being a victim of problems but become an actor in history itself. It is not only to cross the deserts outside of ourselves, but still more, to be able to find an oasis in the recesses of our soul. It is to thank God every morning for the miracle of life. Being happy is not being afraid of one s feelings. It is to know how to talk about ourselves. It is to bear with courage when hearing a no. It is to have the security to receive criticism, even if is unfair. It is to kiss the children, pamper the parents, have poetic moments with friends, even if they have hurt us. Being happy means allowing the free, happy and simple child inside each of us to live; having the maturity to say, I was wrong ; having the audacity to say, forgive me. It is to have sensitivity in expressing, I need you ; to have the ability of saying, I love you. So that your life becomes a garden full of opportunities for being happy... In your spring-time, may you become a lover of joy. In your winter, may you become a friend of wisdom. And when you go wrong along the way, you start all over again. Thus you will be more passionate about life. And you will find that happiness is not about having a perfect life but about using tears to water tolerance, losses to refine patience, failures to carve serenity, pain to lapidate pleasure, obstacles to open the windows of intelligence. Never give up... Never give up on the people you love. Never give up from being happy because life is an incredible show. And you are a special human being! -Submitted by Mary Jo Hayes, OFS, Minister of Family of St. Francis, Gainesville

16 FR RENE ROBERT Some of our fraternities and members knew of Fr. Rene Robert who was a Secular Franciscan killed in April in the St Augustine area. He was a member of the St Bonaventure Fraternity in Jacksonville, Florida. We wanted to do something in his memory to help others. Our fraternity has established a scholarship, Fr. Rene Franciscan Opportunity Fund at the Florida School for the Deaf & Blind in St Augustine where he devoted his time. This is a way for people to remember Father Rene for his kindness and endless love and the students at the Florida School for the Deaf & Blind. This is open to anyone that may be interested in supporting the scholarship. We would appreciate it if you would consider sharing this information with your members and friends. Pax et Bonum, Linda Bertino, OFS Fr. Rene Franciscan Opportunity Fund Donation information: Mail: Attention: Tanya Rhodes Executive Director of Advancement Florida School for The Deaf and The Blind 207 N. San Marco Avenue Saint Augustine, FL Put Name of Fund in Memo line Call: Tanya Rhodes at Online:

17 NEWS FROM THE FRATERNITIES WEST CENTRAL AREA Also, St. Michael the Archangel Fraternity volunteered at the Trinity Café In Tampa; Pictured, Dorothy Smith OFS, Marie Waddell OFS, Theresa Zesiewicz, OFS By Jim Grant, OFS, West WCentral Area Councilor St. Michael the Archangel Fraternity, Tampa: The fraternity held a Chapter of Elections Wednesday January 18, 2017 at St. Patrick Church, 4815 S. Manhattan Ave., Tampa, FL. The Presider was Jim Grant, OFS, West Central Area Councilor, accompanied by his wife, Jeanette. The Ecclessiastical Witness was their Spiritual Assistant, Fr. James Angert, TOR. The new officers are: Dave Koehler OFS, Minister Maria Victor, OFS Vice Minister Ralph Castellano, OFS Secretary Sandi Scionti OFS, Treasurer Marie Koehler OFS, Formation Director Jeanette Fulton OFS, Councilor At Large Jean Waters OFS, Councilor At Large Buzz Bruno OFS, Councilor At Large Congratulations! St. Anthony of Padua Fraternity, St. Petersburg: November 27, 2016, the fraternity lost a long time member to Sister Death, John Abramo, OFS who was Professed in John is survived by his wife Jeannette and three children. Jeannette was also Professed in St. Francis of Assisi Fraternity, Clearwater: Sister Death visited the fraternity twice in November and again in January. Violet Saldua, OFS passed away November 9, She was Professed January 4, 2004 and served the fraternity as musician as well as Vice Minister. Rosalee Prewett passed away November 22, She was Professed April 18, 1995 in Lady Poverty Fraternity,Winter Park, transferring to this fraternity the same year. Rosalee served the fraternity in many capacities, including Youth Chairman and as Minister.