Franciscotel, Inc. A Moral, Affordable, Catholic Alternative Case Statement Abstract BACKGROUND OF THE IDEA Lodging today is strictly secular and represents numerous occasions for sin; requiring no further description for anyone who spends anytime traveling. The Catholic traveler and anyone seeking a moral environment as well as those who operate each Franciscotel all participate in the service of Spirituality and Hospitality. Franciscotel also serves those who serve at Franciscotel; retiring Priests who prefer to continue to serve, even if in a limited capacity and devout Catholic executives who have lost their jobs, falling through the cracks in their own parishes with no support to avoid a financial catastrophe. The programs and services provided will give them an opportunity to rebuild their lives with other devout Catholic families who work at Franciscotel. MISSION STATEMENT Franciscotel, Inc. is a Catholic not-for-profit lodging corporation whose mission is to build and operate hotel/motel/retreat centers through the Franciscan charism of the Confraternity of Penitents (www.penitents.org); providing travelers with a strong Christian lodging alternative to conventional hotels and motels. Franciscotel serves three groups of people with needs that are not currently met. Specifically: Across the U.S., literally tens of thousands of executives men and women with families, have lost their jobs. They find themselves in a particularly difficult situation as unlike the traditional poor, they are expected to find another job and maintain their families in the conditions they were accustomed to. Few parishes are prepared to help them and often these professionals do not know how to ask for help. Franciscotel will help to address this need. 1). Catholic and other Christian travelers and retreatants 2). Retired Priests 3). Unemployed Catholic and Christian executives Franciscotel will specifically provide travelers with: - Perpetual Adoration - Eucharistic Miracle Exhibit - Spiritual Direction and Counseling - Confession by appointment - Stations of the Cross - Catholic Media Center (i.e. books, CD s, etc.). 1) Franciscotel: Providing Spiritual Comfort and Hospitality To Business travelers For centuries Catholic religious orders were active in lodging and hospitality. It comes as a surprise to many to learn that one of the first organized works or apostolates of the Franciscans was in providing lodging. Other orders such as the Knights of Malta and the Knights of St. John provided lodging to Christians traveling to
and from the Holy Land. They consisted of an organized chain. Today, aside from isolated religious hostels found mostly in Europe, mainstream Christian lodging is nothing more than a memory. In the United States, hostels can be counted on one hand. The Franciscotel alternative is a not only for devout Catholics and other Christians, but for moral individuals from any walk of life who would like to avoid the numerous occasions of sin present and presented in the marketplace. Franciscotel goes further than providing a Christian environment, it also fulfills important works of mercy through its operation and management. 2) Franciscotel: Serving Retired Priests Each Franciscotel provides several retired Priests with a stable residence where they can continue to hear confessions and celebrate Mass within a Catholic community. Here they can continue to serve as Priests as long as they are able. This website explains the needs of retiring Priests http://www.lsrpinc.org/ In essence, most Diocesan Priests find themselves going from living within a strong faith community to being cut loose and finding themselves marginalized in a secular retirement community. By living out their years within a Franciscotel Community, they can continue to serve and witness to the Catholic and non-catholic traveler and retreatant as well as providing spiritual direction and counseling for staff and guests. The primary purpose of Franciscotel is to welcome souls into the hospitality of God s graciousness. In many ways it is similar to the mission of the Missionaries of Charity, in that Mother Teresa was very keen to point out that she and the Sisters were not healthcare workers. They were not nurses focused on saving lives though many lives were saved. Their mission was to show those in need the love of Christ. It is important to point out that the corporate management as well as the management and operations of each Franciscotel will reflect Franciscan Spirituality. 3) Franciscotel: Providing Spiritual & Practical Support for Devout Catholics in need. More often than one may believe, devout Catholic executives suffer a unique form of discrimination and persecution. Please read this article regarding Green Martyrdom (http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/eut/eut_54green.html). The Catholic Church often does not know how, nor is prepared to help these people. Franciscotel will provide these professionals with a second chance that enables them to network with other professionals committed to Christian discipleship, to use their existing talents and skills while learning new ones in order to stabilize their family situation while building a new future through the Franciscan lifestyle. A Vision For The Future Franciscotel, Inc. will build the first Franciscotel without debt through a concerted effort involving marketing and fundraising. Franciscotel Management will reflect Franciscan Spirituality, whereby all actions and activities will enable each person to evangelize and to grow in divine intimacy. Each member of the management team will have a deep understanding of the Confraternity of Penitents expression of the original 1221 Rule for lay people, as given by St. Francis and how it applies to not only the management of Franciscotel, but to their own lives. St. Francis did not want to (and didn t) own anything. This means that Franciscotel will not be in the business of increasing their holdings, but rather in building these communities as spiritual resources around the United States and eventually around the world.
The staff provides a welcoming environment to the community that includes retired priests, management, staff, administrators and others who choose to be part of the community. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we seek to form the Christian conscience, help individuals to appropriate their faith, educate for peace and justice, facilitate personal development and form leaders for church and society. Franciscotels will be located near major highways across the country. Specifically, locations will be selected where demand for lodging is high and where they can best serve as a resource fo the local diocese. Each Franciscotel will be created and managed through Franciscotel Corporate Headquarters, subject to its non-profit Board of Directors, which will insure that the consistent Franciscan atmosphere of each establishment is maintained and that just compensation is paid to the staff. The Franciscotel Corporate website as well as bill board advertising will market the facilities. Having recently completed a strategic plan in direct response to the extraordinary unmet needs of today s travelers and retreatants, Franciscotel stands on the threshold of transformational change. In a Franciscotel, travelers and retreatants will find something similar to what they would find staying in any Franciscan run hostel in Europe; a warm, serene, relaxed, clean and affordable alternative to a traditional hotel or motel. Franciscotel s Chapel will not be a universal nondescript religious space, but clearly Catholic and specifically Franciscan. The Chapel will provide Perpetual Adoration. In addition there will be Stations of the Cross, confessionals, statues of our Blessed Mother a life sized replica of the San Damiano Crucifix which is the Crucifix beneath which Francis prayed and from which he heard the voice, Go and A dynamic, welcoming, faith repair My House, which, as you can see, is falling into ruin. community committed to: Inspiring & prayerful worship. Collaboration will be the cornerstone of Franciscotel, and Quality, lifelong religious Franciscotel will work with Dioceses, religious orders and Catholic organizations to optimize their collective and respective experiences education for everyone. And, in and expertise to ensure success. The Confraternity of Penitents is a the spirit of St. Francis, loving key collaborative partner for the future success of Franciscotel by service to those in need. providing a Rule of Life, prayer schedule, and spiritual formation to Franciscotel managers and staff. Though managers and staff will not be required nor expected to become professed members of the Confraternity of Penitents, we believe the beauty of the lifestyle lived by managers and staff while at Franciscotel will inspire many to embrace the lifestyle as their own. THE FRANCISCOTEL BUILDING COMPLEX DESIGN For centuries, the cruciform shape has dominated church plan layout. The power of this form to a large extent goes without explanation. It is a powerful symbol; arguably the most important symbol for all Christians. Though one does not experience or recognize the cruciform shape when standing in the front of the structure, it is clearly visible when entering a Cathedral or Basilica with the plan laid out according to this scheme. Today, the importance of Adoration is being rediscovered. The benefits of Adoration are numerous. It is a well-known fact that those dioceses that have Adoration throughout their diocese, do not, for example, have any shortage of vocations. Parishes with Perpetual Adoration are strong, vibrant and growing. It is for this reason that the Adoration Chapel is the heart of the Franciscotel building complex design. As we know, it is Christ s Real Presence that is the fountain of divine graciousness. His Real Presence is the center, focus and foundation of the Franciscotel Project.
The question then became, what shape should the Franciscotel building complex take. It is only natural to consider the Monstrance as a shape for the layout of the hotel/motel/retreat center complex. It became clear that the entire complex could in reality not only take a shape of a Monstrance, but with the Adoration Chapel appropriately placed, could actually BE a Monstrance; a 60,000 square foot Monstrance! Like the Sacraments, in this way, the complex would be what it represents, not merely a symbolic representation of His Presence. The community that lives at Franciscotel will be a living part and extension of the Real Presence that is the center of the Franciscotel complex. After reflecting upon the power contained within this design concept, preliminary studies were prepared to determine the viability of this project based upon this design and hospitality industry norms. The study concluded the complex will include between 110 rooms and 150 rooms with the ability to expand significantly if demand so requires. In this way the project would satisfy demand with respect to each location, be economically sound and provide for future growth. The Monstrance design is not tied into any specific style, except one that stresses the centrality of Christ in all creation. It is not about style, but rather substance. There can be an almost infinite variety of designs based upon the premise, consider how many different monstrance s have been designed over the centuries.
ENSURING SPIRITUAL HOSPITALITY AND GUIDANCE FOR CATHOLIC FAMILIES To quote Lonni Collins Pratt from her book Radical Hospitality, Hospitality did not begin with Howard Johnson s and Good Housekeeping. Hospitality, as it has been practiced from ancient days, protected people from the dangers of traveling alone. In Saint Benedict s day there were no safe and cheap shelters for travelers. Along the way people could be brutalized, robbed, wounded, lost. Monasteries saved lives when they opened their doors to strangers. It was not about comfort and entertainment - it was about saving lives. A little dramatic? Well, it seems that way today when we have a hotel on every corner, shelters for the homeless and the battered, and hostels around the world. This spirit of saving lives is still at the root of monastic hospitality. Creating a faith-filled community is not a destination, but a journey. As the Third Order Franciscan community that manages and operates each Franciscotel grows in faith, it will address growing needs while fulfilling our mission. Now is the right time to embark on this journey as these needs are real and not being addressed. FUND-RAISING STRATEGY The proof of concept will be achieved by building the first Franciscotel. The $15,000,000 necessary to do this will enable the company to create important momentum. Our overall goal of $75,000,000 is to make it possible to immediately follow-up with the construction of four additional locations in order to reach critical mass; clearly establishing the need and demand for a national and international chain. FUND-RAISING GOALS To secure the resources needed to underwrite these ambitious plans for the future, Franciscotel is preparing a major, national fund-raising campaign the first-ever campaign in the organization s history to raise a minimum of $75,000,000. Financial support will be sought from private and public sources individuals, foundations, and corporations. Franciscotel seeks to utilize these funds for three critical areas: $20,000,000 Land Acquisitions. Looking to the future it is essential to acquire and develop new land to accommodate growth. $40,000,000 Support for building a network of Spiritual Lodging Centers, staffing, equipping each facility with state-of-the-art amenities. $15,000,000 Support for spiritual program development, implementation and endowment. With the objective of securing the support from both old and new friends, the campaign will enable Franciscotel to respond to emerging needs, and expand its ability to serve an even greater number of Catholic business travelers and families throughout the country and eventually the world. All who share Franciscotel s vision to provide spiritual hospitality to every person who needs it are invited to support this crucial effort.