Service

St. Francis of Assisi Fraternity Service Work

Each month, members of our fraternity donate and assist the Mercy Pedalers who pedal through the streets of Sacramento connecting with men and women who are experiencing homelessness.

Our Fraternity also supports the largest homeless service provider in Sacramento, Loaves & Fishes which is a 501(c)(3), charitable, non-profit organization dedicated to providing warm meals, essential survival supplies, and services for nearly 1,000 adults and children daily.

Each month, members of our fraternity donate their time and much-needed food and clothing items to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

In constant awareness of the virtues of holiness, humility, and charity, members of our fraternity serve the people of God in a wide variety of apostolates. Each member (professed and in-formation) is asked to build up the Kingdom of God using his or her own unique skills, interests, education, training, and formation. Individually, we give as often and much as possible of our time, talent, and treasure.

Our fraternity members’ work is in Catholic education, service to the poor, food service to the hungry, animal welfare, collection of clothing for the needy, media communication, hospice work, and more.

On Service

Let them individually and collectively be at the forefront in promoting justice through the testimony of their human lives and their courageous initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, they should make definite choices in harmony with their faith. Let them esteem work both as a gift and as a sharing in the creation, redemption, and service of the human community.

— Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order, 2.15-16

Secular Franciscans serve the people of God in a variety of ways. We each have our own apostolate work in our parishes and communities that is in line with our talents and interests. We work in religious education and parish life. We work with the sick, dying, hungry and homeless. We work for the welfare of all God’s creatures, including animals.

The advantage of this type of work is that our Order is everywhere. We’re all doing something different and bringing the Franciscan charism of service to God’s people in many places.

Gaining inspiration from the example and the writings of Francis and, above all, filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, each day the brothers and sisters faithfully live the great gift which Christ has given: the revelation of the Father. They should bear witness to this faith before all:

in their family life;

in their work;

in their joys and sufferings;

in their associations with all men and women, brothers and sisters of the same Father;

in their presence and participation in the life of society;

in their fraternal relationships with all creatures.

— General Constitutions of the

Secular Franciscan Order, 12.1