NAFRA Gathering 2004

1. NAFRA Gathering 2004 • Meet Minister General • Budget/Fair Share Up • Formation Is Focus • Surveying Fraternities • Offering Action Plans • Other Findings & Moments National Minister Carol Gentile and Vice Minister John Sanborn

2. Minister General Encarnacion del Pozo, OFS, and General Spiritual Assistant Michael Higgins, TOR, visited the National Fraternity during its gathering Oct. 19-23, 2004, near Detroit, MI. Encarnacion brought warmth, humor and a strong fraternal bond for U.S. Secular Franciscans.

3. Minister General Encarnacion • Lives in Spain with husband and 91-year-old mother. • 58 years old • Insurance agent • Attended fraternity meetings as child with her father.

4. Minister General Encarnacion greets National Spiritual Assistant Lester Bach, OFM Cap., and Regional Minister Bill Heinz. NAFRA Public Relatios Co-Chair Mary Stronach acted as her translator.

5. Encarnacion emphasizes fraternal life • “Guard and value life in fraternity.” • “It is where our vocation is lived.” • “We’re called to live the Gospel in fraternal communion… Offer it to church as gift of service.”

6. NAFRA Budget & Fair Share NAFRA leaders & regional ministers • pass $194,000 budget for 2005 based on conservative estimate of 16,000 professed SFOs. • approve Fair Share increase of $3. NAFRA Treasurer Dennis Ross, SFO

7. NAFRA Focuses on Formation • ‘Fair Share’ a formation issue. • ‘On the Road’ traveling workshop. • ‘Pick More Daisies,’ on-going formation. • Spiritual Assistants. • Newly Professed. Encarnacion with Nat’l Formation Co-Chairs Teresa Baker, left, and Anne Mulqueen.

8. Formation: Fair Share • Encarnacion: It’s fraternal to help other fraternities. • Fr. Michael: You belong to an Order… to a larger group.

9. Formation: ‘On the Road’ • Weekend workshops • 4 per year in different areas of country • Train and bolster formation directors • Regions in close proximity jointly sponsor. Formation Co-Chair Anne Mulqueen

10. Formation: On-Going Formation Commission and Fr. Lester Bach, OFM Cap., (right) unveil his latest on-going formation book, “Pick More Daisies.”

11. Formation:Lack of Spiritual Assistants • ‘Life Giving Union’ Training Course. • Seek Qualified Seculars. • Fr. Lester: “It’s a good thing. They’re not second-class…” • Encarnacion: “It’s our responsibility.” Fr. Lester Bach, OFM Cap.

12. Formation:Guidelines for Newly Professed • Regions encouraged to conduct 4 regional formation gatherings each year to bolster on-going formation for the newly professed. • May be done in conjunction with other activities.

13. Demographic Survey • Holy See Wants SFO to Conduct Survey • Understand Order’s Makeup & Needs • Regions to Survey Local Fraternities • Gender, Age Range, Income & Education Levels, etc. International Councilor Juan Lezcano and Minister General Encarnacion emphasized the importance of the demographic survey.

14. Geographic BreakoutsRegions Cluster to Tackle Issues

15. Geographic Breakouts:Issues, Concerns • Distance between fraternities, regions • Insufficient finances • Youth involvement • Aging membership • Spiritual assistants • Insufficient visibility • Unwillingness to serve

16. Geographic Breakouts:Action Items • Host ‘On-the-Road’ • Promote ‘Life Giving Union’ Course • Identify Selves as SFO • Conduct Joint Professions • Create fundraisers (involve youth) • Increase Visibility: use media, plan talks and retreats open to public, put out brochures, hold info nights, create SFO booth.

17. Geographic Breakouts:Sudan Statement • Northeast drafts a statement on the genocide and need for aid in Sudan. • National Council approves. • Anglican Franciscans join in statement. Barbara Lee Baumgarten, TSSF, represented the Anglican’s Third Order, Society of St. Francis.

18. Press Release CATHOLIC AND ANGLICAN SECULAR FRANCISCANSCALL FOR INTERVENTION AND AID FOR THE SUDANNov. 21, 2004 – Secular Franciscan orders in the Roman Catholic and Episcopal/Anglican communions issued a statement today calling for immediate intervention in the Sudan and international mobilization of humanitarian aid."Together with those suffering in the Sudan, we cry for an end to genocide, war, oppression, famine and forced exile," the statement said. "We call on the international community to intervene directly to relieve the suffering of our sisters and brothers of the Sudan."The statement came out of a recent U.S. gathering of the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) held near Detroit, MI. The meeting included a representative of the Anglican's Third Order of the Society of St. Francis (TSSF), Province of the Americas, which subsequently voted to join in the statement…

19. Other Visitation Findings • U.S. has strong, well-organized fraternity. • Grateful for fraternal love shown by U.S. • Praised Commissions. • Urged SFOs to collaborate with other church groups, and to give to youth freely. Encarnacion models t-shirt unveiled by National Youth Commission.

20. Got God? We do! Franciscan Youth The Youth Commission’s Kathy Taormina and Dale Anesi unveiled “Got God” t-shirts.

21. ‘Day Away’ Included Visit to Capuchins’ Solanus Casey Center

22. Foyer of Solanus Casey Center

23. Praying at Casket of Bl. Solanus Casey, Capuchin

24. Minister General greets SFO choir at Solanus Casey Center

25. Franciscan Joy

26. Franciscan Joy

27. Beginning and Ending with Fraternal Love