What is a Friar

Like Francis we are first and foremost called to deepen our union with God in Christ. Like the early TOR penitents we seek to make God the most important  reality of our lives. From our life of prayer all else flows.

In his first letter to the Penitents, Francis says " ... How happy and blessed are those men and women when they bring forth from within themselves fruits worthy of true penance." The penitents of Assisi followed this exhortation of Francis and practiced the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

To do this some early friars formed communities that offered food and lodging to pilgrims. They also cared for them when they became sick.

Through our ministries the friars manifest an active and practical love of neighbor. They seek to serve the poor, the sick, the elderly and youth.  Our friars minister in schools, parishes and hospitals.

"Our Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance has its roots in the ORDER OF PENITENTS to which our Seraphic Father Francis joined himself and to which he gave impulse and direction by a style of life which was more evangelical ... " (Constitutions, Article 1)

Who are the Brothers and Sisters of Penance?

"Penance is an interior yearning which flows from a total decision to turn towards God. It animates the way of the spiritual life and stimulates its dynamism." (The Assisi Congress of Formation)

The ancient Order of Penance is a Brotherhood and Sisterhood which dates back to the early centuries of the Catholic Church. By the fifth century it consisted of men and women who voluntarily chose to embrace a life of penance for the sake of the kingdom of God. The Brothers and Sisters of Penance embraced a spirituality which emphasized constant conversion or turning one’s life enthusiastically towards the service and love of God and his creation.

They lived this life under various forms. Some were married, living with their families; others lived as hermits; while others dedicated themselves to the service of the Church embracing a communal or monastic life.

How did Saint Francis become a penitent?

"Most high and glorious God come, clear the darkness of my heart; give me an upright faith, an assured hope and a perfect charity, so that, O Lord, I will have the understanding and the necessary comprehension to do your most holy will." (St. Francis)

Francis, the future leader of a worldwide movement, was born in 1182 to a wealthy merchant family in the city of Assisi, Italy. He was a frivolous but generous and popular youth - the life of a party and the friend of all.

By all worldly standards Francis had everything: security, popularity, and youth. Francis, however, knew that something was missing.

One day, while praying in an abandoned Church, the Lord fulfilled what was lacking in Francis by revealing to him his mission in life: Rebuild My Church.

Francis responded to God’s call by uniting himself with the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, living as a hermit. Francis breathed new life into the Order of Penance, giving it new vitality and vision-not just to the hermits, but to the married penitents and the penitents living a "regular" or "religious" life as well.

In time, Francis’ life of penance took a special turn. Francis began to travel around the country side as an itinerant preacher spreading the Gospel message. His band of itinerant preachers became known as the Friars Minor (or the First Order of St. Francis). About the same time, a young girl, Clare, was inspired by God to embrace a life of poverty and prayer in the footsteps of Francis. Through her the Second Order of St. Francis was founded. This Order of "Poor Clares" devoted itself to a cloistered contemplative life.

The Third Order of St. Francis had two branches: the secular branch made up of married and single penitents, inspired by the vision of Francis, lived a simple life in their homes and engaged themselves in the various corporal works of mercy; the regular branch consisted of those early Brothers and Sisters of Penance who, living a communal life, were involved in various works of charity: caring for the sick offering hospitality to the homeless, teaching, and assisting the local Church in their respective dioceses. These religious penitents who were called by God to rebuild His Church through the various works of charity were given a special Rule of Life by Saint Francis. This Rule allowed them to blend their ancient tradition of witnessing to the mercy and love of God through the corporal works of mercy with a Franciscan vision which embraced all of creation as brothers and sisters. From this branch of the Franciscan Family we evolved, the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance or the T.O.R.

What about the T.O.R. today?

"The sisters and brothers are called to heal the wounded, to bind up those who are bruised, and to reclaim the erring--Whether they are engaged in prayer, or announcing the Word of God, or in serving or doing manual labor (they) should strive to be humble in everything. (The Rule and Life: TOR)

Today the Third Order Regular of Penance of St.. Francis is a worldwide fraternity dedicated to a life of communal living and service to the Church in the United States, Mexico, Peru, Paraguay, Brazil, Croatia, Italy, France, Spain, Austria, Sri Lanka, South Africa and India. The friars continue to respond to the contemporary needs of the Church by remaining faithful to their original charism of living the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in community according to the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. They are also engaged in the corporal works of mercy and support their local diocesan church. As penitents, the friars are especially called to witness a message of conversion (turning to God) to those who frequently feel alienated or abandoned by God. This vision has led our men into ministries working with youth, the divorced, HIV  victims, the poor, the elderly, people persecuted for their race, prisoners, mentally handicapped and the unchurched. We serve the people of God as parish priests, retreat masters, health care professionals, teachers, family councilors, spiritual directors, social workers and missionaries.

The call of God to "Rebuild His Church" is still heard by the Franciscans in the T.O.R. tradition. We thank God for giving us the joy of welcoming new men into our Franciscan family who will continue to turn their lives to God in a spirit of prayer and as a public witness to God’s eternal mercy.