The Work of The Franciscan Friars
The hallmark of the Franciscans is caring for the poor and those on the margins.
Friars care for everyone with joyful exuberance, welcome, compassion and respect.
FRANCISCAN VALUES
All people are loved unconditionally by God – and because of that, all are invited and welcomed by the Franciscan Friars. It is our responsibility to answer the cry of the poor, and everyone who is calling out for help. Whether greeting someone with a sandwich, a hot meal, a warm sweater, or a bottle of water, or providing health care, addiction counseling, temporary shelter, or financial assistance to help pay the rent and a utility bill – we joyfully serve everyone with compassion, dignity and respect. And sometimes, it’s just a smile and kind words that give our guests and neighbors hope and assurance that God loves them. People call the friars “down to earth. That’s because we live as brothers in fraternity – praying, eating, laughing and crying together, and consoling, supporting and sometimes even arguing with one another – doing everything that families do! One thing we can’t do without is your generous support of The Franciscan Challenge, is care for the more than 7.2 million people who we encounter at our service ministries.
Franciscan Stories
St. Francis Breadline
Has someone ever “thrown you a lifeline” to get you out of a tough situation? For those struggling with hunger in New York City, that relief is found every morning at 7 a.m. at the St. Francis Breadline.
In a city where the cost of groceries is far too high, the first thing many have to swallow each day is their pride. Raymond, one of the many people who rely on the friars, shares that while it can be embarrassing to ask for help, the Breadline is a vital necessity.
The Franciscan Friars provide a reliable, judgment-free lifeline to people like Raymond and Timothy, offering food, kindness, and the hope needed to reclaim tomorrow.
Navajo Nation, Chinle, AZ
Maintaining good mental health can be a life-saving endeavor, especially for those who lack clean water, healthy food choices, employment opportunities, and access to an attentive, compassionate listener. This is the case for many in Chinle, a remote community in Navajo Nation, AZ, who lack resources and rely on my Franciscan brother, Father P.J., to accompany them when they feel lonely, lost, or like they’re not really living. Watch the video to learn more about how your support helps people feel seen, heard, and appreciated.
Seraph Ministries, Ohio
On any given night in the U.S., nearly 1 million people experience homelessness. That’s why I’m happy the Franciscan Friars are present in major cities, small towns, and isolated communities across the country, including at St. Francis Seraph Ministries in Cincinnati.
Negril, Jamaica
Did you know that zip code is a better predictor of health than genetic code? It’s true: where you live matters. Our access to security and opportunities has a direct effect on our health. For the residents of Negril, Jamaica—the homebound in poverty-stricken areas just miles from beach resorts—security and opportunities are basically non-existent. Crime is frequent and often goes unreported. There are no steady jobs. Families are a hurricane away from being homeless. The pursuits of education and health care take backseats to survival. It’s hard to think of families, let alone children, living without basic health services and hope.
St. Francis Inn
Ruth and her two young children are homeless. The single mother struggled to scrape up the next meal for her kids and dress them with warm clothes. In the winter. That was before Ruth found St. Francis Inn, the Franciscan soup kitchen in Philadelphia that feeds over 200 homeless, hungry, unemployed and poor guests every day. The Inn’s thrift shop makes sure the children have coats and sweaters.
Franciscan Outreach Food Bank
The people lined up outside the Franciscan Outreach Food Bank in Southfield, MI, provide a telling snapshot of our country’s wonderful diversity and troubled times. Some are black, some are white. Some are homeless or addicted. Some are Asian, some are Hispanic. Some are low-income seniors who barely scrape by on social security. Some are young and nervous about the future. Some are unemployed parents who are struggling to care for their kids.
HOW WE MINISTER
When St. Francis of Assisi went into the streets to care for lepers, the sick, poor and marginalized, it was the beginning of the Franciscan call to service – going to people in need, and not waiting for them to come to us. The friars continue the legacy of Francis started over 800 years ago – living and working among the poor and desperate we serve. Feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, counseling the distraught, providing medical care to the underserved, offering rehabilitation to the addicted and shelter to the homeless – this is how the Franciscan Friars minister. Through the support and investment made by Franciscan Friars Charities – which combines under a single banner the names you know as FriarWorks, Franciscan Charities, Southwest Ministries and Franciscan Friars – the friars go to some of the poorest communities and address needs, coast-to-coast in the United States, and in Puerto Rico, Cuba and our Franciscan Missions in Jamaica, Africa and South America.
The Franciscan Friars urgently need your support – because without your generosity, we would be unable to care for the poor and those on the margins. Take The Franciscan Challenge. We are depending on you. The more than 7.2 million children, women and men that the friars help are depending on you. Your generous support of The Franciscan Challenge allows the friars to continue the 800-year legacy of St. Francis – meeting the people where they are, and providing food, clothing, shelter, medicine and other basic life necessities.