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| copyright 2007 Celtic Communion of Christ all rights reserved |
| website design by graphic intentions - a division of God's Will Ministries Inc. |
The Celtic Order of Saint Francis (To request membership, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page.) |
Perhaps the most widely known saint in the Christian
Church aside from Saints Peter and Paul is Saint Francis
of Assisi. You see statues of this good, humble man in
public and private gardens, churches of many denominations,
and parks around the world. He is regarded highly by Christians,
Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, and even atheists. It has been
said that his philosophy of life, simplicity in manner, and
unceasing advocacy for peace have made him a model of
one who is genuinely good.
Even with all of this attention, the gentle servant of Christ
was, and must still be most certainly embarrassed. After
all he was called by God to do a mission. A mission that he
at first misunderstood, then came to find that it was misunderstood
by those whom he sought to help. The mission, "Rebuild my Church."
Spoiled by the indulgences of his parents and not well educated,
he was trained to take over the family business as a cloth merchant.
His father would disown him for giving away money to help the poor.
He could read and write, but did neither very well. He was not eloquent
with words, yet his proclamation of the Gospel made popes, bishops,
kings, and common folk take heed.
Church aside from Saints Peter and Paul is Saint Francis
of Assisi. You see statues of this good, humble man in
public and private gardens, churches of many denominations,
and parks around the world. He is regarded highly by Christians,
Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, and even atheists. It has been
said that his philosophy of life, simplicity in manner, and
unceasing advocacy for peace have made him a model of
one who is genuinely good.
Even with all of this attention, the gentle servant of Christ
was, and must still be most certainly embarrassed. After
all he was called by God to do a mission. A mission that he
at first misunderstood, then came to find that it was misunderstood
by those whom he sought to help. The mission, "Rebuild my Church."
Spoiled by the indulgences of his parents and not well educated,
he was trained to take over the family business as a cloth merchant.
His father would disown him for giving away money to help the poor.
He could read and write, but did neither very well. He was not eloquent
with words, yet his proclamation of the Gospel made popes, bishops,
kings, and common folk take heed.
Men and women who wanted to follow his example gathered around him. They asked him for a Rule and he gave
it. "Take the Gospel into your life and then give life to the Gospel." Few people thought his work would attract
followers. He sought no office, no power or goods. He gave all he could to help those in greater need than
himself. He saw in the most wretched men, women, and children the image of Jesus. Men and women did
follow him as priests, brothers, sisters, and lay people. They came from all socioeconomic classes. They were
regarded as equals in his little company of workers for the Lord.
Unfortunately the Roman Church could not accept this simple Rule. Francis was forced to accept a far more
elaborate Rule imposed by those in power in the Church. This Rule deeply saddened him. You see, those he was
sent to help, the Church he was asked by God to rebuild, did not wish to be rebuilt. It wanted, instead, to continue
in its ways which continued to lead to schism and tragedy. The divisiveness and power brokering continues today.
Many of Christ's people today believe the mission given to Saint Francis is vital and achievable. The Church can
be rebuilt with the blessings of the Holy Spirit. As members of the Celtic Communion of Christ, we accept the
challenge to be rebuild the Church as Jesus wished. Thus we offer to those of like mind an opportunity to follow
the original, simple Rule of Saint Francis.
What follows is a brief overview of the Rule, and the manner we will follow in attempting to live that Rule. If you
would like to join us or would like more information please feel free to contact the Minister General by filling out the
short form at the bottom of this page. More information and a copy of the rule will be forwarded to you via e-mail or
posted mail within a couple of days of your inquiry.
Wishing you the blessings of peace and joyful song, I remain...
Yours in His love,
Father Tom McKenna COSF
it. "Take the Gospel into your life and then give life to the Gospel." Few people thought his work would attract
followers. He sought no office, no power or goods. He gave all he could to help those in greater need than
himself. He saw in the most wretched men, women, and children the image of Jesus. Men and women did
follow him as priests, brothers, sisters, and lay people. They came from all socioeconomic classes. They were
regarded as equals in his little company of workers for the Lord.
Unfortunately the Roman Church could not accept this simple Rule. Francis was forced to accept a far more
elaborate Rule imposed by those in power in the Church. This Rule deeply saddened him. You see, those he was
sent to help, the Church he was asked by God to rebuild, did not wish to be rebuilt. It wanted, instead, to continue
in its ways which continued to lead to schism and tragedy. The divisiveness and power brokering continues today.
Many of Christ's people today believe the mission given to Saint Francis is vital and achievable. The Church can
be rebuilt with the blessings of the Holy Spirit. As members of the Celtic Communion of Christ, we accept the
challenge to be rebuild the Church as Jesus wished. Thus we offer to those of like mind an opportunity to follow
the original, simple Rule of Saint Francis.
What follows is a brief overview of the Rule, and the manner we will follow in attempting to live that Rule. If you
would like to join us or would like more information please feel free to contact the Minister General by filling out the
short form at the bottom of this page. More information and a copy of the rule will be forwarded to you via e-mail or
posted mail within a couple of days of your inquiry.
Wishing you the blessings of peace and joyful song, I remain...
Yours in His love,
Father Tom McKenna COSF
The Rule of the Celtic Order of Saint Francis
INTRODUCTION
The Franciscan family is one of the many spiritual families with which the Holy Spirit has seen fit to bless His
Church. Our members – lay men and women, vowed religious, clergy, single or married – recognize they are
called by God to follow Christ in the ways of Saint Francis of Assisi.
In various ways and forms, but in life giving unity with one another, our members strive to make present the
charism of Jesus and his beloved Francis in the life and mission of the Celtic Communion of Christ.
Among the members of the Celtic Communion of Christ, this Celtic Order of Saint Francis is diocesan in nature.
We are under the spiritual direction of our diocesan bishop and the General Franciscan Minster. Our brothers and
sisters strive for perfect charity in their own state in life. They pledge themselves to live the Gospel in the manner
of Saint Francis and by means of the Rule.
THE WAY OF LIFE
The Rule of the Celtic Franciscans is this: to observe the Gospel of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by following
the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and center of his life and shaped his
dealings with everyone.
Franciscans devote themselves to careful reading of the Scriptures – most especially the Gospels, seeking to go
from the Gospel to life and from life back to the Gospel. Celtic Franciscans should endeavor to seek to encounter
the living and active person of Jesus in their brothers and sisters in the Order, in Sacred Scriptures, in the Celtic
Communion of Christ, in liturgy, in daily prayer, and in communication among the members via the Internet, postal
mail, or in small gatherings at the local level. We should go out as witnesses and instruments of our mission to
spread the Good News of Christ and rebuild the Church through our words and deeds.
Called by Saint Francis to rebuild the Church, let us devote ourselves to that effort first by respecting the divergency
among the members of the Christian family of believers while renewing the Celtic tradition. Let us be open to
accepting into the Order those from the beautiful rainbow of believers while trusting that our willingness to foster
dialogue, creativity, and a willingness to be of service will help in the rebuilding process.
As brothers and sisters of penance, we will conform our thoughts and actions to those of Christ by means of the
radical interior change which the Gospels call "conversion."
We will participate in the sacramental life of the Church most especially through the Holy Eucharist, daily forms of
prayer, penance, and fasting during the seasons of Advent and Lent and on one other day of the week of our own
choosing.
We will give aid to the poor and those suffering persecutions. This may be done through donations of food,
clothing, and money to a reputable charity, offering to work as a volunteer for a worthy cause, or other means of our
own choice.
We seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods. By simplifying our own material needs, accepting our
responsibility to be good stewards of the goods we have been blessed by God to manage, we hope to live in unity
with the spirit of poverty which Jesus gave as an example for our good. We also must seek to work against the
culture of materialism so prevalent in our culture today doing so by our choices in lifestyle. In the spirit of the
Beatitudes, we should strive to purify our hearts from every tendency to amass possessions and power.
Our Great Father sees in every person the features of His Son, so we Celtic Franciscans – with a gentle and
courteous spirit – reach out to all people viewing them as gifts of the Lord and bearing His image. Since we
recognize that we are all in need of God's merciful forgiveness, we must pray for God to shower us and all others,
even those who would be our enemies, with His loving mercy.
Franciscans are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that God's kingdom may be brought to
reality more effectively in our time. Thus we are always an Order of charity and service.
Let us, both individually and collectively, be in the forefront of promoting justice by the testimony of our lives and
courageous initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, we must make choices in harmony with our faith.
We view honest work as a blessing from God and opportunity to share in the creation, redemption, and service of
the human family.
In our personal family, we will try to cultivate the Franciscan spirit of harmony, fidelity, peace, and respect for life so
that our own family may mirror the Holy Family and be a sign of being renewed in Jesus. If we have children, we
must see that they are assisted to grow in their spiritual life through appropriate and simple instruction in the life
of faith. We must also help them as they seek direction in their own life choices for work and service.
We must be respectful of all God's creation – animate and inanimate. The imprint of the Holy Spirit is upon all
creation. Our Franciscan spirit calls us to not be wasteful of the goods and talents we have been blessed with.
As bearers of peace, we must unceasingly seek out ways to bring unity and harmony through dialogue, sharing of
power, love, and pardon. Yet this spirit cannot make us become unwitting victims of abuse. Defending what is
true, just, and right is also part of our responsibility.
As messengers of joy in every circumstance, we strive to bring joy and hope into the lives of others.
We are immersed in the resurrection of Christ who gives us the true meaning of life. We will greet Sister Death
with our love for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the forefront of our minds.
LIFE IN THE ORDER
1. Governance:
a) We submit our Order to the service of our diocesan bishop primarily under
the Rule.
b) The Order will be under the spiritual guidance of the Council of Bishops of the
Celtic Communion of Christ and the Minister of the Order.
2. Admission:
a) Those seeking admission to the Order must be at least seventeen years of age.
They may be single or married. Those in the clerical state independently may seek
admission of their own will. Those who are members of a denomination as clergy
under the rule of Obedience to their bishop must have the approval of the bishop
for admission to the Order.
b) Once accepted, the formation process will take six months of prayer, study, and
regular communication with their spiritual advisor in the Order. After that six months,
if they are deemed ready, the applicant enters the temporary promise stage of
formation. At this point their personal spiritual reading, meditation, and prayer life
is expected to grow. Frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist is encouraged. Again
regular communication with their spiritual advisor from the Order is essential.
c) After one complete year as a novice, the applicant may ask to be fully received
into the Order. The promises made at that time will continue for life unless they ask
to be relieved of them.
3. The Promises (Vows):
a) Worship: through weekly liturgy, daily prayer and devotions, and reading of the Scriptures.
b) Prayer: meditation, contemplation, intercession, solitude, fasting as directed.
c) Penance: daily conversion and acts of reconciliation.
d) Work: occupation, avocation, study, duty.
e) Lifestyle: simplicity, tithing, peacemaking, conversation and dialogue.
f) Mission: charity, justice, peace, equality, and respect.
g) Obedience: humility, accountability, submission to God's will.
h) Community: family, Church, the Celtic Franciscan Order.
ROLES OF SERVICE
The Council of Bishops is responsible for the approval of the Rule and any amendments to it.
The Ordinary of each diocese is responsible for empowering the Order to serve within his or her jurisdiction. The
Ordinary may define the roles of service for the Order and its members and may request that other roles be
undertaken from time to time.
The Minister is responsible for the spiritual direction and formation of each of the members and candidates for
admission. The Minister may ask for the assistance of other members in this effort. Whenever possible, the
Minister should personally preside at the profession ceremony for novices and life commitment liturgies. The
Bishop also is invited to be present and assist in the liturgy whenever possible.
The Minister will serve for a term of three years. They may be asked by the members to renew their role of service.
The Minister is a servant of the Order and Bishops. No power is inherent to the role except those stated here.
INTRODUCTION
The Franciscan family is one of the many spiritual families with which the Holy Spirit has seen fit to bless His
Church. Our members – lay men and women, vowed religious, clergy, single or married – recognize they are
called by God to follow Christ in the ways of Saint Francis of Assisi.
In various ways and forms, but in life giving unity with one another, our members strive to make present the
charism of Jesus and his beloved Francis in the life and mission of the Celtic Communion of Christ.
Among the members of the Celtic Communion of Christ, this Celtic Order of Saint Francis is diocesan in nature.
We are under the spiritual direction of our diocesan bishop and the General Franciscan Minster. Our brothers and
sisters strive for perfect charity in their own state in life. They pledge themselves to live the Gospel in the manner
of Saint Francis and by means of the Rule.
THE WAY OF LIFE
The Rule of the Celtic Franciscans is this: to observe the Gospel of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by following
the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and center of his life and shaped his
dealings with everyone.
Franciscans devote themselves to careful reading of the Scriptures – most especially the Gospels, seeking to go
from the Gospel to life and from life back to the Gospel. Celtic Franciscans should endeavor to seek to encounter
the living and active person of Jesus in their brothers and sisters in the Order, in Sacred Scriptures, in the Celtic
Communion of Christ, in liturgy, in daily prayer, and in communication among the members via the Internet, postal
mail, or in small gatherings at the local level. We should go out as witnesses and instruments of our mission to
spread the Good News of Christ and rebuild the Church through our words and deeds.
Called by Saint Francis to rebuild the Church, let us devote ourselves to that effort first by respecting the divergency
among the members of the Christian family of believers while renewing the Celtic tradition. Let us be open to
accepting into the Order those from the beautiful rainbow of believers while trusting that our willingness to foster
dialogue, creativity, and a willingness to be of service will help in the rebuilding process.
As brothers and sisters of penance, we will conform our thoughts and actions to those of Christ by means of the
radical interior change which the Gospels call "conversion."
We will participate in the sacramental life of the Church most especially through the Holy Eucharist, daily forms of
prayer, penance, and fasting during the seasons of Advent and Lent and on one other day of the week of our own
choosing.
We will give aid to the poor and those suffering persecutions. This may be done through donations of food,
clothing, and money to a reputable charity, offering to work as a volunteer for a worthy cause, or other means of our
own choice.
We seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods. By simplifying our own material needs, accepting our
responsibility to be good stewards of the goods we have been blessed by God to manage, we hope to live in unity
with the spirit of poverty which Jesus gave as an example for our good. We also must seek to work against the
culture of materialism so prevalent in our culture today doing so by our choices in lifestyle. In the spirit of the
Beatitudes, we should strive to purify our hearts from every tendency to amass possessions and power.
Our Great Father sees in every person the features of His Son, so we Celtic Franciscans – with a gentle and
courteous spirit – reach out to all people viewing them as gifts of the Lord and bearing His image. Since we
recognize that we are all in need of God's merciful forgiveness, we must pray for God to shower us and all others,
even those who would be our enemies, with His loving mercy.
Franciscans are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that God's kingdom may be brought to
reality more effectively in our time. Thus we are always an Order of charity and service.
Let us, both individually and collectively, be in the forefront of promoting justice by the testimony of our lives and
courageous initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, we must make choices in harmony with our faith.
We view honest work as a blessing from God and opportunity to share in the creation, redemption, and service of
the human family.
In our personal family, we will try to cultivate the Franciscan spirit of harmony, fidelity, peace, and respect for life so
that our own family may mirror the Holy Family and be a sign of being renewed in Jesus. If we have children, we
must see that they are assisted to grow in their spiritual life through appropriate and simple instruction in the life
of faith. We must also help them as they seek direction in their own life choices for work and service.
We must be respectful of all God's creation – animate and inanimate. The imprint of the Holy Spirit is upon all
creation. Our Franciscan spirit calls us to not be wasteful of the goods and talents we have been blessed with.
As bearers of peace, we must unceasingly seek out ways to bring unity and harmony through dialogue, sharing of
power, love, and pardon. Yet this spirit cannot make us become unwitting victims of abuse. Defending what is
true, just, and right is also part of our responsibility.
As messengers of joy in every circumstance, we strive to bring joy and hope into the lives of others.
We are immersed in the resurrection of Christ who gives us the true meaning of life. We will greet Sister Death
with our love for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the forefront of our minds.
LIFE IN THE ORDER
1. Governance:
a) We submit our Order to the service of our diocesan bishop primarily under
the Rule.
b) The Order will be under the spiritual guidance of the Council of Bishops of the
Celtic Communion of Christ and the Minister of the Order.
2. Admission:
a) Those seeking admission to the Order must be at least seventeen years of age.
They may be single or married. Those in the clerical state independently may seek
admission of their own will. Those who are members of a denomination as clergy
under the rule of Obedience to their bishop must have the approval of the bishop
for admission to the Order.
b) Once accepted, the formation process will take six months of prayer, study, and
regular communication with their spiritual advisor in the Order. After that six months,
if they are deemed ready, the applicant enters the temporary promise stage of
formation. At this point their personal spiritual reading, meditation, and prayer life
is expected to grow. Frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist is encouraged. Again
regular communication with their spiritual advisor from the Order is essential.
c) After one complete year as a novice, the applicant may ask to be fully received
into the Order. The promises made at that time will continue for life unless they ask
to be relieved of them.
3. The Promises (Vows):
a) Worship: through weekly liturgy, daily prayer and devotions, and reading of the Scriptures.
b) Prayer: meditation, contemplation, intercession, solitude, fasting as directed.
c) Penance: daily conversion and acts of reconciliation.
d) Work: occupation, avocation, study, duty.
e) Lifestyle: simplicity, tithing, peacemaking, conversation and dialogue.
f) Mission: charity, justice, peace, equality, and respect.
g) Obedience: humility, accountability, submission to God's will.
h) Community: family, Church, the Celtic Franciscan Order.
ROLES OF SERVICE
The Council of Bishops is responsible for the approval of the Rule and any amendments to it.
The Ordinary of each diocese is responsible for empowering the Order to serve within his or her jurisdiction. The
Ordinary may define the roles of service for the Order and its members and may request that other roles be
undertaken from time to time.
The Minister is responsible for the spiritual direction and formation of each of the members and candidates for
admission. The Minister may ask for the assistance of other members in this effort. Whenever possible, the
Minister should personally preside at the profession ceremony for novices and life commitment liturgies. The
Bishop also is invited to be present and assist in the liturgy whenever possible.
The Minister will serve for a term of three years. They may be asked by the members to renew their role of service.
The Minister is a servant of the Order and Bishops. No power is inherent to the role except those stated here.
|
| Please fill out this form for more information or to join the Celtic Order of St. Francis |