Our initiatives

You can find us in soup kitchens and on the street ministering to the homeless, the underserved and the poor. Our fraternity providing food, shelter and supplies ever since the 13th century when St. Francis of Assisi first encountered these people in need.

Global climate change is one of the most serious and urgent issues facing the human family. As men and women inspired by St. Francis, the patron saint of ecology, we must be proactive in our response to this spiritual and moral crisis to protect all future generations that will be impacted.  

Franciscans have actively participated in the American story of migration since the 1500s, when followers of St. Francis helped settle Saint Augustine, Florida. Immigration reform is one of the most important and complex issues of our time, and as friars we are advocates for all immigrants to the United States. 

From Francis and the early friars, with their simple greeting of "Pace e Bene" (Peace and All Good), all the way to our modern day, Franciscans have held the title “Heralds of Peace.” The violence of our world and the shattered lives of so many continue to cry out – Franciscans and Franciscan-hearted people are needed more than ever to be entry points of God’s healing peace.