Franciscan vocations

Innumerable people have striven to imitate Christ by following the example of St. Francis and numerous communities have been formed with variations on that example. Those interested in pursuing a Franciscan vocation (or spirituality) have many channels to select from within the Church (and there are even non-Catholic groups that focus on Francis).

The original order founded by St. Francis is the Order of Friars Minor (“little brothers”). (The New York-based Holy Name province has an interesting vocation page).

Two other branches are the Order of Friars Minor Conventuals and the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.

More communities with new variations and renovations of the Franciscan life have been emerging and developing throughout the centuries even to our own day.

The Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration were founded in the 19th century and by the end of the 20th century were responsible for creating one of the world’s largest religious television networks: the Eternal Word Television Network - EWTN.

The Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal was begun in April 1987 (Father Benedict Groeschel is the most famous member of that community).