Our Life and Charism

Who are the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate?

T

he Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate is an Institute of consecrated life and of the Pontifical right. It is a religious community who follow the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) after the recent example of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe (1894-1941), martyr of charity in Auschwitz concentration camp. Like the other religious communities, they profess the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. But unlike the rest, they also profess the fourth vow of total consecration to the Immaculate, the Marian vow, which constitutes their distinctive character and charism in the Church.

Founded in Italy by the Franciscans Fr. Stefano M. Manelli and Fr. Gabriel M. Pellettieri, the community follows a Marian form of Franciscan life of prayer, of poverty, of penance and apostolic life. Today, that humble beginning is blessed by God and the Immaculate with numerous vocations that they are now present in the five continents of the world working for the salvation and sanctification of souls.

What characterises the life of the Franciscans of the Immaculate?

The Life of Prayer

The Franciscans of the Immaculate value the necessity of common prayer as fundamental source of its vitality and mission in the Church. They pray at least five hours of common prayer which begins as early as five in the morning which culminates in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Silence and recollection are safeguarded by cloister and the exclusion of all that may introduce the noise and dissipation of the world (especially the radio and television). Monthly day of recollection as well as annual retreat are observed for a continuous renewal of the religious and apostolic life of the friars.

The Life of Poverty

The friars observe a life of poverty by living in poor living quarters and using poor things for their personal necessities. They renounce voluntarily private and common ownership of things and share the economic insecurity of the poor without any fixed income. Being true to the spirit of St. Francis, they support themselves by depending on Divine Providence and generous charity of others. In keeping with Franciscan poverty, they gave up any lifestyle of mere luxury such as smoking, entertainment and worldly shows. They find their consolation in the gospel beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.”

The Life of Penance

Penance, in addition to poverty, is one of the most tangible characteristics of their Franciscan life. Penance in common life, the penance of working with their own hands without servants, the penance of fasting, of the discipline, of wearing their religious habit always, of sandals with bare feet, of having a short haircut, of no vacation — all these constitute some of their life of penance. Our Lady at Fatima invites us to work of penance for the conversion of the world. These are few of our responses to her invitation. Hence, our penitential practice, apart from being a form of spiritual discipline, serves as an apostolate for the conversion and sanctification of souls.

The Apostolic Life

Following the example of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, the communities engage in every form of apostolate that is licit. Ranging from the most modern means of media communications (television, radio, printed magazines, the internet) to the most traditional forms of preaching, hearing confessions, giving retreats and parish missions — these are expressions of our passion to bring as many souls as possible to the Kingdom of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. While maintaining strict poverty in our personal and communal life, we can make use of these means for God’s glory. All these works are sustained by the alms of Divine Providence.

The Marian Life

But the Marian character of our life is the singular feature of this community. It is the very spirit that animates our observance of the Franciscan rule and our vows. It entails in practice a missionary vocation to be sent anywhere in the world to make the Blessed Virgin Mary known and loved by all. It is a commitment, sealed by a vow, which flows from our conviction on the essential and most beautiful role of Mary Immaculate in the conversion and sanctification of souls in God’s divine plan.

FI Communities in the World

The Friars of the Immaculate are currently present -
in NORTH AMERICA - United States,
in SOUTH AMERICA - Brazil and Argentina,
in EUROPE - Austria, England, France, Italy and Portugal,
in AFRICA - Benin, Cameroon and Nigeria,
in ASIA - India, Kazakhstan and Philippines,
and in OCEANIA - Australia.

There are presently two active communities of friars in Western Australia: one in Toodyay and another in Munster, a suburb of Perth. The friars are engaged in various works of the apostolate such as conducting conferences and Marian lectures, parish missions, hearing confessions and providing spiritual direction. Assistance to local parish and churches is also part of their main task in keeping with St. Francis' mind to provide an auxiliary apostolate to the local clergy. They also act as spiritual assistant and director of the growing number of members of their Mission of the Immaculate Mediatrix Movement (MIM) and the Franciscan Third Order of the Immaculate.

If the friars are permitted to have great dreams, they only desire one thing above all things - that many souls would be brought to the knowledge and love of the Immaculate. They are convinced that this is the highest and most sublime way to bring many souls to the Heart of Jesus. Will you be part of this great work in the world?