|
Walking the Walk
|
 |
|
Brother Brian Maloney follows in the footsteps of Francis through his care for the poor and often neglected people on the fringes of society. He is currently working five days a week at the Canticle Café and three evenings at our soup kitchen. Both are ministries of our province in this Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. The Canticle Cafe offers guests a refuge from the cold of winter and a safe place to relax and connect with caring people. Brian serves coffee and doughnuts to the guests, but more importantly, allows them time to connect with him in private. This is when they tell their stories, express their needs and seek advice about resources to help them survive a difficult life. They may also ask for personal items such as a toothbrush or a clean pair of underwear. In small, compassionate encounters, these guests are able to recover a sense of their dignity and a connection to a kinder world. While Brian might be the human face of our Franciscan presence, he considers himself blessed with the opportunity “to see Jesus in their faces.”
|
|
“We, the Franciscans of St. John the Baptist Province, commit ourselves to increase our
awareness of issues surrounding refugees, migrants, and victims of human trafficking
in order to develop more proactive Franciscan responses on the provincial, friary and
personal level.”
— 2008 Chapter Resolution,
Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province, USA
|
Welcome
Greetings, Good People!
Francis of Assisi, our patron, experienced all of God's creation as sacred.
His famous Canticle of the Creatures includes the words:
"All Praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Sun…Sister Moon and Stars… Brothers
Wind and Air…Sister Water… Brother Fire… Sister Earth…Sister Death. All praise be yours, my Lord, through all
that you have made. Happy those who endure in peace."
Francis had a profound respect for all of life. He experienced true solidarity with
the poor and marginalized. As he embraced Lady Poverty, Francis was freed to live very simply, making peace in
every encounter. It is these values that inspire our JPIC efforts. We work to bring about justice and peace in
our world, to end violence and war, poverty and oppression and the destruction of our planet. Our efforts are often
directed at the systems that cause this oppression and destruction. We work in collaboration with Franciscans and
others around the world. We believe that these common efforts are gradually transforming our world.
We invite you to join us on this journey. If you would like to be added to our e-mail
alert list, please contact us at sjbjpic@franciscan.org. We encourage you to visit our pages often and take
action, as you are able. We hope that you, too, will be transformed in the process.
Blessings and peace,
Sr. Donna Graham, OSF
Office of Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation
|
|
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.
O divine master, grant that I may not
So much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
In pardoning that we are pardoned,
And in dying that we are born to eternal life.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |