
Welcome to the website for the Franciscan Order of the
Divine Compassion.
Historically, Saint Francis of Assisi was called by God to preach the Good News
of Jesus Christ, and so "build up the Church, which was spiritually
falling into decay". We are a Third Order of Saint Francis for laity and
clerics, for single and married people of both sexes, rooted in the tradition
of which blessed Lechesio and his wife, Bonadonna, a married couple from the
city of Poggibonsi, was formally established in the year 1221.
Saint Francis recognized that many people living in the world were not called
to a literal observance of the vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, but to
a life lived in the spirit of these evangelical counsels. He encouraged the
formation of the Third Order to enable men and women to follow Jesus Christ
amid their duties in everyday life under the promises of simplicity, purity,
and fidelity to the love of God and their neighbor.
Like all Religious Orders, the Franciscan Order of the Divine Compassion
possesses an official Rule put forth by authority and interpreted by its
Constitution. We have a system of organization, government, and discipline
under the direction of legitimate authority. We maintain a recognized
postulancy, novitiate, and professed status for its membership and we invest
our members with an authorized religious habit, while conferring on its members
many spiritual benefits.
Throughout history, the Franciscan Third Order members have produced many great
saints and servants of God. It is our hope that these pages will help you to
better discern and respond to God’s call in your life. If you are questioning a
vocation for yourself, feel free to reach with your questions.
Your servant in Christ,
Br. Seraphim Mary, OSF
Minister General
Franciscan order of the Divine Compassion
Franciscans are known for working in the community, helping the disenfranchised, the hurting, neighbors that are in our community by sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and by sharing our Love.
Come visit and see some of the ministries work our Brothers and Sisters are active in.
St. Francis of Assisi, born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone was the son of a wealthy Italian merchant, who through the call of God became the founder of the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women's Order of St. Clare, the Third Order of St. Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. The Catholic Order grew to have a global following of Brothers and Sisters.