June 1997

Secular Franciscan Order: Holy Spirit Fraternity
Canberra ACT Australia

June Meeting. Our next meeting is at 8pm on Friday 27 June and will again be held in the Marian Hall at St Matthews Page. Jack will lead us into small group discussions of "What Francis and Clare mean to us" based on consideration of the first lesson of the Maltese "Franciscan Studies" course: "Francis and Clare of Assisi: their life and times". Jack will have copies for everyone of the 12-page printed text, which was available at the May meeting.

Isolated Friends. Sylvia and Pam visited Marjorie Mackay sfo, who lives about 40 km past Cooma and Anne Kunicki, who lives in Cooma, to extend the hand of Fraternity to them. Marjorie has kindly invited us to conduct a Barbecue on their farm if we wish. Council is considering combining that with our Day of Reflection and holding it there on 13 December; if we can find a priest to help.

July Meeting. Cec will lead us in consideration of how we might, as a Fraternity, apply our own special Franciscan charism to preparation for the Jubilee Year of 2000; a very special year for all Christians; a special opportunity to show Christ to the world.

The Minister General, Emerenziana Rossato, in her letter "SFO TOWARDS 2000" published at the end of May said: I think it is time for Franciscans obeying "to go and repair..." to adopt the directives of the Conference of the Franciscan Family on the 2000 Jubilee and to offer ourselves to the Church in which we operate becoming a part of the ordinary pastoral, expressing our prophetic and charismatic presence at best, to avoid getting exhausted within ourselves and our circles.

She also said, "Such a commitment requires determination and faith motivations and, in turn, it offers more meaning and consideration to our presence in the Church and in the world."

Secular Franciscan Gathering. Don't forget the St Clare Region Minister and Executive are BEGGING us to join them in a Secular Franciscan gathering at Corowa on the Murray river on the weekend of 14-16 November. This is an opportunity to take the SFO message of Fraternity to these sisters and brothers as well as to the Ecclesial and local communities in which they exist. Motel accommodation is planned with costs ranging from $22 per person per night twin share to $40 per night for a single room. The local SFO group will assist with lunches Saturday and Sunday and have arranged for evening meals at the local RSL club at reasonable prices.

We have advised the Regional Minister, Helen Jarick, that about four members are expected to attend from this Fraternity. At the May meeting, Cec, Kathy, Marty and Sylvia indicated that they were likely to attend.

Saint Bonaventure was the seventh Minister General of the Franciscan Order after Saint Francis of Assisi. He taught theology and Holy Scripture at the University of Paris from 1248 to 1257. In 1257, St Bonaventure and St Thomas Aquinas received the degree of Doctor of Theology together. St Bonaventure became Cardinal Archbishop of Albano in 1273 and was an outstanding figure at the Council of Lyons, which brought reunion with the Greeks. He was canonized in 1482 and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1588. We are invited to an SFO Regional Fraternity day on Saturday 12 July where Fr Chris Shorrock ofm Conv will give presentations on "An Introduction to St Bonaventure" and "St Bonaventure's impact and influence on the Franciscan Order". It will be held in Our Lady of the Rosary Parish Hall, 1 Diana Avenue, Kellyville from 10am to 4pm. Please bring a plate for a shared lunch. Tea and Coffee will be provided. Enquiries: Friary (02)9629 1558. Attendance and transport arrangements will be discussed at the June meeting.

September Meeting. As discussed at the May meeting, it is planned to have our September meeting in the form of a "Pot Luck" dinner from 6 to 7pm followed by an Evening of Quiet Reflection focussed by a tape by Sr Joanne (Poor Clare). It may be held at Cec's place which has plenty of nooks and crannies for quiet reflection.

Vocations. Remember that we agreed to keep up our prayers for vocations to the SFO!

May Meeting. Cec lead the discussion, based on consideration of the final sections of the Constitutions that we have been following using the video of Fr Benet Fonck. Cec focussed us on "The Fraternity: centre of life and apostolic activity". This led to wide sharing of experiences of broader Fraternity, between Fraternities and at the Regional, National and International levels. In the end, Cec had to cut off our sharing and consideration of the implications for lack of further time!

Absences. Hélène is back from China but off to Melanesia as this is written. We will have to wait to hear of her experiences. Perhaps another social is called for? Kathy has tendered her apologies for the June, July and August meetings. She is travelling to Omaha, Nebraska in the USA and Edmonton and Calgary in Alberta, Canada. She can be contacted until 12 September at: #402, 8728 103rd Street, Edmonton, T6E 6K3, Alberta, Canada.

Twinned Fraternity. Gladys Michaud writes that they had their last Fraternity meeting until September on Sunday 8 June. It involved an indoor barbecue meal because "the weather was not up to much". Her daughter, Fran Krawchuk their Minister, took some pictures which they will give to Kathy when she visits. She asks us to pray "for the success of our Chapter July 10-13 that we may grow and nurture our Franciscan commitment as we meet with other brothers and sisters". I have an idea that their "weather not up to much" and ours may be very different. Gladys writes: "I have been busy in my backyard trying to clear up all the fallen trees and branches. We had a very bad wind and snowstorm about two weeks ago and all over the city one can see dead branches and fallen trees. It was quite a job (and expensive) to have it all cleared up but thank God it is done, except for a couple which were so badly damaged they will have to come down." [At the end of Spring!]

Next Council Meeting: 8pm Wednesday 9 July at Jack's place.