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Novena to St. Francis of Assisi September 25 to October 4   Introductory Prayer Heavenly Father, You have given us the saints to be our models, patrons and friends. Today we turn to Saint Francis of Assisi and as You helped him reflect the image of Christ through his life of poverty and humility, grant us through his intercession the graces we so much need for soul and body. Especially during this novena we ask for: [mention intention here]. We also ask Your blessings on all those whom we love.   May the example of Saint Francis inspire us to grow in holiness as we imitate his joyful love.   Grant what we ask in Your Merciful love, through the merits of Jesus Christ Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, Amen. THE FIRST DAY   Mary, the Mother of Jesus   St Francis had an inexpressible love for our Lady, because she was the one who made the Lord of Majesty our brother. He would often sing to her, pouring out his affections
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St. Serra's Sermons During a Famine in Spain

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Old Mission Santa Barbara statue of St. Francis receiving the stigmata. Photo by Gregg Garrison Four sermons are delivered by St. Serra in Mallorca, Spain in the middle of a devastating famine. Ten thousand people died in St. Serra’s hometown from famine and plague in 1744. Serra’s four sermons from this time of suffering reflect on Psalm 34: “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” As of March 28, t he 2020 global death toll is rapidly approaching 30,000 deaths from the Coronavirus, equaling the 1744 loss in life in St. Serra’s lifetime. These sermons — then and now — are inspired by great suffering and speak compassionately to people in the midst of a plague. In these sermons, St. Serra speaks to us of the earthly and divine rungs of the ladder that lead to God. Equal parts of suffering, healing and pardoning lead to “the eternal weight of glory and risen life.” The first rung of the ladder: God is gentle in the sufferings He sends us. Secondly, God is a healer. From the sec
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Podcast with Friar Father Franklin talking about serving God with his calligraphy

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Father Franklin met with the Secular Franciscans to talk about his calligraphy and how he got started in this art form. Listen to the Podcast Here. Father is going to be giving calligraphy classes to the Third Order Secular Franciscans, and he wanted to first give us the background about how he got started in this art form. Father has created calligraphy cards and books.  Here is a supply list that Father provided to the Secular Franciscans for those who are interested in learning more about calligraphy. Father will be presenting another calligraphy session soon.
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Podcast with Greg Orfalea: Author of "Journey to the Sun: Junipero Serra's Dream and the Founding of California"

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Author Mr. Gregory Orfalea sat down with Secular Franciscan Gregg Garrison, Minister of the St. Louis the King Fraternity at the Old Mission in Santa Barbara recently to record this podcast. They discuss, with the St. Louis the King Seculars and two Franciscan Friars, the St. Serra biography written by Mr. Orfalea, “Journey to the Sun”, published by Scribner in 2014 — just a year before Pope Francis’ canonization of St. Serra in 2015. The author and the fraternity have a lively conversation on the Mission system, the Franciscan Friars, Spaniards and indigenous Indians of the Americas in the 16 th to the 19 th centuries.     One recurring theme in their conversation is how the West Coast missionary system historically occurred at the same time as the East Coast colonial system — and how different the two systems were in how the two cultures developed on opposite coasts. The key difference between the Dutch and English colonization of the East Coast and the Spanis
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