Fr. Francis, Fr. Peter rector of the shrine, and brother Juan Diego.
Saint Francis of Assisi has had a big impact on many lives for the past 800 years. I have read that the only person that has more books written about them is Jesus Himself. G.K. Chesterton said that the Gospel has not been tried and found difficult, but it has been found difficult and not tried. Francesco Bernadone tried with all his being to live the Gospel of his Lord Jesus Christ. He and his first followers lived heroic lives of loving sacrifice, preaching the Good News by example and word. They especially strove to imitate the poverty of Jesus in His Incarnation, His Cross, and in the Holy Eucharist. It was like a new Pentecost in that the fire of the Love of God again spread through the world, from the spark of one humble poor man who said yes to his Lord. It should be noted that, as St. Bonaventure wrote in his great biography of St. Francis, the order was founded at the inspiration of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and it was entrusted to her from the beginning by the holy founder. It also began at her little shrine of Our Lady of the Angels.
The Order of Friars Minor grew quickly which brought the inevitable need for organization, discipline and institutionalization. It struggled mightily to maintain that first fervor and dedication. Over the centuries there has been many reform movements and divisions. An old joke says that not even God knows how many Franciscan Orders there are. Time and again sons and daughters of St. Francis and St. Clare have striven to regain that initial fire. Such was the case with a motley little band of six friars in 1995, who went to Bishop Sean O’Malley of Fall River to ask permission to begin a new community. Twenty-seven years later the little band is still little and still learning that it is no easy task to follow so great a saint. But as Chesterton also said, anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.
This is the very group that has come to be responsible for the new Holy Rosary Shrine. You will learn how very human and imperfect we are, as many of you know already. But early on the Franciscans of the Poor Christ (formerly of the Primitive Observance) were blessed to be allowed to make a fourth vow of total consecration to the Immaculate Virgen Mary. We belong to her and she can do amazing things, by the power of her Divine Spouse the Holy Spirit, with even the most weak and foolish instruments. Our goal is to remain faithful to our identity as sons of St. Francis, while also being good stewards of this beautiful shrine church and its other facilities. Like St. Maximilian Kolbe stated, “the best for Our Lady, nothing for us.” (Except maybe a pizza once in a while.)
On the first day of the FPC’s existence, we renewed our vows at a Mass in Bishop O’Malley’s chapel at his residence in Fall River. He told us clearly that poverty is not the end but a means, a means to free the human heart to love, to love God and our neighbor. We are greatly privileged to have this opportunity to serve God’s people at a shrine of His Holy Mother. Thank you again to so many have given us encouragement and support. St. Theresa of Kolkata has rightly been compared to St. Francis in our own time. Like her we ask you to pray for us that “we don’t spoil God’s work,” and that together we do something beautiful for Him. God bless you.
- Rev. Peter Giroux, FPC., Rector
- Rev. Francis Godkin, FPC
- Rev. Andrew Beauregard, FPC
- Br. Pio Anthony Butti, FPC
- Br. Juan Diego Aguilera, FPC
— Fr. Peter