Sunday, April 3, 2011

Prescription for a Well-balanced Local SFO Fraternity

St. Rose of Viterbo SFO Fraternity in Terre Haute hosted Friar Martin Bitzer, OFM, Conv., General Spiritual Assistant to the Secular Franciscan Order on Saturday, April 2. He was visiting from Rome, Italy. Friar Martin is in Terre Haute to attend a brief course at Indiana State University. 


Friar Martin urged those attending his presentation to "live and love the SFO rule." He also encouraged everyone to work hard to strengthen the foundation of the SFO, i.e., local fraternities. Like a well-balanced four-legged chair, a fraternity should spend equal amounts of time 1) praying together, e.g., celebrating mass, 2) ongoing education, i.e., learning more about Franciscan spirituality 3) just being together, and 4) either individually or collectively engaged in apostolic activities . (If the former, it is important to share with other fraternity members what they are doing.) He also suggested that a local fraternity should meet four (4) times a month, devoting each gathering to one of the four activities.