Who can become a Secular Franciscan?
Three things are required:-
1. One must be a Catholic actually living one’s faith
2. One must join with the sincere intention of beng faithful to the Franciscan Way for a lifetime
3. One must have required age for making profession.
If you meet these above three requirements, then given below are the steps to be a Secular Franciscan:-
- Initially, one joins the local fraternity for their meetings as a ‘Visitor’ or ‘Guest’ for at least six meetings.
- Then the Visitor may make application to the Council of the fraternity to proceed to the Enquiry stage. During this period, the enquirer will be given a structured course of preparation for admission to the Order. The period of Enquiry takes at least one year.
- Having been admitted/ received into the Order, the Candidate for Profession enters the next stage of initial formation, which takes at least, two years from the Admission ceremony.
- The Candidate now requests to be accepted for Profession of the Rule, a commitment to live for one’s lifetime according to the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order.
- Profession is a Public, Ecclesial Act; taking place during Holy Mass.
OFS Oxford 