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TRINITARIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
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Who we are . . .
The Franciscans of Divine Providence
is an open and affirming, Catholic family of Laity and Clergy who have joined together to form a Religious Order with an
ecumenical, Franciscan charism. We are a canonical Religious Order to the
TRINITARIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. Our Church is an Autocephalous, Catholic Jurisdiction under the
episcopal
protection of our Bishop who has valid Apostolic Succession through both the Latin and Orthodox Rites of the Church.
The term "episcopal" refers to the Apostolic Office of a Bishop. In the
early Christian churches, the various Sees, metropolitan dioceses and
dioceses were under the protection or leadership of Patriarchs,
Metropolitans and Bishops. Thus, the form of governance of the various
churches was derived from the episcopacy, meaning simply "under the
collegial leadership of bishops". We are not, however, the Episcopal
Church. We are also not in union with nor
are we under the authority of the Roman Catholic Church.
(Click here for info related to our Apostolic lineage) We wish to make it quite clear that we are not schismatic Catholics, nor are we, as some put it, "Protestants who left the Church". For many of us, the doors of the traditional, mainline Church have been closed to us. We have decided, with God's help, to gather the lost and alienated "stones" which the builders rejected in order to repair and perhaps even to rebuild God's House. As baptized Catholics we proclaim our birth right as true Catholics to practice our faith according to the Gospels and in keeping with the accepted Creeds, Ecumenical Councils, Traditions and teachings of the Orthodox, Apostolic, Catholic faith. We are at heart an inclusive, open and affirming, "Ecumenical, Independent Catholic *experiment" in the simple practice of Gospel living in the secular world.
We regard ourselves as peacemakers and bridge-builders who live and work
in harmony on a common journey of faith and service. We're working to build a Franciscan family from the "stones" that others have rejected. We give equal consideration to candidates who have been previously ordained or who have had prior religious life training as well as to those who have no prior religious life experience.
We are members
and believers in the Catholic faith and tradition who identify more closely with the Ecumenical, Independent Catholic movement in the Americas whose valid lines of Apostolic Succession proceed from the Independent Catholic churches established by the late
Roman Catholic Archbishop Carlos Duarte Costa (b. in 1888; d. in 1961) of Brazil. The Franciscan Friars of Providence, as we were first known, was founded in 1995 in the State of Rhode Island
(USA). Gathered around the inspired Word and works of our Lord, Jesus Christ and following the example of Saint Francis and Saint Clare, we aspire to lead our lives in the simple manner of the Gospels. As an inclusive Order
of Catholic women and men, we are now known as the The Franciscans of Divine Providence (FDP). Comprised of
clergy, Religious Brothers and Religious Sisters, our Order strives to become a model of contemporary spirituality and stewardship to the
Universal Church of today. We dedicate ourselves to continue his ministry and apostolic mission to the whole Church. We have chosen Jesus Christ, the Stone which the builders rejected, to be our example and our cornerstone. Following the example of St. Francis, we accept the human "stones" that God offers us to repair His House. It is the expressed policy of the Franciscans of Divine Providence that we do not discriminate against qualified candidates based upon age, gender, racial, ethnic or national origin, physical challenges, marital status, sexual or affectional orientation, previous religious life experience, profession or ordination, work or professional background, socio-economic status, education, or place of residence. In every way, we strive to be an open and welcoming Franciscan family which affirms people from all segments of society. We strive, in our own small way, to build bridges to span the obstacles that have divided Christians and all people of faith. Our goal is work towards that day when all of God's children might put aside their pride, fears and prejudices toward one another and journey together in fellowship, harmony and peace according to the plan of our One Creator. Where has your life's journey been leading you? If you've thought about becoming a Franciscan and believe that a non-residential, contemporary, Canonical Religious Order founded upon a Catholic, Ecumenical tradition, is what you want, please write and tell us about yourself. We'd like to hear from you! There are many choices available to aspirants to the religious life these days and there are real challenges, expectations and responsibilities that go along with joining any religious Order. Active life within a religious Order is not everyone's calling. It requires maturity, personal discipline and a deep sense of commitment of both your time and talents. Holy Scripture reminds us that, "Many are called, but few are chosen." We ask that you read our web site carefully and pray to God for spiritual guidance if you feel that you have a vocation to our Order. An admissions process is a standard procedure in most religious Orders. We have requirements to gain admission for those who wish to become members. We believe ours to be necessary, impartial and fair in light of the fact that most of our aspirants come to us from a variety of distant places, varied backgrounds and different levels of professional and life experience. If you feel that our Franciscan charism speaks to your heart, we invite you to apply for admission. Scripture also reminds us that, "the Harvest is great, but the laborers are few." Is God calling you to work in the harvest as member of the Franciscans of Divine Providence?
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful people
Franciscans of Divine Providence
Provincial Center RevTimFDP @ hotmail.com
(*Footnote: by experiment, we refer to the term used by Roger Williams, | |
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