Active Life
The active religious life usually refers to religious communities whose members minister in settings outside their convent or monastery—in education, health care, pastoral service in parishes, social service, and social justice advocacy, among others. Active women and men religious generally live with one or more other members of their religious institute in convents, apartments, or houses. Whether living alone or with others, their lives are distinguished by the vows, ministries, and spiritual life that they hold in common.
Sisters of St. Francis of Tiffin, Ohio
The Sisters of St. Francis of Tiffin, Ohio, were founded in 1869 in response to a need to care for the elderly and for children orphaned by the U.S. Civil War. One hundred forty years later, this Franciscan community remains committed to lives of service, simplicity, and prayer. Yet they contend with a situation all too prevalent among religious institutes today: property and facilities that are expensive to maintain and no longer meet the needs of an aging membership. With support from the National Religious Retirement Office and their own careful planning, however, the Tiffin Franciscans are finding innovative ways to combine loving care for elder sisters with an ongoing commitment to ministry.
Our feature story about the Tiffin Franciscans in PDF format
www.tiffinfranciscans.org
Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular, Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania
The Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular, familiarly known as TORs, are members of an international, evangelical, and apostolic religious institute. Through prayer, simple living, and a unique devotion to the corporal works of mercy, the Franciscans TOR seek an ongoing conversion to the love and will of God. For some 80 years, the friars of the Province of the Immaculate Conception have been ministering in Pennsylvania. Today, their 44 members can also be found serving in Florida, Minnesota, Texas, West Virginia, and Washington, DC.
With more than a third of their membership over age 70, the friars are challenged to meet the rising cost of elder care. Yet conscientious stewardship of their resources and annual assistance from the National Religious Retirement Office enables the community to provide for senior members while continuing their dedicated service to God’s people.
Our feature story about the Franciscans TOR in PDF format
www.franciscanfriarstor.com
Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, Meriden, Connecticut
On December 2, 1973, the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist received official recognition as a pontifical religious institute. They established a motherhouse in Meriden, Connecticut, and initiated a series of apostolates dedicated to promoting the sanctity of human life. Today the community has centers in eight states and in Italy, Jamaica, and the Holy Land.
In recent years, the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist have made a concentrated effort to bolster their retirement savings and to find ways to reduce their overall cost of care. Consultation and financial assistance from the National Religious Retirement Office has helped the community implement comprehensive retirement planning to promote ongoing viability and a future dedicated to prayer and ministry.
Our feature story about the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist in PDF format
www.fsecommunity.org
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