Guidelines for Initial Formation in the Secular Franciscan Order in the United States ‘Set yourselves free to love God and your brothers and sisters’. ……….sfo Rule

‘Guidelines’ ??…….O yes! They’ve been around FOREVER!!! In the Old Testament times In the New Testament times In the Church of the East/West……and thereafter! In the Dark Ages In the Middle Ages And in the ‘old days’ and in our present times too….e.g., in America, Korea, Mexico, Vietnam,the Philippines, and wherever God’s Holy People, the Church, is present!! Today, tomorrow and …per omnia saecula saeculorum….AMEN!!

The 2nd Vatican Council is responsible for challenging the People of God to ‘Grow-up!!!’ …..actually it is the Holy Spirit Who is forever calling us all to renewal, conversion, change, maturation and transformation!!!!

‘Guidelines’ are the directions, explanations, resources and aids given to us for the journey we are on, making our way to the fullness of life-everlasting.

A bit of history concerning the creation of the Guidelines for Formation: In response to the 2nd Vatican Council’s call for renewal, a new SFO Rule was approved in 1978 by Pope Paul VI. A General Chapter of the SFOrder was held in Assisi in 1979 and it mandated the creation of ‘working materials’ offering information and direction, concerning the formation of new members of the fraternity. .

These ‘working materials’ were to be the foundation for a national document that would be approved by Rome and serve as the Formation Guidelines for each National Fraternity. These Guidelines were to offer direction to the Secular Franciscans so that they would learn how to live the Franciscan Secular Life for the good of the Church and the world and all to the glory of God.

Our United States Guidelines were approved by Rome in 1983 and published for the Nation in 1985. At the General Chapter of the SFO in Fatima, Portugal in 1992 the International Council of the SFO published Elements of Formation - A Reflection on the Formation Process. In response to this General Chapter, in 1995 our National Formation Commission published a new supplemental set of guidelines for the formation process and these Guidelines and the Supplement continue, to date, as our Guidelines and are officially a part of our SFO National Statutes, Article 19.

November 21, 2009 is presently working to update the Our National Formation Commission is presently working to update the the formative process in accord with the directives of the SFO General Chapter which met in Hungary, in 2008. - These directives will begin to take effect in 2011-2012. “SEMPER ADELANTE!!!” - Bl. Junipero Serra