Our Mission Statement

The mission of our Province of Saint Anthony of Padua is centered on four pillars:

  Prayer Fraternity Work Mission

With one challenge: To share God’s love with everyone

Prayer: “To have the Spirit of the Lord and let Him act.” (2 Kings 10:8)

Prayer is an essential component of our life project. As Friars Minor, we desire not only to pray but above all to become ever more men of prayer in the image of our father Saint Francis, who exhorts his brothers to constantly invite the Spirit of the Lord and His action. The life of prayer is the foundation of our life as Franciscan brothers. We are convinced that the source of all inspired renewal flows through our life of prayer. The vocation of each of us finds its primary source in a heart-to-heart relationship with the One who has called us to live His life. That is why, even before its apostolic dimension, our life is nourished by listening to the Word, the Eucharist, and adoration. We are pilgrims who, following in the footsteps of Saint Francis, desire to continue walking humbly with hearts open to the creativity of the Holy Spirit.

Fraternity: “The Lord has given me brothers.” (Testament, 14)

Fraternity has always held a central place among the Friars Minor. In this world that is withering away, there is a strong desire for understanding, respect, and fraternity. Therefore, as sons of Saint Francis, it is our duty to live fraternity with fervor and to bear witness that it is a creative force that our world needs most. Faith shows us that we are all sons of a Father who loves us and that the Lord shows us his care through all the people he places on our path. This is precisely what St. Francis expresses in his Testament when he affirms that the Lord gave him brothers. The fraternity we are called to live, as sons of Saint Francis, is characterized by joy, simplicity, mutual respect, and the acceptance of our differences, our gifts, and our limitations. All of this invites us to make our fraternities places of communion and peace where not only do we live fulfilled and serene lives, but where all those seeking comfort and love may come to draw new reasons for living and hoping. Consequently, fraternity calls for work and leads to the selfless nature of mission.

Work: “I used to work with my hands, and I want to work”

Work is an important concept in Franciscan spirituality. Through work we serve God and contribute to the common good. For Saint Francis of Assisi, work is a gift from God, which allows us to provide for our own needs and those of others. In his Testament, he calls on all his brothers to engage in honest work (Testament, 20). It is through work that we serve others, especially the poor and the marginalized. Francis of Assisi emphasizes the importance of doing work with love and devotion.

The mission: “Go, Francis, and repair my Church.”

We seem to hear once again the voice of the Crucifix of San Damiano that spoke to Francis of Assisi: “Go, Francis, and repair my Church, which, as you see, is falling into ruin.” God calls us to evangelization in our world that no longer listens. Evangelization is the mission of the Church. This evangelization is urgent and must reawaken the life of faith in the hearts and minds of our contemporaries. Our primary way of living out this mission will be the witness of our lives among the poor and the marginalized of society. Christ sends us to them to show them the Father’s love and mercy. All the brothers are therefore called to be credible witnesses to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by reaching out to others, to the “peripheries of life.”