Our life project

The life project of our Province of Saint Anthony of Padua is structured around four pillars:

  Prayer Fraternity Work Mission

With one challenge: To transmit God's love to all

Prayer: "Have the Spirit of the Lord and let him act." (2 Reg 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 more and more men of prayer in the image of our father St. 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 comes 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 St. 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 occupied a central place in the lives of the Friars Minor. In this world that is withering away, there is a strong desire for understanding, respect, and fraternity. Therefore, as sons of St. Francis, it is our responsibility to live fraternity ardently and to bear witness that it is a creative force that our world needs most. Faith shows us that we are all children 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 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 St. Francis, is characterized by joy, simplicity, mutual respect, and acceptance of our differences, our riches, and our limitations. All 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 who seek comfort and love can come and find new reasons to live and hope. Therefore, fraternity calls us to work and leads to the gratuitousness of mission.

Work: "I worked 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 St. Francis of Assisi, work is a gift from God, which allows us to provide for ourselves and others. In his will, 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 marginalized. Francis of Assisi insists on the importance of doing work with love and dedication.

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 evangelize in our world, which is no longer listening. 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 first way of living out our mission will be to bear witness to our faith among the poor and marginalized of society. Christ sends us to them to show them the love and mercy of the Father. All 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."