Confraternity of Penitents Retreat Synopis-November 2014

Confraternity of Penitents Fall Retreat, November 2014

So, the retreat was in Stanford, TN just northeast of Memphis in a beautiful retreat center. It started Friday night and ended with 5:30 AM Mass on Monday morning. I met Madeline for the first time and find that she is a lovely, kind lady who made us all feel welcome and works hard for the CFP. Her husband Jim is a very nice fellow who does all the heavy lifting for us all. The talks were geared toward teaching who St. Francis was, his spirituality, and how we should live today. (I learned more in a few talks then I ever heard for the 4 years or so that I was a Secular Franciscan.)

Jim and Madeline Nugent, CFP

 The retreat master was Father David, founder of a new, 5 yr. old order, the Franciscan Brothers Minor. They are truly radical and go barefoot just like in the Gospel! He had with him Brother Juniper, a 20 something guy, also a founding member. The Order is growing with 28 men and I think they said they have 5 inquirers. Father David is the only Priest so they have had to keep a few men home from Seminary in order to lead and teach the new guys. I was very impressed with the two men and felt as if I was closely in touch with Francis. We also had the pleasure of meeting all the Franciscan Sisters Minor under Mother Colette Marie. What lovely women!

Father David Mary Engo, FFM

Brother Juniper Mary, FFM, and Mother Colette Marie, FSM

The simple call of St. Francis and to those of us who follow him is-live the Gospel! Nothing could be simpler, nothing could be harder. He went from the Gospel to life and from life to the Gospel. The only way to do this is deep, intimate prayer. Francis tried several times to become a hermit in constant communion with God but God had other plans. He was all about the Eucharist also. It appears that only two letters that he wrote did not mention Eucharistic spirituality in some way. He loved the Liturgy and was a proponent of beautiful, elaborate churches to support worship. I was surprised to learn again for the first time that he was very Marian and of course big into humility and gratitude, not to mention a lover of the cross.

Sister Almania and Sister Rebecca, FSM

Jessica Toner Mintier, CFP inquirer, and Terri Keller, CFP

 
Father David pointed out that we live in a post-Christian world of neo-paganism where the self if worshipped. How much does the world need the Franciscan charism? Case in point-Pope Francis! He encouraged us to radically live the Gospel by doing penance and embracing suffering which is a school of charity. Poverty and simplicity are tools to use to help treat our sick culture. We need re-vitalized Franciscanism to spearhead the ‘new evangelization’. He listed for us a hierarchy of principles which must be interdependent from the top down. They are basically a priority of charisms:

1. Prayer
2. Penance
3. Poverty
4. Minority
5. Fraternity

Fr. David said that we must not get the priorities ‘mixed up’. In other words we cannot do Apostolate haphazardly but orderly. Notice that number 1 is Prayer. Francis re-built the church as we must today, in and for the New Evangelization. The primary building material of today is mercy. The CFP must remember that mercy triumphs over justice, in fact mercy was God’s plan from the very beginning, so we should be ‘missionaries’ of mercy. He reminds us to cultivate mercy as our modus operandi by ‘exuding’ the mercy of God. The very ‘look in our eye’ should communicate mercy even to the point of actually ‘washing feet’. Wow! These are living words it seems to me, from God’s mouth to Francis’ ear then straight to the heart of giant men like Father David. I think God is raising up veritable Saints among us. I tell you that retreat was a time warp- I experienced the ‘spirit’ of Francis in a living, powerful way. I believe that Fr. David is particularly effective because he has a certain ‘humility’. (He probably has to deal with pride in some ways like the rest of us.) He is bold for the Lord and a holy liaison exists between him and Brother Juniper, whose very name evokes our Seraphic Father’s boys, not to mention a sweet nature and beautiful singing voice.

Sandy Seyfert and Madeline Pecora Nugent, CFP

Alice and Chuck Porembski, CFP inquirers

Sister Anna, Sister Kaityln, and Sister Bernadette, FSM

When I pray for the CFP, I specifically ask for SAINTS like Francis to blow the doors of off this dying culture. So, are you in? As Father David says, “If Francis could do it, why not us?”

-- Terri Keller, CFP