Blessed John XXIII SFO Fraternity

Open House and Prayer Service 10/3/11

2011-09-14T11:03:00.000-07:00

"Always seek to praise God." -St. Francis of Assisi

Join us for a social evening of Italian treats, information and prayer on the Eve of the Feast Day for St. Francis of Assisi. Monday, Oct. 3rd, Deere-Wyman House, 817 11th Ave., Moline, Il. Doors open at 7pm. Transitus Prayer Service begins at 8pm. Hosted by the Blessed John XXIII Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order. For more info, call Kent at 563 264-0120.

Hope to see you there!

Isaac R. "Ike" Searl, sfo 8/28/24-3/23/11

2011-03-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

It is with great sadness that we note the passing of brother Ike Searl. Ike was professed in the Secular Franciscan Order on 4/14/02. Ike and Bina have given much to the Blessed John XXIII fraternity in Rock Island. We will continue to remember him as we look at his hand-stitched picture of St. Francis at each meeting. Eternal peace be with you, Ike. Peace and our condolences, Bina.

Online condolences can be expressed to Ike's family by visiting his obituary at www.esterdahl.com

Link to Webinar #2

2011-02-25T14:07:00.000-08:00

Here is the link to the recording of Webinar #2 in our JPIC Courageous Initiative with CRS and their Catholics Confront Global Poverty effort!
http://ecom.catholicrelief.org/p47078713/

Justice, Peace & The Integrity of Creation

2011-02-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

Our local fraternity, Blessed John XXIII, of Rock Island, Illinois, is part of the Franciscans of the Prairie Regional Fraternity. Our regional fraternity is in turn part of the National Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order, NAFRA-USA. One of the national subcommittees is the Justice, Peace & the Integrity of Creation Committee. JPIC is presently embarking upon a "courageous initiative" with Catholic Relief Services! To learn more about our Order, JPIC and this initiative:

On Thursday, January 13, 2011, NAFRA/JPIC kicked off the webinar series highlighting our Courageous Initiative with Catholic Relief Services and their Catholics Confront Global Poverty effort!

The link to the recorded webcast (with audio) is http://ecom.catholicrelief.org/p23441617/

To learn more about the Catholics Confront Global Poverty initiative and CRS:

1. Catholics Confront Global Poverty website – www.usccb.org/sdwp/globalpoverty/

2. Sign up for Catholics Confront Global Poverty (online) – http://actioncenter.crs.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ccgp_signup

3. Sign up for Catholics Confront Global Poverty with your Cell Phone! – text “CCGP” to the number 30644

Journey and the Dream to be Focus of Study

2011-02-08T07:14:00.000-08:00

Our fraternity has chosen Father Murray Bodo's book, Francis: The Journey and the Dream as the focus of our monthly ongoing formation for 2011! This highly readable yet thought provoking interpretive account of St. Francis of Assisi's life will certainly help us review some fundamentals of our Seraphic Father's life! If you would like a copy of The Journey and the Dream, please contact Kent. And as is always the case, please feel free to join us for any of our open monthly meetings! Franciscans and those who are Franciscan in Spirit are most welcome!

Ethics, Philosophy & the Theology of the Corporation

2010-05-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

Ethics, Philosophy and the Theology of the Corporation

Saturday, June 26, 2010
8:00 A.M. TO 4:00 P.M.
Registration: 8:00-9:30 A.M.
Mass 8:30 A.M.
Culemans Hall @ Sacred Heart Church
1400 16th Avenue, Moline IL

Presenter: Mr. Terrence J. McCarthy, SFO
Sponsored by: Blessed John XXIII Fraternity of The
Secular Franciscan Order Rock Island IL

Participants will have a chance to:

Discuss ethics in light of church teaching;
• Review and discuss Pope John Paul II encyclical on
faith and reason;
• Discuss theology and philosophy;
• Discuss the dignity of the human person using Terry’s
book A theology of the Corporation: A Franciscan
Approach;
• Learn how to apply this knowledge in your own
corporate setting.

About Our Speaker

Terrence J “Terry” McCarthy Has been married for 59
years . He and his wife, Thecla, have 12 children, 42
grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. They have been
members of the Secular Franciscan Order for over 50
years. Terry has been minister of their local fraternity
and minister of their regional fraternity. In 2006 they
received the Family of the Year Award from the National
Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order.
Terry spent over 50 years in the heavy earthmoving industry-
building roads, mining, land cleaning, agriculture,
and dam building. He has been operator, mechanic, instructor,
manager, supervisor and consultant for the
Agency for International Development (AID), World Bank
and various Fortune 500 corporations in the USA, Central
and South America and Indonesia.

More Information:
Contact: Kent Ferris 563-264-0120

REGISTRATION:
NAME:_____________________________________________
ADDRESS:___________________________________________
STATE/CITY/ZIP:_____________________________________
PHONE:_____________________________________________
E-MAIL:____________________________________________
_____REGISTRATION/BOOK/LUNCH……$30.00
_____REGISTRATION/LUNCH……………….$15.00
Mail registration to:
Kent Ferris
809 E. 10th Street
Muscatine, IA 52761
Make Check Payable to Blessed John XXIII Fraternity

Change of Date for Fraternity Meetings, New Member

2010-03-02T07:49:00.000-08:00

Beginning in March, 2010, our fraternity will meet on the 1st Sunday of the month. Please feel free to join us at Trinity Hospital, Rock Island, Illinois, Meeting Room #1, adjacent to the Jardine Auditorium on Sunday, March 7th at 2pm.

There will be no monthly fraternity meeting in April as the 1st Sunday is Easter.

We will reconvene in May on Sunday, May 2nd.

We welcome Deacon Frank Agnoli, SFO, to our fraternity! Deacon Frank has been a professed member since 1988 and has previously been a member of fraternities in Illinois and Minnesota.

September Fraternity, 9/13/09, 2pm

2009-09-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

The Blessed John XXIII fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order we have it's monthly fraternity meeting this Sunday, September 23rd, at 2pm, in the conference room behind the Jardine Auditorium at Trinity Hospital in Rock Island. The ongoing formation discussion will focus on the last in the Keeping our Focus on Francis ongoing formation series, Evangelizers in Christ. A reminder that the author of the series, Father John Sullivan, OFM, and Regional Spiritual Assistant will visit our fraternity for our regularly scheduled November meeting. Please plan to attend!

Also of special note: please plan to attend the 2009, Pacem In Terris Peace and Freedom Award. Davenport Diocese Bishop, Martin Amos, will present this year's award to Hildegard Goss-Mayr on Sunday, September 20, 2009, at 3:00pm, at St. Ambrose University's Christ the King Chapel, located at 518 West Locust Street in Davenport, Iowa. For over fifty years, Hildegard Goss-Mayr has been one of the world's leading advocates of nonviolence, as the way to Peace on Earth. As the preeminent teacher of nonviolence of our time, she has been numerous times for the Nobel Peace Prize. Previous award recipients include: Sister Helen Prejean, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Lech Walesa, Msgr. Marvin Mottet. Award co-sponsors: Diocese of Davenport, St. Ambrose University, Augustana College, Churches United, Pax Christi, The Catholic Messenger, Congregation of Humility of Mary, Sisters of Benedict, Muslim Community of the Quad Cities, Sisters of St. Francis, Bridges of Faith.

June 2009 Open Meeting

2009-05-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered about the life and teachings of St. Francis of Assisi? Have you thought about how you could live a simpler yet more fulfilled life?

The members of the Blessed John XXIII fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order warmly invite our Catholic brothers and sisters in Christ to an Open Fraternity Meeting!

Learn more about our seraphic father who first taught us to live simply while helping build up the Church almost 800 years ago!

When: Sunday, June 14th, 2pm
Where: Jardine Auditorium, Trinity Hospital, 2701 17th St., Rock Island, Illinois
Who to call: In Iowa, Kent Ferris at 563 264-0120. In Illinois, Gene Desaunoy at 309 787-2724

May Fraternity Meeting on the 1st Sunday

2009-04-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

Please note that our monthly fraternity in May will be on the 1st Sunday of the month. We will return to our regularly scheduled 2nd Sunday fraternity meeting in June.

Fraternity Members spotlighted for Stewardship

2008-12-28T07:19:00.000-08:00

Blessed John XXIII fraternity members, Ike and Bina Searl, SFO, are highlighted in the December, 2008, Parish Newsletter of Sacred Heart Church in Moline. To read the full article, please go to http://sacredheartmoline.org/pdf/newsletter7373.12-01-2008.pdf.

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING NOV. MEETING

2008-10-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

The fraternity will be meeting on the 1st Sunday in November. We will meet on Sunday, November 2nd at 2:00pm, in our regular meeting place, the Meeting Room adjacent to the library in the Jardine Center of Trinity Hospital, 2701 17th Street, Rock Island, Illinois.

We will return to the 2nd Sunday meeting day in December!

Transitus

2008-08-31T06:29:00.000-07:00

Each year on the third evening of October, we ritually remember the passing of Francis of Assisi from this life into God. In fact, the Transitus has become a significant and even a necessary annual event. To ritually revisit the story of Francis' passing is vital; without it something significant is missing. It specifies the living memory of Francis; it intensifies our commitment to follow Christ in the way of the poor man of Assisi.

Please join members of the Blessed John XXIII Secular Franciscan Fraternity for Transitus. It will take place on Friday, October 3, 2008, at 7:00pm, at Sacred Heart Church, the St. Francis Chapel.

Our Fraternity Apostolate

2008-06-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

Our Fraternity’s Apostolate

Blessed John XXIII Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order has identified the Angel Food Ministries as our Apostolate. During our regular monthly fraternity meetings, a second collection is taken and donated to Angel Food. The donated money goes to assist families who have little or no income to be able to afford the reduced food packages that the Angel Food Ministries offers.

The following is an article that appeared in the Thursday, May 1, 2008, edition of The Dispatch and the Rock Island Argus written by Reggie Jarrell (rjarrell@qconline.com):

Quality Food for Low Price

Clipping coupons, buying food in bulk and shopping at discount grocery stores are ways to counter rising food prices, but another option is buying from a co-op offering brand-name foods at low prices.

“We just want to help people; that’s what we are here for,” said Sandy Muse, director of Angel Food Ministries at New Life Fellowship Church, Moline. “We can take their dollar and stretch it further.”

“As the price of gas goes up, I know we’re going to have more people who can really use this,” Ms. Muse said. “It’s for anyone-anyone can buy. It’s not just for low-income people.”

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit non-denominational food organization open to anyone regardless of income levels. Food valued between $60 and $75 may be brought in “units” for $30.

Five distribution locations, called “host sites,” are in the Quad-Cities area-three in Illinois, two in Iowa.

The New Life Fellowship Church location processes Illinois orders.

According to its Web site, www.angelfoodministries.com, the organization is dedicated to providing food relief and contributing to benevolent outreach in communities throughout the United States. Formed by 34 Monroe, Ga., families in 1994, the program has grown to 35 states.

Menus and food selections change monthly. Orders are placed once a month, with each unit weighing about 21 pounds. A unit includes several types and cuts of meat as well as other fresh, frozen and packaged food items. There is no limit to the number of units that can be purchased.

After the purchase of a unit, participants also can order a box of “meat specials,” from chicken to steak, ranging from $15 to $20. There also is no limit to the number of specialty boxes that can be purchased.

Food from national suppliers is transported from a Georgia warehouse to the Moline office in about two weeks. All orders are distributed the same day, with people informed in advance of the food pickup date.

Officials said the products are “high quality, name-brand” items, not government surplus, dented, damaged, seconds or day old items.

“Many of these things they (people) have seen in restaurants,” said Ms. Muse. “This is restaurant quality food.”

There are no applications, qualification criteria, or minimum or maximum income levels for participants. Angel Food Ministries participates in the food stamp program and uses the voucher system.

Officials said those using the co-op are grateful, some with tears in their eyes.

“We’ve had clients who haven’t had meat for two years (because) they couldn’t afford it,” said Ms. Muse. “Or young families who can’t afford anything but macaroni and cheese.”

“In our country, to see these things going on, it kind of shocks you, it’s so sad,” said Ms. Muse.

Angel Food Ministries
New Life Fellowship Church, 2345 19th St., Moline
$30 per unit
For more information: (309) 762-7314, ext. 413

Introduction

2008-06-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

The Secular Franciscan Order: Catch the Spirit!

The Secular Franciscan Order (formerly called the Third Order of St. Francis) is the lay people's branch of the world-wide Franciscan Family, the secular expression of that movement and order begun in the Church over 750 years ago by St. Francis of Assisi to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

In a world very much like our own-filled with a preoccupation with material gain, power by domination, and destructiveness-the Lord called Francis of Assisi to rebuild his Church not with brick and mortar, but with a life style of self-giving love. Through his turning toward the Lord and living for the Lord, Francis manifested a unique way that life and mission of Jesus Christ from Crib to Cross, from his Resurrection to his presence in the Church. Francis' life was so credible to the people around him that many flocked to him to walk his way.

One group of people, similarly moved by the Holy Spirit, sincerely wanted to live the elements of Christian love that Francis chose to emphasize in his Gospel life. Yet they were already committed to their families and their jobs; they could not become Lesser Brothers (friars) or Poor Ladies (nuns). They wanted to remain in their state of life and live the ideals of the Gospel that Francis made concrete. And so the Order was born.

The special task of the Secular Franciscan Order (or Lay Franciscans, as they are often called) is twofold: to tell the world about salvation by God and to help make a person's faith, hope and love grow stronger and deeper. This twofold task is accomplished by patterning one's life after that of Jesus Christ in the example of St. Francis-especially by having a spirit of love which emphasizes common dignity and bond as God's people and liberates from separations, divisions and prejudices. By living in a spirit of moderation, which shows complete trust in God's will and providence and firm faith in human goodness and also liberates people from a slavery to material goods and worldly standards. By showing a will to unlimited service to the Church and all people, bringing salvation and God's Good News to everyone (especially His poor and forgotten) liberating from helplessness, loneliness and despair. This task is enriched and strengthened and woven together through a keen sense of God's presence in the Mass and Sacraments, in Scripture, in prayer, in dialogue with one another, and in witness to the world. The Franciscan Way is a dynamic and prayer-filled life according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and after the example of St. Francis.

The Secular Franciscan Order is not a religious club or an organization like an Altar Society, CYO, Knights of Columbus, Holy Name Society, or the like. Rather it is a special movement of grace in the very heart of the Church and a specific way of life for Christian living which intensifies a person' faith-life and can give direction to prayer and service. It is a spirituality and a style of life that guides and governs and permeates everything the Lay Franciscan is and does.

Today more than ever the Franciscans provide a successful way to spread God's message and to combat and conquer sin and evil in the world by taking the ideals and values of Gospel living and trying to make them live and work today.

The Peace Prayer

Lord,

Make me an instrument of your peace:

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light

Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master,

Grant that I may no so much seek:

To be consoled, as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love.

For, it is in giving, that we receive;

It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned;

and

It is in dying, that we are born to eternal life.

Perhaps the Franciscans are just what you have been looking for!

If you would like more information on the Secular Franciscans, you can write me at kentmeister305@machlink.com or call me at (563) 264-0120. Peace!

-Kent Ferris, SFO

Minister, Blessed John XXIII Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order, Rock Island, Illinois

The Secular Franciscan Order of the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa