Dear Friends,

Greetings from the friars of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation!
Jesus was a missionary. He commissioned the Church to continue the mission given to him by the Father and empowered the Church with his Holy Spirit. She continues the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit by proclaiming to the ends of the earth the salvation Christ offers those who believe in him.

As the Body of Christ, we are a missionary church. The Church’s mission is to proclaim the salvation of Christ to the ends of the earth. St. Francis of Assisi took to heart the call of Jesus from the Cross of San Damiano, “Francis, rebuild my church…”

Francis and his friars engaged in cross-cultural, mission work early in their history. In 1219, his dream of preaching the Gospel to Muslims came to be when, during one of the Crusades, he walked across enemy lines to meet Sultan Malik al-Kamil, with whom he prayed and engaged in dialogue.

Pope Francis calls us a “mission church” with these words, “Every Christian is called to be a missionary and witness to Christ. And the Church, the community of Christ’s disciples, has no other mission than that of bringing the Gospel to the entire world by bearing witness to Christ. To evangelize is the very identity of the Church.”

My dear friends, please join us in our missionary activities of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus to our divided world with your prayers. Thank you!

“[May] the Lord bless you and keep you. May He show His face to you and have mercy. May He turn His countenance to you and give you peace. The Lord bless you!” (Blessing of St. Francis to Brother Leo)

Sincerely in Christ and St. Francis,

Fr. John Elmer OFM Conv.
Spiritual Director