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TRINITARIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
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[Franciscans of Divine Providence]
1995-2008

   This Site Was Last Updated on 8/21//08

Vocations Information
 

Franciscan Charism 

A charism is a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church Universal.  Every Religious Order is recognized as having a unique charism. Our Franciscan charism, noted for Gospel Living, is distinguished by four values: fraternity, minority, availability, and mobility.  

Fraternity refers to the community of Gospel Living—Christ founded the Church as a community of disciples and sent them into the world to perform missionary work in pairs.  A sense of community is important in that the community serves as a source of support, advice, instruction, and friendship necessary for living a Gospel Life.

Minority is the value connected with the community’s attitude toward status and property.  Individual pursuit of wealth and power are rejected in favor of working diligently to serve Christ in the person of others (especially the poor, underprivileged, alienated, disenfranchised and spiritually neglected).  Detachment from worldly cares and possessions is necessary.  

Availability refers to the willingness of one to share the fruits of Gospel Living.  Examples of this value are the willingness to share the Good News, care  for the needs of less fortunate, work for peace, protect human dignity, support civil and human rights for all people, and protect the environment. 

Mobility concerns one’s ability to act on the willingness to serve others and the environment.  Beyond recognizing the need to serve and being willing to do so, the Franciscan’s calling includes the performance of acts of service.  Such good works are signs of faith when performed selflessly. Saint Francis admonished us to go into the world and preach the Holy Gospel and to use words if we must.
 

 Making a Difference

The humble and compassionate response of Saint Francis to the needs of the less fortunate of society continues to burn in the hearts and minds of our members. Today there is hardly a place on this vast earth in which Franciscans have not made a difference. In addition to ministering to the needy and establishing missions, in recent years, they have reached out to those most needy, those who have fallen away from the church, or who have lost their faith in God. They reach out to the hungry, poor, homeless, unemployed, and ill, to name but a few of their acts of love. There are few boundaries with respect to the type of ministries the Friars and Sisters are asked to do as servants of God and the Church. They place their talents and skills at the service of God and their sisters and brothers of the world.

 

 Community Rooted in Love

St. Francis and his early followers stayed together in shelters for the sake of support and prayers. Today, almost 800 years later, many Franciscans continue this meaningful tradition by living in, or belonging to communities as well many who belong to non-residential communities such as ours (called Friaries or Missions) that are rooted in love. This family-like atmosphere provides a channel where not only prayers are shared, but also where the Friars and Sisters relate the joys, sorrows and excitement of their lives and ministries and, in doing so, find support, friendship and encouragement from one another.

                                       
                      Who may join?
                                                  
                                     The answer is simple. . . .                                                People just like you!
                           Do these faces look familiar?                           Do you see yourself here?

We seek baptized laymen and laywomen from any Catholic Rite, Jurisdiction, tradition, or denomination. This would include those who come from mainline churches and those who belong to Independent Catholic Churches and Jurisdictions which have established ties and full communion with the Trinitarian Catholic Church. It is the policy of The Franciscans of Divine Providence that we do not discriminate against qualified candidates based upon age, gender, racial, ethnic or national origin, physical challenges, marital status, sexual or affectional orientation, previous religious life experience, profession or ordination, work or professional background, socio-economic status, education, or place of residence. In every way, we strive to be an open and affirming Franciscan family in the true spirit of Jesus Christ. All Candidates to our Order must first submit the application for admission, which can be downloaded from this site, along with the other required documents. Additional information may be found on the Frequently Asked Questions page and in the information that follows.

 

 Respond to God's Call 
      

Men and Women who feel called to a faith-filled, life of service as a Franciscan Friar or as a Franciscan Sister, should contact us. Please read all of the information provided on this web site. The first step in your new faith journey should be to write to us at the address below or click on the e-mail link below. A detailed letter about who you are, where you're from and some background related to your faith journey who be most welcomed.



More information is available below
and on the Frequently Asked Questions Page.

 

Is God calling you to become an FDP Franciscan?

Stated below are the present requirements for admission into the Franciscans of Divine Providence as of August 2008. Changes to the application process may be made as the Order moves to change its internal structure to one that is comprised of local, autonomous FDP Mission communities. What is provided here is the generally accepted requirements for admission and these will remain in effect until such time as the Union of FDP Mission communities decides to change them

To apply for membership in the Franciscans of Divine Providence, we first ask that you carefully read all the information contained within this web site, including the Frequently Asked Questions page. All those who seek admission to our Order should download the Application for Admission found on the Vocations page.

Read the application carefully, then fill it out and mail it to us along with copies of your Birth Certificate, Record of Baptism, Record of Confirmation, Certificate of Marriage or Civil Union (if applicable), Diplomas, Degrees, Certifications and/or Transcripts of Courses taken and a recent photograph of yourself. Send one complete set of your paperwork to the Director of Vocations or to the Guardian General. The mailing address for the Province of Our Lady of Divine Providence is listed below.

We also require a letter of reference from at least three people who know you well. These letters must be mailed directly to us by the person who writes each letter.

Those who are seeking Holy Orders or who wish to be incardinated into either our Order or the Church must also agree to submit a criminal background check and a psychological report at your own expense.

If you live in close proximity to an FDP Mission Community in your area, you should arrange to interview with the local Guardian(s) in person as a part of your admission process. Those who live in New England should arrange to interview in person with the Guardian General and the Director of Vocations who reside in Connecticut. If you do not live close enough to be interviewed in person, we require one or more phone conferences with you as a part of your admission process.

Please note that we allow our lay Brothers or Sisters to maintain dual Church membership. Dual Church membership is not permitted for our ordained TCC clergy or for those who are seeking incardination into our Church. All FDP and TCC Clergy must be full members of only the Trinitarian Catholic Church.

It is also important to note that while our lay Members are not required to belong to the Trinitarian Catholic Church, our Order is a Canonical Order of the Church and therefore, all lay members as well as clergy are subject to its Canons and Statutes as well as the Code of Conduct and Policy on Sexual Misconduct of the Trinitarian Catholic Church.

One copy of your application and documents should be mailed to the local Guardian for the area in which you reside, if a local FDP community is nearby.

Once we have had an opportunity to review your application and additional documents and have either meet with you or conversed with you by phone, a decision will be made and you will be notified of our decision to admit you as a Novice member of the Order.

All new members of the Order will spend one Canonical year in study and training, prior to profession of a vowed commitment.

If you have any specific questions, related to admission, please e-mail them to us.
 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful people
can change the world.
Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead