Welcome to the website of the Franciscan Brothers of the Third Order Regular as we celebrate our bicentennial year of serving God’s people. You are meeting us at a marvelous time in our epic journey from the early days of catechesis and rudimentary education for the rural poor in the west of Ireland to our mission today of enhancing human sustainability via formal education in agricultural and academic skill development among the rural poor in Uganda and Kenya.
In pursuing our mission and setting forth on another 200 year journey, we are reminded that new times call for new methods. In the words of Pope Francis, “For new wine, new wineskins. The newness of the Gospel. What does the Gospel bring us? Joy and newness. To what is new, newness; for new wine, new wineskins. Not to be afraid of changing things according to the law of the Gospel. This is why the Church asks us, all of us, for a few changes. She asks us to leave aside structures bound to collapse. They are useless! And get new wineskins, those of the Gospel. The Gospel is newness! The Gospel is a feast! The fullness of the Gospel can only be lived in a joyful heart, in a renewed heart. Make space for the law of the Beatitudes, for the joy and freedom that the newness of the Gospel brings us. The Lord gives us the grace of remaining prisoners no longer. Rather, he gives us the grace of the joy and of the freedom which the newness of the Gospel brings us.”
Pope Francis words challenge us as never to embrace the future enthusiastically and not to fear letting go of outmoded structures. I pray that we will have the confidence and conviction to respond to the freedoms and opportunities afforded. Our charism ‘is to live the Gospel way of life’. The Gospel brings us joy and newness and we are bubbling with enthusiasm and conviction in spreading the good news among the people and creation where we live and work. Please pray for us and support our brothers and their ministries.