Franciscans of Primitive Observance

Last updated

The Franciscans of Primitive Observance is an association of the faithful founded in 1995 under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston that observes the Rule of Saint Francis in the Capuchin tradition. Their community population lives at the Friary of St. Joseph on 10 Highgate Street [1] in Lawrence, MA and, until December 2020, lived at 3 Magazine St, Roxbury, MA.

Contents

History

In 1994, six members of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, Pio Mandato, Joe Nolan, David Engo, Francis Kelly, John Sweeney, and Peter Giroux, sought to found a new community in order to pursue an authentic observance of the life and Rule of Saint Francis. They petitioned the bishop of Fall River, Massachusetts, Seán Patrick O'Malley, for support. O'Malley agreed to serve as Ordinary of the new group, which was named Capuchin Recollects, and he assisted them in composing their rule and constitutions. On April 21, 1996, the six founders professed perpetual vows before O'Malley [2] and established their friary in New Bedford, Massachusetts. [3] [4] Subsequent houses of the community were opened in Stamford, Vermont, where novices were formed, [5] Emmitsburg, Maryland, and Nicaragua.

In 1996 the community changed its name from Capuchin Recollects to Franciscans of Primitive Observance. [1]

After O'Malley was appointed as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston in 2003, the Franciscans of Primitive Observance requested to be transferred from the Fall River diocese and incardinated in the Boston Archdiocese. Upon approval, the friars relocated to Lawrence, Massachusetts, closing the friary in New Bedford. In 2010 they opened a second house in Roxbury. Currently they have one friary in Lawrence. [6]

Governance

Peter Giroux [7] has served as the community's General Servant for the majority of the Franciscans of Primitive Observance's existence. Fr. Andrew Beauregard was superior from 2015 to 2018.

The catholic young adult group, Pure in Heart Lawrence, regards Andrew Beauregard as its spiritual director. [8]

Controversy

In 2000, the Tifft family donated the use of their estate in Vermont to the Franciscans of Primitive Observance to conduct a retreat for their members, during which they conducted exorcisms. [9] The Tifft family alleged that John Sweeney, one of the founding figures, used these and similar occasions to serially sexually abuse and victimize teenage women, including the Tifft's 17-year-old daughter. [10] Sweeney was put on leave in 2004, and subsequently laicized in 2013. [10] [11] [12] [13]

Women's community

Along with the founding of the friars' community out of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, six women left the corresponding women's community, the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal, in 1994, to form the Capuchin Recollect Sisters in New Bedford, Massachusetts. [14] [4] In 1998, they changed their community's name to Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth. After 2003 they moved to Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania in the Diocese of Scranton.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franciscans</span> Group of religious orders within the Catholic Church

The Franciscans are a group of related mendicant religious orders of the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi, these orders include three independent orders for men, orders for nuns such as the Order of Saint Clare, and the Third Order of Saint Francis open to male and female members. They adhere to the teachings and spiritual disciplines of the founder and of his main associates and followers, such as Clare of Assisi, Anthony of Padua, and Elizabeth of Hungary. Several smaller Protestant Franciscan orders or other groups have been established since late 1800's as well, particularly in the Anglican and Lutheran traditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of Friars Minor Capuchin</span> Religious order of Franciscan friars

The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of three "First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant, the other being the Conventuals (OFMConv). Franciscans reformed as Capuchins in 1525 with the purpose of regaining the original Habit (tunic) of St. Francis of Assisi and also for returning to a stricter observance of the rule established by Francis of Assisi in 1209.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friar</span> Member of a Christian order

A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Roman Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Roman Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the older monastic orders' allegiance to a single monastery formalized by their vow of stability. A friar may be in holy orders or be a non-ordained brother. The most significant orders of friars are the Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians, and Carmelites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poor Clares</span> Catholic order of convent nuns

The Poor Clares, officially the Order of Saint Clare, originally referred to as the Order of Poor Ladies, and also known as the Clarisses or Clarissines, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Order, and the Second Order of Saint Francis, are members of an enclosed order of nuns in the Roman Catholic Church. The Poor Clares were the second Franciscan branch of the order to be established. Founded by Clare of Assisi and Francis of Assisi on Palm Sunday in the year 1212, they were organized after the Order of Friars Minor, and before the Third Order. As of 2011, there were over 20,000 Poor Clare nuns in over 75 countries throughout the world. They follow several different observances and are organized into federations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Joseph's Seminary and College</span> Major seminary of the Archdiocese of New York

St. Joseph's Seminary and College, sometimes referred to as Dunwoodie after the Dunwoodie neighborhood of Yonkers, New York in which it is located, is the major seminary of the Archdiocese of New York. Since 2012, it has also been the major seminary for the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seán Patrick O'Malley</span> Roman Catholic Archbishop of Boston

Seán Patrick O'Malley is an American cardinal of the Catholic Church serving as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston in Massachusetts since 2003. He is a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin and was elevated by the Vatican to the rank of cardinal in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River</span> Latin Catholic ecclesiastical jurisdiction in Massachusetts, United States

The Diocese of Fall River is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence of Brindisi</span> Roman Catholic priest and theologian

Lawrence of Brindisi, OFM Cap., born Giulio Cesare Russo, was an Neapolitan Catholic priest, theologian and member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. An accomplished linguist, in addition to his native Italian, Lawrence could read and speak Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Czech, Spanish, and French fluently. Lawrence was ordained a priest at the age of 23. Lawrence was beatified on 1 June 1783 and canonized as a saint on 8 December 1881.

The Recollects were a French reform branch of the Friars Minor, a Franciscan order. Denoted by their gray habits and pointed hoods, the Recollects took vows of poverty and devoted their lives to prayer, penance, and spiritual reflection. Today, they are best known for their presence as missionaries in various parts of the world, most notably in early Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franciscan Friars of the Renewal</span> Catholic clerical religious congregation founded in 1987

The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men founded in 1987. It follows the Capuchin Franciscan tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Lawrence Seminary High School</span> Private all male school in Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin, United States

St. Lawrence Seminary High School is a preparatory high school operated by the Province of St. Joseph of the Capuchin Order at Mount Calvary, Wisconsin. The school is in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. It is an all-male boarding school, with approximately 225 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12. The school's mission is to prepare its male students for vocations in the Catholic Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore</span> Roman Catholic archdiocese in Pakistan

The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lahore is a Latin Metropolitan Archdiocese in Punjab province, Pakistan.

Matteo Serafini was the co-founder and first Superior-General of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins, the principal branch of the Franciscans issued from the Reform of the Observance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benedict Groeschel</span>

Benedict Joseph Groeschel, C.F.R. was an American Franciscan friar, Catholic priest, retreat master, author, psychologist, activist, and television host. He hosted the television talk program Sunday Night Prime on the Eternal Word Television Network, as well as several serial religious specials.

The Franciscan Portiuncula Friary is the oldest friary in Pakistan, founded in 1940. It is located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, adjacent to the Christ the King Seminary. It is the Pakistani base of the Order of Friars Minor, a mendicant Catholic religious order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1209.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregory John Hartmayer</span> American prelate of the Catholic Church

Gregory John Hartmayer, O.F.M. Conv. is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. A Conventual Friar Minor, he serves as the Archbishop of Atlanta in Georgia, having returned to the archdiocese where he worked from 1995 to 2011. From 2011 to 2020, Hartmayer served as the Bishop of the Diocese of Savannah in Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrine of St. Anthony (Boston)</span> Building in Arch St. Boston, MA

St. Anthony's Shrine, the "Church on Arch Street," is a center for Roman Catholic ministry in Boston, Massachusetts directed by the Franciscan friars of Holy Name Province. The Shrine has served the residents and workers of Boston since its completion in 1955, the community is driven by its dedication to the mission of "welcoming all people through prayer and outreach."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of Friars Minor</span> Mendicant Catholic religious order formed in 1209

The Order of Friars Minor is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the teachings and spiritual disciplines of the founder and of his main associates and followers, such as Clare of Assisi, Anthony of Padua, and Elizabeth of Hungary, among many others. The Order of Friars Minor is the largest of the contemporary First Orders within the Franciscan movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert J. Lombardo</span> American Catholic bishop

Robert Joseph Lombardo C.F.R. is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago since 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 "Boston Catholic Directory. Detail". www.thebostonpilot.com. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  2. ↑ "Biography of our Minister General". South Bend, IN: Franciscan Brothers Minor. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  3. ↑ Bill McNamara (March 31, 1997). "Capuchins came from all walks of life". The Standard-Times. New Bedford, Massachusetts. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Benedict Groeschel and Grazyna Marczuk (2005). A Drama of Reform. San Francisco: Ignatius Press. p. 46. ISBN   9781586171148 . Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  5. ↑ "John Sweeney gladly left fast-track to millions to embrace poverty". North Adams, Massachusetts: iberkshires.com (Boxcar Media). January 17, 2001. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  6. ↑ Brooklynne Kelly Peters (April 30, 2010). "Standing Out: Eastie friars stay traditional". Emerson College . Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Life Matters: Fr. Peter Giroux, F.P.O." Boston Neighborhood Network. January 3, 2019. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Lawrence". Pure in Heart America. Retrieved 2021-06-23.
  9. ↑ "Former Mass. priest sexually abused teens in New England, according to new allegation". masslive. 2019-05-07. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  10. 1 2 Cormier, Taylor. "Former New Bedford-Based Priest Accused of Sexual Assault". 1420 WBSM. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  11. ↑ "New names surface in priest abuse scandal". Sentinel and Enterprise. 2019-05-08. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  12. ↑ "Priest used exorcism as a ruse for abuse, woman claims". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  13. ↑ Crimaldi, Laura (May 7, 2019). "Clergy sex-abuse crisis isn't over, lawyer says, citing recent settlements". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  14. ↑ Bill McNamara (March 31, 1997). "For nuns, a joyful intimate connection to God and each other". The Standard-Times. New Bedford, Massachusetts.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.