The Ministers General of the whole Franciscan Family ask us to spend this week listening to the poor before we serve them — the heart of November, and of our Rule. It begins today, Monday, November 9, and ends on the World Day of the Poor, Sunday, November 15.
By the numbers
7 days of listening, Nov 9–153 prayer services for fraternitiesNov 15 World Day of the Poor11 gatherings in this issue
1 · Start hereOne big thing, up top, in under a minute.
2 · PrayGreeting, remembrance, and the month’s prayer intentions.
3 · GatherCalendar and formation — short items, every title a link.
4 · Go widerRegion, OFS-USA, Spiritual Assistance, CIOFS, then justice and peace.
A Greeting for the Week of the Poor
Peace and All Good
Peace and all good, brothers and sisters.
Today we begin the Week of the Poor, November 9–15 — a week to listen before we serve. Through all of November we also hold in prayer the brothers and sisters of our own region named in the November remembrance below. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Eternal Rest Grant unto Them
November Remembrance
“Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no one living can escape.”
St. Francis of Assisi — Canticle of the Creatures
Our deceased brothers and sisters, reported August 1, 2025 – August 31, 2026. We hold each of them in prayer throughout this month.
St. Anthony · Indian River #102
Annette Dolan, OFS (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Gaylord)— Feb 3, 2026
Shirley Wolf, OFS (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Gaylord)— Aug 28, 2025
Queen of Angels · Sanford #107
Robert Brady, OFS — Apr 28, 2026
St. Louis the King · White Lake #108
Peggy Counts, OFS — Oct 1, 2025
St. Joseph · Ann Arbor #111
Theresa Raymond, OFS (St. Joseph, Monroe)— Aug 8, 2026
Arlene Shepherd, OFS (St. Francis, Jackson)— Nov 5, 2025
Bernard Tiffany, OFS — Jun 18, 2026
St. Bonaventure · Detroit #112
James Heymes, OFS — Oct 2, 2025
Anna Ortega-Seitz, OFS — Aug 9, 2025
Ben Stapel, OFS — May 31, 2026
Dan Atkinson, OFS — Aug 4, 2026
Mary Myler, OFS — Aug 30, 2026
Our Mother of Sorrows · Grand Rapids #113
Judy Lukassen, OFS (Mary Queen of Apostles, Sand Lake)— Nov 14, 2025
Marie Nicholas, OFS (Divine Providence, Kalamazoo)— Sep 14, 2025
Francis Thompson, OFS (St. Isidore, Grand Rapids)— Jan 19, 2026
St. Joseph · Grand Blanc #115
Theresa Dorsey Newblatt, OFS — Aug 28, 2025
Walter Schoendorff, OFS — Aug 20, 2025
St. Elizabeth of Hungary · Southfield #122
Una Blanche McKenzie, OFS — Sep 24, 2025
Irene Erard, OFS — Apr 8, 2026
Lillian Timma, OFS — Jun 10, 2026
St. Anthony of Padua · Dearborn #123
Stanley Adamczyk, OFS — Sep 2, 2025
Daniella Blad, OFS (Our Lady Queen of Angels, Detroit)— Mar 22, 2024
John Merconi, OFS — Feb 4, 2026
St. Paschal · Toledo #125
Rosemary Hannaford, OFS — May 5, 2026
St. Francis · Sterling Heights #133
Doris Karlowski, OFS — Sep 5, 2025
Josephine Armstrong, OFS — Feb 24, 2026
Hannelore Taylor, OFS — May 27, 2026
List from Theresa Brown, OFS, DMR Database Committee Manager, by email, October 27, 2026.
Pray With the Whole Order
Monthly Prayer Intentions
Each month we pray with the Holy Father and with the whole Order. Here are November’s intentions.
“Let us pray for the proper use of wealth, that not succumbing to the temptation of selfishness, it may always be at the service of the common good and in solidarity with those who have less.”
For the YouFra international assembly in Assisi and for the CIOFS Presidency. The OFS Prayer for Vocations this month: for the elderly, sick and retired OFS brothers and sisters.
Gatherings, prayer, and fraternity life across the region in the next four weeks — November 9 to December 6 — tap a title to open its official source — the host organization’s own page, never an email. Every gathering here is also listed on the region Events page.
By the numbers12 gatherings, November 9 – December 6. The 1 in slate blue is official business — one Visitation — kept simple on purpose.
Monday, November 9 – Sunday, November 15 · Ending on the World Day of the Poor, November 15
A week centred on listening to the poor, proposed by the Ministers General of the Franciscan Family. Prayer services for fraternities: Humility (Mon, Nov 9) and Dignity (Thu, Nov 12), by Jerome Wagner, plus Accompaniment, by Susan Tabor.
Monday, November 9 · Washington, DC area & virtual advocacy
The 2026 Franciscan Justice Leadership Conference, “Ours to Do,” closes today. 170 participants gathered, with virtual advocacy on November 9. Keynote by Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv.
A short prayer vigil, 10–15 minutes, follows the National Franciscan Justice Circle call (4:00–5:00 pm ET), hosted by Merwyn DeMello. Justice Circles take turns hosting — one member leads for their circle — and yours can sign up to host a coming month.
St. Joseph Chapel, 400 South Blvd. West, Pontiac, MI 48341. Lunch included; Noon Mass on the Franciscan martyrs of Jerusalem. Hosted by Fr. Alex Kratz, OFM.
The Tapestry is weekly, so this Calendar shows only the next four weeks — November 9 through December 6. Later gatherings, including the December “Francis Among Us” relic pilgrimage stops, the St. Anthony Election on December 12, and the Canonical Establishment of Our Lady of Good Success on February 27, are already listed on the region Events page.
Diane F. Menditto, OFS, reflects on the humble servant of God and on humility. Admonition XIX blesses the servant who does not think himself better when praised than when looked down upon — “for what a person is before God, that he is and no more” — and who always desires to be under the feet of others. Admonition XXIII blesses the servant found as humble among his subjects as among his masters, who remains under the rod of correction and makes amends without delay, inwardly through contrition and outwardly through confession and penance. Diane sets Francis and Clare side by side as servant-leader models — Francis, for whom all the brothers are equal and the leader is the least of all, and Clare, who led more by her virtues and behaviour than by her office — and closes with questions for fraternity discussion or journaling on servant leadership, holding a position lightly, and mentoring others toward a smooth transition. A full Spanish translation is included in the issue.
Why it mattersServant leadership is the daily pattern of fraternity life — peacemaking, humility, and compassion in our homes, fraternities, and parishes, and in how we listen to the poor this week.
The Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph invites graduate students in any discipline to enter. Prizes: $2,500 / $1,000 / $500; winners announced July 2027.
News from our own region — the Regional Minister’s State of the Region report, our Fall Formation Day materials, and a note for every fraternity minister.
Kathleen Carsten, OFS, presented the report for the Regional Executive Council, September 11–13, 2026, at the Capuchin Retreat Center, Washington Township.
Why it mattersRenewal, the report argues, is personal: a telephone tree, a ride to a gathering, one visit a month.
By the numbers
18Active fraternities
2 + 2Emerging fraternities & cells
383Professed members
40Candidates
31Aspirants
Regional Guidelines were approved in October 2025 and ratified in April 2026; ahead lies preparation for the 2027 election, July 30–August 1, 2027. Renewal, the report argues, begins by seeing each person — a telephone tree, a ride to a gathering, one personal visit a month.
Formation is the heart of our life together, and the Region’s Formation page now gathers the materials from our Fall Formation Day, together with new formation resources from CIOFS — our thanks to Beth Price, OFS, Regional Formation Director. On Saturday, October 24, 2026, Beth Price and Margo Dean, OFS, led our Fall Formation Day on the Beatitudes and the virtues. Their presentation, “Beatitudes and Virtues,” and the handout “Day of Reflection — Franciscan Virtues Questions” are posted for every fraternity to use in its own formation, alongside three resources from CIOFS: the CIOFS Family Commission 2026 document, “Spiritual Assistance and Its Role Within the OFS,” and the CIOFS website.
By the numbersThe Fall Formation Day evaluation averages are strong — an overall rating of 4.63 out of 5, with 27 responses.
Peace! Please send your fraternity’s event information to divinemercyofs@gmail.com — event name, date and time, location, host fraternity, contact person, and any flyer or registration link. Sending it early helps us give everyone advance notice.
Thank you! — Mike Carsten, OFS
Database Updates
Fraternity database users: please check your fraternity’s information at ofsusadb.org regularly. As the year ends, every fraternity council should confirm that its database information is accurate — it must match what is reported on your Annual Report to the Divine Mercy Region, due by December 31, 2026.
Contact information and dates of birth for new Visitors, Affiliates, and Aspirants in Orientation; the Welcoming Date for Inquirers; the Rite of Admission date for Candidates; and Profession dates
Changes in a member’s contact information
Changes in a member’s status: the date and end date (or annual review date) for Active-Excused members; the date for members who become inactive (lapsed, withdrawn, or deceased)
Completed transfer forms for a member moving out of a fraternity or region
— Theresa Brown, OFS, Database Committee Manager, Divine Mercy Region
National Fraternity
OFS-USA
From the national fraternity — the State of the Order, this year’s JPIC Award, and a call for nominees.
Jane DeRose-Bamman, OFS, called for thriving fraternities rooted in Gospel living under the 2025–2028 priority “Living the Gospel” — 8,829 professed members and 706 candidates.
By the numbers
8,829 professed members, OFS-USA706 candidates2025–2028 priority: “Living the Gospel”
From the friars and spiritual assistants who walk with us — the relic pilgrimage, the Minister General’s letter, and news from the three First Order families.
“Francis Among Us” — Relic Pilgrimage
A relic of St. Francis from La Verna is travelling through U.S. Franciscan communities to close the Jubilee Year. Our nearest stops — Chicago, December 8–11, and Cincinnati, December 16–18 — fall beyond this week’s four-week Calendar and are listed on the region Events page.
Br. Massimo Fusarelli, OFM, Minister General, writes with the Definitorium from Rome as the feast of St. Francis approached in this 800th anniversary year. The letter also recalls the public showing of Francis’s mortal remains earlier in 2026, inviting the whole Franciscan family to draw close to the saint anew.
The Secretaries for Mission Animation of the First Order and the Third Order Regular invite the whole Franciscan Family to the 4th Inter-Franciscan Online Course: three mornings online, 9:00 am–12:00 noon Rome time (3:00–6:00 am our time), with translations in Italian, English, French, Spanish and Polish. Tuesday, November 17: “The Foundations of Collaboration Between Friars and Laypeople in Evangelization,” with Carmelo Vitello, OFS. Wednesday, November 18: “The Franciscan Contribution to Evangelizing Together,” with Friar Johannes Freyer, OFM. Thursday, November 19: a roundtable on the opportunities and challenges of collaboration between friars and laypeople. The invitation letter is signed by the four Ministers General.
The Council met in Rome, October 10–31, reflecting on mission and fraternal collaboration ahead of the 500th anniversary of the Capuchin Reform (1528–2028).
Closing the 2026 Chapter, Fr. Marek Stybor, OFM Conv., offered six reflections — from the Holy Spirit as Minister General to Benedict XVI’s three expressions on Francis.
The revised 2026 edition of the Handbook for Spiritual Assistance, prepared by the Conference of National Spiritual Assistants (CNSA), is now available for spiritual assistants and fraternities. You can download it from the CNSA page on the national website, and a print version is also for sale through the Gospel to Life Bookstore.
CIOFS is the international level of the Order; its guidance flows down to national, regional, and local fraternities. November’s CIOFS intentions are in Monthly Prayer Intentions above.
The Ministers General of the Franciscan Family invite national families to a week centred on listening to the poor, ending on the World Day of the Poor, November 15.
Minister General Tibor Kauser, OFS, writes from Rome for the 800th anniversary of St. Francis passing from this world to heaven. He says that after October 4 our life cannot continue as before, and invites us to let Francis’s Transitus change how we live.
Signed in Assisi by Tibor Kauser, OFS, Minister General, together with the OFM, OFM Conv., OFM Cap., and TOR Ministers General, this joint letter opens the 800th anniversary year of the Transitus. It reflects on St. Francis and his spiritual legacy, and on the seed of life his witness still plants in the Church today.
CIOFS’s November feature remembers a lay Secular Franciscan who worked 47 years for the Italian State Railways in Turin and devoted his life to doing good. His feast day is November 22.
Franciscan advocacy for justice and peace — the national conference closing today, the Gaza Children’s Shroud, and the Justice Circle here in Michigan. Update from FAN, November 3, 2026.
170 participants gathered for FAN’s Justice Leadership Conference, “Ours to Do.” The conference closes Monday, November 9, with virtual advocacy — see the Calendar for details.
By the numbers170 participants · Virtual advocacy November 9
The conference opened Saturday evening, November 7, with a candlelit Taizé prayer service — simple chants, silence, and Scripture. FAN shared a short video of the service on its Facebook page.
Michigan’s Franciscan Justice Circle, part of the Franciscan Action Network, meets every Wednesday at 7:00 pm ET via Zoom — next on Wednesday, November 18. At its October 21 meeting, facilitated by Lou Martin, members shared work on election integrity and voting rights — poll watching and Know Your Voting Rights sessions — welcoming immigrants, including support for legislation addressing the unfair deportation of Haitians, gun violence prevention with End Gun Violence Michigan, and No Kings rallies, closing with prayer for the election season. The Circle will send three representatives to the national Franciscan conference, and it follows the Gaza Children’s Shroud work, November 12–22.
In printRev. John Celichowski, OFM Cap., writing on behalf of the Circle, published “The church calls us to welcome strangers” in the Detroit Free Press, September 2026. Through the Circle’s letters-to-the-editor project, Wendy Shafer and Tim Doppel are also writing to Michigan newspapers on voting rights, immigration, and gun violence.
A short prayer vigil, 10–15 minutes, follows the National Franciscan Justice Circle call. Justice Circles take turns hosting — one member leads for their circle — and yours can sign up to host a coming month.
Franciscans International visited five communities affected by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, ahead of Uganda’s Universal Periodic Review (January 21, 2027). A joint submission covered children’s rights, trafficking, detainees, and environmental impacts.
Curious about the Secular Franciscan Order? Come and see — no commitment, no pressure, no timeline.
We are lay men and women who follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis — in our families, workplaces, and parishes, right here in the Divine Mercy Region. The only way to know if this life fits you is to spend a little time with us. Here is how, in four easy steps.
1
Come as you are
Pick any gathering on the region Events page and just show up. You don’t need to join anything, sign anything, or know anyone — guests are expected.
2
See how we live
Sit in on prayer, fraternity, and service. Watch how brothers and sisters actually live the Gospel in ordinary life — that is the whole charism, up close.
3
Ask anything
Bring every question — about Francis, the Rule, the time it takes, all of it. Talk with a brother or sister, take a booklet home, and take as long as you need. Months is fine.
4
Only if you wish
If, in your own time, you’d like to learn more, one email starts a friendly conversation — nothing more. And if it isn’t for you, you’re still welcome at anything we do. No hard feelings, no follow-up pressure.
Two easy first visits this month:
· Wednesday Bible Study — Wednesday, November 11, 1:00–2:00 pm in person & online, Capuchin Retreat Center, Washington, MI. Also November 18, November 25, and December 2.
· St. Bonaventure Profession Mass — Sunday, November 15, 1:30 pm, Solanus Casey Center, Detroit, with dinner after. Come see what profession looks like.
That’s the whole journey. When you’re ready — this month, next year, whenever — the next step is simply to say hello:
