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Fraternity
Meeting Attendance
Some of our
Professeds do not attend monthly Fraternity Meetings regularly. The
attendance of some of our sisters and brothers, is spotty or they
are missing altogether. This is becoming a serious matter. Please
see the following guidelines.
We have highlighted
some passages to emphasize that there is a valid need for everyone
to attend their Fraternity meetings. This participation is necessary
for your spiritual growth and to maintain the overall special growth
of the community.
If you continually
fail to attend monthly meetings or if your attendance is irregular
at best, Fraternity Councils will ask why. You are only excused from
attending monthly Fraternity Meetings if the reasons for such have
been discussed with the Fraternity Council, and if they agree your
reason is valid. So, missing Fraternity Meetings is serious.
Fraternities cannot emphasize too strongly in formation that
attendance of Monthly Fraternity Meetings is essential for the life
of the Fraternity as a whole, and Franciscan Spirituality of the
individual member in particular.
Rule of Saint
Francis, Article 24:
"To foster
communion among members, the council should organize regular and
frequent meetings of the community as well as meeting with other
Franciscan groups, especially with youth groups. It should adopt
appropriate means for growth
in Franciscan and ecclesial life and encourage everyone to a life of
fraternity. This communion continues with deceased brothers
and sisters through prayer for them."
SFO Constitution,
Article 53:
"Participation
in the Life of the Fraternity
Article 53
1. Rule 24 The
fraternity must offer to its members opportunities for coming
together and collaborating through meetings to be held with as great
a frequency as allowed by the situation and with the involvement of
all its members.
2. Rule 6; 8 The fraternity should come together periodically, also
as an ecclesial community to celebrate the Eucharist in a climate
which strengthens the fraternal bond and characterizes the identity
of the Franciscan family. Where, for whatever reason, this
particular celebration may not be possible, they should participate
in the celebration of the larger ecclesial community.
3. Insertion
into a local fraternity and
participation in fraternity life is essential for belonging to the
SFO. Appropriate initiatives should be adopted according to
the directives of the national statutes, to keep those brothers and
sisters united to the fraternity who —
for valid reasons of
health, family, work, or distance — cannot actively participate in
community life.
4. The fraternity remembers with gratitude its brothers and sisters
who have passed away and continues its communion with them by prayer
and in the Eucharist.
5. The national statutes can indicate special forms of association
with the fraternity for those who, without becoming a member of the
SFO, want to participate in its life and activities."
SFO Statutes
(USA) Art. 18 #7:
"The Local
Fraternity is responsible for contributing to the Regional
Fraternity on a fair share basis from its common fund to underwrite
the costs of that fraternity [cf. General Constitutions, article
#30.3]. A fair share contribution is made based on the number of
active or excused brothers and sisters, but not for those who are
deemed lapsed.
An active fraternity member
is one who participates both by attending fraternity meetings and by
providing financial support to the community, or whom the fraternity
has excused from such obligations.
Those brothers and sisters who neither attend meetings, support the
community financially, nor have valid reasons due to health, family,
work or distance, and who, after personal invitations to return to
fraternity, consciously and deliberately reject or ignore the
invitation, will be termed “lapsed” and will not be carried on the
fraternity membership roll nor be reported as a member to higher
fraternity Councils [cf. General Constitutions, article #53.3]. "
Pax et Bonum!
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