In the 13th Century, St. Francis of Assisi was so deeply touched by the Spirit of Jesus that he walked away from his family, his fortune, and all the worldly pursuits of his time to embrace passionately the Gospel of Jesus Christ. St. Francis understood and lived the reality that in order to bring to birth "the spirit and truth of the Gospel" he needed companions in order to concretely express that Gospel love for others to which we are all called. So many were inspired by his example that he was compelled to found an order for his followers. But he soon realized that one Order was not enough - he needed three Orders to accommodate all who wanted to live his way of life. Thus, the Third Order of St. Francis was founded for the laity. Today, we the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters are recognizing our need to re-connect with our lay brothers and sisters, and to invite them to be Bernardine Franciscan Associates, taking their time-honored place beside us as our companions and associates in prayer, faith and mission. As sisters and brothers in Jesus Christ, the Bernardine Franciscan Associates and Sisters choose to live the Gospel in a RELATIONSHIP of mutual support, which concretely expresses the GOOD NEWS of God's love, and extends this love in outreach to others. To the degree that we are faithful to the Gospel and to our Mission, this relationship will be characterized by FAITH, SERVICE, and especially JOY. In this spirit of Saint Francis, lay sisters and brothers are invited to PRAY, SHARE FAITH, and/or MINISTER with the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters, sharing Franciscan values, as well as the history and charism of our community. An Associate in PRAYER commits herself/himself to live the Gospel and support in prayer the Bernardine Franciscan Mission. An Associate in FAITH commits herself/himself to ongoing conversion by participating regularly in Christian faith groups with the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters. An Associate in MISSION commits herself/himself to minister in the Name of Jesus by actively participating in the congregation's mission and spirit. For more information on Bernardine Franciscan Associates please fill out the online form or contact: Sister Jean Jacobchik, OSF Director, Bernardine Associates Bernardine Franciscan Associate Office 460 St. Bernardine Street Reading, PA 19607 610-796-8971 fax: 610-777-3973 e-mail: Associates@Bfranciscan.org GO TO VOWED BERNARDINE FRANCISCAN SISTER PAGE GO TO NEWEST MEMBERS PAGE