Sr. Rosemary Stets, OSF

For Franciscans, the focus or gaze is not upward, but rather outward toward ordinary human life, particularly focused on the Incarnation, where God chose to descend into our world to become one with us through the Incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Because they were bound by family responsibilities, Francis encouraged them to begin leading a Gospel-rooted life in their own homes or places of work, thus inspiring a new “third order” for the universal salvation of all people.

Clare’s understanding of her vocation was rooted in a life of great intimacy with Christ and a commitment to complete and unmitigated poverty.

In the plan of God, Francis became an instrument to revitalize Christianity in the Middle Ages, inspiring men and women, clerics and laity, single and married, wealthy and poor.

The Franciscan intellectual tradition and the compelling story of Francis of Assisi seem to have a never-ending fascination for scholars, novelists, dramatists, screenwriters, and storytellers of every age, language, and culture.