Franciscan spirituality, then, is that spirituality which comes from St. Francis and evolved within the Franciscan order. The Franciscan Order (and similar orders that sprang from it like the Sisters of St. Clare) concerns its spirituality with that of their mentor. The various lesser foundations of Franciscan friars following the rule of the first order, which once enjoyed a separate or quasi-separate existence, are now either extinct, like the Clareni, Coletani, and Celestines, or have become amalgamated with the Friars Minor, as in the case of the Observants, Reformati, Recollects, Alcantarines, etc. Originally the Grey Friars, their habits are now brown. These preferred emphases are what make up each particular spiritual system. The Franciscans live the Gospel in poverty, to work for their daily meals, to offer all they have for the poor, the sick, and the marginalized. St. Francis founded the Secular Franciscans in 1212 for those who do not live in a religious community, yet desired to follow the Franciscan way of life. A monk or friar of the Order of St. Francis, a large and zealous order of mendicant monks founded in 1209 by St. Francis of Assisi. It has its own unique emphasis which characterizes it as “Franciscan”. They are called also Friars Minor; and in England, Gray Friars, because they wear a gray habit. ... Rate this definition: Franciscans. What does Franciscans mean? The word friar comes from the Latin word frater, meaning brother.Frater is the root of other English words such as fraternal, fraternity, fratricide, and fraternize.When St. Francis of Assisi founded the Franciscan order, he used the word friar because he intended its members to live as brothers without distinction of rank, title, or education. That way, everyone, regardless of country/language, has the same acronym, which emphasizes the universality of the order and has the side benefit of reducing confusion. The Franciscan Order abounds in symbolism. Friars of the Order of St Francis of Assisi. Frater is the root of other English words such as fraternity. Meaning of Franciscans. The Secular Franciscan Order is an Order within the Roman Catholic Church, and was founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. One of the rules laid down by their pious founder was that the brethren should always be clad like the poorest of the poor. A general schema for Franciscan spirituality would look like this: 1. In fact it embodies so much inner meaning that practically everything that is Franciscan transcends mere outward appearances. The various lesser foundations of Franciscan friars following the rule of the first order, which once enjoyed a separate or quasi-separate existence, are now either extinct, like the Clareni, Coletani, and Celestines, or have become amalgamated with the Friars Minor, as in the case of the Observants, Reformati, Recollects, Alcantarines, etc. The official web site of the National Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order in the United States of America. Now, for those of us Secular Franciscans in English-speaking countries, we used to list the English abberviations -- "SFO" for " Secular Franciscan Order " -- after our names. The word “friar” comes from the Latin word “frater,” meaning brother. 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