Rebuilding God’s Church

Welcome!

With a legacy steeped in fidelity to the Catholic Church and the values of Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi, your Franciscan Media community continues to embrace its mission of spreading joy, love, compassion, and understanding. We do so through our many books, St. Anthony Messenger magazine, and our free daily emails that offer inspiring resources such as Saint of the Day, Pause+Pray, and Minute Meditations. Our latest offering is the podcast Off the Page, which discusses our books, magazine, and all things Franciscan.

Together, these resources support people on their journeys of faith, healing, and spiritual discovery. They help people reflect on their relationship with God and God’s call in their lives. Our many resources provide ways for people to rediscover the joy and wisdom of faith—and remind them of the importance of clinging to that faith—during these uncertain times in which we live. Last year, your support of Franciscan Media helped us share the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, viewed through with the wit, wisdom, and joy of St. Francis and his followers, nearly 35 million times! None of that would have been possible without you.

To donate, please click here to be taken to our secure webpage. Every dollar you give will be a testament to your belief in the power of Franciscan Media and its mission to evangelize in the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. Please help us continue St. Francis’ mission of rebuilding God’s Church. Thank you for supporting our efforts!

Deacon Matthew Halbach, PhD
President and Publisher | Franciscan Media

Deacon Matthew Halbach

Supporting Franciscan Media means being a part of a compassionate movement that celebrates Gospel living, encourages growth, and embraces the values that define our Franciscan spirit. Please consider continuing your support of Franciscan Media today. Your contribution is instrumental in creating high-quality, inspiring, and transformative content that resonates with people from all walks of life. Your donation, regardless of its size, will directly impact people who need to receive a life-changing message of hope, love, and Franciscan joy. Peace!


Faithfully Catholic, Authentically Franciscan

This divine inspiration, which St. Francis received at San Damiano—surrounded by the church’s crumbling walls and oddly shaped stones strewn about on the ground—provides a suitable backdrop for Franciscan Media’s new mission-oriented focus. Like San Damiano during the time of Francis, the Catholic Church today is in serious need of rebuilding. Pew and CARA studies over the last 20 years have shown a decline of Catholic Baptisms, marriages, and Mass attendance. For every one person who becomes Catholic, six are leaving the Church, and one out of every 10 Americans is a former Catholic. (Incidentally, when Francis received his inspiration, church attendance at San Damiano was at zero.) These kinds of statistics are staggering, and they point to the critical need for rebuilding.

But what kind of rebuilding is needed? And how does Franciscan Media fit into this? Read more…


Deacon Matt sits down for a conversation with Brother Greg Cellini, OSF, on the Thank God for Monday podcast. From exploring the world of Catholic deacons to balancing family life with his new role at Franciscan Media, Deacon Matt covers a lot of ground, including his bold vision for the future of our ministry. Listen below!

🔊 A New Day


🔊 Key Goals


🔊 A Celebration of St. Francis


🔊 The Catholic Church Today


🔊 With Humility and Joy


The Challenge of the San Damiano Cross

Francis’ biographers point out that, when people met up with Francis or heard him preach, it was not simply a question of listening to words of peace and joy. Nor were people merely persuaded to reflect upon reasons for forgiving each other, doing penance or thanking and praising God. Rather, they were confronted with these realities in the person of Francis. They were in the living presence of forgiveness, peace, faith and love, because Francis had integrated these values into his person by taking on the image of Christ on the cross.

Francis became conformed to the Crucified to such a degree that at the end of his life he appeared like the Crucified with the wounds of Christ engraved into his flesh. This would complete what began at San Damiano when “the wounds of the sacred Passion were impressed deep in his heart, though not yet on his flesh.”

Francis sought repeatedly for ways to encourage the brothers to give birth to these essentials, to strive for purity of heart, and thus give birth to Christ in their own lives. This is the transformation that must go hand in hand with all other endeavors in proclaiming the Kingdom of God. This is the inner rebuilding that gives life and spirit to any outward effort. Read more…