People love this column so much that they’re asking for more. Oh, that it were true! Nonetheless, more is coming. Some people actually have said this kind of Backstory message from the St. Anthony Messenger editor-in-chief would be a good addition to our digital media. We’re always looking for ways to reach more people with the good news, in the spirit of St. Francis.
So, Facebook (StAnthonyMessengerMagazine), Twitter (@StAnthonyMag), and St. Anthony Messenger, look out! Editor’s Minute rolled out in March, and now has had about eight weekly editions. If you’re so inclined, you can go to one of those places to see it. If you visit online, you’ll see what we’re up to: a very short idea as close to one minute as I can get about some aspect of what makes this place tick. Some of these ideas are my takes on things around here. I’m doing some on the spirit of St. Francis, which drives our ministry.
We can thank Franciscan Editor Patrick McCloskey, OFM, for that part. Once every few months, we devote one of our editorial meetings to Pat’s presentation of some dimension of Franciscanism.
Recently, he laid out for us some of the key elements of the spirit of St. Francis beyond the birdbath. There is the prophetic dimension of St. Francis, his humility, love of the poor, love of creation, joyful spirit, prayerfulness, identification with the outcasts. Francis was very careful to keep his movement aligned with the Roman Catholic Church, though his spirit certainly reaches well beyond. I am grateful that Pat spent time years back gaining a master’s degree in Franciscan studies from the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure University.
We editors of your magazine work to support each other, to draw from one another’s gifts and strengths. So I’ll be pulling ideas from everyone here and the best I’ll recraft for Editor’s Minute. We hope you enjoy it.
