Women, men, married, single—they all seek to live the Gospel under the inspiration of St. Francis of Assisi.
If you have ever gone to a large family reunion, you probably needed a little coaching beforehand about how various family members are related to one another. This short chronology describes branches of the Franciscan family.
1182 ✧ Francesco Bernardone is born in Assisi to Pietro and Pica.
1206 ✧ Conversion of Francis begins; soon other young men follow the Gospel life under his inspiration.
1209 ✧ Francis and 11 brothers receive verbal approval from Pope Innocent III for their way of life (start of the First Order). Francis writes “An Exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance.” This group later becomes a group of laymen and laywomen (married or single) living the Gospel under the inspiration of St. Francis and according to their state of life (start of the Third Order, now known as the Secular Franciscan Order, the largest group within the Franciscan family).
1212 ✧ Clare founds a monastery at San Damiano outside Assisi; the nuns live by the work of their hands and donations but, surprisingly, without lands to produce income. A network of monasteries begins (start of the Second Order).
1223 ✧ Pope Honorius III formally approves the Rule written by St. Francis, who dies three years later.
1447 ✧ Third Order Regular is recognized by Pope Nicholas V as a community of priests and brothers. Active congregations of Franciscan sisters and brothers who teach, nurse, or engage in other ministries belong to this branch of the family.
1517 ✧ Within the First Order, the Conventual and Observant friars are legally separated, each with its own general minister (worldwide leader) and general chapter (meeting of provincial ministers and others).
1528 ✧ Capuchin friars are formally recognized as the third branch of the First Order—with their own general minister and general chapter.
1500s ✧ Franciscans become missionaries outside Europe while remaining very active on that continent.
1800s ✧ Many more congregations of Franciscan sisters and brothers begin, usually for a single apostolic work. In the late 20th century, most of these join the International Franciscan Conference (headquartered in Rome).
1976 ✧ St. Paul VI approves an updated Rule for the Secular Franciscan Order.
1986 ✧ St. John Paul II hosts in Assisi a Day of Prayer for World Peace; this event is repeated in 2002 and 2011.
2002 ✧ St. John Paul II approves The Rule and Life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.
2015 ✧ The worldwide Franciscan family joins in various initiatives during the Year of Consecrated Life. In addition to several Lutheran and Episcopalian Franciscan religious and lay communities, many admirers of St. Francis of Assisi are found among Christian groups, other world religions, and agnostics.
