Followers of St. Francis

“I think God is remarkably patient—and has a great sense of humor," Sister Barb says.

If you know anything about Altoona, it’s that the western Pennsylvania town is noted for two things: railroads and the Horseshoe Curve.

Brother Michael says he gains as much as he gives in his ministry to the disenfranchised. “I’m very happy with what I have learned,” he says.

Annie Timmons' time with the Friars Club, a ministry located in Cincinnati, Ohio, goes back to 1978. Back then, she had no idea how much of her life would be spent in the Franciscan family. 

Though known for establishing the Jesuits, St. Ignatius of Loyola initially found inspiration for conversion in the life of St. Francis of Assisi while recovering from a debilitating leg injury.

San Antonio may be a half a world away from Assisi, but Father Phil Ley guesses that St. Francis would have found himself at home at a shelter that welcomes immigrants with no place else to go.