Dear John, Hi, I’m John O’Connor, OFS. I am a Secular Franciscan currently serving Franciscan Media as a member of their board of directors. You may know about the Franciscan friars, the Franciscan sisters, and Poor Clares, but there is also a Secular Order of Franciscans who live Franciscan values in various forms as married couples or single and consecrated lives. I believe deeply in the values of the Franciscan movement and, as a result, have worked with Franciscans and their sponsored ministries for many years. We live in a divisive world. There are many distractions vying for our attention. It is the Franciscan way that, when fully engaged with the world, seeks unity through respectful dialogue. Franciscans trust in the divine presence of Jesus Christ in each of us to overcome any darkness. I believe the Franciscan way is the antidote to what tears at our social fabric today. For these reasons and many more, I support Franciscan Media in multiple ways: Provide financial support Subscribe to St. Anthony Messenger magazine Voraciously consume and share online resources Purchase books to deepen my understanding of the Franciscan movement Serve as a new board member of Franciscan Media Franciscan Media is vital to the Franciscan movement because it reaches millions of people every week with the healing message of Jesus Christ, St. Francis, and St. Clare. This year, Franciscan Media must raise $80,000 by the end of October. With your support I believe we can achieve this goal. Like so many organizations, we are impacted by price increases in our supply and production costs. Many costs increased between 10% and 20% this past year alone. In our divisive world, people need to experience God’s love and compassion that is shared by the Franciscans. Please help us continue by donating today. | 