Holy Trinity Regional Fraternity 

of the 

Secular Francisan Order

Welcome to the website for the Holy Trinity Regional Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order. The fraternity reaches from central Ohio through Northern Kentucky and Southern Indiana. There are 24 active fraternities and emerging groups in the region.  If you are interested in learning more about the Secular Franciscan Order, please visit the web site of the National Fraternity of the OFS for more information. 

There is a group page for the region on Facebook  for those who wish to join. Please visit the page and request membership. For any problems or questions pertaining to the website please send an email to htrofs@gmail.com. 

Prayer for Civility

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where uncivil words prevail, show me how to model love.

Help me remember the God-given dignity of all and invite others to do the same.

Show me how to build bridges and not walls and see first what unites us rather

than how we diverge.

Let me seek to understand before asking to be understood.

Give me a listening heart filled with empathy and compassion.

May I be clear in sharing my own position and respectful and civil in describing

those of others.

Let me never tolerate hateful ideas. My I invite all to charity and love.

Lord, help me to imitate your compassion and mercy. Make me an instrument of  your peace.

Amen.


 But, what do Secular Franciscans do?

We are peacemakers: So, we listen to both sides; we do not sow discord.

We care for creation: More than loving animals , we are stewards of all that God created. We see that it is good and beautiful and encourage others to do the same by example and actions.

We stand with the poor: We not only serve, but we work to make their lives better.

We look for the good in others: We try to treat everyon with patience and kindness, even those we don't like.

We are people of relationship: we love topray together and to collaborate in our fraternities and at work, school, and in family life.

We are welcoming: we seek to see what is lovable in those who seem unlovable.

We are people of prayer and conversion: we try to deepen our relationship with Jesus each day by spending time with him and by being willing to change what needs to change in our lives.

We are people focused on the Incarnation: the crib, the cross, and the Eucharist. We frequently meditate on the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ, coming to know him well through the Gospels. We receive communion frequently because we know he is present in the Eucharist. 

We use our God-given gifts in the service of others, but we don't seek recognition.

We live simple lives: we are not "showy."

We live the spirit of poverty: We esteem work and work hard to support ourselves and our families, but money and possessions are not our goal.

We live detachment: we are focused on Christ rather than on possessions or personal recognition. We don't cling to the world, to possessions or to a personal agenda.

We are generous: we are not addicted to wealth, pleasure, position, or honor. We serve when asked, but we serve gratuitously.

We are kind, gentle, and merciful: Franciscans are willing to forgive, when we need to correct others, we do so gently and with love.

We support the mission of the Church: we help to move it forward by our participation and collaboration.

We evangelize through our example: we also evangelize through our service to others (our apostolates).

What do we do?  We bring our baptismal commitment to life with a Franciscan flavor. We have promised this with all our hearts. We have all our hearts.                                  

Quinquennial 2022 -author unknown