Report of the Conference of the National Assistants to SFO, India
(From May, 2005 to May 2007)


Introduction
Dear Rev. Br. Irudaya Samy, the Genreral Spiritual Assistant to SFO, Rev. Br. Mathew Purayidom, OFM. Conv., Sr. Encarnacion del Pozo, the General Minister, SFO, the national spiritual assistants, the national council members, the regional spiritual assistants, the delegates of the chapter, Peace and Joy of Risen Christ to all of you.

I consider it my pleasant duty to place before this august assembly a short account of my animating the national fraternity of SFO in India from may 2005 to May 2007.

The Secular Franciscan Order today is an international fraternity spread through out the world. Popularly today it is known as SFO. The SFO has been described as an “organic union of all Catholic fraternities scattered through out the world and open to every group of faithful” (Rule of SFO, art. 2). The SFO which is a public association in the Catholic Church is known as an Order because of the elements proper to a religious institute: it is an “organic union” (fraternity), “led by the spirit”(vocation), “striving for holiness” (perfect charity), “profession to the Gospel-life” and the “Rule” approved by the Church. Following these characteristics one can affirm SFO as an Order. The faithful join SFO for the attainment of evangelical perfection in their own secular conditions of life following the universal call for holiness of the Second Vatican Council. They make the Gospel as the source of their daily life-experience by “going from Gospel to life and from life to the Gospel.”(SFO Rule, art. 4).

Today SFO exists in 107 countries of the world. Out of which 61 countries are established national fraternities and 46 are emerging national fraternities. There are 8500 local fraternities in the world and around 3,00,000 Secular Franciscans in the world today.

Around 50,000 youth follow St. Francis under the badge “YouFra” which exists in 45 countries of the world today. We are happy that India is an established national fraternity and functions very well having its own duly elected national council. In India today we have 78 established regional fraternities and one emerging fraternity and eight hundred local fraternities. There are eleven Regional fraternities in Karnataka, fifteen in Tamil Nadu, Nineteen in Kerala Latin region, twenty nine in Kerala Syro-Malabar region, two in Goa, one in Mumbai and one in Bihar-Jharkand. Recently four local fraternities are started in the diocese of Shillong and declared it as a provisional region. There are around 17,000 Secular Franciscans in India today.

The Spiritual assistance to SFO
The SFO is not a religious movement though it shares the spirit of a religious Order (Canon 303). It is a lay movement in the Church. Secularity is its identity. The ecclesiology of the II Vatican Council, specially as elucidated by its documents Lumen Gentium and Apostolicam Actuositatem , affirms that the Laity are an essential part of the People of God, not because of their large number, but because of their dignity of consecration by baptism and confirmation (LG. 31). The Church, therefore, encourages the Laity to come together under the spirit and guidance of any institute and commit themselves with a sort of profession in a particular way of life. The present Rule specially the article 6a of SFO reflects the above purpose.

From Franciscan history and from the Constitutions of the First Order and TOR, it is clearly evident that first Order and TOR recognize that they are committed to the spiritual and pastoral assistance of the SFO in virtue of their common origin and charism and by the will of the church (Constitutions OFM art. 60; OFM Conv. 116, Cap., 95, TOR 157; Rule of the Third Order of Pope Leo XIII, 3.3. Rule approved by Paul VI, 26).

Worldwide today we have 2400 spiritual assistants to assist SFO in various levels since the holy mother Church has asked the first Order and TOR to give spiritual assistance to SFO. In India we have forty-six regional spiritual assistants comprising of thirty-nine from Capuchins, four from Conventuals, two from OFM and one from TOR to assist SFO. More than one hundred friars assist SFO in India in various levels of fraternities.

Conference of National Spiritual Assistants in India
The Conference of the Capuchin Major Superiors in India (CCMSI) has elected me on the 8th of May 2005 as the national spiritual assistant from the obedience of Capuchins to serve SFO in India in their meeting held at Saccidananda, the provincial curia of the most holy trinity province, Karnataka. I together with Rev. Br. Jerry Lobo, OFM, the national spiritual assistant from OFM obedience and Rev. Br. Ferdinand Melappilly, OFM conv. the national spiritual assistant from conventual obedience, had a meeting on 10th of May, 2005 at FISI. Br. Alphonse Ekka, TOR the then national spiritual assistant was absent. In the meeting I was elected as the president of the conference of national spiritual assistants for SFO in India.

Though Franciscan Order is divided into branches, yet SFO is one. This collegiality is very well reflected in the national level as it functions in the general level. It was our wish too that this collegiality works in the regions wherever this is possible. All the four national spiritual assistants though they were not full time assistance for SFO still try to contribute their best for the animation and promotion of SFO in India. All the four assistants are very much committed to promote SFO. In the national council meetings most of the national spiritual assistants participate in all the meetings. Since the national spiritual assistance stay in far away places we could not have many meetings together but whenever it was possible we had meetings and evaluated the growth of SFO in India from time to time.

Primary Aim of the conference
In the General constitutions of SFO we find the principle task of the assistants:
“It is the particular task of the assistant to communicate Franciscan spirituality and to co-operate in the initial and continuing formation of the brothers and sisters.”(Const. 90,1). It also states that the assistant is one of the persons responsible for formation or a spiritual accompaniment (cf. Gen. const. 37,2). Keeping in mind the primary task of the spiritual assistant, our primary aim of animating the SFO was to make aware of each and every SFO member their call and mission in the church and society. We had decided to make formation to SFO way of life as the prime motive of our assistance to SFO.

Formation
To make our primary aim be realized I had prepared a syllabus based on the syllabus given by the Ciofs. A copy of which was sent to every regional minister and spiritual assistant. With the help of the national council, committee was formed in every state to conduct formation programmes. The committee was asked to conduct formation programmes in region and state level. Every committee was effective and conducted formation programmes based on the syllabus and submitted a report to the national minister and me. I myself have animated many formation programmes in different regions especially in Karnataka, Goa, Maharastra and Shillong. I am grateful to all the committees. We are grateful to our benefactor who helped us through the national minister to conduct this formation programmes.

Formation of the national council and regional spiritual assistants
It is not enough just to train SFO brothers and sisters. The friars who accompany these brothers and sisters must know about SFO. Many of our friars, local or regional spiritual assistants are young and inexperienced. They do not know much about SFO. To make our regional spiritual assistants more vibrant and effective a three days seminar for the regional spiritual assistants and national council members was conducted in FISI in September 2006. The response was very good. Spiritual assistants from all the obediences were present. A good many topics were dealt by effective resource persons. The participants felt happy and got enriched by the seminar. I have requested the spiritual assistants to conduct similar seminars in their own regions for the local spiritual assistants. Happy to learn that some of the provincial spiritual assistants have done that.

SFO in the Seminary Syllabus
The seminar brought to the notice that many of our friars are ignorant of SFO because SFO is not taught in the seminary. It was felt that there should be at least one course on SFO in the seminary syllabus. I had requested to the CCMSI to do the needful. I am happy to know that our suggestion is taken up and will be implemented in the provinces where it was not the part of syllabus.

Regional elections
From last three years SFO in India is grown very much. The existing 27 regions were divided into 78 regions in three years. It is not an easy task to conduct elections to all the regions within one and half year following the norms of the SFO general constitutions which states that the spiritual assistant of the immediately higher level or his delegate is to be present as a witness of the communion with the First Order and the TOR (General Constitutions of SFO, Art. 76,2). Since most of the elections were held on weekends I could not be present personally for all the regional elections. But I am very much indebted to national spiritual assistants and some regional assistants who represented me with my delegation letter. Wherever I was present I was very happy to meet the SFO brothers and sisters. Though I could not talk Malayalam and Tamil yet I could communicate with the language of love and smile. Thank you very much for the support and cooperation you have given to me and to the delegates during the regional Chapters.

The Spread of SFO
It was the desire of the great Pope Leo the XIII who was a friend of Franciscans and a SFO member to spread SFO everywhere. For many years SFO was there only in south India. It was our desire to spread it in north India too. Recently we have succeeded in spreading SFO in the diocese of Shillong by conducting two days seminar to the good catholic leaders of Shillong diocese. At present we have SFO in four parishes of Shillong diocese. Myself and the national treasurer Br. Walter Mascarenhas witnessed the inauguration of a new provisional region. Thanks to the custos and friars of Nirmala custody of northeast. It is also our earnest desire to spread SFO in Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and in north India. I have a great hope that within few years this dream will be fulfilled.

History of SFO in India
As the national spiritual assistant of India it was my desire to learn the past of SFO in India. I would like to present before you the short findings. But I want to tell you that it may not be a complete history of SFO in India because my research is incomplete.

It was during the pontificate of Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) who was a SFO member by himself that the SFO was officially implanted in India. On February 18, 1888, the Pope wrote to the Provincial minister of the Capuchins of Lombardy in northern Italy: “We wish the third Order to spread farther and farther, day by day. Let us propagate and propagate the Third Order. Let us take great pains to do so.” It was in response to this expressed desire of the Pope that the Italian capuchins, who worked as missionaries in north India during the latter part of the nineteenth century, under took the task of implanting the Third Order in several of the mission territories entrusted to them. With the departure of the Italian Capuchins, the Third Order fraternities, established by them, showed signs of decline and gradually became extinct. But, efforts to implant the Third Order in South India proved to be more successful.

Pope Leo XIII had addressed an encyclical to all the bishops, on September 19, 1882, in which he said: “It would be desirable that in many places have the power to receive the faithful into the Third Order. The ordinary faculties for this purpose are vested in the different Franciscan families. But at places, where there is no Franciscan friary, the bishops should apply to the Provincial ministers or General ministers, so that they may take the necessary steps, either by sending a religious into the parishes or by delegating the pastors. The delegated pastors should be obliged to send you the list of newly received members every three months, which list should then be sent to me.”

The wishes of Pope Leo XIII with regard to the spread of the SFO was faithfully carried out. Since none of the four branches of the Franciscan family had established their presence in South India during the pontificate of Leo XIII, several bishops of South India took the initiation of applying to the General Ministers of the Franciscan Order in Rome for necessary delegation and began to establish fraternities of SFO in their dioceses. When the Friars Minor Capuchins established their presence in South India in 1930, they were happy to discover the presence of SFO in the several dioceses of India such as Mangalore, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Goa and Maharastra. As the Capuchins gradually opened their houses in the various states of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamilnad, Goa and Maharastra, they not only took over the pastoral care of the existing SFO fraternities but also established new ones.

The one source (The history of Capuchin Provinces in India by Frs. Adolf and Fortunatus) says that the SFO was first started in Kerala under the authority of the conventual Franciscan Fathers, who however have never been in India. The propagation of it so was the result of the zeal of enthusiastic tertiaries themselves. Br. Thomas Puthenparambil now known as the Puthenparambil Thommachen was the first tertiary or the SFO member in Kerala. When the Capuchins arrived in Kerala the late bishop James Kalacherry of Changanacherry wrote to the then Capuchin General Minister, Most Rev. Fr. Clement of Milwaukee, in July 1949, for getting transferred the spiritual assistance of the SFO from the Conventuals to the Indian Capuchins and the General Minister by a letter, dated 5th October 1949, obtained the transfer of all the 146 Fraternities, having a membership of 10,000 at that time, to the spiritual assistance of the Indian Capuchins.

The SFO in India is very much grateful to Br. Puthenparampil Thommachen. The first SFO brother of Kerala, a shining example of a lay faithful. Puthenparampil Thommachen was born on 8th July in 1836 in Edathua, Changanachery, Kerala. At the age of 29, he began a penitential life in 1865. Thus he got vested as a SFO brother in St, Antony’s Church, Kurumpanadam. In the same year he called together a few of his like-minded friends and started living like a fraternity. The brotherhood wore a cord of coir around the waist to remind them of their self-imposed obligations. At the same time he came across the rule of SFO given by Fr. Ottappunnackal of Thottakad. He found a close similarity between this rule and the self-imposed regulations of his fraternity. The devout exercise of the parishioners exerted its influence far and wide and several fraternities were formed all over Kerala, which came to be known as “ assemblies of the roped”. Thus Thommachan turned out to be a remarkable pioneering lay apostle or the second Francis propagating the Franciscan message in Kerala. He had to struggle much for getting his association recognized. From 1868 to 75, it had no recognition at all. It was only in 1889, finally the Vicar Apostolic of Kottayam formally approved the Order and appointed him as the common head of the SFO in Kerala. He built a centre for SFO at Poonthope. Now it is a church dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and given to the Archdiocese of Changanacherry. The centenary of the SFO in Kerala was celebrated on a grand scale in January 1969. Now there are 48 SFO regions in Kerala. Out of which nineteen are in Kerala Latin and twenty-nine in Kerala Syro-Malabar provinces.

In Mangalore SFO was started in 1936 even before the coming of the Capuchins. In St. Joseph Seminary there was a SFO fraternity of seminarians. These seminarians after their ordination started SFO in their parishes. Only after the coming of Capuchins, the Capuchins took over the spiritual assistance of SFO. Under the able spiritual assistance of Rev. Br. Vincent Lobo who was also a national Spiritual Assistant, the SFO in Mangalore grew and spread to many of the parishes of Mangalore diocese. Now the Mangalore diocese has given birth to seven SFO regions animated by four Franciscan Capuchin spiritual assistants. In Karnataka we have eleven regions: Seven in Mangalore, two in Chikmagalur, one in Bangalore-Mysore and one in Karwar diocese.

SFO was first started in Maharastra in Kirol at Fatima Frirary. In December 1964, an All-Indian SFO Convention was held in Mumbai at Fatima Friary. At present we have only one region in Maharastra.

SFO in Tamilnadu too is fast growing. In 1933, Rt Rev. Dr. Francis Carvalo, Bishop of Chennai first started SFO in Chennai. On the occasion of the silver Jubilee of Amalashram, in May 1968, Tamilnadu had its first Tamilnadu SFO Congress in Trichy. At present we have 15 regions in Tamilnadu doing lot of good work in evangelisation and working for the poor. They played a remarkable role during the Tsunami in 2005.

The book The Ancient Franciscan Provinces in India written by Fr. Achilles Meersman, OFM make mention of Monte Guirim, St. Francis Friary of OFM was functioned as the residence of the Commissary of the Third Order for the many tertiaries in Bardez in 1770. Now we have two regions in Goa: South Goa and North Goa under the spiritual assistance of Capuchins. This source states that SfO existed in India even in 1770.

We have one region in Bihar-Jharkand under the spiritual assistance of TOR. Recently we have started four new fraternities in the diocese of Shillong and declared it as a provisional region.

In 1974 SFO in India was systematically organized in national level. The first national council of SFO was formed in 1974. Br. Chevalier K.C. Chacko MA, BE, MS, FE, KCSG has made a unique contribution to the SFO in India. He was the first national president in 1974 and Rev. Br. Vincent Lobo was the first national spiritual assistant. Thereafter Br. Victor Singarayar from Tamilnadu, Sr. Celine Wilfred from Kerala Latin province, Br. L. Joseph from Tamilnadu, Sr. Judith Mascarenhas from Karnataka and Br. P. P. Joseph from Kerala Syro Malabar province became the national presidents. Br. L Joseph and Br. P. P. Joseph were presidents for two terms. Br. K. C. Chacko, Br. Victor Singarayar, Sr. Celine Wilfred, Br. L. Joseph were the international councillors. Br. Vincent Lobo, Br. Mariadas, Br. Mathew Kodaikanal, Br. William Andrade, Br. Jesudas and Br. Julius Poomaran were the national spiritual assistants. Br. Mohandas OFM., Br. Gerry Lobo OFM., Br. Ferdinand, OFM Conv., and Br. Marion TOR were too the national spiritual assistants from other obediences. At present Br. John Fernandez is the national minister, Br. P. P. Joseph is the international councillor and Rev. Fr. Rocky D’Cunha, Cap. is the National Spiritual Assistant in India.

Statistics
Together with finding the history of India it was my desire to prepare a statistics of SFO in India. I had sent out letters to all the regional spiritual assistants and regional ministers
asking them to send me the statistics of their regions in the month of December, 2006. But I could hardly get the statistics of only 18 regions out of 78. This is a very poor response inspite of sending the request letters to regional assistants and ministers quite in advance. We cannot show such disinterestedness towards SFO. I am very much grateful to the 18 regions who have taken pain to prepare their statistics well and send the same to me. Hope the remaining 60 regions will send me their statistics very soon, so that I can prepare a statistics of SFO in India and place it on the website of India.

National website of SFO: www.sfoindia.org
Today the science of communication is developed so much that we can know anything of any subject through electronic media like Internet. Since SFO in India is an established national fraternity with 17,000 SFO members, it was my desire to create a website for India so that all those who are directly connected with SFO and are SFO members have an access to it. Anybody anywhere in India can know about SFO in India. One need not wait for any information from others regarding SFO in India.

The ID of our website is: www.sfoindia.org I am grateful to Mr. Naveen D' Souza (M/s. Business Online) who designed this website. By creating this website I did not want to burden the national fraternity for finance since our national fund is very weak. When I requested the local fraternity of St. Antony, Gangondanahalli, Bangalore they willingly sponsored this website. I thank them for their generosity.

Asia-Oceania Congress
I had participated in the Asia-Oceania congress organized in Penang, Malaysia from 24th March 2007 to 29th March. It was an enriching experience to be with the Franciscan family and to share our views on SFO. Eighteen countries participated in it together with the ciofs. We are looking forward one more such congress in 2010 either in India or in Thailand.

Spiritual Assistants’ appreciation of SFO
We the spiritual assistants in India have lot of appreciation of SFO, which we would like to do in the following points:

1. You have hunger to know Christ and St. Francis of Assisi and Clare

2. You are fervent in your zeal to grow in holiness

3. Your witness value through your simple way of life is very much appreciated in the church and society

4. By living a good family life and by becoming a better Christian by your Gospel life (SFO Rule, art.4), you have borne a great witness value in the society.

5. Some of you attend daily mass and come early for prayers. We are proud of you.

6. Your fraternal value during monthly meetings is very much edifying.

7. Through your works of charity in your own little way you show to the world that SFO is not only an Order to grow in holiness but also for doing various apostolates.

8. Some of you are very much committed in the responsibility that is given to you. We appreciate you and congratulate you.

9. Today SFO and First Order are very much complementary. Most of our vocations are from you. You not only promote vocations for first Order and TOR even sometimes help us for their formation.

10. SFO is an outlet for us to go to different parishes to preach the Word of God and spread Franciscan spirituality.

Challenges

1. In some regions most of the members are aging

2. Lack of formation and interest in SFO members and spiritual assistants

3. Lack of good and committed leaders

4. No proper administration

5. Identity crisis of SFO in some local fraternities

6. No self sufficiency

7. Over dependency on the First Order and TOR(on spiritual assistants)

8. Discouragement by some parish priests and Bishops

9. Boring monthly meetings in some local fraternities

10. Lack of communications.

Future Plans

1. The Catholic directory of India make mention of SFO only in few dioceses such as Bangalore, Coimbattore, Madurai, Mangalore, Palayamkottai, Pondicherey-Cullalore, Quilon and Veraply. This means only in the diocesan directory of above mentioned dioceses secular Franciscan order is registered under the category of association of Christian faithful. SFO exists in many dioceses but not mentioned in the diocesan directory. Better every regional president take a note of it and write a letter together with regional spiritual assistant to the respective bishop requesting him to add SFO in their directory. Otherwise there is no status for SFO in that diocese even if SFO is active in that diocese.

2. To prepare a complete statistics of SFO in India

3. To bring out a bulletin of conference of national spiritual assistants

4. To see that every fraternity in India is canonically erected

5. To conduct many formation programmes for spiritual assistants

6. To host the forthcoming Asia- Oceania SFO congress in India in 2010.

A Word of Thanks
My gratitude to the Good Lord for giving me an opportunity to serve SFO in the national level. I am also indebted to CIOFS for their encouragement and communications. I am specially grateful to Fr. Irudayasamy, the general spiritual assistant for his constant support, encouragement and timely advice. We appreciate you and proud of you for the great task of animating the general fraternity of SFO. I am grateful to Sr. Incarnacion del Pozo, the general minister, a great and courageous woman who is very much dedicated and working tirelessly for the spread of SfO in the world. May you be an inspiration to all the SFO members in India and be the second Elizabeth of Hungary.

My thanks are due to all the national spiritual assistants: Br. Gerry Lobo, Br. Marion and Br. Ferdinand for their great support and cooperation in the conference and ever ready spiritual assistance to SFO.

I am also grateful to all the provincial ministers for their greater generosity in providing spiritual assistants in their respective provinces. I am grateful to them for their spiritual and financial help. I am grateful to all of you the regional spiritual assistants, and the regional ministers for keeping SFO very much alive in your regions. May God bless you.

SFO in India at present is much grateful to the national minister Br. John Fernandez. Though he is a family man yet his committed service to SFO is remarkable. He is doing a wonderful job animating the brothers and sisters by his official visits, circulars and phone
calls. I feel SFO is grown and spread to other parts of India. On behalf of the first Order and TOR I extend my thanks to him for keeping the Franciscan Spirit alive in the families of India. God Bless you dear brother. I am also grateful to all the national council members for your active participation in the council meetings.

Long Live SFO

Today St. Francis still continues to be the sign of guidance to many on their way to Christ. The question, which Br. Masseo asked to St. Francis, is still revolving in our mind: “Why after you?” Why millions of people follow St. Francis’ simplicity and poverty in their own state of life? Today in the world there are nearly one million of secular Franciscans who admire at St. Francis and take him as their patron and guide. Let there be many more to follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis. Long live the unique Secular Franciscan Order in India.

Thank you one and all for giving an attentive listening to my short report. God bless you.

Br. Rocky D’Cunha, Capuchin,
National Sp. Assistant, SFO. India.

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