Province of Our Lady of Consolation

10/22/2026

On October 17, our Province's Centennial celebration continued in San Antonio, Texas, with a special Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, celebrated by Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS and Bishop John Stowe.
Franciscans have served the San Antonio community since the 1700s. Over time, the city has become an important center of the Province’s ministry, bringing together Franciscan formation, parish life, and service to others. Following Mass, parishioners from the tri-parish community gathered at the San Antonio Food Bank for a joyful celebration of 100 years of the Province of Our Lady of Consolation.

10/15/2026

For 100 years, people have entered Mount Saint Francis Chapel carrying every season of life with them. There have been prayers of gratitude after joyful news and prayers spoken through grief. People have come seeking hope, direction, healing and peace. For 100 years, friars, retreatants, families, and students have found that place here.

Through our Chapel Renovation Campaign, we are thinking about more than a building. We are caring for a sacred place that has held countless prayers and ensuring that those who come to Mount Saint Francis in the years ahead will find that same place of welcome, beauty and quiet encounter with God.

Learn more about what we are working to preserve:
https://www.franciscansusa.org/chapel-renovation-campaign/

10/13/2026

After 16 years of faithful service as pastor of Ysleta Mission - OLMC Fr. Miguel Briseño recently transitioned to parish ministry in San Antonio. His years at Ysleta were marked by a deep commitment to the parish and the people of this historic faith community, and we are grateful for the many ways he accompanied and served them throughout his time in El Paso.

Earlier this month, Ysleta Mission - OLMC began a new chapter as parishioners, clergy, and friends gathered for the Installation Mass of Fr. Juan Zuñiga, celebrated by Bishop Mark Seitz.

During the Mass, Fr. Juan formally began his ministry of pastoral leadership at Ysleta, continuing the Franciscan presence and care that have shaped the Mission for generations.

10/12/2026

In the days following our commemoration of the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ passing, we continue to reflect on the relationships and shared faith that shaped the Franciscan story. Through a reimagined reflection in the voice of St. Clare, we are invited to consider the grief of saying goodbye, gratitude for a life shared in faith, and the hope that remains.

Read “A Reimagined Reflection by Lady Clare” by Sister Joanne Schatzlein, OSF here:

Sister Joanne Schatzlein, OSF, is a member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition to serving in leadership within her congregation, she serves as a pilgrimage leader for Franciscan Pilgrimages. Her article below recreates, in the voice of St. Clare of Assisi, Cl...

10/09/2026

In the days surrounding the Feast of St. Francis, communities across our Province gathered for a beloved Franciscan tradition: the Blessing of the Animals. Dogs, cats, and other cherished companions came alongside the people who love and care for them, offering a joyful reminder of the goodness of God reflected throughout creation.

For St. Francis, creation was something to receive with gratitude and reverence. In his "Canticle of the Creatures", he prayed, “Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,” recognizing the sun and moon, wind and water, earth and every living thing as part of one family held in the love of the Creator.

May we continue to see the world through that same spirit of kinship: giving thanks for the creatures entrusted to our care, treating all life with gentleness, and recognizing God’s presence in the beauty of creation around us.

10/08/2026

On the Feast of St. Francis, the community at Mount Saint Francis gathered for Mass on the Grass, celebrating the Eucharist beneath the open sky, surrounded by falling leaves and the beauty of the lake. For St. Francis, creation was a reflection of God’s goodness and worshipping outdoors offered a beautiful reminder of that Franciscan spirit of gratitude, reverence, and care for all creation.

The Mass also marked a special milestone: 50 years of retreat ministry at Mount Saint Francis Center for Spirituality. Retreat ministry continues to be an important part of our Franciscan presence across the Province, including Holy Cross Retreat Center, Franciscan Retreats and Spirituality Center, and Mount Saint Francis Center for Spirituality. In each place, people are given the opportunity to step away from the noise of daily life, spend time in prayer, and encounter God through rest, reflection, community, and creation.

We give thanks for 50 years of retreat ministry at Mount Saint Francis and for all those who continue this ministry of welcome and spiritual renewal across the Province.

10/06/2026

On the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, we gathered in Terre Haute, Indiana to celebrate 100 years of Franciscan presence rooted in parish life. It was fitting to mark this milestone on a day that calls us back to Francis’ witness of humility, fraternity, and faithful service to God’s people.

For generations, friars have preached, taught, baptized, and walked alongside families through moments of joy and sorrow at St. Benedict and St. Joseph Parishes. These communities reflect the enduring Franciscan commitment to live the Gospel close to the people, sustaining the Province across the past century. We give thanks for the countless relationships that have made Christ’s love tangible in Terre Haute and continue to shape our shared future.

10/04/2026

Tonight, we gather in prayer to remember the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi.

At Bellarmine University, Ysleta Mission, St. Anthony of Padua, and in communities throughout the Province, we pause together in gratitude for the life and witness of Francis.

At the end of his earthly journey, Francis welcomed “Sister Death,” trusting that even this final passage rested within the love of God.

May we learn from his surrender. May we loosen our grip on what we cannot keep, meet joy with gratitude, suffering with faith, and ending with hope.

Peace and all good.

10/02/2026

This weekend, as we commemorate 800 years since the passing of St. Francis, we remember a life shaped by a simple desire: to follow Jesus. From his conversion until his final days, St. Francis sought to live the Gospel with humility, simplicity and trust. His witness still invites us to consider how we, too, might follow more closely in the footsteps of Christ.

Read “In the Footsteps of Jesus” by friar Jacob Polinski, OFM Conv. here:

Friar Jacob Polinski is a novice of the Conventual Franciscan Friars’ St. Bonaventure Province. He is currently completing his novitiate year at St. Francis of Assisi Novitiate in Arroyo Grande, California. His article below recreates, in the voice of St. Anthony of Padua, in his encounter with St...

09/30/2026

As we draw near to the Feast of St. Francis, we remember his life and his passing from this world into eternal life. Inside the Chapel at Mount Saint Francis, one of our historic stained-glass windows depicts St. Francis gazing onward at Assisi shortly before his death.

While we remember the final moments of his earthly life and the legacy he left behind, we are also working to preserve this beautiful image for generations to come.

This window is currently available for adoption through our Chapel Renovation Campaign. Adopting a window provides an opportunity to help preserve the sacred art and Franciscan stories that have filled this Chapel with beauty for nearly a century. Learn more here: https://www.franciscansusa.org/support-our-ministries/adopt-a-window/