764. Founding an “Order of Friars Minor” to Follow the Life of Saint Francis

💌 764. Founding an “Order of Friars Minor” to Follow the Life of Saint Francis

Since my days as a catechumen, I have been involved in the charismatic movement and developed a deep love and respect for Saint Francis of Assisi, who, after living a life of wealth, came to know the love of God and chose a life of total poverty. Saint Francis showed his profound love for Jesus by embracing and kissing lepers!

The spirituality and poverty of St. Francis, who bore the sacred stigmata and so closely resembled Christ, left a profound impression on my heart. I grew to love him deeply and longed to follow in his way of life. That is why, in 1986, when I helped an elderly blind man named Bong Il-dong (Mr. Andrew Bong) receive baptism, I originally wanted to give him the baptismal name “Francis.”

However, the elderly man found it too difficult. Since I also had great love for St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, I gave him the baptismal name “Andrew.” Later, after Mr. Andrew Bong had passed away, I even gave the name “Francis” to the little Jesus who came to me in the guise of a homeless man at the 100th-day memorial Mass, so great was my love for that saint.

The Franciscan orders founded by St. Francis include the First Order, the Order of Friars Minor for men; the Second Order, the Poor Clares for women; and the Third Order, the Secular Franciscan Order. Within the Third Order, even those with families can come together to form prayer fellowships, learning from St. Francis, their Seraphic Father, and striving to live out his way in their daily lives.

In 1981, together with my husband, I joined and became active in the Secular Franciscan Order in Gwangju. Regrettable to say, there was no Third Order in Naju, so we had to travel all the way to Gwangju. As we studied the rule of “obedience, poverty, and chastity,” I was deeply moved by the path of love as a little one that St. Francis had lived. That is why I wished to form a community in Naju as well.

“Dear Jesus, and St. Francis! I long to establish here in Naju a community of unity, where we may share love in the spirit of St. Francis, pray together, and serve as servants of the Lord by making You known. Please open the way for us.” With this prayer in my heart, I went to the parish priest of Naju to ask for permission to found the Secular Franciscan Order there. The priest joyfully gave his approval.

So I spoke with the president of the Secular Franciscan Order in Gwangju and the leader of the charismatic movement. They were overjoyed and immediately came down to Naju Parish, where together we established the Secular Franciscan Order. Later, I came to learn that there had once been the Secular Franciscan Order in Naju Parish, but since it had long ceased to exist, what we did was not a founding, but a renewal. 

Every week, a group of three or four leaders from the Secular Franciscan Order in Gwangju would travel down to Naju to guide those of us hoping to join. I was truly grateful for their effort in making the trip. With each visit, our small fellowship in Naju took clearer shape and became more firmly established. I felt as though I was drawing closer to our Seraphic Father, St. Francis, and with that joy in my heart, I gave my utmost effort.

Each time they visited, I covered all the travel expenses, small gifts, and meals. I gladly paid for everything myself, without letting others know. And I always did so in the name of the Naju Parish and all the candidates. When the leaders from Gwangju completed their final formation session and returned home, I selected nice large towels—one for each member—and presented them as parting gifts, saying they were a small gesture from all of us. 

Since it was newly re-established, the role of president was decided by majority vote, and my husband, Julio, was elected. The Gwangju leadership also approved of this decision. From then on, he continued to serve as president. When the Secular Franciscan Order was re-established in Naju, the members showed remarkable unity, and I was truly grateful for how willingly they followed my lead. Although I felt inadequate, the leadership asked me to take on the role of formation director from the very beginning.

Because I was so busy with the beauty parlor and many other activities, it was difficult to make time, and I felt I would not be able to provide regular formation. Above all, because I wanted to follow our Seraphic Father by serving everyone from the lowest place, I sincerely apologized and declined the role of formation director, saying that while I would do my best in the activities of the Secular Franciscan Order, I could never take on that responsibility.

Thus, I participated as a regular member, doing my best with love for my brethren and with respect and devotion to our Seraphic Father, St. Francis. After the Secular Franciscan Order was re-established in Naju in 1981, there was no one available to serve as formation director when I enshrined the weeping statue of the Blessed Mother at the Sugang Apartment.

They pleaded with me to take on the role, and although I had absolutely refused, for the sake of the community I said, “Then I will only conduct the formation until a new formation director is appointed,” and accepted with “Amen.” However, when I acted as the temporary formation director, I was so busy that I didn’t even have time to go to the church to teach the members.

So when I had to teach the members under temporary profession in the Secular Franciscan Order at the Naju parish, I did my best to build up the community. During times when many pilgrims came, I took care of the pilgrims and asked these temporarily professed members, who were in formation, to come to the Sugang Apartment as well and taught them whenever I had a free moment.

No matter how busy or difficult things were, following the path of love walked by our Seraphic Father, St. Francis—a path of poverty and love as a little one—and walking that same path together with my little brethren in Christ filled me with joy and brought a gentle smile to my face.

My personal reflection note with Mama Julia🌹💗 

Link 👇🏻

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