Welcome! May the Lord give you
peace I
am pleased that you have chosen my web site to review.
My name is Father Charlie Smiech and I am a Franciscan Friar of St. John the
Baptist Province. As an International Retreat Director and Spiritual Advisor, I
am honored to serve our religious communities, priests, deacons and the people
of God. Preaching the love of God, exploring the Sacred Scripture and being
nourished by the sacraments, brings me great joy and I have a burning desire to
share these precious gifts with you! After looking at my web site, it is my hope
that I may be of service to you! Together may we be faithful to the Gospel and
May the Lord grant you peace and countless blessings!
Brief History of St.
Francis and the Franciscan Community
He was but one man, and the task seemed impossibly difficult. Nevertheless,
Francis renounced his family’s wealth and set out to proclaim
the
Good News of Jesus Christ. Before long, this itinerant beggar-preacher became
widely known for his holiness, his empathy for the poor and his radical
self-giving to the Lord. Some were amused but many were inspired by his love of
creation. Francis considered himself a small part of a remarkable universe
inhabited by animals and elements that were all connected as “brothers” and
“sisters.”
He educated others with his actions by embracing lepers, calming a marauding
wolf with kindness, traveling to Syria to preach to a Muslim sultan in the midst
of the Crusades. Inspired by his example, many put aside their possessions,
joining him as penitent preachers of the Gospel. In 1209 they gave birth to the
Franciscan brotherhood, the Order of Friars Minor. The growth of his following
was unprecedented: By the time Francis died in 1226, thousands of men had cast
aside material possessions to become his brother friars, assuming the vows of
poverty, chastity and obedience.
The movement he created survived the centuries and lives today in the Friars
Minor, in affiliated orders of Franciscan women and men and in the Secular
Franciscans. His legacy is an affirmation of the power of faith in action. As
Francis believed, we are all instruments of God’s peace.
And one person can indeed transform the world.
I
am pleased that you have chosen my web site to review. 
the
Good News of Jesus Christ. Before long, this itinerant beggar-preacher became
widely known for his holiness, his empathy for the poor and his radical
self-giving to the Lord. Some were amused but many were inspired by his love of
creation. Francis considered himself a small part of a remarkable universe
inhabited by animals and elements that were all connected as “brothers” and
“sisters.”