CHAPTER 2
THE SECULAR FRANCISCANS IN SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI
INTRODUCTION
Compiled in 1995 - Additions in Jan 2001 (Latest update - 8/13/01)
CHAPTER ONE is a journey - a journey back in time to the 1500's and the founding of the Faith in our area - in order to bring you to our time today and to the history of the Secular Franciscans here in Southwest Mississippi.
CHAPTER ONE is meant to be a chronological layout of the events leading to the formation of the Secular Franciscian Order in Southwest Mississippi. The first part is a book report outlining the sufferings, hardships, and trials of the early Franciscan missionaries who, as it turns out, were the foundation of establishing the Faith in the Louisiana-Mississippi Valley.
CHAPTER TWO is compiled from journals and memories of the participants. Some of their thoughts and findings are recorded here. These are not my words but the words of those who lived these experiences.
Doing this project has been an inspiration to those of us who helped compile it. We hope it will be the same to those who read it. In a similar way, the sufferings, hardships, and trials of the early missionaries carried over to the Seculars who answered the same call that was sent out over 476 years ago.
An analogy developed through these formative years and surfaced several times. It was presented by several different persons and at different times.
It is this : The "Comet" hurls through the sky, on its journey, taking with it a trail of very different and assorted particles all held tight by the magnetism and brillance of the comet itself.
The comet is the Holy Spirit hurling through this area of Mississippi, and those dragged into its tail and held fast by its love, are all those in this story from Biloxi, Mississippi to Layafette, Louisiana, and even to Texas.
In Jan. 1992, at a fraternity meeting, Sr. Fidelis Hart,OSC, explained it this way: Franciscans are like the Gulf Stream. It moves above the waters and warms the waters, giving life.
As the Spirit blows, so we go.
THE HISTORY OF THE FORMATION
OF THE SECULAR FRANCISCANS IN SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI
Chapter 2
So the struggles of the early missionaries that we outlined in Chapter One are now ours to carry on. Chapter 2 is the story of the beginnings of the Southwest Mississippi Fraternities.
As of 1984, the Secular Franciscans had several fraternities in Louisiana. St. Teresa of Avila Fraternity was under the Poor Clares at the Monastery in New Orleans. (The same one founded by Mother Mary Magdalen Bentivoglio in 1887.) Under the guidance of Sister Fidelis Hart (spiritual assistant of St. Teresa of Avila) in conjuction with the Poor Clares, prayers were offered for the Secular Franciscans to have a strong hold in the Diocese of Biloxi, the Southwest area of Mississippi, the area that seems to have been missed by the early Franciscan missionaries. Judy Hebert and Irene Torminello were both connected with this outpouring of prayer and later traveled to share the spirit of St. Francis with those involved in the early call to Franciscan life. Judy was dying of cancer as she generously poured out her spirit to minister to those in Mississippi. She died on the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, February 22, 1989 or 90.
Through 1984 to 1988, the prayer fell on this area of Mississippi. Several souls were called to this movement of the Holy Spirit. Through long trials they searched for discernment to understand what they were hearing. They knew they were being called to something, but what? Through these years there were many conversions to God, conversions to the faith, and a bonding of these souls in a deep way. The group saw the movement of the Spirit as likened to a comet gathering various and different souls into its tail and carrying them on in its magnetism and brillance as it passed through the area. Sr. Fidelis later used the analogy of the Gulf Stream. You don’t see it as it comes through, but you see the waves over the water as it makes the water warm and brings needed rain for continued life. Barbara Smith of San Damino mentioned the comet at a later retreat , thus giving another conformation of their direction.
By the grace of the Holy Spirit, events led them all one by one to the Secular Franciscan Order. They were being drawn to the formation of several Secular Franciscan Fraternities in Mississippi. Two fraternities began the journey and were in formation at the same time, Mother Marianne of the Gulf at Gautier, Ms. and Our Lady's Little Portion at Columbia, Ms. They both were canonically established in 1991. Gautier was allowed to choose the first date of two dates given by the Order and was the first canonically established.
Our Lady's Little Portion Fraternity
Our Lady of the Angels Fraternity
Our Lady of the Pearl (under St. Tereas of Avila)
Other Fraternities - in Texas and The Little Flock, Fairhope, Alabama (under Mother Marianna Fraternity)
Mother Marianne Fraternity - Gautier, Ms.
( submitted by Pat Houghton)
June 1987
Jerry Rome, Provincial Minister, met with John Lofton - professed - St. Teresa of Avila Fraternity , N.O., Leonore Murphy- candidate - San Damiano Fraternity, N.O., Anne Medley - professed - no fraternity affiliation, Patrick and Patricia Houghton - professed, isolated, St. John the Baptist Province - at the home of John Loften on Reynoir St. in Biloxi, Ms. John, Leonore, Anne, Patrick and Patricia continued to meet twice a month and they studied the new rule. Community and prayer were emphasized during this time. Many meals were shared together especially on feastdays. Before each meeting , the Liturgy of the Hours was recited in common.
Leonore was professed at St. Teresa of Avila, and became leader of the group and opened an account for the group at Magnolia Federal Bank. John moved from the Reynoir St. house to one on Howard Avenue. The group met at the Howard Avenue house until sometime in 1988. The meeting place was moved to Christ the King Church in the Latimer Community north of Ocean Springs, Ms. Father John Izral acted as Spiritual Assistant . He said Mass and joined in the recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours prior to each meeting.
In February, Julia Raez and Dolores Trenouth joined the group. The group chose the name Mother Marianne. The name was chosen because Mother Marianne Cope O.S.F. worked with the lepers in Hawaii . The group at that time was ministering to three AIDS patients and Mother Marianne was a good role model.
In 1990 the meeting was moved to St. Mary’s Church in Gautier, and Father Michael Kelleher acted as Spiritual Assistant. A young mother with a small child joined and in 1991 three retirees who had been professed for over 30 years joined . Also, a young airman from Keesler Air Force Base joined and became an inquirer. On September 22, 1991, the group was canonically established.
LISTOur Lady’s Little Portion Fraternity
Columbia, Ms
The first hint given to these souls who eventually followed the Franciscan path and became members of Our Lady's Little Portion was in 1986 by a priest, Fr. Harold Cohen, heavily involved in leading the Charismatic Renewal in New Orleans. He asked that a prayer group with an ecumenical spirit be started in the area (the Bible Belt of Mississippi) as he also (as did the Poor Clares) felt in prayer that the Lord was to pour out His Spirit in this area for the Church. He contacted a friend who lived in the Mississippi area. He gave directives to this friend for the foundation for the Ms Ecumunical Prayer group which was the seed for the first Secular Franciscan community in that area.
Fr. Cohen's directives:
(1) Be fully grounded in Church - Mass every Sunday in good and bad times.
(2) Have Full understanding and support on the part of their spouses,
(3) Have Leadership - team ministry, clear "head" or chairperson or guardian,
and a clear method of decision makeing
(4) Have Clear ecumunical guidelines -
(5) Have a spiritual director
This exactly fits the Secular Franciscan Order, unknown to them at this time.
The friend brought to Fr. Cohen, at this meeting, record of a deep prayer experience that had been journaled previously. It confirmed the ecumenical calling that Fr. Cohen was asking for, and yet the need for loyality and unity in Church. It also sums up the whole journey and the experiences of all who were to be involved in the Mississippi area.
IT WAS: A reading from Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 1 says stand on the watchtower and wait to see what the Lord will speak to you and to record the vision you see and inscribe it on a tablet and wait for the appointed time. It was not known what was on the tablet that the group was supposed to wait for - though it tarried as the verse reads next. The confirmation of what was to be on the tablet was - to read Hebrews 13. Hebrews 13 is the whole Franciscan charism. "ANGELS UNAWARE"
There was also a recurring dream of a tower beside a gravel road - prehaps an oil rig (there were many in the rural areas) or a Radio Tower and the area it covered .
IT SAID:
"Religions and demoninations are beating the 'Body of Christ' so terribly - worse than the physical wounds He bore on earth. "Predjudice in the Church, hatred, judgment, pride, egotism, lack of tolerance to hear and understand each other- yes, even, competition to be the most gifted and favored of our Father- Abba - in UNITY it must stop. "A house divided is prey to the enemy. Man must have reconciliation with himself, God, and his fellow man. "Time is short - we must build and unite on our like areas - not our differences - All Truth, as it shown us, is for the Holy Spirit who burns down on us all - Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, Jews for Jesus, Presbyterian, and on it goes - "We must learn to LOVE - "To bring in the kingdom and defeat Satan - nothing impure can tolerate the face of the Almighty One - who is LOVE - TRUTH - LIGHT - This love cannot be "faked" - truth and light will expose it. "Just as a man runs for president - God is asking that we campaign for Him - In this area two by two if necessary. There is urgency in this message."
More confirmation came from the words in writings of St. Francis of Assisi : From "The Admonitions" - "Take care not to become angry or disturbed by the sins of others. Since anger hinders charity in yourself and others.", the words St. Francis heard at San Damiano - "Go rebuild my Church", and of course from the "Letter to all the Faithful" - "prayer and fasting".
Beside the Ecumenical Prayer Group, there were other prayer groups in the area. But most of these other groups fell prey to the fast pace world and disbanded one by one. However, from these prayer groups came the call to search for something more permanent, something more committed to God and His Church. Something that would not disband, but would remain.
During Lent 1987 or 88, the Secualr Franciscan Order was mentioned to Patty Palmer on a retreat given by Fr. Borka, a Friar. He gave her the name of Fr. Larry Landini, provincial spritual assistant of the SFO of St. John the Baptist Province which covered this area. Patty and Bob Palmer wrote to Fr. Landini for information on the Seculars. He wrote back giving instructions to contact St. Teresa of Avila Fraternity in New Orleans (where the Poor Clares were hard at prayer for Franciscan vocations - being the answer to the prayer of the Poor Clares is an awesome task indeed). St. Teresa asked them to gather the group of people that were interested and travel each month to New Orleans to experience the community there and be formed into Secular Franciscans.
The travel to New Orleans was almost impossible for most of the group involved. The distance was overwelming for some. Yet it could not have been as impossible as the distance from Quebec to New Orleans experienced by the early Friars. When the group asked for a formation team to come to the Mississippi area, the Fraternity in New Orleans decided it would not work well for them and was not able to set it up at that time.
Thus things were at a stand still and all were discouraged, but they continued in prayer and discernment. It was then that Fr. Emmeran Frank, OFM, at St. Mary of the Angels (that was the parish where the Friars were invited back to Louisiana in 1925), who was spiritual assistant to the Seculars in the province, gave them a novena to ask for discernment of God's perfect will. If you need to make a decision and need a good little novena to help, this is it. It was used several times through the following years.
In the Fall of 1988, a meeting in Bogalusa, Louisiana took place with Joe, Martha, and Miriam from St. Teresa of Avila and Fr. Emmeran Frank, OFM, with 10 to 12 attending. This was to discern if interest and commitment were still alive in the area. Several who were interested were ready to committ to the Secular Franciscan Order. But the group needed a closer Fraternity to travel to, or they needed a team to come to them to form them.
The meeting took place at Annunciation Parish, and there they found several more interested. However, Annunciation is a Benedictine Parish, and in the next months the Benedictines came to install those in the parish who had been waiting to be Benedictine Oblates. Some of those who were interested in the Franciscans became Benedictines at that time. But there was a tiny hand full who clung to the Franciscan spirituality.
The next meeting was a bar-b-que, on a farm in Mississippi , which was to call the SFO's together to discern how to handle the group which had grown to twelve. But as the Lord would have it, a hurricane came. Fr. Emmeran advised not to cancel, for he said the Lord would take care of us. By the time of the bar-b-que, the sun was shinning. Some were still able to attend. Among them were Sr. Fidelis, Fr. Emmeran, and Martha Schroder of St. Teresa of Avila.
Fr. Emmeran and Jerry Rome, who was Minister under the Friar Province of St. John the Baptist in Cincinnatti, Ohio set up teams from several fraternities in the area to come to Mississippi to form this growing group. They were Jerry, Dick and Alice Chenot of Baton Rouge, Pat and Pat Haughton of Gautier, Martha Schroder of New Orleans, Robert Oliver of Lafayette, and Fr. Emmeran.
During one of the early meetings, they were instructed to discern a name for the new fraternity. They prayed together, and by now they had learned that "Portiuncula" was the birthplace, so to speak, of the Franciscan Order. "Portiuncula" translates into "Little Portion". The "Portiuncula" was the place given to St. Francis by the Benedictines and for which St. Francis paid them one basket of fish per year. It was also a Marian Year and many had a true devotion to Our Lady. Hence, they became "Our Lady's Little Portion". During that same meeting, they listened to a talk recorded by Sr. Fidelis. In the tape she mentioned, "Little Portion in the Pines". It was a confirmation for the name. Many of the beginning meetings were held at the farm, the same farm where the bar-b-que was leld in the pines of Mississippi.
Columbia, Ms. became the official meeting place since half of the group was from Columbia, and since the entire group was under the spiritual assistance of Fr. John Noone of Holy Trinity in Columbia. Fr. John became a Secular Franciscan with the group. The other half traveled long distances from other places in Mississippi and Bogalusa, Louisiana.
Pat Crowley was the first from Columbia to answer the call to Franciscan spirituality because she carried her mother's old rule book from the Third Order of St. Francis as it was called years ago. Pat was first to be professed. She was given special dispensation due to her cancer reoccurring and was professed on her death bed. She died one year after Judy Hebert also on the feast of the Chair of Peter. Pat promised to send us a sign from heaven to show that all the sufferings and prayer were not in vain, and she requested a song be sung at her funeral about angels that she called "I Hear Angels Knocking At My Door". It could not be found by anyone. The hymnals were searched, Dan, a friend who plays music for the Billy Graham Crusade searched their hymnals, and other song books were searched. On the way back from the funeral, Wanda Freeman, a member heard a tune she had never heard and received the words that seemed to fit what Pat wanted. It is believed that Pat did give us the song, "I Hear Angels Knocking At My Door" as the sign.
Fr. John moved the ecumenical prayer group to his church, and held a special Mass on Wednesdays. He asked the others to attend Masses in each of their individual parishes for prayer, fasting, peace, and unity. He also called all mothers to pray for their children and for the world through special prayer. The group grew through several conversions to the Catholic Faith through the next few years.
Five Fraternities participated in the formation of the Columbia group who became Our Lady's Little Portion. The four fraternities were St. Teresa of Avila, N.O.; St. Joseph, Baton Rouge; Mother Marianne of the Gulf, Gautier, Ms.; and St. John the Evangelist, Lafayette, La. Each set of formation team members took their turn in the traveling to Columbia, Ms. San Damino entered later and became the sponsoring fraternity to handle the canonical establishment of the new fraternity. Barbara Smith was Minister, and Clay Dixon was the Formation Director of San Damino into which the professions of the Columbia group were made.
On the Feast of St. Francis, Our Lady's Little Portion decided to have a fish fry for the Benedictine Oblates in Bogalusa. We remember the story of Francis's first housing ,"Portiuncula", that was provided by the Benedictines monks for the sum of one basket of fish each year. On this anniversary date, the fish fry in Bogalusa at the Benedictine Parish was held with Mass and special entertainment by Dan from the Billy Graham Ministries. A basket of sardines, symbolic of that first basket of fish, was presented to Fr. Maur, OSB who represented the Benedictines. The Benedictine Oblates and the Secular Franciscans became close in spirituality and prayer life over the years and each year a special Benedictine- Franciscan day is celebrated with Mass, food, and fellowship.
On February 2, 1991, the Feast of the Presentation , the twelve were permanently professed into San Damiano fraternity from the fraternity in formation of Our Lady's Little Portion.
September 29, 1991, the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, the fraternity was canonically established as Our Lady's Little Portion with the papers naming St. Charles Borromeo, Picayune, Ms. as the fraternity's location. Was this a prophesy of the new fraternity to come? Fr. John had just been transferred to Picayune. The papers were corrected to record Columbia as the location of Our Lady's Little Portion.
LISTOur Lady of the Angels Fraternity
Picayune, Ms.
As the comet hurled onward, Fr. John found interest in Franciscan spirituality in Picayune with a Franciscan of 40 years, in the parish. She was residing there without a fraternity. Father John invited Fr. Emmeran to give a Francisccan night in his new parish. It was determined that another group of 20 or more were interested in forming a fraternity at Picayune. A group of professed members of Our Lady's Little Portion, being closer to Picayune, volunteered to help in the formation of the new fraternity.
The Order decided to place this new fraternity under, who else, St. Teresa of Avila. Back to New Orleans! Picayune was within driving distance and all would attend the meetings in New Orleans. Distance again was a factor in organizational problems and group discernment of the new fraternity. But the group traveled as much as they could under great hardship, and grew, and was finally canonically established on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25, 1995.
We will add more on the development of Our Lady of the Angels later.
McComb, Jayess, Ms.
under Our Lady's Little Portion"
Meanwhile back in Columbia, around 1992 two members, Linda and Elby Billedeau, found that there was another group of people that were being called to this movement around their home area in the far Southwestern portion of Mississippi- McComb, Jayess area. In fact after research they even found an dormant established fraternity in Greenwood, Ms. This group began meeting and seeking discernment. They had a meeting with Mass at the home of the Billedeau's and invited others from the area who were not Franciscan and the Franciscans from other fraternities. At the consecration, a large group of swallows gathered all around the house and made such a racket that Father had to turn and look at the sight. It seemed that the birds were praising God.
During a Day of Recollection with Sr. Fidelis, they related the story of the miracle of the birds to Sister. Immediately she said, "The Larks of Umbria", which is in the stories of Francis, and they decided to call their fraternity "The Larks Of Umbria". Most of their group moved away or died, leaving too few to be cannonically established. Linda died of cancer. They are still under Our Lady’s Little Portion as of Jan 2001.
As we gather more information from this group, their story will be added here.
One of the candidates, Joel Redman, from the Larks is becomming a Friar.
Our Lady of the Pearl of the Immaculate Heart
Pearlington, Ms.
under St. Teresa of Avila in N.O.
From their Pamphlet
"Our story began with three Little Plants of our Father Francis and Little Sister of Avila. It was in the year of Our Lord 1996. It was a lovely fall day in October, on the 12th.
The little Plants decided to take a carriage ride in search of the glorious pastureland and the dwelling of a Little Sister. They set out on their adventure, not sure of the way. After many a fruitless turn on the roadways and in fear of losing their way, they decided to give up their search and return home.
On the way back, they stopped the carriage to admire a lovely lady approaching on a magnificant horse. Blessed be St. Francis! - it was Little Sister of Avila! There was much rejoicing.
The Little Plants followed her to her home, set on a glorious mountaintop, overlooking a beautiful valley and lake. They spent the afternoon together, with the ladies sharing their Franciscan story and journey with the Little Sister. Between stories, all continued to express amazement over the meeting on the road and what they now knew was Divine appointment.
As Brother Sun began to hide himself behind the hills and mountains, the Three Little Plants prepared to depart. Little Sister invited them back for First Friday in November. She wanted to share with her friends about Father Francis and being a Secular Franciscan. They came back on the First Friday and month by month after that. Thus, this is the story of how Our Lady of the Pearl began."
This group’s ministry is Concordia Ministries whose goal is to establish a Catholic Radio Station. The mission statement of Concordia Ministries, Inc. is : "I will be a witness to you in the world, O Lord. I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers and sisters, alleluia." Psalm 18:50,22:23.
They support Concordia by assisting with implementing its decisions. For example, Our Lady of the Pearls has assisted with the radio station, Evangelization 2000, establishing an Adoration chapel in Chili, and with fundraisers for Concordia.
Another ministry provided by Our Lady of the Pearl is on First Fridays when there is open house for anyone to come for prayer and fellowship. Also, they enjoy volunteering to help the Sisters at Poor Clare Monastery in New Orleans with their projects such as those in the garden and with bake sales.
OTHER FRATERNITIES
There are several new fraternities in the Texas portion of our region also. Remember Fr. Membre, a Friar and the first priest to preach in the Mississippi Valley, was martyred on the Texas coast when Lasalle missed the mouth of the Mississippi River and landed in Texas. Our former minister, Tim Lamb, has been instrumental in forming three of these Texas fraternities. He also recognizes the problems in distances and the need for better guidelines for those fraternities that undertake the responsibility of forming a new fraternity. Tim Lamb took vows as a Friar in 2000.
Also, The Little Flock is in Fair Hope, Al. and as of Jan, 2001 is an emerging fraternity under Mother Marianne Fraternity.