Greetings and Update from the Board
| Dear Franciscan Federation Members and Supporters, We want to take a moment to wish you a joyous Christmas season and New Year. May we know deep within the hope and peace of Emmanuel, Christ with us.We also want to express our gratitude for your membership, support, and encouragement as we continue to develop as a new Board of Directors and as a membership organization. We are aware that we may not have met all of your hopes and dreams, but we are striving to improve our communication and move into the future we all dream of. This letter includes several important updates and our assurance that we take our responsibilities seriously and have been busy working to meet the Federation’s changing needs. Not all changes (especially those behind the scenes at the Federation) are visible, so we hope that this update will help you understand what the Board has been up to since we began our term of service on August 24, 2024. National Office Staff Transition: September was a busy month of staff transition. We said goodbye to Sara Marks, who served as our first lay Executive Director. As you may recall from our August 29, 2024 letter to members, Sara resigned from her position to provide herself with time to complete her doctoral dissertation and to grow her consulting business. The Board invited Eunice Park into the Interim Executive Director position as we began the search for a new Executive Director. In mid-September we hired Fify Juliana as an Independent Contractor serving as the interim Administrative and Membership Coordinator. Fify has been immensely helpful in supporting Eunice with many office details. Executive Director Search: We are extremely grateful to the Felician Sisters of North America for the excellent Human Resource support we are receiving from Courtney Vago. The Executive Director position was posted in November, and we have received a lively response! The position will close on December 31, 2024. Screening of applicants has already started, and we are scheduled to begin the interview process by mid-January. Please continue to pray for the success of the search process as we seek a dynamic leader to guide the next phase in the Federation’s life. If you wish to see a copy of the job post, you will find it here. Listening and Learning Sessions: With Eunice Park’s engaging work we concluded our Year of Listening and Learning in October. The Listening & Learning recordings are available to members here on our website. They include a brief video on the History of the Franciscan Federation and Br. Michael Perry’s presentation. You must be logged in as a member to retrieve them. The Board has completed a narrative report, which will be available on the website soon. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took part in the Listening and Learning sessions. Your belief in the Federation’s role in our world and your ongoing support for it are humbling and inspiring. The report is not the last step: We will use what we have learned to develop a strategic plan for the Federation. Board Action, Policies, Procedures and Records–Oh, my!In November the Board elected Kevin Ryan as Treasurer so that Michael Fenn could move into the role of chairperson of the Advancement and Membership Committee. The Board Governance committee has also been busy reviewing and updating policies and procedures. Continued Gratitude: We continue to be deeply grateful for the support of the Convocation of Canonical Leaders (CCL) led by Sr. Janet Gardner and our Commission Chairs: Sr. Meg Earsley and Kristin Moline (for Membership Engagement), Sr. Pat Millen and Kelly Moltzen (for JPIC), and Sr. Susan Marie Pleiss (for Life and Mission). They diligently work to continue to offer programs and opportunities for the Federation to flourish. Important Upcoming Events: Please join us for two fabulous events coming in January and February: We will host the Franciscan Federation Membership Forum on Saturday, January 25, 2025, from 1pm- 4pm ET. Sr. Mary Beth Ingham, CSJ, will deliver the keynote address, “Attending to the Seeds of a Franciscan Future.” In addition to listening to Sr. Mary Beth’s inspiring words, you will have the opportunity to meet (virtually) the new Board of Directors, learn about the new structure and engage with all parties as we listen for the “seeds of the future.” There is no cost for this event for members of the Federation who are active in their dues. The registration fee for non-members is $50 per person. On Sunday, February 23, 2025, from 1pm-4pm ET, the Commission on Member Engagement will host the Franciscan Federation Virtual Annual Retreat: “Singing a New Canticle: 1225 – 2025.” Our speaker, Br. Bill Short, OFM, will share his Franciscan wisdom on this special day of reflection and sharing. Together, we will discover how events that occurred centuries ago continue to transform us today. Registration fee for all current members is $20 each, or $80 for members registering as a group of 4 or more AND logging in from 1 device. The registration fee for non-members is $50 per person. As 2024 draws to a close, we give thanks to our generous and loving God for the many ways we have been blessed throughout all of the chaos, uncertainty, and change. We look forward to joining the universal Church in the 2025 Jubilee Year as Pilgrims of Hope and to Celebrating Creation as Franciscans in light of the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of Creature. May God’s blessing and grace continue to lift your heart and soul. Peace and Every Good, Franciscan Federation Board of Directors: Jeanne Connolly, Darleen Pryds, Sr. Jeanne Bessette, Kevin Ryan, Sr. Michelle Balek, Sr. Celeste Crine, Michael Fenn, Fr. Mike Higgins, Sr. Sandra Lyons, Betsy Savare |