by Julianne Wallace
As many of you know, the Franciscan Federation is a fully remote organization. Most of our meetings, planning sessions, and daily encounters happen over Zoom. There is much to appreciate about this reality: it is convenient, cost-effective, and allows us to work closely with people across the country without the demands of constant travel.
And yet, I must admit that connecting through a screen is not quite the same as sharing a room.
As a high introvert, I understand the temptation to remain behind the screen, to conserve energy, attend to the next task, and keep moving through the work that needs to be done. Gathering can require something of us: time, travel, attention, vulnerability, and the willingness to enter a space where we may not know everyone.
But this summer, I was reminded again and again that gathering is not simply a break from the work. In many ways, it is the work.
In the Franciscan tradition, we might call this the grace of the Piazza. While The Piazza is the name of the Franciscan Federation’s digital gathering space, it is also more than a platform. It is our guiding vision for community: a commitment to create spaces, online and in person, where people can encounter one another, share their stories, notice one another’s needs, and grow in relationship.
The Piazza reminds us that we belong to one another. Francis, Clare and early Franciscans understood that the Gospel is lived not in isolation, but in relationship with God, one another, and all creation.
This summer, I spent a good deal of time on the road, but two gatherings in particular deepened my excitement for the Franciscan Federation’s National Gathering in June 2027.
First, I had the opportunity to attend the Secular Franciscan Quinquennial Congress, affectionately known as “the Q.” Approximately 500 Secular Franciscans from across the United States gathered to pray, learn, celebrate, and renew their shared commitment to the Franciscan way of life. It was my first Q, and I found it to be a remarkably relational experience.
I met in person for the first time several people with whom I had spent months on Zoom calls. What a joy it was to discover that the relationship picked up right where the screen had left off.
We were, almost instantly, in-person companions. There was also the gift of meeting new people, people whose stories of finding and living the Franciscan charism were as varied as they were inspiring. We each come to Franciscan life by a different path, yet we recognize something familiar in one another: a desire to live simply, faithfully, joyfully, and in service to a world in need of peace.
I was also grateful to share the Q with my dear friend, Fr. Tim Daly, a retired diocesan priest from Orlando and a professed Secular Franciscan. Fr. Tim and I go way back, but this was the first time we were able to share the joy of Franciscan life in such a meaningful way. There is something especially beautiful about gathering with people who know your story and also share your spiritual home.
My second experience of gathering came at the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) annual assembly. This year’s gathering was especially poignant as more than 1,300 women religious from across the United States came together to celebrate the 70th anniversary of LCWR. The assembly focused on synodality, and for several days we practiced, in very real ways, the art of being a listening Church.
Listening is not always easy. It asks us to slow down, set aside our prepared responses, and make room for another person’s experience. Yet it was deeply rewarding to see the relationships that formed in such a short time because people chose to listen before speaking. In a world that often rewards quick answers and strong opinions, the practice of listening became its own kind of witness.
The Franciscan Federation also hosted a wonderful reception during the gathering. By the time the evening was over, there was no food left-which, I think, is a very good sign! Women religious, and some special guests, from many different congregations came together for an evening of fellowship, conversation, and shared Franciscan spirit. The room was full of energy, connection, and the warmth that comes when people recognize a common bond.
Both of these experiences felt like a preview of what our Franciscan Federation National Gathering can be.
From June 3–6, 2027, we will gather at the Chicago Marriott Naperville for “Rooted as Franciscans, Healing Our World.” Together, we will celebrate the stories that have formed us, draw strength from the wisdom of our Franciscan roots, and explore how our identity calls us to be peacemakers, bridge builders, and caretakers of our common home.
The National Gathering Committee, led by Sr. Susan Marie Pleiss of the Oldenburg Franciscans and Katherine Giorgio of the Little Falls Associates, is already hard at work shaping an experience of prayer, learning, relationship, and renewal. In the coming months, we will announce keynote speakers, issue a call for breakout-session proposals, and share opportunities for exhibitors and sponsors. Registration will open in early January.
We look forward to seeing the familiar faces of the Franciscan Federation: friends and companions whose presence has sustained this community over many years. At the same time, we are intentionally inviting young adults and lay employees of Franciscan organizations to join us. If you are a young adult, work in a Franciscan ministry or organization, or are still finding your place within the Franciscan family, please know: this gathering is for you, too.
This will be our first National Gathering since 2023. I am excited to imagine us coming together once again; not simply as individuals attending a conference, but as a Federation reignited. We will gather with wise spirits and new faces, long-time companions and first-time participants, stories of faithfulness and hopes for what is still possible.
May we come ready to meet one another in the Piazza: to listen deeply, to share generously, to celebrate joyfully, and to be renewed for the work of healing our world together.
Julianne Wallace
Executive Director
Franciscan Federation
