Topic summary
Franciscan Order
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Franciscans.
Secular Franciscan Order
The Secular Franciscan Order, prior to 1978 also known as the Third Order Secular of Saint Francis, is an order founded by Francis in 1212 for brothers and sisters who do not live in a religious community. Members of the order continue to live secular lives, and gather regularly for fraternal activities. In the United States alone there are 17,000 professed members of the order.