Help John Become a Traditional Franciscan Friar
Donation protected
Ave Maria!
My name is John Joyce. I am 22 years old. I have been discerning a vocation in religious life for the past three years.
Religious life is so important to the life of the Church and to the stability of society. A great portion of the graces which come to earth for the salvation of souls and the peace of families, cities, and nations, come by means of contemplative souls in convents and monasteries, who pray and make sacrifices for those living out in the world. In light of the message of Our Lady of Fatima, who told us that in our present age, so many souls are lost because there is no one to pray or do penance for them, the responsibility of the religious, and the responsibility of lay people to promote and foster good religious vocations cannot be sufficiently emphasized. In fact, the Fatima message itself has had a very important place in my discernment, and it was a constant point of reference for me as I spent time in prayer, reflection, and as I made visits to various religious and clerical communities, looking for the right fit.
Last summer, I discovered the Marian Friars Minor (https://www.marianfriarsminor.com), a relatively new group of Franciscan men committed to the Traditional Latin Mass, Roman Breviary, and fostering Franciscan piety among lay people through the Franciscan Third Order. When I made my visit, I was immediately impressed by how seriously they took their duties as religious, their simplicity, devotion to prayer, faithfulness to the rule of their Holy Father St. Francis, and most of all, the peace which seemed to fill every space in the friary. Though I had enjoyed my visits with other groups, I had not experienced such an overwhelming sense of peace as I did on this visit, and when my visit was over, I realized that I wanted to come back right away. I knew then that this was the group I wanted to join to serve Our Lord as a religious and if God wills it, as a priest.
However, as a recent college graduate, I have about $80 thousand in student loans. I cannot enter the friary until that number is significantly reduced if not completely paid off, and with my current level of income, it may take five years or more for me to do that.
And so, in the spirit of St. Francis, who taught his brothers to beg for the necessities of life, I set up this GoFundMe to ask for contributions to my student loans from men and women of goodwill; for the love of God, that I might enter religious life as soon as possible, that the Church might have another consecrated soul to work for the salvation of souls.
Thank you for whatever, in your charity, you decide to contribute.
In Iesu et Maria
John Joyce
My name is John Joyce. I am 22 years old. I have been discerning a vocation in religious life for the past three years.
Religious life is so important to the life of the Church and to the stability of society. A great portion of the graces which come to earth for the salvation of souls and the peace of families, cities, and nations, come by means of contemplative souls in convents and monasteries, who pray and make sacrifices for those living out in the world. In light of the message of Our Lady of Fatima, who told us that in our present age, so many souls are lost because there is no one to pray or do penance for them, the responsibility of the religious, and the responsibility of lay people to promote and foster good religious vocations cannot be sufficiently emphasized. In fact, the Fatima message itself has had a very important place in my discernment, and it was a constant point of reference for me as I spent time in prayer, reflection, and as I made visits to various religious and clerical communities, looking for the right fit.
Last summer, I discovered the Marian Friars Minor (https://www.marianfriarsminor.com), a relatively new group of Franciscan men committed to the Traditional Latin Mass, Roman Breviary, and fostering Franciscan piety among lay people through the Franciscan Third Order. When I made my visit, I was immediately impressed by how seriously they took their duties as religious, their simplicity, devotion to prayer, faithfulness to the rule of their Holy Father St. Francis, and most of all, the peace which seemed to fill every space in the friary. Though I had enjoyed my visits with other groups, I had not experienced such an overwhelming sense of peace as I did on this visit, and when my visit was over, I realized that I wanted to come back right away. I knew then that this was the group I wanted to join to serve Our Lord as a religious and if God wills it, as a priest.
However, as a recent college graduate, I have about $80 thousand in student loans. I cannot enter the friary until that number is significantly reduced if not completely paid off, and with my current level of income, it may take five years or more for me to do that.
And so, in the spirit of St. Francis, who taught his brothers to beg for the necessities of life, I set up this GoFundMe to ask for contributions to my student loans from men and women of goodwill; for the love of God, that I might enter religious life as soon as possible, that the Church might have another consecrated soul to work for the salvation of souls.
Thank you for whatever, in your charity, you decide to contribute.
In Iesu et Maria
John Joyce
Organizer
John Joyce
Organizer
Akron, OH
