Missions

St. Francis felt a call to be a missionary. He desired with his whole heart, mind and soul to spread the Good News, especially to those who had never heard of Jesus Christ. In 1219 St. Francis set out for the Middle East, where he met the Sultan and fulfilled his dream of preaching the Good News to the Saracens.

Inspired by the example of St. Francis and imbued with his missionary spirit, friars of St. Anthony Province have responded to the call to spread the Good News to the ends of the earth. In the fall of 1952 two friars of the Province traveled to Japan and established the Province's first foreign mission. Similarly, in the fall of 1976 four friars of the Province departed the States for Ghana, West Africa to establish the Franciscan presence there. In recent years both of these missions have become Custodies of their own and no longer require the Province's direct sponsorship.

Nevertheless, the Province's desire to assist in the Church's missionary effort is still strong. Through the Franciscan Mission Association (FMA) the friars offer much needed financial assistance to its former missions as well as to missionaries in Kenya, the Philippines and Honduras, and through their Order's headquarters in Rome, the missionary works of friars around the globe. It also helps to support ministry to the poor in the United States, in particular in Brooklyn, NY and in Bessemer, AL.

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St. Anthony of Padua Province Provincial House 12300 Folly Quarter Road Ellicott City, MD 21042-1419

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