The General Secretariat of the Franciscan Missions, more commonly referred as “the Franciscan Missions,” was founded in the United States by the General Curia of the Order of Friars Minor in 1964 at the direction of Minister General Father Constantine Koser, OFM to promote the work of Franciscans in the Church’s mission to all people throughout the world.

The office of the Franciscan Missions developed over 42 years under the direction of Father Sereno Baiardi, OFM and Father Sante DeAngelis, OFM and with the more recent help of Father Ponciano Macabalo, OFM into an operation that supported mission projects throughout the world. In 2013, Franciscan Missions was reorganized as a United States-based nonprofit corporation in the State of Wisconsin in order to better facilitate the raising of funds in the United States and the distribution of these funds in a legal way throughout the world. In this reorganization, Franciscan Missions is endorsed by the Minister General Definitory (leadership team) in Rome, but is owned and operated by a Board of Directors in the United States.

The Board of Directors is made up of friars from the two provinces of the United States (or their friar delegates), the English-speaking General Definitor, the General Secretary for Missions and Evangelization, and the General Secretary for Formation and Studies.

Yes, the Franciscan Missions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and all gifts are tax-deductible.

Legal name: General Secretariat of the Franciscan Missions, Inc.

Tax Exempt ID: 39-1396579

Address:

P.O. Box 130
Waterford, WI 53185

The mission is the same as in 1964, namely, to promote the missionary work of the Franciscan Order.

The specific goals as outlined in its by-laws and statutes are:

1. To provide direct financial support for missions of the Order throughout the world. This is done both through grants for specific projects and through Mass intentions and stipends to missionaries.
2. To provide financial support for the training of future missionaries. This is done through financial grants for formation projects.
3. To educate the world, particularly in the United States, on the mission work of the Order. This is currently done by bringing in friar-missionaries to preach in parishes for the promotion of the missions and by a regular newsletter to donors informing them of the work of missionaries throughout the world. We maintain a “mission fraternity” in Waterford, a fraternity of international friar‐missionaries, whose purpose will be to pray for the missions and missionaries and to animate about Franciscan missions through preaching and teaching.

Franciscan Missions focuses its funding on Franciscan projects, projects of provinces, custodies, and foundations, projects with friars, projects that directly support a need, but empower self‐sufficiency when possible. Also, projects include those approved by the General Curia in Rome.

Funds have supported orphanages, soup kitchens, medical clinics, well water systems, and the development of farms to feed and to teach others to farm. We have provided humanitarian relief in Haiti, the Philippines, Syria, Ecuador, Ukraine, and dozens of other countries.

We have funded the education of Franciscan missionaries, as well as the building of churches, clinics, medical dispensaries, housing for the poor, and formation houses for Franciscan students.

Proper authorities for submission of project requests include the Executive Director of the Franciscan Missions, provincial ministers, custos, or president of a foundation of the Order of Friars Minor (with endorsement by a provincial minister or custos).

All project requests are sent to the Franciscan Missions’ Board of Directors, who meet four times annually. They review and approve requests by majority vote. We inform the Office of Development of the General Curia in Rome of approved funding requests. In this way, requests are coordinated and duplication is prevented.

There is a requirement of accountability. We expect notification of when funds are received and a report on how the funds were actually spent.

PRAYERS

Pray for the mission work of the Order, the many missionaries and mission projects, for missionary vocations from the friars, and for our many donors who support the missions.

SUPPORT

We encourage our friends and benefactors like you to support the missions with financial gifts. You can also remember the Franciscan Missions in your will.