STORIES FROM FRANCISCAN
VOLUNTEERS, ALUMNI, FRIARS, & FRIENDS
Franciscan Volunteers serve in the United States and live in solidarity with people who are marginalized. Members of our community are witnesses to the world and through their FVM experience learn to advocate for the poor through the Gospel message to express love in action.
May 2025
Week in the Life – FVM Philly
David Izzo, FVM 2024-2025 Philadelphia Join me as a go through the week at the St. Francis Inn! Monday 7:30am - Wake up and breakfast [...]
August 2023
Carry Your Experience with You
Dear FVMs, Eleven years ago, I found myself on closing retreat, where these words now reach you. Eleven years from now, perhaps you will find [...]
June 2023
Serving with Our Gifts
Some time after a retreat on personality types and preferences, I was talking with one of the FVMs, who shared a similar Myers-Briggs personality type. [...]
May 2023
Reflections from Philadelphia
One of the jobs at the St. Francis Inn that I love is cleaning the bathrooms. I can’t remember ever cleaning them while growing up. [...]
April 2023
It Will Be Difficult- A Poem
It will be difficult To move to a new city To be surrounded by new people To work in a new environment It will be [...]
March 2023
My Authentic Inn Community
When you have a rough day, what is the first thing you like to do? Go home, watch a movie, or scroll through your phone. [...]
February 2023
Loaves and Fishes: Giving All I can
One of my ministries chooses a piece of scripture to analyze each week. This week, we discussed Matthew 14:13-21 where Jesus feeds the 5000. It [...]
January 2023
Mistakes Happen
Mistakes happen all the time. It’s hard to forget though when you are someone like me who has expectations for everything to be perfect. Nowhere [...]
December 2022
A Revised Prayer of St. Francis
An FVM Alumni Reflection Entitled A Revised Prayer of St. Francis.
November 2022
Be Fully Present
One of the truly blessed and unexpected lessons I've learned so far is how much the communities around me live in the moment. I have [...]
October 2022
The Franciscan Community of St. Francis Inn
In November of 2021, Commonweal Magazine published a special issue with the heading "The Varieties of Religious Community Today" in which a collection of articles [...]
September 2022
The Call to Serve
If you asked me a year ago what I would be doing in a year, I would honestly tell you I do not have a [...]
August 2022
My Neighbor
“My Neighbor” - two words that summon thoughts of the kids next door who wail in the morning, the man across the street with disdain [...]
July 2022
Love Lived in Service
Love, Lived in Service took on a whole new meaning for me, having been given the opportunity to be at St. Francis Inn, to live, [...]
June 2022
Ay Buddy!!
Working at St Francis Inn, you get to see a lot of diverse guests dine in. Some guests come every day and you get to [...]
May 2022
Making Connections
One of the most important parts of my year has been making connections. Whether that be with the staff or guests, I always feel like [...]
March 2022
Tapestry of Community
There were many good reasons to commit to spending a year as an FVM at St. Francis Inn, including serving those in need, opportunities for [...]
February 2022
My Neighbor
When I hear the words “My Neighbor,” the first things I think of are the kids next door who cry in the morning, the man who [...]
January 2022
Transformative Love
Hi my name is Ricky Ferrer. I arrived in Philly both excited and anxious because of the unknown that is before me. St. Francis Inn [...]
December 2021
The Light of Saint Francis
The light inside of each of us grows when we nurture it. The flames become bright and we are able to guide not only ourselves but [...]