{"id":2253,"date":"2026-03-03T11:34:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T11:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/?page_id=2253"},"modified":"2026-03-24T21:49:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T21:49:04","slug":"secular-franciscan-order","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/?page_id=2253","title":{"rendered":"Birth of a Secular Franciscan Fraternity"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"2253\" class=\"elementor elementor-2253\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ac38151 e-flex e-con-boxed elementor-invisible e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ac38151\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42dc9b7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"42dc9b7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Birth of a Secular Franciscan Fraternity<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-637305b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"637305b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Toni professed into the Secular Franciscan Order in 1984, one of the founding members of the Little Portion Secular Franciscan Fraternity, and one of the volunteers at the Little Portion Retreat House in the South Bronx. Since then, she has served on the fraternity Council as Assistant Minister and Formation Director. She helped organize retreats, fraternity events, prayer times and ongoing formation. After 37 years as a journalist, she received her 200-hour Yoga certification in 2014. She then trained to become a Holy Yoga instructor, allowing her to combine her two passions: her Franciscan calling, and her love of yoga. She sees herself as a teacher offering yoga as a unique gift to\u00a0each student, and a chance to have them draw closer to God through movement, prayer and meditation.\u00a0The values she holds dear \u2014 nonviolence, truthfulness, integrity, moderation, kindness, compassion \u2014 are all values instilled in her as a child and embraced as a Secular Franciscan.\u00a0<em>\u201cNot all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love\u201d \u2014 St. Teresa of Calcutta.\u00a0<\/em>Small things, great love \u2014 this is how she lives her life, her yoga, and her Franciscan calling.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e1360ba elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"e1360ba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"222\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Toni-e1772578526466-222x300.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-2416\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Toni-e1772578526466-222x300.png 222w, https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Toni-e1772578526466.png 466w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 222px) 100vw, 222px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7bacd51 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"7bacd51\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-decf50f elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"decf50f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-afbb328 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"afbb328\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>\u201cCalled to Serve\u201d by Toni Maconi, OFS,<\/strong><br \/><strong>book published in 2016 by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/taupublishing.com\/online-store\/ols\/products\/called-to-serve-birth-of-a-secular-franciscan-fraternity-toni-maconi-ofs\">TAU publishing.<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong>We invite you to listen to the story of a Secular Franciscan Fraternity, the Little Portion Fraternity.<\/strong><\/p><p><strong>We would like to support the project of another secular Franciscan, Gerry Straub OFS, who started a project for poor children in Haiti:<a href=\"https:\/\/santachiaracc.org\/\">\u00a0Santa Chiara Children\u00b4s Center.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-017cd26 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"017cd26\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ed0a859 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"ed0a859\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-00b9576 elementor-widget-tablet__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"00b9576\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/pjrV5KAb2OQ\">01: Preface<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/uaO6OeP_IuM\">02: Introduction<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ElO7ieF180A\">03: January, 1982: The dream<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/IUP4THFXHjI\">04: The word spreads, the team grows<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/hCwe7RyIdK4\">05: The roots of the Order<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/w7LFvLr7O3Q\">06: The Project begins to take shape<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/cXJrckakec8\">07: The chapel reveals its beauty<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/qgi7qQgDaXc\">08: The Rule in action<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/BbqRx0EuSAc\">09: The message spreads<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/URmMW30-Us8\">10: Fraternity begins to build<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/jBEoPg24KUU\">11: Many hands help out<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/uIKn57z2Lgc\">12: The house opens, and a dream is realized<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/0yn5IC0STDY\">13: The team grows<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/ONxOprir2ws\">14: Volunteers wonder: What next?<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/iPi7NlZr_eU\">15: On the road to becoming Franciscan<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/fSItxTZOaiM\">16: Complete reliance on God<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/h8SufJ8iiU8\">17: Volunteers use their time and talents<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/bRivmOdhddU\">18: Feeding the body and soul<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/C78WwVzc2AY\">19: The Heart of the House<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/3zdl2ciqTCg\">20: Growing pains for the fraternity<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/lhAsfeIj4Ns\">21: Religion, literature, art brought together<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/fZuhqpvqMOY\">22: The beginning of the end<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/z-CcpR9F50Y\">23: Saying Goodbye<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/BCJ8Z_VbYj0\">24: The fraternity moves forward<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/4t-NB8WnzQI\">25: Epilogue<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Birth of a Secular Franciscan Fraternity Toni professed into the Secular Franciscan Order in 1984, one of the founding members of the Little Portion Secular Franciscan Fraternity, and one of the volunteers at the Little Portion Retreat House in the South Bronx. Since then, she has served on the fraternity Council as Assistant Minister and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":231,"parent":0,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2253","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2253"}],"version-history":[{"count":52,"href":"https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4323,"href":"https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2253\/revisions\/4323"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/assisijourney.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}