From Benedictine Roots
to Franciscan Calling
We are a small community of Anglo-Orthodox Franciscan friars in El Paso, Texas — born from a long discernment, shaped by the radical poverty of St. Francis, and called to serve the poor and the indigenous in the shadow of the desert.
A discernment born from prayer
The Franciscan Friars of the Forsaken did not begin with a plan. We began with prayer. The founding brothers had lived as Benedictine monks, formed in the contemplative tradition of St. Benedict, before discerning that God was calling them somewhere else — not away from monasticism, but deeper into the original poverty and mendicant simplicity that St. Francis had envisioned in the thirteenth century.
After a lengthy canonical process, the community was formally established in 2007 by Old Catholic Episcopal Decree. Our canonical lineage flows from Orthodox Greek and Ukrainian Christian authority, placing us within the great tradition of the undivided Church — neither Roman nor Protestant, but ancient.
“Many Franciscan orders began as reform movements. We see continuous attempts by Franciscans to recover the life St. Francis envisioned.”
— Rev. Bro. Greywolf, Guardian
We stand in that same line of renewal. The Capuchins arose in 1525 to restore radical poverty they believed had been lost within the Order of Friars Minor. The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal were founded in 1987 for much the same reason. Our community follows this pattern — not as a reaction, but as a calling.
Franciscan charism beyond Rome
Most people know Franciscan friars only through the Roman Catholic Church. What many do not know is that the Franciscan charism — the spirit of St. Francis — has always transcended any single institution. There are Anglican Franciscans. There are Lutheran Franciscans. And there are us: Anglo-Orthodox Franciscan Friars, living the Rule of St. Francis within the Western Rite of the Holy Orthodox Church.
We are not a Roman Catholic breakaway. We are not a protest movement. We are a canonical religious community under the spiritual direction of Bishop John Sebastian, Bishop of the Southwest, within the Autocephalous Byzantine Orthodox Church. Our jurisdiction is ancient, our rule is Franciscan, and our worship is Orthodox.
Our Vows
Each brother professes vows of Poverty, Chastity, Obedience, and Humility before the bishop or Guardian — committing to communal life, simplicity, and service for the rest of his life.
Our Habit
We wear a simple tunic with the San Damiano Cross and cincture — a white cord from which we suspend a rosary, adapted to our local context. We are discalced — going barefoot or in sandals only, following Christ’s command when he sent out the Apostles (Matthew 10:10).
Our Feast Day
October 4th — the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi — is our principal feast, observed with Orthodox liturgical adaptations, community service among the poor, and renewed commitment to the Rule.
Our Patron
Our friary is named for St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first indigenous North American saint — a Mohawk-Algonquin woman canonized in 2012. Her life mirrors our calling: poverty, prayer, and a special love for the marginalized.
Invited twice. Respectfully declined. Door still open.
We have been invited to merge with Rome not once, but twice. The first invitation came from Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger when he served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The second came from His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI himself — who was a personal friend of one of our bishops.
After much prayer and discussion, we respectfully declined both times. His Holiness understood our reasons, and made clear that the door would always remain open. We have not closed that door. We simply have not yet been called to walk through it.
“Our jurisdiction, while Catholic in spirit, is Autocephalous — not yet under the authority of Rome. The door remains open.”
— From our community statement
Poverty that is not a metaphor
We live in a modest three-bedroom home in El Paso that serves as both friary and chapel. We own nothing personally. We eat one main meal per day, and whatever remains beyond our immediate needs we give to those who have less. One room in our home is currently being converted into a hospice space for an elderly brother with stage-four cancer, who is relocating from Michigan to spend his final days with his community.
Because the poor we serve cannot afford to support us, our brothers work secular jobs — food delivery, dishwashing — alongside the very people we minister to. We never live better than those we serve. In the past year, one brother suffered a stroke and another a heart attack and now lives with diabetes. We continue.
“The Way of Salvation Runs Through the Poor”
Motto of the Franciscan Friars of the Forsaken
Walk with us
We ask only for your prayers as we continue our ministry among the poor, the sick, and those who feel abandoned by God. If you feel called to give, every gift goes directly to the work.