“To observe the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ by living in obedience, without anything of one’s own, and in chastity” is the Rule and Life of the Friars— lesser brothers. Being men and women of peace and reconciliation is undoubtedly one of the characteristics of the Franciscan charism that stands out the most. It is also one of the evangelical values St. Francis cultivated the most and wished to forcefully transmit to all three branches of his spiritual family, the I, II, and III Orders. The Franciscans saw their particular purpose as carrying out the apostolate—doing God’s work—in every location where their presence and assistance were required, even from the start of their spiritual movement.

From its earliest times, the word Conventual was used with the phrase “Friars Minor” to designate their life in the community. The Conventual Franciscans are the custodians of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, where our father and founder, St. Francis, is buried along with his first companions. Among the other early Franciscan churches in which we still minister today is the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, where the tomb of the Saint is located. When our Franciscan Order established a permanent presence in Australia in 1954, we placed our mission under the patronage of “Our Lady Help of Christians.”

For more information, contact the Parish Office.