woMen's branch
From the beginning of Religious Life in the Western Church there have been men and women living the same charism, like St. Benedict and St. Scholastica. When St. Dominic and St. Francis began their communities in the 1200s, they continued the tradition of men and women sharing the same charism while living in parallel communities.
Our community is in the initial stages of developing parallel branches of Franciscan Friars and Franciscan Sisters. Our intent is that as we grow, the friars and sisters will continue to work together to spread the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ while serving our brothers and sisters in need.
Although our women's branch has grown at a faster pace, the men's branch has has a steady presence since the very beginning. Bishop Bob Lombardo serves as our founding member and guardian, and although he has now been asked by the Church to assume the responsibilities of the episcopacy, he fulfills this in a way that still allows for his daily presence in our community, and he remains very active and present as the current our guardian (superior) and the director of our main mission center - the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels.
In addition to Bishop Bob, we have had young men in various stages of initial formation throughout the vast majority of our community history. Although the men's branch has been slower to develop, the intention to form parallel branches and bear witness to the complementarity of men and women within the Church remains an essential component of our founding charism, and we have great hope that the Lord will continue to inspire and call young men to join our community.
Bishop Bob serves as the primary vocation director and formator for men discerning our community as well as the overall director of our formation program for both friars and sisters.,The rectory at Our Lady of the Angels is the men's formation house. Sisters in final vows serve as the vocation director and formators for the women's branch. Our women's formation house is currently located in the convent at Our Lady of the Angels. We are in the process of renovating St. Hyacinth's Convent to be our women's formation house in the future. Sisters in formation receive in-house classes alongside friars in formation, one-on-one meetings with sister formators, and the opportunity to study for a theology degree at Mundelein Seminary during temporary vows. Sisters who will be serving in the teaching apostolate and who do not already have a teaching license will go on for further studies in education as well.
To get in touch with our women's vocation director, please email vocations@fechicago.org or fill out the form below:
