Greetings from Paraclete Press!

Francis of Assisi: The Hidden Story by Chiara Mercuri  is a challenging new biography with a bold thesis. Mercuri takes the reader back in time to the real Francis of Assisi, revealing with wisdom and clear scholarship the complexities of the social, family, religious, and economic dynamic of the Middle Ages, and the concentric circles of those who knew and wrote about St. Francis from firsthand knowledge. This is a biography of the world’s most popular saint – for everyone! 

"This biography will blow the doors off the box holding a pious, mystical, aloof St. Francis. Chiara Mercuri, in Robert J. Edmonson's lively translation, reveals a man who is no less saintly than the legends have it, but who in his humanness is more relevant than ever."  - Jon M. Sweeney, editor of The Road to Assisi by Paul Sabatier, and author of The Enthusiast: How the Best Friend of Francis of Assisi Almost Destroyed What He Started

Chiara Mercuri is an Italian historian whose book on Saint Louis’s acquisition of the crown of thorns won the prestigious prize of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. She writes for the Italian magazine Medioevo (Middle Ages), and spent years reconstructing, on the basis of unofficial sources, this life and teaching of Francis of Assisi.

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Learn more about our San Damiano Books here: San Damiano Imprint and be sure to look at our other Franciscan Spirituality here. This book is now available for purchase through your local bookstore, amazon.com, Paraclete Press or anywhere books are sold. 

 The General Curia is planning to include a blurb about it in a future edition of Fraternitas, so please be on the look at for that!

Thank you for your time and I welcome your feedback or conversation.

To all my friends and family,

[All of the files needed can be gotten by following this link.]

+JMJFC+

Dear Ministers,

As we discussed and voted on during our last Chapter it is the goal to do a Region-wide Consecration to Jesus through Mary on the Holy Feast of Our Lady of the Angels, August 2nd.  I have been working hard to gather all you will need to assist your fraternities in making this consecration.  First I am going to send you 5 recorded talks to use during the consecration. You will need to click the hyperlinks below each talk on the schedule below.  Please download them before the expiration date.  I will also have the talks as well as the handouts uploaded to the website.  The talks were recorded by Father Adam Streitenberger, OFS especially for this purpose.  They are very well done and especially address our Franciscan Charism and Francis’s love for Our Lady.  You may distribute them to your fraternities via email or plan to listen to them as a group as you make this journey.  The first talk should be done 1 week prior to beginning your consecration preparation. 

There are three books Father recommends: 

Daily Meditation using either

Preparation for Total Consecration by Montfort  http://www.amazon.com/Preparation-Total-Consecration-According-Montfort/dp/0910984077/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1465069458&sr=1-1&keywords=9780910984072

or

33 Days to Morning Glory  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_5?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=33+days+to+morning+glory&sprefix=33+da%2Cstripbooks%2C191

I have personally used both.  I like the Montfort one for the piety but the meditations in the Morning Glory books are very enjoyable.  There is even a section on Maximillian Kolbe J Last year during my renewal I used Montfort in the morning and Gaitley at night.  It was a nice combination.

It is highly recommended that you read True Devotion to Mary by Montfort http://www.amazon.com/Devotion-Blessed-Virgin-Louis-Monfort/dp/0910984506/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1465069847&sr=1-3&keywords=true+devotion+to+mary+by+st.+louis+de+montfort at some point.

Father will discuss the book in the recordings.  Again whether you read the book now or save it for later, Father’s recordings are HIGHLY recommended.  He explains why this devotion would be important to us as Franciscans.  

Secondly I am attaching a handout called Mary in Scriptures you should give to each member making the consecration.  Thirdly I am attaching a copy of what to do as your Consecration gets closer.  Last a copy of the Total Consecration Schedule.

Below you will find an outline of the consecration process with dates and links to download each talk (remember to download them before the expiration date or go to the HTR web site at http://www.holytrinityregionofs.org/ they should be uploaded before the end of the week) .

Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary

Recording 1  :  Should be done the week before July 1st

Introduction 

Download Attachment

Available until Jun 23, 2016

·         John 19:25-29

·         Introduction to Consecration to Jesus through Mary

·         Gift of self to Mary and Renewing Baptismal Promises

·         Total Consecration and Franciscan Spirituality

·         How to Make the Consecration

·         Using the Books

July 1^st (Feast of Br. Juniper Serra)– August 2^{nd     (Feast of Our Lady of the Angels)}

The 33 Days of Preparation

·         Daily Prayer and Meditation using

·         Preparation according to de Montfort or

·         33 Days to Morning Glory by Gaitley

Recording 2:   Between the 1^st of July and the 8th

Mary, Our Mother

Download Attachment

Available until Jun 24, 2016

·         Revelation 12:1-7

·         Montfort and Mary

·         Chapter 1 of True Devotion

·         Our Lady and Franciscan Spirituality

Recording 3:  Between July 8^th and July 15th

Mary, Our Model

Download Attachment

Available until Jun 25, 2016

·         Luke 1:25-56

·         Chapter 2 and 7 (exterior) of True Devotion

·         St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Anthony, St. Bonaventure, Bl. John Duns Scotus

Recording 4:  Between July 15^th and July 22nd

Mary, Our Lady and We, Her slaves

Download Attachment

Available until Jun 30, 2016

·         John 2:1-11

·         Chapter 3 and 4 of True Devotion

·         Franciscan Spirituality and Our Lady

Recording 5:  Between July 22^nd and July 29th

Mary, Our Mediatrix

Download Attachment

Available until Jun 30, 2016

·         Genesis 2:14-20, 1 Kings1: 1-20, Luke 2:22-40, Acts 1:11-14

·         Chapter 6 and 7 of True Devotion

·         What to do before and on Consecration day

August 2^nd, The Feast of Our Lady of the Angel

·         The Renewal of Our Baptismal Promises and Act of Consecration after Daily Mass either as an individual or a fraternity

If you have any questions at all please do not hesitate to email me.  If I have not included anyone on this list or you need paper copies of the handouts and a cd version of the talks please let me know. I would love for each Fraternity to send me pictures of their Consecration day to post on our website!  You can email me at holinessisforeveryone@gmail.com or call me at 740.814.6053.  I receive text too J  I will send reminder emails as we get closer. 

Peace and All Good,

Maggie Wright, OFS

Holy Trinity Regional Treasurer