Franciscan Missionary Friars
of the Heart of Jesus and of Mary Immaculate

“Our Father is God the Father, the mother of the home is the Immaculata,
the firstborn son and our brother is Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the altar.” 
- St. Maximilian M. Kolbe

What is our mission? Our mission is to prolong the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the world today, in the footsteps of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe.

In addition to the traditional three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, we profess a fourth vow of total consecration to God through Mary Immaculate. We follow the ideal of St. Maximilian Kolbe - to become "docile instruments" in the hands of God and Mary Immaculate. Alongside him, we walk in the footsteps of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, as we too are called to be "love in the heart of the Church". Our charism, in fact, calls us to be contemplatives in the world, bringing God’s love to others through prayer and apostolate.

How do we pray? Our prayer is both personal and communal, Franciscan and Carmelite.

Our personal meditation and daily Eucharistic Adoration help shape a deep interior life rooted in our Carmelite spirituality. This is also nourished by our communal and liturgical prayer: Holy Mass, the Franciscan Liturgy of the Hours, and the Holy Rosary.

Where are we sent? We are sent to bring God’s love and Mary’s presence to everyone around us - whether in our community, at church, while waiting in line at the grocery store, or on mission trips.

In the spirit of St. Maximilian Kolbe, we are open to any apostolate. Each member is called to develop his personal talents and gifts, according to God’s plan and the Church’s needs. For example, this could mean serving as a hospital or school chaplain, a parish priest, a teacher, or even a missionary. Embracing our Franciscan roots, we live a shared fraternal life where friars can remain as brothers, or be ordained as deacons or priests.

Currently, we serve as chaplains in hospitals and schools, and as parish priests; one of our members is also a professor of Spiritual Theology. Mission trips are a vital part of our apostolic life, and we especially love to serve the People of God through Confessions and spiritual direction.

What does a typical day look like? Our typical day seeks to imbue our apostolic work with a spirit of constant prayer (our Carmelite roots), while maintaining a serene and joyful communal life lived in the Franciscan way.

After an early breakfast, we begin our day in the chapel: personal meditation is followed by Morning Prayer. Our morning work or apostolate is woven together, when possible, with an hour of personal Eucharistic Adoration. We then share our meals in a simple and Franciscan spirit.

The afternoon is equally filled with prayer: Mid-afternoon Prayer or the Office of Readings prepares us to resume our work. In the evening, the Holy Rosary and Holy Mass lead us into Evening Prayer and another meal shared in simplicity and joy. We close our day together in communal prayer, entrusting our rest to the Blessed Virgin Mary with Compline and a chanted Marian hymn.