Franciscans of Primitive Observance
The Franciscans of Primitive Observance is an association of the faithful founded in 1995 under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston that observes the Rule of Saint Francis in the Capuchin tradition. Their community population lives at the Friary of St. Joseph on 10 Highgate Street in Lawrence, MA and, until December 2020, lived at 3 Magazine St, Roxbury, MA.
History
In 1994, six members of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, Pio Mandato, Joe Nolan, David Engo, Francis Kelly, John Sweeney, and Peter Giroux, sought to found a new community in order to pursue an authentic observance of the life and Rule of Saint Francis. They petitioned the bishop of Fall River, Massachusetts, Seán Patrick O'Malley, for support. O'Malley agreed to serve as Ordinary of the new group, which was named Capuchin Recollects, and he assisted them in composing their rule and constitutions. On April 21, 1996, the six founders professed perpetual vows before O'Malley{{cite web
|url=http://www.franciscanfriarsminor.com/#!minister-general/u75xx
|title=Biography of our Minister General
|publisher=Franciscan Brothers Minor
|place=South Bend, IN
|accessdate=June 30, 2016}} and established their friary in New Bedford, Massachusetts.{{cite news
|url=http://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/19970331/news/303319939
|author=Bill McNamara
|newspaper=The Standard-Times
|place=New Bedford, Massachusetts
|title=Capuchins came from all walks of life
|date=March 31, 1997
|accessdate=June 30, 2016
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=33K1H3xpaC4C&q=Franciscans+of+Primitive+Observance&pg=PA46
|author=Benedict Groeschel and Grazyna Marczuk
|title=A Drama of Reform
|page=46
|place=San Francisco
|publisher=Ignatius Press
|accessdate=June 30, 2016
|year=2005
|isbn=9781586171148
}} Subsequent houses of the community were opened in Stamford, Vermont, where novices were formed,{{cite web
|url=http://www.iberkshires.com/story/574/John-Sweeney-gladly-left-fast-track-to-millions-to-embrace-poverty.html
|title=John Sweeney gladly left fast-track to millions to embrace poverty
|accessdate=June 30, 2016
|date=January 17, 2001
|place=North Adams, Massachusetts
|publisher=iberkshires.com (Boxcar Media)
}} Emmitsburg, Maryland, and Nicaragua.
In 1996 the community changed its name from Capuchin Recollects to Franciscans of Primitive Observance.{{Cite web|title=Boston Catholic Directory. Detail|url=https://www.thebostonpilot.com/bcd/Detail.asp?Blueindex=250&Type=Brother|access-date=2021-06-23|website=www.thebostonpilot.com}}
After O'Malley was appointed as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston in 2003, the Franciscans of Primitive Observance requested to be transferred from the Fall River diocese and incardinated in the Boston Archdiocese. Upon approval, the friars relocated to Lawrence, Massachusetts, closing the friary in New Bedford. In 2010 they opened a second house in Roxbury. Currently they have one friary in Lawrence.{{cite web
|url=http://teach.itg.emerson.edu/surviveandthrive/2010/04/standing-out-eastie-friars-sta.html
|publisher=Emerson College
|date=April 30, 2010
|accessdate=June 30, 2016
|title=Standing Out: Eastie friars stay traditional
|author=Brooklynne Kelly Peters
}}
Governance
Peter Giroux{{Cite web|date=January 3, 2019|title=Life Matters: Fr. Peter Giroux, F.P.O.|url=http://guide.bnntv.org:8000/CablecastPublicSite/show/88395?channel=1|access-date=June 23, 2021|website=Boston Neighborhood Network}} has served as the community's General Servant for the majority of the Franciscans of Primitive Observance's existence. Fr. Andrew Beauregard was superior from 2015 to 2018.
The catholic young adult group, Pure in Heart Lawrence, regards Andrew Beauregard as its spiritual director.{{Cite web|title=Lawrence|url=https://www.pureinheartamerica.org/lawrence|access-date=2021-06-23|website=Pure in Heart America|language=en-US}}
Controversy
In 2000, the Tifft family donated the use of their estate in Vermont to the Franciscans of Primitive Observance to conduct a retreat for their members, during which they conducted exorcisms.{{Cite web |date=2019-05-07 |title=Former Mass. priest sexually abused teens in New England, according to new allegation |url=https://www.masslive.com/boston/2019/05/former-massachusetts-priest-john-sweeney-sexually-abused-teens-performed-exorcisms-on-them-according-to-new-allegation.html |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=masslive |language=en}} The Tifft family alleged that John Sweeney, one of the founding figures, used these and similar occasions to serially sexually abuse and victimize teenage women, including the Tifft's 17-year-old daughter.{{Cite web |last=Cormier |first=Taylor |title=Former New Bedford-Based Priest Accused of Sexual Assault |url=https://wbsm.com/former-new-bedford-based-priest-accused-of-sexual-assault/ |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=1420 WBSM |language=en}} Sweeney was put on leave in 2004, and subsequently laicized in 2013.{{Cite web |date=2019-05-08 |title=New names surface in priest abuse scandal |url=https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/ci_32619928/new-names-surface-priest-abuse-scandal |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Sentinel and Enterprise |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Priest used exorcism as a ruse for abuse, woman claims |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-claims-she-was-molested-boston-priest-who-used-exorcism-n1003041 |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=NBC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |first=Laura |last=Crimaldi |date=May 7, 2019 |title=Clergy sex-abuse crisis isn't over, lawyer says, citing recent settlements |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/05/07/clergy-sex-abuse-crisis-isn-over-lawyer-says-citing-recent-settlements/2ZyfzOcw6ml52yLKeDIOeN/story.html |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=BostonGlobe.com |language=en-US}}
Women's community
Along with the founding of the friars' community out of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, six women left the corresponding women's community, the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal, in 1994, to form the Capuchin Recollect Sisters in New Bedford, Massachusetts.{{cite news
|url=http://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/19970331/news/303319932
|author=Bill McNamara
|date=March 31, 1997
|title=For nuns, a joyful intimate connection to God and each other
|newspaper=The Standard-Times
|place=New Bedford, Massachusetts
}} In 1998, they changed their community's name to Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth. After 2003 they moved to Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania in the Diocese of Scranton.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://fpofriars.weebly.com/}}
- [https://religiouslife.com/vocation/franciscans-of-primitive-observance Profile by the Institute on Religious Life]
Category:Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
Category:Christian organizations established in 1995