What is the Secular Franciscan Order?
There are a couple of questions that I get asked rather frequently. The first one goes something like this: “What’s that medal you’re wearing?” Once I tell them that it’s the habit of the Secular Franciscan Order and possibly explain the symbolism in it, they ask the second question: “What’s the Secular Franciscan Order?” These are good questions, and they deserve a good answer. First, let’s take a look the Secular Franciscan habit, which is shown to the left. Secular Franciscans are supposed to wear it in some form or another; as a medal, a pin, a ring, or some other form. When I was first discerning a call to the Franciscans, I was a little worried about the habit. I thought it was a habit like what the monks and nuns wear, and I really didn’t want to wear one around town, especially to work. The Secular Franciscans habit is made up of the tau cross with the arm and hand of Christ crisscrossing over the arm and hand of St. Francis. Christ’s arm is bare and has the wound from the cruc
