Welcome!

Welcome to the website of the Ecumenical Franciscans of the Renewal! We are an Interspiritual Community open to all people who value St. Francis regardless of their spiritual perspective. Our primary Wisdom tradition is progressive, inclusive Christianity and many of our members also walk in another tradition as well. We are a part of the RHIMES lineage of Interspirituality. We believe the teachings and values of St. Francis apply to every spiritual tradition.

Our members live in various places and spaces. Some live together in community while others live in their own homes. Our goal is not withdrawal from the world but rather engagement with it. While we appreciate the value of cloistered communities, we believe that our world needs public witness to the values of St. Francis that simply cannot be achieved in the cloister. Wo do not wear habits or other distinctive clothing. The garb worn in traditional monastic communities was the work apparel of the Middle Ages. As a contemporary community in the New Monastic tradition, we wear the work apparel of our times. Our purpose is not to draw attention to ourselves, but rather to draw attention to the value of the practice of contemplative prayer and meditation, of non-attachment to material belongings, and to a deep ecology in a world that seems bent on self-destruction.

To learn more or to explore a vocation with The Ecumenical Franciscans of the Renewal, please email us at TheEFR@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!