The Franciscan Community of Charity (FCC) is a religious congregation founded within the context of the inclusive, alternative Catholic ecclesial movement. It is an ancillary entity of the St. Francis Community of Faith for All People an inclusive Catholic parish based in Lindenhurst, New York.  The Franciscan Community of Charity is a work-in-progress, rooted in both New Monasticism and in the ancient Catholic tradition of Western monasticism and Franciscan evangelical religious life. 

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FCC seeks to honor and grow in relationship with the Divine Presence through:

1. The exploration and development of contemplative prayer life 

2. Worship

3. The promotion of social justice and peace

4. Ministries of compassionate charity as well as actions to transform systemic societal injustices that perpetuate poverty, violence, and disunity. 

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The Franciscan Community of Charity is an inclusive community and invites men and women, single or married, to participate in its communal life either as members of its principal residential community or as associates who live on their own in the world, but who wish to follow the common life of prayer and transformative works of justice of the community.

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The primary charism of the FCC congregation is derived from New Testament scriptures in the Gospel of John (John 8:12) where Jesus proclaims, “… I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” and in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 5:14) in which Jesus announces to his disciples, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before all, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” 

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Jesus declares that just as he has life in the Father, so too will those who follow have that same life. 

​The call of members of FCC is a call of continual self-discovery and growth in the inner light of truth and knowledge, righteousness, and most importantly divine love imparted by the Indwelling Spirit and thus, as commanded, to be beacons of light for others whom they encounter that those too may be enlightened through exploration of their interior life in the Divine and become revelations of the Love of God.

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Sisters and brothers of the Franciscans Community of Charity  will enter into a process of formation that will ultimately lead to the making of vows of simplicity, faithfulness to relationship, and the overarching vow of love.  The vow of love stems from the commands of the Christ to be love as the God who is Love in loving the Divine with one’s whole heart, mind, and strength, loving one another, loving one’s self, and perhaps the most difficult-loving one’s enemies.

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If interested in further exploration of life with the Franciscan Community of Light or for additional information, please contact us at st.franciscommunity@cfapli.net or you can complete the form below and mention in the message section you would like more information. Please feel free to join us each Thursday evening at 8PM for Night Prayer. You can find zoom link on the Community Evening Prayer Page.

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