Missions

St. Francis of Assisi was the first founder of a religious order to include missionary work as one of its explicit objectives. Holy Name Province, as heirs of this tradition, has a long and proud missionary history. Only a few years after our Province was formed, Fr. Patrick Gilgan, OFM, volunteered in 1913 to serve in the Order's missions in China. He was soon joined by numerous other friars. To support their efforts, friars and lay associates banded together to form the Franciscan Missionary Union in 1922 to raise awareness of the work of missionaries and the needs of Franciscans.

Today, friars of Holy Name Province work in missions in Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, East Africa, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam. Our evangelization to the world includes promoting not only the spiritual life, but the human and social development of the people our missionaries serve.

To learn more about the missionary work of the friars, or to make a donation toward this ministry, please visit the Franciscan Missionary Union Web site.