| “Thank you for enriching my life with the daily lives of the saints.” “I truly wish I could give more at this time. The beautiful charism of St. Francis brought me back to God and renewed my love for the Church after the disheartening sexual abuse scandal. The Franciscans taught me how to find joy in the messiness of life, value among imperfections, and trust during the trials we'd often rather not have. Thank you for the wonderful work of the Franciscan Media team. I look forward to what you do." “I pray for blessings for the Franciscan Media family! The words of hope you share with us each morning—Minute Meditations and Saint of the Day are my lifeline to the start of a day devoted to our good Lord." Dear John, We hope you have enjoyed the Saint of the Day e-mails. Just twice a year we interrupt these e-mails to humbly ask that you make a small donation in support of our Franciscan ministry. We are so blessed to be able to spread the message of the Gospel through the wisdom and love of St. Francis. But our ministry is not possible without the support of readers such as yourself. Every day, this e-mail is sent to almost 30,000 people. If just 4% of those 30,000 donated $5 per month we would have more than enough to support this part of our ministry and keep Saint of the Day free for the asking. Our goal for this drive is to have 100 new monthly sustaining members. If you aren't one yet, please consider it today during this break. We have plans to rebuild our online presence in 2020 that cannot happen without you. In order to build this community platform, we need support from our entire Franciscan family, which includes you! Please take a moment to read our president's letter below. Thank you for your support! We hope you have a blessed Christmas and New Year. Fr. Daniel Kroger, OFM Publisher Dear John, When a weary St. Francis knelt before the cross in the fallen-down church of San Damiano, he heard a message from the crucified Christ. “Francis,” Jesus said, “go rebuild my house; as you see, it is all being destroyed.” The poor man of Assisi took the command literally and began repairing the stone and mortar. But he soon realized that Christ’s instruction was for his humble servant to repair the worldwide Church, not the fallen-down chapel. Suddenly, Francis was tasked with a greater mission: to spread Christ’s healing message to those hungry for it. Our mission at Franciscan Media mirrors that of our founder: to spread the joy of the Gospel, the promise of Christ resurrected, and the hope that only God’s redemptive love can bring. But just as St. Francis faced obstacles in his day, we, too, are challenged in our efforts to share our Franciscan tradition. To do that, we need to meet people where they are. And for many, that sacred space is online. We know that because, every year, millions of people visit our website, FranciscanMedia.org, in search of spiritual enrichment. Our Saint of the Day celebrates the lives of saints and blesseds; Minute Meditations provides a daily dose of spiritual mindfulness; Faith and Family brings the Gospel to life for parents and children; and our blog, Franciscan Spirit, is a daily touchstone for those who are hungry for the Franciscan charism. Our website, indeed our entire digital footprint, is a home for many. But that home is in need of fortifying its foundation and adding new rooms to welcome even more people into our home and family. We are looking to launch a new website in 2020—one that will be an even better spiritual experience for our audience. Our goal at Franciscan Media is simply to continue the legacy of our founder. Hope is a powerful resource, especially in these trying times. St. Francis moved forward in faith with his mission to share the Gospel. Please help us continue that mission. Peace and every blessing,
Kelly McCracken President, Franciscan Media | 