by

BROTHERS AND SISTERS ALL

FRANCISCAN VIRTUES
FRATERNITY

By Brother Patrick

In the dictionary, fraternity is defined as a feeling or condition of mutual support and affection. Fraternity is friendship and fellowship. It is brotherhood and sisterhood. It is community and solidarity. Fraternity is a bond of common interests, a social contract, that brings us together as fellow citizens. It is a bond of goodwill that brings us together as friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners. It is a bond of love, amity, and shared goals that brings us together as brothers and sisters; as church, as family, as community.

Fraternity calls for a shared commitment and responsibility for the common good, for the good of all people — especially for the poor, the sick, the young, the elderly, the disabled, and the newcomer. Fraternity is deeply rooted in the belief that all human beings are created in God’s image and likeness; that all human beings are created with a dignity that is unique and unalienable.

Fraternity transcends race, creed, gender, social status, and sexual orientation. It transcends borders and boundaries. It transcends differences, divisions, and disagreements. Fraternity reaches out to every man and woman, every brother and sister, every child of the Most High God. Fraternity is universal love, respect, and concern.

Saint Paul writes: “Love each other with genuine affection. Honor others more highly than yourself (Romans 12:10).” The psalmist cries out: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to live together in unity (Psalm 133:1).” Helen Keller says: “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”

Pope Francis writes: “A truly human and fraternal society will be capable of ensuring in an efficient and stable way that each of its members is accompanied at every stage of life; not only by providing for their basic needs, but by enabling them to give the best of themselves, even though their performance may be less than ideal, their pace slow, or their efficiency limited (Fratelli Tutti, 110).” In other words, every person matters. Every person has a part to play in the community. Every person has a right to what makes life worth living.

Like his predecessor, Pope Leo XIV speaks often about the virtue of fraternity. He says: “Fraternity derives from a very ancient root, which means to care for, to have a heart, to support and sustain…Brothers and sisters support each other. They never turn their backs on those in need. They weep and rejoice together in active pursuit of trust, unity, and mutual reliance. The dynamic is what Jesus gives to us: ‘Love one another as I have loved you (John 15:12).’ The fraternity given by Christ, who died and rose again, frees us from the negative logic of selfishness, division, and arrogance. And it restores us to our original vocation, in the name of a love and a hope that are renewed each day. The Risen One shows us the way to journey with him, to feel for each other, and to be ‘brothers and sisters all’ (General Audience, 11-12-25).”

Our world is tormented by greed, war, lies, corruption, and injustice. Our world longs for clear voices, courageous voices, prophetic voices to speak for peace, truth, and justice. Voices for living together in love and friendship. Voices for fraternity. Now and always, let these be our voices.

A Prayer to the Creator 
By Pope Francis

Lord, Father of the human family,
you created all human beings equal in dignity.
Pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit.
Inspire in us a dream of renewed encounter,
dialogue, justice, and peace.
Move us to create healthier societies
and a more dignified world:
a world without hunger,
poverty, violence, and war.
May our hearts be open to all peoples
and nations of the earth.
May we recognize the goodness and beauty
that you have sown in each one of us,
and thus forge bonds of unity,
common project, and shared dreams.

Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us! Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us! Our Lady of the Angels, pray for us! Pope Francis, pray for us!

Read: Fratelli Tutti by Pope Francis (2020)

Art by Abaca Press – 3AXCT23 – Alamy

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THE ASSISI PROJECT
A FELLOWSHIP OF FRANCISCANS IN SPIRIT
INTERCESSORY PRAYER MINISTRY

Members of the Assisi Project, ranging in age from 18 to 102, pray each and every day for all who ask for our prayers. If you would like our fellowship to pray for you or your special intention, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com. In communion with Pope Leo XIV and in solidarity with people of faith and goodwill everywhere, we also pray for peace, truth, and justice. In addition, we pray for all migrants and refugees; for the courage to speak truth to power; and for the poor, the persecuted, and the unjustly imprisoned. Please join us in prayer by clicking the link below! Thank you for your prayers! May God bless you! May the Risen Lord give you peace!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brother Patrick Garvey is co-founder and spiritual director of the Assisi Project. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine, Saint John Seminary, and the Catholic University of America. He is a writer, spiritual director, retreat leader, and university lecturer. He also serves as an Associate Minister in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport in Massachusetts. On October 3, 2023, the Feast of the Transitus of Saint Francis of Assisi, Brother Patrick was consecrated as a diocesan hermit by Bishop Mark O’Connell, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Boston. For more information about the Assisi Project and our ministries with adults of all ages and backgrounds, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com.

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ABOUT US

Founded in 2007, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with friends and followers throughout the world. We are dedicated to helping Christian believers of all ages more faithfully live the Gospel of Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. We are also dedicated to promoting a devotion to Pope Francis (1936-2025) as a patron of peace, mercy, and fraternity in our sick and suffering world.

The Assisi Project is a non-profit, tax exempt charitable organization. Please support our ministry via Pay Pal (see link below) or mail a tax-deductible donation to the Assisi Project, Post Office Box 3158, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01931-3158. The Assisi Project Podcast is produced by the Assisi Project, Inc. Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. May the Lord give you peace!

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In Memory of Father Benjamin Okwy Madu