OUR LADY OF GRACE
I AM TRULY YOUR MERCIFUL MOTHER
The Third Order of Franciscan Friars of Immaculate (TOFFI) was established shortly after our Archbishop Eric Michel was consecrated to the Holy Mother Mary on November 11, 2023.
The Blue Mantle: A Story of the Third Order of Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate
In the quiet hills of Southern Laurentide, nestled among groves of maple trees and the timeless rhythm of church bells, stood the Ministry of Eric Michel International. Draped in brown habits, the friars who lived there belonged to the Third Order of Franciscans of the Eucharist, a community wholly dedicated to Christ through the Immaculate Virgin Mary.
Among them was Brother Eric, a friar with a fire in his heart and questions in his soul.
Chapter One: The Call
Brother Eric had joined the order after a profound conversion experience in the Franciscan Brotherhood. There, kneeling before the San Damiano Cross, he felt the unmistakable whisper: “Rebuild my Church.” That whisper had led him not to stone and mortar but to the heart of the Church: prayer, penance, and total consecration to Our Lady.
Life was structured, ora et labora, prayer and work. The friars rose before dawn, chanted the Divine Office, and spent their days in silent contemplation, manual labour, and evangelization. Eric loved the rhythm, yet a yearning gnawed at him.
“Is this enough?” he often wondered. “How can I bring souls to Christ while remaining hidden behind the internet wall?”
Chapter Two: A Mission Begins
One evening, after praying before the statue of the Immaculata, the Holy Ghost whispered to him. “Brother,” HE said, his voice soft, “there’s a Facebook Group. They have no catechist, only silence where the Gospel once echoed. I believe the Immaculata is leading you there.”
Brother Eric’s heart leapt; the answer was to create a Facebook group.
Bro. Eric and two other friars journeyed for days across the web, where users still bear the scars of poverty. The group was crumbling, with unbaptized individuals, and superstition had filled the spiritual void.
Chapter Three: Through Mary to Jesus
The friars didn’t begin with sermons or commands. They began with service, fixing our logo, preparing our posts, and sitting silently with the Elders. Every evening, they gathered with anyone who wished to pray the Rosary.
One by one, hearts began to stir.
Marie Yvonne wept openly during a Marian procession. Basil is now volunteering for feast days.
The friars taught what St. Maximilian Kolbe had taught: “Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.” Through Mary, the Facebook users began to rediscover Jesus.
Chapter Four: The Hidden Miracle
Brother Eric himself fell depressed; he whispered to the Immaculata, “Let me offer my life for them. Bring them fully to your Son.”
Later, the friars established a perpetual adoration chapel, and a Marian shrine was erected in honour of Jesus and Mary. The Third Order of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate was born.
Epilogue: The Blue Mantle
Later, a small boy knelt beside the Manse’s shrine, his eyes wide with wonder. His grandmother told him of the friars in blue who had come like angels, and one who had given his life for love.
That boy would one day join the Third Order of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, wrap himself in the blue mantle of Mary, and carry the flame of faith to new lands, whispering always:
“Totus Tuus, Maria, All Yours.”
FB Group EMMI Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary
https://www.facebook.com/groups/emmiconfraternity
A New Life Catholic Ministry of Eric Michel Ministries International
TOFFY – TOFFI LOGO and our Facebook Group – The TOFFI Story
