New Name for our Marian Ministry

We received a request to change our name to include women in our order.

We received suggestions; at the same time, we have three propositions:

1. Keep the name as we have it: Third Order of Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, and accept women as well.
2. Change the name to Third Order of Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Immaculate.
   3. Change the name to Third Order of Franciscans of the Immaculate.

Please submit your vote by selecting proposition number 1, 2, or 3.

Thank you

Brother Eric.

Eric Michel is a Catholic in Faith and he was a member of the International Conference of the Autocephalous Bishops and the ministries had a charter, but because he disagreed with the US Order of the Franciscans of the Eucharist, the Mother church’s action, which contradicted the Roman Catholic Church’s Pope’s directives: Entity, “Forbiden and Suspect Societies or to other associations of the same kind”, who publicly associated with, or publicly supported sects or similar organizations, and those who promote or take office in such an association, they are of principles that are incompatible with Catholic doctrine, he subsequently resigned from the OFE affiliation, who was granted on May 21, 2025.

We became the Third Order of the Franciscans of the Eucharist (TOFE) OFS.

First, I have to say that it wasn’t a big step for me to return to Catholicism; at the bottom, I always was, even when I denied it.

I was born and raised in the Catholic Church during the 1950s, before the Second Vatican Council. In Quebec before the Quiet Revolution, almost everybody who spoke French, parents, neighbours, teachers, doctors, and police, was Catholic. My Gnosticism and after the Unitarian Universalist Christian Fellowship was promoted, defended and taught with Catholic arguments, my spouse, who is a Baptist Minister, always put it under my nose that the Baptist, Evangelist and Pentecostal do not refer to that answer when it is an argumentation.

There are many doctrines with which I disagree, such as the doctrine of communion. However, open communion aligns more closely with how Jesus planned it; He didn’t specify giving it only to specific groups. The ordination of women is another major issue.

Two factors in teaching make me cross over. First, the teaching of the Franciscan Nun, Ilia Delio, who is, according to me, a modern version of the Gnostic teaching that I was part of.

Second, the Thomistic Institute exists to promote Catholic truth in our contemporary world by strengthening the intellectual formation of Christians at universities, within the Church, and in the broader public square. The thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Universal Doctor of the Church, serves as our touchstone that resonates with me. I am also listening to Brother Paul-Adrien, a Dominican Catholic priest, with whom I have a hard time with his teaching on the ancient world, but I appreciate his approach.

Then, the newcomers in my life were Father Casey Cole, a Franciscan Brother; Father Richard Rohr, another Franciscan Brother; and Robert Spitzer, an American Jesuit priest, philosopher, educator, author, speaker, and retired President of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.

In 2020, I joined an Ecumenical Franciscan group. Then, I became a Volunteer Chaplain with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains on February 28, 2022. I didn’t need it; I was already a member of the International Federation of Christian Chaplains since 2012.

The Metaphysical Effect

We have beautiful churches in my area, so I spend many Sundays visiting them and, of course, taking pictures. The Catholic Church in Lachute, Quebec, the Saint Anastasia Parish, located at 174, rue Béthany, features a narthex with shelves for displaying magazines and flyers. One day, while exploring, I found a publication from the Heralds of the Gospel. On a page, there was a small publicity square with an internet link. I was led to go to the website.

I began a 33-day course for Consecration to Jesus through Mary, as taught by the Heralds of the Gospel, following the teachings of Louis Marie de Montfort.

Consecrated on November 11, 2023, OUR LADY OF THE PORTUGUESE

Catherine Labouré and the Miraculous Medal

In 1946, the 300th anniversary of the declaration of Mary Immaculate as Queen of Portugal was commemorated. November 11: on the anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Catherine Laboure.

Wow, what a wonderful thing! Followed by a mass in Brazil that you can attend in Montreal church and other churches, as well as on YouTube.

I received an email from Father Michael Carlson, EP, saying that the Holy Mary set all the steps leading to the consecration, which I took with a “grain de sel”, a French saying meaning To take something with a “grain of salt” or “pinch of salt” is an English idiom that suggests viewing something, specifically claims that may be misleading or unverified, with skepticism or not to interpret something literally.

But it’s the aftermath; amazing. If it’s not the Holy Mary, I wish to know who it is.

A strange force compelled me to do things like becoming a soldier of Mary, Militia Immaculatae, on December 12, 2023, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I register online, and when it’s done, I ask myself, ‘What did I just do? My God, I don’t understand. It must have a reason for this, but I cannot explain it. It is not rational.

Later, I became a member of a few others in Mary’s group, and then, one day in 2025, I started a Facebook group called the EMMI Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary.

Now I am a born-again Catholic.

My YouTube Heroes:

HOME – BRO. ERIC – HISTORIC – My Catholic Conversion

Robert Francis Prevost, OSA, né le 14 septembre 1955 à Chicago (Illinois, États-Unis), est un prélat catholique américano-péruvien, élu pape le 8 mai 2025 sous le nom de Léon XIV. En qualité d’évêque de Rome, il est le 267^e pape de l’Église catholique ainsi que le chef d’État du Vatican. Il est le premier souverain pontife né aux États-Unis, ainsi que le septième pape augustinien (le dernier étant Eugène IV mort en 1447).

De nationalité américaine puis plus tard également péruvienne, il est membre de l’ordre de Saint Augustin. Il est en mission au Pérou entre 1985 et 1998, puis exerce des responsabilités à la maison-mère de son ordre à Rome de 2001 à 2013. Il est ensuite nommé évêque du diocèse péruvien de Chiclayo.

Le 30 janvier 2023, il est choisi pour succéder au cardinal Ouellet à la tête du Dicastère pour les évêques ; il prend ses fonctions le 12 avril suivant. Le 30 septembre de la même année, il est créé cardinal par le pape François.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on_XIV

A new Pope has been elected,

Pope Leo XIV

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost

The papal conclave of 2025 was convened to elect a pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, to succeed Francis following his death on 21 April 2025. In accordance with the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici gregis, which governed the vacancy of the Holy See, only cardinals who had not passed their 80th birthdays on the day on which the Holy See became vacant (in this case, those who were born on or after 21 April 1945) were eligible to participate in the conclave. Although not a formal requirement, the cardinal electors invariably elect the pope from among their number. The election was carried out by secret ballot (Latin: per scrutinium).

Of the 252 members of the College of Cardinals at the time of Francis’s death, 135 cardinal electors were eligible to participate in the subsequent conclave. Two cardinal electors announced that they did not plan to attend, decreasing the expected number of participants to 133. To be elected pope, a candidate requires a two-thirds supermajority of the participating electors, or 89 votes.

Of the 133 cardinal electors in attendance, 5 were cardinal bishops, 108 were cardinal priests, and 20 were cardinal deacons; 5 were created cardinals by Pope John Paul II, 20 by Pope Benedict XVI, and 108 by Pope Francis; 29 worked in the service of the Holy See (such as in the Roman Curia), 79 were in pastoral ministry outside Rome, and 26 were retired. The oldest eligible cardinal elector was Carlos Osoro Sierra, at the age of 79, and the youngest was Mykola Bychok, at the age of 45. Another 116 cardinals were ineligible to participate in the conclave due to their age.

The cardinal electors entered the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave on 7 May 2025. On 8 May, after four ballots over two days, they elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, who took the papal name Leo XIV.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_electors_in_the_2025_papal_conclave

PHOTO Enews01

The Holy See is currently in a period of sede vacante, which began on 21 April 2025 upon the death of Pope Francis. 

Archbishop’s Office pin board

What the conclave schedule could look like
As we approach the start of the conclave on Wednesday, here’s a tentative breakdown of what the schedule could look like. Caveat: This is based on 2013, when there were 117 electors, versus this time, when there are expected to be 133. We also don’t know yet what time they will begin the mornings yet. But this gives you an idea of what we could expect.

osvnews.com

The New Life Catholic Chaplaincy (OFS) warmly invites you to participate in our Bible Studies Group. This gathering is designed for individuals seeking to deepen their understanding of the Scriptures and grow in their faith.

Join us as we explore the richness of the Bible through discussion, reflection, and fellowship. Whether you are a long-time believer or just beginning your spiritual journey, our group is open to all who wish to learn more about God’s word and its relevance in our lives today.

Meetings will be held weekly, providing a welcoming environment to share insights and ask questions. We aim to build a supportive community where everyone can feel encouraged in their walk of faith.

We look forward to seeing you there and embarking on this spiritual journey together!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/nlcfc