PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Province’s Franciscan Volunteer Ministry, Holy Name’s yearlong U.S. volunteer program, is seeking young adults who want to have a wonderful and intense experience of community, expressed prayer and direct ministry for our 2007-2008 FVM year. While it is merely a year’s commitment, it is truly the experience of a lifetime. Whether pursuing careers in law, medicine, finances, or social services, the FVMs lives have been influenced by this one year.
Our FVM alumni are teachers, coaches, doctors, nurses, physician assistants, social workers, and graduate students; they are single, married and vowed religious; and several work within the Province.
Our year begins August 18, 2007 and concludes July 25, 2008. Like a number of other volunteer programs, our numbers are low for the coming year.
If you know someone who might be interested in participating in the FVM program, please let us know soon. Since we will be wrapping up the application process shortly, time is critical. Please e-mail me at fvmpd@aol.com or call at 215-427-3070. We hope to hear from you by August 6.
Who are the FVMs?
Participants are single men and women between 20 and 40 years of age; they are dependable, flexible and adaptable, emotionally mature, committed to a year of service, prayer, community and the mission of St. Francis of Assisi.
Site locations
CAMDEN, N.J. — The FVMs live and serve in ministries fostered by St. Anthony of Padua, a Franciscan parish. The ministries include St. Anthony of Padua Elementary School, youth ministry, religious education, Hispanic ministry, immigrant ministry, English as a Second Language, community outreach and organization, and Francis House — a ministry for people living with or affected by HIV.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The FVMs live and serve as part of a full- time Franciscan community that runs St. Francis Inn, a place of ministry to the homeless, the addicted, those with mental illness, and the very poor. The main work is the soup kitchen, feeding up to 400 people a day – not only in body, but also in spirit. FVMs also have the opportunity to work in a women’s day center and thrift shop.
WILMINGTON, Del. — The FVMs live and serve in ministries fostered by two Franciscan parishes: St. Paul’s, a predominantly Hispanic parish which has an elementary school, and St. Joseph’s, a predominantly African-American parish. The ministries include: teaching, being teachers’ aides, coordinating youth sports program & coaching, prison ministry, youth ministry, pastoral counseling at a Franciscan hospital, and Voces Sin Fronteras (Voices Without Borders) a grassroots workers’ rights organization. It is helpful to know Spanish, but not at all necessary.
— Katie Sullivan is program director of the Franciscan Volunteer Ministry of Holy Name Province.