St. Francis of Assisi was the first founder of a religious order to include missionary work as one of its explicit objectives. As members of a fraternity that is evangelical and missionary by nature, Franciscans have always been in the forefront of the Church’s mission to bring the good news of Christ to all nations. Holy Name Province, as an heir of this tradition, has a long and proud missionary history.

Only a few years after our Province was formed, Fr. Patrick Gilgan, OFM, volunteered in 1913 to serve in the Order’s missions in China. Soon, a number of other friars were joining him. To support their efforts, friars and lay associates banded together to form the Franciscan Missionary Union in 1922 to raise awareness of the work of missionaries and the needs of Franciscans.

Today, Holy Name Province friars work in missions in Brazil, Japan, Peru and Taiwan. Our evangelization to the world includes promoting not only the spiritual life, but also the human and social development of the people our missionaries serve.