Franciscan Passages is the name of the 501(c)3 Non-Profit entity whose purpose is to provide presentations, retreats and adventures focused on Francis of Assisi, his followers and the movement he started 800 years ago.
The purpose of Franciscan Passages is to introduce people to Francis of Assisi and Franciscan ideals. The starting point is always a text written by Francis or one of his contemporaries.
Julie McElmurry is the founder of Franciscan Passages. This is her answer to the question of "Why?"
"After five summers of rigorous study at The Franciscan Institute of St. Bonaventure University and a year spent writing my thesis, I prayerfully wondered again and again, why I dedicated so much time and energy to Franciscan Studies.
"This is a question I asked through prayer as early as 2002 when a scholarship to study there was first offered to me by the Provinical of the Conventual Franciscan friars.
"As I walked the Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela in Spain in 2002, in my backpack was a folded brochure about the Franciscan Institute.I read it, thought about the opportunity to study there as I walked 10-14 miles per day and prayed for discernment about whether to go.
"At the start of every summer, I anticipated the hard work ahead of me at the Institute and prayed and wondered what would be the fruit of those studies.
"Then, finally, a few weeks before graduating with my Master of Arts in Franciscan Studies in May of 2009, in prayer, I discovered an unequivocal answer to my query and one which settles peacefully within me. That answer, which I had searched for throughout those years of study, finally became clear: My purpose for studying Franciscan history, sources and spirituality is so that I can share it with other people. It is as simple as that!"
