Other CFIT Partners

Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs

For more than 30 years, Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs, based in Franklin, Wisconsin, has been bringing groups of Franciscans and lay people to Italy, to visit the sanctuaries and other sites associated with the origins of the Franciscan movement. Offering a combination of talks, liturgies, time for private time and reflection, these pilgrimages have been a transformative experience for many. The large staff is well-qualified academically to provide Franciscan enrichment. Specialized pilgrimages are offered for trustees and staff of Franciscan-sponsored institutions, as well as for students from the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities. In recent years, pilgrimages have also been organized to visit the Franciscan missions of the US Southwest and the Holy Land. For the many options offered, visit their website at: Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs.

Franciscan Study Centers

Several entities of the OFM English-Speaking Conference sponsor study centers where friars, other Franciscan religious, and lay people can learn about the Franciscan spiritual and theological tradition, especially how that tradition intersects with contemporary theological and ministerial issues. There are two study centers in the English-Speaking Conference:

Franciscan School of Theology in San Diego, California, USA. Working in collaboration with the University of San Diego. Seat of the Academy of American Franciscan History.

School of Franciscan Studies, St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York, USA. Houses the Franciscan Institute for research and publications.

The Order of Friars Minor also maintains a general study center, the Pontifical University Antonianum, in Rome, Italy. The primary language of instruction is Italian.

Association of Franciscan Colleges & Universities

In 1997 more than twenty institutions of higher education in the United States sponsored by various congregations of Franciscan men and women banded together to form the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities with the purpose of exploring the connection between the their Franciscan intellectual and spiritual tradition and the many dimensions of Catholic higher education today. In cooperation with CFIT, AFCU has developed a number of resources for the benefit of the faculties, staff, and students of their schools.