"Like, St. John, the beloved disciple, Fr. Francis and his Brothers accept Mary as a precious gift of God. Moved by Jesus' love for His mother Fr. Francis dedicated himself to her so that the Holy Spirit in whose action she cooperates with a mother's love, would form him more fully to the image of Jesus."
We recall the communion that Fr. Francis had with Mary, the mother of Jesus. Like Mary, he led a life of meditation and contemplation. At his Perpetual Profession, Fr. Francis took the vow of stability "to make Mary known, loved and served." As we conduct him by our prayers to the house of the Lord, may we imitate his devotion to her and continue to seek Jesus through Mary.
Today we celebrate the many years that Fr. Francis was of service to the Society of Mary and the Church. In addition to being Provincial he also served as our novice master for over 30 years. Fr. Francis was responsible for introducing many of us to the spiritual life and helped us grow as Marianist religious. As we conduct him by our prayers to the house of the Lord, may we all understand the importance of servant leadership as Fr. Francis did.
