A rule of prayer, penance, and mercy lived close to the ground.

Mission

We keep a Franciscan rule through daily prayer, public repentance, and practical care for people who are too often left unseen. Our work is small by design, local in method, and disciplined in spirit. We remain close to households, parishes, and places where ordinary fidelity still changes lives.

1981

A house of formation takes root

The work in Mountbellew began with a small circle committed to a common rule: pray together, share resources plainly, and serve where the need was immediate rather than visible.

1997

Field work becomes a steady apostolate

What began as occasional visits developed into a rhythm of accompaniment, food relief, listening, and practical support carried out in cooperation with clergy, volunteers, and neighboring communities.

2026

A dispersed fraternity, one shared discipline

Across prayer houses, parish rooms, kitchens, and roadside visits, the order keeps the same plain commitment: repentance that becomes service, and service that remains prayerful.

Faces

Names carried by the work

Click a face to read the brief story attached to that place in the order.

Field note one

“We do not arrive to manage suffering. We arrive to stay long enough that no one stands in it alone.”

Field Note, Mountbellew Visits

Field note two

“Penance, in practice, means making room for another person’s burden in the middle of your own day.”

Community Journal, Winter Round

Where We Work

Local roots, wider correspondence

Mountbellew remains the point of origin, with relationships sustained through parish, pilgrimage, and relief partnerships.

Mountbellew, County Galway

House of prayer, administration, and local visiting work.

Rome

Franciscan correspondence, pilgrimage support, and ecclesial ties.

Nairobi

Relief partnership focused on family support and pastoral accompaniment.

Manila

Community exchange, volunteer formation, and prayer network coordination.

How to Help

Support the rule in practice

Upcoming Events

Next gatherings

May 12, 2026

Evening Vigil at Mountbellew

Mountbellew, County Galway • Candlelit prayer and a short reflection on restitution and mercy.

Details
June 3, 2026

Open House for Volunteers

Mountbellew, County Galway • A practical introduction to the order’s local works and visiting discipline.

Meet the team
July 18, 2026

Summer Field Day

Galway • Shared service, meals, and testimony from members working across parish-linked projects.

See stories

Media mentions