Friars Trudge 300 Miles and Find Kindred Souls on the Way

[Tonks]

From the front page of the Washington Post today...interesting article.

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Friars Trudge 300 Miles and Find Kindred Souls on the Way

They've been mistaken for Jedi-wannabes headed to a Star Wars convention. They've been investigated by police, approached by strangers, gawked at from cars and offered gifts of crumpled dollar bills and Little Debbie snacks.

After trekking along more than 300 miles of dusty Virginia country roads and suburban highways, six Franciscan friars reached Washington on Tuesday, having seen it all during an offbeat modern-day quest for God.

For six weeks, the brothers walked from Roanoke with only their brown robes, sandals and a belief in the kindness of strangers to feed and shelter them.

The sight of six men in flowing habits, trudging single file on the side of the road, prompted many to pull over and talk, even confess. People on their way to work described their loneliness. College students wanted help figuring out what to do with their lives. Children, mistaking them for the Shaolin monks in movies, ran up to ask the friars if they knew how to beat up bullies.

"Dressed like we are in our habits, it's like a walking sign that says, 'Tell us your life's problems,' " explained Cliff Hennings, the youngest of the friars at 23.

Continued: Franciscan Friars Trudge 300 Miles in Va. and Find Kindred Souls Along the Way

 

[Michie]

What a great story.

 

[Sphinx777]

A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.

The mendicant orders are religious orders which depend directly on the charity of the people for their livelihood. In principle they do not own property, either individually or collectively, and have taken a vow of poverty, in order that all their time and energy could be expended on religious work.

Christian mendicant orders spend their time preaching the Gospel and serving the poor.

Both of the two main new orders founded by Saint Dominic and Saint Francis were prompted by a concern to combat the Cathar heresy (in southern France and in northern Italy, respectively) by offering a model of God being active within the community. They attracted a significant level of patronage, as much from townsfolk as aristocrats. Their focus of operation rapidly centered on towns where population growth historically outstripped the provision of parishes. Most medieval towns in Western Europe of any size came to possess houses of one or more of the major orders of friars. Some of their churches came to be built on grand scales with large spaces devoted to preaching, something of a specialty among the mendicant orders.

Saint Anthony and Saint Francis were notable inspirations to the formation of Christian mendicant traditions.

In the Middle Ages, the original mendicant orders of friars in the Church were the...

• Franciscans (Friars Minor, commonly known as the Grey Friars), founded 1209
• Carmelites, (Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Carmel, commonly known as the White Friars), founded 1206–1214
• Dominicans (Order of Preachers, commonly called the Black Friars), founded 1215
• Augustinians (Hermits of St. Augustine, commonly called the Austin Friars), founded 1256

The Second Council of Lyons (1274) recognized these as the four "great" mendicant orders, and suppressed certain others. The Council of Trent loosened their property restrictions. Afterwards, except for the Franciscans and their offshoot the Capuchins, members of the orders were permitted to own property collectively as do monks.

Among other orders are the...

• Trinitarians (Order of the Most Blessed Trinity), founded 1193
• Mercedarians (Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy), founded 1218
• Minims (Hermits of St. Francis of Paola), founded 1436
• Capuchins (Order of Friars Minor Capuchin), established 1525
• Discalced Carmelites, founded 1593
• Brotherhood of Saint Gregory (an Anglican order) founded 1969

 

[Gwendolyn]

That is so cool! Just like St. Francis!!

 

[KeenanParkerII]

Hah! That's awesome!

It sure takes a lot of sand to do that. Three hundred miles is a long trek in sandals, and it's a hot summer to be wearing robes. Not to mention dealing with those cat-callers and jeerers.

 

[Breaking Babylon]

Really awesome story.