The Secular Franciscan Order was established by St. Francis of Assisi more than 800 years ago. Our purpose is to bring the Gospel to life where we live and where we work. We look for ways to embrace the Gospel in our lives and try to help others to do likewise.


Secular Franciscans live the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in fraternal communion. We have a specific way of being in the world, and a specific way of being together. This fraternal communion is a constitutive element of our vocation.



The Tau cross is the distinctive sign of the Secular Franciscan Order. It is an ancient Christian symbol that can be traced back to the words of the prophet Ezekiel to signify those who belong to God.  St. Francis saw the Tau as a symbol of the cross of Christ, the sign of salvation, and used the Tau to sign his name.