About Fraternitas
Who we are.
A fraternity of Catholic young adults in the footsteps of St. Francis and St. Clare.
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Santuario della Verna · La Verna
Fraternitas Singapore
Our Story
And let usalways make a home and a dwellingplace there for Him who is the Lord GodAlmighty, Father and Son and Holy Spirit.St. Francis of Assisi · Earlier Rule, Ch. XXII
Fraternitas Singapore
Our Story
And let us always make a home and a dwelling place there for Him who is the Lord God Almighty, Father and Son and Holy Spirit.St. Francis of Assisi · Earlier Rule, Ch. XXII
2019
Fraternitas Founded
In 2019, a group of young adults set out on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It was called ‘Sequela Christi’, Latin for the following of Christ. What began as a single journey was, in fact, the seed of a fraternity. Alongside St Francis and St Clare, we continue to walk this earthly pilgrimage toward perfect union with God in heaven.
150+
Members
Following the first pilgrimage, the fraternity continued to grow. We deepened our friendship with God through the reading of Scripture, Franciscan formation sessions, pilgrimages, retreats, and mission trips. We learned to see each other in the spirit of fraternity, as brothers and sisters, for that is how St. Francis and St. Clare saw everyone they met.
Our calling echoes the words of the Order’s 2021 General Chapter:
“We feel invited by the Holy Spirit to accompany young adults… so many no longer trust institutions like the Church, are disaffiliated from the faith of their families, or were never introduced to religion at all. Our invitation is to walk together with them as fellow missionary disciples in today’s world.”
General Chapter 2021, n. 29
36
Lectio Divina Sessions Every Year
Every week, we gather around the Word. Lectio Divina, the practice of prayerful reading, is the heartbeat of our fraternity. Far from a lecture or a study group, it is a space to journey together into the mysteries of the Lord. As we opened ourselves, we began to rest into His loving gaze.
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Formation Sessions Every Year
Formation is not instruction; it is a mirror which can help us see ourselves through God’s eyes. Each month, we gather to go deeper into the writings of Franciscan Scholars, other topics like the Theology of the Body, or sessions exploring what it means to live as a Christian in the world today.
We are not a fraternity for the pious or holy. We grapple, we struggle, and most of the time, we don’t have all the answers, either. But we also believe that God invites us to come as we are, walking alongside Him and letting the journey, not just the destination, transform us.
10+
Social Events Every Year
St Francis knew that fraternity is built not only in prayer, but over shared meals, laughter, and the ordinary moments of life. We organise regular social events throughout the year, because joy is part of the charism.
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Countries
Our fraternity has journeyed to Italy, the Holy Land, Spain, Portugal, France, Austria, and Indonesia, for pilgrimage and for mission. In every place, we ponder the beauty of God and the universality of His Church.
We journey not just as tourists, but as pilgrims, seeking the face of God in the places where saints have walked before us.
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Fraternities
Within the wider family, we gather into smaller fraternities according to our seasons of life. We have Franciscan Youth, for those aged 16 to 21, finding their feet in the Gospel; Franciscan Young Adults, aged 18 to 35, journeying deeper into God; Franciscan35, for those above 35, walking with the wisdom of a longer road; and Canticle, a fraternity of young creatives who give praise through beauty.
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Spiritual Directors
Our Fraternity walks under the care of two Franciscan Friars: Fra John Paul Tan, OFM and Fra Derrick Yap. They’ve offered their guidance to us from the first pilgrimage, up to where we are today. Through their wisdom and laughter we learned more about what it means to be a fraternity.
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Desire
Beneath all of the numbers lies a single desire. To journey into God. St Bonaventure wrote of the soul’s journey into God, a path that begins when the beauty of created things passes through the depths of the heart and comes to rest in Him alone. This page is only one step on that road, the one desire to be united with God who first desired us.
The story is still being written, and you are part of it.
Ask grace, not instruction;desire, not understanding;the groaning of prayer, not diligent reading;the Spouse, not the teacher; God, not man;darkness, not clarity; not light, but the firethat totally inflames and carries usinto God.St. Bonaventure · The Soul’s Journey into God, VII.6
Ask grace, not instruction; desire, not understanding; the groaning of prayer, not diligent reading; the Spouse, not the teacher; God, not man; darkness, not clarity; not light, but the fire that totally inflames and carries us into God.St. Bonaventure · The Soul’s Journey into God, VII.6