On November 29, 2023, the Feast of All Saints of the Franciscan Order, the Friars of the Our Lady of Angels Province announced they had assumed the sponsorship of the Franciscan Center in Baltimore.
A ministry with origins that date back to 1891, the center offers a continuum of care that includes food, clothing, emergency services, counseling, culinary, and technology training to help clients become as self-sufficient as possible.
The Franciscan Sisters of Baltimore have operated the center since the current facility was opened in 1968 and the Friars have supported their work by supplying food produced at Little Portion Farm in Ellicott City, Maryland.
The date of the announcement is significant because the Feast of All Saints of the Franciscan Order is when the Catholic Church celebrates the Franciscan saints who followed in the steps of St. Francis, and the 800th anniversary of the signing of the 1223 Rule of Saint Francis which marked the founding of the Franciscan order.
The move to transfer sponsorship was initiated several months ago when the Franciscan Sisters contacted Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv., Minister Provincial of the Our Lady of the Angels Province.
“The sisters opened the center in the late 60s with some of our friars,” said Fr. Michael. “But now as many communities are, the sisters are slowly divesting themselves and their sponsored communities. And so, we decided to say ‘yes’ to this invitation. I think this will open up wonderful opportunities for our friars in formation with our ministries in Baltimore and in Ellicott City, because it’s a way and a sign of new life as we follow our father, Francis, in reaching out to those people who no one else wants to deal with, the people on the margins.”
The Franciscan Sisters of Baltimore began their ministry in 1881, feeding the hungry and caring for orphans. With a single gift of Pioneer Natural Gas Company stock donated by Helene and Robert Rea of Philadelphia, and space provided by the Franciscans, the Franciscan Center opened on September 10, 1968.
“When we received word from Father Michael that the Conventual Franciscan’s Provincial Council had unanimously accepted our request to consider sponsorship of one of our most precious ministries, the Franciscan Center, we were not only delighted but relieved that this ministry would be in good hands,” said Sr. Joanne Schatzlein, OSF, Director of the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi. “Our fervent wish was that our ministry would continue its Catholic Identity and remain faithful to the Franciscan Values. It is truly a gift of God that our Franciscan Brothers will continue the legacy of the Sister Founders into the future.”
“The sisters told me they need help feeding the souls of those they serve at the Franciscan Center. That’s where the friars will come in. We’ll continue the wonderful Franciscan spirit that was started by the sisters and will continue under Our Lady of the Angels Province,” Fr. Michael said.
One of the primary functions of the Franciscan Center is to feed the hungry of Baltimore. On a typical day 400 to 600 people visit the Franciscan Center to enjoy a healthy prepared meal created from fresh ingredients. As previously mentioned, many of these ingredients are produced locally at Little Portion Farm, a parcel of farm land on the grounds of the Shrine of St. Anthony, operated by the Friars, in Ellicott City, Maryland. The Franciscan Center now serves well over 200,000 meals per year.
In addition to the prepared food, the Franciscan Center provides pantry bags to members of the community, on an as-needed basis, and fresh produce at regularly scheduled intervals. These bags are designed to provide three full meals for three people for three days, supplementing the food budget for people with limited resources for groceries. As part of the focus on healthy meals, the Center sources more whole grains, lower-sodium canned foods, and fewer products with sugar added. It has also been able to include fresh vegetables in season, and eggs and milk as they are available.
The Franciscan Center also partners with the Maryland Food Bank to serve as an access point for bi-3monthly no-cost produce distribution.
The Franciscan Center also offers the Dignity Plates Training Academy, a 13-week culinary arts training program. It prepares students to enter or re-enter the workforce by providing instruction and skill development, industry and subject matter training, placement assistance, and supportive services. Students are expected to achieve Serv Safe manager certification and begin working in the culinary field at the completion of the program.
In addition to the generous support of numerous businesses and organizations, including markets, banks and direct food providers, such as Little Portion Farm, the Franciscan Center is extremely dependent on the work of its numerous dedicated volunteers.
These volunteers devote their time and talents to prepare and serve food to the needy, doing so with a smile and a kind word. Anyone wishing to serve as Franciscan Center volunteer, either on a regular basis or for special events such as food distribution (bi-monthly), the Annual Gala, Halloween and Christmas parties, Wine festival, and other fundraisers, are invited to inquire with the Volunteer Coordinator by sending an email to volunteer@fcbmore.org. The center always seeks groups or individuals to help us with food production, assembling pantry and toiletry bags, and assisting in the clothing department.
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