Dear Friends,

We’re in an unprecedented moment in our history. The COVID-19 pandemic is inching into neighborhoods and communities the world over. In the face of this crisis, reason and peace can be engulfed by fear and suspicion. First, let me say that the friars are with you in spirit—indeed all of us are at Franciscan Media.

Each morning we gather at 9:30 for daily prayer. And in those moments, we pray for our friends, our neighbors, our country, our world. Because our organization is currently on lockdown, that daily moment of faith and fellowship has become virtual—but we’re still praying for you. No pandemic is more powerful than prayer.

Hope is an invaluable resource in uncertain times. It is Franciscan Media’s mission to be a source of hope and healing for those who need it. In the coming days, you will receive messages from us that are designed to nourish your faith and lift your spirits.

When St. Francis of Assisi faced a similar crisis in his day, he longed to be a channel of God’s peace. Where there was hatred, he sowed love. Where there was doubt, faith. Where there was despair, hope. And where there was sadness, joy.

He understood that fear yields to love. And that is our goal with these messages: God is love. You are loved.

May God give you peace!

Dan Kroger, OFM