Associates work both individually and in small groups to bring God's love and healing to others. This love can take on many forms, as varied as the dozens of Associates across the United States. Below are just two examples of that love. May the Holy Spirit inspire and guide our Associates in finding ever new and creative ways to help those in need!
EVERYONE HAS A NEXT STEP. WHAT'S YOURS?
We hope St. F
rancis Woods can be a place where you connect to others and always feel like you belong. As Franciscans, we believe deeply in inclusivity and redemption, grace and love and, above all—the transforming power of Christ. We never arrive, but we are all committed to walking the journey together. Our Sisters and Associates would love to connect with you, hear more of your story, and help find the ways for you to connect with God and others so that your spirit will flourish.
We're so excited you're interested in learning more about who we are and joining the family! Click the button below for our Associate Application.
Send your questions to Sister Christina Fuller, our Associate Director:
Greetings of joy from the Children’s Paradise Home, Gboko, Nigeria! Joyfully, I would like to share that the Children's Paradise Home received four children in the third week of December 2023! God is so good! These are my blessed Christmas gifts. I am very happy to become a mother at last! Praise the Lord!
Associate Waren Tsafa
Bringing awareness & hope
For years now, our California Associates have been focusing on human trafficking awareness. Their public showing of “Nefarious”
which drew 200 people, brought together people from many walks of life and placed before the eyes of the public this global issue. The Associates were largely responsible for advertising the event and also raised funds for the writer-director-producer of the film to come for a Q&A session after the showing.
The Santa Barbara Circle supports Olive Crest's Hope Refuge Campus, a retreat for women rescued from human trafficking. After
touring the site, they urged community leaders to get involved and increase its support. Some of the Associates who are nurses plan to volunteer in the Hope Refuge clinic in the future.
In memoriam
We honor the memory of our faithful Associates who have been welcomed into eternal life:
June Cozzo on May 15, 2000
Evelyn Blasiar on August 28, 2000
Don Broderick on September 7, 2001
Rafael Yaniz on March 1, 2008
David Dalaly on June 9, 2008
Patricia Drummond on May 5, 2009
Dorothy Murray on August 26, 2009
Mary Jill Warner on March 30, 2010
Lawrence Heiny on April 6, 2010
Angelo Saporito (in orientation)
on May 26, 2010
Bob Carman on July 3, 2010
Margaret Ley on November 15, 2010
Dorothea Broderick on April 1, 2011
Virginia McKenzie on April 24, 2011
Ellen Keeter on June 18, 2013
Ursula Ley on September 20, 2013
Lyn Carman on June 19, 2014
Mary Gibbons on September 22, 2014
Olivia McQuaid on April 23, 2015
Jim Mueller on July 7, 2015
Barbara Franzen on July 31, 2015
Josephine Saporito on August 19, 2016
Victor Ley on December 29, 2017
Lorraine Holgin on May 27, 2018
Von Dell Smith on April 24, 2019
Dolores Klotz on May 8, 2020
Valerie Danek on September 2, 2020
Mary Van Bogart on November 27, 2020
Jerry Ellis on November 13, 2021
Sue Karst on February 1, 2022
Patricia Schubert on March 1, 2022
Joan Dalaly on March 25, 2022
Florence Matz on April 25, 2022
Judith Speckman on July 21, 2022
Lillie Farwell on November 25, 2022
Deacon Bruce Watermann on January 31, 2023
Alice Meyer on March 2, 2024
Joann Toti on July 13, 2024
Carol De Trana on July 27, 2024