Tracing the Journey of the Tau Maria Franciscans
Across two decades, our community has woven prayer, poverty and service into a living tapestry that mirrors St Francis’s vision and offers modern Catholics a proven path to holiness.
From humble beginnings in 1999 to a nationwide community rooted in penance and service, discover how the Tau Maria Franciscans embrace St Francis’s ancient vision for renewal within today’s Catholic Church.
TMF Legacy
The story of Tau Maria Franciscans opened in 1999 when a handful of lay Catholics partnered with the Franciscans of Primitive Observance (FPO). Taking the name Tertiary Franciscans of Primitive Observance, they sought wholehearted fidelity to the earliest Capuchin reform and the poverty of St Francis. Nearly a decade later, after prayerful discernment, the fraternity matured into an autonomous lay movement now known as Tau Maria Franciscans. Recognised by canons 298-311 and 321-326, the association invites Christ’s faithful to embrace a rhythm of penance, prayer, simplicity and loving service that mirrors the Poverello’s original inspiration. Clergy, families and single people alike may petition for admission whenever the Spirit prompts.
Franciscan Legacy
Rebirth and Lay Expansion
After prayerful discernment, the fraternity was re-established as Tau Maria Franciscans in 2008, welcoming clergy and laity alike. Structured formation, monthly gatherings and annual retreats soon multiplied across New England, the Midwest and the South, weaving a nationwide network of Franciscan witness.
Sacred Origins
In 1999 a handful of Catholic men and women, drawn to the austere witness of the Franciscans of Primitive Observance, formed a fraternity named Tertiary Franciscans of Primitive Observance. Seeking the fire of the first Capuchin reform, they embraced radical poverty and Gospel joy. Nearly a decade of prayer, counsel and maturation followed. By 2008 the community stood ready for a new chapter, receiving the title Tau Maria Franciscans and operating independently as a recognised private association of Christ’s faithful under canon law. Clergy and laity alike now find within its ranks a daily school of penance, contemplative worship, lowliness and charitable action after Saint Francis.
Join us in living St Francis’s call to rebuild the Church through holiness
Begin your journey today.
Address
43415 Utica Rd,
Sterling Heights, MI 48314,
USA