Going Out To Beg

Blessed Francis often said that no brother should spend a long time without going out to beg. The more noble and great a brother was in the world, the more the holy father was delighted and edified to see him go on the quest and perform servile work to give good example.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 62

T

How Sweet And Bearable The Pain

"How unbearable is pain when suffered far from the Cross, but how sweet and bearable it becomes when it is offered close to the cross of Jesus!"

Saint Padre Pio
Letter to Padre Agostino
May 20, 1915

T

We Seem To Think

Portiuncula Hermitage Pond in Jerusalem, Ohio

PETER MAURIN

Saint Francis thought
that to choose the poor
is just as good
as if one should marry
the most beautiful girl in the world.
We seem to think
that poor people
are social nuisances
and not the Ambassadors of God.
We seem to think
that Lady Poverty
is an ugly girl
and not the beautiful girl
that Saint Francis of Assisi
says she is.
And because we think so,
we refuse to feed the poor
with our superflous goods
and let the politicians
feed the poor
by going around
like pickpockets,
robbing Peter
to pay Paul,
and feeding the poor
by soaking the rich.



T

Fr. Michael Scanlan, TOR, Ecourages God's People

"Search" For Jesus!

We need to raise $120,000 to duplicate this Portiuncula Chapel
at the Franciscan University of Steubenville

What if the Portiuncula Hermitage earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or what if a percentage of every purchase you made on-line went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half of its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

Although this may not sound like a lot of money, if only 1000 of our supporters use GoodSearch.com just 5 times per day for the year, the Portiuncula Hermitage would receive over $18,000 towards its mission of spreading God's love!

It's easy. Just download the GoodSearch – Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage and Retreat Center toolbar at:

Website owners can also help by adding a customizable badge to their homepage or blog.

So please, make a commitment to browsing the Internet with GoodSearch.com with the Portiuncula Hermitage as your designated charity. Set it as your homepage, or bookmark it so using it becomes a habit.

As well, you can earn money for the Portiuncula Hermitage by doing your online shopping through GoodShop.com. It is a new online shopping mall which will donate up to 37 percent of each purchase to the Portiuncula Hermitage. Hundreds of popular stores, including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop.com and every time you place an order, you'll be supporting our valuable mission.

By simply surfing the web with GoodSearch.com and shopping with GoodShop.com you can raise much-needed funds for the Portiuncula Hermitage!

PLEASE FORWARD THIS PRAYER REQUEST TO
EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

Pax Et Bonum!


T

Daughters And Handmaids Of The Most High

Since by divine inspiration you have made yourselves daughters and handmaids of the Most High King, the Father of Heaven, and have embraced the Holy Spirit as your spouse, choosing to live according to the perfection of the Holy Gospel, I resolve and promise that personally and through my brothers, I will always have the same special care and solicitude for you as I have for them.

Saint Clare
Rule of St. Clare
Chapter VI

T

Poor Clare Nuns - Let The Fire Fall!

T

Catholic college students to participate in March for Life en masse

Washington D.C., Jan 21, 2009 / 06:32 am (CNA).-

Thousands of Catholic college students and faculty will participate in the National March for Life in Washington, DC this Thursday.

The March began in 1974, one year after the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade imposed permissive abortion laws nationwide, and has drawn tens of thousands of protestors to the nation’s capital for decades.

Pre-eminent among the colleges participating in the March is the Front Royal, Virginia-based Christendom College, which has participated in the demonstration since 1974. It will bus all of its students to Washington, and for the third time will lead the March with its school banner.

Magdalen College’s entire student body will travel about 500 miles from Warner, New Hampshire to march for the second straight year. Students solicited donations for the trip.

“We mourn the intentional killing of millions of innocent babies and the suffering of pregnant mothers from these killings, and we wish to show America our determination to defend life, and our unequivocal endorsement of the Culture of Life,” Magdalen President Jeffrey J. Karls said, according to the Cardinal Newman Society (CNS).

Hundreds of students will be housed at Catholic University of America’s (CUA) DuFour Center and the nearby Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Nearly 200 students from CUA have volunteered to assist the March and to serve as ushers at the pro-life Masses, such as the January 21 National Prayer Vigil for Life, which is expected to draw around 16,000 people this year.

“I have seen the hundreds of students who come to the Vigil and then stay on to sleep overnight in the crypt of the Shrine,” said Joseph A. Esposito, director of CNS’s Center for the Study of Catholic Higher Education. “It is truly an awesome experience to see this outpouring of support from young people, and it makes you thankful for the high schools and colleges which help nurture this prayerful dedication.”

About 750 students from Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio will attend the March. Emily Espinola, Campus Students for Life vice president, described her university as “very pro-life” and explained that her organization’s main focus on campus is “educating students about the pro-life movement and how they can be pro-life.”

Espinola said her group’s activities include holding prayer ministry outside clinics, training sidewalk counselors, hosting prominent speakers and educational talks, and connecting with students from other schools to train pro-life leaders.

Benedictine College in Kansas will send about ten percent of its student body to the National March, a figure 60 percent higher than last year. Those students who remain in Kansas will hold a 24-hour prayer vigil at St. Benedict’s Abbey Church.

The West Coast March for Life, to be held in San Francisco on January 24, is expected to draw about two-thirds of the student body from Thomas Aquinas College, based 400 miles away in Santa Paula.

“We are heartened by the Catholic college officials, faculty and students who are standing up in defense of innocent human life, an important way of living out their Catholic identity,” said Esposito. “The enthusiasm of thousands of students, administrators and faculty for the March for Life and other pro-life activities gives us renewed optimism that the moral crime of abortion will eventually end.”

“The pro-life dedication of these and other Catholic colleges is part of the ‘springtime’ of spiritual revival in Catholic higher education,” he continued. “We are blessed to have this profound witness intensifying as we engage a disturbingly hostile culture.”

This year’s National March for Life will begin Thursday, January 22 at 12:00 p.m. on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

T

Stubie Youth Conference... Remember, Shepherds Don't Make Sheep, Only Sheep Can Make Sheep!

Franciscan University of Steubenville Youth Conference

God gave them his Spirit and the manner of speech necessary to satisfy the needs of the time so that their words penetrated into many hearts; especially into those of the young rather than of the old. Thus many youths left father and mother and all they possessed to follow the friars and to be clothed in the habit.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions
Chapter XIV

T

Congressman Mike Pence at the 2010 March for Life

T

Honor And Glory Are To Be Given To God Alone

St. Francis said: "An artist who paints our Lord or the Blessed Virgin honors them and recalls them to our mind; nevertheless, the painting claim no other merit than what it is, a creation made with wood and color. God's servant is like a painting: a creature of God through whom God is honored because of his blessings. He must not lay claim to any more merit than the wood and color do. Honor and glory must be given to God alone. The only thing we must retain for ourselves, as long as we live, is shame and confusion, for as long as we live, our flesh is always hostile to the grace of God."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 104

T

Do Not Get Angry Or Upset When Someone Else Sins

All Franciscans should be careful not to be upset or angry when anyone falls into sin or gives bad example; the devil would be only too glad to ensnare many others through one man's sin. They are bound, on the contrary, to give the sinner spiritual aid, as best they can.

Saint Francis of Assisi
THE RULE OF 1221
Chapter 5

T

Forgiveness Draws The Sinner To God

There should be no one in the whole world who has fallen into sin, no matter how far they have fallen, who will ever fail to find your forgiveness for the asking, if they will only look into your eyes. And if they do not ask forgiveness, you should ask them if they want it. And should they appear before you again a thousand times, you should love them more than you love me, so that you may draw them to God; you should always have pity on such as these.

Saint Francis of Assisi
LETTER TO A MINISTER

T

SETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE

Fr. Gregory Bramlage,
"Word of God" Prayer Ministry
Invites you to:

SETTING THE CAPTIVES FREE

Saturday
Msrch 27, 2010
(Palm Sunday Weekend)
East Central High School
St. Leon, Indiana


SPEAKERS:

Father Thomas J. Euteneuer is an exorcist of the Church and President of Human Life International, the worlds largest Pro-Life organization. His new book is titled, "Exorcism and the Church Militant." He has spoken directly to tens of thousands of people all over the world and has appeared numerous times on EWTN and other local, national and international media. Many of you may recall Fr. Tom when he appeared as our guest on "The Dickson/Chappell Report" live in our studios.

Father Gregory Bramlage is a 1996 graduate of Mt. St. Mary's Seminary in Emittsburg, MD, and is a priest of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Father Bramlage pastors three parishes and a school. He is the Founder and Director of "Word of God" Prayer Ministry, which offers healing and deliverance as well as conferences and training. Every third Wednesday at 6:00 PM, he leads a healing prayer service at St. Nicholas Parish Sunman, IN.

Deacon Ralph Poyo has been in ministry for over 20 years, serving as a youth minister, catechist, and a deacon. A popular conference speaker, Deacon Poyo has a B.A. in Scripture and did graduate work in the field of Pastoral Ministry. He is Founder of a new ministry called "New Evangelization Ministries.

Please stop by the Portiuncula Hermitage booth for a hot, delicious cup of Mystic Monk Coffee! Ten percent of our sales goes directly to BirthRight (a loving alternate to abortion).

T

Our Strength Comes From Obedience

"My brothers, obey a command at the very first word, and do not wait for what has been said to be repeated. Do not say that something is impossible, for, if I should command something that is beyond your strength, obedience would not lack strength."

Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
Chapter XXII

T

Dr. Keith March, M.D., Ph.D. to Speak at Pro-Life Weekend in Richmond, Indiana

March, Keith L., M.D., Ph.D.

EDUCATION

UNDERGRADUATE:

1974 - 1975, at the age of 12,

Audited 6 Undergraduate hours at Mississippi College, Jackson, Mississippi

1975 - 1979, at the age of 16,

Received his B.S., Chemistry/Biology
St. Francis College, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Valedictorian of class with a 4.0 grade point average

GRADUATE:

1979 - 1983 at the age of 20
Received Ph.D., Chemistry with Highest Distinction
Indiana University
Awarded October 11, 1983
Thesis: "Electrostatic Interactions and Ion Binding in Trypsin, Bovine
Pancreatic Trypsin Inhibitor, and Other Proteins"

1979 - 1985 at the age of 22
Received Combined M.D./Ph.D. Degree
Indiana University School of Medicine
Awarded May 12, 1985
M.D. with Highest Distinction

Dr. March will be bringing his vast knowledge of Adult Stem Cell Research, along with his down-to-earth demeanor, and wonderful sense of humor to Richmond, Indiana this coming Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 6:00 P.M. in the Seton Catholic High School Gymnasium.


Immediately following Dr. March's talk, a prayer service will be held in St. Andrew Church

Please plan on attending!

Pax Et Bonum!

Contrary to popular belief, this is an actual photograph of Dr. Keith March. I have been wrongfully accused of putting up a photograph of Dr. Scott Hahn. This is simply untrue!

T

Bishop Daniel Conlon - Diocese of Steubenville

Bishop Daniel Conlon - Diocese of Steubenville

'When the friars have examined the land necessary for a house,' Francis said, 'they should go to the Bishop of that city and say to him, "My Lord so-and-so is willing to give us so much land for the love of God and for the salvation of his soul, so that we may build a house there. We are therefore coming to you first of all, because you are the father and lord of the souls of all the flock entrusted to you, as well as of ourselves and of all the brethren who will dwell in this place. So, with God's blessing and your own, we would like to build there." '

He spoke this because the harvest of souls which the friars desire to gather is more readily obtained by working in harmony with the clergy, thereby helping both them and the people, than by antagonizing them, even though they may win the people.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 10

T

Original Letter from St. Francis to Brother Leo

This is one of the two autographs of Francis. It is kept as a relic in the cathedral church of Spoleto. It originally belonged to the Poor Clares of Spoleto, who donated it to the Friars Minor Conventuals of Spoleto in 1604. After the unification of Italy this precious document was lost, and it was only after 1895 that it was rediscovered and presented as an authentic autograph of St. Francis.

The Letter is a touching document, which gives witness to the brotherly concern of Francis for his "pecorella di Dio" Brother Leo. No wonder that the only two autographs of the saint, namely this letter and the parchment with the praises of God and the blessing, were dedicated to him.

Brother Leo was with the saint on Mount La Verna when Francis received the stigmata and he has left us a clear and simple account of that great miracle. This statement he wrote across the face of the autograph blessing which St. Francis had given him on La Verna, as a talisman against temptation, and which is still preserved at S. Francesco in Assisi. The text of, a letter written by the saint to Leo some time before is also extant. It is a word of tender encouragement and counsel to the "Frate Pecorello di Dio" (little brother sheep of God) as the Saint had named his faithful disciple because of his simplicity and tenderness. And one of the most golden chapters in the "Fioretti" (ch. vii) tells how St. Francis showed to Brother Leo "which things were perfect joy". Leo nursed his master during his last illness and as the saint lay dying it was he, together with Angelo) another favorite companion, who consoled Francis by singing the "Canticle of the Sun"

Leo had entered deeply into the bitter disappointments experienced by the saint during the last few years of his life, and soon after Francis's death he came into conflict with those whom he considered traitors to the Poverello and his ideal of poverty. Having protested against the collection of money for the erection of the basilica of San Francesco and having actually smashed the vase which Brother Elias had set up for contributions (see Ennis), Leo was whipped by order of Elias and expelled from Assisi.

Brother Leo's Cell in Eremo di Carceri

T

Welcome To The Portiuncula Healing Ministry

"Only say the word Lord, and I shall be healed"

We are a

Franciscan Prayer Ministry

located in Jerusalem, Ohio.

Through prayer and Adoration before our Eucharistic Lord, we seek His awesome power, grace, and mercy, to bring His divine healing and peace into your life.

To receive prayer simply e-mail your Prayer Requests to:

hermitage@parallax.ws

We encourage you to participate in our

Healing Services

and

Retreats

Thank you for visiting.

Pax Et Bonum!

T

Make Your Needs Known To One Another

Be confident in making your needs known to one another. For each of you, to the extent that God gives you the grace, should love and nourish one another as a mother loves and nourishes her child.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Rule of 1221
Chapter IX

T

In Prayer We Walk With God

"In prayer we walk with God and listen to Him, and we walk with the angels. But in preaching, we have to descend to the human and live among others as one of them, thinking and seeing and hearing and speaking only on the human level. But, in favor of preaching, there is one argument which seems to count more than all the rest in God's eyes and that is this: the only-begotten Son of God, who is Infinite Wisdom, descended from the Father's embrace to save souls"...

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
Chapter 12

T

"Come To The Quiet" - Become A Monastic Without Having To Leave Your Day Job!

Dr. Tom Ringenberg during personal prayer time at the
Portiuncula Hermitage in Jerusalem, Ohio

Dear Christian Brothers and Sisters,

Having just experienced one of the most peaceful and fulfilling weekends of my Christian life, I feel led to write you and encourage you to take a fresh breath of the clean air at the Portiuncula Retreat in Jerusalem Ohio. Surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation in the hills of Appalachia, I was refreshed in God’s peace.

The initial reaction to a weekend of silence, fasting and prayer was mixed as I revel in the world’s flash of media and the madness of twenty-four hour news. I feared boredom and the lack of external stimulus. But God is good, and He provided plenty for me. Walks in the woods and fields, silent prayer and meditation, communal prayer with my Brothers in Christ, prayers of intercession, and theological discussion on the travel to and from Jerusalem, stimulated my spirit far more than my flesh has ever been stimulated.

It is my hope that the Portiuncula will become a haven for those who need a fresh touch of God. I will return soon to restore my soul with peace.

Please prayerfully consider joining me in supporting the Portiuncula Retreat Center by simply contributing $5.00 $10.00 $15.00 or more a month.

Simply Click On The
Parish Pay
Icon

Or mail payments to:

"Portiuncula Hermitage"
% 508 South 16th Street
Richmond, IN 47374.

Thank you and God bless!

Yours In Christ,

Dr. Tom Ringenberg
Centerville, IN

T

Franciscan Abstinence

All are to abstain from meat save on Sundays, Tuesday's, and Thursday's, except on account of illness or weakness...

Saint Francis of Assisi
FIRST RULE OF THE THIRD ORDER
Chapter II

T

Want To Reach The Youth? Give Them Words That Penetrate Their Hearts!

Franciscan University of Steubenville Youth Conference

God gave them his Spirit and the manner of speech necessary to satisfy the needs of the time so that their words penetrated into many hearts; especially into those of the young rather than of the old. Thus many youths left father and mother and all they possessed to follow the friars and to be clothed in the habit.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions
Chapter XIV

T

Begging For Stones; Monroe County, Ohio

Monroe County, Ohio Catholics are being asked to collect all their field stones and drop them off at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery on Ozark-Eddy Bridge Road so that we can duplicate this Portiuncula Chapel located at the Franciscan University of Steubenville

Francis set to begging for stones with which to restore the church of San Damiano. He called to the passers-by: "Whoever gives me one stone will have one reward; two stones, two rewards; three stones, a treble reward!"

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions
CHAPTER VII

Please note : We are begging our Catholic brothers and sisters in Monroe County, Ohio to round up all their field stones and dump them into the woods next to the Immaculate Conception Cemetery on Ozark-Eddy Bridge Road (in the direction of the large white house towards Woodsfield). These stones will be used to erect the Portiuncula Chapel.

T

The Greatest Needs Is To Be A Personal Witness To Jesus Christ

"The greatest need is to be a personal witness to Jesus Christ. If their message is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it will bear fruit. The people are hungry. If you look at any list of retreats, sometimes the person of Jesus isn't even mentioned, but there is nothing like spending time with the Eucharist. It is so easy to be attracted by good things, but leave out the most important thing, which is our prayer life."

Sister Briege McKenna, OSC

T

Holiness

"I have no hesitation in saying that all pastoral initiatives must be set in relation to holiness....Stressing holiness remains more than ever an urgent pastoral task....

"Our Christian communities must become genuine 'schools' of prayer, where the meeting with Christ is expressed no just in imploring help, but also in thanksgiving, praise, adoration, contemplation, listening, and ardent devotion until the heart truly 'falls in love.' Intense prayer, yes, but it does not distract us from our commitment to history: by opening our heart to the love of God it also opens it to the love of our brothers and sisters, and makes us capable of shaping history according to God's plan."


Pope John Paul II
NMI 30,33

T

When Being Tempted

"The best remedy when being tempted after we reject it is to run to the Cross of Christ and ask for help. Moreover, this is so terrifying to the evil spirit that as soon as he sees that his temptations urge us to God's love, he ceases to tempt us."

Dr. Ralph Martin
The Fulfillment of All Desire

The Divine Fire Of Contemplation

Then Brother Giles said to a certain friar, "Father, I would fain know what is contemplation?" Then Brother Giles said: "To me it seems that contemplation is a divine fire, a sweet devotion infused by the Holy Ghost, a rapture and suspension of the mind inebriated by the unspeakable savor of divine sweetness, and a sweet and tranquil enjoyment of the soul which is rapt and suspended in loving admiration of the glories of heaven, and an inward burning consciousness of that celestial and unspeakable glory."

Saint Francis of Assisi
LITTLE FLOWERS OF ST. FRANCIS
Part Four
Chapter XI

T

Mystic Monk Coffee: Order Through Portiuncula And Donate To Birthright (a loving alternative to Abortion)

The Carmelite Monks of Wyoming

Mystic Monk Coffee is roasted by the Carmelite Monks, a Roman Catholic monastery in the silence and solitude of the Rocky Mountains of northern Wyoming. The monks live a hidden life of prayer and contemplation in the pursuit of God. The monastery is inundated with young men who seek to leave everything to pray for the world, in a tradition at least a thousand years old. It is the monks’ great joy and privilege to share the fruit of their life with you in every cup of Mystic Monk Coffee.

The Monk Master Roaster

Br. Java is the master roaster who meticulously roasts beans in small batches. His philosophy is that each roast must be not only the labor of his hands, but a master roast of the highest quality. Br. Java is passionate about obtaining the perfect roasts for you. He carefully roasts only the finest gourmet beans under conditions that will make each roast consistent and smooth with a taste that will make your taste buds tingle. With experience and perfection, Mystic Monk Coffee is a coffee to savor and enjoy – with or without cream.

The Legend of the First Mystic Monk

Coffee is a product perfected and loved by monks from its beginning. When a monk of old heard the anguished tale of a shepherd who had sleepless goats, he himself discovered growing on shrubs the berries, which had such a wonderful affect. Delighted at his find, the ingenious monk boiled the beans in water and drank the resulting coffee. He found in his discovery a hot drink that could keep his eyes awake even amidst the midnight vigils and unceasing prayers of the monastic life.

The secret of coffee continues to keep monks ever alert and vigilant for their prayers, but now Mystic Monk Coffee shares the hidden, master roasts of monks with all who seek a delightful cup of coffee.

Monks are passionate Perfectionists

The monastic life is one of ordered perfection, which you will taste in every bag of Mystic Monk Coffee. Passionate about perfection, no challenge is too great for Br. Java and the monks, if it will result in a Mystic Monk brew suited for the most discriminating coffee drinker. The Carmelite monks have mastered the ancient art of roasting coffee, laboring with steadfast determination to make each cup of coffee simply superb. Taste the monastic perfection in each brew, which makes all the difference.

Please remember to keep our pre-born in your daily prayers!

To Order Direct, simply click on the Mystic Monk Icon at the very top of this page!

Please remember that when you buy Mystic Monk Coffee through the Portiuncula Hermitage, ten percent of all our commission sales are donated to Birthright (a loving alternative to abortion.)

Fra Chris





T