On Sunday, September 21, 2025, the world pauses to recognize the International Day of Peace—a day set aside to honor the founding ideals of the United Nations: to promote peace, end conflict, and foster global cooperation. It is a day when people of every faith and nation lift up the hope that peace is not just possible, but necessary.
And this year, on this sacred day of global reflection and renewal, we are humbled and thrilled to share an announcement close to our hearts:
✨ The launch of the Chaplains of Saint Francis—our new Street Ministry and the outreach arm of the Order of Franciscan Clareans. ✨
Why Today Matters
Choosing this day was no accident. The International Day of Peace is a call to live differently—to disarm our hearts, heal divisions, and choose love over violence. St. Francis himself, the peacemaker of Assisi, modeled this in every encounter, from embracing lepers to crossing battle lines to meet the Sultan.
To begin our ministry on this day is to root it in the same Franciscan vision: to bring peace, compassion, and tangible hope where it is needed most—on the streets, among the marginalized, in the everyday struggles of our neighbors.
What the Chaplains of Saint Francis Will Do
As the outreach arm of the Order of Franciscan Clareans, the Chaplains of Saint Francis will:
Walk with the poor, homeless, and forgotten.
Offer pastoral care, prayer, and listening ears to those in crisis.
Provide practical help—food, clothing, resources, and connections.
Be visible signs of Christ’s peace in the streets, not behind walls.
Build bridges across divisions of faith, culture, and identity.
This isn’t charity. It’s solidarity. It’s rolling up our sleeves and stepping into the mess of real life with the conviction that every soul matters, and no one is disposable.
A Prophetic Call to Action
Our ministry begins in the spirit of Francis and Clare, but it belongs to everyone who hears the same radical call: to live simply, love boldly, and serve faithfully.
If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to act, to serve, to join a movement of peace rooted in justice—this is it. We invite you to walk with us, pray with us, and serve with us. Together, we can become instruments of peace in a world aching for healing.
🌿 On this International Day of Peace, a new chapter begins.
The Chaplains of Saint Francis are here, and we are ready to serve.
Peace and all good,
The Order of Franciscan Clareans
Sister Abigail Hester 
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