San Juan Diego Friary in Albuquerque

 The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal have been following in the footsteps of Saint Francis since the inception of their order in 1987 in the Bronx, New York. The community is comprised of men who desire to live the rule of Saint Francis of Assisi in the Capuchin Franciscan tradition. Their mission statements are to serve the spiritual and material needs of the poor and to work for the reform of the Catholic Church through the evangelical preaching of personal reform. In Albuquerque they have opened the San Juan Diego Friary at 404 San Mateo N.E, which houses Fray Antonio's soup kitchen, providing a warm lunch meal every Wednesday to both the homeless and the poor in adjacent neighborhoods, The Friars also conduct youth retreats, substitute at parish masses for diocesan priests, hear confessions, are prolife advocates and do street evangelization. The friars currently residing at San Juan Diego Friary include Father Joseph Mary Deane, C.F.R., Brother Maximillian Mary Steimachowski, C.F.R., Father Daniel Marie Williamson, C.F.R., and Father Terry Messer, C.F.R..  The friary has private living quarters for the friars, a small, simple chapel where Mass is celebrated at 730 am on weekdays, a prayer room, a large communal dining hall graced by paintings of Saint Francis, Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Nativity scene, a kitchen almost as large as the dining hall, where meals are prepared and dishwashing is done by volunteers, and a smaller dining hall behind the kitchen where the friars eat their meals. There is also a bathroom with a shower stall equipped for handicap persons just down the corridor from the mess hall. The friars have also built a patio with tables and chairs and a warming fire pit for persons waiting in line for the Wednesday lunch meal. The facilities are all handicap accessible. The Wednesday lunch crowd usually numbers between 200 and 300, with larger attendance near the end of the month when incomes are becoming depleted. A warm and nutritious meal is prepared for guests and there is always a choice of desserts, coffee and tea. The food is either donated by the Albuquerque food bank or purchased by the friars from discount grocers. The friary is open for Wednesday lunch at 11am and closes at 230 pm. There are adjacent bus stops on either side of San Mateo street as well as ample parking at the friary.

On the occasions when I have volunteered at the friary during the Wednesday lunch service, I have been struck by the good cheer of the friars, the volunteers and the diners. The friars are courteous and respectful to all - both visitors for lunch and volunteers. The dining hall itself is usually packed with lively conversations going back and forth between the diners as well between diners and volunteers. When visitors leave the dining hall, they will often stop to thank the volunteers and friars. Many have remarked how they look forward to returning the next Wednesday, which must make Saint Francis of Assisi pleased. In one of his earliest sermons, he is reported to have said, " All getting separates you from other men; all giving unites you to them. Oh believe me,  that, once you have seen this, all getting , over and above your simplest needs, will be tainted with distress, and all giving will be a source of joy. I tell you, you do not know the joy, the liberation , and the fullness of living that will come to you if you will make this simple change of heart. The whole face of the world will change for you, taking on a new graciousness, and the face of every brother will be beautiful." And so it seems every Wednesday at San Juan Diego Friary in Albuquerque. A lot of good will flows between the volunteers and visitors who meet each other there on Wednesdays . I suspect that they feel connected despite their different economic circumstances.  At least for those few hours on Wednesdays the spirit of Saint Francis lives on in this world. We can thank the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal for keeping alive the message of their founder.

To enjoy a meal or volunteer at San Juan Diego Friary, click on

 

 Welcome :: San Juan Diego Friary (Albuquerque, NM)

www.cfr-newmexico.com/

 

To learn more about Saint Francis of Assisi, I recommend reading " In The Steps Of Saint Francis" by Ernest Raymond, copyright 1939  by H.C. Kinsey Company ( available on AMAZON)