AFCU Resources

In 1997 more than twenty Franciscan-sponsored institutions of higher education in the United States banded together to form the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities with the purpose of exploring the connection between the Franciscan intellectual and spiritual tradition and the many dimensions of Catholic higher education today. In cooperation with CFIT, AFCU has developed a number of resources for the benefit of the faculties, staff, and students of their schools. These include the AFCU Journal: A Franciscan Perspective on Higher Education, which contains many helpful articles on the Franciscan tradition.

A Catalogue of Franciscan Authors

This site contains a comprehensive bibliography of all significant authors of the Order of Friars Minor from the 13th through the 18th centuries. It also includes bibliographies on several specific topics. Medieval authors are listed alphabetically by their first name in Latin (for example, Johannes instead of John). Each entry includes a listing of manuscripts, modern editions, and studies on that author. This site is maintained by Drs. Maarten van der Heijden and Bert Roest in the Netherlands and is updated at regular intervals.

Chronicle of the Twenty-Four Generals of the Order of Friars Minor

Chronicle of the Twenty-Four Generals of the Order of Friars Minor is a medieval chronicle written in Latin between 1369 and 1374. Its authorship is attributed to Arnald of Sarrant. The work covers the history of the Franciscan Order from St. Francis of Assisi to Leonardo Rossi, its twenty-fourth Minister General. This English translation was made by Noel Muscat OFM from the original Latin text.

The Cord Archives

The Cord was a journal of Franciscan spirituality, published by the Franciscan Institute of St. Bonaventure University beginning in 1950. It aimed at "developing among us a deeper knowledge and more ardent love of the Franciscan way of life." This archive includes issues from Volume 1 (1950) through Volume 69 (2019). Also available is an Index of Authors.

Engaging Franciscan Wisdom

Are you a wisdom seeker or looking for inspiration? Have you ever heard of Saints Francis and Clare? They lived 800 years ago, but the witness of their lives and values continue to inspire people of faith today. Twice a month Sister Michelle L’Allier, Franciscan Sister of Little Falls, Minnesota, will bring a guest, a story or a text for reflection and conversation, leading us to prayer, inspiration, or action.  

Franciscan Women: History and Culture

This web database aims at providing information on significant Poor Clares and Franciscan women penitents of the Third Order tradition (both Secular and Regular) from the 13th through the 18th centuries. The principal collaborators on this site are Drs. Jean-François Godet-Calogeras, Bert Roest, Alison More, and Matt Mackowski.

Gospel Life of Francis of Assisi Handbook

The free handbook provides readers with a simple methodology for entering into the spirituality of St. Francis using passages from his Earlier Rule of 1221. It includes links to a 30-part series of short YouTube videos on the life of St. Francis completed by Franciscan scholars Fr. Wayne Hellmann OFM Conv. and Dr. Jay Hammond of St. Louis University. The handbook is the work of Dr. Luke Togni, a scholar with a doctorate in Franciscan theology from Marquette University, who is presently working as a research fellow for the Franciscan Institute. The prologue and afterword for the handbook were written by Fr. David Couturier OFM Cap., executive director of the Franciscan Institute and associate professor of theology and Franciscan studies at St. Bonaventure University. The handbook is available free of charge as a service to brothers and sisters, religious and secular, who want to learn more about the latest research into the life of the Poverello but don’t have access to research libraries.

Greyfriars Review Archives

Greyfriars Review was a significant journal published by the Franciscan Institute Press between 1987 to 2006, in order to make the best of Franciscan scholarship originally published in other languages available to the English-speaking world. Unfortunately, many researchers find it difficult to find copies of this journal. Through the efforts of Franciscan Institute Publications, all the volumes of Greyfriars Review have now been archived and may be accessed online in PDF form.

Retrieving the Tradition

Many informative lectures have been given over the years by Franciscan scholars, some of which are virtual "classics" in their fields. Another CFIT initiative, Retrieving the Tradition, makes these presentations accessible to a larger audience by reformatting them in DVD format. Each talk is broken down into smaller segments to facilitate their use in a classroom or discussion group and are accompanied by study guides. Lisa Zmuda FSPA, is the media editor of this project. A complete list of available DVDs is available from Ruahmedia.