OFM English Speaking Conference

CFIT was founded in 2001 by the English Speaking Conference of the Order of Friars Minor. Although each of the 100 provinces of the world-wide Order of Friars Minor is autonomous in many respects, provinces are grouped into fourteen conferences that foster common goals and promote collaboration regarding their Franciscan life and mission.

The ESC is an exception among the conferences of the Order in that it is not comprised of provinces in a certain geographic region, but organized on the basis of language. The ESC comprises 12 entities located in North America (Canada and the United States) and Europe (Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, and the United Kingdom). The Province of Australia is an associate member of the Conference.

In 2019 the ESC decided to entrust immediate oversight and responsibility for CFIT to the "US-6," six provinces of the United States that voted in 2018 to form one new province. These provinces are the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Franklin, WI), St. Barbara (Oakland, CA), the Sacred Heart of Jesus (St. Louis, MO), Our Lady of Guadalupe (Albuquerque, NM), the Most Holy Name of Jesus (New York, NY), and St. John the Baptist (Cincinnati, OH). Their continued support makes the work of CFIT possible.