Pray log online, says Franciscan Order

ARE you a meek, mild, male, drawn to poverty and obedience and intend to remain a virgin for life?

If so, you’d better switch on your computer, grab that mouse and put your name down for membership of the Franciscan Order. If in doubt, whisper a little prayer to Saint Isidore, the patron saint of the worldwide web. Like manna from Heaven, the internet is proving a Godsend to the Franciscans in Ireland in its drive for new vocations.

One of Ireland’s oldest religious orders has just signed up the country’s largest online recruitment agency, not only to attract new members but also to raise the profile of the Franciscans nationwide.

The Order will advertise on the website of Irishjobs.ie as part of its programme to attract new recruits. It is the first religious organisation in the country to advertise for new members through a dedicated online recruitment website.

According to Fr Adrian Peelo, provincial director of vocations of the Franciscan Order in Ireland: “this is a new departure for us. We chose the internet and, in particular Irishjobs.ie, because it enables us to reach the widest range of jobseekers of any medium in the country. If we receive even a small number of those, we will be very happy.”

The motto of the Franciscans is Pax et Bonum (peace and goodwill) and among the qualities sought of new recruits is a mild and kind temperament. St Francis exhorted his followers to “be meek, peaceful and unassuming, gentle and humble, speaking courteously to everyone.”

New recruits must also promise to “observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by living in obedience, without anything of their own, and in chastity.” The Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) has been in Ireland for more than 700 years.

Today, the Irish Province has 200 members who work in Ireland and Zimbabwe, but it has seen a fall in the number of recruits in recent years.

According to Irishjobs.ie CEO Maria Mahon, “we are delighted to welcome the Franciscan Order as a client. We are confident that the Franciscans will benefit from their advertising with us.”

From mid-April, information on the Franciscan Order and its work can be found under the Social, Voluntary and Vocational Category on the Irishjobs.ie website.