Within the vast, international--and ecumenical-- Franciscan family, there are three major groups or "orders.” Within the Roman Catholic community, they are generally organized into the Friars Minor (First Order), the Poor Ladies or Poor Clares ( Second Order), and the Brothers & Sisters of Penance (Third Order Secular: OFS / Third Order Regular: TOR, OSF, etc.)
For more information on each of these orders, please click on the links below:
- Friars Minor (First Order)
- Poor Ladies or Poor Clares ( Second Order)
- Brothers & Sisters of Penance (Third Order Secular: OFS / Third Order Regular: TOR, OSF, etc.)
Featured Focus

Retreat Centers Reopening
Under the guidance of the Franciscan friars, retreats address a spiritual hunger in people of every faith tradition, especially...

Brother James Lockman “Healing the Earth”
Brother James Lockman, ofm, currently works as a Senior Vegetation and Restoration Ecologist for a company that restores natural...

The Way of St. Francis
The Way of St. Francis is a full-color magazine published by the Franciscan Friars of California (OFM), three times...