Franciscans of Reconciliation

Community is essential to our self-understanding as Franciscans. Thus, we gather in "houses", so that we may benefit from ongoing contact with one another. However, OFR houses are not friaries in the traditional sense, and it is important to understand how we use the term.

Perhaps, when you hear "houses", you imagine a single address where all the brothers and sisters live in the same complex of buildings, sharing the responsibilities for one piece of property, eating in the same refectory, gathering for the Daily Office in in a common chapel, each assigned to a single room in the dormitory — a fairly common vision and a traditional form for monastic religious life. However, that is not what we mean when we speak of "houses".

Following in the tradition of the earliest friars, we are not in any wise isolated in a religious compound — after all, Franciscans are not truly monks. We are out in the world, engaged in various ministries, coming together periodically to share our stories, to draw strength from our common life, to worship and pray and learn together, and to be sent forth again "to love and serve the Lord". Therefore, as OFR uses the term, a "house" refers to a local group of sisters and brothers who live in close enough proximity to gather regularly — a monthly local chapter meeting is the minimum — and form an identity as a subset of the larger Franciscans of Reconciliation community.

At least two Franciscans must be able to gather in this way to form an OFR house. Each house has its own character and charism. The ministries expressed vary with the gifts of the local members. Yet taken together, the various houses comprise the community known as OFR.

The Community of St. Francis (CSF) is the OFR community in Chicago, Illinois. CSF is the home of the Virtual House of Studies, an educational ministry of the OFR, and the Progressive Catholic Review.

Bp. Raphael Adams is the Guardian of the Community of St. Francis. Contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 773.720.1040.

Meet the Community of St. Francis

The Right Rev. Raphael Adams, ofr, is Guardian of The Community of St. Francis. A Franciscan his entire adult life, Fr. Rafe studied Philosophy at Quincy College and received a B.A. in Sociology from Loyola University, Chicago. He also received his M.S. from Rush Medical University, where he taught in the Occupational Therapy program for many years. As a practitioner Rafe has both worked at and consulted with numerous agencies, including Hines Veterans' Hospital and Lutheran Social Services of Illinois.

The Rev. Liam Nioclás Kelly, ofr, is the Pastoral Developer of a parish that will be staffed by the Community of St. Francis. Born in Belfast, (Northern) Ireland, Nioclás came to Chicago to work at the Martin D'Arcy Museum at Loyola University as a Research Scholar/Professor (2002/2003) having completed his masters at the Courtauld Institute of Art (University of London) in medieval art & architecture. From 2002 until 2003, he also became a Research Scholar in the Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts at the Newberry Library of Chicago examining, translating and catalogueing Medieval liturgical manuscripts. He holds a B.Phil. in Aesthetics from St. Patrick's Pontifical University, a B.A. (Hons.) in Philosophy and Classical Studies from the National University of Ireland and a Dip. Theology from the Dominican Studium ratified by the Angelicum, Rome (Pontifical University of St. Thomas). In addition to these accomplishments, Nioclás does an excellent imitation of John Wayne.

The Franciscans of Ft. Lauderdale is the OFR community in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This community staffs the parish of Sts. Francis and Clare at 101 NE 3rd Street.

Fr. Vincent Treglio is the Guardian of the Franciscans of Ft. Lauderdale. Contact him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 954-962-8375.

Meet the Franciscans of Ft. Lauderdale

The Rev. Vincent Treglio, ofr, is the Guardian of the Franciscans of Ft. Lauderdale. Fr. Vinnie was born in Newark, New Jersey, and lived in East Orange until the age of 5, then moved to Livingston where he went to the public schools.  He entered the Alexian Brothers community in September1964, was professed in 1967, transferred to Chicago.  

In 1970 he graduated with a Associate of Science degree in Respiratory Therapy.  He decided to leave the brothers to study for the priesthood.  Joining the Benedictines in January of 1973, Vinnie spent his Novitiate in the Abby of St. Mary, in Morristown, New Jersey. After the Novitiate, he was sent to St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he received his M.Div.

He was ordained in 1978 and spent time teaching and in parish work,  joining the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, and staying with them until 1997, when he moved to Florida. He joined the Franciscans of Ft. Lauderdale, one of the founding communities of the OFR, in 2001.  

Fr. Vinnie has served as a hospice chaplain and Manager of Bereavement Care for Vitas hospice for the last 15 years. 

Br. Robert Cassizzi, ofr, is from the Philadelphia area, and began his college life at St. Mary's Seminary College, Catonsville,  Maryland, while he was in the Trinitarian Order. He finished his graduate work at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia in Educational Administration.

Br. Robert taught Junior High for 17 years and served as a School Principal for eight years in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. He then moved to Florida, with his partner, Jim Senior, in July 2010, and entered the postulancy program for the OFR's in December 2010. After a year of Novitiate, made his first profession in March of 2012.

Robert currently serves as an associate in the Parish of St. Francis and Clare, and as a chaplain at Pembroke Memorial Hospital and The Forum Assisted Living Facility. He also serves as Director of Apostolic Works and Director of Vocations for OFR in Florida.

Frederick William Elliott, n/ofr, novice and seminarian, is a retired library manager and former educator who taught gifted and talented students. He received his A.B. degree in religion — with distinction — from Dartmouth where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated magna cum laude. While at Dartmouth, William journeyed to Mount Athos, Greece, as part of an independent study project on Greek monasticism: the project earned him a special academic citation in which the evaluating professor noted that William’s report was “an inspired piece of writing, among the best I have seen at Dartmouth.”

William also holds an M.S.T. degree from The University of Chicago and an M.A. degree from the University of South Florida. He also studied French art, language, and literature while participating in Dartmouth’s foreign study program at the Université de Toulouse-le Mirail, Toulouse, France.

In partial fulfillment of the ECC “Guidelines for Receiving Candidates to Holy Orders,” William is attending the Episcopal Diocesan School for Christian Studies in Fort Lauderdale, where he is a full-time student. In the fall of 2011, he completed — with distinction — the Old Catholic History and ECC Ecclesiology Course provided by the St. Bonaventure House of Studies, an educational ministry of the Community of St. Francis, Chicago. William received six years of religious instruction from the Benedictines of Saint Mary’s Abbey while attending their college-preparatory school, Delbarton, in Morristown, New Jersey. At Delbarton, William served as glee-club accompanist. He was also a volunteer organist and acolyte at his local parish, St. Virgil’s, in Morris Plains, New Jersey. William is a member of the ECC Parish of Sts. Francis and Clare, Fort Lauderdale, where he currently serves as an acolyte and lector.

Prior to pursuing a career in library science, William spent several years in the real estate field in both the public and private sectors. He served as the real property administrator of a Florida electric utility and as president of an upstate New York construction and design corporation. William also holds a B.S. degree in interior design summa cum laude from Mercyhurst College. William’s passion is architectural renovation: the renovation of his 1940 Florida vernacular-style bungalow won first prize in the city of Fort Lauderdale’s design competition “in recognition of outstanding achievement for urban environmental design.”

Br. James Jana, ofr, a native Chicagoan, moved to Fort Lauderdale eight years ago. His background and talents are in the arts and education. James taught music and fine arts in the Chicago Public Schools from 1967 until 2004. For several years he was choreographer-in-residence at St. James Cathedral in Chicago. He spent a summer as a fool with The Fountain Square Fools, a Cincinnati based Jesuit mime troop. For two years he was in formation with the Conventual Franciscans, St. Bonaventure Province. As a member of Mount Carmel Parish, on Chicago’s northside, he was a lector and Eucharistic minister for Illinois Masonic Hospital AIDS ward.

Upon moving to south Florida, Br. James taught music and second grade in the Broward County Schools. He is an avid musician, artist and actor. He holds an MA in Education from Roosevelt University, has taken a variety of theology courses at Loyola University (Chicago) and has spent several summers at the Pacific School of Theology (Berkeley) studying liturgical dance and drama. Since 2004 he has also been a volunteer usher at the Broward Center for the Arts, where he enjoys telling people where to go. Last spring, he wrote and presented The Passion According to Simon, a stations of the cross meditation from the viewpoint of Simon of Cyrene. He currently is writing Jesse ben Judah's Story, a telling of the Nativity from a shepherd’s perspective. James loves to tell all sorts of stories!

Fr. Joseph C. Spina, ofr, is originally from Brooklyn, New York, where he ministered in various schools in the Diocese of Brooklyn – mainly in the areas of Junior High classes of religion and social studies. During these years he made his first contact with the Franciscans within the framework of the Brooklyn community as a professed member. All of his twelve years in the classroom were as a lay teacher. He was also the first male principal in the San Diego diocese of an elementary academy where he ministered for three years as a Brother of Charity.

Fr. Joe was ordained an Old Catholic priest in Kew Gardens, New York. He has been in south Florida since 1989 and is presently the pastor of The Parish of Sts. Francis & Clare in Fort Lauderdale. In addition to this ministry he is also the lead chaplain at Memorial-Pembroke Hospital as well as ministering in four retirement residences.

Joe and the local community are also involved in working with our four-legged companions – serving as chaplains to the Humane Society of Broward County as well as to Holly Dogs, a greyhound rescue service from various dog race tracks. This ministry is also enhanced by association with the Miami Marlins when they sponsor Bark at the Park when fans bring their dogs to a game. It’s a great way to incorporate faith commitments into the every day lives of those with whom we are privileged to extend our ministry.