The Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word (MFVA, Latin for Missionarii Franciscani Verbi Aeterni) is a Public Clerical Association of the Faithful, located in the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama The Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that encompasses the northern 39 counties of the U.S. state of Alabama. It was erected on December 9, 1969, when it was split from w ...

. They were founded in 1987 by

Mother Angelica Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation (born Rita Antoinette Rizzo; April 20, 1923 – March 27, 2016), also known as Mother Angelica, was an American Roman Catholic nun of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. She was best known for the ...

, who also founded the

Eternal Word Television Network The Eternal Word Television Network, more commonly known by its initials EWTN, is an American basic cable television network which presents around-the-clock Catholic-themed programming. It is not only the largest Catholic television network in ...

(EWTN) and the

Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, informally known as OLAM Shrine, is a prominent Roman Catholic Latin Rite shrine located in Hanceville, Alabama, United States within the Diocese of Birmingham. Adjacen ...

in Hanceville, Alabama. The primary residence of the Friars is in

Irondale, Alabama Irondale is a city in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. It is a suburb of Birmingham, northeast of Homewood and Mountain Brook. At the 2020 census, the population was 13,497. Irondale is the location of the Irondale Cafe. Author Fan ...

, and is next door to EWTN. They also have a residence in Hanceville, AL, near the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The Friars' apostolate is to communicate the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

faith by word and example. It involves using the media: television, radio and the Internet, as well as publishing and conducting retreats. Currently, they focus their attention on the television and radio ministry, in addition to providing for the spiritual needs of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, the EWTN employees, and the visitors who come to EWTN and the Shrine. In contrast to Franciscan communities that focus on the corporal works of mercy, the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word devote themselves to the spiritual works of mercy. Therefore, they study to gain a deep knowledge of the Catholic faith and practice communicating it effectively. Adapting to the needs of the time, they have developed into an active

religious institute A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecrat ...

, but still maintain elements of the contemplative life. In addition to praying the

Liturgy of the Hours The Liturgy of the Hours (Latin: ''Liturgia Horarum'') or Divine Office (Latin: ''Officium Divinum'') or ''Opus Dei'' ("Work of God") are a set of Catholic prayers comprising the canonical hours, often also referred to as the breviary, of the ...

, the Friars devote an hour each day to Eucharistic Adoration and pray the daily

Rosary The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or ...

. The community is composed of priests and seminarians, as well as consecrated brothers.

Friar Communities

Priests

*Fr. Leonard Mary, Community Servant (Superior) *Fr. Patrick Mary, Community Vicar *Fr. Dominic Mary, Council Member *Fr. Mark Mary, Council Member *Fr. Anthony Mary, Council Member *Fr. Joseph Mary *Fr. Miguel Marie *Fr. John Paul Mary *Fr. Paschal Mary *Fr. Matthew Mary

Brothers

*Br. John Therese Marie, Council Member *Br. Bernard Mary *Br. Leo Mary

References

External links

Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word - WebsiteEternal Word Television Network
{{DEFAULTSORT:Franciscan Missionaries Of The Eternal Word Franciscan missionary orders Christian organizations established in 1987 Catholic religious institutes established in the 20th century Catholic Church in the United States

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...