Nurturing Hope, Celebrating Diversity, Seeking Eco-Justice in Chester, PA

By Sr. Diane Tomkinson, OSF

The Canticle House Franciscan Intentional Community is one of the newest members of the Franciscan Service Network (FSN). The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, who sponsored the Franciscan Volunteers: No Risk, No Gain program from 2015-2020, are previous participants in FSN. Canticle House opened in Chester, PA, in 2024, as a new initiative offering an alternative or follow-up to volunteer year experiences. We initially envisioned an intergenerational community of sisters and young adults in their twenties and thirties, seeking to live simply, intentionally, and in relationship – with one another, with our neighbors locally and globally, with Creation, and with God. Inspired by St. Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures, we identify as a Franciscan intentional community gathered around four core values: nurturing mutual relationships as sisters and brothers, offering hospitality and welcome, seeking environmental and social justice, and living contemplatively by integrating reflection and action.

Over the past year and a half, our intentional community developed into a residential community of two Franciscan sisters and up to three young adults at a time, along with an extended community of other young women and men who join us for monthly gatherings around a simple meal, lively conversation, and gospel-centered prayer and sharing. As one of the sister members of the community, along with Sr. Pat Millen, OSF, I cherish both our daily living as a residential community and our monthly gatherings, as ways we mutually support one another in deepening our spiritual journeys by nurturing hope, celebrating our diversity, and making daily choices that contribute to the healing of our Earth. Although women and men were invited to both our residential and extended communities, our first four residential members have all been young men. They included a school psychologist (accompanied by the charming golden doodle he was training as a therapy dog for his ministry), two Nigerian brothers studying at a local university, and a young man transitioning into a new pastoral ministry at our local parish. This experience of “coed,” intergenerational, intercultural, and even interspecies living has been a blessing—but we have been hoping to welcome young women to be part of our residential community.

We are currently transitioning our residential intentional community to be all female. The two brothers who have been our longest resident members recently moved into a place of their own. They continue to be active in our extended community gatherings, such as our Pasta and Prayer evenings every third Sunday of the month, which remain open to both women and men. As of June 1st, we are inviting young women from 20-40 to explore becoming residential members of Canticle House, as this newest Franciscan Intentional Community continues to evolve. For more information, see https://osfphila.org/youngadults/franciscan-intentional-community/ or connect with us at youngadults@osfphila.org.