Fraternal greetings, sisters and brothers! I'm Br. Dick Gray, aka Masseo, the Fellowship Coordinator for the Order of Ecumenical Franciscans.

My task is to facilitate face-to-face contact among OEF members, postulants, inquirers and guests in the several roughly-defined regions of our little Order. Our Website and mailing list are vehicles through which we establish initial contact and maintain a virtual fellowship, but an online presence is not enough to make a real community. Even phone conversations don't do the trick. That's why we work so hard to make regional meetings happen.

As with any family, there's no substitute for in-person encounters, whether for long-time professed members, or for those newly discerning a possible calling to join our Order. In a far-flung and sparse order such as ours, community is particularly difficult, and hence it's particularly important to get together in person as often as possible.

To further this essential community-making, I'm in the process of recruiting fellowship "conveners" for each region, to work with me in planning and developing regional retreats and conferences.

Currently we have the following Regional Conveners:

• Sr. Lorraine DiDio, Northeast Fellowship (looking for a replacement)
• Sr. Katie Cook, South Central "Bluebonnets"
• Br. Masseo, Western Fellowship

If you have a passion for community, some organizational skill, and are willing to spend time conferring with the convener team and taking the lead in your region to make meetings happen, please email me at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call me at 602-327-7082. You don't have to be a professed member to volunteer for this service.

I'll be posting information about events in each region on this page (see below), as I learn of them. Keep in mind that regional meetings are open to anyone. You don't have to be a Texan to meet with the Bluebonnets!

I also strongly encourage you to seek out and make contact with Franciscans of other orders in your area. We're all one family, after all.

In fraternity and fellowship,
Your little brother Masseo