Franciscan Collaborative Ministries is a spiritually-oriented non-profit community renewal organization undertaking various social entrepreneurship initiatives in an effort to revitalize the North Side of the City of Syracuse.
Our mission is to live lives of service to the most neglected members of Syracuse’s society; the marginalized, hungry, elderly, troubled teens and immigrants.
We strive to be living signs for hope, peace and reconciliation.
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Organizational Goals:
• Live Christian principles based upon the lives and ministries of St. Francis and St. Clare
• Provide outreach to those in need
• Create an environment of non-violence and tolerance of
people from all walks of life
• Act as agents of change
• Encourage lay people to become community leaders
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What We Do
At FCM, we believe in the teachings of St. Francis – that every person has value and that every person deserves respect. It is this theme that is driving our work in Syracuse. FCM is a group of Friars, Sisters and lay people, many of whom are volunteers. Together, we are striving to incorporate the Franciscan charisma with a variety of ministries that serve our community.
We have tremendous energy, a range of talents, and a commitment to the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi in bringing peace to Syracuse. Our approach to community revitalization is multi-faceted, and just like the spectrum of people we minister to, the programs and services we offer are very diverse.
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Franciscan Northside Ministries, is one of our oldest ministries, and encompasses a wide range of services, including a free health clinic, a food pantry, and legal counseling.
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Another cardinal ministry, FrancisCorps is a year long lay volunteer experience for recent college graduates that offers personal discovery through spiritual living and committed service to the community. Many FrancisCorps volunteers help staff other FCM ministries.
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The Franciscan Place is a chapel and spiritual sanctuary for quiet reflection, located in Syracuse's Carousel Center mall. For years, it has provided shoppers with a refuge from the mall's fast-paced commercial atmosphere.
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One of our newer ventures, The Collaboratory offers an innovative perspective on neighborhood development and community revitalization. Comprised of a coalition of diverse community stakeholders, the Collaboratory serves as a focal point for the unique assets and expertise of various social forces at work on the North side of Syracuse, and empowers them to achieve greater effect in the community in concert with one another.
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The above programs represent only a few of our many ministries. For more information on these and other exciting FCM endeavors, explore our ministry pages by using the navigation menu on the left.
History
Like many cities, Syracuse has many residents who lack the most basic requirements to survive, such as food, clothing, medical care, and in many cases, simple compassion. Over the past several decades, Syracuse's North Side has faded from it's once illustrious eclectic community atmosphere, and fallen into a state of poverty and dispair.
In 1998, in response to worsening conditions, Syracuse Bishop James Moynihan asked the Conventual Franciscan Friars to intensify their presence in the Syracuse Diocese in order to address some of its growing problems. The Friars, whose history in Syracuse dates back more than 150 years, responded by collaborating with the Sisters of the Third Franciscan Order in Syracuse. Together, they facilitated the redesignation of the Franciscan Church of the Assumption to Conventual Church status. This change allowed for the creation of Franciscan Collaborative Ministries as the Church's vessel for enacting change and restoring peace and reconciliation to the North Side of Syracuse.
Since then, Franciscan Collaborative Ministries has grown to encompass a wide range of programs and ministries, each dedicated to fulfilling varying needs of the underpriveleged in order to improve the quality of life for the people of the City.
