Four of our friars went to Washington, D.C., with the Franciscan Action Network to lobby Congress and mentor students from Franciscan colleges and universities in our charism of justice, peace, and integrity of creation. Br. James Donegan, Br. Thomas Franks, Br. Shawn Natola, and Br. Anthony Zuba represented the Province. In addition, Brother Tom, who is vice president of mission integration at Felician University, Lodi, N.J., also brought several of his students to the conference.

The 2025 Franciscan Justice Leadership Conference, titled “Love in Action,” took place Oct. 18- 20, 2025, and included 41 meetings with U.S. congressional offices. One hundred forty young adults, students, Franciscans, and advocates for faith-based justice came together for advocacy training, worship, prayer, fellowship, dynamic speakers, and congressional meetings.

Keynote speaker C. Vanessa White, a Secular Franciscan and professor at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, called for a spirituality that does justice, where we find hope, joy, and the spirit of God, even amidst suffering. Panelists described the impact of our broken immigration system on their own lives and our communities, as well as the conflict in Gaza and efforts to secure a lasting peace.

Participants learned about legislation related to these two pressing issues and received training on how to use a nonviolent, effective approach to communicate and advocate. Moments of fun, connection, and community were interspersed throughout each day of the conference.

On Monday, Oct. 20, participants and FAN staff traveled to Capitol Hill to engage in advocacy.

“After months of preparation and vital support from sponsors and everyone else who made the conference possible, it was exciting and deeply encouraging to hear their stories about the meetings and the overall impact of the conference. Thank you to all the participants, speakers, and contributors for an amazing experience,” said Michele Dunne, executive director of FAN.