In a quiet corner of Singapore, within the familiar walls of the Catholic Centre, something deeply Franciscan unfolded from March 20 to 22, 2026. It was not merely a meeting, nor simply an election. It was a living expression of the Gospel, embodied in fraternity, discernment, and humble service, at the National Elective Chapter of the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS).

To the outside observer, a “Chapter” might sound procedural: reports presented, councils elected, plans drawn. Yet, for those who were present, it was something far richer, a sacred encounter where the Spirit moved gently among brothers and sisters striving to live the charism of St Francis in today’s world.

A Fraternity Still Becoming

The OFS in Singapore is young, still emerging, like a sapling stretching toward the light. With only four local fraternities and just over forty professed members, it may seem small in number. But as St Francis himself would remind us, God often works through what is small, hidden, and humble.

In just three years, the fraternity has grown, not only from thirty-one to forty-two professed members, but in depth, commitment, and clarity of mission. This quiet growth reflects not just organisational effort, but a deeper conversion of hearts. It speaks of men and women responding to a call: to bring the Gospel into the ordinary fabric of life, family, work, society.

Guided attentively by Friar Derrick Yap, OFM, and supported by the wider Franciscan family, the fraternity is learning what it means to be leaven in the world – small, yet transformative.

More Than Meetings: A Communion of Hearts

One participant described the weekend simply as “a truly beautiful experience.” That simplicity carries truth.

There was something unmistakable in the atmosphere, something not manufactured, but received. Secular Franciscans gathered not as delegates alone, but as brothers and sisters. They prayed together, listened deeply, shared openly, laughed and even danced freely during moments of “Franciscan Joy.”

In group discussions and quiet conversations, in formal reports and shared meals, a deeper reality was revealed: fraternity is not an idea. It is a way of being.

To sit together, to discern together, to support one another, this is the Franciscan witness. It echoes the early companions of St Francis, who did not walk alone but journeyed together, seeking God’s will in simplicity and mutual love.

Discernment Under the Guidance of the Spirit

At the heart of the Chapter was a profound act of trust: the election of a new National Council. Such a moment could easily become administrative or political. Yet those present experienced it differently.

There was a shared awareness, quiet but unmistakable, that the Holy Spirit was at work.

Discernment unfolded not through ambition, but through prayer. Responsibility was accepted not as power, but as service. When Jennifer Marie Suriyiacala was elected National Minister, it was received not as a personal achievement, but as a call, a mission entrusted for the good of all.

This is the Franciscan way: leadership as minority, authority as service, governance as care for the fraternity’s soul.

A Witness for the World

Why does a National Elective Chapter matter?

Because in a world often marked by division, individualism, and noise, the OFS offers something quietly radical: a way of life rooted in the Gospel, lived in fraternity, and expressed in daily witness.

The Chapter is where this life is renewed. It is where the fraternity pauses to listen – to God, to one another, and to the needs of the world. It is where direction is set, not by strategy alone, but by prayerful discernment.

And from this gathering, something is sent forth: men and women renewed in their vocation, ready to bring peace, justice, and care for creation into the places they live and work.

The Beauty of the Small and Faithful

As the Chapter concluded, with the installation of the new Council, the celebration of the Eucharist, and a simple fraternal meal, there was no grand spectacle. Yet there was beauty. The kind of beauty that St Francis himself cherished: found in simplicity, in communion, in hearts turned toward God.

Perhaps this is the quiet miracle of the Secular Franciscan Order in Singapore today.

Not large, not loud, but alive.

Alive with the Gospel.
Alive with fraternity.
Alive with the Spirit.

And in that life, there is hope, not only for the Franciscan family, but for the world.