Dispatch Photo: Franciscans

As I’ve mentioned before, every now and then the Columbus Dispatch shows local people out and about barefooted. That tends to be a bit sparse this time of year (for obvious reasons).

But there was another one yesterday.

It was part of a story about a Franciscan order in Columbus, From one brother to another, friars find hard life is heaven.

From left, Brother Lee Allen, Brother Paul Maria and Brother Giles Mary of the Franciscan Brothers Minor sing at St. Leo Catholic Church.

[Caption from the Dispatch. Photo credit: Thomas Levinson of the Dispatch.]

Here’s what it says in the story:

In keeping with the austere lifestyle espoused by St. Francis of Assisi in the 13th century, the Franciscan Brothers Minor live as modestly as possible. They wear brown hooded robes cut in the shape of the cross. They rarely wear shoes. They sleep on the floor. They have no television or computer or telephone. They have no cash or savings accounts, and they depend on donations to eat.

I was not aware that any Franciscans still went barefoot. I’ve attended Mass presided over by a Franciscan, and he wore sandals. In fact, that tends to have gone way back in the history of North America, since it was Récollet Franciscans who were involved in founding Canada and doing the original explorations. As Reuben Gold Thwaites put it in his introduction to Louis Hennepin’s A New Discovery of a Vast Country in America,

[Hennepin’s] dress was that of the order: a coarse grey robe with pointed hood, a rope about the waist, crucifix and rosary hanging from this rude girdle, and sandals upon his feet — the last-named a special concession for American missionaries, for the Recollect mendicants in Europe were barefooted.

In addition to the Franciscans, Carmelite nuns and the Augustins were also known for barefooted orders.

Here, the bare feet are part of humility (but I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that they also find it extremely comfortable). And of course, it also is undoubtedly part of God’s demand of Moses on Mt. Sinai.