May 22, 2026

Education, Social Inclusion and Equity, Peace-Building and Security, Governance, Environment

YouFra (Franciscan Youth) is a Catholic youth organization composed of young, single individuals who are inspired by the life and example of St. Francis of Assisi. Members of YouFra strive to follow Jesus Christ by living the Gospel in the spirit of fraternity, prayer, simplicity, peace, and service. It welcomes young people who are still discerning their life vocation and who desire to grow in their Christian faith through Franciscan values. YouFra is part of the Franciscan Family and is particularly accompanied and animated by the Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis (OFS). It is rooted in the wider Franciscan tradition of the Church and continues to guide young people in living an authentic Christian life. YouFra began in Italy and was introduced in the Philippines on September 15, 1984, at the National Center in Sampaloc, Manila. From there, it gradually spread to Franciscan parishes and diocesan communities across the country, forming local fraternities that are now organized into regional and national structures. The organization exists at local, regional, national, and international levels, forming one unified Franciscan Youth family. In the Philippines, YouFra is composed of local fraternities and coordinated through regional and national structures under its National Statutes.