Franciscan friars entered the religious landscape of the United States in 1539 and remained part of colonial history in Georgia, Florida, New Mexico, Texas, California, and Louisiana until they were no longer colonies. A Franciscan mission revival began in the 1840s when groups of Franciscan friars arrived with Irish, German, Polish, Italian, and eastern European immigrants. In the 20th century, the friars began to accompany Latin American and Vietnamese immigrants. The number of Franciscan friars peaked in the United States in the 1960s. In the midst of that boom, they engaged in such issues as civil rights and the changes that came to the Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council. Despite aging and declining numbers in the last 50 years, the Franciscan friars remain active. Franciscans were--and still are--woven deep into the fabric of US history, and in their archives, they have the pictures to prove it. Images of work with Native Americans, in soup kitchens, with social service agencies, and in parishes, schools, and universities provide a compelling look at this little-known part of US history.

     For a quarter of a century, Father Jack Clark Robinson has studied and taught the history of the Order of the Friars Minor. When talking about Franciscan history, he
beams with excitement, "Working with the archives is my joy as someone who writes and teaches history."   

     To make this book a reality, Father Jack collaborated with six Provincial Archives since July 2018. "What we tried to do with Franciscan Friars Coast to Coast, is to share a thin slice of the pie that is Franciscan history
in the United States." The book achieves this by sharing who the Franciscans are, what they do, and what their impact across the United States has been throughout history. The history of six Franciscan provinces are
highlighted through photos that capture friar commonalities, ministries, their humanity, and of course fun! The photos, which range from baseball games to first professions, share the common goal of telling the untold stories of the friars. " I wanted people to see friars in
their natural state, so to speak, as men of faith, men of prayer, men of services, and of course brothers to one another."