It all started in 1994 when representatives of a group of eight married couples who had been meeting weekly for prayers for the last seventeen years , had a meeting with Mgr. At that meeting the idea was discuussed of organizing themselves formally as a community within the church. Carruana preference was for a secular order, and undertook to obtain information.
Events develop very quickly after the meeting.
That same year, fr. John Hooper ofm was covering at St. Joseph's Parish for fr. One day after Mass, Brian Passano contacted Fr. John and a meeting was arranged. John explained about the Secular Franciscan Order, left some literature, and on his return to UK, arranged a contact trip.