Our values
The work of the GFO association is based on Franciscan values and is in the tradition of Francis of Assisi and Maria Theresa Bonzel.
Our values The work of the GFO association is based on Franciscan values and is in the tradition of Francis of Assisi and Maria Theresa Bonzel.
The GFO has its roots in the work of the Order of Franciscan Sisters of Olpe. It was founded in 1863 by Maria Theresia Bonzel . The Maria Theresia Bonzel Foundation carries on this work and ideas. The GFO association implements the goals of the Maria Theresia Bonzel Foundation in its facilities. These are in the tradition of the thought and work of St. Francis of Assisi. Christian ethics and values guide the actions of the employees. The Christian identity of the GFO is expressed, among other things, in openness and friendliness. The mission statement serves as a guideline for daily service and as a basis for cooperation among employees. The GFO is a modern, cosmopolitan association in which people of other religions and denominations are also welcome.
Francis of Assisi often wrote the T (pronounced: Tau) at the end of his letters or painted it on trees or buildings. The Tau is the initial letter of the Greek word "Tapeinos," which has the meaning "humble," among other things, and the GFO's figurative mark foregrounds this powerful symbol.
Francis of Assisi was impressed by the experience that the voluntary renunciation of wealth and power gives people freedom. He himself came from very rich circumstances. He consciously and voluntarily chose to live a life of consistent poverty. He fascinated many of his contemporaries so much that numerous men and women joined him and his idea.
The dew symbol had another meaning for Francis of Assisi: In the Hebrew Bible, which we today call the Old Testament, he found a prophetic text in the Book of Ezekiel. There it is described that people who work for a socially just and godly life in Israel are marked with a Hebrew "Taw" (or "dew") on their forehead. Francis of Assisi understood this sign as an expression of commitment to justice and as a protection that guards against harm.
Now, when this sign appears in GFO's figurative mark, we are tying in with these remarkable ideas. Our institutions and services are part of the Franciscan movement. From its beginning, the GFO has seen it as its task to offer help and protection to people in their many needs and hardships. It is committed to justice and social peace. It does so in the knowledge that this endeavor is in accordance with God's will and is blessed by Him.