.- Just a few years ago, Jay Gould was a millionaire. Today, he owns virtually nothing and serves the poor in a downtrodden Denver Colorado neighbourhood. Gould gave away his fortune to become part of the Franciscan Friends of the Poor, a group of three men who serve the poor in Denver and are now seeking to become a formal religious order.
According to the Denver Catholic Register, the group is located in a part of town that draws many homeless which is, “an ideal spot to provide the poor with a meal, clothing and acknowledgement of their humanity despite economic hardship.”
The Franciscan Friends, including Gould, Baldemar Garza, and John Stapleton take their inspiration from St. Francis of Assisi and are working on plans to build a new 5,700 square-foot structure behind the location where they currently serve Denver’s poor.
The spiritual director for the group, Fr. Dan Barron, pastor of a nearby parish, told the Denver Register that, “the archbishop has begun a dialogue with them and is very pleased by their willingness to be in formation, to seek counsel, and obey their shepherd.”
