The Troubadour is our missionary magazine and has been published by the Province since Christmas 1938 when the first number was designated Vol. I No. 1. It appeared monthly after that, price 1d (one old penny). But it is quite clear from that first number that it already existed even before that as some kind of magazine and that the "Troubadours" were already an organised body mostly of children formed around existing friaries with meetings of their own and a list of members, new recruits having their names published in the magazine. The one name that must be recorded as the man most responsible for starting this movement and this magazine is that of Father Oswin Murphy, OFM, the then Provincial Director of the Franciscan Missionary Union. At that time he was based in Liverpool, later he was to become Guardian of Edinburgh Friary, where he died. After his death in 1946 he was regularly described on the cover of the Troubadour as founder of the magazine "in 1936", showing that it existed more than a year before its official first number. The name "Troubadour" was well chosen. It might be said to sum up the essence of being Franciscan. For the original troubadours were those minstrels who in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries travelled about Europe singing poems in praise of courtly love in Provencal, the dialect of Southern France, the language so beloved of St. Francis, who may have learned it from his mother (who very probably came from Provence). The very name "troubadour" conjures up ideas of chivalry expressed in poetry and music, which inspired St. Francis to sing as "Herald of the Great King" of the Court of Heaven and the love which reigns there and which is revealed in the world around us and in the family of mankind when at peace. It is a missionary name because the troubadours felt called to travel in order to spread their message.
Now the Troubadour appears two or three times a year. It is described as "A Missionary Magazine at the service of ...
- The Franciscan Missionaries from the United Kingdom working throughout the world but especially in disaster areas;
- The Franciscan Missionary Union."
The provincial administration of the FMU and of the Troubadour is now based in our Friary in Glasgow, where it can rely on a wide circle of generous supporters.
Volume 53, No. 4 - Winter 2007
In this issue you will find ...
- The Fire at Duduza Centre (with pictures)
- The Courage to Wait by Timothy Radcliffe, O.P.
- Live simply
- Those With Eyes to See by James Alison
- Life at St Anthony's Home (with pictures)
- Communion in the Body of Christ
- Prayer and the Trinity
- "Quotes to Note"
- The Merchant and the Parrot
- "We don't list 'Mum' as an occupation"
- Holiness in the ordinary
- Good Luck? Bad Luck? Who knows? by Fr Andy, Hospital Chaplain
- Kidstuff - Puzzles - Celebrate YOU
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Volume 54, No. 1 - Spring 2008
In this issues you will find ...
- Spectacular Phenomenon at Ngome
- Would you be so kind ...
- St Paschal Baylon
- Mother of Peace, Illovo
- Photo album: The Poor Clares, Africa
- The First Franciscan Tertiary
- Seventh Centenary of the Deatsh of John Duns Scotus (with pictures)
- Friar Jubilarians 2008
- Franciscan Mission Service, Washington
- Beatitudes of an Old Person
- The Abracadabra God by Maria Tighe
- Kidstuff - Puzzles - Colouring Competition
To view this issue as a pdf file click here
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Vol. 54, No. 2 - Winter 2008
In this issue you can read ...
- Zanele and Duduza Hospice (with pictures)
- Prayer and Life by Frank McAuliffe
- I'm Special!
- Points to Ponder
- New Church of St Thomas the Apostle at Crimin, South Africa (with pictures)
- I have no idea what an angel looks like by Padraig Standun
- Looking Backwards for Christmas by James Alison
- Quotes to Note
- A Thank You from St Theresa's Zibambeleni, South Africa (with pictures)
- Kidstuff
- Colouring Competition
To view this issue as a pdf file click here
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Vo. 55, No. 1 Summer 2009
In this issue you will find ...
- Tianshu jiao = "Lord of Heaven Religion" = Catholicism in China
- Applications for financial Help from Two Chinese Parishes
- Outline History of the Church in China
- Christmas & Easter Letters from China
- A Mission Prayer
- Points to Ponder
- Quotes to Note
- St. Theresa's Zibambelene Aids Project
- Do it Anyway
- Mind Bending
- School in Need of Help in Sri Lanka
- Kidstuff - Clouring Competition
To view this issue as a pdf file click here
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Volume 55, No. 2 Winter 2009/1010
In this issue you will find ...
- Celebrating the Life of Fr Pacificus Tait
- The End of an Era
- My First Christmas in Heaven
- The Rule of St Francis is the Gospel
- Three of our Missionaries Reach Their Destination
- What goes around . . . comes around
- Seagulls: Meditations by a Poor Clare
- A Seed Sown Among Thorns: a priest meditates on his mission
- Points to Ponder
- Quotes to Note
- Kidstuff
- Crossword Puzzle
- Colouring Page
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Volume 55, No. 3 Winter 2010/2011
In this issue you will find ...
- Baptism with Dancing and Drums
- Re-Opening of Blessed John Duns Scotus Church
- Margaret -- A Poem
- The OFM Fraternity in Figures
- Duns Scotus - Cantor of the Incarnate Word
- My First Experience
- A Visit from Bro. Bosco Lin OFM from Taiwan
- Points to Ponder -- Quotes to Note -- Kidstuff -- Crossword Puzzle -- Colouring Page
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Volume 55, No. 4 - Spring 2011
In this issue you will find ...
- The Local Market - an Organised Chaos
- Friar Profile: Ian Laurenson ofm
- Happiness
- St Anthony's Home Update: Building the New Cottage
- Noah for Today
- Poetry
- Points to Ponder & Quotes to Note
- Kidstuff
To view this issue as a pdf file click here
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Volume 56, No. 1 - Winter 2011
In this issue you will find ...
- Sudan & Somalia
- Saving a Great Deal with Biogas - Friar Ivica Peric´
- Fizzy Immunity - Friar Ivica Peric´
- My Story - by a friar
- ‘Judas Asparagus’ by a child
- Kidstuff
- Colouring Page
To view this issue as a pdf file click here
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Volume 56, No.2 - Spring 2012
In this issue you will find ...
- A Big Thank You from the Franciscan Minoress Sisters in Newcastle, South Africa
- A Record Number of Students in the New School Year by Friar Ivica Peric'
- Five Finger Prayer
- Option for the Poor by Francis Conway ofm
- Being Good is Commendable but only when it is combined with doing good is it useful
- It's What You Scatter
- Kidstuff
- Colouring Page
To view this issue as a pdf file click here
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Volume 56, No. 3 - Summer 2012
- St Antony of Padua, by a Friar
- St Anthony's Home staff celebrate Jubilees
- The Clock of Life
- 'Butch' O'Hare
- Old Age is like a Bank Account
- My Friend the Beetle
- Thoughts from the Allotment for Rogation
- Kidstuff
- Colouring Page
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Volume 56, No. 4 - Autumn 2012
In this issue you will find ...
- Chilworth Revisited, by a Friar
- The South African Province since its Chapter, by Brother Christopher ofm
- The Achievements of the programme 2011 - 2012
- A Successful Story
- Award to an Irish Franciscan Missionary
- Life from the Inside Out, by K. B. Heusser
- Jenny and the Prayer of St Augustine
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Volume 57, No. 1 - Winter 2012
In this issue you will find ...
- Greetings from Amakhasi Old Age Home
- 'Manual' Bulldozers and Excavators at Work
- Br Ian Laurenson, OFM - RIP
- Bishop Michael Paschal Rowland, OFM - RIP
- Eugene
- Kids Stuff
- Colouring Page
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