The First Order, or the Friars Minor are religious brothers, some of whom are ordained, who strive to love the Gospel by following the Rule of St. Francis of Assisi. The followers are, themselves, split into three groups: The Order of Friars Minor, of which the friars at Mt. Alvernia are a part; the Friars Minor Conventual (OFMConv.) and the Friars Minor Capuchin (OFMCap.). Each of these branches are officially part of the First Order.

The Order is divided into groupings called provinces. In the United States, these groupings were originally formed by the immigrant populations that were served.  The friars at Mt. Alvernia belong to the Immaculate Conception Province (OFM) with headquarters in New York City. The province has houses in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut, and in Toronto (Canada), El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Currently, there are about 90 friars in the IC Province.  Our new members do postulancy in the US, novitiate in Assisi, and theology in Rome.  Want to be one of us? Want to help support our missions? Want to know more about the province? (Just click the appropriate question to be connected.)

The Province of the Immaculate Conception maintains a cemetery and masoleum for the deceased friars on the property. This area also affords visitors a time to reflect and pray for their own faithfully departed.