Bill Edwards ’76 says it was the Franciscan Siena experience, the skills he gained on campus as a Saint, and his profession in the Secular Franciscan Order that led him to become a missionary.

Like St. Francis, Bill is a former military officer. Since his retirement, he has been led to take the Gospel of Matthew (25:35-45) to heart. He became a member of the Board of Directors of To The Nations, Inc. (TTN), a charitable organization in Hiawassee, GA, that strives to fulfill the Gospel by, “feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, inviting the stranger, clothing the naked, looking after the sick, and visiting the imprisoned.”

Bill just returned from Uganda where he visited multiple villages and schools. He participated in Mass with the inmates of Burganda Prison and fed street children in Masaka, Uganda. “We meet basic needs first… by going into a village and drilling a well for clean water. Then provide food, clothing, shoes, medical support; establish a communal kitchen; then work on building a school. When a village becomes self-sufficient, we monitor its needs and move on to more,” he says.

We thank Bill for following in the footsteps of St. Francis and making an incredible impact in the lives of others as a Saint who doesn’t sit on the sidelines!