Brother Michael Perry, OFM, a 1976 graduate of Quincy University and former global leader of the Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscans), was elected provincial minister of the Franciscan Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe during a Provincial Elective Chapter in St. Louis on July 17, 2026. He began his six-year term service as provincial minister immediately following his election.
“Br. Michael Perry, OFM, has deep and enduring ties to Quincy University as one of its distinguished alumni,” said Fr. John Doctor, OFM, QU vice president for mission and ministry. “Higher education has always held a special place in his heart, reflected in his lifelong commitment to learning and his dedication to empowering young people to become servant leaders and agents of positive change.”
“Throughout his Franciscan ministry, Br. Michael has embodied the Gospel values of humility, gratitude, compassion, and hope,” said Doctor. “Inspired by the vision of St. Francis of Assisi, he has consistently worked to renew both the Church and the wider world through dialogue, reconciliation, and faithful service. These qualities make him an exceptional servant leader for the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe as it continues to shape a hopeful future, grounded in its Franciscan charism and mission.”
Br. Michael Perry previously was the director of the Laudato Si’ Center for Integral Ecology at Siena University in Loudonville, New York. Prior to his time at Siena University, Br. Perry served in Rome as the 120th Minister General of the global Order of Friars Minor from 2013 to 2021. As minister general, Br. Perry succeeded St. Francis of Assisi, who served as the first minister general of the Order of Friars Minor.
Br. Perry earned a bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy from Quincy University. He entered the novitiate of the Franciscan Order on June 25, 1977, professing temporary vows the following year. Br. Perry then studied for ordination as a Catholic priest, obtaining a master’s degree in theology and a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He professed solemn vows in 1981 and was ordained in 1984. He later earned a doctoral degree in religious anthropology from the University of Birmingham in Great Britain, during a time when he also spent ten years as a missionary in Democratic Republic of Congo.
In honor of his many accomplishments as a Franciscan friar and servant leader, Br. Perry previously received honorary doctorates from Quincy University and Siena University.
In July 2026, Br. Perry was elected as provincial minister during the Province’s first Elective Chapter following the 2023 unification of six U.S. Franciscan provinces to form the new Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. More than 300 friars gathered at that meeting to elect a new provincial government and celebrate their shared vocation. Established in 2023 with headquarters in Atlanta, the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe unites over 700 friars from six former provinces in the U.S. Order of Friars Minor.
The Order of Friars Minor (OFM) is the largest single Roman Catholic religious order of Franciscans, as founded by St. Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth century. The Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Franciscan administrative unit responsible for nearly all OFM activities in the United States and supporting Franciscans serving in Cuba and Jamaica. In the United States, Quincy University is one of three primarily undergraduate universities sponsored by the Franciscans, along with Siena University and St. Bonaventure University.
Founded in 1860 by Franciscan friars, Quincy University is a small Catholic university emphasizing the sciences, liberal arts and the professions. Quincy University offers undergraduate, graduate and adult education programs integrating practical experience and Franciscan values. Faculty and advisors work with students to design customized success plans to help them graduate on time, find their passion and prepare them for life. QU is a member of NCAA Division II for intercollegiate athletics. For more information, please visit www.quincy.edu or contact the Office of Community Relations at (217) 228-5275 or [email protected]. Quincy University. Success by Design.