Ep. 32 | Eunice Park | A 50-Month Journey Into Franciscan Poverty

There’s a line from a John O’Donahue poem that goes like this: “I would love to live like the river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.” What does it look like to be that free? To release the grip of control and trust in life’s unfolding? In this episode, Eunice Park embodies that river-like freedom in a radical way. For 50 months—over four years—she lived an itinerant, “wonky” life, moving every few days from convents and friaries to friends’ homes, often living out of a single bag with no fixed itinerary. Triggered by the loss of her father, a layoff during COVID, and a deep desire for rest and healing, Eunice stepped into a modern Franciscan journey that echoes the early days of Francis and his companions. Now back in one place and recalibrating to “normal” life, Eunice reflects on the profound lessons from her time on the road: the healing power of Franciscan spirituality in addressing guilt and shame cultures, the liberation found in the Franciscan emphasis on the Incarnation as an act of divine love rather than primarily a response to sin, and the surprising freedom that comes from embracing poverty of control. Through candid stories of convent beds, late-night kitchen raids, deep conversations with old ministry friends, and learning to receive hospitality, Eunice explores what it truly means to let ourselves be loved, to see ourselves as “pockets of joy” for others, and to practice openness in daily life. She shares how this journey revealed her own resiliency and tenacity while challenging her to release transactional mindsets and embrace mutuality in relationships. Whether you’re drawn to Franciscan theology, navigating ministry burnout, wrestling with self-worth, or simply longing for greater freedom and presence, this conversation offers rich wisdom on building community, choosing what we tether ourselves to, and living with open hands in a world that prizes control. Eunice J. Park is a spiritual life coach, retreat facilitator, multilingual kimchi maker, cultural critic, spiritual accompanist, cook, writer, crafter, musician, editor, hot-sauce brewer, and dinner party comic. Above all, she is a follower of Francis and Clare. 0:00 Introduction 2:02 Background 10:47 Itinerancy's Call and Struggles in Ministry 27:00 Reflection No. 1: Interrupting Patterns of the Heart and Mind 29:54 Gifts of Itinerancy 35:47 Understanding Franciscan Poverty 38:44 Theology of Worthiness 42:55 Reflection No. 2: Poverty of Control 45:38 The Joy of Receiving and Community Building 49:08 Allowing Oneself to be Loved 1:02:17 Reflection No. 3: 'You Are a Little Pocket of Joy for Someone Else' 1:04:44 Moving Beyond Transaction, Living Freely, and Knowing Yourself 1:11:38 'Is this Building Community?' 1:14:45 Conclusion