Twelve discerners gathered at St. Conrad Friary in Milwaukee to spend a weekend discerning, meeting other candidates, meeting Capuchins, and visiting Capuchin ministries. The Capuchin vocation directors and the current Capuchin postulants led a tour of the parishes of St. Martin de Porres and St. Francis. St. Ben's Meal Program and the House of Peace were two other Capuchin ministries that were visited in Milwaukee. On Saturday afternoon and Sunday, time was spent at St. Lawrence High School Seminary in Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin. Fr. Dennis Druggan, the rector there, led a walk around campus and explained the mission statement of the school. Despite the busy experiences of visiting these ministry sites, there were times for Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Mass, Adoration, and contemplative prayer. 

5 men entering Postulancy for the Capuchins were welcomed by local friars. 2 of the men are from the Capuchin Province of Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd in Canada and 3 are from our Capuchin Province of St. Joseph in the Midwest.  At the same Mass, 7 friars in Post-Novitiate formation (pictured below) renewed their religious vows. After a Capuchin Franciscan friar makes his first vows, like David Hirt did earlier this month, then they renew their vows yearly for a 3 to 5 year period before professing their perpetual vows.

July 25, 2009 (Investiture)

16 men from 8 different Provinces were invested with the Capuchin habit for the first time today marking the beginning of their Novitiate year. Provinces across North America and the Pacific regions work together for this year of formation so that these men will have a better sense of the Capuchins as a world-wide order. Regional and cultural differences among these new friars will be a challenge; but a worthwhile challenge that will deepen the richness of their fraternal bonds and exemplify the diversity that was honored when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the people at the time of Pentecost in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. The photo to the left shows the four men from the Province of St. Joseph. The Capuchin-Franciscan habit has many layers of symbolism. One of the main symbols is respect for the poor. Lepers in the time of St. Francis wore garments similar to these. 

    

From left to right: Rich Reinhardt, Parker Tiffany, Vito Martinez, Quan Nguyen 

Three formation directors and six friars in Post-Novitiate living at St. Clare Friary in Chicago and involved with theological studies left today to visit with various Capuchin ministries in Montana for a two-week "Integrating Seminar" which will focus on cross-cultural sensitivity. They will be spending their time visiting the Crow and Cheyenne peoples with whom the Capuchins have ministered since 1926. Post-Novitiate friars participate in these Integrating Seminars every six months. The themes for the seminars normally focus on the following: the vows, sexuality, transitioning, crossing cultural boundaries, mission effectiveness, and justice peace and care for the earth. 

Four Postulants from our Midwest Province of St. Joseph joined with postulants from the other provinces of North America, Australia, and the Pacific Islands to form a group of 18 men. This two-month program is focused on preparing the guys for the upcoming Novitiate Program by training the guys to get to know one another and themselves in a healthy way. Classes would include cross-cultural awareness, personality inventories, and sharing of personal stories. Of course, prayer is the most important part of the program and is a structural constant throughout. The men will also often cook and clean for each other as well as take part in ministries in the surrounding communities. In late July, they will move to Pittsburgh and take part in a ceremony to begin to wear the Capuchin habit. The wearing of the Capuchin-Franciscan habit would symbolize, among many things, their solidarity with the suffering and poor of this world. It would mark the beginning of their Novitiate year.

            

Nine graduating seniors from Saint Lawrence Seminary-High School in Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin were accepted as non-resident candidates to the Capuchin Order. As  non-resident candidates they will go to the colleges of their choice but also attend discernment weekends and visits from the vocation directors throughout the year. Congratulations to all the seniors at SLS and best wishes to them as they move on to another important stage in life! 

Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and the Easter Vigil were profound days of prayer and discernment as John Celichowski, the Provincial Minister for the Capuchins of the Province of St. Joseph, gave presentations on lessons from the Gospel of John. The group of approximately 60 people for the event included Capuchin Candidates, young Capuchins in formation, Cap Corp Volunteers, and the Capuchin Friars of St. Lawrence Friary who hosted the event.  

  

Candidates gathered from far and near for this weekend of information gathering and prayer at St. Conrad Friary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Capuchin Bill Hugo, director of the Postulancy Program spent a good deal of time explaining the philosophy of Capuchin formation and how the year of postulancy resembles part of the conversion process of St. Francis himself. Other details, such as prayer, ministry, and cooking schedules were also discussed. During a private two-hour session on Saturday afternoon, the candidates had a chance to ask the 5 current postulants questions about the program and what it is like to be in the first year of becoming a Capuchin. On Saturday night, the family of Postulant Parker Tiffany came for a visit and made a wonderful home cooked meal for the whole group. It was a nice symbol of how family connections are important and healthy in the religious life of a Capuchin friar. 

Right now the candidates who are applying for their first year in Capuchin formation (postulancy) are filling out applications and gathering references and other information required for the admissions process. The Postulancy Program is a full-time year long program where guys live in a friary and participate fully with the Capuchin community. After the year of postulancy, guys start their novitiate year and begin to wear the Capuchin habit. At the end of the novitiate year, the young men make their first vows and continue in the formation process.    

At the Capuchin friary for studies in Chicago Young Capuchin friars in formation who are of Filipino and Vietnamese ancestry led a celebration of food, fun, and festive decorations for many friars and friends. The Capuchin postulants from St. Conrad's Friary in Milwaukee along with other out of town visitors joined the celebration. It was a great experience of hospitality, respect and fraternity. 

Graduates from Saint Lawrence Seminary High School in Mt. Calvary Wisconsin who are discerning a vocation with the Capuchin Franciscans gathered for a weekend of discernment talks by Capuchin Moises Villalta. Also joining the group were some candidates who did not go to Saint Lawrence but still wanted to experience the prayer, fraternity, and the hospitable spirit of the seminary. St. Lawrence is one of the few high school seminaries left in the United States. It is a boarding school  of about 200 young men who are committed to discernment and church ministry. The high school seminary has been operated by Capuchins and dedicated partners for nearly 150 years.

The streets of Detroit can be a tough place to live. Candidates and inquirers looking into a possible vocation with the Capuchins got a first hand look at the many services provided by Capuchin friars, employees and volunteers. Visits were made to two Capuchin Soup Kitchens, a Capuchin urban farming project called EarthWorks, a Capuchin annex for clothes and appliances, St. Charles Parish, the Solanus Casey Center, and a bakery sponsored by Capuchin Ray Stadmeyer but operated by men who have recently been released from prison who are seeking job training and a new start. The weekend included a time of contemplation at Capuchin Retreat center in Washington, Michigan followed by a Benediction service in the friary chapel at St. Bonaventure Friary back in Detroit. The weekend was a healthy mix of social analysis, visiting ministry sites, getting to know one another, social time, and prayerful contemplation.

In a special ceremony, David Hirt was invested with the Capuchin habit on July 27. He, along with 12 other men from other Capuchin-Franciscan Provinces, begin their novitiate year at St. Conrad Friary in Allison Park, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh.

David has just finished his year of postulancy in Milwaukee and a short interpersonal orientation program in Kansas. Special Blessings to David and the other novices as they continue their vocation as friars! 

February 8-10, 2008 (Candidates prepare applications to Postulancy)

Candidates planning to apply to the next Midwest Capuchin Postulancy Class gathered at St. Clare of Assisi Friary in Chicago to learn more about the program, get to know the future classmates better, and move into their final stages of discernment about their decision. Postulancy directors Perry McDonald and Mark Joseph Costello explained the program, and current postulants David Hirt and Julio Gallegos were available to share their own current experience of postulancy. 

                                    
                               Participants Vito Martinez and Parker Tiffany 

Alums of St. Lawrence Seminary in Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin returned there to Consider once again a Capuchin Vocation. Eleven alumni and two new to SLS participated. Capuchin Novices and Postulants also attended the weekend, including 5 alums of SLS. Fr. Dennis Druggan, rector of SLS offered three reflections based on his own vocational decision.  

Fr. Dennis Druggan and his alumni from SLS


Current SLS Seniors considering an application to the Capuchin College Program or the non-residential Capuchin Candidacy program posed with Capuchin novices and postulants who are alums of SLS. 

           
Alberto Rodriquez                         Ed Colosky                     Kyle Birkenmeier


Vocation Director Fr. John Holly presided and preached at our Sunday Eucharist.

July 29, 2007 (Novices Invested in the Capuchin habit)

New Capuchins from Australia, Guam, Canada, and the United States were invested in the Capuchin habit as capuchins on July 29th at St. Francis Friary in Burlington, Wisconsin. Here is a picture of the entire group of 26 novices with their directors. 



Seven of the new novices are for the Midwest USA Province of St. Joseph. After the investiture ceremony, we go them together for a picture. 



    (Left to right): Mark Romanowski, Tom Nguyen, Mitchell Frantz, Don Bosco Tran,
                     Joseph Lindzius, Tien Dinh, George Real Bird

May 26, 2007 (Postulants go to Victoria KS to prepare for novitiate)

Our seven current postulants left St. Clare of Assisi Friary in Chicago, where they spent the first part of the Postulancy, to meet in Victoria, Kansas with 19 other postulants from across North America, Guam, and Australia to prepare for the beginning of their novitiate. The 26 total novices-to-be will spend 9 weeks in Victoria. This picture was taken in the St. Clare Friary chapel after the local community celebrated a departure prayer for them. Postulant Tien Dinh was absent in order to attend his sister's wedding. He flew the next day to Victoria to join the others. The group from left to right includes Joe Lindzius, Mitch Frantz, Don Bosco Tran, Mark Romanowski, Tom Nguyen, and George Real Bird