Midwest Capuchin Franciscan Vocation Office

Br. Roberto Genuin has been re-elected as the General Minister of the Capuchin Order! When each general is elected they are presented with the cross of St. Lawrence of Brindisi, a renowned preacher and scholar of his day, who also served as the Glgeneral minster of the order.

May God bless Br. Roberto in his ministry, fill him with zeal for the Gospel, and guide him with His Holy Spirit!

Preaching the Holy Gospel is a central element in our ministry as Capuchins. St. Francis encouraged his brothers to go about the world preaching the love of our Crucified Lord. Having ourselves received this joyful message, we are eager to share the love of God with all we meet.

Did St. Francis Say “Preach The Gospel At All Times And If Necessary Use Words?” - FOCUS Where did the saying, "Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words," come from? Learn if he really coined the famous phrase.

Our brothers are arriving in Rome for our General Chapter! Every six years, friars from throughout the world gather in Rome to elect leadership for the order and discuss important topics affecting our Capuchin life. Please keep our brothers in your prayers. May the Holy Spirit bless them and guide their conversations!

Father Solanus Casey could become first U.S. born male to attain sainthood One Detroit’s Bill Kubota visited the Solanus Casey Center to learn about the life and legacy of the late Detroit priest Father Solanus Casey.

Today marks the Feast of St. Clare of Assisi! In her letters to St. Agnes of Prague, Clare gets to the best of Franciscan spirituality. Contemplating the mystery of Christ's passion, gazing at the face of the Crucified, we see a reflection of who we are called to be as followers of Christ. Meditating and gazing into this mirror, we are slowly transformed into His likeness. We become living icons of Christ in our world.

While Br. Scott settles in at the novitiate, enjoy this throwback!

Capuchin Franciscan Novitiate: A Day in the Life In the midst of a busy and anxious world, young men are still answering the counter-cultural call to Catholic religious life. The novitiate is the second yea...

Fr. Mike Schmitz: How Do I Discern My Vocation - FOCUS Wondering how to discern your vocation? Discover Fr. Mike Schmitz's method for discerning your vocation with three daily questions.

Welcome to our postulancy class of 2024! Our new brothers were received into this first year of formation this past Saturday during a joyful gathering with the friars living in the Milwaukee area. Continue to pray for these young men as they begin their journey into Capuchin formation!

If you think that God may be calling you to a life of prayer, brotherhood, and service, consider reaching out to us at capuchinfranciscans.org/inquire.

On Saturday, we hosted a Reception of Postulancy at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Milwaukee, WI. Please pray for these eleven postulants as they discern their vocation to religious life!

On Saturday, our novices were invested in the Capuchin habit! Congratulations to our own Br. Scott and to all of his classmates. The novitiate is a period of more intense initiation and more profound experience of the Capuchin Franciscan gospel life in its fundamental demands. It highlights the primary aspects of our religious life, particularly through a special experience of faith, contemplative prayer, life in brotherhood, contact with the poor, and hard work. May God continue to bless our novices and our order!

This morning's Mass at St. Francis of Assisi Parish included our friars and incoming postulants! This year there are twelve postulants with us. They will be receiving their Tau crosses this Saturday, which symbolizes the start of their postulancy.

A new documentary about Bl. Solanus that can be found on FORMED!

'The Violinist' offers fresh take on Blessed Solanus through eyes of those who knew him - Detroit Catholic New documentary from the Augustine Institute available for free on Formed streaming platform starting July 30

Congratulations to Br. Arnaud and to the Jubilarions!

"Many social commentators have observed that our culture is obsessed with youth. The fear of getting or even appearing old drives people to spend billions of dollars every year trying to deny, hide, or stave off the inevitable reality of aging and with it, death. In our readings today, Jeremiah was called by God to be a prophet to a nation and a culture that tended to assume almost the opposite."

Read today's blog by our Director of Ministries, Fr. John Celichowski at the link below.

Holiness and Age | Santidad y Edad | Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph Many social commentators have observed that our culture is obsessed with youth. The fear of getting or even appearing old drives people to spend billions of dollars every year trying to deny, hide, or stave off the inevitable reality of aging and with it, death.

Capuchin life alternates between times of apostolic ministry and periods of contemplation. Our ministry is, therefore, infused with the spirit of prayer, and our prayer becomes part of our ministry to the world.

"Have you seen The Chosen? Produced by Angel Studios and now in its fourth season, the series is a historical drama based on the gospels and stars Jonathon Roumie as Jesus. Beginning as a crowd-funded effort, episodes of The Chosen are available on a variety of streaming platforms and have had hundreds of millions of views.

Our readings today remind us that we, too, have been chosen by God..."

Check out today's homily by our Director of Ministries, Br. John Celichowski, at the link:

Homilies | Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph Have you seen The Chosen? Produced by Angel Studios and now in its fourth season, the series is a historical drama based on the gospels and stars Jonathon Roumie as Jesus. Beginning as a crowd-funded effort, episodes of The Chosen are available on a variety of streaming platforms and have had hundre...

Pray for our brothers in formation who are in the midst of their summer assignments!

"I have found Love, Love has let himself be seen! This is the cause of my suffering. Tell everyone about it, tell everyone!"

These are the dying words of St. Veronica Giuliani, a Capuchin Poor Clare who died in 1727. Veronica rejoiced in the suffering she experienced in life, seeing it as a deep union with Christ. Ever devoted to His sacred Passion, Veronica was given the gift of the Stigmata, through which she profoundly experienced the love of Christ for mankind.

"From his many disciples, Jesus first selected twelve to expand and carry on his mission to drive out demons, heal people who were ill, and to proclaim the reign of God. They were ordinary men, prone to many of the sins and shortcomings that we experience. One betrayed him. Another denied him. At the moment when Jesus needed them most, virtually all of them abandoned him."

Read the latest blog from our Director of Ministries, Fr. John Celichowski below!

The Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary | Lo Ordinario se Vuelve Extraordinario | Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph From his many disciples, Jesus first selected twelve to expand and carry on his mission to drive out demons, heal people who were ill, and to proclaim the reign of God.

Scrabble with the saints, anyone? Bl. Solanus knew the importance of recreation for building up our life of brotherhood. While our prayer and ministry come first, it's awlays good to have a fun time together as brothers!

Nothing quite like a lively game of Scrabble with good friars to make the day better! We can't get enough of it, how about you? What's your favorite game to play?

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For the last two weeks, Br. Nathan assisted with the Diocese of Superior's Extreme Faith Camp. Many thanks to for the invitation!

The camp aims to help middle and high school students across northern Wisconsin grow in their faith and foster an intimate relationship with Christ.

Not only did Br. Nathan celebrate Mass for the campers, heard confessions, and spoke to them about how we encounter Christ in the Sacraments, but joined in the fun and games that are part and parcel of the camp. After all, the glory of God is man fully alive!

If you feel called to a radical life of discipleship, brotherhood, and witness, check out our website and fill out our inquiry form!

In early June, Br. Nathan Linton, our vocations director, accompanied the on their pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. It was a truly inspiring and prayerful experience as the pilgrims walked 170 miles across northern Spain.

They were blessed to be accompanied by two missionary guides; one of whom documented the journey with his gift for photography.

Continue to pray for the men and women who walked the way of St. James and for an increase in vocations to our Capuchin way of life!

"Let’s admit it: none of us wants to be considered 'a wolf in sheep’s clothing' or the bad apple in the bunch. But any of us can be. We’re sinners, after all.

Nearing the end of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus provides a stern warning to be on guard against those who claim to be servants but instead are grifters, who present themselves as humble but are in fact arrogant, who put on a good appearance but are rotten inside. His warning is as relevant today as it was in the first century. It is also an invitation to look in the mirror before we start pointing fingers."

Read the latest blog from our Director of Ministries, Fr. John Celichowski, at the link below:

www.thecapuchins.org

"My first and only ocean cruise was 30 years ago. A semi-retired friar who served as a chaplain on many cruises encouraged some of us younger guys to give it a try. I served on a 7-day round trip cruise from Philadelphia to Bermuda. It was a worthwhile experience…and one I have no need or desire to repeat."

Check out the latest homily from the Capuchins' Director of Ministries, Fr. John Celichowski, at the link below!

Homilies | Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph My first and only ocean cruise was 30 years ago. A semi-retired friar who served as a chaplain on many cruises encouraged some of us younger guys to give it a try. I served on a 7-day roundtrip cruise from Philadelphia to Bermuda. It was a worthwhile experience…and one I have no need or desire to ...

Happy feast of St. Anthony of Padua! This great Franciscan saint is way more that a helper to find lost things. He was known as one of the greatest preachers of his time and in the history of the Church; drawing people back to the truth of the Gospel through his gentle teaching. For the early Franciscans, he was the first to teach the brothers theology, having received permission to do so from St. Francis himself. As he taught, he not only led the brothers to a deeper love of Christ through the love of wisdom, but did so in a way that always fostered the spirit of prayer and devotion. St. Anthony, the Evangelical doctor, pray for us!