Soon after the celebration of the Profession of vows of our men in Pittsburgh (see the article) on Saturday, July 18th, marking the end of their "novitiate year," a new novitiate year began in Santa Ynez, CA, where the men of the North American & Pacific Conference gathered for their "Investiture:" the day they receive the habit of our brotherhood and begin their 12 months of prayer, work and discernment in comminuty.
Ryan Schmeltzer, Jack Lampton, Connor Bannon, Daniel Sullivan and Josean Castro-Arroyo were there from our Province of St. Augustine.
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The Novitiate, 2020-2021
(Click the picture above for a larger view)
The men begin with a fresh new team: Novitiate Director, John Celichowski, OFM Cap., former Provincial Minister of the St. Joseph Province (right, with the cord) who was with us for our Chapter in 2016, now takes the lead while working with our newly arrived brother Kip Ledger, OFM Cap. (far right), Assistant Novice Director