Perpetual Vows for Brs. Steve & Rigo
On August 17th, our brothers Rigo Azanwi, OFM Cap., and Stephen Wright, OFM Cap., made their perpetual vows as Capuchin Franciscans in ceremonies held at our mother-church of St. Augustine's in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh, PA.
The friars, having completed their three years of temporary profession, will continue to live at Capuchin College (St. Francis Friary) in Washington, DC. Br. Steve has taken on the assignment of fraternity service and has been spending time training as our Provincial tailor, an indispensible ministry to the friars (you just can't order habits on Amazon!). Br. Rigo was ordained a deacon on Saturday, September 8, in Washington, DC, and will take on his diaconate internship after finishing up his studies.
Borromeo CFP Begins Again
The Academic Year 2019-20 began in earnest on Tuesday, September 2, at John Carroll University in Cleveland. Six young men resumed their classes as they forge another year of studies, prayer and community - all the while discerning the Lord's path for them and their futures. All of them are residents at Borromeo Seminary in Wickliffe, OH, where our Capuchin Formation Program (CFP) allows them the opportunity to live in community and discern their vocations as Capuchin Franciscan friars.
Investiture 2019
Our newest novices were invested in their Capuchin habits in July, the official beginning of their Novitiate year of discernment before making their vows of poverty, chastity and obediience.
Brothers from our Province of St. Augustine were on hand for the occasion. Brs. Jim Froehlich (Director of the Interprovincial Pre-Novitiate Program) and Br. Bill Gillum (Assistant Director, and on the formation team at Capuchin College in DC) accompanied the group to their new home in Santa Ynez, CA, to join the friars from all the Provinces of the NAPPCC (the Capuchin Conference of North America & the Pacific) who have novices present this year. Other Provincial friars included Br. Phil Bernier (Assistant Novice Director), Br. Bill Talentino (Novitiate team member) and Br. Raf Anguiano (Vocation Director).
Prayers and blessings go out to our novices Matt Lontz, Mehari Worku, Sebastian Rojas, Tony Rivera, Simon Falk, Steve Cantwell, Carl Schulz and to Alexander Santana from the Capuchin Stigmata Province who joined the group for the Postulancy year in Philly. You'll see each of them in the photos below . . . .
Br. Akolla Ordained to the Priesthood
Our Akolla Etuge, OFM Cap., was ordained a priest in our Provincial celebration held on June 15, 2019. Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap., now the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston was on hand as the ordaining prelate. St. Catherine of Sweden Church in Allison Park, PA, hosted the even since our own motherhouse church, St. Augustine's in Pittsburgh, PA, is undergoing the construction of our additions to the current friary.
A choir of singers and musicians animated the Mass and Ordination Ritual. They traveled from the parishes of Holy Spirit and St. Agnes/Our Lady of Fatima in Cleveland, OH, where Br. Akolla served as deacon and will now serve as parochial assistant.
The CFP Graduates Sam & Ryan
CFP candidates Sam Hadjis and Ryan Schmeltzer(left) bid their own farewells to Borromeo Seminary as they graduated from John Carroll University whose commencement took place on May 19th. Borromeo's celebration, which took place on May 9th, featured former Borromeo Academic Dean, Marty Amos, who served as auxiliary bishop to the diocese before being appointed as bishop to the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa, from 2006-2017. Now retired, 
Bishop Marty resides back home in Cleveland and continues to serve the Church there. The former dean spoke to the grads: “Academic credentials? Who cares about them? What’s important is what you do with them.” Sam and Ryan know what they're doing with them: they began their postulancy year at Padre Pio friary in Philadelphia shortly after graduation in June.
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