How to Join us
(see also Meet Some Friars)

Are you restless in your life and looking for something more to satisfy your heart? Are you attracted to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, to the service of the church and the poor, to St. Francis and his love of God and all creation? Perhaps God is calling you to a religious vocation, to be a Capuchin brother or priest! If so this page is meant for you. The page on Capuchin Poor Clares has similar information for those called to be Capuchin sisters.

Individual Capuchin provinces have slightly different admissions policies, but anyone who would become a Capuchin friar must be a baptized and practicing Catholic man, single and without dependent children, between 18 and 40 years old, with a high school or G.E.D. diploma, in good physical and mental health, and free of debt (except college loans).

Beyond these things, however, he must somehow experience a call from the Lord, have a deep desire for God and of growing in friendship with Jesus Christ. He must want to live the Gospel in the spirit of St. Francis, be able to live the vows of poverty, obedience, and chastity and be able to live in community.

Initial formation varies somewhat among provinces, but all Capuchin formation requires a year of postulancy as an introduction to the Capuchin life, a year of novitiate in preparation for the temporary profession of vows, and three years of post-novitiate formation to prepare for permanent commitment to the Capuchin life. At least part of the post-novitiate formation is also a time to prepare for future ministry, including priesthood studies for those preparing for Holy Orders.

The vocation team of the Mid-America province will be pleased to give you more information about the Order and to help you discern your vocation.

Mike Scully, O.F.M.Cap., team coordinator
3553 Wyandot Street
Denver, CO 80211
(303) (303) 477-5436, fax (303) 477-6925
E-mail vocations@midamcaps.org

Fr. Michael may also put you in touch with one or more of the other members of the team:

Curtis Carlson, O.F.M.Cap., Colorado Springs mailto:curtis.carlson@midamcaps.org
John Lager, O.F.M.Cap., Denver john.lager@midamcaps.org
Augustine Rohde, O.F.M.Cap., Western Kansas augustine.rohde@midamcaps.org
John Schmeidler, O.F.M.Cap., Eastern Kansas & Kansas City johnchmeidler@midamcaps.org
Jeff Ernst, O.F.M.Cap., St. Louis jeff.ernst@midamcaps.org

The territory we normally cover is Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois (the Belleville, Springfield, and Peoria dioceses), Nebraska, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

If you are from another part of the U.S., you may wish to contact a Capuchin vocation director closer to where you live. We Capuchins in North America are divided into geographical territories called provinces or vice provinces, as shown on the map below. To contact the Capuchin vocation director nearest you, click on the names of the directors given below the map.

Click on the map above or one of the following names to reach the corresponding area on the map above:

1. French-speaking Canada
2. English-speaking Canada
3. New York & New England
4. New Jersey & Southeast U.S.
5. Mideastern U.S.
6. Upper Mid-West
7. Lower Mid-West
8. Western Coast
9. Texas
10. Puerto Rico

Other Options

If you think you may have a call to ministry in the church or the Franciscan life, but are not sure of or ready to choose the vowed life, there are several other options you might consider. Capuchin Volunteer Programs offer an opportunity for short-term ministry among the poor in a Franciscan community setting. The Secular Franciscan Order (1-800-Francis) is for lay men and women who want to live the Franciscan life with community support within their daily lives and work.

To reach our webPorter.