Reflections - Friars in Postulancy

Their vocation journey at  

   St. Michael Friary 

                                            
                                             
JOHN ALVARADO

Johnny is from Richmond Hill in Queens, NY.  He is 19 years old and is attending Queensborough Community College.

I guess when I was a boy I always felt a calling to a religious life.  When I was sixteen, I met with Bro. Tim about the Capuchin order.  When I attended my first discernment weekend, it was kind of an overview of the Capuchins and the Brothers.  I saw how the Brothers knew each other very well, just like a big family.  I felt like I was back home because I live with my brother, older cousins, my uncle, and my grand-mother.  The only thing different is that all the Brothers detached themselves from other things that the people desire to have so that they can serve God with all their hearts.  That trait alone made me want to continue on this journey with the Capuchins.  Now, taking that next step by becoming a Postulant feels like the right decision that I made this year.  I'm finally going to learn more about the Capuchins and follow in the footsteps of one of my favorite saints, Padre Pio.


LINNEKER MARIN 

Linneker is from Richmond Hill, New York. He's twenty-three years old and is attending Queens College. 

I was born in Ecuador and  immigrated to New York when I was eight years old.  I was raised in Queens, NY.  I am now 23 years old, and I reside in Richmond Hill, Queens, NY with my parents Hugo and Elvia.   I have two sisters Heidi and Kelly, and I also have one brother Jonnathan.  I have recently graduated from LaQuardia Community College, and I just finished my first semester at Queens College. I'm sure that it's very obvious that  I am pretty excited about being accepted to join the Capuchins.

I am presently saying yes to the call to follow in St. Francis' footsteps.  I have been participating in a few Charismatic and Youth groups where I have found the love and peace that only God can give.  This is why I decided to look for a place where I could be closer to God and, at the the same time, to help those in need.  I found the Capuchins through a Capuchin priest, and it has been a great experience getting to know the Brothers.  Throughout all this time that I have been discerning, I have gotten a better idea of what it is to be a Capuchin Brother.  I am really happy that I have been accepted for Postulancy, and I thank God for accepting me into His house.



WILLIAM TARRAZA

William comes from Cape Elizabeth, Maine.  He's twenty-three years old and recently graduated from the Catholic University of America.  

Life moves fast.  We all can look back on times in our lives and say, "Wow, that went by so quickly!"  With the little time we have, as Christians we are all called to serve God according to the gifts that God has bestowed upon us.  Each day, we are presented with new joys, sorrows, and encounters that shape our being.  Within each day, God gifts us with a multitude of opportunities that we can use to follow God's will. "Life moves fast", I remind myself.  "How can I use it to serve God to the best of my ability?"  The opportunities and, specifically, the blessings in my life have urged me to seek a way in which I can serve God in a joyful and loving manner.  The task that is set for me is the following question:  Where can I do this best? 

The joyful spirit of the Capuchin brothers was the first glimmer of a call to their lifestyle. My time as a Candidate with them has been an opportunity to reflect on my life and how I want to go forth in my journey.  It has been a time to ask questions and to seek answers about a Capuchin's way of life.  Not only was I getting to know the brothers, but the Capuchin's were also getting to know me.  They too were discerning whether or not they felt that I was called to their way of life and to enter Postulancy.  I thank God and the brothers for giving me the blessing of beginning Postulancy.  What has been most important is that candidacy gave me an opportunity to grow in my relationship with Christ.  It was a blessing for me, which allowed me to grow deeper as a Catholic and to develop an enhanced understanding of the mystery of Christ.  I hope that I may continue to delve deeper into prayer and continue the search of Christ's will in my life, God willing as a Capuchin brother.

As a recent graduate of the Catholic University of America, I've been blessed to have so many wonderful people who have come into my life and have had a part to shape the person who I have become.  As life continues to move quickly, I pray that I may continue to be shaped by the people that I have met, the Capuchin brothers of the Province of St. Mary, and all those who I will encounter along the way.






ANTHONY ZUBA

Anthony is from Boston, Massachusetts, but is originally from Long Island, New York.  He is thirty-three years old and has his Masters in Divinity. Anthony has known the Capuchins for the past nine years and is presently a community organizer in the Boston area.

Many friends have congratulated me for taking the "next step" in my journey of faith.  Indeed, I am becoming a Capuchin Franciscan friar because I believe there is no surer way to follow Jesus faithfully than to walk in the footsteps of Francis.  It may truly be said that in joining the Capuchins and beginning Postulancy, I am undertaking an expedition to uncover the footprints of Francis and the revolutionary path he pioneered.
 
But there is more than this.  Today I am a Postulant because it is not enough for me only to find the path, to retrace Francis' steps.  Any seeker can do that. Jesus teaches us that the kingdon of heaven is like "a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field" (Matthew 13:44).  Well, out of joy for finding the path, I move to the margin of the road I have been traveling and merge onto the way of the Poverello.

But, there is still more than this.  The Gospel is not only to be believed but also lived.  Discipleship is faith put into practice.  It is not enough for me to say, "There is a path, and I see it leads me straight and true."  Francis knew the way of Christ does not admit of tourists or museum curators.  Therefore, becoming a Capuchin Franciscan friar is not merely the "next step" in the journey back to God - it is a change in the way I walk.  If it is true that we make the road by walking, then nothing less than a radical re-ordering of my steps will enable me to tread in the tracks of the one whose pilgrim path was often muddy and rough.

But, thanks be to God, I won't run this race alone.  First of all, the Spirit of God will always guide my feet.  Second, the Word and works of Jesus Christ abide, and Jesus' gift of Himself in the Eucharist nourishes me for the journey.   Third, God has given me brothers, companions on the way.  My encounters with the Capuchins throughout candidacy intensified my desire to enter religious like because I have seen the friars' love for one another, and I trust that by this love God is changing these men and, through them, the world as well.

Now, after many years of friendship with the friars and a year of deep discernment as a Candidate, I am eady to walk humbly with God from within the fellowship of the Capuchins.  Please pray for me and my brothers in the postulancy program.  May God's kingdom come speedily, and God's will be done in our world as in heaven.