All Highest, glorious God, cast your loght into the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, firm hope, perfect charity, and profound humility, O Lord; that I may do your holy and true will.
(Saint Francis of Assisi)

Postulancy is a time of continued discernment and growth. The word to "postulate" means "to ask." Postulants, those men who have been accepted to the postulancy program are asking whether this life is right for them. Our Franciscan brotherhood is also doing the same asking of God, whether each particular man is called to our brotherhood. The program for each man looking to enter our brotherhood can vary in length from a few months to a year (typically) or sometimes two years, depending on the individual joining.


 

San Damiano, Assisi, Umbria, Italy
During Postulancy, a man who feels he is called to join the brotherhood, asks to be received as a novice. He then spends a year with other novices in a more retreat-like setting where he deepens his Franciscan formation of prayer and fraternity combined with some work.

Currently Novitiate for the Immaculate Conception Province is at San Damiano, in Assisi, Italy. San Damiano is where St. Francis first heard the call to go and rebuild Christ's church. The friary there is part of the Seraphic Province of St. Francis of Assisi of Umbria, and our novices get to know many of the friars from the Seraphic Province, as well as other Provinces in Italy who choose to send their novices to San Damiano.

Pictured below are new novices Friar Kevin Ottoniel Hernandez, Friar Gabriel Rojas Mendieta, Friar Yony Alberto Molina Diaz, and Friar Jimmy Alexis Marchante with Friar Antonio Riccio, OFM and Friar Orlando Ruiz, OFM.

 

Convento San Francesco
Rome, Italy

After Novitiate, our newly professed friars join our Post Novitiate fraternity at Convento San Francesco in Rome, Italy. There they attend the Pontifical University Antonianum for Philosophy and Theology studies. These studies last about five years, during which our student friars in temporary vow continue to discern their Franciscan vocation and renew their vows each year until they are certain that they wish to make their commitment to the Franciscan life and to the Province of the Immaculate Conception permament by professing solemn vows for life.

Greetings brothers and peace!  By now we are all settled into our daily routine of prayer and study at the Antonianum and this last month has really been a special time of grace for the guys here in Rome. We had the opportunity to help the Sisters (Ancelle di Cristo Re- Handmaids of Christ the King) with the olive harvest on the last Saturday of October. It was so good to work outside with our hands and we were fortunate to have great weather on our side. We worked so well together that we were able to finish all of the trees in one day! Afterward we enjoyed a meal with the sisters filled with laughter and of course food prepared with love. We are very thankful to the sisters for all the support they give us.
On the following Monday we went to San Giovanni Rotondo to visit the Sanctuary of St. Pio of Pietrelcina. St. Pio is very important to so many of us. His devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the Passion of Christ remains an inspiration for all. We visited the very places where he lived and prayed. The bedroom where he slept is even on display just as it was when he lived there. It wasn’t the most neatly organized room I might add, which gives me hope! Beside praying before his tomb,  one of the most striking things was a room with glass cases, filled with letters from all over the world, which he had received in one year alone. The highlight of the visit to the shrine was the Mass in the large church. Fr. Antonio was the main celebrant, some of us served and read, and we all sat in the sanctuary together. It was so edifying to worship there, together with the many pilgrims who were present. 
    After our visit we headed to Monte Sant’Angelo which houses the oldest shrine to St Michael in Europe. To enter the shrine, which is at the top of the mountain, a deep cavern is entered by descending the stairs, worn by the steps of countless pilgrims. Not only does one sense the holiness of this place but also the history involved. Many kings, queens, popes, saints and people from all over medieval Europe have come to the shrine. Our own holy father Francis himself came here. Yet since he did not feel himself worthy to enter, he paused at the entrance and carved a Tau cross in the stone, which is still visible. 
     This month we also celebrated the birthday of our brother Oscar. It was an even more special celebration since he had come back to Rome just a few days before and we had been awaiting his arrival. Now we are all complete. The ten of us plus Fr. Antonio and Fr. Pierre, make twelve. 
     Thank you all very much for all your prayers for us. Please be assured of ours for you all as well. May the Lord bless and keep you all and give you his peace. 
Yours in Christ
Bro. Matthew Mancino

Friar Joshua Critchley, OFM

Friar Victor Treminio Trujillo, OFM, Rome