Our brother Alex Hostoffer, OFM Cap. is leading our postulants during a "Quarantine period" at our mountain retreat of Alverno in Salisbury, PA. They're joined by brother Brian Stacy, OFM Cap,, staff member of our College Formation Program in Wickliffe, OH. The College program has been in "virtual existence" until the end of the semester.
The postulants began their volutary quarantine on Sunday, April 26, and will stay until Sunday, May 10. The reason for the forced separation, Br. Alex explained, was not from any contagion they've suffered. "We would like to send the postulants home for vacation on May 10th." Because of their work among the women and men of Philadelphia through their ministries, they want to make sure that none of them become sick in this transitional period so as not to endanger family or friends.
"We're taking temperatures and monitoring for symptoms regularly. We are also finding time for prayer, hikes around Alverno's property, classes on the vows and the Capuchin Charism, hermitage days and work projects. We have also found plenty of time for fraternity around fires." Here are some pictures, courtesy of postulant Daniel Sullivan (leading the distancing postulants above; you can view all of Daniel's pix on Google Drive).
Postulant Jack Lampton was really attached to the stream!
And it looks as though our brother Brian Stacy got the stream to himself later!
Alex also let us know that after time with their families, the postulants will return to Philly on June 7th for the Extended Postulancy Program. In past years, our postulants joined the postulants of the NAPCC (the North American & Pacific Capuchin Conference) for an introductory program before heading for novitiate in Santa Ynez, CA, together. That annual pre-notiviate program was canceled when the Jesuits in St. Louis, who rent the house to us for the time of the program, had to use the facility during the time slotted for our men.
The postulants fly west in their journey to Santa Ynez and San Lorenzo's inter-Provincial novitiate (on Friday, July 17th. Pray for them!
__________________________________
Our brother John Baptist from the Custody of Prem Jyoti, India, is finishing up his studies in Philadelphia while remaining a part of the Padre Pio fraternity in Philadelphia, the fraternity for the postulancy program. He sent along this YouTube video link of a reflection that includes our friars, postulants and people who have been involved with the Padre Pio Center there.
John writes: "Life in a Single Word presents a sharing by people from different walks of life, reflecting on their understanding of life in a single word. The video explores further how a particular understanding influences one's relationship with God, others and self. The viewers are invited to reflect on the meaning of life." Thank you, John!
DC Keeps Reaching Out
To Go Viral with the Word
In DC, as the digital study semester ends with exams the week of May 4-8, friar student Dave Domanksi shared with us some work they've been doing to broaden Capuchin Cafe's online presence. Capuchin Cafe is noted in the DC area for gathering young people for prayer, worship and faith support. They're trying to be creative in this lockdown period: "Our goal is to produce some new content which shares the Gospel through various expressions of our Capuchin Franciscan spirituality. This week we launched a new YouTube channel with an introductory video around these efforts."
The first offerings on the site include our brothers Andrew Corriente with his series This Friar Bakes and Tom Weinandy's series on Christology in the Early Church - both shows, we're assured, "cook."
The team spearheading the project is made up of brothers Matt Hindelang, Ross Henley, Dave and Andrew though other friar students at Cap College make up the larger team making Cap Cafe happen.
They invite everyone to check out the new content and pass it on to others in your social media networks to help spread the Good News! The Capuchin Cafe Facebook page is CapuchinCafeDC.
_______________________________________
And thanks to our brother Bill Gillum, OFM Cap., on the staff of our post-noviaite formation house in DC, who sent this photo last week. Every Sunday, the friars are committed to bring food and brotherhood to those in need in the nation's capital, especially to migrant workers. The Sunday morning ministry outreach to feed the poor continues with some creative adaptation to the pandemic faced by the global community. Respecting distancing requirement, brother Collin Kourtz, OFM Cap., delivers Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches to homeless men and women under the bridge. The original picture is on the upper left; the other three are blow-ups from the photo.
Thanks for all you do, friars!
Sunday Mass with the Novices
Meanwhile, the Novices in Santa Ynez, CA, are livestreaming their Sunday Masses. You can follow the Mass with them from the Chapel at San Lorenzo on any Sunday morning these days on their Facebook page (TheCaperoneSLS). The Mass happens, as they remind us, at 9am Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), Noon in the Eastern US (EDT), 6pm Rome time (CEDT), and 2am Monday in Sydney, Australia (AEST). As with all the livestreams, they remain on Facebook or on YouTube as long as the carrier or the host permits.
___________________________________________
You can support the great efforts of our men in formation - their training takes a lot of resources, and we're committed to forming them as brothers in service of the Church and its mission. You can help - pray for them, and if you are able, we'd appreciate any help you can offer for their education & community life.