Becoming a cap
Serving with humility, prayer, and compassion, following St. Francis’ footsteps.
Postulancy I
Brothers who are interested in the Capuchin Order take the time to learn about Capuchins, meet friars, and visit Capuchin ministries. Vocation directors are available for guidance and assistance in this process of inquiry. During this time, postulants are active in volunteer ministry and spiritual direction to help them discern the life to which God is calling them.
Postitulancy-I is a full-time residential and program.
There are two opportunities to be a residential Capuchin candidate. The first is the Capuchin College Program designed for young men within two years of having graduated from high school. To learn more about this program, click on “Capuchin College Program” to the right. Men more than two years past high school graduation begin their candidacy as non-residents. If after some time they desire to get a more inside look at the Capuchins, they can arrange to live in a Capuchin community and volunteer in a Capuchin ministry. This opportunity is often used by men seriously thinking of applying to the next postulancy class and desiring more experience to assist in making that decision.
When a candidate feels more certain about his desire to become a Capuchin, he makes formal application to enter the Postulancy Program.
Postulancy II
Postulancy-II Program lasts for one year at St. Charles Lwanga Custody – Uganda. It is a full-time, residential program for someone entering the Capuchin Order.
Postulants spend 20 hours a week in ministry with the poor. Shelters for the homeless, soup kitchens, nursing homes, programs for battered women, educational opportunities for children in poverty are just a few examples. Another 20 hours are spent receiving input, reflecting together on experiences, or studying privately. Input during Postulancy includes the life and writings of St. Francis of Assisi, basic catechesis in the Catholic faith, Liturgy of the Hours and community prayer, Eucharist, and social analysis and theological reflection on experiences with the poor.
The province treats postulants as members of the Capuchin Order, even though they have not professed vows. The Capuchins assume financial responsibility for members at this point for as long as they remain in formation and in the Capuchin Order. With successful completion of the year, postulants move into a year of novitiate.
Novitiate
Like postulancy, novitiate is a one-year residential program. But while postulancy is a time of intense ministry experience, novitiate provides the environment in which one is more reflective on his life in the Capuchin Order in preparation for first profession of vows [poverty, chastity, and obedience] at the completion of the novitiate year.
During this year, novices from Uganda come together to have a common novitiate. This shared experience with different Capuchin provinces exposes friars to the wider Order, while also sharing traditions and history with each other to expand their understanding of being a friar.
Novices offer six hours of volunteer ministry each week. They also spend 20 hours weekly in classroom and private instruction. Topics include the history of spirituality, the history of religious life, the Capuchin Constitutions, the lay Franciscan movement, personal prayer forms, and the history of the Franciscan First Order [men] and the Poor Clares [the Second Order]. Novices practice a rich prayer life as they further discern their vocation.
Novitiate concludes with the profession of temporary [lasting for one year] vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Post Novitiate
Post-novitiate begins with the profession of temporary [“first”] vows. In this time of post-novitiate formation, a Capuchin friar lives what he has learned through postulancy and novitiate. It is an extended time of prayer, reflection, and final decision-making prior to professing perpetual [lifelong] vows. Most men in post-novitiate formation use this time to further prepare themselves for ministry, including priesthood.
During this time, post-novices live in Kampala while attending school. Because we are not diocesan priests, each friar looks at their individual gifts and talents, and pursues an education that can best benefit the Order, the Church, and the community at large. This is also a time for exploring the other cultures in preparation for ministry. Whether it’s learning another language, spending an extended period of time in a different community, or bringing one’s own culture into the Capuchins, the ability to explore other cultures enriches the Order while preparing post-novices to work in various settings.
With the completion of each year of post-novitiate formation, a friar renews his temporary vows for another year. This process of renewal continues for anywhere between three and six years until a friar is ready to commit himself to live the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience for the rest of his life [in “perpetual vows”].
Ministry Formation
Ministry formation is the time just after perpetual vows while a friar is still completing a program towards a future ministry. Normally, this occurs when a friar is completing his Masters of Divinity degree in preparation for ordination. However, it can include any academic or professional training program. Friars in this program continue to live a full Capuchin community life while they focus on completing their ministry training.