Ministries

At the service for the poor, the Church and of the whole world

Pope Pius XI once said of the Capuchin Franciscans:

“When times were at their worst and help was sorely needed, in places that were abandoned and where no one else would go, there you will find the Capuchin.”

We,the Capuchin Province of Our Lady of Lourdes are sent by the Lord to preach, first by example of our lives, then by many practical ways: prayer and contemplation, parish work and renewal, education, retreat giving, spiritual direction, mission activities, social service, etc. open to the myriad charisms the Holy Spirit implants on each person, we nurture whatever gift God has given us and place them to good use in His vineyard.
Prayer & Fraternal Service
 

The primary ministry of the Capuchin Franciscans, according to the Rule and Constitutions, is to live the fraternal Gospel life of St. Francis. This means that the life of the brothers and prayer have priority over active, outside ministry. As our Capuchin Constitutions state:

“To live together as lesser brothers is a principle part of our Franciscan vocation.”

Wherever the Capuchins find themselves, their primary ministries are living the Gospel life as brothers and spending significant time in prayer. Some of the friars in the province are wholly dedicated to fraternal services within the community and to lives of deep, contemplative prayer. Friars serve within the community in a variety of house-hold tasks: cooking, cleaning, repairs, etc. All of these are done in service to the community and build up the Gospel life of the friars. Elderly friars, who no longer serve in roles of active ministry outside the friary, give themselves completely to the life of prayer and contemplation.

The Gospel life of the friars and their deep commitment to prayer provide the necessary context for all of the outside, active ministries. What the friars do flows from who they are.

“Therefore let us willingly live our fraternal life among the poor, sharing their hardships and humiliation in a very loving way.”