By Eli Pacheco 

In early December, a group of men gathered at St. Anthony Friary in St. Petersburg, Florida, to seek answers to the same question: Is this where I belong?  

Amid Franciscan brotherhood and Florida sunshine, seven men spent three days conversing and praying with friars during the province’s final Franciscan Vocational Discernment Weekend of 2024. They left with a renewed hunger to draw closer to God and minister to a hurting world. 

“Franciscans offer an alternative to the world we see today,” said Provincial Councilor Br. Erick López, OFM, one of the friars who attended the weekend. “It’s a way of living, a way of being, a way of connecting with others that is compassionate, merciful, just and fair, that reminds us constantly that we are all brothers and sisters.”

Three men wearing friar habits and eyeglasses pose for a photo.

The men who attended Vocation Weekend visited Sacred Heart Parish in nearby Tampa. (Photo courtesy of Br. Basil Valente, OFM)

A weekend filled with purpose 

Franciscan Vocational Discernment Weekends are watershed moments for men considering whether to become a friar – a time to ask more profound questions and meet other men seeking God’s guidance.  

A discerner who attends has typically already met the friars and attended a ‘Come and See’ Weekend, an informal opportunity to experience Franciscan life and ministry. The Vocational Discernment Weekend is a “capstone” retreat – the final step before a discerner is presented with an application for the province’s postulancy program, the first stage of Franciscan formation (training). 

Discerners enter Come and See Weekends with curiosity; they venture to Vocational Discernment Weekend with purpose.  

“When they arrive, we ask them not to anticipate, but participate,” said Br. Jeffery Jordan, OFM, regional vocation director. “When we anticipate, we sometimes tailspin into thinking a certain way or developing expectations. We want to make an experience that is open, that is comfortable and welcoming.” 

Through shared meals, prayer and a visit to Sacred Heart Parish in nearby Tampa, the potential postulants visiting Florida drew on the friars’ wisdom and experience. St. Anthony Friary is home to a community of friars who, although retired from full-time ministry, are still doing the work of God in any way they can. They eagerly shared their decades of experience living the Franciscan vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Eleven men pose outdoors for a photo with a statue. Four are wearing friar habits.

Seven men joined the friars in St. Petersburg, Florida, for a weekend of ministry, brotherhood, and discernment. (Photo courtesy of Br. Basil Valente, OFM)

Franciscan stewardship

One such friar, Br. Dan Kenna, OFM, delivered a spirited reflection on his experience with the Franciscan vow of poverty that generated palpable energy and ignited a fire in many men’s hearts. 

In a building buzzing with reconstruction after sustaining damage from Hurricane Milton in October, Br. Dan spoke about how one might view poverty as Franciscan stewardship. He cited how St. Francis urged the friars to live as the poor Christ lived “sine proprio” – without anything of their own. 

St. Francis, Br. Dan said, wasn’t talking only about a person’s material possessions. 

“When Francis said to live ‘sine proprio,’ he was talking about a person’s heart,” Br. Dan explained. “He was talking about surrendering one’s ownership over the gifts and talents that the Creator has bestowed. 

“Francis realized that everything he had, he had not earned. It was a pure gift from God.” 

Br. Dan implored the men to also recognize their talents as gifts from God and consider how to be a good steward of them. 

“Can you believe that (your) gifts and talents have been given to you not to make your life more comfortable, secure, safe,” he said. “But given for the sake of others, given not for building up your own kingdom, but God’s kingdom?” 

His words echoed throughout the weekend for all who heard them. 

“Dan has been a friar for 56 years,” said Br. Basil Valente, OFM, executive director of vocations. “And he was just as excited about his vows (that weekend) as he was on day one. The guys saw that. This is someone who came to the friars at (age) 13. To have this enthusiasm accounts for a good invitation to the friars.” 

Men on the cusp of friar life aren’t the only ones who benefit from the weekend, Br. Jeffery noted.  

“We friars get to see God working in people’s lives,” he said. “Not only in the discerners but in our lives, in how we reassess our vocations and the reasons we are friars.” 

Four men stand while having a discussion in a kitchen. There are refrigerators and food carts in the background.

The weekend gave potential postulants a chance to get to know the friars and each other. (Photo courtesy of Br. Basil Valente, OFM)

What’s next?

Early returns are promising. 

The December Discernment Weekend ended on a Sunday. By Monday afternoon, three discerners had begun their application for the postulancy program. By Wednesday, four discerners were in application, with one nearly finished with the lengthy packet.  

If accepted, the men will join the 2025-26 postulancy class, beginning formation in August 2025. 

A strong number of men plan to attend two discernment weekends in early 2025. Other vocation events – including SEEK25 and RECongress – are planned for next year, and there is much reason to be excited about the future of Franciscan life. 

With the support of the friars, the vocations team looks forward to engaging more men interested in exploring Franciscan life in the new year. 

“It is so important that we have fresh vocations, new guys hungry for something – hopefully for the Gospel, for this way of life, and to share the Franciscan message with the world today," Br. Erick said. "That brings me a lot of hope.” 

Is God calling you, or someone you know, to be a Franciscan? Contact our vocation office to learn more about Franciscan life.