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- Who
Are the Capuchins?
|
NewsMeet our new novices! On Saturday 17th of January, our two new novices received their habits in a simple ceremony in the Chapel of the St. Laurence Friary at Wynnum North, Brisbane in Queensland. Andrew Lyons is from Melbourne and James Stewart comes from Wanganni in the North Island of New Zealand. They both arrived at the St. Laurence’s a week earlier and began their preparation for novitiate with a weeks retreat led by their Novice Director, Br Carmel. Their retreat was a silent one designed to give them time to spiritually prepare to enter their novitiate year. Br Carmel, the Novice Director, presided at the private investiture liturgy. Also present were Brs. Denis, Albin, Lawrie and Robert. The ceremony was combined with Evening Prayer to emphasize the prayerfulness of the event. The liturgy began with the Novice Director asking the novices what they request of us. They answered: "Drawn by divine grace, we desire to share your life in the Capuchin Fraternity. We earnestly seek, after receiving the habit, to be tested by you. We want to learn the perfect following of Christ, according to the example of St Francis, who was poor, humble, and who loved the cross." Br Carmel blessed the novices’ habits with holy water before they received them. He then handed them to Andrew and James with the words: "… Carry with you the image of the cross as a sign of your greater dedication to the service of the Christ." Br Denis then assisted Andrew and James to but on their habits. They then returned to Br Carmel who handed each a lighted candle. This recalls their Baptism when they first received the light of Christ. This lighted candle reminds them that their desire to enter into the Capuchin novitiate is a lived response to their gift of Baptism. The Fraternity then welcomed our new brothers into the Order. The liturgy concluded with the blessing of St Francis given by Br Carmel. The official photos to record our novices in their habit for the first time immediately followed. The novices’ habit is slightly different from the habit of a friar who has made his profession of vows. First, their cord has no knots in it. This symbolizes that at this stage they have not made their vows to the Order. The three knots on a professed friar’s cord represent the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. The other difference is the caperone worn by the novice. It is made of the same material as the habit but hangs loosely over the back and front of the habit to the top of the cord. When the novices make their vows in one year’s time they receive a cord with the three knots in it and the caperone is taken off. After the ceremony, we had a celebratory dinner of pizza and some beer. There was one added bonus; Andrew and James could now talk to us after their week of silent retreat. Please keep Andrew, James, and the Novitiate friars in your prayers as they begin their novitiate year. JAMES STEWART
At first, I made no distinction between a vocation to the priesthood and to religious life, but it soon became clear to me that I did not want to be a diocesan priest. Therefore, I sought information on different religious Orders. The Capuchin humility and simplicity appealed to me, and I was also impressed by the rich heritage of Capuchin saints and blessed, which to me is evidence that God is working in the world through the Order. ANDREW LYONS
My interests are also varied and include Aussie Rules football, past membership of the International Commission of Jurists, cricket, movies, and reading psychological thrillers. As a young student the message of St Francis was inspiring and remains compelling. To me, the Capuchins live a rule that bears faithful witness to that message in a way that is dynamic, contemporary and open to God. My vocation is to belong to Christ in a way that allows a deeper experience of His love for me. Living as a Capuchin friar, and following the example of Francis in trust, humility, simplicity and joy, is my love for Christ in action. 7 February 1998 Archived News items:2001
2000 1999
1998
1997 |
Copyright © 2000-2004 Capuchin Franciscan Friars of Australia. All rights
reserved. 
I was born in New Zealand in 1975 and am the youngest of four siblings. Throughout
my schooldays, I enjoyed playing rugby union. At the age of fourteen, I began
studying the Korean martial art of Taekwon-Do. In December of last year, I
was promoted to the rank of second degree black belt. Upon completing my secondary
education I worked for a year as a service station forecourt attendant and
saved to go to Victoria University (Wellington NZ). It was while studying at
University that I once again felt the "call" to the priesthood for
the first time in about four or five years (when I was about ten my eldest
brother Mark entered the Marist seminary in New Zealand and this was when I
first thought of the idea of priesthood; the idea repeatedly came and went
for about five years). 
I was born in Melbourne, the second eldest of five children. After finishing
High School, I studied Arts and Law at the University of Melbourne. Completing
Articles, I practiced as a lawyer in various branches of the profession: as
a criminal barrister, a corporate lawyer and a Legal Advisor to a Minister
and Government Department.