SETTLING DOWN

by Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.

Although one of the saddest days of my life came when we returned our brown Capuchin habits, it also marked a new phase in the life of our little communities. Our identity was now clearly separate although we would always see ourselves as part of the splendid tradition of the Capuchin Franciscan reform. Since then we have been in a time of settling down. There was a need for much larger quarters for our formation program since five fine young men were on their way to be postulants and another younger man to be a candidate at the St. John Neumann Residence, the pre-theology seminary for the Archdiocese of New York. The Archdiocese offered us the convent of the Most Holy Trinity Slovak parish in Yonkers. This is a perfectly providential location since it is immediately adjacent to a very poor area and yet shares a tree-filled plaza with Lutheran and Orthodox churches - also called Holy Trinity. In August, St. Felix Friary moved from the crowded quarters at St. Rita's rectory in the Bronx to a spacious former convent which is only a mile-long walk to St. Joseph's Seminary where we have two students in theology. The rooms in the new friary are already filled, so if we get as many applicants next year as we have now, we will have to look for an additional house.

The formation staff is made up of Fr. Andrew, the novice master; Fr. Pio, servant and director of simply professed; and Fr. Glenn, as postulant and vocation director. They are assisted by Brother Michael, who coordinates work and food supplies for this lively community. Brothers Michael and Harry made their first profession and a "little history" on August 2 when they took their first vows. In February, James Marnell, Robert Honner, Joseph Kelly, and Richard Roemer became our new postulants. In the meantime, St. Crispin's Friary has grown with the addition of Brother Terry Messer, a friar in final vows who comes to us from the Order of Friars Minor in Maine. Brother Terry adds a taste of "Down East" zest to our community.

Life at St. Crispin's, strategically located as it is in the section affectionately known as "Fort Apache", is always exciting. Fr. Bob is working diligently with the mysterious mechanism of the city govemment to start construction on our large new St. Anthony's Shelter and also to prepare the old school to be a religious and social center in this almost totally deprived area. An association of lay volunteers was begun in September and are seeking to join us in imitating the life and spirit of St. Francis. Brother Joseph, along with keeping up all these buildings and supervising the postulants in the monumental task of repairing and repainting fire escapes, is completing two little hermitages. These hermitages, located on the family property of two of our sisters, will be used for our monthly days of solitude. Brother Bob, when not cooking up delicious meals of donated food, is finishing up his studies for the priesthood. In the midst of all of this, our deacon Brother Stan is preparing for his ordination to the priesthood by our friend Bishop William McCormack on December 8, in the beautiful old church of St. Adalbert adjacent to St.Crispin's Friary (our next issue will feature a story on his ordination and first Mass).

The Sister's Community was given the special blessing of the renewal of vows by Sister Joan, our second professed sister. The women novices, Sisters Carmela, Lucille, and Catherine, rejoice at the arrival of a new postulant, Miss Ann Lynn Agro from Staten Island. Sister Teresa has invited the entire community to share the simple but beautiful chapel of the sisters for our weekly common liturgy. It is the only space large enough to accomodate the entire community when the church is too cold to use.

I have been busy trying to keep tabs on all of these activities and getting out two books Thy Will be Done, A Spiritual Portrait of Cardinal Cooke (Alba House), and The Reform of Renewal (Ignatius Press). This book explains some of the rationale for our reform and suggests goals for Christians in this difficult time. How can we fail to be confident in the loving Providence of the Most Holy Trinity and the motherly protection of Our Lady and friendship of the saints when this totally improbable journey goes on so well?

We are filled with prayerful thanks for you, our friends, who have been God's instruments in helping us on our way so that for the first time in almost four years we can say we are actually settling down.