May is the traditional month for honoring Mary, The Virgin Mother of God. It is also the beginning of spring – at least here in Cincinnati, Ohio. This year we are also experiencing a new “spring” in the Church with the new administration of Pope Francis. His lively spirit and friendly nature are winning the hearts of Catholics and members of other faiths as well. Like the spring flowers, Pope Francis is refreshing and a sign of hope. He, like the Franciscan Orders, has dedicated his life to the honor and glory of God through the powerful intercession of Mary.

If you or a loved one feels a call to live a life of hope dedicated to Jesus through Mary, then maybe the following pages are for you. They are about what it takes to be a Friar and a little about the process of becoming one.

The requirements for entry are listed below in Would I Make a Good Friar? The steps for deciding, called discernment, are on the page entitled Is This Life for Me? On the pages Becoming a Friar and Franciscan Formation we talk about the stages of formation and you can meet some of our young men in formation. If you feel drawn to learn more about our way of life and ministries, click on How to Contact Us. Finally, a couple of good resources for learning about us are Father Don’s Vocation Blog, our YouTube channel, franciscanvocations, and our Facebook page: Franciscan Vocations, St. John the Baptist Province.

Note: We are rejuvenating Father Don’s Vocation Blog with new writers. Some of our student Friars will be contributing their insights and ideas along with Fr. Don. The new name starting in  June will be Vocation Vibes, which is the url address (vocationvibes.franciscan.org). We hope that this change will be helpful.