Welcome to the Vocation Pages of our Provincial website. I hope that you find both information and inspiration as you page through the material we offer.

The intellectual pursuits of the Friars have been a part of our way of life since the time of St. Francis. Francis has been portrayed as being anti-intellectual and anti-learning, but that is not the case. He warned his Friars against becoming proud due to their education, but he certainly did not speak against learning. He even commissioned St. Anthony as an early teacher of the Friars.

This month our Postulants finish up their Program at St. Anthony Friary in Cincinnati. After a brief vocation with their families, they will head for St. Bonaventure University for some summer classes before beginning their novitiate in August. Some of our professed students may be joining them as they all pursue the Franciscan Intellectual tradition of philosophy and theology.

If you or a young man you may know would like to be a part of this great Franciscan tradition, please take a look at the information found on the vocation drop-down menu. Below you will find a brief listing of the characteristics we look for in a good candidate for the Friars. The Is This Life for Me? page talks about discernment—how to find out if the Lord may be calling you to a religious vocation. On the Becoming A Friar page you can read about the various steps toward full membership in the Order. The  Franciscan Formation page introduces you to our men in formation. And finally, there is a page called How to Contact Us where you can send your name and other necessary information directly to me so that I can communicate with you about your possible vocation.

Two other informational resources are Father Don's Vocation Blog and our YouTube channel at franciscanvocations.

If you have thought about joining us or would just like to chat about what a vocation involves, please contact me.

Also, please join us in praying for vocations to the Priesthood and to the Religious Life.