All Highest, glorious God, cast your loght into the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, firm hope, perfect charity, and profound humility, O Lord; that I may do your holy and true will.
(Saint Francis of Assisi)

Greetings to all the brothers! Just a little something about what’s happening here regarding Postulancy as quite a number of friars have asked.
 
Our Postulancy program in Caledon began on Tuesday, September 4^th. The friars on the formation team at this house are Peter Furgiuele O.F.M., and myself Pierre Farrugia O.F.M.
 
We were happy to receive our two new postulants, Dmitry and Hawkins who have been with us now less than two weeks from the date that I am conveying this update to you. From the onset let me just thank all the friars who thus far have helped these two gentlemen arrive at the doors of their initial formation. We thank our Provincial, Robert Campagna O.F.M., and the Definitors, the Secretary of Formation, Ronald Gliatta O.F.M. and also Bruce Czapla O.F.M., and our Vocation Animator, Conrad Fernandes O.F.M., for all their great work in accompanying these two young men to this point and the continued support they show them. They have both said how helpful all the friars they have encountered thus far have been to their journey. Looking forward we thank also all the friars, especially those here in the Canadian Foundation, who in some way will contribute to the Postulancy Program. As the Ratio stipulates, all the friars in a province are called to be formators and to help with forming those in initial formation.
 
Upon their arrival, we immediately began with an evening of prayer and reflection at the Centre with our normally scheduled “First Tuesdays of the Month Holy Hour” where we have an hour adoration of prayer for vocations and then follow it up with a spiritual lesson of sorts, the last couple of years have been a Marian Bible Study and The Catholicism Series by Bishop Robert Barron. Hawkins and Dmitry joined in and got to meet many of those people who had and are still praying for them. The people were thrilled to meet them. 
 
The very next day they began their “Beginning of Postulancy Retreat” at the Martyr’s Shrine up in Midland. It was a fruitful encounter for the both of them and they came back with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement.
 
At the friary in Caledon, we have two different daily schedules: one when we have groups we receive at the Centre, and one when we do not. We have a Saturday and Sunday schedule as well with Sunday being their free day. We begin every day with 7:45 morning prayer followed by Holy Mass. Then, if a group is at the centre, we head over to be there to lend a hand of hospitality and aid the staff in their work load for that meal by cleaning up afterwards and setting up for the next meal. The postulants are able to engage the many different types of groups which visit us and also enjoy helping serve the meals.
 
After breakfast every day, whether at the friary or at the centre, Peter gives them Italian lessons. This is to help them ease into their novitiate year in Italy, and also God-willing as an asset for their future pastoral ministries. Aside from English, as you know, Italian or Spanish are two languages the Order prescribes knowing (either one or the other) for pastoral work in multi-ethnic communities or to cultures predominantly speaking those languages.  
 
Each member of the fraternity here takes their turns cooking for the others. The postulants cook together on Wednesdays and Saturdays while Peter cooks on Thursdays and I cook every Monday, Tuesday and Friday. I have to say, we are not doing too bad at all at the cooking! We’ve included some photos. 
 
Then after lunch, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 or 4pm depending on our calendars, I sit with the guys for lessons of various sorts which cover what’s prescribed by the Ratio. We’ve started with the Liturgy of the Hours and Francis’ Style of Prayer as distinguished from other forms of prayer within consecrated life. Soon we will begin going through the Catechism together, and then closer to the end of postulancy, Franciscan Spirituality – just the basics. Aside from what Peter and I are doing with them at the friary regarding these lessons, we also will be taking them to various friars on a monthly basis for everything else the Ratio is asking for. We thank all these friars for their generous commitment to help in this regard as I mentioned above.

Aside from the work at the Centre, the other apostolate we will all be engaged in together will be a soup kitchen in Brampton (45mins South of us) called Knight’s Table, originally begun by the Knights of Columbus. Their the postulants will have a better idea of the realities of the less fortunate whom we minister to with special devotion and attention as part of our charism. We will be doing this twice a month for now.
 
Our main meal each day is lunch, and at breakfast and dinner everyone helps themselves with what they want and if there is a group at the centre, we eat with the staff who very warmly received our Postulants.
 
We pray vespers everyday at 5pm, and on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays we pray the Rosary together as a fraternity. If we have no groups at the centre, Saturday is a clean up day at the friary. All of us are assigned our particular tasks and it gets done. Sunday is a free day for them where they are encouraged to unwind in a healthy manner by visiting friends or family or by merely spending a day out in Toronto for example.
 
The guys are getting used to the Divine Office and everything else for that matter slowly but surely, and as you know, the first year is always a delicate year. For this reason I ask you to keep them both in your prayers and do not hesitate to drop them a line. They are both very wonderful young men! Please also keep Peter and myself in your prayers because this is also our first year in formation ministry. We send greetings to you all, and many blessings from above. Fraternally,
 
Fr Pierre Farrugia O.F.M.

  Postulants Hawkins Choi and Dmitry Neill received into the Postulancy Program with the reception of the Tau Cross.  September 17, 2018.  

On the 8th of September, at 4pm, Novices Jack Sidoti, Daniel Cavalieri, and Carl Green, along with five Italian Novices, received the habit of St. Francis in the Sanctuary of San Damiano in Assisi, thus beginning the Novitiate year. The rite was celebrated by Fr. Claudio Durighetto, Provincial Minister of the Assisi Province.  The ceremony began with the Provincial welcoming the Province of the Immaculate Conception, and then followed with the novices asking the Provincial to be vested with the Franciscan habit and to begin the novitiate year. Three readings were then proclaimed from the scriptures and from Celano, with the common theme of leaving the secular life behind and accepting this new life in Christ, clothed in the habit of St. Francis. After the homily, the investiture took place. The Italian novices were vested by the provincial, and the novices of our province were vested by Fr. Antonio Riccio, provincial delegate. The new friars then venerated the San Damiano Crucifix, and embraced the friars. Then, as a symbol of the transition from the congregation to the fraternity, the novices left the pews, and took their places in the choir with the community.  Pictured below are Friar Carl Green, friends Daniela and Gianni, Friar Antonio Riccio, Friar Daniel Cavalieri, Friar Jack Sidoti, and Friar Jimmy ZammitFriar Daniel, Friar Antonio Riccio, Friar Claudio- Provincial of the Assisi Province, Friar Jack, and Friar Carl (Front)

Friar Joshua Critchley, OFM, Chicago

Friar Victor Treminio Trujillo, OFM, Rome