Taking on a New Habit

Assisi is the cradle of the Franciscan movement. Among the verdant, sun-kissed hills of Umbria, garlanded with cypress, olive and fig trees, and dotted with vineyards, it was in Assisi and the surrounding countryside where St. Francis followed God’s command to “Rebuild my Church.” The North American Pacific Capuchin Conference (NAPCC) Novitiate is set in a similar Mediterranean landscape of rolling hills, cypress and olive trees and grapevines in Santa Barbara County, California.

During Vespers on July 20, when the Church remembers the great Capuchin preacher St. Lawrence of Brindisi, four Novices from the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph were invested in the Capuchin habit this past summer at San Lorenzo Seminary, under the patronage of St. Lawrence of Brindisi. The brothers put on the Capuchin habit for the first time, with its distinctive hood or "cappuccio," from which the order derives its name. They also don the “caperone” which identifies these new friars as novices.

Making All Things New

The word Novice comes from the latin root “Novo,” meaning “new.” Taking on the Capuchin habit is taking a step into a new life as a religious brother. Four friars from the St. Joseph Province completed the Capuchin Postulancy program last spring and three of them, Aaron Arndt, Dave Carrion, David Inunza, are approaching the end of their novitiate. Postulancy gives postulants the opportunity to live in community at St. Francis of Assisi Monastery and to minister at Capuchin Community Services in Milwaukee. Postulant life affords a blend of contemplative prayer, active ministry and community life, similar to the lives of professed Capuchin brothers. Summing up the experience, novice Br. Aaron Arndt said: “The transition from postulancy to novitiate has been a very positive and grace-filled experience for me. I have come to appreciate the rhythm of communal prayer, which continues to draw me deeper into the heart of God and the life of the community.”

As novices, the focus shifts more toward contemplative prayer and a deepening of the novices’ relationship with God. The 2025-2026 cohort includes another 10 novices from across NAPCC, which includes the Capuchin Provinces of the United States and its outlying territories along with Canada and Australia.

Each day of the novitiate is structured with the Liturgy of the Hours as a framework. At our Capuchin monasteries around the province, the Divine Office is prayed, with friars praying morning and evening prayer in community. However, at the Novitiate, the day begins at 6:30 a.m. with the Invitatory Prayers and the Office of Readings prayed in community, with Morning Prayer (Lauds), Midmorning Prayer, Midday Prayer, Midafternoon Prayer, Evening Prayer (Vespers) and Night Prayer (Compline). The novices live in near-seclusion at the Seminary, with minimal access to devices and limited communication with the outside world. “I know I definitely enjoy praying all the Hours together, and the dedicated time in silence and prayer has been wonderful for my personal and spiritual growth,” said novice Br. Dave Carrano.

Contemplative Prayer and Active Ministry: Martha and Mary

The Gospel reading on the Memorial of St. Lawrence of Brindisi is of Martha and Mary. Martha busily works to provide hospitality to Jesus while Mary sits at the feet of the Lord Jesus contemplating his teachings. This models the Capuchin life perfectly. As novices, Capuchins take the role of Mary, focused on taking in the teachings of the Lord.

This was crystallized by Br. David Hirt, a member of the NAPCC Novitiate Formation Team from the St. Joseph Province, who said, "We each have the right and responsibility to spend time in prayer and in contemplation like Mary. This also means we each have the responsibility, and the right to serve like Martha, to do the dishes like Martha, to be good hosts like Martha, so our brothers can be Mary and we can receive the blessings of service."

"This is the give and take of fraternal life. This is Capuchin community life. This is the call of this year: To seek God in prayer and offer that same possibility to our brothers. We are also called to offer that gift to those beyond our doors; To welcome in the community who prays with and for us, who supports us. Also those to whom you will go out in ministry, easing some of their burdens and so provide the quiet and stability they may not regularly get. So that they, too, may draw closer to God, to have time to dive into spiritual depths that the cares of the world may keep from them."

The novices will profess first, or simple, vows this spring in Milwaukee. It's here that they take the vow of poverty, chastity and obedience. After profession, the novices will no longer wear the caperone, and will begin their post-novitiate formation. Please pray for our novices!